Green IT at City University †City Green Monitor

Abstract One of the main initiatives which have been employed by the City University within the Information Technology (IT) department is that of the Green Monitor, where a computing room has been set up by a group of students aimed at recording data from an environmental perspective (Green Dragons, 2014). This initiative is both effective now and in the long run, with wider possible uses in the future. This initiative is currently in its infancy, with the wider use under analysis here, as to how it can foster Green IT, going forward. The aim of this research is to develop this resource further and to create both policies and technology that will allow the IT department to support the Green Initiative across the City University, as well as across other institutions. Introduction The first issue which needs to be determined in this proposal is what precisely is meant by Green IT and what the impact of Green IT initiatives can be on an organisation or wider groups of organisations. In accordance with the guide produced by the Chartered Institute for IT, BCS (O,Neill, 2010) states that: â€Å"Green IT is a collection of strategic and tactical initiatives that directly reduces the carbon footprint of an organisation’s computing operation†¦ However, Green IT is not just focused on reducing the impact of the ICT industry. It is also focused on using the services of ICT to help reduce the organisation’s overall carbon footprint† This basic definition presents some interesting points of discussion, before going on to look at the precise nature of the work being undertaken here. Firstly, the issue of Green IT is thought to be linked to the workings of organisations and not to individuals themselves. This raises an important question from the outset: focussing on an organisation may be a false approach due to the fact that so many devices are now used by individuals and not as part of an organisation at all. Secondly, there is the notion that strategic and tactical initiatives may refer to a different approach to the strategies that may be seen as relevant for Green organisations, such as Greenpeace, thus creating a disparity in the overall objectives to be pursued. Finally, it is also noted in this definition that IT itself can be seen as a positive step towards environmental management, with factors such as the ability to work from home reducing travel emissions. This potential benefit of IT is not to be igno red and should be considered alongside the environmental costs. Moreover, O’Neill then goes on to argue that it is also necessary to look at the whole process of IT, including the manufacturing, transportation and disposal, not simply at the emissions and consumption when the item is operative. For the purposes of this research and in looking at the areas of Green IT projects within the City University, it is important to consider how the success or otherwise of the initiative may be judged. Bearing in mind the aforementioned discrepancy between strategy and tactical initiatives that may be pursued by the Chartered Institute of IT and the approach taken by environmental groups there is an immediate difficulty in producing a coherent plan for providing Green IT. In accordance with the BCS and the work by O’Neill, Green IT should be focussing on some key areas. Firstly, he argues that the area of Green IT should look at changing the ethos and culture within an organisation, so as to make sure that the corporate agenda of a company or organisation is reflective of the Green IT aim. As part of this, there should be initiatives in place to ensure that teams and individuals are able to enact Green IT initiatives that are established by the wider group. In addition, Green IT practices should be built into the wider organisational goals and processes, so that the infrastructure is purchased with Green IT in mind. By contrast, Greenpeace looks at Green IT as a means of pulling together energy efficiency and renewable energy, which is a somewhat different approach from that taken by the organisational strategy. In reality, and for the purposes of this analysis, a combined definition is to be pursued, with the suggested definition of Green IT being a set of realistic and practical measures which can ensure that IT is developed in such a way that is sustainable, energy efficient and friendly to the environment. It is this definition that will be considered for the purposes of the project being undertaken here. 1.1The Project at City University Monitoring devices created as part of this initiative are used in order to calculate the CO? emissions within the room itself. Using this information, energy consumption can then be ascertained. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that the students and staff across the University understand the impact that each computing hour has on the environment. This is, therefore, an initiative aimed at improving the environmental position in relation to the IT function and understanding how simple actions such as shutting down the PC at the end of the day or turning down the brightness on a monitor can have an impact on the CO? emissions (Curry et al., 2012). Bearing in mind the previous analysis of what precisely is meant by Green IT, it can be seen that the initiative as it currently stands within the City University deals with a minimal area of Green IT initiatives and requirements. The broader Green IT initiate needs to consider more than just the monitoring of the CO? emissions of the IT department. That said, this starting point provides the information that is necessary in order to be able to further the initiative into a working and sustainable policy, in the future. This initiative is an information gathering initiative which allows the University and then wider organisations to monitor the impact of their behaviours, in such a way that may influence behaviours, in the future. This paper will look at the strategy and concepts associated with power management in Green IT, before then going on to consider the likely behaviours and changes that are going to ensue, as a result of this Green IT initiative and then to draw conclusions on the impact of the initiative as the final section of the report. Power Management Concept within Green IT The notion of Green IT was established substantially by Murugesan, in 2008, stating that Green IT involves a wide range of activities, including designing, using and manufacturing not only the use of the computers, but also any systems associated with the renewal or purchase of such items, so that there is a minimal impact on the environment (Murugesan, 2008). Taking this on board alongside the earlier recognised area of Green IT, it can be argued that the issue of power management is a part of the overall objective which needs to be dealt with fully, before other aspects can be achieved. Without the knowledge that this type of monitoring produces, a wider IT strategy will equally not be possible. For example, if the research indicates that a certain type of screen is substantially better for the environment, then the next stage could be to roll out the provision of these screens across all departments within the University. There is a suggested indication from this perspective, that a monitoring initiative such as the one under discussion here is a suitable area for Green IT and arguably the crucial first step, as it is impossible to put in place improvements without understanding the changes and impacts, in the first place. A key strategy within this area of Green IT is to put in place approaches and processes that offer greater sustainability. For example, in this case, the use of remote monitors within the IT department could then be rolled out to usage in any other department which uses IT, or any other item that could be used more effectively to improve sustainability. Information is the lifeblood of any future initiatives that can be established. It is further noted that, in any modern IT system, there is a mixture of technology, people, hardware and networks. Therefore, any area of Green IT needs to consider all of these factors; for example, user behaviours and the broader impact on networks and hardware also need to be brought into the equation. Consider, for instance, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) which is a standard used across the entire industry to allow the operation systems to change and control the way in which the power-saving aspects operate, so that the system to a certain extent manages itself (Therien, 2011). This can be done in an entirely automated way, or can allow users to set tolerated levels, for example, how long until a monitor goes onto â€Å"energy saver†. These strategies and approaches are critical to the monitoring area, as this is ultimately the aim of monitoring, so that changes can be put in place to improve overall sustainability.Possible Uses and Recommendations Having put in place monitoring through remote sensors, the IT department is now able to provide information to the next stage of the network, in order to develop mechanisms that will allow the IT itself to manage and improve the environmental impact that computers have. For example, it is shown that CRT monitors use more power than slimmer LCD monitors and having an understanding of a link such as this allows the University (and other organisations) to make decisions at the purchasing stage that will impact on what happens in the longer run. Similarly, it is noted that LCD monitors will use a cold cathode fluorescent bulb as a general source of light, with some of the newer displays using different technologies, such as LEDs, to ensure that less electricity is used (Infoworld, 2009). Fundamentally, the aim of monitoring in this way is to ensure that there is a greater understanding obtained of the usage of electricity by simple activities, so that this can then be used firstly to influence user behaviours and secondly can then be used to develop technologies which will create automatic controls within the technology items themselves. The first element of this research policy is to understand what information has been gathered, before then formulating it in such a way that can produce clear policy guidelines for the University to then import into the wider policies and strategies which it is required to undertake, over a longer period of time. Continuous data gathering and monitoring then allows for the company or organisation to establish and improve its policies, as and when required, and as part of continuous improvement. Conclusion In conclusion, this report indicates that one relatively simple initiative of monitoring the electricity usage within an Information Systems laboratory can lead to information which is then vitally important across a wide range of departments. For example, understanding that a change in the technology of a monitor can reduce electricity usage and improve sustainability will then allow companies and organisations to change their choice of monitors, over a period of time, and to train users to amend their use of the monitors by reducing brightness, all of which will come together to improve Green IT across the campus. Future research in this area could then look at using the information gathered as a means of then developing a policy for the future BASED on the information rather than simply having the gathering of information as an agenda in its own right. References Curry, E., Guyon, B., Sheridan, C. and Donnellan, B. (2012) â€Å"Developing a Sustainable IT Capability: Lessons From Intel’s Journey†. MIS Quarterly Executive. 11(2). pp. 61–74. Green Dragons (2014) City Green Monitor, Available at: http://www.green-dragons.co.uk/projects/citygreenmonitor/ [Accessed 01/12/2014]. InfoWorld (2009) Green IT. Available at: http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/used-pc-strategy-passes-toxic-buck-300?_kip_ipx=1053322433-1267784052&_pxn=0 Murugesan, S. (2008) â€Å"Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices,† IEEE IT Professional, January–February, pp 24-33. O’Neill, M. (2010) Green IT For Sustainable Business Practice, The Chartered Institute for IT. Therien, G (2011) â€Å"ACPI 2.0 Specification Technical Review, Intel Developer Forum† (ppt). Intel Corporation. Green IT at City University – City Green Monitor Abstract One of the main initiatives that have been employed by the City University within the Information Technology (IT) department is that of the Green Monitor where a computing room has been set up by a group of students aimed at recording data from an environmental perspective (Green Dragons, 2014). This initiative is both effective now and in the long run with wider possible uses in the future. This initiative is currently in its infancy with the wider use under analysis here as to how it can foster green IT going forward. Introduction Monitoring devices created as part of this initiative are used in order to calculate the CO2 emissions within the room itself, and then, using this information, energy consumption can then be ascertained. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that the students and staff across the University understand the impact that each computing hour has on the environment. This is therefore an initiative aimed at improving the environmental position in relation to the IT function and understanding how simple actions such as shutting down the PC at the end of the day or turning down the brightness on a monitor can have an impact on the CO2 emission (Curry et al 2012). This initiative is an information gathering initiative that allows the University and then wider organisations to monitor the impact of their behaviours in such a way that may influence behaviours in the future. This paper will look at the strategy and concepts associated with power management in green IT before then going on to look at the likely behaviours and changes that are going to ensue as a result of this green IT initiative and then to draw conclusions on the impact of the initiative as the final section of the report. Power Management Concept within Green IT The notion of Green IT was established substantially by Murugesan in 2008 stating that Green IT involves a wide range of activities including designing, using and manufacturing not only the use of the computers but also any systems associated with the renewal or purchase of such items so that there is a minimal impact on the environment (Murugesan 2008). There is a suggested indication from this notion therefore that a monitoring initiative such as the one in discussion here is a suitable area of Green IT and arguably the crucial first step as it is impossible to put in place improvements without understanding the changes and impacts in the first place. A key strategy within this area of Green IT is to put in place approaches and processes that offer greater sustainability.. For example in this case the use of remote monitors within the IT department could then be rolled out to usage in any other department that uses IT or any other item that could be used more effectively to improve sustainability. It is further noted that in a modern IT system there is a mixture of technology, people, hardware and networks. Therefore any area of Green IT needs to consider all of these factors, for example user behaviours the broader impact on networks and hardware need to also be considered. Consider for example the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) which is a standard used across the entire industry to allow the operation systems to change and control the way in which the power-saving aspects operate, so that the system to a certain extent manages itself (Therien, 2011). This can be done in an entirely automated way or can allow users to set tolerated levels for example how long until a monitor goes onto ‘energy saver’. These strategies and approaches are critical to the monitoring area as this is ultimately the aim of monitoring so that changes can be put in place to improve overall sustainability. Possible Uses and Recommendations Having put in place monitoring through remote sensors the IT department is now able to provide information to the next stage of the network to develop mechanisms that will allow the IT itself to manage and improve the environmental impact that computers have. For example it is shown that CRT monitors use more power than slimmer LCD monitors and having an understanding of links such as this allows the University (and other organisations) to make decisions at the purchasing stage that will impact on what happens in the longer run. Similarly it is noted that LCD monitors will use a cold cathode fluorescent bulb as a general source of light with some of the newer displays using different technologies such as LEDs to ensure that less electricity is used (Infoworld 2009). Fundamentally the aim of monitoring in this way is to ensure that there is a greater understanding obtained of the usage of electricity by simple activities so that this can then be used to firstly influence user behaviours and secondly can then be used to develop technologies that will create automatic controls within the technology items itself. Conclusion In summary this report indicates that one relatively simple initiative of monitoring the electricity usage within an Information Systems laboratory can lead to information which is then vitally important across a wide range of departments. For example understanding that a change in the technology of a monitor can reduce electricity usage and improve sustainability will then allow companies and organisations to change their choice of monitor over a period of time and to train users to amend their use of the monitors by reducing brightness, all of which will come together to improve Green IT across the campus. References Curry, E., Guyon, B, Sheridan, C and Donnellan, B (2012) â€Å"Developing a Sustainable IT Capability: Lessons From Intel’s Journey,† MIS Quarterly Executive, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 61–74. Green Dragons (2014) City Green Monitor, Available at: http://www.green-dragons.co.uk/projects/citygreenmonitor/ InfoWorld (2009) Green IT. Available at: http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/used-pc-strategy-passes-toxic-buck-300?_kip_ipx=1053322433-1267784052&_pxn=0 Murugesan, S (2008) â€Å"Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices,† IEEE IT Professional, January–February, pp 24-33 Therien, G (2011) â€Å"ACPI 2.0 Specification Technical Review, Intel Developer Forum† (ppt). Intel Corporation.

Employee Relations Essay

In various business organizations, we find that, many employees are neglected and are most often demoralized, not motivated in performing their duties in the particular organisation, thus encouraging a poor employee relations, but in the United Kingdom, many businesses are flourishing, since they have set up an enabled system that tends to come up with factors that makes the firm to get a frequent and significant recognition of its employees, thus enhancing a good employee relations. The factors that are known to be most influential in the shaping of these employee relations in the United Kingdom are as follows: Communication In this case, we find that, most managers come up with a system to re-examine the performance of their employees. This system normally, include a precise communication system that brings an understanding between the employees and the management team, under which, the employees seem to appreciate the principles on which they are assessed thus, encouraging justice and equal opportunities in the organisation. The firms have an established internal coordination system and structure; this is usually a practical cooperation that helps to build stronger relationships among the employees. Thus there is the recognition of each employee’s contributions. In a firm every department has employees with different skills that are required at different roles. Therefore, the managers bring all these skills together, so that the firms objectives are achieved, and therefore, each employee is meant to understand what these objectives are, and how the different skills and functions within the firm are to contribute in achieving the goals of having a better employee relations, therefore they should know why they need to support each others efforts. Motivation The success of an organisation basically, depends on the employees using their full skills and knowledge in their production, therefore, these employees require motivation, and this motivation can be done in different ways and by different things. The employee Motivation in the United Kingdom normally involves, the compensation system which is the activity of giving the employees what they really want most from work, it therefore makes the manager, get his expectations from the employees, this expectations may include; production of quality goods and services. Motivation will enable the employees to have their goals in the organisation achieved; they will have a positive perspective on their position in the organisation. Motivation also creates the influence to change and build employees self-esteem and capacity to work. The managers have the responsibility of motivating workers, when the organizational structure is experiencing changes, and in this case, we find that the manager comes up with a plan that is used to define the environmental factors that brings an atmosphere of integrity, honesty, and confidence to the employees. Under this, the managers’ plan considers the factors that motivate the employees; this involves the determination of the important factors to the employee in his working life, and how they relate to his productivity. He also finds out what motivates the employees in their work, this is a situation where, we find most employees wanting a privileged compensation, an enhanced working environment, and flexible benefits from the amount of work that they do. This is always done by, asking them during the performance assessment, attitude inspection, and is also retrieved from informal discussion on what the employees want most from their jobs. On the other hand, the managers also spot the de-motivating factors of the organisation to the employees; these factors may be physical factors which include buildings or equipment or psychological factors such as monotony, injustice, barriers to promotion and lack of appreciation which normally affects the employee relations in an organisation. Since most workers in the United Kingdom claim to be working for money, and that their extreme benefit is encouragement; under this, money is always regarded to be a low motivator, and that it is only a short time motivator, after a rise is given to the employees salary, so the managers are always aware that benefits given after a particular performance rarely motivate their employees to use their potential effectively, most of the employees say that, the benefits are only used to motivate the new employees in the organisation but not the existing ones. Change Management Poor employee relations is normally said to be a leading factor to a change in an organizations’ performance; therefore most managers have been seen adopting a policy for managing changes within their organizations. In this case, we find that the introduction of this change is always meant to be motivating to the employees, since it is always used as an entry to the firms’ better achievement of its goals. To achieve a positive change in an organisation in the UK, the managers do not tell or instruct the employees, this does not help, but it only creates ignorance to the doubts and expectations of the employees, therefore the management team in an organization carry out discussions, through which the sharing of a particular problem helps in the creation of a better actions in dealing with the issues that are predicted to affect the productivity of the firm, due to the shared ideas and decision making processes derived from the open discussions, the employees are able to realize a change in the organizational performance. Changes in any organisation in the United Kingdom, normally involve learning, where the managers are able to know the learning capabilities of every employee in the organisation. Under this, one finds that his employees are categorized as follows; activists the manager may find that some of his employees like involving themselves in new ideas, problems, or opportunities meaning that, they do not like being impartial, Theorists, this is the category of learners, who are always comfortable with ideas they do not prefer involving themselves deeply without a reason. The other category is that of reflectors; they like taking time to think through things, thus they do not like being forced to move from one thing to another rashly and lastly the pragmatists they normally prefer to be linked between issues and their job description. Therefore, the manager is always in a position to deal with his employees who have different learning preferences and approaches, who may also respond differently to diverse situations affecting the organisation. In this learning process the manager is expected to give feedback, that plays a major role in motivating the employees, thus he should not leave the employees guessing the progress of their accomplishments, therefore, the managers always give adequate and accurate information on the development. Employee Recognition This is another factor that the employers put into consideration for the organisation to improve its employee relations, this is basically a communication instrument, which strengthens and compensates the most significant production that the employees have created for the organisation. The recognition structure is always made simple, instant, and effectively supportive to the employees’ relations and the organisation at large. Under this, the management team ensures that a principle for performance is established, involving the rewardable behaviour of the employees thus all of them are entitled to the recognition by the employer. This recognition supplies the employees with specific information about the behaviour they are being rewarded for. The management therefore, states that any employee who performs at a specified level receives a reward. Basically recognition occurs hand in hand with performance of the employees, thus it reinforces the employees’ encouragement and thus improving the workforce relations. Culture This is another factor that is most influential in the employee relations in an organisation, culture basically means, the environment surrounding an employee at work. In the United Kingdom we find that, culture is meant to shape the relationship of an employee and his work in an organisation. Culture represents an employee’s personality that carries principles, attitude, fundamental interests, knowledge, background, and behaviour that creates a person’s behaviour. Culture is particularly inclined by the organization’s management team due to the roles in decision making and strategic direction they impose in the organisation. We find the managers put in mind that culture is learned, thus employees are capable of learning how to perform, employees value rewards that are not associated with behaviours, since they have different needs, shared rewards from co-workers or have their most important needs met in their departments or project teams.

#$2 Essays - Financial Statements, Free Essays

TITLE:Financial Accounting ICOURSE: AC 101 CREDITS:3PREREQUISITE: MA 010B or MA - 010PRE or COREQUISITE: BU 101 TEXTBOOK: Accounting Principles 12th Edition, Volume 1 Weygandt, Kimmel, Kieso SUGGESTED REFERENCE SOURCE:AC 101 LibGuide INSTRUCTOR:Name: Joe Aguero CPA E-mail: [emailprotected] No.: (732) 417-0800 ext 22121 Instructor Availability: Upon request Course Description: This course is an introduction to the basic principles of financial accounting including the accounting cycle, recording and posting transactions, adjusting and closing entries, financial statements, asset valuation, and depreciation. Course Outcomes/Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: Understand and implement the Accounting Cycle including the ability to: (a) Analyze and journalize transactions, (b) Post to ledger accounts, (c) Prepare a trial balance (d) Journalize and post adjusting entries, (e) Prepare an adjusted trial balance, (f) Prepare financial statements, (g) Journalize and post closing entries, (h) Prepare a post closing trial balance. Prepare a Bank Reconciliation and understand the concept of internal and cash controls to safeguard assets and enhance the accuracy and reliability of accounting records. Account for merchandise inventory and calculate the cost of inventory on hand at the Balance Sheet date and the cost of goods sold. Account for bad debt. Calculate and understand the reasoning for the different methods of depreciation. Understand the concepts related to payroll accounting Student Evaluation Criteria: Student assessment for achieving the above objectives will be as follows: Quizzes / Tests45 % (See Notes 1 1 Cumulative Final Exam35 % H.W. 5% Attendance5% Student Project10 % (See Note 3 below) This project is comprehensive and covers the entire accounting cycle, as described in Learning Outcome #1 above. Notes to Student Evaluation Criteria: No makeup exams are given. In addition to no makeups, there will be no dropping of the lowest grade, no extra credit and no curving of test grades. The student project will be announced after the completion of Chapter 4 and must be handed in by the assigned due date which will appear on the instructions for the project. The student will be given a reasonable amount of time to complete the project (usually 2 weeks). Any student not in attendance when the project is handed out will NOT receive additional time beyond the original due date. Any student project handed in late will have one (1) out of ten (10) points deducted for each late day, or portion thereof, including weekends and holidays, before the project is graded. For example, a student hands in the project 3 days late. In this case, the maximum grade the student can receive for the project is seven (7), assuming the project is perfect. If the project is assigned a grade of 50%, then the student will receive 3.5 out of 10 points toward the final grade (50% of 7). The entire project must be typewritten. Any project not type written or partially typewritten will receive an a utomatic grade of zero. You are expected to be present at the beginning of the class period and remain in the classroom for its duration. Lateness, walking in and out of the classroom during a class session for whatever reason, absences, cell phones ringing, and any other class disruptions will not help your final grade. You are expected to bring paper, pencil and a calculator to class. None will be provided. Eating food in the classroom is forbidden. Children are not permitted in the classroom at any time. Shut off electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops, etc., during class. NOTIFICATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: If you have a disability, and believe you need accommodations in this class, please contactHYPERLINK "http://pccc.edu/ods"Disability Servicesstaffat 973-684-6395, or emailHYPERLINK "mailto:[emailprotected]"[emailprotected], to make an appointment.You should do so as soon as possible at the start of each semester.If you require testing accommodations, you must remind me (the instructor) one week in advance of each test. More information @HYPERLINK "http://pccc.edu/ods" t "_blank"pccc.edu/ods. Course Contents: ChapterTopic 1Accounting in Action (Discussion) 2The Recording Process 3Adjusting the Accounts 4Completion of the Accounting Cycle 5Accounting for Merchandising Operations 6Inventories 8Internal Control and Cash 9Accounting for Receivables 10Plant Assets, Natural Resources, and Intangible Assets 11Current Liabilities and Payroll Accounting Grading System: A=100 93 A-= 92 89 B+= 88 86 B= 85 83 B-= 82 79 C+= 78 76 C= 75 70 D= 69 60 F=Below 60 Homework Assignment Textbook Chapter Exercises Problems: SET A1 E1-5, E1-7, E1-11, E1-14 P1-3A, P1- 4A 2 E2-2, E2-9, E2-10, E2-14 P2-1A, P2-2A 3 E3-6, E3-7,

Departmental Select Committees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Departmental Select Committees - Essay Example Also the parliamentary committees should interact more closely with the outside which will in turn widen their evidence-base. 1 Primarily before scrutinizing, the select committees should bring forth an awareness of the ideological and institutional features of modern British government and politics. This will develop a theoretical concept and a practical application of resolving problems and analysis. 2 One of the major aspects of the parliament is the relationship between a territory's legislature and its executives relating to the central and constitutional political system. This relationship is overlooked sometimes and the use of a prerogative power, which is the power exercised by the ministers are enforced. There need to be an analysis of the source of executive power, its scrutiny by parliament and the views of the major parties. A question of whether the Executives need rebalancing occurs. This is because during these modern times where everything is modernized the relationship between the executives and the parliament should also be strengthened. There is a central proposal which says that the owner s of the Select Committees, that is the scrutinisers should belong to the house of the commons and not belong to the executives. 3 Thus theThus the final method that the parliament uses to scrutinize the executive is the Select Committee. These Select Committees are those where the MPs from the floor of the House meet in small debating chambers with the task of taking into account the particular aspects of government policies and administration. The Select Committees do not consider the detailed drafting of bills, all the government policies, administration, working of the parliament and executives is taken into account and analysed by the Committee. Almost all Select Committees with the task of scruitinising the executives are in a way linked to a particular government department, which were 14 and has increased to 16. Among these the Departmental Select Committees were set up in 1979 under SO No. 130. 4 An example of one the Departmental Select Committees is that until when the Transport Research Laboratory was privatized, the department had eight executive agencies, where the Departmental Select Committee held substantive enquiries regarding the work of the Coastguard agency as well as into the privatization of the transport research laboratory. Also the deregulatory work performed by the Vehicle Inspectorates were to be found and scruitinised by the committee. An advantage of the Departmental Select Committee is that all the issues relating to the concerned departments could be raised in public that might not have happened otherwise. As it was discussed openly it gave room for many of the Committees recommendations to be carried out in further development and functioning of the departments. During the analysis of the inquiries an evidence of the Highways Agency and the Marine Safety Agency is stated here. The Committee did not examine any of the agency chief executives, their obj ectives and performances. In this case the Select Committee was recommended by the Public Service Committee to take the matters more seriously and take a long term interest in the agencies performance and

Activity Based Costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Activity Based Costing - Essay Example Conventional costing methods have caused problems in their implementation in most companies. This is because of the constant change in technological advancement which requires the use of modern methods of costing. The use of the ABC system creates difficulties in the separation and allocation of some overhead costs on a product unit. For instance, the Chief Executive Officer’s salary does not provide the management with the appropriate reports on costs. The ABC method allocates business cost on a proportionate basis to products or based on assumptions (Lawrence, 2004). This makes inaccurate reports on costs to be generated to the management. Some of the traditional methods of costing ensure accuracy of information which can lead to a competitive advantage. ABC is a costly method as compared to the traditional methods, but it is the most efficient. In planning implementation of ABC method, it is important to identify key purposes of the information that the method will provide. A well designed ABC method can form the basis of improved budgeting and capacity of resource planning (Lawrence, 2004). Organizations need to understand their cost structures and have a cost management system that supports the understanding. Effective management of both ABC and the conventional methods may have greater profitability to the

Motivation Statement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivation Statement - Assignment Example I want to pursue an employment position with Sony Corporation as this would allow me the flexibility to choose between the different paths available under the graduate entry scheme. The fact that the corporation offers me the option to choose either a career in the Research and Development or Engineering section or any of the other career paths after the mandatory year in training makes the position attractive to me. The first year needs to be spent in the Graduate Entry scheme with the corporation providing me the necessary acclimatization and the consequent career choices that are available. The current state of the Electronics industry offers much scope for innovation and quality control with the latest efforts in Six Sigma and Zero Defect initiatives offering graduates with expertise in quality certifications the chance to move up the ladder. Since I have undergone several courses related to quality control, I believe that I have the skills to carry out the necessary audits and programs designed to train personnel towards Quality control. Thus, I believe that I have the necessary background to specialize in these fields. The focus of Sony corporation’s efforts towards quality control dovetails with my own emphasis on the same and I would like to be part of the initiative and apply whatever I have learned so far. The Electronics industry is highly quality conscious and it is in this field that I plan to work and give my best towards the efforts to maintain quality. Finally, my understanding of the current economic situation is that the Industry would devote more time to innovation and productivity and I hope to maximize my utility to the company given the emphasis that I have placed in these fields till now. Thus, I would like to be part of the corporation’s graduate entry program. I hope my skills and expertise would be rewarded for doing so.

Factors affecting mortgage interest rates Essay

Factors affecting mortgage interest rates - Essay Example As far as the business world is concerned, people have ventured into many different ways of acquiring capital as well as property. They have gone as far as borrowing money from financing institutions as loans which they commit their real property as security. Mortgage financing institutions as a capital market has since.Mortgage is money borrowed as loan from mortgage institutions to finance real property acquisition. It is usually paid back in specified periods, installments and interest rates. There are several factors that affect these mortgage interest rates in any given transaction and they vary from one financial institution to another. Us government debt is whereby the government raises funds from the public through issuing of debt instruments to finance its projects and debts. Treasury bill rates are defined as a short-term debt instrument of one year or less issued by the government to raise money from the public. After the maturity period, the government will pay back to th e bill holder by selling him or her at a discount as matter of fact when the treasury bill interest rate increase, the mortgage interest also increases because the debt instrument encourages buying more security for the benefit of the prevailing rates. Money in circulation will hence reduce due to its demand and so fewer funds are available to facilitate property acquisition, this therefore forces the financial institution to raise mortgage interest as they are in high demand.... reases the public will invest more on the debt instrument and consequentially the mortgage interest rates increases since there will be high demand for funds for property purchasing Treasury bonds are long term debt instrument issued by the government to the public. They are issued to a period of 30 years with interest being paid quarterly to the bondholder. If the interest rate is low the public will be mean to invest on them and hence mortgage interest rate due to the fact that demand for money to finance mortgage is low. Factors arising from Federal Reserve board. Federal reserve board is a government run board to oversee the banking system in US. Federal fund rates affect the mortgage interest rate. These are rate charged on loans that are given by depository institutions overnight These interest rates lead to increase in mortgage interest rates in that for example if a depository institution lends money to another, it has to charge a certain interest. Then the receiving institution has to raise its interest rates when lending money to the public so as to offset the interest charged by the other financial institution. To effect this, the New York foundation development governs all these transactions. Federal discount rates are interest rates charged to commercial banks as well as other depository institutions for money they receive from other financial institutions operating within the Federal Reserve. These rates are usually above the prevailing market interest rates. The mortgage financial institutions, which in this case are the commercia banks, and the depository institutions will have to increase the interest rates to their clients due to the fact that they have to recover the Federal

Marginalized people of the Atlantic world Research Paper

Marginalized people of the Atlantic world - Research Paper Example First of all who are these marginalized people? Since, it is implied from its name that marginalized people are those who were living on margins or on edges. Yes, these are those people who are living on the lines of Atlantic coasts. These people adopted piracy as their only source of income due to many reasons such as racism, biasness, unemployment, unstable economic conditions, governmental ambitions, and many more. This paper discusses each of these reasons in fairly manner and in the justifies the role of pirates in an efficient manner. For years, pirates were the major cause of damage to the Atlantic world. Whatever it looks now, it is because pirates have done lots of destruction in that area. Their cruelties and inhuman activities last for almost thirteen years. It was all started in the end of 17th century and in the start of 18th century. Being accurate, it began in 1715 and ended up in 1728. It might not look a huge period to the listeners or readers but it was an era of ca lamities and disasters for all the victims around the Atlantic world. The piracy was so voguish in that epoch that in the history that time is termed as the Golden Age of Piracy. For pirates yes it was a very blissful and harmonious period of time when they achieved almost everything they aimed for. They gathered lots of gold, silver, and other treasures for them. They were very keen and focused towards their goal of being rich as early as possible. Therefore, they have adopted the shortest and illegal way to collect money for them. Now, let us explore what piracy truly is? And what were the major problems in the Atlantic history? In general terms, Piracy is an extremely criminal activity in which pirates plunder ships and communities around a certain area. The piracy executed in the Atlantic region is remembered even today and is considered as the most terrifying act of that eon. In that area, piracy was at its peak because there were lots of opportunities for this kind of inhuman activity. All the trade from the Europe to Africa went through this passage and pirates found it an excellent occasion for themselves. This trade between Europe and Africa has truly flourished piracy in its actual means. The pirates of that area were mostly belonged to Europe i.e. from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, and so on. Few of them were from Africa i.e. France, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, and so on. I think that is enough of what piracy is? Now let us bend the discussion of the paper towards the other side of story and that is what made these pirates, actually pirate? And also, why those people preferred piracy as their occupation and rejected all other reputable vocations? Generally, being a common man we just comment on what happened and do not think about why this happened. Whereas there is a valid reason behind everything, that is why whenever we talk about a crime, we should keep in mind that there are few things that should not be overlooked while considerin g anyone a criminal. Firstly, what is the mental condition of the person who has committed the crime? Secondly, what crime has been committed and in what scenarios? And last but not the least, the location where the crime has been committed? Though laws for all sorts of crimes are there and it does not accept these things but as we are human beings, we can think the other way and thus we should keep in mind these things while coming to any decision regarding any person. There were many reasons for which people of the Atlantic world have chosen piracy as their profession instead of doing otherwise. The later part of this

Giving examples Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Giving examples - Term Paper Example and Design Method (SSADM), selecting the Data Flow Diagram (DFD) for behavior description and the Structure Chart (SC) for structure description, is classed as a non-architectural approach. On the other hand, the architectural approach, rather than selecting numerous heterogeneous and unrelated models, will employ just one single coalescence model. For instance, system architecture, employing the Architecture description Language (ADL) for both behavior and structure descriptions, is classed as an architectural approach. The state of a system, often determined by which programs are running and basic hardware and software features. For instance, when a program is said to be running in a UNIX environment, it means the program is running on a system with UNIX. As a result, one key element of an environment is the operating system. However, operating systems constitute a number of unique parameters. For instance, many operating systems enable users to select their command prompt or a default command path. When grouped together, all these parameters form the environment. In this sense, another term for environment is platform. In DOS systems, environment is a section in memory that the operating system and other applications use to store different types of miscellaneous data. For instance, word processor can use the environment section to store the location of backup information. The environment can be viewed or modified using the SET command. This is a graphic model of a project’s schedule, depicting the sequence of tasks, the critical path of tasks that must be finished on time for the project to meet its completion date, and which ones can be performed simultaneously. PERT charts can be designed with different features, such as earliest and latest commencement dates for each task, earliest and latest finish dates for each task, and time wasted between tasks. PERT charts can document whole projects or an important stage of a project. They allow project teams to

Critically discuss the article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critically discuss the article - Essay Example Just like in the investment business, the author argues that using past performance of a company’s stock is dangerous. He points out the likelihood of the stock underperforming in the future (Sullivan 2012, p. 1). According to Sullivan (2012, p. 2), investors ask the wrong question by raising an argument of the best funds between active and index funds. To the author, searching for patterns does not result to good investment policy. He proposes that the best way of picking good managers is by mixing art and science. The ability of mutual and hedge fund managers to excellently perform when the indexes are at the peak and then declining as more money comes into the funds makes the practice an art. The science of choosing managers involves a four element criteria of investment process, organizational structure, past returns and due diligence. He points out that performance track record is not the only indicator of good performance by a manager. To him, a good manager ought to have an investment plan or an institutional structure that is better than what people can see. The manager should not only use market timing, but rather understand the market properly to know when to enter and when top exit (Sullivan 2012, p. 3). The author, in trying to advice investors on the best methods to use in hiring managers who can perform has incorporated a number of factors. To him, those who use past performance make a big mistake. A number of factors can lead to managers performing well, which should be verified. However, when hiring, there is no indication that the manager is likely going to maintain the performance record or not. The author was right that a number of factors are involved in evaluating performance by a manager. The fact that the past does not always reflect the future outcome is true. However, past performance cannot be rubbished altogether. The very

Management of a Software Development Project Essay Example for Free

Management of a Software Development Project Essay Introduction Many years ago, general services offered by hotels like dinner reservations, room reservations and other services were done manually. Most hotels used books, ledgers and papers to record names of guests, their duration of stay and contact details. This required a lot of effort and time. Since the advent of the information age however, dynamic and interactive websites have been introduced which have more efficient and faster technological features and capabilities for the management of hotel services. For any business to remain competitive, it is necessary to maintain an online presence in order to reach out to customers all over the world and compete on a global platform. Reservations and payments are now done online to ensure that conduction of business is faster and more convenient for customers. Definition of Project Management A project is a temporary endeavor that is done to generate a unique product or service (Duncan 1996). Project Management is an activity that involves the overall supervision, management and co-ordination of all activities related to accomplishing a set activity. It always has a start and a finish date. According to Whitten, Project Management is a process that starts at the beginning of a project, is conducted throughout a project and doesn’t end until after the project is completed (2001).   According to Duncan (1996), Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to activities to fulfill stakeholders’ needs and expectations. It usually involves finding a balance among scope, time, cost, quality, and varying expectations of stakeholders. Another definition of Project Management is â€Å" the process of scoping, planning, staffing, conducting, directing, and managing the development of a system at an affordable cost within a specified time frame† (Whitten, Bentley Dittman 2001, p.124). Importance of Project Management According to Dr Malcolm Wheatley, â€Å"Project management as a management discipline, supports much economic activity.† In major industries like Information Technology, Software Development, Construction, Pharmaceuticals, and Aerospace, project management is fundamental. Project Management is also important in governments that have set goals and milestones which can only be achieved with effective management practices. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the US Department of Commerce, estimated in 2001 that the US companies spend $2.3trn on projects every year (2000).   Project management is important in any economic activity because it ensures adequate planning, scheduling and successful execution of a project; it also helps to reduce possible risks associated with a project and ensure minimal hitches. Project Management is indeed important to every economy. Many projects fail because of poor knowledge of Project Management concepts. Its relevance cannot be over emphasized. Role of the Project Manager The project manager is in charge of daily management and supervision of the project. He manages the project to ensure that things go according to plan. He also communicates with all stakeholders and project team members to ensure that there’s a clear understanding of general requirements. The project manager confirms users’ requirements to make sure that these requirements are incorporated into the end-product. A project manager engages in scoping, planning, staffing, organizing, scheduling, directing, controlling and closing a project (Whitten 2001, p.127). Swot Analysis The Regency Hotels has several strengths that serve as advantages. It has the potential to expand its services to customers internationally due to the number of branches it has, internet availability and its unique services. It is also strategically located, can leverage on its positioning and has a wide customer base. Its two major weaknesses are: 1) it has a static website which cannot provide interactive functions like online payments, online reservations, message boards, fan clubs, and so on. 2) It does not have skilled IT staff in-house that can manage the online system when it is eventually deployed. There are however, opportunities for it to become one of the best hotels in the world by maintaining a consistent and interactive global presence.   Increased competition is the major threat to Regency Hotels. Most hotels today, have a strong online presence that offers customers various services that make their experiences with the hotel more memorable and convenient, like booking and paying online. Regency Hotels is yet to rise to the challenge. Development methodology The software development methodology to be adopted for the production of this system is the waterfall method. This is an approach to software development that specifies that a project should be grouped into phases and one phase must be completed before the next. The project is carried out in a logical manner through a pre-determined number of steps. This method is preferred because the duration of the project is only two weeks and the requirements are clear.   With the waterfall method, project reviews are conducted between stages, which represent milestones. This provides an organized scenario that ensures required documentation and quality management of the developed application is carried out (Sorensen 1995). Project Scope The project scope definition involves clarifying the boundaries of the project. Regency Hotels in addition to available technological features like retrieving customers’ information, billing, checking for room availability, desires a system with added capabilities of online booking and payment. This project involves building a system that can accept online booking and payment options by customers. A portal will be developed to include the following features: Online reservations, online payment, checking room availability, checking in, checking out, discussion group and general information on the hotel. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) will be added to the website to provide for added security when paying online; search functions will be provided on web pages to check for room availability and booking; e-mail and discussion group facilities will be included to facilitate communication between customers and the hotel; and other technological features from the available website will be incorporated into the new portal to ensure that a robust system that meets the expectations of Stakeholders at Regency Hotels is built. The final system will be deployed at the hotel and tested. Staff members that need to be trained will be identified and educated on how to use the system. The change management process will be made easier for staff of Regency Hotel by ensuring that they are adequately trained, resources are provide to assist them, and maintenance/ support plans are put in place. Result of using COCOMO model to estimate effort, duration and number of people required. The Constructive Cost Model, known as COCOMO was developed by Barry Boehm in 1981. It is based on the waterfall model and is used for estimating the number of person and months needed to develop software. It also estimates the development schedule in months. The development mode for this project is organic because it is a small and straight-forward one. A small team with sufficient experience work together to develop the portal system (Merlo-Schett 2002). COCOMO is defined in terms of three basic models: The Basic model, the Intermediate model and the detailed model. The KDSI is the size of the project in Kilo delivered source instructions. These are source lines that are created by the project team. Using the Intermediate COCOMO I, calculation is done as follows: Required: Portal system for online payment and booking Development Effort (MM) = a * KDSI b Effort and development Time (TDEV) =     2.5 * MM c With organic mode of development, a = 3.2, b = 1.05, c = 0.38 4 modules to implement: Data entry 0.5 KDSI Data update 0.3 KDSI Online Reservations 0.8 KDSI Online Payment 0.7 KDSI System SIZE 2.3 KDSI MM = 3.2 * 2.3 1.05   = 7.7 TDEV = 2.5 * MM c = 2.5* 7.7 0.38 = 5.4 (Project needs more than 5 months to complete) Number of people to be hired = MM/TDEV = 7.7/5.4 = 1.4 (This means that more than one team member is needed to execute the project). The major shortcoming of the above calculation is that value of the KDSI used is approximate (Merlo-Schett 2002). Hardware and Software Requirements At least four separate computers will be needed for building the portal, testing it and hosting it.   Softwares like Macromedia Dreamweaver, Java, PHP, SQL Server and Visual Basic .NET will be needed for building the portal. A central server for hosting and managing user connections to the portal will also be required.   Work Breakdown Structure Work Breakdown Structure shows the hierarchical decomposition of projects into phases, activities and tasks (Whitten 2001, p.135). SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATION 1.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify sponsors and stakeholders 1.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meet with sponsors and stakeholders to clarify system requirements 1.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Produce Software Requirements Specification Draft 1.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sign-off on software requirements TECHNOLOGY SPECIFICATION 2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine hardware and software needed for developing the system 2.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Procure hardware and software needed for system development 2.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Set-up hardware and software for use SCOPE MANAGEMENT 3.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop a written scope statement as a basis for future project decisions 3.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Verify Scope of the Project with sponsors 3.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perform Scope Change Control to prevent scope creep COST SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT 4.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop an estimate of project costs 4.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Meeting with Stakeholders to agree on cost and deadline 4.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Receive Payment from Stakeholders 4.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Allocate cost estimates to individual work items 4.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate actual versus projected schedule 4.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Control changes to project budget to avoid going over the budget 4.7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Compare actual and budgeted costs 4.8  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Development 4.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Control HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PHASE 5.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify Project Roles/Conduct Organizational Planning 5.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine Skills of People needed to develop system 5.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine number of people to work on the project 5.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recruit Project Team Members 5.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Engage staff with appropriate skills 5.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop individual and group skills to enhance project performance ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT PHASE 6.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop activity list for project team members 6.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sub-divide major project deliverables into smaller components 6.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assign Team Members to tasks and deliverables 6.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Supervise activities within the project team 6.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate Performance and Productivity 6.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Update activity list as necessary 6.7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conduct meetings and review status reports on software development PROJECT OFFICE ADMINISTRATION 7.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Attend to daily activities or events concerning the project 7.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   General project supervision PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 8.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine information and communication needs of stakeholders 8.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Provide information to stakeholders in a timely fashion 8.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Put contact details of all team members and stakeholders into the database 8.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performance reporting to stakeholders through status reports, progress measurement and forecasting 8.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Set up meetings with project team members 8.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop status reports for the project RISK MANAGEMENT 9.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify all possible risks within the project and effects on project 9.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Define steps for responding to threats 9.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Respond to changes in risks during the course of the project QUALITY MANAGEMENT 10.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify quality standards relevant to the project and how to satisfy them 10.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate overall project performance 10.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Define Quality Assurance Specifications 10.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Code and check the system for compliance with quality standards 10.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Test System to make sure it fits clients requirements Hand-Over of Project 11.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ensure adherence to client requirement 11.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conduct Customer Acceptance Tests 11.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Review Software User Manuals 11.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sign off Certify Solution Development 11.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Submit Project Close-out Report 11.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Terminate Project Project scheduling (Please refer to attached Microsoft Project document for dependency between activities, network diagram, critical path and Gantt chart) A Project network diagram displays the logical relationships of project activities. A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that shows tasks against timelines. Each bar is equivalent to a project task. Gantt charts show, tasks that can be performed at the same time (Whitten 2001, p.128).Any tasks on the critical path cannot be delayed. Name of Activity  Ã‚      Duration Starting Date    Finishing Date    Software Requirement Specification 1 Day Wed 4/23/08 Wed 4/23/08 Technology Specification 1 Day Thu 4/24/08 Thu 4/24/08 Scope Management 10 Days    Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Cost Schedule Management 12 Days Wed 4/23/08 Thu 5/8/08 Human Resources Management Phase 8 Days Wed 4/23/08 Fri 5/2/08    Activity Management Phase 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Project Office Administration 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Project Communications 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Risk Management 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Quality Management 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Hand-Over of Project 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Possible risks related to the software development project Every project has its own share of risks. Risks associated with this project are outlined below: The period of time given for the execution of the project is short. The COCOMO model shows that a project of such magnitude requires at least 5 months for completion. There is a risk of the project exceeding the time frame allocated by the stakeholders. User requirements may change or expand during the duration of project. There is a risk of having to accommodate changes to the design of the portal. This is known as scope creep and may affect the schedule and budget (Whitten 2001). With the obvious need to procure softwares for the development of the portal system, resources like time and money may not be sufficient. There is a risk of taking short cuts around the system development methodology in order to meet the deadline and not exceed the budget. This might affect the quality of the final product. Another potential risk is that of feature creep. This refers to the uncontrolled addition of technical features to a system that is being developed without regard to schedule and budget (Whitten 2001, p.125). A portal system is a robust application that is designed to fulfill various needs of an organization. The temptation to add more features is always a prevalent risk There is the risk of a team member resigning from the project. This will cause a considerable loss of time. There is also the risk of insufficient communication within the project team which may lead to misunderstanding of customers’ requirements, and cause a deviation from the project plan, budget and schedule. Project Monitoring Project monitoring involves supervising the project throughout its lifecycle. This is important in order to know how things are going and to solve any problem that may arise during the course of the project. This can be done via meetings, emails, reports on progress and finances and also by observing project management best practices. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Applying the principles of Project Management to the development of the portal system at Regency Hotels will go a long way to ensure that the objectives are met on time, within budget and that the software product will be of the desired quality. Project Management is a crucial practice that should be encouraged in every sector of the economy. It ensures that money, energy and time are not wasted on failed projects. With sufficient project management practices in place, stakeholders and contractors can conduct businesses without bothering about the hitches involved with long-term projects. Regardless of the end product, which could be a new service, product or knowledge, project management ensures that a successful outcome is achieved within the available resources and time frame. References Whitten, JL, Bentley, LD, Dittman, KC 2001, Systems Analysis and Design Methods, 5th edn, Mc Graw-Hill, New York. Wheatley, M 2000, The Importance of Project Management, Project Smart. Available from: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-importance-of-project-management.html [22 April 2008] Sorensen, R 1995, A comparison of Software Development Methodologies, Software Technology Support Centre. Available from: http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/crosstalk/1995/01/Comparis.asp [24 April 2008] Duncan, WR 1996, A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMI Standards Committee. Available from: www.unipi.gr/akad_tmhm/biom_dioik_tech/files/pmbok.pdf [24 April 2008] Merlo-Schett, N 2002, COCOMO Constructive Cost Model, Proceedings of the seminar cost estimation W 2002/2003, pp. 1-24. Available from: www.ifi.unizh.ch/req/courses/seminar_ws02/reports/Slides_4.pdf [22 April 2008].

Maoism in China Essay Example for Free

Maoism in China Essay Generally, the Communist system in the Soviet Union and in China are practically identical politically, economically, with the reciprocal purges ect†¦ However, Mao Tse-Tung and Stalin did not see eye to eye on many things and Maoism is considered today by most people to be a more developed stage of Marxism-Leninism. This is because of the historical and cultural background of China and because of her geographical position and climate which affects society. Contrary to Russia, Communism developed in the countryside instead of in the cities. Thus it was a peasants revolution rather than, as predicted by Karl Marx, a workers revolution. The cities in China were at the beginning, anti-Communist. The Chinese absorption of Marxism was highly selective. China took from Marxism those aspects which best suited the Chinese situation rather than force the Chinese situation to fit an overachieving ideology. Thus Marxism was to be the servant of the Chinese Revolution. Mao Tse-Tung believed that adherence to pure Marxist theory would be suicidal and concluded that proletarian revolution based upon the urban areas was impossible in China since 80 percent of the people were peasants. Due to the warmer climate and more fertile land, peasantry was more popular in China. This pragmatic solution led to the Revolution starting in the rural areas. The most important difference between Stalin and Mao is the comprehension of the word proletariat. The Russians believed it meant, as Marx had, the industrial workers while the Chinese, by lack of sufficient workers, understood it as the peasantry. The Great Leap Forward where everyone was put to work was another Maoist characteristic. For 100 days each year, the peasants were not working in the fields so Mao set them up to work in the off-season harvest after 1957. Millions of men and women were put to work in winter, digging irrigation ditches and canals, preparing railroads and laying track. Then the backyard furnace was invented and 600 000 small steel establishments were set up.  The object was to overtake Britain in steel production. However, when the peasants left their land to work on the industrial projects, the lands suffered. So more changes were made. In some communes, men and women were separated to increase their productivity by cutting down socialising. On February 27th 1957, Mao was feeling very positive about all that he had done so he decided to loosen the straps on the Chinese people. He introduced the hundred flowers campaign where he encouraged arts, sciences and a flourishing socialist culture in our land. Different forms and styles in art should develop freely. It seemed he was encouraging free thought and criticism of the system. After only six weeks though, Maos open invitation brought a real storm of furious criticism from the intellectual community who believed the chairman was sincere. This infuriated Mao who was expecting positive feedback and in April 1957 a rectification campaign had begun to eliminate the triple evils: subjectivism, sectarianism, and bureaucratism. The party members and Mao believed to be above criticism so a purge of intellectuals began. The Cultural Revolution is perhaps the greatest difference between Stalinism and Maoism and was entirely set up by Mao Tse-Tung. He has been called insane many times for the crazy extent which the Cultural Revolution took and for the lasting and devastating effects it continues to have. Mao favoured the word, destruction when he promoted the Cultural Revolution; he preached that he had to destroy an old system of production, an old ideology and old customs first. He thought that once the ideology had been established, productivity would follow in a revolution. Although the bourgeoisie has been overthrown, it is still trying to use the old ideas, culture, customs and habits of the exploiting classes to corrupt the masses, capture their minds and endeavour to stage a comeback. The proletariat must do the exact opposite: it must deal merciless blows and meet head-on every challenge of the bourgeoisie in the ideological field and use the new ideas, culture, customs and habits of the proletariat to change the mental outlook of the whole of society. At present, our objective is to struggle against and overthrow those persons in authority who are taking the  capitalist road, to criticize and repudiate the reactionary bourgeois academic authorities and the ideology of the bourgeoisie and all other exploiting classes and to transform education, literature and art and all other parts of the superstructure not in correspondence with the socialist economic base, so as to facilitate the consolidation and development of the socialist system. Fifteen years after the success of the Revolution, Mao saw his new society as troubled, he had destroyed the old ruling class, but had established two new ones: the intelligentsia and the bureaucracy. Mao had turned against the intelligentsia after the hundred flowers campaign but had not finished destroying them. When he saw the Soviet Unions new aristocracy with their dachas and limousines, he set out to destroy the establishment he had created. Always one to manipulate the masses, he turned towards the youth for a new society by creating the Red Guard, an army of children. They were sanctioned by the highest authority, Mao himself and were bent on destruction. In essence, the children destroyed anything which did not appeal to them, although the initial target was to destroy the four olds: ideas, culture, customs and habits. They travelled in bands for mutual protection and inspiration, destroyed stores and restaurants and attacked however they desired. The Red Guards were divided by family background: poor peasants against well-to-do peasants, peasants against workers, and the children of army officers. The next step of the Cultural Revolution came in January 1967 when Mao replaced the officials all over China by young people with no experience and no common sense. Then universities, middle schools and primary schools closed down. This was called the period of the terror. The only young people to receive an education were the children of intellectuals who were taught by relatives and parents. Mao tried to destroy the education process which was disastrous for China as specialist, technicians ect†¦ were indispensable for the development of a country, and in this case, they were dismantled. However, he changed his mind in 1978 and sent in the Peoples Liberation Army to desman the Red Guard. Maos theory of constant revolution to avoid the forming of classes is the major separation with Leninism and Marxism. It was under these conditions that the most earthshaking political event and the largest mass mobilization the Earth has ever seen took place. This is how Chairman Mao defined its objectives: The current Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution is absolutely necessary and most timely for consolidating the dictatorship of the proletariat, preventing capitalist restoration and building socialism. Maos Communism focuses especially on the particular interest for China and this by rejecting foreign intervention. The only use for foreign involvement is to insure Chinese security, economy†¦ He believes in Chinese Communism first, and not in World Communism. However, China supports people threatened by oppression which explains their expansion policy. Indeed, China has expanded her territory by invading the Tibet, fighting Korea. China has refused economic aid, except for trade with the Soviet Union which represented only 2 percent of Chinese investments. China developed its own brand of Communism to suit its needs and similarly to Stalinism, was dictated by only one man, who had the power to decide anything he desired.

Discuss the challenges facing forensic scientists

Discuss the challenges facing forensic scientists GENETICS FOR IDENTIFICATION ESSAY Discuss the challenges facing forensic scientists for DNA-based identification of the remains of the victims of war or other conflicts (both civilian and military personnel). Illustrate with a range of examples. Discuss the challenges facing forensic scientists for DNA-based identification of the remains of the victims of war or other conflicts (both civilian and military personnel). Illustrate with a range of examples. Introduction The remains of victims of war often pose numerous challenges to forensic scientists enlisted to aid in the identification process using DNA analysis. Foremost, the remains of victims of war have frequently been buried for long periods of time, often over 50 years, and this can cause degradation and contamination of DNA. This affects the quality and quantity of extracted DNA, making it difficult to amplify and generate a genetic profile. This concise report highlights the problems facing forensic scientists during the analysis of war remains and the methods used to overcome some of these issues. DNA techniques The DNA techniques which can be used in DNA identification of skeletal bones include: mitochondrial DNA analysis (mtDNA); autosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) and Y-STR analysis; and mini-STR profiling. STRs, also known as microsatellites, are DNA repeat units between two and seven base pairs long that can easily be amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The number of repeat units varies considerably amongst individuals, hence why sensitive STR analysis is highly discriminative for identification, even in degraded DNA samples (Butler et al., 2012). Fifteen years ago, results of a study where teeth were buried in soil for up to eighteen weeks revealed that mtDNA analysis using primers for the HV1 and HV2 regions generated the best results in comparison to other DNA techniques; thus mtDNA was a reliable method for the identification of skeletal remains (Pfeiffer et al., 1999). Developments in technology mean that analysis of mtDNA alone is now insufficient information for positive identification, and more specific methods are employed, such as STR analysis. Nevertheless, when nuclear DNA (nDNA) samples are too degraded to be processed using STR analysis, identification using mtDNA and hypervariable regions is used. This is because mtDNA is present in high copy numbers and the circular structure of mtDNA makes it more resistant to degradation, but again there are limitations (Higgins et al., 2013; Coble et al., 2005). Mitochondrial DNA is passed on maternally; therefore it will be the same throughout generations of females of the same maternal lineage and could identify a familial match to a sister or aunt, for example. However reference samples are solely restricted to maternal relatives, thus its discriminatory power is far less than an STR match (Lee et al., 2010). Finally, where female relatives are absent, Y-STR analysis can be carried out to identify paternal lineage of the Y-chromosome. Mutations within the Y-chromosome are possible, and they may occur between generations as well as within the same bone samples, particularly if they are old skeletal bones. This must be considered when making conclusions from Y-STR analysis as it may cause problems for the forensic scientist during the identification process (BoriĆ¡ et al., 2011). DNA samples from skeletal remains With war victim skeletal remains DNA sample options are minimal, but the preferential samples to obtain for DNA analysis are teeth and bones, which contain both nDNA and mtDNA. DNA in teeth is generally considered more protected against degradation and destruction than bones due their unique composition and their location in the jawbone protecting them against degrading exogenous organisms, making them useful for analysis decades after death. Additionally, they normally yield a higher quality of DNA than bones, and the results of a study by Pilli and colleagues looking into the effect of contamination on samples revealed that teeth have a greater refractory to contamination by exogenous DNA than bones (Higgins et al., 2013; Pilli et al., 2013 respectively). Another reason for utilising teeth is because there are a number of sources of DNA within the tooth, including dentine, and this dentine powder is rich in mtDNA (Muruganandhan et al., 2011). Nevertheless, both of these samples are used because the internal content is unlikely to be contaminated with contemporary DNA compared to other samples, and the recovery of one or both of these is observed in a number of case studies identifying war victims (Lee et al., 2010; MarjanoviĆ¡ et al., 2007; AndelinoviĆ¡ et al., 2005; Ivanov et al., 1999). However, although these sources of DNA are the most likely to be preserved over time, DNA analysis can still be affected by the presence of PCR inhibitors (for example environmental and biological chemicals), insufficient quantity of DNA material, and high levels of DNA degradation (MarjanoviĆ¡ et al., 2007). DNA degradation DNA degradation and PCR inhibitors occasionally cause allele and/or locus dropout, thus not reflecting the true profile of the individual and can cause problems for forensic scientists during the analysis of genotypic DNA profiles, especially if heterozygotes are interpreted as homozygotes (Coble et al., 2005). Exposure to environmental conditions affects DNA, and factors such as heat and humidity affect the rate of DNA degradation and the resulting quantity of DNA, with cooler temperatures delaying the degradation process. This DNA degradation caused by endogenous intracellular enzymes results in smaller DNA fragments sizes and may also cause base mutations (Higgins et al., 2013). Despite the development of sensitive DNA typing identification methods, in some cases excessive DNA degradation can still pose an issue, as seen in Lee et al., 2010. One sample (SR0014) had an exceptionally low DNA yield for both extractions, 28.7 ±20.69 pg/ µL and 27.2 ±16.81 pg/ µL, in comparison to the average yield of 217.5 pg/ µL and 199.1 pg/ µL, respectively (table 1). This DNA yield produced genotypic results at eleven autosomal STR loci; however nine of these were homozygotic and this was interpreted as allelic dropout, which in turn causes problems for profile determination and does not allow for identity inclusion or exclusion. Another example of degraded DNA amplification being below 100% was seen using AmpFISTR Yfiler amplification, which revealed only 34 out of 49 profiles, and MiniFiler which produced 40 out of 49 genetic profiles, with the other profiles being incomplete, likely due to only small amounts of degraded DNA being amplified (BoriĆ¡ et al., 2011). Table 1 – DNA concentrations (pg/ µL) extracted from twenty-one skeletal samples belonging to Korean War victims. Two DNA samples were extracted from each bone sample and quantified to try and replicate the profile for consistency and to highlight any contamination issues. (See Lee et al., 2010. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01411.x/pdf. Last accessed on: 24th February 2014) DNA extraction Another issue facing forensic scientists is the quantity of DNA extracted from bones or teeth. Degraded samples offer a paucity of template DNA concentration, hence the smaller PCR products (Ivanov et al., 1999). If precise procedures are not employed then DNA essential for producing a genotypic profile may be lost, and methods are required to maximise the potential from the extraction process. Recently, developments in such methods have massively impacted on the success of obtaining profiles from skeletal remains which are highly degraded. Extraction techniques employed by forensic scientists to overcome this challenge include the standard organic (phenol/chloroform) method, the PrepFiler Forensic DNA Extraction kit, the Qiagen DNA extraction procedure, and a large-scale silica based extraction method, with a minimum of two independent extractions for each sample usually taken. Lee and colleagues used the latter in 2010 alongside demineralisation to maximise the DNA yield, and the p ositive effect of this method was reflected in the high DNA yields observed following quantification, with all samples, except two, being greater than 50pg/ Ã‚ ­L (Lee et al., 2010). Additionally, during the extraction of DNA from 109 bone samples from victims of war in mass graves in Croatia, an advanced extraction method, alongside the phenol/chloroform method, was used. The standard method yielded 20-100ng of extracted DNA across samples, whilst the advanced Promega DNA IQ system produced 20-200ng of DNA (AndelinoviĆ¡ et al., 2005). Contamination The sensitivity of new DNA typing methodologies to minute amounts of DNA brings with it the challenge of contamination. Remains buried for a long period of time and then excavated for analysis are subject to natural cross contamination from foreign material from the surrounding environment as well as from human handling, and this can affect the validity of the findings and interfere with DNA profiles. Thus, procedures are implemented to remove any foreign matter from the outer surface which may contaminate the probe extracting the DNA from the core of the bone or tooth. Common protocols forensic scientists use to overcome the issue of contamination on bones include sanding down the outside of the bone, washing it in mild detergent, irradiating it with UV light and storing it at -20oC until it is required for DNA extraction (Ossowski et al., 2013; BoriĆ¡ et al., 2011; Lee et al., 2010; MarjanoviĆ¡ et al., 2007; Imaizumi et al., 2002). However, in cases where excess contamination has occurred from archaeological handling and repeated excavation and reburial, it is impractical for forensic scientists to remove this extent of contamination, further limiting the samples which can be used for DNA. It is of paramount importance that sterile environments are used for sample analysis and that gloves are worn when handling bones to avoid contamination from humans, and gloves should be changed between the handling of bones belonging to different individuals to avoid DNA transfer. Another issue regarding contamination is the processing of ancient skeletal samples in proximity to contemporary relative reference samples, therefore, DNA from these two sample types should be extracted and amplified in separate laboratories. The majority of studies referenced in this report have not stated whether they adhered to this, with the exception being Ossowski et al., 2013 who reported that all laboratory staff wore masks, lab overalls and sterile gloves and everyone who handled the samples had previously had their DNA sample taken for reference purposes. As a result of the strict procedures implemented, no contamination was seen throughout the examination process, and they successfully identifi ed two individuals through DNA analysis when it was determined that they could not be identified through anthropological methods (Ossowski et al., 2013). Finally, a complete record of everyone that has handled the samples pre- and post-excavation should be kept (Pilli et al., 2013). Issues with mass grave DNA samples A further problem forensic scientists are confronted with is the high number and poor quality of the remains discovered, particularly in mass graves, due to wars being open events with large numbers of unknown individuals involved. The violent nature of wars and conflicts and circumstances of death often renders a number of remains fragmented, meaning that prior to DNA analysis, an anthropologist must examine and match bones suspected to belong to the same individual. This should be considered during DNA analysis in case different profiles arise from bones supposedly belonging to the same individual. Furthermore, explosives can cause bones to become incinerated, damaged and carbonised which will affect DNA extraction and amplification (Ivanov et al., 1999). This issue was presented during the recovery of approximately 10,000 skeletal remains, belonging to approximately 53 war victims in 2009, more than sixty years after World War II. In the majority of cases, it was impossible to conclude which bones belonged to one individual due to the vast number of separated, damaged and intermingled bones and the small grave area to which they were confined. Additionally, a number of victims showed obvious gunshot wounds, which further shattered the skull bones into multiple fragments (BoriĆ¡ et al., 2011). DNA reference samples Prior to DNA analysis, it is paramount that circumstantial investigative research is carried out to narrow down and establish possible victims in the grave to allow for identification of their surviving relatives. This is problematic in the first instance if ante-mortem records of soldiers have not been kept. It is reasonable to assume that relatives of military personnel would be easier to identify, compared to civilians, because records are often kept of the soldiers that fought in a war, as well as when they were reported missing or pronounced dead. Reference swabs are required from these presumptive relatives to compare their DNA profiles with the profiles obtained from the unknown remains to determine if a familial match is seen. Ivanov et al., 1999 reported absent DNA samples on record during their involvement in the identification of the remains recovered following the Chechen War (1994-1996). Few remains were available due to the lethal force of missiles, and this was an additional problem to the lack of DNA samples on record, which meant the absence of comparative reference samples. Accordingly, the timely process of locating potential relatives and collecting their DNA samples began. In comparison to some cases where excavated war remains are over 60 years old (MarjanoviĆ¡ et al., 2007), these remains were excavated three years after the end of the war, however skeletonisation and advanced decomposition, with mummification, was still observed. Bones had been scavenged by animals, further exposing them to contamination alongside the reported careless excavation of the bodies (Ivanov et al., 1999). Mini-STRs Applying mini-STR loci to severely degraded DNA samples is effective in genotyping nDNA profiles that would otherwise yield a negative result with standard STR kits, which use STR loci of up to 250 base pairs and are likely to cause loss of signal (AndelinoviĆ¡ et al., 2005). In comparison, mini-STR technology can amplify loci with alleles that have fewer than 150 base pairs and works by annealing primers as close as possible to the STR repeat region, creating the smallest possible amplicon (Figure 1) (Martin et al 2006; Pizzamiglio et al., 2006). When there is not enough intact DNA to produce full profiles using the larger CODIS loci, mini-STR loci markers are small enough to amplify alleles less than 150 bp in length (Hill et al., 2008). It is important to remember that mini-STRs are designed to profile high quantity, low quality, degraded DNA and should not be used for small amounts of DNA. Fig. 1 – Mini-STR analysis uses primers which anneal as close as possible to the STR repeat region along the genome, creating a small amplicon to be amplified. Successful application of mini-STRs was seen in 2010 when skeletal remains from the Korean War were subject to DNA analysis in the hope to identify the 55 year old remains of the missing casualties (Lee et al., 2010). Twenty-one skeletal samples were extracted from the remains of the victims of the Korean War and, following decontamination, were subjected to PCR amplification and sequencing of the mtDNA HV region, and PCR amplification of autosomal STRs and Y-STRs using common STR kits and in-house miniplex plus systems that use smaller amplicons to optimise the genetic material from degraded samples. Results revealed that mtDNA hypervariable regions were efficiently amplified and determined in all 21 samples. A combination of AmpFISTR Identifiler alongside size-reduced amplicons in AmpFISTR MiniFiler and the in-house miniplex NC01 plus system for autosomal STR, successfully genotyped 17.2 loci out of 18, and the miniplex NC01 system showed 100% success in genotyping the four loci du e to the reduced amplicon size. Additionally, twenty samples were successfully genotyped at 11 or more loci using standard STR kits, but with the in-house system, they were genotyped at 15 or more loci. The results of amplifying autosomal STRs showed the importance of mini-STRs when working with highly degraded DNA, as reduced-sized amplicons genotyped samples with a low quality of DNA in comparison to the standard kits. The same success of genotyping samples of poor quality DNA was seen using the Y-miniplex plus system in conjunction with AmpFISTR Yfiler during Y-STR genotyping (Lee et al., 2010). Profiles were also generated using mtDNA PCR amplification and miniplex NC01 analysis using the buccal samples provided by the 24 suspected relatives (Lee et al., 2010). Smaller quantities of template DNA were extracted from the relatives, as although more DNA was available, it was of a higher quality compared to the degraded unknown samples, so a smaller amount was required. If too much high quality template DNA is used, excess peaks and spurious bands would be observed, making the results unclear (Ivanov et al., 1999), and alternatively too little, or degraded DNA, may reduce the height of some alleles so the peak heights may be too low to distinguish from background noise (NFSTC Science Serving Justice, 2007). Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that DNA degradation affecting the quality and quantity of DNA, fragmentation of bones, numbers of bones in mass graves, contamination and poor extraction procedures are all challenges that forensic scientists face during DNA based identification of skeletal war victim remains. However, as efficient DNA extraction methods to optimise the template DNA concentration are advancing, and technology is consistently being refined to develop methods such as the mini-STR system, identification of war victims using DNA analysis, alongside anthropological measures, is becoming more successful. Word count: 2668 Page | 1

Disneys Effect on Society and Culture Essay -- essays papers

Disneys Effect on Society and Culture For nearly seven decades Corporate Disney has dazzled its audiences; generation after generation have been entertained through avenues ranging from movies to elaborate theme parks. While many find this massive establishment to be a significant part of American culture and welcome the Disney spirit with open arms, one man in particular looks past the hype and into his own theory of the Disney Corporation. Carl Hiaasen, a journalist for the Miami Herald, paints a witty and sarcastic portrait in this nonfiction account of a company. Hiaasen critizises the company for manifesting evil, enveloping perfection to a sickening extent, and who’s sole purpose is to inhale as much money as feasibly possible. The book opens with Times Square-an area home to many things: MTV, Morgan Stanley, the worlds largest Mariot Hotel, the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, and Peep Land, as well as the glittering new Disney Store. Hiaasen provides an interesting perspective, claiming Disney is out to â€Å"vanquish sleaze in its unholiest fountainhead, Times Square.†(2) While to some this intrusion of the new Disney Store is obtrusive, to many it is the beginning of a turn around for this otherwise less than clean, corrupt area within our society called Times Square. Hiaasen continues his bleak opinion of the company by claiming, â€Å"Disney is so good at being good that it manifests an evil†¦...

Essay --

The question of euthanasia is one that has plagued the human sense of morale for centuries. With modern medical technology it becomes even more pressing. I will cover three aspects of Euthanasia including three principles for, three principles against, and my own conclusion as to why Euthanasia is morally justified. To clarify some of the terms involved; Euthanasia is derived from the Greek language: Euthos, meaning easy, and thanos, meaning dying. Voluntary Euthanasia is a medically assisted, peaceful death at the request of the patient. There is also active and passive euthanasia. Active being euthanasia at the request of a relative and passive euthanasia is withholding treatment at the request of the patient. There have been many arguments for euthanasia and most can be surmised into three principles. One is that individuals should have the right to make their own choices in personal issues such as death. Not respecting one’s wish for a quiet and peaceful death disrespect s one’s autonomy. It does so in such a way that to deny the right to make their own decision is like telling them they do not have the capacity to make a rational decision. If one does not have rational thought than one is like an animal with no concept of death. If one is thought to be like an animal then what harm is there in â€Å"putting them to sleep†? As people we constantly put down loved pets to end their suffering. Telling someone who only wishes for a peaceful death that they may not have such a mercy completely defies autonomy. Individuals’ right to make their own decision is not only an ethical right that all people have, but it is also protected by the United States Constitution as a part of the Right to Privacy. Death, it would seem to me, constitut... ...eat gift to ease one's pain and a great show of compassion to that person as well. Individuals have the right to choose. Denying a person their right to choose life or death, to me, is intrinsically wrong. As stated previously, death is a very personal issue and if life is no longer worth living than who are we to force unwanted life upon someone? We have a right to make private decisions and that includes the decision to die. There is nothing wrong with wanting to die peacefully to end suffering quicker than a natural death might have allowed. Euthanasia is clearly a mercy for those who suffer immensely through disease. Euthanasia should be an option for those that want it. It is obvious that many will still have objections and many will not make such a choice, but if they so choose, a quick and easy death awaits. I personally am not against euthanasia.

In the Eyes of the Beholder Essay -- Music Entertainment Musicians Pap

In the Eyes of the Beholder The Contrasting Views of American Culture between Foreign and American Musicians The crowd of over 60,000 bursts into a thunderous uproar as the stadium suddenly becomes dark and anticipation rises like the temperature under a blazing Georgian July sun. After a seemingly infinite wait, one solitary image suddenly lights up from the seventy-foot video screen: an American flag. The Star Spangled Banner then booms from the massive speakers with the crowd growing frantic in the waiting for what is next. The national anthem fades out with â€Å"o’er the land of the free...† and a brief silence exists before a fierce drum beat begins, pounding away as the crowded frenzy is at an ecstatic high. A voice soon booms across the stadium, â€Å"and the home of the braaaaave† rattling it like a kitchen cupboard full of plates and glasses when a train passes by. The stage lights up and there on the massive stage set are U2. Lead singer Bono is lit up by a spotlight dressed in all black leather, sunglasses, and an American flag bandana. After a sc reeching guitar intro from The Edge, Bono breaks into the lyrics for the song â€Å"Bullet the Blue Sky,† an outsiders take on America. The show has begun. As with beauty, what actually is American life and culture is in the eye of the beholder. There is a large discrepency between the views of Americans on their own lives and that of inhabitants of other nations. The American dream of opportunity and freedom is well illustrated in its popular music. On the other hand, foreign artists usually take a more critical approach to American life with their views coming from the opposite end of the looking-glass. The contrasting views bring up an interesting que... ...is band sees is his reality and epitomizes his view of America and its culture. What is yours? Works Cited Mr. Showbiz. Wall of Sound: Tom Petty. 1997. (6 June 1998). Passengers. Original Soundtracks I. Island Records, Inc., 1995. Rolling Stone. Pop Review. 1997. (8 June 1998). Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Damn the Torpedoes. MCA Records, Inc., 1981. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Into the Great Wide Open. MCA Records, Inc., 1991. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. MCA Records, Inc., 1976. U2. The Joshua Tree. Island Records, Inc., 1987. U2. Pop. Island Records, Inc., 1997. U2. Rattle and Hum. Island Records, Inc., 1988. U2. War. Island Records, Inc., 1983.