Resolving the IRS and Developing a New Tax Reform Package Research Paper

Resolving the IRS and Developing a New Tax Reform Package - Research Paper Example The Commissioner of Internal Revenue that immediately supervises its affairs manages the service unit responsible for taxes in the United States federal government. The agency placed under the Department of Treasury deals with the collection of revenue for the treasury giving them the needed finances to run their activities. The IRS deals with the collection of taxes and the administration aspects of the Internal Revenue Code. Through the trust developed, it has proven successful (Kaplan, 2004). They base on to ensure that the administration of taxes and their collection from the masses is controlled and the targets remain achieved these on a regular basis. The collective responsibility of managing taxes and ensuring that public expenditure is sufficient makes is a huge responsibility that the IRS has seemed challenged to maintain. Of late, a number of challenges have arisen that have showed the weaknesses that the system has covered. These have occasioned the need for the development of new tax reforms package that will help improve the tax system and make a better effective means of managing taxes of the public. The details of this paper aim at discussing the new tax reforms that will aim at covering the failures of the IRS. These aimed at ensuring that the tax system and its management is efficient, economical and effective will provide better tax policies and theory. It is based on the theory that the failure of the IRS is occasioned by the wide coverage area that it has and the challenges that it experiences regularly in dealing with the effects that the high taxes have occasioned on the citizens. The new tax systems aimed at improving these and ensuring that all people are catered for by a tax system that respects and covers people of all occupations will provide better management and ease in tax administration Considering developing a new tax reform package will need an analysis of the current tax system. Understanding the IRS provides and

Where You Go To Achieve Your Fitness Desires Essay Example for Free

Where You Go To Achieve Your Fitness Desires Essay Situated, and being the sole tenant at the top-most floor of a 40-story building, Feat to Fit enjoys the freedom of its location. It is around a thousand square meter facility with various fitness machines in various corners of the facility. The wall is made of glass panels where men and women doing their fitness activities, unassisted or not, have the freedom to look at the clear view of the city laid out before them at the foot of the building or somewhere far so long their eye sight can reach the view. The center itself is situated in the middle of the building as there is a terrace portion on all four corners of the building. Anyone can enjoy the fee sunlight after their shower or pass a few minutes drinking iced-tea or some refreshments right after they have burned out some calories. There are adjustable gazebos (it can be closed or opened as umbrellas). There is a little bar inside offering drinks to the always thirsty Feat to Fit clients. There are 12 shower rooms, 3 each in every corner of the facility. At the entrance, there is the lobby, where drinking and reading and watching the fitness center’s wide LCD screen (approximately 60 inches wide) that’s always tuned in a sports channel. That’s where the reception lady and/or guy always busy herself or himself with the customers or some administrative tasks. From the ground floor, the Feat to Fit center can be accessed through 2 possible options of taking elevator, one arriving at the side (minor) entrance of the center and another stopping right in front of the main entrance where the reception is. At the south of the entrance (across it), there is the stairway, another option to use in order to reach or leave the center. There is a fire exit near this stair. Below, the property is mixed residential-commercial. I wonder why this was possible but it was already this mix when Feat to Fit opened in this location. It was blessing in disguise though as there are a lot of both residential tenants and office employees using the center now.

Meeting the Needs of a Dying Patient

Meeting the Needs of a Dying Patient Title: caring for a patient who is dying is an experience most nurses will face at some stage of their career. With reference to patients you have cared for, describe how you were able to meet the needs of dying patients. As a certainty, all of us will have to face death at some stage. Some of us are fortunate enough to be able to do so with caring, supportive and empathetic people around us. (Seale C et al. 2003). Nurses must be able to discharge their professional responsibilities in this area with this comment in mind. In this short essay we will explore how a nurse can empathise, understand and assist the patient in dealing with the various issues that arise. We will discuss these issues in relation to one specific case, Mrs G. The case was complex, but, in essence, it involved a lady who had just been given a terminal diagnosis and entered into a phase of complete denial and overt avoidance behaviour. She would change the subject when talking about her health and keep herself almost manically occupied with trivial tasks so as not to have to consider the reality of the situation. Dobrantz (2005) points to the fact that it is well recognised that some patients deal with life crises simply by ignoring them, other will use mechanisms of varying degrees of cognitive distortion (CDs), which may range from undue optimism to complete denial (as Mrs.G did). The main nursing dilemma here is should the nurse actively confront Mrs.G’s denial and allow her to see the reality of the situation or is it perhaps kinder to allow her to continue in her state of overt denial. (Dean A. 2002) On first analysis, one might take the view that, given the fact that Mrs.G had only a short time left to live, it might be a kindness to allow her not to confront the psychological pain of anticipating her imminent death. Against this argument is the concept of â€Å"a good death†. (Cuttini et al. 2003). Many authorities (viz. Roy C 1991) that in order for a patient to have â€Å"a good death†, they need time to accept the inevitable and to mentally come to terms with it, make what preparations they need (financial, practical, spiritual, personal) so that they can approach it in a calm and considered way. Clearly this cannot be achieved if they are actively entering into a degree of denial about the situation. (The A-M et al. 2000) Demonstrate ability to apply relevant nursing knowledge to individualised patient care The immediate therapeutic problem to be confronted by the healthcare professionals involved is to decide the degree of collusion with the denial that can be ethically employed. (Sugarman J Sulmasy 2001). To a degree, this is a matter of personal and clinical judgement. Most experienced healthcare professionals would suggest that truth is generally the best policy, the degree of truth however, can be a matter of negotiation. (Parker and Lawton 2003). The important concept to embrace in this type of situation is that of individualised patient care. In order to come to a considered decision, the nurse must carefully consider all the elements of the patient’s coping mechanisms and assume a holistic approach to the matter. We note that the concept of holistic care can best be visualised with the understanding that the concept of â€Å"Health† is based on a translation of the Anglo Saxon word for â€Å"wholeness† (or holism). The key to this approach is that it recognises that health has both spiritual and psycho-social elements as well as the overtly physical. (Wright et al 2001) The main elements of managing Mrs.G ‘s case seem to revolve around the ethical concept of autonomy (Coulter A. 2002). One has to make a professional decision whether or not Mrs.G is considered to have the right to make completely autonomous decisions for herself. In many clinical situations (such as consent, for example), the issue of autonomy is virtually inviolate. There are other situations, and we suggest that this is one, where other ethical principles may take precedence. The Principle of Beneficence suggests that the healthcare professional should effectively do â€Å"goodness† or more accurately in these circumstances, as doing what is the best for the patient. (Dordrecht et al. 1983 Demonstrate ability to make own judgment and decisions based upon the evaluation of the nursing situation. There are a number of nursing models which could be used to construct a response to this situation. They all assimilate the general nursing scheme of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. (Fawcett J 2005) The Roper, Logan, Tierney model (2000) would be appropriate to assess the activities of daily living in a problem solving manner, but this process is primarily of use in those situations that are physically orientated and therefore the psychological denial element is not clearly addressed by this model. The Roy Adaptation model (Roy 1991) is certainly more useful in explaining the adaptive processes that the patient experiences as they come to terms with the â€Å"illness role†. Mrs.G however, did not adapt and, by adopting a strategy of denial, was able to maintain her belief of â€Å"wellness† almost until the end, when her illness eventually forced her into accepting it. In real terms, Mrs.G did not adapt at all. The Johnson Behavioural System model (Wilkerson et al 1996) suits our purposes better as it clearly describes the processes of illness denial, but it doses not combine it with the adaptive processes that eventually overtook Mrs.G at the end of her life. Wadenstein (et al. 2003) sums up this type of situation with the conclusion that when there is multifactorial aetiology in a given situation there is seldom one nursing model that will encompass all eventualities. Conclusions Mrs.J.’s emotional pain of trying to cope with imminent death was clearly too great for her to assimilate. This must be understood by her medical attendants if she is to have a â€Å"good death† (Marks-Moran Rose 1996) In order to try to provide Mrs.G with the best care that she could have, the clinical staff tried to help Mrs.G towards the realisation that she should confront her own imminent mortality. Unfortunately for all concerned, this proved to be impossible and Mrs.G died about two weeks after her admission, only openly acknowledging the imminence of her death when she became too weak to lift a cup of tea to her mouth on the day before she died. Arguably, when this acceptance came home to her, the nursing staff were actually able to help and support her more than Mrs.G had allowed them to in the preceding two weeks. (Yura H et al. 1998 References Coulter A. 2002 The autonomous patient. London: The Nuffield Trust, 2002. Cuttini, Veronica Casotto, Rodolfo Saracci, and Marcello Orzalesi 2003 In search of a good death: Health professionals beliefs may undermine effective pain relief for dying patients BMJ 2003 327 : 222. Dean A. 2002 Talking to dying patients of their hopes and needs. Nurs Times. 2002 Oct 22-28 ; 98( 43) : 34-5. Dobratz, M 2005 Gently Into the Light: A Call for the Critical Analysis of End-of-Life Outcomes. Advances in Nursing Science. Nursing Care Outcomes. 28(2):116-126, April/June 2005 Dordrecht: Kluwer. Beauchamp, T. and Childress, J., 1983, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 2nd edition., New York: Oxford University Press. 1983 Fawcett J 2005 Contemporary Nursing Knowledge: Analysis and Evaluation of Nursing Models and Theories, 2nd Edition Boston: Davis Co 2005 ISBN : 0-8036-1194-3 Marks-Moran Rose 1996 Reconstructing Nursing: Beyond Art and Science London: Balliere Tindall October, 1996 Parker and Lawton 2003 Psychological contribution to the understanding of adverse events in health care Qual. Saf. Health Care, Dec 2003; 12: 453 457. Roper, Logan and Tierney (2000) Activities of Living model London : Churchill Livingstone 2000 ISBN 0443063737 Roy C 1991 An Adaption model (Notes on the Nursing theories Vol 3) OUP: London 1991 Seale C, van der Geest S. 2003 Good and bad death: introduction. Soc Sci Med. 2003. 58 (5) : 883–885. Sugarman J Sulmasy 2001 Methods in Medical Ethics Georgetown Univeristy Press 2001 ISBN: 0878408738 The A-M, Hak T, Koeter G, Wal Gvd. 2000 Collusion in doctor-patient communication about imminent death: an ethnographic study. BMJ 2000 ; 321 : 1376-1381 Wadensten Carlsson 2003 Nursing theory views on how to support the process of ageing J. of Advanced Nursing Volume 42, Number 2, April 2003, pp. 118-124(7) Wilkerson, S. A., Loveland-Cherry, C. J. (1996). Johnson’s behavioral system model. In J. J. Fitzpatrick A.L. Whall (Eds.), Conceptual models of nursing: Analysis and application (3rd ed., pp. 89-109). Stamford, CT: Appleton Lange. 1996 Wright S, Sayre-Adams J. 2001 Sacred space: right relationship in health and healing: not just what we do but who we are. In: Rankin-Box D, ed. The nurses handbook of complementary therapies. 2nd ed. London: Baillià ¨re Tindall, 2001. Yura H, Walsh M. 1998 The nursing process. Assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating. 5th edition. Norwalk, CT: Appleton Lange, 1998. =============================================================== 9.5.06 PDG Word count

Productivity Growth In the US :: essays research papers

It was said that once-in-a-century advances in technology are transforming our economy. The computer chip is doing for today's knowledge economy what electricity did for our industrial economy a century ago. Synergies in technology are driving acceleration in productivity growth that enables us to grow faster with less inflation. Economic progress is speeding up; the speed limit is rising.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Real GDP growth has averaged 4 percent for the past four years, with declining inflation. This almost doubles the 2 percent to 2.5 percent not long ago considered the maximum noninflationary potential. But we've been growing faster than potential and sustaining the unsustainable for four years and counting. Sounds odd, doesn't it? Our faster output growth is based primarily on faster productivity growth and secondarily on faster labor force growth†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Productivity growth now appears to be at least 2.5 percent and rising. An increase from 1 percent to 2.5 percent is an increase of 150 percent, a huge jump with profound implications if sustained. Last year was encouraging. Productivity raised over 3 percent for the year and over 5 percent in the second half.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was said that the United States entered the 21st century with its economy on a roll. GDP growth averaged more than 3 percent a year in the 1990s. The country created 17 million jobs, driving unemployment down to a 30-year low of 4.1 percent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1999-2000 the economy wasn’t doing so bad the unemployment rate was down, there were more jobs available, and production was doing well. When 2001 stated and even before then the economy was going down, many people were being laid off and so on. Then it happened the September 11th attack on the US, this attack has left the Productivity Growth In the US :: essays research papers It was said that once-in-a-century advances in technology are transforming our economy. The computer chip is doing for today's knowledge economy what electricity did for our industrial economy a century ago. Synergies in technology are driving acceleration in productivity growth that enables us to grow faster with less inflation. Economic progress is speeding up; the speed limit is rising.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Real GDP growth has averaged 4 percent for the past four years, with declining inflation. This almost doubles the 2 percent to 2.5 percent not long ago considered the maximum noninflationary potential. But we've been growing faster than potential and sustaining the unsustainable for four years and counting. Sounds odd, doesn't it? Our faster output growth is based primarily on faster productivity growth and secondarily on faster labor force growth†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Productivity growth now appears to be at least 2.5 percent and rising. An increase from 1 percent to 2.5 percent is an increase of 150 percent, a huge jump with profound implications if sustained. Last year was encouraging. Productivity raised over 3 percent for the year and over 5 percent in the second half.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was said that the United States entered the 21st century with its economy on a roll. GDP growth averaged more than 3 percent a year in the 1990s. The country created 17 million jobs, driving unemployment down to a 30-year low of 4.1 percent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1999-2000 the economy wasn’t doing so bad the unemployment rate was down, there were more jobs available, and production was doing well. When 2001 stated and even before then the economy was going down, many people were being laid off and so on. Then it happened the September 11th attack on the US, this attack has left the

A Study Of The Predictive Effect Of Pre-Service Teacher Essay

ABSTRACT: This paper aims to examine the relationship between the personal knowledge management (PKM) competency of pre-service teachers and their instructional design skills. Supporting the sustainable development of teachers as professionals in the knowledge society is a critical issue in teacher education. This study attempts to identify an empirical model and a curriculum framework for nurturing pre-service teachers’ PKM competency. Dorsey (2000) PKM skills were adopted for constructing the theoretical framework and the survey instrument. A quasi-experimental research design was used to collect data from pre-service teachers from Hong Kong’s largest teacher education institution. A structural equation model was applied to explore the predictive power of PKM competency on their instructional design. Results show that a four-factor PKM competency model, which consists of retrieving, analyzing, organizing and collaborative skills, was identified as a predictor of instructional d esign. Use of PKM tools, e-learning activities and collaborative action research for developing pre-service teacher PKM competency are recommended to teaching education institute. Keywords: Personal knowledge management, Pre-service teacher, Teacher education Introduction Rapid advances in technology and communications have greatly accelerated the emergence of information. The increases in the amounts and formats of information available do not automatically make learners more informed or knowledgeable, if a learner cannot manage and meld the accumulation of  information through their daily experience and study to construct knowledge in a systematic fashion. This competency is referred by most literatures (Frand & Hixon, 1999; Dorsey, 2000; Wright, 2005) as personal knowledge management (PKM) competency. Developing learners with PKM competency is not simply a lifelong education issue, it is also an important teacher education issue in terms of sustaining a competitive human capital in the knowledge economy. Teacher development is viewed as an ongoing lifelong learning process as teachers strive to learn how to teach learner to learn how to learn (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999). The recent education reforms in Hong Kong (Education Commission, 2000) addressed this lifelong education issue by proposing a learning to learn slogan in the policy document. The policy suggests that teachers should develop student learning competence for acquiring knowledge through various methods. To develop students with knowledge acquisition skills, teachers should also be equipped with the competency for knowledge acquisition. However, since publication of the policy paper entitled Information Technology for Learning in a New Era Five-year Strategy that launched IT in education in Hong Kong (EMB, 1998), the Education Bureau has not addressed this issue in any teacher professional development policy documents. Recent calls for consultation on e-learning from the Education Bureau likewise generated additional demand for developing teacher information literacy capable of supporting student learning (EMB, 2004). If the government and teacher education institutions really want to develop competent teachers for the knowledge society, they may consider injecting the elements of personal knowledge management (PKM) into the teacher education curriculum for developing pre-service teachers’ teaching competency. However, little studies on teacher education were attempted to examine the effect of PKM on teacher learning and discussed the possibilities of injecting the element of PKM model into teacher education curriculum. This study aims to construct an empirical model for examining the predictive effect of pre-service teachers’ PKM competency on their instructional design skills and to discuss a personal knowledge management curriculum framework for teacher education institutions. Literature Review A review of the literature related to knowledge management suggests that the development of personal knowledge management (PKM) could be a means of enhancing pre-service teacher professional competency in managing personal knowledge for coping with the acceleration of emerging information. Frand & Hixon (1999) define PKM as a conceptual framework to organize and integrate important information such that it becomes part of an individual’s personal knowledge base. Dorsey (2000) emphasizes the importance of injecting PKM into an educational framework for undergraduate education in order to bridge the gap between general education and other subject disciplines. PKM could serve as a framework for integrating general education and majors and as an approach to technology integration initiatives throughout the curriculum. PKM provides learners with both a common language and a common understanding of the intellectual and practical processes necessary for the acquisition of information and its subsequent transformation into knowledge. The significance of exploring PKM may contribute to human cognitive capabilities (Sheridan, 2008). Scholars tend to conceptualize PKM as a set of information skills (Frand & Hixon, 1999; Avery et al, 2001), though there is no standard definition or model for PKM. After Frand & Hixon (1999) outlined five PKM techniques as searching, classifying, storing distributing, evaluating and integrating skills, Dorsey and colleagues (Avery et al, 2001) broadened the Frand & Hixon PKM framework well beyond its formulation. Central to PKM, as clarified by Dorsey, are seven information skills which when exercised together are integral to effective knowledge work. These seven PKM skills are retrieving, evaluating, organizing, analyzing, presenting and securing information and collaboration for creating knowledge. Recently, Pettenati and Cigognini (2009) grouped PKM skills under three intertwined macro-competence categories: creation, organization and sharing. PKM can also be conceptualized as an intertwined macro-competency. Wright (2005) proposes a PKM model that links distinctive types of problem-solving  activities with specific cognitive andmetacognitive, information, social and learning competencies. As a learning competency, PKM enables learners to apply a set of learning skills that are essential to lifelong learning for information processing, knowledge application and decision-making. As a cognitive and metacognitve competency, it enables learners to apply complex thinking skills to solve problems. It is knowledge concerning the learner’s own cognitive processes or anything related to them (Flavell, 1976, p232). As an information competency, it enables learners to link technology tools with a set of information skills, thus providing an intentionality that moves the focus from the technology more directly to the information. As a social competency, its underlying principles include enabling learners to understand others’ ideas, develop and follow through on shared practices, build win-win relationships, and resolve conflicts. PKM integrates human cognitive and metacognitive competency (Sheridan, 2008), social competency (Wright, 2005; Pettenati & Cigognini, 2009) and informational competency (Tsui, 2002). Wright (2007) has developed a PKM Planning Guide for developing knowledge worker PKM competency. The guide is based on his research findings that the four interrelated competencies are activated in order to plan PKM training. The training process encourages participants to reflect on their knowledge activities and focus on areas for improvement. If learners know how to control this process, they can internalize information into personal knowledge, creating a foundation for effective learning. Utilizing PKM for acquiring knowledge refers to a collection of information management processes that an individual learner needs to carry out in order to gather, classify, store, search, and retrieve information in his daily activities (Tsui, 2002; Grundspenkis, 2007). In teacher education, knowledge acquisition focuses on the process how teacher apply PKM to support their day-to-day teaching and learning activities: instructional design. Instructional design is closely related to PKM which is also one of the major learning tasks for pre-service teachers. Instructional design is a process that involves determining the current status and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating instructional  and learning strategies to facilitate teaching and learning. There are a wide range of instructional design models, many of them based on the ADDIE model (Seels & Glasgow, 1998; Molenda, M., 2003; Strickland, A.W. 2006) which includes the following phases: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. This acronym stands for the 5 phases contained in the model. Knowledge acquisition for instructional design is conceptualized as identifying learner entry skills, formulating instructional objectives, test and design specifications, creating instructional or training materials, making recommendations and preparing a project report for lesson implementation. As instructional design is one of the key components of teacher professional competence, and helps to implement a new curriculum in the information age of the 21st century, exploring the predictive relationships of PKM competency on knowledge acquisition for instructional design becomes key to the development of teacher education. Research Methodology It appears that PKM competency can expand individuals’ knowledge and enhance their learning competency (Davenport, 1997, p146 ; Frand & Hixon, 1999). It provides learners with a targeted, reflective and adaptable cognitive framework for inquiry and problem solving. In this study, knowledge acquisition will be conceptualized as the knowledge required for carrying out instructional design. This study attempts to answer the following research questions: 1. What is the empirical factor structure of PKM competency for pre-service teachers? 2. Is there any relationship between the PKM competency of pre-service teachers and their knowledge acquisition for instructional design? This study adopted Dorsey (2000) PKM skills to conceptualize PKM as a competency for acquiring knowledge (see figure 1). A quasi-experimental research design was used in this study to determine the relationship between PKM skills and knowledge acquisition for instructional design. The exogenous variables were pre-service teachers’ perceptions of their PKM skills. The endogenous variable is knowledge acquisition for instructional design. A  self-response quantitative questionnaire was devised to collect data from the pre-service teachers of Hong Kong’s largest teacher education institution. Figure 1: Theoretical Framework Of The Study The operationalized definitions of Dorsey (2000) PKM skills are as follows: 1. Retrieving skill is the ability of learners to retrieve information from relational databases, electronic library databases, websites, threaded discussion groups, recorded chats, and moderated andunmoderated lists. 2. Evaluating skill is the ability to make judgments on both the quality and relevance of information to be retrieved, organized, and analyzed. 3. Organizing skill is the ability to make the information one’s own by applying ordering and connecting principles that relate new information to old information. 4. Collaborating skill is the ability  to understand others’ ideas, develop and follow through on shared practices, build win-win relationships, and resolve conflicts between these underlying principles. 5. Analyzing skill is the ability to extract meaning from data and convert information into knowledge. 6. Presenting skill is the ability to familiarize with the work of communications specialists, graphic designers, and editors. 7. Securing skill is the ability to develop and implement practices that help to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and actual existence of information. This study adopted ADDIE instructional design model to conceptualize instructional design as a multiple competencies that involves analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a lesson (Molenda, 2003; Strickland, 2006). The acronym ADDIE stands for the 5 phases contained in the model. Pre-service teachers’ learning on instructional design is conceptualized by the knowledge and experiences they come across in the 5 phases of ADDIE model including analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. The learning outcomes include know how to analyse learner characteristics and task to be learned and identify learner entry skills; to design learning objectives and choose an instructional approach; to develop instructional or training materials; implement the lesson and deliver the instructional materials; and to evaluate the lesson plan and recommend the materials achieved the desired goals. The teaching experience that they had gained include determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating some instructional and learning strategies to facilitate teaching and learning. Instructional design is operationalized to the knowledge for: identifying learner entry skills; formulating instructional obJectives, test and designs specifications; creating instructional or training materials; and making recommendations and preparing a project report for lesson implementation (Seels & Glasgow, 1998; Molenda, M., 2003; Strickland, A.W. 2006). The questionnaire was based on a number of scales constructed to measure the variables of PKM skills and instructional design. In order to develop valid items for these scales, the researcher conducted a content analysis on the PKM literature of Dorsey (2000), Skyrme (1999). Hyams (2000), and on the instruction design literature of Seels & Glasgow (1998), Molenda, M. (2003); and Strickland, A.W. (2006). The questionnaire consists of two sections. Section 1 was used to measure the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition for instructional design based on 4 items. Section 2 contains 21 items designed to measure the teachers’ perceptions of their seven PKM skills. Likert 6 point scales were used in both sections to measure the variables. Likert scales are commonly used in attitudinal research. The Likert scale assumes that the difference between answering ‘agree strongly, and ‘agree’ is the same as between answering ‘agree’ and ‘neither agree n or disagree’ (Likert 1932, quoted in Gay, 1992). The data was collected directly from target subjects using the questionnaire. 225 pre-service teachers responded to the survey. Data was collected directly from them by means of the questionnaire. The subjects in the study were pre-service teachers from Hong Kong’s largest teacher education institution. Random sampling was used to collect data from the population. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out on variables using principal factor axis analysis to confirm the constructed validity of the tools (see table 1). The study is interested in a theoretical solution uncontaminated by unique and error variability and is designed with a framework on the basis of underlying constructs that are expected to produce sources on the observed variables. Principal axis factor (PAF) analysis, which aims to reveal the underlying factors that produce the correlation or correlations among a set of indicators with the assumption of an implicit underlying factor model, was applied separately to the items from the learning processes and learning outcomes. Promax rotation, a method of oblique rotation which assumes that the resulting factors are correlated with one other, was applied to extract the factors. An eigenvalue greater than one was used to determine the appropriate number of factors for the factor solutions. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was then applied to  examine the factor structures and the paths among the variables, using Lisrel 8.3 (Joreskog & Sorbom, 1999). SEM is a collection of statistical techniques that allows the examination of a set of relationships between exogenous variables and endogenous variables. Findings The results of exploratory factor analysis, presented in Table 1, clearly suggest a four- factor structure for exogenous variables that are both empirically feasible and theoretically acceptable. An eigenvaluegreater than one was used to determine the appropriate number of factors for the factor analysis solution. Items were extracted with factor loadings greater than 0.6 across and within factors. The numbers of factor solutions extracted from a Promax rotation theoretically afforded the most meaningful interpretation. The process used to identify and label the factors that emerged was based on examining the derivation of the highest loading items on each of the factors. The reliability coefficients of the scales ranged from 0.792-0.821, which was judged adequate for this study. The results of descriptive statistics show that the scale means of all the variables are higher than 4.27 within the 6 point-scale, reflecting the participants’ tendency to slightly agree with all the items. The reliability coefficient (Alphas) of the scale for instructional design is 0.854, its scale mean is 4.33 (sd = 0.691).

Leadership and Innovation in the Business

Leadership and Innovation in the Business Introduction This assignment is an article review and analyses the article based on facts about leadership and innovation in the business or organisational context. The article being reviewed is titled ‘Charismatic leadership, change and innovation in an RD organization’.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Leadership and Innovation in the Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The authors of the article are Neil Paulsen of the University of Queensland Business School; Diana Maldonado of the Sugar Research and Development Corporation, Brisbane, Australia and Victor J. Callan and Oluremi Ayoko of the University of Queensland Business School. In the article, the authors focus on the relationship between the charismatic element of transformative leadership, team work and innovativeness in research and development (RD) organizations. Article Analysis As per the article, leadership can be defined as the abil ity of a person to influence other people to do things which they would not have done without the influence. People with this ability are referred to as leaders and can be found in different settings and contexts ranging from the family, school, government and organization; formal and non-formal, as well as profit and non-profit organizations. In an organisational setting, leaders are responsible for showing others â€Å"the way†. The leaders may have or may not have executive powers in the organisation and they may be or, may not be managers (Northouse, 2009). In the context of the article, leading in an organisational setting entails the leader consolidating the efforts and resources of the organisation and focusing on the future by setting up a vision for the organization; which it intends to achieve in a given period of time using the consolidated efforts and resources.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your f irst paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Russel Consulting, leading entails some distinct elements which include building and sustaining teamwork, strategic thinking, managing conflicts, coaching, inspiring a shared vision, problem solving, performance management and accountability, decision making, delegation, systems thinking, leading change, dealing with ambiguities, developing trust, employee development, customer service, innovation and creativity, emotional intelligence, servant leadership, quality and productivity improvement (Russell Consulting, 2011). According to the authors of the article, transformative leadership involves various aspects, one of them being charisma, which involves among other things developing motivation, morale and performance of teams through variety of mechanisms. The charismatic leader connects to the follower’s sense of identity, challenges the team to take greater ownership for their work and understanding the strengt hs and weakness of the team so that he or she can align it with tasks that it can perform well. Transformative leadership, through the charismatic aspect helps in realising positive change. This is because charismatic leaders are energetic, enthusiastic, inspiring, motivational and passionate about their organisational success and development. In this sense, the leaders are concerned, involved and also focused on helping every member of the group to succeed (Ojo, 2008). Charismatic leadership has got multiple routes to innovativeness in an organisation. The first one is that it leads to establishment of teams which work together. These teams give themselves a social identity which bonds them (Ashforth and Mael, 1989.pp.20-39). This social identity and bonding leads to cooperation among the team members in all aspects, which leads to multiplicity of ideas about how to undertake the tasks, consequently leading to innovation within the team. The other route to innovation is that charis matic leadership directly leads to cooperation within an organisation whereby the employees do not personalise problems or success. This leads to innovation because the employees are more committed the success of the organisation and to them, motivation comes as a result of organisational success not individual success. Every employee therefore brings his or her ideas in the organisation. These ideas are combined and transformed into new ways of doing things in a more efficient and effective manner (Avolio and Bhatia, 2004. pp.951-968).Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Leadership and Innovation in the Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lastly, charismatic leadership may directly lead to innovation because the charismatic leaders are knowledgeable and possess high technical know-how especially in research and development. This knowledge and technical know-how by the charismatic leaders when coupled with their other charismatic characteristics directly provokes employees’ thinking on how to improve the functions, processes and procedures of their organisation, thus leading to innovation (Avolio and Bhatia, 2004. pp.951-968). Reference List Ashforth, B.E. and Mael, F. (1989), â€Å"Social identity theory and the organisation†, The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 20-39. Avolio, B.J., Zhu, W., Koh, W. and Bhatia, P. (2004), â€Å"Transformational leadership and organisational commitment: mediating role of psychological empowerment and moderating role of structural distance†, Journal of Organisational Behaviuor,Vol.25 No. 8, pp. 951-968. Northouse, P.G.,(2009). Leadership: Theory and Practice. New York, NY: SAGE. Ojo, A., (2008). Leadership Style and Leadership Power. Farmington Hills, MI: ProQuest publishers. Russell Consulting. (2011).Leadership in Organisations: What Does it Mean to Lead?. Available from  http://russellconsultinginc.com/services/lea dership .Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

James Bond History Essays

James Bond History Essays James Bond History Essay James Bond History Essay defeated only by two John Wayne films: The Longest Day and How the West Was Won (filmsite. org, 2010). By the time it had been viewed by moviegoers around the world, it had earned $59,000,000 (Chapman, 2000). The following year, due to the unexpected success of the first film, EON Films released the second Bond film, From Russia with Love. It, too, would finish out the year at #3. The movies that beat it were Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, starring a who’s-who of Hollywood stars (filmsite. org, 2010). In 1964, EON Films released Goldfinger. Sadly, Ian Fleming would die of heart failure during production. He died just at the beginning of the phenomenon known as â€Å"Bondmania†. To release the Bond films on American soil, EON Films teamed up with United Artists. Unlike the first two films, United Artist decided to release Goldfinger as its major Christmas release. When it opened on the 22nd of December of 1964, it had its premieres at prestigious theaters like Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood (Winder, 2006). One reporter wrote, â€Å"lines of eager ticket buyers formed for blocks on opening day and afterward, this enthusiastic reception being duplicated all over the country† (Chapman, 2000). â€Å"The success of Goldfinger was such that in New York one showing followed another day and night, and the management imposed an interval only to sweep away from the auditorium the remains of popcorn which had reached a depth of several inches,† wrote another (Chapman, 2000). Goldfinger was the film that that established James Bond in America. American studios took notice. Spy-Fi fever had hit the U. S. and American filmmakers tried to capitalize on the popularity of the secret agent. Donald Hamilton had written a series of novels chronicling the adventures of another secret agent named Matt Helm. In Hamilton’s books, Matt Helm was a remorseless, no nonsense U. S. government operative. In the Seventies, ABC would produce a short-lived television series simply titled Matt Helm with Tony Franciosa playing Helm as a run-of-the-mill private investigator. But at the height of â€Å"Bondmania† in the mid-sixties, Columbia Pictures had something else in mind. They produced four Matt Helm comedies, beginning in 1966 with The Silencers. The movies were made to spoof the spy craze and starred Dean Martin as a perpetually intoxicated American secret agent. They turned out to be a major hit and a fifth was planned but was never made (Biederman, 2004). As recently as 2008, Steven Spielberg has been rumored to be working on a new Matt Helm movie. An even more obvious parody of the James Bond character was Derek Flint. Twentieth Century Fox released Our Man Flint, also in 1966. It starred James Coburn as Derek Flint, an agent for the super-secret spy organization known as Z. O. W. I. E (Zonal Organization for World Intelligence and Espionage). The movie contains several references to the James Bond character including the Walther PPK (Bond’s preferred handgun) which is rejected by Flint and a fight scene with Agent 0008 (Bond was 007). The film was successful enough to spawn a sequel the following year titled In Like Flint (Biederman, 2004). Television studios were not blind to the success the spy-fi genre was experiencing on the silver screen. In 1965, NBC ran a secret agent series called I Spy. It starred Robert Culp and Bill Cosby as secret agents working for the Pentagon. The series ran for three seasons. It was most recently made into a movie in 2002 starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson in the lead roles (Biederman, 2004). NBC followed I Spy with Get Smart. Created by comedy legend Mel Brooks and writer Buck Henry, it follows the adventures of Maxwell Smart, a bumbling secret agent who works for a secret government agency known as CONTROL (not an acronym). According to Buck Henry, the show was created to â€Å"capitalize on the two biggest things in entertainment today: James Bond and Inspector Clouseau,† Mel Brooks is quoted as saying, â€Å"It’s an insane combination of James bond and Mel Brooks’ comedy† (latimes. com, 2008). It was most recently made into a film in 2008 starring Steve Carell and Dwayne â€Å"The Rock† Johnson. NBC would soon conclude its affair with the spy-fi genre with The Man From U. N. C. L. E, a television series starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. The two starred as agents for U. N. C. L. E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement). Due to lackluster viewership, it was cancelled in the middle of its third season (Biederman, 2004). While other American spy projects seemed to be meeting their ends, James Bond was going strong as EON Films continued to produce movie after movie starring Agent 007. All in all, EON Films has produced 22 movies starring James Bond. In addition, 1967 brought the world a James Bond spoof titled Casino Royale with David Niven portraying Sir James Bond. Ironically, Niven was Ian Fleming’s first choice to play Bond (Chapman, 2000). EON Films, however, chose Sean Connery. An odd twist of fate and legal technicality found Connery portraying James Bond for the last time in Never Say Never Again. This movie is not considered an official James Bond film as it was not produced by EON Films. Released in 1983, it was the only time two Bond films were in theaters simultaneously as Roger Moore was starring as James Bond in EON Films’ production of Octopussy (Winder, 2006). Roger Moore is the third man to portray 007 in an EON Films production. After Sean Connery’s five film run, George Lazenby was given the role in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969. Connery returned to the role in 1973’s Diamonds Are Forever. From 1973 to 1985, Roger Moore continued as James Bond until the role was given to Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights. After two films starring Dalton, the role was given to Pierce Brosnan in 1995’s Goldeneye which was later made into a highly successful first-person-shooter video game on the Nintendo 64 gaming platform. In 2006, EON Films, partnered with MGM, took Bond in an entirely new direction. It was decided that audiences wanted a less campy and more no-nonsense James Bond. Daniel Craig took up the role and for the first time, James Bond was James â€Å"blonde†! Controversy ensued, but if box office receipts are any indication, the audience didn’t mind as his became the highest grossing Bond film to date. In 2006, he starred in Casino Royale, which, unlike the earlier film of the same name, was actually based on Fleming’s first Bond novel. At the time, it made the James Bond Franchise the highest grossing film series of all time, even eclipsing the popular Star Wars films (guardian. o. uk). The record stood unchallenged until another mysterious character out of Great Britain surpassed it. As of 2007, the Harry Potter series has taken the lead with $4. 5 Billion compared to Bond’s $4. 4 billion (guardian. co. uk). The good news is that Bond has a chance to regain the title as Daniel Craig is currently slated to star in the as of yet unnamed 23rd installment of the James Bond franchise. Granted, there are two more Harry Potter films yet to be released, but, that will be all since the books are finished. There is no end, however, in sight for the James Bond franchise. The influence James Bond has had on popular culture is certainly not limited to the books and films. One staple of all Bond films is the music. None of which is more important than the â€Å"James Bond Theme†, written by Monty Norman. The â€Å"dum-de-dum-dum† of the famous tune which is heard in all of the Bond films has been the inspiration for many other spy-fi projects. Even toddlers are familiar with the sound as evidenced by the opening sequence for the Disney Channel’s popular pre-school kids’ show Special Agent Oso. The opening credits are accompanied by songs sung by well-known singers including Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow and Tom Jones. Paul and Linda McCartney had their Bond song performed with their band Wings, â€Å"Live and Let Die†, nominated for an Academy Award as did Bill Conti and Michael Leeson’s song â€Å"For Your Eyes Only† performed by Sheena Easton. She actually appeared in the title sequence singing the song. The only singer to actually appear as a character in the film is Madonna in Die Another Day. Duran Duran’s song, â€Å"A View to a Kill† from the film of the same name made it to number one on the U. S. pop charts in 1985 (Chapman, 2000). James Bond has appeared in video games, comic books, and even as an action figure. Countless books, essays and articles have been written about him and songs have been sung in his honor. He’s starred in movies and on television. Ian Fleming’s secret agent has managed to infiltrate just about every aspect of the media in hundreds of languages in countries around the world. With no end in sight, is it any wonder that the American Film Institute has his most famous quotation recorded as the 22nd greatest in cinema history (afi. com 2010)? And with another Bond film on the horizon, we can no doubt be sure that some time in the near future, we will once again be reintroduced to the man known as Agent 007 and will hear the immortal introduction of, â€Å"My name is Bond, James Bond. † Bibliography All Time U. S. A. Top Box Office Leaders by Decade and Year (2010). Retrieved April 11, 2010, from filmsite. org/boxoffice2. html. Amis, Kingsley (1966). The James Bond Dossier. London, Jonathan Cape. Bennett, T. and Woollacott, J. (1987). Bond and Beyond: The Political Career of a Popular Hero. London. Benson, Raymond (1984). The James Bond Bedside Companion. New York, Dodd, Mead and Company. Biederman, Danny (2004). The Incredible World of Spy-Fi. Chronicle Books, Llc. Chancellor, Henry (2005). James Bond: The Man and His World. London, John Murray. Chapman, James (2000). Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. New York, Columbia University Press. â€Å"Frankly, My Dear, I Don’t Give a Damn† Tops AFI’s List of 100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time (2010). Retrieved April 11, 2010 from afi. com/tvevents/100years/quotes. aspx. Harry Potter Becomes Highest Grossing Film Franchise (2007). Retrieved April 11, 2010, from guardian. co. uk/film/2007/sep/11/jkjoannekathleenrowling. Lycett, Andrew (1995). Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond. London: Turner Pub. QA with Mel Brooks. Los Angeles Times. May 19, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from latimes. com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-brooks20-2008may20,0,4126646. story. Sandbrook, Dominic (2005). Never Had It So Good. London, Little Brown. Winder, Simon (2006). The Man Who Saved Britain: A Personal Journey Into the Disturbing World of James Bond. New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

The Rocking Horse Winner Essays - The Rocking-Horse Winner, Luck

The Rocking Horse Winner Essays - The Rocking-Horse Winner, Luck The Rocking Horse Winner The Rocking Horse Winner Lucky. Thats what this whole story is about, being lucky. It seemed that to be successful in this society you had to have a certain amount of luck about you to be able to make money to survive. Paul seemed to be the first to realize it when he asked his mother why dont we keep a car of our own? Why do we always use Uncles, or else a taxi? When she replied that it was because they were poor he asked why and she said Because your father has no luck. I believe it was from this conversation that he realized that to be rich you had to be lucky, what he could not figure out was how you got lucky. His mother thought you had to be born with it but Paul was convinced that he could find his own luck. His drive to find luck was fueled by the whispers that he heard throughout the house There must be more money. He thought that if he found luck he would be able to make enough money to make the whispers stop. His method of searching for luck was rather unusual and eventually led to his downfall. While everyone was going about their regular business Paul would ride like crazy on an old rocking horse he had in his bedroom. He thought that if he rode long enough he would eventually find luck. Eventually it seemed as if Paul found what he was looking for, he developed a habit of betting on horse races. When his Uncle noticed that he was getting very lucky at choosing whom the winner would be(even if there were big odds against a horse, Paul wou ld bet on it if he thought it would win) he approached his nephew about his lucky streak. Paul said that all he did was ride his rocking horse until something in his head told him who the winner would be. His Uncle did not question his methods and eventually started betting on the horses that Paul did. They went on living like this for a long time with Paul riding his horse until he knew the winner and then they would make more and more money off his decisions. When Paul was older there were a couple of races where he did not know who the winner would be and he got really worried. He should have been happy with the money that he had but he had become obsessed with gambling and winning money so he rode even harder on his rocking horse. When the biggest race of the year came around he rode his horse all night like a madman, for that is what he had become. He eventually knew who would win but ended up dying during the night without having been able to enjoy the eighty thousand pounds t hat he had won for being lucky. As you can see, the recurring theme in this story was luck, a thing some people call a gift but in this case it ended up being a curse. Paul did prove to his mother that you could find luck but what he did not realize then was that there would be a terrible price to pay for it. The Rocking Horse Winner Lucky. Thats what this whole story is about, being lucky. It seemed that to be successful in this society you had to have a certain amount of luck about you to be able to make money to survive. Paul seemed to be the first to realize it when he asked his mother why dont we keep a car of our own? Why do we always use Uncles, or else a taxi? When she replied that it was because they were poor he asked why and she said Because your father has no luck. I believe it was from this conversation that he realized that to be rich you had to be lucky, what he could not figure out was how you got lucky. His mother thought you had to be born with it but Paul was convinced that he could find his own luck. His drive to find luck was fueled by the whispers

Genderfication in Police Services Research Proposal

Genderfication in Police Services - Research Proposal Example er to comply with the Equality Act 2006 all public authorities (such as Staffordshire Police and Authority) are required to meet a general duty. Basically, this means that we must consider the following areas when carrying out our day-to-day work: * the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination * the need to eliminate unlawful harassment * the need to promote equality of opportunity between men and women. (Staffordshire Police and Police Authority Gender Equality Scheme 2007-2010)2 . The gender equality duty aims to make gender equality central to the way we work in order to create: * better informed decision making and policy development * a clearer understanding of the needs of service users * better quality services which meet varied needs * more effective targeting of policy and resources and greater confidence in public services * a more effective use of talent in the workforce. (Staffordshire Police and Police Authority Gender Equality Scheme 2007-2010) . 5. Hypothesis/Central Theoretical Question Why do many police executives want to hire more women officers Here's an answer. Dollar for dollar, women officers cost substantially less than men in terms of excessive force payouts. This proposal describes research documenting that male officers cost on average over five and a half times more than female officers for court judgments and settlements involving excessive use of force. Data will also be reviewed from three major U.S. police departments and three civilian oversight boards revealing that women are significantly under-represented in both civilian complaints and sustained allegations of excessive force. This under-representation takes... However despite these initial aims, gender inequality has continued. As a result the Equality Act 2006 has been introduced in recognition of the need for a radical new approach to gender equality. In order to comply with the Equality Act 2006 all public authorities (such as Staffordshire Police and Authority) are required to meet a general duty. Basically, this means that we must consider the following areas when carrying out our day-to-day work: Why do many police executives want to hire more women officers Here's an answer. Dollar for dollar, women officers cost substantially less than men in terms of excessive force payouts. This proposal describes research documenting that male officers cost on average over five and a half times more than female officers for court judgments and settlements involving excessive use of force. Data will also be reviewed from three major U.S. police departments and three civilian oversight boards revealing that women are significantly under-represented in both civilian complaints and sustained allegations of excessive force. This under-representation takes into account the fact that women currently comprise approximately 13% of sworn law enforcement in large agencies across the country.

A Deconstruction of an episode of Sex and the City Essay

A Deconstruction of an episode of Sex and the City - Essay Example In a sense Sex and the City deconstructs some of the supposed passions and seriousness surrounding this issues. It thus makes sense to add a further layer of deconstruction by analyzing an episode of the comedy through the deconstructive lense.In the episode called "Woulda Shoulda Coulda" the subject of accidental pregnancy (and subsequent wish to have an abortion) is juxtaposed against a couple who desperately want to get pregnant, but who cannot because the woman's body is attacking her partner's sperm.The context of this episode is the ongoing battle over abortion, together with the great advances in reproductive medicine in general, including the ability to discern precisely "why" a couple cannot get pregnant, together with the possibility of artificial implantation.Thus this analysis will consider a particular episode of Sex in the City within the context of its "discipline",but also see what this discipline has been able to "dissimulate" and/or "forbid". The method will involve entering into the mindset of the series, with its attempted sophisticated portrayal of the postmodern condition.This condition has been well described by Jean Baudrillard in his analysis of what he calls "the schizo". He argues that all individuals in postmodern societies, especially those who are attempting to thrive in a large city, may be characterized in the following manner: This is a complex idea, but one suited to this study. ... He is himself obscene, the obscene play of the world's obscenity . . . he can no longer produce himself as a mirror. He is now only pure screen,a switching center for all the networks of influence. (Baudrillard, 1983) This is a complex idea, but one suited to this study. The individual, within Baudrillard's vision, is no longer the solid, three-dimensional object that he/she once was, but rather now exists as a kind of node on a two dimensional surface. The forces of modern society flow through these "nodes" without the individual having much influence upon them. Within the episode being considered here the random forces of nature: whether a woman gets pregnant or not, together with the pressures and opportunities of modern medicine, produce a kind of dance of the characters as they attempt to deal with the situation. The terrible ironies of the situation faced by these people will be couched within the exigencies of comedy, but the true seriousness of the situation often shines through. Irony can only go so far. 4. Discussion The episode starts with a view of a busy New York and two fo the main characters running along the street, clearly late. The main character states in a voice-over. "In life, sometimes we find ourselves at a crossroads. In New York that crossroads tends to be busy and very loud." As the last words are being spoken she nearly gets run over by a taxi as she crosses the road without really looking. The fact that she is literally at a crossroads, and that it is very loud, and perhaps even very dangerous makes the beginning of the show apparently very clichd. But in reality it can be seen that the writers are in fact putting the whole classic

Ethics, Privacy, and Security Sides of Computer Spammer Issue Essay

Ethics, Privacy, and Security Sides of Computer Spammer Issue - Essay Example They flood the networks through continuous bombardments. The interests of ordinary users are of no threat to anyone else especially their privacy and flow of information across the network. In case of spammers, the activities are motivated by damage and illegal practices. There is the margin of improvement to the manner in which Spamhaus operates. It has raised the eyebrows in cases where organizations have become a victim of this barring process Spamhaus methodology is based on the idea of segregation. Separating the good from the bad and this is done through blocking of the list of ids which are habitual offenders. Once the list is compiled that of blacklist ids, their list is sent across the networks of institutions and organizations. However, their work and the methods adopted has resulted in various legal constraints from time to time. Though the methods adopted by them have made the task relatively easy and according to some, the inboxes would get flooded with junk and spams incase Spam Haus was not in place and not conducting the operations. While the Spamhaus process does irk some of the business community members, due to the indiscriminate and at times random blocking, the solution can be reached by installing effective software and firewalls at the back end that stream out the spam and other junk mails prior to reaching the customers. In this method the direct approach and reach to customers can be eliminated and as a result, only those ips and addresses can reach to the customers that are authenticated and of no damage. This can by large resolve the issues faced in the case of Spamhaus. There are multiple legal issues faced in the usage and application of Spamhaus.

The media and the experts determine how we see the rest of the world Essay

The media and the experts determine how we see the rest of the world (Said 1997) How far could public opinion resist the influence of the political and econom - Essay Example Invasion of one country by another is an example of coercive power. Symbolic power works through images (linguistic, pictoral, aural) to create and mobilise support for a cause and it is integral to the operation of the other power forms. Other classifications include position, resource and charismatic (or personality) power, each overlapping with Thompson's categories and each one some how connected with communication processes. A case can be made for recognising technological power, what Karl Marx refereed to as the means of production, as a category in its own right. John of Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in around 1450 was not substantially the result of either economic or political imperatives, but it soon proved to be a winner economically. Politically and culturally it brought about profound changes. By symbolising knowledge as something potentially accessible to all and rendering the act of reading an exercise in individualism and a possible source of subversion, printing transformed the known world by becoming a power in the land. In easily reproducible and permanent form, it spread knowledge and ideas beyond the traditional boundary fence of the privileged to the 'common people'. In doing so, it offered them glimpses of their own potential power. Yet tYet the media have never been either separate from or independent of the forces which create them and which in turn they shape and influence. They work, as Thompson points out, within institutional frameworks. As such they operate as forms of cultural apparatus, part of the machinery of state or of powerful interest groups within the state. Historically the media have more often served as the voice of powerful than of the people. They have been classified by the French philosopher Louis Althusser as one of the prime ISAs, Ideological State Apparatuses, along with religion, family structures, and education: that is, they are crucially important channels for the transmission of 'rules of conduct' in society; the guardians of a culture's dominant norms and values. They play a part in all the power forms, including in a contributory sense - coercive power. Coercion, the exercise of power by force, manifests itself through what Althusser terms RSAs, Repressive State Apparatuses - army, police, prisons. It is ever physically absent but it is in the culturally concealed. Its visible and tangible presence depends on whether the other power forms are considered to be under threat. In war time of course, coercive power moves from the back region to the front region of our lives; and at no other time is symbolic power exercised by the media, so graphically, so blatantly or so persuasively. The media in time of war - with exceptions- become the trumpeters of conflict with the enemy. They do not fire the guns but their clamour for the guns to be fired is an essential part of the process of gathering the people's support for the war effort. ISAs and RSAs conflate, become one and the media speak with a single voice; their task to create consensus and unity at home, to identify and target the enemy; their role that of mobilisers of opinion and,

International Investing Project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Investing Project - Term Paper Example The firm is also seen to be restructuring senior leadership and management positions across all their subsidiaries. There has been rising volumes of new businesses in Asia. For instance in Hong Kong, where Goldman Sachs is reinforcing its M&A team, has been particularly busy. The upsurge in business activity has also pushed up the Asian share of global Mergers & Acquisition to 20.3 percent from 18.4 percent a year ago. Citi group lending business has been performing quite well. It has the largest number of subsidiaries worldwide and a huge market capitalization. The company’s solvency is viewed as very strong from the 2014 stress test and the cost drivers of the business have been greatly reduced which make Citi have the best yield on its shares as compared to the other three companies. Advantest Corp operates in three segments: mechatronics system segment, focusing on peripheral devices including test handlers and device interfaces, and services, support and others segment. The last being semiconductor and component test system segment. There is little fluctuation in stock prices for this company, which can be attributed to few innovations over the past years. This has led to low yields in the ordinary share of the company The Company has been aggressive enough to acquire propulsion contracts in Finland worth $20 million and the level of diversification made by this business in high. They produce far more tech commodities and services than Advantest which gives them leverage and potential good returns. Citi group stock has also outperformed the market estimate of Standard and Poor’s 500. Suitable prevailing interest rates and increasing new business volumes for the banking sector has benefited the Company. Considering its global presence, one can say that its stock performance is dictated in general by other economies too. (a) This is a comparison is between the NYSE Japan Arca index and the

Human rights law All Human rights are universal, indivisible and Essay

Human rights law All Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated. the international community m - Essay Example The United Nations through its charter on human rights seeks to protect the laws that guards and binds the protection and freedom of every human with dignity and individual respect for all, being the hallmark of such laws. We are individuals who live and operate by certain national or international legal order, whether we are Americans, Nigerians, Chinese or British, we possess, to varying degrees which depends on the State within which we exist, rights. These rights, such as the right to existence, and the freedom of speech, right to marriage, freedom from arbitrary detention or the right to free expression oneself, are almost always incorporated into the national Constitutions and legislative Acts of nations. The to which these rights are respected and the preferences of certain these rights over others, largely depends on the nature of the national legal system within which we evolve and develop and operate, thus, regardless of the fact that we live in a democratic, a monarchical or on the other extreme; a repressive and authoritarian State, human rights should always be respected. But many events over the past decades of human existence, has proved that such rights that ought to be respected in most cases, are not. Certain individuals or group of individuals have had their freedom trampled upon by stronger forces within the nucleus of the same or an external society. Many laws meant to discriminate against certain people from certain regional or ethnic locations have being propounded and executed by ruthless states as a means of silencing oppositions. For instance the Grand Holocaust in Germany, carried out by the ruthless Nazi, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, the Iraqi Genocides against the Kurds, the genocide in Bosnia Herzegovina and the Cambodian Genocides, are all acts that openly violated human rights of individuals and peoples of a particular nationality/ethnicity. Other inhuman actions like the imprisonment of Nel son Mandela of South Africa, the Apartheid, Slavery in Africa, the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, the exploitation of sovereign states by the USA and its Western allied, the house arrest of ASSK of Burma etc. are all examples that portray how nations and peoples (stronger elements in society) can trample upon the human rights of weaker elements in society. Some of this atrocities and infringement on the rights of others were carried out internally within a state, while others were carried out by external states or individuals against the people of another society. The big question here is what can individuals do if their rights provided under their national laws are not respected, or if national laws do not safeguard their fundamental human rights at all. Is there an international forum where individuals can turn to and file a complaint against that State? Or against another state? Depending upon the situation at hand? Beginning from the year 1945, the United Nations became active in f ormulating and implementing policies that will ensure the protection of human rights of every human being all over the world. They have set up many instruments for protecting Human Rights after 1945. Article 1 of 1948 UN Charter states that2 â€Å"

The media and the experts determine how we see the rest of the world Essay

The media and the experts determine how we see the rest of the world (Said 1997) How far could public opinion resist the influence of the political and econom - Essay Example Invasion of one country by another is an example of coercive power. Symbolic power works through images (linguistic, pictoral, aural) to create and mobilise support for a cause and it is integral to the operation of the other power forms. Other classifications include position, resource and charismatic (or personality) power, each overlapping with Thompson's categories and each one some how connected with communication processes. A case can be made for recognising technological power, what Karl Marx refereed to as the means of production, as a category in its own right. John of Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in around 1450 was not substantially the result of either economic or political imperatives, but it soon proved to be a winner economically. Politically and culturally it brought about profound changes. By symbolising knowledge as something potentially accessible to all and rendering the act of reading an exercise in individualism and a possible source of subversion, printing transformed the known world by becoming a power in the land. In easily reproducible and permanent form, it spread knowledge and ideas beyond the traditional boundary fence of the privileged to the 'common people'. In doing so, it offered them glimpses of their own potential power. Yet tYet the media have never been either separate from or independent of the forces which create them and which in turn they shape and influence. They work, as Thompson points out, within institutional frameworks. As such they operate as forms of cultural apparatus, part of the machinery of state or of powerful interest groups within the state. Historically the media have more often served as the voice of powerful than of the people. They have been classified by the French philosopher Louis Althusser as one of the prime ISAs, Ideological State Apparatuses, along with religion, family structures, and education: that is, they are crucially important channels for the transmission of 'rules of conduct' in society; the guardians of a culture's dominant norms and values. They play a part in all the power forms, including in a contributory sense - coercive power. Coercion, the exercise of power by force, manifests itself through what Althusser terms RSAs, Repressive State Apparatuses - army, police, prisons. It is ever physically absent but it is in the culturally concealed. Its visible and tangible presence depends on whether the other power forms are considered to be under threat. In war time of course, coercive power moves from the back region to the front region of our lives; and at no other time is symbolic power exercised by the media, so graphically, so blatantly or so persuasively. The media in time of war - with exceptions- become the trumpeters of conflict with the enemy. They do not fire the guns but their clamour for the guns to be fired is an essential part of the process of gathering the people's support for the war effort. ISAs and RSAs conflate, become one and the media speak with a single voice; their task to create consensus and unity at home, to identify and target the enemy; their role that of mobilisers of opinion and,

Human rights law All Human rights are universal, indivisible and Essay

Human rights law All Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated. the international community m - Essay Example The United Nations through its charter on human rights seeks to protect the laws that guards and binds the protection and freedom of every human with dignity and individual respect for all, being the hallmark of such laws. We are individuals who live and operate by certain national or international legal order, whether we are Americans, Nigerians, Chinese or British, we possess, to varying degrees which depends on the State within which we exist, rights. These rights, such as the right to existence, and the freedom of speech, right to marriage, freedom from arbitrary detention or the right to free expression oneself, are almost always incorporated into the national Constitutions and legislative Acts of nations. The to which these rights are respected and the preferences of certain these rights over others, largely depends on the nature of the national legal system within which we evolve and develop and operate, thus, regardless of the fact that we live in a democratic, a monarchical or on the other extreme; a repressive and authoritarian State, human rights should always be respected. But many events over the past decades of human existence, has proved that such rights that ought to be respected in most cases, are not. Certain individuals or group of individuals have had their freedom trampled upon by stronger forces within the nucleus of the same or an external society. Many laws meant to discriminate against certain people from certain regional or ethnic locations have being propounded and executed by ruthless states as a means of silencing oppositions. For instance the Grand Holocaust in Germany, carried out by the ruthless Nazi, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, the Iraqi Genocides against the Kurds, the genocide in Bosnia Herzegovina and the Cambodian Genocides, are all acts that openly violated human rights of individuals and peoples of a particular nationality/ethnicity. Other inhuman actions like the imprisonment of Nel son Mandela of South Africa, the Apartheid, Slavery in Africa, the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, the exploitation of sovereign states by the USA and its Western allied, the house arrest of ASSK of Burma etc. are all examples that portray how nations and peoples (stronger elements in society) can trample upon the human rights of weaker elements in society. Some of this atrocities and infringement on the rights of others were carried out internally within a state, while others were carried out by external states or individuals against the people of another society. The big question here is what can individuals do if their rights provided under their national laws are not respected, or if national laws do not safeguard their fundamental human rights at all. Is there an international forum where individuals can turn to and file a complaint against that State? Or against another state? Depending upon the situation at hand? Beginning from the year 1945, the United Nations became active in f ormulating and implementing policies that will ensure the protection of human rights of every human being all over the world. They have set up many instruments for protecting Human Rights after 1945. Article 1 of 1948 UN Charter states that2 â€Å"

Changes in Technology Essay Example for Free

Changes in Technology Essay The many changes in technology over the years greatly impacted the development of early human societies. Agriculture, religion, and competition between groups are just a few of the many things that were greatly impacted by the changes in technology. New inventions and ways of thinking of things made a huge difference in the world. There have been many changes in technology through out the years and in the development of early human societies. There were many changes during and after the classical age when it comes to agriculture. The invention of crop rotation and irrigation helped a lot in agriculture. They made farming much quicker and easier. Jethro Tull’s inventions of the seed drill and horseshoe also helped speed up the farming process. The seed drill made planting easier by planting seeds deep in the ground so they aren’t washed away. Horseshoes allowed horses to plow much quicker than before, which increased productivity. The increase of farming also made life a lot easier by allowing for less nomadic living due to the crops being so close to home. These inventions, as well as having more food from farming, are the reason for agriculture being as technologically advanced as it is today. Like agriculture, religion was also hugely impacted. Religion has always been very important in human societies. In the early years, religions such as Christianity and Buddhism introduced the idea of mutual intolerance. Mutual intolerance was the acceptance of disagreeing with another religion. Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity are just a few examples of the religions in this time. Things such as improvements in tools and weapons changed competition between groups. As time went on, there were more and more developments when it came to agriculture, engineering, and tools. The tools becoming more advanced led to the ideas of better weapons. Because weapons and tools kept improving, they began to be used to obtain power more regularly. In turn, groups like the Aztecs, Toltec, Mayans, and Oaxaca began fighting with these weapons in competition between groups. These examples of change in agriculture, religion, and competition between groups show that technology greatly impacted the development of early human societies. Whether it was because of inventions or different perspectives on things, these societies were obviously greatly impacted. With this information, it is clear that there have been many changes in technology through out the years and in the development of early human societies.

Problems Tourists Faced Arriving In Malaysia Tourism Essay

Problems Tourists Faced Arriving In Malaysia Tourism Essay Malaysia is a tourist-driven economy, besides manufacturing sector such as the auto industry and other important sectors that are driving the Malaysias economy. Tourism sector is Malaysias second largest revenue earner, after manufacturing. Tourism involves many players including tourists, businesses, tourism managers, host communities and society. All players need to derive benefits from tourism for tourism to be truly successful. The aspirations of these players are partially competing tourists seek to maximise consumer surplus, i.e. get the best experience possible for the least cost, while businesses seek to maximise (short-term) profits and host communities are interested in long-term income and employment as well as net benefits. Usually tourism success is measured by the number of tourists entering the country. This measure is useful when assessing tourism at a national scale since economic activity generated can be assumed to be dependable to tourist numbers. Thus, from a national or even state perspective it is useful to pursue an increase in tourist numbers, both international as well as inter- and intra-state. 2. Problems Tourists Faced Arriving in Malaysia There several problems tourists may faced when arriving in Malaysia. 2.1 Inadequate Infrastructural Facilities. Some states have experiencing inadequate infrastructural facilities and related services particularly in relation to accommodation and transportation. The immediate problem in several regions in Malaysia, for example, is the shortage of resort-type hotels. The deficiency also extends to suitable accommodation facilities for budget class tourists. This is more apparent that some islands with tourist potential off mainland Borneo have not been provided with accommodation facilities. In relation to transportation, public transports are too frequently not available to tourist destinations away from the main city or towns. Tourists have to hire taxis which are expensive to reach their destinations. 2.1.1 Possible Solutions Investment Incentive and Allocation for Development The government, through the relevant authorities, is urged to offer financial and enhanced investment incentive for investment in tourism related infrastructural facilities. A more direct role is to increase the allocation for development of infrastructure in potential but undeveloped tourist site. Public transport shall also be made available to remote tourist destinations. 2.2 Increase in Crime Instances where there are increases of crime due to the increasing of tourist numbers include the following: (i) Tourists as Victims of Thefts and Robbery Despite friendly warning from hotel staff, taxi drivers, and locals, the tourists are less likely to observe the normal safety precautions they would do at home. So valuables are left in clear view in locked or unlocked motor vehicles or unattended on a beach. In addition, hotel rooms or apartment are not properly secured, and cameras, money, jewelry are left lying around. Incident as per Appendix I highlights how a Britons holiday was ruined by snatch thieves. (ii) Hot Spots Location Foreign tourists use to frequenting places such as bars, nightclubs and strip joints catering to tourists and providing ancillary services such as prostitution and drugs. These places are prone to criminal activities. 2.2.1 Possible Solutions Round the Clock Patrol by Tourist Policemen Strengthening tourist police and the plainclothes special strike force personnel on round-the-clock patrol may help reduce petty crimes like pick pocketing. In Kuching, Sarawak, there are now more than 30 tourist policemen and 20 special strike force personnel on regular patrols along the waterfront and nearby areas frequented by tourists. 2.2.2 Safety and Security at Tourist Areas Patrolling of tourist areas by Malaysian Navy especially those around popular islands will reduce the instances of piracy, thus, convincing the tourists that they are in secured area.. 2.3 Language Barrier and Communication Skills. The country in general and Sarawak in particular is experiencing the shortages of tour guides who can speak foreign languages such as Japanese and Korean. The Ministry of Tourism has acknowledged that Japanese and Korean-speaking tourist guides are in demand to cater the increasing number of these two groups of tourists. Tourists seek assistance in order to achieve their goals. What some times occur is a degree of intercultural miscommunication. At tourist offices, information kiosks, reservation desks and the like, a tourist may expect a simple smile, some small talk, asked how he is enjoying himself, where he is from, how else he could be further assisted. Yet another tourist may expect to be offered assistance before he has to request it. However, some of the elements of good communication skills have been lacking among the tourist front liners. 2.3.1 Possible Solutions Attending Classes It is of paramount importance for the relevant authority to initiate special classes or courses for the tourist front liners to master the relevant languages and improve their communication skills. 3. Recommendations on How to make Malaysia Attractive to Tourists. 3.1 Programme for Tourists. Supports a programme of events (e.g. dragon boat festival), arts (e.g. presentation of local artist collections), sports (e.g. Formula One, F1,) and other culture (e.g. cultural villages). The Malaysia populations must support all these events so that the local crowds from all ways of life and cultures will attract foreign tourists. Malaysia has been organising programme of events that have attracted tourist to visit the country. Examples of such events are: Le Tour De Langkawi Petronas Malaysian F! Grandprix Malaysian Water Festival Labuan International Sea Challenge Dragon Boat Festival Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon Sarawak Regatta 3.1.1 Le Tour de Langkawi This is a sports tourism highlight in Malaysia. It was first held in 1996, and have been successfully organized annually. Le Tour De Langkawi is all about cycling, competing among the best cyclist from other part of the world. It is said that the Le Tour De Langkawi is equivalent to the prestigious status of several major races in Europe. The race attracts many international journalists leading to reports and images published world wide. Travel features are also written illustrating the beautiful country and what it has to offer the tourist. The race is named after the original starting point of the race, Langkawi in Kedah, but has since shifted away, sometimes avoiding it altogether. Nowadays, the Tour de Langkawi kicks off at the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur or at the administrative capital of Putrajaya. 3.1.2 Malaysia Water Festival Attractive events at the festival are dragon boat race, boat race as well as kayak and raft competitions. There are also family-oriented programmes such as beach sepak takraw, beach football, beach volleyball and sand castle building. This festival is to further promote Langkawi as a tourism destination and Pulau Chenang as a tourist spot, he told reporters here. 3.2 Development and Enhancement of Historical Places. Historic buildings and historical areas can be developed and promoted as tourism products to attract foreign as well as domestic tourist and directly will generate revenue from foreign exchange. Historic buildings being restored and converted into museums, art galleries, restaurants and tourist centres are common phenomena in many European countries. In Malaysia, examples of heritage cities include Georgetown, Malacca, Kota Bharu, Taiping, Kuala Lumpur and Kuching. Many tourists visit heritage cities to encounter and experience their architecture, historic sites and local cultures. Conservation activities help develops the preservation of such historic characters and traditional flavours for the benefit of tourism. Moreover, the conservation of heritage cities could bring economic returns to many sectors including travel agents, tour operators and owners of historic premises. 3.3 Attractions of Islands, Beaches and Shopping Destinations. Many of Malaysian islands are famous worldwide. More than one island has been called a tropical paradise. Pulau Perhentian (Terengganu), which consists of two islands Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil have beautiful coral gardens within its waters. Pulau Langkawi, which is famous for the Mahsuri legend, is also a duty-free shopping haven. This paradise also offers several attractions besides its beaches. Theres Telaga Tujuh (Seven Wells), Tasik Dayang Bunting (Lake Of the Pregnant Maiden), wildlife sanctuary Pulau Singa Besar and Pulau Payar Marine Park, to name a few. As far as shopping destinations are concerned Kuala Lumpur (KL), which is also known as the Garden City of Lights, has much to offer the traveller. Shopping havens can be found in Chinatown, Little India, Central Market, local bazaars and the many luxurious shopping malls.

Analysis of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee :: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Essays

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee:Â   An Analysis Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a fully documented account of the annihilation of the American Indian in the late 1800s ending at the Battle of Wounded Knee. Brown brings to light a story of torture and atrocity not well known in American history. The fashion in which the American Indian was exterminated is best summed up in the words of Standing Bear of the Poncas, "When people want to slaughter cattle they drive them along until they get them to a corral, and then they slaughter them. So it was with us_. " Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a work of non-fiction, attempts to tell the story of the American West from the perspective of the indigenous population, The American Indian. That in itself makes Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee an important work of literature as it is one of the few books supporting the Indian cause. This is done through the use of council records, autobiographies, and first-hand accounts. Each of the book's nineteen chapters deals with a certain tribe, battle, or historical event. Brown goes into deep and explicit detail throughout, as evidenced by the book's nearly 500 pages. However, while some may complain Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee is boring or text-book-like, I believe the opposite is actually true. Generally, very little is known about this terrible genocide and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a wonderful and interesting learning tool. Brown has written many books about the life of the American Indian, including Creek Mary's Blood and Killdeer Mountain, but Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is clearly his greatest work. Brown made sure to include songs, quotes, and portraits sprinkled throughout the book. These are very important as they break the monotony of page after page of text. The portraits are well selected and placed, as are the quotes, and help present a wider picture of the point in history. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee helps to open a door into our past. It forces us to look at the dark side of our American history and

Criminal Activity Then and Now Essay -- Criminal Justice, Law

Criminal Activity Then and Now Criminal justice is composed of many lateral departments that help us as a society to better understand the process that is started when criminal activity is suspected. We will examine how individuals learn how to commit crime and what motivates them to do so. This paper will discuss the steps that are taken once a crime is determine and how the Criminal Justice System is put into place to help solve and come to some type of resolution for the crime. This paper will further discuss the types of deterrence that are placed into society minds to help curve criminal behavior and activity. After reading this paper the reader should have a better understanding on how the Criminal Justice System works and why it is needed help promote a safe environment for our society. In order to understand what crime is we must first look at the definition of what criminal activity is. The term crime comes from a classification of wrongdoing that were established by state or Congress as a felony or misdemeanor, which is committed against a public law. Crime is defined as all deviance involving violating norms, but some norms attract the attention of the authorities. Acts that have been declared illegal by some authority are called crime (Curry, Jiobu, & Schwirian, 1999). Crime develops from the wanting of certain things that attract or bring attention to certain individuals. A subject that is involved in breaking the law or a moral can be considered a criminal suspect according to the law. Crimes can range from violating less serious traffic code, which is basically a breach of a charter that is imposed by a city and up to the more serious things like murder. Anything that goes against the penal system of a country i... ..., 2010). Criminal Justice is composed of many lateral departments that help us define and better understand how crime can come about in our society. Crime can be learned and used to help one satisfy their personal gain and utilized to replace what is missing. Crime can be reduced by developing rules that enhance the social support that is needed to help families and the community educate them to keep their surrounding safe. By implementing custodial control and punishment can deter some crime but not eliminate it altogether. The criminal justice system is not a system that will stop crime but more of guidelines that come with committing crimes. Our society deserve to live in a safe and healthy environment and by providing policies and rules that help regulate criminal activity will ensure our society that crime will be prosecuted and carried out to the fullest.

The Reality of Married Life

John J. Robinson in his book â€Å"Of Suchness† gives the following advice on love, sex and married life. â€Å"Be careful and discreet; it is much easier to get married than unmarried. If you have the right mate, it's heavenly; but if not, you live in a twenty-four-hour daily hell that clings constantly to you, it can be one of the bitterest things in life. Life is indeed strange. Somehow, when you find the right one, you know it in your heart. It is not just an infatuation of the moment. But the powerful urges of sex drive a young person headlong into blind acts and one cannot trust his feelings too much. This is especially true if one drinks and get befuddled; the lousiest slut in a dark bar can look like a Venus then, and her charms become irresistible. Love is much more than sex though; it is the biological foundation between a man and a woman; love and sex get all inter-twined and mixed up†. Problems Almost everyday, we hear people complaining about their marriages. Very seldom do we hear stories about a happy marriage. Young people reading romantic novels and seeing romantic films often conclude that marriage is a bed of roses. Unfortunately, marriage is not as sweet as one thinks. Marriage and problems are interrelated and' people must remember that when they are getting married, they will have to face problems and responsibilities that they had never expected or experienced hitherto. People often think that it is a duty to get married and that marriage is a very important event in their lives. However, in order to ensure a successful marriage, a couple has to harmonize their lives by minimizing whatever differences they may have between them. Marital problems prompted a cynic to say that there can only be a peaceful married life if the marriage is between a blind wife and a deaf husband, for the blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and a deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of his wife. Sharing and Trust One of the major causes of marital problems is suspicion and mistrust. Marriage is a blessing but many people make it a curse due to lack of understanding. Both husband and wife should show implicit trust for one another and try not to have secrets between them. Secrets create suspicion, suspicion leads to jealously, jealousy generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity may result in separation, suicide or even murder. If a couple can share pain and pleasure in their day-to-day life, they can console each other and minimize their grievances. Thus, the wife or husband should not expect to experience only pleasure. There will be a lot of painful, miserable experiences that they will have to face. They must have the strong willpower to reduce their burdens and misunderstandings. Discussing mutual problems will give them confidence to live together with better understanding. Man and woman need the comfort of each other when facing problems and difficulties. The feelings of insecurity and unrest will disappear and life will be more meaningful, happy and interesting if there is someone who is willing to share another's burden. Blinded by Emotions When two people are in love, they tend to show only the best aspects of their nature and character to each other in order to project a good impression of themselves. Love is said to be blind and hence people in love tend to become completely oblivious of the darker side of each other's natures. In practice, each will try to highlight his or her sterling qualities to the other; and being so engrossed in love, they tend to accept each other at â€Å"face value† only. Each lover will not disclose the darker side of his or her nature for fear of losing the other. Any personal shortcomings are discreetly swept under the carpet, so to speak, so as not to jeopardize their chances of winning each other. People in love also tend to ignore their partner's faults thinking that they will be able to correct them after marriage, or that they can live with these faults, that â€Å"love will conquer all†. However, after marriage, as the initial romantic mood wears off, the true nature of each other's character will be revealed. Then, much to the disappointment of both parties, the proverbial veil that had so far been concealing the innermost feelings of each partner is removed to expose the true nature of both partners. It is then that disillusion sets in. Material Needs Love by itself does not subsist on fresh air and sunshine alone. The present world is a materialistic world and in order to meet your material needs, proper financing and budgeting is essential. Without it, no family can live comfortably. Such a situation aptly bears out the saying that â€Å"when poverty knocks at the door, love flies through the window†. This does not mean that one must be rich to make a marriage work. However, if one has the bare necessities of life provided through a secure job and careful planning, many unnecessary anxieties can be removed from a marriage. The discomfort of poverty can be averted if there is complete understanding between the couple. Both partners must understand the value of contentment. Both must treat all problems as â€Å"our problems† and share all the â€Å"ups† and â€Å"downs† in the true spirit of a long-standing life partnership.