Phonetic exercises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Phonetic exercises - Essay Example Phonetic exercises This course has given me a good understanding of the processes involved in articulation, articulation points and the manner of articulation. This knowledge will prove handy in helping students with pronunciation difficulties especially those taking English as a second language and for whom, their first language structure is markedly different in structure fromthat of the English language e. g in the pronunciation of consonants. Sounds are the building blocks of language. A good understanding of sounds contribute to better spelling, flowing speech, and good reading skills and better comprehension. I have learned that in English there are many ways in which to spell the same sound. Therefore in oral tests, the manner in which a student perceives sound determines how he/ she spells it. Different words have different sounds and meaning attached to them and so sounds give melody to language. The right intonation of sounds can convey a host of human feelings such as empathy, anger. Sounds can show confidence or certainty of our words. This course has helped me a appreciate the two fold meaning that sound can bring into one sentence through the use of word stress and sentence intonations to alter meaning. Constructing exercises for learners of English as a second language is now easier because of the emphasis I have learned that phonetics play on the meaning and the message sentences carry. I can also comfortably test the oral capability of my students from my knowledge of how words are constructed and how the vocal apparatus achieves this.

Bad effects of fast food Essay Example for Free

Bad effects of fast food Essay Did you know as of January, of this year, there is about 50 million people daily that eat fast food in America. That around 1/6th of the population. The average meal for a family of four at McDonalds can cost around $27.89, with a homemade meal for four costing $13.78, or $9.26 for a vegetarian meal. People argue that it just cheaper than cooking a meal but in reality it is a lot more. Even if you just order off the $1 menu you still have to think of the other expenses like gas. Another factor is health. On average someone eat fast food a least 2 times a week so compare to someone who doesn’t eat that much can gain up to 10 more pound. If you don’t exercise daily you can become out of shape fast. People who have family members with some diseases like Diabetes and high blood pressure should not eat as much fast food as they do because just eating it 2 times a week can double the incidence of insulin resistance, a risk factor for Diabetes. There is also lots of sodium in fast food and that alone can give you high blood pressure. People who eat fast-food 4 or more times a week, up their risk of dying from heart disease by 80%. Fast foods create a much higher risk of heart disease because of the high level of saturated or transfats found in much of the food. Those fats can clog the arteries and cause high cholesterol levels. A well-balanced food contains all essential elements which are necessary for human development. Whereas fast food does not have all these elements, this type of food contains some elements in high quantity while others are absent. So just by eating out because it cheaper at the moment or quicker in the long run you are actually paying more because of medical bills it’s just a game of cause and effect.

American And Nigerian Culture Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American and Nigerian cultures are alike in some aspects of life, while being dissimilar in other aspects. This idea is clearly exemplified when one compares their own experience and knowledge of culture in America to that description and portrayal of Nigerian culture as seen through Buchi Emecheta's novel, The Wrestling Match.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both of our societies can be looked at as parallel in how teenagers are typically stereotyped, rivalry among towns/villages, and the attainment of manhood or maturity through experiences or accomplishments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contrary to the similarity of the cultures, there are also some basic differences. One of the main distinctions is that we live in a technologically advanced empire while Emecheta shows us that Nigerians are more typically a primitive nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No matter in what culture you find teenagers, they will probably be stereotyped. This is evident in the novel as well as in our own culture. For example, the Akpei people (neighbors to the nearby Igbuno village) have found that someone has fished and trampled in their stream. ( This is a very bad thing because the vegetation and fish are now no longer available) The blame immediately lands upon the Uma aya Biafra, or teenagers of Igbuno. There is no question, it is just assumed that teenagers were involved. (Unfortunately, Uche, a teenager from Igbuno, has committed this hei...

Jade Peony

Belonging When someone is said to be Canadian, it does not just mean being one who lives on this land, or has lived on this land long enough to obtain this citizenship, it means living the Canadian life, it means waking up in the morning wearing a ton of layers and going outside in the freezing cold to do whatever a person needs to do during the day, to be Canadian it also means to belong. Canada is known for the diversity of culture, religion, color, and beliefs, as well as our ability to be able to create a status acceptable to everyone, making Canada, despite our individual diversity and differences, to be united as one. However, what we don’t realize is that Canada has not always been this way; this is the perspective that Wayson Choy expresses through his novel â€Å"The Jade Peony†. His text and word play emphasizes on a world so unknown, yet so important to not only our history, but to our understanding of what our ancestors of our various ethnic origins fought through every day of their lives to create the world in which every day we take for granted. Where he lays his emphasis on our history is not from the point of view of the adult, but through the eyes of the children who, today, are our fathers and grandfathers. Divided into three major chapters, Wayson Choy begins the narration of his history through the eyes of Jook-Laing, a five year old beautiful girl of Chinese origin born in Canada after her family immigrated to Canada. Isolation is slowly starting to become a major theme in the novel, not only created by the Canadian Government, but by her very own family. The Canadian Government in the 1940's, the time period the novel takes place, created harsh laws against immigrants, making it near impossible to live happily: one was never to leave the household, as immigrants must live within the same household even when one becomes married, as well as harsh laws on illness, where, if one were to become sick with any illness- even as innocent as a cold- if the government found out, â€Å"The Vancouver Health Inspection Board†¦ posted on our front door, a sign boldly visible from the street: condemned† (p. 32). However, Jook-Laing's family's old heritage and Chinese beliefs create the deepest isolation as they shun the idea of traditional Canadian society, where Poh-Poh, elder and Jook-Laing's Grandmother, describes this life as â€Å"poison to young China girl-child† (p. 17). Jook-Laing's young and highly dream-filled spirit inspires her to dream of the perfect world- a perfect world she never gives up on as play and her â€Å"movie-star daydreams† (p. 37) have caused her heart to grow and know that, deep, inside, Canada is a better place than China, no matter what Poh-Poh says to her about her heritage. However, despite her strong instinct, conflict arises as person versus person/society is introduced when her powerful instinct and her Grandmother's words â€Å"You not Canada. You never Canada. You China. Always war in China† (p. 37) make her isolated from becoming her own person and trapping her in a world she knows is not true to her heart. As a major authority figure of the household, Poh-Poh is never corrected or disagreed with, causing Jook-Laing to feel alone in her internal battle between what she is told and her faith in Canada. Further, Jook-Laing, along with her other two step-brothers, are strongly looked down upon by their strict, old heritage grandmother, who constantly reminds them of her feelings towards them: â€Å"This useless only-granddaughter wants to be Shirlee Tem-po-lah; the useless Second Grandson wants to be cow-boy-lah. The First Grandson wants to be Charlie Chan. All stupid foolish! † (p. 40). With Poh-Poh's interrogance towards her grandchildren's play, it creates further isolation from the norm of society and themselves, along with isolation from their desire to be a child. Despite her Grandmother beginning to shape the role of the antagonist of the story, Jook-Laing makes a deep connection with an old family friend, Mau-lauh Bak, who not only understands the importance of play, but embraces and cherishes Jook-Laing for her ability to be free in a world so sour towards them. that connects Jook-Laing to the theme of belonging. The second part of the story speaks about Jung-Sum, the kid who was adopted due to the fact that his parents have died from a young age â€Å"I TAKE CARE OF MY SELF’ (p. 2). Jung also starts off in the novel isolation for as he doesn’t want his new family to take care of him. But Jung started to box and that is where he found a sense of belonging. Sek- Lung also fell into the same isolation theme from Canada and as well from his family, he was in belief that Poh-Poh was still coming to visit after she had died, and the whole family did not believe the fact, that’s when Sekky fell into the same pattern of isola tion. But it was Sekky that had the most sense of belonging to Canada towards the end of the book, because Canada is a multicultural community there is all kinds of races that live in this great country, and Sekky was a big hater of the Japanese â€Å"I have to remember they are the enemy† (p. 189) but when he meets Meiying, and she introduces him to Kaz her Japanese boyfriend, he gets to like him. This shows that the world revolves around hate but once you get to know people, a person’s perspective might change. Sekky finally found his belonging in Canada.

Hcs 430 Week 2 Essay

Regulatory Agency paper Name HCS/430 Legal issues in Health Care: Regulations and Compliances September 27, 2010 Instructor Regulatory Agency paper The Joint Commission is an agency that maintains partnership with the government to help improve the standards of health care within the United States. The Joint Commission accredits health care organizations and health care programs by setting standards to help improve the quality and safety of health care. The Joint Commission work closely and collaborates with government officials and legislation by ensuring health care organizations in the United States meet specific guidelines, set by The Joint Commission, which health care services provided are delivered with the highest quality and safety for the patients they service. Generally, health care organizations elect to have the joint Commission evaluate their facility through surveyors who work under a Board of Commissioners that is made up of health care experts that advocate for consumers. History The history of The Joint Commission dates back to the early 1900s. Earnest Codman M.D. created a system that would help hospitals track their patients from the beginning of admission through discharge. The proposed result system help hospitals determine if the patients care was successful. The results influenced future patient care. By 1917, the American College of Surgeons proposed a certification program for hospitals. The first minimum standards for hospitals were also developed in 1917.Very few hospitals met the proposed standards. By the 1953, the American College of Surgeons transformed their hospital certification program to the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission started accrediting hospitals in that same year. The Joint Commissions sponsors included the American College of Physicians, the American Hospital Association, and the American medical Association (The Joint Commission, 2010). Through the years, many notable changes were made, including the accreditation program for all health care organizations. Standards were developed for every accreditation program and updated each  year. In 1987, the Joint Commission organization changed to the Joint commission on Accreditation of Health care Organizations (JCAHO) to reflect the organization’s mission. During the 1990s the organization focused on performance improvement and measurement outcomes. By the early 2000s, the Joint Commission designed pathways that focused on improving the accreditation process and establishing goals for improving the patient safety and quality of care. Source and Scope of Authority The Joint Commissions main source of authority is governed by the Board of Commissioners that consists of a diverse group of health care experts. The corporate members include the American College of Physicians, the American College of Surgeons, the American Dental Association, the American Hospital Association, and the American Medical Association. The Joint commission also works closely with Congress to improve the quality and safety of health care (The Joint Commission, 2010). Structure The structure of the Joint commission is made of a diverse group of health care experts that seek to improve health care services. The Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners and the corporate members collaborate on setting standards and requirement for health care organizations for improving health care and safety practices within the United States. The Joint Commission has set multiple standards for different health care programs. The standards and requirements must be approved by the Board of Commissioners. The Joint Commission also consists of several board committees’ that have specific areas of interest, such as executive, accreditation, performance measurement, standards, survey procedures. The Joint Commission also has a Board of directors who help provide consults to health care and focuses on global accreditation. The board members also serve as liaisons to many groups and committees that are affiliated with the Joint commission (The Joint Commission, 2010). Day-To-Day Responsibilities The responsibilities of the Joint Commission are to set standards to help improve the quality of health care services and provide safety guidelines for health care organizations. Their mission as a nonprofit organization is to continuously improve health care (The Joint Commission, 2010). The Joint  Commission accredits and certifies health care organizations by surveying facilities to ensure health care standards, performance measurements, safety guidelines have been implemented and carried out for better patient. The Joint commission sets standards and guidelines in compliance with federal laws to evaluate health care services. Health care organizations generally volunteer to seek accreditations from the Joint Commission by allowing expert surveyors evaluate their facility. The surveyors are made up of a multi-disciplinary team that spends an average of two days inspecting health care facilities. The purpose for the inspection is to evaluate a health care facilities standards, staff, regulations, policies and procedures, and quality improvement, and performance measurement. The Joint Commission surveyors generally look to see if the organizations governing board is taking part in ensuring that the facilities has facilitated safety and quality assurance program. In order for a health care organization to qualify for an accreditation, they must certain requirements. The requirements that health care facilities must meet before applying for an accreditation are, the organization must be located the United States and governed under the United States government, the facility works on improving quality of care, the facility has an indication of services provided, the facility addresses the standards set by the Joint Commission, the facility meets the requirements Medicare and Medicaid. Other responsibilities of the Joint Commission are to strengthen the safety of patients and build the trust and confidence of communities. The Joint Commission is constantly addressing specific areas to help hospitals improve their performance measurement. Effects on Health Care The Joint Commission has a direct effect on the health care system. The standards developed by the Joint Commission help health care organizations improve their care they provide. An accreditation from the Joint Commission is a seal of approval that is an indication to patients that the health care facility focuses on quality care and the safety of their patients. According to Ernest, (2009, p.48) â€Å"evaluating healthcare organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality value†, However, Ernest, (2009, p.48) also argues that The Joint Commission has placed the needs of the facility it inspects above those of  their patients. This is an indication that some of the standards set are burdensome to health care organizations and deemed unnecessary. According to (â€Å"Doctors lash out,† 2007), JCAHO requirements that become implemented are sometimes at odds with the real needs of patients even though they are supposedl y driven to ensure patient safety. They take control away from the physician/nurse-patient relationship where it should be. Example of Agency Carrying out Duties An example of an agency carrying out its duties would be the Joint Commission and their mission to improve the health care and safety for patients. Health Care organizations, such as hospitals must comply with federal and state laws to protect the health and safety of their patients. A hospital that provides different services must meet the regulations and standards set for each service provided. The duties are carried out play a role in governments funding toward health care, such as Medicare and Medicaid. These government funded programs set certain standards that hospitals and other health care organizations must adhere to in order to qualify for reimbursement. The Joint Commission has set standards that must be carried out by health care organizations compositions, structure, and daily functions. Basically, a health care organization must carry out their duties because of the responsibility that encompasses the health care system a whole. Conclusion The Joint Commission is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of health care and the safety of all patients. Their mission is to continuously improve the health care services within the United States. The Joint Commission has helped improve the quality of health care and how it’s delivered through a series of standards and regulations that health care organizations must comply with in order to meet the accreditation that symbolizes excellence in health care delivery. Through much collaboration with a diverse team, health care and health care safety will continue to improve through the ongoing effort and dedication from the Joint Commission.

Women in Space - Female Astronauts and Cosmonauts

Women in Space - Female Astronauts and Cosmonauts 1959 - Jerrie Cobb selected for testing for the Mercury astronaut training program. 1962 - Though Jerrie Cobb and 12 other women (the Mercury 13) passed astronaut admission tests, NASA decides not to select any women. Congressional hearings include testimony by Cobb and others, including Senator Philip Hart, husband of one of the Mercury 13. 1962 - The Soviet Union recruited five women to become cosmonauts. 1963 - June - Valentina Tereshkova, cosmonaut from the USSR, becomes the first woman in space. She flew Vostok 6, orbiting the earth 48 times, and was in space nearly three day. 1978 - Six women chosen as astronaut candidates by NASA: Rhea Seddon, Kathryn Sullivan, Judith Resnik, Sally Ride, Anna Fisher and Shannon Lucid.   Lucid, already a mother, is questioned about the effect of her work on her children. 1982 -  Svetlana Savitskaya,  USSR  cosmonaut, becomes the second woman in space, flying aboard the Soyuz T-7. 1983 - June - Sally Ride, American astronaut, becomes the first American woman in space, the third woman in space. She was a member of the crew on STS-7, space shuttle  Challenger. 1984 - July - Svetlana Savitskaya, USSR cosmonaut, becomes first woman to walk in space and the first woman to fly in space two times. 1984 - August - Judith Resnik becomes the first Jewish American in space. 1984 - October - Kathryn Sullivan, American astronaut, becomes first American woman to walk in space. 1984 - August - Anna Fisher becomes the first person to retrieve a malfunctioning satellite, using the orbiter remote manipulator arm. She was also the first human mother to travel in space. 1985 - October - Bonnie J. Dunbar made her first of five flights on a space shuttle. She flew again in 1990, 1992, 1995 and 1998. 1985 - November - Mary L. Cleave made her first flight of two into space (the other was in 1989). 1986 - January - Judith Resnik and Christa McAuliffe were the women among the crew of seven to die on the space shuttle Challenger when it exploded.   Christa McAuliffe, a schoolteacher, was the first non-government civilian to fly on the space shuttle. 1989: October - Ellen S. Baker flew on STS-34, her first flight. She also flew on STS-50 in 1992 and STS-71 in 1995. 1990 - January - Marsha Ivins makes her first of five space shuttle flights. 1991 - April - Linda M. Godwin makes her first of four flights on the space shuttle. 1991 - May - Helen Sharman became the first British citizen to walk in space and the second woman aboard a space station (Mir). 1991 - June - Tamara Jernigan makes her first of five flights in space.   Millie Hughes-Fulford becomes the first female payload specialist. 1992 - January - Roberta Bondar becomes the first Canadian woman in space, flying on U.S. space shuttle mission STS-42. 1992 - May - Kathryn Thornton, the second woman to walk in space, was also the first woman to make multiple walks in space (May 1992, and twice in 1993). 1992 - June/July - Bonnie Dunbar and Ellen Baker are among the first American crew to dock with the Russian space station. 1992 - September STS-47 - Mae Jemison becomes first African American woman in space.   Jan Davis, on her first flight, with her husband, Mark Lee, become the first married couple to flly in space together. 1993 - January  - Susan J. Helms flew on the first of her five space shuttle missions. 1993 - April - Ellen Ochoa becomes first Hispanic American woman in space. She flew three more missions. 1993 - June - Janice E. Voss flew her first of five missions.   Nancy J. Currie flew her first of four missions. 1994 - July - Chiaki Mukai becomes the first Japanese woman in space, on U.S. space shuttle mission STS-65. She flew again in 1998 on STS-95. 1994 - October - Yelena Kondakova flew her first of two missions to the Mir Space Station. 1995 - February - Eileen Collins becomes the  first woman to pilot a space shuttle. She flew three more missions, in 1997, 1999 and 2005. 1995 - March - Wendy Lawrence  flew the first of four missions on the space shuttle. 1995  - July - Mary Weber flew the first of two space shuttle missions. 1995  - October - Cahterine Coleman flew her first of three missions, two on the U.S. space shuttle and, in 2010, one on Soyuz. 1996 - March - Linda M. Godwin becomes the fourth woman to walk in space, making another walk later in 2001. 1996 - August - Claudie Haignerà © Claudie Haignerà ©the first French woman in space. She flew two missions on Soyuz, the second in 2001. 1996 - September - Shannon Lucid returns from her six months on Mir, the Russian space station, with a record for the time in space for women and for Americans she is also the first woman to be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. She was the first American woman to fly on a space station. She was the first woman to make three, four and five space flights. 1997 - April - Susan Still Kilrain became the second female shuttle pilot.   She also flew in July 1997. 1997 - May -  Yelena Kondakova becomes  the first Russian woman to travel on the U.S. space shuttle. 1997 - November - Kalpana Chawla becomes the first Indian American woman in space. 1998 - April - Kathryn P. Hire flew her first of two missions. 1998 - May - Nearly 2/3 of the flight control team for STS-95 were women, including the launch commentator, Lisa Malone, the ascent commentator, Eileen Hawley, the flight directory, Linda Harm, and the communicator between crew and mission control, Susan Still. 1998 - December - Nancy Currie completes the first task in assembling the International Space Station. 1999 - May - Tamara Jernigan, on her fifth space flight, becomes the fifth woman to walk in space. 1999 - July - Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to command a space shuttle. 2001 - March - Susan J. Helms becomes the sixth woman to walk in space. 2003 - January - Kalpana Chawla and Laurel B. Clark die among the crew in the Columbia disaster aboard STS-107.   It was Clarks first mission. 2006 - September - Anousheh Ansara, on board for a Soyuz mission, becomes the first Iranian in space and the first female space tourist. 2007 - When Tracy Caldwell Dyson flies her first US space shuttle mission in August, she becomes the first astronaut in space who was born after the Apollo 11 flight.   She flew in 2010 on the Soyuz, becoming the 11th woman to walk in space. 2008 - Yi So-yeon becomes the first Korean in space. 2012 - Chinas first female astronaut, Liu Yang, flies in space.   Wang Yaping becomes the second the following year. 2014 - Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, carried an Olympic flag in the Winter Olympics. 2014  -   Yelena Serova becomes the first woman cosmonaut to visit the International Space Station. Samantha Cristoforetti becomes the first Italian woman in space and the first Italian woman on the International Space Station. This timeline  © Jone Johnson Lewis.

Understanding the Roles Characters Play in Literature

Understanding the Roles Characters Play in Literature Every great story has great characters. But what makes a great character? The main character is central to a story and needs to be â€Å"round† or complex, with depth and distinctive qualities. A cast of supporting characters can be of various types- even â€Å"flat† or uncomplicated ones, who nonetheless help move the story along. Definition A character is an individual (usually a person) in a narrative  in a work of fiction or creative nonfiction.  The act or method of creating a character in writing is known as characterization. In British author E.M. Forsters 1927 â€Å"Aspects of the Novel,† Forster made a broad yet worthwhile distinction between flat and round characters. A flat (or two-dimensional) character embodies â€Å"a single idea or quality.† This character type, Forster wrote, â€Å"can be expressed in one sentence.† In contrast, a round character responds to change: he or she â€Å"is capable of surprising [readers] in a convincing way,† Forster wrote. In certain forms of nonfiction, particularly biographies and autobiographies, a single character may serve as the primary focus of the text. Etymology The word character comes from the Latin word meaning mark, distinctive quality† and ultimately from the Greek word that means scratch, engrave. Observations on Character In â€Å"Essentials of the Theory of Fiction,† Michael J. Hoffman and Patrick D. Murphy wrote: â€Å"If, in a sense, the  flat character  embodies an idea or quality, then the round character encompasses many ideas and qualities, undergoing change and development, as well as entertaining different ideas and characteristics.†(Michael J. Hoffman and Patrick D. Murphy, Essentials of the Theory of Fiction, 2nd ed. Duke University Press, 1999) Mr. Spock as a Round Character â€Å"Mr. Spock, my favorite character in ‘Star Trek,’ was James T. Kirk’s best friend and one of the most interesting characters ever written for television. Spock was a Vulcan-human hybrid who struggled for many years with his dual heritage before he finally found peace through acceptance of both parts of his heritage.†(Mary P.  Taylor, Star Trek: Adventures in Time and Space, Pocket Books, 1999) Thackeray’s Description of Lord Steyne â€Å"The candles lighted up Lord Steyne’s shining bald head, which was fringed with red hair. He had thick bushy eyebrows, with little twinkling bloodshot eyes, surrounded by a thousand wrinkles. His jaw was underhung, and when he laughed, two white buck-teeth protruded themselves and glistened savagely in the midst of the grin. He had been dining with royal personages, and wore his garter and ribbon. A short man was his lordship, broad-chested, and bow-legged, but proud of the fineness of his foot and ankle, and always caressing his garter-knee.†(William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1847–48) Narrator as a Character in the Personal Essay â€Å"[In a personal essay], the writer needs to build herself into a character. And I use the word character much the same way the fiction writer does. E.M. Forster, in ‘Aspects of a Novel,’ drew a famous distinction between ‘flat’ and ‘round’  characters- between those fictional personages seen from the outside who acted with the predictable consistency of caricatures, and those whose complexities or teeming inner lives we come to know. ... The art of characterization comes down to establishing a pattern of habits and actions for the person you are writing about and introducing variations into the system. ...The point is to begin to take inventory of yourself so that you can present that self to the reader as a specific, legible character. ...The  need thus exists to make oneself into a character, whether the essay uses a first- or third-person narrative voice. I would further maintain that this process of turning oneself into a character is not self-absorbed navel-gazing. But rather a potential release from narcissism. It means you have achieved sufficient distance to begin to see yourself in the round: a necessary precondition to transcending the ego- or at least writing personal essays that can touch other people.†(Phillip Lopate, â€Å"Writing Personal Essays: On the Necessity of Turning Oneself Into a Character.† Writing Creative Nonfiction, edited by Carolyn Forchà © and Philip Gerard, Story Press, 2001) Details of Character â€Å"To achieve a fully dimensional character, fictional or real, a writer must watch people closely, much more closely than the average person would. He or she looks especially for anything unusual or distinct about the person or persons involved but does not ignore what is ordinary and typical. The writer then reports, in as interesting a way as possible, these poses, posturings, habitual gestures, mannerisms, appearances, glances. Not that the writer limits observations to these, but these frequently appear in creative nonfiction writing.†(Theodore A. Rees Cheney, Writing Creative Nonfiction: Fiction Techniques for Crafting Great Nonfiction, Ten Speed Press, 2001) Composite Characters in Nonfiction ï » ¿Ã¢â‚¬Å"The use of a composite character is a dubious device for the writer of nonfiction because it hovers in a gray region between reality and invention, but if it is employed the reader should be made aware of the fact early.†(William Ruehlmann, Stalking the Feature Story, Vintage Books, 1978)

The war on typos - Emphasis

The war on typos The war on typos Blimey! Great to see such a fantastic response to our proofreading challenge. Thank you to everyone who entered. Best of all, its proof positive that theres a ready platoon of gung-ho proofreaders out there who love the smell of Tipp-Ex in the morning. At ease, soldiers. Be sure to come back on Monday, though: well be announcing the winners.

W1D Tacoma Narrows Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W1D Tacoma Narrows Bridge - Essay Example As emphasized, if a different kind of design was used, specifically that of â€Å"Clark Eldridges original design for the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge† (Washington State Department of Transportation: What if†¦?, 2005, par. 2), the bridge was perceived to have been able to stand the natural forces and wind speeds that it encountered. The fact was corroborated as a comprehensive evaluation of the cause of the failure finally attested that â€Å"aerodynamic forces never have been taken into consideration in the design of any bridge. Heretofore bridges have been designed to withstand static stresses only† (American Association of Physics Teachers, 2000, p. 14). Thus, the project’s failure was identified to have been sourced in the planning and design stage where information was noted to be crucial and paramount prior to implementation of the structural phase. Washington State Department of Transportation. (2005). Lessons From the Failure of a Great Machine. Retrieved February 24, 2015, from wsdot.wa.gov:

Women Liberation Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Women Liberation Movement - Essay Example However, Women Liberation Movement not only consisted of different liberation groups but it also included various advocates and a variety of groups who aimed to represent women and their rights. In addition to this, Women Liberation Movement also appeared formally in organizations like the Women’s Action Group or Women Electoral Lobby. Women Liberation Movement is said to be the biggest landmark in the women history of UK. Throughout the years, their hard work did pay off. They succeeded in their aims in a short span of time. One cannot ignore the fact that this movement did improve the status of women in British society. Before this movement was established, women were not allowed to do outdoor jobs and it was obligatory for them to obey their husbands no matter what. Due to this low status of women in British society, Mary Wollstonecraft, first feminist, advocated that this movement purely aimed for equitable distribution of rights between male and female. Even though Women Liberation Movement achieved its goals, but along this, some problems still remained. All in all, this movement is a continuous battle which includes women struggling against the world in order to improve their life, work and sexuality1. History and Foundation As mentioned above, Women Liberation Movement

International Human Resource Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Human Resource Analysis - Essay Example One of the most important responsibilities of the managers in any organisation is to create an effective organisational structure. One of the unique characteristics of this organisation is that, every individual is perfectly informed of his responsibilities and duties and the various processes of interactions and communication is very well synchronised (Business Insight, n.d.).Cognitive Capacity of the European Multinational CompanyIt is seen that as firms tend to expand their business internationally, managers face information processing demands. Multinational organisations are more equipped to identify and interpret critical information available all over the world. This is because operating in multiple shores has exposed them to a variety of foreign customer base, investors, and employee communities, cultural and sociological structures. Cultural heterogeneity is one area that this company has to take into consideration because it directly influences the company’s ability o f processing information, identifying environmental changes and reacting accordingly.Strategies of the European Multinational FMCG Company as a Multinational EnterpriseThere are several advantages that this company enjoys by having subsidiary branches in different parts of the world. Firstly, this company can achieve economies of scale and scope in the foreign country. This European FMCG company manufactures products in the domestic market and exports the good through agents in the foreign market.

Public shipping Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public shipping Law - Case Study Example The influence of the judiciary decisions and the various regulatory organizations in the framing of these principles are also considered briefly. For this, the International law is understood and its issues are considered briefly. Further, the sources of the International law framework and the general principles in practice are studied. The integration of the human rights and labor rights into the framework is also understood with particular reference to the employment at sea. Principles governing the law relating to the high seas along with the issues or rights and obligations of the states within the maritime zones relating to territorial sea, internal waters, exclusive economic zones, etc. are explored. As the different states have different practices, the freedom of navigation for merchant as well as naval vessels raised the issue of innocent passage and the principles relating to the same are also considered. Shipping is the largest trade accounting to almost 95% of world trade by weight (Rajadurai, 2004, p 83). This trade is truly international and has importance to any business irrespective of the state of origin or operation. Since, shipping is a necessity by businesses across the world, there is also a need for uniformity in practices to make it safe and accessible. Also, since there are inherent dangers in terms of security in any trade, more so in shipping as it involves maritime transport in dangers waters with almost no monitoring or safety from perils or disasters, there is even more need for a common regulatory framework and enhanced operational safety. As McConville, et al (2005) observe that "regulations in shipping must necessarily be developed at the global level and since it is international and has the potential to offer a uniform platform to maritime players, there is a need for a uniform regulations on matters such as construction standards, navigational rules and stand ards of crew competence" (p 249). There are various conventions, laws, treaties, etc. and the issues relating to the different nation's rights and responsibilities towards each other are laid in the International law and the various states which constitute the shipping industry decide to abide by its rules. The International law's oldest discipline is the law of the sea and it draws from various sources for its regulations. Custom is seen as the most important of sources with tradition as another important source of the law of the sea (Dupuy, Vignes, 1991, p 60). There are also the Hague rules which were consolidated in three conventions and which related to issues like principles of freedom of navigation, the juridical nature of territorial waters and the rights of the coastal states over same the, the defining of baselines, the regulations of innocent passage by ships, with significance of the contiguous zone and the issues of breadth of territorial waters among others (Dupuy, Vignes, 1991, p 68). Since the sea wa ters of the Asian and African continents were being

Progress report Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Progress report Memo - Essay Example In addition, I have applied general social work frameworks at the organization. The main emphasis has been on assessing the adequacy of services to the mentally ill East Africans and other populations affected by mental illness. I have also developed a clear understanding of the general social work identified with the organizations work objectives. Additionally, I have applied some of the problem solving techniques that I have learned. This includes assessing the situation and evaluating individuals with the mental illness. I have recommended the use of peers as a solution to some of the problems. However, I have not been able to use intervention as a strategy towards finding a solution to these people. I have a plan to integrate with mentally ill East Africans fully, that is, in their lifestyle so that I can identify what exactly is the cause of their mental illness and the challenges they face in

Public shipping Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public shipping Law - Case Study Example The influence of the judiciary decisions and the various regulatory organizations in the framing of these principles are also considered briefly. For this, the International law is understood and its issues are considered briefly. Further, the sources of the International law framework and the general principles in practice are studied. The integration of the human rights and labor rights into the framework is also understood with particular reference to the employment at sea. Principles governing the law relating to the high seas along with the issues or rights and obligations of the states within the maritime zones relating to territorial sea, internal waters, exclusive economic zones, etc. are explored. As the different states have different practices, the freedom of navigation for merchant as well as naval vessels raised the issue of innocent passage and the principles relating to the same are also considered. Shipping is the largest trade accounting to almost 95% of world trade by weight (Rajadurai, 2004, p 83). This trade is truly international and has importance to any business irrespective of the state of origin or operation. Since, shipping is a necessity by businesses across the world, there is also a need for uniformity in practices to make it safe and accessible. Also, since there are inherent dangers in terms of security in any trade, more so in shipping as it involves maritime transport in dangers waters with almost no monitoring or safety from perils or disasters, there is even more need for a common regulatory framework and enhanced operational safety. As McConville, et al (2005) observe that "regulations in shipping must necessarily be developed at the global level and since it is international and has the potential to offer a uniform platform to maritime players, there is a need for a uniform regulations on matters such as construction standards, navigational rules and stand ards of crew competence" (p 249). There are various conventions, laws, treaties, etc. and the issues relating to the different nation's rights and responsibilities towards each other are laid in the International law and the various states which constitute the shipping industry decide to abide by its rules. The International law's oldest discipline is the law of the sea and it draws from various sources for its regulations. Custom is seen as the most important of sources with tradition as another important source of the law of the sea (Dupuy, Vignes, 1991, p 60). There are also the Hague rules which were consolidated in three conventions and which related to issues like principles of freedom of navigation, the juridical nature of territorial waters and the rights of the coastal states over same the, the defining of baselines, the regulations of innocent passage by ships, with significance of the contiguous zone and the issues of breadth of territorial waters among others (Dupuy, Vignes, 1991, p 68). Since the sea wa ters of the Asian and African continents were being

Multicultural Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Multicultural Education - Essay Example In revising this text for the paper, the researcher would conduct further research and look for empirical evidence to support the contention that the achievement gap among diverse cultures are linked to attention and engagement. The arguments presented in this text explored would have been more persuasive if researchers, their research methodologies and findings had been presented to support this statement. Attempts would have also been made to find empirical evidence of the claim that a multicultural education can engage and gain the attention of pupils and thus close the achievement gap. Certainly there must be some evidence of this outcome somewhere in the literature. In conducting further research, the researcher would revise the paper to identify possible areas of further research in the area of attention and engagement and how a multicultural education might have a positive outcome on the achievement gap. If the researcher finds nothing of value in the literature, he would rev ise the paper to reflect that the hypothesis has not been satisfactorily tested in the literature. It is also stated that a third and final revision would be the removal of direct quotes. These quotes would be removed and replaced by a synopsis of the quoted text instead. In conclusion, the researcher would also revise the text to reflect more critical arguments on the topic of multicultural education rather than a regurgitation of the theories discussed and assumptions espoused in the literature.

Clarkson Lumber Company Pro Forma Statement Essay Example for Free

Clarkson Lumber Company Pro Forma Statement Essay Assumptions. We build pro-forma statement mostly based on the assumptions given in the case. Other assumptions are following. At first, we assume that the tax rate is an average of tax rates for the past three years which is 20. 1%. We use this tax rate to calculate the provision for income taxes for following years. Next assumption is that we take Mr. Dadges approximation for the initial rate as the interest rate, 11%. Since Mr. Clarkson finished payment to Mr. Holtz in 1995, we assume that only the bank loan to Suburban National Bank and Northrup National Bank are the interest-bearing liabilities for 1996 through 1999. For account payable period, we calculated two numbers, 53. 62 days for 1995 and 54. 86 for the first quarter of 1996. We used the payable period for 1995 to calculate the accounts payables for the forecasted years because, as mentioned in the case, Mr. Clarksons business has some seasonality so hat the payable period for the only first quarter of 1996 would not fully reflect for a whole year. We decided not to include 2% discounts for early payment to the suppliers on our income statement because of the payable period. We also assume that Mr. Clarkson issued no new equities and paid no dividends during the forecasted years. Only source of the change in the net worth is the net income for the same period. New credit line. The new credit line of $750,000 would be sufficient only for 1996 and 1997. The bank loan would exceed the credit line to 858,000 and 1,109,000 for 1998 and 1999, according to our pro forma statement. Without the approval of the bank, Mr. Clarkson would not be able to expand his business at the current growth rate after 1998. With the assumption of sales growth rate of 25%, the external financing required has become double from $493,000 in 1996 to $1,109,000 in 1999. Since the new credit line is fixed at $750,000, Mr. Clarkson would have to find other ways of financing the operation such as issuing new equity.

Analysis on Postmodernist Shrek

Analysis on Postmodernist Shrek Usually, in most of the traditional fairy tales, ogre is used to be the man-eating beast and the prince is used to rescue the princess and then live happily together ever after. However, in the season of the movie Shrek, especially Shrek I, the makers use decipherable devices to reverse this tradition and use three basic elements to show the idea of postmodernism, i.e. ironic interfacing, intertextuality, and self-reflexivity. Lets begin by explaining the first one, ironic interfacing. To begin with, Shrek I includes a lot of ironic interfacing and one is that its lack of a narrator. Unlike other tales, it is told in a linear custom, but not from the point of view of an omniscient narrator. The story in fact is told through the interactions and dialogue of the central characters, like in the film Shrek, we need to know what Shrek and Donkey would do by watching their action and conversation. It is non-linear narrative technique. But in those Disney movies, for example in Snow White, theres always a narrator telling the audience what is going to happen next and he is omniscient. It results the ironic interfacing between the characters and the authors. Also, at the end of the movie Shrek I, all the audiences see that Shrek, the main character discovers the camera and lots of audiences watching him. Therefore, he turns away the camera and uses his hand to block it before he kisses Fiona. It can be considered as ironic interfacing because it shows the unconventional interaction between the author and Shrek. What Shrek does in the movie lets us recognize that he can look at the audiences and the author through the known camera. So he knows how to maintain his privacy during kissing with Fiona by blocking their view. Besides, from this scene, we all can see clearly that the animation company makes use of Shrek to mock the traditional Disney stories and genre. Shrek uses the stereotypical way of Disney movies and fairytales, which is used to create the distance between the present and the reality. This acts as inviting the viewers to enter another world, a world that can only exist in the stories but not in real. Thus, the company uses it to mimic Disney by including the stories traditional beginning, which Disney always uses. This does not only mock Disney but also helps us to see the unreal world and in the realism of a fairytale. Another stronger example showing Shrek includes ironic interfacing is at the very first part of the movie. At the beginning of the movie, Shrek starts just as a typical Disney cliche fairytale by opening a book and starts with these few words Once upon a time, there is an imprisoned princess waiting for her true love this kind of old style of tales. However, theres a green hand suddenly rips a page from the book, uses it to wipe his bottom and Shrek interrupts it and said to the audiences, Yeah, right! This scene strongly shows us the ironic situation between the characters and the author. Those are the examples of ironic interfacing in Shrek. Next, we are going to talk about intertextuality. Intertextuality means that there are countless references to other movies, texts, plays, and even some parts of the other movies. Especially in Shrek III, there are several main animated Disney characters appearing in the film, but not in their usual form. By referring these Disney characters, the film requires us to have a self-conscious awareness of something that is used to be. Like Snow White and the other princess appearing in the movie, normally they are very delicate and used to be rescued. However, this time, they rescue themselves when they are imprisoned. Also, in Shrek I, Fiona is imprisoned in a castle with a dragon guarding her. In most of the Disney movies, the princesses are used to be so delicate that they cant leave and rescue themselves. But, we notice that Fiona is different from them, as she knows Karate. And the only reason why she does not leave is that she imagines the traditional fairy tale happening to her so she has to wait for her prince. It mocks the Disney movies that those princesses are not really delicate. Furthermore, Shrek has also obtained some scenes from other movies, for example: Fiona freezes in the mid-air like Neo in The Matrix; Shrek fights in a beer-covered ring, making reference to Transporter, Gladiator etc. Last but not least, lets talk about self-reflexivity. At the end of the movie, Shrek discovers that there is a camera shooting at him and Fiona and it means that hes aware of the narrative mechanics or storytelling techniques of traditional fairy tales. Besides, at the beginning of the movie, when Shrek is hunted and chase by the people, he shouts at them and whispers, This is the part you should run away. Although this scene does not directly illustrate that the character does takes notice of the filmmaking process or the camera, it is still a very strong example of self-reflexivity. What he has said does not only remind that group of people how to react, but also reminds the audiences that normally people should run after the ogre yells at them. It shows that Shrek is conscious of the traditional circumstance in fairy tales. In addition, when we focus on the menu of the movie Shrek, it contains details that recognizes you its a movie. Especially when you want to play the movie press the Play button, theres a pig coming out and shouting, Play the movie. It does let you acknowledge that it is a movie. All in all, Shrek is a very excellent example of movies showing postmodernism as the filmmakers has included ironic interfacing, intertextuality, and self-reflexivity. If you want to analyze the cartoon postmodern and feel bored of watching The Simpsons again, Shrek will be a great suggestion for you.

The Matrix Essay -- essays research papers

The Matrix In 1999 directors/writers Larry and Andy Wachowski (Bound) made a dark and often disturbing Science Fiction film, The Matrix. With the production expertise of Joel Silver (Commando, Predator, Lethal Weapon series, and Die Hard series), Andrew Mason (The Crow, Dark City) and Barrie M. Osborne (Face/Off, The Fan, Child's Play), The Matrix is sure to be a favorite among Science Fiction movie fans for years to come. The Matrix won the Oscar award in all four categories it was nominated for; Best Sound, Best Sound Affects Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing. More DVD’s of The Matrix were sold then the movie â€Å"The Titanic†. The hard work of choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (Iron Monkey, Fists of Legends) make the fight scenes very much in the Hong Kong style of film-making, including the part where one of the fighters taunts the other, by daring them to be aggressive. The music featuring artists like Rob Zombie, Ministry, Deftones, and Monster Magnet, complement s the mood of the movie remarkably well. The Matrix is filled with the spectacular visual effects of a science fiction masterpiece, and at the same time has the killer fight scenes that are included in a true action movie. â€Å"Have you ever had a dream Neo, that you were so sure was real†¦what if you were unable to awaken from that dream? How would you know the difference from the dream world and the real world?† is one of many powerful quotes spouted out by the mysterious Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) throughout The Matrix. This particular quote however, is important to the audience because it serves as a life preserver to those who might get lost in the movie’s rather complex plot. It helps establish a common ground with each and every viewer alike in that everybody has had an experience where they couldn’t tell if they were dreaming or not. In this apocalyptic science fiction action movie, Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is a mild mannered young man, who works as a systems programmer for a respectable software company. In his spare time Anderson assumes the role of Neo, a computer hacker who is guilty of every computer crime for which there exists a law against. Throughout his Anderson has had strange dreams of unreality, but hasn't been able to figure out their true meaning. He believes the only way to find the answer is to consult an all-powerful computer hacker (the fore mentioned ... ...e seen in a human being, as he dodges all of the bullets fired at him except one. The visual effect used to show Neo dodging the bullets in slow motion creates a sort of break dancing look that is astonishing. References to this film have appeared in movies as diverse as Battlefield Earth, Charlie's Angels, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, Osmosis Jones, Scary Move, Shrek, and Swordfish; as well as a few commercials and television shows. The Matrix's popularity has even transferred itself to the computer desktop in the form of screensavers, desktop themes, and wallpaper. The movie ends with the destruction of the agents by our hero Neo. He finally realizes that he is truly the chosen one. He actually begins to see the matrix for what it really is, and uses his own powers to defeat the agents. I feel that I may have spoiled much of the movie for you in my description, but I will have you know that the rest is quite worth your while. Hearing about this movie is not enough. As stated by the mysterious Morpheus towards the beginning of the movie, â€Å"One cannot be told what the matrix is, he must see it himself.† This movie is definitely worth taking the time to see.

Changing American Family

Changing of the American Family Throughout the years we have seen families change from time to time. Not just in the actual household, but also in the media. From the nineteen fifties to present time, we can relate to the families in the media. In the nineteen fifties everything seemed to be more relaxed but strict at the same time. However, through the changes in time families have become a bit more chaotic at times and less strict. The families within the media have changed in many ways in whether it being as simple as becoming less strict or whether or not the father being in total control of the household.In the television sitcom Father Knows Best, everything seemed like a perfect family. The mother would stay at home and take care of the house and clean, while father would be at work and while the kids would be at school. The house would always be very clean and organized when the father and children would come home. The kids would never curse or back talk their parents due to r espect. Every morning the family would sit together and eat a healthy breakfast and every evening the father and kids would come home to a dinner prepared for the family to eat together.The ideal of the American family in the nineteen fifties was more conservative. The family actually did stuff together and bonded. A few decades later, the media is still changing in time. In the television sitcom The Cosby Show, everything still seems like the perfect family to live in just a little more laid back and less strict. The family would still do stuff together, just not as often. The children would go to school during the day while both parents had to be at their jobs to provide for their family. When the kids would get home from school they would do their homework and then do what they wanted to do.Unlike in the sitcom Father Knows Best, the family did not always have breakfast together; it was more of a find what you want to eat and eat it ordeal. Each night the family would not necessa rily have dinner together. In an episode we watched during class, a few of the children ruined a book of the fathers and so they made him dinner to try to make up for their wrong doing. The family had then eaten dinner without the mother and their brother. While comparing both shows and watching them both, you can see how the relationship between two American families have changed over a period of time even though it is in the media.In present time, we can still see much growth in the media. The American family is not so conservative. In the television sitcom George Lopez, many things have changed in the media from Father Knows Best and The Cosby Show. The family in George Lopez was a more chaotic family. The children misbehaved often and the mother and father would tend to get into arguments at times. George would always try to catch his children getting in trouble when they misbehave, whether it is by confronting them straight on, or trying to be sneaky by investigating the situat ion and then punishing them later.Usually at the end of every episode, it is always shown that George loves and cares deeply for his family. The article I am using to support with this essay is The American Family on Television: From Molly Goldberg to Bill Cosby written by Muriel G. Cantor. I felt most connected with this article because it relates to Bill Cosby and I am using The Cosby Show in my essay. This article is about the families within the media in comedy which all three television sitcoms I am using in this essay conduct with comedy. Comedy is one of the most popular choices to watch on television.The first section of the article concentrates on the background for the family life as portrayed in televisions comedies. The second section concentrates more on Molly Goldberg from the television series in the nineteen forties and then relates to Bill Cosby. The primary focus is on how gender, race, and class have been portrayed over time and whether the messages, issues, and t hemes about love and sex have changed and in what ways. After analyzing television from the nineteen fifties to present time period, the article concludes by noting that the family is not always presented as the perfect family. Family members often make fun of each other; sometimes they deceive each other to get their way; and often interact by putting each other down† (Canter, 1991). Like in the sitcom George Lopez, the family is basically the place where one goes for support and when you need someone to be there for you. Your family will always be there to support and help solve your problems and care for you. Throughout the media we have seen in most television shows how much families can be supporting. We have also seen how the American families have changed over the decades.In the nineteen fifties, the â€Å"father role† was being head of the household and the mother was to back him up with his every choice. If we were now to watch a television sitcom that was in t he comedy genre, we would see how the mother does not sit back and let the father be head of the household. Most of the time the parenting role is equal between the mother and father now days. Sometimes the mother may be in charge of the household more than the father would be. I think if you were to watch television sitcoms throughout the decades then you will be able to identify how the American family has changed in time within the media. ReferencesJames, E. (Producer). (1954, October 3). Father Knows Best. [Television broadcast]. Burbank, CA: Warner Brothers Burbank Studios. Cosby, B. (Producer). (1984, September 20). The Cosby Show. [Television broadcast]. New York City, NY: Carsey – Warner Company. Lopez, G. (Producer). (2002, March 27). George Lopez. [Television broadcast]. Los Angeles, CA: Warner Bros. Television. Cantor, Muriel G. (1991). The american family on television: from molly goldberg to bill cosby. 22(2), Retrieved from http://proxy. library. iue. edu:2359/e host/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=a6b2c5f6-1784-4b50-a2da-9bfef4ad923f%40sessionmgr104&vid=6&hid=107

For the first time

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

Neurosurgery

Surgeons, one of the many Jobs that utilize chemistry skills in order to succeed in the field is a field of science that I am most interested in and I believe that taking AP Chemistry will only strengthen the skills I need in order to become a surgeon. The type of surgery that most interests me would be the surgery relating to the brain/ spinal cord named neurosurgery.Within the field of surgery, neurosurgery, which Is a branch of surgery that specializes In brain surgery/spinal cord surgery, Is relatively nouns and It has evolved Into an Independent surgical specialty only during the past century, developing from general surgery (Columbia Neurosurgeons). They are the highest paid of all surgeons, with Incomes that can reach as high as $800,000 annually.Average annual compensation: $765,321 according to the 201 3 MAGMA survey of 201 2 Income (Santiago). Also the Job outlook for surgeons Is 18%, which Is faster than average which Is a perk of becoming a surgeon as the demand for surge ons is growing at an exponential rate (Bureau of Labor Statistics). I also want to become a neurosurgeon because since the brain is the most unknown organ of the body, in fact it is believed that humans only use 10-25% of their brain (MS).In conclusion, the main reason I signed up for AP Chemistry is that medicine is an excellent career choice and careers in this area are often high paying, and there is a shortage (and a forecasted shortage) of candidates for these jobs. Works Cited Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Physicians and Surgeons, n. . Web. 26 June 2014. . Santiago, Andrea. â€Å"Surgeon Career Profile – Overview of Surgeons' Careers and Surgery Jobs. † About. Com Health Careers. About. Com, n. D.Web. 26 June 2014.. Columbia Neurosurgeons. Healthiness, n. D. Web. 26 June 2014.. Smelling, Robert. â€Å"How Much of the Brain Do We Really Use? † MS Healthy Long. Microsoft, n. D. Web. 26 June 2014.. Spinal cord named neurosurgery. Within the field of surgery, neurosurgery, which is a branch of surgery that specializes in brain surgery/spinal cord surgery, is relatively nouns and it has evolved into an independent surgical specialty only during the past highest paid of all surgeons, with incomes that can reach as high as annually.Average annual compensation: $765,321 according to the 2013 MAGMA survey of 2012 income (Santiago). Also the Job outlook for surgeons is 18%, which is faster than average which is a perk of becoming a surgeon as the is a shortage (and a forecasted shortage) of candidates for these Jobs. Works Cited Shimmering, Robert. â€Å"How Much of the Brain Do We Really Use? † MS Healthy Living.

Methods and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Methods and Analysis - Essay Example Interviews are very useful methods of data collection. If done properly and professionally, the findings of the interview can provide the researcher with very important insights regarding the subject matter. In most interviews, structured questions are used to guide the interviewer in his/her quest to extract useful information from the interviewee (Denscombe, 2007). This interview in particular focuses on professional experience as well as online education. The main objective is to find out the perception of people regarding their present jobs as well as any online courses they may have studied. The set of questions used in this interview will enable me get to understand how people perceive their own employers and their job as well as if they make any significant contribution to the success of their organization as a whole. The questions will also be useful in understanding how people who studied online courses find the whole experience. Why do you work with your current employer? I believe the institution I work with has goals that resonate very well with my beliefs. I wanted to work in an institution that gives priority to good teaching practice as well as a great commitment on taking care of students needs as far as education is concerned. I have a great passion for teaching and impacting on the lives of young students in campuses and colleges and I believe I have the capacity to offer what my current employer wants and help the whole institution achieve its goals. What makes you very different from your other colleagues at work? There nothing much really to separate us because we all share similar views on education and teaching. I would however say that I am an all rounded individual and with my experience, I offer the institution a lot of useful opinions and perspectives in terms of where we want to be and what we have to do to get there as a group. I think that is what sets me apart from my colleagues, my desire to succeed and wide experience. What plan s do you have for research and development in your field of specialization? I believe in proper research to bring out new and relevant knowledge to help us cope with emerging issues. As far as my own research is concerned, I am currently working on some projects that will be due for publication soon. I am working on a book to be released soon, which I hope will help institutions deal with emerging challenges as they strive to educate young students. After my PhD, I plan to take my research further and work on more books as well as research papers that I hope to present to all stakeholders in the field of education. What would you say is your major contribution to your institutions department? I have initiated and taken part in various reforms at the department to make it more functional. We have improved significantly in the way we offer our services to students ever since I joined the department and I am glad to be part of this success. What courses do you enjoy teaching? I have ex perience in a wide range of subjects ranging from humanities to social sciences as well as business courses. I therefore give my contribution in any field that I am well versed with; however I mostly tend to be biased towards philosophy. I enjoy teaching philosophy more than anything else, but as I said, I always give my contribution in other areas when I am called upon to do it. What was your experience when taking your university degree? I enjoyed every bit of it. For my first degree, I was a regular student and the environment was very conducive for study. We had a great time on campus with friends as we undertook our studies. By the time I wanted to start my Masters degree, I was already employed full time, so I had to register for online courses which demanded a lot of commitment and dedication. I am glad I gave it my all and am now taking my PhD. How does the online course work? It is pretty simple because all you do is to enroll on a university or college website. Once you ha ve been

Should Canada share its freshwater with people in the developing world Research Paper

Should Canada share its freshwater with people in the developing world who do not have access to safe and clean freshwater - Research Paper Example It is an essential input for industries, hydropower generation, agricultural activities, subsistence or commercial agriculture and other significant purposes. These activities are the core livelihood of human well-being because they contribute to employment and national economic activities. However, access to safe and clean freshwater has become a global health issue and many nations, especially the developing economies, have been profoundly impacted by water scarcity. The WHO reveals that more than 3,900 children die annually because of waterborne infections (Miller & Spoolman, 2012). The developing nations are being impacted heavily by water related issues, and many families lack access to safe and clean freshwater. Almost half of the population in the developing nations lacks access to safe and clean freshwater because of natural phenomena such as climatic changes due to globalization, rainfall patterns and human factors including high population growth and pollution, thus threate ning sustainable water resources. Reasons Why Canada Should Share Its Freshwater With People in the Developing World The increased demand for freshwater, increased population growth, overexploitation of natural resources and climatic changes are worsening the state of freshwater resources, hence the need for Canadians to share their freshwater with people in the developing nations. First, Canada should share freshwater with the developing nations because there is an increased demand for water sources in the developing world. This results from the high population growth rate in developing nations and overdependence on agricultural activities. Miller (2007) asserts that supplying freshwater for irrigation and drinking is one way of sustaining the earth. This is because many people in the developing nations depend heavily on agricultural activities as their backbone for economic growth. However, many of them are unable to achieve sustainability because of increased poverty levels, whic h is linked with water scarcity. Many of them undergo severe famine because of prolonged drought and water related diseases. Therefore, distribution of safe and clean water will reduce over-competition on scarce water resources and exploitation of water resources, hence achievement of sustainable development. Moreover, the increased population growth rate contributes to an increased demand for water; thus, there is the need for Canadian government to supply adequate fresh water to the developing world. The world report on population reveals that many developing nations have the highest population rate and this contributes to associated problems such as competition for the available scarce resources, encroaching on the water resources areas such as wetlands and forested areas (Bundschuh & Hoinkis, 2012). Wetlands and forests play significant functions in maintaining natural resources, but overpopulation, pollution and competition for natural resources threaten the sustainability of s uch natural resources. Therefore, it is the role of Canadian government to work with other international policy makers to contribute to the global agenda of managing water resources and distributing quality water (Canada, 2005). They will provide access to technology and offer effective training programs in the key development areas of water resource management. This will benefit the developing nations, thus enabling them to access quality water and achieving

Is It Ever Ok to Lie, Steals or Break One's Promises Essay

Is It Ever Ok to Lie, Steals or Break One's Promises - Essay Example Kantian ethics is in concordance with the deontological moral theory. Deontological theories propose that whether an action is right or wrong is not determined by the consequences of the action, but rather on whether the action is a fulfillment of one’s duty. There are two questions that guide Kantian ethics one is whether one can propose that everyone acts as he or she has acted and whether one’s actions respect the goals of human beings apart from serving personal interests. Agreement with both questionsis interpreted as moral correctness according toKantian ethics (Rachaels & Rachaels, 2011). According to Kant, the categorical imperative is the principle that determines the morality of an action. A categorical imperative refers to an unconditional command. The categorical imperative that one cannot lie, steal, or break a promise means that one cannot do any of these things if they serve personal interests. Kant uses categorical imperatives as the guiding principles because they are commands that one cannot opt out of or claim that they do not apply to them. Kant proposes that the first formula of universal law is that one should only act on that maxim of which he or she would will that it becomes a universal law(Rachaels & Rachaels, 2011). According to Kant, it is not permissible to lie, steal, or break a promise because these acts fail to fulfill the first formula, of universal law since this would be self-defeating. Since these acts are only beneficial to the individual when they are made an exception to the individual,then they cannot be made universal laws (Rachaels & Rachaels, 2011). If breaking of promises were made a universal law, then no one would make promises anymore since it would be common knowledge that promises do not mean anything. Since one benefits from breaking promises which would no longer be made, then it means that breaking a promise is wrong. Kantian ethics differs from utilitarianism in

Paper about Atheism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paper about Atheism - Essay Example It could be that they think in the tangible sense that anything that exists must be able to be proven. Many highly intellectual people need proof and evidence of something to ever believe in its being. Some philosophers and sociologists are not this way as they create a thought and see how society relates to it or use philosophy to explain something. Religion in some ways, is a philosophy. Religion could be seen as a way to keep going in life. To have faith in something that is unseen often gives people a meaning to their point of being. People use religion to talk to a God or to ask for help from angels in hopes that there is something out there to help them through. One would think that a life without some sort of spirituality or religion would be a life that has no meaning. For many, having a God or something to believe in is as essential as breathing. Varying religions contradict each other so much. Hundreds of religious views are followed by a group of people. Is religion a form of brainwashing? Religion and a belief in a higher power could just vary so much because for each person, that is what works for them and it is what they have come to know. Not that all people who believe in religious views are naà ¯ve. Those who are atheists, certainly are not naà ¯ve into believing that there is some other power that is accountable for all that is incorporated into being. They are not willing to turn their lives into something that they cannot see, hear, feel or touch. To have faith in a god is to believe in something that cannot be felt among any of those senses but to only read teachings of those that came before us. There is controversy about the actual term atheism. The word is of Greek origin of a combination of â€Å"a† and â€Å"theos.† The true meaning of â€Å"atheos,† though is questionable. â€Å"Atheos† could mean â€Å"no God,† â€Å"without God,† â€Å"lack God belief† or

Unit 1 Lab Assignemnt Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 1 Lab Assignemnt - Coursework Example To enable a DHCP client to use an address permanently, one creates client reservations. DHCP options pass additional IP setting to clients. Some of these options include DNS server and Domain name. The design of DHCP options involves definition of settings to establish the boundaries of a given DHCP configuration. Server options apply the options to all scopes defined while scope options apply to a single scope (It Essentials: Pc Hardware and Software Companion Guide 53). In addition to the DHCP configuration, there exist advanced settings. One can enable the pool configuration or specify additional service availability settings. Configuring a DHCP relay agent involves configuring the relay agent program in a computer allowing messages to be relayed across different subnets (It Essentials: Pc Hardware and Software Companion Guide 76) Setting up a relay agent on a computer on each subnet allows message traffic to be relayed to computers on different subnets (Bender 67). Configuration Protocol for IPv6 can also be configured for DHCP. The use of IPV6 allows many subnets to be created. Networking is important in any IT field. Proper understanding of this lab concepts helps prevent network errors that come about from improper configuration. Traffic jam, which is common problem to large networks, can be prevented if one adheres to proper configuration. Network security can also be guaranteed by proper

Internet and Privacy Essay Example for Free

Internet and Privacy Essay There has been a lot of controversy about the internet and its privacy. Today, some say you have no privacy with anything you do on the web. They say that the government is taking away the public’s privacy because they can monitor everything that happens on the internet. Even though most of this is true, there are plenty of good things to come from it. In this essay I will be writing about the internet and its privacy. The lack of privacy that comes with technology and the internet can and has prevented a lot of crimes to occur. It has made credit card fraud, once an easy crime much harder to get away with. They know what you’re buying schedule is like, so if someone steals your card and tries to buy something that is not something you would normally buy, you will get an alert about it. Security cameras at stores and ATM’s prevent a lot of robberies from occurring. The government states that the main reason why they monitor just about everything on the internet is to try and catch terrorist attacks before they happen. They have said that some of the terrorist plane hijackings could have been prevented if they had the internet security that they do now. Of all the good things that come with the internet, there are also some drawbacks that can be dangerous. There is just as much false information on the internet as there is true information. Hackers can create viruses that can get into your personal computer and ruin valuable data. They can also create viruses to steal personal valuable data such as identity theft. There are also people called â€Å"predators† that hang out on the internet waiting to get unsuspected people into dangerous situations. People can get addicted to the internet which can cause problems with interacting with their friends and family. As it is stated in What Matters in America, â€Å"Like any space where people gather, the virtual world is not immune to the same set of troubles we face in real life. Teens and children can be targeted be sexual predators. Kids can â€Å"cyber bully† classmates, carrying the tortures of the playground onto cell phones and computer screens at home. Illicit romances and online flirting may be taken beyond laptops, ruining relationships and destroying marriages. And, of course, cybercrime is ever present, seeking log in numbers, financial data, and credit card information†. (22) Privacy has become a big question in today’s society with all this new technology and the internet. The internet might be more secure today from hackers and viruses but we don’t really have any privacy on the web. Every purchase we make on the internet can be tracked by the government. They can also track almost every phone call that is made. The internet has become more convenient to use than it ever has been. You can perform just about any task you want with a couple mouse clicks. Your computer can remember everything you do on the internet. It will save all the sites you have been to, what you have downloaded, what you have bought online, and can even save your credit card information. When online you will see recommended web sites based on what you normally do online and even on certain sites there will be recommended products that are similar from what you have purchased before. All this personal information can be easily looked at by the government or even professional hackers. Is our privacy really being invaded or are we just putting this information out there? People say that the government is invading the public’s privacy. They say that they shouldn’t be allowed to monitor the internet. I don’t believe our privacy is being invaded because no one forces you to put this information online, even though it is hard not to in today’s society. In What Matters in America, David Plotz states, â€Å"Real privacy is what allows us to share hopes, dreams, fantasies, fears, and makes us feel we can safely expose all our faults and quirks and still be loved. Privacy is the space between us and our dearest, where everything is known and does not matter. † (70) With all this advanced technology on the internet, we need the government to monitor it or else there would be a huge amount of criminal activity and the internet would not be safe.

Rural Financial Intermediation of Ghana

Rural Financial Intermediation of Ghana CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study The rural sector comprises nearly 80% of Ghanas population of 18.5 million, with rural economic activities providing employment and incomes for an estimated 60% of rural dwellers (World Bank, 2001). At the same time, nearly 30 percent of rural inhabitants live below the poverty line. However, financial services remain significantly limited at present, mainly provided by informal groups and rural banks. After relatively successful macroeconomic and financial sector reforms, the absence of strong rural and micro finance institutions have continued to impede the attainment of rapid rural economic development. Existing rural financial institutions are often community-based, with strong socio-cultural linkages. The rural banks in particular are characterized by broad-based shareholdings by community members and compared to the larger commercial banks, have a higher propensity to serve clients with low asset base, education and/or collateral, clients who otherwise would have little or no access to formal financial services. At the same time, there is an emerging network of specialized micro-financial institutions that are testing out international best practice methodologies and adapting them to Ghanaian microfinance context and situations. Given the dispersion of rural banks, the nature of community ownership, and rural client base, development of strong rural and micro finance institutions would provide a coherent framework for rural economic growth that would lead to lowered poverty rates and improved standards of living for a majority of the countrys population. Since independence the Government of Ghana (GoG) has made several attempts to promote rural development to improve the living standards of its rural people. The 1992 Constitution has made a firm commitment to rural development as part of its national strategy to improve the living conditions in rural areas through decentralization with the establishment of political and administrative regions and districts. As part of its poverty reduction strategy the Government in 2000 sought funding from the World Bank under the Rural Financial Services Project (RFSP) to promote growth and reduce poverty in Ghana by expanding the outreach of financial services in rural areas and strengthening the sustainability of the institutions providing those services. The Rural Financial Services Project Objectives The Rural Financial Services Project (RFSP) seeks to promote growth and reduce poverty in Ghana by broadening and deepening financial intermediation in rural areas through the following measures: (i) strengthening operational linkages between informal and semiformal microfinance institutions and the formal network of rural and community banks in order to expand services to a larger number of rural clients; (ii) building capacity of the rural and community banks, the principal formal financial intermediaries operating in rural areas, in order to enhance their effectiveness and the quality of services they provide; (iii) supporting the establishment of an apex structure for the rural banking system to provide the economies of scale needed for these unit rural banks to address generic constraints related to check clearing, specie supply, liquidity management and training, etc. which have impeded growth of the rural finance sector; and (iv) strengthening the institutional and policy framework for improved oversight of the rural finance sector. 1.2 Problem Statement The search for a system to tackle the financial problems of the rural dweller started as far back as the 1960s under the Nkrumah regime. During that period, the need for a veritable rural financial system in Ghana to tackle the needs of small-scale farmers, fishermen, craftsmen, market women and traders and all other micro-enterprises was felt. The need for such a system was accentuated by the fact that the bigger commercial banks could not accommodate the financial intermediation problem of the rural poor, as they did not show any interest in dealing with these small-scale operators. Governments attempt in the past to encourage commercial banks to spread their rural network and provide credit to the agricultural sector failed to achieve any significant impact. The banks were rather interested in the finance of international trade, urban commerce and industry. There was, therefore, a gap in the provision of institutional finance to the rural agricultural sector. The failure of the commercial banks to lend on an appreciable scale to the rural sector had been attributed to the lack of suitable security on the part of farmers and the high operational costs associated with small savers and borrowers. Another reason may be the centralised structure of the banking set-up, which, despite their many branches countrywide, is controlled by their Head Offices in Accra, making decentralisation ineffective. One disadvantage of this system was that a centralised institution is not able to compete with the local private money lender in local knowledge and flexibility. More important still, the branch network of many banks covered mainly the commercial and semi-urban areas and did not reach down to the rural areas. Therefore, not only were rural dwellers denied access to credit from organized institutions, they could also not avail themselves of the opportunity of safeguarding their money and other valuable property which a bank provides. It is the realization that the existing institutional credit did not favour rural development that led to the search for a credit institution devoid of the challenges /disabilities of the existing banking institutions but possessing the advantages of the non-institutional credit agencies. This institution was the rural bank. 1.3 Research Questions The study sought to answer the following research questions: i. Are there success cases in the provision of rural financial services? ii. What are the challenges faced by the implementers of the Rural Financial Service Project (RFSP)? iii. How many of the rural poor have gained access to the financial services from the Rural and Community Banks? iv. What is the impact of the Rural Financial Service Project on the performance of the Rural and Community banks and what has been the profitability levels and shareholders fund of the rural banks? 1.4 Research Objectives The primary objective of the study was to ascertain the extent to which the Rural Financial Service Project had been able to promote growth and poverty reduction by strengthening the capacity of those institutions providing financial services. Other objectives for this study are as follows: i. To identify the challenges faced by the RCBs under the RFSP. ii. To assess the impact of the project on the growth and performance of the selected RCBs in terms of profitability, shareholders funds, total assets and deposits. iii. To determine the access of rural poor to financial services. 1.5 Significance of the Study The findings of this research may inform stakeholders: Government officials, policy makers, donor agencies, the World Bank and IMF of the importance of improving and strengthening the operational efficiency of the RCBs as an important intermediary in the provision of financial services to the rural areas to aid poverty alleviation. The recommendations, it is hoped, may encourage the formulation of appropriate policies and programmes to further develop these institutions with technical and financial assistance to lead the role of improving the quality of life of the rural dwellers. Results will contribute to a better understanding of the evolving structure of rural financial services and provide an input to the financial policy made by policy makers especially Bank of Ghana. 1.6 Scope of the Study The sampling area of the study covers 127 Rural and Community Banks in Ghana out of which five selected Rural and Community Banks in the Eastern, Ashanti and Greater Accra regions under the Rural Financial Service Project were considered as the sample size. These RCBs include Bosomtwe Rural Bank, Upper Manya Krobo Rural Bank, Ga Rural Bank, Nwabiagya Rural Bank and Dangme Rural Bank. The study looked at the financial performance of the Rural and Community Banks in Ghana between the period of 2002 and 2006 and also the impact of the RFSP on the selected RCBs. Impact was measured by growth in Profitability, Total deposits, Shareholders funds and access of rural poor to financial services. 1.7 Organization of the Study In order to present a systematic and consistent research, chapter one introduces the background of the study, the problem statement, the research questions, the objectives, significance of the study, and the scope of the study. Chapter two which is the literature review which will throw more light on related studies and concepts of rural financial service project, financial intermediations in the rural areas, challenges of rural financial intermediation and traditional approach to rural finance. Chapter three deals with the methodology adopted in the collection data for the research, description of the field instrument, procedure and data analysis. Chapter four is the presentation of results, interpretation and discussion of the results. Chapter five provides a summary of the study, the conclusions, limitations and recommendations of the study. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Financial intermediation is a pervasive feature of all of the worlds economies. As Franklin Allen (2001) observed in his AFA Presidential Address, there is a widespread view that financial intermediaries can be ignored because they have no real effects. They are a veil. They do not affect asset prices or the allocation of resources. As evidence of this view, Allen pointed out that the millennium issue of the Journal of Finance contained surveys of asset pricing, continuous time finance, and corporate finance, but did not survey financial intermediation. Here we take the view that the savings-investment process, the workings of capital markets, corporate finance decisions, and consumer portfolio choices cannot be understood without studying financial intermediaries. 2.2 Importance of Financial Intermediaries Why are financial intermediaries important? One reason is that the overwhelming proportion of every dollar financed externally comes from banks. In the United States for example, 24.4% of firm investment was financed with bank loans during the 1970 1985 periods. Bank loans are the predominant source of external funding in all the countries. In none of the countries are capital markets a significant source of financing. Equity markets are insignificant. In other words, if finance department staffing reflected how firms actually finance themselves, roughly 25 percent of the faculty would be researchers in financial intermediation and the rest would study internal capital markets. As the main source of external funding, banks play important roles in corporate governance, especially during periods of firm distress and bankruptcy. The idea that banks monitor firms is one of the central explanations for the role of bank loans in corporate finance. Bank loan covenants can act as trip wires signaling to the bank that it can and should intervene into the affairs of the firm. Unlike bonds, bank loans tend not to be dispersed across many investors. This facilitates intervention and renegotiation of capital structures. Bankers are often on company boards of directors. Banks are also important in providing liquidity by, for example, backing commercial paper with loan commitments or standby letters of credit. Banking systems seem fragile. Between 1980 and 1995, thirty-five countries experienced banking crises, periods in which their banking systems essentially stopped functioning and these economies entered recessions. (See Demirg-Kunt, Detragiache, and Gupta (2000), and Caprio and Klingebiel (1996). Because bank loans are the main source of external financing for firms, if the banking system is weakened, there appear to be significant real effects (e.g., see Bernanke (1983), Gibson (1995), Peek and Rosengren (1997, 2000)). Basically, financial intermediation is the root institution in the savings-investment process. Ignoring it would seem to be done at the risk of irrelevance. So, the viewpoint of this paper is that financial intermediaries are not a veil, but rather the contrary. In this paper, we survey the results of recent academic research on financial intermediation (Gorton and Winton, 2000). 2.3 The Existence of Financial Intermediaries The most basic question with regard to financial intermediaries is: why do they exist? This question is related to the theory of the firm because a financial intermediary is a firm, perhaps a special kind of firm, but nevertheless a firm. Organization of economic activity within a firm occurs when that organizational form dominates trade in a market. In the case of the savings-investment process, households with resources to invest could go to capital markets and buy securities issued directly by firms, in which case there is no intermediation. To say the same thing in a different way, non-financial firms need not borrow from banks; they can approach investors directly in capital markets. Nevertheless, most new external finance to firms does not occur this way. Instead it occurs through bank-like intermediation, in which households buy securities issued by intermediaries who in turn invest the money by lending it to borrowers. Again the obligations of firms and the claims ultimately owned by investors are not the same securities; intermediaries transform claims. The existence of such intermediaries implies that direct contact in capital markets between households and firms is dominated. Why is this? is the central question for the theory of intermediation (Gorton and Winton, 2000). Bank-like intermediaries are pervasive, but this may not require much explanation. On the liability side, demand deposits appear to be a unique kind of security, but originally this may have been due to regulation. Today, money market mutual funds may be good substitutes for demand deposits. On the asset side, intermediaries may simply be passive portfolio managers, that is, there may be nothing special about bank loans relative to corporate bonds. This is the view articulated by Fama (1980). Similarly, Black (1975) sees nothing special about bank loans. Therefore, we begin with an overview of the empirical evidence, which suggests that there is indeed something that needs explanation. 2.4 Empirical Evidence on Bank Uniqueness What do banks do that cannot be accomplished in the capital markets through direct contracting between investors and firms? There is empirical evidence that banks are special. Some of this evidence also attempt to discriminate between some of the explanations for the existence of financial intermediaries discussed below. To determine whether bank assets or liabilities are special relative to alternatives, Fama (1985) and James (1987) examine the incidence of the implicit tax due to reserve requirements. Their argument is as follows: Over time, U.S. banks have been required to hold reserves against various kinds of liabilities. In particular, if banks must hold reserves against the issuance of certificates of deposit (CDs), then for each dollar of CDs issued, the bank can invest less than a dollar. The reserve requirement acts like a tax. Therefore in the absence of any special service provided by bank assets or bank liabilities, bank CDs should be eliminated by non-bank alternatives. This is because either bank borrowers or bank depositors must bear the tax. Since CDs have not been eliminated, some party involved with the bank is willing to bear the tax. Who is this party? Fama finds no significant difference between the yields on CDs and the yields on commercial paper and bankers acceptances. CD holders do not bear the reserve requirement tax and he therefore concludes that bank loans are special. James revisits the issue and looks at yield changes around changes in reserve requirements and reaches the same conclusion as Fama. Another kind of evidence comes from event studies of the announcement of loan agreements between firms and banks. Studying a sample of 207 announcements of new agreements and renewals of existing agreements, James (1987) finds a significantly positive announcement effect. These contrasts with non-positive responses to the announcements of other types of securities being issued in capital markets (see James 1987) for the references to the other studies). Mikkelson and Partch (1986) also look at the abnormal returns around the announcements of different type of security offerings and also find a positive respons e to bank loans. Tables 12 provide a summary of the basic set of results. There are two main conclusions to be drawn. First, bank loans are the only instance where there is a significant positive abnormal return upon announcement. Second, equity and equity-related instruments have significantly negative abnormal returns. James (1987) concludes, banks provide some special service not available from other lenders (p. 234). 2.5 Mechanisms to Improve Financial Intermediation Recent developments in growth theory have stimulated renewed interest in the interactions of financial intermediation and growth. While most of the existing literature analyses the risk- sharing function of financial intermediaries, Raju Jan Singh, 1997 focused on the asset-valuation activity of banks. Following the early contributions of Goldsmith (1969), McKinnon (1973) and Shaw (1973), a general equilibrium endogenous growth model is presented, in which financial intermediaries increase the amount of accumulated capital, improve the mobilization of savings and enhance the efficiency of resource allocation. As in Greenwood and Jovanovic (1990) and King and Levine (1993b), banks are shown to be able to improve their lending efficiency by evaluating projects. Unlike the models presented by these authors, the banks evaluation capacity is not assumed to be exogenous. The ability of banks to gather the information needed to undertake this evaluation is linked to proximity, and the notion of geography may thereby be introduced. A link between proximity and faster growth rates can thus be shown, consistent with the observations of historians such as Cameron (1967). Furthermore, Singh, 1997 showed that a bank can improve the efficiency of its lending by opening branches. A poor branch network would thus affect negatively the economic growth rate, as Cameron (1967) suggests in the case of France in the 19th century. By contrast, relaxing regulations limiting the setting up of branches would promote faster growth, as Jayaratne and Strahan (1996) observe in the case of the United States. The size of the financial sector is therefore not the only important variable; its structure and the distribution of its deposits matter likewise. The model presented by Raju Jan Singh, 1997 could be extended in various ways. The contract offered by the bank to its potential borrowers could be enriched by the inclusion of other variables besides the interest rate. For instance, collateral requirements might be considered. Cash-flow or corporate net wealth could also be introduced as additional sources of information for banks. In this context, the proportion of entrepreneurs being evaluated might appear to be dependent on the size of the latter only, and not only on the proximity of a bank branch. 2.6 Effect of Financial Intermediaries The finance-growth nexus can be theoretically postulated only within the endogenous growth framework. Financial intermediation, by reducing information and transaction costs, can affect economic growth through two channels; productivity and capital formation. With regard to the first channel, it is generally argued that financial intermediaries by facilitating risk management, identifying promising projects, monitoring management, and facilitating the exchange of goods and services, can promote efficient capital allocation leading to a total factor productivity improvement (Levine, 1997). For example, Greenwood and Jovanovic (1990) shows that financial intermediation provides a vehicle for diversifying and sharing risks, inducing capital allocation shift toward risky but high expected return projects. This shift then spurs productivity improvement and economic growth. Diamond and Dybvig (1983) argues that households facing liquidity risks prefer liquid but low-yield projects to illiquid but high-yield ones, while financial intermediaries, through pooling the idiosyncratic liquidity risks, would like to invest a generous portion of their funds into illiquid but more profitable projects. Bencivenga and Smith (1991) argue that financial inte rmediaries by eliminating liquidity risks, channel households financial savings into illiquid but high-return projects and avoid the premature liquidation of profitable investments which favours efficient use of capital and promotes economic growth. The impact of financial intermediation on growth through the second channel-capital formation-is ambiguous. Tsuru (2000) argues that financial intermediation could affect the savings rate, and then capital formation and growth, through its impact on four different factors: idiosyncratic risks, rate-of-return risks, interest rates and liquidity constraints. By reducing idiosyncratic risks and relaxing liquidity constraints, financial intermediation might lower the savings rate and negatively affect growth. By reducing the rate-of-return risks through portfolio diversification, financial intermediation might negatively or positively influence the savings rate, depending on the risk aversion coefficient (Levhari and Srinivasan, 1969). Finally, the development of financial intermediation might raise the rate of return for households savings, which also has an ambiguous effect on the savings rate due to well-known income and substitution effects. In addition, financial intermediaries effi ciency amelioration could cut the financial resources absorbed by themselves, and raise the portion of households savings converted into productive investment which favors capital formation and growth. In conclusion, the theoretical literature shows that the development of financial intermediation affects economic growth mainly through its impact on the efficiency of capital use and the improvement of total factor productivity, while its growth effect through the savings rate and capital formation is theoretically ambiguous. 2.7 Introduction to Rural Financial Services Rural financial services refer to all financial services extended to agricultural and non-agricultural activities in rural areas; these services include money deposit/savings, loans, money transfer, safe deposit and insurance. Demanders/beneficiaries of rural financial services are mainly households, producers, input stockists/suppliers, traders, agro-processors and service providers. Rural financial services help the poor and low income households increase their incomes and build the assets that allow them to mitigate risk, smoothen consumption, plan for future, increase food consumption, invest in education and other lifecycle needs. These needs can be broadly categorized into working capital, fixed asset financing, income smoothing and life cycle events. Access to credit and financial services have the potential to make a difference between grinding poverty and economically secure life. Inspite of the importance of a savings account, 77 percent of Kenyan households have no access to a bank account (Kodhek, 2003). In the late 1990s, most mainstream commercial banks closed down some rural branches in order to cut costs and improve profits. The non-traditional financial institutions have emerged to fill the gap created by the mainstream banks which locked out low income and irregular earners. 2.8 Financial Intermediation in Rural Areas Financial intermediation is crucial for the development of rural villages. If these intermediations are used properly, they can help the rural residents increase their income. Likewise, banks and financial intermediaries may be able to recover expenses and make a profit by attracting deposits and granting rural loans. Several reasons are given in favour of financial intermediation. It is argued that rural financial markets (RFMs) reduce the cost of exchanging real resources. Financial intermediations also enhance a more efficient resource allocation. Firms and individuals may have different investment and consumption alternatives. Thus, some of them want to save at the time others plan to invest. Banks satisfy both desires. In addition, financial intermediation causes gains in risk management. Rural producers are typically subject to large variations in income and expenditure. Rural production heavily depends on the weather and price fluctuations. For example, expenditures may be hea vy at planting periods while income is realized with harvest. Therefore loans and savings are important and inexpensive ways to manage at least part of households risks. Moreover, financial intermediation may allow a farmer to undertake larger investments. For instance, a loan may permit a rural producer to buy a tractor before being able to save enough money to buy one with cash. Likewise financial intermediaries can benefit large number of households by accepting their short term deposits and providing a fewer borrowers with longer-term loans. In fact, savers, borrowers and intermediaries gain from this transformation of term structures that take place through intermediation. In addition financial intermediaries that deal with borrowers as savers reduce the information asymmetry characteristic of RFMs. By observing the savings patterns of customers, they obtain information about the income and wealth of clients. By that banks are better able to assess the quality of borrowers and reduce default risk. The drawback is that there is a general tendency for governments in less developed countries (LDCs) to interfere in RFMs. Thus few observers of formal RFMs in LDCs are satisfied with their recent performance. Markets are highly fragmented; they provide little services to rural residents; political interest interferes with RFMs operations; and official lenders are frequently on the edge of bankruptcy. RFMs in LDCs do not work like the classic competitive markets. On the contrary, some imperfections are characteristic of rural banks. These imperfections lead to a variety of problems. For example, the available information is imperfect or asymmetric. These are classic problems of RFMs. Borrowers differ in the likelihood of default. However, it is costly to determine the risk of default of each borrower. This problem is conventionally known as the screening problem or sometimes it is called the adverse selection problem (see Srinivasan, 1994, p. 15). Moreover, it is also costly to ensure that borrowers take actions that facilitate repayment. This situation is known in the related literature as the incentive problem or moral hazard problem. This problem turns out to be particularly severe when rural banks lend money at concessionary interest rates. That is the way most governments run credit programmes. If a farmer receives cheap money he will not display enough effort to ensure repayment. For instance, in the presence of high interest rates, borrowers may select investment projects that have higher potential pay-offs but a greater risk. These sort of economic activities (investments) require more effort from the borrower to be successful. Finally, it is also costly to enforce the credit contracts. This factor gives rise to the enforcement problem of rural financial markets. There is very little or no penalty in default cases in rural areas of LDCs. Therefore, seldom are the borrowers expected to be sanctioned for loan delinquency. Often it is found that some rural borrowers may be able but unwilling to repay. In addition, in many LDCs property rights are poorly defined so that actions against collateralized assets are ineffective. Governments of many LDCs often, for political reasons, engage in credit relaxation programmes, which diminish borrowers incentive to make their projects successful. Therefore, it is not surprising that government-run credit suffers from a tremendous default problem. The final result is that RFMs have not developed as real and effective capital markets. In the absence of capital markets, individuals turn to moneylenders. The common belief is that moneylenders charge monopoly interest rates, which capture borrowers returns from credit. To overcome those problems innovative credit policy interventions are required. Some few new financial institutions are now being successful to combat market imperfections. Among such institutions are the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and some of its replications. For instance, group lending allows the financial institutions to transfer risk and transactions costs to credit recipients. It also permits some banking firms to monitor borrowers with other borrowers. 2.9 Current evidence: what we know 2.9.1 Challenges to Rural Financial Intermediation Hoff and Stiglitz (1990) and Besley (1994) have identified three major constraints to financial market development: information asymmetries between market participants; lack of suitable collateral; and high transaction costs. Risk related to agriculture, and to government and donor policies towards agriculture, should be added as a fourth major constraint to rural finance counting for the poor. Demirguc-Kunt and Levine (2004) noted that efficient contract enforcement, related to a supportive legal framework and robust internal operating systems in formal financial intermediaries (FFIs) is very important in the development of the financial sector and the economy as a whole. Constraints to the development of rural financial markets are discussed in more detail below. 2.9.1.1 Information Asymmetry This occurs when borrowers have more information about the out-turn of their investment and greater capacity to repay loans than lenders (Stiglitz and Weiss, 1981). FFIs usually attempt to reduce this problem by screening out high-risk borrowers from their track record (including credit performance, transactions on deposit accounts, cash flow statements and other accounts). However, in the case of most rural customers, this is not possible, because many keep no record of their transactions and/or do not use payment facilities of banks. In addition, access to borrower information is impeded by a lack of efficient transport, communications infrastructure and well-functioning asset registries and databases. 2.9.1.2 Risk High, and often covariant, risks in the rural economy are related to the dominance of agriculture, which accounts for a high percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (one third in the case of Africa) and employment (two-thirds in Africa) (UNDP Human Development Report, 2000). The long gestation period for many agricultural investments and the seasonality of output usually lead to uneven cash flow and variable demand for savings and credit. Agricultural production is largely dependent on the weather and the use of productivity-enhancing inputs is very low (both leading to yield or production risk), especially in sub-Saharan Africa where the average consumption of fertilizer is only 1015 kg per hectare, compared to about four times that on the Indian sub-continent (Pinstrup- Andersen et al., 1999). African yields are therefore very low and have risen only slightly since the 1980s (Badiane et al., 1997). Lack of credit is a major factor limiting the ability of smallholders to procure a