Bottle Biology

Bottle Biology Project I made a two-layered bottle ecosystem. In the bottom layer, there is an aquatic ecosystem. In the aquatic ecosystem, there is one organism; a goldfish. In the top layer, there is a land ecosystem. There are many plants and other pudding flowers. This is a good example of two organisms from different ecosystems. There were not as many steps as I thought there would be involved in building the bottle itself. First I emptied out two two liters of pop. I then cut off the tops of both bottles, and threw out one of the bases.In the leftover base, I poured water, aquatic gravel, and a fake plant for the fish. I then put the fish in it’s new happy home. In order to feed him, I cut out a flap leading to the water that I can put fish food in. After that, I began working on the top layer. I placed one of the tops, with the cap still on, about half an inch into the original base. I taped it securely into the base, to ensure that the whole upper layer would not crush the fish. Then I put my plants into the half-built top layer. After that I placed my second bottle top on top of the base, creating another funnel.I taped the top securely on, finishing the bottle. I can screw and unscrew the cap whenever I need to give the plant water. Both the fish and plant do not need much caring for. The plant needs a little bit of water every day, and the fish needs food about twice a day, but that is not nearly what I thought it would take to maintain these organisms. I enjoyed this project; it was very interesting to make two small ecosystems. If I had the chance to do it again with two different organisms I would definitely do it. ———————– AJ Keith 5/19/11 Period 3

Microeconomics †Summary Essay

Linear demand curve: Q = a – bP Elasticity: E d = (ΔQ/ΔP)/(P/Q) = -b(P/Q)E d = -1 in the middle of demand curve (up is more elastic) Total revenue and Elasticity:Elastic: Ed < -1↑P→↓R (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 20%) Inelastic: 0 > Ed > -1↑P→↑R (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 3%) Unit elastic: Ed = -1R remains the same (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 15%) MR: positive expansion effect (P(Q) – sell of additional units) + price reduction effect (reduces revenues because of lower price (ΔP/ΔQ)/Q) 1. Monopoly – maximizes profit by setting MC = MR Monopolist’s Markup = price-cost margin = Lerner index: (P-MC)/P = -1/ Ed (the less elastic demand, the greater the markup over marginal cost) 2. Price Discrimination Perfect price discrimination – the firm sets the price to each individual consumer equal to his willingness to payMR=P(Q)=demand (without the price reduction effect), no consumer surplus,find profit from graph Two-part Tariffs – a fixed fee (= consumer surplus) + a separate per-unit price for each unit they buy (P = MC) 2 groups of customers – with discrimination: inverse demand function for individual demands → MR → MR=MC * without discrimination: sum of not-inverse demand functions = one option for aggregate demand. Other option is the â€Å"rich† people demand function. Compare profits to find Qagg. * max fixed payment F (enabling discrimination) = ∆ Ï€; max d added to MC1 = ∆π/q1 (with discrimination) Quantity-dependent pricing – one price for first X units and a cheaper price for units above quantity X. profit function = Ï€ = Pa*Qa+Pb(Qb-Qa)-2Qb Qb includes Qa, so the additional units sold are Qb-Qa. Example: P=20-Q. Firm offers a quantity discount. Setting a price for Qa (Pa) and a price for additional units Qb-Qa (Pb). Pa=20-Qa Pb=20-Qb. ÃŽ  =(20-Qa)Qa + (20-Qb)(Qb-Qa) -2Qb = 18Qb-Qa^2 – Qb^2 +QaQb derive π’a=-2Qa+Qb π’b=18-2Qb+Qa compare to 0. 2Qa=Qb. Plug into second function: 18-2(2Qa)+Qa=0. So Qa=6 Qb=12 3. Cost and Production Technologies Fixed costs: avoidable – not incurred if the production level = 0; unavoidable/sunk – incurred even if production level = 0, don’t exist in the  long run, for the short run typical Efficient scale of production – min AC: derivative of AC = 0; MC = AC Production technologies – production method is efficient it there is no other way to produce more output using the same amounts of inputs Minimization problem – objective function: min(wL+rK), constraint: subject to Q=f(K,L) → express K as a function of L, Q (from production function)→ plug the expression into objective function (instead of K)→ derive with respect to L = 0 → express L (demand for labor) → plug demand for labor into K function → express K (demand for capital) → TC=wL+rK Marginal product ratio rule – for f(K,L)=KaLb – at the optimum: MPL/w = MPK/r : find MPL, MPK from production function → find relationship bet ween K,L using marginal product ratio rule → plug K/L into production function → find K/L for desired level of production – for f(K,L)=aK+bL: compare MPL/w, MPK/r → use production factor with higher marginal value, if equal – use any combination 4. Perfect Competition Short run – 1. Quantity rule – basic condition: MR = P = MC → 2. Shut-down rule: P(Q) ËÆ' AC(Q) produce MR=MC, P(Q) Ë‚ AC(Q) shut down, P(Q) = AC(Q) – profit = 0 for both options * shut-down quantity and price: min AC (derivative of AC = 0); AC=P=MC (profit = 0) * when computing AC ignore unavoidable/sunk fixed costs (not influenced by our decision) – market equilibrium: multiply individual supply functions (from P=MC example TC = 4q^2 so MC = 8q compare to p so 8q=p so q=p/8) by number of firms = aggregate supply function Qs → Qs=Qd (demand function) → equilibrium price and quantity Long run – profits = 0 → P=AC, equilibrium: MR=P=MC=ACmin * in the long run, unavoidable/sunk cost don’t exist → fixed costs are avoidable → take them into account – market equilibrium: find individual supply function (MC=P), quantity produced by 1 firm (MC=AC =price → plug price into demand function â⠀ â€™ total quantity demanded → number of firms in the market = total quantity demanded/quantity produced by 1 firm 5. Oligopolistic Markets Game Theory – Nash Equilibrium: each firm is making a profit-maximizing choice given the actions of its rivals (cannot increase profit by changing P or Q); best response = a firm’s most profitable choice given the actions of its rivals Bertrand Model – setting prices simultaneously; 1 interaction:  theoretically max joint profit when charging monopoly price (MC=MR) but undercutting prices → P=MC, Ï€= 0; infinitely repeated: explicit x tacit collusion (when r is not too high) Cournot Model – choosing quantity (based on beliefs on the other firm’s production) simultaneously → market price – market equilibrium: residual demand for firm 1 from the inverse demand function → profit 1 as a function of q1, q2 → derivative = 0 → best response function for firm 1 → same steps for firm 2 → find q1, q2, market quantity → price, profits Stackelberg Model – choosing quantities sequentially ; firm 1 not on its best response function → higher profit, firm 2 is – market equilibrium: find best response function of firm 2 → plug into profit function of firm 1 → derivative = 0 → q1, q2 (from BR2 function) → price, profits

Investing in Low Income Housing Tax Credits Essay

Overview of the LIHTC The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) provides incentives for corporations and individuals to invest in the acquisition, development and rehabilitation of affordable housing. The program offers federal tax credits to private equity investors that work with profit or non-profit developers in constructing or renovating rental properties for low-income tenants, those who earn 60 percent or less of the median family income for their county. As of 2010, the program has sparked the construction of over 1.7 million housing units throughout the country. The IRS allocates federal tax credits to Housing Credit Agencies (HCAs) in each state based on its population. HCAs award credits to housing developers based on their Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), a rigorous and competitive application used to determine which developers will receive the credits. Once credits are acquired, equity investors purchase an interest in the business entity generating the tax credits, namely a limited partnersh ip or limited liability company. The equity generated from the investor’s purchase is used to fund the property development. The tax credits are redeemed annually by investors over a ten-year period following the date that the property becomes operational, or â€Å"placed in service.† The number of tax credits, and subsequently the amount of equity raised, is calculated by computing the eligible basis, or the dollar amount of all depreciable costs of the project (which excludes the cost of land acquisition and operating reserves) minus ineligible sources of funding like grants or federal subsidies. The eligible basis is then multiplied by the percentage of eligible tax credit units in the project (at least 20 percent and up to 100 percent of all units in the building) to calculate the â€Å"qualified basis.† The investor may later claim either 9 percent or 4 percent of the qualified basis amount in tax credits per year, depending on whether the project is a new construction or rehabilitation of an existing structure.. As of March 2012, the average price for a credit is around $.94. Price fluctuates depending on the geography of the deal, the size of the project, the perceived risk of failure, and whether the project is a new construction or rehabilitation. In order to redeem the credits, the property must rent either 20 percent or more of the units to tenants whose incomes are at or below 50 percent or less of the area median gross income, or 40 percent or more of the units to tenants whose incomes are at or below 60 percent or less of the area median gross income. The property must fulfill these and other operational requirements for a 15-year compliance period. Failure to meet these requirements during the compliance period results in an IRS recapture of tax credits plus interest and penalties. Many states offer their own affordable housing tax credits to provide further incentives by increasing potential returns. Projects in certain areas (Difficult Development Areas) receive a 30 percent increase in qualified basis as well. Options for Investment in LIHTC LIHTC transactions are structured such that the developer manages the day-to-day operation of the property while the investor takes a passive role in management and collects virtually all the tax credits. The parties create a limited partnership or limited liability company where the investor is typically a 99.99% limited partner or non-managing member and the developer is a 0.01% general partner or managing member. This method shields investors from liability beyond their capital contributions and allows the developer to maintain control over management affairs. There are two methods of investing in LIHTCs. The first is a direct investment or private placement, where the investor purchases the rights to future tax credits from a single developer in return for an equity contribution. The developer and investor form a limited partnership where the investor retains a 99.99% ownership interest and claims use of 99.99% of the tax credits and other benefits. Large banks and blue-chip corporations are the typical direct investors, mainly because they possess vast amounts of financial and administrative resources. Private placements are adequate namely for single entities that manage their own investment affairs and desire complete transparency throughout the project. These investors generate more net equity since they save costs otherwise incurred by hiring syndicated funds to choose and underwrite the affordable housing development project. Another avenue through which to invest in tax credits is with a syndicator, a financial intermediary that raises funding from many investors, usually on an annual basis, and makes equity capital contributions to multiple affordable housing projects. Indirect Investment through syndicated funds provides a means by which individual investors, small community banks, and small corporations without the resources of large banks can invest in LIHTCs. A syndicator will attract investors and form a limited partnership agreement where the syndicator typically holds a .01% interest as general partner and various investors will comprise the other 99.99% ownership interest as limited partners. This limited partnership syndicate fund will then become the 99.99% limited partner in several LIHTC projects to allow tax credits to pass through to investors. The syndicator investigates the market for affordable housing development and chooses a number of projects in which to invest. The syndicator then directs private equity capital from the limited partners of the syndicate fund to multiple affordable housing developments and returns tax credits back to each investor in proportion to their capital contribution. A few syndicate funds have missions that are aligned with non-profit developers. A syndicator’s experience with affordable housing development is invaluable to investors as it minimizes risk and increases investor confidence. The syndicator does all due diligence and underwriting for the project, so investors can take a passive role. Syndicate funds are ideal for investors that cannot afford to hire relationship managers, compliance specialists, and underwriters to oversee development. A Worthwhile Investment Alternative A tax credit provides a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax liability, unlike deductions that simply reduce the amount of taxable income for a particular taxable year. Even though investors contribute capital based on the amount paid per tax credit, other tax benefits are transferred to the investor in the form of passive losses and deductions available to any holder of rental real estate property. These include property depreciation deductions, interest expenses, business and maintenance costs, and others. Savings from tax-deductible expenses may not have the financial impact of a tax credit, but it provides a quantifiable saving to the investor that helps add measurable value to tax credits beyond the amount of proportional tax liability they reduce. A qualifying tax credit investment results in a decrease of tax liability. The economic return on the investment, therefore, is not subject to state or federal taxation, unlike dividends or interest income from stocks or bonds. A dollar amount of taxable income is thus inherently less valuable than an identical amount of tax credits. Certain passive loss restrictions and the Alternative Minimum Tax render tax credits less useful for the large majority of individual investors. Nonetheless, LIHTC projects were giving investors returns as high as 25%-30% during the early stages of the program. After growing competition increased pricing in the market for tax credits, yields have consistently shown 4%+ annual returns in recent years. LIHTC projects provide excellent returns for the risk involved, considering other investment alternatives available. While the stock market has historically given investors long-term returns of approximately 10% per year on average, there are sharp fluctuations from year to year. The stock market is also considered a more risky investment in comparison to U.S. treasury bonds or other corporate notes. The yields on these safer bonds are much less than that of the stock market. Investments in tax credits provide an interesting combination of risk mitigation potential and impressive earning yields. Unfortunately, the average investor has no control over the valuation of a certain corporate security, much less the performance of a mutual or index fund. However, private placement investors and syndicate fund managers can and do provide for stringent oversight requirements through contractual obligations imposed on the developer, which in turn helps mitigate risk of project failure. A rise in the valuation of a corporate security usually requires an indicator of increased earnings in the future, whether it is the introduction of a more efficient manufacturing technique, the release or upgrade of a new or existing product, or a similar corporate action. Any increase in the value of a security may be short-lived. An investor only realizes gain after a sale; that gain is taxed. LIHTC projects, on the other hand, do not require entire securities markets to move in order to obtain a profit. Aside from rigorous paperwork and professional fees, the tax credits will eventually fall in the hands of the investors so long as the developer does not fail to meet the various compliance requirements for the specified period. With continuous oversight, investors and fund managers can establish timelines for performance that may readily identify any setbacks or obstacles to completion. This may afford time to expedite construction or development and perhaps cure any potential defects in the plan. On the downside, securities markets provide instant liquidity; LIHTC projects require at least 11 years to harvest all profits. Timelines provide further protection when equity contributions are made in response to the developer meeting certain milestones that render project completion more likely. By disbursing equity in stages, investors exert more control over the project’s development and may elect to alter the course of the project. For instance, the investor may attempt to remove the developer if confidence is undermined. The 15-year compliance period provides an identifiable date of exit, after which all profits (in the form of tax credit use) have been harvested. If investors decide to exit the venture, a secondary market has emerged where an investor may be able to sell the credits to third parties. Legislation passed in 2008 allows limited partners to sell their ownership interests in affordable housing properties without facing recapture so long as the properties continue to operate as affordable housing. This allows a shortened holding period of up to 11 years as long as the property meets the 15-year compliance requirements. These advantages are largely unavailable to stock market investors and make tax credits a safe, viable and profitable investment alternative. These benefits apply uniformly to any tax credit investor. Large Banks, Larger Benefits Large banks and financial institutions are provided with a number of benefits that are generally inapplicable to individual and corporate investors, which in turn make credits more valuable and increases their market price. Banks subject to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) are required to engage in certain activities that improve community development. Direct investments and loans made to LIHTC projects, or syndicated funds that invest therein, are considered qualified activities under the CRA. Banks receive positive CRA consideration not only for these loans and investments to community projects, but also when equity is transferred to LIHTC projects that serve broader statewide or regional areas that include a particular bank’s assessment area. An unsatisfactory CRA rating can cause banks to be denied or delayed in undertaking certain business activities like mergers, acquisitions, or the expansion of services. Thus, banks have strong incentives to invest in affordable housing development. LIHTCs are often a top choice for banks, who are obliged to make community development contributions, because not all CRA qualified activities provide similar returns. Financial institutions also benefit from establishing banking relationships with real estate developers. This allows banks to expand their revenues by providing new services to the project like pre-development loans, construction loans, mortgage financing, and credit lines. Bridge loans are especially enticing, where banks loan large amounts of capital to syndicated funds or other Private Placement investors without the cash reserves to make the up-front equity contributions required by developers before any tax credits can be redeemed. Moreover, banks have the financial capacity to create long-lasting resources to assist in affordable housing investment. The underwriting and due diligence for a LIHTC project requires a number of services and incurs various costs. While syndicated funds spread these costs over a number of investors, banks are in a position to pay for these costs themselves. By establishing separate departments to oversee tax credit financing, banks make a one-time investment in an oversight apparatus that will operate over an indefinite number of LIHTC projects. These in-house professionals will increase in value as their experience expands and efficiency improves. Any bank with the capacity to conduct private placement investing in LIHTCs probably does so. Syndicated Funds: Investment Mechanisms for the Unsophisticated Tax Credit Investor A multi-investor syndicated fund provides a number of additional benefits to potential tax credit investors. It is helpful to analogize syndicated funds to mutual funds for the purpose of identifying their advantages. Just like mutual funds, where fund managers collect funding from many investors and create a diversified portfolio that is professionally managed, syndicated funds act in a similar fashion. Syndicated funds invest in multiple affordable housing developments, often in various geographic regions and with different housing developers. This allows investors to spread risk amongst different LIHTC projects so that if one project fails, their entire equity commitment is not lost. Investing with multiple investors allocates risk of loss more evenly and makes LIHTC investments a safe investment alternative. Furthermore, reputable syndicated funds are professionally managed by experienced, sophisticated tax credit professionals that probably have more knowledge about tax credit investing than any prospective investor. Few institutions and entities have enough capital reserves to fund an entire project single-handedly; syndicated funds combine investor contributions, allowing small entities like community banks and mid-size companies to have the flexibility of choosing how much capital to contribute to tax credit investment. The end result is an excellent mechanism through which unconventional tax credit investors can participate in the competitive market for tax credits. Even though funds collect a percentage fee, diversified portfolios will likely contain projects in DDAs to provide marginal increases in tax benefits. Corporations and Tax Credits: A Good[will] Investment. LIHTC are beneficial to corporations because annual tax credits have a positive impact on earnings per share, since credits reduce tax liability without diluting earnings. Tax credits are usually a profitable investment because most companies sustain consistent tax liability for years on end. Tax credit investment declined during the 2008 market downturn, but has steadily increased with general economic improvement. Companies like Google, Verizon, Liberty Mutual, and others have invested in affordable housing developments across the country. An additional and measurable economic benefit to corporations is the increased value of a trademark or goodwill associated with a company that invests in community development. This type of investment may also attract positive publicity and media coverage, which in turn may increase corporate securities valuation. Large corporations are also in a coveted position to undertake direct investment and avoid paying fees to syndicated funds. Safe, but Not That Safe. While LIHTC investments may be safer than comparable investment with similar yields, the risks must be identified for informed decision-making. Potential tax credit recapture and loss is the greatest risk—the project must maintain specific requirements over a period of 15 years and strict deadlines must be met. The investor must assume the risk of any impediment to completion of construction, no matter how farfetched, and recapture liability remains with the initial investor even if the credits are sold on the secondary market. Risk of failure extends for a prolonged period of 15 years where strict operational requirements must be met. Due to the speculation involved in predicting construction costs, securing subsequent financing, and meeting compliance deadlines in light of potentially unforeseen adverse events, a project must be very precisely calculated to increase the chance of success. Entities and individuals that invest in syndicated funds are in a better position to identify risks due to stringent government-imposed requirements for prospectuses and offering memoranda to be distributed to all potential investors. Inexperienced syndicators might overlook a key responsibility that can cause the project to fail. Repurchase obligations arguably provide a false sense of security to investors because most developers have small balance sheets and cannot afford to match the investor’s contributions. The risks involved in LIHTC investment can be mitigated with proper planning, continuous oversight, and an experienced syndicator. Banks with in-house asset management units can oversee property maintenance. Although investors cede lien priority to the primary mortgage holder, foreclosure rates are relatively low and occupancy rates relatively high. Tax credit projects are viable investment alternatives. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Catherine Such, Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Community Investments (Mar. 2002), http://www.frbsf.org/community/investments/lihtc.html. [ 2 ]. Michael J. Novogradac, Investing in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, OCC Community Developments. (Mar. 2010), http://www.occ.gov/static/community-affairs/community-developments-investments/spring06/ investinginlowincome.htm. [ 3 ]. Id., See Understanding Low Income Housing Tax Credits: How to Secure Equity Investments and Evaluate Syndication Options. Corporation for Supportive Housing (Mar. 2006), http://documents.csh.org/documents/ ResourceCenter/DevOpsToolkit/UnderstandingLIHTCspdf.pdf. [ 4 ]. Sherrie L. Rhine, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: Affordable Housing Investment Opportunities for Banks. Community Affairs Development (Feb. 2008), Found in Real Estate Law Clinic Course Reader, at p. 75. [ 5 ]. Lance Bocarsly, Real Estate Law Clinic Lecture. (Thursday September 6, 2012, 4:30pm.) [ 6 ]. Understanding Low Income Housing Tax Credits: How to Secure Equity Investments and Evaluate Syndication Options, supra, Corporation for Supportive Housing (Mar. 2006.) [ 7 ]. In actuality, the percentage of qualified basis that determines the amount of tax credits is not exactly 9 or 4 percent. The rate for the 4 percent credit floats in accordance with the Applicable Federal Rate and may fluctuate above or below 4 percent. The 9 percent credit will float beginning in 2013, although current legislation has been proposed to extend the 9 percent credit floor. House of Representatives Bill 3661 is making its way through Congress. See Mark Anderson, Tax Credit at Risk for Low Income Housing. Finance and Commerce (April 26, 2012, 4:35 pm). Available at http://finance-commerce.com/2012/04/tax-credit-at-risk-for-low-income-housing/. [ 8 ]. Low-Income Housing Tax Credit: Facts & Figures, Novogradac Affordable Housing Resource Center. http://www.novoco.com/low_income_housing/facts_figures/index.php. [ 9 ]. Tim Iglesias and Rochelle E. Lento, The Legal Guide to Affordable Housing Development. Found in Real Estate Law Clinic Course Reader, at p. 28. [ 10 ]. Rhine, supra, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: Affordable Housing Investment Opportunities for Banks.† Found in Real Estate Law Clinic Course Reader, at p. 87. [ 11 ]. Understanding Low Income Housing Tax Credits: How to Secure Equity Investments and Evaluate Syndication Options, supra, at p. 4. [ 12 ]. Id. [ 13 ]. Id. [ 14 ]. Novogradac, supra, Investing in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. [ 15 ]. James L. Logue III, How LIHTC Funds Can Help Banks Invest in Affordable Housing. OCC: Community Developments (Spring 2006). http://www.occ.gov/static/community-affairs/community-developments-investments/ spring06/howlihtcfunds.htm. [ 16 ]. Id.

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 8

Strategic management - Essay Example (Florio, 2003) In 1981 the British Telecommunications Act separated BT from the Post Office and began the process of liberalization. Consequently in 1982, Mercury, an ancillary of Cable and Wireless, was certified as a national fixed line network operator became a competitor of BT. In 1983 the government declared its duopoly policy which stated that the only telecom service providers for fixed lines in the nation would be BT and Mercury for the coming 7 years. (Summanen, and Pollitt, 2003p.2) In 1982 the government planned to privatize BT. In 1984 the plan was executed and BT was privatized: 50.2% of its stakes were sold to the public. The creation of Oftel under the Telecommunications Act 1984 after BT’s privatization, finally led to the separation of its regulatory and operational functions. The privatization of BT in 1984 showed signs of a new structure of the telecom industry that could fare better in a competitive framework than in the public sector. The need for investment in the operations and services and customer orientation was acknowledged. (BT’s response, 2005, p.7) The duopoly stage of BT, from 1984 to 1990, led to a soft landing into competition. Even though BT sold its manufacturing units shortly after its privatization, the number of employees grew from1984 to1990. (Summanen, Pollitt, 2003, p.4) In 1987 Iain Vallance was selected as the chairman of BT. The initial reorganization of British telecom as an integrated telecommunications corporation was made in the early 1990s. In April 1991, BT came up with a different business structure, which was the outcome of a yearlong reorganization. BT’s new establishment concentrated on definite market sectors to satisfy the needs of a variety of customers- individuals, small companies, and MNCs. At the same time, the objective of achieving a leading position as a global telecommunications operator was laid down.

Overcoming Procrastination. Time Management Article

Overcoming Procrastination. Time Management - Article Example The personal obstacle I faced was procrastination. I had the habit of avoiding doing assignments even when I knew they had to be done. Despite having a highly detailed schedule, I would still find myself procrastinating my duties. This was as a result of getting weighed down by my workload that I would have just put it all off. At most times, I found the lectures so tiring. Concentration was also lacking with new exciting things in this new environment. Some of the causes for poor time management were; lack of self motivation and knowledge as I had no predetermined goals. Maintaining a schedule was difficult due to improper planning for a schedule that was flexible. Procrastination also contributed heavily on managing time as whatever was put off had to be done later at a time planned for another task. To overcome these obstacles, I had to employ some useful tactics. According to my biological tempo and the time of the day it became easy to plan for what would be best to do in the mo rning, day time and evening. I came up with a way to prioritize my day. In the evenings, I would put down most crucial things to be done the next day. I would then attempt them in order of their significance. I would review my progress and fix or adjust my list if necessary. When all significant errands were done, timely and in an organized manner, I would reward myself. For better concentration; studying in particular places like the library is best. Where one can avoid interruption from fellow students or friends, they can cover a lot of work and do their revision. Also switching off the phone or having it in silent mode so as not to get disrupted. During study time, one should only pick urgent calls and shun chatting with friends. Having an arranged working area beats off laziness. One can optimize their working environment. I had a file for all my things and kept them in order of the dates. My class notes were organized and kept ready for quizzes and tests. On a weekly basis, I would conduct a clean up where I would go through all my materials. I filed everything recent systematically and kept old papers in another file at home. Another helpful technique to solve procrastination would be starting on another item after finishing that which you were working on. For example, during study time when done with the day’s work, briefly start on the next assignment so as to be ahead during the subsequent session. If the work is too much you can always do only a small part of the task at a time, and this goes hand in hand with time management. If you do small quantities of the work when it is already nearing the time it should be handed in then the assignment will not be completed, but if one starts doing small portions of the work immediately assigned by submission date, it can be complete and ready to be handed in for marking. A relapse is normal and expected so one must not give up, evaluate what went wrong then try overcoming the obstacles again. After ap plying these techniques, the progress in overcoming my personal and academic challenges was remarkable. Free time and study time were defined clearly after coming up with a flexible schedule. To guarantee success in my studies, there was enough planned study time such that for every hour spent in class two hours would be devoted to revision. I discovered the overpowering problems such as the need for perfection, anxiety and panic and sought them out fast since they are what caused these obstacles in the first place. When the mind is kept occupied at all time, for example, multi tasking it helps. During breaks, going back on what you had studied and revising this for instance definitions covered earlier when studying so that they can be remembered easily if

Why we can't wait-martin luther king Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why we can't wait-martin luther king - Essay Example Martin Luther King Jr represented the African-American community, but in essence, this translates to all minority communities who lived an oppressed life. This oppression came about following colonization and the slave trade where the rights of those perceived to a weak community were subjected to a wide range of discrimination. Segregation and discrimination with regard to race, gender and education were outlawed following advocacy for civil rights. This marks a critical step towards generating independence among communities. This clearly illustrates that even as King fought for the rights of African-Americans, the benefits would be felt across different communities both regionally and nationally. King mounted a challenge to oppression by defying the status quo, which eventually got support from other members of the community other than African-Americans. However, there still exist a wide disparity based on ethnicity, race, religion and gender in modern America. This creates the need for more activism and effective leadership to bridge the gap, eliminating existing disparities. It is the tradition with most advocates of social justice to apply rhetorical strategies to engage their opponents in order to refute their claims beyond reasonable doubts. Martin Luther King is no exception as highlighted in most of his speeches, letters, and books particularly Why We Can’t Wait, which is the subject of this paper. The book was written following the conclusion of the Birmingham campaign and the Washington March in 1963.

PRODUCING SELF-COMPACTING USING WASTE MATERIALS Literature review

PRODUCING SELF-COMPACTING USING WASTE MATERIALS - Literature review Example Self-compacting concrete are considered as â€Å"the most revolutionary development in concrete construction for several decades† (EFNARC). The idea of SCC originated in Japan and has been adapted to other nations such as Europe. The development of SCC is an economic approach to offset the increasing lack of skill labour. It contributes to the economy such that it offers faster construction, easier placing, reduction of manpower on site, offers flexibility in design, improved durability, better surface finishes, thinner concrete sections and safer working environment. SCC is a practical application for the construction site work and the precast concrete works. The test for the self-compactability of the SCC measures its quality. The contributory factors include, the influence of coarse aggregate depending on spacing size, the role of mortar as the fluid in flowability of the fresh concrete, the role of mortar as the solid particles, and the influence of the coarse aggregate regarding the shape, grading and content. The employment of SCC is beneficial to construction because it eliminates the vibration noise as well it is cost-efficient for the cost of vibration compaction. The wide use of the SCC is an innovation in the concrete construction technology such that the SCC are reliable, durable concrete structures with minimum maintenance requirement (Okamura, and Ouchi, 2003). The development of SCC as a solution to the labour scarcity offered benefits to the structural concrete industry as it develops higher quality concrete with optimum workability and overcomes problems related to dust and noise. The workability property of the SCC is achieved primarily due to the high content of fine aggregates and the chemical mixtures. Various relevant studies are now introduced into the construction industry promoting the use of recycled materials for applications of SCC. This innovation is practically new, where standards of SCC with made up of recycled materials

Impacts of Entrepreneurship in the Health Sector Essay

Impacts of Entrepreneurship in the Health Sector - Essay Example Creativity in the health care environment has brought about efficiency in management of this sector as new methods have been developed, which have significantly altered the traditional approach as the term entrepreneur or innovation was not used in HealthCare. An entrepreneur in health care will create value in the sector by developing new ideas of how to attend to the operations of the health care setting, which will see to it that efficiency and competitiveness is achieved. Various entrepreneurial spirit ideas such as advancement in equipment and technology used in healthcare has had both negative and positive impacts on the health care sector. Today there are many healthcare providers in the market, and it has become a consumer driven sector. This means that consumer satisfaction is paramount for any health care venture and there needs to be innovation on how best to meet consumer needs. Consumers are rational, and they will choose the provider who best satisfies their needs by co nsidering costs, quality and availability of health care whenever they needs it. For this reason, innovation in this sector is important as an entrepreneur will come up with a unique strategy, which will ensure that they are competitive in the market, and get and retain customers (Exton, 2008). ... The innovative ideas brought forward by entrepreneurs have changed healthcare to make it more efficient and readily available, and an example is websites such as WebMD and Resolution Health, which offers consumers with information on drugs, diseases and prescriptions. Quality information on doctors and hospitals is also provided in these site, and this has increased efficiency in the sector as patients are able to get prescriptions from the comfort of their homes.in the past people had to go visit the doctors at their stations and incase of a serious illness that required immediate attention, survival of the [patient would be undermined. However, today, the entrepreneurial spirit has reduced the distance between patients and physicians as they can be able to communicate over the internet through the various platforms that entrepreneurs in the healthcare sector have developed. Innovation has resulted to the development of equipment used for diagnosis that has resulted to many procedur es, which required a visit to the doctor to be done out of hospital. Another example is the dial a doctor strategy, where, a person in need of medical attention can call the physician and they get advice over the phone at a fee. This has significantly improved services and efficiency in the health care sector, which in turn results to increased profits. Entrepreneurship in the health sector has led to innovations, which are aimed at attracting more patients, and this is the basis of increased profits since more patients will mean more patients, which means more customers and higher profits. Despite the numerous advantages that entrepreneurship has brought to the healthcare sector, it also has negative aspects, which

Abolition in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abolition in the US - Essay Example The origins of abolitionist movement in the US can be traced back to the late 18th century: the American and French revolutions that occurred at that time separated by only a decade played the key role in its onset and further development. Both revolutions strongly relied on the concepts of equality between people and their right to live free and the protestant Christian morality (Wood, 1998; Doyle, 2002). Therefore, advocates of the early abolitionist movement believed it was wrong to maintain the artificial inferiority of non-white groups promoting the ideas of emancipation.While the earliest form of abolitionism in the US were rather mild and did not achieve any significant results except for the 1808's abolition of the slave trade with Africa, the later stage of the abolitionist movement that emerged in the 1830s was more powerful and called for an immediate end to slavery. The basic ideas underlying this later movement remained exactly the same as at the earliest stage: the comm on nature and origins of all human beings, the natural right to freedom, and the immorality of forced labor (Temperley, 1980). These ideas are vividly illustrated by one of the most famous artifacts of that epoch, namely the Wedgwood medallion featuring a kneeling chained slave and a slogan "Am I not a man and a brother"

The Qur’an and Islamic Law Do Not Discriminate Against Women Essay Example for Free

The Qur’an and Islamic Law Do Not Discriminate Against Women Essay Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. From the last sermon of Prophet Mohammed The perception of most of the world, except possible the one-sixth of it that follows Islam, is that Islam and Qur’an preached that women must be subservient to men. Everyone turns to a verse in the Qur’an which tells men that they should beat their wives. Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in their sleeping places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great. (Shakirs version of the Koran, Quran, 4:34) The verse is used by opponents of Islam to denigrate the faith and even by some of the practitioners of the faith to justify their mistreatment of women, but it may not be being interpreted the way that it should be. Asma Barlas, a professor at Ithaca College and noted scholar of Islam, who identifies herself as a follower of Islam, contends that the interpretation of the verse has been taken out of context and used to portray women in Islam as victims in an attempt to force women of the faith into a position of needing rescuing. That positioning gives women in the Western world a feeling of superiority (Barlas, Southern Illinois University, 2007). The Qur’an instructs people to take God’s Holy Word, The Qur’an, as a whole, she said, and not to pick and choose the verses to follow or not to follow Barlas argues that the Qur’an does not promote the degradation of women. Instead, she said, the Qur’an promotes all humankind equally and is much less mysogonistic than the Bible, the Holy Word of the Christian faith. In her speech at Southern Illinois University, Barlas asserted that she did not speak for anyone other than herself, but her views are shared by many women in Islam. They believe that it is in historic documents used by some Muslim cultures that the Qur’an has been misinterpreted and the mistreatment of women began. â€Å"Again this is not true. Many writers who wrote about womens rights refer to the statement in 4:34 as a sign of the man is above the women in status but it is a misunderstood statement. In 4:34, the expression .. al-rijalu qawwdmuna ala al-nisai. means The men are made responsible for the women, and GOD has endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. This expression simply means that God is appointing the husband as captain of the ship. Marriage is like a ship, and the captain runs it after due consultation with his officers. It does not assign inequality but rather assigns duties to avoid conflicts and disputes. (â€Å"Misconceptions in Islam†) The problem is that most people don’t take the time to read the original Arabic or even attempt to find an accurate interpretation of the texts, they simply believe what they are told about what the faith believes. This is part of the problem. â€Å"Nonetheless, if we take sexual/textual oppression seriously, and I believe we must, the issue of how Muslims read, or—as I will arguefail to read, the Quran becomes critical, especially for women. † (Barlas, â€Å"Muslim Women Sexual Oppression†) Unlike Christianity which prescribed women to an inferior status by saying that woman was made from the rib of man, (Ragab 1) Islam teaches that God the creator made them as halves of each other. Neither does Islam teach that man was made in God’s image as the Bible does, (Barlas, SIU) but instead teaches that the difference between God and man is so extreme that people can never understand the nature of God. This is one of the arguments that woman supporters of Islam use to argue that Islam is not nearly as mysogonistic as Christiantiy is. Instead, Barlas and others argue that Islam faith promotes equality between the sexes, even going so far as to outline specific rights of women. For example, unlike Christian women, Islamic women are given a specific right to divorce their husbands and allowed to remarry after a three month period. (Ragab 1). â€Å"Both men and women have equal rights to contract a marriage as well as to dissolve it. The precondition of marriage is merely the mutual agreement by both parties. And unlike Christianity, a woman in Islam can divorce her husband at any time if she feels that she has been dealt with unjustly or even if she is just unhappy with her spouse since marriage is based upon mutual responsibilities toward each other. Islam has also ensured the womans right to remarry pending a three month refrainment period. † (Ragab 1) Islam also promotes the equality of women in that it explitly allows them to work outside the home. Muslim countries have even elected women as prime ministers. Some people even argue that the mistreatment of women in the faith comes not from the religion but from many of the colonial overlords that once ruled countries now considered Muslim. â€Å"Much of the civil law that legislates personal and family matters in Egypt, for example, is directly based on old French law. As a result, an Egyptian man can divorce his wife much more easily than the reverse. Consequently, women often have to suffer long and expensive court procedures and have to prove that they were mistreated by their husbands before being granted a divorce. Often times, laws in Middle Eastern countries, which are legislated and enforced by men, only take bits and pieces of Islamic law and combine them with concocted rules based upon some cultural or foreign practices. † (Ragab 1) Other practices, such as the prohibition against women driving in some Muslim countries, has nothing to do with Islam (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†) â€Å"Why then is Islam portrayed as a religion that oppresses women and puts them in a position inferior to men? Part of that is certainly due to the stereotyped image of how Islamic women are portrayed in western media as an extension of Islam-bashing. A prominent example is the movie Not Without My Daughter in which scores of false and fictitious depictions were made of women in an Islamic country. It is also true, however, that in many so called Islamic countries, women are not treated according to their God-given rights. But this is not the fault of Islamic ideology but rather the misapplication or sometimes the outright denial of the ideology in these societies. â€Å" (Ragab 1) The misconceptions of the treatment of women in Islam are a factor of the historical writing in some sects and the way that Muslim countries have misinterpted the Qur’an (Baslas, SIU). For example, Sunna and Hadith writings claim that women must wear a veil but this is not in Qur’an. â€Å"These books do not represent the words of God in the Quran and on many occasions contradict them. † (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†) But too much of the world has accepted these teachings of the expression of Muslim nations as the absolute truth of Islam. â€Å"This misconception was augmented by some news media that made little effort to correct their understanding before broadcasting their views on this matter. Adding to this misconception are the regrettable practices in most so called Islamic countries or societies where myths, traditions and innovations have won over the true Islamic (Quranic) teachings and where women are traditionally subdued and oppressed. † (â€Å"Misconceptions of Islam†).

Social Cognitive Perspective and Phenomenological Perspective

Social Cognitive Perspective and Phenomenological Perspective The quoted text is taken from Social Psychology (Hollway et al 2007, p.35). It challenges the accountability of certain methods in their ability to accurately reflect the reality of social phenomena. Implicitly understood in this statement is that qualitative methods are better suited than quantitative methods. Qualitative methods are better able to reflect richness and complexity of lived experience than quantitative methods which are capable of limiting, constraining and distorting it. This is a polemical stance that has accompanied the growth in qualitative methods since the 1980s. The Social Cognitive Perspective (SCP) and Phenomenological Perspective (PP) demonstrate how strikingly different methods can be. They have different epistemological stances and make different ontological claims. The nature of being (ontology) is understood differently in social psychology, such as the information-processing individual in a social context (SCP) or the experiencing, embodied individual in relation with  others (PP). Limitations and benefits of the SCP and the PP are illustrated by a critical review of Milgrams 1970s experiment on obedience to authority and the works of Eatough and Smith (2006) on feelings of anger in the context of the lives of individual women. Gregen, K.J. (1973) in his account of social psychology as History gave voice to a debate about the relative merits of social psychology methods. In particular whether social psychology as a discipline was scientific in nature or should be considered as contemporary history. Gregen argued that social psychology was a product of historical and cultural climates which constantly changed, producing theories and knowledge that did not prove to be consistent. In this light it was suggested that the prevailing quantitative scientific methods should give way to more descriptive accounts with appreciation for how knowledge is situated within a social-cultural-historic context. These themes of situated knowledge are highlighted by Milgrams findings on obedience to authority. Milgram demonstrated through his experimental conditions the potential for acts of cruelty to be committed by a stranger (research participant and executant) to another stranger (researcher assistant and victim) because they were following orders (researcher and authority figure). His findings have been widely cited and used in psychological text books as factual scientific accounts. They have however been criticised on a number of ethical and substantive terms (Holloway et al 2007, p.53). For example Milgram recorded that participants were observed to sweat, tremble, stutter, bite their lips, and groan as they found themselves implicated (Milgram, 1977, p. 112; in Holloway et al 2007, p.54). The use of deception and unnecessary stress to research participants is seen by many as being unjustifiable. Milgram himself was less concerned with the immediate distress caused and was satisfied that questionnaires sent after one year showed participants felt positively towards the experiment (Milgram, 1974, p.195 within Hollway et al 2007, p.52). In Milgrams time research ethics were not as developed as they are today. Arguably the overall benefit of the research was deemed more important than any minor stress caused. This insight is perhaps justifiable given Milgrams interest in trying to understand how hatred and persecution of Jews under Hitlers Nazi Germany could have happened. Milgrams experimental conditions in which one agent commands another to hurt a third reflected his underlying theory that elements of authority, executant and victim were central to obedience and hostility (Milligram, 1977, p.102; in Holloway et al 2007, p.53). Apart from ethics critics such as Harre 1979, p.105 argues that there are substantive problems with his study. Harre notes that the issue of trust was overlooked; trust as a possible response to power was likely key to participants behaviour as an executants. In fact 40% of participants did not follow the instruction to inflict pain on the victim, however these accounts are given little attention. Similarly the research setting was changed because of a perceived influence of Yale University on giving authority to the instruction to the executant. It was moved from the universitys laboratory to the basement and then to a nearby town called Bridgeport. But, Milgram, 1977, p. 116 believed that the level of obedience in Bridgeport, although somewhat reduced, was not significantly lower than that obtained at Yale with 48% vs. 65% opposed. 17% between sites can be interpreted as statistically significant (Holloway et al 2007, p.53). Ultimately the reliability and validity of Milgrams findings can be questioned on a number of points. Although Milgram sort scientific objectivity he failed to consider ethical questions fully, did not explore the relevance of the research settings or participants personal experiences. PP provides an interesting perspective to juxtapose with traditional scientific methods. It has in its own right a long established history dating back to the C18th from philosophical works by Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Jean-Paul Sartre, et al (Smith Woodruff 2009). As an approach to social psychology it became popular alongside a humanistic perspective in USA during the second half of the C20th. It seeks detailed descriptions instead of explanations for human behaviour, addressing all aspects of a topic, and suspending judgements and assumptions that may be held by the researcher (Hollway et al 2007, p131). Linda Finlay (2009) in Debating Phenomenological Research Methods acknowledges that variations in methodology have flourished within PP. The competing visions of how to practice phenomenology stem from different philosophical values, theoretical preferences, and methodological procedures. Smiths Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) is however one that has become popular. Smith argues that his idiographic and inductive method, which seeks to explore participants personal lived experiences, is phenomenological in its concern for individuals perceptions. He also, however, identifies more strongly with hermeneutic traditions which recognize the central role played by the researcher, and does not advocate the use of bracketing (Smith, 2004). The competing visions of how to practice phenomenology stem from different philosophical values, theoretical preferences, and methodological procedures. Eatough and Smith (2006) used interpretative phenomenological analysis of feelings of anger in the context of the lives of individual women. Specifically they used descriptive tools to explore three analytic themes the subjective experience of anger, forms and contexts of aggression, and anger as moral judgment. They concluded that mean making is a fundamental process in how the participants formed emotions. The descriptive accounts from the interviews with Marilyn (one of the research participants) were given as a case in point. Eatough and Smith (2006) believed that Marilyns anger towards her mother was changed by her self-reflections and counselling. It can be argued that richness and complexity provided by PP in its account of womens anger by Eatough and Smith (2006) far outreaches that by its SCP counterparts. The SCP remains however the dominant perspective in social psychology and has been helped by innovations in research methods. For example, Fazio et al (1995) work that has built on the concepts of cognitive errors and biases implicated in prejudice thinking (Fiske and Taylor, 1991). Their research has suggested that subtle forms of prejudice are now more pervasive than blatant forms. Their experiment measured response times of white undergraduates when classifying stimulus words as either being positive or negative meaning; after viewing random photos of black and white faces. They found evidence of inhibition and facilitation effects which were largely automatic, unconscious associations, between the colour of faces and positive or negative evaluations. In conclusion, the quoted text implicitly suggests that methods such as those used by SCP can be limiting, constraining and distorting but perhaps this is only half the story. Although quantification can be accused of being myopic, failing to appreciate richness and complexity in the account of the social phenomena under question they often do so knowingly. The scientific tradition of looking for cause and effect relationships in social psychology continues to be dominant over other methodologies. This reflects the willingness of the discipline to continue to strive for objectivism, statistical reliability and validity, and ultimately for the advancement of practical application. Moreover, as Gregen, K.J. (1973) noted social psychology methods are constantly adapting and evolving the work of Fazio et al (1995) on subtle forms of prejudice being testament to this. In contrast richness and complexity of qualitative methods such as PP often comes at a cost as the research is time-consu ming may have limited practical application.

Right to Die Debate

Right to Die Debate Briana Rodriguez â€Å"At the moment when I find myself unable to fight, give me a right to die.†- Friedrich Engels. When dealing with terminally ill patients, the right to die is ones choice, and shouldn’t be determined by legal actions of the government. Many citizens of the United States argue about the right to die, and how to ethically and legally deal with this request, wanted by many terminally ill patients all around. The right to die is an ethical or legal entitlement for an individual to undergo voluntary euthanasia and commit suicide. Many patients with terminally illness often deal with the conclusion that their life will be coming to an end, due to lack of medical support. Many of these illnesses, from cancer to Lou Gehrig’s disease, are untreatable and the patient has to come to grips that they will die soon. The families slowly watch them die and the patient not only has to physically deal with the pains of their body slowly shutting down, but also has to subconsci ously deal with the pain they are causing around them as well. That is why the right to die should be permitted legally, for the patient’s physical and mental care and also for the families surrounding them. The list below is key concepts to supporting the idea that the right to die is ones choice and should be legally permitted by the government. Nancy Cruzan and Brittany Maynard Laws and Supreme Court Cases supporting the right to die Professional opinions and statistical facts The idea to legally be permitted the right to die has been around for decades. The most current involvement being Brittany Maynard. Who was told in April 2014, that she had a brain tumor and that in sixth months would die from it. She refused to allow it to kill her and refused to let her family watch her die. So instead, she achieved her bucket list, moved to Oregon and surrounded by all her loved ones in her home, died in November of that year. She quoted â€Å"when exactly is the right time to die?† http://listverse.com/2014/11/15/10-heartbreaking-right-to-die-cases/ Maynard’s death was as peaceful as falling asleep and there was no pain. There is no more proof needed to show that the right to die helps the patients more than physically but mentally, and not just themselves but their loved ones as well. No one wants to die, but given the circumstances, this is the best most peaceful way to go. It is unethical for the government to not allow this and inhumane to allow the patients to suffer when it could be so much more peaceful. There are cases all around the US, in which day to day people, deal with the reality that they are in fact dying. And some cases, the fact that the patients aren’t even dying, is where the right to die is needed. January 1983, Nancy Cruzan was hurt in a severe car accident. The paramedics saved her heart beat, and although she was alive, she suffered from many injuries. She was entirely oblivious to her surroundings, she was a spastic quadriplegic, her brain had degenerated, had irreversible tendon and muscle damage, and had no reflexive ability to either chew or swallow anything and would never gain the ability to do so. All this being sited on, www.euthanasia.com. She was in severe pain and could not, or wouldn’t ever be, able to do any type of day to day things needed to survive on her own. She was in an intense vegetative state, and would be till the day she died. This was the first time the US Supreme Court was given the right to die case. This particular case help s to support the other side, of the right to die act. It is in fact not just for patients who are coming to the ends of their life, but also for those who are suddenly put into an accident and will never again gain their ability to survive without machines. Some debate against the right to die, because they believe that the patient could possibly be saved and that there are certain â€Å"what ifs† and there could always be a chance things will change. But there are patients who were never sick and, due to life changing accidents, are now stuck in a vegetative state and will never again get to â€Å"live†. There are no â€Å"what ifs† for these people, and therefore they should have the absolute right to end their lives, due to the suffering of day to day living being too much. There are actually some cases in which the people have taken the cases further up into the Supreme Court; one US Supreme Court case being Washington v. Glucksberg. Washington criminally charges anyone who â€Å"knowingly causes or aids another person to commit suicide.† http://www.oyez.org. Glucksberg argued that denying a terminally ill person the right to die actually violates the Fourteenth amendment and denies a person the liberty to choose death over life if they wanted to. It was taken to court and decided that the right to assist suicide is not a liberty interest and is actually offensive to the traditions of our nation. Another case being Vacco v. Quill was also taken to the Supreme Court. â€Å"New York’s ban, while permitting patients to refuse lifesaving treatment on their own, has historically made it a crime for doctors to help patients commit or attempt suicide.† Sited from http://www.oyez.org/cases/1990-1999/1996_95_1858. Although these court cases were not ruled in favor, there are some legal actions that have been in favor and support the right to die. The Death with Dignity Act went into effect in 1994, legally allowing any â€Å"mentally competent, terminally-ill adult state residents to voluntarily request and receive a prescription medication to hasten their death†. http://deathwithdignity.org. That meaning it allows mentally sane and conscious citizens to be allowed to voluntary take euthanasia to end their suffering with their terminal illness. Many citizens all around the states, including the example of Maynard before, move to Oregon to peacefully receive the medication and be given the right to die. The public is very much associated with the voting on the right to die, although it is in much debate. On http://thehastingscenter.org/Publications/BriefingBook/Detail.aspx?id=2202 it states that when the public was asked whether or not physician-assisted death should be permitted approximately â€Å"two-thirds† of the entire population of the US is in fact, actually approve but only as an option for terminally ill patients who are in suffering and cannot be cured or help any longer. Statiscally proving that the population even believes in the right to die is ones choice. It should not be illegal and it should be permitted especially when the patient is in a great deal of suffering. It’s obvious that if a person’s in deep suffering, then a peaceful death should be the way to go, it is the only humane thing to do in order to help a person. Other statistics were found when asked by a field of people who specifically work with these types of patients; hospice nurses . When asked to complete the survey, taken from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsaa020562, â€Å"Forty-five percent had cared for a patient who requested .assistance with suicide.† And had â€Å"Eigty-two patients were had received perscriptions for lethal medication.† And â€Å"Seventy-seven percent of the request had been presented at a hospice interdisciplinary conference on patient care† Statiscally proving that terminally ill patients, who hospice nurses deal with every day, have asked and it is a question among the nurses. More and more people are hearing about the right to die and there are interest groups all around fighting for terminally ill patients, groups from National Hospice and Pallative Care Organization (NHPCO) and others more widely known like the Death with Dignity National Center(DDNC). More groups being sited on http://diglib.libary.vanderbilt.edu There are so many people who are dying and are suffering greatly but instead of being allowed to be put out their misery, they are instead prolonged their death and have to wait until every part of their body slowly shuts down one at a time. They then lose hearing, seeing, feeding and more until finally their heart finally stops. The patients are unable to do anything. Not only watch them deteriorate literally piece by piece, but also watch their loved ones grow depressed at watching them suffer. Dealing with death, is not an easy topic to discuss especially politically. But, the right to die is a person’s choice and the government should definitely not permit a person from doing so if it ends their suffering. Examples from Supreme Court Cases, to every day to day citizen, the right to die should be permitted. The government says a terminally ill patient does not have the legal right to kill themselves nor be assisted then who’s right is it? What must a person do to obtain their right to end their own suffering?

The Negative Effects of Power Rangers on Children Essay -- Media Viole

The Negative Effects of Power Rangers on Children "Master Sword†¦.. show your power." When Ranger Mike encounters trouble, he calls on his power source for a transformation. He is then empowered with sword in hand ready to fight the giant dinosaur from a distant planet (Haim, 1999). The show continues entertaining children with many more similar scenes of fighting. Children of all ages are attracted Power Rangers' television programs, movies, and toys. Because of the amount of violence, Power Rangers has raised concerns for parents and professionals. Power Rangers are a group of teenagers who discover their call to save the world from injustice. When they need to fight they simply call upon their power, transform into a superhero then fight. They will fight by using karate chops and fancy moves of martial arts—flying and jumping through the air. Other than their karate moves, they are powerless unless they transform into their outfits—each uniform a different color. It is only by their super power god that they can access their powerful swords, and fight the enemy. After every act is won, they of course are unharmed, they transform back into their normal human beings and life goes on (Haim, 1999). Some consider Power Rangers as harmless simply because it is a child's program and just a show. Contrary to this, evidence shows that it does harm children in more than one way. Children are not able to perceive it as fantasy, but rather real because of the real-live people and scenery. Whether the children perceive it as real or not, children are influenced heavily by the show resulting in aggressive behavior. Parents, teachers, and the Christian community notice the increased aggression and are concerned ... ... National Association for the Education of Young Children. --------- and Paige, N.C. (1996). Disempowering The ‘Power Rangers’. Education Digest 61 (9) 17-21. Retrieved October 25, 2001 from MasterFILE Premier database. Marks, A. (1998). What Children See and Do: Studies of violence on TV. Christian Science Monitor 90 (99) 3. Retrieved October 26, 2001 from MAS Ultra School Edition. Stanley, T.L. (2001). Power Rangers Still Have a Kick. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 25, 2001, from Newspaper database. Teachers are beginning to fight back against Mighty Morphin Power Pupils. (1995). Curriculum Review 34 (6) 11, Retrieved October 25, 2001 from MasterFILE premier database. White, D. (1999 June). â€Å"Violence is not Child’s Play: Parents fight an uphill battle in teaching non-violence to their children. Christian Social Action 12, 30-32.

Essay examples --

Over the last few decades, the organizational role of management accountants has changed radically, along with the environment. Many of these changed management accountants undertake more advisory and strategic roles in their organizations. Their work has become more similar to that to business partners who are involved in both the everyday and the long term strategic decision making process. This essay will critically analyze the role of management accountants in the present day, as compared to their more traditional role in previous decades. First a distinction between financial accounting and management accounting must be made. Financial accountants are concerned with having financial systems put in place that allow them to maintain records, perform routine transactions, and produce year end reports (Cook 1995). Management accountants are more involved in using that financial information to improve management of the organization. Management can be defined as involved in â€Å"identifying, presenting, and interpreting information used for formulating strategy, planning and controlling activities, decision taking, and optimizing the use of resources† (Cook 1995). Historically speaking, management accountants have been viewed as â€Å"functional scorekeepers who are preoccupied with the past and reluctant to accept responsibility for decisions† (Parker 2002). The traditional role is one which concentrates on two main areas: supporting management decision-making and monitoring and controlling (Feeney & Pierce 2007). These management accountants focused primarily on the internal aspects of their work places, as well as a more statistical, financial and analytical perspective. Traditionally management accountants were not involved in decisio... ...e involved (Byrne & Pierce 2007), and operational managers may continue to consider the accountants to be in the role of making suggestions rather than decisions. Over the last few decades, the role of the management accountant has changed drastically. Traditionally involved in analyzing past decisions and statistics, present day management accountants have become more involved in forward thinking strategies and actual operational decision making. This leads to management accountants who perform a wide range of activities which might have been unheard of for them in previous years. However, this transition is not necessarily as straightforward as anticipated. These new kind of management accountants must overcome considerable challenges and conflicts in order to achieve the new role that is seen as both necessary and beneficial for the present business environment. Essay examples -- Over the last few decades, the organizational role of management accountants has changed radically, along with the environment. Many of these changed management accountants undertake more advisory and strategic roles in their organizations. Their work has become more similar to that to business partners who are involved in both the everyday and the long term strategic decision making process. This essay will critically analyze the role of management accountants in the present day, as compared to their more traditional role in previous decades. First a distinction between financial accounting and management accounting must be made. Financial accountants are concerned with having financial systems put in place that allow them to maintain records, perform routine transactions, and produce year end reports (Cook 1995). Management accountants are more involved in using that financial information to improve management of the organization. Management can be defined as involved in â€Å"identifying, presenting, and interpreting information used for formulating strategy, planning and controlling activities, decision taking, and optimizing the use of resources† (Cook 1995). Historically speaking, management accountants have been viewed as â€Å"functional scorekeepers who are preoccupied with the past and reluctant to accept responsibility for decisions† (Parker 2002). The traditional role is one which concentrates on two main areas: supporting management decision-making and monitoring and controlling (Feeney & Pierce 2007). These management accountants focused primarily on the internal aspects of their work places, as well as a more statistical, financial and analytical perspective. Traditionally management accountants were not involved in decisio... ...e involved (Byrne & Pierce 2007), and operational managers may continue to consider the accountants to be in the role of making suggestions rather than decisions. Over the last few decades, the role of the management accountant has changed drastically. Traditionally involved in analyzing past decisions and statistics, present day management accountants have become more involved in forward thinking strategies and actual operational decision making. This leads to management accountants who perform a wide range of activities which might have been unheard of for them in previous years. However, this transition is not necessarily as straightforward as anticipated. These new kind of management accountants must overcome considerable challenges and conflicts in order to achieve the new role that is seen as both necessary and beneficial for the present business environment.

Lincoln High School

For most students at Lincoln High School, today is no different than any other regular school day. For me however, it’s the day I’ve been looking forward to for over a month. Today is the day when our hard work during numerous evening rehearsals pays off. Today is the day when the hundreds of hours put into making costumes, building the set, and intricate make up designs are displayed. Today is the day we open the show. One by one the students filter into the theater room. For the first evening performance, call is at 5:00, but by the time I’ve arrived at 4:30 room 220 is already filled with students busily preparing for the show. Costumes begin to disappear from the costume closet and a thin layer of powder and cream makeup appears on the counter. I manage to squeeze my way through the mob of people standing around, chatting, applying makeup, or curling hair and find myself a wonderful seat in front of the mirror. As I sit down I’m overcome with a thick, chocking cloud of hairspray. Over the next hour students slowly transform into their characters, no longer the same people who walked through the door earlier this evening. The director enters and shouts â€Å"Twenty minutes until show!† Myself, and everyone one else in the theater room echoes in response, â€Å"Thank you twenty!† You can almost feel the level of excitement rising. The chattering gets a little louder. Soon after the announcement, the cast gather around the tables and began to stretch. The chattering dies down, and I begin to reflect over what we’ve accomplished over the last month and a half. Five minutes until the show starts. Everyone circles up and join hands so the seniors can continue on the tradition of â€Å"The Energy Circle†. â€Å"Are you ready?† Everyone replies in their stage whisper, â€Å"Yeahhhhh!† â€Å"Then let’s get ready to rumble!† The wave is started around the circle. It goes around once, twice, and than dies out. It’s time to report to our places. As everybody waits, cramped in the wings of the stage, my mind begins to race with questions. What if I forget my line? What if I miss a cue? My thoughts are intercepted with the dimming of the lights. Black out. Everyone quickly, but quietly gets into their opening position and freezes. The lights come up, and the show begins. Time starts to fly by. We are performing the show better than at any rehearsal. Before I know it I’m taking a bow. The crowd is cheering wildly. The lights go out and the cast exits off stage. Only moments later, the senior dip begins to fill with parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. I am overjoyed to see some of my friends, and immediately I am bombarded with hugs and positive reviews. Soon, people begin to pull away from their family and friends because there are duties and chores that need to be taken care of before anyone can leave. Costumes are gathered, neatly hung up and the makeup grime is wiped off of the counter. The floor is moped, the tables are cleaned, and the chairs are pushed in, ready for students in class tomorrow. The room is spotless, and we are allowed to go home and rest to prepare for another show tomorrow night.

The Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology

John B. Watson work on classical behaviorism that paved the way for B. F. Skinner's radical or operant behaviorism which has had a large impact on educational systems. Watson was one of the influential psychologists of the twentieth century. His material is still used in most psychology and educational psychology texts. Watson helped with defining the study of behavior anticipated Skinner's emphasis on operant conditioning and the importance of learning and environmental influences in human development.Watson’s criticized of Sigmund Freud has been given credit for helping to disseminate principles of Freudian psychoanalysis. Watson is known for the Little Albert study and his dozen healthy infants quote. Watson is given credit for popularizing the term behaviorism with the publication of his seminal 1913 article â€Å"Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It. † In the article, Watson argued that psychology had failed in its quest to become a natural science, largely due t o a focus on consciousness and other unseen phenomena.Rather than study these unverifiable ideas, Watson urged the careful scientific study of observable behavior. His view of behaviorism was a reaction to introspection, where each researcher served as their own research subject. The study of consciousness by Freud and Watson believed to be subjective and unscientific. Watson believed that controlled laboratory studies were the most effective way to study learning. In approach manipulation of the learner's environment was the key to fostering development.The approach stands in contrast to techniques that placed the emphasis for learning in the mind of the learner. The 1913 article gives credit for the founding of behaviorism but it had a minor impact after its publication. Watson prepared psychologists and educators for the highly influential work of Skinner and other radical behaviorists in subsequent decades. B. F. Skinner was one of the most influential theorists in modern psycho logy. His work was very important and has been studied by many for years. His theories have helped mankind in many ways.He studied the behavior patterns of many living organisms. His most important work was the study of behaviorism. John B. Watson, behaviorism is one of the most widely studied theories today; Influence in Psychology. B. F. Skinner was one of the most famous of the American psychologists. Skinner was responsible for experiments such as the â€Å"Skinner box†. He wrote some very famous books. One of them was â€Å"The Behavior of Organisms†. This book describes the basic points of his system. Another was Walden Two. This book describes a utopian society that functions on positive reinforcement.Behaviorism is a school of thought in psychology that is interested in observable behavior. Skinner said, â€Å"Behaviorism is not the science of human behavior; it is the philosophy of that science. † There are various types of behavior, such as innate beha vior. Innate behaviors are certain behaviors. B. F. Skinner, in his novel Walden Two, presents many arguments about how he foresees a positive change in the world through manipulation of behavior on the personal level. B. F. Skinner's entire system is based on operant conditioning. This organism is the process of operating on the environment.This operating the organism encounters a special kind of stimulus called a reinforcing stimulus or reinforcer. The special stimulus have the effect of increasing the operant which is the behavior occurring. Operant conditioning the behavior is followed by a consequence or the nature of the consequence modifies the organisms’ tendency to repeat the behavior in the future. Example; you have a cat and the cat just playing around with a ball and when you throw the ball at the cat and the cat catches it and you give him a treat. The cat is starts to catch the ball as you throw it in the air .The operant is the behavior prior to. The cat will s top the trick which you’re were enjoying. This is called extinction of the operant behavior. If you were to start showing the dog treats then likely the cat with start doing the tricks again and more quickly than the cat learned at first. This is because the return of the reinforcer takes place in a reinforcement history that goes all the way back to the first time the cat was reinforced for doing the tricks. Freud and Skinner agree that human behavior is the result of outside barriers that hinder the ideal of free ill. Skinner believes that humans in good environment can live happy while Freud understands that humans are design to live in some degree of anguish or discontent. Skinner uses the example of Walden Two to illustrate his ideas of how human behavior should be formed. Skinner’s argues on how to eliminate what he knows as problematic rests on his prescription of dismissing the notion of individual freedom. Skinner does not only say that the ideal of individual freedom is farce. He takes further and states that the search for it is where society has gone wrong.He wants no part in the quest for individual freedom. If we give up this illusion, says Skinner, we can condition everyone to act in acceptable ways. Skinner has a specific prescription for creating this utopian society. He believe that all that is necessary is to change the conditions which surround man. He believe that by controlling what a person's environment is it is possible to craft a man to behave in any way. Skinner wants to use this notion to create a world without pain and suffering. In Walden Two, he describes what conditions are necessary to create a world of happiness.Skinner proposes that to create his perfect society one need only to come up with the characteristics of what man should be. Edward Chace Tolman was a modern cognitive psychology. He showed that animals in learning mazes acquire organized spatial and temporal information about the maze and about the conse quences of various alternative behaviors. He was combating the dominant views of his time which emphasized the acquisition of conditioned reflexes rather than knowledge about environmental events. Although several short biographies or reviews of Tolman's contributions are (Crutchfield, 1961; Crutchfield et al. 1960; Hilgard, 1980; Innes, 1999, 2000; McFarland, 1993; Ritchie, 1964; Tolman, 1952), it is appropriate that one be included in an encyclopedia of learning and memory because workers in this field today are using ideas that were initiated and developed by Tolman. Tolman's findings and ideal have helped to shape modern understanding of learning, memory and cognition. Tolman was similar to the behaviorists in his ideals on objectivity and measurement. He did not believe reinforcement was necessary for learning to occur. Tolman (1932) proposed five types of learning: pproach learning, escape learning, avoidance learning, choice-point learning, and latent learning. All forms of l earning depend upon means-end readiness, goal-oriented behavior, mediated by expectations, perceptions, representations, and other internal or environmental variables But the problems with his work were that he poorly defined many terms that he used in his fundamental theories, and that is difficult to make predictions from a point of view because of lack of determining the nature and strength of expectations before hand and when or how expectations may change.There are different ways to think about humans and their behaviors. In modern psychology provide researchers a way to approach problems and find ways to explain and predict human behavior. Develop new treatment for problem with behaviors. All three men contributes to psychology even to psychologist are still using their methods in studies. Several area of the human’s behavior is accomplished by Skinner, Watson and Tolman that stand today in modern psychology.These men did not agree on every thing but made a caramel grou nd in studying the human behavior. Also they was studied of animal compare with the human’s behavior which many theory still exist today. These three men remain widely accepted, but all have contributed tremendously to our understanding of human thought and behaviors. The field of psychology has come a long way and these are three men that help paved the way for modern psychology for researchers and student who studied field pertaining to psychology. The Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology The Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology Abstract Research and statistics are essential elements within the field of Psychology. Through the evolution of technology, the task of conducting adequate research and statistics methods have become abundant in methodology. Because of such, research collection and experimentation approaches of researchers and Psychologists, greatly vary in specificity. However, one method reigns true and consistent, and that is the Scientific Method; of which will be further explored.This paper will discuss and make sense of the roles in which both research and statistics play in the field of Psychology, and the procedures in which such methods are conducted will be defined. This will include explanations of the validity, importance, and relevance of the above stated procedures, as such are referenced for study. The Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology Research and statistics play a crucial role in the field of psy chology, both of which are used to ascertain and examine informational data. Such methods are used to greatly increase the effectiveness and success of an organization or field of study.Scientific or logical informational data is typically established through the use of the scientific method. Over the course of research history and study, the scientific method has become known to be the most reliable and consistent method of obtaining dependable knowledge. Such knowledge is then kept and utilized by researchers, either for their own study (primary data), or by a secondary party referencing said data (secondary data). Essentially, the field of Psychology is geared towards ascertaining the truth about people, the mental process, and behaviors that follow.The truth can only truly be found through the above methods. The Scientific Method For as long as the human mind has had thought, human beings have, in one way or another, questioned, observed, and analyzed the world we live in and th e way we proceed to live within it. These human beings, the thinkers, the observers, the analyzers have always been and still remain the scholars of their time period. The phrase â€Å"method of scholars† is an alternative title for the scientific method, for it is the absolute best set of methods in finding the truth, and of course the scholars would know. It has often been said that the greatest discovery in science was the discovery of the scientific method of discovery†: (Feibleman, 1972). This method is an investigation in which a problem is initially identified. With this, observations, experiments, and other relevant data (provided by research) are then used to create or test hypotheses that lead to conclusions about the original problem. The steps involved in this process include: 1) Forming a testable hypothesis. 2) Devising a research plan and method of application. 3) Collecting data and researching. 4) Analyzing the data and reaching possible conclusions abo ut the study. ) Report findings. This research can be characterized as an activity of creative work that is carried out in a systematic way in an effort to increase knowledge and truth. In the field of psychology, this refers to the knowledge of the human mind, human behavior, cultures, and societies. In order to fully understand how researchers, scientists, psychologists, scholars, and students alike reach such conclusions, one needs to recognize the importance of the research process and measures that are applied when conducting the various types of psychological research.With this knowledge, one will not only understand what is involved in reaching conclusions about psychology, but also how to do so oneself. (McLeod, 2008) Primary and Secondary Data. Primary and secondary data are both key components in any piece of information. These two types of data are used within many avenues of life, not just research and science. They can be published or unpublished and in any media presen tation, from print to electronic. Therefore, since Primary and secondary data are quite abundant, yet perhaps undistinguishable from the uneducated eye†¦ What exactly are the differences and characteristics of such?The distinct difference between primary and secondary data is the method of research in which the data was found. While primary data is both researched and utilized by the same source, secondary data comes from the research of a combination of external or secondary sources. An accurate example of primary data is that of personal vital statistics records, for such are accounts that have been personally witnessed and recorded by the source, and then kept by public institutions, as well as the source. Specific examples of personal records would include but are not limited to: birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses.Such examples are vital to the functioning of an individual and the organization (country) of which that individual resides. Additional ly, such documents can be used in genealogical research, and other research projects related to society, culture, and psychology. One stepped removed from the original source of data, would be data that is secondary. A prime example of such would be information found in textbooks and historical documents, which are comprised of information that was borrowed from multiple primary sources.Case in point, when a history book includes computed data regarding a regions birth and death rates for a specific time period, the birth and death certificates would have originally been considered primary data, but when utilized and calculated by an outside source for the purpose of a study shown in the book, that data then becomes secondary. (McLeod, 2008) Statistics in Research. Statistics are a crucial part of research. Without, statistics, it is nearly impossible to attain a definitive conclusion and/or compute data in any research study.Being that the study of statistics is the science of coll ecting, analyzing, and making inferences from data, it quite literally communicates research findings in an effort to give credibility to the research itself. Obviously, it is imperative that researchers understand statistics, however, it is also important that the general population has at least a basic understanding of such. For not only researchers, but the entire population is bombarded by statistics every day, and in one way or another, everyone performs research.Whether the research is nominal, such as comparing prices, or significant, such as proving a ground breaking psychological theory, the point remains that it is all research and all research is comprised of statistics (Aron & Coups, 2009). Conclusion. Arthur Schopenhauer once said, â€Å"Just as the largest library, badly arranged, is not so useful as a very moderate one that is well arranged, so the greatest amount of knowledge, if not elaborated by our own thoughts, is worth much less than a far smaller volume that h as been abundantly and repeatedly thought over. Schopenhauer’s quote is an excellent representation of the importance of research, the scientific method, primary data, secondary data, and the role of statistics in research. Essentially, an abundance of information is only influential and valuable when it has been analyzed and brought to purposeful point. Through the understanding and proper use of the above explored topics, one can surely make a positive impact upon the field of Psychology and research alike. References Aron, A. , Aron, E. N. , & Coups, E. J. (2009). Statistics for psychology (5th ed. ).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Darwin, Charles. (1859). On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 428. Retrieved from http://todayinsci. com/QuotationsCategories/P_Cat/Psychology-Quotations. htm Feibleman, Dr. James. (1972). The Scientific Method. Retrieved from http://www. scientificmethod. com/index2. html McLeod, S. A. (2008). Psychology as a S cience. Retrieved from http://www. simplypsychology. org/science-psychology. html Reiff, Harwood, Phillipson. (2002). â€Å"A scientific method based upon research scientists' conceptions of scientific inquiry. (Presentation). Presented at the Annual International Conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science. Retrieved from http://cires. colorado. edu/education/outreach/rescipe/collection/inquirystandards. html Sage, Nicole. (2001). â€Å"Steps of the Scientific Method†. Introduction to Research. Retrieved from http://finntrack. co. uk/learners/research. htm Figures The Scientific Method based on Research Scientists’ Conceptions of Scientific Inquiry (Reiff, Harwood, Phillipson , 2002) Standard Steps of the Scientific Method (Sage, 2001)

Online Billing System Essay

POS, Inventory System, Networking and Web Based System are one of the most useful systems for the company. Nowadays, because of our technologies it’s easy to transfer the different information in different branch of company with the help of our computers and also the system. Almost all businesses use a POS process. There are many reasons for this. Many businesses have multiple locations. POS can help to automate transactions and it can records all the sales in the organization or we can say it can use it to make transaction easier. Every employee can also see all the transaction that has been made. Inventory System can be used for transactional updates or it can view all the available stocks and display out of stock products or items. Inventory System can have many advantages and are suitable in availability and display the in and out of stocks products. Networking’s usually use to connect the POS and Inventory system to all branches of the CreamlineDairy Corporation. Web Based System has many advantages and is preferable in POS, inventory and networking particularly notifying your outstanding sale. The company have been encountering some problem in terms of no link depot and main plant. They want to connect to the other branch, or we can say they want to view their point of sale and inventory system to their entire branch. The purpose of our system is to let every branch of Creamline be updated to the transactions of sale by the help of networking. The develop system will be a great help to the employee but of course for the manager even if they are not in the organization. Creamline Dairy Corporation located at Unit 701 Prestige tower condominium, F. Ortigas Jr. Ave.(Fromely Emerald Ave.), Ortigas Center Pasig City 1605 Philippines.Creamline’s plant and head office is located at Bldg. 5210, C.M. Recto Highway, Clark FreeportZone, Pampangga.

Software Licensing Over Software Piracy

In 1993 worldwide illegal copying of domestic and international software cost $12. 5 billion to the software industry, with a loss of $2. 2 billion in the United States alone. Estimates show that over 40 percent of U. S. software company revenues are generated overseas, yet nearly 85 percent of the software industry's piracy losses occurred outside of the United States borders. The Software Publishers Association indicated that approximately 35 percent of the business software in the United States was obtained illegally, which 30 percent of the piracy occurs in corporate settings. In a corporate etting or business, every computer must have its own set of original software and the appropriate number of manuals. It is illegal for a corporation or business to purchase a single set of original software and then load that software onto more than one computer, or lend, copy or distribute software for any reason without the prior written consent of the software manufacturer. Many software managers are concerned with the legal compliance, along with asset management and costs at their organizations. Many firms involve their legal departments and human resources in regards to software distribution Information can qualify to be property in two ways; patent law and copyright laws which are creations of federal statutes, pursuant to Constitutional grant of legislative authority. In order for the government to prosecute the unauthorized copying of computerized information as theft, it must first rely on other theories of information-as-property. Trade secret laws are created by state law, and most jurisdictions have laws that criminalize the violations of a trade-secret holder's rights in the secret. The definition of a trade secret varies somewhat from state to state, but commonly have the same elements. For example, AThe information must be secret, Anot of public knowledge or of general knowledge in the trade or business, a court will allow a trade secret to be used by someone who discovered or developed the trade secret independently or if the holder does not take adequate precautions to protect the secret. In 1964 the United States Copyright Office began to register software as a form of literary expression. The office based its decision on White-Smith Music Co. v. Apollo , where the Supreme Court determined that a piano roll used in a player piano did not infringe upon copyrighted music because the roll was part of a mechanical evice. Since a computer program is textual, like a book, yet also mechanical, like the piano roll in White-Smith, the Copyright Office granted copyright protection under the rule of doubt. In 1974, Congress created the Natural Commission on New Technological Uses (CONTU) to investigate whether the evolving computer technology field outpaced the existing copyright laws and also to determine the extent of copyright protection for computer programs. CONTU concluded that while copyright protection should extend beyond the literal source code of a computer program, evolving case law should determine the extent of protection. The commission also felt copyright was the best alternative among existing intellectual property protective mechanisms, and CONTU rejected trade secret and patents as viable protective mechanisms. The CONTU report resulted in the 1980 Computer Software Act, and the report acts as informal legislative history to aid the courts in interpreting the In 1980 The Copyright Act was amended to explicitly include computer programs. Title 17 to the United States Code states that it is illegal to make or to distribute copies of copyrighted material without authorization, except for the user's right to make a single ackup copy for archival purposes. Any written material (including computer programs) fixed in a tangible form (written somewhere i. e. printout) is considered copyrighted without any additional action on the part of the author. Therefore, it is not necessary that a copy of the software program be deposited with the Copyright Office in Washington, D. C. for the program to be protected as copyrighted. With that in mind then a copyright is a property right only. In order to prevent anyone from selling your software programs, you must ask a court (federal) to stop that person by an injunction and to give you amages for the injury they have done to you by selling the program. The Software Rental Amendments Act Public Law 101-650) was approved by Congress in 1990, this Act prohibits the commercial rental, leasing or lending of software without the express written permission of the copyright holder. An amendment to Title 18 to the United States Code was passed by Congress in 1992. This amendment. Known as Public Law 102-561 made software piracy a federal offense, and instituted criminal penalties for copyright infringement of software. The penalties can include imprisonment of up to five years, ines up to $250,000 or both for unauthorized reproduction or distribution of 10 or more copies of software with a total retail Under United States law duplicating software for profit, making multiple copies for use by different users within an organization, and giving an unauthorized copy to someone else – is prohibited. Under this law if anyone is caught with the pirated software, an individual or the individual's company can be tried under both civil and criminal law. A Civil action may be established for injunction, actual damages (which includes the infringer=s profits) or statutory damages up to $100,000 per infringement. The criminal penalties for copyright infringement can result in fines up to $250,000 and a jail term up to five years for the first offense and ten years for a second offense or both. When software is counterfeit or copied, the software developer loses their revenue and the whole software industry feels the effect of piracy. All software developers spend a lot of time and money in developing software for public use. A portion of every dollar spent in purchasing original software is funneled back into research and development of new software. Software piracy can be found in three forms: software counterfeiting, which is he illegal duplication and sale of copyrighted software in a form that is designed to make it appear to be a legitimate program; Hard disk loading, whereby computer dealers load unauthorized copies of software onto the hard disks of personal computers, which acts as an incentive for the end user to buy the hardware from that particular dealer; and downloading of copyrighted software to users connected by modem to electronic bulletin boards and/or the Internet. When software is pirated the consumer pays for that cost by new software and/or upgrade version being very expensive. Federal appellate courts in the U. S. have determined that operating systems, object code and software cotained in ROMs are protected by copyright, and some lower federal courts have also determined that microcode (the instructions set on microprocessor chips), and the look and feel of computer screens is subject to copyright protection. Which leads to the problems of the widespread development of multimedia applications that has brought out major problems in clearing copyright for small elements of text, The United States Government has been an active participant in protecting the rights of the software industry. When the Business Software Alliance (BSA) conducts a raid, Federal Marshals or local law enforcement officials participate also. An organization known as the Software Publishers Association (SPA) is the principal trade association of the PC software industry. SPA works closely with the FBI and has also an written enforcement manual for the FBI to help them investigate pirate bulletin board systems and organizations (audits). With the help of the FBI, the result of enforcement actions resulted in recoveries from anti-piracy actions totaling $16 million The Software Publishers Association (SPA) funds a educational rogram to inform individuals and corporations about software use and the law. This program provides all PC users with the tools needed to comply with copyright law and become software legal. The SPA also publishes brochures free of charge about the legal use of software for individuals and businesses. Also available to help corporations understand the copyright law is a 12-minute videotape, which is composed of the most commonly asked questions and answers to them. The video tape is available in French and Spanish and all together over 35,000 copies of the tape had been sold. SPA has also compiled a free Self-Audit Kit with which organizations can examine their software use practices. Included in the kit, is a software inventory management program designed to help an organization track their commercial software programs that are on all hard disks. The program searches PC hard disks for more than 1300 of the most common programs used in Also available is the SPA Software Management Guide which helps companies audit their current software policies, educate employees about the legal use of software, and establish procedures to purchase, register, upgrade and backup computing systems. The guide in ddition also provides an Internal Controls Analysis and Questionnaire. The guide also contains all of the SPA's current anti-piracy materials. The U. S. software industry is facing the challenges of more sophisticated network environments, greater competition among software companies along with hardware manufacturers. At this moment more software than ever before is distributed on a high volume, mass marketed basis. There are many types of software out on the market and increasing every day. They range from graphical user interfaces for application programs such as mass-market spreadsheets, to more sophisticated technical software sed to design integrated circuits. The use of software plays a more vital role daily in our lives such as embedded software, which is critical to equipment in locations as a doctor=s office or an automotive shop. The instrument and devices found there depend more and more on software, because software provides the flexibility to meet the many different needs to the end user. As our lives our shaped and enhanced more by technology, there is already a greater demand One of the main concerns of the software industry is how to deal with the issues of Asoftware licensing. More and more customers ant customized software suited for their business or personal need, and expect the software development firms to accommodate to their wishes. The other side of this issue is that software development firms are concerned with unrealized revenue and excess costs in the form of software piracy, unauthorized use, excess discounts and lengthened sales cycles. For the customer and the software development firm, both have high administrative costs in regards to software programs. Software licensing policies were originally a result of software developers' need to protect their revenue base in the face of otential piracy. Product delivery for software is made up of a number of different components, which are referred to as ‘software licensing'. The following factors are taken into consideration when determining a cost for a ‘software license'; physical delivery pricing, metric discounts, license periods support and maintenance, license management Tech support, change in use bug fixes and Platform Migration Product enhancements. The most commonly found type of software license found in business is known as a, ‘Network license'. There are four types of categories that are classified as a network Concurrent use licenses authorized a specified number of users to access and execute licensed software at any time. Site licenses authorize use at a single site, but are slowly being phased out and replaced by enterprise licenses. Enterprise licenses cover all sites within a corporation because of more virtual computing environments. Node licenses are also slowly being phased out because they are mainly used in a client/server environment, since the licensed software may be used only on a specified workstation in which a user must log on to in order to access and execute the software application. Currently the rend in a network system is to use measurement software, which allows vendors to be more flexible in licensing arrangements. This management software monitors and restricts the number of users or clients who may access and execute the application software at any one time. This is significant because a user pays only for needed use and a vendor can monitor such use to protect intellectual property. A new type of license that is emerging is known as a, ‘currency-based license'. This type of license work on the basis that it provides to the end user a specified dollar amount of software licenses. For example, licenses or different business application software, so long as the total value in use at a given time is less than dollars. Another type of license emerging is known as a ‘platform-independent' licensing, which one license permits software to be used on a variety of different computer systems within a business, instead of buying a different license for each version of the same software used by different systems. The most common type of licensing is known as ‘Shrink-wrap', the concept behind this that the licenses terms are deemed accepted once the end user breaks a shrink-wrap seal or opens a sealed envelope ontaining the software. A reason for these new types of licensing emerging is that when software licensing was first introduced, the software development firms assumed that most businesses would use the software for a 8 to 10 hour period. Yet, did not take into consideration that with the advancement of technology, more businesses would want a ‘floating license' across the world for 24 hours – thus it was not cost effective for the software development firm. A floating license is a license that is made available to anyone on a network. The licenses are not ‘locked' to particular workstations, nstead they Afloat to modes on the network. Shareware, freeware and public domain are different type of software available to the end user, and are distinguished by different rules about how programs may be distributed, copied, used and modified. The term ‘shareware' refers to software that is distributed at a low cost, but which requires usually a payment after a certain time period and registration for full use. Copies of this software are offered on a trial basis, the end user is free to try a scaled down version of the program. If the end user wants the shareware program, ncluded in the program is information specifying how to register the program and what fee is required. Once registered the end user will typically receive a printed manual, an updated copy of the software (often with additional features), and the legal right to use the program in their home or business. The advantage that shareware has is that it lets the end user thoroughly test a program to see if it=s useful before making a purchase. The authors of shareware programs retain their copyright on the contents, and as other copyrighted Freeware is also distributed at a very low cost and like hareware is found mainly on the Internet. The authors of the freeware program do not expect payment for their software. Typically, freeware programs are small utilities or incomplete programs that are released by authors for the potential benefit to others, but the drawback to this is that there is no technical support. Public domain software is generally found on the Internet and is released without any condition upon its use. It may be copied, modified and distributed as the end user wishes to do. A license manager is a system utility-like application that controls or monitors the use of another end-user pplication. It is generally implemented to protect intellectual property (meaning to stop illegal copying) and/or to become more competitive by offering new ways in which to evaluate, purchase and pay for software. Since the license manager controls the number of application users, there is not a need to control the number of application copies. This process lets the end user run one or more applications between machines, without violating the terms of the SPA has created a program that companies can use to help discover and correct problems before they result in legal actions, fines and also negative publicity.