Challenges Facing Public Schools Essay

The fundamental purpose of education is to gain knowledge, inculcate the forms of proper conduct and acquire technical competency, (Oak, 2010). These skills and abilities are considered important in our world so as to have socio-economic growth and development individually and in the community. Goel (2007) observes that it is because education is so important that the US Department of Education aims to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Thus in countries such as the US, children who may not be able to afford the cost of schooling can access education in public educational institutions subsidized by the government. Though noble, the concept of public education unfortunately has a number of fundamental challenges that must be investigated for lasting solutions. These challenges are highlighted below, their problem statements and the arising hypotheses: Problem Statement 1 One of the greatest concerns in public schools is violence. Lede (2010) notes that violence in public schools is a growing concern of parents, teachers, school administrators, politicians and community leaders. Lede (2010) continues to observe that â€Å"many communities in the United States of America are faced with the dilemma of how to protect the integrity of the education by eliminating violent behavior among the school’s constituency and the environment where learning takes place. † What are the determinants of violence in public schools? What is the effect of parental involvement and violence in public schools? Is there any relationship between poor teacher training and violence in public schools? Hypothesis Economic and social issues are affiliated with violence in public schools. Parental socialization at the home front influences students’ propensity to violence in public schools. Teacher training does not impact on the existence of violence in public schools. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research The statements and hypotheses in this research would assist the researcher in investigating the problem of violence in public schools and begin to explore solutions that address the root cause of the problem and not the symptoms of the problem Problem statement 2  Another one of the core challenges faced by public educational institutions is that of insufficient funds. By virtue of the fact that public schools depend on the government to meet their budgets, more often than not, the schools find themselves without enough money to carry out their activities. What is the effect of lack of sufficient funding on the quality education in public schools? What is the effect of programme prioritization on budget management in public schools? What are other sources of funding that can be explored to ensure constant funding of public schools programmes? Hypothesis Lack of sufficient funds compromises on the quality education offered in public schools. Budget rationalization can be successfully achieved through programme prioritisation of the programmes at public schools. Diversification of the sources of funding to meet budgetary needs at public schools has ensured sustainability of the schools’ programmes. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research A research on this issue would ensure that sustainable solutions to budgetary constraints are met that translate to operational efficiency (Maguad, 2007) and a high quality of education is constantly high in public schools. Problem statement 3 Public institutions of learning are faced by the problem of low or no parental involvement. Since many of the students in public schools come from middle and working classes in which both parents have to earn a living to sustain the families, it is rare that the parents find time to be actively involved in their children’s school life. What is the effect of parental involvement on student achievement in public schools? What is the correlation between parental aspirations and expectations for their children and student achievement in public schools? Do parents give away the right to educate their children when they place them in public schools? Hypothesis A student’s performance is influenced by his/her parents’ interest and participation in his school work. Parental aspiration and expectation for children determines the achievements of the children in school. Parents of children in public schools forfeit any right to determine what or how their children are educated. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research The research would find out whether parents have an active role to play in their children’s well being for assured achievement in school. The issue of parental involvement could also form the basis of understanding other challenges facing public schools such as student violence (Alliance for the Separation of School & State, 2008). In conclusion, public educational institutions experience many challenges ranging from budgetary constraints, student violence and low parental involvement. Much research needs to be done to establish why these problems exist in the first place and lasting solutions for these institutions.

Poetry Analysis Essay

Irony is a crucial literary device in the dramatic monologue My Last Duchess by Robert Browning. Actually, one of the most important things that can be said about Robert Browning is that he is a perfect ironist, and that irony is an important part of My Last Duchess. In, My Last Duchess, the Duke is projecting one image of himself, yet, through the ironic structure of the poem and the distance it imposes, his image is revealed to readers in a way that contradicts the Duke’s self-image. The Duke proposes an image of himself as gorgeous, wise, with nice attitudes and manners, an expert, a complete man. However, readers of the poem deduce a jealous or crazy psychopath, eaten out with insecurity. In the poem the warmth and sophistication of the Duke’s monolog draw the reader sympathetically into his world. Readers become actively involved in the egoism, haughtiness, and generosity of a proud Renaissance Duke. However, the irony of the poem every minute undermines this way of regarding situation, and awakens readers’ critical abilities. While the Duke describes how he murdered his first duchess quietly because she failed to focus her whole existence on him, readers see his unreasonableness; while he describes his generosity to his first wife, readers see his selfish desire to control another person within the confines of his own pleasures. According to the Duke his first wife was too easily made happy, too freewill, lacking in aristocratic haughtiness or composure: Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough For calling up that spot of joy. She had A heart how shall I say? too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. She enjoyed many aspects of her life at court, and (as the Duke asserts) failed absolutely to focus her attention on him sufficiently. The Duke stresses that she should have been focused on him, and on the importance of his aristocratic descent – his ‘nine-hundred-years-old name’. Still, however much the Duke knows about himself, the reader who listens to him knows more, and the dramatic irony—the difference between the character’s and the reader’s knowledge—runs against him and in reader’s favor. It is the reader who sees how horrible is his haughtiness and brutality. The Duke does not see this himself. He sees himself as a generous and noble expert of art. As the reader decodes the irony, the Duke appears as a madman who reduces people to objects. When the wife of the Duke failed to be a good wife, the Duke did not let himself go below his dignity to reason with her, or explain how her behavior irritated him. He simply had her calmly executed, and began to think about a second marriage. After he has euphemistically told the envoy how he ‘gave commands’, i.e. gave orders for her murder, he points to the portrait and says: â€Å"There she stands, As if alive.† The irony is unexpected and horrible. Browning’s poetic monologue is full of irony. The Duke discloses far more than he really says about himself. Throughout the whole monologue, the Duke speaks in a calm, firm, ironical tone. The line ‘The depth and passion of its earnest glance’ is spoken in intense irony. Only once or twice the reader sees the teeth of this monster flash, showing his horrible heart. When he speaks of the ‘officious fool’ who brought the cherries, and when he states ‘all smiles stopped together’; then the envoy looks at him with fear in his eyes, but the Duke’s face instantly resumes its mask of stone. Browning’s character in the poem is projecting one image of himself, but the ironic structure of the poem reveals to readers completely opposite image. Works Cited Browning, Robert. The Poems. Ed. John Pettigrew and Thomas J. Collins. New Haven: Yale UP, 1981.

Three organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Three organisations - Essay Example The hotel has has different tariff rates for different rooms. However currently, a standard double room is priced at â‚ ¤115, superior double at â‚ ¤125, garden double at â‚ ¤155 are and suites are given away for â‚ ¤225 per night. The hotel experiences a mix of customers ranging from travelers and adventurists to businessmen and people who just want to try out different places to live in. The hotel serves its customers really well and it can be clearly from customers reviews on the Trip Advisor website. The name Harts Hotel is a brand in itself. People who come to Nottingham city often prefer living here due to the reputations this hotel has earned over the years. The Harts Restaurant is located about twenty minutes away from the hotel and is one of the most high class dining places in the city since 1997. Other then that, Harts Upstairs is also a favorite spot for private parties and other personal meet ups. These three names carry a strong brand image with themselves. Katinka Rieger is the General Manager at the Harts Hotel since 2009. Hailing from Germany and having a lot of experience in event management and hotel operations, she makes sure the interests of the clients are given top priority. She makes sure that the employees are trained in a manner so that their top priority becomes the service and well being of the customers. The World Service Restaurant is an elegant place for dining out in Nottingham. It is perfectly located in the serene surroundings of the Newsdigate House, and offers its visitors to experience the customs and culture that the city has to offer. The World Service restaurant features three dining areas namely the Marshall Room, Blenheim Room and Tallard Room. Other then it also offers private rooms for small parties, a garden restaurant and the famous lounge bar. According to customer reviews the hotel offers really tasty food and the standard of service is part excellence. The waiters

Immigration and Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immigration and Poverty - Essay Example Immigration assists in the development and understanding of cultural diversities and help in promoting anti-racist sentiments (Rowthorn 2004). But at one time immigration becomes a problem for the host country as many say that it has become a problem for United States as it has reached its peak. Many point out this argument and this would be further discussed in this essay along with the argument of the proponents of immigration who believe that immigration is helping the countries to prosper in every way. Immigrants mainly belong to the underdeveloped nations where the financial crisis pushes them to immigrate. Policies which include the rules of free trade actually serve as a burden rather than reliefs for the poor countries making them dip into poverty even more. These underdeveloped nations have debts to pay off and much of their income goes into actually paying the interest on these debts. Moreover, the developed nations to pledge to assist these countries by providing them aid but these developed countries never reach their set goal. All these factors contribute to the increasing poverty in the world to an extent that it has been reported that over the past three decades 60 nations in the world have sunk deeper into poverty. The people living in these countries are left with no options and the final ray of hope for them is immigration. It is the only way for them to lead a better life ahead (Education for Justice 2006). Immigration can also serve to be beneficial for the countries where these people migrate.  

Companies from emerging markets are better equipped to conduct Essay

Companies from emerging markets are better equipped to conduct business in other emerging markets - Essay Example Emerging markets could be referred to the low income generation economies, or could be the developing markets or the economies currently in the growth stage. The emerging markets have shown more growth in the recent years, as compared to the more developed markets and economies. In such economies every opportunity is exploited to its fullest and such markets are important strategic factors to be considered by the companies willing to grow in emerging economies. In these economies the higher growth leads to higher returns and higher demand for investment and capital which further leads to favorable movement in the flow of capital and currency alignments. The growth in incomes and products are also seen in these economies which are important detriments of patterns of demand and pricing of products. These days the most significant strategic choice faced by the global companies is investing in the right emerging market. (JAIN. 2006) It is estimated that till 2050 the BRIC (Brazil, Russia , India, China) economies will become large forces in economy of the world. According to these projections based on growth in GDPs, income per capita and currency movements, if everything goes right these emerging economies will become greater than G6 in US dollars terms. ... tion and high level of risks faced by these countries, there are chances that these projections could go wrong due to policy change or any other factor that can affect the economy adversely. (JAIN. 2006) EMERGING ECONOMIES AND MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS: Due to such enormous effect of BRICs on world’s economy and the impact it would have in future years, it has become increasingly important for the Multinational Corporations (MNCs) all around the world to realize the importance of these emerging markets and the benefits the investment in these can provide. The major characteristics that attract the investors in these markets are increasing demand and group of wealthy people, educated work force and opportunities for low cost production. Many large MNCs such as P&G, IKEA, Coca Cola, HP etc have realized the importance of these markets and have expanded tremendously in these markets. (VAN DE KUIL. 2008) Out of BRICs, India and China are the strongest in the race of these emergin g markets. It is estimated that in next 20 years these both countries will become more than the size of mature countries like UK or Japan. Today’s advances markets and nations will lose their position and a drastic shift in spending would provide opportunities to global markets. China and India both have world’s largest population which together holds 37% population of the world. The population living in the mid-income segment of these both countries is constantly growing which means a demand of products and services is growing rapidly. (VAN DE KUIL. 2008) REASONS TO ENTER EMERGING ECONOMIES: Many MNCs have strategically planned to enter these emerging markets due to various reasons. Firstly it has become hard for the companies to grow in the mature markets; therefore the companies are now

Compare and contrast of two images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare and contrast of two images - Essay Example On the other hand, the Greeks are one of the first to gain civilization in society. They have been known to excel in a lot of fields especially art. Greek goddesses, epics, sculptures and even establishment in Greece also tell a lot about their culture. These are general examples of how Greeks and Egyptians exceled and contributed in terms of historical preferences. For more specific examples, the following paragraphs will talk about the Painted low relief of Princess Nefret-iabet in Old Kingdom, Giza, c.2570 BC. and the Relief of seated goddess in Parthenon, East Frieze, Classical Greece, c. 447-438 BC. Naturalism which is defined as â€Å"an even more accurate picture of realism† (Abrams, 1) is evident in the low relief of Princess Nefret-iabet. This relief made in painted in limestone slab stela, depicts a relative degree of naturalism. Involvement of depiction of actual life form’s art form is necessary. The low relief of Princess Nefret-iabet is a detailed modellin g of the Egyptian princess seating on a chair is like an actual representation of a life as a princess in Egypt. The relief showcases the detailed hair of the princess, wide eyes while wearing an also detailed leopard print dress. This depicts existence of elegance and glamour, and to add to this are her combs, perfumes, and other properties made of brass and gold. Even the chair she sits on is made of gold with apparent an animal- like structure. The Princess’ body is very slim in representation. The details of her hair are exquisite and so is that of her fingers. The linings used in this relief are very delicate to look at, and the images are very lightly embossed in the limestone. Although, abstraction may also be seen in terms of showing only half of the princess’s face and figure, cut parts of unidentified object above the princess and other parts not shown in the relief. Abstraction is the purposeful act of hiding other parts of a subject in art, to highlight oth er features (Abstraction). But through further research, a more complete version of the relief of the princess was seen in full. More of her properties are seen in the full slab in her tomb, including images of her eyelids, birds, balance scales and other materials. This aspect could also be related to the placing of objects in relation to its distance from the princess. The princess being placed on the left faces a set of property she has, arranged in accordance to its purpose. For example, the first compartment appears to be all of her needs for beautification, second shelf looks like vases or forms of pottery, and the objects under the shelf are like gold statuettes. This relief somehow tells us a story of what life there is in Giza, during c.2570 BC. The women of Ancient Egypt are supposed to have a significant role in society unlike most early civilizations. Women played a big role in unification of Hierakonpolis, Abydos and proofs of which are statuettes and art forms in museu ms. This contribution is said to have built various alliances and bridged the gap between peoples. With this contribution, women are considered important in society as supported by the Egyptian thinking of â€Å"philosophical dualism† wherein relationship of god and priestess is compared and somehow patterned in the same way in the relationship of king and royal women. This on the other hand, does not necessarily mean that the Ancient Egypt had a bilineal society, and

Feedback and its importance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Feedback and its importance - Essay Example in organizations) or in universities. Since the key objective of providing feedbacks is to inform the individuals concerned regarding their performance, and give them objective opinions, it helps them to understand their strengths and weaknesses and utilize their capabilities to the optimum, and hence pave way for self-growth. Furthermore, feedback helps in identifying the problem areas or areas of concern and develops ways to overcome the shortcomings. For instance, in terms of organizational learning, the managers periodically evaluate the job performance of their workers and employees, and provide them feedback on the basis of a thorough assessment. Such an assessment can then be used by the workers to identify gaps in their performance and use the same to increase their productivity (Anderson 1990; Kluger & Denisi 1996). Similarly, feedback in universities, which are given in the form of grades or critique of their work, helps the students in identifying the areas in which they e xcel and those where they need to put in more effort. Various schools and universities also enable teacher feedback, whereby the students assess the performance of their teachers. It is only through feedback, that any substantial and positive change can be hoped to be achieved.

Abu-Dhabi Development UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Abu-Dhabi Development UAE - Essay Example Over the last few years Abu Dhabi has diversified the economic activity through large sums of foreign and local investments in financial services and tourism. As a result Abu Dhabi has attracted a large number of people from all over the world who come and visit Abu Dhabi regularly, whereas many people stay here permanently. The development that took place in Abu Dhabi can be divided into three phases; first being the pre oil era, second phase is of the development that took place after the discovery of oil and the third phase is the recent development in construction which has attracted a large number of people from all over the world (Explorer Publishing, 2007). Abu Dhabi is located on an island in the north of the Persian Gulf and is just 250 meters away from the mainland from the nearest point. A number of bridges, most of which have been constructed recently connect the city with various parts of the country; however a large portion of the area is on the mainland which has a des ert and arid climate (Davidson, 2009). Abu Dhabi city is located on the island itself but there are many suburbs on the mainland most of them are residential schemes. The hot and arid climate of the region does not support agriculture and the number of green places in the city has been increased recently through strong efforts of the government and also through the use of technology. It is quite evident that the hot climatic conditions of Abu Dhabi are not good for agriculture and therefore agriculture does not have any role in the development of the city. The major source of income of the city over the last few decades has been the production of oil as it is the largest oil producer in United Arab Emirates and accounts for 9 percent of the total oil reserves of the world. Currently the oil production stands at 2.3 million barrels per day and the government has initiated various projects for increasing the oil production to 3 million barrels per day. The major development that took place in Abu Dhabi was based on these oil reserves, however recently the government of the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi city has decided to reduce their dependency on the oil sector and have introduced various other programs which include the promotion of real estate and tourism and also the establishment of various industrial zones. The various industrial zones which have been constructed to facilitate the establishment of industry include ICAD I, ICAD II, ICAD III, Al Ain Industrial City (I and II) and also the residential city which has been planned for the workers of these industrial zones. The various facilities which have been provided in these industrial cities include: 1. High quality infrastructure to support the industries which has been planned and constructed in accordance with the international standards and codes. 2. The provision of public utilities in the residential cities which have been established inside these industrial cities and near them. These faciliti es include cultural centers, business centers, banks, shopping malls and hospitals. 3. Various zones within these industrial cities have been specified for the various types of industries which include light goods industries, wood industries, chemical industries, engineering industries, plastic industries, textile industries, construction materials industries, oil and gas related industries etc. This classification of industries in the industrial cities has led to the formation of clusters of same type of industries within the industrial cities. 4. These industrial cities also provide the industries with various warehouses within the industrial city. These warehouses have been constru

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Criminal law - Essay Example The law that deals with crimes is referred to as criminal law. The shapers and foundations of criminal law are the numerous social standards and conducts set in different jurisdictions. This definition implies that criminal law seeks to control peoples’ conducts in society and criminalise actions and omissions that may threaten, endanger and harm others’ well being, safety, security and mental and physical health1. For people who breach any of the laid down criminal laws of a given jurisdiction, the consequences are often commensurate legal punishments such as jail terms. Unlike civil law which focuses on resolution of disputes and compensation, criminal law emphasises punishment for convicted offenders2. Because of the severity of the effects of some convictions on perpetrators, judges always want proof of the intent to commit a crime on the part of a defendant. This intent or guilty mind is referred to as mens rea. Thus mens rea and actus reus are the two core require ments that must be present at the same moment for a successful conviction. In other words, a criminal case cannot stand strong if mens rea and actus reus occur at different times, even if sequentially. On the other hand, strict liability refers to the criminal liability faced by a defendant, regardless of mens rea3, i.e. where it is absent. This paper explores the statement that â€Å"Theft and Fraud are both serious crimes, but they can never be the basis for any type of manslaughter conviction, even if the victim dies.’... Taking the offence of criminal damage as contained in section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971), the actus reus entails the damage or destruction of another person's property5. Thus, the mens rea in this case does not require exceeding an intention to commit criminal damage. In a specific intent crime, a suspect’s mens rea exceeds the actus reus. This implies that such a defendant had certain ulterior motives in mind. For an illustration, in the case of aggravated criminal damage contrary to section 1(2) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971, this offence is committed if a defendant damages or destroys a property while all along intending to endanger life6. Examples of basic intent crimes include common law theft, fraud, assault, battery, manslaughter, rape and criminal damage while specific intent crimes are unclear offences, murder and criminal damage with intent to endanger life. The reason theft and fraud cannot form the basis for manslaughter is that the actus reus of the t wo crimes are not similar to that of manslaughter. For example, the actus reus of theft is the illegal taking, keeping and/or using of another person's property. This actus reus is accompanied by the mens rea of permanently intending to deprive the rightful owner the possession or use of a property. That is, if one party mistakenly takes the property of another, thus depriving the owner of the use and possession of the property (the actus reus), it does not amount to a crime since the former mistakenly takes the property, believing he/she is the rightful owner. However, if he/she realizes the mistake but does not take the earliest opportunity to return it to the rightful owner, it becomes a crime at this point7. There is thus, the element of dishonesty in the latter scenario. The

“Dreamland” & Islan Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Dreamland† Islan Essay In the book, â€Å"Dreamland† (Baker, 2000), the author Kevin Baker tells about Coney Island and the lower eastside of New York City, where there are rough individuals, such as gangsters who roam the area. I liked the main character, Kid Twist is a European immigrant, and he comes to the rescue of an individual when a gangster, by the name of Gyp the Blood is prepared to kill a small boy delivering newspapers in New York City. The sad part of the story was that this gangster wanted to kill this child for fun. It was strange that the small boy wasn’t really a boy; he was a man. He was Trick the Dwarf; a small midget who only dresses up like a young boy and in behind a hotel, Trick the Dwarf hides Kid Twist and that is where he discovers another character, by the name of Esther Abramowitz who is a poor seamstress. Kid Twist falls in love with this woman This story, which was quite amusing, takes place during the turn-of-the-century and creatively introduces many fascinating characters that make this story so memorable. There are women who go on strike, which fits in nice with Esther Abramowitz, who is a labor agitator and Trick even tried to seduce Mad Carlotta, who was only three feet tall but he found her to be very attractive, when she said that she was the Empress of Mexico. Esther Abramowitz is rebelling against her Russian-Jewish ex-rabbi parent and she is set on the idea of being a union organizer. Esther Abramowitz seemed like a great leader and one that had a remarkable imagination. The author is very descriptive with words when he tells us about Freud’s trip to America and about the Triangle Factory Fire in this tale about immigration, and it was interesting to discover the hope that was available in America from many different types of personalities. The author is able to describe various traits in individuals from all sorts of backgrounds in their quest for â€Å"Dreamland† which is of course, The United States of America. Big Tim Sullivan was extremely aggressive. He was the Irish-American State Senator who was a corrupt Tammany Hall boss and he seemed very crooked when he used bribes and many other undesirable ways of gaining what he wanted in order to rule in his position, in New York City. Lazar Abramowitz is Esther’s brother and he tries to have his sister’s boyfriend, who is Kid Twist, murdered by a thug. In â€Å"Dreamland†, it seemed like a place to relax and fantasize, which is an amusement park in Coney Island and a place that symbolizes a better and happier place to be. Trick the Dwarf is in his favorite land, where he is free to be likened unto Romeo with his clever charm and personality, while he continually seeks out the love of a woman to cure his loneliness. â€Å"Dreamland† focused on many different ethnic cultures and events and talks about the Jews and the Irish in their pursuit of the all American dream, of finding wealth, success and happiness in a better land in an uncontrollable era that takes place around the year 1910. There’s a nice touch of comedy in this story that keeps it interesting, while it still is able to tell a story of tragedy. Kid Twist was quite the amusing character who is an enforcer for the gangster, Gyp the Blood and when Kid Twist leaves Gyp the Blood, his boss is wounded from a shovel that leaves him bleeding in a dark basement on the Lower East Side of New York City. Kid Twist had no other choice, I guess, but to flee the area and hide away in the city of Brooklyn, New York with his friend Trick the Dwarf. I found this story to be interesting but morbid, at times. The characters made me feel sorry for them because some of them just seemed terribly hopeless in their venture at finding the American dream. The author was successful in making me feel thankful for the American dream that I already possess and I did have to sympathize with some of the immigrants from Ireland and other countries in this story, who lived such a rough life, while trying to gain something more in life, including power, love and money, while using murder and corruption as some of their tools. The story emitted a carnival atmosphere throughout the reading, and it was impossible to determine what new kind of character possessing some kind of personality or appearance flaw, would appear. The bowery bars and opium dens were depressing and it gave me a bad outlook of New York City in that time frame. It made New York City seem like a terribly dangerous place to live. The story really did come together in the end, and although I was shocked and awed by some of the crazy events that took place in this book, it was never boring or unclear about the meaning behind the story. The author was able to entertain me with his vivid imagination and his insight on a group of diverse people, all coming together in New York City, all looking for something that they needed, like Esther Abramowitz, who fell in love with a gangster and she was able to get something important from a criminal which was someone to love her back. I feel that this story focused on many different categories, such as economic exploitation, corruption and racism in our society of a mingled mix that makes up the melting pot of our nation. I learned so much about history and Geography from this story as the author described different locations and events that took place in that era of time. I got a better impression of what gangsters were like, back then, as well. It was hard to believe that so much criminal activity took place in the year 1910. The author was very successful at describing the criminal underworld with the prostitution and gang activity that surrounded the area. This story did prove that people are capable of doing almost anything in able to survive and it was quite clear that most wanted to do live in America, the land of hope and dreams. Reference Page Baker, Kevin. (2000). â€Å"Dreamland†. Harper Perennial.

Personal Plan To Get Out Of Debt English Language Essay

Personal Plan To Get Out Of Debt English Language Essay Summary: Based on the concepts of awareness, anticipation and action, my get out-of-debt plan is aimed at individuals who face financial difficulties and seem to be accumulating more debt instead of taking control of their finances. As a financial adviser, I highly value financial independence. Particularly, after the recent credit crisis that hit the economy forcing many firms out of business and millions of households into poverty, I consider financial freedom as a means to future success. Personally, I carry a debt of $7,500 in credit cards, a student loan of $2,000 and a car loan of $1,500. I pay monthly installments of $1,300 for this $11,000, and according to my amortization table I will be able to completely pay off my debt after 15 years. To get an idea of how an amortization table should look like, click here. The three As of My Get Out-Of Debt Plan To improve my financial situation within 2011, I have crafted a get out-of-debt plan that is aimed at individuals who face financial difficulties and seem to be accumulating more debt instead of taking control of their finances. If you are getting deeper into debt, have a look at my suggestions below. Maybe they can help you get your finances back on track again. My get out-of-debt plan is based on three concepts: awareness, anticipation and action. In the context of personal finance, these concepts are highly valued because they can offer guidance and financial stability in the long run. Awareness Some people complain about how they cannot get out of debt although they dont know how much their debt is. It is impossible to take control of your financial situation if you are not aware of it. List all your debt including credit cards, car loans, student loans, personal loans, and medical bills and sum them up including decimals for accuracy. Keep in mind that when adding many numbers decimals can generate a completely new figure, which will then be used in another arithmetic operation and produce an entirely wrong figure. At the end of the day, the picture you will have for your financial situation will be mistaken. Therefore, it is critical that your debt figures are 100% accurate. Other important steps in this stage include: Creating a debt allocation table After you have listed and summed up all your sources of debt create a debt allocation table to see how your debt is allocated in different sources, where you owe more and what the interest rate for each debt is. Your table can have three columns named Debt, Amount Owed and Interest Rate. In column Debt include each source of debt you have. If you have three credit cards, include each credit card in a separate line because your cumulative credit card debt may be $20,000, but each credit card has different interest rate and different terms of payment. In column Amount Owed include the correspondent amount in each source of debt. In column Interest Rate include the correspondent interest rate to each source of debt. To get an idea of how your debt allocation table should look like when completed, click here. With a grand total of $32,100 you need to 1) religiously stick to your monthly payments; 2) try to make more than the minimum credit card payments. I will explain more in the Action section. Creating a budget To create a successful budget you need to analyze your financial situation honestly and realistically. Figure out how much you earn on an annual basis and make sure to include all sources of income. It is critical to know exactly how much money you make because this is the money you can afford to spend. Then, include all sources of expenses in order to know how much money you spend on fixed expenses including rent or mortgage, gas, utilities, and insurance and adjust your variable expenses accordingly by spending less on groceries, entertainment or personal care. Make sure that your budget is realistic, accurate and flexible. By keeping a realistic budget you can cover your expenses, but most importantly, save money on a regular basis. Besides, an accurate budget gives you the freedom to enjoy your life without being deprived because you know you can really afford these purchases without putting your financial future at stake. Finally, a flexible budget enables you to make well-informed decisions about your finances. Anticipation Being able to anticipate sudden expenses allows you to stay within your budget. To achieve that, you have to be able to save as much money as possible. This might require some drastic changes in your lifestyle, but it will certainly help you become financially independent. Some important steps in this stage include: Controlling household spending If you dont control your household spending, not only you accumulate more debt, but you ultimately hurt the economy that cannot burden such high levels of consumer spending. You can control your grocery shopping by planning your meals, making a grocery list and stick to it, buy in bulk, keep food in your freezer, stock up non-perishable items, and use coupons. Besides, you can lower your energy bill by controlling your thermostat, using energy efficient appliances and bulbs and installing insulation. You can also use the envelope system to manage your cash. Identify your spending categories including groceries, gas, utilities, insurance etc., create an envelope for each category and allocate the proper weekly or monthly amount of cash to each. Once your balance is zero and the envelope is empty, you cannot spend anymore. Soon, you will spend only when you have to, cutting back on unnecessary spending. Set up an emergency fund By setting up an emergency fund you achieve two things at once: 1) you avoid borrowing from your IRA or liquidating your 401k, meaning you ultimately avoid taxation and 10 percent penalty and 2) you avoid borrowing from your already overcharged credit cards. It is tempting and possibly convenient to charge your credit card for a financial emergency, but the truth of the matter is that the infinite spiral of credit card charging accumulates more debt. Set three to six months worth of your living expenses aside in an emergency fund to cover up for a sudden job loss or a huge medical bill. Also, make sure to keep your emergency fund in a money market account (MMA), a regular interest-paying checking account or a certificate of deposit (CD). All these options allow you to withdraw money, with or without penalty, and are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Action It took me quite sometime to take action on managing my debt mostly because I didnt exactly know what to do. Although my debt is not as high as in the example used in the debt allocation table, still I need 15 years to pay off my debt, which is a lot of time. Here are some suggestions to pay off your debt faster: Rather than paying off the low interest rate car loan first, it is wiser to pay off the credit card debt that has a higher interest rate. To do that, you have to make more than the minimum credit card payments. If the minimum payment is $80 then make an effort to pay at least $90. You probably wont notice the extra $10 but it will go directly onto your principal and reduce your debt even faster. If you have three credit cards, it would be $30 extra payment, but the difference you will see in your total balance will be worth the effort. If you cannot do it at once for all your credit cards, start by paying off the smallest bill. The extra money that you will have from the paid off credit card can be used towards paying off the next smallest credit card bill. By paying more money than the minimum installments, you will lower your principal (original amount borrowed) at a faster rate. Consequently, the total annual amount paid interest will be reduced at a faster rate. You can also quit using your credit cards and start using cash. By using cash for your transactions 1) you can control your finances because you know at any given time how much money you spend and how much money you have left in your wallet; 2) you dont incur any hidden fees or over-the-limit charges, no billing mistakes or overcharges on your bank account; and 3) you can get discount for paying in cash. On the contrary, credit card debt builds up exponentially and interest rates can head up really quickly. Moreover, by charging smalls amounts of money to your credit card you add to your credit card bill and you lose track of your spending. My Get Out-Of Debt Plan May Not Work For Your Situation Each situation is unique and even if you carry the same amount of debt, it doesnt mean that my get out-of-debt plan will certainly work for your case. However, I firmly believe that it can work as a guide to walk you through some vital steps that you need to take in order to understand exactly where you are today and most importantly, where you want to be in a few years from now. Regardless if you follow my suggestions, or if you choose to follow some other solution, be disciplined. This is perhaps the most important step you need to take. By focusing on your financial independence you are more likely to achieve it. Without discipline, even the best financial plan will fail because every little amount of money you will be saving it will be spent towards non-essential purchases. Every day we make decisions about money. And these decisions have a smaller or a greater impact on the quality of our lives. Being financially independent means different things to different people. To me, it means security, and the strength to take a step closer to my lifetime dreams. The steps to financial freedom may not give me immediate happiness, but they give me choice. Sources: http://getoutofdebt.org/1712/a-12-step-plan-to-get-out-of-debt-fast http://www.allbusiness.com/personal-finance/credit-cards-credit-card-debt/2442-1.html http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/financial-planning/money-market-accounts.htm http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/checkingaccount.asp http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/certificateofdeposit.asp http://www.fdic.gov/ More from this contributor How to Choose a Debt Relief Program How to Survive a Bankruptcy Filing What to Do when You Cant Pay Your Taxes

renewable energy :: essays research papers

Fuel Cell: Fuel cells have been known to science for 150 years and have become the subject of intense research since World War II. A fuel cell generates electricity by producing a chemical reaction. It consists of two electrodes (cathode and anode), which is also where the reaction occurs. Hydrogen is the basic fuel cell, but all fuel cells also require oxygen, and both are supplied from external reservoirs. Most of the hydrogen and oxygen used, combine to form a harmless byproduct, namely water. Therefore, fuel cells generate electricity with very little pollution. It is the purpose of the fuel cells to produce an electrical current that can be directed outside the cell to do work, such as powering light bulbs or an electric motor. There are five different fuel cells, solid oxide, alkali, proton exchange membrane (40-50% efficiency), phosphoric acid, and molten carbonate. Biomass Energy: This is one of the oldest sources of energy known to man. Biomass energy is energy from organic matter. The organic matter contains stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy. Biomass fuel, which can be a liquid, solid, or gas, comes from plants, residues from agriculture or forestry, and the organic component of municipal and industrial wastes. Even the fumes from the landfills can be used. When the fuel is burned, the energy is released. The use of this energy has potential to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The waste generates about the same amount of carbon dioxide as fossil fuels but as the plants grow (for biomass purposes), carbon dioxide will be removed from the atmosphere. This is the major source of energy in the developing world. Wind Energy: Surface air currents that are warmed by solar rays create wind, which is an indirect source of energy. Wind farms consist of many

The Shrews Illusion :: essays research papers

The Shrew’s Illusion HORTENSIO: Now go thy ways, thou hast tam’d a curst shrow. LUCENTIO: ‘Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tam’d so.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Indeed, Hortentio’s assurance in the taming of the â€Å"curst shrow† Katerina seems a wonder to all the audience in the final scene of â€Å"The Taming of the Shrew.† After hurling furniture, pitching fits and assaulting her sister, Katerina delivers a speech that lauds obedience and censures rough behavior. Allegedly, this speech demonstrates Katerina’s obedience to her husband, Petruchio, who has forced her to realize the error of her former behavior. Genuine submission, however, is an unlikely disposition for Katerina to adopt. A complete reformation becomes more improbable after an examination of the scenes surrounding her â€Å"taming.† Several of these episodes attest to excellence of her acting ability. This evidence suggests her ability to impersonate the character of a tamed shrew. Her dialogue during these moments of obedience seems to mirror the language Petruchio uses earlier to tame her, suggesting that Katerina emp loys Petruchio’s own dissembling devices against him. Even the nuances of her language, filled with double meanings, belie her supposed transformation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Katerina first reveals her aptitude for deception as she and Petruchio head toward Padua for her sister’s wedding. When her husband falsely labels the daylight as the â€Å"bright and goodly shining† of the moon, she immediately protests (4.5.2). However, the moment Petruchio threatens her journey home, she begins to act. In order that she fulfill her desire to return home, she pleads that they continue and vows that â€Å"be it moon, or sun, or what you please; / And if you please it be a rush-candle, / Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me† (4.5.13-15). In saying this, Katerina promises to â€Å"vow,† or claim to believe, the truth of anything Petruchio alleges. However, she never promises to actually believe him. Instead, she agrees to act according to his game, a game that he himself qualifies. When contented by Katerina’s yielding, Petruchio declares â€Å"thus the bowl shall run,† invoking the image of a ball in the game of bowling (4.5.24). This image parallels to the game he stages in which Katerina is played toward at target of a woman tamed. However, she does not submit blindly to his intentions; she plays toward achieving her own goal of returning home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continuing to prove her aptitude for dissembling, Katerina plays along with Petruchio’s labeling of Vincentio as a maid in the following scene.

The Fall of The House of Usher Essay -- Literary Analysis, Edgar Allan

Often times in literature the author will correlate attributes of a character or things happening to a character with physical items or even other people within the story. This provides an indication of how a character is structured and sometimes foreshadows things yet to happen in the story. In the short story â€Å"The Fall of The House of Usher,† the author, Edgar Allan Poe, establishes two distinct parallels between three characters. Roderick is paralleled with both his twin sister, Madeline, and the actual house itself. Determining the similarities between these characters can provide an interesting literary exercise. Roderick and Madeline being twin siblings should provide enough similarities to establish a parallel in itself, but there are other indications. Both Usher siblings suffer from debilitating ailments which Poe alludes to several times throughout the story. An example of this is when Poe states of Roderick, â€Å"an anomalous species of terror I found him a bounden slave† (Poe 235). The author does this again when writing: â€Å"I dread the events of the future, not in themselves, but in their results. I shudder at the thought of any, even the most trivial, incident† (Poe 235). Finally, he writes, â€Å"He was enchained by certain superstitious impressions in regard to the dwelling which he tenanted, and whence, for many years, he had never ventured forth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Poe 235). The terms â€Å"bounden slave† and â€Å"enchained† in these passages hint that Roderick is unable to move from his fears and is therefore stuck. Madeline is described as having à ¢â‚¬Å"transient affections of a partially cataleptical character† (Poe 236). This means while suffering from catatonic fits she was physically unable to move, similar in nature to Roderick’s inability to mov... ...the narrator. The use of parallels within literature has long provided readers with a way to delve deeper into the author’s view of a character. Roderick and Madeline Usher were so similar they in fact died at the same time from comparable health problems. The physical house Roderick lived in seemed to take on so many of the exact depressing attributes of its owner that it, too, perished upon his death. â€Å"The Fall of The House of Usher† by Edgar Allan Poe deals predominantly with hopelessness which fills the narrator with despair. Despite this hopelessness and despite the fact that every character the narrator encounters dies at the end of the story, and regardless that during his visit to the Usher House the narrator becomes somewhat depressed himself, one can glean hope that the narrator, and therefore the reader, escapes from an obviously despondent situation.

The Single Life

Adult Development and career Life Assessment Jan. 21, 2010 With the internet implemented worldwide the dating scene has revolutionized. The single lifestyle in my opinion is slowly becoming a thing of the past, especially with social networking sites such as e-harmony, match. com, my-space, or even facebook. How can one define the single life? It depends on who you ask on what kind of definition you will get. In the dictionary single is defined as a relating to the unmarried state or no longer living with. I define being single as being someone who is not actively participating in a relationship with a like minded individual. I have been single for the most part of my life. My very first relationship was my sophomore year in high school. I was only about fifthteen or sixteen years old. Her name was Carla, she and I met in the cafeteria one morning while we were having breakfast before homeroom period started. Even though our high school was very small, I cannot recall ever seeing her before. Once we became friends, we started to date. We would attend school functions, basketball games, choir concerts, basketball games and track meets; as time progressed a little we both got our driver licenses and jobs. This at first was a really good thing for the relationship, due to the fact that we could attend and participate in other functions and activities outside the ones that were primarily school related, for example: the movies, or the fair. One side effect that I noticed from my new experience was that of a wondering mind. I would often find myself not focused on school work or any task for that matter. I would always become distracted when trying to accomplish anything; my attention would immediately be directed to Carla’s and I relationship. This was not benefiting me in anyway. My grades dropped, I became less and less productive at work and didn’t get much rest. Finally I made the decision that if a relationship would cause me not to maintain my focus and career goal that is was not for me at that time. Carla was my first and last serious relationship, and I have made the judgment to remain single until I have reached my educational aspirations. I would like to think that there is no pressure and is a personal choice on staying single or to get married, but it is not like that. Once a person can whole heartedly accept the fact that they are living the single life, it becomes somewhat easier for that individual to interact with others on a daily bases. For example, when a person really and truly feels as if they need to be in a relationship or cannot understand why they are not, that individual could have some problems dealing with others who are in a relationship or someone who is content with the single lifestyle. In my opinion â€Å"coming from personal experience† a person is more likely to find themselves when single as opposed to being in a committed relationship. Being a person who has been in a relationship and single, I can see some pros and cons in both being single and being in a relationship. Attached you will find a diagram with some of the pros and cons. ? ? Pros SINGLE IN A RELATIONSHIP Freedom Someone to share More friendsShared experiences Self-Sufficiency Can Depend on someone Prioritizing Career Two incomes Cons ? SINGLE IN A RELATIONSHIP Lonely Arguments No one to talk toJoint bank accounts One incomeLess time to work Having to cookLess time to focus on school In conclusion I’ve express my view and thought on the single life base on information obtain from personal experiences and article and information researched via the internet. Base on the information presented in my paper I have concluded that being single is conducive to the hectic lifestyle of a young, working college student. I do feel as if everyone needs and deserves someone. Which is why I do not wish to remain single for the remainder of my life, I can honestly say I am at the point in my life where being single is ok and works for me.

HP Pendrive Creative Brief Essay

The HP Brand is a â€Å"lifestyle† brand that provides electronic gadgets. PROJECT BACKGROUND Wheather you are very much active in computer and need to transfer lots of office presentations,works,songs,movies HP provides pendrives to fit your kind of lifestyle.It had developed itself to cater to those who are active and value transfering files,music,movies etc.HP provides a varity of pendrives for the purpose of being used from being extremely active to just relaxing.Where their pendrives fit a whole spectrum of daily activities,the problem still exists of getting computer users to choose the HP Pendrives over its competition. Hp Pendrive needs to prove that it is a brnd of EVERY lifestyle.Therefore,the purpose of this campaign is to show HP Pendrives being used and abused in all kinds of everyday lifestyles. TARGET AUDIENCE 15-70 years old males,females who involve with computer to whatever lifestyle they live.The audience will cover the entire spectrum of â€Å"computer users† from hard-core corporate person to those who study in school.Whatever the activity, the key is that they involve to share files,movies,musics etc. Advertising Objective Create consumer demand and awareness for HP Pendrive. CONSUMER MESSAGE Pendrive made specifically for your lifestyle. KEY CONSUMER BENEFIT HP provides durable and quality pendrive,no matter what you are doing. BENEFIT SUPPORT > Durability allowing you to continue with your active daily lifestyle without worrying abou ruining your pendrive. > HP provides upto 64 GB pendrive. > Small in size.So, it is easy to carry anywhere. COMPETITION Transcend,Sony,Kingstone.

Future of the Juvenile Justice System Essay

Even with all the money and effort spent on the adult justice system the recidivism rate is astonishing. When we hear old sayings like â€Å"you can’t teach an old dog new tricks† or â€Å"you have to nip the problem in the bud† or â€Å"if you don’t want a rotten apple, don’t go to the barrel go to the tree†, do we realize the effect these concepts could have on the crime? If we realize it’s difficult to teach old offenders new behaviors and actually focus our efforts on â€Å"nipping the problem in the bud† or attempt to save the apple from spoiling while it’s still young and on the tree, we will be able to positively affect crime in the juvenile and adult justice systems. The Juvenile Justice SystemJuvenile justice first received help in the Supreme Court in the 1960’s in a case called Kent v. United States; this case started the due process for juveniles. The Supreme Court stated that â€Å"†¦the informal process of determining whether a juvenile should be tried in juvenile or in adult court failed to provide sufficient due process protection for children. The Court held that before a minor is transferred to adult court the child is entitled to an informal hearing where the trial court must articulate the reasons for the transfer so that the child can have an adequate record for appellate review.† (www.answers.com) One year later in 1967 the Court heard another case In Re Gault â€Å"†¦the Court determined that juveniles must at least receive alternative equivalents. Thus, in a juvenile delinquency trial, children are entitled to: (1) notice of the charges, (2) a right to counsel, (3) a right to confrontation and cross-examin ation, and (4) a privilege against self-incrimination.†(www.answers.com) The history from that point on has been slowly moving to giving juveniles the same protections as adults in the justice systems. â€Å"Academic experts have long recognized that crime is a young man’s game. The typical criminal is a male who begins his career at 14 or 15, continues through his mid-20s and then tapers off into retirement. Three statistics demonstrate the disproportionate impact of those under the age of 18 on criminal activity: While comprising roughly one-sixth of the nation’s population, they make up a full one-quarter of all people arrested and account for nearly one-third of the arrests for the seven crimes in the  Uniform Crime Index (homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, vehicle theft and larceny).† (www.Ihc.ca.gov)Juvenile experts believe the reasons why some juveniles commit crimes against society are because there are many influences that shape their decisions. â€Å"The family is, therefore, an important factor in the forces that determine delinquency. The family determines a child’s class, structure, and development, and the nourishing process is vital to formation of a child’s development. Family exerts the most influence on a human being. Any severe disturbance in one or both parents can produce a devastating negative impact on a juvenile.† (Wickliffe, 2000)Environment plays a role in the lives of juveniles. It affects the manner in which they will react to the situations presented to them. The juvenile’s friends and associates influence and guide most of the decisions that are made. Juveniles usually commit crimes as a group and not so much on an individual basis. Juvenile Programs to Prevent CrimeBecause of the many roots of crime, no single preventive program is the â€Å"silver bullet† that will halt juvenile crime. However mentoring is a type of youth program that has seen positive results. Communities throughout the nation have realized that trained, sworn law enforcement officers assigned to schools make a difference. Mentoring has been around for hundreds of years, yet it is a newly developing trend in law enforcement. When the lives of troubled youths are examined the triggers for their actions are multiple: Parents have failed, schools have failed, public organizations have failed, and communities have failed. The concept that there are consequences linked to decisions and actions is not passed down to children. To reinvigorate these elements into society requires that multiple strategies that be put into place according to specific needs of families, neighborhoods and communities. †¢Purpose of the mentoring programThe purpose of the mentoring program is to teach at risk youth and their families about substance abuse, crime prevention, gang resistance, and positive community involvement. In 2002 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that mentoring is a recognized violence prevention strategy and is most effective for youth in middle childhood (6-11years old). Since mentoring is most effective from an early  age, it is imperative that the program begin at the kindergarten level and follow throughout the adolescent years. Participating in the mentoring programs provides alternatives to criminal delinquency and future criminal behavior. The mentoring program will introduce youth to the police officers and allow the youth to become more accepting of the police officer’s role in society. †¢Participants of the mentoring programThe mentoring program will be focused on young people and their families who are at risk by virtue of individual factors (e.g. hyperactivity, and learning disabilities), family situation (e.g. unemployment, parental absences or incapacity) or community aspects (e.g., dangerous neighborhood) that may lead to crime and violence. The program will also be available to youth involved with guns, gangs, and drugs or exhibit delinquent or near delinquent behavior or youth who have witnessed or experienced violence†¢Location of program:The mentoring program will take place in every public school within the State of Utah. †¢Time frame of programThe mentoring program will be continuously running fiscal year to fiscal year with the assistance of the Utah State Legislature, the Department of Education, the federal government programs and local municipality programs. †¢General overview of program:Participating schools will benefit from the program. Local police departments will designate the officers in charge of each territory of the designated areas. Along with local community members, law enforcement officers will work with the youth on a variety of educational programs aimed at deterring youth and their families from crime while allowing the youth to learn valuable life-long learning skills. Juvenile Courts and CorrectionsBecause programs will not deter all juvenile crime, Juvenile courts and corrections will continue to play a vital role in developing our youth. With methodical and calculated use of our courts and correctional systems in a juvenile justice world, we will attempt to prevent and deter crime overall. If we smartly invest money in the juvenile justice system, specifically in courts and corrections, we will ultimately save  money by deterring youth from committing crimes as adults. Because children often imitate their parent’s behaviors, when parents are introduced into the Justice system for crimes they have committed, DCFS will be dispatched to the offender’s residence. There they will assess and evaluate the home including the parents ability to properly raise children. Due to importance of parental presence in the lives of children, parents may defer time in prison by attending various mandatory self help and parenting classes along with community service. In substance abuse cases, parents will be required to go to become drug by attending rehab and drug counseling. In the cases where these programs fail to prevent crime, counseling and behavior modification courses and activities will be the main objective for youth. However if these programs also fail a more â€Å"tough love† type of program will be enforced. Programs like â€Å"Scared Straight† where at risk youth are taken to prisons to see what awaits them if they continue in their ways. On this same vein, juvenile correction centers will be strict and more like adult prison. Instead of making it easy or dorm like, it will be a place that juveniles hope never to return to. PrivatizationIn order to fund these programs, we recommend many of the programs and specifically the juvenile detention/correction centers, be outsourced to the private sector. Private companies wishing to be considered for outsourcing need to have been in business for a reasonable length of time (at least 5 years) and have contracts and facilities that are successfully ran in the private sector. The board’s decision to build future facilities privately has many advantages. First, recent public opinion has not been favorable toward the idea of using taxpayer dollars to build new jails. Education and transportation projects usually garner more support. In addition, private investors can build future facilities faster and cheaper than a public sponsored facility since they are able to take the lowest bid from a contractor. Public sponsored buildings on-the-other-hand, must receive numerous bids from contractors, and in the end, does not guarantee that the lowest bid will be used. Private investors usually have an easier time securing the land that will be needed to build the facility. Private  investors are also able to secure contracts with other companies at a better rate. These contracts are for services such as, food, medical, and clothing services. These sub-contract companies are willing to provide cheaper rates for long running contracts. Tight budgets are always an issue with any project. With the use of a private investor, the legislature can sign a contract and know exactly how much the facility will cost. In addition to being privately funded, the board is also recommending the privatization of all daily operation inherent with new facilities. These private, sub-contract businesses will control all of the following in the facility: †¢Ã¢â‚¬ Day-to-day oversight and management of all jail operations. †¢Complete facility management, including design, construction, maintenance and renovation. †¢All personnel services including hiring, training, payroll and benefits. †¢Screening, booking and releasing of all inmates. †¢Complete health care for all inmates including dental care and vision care. †¢Educational, vocational, work and faith-based programming. †¢Food and Nutrition services. †¢Transportation services, including extraditions and court appearances. The decision to go private will decrease the State’s liability from inmate lawsuits. The State will be considered indemnified through a â€Å"hold-harmless† clause in the contract with a private company. The private company will adhere to the American Correctional Association (ACA) guidelines and by doing so limit the county’s liability. Programs Inside Juvenile Detention CentersPrograms offered at future juvenile facilities will be for the benefit of the inmates and the communities they  will eventually reside in. Listed below are the programs and intended benefits. †¢Program one: Read and Write Tutoring. Read and write tutoring will be offered to the inmates free of charge. This program will help the inmates learn to read and write past a 4th or 5th grade level. This program helps to educate the inmates so they will have a better chance at finding a decent job after they leave the jail. †¢Program two: GED. The jail will provide GED classes for inmates of age (17), wishing to earn his or her certificate. The program will be taught by volunteers and will conduct classes four times a week. The inmate will have to master five subject areas: reading, writing, mathematics, social studies and science. â€Å"Studies have shown that GED attainment lowers recidivism rates by 20%.†(MCSO website). †¢Program three: Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is a program designed to help the inmate change their way of thinking in certain situations. This program uses conflict to teach correct reactions to real life problems. The program will help the inmate understand consequences are the natural reaction to all decisions. †¢Program four: 12 Step Program. 12 step programs are available for any inmate that wants to overcome an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. This program when followed will enable the inmates to stop using these harmful substances. This will help the inmate enter society without an addiction, specifically with drugs†¢Program 10: Anger Management. Anger Management is offered for the benefit of the inmates. This class helps demonstrate why controlling anger and taking the time to think before reacting to life’s problems is important. This program will allow the inmate to slow down and pinpoint where their aggression starts. This helps the inmate once they are released from jail, because as they enter society, they will need to control their temper. Conclusion As mentioned, youth commit a disproportionate amount of society’s  crime. Police have a saying â€Å"There’s no such thing as an old street gangster†. Either they end up in prison where they cannot commit street crimes or they end up dead. It is our goal to prevent crime and deter criminal behavior by teaching youth. We will accomplish this with mentoring programs beginning in grade school, having the justice system/DCSF step in when parent’s criminal behavior will effect and influence their children’s behavior. Our juvenile detention centers will be strict but also offer many programs aimed at teaching young offenders new behaviors giving them new tools on how to live in society. The way we will pay for the additional costs for these programs is by privatizing youth detention centers. References http://www.Ihc.ca.gov/Ihcdir/127rp.html Retrieved March 15, 2008. http://www.homepage.ntlworld.com/gary.sturt/crime/theocrim.htm Retrieved March 15, 2008Wickliffe, J. 2000. hhtp://yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/unit/2000/2/00.02.07.x.html#e Retrieved March 15, 2008http://www.njjjc.com/pdf/jjcsucessBW_2006_04.pdf Retrieved March 15, 2008http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/funding/fy07awards.html Retrieved March 15, 2008http://www.answers.com/topic/juvenile-justice-system-in-re-gault-and-the-constitution Retrieved March 15, 2008

Odysseus (Epic Hero)

Will Rodgers, an American humorist and social commentator, once remarked that â€Å"Being a hero is about the shortest lived profession on earth† (atd. in carnival of wit 222). While this may be literally true, most heroes live on figuratively in the recorded stories of their exploits, and in many cases they model characteristics that can inspire readers to emulate they're behavior. One obvious example is Homer's Odysseus the fictional king of Ithaca whose courage, strength, and quest for immortality define him as the prototypical epic hero.His encounters with the Trojan war, the Cyclopes, the land of Aeolia with the bag of winds, a witch that accidentally turned his men to pigs and more. Odysseus manages to maintain the delicate balance between hubris and humbleness all throughout his ten year journey home from the Trojan War. This shows that he has potential in being a hero. Homer established the fact that Odysseus was willing to take help in addition to friendship from Athe na when he wrote, â€Å"For I never knew the gods to show such open friendship and Pallas Athene standing by Odysseus. † (The Odyssey, Homer, 23).The meaning of courage is a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear, and that's where Odysseus comes in. Odysseus has been through so much just to get back home to his family. From being in the arms of his loving wife to risking his life at war and the sea adventures with his men. Odysseus is faithful to those whom he loves and is determined to return to his home of Ithaca. As he was on the island with Calypso and she asked him to stay with her, he responded to Calypso by stating, â€Å"Every day I long to travel home and see my day of coming. † (Homer, 49).

Negative effects of fast food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Negative effects of fast food - Research Paper Example Health experts have found that all fast food tends to possess greater than 35% calories from fat, greater than10% calories from saturated fats, more than 35% sugar-derived calories and 200 calories in every serving of the snack (Ashakiran and Deepthi 7). This high-sugar, high –fat content implies that fast food consumers tend to have too much cholesterol thus increasing their likelihood of becoming obese. When a person becomes obese, the high percentage of cholesterol in their body triggers a number of conditions like high blood pressure. This eventually creates a chain of other complicated conditions like stroke and heart attack, which usually cause death or permanent paralysis. The great taste and large quantities that are served in most restaurants trigger greater craving for these food items and encourages people to eat more than they should. A number of other long-term health diseases have also been cited as potential consequences of eating fast food, and these include cancer. Junk food predisposes people to breast and prostate cancer especially when they begin eating such food at an early age. The clogging of arteries that arises from the habit also leads to osteoporosis, which is a condition of the bones and hypertension as well. It may also lead to the development of tooth decay owing to the high concentration of sugars in most of these snacks and drinks. In the short term, fast food causes sharp rises and declines in blood sugar thus perpetuating the susceptibility to diabetes, especially if this runs in the family. For persons without the diabetic gene, sharp increase and decreases in sugar causes lethargy, low concentration levels at work or in school, and hence low productivity. Currie et al (32) carried out an analysis of the overall effect of fast food on public health by collecting and analysing data from California, New Jersey and Michigan. Their intension was to

Leadership Communication..Q5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership Communication..Q5 - Essay Example We saw this especially with the BP oil sill in the Gulf of Mexico. Describe at least three pros and three cons of rationalizing. Propose a method to deal with the cons of rationalizing. 1. In organizations, rationalizing at the intra-organizational levels may help in understanding the dynamics and changes in leadership development through a continuous learning process. This sort of rationalization can be related to Gestalt psychology (Day and Zacarro, 2004) and can be used by higher management to study the new leaders among the managers. 2. In some situations, ethical practices may undermine an organization’s public image since such practices may leak information on internal problems. Rationalizing may be used to keep the appearance of the organization upbeat vis-à  -vis public relations practitioners and media. 2. The leader may indulge in tricky reasoning with the help of rationalization. This increases the risk of exploitation and exhaustion of the confused subordinates, which will eventually lead to decreased productivity. 3. Psychoanalytical aspects of rationalizing activities in business may give rise to contradiction between beliefs, thought processes, and attitudes within the management. This will create an â€Å"uncomfortable state of tension† (Smith and Mackie, 2007, p. 277-8). Since rationalizing involves a tactical use of lies, it cannot be ethically justified and hence it is quite a problematic behavior in the course of leadership development. Smith and Sharma (2002, p. 197) have stated that â€Å"organizations currently operate with a faà §ade of rationality, ignoring emotional reality.† Ethical practices and emotional intelligence must be encouraged to counter tendencies to avoid truth and create excessive workload from the perspective of the leader. In order to bring about responsible behavior on the part of the leaders (e.g. departmental bosses), the organization itself must behave in a socially responsible way. Day, D.V.

Introduction to Financial Accounting Assignment

Introduction to Financial Accounting - Assignment Example Investors adopt this trading strategy because they would want to make big profits in as less time as possible, particularly when they perceive stocks as being overpriced. To short sell, an investor must have a margin account with the broker, for which the investor has to meet the initial margin requirement which is a proportion of the total investment that has to be paid in cash. For e.g., if an initial margin requirement is 50% on the total investment of  £10, 000 then an investor has to pay  £5000 in cash which is initial margin deposit and can borrow the rest of the amount. 1(f) Margin trading is purchasing stocks by borrowing money from the broker. For margin trading, an investor would need a margin account which has a specific initial and maintenance margin requirement (Reilly and Brown, 2003, p. 128). Investors opt for margin trading because it provides them with financial leverage or in other words, increases their buying power. If the margin in the account falls below the maintenance margin, the broker calls the investor to put in more cash in the account so that the margin can be maintained. This is known as a margin call (Reilly and Brown, 2003, p. 128) Therefore the range of maintenance margin values within which I will not get a margin call is values lesser than  £184652.9 and equal to or greater than  £163052.75 during the entire investment period. 2 (d) In order to find out if diversification would reduce the risk of the portfolio, the correlation of assets must be studied (Reilly and Brown, 2003, p. 245). The greater the number of negatively correlated assets in a portfolio, the lesser will be the risk. RSS and BLT correlation coefficient is 0.3637 which shows that the two stocks are moderately correlated, that might not help much in diversifying the risk of the portfolio.

FINANCIAL CRISIS, HOME MORTGAGES, CREDIT MARKETS, FINANCIAL Assignment

FINANCIAL CRISIS, HOME MORTGAGES, CREDIT MARKETS, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, MORAL HAZARD, ADVERSE SELECTIONS, - Assignment Example Majority of the subprime borrowers were caught unawares, and they were unable to pay off their monthly payments (Bliss, 2010). Furthermore, a rise in foreclosures initiated by financial institutions was able to increase the number of houses within the market. This led to a decline in the housing prices, leading to an increase in thee defaults of mortgages. This default had an adverse effect on financial and depository institutions such as banking organizations. Because subprime borrowers were unable to pay off their loans, banking institutions were forced to write off their debts. Furthermore, because of the defaults of sub-prime borrowers, depository financial institutions were forced to issue a margin call (Read, 2009). This led to an increase in the sale of mortgage backed securities, because of panic. Financial institutions increased their rates of margin calls, resulting to a series of defaults, eventually leading to catastrophic losses by banking organizations. It is estimated that financial institutions in the United States were able to loss approximately 1 trillion dollars, because of the effects of this financial crisis. A company such as AIG insurance was nearly collapsing, and it required a bail out from the US government, in order to sustain its businesses (Read, 2009). AIG insurance was able to receive approximately 85 billion dollars from the federal government, in exchange of 80% of its equity (Bliss, 2010). Jones (2010) explains that one of the factors that led to the near collapse of AIG was an aspect referred to as financial innovation. This is specifically at its London offices. This division encouraged for the use of a financial tool referred to as collateralized debt obligation (CDOs). This was an example of a financial innovation, and it was very popular amongst large financial institutions. This included banking organizations that issue out mortgages, investment banks, and other financial

Learning Log Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Learning Log - Essay Example The situation makes it difficult for the visiting Chinese to enjoy. This idea influenced the owners of this restaurant to create an opportunity to the Chinese in heart of London. Many clients visiting the restaurant have remarked that the restaurant has enabled them to acquire the best in a foreign land. The restaurant respects and promotes Chinese culture. Reception of clients who visit this restaurant would attest to the above fact. The restaurant location is heart English land where one would expect to meet the English culture. However, the uniqueness of the restaurant stem up from the fact that it roots for the native culture of the Chinese. This is the best that a person would imagine especially when an individual has been dreaming of experience the native culture. Language is an aspect of culture, which influences all other activities in the society. The restaurants prefer addressing its Chinese visitors in Chinese language and other visitors in the most appropriate language (T ouro). The idea is to protect the business from failing to cater for the interest of the society. Serving the needs of Chinese people as well as the needs of the people who embraces the Chinese culture is the sole objective of the restaurant. This objective is evident through the long-term service that the restaurant has offered to the society since its inception in 1890s (Chongqing Expat Club, 2008:3). ... Today the practices in the restaurant indicate respect for the Chinese culture. Human culture differs owing to the fact that people live in various geographical regions. The practices observed in London by Londoners are much different from practices of Chinese in Beijing. How the fabric that formed the foundation of the restaurant anticipated to carry the practices alive. My placement at Chongqing San Jia Xiang restaurant exposed me to two events; first, exercises my communication skills in an international environment second to retain stress. The restaurant offers services to international guest visiting or residing in London. Communication is a crucial tool in the hospitality industry that dictates the number clients. Clients visiting various recreational facilities are keen to reception in their new environment. The restaurant offers a warm reception to people (Touro). Exposure to new environment offers an opportunity for learning new approaches. I was not an exception to this exe rcise. I had to receive clients, listen to their demands and respond. The experience was good because the management managed to influence my reaction whenever I misunderstood the clients. People have different abilities yet they need services. It means I had to develop skills of response as well as skills of controlling my temper whenever the demands were out of my taste. The organisation concern promotes an environment where a person could be able to learn. Individual’s presentation influences ones ability to handle clients. The restaurant management and staff created an environment, which encourages an individual to be presentable. The restaurant holds routine departmental meetings, which aims at analysing and attending to problems of the workers. The

The Impact of Embryonic Stem Cells on Regenerative Medicine Essay

The Impact of Embryonic Stem Cells on Regenerative Medicine - Essay Example This according to me has lead to successful harvesting of human embryonic stem cell. These cells have unrestricted ability. Hence I strongly believe this may possibly permit permanent repair of failing organs by injecting healthy cells produced from human embryonic cells. Again I believe skeptics might refute pluripotent stem cells as tumorogenic. Qualified researchers from Stanford school of Medicine have discovered an innovative yet distinct method of synthesizing liver cells from fat cells extracted from human body. This new method takes less time and produces more liver cells in the process. Other methods such as i-Heps and spherical culture take more time. Therefore since this is the most effective effort and just takes nine days, it should be adopted for faster advancement that the conventional means for liver-poisoning victims seeking transplantation. To start with this process, adipose cells are obtained from liposuction treatments or the removal of fat cells from the patient s bodies. This study at the Stanford University School of Medicine has been successful in transforming adipose stem cells into liver cells. Therefore this new discovery should be adopted because it will start producing immense potential for regenerative medicine. Ideally, the researchers were able to discover that induced pluripotent cells (iPS) had the potential to be used as possible option to human embryonic stem cells. However, some other people believe that some implications could be used to examine the molecular factors of Marfan on an adopted basis (Goldman 1) There is no doubt that the breakthrough of induced pluripotency denotes the synthesis of scientific standards and technologies that have been created over the past sixty years. I have come to learn that somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a dominant tool to investigate the experimental potential of cells; therefore it is quite difficult and not all suitable for generic and biochemical research. Also, this method is important has amounted to further improvement towards isolating iPSCs since the discovery of immortal pluripotent cells from teratocarcinomas (Stadfeld and Hochedlinger 2239-2263). This method is as well important because the discovery of lineage-linked transcription elements, which assist to identify and sustain cellular activity during growth by influencing the articulation of cell form particular genes while suppressing lineage-inappropriate genes, might possibly transform cells outcome where ectopically articulated in specific heterologous cells. However to establish transcriptional controllers so that they might reprogram adult cells into pluripotent cells, it is necessary to develop a magnificent screen for aspects inside a cluster of 24 pluripotency-connected candidate genes that will have the potential for activating a latent drug resistance allele that will be integrated into ESC-specific locus. The methods for deriving iPSCs which do not contain transgenic series are the b est because they are aimed at isolating the potentially destructive impacts of leaky transgenic expression and supplementary mutagenesis. In my view, this is particularly essential when taking into consideration iPSC technology in a therapeutic situation. To understand more about my topic, you will need to learn more about iPSCs. The first insertion free iPSCs were produced from adult mouse hepatocytes using non-integrating adenoviral, and the mouse embryonic fibroblasts. I suspect researchers used these tests so as to provide proof of standard that transitory appearance of the four classical reprogramming aspects of common integration location in iPSCs generated with retroviruses substantiate this argument. In searching the

Making business decisions and ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Making business decisions and ethics - Essay Example Ethics involves making decisions between right and wrong. Following all the rules and regulations is a good thing for a business enterprise, but it does not mean that a person is being ethical. Ethics are subjective and its application depends on the circumstance. For example a company in order to maximize shareholders wealth decides to fire 1000 employees. The move might be a wise business move, but some people might consider it unethical because the firm put out of work people that needed those jobs. Ethical standards vary depending on the culture. In many Asian countries paying off bribes to governmental officials is viewed by many as a standard business practice. In the United States paying off a bribe is considered an unethical act. 2 In the normal course of making business decisions, there are many instances where determining the exact opportunity cost for a project or opportunity is not possible. The best sometimes one can hope for is being able to calculate a reasonable estim ate for specific opportunity based on known parameters and assuming certain outcomes. For example one might decide six months ago that a specific process improvement project for a product line is better than investing in the development of a new improved product line, but after finishing the process improvements unexpected changes in technology significantly lower the demand for the product making it obsolete. There is a high level of uncertainty in business and factors such as changes in the economic, social or business environment can have a detrimental effect on previous assumptions .3. Rising interest rates can have a detrimental effect in the ability of a firm to obtain new financing since overall financing costs will increase. If the businesses current and long term liabilities are under a variable interest the firm is fully exposed to interest rate risks, unless interest rate hedging is incorporated in the company's financial structure. If the firm has a fixed rate for their liabilities, an increase in the interest rates will raise the market value since it would trade at a discount but would not affect the book value of the liability unless financing terms are modified or the liability is refinanced. 4. A few years ago I worked at an organization in which there was absolutely a complete lack of ethics by the administration. The firm did not believe in treating the employees with respect. Every pay cycle the company would steal hours worked from different employees in order to pay them less. The payment of payroll was always late. Sometimes the payroll would be late as much as two to three weeks. The company promised paying production incentives and then it decided not to pay them. This place was a breeding ground for unethical behavior. 5. To me one of the biggest ethical scandals in the last few decades is the Nike Corporation fiasco. Nike Corporation is a firm that generates billions of dollars in sales annually. At the end of the 1990’s Nike was involved in the utilization of sweetshops to manufacture its products. Imagine a company that charges on many of its shoe models between $100 and $150 paying its workers a few cents per hour. It is abusive and inhumane. The workers in these sweetshops were exposed to horrible working conditions. 6. Possibly the biggest accounting scandal in the history of business is the Enron case. This case involved a company that violated all ethical standards you can think of. The managerial staff of the company was composed of a bunch of gangsters. Prior to the price of the stock losing all its value the executives sold off their shares using insider information. The pension fund was horribly administered since the company invested the majority of the pension fund on Enron stocks. 7. To truly know whether a business decision is the best alternative available one must consider opportunity costs. Take for example a person that decides to give up his job in order to open a hot dog stand. The e ntrepreneur is generating $2000 a month from the hot dog business. The person is making a

A comparison of the women in the Hardy Tales Essay Example for Free

A comparison of the women in the Hardy Tales Essay Rhoda in the tale The Withered Arm and Phyllis in the story The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion are both very lonely women. Both of these women and have been mistreated by men, but none of them ever speak out for themselves to tell the men that their behaviour is unacceptable. Women who were treated by men were just expected by their fathers (if the husband is rich) to just keep quiet and be happy that they are financially supported. Rhoda is a social reject. She has been isolated to a small, dilapidated cottage in the middle of a lonely field. Rhoda is of the poor working class. She has received no education and is illiterate. Her son wears worn out shoes that rub his feet. Farmer Lodge, the sons biological father takes no responsibility for his son and does not support Rhoda financially. This shows that Farmer Lodge is irresponsible and dismisses his responsibilities. When the story is told Rhoda is thirty to forty years of age, thin from starvation, dark eyed, poor and a single mother. She is a milkmaid and earns very little, no where near enough to feed her and her son properly. Rhoda was once very pretty and was in a relationship with Farmer Lodge. Farmer Lodge is a very shallow fickle man who is only attracted to the looks of a woman rather than her personality. Unfortunately, because he is rich many women fall for him although he never truly loves them. When Farmer Lodges new wife arrives Rhoda is very bitter about her and strives to find a way in which she is better than Farmer Lodges new wife, Gertrude. Although Rhoda seems like quite an independent character that fends for herself, she has been mistreated by Farmer Lodge for quite sometime. Another woman who is severely mistreated by men is Phyllis in the tale The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. Phyllis is mistreated by her father who grows selfish and withdraws her from the town where she was happy with her friends. When Rhoda visits conjuror Trendle she sees that is was herself who caused the abrasion on Gertrudes arm she feels quite guilty. She would not care if it were someone else who caused it, but she feels bad because Rhoda knows it was her. At the end of the story, Rhoda has gained nothing and lost everything. Her son who she greatly loved and was the nest thing in her life has been hanged for arson. At this time hanging for arson was common. Rhodas son was made an example of for other arsonists. I blame Rhoda for her situation because it was social suicide for Farmer Lodge to be in a relationship with a poor milkmaid let alone have a child together. Rhoda must have known this. If Rhoda had never have started a relationship with Farmer Lodge none of the following events would have occurred. It may have just been a coincidence that Gertrudes arm became deformed, but it drove Gertrude mad and eventually ended up killing her.

Common Practices in Religion Essay Example for Free

Common Practices in Religion Essay What is Religion? The term religion comes from the Latin word ‘religare’ which means to bind. In the world today, there are different forms of religious groups and followings that have unique beliefs and practices depending on their history. It is estimated that there are thousands of religions in the world, including the mainstream religious groups and others that are not known. One of the common characteristics of religious groups is that they all believe in the existence of a supreme being. However, there are those who don’t believe in religion. For such people, religion only assumes the existence of a supreme being while there is no substantive evidence to support the said belief. According to Norris Inglehart, through the practice of atheism, atheists believe that religion is just a fallacy that might have developed in the past and passed on from generation to generation through the various teachings in culture (2011). For enthusiasts, the reason people are afraid to question religious teachings is because of the fear of repercussions that are likely to occur due to such disbelief. Under this context, religion was assumed to be a creation of scholarly studies in the past with philosophers trying to establish how religion came into being. The major question is what religion is all about and what entails the aspects of it. For most people, there is a thin line between culture and religion. This explains why different cultures have their specific religion and beliefs. However, there are various contentious issues that have never been solved over the years. One thing that would totally shift the paradigm and, in extension, the balance of nature, is if it turned out that no supreme beings the religions are based upon exist. Such a situation would totally erode the gains made in the religious world today and also lead to mass confusion among the staunch religious followers. However, some of the religious beliefs are so strong  that they cannot be influenced by any emerging trend regarding their faith. â€Å"Most of the common definition of religion excludes some fundamental facts about religion and offering an adequate explanation of what religion is† (Hood et al., 2009). From a general perspective, religion is commonly defined as the belief in God. This belief, however, is considered as vague as it excludes some of the ideas that characterize some religious followings such as atheism. If religion was to be solely defined as the belief in God, what would the other religious groups that either believe in a different supreme being and those of atheism be referred to as? This tendency of generalization is what often causes some misconception that is associated with how religion is defined. Then what is the worldview of religion and how is it defined in different places around the world? There are arguments that religion is not hard to define, but rather it is the people themselves who often create the confusion regarding its definition. According to Heelas (2005), one of the greatest challenges is how to define religion without excluding any religious beliefs or followings in the word today. However, there is a conventional way of defining religion which incorporates the primary fundamentals of religion. The following are the fundamentals of religion; The belief in a supernatural being. A clear distinction of what is regarded as the moral way of doing things in accordance with the different religious beliefs and practices. Various rituals that are commonly attributed to the religious groups from different parts of the world. Religious groups have various rituals that characterize the specific religion and establish a code of conduct in which members are supposed to operate. A specific way of communicating with God is done through prayers. However, distinct religious groups have a specific way of praying and other practices that accompany prayers. Different religious feelings that are often experienced whenever the practice is taking place. In some religious groups, members engage in incarnations and a sense of adoration. In other groups, however, there is always the aspect of guilt and repentance during religious sermons. From this approach, the worldview related to religion and what religion entails becomes clear. In most cases, it is believed that religion and religious groups in extensions are very different. This explains why there is no single approach as to what entails  religious practices. However, there is a common characteristic of religion that can be used to generalize the practice from a worldview perspective. In the world today, religion continues to shape the life of the people, whereby the religious followings and teachings provide a guideline on how people are supposed to live and interact with each other and with God. The mainstream religious groups attract millions of followers, which is an indication of just how strong religious faith is. In addition, there are thousands of religious followings that are not captured in the mainstream studies of religion but continue to exist with their distinct religious practices. Religion can, therefore, be universally defined as a compilation of religious systems that share a common belief and focus on the unique characteristics of the members of religious faith. References Heelas, P., Woodhead, L., Seel, B., Tusting, K., Szerszynski, B. (2005). The Spiritual Revolution: Why Religion is Giving Way to Spirituality. Blackwell. Hood Jr, R. W., Hill, P. C., Spilka, B. (2009). Psychology of religion: An empirical approach. Guilford Press. Norris, P., Inglehart, R. (2011). Sacred and secular: Religion and politics worldwide. Cambridge University Press.