Colton Jones Inc. Essay

Marion Jones was once the sole shareholder and president of Chempla, Inc.; in 20X1 she sold her stock to Westcoat Industries. She signed an agreement to be a consultant for five years. After being unable to make a profit Westcoat decided to sell their interest in Chempla, but were unable to find a buyer. Westcoat offered Chempla back to Marion Jones and an agreement was reached on September 1, 20X4. Included in the agreement Marion would be majority shareholder of the newly formed corporation. A purchase price was set for the net assets and market values of accounts receivable, inventories, property, plant, and equipment, and accounts payable were obtained. Marion Jones with other investors was able to finance the acquisition of Chempla’s net assets. Colton Jones, Inca doped LIFO basis of accounting. Under the U.S. GAAP Codification of Accounting Standards, Codification Topic 805: Business Combinations; Colton Jones accounted for the acquisition of Chempla as they should have. The acquisition method was used as it should have been, one entity was identified as the acquirer, an acquisition date was stated, and the recognition and measurement principals are present. All parts of the acquisition that needed to take place were present in the case.1 1 GAAP Codification of Accounting Standards, Codification Topic 805: Business Combinations Prestone, Riles, & Nye Associates Prestone, Riles, & Nye (PRN) is a marketing communications company with offices throughout the US and a subsidiary in the United Kingdom and they want to expand into Eastern Europe. In their efforts to do so PRN entered an agreement to acquire outstanding stock of Broadwick Communications, Inc., a firm with contacts in Europe. Brodwick has three shareholders owning 25% each and eight owning the remaining 25%. PRN is responsible to pay $14 million to Broadwick shareholders and form a new entity, BPRN International, Inc. BPRN will conduct the activities of Broadwick and will have two classes of stock, Common A, voting and Common B, nonvoting stock. Income distributions or losses will be shared with the ownership of Common B shares. BPRN will issue 48 percent of its voting stock to PRN and 52  percent to the former Broadwick shareholders. PRN plans to use the equity method to account for and report its investment BPRN. PRN’s decision to use the equity method is supported by APB 18: The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock, which states, â€Å"that the equity method of accounting for an investment in common stock should also be followed by an investor whose investment in voting stock gives it the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies of an investee even though the investor holds 50 percent or less of the voting stock†¦ an investment (direct or indirect) of 20 percent or more of the voting stock of an investee should lead to a presumption that in the absence of evidence to the contrary an investor has the ability to exercise significant influence over an investee.†1 PRN’s investment in BPRN meets these criteria. The reason for using the equity method is to accurately report PRN’s share of net income from BPRN and for PRN’s investment account to reflect its share of BPRN’s net assets. We agree with PRN’s decision to account for and report its investment in BPRN using the equity method since it meets the requirements of GAAP as stated above. PRN also plans to acquire a majority of the voting stock in BPRN, at which time it will become a subsidiary of PRN. Since the basic accounting procedures for applying the equity method are the same in each case PRN will be able to continue using the equity method if and when it acquires a majority of the voting stock and is required to prepare consolidated financial statements 1 APB Opinion No. 18, paragraph 17. Stanomat, Inc. Stanomat, Inc. plans to acquire the outstanding common stock of Kesser Instruments and make it a subsidiary. An agreement is made that allows Stanomat to acquire 55 percent in two months and will purchase additional shares and outstanding shares will be purchased over a four year period. Stanomat will issue a note to Kesser payable over four years for $20 million with interest 1.5 percent above prime. During the period of the note Stanomat will acquire unissued shares of Kesser and upon complete payment of the note Stanomat will own 100 percent of the subsidiary. At 55 percent of ownership, Stanomat will record its investment at 100 percent ownership. We do not believe it is appropriate for Stanomat to record its investment in Kesser based on the 100 percent ownership that it has committed to purchase. Stanomat will use the equity method to account for its investment in Kesser and prepare consolidated financial statements since it owns more than 50 percent of the company. However, in order to accurately reflect its share of Kesser’s assets and income, it should only record and report the portion that it is entitled to. FASB Statement 141R â€Å"requires an acquirer to recognize the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the acquisition date.†1 Therefore Stanomat must recognize the noncontrolling interest held by Kesser until such time as it has acquired 100 percent ownership. In business combinations contingent shares are shares that will only be issued under certain circumstances or when certain conditions are met. A predetermined set of events must occur before the shares would be issued to investors. In this case, shares of Kesser stock will only be issued to Stanomat when a payment has been made. Deferred payment shares are issued to the investors in advance of payment. If the Kesser had issued its shares to Stanomat in advance of payment, Stanomat would be able to report and record the investment based on the 100 percent of shares it had received. If Stanomat records the investment in Kesser at the 55 percent level it would not be appropriate or practical to treat the purchase as a step acquisition. Step acquisition is only necessary when the investor owns a noncontrolling interest in the investee and then acquires additional interest giving it significant influence. â€Å"In a business combination achieved in stages, the acquirer shall remeasure its previously held equity interest in the acquiree at its acquisition-date fair value and recognize the resulting gain or loss, if any, in earnings.†2 Stanomat will acquire a controlling interest in Kesser in the first transfer of stock. Therefore it will be using the equity method to record the investment. Upon acquiring additional shares there will be no need to adjust its investment accounts. 1 FASB Statement 141R summary 2 FASB Statement 141R paragraph 48 Falco Industries, Inc. Falco, a supplier of automotive parts, sells its parts to aftermarket segments of the auto industry, including the manufacturer, rebuilder, warehouse distributor, mass merchandiser, and specialist. Falco acquired 10 percent voting common stock in an automotive store, Tidy Automotive, and in the same year acquired an additional 12 percent. Falco has a June 30 fiscal year and Tidy has a year end of October 31st. At year-end Falco Industries wanted to use the equity method to account for the investment in Tidy Automotive Stores. The market value of the investment in common stock on June 30th was 6 percent less that its acquisition cost. During the year Falco acquired a total of 22 percent of outstanding common stock in Tidy, which gives Falco between 20 and 50 percent of outstanding common stock, and therefore Falco’s interest in Tidy is significant. To account for this type of investment, Falco would need to use the equity method. The interest in Tidy would not be significant if Falco had acquired less that 20 percent, in this case Falco would need to use the cost method to account for the investment. If Falco had acquired more than 50 percent they would have to issue consolidated financial statements.

Networking in professional life Essay

Networking in professional life Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In computing terms, a network is a system of interconnected computers that share a characteristic of being autonomous and have the ability to share information through the interconnection peripherals. Moreover, it is a system of connected computer hardware that are linked by communication channels and protocols that provide a rapid method of sharing information (Tanenbaum, 2011). On the other hand, Network Interface controller (NIC) is a computer system that creates computer connections to a particular network. It is also known as Network Interface Card or network adapter. On the same perspective, a bandwidth refers to the ability of a computer network to send and receive information (data) and is expressed in bits per second (bps). Network Media Types   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In broad spectrum, network media refer to the actual path through which an electronic signal in a system of a computer or computers travels as it moves from one component in the system to another. There are several types of Network media such as; twisted pair cables, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable as well as wireless media (Ciccarelli, & Faulkner, 2006). A situation of network connection problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As I mostly use network connection in most of my computerization endeavors, it comes a time when network connection becomes a major problem. For instance, this problems include; difficulties in connection to home networks, problems in accessing information from other interconnected networks as well as slow network connectivity among many other problems (Chen-guang, 2008). However, through the application of my computer skills, I normally manage to deal with such problems through the employment of troubleshooting mechanisms. However the most common problem that had severe impacts on my working is the issue of slow network connection but at the end, I was able to solve it by following several steps as follows; I first identified the active applications, the available users as well as the available conversations to determine where the congestion came from. This was followed by the generation of a purpose built report to determine the applicat ions in use, in order to determine the amount of bandwidth they were consuming. Finally, I was able to set a limit for the applications that were not significant in my place of operation. This eliminated the problem of slow network connection and after all my operations worked to perfection. How will networking Influence my professional life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my future career, networking will be of great importance, as I will use all the learned skills to ensure that information flow is efficient by ensuring the use of the best network type considering speed, reliability, efficiency and cost too. It will be my area of strength. References Tanenbaum, A. S. (2011). Computer networks. Boston: Pearson Education. Ciccarelli, P., & Faulkner, C. (2006). Networking Foundations: Technology Fundamentals for IT Success. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Chen-guang, L. I. (2008). Implementation of netwok management model based on Linux System J]. Railway Computer Application, 6, 012. Source document

Madness in Wuthering Heights

AP Literature and Composition The Maddness of Wuthering Heights What is madness? It is defined as the state of having a serious mental illness, extremely foolish behavior, according to Oxford Dictionary. To an author, however, it can be so much more. In her novel, Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte had a method behind the madness, so to speak, using it to make many main points throughout the novel. She employs this madness specifically in her character Heathcliff, whose own emotions driven him to insanity. Through what causes him to go mad, and his actions as a result, the story is develpedHeathcliff’s madness derived from multiple factors but is rooted from hate shown by Hindley. When Mr. Earnshaw founb Heathcliff in the streets and took him in (page 36), he treated him like his son, sometimes even better than his own children. This created Hindley’s resentment for Heathcliff. Hindley did not like the attention Heathcliff recived from his father, therefore wanted to make Heathcliff as miserable as possible. When Hindley makes him a servant of the family, after Mr. Earnshaw’s death (page 43), he makes his distain know, with constasnt abuse and ill-treatment.It would give reason to Heathcliff’s loathing of Hindley. No one would agreeably go through that adversity without good reason. Therefore, it would seem reasonable for Heathcliff to leave when he thought Catherine was going to leave him. All of the time he spent away, would leave time to grow rueful to Hindley, and plot revenge for his mistreatment. He became so consumed by revenge, that he became void of any previous emotion. He lost care for anything other than shaming Hindley and gaining control of the Heights. He didn’t care who got in his way, and used others for his own selfish reason.This was the reason why Heathcliff married Isabella (page 131). Isabella would not have known of his schemes, as Heathcliff kept his true character hidden; he kept his madness well hidden. After Catherine’s death, he would have no other purpose to live but to fulfill his plan, even using Cathy (Catherine’s daughter) and his own son, forcing them to marry (page 248). Therefore, there is no question that the theme that the desire for revenge can consume someone is not a question. Heathcliff’s thirst for revenge was caused by his madness, nd it is present in most of the book. Another probable cause of Heathcliff’s madness is his love and obsession with Catherine. Heathcliff is treated terribly by all but Catherine, and she becomes his solace; his only friend. Her companionship is likely what kept him sane for longer. When she distanced herself, growing closer to the Lintons after staying there for several weeks (page 52), his attitude changed. Resentment and jealousy begin to form. She was not spending as much time with him, leaving him to endure whatever punishment Hindley forced on him.He was losing the one person he had left who seemed to c are about him Therefore, when she announced she was going to marry Edgar Linton, he ran and did not return for years (page 84). While he was away, he probably lost sight of reason, of what he previously thought mattered. He was likely angry that she would leave him for someone he did not like; that she wouldn’t be with him. His madness only worsened when she died, as the thought of life without her was too much for him to bear. He caused her death by running off with Isabella. His madness led to Catherine’s lapse from reality.She lost her mind over his actions, and as a result he lost her. His madness was caused by love, as he didn’t know how to grieve. The message of spiritual love and torment that is present throughout the story is shown throught this aspect of Heathcliff’s madness. He loved Catherine desperately, and her death tormented him for the remainder of his life. His madness nearly ruined the lives of the others around him, stopped only by his own death. Was Heathcliff mad before he arrived at Wuthering Heights? It is not said, but how it developed is crucial in developing the story.

Sx-wk7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sx-wk7 - Essay Example Another example is the South Asian LGBs who are "largely closeted in their own communities.." (p. 135) because of their cultural mores. It can be assumed that all LGB people are "the same" and have the same experiences. According to Bohan, this is not true. In my own experience, I have seen many different LBGs and it seems that there were many differences. As an example, some whites seemed to be more open than minority LGBs. In hearing some of their stories, it seemed to take longer for minorities to "come out" because they were afraid they would be rejected by their families. I found it interesting that LGBs come to midlife that they seem freer than they did when they were younger. I could understand why however. Bohan says that it is because there is "an absence of traditional gender roles allowed by LGB may make midlife a more fulfilling period for LGBs†¦" (p. 159). I think that this is part of it. I also think that at a certain time and space LGBs just get tired of not living their life in the way they want. This comment also reminded me of something that Fee (2006) said regarding transgendered identity. They make the point that when we only have two genders, it is difficult for people who do not fit one of these categories to define an identity (p. 1). It would seem that LGBs would have somewhat of a struggle deciding how to be within a specific gender and are able to release that as they grow

Competitive Operational Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Competitive Operational Strategy - Case Study Example The company has regional offices in Malaysia, South Africa and Poland to meet the demands in Asia, Africa and Europe. The company was privatized in the year 1986. The major reasons for the decision to change the product line are the uncertainty in military contracts due to political changes and inefficiency in the government system. The civilian aircraft industry was also facing crisis as many firms in the line wound up their operations due to high competition and fluctuation in demand due to the entry of second hand aircrafts in the field. Thus there existed an uncertainty in the civilian and military aircraft sector. So the company decided to lay higher emphasis on industrial products. 2. As the demand for industrial products will be more in developing countries of India and China with a huge consumer base the necessity of shifting the head office from Europe to Asia have to be seriously considered. One of the major problems faced by the company is the high finished goods and work in progress. In spite of it overtime is given to execute orders at short notice. This is a paradox. The reason given by the production department is that they can manufacture only in batches and cannot cater to the variation in demand. The execution of orders at short notice involve over time and sometimes high rejection. ... In spite of it overtime is given to execute orders at short notice. This is a paradox. The reason given by the production department is that they can manufacture only in batches and cannot cater to the variation in demand. The execution of orders at short notice involve over time and sometimes high rejection. The purchase department is of the opinion that a raw material inventory has to be built up to meet the fluctuating demand. Although a minimum of raw material, work in progress and finished goods inventory has to be maintained, to maintain uninterrupted production and to meet unexpected demand. To overcome this, an ABC analysis is required to stock minimum quantity of high value items. Though the company has these problems it has an efficient management team that is skilled in decision making at the appropriate time. They have a customer focus and discuss freely the day to day problems among themselves and arrive at a consensus. The top management team portrays higher leadership qualities in its operation. Effective communication is one of the tools used by the company to enhance its leadership. The vision and mission of the company is shared by all the employees in the organization. "Effective leadership is one key element in the success of a group and virtually anyone can learn to be an effective leader." (Effective leadership. 2001). Both suppliers and customers are regarded as partners of the company. At present the company has its product lines in three segments namely military operations, civil operations and commercial operations. Though the company has commercial operations in its product lines it is less established compared to the other two. Programmable Logic Controllers systems and the associated software are the main products

Assignment1 economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment1 economics - Essay Example living for many in the Asian countries. However, the rapid growth in the economy of these countries have left the Middle East strained of skilled and unskilled labor. The Middle East's booming construction industry currently faces two main threats, the supply chain management of materials for construction, the supply of work force and the issues associated with them. Let us look at the questions below: 1. What has the government done to improve the situation The rise in the prices of oil affects the price of materials imported into the country for construction. The UAE government has cut down on import duty and is planning to launch its own materials supply company. More over the UAE is also launching its Nuclear energy program implementation organization according to the recommendations of the IAEA and the implemented organization will be called as the Emirates nuclear energy corporation. This is done mainly to meet the growing energy demand and facilitate construction companies. Company strategy& decision 4 Sources say that the UAE lifted cement and steel duties in March to reduce the burden on contractors and stabilize the steel market. The Dubai gold and commodities exchange launched its first steel rebar futures contract in October 2007 (Said Summer, Reuters 2008). The government has also paid attention to the rising dislike among laborers for gulf as a job destination the reason for the dislike being the low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of job security. Update "The UAE government has announced a review of workers' wages in the construction sector, following a series of strikes recently. The Cabinet has ordered a study on the salaries of construction workers." (Emirates Update... Said Summer (July 9, 2008) , 'UAE steel prices soar 15% in July' Construction and Industry news, Arabian Business.com , Retrieved on August 9, 2008 http://www.arabianbusiness.com/524340-uae-steel-prices-soar-15-in-julyln=en

Different view of Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Different view of Death - Essay Example Although death has been part of life for a long time, people have failed to acknowledge that death is inevitable. Living in denial concerning death has, therefore, existed as a common aspect of humanity. Lack to accept that death is an inevitable part of humanity is a major aspect that characterizes the two poems. This essay will, therefore, investigate the different views of death according to the two poems. Although the two poets agree on the inevitability of death, they have varying views concerning people’s preparedness towards death and our role in waiting for the inevitable death. According to Mary, death is the main challenge that affects humanity. Mary considers humans as helpless creatures in relation to death. Therefore, the only thing that people can do is to wait or prepare for their death. The poem When Death Comes shows that the author is concerned about the nature of life when death finally finds her. Unlike Mary, Donne considers death helpless thing though inev itable. According to the poet, people have a chance to challenge death. The poet view life as an opportunity to challenge death (Online-literature web). The work that people do during their life is a form of preparation for our death. The poet argues that people have a chance to challenge death by not dying as poor people. ... Unlike Mary Oliver, John Donne believes that life is a form of transformation from one form of life to the other. On the other hand, Mary has different views towards life and death. Her poem shows uncertainty about life and death. In the third line of When Death Comes, it is claimed, â€Å"death comes like a bear in autumn† (Panhala web). This line implies that she is not concerned with life after death as much as she is concerned with the nature of her death. Although death is inevitable, it is the only chance that humans have to come close to nature. Despite the numerous technological developments about humanity, it has been difficult to find or come up with a remedy for death. The two poets reflect this phenomenon. Death is the only thing that human beings have in common with the rest of nature. People start life the same way as the rest of nature but go through different process as compared to other living organisms. However, like other living organisms, we all have to mee t our death. The basic reason why people investigate death results from the fear that people have concerning death. Although most people do not fear their own deaths, it is evident that people fear losing a loved one. The fear of death is a common aspect that differentiates the views of the two poets concerning death. According to Donne, people should not be afraid of death because they have a chance of dealing with it. Donne considers people to have a chance of facing death or doing something about death. This indicates that the poet is not afraid of death or implications of death in his own life or the life of a loved one. On the other hand, Mary’s poem expresses her fears concerning the inevitable death and its implication in her life and the life of

John Travolta Takes to the Factory Floor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

John Travolta Takes to the Factory Floor - Essay Example When we look at ETCs progress there are a number of issues, which need to be resolved. When we bring in any kind of a change within the organization, each change would have its own good and bad attributes attached to it. We need to look at all the issues with great concern and plan out the solutions accordingly. Aysar Philip Sussan  and  William C. Johnson (2003) say in their article "Strategic capabilities of business process: looking for competitive advantage" that the organizations need to become fast, flexible, participative and focused on customers, competition, teams, time and process. Lets proceed with the issues that exist and solutions that are available. There is currently a need of innovation within the company as the current sales have dropped and customers are looking for a fresher look within the product line. The Asian market has commended our product quality. Innovation as we know is a multi-faceted process that is going to incorporate creativity, invention and commercialization. Above all, innovation is a social process, where both individuals and systems are important dynamic elements. Hence we will have to think it seriously. Looking from the perspective of our Australian market, Simon Lloyd in his article "A game for the brave" (June 2004) states that Australians love innovation and in 2004 Grey Advertising/Sweeney Research Eye on Australia study found that the most admired companies were those which went for innovation and tried innovative products and brands.

Constitutional understanding Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Constitutional understanding - Term Paper Example As time passed, a lot of things became introduced and others amended in the constitution. There got ways that can be used to bring changes in the constitution in order to enhance more positive rights. Cass advised on the proper way to have positive rights put in the American constitution (Sanford 45). He continues by saying that through constitution conventions, constitutional amendments Matthew in his book We Hold These Truths tries to oversee and connect some of the principles lay down during nation founding with some of the thorniest issues today (Matthew 23). In being a constitutional scholar, he analyzes and even gives some 10 transformational initiatives in an attempt to seek to provide the necessary education regarding constitutional self government and liberty to policy makers, news media and even regular Americans. In his book, he states some of the first principles laid down by the forefathers and tries to suggest applicable solutions to problems being faced nowadays in terms of liberty. In the establishment of liberty in the American constitution, meant quite a lot to the citizens. In the beginning, liberty encompassed a broad scope of some human freedom and entailed dimensions like political, economic, intellectual plus religious aspects. Matthew in his book explores how the forefathers wanted liberty to be and gives solutions on how conservatives could revert it. Matthew believes that the first principles started becoming eroded in the early 20th and late 19th more so due to centralization, relativism, bureaucracy and lies therefore undermining the vision the fore founders had for the constitution (Matthew 45). In his book, he adds that the victory by Republicans remains as another way to demonstrate how the Americans still believe in some of the visions outlined by some of the founding fathers in forming the constitution. According to Sanford in the

Evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evolution - Essay Example The Theory of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics put forward by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1809 states that modifications acquired during one’s lifetime are inherited by the next generation. â€Å"Ex. giraffes acquired a long neck slowly over time as each generation of giraffe stretched its neck slightly longer in trying to reach leaves high in trees† (Principles of Evolution, n. d). Lamarck’s theory seems to be in agreement with the Darwinian Theory which states that evolution produces life forms adapted to their environments. However, Lamarck argued that the organism itself can control the direction of change whereas Darwin did not agree with that postulate. â€Å"For a long time it was mistakenly thought that evolution was a simple linear progression, with humankind at the top of the ladder. We now understand that evolution proceeds with species on one branch giving rise to other branches and so on† (What is evolution?, n. d). We have lot of animals in this world which like the leaves in big trees. For example, elephants, cattle etc like the leaves of some big trees. However, these animals do not have such a big neck like the giraffes. These animals also should have tried a lot in the past to reach out the higher branches of the trees. But they never got their neck extended just like giraffes.

Contracts Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Contracts - Coursework Example The consultant’s documents were submitted on time, planning permissions gained and quotes received from various contractors. The project was awarded under NEC3-ECC conditions of contract. The Project duration was agreed to be 26 months and payment to the contractor through interim valuations. The project was delayed due to late payment, lack of workmen on site, work behind schedule and late project administrator’s instructions. The contention between the parties was about payment, contractual standing of contractor’s program and principle guiding claim and dispute resolution. The project ran into great difficulties after the 10th month, accusation were exchanged, agreed payments not made and the workmen were pulled off site by the contractor which led to dispute. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 General Principle of Construction contracts 4 Dispute resolution guidelines 5 Comparable Analysis of NEC3-ECC, JCTO5 SBC/Q 6 NEC3- ECC 8 JCTO5 SBC/Q 9 Clear Difference 10 Recommended Approach 11 References/Bibliography 14 Introduction AOS Development is a national housing development company in Edinburgh and has embarked on eighty housing units developments in Skye, Scotland. The consultant’s documents were submitted on time, planning permissions gained and quotes received from various contractors. ... The project ran into great difficulties after the 10th month, accusation were exchanged, agreed payments not made and the workmen were pulled off site by the contractor which led to dispute. It should be noted that the case did not specify the order in which the causes of delay accrued on the project site. Given the facts of the case each item will be taken in seriatim or in the order by which it was stated in the case. To illustrate: The case stipulated that the delay â€Å"was due to late payment, lack of workmen on site, work behind schedule and late project administrator’s instructions†. For purposes of this paper, it would be assumed that the delay in payment was the sole and primary reason for the lack of workmen on the site, since the amount that was due which would ideally be used to compensate the workers were not credited to the account of the contractor. This would leave the contractor no choice but to let go of the workers to prevent further losses in his co mpany. As a result of the delays in payment, which in turn resulted in the lack of workmen on the site, work will definitely be behind schedule. General Principle of Construction contracts Construction contracts define the relationship of all the parties concerned with the sole purpose and aim of completing the project on time or sooner while following the specification with fealty. In fine contracts not only define the relationship of all the parties concerned but contract also define the parameters of the obligation of each parties. As predicated contracts defines the relationship and the obligation of each party arising from the contracts (Savage & Jones Mitchell,

Data Communications Essay Example for Free

Data Communications Essay Repairs by Return is a successful company and offers a repair service for various electrical appliances including washing machines, dishwashers etc. The business is expanding, meaning taking on additional engineers who might need on-the-job training. The aim of our group is to advise the owner of Repairs by Return on the new technology and research on how well the technology can make the company more efficient and the communication between the staff and owner better. We will also recommend an appropriate solution. ` MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES Mobile tools and technologies have the capacity facilitate communication, keep employees informed in real-time and reduce hours once spent bound to a desk. However, along with the liberating aspects of an increasingly versatile workplace, mobility presents challenges for todays workers. Below are short descriptions of mobile technologies currently available. SMS Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones that allows the sending of short messages, also known as text messages, or more commonly as SMS, texts or even txts) between mobile phones, other handheld devices and even landline telephones. Messages must be no longer than 160 alpha-numeric characters and contain no images or graphics. Picture Messaging Picture Messaging is a service, which allows users to send and receive messages that combine pictures with text and sounds from their phones. WAP Wireless Application Protocol is an open international standard for applications that use wireless communication allowing users to access information instantly via handheld wireless device e.g. internet access from a mobile phone, smart phones, two way radios etc. MMS Multimedia Message Service is the evolution of SMS. With MMS, a mobile device is no longer restricted to text-only messages. It can send and receive multimedia messages such as graphics, sound files, video clips or any combination of the above, within certain size limits. GPRS General Packet Radio Service is a protocol for passing data over a mobile phone network. With GPRS connection, the phone is always on and can transfer data immediately, and at higher speeds. 3G 3G is the generic term for third generation mobile phone technologies. It offers high speed connections enabling video conference and other applications which require broadband connectivity to the Internet. PDA Personal Digital Assistants are handheld devices that combine computing, telephone/fax, Internet and networking features. Originally designed as personal organisers but have now become much more versatile over the years. FEASIBILITY STUDY The feasibility study is aimed at viewing the ideas given to us by the owner and assessing whether they will help the company communicate effectively. We will also look at the limitations of the ideas. * Apprentice engineers asking for help silently to senior engineers GPRS allows instant connectivity (as long as there is radio coverage), meaning information can be sent/received immediately. Engineers can take picture(s) of the problem they cannot fix, write a little note with it, send it as an MMS to senior engineers, and receive an immediate reply without the customers realising. The problem with this will be that the engineer on the other side might be with a client and therefore, will not be able to reply immediately. Another problem could be that the reply received from the engineer may be inaccurate and unclear. Drawback of GPRS is the limited bandwidth and is particularly suited for sending and receiving small bursts of data. So when engineers do send pictures, the size of the message and picture will be limited. * Web access to manuals and diagrams GPRS also aims to deliver remote access type applications via a mobile network for businesses including data uploads and synchronisation, document sharing and collaboration, email and web browsing. Ideally, a wide variety of information can be delivered via a mobile device, overcoming the 160 character limitations of SMS. It is usually impossible to directly port a desktop application to a wireless to a handheld device; therefore, directly access most websites using a handheld device is difficult. Another problem the engineers might face is that typing on a cell phones tiny keys can be difficult and time consuming and the size of the screen is limited too. This could be a problem when an engineer is trying to download diagrams, as there will be problems with its clarity. * FAQs facility stored on mobiles One of the drawbacks on using GPRS is that it has slow data transfer rates. Although rates of 115 kbs (or more) have been quoted, the realistic speeds are 20 to 30 kbs can be expected. Applications can be used in a shared environment, and data sharing is made easier effectively like being connected to a Local Area Network (LAN). An important functionality of PDAs is the possibility of synchronising data with a contact database, such as MS Outlook hosted on corporate servers or a personal computer. The synchronised data ensures that the PDA has an accurate list of contacts, appointments and email. Critical to shared data access, synchronisation allows multiple clients to access, edit, and remove data records that a particular group of users may regularly use. As well as that, data input is a lot quicker on a personal computer. Therefore, transferring data to a PDA via the computer is a lot quicker than having to manually input it all on the handheld device. POTENTIAL USEFULNESS OF COMBINED MOBILE PHONES/PDAS, IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS BUSINESS We will now discuss the benefits of mobilisation to the business. * PDA from for capturing progress made A form can be created for the use on the PDA which will enable the engineers to capture progress while they are with clients, which could then be distributed over the network, noting the problems that they could not fix or if any additional parts are required. Each time the engineer collects heir PDA, it is pre-loaded with weeks progress form. Once the form is completed, the engineer can synchronise it when they get back to the office or using GPRS whilst out with the clients. The data can then be fed into a progress database, collecting the data from all the engineers. This will enable you to generate a project progress report automatically. The potential usefulness with mobile phones and PDA There are various other ways the business can use the technology to help their staff. As the workers are apprentices, they can use the technology by using i.e. the intranet to access the help guide. This is a good idea as the staff can learn while on duty and in their free time. It is also a good cost saver as they will not need to pay for a teacher and a class room, and it is also less time consuming. The PDA or some mobiles phones have a satellite navigation system built in to help the staff if they are travelling to any location which they have difficulty finding. It will give them clear directions and pinpoint the location to save time. RECOMMENDATIONS Having considered the ideas that have been brought forward by you, the technology would help to build a better relationship with the staff and also improved customer service. Before purchasing new technology, Repairs by Return will need to invest in training the staff to use the hand held device. We recommend using a mobile phone called the Treo 650 Smart phone; this is a combined technology of some of the features of a PDA and also most of the features of a mobile phone. Of the three ideas, we think that the best idea would be having a server or the intranet to access the manuals and diagrams from the mobile phone. This will give the staff the knowledge to solve any problems and also gives some secrecy as the customer will not realise that the engineer is asking for help. The idea of using the mobile phone to contact other experienced engineers is a good idea but may distract the other staff that may also be with a customer. The idea of having a FAQ database maybe a bad idea as the staff may not always find the most accurate answers to there questions. The database will have answers of the problems that have arose in the past but may not have new problems, this will mean that the information would have to be updated frequently so that it is up to date. The information will have to be stored so will take up the hard drive space which the staff may need to use for other information. This will mean that the business would need to purchase higher mega byte memory cards. This is an additional cost for the business. The intranet would be a good idea as the all the information is there; you do not need to store the information as it is on the intranet saving memory space. Although the information maybe hard to find as the staff would need to go through the manual to find what they are looking for. The technology of the smart phone will help the staff as the phone has the features of browser to search for any words or phrases on the web to located information much faster and have less time consumed looking through the whole manual. BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS USED 1) Panko. R., Business Data Communications and Networking, Prentice Hall, 3rd Edition (2000) WEBSITES USED 1) http://www.voiceanddata.com.au/feature_article/item_022003a.asp 2) http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo650/web.epl 3) http://web.ukonline.co.uk/p.boughton/wap.htm 4) http://www.my-xda.com/xda2_closer.html 5) http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews90293.html GROUP LOG Group Names * 21 February 2006 ALLOCATION OF GROUPS 1) Manik Maih 2) Bijal Pandit 3) Ime Udoh All members exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses. We allocated tasks and said that we should research on mobile phones and PDA. Time allocated for research only Manik Miah 7 days Bijal Pandit 7 days Ime Udoh 7 days * 28 February 2006 All the group members conducted sufficient research needed to write the report, within the time given. There were plenty of books and internet print outs. All members looked and read through the research found and divided into files. We divided 3 ideas between us. Manik idea 1 Bijal idea 2 Ime idea 3 We then allocated the tasks of the report and the internet website. Bijal Part 1 and 2 Manik Part 3 and 4 Ime website, contents page, group log We met up every 3 days to check the progress of the report and to help any group members that are having difficulties. * 7 March 2006 All group members attended, and arrived on time. At this stage majority of the work was completed. Each member rotated the work around to ensure there were no more mistakes. We all contributed equally and suggested that the work was fine and additional work that needs to be done should. * 13 March 2006 The group had finished off all there tasks and got together to check over all the work. We then edited the website. Once the final touches were made, we printed out the work. GROUP AGREEMENT 4BIM504 Data Communications We, the undersigned members of this group, undertake to be bound by the following agreement: 1. to attend all group meetings on time, except when agreed by other group members in advance, or where a documented excuse is provided 2. to be well prepared for each meeting, ensuring that all relevant material is adequately researched and presented 3. to be actively involved in the work of the group, by contributing to the best of our abilities 4. to participate in the editing and preparation of the final report We agree that if a group member breaches these undertakings, then the group has the right to recommend a reduced mark for the individual concerned of up to 30% below the group grade. In this eventuality the group would submit reasons in writing to the seminar leader. We accept that the seminar tutor may require further information before making any penalty mark adjustments. We accept that the seminar tutors decision is final in these matters.

EU Environmental Policy Criticisms

EU Environmental Policy Criticisms EU environmental policy is no environmental policy at all; it is in fact no more than an extension of economic policy. Discuss. Detailed below is a wide-ranging discussion of the arguments for and against the notion that EU environmental policy is no environmental policy at all and is merely in actuality an extension of the community’s economic policy. The EU Commission has certainly made claims about the importance and the extensive scope of its own environmental policy in recent years, especially since the late 1980s. There are arguments that can be made to defend or refute the notion that the EU’s environmental policy is not so extensive or indeed as far ranging as it might appear to be. Arguments in favour as well of the idea that environmental policy are only an element or an extension of the EU’s economic policy. The links between the EU’s environmental and economic policy, as will be discussed, are not necessarily straightforward even if the origins of environmental policy would appear to be so. Due to the founding principles and structures of the EU it could be argued that all non-economic policy areas originally developed from a starting point within the community economy, as it was originally a community that confined its remit to economic policy except in the most exceptional of circumstances. However, there has been most notably in the form of the EU Commission, elements within the EU that believe the community should have a much wider sphere of policy making than just economic policy. Primarily to drive the integration processes forward and solve any common problems or issues upon a community basis rather than on a national basis. The origins of EU environmental policy are undeniably rooted in the economic policy of the EU. There are various reasons as to why that is the case. The EU as an organisation was established to promote strong economic growth within its member states. As far as the founders of the EU were concerned, there was no need to have separate environmental policy as nobody in the 1950s knew or believed that environmental issues were even a concern, let alone of critical importance to the long term future of Europe. The first stepping stone on the way to the formation of the EU was the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1952 that integrated coal and steel production in the six original member states. Coal and steel production were regarded as being the most important elements of promoting high levels of growth in Western Europe (Judt, 2007, p.156). The success of the ECSC led to the formation of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957 with an expanded scope t o integrate economic policy within the member states. It was an expansion, which led to the introduction of the Common Agricultural Policy to protect the agricultural sectors of the countries within the community. There were obviously environmental consequences of the economic policy pursued by the inception of the community, these were not known (James, 2003, p.400). The EU and none of its member states had detailed or systematic environmental policy in the 1950s or the 1960s; even if there were any environmental problems those problems would be resolved upon an ad hoc basis. Very few people at that time took a serious view of environmental issues (Thompson, 2001, p.199). When the EU Commission began to regard environmental issues of being some relevance to the quality of life, it found it difficult to persuade the governments of member states that they needed to take action to improve the environment (Sawka Stevens, 2000, p.156). Arguably, it took longer for the EU to develop env ironmental policy, as its member states did not believe that there were any viable reasons for the establishment of such environmental policy. Some governments of the EU member states were more likely to be receptive to the ideas of environmentalist groups than other governments are. For instance, West Germany and the Netherlands (Eatwell Wright, 2003, p.233). The EU Commission did regard the development of environmental policy as an addition on to its economic policy, which bore its first fruit in the adoption of an environmental programme in 1972. The first programme aimed at reducing the pollution linked with industrial and agricultural production techniques (Jones et al, 2004 p.696). In terms of actually helping to improve the environment the early programmes of the EU were limited in outlook and did not have to be fully adopted by the member states of the EU. Certainly when referring to EU environmental policy in the 1970s, claim that EU environmental policy was not policy at all could be fully justified. The EU Commission was well aware at that time as to the limits of its own ability to pursue policy that diverged too far from its economic policy and the limited extent to which such policy would actually be carried out (Wallace Wallace, 2000 p. 62). The limited EU environmental policy that emerged during the 1970s was influenced by increased scientific evidence of environmental pollution and change, there were political and economic reasons for the attempts at forming policy. One factor was the slowing down of economic growth, which had previously been impressive during the 1950s and the 1960s; the EU Commission explored ways of stimulating economic growth in alternative ways. Another factor for considering the adoption of environmental policy was provided by the Oil Crisis of 1973. The Oil Crisis was prompted by the United States support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War that resulted in the Arab oil producers cutting off oil supplies to the United States, the EU and Japan. The Oil Crisis led to significant price rises that provoked an international economic downturn (Hobsbawm, 1994, p.245). The effect of the Oil Crisis upon the EU environmental policy would prove to be short term and temporary. Member states reacted differe ntly to the realisation of just how dependent their economic growth was on oil. The Netherlands and West Germany made limited efforts to improve fuel efficiency, France concentrated on maintaining good relations with the Arab States and only Britain at that point had its own oil supplies (*). For the EU Commission the Oil Crisis of 1973 was ample demonstration of the need for more integrated economic and even environmental policy, rather than leaving individual member states to make their own decisions. Environmental policy was definitely secondary to economic policy and if economic policy was not sufficient, then environmental policy was arguably no policy at all (Bache George, 2006 p. 10). Concerns about pollution remained the main factors influencing the development and expansion of the EU’s environmental policy. The EU Commission and the new Environment Directorate-General it established in 1981 sought to give EU environmental policy a higher public profile in the early 1980s. However, the impact of such publicity was negligible in comparison to the hard hitting recession prompted and worsened by the sharp rise in crude oil prices during 1979, which were a consequence of the Iranian Revolution (Jones et al, 2004, p.695). The Environment Directorate-General attempted to increase the impetus of the EU’s environmental policy by setting tougher targets to reduce air, water and land pollution, as well as seeking to amend the Common Agricultural Policy to decrease levels of soil erosion and use of chemicals. When the EU commission and the Environment Directorate-General sought to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides to reduce the environmental d amage caused by the intensive farming methods actively promoted by the Common Agricultural Policy. In the early 1980s the demands of the EU’s environmental policy decision-makers to reduce the environmental impact of the Common Agricultural Policy were to a great extent ignored. Indeed the only demands to alter the Common Agricultural Policy that stood any realistic chance of being successful related to the EU considering the option of reducing the Common Agricultural Policy expenditure (Cini, 2003, p.256). The impact and influence of the EU’s environmental policy would start to increase from the middle of the 1980s. Although prior to that time its policy had been so limited when put into operation that it only made a minimal difference at best to reducing environmentally harmful practices within the EU. Observers of the EU’s environmental policy could certainly had been forgiven that there was no policy in operation at all (Sawka Stevens, 2000, p.156). The ine ffectiveness of the EU’s earliest environmental policy was down to member states putting their economic interests first. It was due to the lack of coherent policy and strategy put forward by the Environment Directorate-General and the EU Commission, as well as the widespread belief that environmental issues were not that important (Wallace Wallace, 2000 p.30). There are however, arguments that EU environmental is actually now a distinctive and increasingly important policy area within its own right. Environmental policy may have evolved as part of the EU economic policy, yet it is an over simplification to contend that it is not an environmental policy at all. The original structures of the EU meant that the primary focus of the community is economic, as full agreement could not be reached on other features of the EU. The governments of member states were mainly content to share power with the EU when it came to economic policy than other policy areas, such as defence and foreign policy. There was two alternative concepts of how the EU should operate as a Europe of Nations, or as supranational organisation that closely integrated all policy areas for its member states. The ineffectiveness of early attempts to establish an extensive environmental policy were not helped by the slow pace of integration until the mid 1980s, it is no coincidenc e that the effectiveness of the EU’s environmental measures have increased whilst the EU has gained extra powers (Sawka Stevens, 2000 p. 156). Undoubtedly, the importance attributed to the pursuit of successful environmental policy within the EU was increased due to much stronger evidence of environmental damage which emerged during the 1980s especially in relation to the greenhouse effect (Eatwell Wright, 2003, p.234). Stronger scientific evidence had increased the media and the public awareness of the need for more effective and extensive environmental policy by both the EU and the governments of all member states. Taking measures to protect the environment transformed from being the preserve of environmentalist groups to an important issue for national governments and the EU to consider. As the EU already had an environmental policy it just had to consider ways of making its policy more extensive in scope and more effective in operation than before (Jordan, 1999, p. 74). Therefore the EU Commission and the Environment Directorate-General had a strong case for expanding the scope of the EU’s environmental policy. They could contend that environmental problems are on a global scale so that regional solutions would be of greater use in protecting the environment than the solutions put forward by the governments of the EU member states upon an individual basis. Of course, not all the member states of the EU had the same impact upon the environment. For instance, Britain, West Germany and France had a greater impact due to their larger populations and higher consumption levels. Some member states such as West Germany and the Netherlands had already begun measures to protect the environment earlier than the other EU member states (Bache George, 2006 p. 10, Duff, 1997 p.237). The institutional changes of the EU which were a consequence of the Single European Act had a strong influence upon the EU being able to adopt tougher and more extensive measures within the scope of its environmental policy. Prior to the signing of the Single European Act, the governments of member states were able to veto any legislation or proposed EU policy within the framework of the Council of Ministers. The EU Commission had thus generally worked hard to achieve compromise over proposed legislation to avoid such proposals vetoed. Such a structure was blamed for slowing down the process of EU integration, as well as reducing the scope and the effectiveness of EU policy. The EU structure had been stretched by the enlargements of the 1970s and the 1980s, which had also slowed down the deepening of the integration process. The primary objectives of the Single European Act were of course economic and political, although the move towards qualified majority voting on the Council of Mi nisters meant the EU found it easier to pass directives and legislation. That was due to legislation or directives were part of its environmental policy that no longer needed unanimous agreement to become adopted throughout the community. With the need to gain unanimous agreement over EU environmental policy within the Council of Ministers gone, it allowed the EU to put forward policy proposals more frequently and for those proposals to be carried forward more quickly with less chance of being watered down. The rationale behind the single market provided further justification of the EU to expand its environmental policy, so that all member states were implementing the same standards and aiming to achieve the same targets in reducing environmental damage through enhanced policy integration and co-operation (Bache George, 2006, p.253). To argue that the EU environmental policy is no policy at all also ignores the efforts that the EU has made to limit and reduce the damage done to the environmental by its member states. The notion of there not been an environment policy fails to mention its efforts to reach global agreements over the reduction of pollution and damage (). To its credit the EU Commission decided to act upon the evidence of the greenhouse effect, global warming and the shrinkage of the ozone layer. Action to stop the use of CFCs and thus stop the damage to the ozone layer, that was proven to be causing major levels of environmental damage. The agreement to phase out the use of CFCs was the first major worldwide accord to take action to protect the environment. The EU would be a prime mover in instigating further worldwide agreements culminating in the Rio Earth Summit and the Kyoto Protocol. In political terms the Rio Earth Summit and the Kyoto Protocol were notable achievements, in the fact that envir onmental protection was recognised as a major problem for the planet’s future. The agreements reached at the Rio Earth Summit and the Kyoto Protocol were criticised in some quarters for not going far enough to protect the environment, yet they are necessary steps in countering the greenhouse effect (Wallace Wallace, 2000 p. 293). The EU had to readjust its environmental programmes to reflect the greater levels of pollution in the former communist states of Central and Eastern Europe before they were allowed to join the EU. The only exception was the former East Germany, which because subject to all EU legislation and programmes as soon as it reunited with West Germany in 1990. In the former communist states of Central and Eastern Europe programmes in how to improve the environment were introduced at the same time as economic and political reforms to make these states liberal democracies that would eventually be ready to join the EU (Sawka Stevens, 2000 p. 176). The EU Commission realised that enlargement to include the former communist states of Central and Eastern Europe would also have implications for its regional development funds and the Common Agricultural Policy, as well as for environment programmes. Enlargement makes it harder to reach agreements over budgets and programmes, whilst obviously those p rogrammes that are adopted and implemented will have more of an impact upon the environment (Cini, 2003 p.257). The enlargement of the EU has complicated the policy making process meaning it can take longer to develop and implement programmes that will protect the environment (Bache George, 2006 p. 30). Therefore, the EU environment policy was derived from its economic policy. As the whole original rationale of the EU was to promote economic growth and prosperity within its member states it is hardly surprising that economic programmes dominated its policy-making processes. It certainly took a couple of decades before the EU Commission began to develop a separate environment policy and even longer to make those policies more than superficial or merely symbolic. The delay in forming an effective environment programme was due to the lack of evidence of the greenhouse effect or global warming which meant that the EU contented itself with putting general measures to reduce pollution. At that point stating that EU environment policy was no policy at all would have been completely justified. From the 1980s the scope of policy was increased due to concerns about the greenhouse effect and global warming. The capacity to pursue a more proactive environment programme was enhanced as a consequ ence of the Single European Act, which allowed environmental measures to be approved by a qualified majority, rather than by a unanimous vote. The greater commitment of the EU to adopting more effective environment protection programmes and agreed targets at the Rio Earth Summit and the Kyoto Protocol. However, despite efforts to make the environment a more prominent issue the EU is still primarily an organisation that has economic agendas that are the most important of its policy objectives and remits. Bibliography Bache I George S, (2006) Politics in the European Union, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford Duff L, (1997) The Economics of Governments and Markets – new directions in European public policy, Longman, London Eatwell R Wright A (2003) Contemporary Political Ideologies 2nd Edition, Continuum, London Hobsbawm, E (1994) Age of Extremes, the Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991, Michael Joseph, London James H, (2003) Europe Reborn – A History, 1914 – 2000, Pearson Longman, Harlow Jones B, Kavanagh D, Moran M, Norton P, (2004) Politics UK, 5th edition, Pearson Longman, London Jordan, (1999) The Implementation of EU Environmental Policy; a policy problem without a political solution, Government Policy, Vol 17, no 11 Judt T, (2007) Post-war – A History of Europe since 1945, Pimlico, London and New York Sawka R Stevens A, (2000) Contemporary Europe, MacMillan Press, Basingstoke Wallace H Wallace W, (2000) Policy – Making in the European Union, 4th edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford

Analysis of an NGO: Doctors Without Borders Essay -- Medecins Sans Fro

Imagine an entire community of individuals, from doctors to massage therapists, that does not answer to any political entity or religion, yet still manages to collectively provide free healthcare services to millions of individuals in need every year. Medecins Sans Frontiers, or popularly known in the US as Doctors Without Borders, is an international NGO that does just that. The organization began in 1971 when a group of French doctors and journalists recognized the dire need for assistance in healthcare during times of war, famine, and flood in Nigeria and Pakistan. Since then, it has expanded and provides aid to over 60 countries in underserved regions across Central America, South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia as well and developed a mission â€Å"to deliver emergency [medical] aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care.†(www.msf.org) Because Medecins Sans Frontiers recruits such a diverse group of volunteers, they are able to address a broad spectrum of health issues. Not only do doctors of all specialties volunteer with the group, but nurses, paramedics, EMTs, dentists, dental technicians, dental hygienists, optometrists, opticians, audiologists, podiatrists, massage therapists, mental health professionals, epidemiologists, and logistics experts all join Medecins Sans Frontiers in their mission as well. In total, there are over 27,000 individuals around the world assisting those in need through Medecins Sans Frontiers any given day of the year. Physicians and other health professionals often offer treatment for diseases that are prevalent in tropical areas like chagas and malaria. Treatment for illnesses that are widespread in developin... ...y. One of their greatest achievements was their 1999 Nobel Peace Prize in the field of humanitarian work â€Å"in recognition of the organization’s pioneering humanitarian work on several continents.† (nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1999) Since then, Medecins Sans Frontiers has continued to expand the services they provide. Last year, they conducted 7.5 million outpatient consultations, delivered 110,000 newborns, treated 1.1 million for malaria, treated 200,000 malnourished children, provided 165,000 infected with HIV/AIDS with antiretroviral therapy, vaccinated 7.9 million against meningitis, and conducted 50,000 surgeries. Sources Cited www.msf.org http://charityreports.bbb.org/national/health/doctors-without-borders-usa-in-new-york-ny-783 http://www.ksghauser.harvard.edu/ http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1999/

The Influence of Technology on Literature Essay -- Computers Digital E

The Influence of Technology on Literature This essay will discuss the way new technologies have influenced some of the areas of literature. Whilst the writer of this essay acknowledges the development of cyber books for their pure entertainment value, this essay will focus on the influence of new technology in the practical advances in the literature and associated industries. This includes the influences that new technology has had on the entertainment aspect, the educational aspect, the industry aspect and the employment aspect. This essay will discuss the influence that new technologies and new uses for old technologies have had on some aspects of literature and the producers and consumers of books. This includes authors, publishers and of course the reader. The purpose of this article is to convince the reader that new technologies have a place in literature and that through an adoption rather than a fear of these technologies both authors, publishers and readers can benefit. The first issue to be considered is the influence and implications of new technologies on authors. For example, voice activated software. Voice activated software and writing materials are not a new technology. However, particularly in the literature industry it would appear that its full use is only just being recognised. Howell (2004) interviewed someone who he claims is a noted and famous author and reports of the nerve damage incurred in his elbow after years of typing at a typewriter and then computer whilst writing books. Unfortunately, being self-employed, workers compensation didn’t ‘kick in’ for this author and he was forced to think outside the box to find an alternative to continue his career. This author adapted voice activated soft... ...Some Technology Holdouts Find Computers Distracting, Impersonal. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, 1. Howell, K. (2004). New Technology Solves Old Cases and Writes New Books. 2004, 25(16), 38. Lewis, P. (2004). Prose and Cons: Sony new E-Book. Fortune, 150(5), 62-64. Prain, V., & Hand, B. (2003). Using new technologies for learning: A case study of a whole-school approach. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(4), 441-447. Roush, W. (2002). The death of digital rights management? Technology Review, 105(2), 24-26. Staley, D. (2003). The Future of the book in a digital age. The Futurist, 37(5), 18. Strayhorn, C. K. (2004). Teaching the Tech-savvy. Fiscal Notes, 6-5. White, J., Anthony, J., Weeks, A. C., & Druin, A. (2004). The International Children's Digital Library: Exploring Digital Libraries for Children. Bookbird, 42(2), 8-15. The Influence of Technology on Literature Essay -- Computers Digital E The Influence of Technology on Literature This essay will discuss the way new technologies have influenced some of the areas of literature. Whilst the writer of this essay acknowledges the development of cyber books for their pure entertainment value, this essay will focus on the influence of new technology in the practical advances in the literature and associated industries. This includes the influences that new technology has had on the entertainment aspect, the educational aspect, the industry aspect and the employment aspect. This essay will discuss the influence that new technologies and new uses for old technologies have had on some aspects of literature and the producers and consumers of books. This includes authors, publishers and of course the reader. The purpose of this article is to convince the reader that new technologies have a place in literature and that through an adoption rather than a fear of these technologies both authors, publishers and readers can benefit. The first issue to be considered is the influence and implications of new technologies on authors. For example, voice activated software. Voice activated software and writing materials are not a new technology. However, particularly in the literature industry it would appear that its full use is only just being recognised. Howell (2004) interviewed someone who he claims is a noted and famous author and reports of the nerve damage incurred in his elbow after years of typing at a typewriter and then computer whilst writing books. Unfortunately, being self-employed, workers compensation didn’t ‘kick in’ for this author and he was forced to think outside the box to find an alternative to continue his career. This author adapted voice activated soft... ...Some Technology Holdouts Find Computers Distracting, Impersonal. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, 1. Howell, K. (2004). New Technology Solves Old Cases and Writes New Books. 2004, 25(16), 38. Lewis, P. (2004). Prose and Cons: Sony new E-Book. Fortune, 150(5), 62-64. Prain, V., & Hand, B. (2003). Using new technologies for learning: A case study of a whole-school approach. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(4), 441-447. Roush, W. (2002). The death of digital rights management? Technology Review, 105(2), 24-26. Staley, D. (2003). The Future of the book in a digital age. The Futurist, 37(5), 18. Strayhorn, C. K. (2004). Teaching the Tech-savvy. Fiscal Notes, 6-5. White, J., Anthony, J., Weeks, A. C., & Druin, A. (2004). The International Children's Digital Library: Exploring Digital Libraries for Children. Bookbird, 42(2), 8-15.

Bram Stokers Dracula: A Struggle to Maintain Victorian Upper and Middl

The Victorian men and women conveyed in Bram Stoker's Dracula are pure and virtuous members of the upper and middle class. However, hiding behind this composed and civilized conception of England lies a dark and turbulent underbelly. This underbelly is the lumpenproletariat, whom Karl Marx defined as "the lowest and most degraded section of the proletariat; the ‘down and outs’ who make no contribution to the workers cause". Victorian culture discriminated against these vagrants, who were seen not only as shiftless and immoral, but dangerous as well. Sex was taboo and purity was held sacred to the Victorian middle and upper class, but prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases ran rampant among the lumpenproletariat. The rich strive to be pious and good, but consider those of lower social standing to be less than human. The reaction of the characters in Dracula to the evil of the vampires can be likened to the Victorian conception of the lower classes. They were seen as a hedonistic but powerful force, with the collective capacity to end the affluent citizen's way of life. In this sense, the novel can be viewed as a struggle to maintain upper-class Victorian traditions against the traditions of the lower class. This paper will examine the similarities between the vampires and the perception of the lower classes in regards to superstition, sexuality, inequality and the "preying" of the lumpenproletariat on the respectable middle-class. It will also examine the signs evident in the novel of the Victorian mindset. Dracula is an aristocrat with a castle and noble title, but in reality he is more associated with the lumpen. While trapped in Dracula's castle early in the novel, Jonathan discovers that he has no hired help, has been performing menial tasks such as bed-making and table setting in secret, and even acting as the horse-carriage driver. He slumbers in dirt, much like the homeless, and is nomadic for most of the book. The Count associates himself most clearly with the lumpenproletariat in the form of a horde of gypsies who "attach themselves as a rule to some great noble"(49). They even do his bidding: "The [gypsies] have given me these"(50) Dracula says of Jonathan's ill-fated letters. Dracula attempts to hide his lumpen nature and exude an aristocra... ... "stagnant and foul" air (111). Vampires and the poor are projected as animal-like, and both prey on others. Since the vampires in Dracula can be seen as a representation of the lower class, we can draw some assumptions. If one draws this parallel to its logical conclusion, the battle with the vampires, it can be seen that in the end the lower class and their perceived values are soundly defeated by the righteous ruling class, and the threat is expelled from Britain. However, this ruling class does not come out of the battle unscathed, and the Victorian tradition is mostly lost. By reading Dracula as a battle to maintain Victorian tradition, one can more fully understand the actions of the characters. Their prudishness, Seward's scientific adherence to logic, and the idea of the fall from grace take on a new meaning in the light of such an understanding. Just as the characters in Dracula cling to their humanity, so too do they cling to their upper-class values in the face of the lower class. Works Cited Stoker, Bram. Dracula. England: Pengiun, 2003. defn:"Lumpenproletariat". Oxford English Dictionary. http://dictionary.oed.com

Analysis of two commercial brands of bleaching solution Essay

Objective To determine the concentrations of the active ingredients in 2 commercial bleaches. Introduction Sodium hypochlorite is usually found in bleaching solutions. It is the active ingredient of bleaching solutions. It bleaches by oxidation. When it is added to dye, the following reaction occurs: ClO- + dye —————-> Cl- + (dye + O) If the oxidized form of the dye is colorless, then the color of the dye would fade away. In the presence of acid, the hypochlorite ions from the bleaching solution reacts with the iodine ions from potassium iodide in the following way: ClO- + 2I- + 2H+ ———>I2 + H2O + Cl-. When sodium thiosulphate solution is added into this reacted solution, a further reaction occurs: I2 + 2S2O32- ————–>2I- + S4O62- This reaction could be used in titration to find out the number of moles of thiosulphate ions, thus the concentration of hypochlorite ions in the bleaching solution. Procedure 1. 10 cm3 of Kao Bleach was pipette into a volumetric flask. Distilled water was added until the meniscus reaches the graduation point. 2. 25 cm3 of the titrated bleach was pipette into a conical flask. About 10 cm3 of potassium iodide and dilute sulphuric acid was added into the conical flask. 3. The solution was titrated with sodium thiosulphate solution until the brown colour of the iodine fades. 4. Starch solution was added into the conical flask, and the solution was further titrated until the dark-brown colour of the starch-iodine complex turns to colourless. The volume of sodium thiosulphate solution required to reach the end point was recorded. 5. Steps 1 to 4 were repeated 3 more times. 6. Steps 1 to 5 were repeated using Clorox Bleach. Data and Calculation Molarity of standard Na2S2O3 solution = 0. 05182M Brand A: Kao Price: $11. 9/ 1500ml Trial 1 2 3 Final reading/cm3 26. 8 23. 1 25. 7 26. 0 Initial reading/ cm3. 4. 1 0. 4 2. 9 3. 2 Volume of Na2S2O3 22. 7 22. 7 22. 8 22. 8 Average no. of moles of Na2S2O3 used in the titration: 0. 05182 X (22. 7 + 22. 8 X 2)/3 X 0. 001 = 1. 180 X 10-3 moles So, there are (1. 180 X 10-3 /2) =5. 90 X 10-4 moles of I2 in the reaction So, there are 5. 90 X 10-4 moles of ClO- ions in the diluted solution. Concentration of ClO- in Kao bleach = 5. 90 X 10-4 X 10 /10 X 1000 =0. 5899M Brand B: Clorox Price: $21. 9/ 2840ml Trial 1 2 3 Final reading/cm3 33. 5 32. 4 32. 0 33. 2 Initial reading/ cm3 2. 7 1. 3 0. 9 2. 3 Volume of Na2S2O3 30. 8 31. 1 31. 1 30. 9 Average no. of moles of Na2S2O3 used in the titration: 0. 05182 X (30. 9+ 31. 1 X 2)/3 X 0. 001 = 1. 608 X 10-3 mole So, there are (1. 608 X 10-3 /2) =8. 041 X 10-4 moles of I2 in the reaction So, there are 8. 041 X 10-4 moles of ClO- ions in the diluted solution. Concentration of ClO- in Kao bleach = 8. 041 X 10-4 X 10 /10 X 1000 =0. 8041M Conclusion The concentration of ClO- in Kao is 0. 5899M while that of Clorox is 0. 8041M. Discussion 1. When we add starch solution into the conical flask, the solution turns dark blue. After that, when we add a few drops of sodium thiosulphate, the colour of the solution would turn colourless. We must be careful when we are doing this step. This is because the starch-iodine complex does not show graduation of color change. We may get pass the end point easily. The readings would be inaccurate. 2. Dilute sulphuric acid is irritating. So we must be extra careful in using it. How did I use sulphuric acid more safely? I used a larger measuring cylinder to measure out the amount of sulphuric acid. The likeliness of spilling the acid would be lower. 3. After I had done all the experiments, I found out that the tip of the pipette was broken. When I asked Mr. Leung, he said that the pipette could not be used anymore. Why? I could think of 2 reasons. First, the broken tip of the pipette could cause danger when we are using the pipette. We would have a higher chance of getting our finger cut. Second, the broken tip of the pipette may cause the solution to be carried to leak. So, it is unreliable. Answers to Study Question 1. (a) Amount of active ingredient in Kao: 0. 5899 X (35. 5 + 16) = 30. 38 g /dm3 Amount of active ingredient in Clorox: 0. 8041 X (51. 5) = 41. 41 g/dm3 (b)Cost per gram of Kao: (11. 9 X 1000/1500) /30. 38 = $0. 2611 per gram Cost per gram of Clorox: (21. 9 X 1000/2840) / 41. 41 = $ 0. 186 per gram 2. As Clorox is of a lower price, it is the better buy. 3. Adding potassium iodide in excess ensures that all chlorate ions have reacted. Only when all the chlorate ions have been reacted that the amount of iodine formed can fully reflect the amount of chlorate ions in the solution. This ensures that the volume of sodium thiosulphate used in the titration can be used to determine the number of moles of chlorate ions in the solution. 4. When an acid is added into a solution of chlorate and iodine ions, iodine would be liberated. The iodine can then be used in titration to determine the amount of the chlorate ions. 5. The second way it may deteriorate is by decomposition by sunlight: 2H+ + 2ClO- ———-> 2HCl + O2 The chlorate ions, under sunlight, decompose back to chlorine ions and the bleaching ability of the bleaching solution is reduced. 6. This is because before reaching the end point, starch solution will not show any signs of being close to the end point. Other indicators will. For example, if methyl orange is close to its end point, it will first change the color of the solution to orange. Then, the solution would turn back to its original colour. In this way, we will know that we are close to the end point and we would add the solution more slowly. However, similar characteristics could not be found when we use starch as an indicator. So, we may get pass the end point easily. This problem is solved by titrating the iodine solution without any indicator first. After the brown color of iodine vanishes, we know that we are very close to the end point. At this stage, adding starch solution can tell us whether there is still iodine in the solution. As we know that we are already very close to the end point, we would add the solution more slowly. It would be lees likely to shoot pass the end point.

Muslim Nationalism Dbq

Ryan Rojas 4/6/8 AP World History 3rd Period Muslim Nationalism DBQ Muslim leaders in North Africa and India saw the needs for nationalism in the Muslim areas and took on the issue of westernization as they saw right. A portion of Muslims wanted to welcome western ideas. And others didn't want western ideas around, they thought they needed to be one in their own nations, not in the co.uk/why-nations-fail-chapter-5-review/">Nations of the west. Some saw westernization as a flawed idea or solution, and used parts of westernization that would help them the most, and still allow them economic freedom. Most of the world was near required to westernize, during the Industrial Revolution.To compete with the new technology coming out in the world, and the new way of living. The rest of the world had to deal with and change in favor of the new technology and knowledge. The western portion of the world was â€Å"smarter,† and had stronger military power, and were more successful, economi cally. Not paying attention to these new technologies and ideas, would no benefit the Muslim community. Syed Ahmad Khan knew this and made the argument that the prophet of Muhammad said Muslims should find knowledge even if they need to go to places far away such as China. Document 1. ) He was referencing the fact that Europeans were far more successful. He is biased on this subject because his argument wouldn't make sense to a crowd of say, British people or French people, as they do not get the references to the prophet or these Islamic teachings. But, another person had said, that the people of Egypt should definitely be proud and content with their nation for how it is and they should go to nationalism and try to escape the pressure of Westernization. Document 2) Ahmed Ben Bella Bella, military lead of the Algerian National Liberation Front stated that the two societies of Europe and the societies of the Muslim nations were hardly different in any way. He makes the argument that both the teachings of old Greek Philosophers and their ideas. (Document 6)The Indian Muslim leader Abul Kaham Azad had called the western societies ignorant on the subject of religion. And at the same time calling people who were traditional, troubled or harassed by religious beliefs or irrationalities.This displays how much he enjoyed and gave credit to the thought of European philosophy and teachings and Europe's peoples. His point of view is bias on this subject, because European influence has been very heavy in India for a very long time, he more than likely grew up around European teachings and the influence of Europe. (Document 3) A portion of leaders in the Muslim society wanted to stay away from the idea of westernization. A nationalist in the nation of Egypt had noted that the Europeans were far more militarily advanced then they could hope to be.The only real reason he wanted better weapons and technology was because he didn't the English people to be Egypt any longer the n they already have been. Taha Husayn was really pushing for their independence in the economic area, and that he really wanted to defend the Suez Canal from any enemies or people trying to harm the Egyptian people. (document 4. ) His opinion on this subject is bias, because the English have been in Egypt really taking control of it and not giving the freedom that Egypt might of really wanted. If he had lived in France I highly doubt he would care that the English people were oppressing the Egyptian peoples.Moufdi Zakaria thought of the people of Europe as an interruption of the Muslim societies and they really seem to pushing the division of the Muslim community. This portion of Muslims wanted to stay together and strong by the teachings of their religion. They wanted to stay united by their language, and by their country or location. (Document 5) The Muslim leaders all were in desperate need of nationalism, without that it is very likely that North Africa and India, would be ruled by the European way of life, its teachings, its populace even, and maybe even the religions in Europe.Another document that would of helped understand the situation would have been an account or letter, or journal from a European military leader, or European King or ruler taking a side of the issue of Muslims accepting or declining the idea of nationalism in their society. The leaders in these 6 documents really interpret their definition of nationalism by how much they would want to accept the new advanced, and successful European way of life, and the European teachings even.

Ishikawa

A Forefather of TQM Principles: Kaoru Ishikawa Total Quality Management (TQM) principles are based off of the philosophies of numerous individuals – W. Edward Deming, Joseph Juran and Philip Crosby, to name a few. One such individual is Kaoru Ishikawa. Touted as the â€Å"Father of Quality Circles and as a founder of the Japanese quality movement† (Beckford, 2002), his philosophy on quality control is critical to understand TQM in general. Knowing the fundamentals/ building blocks of TQM can be used to shape the future direction and improvement of TQM.Ishikawa hoped his philosophy would improve quality in work, which in turn would lead to improvement in quality of life (Beckford, 2002). Ishikawa was born July 13, 1915. He graduated from the University of Tokyo where he received an engineering degree in Applied Chemistry. Later he would become a professor of the same University. After graduating, he joined the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) in 1949. Th is could be seen as the first steps he took towards developing his quality control philosophy and following in the footsteps of his father in Management Science (Hutchins, 1989. The core ideas of Ishikawa’s philosophy on quality control – companywide quality control (CWQC) – can be divided into three main concepts (Beckford, 2002). The first is that quality is based off of a holistic approach. The second core idea of Ishikawa’s philosophy is that there is active participation in the quality program amongst the employees. The third core idea is that there is direct, simple communication between management and workers. A holistic approach means that not only is the end product/service a quality product/service but also extends to the process that developed it.The end is just as important as the means. The company has a program in place that strives for quality management, quality workers and quality processes within all levels of the company. I think this c oncept of quality at all levels within a company is especially important in today’s society where it is not enough to know a company provides a quality product but is socially and environmentally conscious. For example, if a company has a quality process in place when choosing and working with certain suppliers – they lessen the chance of being surprised that the supplier uses child labor or contaminates the environment.Ishikawa’s second core idea of active participation among employees emphasizes the importance the workers. It’s not enough to have a quality program in place; the employees (including leadership) have to be involved and to have a voice within the company. This is based off of the idea that employees not only can recognize the problems in a process but also the solutions (Beckford, 2002). One of the main complaints that employees have is that management is not in touch with what they actually do so they don’t listen when there is a p roblem or a solution. Ishikawa’s second core idea looks to avoid this phenomenon.The last core idea of direct, open communication between workers and management rounds out Ishikawa’s philosophy on quality control. It stresses the importance of group communication to be understandable and in â€Å"layman terms† so it can be pertinent for all levels of the company. Ishikawa’s contributions to quality management were numerous. He wrote 600+ articles and 31 books (Smith, 2011). He had 2 English translated books – â€Å"Introduction to Quality Control† and â€Å"What is Total Quality Control? The Japanese Way†. He was also behind the concept of quality circles and the Fishbone Diagram.Quality circles can be seen as a method of creating active participation within a company. It shows how Ishikawa believed that â€Å"all workers must be involved in quality improvement through teams to enhance the capability of individual workers and improve work processes† (Watson, 2004). Quality circles are groups of workers within a company that is formed to review, analyze and make recommendations for issues and problems. The Fishbone diagram was developed in 1943 as a problem-solving tool and was used to identify possible root causes to problems in a simple and straightforward presentation.It is one of the seven tools of quality control that is recognized worldwide (Smith, 2011). While all the tools of quality control is important, this diagram can be used in numerous disciplines ranging from not only quality management, but science, education, etc. The other tools of quality control is Pareto Charts, Stratification, Check sheets, Histograms, Scatter graphs and Control charts (Beckford, 2002) Throughout his career, Ishikawa was the recipient of numerous awards. Per Beckford, he received the Deming, Nihon Keizai Press and Industrial Standardization prizes and the Grant Award from the American Society for Quality Control.Ishik awa’’s work also prompted an award to be given out in his honor. In 1993, ASQ established the Ishikawa Medal where it is awarded â€Å"to an individual or a team whose work has had a major positive impact on the human aspects of quality† (ASQ, 2012) Ishikawa passed away April 16, 1989. Although he is no longer with us, his work and his philosophy is still vibrant and in use today. Understanding the core concepts behind Ishikawa’s CWCQ sheds light on TQM principles. His philosophies help shape how companies today develop their quality control programs.Maybe from the lessons and philosophy of Ishikawa, a future TQM guru could emerge, giving the world another individual that further advances quality in work and ultimately in life. References Beckford, J. (2002). Part two: The quality gurus: Chapter 8: Kaoru Ishikawa. Quality (Routledge), pg. 93 – 104. Watson, G. (2004). The Legacy Of Ishikawa. Quality Progress, 37(4), 54-57. SMITH, J. (2011). The Last ing Legacy OF THE MODERN QUALITY GIANTS. Quality, 50(10), 40-47. Kaoru Ishikawa 1915-1989. (2010). Quality Progress, 43(11), 19. Bauer, K. (2005). KPI Identification With Fishbone Enlightenment.DM Review, 15(3), 12. Hackman, J. , & Wageman, R. (1995). Total Quality Management: Empirical, Conceptual, and Practical Issues. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40(2), 309-342. Hutchins, David. (1989). Obituary: Professor Kaoru Ishikawa. The Independent. April 26, 1989. http://asq. org/about-asq/who-we-are/bio_ishikawa. html http://asq. org/about-asq/awards/ishikawa. html (Evans, James R.. Managing for Quality and Performance Excellence, 8th Edition. South Western Educational Publishing, 01/2010. p. 110). <vbk:1111509360#outline(3. 7. 2)>

Language development in children

All the other ways of knowing are controlled by language. The appropriate use of language is central to virtually all aspects of learning and social development. Successful and appropriate language communication is also closely linked to the individual’s place in society, while the inability to communicate clearly hampers and may virtually eliminate a person’s ability to cope with even the simplest educational and social situations. The manner in which children learn to understand and successfully communicate through language is among the most important questions studied by psychologists. The appropriate use of language is central to virtually all aspects of learning and social development. Successful and appropriate language communication is also closely linked to the individual’s place in society, while the inability to communicate clearly hampers and may virtually eliminate a person’s ability to cope with even the simplest educational and social situations. Traditionally, psychological accounts of language development  Ã‚   have been developed by theorists who have included language learning in their discussions of a general acquisition process (e.g. Miller and Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1957). Skinner for example, believes that language is learned in large measure by waiting for children to emit approximations of the forms of speech which are ultimately desired and then by gradual shaping  Ã‚   (by parents or other socializing agents) until the correct sounds and sentence forms can be reproduced in appropriate situations with a high degree of fidelity.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, some psycholinguists (e.g. Chomsky, 1959; Fodor, 1966) have  Ã‚   cogently argued that operant learning theory cannot adequately account for complex verbal behavior. Chomsky (1959) offers the following pregnant critique of a â€Å"conditioning† viewpoint: †¦it seems quite beyond questions that children acquire a good deal of their verbal and non-verbal behavior by casual observation and imitation of adults and other children. It is simply not true that children can learn language only through â€Å"meticulous care† on the part of adults who shape their verbal repertoire through careful differential reinforcement, though it may be that such care is often the custom in academic families. It is a common observation that a young child of immigrant parents may learn a second language in the streets, from other children, with amazing rapidity, and that his speech  Ã‚   may be completely fluent and correct to the last allophone†¦ A child may pick up a large part of his vocabulary and â€Å"feel† for sentence structure from television, from reading, from listening to adults, etc. Even a very young child who has not yet acquired a minimal repertoire from which to form new utterances may imitate a word quite well on an early try, with no attempt on the part of his parents to teach it to him (p. 42). Numerous experiments have now disclosed that principles for generating novel responses can be acquired through the observation of others (for example, Bandura & McDonald, 1963; Bandura & Mischel, 1965). If principles of language usage, rather than mere words can be shown to be acquired through observational learning, then this would provide at least a partial account of the process of language acquisition. The classic experiment in this area was conducted by Bandura and Harris (1966). They were interested whether second-grade children could make up sentences that included prepositional phrases and the passive voice. The children were tested first during a base rate period and then again after some form of intervening training. The results demonstrated that the children showed a greater increment in the production of the relevant construction in their sentences (than did the control group) if they were exposed to a combination of (1) an adult model’s production of sentence3s with and without the relevant construction (2) reward to both the model and the observer for sentences containing the relevant construction and (3) attention-focusing instructions. This study clearly suggested that children’s language productions might be modified through modeling in conjunction with other procedures. It is likely, however, that the children in Bandura and Harris experiment had been exposed to prepositional phrases and the passive voice many times in their lives prior to entering the experimental situation. Therefore, the question still remained as to whether children could actually acquire new or novel language rules as a function of observation. Indeed, language is important and in fact, traditionally, psychological accounts of language development have been developed by theorists who have included language learning in their discussions of a general acquisition process (Miller & Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1957). Skinner, for example, believes that language is learned, in large measure by waiting for children to emit approximations of the forms of speech which are ultimately desired and then by gradual shaping (by parents or other socializing agents) until the correct sounds and sentence forms can be reproduced in appropriate situations with a high degree of fidelity. This is a fair representation of the interrelationship between perception, emotion, reason and language, for numerous experiments have now disclosed that principles for generating novel responses can be acquired through the observation of others (Bandura & McDonald, 1963) If principles of language usage, rather than mere words, can be shown to be acquired through observational learning, then this would provide at least a partial account of the process of language acquisition. In the area of linguistic diversity, researches reveal that in spite of enormous impact that language has on children’s schooling, lack of English skills alone cannot explain the poor academic achievement of students. It is tempting to fall back on this explanation and thus count on simple solutions to solve the problem. Cuban students, for example, have the highest educational level of all Latinos, yet they are the most likely to speak Spanish at home. (Valdivieso & Davis, 1988). However, the fact that students speak Spanish is treated by many teachers as a problem. There is also evidence that teachers interact more negatively with students who do not speak English than with those who do. (U.S. General Accounting Office, Bilingual Education: A New Look at the Research Evidence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, March 1987). Thus, this is where the emotion and perception side come in the picture. Because if this is the case, then the language dominance of students is not the real issue; rather, the way in which teachers and schools view their language may be even more crucial to student achievement in acquiring knowledge. How language and language use are perceived by the schools and whether modifications in the curriculum and imparting of knowledge are made as a result are important factors to keep in mind. The fact that English speakers rarely have the opportunity to enter bilingual education programs reinforces status of these programs. This is where the methodology of knowledge is more important than the knowledge itself. According to Jean Piaget, what differentiates humans from animals is human’s ability to do â€Å"symbolic abstract reasoning† [Piaget’s Theory] and this forms the basis for the constructivist theory in learning and instruction [Ibid.]. During his experiments, he observed that children think differently from adult and answer questions differently, but it does not mean that children are dumb [Ibid.]. Piaget’s theory had two major aspects: the process and stages of cognitive development [Ibid.]. The process of learning and acquiring intelligence of children is influenced by ‘schemas,’ which is actually the child’s representation to the world. The processes used by children to attain equilibrium between their schemas and the real environment are â€Å"accommodation† and â€Å"assimilation† [Ibid.]. It is assimilation when a child tries to fit cubes into square holes during playtime. It is accommodation when a child tries to push harder a heavier play cart with classmate- passengers than a cart with no one riding. As a child grows, schemas become more complex [Ibid.]. The stages in cognitive development of a child are divided into three: sensorimotor [infancy], pre-operational stage (toddler and early childhood), and concrete operational stage (elementary and early adolescence). During infancy, a child only recognizes an object when he or she sees it [Giants]. During toddler hood and early child hood, a child knows the direction of the right and left of an object, but the child cannot correctly think relative to that object [Ibid.]. At the concrete operational stage, a child becomes more logical in their understanding of the world. It is important that teachers of pre-school and primary schools learn to challenge abilities of children [Piaget’s Theory]. â€Å"Discovery learning and supporting the developing interest of the child are two primary instructional techniques† [Ibid.] to help children understand the world more. â€Å"Children construct knowledge, learning can lead development, development cannot be separated from its social context, and language plays a central role in cognitive development† are the main themes of Vygotsky’s developmental theory [Giants]. Children construct knowledge in a way that Piaget had described it [Bodrova 2005]. A child’s learning can be measured in a level of independent performance and level of assisted performance [Ibid]. The area between these measures will result to the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) which increases as learning occurs [Ibid]. Both content and processes of thought is determined by the culture [Ibid.]. Higher functions in man such as focused attention, deliberate memory and symbolic thought are passed down thru teaching [Ibid.]. â€Å"Learning always involves external experience being transformed into internal processes through the means of language† [Ibid.]. Vygotsky’s principle taught that teachers should know the specific learning needs of a child and determine what most appropriate intervention could be done. The ZPD would eventually be filled-up if the learning needs were met thru proper teaching practice. One good practice was to devise an assessment questionnaire that would equally gauge independent performance and assisted performance, and from there, the ZPD can be quantitatively determined. By identifying the gap qualitatively, the learning needs of a child would be revealed.  Ã‚   Moreover, teachers should also know how to develop a child’s attention to focus, improve child’s memory, to teach children think symbolically, and use a language game that children understand. Meanwhile, one’s cultural and social upbringing affects the way a person views this. There are no assumptions or deducing involved here. One can verify the information by just looking again at the dizzying array of program alternatives in bilingual education, each claiming to be more successful than the others. In general, most research has found that bilingual programs of all kinds are effective not only in teaching students content area knowledge in their native language but also in teaching them English. This has been proven time and again to be the case in research analyses and specific program reviews (Hakuta, 1990). According to Hakuta, the most significant effect of bilingual education may not be that it promotes bilingualism in general, which he claims it does not, but rather that it â€Å"gives some measure of official public status to the political struggle of language minorities, primarily Hispanics.† He suggests that raising the status of these children’s native languages contributes to their opportunities for friendships with English-speaking children. Similarly, Erik Erikson as psychoanalyst taught that any person, child or adult faces specific life crisis that they have to resolve in order to perform their tasks (Atkinson 1993). During early childhood or preschool, a child develops an ability to initiate activities (Ibid. 118); teachers have to learn how to encourage or discourage them in order that the child would not feel inadequate. During middle child hood or elementary, children learns various skills such as reading and writing, but they have to interact socially with others in order to feel successful or competent, otherwise they would feel inferior. During this time, a teacher should constantly but reasonably praise a child for a job well done. The LOGO programming used with young children was believed to be supported by Erikson’s theory on the psychosocial stages (Gillespie and Beisser, 2001, p. 230). LOGO is a computer programming language developed by Dr. Seymour Papert in 1980s that is loaded with MicroWorlds software. With the MicroWorlds, a child creates his own animated graphics thru self-directed activity and independently explores cause and effect. Giving children ample time to spend with LOGO programming,   building and constructing encourages children to work without making them feel guilty which makes smooth the transition of a child in his guilty-prone period   (Ibid. p. 234). The same activities enable a child also to acquire mastery of the game in order to feel competent. REFERENCES Atkinson, R.L., Richard C. Atkinson, Edward E. Smith and Daryl J. Bem (1993). Introduction to Psychology 11th ed.. United States: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Bandura, A. & McDonald F.J. (1963). The influence of social reinforcement and the behavior of models in shaping children’s moral judgments. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology.   67, 274-281. Bodrova, Elena (2005). Vygotsky’s Developmental Theory: An Introduction. In Davidson Films Homepage. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2006, from http://www.davidsonfilms.com/develope.htm Chomsky, N. Review of B.F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior (1959).Language, 35, 26-58. Gillespie, C., Beisser, W. (2001). Developmentally Appropriate LOGO Computer Programming with Young Children. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2006, http://www.aace.org/dl/files/ITCE/ITCE2001-229.pdf Hakuta, K. (1990). Bilingualism and Bilingual Education: A Research Perspective, no. 1 Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, Spring. Miller, N.E. & Dollard, J. Social learning and imitation. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. In Educational Psychology Interactive Homepage. Retrieved October 29, 2006, from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html. Skinner, B. F. Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957. U.S. General Accounting Office (1987).   Bilingual Education: A New Look at the Research Evidence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Valdivieso, R. and Davis, C. (1988). U.S. Hispanics: Challenging Issues for the 1990s Washington D.D.: Population Trends and Public Policy.                            Language development in children All the other ways of knowing are controlled by language. The appropriate use of language is central to virtually all aspects of learning and social development. Successful and appropriate language communication is also closely linked to the individual’s place in society, while the inability to communicate clearly hampers and may virtually eliminate a person’s ability to cope with even the simplest educational and social situations. The manner in which children learn to understand and successfully communicate through language is among the most important questions studied by psychologists. The appropriate use of language is central to virtually all aspects of learning and social development. Successful and appropriate language communication is also closely linked to the individual’s place in society, while the inability to communicate clearly hampers and may virtually eliminate a person’s ability to cope with even the simplest educational and social situations. Traditionally, psychological accounts of language development  Ã‚   have been developed by theorists who have included language learning in their discussions of a general acquisition process (e.g. Miller and Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1957). Skinner for example, believes that language is learned in large measure by waiting for children to emit approximations of the forms of speech which are ultimately desired and then by gradual shaping  Ã‚   (by parents or other socializing agents) until the correct sounds and sentence forms can be reproduced in appropriate situations with a high degree of fidelity.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, some psycholinguists (e.g. Chomsky, 1959; Fodor, 1966) have  Ã‚   cogently argued that operant learning theory cannot adequately account for complex verbal behavior. Chomsky (1959) offers the following pregnant critique of a â€Å"conditioning† viewpoint: †¦it seems quite beyond questions that children acquire a good deal of their verbal and non-verbal behavior by casual observation and imitation of adults and other children. It is simply not true that children can learn language only through â€Å"meticulous care† on the part of adults who shape their verbal repertoire through careful differential reinforcement, though it may be that such care is often the custom in academic families. It is a common observation that a young child of immigrant parents may learn a second language in the streets, from other children, with amazing rapidity, and that his speech  Ã‚   may be completely fluent and correct to the last allophone†¦ A child may pick up a large part of his vocabulary and â€Å"feel† for sentence structure from television, from reading, from listening to adults, etc. Even a very young child who has not yet acquired a minimal repertoire from which to form new utterances may imitate a word quite well on an early try, with no attempt on the part of his parents to teach it to him (p. 42). Numerous experiments have now disclosed that principles for generating novel responses can be acquired through the observation of others (for example, Bandura & McDonald, 1963; Bandura & Mischel, 1965). If principles of language usage, rather than mere words can be shown to be acquired through observational learning, then this would provide at least a partial account of the process of language acquisition. The classic experiment in this area was conducted by Bandura and Harris (1966). They were interested whether second-grade children could make up sentences that included prepositional phrases and the passive voice. The children were tested first during a base rate period and then again after some form of intervening training. The results demonstrated that the children showed a greater increment in the production of the relevant construction in their sentences (than did the control group) if they were exposed to a combination of (1) an adult model’s production of sentence3s with and without the relevant construction (2) reward to both the model and the observer for sentences containing the relevant construction and (3) attention-focusing instructions. This study clearly suggested that children’s language productions might be modified through modeling in conjunction with other procedures. It is likely, however, that the children in Bandura and Harris experiment had been exposed to prepositional phrases and the passive voice many times in their lives prior to entering the experimental situation. Therefore, the question still remained as to whether children could actually acquire new or novel language rules as a function of observation. Indeed, language is important and in fact, traditionally, psychological accounts of language development have been developed by theorists who have included language learning in their discussions of a general acquisition process (Miller & Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1957). Skinner, for example, believes that language is learned, in large measure by waiting for children to emit approximations of the forms of speech which are ultimately desired and then by gradual shaping (by parents or other socializing agents) until the correct sounds and sentence forms can be reproduced in appropriate situations with a high degree of fidelity. This is a fair representation of the interrelationship between perception, emotion, reason and language, for numerous experiments have now disclosed that principles for generating novel responses can be acquired through the observation of others (Bandura & McDonald, 1963) If principles of language usage, rather than mere words, can be shown to be acquired through observational learning, then this would provide at least a partial account of the process of language acquisition. In the area of linguistic diversity, researches reveal that in spite of enormous impact that language has on children’s schooling, lack of English skills alone cannot explain the poor academic achievement of students. It is tempting to fall back on this explanation and thus count on simple solutions to solve the problem. Cuban students, for example, have the highest educational level of all Latinos, yet they are the most likely to speak Spanish at home. (Valdivieso & Davis, 1988). However, the fact that students speak Spanish is treated by many teachers as a problem. There is also evidence that teachers interact more negatively with students who do not speak English than with those who do. (U.S. General Accounting Office, Bilingual Education: A New Look at the Research Evidence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, March 1987). Thus, this is where the emotion and perception side come in the picture. Because if this is the case, then the language dominance of students is not the real issue; rather, the way in which teachers and schools view their language may be even more crucial to student achievement in acquiring knowledge. How language and language use are perceived by the schools and whether modifications in the curriculum and imparting of knowledge are made as a result are important factors to keep in mind. The fact that English speakers rarely have the opportunity to enter bilingual education programs reinforces status of these programs. This is where the methodology of knowledge is more important than the knowledge itself. According to Jean Piaget, what differentiates humans from animals is human’s ability to do â€Å"symbolic abstract reasoning† [Piaget’s Theory] and this forms the basis for the constructivist theory in learning and instruction [Ibid.]. During his experiments, he observed that children think differently from adult and answer questions differently, but it does not mean that children are dumb [Ibid.]. Piaget’s theory had two major aspects: the process and stages of cognitive development [Ibid.]. The process of learning and acquiring intelligence of children is influenced by ‘schemas,’ which is actually the child’s representation to the world. The processes used by children to attain equilibrium between their schemas and the real environment are â€Å"accommodation† and â€Å"assimilation† [Ibid.]. It is assimilation when a child tries to fit cubes into square holes during playtime. It is accommodation when a child tries to push harder a heavier play cart with classmate- passengers than a cart with no one riding. As a child grows, schemas become more complex [Ibid.]. The stages in cognitive development of a child are divided into three: sensorimotor [infancy], pre-operational stage (toddler and early childhood), and concrete operational stage (elementary and early adolescence). During infancy, a child only recognizes an object when he or she sees it [Giants]. During toddler hood and early child hood, a child knows the direction of the right and left of an object, but the child cannot correctly think relative to that object [Ibid.]. At the concrete operational stage, a child becomes more logical in their understanding of the world. It is important that teachers of pre-school and primary schools learn to challenge abilities of children [Piaget’s Theory]. â€Å"Discovery learning and supporting the developing interest of the child are two primary instructional techniques† [Ibid.] to help children understand the world more. â€Å"Children construct knowledge, learning can lead development, development cannot be separated from its social context, and language plays a central role in cognitive development† are the main themes of Vygotsky’s developmental theory [Giants]. Children construct knowledge in a way that Piaget had described it [Bodrova 2005]. A child’s learning can be measured in a level of independent performance and level of assisted performance [Ibid]. The area between these measures will result to the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) which increases as learning occurs [Ibid]. Both content and processes of thought is determined by the culture [Ibid.]. Higher functions in man such as focused attention, deliberate memory and symbolic thought are passed down thru teaching [Ibid.]. â€Å"Learning always involves external experience being transformed into internal processes through the means of language† [Ibid.]. Vygotsky’s principle taught that teachers should know the specific learning needs of a child and determine what most appropriate intervention could be done. The ZPD would eventually be filled-up if the learning needs were met thru proper teaching practice. One good practice was to devise an assessment questionnaire that would equally gauge independent performance and assisted performance, and from there, the ZPD can be quantitatively determined. By identifying the gap qualitatively, the learning needs of a child would be revealed.  Ã‚   Moreover, teachers should also know how to develop a child’s attention to focus, improve child’s memory, to teach children think symbolically, and use a language game that children understand. Meanwhile, one’s cultural and social upbringing affects the way a person views this. There are no assumptions or deducing involved here. One can verify the information by just looking again at the dizzying array of program alternatives in bilingual education, each claiming to be more successful than the others. In general, most research has found that bilingual programs of all kinds are effective not only in teaching students content area knowledge in their native language but also in teaching them English. This has been proven time and again to be the case in research analyses and specific program reviews (Hakuta, 1990). According to Hakuta, the most significant effect of bilingual education may not be that it promotes bilingualism in general, which he claims it does not, but rather that it â€Å"gives some measure of official public status to the political struggle of language minorities, primarily Hispanics.† He suggests that raising the status of these children’s native languages contributes to their opportunities for friendships with English-speaking children. Similarly, Erik Erikson as psychoanalyst taught that any person, child or adult faces specific life crisis that they have to resolve in order to perform their tasks (Atkinson 1993). During early childhood or preschool, a child develops an ability to initiate activities (Ibid. 118); teachers have to learn how to encourage or discourage them in order that the child would not feel inadequate. During middle child hood or elementary, children learns various skills such as reading and writing, but they have to interact socially with others in order to feel successful or competent, otherwise they would feel inferior. During this time, a teacher should constantly but reasonably praise a child for a job well done. The LOGO programming used with young children was believed to be supported by Erikson’s theory on the psychosocial stages (Gillespie and Beisser, 2001, p. 230). LOGO is a computer programming language developed by Dr. Seymour Papert in 1980s that is loaded with MicroWorlds software. With the MicroWorlds, a child creates his own animated graphics thru self-directed activity and independently explores cause and effect. Giving children ample time to spend with LOGO programming,   building and constructing encourages children to work without making them feel guilty which makes smooth the transition of a child in his guilty-prone period   (Ibid. p. 234). The same activities enable a child also to acquire mastery of the game in order to feel competent. REFERENCES Atkinson, R.L., Richard C. Atkinson, Edward E. Smith and Daryl J. Bem (1993). Introduction to Psychology 11th ed.. United States: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Bandura, A. & McDonald F.J. (1963). The influence of social reinforcement and the behavior of models in shaping children’s moral judgments. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology.   67, 274-281. Bodrova, Elena (2005). Vygotsky’s Developmental Theory: An Introduction. In Davidson Films Homepage. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2006, from http://www.davidsonfilms.com/develope.htm Chomsky, N. Review of B.F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior (1959).Language, 35, 26-58. Gillespie, C., Beisser, W. (2001). Developmentally Appropriate LOGO Computer Programming with Young Children. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2006, http://www.aace.org/dl/files/ITCE/ITCE2001-229.pdf Hakuta, K. (1990). Bilingualism and Bilingual Education: A Research Perspective, no. 1 Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, Spring. Miller, N.E. & Dollard, J. Social learning and imitation. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. In Educational Psychology Interactive Homepage. Retrieved October 29, 2006, from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html. Skinner, B. F. Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957. U.S. General Accounting Office (1987).   Bilingual Education: A New Look at the Research Evidence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Valdivieso, R. and Davis, C. (1988). U.S. Hispanics: Challenging Issues for the 1990s Washington D.D.: Population Trends and Public Policy.