Elderly Drivers

Stefani Ward Age Limit Essay Professor Trewitt 8 – 8:55 Mandatory Age Limits As senior citizens grow older, they do not react as quickly as they used to. It’s not realistic to allow someone to drive who could endanger others. Senior citizens over the age of 75 should not be able to drive. They have increased health problems, require more medication, and drive too slow. Senior citizens have increased health problems making it difficult to handle a car safely.For example, a person with diabetes could have trouble controlling their blood sugar level, and might be in danger of losing consciousness. A person who has a pacemaker or a defibrillator could be a threat to safety because there is a chance that the device could stop working. Vision is a vital part of driving. As a person ages, their eyesight becomes poor, making it difficult to see things. In addition, senior citizens should not be able to drive because they require more medication.Medications can have serious side effects making it difficult to drive. Both prescription and over-the-counter medicines can affect the ability to drive safely by making you feel tired, dizzy, or nauseated. Studies have shown that using certain medications or many medications increase the chance of being in an accident. Senior citizens tend to drive slower than the average person. Driving under the speed limit can cause distractions, and possibly an accident. Not only can it harm other people on the road, but the elderly too.In some states a person can be given a citation for driving under the speed limit. Senior citizens have health problems, require more medication, and tend to drive slow, making the roads unsafe. Studies show that older drivers are more susceptible to injury or even death. Roads will be much safer if the government requires elderly drivers to turn in their licenses at age 75. There will be less accidents, less stress, and increased safety on the road. If the law doesn’t pass, the roads wi ll be dangerous and will cause chaos for other drivers.

Fight Club- Rebellion in Society Essay

In the novel Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk uses the Fight Club, Project Mayhem, and its members to illustrate their need to rebel against the aspects of society they deem flawed. One of the main characters, Tyler Durden, acts as the protagonist and the antagonist in many different ways. Tyler, along with the narrator of the book start up a fight club so that they could let their frustrations at their lives and society out in a fist fight. The main thing about this is that its not about the fighting to them, its about the release and the freedom. It allows them to rebel against what society regards as normal and perfect. Most guys are at fight club because of something theyre too scared to fight. After a few fights, youre afraid a lot less (54). The men are at fight club because of something in their life thats not going the way they feel it should, or rather how society says it should. Fight club lets them realize that its ok because life isnt all that great anyhow. Tyler preaches that they will all die one day so they might as well accept that, because once they can accept their fate, they would be free to do anything. Until they could do that, they were useless to him because Tyler needed people who hit rock bottom. Palahniuk emphasizes that society has grown increasingly materialistic and that all people do are work at jobs they hate to buy things they dont need. Project Mayhem was started in the novel to be the buffer, a sort of socio-terrorist movement to rebel against society and bring it down to how they feel it should be. Tylers philosophy was that if everyone went back to zero and had to start all over, then things would be better. Attempting to give people what they thought were better lives were their acts of rebellion against society. Works Cited Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk

Bilingual Education Should not Be Offered in Public Schools Research Paper

Bilingual Education Should not Be Offered in Public Schools - Research Paper Example Students in public schools are at an age in which most of them hardly find any interest in studies. Instead, they are more inclined towards hanging out with friends or remain busy in other outdoor and indoor activities for most of their out-of-school time. In such circumstances, it is indeed, challenging for them to develop an interest in studies offered in their own language, what to talk of subjects taught in a language that is not their mother tongue. When intricate concepts of physics and chemistry are delivered in a second language, students are indirectly made to exert much more than what would have been required of them, had the lectures been in the first language. â€Å"Immigrant pupils can become more self-reliant if courses in arts, history or music are taught in Spanish and/or deal with their cultural heritage† (Teipelke 5). Not just this, in bilingual education, it becomes even more cumbersome for the students when they have to produce all that they learned formerl y in their exams. This way, bilingual education also invalidates the conventional testing system that is thought of as a means to judge the true capabilities of students. It is so because, we can not say a student did not work hard, only because he was not able to interpret his knowledge into words in the second language. Also, speakers of the language chosen as a standard for the exam tend to perform better than non-speakers because they do not have to cross linguistic barriers in order to make their point. The potential disadvantages of bilingual education can be assessed from its impact on the US educational system as a case study. Bilingual education was introduced in the US educational system fundamentally to provide the children from immigrated communities with an opportunity to speak, read and write the language of the locals.  Ã‚  

Impact Of Anthropogenic Climate Change On Environment Essay

Impact Of Anthropogenic Climate Change On Environment - Essay Example Both proponents and opponents of man-made causes of climate change appreciate the warming effect of greenhouse gases (68). These gases include methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. Carnegie Mellon University further observes that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have increased by between 10% and 30% from the start of the industrial revolution. These gases allow the sunlight into the Earth’s atmosphere and then trap a significant portion of this radiation, preventing the reflection of sun’s radiation back into space. This leads to a warming effect on the Earth thus the contribution of human activities to global warming. Secondly, scientists have been able to identify carbon-dioxide from human activities as the largest contributor to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thus attributing global warming to human activities. According to these scientists, the pre-industrialization period had the atmosphere contain only 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide. By 2010, this had increased to 390 parts per million. This additional 100 parts per million of carbon dioxide is what is attributed to human activities (Poortinga et al. 1017). To show that this extra carbon dioxide is from human activities, scientists use the fingerprinting technique. From this, it has been noted that natural carbon dioxide has some low portion of carbon-14. The lack of this carbon-14 isotope in the additional 100 parts per million of carbon dioxide attributes its source to human activities as opposed to natural factors. Finally, the proponents of man-made climate change give evidence against natural causes. This school of thought argues that if the current climate was following the natural trend, then, the Earth should have been cooling and not warming.

Self-assement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Self-assement - Essay Example My conclusion sums up the agreement of the three articles that the American tax systems, as well as inequality, are the main obstacles to the achievement of the American dream. Enthymeme helped me focus and structure my burden of proof in the concluding paragraph in several ways. Since I did not present evidence of how the American dream has been achieved, I had an obligation of highlighting specific factors that have hindered its achievement. For this reason, I selected articles that discuss the specific reasons for why the American dream is an illusion. In the third paragraph on page one, I highlighted Brandon King’s views in an effort to prove that the American dream is dead. Specifically, I highlighted the following concerning King’s views, â€Å"Another problem that many Americans are struggling with is the issue of inequality, whereby King argues that most of the American wealth is concentrated amongst the rich minority. He thinks the American dream is based on people’s individual perception, because success is determined by imaginations people have about it† (Page 1, paragraph 3). By highlighting King’s argument, I demonstrated how inequality has hindered the achievement of the American dream, a factor that is evident in my

Human Trafficking and Sex Tourism in Latin America Essay

Human Trafficking and Sex Tourism in Latin America - Essay Example Brazil is one of the countries in the Latin America mentioned in many international reports to have experienced blossoming sex tourism and human trafficking. The tremendous development of sex tourism and human trafficking in Brazil attributes to various historical, political, economic and social factors. Currently, serious cases of children involvement in commercial sex have gained an upward gradient as many of the participants are under-educated or totally illiterate. Evolution of the Menace According to Hannum, sex tourism in Latin America evolved as a result of increased demand for sex among the wealthy Europeans who travelled to Latin America to obtain cheap sex from the regional women. The evolution of sex tourism in the Latin American countries also relates to the establishment of military bases of foreign armies in those regions. The British armies are held as major participants in the evolution sex tourism in the Latin America. In the views of Hannum, governments of the Latin American countries like Brazil resolved to support tourism in their specific countries as this was one of the ways to generate massive revenues. Promotion of tourism in these areas coupled with the increase in number of commercial sex workers desperate for the foreign European currencies. Sex tourism as per the current statistics has grown to a multibillion dollar industry in Brazil. However, most of the revenues gathered from the sector do reach the government in either ways (Hannum). The industry encompasses women, males and international clients who either come to obtain sex or to sell their sex to respective consumers. Current Status, Trends and Predisposing Factors Hannun in reference to the reports of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Child Trafficking (ECPAT), estimates that child sex tourism in Brazil rose to 500,000 in the year 1994. This is number is exceptional to Brazil alone without putting into count similar cases in other Latin American countries. Hannun reports that research conducted by the Predo Foundation averred that most incidents of prostitution among children in the larger Latin America correlate to regional incapability to care for its population. Reports indicate that most children resort to prostitution as an alternative way to earning a living. In addition, most of the children engaged in prostitution in the Latin American countries, specifically Brazil are victims of civil conflicts who faced abusive families. Hannum further demonstrates that increase in child sex tourism in Brazil links to the growing dislike of the old sex workers feared to have infections of sexually transmitted disease. Moreover, Hannun confirms that child sex tourism in Brazil and entire Latin America is factored by sex clients’ feeling of freedom from their social cultural rules that restrict the practice. The rigorous growth of child sex tourism in Brazil also relates to the increased media advertisements of jobs that lure desperate childr en to apply for such rare vacancies in their respective countries (Hannum). Advertisements of luxurious free travel have also been one of the ways used by dealers in the sex tourism industry to hunt for children and other sex tourism practitioners. Increase in sex tourism in Brazil also links to the wide internet advertisement of sexual pictures that trigger the urge for sex among the

Conflict within an Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conflict within an Organization - Essay Example Inside and outside stakeholders, such as employees, management, and shareholders, however, competes over their share of the rewards and resources that the organization generates. To grow, change, and survive, an organization must manage both cooperation and competition among stakeholders (Gasparino & Raghavan, 2001; March, 1962). Organizational conflict is the clash that occurs when the goal-directed behavior of one group blocks or thwarts the goals of another. Conflict can be beneficial because it can overcome organizational inertia and lead to organizational learning and change (Coser, 1956; Robbins, 1974). When conflict within an organization or conflict between an organization and elements in its environment arises, the organization and its managers must reevaluate their view of the world. Conflict between different managers or between different stakeholder groups can improve decision-making and organizational learning by revealing new ways of looking at a problem or the false or erroneous assumptions that distort decision-making. For example, conflict at AT&T between the board of directors and top managers about the slow pace at which top managers were restructuring the company caused a radical change in managerial attitudes (Hymowitz, 2001; Bernstein et al, 2000). A new top-management team was appointed to increase the pace of change and to overcome AT&T's conservative approach. Similarly, conflict between divisional managers at IBM resulted in a major change in organizational focus, from a purely mainframe focus to a more consulting-oriented focus (Nugent, 2002). Beyond a certain point, however, conflict stops being a force for good and becomes a cause of organizational decline. Innovation is, of course, more or less impossible in such a setting. An organization in trouble spends a lot of time making decisions-time that it cannot afford because it needs to adapt quickly to turn itself around. Thus, although some conflict can jolt an organization out of inertia, too much conflict can cause organizational inertia: As different groups fight for their own positions and interests, they fail to arrive at consensus, and the organization drifts along; failure to change makes the organization go from bad to worse (Amason, 1996). At first, many organization theorists regarded conflict as wholly dysfunctional because it was believed to be the antithesis of cooperation. It was generally interpreted as a sign of a defective or an incomplete social structure. Therefore, early conflict theorists proposed that the appropriate response was the creation of structural mechanisms for dealing with issues that generate conflict. Committees, task forces, liaison roles, and many other forms of coordination were recommended for this purpose (Galbraith, 1977). The second phase of theorizing about organizational conflict developed around American organization theorist Louis Pondy's observation that, although conflict may be unpleasant, it is an inevitable part of organizing (1967). In Pondy's view conflict may still be regarded as dysfunctional, however, as a natural condition, conflict is unavoidable and should be accepted. This phase of study led to theoretical interest in the sources of conflict, and a search for understanding of its fundamental conditions. The natural view of conflict helped managers confront conflicts they could not alter

All men by their very nature feel the urge to know. How does knowledge Essay

All men by their very nature feel the urge to know. How does knowledge arise, and what characterizes scientific knowledge, - Essay Example He believes that human senses do not create wisdom, only experience. An individual remains unaware of the substance of a desire unless s/he discovers what truly fulfills it. Through its fulfillment individuals discover what is being desired by the desire. Hence Aristotle talks about the ‘delight’ individuals get from their senses. If the knowledge individuals desire for were only a way to achieve another objective, for instance, power, then the inherent desire would not be a yearning for knowledge.3 That human beings delight in the mere use of their senses is an indication that they do have a yearning for knowledge. This essay analyzes Aristotle’s argument that â€Å"All men by nature desire to know†. The analysis includes a discussion of the following questions: how does knowledge arise, and what characterizes scientific knowledge? How does Knowledge Arise? Aristotle classified knowledge into three main groups. He thinks that all ideas are either theoretic al or productive or practical. Theoretical knowledge pursues neither action nor production, but only truth. It comprises everything that people now regards as science, and in the point of view of Aristotle it includes thus far the ultimate part of the entirety of human knowledge.4 On the other hand, productive sciences focus on the production like farming, engineering, and so on. And practical sciences focus on action, such as how a person has to behave or respond in various situations. The basic assumptions of Aristotle’s model of scientific knowledge start with the broad statement that every intellectual learning and teaching develop from prior knowledge.5 Aristotle believes that the two forms of initial knowledge are needed—knowledge that an object exists, and knowledge of what that object is. This prior knowledge may involve the existence of an object, or to the description of certain concepts.6 It should also be established that scientific knowledge cannot arise t hrough sense-perception, and that scientific knowledge is developed by using the ‘syllogistic’ technique, which is how a person gives a scientific explanation of specific patterns and facts by demonstrating how they logically arise from specific first premises.7 For Aristotle, knowledge is not only having verified, factual belief. Knowledge is a concept quite precise for Aristotle. There are only certain statements that can be known. According to Aristotle, so as to know some statement P, first, P must be essentially correct or factual and, second, one should be capable of proving or demonstrating P from ideas that are essentially universal and factual. A ‘universal statement’ is defined as basically a statement about a group of objects, instead of a statement about a specific object.8 How Aristotle defines knowledge shows that statements such as â€Å"the speaker is a man† and â€Å"the boy is sad† are not bodies of knowledge, for only univer sal statements can be known, and the two abovementioned sample statements are specific, instead of universal statements. Aristotle would argue that a person ‘perceives’ that the speaker is a man, and a person ‘perceives’ that the boy is sad. Aristotle clearly explains that wisdom is the knowledge of causes and principles, because a person who has knowledge of such, also has

International Economic- WTO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International Economic- WTO - Essay Example The most important round of negotiations in the history of WTO was the Uruguay Round in 1986 which resulted in significant agreement on negotiation topics. The meeting before that in 1982 had resulted in deadlock over agriculture issues. The Uruguay Round resulted in an agreement over ‘a negotiating agenda’ which covered all the trade policy issues required to be discussed (World Trade Organization, 2010). Over the years, the WTO’s agenda has had to expand from just an agreement on trade terms to include issues related to regionalism, intellectual property, services, the environment, investment, electronic commerce and labour standards (World Trade Organization, 2010).1 ‘Balance-of-payments exception’: developing countries were allowed to have less stringent terms in tariff conditions and they were allowed to protect their markets to some level because of the special status to protect them. ‘exports subsidies’: WTO promotes the elimination of export subsidies in agriculture in order to have free competitive market conditions in global agricultural trade. The implementation of this clause is more one-sided and it is the developed countries that specifically demand the elimination of export subsidies in developing countries; and ‘domestic support’: developed countries are promoting the elimination of all other forms if domestic support besides export subsidies that challenge the free competitive market conditions. (World Trade Organization, 2010) The latest agreement on the agriculture front is laid out in August 2007. According to these agreements, in developed countries, there was to be a reduction in tariff and a calculation of the Ad Valorem Equivalent (AEV) tariff. 4-6% of the tariff could be proclaimed for sensitive products. It was also agreed that there was a necessity to ‘formulate an adequate solution for tariff escalation’. Tax simplification was another clause of the 2007 Draft

Evaluate the Foodservice Operation Essay Example for Free

Evaluate the Foodservice Operation Essay As time passes by, people were expecting also an improvement in the way cultural institutions would like to show what they got. If you have gone to a museum once, or other cultural institutions, you would probably go back some other time due to the liking in the place and its content. However, an expectation of seeking new experiences would probably be born onto you. Cultural institutions have been making many improvements and developments for the people visiting the place. Such improvements and developments are through exhibits, experiences, facilities, amenities, and many more. Together with the improvements is the food service. The fact that people are now becoming aware of the food trends which are probably seen in the television and the styles of serving and preparations of foods, the need for the improvement of the food service in this cultural institution is a must. Look at this; would anyone have much interest to go to the cafeteria in basement or in any place in the museum, having an old-fashioned theme, walking in a dark path? Someone might lose his/her appetite. Food service operations, such as having cafeterias, food courts and in any other form inside of the cultural institutions, enhance the satisfaction of the people who visits the place. In addition to that, it can also produce additional revenue for the institution and made the entire facility a place to go. Imagine, someone had to walk for a long time to see the cultural institutions have to show. Then the time he/she would be thinking of rest, he/she can then go to the cafeteria and have a rest while recharging his energy through eating. This is how Andy Zakrajsek explains how foodservice operations are important in such cultural institutions. He is the current director or retail businesses and the manager of the Brain Food Court together with the other operations regarding foodservice at the Museum of Science Industry (Levin, 2006). Food Service Mission A place to rest and unwind The main mission of having a food service operation in a cultural institution is to give time for the people visiting their place a time to recharge, say after an 8-hour tiring strolling looking on what the place have to offer . A need for nourishment can be given by these food service facilities. Another thing is to give time for the visitors to sit beside their friends and families, while enjoying the beautiful scene of the place. Through this, visitors then have the opportunity to unwind and take some rest for the next hour/s going back to see more of the exhibits present on the place. To generate additional revenues Not only on the outside or special occasions are catering on the play. At the Museum of Science Industry, there are also special events celebrated with which catering services held by the Brain Food Court under Andy Zakrajsek are on the roll. This catering on special events was considered to be one of the activities which generate a large amount of revenues. The museum and all other cultural institutions were designed to have a large area for special events and gathering such as large lobbies, atriums, amphitheaters, etc However, there is also a need for spacious places inside the cultural institutions; this is in addition to the accommodations needed for the gathering, but also the need for the foodservice preparations. Considering the costs of the foodservice preparations, having a place inside the cultural institution as the preparation area, will costs lesser than renting a place to takeover or a catering service outside, while earning greater profit. Must Adapt to Changes There are also called peak seasons and valley seasons on the museum. The number of visitors may vary from day-to-day or from season-to-season. For example, there can be thousands more of visitors which comes to visit the museum during summer, and by a hundred during winter (Johns, 2006). Due to this ‘seasons of change’, the foodservice must be adaptive to this kind of situation. The foodservice then must be flexible. Since there would be a large number to serve during warmer days, the foodservice operation must also consider the safety, but still must be in efficient manner. And in cold winter days, there must be an operation that shall consider the minimal staffing to lower the expenses. Andy Zakrajsek had thought of this problem and had also find solution to resolve this problem regarding the peaks and valleys. He said that having equipments and designs of the facilities which are flexible should be the best solution for a cafeteria and other foodservice facilities. The museum had undergone major renovations on their designs to adapt with the changes in numbers of guests that will arrive. Considering the case that occurs during cold winter days with which only a few numbers of guests arrives at the museum. The application of these flexible equipments and facilities can be seen; such as shutting down of some of the stations allocated for cooking. Doing this will lessen the costs for the amenities, and also to reduce some staffs. The need for an exceedingly flexible equipments and facilities is a must in order for the foodservice operations to handle the changes with regards to the numbers of crowds and the changing food trends. To Look Great while being Durable The food court and cafeterias are the one responsible for the foodservice operations. Together with other facilities and areas in the museum, the food court and cafeterias must also look really good as elaborated by Andy Zakrajsek. The museum’s food courts and cafeterias have been visited by a million and a half of visitors every year, many of them were kids. In addition to the foodservice operations, the manager of the foodservice operations had included in the food courts and cafeterias some carts, strollers and backpacks having buckles (Levin, 2006). This will make it easier for visitors to handle their kids, and for the place to be in control and in stillness. But these additional equipments must also be durable through time. There had been some changes together with the major renovations, on the floors and walls of the food courts and cafeterias. The food court and cafeteria’s floors were replaced by stain-proof and scratch-proof floorings while still having a nice design. As Andy Zakrajsek explained, they needed an industrial-level of surface materials while still giving an interesting look and designs. Educational Purpose One of the major purposes of the cultural institutions was to educate. Foodservice operations also included this purpose on their operations. There is a ledge purposely designed in front of the pizza and grill stations of the museum. This is made so that children can step onto it so that they can see and observe the cooks while working. The window protectors which divide the stations for cooking and the customer’s area were made of clear glasses which are in lower position relative to the customers view. This is an intended work so that the visitors can make a better look at the cooking and food preparation. Is it profitable? The manager of the Brain Food Court and the other foodservice operations of the Museum of Science Industry, Andy Zakrajsek, had focused on two things. They made critical and complete evaluations on the foodservice operations. They had evaluated the department for the special events of the museum. The first thing they evaluated are the following; how it functions; how the food courts, cafeterias and foodservice operations connected to the museum and how will it serve the guests; and had also evaluated the quality of the management used and the staffs of the foodservice operation. The second thing they did is reviewing the catering program. The purpose of this is a way easy, the optimization of the income that the museum can earn. After the evaluations and reviews done, they made improvement and developments regarding the concerns stated above. The result is that the net income of the museum had increased up to 250% within five years (Greenbaum, 2004). What makes foodservice profitable is that it enhances the cultural institutions overall purpose, having cafeterias and food courts, catering and other special events and foodservices, make the increase in the number of visitors in the museum, this is the main supporting evidence how foodservice operations make the institution more profitable. As stated by the by Andy Zakrajsek, the catering on the special events held at the museum was considered one of the activities which generates a large amount of revenues. Conclusion The importance of the foodservice operations in cultural institution is extremely high. Thus, this implies that the planning about the foodservice operations must be included on the design process of every cultural institution. Summing it up, there is a critical role played by the foodservice operations in a cultural institution, and planning it up early and having it is one of the measures of success of the institution. Foodservice operations are responsible for the enhancements of the institution, which controls the increases the number of visitors, in which it brings huge revenues to the institution.

Functionalist Perspective on Education

Functionalist Perspective on Education Functionalists, use education as part of their observations, as a whole of society. Functionalist perspective, looks at structural theories. Functionalists use society as part of organic analogy. This means that society operates effectively due to all the parts of society working together. If a part of society, does not function properly then it can affect the rest of society. Functionalists see Education, as the main organ in society. It is very important in society. Is the school system works properly, then society will function properly as well. Emile Durkheim(1858-1917) suggests that education is very important in teaching children the societys norms, values and roles. They learn to accept authority and how to socialise with other people, known as secondary socialisation. Children learning the appropriate norms, values and roles in society, which helps keep society stable and helps to maintain the value consensus. Value Consensus is an agreement between society members, to conform to certain values. This creates social solidarity(Haralambos Holborn,2008). People in society will feel more involved in society, having more of a sense of belonging. Emile Durkheim also suggests that education provides the teaching of societys history. This is important, that children will learn to feel more apart of something larger than themselves. They will learn to develop a sense of belonging and commitment, to a certain social group that they belong to. This could prevent Anomie, which is feeling normlessness. (Haralambos Holborn,2008). Functionalists such as Talcott Parsons(1961) suggests that after the primary socialisation of children, secondary socialisation takes over as the most important role in society. Education, prepares children with their adult roles in society when they are much older. (Haralambos Holborn,2008). When a person reaches the ages of 16-18, they are officially classed as an adult in society. Primary socialisation, is where the family is most responsible for. They teach children how to talk,walk and learn skills, necessary to live. Parents tend to treat their children, most importantly as their child and do not tend to focus on their individual skills or standards. This is known as Particularistic standards ( Harlambos Holborn, 2008). When children reach primary or secondary schools, they are treated equally. They are based on their skills or standards, which is based on every children regardless of their family connections. This is mainly called universalistic standards.(Haralambos Holborn, 2008). Within societies of families, the childs social status in ascribed. This means that the status of the child is set when they are born. For example, a child born into a rich family, may be seen as a child who is rich when they are born. Talcott Parsons suggests that due to industrialization in societies, peoples status can change and be achievable.(Haralambos Holborn,2008). For example, a person who qualifies as a doctor may have their occupational status changed as getting a good job. Talcott parsons suggests that school education prepares young people for adult life. Using school exams, childrens achievements are based.(Haralambos Holborn, 2008). Children learn to conform to authority in schools. They learn to conduct themselves in school, using school of conduct. These may vary from school to school. For example, different uniforms to be worn by students. Talcott Parsons suggest that school principles are mainly focused on a meritocratic society. Students status are mainly achieved, through their worth as individuals. ( Haralambos Holborn,2008). This still occurs in todays school system. People with the highest grades, are more likely to be in top classes then people who get lower grades. Schools tend to work on this system. Another example is getting into University, people need to require a certain level of qualifications, to get into University. Talcott Parsons, also suggests that schools provide an important function in the future potentials of the workforce. Schools can select students, according to their level of skills, to best suit future employment according to their skills.(Haralambos Holborn,2008). Marxist Perspective on Education The Marxist perspective, is a conflict approach. Unlike, the functionalist theory it focuses on the conflict of education. According to Marxists, the system of the education provides the needs of the Capitalists (the ruling class). Schools, learn children norms and values, suitable for working in a Capitalist society. It prepares children, for their future role in the employment industry. Marxists, suggest that there are inequalities in societies even though the education system aims to provide equality of education. Inequalities can form, in different areas such as employment. Many people may become powerful in society, well others may become workers of the powerful. Marxists suggests that the economic base of society is important. Economic factors, are important in every society. Marxists such as Herbert Bowles and Samuel Gintis, in Schooling in Capitalist America(1976). They suggest that education forms the main role in producing employees, for the workforce. They also suggest that there is a close relationship between the social relations between the workplace and the education system. This shows how the education system, works in teaching children. According to Bowles and Gintis(1976), they suggest that schools provide the skills, values needed by a capitalist society by providing a Hidden Curriculum (Haralambos Holborn,2008). Students learn from attending school, they learn from the principles of the Hidden Curriculum( Haralambos Holborn, 2008). Bowles and Gintis(1976) suggests that the Hidden Principle(Haralambos Holborn,2008) learns children authority. In schools there is a system of a hierarchy which controls the authority of the school. The head teacher, is usually at the top and then school teachers. Students are considered at the bottom, because they need to accept authority. This helps them to prepare for employment, accepting authority from employers in the future. Bowles and Gintis(1676) suggests that students learn to be motivated by external factors.(Haralambos Holborn,2008). External factors such as pocket money, allow them to focus on their studies. High school students, get their qualifications if they work hard making them more able to get good employment.(Haralambos Holborn, 2008).

University Food Service Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays Polic

University Food Service Have you ever felt ripped off at a restaurant, or realized that you paid way too much for a meal somewhere? Well, this is what many students feel on almost a daily basis. A large portion of students at State University are paying far too much for food service. This is especially true when you consider that many students are busy and end up missing meals that they have already had to pay for. Instead of having a ‘pre-paid, no miss’ policy lunch program, the university should adopt a ‘lunch card’ program, similar to those offered in elementary and secondary schools around the country. This could save the students a lot of money and, as will be detailed later, could also earn many more paying consumers for the university’s food service. Today, students at State University have two main options for food service plans. They can either pay $1978 a year for three meals a day plus meals on weekends, or they can pay $1930 for two meals a day and no weekends. If a student buys the later option and only eats one meal on a given day, they are unable to make that meal up or eat three meals on another day. Therefore, even though they have already paid around $5.00 for the meal they missed, they are unable to redeem that money and lose it. Also, no one other than the student is allowed to eat a meal off of another student’s plan. This means that if the student knows that they will be having guests and would like that guest to eat with them they are unable to use one of their pre-paid meals for their friend, even though it is already paid for. Those who say that the meal plans currently being offered allow for a large assortment of foods available to students during the meals are correct. However, when they say ... ...set amount in advance, it can be however high or low of an amount that the student wishes to put into the account. Then each time a meal is purchased the money would be debited from the meal plan account. As the student uses up the money in their account they could continue to pay however much they believe necessary into their account on a need basis. This program would benefit not only the student but also the university. It would make for a greater percentage of student usage of dining facilities and make students feel more secured when investing in a meal plan. This is a worthwhile program and is something that the university should seriously consider switching to for future use. It doesn’t take a genius to know that anything that saves students money and increases the college’s revenue on a service provided has got to be a good thing, just a college student.

Acupuncture :: essays research papers

Acupuncture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acupuncture is a Chinese medical practice that treats illness and provides local anesthesia by the insertion of needles at predetermined sites of the body. Acupuncture may also follow many other forms. The word acupuncture comes from the Latin word acus, meaning needle, and pungere, meaning puncture. The Chinese call acupuncture Chen Chiu.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On doing my research over acupuncture I used many different sources. I got most of my information from the Internet. I discovered a large acupuncture clinic in Houston and contacted them over the phone. I never really realized that acupuncture was used so much in this country, but there are many places acupuncture is used in the United States.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acupuncture is used in the treatment of a wide variety of medical problems. It is used for ear, nose, and throat disorders, respiratory disorders, Gastrointestinal disorders, Eye disorders, and Neurological and Muscular disorders. The needles used in acupuncture are usually only inserted from 1/4 to 1 inch deep into the skin. There is usually no pain in acupuncture. Usually if any pain it is only mild. Most of the needles now used in acupuncture are disposable needles. Acupuncture does not always only involve needles. They may also use other methods such as moxibustion, cupping, electronic stimulation, magneotherapy and various types of massage. There are also many different styles of acupuncture practiced all over the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many things to consider when choosing an acupuncturist. Acupuncture is a licensed and regulated healthcare profession in about half the states in the United States. There are many acupuncture practices which are not certified, so when choosing one some research is required. If you get acupuncture usually between five to fifteen sessions are required, depending on the severity of the complaint. Many acute conditions only require a single treatment. The main thing to remember when receiving acupuncture is to simply relax. After acupuncture treatments much of the pain may be gone after the first treatment, or in some cases it takes more. In some cases the pain may become worse, this is known as the rebound effect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The clinic I got most of my information from is a clinic in Houston. They specialize in Acupuncture Therapy for diseases and conditions such as acute and chronic pain, degenerative diseases, arthritis, M.S., post-stroke, migraine

Physics Lab

In the Tumble Buggy Lab, my partners and I used several different methods to calculate the velocity of a Tumble Buggy. The methods we used were a meter stick and a timer, a Spark Timer, a Photogate, and a Motion Sensor. Each method was different but overall, our velocities were very similar. Using the meter stick and timer, our velocity was 0. 22 m/s. With the spark timer, our velocity was 0. 26 m/s. Next, the velocity found with the Photogate was 0. 325 m/s. Finally, when we used the motion sensor, we found our velocity to be 0. 34 m/s. This lab is prone to some mechanical and human error.First, the meter stick and timer method. This method is the least accurate because it is the most subject to human error. While doing this method, one person must time the car as it moves a distance of one meter. This can be very inaccurate because the timer could start the timer to early or to late and could stop the timer to early or to late. Next we have the Spark Timer. This method uses special tapes and burns small holes into the tape every tenth of a second. The Spark Timer is very accurate and the timing is very precise. Our third trial was the Photogate.I believe that this device is the most accurate because it measures the speed at which a flag placed on top of the buggy passes through a infrared beam, breaking the beam. The final trial was the motion sensor. Although this device is accurate it is subject to human error. This error comes into play when the person is starting and stopping the buggy in the motion sensor. The error is that you cannot be sure if the motion sensor is hitting the buggy at all times, effecting the data. Overall, I believe that this lab went well but if I were to redo the lab, I would definitely have more than one trial using each device.

Living Together Without Married

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living together without marriage There are many advantages and disadvantages in living together before marriage. Today there are many couples living together before marriage. Sometimes these kinds of relationships ‘living together before marriage' end up with success and sometimes they are unsuccessful. Some of the advantages of living together before marriage are such as getting to know your partner, learning about one's abilities if he/she can satisfy your expectations and more.Also, there are some disadvantages in living together before marriage and they are such as religious and family values, parenting problems and more. I think there are more advantages then disadvantages in living together before marriage, because sometimes disadvantages in this kind of relationship are avoidable. One of the advantages of living together before marriage is getting to know a person that you might marry with. It is important for a person to know almost everything about the other person that he/she is going to get marry with.However, it can’t be accomplish without living together for a while before getting married. People need to know how a person is handling his/her life from all aspects such as behavior, mental, financial and others before a person decides to get married with. This cannot be completed in a few days, therefore, it is important to live together for a while before deciding whether to get married or now. First of all,cohabitation will be a trial period before marriage.We encounter with divorces in our daily lives because of couples who do not know enough about each other. They do not know other's home life or disturbing behaviours during the relationship. These are realized when they get married and start to live together. In addition some marriage decisions are given in 2 or 3 months after they met first. At this period,having an assumption about each other is very difficult. Cauples can be aware of o ther's special life and behaviours in cohabitation.They can make a step to a strong marriage with living together before marriage. Secondly,in cohabitation there will be financial independence and no legal obligations for spouse. When the couples start to live together,they will just share rent,money of pills and basic needs of home such as shopping,cooking and cleaning. Except for these,they will continue to their daily lives like living alone. When woman want to buy new shoes,she does not need to think what her partner will say. She buys them and does not have obligation for her spouse.Couples will be independence their personal needs. At this point,cohabitation is more alluring than marriage. Finally,it is argued that living together without marriage is against moral standarts at the society. Although there are many people who think so,I believe that moral values can not affect how people make a decision. They do not live for maral values. They live for their happiness. If we get married immediately with our partner who we fall in love without information about her/him , a divorce is inevitable.At this point,moral values do not help to save our marriage. To sum up,cohabitation is a experiment before marriage for couples who want to get married at the end or a life style for couples who love each other without legal obligations and regulations. For most people cohabitation might seem against to moral values or lack of legal regulations. However,I firmly believe that happiness is more important than these values and legal regulations. Therefore,we should give up to integrate and affect people's decisions. They have to live how they want. Living Together Without Married What are the advantages and disadvantages of living together without marriage There are many advantages and disadvantages in living together before marriage. Today there are many couples living together before marriage. Sometimes these kinds of relationships ‘living together before marriage' end up with success and sometimes they are unsuccessful. Some of the advantages of living together before marriage are such as getting to know your partner, learning about one's abilities if he/she can satisfy your expectations and more.Also, there are some disadvantages in living together before marriage and they are such as religious and family values, parenting problems and more. I think there are more advantages then disadvantages in living together before marriage, because sometimes disadvantages in this kind of relationship are avoidable. One of the advantages of living together before marriage is getting to know a person that you might marry with. It is important for a person to know almost everything about the other person that he/she is going to get marry with.However, it can’t be accomplish without living together for a while before getting married. People need to know how a person is handling his/her life from all aspects such as behavior, mental, financial and others before a person decides to get married with. This cannot be completed in a few days, therefore, it is important to live together for a while before deciding whether to get married or now. First of all,cohabitation will be a trial period before marriage.We encounter with divorces in our daily lives because of couples who do not know enough about each other. They do not know other's home life or disturbing behaviours during the relationship. These are realized when they get married and start to live together. In addition some marriage decisions are given in 2 or 3 months after they met first. At this period,having an assumption about each other is very difficult. Cauples can be aware of o ther's special life and behaviours in cohabitation.They can make a step to a strong marriage with living together before marriage. Secondly,in cohabitation there will be financial independence and no legal obligations for spouse. When the couples start to live together,they will just share rent,money of pills and basic needs of home such as shopping,cooking and cleaning. Except for these,they will continue to their daily lives like living alone. When woman want to buy new shoes,she does not need to think what her partner will say. She buys them and does not have obligation for her spouse.Couples will be independence their personal needs. At this point,cohabitation is more alluring than marriage. Finally,it is argued that living together without marriage is against moral standarts at the society. Although there are many people who think so,I believe that moral values can not affect how people make a decision. They do not live for maral values. They live for their happiness. If we get married immediately with our partner who we fall in love without information about her/him , a divorce is inevitable.At this point,moral values do not help to save our marriage. To sum up,cohabitation is a experiment before marriage for couples who want to get married at the end or a life style for couples who love each other without legal obligations and regulations. For most people cohabitation might seem against to moral values or lack of legal regulations. However,I firmly believe that happiness is more important than these values and legal regulations. Therefore,we should give up to integrate and affect people's decisions. They have to live how they want.

Effects of the Differences in Tax Systems

Of late, differences in the tax systems between countries have been a subject of debate and have occupied center stage in most forums. Due to this, we shall now focus on the various effects that have been generated by these differences. Notably, the essay will focus on Japan whose corporate tax rate is the second highest in the world. Disparities in the taxation systems between countries give the multinational companies an opportunity to interfere with their transfer prices.For instance, a business man in Japan may chose to understate his sales revenue which is originating from an affiliate in a low tax country while at the same time overstate his purchases from the low tax country (Carroll, 20050). By so doing, the businessman will have shifted most of his reported profits to the low tax countries which will further translate into a reduction of the tax liability or will have participated in tax evasion.Also, the disparities in the tax systems across countries encourage some multina tional companies to report disproportionate profits to the low tax countries. In line with this, reports have shown that over 70% of countries with non U. S profits earned by U. S multinational firms are normally taxed at an effective tax rate of below 10%. Precisely, Japan has an effective tax rate of 2. 5%. In addition; the differences in the tax systems between countries give room for corruption (Carroll, 20050).This is in most cases initiated by the tax officials who normally take advantage of the tax payers who are not aware of the procedures to be followed in tax administration. The differences in tax systems have also created an avenue for tax bureaucracy. This normally arise when the disgruntled, low salaried tax officials play a role in protecting the tax evaders who in turn avail some percentage of the tax evaded to them. This was the case in Japan back in 1993 when there was the tax evasion scandal involving Kanemaru Shin.At this point, it is worth concluding with an opin ion that numerous measures need to be undertaken to eliminate the negative effects of the difference in tax systems. For instance, countries should standardize the procedures which will make the tax systems to be more transparent and will enhance the integrity of the same (Carroll, 20050). Finally, the tax systems should introduce incentive reforms like the salary incentives which will definitely go a long way in eradicating the corrupt behavior of tax officials.

Mother Teresa Essay

Mother Teresa has dedicated her life to helping the poor, the sick, and the dying around the world. She is one of the most well known and respected people of the 20th century. The movie that viewed in class displayed it very well. It showed how much she cared about the ‘un-cared for’ and how she preached to millions of people around the world. In her speeches she spoke of ‘blessing the misfortunate’ and loving them as well. She also spoke of how easy it is to help them. All we have to do is show some love towards them that they would normally never get. Mother Teresa is one of the most kind people on the planet and goes around spreading the love and affection. She was born in Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje, Yugoslavia. Her parents were Albanians who settled in Skopje near the beginning of the century. He father was a owner of a major construction company so Mother Teresa grew up in a very comfortable environment. In 1928 she suddenly decided to become a nun and traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to join the Sisters of Loreto. After studying with the Sisters in the convent, she left to join another convent in northeast India. On May 24, 1931, she took the name of ‘Teresa’ in honor of St. Teresa of Avila. At first, Mother Teresa was assigned to teach a small Geography class at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta. Mother Teresa noticed all the beggars, lepers, and homeless people on the streets of Calcutta. There lives were horrible, living on other peoples scraps and letting babies that they couldn’t support die in trash bins. She decided to ask the archbishop if she could stop her teaching and dedicate her life to helping the ‘less fortunate.’ When Mother Teresa received a written consent that it was okay, she began her work. In 1948 Pope Pius XII gave Mother Teresa permission to be a totally independant nun, so she became an Indian citizen. After studying about nursing, she founded the ‘Missionaries of Charity.’ This was a group of nuns who go around and help the sick and dying. All the nuns that agreed to work in the ‘Missionaries of Charity’ had to devote their lives to helping the poor and not to receive any money or material things. To the side is a  picture of a letter that Mother Teresa sent to a nun that wanted to join the ‘Missionaries of Charity.’ Mother Teresa welcomed her into the group with praise. Now to the movie. The movie did a very good job of showing how much Mother Teresa cared for the sick. The main part of the movie that I remember was the part when Mother Teresa and her nuns were starting a whole new center to the sick and dying. When the person that owned the building was telling the nuns and Mother Teresa about all the nice things they has in the building, the nuns almost simultaneously said, ‘I don’t think we will be needing that.’ The nuns and Mother Teresa live in such low living conditions and don’t seem to mind. Unlike most of us, she doesn’t need material things to get along. All she needs is some running water and the necessary materials to help the sick. Mother Teresa did such great work for the poor that she received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1971. Pope Paul VI honored Mother Teresa by awarding her the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize. The following year the government of India presented her with the Jawaharial Nehru Award for International Understanding. In 1979 she received her greatest award, the Nobel Peace Prize. Mother Teresa accepted all of these awards on behalf of the poor, suing any money that accompanied them to fund her centers. By 1990 over 3,000 nuns belonged to the running centers in 25 countries. Obviously, Mother Teresa’s missions to help the poor were a tremendous success. There are also some kinds of summer groups like Habitat for Humanity. Unlike Habitat for Humanity these groups of kids go out and help the sick and dying just like Mother Teresa. The leader of these groups is a well known priest by the name of Johann Christoph. These kids love to do what Mother Teresa does best and make many dying people happy in there last days of life. The School that did this was the ‘Wake Forest University.’ Or as they prefer to be called the ‘City of Joy Scholars.’ The kids spent 18 long days in Calcutta as Mother Teresa’s first help center. The kids remember the varied cultures and races that Mother Teresa and the nuns love so very much. No matter how sick they looked. The kids were forever changed mentally and  emotionally after seeing and helping the helpless. The Missionaries of Charity and Mother Teresa are probably the most caring people on Earth. Mother Teresa is already called a Saint. She is the one and only living Saint. I enjoyed the movie and learned a lot about Mother Teresa and here mission to help the sick, lepers, and homeless. I trust she will succeed but she will need more nuns to join the famous ‘Missionaries of Charity.’

Targeting Bilateral Aid For The Poor

The debate over foreign aid has been raging for quite a while now. Some critics have argued that aid does precious little to the poor countries it reaches. Others arguing against this pessimism have stated that aid brings in investment, which then fosters growth. However what is indeed a matter of concern is that most countries do not have the capability of absorbing aid.This is often a function of poor administrative processes, but could also arise out of poor governance structures that allow the siphoning away of funds due to the lack of accountability in these countries. There are a number of instances that are cited by skeptics to argue against foreign aid as it encourages corruption and leakage.De Soto (1989) gives some extremely clear examples of how corruption in developing countries has left the poor miserable and vulnerable. Boone(1994) shows how aid gives rise to varying outcomes in various countries.Weisskopf (1972) had pointed out how domestic savings and therefore domest ic investment gets affected by various kinds of foreign aid and foreign investment. This kind of intervention is not always in the best interest of the developing country.The debateThe issues are several. Donor countries often give aid for specific purposes. However, what might happen at the recipient’s end is that the aid gets diverted. For example, aid for expenditure of health might get diverted to spending on education.This often depends on what constituencies are more powerful in the country receiving aid. The same is true at the donor end, where more powerful lobbies ensure that it is the sector that gets the benefit of aid.Pharmaceutical sectors in developed countries have very often been blamed for diverting most aid into the health sector while the problems afflicting poor nations might be more acute in terms of starvation and malnutrition.Another reason for disgruntlement against foreign aid is that it tends to distort the domestic development agenda and takes it aw ay towards issues that might not be priority areas. Pfaff (2004) demonstrates how the environment debate in the developed world got transferred to the developing countries riding on massive amounts of aid.In the entire environmental revolution that came about in the seventies and the eighties, the industrialized and developed world ties most of its concern over the environment with aid packages. Additionally, what happens is that aid comes in for sectors, which are highly underdeveloped, and therefore the resources required to handle this aid might not be locally available.These resources are usually both human and material resources. With the non-availability of trained personnel in host countries, the modalities of aid therefore ensure that expatriates are then responsible for the distribution and utilization of such aid. Foreign experts are, to say the least, expensive.What adds to the problem is the bias this builds into the entire process. There is already enough suspicion that exists against foreigners. In addition, there is the entire issue of the lack of familiarity with local issues and local priorities.This gives rise to a disgruntlement with the management of aid and with locals feeling left out and the managers feeling uncomfortable; the efficacy of such aid reduces significantly.The foreigner manager has different sets of priorities and an alien understanding of conditions under which the local population understands the need for assistance and this duality of purpose could lead to tension and misunderstanding. How Aid helps bad governments survive By far the most stringent criticism of foreign aid has been by way of the evidence that poorly governments in developing countries have managed to survive because of the aid they are able to attract.These governments have used the aid to push policies in their countries that have been detrimental to the development of markets due to the poor economic and industrial policy environment that has been put i n place. Aid has lead to complacency as some constituencies receive enough sops and therefore do not exert pressure on their governments.Aid gives rise to protectionist measures and the competitive environment that must exist and evolve in developing economies just does not come through.Therefore poor governance continues to thrive and the dependence on foreign aid becomes perpetual. Krueger (1974) shows how this situation helps rent seekers in developing societies thrive on the poor state of political processes, especially in times of economic distress.What has also been observed that aid that comes tied to certain conditions, forces structural adjustment programs on countries that are unable to protest.However unwillingly, these countries must undergo painful reforms to satisfy the conditions laid by donors. This has often resulted in large reductions in public investments and in subsidies to the targeted poor. The famous examples where such pressure has caused domestic damage are in the structural adjustments that were forced upon Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.With pressure on them to reduce fiscal deficits, these countries went in for stringent reform measures leading to high inflation and acute stagnation. Locke (2001) shows the extent to which governments can pressurize other nations to manage policies to restructure economies in a particular fashion.However it must be pointed out that this debate is not one sided. There are countries like Zambia that have been at the receiving end. With aid increasing annually over the seventies and the eighties, the economic situation in Zambia went form bad to worse. On the other hand is Ghana in the same region.Here aid helped foster a friendly environment for the domestic policy to correct itself and help the local economy grow. In Zambia, increased aid coincided with poor policy, while in Ghana as aid levels went up, there were marked improvements seen in the fiscal and monetary sectors as also in the external secto r with trade policy improving considerably.Levinsohn and McMillan (2005) argue that aid to Ethiopia actually was pro poor and enabled the country move towards food sufficiency and food security by ensuring that the poor were given access to food supplies. Â  The authors show how households, especially the very poor, benefited when aid went into the provision of wheat in Ethiopia. The paper further argues that the very poor actually benefited the most in this process.

The Trial of Martha Stewart essay question type

Discussing the Trial of Martha Stewart - Essay Example The evidence as presented in her trial assisted the jurors in believing beyond a reasonable doubt that Martha was guilty on four of the indictments against her. The jury could not agree that the government had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Stewart and Bacanovic fabricated the $60 sale agreement and acquitted both parties on these counts. Stewart was not found guilty of the crime of insider trading when she sold her ImClone shares on December 27th 2001. She did, however, settle in 2006 on the case filed against her by the SEC. They had filed a civil case of insider trading against there in 2003 to which she did not admit or refute her guilt to the charge of insider trading, rather she settled. In my opinion, the U.S, Attorneys, and the Securities and Exchange Commission appeared to use sound and consistent judgment in indicting Martha Stewart. The indictments against Stewarts and Bacanovic did not happen until a year after the December 27th 2001 incident. The indictments came on June 4th 2003. This gap of time allowed enough time to investigate the situation at hand while gathering evidence from all involved parties. There is a law on the books against insider trading. The government entities are responsible for persecuting those that break the law. Martha Stewart was found guilty of breaking laws relating to the incident on December 27th, even if she could not be convicted of the crime of insider trading. Based on the information I read I have no reason to believe that prosecutors had additional motives for pursuing the case. When money is involved it is always a motivator, especially when dealing with a case of a crime against someone who is a millionaire. It would not s urprise me if there was an additional motivation; however, the information on the case was very straightforward and businesslike.

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

Visual Analysis - Essay Example In light of the above, a piece of art for consideration would be the picture depicting passengers of the S.S. Pennland on deck. The picture shows that most of the persons on the ship are young women. The woman on the foreground is leaning on her arm, possibly showing her state of fatigue. Most of the other people around are having a nap, most probably enhancing the theme of fatigue throughout the journey. Moreover, they have wrapped themselves with blankets and wearing heavy clothing. Most of the people in the picture have a cap or something to cover their heads, with the exception of the woman at the forefront. Despite this, she too has covered herself well with coverings visible from her neck and extending well over her feet. This most probably gives the impression that they experienced adverse weather conditions throughout the journey and the cold was taking toll on them. Somewhere along the mid-deck of the ship, there are visible huge reels of rope, but they do not have ropes on them. This most probably translates to the fact that probably most of the ship’s sails were fully hoisted and it probably still had a long way to go. The background of the picture shows a couple of men. While some of them are looking out into the sea, an atypical man is gazing to the side from which the photo was most probably taken. These men are likely to be part of the ship’s crew. They may be on their daily routine of checking out the situation in the sea and the condition of their passengers. The presumption that they could be part of the ship’s crew relies on their general look portrays the aspect that they do not look as fatigued as the rest of the people on the deck. On the first glance of the photo, one thing that suddenly strikes is the manner in which passengers look sprawled on the deck of the ship. The manner in which they are travelling depicts that of a journey not so well planned. The deck lacks no visible seating apparatus and the passengers are generally trying to fit themselves into any comfortable spot they find. A majority of them are sitting or lying on the latch covering the under the deck partitions of the ship. This is most likely the more comfortable place on the deck. The state of the passengers on the deck show that they are completely exhausted and are longing for the ship to dock at their destination. From this, and the fact that the photo certainly dates back to the early 20th century, suffice to conclude that travelling by ship during the earlier days of sea travel was a harrowing experience that could only be endured by the strong-hearted. Cohen’s article uses seven theses on monsters to try to discern a culture depending on the monster that most aptly describes it. From this, an assortment of monsters described distinguishes each other by various features (Cohen 121). Thesis VI on the monster being a kind of desire raises the claim that the activities that do not raise levels of satisfaction or are not endorsed by society are more attracting to the cultures. That the monster arouses the desires of the body to being frightened and this is eased by the thought of relief after the harrowing experience. This raises a complication as it supposes that the body is thrilled and enjoys the effects of an experience that frightens it (Cohen 231). This despite the fact that the body actually yearns for life’

Wireless Network Security - Cloud Computing Network Personal Statement

Wireless Network Security - Cloud Computing Network - Personal Statement Example This did not auger well with the ethics of data computing, privacy and security. This gave me the reason to think more on wireless network insecurity as well as the probable way to curb the menace. With thirteen years experience in the computing data; this has given the passion to venture into security measures in the field of computing rather than dwelling on my line of specialization-data structure. Much has been done to improve and enhance data network; but there are those who are out to see the failure of the development. These are the individuals out to hack others data sources and cause harm or use it for unintended tasks. Any individual within a geographical network range of an open, unencrypted wireless network can snuffle, record or even capture the data traffic and get illegal right of entry to the internal network wherewithal and the internet. (Lou, et al. n.d) This may result into sending of spam or even doing other illegal actions using the wireless network internet prov ider (IP) address. Attacks by insiders also pose an often neglected threat scenario when devising security mechanisms for emerging wireless technologies. Therefore, this is a venture that requires someone with a greater passion for sanity on Information Technology. All these may be rare for home routers but highly significant concerning to office networks. Since I have involved myself in the contemporary world of information technology and development, my heart feel disoriented whenever I encounter data insecurity trying to paralyze this marvelous work. With the global growth and embracing of Information Technology by many folks, there is tremendous desire to integrate measures to provide intense security to the data store. However, lack of knowledge on security issues by many, means anyone nearby might access and use the connection. Therefore as an expert in computer studies and having first hand concept on the actual problem on the ground, I feel profoundly obligated to extend my knowledge on cloud computing security. This will not only help in fulfilling my passion but also help the world in alleviating the menace of data insecurity. For my Masters studies at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah; I dealt with the topic â€Å"The Effect of Visualizing the Roles of Data Structure (RODS) in Student Learning, in a Data Structure Course.† This expounded more on the structure and utilization of data techniques in analysis. I have also attended various conferences and trainings on IT like â€Å"The international Conference on Nanotechnology: Opportunities and challenges, Electronic Exam system, Advanced E-Learning Certificate Program among others.† I have vast working experience in various field of IT like; Head of production and Update of Educational Materials Unit & Lecturer, Instructor in Contact and Support Unit, Technical Specialist in the Admission Unit, and Programmer as well as Instructor; in the student services unit-all in the King Abdulaziz U niversity, Jeddah. My research experience is also vast on Database-based Workflow Management Systems, Accessing E-mail using Speech Technologies, Microsoft Agent Speech Recognition Engines all of which entail understanding the concept data specialty and security among other researches. The above clearly demonstrate the efforts I have made to equip myself with the necessary knowledge that will enhance research on cloud computing security. My choice of Cloud computing is because it moves databases and application software to the large data centers where

Case Study on Ontology Languages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case Study on Ontology Languages - Essay Example 20/Jul/2006 J B Conrad Semantic web creation conrad@xyz.com DAML+OIL: http://www.xyz.com J B Conrad conrad@xyz.com Semantic Web Creation May OWL: Comparison of the...While these languages represent the specifications for the Ontology, they do not represent the real programming languages that are employed like CycL, Ontolingua, F-Logic, etc., 1. XML: This uses a standard syntax laid down already by the W3C. The code is crisp and easy to write. The DTD can be defined the way it is required. However, this does not offer the flexibility of defining standard classes and then making use of the similar structure repeatedly. XML is easy to use in a program though of course, creating XML data which will have semantics in them is not possible with the existing structure of XML. 2. XOL on the other hand, offers all those features that are present in XML as well as in OIL. XOL employs modelling primitives that are in line with OKBC standards. This is based on XML and uses Ontologies to extend the features. Therefore, it is found that the language is supporting some of the insufficiencies in XML like standard class definition and other structure definitions. With these, the data gets verified and the mistakes in the data are avoided. In addition to these, this also supports extensive slot hierarchies. But however, it does not allow definition of relationships extensively. This makes it a weak relationship modeller. XOL is comfortable where only data is to be represented without any major relationship criterion which is hard to find in knowledge systems. 3.

Assingment for Law Enforcement Research Design class Assignment

Assingment for Law Enforcement Research Design class - Assignment Example The nine argument questions are also very important in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods of research (Marian, 2006). The fundamental roles of research design components are an important aspect of every research design. They include; introduction which has :statement of problem, study purpose, theoretical perspective, research questions or hypothesis, definition of terms, delimitations and limitations, literature review which has type of design, sample population and participants, data collection instruments variables and materials, data analysis procedures, Anticipated ethical issues in the study, preliminary studies or plot tests, and significance of the study. Last month I had the pleasure of briefing a large group of local and state  law enforcement  officials on the Islamic extremist threat in their area. My interaction with these professionals reminded me that they are THE  frontlinedefenders in the War on Terror and play an indispensable role in our Homeland Security. Joining me in speaking at this event was my friend and occasionalAmerican Thinker  contributor,  LTC Joseph C. Myers.  Ã‚  Ã‚  What struck us both is how quickly they "got it" when presented with the right amount of actionable information about what Islamic extremist groups were already operating in their communities. It was also impressive to see some of these agencies and departments who were doing very high-quality counterterror investigations even with limited personnel and financial resources. And in this case, those departments were working together to share that knowledge. Having been raised in a police family (both my father and brother are retired from the job), Im familiar with the unique instincts developed by police officers day-by-day as they go about their beat. Recognizing something or someone out of place and a natural curiosity are necessary tools to being a good

MARKETING AND MARKETING STRATEGY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MARKETING AND MARKETING STRATEGY - Assignment Example A stimulated customer decides how much information (if any) is needed. If the need is very high and there is a product or service that satisfies the need at hand, the buying decision is most likely to be made immediately. If not, information seeking process begins. A person may seek information from personal sources i.e. from friends, and family members, neighbors or from commercial sources i.e. from salespeople, advertising, point-of-sale displays retailers and dealers. The importance and influence of the collected information vary from one product to another and by customer. This is followed by the evaluation stage where the consumer chooses between alternative brands, products and services. In the case where a product is high involving, the customer carries out thorough evaluation. After extensive evaluation, the customer makes a purchase decision basing on the gathered information (Schultz, 2006). This is followed by post-purchase decision (cognitive dissonance) which is the final stage of the decision-making process. This is mostly common in consumers who express a lot of concern after making a buying decision. After buying a product, the customer may feel that the alternative product could have been a better. In such instances, the consumer will not purchase immediately but is most likely to switch to another brand next time. Like the high involving purchases, the buying process begins with problem recognition. At this stage, a buyer perceives a need or a problem or reacts to a marketing stimulus. A person may seek information from limited sources unlike in high involvement where various sources are considered. This is followed by the evaluation stage where the consumer chooses between alternative brands, products and services. In the case since the product is low involving, the customer carries out simple evaluation. After the evaluation, the customer makes a purchase decision basing on

The developments of the laptops Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The developments of the laptops - Essay Example Nobody can think in terms of carrying a desktop with them while travelling for business purposes. â€Å"Of course, the main benefit of a laptop is the portability. This can be a huge benefit, allowing you to take your computer to and from work, on planes, on camping trips, and practically anywhere else† (Laptop vs. Desktop, 2010). Laptops can be accommodated in a suit case or carry bag easily and because of superior battery power, it can be used at places where electricity is not available. â€Å"Laptop and the social network have become very essential to our teenagers. Internet makes it possible to connect them with their interest. Many of them like to spend their time in front of a laptop, having an internet connection† (Laptops, Internet, Social Networking And Their Influence On Teenagers, 2010). The increasing popularity of social networking sites will increase the popularity of laptops further in future. This paper briefly analyses the possible future developments which can take place in laptop market. The Future of Laptops The future of laptops is unpredictable. Many people believe that a pocket sized laptop with all the computer facilities and communication technologies may evolve in near future itself. Moreover, pocket sized laptops are going to conquer the lives of the people because of the huge developments in computer technologies and nano technologies. Nano technology is developing rapidly and many people are of the view that the processing power of the microprocessor chips is going to increase as a result of that. Moreover, the size of the laptops may also be considerably reduced. Even a small chip can handle thousands of gigabyte data if nano technology developed properly. Under such circumstances, the sizes of the storage devices used in laptops are going to be reduced. â€Å"One of the most recent trends in laptop technology is the touch screen. These laptop companies are vastly producing a good majority of their laptops now integ rated with touch screens† (Helphrey, 2011). Touch screen mobile phones are already in the market. Touch screen technology is going to capture the laptop industry as well. New operating systems are supporting touch screen technology which is a blessing for the laptop manufacturers. â€Å"All of the major semiconductor companies are trying to create powerful processors that use very low-voltage†(Bajarin, 2011). In other words, laptops with higher battery life are possible. Current laptops are offering maximum 6 to 8 hours battery life. However, with the introduction of new technologies laptops which may work even up to 24 hours with the help of battery alone are possible. It is not necessary that the designs or the shapes of the future laptops would be the same as that of the current ones. Revolutionary changes in design, functionality and performances are waiting for the future laptop users. Laptops with the size of a mobile phone are going to enter the market very soon. Thickens, weight, length, breadth etc of the current laptops are going to be reduced very much. Dell recently unveiled one of their interesting netbooks recently. â€Å"At first look, you might think that this is just a tablet device, but you'll be surprised to know it is also a netbook. Flipping the screen from within the frame will display the keyboard and turns this device into a netbook† (Tuvie: Design of the future, 2011). Rolltop design is another interesting model proposed for future laptops. Some of the proposed future laptop designs are given below. (How Laptops May

Factors affecting participation in certain sports Essay Example for Free

Factors affecting participation in certain sports Essay Peer group Your peers are the people you mix with who have similar interests and backgrounds and are roughly your age. Your peer group has a big influence on the way you behave and the things that you do. This is not always expressed words. If you wear the wrong clothes or do the wrong things you can very quickly feel left out. If you peers approve of an activity, you will feel encouraged to do it. Sadly, peer-group pressure can also force people to give up sports even though they enjoy them. Family Your family can have a similar effect on you as your friends can. We pick up many of our habits and values from home. If your family enjoys sport and gives you the opportunities to participate, then it is likely that you will. Most young people depend upon parents and family for kit and help with travel to sports events. The opposite is again true. If your Family has a negative attitude to physical activity it is likely you will to. Gender There is a mistaken believe held by some people that sports is a mans world. There certainly seem to be few barriers put up to prevent men from participating in physical activity. Far more men Participate in physical activity than women. Race People from minority ethic groups can be discriminated against when it comes to physical activity. Many people have the mistaken belief that they are physiologically different because they are a different colour, and this means they will be good at some activities and not others. For example some people believe that all black people are fast runners and they can not swim very well. This belief could be the reason why we see so many black runners and so very little black swimmers. Socio-Economic The activity you participate in may be determined to a large extent by what you can afford. Activities like sailing, golf and riding can be very expensive so many people from lower socio-economic groups are excluded from them. There are also many activities that cost very little. A kick around in the park with a group of friends, for example, and sport at school are mostly free. Unemployed people are in a difficult situation: plenty of time to fill but not much money. To encourage them, sports facilities often charge less, especially at quiet times of the day. Age Young people are encouraged to participate at school and have plenty of free time to take up sport. It also depends on the activity. To be a good gymnast you need to be young and flexible. Today, however, with computer technology not all youngsters want to spend their free time playing sports and not all sports are open to very young people. People tend to take part less in physical recreation as they get older as they often have more responsibilities and less free time to spend on sport. Stereotyping can mean that older people are discouraged from being physically active. Some older people stereotype themselves and believe that they are too old to take part in physically activity. However, there are many sports that you can enjoy into your old age. All you need is motivation to do it, the right facilities and no barriers to prevent you. Disability A disability may restrict your activities and other peoples prejudice can be a barrier to your participation. But disabled sport has received a much higher profile since the Paralympics games in Sydney, and the efforts of disabled athletes like Tanni Grey-Thompson have provided disabled people with excellent role models. Many sports have charged their rules to suit the needs of disabled people and have set up coaching and competitions for them. Facilities must now include ramps and lifts and special changing rooms so that disabled people can have full access. Access If there is a sports facility near where you live, and there is a good road system and public transport in place, then getting there is made easy. However, many people do not live within easy reach of sports facilities, and the public transport system is poor, so participation is made more difficult. Popularity, Promotion and Role models Participation in many sports varies. Because of media coverage during Wimbledon fortnight, tennis courts across the country are heavily used as seeing role models perform on TV encourages people to play the sport themselves. Not all sports attract media attention, however, and not all media coverage is positive. Some sports have increased in popularity by operating national schemes. Basketball, for example, is much more popular since the Basketball Outdoors Initiative of the 1990s. Thousands of free facilities began to appear in parks and school playgrounds across the country encouraging more people to play. Environment and climate Participation in some activities also depends upon the environment and climate. It is very hard to become a top skier if you live in a very hot country and, if you want to practise mountaineering and you live in Holland, you have got to travel. So it is not hard to understand why countries like Switzerland and Canada produce very good skiers. Britain is traditionally good at sailing because it is an island and surrounded by water, Tradition and Culture Tradition and Culture also affect participation. For examples some cultures disapprove of women taking part in physical recreation in public or in mixed company. This is one reason why many sports centres operate women only sessions. Most sports (like rugby) have had a tradition of being male only. Women have had to work hard to be allowed to participate. Education Your education has a big effect on your attitude to sport physical recreation. If your school is keen on sport you will be encouraged to participate and if you enjoy it, you are likely to continue after you leave. The opposite is also true, however, for those who dislike PE. It is know that there is a drop in participation at the age of 16 when youngsters leave school. This is know as the post school gap and is perhaps caused by the desire to leave all school based activities behind you when you leave. Thankfully, many young people then see the benefits of physical activity and return to it later on in life. Politics The extent to which people take part in a physical activity also depends on their politicians. All governments get involved in sport for one reason or another. For example, facilities cost so much to build that the government usually has to pay at least something towards them. A government may promote sport for all in an attempt to cut the cost of the health service or cut crime. It may promote excellence in sport so as to bring a sense of pride to the country and raise its standing in the outside world. Sponsorship Sponsorship also has an effect on participation, as it is this that brings money into sport. Even local level, small businesses often sponsor teams and help them financially, allowing people to play. How ever sponsors can decide to pull out of the deal very easily and leaves the team needing to find another one or stop playing.

Niger Delta Conflict On The Nigerian Economy Politics Essay

Niger Delta Conflict On The Nigerian Economy Politics Essay The objective of this Chapter is to provide a background to the study. This includes the implication of the Niger-Delta (ND) conflict on the Nigerian economy, the genesis of amnesty policy, the objective of the study, research questions, methodology as well as scope and limitations to the study. Background to the Study The centrality of the Niger-Delta Region to Nigerias economy is indisputable. This is because it produces the oil that presently sustained the economy. Unfortunately, however, over the last decades, it has become a centre for violent protests with destructive consequences on the Nigerian economy and socio-political stability as well as the rippled effect across the international. For instance, government statistics have shown that in 2005, Crude oil production has fell from 2.7million barrels per day (mbpd) to 2.4mbpd thereby showing a shortfall of 0.3mbpd in crude oil production. On the revenue side, in the same year, the projected revenue of N1.63trillion was revised downward to N1.4trillion due to shortfall in crude oil production (2006 FGN Budget Speech). Similarly, in 2006 expected revenue into the Federation Account fell by N570 billion due to loss of 600,000bpd (2007 FGN Budget Speech). In 2007, the projected revenue was short to the tune of N796billion due to disruption of cr ude oil production in the Niger-Delta region (2008 FGN Budget Speech). In 2008, crude oil production was projected at around 2.45mbpd but only 2.00mbpd was achieved also due to disruption of production (2009 FGN Budget Speech). In 2009, crude oil revenue projection fell by 17% due to disruption in production as well as fall in crude oil price at the international market (2010 FGN Budget Speech). Another pointer to the gloomy nature of the Nigerian economy was the use of the Excess Revenue Account (ERA) from year 2006 every month, except in some very few cases, to augment the monthly disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account. For instance, over N733.81bn and N795.41bn were withdrawn from the ERA to augment budget expenditure for the three tiers of government in 2007 and 2008 respectively (CBN, Annual Report, 2008). The conflict has been blamed on the nations imbalance political structure; long years of environmental pollution due to oil exploration and extraction activities; infrastructural neglect and demand for larger share of revenue from crude oil sales (Omeje, 2006). But, recognizably, over the decades, government have used carrots and sticks approaches both to coerce and appease the people of the Niger-Delta Region. While the past measures have made some significant impacts in some respects, there are recurring echoes of consternation from the region. Among the past efforts were the creation of the Niger-Delta Development Board (NDDB), Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Derivation Principle (from 1% to 13%) and the establishment of Niger-Delta Ministry in 2008. Fisher-Thompson (2010) writing for the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State observed that the key to Nigerias economic progress is stability in the Niger River Delta, where the bulk of the countrys oil and natural gas is produced and where a smouldering militancy and sabotage of production facilities threaten progress for the regions 30million residents. Thus recognising the enormous potentials of Niger-Delta for the nation at large, the late President YarAdua, for example, said it would be delusional to think that electricity could be generated and transmitted on a sustainable basis in Nigeria if resolution of the Niger-Delta question remains literally or figuratively in the pipelines (Adeniyi, 2010), Similarly, the Technical Committee on the Niger-Delta (TCND, 2008), noted that President YarAdua recognised the strategic importance of the Region as the main source of Nigerias foreign revenue by making the Niger-Delta problem one of the 7-Point prog ramme of the administration. Thus, amnesty was granted to the militants in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria in June 2009, by late President YarAdua to assuage the nagging militancy in the region. There is, however, hardly any study at the moment that have made any constructive attempt to analyse the impact of the amnesty programme on the nations crude oil production as well as revenue flow into the Federation Account except for the dotted newspapers clips and other scattered official documents. Also, as it is with most novel approaches, the amnesty programme has been greeted with lots of scepticism as its likely impact of restoring peace and improved crude oil production and flow of revenue into the Federation Account might not be achieved. Accordingly, as a topical issue in Nigeria, which viability is questioned, it provides the motivation and interest to peruse government documents in order to give a better picture of the situation. Moreso, as a staff of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), an agency of government that is constitutionally charged with the function of monitoring revenue accruals into and disbursement from the Federation Account, added more impetus to the subject of the research. Hence, this research is an attempt to put together official records as well as other sources in order to give a preliminary impact of the amnesty programme on crude oil production and revenue into Federation Account. OBJECTIVES In this research, the quest is not to discuss the amnesty programme or to dwell on the oil debacle in Nigeria, but to relate the amnesty programme to some of the expected benefits, which are specifically interconnected with improved crude oil production and flow of oil revenue into the Federation Account. In other words, the primary aim of this research is to find out whether the acceptance of amnesty by the militants in the Niger-Delta has any significant impact on crude oil production output and flow of oil revenue into the Federation Account. RESEARCH QUESTIONS This research would particularly attempt to answer the following research questions: To what extent has the granting of amnesty as a mechanism to manage resource conflict in the Niger-Delta region contributes to improved crude oil production? What is the effect of the amnesty on the flow of revenue into the Federation Account (Common Pool) from the oil sector? How does the amnesty programme impact on the Nigerias fiscal federalism? METHODOLOGY Jankowicz, (1995) has defined methodology as a systematic and orderly approach taken towards the collection of data so that information can be obtained from those data. This research adopts a qualitative approach, which has been described as a subjective account that one generates by getting inside situations and involving oneself in the everyday flow of life (Gill and Johnson, 2005:89). In Strauss and Corbin (1990:17) Qualitative Research is any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification. The objective of using this approach is to be able to draw conclusion from the research question as to whether there was an increase in crude oil production as well as revenue flow into Federation Account as a result of the amnesty granted to the militants. This research uses secondary data collection approach. The data of crude oil production statistics and revenue inflow were sourced from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Federation Account Allocation Committee Files (FAAC) and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Despite, their shortcomings, the credibility of data from these institutions is not in doubt because no any other agency can provide such data within and outside Nigeria without referring to them as source. The data collected were evaluated using a simple data inspection technique which is a comparison between actual experience and counterfactual scenarios. This type of technique is comprised of three methods namely; with versus without, before versus after and target versus actual. This method is basically used to analyse the effects of programmes and performance (Douangboupha, 2004). This research adopted the before and after technique because it provide the basis in which comparison is done between crude oil production and revenue flow into Federation Account before and after the amnesty has been granted. The before versus after method is used to compare performance of a new policy with what was before the reform. This approach usually shows what happened and not why it happened. However, this approached is criticised on the fact that it ignores other external factors that can influence it outcome (Douangboupha, 2004). SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH The scope of this research is to examine crude oil and revenue data from January 2009 May 2010. Similarly, the research would not be interested in looking at the amnesty programme in general. Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The main objective of this Chapter is to critically review literature from variety of perspectives on the causation and management of conflict with links to natural resources induced conflicts. Review of Literature Conflict is a tragedy and impediment to development (Collier and Hoeffler, 2000). Conflict is an interruption of development as no development project will ever take place in a state of conflict. Of course, this has been acknowledged by late President YarAdua that conflict is threatening peace, security, order and good governance and jeopardising the economy of the nation (YarAdua, 2009). Conflict has been defined by Burton (1990) as those behaviours of individuals or groups that go beyond disagreement that cause serious injury to physical, security and future development of individuals, groups and nations. As in Omeje (2006:17), Fisher (2000) defines conflict as uneasy relationship between two or more parties who have, or think they have incompatible goals. These incompatible goals are largely associated with deep-human needs characterised by interest, desires and aspirations. Without doubt, conflicts do not just happened as there are always such factors that lead to conflicts. The causation of conflicts have been theorised in various ways such as in biological disposition, psychology, religion, identity, ethnicity, nationalism, ideology, history and ancients hatred, bad neighbours, manipulative leaders, security dilemma, cultural dysfunction, nature of the State and incompatible world views (Mac Ginty, 2009). Despite these incisive but opposing perspectives, the rentier state theory and resource curse thesis were, indeed, two central frameworks that have provided in-depth analysis on the impact of natural resources to the political, economic and social settings of resource blessed nations. In the rentier theory, it is argued that it is any state reliant not on the surplus production of the domestic population or economy but on externally generated revenues or rents usually derived from the extractive industries such as oil (Omeje, 2006). The rentier theory believed that reliance on economic rents promotes inefficiency and impede socioeconomic development (Mahler, 2010). Proponents of this theory argued that, on the political strand, rents promote authoritarian rule because it encourages network of patronage, pervasive clientelism and selfish policies of distribution. The net effects of these are lack of democratisation and gross societal depoliticisation. Another contention is that the presence of cornucopia of revenues, particularly, coming from oil sector discourages taxation thereby making the political class less accountable to the people and less interested in the promotion of citizen participation in governance. Though rentier theory focus more on the stability of authoritarian rule, rather than violence, there are evidence that rents are used to finance security apparatus by the political class to repress opposition, which in essence amount to violence (Mahler, 2010). As an example, the Nigerian political history has been dominated by both military and political elites that have less sympathy for the promotion of democracy. The evidences of coup and counter-coups that shaped the nations political past are obvious while election rigging and disenfranchisement have so far characterises the democratic dispensation. On the whole, there are submissions that the bulk of the youths in the Niger-Delta were armed by politicians. Okolo (2009) aptly states that the politicians in their unbridled lust for power, arm these youths as private armies against their real and perceived enemies making all sorts of promises to secure their loyalty but immediately their aim is achieved they abandon them forgetti ng that they still hold the arms. The youths unemployed and angry must a matter of necessity employ the guns to some use? The world is today not faced by the Thomas Malthus (1798) assertion that scarcity leads to conflict but by the argument that resource abundance has a link to conflict. The Malthusian argument is based on the idea that natural resources are in fixed supply and as demand of the resources increased, the price also increases, while the resources depleted thus leading to conflict (Mahler, 2010). On the contrary, staple theorist argued that resource abundance leads to the improvement of peoples well-being because natural resources provide the much needed revenues for the provision of goods and services. Unfortunately, resource abundance is now seen as a curse that is associated with all sorts of problems ranging from slow economic growth, corruption and conflicts (Oyefusi, 2007). Economic theorists have contended that over-reliance on single source of revenue makes a nation vulnerable and prone to conflict (Herbst, 2001) because of large rents and exposure to variety of shocks (booms and bursts). For instance, Nigeria has faced several crude oil related shocks and conflicts from 1966 to date often resulting in loss of lives and dislocation of the nations economy. More compounding to Nigeria is that the oil resource is largely located in one geographical region. And, as aptly observed by Ndikumana and Emizet (2005), dependence alone does not motivate conflict but the concentration of the natural resources in one geographical region and their unequal distribution significantly contribute to conflict. Moreso, the topography of the Niger-Delta area seems conducive for militancy activiti es. Olowu (2009) described the Niger-Delta as an intricate network of lagoons, creeks, estuaries, and mangroves swamps, stretching across 1 million square meters. Howsoever, sound is the above proposition; a many countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Norway and host of others were able to demystify the resource-dependency theory by making considerable progress in transforming their respective nations. So, for Collier (2004) the solution is to diversify the sources, which reduces the risk of conflict. Also, the resource-dependency theory has been criticised on the fact that dependency alone on a single natural resource does not lead to armed conflict. As Mac Ginty, (2005:67) argued scarcity and violence are a product of social relations rather than inherent in the relative abundance of a particular good, object or resources. It is further argued that conflict arises from a complex mix of events in the presence of resources the mode of resource exploitation, perception on benefits and identity affiliations. As it has been observed if the stake are high, identity affiliations can mutate, with groups and individuals attaching increasing weight to the purity of their ethnic group and rediscovering (or inventing) their unique history (Mac Ginty, 2005). Added to this, Ross (2003:19) pointed out that any given conflict is brought about by a complex set of events; often poverty, ethnic or religious grievances, and unstable governments The fundamental problem noted in this context is that of the management of the resources. It has been pointed out that it is the nature of the extraction coerce or voluntary, licences distribution patronage or open competition, profit destination public or private pockets that significantly explained whether there is resource curse or not (Mac Ginty, 2005). Similarly, poor management of resources create situations where individuals or group that harbour some grievances will use that as opportunity to argue against plundering of the resources located in their backyard without benefits. This is, somehow, the case in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria where there is demand for fair share of revenue from the resources extracted from the area. The Resource curse thesis presumed misery in the midst of plenty. It is argued that abundance rather than serve as a means for development leads to struggle for the control of the natural resource which often result in armed conflict (Obi, 2008). Indeed, the armed conflict in the Niger-Delta is over the control of crude oil between the State and the local communities caused by poverty and low human development index (Omeje, 2006). On another hand, studies by Sachs and Warner (1997:3) demonstrated that resource-poor economies often vastly outperform resource-rich economies. The point is that nations with abundant natural resources tend to grow slower than economies with fewer resources. In support of the above, Ross (2003) reported that the GDP per capita of countries which mining export was between 6% to 15%, fell by an average rate of 0.7% while those with mining export of about 15% 50%, their GDP per capita fell to 1.1% a year. Similarly, it showed that the GDP per capita of count ries with over 50% of mining exports, dropped by 2.3% per year. Furthermore, Sachs and Warner, (1997) cited historical instances to buttressed this point that in the 17th century despite the overflow of gold and silver from the colonies of Spain, the Netherlands surpassed Spain. This is similar with Japan and Switzerland that cast shadow over resource abundant Russia in the 19th Century while Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong became the star performers of the 20th century despite having fewer resources. Sachs and Warner (1997:4) conceptually situate this economic puzzle within the context of easy riches leads to sloth and the Dutch disease proposition. The Dutch Disease thesis argued that the availability of large rents from a single natural resources often result in the neglect of other productive sectors of the economy (Ross, 1999). In other words, the Dutch disease demonstrates that booms in natural resource sectors usually affect the distribution of employment throughout the economy, as wealth effects pull resources in and out of non-traded sector s (Sachs and Warner, 1997:5). And this is evident in Nigeria where oil revenue continue to grow from 3% in the 1960s to now over 80% of federally collectable revenue while total agricultural export dropped from 60% in the1960s to less than 8% by 2005 (Omeje, 2006). However, contrary to the persuasive argument put forward by Sachs and Warner, (1997), that one surprising features of modern economic growth is that economies abundant in natural resources have tended to grow slower than economies without substantial natural resources, Stijns, (2000:3) argued that it was a misleading result which was short of recommending that developing countries should leave their natural resources undiscovered and/or unexploited. Stijns (2000:4) further contended that natural resources are not significant determinants of economic growth because of the coexistence of positive and negative channels of effect from natural resources to other economic factors. It has been variously argued that natural resources have the potentials of promoting violent conflict through grievance and greed. The grievance theory sees conflict emerging from the long concern over deprivation and injustice (Collier, 2004 and Collier and Sambanis, 2007). Therefore, Communities whose land is being exploited sees themselves as collateral damage and where benefits is not forthcoming, they resort to protest and violence that leads to economic sabotage such as disruptions of production. For instance, the Niger-Delta region has been famous for economic sabotage as a way of protest against environmental degradation and neglect (Omeje, 2006). However, economists like Collier and Hoeffler have argued that greed is more inherent in motivating conflict than grievance or conflicts are far more likely to be caused by economic opportunities than by grievance (Mac Ginty, 2005:79, Tar, 2008). This is because the abundance of natural resource often serves as an incentive in which elites and warlords loot. The greed theory also presupposes that natural resources provide attraction to covetous individuals or groups to rebel in order to take control over revenues from the natural resources. However, critics argued that the expression made economists on the causation of conflict is economic rationalism taken to extreme (Mac Ginty, 2005:71) and pointed out that conflicts cannot be measured only by econometric methodologies or mistook correlation for causation while also subjecting the causes of conflicts only within the national environment without placing external factors such as trade, religion, regional dynamics in arms flow, etc. G enerally, it is argued that the real agents of conflicts are politics and identity while economic factors only appear to change the nature and aim of the conflict at some stage (Mac Ginty, 2005). As further contended, economic factors can enable conflict, but it cannot combust or sparks the conflict without other factors. Closely related to the greed thesis is the frustration and aggression theory, which deals with relative deprivation as a perceived disparity between value expectation and value capabilities (Afinotan and Ojakorotu, 2009). The theory argues that if there is a gap between expectation and attainment caused by lack of capability, tension crept in as a result of unfulfilled aspiration, which leads to frustration that eventually produces violent aggression. It was noted by Afinotan and Ojakorotu, (2009) that men are most inclined to aggression when subjected to unjustified frustration. Indeed, the potentials of violence are define by the gravity of deprivation. As Afinotan and Ojakorotu, (2009) pointed out men who are frustrated have an innate disposition to do violence to its source in proportion to the intensity of their frustration. The Niger-Delta conflict is a perfect demonstration of this theory because people are frustrated by lack of development, etc. However, this theory has been criticised on the ground that aggressive response to frustration may be dependent upon the individuals level of tolerance Afinotan and Ojakorotu, (2009). The separatist theory suggests that natural resources portend the risk of a secessionist conflict because it gives those in the region where the resources is located the incentive to demand for separate State (0yefusi, 2007). Indeed, it is more obvious from the emerging picture and dynamics of the conflict in the Niger-Delta region that the element of greed rather than grievance is more pronounced as various groups and factions emerged making conflicting demands and more often violently clash with each other over the control of areas where pipelines installation passes through (Omeje, 2006, 2008). In another perspective, Bannon and Collier (2003:2) contended that conflict is more likely to occur in a state of low per capita income, low economic growth rate and the structure of the economy. For instance, since the 1970s oil exports generated huge revenues in Nigeria, and yet, per capita income has remain very low in 1975 the per capita from oil was $127 which raised to $351 in 1980 and plummeted to $81 in 1989 but gradually grew to $337 in 2007 and to $391 in 2007 (CBN, Annual Statistical Bulletin, 2008). Though growing population in Nigeria has played a pivotal role in this low per capita, it is hard to conclude that low per capita from oil revenue is not one of the factors that leads to conflict in Nigeria (Mahler, 2010). But Mahler (2010:15) persuasively argued that even though falling oil revenues in the 1980s and the 1990s have contributed to low per capita, it was not only the shrinking abundance of oil but also its interplay with weak resource management performance in the country that caused further socioeconomic problems. These are issues associated with managing environmental problems and resource allocation principles. Therefore, as a solution, Collier (2004:7) suggested that doubling the level of income halve the risk of conflict. A percentage point on growth rate reduces the risk by around a percentage point. Despite the preponderance of econometric and case study analyses, there are still profound opposition that resources alone cannot be the direct link to conflict. This is because other extraneous factors and historical assumptions which are necessary for creating a link between resources and violent conflicts have not been properly contextualized through in-depth empirical studies to create linkages between resources and conflicts (Mahler, 2010). To this end, Mahler, (2010) has provided in a tabular form a matrix of resource and non-resource contextual conditions that will guide debate on the link between conflict and resources: Using the matrix in Table IV, and as has been postulated, the conflict in the Niger-Delta is premise on four contextual factors with oil serving as the main attraction (Omeje, 2006) as well as other external factors. Some commentators have situated the conflict in the Niger-Delta within the hypothesis of historical context arguing that the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 was unconscious of the heterogeneous nature of the nation as it failed to address the concern of the minority groups. Thus, the dominance of majority groups over the minority groups whose environment eventually produces the nations revenue, give rise to agitation for the restructuring of Nigeria (Omeje, 2006). The second ground situates the conflict in the Niger-Delta on the legal framework relating to landownership and extraction policies. Proponents of this thesis argued that the existing legal framework has given more control to the Multinational Oil Companies operating in the country thereby making them less lia ble to the environmental problems associated with exploration and extraction. In other words, the current legal mechanism within Nigeria lacks the impetus of enforcement. In the case of landownership, it is argued that the Land Use Act of 1978, for instance, has given State Government the ownership of land thus depriving individuals and groups from the right to demand for appropriate compensation, a situation which late President YarAdua attempted to reverse (Adeniyi, 2010). The third view positioned the Niger-Delta conflict on the pedestal of dependency in which the incorporation of Nigeria into global economic and political scene that is yet to be understood has disadvantaged Nigeria thereby leading to conflict. The fourth school of thought with Marxist approach sees the conflict in the Niger-Delta as the contradictions of class or groups interest intrinsic to the political economy of Nigeria as well as the character of the state (Omeje, 2006). Indisputably, the above issues are cause largely by institutional arrangement. As noted by Bardhan (2005) institutions either economic or political constitute or form the nucleus in which equitable distribution of resources or powers among divergent groups are made. And where the institution is inefficient, it becomes less credible thus attracting disquiet among the people. Bardhan (2005:27) put it that the history of underdevelopment is littered with cases of formidable institutional impediments. The failure of the institutions gives birth to collective action problem such as dispute over the sharing of the cost of bringing change known as free-rider problem and disputes over the sharing of benefits. All these problems, often, lead to breakdown of coordination among divergent and competing groups. Douglass North in Acemoglu and Robinson (2008:2) define institution as the rules of the game in a society or, more formally, are the humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction. Both economic and political institutions are influence by collective choices. The political institution, for instance, allocates de jure and de facto powers even though the latter sometime uses the instrument of force to meet it objectives. Acemoglu and Robinson (2008:6-7) noted that de facto political power originates from both the ability of the group in question to solve its collective action problem and from the economic resources available to the group which determines their capacity to use force against other groups. They further noted that when a particular group is rich relative to others, this will increase it de facto political power and enable it to push for economic and political institutions favourable to its interests, reproducing the initial disparity. Certainly, the Niger-Delta co nflict is a prime example of this assertion because the militants were capitalising on the location of the crude oil in their geography as a weapon to move for drastic change in the way political power and resource distribution are made. The history of Nigeria has depicted vivid evidences of political and economic asymmetry, which means unequal power and resource distribution and relation between communities within the States and between the State and the Federal Government. It is palpable that despite the creation of more States in the last decades, the cries of marginalisation still pervade the nations political terrain. For instance, State and Federal relationship has been situated on the north/south divide created by the amalgamation of 1914 which created a presume fear that the north with numerical population would continue to dominate the south. Oputa (2000:113), for example, observed that political asymmetry in this case persists because of the fear of domination by the north in the context of party electoral competition for control of political power and, therefore, of the enormous fiscal resources and patronage deriving from it at the federal level. Another issue political asymmetry lies in the balance of po wer where the States have remained dependent on the Federal Government. But it should be noted that Nigerias federalism was unique because the centre created the units unlike in other federations where the units create the centre. Contributing to the conflict debates, the neo-liberalists through the conception that free-market made free men believe that individual freedoms, open markets and rational choice guides human beings away from encouraging conflicts but instead sees development as a ladder out of conflict. This argument was re-enforced by the submission that free trade prevents conflicts and was demonstrated by the post-colonial studies of Krause and Suzuki, which concluded that the probability of conflict under open trade is insignificant (Mac Ginty, 2009). However, this postulation was criticised on the ground that free trade encourages market-induced inequality thereby creating enmity and tension among individuals and communities. Indeed, the Niger-Delta region is the symbol of Nigerias international trade where Multi-national Companies (MNCs) engage in Oil and Gas business, surprisingly, it is the same region that has been inundated by violence. Often, there were clear evidences to suggest the invo lvement of the MNCs in the brewing of the conflicts (Omeje, 2006, 2008). Development is another issue that is said to be behind conflict. This is so because the process of development sometime provide s