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A time when i ran away Free Essays
Everyone at school Jeers at me and continually menaces me. Indeed, even the instructors single out me, on the grounds that Iââ¬â¢m not ac...
Monday, September 30, 2019
Five types of system information Essay
List five types of system information that can be obtained from the Windows Task Manager? How can you use this information to confirm the presence of malware on a system? (Hint: Look at the bandwidth and CPU utilization.) Services, Performance, applications, processes, networking, users. You can use it to see if there are any unidentified processes being run in the back ground without your knowledge. Windows Task Manager and Windows Computer Manager both provide information about system services. Compare and contrast the types of information (about system services) that can be obtained from these tools. Task manager shows what programs are running currently along with any active back ground software. While computer management shows us ALL of the soft and hard ware that is operational on the computer at any given time active or not. ï⠷ Explain how you could use one or more of the Windows log files to investigate a potential malware infection on a system. What types of information are available to you in your chosen log file? You can use the log files to ID malware form the incidence logs. They should tell you when something was downloaded or uploaded to the computer. If you know some minor details about what it is you are looking for then you should be able to ID the malware file that was put on the computer. Should you filter log files during an investigation into a security incident? Why or why not? No you shouldnââ¬â¢t filter anything unless you are sure you know what you are looking for. There is no telling what might me important when you are searching for a virus. ï⠷ Should remote desktop services be enabled on employee workstations for use by IT Help Desk personnel? Why or why not? Yes they should this will allow the IT staff to be able to interface with a potential threat when dealing with malware. It must however be used responsibly when dealing with Remote access. How does Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) differ from Windows Update? Why are Shares a source of system vulnerabilities? MBSA is easer to use and helps IT professionalsà determine their security state in accordance with Microsoft security recommendations and offers specific remediation guidance. Windows update focuses mostly un driver updates. Shares are a sources of system vulnerability because infected material can be easily passed on through them. Shares are not suggested in a business setting unless the information put in them is guaranteed clean.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Martin Luther King in campaigning in the North Essay
In 1966 Martin Luther King decided to focus on dealing with the problems in the North particularly Chicago. The problems that he encountered here were very different to those that he had had so much success with in the South. Dealing with the economic and social segregation that he faced here proved difficult for several reasons. The problems facing blacks in the North, stemmed from a variety of different areas including education, employment, housing etc. Although King was able to identify the problems being faced in these areas, particularly housing, he still largely relayed on the same tactics that he and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) had used in the South. However, the mayor of Chicago (Daley) would avoid making a hostile response such as that of ââ¬ËBullââ¬â¢ Connor in Birmingham. The authorities here were more subtle to avoid gaining the attention of the media e.g. the police would avoid using brutality and Daley even blamed violence for social decay*. This prevented the movement from gaining as much publicity and support as in previous years. King also tried to come to some sort of agreement with Daley regarding housing. However, Daley was reluctant to do so fearing the loss of votes of the white working class. Actions such as this added to the anger that blacks in Chicago felt towards the white authorities and increased their unwillingness to co-operate. Both Mayor Daleyââ¬â¢s refusal to help and Kingââ¬â¢s disorganisation when planning the Chicago campaign played an important role in its failure. Chicago suffered more from problems in racial division than other cities in the North, and so perhaps it was not a good starting point for the campaign here. Locals would sometimes blame blacks for inciting race riots and these divisions were illustrated by the marches organised by the SCLC in 1966, which ended in violence from mobs. * * In Chicago most blacks lived in ghettoes to the south of the city. Therefore it appears reasonable that these people often found it difficult to relate to Martin Luther King and his middle class background. The SCLC had never had much grass roots support unlike other organisations, such as the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNNC). Although in the South this hadà still allowed them to have success, in Chicago most blacks were working class and looking for improvements in housing, less poverty and some overall change brought about by an end to de facto segregation. However, in the South the need for change had been more political- an end to de jure segregation. Given these differences, many northern blacks felt that Kingââ¬â¢s non-violent philosophy did not represent their views. It would be difficult to change these attitudes ââ¬â here, perhaps as a result of poverty, the amount of gang warfare and crime was much higher than in the South. Change would undoubtedly take time- more than the few months that the SCLC had planned for the campaign to last. There were quite clear social divisions between black communities in the South and North. One of the most important examples of this is that the churches in the North were not as successful at organising their community as churches in the South had been. This was partly due to a lack of co-operation, and partly due to the fact that the Christian faith was much stronger in the South. It was at this point that many blacks were beginning to join alternative ââ¬Ëblack powerââ¬â¢ groups. Overall it appears that King underestimated the differences between the North and the South and the divisions that were evident amongst the black community. He was unfamiliar with the attitudes of those in the North and did not make an accurate assessment of the situation. As a result of this the tactics employed by the SCLC were not as successful as originally hoped. * http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/revision/59.html ** http://www.reportingcivilrights.org/
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Army Nurse Corps Essay
All women in the Army served then in either the Army Nurse Corps or the Womenââ¬â¢s Army Corps (WAC). All Army nurses were officers, and were Direct Commissions. That is, they became nurses first and then attended a ten day or so Orientation Course at (Ft. Sam Houston, Texas) to teach them how to be officers, the rudiments of military life, who to salute and when, etc. (There were a small number of male nurses who went through the same program. ) Nurses were assigned to Army hospitals, both Stateside and overseas, and were billeted separately from male officers. In Vietnam, Army nurses served exclusively in rear-area hospitals at major bases. The Womenââ¬â¢s Army Corps (WAC) provided all Army female enlisted personnel and also had its own officers. Most WAC officers exclusively administered WAC units, but a handful received assignments to staff positions and other rear-echelon duties. In Vietnam, enlisted WACs performed mostly clerical duties, although some worked as medical technicians. Whatever their duty assignments, all enlisted women, on any base, even in the ââ¬ËStates, were billeted together as a single WAC Company in a guarded compound. (WAC officers had separate quarters, of course. ) Within this compound, in their barracks, WACs pulled their own guard, armed with baseball bats and whistles. (Neither WACs or nurses were issued weapons, and even those sent to Vietnam had only rudimentary firearms training. ) One tiny WAC unit (peak strength, 20 officers and 139 enlisted women) was assigned to Saigon, and nowhere else in-country. No WACs, even medical personnel, got any closer to combat than this. Eight US servicewomen died in Vietnam. Of these, four Army nurses and an Air Force flight nurse were killed in three separate, non-combat, plane crashes, and another died from disease. An older nurse died of a stroke. Only one woman, Army 1LT Sharon Ann Lane, was actually killed in a combat action, in a VC rocket attack on Chu Lai, in 1969. Besides nurses and WACs other American women would also go to Vietnam. TOD and China Beach covered most of the categories. American Red Cross girls, entertainers, civilian employees of the US government or contracting firms, newspaper correspondents, Christian missionaries, that about covers it. ARC girls made brief daylight visits (a few hours) to advance bases. The rest had rear-area jobs. (Christian missionaries were usually older, married women. ) American civilian women lived in major Vietnamese cities, which were off-limits to US troops, the exception being Saigon. Any women billeted on US bases also lived in guarded compounds. â⬠Susan Oââ¬â¢Neill served as an Army nurse in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t Mean Nothingâ⬠is her first book, written nearly thirty years after the experiences it depicts. Oââ¬â¢Neill tells us that, (Oââ¬â¢Neill, p. 15) ââ¬Å"Before I went, I just assumed that war would involve injury and death; thatââ¬â¢s why I was being sent there, after all. But itââ¬â¢s one thing to look at it from a distance, and form neat mental pictures. Once you step through the looking glass, as it were, into the reality of itââ¬âonce your sneakers are full of somebody elseââ¬â¢s bloodââ¬âyou look at the whole thing quite differently. The bloodââ¬â¢s no longer a metaphor; it goes through to your socks and into the skin of your feet. Into your soul. â⬠Oââ¬â¢Neill gives us a clearer definition of what Vietnam was truly like. She offers that it wasnââ¬â¢t a place where you played around because peopleââ¬â¢s lives were at stake. The author goes on to tell us that, ââ¬Å"Back in the states, when I so glibly thought I knew what Vietnam and war, in general, was about, I had opposed it on some cool-headed philosophical basis, from some distant notion of empathy. Gradually, in Vietnam, I became horrified at how callow my ideas had been.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Private Browsing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Private Browsing - Essay Example This paper will discuss the possible uses of the ââ¬Ëprivacy browsingââ¬â¢ feature at home or the workplace (Foley, 2008). The uses of this feature, whether at home or at work, include instances whereby the surfer is using their personal information on another personââ¬â¢s computers ââ¬â or from a shared computers. This is particularly important in instances where the sites to be browsed are commonly surfed, including YouTube and Facebook as the privacy feature will help them to browse and not tamper with the history of other users or those of the owner of the computer. Through the feature, the surfer will access the common sites, yet leave stored passwords and user names of the original user untouched or unchanged. An example, is where the surfer starts a private session; therefore, they do not require the other user to log out (Trapani, 2005). The feature is useful at home or work when debugging or testing different websites. This is particularly true when the surfer needs to debug or test areas that are cookie-related in a session. For example, when using cookie-based platforms, the surfer can open two different sessions of the same site ââ¬â for instance that for the user and administrator ââ¬â at the same time in order to speed the process. The feature is helpful when the surfer wants to manage different Google application accounts. One example is that of an internet user who has different application accounts, which they use for work and other areas of interest, for instance volunteer professions. This case may include that of a surfer who wants to check different ââ¬Å"Google Docsâ⬠accounts, without linking the documents contained in the two accounts (Foley, 2008). In the modern times of social websites and major work and professional activities on the internet, the feature helps the surfer to hide the information areas that they accessed so that any visitor will not know the information bases or the peopleââ¬â¢s profiles they reviewed.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Winter Olimpic Games Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Winter Olimpic Games - Research Paper Example As the paper declares people focused on snowboarding and bob-sleigh and introduced in the United States during the time when people were eager to find some new winter activities. The two types of sports have many styles. For instance, snowboarding include half-pipe, freestyle, big air, alpine, and slope style. On the other hand, Bobsleigh includes three disciplines; two-man, four-man, and womenââ¬â¢s doubles. The equipment of Bobsleigh and snowboarding are quite essential for the athletes in the Olympic competitions. The construction of the bob-sled and snowboard is highly complex. This research paper aims to explain the engineering and construction of both the snowboard and Bobsled. This discussion explores that snowboarding has numerous styles, which include half-pipe, freestyle, big air, alpine, and slope style. The half-pipe style was among the competitions in this yearââ¬â¢s Sochi Olympic Winter sports. Shawn White has finished in the fourth position during this yearââ¬â¢s winter Olympics in his Half pipe Snowboarding. In the half-pipe snowboarding competition, athletes use a special half pipe-shaped snowboard. Using the speed they gain on the slopes, the athletes come out of the rim on the other side of the pipe and perform acrobatic aerial tricks. The athletes perform the snowboarding activities on from the top of a mountain where they should ski downwards. The construction of the snowboard track is much more complex since the engineers must ensure that it is highly sloppy for the provision of kinetic transition energy from potential energy.
Can Machines Know Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Can Machines Know - Essay Example There are also several ways of citing what makes up knowledge, some of them are more or less ââ¬Å"internalistâ⬠and some are also ââ¬Å"externalist.â⬠I would like to follow the internalist point of view which says that knowledge is a justified belief that requires the believer to be aware of the cognitive process of the given belief. If this is the case, internalism, then, requires consciousness in the justification of a belief. So if we ask whether a machine can achieve consciousness, for me, the answer is no. There are several notions in explaining the criteria of consciousness. For example, functionalism theory states that consciousness comes about when all the parts are put together in the right sort of a whole. However, I would like to believe that personal experience or ability to experience is important in determining consciousness along with the ability to think and interpret. To experience ââ¬Å"experiencingâ⬠one needs the skill of perception and intelligence. While one may argue that a computer with sensors could function in this manner, the concept of human independence, feelings and ethics or moral capacity is missing in the whole process.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Busniess communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Busniess communication - Essay Example More importantly, however, women who are better educated have a better chance of supporting themselves and not relying on sex (either through prostitution or more informal relationships where one person supports the other in exchange for sexual favors). In fact, the ratio of girls to boys in elementary and secondary school in a country correlate incredibly highly with the prevalence of AIDS: in Chad and the Central African republic, for instance, only 4 girls are in school for every ten boys, and the AIDS rate is among the highest in the continent. Mouritania, however, with 20% better education numbers, is having the first steps of containing its AIDS outbreak (World Bank). In America, the ratio of girls to boys in education is actually higher than one because of better female attendance at the post-secondary level, and when this statistic is compared to the best countries in Africa, which have ratios of .6:1, itââ¬â¢s clear why Africa is
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 174
Essay Example Mrs. Hutchinson screams when men subject her into abusive harassment. She claims that there is no fairness in the manner men handles her. She even experienced stoning by the same men on the side of her head (Skwire and David 27). In this paragraph, Frost Robert in his book ââ¬Å"The Road Not Taken, and Other Poems,â⬠uses the poem to show his hopelessness. He does it by using a pathless wood filled with cobwebs. The pathlessness and face burning and tickling with the cobwebs indicates that the speaker cannot see clearly his future. However, the speaker hopes to come back reenergized and begin a fresh his efforts of life (Frost 16). In this paragraph, Gaunce uses his book ââ¬Å"The Broadview Anthology of Short Fiction, second edition,â⬠to show a common belief. The belief is that the unity of the people in the context of this book originates from a childââ¬â¢s abominable mystery. However, the author also explains that not everyone understands this common phenomenon. The elders in this context instill this belief on children when they are still young at the age between eight and twelve years (Gaunce 229). In edition titled ââ¬Å"American Gothic: An Anthology from Salem Witchcraft to H. P. Lovecraft,â⬠by Crow Charles, the editor brings out the theme of human weakness in nature. The author admits that every individual has his or her weakness and forgiveness is inevitable. The characters here hope that it is still possible for people to be virtuous in their hearts (Crow
Monday, September 23, 2019
Blogs for innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Blogs for innovation - Essay Example During their arrival, Orchha was gradually emerging as a tourist attraction. Due to poverty and lack of knowledge in the region, it prevented the growth of tourism (Sisodia, 2013). As a result, Asha came up with a Village Home Stay program intended for Orchha village. The aim of the program was to exploit tourism opportunities in the region in order to enhance local economic development, education, cultural exchanges between locals and visitors as well as environmental protection. It had also to offer the people of Orchha with superior work opportunities, which would positively influence the individual life of the residents. In 2007, Asha founded Friends of Orchha with the aid of a few friends from Europe to enhance tourism that is socially responsible and one that would offer an opportunity for cultural exchanges and a source of income for the needy families (Sisodia, 2013). Friends of Orchha provided help to the poor families to build and renovate their courtyards that would be hired to visitors. The families were engaged to participate voluntarily in the construction of three homestays. At that particular moment, the families were unable to carry on their main activity, which was farming that was brought to a halt by drought from 2003 to 2007 (Sisodia, 2013). Therefore, they had no capital to invest, and the organization had to set up a revolving fund, which helped to build the first three home stays. Participating families provided labor in building the sanitary block and rooms. In 2009, the first room was rented out and since then the home stay has hosted more than 500 visitors from different countries. The exploiting of the tourism opportunities improved the economic conditions of the residents as well as their live style (Sisodia, 2013). With this regard, I agree with the case as it attempts to point out issues in operating gainful employment amongst a large rural population in India. It addresses that the inability to dialogue in spoken
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Philosophy of Richard Rorty Essay Example for Free
Philosophy of Richard Rorty Essay In his philosophy as ââ¬Ëedifyingââ¬â¢ Rorty is at the midst of explaining the conceptual framework of the nature of philosophy in the past, present as well as the future. According to him, his philosophical framework comprises of editing the works and other philosophical conceptual thoughts. He thinks that, what other philosophers talk about philosophy in the ancient times, the modern and the future are unworthy and needs pragmatic changes to adequately meet philosophical reasoning. à à à à à à à à à à à However, in his philosophizing capacity, he has met various opposition from the community. They term his philosophy as unpalatable and without full exploration to the authentic nature of philosophical thoughts. Elsewhere, they accuse his philosophical thought as implausible with pragmatic thought, unclear, unconvincing and with full of misappropriation. However, a portion of the population argues that such philosophy is humanly liberating with profound image of exhilaration. According to his proposes, his philosophy provides a conception of changing imagery of the critique of philosophy in the real worldview. Since his philosophy comprehends challenge to the works of great thinkers, it would be illogical to undermine at a close range of his activity. Elsewhere, he made a fast sensibility and also formal response the cultural biography of philosophical adventures with the pragmatic world andà his system of philosophizing which comprise of finding, naming and/or creating new hypothetical philosophical literature is perhaps the best way to gain and create philosophical knowledge. (http://www.crvp.org/book/Series03/III-13/chapter_x.htm) However, his philosophical sense is illusionary and incoherent to the factual knowledge search. His attack to the philosophical literatures is based on fallacious context which is only aimed at bringing personal tribute to the broad society. In my personal capacity, I think Richard is out of philosophical senses to edify the coherent philosophical biographies which have done a lot to shadow down global dogmatism. His edifying activity is only made to retract the accuracy of philosophical teachings from its liberal coherency.à (http://www.crvp.org/book/Series03/III-13/chapter_x.htm) Reference Rorty: From Philosophy To Post-Philosophy. Retrieved on 10th March 2008, fromà http://www.crvp.org/book/Series03/III-13/chapter_x.htm
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Construction Budget Over Runs and Late Project Completion
Construction Budget Over Runs and Late Project Completion Construction projects are graded very successful if the work is completed within budget and to the deadlines agreed in the specification. However, the sad truth is that not all projects are guilty of being successful. Many projects experience failure due to the uncertainties associated with construction projects which include weather, materials, equipment, money and profitability, disagreements between clients, contractors and sub-contractors, statutory regulations, economic and political issues and functionality and purpose. To prevent these failures from constantly occurring, the types of failures need to be addressed so future construction projects do not fall into the same category of unsuccessful Civil Engineering construction projects. It is clear that some of these failures occur regardless of careful planning due to uncontrollable conditions such as climate change, recession, delayed deliveries etc. Therefore addressing the controllable issues, contractors can incorporate the se problems into their specification. By understanding the issues from previous unsuccessful construction projects and correlating the failures, it will be easy to identify the common errors and try to eliminate them from future projects. The research will be based on unsuccessful construction projects by using data from case studies, books, the internet and journals. The constraints and limitation of this paper will depend highly on the data received and analysed by previous sources and their opinion. The paper will also focus on two main factors, budget over runs and late completion. Examples of Budget Over-runs and Late Completion Projects There are many construction projects which have Budget Overruns and Late Completion. A few examples of budget over-run and late completion projects are: Wembley Stadium Sydney Opera House Tfls Jubilee Line Wembley Stadium The Wembley Stadium was a renovation construction project which required the old stadium to be demolished and rebuilt. The main purpose of the new stadium was to increase the capacity of the stadium, be the new home of English football and also host other sports and national events. The original estimated cost of the stadium was à £757m. This value at completion soared to about à £798m. Multiplex (main contractor) reported about à £45m losses in the construction of the New Wembley Stadium. These losses arose due to factors which include: Weather Sub-contractor walkouts (Cleveland Bridge steel company walkout) Sub-contractor disagreements (trade union of workers walkouts) and Changes in design due to failures. Due to the above factors the completion date of the project was pushed back by about three months. [1, 2] Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House was built as a performing arts centre and was designed by Jà ¸rn Utzon. The original estimated cost to build the Opera House was AUS $7m in 1957 and expected to be completed in five years. The project was started in 1959 and the value escalated to a massive AUS $102m and was completed in 1973. Not only did the budget over-run to 15 times the original estimate, but it also took 14 years to complete, which is a very late completion. The main factor which affected this project was insufficient planning during the design stage This led to a series of errors during construction, which effectively caused a domino effect. Hence, increasing the cost and pushing back the completion date [3, 4]. Tfls Jubilee Line The London Underground Jubilee Line extension was to link Stratford and the Docklands to Westminster. This project was planned in 1989 and estimated to cost à £1.2billion. The construction started 1993 and expected to take four years. This however was not the case due to a series of setbacks. There are four major causes for these delays: The project was put on hold for 18 months to find funding The movement of the block signalling system caused delays The location of the O2 Centre (Millennium Dome) had not been established and Due to the collapse of Heathrow Express Tunnel, work was put on hold again. This caused many changes to the original design therefore causing the project to be completed in early 1999, which was a twenty months late completion. The cost also increased to à £3.5billion, an astonishing 70% budget over-run [5]. What Are Budget Over-runs? Budget Overrun can be simply defined as when the final cost of the project exceeds the original estimates [6]. In terms of construction, this means the actual cost of the project at completion minus the original tendered cost during the tendering stage. This therefore creates either a positive value or a negative value. If the value is positive, the project is within budget and has created a profit, if the value is negative, the project has created a loss and is referred to as a Budget Over-run. Why Do Budget Over-runs Occur and What Are The Causes? Budget Over-runs occur constantly in construction projects around the world. The main aim of any business (Construction Company) is to make money, however, it is very common in construction to hear companies reporting losses due to budget over-runs. If the project is completed within the budget specified, it can be graded a success. Therefore this is an ideal factor to use, to rate the success of a project. Budget over-runs occur due to many factors, which are sometimes split into two groups, controllable and extent of damages. The types of budget over-runs are caused by: The cost variations between clients and contractors and sometimes a third party e.g. project manager, consultant etc [7]. Poor estimation during tendering process Disagreements with Trade Union of Workers Climate change Late completion Changes in design etc. This shows that the slightest mistake or changes made could increase the cost of the project dramatically. Research carried out around the world on construction projects has shown that: [8] 9 out of 10 projects over-run Between 50 and 100% over runs were common There was a constant correlation of over-run projects for 70 years in each of the 20 nations and 5 continents surveyed. Average construction project costs are about 33%[9] Another source of research carried out by Jahren, et al [10] predicted that the factors which increased the chances of a budget over-run are: Project size Method of delivery Amount of competition Quality of contract documents and Interpersonal relations There have been predictions published in the User Guide (2005), which outlines the common factors which cause budget overruns. These are: Poor Project Management The project manager/management team is employed to control the entire development to run smoothly and efficiently from start to finish for the project. They may or may not cover the costing depending on the clients preference. If the project management is poor, it will create an effect on the entire project and in the User Guide (2005) it is listed as: Lack of planning and co-ordination Poor communication between members of the project team and the project sponsor Failure to identify problems and institute necessary and timely design and programming changes Lack of control over time and cost inputs Lack of end user involvement. Unexpected Ground Conditions The ground conditions on any construction site are key, if the ground is not tested prior to tendering, the costs could escalate out of control, in order to put it right. This effectively will be the contractors responsibility. Although trial pits and bore holes are used to get an idea of the ground conditions, the true site condition will not be exposed until full excavation. From the time the trial pits and bore holes are carried out to the time of excavation, the ground conditions may have changed. Changes in ground condition may cause a redesign and also cause problems for any machines and materials ordered to site. This therefore should be taken into account as these could increase costs. Shortage of Construction Materials When construction is at its peak development stage in a certain areas, locally ordered materials could be in great demand. Some materials maybe required but cannot keep up with the demand, hence causing delays to the project. These materials might be ordered from other areas of the world, but may cost substantially more as it will need to be shipped in and pushing back the completion date due to delays in material deliveries. Therefore to prevent any shortages occurring this will need to be anticipated and added to the cost to prevent budget overruns. Change in Foreign Exchange Rates If specific materials are unavailable in the local market, it will then need to be imported from overseas. This can cause a problem to the budget if there are dramatic changes in exchange rates. This unexpected exchange rate should be taken into account during costing as it will cause an increase in the budget. Inappropriate and/or Inexperienced Contractors Selection of the right contractor is another key decision. The contractor must be suitable for the project as some projects use a wide range of tenders who price the job. Although, the cheapest tender may be very inviting, it does not guarantee quality. The decision should be made on contractors experience, the contractors successful history of completing jobs on time and within budget and also the most competitive price. Research carried out by Yates et al (2003), the contractors tender which is 15% less than the Engineer, it is very likely there will be a budget over-run. The tenders reputation should also be consider. This could be key as some companies may fall into hardship and bankruptcy. This will delay the project considerably and also increase costs as most contractors tend not to takeover other contractors jobs in case of any problems which could arise during later construction. Natural Disasters/Events These are disasters or events which cause inevitable delays and therefore budget issues to the project. The types of disasters/events which may cause delays and cost implications are wars, riots, earthquakes, landslide, fire, political and economic issues, types of projectile, contamination and many other disasters/events. Underestimations Deliberate cost underestimating occurs in order to gain the job. This will result in the project not being completed and the client having to either increase the budget or retender, hence, causing budget over-runs. Research carried out by Fllyvbjjerg showed that big construction projects were common culprits to underestimation and therefore led to the statement, whatever the cause, almost all large public projects contain initial cost estimating errors that result in the need for increased funding to complete the projects'[8]. The underestimation has been split into four major topics by Fllyvbjjerg: Technical These are known as forecasting errors which are errors requiring changes because of imperfect techniques, honest mistakes, inadequate data, inherited problems in predicting the future and lack of experience on the part of forecasters. In this case, the errors occur between the budgeted estimation and the actual cost of construction. [11] Economical The economical issues are split into two groups, public interest and economic self interest. Public interest is where there are promoters and forecasters who underestimate the cost of the project on purpose to give public officials an incentive to cut costs to save public money. Economical self interest is used to create jobs for Engineers and construction companies and shareholders also get involved to make more money. The fact that shareholders get involved tends to influence the forecasting process and therefore makes an impression on the result. [8] Psychological This is known as appraisal optimism. Promoters and forecasters are held to be overly optimistic about project outcomes in the appraisal phase, when projects are planned and decided. [12] By making the cost seem lower than it should be, will effectively cause the budget to over-run. Political Political explanations interpret cost underestimation in terms of interests and power. The political issue arises on the fact that whether forecasters are intentionally biased to serve the interests of project promoters in getting projects started. This is key in order to start a project quickly, however, there is a legal and moral deception attached this form of underestimation [13]. Change and Variation Orders These are changes to the project and are not part of the outlined work during the agreement of the project. In construction, changes tend to be inevitable and will cause a disruption to the project deadline and also budget. These decisions are therefore discussed prior to any changes being made as it may not suit the client or contractor. Inflation The general definition of inflation in economics is the increase in prices and fall in the purchasing the value of money [14]. This means that if there is an inflation increase, the value of all parts of the project will increase e.g. material costs, machinery hire, wages etc, which in turn increases the budget. To avoid these extra costs, predictions of the market should be checked during the tendering process, by both client and contractors. Acceleration This is where there is a delay but the client demands the project to be completed by the contractor on time, before the completion date or before the agreed extension completion date. Delays Of Completion Time and Payments Delays of completion tend to equal delays of payments, this will cause interest rate repayments to escalate causing the alleged interest trap for both client and contractor. What Are The Overall Effects From Budget Over-runs? It is clear that budget over-runs occur continuously in construction projects around the world. There are many causes for these extra costs which have not been considered during the tendering process. This has caused a bad impression not only on clients but also contractors and end users. The effects on each party is as follows: The client loses faith in the construction industry but in-particular their consultants who are unable to deliver the project on time. This also leads to higher investment being required from the client. The consultants reputation is ruined as they have an inability to control the project budget therefore leaving question marks for winning new projects. Contractors do not make the profits anticipated and failure to complete the jobs leaves their reputation in tatters. The end user will effectively be the one paying the highest price in terms of buying/renting/leasing in order for the shareholders to cover their costs. Overall, its the construction industry that suffers as it causes major headlines in the media for the wrong reasons. Clients will be more cautious before investing in large scale projects which will cause a drop in the construction industry projects due to its feeble reputation. Many construction projects which are accepted by the client will come with a greater risk to the contractor. How To Prevent Future Projects From Budget Over-runs? To prevent future projects from being unsuccessful in terms of budget, the management of costs need to be broken down to show exactly where costs will be greatest and smallest. The estimating, scheduling, accumulating and analyzing costs, and implementing measures to correct construction costing must be adhered to strictly. This will prevent any failures in terms of budget. There is a three step process which can be employed during the planning stage through to the construction stage: Identify the scale of the project (in terms of quality, completion time and budget), Ensure scope is adhered to strictly (in terms of time and budget) Monitor and control the above 2 steps constantly till the completion of the project. A successful project is based on the project manager and contractor working hand in hand to get the greatest efficiency from a project and tend to be based on time, performance and cost. There are many types of key principles and actions which should be followed for a project to be labelled successful and a few are listed below [15]: Good project definition and sound business case, Appropriate choice of project strategy, Strong support for the project and its manager from higher management, Availability of sufficient funds and other resources, Firm control of changes to the authorized project, Technical competence, A sound quality culture throughout the organization, A suitable organization structure, Appropriate regard for the health and safety of everyone connected with the project, Good project communications, Well-motivated staff, Quick and fair resolution of conflict. Risks and uncertainties increase the budget of any project. Therefore, a 10% of the estimated cost contingency plan is usually inputted into many projects to prevent the project from delays and going over budget. Although 10% sounds fairly small, by adding other control systems to the project performance, this value could increase dramatically. However, a good project management costing is more desirable and efficient than a contingency plan. What are Late Completions? In construction projects a late completion is commonly referred to as the time between the actual deadline agreed, to the time the project is completed. This is commonly called a delay in construction and tends to have a major effect on the client, end user, contractor and shareholders. If delays occur in construction projects, the contractor will be subjected to: Additional/Extension time of completion, Immediate termination of contract, Reduced profit or A mixture of the above. This is not always the case, as some delays are not the contractors fault. The other parties involved in the construction stage are, clients, consultants and external influences e.g. suppliers, machinery, mother nature etc. Any delay will create problems between all/some of the parties involved. Why Do Late Completions Occur and What Are The Causes? Delays can be split into three categories, these are: Excusable Delays These are delays which are not caused directly or indirectly by the contractor and in turn the contractor is allowed an extension of time. The excusable delay can also be split into two parts, Excusable With Compensation This is where the contractor is delayed due to the actions of the client, and is given and extension of time and compensated with money for wasted time. An example is if client cannot access the site after the client has approved for the work to start. Excusable Without Compensation This is where the client and contractor cannot be blamed for the delays caused and the contractor is only given an extension of time. An example would be Mother Nature. Non Excusable Delays These are delays caused by the contractor or sub contractor and the contractor is not given any extensions. But the client may get liquidated damages. Concurrent Delays These are delays which occur at the same time. If, and only if two delays or more occur at the same time, then the contractor is entitled to an extension. Delays are caused by the members directly involved in the project and also members indirectly involved in the project. Research was carried out by Odeh and Battaineh (2002) and their finding showed that [17], Client Delays The client caused delays in terms of: Finance and Payments, Constantly Interfering, Indecisive Decisions on Design and Requirements, Very Unrealistic Forced Time Schedule, Minimal Experience of Construction Projects, Minimal Experience of Co-ordination and Communication, Very Poor Employment of Representatives, Inappropriate Feasibility Study. Consultant Delays The consultant causes delays in terms of: Poor Management/Management Team in general, Poor Management of the Contract, Lack of Preparation and Poor Drawings leading to Slow Approval of Drawings, Quality Assurance and Control, Improper Site Investigations and Slow Approval of Tests and Inspections, Poor Consultant Team with Minimal Experience. Contractor Delays The contractor causes delays in terms of: Poor employment of Sub-contractors, Poor Site Management, Inappropriate Construction Methods, Poor Planning including costs, time, budget etc, Terrible Decision Making during Construction, Inadequate Contractor Experience. Material Delays Material cause delays in construction projects in terms of: Overall Quality, Its Demand and Supply, Importing Materials, Inflation Rate of Materials, Late Delivery and Unreliable Suppliers Labour and Equipment Delays Labour and Equipment cause delays in construction projects in terms of: Labour Availability and Productivity, Skilled Labour Availability, Low motivation and morale, Strike Action and Absent Labourers, Equipment Demand and Supply, Frequent Breakdown and Maintenance of Equipment, Improper and Inadequate Equipment. Contract Delays Contract cause delays in construction projects in terms of: Constant Changing of Design, Mistakes and Discrepancies in Contract Documents, Different Party Relationship Breakdowns e.g. disputes, negotiations, breakdown in communication, improper organisation. External Delays External influences cause delays in construction projects in terms of: Climate and Weather Changes, Unexpected Ground Condition Changes, Regular Changes e.g. security codes, I.D.s etc, Complaints and Problems from Neighbours, Inflation of All Materials, War, Riots, and Other Conflicts, Slow Clearance of Site. How To Prevent Future Projects From Late Completions? There are many factors which cause late completions of construction projects. The delays can be caused by direct or indirect actions. Direct actions are delays which can be avoided as these tend to be made by the parties involved. Indirect actions are uncontrollable and therefore by minimising the direct actions, the delay can be kept to a minimum. Research carried out by Nguyen, et al. (2004) on project success factors in large construction projects in Vietnam, Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) on acceleration of site activities and contingency allowances, Koushki, et al. (2005) on what the minimization of time delays and cost overruns would require, and Odeh and Battaineh (2002) on recommendations for improving the situation of construction projects allowed for a table of thirty five methods to be created. These methods would show how to minimise/eliminate delays from construction projects.à Conclusion From the research carried out, it appears that Budget Over-runs and Late Completions are a common aspect of the construction industry. However, it is clear that not all Budget Over-runs and Late Completions are controllable and some are fabricated to seem as over-run and completed late due to the process of tendering. In appears that there is a connection between late completion and budget over-runs hence, these are key factors which need addressing. The most influential effects for over-running and late completion are delays, insufficient finances, loss of reputations and controversial decision making from clients, consultants and shareholders. It is therefore compulsory that all the above measures should be followed, but a few major recommendations must be adhered to in order to make sure the project is always successful. The major recommendations for all parties involved are, Client The client should make sure all finances and payments are available and paid on time, the feasibility study is well planned and accurate as possible, the client should be proactive in decision making and understand what is feasible and what isnt, and the client should recommended a deadline but allow for any anticipated delays. Consultant The consultant should have good people skills, understand the projects objectives and the clients obligations, any misunderstood/discrepancies should be ironed out prior to construction and during the construction stages, this will prevent any major changes required during construction. The management team should be more than adequate and have a good history in the field of the construction project, quality control and assurance procedures should be put in place along with potential disagreement solutions which could arise. Contractor The contractor should tender based on the actual job costs and not the minimum tender in order to gain the contract. The contractor should employ reliable sub-contractors which have a good history in terms of completion and quality, the contractor should have a good management history as well as a good reputation in the type of construction project.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Strategies to Enhance Ecuadors Technological Industry
Strategies to Enhance Ecuadors Technological Industry Renny Alexander Amaguaya Llamuca Abstract Ecuador is a very diverse country, known worldwide for its gigantic capacity to generate raw material. However being a developing country many consider it as incapable of generating technology. Currently the implementation of innovation programs has allowed an interesting evolution, that is to say that the Ecuador based on the technology, processes of automation and changes the academician has the capacity to improve its economy and introduced in the field of the technological research. These ambitious projects have made the country start a technological revolution. All Ecuadorians are working hard in the training of creative students, as young minds will be in charge of generating resources and developing the country. At the same time, scientific research is becoming one of Ecuadors fortunes; the country is moving forward and has a promising future We can do it. Introduction There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource. Without creativity there is no progress and we would always be repeating the same patterns (Edward de Bono).It should be emphasized that the industrial revolution was a very important starting point, because a very creative mind decided to do something different and thus began the human evolution. Technology is a characteristic of the human ability to build, from raw materials; a wide variety of objects, machines and tools, as well as development. It uses the scientific knowledge in order to respond to human needs and applies at industry to obtain optimal solutions. Technological advances have become essential, just look around in every moment and place we are surrounded by it, it is always present to make the life simpler. In Ecuadorian industry, technology is indispensable. In fact, most scientific efforts focus on the creation of new technologies and raise the production. Ecuadorian universities are currently preparing young people with great skills and brilliant minds, who are focusing more on environmental innovation and on a change of the productive matrix. These universities have developed a new educational system, in which the main interest is to foster creativity and innovation. The use of technology is immeasurable and will continue to change, based on the demands of its citizens and the market. However, Ecuadors technology industry could be enhanced through a school curriculum based on creativity and innovation in these ways: 1, technological programs at schools, 2 places/vocational centers where youths can obtain practical knowledge and 3, improve automation. Technological Programs at Schools First of all, the technology industry can be enhanced in Ecuador by technological programs at schools. Schools have to strive to implement custom methods where students can increase their creativity. Those kinds of programs are planned and designed carefully to such an extent that they maintain an impeccable order so that the development of these technological activities are completely effective for a continuous learning. Activities to be carried out are structured according to the age of young people. This teaching process is very similar to that implemented at Ohio State University in Columbus. Colleges place greater emphasis on learning material [and] Jung fears that opportunities for thoughts to flow freely are fewer now than in the past(Ossola, 2014). These programs have as main component its curriculum based on creativity, which is made up of activities that can be widely developed. Those were created to be developed without previous technology experience, Rex Jung (Professor of neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque) said, creativity is innate, it needs to be cultivated. Inside this curriculum, students should confront flexible programs, too. A great example of this implementation is University in Columbus; Ted Clark has been working with a number of high schools throughout Ohio to integrate creative problem (flexible programs) solving into science classes(Ossola,2014). According to the article Technology, Innovation, and Education(Harvard, 2014) schools are planning to get the key to unlock the freedom of students minds, because youths use the regions of the brain involved in daydreaming and imagination(Ossola,2014) and schools want to use that imagination. According to Joe Blatt Director of TIE The Technology, Innovation, and Education Program is a proven gateway to rewarding leadership careers in creating, implementing, and evaluating educational media and technology. Technological program is a way to train creative leaders in education with a continuous and very close interaction midst faculty and students. Therefore, Ecuador has taken a similar strategy where the objective of its program is reach a high standard of education based on the correct development of the creative skills of the students. The leaders of this technological program take as an example the objectives of the Finnish education system; The Finnish system is built on trust: on autonomous learning, on the value of teacher work and on the overall quality of the proposal(The Finland Phenomenon, Compton, 2012).In short, this fact must be a huge evolution to the next generation of students whose ideas would mean an extreme change for the whole Ecuador. Places/vocational centers where youths can obtain practical knowledge. Second of all, Ecuador should create Places/vocational centers where youths can obtain practical knowledge to enhanced Industry Technology. Practical knowledge is closely related to the use of technology as a didactic learning medium, according to Scientists Are More Creative than You Might Imagine (Ossola, 2014) practical activities would appear to take the magic out of the creative process, like having to explain your own joke.It means that students are excited about the possibility of using technology and are therefore more apt to learn. In addition, during this process of up-to-date learning, not only is it possible to get more information, but also to develop skills that are exclusively developed in the practical field. Exclusively Skills from practical knowledge. According to the article Solve a Teaching Problem(Mellon University, 2015),today youths are bored of study because the old style of teaching cans their minds, students learn better with a practical knowledge so Ecuador needs places where enough technology elements are available to youths to use it freely and encourage the development of innovative technologies. When youths work for a purpose, goal or own dream, the effort will be minimal because they will be free to act. This freedom will allow you to develop your own skills such as: The opportunity to interact with peers The collaboration Student responsibility Allow to take more control over the learning process Learn to make important decisions Ecuadors technology industry needs such sites to promote the desire of young people or children to create new technologies without fear of innovation failure; It will allow a continuous innovation in the country. Improve automation. In other hand, Ecuadors technology can be enhanced by improved automation, some of the few industries still work with old technology, because their bosses still thinking that humans can do their job better than a new machine. Automation means a technological change in the industry where first of all the production will be improved in time, economy and quality. People that above all have so much creative and knowledge can change the process of production based on the imagination to solve any problem. For instance William Kamkwamba the builder of windmills in Malawi is currently working on a design for a windmill powerful enough to pump water from wells and provide lighting for Masitala, a cluster of buildings where about 60 families live (Childress, 2007). Ecuador would add a technological medium that offers a more effective production process that demonstrates the technological development of the country. In the last decade the developing countries have made a great effort to close the industrialization gap, out of a total of 142 countries analyzed in 2012, Ecuador is in the 96th position, rising twelve seats in relation to the previous year, date In which according to the 2011 WEF report, it was at 108. Today the Ecuadorian government is working on a program to attract scientists, but to achieve this, it is necessary to carry out a long-term financing policy for the development of science and technology. Ecuador wants to change the last productive matrix where it was based on buying technology, but why not create? This fact could boost to the creation of new industries, where technology and science research might enhance the Ecuadors industry. Conclusion Ecuador over the years has managed to acquire a minimal technological evolution, which has undoubtedly improved in the last decade, but is succeeding in maintaining a quality technology thanks to the small educational revolution that the country achieved. All this progress demonstrates that our culture has succeeded in improving learning and developing new skills. State-owned enterprises are currently looking for business development and better customer service, based on technologies that can provide satisfaction. Beyond importing the latest technology, the state seeks to improve the economic, social and technological structure. Ecuadorian industry should try to implement selected pilot programs to promote the environmental care, trying to be a pioneer country in technological development focused on environmental protection. Vocational centers and automation are technical keys to improving the innovation system in Ecuador. Innovative uses of technology, increasing the availability of information workstations and providing training in theoretical centers. Young people enjoyed training time to improve competition in innovation. New types of technology simulations should also be implemented in schools to improve basic curriculum training, which will make it easier to integrate technology with students. In addition, the relation between creativity and practical knowledge previously obtained will help to reduce the lack of automation in the Ecuadorian industry. Taking place to the true transformation of productive matrix. References http://teknologiateollisuus.fi/en http://teknologiateollisuus.fi/en/news/technology-industry-wants-grow http://teknologiateollisuus.fi/en/news/investments-are-necessary-increase-growth-and-jobs http://www.strategyand.pwc.com/trends/2016-technology-industry-trends http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-19/ecuador-flower-growing-improves-food-production/5902034 http://www.importancia.org/tecnologia.php http://inversion.produccion.gob.ec/en/investment-portfolio/information-and-communication-technologies/ http://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/creative-technology https://www.gse.harvard.edu/masters/tie https://tdc.okstate.edu/ http://www.ctdsess.in/ https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/solveproblem/strat-behaverudely/behaverudely-03.html http://www.eluniverso.com/2012/04/04/1/1356/brecha-digital-persiste-ecuador-segun-informe-fem.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2JGeGNxlh4t=24s
Thursday, September 19, 2019
The Problems With Low Carbohydrate and Low Fat Diets Essay -- Health N
The Problems With Low Carbohydrate and Low Fat Diets The low carbohydrate diets and the low fat diets both claim to be successful methods of losing weight and staying healthy. Both diet plans also attempt to carry out their goals by restricting what dieters can and cannot eat in relation to what is recommended by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Through altering what nutritionists suggest for a healthy regime, low carbohydrate and low fat meal plans potentially put dieters at a higher risk for developing health problems and diseases. Also, diet plans do not necessarily accomplish their goals when maintained over a long period of time. Diets set regulations on what should or shouldnââ¬â¢t be part of a daily nutritional intake. The USDA recommends between 2-5 servings, measured at about one cup per serving, each day from the dairy, protein, fruit, and vegetable food groups, with an additional 6-11 servings of carbohydrates. Low carbohydrate meal plans and low fat meal plans direct dieters to follow nutritional schedules that contrast with the USDA recommended diet plan. Low carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet, significantly lower the daily carbohydrate intake while increasing the amounts of servings from the meat, dairy, and other groups. On the other hand, low fat diets such as the Weight Watchers diet instruct that dieters should consume more servings of carbohydrates and less of fatty foods and foods with animal fats, which include foods from the meat group, dairy products, and others. Both diets largely differ from each other as well as from the USDA recommended meal plan. Carbohydrates, which are chemical compounds such as sugars, starches, and celluloses, are converted by the body into energ... ...r health problems. Diets can be helpful or hazardous to ones health, depending on how they are followed. Works Cited ââ¬Å"The Food Guide Pyramid,â⬠USDA. http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/food-pyramid/main.htm ââ¬Å"Low Fat Diets,â⬠Diet-i.com. http://www.diet-i.com/diets/low-fat-diet.htm ââ¬Å"Atkins ââ¬â The Unhealthy Choice,â⬠Sims, Jeremy. http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/medical_report.htm ââ¬Å"Low Carb Diet- How Do Low Carbohydrate Diets Work?â⬠http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/logout/news_features/lowcarbdiet.htm UC Berkeley Wellness Letter http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/fw/fwNut02LowFatDiets.html 1 Sims, http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/medical_report.htm 2 UCB, http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/fw/fwNut02LowFatDiets.html 3 Sims, http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/medical_report.htm
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers
Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a book of much symbolism. Set in 16th century New England, the book starts with the public punishment of Hester Prynne, a convicted adulterer. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Hesterââ¬â¢s illegitimate daughter, Pearl. Throughout the story, she develops into a dynamic symbol - one that is always changing. Pearl represents her motherââ¬â¢s punishment, a rose, and the scarlet letter. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans forced Hester to wear a scarlet letter ââ¬Å"Aâ⬠across for her chest, for the crime of adultery. The punishment continued as Hester was treated as outcast and mocked by the town. ââ¬Å"Tomorrow would bring its own trial with it; so would the next day, so would the next,â⬠the narrator explained. On the other hand, Godââ¬â¢s treatment of Hester for her sin was quite different than just a physical token: he gave Hester a very unique child which she named Pearl. The child was a constant mental and physical reminder to Hester of what she had done wrong and how she could not escape it. In this aspect, Pearl symbolized Godââ¬â¢s way of punishing Hester for adultery. ââ¬Å"She named the infant Pearl as of being of great price-purchased with all her mother had,â⬠the narrator says. Pearl grew to be a very passionate and lively young girl. She becomes a contradicting factor in her motherââ¬â¢s life. To her mother, Pearl symbolized the rosebush outside of the jail, because at some times she could be bright and vibrant. However at other times, she could be wilting. It was at these times when she was ââ¬Å"wiltingâ⬠that brought Hester the most grief. One final way in which Pearl symbolized something in the novel was her association with the scarlet letter. Hester began to think of the letter and her daughter as both ââ¬Å"the object of her affection and the emblem of her guilt and torture.â⬠Hester clothed the child in bright crimson dressed. That, combined with a vivid complexion, gave Pearl the appearance of the scarlet letter. The townspeople began to notice the similarities, also.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Effect of Social Networking
Over the past few years, social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace have exploded in popularity, especially among children and teenagers. The social networks as Facebook, MySpace and others are all ââ¬Å"virtual placesâ⬠where people find themselves and share information. Nowadays, social networks are the best tools for communication, though in the first place they were used only for university purposes, where students and colleagues stayed in contact with each other after works or studies.However, recent events involving child predators and other dangerous individuals using these sites have raised concerns about safety. Particularly in the western conutries, many parents view social networking websites with suspicion while having limited understanding of what these sites really are or how they work. Used responsibly, social networking sites do not pose a danger or threat to anyone. Facebook, Myspace, and other sites have numerous benefits for their users in terms of interacting and talking with other people, but also provide comprehensive privacy and safety features.Facebook, for example, does not allow people to view othersââ¬â¢ profiles unless they are friends, which requires both people to confirm their relationship. Even though Some studies imply that social networks could have negative impact on people social health. These can cause people to stray from reality and immerse themselves in the virtual world of social community. ââ¬Å"Instead of meeting people in person, they spend more time in front of the computer screens checking what the virtual friends are doing. â⬠The next effect that many scientists have warned about is the influence that social networks can have on human health. The main effect is on the human brain. ââ¬Å"Baroness Greenfield, an Oxford University neuroscientist and director of the Royal Institution, believes repeated exposure could effectively ââ¬Ërewire' the brain. â⬠Another important effect of social networks is on business. Online social networking is the newest weapon to get more customers. ââ¬Å"William Baker, a professor of marketing at San Diego State University, found that firms that ely heavily on external social networks scored 24 percent higher on a measure of radical innovation than companies that don't. Online networks can help you hire the right people, market your product ââ¬â or even find a manufacturer. â⬠In conclusion, as stated before, today social networks are the main tools of communications. Networks like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and so on can have a great impact on human life and influence positively or negatively the social life, health and the world business.
Monday, September 16, 2019
The Effects of Horror Movies on Children Essay
The implicit, and often explicit, intention of horror movies is to scare people. The fright engendered by horror movies can have residual psychological effects for years. Two studies, ââ¬Å"Tales from the Screen: Enduring Fright Reactions to Scary Mediaâ⬠and another, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), both concluded that exposure horror movies may have long-lasting adverse effects on children. 1. Anxiety The NIMH study reveals direct evidence that in children 5 and younger, especially toddlers, scary movies can produce acute cases of anxiety. The symptoms of this anxiety include sleeping disorders, aggressiveness and self-endangerment. Avoidance Both studies indicated that children exposed to horror films avoided real life situations shown in a fictional manner on screen. The subjects exhibited dread of facing those situations. Some children not only avoided real life situations, but also come to avoid seeing other movies or TV shows dealing with the same situations that instilled the original fear. Obsession A common effect among older children and even tweens and pre-teens, upon viewing horror movies is to obsessively talk about the stimulus that produces the fear. The subject of the obsessive talk may be expressed in either a morbid fascination or a a need to alienate themselves from what they have seen through discourse. Nightmares Probably the most common effect that horror movies have on children is the production of nightmares. Many children as well as adults can be expected to have a nightmare after seeing a horror film, especially one that may be troublesome emotional or features particularly repulsive and upsetting gore. Gore The stimuli found to produce an adverse effect in children most often inà horror films was the representation of blood or physical injury. Almost two-third of respondents report being affected emotionally more by the presence of blood and injury over stimuli such as disturbing images, environmental disasters, scary animals, monsters and aliens. Most Common Symptoms Many symptoms are associated with a reaction to viewing horror films. Among the most common symptoms include crying or screaming, trembling or shaking, upset stomach, clinginess, paralysis, sweating, fever, chills and loss of appetite. The Short-Term Effects of Scary Movies on Children By Brooke Williams, How Contributor Because many children have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality, parents should not allow their youngsters to watch scary movies or television shows, according to Science Daily, an online science news resource. Although young children arenââ¬â¢t able to understand scary movies, that doesnââ¬â¢t mean they wonââ¬â¢t have short-term effects because of the violent scenes. 1. Nightmares Itââ¬â¢s typical for children to get nightmares from time to time, but watching scary movies can inspire bad dreams, according to Kids Health. Bad dreams can reflect the plot of a scary dream, and the typical horror movie characters, such as monsters, ghosts and aliens, can play roles in a little oneââ¬â¢s dreams. In addition to getting nightmares, scary movies may cause children to have trouble getting to sleep. 2. Anxious Feelings Children who watch horror movies have a tendency to feel anxious and fearful, according to the University of Michigan Health Services. Because many children younger than 8 have a hard time understanding the difference between what is real and what is fake, scary scenes from movies seem realistic. Being nervous or paranoid that a character or situation in the movie can become reality is common after viewing a horror movie. Aggressive Behavior Young children who watch high-action, violent or scary movies are likely to act more aggressively than normal shortly after seeing the film, according to Media Awareness Network, a media education resource. Children imitate characters in violent movies by physically provoking their peers, using negative words and being more active. Because some children may find violent movie characters interesting and ââ¬Å"cool,â⬠imitating these characters may be a short-term effect of watching a scary movie. Intensified Fears Itââ¬â¢s common for many children to be scared of the dark, loud noises and creepy-crawly bugs. While these fears typically dissipate with age, they tend to linger or intensify when children watch scary and violent movies. For example, watching a movie about ghosts may make a little one more scared of open closet doors in a dark bedroom. Fears are real to little ones, and if a child does watch a scary movie, itââ¬â¢s important for parents to talk to him about how scary monsters and other characters arenââ¬â¢t real. Remind him multiple times to soothe his fears. Reference http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061031113446.htm Effect of horror movies on student aggressive behavior
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Arguments against Euthanasia Essay
1) Applies to a very small number of situations, therefore unethical to make a doctrine based on this. Modern medicine can alleviate pain and suffering in almost all cases. Accepting euthanasia means accepting the fact that medicine is not advanced enough rather than looking at constructive solutions i.e. further advancements in medicine. 2) Signals giving up on a case, insult to determination and endeavor of the patient as well as the doctor, violation of Hippocrates oath 3) Value in suffering: teach the community perseverance. The community will care for the patient and will learn to go beyond its own set of autonomous goals. Show that human life has value behind personal happiness and absence of pain. 4) Focus is to alleviate pain: can be done through painkillers, euthanasia is unnecessary. 5) Life is a gift of God: each human being has intrinsic value and cannot be treated as means to an end i.e. a painless death. Shows sick and disabled as undesirable. 6) Thin line between eutha nasia and murder-can be misused. Cost cutting for terminally ill people. 7) Mistaken diagnosis-may affect a personââ¬â¢s life 8) Making voluntary euthanasia legal will lead to a domino effect: make involuntary euthanasia legal, which is equivalent to murder In June of 1990, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a 63-year-old retired pathologist, was charged with first-degree murder after he helped an Oregon woman with Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease commit suicide in June 1990. Kevorkian was also charged with helping two other women, Marjorie Wantz and Sherry Miller to commit suicide. Miller was incapacitated by multiple sclerosis and Wantz suffered from a painful pelvic condition. Neither condition was life threatening or terminal. Speaking to the National Press Club in 1992, Dr. Kevorkian defended himself by saying that a terminal illness was one that would curtail life by even one day and since all of his victims had ââ¬Ëterminal illnessesââ¬â¢, therefore ââ¬Ëeuthanasiaââ¬â¢ was justified. He has also referred to old age as a ââ¬Ëterminal illnessââ¬â¢ on multiple occasions. Euthanasia, or the right to die, is sought for those people who are terminally ill. Terminally illâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦hmmm, how would you define people who are terminally ill? (Pause) Well, the definitions may vary from person to person and that is where the problem arises. People like Dr. Kevorkian effortlessly misuse this phrase to include illnesses, which are not necessarily terminal in order to fulfill their own vested interests. Good morning everyone. The motion on the floor today is ââ¬Å"Voluntary euthanasia should be legalizedâ⬠and we are going to speak against the motion. There is a very thin line between euthanasia and suicide or murder. In most cases, the two are no different from each other. People with non terminal or even trivial illnesses can misuse the legal sanction for euthanasia by using it to assist them with suicide. For a depressed, ill or elderly person, the emotional and psychological pressures, arising out of the feeling that they are a burden on the family or their caretakers, could push a person towards euthanasia. Such people may look for an exit from their guilt by approaching a doctor who is willing to help them, of course, for a handsome sum of money.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
ââ¬ÅThe Secret Life of Beesââ¬Â Literary Analysis Essay
Inevitable conflicts with parents happen frequently in the lives of many adolescents. In the novel ââ¬Å"The Secret Life of Bees,â⬠a young girl named Lily Owens runs away from home, leaving her abusive father behind, on a hunt for more connections to her dead mother, Deborah. Kidd places obstacles of parental conflict for Lily throughout her whole novel. Lily battles with the internal conflict of the knowledge that she killed her own mother and the struggle in finding out the truth.The sources of her conflict with her dead mother include the information she receives from August and T. Ray, her sense of feeling unwanted, and her longing to experience love of a family. Sue Monk Kidd uses this conflict to show that during Lilyââ¬â¢s strife to overcome her conflicts she finds herself and realizes that she already has a complete family. Kidd does this to relay a message to the readers so that they may understand that the mother Lily searched for lay inside of her after all and s he is able to create her own power, proving the strength in women.In ââ¬Å"The Secret Life of Bees,â⬠Kidd uses the information Lily receives from her father T. Ray and August to create and further fuel the conflict between Lily and Deborah so that the reader understands the strength in the unity and also individuality of women. The conflict begins when Lily discovers from T. Ray that she was the one to kill her mother by accidently shooting her (Kidd 18-19). She later learns from T. Ray that Deborah had ran away, leaving Lily, and had only come back for her things and not her daughter when she had shot her (Kidd 39). During the novel, Lily keeps a strong distaste for her father and does not believe him when he tells her this.However, Lily does begin to feel worthless and as if she were a horrible child as the idea of her killing her own mother grows on her. She then learns the truth after she runs away from home and finds a family of women who knew Deborah, including a woman named August. Throughout the novel, Lily builds a strong bond with August and trusts her when she tells her that her mother ran away from Lily and T. Ray and left her, but had returned to get her when she was killed. Kidd uses Lilyââ¬â¢s knowledge of her mother to provide Lily with a reason to loathe her mother after having such a perfect image of her. However, Lily overcomes this conflict by finding her place with her newà family of strong women that teach her to persevere and listen to the mother inside her.Kidd also uses Lilyââ¬â¢s weakness of feeling unwanted to prove that her parental conflict with her mother before she died had affected Lily long-term, yet left her with women that taught her to stand strong. When Lily learns that her mother became pregnant with her and was forced to marry T. Ray unhappily, she realized that her mother had not wanted her. Kidd writes as the consciousness of Lily: ââ¬Å"How dare she? How dare she leave me? I was her child?â⬠(Kidd 259). This pass into Lilyââ¬â¢s thoughts gives the reader the idea that even years after her motherââ¬â¢s mistake of leaving, she had been scarred.Lilyââ¬â¢s fire of aversion toward her deceased mother is fueled by the thought that she was an unwanted child by her mother, as well as her abusive father, T. Ray. Kidd provides this adversity for Lily throughout her novel to offer a comfort for Lily by the end of the book from the Daughters of Mary so that the reader understands the strong bond between powerful women. Lily finally finds clarity and realizes that she is not unwanted by her ââ¬Å"stand-in mothers.â⬠Sue Monk Kidd also uses Lilyââ¬â¢s longing for a family connection and love from the people surrounding her to show that when women come together to heal each otherââ¬â¢s wounds, such as Lilyââ¬â¢s drawn out conflict with her mother, they can create a true sanctuary of a loving family. In the novel, Lily believes the only way to feel a motherââ¬â¢s lo ve comes from her biological mother, which again created the conflict between Lily and Deborah. Lily longs for this love because she has never experienced it, and she has kept false hope in her motherââ¬â¢s love until the resolution of the novel. However, she overlooks the women she is with daily that have devoted themselves to helping her cope with her conflicts.By the end of the novel, Kidd gives Lily the realization that she has had a family that loves her unconditionally the whole time she was searching for one. This is proven through the last sentence of the novel, quoted ââ¬Å"I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shining over meâ⬠(By saying this, Lily shows her appreciation for her multiple mothers and her new family for guiding her and helping her overcome all of the differences in her life, as well as the horrible, yet teachable, conflict with her dead mother.In conclusion, Kidd wants her readers to find the message of determin ation and pressing on to focus on the voice inside of oneself through Lilyââ¬â¢s story. Parental conflicts occur daily in many teen lives but rarely do they scar them as Lily Owens did. Although the hurtful information she was fed, her sensitivity to feeling unwanted, and her lack of experiencing a loving family led to a conflict with her idea of her dead mother that was built over time, Lilyââ¬â¢s ability to overcome her past was aided by women that taught her to find the power inside of her.Her conflicts guide her to new places where she can become her own and mature into a strong woman. She found her home, her family, and herself by conquering her battles and moving on, which relates to Kiddââ¬â¢s intention of her novel: Only the factors determination and perseverance on oneââ¬â¢s own shape oneââ¬â¢s path, not the conflicts of his/her past.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Literature review - Essay Example A study of empirical literature has been carried out with the example of retail industry and considering Wal-Mart as the multinational organization with its operation in several countries being examined under the review. Issues for Multi-national Organisations The various issues for the multinational organization with the example of Wal-Mart as a major player in the retail industry have been discussed below. Strategies of the organization The multinational companies operate in various countries either by establishing its own facilities or with the help of joint ventures. These multinational organizations are thus exposed to country risk of various countries (Butler, 1993, p.58). Wal-Mart, for example Wal-Mart operates around 8500 stores in around 15 countries all over the world and function under 55 different names in several countries. ... Thus the organizational strategies and decision making with respect to these issues are important as the multinational entity would need to take decision of selling the ventures that are not deemed to be profitable in future times. The multinational organization also needs to strategically invest in ventures that would prove to be profitable in future (Jolly, 2003, p.62). These strategic decisions need to consider the issues related to country risk which entails an examination of the political, economic, social, technological and legal environment in the region of investment. Marketing issues The marketing issues, the developments of the various local markets are important areas of consideration for the multinational corporations. The age of globalization has witnessed several new entrants in the local markets and the threat posed by the competitors raise concerns for the multinational companies for retaining their market share. Thus the multinational companies should continuously up date their marketing strategies in order to counter the steps of the competitors for holding their market share in various countries (Solberg, 2002, p.50). Wal-Mart for example being the largest grocery retailer and having presence in around 15 countries are required to anticipate the changing market conditions and demands of the consumers in order to retain their leadership position in the retail industry. Although, the market share of Wal-Mart is three times that of its nearest competitor, Carrefour, the multinational company needs to continuously adopt innovating strategies and respond to the changing lifestyle of the consumers which are market specific for different countries. The multinational companies also
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Dollar versus Yen -The Road Ahead Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Dollar versus Yen -The Road Ahead - Essay Example Interest-rate futures demonstrate that the traders are certain the Fed will increase its benchmark to 4.75 percent on March 28, and predict about a 65 percent chance of another increase to 5 percent at the May meeting. However the outlook was not the same say in October 2005 when Fed was expected to go in for graduated dosages of increase in interest rate in keeping with the trend began since June 2004. The dollar had then risen 2.3 percent against the yen since the end of June 2005. The dollar ran its third straight quarterly gain, reported in October 2005, against the yen, the longest winning streak since 2001, as the Federal Reserve stuck to its policy of ''measured" increases in interest rates. The markets had then expected the dollar to rally to about 115 yens. The yield advantage of 10-year US Treasury notes with Japan had averaged 2.87 percentage points in 2005 year and reached as much as 3.27 percentage points on March 28 2005. As a result of these Japanese investors were buy ing the dollar to purchase overseas assets, such as Treasuries strengthening interest in dollar.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Impacts of Cybercrime on Shareholder Value and Marketing Essay
Impacts of Cybercrime on Shareholder Value and Marketing - Essay Example This discussion declares that Yahoo.com, Ebay.com, and Amazon.com were attacked by cyber-terrorists in February, in the year 2000. It is believed that the attack was conducted by a hacker and Elias Levy the chief technology officer at that time, of CSIS, mentioned that it was difficult to find who did the attack since there were many machines that were used to do the attack, and the attack could have been directed from any part of the globe. In addition, according to him, the same group could have held all the attacks in these three online sites since it happened almost the same day. It was later discovered that a boy by the name of Michael Calce was the one who executed the crime. Michael Calce was a fifteen year old Canadian citizen whose nickname was Mafia boy. This paper highlights that Amazon announced to its users that their passwords had to be changed, what they termed as a preventive measure towards protecting the users passwords. This was after they detected various passwords and email addresses that did not relate to Amazon, posted online. So, they had to change their userââ¬â¢s passwords because they believed that the same passwords were used in other websites. Users were advised not to use their previous passwords for the sake of safety. The software helped him to hack into the websites of Amazon, eBay, Dell, CNN, and yahoo and made some harmful alterations to the program coding.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Discussion-WK4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Discussion-WK4 - Essay Example His proposal approves that the solution works. He has also included an analysis of the plan and the possible results. Karenââ¬â¢s argument will absolutely suit her programs but will require the approval and consideration of others. She does everything to convince her boss that her idea is the best. She is not over confident that her idea will be approved and so she offers her idea put to test which is a good quality of a proposal. Proposal on nurse shortage has had a pre-test with reasons highlighted. It provides the reader with relevant facts making it meaningful and convincing. The thesis statements of the essays are effective because they assure the reader that the problems can be surely be solved effectively. Everything in the proposals has revolved around the problem and the effective ways to solve them. The opening paragraphs of the essays are effective since they have outlined the area of discussion in the essays. The reader can get the important information that is needed for the final decision. The ideas are not concealed between needless words. The points to be put across are to the point and clear. Generally, they have clearly stated the purpose of the proposal at the beginning. The closing sentences as expected should depart with a discussion resolved. The essays do not have repetition of sentences unless for words that requires emphasis. Request for schedule change has shorter paragraphs of one sentence each. The paragraphs are wordy and require reviewing. An example is the paragraph that proposes the schedule the reasons for her proposal should have had each reason on each paragraph. This is the way everyone can understand your points. It also makes the proposal look perfect and attractive irrespective of the content (Trimble,
Advantages and Disadvantages of Pre-Coding Assignment
Advantages and Disadvantages of Pre-Coding - Assignment Example I cannot oppose the fact highlighted by Rousseau that indeed pre-coding is part and parcel of each research. The point is further made clear that pre-coding is a foundation of early planning and maintaining focus on essential parts of the research. I can add that pre-coding enables elimination of unwanted or unnecessary information that can, in turn, be misleading to the researcher and the readers. On the other hand, Rousseau failed to mention the disadvantages of pre-coding, but I think it is because he noted more of its benefits than the drawbacks it will bring in the topic of discussion. I find Donnaââ¬â¢s arguments over the advantages of pre-coding to be very rational. To her, pre-coding is not just an activity, but a skill to be mastered by every researcher if he or she wants to summarize the data and at the same time retain all the vital data. Just like she refers to Pattonââ¬â¢s (2002) suggestion on the process of organizing data, so do I strongly support that four steps are a must. Even though she argues that its disadvantage is that it works well only in a large amount of data, this may be a challenge and an opportunity for the researcher to be keener when handling errors.
Monday, September 9, 2019
Network and computer intrusion threats Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words
Network and computer intrusion threats - Essay Example Security is a psychological impulse within ourselves so we feel comfortable and protected.à Security is the idea of something being in a location unable to be modified, stolen, damaged and or removed without permission.à According to the American Heritage Dictionary of English Language (2006) secure is a word describing freedom of danger, attack and risk of loss.à A sense of security has always been an element of the human infrastructure to protect what is theirs from outside intruders.à We can see this in the methods by which ancient people constructed their homes and the usage of fortifications in their villages, towns and cities. These ancient protections were an essential part of life, to live in safety and comfort while the daily activities were carried out.à In modern times our military, the civilian police force and otherà à government services reflect such protective methods.à A major difference is, while physical fortifications were sufficient for our ancestors, we must incorporate cyber fortifications to meet the challenges of todayââ¬â¢s environment.Intruders today use malicious binary codes as the latest weaponry for a battering-ram technique to demolish and bypass our cyber security walls, so they can pillage and collect the bounty of their victimââ¬â¢s cyber home.à Jang describe the growing age of information warfare, which reflect information security as displaying patterns that expand into a more offensive than defensive stance.à ... Figure 4 Technologist Intruder Profiling - Conceptual Framework Figure 5 The process of executing an Exploit using Metasploit tool (Hicks, Mark. 2005) Table of Tables: S.No. Name and Hyperlink Table 1 Format of analysis of the outcome of survey TABLE 2 The proposed time table for the research Introduction: This research is targeted to establish a detailed methodology of network intrusion profiling such that security policies on collaborative IDPS frameworks can be implemented. A brief overview of the context is introduced in this section. 1.1 History of Security & Intrusion Security is a psychological impulse within ourselves so we feel comfortable and protected. Security is the idea of something being in a location unable to be modified, stolen, damaged and or removed without permission. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of English Language (2006) secure is a word describing freedom of danger, attack and risk of loss. A sense of security has always been an element of the human infrastructure to protect what is theirs from outside intruders. We can see this in the methods by which ancient people constructed their homes and the usage of fortifications in their villages, towns and cities. These ancient protections were an essential part of life, to live in safety and comfort while the daily activities were carried out. In modern times our military, the civilian police force and other government services reflect such protective methods. A major difference is, while physical fortifications were sufficient for our ancestors, we must incorporate cyber fortifications to meet the challenges of today's environment. Intruders today use malicious binary codes as the latest weaponry for a battering-ram technique
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Is the Euro area converging or diverging Critically discuss whether Essay
Is the Euro area converging or diverging Critically discuss whether the Euro becomes a vehicle for creating divisions in Europe - Essay Example The union has undeniably attained some of these targets. It has assured price stability, making a striking change to its inflation prone member states. Most of the countries within the Euro area benefited from an accountable nominal interest rate reduction (Blanchard 2007). Due to the changes experienced in terms of the major domestic demand expansion and the persistent deterioration of their current accounts, the member countries also enjoyed a reduction in real interest rates. The Euro area has increased trade intensity for all countries lying within its dynasty. Within the Euro area, states that are more economically advanced have witnessed the greater financial integration. The union has accelerated this change. Lastly, it has enhanced the level of business synchronization (Allington, Kattuman & Florian 2005). However, despite the major achievements, the performance of the economy of the Euro area over recent years has been on the decline. The debt crisis and specifically the slow recovery from the 2008-2009 recession in the core EU Member States, has triggered many questions on the capabilities of the Union (Estrada, Là ³pez& Galà 2013). The higher number of cases of debt crisis and inflation amongst its member states has caused arguments whether the endorsement of a common currency, may be behind the scenario. The currency endorsement has acted as a factor of divergence in terms of growth and unemployment (Andrà ©s, Eva & Javier, 2008). According to Estrada, Là ³pez and Galà (2013), in order to examine the convergence and divergence of the countries, the performance of their labor markets, evolution of key competitiveness measures, current account imbalances and the factors affecting it such as productivity and wages have to be properly analyzed. All through the nine years of operation, the European Monetary Union was associated with a strong convergence in terms of lowering unemployment rates across the member countries.
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Masculinity and sexuality in highschool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Masculinity and sexuality in highschool - Essay Example It emphasizes a great deal about how these problems can be overtaken by positive aspects where both gays and lesbians are receiving equal rights without any demarcations whatsoever (Pascoe, 2007). The effeminate boy and the masculine girls therefore are not being treated fairly which is a shame for such a societal manifestation. The males versus females divide must end now because it does not bring any sane result at the end. It should be tackled in such a way that both gays and lesbians are treated in an equal and balanced fashion without any biasness coming to the fore. This is the basis of having a proper understanding regarding the individuals of any society of the world, irrespective of whether they are straight, gays or lesbians. Thus it would be correct to state that the masculinity and sexuality debates should not be focused towards a particular orientation rather the focus should be on everyone to bring about sanity for all
Friday, September 6, 2019
Bear Stearns Collapse Timeline Essay Example for Free
Bear Stearns Collapse Timeline Essay This week five years ago, JP Morgan announced it would buy Wall Street rival Bear Stearns in a deal worth $2 a share ââ¬â this ultimately rose to $10. Here, Financial News looks at the events in the run-up to the fall of the 85-year old independent investment bank. Financial News compiled the timeline from press releases, contemporary media reports and William D Cohanââ¬â¢s account of the collapse of the bank, ââ¬ËHouse of Cardsââ¬â¢. May 21, 2007 After months of growing instability in the US sub-prime mortgage market, Bear Stearns chairman Alan ââ¬ËAceââ¬â¢ Greenberg offers reassurances that the firm, heavily exposed to the market, is on top of things. ââ¬Å"The sub-prime (issue) has been blown completely out of proportion,â⬠he says, in comments reported by Dow Jones Newswires. Mid-June 2007 Serious problems become apparent at two Bear Sterns hedge funds with a high exposure to sub-prime mortgages. Investors in the High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Enhanced Leverage Fund, which managed $600m, are informed that the fund has lost 23% of its value over the year to April, reports The Wall Street Journal. The fund begins a fire-sale to minimise exposures. After the failure of a mooted rescue plan involving support from lenders, a new rescue scheme is announced by Bear Stearns, which offers $3. 2bn for a bailout of a second fund the High Grade Structured Credit Fund. The bank previously had only $45m invested in this fundââ¬â¢s equity, according to William D Cohan in House of Cardsââ¬â¢. Bear Stearns later says it is providing $1. 6bn to the fund rather than the original $3. 2bn, citing the sale of assets. A decision is made not to rescue the High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Enhanced Leverage Fund, according to Cohan. August 3, 2007 Standard Poorââ¬â¢s downgrades the bankââ¬â¢s outlook to negative. The bank says that concerns over its situation are ââ¬Å"unwarrantedâ⬠as the hedge fund fallout represented ââ¬Å"isolated incidentsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"by no means a broader indicationâ⬠of the bankââ¬â¢s performance, according to The Wall Street Journal. August 5, 2007 Bear Stearns president and co-chief operating officer Warren Spector resigns from the bank. Alan Schwartz is confirmed as sole president. Days later, the Associated Press reports that the bank sends letters to clients reassuring them of its financial position. September 10, 2007 British billionaire Joseph Lewis expresses his confidence in the future of the bank by acquiring a 7% stake, becoming one of the largest shareholders. October 5, 2007 Federal prosecutors launch an investigation into the collapse of the Bear Stearns hedge funds. November/December 2007 Chief financial officer Sam Molinaro says that the bank has been ââ¬Å"very conservative and aggressiveâ⬠in its revaluations, according to Dow Jones Newswires. On December 10, MarketWatch reports that the bank has written down $1. 9bn related to mortgage exposure. January 8, 2008 Chief executive Jimmy Cayne steps down after widespread criticism of his hands-off response to the events of the previous year. He remains as chairman. He is replaced at the top by Alan Schwartz. In the same month, the bank announces the closure of a third fund, the Bear Stearns Asset Backed Securities Fund. Bloomberg reports that this fund has suffered a decline of 39% of its value over a year. February, 2008 Hedge fund Peloton Partners, run by Goldman alumnus Ron Beller, collapses following its exposure to asset-backed securities. March 2008 Carlyle Capital, a hedge fund based in Amsterdam, collapses as concerns over exposures to mortgages begin to multiply, causing a squeeze on lines of funding. By March 5, insurance premiums on Bear Stearns debt have risen from $50,000 per $10m of debt at the beginning of 2005 to $350,000 per $10m debt, according to William D Cohan. It soon reaches $700,000. Monday, March 10, 2008 The companyââ¬â¢s stock falls 11% to its lowest level in five years following a Moodyââ¬â¢s downgrade of portions of its mortgage bond holdings, writes Cohan. The bank denies rumours that it is in trouble. Investors look for ways to bet on further falls in the bankââ¬â¢s stock. Tuesday, March 11, 2008 ING Groep, the Dutch bank, cancels $500m of short-term funding for Bear Stearns, according to The Wall Street Journal, following an example set by Rabobank. According to a press release, the Federal Reserve announces an unprecedented lending facility in which collateral can be exchanged for funding, but the scheme cannot be accessed until March 27. In another important incident, cited by Cohen in ââ¬ËHouse of Cardsââ¬â¢, Goldman Sachs refuses to stand in for Hayman Capital in a trade with Bear Stearns, suggesting hemorrhaging confidence among major financial players. Wednesday. March 12, 2008 Overnight markets for funding begin to dry up, while institutions continue to deny short-term lending to Bear Stearns. Hedge funds and other investors continue in their attempts to extract their money from Bear Stearns, which is rapidly approaching a funding crisis. Thursday, March 13, 2008. As customers continue to withdraw funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York Federal Reserve begin discussions on the crisis. In a meeting on Thursday night, reported by Cohen, it is discovered that outgoings at the firm can no longer be maintained, with the firm effectively running out of cash during the afternoon. Lawyers are summoned to discuss the options for bankruptcy, while a deal with JP Morgan Chase is sought. After late night negotiations, JP Morgan agrees in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that it will provide secured funding to Bear Sterns for an initial period of up to 28 days. Friday, March 14, 2008 The cobbled-together deal fails to assuage the markets. Investors continue to pull money from the bank over the course of the day. By the evening, it is clear that a solution will have to be devised over the weekend if the bank is to survive. Saturday, March 15- Sunday, March 16, 2008 JP Morgan says it cannot do a deal without support from the Federal Reserve, due to the large number of toxic securities on the books of Bear Stearns. In response, the Fed approves a loan of $30bn saying that it is necessary to avoid ââ¬Å"serious disruptions in the financial marketsâ⬠. JP Morgan offers just $2 per share for the bank, a large loss for those whose stock was worth $30 on Friday, $60 the week before and over $150 a year before. Bondholders will be rescued by the deal, which is accepted by the board of Bear Stearns on Sunday morning. Wrangles with JP Morgan over a contract situation which potentially leaves the bank liable for funding Bear Stearns without claiming full ownership result in brinkmanship from Bear Sterns. A final price of $10 per share is agreed, with a value of $1. 45bn attached to the equity. March 25 Bear Stearns chief executive Jimmy Cayne and his wife sell 5. 66 million shares in the bank for $61. 34m, which, according to Cohan, represented a $1bn loss on the bankââ¬â¢s stock. May 29 The final Bear Stearns shareholder meeting takes place, at which former CEO Cayne speaks of his sadness at the firmââ¬â¢s demise, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing guests present.
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