Fiji Red Cross Society Essay

Nearly 9,000 individuals have been forced from their homes by heavy rains and flooding in the western and central divisions of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. According to weather officials, more major storms are set to impact the Pacific Islands. Five people have already lost their lives, with two additional unconfirmed fatalities, and thousands more have sought safety in more than 100 evacuation centres on Viti Levu. The Fiji Red Cross Society has played a vital role in planning for and meeting the humanitarian needs of many of those displaced during this emergency. â€Å"The Fiji Red Cross Society has taken a proactive role in monitoring this dangerous situation and providing the necessary assistance to affected populations,† says the society’s disaster coordinator Vuli Gauna. â€Å"Assessments are underway, and we’ve already sent our emergency response teams into impacted communities with essential relief supplies for families most affected by the floods. If more assistance is needed, we stand ready to help.† Emergency teams In the coming days, distributions of relief supplies will likely include clothing, cooking items, eating utensils, water collection containers, and tools for temporary shelter such as tarpaulins. The Fiji Red Cross Society has 19 pre-positioned containers ready for distributions of emergency items. â€Å"We work as an important part of a mandated coordinated disaster response network in Fiji,† says Fiji Red Cross Society director general Alison Cupit. â€Å"We are based in communities throughout the islands and our volunteers work with the government and other partners on both preparedness and response to significant disasters. This collaboration is an essential component of our ability to serve those who need our help.† In a demonstration of their focus on preparedness, Fiji Red Cross Society volunteers began encouraging families to heed evacuation warnings as early as 8 January, two days before the flooding began, and disaster relief experts have been supporting emergency response activities for the past five days. Relief programme Fiji Red Cross emergency response teams are conducting damage assessments which will inform specific elements of their ongoing relief programme. The society’s branch office in Ba has been serving as a temporary evacuation centre and Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers have provided support to families forced them to leave their homes in other communities as well. Warning Fiji residents about the impact of additional storms, Gauna stresses: â€Å"We have seen this past weekend what bad flooding can do, so let’s learn from this and prepare ourselves for what’s coming. Prepare for yourself an emergency pack that contains canned food, dry clothes, warm blankets, a first aid kit, and water to last you two days. These things can save your life. 0 0 0 6A Fiji Red Cross four wheel drive ambulance makes its way along muddy roads to the village of Wainibuka. (p18856) (Fiji Red Cross Society) Jason Smith, IFRC, Asia Pacific zone Nearly 9,000 individuals have been forced from their homes by heavy rains and flooding in the western and central divisions of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. According to weather officials, more major storms are set to impact the Pacific Islands. Five people have already lost their lives, with two additional unconfirmed fatalities, and thousands more have sought safety in more than 100 evacuation centres on Viti Levu. The Fiji Red Cross Society has played a vital role in planning for and meeting the humanitarian needs of many of those displaced during this emergency. â€Å"The Fiji Red Cross Society has taken a proactive role in monitoring this dangerous situation and providing the necessary assistance to affected populations,† says the society’s disaster coordinator Vuli Gauna. â€Å"Assessments are underway, and we’ve already sent our emergency response teams into impacted communities with essential relief supplies for families most affected by the floods. If more assistance is needed, we stand ready to help.† Emergency teams In the coming days, distributions of relief supplies will likely include clothing, cooking items, eating utensils, water collection containers, and tools for temporary shelter such as tarpaulins etc.The Fiji Red Cross Society has 19 pre-positioned containers ready for distributions of emergency items. â€Å"We work as an important part of a mandated coordinated disaster response network in Fiji,† says Fiji Red Cross Society director general Alison Cupit. â€Å"We are based in communities throughout the islands and our volunteers work with the government and other partners on both preparedness and response to significant disasters. This collaboration is an essential component of our ability to serve those who need our help.† Especially the families in the western division of Fiji â€Å"Viti Levu†. women’s crisis centre society. Our next subject or topic we’ll be talkin about is on â€Å"womens crisis centre†. womens crisis centre is a society which is there to help you womens only with anything that makes you feel offended or makes you feel that it is a crisis.Even if it is a lilttle thing? and it makes you feel offended they will try their best to make you feel safe,secured and supported . what makes you feel unsafe in this world? what makes you scared and unsecured? is it the looks of men? sound of their voice? movement of their body? the way they touch you? even if it is a small thing and it makes you feel unsafe â€Å"Fiji’s Women’s Crisis Centre† fiji red cross society Beauty queen of only eighteen She had some trouble with herself He was always there to help her She always belonged to someone else I drove for miles and miles And wound up at your door I’ve had you so many times but somehow I want more I don’t mind spending everyday Out on your corner in the pouring rain Look for the girl with the broken smile Ask her if she wants to stay awhile And she will be loved She will be loved Tap on my window knock on my door I want to make you feel beautiful I know I tend to get so insecure It doesn’t matter anymore It’s not always rainbows and butterflies It’s compromise that moves us along, yeah My heart is full and my door’s always open You can come anytime you want I don’t mind spending everyday Out on your corner in the pouring rain Look for the girl with the broken smile Ask her if she wants to stay awhile And she will be loved And she will be loved And she will be loved And she will be loved I know where you hide Alone in your car Know all of the things that make you who you are I know that goodbye means nothing at all Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls Tap on my window knock on my door I want to make you feel beautiful I don’t mind spending everyday Out on your corner in the pouring rain Look for the girl with the broken smile Ask her if she wants to stay awhile And she will be loved And she will be loved And she will be loved And she will be loved [in the background] Please don’t try so hard to say goodbye Please don’t try so hard to say goodbye Yeah [softly] I don’t mind spending everyday Out on your corner in the pouring rain Try so hard to say goodbyeTop of Form Bottom of Form ————————————————- Top of Form Enter artist/album/so Shorty get down, good Lord Baby got them open up all over town Strictly biz she don’t play around Cover much ground, got game by the pound Getting paid is a forte Each and every day true player way I can’t get her outta my mind I think about the girl all the time I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up Baby I like the way you work it, No diggity, I got to bag it up Baby, I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up Baby I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up Babe I like the way you work it No diggity, I got to bag it up My Worst Nightmare By Dream Healer Weeouw alk again, how to cope with day-to-day life while carrying around a gaping hole and the ridiculously heavy weight of a broken heart. Never had my faith brought up so many questions, yet at the same time become all I had. Learning to walk again seemed an impossible task. What do you do when the bottom falls out of your life? When you’re left alone and your heart has been smashed to pieces? â€Å"Guard your heart† we’re warned for good reason – when your heart is in complete brokenness, life is beyond difficult. But this wasn’t anything I could have guarded against. My husband, my best friend, gone. Everything changed for the worse. I wanted to run away but I had nowhere to run to where my grief would not follow. I didn’t believe I could ever feel any better. I knew hope that I would one day be in heaven, but had little hope of any day until then being any easier than the complete desperation I knew. God’s promise to be â€Å"close to the broken-hearted’ got me through the day, but His promise to â€Å"heal the broken-hearted† was something I’d have to wait for heaven for – wasn’t it? Every morning I’d wake again to the reality that he wasn’t there. It wasn’t just a bad dream. â€Å"God, you’re going to have to help me through today,† I’d whisper through the tears. Every night when I fell into bed at a ridiculous hour, I would soak my pillow with more tears. The day may have been agony, but God had been there. â€Å"You don’t deserve this,† said a friend. The words hit me. Just as I hadn’t done anything to deserve the beauty of my relationship with Ems, neither was this about what I did or didn’t deserve. From the start I knew that, horrendous as it was, this must be about something much bigger than us. Asking â€Å"why?† was a futile waste of energy but knowing that there was an answer, even if I didn’t know it, gave me peace and purpose. The strength that would be mine as time went on wasn’t through any training of my own but through the tear-stained surrender each morning. Living one day at a time, I would slowly see glimmers of purpose as God allowed my brokenness to reach out to others. Though a world away from life before, once that purpose became more important than my comfort, I would learn to live again. Not even the grave could conquer my experience of knowing what it is to love and be loved. And now I know that, like in the back of that campervan on that beautiful day, my eyes can again well up with the anticipation of a brighter day and the adventure ahead. Watch this video of Ruthie sharing her story at our event at Momentum 2012: We found God in a hopeless place. In April this year I moved from London to Cornwall which has been a dream of mine for years. I can’t emphasise enough how huge this was for me. I was happier than I ever thought possible. I kept pinching myself because I couldn’t believe it had happened. I had handed in my notice at work and was longing for the day when I didn’t have to manage stressful IT projects which I was finding more and more soul destroying. Finally I was to have the life of my dreams, living in Cornwall with a fulfilling job and a little dog to take for walks on the beach – bliss. I had to move with my 81 year old Dad as I had been living with him for 5 years since Mum died, but he was all for it, looking forward to seeing out his life by the sea and the house we bought had a lovely sea view. My only child, my son Toby who was 23 had been living with us for the past year, and we gave him the option to come with us but all his friends were in Cambridge where he had attended University so he went to lodge with a friend and I said I would pay his rent for 6 months until he found a job and could stand on his own two feet. I felt this was a chance for him to finally be independent and make a life of his own. But then it all came crashing down and I still can’t quite take it in. On Sunday July 10th a young policeman knocked on my door at precisely 10 p.m. I know the time as a movie ‘Marley and Me’ had just finished and I was watching the highlights of the British Grand Prix. It was just like a scene from a TV programme where they tell you to sit down and in that moment you know your life will never be the same again. He told me that my beautiful 23 year old son was dead, and in the next sentence he added that he had taken his own life. I didn’t fall to the floor in hysterics as I would have thought. I just immediately went into shock and had to go and tell my Dad upstairs who thought I was so upset because of the end of Marley and Me, where the dog dies. I was pacing up and down muttering and putting the kettle on just in shock. But not once did I scream or cry or break down and I kept commenting on the fact. I kept asking this young policeman why I wasn’t on the floor sobbing. The next 3 weeks I just got on with seeing my son’s body, meeting his friends, arranging his funeral, having an endoscopy, going to the dentist, having the chimney swept, driving from Cornwall to Cambridge and back again twice. How did I do that?. I bought a puppy as I was so scared that if I didn’t have anything to live for when I got back that I would just walk out into the sea and end it all. It is the ultimate irony that suicide can cause suicidal thoughts for the loved ones left behind, where there never had been any before. Then on August 2nd I took my Dad for a routine check up and was told in the hospital waiting room that he had a tumour in his bladder and that it was cancerous. This can’t be happening I thought but it was. So now it is December 7th and Dad is gone too and I am all alone. Dad died on November 19th, I had to go to my son’s inquest on November 25th and hear how he had been found in a field with a bag over his head, then arrange my Dad’s funeral. So that is all behind me but what does it mean for me now. How do I process all this and get on with my life. Some days it is all just too huge and I feel scared. Other days I just get up, take the dog out, have lunch and go about my day and feel numb, devoid of any emotion. I am scared that if I let the emotion in it will devour me and there will be nothing left. Everyone keeps telling me how brave I am, how amazing I am, how strong I am? Am I? I just think I get up every day and breath in and out until it is time to go to bed. What other option do I have? So this blog will chart my journey into the unknown. How does a 55 year old woman, alone with no parents, no children, no partner rebuild her life and find meaning and purpose out of loss and tragedy. Watch this space.

Apple Is a Good Investment Essay

Yes, apple would be a good investment? because it has stocks that are rising sky-high right now! Apple is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computers software and personal computers. The company’s best know hardware products include the iPod, and the iphone and the ipad. Apple software includes the Mac OS X operating system and the iTunes media Brower; The three reasons why I would invest in apple are because apple’s market share as a computer marker is on a strong up trend is now up 17.6 percent. Another reason why I would invest in apple is that apple retail stores are the best performing stores in the USA but last but not least I would invest in apple is because apple dominates the music download industry. Apple is a good decision? Because the following are the various reasons why investment in Apple Corporation is a good investment, the balance is one of the financial statements which help the investor in decision making in the company. The source of data is from the above balance sheet statement the other assets in the long term category of the above balance sheet have also increased which shows financial performance of the company is better. The total current liabilities have also decreased compared? The results compare to revenue of $7.51 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.05 billion or $1.16 per diluted share in the year ago. In March 28 2009 the company posted revenue of $8.16 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.21 billion or $1.33 per diluted share. Apple current liabilities from 2005 was 3,484,000 into 2009 11,506,000 in the apple’s balance sheet , which shows all of their assets, liabilities and their stockholder equity just about everything listed on the balance sheet is pretty important but for simplicities sale we’ll just go over cash receivables and inventory on the assets sides† pulse accounts payable on the â€Å"liabilities sides†

Politics of the 1980s Essay

The 1980s were marked by the election of Ronald Reagan to the presidential office.   The Republican Party had succeeded in gaining control of the Senate for the first time since 1954 (Spartacus Educational, 2007).   Conservatism, the ideals and goals of the new Republican president, began to change politics, religion, and the economy of the United States.   Reagan had many visions that appealed highly to social conservatives.   This paper will discuss the political issues during the Reagan administration. During the presidential campaign of 1980, a highly critical event was occurring under President James Carter.   In the conflict between Iran and Iraq, several Americans had been taken hostage by Iran.   President Carter was attempting to negotiate the release of the hostages.   Is successful, this move could prove dangerous to Reagan’s campaign.   After Iraq invaded Iran in September 1980, Carter proposed a deal with Iran that would provide much needed parts and equipment in exchange for the American hostages.   Because of the large amount of media coverage, President Carter was unsuccessful in this attempt. Ronald Reagan, however, was able to promise Iran that they would receive the parts and equipment, provided that the hostages were released.   Reagan won the election against Carter.   The hostages were released after Reagan was sworn into office.   Reagan gained the public’s confidence by being successful where Carter could not be: getting the hostages released and returned home.   William Casey, appointed by Reagan as CIA director, arranged delivery of the equipment and parts to Iran.   All the promises that were made to Iran, by Reagan, had been fulfilled.   Unfortunately, Iran now had the means to make attacks against the United States (Spartacus, 2007). Reagan’s political goals appealed to the social conservatives of the nation.   Unfortunately, Reagan’s social goals did not gain as much widespread attention as his economic and military goals.   Regan sought to cut taxes and increase military spending (Davidson et al, 2002). Reagan’s main goal was to weaken big government by using a supply-side economic theory.   By implementing a huge tax cut, the economy would be stimulated enough to raise tax revenues.   Critics argued that economic expansion would be slowed greatly.   Reagan chose higher employment and weakened unions as methods to combat inflation (Davidson et al, 2002). Reagonomics, the term used to describe Reagan’s economic policies, eventually led to a recession (Davidson et al, 2002).   Big corporations had to unwillingly yield regarding wages and work conditions.   Ultimately, the interactions between the aspects of Reagan’s policies caused conflict.   Weidenbaum (1997) stated: â€Å"Monetary restraint was the key to unwinding inflation, as well as precipitating sharp recession.   Recession, in turn, delayed the beneficial effects of the tax cuts on investment and pushed the budget deficit to unprecedented heights†¦Ironically, it was the enactment of tax cuts unmatched by spending cuts that scared the Fed into a tighter monetary policy.   The subsequent recession caused serious budgetary imbalance.† In addressing his military goals, Reagan chose to raise the spending budget.   Reagan’s desire was to create a force that could act against threats of Communism world-wide, on its own.   This was a task not easily carried out previously (Davidson et al, 2002). The largest increases of the military spending budget were allotted for expensive nuclear weapons system.   The defense planners of the Reagan administration brought back the antinuclear peace movements with Europe and America.   The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) had the purpose of establishing a missile defense system that was to be based in space. Even though the economic aspects of Reagan’s political goals were conflicting with each other, the public’s confidence was still strong.   Reagan’s publicity was so sound that it seemed impenetrable.   Reagan easily won the 1984 presidential election (Davidson et al, 2002). Reagan adopted the same attitudes toward foreign policy as the rest of his political agenda.   Reagan was a strong believer that the United States should stand tall and proud.   Unfortunately, growing problems overseas proved that maintaining order was quite problematic. Reagan, in trying to help a war torn region gain peace, sent American members of the Marines to Lebanon.   The American peacekeepers were soon forced into the middle of a civil war.   Terrorists blew up a U.S. military barrack, killing 241 people.   The President ordered the troops to leave immediately (Davidson et al, 2002). Growing problems in other nations were occurring as well.   By the middle of 1985, there were two major problems that demanded immediate attention.   â€Å"First, Congress had forbidden support of the Contras in Nicaragua.   And second, Iranian-backed terrorists continued to hold American hostages in Lebanon† (Davidson et al, 2002). Controversy soon took control.   Reagan had found a way to negotiate the release of the hostages in Lebanon.   If the U.S. sold Iran a few weapons, they might, in turn, persuade Lebanon to release the hostages.   In a year’s time, there had been four secret shipments of weapons to Iran.   Only one hostage was released.   This exchange of weapons for hostages was not only a failure, but completely contradictory to the President’s solemn promise to never pay a ransom to terrorists (Davidson et al, 2002). Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and NSA Advisor Robert McFarlane had discovered a way to secretly aid the Nicaraguan Contras.   McFarlane was able to convince Saudi Arabia to deposit a large amount of money into a savings account where it could then be laundered.   Oliver North then spent the money on weapons that were sent through Central America (Davidson et al, 2002). Because information of the two secret operations had been leaked, there were hearings held.   The scandal had been named â€Å"Irongate,† comparing it to Richard Nixon’s scandal.   The hearings soon ended.   Reagan’s improving relations with the Soviets helped to restore confidence once again (Davidson et al, 2002). In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev entered the Kremlin.   In December 1987, Reagan met with Gorbachev to sign the Intermediate Nuclear Force treaty, in which both sides would destroy any intermediate-range nuclear missiles with ranges of 600 to 3400 miles.   Both sides agreed to on-site inspections of any missile bases (Davidson et al, 2002). With the presidential election of 1988 growing near, Reagan could now take credit for the positive results of relations with the Soviets.   George H.W. Bush, the Vice President, seemed to be the rightful Republican heir.   â€Å"Bush vowed a continuation of Reagan’s policies and in foreign affairs he was as aggressive as his predecessor† (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition; 2007). As a conclusion, Lawrence Kudlow (1997) stated: â€Å"It was Ronald Reagan who led this Revolution, who established this new higher ground, who provided us with the spirit, the vision, and the road map which is today still being followed by the most successful politicians on the world scene.† References Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition. (2007). â€Å"United States.† New York: Columbia University Press; 52958 pgs. Davidson et al. (2002) Nations of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Republic, 3rd edition, Vol. 2. Kudlow, L. (1997). â€Å"Reagonomics: What Worked? What Didn’t?† Keynote Address delivered to the Center of the American Experiment. [electronic] Accessed at http://www.kudlow.com/pdfs/Reagonomics.pdf Spartacus Educational. (2008). â€Å"Ronald Reagan.† Accessed at http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAreagan.htm Weidenbaum, M. (1997) â€Å"Reagonomics – Its Remarkable Results.† Christian Science Monitor, December 18, 1997. Accessed at http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/1997/12/18/opin/opin.2.html

Exploring How Constructions of Power Operate in and Among Communities Essay

Exploring How Constructions of Power Operate in and Among Communities and Institutions - Essay Example In Asia, on the other hand, another continent where the world's poor may be found, 432,000 people became newly infected, raising the total number of infected people to 4.8 million. While there have been some increase in the number of HIV/AIDS victims in the more prosperous parts of the world like Europe and the United States, the increase in the developing countries are sharper and therefore more alarming. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is a virus that infects human cells and the virus grows and reproduces by feeding of the nutrients of healthy human cells. HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS which stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus, and in this case, the body's immune system breaks down and can no longer ward off infections that come in. These infections that come in are called "opportunistic infections" because they take advantage of a deteriorating immune system. The virus can be transmitted via sexual intercourse - this could be vaginal, anal or oral - whether in heterosexual or homosexual relations, sharing needles or syringes or infection during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. There are plenty of global initiative... The initiatives are in the nature of prevention advocacy - wherein grassroots level education is being promoted and awareness is being pushed so that governments are pressured to do something concrete for their people who are suffering from the illness - as well as curative strategies to democratize health care and medication. One such initiative is the amFAR or the Foundation for AIDS Research. In its website (www.amfar.org), the organization described itself as follows: Founded in 1985, amfAR is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. With the freedom and flexibility to respond quickly to emerging areas of scientific promise, amfAR plays a catalytic role in accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research and achieving real breakthroughs. amfAR-funded research has increased our understanding of HIV and has helped lay the groundwork for major advances in the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Since 1985, amfAR has invested $260 million in its mission and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide. The amFAR has helped by funding research critical to the development of essential medication that has led to the reduction of HIV/AIDS cases, such as protease inhibitors, Fuzeon and maraviroc. For prevention, it has also funded research for new technology to prevent the spread of the virus and supported programs to provide sterile syringes, which would help reduce AIDS intravenous transmission. It has also funded education programs, most notably in Nepal, and in the Asia Pacific region. In legislative work, the organization also has played an important law in the drafting of AIDS prevention legislation by the

The Effect Of Advertising On Men As Consumers From 1880-1930 And Its Research Paper

The Effect Of Advertising On Men As Consumers From 1880-1930 And Its Impact On American Culture - Research Paper Example â€Å"Consumption has long been central to American identity, culture, economic development and politics† (Glickman 1), and it has been termed as the national pastime of the United States. Consumerism or the various ideologies and movements built around consumption forms the core of economics and politics. America is known as a ‘consumer society’, this concept includes material wealth, infrastructure, an economy dominated by mass production and mass consumption, political factors and the country’s national identity. It is essential to study the male consumer to break the association of consumerism and consumption with women and feminity which distorts history’s perspective of gendered consumerism. The Role of Men in Consumerism and Advertising Swiencicki (p.238) states that â€Å"American men consumed about twice as many recreational and leisure goods as women†, spending about 30 percent of the family’s income for this purpose. Further, male consumption and consumerism are neither marginal nor dependent on women. Late-Victorian, non-rural white men appear to have spent a great deal of free time consuming numerous goods and services. However, it would be inaccurate to consider either men or women as the primary consumers. Men are primary consumers of commercialized leisure, entertainment, and recreation; while women are primary consumers of domestic and family goods (Swiencicki 238). ... The Role of Men in Consumerism and Advertising Swiencicki (p.238) states that â€Å"American men consumed about twice as many recreational and leisure goods as women†, spending about 30 percent of the family’s income for this purpose. Further, male consumption and consumerism are neither marginal nor dependent on women. Late-Victorian, non-rural white men appear to have spent a great deal of free time consuming numerous goods and services. However, it would be inaccurate to consider either men or women as the primary consumers. Men are primary consumers of commercialized leisure, entertainment, and recreation; while women are primary consumers of domestic and family goods (Swiencicki 238). According to Heilmann & Beetham (pp.127-128), women are responsible for 75 percent of purchases, therefore advertising should be subtly modified to motivate women to buy. Women are understood as responsive to visual and emotional appeal. Hence advertisements aimed to offer a positive image of women which they would like to identify with. For example, using New Woman imagery, a series of advertisements for brandy run in BIZ in 1923 featured women several times larger than the men in the picture. These advertisements with an underlying flirtatiousness portrayed men as dependent on women who were stronger than them, and also appeared reassuring. While the woman is depicted as posing coquettishly, the tiny man pleads with her to allow him to have some of the brandy she holds in a bottle behind her back. Similarly, a robin in a top hat perches on a woman’s hand to drink the brandy she holds. On the other hand, Swiencicki (p.214) argues that â€Å"pre-Depression, white men consumed many commodities that were not purchased by women†. Many if not most men’s leisure and social

Why i want to be in paralegal program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why i want to be in paralegal program - Essay Example It may seem strange, but to us, family that seemed at a loss to explain their sorrow and misery or make sense of what had happened, the calm and collected way the lawyers and their team discussed the case with us offered us much assistance in the bereavement process. That is one of the major reasons why I want to become a paralegal, and have applied to the Fairleigh Dickinson University Paralegal Program. Through my work, I want to make a difference in the society. I will be assisting lawyers in their quest for justice. While I know that my beliefs regarding the profession and what it entails are a bit utopian, however, I feel that getting in this program would help me in my goal of helping those in time of need. I am very adept at research and have excellent writing skills, aptitudes much sought for in paralegals. What is more, I am a very hardworking individual. Getting into this program would mark my first step in my future goal of assisting lawyers involved in the criminal justice system.

Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Intellectual Property - Essay Example The United Kingdom has had matters to do with intellectual property as well as rights for the same. This paper looks into some of the implications on the same with reference to technical protection measures as well as anti-circumvention provisions as captured in certain sections of UK’s legislation on property rights. Copyright monopoly refers to the private ownership of a product by the producer. The government protects the right of the ownership through written acts to safeguard the production of counterfeits by unauthorized owners. In order to obtain the copyright monopoly, the government requires the producer to do an original registration of the full details of the product. The produces must have a license for the product for him or her to have the property right. The effect is that whenever a counterfeit to the same product appears in the market, the producer has the right to complain and even sue the counterfeit producers. Upon primary and secondary infringement of copy right 16-21, the perpetrator is liable for a legal suit in the UK intellectual property law. The same infringement attracts termination of the product from the market. Infringement of the laws applies to the licensed products, whose owners had been conferred with the full ownership license and rights. Murungi, Michale. Report from the law via internet conference. Vol,6 No.3. 2013, November, pp. 12-113. Cyber Law Issues concerning law and jurisdiction are currently taking a new course that employs the current technological advancements. Nowadays, internet has turned out to be part of the largest communication network that is becoming increasingly indispensable for every one across the globe to take part in social, cultural, and political discourse. In addition, internet has recently been deduced to be the linchpin of the democratic society as well as the social media platforms, which are being necessitated, in participatory democracy. Legal actions can, off late, comfortably be handl ed using the online services. Most online databases and data mining techniques can be used to harvest data from different sources. The counsel pursuant may end up carrying the burden due to the added costs of every part of the processes, which begins from the study and the case of support to planned giving. In such a case, it is usual for the personal jurisdiction to be improper in terms of the venue. The imageline’s complaint should completely be dismissed leaving the pursuant to carry the double cost. However, this can be quite different if the personal jurisdiction as well as the venue is found to be proper. The conveniences of the witnesses and parties will work in line with the concerns of efficiency. Simma, Bruno.Universality of International Law from the Perspective of a Practitioner. 2013, October. Legal perspective Similarly, the involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to uncover the undertakings brings in a legal aspect whereby factors such as fraud are i nvestigated and initiators prosecuted. Similarly, one gets exonerated on the basis that he corporate with the investigating authorities to nail the stork brokers fraud schemers. However, for instance, his father is not prosecuted for the role he played in concealing his illegal business a factor not blending well with effective legal systems. This emanates from the constitutional directive that protecting anyone who breaks the law is practicing crime as well. Nate, Raymond U.S. judge weighs penalties after Bank of America fraud verdict. 2013, December Frauds Despite being a vital invention in the modern world, the business technology and its users have in the recent past been a target

Researching crime - project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Researching crime - project - Essay Example You have been kicked, punched, thrown into walls and beaten to the point that you can no longer feel the pain of new wounds that have embed themselves on your flesh. You are scared and alone and have no clue as to why your class fellows or any other person in the school show a constant anger towards you. What do you do, whom do you turn to, and what will happen if you cry out for help?   In this situation a school counselor is your only hope. But if he is shying in reporting the abuse, you will definitely be in a very difficult situation. School counselors can play a great role in preventing child abuse in schools. Reporting abuse often becomes an ethical dilemma because of difficult interactions among several factors. These factors include diverse professional contexts, legal requirements, professional-ethical standards, and the conditions of suspected abuse. Child abuse is any maltreatment or neglect of a child that results in non-accidental damage or injury which is uncalled for. It transcended through generations and across race, class and ethnicity. Historical evidence tells that children were perceived as nothing more than property and were subjected to various forms of mistreatment. They are beaten, enslaved, prostituted and even killed at the hands of parents and guardians upon whom they are dependant. According to Gelles and Straus (1979a), "the family is perhaps the most violent social group and the home the most violent social setting, in our society† (p. 15). Every year, tens of thousands of children are distressed by physical, sexual, and emotional abuse or by caregivers who disregard them, making child abuse as recurrent as it is revolting. A child has a considerably higher chance of being killed or brutally injured by their parents than by any one else around them. Collins and Coltrane (1995) highlight this point by s aying that â€Å"for children,

Aquina Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aquina Paper - Essay Example They are still important despite the overlapping with the other truths because it is vital that aside from philosophical science developed by human reason, there must be â€Å"theology† learned through divine revelation (Pojman & Vaughn 52-54). There are no justifications why such knowledge that could be learned through philosophical science, so long as it can be learned through natural reason, could not be learned through sacred science or theology either. Aquinas then explained that there are two forms of science, natural science and higher science. Sacred Doctrine is a science because it progresses from norms coming from higher science, specifically the science of God. He used the example of a musician who trusts in the teachings of a mathematician by reason of authority; the same can be said of sacred science, which is founded on knowledge from God’s revelation. He further argues that Sacred Doctrine is the noblest of sciences because it focuses on the noblest subject matter, which is God, and it offers the most graciously gratifying certainty because it expresses God’s authority. Also, Sacred Doctrine directs us to the noblest objective, which is toward eternal happiness with God. Sacred Doctrine is knowledge, which offers us the most profound and meaningful wisdom of our unending worth and guides us toward its attainment. These premises lead to a single conclusion-- therefore, an unmoved First Mover is real and existent. Whether these premises are valid, invalid, or sound require further examination. Validity is the value of being accurately, empirically, and concretely logical or justifiable; invalidity refers to a lack of factual reliability; soundness refers to the validity of the premises and conclusion. Through the Argument from Change, Aquinas illustrates that human reason has a role in Sacred doctrine not to verify or attest to the knowledge based on faith, but to shed light on â€Å"other things that are put forward in this doctrine†

Human behavior Essay Example for Free

Human behavior Essay Behavior of individuals in various settings is at times very difficult due to ethical constraints. This includes the investigation of why people take risks or gamble with their decision making processes. However, it is quite interesting to note that on situations which are not so threatening for individuals, it is apparent that people typically take risks in picking their options or when making their final choice. The following shows available data on human motivation and the theories surrounding the topic. Risk taking is defined as engaging in any activity with an uncertain outcome, as one scholar puts it. Theories of Motivation on Risk Taking Different theories describe and explain risk taking and why human beings are motivated to pursue or engage in activities or behavior that put their lives in much danger or create an element of risk of whatever form. The following are taken from current literature in the field of human behavior analysis. 1. Psychoanalytic or Psychodynamic Theory. Following the tradition of Freud, human motivation to take risks is taken from the basic understanding that when people feel fear in a certain situation or occasion, it is not good to overcome that fear. Freudian theory condemns outrightly risk taking as plain insanity. It reasons that to risk man’s very life has no warrant at all. It is nonsense. In other important spheres of life, however, to risk is inevitable and deemed necessary. There are many successful people in the business world who are known as risk takers (Llewellyn, 2003). They succeed, in fact, because of this unique attitude in them which is considered foolhardy in other realms. While it is true that life is the most precious commodity a man could ever possess, and to risk it is foolishness, it is equally true that not to risk at all in other areas means cowardice and immobility. Psychoanalysts even treat risk-taking behavior as a symptom of â€Å"a diseased mind. † Because for them, life is not to be gambled, therefore, it is insanity when someone chooses bungee-jumping as his/her sport (Llewellyn, 2003). 2. The Evolutionary Theory. Evolutionary theory explained man’s adventurous nature as simply an expression of his primal instincts (Llewellyn, 2003). Assuming that Darwin’s theory is correct, that man evolved from apes like common animal, a human early in the evolutionary process had to fight for his life to survive. This survival nature, according to this theory, is retained in modern man’s genetic make up (Llewellyn, 2003). This is the reason why even those people in the elite echelon of society choose to use their favorite sport like riding a dirigible as their campaign tool to promote their business. The problem with this theory is that it has remained to be unproven and lacking in evidences as yet. Humans are not proven to have descended from apes. 3. Contemporary Theories a. Extroversion and Introversion Personality theories contend that this two broad scope of personality traits capture the individual’s propensity towards behaving in certain ways. Extroversion helps explain why some people tend to be outgoing and hence, the greater the probability to engage in risky decisions (Llewellyn, 2003). b. Emotional Stability and Neuroticism This is another of the Contemporary theories that shed light on traits that remain stable over a period of time, clearly indicating which may best describe an individual and what differs him/her from another. Emotionally stable people, as those who posit on this model, may take risks but have taken many things to great lengths in order to get the best possible option or alternative (Llewellyn, 2003). Conversely, people who are more on the neuroticism side manifest the greater tendency to take risks without much weighing on the consequences. The tendency to be impulsive is to a higher degree present in individuals under this category. 4. Eysenck and Costa and McCrae’s model These two theorists added their own version to the array of personality theories. The former has the Psychoticism versus Humaneness dimension while the latter two theorists added three dimensions: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. The main argument against these classifications is its narrowness in explaining and categorizing the complexities that make human behavior (Llewellyn, 2003). While they help explore different behaviors or attitudes, there are more that remained unexplained. Until now, certain serial killers or murderers, defy the above mentioned explanations of human behavior. 5. The Zuckerman ‘Sensation Seeking Trait’ Although an expansion on one of the features of Psychoticism and Humaneness model, Sensation Seeking helps also explain the differences between individuals. There are people who do have a higher degree of this trait; like more men seek sensation-enhancing-experiences or â€Å"venturesome† traits, while others have very minimal of this trait. This is what Zuckerman refers to in his Sensation seeking trait theory. What other experts consider as this theory’s limitation is embedded in the matter of other personality traits’ influence on risk taking behavior other than this trait by itself. Studies reveal that the psychological profiles of risk takers are diverse and the universality of this trait is still further being investigated (Llewellyn, 2003). Risk taking is a fascinating area of interest for many students of human behavior. When explored through the eyes of a Psychoanalyst, the subject becomes even more intriguing because Freudian understanding possesses an attractive alternative to the more cognitive way of assessing risk taking behavior. When the subject of evolutionary psychology of explaining risk taking behavior is concerned, it contains a ring of truth in it that many today are convinced of its manner of explaining behavior. Instinct is still a potent facet in behavior that cannot be eradicated from the study of behavior of humans (Llewellyn, 2003). When people are confronted with the distinctiveness of the human personality, the dimensions are almost unlimited; some experts opt for the multi-dimensional method while others choose the narrow and concise way. All of these approaches have their strengths and weaknesses; degree of breadth and limitations. However, they are good and profitable for jumpstarting further explorations into the human psyche and its accompanying expressions. Reference: 1. Llewellyn, David J. 2003. The Psychology of Risk Taking. Accessed in www. risktaking. co. uk.

The Major Components Of Green Computing Information Technology Essay

The Major Components Of Green Computing Information Technology Essay As IT has become a major component in social infrastructure, it plays a vital role in humans life. Computing is a fast growing area which consumes energy a lot. A computer which performs well consumes lots of energy. It takes a lot of energy to create, package and retrieve data. With the development of the technologies, people tend to depend on these technologies more and more. It will lead us to many problems as energy is a non renewable resource. It will soon cost more to power a computer in future, than buying a new one today. Therefore we have to find methods, where we can minimize the wastage of energy while utilizing existing resources efficiently. Since computer plays a major role in our lives, demand for the energy, cost and wastage also increase dramatically. According to the Climate Saving Computing Initiative, the half of the power input to our PC is wasted without even reaching to the processor, memory, disk or any other component. Further, they have identified that added heat of the computer systems, inactive sleep and hibernate state of the computer and mal practices of using electronic equipments has a great impact in this energy wastage. It is estimated that out of $250 billion per year spent on powering computers worldwide only about 15% of that power is spent computing. The rest is wasted idling. Therefore, Green Computing is introduced in order to maximize the energy efficiency and increase the recyclability of products and the factory waste. Green Computing is focusing on creating technologies that help to preserve nature and minimize the bad effects of the technological development. Overview Green Computing is an echo friendly approach to the modern computing environment. It discusses about the ways of using computers in environmental friendly way. Â  The main focus of Green computing is reducing the environmental impact of industrial processes and innovative technologies caused by the Earths growing population and the ways of utilizing computer resources efficiently. It talks about serving social needs in a way which reduce the damage happen to the nature. Mainly this is talking about creating recyclable products, reducing pollution, providing alternatives to certain technological areas and etc. It is a concept which is already used in the IT environment. Researchers have found that most of the computers are not used for most of the time, but they are left running and many personal computers are left on unnecessarily. It leads to the high wastage of energy. These kinds of issues are also considered in Green Computing. It also talks about proper disposal of electronic w aste. Eco Friendly Computing Green Computing is also known as Green IT. Environmental sustainability, Energy efficiency, and the cost of disposal and recycling also includes in Green IT. History The Energy Star program commenced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 was the first voluntary labelling program designed to promote and recognize energy efficiency. It is basically designed to promote and recognize energy efficiency in monitors, climate control equipments and other technologies. The term Green Computing immerged shortly after this Energy Star Program. The first function launched as a result of the Green Computing researches was the sleep mode function of computer monitor. Approaches to Green Computing In order to gain the environmental sustainability and efficient use of energy through computing there are four main paths to be taken. Green Use Using the computers and other related products in an efficient manner where the energy consumption is minimized. Green Disposal Reusing old computers, properly disposing and recycling other unwanted products. Green Design Designing energy efficient and environmentally friendly computers and accessories. Green Manufacturing Manufacturing computers and other related equipments in a way that they have a minimal effect to the environment. These four steps can be further spanned in to number of activities and areas. Efficient use of energy Power saving Server virtualization Environmental sustainable designing Responsible disposal and recycle Risk mitigation Use of renewable energy sources Eco- labelling Use of Green methodologies and assessment tools. As an initial step to the Green Computing the work habits of the individual computer users have to be changed. Most of the energy wastages regarding the personal computer usage happen because of the false beliefs regarding the computer usage. For an instance, people belief that when turning off a computer and turning on it back uses more energy than it leaving on. But the actual energy consumption of the computer when it boots up, is far less than the energy it uses when left on for more than three minutes. Further the use of notebook computers rather than using personal computers will also save energy. Moreover, people think that screen savers do save energy. But the fact is that they are designed to increase the lifetime of monochrome monitors. The screen savers will save energy if they actually turn off the screen or turn off the backlight of the laptops. By letting the users get to know about these facts will change their habits and it will lead to power utilization. When it comes to organizational level, many organizations have undertaken various kinds of activities as an approach to this Green IT. Telecommuting Virtualization VoIP Organizations have allowed their workers to work while being at home. This will help to reduce fuel emission at transportation. They are given all the necessary facilities to work. This is known as telecommuting. Virtualization refers to the consolidation of servers. It allows to two or more logical computer systems to run in one physical hardware. This leads minimum power consumption and maximum cooling. VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology of voice transmission over internet or other packet switched networks. It reduces the telephone wiring infrastructure and is low cost. It is method of reducing metallic waste. Green business practices Green IT isnt just about energy efficiencies but also about operational efficiencies that can improve the organization. In most of the organizations, Green IT is practiced because of the explicit business drivers such as cost and the availability of the energy, cost of the equipments, cost of the data centres, business process optimization and performance and efficiency. When focusing on business optimization, few areas can be targeted which energy demand can be reduced and growth can be increased with the help of IT. Server and storage utilization and consolidation Server, storage, and application virtualization Technology and information life cycle strategies Energy measurement and management Green Information Strategy Under Green Information Strategy, the ways of managing and retaining information has been defined. The ways of collecting, classifying and archiving information are introduced in Green Information Strategy. It involves several key steps: Understanding the requirements for information retention and availability. Determining infrastructure requirements. Conducting continual strategic planning to meet economic and business conditions and demand. Measuring progress and adjusting the strategies. Information Lifecycle Management is a set of concepts which helps organizations to build processes and implement best practices for creating, storing, archiving, and dispose data. A variety of technologies and methodologies can be used in order to optimize the storage utilization. Then the amount of storage required and the energy used to power will be reduced. Maximizing data centre and server room efficiency Designing a data centre for maximum efficiency is complex and requires input from many disciplines not normally associated with IT. But most of the organizations dont have data centres. They have their IT equipments in a sever room. Server room is a data centre operated in a small scale. Here are few facts that have to be considered when designing a server room. Raised floor in computer rooms was the general accepted norm since vacuum tube era. Variable speed motors can tailor cooling power usage to need, producing substantial savings, and may prove less expensive in the long run though they are more expensive to purchase. The trend in servers is to pack more CPUs in to a single track. But when power densities get above 200 watts per square foot, because of the high heat generated, too much air is needed to remove the heat. Therefore racks (19-inch EIA-310-D standard) with built-in chillers or even water-cooled servers, become preferable. Use a large server. Replace physical servers with virtual servers. Blade servers Blade servers put each processor, memory and hard drive on one single card called blade. These blades are fixed in to a backplane. A single power supply, a shared cooling system, a shared network interface is used among the blades, which connected to a backplane. Replacing multiple servers with blade servers generally saves power and space. Green Storage Storage systems are among the systems which consume power and storage a lot. Drivers have to be full powered and running to be able to store data. Data Deduplication Data Deduplication is the term used for removing the duplicates. It examines the hard drive or the storage system and find out the duplicates and remove them. It effectively reduces the storage allocated for certain data file and allocates it to other additional data. It increases the capacity of your system. Thin Provisioning Thin provisioning is allocating right amount of storage is as needed. It helps to eliminate unused capacity. Storage can be used efficiently by allocating the required storage when it is needed and using storage management software to adjust it. As the storage is dynamically allocated the storage can be grown or shrink according to the application stored. Further storage management software can view applications simultaneously and allocate unused capacity as needed. Storage Virtualization Storage virtualization gets all the available capacity together from multiple storage systems and enables it to share, without requiring a change in storage hardware. By enabling sharing it avoids the trapped capacity, which is available but cannot be used by an application. Using Virtualization Multiple applications and multiple Operating systems can be run simultaneously with the use of virtual memory technology. Virtualization increases the utilization of computer systems by condensing applications into few servers. Therefore the number of required servers will be reduced. It reduced the power consumption of the data centres and the cooling requirements. Virtualization is one of the earliest paths to green, because when more than one application is run on a server (application consolidation) the number of servers required to support these applications is reduced. Fewer servers mean less power consumption and low energy requirement for cooling. Future Directions on Green Computing

The Portrayal of Women in the Media Essay -- Advertisements Advertisin

The Portrayal of Women in the Media Redbook magazine are devoted to selling products ranging from shoes to shampoo. The entire magazine only has only 210 pages. Approximately 6-8 min of every half hour television show is produced by ad agencies. Americans are bombarded with advertisements. We see them everyday in many different forms and through different mediums. Advertisers study America’s population through a systematic breakdown and analysis of our likes and dislikes in relation to our differences. These differences include gender, sexual orientation, economic status, location, race, ethnicity, and more. Advertisers have substantial knowledge of what appeals to each of these demographics and how these demographics will respond to different stimuli (i.e. visual audio, ect.) as well as where the advertising will be most effective. In other words, advertisers find it more beneficial to target specific audiences (Furnham; Mak, 1999). One of the central audiences that advertisers focus their attention on is women. Being such a large part of society, American women are targeted along with every other group. Ads placed where women are most likely to see them are custom tailored for women. Studies give ad agencies an accurate idea of what it is that they need to show women in order to get them to buy their product and their brand. If these ads can improve a woman’s mood her increased euphoria will subliminally be linked with the stimulus (the ad). This will, in turn, have a positive effect on their attitudes toward the product and brand (Simpson; Horton, 1996). There are several strategies that are popular in both television and magazines, many of which involve images of men. Advertisers use images of men by themselves or in a variety of positions and settings to appeal to women. By far, the most common image of men in advertising is of that of the â€Å"young, white, able-bodied, and staunchly heterosex ual† man (Jackson, 1994). The vast amount companies spend to advertise is proof in itself; these ads sell products. It should be noted that all television commercials analyzed in this paper come from the Lifetime network between 1pm and 3pm. The slogan of this network is â€Å"Lifetime: Television for Women†. Basic Gender Differences Studies involving both normal and brain damaged individuals have shown associations between gender and neuralgic activity... ...Dennis A.; Cornish, Ian M. â€Å"Conservatism and Gender in the Perception of Sex-Roles in Television Advertisements†. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1993, Vol. 77, p642. Melvin, Thomas E.; Treiber, Linda A. â€Å"Race, Gender, and Status: A Content Analysis of Print Advertisements in Four Popular Magazines†. Sociological Spectrum. Jul-Sep 2000, Vol. 20, Issue 3, p357. Meyers-Levy, Joan. â€Å"Gender Differences in Cortical Organization: Social and Biochemical Antecedents and Advertising Consequences†. Ed. Eddie M. Clark et al. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1994. Prakash, Ved. â€Å"Sex Roles and Advertising Preferences†. Journal of Advertising Research. May/Jun 1992, Vol. 32, Issue 3, p43. Simpson, Penny M.; Horton, Steve. â€Å"Male Nudity in Advertisements: A modified Replication and Extension of Gender and Product Effects†. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Summer 1996, Vol. 24, Issue 3, p257. Stern, Barbara B.; Holbrook, Morris B. â€Å"Gender and Genre in the Interpretation of Advertising Text†. Gender Issues and Consumer Behavior. Ed. Janeen Arnold Costa. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1994. Sutherland, Max. Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer. St. Leonards: Allen and Unwin, 1993. The Portrayal of Women in the Media Essay -- Advertisements Advertisin The Portrayal of Women in the Media Redbook magazine are devoted to selling products ranging from shoes to shampoo. The entire magazine only has only 210 pages. Approximately 6-8 min of every half hour television show is produced by ad agencies. Americans are bombarded with advertisements. We see them everyday in many different forms and through different mediums. Advertisers study America’s population through a systematic breakdown and analysis of our likes and dislikes in relation to our differences. These differences include gender, sexual orientation, economic status, location, race, ethnicity, and more. Advertisers have substantial knowledge of what appeals to each of these demographics and how these demographics will respond to different stimuli (i.e. visual audio, ect.) as well as where the advertising will be most effective. In other words, advertisers find it more beneficial to target specific audiences (Furnham; Mak, 1999). One of the central audiences that advertisers focus their attention on is women. Being such a large part of society, American women are targeted along with every other group. Ads placed where women are most likely to see them are custom tailored for women. Studies give ad agencies an accurate idea of what it is that they need to show women in order to get them to buy their product and their brand. If these ads can improve a woman’s mood her increased euphoria will subliminally be linked with the stimulus (the ad). This will, in turn, have a positive effect on their attitudes toward the product and brand (Simpson; Horton, 1996). There are several strategies that are popular in both television and magazines, many of which involve images of men. Advertisers use images of men by themselves or in a variety of positions and settings to appeal to women. By far, the most common image of men in advertising is of that of the â€Å"young, white, able-bodied, and staunchly heterosex ual† man (Jackson, 1994). The vast amount companies spend to advertise is proof in itself; these ads sell products. It should be noted that all television commercials analyzed in this paper come from the Lifetime network between 1pm and 3pm. The slogan of this network is â€Å"Lifetime: Television for Women†. Basic Gender Differences Studies involving both normal and brain damaged individuals have shown associations between gender and neuralgic activity... ...Dennis A.; Cornish, Ian M. â€Å"Conservatism and Gender in the Perception of Sex-Roles in Television Advertisements†. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1993, Vol. 77, p642. Melvin, Thomas E.; Treiber, Linda A. â€Å"Race, Gender, and Status: A Content Analysis of Print Advertisements in Four Popular Magazines†. Sociological Spectrum. Jul-Sep 2000, Vol. 20, Issue 3, p357. Meyers-Levy, Joan. â€Å"Gender Differences in Cortical Organization: Social and Biochemical Antecedents and Advertising Consequences†. Ed. Eddie M. Clark et al. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1994. Prakash, Ved. â€Å"Sex Roles and Advertising Preferences†. Journal of Advertising Research. May/Jun 1992, Vol. 32, Issue 3, p43. Simpson, Penny M.; Horton, Steve. â€Å"Male Nudity in Advertisements: A modified Replication and Extension of Gender and Product Effects†. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Summer 1996, Vol. 24, Issue 3, p257. Stern, Barbara B.; Holbrook, Morris B. â€Å"Gender and Genre in the Interpretation of Advertising Text†. Gender Issues and Consumer Behavior. Ed. Janeen Arnold Costa. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1994. Sutherland, Max. Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer. St. Leonards: Allen and Unwin, 1993.

The Influence of Mythology on Literature and Society Essay -- Mytholog

The Influence of Mythology on Literature and Society Edith Hamilton is the author of the book Mythology. This book is about the Mythology of the Romans and Greeks through her eyes and the way she interprets it. In the beginning of the book Hamilton writes an introduction to Classical Mythology and how, and why it came about. She starts off by writing that Greek and Roman Mythology is meant to show us how people felt about the human race and about where they came from many years ago. She points out that Mythology describes the Earth when it was young and people cared for the Earth more than today. This is true, because in today?s world not many people are caring about the Earth and its going by us fast. She also points out that these stories in Mythology and the characters are describe in such great detail that even through you cannot see them, that maybe just maybe they are real and believable. Mythology is the way the Greeks and Roman saw and understood the world around them and it is written in which a way that we may never truly understand it. Hamilton now describes the Mythology of the Greeks as a totally different picture than the one described in Classical Mythology. She describes it as being vile, and savage, but the reason for this is because the Greeks wrote about themselves when they had a brutal and poverty filled life. They wrote like this to show you how they came to power and what they went through to get there. Not only was Greece coming to power, but also they changed the world as it was back then and forever. The reason for this was, because when Greece came to power so did mankind, and because they finally saw how powerful they could be, mankind was born. Greek originally obtained their gods fro... ...die and who wanted to fight the good fight. I believe that the Norsemen gods had something to die for, where as the Greco-Roman gods had everything to live for. The Greco-Roman gods were gods who indulged in their delights and who were in a way stuck up. Both Greco-Roman and Norsemen Myths are similar in principal, but are different in meaning. The Norsemen gods seem more like people who are struggling for a common goal, and go through a lot to get their desired happiness. The Norsemen gods? way of life is the way most people think of Mythology when they hear of it. That would be the whole good versus evil battle that supposed to take place between Heaven and Hell, but even though the Norsemen gods are not as strong as the Roman-Greco gods they are stronger in faith and that?s more important than any incredible power that the Greco-Roman gods will ever have.

Themes in Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay -- American Literature

Themes in Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin After reading the short story "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin, I find there are two major themes that Baldwin is trying to convey, suffering and irony. The first theme that he brings out and tries to get the reader to understand is the theme of suffering. The second theme that the author illustrates is the theme of irony. James Baldwin writes about two African-American brothers growing up in Harlem, a black ghetto in New York, during the 1950's. During this time black people were forced to live in a world of prejudice, discrimination, poverty and suppression. The life of a black person was very difficult; many opportunities afforded to whites were not afforded to blacks. Sonny and his brother lived in the projects and had many obstacles to overcome that white people didn't have to. Sonny chose music to outwardly express his suffering, his brother chose to bottle it up and keep it inside, but this is the common thread they both shared. Suffering is also shown in the story when Baldwin says "it came to me that what we both were seeking through our separate cab windows was that part of ourselves which had been left behind" (P 47). I think this quote means that both Sonny and his older brother want to retrieve some of their past so that it can help them cope with what has happened in their lives. If Sonny and his brother can both cope with what has happened in their lives and get over it, I think t they both can start moving forward and putting this behind them. I feel having Sonny's brother narrate the story in the first person is Baldwin's way of telling us that Sonny's brother is also suffering but inside, unlike Sonny who takes drugs and sings the blues. Sonny's ... ...s and work together to form a loving relationship. In conclusion, the short story "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin brings out two main themes: irony and suffering. You can actually feel the pain that Baldwin's characters experience; and distinguish the two different lifestyles of siblings brought up in the same environment. The older brother remaining nameless is a fabulous touch that really made me want to read on. This really piqued my interest and I feel it can lead to many discussions on why this technique was used. I really enjoyed this story; it was a fast and enjoyable reading. Baldwin keeps his readers thinking and talking long after they have finished reading his stories. His writing technique is an art, which very few, if any, can duplicate. Works Cited: Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues" in Vintage Baldwin. New York: Vintage, 2004.

Porter and Bogusky advertising

The move to Crispin, Porter and Bogusky advertising was one of the wisest moves that Burger King CEO Brad Blum could have made. From previously declining sales, Crispin advertising was able to change all that through its out of the box advertising campaigns. Although ultimately Burger King sales went up, it did not necessarily mean that the market and the critics were impressed.The following is a short discussion on most and least helpful of these campaigns and their impact on the potential market of Burger King. Crispin used several consumer sales promotions items to help boost the sales of Burger King. Out of those discussed in the readings, the Coq Roq campaign was least helpful. Although sales of Chicken Fries were very strong, the use of a heavy metal band and too commercialized overly focused on the promotion of the band rather than the product it was trying to sell.Worse, shortened the reach of the company to only its current target market and isolated it from the rest of its potential market, by making their advertising too specific to a particular market. Unlike the Coq Roq campaign, the Have it your way campaign was the most helpful. It was able to address the underlying desire of consumers of being made to feel individual and special. It showed consumers that their needs and wants came first, and this was portrayed by a quirky television commercial of two men in an office racing to create their own burger.In addition, the online campaign â€Å"subservient chicken,† which was connected with the have it your way campaign drew in more customers by using word of mouth, or in this case by sharing it with friends through e-mail. By this kind of promotion, Crispin was able to expand Burger Kings target market by the use of a campaign that was friendly to a wider market. By this method of advertising it accomplished what the Coq Roq campaign was unable to, that is it allowed the image of Burger King to be more â€Å"market friendly,† attracting other segments of the market.

Process Mapping

| PDF | Print | Share Process Mapping – An Overview Back to previous page Process Mapping – An Overview What is it and how can it help me? A map of a patient journey is a visual representation – a picture or model – of the relevant procedures and administrative processes. The map shows how things are and what happens, rather than what should happen. This helps anyone involved see other people's views and roles.It can also help you to diagnose problems and identify areas for improvement. There are different approaches to mapping patient journeys, procedures and administrative processes in healthcare services. Which one you select will depend upon: What you need to know Resources and timescales Engagement and interest of staff Each one gives you a slightly different perspective and there is no definitive right or wrong. The key is to reflect how things are – and not how they should be.Examples of process mapping techniques: A guide to mapping patient journeys – process mapping; a conventional model Process mapping – alternatives ways to conventional process mapping Process templates Walkthrough a patient journey Spaghetti diagram Value added steps A picture of time and resources (process templates) required by a single patient Reviewing the patient pathway; mapping your last ten patients – using patient files and records Getting patient perspectives Care pathway analysis When does it work best?Mapping patient journeys is an essential tool to reduce delays and highlight improvements for patients and staff. Each approach reveals a different perspective. All approaches will reveal: Unnecessary delays Unnecessary steps / unnecessary handovers Duplication of effort / waste Things that don't make sense / not logical Likely hotspots, bottlenecks or constraints Depending upon which approach you use, you will be able to: Identify bottlenecks and constraints Identify and understand variations in clinical practice Deve lop a shared understanding of the problem Build teamsIdentify issues to do with quality of care Gain an in-depth understanding of a patient's perspective Identify steps that don't directly contribute to patient care (those that contribute are sometimes called value added steps) Carry out capacity and demand analysis from core information Mapping things out can also produce brilliant ideas; especially from staff who don't normally have the opportunity to contribute to service improvement, but really know how things work. How to use it You don't need to map everything: concentrate on the area where there is a gap in your understanding, or which needs improvement.Ideally, you will know where the bottleneck is before you go into more detailed mapping as the information you need should be slightly different. The information and level of detail you need depends upon your starting point. Consider the views and perspectives of the people you want to work with to identify the problems and so lutions. Where do I start? What do you need to know? How simple can you go? Are you working at a high level along the whole pathway or focusing in more detail? Whose views do you need? What is the best way to engage them? Do you need to meet with / engage people in advance?How could you capture the patient's view (if the mapping exercise includes part of the service they experience)? Wherever possible, use photographs and pictures of places, staff and equipment in mapping exercises. This brings your representation of ‘how things are' to life. Guide to Conventional Process Mapping Potential impact (on patient journeys) This is often used across teams and Reduces unnecessary delays, time lost due organisations (see mapping the whole patient to duplication and work that doesn't make journey across teams and organisations) to sense, right support for constraints. earn about this mapping technique). Strengths Outcome A range of staff's knowledge about their work Different perspecti ves. (what happens and when it happens) mapped Interpretation is shared. along a patient journey. Staff buy-in for potential improvements. Lots of ideas for improvement. Change or improvement ideas. What it is Usually a big meeting of fifteen to twenty- five people lasting around two to three hours. Team building. Everyone understands the issues, so reduces resistance to change proposals.What resources you need Weaknesses Skilled facilitator (not part of the group). A room. Lead-in time to get the right people in the Effort to set up. room. Cost of external facilitation (unless you Time from the people involved, preferably at a time when there is lease opportunity for are able to get someone from another interruption. part of the organisation). Rolls of paper, post-its. Time – delay in getting going. People who aren't in the room don't get engaged. Lots of ideas for improvement overwhelming, so follow-up doesn't meet expectations.Non-Conventional Process Mapping Potential imp act (on patient journeys) This is often used across teams and Reduces unnecessary delays, time lost due organisations (see process mapping – to duplication and work that doesn't make alternative ways). sense or doesn't ‘add value', right support for constraints. Outcome Usually more quickly accessed knowledge Strengths about a procedure / clinic / administrative process. Details could focus on: Can be planned in a shorter timescale. Walk the patient journey yourself. Set up a mini mapping session. Value added steps.Potential for more detailed information to be produced. A good place to start. A picture of the time and resources Weaknesses (process templates) required by a Could still get silos unless links or single patient. interfaces with other teams Staff buy-in for potential considered. improvements. Change or improvement ideas. What it is (eg different approaches) 1. Walking through the patient journey 2. Set up a mini process mapping session. 3. Follow a patient. 4. Be a patient . What resources you need Clipboard and paper (if doing it by yourself) or flipcharts, rolls of paper and post its. onsidered. Just because there is more detail, it does not (and should) not reflect everything. A judgement call needs to made on what actually would be useful and what is possible to undertake in the time that has been allocated. Tracking paperwork, samples, patients Potential impact (on patient journeys) through a system (see tracer studies to Reduces unnecessary delays, time lost due learn about this technique). to duplication and work that doesn't make sense or does not ‘add value'. Outcome A small number of pathways mapped ie 10 Strengths patient records along key steps and/or staff nteractions. Less resource intensive to set up. What it is A form developed to pick up information as something goes through the system. Collate the information and follow-up either through interviews or group discussion. Identifies steps that are hidden. Level of detail in a contained area. Some staff may feel this approach is more scientific as it focuses on what happened and when, adding weight to the findings. What resources you need Planning time and good communication (staff who are involved need to know what they need to do and why). Weaknesses A good form. Analysis time. Analysis time.Follow-up time (meeting or possibly interviews). Ownership of the results or findings less. Some people may say the sample size is too small. Using patient files and records Potential impact (on patient journeys) (see reviewing the patient pathway: mapping Standardises clinical practice / timescales at key stages of clinical pathway, reduces your last ten patients). unnecessary delays and work that doesn't ‘add value'. Outcome 10 records of patient journeys with timescales Strengths from a defined start and end point. What it is A review of patient records and a follow-up meeting to discuss findings.Relatively quick and easy to focus – it gi ves you a good starting point. Focus on clinically important events and when they happen. What resources you need Access to patient records (this isn't always Comparison across consultant. easy). Time to review the patient records. A room and the right people to discuss the Weaknesses results. Misses out the detail. Misses out the ‘why things happen'. People may say the sample size is too small. Walkthrough a patient journey / patient Potential impact (on patient journeys) shadowing (see process mapping – Reduces unnecessary delays, time lost due alternative ways). o duplication and work that doesn't make sense or doesn't ‘add value'. Delays reduced Outcome due to quality issues picked up from patients' Qualitative perspective of the patient's viewpoints. journey and interactions with staff. See also Strengths getting patient perspectives What it is Someone ‘shadows' a patient taking a tour of all of the steps or some steps in a patient's journey. You can al so walk through the journey talking to staff, but you will miss interaction between patients and staff. What resources you need Someone external to the team to carry out the walk through.Identifies issues that staff may be less happy to highlight in a bigger group. Quality focus. Identifies local solutions with staff that they can take forward. Good way for individuals in a team to see how other teams work. Some preparation. Weaknesses Agreement about what to do with the findings. General ownership of the insights Staff who are skilled at observing / gained (it is recommended someone interviewing doing the walk through. Permission from patients. external to the team does the walk Time to write it up. through). Shadowing does not necessarily provide representative views. Workflows (see spaghetti diagram)Outcome A picture of time wasted from walking / movement of things. Strengths What it is A picture of the actual movement of staff, patients or things eg X-rays through a department. Called a spaghetti diagram as that's what it often looks like. Results of improvements Better layout for a department or ward based on observations. Easy and quick to do. Visual picture reveals a lot and triggers much discussion. Weaknesses What resources you need Someone to observe the movement of the Also its strength – a single perspective person, patient or thing. Preparation and discussion time with team. Flipchart and pens.Compare with evidence based pathways Results following improvement Development towards evidence pathways. based Outcome A comparison of your clinical pathways with existing evidence based pathways. Strengths What it is Uses existing pathway work as a source of knowledge and ideas, links to pathway work: Focus on evidence based care and best practice. Simple vision for the future. Map of Medicine May get people ‘on the same page'. Delivering quality and value Cancer Services Collaborative Partnership Department of Health 18 week programme Weaknes ses NHS Library – Protocols and Pathways What resources you need Preparation.Access to the existing pathway. Meeting room and time with the right people. Flipchart. A focus on ‘right patient, right care, right time' (Source local evidence) May not pick up the reality of what is going on in your pathway (especially in support function).. Currently, only main pathways are available. You must know your own pathway to get the most from it. Care Pathway Analysis Tools Results following improvement Care pathway analysis tools allow health Depends upon the focus of the simulation systems to map out the patient journey as a and the changes made as a result. rocess map. You can then modify this to show the potential impact of new ways of Strengths working, or new technology and practice (see care pathway analysis). Displays ideas for improvement and potential impact without need to make What you get from the analysis actual changes on the ground. The anticipated impact prior to change. Done right, it can save significant resources eg you can see bottlenecks and anticipate the impact Helps to visualise benefits of change. of changes in work patterns around the Can prevent decisions that would make things worse rather than better. ottleneck. The discussions around the results usually What it is lead to direct improvement. It is a simulation software tool. A number of Weaknesses tools are now being developed for the NHS, Generally needs a lot of data and some such as the Scenario Generator. The NHS expertise from information and analytical Institute for Innovation and Improvement has departments as well as facilitation. acquired a free license for each SHA and All models represent a view of the world. The PCT. impact the model simulates may not be what happens.What resources you need Currently, free tools only have limited number Access to the simulation software. of pathways Reasonable standard of computer hardware Not available to some regions. to ensure si mulation runs quickly. You must know your own pathway to get the Analytical expertise. most from it. Additional data. Meetings to develop your model. Good understanding about the strengths and limitations of the approach. Examples â€Å"We want the simplest possible picture of how the process works, and simplest is the key word here.The aim of process mapping is to make things clear – to provide us with insight, and the best map is the simplest map that provides that insight. † The East Midlands Improvement Network Originally from Jones & Mitchell, Lean Enterprise Academy  © NHS Confederation. A high level value stream shows the time taken by each main party in an elective care pathway. This type of map can give you context for more detailed mapping exercises. What next? Be clear about your focus. If you are starting out, select an approach that will give you an overview of the whole pathway. Try to get an experienced facilitator on board to help you out.Be clear abo ut your objectives, ie ask what, why, when, where and how? For example, the scope of your project may be to reduce waiting times for radiology. You know mapping will help you. What do you do? A couple of high level maps would be a good place to 1. Describing the workflow of the department, around diagnostic tests 2. Describing the whole pathway for the most common test These would pick up areas for improvement that are straightforward (for example reducing the number of handovers) and may also pick up problem areas for more detailed mapping exercises.You should make improvements before you get to the next stage. The specific tools will guide you a bit more, but you may find it helpful to refer to the service improvement project guide as a checklist. Some tools that may help you Listening – the importance of this skill will help to ensure all participants' views are acknowledged Managing conflict may help with resistance to change Additional resources Websites: Map of Medicine Map of Medicine is linked to Connecting for Health and is currently available to organisations in the english NHS.NHS Scotland's Centre for Change and Innovation covers measurement, analysis, techniques and solutions for service improvement in health, including a section on mapping. Background The techniques described here originate in the main from the manufacturing industry, with a couple from social sciences. For example, the emphasis and term ‘value stream mapping' comes from an approach called Lean.Directly translated to health, this separates and maps out procedures and work processes that: Directly benefit patients (hands on time, decision making) Supports the benefit of patients (eg staff training) Does not benefit patients (eg time spent looking for something that isn't in the right place) Our knowledge about how to apply these approaches to improve health services is developing all the time. The foundation of this guide originates from the NHS Modernisation Agency, the National Clinical Governance Support Team and the learning and experience of work done by NHS organisations.At present, there is a strong influence from Lean and Six Sigma approaches to mapping pathways, procedures and work processes in healthcare. The other strong influence on health services is the development of evidence based clinical pathways. These are being developed as standardised pathways, using evidence developed by organisations like the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Mapping has been used to illustrate the world and how things work pretty much since the beginning of time.Humans navigate by maps, as well as using them to illustrate and make sense of the world. Different maps have different perspectives and uses – which all combine to give us a more balanced overview of any given situation. Acknowledgements / sources The foundation of this guide originates from the NHS Modernisation Agency, the National Clinical Governance Support Team and t he learning and experience of work done by NHS organisations.  © Copyright NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement 2008  © Copyright NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement 2006-2012

Original Oratory on stereotyping and social stigmas

In love there is creation the creation of power and energies exerted towards our seemingly divergent passions yet in love these passions can create destruction unbounded by anything else ultimately no one can escape we falter almost entirely everyday we take breath what causes us to be so determined to find meaning In things? Eyes. Drugs. Smiles. Love. Sex. Death. What says that anything Is anything or nothing at all? Im so dull at times. I want find meaning In things and I want to be this great, philosophic all around girl. Im not. Majority of what I write or think Is complete bulls.Every so often It comes across as genuine and well thought out but really Its Just stupidity. TFH I think that even to be diagnosed with something would be bullwhip because Im perfectly normal. Elf I asked you all to use some words to describe yourselves what words would you use? Student, Future entrepreneur, black, gay†¦ All these titles but do they really say who you are? More likely than not they wont. And if I asked you to describe your closest friend could you really? In all seriousness no. Why is this? People, all people, are lust a paradox ball of psychological issues and perfection.We try to define ourselves and each other. We want to belong. Not to be cliche © but our goal in life is to make a connection with something. We begin to stereotype. Whether its based on fact or not doesn't matter. And at what cost? While its true that we are at times rightly stereotyped, our views of ourselves can be distorted. As a person, still trying to figure out what I want out of life, its not hard to see that the stigmas, increasing suicide rates, and the difficulty in being successful in education because of stereotyping hinders peoples life's as well their concepts of themselves and others.

Book Banning Essay

Tony Ballantyne once said, â€Å"The Unprepared will eventually be destroyed; ignorance is no hiding place. † With this he meant that ignoring certain topics in life sets a person up for failure. This is exactly what is happening in public schools by banning books and limiting a child’s variety of reads. Banning books stunts the expansion of the creative and intellectual mind while withholding information on scandalous subjects that are apparent in everyday life. By taking certain books away from students you cap a lid on a child’s perspective of the real world and isolate their minds into what is known as â€Å"safe. †Taking books away from the public eye demolishes the chance for people to think beyond their comfort zones and challenge their minds. Book banning prevents students from extending their minds to foreign concepts and slows the development of their brains by withholding information needed. As Americans we have the right to pick and choose what we do and do not want to read. Books of all subjects deserve the right to be available to all students because every book has a message portray and it’s those messages that further the development of the brain. â€Å"Not every book will be right for every reader, but the freedom to choose for ourselves from a full array of possibilities is a hard-won right that we must not take for granted in this country,† (Platt). Just because a book is put on a shelf does not mean society is forcing you to read it! It’s your freedom of choice to decide what books you want to read, but it isn’t your decision to control what other people read. The choice to read a certain book is all yours and it’s your job to allow other people to choose for themselves. A full selection of books on every topic you can possibly think of is the type of shelf every library should have. One’s mind cannot be challenged by â€Å"playing it safe† with books that take no risk, and you cannot learn from or about topics you have not been exposed to. Book banning tries to hide controversial topics from the adolescent mind but in an attempt to protect the children; we’re simply harming them by limiting their minds. â€Å"It is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things. † (Bancroft). If we didn’t allow all books to be available for students to choose from than they wouldn’t be able to access the creative sides of their minds. Fantasy created by authors opens doors that unlock a world of creative outlooks in a child, if those books aren’t accessible for students, than art in the future might as well be dead. They say the Earth without Art is â€Å"EH,† if that’s so than libraries that allow book banning are contributing to a future society on earth with a lack of art. Parents banning books are blinding the children of America from issues and risky topics surrounding them in their everyday life. Book banning denies students from engaging in controversial conversation and refuses to open the eyes of the adolescent to the beauties of the natural world around them. â€Å"Books dealing with edgy, dark subject matter such as addiction, abuse, suicide, and teen prostitution can offer young adult readers a broader perspective on the world, but these qualities often make such books and their authors a target for would-be censors† (Manning). Books teach and inform students all over the nation in ways that cannot simply be taught in a classroom. They allow the reader to paint a picture in his/her head and visualize scene by scene. Books questioned for censorship are ones that introduce new concepts for readers which then give them a position on the topic and an opinion of their own. By taking that away from the students, you strip them of their potential of a broader outlook in life. With that also comes the lack of knowledge to understand and accept their peers. Books introduce characters and personalities like ones who surround you daily, but they also provide insight on how to better understand those characters and feel empathy towards them. â€Å"They experience crippling difficulties in school, in social relations and in all matters of self-esteem. They use the language I use in the story and worse because it is all they have to try to match what is inside to the outside world. They need to be recognized, and brought into your fold. Often we adults can’t help them, but you can. I write the stories I write to bring things like this to your attention because I believe if kids who are treated badly are to survive, they will survive through the acceptance of their peers, and that acceptance will come from understanding. † (Cutcher). Parents try to take away books that may contain any ‘inappropriate’ content to shield their child of foreign concepts, but this content labeled as inappropriate is what their children have to face daily. All that book banning is doing is under-educating students about the real world and life as it stands in modern day. In school teachers prepare their students for anything and everything that comes next in their students journey, yet they ban the books that will best prepare them and inform them of the aspects of life never  covered in a Social Studies Textbook. Some may argue that topics in certain books are too corrupting for students to know about, these topics include: graphic language about sex, drinking, and drugs. These very subjects, whether you like it or not, are always going to be a part of life no matter what the situation. Instead of avoiding the topic, parents should inform their children of it so that they are prepared for whatever crosses their path in the future. As care-takers, parents have the duty of setting their child up for success in any way, shape, or form, and by allowing all books to be available to the children of public schools, they’re doing just that. Books shouldn’t be banned from public schools because by limiting the variety of novels on shelves, you limit the horizons of a student’s creative mind. Banning books withholds information on subjects that are thought of as scandalous and controversial and by doing so, under-educates the students who are the future of society.

Financial development in the country of choice Essay

Financial development in the country of choice - Essay Example A non-transparency in the transactions and interactions of the main participants of the financial market persisted (Mohan, 2004b). The financial environment in these years consequentially was featured by segmented and underdeveloped financial markets and banking in these years was essentially governed by fiscal priorities rather than optimal financial management and commercial motives. Although the financial sector was kept under administrative control with the objective of preventing mismatching alignment problems caused by market exploiting motives, by the end of the 1980s it was recognised that such attempts actually had led to declining transparencies, accountabilities and efficiency seeking motives and thus had defeated the initial purpose of achieving efficiency through effective co-ordination (Reddy, 2007). Financial sector reforms became warranted with the dawning perception of the inability of the present system to achieve efficient allocation of resources (Mohan, 2006). In the remainder of this brief note, we shall briefly look at the development of the banking sector and the financial markets since the reforms. We shall mention the major reforms and briefly note their effects as observed over the course of the last 15 years or so in the degree of detail as allowed by the scope. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was nationalized as the central banking authority of the Indian economy in 19482. The Indira Gandhi Government nationalised 14 banks in 1969 and six more in 1980. Sectors like agriculture, small-scale industry, retail trading were declared as priority sectors and the banks were directed to forward 40 % of their net credits to these sectors (Datt & Sundharam, 2005). The basic Banking structure since then has remained the same. There has been a significant increase in total deposits by 32.6 times for the time period 1971 to 1991 while notably this rise