Monday, September 30, 2019

Judicial Precedent Essay

The material facts of the case: The Metropolitan Police received a request from the German authorities for the issuance of a warrant for Mr.Rottman’s extradition, a German business man, who was alleged of committing an offence of conspiracy to defraud in his indigenous country. Bow street magistrates’ court issued a provisional arrest warrant under s8(1)(b) of the Extradition Act 1989. Mr. Rottman was arrested in the driveway of the house, a few yard from the front door. Soon after his arrest, two German polices obtained the permission from the senior police officer present to search the house and seized a number of articles which they took to the New Scotland Yard. Mr. Rottman then bought judicial review proceedings against the legality of the decision to enter his home and to search for and seize items. Divisional court found in favour of Mr. Rottman, held that the entry  and search the house carried out by the German polices had been unlawful and his rights under Art 8 of the European Convention on Human Right(ECHR) had been violated. The divisional court rejected the decision in R v Governor of pentonville Prison ex p Osman [1990]that the power of search and seizure after a lawful arrest applied to extradition cases as to a domestic crime. The old common law pursuant to search and seizure had been abolished by PACE when it is given to affect. There is no power either statutory or common law to carry out a search of premises following the arrest made pursuant to the provisional warrant executed under s8(1) under the extradition act. Ratio of the case: A statute does not extinguish a common law rule unless the statute makes this clear by express provision or by clear implication. The common law power would have been supplemented by but not replaced by the statutory powers in PACE. Nor was it in breach of article 8 of the ECHR as long as the search and seizure was proportionate to the legitimate purpose of preventing crime. The House of Lord challenged the issue on general public authority which was certified by Divisional Court that – â€Å"At common law, does a police officer executing a warrant of arrest issued a pursuant to section 8 of the Extradition Act 1989 have power to search for and seize any goods or documents which he reasonably believes to be material evidence in relation to the extradition crime in respect of which the warrant was issued?† Two argument were raised per curiam: 1) whether before the enactment of PACE police officer would have had a common law power to search the suspect’s premises when arresting him for an extradition crime under warrant; and 2) whether any such common law power of search had been extinguished by PACE thereafter. It was a well established common law principle that police officer carrying out arrest in or on a person’s premises could search and seize any articles which he reasonably believed to be material evidence against him for a purpose of preserving that evidence until trial. It was further agreed that the powers to search and seize also extended to article presented in the  room where the suspect was arrested. The lords upheld Lord Denning’s judgment in Ghani v Jones that the common law power extended to entire premises upon which the alleged was arrested. In support with a wider search power,Lloyd LJ gave the judgment in R v Governor of Pentonville Prison, ex p Osman[1990], considered that the power of search and seizure after a lawful arrest applied to extradition cases as well as to a domestic offence. Summary of Lord Hutton’s reasoning: Lord Hutton gave the leading judgment. He rejected the argument advanced by Rottman that the power had been too widely stated by Lord Denning. He subsequently rejected the submission the existence of statutory power in s7 of 1990 Act implied that there was no common law power in extradition cases. He upheld that the common law power of search and seizure was not extinguished by PACE, supplemented that â€Å"it is well-established principle that a rule of the common law is not extinguished by a statute makes this clear by express provision or by clear implication.† A power to seize material evidence is necessary when a suspect was arrested, it was not apply for a search warrant. In terms of the alignment of Article of the ECHR, Lord Hutton’s opinion was that the common law power of search and seizure did not violate the appellant’s right under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It was in accordance with the law which was clearly stated in Osman that the power had the legitimate aim in a democratic society of preventing crime and was necessary to prevent the disappearance of material evidence after the arrest of suspect. The power was proportionate to that aim because it was subject to the safeguard that it could only be exercised after a warrant of arrest had been issued by a magistrate. Summary of Lord Rodger’s reasoning: He was supportive of Lord Hutton’s opinion that PACE does not extinguish the common law power of search of police officers executing an arrest warrant. Parliament left them deliberately with those common law powers and left arrested persons with the corresponding law safeguards. When the police officers in the case arrested the respondent, they were entitled to exercise  those common law powers and equally, the respondent enjoyed the safeguards afforded by the common law. The research of his house was accordingly lawful. Summary of Lord Nicholls and Lord Hoffman’s reasoning: They both gave little reasoning to the ruling. They largely agreed with the judgment from Lord Hutton that a where a police officer entered a house with or without an arrest warrant and arrested a suspect he enjoyed a common law power to search the house and seize any goods that he reasonably believed to be a material evidence. Summary of Lord Hope’s reasoning: He dissented the majority of ruling by Lord Hutton and others that the powers which are available to police officer at common law where he is in possession of an arrest warrant. He claimed that the statutory powers under PACE were not available that in the absence of the common law power, it is unlawful that the entry and search of the house violate the respondent’s right under the Article 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. He also disagreed that the extradition cases could be equated with domestic ones. He expressed that any power which the police might have did not apply to arrests on a provisional warrant for an extradition offence. Extradition required an order of the Home Secretary issued in response to a request by the foreign state. And there was no common law paper of arrest for the purposes of extradition. Also the Extradition Act granted powers of search and seizure in very limited cases. He claimed that the extradition always requires a request that there is no common law power entitling an officer, for the purposes of extradition, to make an arrest without a warrant. By the majority of 4:1, excepts Lord Hope dissenting, the appeal was allowed. The House held that the commissioner of police who had arrested a person in or on his premises, executing a warrant of arrest issued pursuant to s8 of the Extradition Act 1989 had the common law power to search for and seize  any articles which he reasonably believes to be material evidence in relation to the extradition crime. On the whole, this is a strong case as the majority of the judges held the appeal that the power of search to the police is more stringent in extradition cases than domestic cases. This in turn make a clear pictures to the commissioner of police in the region that they knows how and when to apply the rule without any violation to the ECHR.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Aesthetic Reading: Reading for Appreciation and Enjoyment Essay

Aesthetic reading is for entertainment. * Reading to explore one. * In Aesthetic reading, the reader’s attention is centered directly on what he likes through during his relationship with that particular text.† * Non-academicals purposes of reading. Aesthetic Stance is for experience * Recreational reading. * Fulfills an important function in lives. * Reading for pleasure or aesthetic reading, been described as â€Å"the most hidden literary practice†. * Aesthetic reading been viewed as â€Å"symbolic withdrawal†. Reading for appreciation * One that is designed to head the learner to understand and enjoy something. Let’s get the most out of Literature * Reading literary selections like poems, short stories, novels, plays, or essays, not only provide pleasure. * It also develop your analytical skills as you must consider each part of the text separately before you can interpret the meaning of the entire work and eventually appreciate it. Poems express ideas in a tighter, more compact way than prose as they do not include details and explanations common to the short story or novel. They are more concentrated, suggestive, and rhythmical than prose as they resort to the use of symbols, figurative language, and imagery, which tend to leave more to a reader’s imagination rather than giving everything he needs to know. Poems may be: * Lyric poem expresses the observations and the feeling of a single speaker. * Narrative poems are stories told in prose. Often narrative poems, even ballads have all the elements of the short stories, such as plot, characters and setting. Poems may take the form of: * Haiku – an unrhymed verse form, consisting of three lines. The first and third lines contain five syllables while the second line consists of seven syllables. * Tanka – another verse form. It has thirty-one syllables arrange in five lines (five, seven, five, seven, seven). * Cinquain – a poetic unrhymed form consisting of five lines. * Diamante – a seven line, diamond shaped poem.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Networks and The Tokugawa Period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Networks and The Tokugawa Period - Essay Example This put the Japanese society at the same development level with the European societies of that time. Although the governance in Japan then was full of corruption, inequality and lack of justice, Iceman argues that the network revolution that came during this time led to the improved forms of transport and communication improving trade and economic activities of the area. It also improved freedom and general interaction between people from different backgrounds bringing about unity. Depicting evidence from the books â€Å"Proving the Way conflict and practice in the history of Japanese Nativism†, by Mark McNally and â€Å"Bonds of Civility Aesthetic Networks and the Political Origins of Japanese Culture†, by Eiko Ikegami we discover that one of the networks important to the Tokugawa people was the aesthetic horizantal network. This aesthetic horizontal network culminated from the fields of art and also in the political world in the Tokugawa era. These horizontal network s were associated with seated arts (Za), Linked Verse (renga). For example, linked verse events, occasions and ceremonies were carried out in the shade of cherry blossoms (hana no moto renga). This gatherings were considered sacred and and therefore were linked with their higher deities. Another important network was the vertical networks which were in harmony with the belief of muen. This allowed people who had different social standings in the Japanese society or individuals from varying social classes to gather together and partake in poetry sessions with no special treatment being offered to anyone. Another good example of these vertical networks was the popularity of the wild, unbounded and radical dancing that was practiced by these Japanese people which were orchestrated by sanctified madness known as (Kuruu). This dancing through vertical networks had spread through the Japanese community due to the vertical networks.In 1603, Tokugawa defeated his adversaries and he started an empire which prolonged till 1868. Over 260 years, peace has prevailed in japan, whereby lhe started Edo, which marked the beginning of Kanto. Tokugawa regime reigned supreme via complex unions having 250 lords, some closely related to Tokugawa. Each retained its own cities and as a rule, some cities maintained a high caliber, of socio-economic and heritage autonomy. In town areas, various cultures and trends sprung up such as sumo wrestling, geisha entertainers, and karate and kabuki drama that all originated from urbanization hence making the japan towns to be at an advantage over the Europeans in development, but still yet japan were short of political prowess in accordance to their socio-economic and heritage gains. Within the horizontal and vertical networks people practiced poetry, theatre, painting, Ikebana, tea making, Bonsai, poetry in form of Joruri, calligraphy and music. During this period, their practices were lesser subjected to beliefs and religion. Their practices were not based on their religion and their belief in spirit sand magic as it was with their predecessors. In the Tokugawa aesthetic network they practiced a lot of arts. Artists began to commercialize their practice whereby they sharpened their skills and began to make money out of their works. This was due to the commercialization of various activities during this period. Tokugawa social dynasties and social quo started

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Benefits Of College Sports Speech or Presentation

The Benefits Of College Sports - Speech or Presentation Example Instead, they opt to spend the period set aside for sports studying, socializing or shopping.College sports have been beneficial for students who are offered scholarships based on their sporting prowess in games including tennis, American football, basketball and swimming (Shulman and Bowen 154). Students from marginalized communities benefit immensely from such programs. Most colleges in Europe do not pay the deserved attention to college sports as in other continents (Rosner,Scott and Shropshire 428). This is owing to the shared belief that education is more important than college sports. European varsities do not have the same number of sporting events like the ones in the United States and varsities in other regions of the world. In fact, the experience of college sports is not an important part of the college experience in continental Europe. At its best, most institutions have informal leagues for rugby and soccer. For instance, there are irregular college rugby matches at Twin ckenham between Cambridge and Oxford annually. In addition to, there are inter university events in football and basketball but the situation is still wanting in comparison to other continents. Further study into the topic reveals that college sports do not get enough support from the varsities and the sport departments. It has been observed that there are no sports scholarships in Europe. This adversely affects the sporting landscape in the region, as there are no incentives to take part in sports. This means that that the number of students taking part in college sports is minimal. Secondly, college sports events do not get appropriate coverage. This means students lack the necessary information on sports and those excelling in the sports are not recognized for their efforts. Other continents offer full media and television coverage to such events increasing their popularity among the students. Thirdly, a well-established fan base has a positive impact on the college sports scene (Rosner,Scott and Shropshire 428). Regrettably, the fan base for the various college sports is minimal. This further decreases the popularity of such sports. Additionally, it discourages the participation of any students who would be willing to take part in college sports (Shulman and Bowen 154). Fourthly, college sports do not get the necessary funding to develop and expand its activities. Finally, the college stadiums and facilities in the European varsities are not well developed. This means that those taking part in the sports do not get the appropriate training in a healthy environment. Additionally, the lack of proper training and sporting facilities dampen the efforts of the students taking part in the sports. The issue is no different at Franklin College Switzerland since sports are taken too lightly and denied the deserved attention. This is owing to the fact that too much attention is given to education and other extra curricula activities that are considered more importan t. It has been noted that there are no sporting scholarships offered at Franklin College Switzerland. This leads to the decline in attention paid to sports. The college rarely organizes sporting events within the institution and with other colleges. Additionally, the stadium at the institution has an inadequate space to accommodate various sporting activities. The college

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Research manuscript critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research manuscript critique - Assignment Example This study sought to establish how much time the mentor and the mentee spend together, the issues they discussed, where they met, as well as the services and information that the mentees received from the mentors (Blinn-Pike et al, 1998). Data obtained from the research was to be used in conceptualizing a theory of governing the mentor-mentee relationship. Being a mixed method approach, the researchers collected both quantitative and qualitative data. The sample size consisted of 20 mentors who were volunteers. They were required to fill in contact forms that had both quantitative descriptive question and qualitative paths that required the mentors to describe the experience. The descriptive questions used to collect the quantitative data centered on the amount of time spend with the mentee, issues discussed between the mentee and the mentor, and the services provided by the mentor to the mentee. Subsequent data analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data followed. The mixed method approach enabled the researchers to approach the research question from different perspectives (Blinn-Pike et al, 1998). The results obtained can be used to develop a theory that will govern the mentor and mentee relationship. This was a quantitative study that sought to outline the significance of language and cultural education on the secondary achievement of Chinese-American and Korean-American students. This study was designed to understand how language and cultural education contributed to the performance of these students. This was after a clear indication that Chinese-American students who withheld their language and cultural education registered better grades in school. Therefore, the author sought to highlight the specific contribution of language and cultural education in propelling children from these ethnic groups to success. It had been noted that students of these ethnic groups who tried to become integrated into the American culture were not as successful as

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Alternative Fuel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Alternative Fuel - Essay Example For example, smog can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, and carbon monoxide can inhibit the ability of a person's blood to carry oxygen to vital organs. The average vehicle, through its combustion of fossil fuels, also emits greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, and chlorofluorocarbons surround the Earth's atmosphere like a clear thermal blanket, allowing the sun's warming rays in and trapping the heat close to the Earth's surface. This natural greenhouse effect keeps the average surface temperature at around 60F (33C). However, the increased use of fossil fuels during the last century has created an enhanced greenhouse effect, known as global warming. And transportation has played a large role in this increase. During the 1990s, the annual growth rate of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from transportation averaged 1.6 percent. In 1999, some 82 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions consisted of carbon dioxide released by the combustion of energy fuels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates (Durbin et al, 2000) that each year the average light vehicle in the United States releases 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. Motor gasoline contributed close to 300 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, making it the largest single source of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. By reducing vehicle emissions, AFVs and advanced vehicle technologies help combat both air pollution and global climate change. Alternative fuels not only burn cleaner producing lower emissions, but some are even renewable, unlike fossil fuels, which means we could develop a continuous supply of them. The alternative fuels in use today include ethanol, biodiesel, methanol, natural gas, propane, electrici ty, and hydrogen. Biofuels are renewable since they are produced from biomass i.e. organic matter, such as plants. They generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) from the tailpipe as fossil fuels, but the plants that are grown to produce the biofuels actually remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (ERCL, 1999). Therefore, the net emission of carbon dioxide will be close to zero. Diesel engines can function efficiently with biodiesel, a fuel made from vegetable oil. A combination of vegetable oil and diesel fuel produce fewer emissions than straight diesel. Commercially available biodiesel is offered in blends of 5% vegetable oil to 95% diesel (B5), 10% to 90% (B10) and 20% to 80% (B20). Consumers can have their diesel engines converted for around 800 dollars-to run on 100% vegetable oil (Anthony & Cornish, 2001). The oil produces no harmful emissions and the cost can be nominal or free since many consumers get used vegetable oil from fast food restaurants, but consumers mu st filter their used oil, which is complicated and the equipment is costly. In addition, buying pure vegetable oil can cost more than straight diesel fuel. Fuel consumption for vegetable oil is similar to diesel, which gets 20 to 30 percent better mileage than gasoline (ERCL, 1999). Emissions are much less toxic than those from gasoline, and its carbon neutral because the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plant from which the oil is derived offsets CO2 generated when it is used as fuel. With the increasing popularity of vegetable oil as a motor fuel,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

OSHA Guide Rhetorical Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

OSHA Guide Rhetorical Analysis - Assignment Example The present research has identified that the guide is a professional document that employs technical standards to pass its message. The document addresses the audience in a precise manner that ensures everything is made clear and straightforward from the beginning. The audience is gradually introduced to the problems and challenges encountered in the workplace, workplace safety measures and what is being done to solve the problems. The document opens in a manner that immediately introduces the audience to the main aims and objectives of the document. It is clear that any employee wants a workplace that is safe and with no technical challenges. Making this the core objective of the document from the beginning makes it draw more attention from the reader. Information presented in the document is precise and to the point. Diagrams and charts have been used to summarize important details to enhance faster comprehension by the audience. Similarly, important points are either bold or writt en in bullet points. This enhances the readability and comprehensiveness of the document and makes things clear and precise for easier comprehension. A quick scan of the document can be done by following the table of contents and the points emphasized in the document. This mode of presentation is beneficial both to the author and the audience. On the part of the author, the details required to complete the document are minimized. The format also favors the audience because scanning of the document can be easily done to capture the content, goal, and purpose of the guide. The guide presents the problem to the audience in a concise manner by use of charts and diagrams. The charts are colored and magnified in order to emphasize their relevance and significance to the reader. Information presented in the charts helps to emphasize the fact that workplace injuries are maximized and, therefore, this is a problem in the workplace. It creates the need for quick action and solutions on how to minimize workplace injuries by improving safety measures.

Monday, September 23, 2019

E-mail and social media investigations Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

E-mail and social media investigations - Article Example Pharming involves a hacker installing a spiteful code on a private computer or one’s server that later redirects to a webpage that was not expected and smishing involves the use of text messages to entice customers (Van, 2013). The advantages of circular logging is that it helps provide recovery from any transaction failure or any form of system crash through that may occur (Van, 2013). The logs are retained until the integrity of the current transactions is ensured. The disadvantage, however, is that it is difficult to restore the database and roll it forward in case a failure occurs. When investigating an e-mail abuse, one needs to detect how the server registers and handles the email upon receiving it. This is because the e-mail can either in the form of a flat file or the users’ e-mail (Van, 2013). The information available on social media may be used in investigation, since social media acts a snitch (Van, 2013). The information can be used through scrolling through the current updates and the feeds that the site might have. This means that the sites can be used as crime detection partners through provision of evidence. Proof of integrity and validity can be accessed through finding the origin of the report and the reporters of the same (Van,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Us Policy On Iraq Essay Example for Free

Us Policy On Iraq Essay The war in Iraq has been costly not only to the Iraqis and Americans but to the whole world. Some political analysts say that it is ironical that the war on terrorism has led to increased terrorism activities in defiance and retaliation. Events such as the February 22, 2006 bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, the attack in Mumbai this week and countless suicide attacks in and out of Iraq have been making headlines. In Iraq, such activities are undermining efforts of the current transitional government and the US and her allies to bring peace and stability in the region. Seemingly, terrorists and insurgents are keen to undermine Iraq’s economy, security, and political process. This has led to different quarters asking for a change in the US Iraq policy to one that is based the desire of Iraqis for the speedy formation of an inclusive, national unity government that serves the interests of all Iraqis without drawing so much resentment and hostility from the people and form a sable government. Though the Iraqis themselves produced this key provision (transitional government), the United States throughout helped facilitate agreement on it and other key provisions be it on religion, oil allocation, or federalism. Therefore, looking at the present US Iraq policy helps in understanding the whole process in Iraq as to why these polices are not working and the war continues almost 6 years down the line at the expense of the tax payer’s money. This paper looks at these policies and evaluates how successful or unsuccessful they have been and make recommendations for alternative policies. Policies According to the dossier on US Iraq policy http://www. uspolicy. be/issues/iraq/iraq. asp), the US activities in Iraq are based on †¢ A noble fair and just war †¢ Suppression of the Al-Qaeda and †¢ Reconstruction of Iraq Fairness of the war The underlying policy in the war in Iraq has been that â€Å"the war in Iraq is noble, necessary and fair†. President Bush has been clarifying o n the importance of the war saying that â€Å"Defeating the enemy in Iraq will make it less likely we will face this enemy here at home†¦. † (www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080319-3. html). This one single policy locks out all arguments that have been fronted or were fronted even the before the war began. As such, the US feels compelled to attack and occupy Iraq until she feels that her main reason of going to war as to liberate the people of Iraqis fulfilled. But does this bring another definition of freedom into the limelight? Salim 2007 asks. The author says that â€Å"the presence of American and allies troops in Iraq is a threat of the peace and freedom they claim to fight for the people of Iraq†. The Bush administration believes that the war in Iraq is noble in that it is carried out in the right manner in a conscious way. What necessitated the war were the claims by the Bush administration that the government of Sadam Hussein was supporting terror groups and terrorism activities. Now with the man they sought dead, what else could then be the driver to increased instances of terrorism activities? This is one question that the Americans have not paused and addressed it unto themselves according to one online analyst Suppression of the Al-Qaeda As one of the leading terror groups in the world and the one responsible for the terror attacks in the US world trade center, Al-Qaeda is blacklisted by the American government to be denied access to resources that would enable the group to carry out its terrorism activities. With the group based in Iraq, it is feared that it will easily gain access to the numerous oil fields and utilize those resources in undermining global peace efforts. As a result, the targeting of the Al-Qaeda as a group and not Iraq as a country has created a long list of countries that the Bush administration feels deserves action. Among them are Syria, Sudan and Somalia. In light of this view, the American government insists that the idea of attacking Iraq was not for political reasons or economic gains but by a justified reason to protect the globe from terror harm. Continued occupation of Iraq by the US and her allies thus is in pursuance of the denying the terror groups and access to resources. This is accomplished by ensuring that Iraq has a stable government that is capable of handling internal hostilities and insurgencies which are led by the terror groups. Therefore, it would seem irresponsible of the US withdrawing from Iraq without due suppression of the Al-Qaeda. Unfortunately, suppression of the group has not been as successful as such. Countless minor or affiliate terror groups have sprung up and continue to carry out their deadly attacks. This indicates that there is need to change the manner in which the US approaches the terror group. The approach of denying the groups access to oil money does not seem to work as it may be that the terror groups have other sources of resources to finance their activities. Reconstruction of Iraq Two wars against Iraq by the US have crippled the infrastructure of Iraq that is currently an eyesore. The gulf war and the present war have reduced oil production from the world’s third largest oil reserves with 84 billion barrels of oil under her surface. Decreased production has created an oil crisis in the global market leading to skyrocketing petrol and petroleum products. Reconstructing Iraq and maintaining peace and stability in the region is seen as of the ways of bringing down the global oil prices that are hurting very many economies. As the attacker, the US government is bound by moral and humanitarian obligations to correct the effects of the war and reconstruct the economy. Prior to the war, the US had promised to reconstruct the country after the ousting of Saadam. Thus even as the war continues, the US government is committed into helping Iraq find her path to economic prosperity a d realize full democracy. As evidence of this, the US government has been financing almost entirely the transitional government in Iraq either in direct aid o humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, most of the aid forwarded to the country according to Pilisuk and Rountree (2008) is in form of military aid. The future of Iraq The unprecedented length in the Iraq war has called for reevaluation of strategies used in the war. The Bush administration has unveiled six elements it incorporates in its new policy on the Iraq war (http://www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070110-3. html). 1. placing leadership on Iraqi people 2. Empowering Iraqi people to defend themselves against terrorism 3. Isolate extremists; 4. Facilitate democracy 5. Diversify political and economic efforts 6. Situate the strategy in a regional approach. By letting the Iraq people lead, then the Iraqis will take responsibility of their own actions and have more responsibility in decision making that will be very critical in stabilizing the region. The second element of helping the Iraq people protect the population has two sides of it. For one, the Iraqi nationals will be involved in fighting terrorism. Secondly, the citizens will keep away from terrorism activities national and international. All these elements are going to be accomplished in four fronts: economic, political, regional and security. Iraq was formerly the leading economy in the Arab world in the late 1980’s. Prior to the Gulf War, the country was using her oil reserves for economic development and prosperity. A series of external attacks have derailed the country from its earlier path and it today relies heavily on foreign aid to run basic government operations. At the moment, the country is just a shell of the former self. Questions have been raised over the effectiveness of the US policies on Iraq and the future of the country. Now that the US economy is facing financial turmoil, the questions on whether the aid assistance to Iraq will continue if of utmost importance. The recent signing of an agreement between the US government and the transitional Iraq government signed an agreement allowing the US troops to remain in Iraq beyond 2008 into the year 2009. Unfortunately, some of the Iraq people are not comfortable with this move. They view that the presence of American troops in their territory infringes on the country’s sovereignty and it is tantamount to total disregard of democracy and independence of one country. They therefore call for the unconditional withdrawal of all foreign troops in the region. The expected coming to power of Barack Obama as the US president provides some hope for a change in policy in how the US handles the situation in Iraq. In his campaign addresses prior to the elections the president elect promised a phased pout withdrawal of American and allied troops from the region that would approximately take 16 months. In addition to this, the fact that the president elect was against the waging of the war from the very word go shows that there is a looming drastic change in the American policy on Iraq once he occupies office. The current economic crisis in America will throw Iraq into further turmoil unless quick strategized withdrawal is put into place. Before the on start of the war, the Bush administration claimed that Iraq had in its possession weapons of mass destruction which were suspect of being used for terrorism purposes. Therefore, the idea behind the war was based on recovery of these weapons and the toppling of the Saddam regime as a supporter of terrorist groups. Unfortunately, only the toppling of Sadaam happened as no weapons of mass destruction were seized. Assuming that the terrorism groups never gained access to the weapons where else could they source such weapons? By adopting such a question, then the US government can have a broader perspective on the fight against terrorism. The resentment by the Iraq people that have fueled increased internal terror activities have resulted from the humanitarian crisis present in the country. US troops have been accused of committing humanitarian atrocities among them killing of innocent civilians and raping of women and young girls. It would seem appropriate then that the US government carries out its operations in Iraq with a lot of caution over the volatility of the region and the sensitivity of the connection between Muslims and terrorism. This is because among the many violations that the troops are accused of, a majority of them have a religious violation connotation. This is very important in that abrupt withdrawal of troops could throw to waste all the efforts made in stabilizing the region and eventually winning the war on terror. In conclusion, it would seem that the best manner in which to carry on the war and formulate polices in handling the war, the involved parties in coalition forces and the US should emphasis on winning the confidence and trust of the Iraqi people. Some of the hostilities meted against sympathizers of presence of foreign troop are not terrorism based but an expression of the anger of the presence of the troops. Unfortunately, the US has not been keen to interpret such incidences as so but is comfortable with the labeling of such activities as terrorism. Therefore, the future of Iraq lies in how strategically America positions itself in the eyes of Iraqis and the success of sanitizing the existing image of America in the eyes of Muslim extremists. Works cited Pilisuk, M. and Rountree, J. Who benefits from global violence and war, New York: Greenwood, 2008 Pillar, P. Terrorism and the US foreign policy, Chicago: Brookings 2004 US policy towards Iraq, Washington: GPO, 2003 Iraq policy at, (www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080319-3. html US troops to stay in Iraq beyond 2008 www. arabamericannews. com/news/index. php? mod=articlecat=Iraqarticle=670

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Arts Education Essay Example for Free

Arts Education Essay The purpose of this bibliography is to attain information from credible sources on arts programs in schools. The goal is to provide enough information so that the reader is then able to form their own opinions on the benefits, problems, and policies on arts programs at varying levels of education. Those looking to find detailed information will find this bibliography to be a good starting point. Parsad, B. , and Spiegelman, M. 2012. Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999–2000 and 2009–10 (NCES 2012–014). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U. S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. Web. 24 Jan. 2013 This source is a presentation of unbiased information about both the overall arts education programs and specific sections including: visual arts, music, dance, and theater/drama. The report utilizes a plethora of charts, graphs, and other visual aids to help organize and present the information. Parsad and Spiegelman first present their findings on overall arts education programs including the percentages of schools offering visual arts, music, dance and theater classes. They then dedicate ten to fifteen pages discussing the particulars of each section of the arts listed above. There is so much information in this article that it would be great for someone looking for a broad spectrum understanding of arts education programs. The visual aids complement the information presented and would be easy to incorporate into a variety of works. For someone who is looking to get very specific information about a specific program then this would be a good source to start with, the way the report is divided makes it very easy to find information on a specific sections of an arts program, i. e. music or drama. It would provide the reader with enough information that they could ask their own questions and be able to look further into a specific topic. Catterall, Dumais, and Hampden-Thompson. March 2012. The arts and achievement in at-risk youth : findings from four longitudinal studies. National Endowment for the Arts. Research Report #55). Web. 24 Jan. 2013. This research report is a presentation of years of studies conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts and similar organizations, most being government funded. The authors arrange the report in such a way that the bulk of the report is given through the use of visual graphs and charts, which are accompanied by conclusive statements like â€Å"Teenagers and young adult s of low socioeconomic status (SES) who have a history of in-depth arts involvement show better academic outcomes than do low-SES youth who have less arts involvement. They earn better grades and demonstrate higher rates of college enrollment and attainment. † (12) Most of the graphs simply relate percentages of students with low and high levels of art engagement to achieve certain things like high school graduation, entering a bachelors program, and attaining a steady professional level career. For every study and graph presented or reviewed there is clearly cited sources, if any confusion remains the appendix and cited pages are very clear about how to find more information. Being that this is a report of findings from a national organization it is not biased to or for support of arts programs. For anyone looking for specific statistics to use in a presentation or report of their own, this research report could be very helpful. As previously stated the bulk of the information is presented through graphs and charts that utilize percentages, and is therefore very easy to take and use in a presentation without having to do much work yourself. For someone looking for a more scholarly breakdown of the benefits of arts education on high-risk students this report will not be as helpful, as it would be time consuming to trace the information presented back to the original sources. Dwyer, M.Christine. 2011. Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning Americas Future through Creative Schools. Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. The reports emphasizes the essential role that arts education programs play in improving student engagement and building creativity. Dwyer discusses, in a lengthy and wordy overview, the current Arts Education programs and policies shortcomings. â€Å"It is widely agreed that the U. S. public education system is not adequately serving a significant portion of our nation’s children and that public K-12 schools must change dramatically o achieve the Administration’s goal that the United States become a global leader in postsecondary attainment by 2020 School leaders and teachers will need to step up to the challenge of finding new ways to engage many more students in meaningful learning † (27) More importantly, this report discusses possible solutions such as reinvesting in arts education, and argues for creating arts-rich schools that can engage students in ways that complement the study of the arts and other traditional subjects such as literature, history, scien ce, and mathematics. Another key takeaway from this report is it shows readers the link between arts education and achievement in other subjects. Being that this source is a report by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, it attempts to present evidence to support the positions of the president and his corresponding political party. As political and wordy as this report is it would most likely benefit someone looking into the politics side of arts education, it would not be as helpful for someone looking for developmental and long term benefits of art involvement in schools. Rabkin, Hedberg. 2011. Arts Education in America: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation. Based on the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. National Endowment for the Arts. (Research Report #52). Web. 24 Jan. 2013. This report presents its findings after researching important question related to arts education in America. Questions like: Has participation in arts programs declined? What does it mean for teachers and students? How has this affected participation in other extracurricular activities? How does this affect support for programs? The article presents the questions to the reader and then follows up with information that supports both positive and negative claims about the answer. Charts are used when needed to simplify information into an easily digestible visual aid. There are numerous sources used as evidence for the information presented, as well as suggestions for further investigation into the questions presented. This report has a very neutral stance towards the information presented. There is good information presented for varying arguments and the ultimate decision is left to the reader. This source would be a fair report to use in a work, especially if in an argumentative essay you need information for the view that opposes yours. However for someone looking for highly specific information this report will only be useful for an introduction into the questions being asked about the national education programs. Oxtoby, David W. 2012. The Place of Arts in Liberal Education. Liberal Education, v98 n2 p36-41 Spr 2012. Oxtoby uses a great deal of logic to explain his opinion on the place of arts in liberal education and he uses statistics to support his views. In his article, he states that diversity in the curriculum is a keystone to success in any liberal education program. He also claims that part of that diversity needs to include a program where students can express their creativity. Being able to express their creativity and the stimulation provided by arts programs lead to more successful students, both in academics, community involvement, and professional work environments. This article is a good source of simple and sound logic in support of arts programs being included in all liberal education. Oxtoby’s statements and presentation of the information is biased towards supports arts programs, but he always includes evidence to support his ideas. Also, while he does not approve of excluding arts in liberal education there is never any negativity in his statements, only more supporting evidence for his ideas. Some readers will find this article to be dry and uninteresting unless they already have some knowledge and opinions on the place of arts in education programs.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio The Fibonacci Sequence was firstly introduced by Leonardo of Pisa, known as  Fibonacci, in the year 1202. He studied on the population of rabbits. Firstly he assumed that a newly-born pair of rabbits, one male, one female, are put in a field; one month later, rabbits become adult and are able to mate so that at the end of its second month a female rabbit can produce another pair of rabbits; he also assumed that rabbits never die and a mating pair always produces one male and one female rabbit every month from the second month on. The question that Fibonacci posed was: how many pairs will there be in one year? At the end of the first month, the pair mate, however they dont produce a pair, therefore there is still one only 1 pair. At the end of the second month the couple produces a new pair, so now there are 2 pairs of rabbits in the field. One of them is adolescent and the other is leverets. At the end of the third month, the original pair produces a second pair, the leverets become adolescents hence a total of 3 pairs in all in the field. For the next month, two adolescent pairs produce two new pairs and the newly-born pair become adult. Therefore, our field consits five pairs of rabbits. The terms of the sequence are given as, The Golden Ratio is a special type of ratio that can be seen on many structure of living organisms and many objects. It is not only observed in the part of a whole subjects, but also in arts and architecture for centuries. The Golden ratio gives the most compatible sizes of geometric figures. In nature, The Golden Ratio can be seen on the bodies of human beings, shells and branches of trees.  For Platon, the keys of the cosmical physics is this ratio. Also, this ratio is widely believed that it is the most aesthetic ratio for a rectangle. The Golden Ratio, is an irrational number just as pi or e and its approximate value is 1,618033988à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ To define the Golden Ratio, ÃŽÂ ¦ or PHI is used. The Golden Ratio has been used for many years for different purposes. Some studies of the  Acropolis, the approximate value of golden ratio can be seen on many of its proportions. Parthenon is a typical example of this. The Parthenons facade including elements of its facade and elsewhere are said to be circumscribed by golden rectangles.  For many classical buildings, either the building itself or the elements of the buildings have a proportion which is equal to the golden ratio. This information gives a result that their architects most probably knew the golden ratio and consciously employed it in their buildings. On the other hand, the architects may use their senses and found a good proportion for their desgins, and their proportions closely approximate the golden ratio. Beside this, some analyses can always be questioned on the ground that the investigator chooses the points from which measurements are made or where to superimpose golden rectangles, and the proportions that a re observed are affected by the choices of the points. Some scholars disagree with the idea that Greeks had an aesthetic association with golden ratio. For instance, Midhat J. Gazalà © says, It was not until Euclid, however, that the golden ratios mathematical properties were studied. In the  Elements  (308 BC) the Greek mathematician merely regarded that number as an interesting irrational number, in connection with the middle and extreme ratios. Its occurrence in regular pentagons and decagons was duly observed, as well as in the dodecahedron (a  regular polyhedron  whose twelve faces are regular pentagons). It is indeed exemplary that the great Euclid, contrary to generations of mystics who followed, would soberly treat that number for what it is, without attaching to it other than its factual properties.[1]  In Keith Devlins opinion,  the claim that measurements of Parthenon is not supported by actual measurements even though the golden raito is observed. In fact, the entire story about the Greeks and golden ratio seems to be without foundation. The one thing we surely know that Euclid showed how to calculate its value, in his famous textbook  Elements, that was written around 300 BC.  Near-contemporary sources like  Vitruvius  exclusively discuss proportions that can be expressed in whole numbers, i.e. commensurate as opposed to irrational proportions. A geometrical analysis of the  Great Mosque of Kairouan  reveals a consistent application of the golden ratio throughout the design, according to Boussora and Mazouz.[22]  It is found in the overall proportion of the plan and in the dimensioning of the prayer space, the court, and the  minaret. Boussora and Mazouz also examined earlier archaeological theories about the mosque, and demonstrate the geometric constructions based on the golden ratio by applying these constructions to the plan of the mosque to test their hypothesis. The Swiss  architect  Le Corbusier, famous for his contributions to the  modern  international style, centered his design philosophy on systems of harmony and proportion. Le Corbusiers faith in the mathematical order of the universe was closely bound to the golden ratio and the Fibonacci series, which he described as rhythms apparent to the eye and clear in their relations with one another. And these rhythms are at the very root of human activities. They resound in man by an organic inevitability, the same fine inevitability which causes the tracing out of the Golden Section by children, old men, savages and the learned.[23] Le Corbusier explicitly used the golden ratio in his  Modulor  system for the  scale  of  architectural proportion. He saw this system as a continuation of the long tradition of  Vitruvius, Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, the work of  Leon Battista Alberti, and others who used the proportions of the human body to improve the appearance and function of  architecture. In addition to the golden ratio, Le Corbusier based the system on  human measurements,  Fibonacci numbers, and the double unit. He took Leonardos suggestion of the golden ratio in human proportions to an extreme: he sectioned his model human bodys height at the navel with the two sections in golden ratio, then subdivided those sections in golden ratio at the knees and throat; he used these golden ratio proportions in the  Modulor  system. Le Corbusiers 1927 Villa Stein in  Garches  exemplified the Modulor systems application. The villas rectangular ground plan, elevation, and inner structure closely approximate golden rectangles.[24] Another Swiss architect,  Mario Botta, bases many of his designs on geometric figures. Several private houses he designed in Switzerland are composed of squares and circles, cubes and cylinders. In a house he designed in  Origlio, the golden ratio is the proportion between the central section and the side sections of the house.[25] In a recent book, author Jason Elliot speculated that the golden ratio was used by the designers of the  Naqsh-e Jahan Square  and the adjacent Lotfollah mosque.[26] [edit]Painting Illustration from Luca Paciolis  De Divina Proportione  applies geometric proportions to the human face. Leonardo da Vincis illustrations of  polyhedra  in  De Divina Proportione  (On the Divine Proportion) and his views that some bodily proportions exhibit the golden ratio have led some scholars to speculate that he incorporated the golden ratio in his paintings.[27]  But the suggestion that hisMona Lisa, for example, employs golden ratio proportions, is not supported by anything in Leonardos own writings.[28] Salvador Dalà ­Ã‚  explicitly used the golden ratio in his masterpiece,  The Sacrament of the Last Supper. The dimensions of the canvas are a golden rectangle. A huge dodecahedron, with edges in golden ratio to one another, is suspended above and behind Jesus and dominates the composition.[2]HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#cite_note-28#cite_note-28[29] Mondrian  used the golden section extensively in his geometrical paintings.[30] A statistical study on 565 works of art of different great painters, performed in 1999, found that these artists had not used the golden ratio in the size of their canvases. The study concluded that the average ratio of the two sides of the paintings studied is 1.34, with averages for individual artists ranging from 1.04 (Goya) to 1.46 (Bellini).[31]  On the other hand, Pablo Tosto listed over 350 works by well-known artists, including more than 100 which have canvasses with golden rectangle and root-5 proportions, and others with proportions like root-2, 3, 4, and 6.[32] 3. Math in Arts: Carla Farsi  straddles two fields that many people believe are diametrically opposed: as well as being a professor of mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she is a working, exhibiting artist. After years of pursuing both interests separately she declared 2005 her Special Year for Art and Maths, and in an impressive effort put on various exhibitions, classes, movies, lectures, concerts, plays and an international conference all to deepen the understanding of the relationship between maths and art. Plus interviewed her to find out just what this relationship is about, and what it feels like to have a foot in both worlds. Painting by numbers? When you look at some of Carlas artwork, you might be forgiven not to recognise any maths in it. Some of her installations in particular appear impulsive, even disordered, and made from recycled objects belong very much to the realm of reality. There are no meticulously worked out geometrical patterns, intricate fractals or perfectly recreated perspectives, as you might expect from an artist-mathematician. So what makes the connection between maths and art? Is there more to it than the fact that maths underlies patterns and perspective? Visualisation is one of the main points, Carla says, especially in geometry you can prove things visually, and the pictures can say as much as the actual theorem. But you can even go beyond geometry. Something that is logical, that makes a mathematical theorem, also makes some kind of a visual statement about structure and composition. Its almost like a piece of art, it has its own structure, logic, meaning. In a mathematicians head, the mathematica l ideas, even if theyre very abstract, can appear to be almost visual, intuitive. Carla thinks that with the advance of computers, the visual and artistic aspects of maths will become more and more prominent: Computers are developing so fast and we dont really know yet what they could do for us in the future. Maybe one day it will be sufficient to think about the images involved in a mathematical idea or proof, and a computer will compute the underlying equations for us. Right now, just drawing a picture is often not enough a proper proof has to be more rigorous than that. But computers are already being used to prove theorems [seePlus  article  Welcome to the maths lab], and maybe one day a mathematician could simply present the computer with a picture, and the computer will be able to read off the maths in it. In this way, mathematicians could spend more time on the creative aspects of maths having the ideas and computers could do the boring, automatic parts. At that point maths may be closer to art than it appears now. So, what does it  feel  like, being an artist and a mathematician at the same time? Does proving a theorem feel very different from creating a piece of art? No, the two dont feel very different. Of course, when youre doing maths, youre bound by rules much more than when youre doing art. In art you can change the rules what you initially planned to do half-way through, and I do that a lot. In fact, even if Ive made up some rules at the beginning, I often find that Im unable to stick to them, the practicalities involved force me to seek other routes. Do Carlas motivation for doing maths and her inspiration to do art come from the same place? Yes, I certainly think so, Im absolutely positive about that. There is the same kind of fascination for me in both maths and art. Its all about expressing ideas, and sometimes maths works better and other times its art. Maths and art are just two different languages that can be used to express the same ideas. In some periods of my life Im more attracted by the rigour and formality of maths, and at other times I prefer art. I think maths and art are just different languages that can be used to express the same ideas. What are these ideas? Thats a very difficult question! I think its how I relate to the world, how I see and understand the world. I feel a relationship with certain objects, or objects of the mind, and I want to express that. For example, I may be touched by the idea of an explosion [Carla indeed painted a series of pictures on the subject of Hiroshima], and to express it, I may prefer to use art, bright colours. If I want to express or understand something more formal, maths may be better-suited. Numbers by painting But Carla didnt put on her Special Year just in order to contemplate those deep connections. First and foremost, she wants to open up the world of maths to those who are scared of it, or feel that it has nothing to do with real life. Emphasising the visual and creative aspects of maths might make people like it more. I created a course at my university, aimed at non-maths students, which teaches maths using the visual arts. I think this could also be of great benefit to maths students, and here we could teach the more formal mathematical ideas. Carla uses paintings and sculptures both to give an overall feel for the subject and to illustrate concrete maths objects and problems. An area that benefits most from the visual approach is topology. This branch of maths studies the nature of geometric objects by allowing them to distort and change. Think of a knot in an elastic band: its defining feature, the way the band winds around itself, remains the same even when you stretch the band. In this spirit, topologists regard any two objects that can be deformed into each other without tearing to be one and the same thing have a look at  Plusarticle  In space, do all roads lead home?  to see how a coffee cup can be turned into a doughnut. Carla teaches topological ideas and methods using the sculptures of North American artistHelaman Ferguson, and also the works of Catalan architect  Antoni Gaudà ­. I usually ask students to bring playdough to the maths class. Fergusons work in particular is good for illustrating the solutions to concrete mathematical problems, such as how to unknot a knot: I usually present first the puzzle and then give them some hints to see if we can work out the solution together. Usually I also ask students to bring playdough to this class, so that we can work hands on. After we have worked out the maths I show them a piece by Ferguson that beautifully illustrate the result. With Gaudà ­ I am a bit more loose. I introduce him when I talk about topological transformations of surfaces and also when I talk about spirals. Some of his work illustrates well the concept of topological deformation and I use it for that, as a general example. This is also useful when students ask (as they often do) how mathematics relates to things they see in the real world. Of course, no class on maths and the visual arts would be complete without fractals. Their often astonishing beauty comes from their infinite intricacy: no matter how closely you zoom in on a fractal, what you see is still extremely complicated and crinkly. Whats more, it often looks similar to the whole fractal, a phenomenon called self-similarity (see the box on the  Von Koch Snowflakebelow). There are various mathematical techniques to measure the crinkliness of a fractal, and Carla teaches them in her classes with the aid of fractals that occur in nature and art: I teach my students how to compute the fractal dimension of a fractal. First I show them some examples from art and other fields, especially nature. Then we study the technique formally, and then apply it to images of fractal art. We also work out the fractal dimension of some of the original examples I presented them with. As Carla points out, there are paintings containing fractals that were never consciously intended by the artist: mathematicians have shown that the drip paintings by abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock can be identified by their own particular fractal structures (see  Plus  article  Fractal expressionism). Symmetry is another concept that is as visual as it is mathematical. We can perceive it almost subconsciously and it has been argued that it plays a vital role in our perception of beauty yet it opens the door to a wealth of mathematical structure. A square, for example, has 8 symmetries: you can reflect it in the vertical, horizontal or diagonal axes, you can rotate it through 90, 180 or 270 degrees, or you can simply do nothing and leave it as it is. Each of these transformations is called a symmetry, because after youve done it, the square appears to be exactly as it was before. If you put all these 8 symmetries together, you get a self-contained system: whenever you combine two of them, by first doing one and then the other, you get one of the other symmetries in your set try it! Such a self-contained system of symmetries is called a  group, and symmetry groups are the gateway to abstract algebra. A simple visual consideration lands you in the thick of some quite advanced ma thematics!

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Writing: A Necessity? Essay -- History Philosophy Essays

Writing: A Necessity? What, specifically, is so necessary about writing? What inspired the first cavemen to use an instrument (bone or stick) dipped in the indelible dyes derived from plants to create petroglyphs upon a wall? Why did the ancient Egyptians find it necessary to formulate a process that would create the first papyrus sheets making language a portable commodity? What was it that made Gutenberg want to simplify the printing process so that text could be mass-produced and disseminated to more people? George Farquhar (1678-1703) is attributed with the quote, â€Å"Necessity is the mother of invention.† In light of this statement, I must ask again, what is so necessary about writing that the need to do so has given rise to the invention of paints and inks, the stylus and pencil and quill, the fountain pen and ballpoint, typewriters and fonts, and finally computers and word-processing? I believe there are two very simple and basic reasons behind this so-called â€Å"necessity† of these created inventions – reasons as old as mankind’s innate human nature. First of all, people desire to communicate – this desire transcended mere touch and hand signals or facial expressions and became language. Not to trivialize and condense the ages of development into a paragraph, but as more complex concepts arose it created the need for more complicated symbols and signs to convey meaning accurately. Human memory being what it is, fallible and ultimately terminal, written language became the vehicle to transport the second, and probably more important factor in the continuing invention of written technology – people want to leave something of themselves to posterity. This may be in the form of a story, a poem, a last will and testa... ...r of invention – at least where the desire to communicate is concerned. History has shown mankind’s aspirations to not only leave a message behind, but to invent better processes to preserve and spread those messages. I cannot conceive of sending a message to my sister in Arizona on the sycamore leaf from my backyard faintly inscribed with charcoal from an old apple tree stump. Chances of it arriving in one piece would be slim. However, with today’s technology, I can email her or engage in instant messaging. Technology has made communication easier and quicker, but to this I must add one more question – has it made it better? When we are limited and each word becomes a painstaking choice, perhaps the weight of the message becomes greater, clearer, more profound than when we have the ability to run on and on chasing a flashing cursor across a clean white page.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

My Five Year Plan After Graduation Essay -- Personal Goals

My Five Year Plan After Graduation Five years after graduation I plan to obtain a master's degree in law enforcement. Right now I'am really not sure what I really want to truly do for the rest of my life. The only thing I like doing is finding clues and figuring out the criminal in mystery books. I know that sense I like doing that, it leads me to desiring a position as a detective or something dealing with the FBI. Im thinking that its most likely that I will go to a university. If I do, I will go to the University of Phoenix. I’m attending the University of Phoenix for a few reasons but I’m ultimately going to the university to become a detective. I want to be successful and rich so I can have all the good things in life. I want to be able to have a family without financial stress and worries. My entire life my mom has and still is working two or three jobs just to make ends meet. That’s not where I want to be with my future. I want a sense of comfort that no matter what happens I’ll have the money to take care of it. I don’t exactly need a luxurious lifestyle, but I’d like to partake in a life of nicer cars, extravagant home, and cash in the bank. So after all I guess I would like to have a few dollars. It’s often hard to grow up without a substantial amount of money in the family. I’m going to make sure that my husband (who will be work ing just like me), and kids don’t have to go through all of that. On a more selfish side of the scale, I want to get out of that whole situation as well. I’d like to drive expensive cars and wear the clothes, and most of all, I always want to have money in my pocket. Like everyone else, I just want the good life. In addition to all of that, a master's degree or any kind of degree looks good on any application. So many more doors are opened to you if you have a degree instead of just a high school diploma. With the popularity of college lately, there is so much more competition in the workforce. With a degree you would not only have that on your applications, but you’d have the knowledge that you would need to attain the right job. A university or college is my chance to make something of myself, no one in my immediate family has graduated from college yet so I’d like for them to be proud of me for that achievement. I used to think I was going to be a professional basketball player but I’m too slow and not t... ...ell I plan to receive an academic scholarship, get students loans, and borrow money from a relative. I can aquire an academic scholarship by getting into the top five percent of William B. Travis Highschool of class 2007. I can get student loans by applying to the College Funding Services. I will get my money fast and make no payments until after graduation. Plus I have a grandpa that says he can pay for some of my college money. College is going to start my own life on a foot that is ready to leap because my career is going to take off right out of the gate. All-in-all I’m going to college for three main reasons. My immediate family is a reason because I want them to be proud of me for doing something right for once. My future family is also one because it’s a big part of my life that I want to be happy and always feel comfortable. Finally for my personal financial well-being, so I can be able to treat myself to all the luxuries I want for myself. Going back to line one, all of these things are a part of my future. Isn’t that what college is for after all, to prepare people for their own futures and what they bring? A university is not my future, it’s only the beginning of it.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

English Teaching Plan

Months & Seasons Vocabulary  Games Match  the  names  of  the  celebrations/  holidays  with  the  months  that  they  take  place  in. January February March April May June July August September October November December Mother’s  Day International  Children’s  Day US  Ã‚  Independence  Day Christmas’s  Eve Halloween Mid  Fall  Festival Vietnam  Teacher’s  Day International  Women’s  Day International  Left ­handers’  Day Valentine’s  Day New  Year’s  Eve April’s  Fool Now  discuss  with  your  partners  what  people  often  do  during  those  holidays  ? Vocabulary  Game  (2)Match  the  words  that  best  describe  the  weather  of  each  season  (work  with  a  partner) dry  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  humid  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  wet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cold  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  freezing  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  sunny windy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  rainy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  comfortable  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  below  freezing  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  breezy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cool chilly  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  drizzling  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  fog/foggy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  heat ­wave  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  boiling  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  tropical  storms snowstorms  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cloudy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  snowy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  nice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  warm  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  hot Spring: Summer Autumn Win ter Listening  Activity A.Listen  to  the  recording  and  tick  the  words  that  you  hear winter  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  outside  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  prefer  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  peak  of  the  summer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  long  lazy  days  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  June  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  summer  man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  autumn grey  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  going  back  to  school  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  autumn  leaves  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  walking  in  the  woods   Ã‚  fan  of  the  winter  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  December  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  snow  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christmas  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  celebrations January  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  worst  months  of  the  year  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  march  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  april the  first  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  windy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  feelings  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  summer  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  he at  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  light dark  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  have  a  walk B.Listen  to  the  recording  again  and  decide  whether  each  statement  is  true  (T)  or  false (F) 1. Richard  loves  winter 2. It’s  December  now 3. There’s  often  snow  in  the  UK  in  the  winter 4. There’re  a  lot  of  celebrations  and  parties  during  Christmas 5. Both  of  the  speakers  were  born  in  the  Sp ring 6. Richard  loves  July  the  most  Ã‚  in  the  summer  months 7. The  female  speaker  likes  all  of  the  autumn  months 8. She  loves  the  colors  of  autumn 9. Today  is  a  wet,  cold,  dark  day. 10. They  will  probably  stay  inside  today. C. Now  listen  for  the  last  time  and  fill  in  the  blanks  to  complete  the  conversation F:  So  this  week  on  podcastinenglish. om,  we’re  talking  about  months  of  the  years  and  seasons. So,  richard,  it’s  December  now,  and  for  us,  the  first  of  the  ____________  months. How  do  you feel  about  the  winter  and  the  winter  months? M:  I  don’t  like  them. F:  Not  at  all? M:  No,  December? Cold,  grey,  wet,  ____________. No.. I’m  not  a  fan  of  winter,  I’m  afraid F:  Yes,  and  also  in  the  UK,  we  don’t  really  get.. we  don’t  always  get  snow. And  I  think  if  it’s  cold and  there’s  snow,  that’s  really  nice  .. but  if  it’s  just  cold  and  wet,  then  that’s  really  hard. At  least we  have  Christmas  for  December M:  Christmas  is  good.Christmas  are.. ________________,  parties.. that’s  nice.. and  it’s  not  as bad  as  January. January  is  to  come F:  Ã‚  Yes  I  think  January  and  February  are  the  ____________  months  of  the  year. But  in  the  spring, then  we  have  the  spring  months. Both  you  and  I  were  born  in  the  spring. You  were  born  in  March and  I  was  born  in____________. Do  you  like  March? M:  I’m  not  a   fan  of  March  and  April,  either.. cause  then,  at  least  in  the  UK,  it’s  very  ___________, wet  .. and  you  know  March  is  the  driest  month  of  the  year  but  it  seems  to  be  windy,  and  a  bit  wet and  dam. that’s  my  ____________anyway

Monday, September 16, 2019

Report on Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited Essay

Introduction 1.1 Preface: Generally by the word â€Å"Bank† we can easily understand that the financial institution deals with money. But there are different types of banks like; Central Banks, Commercial Banks, Savings Banks, Investment Banks, Industrial Banks, Co-operative Banks etc. But when we use the term â€Å"Bank† without any prefix, or qualification, it refers to the ‘Commercial banks’. Commercial banks are the primary contributors to the economy of a country. So we can say Commercial bank is a profit-making institution that holds the deposits of individuals & business in checking & savings accounts and then uses these funds to make loans. For these people and the government is very much dependent on these banks as the financial intermediary. As banks are profit -earning concern; they collect deposit at the lowest possible cost and provide loans and advances at higher cost. The differences between two are the profit for the bank. Banking sector is expanding its hand in different financial events every day. At the same time the banking process is becoming faster, easier and the banking arena is becoming wider. As the demand for better service increases day by day, they are coming with different innovative ideas & products. In order to survive in the competitive field of the banking sector, all banking organizations are looking for better service opportunities to provide their fellow clients. As a result, it has become essential for every person to have some idea on the bank and banking procedure. Internship program is essential for every student, especially for the students of Business Administration, which helps them to know the real life situation. For this reason a student takes the internship program at the last stage of the BBA Program, to launch a career with some practical experience. The Banking Companies Ordinance was promulgated on the 7th June 1962. This has been adopted in Bangladesh and is applicable to the banking companies only. Nothing of this ordinance shall apply to a co-operative Securities Act (1912). Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited has a vision and mission to improve the financial sector of Bangladesh i.e. economic condition of Bangladesh by providing effective and innovative banking and financial product in financial market. However, in every economy of the world financial sector is highly regulated sector. Therefore, financial products of every bank are almost same as same law & regulations regulate them. Commercial Banks, as the very name indicates, function primarily as deposit takers and lenders to trade and commerce. But through a historical process, these Banks are now also engaged in long medium and short term industrial lending, agricultural financing including development financing. Commercial Banks are of three types Nationalized, Local Private and Foreign Commercial Banks. 1.2 Background of the study The BBA program (Stamford University Bangladesh) is designed to focus on theoretical and professional development of people open to take up business as a profession as well as service as a career. This internship provides the students to link up their theoretical knowledge into practical fields. This report is prepared for the internship program consisting of a major in depth study of the â€Å"overall activities of Shahjalal Islami Bank in banana branch†. This program enables a student to develop his analytical skill and scholastic aptitude. 1.3 Rational of the study In today’s modern and globalization world, business sector is competitive. Theoretical knowledge is not enough for a business student because there is a gap between theoretical knowledge and practical field. It is more competitive in the financial institution like bank. Now a day’s local banks are playing a key role for economic growth and development of the country. In that case Shahjalal Islami Bank is playing a pioneer role for structural development of the country. This study mainly covered the areas of performance of Shahjalal Islami bank, its services, types of deposits, remittance, loans & advance, recovery system and its growth. 1.4 Objective of the study 1.4.1 General objectives: The General objectives of the study are: ââ€" ¡ To fulfill the requirement for the completion of (BBA) program. ââ€" ¡ The general objective of this report is to fulfill the requirement for the completion of (BBA) program through internship report. ââ€" ¡ To acquire practical experience in different banking services of Shahjalal Islami bank. Understand the Islamic Sharia Based General Banking, Foreign Exchange and Investment Management of Shahjalal Islami Bank. 1.4.2 Specific Objectives: The Specific objectives of the study are: †¢ To make a bridge between the theories and practical procedures of banking day-to-day operations. †¢ To gather knowledge about the transaction of different department of the branch. †¢ To familiar with banking environment, clients, working hours, values, conditions and other things related to bank †¢ To understand present an overview of Shahjalal Islami bank 1.5 Scope of the study An infrastructure of the organization has been detailed, accompanied by a global perspective and look into the future. The scope of this report is limited to the overall description of the company, its services, and its position in the market and its marketing strategy. The scope of the study is limited to organizational setup, functions, and performances for customer satisfaction. The study would focus on the following areas: ââ€" ª General Banking of Shahjalal Islami bank Ltd. ââ€" ª Remittance and clearing section of SJIBL. ââ€" ª Credit operation of Shahjalal Islami bank Ltd. ââ€" ª Foreign Trade of Shahjalal Islami bank Ltd. Each of the above areas would be critically analyzed in order to identify the service quality of the bank. 1.6 Methodology of the study: Different data and information are required to meet the goal of this report. Those data and information were collected from various sources, such as, primary and secondary which is showed below: Data Analysis: For the analysis purpose I have basically undergone some financial analysis and also judged some qualitative factors responsible for the Shahjalal islami bank position in banking sector. To continue the study, I have collected the useful data by two methods: 1) Conceptual approach. 2) Empirical approach. These two data analysis techniques provided independently derived information that could be crosschecked, thus enhancing validity. Sources of collecting data: The information incorporated in this report has been gathered from primary and secondary sources. Apart from this, a review of related circular and office circular as well as face-to-face interview of the executives, officials and clients were carried out. 1.7 Limitation of the study There is a certain boundary to cover this study. It was not possible due to shortage of time to cover each and every activity performed by the bank. So the study has covered only the General banking Activities of Shahjalal Islami bank Limited. Like any other articles and theories, this study is not free from limitations. I have tried my level best to overcome these limitations through extensive study, hard and sincere devotion to the assigned duty. The major limitations are: †¢ I complete my internship in a small town branch, Banani branch. So I don’t get the proper information which I need. †¢ The bank personnel and officials were very busy with their occupational activities. Hence it was little bit difficult for them to help within their high schedule. †¢ Relevant data and document collection were difficult due to the organization confidentiality. Chapter: Two Overall Banking System 2.1 Banking Environment: During 2008, Bangladesh witnessed higher inflation that affected life of common people, labor unrest in garments sector- the highest contributor in export sector affected economic activities and business operations. Higher import cost of commodity prices, price hike in international oil market as well as money and credit growth resulted in higher inflation. As a result, the economy of the country showed every sign of recession. Despite this numerous adversities, closed the balance sheet of the Bank with an enormous per-tax profit of TK. 1216 million with excellent growth rate of 54.44% while the whole financial sector faced a slowdown. This credit worthy achievement has been possible due to our professional smoothness and confidence. 2.2 Global banking: In the 1970s, a number of smaller crashes tied to the policies put in place following the depression, resulted in deregulation and privatization of government-owned enterprises in the 1980s, indicating that governments of industrial countries around the world found private-sector solutions to problems of economic growth and development preferable to state-operated, semi-socialist programs. This spurred a trend that was already prevalent in the business sector, large companies becoming global and dealing with customers, suppliers, manufacturing, and information centers all over the world. Global banking and capital market services proliferated during the 1980s and 1990s as a result of a great increase in demand from companies, governments, and financial institutions, but also because financial market conditions were buoyant and, on the whole, bullish. Interest rates in the United States declined from about 15% for two-year U.S. Treasury notes to about 5% during the 20-year period, and financial assets grew then at a rate approximately twice the rate of the world economy. Such growth rate would have been lower, in the last twenty years, were it not for the profound effects of the internationalization of financial markets especially U.S. Foreign investments, particularly from Japan, who not only provided the funds to corporations in the U.S., but also helped finance the federal government; thus, transforming the U.S. stock market by far into the largest in the world. Nevertheless, in recent years, the dominance of U.S. financial markets has been disappearing and there has been an increasing interest in foreign stocks. The extraordinary growth of foreign financial markets results from both large increases in the pool of savings in foreign countries, such as Japan, and, especially, the deregulation of foreign financial markets, which has enabled them to expand their activities. Thus, American corporations and banks have started seeking investment opportunities abroad, prompting the development in the U.S. of mutual funds specializing in trading in foreign stock markets. Such growing internationalization and opportunity in financial services has entirely changed the competitive landscape, as now many banks have demonstrated a preference for the â€Å"universal banking† model prevalent in Europe. Universal banks are free to engage in all forms of financial services, make investments in client companies, and function as much as possible as a â€Å"one-stop† supplier of both retail and wholesale financial services. Many such possible alignments could be accomplished only by large acquisitions, and there were many of them. By the end of 2000, a year in which a record level of financial services transactions with a market value of $10.5 trillion occurred, the top ten banks commanded a market share of more than 80% and the top five, 55%. Of the top ten banks ranked by market share, seven were large universal-type banks (three American and four European), and the remaining three were large U.S. investment banks who between them accounted for a 33% market share. This growth and opportunity also led to an unexpected outcome: entrance into the market of other financial intermediaries: nonbanks. Large corporate players were beginning to find their way into the financial service community, offering competition to established banks. The main services offered included insurances, pension, mutual, money market and hedge funds, loans and credits and securities. Indeed, by the end of 2001 the market capitalization of the world’s 15 largest financial services providers included four nonbanks. In recent years, the process of financial innovation has advanced enormously increasing the importance and profitability of nonbank finance. Such profitability priory restricted to the nonbanking industry, has prompted the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to encourage banks to explore other financial instruments, diversifying banks’ business as well as improving banking economic health. Hence, as the distinct financial instruments are being explored and adopted by the banking and nonbanking industries, the distinction between different financial institutions is gradually vanishing. 2.3 Overall Banking Sector: Financial sector reforms to strengthen the regulatory and supervisory framework for banks made headway in 2006 although at a slower than expected pace. Overall health of the banking system showed improvement since 2002 as the gross Non-performing Loans (NPL) declined from 28 percent to 14 percent while net NPL (less Provision) reduced to 8 percent from 21 percent. This led significant improvement in the profitability ratios. Although the Private Commercial Banks (PCB) NPL ratio registered a record low of 6 percent, the four Nationalized Commercial Banks (NCB) position are still weak and showed very high NPL at 25 percent. The NCBs have large capital shortfalls with a risk-weighted capital asset ratio of just 0.5 percent (June 2006) as against the required 9 percent. For the PCBs risk-weighted capital asset ratio stood at 10 percent. Bangladesh Bank issued a good number of prudential guidelines during the year 2006 and the first quarter of 2007 which among others relate to (i) Rationalization of prudential norms for loan classification and provisioning, (ii) Policy for rescheduling of loans, (iii) Designing and enforcing an â€Å"integrated credit risk grading manual†, (iv) Credit rating of the banks, and (v) Revisions to the make-up of Tier- 2capital. Besides, recent decision of the Government to corporatize the remaining three NCBs along with the initiative to sale the Rupali Bank are bound to usher in changes in the banking sector competitiveness aspect. Bangladesh Bank has also taken up the task of implementing the Basel II capital accord. Further, the recent enactment of the Micro-credit Regulatory Authority Act (MRAA) for the regulation of the Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) has been a major development in the year 2006. Since 1998 CAMEL rating of banks gradually improved and in 2006 Bangladesh Bank updated this rating model by incorporating the market risk and the new model is known as CAMELS. 2.4 Banking System of Bangladesh The banking system at independence consisted of two branch offices of the former State Bank of Pakistan and seventeen large commercial banks, two of which were controlled by Bangladeshi interests and three by foreigners other than West Pakistanis. There were fourteen smaller commercial banks. Virtually all banking services were concentrated in urban areas. The newly independent government immediately designated the Dhaka branch of the State Bank of Pakistan as the central bank and renamed it the Bangladesh Bank. The bank was responsible for regulating currency, controlling credit and monetary policy, and administering exchange control and the official foreign exchange reserves. The Bangladesh government initially nationalized the entire domestic banking system and proceeded to reorganize and rename the various banks. Foreign-owned banks were permitted to continue doing business in Bangladesh. The insurance business was also nationalized and became a source of potential investment fun ds. Cooperative credit systems and postal savings offices handled service to small individual and rural accounts. The new banking system succeeded in establishing reasonably efficient procedures for managing credit and foreign exchange. The primary function of the credit system throughout the 1970s was to finance trade and the public sector, which together absorbed 75 percent of total advances. The transformation of finance priorities has brought with it problems in administration. No sound project-appraisal system was in place to identify viable borrowers and projects. Lending institutions did not have adequate autonomy to choose borrowers and projects and were often instructed by the political authorities. In addition, the incentive system for the banks stressed disbursements rather than recoveries, and the accounting and debt collection systems were inadequate to deal with the problems of loan recovery. It became more common for borrowers to default on loans than to repay them; the lending system was simply disbursing grant assistance to private individuals who qualified for loans more for political than for economic reasons. The rate of recovery on agricultural loans was only 27 percent in FY 1986, and the rate on industrial loans was even worse. As a result of this poor showing, major donors applied pressure to induce the government and banks to take firmer action to strengthen. 2.5 Perspective of Islamic Banking System: Banking plays a pivotal role in the development processes of a country. It helps accelerate the pace of development by securing uninterrupted supply of financial resources to people engaged in numerous economic activities. The tremendous development that the present world experienced in the last few decades was contributed by several factors among which growing institutional supply of loanable funds must have played the pivotal role. The role of banking is comparable to what an artery system does in human body. Banks both commercial and another development financial institution provide short, medium and long -term credits to businessperson and entrepreneurs who usually take the lead in ventures of economic development. Institutional supply of credits has been made possible by a system of financial intermediation organized in a way where conventional banks collect small saving from the public by offering them a fixed rate of interest and advancing the loanable funds out of the deposited money to enterprising clients charging relatively higher rate of interest. The margin between these two rates is bank’s income. Bank provides many other services to the people against service charges as well. Despite the outstanding contribution of conventional banking system (interest-based), several ancient and modern economists are critical about its efficiency level. Some economists consider role of interest in the conventional banking mechanism as a major destabilizing factor that contributes to cyclical fluctuations in the economy. Specifically, the ineffectiveness of interest rate as a stabilization tool during the period of Great depression is a case to note. Thus most of the economists called for urgent reform of the World Economies Order. In response though not exactly to that exigency but for quite a few other reason, a new system of banking known as Profit-Loss-Sharing has emerged in as many as 45 countries of the world. Another study provides a list of 248 Islamic financial institutions that are now in operation in different parts of the world. The second half of the twentieth century witnessed a distinctly separate line of thinking on banking. The thought later on got institutionalized at the end of third quarter and subsequently emerged as a new system of banking called Islamic Banking. At this stage, it is important to note the factors responsible for the emergence of profit-loss-sharing (PLS) system of banking. There are religious as well as economic reasons that have contributed to the emergence of PLS-banking as an alternative to its conventional counterpart. It is the prohibition of ‘riba’ in the Holy Quran that, according to the proponents of the PLS-system, was the source of inspiration for es tablishing Banks in line with Islamic shariah.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Once Upon a time x constant image of your face

Guilt is a common feeling that humans feel when they have done something wrong. The poets Gabriel Okra and Dennis brutes both express this feeling of guilt in their personae backgrounds. Therefore, okra's â€Å"Once upon a Time† and brute's â€Å"It is the Constant Image of Your Face† are poems portrayed with guilt, but they show it in different situations. The body of both poems have a specific situation happening. In the poem â€Å"Once upon a Time† the persona wishes to be young again an forget all the lessons he has taught himself.He admits of having to put on a â€Å"mask â€Å"depending on who he is in company with, however he wishes to return to his childhood days when he would laugh a honest laughter. The persona speaks to his son about the times when people WOUld Seem to be sincere and caring when dealing with one another. In the poem â€Å"It is the Constant Image of Your Face† the persona chooses his woman over his county. The persona looks at his love for his country along with his mistress and the heartbreak that is inflicted with his choices.The persona admits that they cannot make excuses for his mistress does not take precedence over the personae country, however he still commits treason against his country by being seduced by his mistress's beauty and protection. The persona hopes that his country' will forgive him for choosing his mistress. In both the poems the personae give a feeling of guilt in their events. In the poem â€Å"Once Upon a Time† the poet creates contrast be;en â€Å"heart† and â€Å"faces†. â€Å"Hearts† suggest a deep honest feeling and emotion.Thus, when people shook hands â€Å"with their hearts†, their emotion was true and real. However, when they laugh ‘With their teeth†, not with their eyes. This suggests that the eyes are like the windows of the soul thus letting us see how a person truly feels. In the second poem, â€Å"It is the Constant Im age of Your Face† the persona reflects on the image of someone he cares for. The persona admits that both him and his mistress can â€Å"plead excuses† for his behavior because the woman does not take precedence over his country. He is also feeling guilt and sadness because of what he has done.He has committed treason against his country and he hopes his country will pardon him because of his love for his country and woman. The two poems show contrast through literary devices. Personifications and oxymoron are used by the poets in their poems. In the poem ‘it is the Constant Image of Your Face' the phrase ‘heart's Treachery' is an oxymoron used.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

My Favorite Japanese Restaurant

I was driving down the road and I was feeling very hungry. So hungry, I could hardly think straight. All I wanted to do was gobble down lots of Japanese food. I could taste the Kung Pow Chicken and smell the steaming rice as I drove my truck. To my delight, I spotted my favorite Japanese restaurant and it was calling my name. Unable to resist, I parked in the parking lot and got out of my truck faster than I ever had before. The building was very old and badly in need of a fresh coat of paint. There were also several roof tiles missing. Not exactly a five star restaurant. The large sign hanging in the front window was slightly tilted to the left because some broken ceiling tiles were coming out of place. It was hard to miss the brightly lit neon blinking sign that read, â€Å"Sunami†. From the front windows, I could see the tables inside and it did not appear to be very crowded. At the entrance of the restaurant, there was bronze statute of a pudgy monk sitting crossed legged with his large belly bulging out and a huge smile on his face. As I stepped inside, my ears filled with the sound of booming noises that came from the customers. It was obvious from the sound of laughter and chatter that everyone was having a good time. I took a seat at my usual booth, the one with the tear in the old red fake leather. I was such a frequent customer that I could order without looking at the menu, â€Å"#13 Kung Pow Chicken†. Moments later, I was approached by a waitress who had the sweetest sounding voice I had ever heard. After I placed my order, I sat in the booth waiting for my food, enjoying the sights and sounds. I took a sip of water, with a slice of lemon neatly stabbed on the rim, then took a deep breath and the most wonderful yet familiar aroma filled my nostrils. I could not place it but it smelled a little like the Japanese dish I usually order, Kung Pow Chicken. I kept taking deep breaths and turning my head to see where this delicious aroma was coming from. Sure enough, there it was, my platter of chicken and rice brought in by the waitress and it was mine to devour. The wonderful sounding waitress laid down the food and reminded me to leave some room for desert. Right then, desert was the last thing on my mind, all I wanted to do was enjoy my Kung Pow Chicken. I put the first morsel of Kung Pow Chicken in my mouth and wow, it tasted GREAT! The salt was not too much and the seasonings were just right. The rice as well was cooked to perfection and oh so scrumptious. Fifteen minutes later I was finished with the whole plate of food. I was feeling absolutely stuffed, a little like an over inflated balloon ready to burst. Then I was approached by the waitress again, this time trying to convince me to eat some sushi. I had never eaten any sushi before so I agreed to give it a try. So, she brought some out to me on a black plate, it looked like it was something smashed together into a roll. I took it apart and felt it in my hand. The raw fish felt cold and slimly. The rice felt very coarse, a little like it had not been cooked thoroughly. I had a bite of the sushi and realized that it was not as bad as I thought. The salmon just melted in my mouth and the rice gave the whole thing great texture. If I had eaten any more I certainly would have burst. Resisting the temptation of delicious looking deserts, I gracefully paid the inexpensive check, left a generous tip for the sweet sounding waitress, then left the best restaurant in town.