Big Bang or Creationism essays

Big Bang or Creationism essays Our Universe: Big Bang or Creationism Talking about our universe as a whole brings up a great question that theologians and scientist have been debating for years. So much so that it has involved boards of education and trials in court. Was God the creator of the universe as many of us are taught in Sunday school? After all it does say in the Book of Genesis that God created the Earth and the Heavens in six days and rested on the seventh. Or did the universe just happen as a chance occurrence as the Big Bang suggest? Scientist Stephen Hawking suggests that the origins of the universe always has been and continues to be a chicken-and-egg question (Hawking, 2002). In a nutshell, Hawking notes, what agency created the universe (Hawking 2002)? By the same token, what created that agency (Hawking 2002)? Hawkins also notes that; . . . in the last few years, it has emerged that the Laws of Science may hold even at the beginning of the universe. In that case, the universe could be self contained and determined complet ely by the Laws of Science (Hawking 2002). The problem with this is Christians who whole-heartedly follow what is written in the Bible believe the total opposite. This one sided type of thinking is nothing new however. The origins of the universe have been debated for years and continue to be debated today. The debate has been an either-or situation; either God was the Creator of the universe or he was not (Sluder, 2002). Either the universe was a spontaneous creation or it was not (Sluder, 2002). Trying to clear those two questions never easy. Trying to give a direct dictionary definition of creationism is a little more complex than it seems. First we have to start by saying that the belief in the creation of the universe as the Bible tells it is literally true. Creationism can then be considered a belief based solely up ...

Tyler LeBlanc Essays (1134 words) - Enron Scandal, Free Essays

Tyler LeBlanc Essays (1134 words) - Enron Scandal, Free Essays Tyler LeBlanc Prof. Sullivan CRJ 362 2/6/2017 Enron's Scandal Dismantle Enron was a Houston based corporation founded in 1985, that reached the peak of the business world in the late nineties to early Two thousands. Enron was known for their business savvy techniques, on the other hand it was notorious for their demise resulting from their audit scandals. The aftermath was imprisonment of large amounts of CEO's, as well as thousands of employees losing their jobs. This all transpired when there was constant change of CEO's and CFO's , and unsystematic plumet of $137 million loss in stock in which attracted the attention of many forcing the justice to investigate. In this paper i will evaluate the facts of this case,and analyze the scandal using the rational choice theory. The rational choice theory ties into the Enron scandal as executives took into account the large benefits prior to participating in this infamous disparagement,as the rational choice theory states that individuals make decisions with the greatest benefit or satisfaction. They took into mind the pros in this situation, and Found loopholes around being caught . These executives thought that there would be no way they would be caught, and even if so they believed they personally would not be held accountable for fraud if in fact they were exposed. Anderson Litter was the Auditing company that was in charge of checking frequently on Enron's books, however the company rarely did so. This factor led Enron accountants to believe that if no one was checking the books that they could purposefully undermine the rules by misfiling, and not reporting Enron's problems. Anderson litter and other auditors had all the reason in the world to keep quiet of the scandal that was taking place bas ed off the fact that they let all Enron's messy business slide under the radar they were now considered accomplices. Enron felt they had more to gain then lose, when analyzing the cost benefits. The benefits would be auditors could live lavishly as there was large amounts of income filling there pockets from the scandal. The cost if they were to come clean they would be tarnishing the corporation's reputation as well as their own. Waste Management's jail free scandal was the staple for Enron's executives when taking in consideration the cost benefits in the corporation's fraud scandals. Waste management was a corporation that bought out hundreds and thousands of garbage companies, increasing their sales and profits year by year. The Company was a skyrocketing business as their company stock profit soared higher than any other big time corporation. The Waste Management business hit the fan when the company could no longer expand as they ran out of garbage companies to buy out. This large problem did not stop waste management as they turned to a counting fix fooling wall street to believe the company was still growing by stretching depreciations. Waste Management changed the life span of their assets such as garbage trucks,landfills, and garbage containers. The typical lifespan of these assets is twelve years, Waste Management changed it to eighteen years saving over one hundred million dollars. This was all possible from the help of Anderson auditing company as they did not report the Waste management financial mistakes. In 1997 Waste Management and Andersen's auditing company was exposed for its $1.7 billion exaggerated stock earning. Both corporations were fined $457 million which is like paying a typical bill for the average person. Anderson Auditors did not stop after their exposure from this big scandal as they came to the table with the same approach with Enron. Enron's executives took in account if they did get caught in there scandal they would only be faced with a minimum fine compared to the billions of dollars they would make from the fraud scandal , they believed they wouldn't receive jail time as well. Anderson Little Firm was the direct Auditing firm in which Enron had ties too. Although the auditors based from Anderson's knew Fastow was embezzling money, they would sign off on tax statements within Enron. The auditing company became one of the same with enron holding the same beliefs and morals in respects to accounting. Anderson became so

International Relations and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

International Relations and Terrorism - Essay Example The US bombing on September 11th is one case where terror was unleashed upon a mixed combination of individuals from countries across the world. International relations experts have made attempts to explain the impacts of this attack on the US and in the world. The events of September 11 are clearly etched in the minds of individuals across the world. The terrorist attack targeted and hit the World trade centre, a building that was central to the activities of many countries, not only the United States of America (Saurette, 2006). The terrorist attack in effect caused what political scientists would call a domino effect. Soon after the bombing, Afghanistan was invaded closely followed by the invasion of Iraq. The aftermath of America's retaliatory actions were only seen later, at a time when no remedial action could be taken - several lives were (and are still being) lost, and billions worth of property destroyed. The American dollar gradually devalued while the Euro has achieved tremendous gains, rich oil companies departed from the United States for Dubai and much more effects have been witnessed across the world. In Afghanistan, America's actions resulted in a gender revolution. Generally, the reputation of the US as a superpower has also been negatively affected by the attack as well as by its wars against the countries it engaged in war (Saurette, 2006). Th The terror attack on the world's superpower on a global scale raised eyebrows. The reality of terrorism has much more been accepted, and nations across the world have continued ever since to make provisions for counter-terrorism. Extremist movements have since received international attention and nations are taking pro-active measures in preventing small and big flare-ups as opposed to waiting for an attack to apply reactive measures. The events as they occurred, together with the retaliatory actions of the United States of America have provoked a lot of International Relations theorists to jump into action in an attempt to analyze the impacts of the event on international relations. The following sections attempt to critically relate international relations theories with the events that followed the September 11th US attack. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY International relations theory is geared towards providing a conceptual model that can be used as a basis for analyzing international relations. Every theory takes a reductive and essentialist form to different degrees by taking different assumptions in each case. In international relations theory, the analysis only focuses on salient events that are prove to be relevant to the theory. This can better be stated considering a case where a realist completely disregards an event that may be crucial to the constructivist and vice versa. The character and number of assumptions that are made by an IR theory practically determines how usefulness it will be. Again, several ways of thinking come to play when dealing with International relations theory. The different schools of thought which are usually conflicting include Neo-Gramscianism, Marxism, Constructivism, Institutionalism and others. Two positivist schools of thinking however have become most popular: Liberalism and Realism. Constructivism is continuously becoming a mainstream theory and particularly outside the USA, post-positivist theories are increasing in popularity (Mann,

Individual Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual Project - Essay Example Economic appraisal is noted to act on the physical attractiveness. The role of physical attractiveness in economics requires appraisal. There is a vast literature on physical attraction and its importance in a number of areas: game theory (Solnick and Schweitzer 1999), earnings (Hamermesh and Biddle 1994), election results (Rosar, Klein and Beckers 2008). The retail car price negotiations (Ayres, 1991), teaching evaluations (Lawson and Stephenson 2005), and election results (Rosar, Klein and Beckers 2008) to name just a few. Mankiw (2007) has highlights the role of height to suggest, perhaps tongue in cheek, taxation on height. He suggests a similar recommendation regarding physical attractiveness. (Pokrywka, Cabric and Krakowiak 2006; Grundl, EisenmannKlein, and Prantl 2009; Swami, Furnham and Joshi 2008; Swami, Einon, and Furnham 2007) Conventional wisdom suggests feminists in general identify with the political left. Likewise, Deirdre McCloskey (2000) argues that to the liberation of women, feminist economists offer less support to the free markets than typical non-feminist economists. Female professors are far more likely to identify with the Democratic Party than male economists as Cardiff and Klein (2005) support; see Table 1.2. In part, this results to a view that the underlying assumptions of economic theory are gender biased, with differences evident in Strober (1994) and Nelson (1995). Beauty pageants chronically have been sites of controversy and resistance. For example, during its first decade, the Miss America contest was attacked by religious groups and women’s clubs as vulgar, indecent, and degrading (Cohen et al. 1996). In response, in order to create an aura of respectability for the pageant, organizers subjected contestants to constant monitoring and surveillance. Due to a state of relentless policing of femininity and behavior (Banet-Weiser 1999: 39), participants

Impact of Nursing Faculty Shortage in the Nursing Field Term Paper

Impact of Nursing Faculty Shortage in the Nursing Field - Term Paper Example This paper aims to discuss the problem of shortage of nursing faculty. A number of implications will also be provided to overcome the issue of shortage of nursing faculty. Problem Statement: Among different factors that have been considered as the reason behind shortage of nurses in healthcare field, lack of nursing faculty is one of the crucial issues that need avid implications. There are number of reasons that have contributed in the shortage of nursing faculty such as ageing of nursing faculty, retirement wave increasing the shortage ratio etc (Cronenwet, 2011). Significance of the Problem: Nursing faculty shortage is an element which has contributed in the poor supply of nurses to the health care institutions. It is thus imperative to strategically counter the issue. A number of strategic implications are already underway by American Nursing Association but there is more to be done to overcome the problem. By countering the issue of shortage of nursing faculty, it will be possib le to provide quality health care to the patients (Cronenwet, 2011). Nursing Faculty Shortage: A number of American nursing schools have marked increased shortage of nursing faculty. Since 2004, the number of student enrolments has increased by large. It is because of this reason that increased number of nursing faculty is needed in the schools. ... As per analysis it was noted that the average age of nursing educators is 45+. The retirement of faculty of nursing has kept the deficit of nursing faculty in a continual state (Cronenwet, 2011). The shortage of nursing faculty has a direct negative impact on the supply of nurses in the healthcare departments. The main purpose of the nursing schools is to supply nurses to the health care profession so that quick and quality health care facilities can be provided to patients. Looking at the situation of shortage of nursing faculty in nursing schools, it has been estimated that 600,000 jobs are expected to be vacant for nursing professionals within next ten years. This fact is problematic and needs implication to overcome the turmoil of nursing profession (Cronenwet, 2011). It should be noted that nursing is a profession which is given a great deal of imperativeness in US. A lot of students have interest in pursing nursing degrees which is a hope for overcoming the shortage of nurses. Researchers have claimed that such tremendous interest by the students in the nursing field is because the profession is to help humanity and the working conditions of nurses is relatively better than other professions. Also, the compensation packages being given to national nurses is quiet attractive for the students which makes it easier for the nursing profession to have more practitioners (Riegelman, 2006). The interest of students towards nursing profession has relatively increased which also resulted in increasing number of enrolment. It has also been noted that a large number of applicants are turned away each year because the nursing

Symmetric Vs Asymmetric Algorithms Computer Science Essay

Symmetric Vs Asymmetric Algorithms Computer Science Essay Data integrity, confidentiality and availability over the web, applications and storage means have become the major concerns in computer world. If data are exposed to an attacker, it will have a significant impact to business. Cryptography has a major role to play to prevent attacks to sensitive data employing encryption and decryption mechanisms. There are two main approaches to encryption: symmetric and asymmetric, and each of them contains its own variety of encryption algorithms. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages as none of them excels at both efficiency and high security. As illustrated in this paper it is not sufficient enough to use a single type of encryption methods in applications. Rapid development of network technology and expansion of information around the world, information security has to be balanced with processing efficiency requiring hybrid approaches. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each type of cryptography and proposes i n reference to literature integration approaches. Index Terms -encryption, decryption, symmetric algorithm, asymmetric algorithm, public keys, ciphertext, PGP, GnuPG, hybrid encryption. Introduction Cryptography is the study of the mathematical techniques related to aspects of information security such as confidentiality, data integrity, message authentication, and entity authentication (Piper, 2002). Cryptography has many applications including those in key management for digital communication (communication equipment, electronic mail and data interchange, access control and audit trails, e-banking), commercial software (software verification and virus detection). Encryption of electronic messages has been considcred for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), where contracts and purchase orders are signed and delivered electronically. Similar system has been used by the British banks for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for Point Of Sales (POS). For Local Area Networks (L.4Ns) the IEEE 802.10 LAN Security Working Group is currently drafting security standard using public-key techniques for key management. Access control to buildings or computers relies on use of passwords or Personal Identification Number (PIN). Passwords are either stored to the computer or are dynamically generated using battery-powered devices (tokens). In some cases (e.g. in banking) the token is activated by entering a PIN. State-of-the art smart card devices embed personal or payment data which can be decrypted as long as the user enters a password or provides biometric data (e.g. voice, fingerprint, handwritten signature, or scanned picture). In theory of cryptography, the information to be encrypted is called the message and the operation of disguising is known as encryption (or enciphering). The enciphered message is called the ciphertext or cryptogram. The algorithm used for this operation also has a second input known as the enciphering key. The process of obtaining the message from the ciphertext is known as decryption, and, in addition to the ciphertext, the deciphering algorithm needs a deciphering key. The receiver will obtain the correct message, if they use the right deciphering key. An encryption system is said to be symmetric if, for each corresponding pair of enciphering and deciphering keys, it is easy to determine the deciphering key from the enciphering key. If, on the other hand, it is computationally impossible to determine the deciphering key from the enciphering key, then we have a public key system or, else, an asymmetric system. Symmetric and asymmetric cryptography are almost two different subjects, therefore the algorithms are different, and the key management problems are different. In the sections below we present the main algorithms of each system and a comparison between the algorithms of each system is performed. SYMMETRIC ALGORITHMS In symmetric algorithms, the sender and receiver of messages and files share the same key for encryption and decryption. Symmetric algorithms have the advantage of not consuming too much computing power. The most typical examples are: DES, Triple-DES (3DES), IDEA, CAST5, BLOWFISH, TWOFISH. In symmetric algorithms an important aspect of their effectiveness is the strength of the key encryption or else the size of the key used. Since the same key is used for encryption and decryption, the longer the keys are, the harder to unlock them. Strong versus weak key is one of the typical classification of symmetric algorithms. DES (Data Encryption Standard) was the first symmetric algorithm to be introduced by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in 1974. DES uses one 64-bits key and many attacks have been recorded in literature against it and that caused the need to propose 3DES (Triple DES). Triple DES (3DES) uses three 64-bits keys. Therefore, 3DES applies 3 times the core encryption method of DES however this makes it slower than other symmetric algorithms (Nadeem and Javed, 2005). In addition, NIST introduced AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) in 1997 as replacement of DES. AES uses various (128,192,256) bits keys. Yet Brute Force attack was the only effective unlocking mechanism against it trying all character combinations. Bruce Schneiers Blowfish encryption method is even stronger with no effective attack to have been recorded since its release in 1993. Its effectiveness relies on using variable length key (32-448) and 128-bit is its default and a 64-bit block size although taking the risk of allowing the definition of weak keys (Nadeem and Javed, 2005). Running simulation tests, Nadeem and Javed (2005) showed that Blowfish has better performance than other symmetric algorithms and no any security weak points to its record. AES and 3DES showed poor performance since it requires more processing power. Similar results have been produced in (Elminaam et al, 2009). ASSYMETRIC ALGORITHMS Nowadays confidential messages around the world are encrypted and decrypted relying on asymmetric techniques. This is because the key used for encryption and decryption is not the same but rather it relies on a key distribution mechanism which is called public-private key distribution. Confidential messages are encrypted using the public key and can only be decrypted using the private key. RSA, DSA, ELGAMAL, TLS, PGP are some of the examples of asymmetric algorithms. RSA is one of the well known public key (asymmetric type of) algorithms used for generating digital signatures over messages (Das and Madhavan, 2009). In addition, NIST published the Digital Signature Standard (DSS) in 1991 for generating digital signatures. DSS uses the SHA-1 algorithm for calculating the message digest of the plain message and then applies the DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm) for creating the digital signature of the message based on the message digest. DSA is only used for performing digital signatures. It cannot be used for encryption and this is the main difference with RSA (Das and Madhavan, 2009). COMPARING SYMMETRIC AND ASSYMETRIC CRYPTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES Advantages and disadvantages of symmetric algorithms are illustrated in the table below (Panda and Kumar, 2011): Advantages Disadvantages Simple method of encryption Agree a priori a secret key before any message exchange Encryption of personal user files and messages Maintain multiple keys one for each pair of message exchange or collaboration Faster than asymmetric techniques Sharing the secret key does not prove authenticity of sender or receiver of messages Requires less computer resources Key management is a task requiring significant effort Key compromise to a communication pair does not affect communication with other pairs Key exchange should also be a secure process requiring the implementation of its own secure channel Can use the same publicly known algorithm for encryption strength of security depends on size of key Advantages and disadvantages of symmetric algorithms are illustrated in the table below (Panda and Kumar, 2011): Advantages Disadvantages Makes convenient the key distribution as only the public keys are shared Public key generation and distribution is required for activating the encryption mechanism requiring a verification process in its own Digital signatures are generated through public key encryption hence verifying the authenticity of the sender It is rather slow in comparison to symmetric algorithms and is not preferred for short messages Messages accompanied by digital signature cannot be modified during transfer It requires a lot more processing power Digitally signing a message is equivalent to a physical signature thus the recipient of the message cannot deny the authenticity of the sender Losing a private key can cause can cause widespread security compromise as all messages can be read HYBRID approaches The main disadvantage of asymmetric algorithms is their slowness is comparison to the symmetric algorithms. One way to address this issue in many applications, is to apply a combination of both. A typical integration approach is the following: use asymmetric keys for authentication then one or more symmetric keys can be generated and exchanged using the asymmetric encryption. Typical examples of this procedure are the RSA/IDEA combination of PGP2 or the DSA/BLOWFISH used by GnuPG. For instance, Mantoro and Zakariya (2010) proposed a secure method of e-mail communication for Android-based mobile devices using a hybrid cryptosystem which combines AES 128 bit (symmetric) encryption, RSA 1024 bit (asymmetric) encryption and SHA-1 (hash) function. This approach had been tested with plain text but not with email attachments or communication between Android devices and other mobile platforms. PGP Configuration One of the main applications of public key encryption techniques is in the PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) program for data communication. It is primarily used for signing, encrypting emails, files, text and anything else that is involved in email communication (Zimmermann, 1995). RSA key of 1024 bits are still considered secure (given the available options of 512, 1024, 2048 bits). On the other hand, Kaliski (2003) considers that an 1024-bit RSA key can be broken in one year and that an 2048-bit RSA public key is secure enough for a PGP configuration which includes also the AES and the SHA-1 algorithm. RSA/IDEA/MD5 or any other other similar configuration is less secure according to Lenstra and Verheul (2003). PGP works as follows (Benz, 2001): compresses the plain message in order to reduce the pattern of the typical plaintext creates a session key which is a random number, usually generated given mouse movements or keystrokes a symmetric encryption algorithm is applied on the random number (e.g. Triple DES, Twofish, CAST, or AES) to generate a one-time-only secret key (session key) additional input might be required by the user if the collected information is not sufficient enough (e.g. additional mouse movements, keystrokes) the session key is used along a symmetric algorithm to encrypt the message to a ciphertext. The session key is also encrypted using an asymmetric technique such as RSA The recipient receives the ciphertext along with the public key-encrypted session key. Indeed the combination of the two encryption methods exploits the convenience of public-key encryption with the speed of symmetric encryption (Benz, 2001). Symmetric encryption is about 100 to 1,000 times faster than public-key encryption, solving the problem of slow encryption which asymmetric algorithms suffer from. Public-key encryption provides a solution to key distribution and data transmission issues. Hence, performance and key distribution are improved by combining both approaches without any sacrifice in security. On the othe hand, the PGP process described above can be a complex process for users requiring though some training. Apart of awareness it is important both parties to have installed PGP-compatible programs to be able to exchange PGP messages (Benz, 2001). PGP2 Configuration PGP2 implements the public key encryption using the RSA and IDEA algorithms to provide secure electronic mail communication either between individuals or known sources (e.g. EDI). This approach of authentication through cryptography ensures that the encrypted message does not provide any information that it is carrying even if it is intercepted by attackers. The recipient of the mail can decrypt the mail using the associated private or public key (Simmons, 1993). This approach verifies that the recipient is certain that the message is from the original sender and the contents has not been changed or lost during data transmission from sender to recipient. Furthermore, a digital signature can be attached together with the mail to further confirm the identity of the sender. This approach complements password authentication and is therefore utilized in interpersonal communication between known parties. Similar combination of asymmetric and symmetric encryption techniques can be generalized to other application domains involving collaboration between large groups. Common prerequisite is to obtain the secret key information before the recipient is able to decrypt the mail. HARDWARE-BASED IMPLEMENTATION OF RSA/IDEA ENCRYPTION A VLSI implementation of an encryption process, which combines RSA for key exchange and IDEA for block encryption, are proposed in (Buldas and Poldre, 1997). The encryption process consists of 8 rounds. Each around contains 16-bit modular additions and multiplications which simulate the integer calculations used in RSA. Also the key inversion algorithms for both ciphers are similar. When the circuit is in block encryption mode it starts the IDEA cipher process.One The IDEA cipher applies 128-bit key for block encryption. GnuPG Configuration The aim of GnuPG was to create a digital signature mechanism which would be compatible with OpenPGP but at the same time it should avoid the use of patented algorithms like RSA. GnuPG provides therefore encryption and decryption services based on a range of both symmetric and asymmetric algorithms (Garloff and Jaeger, 2000). Keyring: is the key management solution of GnuPG maintaining a database of private keys and a range of corresponding public keys Hashing modules verify the authenticity of the public keys Web of trust: a collection of signatures which have been declared as trusted by other users form a web of trusted keys In comparison to PGP2, GnuPG rejects emai;s signed with RSA and IDEA keys, potentially been produced by PGP2. And vice versa, PGP2 rejects emails signed with DSA/ELGAMAL keys from GnuPG. GnuPG is compatible with PGP5 (Garloff and Jaeger, 2000). Conclusion In this paper we illustrated that symmetric and asymmetric techniques in cryptography have their own advantages and disadvantages. Symmetric algorithms are better in performance than asymmetric methods, and require all parties to share a key before they collaborate. The asymmetric ciphers allow public key infrastructures and key exchange systems, but they consume a lot of processing resources. A hybrid cryptosystem is an approach forward which combines multiple algorithms of different types, in order to exploit the best advantage of each type. One typical approach is to apply a symmetric module to generate a random secret key, and then apply an asymmetric module to encrypt this key using as input the receivers public key. After that, the message is also encrypted using the symmetric algorithm and the secret key. Both the encrypted secret key and the ciphertext of the message are then sent to the receiver. Since it is insufficient to use a single kind of cryptographic algorithm in applications, the hybrid approach in cryptography fills the gap of efficiency or performance of each of the types of cryptography (symmetric, asymmetric) along with the objectives of confidentiality, data integrity, authentication, and trust between two communication parties. This need is generalized to any type of collaboration between individuals (email exchange, group collaboration, file sharing, etc).

Predictions on the Highest and Lowest Achievers in an Elementary School Class :: Teaching Education

Predictions on the Highest and Lowest Achievers in an Elementary School Class The highest achievers and the lowest achievers in an elementary class can sometimes be treated differently because of their achievement levels. Without even knowing the class very well it can be determined who in the class is more likely to be a higher achiever and who is not as gifted. Even though it is evident sometimes who is the least and highest achievers a great deal of the time the best achievers can be overlooked if you simply watch a class for an hour. One student who I picked out, as a high achiever was a boy named Travis. Travis performed above average in gym class and was overall a better athlete and competitor than the other students in the class. This overall fitness made me consider him to be a student who was a higher achiever. Since he was better at athletics then I reasoned that he might be better at other aspects of school besides athletics. Travis also exhibited math skills by beating the rest of the class consistently in the math assignments that where done during the class as well as having the right answers. Another student that I considered a high achiever based on my observations was a boy named James. James was well dressed, wearing church type clothes. He was also an outgoing a generally happy kid who didn’t seem to mind being in school or in the class. The happiness that he exhibits gives you the feeling that he must be a high achiever because if he was unhappy about the situation than he would not try as hard. However, since he does seem to be happy then he would try his best and be enthusiastic about learning. The last student that I picked out as someone who is a higher achiever is a girl who pays attention very well and seems to follow the teacher’s line of thought throughout the class. As well as paying attention and participation in class this girl, Jackie, asked an insightful question that needed to be asked. The question pertained to a fundraising activity and Jackie asked for the teacher to clarify a certain aspect that could be interpreted in a number of different ways.

Advance Marketing Research Essay

When dealing with marketing research the essential parts are linking the consumer, customer and the public through various ways of getting information to the marketer. The two vital parts of marketing research is the problem identification research and problem solving research. (Malhotra 2010). The NFL is a sport, which is dominated by men for many years, only recently has the NFL recognize the potential audience in women. They are now acting quickly so they can capture the different segment market to cash in and also to make women more aware and appeal about the sport. The underlining point to the market research question is how does the NFL market the league to women adequately. Marketing research can help address the matter of effectively marketing the league and finding out the role of marketing research when dealing with NFL. The key role of marketing research is to acquire vital information so they can react to the markets offerings, which is to market the NFL league to women. Marketing research measures the information needed and even delivers NFL with valid, relevant, reliable and current actionable information for helpful research purposes. With the absence of marketing research, it is worth taking note that the NFL might have adverse effects with incorrect management decisions, which can later be costly. In essence for improved decision making it is vital that market research has a role to play. Question 2 A management decision problem confronts the decision maker to make a decision as in what to do. The NFL wants to increase the market penetration in the female segment; in this case the management has to decide what angle should they move in to gain market penetration in the female segment. The decision that the management should make is to change the advertisement slots, which should focus on more female oriented products or brands in conjunction with the NFL. This will attract, appeal and increase the chance of women watching the NFL league hence: Should the NFL change or alter their current advertisement pattern? Question 3 When decision makers are concerned with making possible actions it is information oriented that a marketing research problem is formed (Malhotra  2010). When dealing with the marketing research problem in the case of NFL, it is fundamental that the company must invest heavily therefore the NFL should undertake the following MRP: Promotional advertisements such as traditional and non-traditional forms of media to seize the attention of potential females who might become a potential follower and customer. Basically the marketing research problem is should the NFL invest heavily on advertising and promotional campaigns. It is important that the NFL should research exactly which media channels will be the most effective tools to campaign towards the female segment. This can be done through survey questions, interviews, focus groups and online surveys. Question 4 Research questions are refined statements of the specific components of the problem Research Question 1: Do females pay attention to Advertisement? Hypothesis H1: Females watch television during their free time H2: Females do not watch television during their past time. Research Question 2: Is magazine a good medium to advertise NFL to the female segmentation? H1: Females buys magazines regularly H2: Females does not read magazines regularly Research Question 3: Does female lifestyle suit the NFL’s environment? H1: Female lifestyle can be influence by NFL advertisements to watch the sport H2: Female lifestyle does not match the behavior of the NFL Reference List Gershberg, M. (2006) NFL studies what women fans want| Reuters. [online] Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2006/11/29/us-media-summit-nfl-women-idUSN2933923020061129 [Accessed: 25 July 2012]. Goldberg, S. (2006) Why the NFL Struggles to Attract Female Fans. [online] Available at: http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2006/12/05/why-the-nfl-struggles-to-attract-female-fans [Accessed: 28 July 2012]. Malhotra, N. (2010) Marketing Research : An Applied Orientation. 6th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, p.1 – 74. Reed, k. and Staff, G. (2004) Making sure ads play to women, too – The Boston Globe. [online] Available at: http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2004/01/28/making_sure_ads_play_to_women_too/?page=1 [Accessed: 20 July 2012].

The Iraq War and Globalism essays

The Iraq War and Globalism essays Several theories have been advanced by political commentators around the world about the real reasons behind the United States' war with Iraq. These include the Bush administration's "official" version[1] about preventing the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (WMDs) from falling into the terrorists' hands, the supposed connection between Saddam and Al-Qaeda, liberation of Iraq from the clutches of a cruel tyrant, and the neo- conservative agenda of creating a "model democracy" in Iraq for the Arab world to follow. Although some of these reasons may be valid to an extent, the more plausible explanation for the US war in Iraq lies in the imperatives of globalization. This is because economics have always been and remain the driving force behind international relations. This paper looks at the current Iraq war from the perspective of the Globalism International Relations theory besides reviewing the historical background of the conflict and its possible outcomes. Historical Background of the Conflict Modern Iraq was created by the British colonialists out of three Ottoman provinces after the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I in 1918. A pro-British monarch was installed in the country to safeguard Western interests and to ensure that the Iraq Petroleum Company, which enjoyed monopoly control over the Iraqi oil industry, would be allowed to follow the cartel interests of the international Anglo-American oil companies. A nationalist coup in 1958 overthrew the pro-British monarch, throwing a spanner in the works by shifting the ideological policies of the country towards left leaning nationalism which was a threat to Western influence in Iraq. ("History of Oil in Iraq") Saddam Hussein, the hated tyrant who was declared the enemy # 1 by the US in later years was not always in the anti-American camp. In fact there is evidence to suggest th...

Operational Definition of Behavior in a School Setting

Operational Definition of Behavior in a School Setting   An operational definition of behavior is a tool for understanding and managing behaviors in a school setting. It is an explicit definition that makes it possible for two or more disinterested observers to identify the same behavior when observed, even when it occurs in very different settings. Operational definitions of behavior are vital to defining a target behavior for both a  Functional Behavior Analysis  (FBA) and a  Behavior Intervention Program  (BIP). While operational definitions of behavior can be used to describe personal behaviors, they can also be used to describe academic behaviors. To do this, the teacher defines the academic behavior the child should exhibit. Why Operational Definitions Are Important It can be very difficult to describe a behavior without being subjective or personal. Teachers have their own perspectives and expectations which can, even inadvertently, become part of a description. For example, Johnny should have known how to line up, but instead chose to run around the room, assumes that Johnny had the capacity to learn and generalize the rule and that he made an active choice to misbehave. While this description may be accurate, it may also be incorrect: Johnny may not have understood what was expected or may have started running without intending to misbehave. Subjective descriptions of behavior can make it difficult for the teacher to effectively understand and address the behavior.  To understand and address the behavior, its extremely important to understand how the behavior  functions.  In other words, by defining behavior in terms of what can clearly be seen, we are able to also examine the antecedents and consequences of the behavior. If we know what happens before and after the behavior, we can better understand what instigates and/or reinforces the behavior. Finally, most student behaviors occur in multiple settings over time. If Jack tends to lose focus in math, hes likely to lose focus in ELA (English Language Arts) as well. If Ellen is acting out in first grade, chances are shell still be acting out (at least to some degree) in second grade. Operational definitions are so specific and objective that they can describe the same behavior in different settings and at different times, even when different people are observing the behavior. How to Create Operational Definitions The operational definition should become part of any data that is collected in order to establish a baseline for measuring behavioral change. This means the data should include metrics (numerical measures). For example, rather than writing Johnny leaves his desk during class without permission, its more useful to write Johnny leaves his desk two to four times per day for ten minutes at a time without permission. The metrics make it possible to determine whether the behavior is improving as a result of interventions. For example, if Johnny is still leaving his desk but now hes only leaving once a day for five minutes at a time, there has been a dramatic improvement. Operational definitions should also be part of the Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) and the Behavior Intervention Plan (known as the BIP). If you have checked off behavior in the special considerations section of the Individual Education Program (IEP) you are required by federal law to create these important behavior documents in order to address them.   Operationalizing the definition (determining why it happens and what it accomplishes) will also help you identify the replacement behavior.  When you can operationalize the behavior and identify the function, you can find a behavior that is incompatible with the target behavior, replaces the reinforcement of the target behavior, or cant be done at the same time as the target behavior.   Operational Definition of Behavior Non-operational (subjective) definition:  John blurts out questions in class. Which class? What does he blurt? How often does he blurt? Is he asking questions that relate to the class? Operational  definition, behavior:  John blurts out relevant questions without raising his hand three to five times during each ELA class. Analysis: John is paying attention to the content of the class, as he is asking relevant questions. He is not, however, focusing on the rules of classroom behavior. In addition, if he has quite a few relevant questions, he may be having trouble understanding the ELA content at the level its being taught. It is likely that John could benefit from a refresher on classroom etiquette and some ELA tutoring to be sure he is working at grade level and is in the right class based on his academic profile. Non-operational (subjective) definition:  Jamie throws temper tantrums during recess. Operational  Definition, behavior:  Jamie shouts, cries, or throws objects each time she participates in group activities during recess (three to five times per week).   Analysis: Based on this description, it sounds like Jamie only becomes upset when she is involved with group activities but not when she is playing alone or on playground equipment. This suggests that she may have difficulty in understanding the rules of play or social skills required for group activities, or that someone in the group is intentionally setting her off. A teacher should observe Jamies experience and develop a plan that helps her to build skills and/or changes the situation on the playground. Non-operational (subjective) definition:  Emily will read at the second-grade  level. What does that mean? Can she answer comprehension questions? What kind of comprehension questions?  How many words per minute? Operational Definition, academic: Emily will read a passage of 100 or more words at the 2.2 grade level with 96 percent accuracy. Accuracy in reading is understood  as the number of correctly read words divided by the total number of words. Analysis:  This definition is focused on reading fluency, but not on reading comprehension. A separate definition should be developed for Emilys reading comprehension. By separating these metrics, it will be possible to determine whether Emily is a slow reader with good comprehension, or whether she is having trouble with both fluency and comprehension.

Managerial Functions on Starting a Sporting Goods Store Assignment

Managerial Functions on Starting a Sporting Goods Store - Assignment Example The store is likely to deal in a variety of sports goods supplied by different manufactures of national and international repute. According to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), a sporting goods store may be defined as "an establishment primarily engaged in retailing new sporting goods, such as bicycles and bicycle parts; camping equipment; exercise and fitness equipment; athletic uniforms; specialty sports footwear; and sporting goods, equipment, and accessories".(Small Business Notes) Planning function is fundamental to any serious and time-bond activity. In business, the importance of planning activity cannot be over emphasized. It is commonly accepted that a well formulated plan is half done of what is required to be done in future. As remarked by Arnold S. Goldstein, a good business plan is the road map to success (Goldstein 2002). However, the activities to be performed at this stage differ from business to business. The various elements of planning process of the present business can be detailed as below: 2. Finding t an appropriate location for the shop: Location is very important as it determines how successful the business is. It is advisable to find a location near schools or colleges and/or near to stadium or sports grounds. 5. 3. Complying with the legal Formalities: The following requirements are to be completed before starting the business operations in the United States (State Requirements):- a. Getting Business Licenses b. Registration for Occupations and Professions c. Licenses Based on Products Sold d. Tax Registration e. Trade Name Registration, and f. Employer Registration 4. Strategic Planning: This requires the firm to frame appropriate long term plans for the firm to survive in a competitive and highly innovative business environment. 5. Financial Planning: Initially finance is required not only to meet start up capital but for meeting day to day working capital as well. The working capital requirement of a retail shop is relatively lower than that of manufacturing firms. 6. Finding suppliers: When selecting the suppliers, the manger should take care of the reputation and reliability of the supplier and must ensure that goods are available without interruption. It is also imperative that materials are at affordable prices and good quality. Organising It is basically a function of grouping of all activities of an organisation into various departments and determining the authority and responsibility of employees assigned to various groups/departments (Kroon 1995). Since the present organisation is of trading nature, it is better not to for very complicated organisation structure. Therefore, it has been decided to follow the functional approach of organisational structure where the entire activities are grouped into departments based on the nature of function. The following departments have been formed so as to

Money laundering and economic effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Money laundering and economic effects - Essay Example A case in point is the example of the measures put in place by the Basel Committee on Regulation and Supervisory. In this case, therefore, it becomes extremely easy for banks to have a clear check on their dealings with its counterparts and come up with appropriate solutions in cases where they detect secreted dealings. Secondly, it would be of use to regulate the manner in which organizations run their activities, so as to normalize efficiency. If the management is alert and constantly report on any forms of suspicious dealings, the entire organization will be better placed to deal with the implications of the money laundering. This will be applicable in the case of fraud such as in the instances of procurement, accounts, employment qualifications, investments amongst others. If this is applied in all organizations, a lot of money that would have landed in the hands of a few people will be saved from losses, or landing in the hands of the wrong people. The management must always be alert in the quest to make timely recognition on the crimes that might be related to crimes in the organizations and make appropriate decisions that focus on the minimizing chances of adverse effects on the economy. On another point of view, it is vital that all organizations are up to date with the novel technologies that are taking place in the globe today (Gup, 2007). This is related to putting in place rules and regulations that will change the tactics that will lead to adjusting to modern forms of money laundering. Consequently, organizations will be in a better position to adjust to the changing needs of the business related environment (Hinterseer, 2002). This is appropriate in the case of organized crimes that relate to money laundering in the society. With up to date technologies, organized crimes will be detected early enough; thus, prevent an occurrence of a crime that would be lead to terrorist activities in the globe. Conclusively, money