Mobile Banking Factors why consumers are resisitng the new technology Essay

Mobile Banking Factors why consumers are resisitng the new technology - Essay Example Hence, better technology will lead to quicker and more enjoyable mobile transactions. This report focuses on the customer response to mobile banking in California, US. Through one-on-one interviews with 100 young consumers (ages ranging from 15 to 25 years old) the nature of consumer resistance to mobile banking is explored and explained. This strategic report also offers a hopeful examination of the future prospects of mobile phone banking applications in California. Mobile banking represents a daring and emerging innovation with currently relatively low usage rates among American consumers. However, this segment is expected to have a high usage rates in the future with the implementation of improved features by the service providers. The first applications of mobile banking were implemented in the mid-nineties which enabled bank customers to make payments and request account balances via mobile phone as an SMS service. However, compared to Internet banking in developed countries, mobile banking adoption rates in developed and developing countries have been rather low and slow. When mobile phone banking was first launched in the US market in mid-2002, the US consumers had a lukewarm response to the new technology during that time. Only a few percentage of the customers were open to mobile phone banking. ... 9.2.1. Mobile Banking Questions 14 List of Tables 1. Introduction Mobile banking represents a daring and emerging innovation with currently relatively low usage rates among American consumers. However, this segment is expected to have a high usage rates in the future with the implementation of improved features by the service providers. The first applications of mobile banking were implemented in the mid-nineties which enabled bank customers to make payments and request account balances via mobile phone as an SMS service. However, compared to Internet banking in developed countries, mobile banking adoption rates in developed and developing countries have been rather low and slow. When mobile phone banking was first launched in the US market in mid-2002, the US consumers had a lukewarm response to the new technology during that time. Only a few percentage of the customers were open to mobile phone banking. Approximately, only 4% of US online consumers with a mobile phone use a feature of mobile banking. Another 5% of the consumers were interested, however, the remaining 72% of the customers were not interested at all. (Meyer, Thomas, 2007) 1.1. Background of the StudyMobile phone banking did not have a great beginning in the US banking market. For instance, the Wells Fargo shut down its mobile phone banking offering in 2002 give a skeptic response from the bank customers. In addition, Forrester Research found out that only 10% of American consumers indicated that they would consider mobile banking, versus the 35% or so who already bank online. The customer resistance for mobile phone banking has been persistent. A common reason for this is that the bank customers are conservative and security conscious with respect to their money. These

Examine an episode of the Colbert Report through the lens of Geoffrey Essay

Examine an episode of the Colbert Report through the lens of Geoffrey Baym's article on discursive integration - Essay Example Baym examines The Daily Show as an example of this hybrid format stating how The Daily Show new format has spark a new genre, of hybrid of many, and has become an important part of the media. As a show that is packed with lots of comedy satire but still disseminates real news, The Colbert Report is a hybrid. It opens with a serious news opening, then shows him running and jump carrying a flag. Then, the camera pans to the audience, who are clapping and cheering. Similar to TDS starts of serious shows, the show then moves to some more like a late-night show with audience cheering. Typical Colbert shows include mock reportage on political events, using a strong degree of sarcasm and irony to mock traditional news programs that claim to be â€Å"fair and balanced,† but really are not. This use of satire can be favorably compared to Baym’s idea of â€Å"The Daily Show’s† John Stewart, as another show which acts to criticize the very object of culture which it is serving up to the people. Both shows use the trappings and production values of real news programs in a subversive, surreal manner. The first segment of The Colbert Report, like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, focuses on news updates on current events. Both shows share many similarities in this segment. They both incorporate a great deal of comedy satire into the news while taking aspects from both late-night shows and comedy shows (Baym, 263). Another great example of the similarities between these shows is that the hosts provide subjective nature on the subject. As Baym points out in his essay, Stewart â€Å"instead engages in subjective interrogation† going against all normal journalist standards (265). In the episode of The Colbert Report used by the current investigation, Stephen displays his subjective nature while talking to Arturo Rodriguez on immigration, or

Drum And Bass History In Context Film Studies Essay

Drum And Bass History In Context Film Studies Essay Drum and Bass is an electronic music genre that that developed out of Jungle music. A shift of UK Breakbeat Hardcore and the rave scene of the mid-1990s. Drum and Bass has seen many transformations in its style, taking elements from, Hip hop, dancehall, funk, house, and techno. The genre is characterized by heavy bass and sub basslines as well as fast Breakbeats (a sampling of a percussion section as a drum loop), usually played between 160 and 180 beats per minute.The most renown break is known as the Amen break, a four bar sampled drum solo of the song Amen Brother by funk and soul band The Winstons. It has been extensively used in Hip hop as well as sampled based music and also became the basis for Drum and Bass and Jungle music. Drum and Bass was seen to have a more melodic form, differing from the rough style of Jungle. While Jungle seared to the unyielding sonic boom of Ragga another style was gently maturing behind closed studio doors. A soft more textural form of the Jungle equation which cross- matched spliced breaks with an ethereal ambience, cool jazziness and soulful twists. The complete antithesis to the jump up sonics of the rugged and raw Junglist soundtrack, this new home listening version or Drum and Bass as it was simply referred to by artists involved. However promoters and journalists soon added the word, ambient or intelligent to the depiction. The insinuations of the intelligent label caused ramifications throughout the scene. With Junglists arguing that the name implied that the jump up style of jungle was in some way brainless music for dim-witted people. It also had racial implications since the majority of jungle raves were largely dominated by black youths. However this new genre was t hought to be targeted towards a more middle class white audience. Ironically Drum n Bass was simply trying to keep the original ethos of jungle. Concerned with pushing the parameters of sound while engaging influences from the entire spectrum of music, Drum n Bass represented the very spirit of jungle since its earliest house incarnations.  [1]   Drum and Bass development of Breakbeat can be seen as far back as 1991. As T-Power has already suggested, Drum n Bass and Jungle were developing side by sideall along, although very much in the minority, the more mellow style of Drum n Bass was showing itself even during the Dark period.  [2]   One of the better known DJs to explore this development was L. T. J. Bukem. Alongside Fabio and Grooverider Bukem is known as one of the pioneering DJs of the rave scene. His tastes can be traced as far back as the jazzier endeavours of Giles Petersons Dingwall sessions. However by the time rave had hit Bukem was Djing a rare selection of Jazz Funk and prime House tracks to a growing mass of fans. In 1991 Bukem released his 3rd LP Demons Theme pressing up a dub plate to drop in his set; the track gripped the attention of the crowd immediately. Its mellowing vibes along with the rushing breaks and plush ambience created a fresh outlook within the dark ambience of rave. Early 1994 saw a tirade of people coming together to join forces with Bukem. Artists such as La Bello Blanco and Omni Trio began push forward the smooth vibes as established by Bukem. This more ambient style seemed equally at home in clubs as it did on a personal stereo. One of the scenes most influential labels came in the shape of Reinforced Records. Formed by Iain Barouille, Dego McFarlane, Gus Lawrence and Mark Clair who also created music as a collective under the name 4Hero, the label brought about a new level of sound. Boasting a roster of the scenes most influential figures Lemon D, Doc Scott, Goldie, L Double and Grooverider, together they fashioned a collection of tracks which would range from the other-worldly contortions of Peshays Protà ©gà © to the fractured Breakbeats of Doc Scotts Last Action hero.  [3]  Reinforceds approach to music resulted in a continuous ability to predict the next sonic development in Breakbeat science. This display of sound shifts of the future would redefine the Drum and Bass scene. By June 1994 4 hero unleashed their debut album Parallel Universe this was to be a cutting-edge. Dabbling with experimental Jazz, the album draw upon b-boy roots whilst incorporating strings, layered with clear-cut breaks. The album helped to coin a term which exposed the scenes incessant attraction with Jazz. Jazzstep becoming ever more prevalent towards the end of 1994 saw complex Breakbeat structures sounding increasingly similar to the rhythms of Jazz Fusion bands. The adoption of Jazzier vibes by Reinforced Records created a stir at the epicentre of the Drum and Bass scene. Artists such as Fabio would take very opportunity to weave together the jazzier tracks with his Breakbeat sets. Now with the arrival of this new Jazz element within Drum and Bass sound. However for fans of Drum and Bass this new sound could only be enjoyed via the experimental shows of pirate radio stations. This was until October of 1994, Fabio, Bukem, Kemistry and Storm along with an assortment of guests saw a creation of a Monday night session at Mars Bar in Londons west end. The night was proclaimed Speed, it was to become one of the countrys most important club nights. It not only gave a meeting place for likeminded Djs and producers it was also to be the new creative centre of Drum and Bass. However this particular night was far flung from the raging crowds of the old Jungle raves which often saw gatherings of up to 5000 people. Mars bar only had a capacity of a few hundred, paving the way for a whole new generation of Drum and Bass heads, Jungalists and Breakbeat enthusiasts. These were people who listened to Drum and Bass through pirate stations. Indeed Speed was to Drum and Bass what Roast had been to Jungle and Rage to Hardcore. Each week saw Fabio play their smooth and rolling breaks, Bukem on the oceanic tip, washing the crowd with lush string drive epics while Fabio took he vibe deeper into Jazz land. Intricate beats intertwined with strolling bass lines, counter tempos and off key refrains. Speed also saw the clothing style move away from the flesh-revealing lycra and designer casual chic. In its place was a style more in line with hiphop. 1995 finally saw the sound come to the forefront. As this new melodic style of Drum and Bass progressed it became progressively more supported by the media. That years Goldies Inner City Life had been released to universal acclaim, suddenly everyone wanted a piece of Drum and Bass. Some definitions Ambient jungle  Drum and bass tracks with an atmospheric feel/mood/style to them. Some have long intros or ambient breaks. The most popular example is  Bukems Horizons. Artcore / Intelligent  These were the tracks that were initially written in a backlash against the big ragga jungle scene. The term was used most famously for the series of React Compilations, which have included mixes by  Kemistry  andStorm. This was and still is a favourite style for  Good Looking Records   a label that was initially ignored as it did not base its music on the dancefloor. Darkside  The exact opposite to the optimistic and catchy hardcore anthems. Darkside takes in samples from horror movies, deep, dark basslines and screams. Has undergone some serious developements but an ever-present style throughout drum and bass history. Still popular with todays producers i.e.  Blue Sonics   Devil Inside. It is not so much characterised by the samples now but more by the general sound and feel of the beats and synths. Happy hardcore  This is what remains of the original hardcore style, after jungle split off in 1991/92 some DJs and ravers remained loyal to the manic pianos, cartoon samples and sped-up vocals. The music self-destructed to some extent by becoming stagnated and too repetitive, as a result it would appear to be fading fast in the UK but still retains a large following in other countries. Hardstep  A term borne out of Grooveriders seminal 1995 LP Hardstep Selection. Usually simple tracks with deep grinding basslines and minimal or simple Breakbeats. Jazzstep Another sub-genre for those artists who took in jazz influences for their productions. Originated with Alex Reece  but more recently publicised by Bristols  Roni Size Reprazent  and  4 Hero. Still a style going strong. Jump-up  The style for the dancefloor. Big, bad drums and strong basslines. Often utilise vocal samples so once you hear some tracks you never forget them. Most at home in a club or event and guaranteed to get people moving (even if its only head-nodding.) Ragga-jungle  The style of the originators. Many of the early jungle tunes took in ragga influences spawned one of jungles greatest chart successes: M-Beat feat. General LevysIncredible  and Shy FXs  Original Nuttah. The influence has died right down with the  Tribe Of Issachars Tribal Natty being a lone example of recent years.

Clyde Beasley and Social Influence :: essays research papers

Prison: A Social Nightmare Social psychology is the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another. What happens when there is only one way to do things without being teased, mimicked or ever bullied? We conform. Even though the standards are different now than is has been in the past, the theory is the same: for most people, whatever they think will make their life easiest, they will conform to. Clyde Beasley has been a very good example of conformation in his life time, even though he is a highly independent person now. He has been imprisoned twice for running a drug operation and been incarcerated a in level four maximum security prison. Only during the second sentence of over 10 years did he realize how he needed to change his life and since he has been free he has led an entirely legal life without so much as a minor traffic citation. While he was in prison however it is impossible to be yourself Even while he was still in prison Clyde began to think of ways he could become successful in a legal way. His aspirations had always been fame and wealth which was the reason he began to deal in the first place. He came up with ideas of inventions he could sell while still in prison and now runs many company's and a non-profit organization: HIPP-MO-TIZE, which is focused on youth and women. In prison no matter what your culture and style is like you are forced to conform to a race standard, if you are Asian you have to be like all the other Asians, if you are white, you are forced to associate yourself with only the other white people. This is a very extreme example of normative social influence. Normative social influence, when a person changes their actions to either be accepted or to avoid being rejected, can be seen in any culture you observe. In schools you can see otherwise intelligent kids using words and talking in ways that can be classified as absurd and brainless. They will not do homework because it is considered uncool.

What kind of relationship does God want with us

There is a great story behind creation which made man wonder who the superior being is, and from scratch it eventually evolves to a deeper relationship of mankind with God. There are series of stages wherein the people began to be aware of God’s existence and atheism or paganism gradually lost its concept because they become attractive to the doctrines of the church leaders which merely addressed human needs superior than their foe. A religious movement was started in first century by Judaism before they had favored the religion of the Roman Empire. 000 years ago in Judea, Christianity started with Jesus Christ, a Jew, together with His disciples who are faithful to him (Pierrakos, 1996). By that time, Jews hated Roman rule as it was governed by the Emperor of Rome and their beliefs are pagan and it is disturbing to Jewish life. The Jews studied the Jewish law and wait for the eventual coming of their promised Messiah and so the ministry of Jesus began. Jesus’ disciples were taught the â€Å"new covenant† wherein God will bring to humanity through Him. Mankind lost its relationship with God because of sins which is why, the new covenant comes to purpose that those who accept it will have a renewed fellowship of forgiveness and love with God. This covenant happened when Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all humanity. Three days later rose again to become their Messiah. Since His disciples began to proclaim this gospel of hope, the Church has then been built, and the Christian faith has since spread to the world. When we take a glimpse of it, we can see that the history Christianity's origin seems improbable for people living in the 21st century to consider such events in reality took place. On the other hand, the Christian faith has been a key importance to mankind. So when the church stood up and was established, sermons had been preached by the priest where the first Roman Catholicism emerges. There has been a promise of salvation so the people started to attend the mass every Sunday and asked God for blessings and grace. Man found himself in the likeness of God. God also gave us freewill and we have the power to choose whether we want to believe him or not. What is good about God is that there are people who believe in him because he has many faces. And with this, no two people believe in exactly the same God. Every person has his or hers own individual image of God, thus, different religions arises like Protestants, Catholic, Orthodox and the like. From then on, man’s relationship to god becomes intimate and it is usually done through prayers. God as what people believes to be the creator of everything, has been the ultimate source of everything and since he sent his son, Jesus, people have faith that they will be saved when the judgment day comes. It is by faith that we can recognize and believe the death of Christ as payment for our sins. We can feel that is only by faith that we had a relationship with God; however, it will also show us that faith in God seems to deepen by showing our desire to follow His will, and try to follow the life that Christ lived while He was on earth. The development of mans relationship with God has been started several decades ago and now, we are enlighten that we should be in union with Him if we want to be saved. Numerous messengers from heaven tried to teach the world how to serve God. Relationship becomes deeper when there is a give and take bond and so, we should abide by the rules that He has given us. This relationship with Him tends to be a give and take since man received blessing from God ,hence, man should serve God not only by going to His house and praise Him or pray for selfish favors, but by doing good to our friends, neighbors, relatives and even enemies. What unites man with God is love and it allows man to find peace and harmony with every creation which was wholly developed that allows one to reach the union with God.

Kafka’s 1922

Kafka’s 1922 A Hunger Artist parabola of the condition of the artist is a story about a world-famous artist renowned for his long periods of fasting, who puts his art on display in an unspecified place and time. The main character, the hunger artist, finds himself dissatisfied even at the peak of his artistic career, frustrated by his audience’s inability to appreciate his work as a true art form, and his manager’s preoccupation with the commercial aspects of his performance.Although initially very popular with audiences everywhere, we are informed from the beginning that with the passing of time, audiences become disenchanted with the hunger artist’s circus act, resulting in a significant decrease in its popularity of. The main character, the hunger artist, is the typical protagonist of Kafka’s work: misunderstood, alienated, and victimized. In fact, this kind of character has its roots in Kafka’s real life persona. Similarly to his characte r living in a cage, Kafka always lived in small crowded housing, dealing with feelings of confinement and isolation. Also, Kafka felt unappreciated by society, which resulted in very low self-esteem and a distorted vision of self-value. This is why he requested that his unpublished work be burned upon his death.Although the story is told from the point of view of the main character, â€Å"the hunger artists†, the â€Å"record hunger artist of all time†, the narrator’s voice is abstract and does not belong to the character himself. The hunger artist’s profession was to travel the world sharing his gift with the public through performances which consisted of extended periods of time of fasting, which would last up to 40 days. This was considered a form of entertaining, which would gather large crowds of enthusiastic viewers, stunned children, skeptics irrespective of where the show took place. This is how the world-famous performer, the hunger artist, becom es a world-known figure in mass entertainment.Despite his great success, the hunger artist never feels truly appreciated or understood by his audience, who look upon his art as merely a form of entertainment.   This is why he becomes haunted by feelings of isolation and alienation; he fails to obtain recognition from his audience, and at the same time, is appreciated for all the wrong reasons. People focus their attention on his frightening physical aspect, or on making sure that he does not cheat, and feed himself during the night or when they are not paying attention. His performance is neither recognized nor appreciated as an art form, thus the artist can never be fulfilled.Nevertheless, it is crucial to notice that this state is a sine-qua-non condition of the hunger artist’s artistic demonstration. His choice to perform in a cage is relevant to understanding his feelings: isolation is, to great extent, self-imposed. The cage is the barrier the hunger artist needs to se parate himself from his audience, i.e. the masses. It is a tool of individualization, a process that every artist seeks during his lifetime, in order for his work to stand out. Kafka’s choice of the cage is not accidental; on the contrary, it is highly relevant for the entire body of his work. The â€Å"cage† of the hunger artist has two functions, i.e. a refuge from the outside world, and a barrier separating the artist from the rest of humanity, represented by his audience.To the hunger artist, no sacrifice is too big, not even having to spend most of his life inside a small cage, covered with straws. His frustration is enhanced by the public’s mistrust and suspicion, especially by the attempts of some to provide him with the opportunity to sneak food inside his cage as means of proving their own theories. The hunger artist does not even consider this option because he is faithful to his art. The suspicion of the audience symbolizes the historical mistrust of people in the purity of art, which requires a deeper understanding that the general public does not always possess.Nonetheless, the artist is dependent upon the public’s reaction, in the sense that their lack of understanding of his art is actually the element which perpetuates it. The hunger artist enters a vicious circle because of his continuous need for validation from his audience. The pain and suffering caused by the absence of this validation is precisely what generated more pain, and less understanding from his public, which in turn, give rise to more profound suffering from the artist.Days passed, and the crowds stop gathering to watch the fasting-artist. The admiration for his work is diminishing up to the point where it ceases completely, leaving the cage looking empty, and the circus overseers wondering what happened. One day, they approach the cage and start poking the straw only to discover the artist barely alive. This is the point where the perspective of the narration is broadened thanks to the dialogue between the artist and the circus overseer. The latter asks the hunger artist if he is still fasting. The artist asks the overseer to come closer and answers that his only option is to fast, that he has no other choice; that he would have eaten like his audience, and the rest of the people if he had found any food to his liking.These are the final words of the hunger artist. He dies and is buried by the circus. His cage is removed, and a young panther is placed in it, to the delight of the public. The public forgets all about the hunger artist and immediately embraces a new circus act. The act of consuming the performance of the hunger artist is characteristic to any audience: once the entertainment is over, the audience moves on the next act on display.The panther is a symbol of the lust for life. It also carries a reversed connotation than the hunger artist, in the sense that unlike the latter whose act consists of putting his sufferin g on display, the panther is admired due to its ability to inflict pain and suffering.His inability to fit in society gives birth to his art. Surprisingly, is it not his desire to be different that leads him to such an art form, but the other way around. Although the story is absurd, the sequence of events makes it believable, and serves a higher purpose: it aims to show that the motif of the hunger is, in fact, the artist’s lifelong feeling of isolation and dissatisfaction. Along with these feelings, the hunger artist also needs to maintain a feeling of superiority in relation to the masses that come to watch his performance. The best example is his willingness to feed the butchers who come to guard him during the night and to make sure he does not eat anything. He takes great pleasure in watching them gorge themselves on a large meal that he pays for, while he silently fasts.The butchers are, in fact, a double symbol: the gluttonous butchers can represent the capitalist soc iety, but also a reference to the Jewish prohibition of eating pork and their stringent method of handling and preparing meat. From his point of view, the butchers are representatives of the weak masses that lack in will and determination, whereas he represents the artist endowed with concentration and the ability to control himself. This feeling of superiority ensures that his art is not criticized by his audience since they cannot understand it. Nevertheless, this is also the reason for his eternal dissatisfaction, as his desire is to be validated as an artist, not merely an entertainer, but also to remain misunderstood so he can maintain his superiority and be exempted from criticism.This could perhaps explain why the artist, even at the peak of his success, is still â€Å"troubled in spirit†. A very important theme in the Hunger Artist is the religious one, linking Kafka’s parabola to the Biblical theme of Christ’s sufferings. The first indication of the par allel is the length of the hunger artist’s performance; we are told, from the very beginning that his impresario’s limitation of the artist’s public fasts is of 40 days, the same length of time that, according to the Bible, Jesus fasted. In fact, Jesus Christ is the portrait of suffering that the artist aspires to. Still, there is a major difference between the former and the latter: whereas Jesus Christ suffered for the sake of humanity, the hunger artist’s suffering is because of humanity. Unlike Christ, his death is useless to posterity, thus easily forgotten.The hunger artist's art form is, metaphorically speaking, his own suffering. Confined to the small space offered by the cage in which he performs, the hunger artist has complete control over his pain, which determines him to push himself more and more, reaching the very edge of human limits in his constant search for his greatest masterpiece. This endeavor will eventually bring the end of his life . Kafka uses the character of the hunger artist as an exponent of the alienated â€Å"starving artist† of the Romantics who put forward a new kind of hero in literature, more precisely the hero who escapes harsh capitalist society’s realities and focuses his energies solely on his art, usually from a dirty small room, i.e. the cage in the case of Kafka’s The Hunger Artist.In relation to the metaphor of starvation as artistic suffering, which in turn, leads to creation, the hunger artist’s performance is a display of his feeling of alienation with regards to society. He cannot adapt to the exterior world; this is why he does not eat, because he cannot find anything suitable for him. Consequently, he fasts turning his act into a more involuntary than voluntary occupation: indeed, fasting is the only thing he can do considering his circumstances, and not a decision to inflict suffering upon himself.Kafka, Franz. The Hunger Artist.   Retrieved: Apr. 30, 200 7

How to Write an Informative Essay on Redistricting

How to Write an Informative Essay on Redistricting We have previously explained some interesting facts about redistricting. We then gave you 20 topics which you can use to come up with a topic for your informative essay. Now it is time that we help you write the perfect essay by giving you some very important tips. Before we start, you should all understand that the essay should have a proper structure. According to the general format, the essay should have: introductory paragraph; first body paragraph; second body paragraph; third body paragraph; concluding paragraph. So let’s get started: Analyze the Topic.  This has to be the very first thing you do. In order to write a good essay, you need to analyze the topic itself, and create an understanding. Do not rely on the description in the bulk email, but instead make sure that you discuss the topic with your professor and see what he wants from the students. Do Research on the Topic.  Next, you need to perform an ample amount of research on the matter. The history of redistricting is a big one and there are several books available on the matter. While your teacher will give reading material before assigning a topic, that shouldn’t be your only source of information. Run Up Facts and Figures and a Whole Lot of Material.  This is a touch and go side of the essay, you don’t want your paper to turn out to be a statistical report and you don’t want it to be a conversational message either. You have to put in the right amount of relevant facts and figures that reflect the overall quality of your essay. Maintain Quality Throughout.  Often essays start off strong and become stale and mundane as they progress. Make sure your essay reflects quality of academic standards and a certain continuity and articulation. Remember, you are not going to be there when the essay is being checked, therefore no matter how well you think you know the topic, it won’t matter if it isn’t written down there in the correct way. Make It Orderly and Neat.  If your essay is all cluttered and without any paragraphs separating one topic from the next, then no matter how well it’s written, it won’t get you enough marks. So make sure the punctuation is correct, and you’ve used the appropriate words. The grammar should also be perfect, the articulation neat, and the paragraphs need to have a certain structure. Don’t Be Ambiguous.  While some say it is safe to write an ambiguous essay, it’s actually quite the opposite. Your professor will never appreciate you being ambiguous on key matters in the essay. You have to be straightforward and display command over the topic which being ambiguous doesn’t accomplish. Read the Rules.  The reason essays are given to you is to develop a certain sense of format in your thought process. You already know what you have to write about, but you can’t just write it without keeping the rules in mind. This may involve using a certain font, paper dimensions and font-size etc. Also make sure you follow the correct referencing method referred to you by your professor. So that’s it. If you have any more questions, you can always send us an email and we will try our best to get back to you as soon as we can. We wish you the best of luck for writing an informative essay about redistricting.

An Overview of Biomes and Climate

An Overview of Biomes and Climate Geography is interested in how people and cultures relate to the physical environment. The largest environment of which we are part is the biosphere. The biosphere is the part of the earths surface and its atmosphere where organisms exist. It has also been described as the life-supporting layer that surrounds the Earth. The biosphere we live in is made up of biomes. A biome is a large geographical region where certain types of plants and animals thrive. Each biome has a unique set of environmental conditions and plants and animals that have adapted to those conditions. The major land biomes have names like tropical rainforest, grasslands, desert, temperate deciduous forest, taiga (also called coniferous or boreal forest), and tundra. Climate and Biomes The differences in these biomes can be traced to differences in climate and where they are located in relation to the Equator. Global temperatures vary with the angle at which the suns rays strike the different parts of the Earths curved surface. Because the suns rays hit the Earth at different angles at different latitudes, not all places on Earth receive the same amount of sunlight. These differences in the amount of sunlight cause differences in temperature. Biomes located in the high latitudes (60Â ° to 90Â °) farthest from the Equator (taiga and tundra) receive the least amount of sunlight and have lower temperatures. Biomes located at middle latitudes (30Â ° to 60Â °) between the poles and the Equator (temperate deciduous forest, temperate grasslands, and cold deserts) receive more sunlight and have moderate temperatures. At the low latitudes (0Â ° to 23Â °) of the Tropics, the suns rays strike the Earth most directly. As a result, the biomes located there (tropical rainforest, tropical grassland, and the warm desert) receive the most sunlight and have the highest temperatures. Another notable difference between biomes is the amount of precipitation. In the low latitudes, the air is warm, due to the amount of direct sunlight, and moist, due to evaporation from warm sea waters and ocean currents. Storms produce so much rain that the tropical rain forest receives 200 inches per year, while the tundra, located at a much higher latitude, is much colder and dryer, and receives just ten inches. Soil moisture, soil nutrients, and length of growing season also affect what kinds of plants can grow in a place and what kinds of organisms the biome can sustain. Along with temperature and precipitation, these are factors that distinguish one biome from another and influence the dominant types of vegetation and animals that have adapted to a biomes unique characteristics. As a result, different biomes have different kinds and quantities of plants and animals, which scientists refer to as biodiversity. Biomes with greater kinds or quantities of plants and animals are said to have high biodiversity. Biomes like the temperate deciduous forest and grasslands have better conditions for plant growth. Ideal conditions for biodiversity include moderate to abundant precipitation, sunlight, warmth, nutrient-rich soil, and a long growing season. Because of the greater warmth, sunlight, and precipitation in the low latitudes, the tropical rainforest has greater numbers and kinds of plants and animals than any other biome. Low Biodiversity Biomes Biomes with low precipitation, extreme temperatures, short growing seasons, and poor soil have low biodiversity fewer kinds or amounts of plants and animals due to less than ideal growing conditions and harsh, extreme environments. Because desert biomes are inhospitable to most life, plant growth is slow and animal life is limited. Plants there are short and the burrowing, nocturnal animals are small in size. Of the three forest biomes, the taiga has the lowest biodiversity. Cold year-round with harsh winters, the taiga has low animal diversity. In the tundra, the growing season lasts a mere six to eight weeks, and plants there are few and small. Trees cant grow due to permafrost, where only the top few inches of the ground thaw during the short summer. The grasslands biomes are considered to have more biodiversity, but only grasses, wildflowers, and a few trees have adapted to its strong winds, seasonal droughts, and annual fires. While biomes with low biodiversity tend to be inhospitable to most life, the biome with the highest biodiversity is inhospitable to most human settlement. A particular biome and its biodiversity have both potential and limitations for human settlement and meeting human needs. Many of the important issues facing modern society are the consequences of the way humans, past and present, use and change biomes and how that has affected the biodiversity in them.

Steps for Putting Together a Great Anthology

Steps for Putting Together a Great Anthology Steps for Putting Together a Great Anthology Known as â€Å"Spunk On A Stick,† L. Diane Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association. She conducts seminars on book publishing, promoting, leadership, and goal-setting, and she offers book formatting and author consultation. Wolfe is the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. For more of Wolfe's tips, check out her blog.   Once the stories are edited and cover art (and full wraparound, if you’re planning on printing copies) is created, the book is formatted for print and/or eBook review copies. Once it’s formatted, the price is selected, the bar code and PNC/LCCN ordered, then the title sent to printers/distributors. Be sure it’s marked â€Å"Review Copy.†12. Review copies outReviewers are sent books or contacted as per submission guidelines. This is where the authors can really assist in supplying reviewers. A large list of potential reviewers should be created during the marketing planning phase.13. More marketingMarketing continues with social media posts - Tweets, Pinterest images, Instagram, blogging, Facebook, virtual tour stops set, live appearances set, bookstores-libraries-schools contacted, blogging, Instagram, advertising set, etc.14. Last rounds of editsTwo months before release, the last round of edits occur, catching any typos and other areas where the stories can be tightened and polished.15. Book finalizedA month before release, the finished book is created and sent to distributors and the printer. Copies are ordered for the author and the organization/publisher.16. Release day and more marketingThe big day! All of the authors should play a big part in the release announcements. It doesn’t stop there though - marketing should continue for many months to come.And that’s it. Easy? No. Simple? Yes, if you stick to the outline and plan.It’s challenging working with so many authors, but at the same time, each person brings a fresh set of marketing ideas and a different sphere of influence - not to mention a unique set of skills and abilities. So, while it’s a lot to juggle in the production phase, the marketing part should yield some great results. A win-win for everyone!Have any questions for L. Diane Wolfe? Leave any thoughts or feedback in the comments below!

Understanding Relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Understanding Relationships - Essay Example It may be rather difficult, as it requires a lot of effort and understanding. But now I more deeply explored this question and may say that some years ago I had an awful lack of relationship tips to use. For instance now I understand the importance of looking into the eyes during a conversation with your partner all the time when he speaks and being sincere in own wish to understand his point of view - that is very captivating. If you do not understand something, you should not be shy to ask direct questions for clarification. You may also scroll in mind your understanding of what your beloved person tried to convey during the conversation. At least it will show that you care about good communication in your relationship, as well as that you really listen and understand his or her point of view. It does not necessary to agree with your partners point of view, but at least you should try to understand it. For me successful communication in relationships also includes expressing own feelings in a positive, constructive way. Accusations and arguments may only put the other person in the defending position. Instead, in my new relationship now I am trying to express what I feel about a particular situation and ask for my boyfriend’s opinion on how this issue can be resolved. It is important to be brief and do not wander from side to side during the discussion. For good communication it is very important to remain calm. It can be quite difficult, especially if the situation is heated up with emotions. In my previous relationship I tend to gain momentum during the conversation, and that made me more worried. It is important not to do this; otherwise the try to talk to the beloved person will fail. Finally, now I try to be sure that I have chosen the right moment to communicate with my partner about important issues, as communication in a relationship can be overshadowed by some inevitable distractions. For example it is a bad idea to

Valuing Bonds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Valuing Bonds - Essay Example The call provision feature allows bond issuers to pay off the remaining debt early before the maturity date. The role of the borrower is to make a lump sum payment derived from a formula based on the net present value (NPV) of future coupon payments that  will not be paid because of the call. The call provision right is usually exercised at times of low interest rates and it allows the bond holder to retire what is currently a high interest debt and reissue it at a lower interest rate. Call provisions limit a bonds potential price appreciation because when interest rates fall, the price of a callable bond will not go any higher than its call price. Thus, the true yield of a callable bond at any given price is usually lower than its yield to maturity. A discount bond is a bond issued at a price lower than its par value is a bond currently trading at less than its par value in the secondary market. An example is a $4,000,000, 9%, 5-year bond with par value of $1000 issued at $970. A premium bond is a bond issued at a price higher than its par value is a bond currently trading at more than its par value in the secondary market. An example is a $4,000,000, 9%, 5-year bond with par value of $100 issued at $105. For a 5% bond, interest is paid is calculated at the interest rate on the par value of bond and is paid periodically (annually or semi-annually) while for a zero coupon bond, no periodic interest payments are made. When the bond reaches maturity, its investor receives its par (or face) value. "Calculate the price of a $1,000 (FV) zero coupon bond that matures in 20 years if the market interest rate is 6.5 percent." (Cornett, Adair, and Nofsinger, 2012, p. 147). Assume semi-annual compounding. 4. "Compute the price of a $1,000 (FV) 4.5 percent coupon bond with 15 years left to maturity and a market interest rate of 6.8 percent." (Cornett, Adair, and Nofsinger, 2012, p. 148). Assume interest payments are paid semi-annually,

Human Nature and Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Nature and Government - Essay Example Seventeen centuries later, another philosopher Thomas Hobbes invites us to his theory that decribes the society as a state of nature, a condition without government (Richard 1971). Both philosophers defend their theories in their works and prove that people might live better in the state where either they are coordinated "from above" by the government or where each decides for himself how to act, judge and live in the society. Thomas Hobbes and Plato have given us some highly acclaimed philosophical works providing us with their views on various aspects of life ranging from politics to the rights of citizens. Both writers had voiced their opinions in their works in a substantially strong and unfaltering manner. Hence it comes as no surprise that the two had and continue to have a phenomenal affect on the past and present populations. Thomas Hobbes was a master draughtsman who attempted to rearrange the political assumptions of the Renaissance. In Hobbes' vision, sovereignty was the exclusive property of the state, no meaningful distinctions existed between subject and citizen, and liberty was in no way contingent upon self-rule or participation in making the laws that bind polity and populace (Kavka 1986) Plato was a philosopher who believed that human beings possess intrinsic knowledge, which may never affect their senses unless they seek and acquire enlightenment. This is an interesting concept, which dispels the notion that educators can impart knowledge to their students. According to various philosophers, human nature is guided by superego and a relative state of morality. Plato believed that human nature is determined by reason and absolute standards of morality. Through his philosophical works of literature and philosophy, Plato explains the characteristics of good human beings serving their nation well and their respective responsibilities. Harping on the same string, the legendary figure highlights that it is of paramount importance that people of the world comprehend the need to apply wisdom and truth in deciding all vital matters of life. Plato believed that man is a rational being and because of this, reason plays the most important part in developing his nature and assisting him in discovering the highest good or finally attaining self-fulfilment. Plato held the view that man is seen as guided by reason to reach the highest good and attain self-fulfilment (Stevenson 1987). He asserted that changes in human nature are hierarchical in nature where man goes through different stages guided by reason. According to Plato reason is one of the most important components in determining human nature. Plato's deep insight on this issue was that a state consists of individuals and the conduct of these individuals depends on their character. Plato also describes his state of living in peace and harmony due to the fact of having everyone in connection with one another. Upon being asked if they would be united just by lip, as such," For example, in the use of the word 'father,' would the care of a father be implied and the filial reverence and duty and obedience to him which the law commands; and is the violator of these duties to be regarded as an impious and unrighteous person who is not

Goal is to share with the reader an incident in your life that taught Essay

Goal is to share with the reader an incident in your life that taught you something about life, about other people, about your - Essay Example I was working on a project with group consisting of five members. It was a science project and each member was assigned a specific work that was to be completed within the given timeframe. While each member’s work required independent research but we were all helping each other to complete the project as early as possible. I remember, I was particularly quite abrasive and short tempered with one of my colleague because he seemed to be quite distracted and least concerned in completing his part of the project. He was an African American who was more inclined to be gregarious and less focused on his studies. It just confirmed my preconceived ideas about racial differences. Hence the news about my sister’s accident came as a complete jolt that completely threw me off balance. We were all busy doing our project so for a moment I was unable to accept the news and did not know what to do. Suddenly it was Anthony, the African American colleague who was consoling me and took co ntrol of the situation. She was my only sister and I kept mumbling that I would die if anything happened to her. Anthony accompanied me to the hospital and took charge of the situation. My sister was profusely bleeding and was concussed.

Reading Music Sheet Notation - Process Analysis Essay

Reading Music Sheet Notation - Process Analysis - Essay Example Music is defined as â€Å"the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity† (Webster, p.781). The tones or notes in music are represented on paper by using a special notation. Although to a novice music notations may look complicated, learning to read music is not as difficult as it appears to be. In fact, one of the most rewarding experiences. Singing and playing your favorite music becomes easier and you can also share your musical ideas with others. The following seven steps will help you read music sheets. The first step is learning the names of notes. For this, you should get hold of a music sheet, preferably a beginner’s sheet. Musical sounds are called notes and these notes are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet, namely; A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Next you will learn about staves and clefs. Each group of five parallel straight lines on th e music sheet is called a stave. A stave has five lines and four spaces in between. The notes are written on the music sheet either on the line or in the space between the lines of a stave. The value of the note depends on the clef which is placed at the beginning of the stave. Treble clef looks like a huge 9 with a colon next to it and the Bass clef resembles an ampersand.

Medical equipment lifecycle ( Medical Equipment & Technology Services Essay - 1

Medical equipment lifecycle ( Medical Equipment & Technology Services Management) - Essay Example The technology life cycle of a medical component initiates in the design and acquisition phase, by means of the acceptance process. The technology life cycle of the medical component extends through its application in the clinical environment . Subsequently, it reaches the obsolescence phase where it is replaced and discarded after reaching its maximum life utility. The acquisition, approval and obsolescence of a medical technology occurs only once in its useful life (Chan, 2003, p. 13). The optimal application of technology incorporates a number of occupations and can occur over a variety of instances. This optimal application of medical technology can be deconstructed into two sub cycles. These sub cycles are the acquisition and application sub cycle. The acquisition sub cycle consists of the following events: Technology evaluation- Technology evaluation is a classification of policy study which reviews the short term and long term outcomes which are societal, ethical, legal and economic. These aspects constitute the comprehensive evaluation of the technology (Banta, 2009, p. 8). The gold criteria for clinical research assessment of novel medical technology is historically recognized as the Randomized Control Trial (RCT) (NHTSA, n.d.). A primary tenet of technology evaluation is â€Å"buying smart, not cheap†(University of Boston Massachusetts, 2010, p 9). In the technology evaluation, the following details are delineated: Guiding adaptation and application in medical equipment technology goes hand in hand. The important factor in being successful is carrying out a comprehensive and thorough planning procedure (NSBA, n.d.). Efficient technology designs are directed towards applications, instead of technology. The technology should be based on inputs and not results (See, n.d.). A new medical technology equipment system

Reading Music Sheet Notation - Process Analysis Essay

Reading Music Sheet Notation - Process Analysis - Essay Example Music is defined as â€Å"the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity† (Webster, p.781). The tones or notes in music are represented on paper by using a special notation. Although to a novice music notations may look complicated, learning to read music is not as difficult as it appears to be. In fact, one of the most rewarding experiences. Singing and playing your favorite music becomes easier and you can also share your musical ideas with others. The following seven steps will help you read music sheets. The first step is learning the names of notes. For this, you should get hold of a music sheet, preferably a beginner’s sheet. Musical sounds are called notes and these notes are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet, namely; A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Next you will learn about staves and clefs. Each group of five parallel straight lines on th e music sheet is called a stave. A stave has five lines and four spaces in between. The notes are written on the music sheet either on the line or in the space between the lines of a stave. The value of the note depends on the clef which is placed at the beginning of the stave. Treble clef looks like a huge 9 with a colon next to it and the Bass clef resembles an ampersand.

Defining the Humanities Essay Example for Free

Defining the Humanities Essay After reading this week’s lecture and my understanding of what humanities are is the study of what people have experienced and how they express this experience. Humanities are how people have interacted throughout their existence and how people interact today. Humanities are the study of the philosophical beliefs of a culture. The philosophical approach to understanding a culture is what separates humanities from science and history. Science and history are exact and rarely are open for debate once it is proven to be fact. Science will set out  to prove its point, whatever it may be, through precise calculations. Science also studies theory and probability. Science lacks imagination in their calculations whereas humanities use imagination to understand past culture. Science wants to prove how people came to exist whereas humanities seek to understand why people exist. History is different from humanities because history studies documentation as facts and undisputable regarding what happened. Humanities seek to answer why it happened and to understand it. History was recorded in books in  libraries, Humanities are written on walls in caves or in the design contained in buildings. Today cultures express their interests, their experiences, and their values through many forms such as art, music, and movies. Sharing experiences is perhaps the most basic form of explaining who people are. By sharing these experiences in the forms of art, music, and movies, it allows us to share information about us through our creativity. In today’s culture these three forms of expression allow people to show their individuality and to connect with many on different levels. Art takes many forms and is interpreted by an individual differently. Colors and design reflect our feelings. Black and white expresses loneliness and pain whereas bright colors express happiness. A painting for example, allows an artist to express themselves in a way he or she feels. It is their visualization of their thoughts (Kitchin, 2004). Society looks at the painting and is free to interpret it their way. One person may see happiness whereas another sees sadness. A picture of time square could mean chaos and seem overwhelming to one from a rural area where someone from a city sees everything he or she needs. People continue to express themselves with music. The meanings behind the words of the songs often come from the feelings and the experiences of the author. It is the responsibility of the musician to express those feelings and experiences through sound. Music with soul (Hakes, 2011). Music has been very important to our culture. Think of how important the Beatles were to world or even the Grateful Dead. My personal favorite band is Linkin Park. They are my favorite because I can relate my life to the words of their song. Their music attracts those DEFINING THE HUMANITITES 3 who appear to be weak or who do not appear to be societies strongest. Their song â€Å"The Little Things Give You Away† was written about Hurricane Katrina. The devastation from Hurricane Katrina was widespread devastation. Their song attempts to reflect through music the pain and suffering affected by it. Movies are much like music however instead of only simply able to hear words and visualize it; the movies create the visualization for the person. Movies use categorization such as romance, action, and drama. Movies based on real life events attempt to capture those events and explain them. Movies can show the romance side of a situation or even the heroics. The recent movie Argo is about the falling of the United States Embassy in Iran, which was overrun. This movie reflects the horror that six members went through while showing the heroics of a CIA member to return the members of the Embassy to the United States. These three forms of expression will continue to exist as time continues. They are acceptable means of  expressions and are a very important part of today’s society. All three bring joy to people and if capable a person can express him or herself like none before. DEFINING THE HUMANITITES 4 References Kitchin, M. (2004). Art and expression. Retrieved from http://www. students. sbc. edu/kitchin04/artandexpression/artandexpression. html Hakes, T. (2011, March 11). Music as expression vs. music as entertainment. Retrieved from http://abovegroundmagazine. com/blogs/letter-from-the-editor/03/15/music-as-expression-vs- music-as-entertainment/

What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity?

What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity? As the whole world market changed into globalization, the diversity management becomes a major issue to manage. So diversity management plays an important role in the successful running of the operation in an organization. Basically the diversity term refers to the difference in the peoples value which makes them unique. These differences includes their gender, race, religion, culture, physical or cognitive ability, national origin, age or family structure. Diversity is defined as an aggregate team-level construct that represents differences among members of an interdependent work group with respect to a specific personal attribute. (Joshi, A., Roh, H.(2009)) In a diverse environment people can benefit and learn more from others ideas. Many organizations found that recognition of these differences as prerequisites for high performance and continuous improvement, and this could lead towards the effectiveness and creativity of the organization. So these companies always encourage a culture that supports and inspires personal growth both within the workplace and beyond. Mentoring, training, career mobility, and work-life balance programs are just a little of the initiatives that bring to life the forward-thinking approach. On the other hand there might be some drawback of the diverse environments like having much disorganization between different groups could cause lack of productivity and promote few well-built relationships. Diversity Management: Diversity Management is the key issue especially for HR department of an organization because if they run it very well they can increase the profitability of the organization or the vice versa. Actually differences between people persuade about how they feel or behave on an action. And of course these differences also influence the way people work. If the organization takes these differences into account, it helps them to make optimal use of all capacities or capabilities in their employees, and thus have an optimistic influence on both the quality and amount of work that gets done. This is the utmost aim of Diversity Management. In the text book, Beyond Race and Gender, R. Roosevelt Thomas defines managing diversity as a comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that works for all employees. A successful strategic diversity plan also directs to increased profits and lowered operating cost. In an organization, we have to be aware and sensitive to the differences among employees. What can be unpleasant to one group may be fine for another. For example, showing the base of shoes is not a massive deal in the United States. However, in other countries its an unlikable gesture. If youre aware of that, you might not want to offend someone by allowing the bottom of your shoes to show while in his presence. Thats a minor example, but when these kinds of offends occurs at larger, may caused significant problems. Productivity can also be suffered, people could get hurt and a toxic work atmosphere may result. A process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities and differences of individuals are valued, so that all can reach their potential and maximize their contributions to an organizations strategic goals and objectives. (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion) How diversity management program runs in an organization through HR department could be well explained through below diagram Europe has an increasingly diverse working population, with people of many different backgrounds playing a greater role in the European labour market. This diversity reflects not only population changes due to immigration and mobility between regions and EU member states, but also an increasing recognition of the problems and issues facing a range of marginalised groups in the labour force, such as women, people with disabilities and older workers. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Feb2009, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p235-251, 17p, 1 Diagram Diagram; found on p245 At conclusion Diversity management means recognizing that people are different and using that difference to enhance the profitability and/or effectiveness of your organization. The successful management diversity allows organizations to: Attract and retain talent Increase productivity by reducing the hours wasted on dealing with internal disputes Develop a competitive edge. Encourage creative thinking by valuing the diversity within teams. What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity? By Neal Litherland, eHow Contributor .I want to do this! Whats This? .. Ever since John Kennedy was the president of the United States, the concept of workplace discrimination, and the flip side of that coin which is workplace diversity, has been a common issue. However, workplace diversity offers many positives for employers and employees. .Perspectives Having a mix of cultures, ethnicities and ages in the workplace can bring a variety of points of view to any project. As such, problems can be thought out and viewed from fresh eyes. Tolerance Working with people who come from different backgrounds and walks of life enhances the personal tolerance levels of every individual employee. Fairness A more diverse workplace is viewed, from an outside perspective, as being more open to accepting qualified applicants. Often an employer is seen as color blind, hiring purely on the merit of its employees. Skill Set When a workplace has a number of different demographics it gives the company a much broader skill set to draw upon, including cultural understanding and foreign language. Legal Protection One of the clearest, though not as often quoted, benefits of a diverse workplace is that it is less likely that an employer will be the subject of discrimination claims. Building the Case Since the early 1990s evidence has been mounting to suggest that there are numerous benefits associated with the adoption of sound diversity management programmes by employers. You will need to understand the benefits for adopting such an approach, if and when you decide to start building the case for implementing a diversity management programme within your organisation. Over the last number of years, a variety of researchers have detailed the benefits of adopting a diversity management approach such as: Improved performance/productivity (Agocs and Burr, 1996; Richard, 2000) Increased creativity/flexibility (Cox and Blake, 1991; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Higher quality problem-solving (Cox and Blake, 1991; Hubbard, 1999) Improved understanding/penetration of markets (Cox and Blake, 1991; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Increased staff morale and job satisfaction (Agocs and Burr, 1996) Improvements in staff retention/less absenteeism (Agocs and Burr, 1996; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Less law suits (Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Human Resource associations have also identified benefits of diversity management. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the following are five key factors that make diversity initiatives important to businesses: Diversity initiatives can: Improve the quality of your organisations workforce and can be a catalyst for a better return on your investment in human capital. Capitalize on new markets since customer bases are becoming more diverse. Attract the best and the brightest employees to a company. Increase creativity. Increase flexibility, ensuring survival. Source:  http://www.shrm.org/diversity/businesscase.asp In 2000 and 2001, Mi.st [ Diversity Consulting conducted a survey of business leaders throughout Europe and found that the four benefits of diversity most often mentioned were: Improved team effectiveness and cooperation (interpersonal) Increased productivity (individual) Improved customer intimacy (consumers and markets) Broader access to labour markets (recruitment) Results from this survey were analysed and all the benefits of Diversity and Diversity Management were summarised in the following table: Results Externally Internally Consumers/Markets Increased market share Ease of entry into new markets Improved customer intimacy Individual Increased productivity Improved morale and commitment Shareholders Enhanced rating Improved attractiveness Interpersonal Improved team effectiveness and cooperation Easier integration of new staff Labour markets Broader access to labour markets Improved employer image Organisational More openness to change Enhanced effectiveness of complex organization Community Improved public image Source: Michael Stubor (2002): Corporate Best Practice: What some European Organizations are Doing Well to Manage Culture and Diversity. In G. Simmons (Ed.), Eurodiversity: A Business Guide to Managing Difference, Butterworth-Heinemann, London Alongside the benefits outlined above there are other background forces that drive the adoption of a diversity management approach by employers. Two common forces are described below: Labour Force Supply Issues The composition of the labour force in the EU is changing on an ongoing basis. Two of the most important changes in recent years are: The ageing of the workforce The enlargement of the EU giving rise to a larger presence of ethnic minorities As a result, employers need to be able to successfully accommodate a more diverse range of employees.   Costs of Discrimination Cases Although, anti-discrimination legislation has now been introduced in a number of European countries, employees are still facing prejudices that circulate in the workplace. This gives rise to employees taking discrimination cases against their employer, which can be damaging for the employer in terms of negative public opinion and high costs. An effective diversity management approach should give rise to an environment that benefits all employees, where they feel valued and empowered and are enabled to reach their full potential. In such a positive environment it is highly unlikely that an employee would bring a discrimination case against their employer. Footnote: References   Agocs C. and Burr C. (1996):  Employment equity, affirmative action and managing diversity: assessing the differences, International Journal of manpower, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp30-45. Cox T. and Blake S. (1991);  Managing Cultural Diversity: implications for organizational competitivenes  s, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp45-56. Hubbard E. (1999):  Diversity and the Bottom Line: Facts, Figures and Financials, Diversity Factor, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp29-33. Richard O. (2000):  Racial diversity, business strategy, and firm performance: A resource-based view,  Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, pp164-177. Robinson G. and Dechant K. (1997):  Building a Business Case for Diversity, Academy of management Executive, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp21-31. Implementing Diversity Management A major aim of this website is to support the development and implementation of diversity management programmes in the workplace. This is achieved in two main ways: Providing general information to users about diversity management issues, policy and practice   this is achieved through the main areas of website which provide information on: What is diversity management Building the case Policy and legislation Diversity management themes Case studies Awards Links to useful websites   Providing support to the process of design and implementation of diversity management in enterprises   this is achieved through two main applications:   The diversity management toolkit The e-learning course on diversity management If you wish to implement a diversity management programme, the diversity management toolkit provides support in two main ways: It describes a  5 stage process  of how to implement a diversity management programme in your workplace It provides  tool support  for each of the activities you must undertake when implementing a diversity management programme in your workplace The e-learning course on diversity management is designed to raise awareness of diversity management amongst the participants in a diversity management programme. A major task in implementing diversity management is to ensure that all employees affected by the programme are fully aware of diversity issues and the approach which is being taken to them. The e-learning course is designed to inform employees of the basic issues and approaches to diversity management and to justify the need for an active diversity management policy in your organisation. Madison Co. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Fortune Small Business Magazine recently had an article about a small company in Connecticut, Madison Co., that had an employee go through a major change. Over the course of time, one of its supervisors, Ann Ferraiolo had altered her look, and, then one day, came to work after an operation and was now Tony, a male. As a manufacturing company, the company president, Steve Schickler, understood what could happen. Instead, he decided to intercede early to make things more comfortable for his supervisor, and let other employees know the company position. He and his human resources director made sure every employee knew to treat Ferraiolo with respect, both before and after the operation. They decided to support the supervisors sex change, and the company has never missed a beat. Xerox Mentoring Programs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Xerox was ranked No. 35 in 2009 by DiversityInc. It was one of the first international organizations to publicly make diversity a center of their mission back in the 1970s. This led to many mentoring and fast-track programs, and now minorities make up around 20 percent of its management staff, women make up nearly one-third, and black women, a group Xerox has worked with the most, recognizing their disadvantage in many organizations, makes up 20 percent of that group. This is a case where a subgroup of an already disadvantaged group might need to be addressed more thoroughly when looking at diversity issues overall. Why the Toolkit is important It is best to view the development and implementation of diversity management policy in your organisation as a project. This means that it should be treated in the same way as you would any other project. You will need to build support for the project, analyse the needs and opportunities, develop your own solutions and then implement and monitor the project as it progresses. This implies the need for effective project management tools and techniques. The DiManT toolkit provides you with a set of information, methods and techniques, which have been specifically designed to ease the process of implementing a diversity management project. The way that you use the toolkit is up to you. You may pick and choose only what is relevant for your purposes. You will find a search facility to help you locate the tools that you need. However, if you want to begin the process of diversity management programme implementation from the beginning, you are advised to use the follow the process outlined in the toolkit. There you will find a complete guide to the activities you should undertake. The process is described in terms of a set of phases of activities, each of which has specific aims and each of which is supported by a number of tools. Click on the diagram for more information. Policy and Legislation There is an increasing amount of policy and legislation initiatives in relation to diversity management at both EU and national levels. In this section you will find short descriptions of and reference to the main legislative and policy actions at both of these levels. Initiatives in the area of equality, disability, employment, ageing, gender and others are relevant here. They provide the backdrop for the development of diversity management programmes at workplace level. EU Legislation National Legislation Themes Age Disability Ethnicity and Race Gender Religion Case Studies This section provides a set of real life case studies of a range of diversity management issues. Two types of cases are presented: Company case studies Legal case studies The legal case studies section gives brief overviews of a range of legal cases which relate to diversity management. In the main, they relate to court judgements taken under antidiscrimination, disability and employment law, and they illustrate the ways in which violations of these laws are treated. The company case studies present a best practice view of how a range of organizations have developed and implemented diversity management programmes. They provide insight into what are the elements of good practice and into how diversity management programmes evolve in practice. Diversity management has become one of the primary challenges for HRM as organizations become diversity worldwide. (Benshchop, 2001: 1166; DNetto Sohal, 1999: 530) Resistance to  diversity programs may not only come from the majority but also minority groups. Diversity planners may be failing to include or consider the majority groups in their strategies and this is one of the reasons of backlash and discrimination. (Frase-Blunt, 2003: 138) Ireland Degraded Employee Wins Case Mr Gabriele Piazza had claimed that the Clarion Hotel had directly discriminated against him due to the fact that he was gay. He said he was harassed in relation to his conditions of employment, in particular on three occasions. He said that there had been a number of incidents when reference was made to his sexual orientation in a degrading manner. The incidents had happened in front of various staff members who had found the situation funny, however he had not, he said. Mr Piazza said that in one incident, it came to his attention that emails from his manager were being sent to the human resources manager. He found the mails personally offensive and degrading. In one, he was referred to as just a bloody woman and a spoilt child. When he challenged the HR manager about the emails, she ripped them up dismissively in front of him. In another incident, an employee made a comment of a sexual nature which Mr Piazza found offensive and degrading. He asked the person in question to stop making the comments, however the level of harassment increased. Mr Piazza insisted that in the six months of his employment, he received no help or assistance from his manager or any member of the hotels management team. Following an investigation by the Equality Tribunal, Mr Piazza was found to have been discriminated against by the hotel on the grounds of his sexual orientation. He was awarded à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10,000 compensation for harassment, distress and a breach of his rights under the Employment Equality Act, 1998. The hotel was also ordered to provide an equality training seminar to all staff, including management, within three months. Source: http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4id=6159 Council Employee Wins Race Case A council housing department worker has been awarded more than  £44,000 after winning a racial discrimination case. Surveyor Lakhbir Rihal complained four years ago that less-qualified white colleagues were promoted over him at the London Borough of Ealing. The council lost an employment tribunal case but appealed to the Court of Appeal, which upheld the decision. The tribunal found a glass ceiling prevented ethnic minority staff from securing senior management roles. Paul Kenny, a senior official of the GMB union, which supported Mr Rihal, said: The leader of the council should do the decent thing and resign. Because the council failed to act, they have cost Ealing ratepayers hundreds of thousands of pounds. The union said it wanted the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) to conduct an investigation into race relations in the councils housing department. Ealing Councils interim head of legal services, Chris Hughes, described the Court of Appeals decision as disappointing. He said: We pursued this case because we believed the original employment tribunal had erred in law in its decision. The council remains committed to equal opportunities for all its staff, a fact which is reflected in the current statistics of black and ethnic minority staff in the housing department. At present 38% of senior staff working in the housing department are black or ethnic minority, which clearly reflects the population trends in the borough as a whole, a fact which was not before the Court of Appeal. Culture of White Elitism Tom Dent, director of Housing and Environmental Health, added: The background to this case is now over four years old. Since then we have been improving our services in housing and were encouraged by last years external auditors report which found that we were compliant with the Commission for Racial Equalitys code of practice in the rented housing sector in both service delivery and employment. But Lord Justice Sedley said the lack of ethnic minority managers suggested a clear possibility there was a culture of white elitism in the upper echelon of the housing department. Mr Rihal, who has worked for Ealing Council for 12 years, told BBC London: I would like the council to take notice of these things and to at least give a fair chance to Sikh people like myself who are highly qualified. He still works for the council and is applying for promotion. Source: BBC NEWS http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/3771403.stm Business Case for Diversity and Equality Todays business environment is changing. The average age of the workforce is rising steadily and women now make up nearly half the workforce in the UK, double the numbers of 25 years ago. Projections show that in less than ten years time there will be two million more jobs in the economy 80% of which will be filled by women. McJobs for all the Family 05-02-2005 McDonalds is pioneering a scheme that allows employees to share their job with family members. The Family Contract allows husbands, wives, grandparents and children over 16 to job-share and swap shifts without notifying management. The concept of diversity not only values and respects individuals, but recognises that everyone has different needs. Under the contract, which is the first of its kind in Britain, each worker clocks on and is paid separately through his or her own bank account. It is being tried in six cities around Britain. Co-habiting partners and same-sex partners can apply and, if it proves successful, McDonalds said it would expand it to include friends and extended family such as cousins. David Fairhurst, the head of McDonalds UK human resources operation, said: A lot of our staff wanted more flexibility. Many are youngsters at college who have very different term hours and holiday hours. Many older staff have children, with all the demands that entails; many look after relatives. So we decided to offer them the flexibility in a family context. McDonalds, which has 67,000 staff in 1,250 British restaurants, said flexible working reduced the number of sick days. It said the scheme was supported by the Department of Trade and Industry. The first family to sign up for a Family Contract were Rita Cross, 42, and her two daughters Laura, 18, and Natalie, 16, in Cardiff. Laura said the main advantage of the arrangement was its flexibility. We get up in the morning and decide which of us really wants to go to work, she said. Mrs Cross said it helped the whole family. We get a better work and life balance. Id love my husband to join up too, so that we can all plan our work and family life as one unit. BIBILIOGRAPHY Mor Barak, Michalle E. : Managing diversity: towards a globally inclusive workplace 2nd edition ( Sage Publication ) page 140. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Feb2009, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p235-251, 17p, 1 Diagram Diagram; found on p245 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion. (n.d.). Diversity management. In Glossary. Retrieved May 8, 2009, from http://www.diversity.hr.va.gov/glossary.htm http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4id=6159

Robert Penn Warren: Distinguished American Writer and Poet :: Biography Biographies Essays

Robert Penn Warren: Distinguished American Writer and Poet Robert Penn Warren, born in Guthrie, Kentucky in 1905, was one of the twentieth century's most eminent American writers. He was a distinguished novelist and poet, literary critic, essayist, short story writer, and coeditor of numerous textbooks. He was also a founding editor of The Southern Review, a journal of literary criticism and political thought. The primary influences on Robert Warren's career as a poet were probably his Kentucky boyhood, and his relationships with his father and his maternal grandfather. As a boy, Warren spent many hours on his grandfather's farm, absorbing stories of the Civil War and the local tobacco wars between growers and wholesalers, the subject of his first novel, Night Riders. His grandfather, Thomas Gabriel Penn, had been a calvary officer in the Civil War and was well-read in both military history and poetry, which he sometimes recited for Robert. Robert's father was a banker who had once had aspirations to become a lawyer and a poet. Because of economic troubles, and his responsibility for a family of half-brothers and sisters when his father died, Robert Franklin Warren forsook his literary ambitions and devoted himself to more lucrative businesses. Robert Warren did not always have ambitions to become a writer, in fact, one of his earlier dreams was to become an adventurer on the high seas. This fantasy might have indeed come about, for his father intended to get him an appointment to Annapolis, had it not been for a childhood accident in which he lost sight in one of his eyes. Warren was an outstanding student but there were also many books at home, and he savored reading. His father at one time aspired to be a poet. His grandfather Penn, with whom he spent much time when he was young, was an exceptional storyteller and greatly influenced young Red. But both of these men whom he loved had in some sense failed to achieve. By contrast, Warren was determined to achieve, to be successful. During his college years at Vanderbilt, the sense of being physically maimed, as well as the fear sympathetic blindness in his remaining good eye became almost unbearable. At Vanderbilt University he met Allen Tate, John Crowe Ransom, Donald Davidson, and others interested in poetry. As part of The Fugitives, a private group that met off campus, he delved deeply into poetry, and his first poems were published in their short-lived quarterly. Warren had a remarkable capacity for friendship, and he was in touch with these men all of their lives. For years Tate was "first critic" of his poetry.

Hindutva :: essays research papers

The ideology of Hindutva is becoming popular because there is a growing realization that everything else that has been tried to inculcate a national spirit, has failed to yield the desired results. Many people previously opposed to Hindutva have embraced the ideology, as they believe that the solutions to the country's problems can be found within it. At the mass level, with the work done by many individuals and organizations, the acceptance has been a relatively easy task. However, at the intellectual level the success leaves much to be desired. The reason for this is that those who are opposed to Hindutva occupy positions of power in the academic field. They have ensured that the research done on Hindutva remains at the fringe of the scholarly arena. Not only are the public resources denied to the work that needs to be done, but the funds are being invested in anti-Hindutva propaganda, with an intention to prove Hinduism as a regressive religion and a backward culture. Most people who live abroad and write on India rely for their information on the English media and writings, which paint an essentially negative picture of Hindutva. It is therefore necessary to give the theoretical basis of the Hindutva movement due publicity. In one of his recent books, a Eurpean scholar, Dr. Koenraad Elst says, "In Europe every sizeable party or ideological pressure-group has set up a think-tank to develop ideology and formulate policy proposals. The Communists in India have a host of intellectuals (mostly on state and university pay-rolls) working full-time to develop the Marxist view on each and every topic. All the valuable and useful political thought produced by the Hindu movement would not exceed a few volumes, to put mildly. As long as there is no intellectual mobilization, Hindu society is badly on the defensive. Hindu society has a host of bright young people available, trained in traditional or modern learning, whose talent is wasted because there seems to be no Hindu nerve center interested in putting them to work.

Congo

A component in the development in Operation â€Å"Save the Congo' that we will focus lies in the Health infrastructure. The Democratic Republic of Congo was one of the first African countries to recognize HIV, registering cases as early as 1983. The most common method of transferring the virus occurs through homosexual activity; linking to over 87% cases in the Congo. Demographically, the ages groups most affected are women aged 20 to about 29 and men alike aged 30 to 39.Other method that contribute to the rampant spread of the virus are the large movement of refugees nd soldiers; seeing as though population movements are often associated with the exacerbation of the HIV virus as it is now localized in areas most populated by troops and in other war-displaced populations. In addition, there is the increased levels of sexual transmitted diseases among sex workers and clientele alike, due to the limited availability of condoms in the country.All in all, without the relief of Operation â€Å"Save the Congo' the continuing problem of HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of Congo becomes a leading issue in a country already suffering from other health issues. Along with the spread of the HIV virus, the impact that malaria has on the Democratic Republic of Congo is profound, and this is due to the expansion by insects and the fact that malaria is the primary cause of mortality among pregnant women and young children. On average, there are five million cases of malaria every year in the Congo and around 500,000 to one million people die of this disease every year.In addition, 97% of the countrys 70 million inhabitants live in areas where malaria is deeply concentrated, subjecting most of inhabitants with the vicious disease. Mosquitoes are the primary carriers of malaria, and due to the fact that Congo is located close to the equator, one can assume that the high number of mosquito presence is chiefly due to the humid climate of the country. Along with the expansion of the malaria disease, there are its impacts on pregnant women and children. Of the people that die from malaria, 91% of those inhabitants are ones that are pregnant women or children under the age of five.Children bear the majority of the burden of both the morbidity and mortality, as they are at greater risk of catching he disease and dying as well. Out of the 5 million reported cases of malaria, around 2. 3 million cases of children under five with malaria were reported; with around 25,000 of the 2. 3 million dying from malaria- related diseases. Another section of the health infrastructure we would like to focus on in our relief plan lies in the topic of maternal and child health care.In other words, aside from the malaria epidemic there are other health factors needed to be taken into consideration when discussing maternal and child health care. Due to the lack of resources in the Congo, women nd their children have continuous struggles in sustaining their resources, and thus, taking proper care of their children. The lack of clean water and liveable homes attribute to the dismal health of women and their families, and this only makes them more susceptible to the rampant diseases described previously.According to the United Nations Population Fund released in June 2011, maternal mortality rate for the Democratic Republic of the Congo per 100,000 is 670 deaths. Meaning, that for every 100,000 childbearing woman in the Congo, there are 670 infant deaths. Compared of ther developing countries, that ranks in the top percentile as tar as maternal mortality rates, and that fgure alone only begins to outline the profound impact the weak health infrastructure and the lasting impacts it has on women and children in the country.Despite the daily turmoil men, women and children face everyday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is hope. With the implementation of Operation: Save The Congo, we can finally provide the needed relief efforts that was never before applied to the country. Similar to the New Deal used in the United States uring the Great Depression, these programs are meant to relief and reform the Congo into a livable society, and get it to a point where it may function and prosper on its own.In order to achieve this landmark reform in the health sector, Operation: Save the Congo will first build new hospitals. The lack of stable, sanitary hospitals is an on-going problem that continues in the Congo, but with the relief that Operation STC provides, funding will go into building hospitals, helping solve the problems of HIV/AIDS and malaria. In addition, new hospitals will help decrease the maternal ortality rates, as we will provide new technologies needed to prevent disease and malnutrition.Moreover, we want to do a â€Å"reverse brain-drain† method in which we partner will developed countries and send highly skilled doctors, physicians, and nurses over to the Congo to work in these hospitals and provide expert health care. A big part of the new health infrastructure will be the development of a new filtration system to produce clean water not only for newly built hospitals, but for the country in total. This project will be the top priority in guiding the Congo into a new era in ealth technology, as the production of clean water will diminish mortality rates, and it will also help prevent other diseases.Lastly there is the building of living shelters across the country, providing imported foods and goods from developed countries in an effort to sustain lives. This will give the necessary shelter women, men and children need in order to live their lives fully. Bringing in imported foods and goods would also contribute to the decline of diseases, as it gives its inhabitants the proper nutrients from the foods and the quality living standards from the newly imported goods. All in all, these are the problems that persists in the health sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo.HIV/AID, malaria, lac k of resources are all continuous strains on this developing country and its people are fading fast. The programs that were Just highlighted will save the congo, as it will provide newly built facilities including hospital and living shelters with trained practitioners and a new clean water filtration system. With these programs set in place, the health infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be on course on becoming a great leader for health in the world.

Illegal Drug Use in Vietnam War Essay

During the Vietnam War, American soldiers and officials used illegal drugs such as marijuana, heroin and opium to release stress from war and to kill the pain of an injury. The uses of narcotics were not strictly monitored and were sold at low prices increasing the amount of usage. The use of illicit drugs may have also resulted in some sexual assaults that led to children with mixed nationalities. Before the Americans came into Vietnam, drug laws were not well determined and people did not use dope as much. However, soon after the Vietnam War started, most soldiers and citizens dramatically started using narcotics, mostly marijuana. Marijuana was available all over the country and this type of drug was a convenient crop to produce although it was an illegal act. Marijuana usage in Vietnam was far more widespread than it was in the United States and was cheap since it does not have to be imported from a foreign country. However, the South Vietnamese Government tried to tighten its policies so that it will be harder to obtain. In about 1970, the North and South Vietnam militaries pressured the soldiers to reduce the use of marijuana. This led to soldiers smuggling narcotics and wanting a refined kind of drug that could not be noticed easily. When heroin was first introduced, people hid it in their cigarettes and consumed by smoking. This highly addictive drug became very popular in Vietnam and was consumed a lot. Statistics and army records show that about 50% of the soldiers and officials had used either heroin or opium during the war.

Antitrust practices Essay

Antitrust practices are practices carried on by businesses that end up destroying perfect competition in the market. Antitrust laws are laws prepared to seek and promote healthy market competition by preventing anti-competitive practices by companies. Some of the illegal practices that constitute to antitrust behavior include corporate mergers, monopolies and price fixing conspiracies (Bailey, 2010). The Clayton Act of 1914 was passed by the U.S Congress. It was an antitrust law that was amended to stop and prevent practices that led to unhealthy competition in the market. The Clayton Act was amended in order to complement an earlier version of the antitrust law referred to as the Sherman antitrust Act of 1980. This was a federal law that sought to prevent practices that were harmful to consumers such as cartels, monopolies and other unfair business practices (California Association of REALTORS, 2005). Google Company One of the recent firms to be investigated for antitrust behavior is Google Company that leads the online searching industry. According to Weiss (2014), the firm recently was being investigated by Competition Commission of India (CCI) for claims that it abused its dominance in the online search engine industry by mainly promoting its own services over those of its rivals. This reason is considered to create unhealthy competition in the business as the search engine company dominates its rivals in what is considered almost a monopolistic market. Antitrust behavior brings about both pecuniary and non-pecuniary costs. Since it damages healthy competition in the market, monopolies can result and this has adverse effects to the prices of commodities. The products end up becoming costly and expensive for the customers and, therefore, affecting the society negatively (Bailey, 2010). On the other hand, antitrust behavior leads to the output of products falling below the market competitive le vel and this is mainly witnessed in monopolistic markets. Then again, the antitrust practices can be costly for any company that has engaged in them since if investigations prove that the company is guilty of the said acts then heavy penalties can be imposed on them. Furthermore, this can ruin the reputation of any company and, therefore, ending up losing its customers (Bailey, 2010). Monopolies and  Oligopolies Monopolies and oligopolies are not always good for the society. Their presence in any market simply means they have all the power to control the prices of their products and services. This is not favorable to the customers since prices can always go up any time especially when the demand for certain commodities is high. One good example of an oligopoly is the Coca Cola and Pepsi Companies. These are the world’s largest beverage companies and demand for their products is never decreasing. However, these two companies represent a market with few suppliers while the consumers are many. They have all the power to dictate their products’ prices and the consumers have no power whatsoever (Hovenkamp, 2011). On the other hand, some government monopolies can be considered beneficial to the members of the society. Many governments in the current world control the production and supply of electricity and other forms of energy. This is useful because the governments aim at providin g such services to the citizens at affordable prices and across the countries. It is the responsibility of the government to enhance infrastructure development in the country and, therefore, running such sectors of the economy can be beneficial to consumers. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important to point out that antitrust practices are unwanted behaviors since they destroy healthy competition among businesses. However, the law is strict on companies that engage in these practices and heavy penalties can be imposed on them. Antitrust practices include price fixing, corporate mergers and creation of monopolies (Reeves, 2010).