Using the JSON Gem in Ruby

Its easy to jump into parsing and generating JSON in Ruby with the json gem. It provides an API for parsing JSON from text as well as generating JSON text from arbitrary Ruby objects. Its easily the most used JSON library in Ruby. Installing the JSON Gem On Ruby 1.8.7, youll need to install a gem. However, in Ruby 1.9.2, the json gem is bundled with the core Ruby distribution. So, if youre using 1.9.2, youre probably all set. If youre on 1.8.7, youll need to install a gem. Before you install the JSON gem, first realize that this gem is distributed in two variants. Simply installing this gem with gem install json will install the C extension variant. This requires a C compiler to install, and may not be available or appropriate on all systems. Though if you can install this version, you should. If you cant install the C extension version, you should gem install json_pure instead. This is the same gem implemented in pure Ruby. It should run everywhere that Ruby code runs, on all platforms and on a variety of interpreters. However, its considerably slower than the C extension version. Once installed, there are a few ways to require this gem. A require json (after a prerequisite require rubygems if needed) will require whichever variant is available and will prefer the C extension variant if both are installed. A require json/pure will explicitly require the pure variant, and a require json/ext will explicitly require the C extension variant. Parsing JSON Before we start, lets define some simple JSON to parse. JSON is typically generated by web applications and can be quite daunting, with deep hierarchies that are difficult to navigate. Well start with something simple. The top level of this document is a hash, the first two keys hold strings and the last two keys hold arrays of strings. So parsing this is quite simple. Assuming this JSON is stored in a file called employees.json, you can parse this into a Ruby object like so. And this programs output. Note that if youre running this program on Ruby 1.8.7, the order the keys are retrieved from the hash is not necessarily the same order theyre inserted. So your output may appear out of order. The empls object itself is just a hash. Nothing special about it. It has 4 keys, just as the JSON document had. Two of the keys are strings, and two are arrays of strings. No surprises, the JSON was faithfully transcribed in Ruby objects for your perusal. And thats about all you need to know about parsing JSON. There are some issues that come up, but those will be covered in a later article. For just about every case, you simply read a JSON document from a file or over HTTP and feed it to JSON.parse.

The American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

American Hustle Our big brothers, Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Jefferson, have advanced the state of this fraternity. We began as just pledges in the ÃŽ £ÃŽ ©ÃŽ ² fraternity, but with the passing of time we proved our worth and became kappa leaders. Our battle to become a national power representing the Greek life was hard fought, from our battles with our Greek brothers in the South, to the battles with our rivals across the sea. Oppression is the hazing process needed to become an American. American society has you all fooled! They preach words of freedom and opportunity, while little did you know the whole system is rigged. Opportunity does not open its doors to the immigrant from Italy who wants to establish and continue his/her†¦show more content†¦Incoming immigrants can not even help improve the state of our country because their level of education isn’t respected. Although we escaped European oppression, we are still under the European wing of influence, shown by our similar hierarchical social systems. Much like the royal families in Europe, America has set families who are in charge. The average Joe cannot simply grow up to become a successful person because of the oppression they face from the likes of the Trump’s, Bush’s, and Mccain’s. They must fight and work hard every day just to gain the opportunity to escape the oppression they face on a daily basis. Minorities can not be lazy, or casual about life. In fact the hardest occupations in the world are held by first generation Americans. Their immigrant parents give up everything just so they can have the means to succeed. Anything besides obtaining a respectable title is considered a failure and this is a lot of pressure to be placed on the shoulders of a mere human. Most men in the world share two goals, making a family and providing for that family. Ordinarily thos e men would accomplish these goals in an honest respectable manner, but in a country where being a criminal has greater implications of being successful, it is not uncommon to find men that lied, cheated, and stole to make a living. Jordan Belfort, the posterboy of the American Dream, went from a nobody from Queens, New York, to a billionaire tycoon of the American stock market.Show MoreRelatedAmerican Dream : The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1280 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Ludwig 10 November 2014 American Dream The ideal American Dream is that every citizen in the U.S. may have a promising future, happiness, a family, and health. Some reach the American Dream, and some settle for less. People who do not obtain any type of American Dream cannot truly be happy because their life is not truly fulfilled, which does not satisfy their ambition. Jay Gatsby, a young man who over came poverty, and achieved the ideal American Dream but fell in love with a young ladyRead MoreThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald1129 Words   |  5 Pageseconomy began to soar, and the notion of the American dream began to take effect. The American Dream is the idea that anyone can come from any background and no matter who they are, if they work hard and stay true to themselves, they can achieve their dreams. The Great Gatsby, set in the early twenties, displays that socio-economic power is obtained through inheritance, forming an aristocracy of power and wealth. The Great Gatsby, written by F . Scott Fitzgerald, demonstrates how geography and locationRead MoreThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald1082 Words   |  5 PagesThe 1920’s was a time of great change to both the country lived in as well as the goals and ambitions that were sought after by the average person. During this time, priorities shifted from family and religion to success and spontaneous living. The American dream, itself, changed into a self centered and ongoing personal goal that was the leading priority in most people’s lives. This new age of carelessness and naivety encompasses much of what this earlier period is remembered for. In additionRead More The American Dream in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald2776 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction The â€Å"Great Gatsby† is a very twisted and convoluted novel which was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It has been written in late 1925, the characters in the novel focus upon a fictional town of West Egg. The plot of the story depends over the mystifying millionaire, Jay Gatsby, who has an impetuous enthusiasm for one of the most beautiful women in town, Daisy Buchanan. The theme of the novel focuses upon the American Dream that shares the experiences of the revival of the World WarRead MoreThe American Dream : F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1329 Words   |  6 PagesAn American Illusion After the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was implemented in America, many immigrants from China, Japan, and India were stripped of their pursuit of the American Dream at Angel Island. The immigration station’s detainment of these rejected dreamers destroyed stories before they could happen. These stories of opportunity and the fulfillment of the American Dream make America what it is today. For instance, many immigrants today who are lucky enough to settle into America enterRead More Corruption of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1438 Words   |  6 Pages Broken Dreams and Fallen Themes In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald employs the use of characters, themes, and symbolism to convey the idea of the American Dream and its corruption through the aspects of wealth, family, and status. In regards to wealth and success, Fitzgerald makes clear the growing corruption of the American Dream by using Gatsby himself as a symbol for the corrupted dream throughout the text. In addition, when portraying the family the characters in Great Gatsby are used to exposeRead MoreThe American Dream : F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1362 Words   |  6 PagesGatsby Corrupted Dream The American Dream is originally thought to be about how hard work can lead one person from poorness to richness with the right amount of effort put in. The American Dream can have different meaning to different people but at the end they are all trying to achieve a goal. The American Dream usually requires hard work and dedication. But cheating your way to success can change a person. An example of a distorted American Dream would be F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great GatsbyRead MoreCorruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald855 Words   |  4 Pages In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald gives the reader a glimpse into the life of the high class during the 1920’s through the eyes of a man named Nick Carraway. Through the narrators dealings with high society, Fitzgerald demonstrates how modern values have transformed the American dreams ideas into a scheme for materialistic power and he reveals how the world of high society lacks any sense of morals or consequence. In order to support his message, Fitzgerald presents the originalRead MoreCorrupted American Dream in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1389 Words   |  6 Pagesit corrupted them as they set to reach the American dream by acquiring wealth for the only purpose to pursue pleasure. The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald showing that no one is unaffected by the corruption. This novel is seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway, who moves from the mid-west to west-egg to chase his American dream. He observes the people and events around him as he follows the attempts of his neighbor Jay Gatsby, to gain back Daisy Buchanan’s love. ThroughRead MoreCorrupting the American Dream in The Great Gatsby† by F. Scott Fitzgerald869 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby† by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author establishes materialism and wealth as a corruption to the American dream. The American dream embodies the idea of self-sufficient, honest and intelligent individual with a happy successful life. It is also the idea of the pursuit of happiness but Daisy Buchanan a wealthy aristocrat goes after the empty pursuit of pleasure, portraying her character as a disillusionment of the American dream and how much it lost its good values. The

Accounting Systems in an Effective Manner †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Accounting Systems In An Effective Manner? Answer: Introduction The concept of the accounting software is based on the working over the payroll system, with the inventory analysis and handling the different modules which are important for the proper evaluation of the financial system. There are small business systems which can easily cut the administration with the setting of the new functionality which is based on handling the system software as well as the security of the data. The solutions are related to work on the secured data feedback where the company uses the NetBank and Xero to handle the reconciliation of the transactions with the saving of the time and money. (Batiz, 2017). Different customers need to work on the applications of the data feed where the forms are set with the business customers that request the data through the NetBank. Here, the implementation is set with the business struggle where the stay of the finances is based on delivery of the simple functionality with making the lives of the people easy and comfortable. Organization Structure of Commonwealth Bank The company has been able to set the multinational bank with the business that is across in the different countries. It is seen that there are the different variety of the financial services which are for the retailing and for handling the management of funds through the superannuation, insurance and the investment. There are different policies where the insurance needs to be done mainly through exercising the different constitutes that mainly respond to the expansion of the immigration program. (Boateng, 2016). Operations issues which are related to AIS The issues are related to the accounting error where the CBA has been working on the ERP which is based on the accounting software. There have been issues related to the loss of the data of the customer and the ATM not working in an efficient manner. ERP System The company makes the use of Xero which is considered to be the best software for handling the improvement and the processing of the system with the secured success and connection. The research is based on how the transactions are done and how is it possible to connect to the bank account with the accounting software. (Alzab et al., 2017). CBA is working on delivering the faster bank feeds with the focus on the improvement of the tight and secured connection. The company can use the cloud-based applications with easy management of the plans to work on the cloud-based technology in the coming time. The ERP system also helps in easily handling the data transactions with the savings in the accounts, loan accounts, and the other term deposits. There is a possibility to also work on handling the different forms of the transactions with the amount that is spent mainly for the updating and the reconciliation of the data accounts. The software also can work on the information standards along with handling the control of the cash flow with enabling the business to be set in a proper manner, with better decisions that are made for it. (Fanning et al., 2016). The AIS systems work on the standards to work on the records and the processing of the data where the modules are set for the payroll management and the inventory standards which are setup for the creation of the in-house system. Flowchart The sales procedure is based on reviewing the requests that have been made for a quote. For this, it is important to focus on the needs as well as the preparation of the quote for an order that will help in determining the requirement for the company. The workflow is divided into the vendors, receiving agents and the superintendent, buyer agent and the owner. This procedure has been set with Xero software which includes the processing and the benefits depending upon the services of the bank. (Majekodunmi et al., 2016). Possible problems As per the analysis, it has been seen that there are different companies which are facing the issues related to the software of the Xero system, where there is a possibility of bringing the false data to the company or linking of the bank accounts to their account. The most trusted employees do not tend to delete the data of the previous employees and connect their bank account to their ID so that all the money is floating to their account. Along with this, some users tend to use the network connection for working on the system. The software never gives the full access to the user or the rights, and so the user uses the system at a very lower pattern in nature. Hence, for this, there are connections which are set to the failure which takes a longer time to recovery as well. (Bak, 2017). The best solution to all the problems is to work on the different changes where the user can easily work on the file with the destinations to handle the system on the local driver. There are forms where the user could easily maintain the privacy of the system which is only possible through the update of the data and deleting all the other irrelevant files. AIS packages The Accounting software has been set in 1959 where the people of IBM helped in setting up the system. Here, the focus has been mainly on the generation of the reports and working towards the development of the relational databases. This comes from the computers where the companies have also started to work on the investment with the development which is effective for the monetary development in the company. (Fanning et al., 2016). The functionality and the system flexibility is based on the financial processes and the functioning that could easily be handled through the decision processes. The Peachtree introduced the working with the expansions based on the integrated office suites. The structure is based on the working with the spreadsheets as well as the other processor where there is a need to focus on quickening the process of the product in 1983. Here, the forms are set for the accounting applications with certain friendly applications. (De Jong et al., 2016). The MYOB is consi dered to be acquiring the company with the focus on handling the Australian accounting software in a proper manner. As per the research, it has been seen that Xero has been the NewZealand Accounting company which mainly focus on conducting the business with the small and the larger number of the organizations. Here, the standards are based on working for the adoption of the accounting software with the standards to reduce the paperwork. Market Size It has been seen that the market of the AIS is increasing with time. There are people with 1622 in number where there is management through the investors, creditors and the tax authorities. The functional activities are based on the auditing with the management accounting that includes the auditing as well as the financial reporting of the modules. The ERP of the system is based on providing with the lower cost software packages that work mainly on choosing the ERP system with the setting of the enterprise resource planning. (Bergin, 2016). The communication is based on handling the integrated modules with the suites of the applications to work on the larger organizations with lower costs. The infrastructure is based on the data that is collected from the different events and stored the information into the database of the system. The accounting information is based on the forms where the clerk tends to enter the details of the invoice and then that is provided to the vendor. It is s een that there is characterization with the handling of the costs as well as the other standards of the several ledgers. The purchase ledgers with the setup of the trial balance are to handle the paperwork with the bookkeepers that tend to take hold of the inputs with the accounts that are generated automatically. (Buckley et al., 2016). Th effectiveness based on the different factors which work on the small and the medium-sized accuracy of the business. There are forms which are seen to take hold of the cloud computing. Leaders in Accounting Software Xero is considered to be the marketing leaders where the companies try to market the accounting software with the cloud computing standards in the market. It has been seen that there is a major focus on handling the standards with the forms where the accounts and the departments are not autonomous, but they can process the units, with maintaining the standards of the accounting books as well. (Brgin, 2016). A proper check is important to take hold of the units with the reconciliation of the annual accounts that will help in handling the errors and the inconsistency. The company like the Commonwealth Bank use the Xero for the implementation of the accounting software as it is considered to be reliable and easily able to work on the standards with-in time ignoring the errors or the inconsistency in the system. Limitations A proper check has been on the issues related to the inconsistency and the system security. For this, there is a need to integrate the applications as the users are not able to handle the third party vendors, and the customers have to work on the faster time to market. The limitations are also related to the fraud systems which needs a certain setup with individual recommendations. Recommendation The company should focus on mainly using the system structure with the cloud computing. There is a need to check on the encryption with the flexibility that will allow to solve the challenges and work on the desktop associated software. (Phang et al., 2016). The strategies are based on working over the threats facing the computing with the authentication measures and the information-centric security that is mainly to predicate the cryptography measures. Here, the forms ae set to evaluate the efficiency of the system with the future cloud accounting software that will lead to the competitive advantage, efficiency and the information security. The use of the firewall security with the Identify Management is based on working towards the standards which are versatile and based on taking hold of the system structures. For this, the focus is also on the decision making processes with the reports mainly to deal with the consolidation and the working of the system. (Bergin, 2016). There are amounts to evaluate the system efficiency with the patterns that relate to the layer which provides the report of the governance and the risk management. Conclusion There has been the detailed analysis of the requirements for the documentation to handle the reports and work on the system patterns where the analysis is about Xero and MYOB can handle the market with the ERP systems. (Seltzer, 2017). The users can evaluate the measures with the information of the system which is designed to handle the input control files as well as the sample master records to check on the processing of the transactions in the system. Reference Alazab, M. and Broadhurst, R., 2017. An Analysis of the Nature of Spam as Cybercrime. InCyber-Physical Security(pp. 251-266). Springer International Publishing. BANK, O., 2017. FAST FACTS. Btiz-Lazo, B., 2017. Between Novelty and Fashion: Risk Management and the Adoption of Computers in Retail Banking. InDecision Taking, Confidence and Risk Management in Banks from Early Modernity to the 20th Century(pp. 189-207). Springer International Publishing. Bergin, J., 2016. Management matters: Financial literacy: A key skill to manage a pharmacy's financial health.AJP: The Australian Journal of Pharmacy,97(1156), p.74. Boateng, A.A., 2016.The effect of computerization on recordkeeping at Offinso Rural Bank(Doctoral dissertation). Buckley, R.P. and Stanley, R., 2016. Protecting the West, Excluding the Rest: The Impact of the AML/CTF Regime on Financial Inclusion in the Pacific, and Potential Responses. De Jong, P., Loudon, G. and Choo, W., 2016. Monitoring Risk in the Financial System Using Time Series Methods. Fanning, K. and Centers, D.P., 2016. Blockchain and its coming impact on financial services.Journal of Corporate Accounting Finance,27(5), pp.53-57. Majekodunmi, D. and Harris, L., 2016, September. Consumers Attitudes Towards Social Media Banking. InConference on e-Business, e-Services and e-Society(pp. 717-727). Springer International Publishing. Phang, S. and Pavlovski, C., 2016. Hazards of Biometric Authentication in Practice.INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN INDUSTRY,4(1), pp.34-40. Seltzer, A.J., 2017. Implicit contracts and acquisitions: An econometric case study of the 19th century Australian banking industry.German Journal of Human Resource Management, p.2397002216682463.

Balanced Scorecard Facilities Management free essay sample

International Shared Services and Outsourcing Advisory Using a balanced scorecard to help measure facilities management performance by Steve Silen, Director, KPMG Advisory Services For nearly 20 years, leading organizations have been using balanced scorecards to strategically measure the financial and non-financial performance of different operational functions within their firms. More recently, they have begun leveraging them to measure the performance of their third-party service providers. In the facilities management (FM) function, use of a balanced scorecard enables companies to evaluate the performance of their external providers against multiple criteria (see Figure 1), help set alignment and focus, identify improvement opportunities, enhance performance reporting, and conduct constructive discussions with their FM providers. Sample balanced scorecard (1 – best, 5 – worst) Evaluation Criteria Cost Customer Satisfaction Service Delivery EHS Performance Compliance Innovation/Continuous Improvement Weight 35 20 20 10 10 5 100 Evaluation Comments Costs were slightly under budget Score based on customer satisfaction survey All SLA requirements were met There were a couple of safety incidents in the cafeteria No fines or violations No initiatives were implemented Weighted Score Score 2 2 1 4 3 5 2. 25 In a sense, the balance scorecard process for FM service providers should be similar to the way in which individual performance is handled – expectations are set, measures to evaluate performance are established, performance is monitored and discussed throughout the year, corrective measures are implemented, and performance is formally documented. â€Å"Just as organizations want their employees to achieve the highest level of performance, they should want the same from their FM service providers. Although there is no set format for balanced scorecards, and they vary from company to company, Figure 1 demonstrates elements many organizations include in those for their FM service providers: †¢ Evaluation criteria – areas measured (e. g. , cost, customer satisfaction, service delivery, safety performance) †¢ Weight placed on each criterion (i. e. , different % for each criterion, totaling 100%) †¢ Evaluation comments – favorable as well as areas for improvement †¢ Evaluation score (e. g. , 1-5 scale) for each criterion and a total weighted score. Note: Evaluation criteria and weights are for illustrative purposes only Shared Services and Outsourcing Advisory / August 2012  © 2012 KPMG International Cooperative (â€Å"KPMG International†). KPMG International provides no client services and is a Swiss entity with which the independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated. NDPPS 104414. SSOA 6245. When to use a balanced scorecard A balanced scorecard should be prepared for each FM service provider only when it makes good business sense to do so, e. g. , when the amount of FM spend is significant, services are frequently performed, or when the provider works on-site full-time. The balanced scorecard approach works extremely well for companies that operate under an integrated facilities management (IFM) – wherein some FM services are selfperformed by one service provider while others are handled by firms with which it has partnered, all in an integrated manner model – because of the multiple service lines and the breadth of the provider’s responsibilities. But it is also very valuable for firms that do not operate under an IFM model. To view year-on-year balanced scorecard trends and determine if performance is improving or not, organizations often use graphics (see Figure 2). Sample score graph Specific evaluation criteria Cost While all firms track actual costs, they should also evaluate cost performance at a more detailed level with weights and scoring definitions assigned to each sub-category to ensure cost-effective service delivery. Figure 3 on the next page is an example of a balanced scorecard for cost. Many organizations find it useful to assess costs not only in aggregate, as in the above example, but also by type of expense. This enables them to zoom in on specific expenses such as maintenance or energy/utilities, and have meaningful discussions with their providers about whether their expectations are being met. Customer satisfaction Measuring the satisfaction level of those receiving FM services is another critical part of the process. Organizations should use a variety of methods to obtain input directly from their internal customers, including periodic email surveys (e. g. , annual/ semi-annual/upon completion of a service), online or paper suggestion boxes, administrative assistant feedback sessions and # of complaints received. A detailed scorecard, similar to the one in the cost category, should be established to measure customer satisfaction. All of these are excellent ways to â€Å"hear the voice of the customer† and identify areas for improvement. Yet care should be taken to develop and administer surveys that capture relevant information without being a burden to complete, and that feedback sessions do not keep participants away from their jobs for too long. Service delivery Proper operational performance is ensured only when providers meet or surpass firms’ service delivery expectations. Thus, organizations should implement a detailed scorecard to assess service delivery performance for each service line. For example, in the maintenance category, the detailed scorecard may look like the example in Figure 4 on the next page and Figure 5 shows an example of a detailed scorecard for food services. Similar to the scorecard examples, organizations should establish detailed scorecards for their other outsourced service lines, such as janitorial services, call center and mailroom. Figure 2 Evaluation criteria – the basics The evaluation criteria on the balanced scorecard should be tailored for each category (e. g. , cost, customer satisfaction, service delivery, etc. ) as well each major service line (e. g., janitorial services, food services, maintenance, etc. ) and the weight should vary to reflect the importance of each criterion to the organization. Firms typically establish scoring definitions and the means by which the scores will be calculated to minimize subjectivity and provide clarity on how performance will be measured. While some organizations use highly detailed scorecard s to thoroughly evaluate each criterion, the â€Å"right† level of detail for any given firm is dependent on multiple variables including that there is a credible and easy process by which to obtain the necessary information.

Scarlet Letter Influences Essays - Film, Cinema Of The United States

Scarlet Letter Influences Nathaniel Hawthorne's background influenced him to write the bold novel The Scarlet Letter. One important influence on the story is money. Hawthorne had never made much money as an author and the birth of his first daughter added to the financial burden ("Biographical Note" VII). He received a job at the Salem Custom House only to lose it three years later and be forced to write again to support his family (IX). Consequently, The Scarlet Letter was published a year later (IX). It was only intended to be a long short story, but the extra money a novel would bring in was needed ("Introduction" XVI). Hawthorne then wrote an introduction section titled "The Custom House" to extend the length of the book and The Scarlet Letter became a full novel (XVI). In addition to financial worries, another influence on the story is Hawthorne's rejection of his ancestors. His forefathers were strict Puritans, and John Hathorne, his great-great-grandfather, was a judge presiding during the S! alem witch trials ("Biographical Note" VII). Hawthorne did not condone their acts and actually spent a great deal of his life renouncing the Puritans in general (VII). Similarly, The Scarlet Letter was a literal "soapbox" for Hawthorne to convey to the world that the majority of Puritans were strict and unfeeling. For example, before Hester emerges from the prison she is being scorned by a group of women who feel that she deserves a larger punishment than she actually receives. Instead of only being made to stand on the scaffold and wear the scarlet letter on her chest, they suggest that she have it branded on her forehead or even be put to death (Hawthorne 51). Perhaps the most important influence on the story is the author's interest in the "dark side" ("Introduction" VIII). Unlike the transcendentalists of the era, Hawthorne "confronted reality, rather than evading it" (VII). Likewise, The Scarlet Letter deals with adultery, a subject that caused much scandal when it w! as first published (XV). The book revolves around sin and punishment, a far outcry from writers of the time, such as Emerson and Thoreau, who dwelt on optimistic themes (VII). This background, together with a believable plot, convincing characterization, and important literary devices enables Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter to the develop the theme of the heart as a prison. The scaffold scenes are the most substantial situations in the story because they unify The Scarlet Letter in two influential ways. First of all, every scaffold scene reunites the main characters of the novel. In the first scene, everyone in the town is gathered in the market place because Hester is being questioned about the identity of the father of her child ( Hawthorne 52). In her arms is the product of her sin, Pearl, a three month old baby who is experiencing life outside the prison for the first time (53). Dimmesdale is standing beside the scaffold because he is Hester's pastor and it is his job to convince her to repent and reveal the father's name (65). A short time later, Chillingworth unexpectedly shows up within the crowd of people who are watching Hester after he is released from his two year captivity by the Indians (61). In the second scene, Dimmesdale is standing on top of the scaffold alone in the middle of the night (152). He sees Hester and Pearl walk through the market place on their way back from Governor Winthrop's bedside (157). When Dimmesdale recognizes them and tells them to join him, they walk up the steps to stand by his side (158). Chillingworth appears later standing beside the scaffold, staring at Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl. In the final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale walks to the steps of the scaffold in front of the whole town after his Election day sermon (263). He tells Hester and Pearl to join him yet again on the scaffold (264). Chillingworth then runs through the crowd and tries to stop Dimmesdale from reaching the top of the scaffold, the one place where he can't reach him (265). Another way in which the scenes are united is how each illustrates the immediate, delayed, and prolonged effects that the sin of adultery has on the main characters. The first scene shows Hester being publicly punished on the scaffold (52). She is being forced to stand on it for three hours straight and listen to peop! le talk about her as a disgrace and a shame to the community (55). Dimmesdale's instantaneous response to the sin is to lie. He

transracial Adoption essays

transracial Adoption essays Many couples seeking to adopt a child become disillusioned and frustrated with the bureaucracy of American social service agencies. This is especially true when they are interested in transracial adoption. In our country, there is an unbelievable amount of black children living in foster care awaiting adoption. Project 21 is a national Advisory Committee of African-Americans who believe that transracial adoption is an acceptable solution to providing good, stable homes for black children living in foster care. In a March 1995 article from the Transracial Adoption website entitled Project 21 News African-American Leadership Group Condemns Racist Adoption Practices they claim white couples that are willing and capable of adopting black children are being denied because of decisions based on their race. White couples who have met the standards and eligibility requirements, requesting a transracial adoption must be supported, and adoption in this country must be made totally access ible. The Transracial Adoption article Project 21 News African-American Leadership Group Condemns Racist Adoption Practices addresses the issues and acceptance of transracial adoption in our country. First, they discuss the percentage of black children in foster care compared to the percentage of the black population (1). They then go on to tell of the racial problems associated with white couples attempting to adopt black children (1). Next, they counter the critics of transracial adoption citing the effects of leaving these children in foster care (2). Finally, Project 21 contends that children brought up in loving homes with caring families reap more benefits then disadvantages (2). One reason that white couples must have access to transracial adoption is the amount of black children trapped in foster care. These children are shuffled for years awaiting adoption because of racial issues in our society....

Ethical Theories & Stakeholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethical Theories & Stakeholders - Essay Example An organization exists in the society, for the society and cannot have an existence independent of the society. Moreover, the organization has responsibility towards all the stakeholders that are directly or indirectly affected by the conduct of the organization or the employees (Joyce, 2005). Problem statement Top management involvement is essential to build a strong ethical culture within an organization (Clement, 2006). The issues before Veronica are to ascertain if the company policy permits action against such issues. Besides, as a director, she has responsibility towards the stakeholders. She is also morally bound by duty to act in the interest of the maximum number of people. If the demands of the shareholders, stakeholders, consumers and the investors are not met, it can adversely affect the brand image, customer retention, and overall business (Robinson, 2002). Ethical theories & Stakeholders The stakeholders The stakeholder theory holds that managers are obliged to serve al l those who have a â€Å"stake† in the firm (Marcoux, 2000). Initially the stakeholders included the Big Five – the employees, the owner or the shareholders, the customers, suppliers and the community in which the firm operated. The other twin stakeholders include the government (who has the responsibility to ensure that the firm complies with all regulations) and the competitors (who keep the company conscious of the developments and help avoid unethical business practices. The purpose of the firm itself is to serve and coordinate the interests of all the stakeholders (Joyce, 2005). Great Builds is a multinational engineering company and has to ensure that the interest of all the stakeholders is taken care of. Employees are the greatest stakeholders as they constitute the firm and contribute to the firm. Employees have the fundamental right to liberty and safety within the workplace (Greenwood & Cleri, 2005). Customers are only interested in reliable supply of goods a nd services but more recently they have become conscious of dealing with ethical firms. The suppliers demand timely payments and long-term relationships and the community expects safety and security. In the case of Great Builds the most affected by unethical practices would be the employees, the customers and the shareholders. The competitors could be positively affected if the performance of Great Builds suffers as a result of the CEO’s behaviour. Categorical Imperative According to Immanuel Kant duties cannot be associated with self-interest or rewards and payoffs (Carrigan, Maronova & Szmigin, 2006). Moral requirements are based on a standard of rationality known as â€Å"Categorical Imperative†. However, chances are these standards are desire-based on instrumental principles of rationality (Stanford, 2004). The moral philosophy goes beyond that of a human slave to passions. Kant emphasizes that there is a self-governing reason in each individual which guides the pe rson in a rationale decision-making process. There has to be motivation by duty or motivation by respect for law that governs actions. Thus, Kant states that the fundamental principle of our moral duties is a categorical imperative. The word imperative urges us to act in a particular way. The Categorical Imperative is derived from two maxims – objectivity and respect for all persons (Kitcher, 2004). The maxim of objectivity states that the act is right if

The need of IFRS and the Problem of adopting it for UK Small and Dissertation

The need of IFRS and the Problem of adopting it for UK Small and Medium Enterprises - Dissertation Example It is tough to bring such a radical change in operational as well as financial aspects for these SME. These radical changes are not without their associated dangers and risks. This research paper tries to elucidate the benefits and the problems of adopting IFRS for SME and provides suggestion of adopting a middle path between benefit and associated risk. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION 6 1.1 Background 6 1.2 Research Objective 7 1.3 Research Problem 7 1.5 Research Questions 8 CHAPTER II – LITERATURE REVIEW 9 2.1 Introduction 9 2.2 Theoretical Framework 9 2.2.1 Brief overview of the GAAP for SME 10 2.2.2 Brief overview of IFRS for SME 13 2.2.3 A brief overview of the differences between IFRS and UK GAAP 16 2.2.4 A brief overview of the small and medium scale enterprises in UK 19 CHAPTER III – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 24 3.1 Sources of Data 24 3.2 Research Design 24 3.3. Construct Validity 25 3.4 Internal Validity 25 3.5 External Validity 25 3.6 Reliability 26 3.7 Administration of Procedure 26 3.8 Research Ethics 26 CHAPTER IV –FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS 27 4.1 The need to change to IFRS from erstwhile accounting standards for UK SMES 27 4.1.1 Reduced cost 27 4.1.2 Less complexity 28 4.1.3 Greater transparency achieved through IFRS 29 4.1.4 Increase in the cross border trading 30 4.1.5 Increased cross border mergers and acquisitions 31 4.1.6 Easier access to capital 32 4.2 The problems associated with adoption of IFRS for UK SME 33 4.2.1 Recording same transacations in different formats 34 4.2.2 Global acconting system and IFRS does not rhyme 35 CHAPTER V – CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 35 5.1 Conclusion 35 5.2 Recommendations 36 5.3 Limitations of the Study 36 CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background In the past few decades both developed and developing countries witnessed an exponential rise in the number of small and medium scale industries. The rise of SMEs is buoyed by the support provided by the entrepreneurs and the banks as well as the financial institutions of these counties. The rise in the number of SME is 5% for all the countries. The small and medium scale enterprises contribute 14% to the GDP in countries like Oman (Arundel and Geuna, 2004). Developed countries and under-developed countries have the power to generate even more contribution of the SMEs towards the country GDP. In the wake of the financial crisis that gripped the whole of Europe starting from Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and Switzerland, a huge chunk of the SME in these countries got wiped out. These small and medium scale enterprises operated independently and there are few governing bodies to monitor the activities of the SMEs (Bates, 2004). The government spent a huge chunk of the sovereign money in constructing the framework to support the activities of the SMEs. On the other hand, the government did very little to install any regulatory framework to keep an eye on the financial as well a s operational activities of these enterprises. Although most of the enterprises follow the GAAP principles and procedures but it is felt that current procedures and principle are falling short to contain the incidents of â€Å"window dressing† of the accounting statements. 1.2 Research Objective The research objectives are set to guide the research aims for the research

Synthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Synthesis - Essay Example reporter with the Associated Press, David Crary, brings to focus the conflict of interest that is linked with advertising particularly in relation to healthy living in his article: Group Wants Shrek off Anti-Obesity Campaign. All these articles focus on the different effects of advertising on the population, especially the advertising that does not focus on its effects on the population. The degree of increase in wealth as well as impact on culture that the international companies have attained in the past two decades can be linked to one innocent notion that was established by the management theorists which maintained that for businesses to succeed, they are to create brands but not products (Klein, 1999). Before this time, the main focus of the manufacturers was to produce goods and at one point, it was argued that the reason why the economy of America had not made a recovery from the depression was because the nation no linger knew the importance of making things. This has led to an environment that is full of advertisements which are meant to market all kinds of products by different manufacturers with the aim of increasing their market bases and making as many people as possible know about their existence. Various companies use different forms of advertising including mounting televisions in schools which has been done by Channel one with conditions that all th e teachers should air and the students have to watch the satellite broadcast programs that are aired every day (Baker, 2011). These broadcasts are filled with commercials that have been sanctioned by the schools and the company that is lending the television sets to the schools claims to have an audience that is more than fifty times that of MTV. It rakes in profits from selling two minutes out of every twelve programming minutes to commercials as well as in call contests. Some of these commercials include those that involve Shrek as the spokesman for an anti-obesity campaign. The advertisements that

The Data Communication Networking Computer Science Essay

The Data Communication Networking Computer Science Essay Data Communication can mean many things to different people, but when industry with computers and their communication with them. So, people are usually discussing equipment that wan designed to provide or provide or gather information needs to communicate. Data Communication provides the tools, product and equipment to make it. The distance over which data moves within a computer may vary from a few thousandths of an inch. The amount of Data Communications builds from this point on, because there are many factors such as distance, topology, protocol, signaling, and security. Data Communications will continue to develop and change considerably for the probable future.  In the companies unlike manufacturers are not biased toward solution and the applications. Question 1 A group of business employees would like to set up a small networking office. Explain the meaning of topology. Discuss and draw the different types of network topology that are available. Answer of Question 1 Nowadays, networkings are very popular. So, a network consists of multiple computers connected with some type of interface, each have one or more interface devices such as a Network Interface Card (NIC). Each computer is support by network software that provides the server or client functionality. Network can be of any of the following three types such as Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN). Hence, the local area networks (LANs) interconnect data processing devices that serve communities of users. In the first industrial in the context of the minicomputer world, than the LAN come into its to a personal computers (PCs) develop into the norm in the most networking environments. Seen the LAN networks were as the solution to the research problem. Then the computer could be fixed with a new I/O device and directly linked to one another. In the beginning, LAN is organizing to support shared printer access and to assist the movement of files between systems. The system would be taken long to harness the platform to support other application, such as email. The components of LAN are requiring the incorporation of many different components that determine how the devices are connected. Second is what the format of the data will be transm itted in. Third is how to ensure that multiple stations can transmit at the same time. By the way, this is the major elements of the LAN and some options commonly available to network designers. Metropolitan Area Network is the connection of devices that covers a geographical area of region that is larger than Local Area Network (LAN) but smaller than Wide Area Network. It implies the interconnection of network in the city into a larger network. Then the Wide Area Network (WAN) is the interconnection if devices across a geographical are. The connection spans from country to country. What is a topology? In a LAN, the organization can be described by the physical topology and the logical topology. The physical topology of network refers to the arrangement of cable, computers and other peripherals. Therefore, physical topology should not exist confused with logical topology which is the method how data actually transfers in a network as different to its design. So, the logical topology of a LAN is attaching devices and the flow of signals between attaches devices. Topology can be measured as a virtual shape or arrangement of a network. However, the shape actually does not match to the actual physical design of the devices on the computer network. The different topologies available to LAN, while discuss in the following. There are five types of topology network including star, bus, ring, tree, and mesh. Bus Topology Figure 1: Bus topology (Florida Center for Instructional Technology College of Education) (University of South Florida, 2009) Bus topology is the simplest ways a network can be organize. In bus topology, all computers are connecting to the same transmission line by using a cable. It is coaxial. Bus topology is easy to handle and put into action and is best suit for small networks. So, the advantages of bus topology are easy to use and understand. Second is requires least quantity of cable to connect the computers together. Therefore, it is less expensive than extra cabling arrangements. Ring Topology Figure 2: Ring Topology (  Network topology, kioskeas Creative Commons License Deed V2.0, 2007 ) (http://en.kioskea.net/contents/initiation/topologi.php3) In this type of ring topology, each computer is connect to the next computer with the last one connect to first. Consequently, each retransmits what it receives from the previous computer. Then the message flows around the ring in one direction. Ring topology does not subject to signal loss problem as a bus network experiences. By the way, there is no execution because there is no end to the ring. Ring topology advantages are each node has equal access and capable of high speed data transfer. Mesh Topology Figure 3: Mesh topology Mesh topology is a unique network design in each computer on the network connects to other. It is creating a point-to-point connection between each device on the network. The function of mesh design is to provide a high level of redundancy. If one network cable fails, the data always have an alternative path to get its destination. The advantages of mesh topology are provides redundant paths between devices and the network can expand without interruption to current users. Star Topology Figure 1: Star topology (Florida Center for Instructional Technology College of Education) (University of South Florida, 2009) A star topology is design with each file server, workstation, and peripherals. All of them are connect to a central network hub, switch, or concentrator. So, data on a star network passes through hub, switch or concentrator before ongoing to its destination. The common arrangement is use twisted pair cable. It also is use coaxial cable or fiber optic cable. The advantages of star topology including easy to add a new computer system to the network, crash of one workstation does not affect the entire network, uses a single access protocols and very fast Tree Topology Figure 5: Tree Topology (Florida Center for Instructional Technology College of Education) (University of South Florida, 2009) At the last tree topology is also known as a hierarchical topology and a central root node that is connecting to one or more nodes of a lower hierarchy. In each node the network has a exact fix number of nodes connect to a lower level. A tree topology combines individuality of linear bus and star topology. Hence, it consists of groups of star-configure workstations connect to a linear bus backbone cable in figure 5. Tree topology allow for the increase of an existing network, and enables schools to configure a network to meet their needs. Finally of advantages of a tree topology is point-to-point cabling for individual segments and support by numerous hardware and software venders. A group of business employees would like to set up a small networking office. Before set up the topology, office must consider when selecting a topology such as cost, flexibility and reliability. Cost of selecting that is selected for a Local Area Network has be install and perhaps a lengthy process including the installation cables and raceways. Another way for a network to be cost effective one would attempt to minimize installation cast. This may be achieved by using the suitable hardware linking cables, good modems, cost effective computers to reduce cost. Second is flexibility is one of the main advantage of a Local Area Network. It is ability to have the data processing and peripheral nodes distributes around a given area. Next be consistency is select for the network can help through allowing the location of the responsibility to be detect and to present come means of isolating the responsibility. The best of topology for small networking office is bus topology. It is the easy method of networking computers. So, this consists of a single cable as a trunk, backbone or segment that connects all the computers in the network. However, each system is directly attached to be common communication channel. Then signal is transmitter over the channel makes up the messages. While each message is passes along the guide each system receives it. After receiving the message each system scan the destination address contain in the message. On a bus topology signals are sending to all the computers in the network to keep the signal from active back and forth along the cable a terminator is place at the end of the cable. A bus topology only can one computer send data at a time, therefore the more computers in the bus slower data transmission in the network. Usually, bus topology is easy for small office use (example in figure 1). Question 2 The purpose of data link control is to provide functions like flow control, error detection and error control. Explain each function in detail. Answer of Question 2 The data communications have much more needed to control and manage to substitute. So, the list some of the requirements and objectives for effective of data communication between two directly connected transmitting receiving station such as frame synchronization, flow control, error control, addressing, error detection and recovery, control and data on same link and link management. So, line access controls determine which station can pass on next. This is easy for two stations on a full-duplex link. When more than two stations are in use on a full-duplex link such as multipoint or any number of stations is in use on a half-duplex line. However, transmission needs to be not acceptable suspiciously. The service of frame synchronization is the data link layer is responsible for providing synchronization at the frame level. This is determines the beginning and end of each frame. Therefore, the physical layer is usually responsible for maintaining bit synchronization. Flow control is so metimes of the receiving station must be able to cut off the transmitter, so the receiver may be too busy to accept of new frame. By the way, at the data link layer, flow control enables the receiver to tell the transmitter it is not ready, and to later identify its motivation to accept more frames. Another is error control is bits errors introduce by the transmission system should be correct. In the addressing on two station connections, addresses can be use to separate commands from responses. Then, addresses are necessary on multipoint links with more than two stations to denote the future receiver and sometimes to classify the sender as well. Error detection and recovery is using a grouping of order numbers and an error detecting or correcting code, so the Data Link layer protocol ensure that frame with error are accepted and not deliver to higher layers. Then, the recovery is by means of retransmission for error-detecting codes. Timers are use to ensure with the purpose of all transmit frames are receive. Maintain of control and data on same link. It is usually not attractive to have a physically divide communications pathway for control information. As a result, the receiver must be able to distinguish control information from the data being transmitted. The link management of initiation, maintenance, and termination of a sustained data exchange requires a fair amount of coordination and assistance among station. It actions for the management of this exchange are involve. This requirement is content by the physical interfacing techniques. A data link protocol that satisfies these requirements is a rather complex of issue. Begin to looking at three key of mechanisms that are part of data link control such as flow control, error detection, and error control. 2.1 Flow Control First part of data control link is flow control. Flow control is mechanisms are necessary in order to stop the transmitter form overwhelming a receiving entity with data. So, this can be achieved by letting the receiver control all data flow from the sender. Accordingly, the popular of flow control mechanisms allow the receiver to dens credit to the sender in terms of how much data can be transmitted. That function credit exist at the receiver call the window size. Flow control might be needed due to many reasons. At first is link the capacity. However, if the link is share to many transmitter-receiver pairs, the total amount of data on the link may exceed its capacity at some time. By the way, in second reason can be unavailability of sufficient memory resources at the receiver station. The link is possible is not busy and enough memory available to process or store the usual the data and still can congestion. So, congestion means a condition in which packets queue to be process inc rease a line above a certain threshold. The queue can simply be because of the receiving station having to forward in each packet on a slower link. At the same time, flow control also can be necessary and implement at all layers. When implement on DLC layers, the results in rule of data flow across a single link. Thus, of implementation scheme is when the widow size is in one packet. Finally, flow controls have two examples to processes. There are stop-and-wait (SnW) flow control and sliding window flow control. 2.1.1 Stop-and-Wait (SnW) Flow Control In this system, stop-and-wait is an entity transmits a packet. After, the destination entity receives the packet, and then it indicates its motivation to accept another packet by sending back an acknowledgement to the packet just receive. So, this small packet is call as Acknowledgement Packet (ACK). At figure 6 illustrates a timing diagram. Figure 6: Stop-and-Wait Flow Control (Data Communication Principles for Fixed and Wireless Networks, 2002) The transmission time is due to a limited capacity of a link. So, propagation time is due to a limited velocity of signal propagation. Then, the processing time is due to limited processing capacity of the receiving station. It depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to, processor type, queue size and protocol type use after receiving a data packet. 2.1.2 Sliding-window (SW) Flow Control Figure 7: Sliding-window (SW) Flow Control  ¼Ã‹â€ Data Communication Principles for Fixed and Wireless Networks. ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Sliding window is generality of Stop and Wait to more than one packet. This for system to receiving allows the sender to send up a sure maximum number of packets without getting further of ACK. Therefore allow to be transmitter without receiving an ACK is to be maximum window size. Usually each ACK allows to expanding the number of packets to the maximum window size. In the example, the receiver specifies a maximum window size of 4. The packets can be sequence number from 0 through 7 a maximum of four packets are allows to be transmit without getting further credit. Thus, suppose that packets numbers 0,1,2 and 3 have been transmit and then the receiver has not accept them. After the processing of receive packets is success then the receiver an ACK for the entire four packets. Finally, on receiving the ACK packet, the transmitter is acceptable to send packet numbers 4,5,6 and 7. 2.2 Error Detection Error detection is about communication impairments and the effect of data rate and signal to noise ratio on bit error rate. This system will be error, resulting in the change of one or more bits in transmitted packet. At example, there have two copies of data. The receiver compares copies equal then no error. So, the probability of same bits corrupted low. The parity is value bit. That character has even or odd number ones. The even number bit error goes understand. 2.2.1 Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) CRC is an extension of the parity block concept. It is nothing degree polynomial. The value of each bit is a coefficient. It is given a k bit block of bits, or message, the transmitter generates an n bit sequence. So, the resulting packet consisting transmit k+n bits which is exactly divisible by some number. The receivers then divide the incoming packet by that number and if no remainder, assume was no error. 2.3 Error Control Error controls are transmission impairments random and affect bits at random locations. So, describe a link with respect to its impairment effect is by probability of error. That call variously link error probability, bit error probability, bit error rate, or frame error rate. In addition, there have two type of errors are lost frame and damaged frame. Lost frame is a frame fails to arrive at the other side and damaged frame is a recognizable frame does arrive, but some of the bits are in error. In the most common technique for error control are bases on some or the entire following element. There are error detection, positive acknowledgment, retransmission after timeout, and negative acknowledgement and retransmission. 2.3.1 Stop and Wait ARQ This is sending station keeps a copy of every packet transmitted. Once transmission it waits for an ACK for each packet before sending the next packet. If an ACK received before the timeout, the stored copy of transmitted packet is discarded. So, an expiring the timer then the transmitter sends the copy of the packet again. If ACK damaged, transmitter will not recognize it. The transmitter will retransmit the same packet on timer expiry. There will start from sequence number; the receiver will know that this was duplicated packet. Example in figure 8. Figure 8: Stop and Wait ARQ 2.3.2 Go back N ARQ Go and back ARQ are the transmitter sends packets as allowed by current window size. If there are no errors in the packets, then the normal flow control operation continues as discussed above. In the way of error, the receiver discards the packet and does not increment its receiver window pointer. When it receives the packet with next sequence number, it may send a negative acknowledge (NAK). Usually, NAK implemented by sending the ACK packet asking for the discarded packet. If transmitter is already expecting an ACK for this packet, it will know that the packet in question was never received. Then go back by resetting its window passion at the discarded packet number and restart transmission of this packet. 2.3.3 Selective reject ARQ The only packets retransmitted are those that receive a negative acknowledge. It calls as SREJ, means time out. Protocols provide for a selective reject mechanism in which retransmission is sought for only the packet that was in error instead of a while black of packets. This can be accomplished by sending a NAK as soon as a packet is received in error. After the packet in error is successfully receive, all the packets can be marked as received and processes by the receiver. This performance measure of the ARQ schemes, then the selective reject tops. Finally, the performance of go back N ARQ is much better than stop and wait ARQ. Conclusion Finally I have to finish this assignment. What I have know about networking and Data link control. In first question is easy for me to do. Networkings have three types such as Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN). The main for question asking is local area networking. Local Area Networking for personal computers and back end network and storage area network. Then, spare out five type topology. There are bus, star, ring, mesh and tree. All of them have advantages and disadvantages. Because, it can give users to choose which want is better for their home or company. In question two, I have explained all of them like flow control, error detection and error control. Three type of them are discussing transmit or retransmit. In conclusion, I have learned about networking how to set up their system and the mechanism how to process the packets.

Fidel Castro Essay -- essays research papers

Biography of Fidel Castro Fidel Castro was born on August 14, 1927 in Mayari, Cuba. His parents were relatively wealthy and owned a sugarcane plantation. During his childhood, he attended private Catholic Schools and graduated to attend the University of Havana in 1945. His teachers immediately noticed Fidel's amazing memory, which he used to memorize entire books. At the university, he majored in law studies and became a member of several groups that opposed the Cuban regime, aiding exiles from the Dominican Republic in their political movement. The Cuban government dissolved the group in 1947 and Fidel joined in protests in Bogota that were intended to stop the Ninth International Conference of American States. He graduated with his degree in law in 1950 and had seen the power of political movements. He became a full member of the Ortodoxo Party and campaigned for a seat in the Cuban Congress. However, his plans were disrupted when Fulgencio Batista seized control of the Cuban government in order to prevent the rise of the Orthodoxos. Under Batista, thousands of political opponents were murdered and the people were held under massive oppression. He began plotting militant action against the Batista regime, becoming the leader of nearly 200 revolutionaries from all over Cuba. On July 26, 1953, he led them in a guerilla attack on the Moncada army barracks in Santiage de Cuba. The militia seized weapons and other supplies and their success caused the citizens there to rally...

Employee Portfolio Essay

The purpose of this word summary is to be in the place of three employees at Riordan Manufacturing. These three employees have recently taken various self-assessments to help the manager in managing the teams. The summary will discuss the ways in which these three employees’ characteristics affect the performance of the organization and make recommendations for additional assessment. The three employees who have taken these tests are Antisha McFadden, Marianne Felts, and Edna Scafe. Antisha McFadden has scored 76 in the test â€Å"How satisfied and I with my job?† Because her score was below the average she is a very satisfied person when it comes to her job, she is optimistic. However, she cannot accept critique and she should learn how to be able to accept critique. In the test Felts her score was 66, which says about her that she is a deliberate candidate. These are things that she does with no reason and she should start having a reason for everything she does. In t he Scafe test, Edna scores 92, which means that she poses a higher emotional intelligence. She should learn how o be less subjective when evaluating. Marianne Felts has taken the same tests, as Antisha and her results were different. In the first test she scored 76 which means that she is an average satisfied person when it comes to her job, while in the second test she scored 66 telling us that she has a higher emotional intelligence. The recommendation for Antisha is to increase the level of concentration when working so that everything is perfectly done. The third employee interviewed is Edna Scafe, who takes the same tests as the first two employees and her scores are different. In the first test, Edna scores only 92 meaning that she is not satisfied with her jobs, while in the second her score is 22 meaning that she has a more blended style of decision making. The third test shows a score of 28 meaning that she is a person with normal levels of emotional intelligence. The recommendations for Edna are to reduce the time when deciding and not to reduce the quality or effectiveness of the decision taken.

Teddy Bear essays

Teddy Bear essays Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United states Was the youngest President in the nations history. he took office at the age of 42. Roosevelt had been vice President for only six months when president William McKinley was assassinated. He vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy. He took The view that the president as a "steward of the people" should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the constitution. "I did not usurp power, " he wrote, "but i did greatly broaden the use of executive power." Roosevelt's youth differed sharply from that of the log cabin Presidents. he was born in New York city on October 27,1858 into a wealthy family, but he too struggledagainst ill health. When Theodore was about 12, his father told him that he would need a strong body to give his mind a chance to develop fully. The next year, while on a trip to Maine, Theodore was tormented by two mischievous boys. He felt ashamed because he was not strong enough to fight back. Roosevelt's father built a gymnasium in the family home, and Theodore exercised there regularly. He overcame his asthma and built up unusual physical strength. Roosevelt studied under tutors until he entered Harvard University in 1876 at the age of 18. He earned good grades in college. Roosevelt graduated from Harvard in 1880. In October 1879, Roosevelt met Alice Hathaway Lee. Roosevelt courted Alice during his senior year at Harvard. They married on his 22nd birthday. A double tragedy struck on Feb. 14, 1884. Alice Roosevelt died two days after the birth of a daughter. On the same day, Roosevelt's mother died if typhoid fever. Roosevelt spent much of the nex ...

Nothosaurus - Facts and Figures

Nothosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Nothosaurus (Greek for false lizard); pronounced NO-tho-SORE-us Habitat: Oceans worldwide Historical Period: Triassic (250-200 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 10 feet long and 150-200 pounds Diet: Fish and crustaceans Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, tapered body; narrow head with numerous teeth; semi-aquatic lifestyle About Nothosaurus With its webbed front and back feet, flexible knees and ankles, and long neck and tapered bodynot to mention its numerous teethNothosaurus was a formidable marine reptile that prospered across the nearly 50 million years of the Triassic period. Because it bears a superficial resemblance to modern seals, paleontologists speculate that Nothosaurus may have spent at least some of its time on land; its clear that this vertebrate breathed air, as evidenced by the two nostrils on the top end of its snout, and although it was undoubtedly a sleek swimmer, it wasnt as well adapted to a full-time aquatic lifestyle as later pliosaurs and plesiosaurs like Cryptoclidus and Elasmosaurus. (Nothosaurus is the best known of the family of marine reptiles known as nothosaurs; another well-attested genus is Lariosaurus.) Although its not widely known to the general public, Nothosaurus is one of the most important marine reptiles in the fossil record. There are over a dozen named species of this deep-sea predator, ranging from the type species (N. mirabilis, erected in 1834) to N. zhangi, erected in 2014, and it apparently had a worldwide distribution during the Triassic period, with fossil specimens discovered as far afield as western Europe, northern Africa and eastern Asia. There is also speculation that Nothosaurus, or a closely related genus of nothosaur, was the distant ancestor of the giant plesiosaurs Liopleurodon and Cryptoclidus, which were an order of magnitude bigger and more dangerous!

Marine Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marine Organisation - Essay Example Thus the situation today is not the same as the situation that was present a few earlier. The first step in the exercise is to determine what are marine operations and this can be given as the planning and execution of specific requirements for different purposes within marine areas for transferring of loads, towing of vessels, transports of special items through the seas, servicing of installations which are fixed with the sea and are referred to as off-shore installations, lifting of all types of material from within the sea and from the sea bed, operations which are carried out below the level of the seas and transit and positioning of mobile offshore units. (DNV Rules for Planning and Execution of Marine Operations) During the cases when the marine operations are important for the purpose of battle, one of the most important aspects are to ensure the supplies for the soldiers involved in the war, as was observed to be the case in Vietnam. (Humphries, 1999, p. 223) While the general feeling is that services of marines are restricted to operations on the sea, there are occasions when they are used on land. These also lead to unfortunate incidents as was the case in Haiti, which was occupied by a marine detachment, and on occasions they were even rushed by angry peasants armed with stones, machetes and clubs. (Schmidt, 1998, p.205) In the earlier years, there were different purposes for marine operations, and they were mainly conducted by the navies of the countries, whereas today, the efforts are to use marine forces which are a cross breed between the navy and the army. Their main function is anti-terrorism which involves taking action to reduce the vulnerability of individuals and property to attacks by terrorists. (Pushies, 2003, p. 34) The definition of marine operations is itself a little complex and certain matters have to be comprehended and fishing is a marine operation as it involves collection of fishes from within the sea. Carrying of goods in both tankers and large cargo vessels come within the limits of load transfer operations. All maritime places of work are also treated as a workplace under the laws of most countries, but all of them have different laws which are applicable in the case of accidents which take place during the process of work. (Occupational Health and Safety Programs) This makes it compulsory for the workers to be treated in the case of unfortunate events as per the laws of the country where the ship is registered as ships are considered to be a part of the country. This is the reason why most ships of different countries, meaning those with owners in other countries are still registered under some "flags of convenience" like Panama, Liberia, etc. The attempt is to avoid payment of high liabilities. At the same time, after the incident, the vessel will reach another port, and the country where it reaches is also permitted to ensure that workers on the ship receive "minimum human treatment". (Darling unveils Marine Environmental High Risk Areas) There are cases where ships have been auctioned off to pay the dues to the country and the workers on the ship. On the other side, when the ship reaches a port, the port is also a marine installation and this is covered

Heineken Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Heineken - Case Study Example Nonetheless, the consumption level of beer has been increasing along with its price (Colen & Swinnen, 2011). The diagram represented below exhibits the structure of the internationally expanded beer market as on 2005 along with highlighting the changes since 1961: Structure of the Global Beer Market Source: (Colen & Swinnen, 2011) From the above figure, the consumption level of beer in the global market can be observed and thus it can be stated that the profit ratio of beer industry is also rising with its demand and consumption in various global markets. It is worth mentioning in this regard that with the passing time, the degree of competition along with the threat of substitute products have increased considerably. In this context, wine can be regarded as a major substitute of beer in the global market (Colen & Swinnen, 2011). With reference to Porter’s Five Forces, the threat of substitute products in the global beer market can be regarded as other alcoholic drinks like wi ne and various other types of liquors. However, in recent phenomenon, the industry also needs to witness a strong influence from non-alcoholic substitute products such as soft drinks exhibiting a high degree of substitution threat. Threat of new entrance can also be identified as high within the current structure of the industry as the venture is considered to require only experience and expertise workers involving affordable costs for manufacturing beer. Bargaining power of buyers does not seem to have a major affect on the beer industry mostly owing to its size and diversity. From a similar point of view, the bargaining power of suppliers also has an insignificant impact over the current structure of beer industry due to the easy availability of raw materials. Nonetheless, competitive rivalry indicates the presence of multiple market players, dealing with the similar product. With the increasing threat of new entrants and substitution effects to beer products, it is quite likely t hat the competitive rivalry is expected to increase in the near future (Ekanayake, Getov, & Naridze, 2012). It is in this context that the degree of substitution effect can be regarded as the greater threat to the industry. Contradictorily, the bargaining power of buyers can be regarded to have a minimal effect over the industry operations. 2. What strategy does Heineken follow in the global beer market? Discuss this with respect to competitive strategy, corporate strategy, and international strategy. Concerning its competitive strategies, the company emphasized on adopting various innovative measures intended to change the traditional family-oriented marketing ideologies towards a more technology-oriented modern process. Considering the current industrial structure, it can be stated that a beer company needs to value its competitive strategies along with its corporate and international strategies so as to sustain in its competitive position for a longer period of time. With a simil ar concern, Heineken also adopted the corporate strategy to acquire relatively smaller market players, who were mostly identified as new entrants to the industry. Hence, the corporate strategies adopted by Heineken can be observed as highly influenced by the threat of new entrants in the international arena. Apart from acquisitions, the company also emphasized on encouraging cross-border deals in its international str

Compare and Contrast early Ford Model T and Late model Ford Crown Essay

Compare and Contrast early Ford Model T and Late model Ford Crown Victoria - Essay Example With a front-mounted, 2.9 L, 4 cylinder motor in a block producing 20 horsepower for a top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h), the Model T had many qualities which would today be considered vintage, and yet ironically also had features that would be considered state of the art amongst the vehicles in the modern day. One such feature is that it had no clutch pedal, and shifting was instead accomplished by means of floor pedals with no clutching required. The Early Ford Model T was particularly light at only about 1 200 pounds, and yet incredibly powerful with such an engine under the hood. "Simple, sturdy, and versatile, the little car would excite the public imagination." ("Forbes"). By removing the twelve bolts on the top of the car off, the entire hood pulls away, exposing all four cylinders, all four pistons and all eight valves. "The crank case is oil tight and in addition to enclosing the crank shaft, forms the lower half of the housing of the transmission, fly-wheel, magneto and flexible joint, all of which are enclosed and operated in an oil bath. This form of construction makes dripping of oil impossible as all working parts are enclosed." ("Ford"). The Model T had high and low control speeds and an emergency brake by hand levers at the left of the driver. Spark and throttle gave it all speeds from 3 to 40 miles per hour. Ford reduction gear system, two sets of brakes: a service band brake on the transmission, and internal expanding brakes in the rear hub drums, artillery wood wheels, pneumatic tires, seating for four adults, and for a price of $850, the Ford Model T was classed as - and in fact still is - "The Car of the Century". It quickly became "one of the biggest-selling automobiles of all time." ("Encarta"). There are many similarities and certainly many more differences in the comparison of The Ford Model T to an automobile such as the Late Model Ford Crown Victoria. This model, also known as the "Crown Vic", was first produced in 1955, and did not outlast the 1950s. The Crown Victoria is often referred to as the "Dodge Monaco" of the 1990s and beyond, and is a universally popular automobile. "Some 90% of police cars in the US and Canada are Crown Victorias, since Ford was the only automaker still making sedans for police after the Chevrolet Caprice was phased out after 1996." ("Wikipedia"). "The Crown Vic is heavy, almost SUV-like heavy. It depends on this bulk to run suspects off the road should the need arise." ("Modern"). The Crown Victorias are popular for their impressive safety ratings, easily accessible entry and exit, quiet interior, and optional power-adjustable pedals - over 80 000 Crown Vics are sold in a single year. This luxury sedan is powered by a 4.6-liter V8 that produces 224 horsepower. "The base Crown Victoria ($23 620) comes standard with air conditioning, ABS, power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, an eight-way power adjustable driver's seat, tilt steering wheel,

Latinos and other races Essay Example for Free

Latinos and other races Essay Researchers did a study on bicycle helmet use in a rural Georgia town. They observed children riding bicycles during specified days and times over a five month period, both before and after incentive programs like free helmet distribution and bike safety education. Another â€Å"incentive† was that kids’ bicycles would be impounded if they were found riding without a helmet. Researchers canvassed the towns on Friday afternoons and most of the day Saturday, as these were determined to be the most popular riding times. They observed the riders indirectly and noted the child’s age, gender, race, and helmet use. Data was collected for children who were between the ages of 5 and 13, which are the ages that the helmet law covered. The researchers found that these measures increased helmet use from 0% to about 45%. Sampling for this study was somewhat difficult. Because the researchers were using only observation, and they did not track any individual riders or interact with them in any way, they were unable to guarantee that the riders were actually of the targeted age. This is especially true of older kids, between the ages of 10 and 13, as these kids have extremely varying sizes and presence or absence of secondary sexual characteristics, which were two of the determining factors in determining the child’s age. Sampling the older group was also difficult because not everyone in this age group actually received a helmet, since they went to a larger school that included children from another town. The results for this age group, then, are probably skewed and possibly not very valid. The town’s racial make up, too, was heavily slanted towards black children, with 75% black and 25% white children. Due to cultural differences between black and white children, researchers may need to repeat these studies in communities where racial make up is more heavily white, and communities which include Asians, Latinos, and other races. Each culture is individual and each would likely have a different reaction to the helmet laws and police enforcement. Within this community, the researchers probably should have used only the 5 – 10 years age group, as this group could be more carefully controlled. Researchers were aware that this age group, which attended elementary school, did all receive free helmets and bicycle education. They also would possibly have an easier time observing age, as size is more indicative in younger children rather than in older children. This study was somewhat valid. The researchers admit that they were unable to track individual riders, so when they had four observers canvassing the town at once, it was possible that certain riders may have been recorded several times (a possibility that the researchers themselves are aware of, but are not concerned with). Noting, as they said, â€Å"rides† instead of â€Å"riders† also is a limitation, although the researchers felt that their method of observation led to more accurate data than self-reported data via telephone or mail surveys. It is possible that the same group of children was observed multiple times during each session, and in fact overall helmet use was lower. This, too, depends on how the researchers define â€Å"rate of helmet use,† because number of rides where a helmet is used, and the number of riders who use a helmet is a different measure. Another issue with validity is that it was impossible for researchers to track how frequently individual riders wore their helmets. It is possible that some children always wore one, and other children rarely or occasionally wore one. A better measure of helmet use would have been to track individual children and to note how frequently they wore their helmets while riding their bikes. Police enforcement is another issue in this study. Every community who adopts a program of this type may choose a different kind of enforcement, or none at all. This community allowed parent citations (which were rarely used) and bike impoundment (parents had to go and pick the bike up at the police station, where they proved helmet ownership or were offered a free helmet, and they were also re-educated on bike safety). Other communities may rely more heavily on citations, or they may choose fines. Fines were not a good option for this community, as it was a rural community where a large minority lived below the poverty line. Another issue is that the police may be perceived differently in different areas. As the researchers noted, even the knowledge of police presence and enforcement was enough for many children to wear their helmets. This suggests a respect for the police force, which is common in rural areas. In other areas, especially urban, police may not be regarded so highly, and enforcement may become a larger problem. In an urban area, the sheer number of children would also possibly be prohibitive. This study was fairly reliable. Researchers followed up on the helmet use unofficially after 2 years and came up with similar results, which indicates both that helmet use was continuing and that the study was able to achieve the same results. Other studies, if they used the same observation methods, would probably also achieve similar results. This study is repeatable as written, despite its flaws. A better way to do this study would be to gather two groups of children: experimental and control. Both groups would be surveyed and observed for their helmet use at the beginning of the study, and these numbers would be compared. Then, the experimental group would be given the bicycle safety education and be offered free helmets. The second group would be told they should wear helmets but not offered extensive bicycle education or given free helmets. The researchers would then track individual riders through observation on at least a weekly basis to see how many in each group wore their helmets on a frequent basis. This would allow researchers to track â€Å"riders† instead of simply rides, and to make sure that each child was only counted once in their statistics. It would also show the effect of bicycle education and offering free helmets on helmet use. It is likely in this particular study that children only began to wear their helmets because they were offered free helmets. If they had been asked to go and buy helmets, cost would likely have been prohibitive in a rural, low socio-economic area. Therefore, providing the helmets was a key point in the plan. It may be interesting to do a study where children are provided with bicycle education and a list of resources on where to purchase helmets, but not actually provided with them. This study would best be done in a suburban area where the socio-economic status was higher, and would show the effect of bicycle education and possibly police enforcement on helmet use. Since further studies are possible and needed, and since the researchers themselves are aware of the study’s limitations, it would be prudent not to extend these results to all communities and situations. The study is ideal for the researchers’ purposes but has a highly limited scope. Overall, this research is very interesting. Regardless of the study’s limitations, introducing bike safety and helmets into the community resulted in statistically significant increases in helmet use, which purportedly resulted in fewer bike-related injuries and deaths. This is a step in the right direction, and although more research and more community programs are needed to both increase helmet use and decrease injuries, this study shows that programs are effective and change is possible.

Visual Information Essay -- Anatomy, The Retina

Visual information is seen because light passes through the cornea and is focused by the lens as an inverted image on the retina (Ellis, 2004). The retina is composed of photoreceptor cells; rods and cones with the greatest density of cones situated within the fovea, thus vision is sharpest for images and information projected to the fovea (Ellis, 2004). Subsequently visual information of lateralized foveal stimuli projects to the cerebral hemisphere within the brain. In the brain, the left visual hemifield projects to the right hemisphere and the right visual hemifield projects to the left hemisphere (Lavidor, Ellis, Shillcock & Bland, 2001). Generally for most individuals (in particular right handed), visual recognition of words and information is more efficient for display within the right visual field. However it is debated whether foveal information lateralized within the left or right visual field is double-projected to both hemispheres or unilaterally projected to the contrala teral hemisphere because the fovea is anatomically split and there is differential contribution of the two hemiretinae. Two theories have been put forward regarding how visual information is projected to the hemispheres. According to the split fovea theory, hemispheric division in processes occurs right up to the point of fixation. When the eyes are fixated within a written word visual information about the letters falling to the left of fixation initially projects to the right cerebral hemisphere, whilst visual information about the letters falling to the right of fixation project to the left cerebral hemisphere. Foveal processing is split so precisely at the vertical midline that all letters at either side of fixation project (unilaterally) to th... ...occurring in foveal vision away from the midline however this is not visible or obvious when recognition of visual information occurs. There is an overlap at the centre of the fovea where information projects simultaneously to both hemispheres, this being consistent with the bilateral theory. On the other hand, split fovea theory is an interesting theory of fixation effects that has been inspired by previous research unconnected with split fovea theory and thus incapable of providing appropriate evidence. More recently, split fovea theory has been based on experiments conducted specifically in its support but in which fixation locations were not monitored and stimuli exceeded foveal vision. It is good to see that research in the area is beginning to improve but it is difficult to be enthusiastic about any theory when there is no compelling evidence to support it.

To what extent does Soyinka present Jeroboam and his gullible congregation firstly as victims of social forces

To what extent does Soyinka present Jeroboam and his gullible congregation firstly as victims of social forces and secondly, as victims of their own greed and opportunism in The Trials of Brother Jero? â€Å"Human life cannot be represented in a fully or truthful manner without taking account of the pressures brought to bear upon the individual by his milieu, by the particularity of social situation and historical circumstance† John Cruickshank (1969) I have chosen the quote above as a starting point for my essay because I believe that Africa as a continent has seen such extremes of political and social upheaval that to overlook the importance of history, and its affects down the evolutionary scale on the people of Africa, in African literature and particularly in Soyinka's The Trials of Brother Jero would be very wrong. But how far can you make allowances for greed, selfishness and opportunism (which almost every character in the play attributes to) under the assumption that they are just products of the greed, selfishness and opportunism inflicted on the people when colonisation reared its ugly head? by the same token I feel that it is easy for an audience or reader of a play to put characters good or bad points purely down to their ‘character'. When a play write presents you with characters that are so easy to interpret then you have to ask yourself, why? Jero is a prophet, â€Å"by birth and inclination† and this is indeed the first thing we learn about him. The way Soyinka presents him to us is initially set out in the stage directions where Jero is described as â€Å"suave†. Jero's opening line â€Å"I am a prophet†, I feel, encourages the audience to think that maybe a real prophet would be more modest. Jero's direct speech to the audience employs a traditional African style of address that forces an audience to actively analyse Jero's speeches. That said Soyinka does not make it difficult for us to see that Jero is far from being a religious man as he informs us of his betrayal of his previous master for his own personal gain. So why would Soyinka use such a style of address if he did not want to us to analyse something more in the apparent openness of his characters speech? I feel that Soyinka has used this literary tool in order to encourage an audience not to see the truth in the characters (as this is very easy to see) but to think about why they have come to be the way they are. G. N. Ofor (1991) in his essay entitled The Urban Novel: A Historical Experience tells us about social realities of the time prior to colonisation: â€Å"African villagers were noted for their homogeneity and were guided by traditional beliefs and values. Members of the community were very closely bound together and the primacy of the community over the individual was emphasised† I think it is very important that G. N. Ofor chooses to specify that this state was what Africa was like before colonisation as this suggests that things have changed because of colonisation. Certainly in The Trials of Brother Jero the people are guided by traditional beliefs with the characters attending church regularly and Jero being something of an advisor (certainly to Chume anyway) but Jero himself is not guided by the hope of enlightenment or saviour after death, nor is he compelled to help people for the sake of being a kind and generous person. Everything he does, in some way, contributes to his own personal gain, gain of money or respect or personal favours. In the quotation below which is an excerpt from the play Jero finds out that Chume's wife is in fact also his creditor who he has been trying to avoid, and so allows him finally to beat her despite forbidding him not to up until this point. Jero says â€Å"he wants to beat his wife, but I won't let him. If I do, he will become contented, and then that's another of my flock gone for ever. Jero: Ah. That is the only way. But er†¦ I wonder really what the will of god would be in this matter. After all, Christ himself was not averse to using the whip when occasion demanded it. Chume (eagerly. ): No. He did not hesitate. Jero: In that case, since, brother Chume, your wife seems such a wicked, wilful sinner, I think†¦ Chume: Yes, Holy One†¦? Jero: You must take her home tonight†¦ Chume: Yes†¦ Jero: And beat her. You could easily conclude from this that Jero is presented as a victim of his own opportunism or that Jero is an opportunist, I suppose that to consider a character as a victim of anything suggests that we cannot or do not blame them for it; that, from a humanitarian point of view we can empathise with Jero's course of action. But Soyinka does not present to us any signal that Jero has suffered any sort of moral dilemma as he recurrently exploits his congregation. So we need to consider the social forces that might shape the attitudes of the characters in The Trials of Brother Jero The ideological view points detailed in the quotation by G. N. Ofer. Do not apply to the character Jero so Maybe Soyinka chooses not to present Jero in this idyllic image as a remark against such opinions saying that he does not agree that Colonisation is a reason that people in Africa have become more of a capitalist nation like in European society and is making the point that the image of Africans as a tight knit, un-selfish communism never completely existed. In the same essay I quoted from earlier and on the subject of the effects of colonisation, G. N. Ofer goes on to say that: Factors like taxation, a common portable currency, the desire for European goods, the need and the opportunity to make profits contributed immensely to the historic shift from a subsistence economy to a monetary economy. This loosened the co-operative ties binding the individual to his clan and lineage members. † If you read the above quote with reference to Soyinka's character Jero you could certainly see how, perhaps, Soyinka's character Jeroboam is presented as a victim of this new found ethic, catalysed by the influence of Africa's capitalist colonisers. In fact in Soyinka's own words, from an essay entitled from a common backcloth: A reassessment of the African literary Image he writes of â€Å"the European observer† that: â€Å"He still fights a rearguard today. It has grown subtler. Accommodation is his new weapon, not dictation† Soyinka (1988) Accommodation of the African continent or of the minds of the African masses perchance? Chume is another of Soyinka's main characters in the play, an un-educated, naive, gullible, hen-pecked man who relies completely on the ‘help' he gets from Jero. Looking at the play it is easy perceive that Soyinka has presented Chume as a victim. In the excerpt I have quoted below we can see how Chume goes to see brother Jero, desperate to find help for the mental torture he suffers by his nagging wife, Amope; Chume: My life is hell†¦ Jero: Forgive him, father, forgive him. Chume: This woman will kill me†¦ Jero: Forgive him, father, forgive him. Chume: Only this morning I†¦ Jero: Forgive him, father, forgive him. Chume: All the way on my bicycle†¦ Jero: Forgive†¦ Chume: And not a word of thanks†¦ Jero: Out Ashtoreth. Out Baal†¦ Chume: All she gave me was abuse, abuse, abuse†¦ All Chume wants is for Jero to allow him to beat her, just once, but Jero keeps him hanging on saying it is not the will of god. All Chume wants out of life is to have a peaceful relationship with his wife and to gain a better job. Chume is actually under a great deal of pressure to conform to the expectations of his wife and his peer. Amope says â€Å"A chief messenger in the local Government Office – do you call that work? Your old schools friends are now ministers, riding in long cars†¦ † while Jero mocks Chume for his â€Å"animal jabber† he goes on to say that he is â€Å"too crude, but then that is to my advantage. It means he would never set himself up as my equal. † you could argue that any characters desire for monetary gain or a materialistic attitude to life could be seen as a direct effect of the colonisation of Africa. As I have shown in earlier quotations and as I have read so far, it would seem that many of the people who write about the state of the African infrastructure have the opinion that colonisation has been a destructive factor because it imposed the materialistic, dog eat dog attitude of Europe. Many writers believe that the effect of Europe has caused a lack of solidarity between the African masses. It would seem, also that there have been many literary works which satirise this idea, Claude Wauthier (1978) in The literature and thought of modern Africa writes; The tone is just as sarcastic about Europe in the long free-verse poem by the Ugandan Okot p'Bitek, song of Lawino, the bitter-sweet lament of a black woman who is reproached by her husband for being illiterate and not knowing European social manners: My husband pours scorn On black people He behaves like a hen That eats its own eggs. Bearing this in mind it seems as though Soyinka has presented Chume as a victim of the social forces imposed by those around him. He fits perfectly into Eustace Palmer's view (quoted by G. N. Ofor in The essay The urban novel: a Historical Experience) of; â€Å"The rural innocent†¦ who is ignorant of the qualities needed to survive in the hot-house that is the city and who is quite often inadequately equipped, as far as education is concerned, to qualify for the lucrative jobs the city offers. † Palmer (1979) It is interesting to include that G. N. Ofor remarks on the above quote with: â€Å"However it is pertinent to note that without the creation of towns/cities by the colonial administration, there would have been no urban novel. † As for Chume's own greed and opportunism, I think it would be difficult for anyone to argue that a person could be said to be greedy for wanting to live harmoniously with their wife/husband or to want equality. All we know of the rest of brother Jero's congregation is the few people he mentions that he has convinced will become prime ministers of certain states, there is a woman who badly wants children and Jero tell us that the most popular of his prophesies is to tell people they will live until they are 80. As Jero says â€Å"if it doesn't come true, that man doesn't find out until he's on the other side. The last character we meet in the play is ‘member', who aptly becomes a member of Brother Jero's congregation by the end of the play. Jero, at first, attempts to speak to him by pretending he has prophesised the meeting between them. Shockingly the member turns away saying â€Å"Go and practise your fraudulences on another person of greater gullibility† and so for a second it seems as though there may be at least one character that will not fall for the charms of Brother Jeroboam – this is not the case. All it takes is for Jero to say what he wants to hear and he is hooked. Jero tempts him by saying â€Å"And at a desk, in a large gilt room, great men of the land awaited your decision. Emissaries of foreign nations hung on your word. And on the door leading into your office I read the words, minister for war†¦ † Asking god or brother Jero to help people become ministers or heads of state or merely to have a better job or more money seems to go against the true usages of religion, Which I had understood to be performing the will of God (of whichever denomination) and keeping unity between all the people within the culture. It seems to me that Soyinka may be trying to show that while every member of Jero's congregation is manipulated by him they themselves are not completely innocent in their reasons for their faith. Mineke Schipper (1982) in Oral Literature and Total Theatre says; â€Å"In traditional society the religious system determines the cultural unity of the people. Life forces bind man to his past, his present and his future and determine his relationships with gods, spirits, nature and natural phenomena. The unity tends to break down where western influence increases. † It is interesting that the subject of western influence is again considered to be the destructive factor in the lack of unity between the African people. The quotation above suggests that western influences have even meant a breaking down of the unity that religion brings. After having looked at The Trials of Brother Jero, and having discussed the idea of victimisation I can only conclude that human beings, from whatever culture or walk of life, all desire the same basic things – money and material possessions, respect, power and equality (though not necessarily in that order). The idea that has cropped up so often in my essay, that the social forces which work upon the individual and the nation as a whole are a direct effect of colonisation, is probably the most interesting point of all. You can indeed find reasoning within the text to assume that Soyinka may have intended for this theme to become apparent, whether or not you regard any of the characters as victims or even if you regard them as victims and perpetrators together at the same time. Below I have included a quotation from S. E. Ogude in his essay African Literature and the Burden of History: Some Reflections in which he talks about another African playwright, Chinua Achebe (1975) Saying: â€Å"He also reveals the weaknesses of the traditional society and the ease with which European capitalism and religion supported by gun powder and cannon balls successfully challenged the dominance of traditional culture. † If this is indeed true then it is a terrible, terrible shame.