Impact of e-commerce in Banking sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Impact of e-commerce in Banking sector - Essay Example The concept of electronic commerce is descriptive of the process of conducting commercial transactions of services, goods, and information by means of computer networks. In e-commerce products and services can be bought online. Due to the fact that the banking sector is probably the busiest service sector, running it efficiently usually requires more manpower. Technological innovations such as computer based commercial transactions, however, do not usually need direct supervision from workers, and thus have contributed towards banks being more efficient in their dispensation of services. In traditional banks’ manual services, consumers usually have to queues to get to the necessary services. The introduction of e-commerce brought a much needed change to combat such inconveniences (Mahdi and Mehrdad, 2010). Banks have to make use of the offerings of e –commerce so as to remain relevant while outwitting their competitors. In the banking industry, productivity is dependent on the delivery of high quality services. E-commerce in the banking sector has to do with allowing customers to be able to access their bank accounts through the internet by means of a modem. Online banking options were first provided, in a limited capacity, by baking institutions in America in 1995. It has been speculated that this was as a result of the pressure faced by American banks as a result of aggressive competition between international banking institutions across the globe (Mittal and Sanjay, 2007). At first, the ‘online services’ only had to do with providing customers with information about the various services that were being offered by different bank branches. The rapid development of communication technology witnessed in the last two decades, however, allowed for banks to start allowing their customers ways of accessing their accounts through the internet. Banks also made it possible for customers to transfer money while also being able to procure finan cial offerings on their behalf. Since then, there has been a rapid spread of the use of online banking options across the world. While, in traditional banking, workers handle all financial activities such as the provision of loans and the collection of deposits, in e-commerce in banking, a number of distribution channels are used to supply information about banking transactions. In the use of e- commerce, banks use delivery systems such as digital television, cell phones, and laptops to relay information to their consumers. In transactions conducted through the traditional system of banking, payment transactions are conducted through a bank branch. The utilisation of e-commerce in the banking system today, however, has allowed for the automated delivery of services to banking customers by use of the internet (Khalfan and Abdullah, 2006). In most banking facilities in developed nations, the electronic banking system involves the automation of factors such as ATMs, direct deposit, tel ephone banking, debit and credit cards, web-based banking, and bill payment. Most banking institutions around the world have some sort of e-commerce function. While some scholars have observed that e-commerce in the banking sector might soon be responsible for the abolition of traditional functions of banking, this is not likely unless banks begin to gain substantial profits through e-banking services (Kjell, VebjOrn and TjOstheim, 2006).

Scientific Arguments For and Against Contraception Essay

Scientific Arguments For and Against Contraception - Essay Example Despite so many methods being available, there are arguments for and against the use of the different methods of contraception. Abstinence is not engaging in the sexual act, which no doubt is the safest but the person does not get the pleasure of sexual intercourse. This is a biological need and helps release emotions and tensions. At the same time, abstinence is helpful for drug addicts and alcoholics when they are under the recovery program and are advised celibacy. It gives the person an opportunity to evaluate his/her sexual feelings. There are various barrier methods available, which block the flow of the sperm to the woman’s uterus and the fallopian tubes. Female condom, male condom, diaphragm, the cervical cap and the dam are the five barrier methods available. The female condom is not 100% leak proof. It can rupture and can lead to genital warts (Cat Bytes). The male condom is a thin cover usually of latex but can also be found of lambskin or polyurethane (Wills et al). Moisture, heat, and light make condoms susceptible to breakage (Sex-info). Animal skin condoms contain pores which allow HIV and other viruses to pass through but they are thinner and do not dull the sensitivity. Latex condoms remain the safest and only water based lubricants should be used before using the condom. Oil-based lubricants like Vaseline and baby oil damage the condom. Other barrier methods like the diaphragm, the cervical cap or the contraceptive sponge involve the use of spermicidal product, commonly containing nonoxynol-9 (N-9) (FHI 2005). Researches suggest that frequent use of N-9 increases the risk of HIV in women. using a male condom lubricated with N-9 is preferable. Diaphragm protects against the STD’s like gonorrhea and Chlamydia but not against all sexually transmitted diseases. It increases the risk of having a bladder infection and someone allergic to rubber cannot use this (Sex-info) A diaphragm should not be exposed to detergents and oil based

Exercise for Balance in the Elderly | Research

Exercise for Balance in the Elderly | Research CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The ageing process is considered as a biological reality, and which cannot be controlled by human being. It is dynamic in nature. The beginning of the old age is about 60 or 65 years and it is equivalent to retirement age. According to the developed countries, old age means at the point when the active contribution is no longer possible (Gorman et al., 2007). As a natural part of aging, physiological and psychological changes can occur and it can affect the lifestyle and health of old age people. Most of the older adults commonly affected by the problems like osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, fractures, diabetes, hypertension, poor vision, hearing impairment, cardiovascular diseases, COPD, poor kidney function, cancers, urinary incontinence, anxiety, depression and balance problems.(Nabili,2010) One of the leading health concerns, in case of elderly is falling and which is related to balance Problems. (Cochrane library).  Balance problems and falls are common, and falls can occur due to impaired balance among elderly .Worldwide, the number of persons over 60 years is growing faster than any other age group. In the middle of the 20th century 14 million people were in the age group of 80 years or older. By, 2050 it will be about 400 million in world wide. Approximately 28-35% of people over the age of 65 fall each year, and this proportion increases to 32-42% for those aged more than 70 years. 40% elderly people living in long term care setting experienced recurrent falls during each year and it is high as compaired to community older adults. Falls may lead to, increased dependence, loss of autonomy, confusion, immobilization and depression. (WHO). According to the centre for control of diseases and prevention (CDC) , one in every 3 adults over the age of 65 falls each year. Walking difficulty and poor balance are common impairments in old age group and which is the high risk for falling. In 2011American geriatric society recommended that all adults aged 65 or older should screen for falls. (Shubert, 2011). Falls can occur in all age groups especially in older adults. The prevalence and incidence of falls more commonly occurs after the age of 65 and (30-60) percentage in annually. As compaired to men, women are more prone to get falls. A study was conducted in Cape Town of South Africa to identify the risk factors of falls. The subjects were selected randomly aged more than 65 years. Total number of samples was 837 from different groups like whites, black Africans and Indians. The study result shows that, incidence of falls was high in women and prevalence of falls was different for different groups. (Kalula, 2010) The risk factors for falls are mainly Gait disturbance, muscle weakness, Dizziness, postural hypotension, visual Impairment, and syncope, use of an assistive device, visual deficit, arthritis, impaired activities of daily living, depression, and cognitive impairment. (WHO, 2006) As age increases, individuals experience decreased strength and balance, which is a risk factor for falls. Balance is the ability to maintain an upright posture during dynamic and static tasks. Maintaining balance requires interactions between central and peripheral factors. (Knerl, 2009) Balance problems are commonly reported by elderly people. Good balance has been associated with independence in daily activities. Deterioration in balance may leads to reduced physical activities and fear of falling. Balance assessments serves several purposes, such as quantitative, description of ability, monitoring subject’s progress overtime and evaluating the effectiveness of intervention.(Sihvonen,2004) For old age people 65 or older, in 2010 the total direct medical cost was 30 billion dollars due to fall injuries and by 2020 it is expected to be about 54.9 billion. Implementation of effective intervention could reduce the health care costs of fall related injuries.(CDC) From the Health Day News, exercise programme means to prevent falls in the seniors, but according to new review it says that exercise programme helps to prevent injuries also. Balance training has been identified as one of the top 10 worldwide in the fitness industry. In 2008 Physical activity guidelines for Americans recommend that balance exercises for 3 days in a week was effective for active and inactive elderly aged more than 65. Gait and balance disorders are common in elderly. As a health care team, physicians or nurses have the responsibility to ask about the previous history of falls. Due to the lack of standardized measures,evidence for the effectiveness of balance training is limited. Yet the exercise and physical therapy are included in effective options for gait and balance. NEED FOR THE STUDY With the exponential growth in older population, exercise is a key target(WHO,2002) and it is a subset of Physical activity that is planned , structural and repetitive and it is considered to be the important rehabilitation programme to improve the functional ability of old age people (Cochrane library). Dr.Nick cavil says that â€Å"A people get older and their bodies decline in function, physical activity helps to slow that decline. In older adults reduced balance is associated with, decreased physical functioning and increase risk of falling. This review analyses the effect of exercise on balance in older adults. (Cochrane editorial unit). In 1960’s an astronaut called John Glenn disqualified from his service, because he experienced balance problems during his working. Then after the rehabilitation programme, at the age of 77, he performed well. As per Indiana University, exercises that speedup swaying that may help to forestall balance problems in later. For the exercise programme safe environment is recommended, for that first step, to acquire sufficient fitness and Self-confidence. Gait balance training is effective, in clinical balance outcomes in elderly. These interventions are probably safe. (Howe, 2011). One in every 3 adults over the age of 65 falls each year . Balance is critical when it comes to avoiding falls at any age. Balance exercise improves strength and flexibility on both sides of the body, not only do they reduce the risk of sips , trips, and falls but also increases the likelihood that seniors will be able to recover balance or reduce the injuries . After 50 years of age , begins to lose 10% of our strength per decade of life , which leads to balance problems. Balance exercise help to reduce the decade of life. (CDC). A study to evaluate the effectiveness of an enhanced balance training programme to improve the mobility of older adults with balance problems. The study was conducted in Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust general hospital; the design adopted for the study was prospective singled blind randomized controlled trial. The subjects participated in the study were 199.The interventional group received balance training programme and control group received physiotherapy. The outcome measures were Berg balance scale,Frenchay Activities Index (FAI), Falls Handicap Inventory (FHI), and European Quality of Life questionnaire were measured regularly at 6,12 and 24 weeks.Both groups showed improvements. (Intervention: 22.5-16.5 seconds, P =.001; control: 20.5-15.8 seconds, P =.054). As by conclusion, the results shows that exercise programmes had an effect on balance among elderly. (Steadman, et.al 2003) Older adults can improve their quality of life by participating in balance exercises. Their by they can improve their mobility and get fit. The researcher says that as age increases, there is a chance of losing muscle mass and strength. Exercise programme helps to improve the postural alignment in sitting and standing position. Many of the older adults, admitted to the hospitals due to decreased balance problem and it results in falls related injuries, so the investigator reveals that exercise programme helps to reduce the falls by improving balance among elderly. According to American journal of epidemiology 30% of community – dwelling seniors /citizens will experiences falls at least once a year due to balance problems. so, as a health care professionals we are responsible to make out the solution. During cinical posting in medical and surgical ward in KMCH, the investigator came across so many persons with fall related injuries due to balance problems, and most of them were in the age group of more than 60.So in order to reduce the rate of falls and to improve the balance the researcher selected the exercise programme as an intervention for elderly people. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Effectiveness of exercise program on balance among elderly in selected old age home at Coimbatore. OBJECTIVES Objectives of the study were to assess the balance score among elderly. determine the effectiveness of exercise programme in improving balance scores. identify the association between the balance scores with selected demographic and clinical variables of elderly people. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Balance:-Ability of an individual to maintain the line of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway during different activities such as bending forward, transfer and closing eyes. Exercise programme:- Systematically planned programme for the old age people to improve the balance, of 5 exercises namely sit to stand, heel to toe walk, one leg stand, sideways walking and step up. Elderly:-Both male and female in the age group of 60-80 years. HYPOTHESIS There is a significant improvement in balance following exercise programme among elderly. ASSUMPTIONS Balance impairments are important risk factor for fall. Balance impairments are higher in elderly people. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK A conceptual frame work in nursing is the backbone, on which the nursing research is built. A theoretical explanation of the phenomenon or problem and serves as the basis for the formulation of research hypothesis. The conceptual framework adopted for this study is wiedenbach’s Theory, (1970) which is established by Ernestinewiedenbach, who was early nursing leader. Wiedenbach focuses on individualizing care for each patient. This is done by assessing the individual needs of each patient, so the nurse knows when to step in and help the patient. Central purpose Central purpose of this study is to improve the balance among elderly people. Prescription The investigator plan the prescription that will fulfil the central purpose (improve the balance among elderly).Thus the investigator, selected the method, exercise programme for elderly people, and which is considered to be the effective measure of improving the balance. Realities Agent investigator Recipient elderly people with decreased balance Goal improvement in balance Means provision of exercise (make them to do) Frame work old age home. Identification This includes identification of balance problems among old age people and also importance of exercises and its effects to improve the balance among elderly. Ministration Provision of exerciseprogramme (balance exercise) for elderly with balance problem. Validation Evaluation of the effectiveness of exercise programme on balance with the use of berg balance scale

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

Animal Farm Plot Summary Chapter I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Jones, the owner of â€Å"Manor Farm†, was an irresponsible farmer. He was too drunk to take good care of his animals. The barn animals were fed up with the way Mr. Jones treated them; thus they would occasionally have secret meetings at night. Old Major, their leader, had organized a meeting that would be held in the big barn. That night, the pigs Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer, the hens, the ducks the two horses Boxer and Clover, Muriel the goat and Benjamin the donkey and the rest all came just to hear what the old pig had to say about the strange dream he had the previous night. He dreamt about an ideal world. He talked to them about life, about their situation in life and the problems in life. Their only problem was Man. Man used them for his own purposes: his own needs. That, to them, seemed wrong and they knew that they had to do something about it. Old Major mentioned a Rebellion and it was all the animals hoped for. But it was up to them to rebel. Then he thought them a song â€Å"Beasts of England† that they sang on and on to memorize. Analysis Chapter I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegory* it concerns the toppling of the Russian Imperial rule and its replacement by the communist regime. In this light, the characters introduced in Chapter I represent real, historical figures: Mr. Jones is the Czar, Old Major is Lenin and Marx at the same time and as for the rest of the animals, their role will become clear as the story progresses. The animals on Manor Farm (Imperial Russia) ended live in unacceptable conditions, as is evidenced.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the ironies in this chapter is that the animals are not aware of their lamentable living conditions. This is shown the night that Old Major organized the meeting in the big barn. The animals are surprised and shocked when they realize that they shouldn’t be treated like that. Plot Summary Chapter II   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A couple of days after the barn meeting, Old Major died. The animals of the farm where preparing for the revolution. Snowball and Napoleon assumed leadership and began giving them speeches about Animalism; everything Old Major had talked about. The animals only rebelled when Mr. Jones went away for a couple of days and his men forgot to feed them. The starving animals broke the store-shed’s door and ate from the bins.

Crash Film Critique

Mark Zelayaran English Honors 1A Mrs. Breckheimer. Crash a film critique The film â€Å"Crash† produced and directed by Paul Haggis is a compilation of clever vignettes all throughout the film and for most they undergo some change; however, for the change to occur the film shows the human side of certain characters. The film is a compilation of lives of various characters in a course of a day in the city of Los Angeles. Although racism, discrimination and prejudice is constantly used all throughout the film, Haggis does this bring the message across that â€Å"Stretches the boundaries†¦ becomes intensely moving†¦acknowledges..The intolerant are human†¦ rage fuels itself and redoubles† (Denby). Scott makes the argument that Crash is â€Å"full of heart and devoid of life†; however, Denby’s claims that Crash â€Å"Stretches the boundaries†¦ becomes intensely moving† and â€Å"acknowledges.. The intolerant are human†¦ rage fue ls itself and redoubles† are evident all throughout the film. The film starts off with two white police officers- Officer John Ryan and Officer Tom Hansen. Haggis has built the character Officer Ryan as an intolerant and angry individual who takes his rage out on others.A fine example of Officer Ryan’s rage fueling itself and redoubling would be when he called his father’s HMO, â€Å"I keep telling you my father is in pain†¦ What does my father do about sleeping tonight? I don’t know I’m not a doctor. I wanna talk to your supervisor. I am my supervisor. Yeah, what's your name? Shaniqua Johnson. Shaniqua, Big fucking surprise that is! † Shortly after, he pulls over an African American couple, Cameron Thayer and Christine Thayer, and proceeds to search them, knowing that their car isn’t the one that’s been stolen.He proceeds to search the couple especially the wife in a crude manner. It’s clear to see in that scene tha t he has no regard for the people whom he holds his anger against. It is evident that what denby claims that â€Å"anger fuels itself and redoubles†. As Denby goes on to say, â€Å"The intolerant are also human, taking this in mind, this ideology can apply to Officer Ryan when his previous supervisor said â€Å"I’m anxious to understand how an obvious bigot could’ve through the department for seventeen years.Eleven of which he was under my personal supervision†, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt that officer Ryan experienced a moment of weakness and the need to take his rage upon others. On the other hand In the case of Officer Hansen, he is portrayed as a young police officer starting out his career in the force and following the lead of his senior officer; however, Officer Hansen tries to not become like his fellow officer Ryan. Boundaries are stretched and become intensely moving in the belief that Officer Hansen tries to hold to be true.A fine scen e to prove that â€Å"boundaries are stretched and becomes intensely moving† would be in when Officer Hansen lets Cameron Thayer off with a â€Å"harsh warning† even when Cameron Thayer was held at gun point and making threatening gestures towards the police officers. Haggis gives an insight of how the police department functions; therefore, he balances the film by giving the perspective of civilians. The film begins to transition to the black couple that was pulled over, Cameron Thayer and Christine Thayer, were harassed by Officer Ryan.Cameron and Christine are victims of the rage from a police officer. Cameron is mostly affected by the harassment from Officer Ryan and as Christine would put it â€Å"When that man was putting his hands on me†¦ I can’t believe you let him do that, baby†¦ I was humiliated for you†¦I just couldn’t stand to see that man take away your dignity†. Cameron has been deeply affected by her words and begins l oathe himself and challenges the police to defend his dignity, and the only way Cameron can do this act is through rage being fueled within him and doubling.Cameron is chased by the Los Angeles police department, an act a man of his socioeconomic stature would never dream of doing, and after being cornered Cameron demands Anthony to leave his car and Anthony replies, â€Å"if you’re so brave why don’t you leave?! †. As Cameron steps out the car and faces the police officers he begins to say insults such as â€Å"Yeah that’s what you look like a fucking joke†. It is evident in this turn of events that Cameron’s rage for himself doubles and begins to take it out on others.The boundaries of law and order are stretched are when Officer Hansen lets him go with a â€Å"harsh warning†, and not turning over Anthony to the police when he had an opportunity to. Towards the end when Cameron tells Anthony â€Å"you embarrass me, you embarrass yo urself†, Cameron realizes that although Anthony tried to car jack him, Anthony is still human and is living a life that is a mistake. Although Cameron’s rage for himself doubled and was only fueled by itself, at the end Cameron choose to stretch the boundaries and proving that intolerant indeed are human through his actions of letting go of Anthony.The film tries to show a somewhat humorous side of the racism, prejudice, and stereotypes that Haggis creates, and it’s done through Anthony. Anthony blames his position in society due to the upper class keeping him there, while Peter simply tries to laugh it off and doesn’t see it that way. The issue between these two characters is the issue of anger. Because once again Denby proves that â€Å"rage fuels itself and redoubles†, when Anthony and Peter are walking down the street and see a white couple [Rick Cabot and Jean Cabot] and as soon as Jean notices both Anthony and peter [his partner in crime], she grabs her husband’s arm.Of course Anthony would notice this and begins to complain, â€Å"Look around! You couldn't find a whiter, safer or better lit part of this city. But this white woman sees two black guys, who look like UCLA students, strolling down the sidewalk and her reaction is blind fear. I mean, look at us! Are we dressed like gang-bangers? Huh? No. Do we look threatening? No. Fact, if anybody should be scared around here, it's us: We're the only two black faces surrounded by a sea of over-caffeinated white people, patrolled by the triggerhappy LAPD.So you tell me, why aren't we scared? â€Å" Anthony’s claim is justified in his eyes and begins to use that same hate against society towards the white couple. The rage and contempt Anthony has for society is taken out on this white couple who represent everything Anthony hates and wishes to overcome. Anthony is filled with rage because of his position in society and he stretches boundaries because of this. A fine example of Anthony stretching boundaries and being intensely moving would be when Anthony encounters Cameron.Anthony even claimed he would never rob from another black man, but he went back on his word thus stretching his own boundary when he attempted to rob him. When the Cameron tells Anthony â€Å"you embarrass me, you embarrass yourself†, in this moving statement Anthony finally takes the bus shortly afterwards once again stretching his own boundaries again, even after claiming he would never take a bus. Haggis puts not only Anthony but other characters through extremes to show the human side of these characters and make them beyond the typecast that some would assume them to be.Haggis puts certain characters through an extreme ordeal and once that character overcomes that ordeal, he or she therefore goes through a transformation. Scott would claim these transformations are â€Å"full heart and devoid of life†; however, the transformations certain characters go through is a necessity to show that the characters are real people. Such as the case of Officer Ryan, his transformation or rather his realization occurred when he saved Christine from a car that was about to explode. As Christine screamed â€Å" Get away from me! Stay away from me!†¦ Don’t touch me!Somebody anybody else, Not you! † it is clear on Officer Ryan’s face that he realizes what he did was on a larger scale than he previously thought. Or even in the case of Anthony after he refused all throughout the film to even take a bus, needless to say, Anthony did end up taking the bus back home after Cameron gave him those intense words. Even in the case of Cameron when he had to challenge the Los Angeles police department to prove himself and attempted to gain back his dignity through means of rage; however, it wasn’t until after he realized his actions and gave those words to Anthony.All in all, transformations, some more extreme than others, a re a necessity in Crash because it shows a human side to the intolerant. All throughout the film it shows characters that are full of emotion and personality; however, to claim to be â€Å"full of heart and devoid of life†(Scott) is a shortcoming, at best. The film is compiled in a way that the lives of twelve characters or so are compiled into one day of interactions and obstacles. To be full of heart means to be full of tugs at heartstrings or other words dramatic, and to be devoid of life is the characters do not portray real people.Scotts claim is presumptuous because if one were to look at the film closely it jumps around characters. Crash takes place in a period of one day in Los Angeles and it is not beyond a reasonable doubt that prejudice, racism, and discrimination all take place every day. Also, one must also take into consideration that Crash contains characters with real and moving personalities and is intensely moving, and without characters to connect to the fi lm would not be moving. As Officer Ryan, Anthony, and Cameron all show the trials and tribulations some may face. In reality, what Scott claims to be â€Å"full of eart and devoid of life† is invalid because he is making a quick judgment of how the characters face the obstacles and never takes into consideration of how much time has passed. In conclusion, Denby’s claims are evident because it shows a human side to the intolerant in the film and also proving that rage only fuels itself and doubles. Haggis uses typecasts to his advantage in proving Denby correct that Crash â€Å"Stretches the boundaries†¦ becomes intensely moving† and â€Å"acknowledges.. The intolerant are human†¦ rage fuels itself and redoubles†. The characters may fall into typecasts but don’t completely succumb to them.As in the case for Officer Ryan, Cameron, and Anthony all go through transformations of extreme means proving that the intolerant are human and rage does fuel itself and doubles. However, this transformation can only be done by stretching boundaries and becoming intensely moving. Scott is disproven because of the fact that all these twelve or so characters are put together through a course of one day; therefore, extreme sides of each are seen one or twice a day. All in all, Crash is a film of racism, transformation, prejudice, stretching boundaries, and acknowledging that the intolerant are human.

High School Diferences Essay

There are four different grades in high school; freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. From when you are a freshman you always want to meet new friends, and get good grades. No matter what your grade is, you are still a student. So in a way, all the students are the same, but they do have tons of differences. Freshmen, first of all are still learning where L-Hall is, but they are trying to make new friends too. Freshmen are not bad people, they don’t hurt anyone, and that’s one of the good sides. The main problem about them is that they are stuck too much in middle school. Their body is in high school, but their brain was left over at Mountain View. To be honest, some freshman are great, they are nice, and respectful. The other three-fourths are immature and laugh at any â€Å"Your mom† joke still. Seniors are the â€Å"All Powerful†. Everyone (besides teachers) look up to them. Freshman try and talk to them, and juniors try to act like them. I believe that seniors are the role models of the school, and are treated much better than other underclassmen. Seniors are usually skipping class, and procrastinating. The other seniors are trying to keep their grades up while frantically looking for Financial Aid and planning on what they will do next. Seniors are much better than freshmen, and everyone knows it. Seniors are the laid-back, I-don’t-want-to-be-at-school kind of people. They usually show up late to class while the freshmen get there ten minutes early. Seniors are usually driving over to Taco Bell for lunch, while freshmen stare at the nasty school food waiting for it to move. Yes, they do have all these differences, but seniors were once freshmen. In conclusion, seniors are much more mature, but lazy people. While the freshmen are trying to fit in, and find L-Hall, They all have their differences, but they are all students. They are all just kids, going to school day to day, thinking about their future.

History of the Omagh Bombing in Northern Ireland

History of the Omagh Bombing in Northern Ireland On August 15, 1998, the Real IRA committed the most lethal act of terrorism in Northern Ireland to date. A car bomb set off in the center of town in Omagh, Northern Ireland, killed 29 and wounded hundreds. Who Real IRA (Real Irish Republican Army) Where Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland When August 15, 1998 The Story On August 15, 1998, members of the paramilitary Real Irish Republican Army parked a maroon car packed with 500 lbs of explosives outside a store on the main shopping street of Omagh, a town in Northern Ireland. According to later reports, they intended to blow up the local courthouse, but could not find parking close to it. RIRA Members then made three warning phone calls to a local charity and a local television station warning that a bomb would go off shortly. Their messages about the bombs location were ambiguous, though, and the police effort to clear the area ended up moving people nearer to the bombs vicinity. RIRA denied accusations that they had deliberately provided misleading information. RIRA took responsibility for the attack on August 15. People around the attack described it as akin to a war zone or killing field. Descriptions were collected from television and print statements by Wesley Johnston: I was in the kitchen, and heard a big bang. Everything fell on me - the cupboards blew off the wall. The next thing I got blasted out into the street. There was smashed glass everywhere - bodies, children. People were inside-out. –Jolene Jamison, worker in nearby shop, Nicholl Shiels There were limbs lying about that had been blown off people. Everyone was running round, trying to help people. There was a girl in a wheelchair screaming for help, who was in a bad way. There were people with cuts on their heads, bleeding. One young boy had half of his leg completely blown off. He didnt cry or anything. He was just in a complete state of shock. –Dorothy Boyle, witness Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. People were lying on the floor with limbs missing and there was blood all over the place. People were crying for help and looking for something to kill the pain. Other people were crying out looking for relatives. You could not really be trained for what you had seen unless you were trained in Vietnam or somewhere like that. –Volunteer nurs on the scene at Tyrone County Hospital, Omaghs main hospital. The attack so horrified Ireland and the UK that it ended up pushing forward the peace process. Martin McGuiness, the leader of the IRAs political wing Sinn Fein, and party president Gerry Adams condemned the attack. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was an appalling act of savagery and evil. New legislation was also immediately introduced in the UK and Ireland that made it easier to prosecute suspected terrorists. Investigations in the immediate aftermath of the bombing did not turn up individual suspects, although the Real IRA was an immediate suspect. The RUC arrested and questioned about 20 suspects in the first six months following the attack, but could not pin responsibility on any of them. [RUC stands for Royal Ulster Constabulary. In 2000, it was renamed the Police Service of Northern Ireland, or PSNI]. Colm Murphy was charged and found guilty of conspiring to cause harm in 2002, but the charge was overturned on appeal in 2005. In 2008, families of the victims brought a civil suit against five men they charge were instrumental in the attacks. The five included Michael McKevitt, who was convicted in a case brought by the state of directing terrorism; Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna.

What to Do the Week Before the SAT if You Havent Prepared At All

What to Do the Week Before the SAT if You Havent Prepared At All This is it. You have exactly one week before you head to the testing center and take the SAT. You have not prepared at all before now, and you only have one week - just seven short nights - before you take the test that can help or hurt your chances of getting into the college or university you are  dying  to get into. So, what do you do the week before the SAT that can make any sort of difference in your score? Cram like a maniac? Completely forget about looking at test prep material at all because, after all, what good would it do? Reschedule your SAT? Have a panicky meltdown in the cereal aisle of Target?   Before you get any crazy ideas, take a peek at the things you  should  be doing to get yourself ready this week so you have a shot at getting a good score on test day.   Go Immediately to a Bookstore and Buy an SAT Test Prep Book Go to the store and pick up a test prep book for the SAT. Choose one from either The Princeton Review, Kaplan Test Prep or The College Board. The Princeton Review is the most readable, so Id start there. Make sure the book you buy is for the Redesigned SAT, the test that took over for the old SAT in March of 2016. There will be nothing worse than prepping for a test that no longer exists.   Go To KhanAcademy.org  and Take an SAT Practice Test The Khan Academy has partnered with The College Board, the makers of the SAT test, to provide students with free SAT practice tests to help you get ready for the exam. Ideally, you should have been using this site for the last four weeks to really hone your skills. However, there are still some things you can do on the site to get you better prepared for the test on Saturday. Before we do them, we need to know the areas in which you need the most help. So first, take a full-length practice SAT test. You will need to sign up with your Facebook or email account.   Pinpoint Your Weaknesses At this point, you must focus on the areas of the test in which youre the least proficient. That means, after you take the practice test and the Khan Academy scores it for you, write down or print out the area scores that were the lowest. Was it Math? Great. Youll be zeroing in on that. Youll need to focus on your weaknesses- and exclusively on them- most of this week.   Strengthen Your Weaknesses Since youve narrowed down the areas of primary concern, you need to start pumping them up! Again, go to the Khan Academy website, and complete the practice problems for the areas that you were the weakest, Likewise, go to your test prep book and read through the sections and complete the practice problems in those weak areas. Youre going to spend 4-5 days working on these sections to really boost them up as much as possible. Check out your Strengths   After youve really nailed down your weakest section, spend one day learning about the sections of the test where you scored the highest. Was it  reading? Or writing? Read through the test directions, the content youll need to know, and complete as many practice questions as you possible can. Write a Practice Essay If you havent already, write a timed SAT essay using one of the prompts from the test prep book. Although the essay isnt figured into your overall score and is no longer a required feature of the SAT exam, many colleges and universities still require it and may use it to assess your overall readiness for the program in which youre interested. At the very least, youll get a refresher on writing an essay in a short amount of time.   Take One More Practice Test This time, try to simulate the test-taking experience as much as possible, and take the paper practice test in the back of the book. Sit at a desk in a quiet room. Set a time-limit just like youd have on test day, and work through the problems with efficient test-taking strategies. Dont you dare cheat by getting up in the middle of the test or guzzling a soda in the middle of it, either. Its good to practice disciplining yourself to sit and focus.   Get All Your Stuff Ready The Night Before There are several things you need to do the night before the SAT. First, be sure you have your admission ticket and photo ID ready to go. Then, check for test center closings and plan out your route to the testing center. Set your clock. Get your clothes ready so youre not scrambling in the morning. Want the complete list? See it here.   Relax the Night Before At this point, youve done everything you can do to get ready for the SAT in the limited time youve provided yourself. So...relax. Go out to dinner with your family. Watch an EARLY movie and hit the sack EARLY so you can be bright and refreshed for that early morning wake-up call. You can sabotage all of the hard work youve put in by doing something silly like going out or partying the night before the SAT.

A Comparison of the Two Industries, Wal-Mart and Costco

A Comparison of the Two Industries, Wal-Mart and Costco Wal-Mart Versus Costco The two industries chosen for this assignment are retail and technology sectors. Wal-Mart and Costco represent the retail industry given that they are major players in the sector. On the other hand, Microsoft and Apple represent the tech industries. Although these companies do not explicitly state their staffing philosophies, their human resource departments explain the nature of employees that can fit in their work environment. These explanations constitute staffing philosophies and systems of the companies based on the industries and portray differences based on the area of operations as discussed below. Retail Industry As a leading retailer, Wal-Mart fits to represent the retail sector. Regarding the staffing philosophy, Wal-Mart (2017) indicates that the company’s staffing function adheres to the culture of success in that the staff at Wal-Mart should show the ability to make the company succeed. Also, the staffing strategies for Wal-Mart are based on the need to foster the culture of diversity and inclusion where every staff member feels included in the journey towards success. Another guiding principle for Wal-Mart’s staffing is the commitment to American renewal where the staff is involved in manufacturing efforts as a way of making goods affordable. Wal-Mart (2017) does not state the employee qualifications needed for their staff. On the other hand, Costco highlights its staffing philosophy based on the workplace respect and equality and employee qualifications. For instance, on its career website, Costco (2017) indicates that its staff should portray the ability to work in challenging environments. Also, the firm uses fast-pace system to evaluate the staff. A potential staffer at Costco is required to be energetic, ambitious and service-oriented. Integrity, commitment and being goal oriented are also requirements for Costco staffers. Tech Industry Microsoft’s staffing philosophy touches on innovative thinking as the company’s strategic advantage. The company’s staffing efforts try to enrich diversity and performance of products. Microsoft tries to find staffers that are experienced in offering solutions to tech challenges based on innovative thinking. These solutions should be useful in improving Microsoft platforms in the future (Microsoft, 2017). The company says it has over forty employee networks across the world and it is committed to hiring people with disabilities. Microsoft’s staffing efforts that build a network of employees seek to empower people for the future. Apple’s staffing philosophy is based on creativity and innovation. The company requires the potential staffers to have creative and innovative mindsets (Lagunas, 2012). Also, Apple’s staffing is built on the philosophy of talent management and hiring of talented staffers. Also, Apple seeks to recruit hard working employees. Although Apple implements employee training, it gives the employees a chance to choose their training tasks based on their career goals. Sources of Differences Differences in Firms The differences existing between firms’ staffing strategies and systems emanate their founding philosophies. For instance, Wal-Mart was founded on customer satisfaction and focuses on the success in that endeavor. On the other hand, Costco’s staffing philosophy is built on the company’s mission to continuously provide goods and services to customers hence the requirement to have employees that are ambitious and energetic. Microsoft and Apple seem to have a similar philosophy built on innovation and creativity. Differences in Industries The staffing philosophies in the two industries are different in that one focuses on service that employees give to customers while the other is focuses on innovation and creativity to solve problems. The firms under the retail industry category have their staffing philosophies built on acquiring workers that can serve customers with zeal and achieve success. On the other hand, tech companies are concerned with the need to innovate and make systems that solve problems. The fact that retailers sell goods while the technology firms manufacture goods create the differences in that the former will need to serve the buying needs while the latter solves the needs that relate to the functioning of the goods.

IPC PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

IPC PAPER - Essay Example This is an early indication of depreciating relationship in that the first three stages of the Knapp’s model – initiating, experimenting, and intensifying – skipped into the last three stages of the model: stagnating and avoiding, and almost terminating. But Danny decided to salvage his relationship with Palmer by telling her that he is getting a divorce soon and to prove this he asked his long-time friend and office manager, Katherine, to pretend as his wife. Danny and Katherine planned that Katherine would grant what Danny wanted when the three of them meet. At this point, it seems like the relationships in a film are going in circles: first, it goes through the increasing intimacy of the characters such as when Danny and Palmer met and they had slept together. But it was followed by rather degradation of relationship or a decreased intimacy after Palmer learned that Danny is married. In other words, this is to say that Knapp’s model does not necessarily describe relational developments in a way that it follows the order of the model perfectly but it could skip one stage to another. Danny was able to convince Palmer that he and his made-over wife Katherine will get a divorce soon and this has been done by Katherine telling Palmer and Danny that she is happy for both of them. At this point, the relationship of Danny and Palmer is restored and they both got to the increasing intimacy of their relationship. Danny and Palmer reached the level of integrating wherein Palmer is being introduced to Danny’s made-over family. Palmer even met up with Danny’s children, Maggie and Michael. The level of bonding in the film is quite confusing and complex in the film. This is because although it is Danny and Palmer that is having a relationship, Katherine also pretended to Devlin – Danny’s former girlfriend – that Danny is her husband. Because of this, the level of

The Quality Movement Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Quality Movement - Article Example Others define quality on bases of facilities in the hospital like vehicles (ambulance), scanning machines and other health care equipments (Hickey and Brosnan, 2012). In respect to MGH, quality is the ability and efforts made by professional to provide health care services to individuals with an aim of achieving the desired outcome through application of the current professional knowledge. MGH is determined to provide the combination of patient care services that optimise the health of the surrounding population. MGH is also determined to provide an effective, efficient care of high quality to the patients all the time (Massachusetts General Hospital, 2015). MGH monitors outcome by assessing the effects of the health care provided to patients and population. The hospital monitors the ability and efforts made to diagnose, treat and prevent health problems. MGH views the monitoring process as the bottom line since it gives an evaluation of the quality (Institute of Medicine, 2001). MGH performs condition specific approach in which professionals examines the outcome or end results of an individual in a certain diagnosis. The hospital also performs generic approach in which it monitors outcomes like patient satisfaction, mortality and change in status (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2011). Related Data in MGH is collected by use of questionnaires filled in by patients and members of public. The patients respond to questions about the services obtained in the hospital. The patients also rate the hospital’s service. The forms filled by patients are then checked by the department of research in order to understand the areas to improve and note the hospital’s weakness (Institute of Medicine, 2001). Technologically, MGH has advanced because it utilizes the use of new technology in service provision. The hospital fills patient’s data in computer unlike other hospital which uses hard copy papers

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Financial Management - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of globalization on poverty in India. The paper is divided into two parts. The first part, which is assorted of backdrop, provides some theoretical insights into the rationale of economic reform. The second part examines the impact of the reforms in reducing poverty in India. Indeed, the issues of reduction of poverty and inequalities, economic, social and regional, had been the prime concern during the struggle for independence and were used to give effect for social mobilization as well. They also found a prominent place in the five-year plan documents of the country. Any regime, be it market mediate, or state o socially mediated has to be judged in terms of its impact on poverty and inequalities. Indeed, people are the means as well as the end of development. This paper explores that economic reforms that seek to usher in globalization are not directly addressed to poverty. The acknowledged logic of globalization as rationalized by IMF and World Bank is expressed in the two concepts, stabilization and structural adjustment. Related to that is a rule-based operation of free trade and â€Å"trade-related† services, globally promoted and administered by WTO through a series of multi-lateral agreements. Two IMF theoreticians have defined stabilization program as a package of policies designed to eliminate disequilibria between aggregate demand and supply in the economy, which typically manifests itself in balance of payment deficits and rising prices.

GM CASE WEEKLY Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GM WEEKLY - Case Study Example The main company’s value brand is the Hotpoint and general electric served as the quality line brand. In early 1970’s, MABG management viewed the dishwasher business as an issue despite its market share being over 20+% and its strong financial performance. Most of the GE’s washers manufactured are different from other competitive models, and the dishwashers got criticized as they are heavy water users that translated into excess energy use. Following the quality issues, Jack Welch challenged MABG by proposing a simple fix on the dishwasher business in to make it efficient in operational standards. As a result, thirteen members were put together to architect and implement a key step change (Project C) in the process, product and the workforce factors of the GE’s dishwasher business. The changes included manufacturing changes and workforce changes as Nag Hambrick and Chen (2007) proposed. In the case of manufacturing changes, Moeller, and his team proposed to totally redo the key Louisville dishwasher sections to fully complement and adopt a cellular approach on major production stages. The changes were to get integrated along with PermaTuf and door redesign. Additionally, the team proposed to pursue automation aggressively to reduce cost and improve quality along with product design modification according to constraints and capabilities of the new process. There was also the integration of product testing within manufacturing to an entirely separate quality control organization. The proposed principle to focus on Louisville dishwasher plant on the General Electric-Perma Tuf C product line is an appropriate way to achieve world-class leadership. It is because the concentration on the process productivity, quality and work life quality will enhance production quality. The principle also aims at reducing the number of product parts in the plant from 4,000 to 800. Workforce changes were also significant to part of the Project C. The

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 34

Case study - Essay Example The mediator does not enjoy a determinative or advisory function, with respect to the dispute or the outcome of its resolution (Spencer & Brogan, 2006, p. 8). NADRAC’s model of mediation entails a neutral third party intervention, vis-Ã  -vis the dispute in question. It facilitates the disputants to arrive at an agreement. Considerable variation can occur, with regard to the extent to which the mediator intervenes. However, this does not extend to deciding the outcome. The mediator can suggest methods for resolving the dispute (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 84). Several means of procuring the assistance of experts are available to disputing parties. In general, these entail the third party conducting an independent examination of a few of the circumstances of the dispute and providing a report of such investigation to these parties. On occasion, the mediator could also provide advice regarding desirable, probable and possible results (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 89). The mediator conducts an investigation of the dispute and furnishes advice regarding the disputed facts. As such, expert appraisal provides an independent, impartial, and objective evaluation of the disputed issues. This is made available by an expert appointed for this purpose by the disputing parties (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 89). The expert cannot make recommendations, although further negotiations can be based on his opinion. Nevertheless, he can employ the findings to suggest desirable, probable and possible outcomes to the dispute. Upon the parties consenting to the factual findings being final and binding, the process acquires a determinative aspect (Young, 2001). For the above scenario, I employed the Expert Appraisal and Determination method of Alternative Dispute Resolution, as the dispute requires an expert opinion regarding the absence of air bags in the car. Since there are no precedents in this area, an expert can provide a suitable solution to the problem, after

A portfolio about Karl Benjamin(an artist), and discussing the meaning Essay

A portfolio about Karl Benjamin(an artist), and discussing the meaning of the work, its form, its context, its qualities - Essay Example He experimented with oil paints and found their translucence intriguing and began to use them in a flat mode, in interlocking geometric patterns with well-defined clean edges, which later came to be known as hard-edged painting. Benjamin eliminates any trace of brushwork using big, flat brushes to spread the paint in the designated area, and creates the hard-edges by using masking tape around the area to be painted. The patterns cover the entire picture, leaving no empty spaces, and rarely convey an impression of depth. They seem to flicker and move due to a well-planned use of color, which comes as much from Benjamin’s use of intellect as his intuition. The shapes used are often triangles, lozenges, squares, pyramids and vertical stripes, and their existence in the paintings is defined by the colors used to create them. Benjamin sometimes uses mathematical formulas and progressions to choose the color types, tones, shades and hues for one particular painting. He also paints his work in series in such a way that sometimes the only difference between two paintings lies in the colors used, shapes remaining identical. Benjamin has definite political opinions, but they have never been expressed in his work, which remains resolutely abstract. His works emerge out of a pure fascination with color, and seek to intensively examine the relationships between various shades and types to create moods: most of his chosen colors are sunny, brilliant, and are often used in blinding contrasts. His first groundbreaking exhibition was in 1954, and since then his collections have been exhibited numerous times in various galleries and museums, where his work has been noted for its wit and inventiveness. An example is the painting simply called "#4," dated 1972, which is a rectangle 128 cms* 170cms. This proportion has been adapted as the ratio of height and width for all the 576 colored rectangles Benjamin has painted in this picture. The color distribution covers the

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 34

Case study - Essay Example The mediator does not enjoy a determinative or advisory function, with respect to the dispute or the outcome of its resolution (Spencer & Brogan, 2006, p. 8). NADRAC’s model of mediation entails a neutral third party intervention, vis-Ã  -vis the dispute in question. It facilitates the disputants to arrive at an agreement. Considerable variation can occur, with regard to the extent to which the mediator intervenes. However, this does not extend to deciding the outcome. The mediator can suggest methods for resolving the dispute (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 84). Several means of procuring the assistance of experts are available to disputing parties. In general, these entail the third party conducting an independent examination of a few of the circumstances of the dispute and providing a report of such investigation to these parties. On occasion, the mediator could also provide advice regarding desirable, probable and possible results (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 89). The mediator conducts an investigation of the dispute and furnishes advice regarding the disputed facts. As such, expert appraisal provides an independent, impartial, and objective evaluation of the disputed issues. This is made available by an expert appointed for this purpose by the disputing parties (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 89). The expert cannot make recommendations, although further negotiations can be based on his opinion. Nevertheless, he can employ the findings to suggest desirable, probable and possible outcomes to the dispute. Upon the parties consenting to the factual findings being final and binding, the process acquires a determinative aspect (Young, 2001). For the above scenario, I employed the Expert Appraisal and Determination method of Alternative Dispute Resolution, as the dispute requires an expert opinion regarding the absence of air bags in the car. Since there are no precedents in this area, an expert can provide a suitable solution to the problem, after

Accountability, Responsibility and Respect Essay Example for Free

Accountability, Responsibility and Respect Essay Running Head: Accountability, Respresponsibility, and Respect 3 Essay on Accountability, Responsibility, and Respect Among military members and civilians alike, there are personal qualities that determine how you act professionally and also how you act in your personal life. These qualities also determine how other people view you and judge your abilities in both aspects previously stated. In the military, certain qualities are especially prudent because of the nature of the work we complete, and the monetary value of the equipment that we work with. According to Eagle1 Fox2 (2008) Our organization is 1,394,311 soldiers strong, and in order to keep order and, discipline, key values are instilled into us from the day we start our careers, in basic training. Among these values, i am writing about 3 in particular; Accountability, Reponsibility and Respect. See more: Experiment on polytropic process Essay The Value of accountability can be applied to all facets of life. Dictionary.com (2012) defines Accountability as â€Å"The Quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for ones actions.† The military uses the word Acccountability with a broader definition. Being accountable gives your command the ability to trust you with tasks and equipment. It also provides them with an accurate idea of where you are at, at all times. If all soldiers were accountable, the military would operate at a much higher performance level. Time for orders to be given, and time it takes for the orders to be carried out would drop. Allowing the military to free resources and also cut monetary spending. Leading to a more productive and cheaper military.

Role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East

Role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East Introduction Many organizations across the world have improved efforts geared towards ensuring social responsibility and business ethics are followed when undertaking organizational activities. Consumers are now aware of the ethical and social responsibility which business organizations have towards society. Due to the effects of environmental destruction, consumers are inclined to associate themselves with firms which manufacture products while following environmental conservation criteria. Recently, adverse effects of environmental destruction such as climate change and global warming has increased demand for green products or firms which observe environmental regulations. In the Middle East and especially the UAE, there is a demand for products which conserve energy and which are reusable or can be recycled (Anderson et. al., 2006). This explains the increased demand in the UAE for products such as hybrid cars, green building materials, recyclable bags and others. Carbon footprints and credits are two common forms of measuring the impacts which organizations have on the environment. Carbon footprints are emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). These gases are emitted due to consumption of fuel and fuel products, materials, manufactured goods and fuel sources such as coal and wood. Carbon credit on the other hand represents permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne. It is a form of mitigating carbon emissions by international and national markets. Already, Qatar and the UAE implement the carbon credits as a form of reducing carbon emissions. This paper will discuss carbon footprints and emissions as far as the social responsibility and ethical role of business is concerned. The paper will also discuss how carbon footprints and credits work in order to understand their benefits. Their relevance to business planning for sustainability and environment in the Middle East will also be analyzed. The paper will restrict research to the UAE and other countries in the Middle East. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end of the paper. Carbon footprints Carbon footprints have been defined as emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). Greenhouse gases arise from consumption of fuel and fuel products, materials, manufactured goods and fuel sources such as coal and wood. The term originated from ecological footprints in environmental studies. In order to measure the carbon footprints of organizations, an assessment on emissions known as the GHG is undertaken. This measurement determines the levels of carbon emitted by businesses in a region. Once this information is known, it is possible to develop a strategy aimed at mitigating carbon footprint levels (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). Such strategies include use of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar or implementation of strategies to conserve the environment such as planting trees. In the Middle East economies, there are certain factors which affect the levels of carbon footprints. These include economic output, population, carbon intensity and energy in the economy (Beaumont et. al., 2008). Businesses and regions which aim at reducing carbon footprints target these factors. Generally, in order to effectively reduce carbon footprints, countries and businesses should either strive to reduce reliance on carbon fuels or reduce energy levels used in production. Carbon credits Carbon credits have been defined as permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). It has been recognized that carbon emissions are some of the most harmful gases to the environment and carbon credits aim at mitigating their release into the atmosphere. Carbon trading is form of trading in emissions. In order to implement carbon credits, carbon levels in the atmosphere are measured and capped to determine the most sustainable levels which will lead to minimal damage to the environment. After this is performed, the capped levels are allocated to regulated sources in the various markets. The major objective of carbon credits is to encourage markets to emit less carbon emissions when undertaking commercial and industrial processes. Since the carbon credits are sold, the revenue generated can also be used to fund environmental conservation efforts, including carbon emission reduction indifferent parts of the world. There are many firms which have specialized in selling carbon credits. These credits are sold to businesses voluntarily and these businesses strive to reduce carbon emissions in their activities. Demand for carbon credits in the Middle East has begun to rise and there is an increase in firms selling carbon credits to businesses. This has seen positive impacts as far as reduction of carbon emissions is involved. Further analysis of the effects of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East will be discussed in the following section of the paper. Kyoto protocol and the Middle East The Kyoto protocol is an agreement amongst some countries which are members of the UN to take measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The major goal of this framework is to stabilize greenhouse gases and reduce their effects on the environment. There are over 190 states which have ratified and signed the protocol including Middle East countries such as Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others (Daya Carr, 2010). Various countries have undertaken to reduce these emissions by more than 5% as at the levels present in 1990. Middle East countries such as UEA, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are some of these countries. Several initiatives are taken to achieve the objectives of climate change by member countries and these include clean development mechanism and emissions trading. Each of the Middle East countries which ratified the Kyoto Protocol has some assigned units of carbon emissions which are entered in individual country registries (Daya Carr, 2010). In line with the protocol, these countries including Qatar and the UAE have assigned the allowed emissions to businesses and organizations and put quotas on the emissions which each business should release into the atmosphere. This is undertaken through the sale of carbon credits where businesses in these Middle East countries are allowed one tonne of carbon emission. Businesses which have not exhausted their quotas near the end of their financial year may sell their remaining quotas to those which are about to exhaust their limits in order to ensure that all businesses observe the allowable limit in emissions. Businesses which have exhausted their quotas are also allowed purchase extra quotas in open markets or private enterprises. Although there is an increased demand for energy from consumers, business organizations and countries such as Qatar and UAE which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, have to ensure that the carbon emissions do not exceed the allowable limits. Business owners are therefore forced to invest in alternative energy sources in order to meet the demand for limiting emissions. Others prefer purchasing modern machinery which has lower emission rates. This will ensure that adverse effects of climate change are mitigated not only in the Middle East but across the world. Flexible mechanisms The challenges of maintaining the agreed carbon emissions by countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol have been recognized by member countries. There are certain countries or businesses which may be unable to retain the allowable limits and achieve their growth and development objectives and goals. There are also countries and businesses which use resources which have high level of carbon emissions and which make it difficult to remain within the allowable levels. For instance, Saudi Arabia is an oil producing country which releases high levels of carbon emissions when processing oil. Due to these challenges, the Kyoto Protocol members have introduced certain flexible mechanisms which may help these countries deal with the challenges. These are tradable credits which may be traded within countries or regions. There are three ways in which such countries may trade their carbon credits regionally (Daya Carr, 2010). The first is the joint implementation strategy where countries which are about to undertake projects which would lead to high level of carbon emissions are allowed to undertake these projects in other countries. Such an agreement allows countries with higher emission to transfer these emissions to countries with lower emission for a consideration. Both countries would mutually benefit and the global environmental conservation efforts are achieved. Few countries in the Middle East have taken advantage of this approach. The second strategy is the clean development mechanism. Under this strategy, developed countries are allowed to fund carbon emission reduction efforts in developing countries at lower costs. Countries such as Saudi Arabia may use this strategy to fund developing countries such as African countries in carbon reduction efforts. This would cost lower amounts compared to the cost of such a strategy in developed countries. However, the benefits of environmental conservation in such cases would not only be enjoyed by the developing countries but by the world at large. The developed countries would benefit from increased credits due to achievement of its emission reduction initiatives while developed countries would benefit from clean technology and capital investment. The UAE currently is developing plans to implement this strategy in developing countries. Finally, the third strategy aimed at meeting the challenges of carbon emission strategies is emission trading between countries. Just as how businesses can trade emission credits, countries are also able to trade these credits. Countries which are about to exhaust their allowable limits may trade credits with those with sufficient allocations and vice verse. In most of these cases, operators are licensed by individual countries to sell such carbon credits as opposed to direct government to government transactions Carbon footprints and credits in Middle East Due to the effects of environmental destruction including carbon emissions, climate change and global warming, consumers in the Middle East have began associating themselves with firms which manufacture products in environmentally friendly ways. There has been an increase in reusable products and energy saving products including hybrid vehicles (Daya Carr, 2010). This move has forced many manufacturers to adapt to the needs of the market in order to maximize sales revenues. Retailers who have not embraced environmentally friendly ways of producing goods have begun experiencing shrinking sales volumes and a decrease in consumer goodwill. Qatar There are many businesses in the Middle East and especially in Qatar and the UAE which have embraced the use of carbon credits to reduce their carbon footprints. One of these businesses is a renewable energy company called Masdar which is based in the UAE. Masdar has plans to acquire carbon credits for waste heat and solar projects from the UN in order to conform to the goals of the Kyoto Protocol of which the UAE is a member. Another firm which is keen on acquiring carbon credits is the Qatar Petroleum which is the national oil firm run by the Qatar government. The UAE and Qatar are the largest carbon emitters in the world per capita and their strive to join the Kyoto Protocol and apply for carbon credits makes them the first countries in the Middle East to take such initiatives. Qatar also has a project at Al-Shaheen, a natural gas manufacturing plant, and it is intending at applying for carbon credits for this plant. Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi has already been granted access to carbon credits by UN in the form of offsets which are initiatives which encourage developed countries to support carbon reduction initiatives in developing countries. This is similar to the clean development mechanism earlier discussed as one of the Kyoto Protocolà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s attempts to deal with challenges facing implementation of the carbon reduction efforts. Already, two projects commissioned in Abu Dhabi will receive 2.5 million credits between the current year and 2018. Currently, the credits which have been advanced to the UAE are valued at over 29 million euro. In addition, Abu Dhabi is in the process of constructing nuclear and solar plants which will meet power demands and by 2015, the Abu Dhabi is targeting its renewable energy sources to form over 7% of its overall energy source. Challenges of acquiring carbon credits in the Middle East Business people in the Middle East are acknowledging that a serious challenge facing many oil firms is justifying the need for carbon credits. Although most firms which manufacture oil and its products in the Middle East have high carbon footprint emissions, it is challenging to prove that oil projects require carbon credits and additional income earned from it. The UAE is among the countries making the greatest efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the Middle East and the development of carbon capture technology is a milestone towards attaining the goals of reducing emissions. Carbon capture technology is technology which captures carbon emissions and directs them underground before they are released into the atmosphere. Another challenge faced by firms in Middle East relating to acquiring carbon credit relates to cost. There is a high cost which is incurred upfront before a firm can register for carbon credits (Hansen, 2000). For small firms in the Middle East, this cost may be prohibited towards registering for carbon credits and reducing the carbon footprints. A solution to this problem lies with the bundling of many small projects to form a larger one. When many small firms bring together their projects and form a larger one, they may jointly incur the cost of carbon credits thereby reducing their overall costs. They will also be able to reduce their carbon emissions. Relevance to business planning for sustainability and environment in Middle East Carbon footprints and credits are very useful to the modern business environment not only in the Middle East but across the world. There is a move towards environmental conservation efforts and businesses which support this cause have been seen to attract goodwill form consumers. Those which do not have recorded lower sales revenues due to their inability to be in touch with causes which the market relates to. In the Middle East, it has been discussed that consumers are moving towards environmental conservation efforts by purchasing energy saving products, reusable products and supporting firms which produce goods in environmentally friendly means. It is therefore clear that for any business to meet its objectives, it has to operate within environmentally friendly ways. It also has to support causes which are similar to those supported by consumers including corporate social responsibility and ethical practices. The relevance which carbon footprints and carbon credit has on the Middl e East business environment regarding sustainability will be briefly discussed below; Consumer behavior It has been discussed that due to the adverse effects of environmental destruction, consumers are aware of the need to carry out environmental conservation. The effects of destruction of the environment including global warming, climate change, shrinking of ice caps and others have become a reality which threatens the survival of mankind (Changnon Bell, 2000). Most consumers have therefore embraced environmental conservation concerns and demand products which are produced through environmentally friendly ways. In the Middle East, there are many environmental groups which lobby for firms to embrace environmental conservation strategies which manufacturing goods. These groups which include the Global Footprint Network encourage consumers to shun products which are developed by firms which pollute the environment. As a result, firms are forced to adopt the use of clean technology and carbon emission reduction strategies such as carbon credits. Manufacturers in the Middle East and other parts of the world have therefore been forced by the changes in consumer behavior and market trends to embrace carbon credits strategy. Consumers have access to a wide variety of products due to technological change and innovation and they therefore have a bargaining power. Middle East firms which do not produce goods in environmentally friendly ways such as through use of carbon credits risk being shunned by consumers who will opt to purchase substitutes from manufacturers who support their cause for environmental conservation. Carbon credit strategies are therefore very relevant to the business environment in the Middle East for firms keen on increasing sales revenues and developing customer goodwill and loyalty. Businesses which are keen on developing long term sustainable practices should therefore develop an environmental conservation plan which may include the carbon credit strategy in order to meet their objectives. Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is another initiative which makes carbon credit strategy relevant to the business environment in the Middle East. It has been discussed that several Middle East countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and these include Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others. These countries are bound by resolutions made to reduce their carbon emissions by more than 5% of their 1990 emission levels. Since the countries voluntarily ratified the protocol, many are keen to follow it. The most effective way of reducing these emissions is reducing emissions by firms, particularly those in the manufacturing industry. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are some of the largest global emitters and the only way they can achieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol is to ensure that firms and particularly those in the oil industry reduce their emissions. Businesses which operate in the Middle East are therefore forced by the government to reduce their emissions in order to ac hieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol. The Middle East governments are bound by the ratification of the Protocol and they have begun introducing carbon credits to businesses as strategies aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Countries including Qatar and the UAE have assigned the allowed emissions to businesses and organizations and put quotas on the emissions which each business should release into the atmosphere. Many other countries in the Middle East are likely to follow the trends taken by Qatar and the UAE. Businesses therefore have no choice if they are to operate in the Middle East business environment. They are bound by any international agreements which their countries enter into. Failure to observe carbon reduction strategies such as purchase of carbon credits may be deemed as unethical practices which may be punished by the governments, environmental protection agencies or financial regulators. The Kyoto protocol has therefore made carbon credits an essential part of business operation since firms have been forced to purchase them and be in line with the desired objective of Middle East and global governments of reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Corporate social responsibility Businesses have corporate social responsibility towards communities and the society at large. Any business has a social responsibility of empowering local communities through corporate responsibility programs which use different strategies to achieve this objective. Consumers are also aware of the social responsibility which firms have towards them and their local communities and they have begun associating themselves with firms which play important social roles in the community. In line with this, the business organizations which operate in the Middle East and other countries have a responsibility of socially empowering communities and operating in environmentally friendly ways (Ruddiman, 2005). This duty is not vested in the Kyoto Protocol, it is a duty expected from corporate bodies across the world. Firms are expected to operate in ways which do not pollute the environment and which socially uplift the standards of living of local communities. Due to the importance of corporate social responsibility and operating in environmentally friendly ways, many firms have strived to achieve these objectives. One of the common strategies include funding community projects, research and increasing awareness on social concerns. Other strategies include funding education, training, offering employment, sponsorships and donations. In addition, the goals of environmental conservation are achieved through use of clean technology, reducing energy use and reducing carbon and other harmful emissions to the environment. Carbon credits have gained demand for achieving the environmental conservation goals. The demand for social responsibility by consumers has therefore made carbon credits relevant to the business environment in the Middle East. Firms which do not observe this social responsibility role risk losing customers to competitors who embrace these causes. Reduction in production costs Recent research has shown that the use of clean technology can help reduce the production costs by as much as 20% in firms in the manufacturing industry. Research in developed countries such as China has shown that if used effectively, clean technology reduces the production cost by 20% for capital intensive activities (Lerner Wilmoth, 2006). Reduction of the production cost is a major goal for any business. This is because reduction in production leads to reduction in the overall product price and this attracts consumers to these relatively cheaper products. The benefits of clean technology apply to firms in the manufacturing industry. In the Middle East, there are many firms which operate in this industry and especially due to the presence of oil manufacturing firms. The use of clean technology would offer massive benefits to this industry. Although not many firms in the Middle East have realized the potential benefits of cost reduction due to embracing clean technology, there has been increased demand for this technology over recent months. Firms which have benefited from the clean technology have acted as case studies and more and more Middle East firms have begun embracing clean technology in order to reduce production costs. Such firmsd have embraced carbon credits as some forms of implementing the clean technology strategy. For instance, a renewable energy company called Masdar which is based in the UAE has plans to acquire carbon credits for waste heat and solar projects in order to reduce production costs and gain other benefits. Two projects commissioned in Abu Dhabi will receive 2.5 million credits between the current year and 2018. the potential benefits of production cost reduction will therefore make carbon credits popular clean technology strategies in the Middle East in the near future according to the cur rent trends by Middle East firms. Summary and conclusion The role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East business environment has been discussed in detail. Carbon footprints have been defined as emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization while carbon credit on the other hand represents permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne. Carbon footprints determine the levels of carbon emitted by businesses in a region. Once this information is known, it is possible to develop a strategy aimed at mitigating carbon footprint levels. Such strategies include use of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar or implementation of strategies to conserve the environment such as planting trees. Carbon credits aim at reducing carbon emissions. Carbon trading is form of trading in emissions. In order to implement carbon credits, carbon levels in the atmosphere are measured and capped to determine the most sustainabl e levels which will lead to minimal damage to the environment. After this is performed, the capped levels are allocated to regulated sources in the various markets. The carbon credit strategies are implemented under the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto protocol is an agreement amongst some countries which are members of the UN to take measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The major goal of this framework is to stabilize greenhouse gases and reduce their effects on the environment. There are over 190 states which have ratified and signed the protocol including Middle East countries such as Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others. Each of the Middle East countries which ratified the Kyoto Protocol has some assigned units of carbon emissions which are entered in individual country registries. The challenges of maintaining the agreed carbon emissions by countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol have been recognized by member countries. The joint implementation strategy allows countries which are about to undertake projects which would lead to high level of carbon emissions are allowed to undertake these projects in other countries. The clean development mechanism allows developed countries to fund carbon emission reduction efforts in developing countries at lower costs while emission trading allows countries which are about to exhaust their allowable limits to trade credits with those with sufficient allocations and vice verse. Due to the effects of environmental destruction including carbon emissions, climate change and global warming, consumers in the Middle East have began associating themselves with firms which manufacture products in environmentally friendly ways. Other factors which have contributed to the increase of use of carbon credit strategies by UAE firms include the Kyoto Protocol which forces businesses to undertake carbon reduction strategies, corporate social responsibility roles which dictate for operation of firms in environmentally friendly ways and reduction in production costs attributed to use of clean technology. Although not many firms in the Middle East have realized the potential benefits of cost reduction due to embracing clean technology, there has been increased demand for this technology over recent months. It is important for UAE firms to embrace reduction of carbon emission through carbon credit strategies among other environmentally conservation strategies in order to devel op customer loyalty and reduce the global emission of carbon into the atmosphere. This will be beneficial to the businesses as well as to humanity whose survival is threatened by environmental destruction.

My Story :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Story Early in the morning, twenty four years ago on the twelvth day in the month of July, a baby boy was born at St. Mary's hospital in Athens, Georgia. The Pollock household of three had grown by one. Jennifer, the new boy's three year old sister, had already named him. The new boy was to be called Jody Lamon Pollock. Jody was the name she picked, and Lamon was the mother's father's name. So this is how I came to be Mr. Jody Lamon Pollock. My parents both grew up in a small south Georgia town called Pelham. My mother, Nancy, was the daughter of a farmer and a seamstress. She was the oldest of four girls. My father, Howard, was also the son of a farmer and a house wife. My dad was the ninth of eleven children. Mom and dad were high school sweethearts through out their high school days. They got married August 15, 1971. They will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this next month. My father started working for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) when he graduated high school. My father nor my mother attended college. The USDA moved my parents all around the state for the next couple of years until they finally ended up in Jefferson, GA where they have been ever since. My mom landed a job as a secretary at the First National Bank of Jackson County when they first moved here. Since then she has worked her way up through the ranks by hard work and perseverance where she is now the Senior Vice President of Regions Bank. I have only one sibling as I mentioned earlier. Jennifer, who is three years older than I am. She graduated from Jefferson High School. She has since earned an Associate Degree from Gainesville Community College and is also employed by Regions Mortgage. In April of 1995 she married Jon Ray and they continue to reside in Jefferson, Georgia.

Thatcher and Blair :: essays research papers

Introduction With the campaign ‘New Labour Because Britain Deserves Better’, it appeared that the new look of the Labour Party was so promising that most Britons have poured their votes for the Labour Party, and Tony Blair and his family moved to stay at the 10th Downing Street. It is said that the New Labour won the election, because they have tried to understand what British people wanted. Like it or not, the New Labour has simply followed Margaret Thatcher’s achievements. Moreover, Tony Blair and his aides have consistently used Thatcherite rhetoric to strengthen his ‘New’ credentials such as the use of ‘No turning back’ and ‘No, no, no.’ (The Guardian, April 20, 1999) Thus, based on the assumption that the Left Wing has adopted the Right Wing policies, this report attempts to find differences and similarities of Mrs. Margaret Thatcher’s and Mr. Tony Blair’s domestic and foreign affairs policies as well as the impacts on Britain. Background The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. Its constitution is partly unwritten and flexible. Also, politics in Britain is a two-party politics, and the system of British government is built around the existence of competing political parties, having distinctive policies and views, particularly The Conservative Party and the Labour Party, which are the dominant parties nowadays. To understand the management policies, it is worth looking into the political philosophy of both rival parties. The Conservative Party The Conservative Party or formally National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations is a right-of-centre political party. It is the heir and continuation of the old Tory Party, members of which began forming Conservation Association after Britain’s first Reform Act of 1832, extended electoral rights to the middle class. Formed by Sir Robert Peel in 1834, the first Conservative government announced the reform of abuse; the importance of law and order and of the police; orderly system of taxation, and the importance of both landed interests and of trade and industry. Among former Conservative Prime Ministers, there are two well-known persons, who shall be mentioned here. Firstly, during World War II, The Conservative Party dominated national office and Winston Churchill (later became Sir Winston) led Britain to victory in 1945. Secondly, Margaret Thatcher (b. 13 Oct 1925) and later being made as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven was the first European and British Prime Minister (1979-1990). Not only did she win three consecutive terms in the 20th century, but she also was Britain’s

Pmo Project Management Office

A Project Management Office (PMO) is a group or department within a business, agency or enterprise that defines and maintains standards for project management within the organization. The PMO strives to standardize and introduce economies of repetition in the execution of projects. The PMO is the source of documentation, guidance and metrics on the practice of project management and execution.In some organisations this is known as the Program Management Office (sometimes abbreviated to PgMO to differentiate); the subtle difference is that program management relates to governing the management of several related projects. Traditional PMOs base project management principles on industry-standard methodologies such as PMBOK or PRINCE2. Increasingly influential industry certification programs such as ISO9000 and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) as well as government regulatory requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley have propelled organizations to standardize processes[cita tion needed].Organizations around the globe are defining, borrowing and collecting best practices in process and project management and are increasingly assigning the PMO to exert overall influence and evolution of thought to continual organizational improvement[citation needed]. According to the Standish CHAOS Report (2009)[citation needed], 68% of projects do not meet time/cost/scope targets. Only 32% of projects were completed on time, within budget and delivered measurable business and stakeholder benefits. There are many reasons for such failures. As per a KPMG survey[citation needed] of 252 organizations, technology is not the most critical factor.Inadequate project management implementation constitutes 32% of project failures, lack of communication constitutes 20% and unfamiliarity with scope and complexity constitutes 17%. Accordingly 69% of project failures are due to lack and/or improper implementation of project management methodologies. Establishing a PMO group is not a short term strategy to lower costs. [1] Surveys with companies indicates that the longer they have an operating PMO group the better the results achieved to accomplish project goals (which might lead to lowering costs)[citation needed].PMOs may take other functions beyond standards and methodology, and participate in Strategic Project Management either as facilitator or actively as owner of the Portfolio Management process. Tasks may include Monitoring and Reporting on active projects (following up project until completion), and reporting progress to top management for strategic decisions on what projects to continue or cancel. A PMO can be one of three types from an organizational exposure perspective: enterprise PMO, organizational (departmental) PMO, or special–purpose PMO.The Project Management Institute (PMI) Program Management Office Community of Practice (CoP), views the PMO as a strategic driver for organizational excellence and seeks to enhance the practices of execu tion management, organizational governance, and strategic change leadership[citation needed]. As the largest community devoted to the PMO, with over 4,000 members globally, the PMO CoP is the central forum to collaborate, expand the knowledge base, and mature the PMO practice within their own organizations and the business community at large.

Khalifa Ali

IntroductionAli was born to Abu Talib himself a renowned Quraish chief and custodian of the Holy Kaaba. Abu Talib’s father, Abdul Muttalib was the son of the great Hashim. Ali’s mother was Fatima, daughter of Asad who too was a son of Hashim. Fatima was a cousin of Abu Talib. Thus both of Ali’s parents were Hashemite, which was considered quite prestigious.Ancestry of AliThe Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was Abdul Muttalib’s grandson. His father Abdullah was Abu Talib’s brother, which therefore made Abu Talib the prophet’s uncle and Ali his first cousin.Birth of AliAlthough his exact date of birth is not confirmed tradition says, Ali was born on the thirteenth of â€Å"Rajab† in the 28th year of the Elephant Era (whose commencement is marked by Yemen’s ruler Abraha’s failed attempt to invade Makkah and destroy the Kaaba) The Holy Prophet of Islam was born in the Year of the Elephant which according to scholars corresponds to the year 571 A.D. If we calculate then, Ali must have been born around 599 or 600 C.E.His birth was quite an unusual one. That day, his mother Fatima visited the Kaaba for pilgrimage. It was during her pilgrimage that she felt maternal pains and retired to a corner of the Kaaba and that is where Ali was born. Thus, Ali had the unparalleled honor of being born in the House of Allah bestowed upon him.The NameLegend goes that when Ali was born the Holy prophet and his wife Khadija came to see the infant. That the little boy had not yet opened his eyes was a matter of great worry for everyone. But when the prophet Muhammad held him in his hands young Ali opened his eyes, making the prophet the first person he saw after birth. The Holy Prophet named him ‘Ali’ the derivative of Allah, since he was born the Ka’aba.Physical AppearanceAli was of a moderate height. He held a gracious face which reflected his personality. His facial features were striking wi th a straight nose and a beautifully formed mouth. He possessed commanding eyes, full of light and luster.   It was as if rays of spirituality   beamed through him , and there was a certain sense of personal magnetism that attracted people towards him. As a young man, Ali was handsome, while in his later age, he became bulky with his gray hair of the head giving way to baldness. His beard, which was often dyed red, remained thick and luxuriant.Marriage of AliInitially when the Holy Prophet migrated to Yathrib he went alone but later Yathrib was named ‘Medina’ in his honor and he called his family and other Muslims there as well. At that time the prophet’s beloved wife Khadija had expired and he had married a woman called Sauda. A year later, he married Abu Bakr’s ( Islam’s first Caliph’s)daughter Ayesha. The Holy Prophet’s youngest daughter Fatima was also old enough to be married by that time. Abu Bakr and Omar both asked for her hand in marriage but there was no answer on the part of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.In those simpler times, age differences were not a concern in marriage. Khadija had been fifteen years older to Muhammad and he himself was much older to Ayesha at the time of marriage. It is thus important to note that this was not the reason the Prophet Muhammad remained silent to these proposals but it is reasonable to conclude that he was waiting for God’s approval and guidance in making this decision. After the Battle of Badr, it was Ali’s turn to ask for Fatima’s hand in marriage and he did so. The Holy Prophet replied that he needed Fatima’s consent. When he consulted Fatima she remained silent, a   sign of approval. The prophet also received a revelation signifying Allah’s approval of the marriage. Both families also mutually agreed.The marriage of Ali and Fatima is said to be the perfect one. Indeed two pure and blessed souls unified and bonded together. Ha fsa, a daughter of Omar and later a wife of the Holy Prophet described Fatima as an exemplary woman, one who’s face shone like the moon and who married a man with a superior personality.Induction of Ali as a member of the family of the Holy ProphetWhen Ali visited the Holy Prophet from the desert where he had been living, the occasion was also attended by a close few including Abu Talib and his family. The Holy Prophet loved Ali very much so much so that he requested Abu Talib to place Ali under his care. Abu Talib agreed to entrust Ali with the prophet because he knew he would care for him better than anyone else could.It is believed that the Holy Prophet did this to relieve Abu Talib’s increasing financial worries. However, this view seems to be untrue because Abu Talib was a Quraish chief and a trader. And had he been in any financial trouble the trouble he prophet would surely have helped him. Therefore it seems that it was because of the prophet’s fondness of Ali that he took him under his responsibility. Abu Talib would often visit and Ali would meet his parents everyday. The Holy Prophet kept Ali as a younger brother with much affection.Companionship of the Holy Prophet:The period of Ali's life which was spent with the Holy Prophet can be termed as the period of education and action. It was during these 32 years, from Ali's birth till the demise of the Holy Prophet, that Ali received his education under the loving care of the Last Prophet of Allah; embedded in himself the values of Islam; and acquired all the attributes that contribute to greatness. After the migration to Medina, he came to be known as a valiant soldier. His spoils in the battles of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch and his awe inspiring success at Khyber earned him the title of â€Å"Lion of God†.   He acted as the Governor of Yemen, and acquired good deal of experience as an administrator and judge, acquiring fame for his wise and well reasoned judgments.The First Three Caliphs and Ali:At the time of the demise of the Holy Prophet, Ali was a young enlightened, experienced, wise and valiant man. Despite all his qualities, Ali was passed over in the election for a caliph, as Abu Bakr took the state of affairs under his control. Ali would have to wait for 24 years before he could hold the office of caliph. During these years, Ali acted as an adviser to the caliphs in office. This was a period of inaction and contemplation, inaction on the political front as Ali kept aloof from politics and contemplation on the spiritual front as this period of Ali’s life was spent mostly in seeking spiritual perfection through prayer and remembrance of God.The Caliphate of Ali:Following Uthman's assassination, Ali took office as the next caliph of the Islamic empire. His term was a short one, marred by political upheaval, defections of close aides and civil war.   Ali was accused of involvement in the assassination of Uthman by Amer Muawiya, who mounte d an anti Ali campaign. The results were the Battles of the Camel, Siffin and Nahrawan. During the course of these battles, many of his closest aides betrayed him and defected. The list of betrayals is long and includes Ali's brother, cousins, mother in law and the whole cities of Medina and Basra. The Kharijites who had originally supported Ali also seceded and Ali was finally martyred by a Kharijite.Ali's concept of GodIn his various sermons, Ali has dwelt upon on the various attributes of God in a skillful way. Extracts from some of his sermons are as follows:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"All praise is due to the creator of the world whose wisdom is hidden. The various subjects of nature openly confirm his existence. He is not surpassed in strength and superiority. He is the nearest to us. No one can be nearer to us than He.His distance height has not segregated Him from His creation, and His nearness has not established His equality with His creation. He is that sublime and matchless Being in com prehending when the intellect cannot reach the bottom of His attributes, yet nothing prevents a person from comprehending Him. He is that being whose existence even an atheist feels in His heart of hearts. Undoubtedly God is free and sublime and bears no comparison with anyone, then how can anyone have the audacity to deny Him.†Father of SufismAli's religious devotion and nearness to God has earned him the title of â€Å"Father of Sufism†. Most of the Sufi orders claim their descent from Ali, and according to Ali Hajjweri, Ali is ranked very high in the line of Sufism.   Ali is considered the Shaykh as regards the principles and practices of Sufism, as stated by Junayd of Baghdad.Communion with GodAt times, Ali would pray the whole night sobbing out of love and fear of God. For Ali, the purpose of knowledge was to awaken the spiritual faculties that every man possesses which in turn enable man to find his true and inner self.   Ali observed that man could only enjoy communion with God if he would stop being proud, embody discipline, overcome his lust and submit to the Will of God.He stressed on the people in his various sermons to lead a simple and pious life and not to indulge blindly in the pleasures of the world as the case was before Islam.. Ali said, â€Å"Man is a wave in the boundless Sea of God. As long as man's vision is clouded by ignorance and sensuality he will consider himself a separate entity, different from God. But when the veil between him and God is lifted, he will then know what he really is, the wave will then merge with the ocean†.Ali on the Spiritual Front:Ali was a wealth of knowledge. Several of the traditions (Ahadith) of the Holy Prophet are narrated by him. He was one of those companions of the Holy Prophet who used to learn the verses of the Quran as they were revealed. Later, after the death of the Holy Prophet, Ali also used to give sermons. In one such sermon, he explains the attributes of God with skillf ul oratory. Excerpts â€Å"All praise is due to the creator of the world whose wisdom is hidden. The various subjects of nature openly confirm his existence. He is not surpassed in strength and superiority. He is the nearest to us.No one can be nearer to us than He. His distance height has not segregated Him from His creation, and His nearness has not established His equality with His creation. He is that sublime and matchless Being in comprehending when the intellect cannot reach the bottom of His attributes, yet nothing prevents a person from comprehending Him. He is that being whose existence even an atheist feels in His heart of hearts. Undoubtedly God is free and sublime and bears no comparison with anyone, then how can anyone have the audacity to deny Him.†In another sermon, he reflected on the transitory stature of this world by remarking â€Å"For the wise, the world is a shadow, which may appear at one moment, and soon disappear.† In another sermon he makes pr ofound remarks by stating â€Å"Many men buy clothes, which instead of being worn by them are used in their coffin. Many persons build houses that instead of becoming abodes become their graves. No one has lived forever in this world, and no one has invented such a medicine which may make men immune from the clutches of death†. In another sermon, he discusses heaven and hell, stating his anxiety on man's subservience to lust, the excess of his longings. In yet another sermon, he termed the world as superficial, mortal and perishable.ConclusionShakespeare once remarked â€Å"Some people are born great, some achieve greatness while some have greatness thrust upon them†. As far as Ali goes, he achieved greatness through his excellent education under the watchful eye of the Holy Prophet, his absorption of Islamic teachings and virtues, his thirst for knowledge, bravery on the battlefield and the spiritual perfection that he embodied. Greatness need not be confused with suc cess. From the political point of view Ali may seem like a failure that was unable to quell the civil strife that raged his people and was eventually slay Ed. Instead Ali's greatness is of an unworldly nature for he set out to spiritually perfect those around him, in times of affluence and wealth.Ali was a man of remarkable qualities and principles. His personality embodied an unusual mix of spiritual perfection, bravery, knowledge and humbleness. He was one of those few people of his time, who could stare in the eyes of death so much that even death would start fearing of him He was an administrator, a judge, a philosopher, a statesman, a general and above all an exemplary for those seeking spiritual perfection.