The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Movie 2012?

Nowadays, movies have become the spiritual food which always comes along with our lives. However, because almost all movies have both strengths and weaknesses, there are not only positive but also negative attitudes of the viewers toward them. 2012 has also received such a wide range of mixed reviews about its quality. Being produced in 2009, 2012 is a fiction movie telling viewers about the end of the world on December 12th, 2012.The content of this movie mainly focuses on the reactions of American government officers and the spectacular escape from death by Jackson Curtis' family with his ex-wife's boyfriend before the moment in which the earth is being destroyed because of the greatest disasters in history. Even though there are a few illogic scenes in the movie, 2012 has still attracted millions of viewers because of special effects and the way humanity is portrayed.? Watching 2012, viewers are satisfied the most by special effects.In 2012, the surface of the earth is totally cha nged due to a series of the biggest disasters coming at the same time: the moving of continental fragments, the erupting of volcanoes, and the attacking of the most violent tsunamis. This is absolutely a product of imagination; however, the way that the director of the movie imitates the appearance of those disasters is so real that viewers have a feeling of watching a documentary movie, not an entertainment movie.Beside visual effects, sound effects also contribute to the success of the movie because there is a diversity of sounds in the movie, and each sound is perfectly combined with the scene, which increases the reality of this imaginary product. As the 21st century is the century of technology, tastes of viewers have changed very much. Viewers, especially new generations, highly regard products that use highly technical solutions. Therefore, the higher the quality of a movie' special effects is, the more successful it is. That is the reason why success in creating outstanding visual and sound effects obviously gratifies viewers.?Special effects might fascinate viewers from the first sight; however, to become unforgettable for viewers, a movie also needs good content. The story about humanity in 2012 will be always in the viewers' minds because of the clever way that film makers tell it. Humanity is always an interesting topic, and humanity which is placed in the scene of the end of the world is even more intriguing. 2012 reflects truly both positive and negative aspects of the way that humans treat each other when they have to step on the edge between ife and death. Viewers may be moved to tear because of the sacrificing of President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover) in the movie, who decides to stay and help his citizens in the greatest chaos instead of sitting in a safe ship, the effort to send the loving words among family members before the death arrives, or the persuasive urging of the American geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) to convince lea ders of all ships to open the gate for everyone to come in before the most terrifying tsunami arrives.In contrast, the selfish act of the White House Chief of Staff, Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt), who tries to stop opening the ship's gate for other people even though there is enough room in the ship for them, shows the viewer the negative side of human beings.? Although 2012 has succeeded in creating special effects and building the story about humanity, some illogical scenes may lower its grade for quality.These illogical scenes are all about the spectacular escape of Jackson Curtis and his family. Perhaps, in order to make the film more thrilling, the director always lets them survive in few last minutes. The film makers might forget that viewers are smart enough to distinguish between the truthfulness and untruthfulness in a movie, and it is very annoying them when they have to watch something too fake.Briefly, 2012 deserves to be watched as the film makers cleverly and successful ly bring to the viewers the special effects and the story about how people treat others at the end of the world. The weakness in scriptwriting sometimes may disappoint the viewers; however, it is minor. As a viewer, I had special feelings while watching 2012, and it is never boring to me to watch this movie again. I believe many other people also had the same feelings that I had for this great movie.

Home Based Childcare Essay

Childminder must handle all information that she has on the child as confidential and should be shared only with the child’s parents and the child. It is essential to handle data about children and families in a confidential way, due to that they have a legal right to privacy. It is equally important that information should not be passed on without written approval of the parents or carer, because they have the right to give or deny their consent before the childminder may take certain action with respect to their child. For example the parents or carer approval is needed to discuss information about the children with professionals such us GP, health visitors or teachers. Therefore it is important also to get permission to share the child’s learning journey with other professionals. In second place confidentiality and data protection also means that all information about children and families should not discussed with a friend or other parents. Therefore there are only two sets of circumstances to share information: * Parents or cares gave the written approval for it. * It is essential to do so in the best of interest of the child, for example safeguarding or medical emergency. All information about children and families is sensitive. So that all documentation, reports, notes about the child should be kept in a safe place such, as in a filing cabinet, which can be locked, and not removed from the childminder’s home. Furthermore all information stored on computer must be password protected. In the same way photographs of the children can only be taken with the written consent of the parents and carers. Data protection Act exist to strike a balance between the rights of individuals to privacy and to use data for the purposes of the business. The purpose of data protection legislation is to make sure that the personal data is not processed without the knowledge of the individuals. The act of data protection introduced basic rules of registration for data users and right of access to that data for the individuals who are related to it. The childminders have data protection responsibilities. First of all they need to protect the children and their families and maintain sense of trust between parent and staff. Most important is that if they keep records of the children’s health, behaviour or development on the computer or takes digital photograph of the children, they â€Å"will be expected to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)† (ncma.org.uk, 2013). The points that I may include in my confidentiality and Date protection policy are: Confidentiality Policy * All parents receive a copy of my policies and procedures, which detail how I run my setting. * My certificate of registration is displayed and available to all parents. * I am aware of my responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. * I maintain a record of parents’ and/or emergency contact details, the contact details of the child’s GP and appropriate signed consent forms. * If a child is identified as a child in need (section 17 of the Children Act 1989) I will, normally with the parent’s permission, give appropriate information to referring agencies. * I expect parents to inform me of any changes in the child’s home circumstances, care arrangements or any other change which may affect the child’s behaviour such as a new baby, parents’ separation, divorce, new partner or any bereavement. * All information shared will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed without the parents’ consent, except as required by law, for example, if there appears to be a child protection issue. Please see my Safeguarding Children policy. * I expect parents to keep private and confidential any sensitive information they may accidentally learn about my family, setting or the other children and families attending, unless it is a child protection issue. * Ofsted may require to my see records at any time. * Parents have the right to inspect all records about their child at any time. * All significant incidents are recorded in an incident book and will be shared and discussed with parents so that together we can work to resolve any issues. * As a registered provider I must notify Ofsted of any serious accidents, illnesses or injuries or the death of any child whilst in my care and any action I may have taken within 14 days of an incident occurring. * If I am in need of support or advice regarding a serious illness or incident involving a child in my care I may contact National Childminding Association who will log information regarding the incident with regard to their safeguarding policy. An NCMA designated officer will be assigned to my case and all the information given to them will be kept confidentially unless their appears to be a child protection issue which will be reported accordingly. * If an accident or incident involving a child in my care may result in an insurance claim I will contact my public liability insurance provider to discuss my case and be allocated a claim number. This may involve discussing details of the child in my care with a third party. * If I am using the National Childminding Association (NCMA) public liability insurance, the total life of the policy is 21 years and 4 months to enable the child to make a claim against the policy at a later date. Data Protection Policy * I am aware of my responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. * If I keep records relating to individual children on my computer I will ask for the parent’s permission. The information will be securely stored for example, in password-protected files, to prevent viewing of the information by others with access to the computer. Backup files will be stored on [insert method, for example, a memory stick, DVD or CD] which will be locked away when not being used. * All information on children, families and anyone working with me (if applicable) is kept securely and treated in confidence. Information will only be shared if the parents/carers/co-workers give their permission or there appears to be a child protection issue. All details will be kept confidential and records are kept secure. The details are easily accessible if any information is required for inspection by Ofsted. * All parents will be asked to complete permission forms for use of photos, please see Parent Permission form. Photos will be used for observations. I will be carrying my mobile phone with me when I am on outings to keep emergency contact details and to call for assistance and to contact parents if First Aid is required. My mobile does have a facility to take photo’s (this will done in accordance to parental permissions). * I am registered as a Data Controller with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office). Biography * http://www.ncma.org.uk/childminders/your_business/policies_and_procedures/data_protection.aspx * Riddall-Leech, Sheila (2010): Home-Based Childcare Student Book: Level 3 Unit CYPOP5 * The date protection Act 1998

Issues to consider when a neighborhood may be exposed to Hazardous Case Study - 1

Issues to consider when a neighborhood may be exposed to Hazardous Emissions - Case Study Example People are availing the best of its positive approaches like medical facilities, communications and traveling facilities that has improved the quality of life tremendously. But at the same time, several negative impacts have emerged which are affecting people and their surroundings to quite an extent. One of the main battles which are going on between people and nature is to restore mother earth from the destruction which is happening because of the rapid growth of population and energy shortage. To overcome the energy problem, several alternatives have been tried to fix the issue like Biomass which itself is not good for people and environment and it leads to the misbalancing of a natural equilibrium of earth. Testing and experiments is been done on daily basis and every day is a day of discovery. In regard to this assignment, I would like to discuss Phosphorus as a chemical used in different kinds of utilities like toothpaste, fireworks, pesticides, matches, explosives, detergent e tc. Elemental Phosphorus: One of the main elemental phosphorus which is made up of common allotrope of phosphorus is white phosphorus. It is highly reactive elements with air, water and with any other chemical and due to this reason this element is not freely found on earth. White Phosphorus is extremely flammable and is formed by four atoms which cause high ring strain and instability. It is self igniting and results in a luminous light when reacts with air and can produce thick smoke. It should be handled with high precautions as it can cause severe burns to the skin if contacted. It is a wax like substance with yellowish color or sometimes colorless and it smells like garlic and can produce thick smoke when ignites. Its flames are also hard to extinguish and can burn flesh to bone under its covering thick smoke. (Ref: Elemental Phosphorus by A.K Saxena , 1982) Human Exposure of White Phosphorus: Emission of white phosphorus is possible through a lot of conditions like while handl ing or transportation, accidental spillage, during production of arms and ammunition. It is estimated by EPA 1989 that during the production of white phosphorus, 0.58kg is emitted in air and while the military use for illuminating the air or for producing smoke, the density of smoke is 0.1mg/m3 and the concentration of white phosphorus in smoke was 21 ppb according to EPA 1991. The presence of white phosphorus in environment or air can be fatal as it is very poisonous. Any human exposure to White phosphorus can experience nausea, stomach ache and drowsiness. It is damaging for liver, kidneys or and it burns the flesh to bone if contacted with skin. (Reference: Potential for Human Exposure) Environmental Effects of Phosphorus: Industrial use of White Phosphorus in the production of ammunition, the excretion of wastewater containing a large amount of white phosphorus settles at the surface at the side. White phosphorus is not very reactive in water and but it accumulates in the organi sms which can be harmful for aquatic life. It stays in the soil for several days before it turns into less harmful substances but in deep soil it can stay for thousands of years and that is one of the main reason for desalination and

Accessory Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accessory Report - Assignment Example As the brain behind the stall, the owner accounts how they derive their motivation from seeing smartly dressed and satisfied clients. The Glamour land boutique deals in a broad range of clothing merchandise. From men’s clothes to children’s shoes and ladies attires, they have stocked variety and brands to suit the entire household. However, the boutique specializes in lady’s clothes. To sum it up, the stall is a one-stop-shop for any woman who wants to buy all types of attire; dresses, skirts, tops, underwear, office suits, holiday wear and many others. The stall deals in classic trend. The kind of clothes and other related wares stocked in the boutique could last for several seasons and some for years. The products are also acceptable by many customers. Some customers declared that the boutique has been their choice for many years. The Glamour boutique, according to its customers, offers very competitive price. Most of its product are discounted so to attract and maintain their clients. Very few products had their price tags reading US$500. The general display is very alluring. Outfits are separated into categories, each category being placed in its section. Items are folded creatively to enhance engagement with the customers. In general, the Glamour boutique is very tidy and model. Not very far from the Glamour land boutique, has the City Paradise store stood. The owner eludes the Biblical paradise as the internal drive towards establishing the stall. The stall deals in assortment of ladies’ attires. Unlike the Glamour boutique, the City paradise store does not stock men and children clothes. The shop places a lot of emphasis on ladies’ tops, trousers and leather jackets. The stall deals in fad trends. Though highly fashionable apparels are stocked in the stall, most of them are designed to last for only one season or maybe less than a season. A

Psychology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Psychology - Research Paper Example He was devoted in the field of physiology and even won the 1904 Nobel Prize for his work in physiology (Martin, 1988). Even though Pavlov was never a psychologist and never wanted to be associated with psychology, he is one of the greatest contributors to the field of psychology. He came through most of his findings through experiments that he performed on animals such as dogs. One of his greatest contributions to the field of psychology is classical conditioning. This is one of the most useful discoveries in the field of psychology and most psychology students have to pass through it in their early years of study. While studying the digestive system of his dog, he noticed something that was very interesting and that led to the development of classical conditioning. He noticed that whenever his assistant entered the room, his dog would immediately start salivating. In the experiment, they started introducing different items to measure the level of salivation that the dog had. He later went on to note that salivation was an automatic response or reflex process (Prokasy, 1965). From the experiments and their outcomes, Pavlov was able to conclude that salivation was a response that could be learned. He noted that the dogs were responding to different stimuli that were presented to them just before food was delivered. They therefore learnt to connect these things with food. He noted that there was the salivary response which came when the dog was presented the food and the conditioning reflex that came when the dog was expecting food. After several experiments, he noted that there was a conditioned stimulus which was food for the dogs and the response which in this case was salivation. This discovery is still the most important discovery in the field of psychology. Apart from the fact that this discovery led to the formation of behavioral psychology, the discovery is used today in the treatment of some health issues as well as the modification of behavior

Legal Framework in Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Legal Framework in Employment - Essay Example The burden to prove that the employee has been unfairly dismissed lies with the employer to give sufficient reasons to justify the dismissal. Employers have defences in law to justify their reasons and prove that the dismissal was fair. This was seen in (British Leyland (UK) Ltd v Swift, 1981), where the court held that the test that should be applied when determining whether there has been a fair dismissal was whether it was reasonable for the employer to have dismissed the employee on the basis of gross misconduct which had been found. The same was seen in (Iceland Frozen Foods Limited v Jones, 1983) where the band of reasonableness test was laid down. It was held that, in determining the fairness of dismissal, the employment tribunal ought to consider whether the conduct of the employer was reasonable. The provisions of the Employment Rights Act, 1996, protect employees under a contract of employment. One provision is involved that every employee has the right not to be unfairly dismissed by their employer, (Employment Relations Act 1996, s 94). Following this Act Craig is covered by the provisions of the Act, to claim a remedy for unfair dismissal under section 94. If employees want to qualify for protection under section 94, they must have been in continuous employment for a period that is not less than one year before the end of the effective date when their contract is terminated, (Employment Relations Act 1996, s 108). The issue of whether an employee would have been dismissed anyway irrespective of the procedural failings, was set forth in the Polkey rule, (Polkey v AE Dayton Services Ltd, 1987). The Employments Rights Act in section 94 makes provisions that employees have the right not to be unfairly dismissed from employment. procedural fairness examines whether the dismissal was carried out in a procedurally fair manner. This is in

What were the main features of the African slave trade, and what Essay

What were the main features of the African slave trade, and what effects did it have on Africa Restrict your answer to the period before 1800 - Essay Example This in fact was the worst slave trade in history according to the author. (Buxton, 2005 p16) Africans in general, the ones involved in the slave trade and those who were left, faced a lot of pain. It was total horror and disgust to Africans as they went through the miseries. The territories left behind by the slaves would become wilderness and expose the villages to a great extent of conflagration and chaos. Their children would be kidnapped and murdered in pursuit of some inferior supplies from the continent of Europe. Europe would always treat the slaves and those Africans left behind in a very evil and cruel manner. The traders would give to the chiefs who would sell the slaves very minute revenues in compensation and leave them to apply to the ones left. The chieftains would sell approximately 250,000 (to the higher) slaves per annum and the revenue would be about 4 pounds per head. Sometimes they would be duped and even at times the recipients of the slaves would describe the received merchandise as one that would only fit an inferior description. It would result into a very infeasible business, shunning off the fact that the whole process was so dehumanizing. Firstly, the revenues received would sometimes not meet the costs at all since it had to be applied to pay the armies that would involve in the trade of slaves. The reprisals among the chieftains would also be a requirement and the cost of the ravaging of their land as well as property destruction. The other items that would prove costly as well were such items as ammunition, and arms. There were also the goods that would be imported into Africa that would not match the gains from the traded slaves in exchange. Also the slaves hunting process was not a very nice experience and it would only be described as horrid. Millions of acres of land would be left abandoned since the owners would be traded as slaves. They (chiefs) would trade the slaves basically to get ball, powder and brandy and

Academic Models in Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Academic Models in Strategic Management - Essay Example There are numerous techniques and approaches that support strategic decision making, like PEST, SWOT, portfolio matrixes, life cycles, value chain concepts and many others. The most important aspect of these academic tools is to â€Å"what extent [these tools] enhance or inhibit creative competitive strategy making in organizations† (Clark, 1997, p. 417). Some authors argue (Eilon, 1980, cited by Clark, 1997, p. 418) that there is an absence of strong focus on academic tools because they play a secondary role being â€Å"the means to an end, not an end in [itself]†. Still, the usage of academic business models should not be underrated, because these promote the development of â€Å"strategic thinking in organizations† (Clark, 1997, p. 418). Strategic management tools perform basically a â€Å"support role† (Clark, 1997, p. 418) in the strategic management process. This is so, because academic instruments offer useful insights into the benefits of different strategies and suggest a more systematic approach towards strategy implementation. These tools provide information generation, framework for analysis, also coordination and control mechanisms (Clark, 1997, p. 418). Further on, schemes and visualized models have the benefit of presenting ideas, model relationships and help management identify opportunities and co nvict others about the usefulness of suggested strategies. 2. The use of tools during the different strategic management stages Academic models are visible throughout the strategic management process, from planning and defining of mission and purpose to crafting different strategies and strategy execution and evaluation (Thompson et al, 1996, p. 3). Situation analysis Analysis of the business environment is regarded "as a fundamental part of the strategic management planning process" (Pickton, 1998, p. 102), because academic strategists have realized that environmental changes are constant and unavoidable. A research undertaken by Clark (1997) points out that for many companies environmental analysis includes evaluation of remote environment, meaning PEST analysis; and evaluation of the companies' operating environment, meaning competitors, customers, markets, suppliers and stakeholders. PEST and Porter's five forces model are basically similar tools for environmental audit and are ranked in the top set of tasks in UK (Clark, 1997, p. 423). In an increasingly diverse competition, industries are no longer viewed as isolated independent markets. This makes the application of the Porter's model insufficient, because it "tends to be focused on the single industry or strategic business unit", which means that it's much narrower in its scope. Another largely used academic tool is SWOT analysis, which is regarded as the simplest "easy-to-use technique for getting a quick overview of a firm's strategic situation" (Thompson et al, 1996, p. 92). SWOT is praised for its simplicity and practicality and is widely adopted uncritically (Pickton et al, 1998, p. 101); it underscores the basic principle that strategy must be a good fit between a company's internal capabilities and its external situation. Authors like Farjourn (2002) observe that SWOT is only suitable to a stable and predictable world. Too simplistic adoption of SWOT is reflected by the fact that most academic papers review it as a static strategic framework (Pickton et al, 1998, pp. 102-103); academicians simplify it to a list of factors and fail to conduct further analysis, which limits the usability of the model. Another tool, the value chain concept is a "primary analytical tool of strategic cost analysis"; it identifies costs and value drivers for primary and

Contemporary Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Contemporary Philosophy Essay On the first page of Being and Time, Heidegger describes the project in the following way: Our aim in the following treatise is to work out the question of the sense of being and to do so concretely. Heidegger claims that traditional ontology has prejudicially overlooked this question, dismissing it as overly general, indefinable, or obvious. Instead Heidegger proposes to understand being itself, as distinguished from any specific entities. †Being† is not something like a being. Being, Heidegger claims, is what determines beings as beings, that in terms of which beings are already understood. Heidegger is seeking to identify the criteria or conditions by which any specific entity can show up at all. If we grasp Being, we will clarify the meaning of being, or sense of being, whereby sense Heidegger means that in terms of which something becomes intelligible as something. According to Heidegger, as this sense of being precedes any notions of how or in what manner any particular being or beings exist, it is pre-conceptual, non-propositional, and hence pre-scientific. Thus, in Heideggers view, fundamental ontology would be an explanation of the understanding preceding any other way of knowing, such as the use of logic, theory, specific ontology or act of reflective thought. At the same time, there is no access to being other than via beings themselves—hence pursuing the question of being inevitably means asking about a being with regard to its being. Heidegger argues that a true understanding of being can only proceed by referring to particular beings, and that the best method of pursuing being must inevitably, he says, involve a kind of hermeneutic circle, that is as he explains in his critique of prior work in the field of hermeneutics, it must rely upon repetitive yet progressive acts of interpretation. Thus, Heidegger also conceptualized that being with time prior of having that time alone. This means that we can’t have time by simply telling that time exists but we also need to have that sense of being or the individual being to say that time really exist. Time in other hand, makes a history because of that sense of being which Heidegger rely on with his work of the Time and Being.

Sex Education Essay Example for Free

Sex Education Essay Something thats being overlooked is this situation: Whether students are taught sex education in elementary school or not, those students will most likely learn about sex through some other means anyways. However, sex education should not be taught in elementary school. First of all, if schools were to teach sex education at the elementary level, it would only make children more curious about sex and we all know what curiosity did to the cat right? Furthermore, what would be accomplished by teaching students sex education in elementary school? Lastly, there are other subjects that we could be putting more emphasis on instead of sex at the elementary level. So no, elementary students should not have sex education classes. When dealing with the topic of sex, it is a great idea to know who youre dealing with when trying to explain it. As good as teachers know their students, the parents of the students are better off trying to explain sex to the students. Especially at the elementary level. It would take someone who the students saw as an authority figure to teach them about sex and sorry to say, all students do not feel as if their teachers have authority over them. To make matters worse, since students would not feel like the teachers could tell them what they could and could not do, they might actually decide to try it. It is the same as telling children not to play with fire. Ever notice how many children still end up with burns? Curiosity did indeed kill the cat. Something else to consider when thinking about whether students should be taught sex education in elementary school: What are the benefits and do they outweigh the potential problems that could come with it? Yes, students being aware of sex and all of its problems would help them. But it could potentially hurt them as well. If schools are going to teach sex education, they should focus on abstinence and not just the intercourse part. Polluting the minds of children at that young of an age, you also want someone who is TRAINED to teach children about sex. That way they do not include their own morals or beliefs into teaching it. The final con to teaching to sex education in elementary school is this: Reading, writing and math need to improve. So instead of putting more time (and money) into a different subject, we SHOULD be putting more effort into those core subjects to see improvement. When looking for a job, sex education is inferior to arithmetic and english skills. Thats why those subjects should be our main concern. Putting sex education above these only deprives us from learning skills that will actually help us to become successful in life and not just when dealing with sex.

Assets Of Commercial Bank In Nepal Analysis

Assets Of Commercial Bank In Nepal Analysis The aim of this project is to assess the level of non-performing assets and its repercussions in overall financial stability of commercial bank in Nepal through the comparison between proper Nepali bank and the joint venture bank. The specific objectives are : To determine the extent to which commercial banks face potential financial instability because of non-performing assets. To identify the mechanisms by which commercial banks control non-performing assets. To identify successful and unsuccessful measures in relation to recover and mobilization of non-performing assets of commercial bank. To find out Whether or not Nepalese Commercial Banks are following rules and regulations of NRB (Nepal Rastra Bank) regarding their lending, especially to maintain the provision for NPA? To enumerate and examine the level of NPA to total assets, total lending and total deposit of these two commercial banks. To identify the internal and external factors affecting on the growth of NPA? To identify the effects of Non-Performing Assets on ROA and ROE of these two commercial banks. To identify which bank has high level of non- performing assets To make recommendations as to how commercial banks might improve their efforts in relation to minimization of non-performing assets. These objectives will be achieved by addressing the following research questions: Which bank, proper nepali bank or joint venture bank, is actively seeking to minimize risks of non-performing assets? When did non-performing assets start showing impacts in the bank? What resources do the banks devote to control non-performing assets? Who decides on this resource allocation? How do banks seek to control non-performing assets? Is non-performing asset increasing amongst banks? What is the degree of increment of non-performing asset in proper Nepali commercial bank and joint venture bank? What percentage of total assets and total lending is occupying by NPAs of Nepalese commercial banks? How does non-performing assets effects on return on total assets (ROA) and shareholders equity (ROE)? What are major internal factors, external factors and other main causes to growth of NPA? To compare the percentage of non-performing assets of these commercial banks in different time period. Which measure (or measures) in particular has been effective in curbing non-performing assets of commercial banks? What factors contribute to a successful management of non-performing assets? Are increased non-performing assets retaining provisions considered to be good news for all banks or only for particular banks? Do the valuation implications of non-performing assets vary across banks? The Context and Background of the Proposal: The proposal is to concentrate on two commercial banks of Nepal: Rastriya Banijya Bank (a proper Nepali bank) and Everest Bank Limited (a joint venture bank); RBB and EBL respectively in acronyms. These are the two main banks operating in the banking industry in the expanding economy of Nepal. Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) is fully government owned, and the largest commercial bank in Nepal. RBB was established on January 23, 1966 (2022 Magh 10 BS) under the RBB Act. Now, the bank is running under bank and financial institute act 2063. RBB has been contributing to socio-economic development of the country for the last four and half decades. The Bank has currently entered into 46 years of service. RBB provides various banking services to a wide range of customers;  they include elite to poor individuals, institutional customers, and the customers  from industry / business communities. RBB has many correspondent arrangements with major international banks all over the world that facilitate trade finance, bank-originated personal funds transfers and interbank funds transfer. The bank has played crucial role for the development of financial sector i.e. bank, insurance companies through its promoters role. As a second commercial bank of the country, the bank has been contribut ing in the trade, industry and agricultural sector of the country. The bank has also contributed in the hydropower sector. Health and Education sector are also benefitted through its disbursement. As a government owned bank the bank is also contributing towards achieving national goals as per the government directives. The bank has made significant contribution in the development of private sector either by loan disbursement or  by active participation in the fairs organized by industrial and business communities. A leading commercial bank of Nepal established in the year 1994 in joint venture with Punjab National Bank, India, Everest Bank Limited (EBL) started its operation with a view and objective of extending professionalized and efficient banking services to various segments of the society. Punjab National Bank (PNB), EBLs joint venture partner (holding 20% equity in the bank) is the largest nationalized bank in India. With its presence virtually in all the important centres at Nepal, EBL offers a wide variety of banking services which include corporate and personal banking, industrial finance, agricultural finance, financing of trade and international banking. The large presence and vast resource base have helped the Bank to build strong links with trade and industry. These two banks make for an interesting comparison since they are both leading commercial banks with large number of clients, covering a diverse range of commercial sectors. They both share the bad news associated with increased provisions, preempted by loan default and increases in non-performing loans. The bad news in loan loss provisions is most likely to occur when fourth quarter audits correct under-provisioning relative to increases in non-performing loans during the first three quarters of the fiscal year which found the common victim in RBB and EBL. In contrast to EBL, the bad news stems from management exercising power over loan-loss provisions and their engagement in protection of larger numbers of defaulters in RBB. The disclosure of RBB as having more potential threats of increase in non-performing assets to EBL is hugely credited to the flexibility for efficient contracting provisions. At the time when economic activities are growing rapidly throughout the country, it is most uphill task for the banks to manage and curb non-performing assets. Moreover, political instability has resulted in more cases of commercial loans defaulting. Interestingly, consumer loans are hardly non-performing given to the rise of middleclass and service industry. But this trend differs in both EBL and RBB. This study purposes to underscore the importance of management of non-performing assets of RBB and EBL while comparing the provisions and their outcome in banking sector. Preliminary Literature Review Investment theory defines non-performing asset as â€Å"a debt obligation where the borrower has not  paid  any  previously agreed upon  interest and principal repayments to the designated lender for an extended period of time. The non-performing asset is therefore not yielding any income to the lender in the form of principal and interest payments. Non-performing asset has become the major problem in investment banking since the inception of banking service itself. Literature devoted to the cause and effect of non-performing assets of banks concentrates mainly over the consequence and overall impact on the systematic wellbeing of bank due to the rise of non-performing assets. In the article â€Å"Differential Valuation Implications of Loan Loss Provisions across Banks and Fiscal Quarters Chi-Chun Liu(1997) concentrates over the impact of loan loss provisions in market: â€Å"Prior research finds that, on average, the market reacts positively to loan loss provisions conditional on less discretionary information about loan default, such as non-performing loans and loan write-offs (133). Lius finding holds across different model specifications and study periods, despite radical changes in the banking industry over time. Liu finds that loan loss provisions are good news only for banks with loan portfolios that contain a high proportion of loans for which loss provisions require judgment and discretion on a loan-by-loan basis (e.g., commercial loa ns) rather than using statistical methods (e.g., consumer loans). A substantial body of research sought to confirm managements role regarding loan default. James M. Wahlens(1994) study in â€Å"The Nature of Information in Commercial Bank Loan Loss Disclosures suggests that loan loss provisions are to be â€Å"maintained at levels considered adequate to reflect managements expectations of future losses because â€Å"managers have private information regarding default risks inherent in the loan portfolio (455). Wahlen finds that managers judgment is necessary in estimating the loan loss provision each period. Wahlen further contends, â€Å"It is prohibitively costly for investors and monitors to obtain all of managements information about the loan portfolio each period . . . [Thus] bank managers can exercise discretion over the timing of provisions for certain loan losses (456). Wahlen examines the relations between unexpected loan loss provisions and both stock returns and changes in future cash flows, and the role of managers in handling non-p erforming assets, in his study. Similarly, Iftekhar Hasan and Stephen D. Smith (1997) have argued that traditional view in profitability of banking institutions does not comprehend recently developing market trends. The duo has empirically investigated the alternative hypothesis using overall profit measures: â€Å"the negative price-concentration relationship does not hold over the entire range of observed market concentration (47). They have focused on the impact of concentration and efficiency measures using price data for individual products and services. Jackson (1992) suggests that any generalization of such statements since price-concentration measures may vary substantially across time periods. Recently, in a comprehensive study, Berger and Hannan (1993) found more support for the structure-conduct-performance hypothesis than for the relative-market-power and/or efficient structure hypothesis. While concentrating over the role of banking sector in fetching the great depression of 1930s in America, Adam B. Ashcraft(2005) analyses the implication of non-performing assets in overall macroeconomic scenario in the article â€Å"Are Banks Really Special? New Evidence from the FDIC-Induced Failure of Healthy Banks. Ashcraft contends that severe contraction in banks results from uncontrolled lending. He writes: While there is some disagreement in the literature over the precise mechanism through which failure affects real activity it is hard to walk away without the conclusion that bank failures played an important macroeconomic role in the severity of the economic downturn. What are the possible mechanisms? The most direct effect is through the loss of real wealth by uninsured depositors and other creditors. Even in the absence of a wealth effect, however, the creditors of a failed bank lose liquidity while they wait for assets to be liquidated, which in turn affects real spending in the presence of borrowing constraints. (1712) Ashcraft observes that when a bank fails, some long-standing relationships with its customers are disrupted, if not destroyed. If customers are unable to replace these relationships with other lenders on equal terms, this contraction in the supply of bank credit has an effect on real activity. And finally, there is the threat of contagion, where the failure of one institution prompts a run on other banks, spreading the effect of failure throughout the economy. Literature related to non-performing assets and the Indian experience provides the glimpse of Asian economy and challenges of banking industry. Prashanth K Reddy(2002) makes a comparative study of Asian banking industry in â€Å"A comparative study of Non Performing Assets in India in the Global context similarities and dissimilarities, remedial measures. Reddy stresses the importance of a sound understanding of the macro economic variables and systemic issues pertaining to banks and the economy for solving the NPA problem along with the criticality of a strong legal framework and legislative framework. Reddy contends: Concerns have been raised about their relevance to India. A significant percentage of the NPAs of the PSBs are in the priority sector. Loans in rural areas are difficult to collect and banks by virtue of their sheer reach are better placed to recover these loans. Lok Adalats and Debt Recovery Tribunals are other effective mechanism to handle this task. ARCs should focus on the larger borrowers. Further, there is a need for private sector and foreign participation in the ARC. Private parties will look to active resolution of the problem and not merely regard it as a book transaction. Moving NPAs to an ARC doesnt get rid of the problem. Actions and measures have to be taken to build investor confidence. (12) Reddy stresses on the need to analyze foreign experiences that must be utilized along with a clear understanding of the local conditions to create a tailor made solution which is transparent and fair to all stakeholders. Reducing systemic risk potential that the non-performing assets create in banks is probably the strongest economic rationale for supervision of any economic system. In that context all over the world capital adequacy has become a core instrument of effective supervision of banking system. But the lack of research in Nepali commercial banking sectors has further prompted to economic instability. This research proposes to study the variables behind non-performing assets and its implication in commercial banking through the comparison between EBL and RBB. Consequently, the researcher hopes in treading into new avenue of research and its make recommendations for the reform process to be initiated in the Nepali banking industry as apart of the liberalisation of the economy in general and the financial stability in particular. Methodology / Sources of Data Researching NPAs of commercial banks is a sensitive topic. Several parties contribute to the â€Å"dynamics of the situation. These parties are: Bank employees and their representative from portfolios of credit (loan) department. Perspective clients of consumer loan and commercial loan investment from EBL and RBB Post-graduate students of finance and investment from various universities Law professionals handling the cases of NPAs. Journalists active in featuring economic beat across different prominent newspapers and magazines. A comprehensive investigation of this topics should attempt to collect data from each of these parties. It is proposed that the following methods of data collection be deployed: A content analysis of literature produced by these commercial banks, particularly their investment literature. Much of this literature is prepared for public consumption and hence will be readily available. Interviews with a representative sample from each of the parties identified above. Resource constraints do not allow for national coverage, hence these interviews will be conducted in one region of the country, which will be selected on the basis of convenience for the researcher. This could well limit the generalisations that can be made from the data. The researcher will â€Å"pose as a prospective client and will write a letter to each banks requesting guidance for loans. This raises ethical issues since a certain amount of â€Å"deception is involved. However, it is felt that it is a legitimate approach and doesnt cause personal harm to any party. The researcher will dispatch questionnaire selecting and identifying representative information provider from each party who in turn will provide with necessary information for the research. Anticipated Outcomes This work is essentially a comparative analysis since the issuance of loans and the state of recovery of two commercial banks are being compared. For the comparison to be meaningful and objective it is essential that a standard framework be adopted. It is proposed to structure the data collection and also the comparison and analysis using a distribution framework of: Public Sector Units Large Industries Medium Industries Other non priority Sectors Agriculture Small scale industries Other Priority sectors Hence in simple terms the results of the project could be presented in the following dummy table: Borrowing Segment-wise NPA Gross NPA RBB EBL Amount Percentage of Total NPA Amount Percentage of Total NPA Public Sector Units Large Industries Medium Industries Other non priority Sectors Agriculture Small scale industry Other Priority sectors It is envisaged that this will provide a degree of originality because the application of a distribution framework to an investment relations issue is novel. On the basis of the comparison of the activities of the two banks some recommendations can be made regarding the relative success of investment initiatives in this context.

The Political, Feminist, and Religious view of Frances E.W. Harper, Phl

The Political, Feminist, and Religious view of Frances E.W. Harper, Phllis Wheatley, and Alice Dunbar-Nelson Phillis Wheatley, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, and Francis E. W. Harper were all groundbreaking and poignant authors whose works have remained influential throughout time. Feminism, politics, and religion are three aspects evident in their personal lives an d literature. Wheatley was considered a feminist icon because she was the first published African American female poet. However, her writing did not deal with feminist issues, rather, they focussed on religious and political themes. Unlike Wheatley, Harper's femi nist views are incorporated into her work. She uses religion as a method to express her political and social views. Dunbar-Nelson, a writer of all genres, brought together her personal beliefs and activism into many pieces of her work. Political and fe minist issues were important aspects of her personal life, which served as important themes throughout her literature. Religion, while not as prevalent, also presented itself, most specifically through her poetry. PHILLIS WHEATLEY BIOGRAPHY Phillis Wheatley is the first published African American writer. She was born in 1753 in West Africa. She was kidnapped from Africa and sold as a slave when she was around seven or eight years old. She was purchased by a wealthy family that taught h er how to read and write. Wheatley showed great intelligence in her writing style. Wheatley's book, The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley was first published in London. Five years after her return from London her owners; Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley died. In 1778 Wheatley married John Peters and they had three children that all died ve ry young. In 1779 Wheatley advertised a... ... They're flogging my sons on the farm; But I know that Omnipotence watches, That God has a far-flung arm (Hull 93). From this one passage we can see Alice Dunbar-Nelson combine issues of gender, race, and religion. Three issues which had a major affect on her life and her writing. Bibliography Foster, Frances Smith (1993). Written By Herself: Literary Production by African American Women, 1796-1892. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indian University Press. Hull, Gloria T. (1988). The Works of Alice Dunbar-Nelson. New York: Oxford Printing Press. Robinson, William H. (1982). Critical Essays on Phillis Wheatley. Boston: GK, Hall and Company. Robinson, William H. (1975). Phillis Wheatly in the Black America Beginnings. Detroit: Boadsiod. Shields, John C. (Eds.). (1988). The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Carandiru - Movie Overview Essay examples -- essays research papers

Carandiru The adaptation of Carandiru Station, a best-seller by Drauzio Varella, Carandiru proposes diving into the heart of SÃ £o Paulo's prison, the largest in Latin America with approximately 7,000 prisoners with a capacity for 4,500. Guided by a humanist doctor (the author) who has an affection for the prisoners, the audience shares in the daily life of the condemned before the massacre perpetrated on October 2, 1992 by the police force following a riot. The film opens with a settling of scores by Ebony, a prisoner in charge of the kitchens. While the director quickly arrives on the spot, Ebony doesn't let go of the reins of the situation. He's understood: in Carandiru, the voices of management and prisoners rise in a choir and vibrate in diapason, in order to maintain a balance and precarious order, essential for the place to function well. The armed sentinels carrying out their rounds along the ramparts, always discrete, only represent only the last resort in case of outbursts. What's immediately striking about Babenco's film is the details used to account for the tacit rules laid down in this place of imprisonment. Killers, robbers and rapists seem to cohabit by enacting their own rules, often transpositions of the law of the street, with its codes, duties, rights and punishments. Between the walls of the various wards, one witnesses the everyday life of a city totally apart, with its neighborhoods, trades, residences. No cell is closed: the impression...

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 26

â€Å"Why so blue, Kincaid?† I looked up from the information desk's computer screen to see Doug leaning lazily over the counter's edge. â€Å"Am I?† â€Å"Sure. You have the saddest look on your face I've ever seen. It's breaking my heart.† â€Å"Oh. Sorry. Just tired, I guess.† â€Å"Well, then, get out of here. Your shift's over.† Glancing down, I read the time on the computer. Five-oh-seven. â€Å"I guess it is.† He eyed me askance as I rose listlessly from the chair and made my way out from behind the desk. â€Å"You sure you're okay?† â€Å"Yeah. Like I said, just tired. I'll see you around.† I started to walk away. â€Å"Oh, hey, Kincaid?† â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"You're friendly with Mortensen, aren't you?† â€Å"Sort of,† I conceded cautiously. â€Å"Do you know what happened to him? He used to be here, like, every day, and now he's been gone all week. It's freaking Paige out. She thinks we offended him or something. â€Å" â€Å"I don't know. We're not that friendly. Sorry.† I shrugged. â€Å"Maybe he's sick. Or out of town.† â€Å"Maybe.† I left the store, stepping out into the dark autumn evening. Friday in Queen Anne brought people in droves, drawn by the area's assortment of activities and nightlife. Ignoring them, lost in my own thoughts, I walked over to my car, parked a block away. Immediately, a vulture in a red Honda slowed down and put her signal on, realizing my spot was about to be vacated. â€Å"You ready for this?† Carter asked me, materializing in the passenger seat. I fastened my seatbelt. â€Å"Ready as I'll ever be.† We drove up to the University District in silence, a hundred questions on my mind. Since removing Seth from my apartment last week, the angel had told me not to worry, that he would see to the writer's recovery. I'd still worried anyway, of course, about both Seth and the deal I'd made with Jerome. I was about to become the single greatest source of chaos and temptation in Seattle; even Hugh's stellar track record wouldn't look so good†¦ er, bad, anymore. I would be more than the slave Helena had claimed I was. The very thought made me ill. â€Å"I'll be with you,† Carter told me soothingly as we approached Seth's door minutes later. The angel flickered briefly in my vision, and I realized he'd gone invisible to mortal eyes, though not to mine. â€Å"What does he know?† â€Å"Not much. He's been awake more and more these last couple of days, and I've told him a little, but really†¦ I think he's been waiting for you.† Sighing, I nodded and stared at the door. Suddenly I felt unable to move. â€Å"You can do this,† Carter said gently. Nodding again, I turned the door handle and stepped inside. Seth's condo looked much the same as when I'd last been here, the kitchen still bright and cheery, the living room lined with boxes of unpacked books. Faint music drifted from the bedroom. I thought it was U2, but I didn't recognize the song. Moving toward the sounds, I reached Seth's bedroom, pausing in the doorway, afraid to cross the threshold. He was in bed, half sitting up, propped up by pillows. In his hands he held The Green Fairy Book, looking to be about a third of the way through it. He looked up at my approach, and I nearly sagged in relief to see how much better he looked. His color was back, his eyes bright and alert. Only that facial hair looked ragged and unkempt, the result of no shaving for a week, I guessed. That answered my question about whether or not Seth had maintained the thin, neat beard on purpose. He reached for a remote on the bedside table and turned the music off. â€Å"Hey.† â€Å"Hey.† I took a few more steps into the room, afraid to get any closer. â€Å"Do you want to sit?† he asked. â€Å"Sure.† Cady and O'Neill's faces scrutinized me from the bulletin board as I brought a chair alongside Seth. I sat down, looked at him, and then looked away, unable to handle the depth of those amber-brown eyes after seeing into his mind. Our old silence fell between us, the progress we'd made in conversation banished to the winds. Seth would not take the lead this time. As Carter had observed, the writer was waiting for me. I looked back up, forcing myself to meet his eyes. I had to do this. I had to do the explaining here, but I balked at it. It was ironic, I thought. Me, who half the time didn't know when to shut up. Me, famed for always having some catchy quip at the ready. Knowing it would never get any easier, I took a deep breath and let it all out, conscious of the weight of heaven at my back and the hell I'd just consented to stretching out before me. â€Å"The truth is†¦ the truth is, I don't really work in a bookstore. I mean, I do, but that's not really why I'm here, what my purpose is. The truth is that I'm a succubus, and I know you've probably heard of us before – or think you've heard of us before, but I doubt what you've heard is correct†¦Ã¢â‚¬  On I went. I told him. I told him everything. The rules of the succubus lifestyle, my dissatisfaction with it, why I wouldn't date people I liked. I told him about other immortals, angels and demons walking among us. I even explained about nephilim, hinting that Roman's presence in my apartment had been part of a lure on my part, but mostly skimming over the embarrassing circumstances Seth had found us in. On and on, I talked, not even knowing what I said half the time. I only knew I had to keep talking, keep trying to explain to Seth that which defied explanation. I finally reached the end, my stream of discourse exhausted. â€Å"So. So, I guess that's it. You can believe it or not, but the forces of good and evil – as humans perceive them, at least – are alive and well in the world, and I'm one of them. This city is filled with supernatural agents and entities; humans just don't realize it. It's probably just as well, really. Otherwise, if they knew too much about us, they might find out how pathetic and fucked up our lives actually are.† I shut up, thinking if Seth hadn't seen what he had already seen, he probably would have thought I was crazy. Hell, even after it all, he still probably thought I was crazy. He would be justified. Those brown eyes weighed me and my words in silence, and an annoying wetness welled up in my own eyes. I looked away to hide it, blinking rapidly, because while succubi might be accused of doing all sorts of bizarre things around mortal men, I was pretty sure crying wasn't one of them. â€Å"You said†¦ you said you used to be human.† He spoke the words awkwardly, no doubt trying to grasp the whole concept of mortal and immortal. â€Å"How then†¦ how did you become a succubus?† I looked back up at him. I could refuse him nothing in that moment, no matter how painful. â€Å"I made a bargain. I told you before that I was married†¦ that I had cheated on my husband. The consequences of that were†¦ not pleasant. I traded away my life – becoming a succubus – in order to repair the damage I had caused.† â€Å"You gave away eternity to fix one mistake?† Seth frowned. â€Å"That doesn't seem equitable.† I shrugged, highly uncomfortable with the topic. I had never spoken of it to anyone. â€Å"I don't know. It's done.† â€Å"Okay.† He shifted slightly in bed, the soft swishing of fabric the only sound between us. â€Å"Well. Thanks for telling me.† I recognized a dismissal when I heard one, and it dug into me like a blade. That was it. Done. Seth was through with me. We were finished. After everything I had told him, there was no way things could return to how they'd been, but really, wasn't that for the best? I hurriedly stood up, suddenly not wanting to be there any longer. â€Å"Yeah. Okay.† I moved toward the door, suddenly pausing to look back at him. â€Å"Seth?† â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Do you understand? Why I do what I do? Why we can't – why we have to – † I couldn't finish the thought. â€Å"It's impossible. I wish it were different†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah,† he said quietly. Turning, I fled his condo for my car. When I got into it, I buried my face into the steering wheel, sobbing uncontrollably. After a few minutes, gentle arms wrapped around me, and I turned toward Carter, crying into his chest. I'd heard reports of people who had angelic encounters, witnesses talking about the peace and beauty experienced by such moments. I'd never given any of it much thought, but as minutes passed, the terrible pain in my chest abated, and I grew calmer, finally lifting my head up to look at the angel. â€Å"He hates me,† I choked out. â€Å"Seth hates me now.† â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"After everything I just told him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I suspect he's troubled and confused, yes, but I don't think he hates you. Love like that doesn't turn to hate quite so easily, though I'll admit the two intertwine sometimes.† I sniffled. â€Å"Did you feel it? His love?† â€Å"Not like you did. I sensed it, though.† â€Å"I've never felt anything like it. I can't match that. I like him†¦ like him so much. Maybe I even love him too, but not in the same way he loves me. I'm not worthy of that love.† Carter made a soft, chastising click. â€Å"No one is beyond being loved.† â€Å"Not even someone who just agreed to spend the next century hurting humans, corrupting souls, and leading them to temptation and despair? You must hate me for that. Even I hate me for that.† The angel watched me, expression steady and calm. â€Å"Why did you agree then?† I leaned my head back against the seat. â€Å"Because I couldn't stand the thought of me†¦ of that love being wiped out of his head†¦ of not being remembered.† â€Å"Ironic, huh?† I turned toward him, hardly surprised at anything anymore. â€Å"How much do you know about me?† â€Å"Enough. I know what you got for becoming a succubus.† â€Å"I thought it was the right thing then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I murmured, my mind's eye turning to a faraway time and place, another man. â€Å"He was so sad and so angry at me†¦ he couldn't go on, knowing what I'd done. I just wanted to be blotted from his mind forever. I thought it would be better if he – if everyone – forgot about me. Forgot I'd ever existed.† â€Å"And now you don't agree?† I shook my head. â€Å"I saw him†¦ years later, when he was an old man. I shape-shifted to the form he'd known me in – that was the last time I've worn that face, actually – and approached him. He looked right past me, though. Didn't know me at all. The time we'd had together. The love he'd had for me. All gone. Gone forever. It killed me. I felt like one of the walking dead after that. â€Å"I couldn't let that happen. Not again. Not with Seth, after experiencing what he felt for me. Even if that love is ruined†¦ marred by what he thinks of me now. Even if he never speaks to me again. It's still better than that love never having existed at all.† â€Å"Love is rarely flawless,† Carter pointed out. â€Å"Humans delude themselves by thinking it has to be. It is the imperfection that makes love perfect.† â€Å"No riddles, please,† I told him, suddenly feeling tired. â€Å"I just lost the one person I might have loved again after all these years. Really, truly loved too. Not just pure excitement either, like with Roman. Seth†¦ Seth had it all. Passion. Commitment. Friendship. â€Å"Not only that, but I've agreed to go on ‘active duty' again as a succubus.† I closed my eyes, swallowing the bile in my throat. I thought of all the nice guys in the world, men like Doug and Bruce. I did not want to be their downfall. â€Å"I really do hate it, Carter. You have no idea how much I hate it, no idea how much I don't want to do this anymore. But it's worth it. Worth it if Seth can keep his memories.† I looked over at the angel uncertainly. â€Å"He can, can't he?† Carter nodded, and I exhaled with relief. â€Å"Good. At least there's one spot of hope in all of this.† â€Å"Of course there is. There's always hope.† â€Å"Not for me.† â€Å"There's always hope,† he repeated more firmly, a commanding note in his voice that startled me. â€Å"No one is beyond hope.† I could feel tears coming to my eyes again. Lord. I seemed to be crying all the time lately. â€Å"What about a succubus?† â€Å"Especially a succubus.† He put his arms around me again, and I gave way to my sobs once more, a damned soul taking momentary respite in the embrace of a heavenly creature. I wondered if what he said was true, if it was possible that there was still hope for me, but then I remembered something that made me half laugh and half choke all at once. Angels never lied.

Eliezer’s Relationship with His Father Essay

In his book, Night, Elie Wiesel spoke about his experience as a young Jewish boy in the Nazi concentration camps. During this turbulent time period, Elie described the horrifying events that he lived through and how that affected the relationship with his father. Throughout the book, Elie and his father’s relationship faced many obstacles. In the beginning, Elie and his father have much respect for one another and at the end of the book, that relationship became a burden and a feeling of guilt. Their relationship took a great toll on them throughout their journey in the concentration camps. As the story begins, Wiesel said, â€Å"My father was a cultured man, rather unsentimental. He rarely displayed his feelings, not even with his family, and was more involved with the welfare of others than with that of his own kind†. Chlomo, Elie’s father, was well respected in the Jewish community of Sighet. In Sighet, numerous members of the community came to meet with him for many unknown reasons. Wiesel felt that his father devoted too much time to make others happy and not enough to time with his own family. When Elie decided to take his studies of religion into greater exploration, his father dismissed his idea and claimed that he was too young. This is proof that the two did not have a strong bond but many different views of how to do things in life. Their lives took a turn for the worst when the Wiesel family were forcefully taken and placed into cattle cars to Auschwitz, a concentration camp. Elie’s view began to change and he started to see his father as someone who he admires and did not want to lose. As the family arrived at Birkenau they are given the order â€Å"Women and children to the left. Men to the right. † Elie was young and could have gone with either his mother and sister or father, but instead he decided to stay with his father who would have stayed all by himself if Elie had not joined him. At this moment, he realized that he must hold on to his father in order for them to survive this nightmare. On their arrival at the camp, Elie’s father has an attack of colic and asked where the toilets where located. The Gypsy who was in charge, punched his father with such intensity that he fell down and squirmed back to his place in line. â€Å"I stood petrified. What had happed to me? My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent. † Wiesel goes through a rollercoaster of emotions when dealing with his father. At times, Chlomo became his only hope and the only reason that he did not die. At other times, he felt that his father was a burden and was pulling him down. He couldn’t march well or keep up with the others. Through all of this despair and anguish their bond became stronger than ever. When the Russians were close to Buna the Germans rounded up all the prisoners they could and evacuated the camp. Elie was in the infirmary due to an infection on his foot, but all he could think about was staying close to his father. They had already suffered and endured so much that it was not the time to be separated. After many days of running, marching, and a long train ride under horrendous weather they reached Buchenwald. By then Elie’s father was already sick and weak. The sirens began to wail and they were chased into the blocks. At this point, sleep was all that mattered to Elie, not his father. When Wiesel awoke the next morning he realized that he had forgotten his father and went out to look for him. He thought if he didn’t find him he would be able to use all his strength to continue his fight for survival†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Instantly, I felt ashamed, ashamed of myself forever†. Before his father died, Elie only heard his name â€Å"Eliezer†. Wiesel became haunted by this experience and tells the horrific events of the Holocaust hoping that no other person will ever have to experience a situation with their family like this again. In the end, Elie Wiesel who survived this terrible experience of the Holocaust learned that even in tough times small indifferences don’t seem to matter.

American Government Oversight

The government of the United States involves the concept in political science known as separation of powers. This concept means that the different branches of government share power amongst themselves. Intricately connected with this concept is the system of checks and balances, which provides that all com/relationship-between-the-three-arms-of-government/">branches of government may challenge the exercise of power by the other branch. More accurately, this concept ensures that one branch would not encroach upon the power of another branch since each branch is given the power to make sure that the others remain acting within their bounds.The system of checks and balances was conceptualized by the Framers to ensure that no branch would overstep its boundaries in the exercise of its powers. For Congress, the system of checks and balances is made effective through its power of oversight (USConstitution. net). One example of congressional oversight relates to interceding with agencies on behalf of the interests of their constituents. Through oversight, Congressmen could look into the operations of agencies and determine whether the interests of their constituents are taken into account.The oversight power of Congress likewise involves the authority to monitor, supervise, and review the activities of the executive branch. The exercise of this power allowed Congress to look out for the interests and benefit of the American people. Examples in history include the opposition to the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and the investigation of the Watergate scandal that unearthed anomalies involving partisan gain (Kaiser, 1988).Another example of congressional oversight involves other channels, such as meetings with the staffs of legislative and executive officials. Through these meetings and consultations with the executive department, Congress is able to propose changes and suggest policies to the executive branch (Kaiser, 1988). It is clear that congressional oversight is very useful in ensuring that the other branches of government, such as the executive branch, do not overstep their boundaries.As representatives of the people, Congress occupies a special role in ensuring that the people’s will and interests are protected, and this duty is accomplished through Congress’ power of oversight. References Kaiser, F. M. (1988). Congressional Oversight of the Presidency. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 499(Congress and the Presidency: Invitation to Struggle), 75-89. USConstitution. net. Constitutional Topic: Checks and Balances. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. usconstitution. net/consttop_cnb. html

Mobile Analysis Business Model

This paper focuses on the strategic uncertainties, where a large number of actors are trying a number of strategic approaches to position themselves in the most favorable position in the value system. As a consequence, they are experimenting with a number of innovating business models. We argue that successful business models are likely to be the ones that best address the economic peculiarities underlying this industry, like mobility, network effects and natural monopolies.The paper presents the principal classes of actors that will participate In the mobile business Industry and give an overview of their business models based on a formalized ontology. Many definitions of mobile business focus on enabling business transaction through airless devices, confusing mobile commerce and mobile business. A commonly adopted definition, by Drencher, defines mobile commerce as â€Å"any transaction with a monetary value that Is conducted via mobile telecommunication network† (M;leerines s, 1999).Similar to e-commerce, the focus Is on the exchange of products and services, but without the constraint of a stationary user using wired infrastructure. We prefer to adopt a broader view of mobile business, which includes â€Å"all activities related to a (potential) commercial transaction through communications networks that Interface with mobile devices† (Treacheries, 2002).Mobile business is a very recent, but promising Industry created by the emergence and widespread adoption of wireless data networks, that enable the convergence of the Internet, e- business and the wireless world (Oklahoma, 2002). Similar to other emerging industries, mobile business is characterized by a continuously changing and complex environment, which creates important uncertainties at the levels of technology, demand and strategy (Porter, 1980).At the technological level, uncertainties are typically caused by rapid technological development and the cycle of an industry which is born than ks to a technological innovation. Concerning emend, despite a generalized consensus about the huge potential of mobile business services, nobody actually knows how to exploit the new possibilities brought by technology to create valuable services that the customers are willing to pay.Finally, strategic uncertainties are a common situation in emerging industries, whose essential characteristic from the viewpoint of formulating strategies is that there are no established rules of the game. As a consequence, actors must experience with a variety of strategic approaches and constantly reposition themselves in order to find the most favorable competitive position in the industry. Based on these observations, we developed a general research framework inspired by the works on the Balanced Scorecard (figure 1).Our objective is to conceive a market observation tool for the mobile business industry. The underlying idea is that we can better understand the reality by taking views from differen t complementary perspectives and putting them all together. The perspectives are chosen to cover all the different uncertainties mentioned above. Each perspective focuses on certain aspects of the mobile landscape and requires specific observation tools. The innovation Focus Observed objects Observation tools

Banning Catcher in the Rye Essay Example for Free

Banning Catcher in the Rye Essay The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger should not be banned in schools based solely on the fact that it is a controversial book that uses harsh language and sexual references. This book is J. D. Salinger’s freedom of speech, and it is a violation of the first amendment for schools to ban this book. This book is only offering an inside look into what teenagers go through in some point of their lives. According to the Los Angeles Times, The Catcher in the Rye’s, â€Å"†¦ profanity and sexual references drew scandalized reactions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rotella 18). Although this book has many sexual references, it is not in any way as explicit and as bad as what teenagers see and hear nowadays on television and in the world. Holden occasionally thinks and talks about sex: â€Å"Most guys at Pencey talked about having sexual intercourse with girls all the time. † (Salinger 48). The average teenager often thinks and talks about sex. It is not unusual for teenagers to do this. The profanity in this book is also not as bad as it may seem. Patty Salazar, a concerned mother and religious activist, claims that, â€Å"‘It uses the Lord’s name in vain 200 times’† (Rotella 17), but the curse words used in The Catcher in the Rye are nothing that teenagers have not heard before in their everyday lives. Banning The Catcher in the Rye in school is not acceptable. It is a violation of the first amendment, and it is nothing far from what teenagers encounter everyday. This book gives teenagers someone in literature that they are able to relate to in one way or another. The Catcher in the Rye is not a book that will corrupt young readers. The underlying theme of this book is loss of innocence. This loss occurs when a teenager makes the change to adulthood where he or she is obscured by phoniness. By banning this book from schools, the only thing that teenagers would be sheltered from is reality. Banning Catcher in the Rye. (2016, Oct 02).

Strategic Deterrence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Deterrence - Essay Example This situation comes when firms start loosing customer base, profit on sales and the business tending to break-even point, which is generally referred as no profit and no loss point. This position comes when the situation is from a very long time. Though Strategic deterrence is mutually agreed concept is in deed an unwilling act on behalf of the companies involved. It ensures no loss concept but never promises profits out of the deterrence. Strategic deterrence may be a positive attitude but is accepted only by small or medium companies but not by large multi national companies. Its implications on the multi markets are not only largely understood but are but are being analyzed to overcome the disadvantages due to the market encroachment. The markets un touched by this phenomenon is the monopoly market which stands high on sales and profit yet not letting any one step into its market. This is the only market, which does not need to negotiate with the fellow competitors in the multi market segments. Strategic deterrence some times tends to be very fair but in actual scenario it just an act of deceiving the fellow competitor there by amassing large customer base. Once customer base is achieved it is very hard for the rival firm to get to the competing level.

Global Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Global Governance - Essay Example In concise the concept of global governance provides non-state actors space in the following ways despite the complexities of its own multi-layered and multi-site system. Beginning with the relation between international relation and global governance, international relation basically defines the politics among nation which includes their individual status, involvement and benefits as well as losses. In a nutshell, it can be derived that there is no room for non-state actors under the domain of international relation. But creating a completely different set of parameters, Global governance provides some very important positions and roles to all sorts of non-state actors namely nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), transnational corporations (TNCs), and scientists. So, we can say that Greenpeace, PETA etc. are functioning actors within the scope of global governance. There are also some other elements similar to non-state actors like civil society and business and science. And as the whole world has now become a single entity under the process of globalization, so governance and global legal order is no longer a political matter involving nations but also those who have got no country affiliation but are basically related to the world and humanity as a whole. Thus, despite being a group of nations, the European Union relied on scientific arguments while taking decisions related to restrictions on trade and commerce of genetically modified organisms. Similarly, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is in frequent interaction with experts of agriculture and food. The scientific bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have been more than instrumental in shaping the legal framework for international as well as national policies. These well described forces of the world have helped in defining better policies of the nation on various critical issues like environment, hygiene, healthcare, pollution etc. Apart from them, there are other non-state actors that forms an intangible part of global governance like the European Commission with interstate jurisdiction. The Dispute Settlement Body o f the World Trade Organization (WTO) taking up issues related to trade and commerce between the nations or groups of nations. The global governance in practical sense have been quite inclusive in accommodating non-state actor in the world politics. As, discussed above, the term international relations basically undertakes measures that enables international interaction under section at a different level to that of social interaction. Extracting similar concepts, global governance derives a multilevel system which includes interlinked structure of processes with local, national, regional, and global variants. The non-state actors are being assimilated into various layers of global governance as equivocally authorized entity which in particular are supposed to guide nations at various situations and also form the link between the layers of global governance. Transnational forums as a non-state actor are legislated into the layers while giving importance to ideas and practices as per national, regional, or local settings and thereby finding solutions to global problems without adding any negligence to local communities and their capabilities. The above mentioned

Summery of Celia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summery of Celia - Essay Example The main character of the narrative is Celia, who is a black slave and is a victim as the story unfolds at each stage (McLaurin.). The theme of enslavement is as put forward by the American constitution then. The constitution saw it right to enslave people, and the irregularity was popular in the south. However, the north did not pursue the slavery institution in the various economic as well as the political endeavors. The story depicts a man who faces the demise of his wife and later on gives in to his sexual desires. The man chooses slavery as a way of fulfilling his desires. Celia is thus the unlucky girl, and she becomes an asset to the man at the age of fourteen years. She did not survive the test of time, and she tends to believe she is born for the fulfillment of the man. His master, Newsom, treats her as a sexual object. Celia bears two children for Newsom. After five years of unbearable life in the homestead, she finds a lover by the name of George. Due to their relationship, she tends to go to her master to end their sexual contract. The effort is unsuccessful. Due to the harassment, she kills her master and is taken to court to answer the charges. The enslavement institution tampers with her proceedings in court before the jury. It is due to the fact she is not able to defend herself in court. She is not given the capacity to narrate the numerous incidents that she experiences with her former master. The right of defending herself in court was as per the American constitution, but the granting of the opportunity was impossible since she was a slave. The narrative articulates that the Negroes in America were the main race that was suitable for enslavement. The Atlantic slave trade was a major boost for the racial discrimination. The story also puts forward that court proceedings and rulings did not recognize blacks as

Globalization of the Production Chain Literature review

Globalization of the Production Chain - Literature review Example As the paper outlines, technology has facilitated competence and the most efficient and cheap labor is hired due to globalization. With globalization, computer production has become global and its production is spread to over 40 countries. Dell, Microsoft, IBM etc. are brands known in every part of the world. Globalization has enabled such global brand recognition and brand awareness amongst the customers (Ding and Akhtar 2001, pp.946-65).  Ding and Akhtar (2001), claim that this industry has had revolutionary changes because of globalization and all the giant players have production chains that are spread across major regions of the world. A focus on the market leader Dell reveals the influence globalization has had on the production chain and the human resource.  Dedrick & Kraemer (2002), claim that the personal computer industry shows the impact globalization has had on the business world. However, Dell has shown remarkable growth and is the current market leader when it comes to reaping the advantages of globalization.  Dell has been able to maintain its business model even in the globalizing industry through its smart planning and strategies in line with globalization. Dell made the best use of its resources and has the most efficient supply chain and thus has been able to excel its competitors IBM and Microsoft (Rosenau and Earnest 2004). Hudetz (1998) says that initially, supply chains of the PC industry were vertically integrated and required the firms to undertake the major tasks of product design, structuring, innovation, customer relation, and operations internally. With such a production chain the costs were high and the process was time-consuming (Ding and Akhtar 2001, pp.950-65). Even market leaders like Dell initially produced complete systems and was based in the United States while it outsourced some of the components from other manufacturers (Rosenau and Earnest 2004).  According to Ardnt (2001), these were the initial phases of the PC supply chain at Dell and in the entire industry at large. IBM which was also a big brand at the time also imported minor parts from other regions and had a relatively wide supply chain network. Gradually the industry realized that importing parts from other regions and countries cut down the costs and thus intermediary firms sprouted up which supplied such parts to the industry at competitive rates (Rosenau and Earnest 2004). Although Dell was technologically more advanced and had a strategy that would enable them to pierce the global market, they could not do so. This was because their costs were high when compared to the competitors like IBM who were outsourcing supplies from cheaper, developing nations and were more cost-effective and were able to reap more profit (Dowling 1999, pp. 30-42). According to Rosenau and Earnest (2004) with globalization strategies, Dell and other MNC's including the IBM and Microsoft set up their branches within other countries. In 1990s Dell was the first to surge the global markets especially the developing countries like India, China, Pakistan, and Malaysia, paving the way for the other big brands to follow in its footsteps (Rosenau and Earnest 2004). Globalization enabled them to get the cheapest rates and a competitive quality (Arndt 1997, pp. 695-707).

Finding God Seeking the Truth Personal Statement

Finding God Seeking the Truth - Personal Statement Example Let me elaborate my understandings by touching on the point that God wanted to establish personal relations with his special creation, the humans. The Genesis clearly manifests how a loving God created all things. But whether the detail of such creation is clearly portrayed or not in the texts doesn't matter. What matters is the reason why man was created in His likeness. He made us special because he needed a special bond with the works of His hands and this could be achieved through following His well, to obey Him, and live forever with Him. But sin had changed all these. Nevertheless, in spite of the sins of Adam, he gave him a chance because he didn't want this bond to be broken. Regardless of the sinfulness of all the people in Noah's time God redeemed his family from the great flood, because God needed to preserve the connection. He called Abraham from among the rest of the people to establish an intimate attachment with God and human. When Sodom and Gomorrah was rained with fi re he saved Lot again to preserve the link. Yet now, upon pondering this important truth I have found, it's never too late for everyone to have a special relationship with God. I realized and I am convinced that no amount of religion can reinforce such personal relationship with God but we ourselves alone. How then can we show that God is reigning in us The second apprehension I have mentioned is respect for oneself which is one of the signs I realized than can prove it. God created our body as a temple of the Spirit he gave us. I had been taught from my Catholic teachings that humans have the breath of life, the soul that instituted the direct bond to our God. I held on to this conviction and continue to understand that a part of us is immortal and would come out at the right time laid in our fate by God. The body served as the temple of the soul that needs to be nurtured. A clean body would mean a clean soul. I recalled that time when I usually recharge myself in the quiet and calm place where I can make connection with nature. Oh, what a refreshing experience it was when you sense the spirit of God hovering in nature making connection with your inner soul! But meditation is just one expression in our struggle to respect our own body. Respect for self requires both physical and spiritual nurturing. Doing away with sinful acts that ruin not only the flesh but also the soul is one way. Immoral sex, alcoholism, and other forms of wicked acts corrupt the body and weaken the bond with God. The values taught in the Kabbalah are essential ideals and guidance to make the flesh clean. Following the teaching of good values and the way to righteousness is the ultimate show of deference for oneself. The ultimate proof of a strong bond with God and respect for the self could be shown by how we deal with others. I considered this third point as strongly reinforced by the texts I have encountered. Our behaviors towards ourselves are less pronounced than our business with others. How we greet the persons next us, how we mingle wit our peers, how we act in public are greatly seen by others and are judged by them. Every individual have their own standards as far as judging other behaviors are concerned. A good attitude to one can be normal for others. A bad habit could even be worse in another's perspective. But most often the limitations of our actions are governed by human laws. There are absurd things that could be socially

Freedom of Expression in the Workplace Case Study

Freedom of Expression in the Workplace - Case Study Example .This, however, does not mean that there is no adequate protection for employees. The Anti-discrimination laws provide for a level of protection for certain types of expression made in a workplace setting, which is not necessarily a First Amendment right (Sutherland, 1). Despite these laws, there is still a problem as to the amount of power that employers hold as regards the freedom of expression or expressive activities of employees which may hinder employees’ rights (Whitaker, 1). To address this problem, Bruce Barry in his book entitled â€Å"Speechless,† suggests that there must be changes made as to the laws and to management practice that would expand or develop the expressive rights of employees without however jeopardizing or compromising the interests of the employer (Barry, 1). Businesses should also have a code of conduct where there should be respect for expressive activities of employees, which may pertain to respect for an employee’s religion or expressions which tend to discriminate or harass a person’s race or sex (Whitaker, 1). In order to ensure the free expression of workers without however jeopardizing employer’s interests, there must be some monitoring.

Hospitality Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hospitality Operations Management - Essay Example Hence, the strategic development should be integrated into the system to increase the satisfaction among its consumers and develop its brand image. This greater acceptance would increase the credibility of the organisation to perform and enhance its image among the consumers (Sian & et. al., 2009). With this regard, the Hilton Hotels & Resort has been catering services to its clients, through its excellent presence in 540 locations in 78 countries. The hotel provides elegant services and develops its cliental base by providing international cuisine and other value added services. The hotel has been serving elegant clients and effectively handling its operational works to develop its consumer base (1Hilton Worldwide, 2014). In this context, the essay elaborates on the observation reports of the operation of the hotel. Furthermore, elaborations are provided on different quality services that are offered by the organisation. Different prices that are prevalent within the organisation are observed to be having a huge impact on the varied compiling prices that are used by the organisations to develop its competitive advantage. The dissimilar economic factors and other development of the diverse strategies are observed to be dependent on the economic factors that explain the pricing mechanism undertaken by the hotel. The diverse prices that are prevalent in the system are further observed to be having a huge impact on the development of the operational system. The development of proper service price will help in enhancing the operation management system (Kenessey & et. al., 2005). The two major pricing methods that are followed by the hospitality sector could be observed as cost oriented as well as market oriented pricing techniques. The cost oriented pricing techniques are involved with the cost that is included to cover the profits and even cover the cost of profit. The cost oriented pricing techniques follows a traditional

Comparison of Early American Literature Essay Example for Free

Comparison of Early American Literature Essay The two selections Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford and The General History of Virginia by John Smith are some of the earlier pieces of American literature. Although they were both written in the same time period the style and attitudes vary greatly. William Bradford had a very direct form of writing; commonly known as plain puritan style, whereas, John Smith had a somewhat confusing, more elaborate, writing style. Bradfords piece also seemed more accurate than John Smiths account. For example, John Smith wrote of his capture by three hundred bowmen, conducted by the king of Pamunkee which seems more than a little exaggerated. After all, it generally doesnt take three hundred men to capture one. Smith exaggerated many times in order to boast about himself. There are many times when he refers to his greatness. In the following quote he boasts of his leadership skills and compassion for his fellow men while belittling his superiors: The new President and Martin, being little beloved, of weak judgment in dangers, and less industry in peace, committed the managing of all things abroad to Captain Smith, who, by his own example, good words, and fair promises, set some to mow, others to bind thatch, some to build houses, others to thatch them, himself always bearing the greatest task for his own share, so that in short time her provided most of them lodgings, neglecting any for himself William Bradford, on the other hand, boasts about his colony: there was but six or seven sound persons who to their great commendations, be it spoken, spared no pains night or day, but with abundance of toil and hard of their own health, fetched them wood, made them fires, dressed them meat, made their beds, washed their loathsome clothes, clothed and unclothed them. Bradford and Smith, both leaders of their colonies, wrote of their hardships in the new world. Despite these similarities the way they acted was very different. When John Smith writes about the Native Americans he refers to them as savages and barbarians. He even calls Pocahontas, the girl who saved his life, a young wench. Bradford writes of the Native Americans as  human beings. He even had a peace treaty with them that lasted twenty-four years. They also had different motifs for writing, which may contribute to the many differences. Smith wrote his selection to encourage people to come to America to find excitement and adventure. Bradford simply wanted to inform the readers of what the lives of colonists was really like. As different are their writing styles, motifs, and views these two men share some common ground, one being they are some of the earliest works of American Literature. So no matter how different or alike Smith and Bradfords writings are, History of Virginia and Of Plymouth Plantation will always be remembered as great American literature.

How Electron Configuration Accounts for Ion Formation

How Electron Configuration Accounts for Ion Formation Consider electron configuration as it applies to the periodic table and explain in detail how this accounts for the formation of ions. Elements are arranged in the periodic table (see figure 1) according to their electronic configuration, which describes the number and arrangement of electrons in an atom, helping to make sense of the chemistry of an element. The notion of Electron configuration was first highlighted with the Bohr model, in which the electron shells were orbits at a fixed distance from the nucleus of an atom, and it is still common to speak of atomic structures in terms of shells and sub-shells. An electron shell is the set of atomic orbitals which share the same prinicpal quantum number n (Krauskopf 1995) – the number before the letter in the oribital label. Orbitals are filled in the order of increasing n+1, where two orbitals have the same value of n+1, they are filled in order of increasing n (reference.com). This gives the following order for filling the orbitals: 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s 4d 5p 6s 4f 5d 6p 7s 5f 6d 7p If we look at this in relation to the periodic table we can see that starting with Hydrogen (which has one electron) going across to Helium having two. These two electrons have no filled up the first ‘shell’, called 1s. The next ‘shell’, 2s, is filled by Lithium and Beryllium. Moving across to the 2p sub shell (1p does not exist) – B, C, N, O, F, Ne. Each whole (one row in the table) ‘shell’ holds 8 electrons (with the S sub-shell holding 2 electrons, and the p sub-shell holding 6). So the second shell, looking at one row of the periodic table, is Li and Be (2s), and B, C, N, O, F, and Ne (2p). The elements of group 2 of the perdioic table have an electron configuration of [E]ns2 (where [E] is an inert gas configuration, taken from reference.com). Those elements grouped together in the periodic table have notable similarities in their chemical properties (Drever 1997). Electrons fill energy levels according to the Aufbau principle – the principle that the electron configurations of atoms build up according to a set of rules. The three rules are that: Electrons go into the orbital at the lowest available energy level Each orbital can only contain at most two electrons (with opposite spins) Where there are two or more orbitals at the same energy, they fill singly before the electrons pair up. Figure 1: Periodic Table of Elements ‘Valence electrons’ are the electrons contained in the outer shell (commonly called the ‘valence shell’) of an atom, and are important in determining the chemical properties of an element (Krauskopf 1995). As a result of this, elements with the same number of valence electrons are grouped together in the period table. As a general rule, the fewer electrons an atom holds, the less stable it becomes and the more likely it is to react. Conversely the more complete the valence shell is the more inert an atom is and the less likely it is to chemically react. Elements in the same group of the periodic table have similar properties because they have the same outer electron configuration. There are trends in properties down a group because of the shielding effect of the increasing number of inner full shells (Drever 1997). Electrons are able to move from one energy level to another by emission or absorption of a quantum of energy, in the form of a photon (reference.com). It is this gain or loss of energy that can trigger an electron to move to another shell or even break free from the atom and it’s valence shell. When an electron absorbs/gains more photons, then it moves to a more outer shell depending on the amount of energy the electron contains and has gained due to absorption. When an election releases/loses photons, then it moves to a more inner shell depending on the amount of energy the electron contains and has lost. If we use fluorine as an example, we can see that the full electron configuration of Fluorine is 1s2s2p5 (F is 5th from the left in p-block, one behind Neon so has 5 2p electrons). The valence electrons are 2s2p5 as there are two shells and these electrons are in the outer one. The key point is that atoms like to have a whole shell of 8 electrons, as this makes them more stable. As we can see from figure 1, Fluorine has only 7 electrons (7th from the right on the second row). It really wants to gain an electron (to be like Neon) in order to have 8, and complete its shell. Fluorine is, therefore, very reactive and ‘steals’ and electron off anything it can find. When it does this it gains an electron and becomes a negative ion – F (1s2s2p6). The reverse of this is Sodium (1s2s2p3s1), where 3s1 are the valence electrons. It really wants to loose this one extra electron to become 1s2s2p8 like Neon. It looses an electron and becomes a positive ion (Na+). REFERENCES: Baird, C. (1995) Environmental Geochemistry. USA: W.H. Freeman and Company Drever, J.I. (1997) The Geochemistry of Natural Waters. London: Prentice-Hall Krauskopf, K.B, Bird D.K. (1995) Introduction to Geochemistry. USA: McGraw-Hill Howard A.G. (1998) Aquatic Environmental Chemistry. Oxford: Science Publications Garrels, R. M., and J. C.Christ. (1965). Solutions, minerals, and equilibria. San Francisco: Freeman, Cooper. Web Resouces: www.reference.com