Community profile of Hackney, London The WritePass Journal

Community profile of Hackney, London Introduction Community profile of Hackney, London ). Local residents’ satisfaction with the police force and the fire service are the highest across London, although whilst the number of crimes has been reduced significantly, the number of crimes in Hackney is still higher than in other London boroughs, with 142/1000 crimes in Hackney, 111/1000 crimes in London as a whole and 89/1000 crimes in England as a whole (Hackney Borough Council, 2012). The most frequent crime in Hackney is burglary, with criminal damage and drug offences following. Violence against the person is also relatively high in Hackney, although this is one type of crime that has been reduced significantly in Hackney (Hackney Borough Council, 2012). Antisocial behaviour was identified as a problem area with anti-social behaviours such as drug dealing and teenagers running around the streets being the main cause for concern amongst residents (Hackney Borough Council, 2012). Despite this, fear of crime was low in Hackney residents, with the majority of resident s surveyed saying that they felt safe during the day and relatively safe at night, both in their own homes and in the street (Hackney Borough Council, 2012). Survey   It was decided, according to the community profiling tools provided by Christakopoulou et al. (2001), that the community profile should determine key aspects of the community and the lives of the people in the chosen community: what the area is like as a place to live; what the area is like as a social community; what the areas is like as an economic community; what the area is like as a political community; what the area is like as a personal space; and what the area is like as part of the city of London, in terms of the links between Hackney and the rest of London and what the specific local identity is that sets Hackney apart from the rest of London. By focusing on these key areas it is possible to more readily identify the main findings and thoughts of those within the region. On this basis, twenty survey questions were developed (see Appendix 1), with a view to using these survey questions to gain information from local Hackney residents as to their views of their community. The survey was presented to twenty local residents, who were approached as they walked down the street. Of the twenty residents who were approached, ten of them were willing to take time to answer the survey questions. The next section of the community profile will present the findings from the research, i.e., the responses of the ten local residents to the survey questions. The following section will then present an analysis of these findings; the final section will present an overall Conclusion for the community profile. Research findings Regarding the first question, ‘What do you think about Hackney?’ the ten residents all had different opinions. Several mentioned that they loved to live in Hackney and that they were proud to live in Hackney. One older man mentioned that he felt unsafe in Hackney and was looking to move and this may be reflective of the different demands of age groups. He said he does not go outside his home at night as he fears the gangs of teenagers he sees on the streets. Another lady, a young mum, said that she loves Hackney but feels more could be done for young people in the area, and especially more for children. The young woman pointed out that she felt there were too few activities for children and that the outdoor parks were very badly maintained and often full of threatening teenagers, so that she did not use the parks with her children. Another person stated that they had lived in Hackney all their life and that they love Hackney, that they don’t se themselves ever lea ving. Regarding the second question, Do you think Hackney is a nice place to live?, eight of the people surveyed said yes, they felt that Hackney is a nice place to live and that they are happy living in Hackney.   Two of them, including the old man, stated that they were not very happy living in Hackney and that they would prefer to live somewhere else. Regarding the third question, Do you like living in Hackney?, again, eight of the people said yes and two said no. The two people who said no said that they felt Hackney had become more unsafe and was not a safe place to live, that they often see drug dealers selling in the local parks and that the area could benefit from more policing. In terms of the responses to the fourth question, Do you think Hackney is a satisfying place to live?, the eight people said that, yes, they felt Hackney is a satisfying place to live, with two people saying that it used to be but that now they did not feel it was the right place for them to be now. They noted that the rising house prices all over London made it difficult, however, for them to move, with this meaning that they felt they were marooned in Hackney. This is also evident in the fact that the region generally has a high level of satisfaction but this may be more reflective of the lack of alternative options rather than true satisfaction. When asked, Do you, in Hackney, have access to all the facilities you need?, the ten people all had very different answers. Two, who appeared to be students, said that the rent was cheap and there were great cheap restaurants, that they were very happy with the area. Another said that, yes, the borough has sports facilities and parks and access to other London attractions. Others said that, yes, the community was strong and they were able to take part in community activities. When asked, Are you involved in the social life of your local area?, two of the local residents indicated they were, via a community gardening project and a community regeneration project. These two said that they felt this had made them feel more like a part of the local community. When asked, Do you find your local community, in Hackney, supportive?, five said yes, four said they didn’t really no and one said no. The one who said no stated that they felt the police force could have a greater and more effective presence. The ones who said yes stated that they felt safe and welcome in the community. When asked, Do you feel Hackney has a range of socioeconomic conditions?, the majority said something   along the lines of ‘we’re all poor here’, with one stating that Hackney has its ‘nice ends’ and its poor parts. When asked, Do you think Hackney has a vibrant offering of local shops?, the people stated, yes, that they hardly ever have to leave Hackney to find something and that they loved the fact that there were so many international shops and restaurants. They all stated that they felt their local shop owners were part of their community and that they made an effort to make them feel welcome whenever they frequented the shop, noting that this made them feel more welcome to the community as a whole. When asked, Do you feel well represented, politically, in Hackney?, the majority stated that they were unsure, with one stating that they felt the local politicians could do more to help Hackney. When asked, Do you feel the local politicians do a good job of managing Hackney?, the local residents stated that they were unsure but that, given the lack of complaints they had about the borough, the politicians must be doing their job well. When asked, Do you feel, as a local resident, that you have a say in what happens in Hackney?’, the residents responded that they do not feel they have a say in Hackney, as they are but mere residents. One of the people, one of the ones who volunteer in the local community said that they felt their commitment to Hackney mad e them feel more a part of Hackney. In response to, Are there community organisations in Hackney?, two said yes, they were part of these community organisation and the remainder said they were unsure. For the next question, Are you involved with community organisations in Hackney?, again, only two stated that, yes, they were involved; the remainder stated that no, they were not involved. In response to the question, Are you very attached to Hackney?, eight said yes, they were, one said no and one said they weren’t sure. When asked, How long have you lived in Hackney?, the average answer was 18 years; the longest was 68 years and the shortest 8 months. When asked, Do you have special memories of Hackney or of local people?, a variety of answers were given, all of which were very special and particular to that person as an individual. This suggested that the people did have very personal connection to Hackney. When asked, Do you feel like Hackney is part of London?, the people stated that, yes, Hackney is part of London. When asked, Do you feel there are good linkages between Hackney and the rest of London?, all of them replied in the positive. The fact that Hackney is so close to central London was an attractive point for many of the respondents. When asked, What do you feel distinguishes Hackney from the rest of London?, several answered that they felt the rest of London is less personal and welcoming than Hackney, with several others saying they feel Hackney is like a little village in London. Analysis of findings In terms of the analysis of the findings from the survey and the background quantitative analysis of Hackney borough, it can be seen that Hackney is a very vibrant and multicultural, multi-ethnic, borough. Hackney is appreciated by its residents for its special qualities and sense of community, meaning that residents feel welcome in Hackney. The survey found, for example, that the majority of people were very happy in Hackney and that they were so happy they had stayed in Hackney for a long time. One cause for concern, however, was the lack of children’s facilities and the safety and security of the area in general. Overall, however, the findings suggest that residents are generally very happy with Hackney and intend to stay in Hackney. Despite this there is some suggestion that the responses are reflective of the perceived inability to move to any other area and the fact that having a broad range of cultures makes those that would otherwise feel like they are in the minority feel relatively comfortable in the environment. Community profile of Hackney The community profile that has emerged for Hackney is of a smaller London borough that has a population of small children in Hackney being higher than the national average and higher than in many other London boroughs. Hackney is multicultural, with Hackney having a far larger Black population than either other London inner boroughs or the UK as a whole. Hackney has a high number of social housing stock, with demand for this housing outweighing supply and average income across Hackney being well below the national average. Crime is a concern in Hackney, as is antisocial behaviour; this was apparent from both the quantitative analysis and the survey.   Conclusion This report has presented a community profile of Hackney in London, i.e., a description of the particular community or neighbourhood chosen using a variety of techniques to build up a picture of the community (Barnados, 2004). The techniques that were used in the construction of the community profile was a look at the figures associated with the region to provide details of the history and general background of the Hackney area and a survey of local residents and traders to gain a more subjective understanding of the area. These two approaches were used to gain an understanding of the needs of the community and the resources that exist within the community with a view to understanding what action plan could be implemented to improve the community and the quality of life of the people living in the community. In terms of the understanding of the needs of the community, the community profile has shown that Hackney has a high number of children and young people with tee survey showing that their needs are currently unmet. This means that a huge section of Hackney residents have unmet needs; this means that the quality of life of this section of the community could be improved. Additionally, crime and fear of crime is high in Hackney, with the surveys showing that fear of crime stopped at least one resident from leaving their home at night, this severely impacting their quality of life. In terms of what could be done to improve the quality of life of residents, then, as quantitative analysis and survey have shown, providing more activities or spaces for children and young people would help them and possible reduce antisocial behaviours. Providing more police would possibly help to reduce crime and the fear of crime. In conclusion, the community profile shows that Hackney is a very nice place to live, in general, but that it has some aspects that could be improved and, by improving them, this would improve the quality of life of residents. As has been discussed, the findings suggest that residents are generally very happy with Hackney and intend to stay in Hackney. Overall, then, the community profile has found certain problems with Hackney borough but has found that these problems are not viewed as particularly serious by residents; residents seem to love Hackney and love the fact that Hackney welcomes them with open arms, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion or creed. References Barnados, 2004. Community profiling. Available from barnardos.org.uk/communityprofiling.pdf [Accessed 6th May 2013]. Christakopoulou, S., Dawson, J. and Gari, A. (2001) ‘The community well-being questionnaire: theoretical context and initial assessment of its reliability and validity’, Social Indicators Research, 56: 321–51. Hackney Borough Council, 2009. Hackneys housing. Available from hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/hackney-Housing.pdf [Accessed 9th May 2013]. Hackney Borough Council, 2010. Hackney’s population. Available from hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/hackney-Population.pdf [Accessed 9th May 2013]. Hackney Borough Council, 2012. Hackney’s community safety. Available from hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/community-safety.pdf [Accessed 9th May 2013].   Appendix 1: Survey questions What do you think about Hackney? Do you think Hackney is a nice place to live? Do you like living in Hackney? Do you think Hackney is a satisfying place to live? Do you, in Hackney, have access to all the facilities you need? Are you involved in the social life of your local area? Do you find your local community, in Hackney, supportive? Do you feel Hackney has a range of socioeconomic conditions? Do you think Hackney has a vibrant offering of local shops? Do you feel well represented, politically, in Hackney? Do you feel the local politicians do a good job of managing Hackney? Do you feel, as a local resident, that you have a say in what happens in Hackney? Are there community organisations in Hackney? Are you involved with community organisations in Hackney? Are you very attached to Hackney? How long have you lived in Hackney? Do you have special memories of Hackney or of local people? Do you feel like Hackney is part of London? Do you feel there are good linkages between Hackney and the rest of London? What do you feel distinguishes Hackney from the rest of London?

Venomous Sea Snake Facts (Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae)

Venomous Sea Snake Facts (Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae) Sea snakes include 60 species of marine snakes from the cobra family (Elapidae). These reptiles fall into two groups: true sea snakes (subfamily Hydrophiinae) and sea kraits (subfamily Laticaudinae). The true sea snakes are most closely related to Australian cobras, while kraits are related to Asian cobras. Like their terrestrial relatives, sea snakes are highly venomous. Unlike terrestrial cobras, most sea snakes are not aggressive (with exceptions), have small fangs, and avoid delivering venom when they bite. While similar to cobras in many respects, sea snakes are fascinating, unique creatures, perfectly adapted to life in the sea. Fast Facts: Venomous Sea Snake Scientific Name: Subfamilies Hydrophiinae and LaticaudinaeCommon Names: Sea snake, coral reef snakeBasic Animal Group: ReptileSize: 3-5 feetWeight: 1.7-2.9 poundsLifespan: Estimated 10 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: Coastal Indian and Pacific OceanPopulation: UnknownConservation Status: Most species are Least Concern Description Yellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis platurus), illustrating the body shape of a true sea snake. Nastasic / Getty Images Aside from analyzing its DNA, the best way to identify a sea snake is by its tail. The two types of sea snakes have very different appearances because they have evolved to live different aquatic lives. The true sea snakes have flattened, ribbon-like bodies, with oarlike tails. Their nostrils are on top of their snouts, making it easier for them to breathe when they surface. They have small body scales and may lack belly scales entirely. True sea snake adults range from 1 to 1.5 meters (3.3 to 5 feet) in length, although a length of 3 meters is possible. These snakes crawl awkwardly on land and may become aggressive, although they cannot coil to strike. You can find both true sea snakes and kraits in the sea, but only sea kraits crawl efficiently on land. A sea krait has a flattened tail, but it has a cylindrical body, lateral nostrils, and enlarged belly scales like a terrestrial snake. A typical krait color pattern is black alternating with bands of white, blue, or gray. Sea kraits are somewhat shorter than true sea snakes. An average adult krait is about 1 meter in length, although some specimens reach 1.5 meters. Habitat and Distribution Sea snakes are found throughout the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. They do not occur in the Red Sea, Atlantic Ocean, or Caribbean Sea. Most sea snakes live in shallow water less than 30 meters (100 feet) deep because they need to surface to breathe, yet must seek their prey near the sea floor. However, the yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platurus) may be found in the open ocean. The so-called California sea snake is Pelamis platurus. Pelamis, like other sea snakes, cannot live in cool water. Below a certain temperature, the snake is unable to digest food. Snakes may be found washed up on shores in the temperature zone, typically driven by storms. However, they call the tropics and subtropics their home.   The so-called California sea snake is actually the yellow-bellied sea snake. Auscape / UIG / Getty Images Diet and Behavior The true sea snakes are predators that eat small fish, fish eggs, and young octopuses. True sea snakes may be active during the day or at night. Sea kraits are nocturnal feeders that prefer to feed on eels, supplementing their diet with crabs, squid, and fish. While they have not been observed feeding on land, kraits return to it to digest prey. Some sea snakes host the sea snake barnacle (Platylepas ophiophila), which hitches a ride to catch food. Sea snakes (kraits) may also host parasitic ticks. Sea snakes are preyed upon by eels, sharks, large fish, sea eagles, and crocodiles. Should you find yourself stranded at sea, you can eat sea snakes (just avoid getting bitten). You can tell this is a krait because it has nostrils on either side of its snout. Todd Winner/Stocktrek Images / Getty Images Like other snakes, sea snakes need to breathe air. While kraits surface for air regularly, true sea snakes can remain submerged for around 8 hours. These snakes can breathe through their skin, absorbing up to 33 percent of needed oxygen and expelling up to 90 percent of waste carbon dioxide. The left lung of a true sea snake is enlarged, running much of its body length. The lung affects the animals buoyancy and buys it time underwater. The nostrils of a true sea snake close when the animal is underwater. While they live in the oceans, sea snakes cannot extract fresh water from the saline sea. Kraits may drink water from land or the sea surface. True sea snakes must wait for rain so they may drink the relatively fresh water floating on the seas surface. Sea snakes can die of thirst. Reproduction and Offspring Olive sea snake two days old, Reef HQ Aquarium, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. Auscape / UIG / Getty Images The true sea snakes may be oviparous (lay eggs) or ovoviviparous (live birth from fertilized eggs held within the females body). The mating behavior of the reptiles is unknown, but it may be linked to the occasional schooling of large numbers of snakes. The average clutch size is 3 to 4 young, but as many as 34 young may be born. Snakes born in the water may be nearly as large as adults. The genus Laticauda is the only oviparous group of true sea snakes. These snakes lay their eggs on land. All sea kraits mate on land and lay their eggs (oviparous) in rock crevices and caves on shore. A female krait may deposit from 1 to 10 eggs before returning to the water. Sea Snake Senses Olive sea snake, Hydrophiidae, Pacific ocean, Papua New Guinea. Reinhard Dirscherl / Getty Images Like other snakes, sea snakes flick their tongues to gain chemical and thermal information about their environment. Sea snake tongues are shorter than those of regular snakes because its easier to taste molecules in water than in air. Sea snakes ingest salt with prey, so the animal has special sublingual glands under its tongue that allow it to remove excess salt from its blood and expel it with a tongue flick. Scientists dont know much about sea snake vision, but it appears to play a limited role in catching prey and selecting mates. Sea snakes have special mechanoreceptors that help them sense vibration and movement. Some snakes respond to pheromones to identify mates. At least one sea snake, the olive sea snake (Aipysurus laevis), has photoreceptors in its tail that allow it to sense light. Sea snakes may be able to detect electromagnetic fields and pressure, but the cells responsible for these senses have yet to be identified. Sea Snake Venom Sea snakes bear close observation, but may bite if threatened. Joe Dovala / Getty Images Most sea snakes are highly venomous. Some are even more venomous than cobras! The venom is a deadly mixture of neurotoxins and myotoxins. However, humans rarely get bitten, and when they do, the snakes rarely deliver venom. Even when envenomation (venom injection) does occur, the bite may be painless and initially produce no symptoms. Its common for some of the snakes small teeth to remain in the wound. Symptoms of sea snake poisoning occur within 30 minutes to several hours. They include headache, stiffness, and muscle pain throughout the body. Thirst, sweating, vomiting, and a thick-feeling tongue may result. Rhadomyolisis (muscle degradation) and paralysis ensue. Death occurs if the muscles involved in swallowing and respiration are affected. Because bites are so rare, antivenin is next to impossible to obtain. In Australia, a specific sea snake antivenin exists, plus the antivenin for the Ausatralian tiger snake may be used as a substitute. Elsewhere, youre pretty much out of luck. The snakes are not aggressive unless they or their nest are threatened, but its best to leave them alone. The same caution should be applied to snakes washed up on beaches. Snakes may play dead as a defense mechanism. Even a dead or decapitated snake may bite via reflex. Conservation Status Habitat destruction and over-fishing are threats to sea snake survival. Hal Beral / Getty Images Sea snakes, as a whole, are not endangered. However, there are some species on the IUCN Red List. Laticauda crockeri is vulnerable, Aipysurus fuscus is endangered, and Aipysurus foliosquama (leaf-scaled sea snake) and Aipysurus apraefrontalis (short-nose sea snake) are critically endangered. Sea snakes are difficult to keep in captivity, due to their specialized diets and habitat requirements. They need to be housed in rounded tanks to avoid damaging themselves on corners. Some need to be able to exit the water. Pelamis platurus accepts goldfish as food and can survive captivity. Animals That Resemble Sea Snakes Garden eels look a bit like snakes. Mark Newman / Getty Images There are several animals that resemble sea snakes. Some are relatively harmless, while others are venomous and more aggressive than their aquatic cousins. Eels are often mistaken for sea snakes because they live in the water,  have a serpentine appearance, and breathe air. Some species of eels can give a nasty bite. A few are poisonous. Some species can deliver an electric shock. The sea snakes cousin is the cobra. Cobras are excellent swimmers that can deliver a deadly bite. While they are most often found swimming in freshwater, they are at ease in coastal saltwater, too. Other snakes, both on land and water, may be confused with sea snakes. While the true sea snakes may be recognized by their flattened bodies and oar-shaped tails, the only visible trait distinguishing sea kraits from other snakes is a somewhat flattened tail. Sources Coborn, John.  The Atlas of Snakes of the World. New Jersey: T.F.H. Publications, inc. 1991.Cogger, Hal.  Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Sydney, NSW: Reed New Holland. p.  722, 2000.Motani, Ryosuke. The Evolution of Marine Reptiles.  Evo Edu Outreach.  2: 224–235, May, 2009.Mehrtens J M. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp., 1987

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operations Management - Essay Example They don't just negotiate, but they also look at the vendor's commitment to supply quality goods. Once satisfied, a new business relationship is formed. After procuring the goods, Wal-Mart will stock the items in different distribution centers scattered in different locations. Barcode technology and hand-held computers were adopted that allows the company to manage a consistent flow of supply. The barcodes will serve as an identification tag of a certain product, while the hand-held computers will serve as the locator of an exact product being monitored (Chandran, 2003). 2.2 Logistics Outstanding transportation system of Wal-Mart makes the delivery of supplies from distribution centers to respective store outlets fast and reliable. The company would only hire experienced drivers who have good records in traffic rules. Also, all drivers will be monitored using the "Private Fleet Driver Handbook" that serves as a manual for all terms and conditions of delivery, code of conduct and othe r activities. On the other hand, Wal-Mart also adopted the 'cross-docking' logistics technique in which it reduces the handling and storage of finished goods at the distribution centers by directly delivering it to the customers after being manufactured (Chandran, 2003).

Dynamic DNS in Linux Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dynamic DNS in Linux - Article Example The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allowed enterprises and Internet service providers (ISPs) to assign addresses to computers on the fly as they powered up. The Domain Name System brought a method of distributing the address information automatically online through recursive queries to remote databases configured for each domain. In addition, this helped conserve the address space available, since not all devices might be actively used at all times and addresses could be assigned as needed. This feature required that DNS servers be kept current automatically as well. The first implementations of dynamic DNS fulfilled this purpose. The excessive use of the Internet by all even in people's homes brought a growing shortage of available IP addresses. DHCP became an important tool for ISPs to manage their address spaces for connecting home and small-business end-users with a single IP address each by connecting them through a Network Address Translation (NAT) router. Behind these routers (in the private network) it was possible to reuse address space set aside for these purposes . This, however, broke the end-to-end principle of Internet methods were required to allow private networks, masqueraded by frequently changing IP addresses, to discover their routable 'outside' address and insert it into the domain name system in order to participate in Internet communications more fully. Today, numerous providers, called Dynamic DNS service providers, offer such technology and services on the Internet. They provide a software client program that automates this function. The client program is executed on a computer in the private network. It connects to the service provider's systems and causes those systems to link the discovered public IP address of the home network with a hostname in the domain name system. Depending on the provider, the hostname is registered within a domain owned by the provider or the customer's own domain name. These services can function by a number of mechanisms. Often they use an HTTP service request since even restrictive environments usually allow HTTP service. This group of services is commonly also referred to by the term Dynamic DNS, although it is not the standards-based DNS Update method. However, the latter might be involved in the providers systems. Most home networking routers today have this feature already built into their firmwa re. One of the early routers to support Dynamic DNS was the UMAX UGate-3000 in 1999, which supported the TZO.COM dynamic DNS service. Dynamic DNS Preparation Unlike DSL, most cable modem providers may not allow you to host sites at home by blocking inbound HTTP (TCP port 80) and SMTP mail (TCP port 25) while allowing most other TCP traffic through. Many DDNS providers are aware of this and provide a redirect service to bypass the problem. Under the system, Web queries first hit their servers on the regular TCP ports and then these servers automatically redirect the Web clients to use the IP address of your server on a different TCP port. Registering DDNS Once you have decided to go ahead with DDNS you'll need to choose between the broad categories of Dynamic DNS service. Free Dynamic DNS: Your website name will be a sub domain of the DDNS provider's domain. For example if the DDNS provide

What is Hobbies Essay Example for Free

What is Hobbies Essay Hobbies are things you do in your spare time, this can take the form of anything that you are interested in, it should be invigorating and also be a form of relaxation, hobbies can also educational, enjoyable fun to perform and exciting. A hobby should be something you take pleasure in doing, something that you are good at, positively motivating and at no time be boring or depressing neither too stressful as this will create negative emotions. Some hobbies are social events in which you participate and interact with a team or friends and some are considered personal whereby you reflect and enjoy by yourself. People have multiple hobbies in which they participate in some of my hobbies are reading, cycling, fishing, football, dancing, cricket and motor racing. I use reading for academic elevation, to increase my knowledge making me more educated. This acts as a form of relaxation and is good to maintain mental sharpness and keep the brain active in turn assist me to be a better writer. This is one of my personal hobbies and is enjoyed in the silence of my home or by the seaside under a shady tree. The choice of cycling is both relaxing and to keep the body fit and healthy as we know health is very important aspect of life. Hobbies and why there are important Free Essay, Term Paper and Book Report A hobby can take you out of your life for a while. It can be invigorating, relaxing, educational, fun, or maybe, if you are lucky, a little of everything. Hobbies are more than just ways to creatively pass the time. They are also good for your health. Hobbies and other leisure activities can have many health benefits.Everyone knows that stress can and will at some point in your life, take a heavy toll on your mind and body. A hobby can prevent the harmful effects of stress and also make your life richer and more rewarding. There is evidence that staying mentally active may actually help prevent Hobbies can also help us feel connected.

Enron Essay -- essays research papers

In 1984 Ken Lay became chairman and Chief Operator of Houston Natural Gas. It quickly doubled when it bought Florida Pipeline Company. The next year in 1985 Houston Natural Gas merged Internorth Incorporation. With the merger they both combined to own around 40,000 miles of pipeline and shortly after they changed their name to Enron. Around that time Washington was being lobbied by energy corporations to deregulate business and let companies set their own prices. Energy companies said this would not only lead to the end of monopolies but the extra competition would benefit companies and consumers. Over the next several years Washington began to lift controls on who could produce energy and how it was sold. With an influx of new suppliers energy prices were very unstable. With these deregulations Enron was allowed to sell natural gas on an open market such as oranges and wheat. With this new way of business Enron was able to grow into the seventh largest company in the United States with over 25,000 employees in over thirty countries. It became an innovator in gas trading and technological advances in the energy field. In 1990 Enron hired Jeffery Skilling as the company Energy’s Trading Operation Consultant. At age thirty-six Skilling was able to create the â€Å"Gas Bank†. The â€Å"Gas Bank â€Å"is when a company buys large volumes of gas from producers and resells it to industrial customers at long term contracts. This helped stabilize the gas market which was very volatile at the time. It also helped expand gas production nationwide and helped Enron grow to a major player in the energy industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Skilling went up in rank he started to get the company involved in risky investments to make more profit. In an interview with the University of Virginia he said â€Å"We like risk because you make money by taking risk,† This was one of the many reasons which got Enron into financial debt, Skilling also persuaded regulators to allow Enron to use â€Å"market-to-market† accounting. A technique used by brokerage companies for securities trading. It allowed Enron to count long-term contracts as immediate profit although most of the money wouldn’t be coming in for several years. For example if a pipeline in Europe was projected to produce $89 million of profit it would be posted, but there was one problem the pipeline hadn’t been built yet. With the high t... ...ion in profit when they only produced $880 million. They were in true debt for more than $628 million by the end 2000. More than $630 million came from improper accounting and another $296 million in profit came from hidden tax cutting transactions. This sent the stock plummeting from $70 to 60 cents and produced losses of more than $60 billion on paper. With this fall in stock price, Enron filed for bankruptcy on December 2, 2001. Since the fall of Enron and other major corporations, Senate and Congress are now trying to configure a major reform bill which would protect workers and their pensions. President Bush also signed off on a new accounting-reform legislature which creates an oversight board that would investigate and punish accounting violations. Now the last step by the government is putting everyone involved behind bars. Skilling is set to testify before a house committee and has chosen not to invoke the Fifth Amendment as many of the other board members have chosen to do. Fastow has to also testify before congress but will plead the fifth to avoid self incrimination. Kropper, Enron’s director of global market pleaded guilty last weak to the demise of the company.

Information System Briefing Essay

Health care organizations are constantly striving to keep up with technological advances in order to provide the best quality patient care imaginable. Success depends on implementing an information system that is designed to meet the quality standards set for the health care industry. Implementing an information system can be a big challenge, which is why choosing an information system that will assist the organization in meeting their goals is important. Including stakeholder input is also vital to ensuring the correct system is chosen. This briefing will discuss the process of selecting and acquiring an information system, how the goals of the organization, and how the stakeholders affect the selection process. Selecting and Acquiring an Information System The process for selecting and acquiring an information system has many important steps. One of the first steps the health care organization needs to start is to find out what type of system they need. It is important that the organization chooses the system that best fits the organization. The organization needs to decide first if the system will be built in house, leased from an application service provider or an outside consultant. This will take lots of work and planning to get the system up, so that it will run smoothly for the operations. The organization needs to put together a team. This team will be in charge of the budgeting, planning, coordinating, and managing the process of the new system. The organization will need to have a project leader, information technology professional, system champion, and those who are in charge of clinical and administrative sections. Those that are chosen for the team should have knowledge and the understanding of the new system. The team needs to decide what goal is for the information system such as, what do they want to achieve, what are the goals, and that  everyone is committed to the project. Organization’s Goals Drive the Selection of the Information System According to Wager, Wickham Lee, & Glaser (2009) â€Å"Health care professionals need access to reliable, complete, and accurate information in order to provide effective and efficient health care services and to achieve the strategic goals of the organization.† The organization’s goals should be upheld in all aspects and at each step of the selection, acquisition, and implementation processes. The information system should not be selected until all options are evaluated by cost, benefit, and ample input from key stakeholders. The concept of formulating a strategy suggests that an organization needs to identify what activities and initiatives they will commit to in order to achieve their mission and goals. For example, an IT project committee may have the goal to combine clinical application systems. In order to succeed choices may need to be made between different options such as a single sign-on option, use of a clinical application suite, or use of a common database (Wager, Wickham Lee, & Glaser, 2009). Health information technology (HIT), if not implemented correctly can be disastrous to the organization. According to Doebbeling and Pekny, PhD (2008) â€Å"the probability of a successful HIT implementation is greatly increased by a well-characterized, deliberately designed host set of health care processes. Furthermore, expectations of HIT within a health care process must be realistic with respect to benefits and costs.† (p. 501). Organizations’ Stakeholders Play in the Selection and Acquisition Process Each of the stakeholders in an organization’s project has roles and expectations. Stakeholders should always participate in project steering committees and lend their skills and knowledge to new ventures. Commonly stakeholders wish to determine the actual and future value of the information system implementation project by way of project status reports and monitoring. Stakeholders can be identified as doctors, nurses, administrators, business managers, and CEO’s. Anyone who holds an interest in the success or failure of the organization could be considered to be a stakeholder. Patients are included as stakeholders as well. Especially since the patient is the source of the data to be entered into the information  system. Stakeholders are vital to the selection and acquisition processes. In closing of this briefing there has been shown a need to implement a new system. We also see a plan designed to not only implement a new system but also a designed plan to make sure that the system will be adequate for the expected development of this organization. Shown also in this briefing is how the growth of this organization is demanding a growth in the information technology that this organization will need to move forward into the future. The stakeholders’ influence is also covered in this briefing. Showing the benefit of our stakeholders and examples of these benefits gives proof that the move to a new system is beneficially for us all. That being said the belief is that a new system is necessary and needs to be implemented soon. Employees have the important part of implementing the changes that will take place. They are to try and show how using the new information system will benefit the organization, and possibly save money. Investors relay information between the other organizations. The community within which an organization operates shows support to the organization and allows the community to make their decisions, what they want to take place, and what they know about the new technology. References Wager, K. A., Wickham Lee, F., & Glaser, J. P. (2009). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (2nd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Doebbeling, B.N., & Pekny, PhD, J. (2008, April). The Role of Systems Factors in Implementing Health Information Technology. Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM), 23(4), 500.

“Mother’s Tongue” by Amy Tan Essay

1. Amy uses emotional appeals throughout her essay as she does in her first couple paragraphs. Amy says â€Å"I am a writer† to show that she simply loves to write down her mind and that is it. 2. Tan’s argument is simply referring to the somewhat embarrassment she has when people notice her mother’s broken English. As she goes on it begins to bother her to a point where she feels sympathetic for her mother. As she feels this, she uses emotional appeals such as personal experiences to further her argument. 3. She divides this essay into three sections to show the different styles or forms of English then how she feels a little embarrassed by her mother’s broken English then shows how people judge her and title her as ignorant or limited. In actually Amy’s mother is intelligent. She then goes into how her mother and any other limited English speaker is treated differently due to that. If there were no breaks then the three sections would still be clear. 4. Tan relatively gives much meaning behind her argument with her mother. That many foreigners are judged for their limited English and that American’s may have that problem with the judgment. That this is an issue that can open the eyes of anyone, whether they experience it or not. English III AP/ Period 5 9/15/13 â€Å"Mother’s Tongue† by Amy Tan 1. Amy uses emotional appeals throughout her essay as she does in her first couple paragraphs. Amy says â€Å"I am a writer† to show that she simply loves to write down her mind and that is it. 2. Tan’s argument is simply referring to the somewhat embarrassment she has when people notice her mother’s broken English. As she goes on it begins to bother her to a point where she feels sympathetic for her mother. As she feels this, she uses emotional appeals such as personal experiences to further her argument. 3. She divides this essay into three sections to show the different styles or forms of English then how she feels a little embarrassed by her mother’s broken English then shows how people judge her and title her as ignorant or limited. In actually Amy’s mother is intelligent. She then goes into how her mother and any other limited English speaker is treated differently due to that. If there were no breaks then the three sections would still be clear. 4. Tan relatively gives much meaning behind her argument with her mother. That many foreigners are judged for their limited English and that American’s may have that problem with the judgment. That this is an issue that can open the eyes of anyone, whether they experience it or not.

Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap

Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Big changes are coming to the SAT this year, and the impact that they will have on students is a topic of fierce debate. Will they provide a leg up to students who are put at a disadvantage by the current test format? Or will they make disparities between the scores of high and low-income students even more pronounced? In this article, I'll go over both sides of the argument and provide my own take on how the changes to the SAT will affect the education gap. What Is the Education Gap, and How Does It Relate to the New SAT? When we talk about the â€Å"education gap," we mean that disparities in income (and race, as a related factor) continue to mirror disparities in access to educational opportunities and overall quality of education for students.Many people have argued that tests like the SAT only serve to widen this gap between poor and wealthy students.It has been proven time and again that higher parental income correlates with higher SAT scores. In making these new changes to the SAT, the College Board aims to combat this issue by creating a test that puts students on an equal playing field regardless of income. The most significant changes that will take place on the new SAT include: the elimination of Sentence Completion questions in the Reading section a shift in focus on the Math section with less geometry questions and more questions dealing with algebra, fractions, and trigonometry grammar questions in the Writing section that reference larger passages rather than individual sentences. There will also be questions on the Reading section that ask students to interpret data in charts and graphs.Overall, questions will be more directly related to real-life scenarios and less confusingly worded. Some with a more cynical view of the changes say that while this is the College Board’s public rationale behind changing the test, its real reason is business-related.Since the ACT is now more popular than the SAT, the College Board is changing the SAT to align more closely with the ACT so that it can reclaim its standardized testing market share.While the College Board says that their changes will combat the education gap by testing what students actually learn in schools and making the test less â€Å"puzzle-like†, some people think that it will either exacerbate existing problems or change nothing about the current system. In the next section, I’ll go over the arguments presented by both sides. My alternate plan for the new SAT: change tactics completely and make the test so puzzle-like that it's actually just a giant jigsaw puzzle. You only get a perfect score if you can finish the puzzle without flipping over the table in frustration because all the sky pieces look the same. Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap? There are valid arguments from each camp on this, and we won't know for sure who is correct until the new SAT has been out for a few years. I'll present both sets of ideas so you can get an idea of the logic behind each point of view. Theory 1: Yes, It Will Close the Education Gap Some people (such as spokespeople for the College Board) argue that the new SAT will remedy many problems that plagued the old testing format. Onemajor difference is that students won’t have to face Sentence Completion questions, which test obscure vocabulary words that students with from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to know. The elimination of these questions might allow underprivileged students who have a great deal of potential to score higher on the test. The new version of the SAT will focus on knowledge of the nuances in meaning of more common vocabulary words in the context of larger passages. Arguably, this is a more logical way of testing vocabulary when considering what students will need to know to be prepared for college academics and careers. The College Board is also partnering up with Khan Academy to offer free SAT prep services.They argue that this will allow low-income students to gain access to some of the same advantages that were once only available to wealthy students.They have also streamlined the process for obtaining fee waivers for low-income students. The College Board will provide four automatic college application fee waivers for students who were eligible for fee waivers on the test. The new test will also incorporate questions that are founded in real life scenarios and contain less confusing wording.The new SAT focuses on questions in context rather than in isolation (which is why reading and writing are now all passage-based).This means that students without preexisting knowledge of specific grammar rules or vocabulary words might have the potential to succeed on the test if they can infer wisely from the context of a question. This new formatting also means that there are less learnable â€Å"tricks† on the test that could trip up students who don’t have the opportunity to use test prep services. Students who aren’t familiar with the format of SAT questions will be put at less of a disadvantage.The more predictable content on the new test in the form of specifically outlined passage subject matter will give students a better idea of what to expect even if they haven’t been able to prepare extensively for the test. Yeah! No education gap! Party! Theory 2: No, It Won't Solve the Problem of the Education Gap (and Might Make It Worse) Others have argued that the new SAT will exacerbate existing problems with the test and widen the education gap.The College Board says that the new SAT will level the playing field by testing what students actually learn in schools, but this new testing format could make existing differences in high school quality all the more obvious in score results. The purpose of the SAT is to provide a common metric to measure student academic ability apart from the subjective determinations of each high school.If the new SAT tests what students have learned in school more directly, won’t that just lead to more disadvantages for low-income students who attend poorly resourced public high schools? Although questions on the new SAT will focus more on interpreting meaning in context rather than vocabulary and grammar skills in isolation, this probably won’t eliminate an advantage for wealthier students who attended better high schools.These students’ inference skills and knowledge of how to interpret arguments and words in context will be better developed through a higher quality education.Also, the fact that the new essay asks students to analyze the author’s argument rather than formulate their own opinions means that low income students might be put at more of a disadvantage if they haven’t been given proper instruction on how to read analytically in their high school classes. Even though the SAT will now offer fee waivers to all low-income students and is partnering up with Khan Academy to offer free test prep for all students, this doesn’t mean that wealthy students will lose their advantages.The fact that free test prep is being offered means that it's still possible to prepare for the test.With the new test, a market for specialized test prep services that are more individually tailored and more expensive will continue to exist. Wealthy students will still have the potential to access advanced test preparation services and potentially be able to improve their scores more drastically than students who only have access to free materials. All this could potentially lead to increased inequality in the college admissions process as a result of greater differences in scores. Low-income students may be put at an increased disadvantage on the new test due to a lower quality education overall, creating even greater class divisions in terms of access to higher education and career opportunities. I don't know what this guy is so upset about; he gets to wear a silly hat while we all sit here contemplating the flaws in the American educational system (presumably while either hatless or wearing comparatively boring and joyless hats). SMH. Conclusion Now that we’ve heard both sides, what’s the verdict?It’s hard to tell because we don’t have reliable score data on the new SAT yet. In my opinion, there are compelling arguments made by both sides of the debate.I think that the changes to the SAT will have a minimal impact on the education gap that currently exists between high and low-income students.It’s great that the College Board is committing to offering free prep services and fee waivers for low-income students, but as long as it’s possible to prep for the test, there will be a market for prep services that cost more and provide better results. It is reasonable to argue that making the test more straightforwardcould help put lower income students at less of a disadvantage, but sometimes I have to wonder if this is a case of a â€Å"race to the bottom† in the standardized testing market. The SAT is trying to compete with the ACT to offer the "fairest" testing model, but in doing so they may be compromising the test's value as an assessment of academic ability. Since it’s too hard to actually improve the quality of the educational system, companies are creating less challenging tests to make everyone feel better about these basic inequalities. Students who go to good high schools and come from wealthier backgrounds will most likely earn higher scores on the SAT regardless of how unbiased the format of the test is. It’s possible that everyone will get slightly higher scores on the new SAT, but the income gap will remain the same. Until we commit to combating the root of the problem - poorly funded high schools with overwhelmedteachers- on a large scale, I don’t see the education gap changing much,regardless of the introduction of the new SAT. What's Next? Wondering what your SAT scores might mean for your future? Check out this article that goes into detail on whether SAT scores can predict success. What do your SAT scores say about you? Find out what your SAT scores actually measure. Are you unsure of whether you should take the new SAT or the ACT this upcoming year? Read more about which students should take which test. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Famous Christmas Poems in German and English

Famous Christmas Poems in German and English Many German poems celebrate the Christmas holiday. Among the best are three well-known and short verses by the great poets Rainer Marie Rilke, Anne Ritter, and Wilhelm Busch. Though they were written over a century ago, they remain favorites today. Here you will find the original poems in German as well as the English translations. These are not necessarily  literal translations as some poetic liberty was taken in a few places to retain the voice and style of the poets. "Advent" by Rainer Marie Rilke Rainer Marie Rilke (1875–1926) was destined for the military, but an insightful uncle pulled the Prague-born student from a military academy and set him up for a literary career. Before entering Charles University in Prague, Rilke had published his first volume of poetry entitled Leben and Lieder (Life and Songs). Rilke spent years traveling around Europe, had met Tolstoy in Russia, and found lyrical poetry while in Paris. Among his best-known works  were Das Stunden Buch (The Book of Hours, 1905) and  Sonnets of Orpheus (1923). The prolific poet was admired by fellow artists but otherwise generally unrecognized by the public.   Advent was one of Rilkes earliest poems, written in 1898. Es treibt der Wind im Winterwaldedie Flockenherde wie ein Hirt,und manche Tanne ahnt, wie baldesie fromm und lichterheilig wird,und lauscht hinaus. Den weißen Wegenstreckt sie die Zweige hin - bereit,und wehrt dem Wind und wchst entgegender einen Nacht der Herrlichkeit. English Translation of Advent The wind in the winter white foresturges the snowflakes along like a shepherd,and many a fir tree senseshow soon she holy and sacredly lighted will be,and so listens carefully. She extends her branchestowards the white paths – ever ready,resisting the wind and growing towardsthat great night of glory. "Vom Christkind" by Anne Ritter Anne Ritter (1865–1921) was born Anne Nuhn in Coburg, Bavaria. Her family moved to New York City while she was still young, but she returned to Europe to attend boarding schools. Married to Rudolf Ritter in 1884, Ritter settled in Germany. Ritter is known for her lyrical poetry and Vom Christkind is one of her best-known works. It is often referenced using the first line as the title, commonly translated as I think I saw the Christ Child. It is a very popular German poem thats often recited at Christmas time. Denkt euch, ich habe das Christkind gesehen!Es kam aus dem Walde, das Mà ¼tzchen voll Schnee, mit rotgefrorenem Nschen.Die kleinen Hnde taten ihm weh,denn es trug einen Sack, der war gar schwer,schleppte und polterte hinter ihm her.Was drin war, mà ¶chtet ihr wissen?Ihr Naseweise, ihr Schelmenpack-denkt ihr, er wre offen, der Sack?Zugebunden, bis oben hin!Doch war gewiss etwas Schà ¶nes drin!Es roch so nach Äpfeln und Nà ¼ssen! English Translation of From the Christ Child Can you believe it! I have seen the Christ child.He came out of the forest, his hat full of snow,With a red frosted nose.His little hands were sore,Because he carried a heavy sack,That he dragged and lugged behind him,What was inside, you want to know?So you think the sack was openyou cheeky, mischievous bunch?It was bound, tied at the topBut there was surely something good insideIt smelled so much like apples and nuts. "Der Stern" by Wilhelm Busch Wilhelm Busch (1832–1908) was born in Widensahl, Hanover in Germany. Better known for his drawings, he was also a poet and combining the two led to his most famous work. Busch is considered the godfather of German comics. His success came after developing short and humorous drawings adorned with comedic lyrics. The famous childrens series, Max and Moritz, was his  debut and is said to be the precursor to the modern comic strip. He is honored today with the Wilhelm Busch German Museum of Caricature   Drawing Art in Hanover. The poem Der Stern remains a favorite recitation during the holiday season and has a wonderful rhythm in its original German. Htt einer auch fast mehr Verstandals wie die drei Weisen aus dem Morgenlandund ließe sich dà ¼nken, er wre wohl niedem Sternlein nachgereist, wie sie;dennoch, wenn nun das Weihnachtsfestseine Lichtlein wonniglich scheinen lßt,fllt auch auf sein verstndig Gesicht,er mag es merken oder nicht,ein freundlicher Strahldes Wundersternes von dazumal. English Translation: The Star If someone had almost more understandingthan the three Wise Men from the OrientAnd actually thought that he would never have followed the star like them,Nevertheless when the Christmas SpiritLets its light blissfully shine,Thus illuminating his intelligent face,He may notice it or not -A friendly beamFrom the miracle star of long ago.

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

Global social justice - Essay Example When one comes to exactly defining what is meant by ‘social justice’ and deciding what means should be used to achieve the objective of greater social justice, however, it soon becomes apparent that there are many different perspectives on the subject and no clear consensus can be found. Even such self-evidently useful work such as emergency relief in disaster areas, and various kinds of humanitarian interventions in economically weaker areas by charity organisations, can be challenged on the grounds that these activities can have as many bad effects as good effects, and they very often it deal with short term crises and exacerbate longer term problems. This paper traces the history of social (in)justice as a concept and defines different approaches to it. There follows an exploration of the potential for applying some of these approaches and definitions in the context of contemporary globalisation. The role of charity is considered, examining the ways that charity inter ventions influence different societies economically, politically and socially. Finally the potential of charity as a strategy in addressing global social (in)justice is evaluated, concluding that charity can and does have a role to play in addressing social (in)justice but that there are a number of common pitfalls that must be avoided, notably imperialist tendencies inherited from the past. The history of social (in)justice as a concept. ... Following Miller’s line of argument it is important to note that the main point of this kind of justice, as opposed to criminal or retributive justice, is that it looks forward to what can and should be done in society, rather than looking back at what has been done and trying to make amends for conflicts, harms and problems that have arisen in the past. If social justice has a backward facing side to it, then it is only in so far as it looks at apparent social injustice and seeks ways of removing or lessening this in favour of social justice. When western civilisations began to adopt an industrialised and urban style of living, new kinds of problems began to beset society. Poverty, overcrowding and huge differences between the owners of lands and businesses and those who struggled to make a living in them made it very obvious that the people who were doing most of the work were not receiving most of the rewards. Because of the inherent power differential between people, there was a tendency for the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. So it was that liberal businessmen began to set up housing, education, fair wages and other benefits for their workers. The idea was that providing basic commodities would free people up to take advantage of a wider range of opportunities in their lives. This paternalistic and utilitarian approach to social justice reigned throughout the Victorian period in Britain and great progress was made in setting down rules for the employment and remuneration of people. Thanks to this kind of intervention some of the worst and most exploitative of practices, including slavery and child labour were eventually abolished. In their place emerged compulsory

A short paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A short paper - Essay Example The French were the first Europeans to settle in what later became the Canadian province of Quebec and to appease the population after their humiliating defeat by the British in the 1700s, they were granted certain rights including the retention of their religion, judicial and educational systems. These rights were maintained when Canada moved from colonial status to an independent democracy in 1867. While there are pockets of French heritage settlements in the rest of Canada, most are in Quebec province where they constitute the majority of the population. Unfortunately the classical French educational system with its’ close ties to the Roman Catholic church and lack of business orientation, was ill equipped to prepare students for business management positions so that in the industrial revolution most were relegated to low skill work serving Anglophone managers imported from the rest of Canada and had few prospects for advancement. Naturally this situation created resentment which was expressed in the formation of a political party dedicated to separation from the rest of Canada and a more militant group (the FLQ) . When this group escalated their activities from blowing up mail boxes and other symbols of alleged Anglophone authority to the kidnap of a British diplomat and the murder of a Quebec cabinet minister, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau stepped in with the army to prevent an armed insurrection. However, people of Quebec were allowed to vote twice in referendums to express their desire whether to separate or remain within Canada, with the pledge that the majority wish would be respected and if separation was chosen there would be no military action and negotiations would commence for an equitable division of the country’s assets and liabilities. While in both cases the majority voted to remain in Canada, one was very close. Trudeau, although a