The First Day In Australia

Would like to talk about my first day in Australia in this essay. I arrived in Sydney on the 3rd of April 201 3 and it was raining heavily. However, everything looked interesting to me. Was planning to visit Commonwealth Bank at Martin Place as soon as I stepped out of the airplane. When got there, was surprised because the architectural style of the building was luxurious and antique, and it felt very Western. Then I met a teller who greeted me kindly. He made jokes to me. They were funny jokes, but at that time, I did not answer.I was regretful I could not say anything to him in English. After that, I left for a backpacker hostel that is known as a popular place for foreigners. Unfortunately, there were a lot Of people waiting to Stay in there. Thus, I had to move another one. Finally I found a different backpacker hostel. As I opened the door of my room, its melancholic atmosphere overwhelmed me. Eventually, I decided to stay only 3 days because of the uncomfortable, unfamiliar ai r and because the accommodation fee was unfair.In the first night, I was not able to sleep deeply. Lying in the bed, really worried about my life in Australia. Being unsure about my future made me afraid. Time has slipped along. Compared with the past, many things have changed recently. Nowadays I am trying to improve my life in Australia constantly in order to step forward by studying English and making friends. If I have an opportunity, I would like to settle in Australia.

Ethics & defined Essay

Ethics is commonly defined as the rules or standards governing the conduct of people. Gender is the social dimension of being male or female. Most people acquired gender identity by the age of three. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities. No nation can be expected to wage war with one hand tied behind its back, but ethical issues of most profound nature are raised anytime. Once the actuality of possibility of war becomes the context within which we live, men and women are forced into set roles. Gender serves as a medium or vector for war’s presence in our innermost social settings. This essay will discuss these ethical issues in war and their link to gender. Discrimination is one of the ethical issues in war. Women have always participated to some extent in combat, but several recent wars have seen them fighting on the front lines. While the roles of female ex-combatants vary widely the women seem to share one unfortunate characteristic, limited access to benefits when peace and demobilisation come. This is also true for girls abducted for sexual services and the families of ex-combatants in the receiving community. These groups are often neglected during mobilisation and reintegration; or at best women, girls, and boys may receive equal benefits but are treated as a homogenous group which prevents specific needs being addressed. (Goldstein, 2001 pg207-212) Sexual violence especially on women especially rape has its own brand of shame to recent wars. From conflicts in Bosnia, Peru and Rwanda women have been singled out for rape, imprisonment, torture and execution. Systematic rape is often used as a weapon of ethnic cleansing. More than 20, 000 Muslim girls and women have been raped in Bosnia since fighting began in 1992. Impregnated girls have been forced to bear the enemy’s child. (Human Rights Watch, 2000 pg12) Sexual violence of women erodes the fabric of community in a way that few weapons can. Rape’s damage can be devastating because of strong communal reaction to the violation and pain stamped on entire families. The harm inflicted in such cases in a woman by a rapist is an attack on her family and culture, as in many societies women are viewed as repositories of a community’s cultural and spiritual values. (UN, 2005 pg8) In addition to rape, girls and women are also subject to forced prostitution and trafficking during times of war sometimes with complicity of governments and military authorities. During World War II, women were abducted, imprisoned and forced to satisfy the sexual needs of occupying forces and many Asian women were also involved in prostitution during the Vietnam War. The trend continues in today’s conflicts. Nearly 80 percent of the 53 million people displaced by wars today are women and children. Refugee families frequently cite rape as the key factor influencing in their decision to seek refuge. (Alison, 2007pg78-83) The high risk of inflection with sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, accompanies all sexual violence against women and girls. The movement of refugees and marauding military units and the breakdown of health services and public education worsen the impact of diseases and chances for treatment. The exchange of sex for protection during the civil war in Uganda in the 1980’s was a contributing factor to the country’s high rate of AIDS. (UN, 2005 pg131) Women suffer a double victimisation, in that they were compelled against their will to join the armed forces and today they are victimised by society for having played a combative role in the conflict. They are treated with hostility suspicion for ‘breaching’ both gender and sex roles. These women are largely excluded from disarmament and reintegration programmes of Sierra Leones peace process which favour men and boys. This especially occurs in Sierra Leone. (Human Rights Watch, 2000 pg7) Men and boys are also victims of gender based sexual violence during war. Women are raped as a way to humiliate the men they are related to, who are often forced to watch the assault. In societies where ethnicity is inherited through the male line, ‘enemy’ women are raped and forced to bear children. Sexual violation of children has devastating effects. The experience of captivity and sexual destroys a girl’s sense of home and security, of self worth and power of the possibility of safe interpersonal relationships, indeed of any future at all. Men tend to greatly underreport experiences of sexual violence. They may have doubts about their sexuality and fear infertility. (Carpenter, 2003 pg 661-694) A war is only just if it is fought for a good reason. A country that wishes to use military force must demonstrate that there is a just cause for doing so. Just war theory is the most influential perspective on ethics of war and peace. For a war to be just there must be a just cause, right intention, proper authority and public declaration, proper authority and public declaration, a last resort, probability of success, and proportionality. Pacifism is also an ethical issue in war. Pacifism rejects war in favour of peace. It is not violence in all its forms that the most challenging kind of pacifism objects to: rather is the specific kind and degree of violence that wars involves which the pacifists objects to. They object to killing in general and particular mass killing for political reasons, which is part and parcel of the war time experience. Most women are generally pacifists as compared to males. People are pacifists for one or some of these reasons: religious faith, non-religious belief in the sanctity of life and practical belief that war is wasteful and ineffective. Pacifism cannot be national policy as it only works when no one wants to attack your country or if the nation with whom you are in dispute is also committed to pacifism. Because most societies regard going to war as fulfilling a citizens’ ethical duty, they honour those who give their lives in war. If there is believe in war governed by ethics we should only honour those who give their lives in a just war and who followed the rules of war. It should be wrong to honour dead soldiers who killed the enemy or wounded or raped enemy women. (Harris and King, 1989 pg78) (Goldstein 2001) defines war as lethal inter group violence and feminism as an ideology opposing male domination and promoting gender equality. Cross cultural consistency of gender wars is pervasive and not universal. Women have fought in wars but are portrayed as exceptions to the gender rule that men are warriors. Gender exclusion from combat is by policy choice not by physical ability, women can and do fight. There is no support for arguments regarding predisposition to aggression and little support for the hypothesised link between testosterone and aggression. Gender is portrayed as a weapon to humiliate a military opponent or to discredit peace activism and political dissent from military policy. A recent example is, Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfield’s remark about â€Å"media mood swings† in regard to criticism of the war in Iraqi, a reference clearly intended to evoke the archetype of the â€Å"irrational† menstrual/menopausal women. Rape in war as well as military homophobia underlies exclusion of policies aimed at sexual minorities. Neither men nor women benefit from war at the expense of the other, both genders lose in war. Neither genetics per se, nor hormones (males or female) nor male bonding nor women’s innate pacifism explain gendered war roles. (Suzzane, 2002 Pg 407). The interdependence between war and gender is obscure. However it is clear that it is not soldiers who make war but societies that make war. War does not happen without women’s knowledge cooperation, and participation, however few or many actually take up arms and engage in battle. War is based on a dominatory approach to relationships in which the usual overriding aim is to get the better of or overcome the other who is framed as an opponent or competitor. Gender as we know it, which positions men as dominant and characterises them as aggressive and heroic, is fundamental to the culture of domination of which war is an expression. The human resources of moral sensibility and decency have been buried or seriously depleted. The impetus towards peace that is so necessary in ending of violence conflict is diminished by the discouragement of half the population from active participation. A gendered perspective of human security enables a more advanced understanding of the perspectives of those involved in conflict including victims’ perpetrators and decision makers.(Zeigler and Gilbert, 2006) References Alison, M. (2007) Wartime Sexual Violence: Women’s human rights and questions of masculinity, Review of International Studies Pg 75-90 Carpenter, R. C, â€Å"Women and Children First†: gender norms and humanitarian evacuation in the Balkans, International Organization 5, 7, 4, 2003, Pg 661-694 Cohn, C â€Å"Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defence Intellectuals, Signs, Vol. 12, No. 4 1987 Pg 687-78 NO1101 Harris, A and King, Y (eds) Rocking the ship of state: Towards a feminist peace politics, Bovider, C. O West view press 1989. Human Rights Watch (HRW) 2000: Rape as a weapon of Ethnic cleansing HRW, March 1. Jousha S. Goldstein (2001) War and Gender: How Gender shapes the war system and vice versa. Cambridge University Press Pg 201-213. Moser N, and Clark F (eds), victims, Perpetrators or Actors: Gender, Armed Conflict and Political Violence; London Zed Books 2001, V. 64. Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women’s studies & Gender Issues. Rosemarie Skaing (1999) Women at War: Gender issues of Americans in combat: McFarland and Company: North Carolina and London ‘Symposium on war and Gender, (2003) (Reviews of Goldstein’s Book) Perspectives on policies, 1, 2, 330-347 The state of World’s Children 1996. UNICEF United Nations (2005): Africa Renewal â€Å"Sexual Violence, an ‘invisible war crime’ Warren, J and Cady, L (1994) Feminism and Peace: Seeing connections’ Hypatia special Issue on Feminism and peace Pg 7-14. HQ1101. World Bank (2002) Addressing Gender Issues in Demobilisation and Reintegration Programs, Africa Region Working Paper Series 33 Zeigler, S and Gilbert, G (2006) The Gendered Dimensions of Conflicts Aftermath; A

Investing in Low Income Housing Tax Credits Essay

Overview of the LIHTC The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) provides incentives for corporations and individuals to invest in the acquisition, development and rehabilitation of affordable housing. The program offers federal tax credits to private equity investors that work with profit or non-profit developers in constructing or renovating rental properties for low-income tenants, those who earn 60 percent or less of the median family income for their county. As of 2010, the program has sparked the construction of over 1.7 million housing units throughout the country. The IRS allocates federal tax credits to Housing Credit Agencies (HCAs) in each state based on its population. HCAs award credits to housing developers based on their Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), a rigorous and competitive application used to determine which developers will receive the credits. Once credits are acquired, equity investors purchase an interest in the business entity generating the tax credits, namely a limited partnersh ip or limited liability company. The equity generated from the investor’s purchase is used to fund the property development. The tax credits are redeemed annually by investors over a ten-year period following the date that the property becomes operational, or â€Å"placed in service.† The number of tax credits, and subsequently the amount of equity raised, is calculated by computing the eligible basis, or the dollar amount of all depreciable costs of the project (which excludes the cost of land acquisition and operating reserves) minus ineligible sources of funding like grants or federal subsidies. The eligible basis is then multiplied by the percentage of eligible tax credit units in the project (at least 20 percent and up to 100 percent of all units in the building) to calculate the â€Å"qualified basis.† The investor may later claim either 9 percent or 4 percent of the qualified basis amount in tax credits per year, depending on whether the project is a new construction or rehabilitation of an existing structure.. As of March 2012, the average price for a credit is around $.94. Price fluctuates depending on the geography of the deal, the size of the project, the perceived risk of failure, and whether the project is a new construction or rehabilitation. In order to redeem the credits, the property must rent either 20 percent or more of the units to tenants whose incomes are at or below 50 percent or less of the area median gross income, or 40 percent or more of the units to tenants whose incomes are at or below 60 percent or less of the area median gross income. The property must fulfill these and other operational requirements for a 15-year compliance period. Failure to meet these requirements during the compliance period results in an IRS recapture of tax credits plus interest and penalties. Many states offer their own affordable housing tax credits to provide further incentives by increasing potential returns. Projects in certain areas (Difficult Development Areas) receive a 30 percent increase in qualified basis as well. Options for Investment in LIHTC LIHTC transactions are structured such that the developer manages the day-to-day operation of the property while the investor takes a passive role in management and collects virtually all the tax credits. The parties create a limited partnership or limited liability company where the investor is typically a 99.99% limited partner or non-managing member and the developer is a 0.01% general partner or managing member. This method shields investors from liability beyond their capital contributions and allows the developer to maintain control over management affairs. There are two methods of investing in LIHTCs. The first is a direct investment or private placement, where the investor purchases the rights to future tax credits from a single developer in return for an equity contribution. The developer and investor form a limited partnership where the investor retains a 99.99% ownership interest and claims use of 99.99% of the tax credits and other benefits. Large banks and blue-chip corporations are the typical direct investors, mainly because they possess vast amounts of financial and administrative resources. Private placements are adequate namely for single entities that manage their own investment affairs and desire complete transparency throughout the project. These investors generate more net equity since they save costs otherwise incurred by hiring syndicated funds to choose and underwrite the affordable housing development project. Another avenue through which to invest in tax credits is with a syndicator, a financial intermediary that raises funding from many investors, usually on an annual basis, and makes equity capital contributions to multiple affordable housing projects. Indirect Investment through syndicated funds provides a means by which individual investors, small community banks, and small corporations without the resources of large banks can invest in LIHTCs. A syndicator will attract investors and form a limited partnership agreement where the syndicator typically holds a .01% interest as general partner and various investors will comprise the other 99.99% ownership interest as limited partners. This limited partnership syndicate fund will then become the 99.99% limited partner in several LIHTC projects to allow tax credits to pass through to investors. The syndicator investigates the market for affordable housing development and chooses a number of projects in which to invest. The syndicator then directs private equity capital from the limited partners of the syndicate fund to multiple affordable housing developments and returns tax credits back to each investor in proportion to their capital contribution. A few syndicate funds have missions that are aligned with non-profit developers. A syndicator’s experience with affordable housing development is invaluable to investors as it minimizes risk and increases investor confidence. The syndicator does all due diligence and underwriting for the project, so investors can take a passive role. Syndicate funds are ideal for investors that cannot afford to hire relationship managers, compliance specialists, and underwriters to oversee development. A Worthwhile Investment Alternative A tax credit provides a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax liability, unlike deductions that simply reduce the amount of taxable income for a particular taxable year. Even though investors contribute capital based on the amount paid per tax credit, other tax benefits are transferred to the investor in the form of passive losses and deductions available to any holder of rental real estate property. These include property depreciation deductions, interest expenses, business and maintenance costs, and others. Savings from tax-deductible expenses may not have the financial impact of a tax credit, but it provides a quantifiable saving to the investor that helps add measurable value to tax credits beyond the amount of proportional tax liability they reduce. A qualifying tax credit investment results in a decrease of tax liability. The economic return on the investment, therefore, is not subject to state or federal taxation, unlike dividends or interest income from stocks or bonds. A dollar amount of taxable income is thus inherently less valuable than an identical amount of tax credits. Certain passive loss restrictions and the Alternative Minimum Tax render tax credits less useful for the large majority of individual investors. Nonetheless, LIHTC projects were giving investors returns as high as 25%-30% during the early stages of the program. After growing competition increased pricing in the market for tax credits, yields have consistently shown 4%+ annual returns in recent years. LIHTC projects provide excellent returns for the risk involved, considering other investment alternatives available. While the stock market has historically given investors long-term returns of approximately 10% per year on average, there are sharp fluctuations from year to year. The stock market is also considered a more risky investment in comparison to U.S. treasury bonds or other corporate notes. The yields on these safer bonds are much less than that of the stock market. Investments in tax credits provide an interesting combination of risk mitigation potential and impressive earning yields. Unfortunately, the average investor has no control over the valuation of a certain corporate security, much less the performance of a mutual or index fund. However, private placement investors and syndicate fund managers can and do provide for stringent oversight requirements through contractual obligations imposed on the developer, which in turn helps mitigate risk of project failure. A rise in the valuation of a corporate security usually requires an indicator of increased earnings in the future, whether it is the introduction of a more efficient manufacturing technique, the release or upgrade of a new or existing product, or a similar corporate action. Any increase in the value of a security may be short-lived. An investor only realizes gain after a sale; that gain is taxed. LIHTC projects, on the other hand, do not require entire securities markets to move in order to obtain a profit. Aside from rigorous paperwork and professional fees, the tax credits will eventually fall in the hands of the investors so long as the developer does not fail to meet the various compliance requirements for the specified period. With continuous oversight, investors and fund managers can establish timelines for performance that may readily identify any setbacks or obstacles to completion. This may afford time to expedite construction or development and perhaps cure any potential defects in the plan. On the downside, securities markets provide instant liquidity; LIHTC projects require at least 11 years to harvest all profits. Timelines provide further protection when equity contributions are made in response to the developer meeting certain milestones that render project completion more likely. By disbursing equity in stages, investors exert more control over the project’s development and may elect to alter the course of the project. For instance, the investor may attempt to remove the developer if confidence is undermined. The 15-year compliance period provides an identifiable date of exit, after which all profits (in the form of tax credit use) have been harvested. If investors decide to exit the venture, a secondary market has emerged where an investor may be able to sell the credits to third parties. Legislation passed in 2008 allows limited partners to sell their ownership interests in affordable housing properties without facing recapture so long as the properties continue to operate as affordable housing. This allows a shortened holding period of up to 11 years as long as the property meets the 15-year compliance requirements. These advantages are largely unavailable to stock market investors and make tax credits a safe, viable and profitable investment alternative. These benefits apply uniformly to any tax credit investor. Large Banks, Larger Benefits Large banks and financial institutions are provided with a number of benefits that are generally inapplicable to individual and corporate investors, which in turn make credits more valuable and increases their market price. Banks subject to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) are required to engage in certain activities that improve community development. Direct investments and loans made to LIHTC projects, or syndicated funds that invest therein, are considered qualified activities under the CRA. Banks receive positive CRA consideration not only for these loans and investments to community projects, but also when equity is transferred to LIHTC projects that serve broader statewide or regional areas that include a particular bank’s assessment area. An unsatisfactory CRA rating can cause banks to be denied or delayed in undertaking certain business activities like mergers, acquisitions, or the expansion of services. Thus, banks have strong incentives to invest in affordable housing development. LIHTCs are often a top choice for banks, who are obliged to make community development contributions, because not all CRA qualified activities provide similar returns. Financial institutions also benefit from establishing banking relationships with real estate developers. This allows banks to expand their revenues by providing new services to the project like pre-development loans, construction loans, mortgage financing, and credit lines. Bridge loans are especially enticing, where banks loan large amounts of capital to syndicated funds or other Private Placement investors without the cash reserves to make the up-front equity contributions required by developers before any tax credits can be redeemed. Moreover, banks have the financial capacity to create long-lasting resources to assist in affordable housing investment. The underwriting and due diligence for a LIHTC project requires a number of services and incurs various costs. While syndicated funds spread these costs over a number of investors, banks are in a position to pay for these costs themselves. By establishing separate departments to oversee tax credit financing, banks make a one-time investment in an oversight apparatus that will operate over an indefinite number of LIHTC projects. These in-house professionals will increase in value as their experience expands and efficiency improves. Any bank with the capacity to conduct private placement investing in LIHTCs probably does so. Syndicated Funds: Investment Mechanisms for the Unsophisticated Tax Credit Investor A multi-investor syndicated fund provides a number of additional benefits to potential tax credit investors. It is helpful to analogize syndicated funds to mutual funds for the purpose of identifying their advantages. Just like mutual funds, where fund managers collect funding from many investors and create a diversified portfolio that is professionally managed, syndicated funds act in a similar fashion. Syndicated funds invest in multiple affordable housing developments, often in various geographic regions and with different housing developers. This allows investors to spread risk amongst different LIHTC projects so that if one project fails, their entire equity commitment is not lost. Investing with multiple investors allocates risk of loss more evenly and makes LIHTC investments a safe investment alternative. Furthermore, reputable syndicated funds are professionally managed by experienced, sophisticated tax credit professionals that probably have more knowledge about tax credit investing than any prospective investor. Few institutions and entities have enough capital reserves to fund an entire project single-handedly; syndicated funds combine investor contributions, allowing small entities like community banks and mid-size companies to have the flexibility of choosing how much capital to contribute to tax credit investment. The end result is an excellent mechanism through which unconventional tax credit investors can participate in the competitive market for tax credits. Even though funds collect a percentage fee, diversified portfolios will likely contain projects in DDAs to provide marginal increases in tax benefits. Corporations and Tax Credits: A Good[will] Investment. LIHTC are beneficial to corporations because annual tax credits have a positive impact on earnings per share, since credits reduce tax liability without diluting earnings. Tax credits are usually a profitable investment because most companies sustain consistent tax liability for years on end. Tax credit investment declined during the 2008 market downturn, but has steadily increased with general economic improvement. Companies like Google, Verizon, Liberty Mutual, and others have invested in affordable housing developments across the country. An additional and measurable economic benefit to corporations is the increased value of a trademark or goodwill associated with a company that invests in community development. This type of investment may also attract positive publicity and media coverage, which in turn may increase corporate securities valuation. Large corporations are also in a coveted position to undertake direct investment and avoid paying fees to syndicated funds. Safe, but Not That Safe. While LIHTC investments may be safer than comparable investment with similar yields, the risks must be identified for informed decision-making. Potential tax credit recapture and loss is the greatest risk—the project must maintain specific requirements over a period of 15 years and strict deadlines must be met. The investor must assume the risk of any impediment to completion of construction, no matter how farfetched, and recapture liability remains with the initial investor even if the credits are sold on the secondary market. Risk of failure extends for a prolonged period of 15 years where strict operational requirements must be met. Due to the speculation involved in predicting construction costs, securing subsequent financing, and meeting compliance deadlines in light of potentially unforeseen adverse events, a project must be very precisely calculated to increase the chance of success. Entities and individuals that invest in syndicated funds are in a better position to identify risks due to stringent government-imposed requirements for prospectuses and offering memoranda to be distributed to all potential investors. Inexperienced syndicators might overlook a key responsibility that can cause the project to fail. Repurchase obligations arguably provide a false sense of security to investors because most developers have small balance sheets and cannot afford to match the investor’s contributions. The risks involved in LIHTC investment can be mitigated with proper planning, continuous oversight, and an experienced syndicator. Banks with in-house asset management units can oversee property maintenance. Although investors cede lien priority to the primary mortgage holder, foreclosure rates are relatively low and occupancy rates relatively high. Tax credit projects are viable investment alternatives. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Catherine Such, Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Community Investments (Mar. 2002), http://www.frbsf.org/community/investments/lihtc.html. [ 2 ]. Michael J. Novogradac, Investing in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, OCC Community Developments. (Mar. 2010), http://www.occ.gov/static/community-affairs/community-developments-investments/spring06/ investinginlowincome.htm. [ 3 ]. Id., See Understanding Low Income Housing Tax Credits: How to Secure Equity Investments and Evaluate Syndication Options. Corporation for Supportive Housing (Mar. 2006), http://documents.csh.org/documents/ ResourceCenter/DevOpsToolkit/UnderstandingLIHTCspdf.pdf. [ 4 ]. Sherrie L. Rhine, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: Affordable Housing Investment Opportunities for Banks. Community Affairs Development (Feb. 2008), Found in Real Estate Law Clinic Course Reader, at p. 75. [ 5 ]. Lance Bocarsly, Real Estate Law Clinic Lecture. (Thursday September 6, 2012, 4:30pm.) [ 6 ]. Understanding Low Income Housing Tax Credits: How to Secure Equity Investments and Evaluate Syndication Options, supra, Corporation for Supportive Housing (Mar. 2006.) [ 7 ]. In actuality, the percentage of qualified basis that determines the amount of tax credits is not exactly 9 or 4 percent. The rate for the 4 percent credit floats in accordance with the Applicable Federal Rate and may fluctuate above or below 4 percent. The 9 percent credit will float beginning in 2013, although current legislation has been proposed to extend the 9 percent credit floor. House of Representatives Bill 3661 is making its way through Congress. See Mark Anderson, Tax Credit at Risk for Low Income Housing. Finance and Commerce (April 26, 2012, 4:35 pm). Available at http://finance-commerce.com/2012/04/tax-credit-at-risk-for-low-income-housing/. [ 8 ]. Low-Income Housing Tax Credit: Facts & Figures, Novogradac Affordable Housing Resource Center. http://www.novoco.com/low_income_housing/facts_figures/index.php. [ 9 ]. Tim Iglesias and Rochelle E. Lento, The Legal Guide to Affordable Housing Development. Found in Real Estate Law Clinic Course Reader, at p. 28. [ 10 ]. Rhine, supra, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: Affordable Housing Investment Opportunities for Banks.† Found in Real Estate Law Clinic Course Reader, at p. 87. [ 11 ]. Understanding Low Income Housing Tax Credits: How to Secure Equity Investments and Evaluate Syndication Options, supra, at p. 4. [ 12 ]. Id. [ 13 ]. Id. [ 14 ]. Novogradac, supra, Investing in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. [ 15 ]. James L. Logue III, How LIHTC Funds Can Help Banks Invest in Affordable Housing. OCC: Community Developments (Spring 2006). http://www.occ.gov/static/community-affairs/community-developments-investments/ spring06/howlihtcfunds.htm. [ 16 ]. Id.

Information systems security management Research Paper

Information systems security management - Research Paper Example In 1915, there were 250 automobile manufactures in the United State that were utilizing information technology on large bases. By the 1994, this figure had increased up till 500 automobiles. In the field of telecommunication, around 2000 radio stations across the United States were found (Laudon, 2011). In 1925, these radio stations were broadcasting to local neighborhoods and run by non-professionals. By the year 1990, only 500 independent stations were functioning. Therefore, it is clear that the e-commerce will follow the same pattern along with some noticeable difference that is discussed further (Laudon, 2011). The development in the field of e-commerce has been increased significantly, but it is also not obvious that this field will tend to grow on this rate forever. Moreover, its growth will be limited in future as it is confronting its own fundamental limitations. For example, the B2C e-commerce is still a small part around 3% of the net retail market. In fact, in 2008, all t he B2C e-commerce will approximately equal to the annual revenue under recent projections. This research includes Wal-Mart, which is the world’s largest and most effective retailer. On the contrary, with the only 3% of the entire retail sales, it is now introducing online methods (Laudon, 2011). Early Years of E-Commerce E-Commerce Today Technology-driven Business-driven Revenue growth emphasis Earnings and profits emphasis Venture capital financing Traditional financing Ungoverned Stronger regulation and governance Entrepreneurial Large traditional firms Disintermediation Strengthening intermediaries Perfect markets Imperfect markets, brands, and network effects Pure online strategies Integrated, multi-channel bricks-and-clicks strategies First mover advantages Strategic follower strength; complimentary assets Figure 1.1 1.1 Emphasizing Privacy One more study shows that online companies emphasize and focus more on online privacy policy rather than any other aspect. Even onli ne security is considered as the second option. Moreover, the study also concluded that online customers are more worried about their privacy rather than online threats as they are considered to be in control. In addition, the study also demonstrated a comparison between the two decades, i.e. 1999-2001 and 2005-2007, which highlighted the factors that are mentioned previously (Parayitam, Desai, & Desai, 2008). 1.2 Focusing on Customer Demands However, study concluded one interesting factor, i.e. the rankings and ratings of policies created for the Internet continues to focus on demands of the web users. Moreover, consumer privacy continues to be on top in both the decades (Parayitam, Desai, & Desai, 2008). The amplified awareness by the contributors, i.e. legislators and advocates, shows that the interest level is comparatively high. 2 Technology Infrastructure E-commerce is also described as the development and growth of digital computing, and communications technology is at the co re of modern technology of global digital economy. In order to understand the future of the digital e-commerce, we need to understand the technological basics on which it is dependent. The e-commerce is, basically, a technological motivated phenomenon that depends on a cloud of information technologies. Moreover, the fundamental ideas from computer science have developed this over for a

Franchises as a Form of Business Start-up Essay

Franchises as a Form of Business Start-up - Essay Example The Franchisee finds it easier to pay the initial and the royalty fees which are way lower than the required capital cost. At a time when the cost has become an important aspect of the business, Franchising has become a winner for international companies that intend to penetrate as many markets as possible in their global business design strategy. McDonald's is among companies that have a franchise in an effort to expand their business within new markets. The organizations have profited from rapid expansion, use of effective business models and reduced cost entering new markets. From this note, franchising has become a popular practice due to its efficiency in business start-up. Â  In the modern business industry, organizations are experiencing pressure to start new businesses in the international market as one way of appealing to bigger geographical space. One major driver for expansionism in business is the saturation of local business markets. Before the 21st century, organization sharply focussed on the expansion of business within the local markets due to the increasing demand for products within such markets. However, the demand in the local markets has reached a plateau phase and organizations can make little profits from these markets (Francois & Wooton, 2010). When demand remains flat, organizations are at the risk of incurring losses as expenses go higher while the profit remains constant (Garg, Priem & Rasheed, 2013). Consequently, organizations are forced to move out of the local markets and consider entering into new markets. Therefore, fall in demand within local countries has forced organizations to consider appealing to a broader geographica l coverage as the only way to remain profitable. Â  Secondly, the upsurge of competition within local markets has motivated organizations to consider launching international business strategies.

The impact of internet marketing in retailing Essay

The impact of internet marketing in retailing - Essay Example The information would be sent to the grocery shop through Internet and the grocery would be delivered at our doorsteps. The concept of E- com goes even beyond this; various firms would float their needs, projects and tenders through Internet web. The management consultant, vendors, engineering consultants and other business groups would come online to discuss various aspects of the project. All mandatory information relating to costing, engineering details calculations, and prices would also be shared here on- line. The orders would be discussed and then placed on-line. And the executions would also be done through Internet. The various aspects of information transfer would involve management and engineering information then all types of text, graphics, tables and figures. The process of E-com is getting a big momentum in global industry as a whole unit after globalization. Currently, the most serious application of Internet is in the area of internet marketing. E-mail services are v ery cheap and are used by businessmen and individuals worldwide for information transfer. ... ng the creation of a national information backbone, which would be used for national information infrastructure and for the promotion of Internet services. We must get out of the agricultural age and must jump on to information technology bandwagon. The possibilities on Internet marketing are endless. For example, it would be possible to have marketing through voice transmission via Internet. All the major national streams—defense, industry, software development and exports, international trading, bilateral agreements, information exchange and information needs for daily usage—would benefit from this latest technological marvel (Cotter, 2002). Today, there is a lack of a good data transmission networks. According to a survey, there is likely to be a demand of 50, 00,000 Internet connections in the metropolises. Internet Marketing Strategies The major strategies used for internet marketing is as follows: Web design First of all we must have a good web site where we shoul d display the articles to sell. Since there are billions of web pages are there in internet, one should design his web site to catch attention from the customers. The customer should be able to know the various features of the product he wants to know. So, one should be able to display the web site well in style to catch good customers (Armistead & Keily, 2003). Free publicity As internet is a plat form where all the buyers and sellers meet, it offers ample scope to market his products and services. So we can use all social marketing tools for the same. We have face book, twitter and a number of web related plat forms are there to interact with the customers and buyers. Sending effective e- mails is the powerful tool as far as the internet marketing is concerned (Hoffman & Novak, 1996). SEO Search

Analysis of a movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of a movie - Essay Example is an art of making motion pictures, encompasses different criteria or qualities by which its aesthetic quality can be evaluated depending on the person viewing it. Thereby, its classification as a beautiful film depends on the subjective nature of the person who viewed it. It is in this regard that this essay is written to present an analysis of Rain Man in terms of addressing the following questions: (1) keeping in mind what you have learned in class thus far about literary elements, what does this movie mean to you? (2) What is this movie really about? (3) Is there a "moral to the story," a theme to be explored, or comment to think about? (4) What is the point of the movie? And (5) did you find this movie meaningful for you personally? Why or why not? Rain Man is a movie an uplifting experience through the spectacular performance of the actors, both Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. For me, it is one of the best movies I have seen and have continued to remember so far due to the theme and the characters of the movie. The most critical factors that qualify a film or movie as good in my own conviction are as follows: (1) a good plot (or the content of the story), (2) the quality and choice of casts, (3) genre, (4) excellent audio visual quality, (5) cinematography (or the form which is the actual beauty of fine art) and (6) moral or message of the story. Contemporary films do not necessarily comply with the standards of aesthetic quality despite the developments and utilization of technology to apply special effects. In fact, according to Osider (2009), â€Å"lately, the blockbuster has fallen into the habit of replacing beautiful form with thrills. These films contain mainly shallow themes and impressive special effects. The audience might like the film, but again that does not make it a good one.† An aesthetically crafted film should show a good quality that not only entertains but inspires. The content and form combine beautifully to create film art. Osider

Providing child care in the workplace and its effect of woman Research Paper

Providing child care in the workplace and its effect of woman performance - Research Paper Example To live a sound life a woman must look for opportunities of sharing her duties and obligations. It cannot be denied that a modern woman is inspired to work. Women are looking forward to having a chance of self-development. On the basis of previous works and studies in this field, it has been identified that there are two main directions for a woman’s development: on the one hand, she can choose a childfree life and make an emphasis on her career, but on the other hand a woman can be inspired for having a perfect chance for self-realization both at work and in the family. Every reader of the paper will be interested in current attempts of the governments around the world to facilitate a process of a womans integration in the life of the country. There are many options for modern women and they can decide whether to make their own living and earn money or to live beyond backs of their husbands and bring up their children. Professional women can earn money and be independent or to help their families to live a sound and wealthy life. Women are looking for opportunity to find a perfect balance between their work and life. In accordance with Government Proposals on Childcare Should Improve Productivity (2003): â€Å"To the extent working women are expected to also fulfill the demands of the home, including childcare and housework, both men and women are likely to experience considerable stress in the course of seeking to achieve some sort of a work-life balance when women have less time to devote to the home† (Government Proposals on Childcare Should Improve Productivity 2003).  Joan  C.  Williams in her recent work claims that â€Å"opting out  is  a  voluntary  phenomenon† (Ibid.).  Very often ha ve to give up their work because of inflexible hours, failures of public policy, gender bias, sexual harassment etc. Williams underlines systemic opting out and discrimination of women. Thus, highly educated women prefer remaining a

Introduction to Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to Psychology - Essay Example Having said that one must understand that it is basically not easy to have management between a demanding job and taming children, not to forget the successful completion of household responsibilities as well. When one speaks to his colleagues or neighbors about the same, the result is that nearly everyone is passing through the same phase, it is just a matter of how much pressure and stress a particular individual can take, at a particular moment of time. Stress is indeed a very common problem. Just as all the good things in life, the comfort of modern living cannot be have on the part of the people without paying a cost for it. Among other things that have come hand in hand with the same, it has brought about the phenomenon of stress alongside it nonetheless. This problem seems to emanate all the same from the sort of commercialization that we are witnessing in the present times and not to forget the ruthless market economies and a senseless notion of consumerism attached with this. Especially true is the fact that spending money has become the sole criterion for success and achievement in the modern times. For a number of people, the rat race for acquiring money and material possessions is a symbol of success that they have achieved and it given more importance by the society in which we live in that aims to signify people by the standards as laid down by material possessions and the amount of money that one has. This rat race brin gs with it heaps of stress and tension and anxious living conditions are a manifestation of what can bring a person down every now and then. This kind of intensity was studied by a number of different research studies which stated that stress forms up as the most basic cause of nearly 80 percent of all human illnesses – which accounts for a huge statement if not a huge figure so to speak. One must understand that stress and anxiety are in all essence mental problems and that they develop as the mind chases as

Business Analysis of Wal-Mart Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Analysis of Wal-Mart - Research Paper Example Wal-Mart is among the top ranked discount stores in USA and it is also leader of the country’s retail industry.The store was the first one to introduce the concept of providing low price goods and services to customers at their convenience by locating its stores nearby customers’ residency. The store was the first one to introduce the concept of providing low price goods and services to customers at their convenience by locating its stores nearby customers’ residency. In 1962, first Wal-Mart store was opened in Rogers, Arkansas. According to Freeman (2006), Wal-Mart is given the top ranking in terms of the total sales that are made by the store alone. The retail offers variety of products that comprise of family apparel, electronics, household needs, electronics, fabrics, jewellery, shoes, crafts, health and beauty products and lawn and garden accessories along with pharmacy store, Photo processing centre and Tire and Lube Express (Walmart Stores, 2012). In 1991, Wal-Mart opened its first store in Mexico and marked the beginning of its international operations. Currently, Wal-Mart has about 10,185 stores and also locations of clubs in almost twenty-seven countries; it is employing more than 2.2 million people who are serving approximately 176 million numbers of customers every year (Next-Generation Wal-Mart, 2012). The annual growth rate of store is about 22% in country and internationally it is about 58% (Ambartsoumian, 2011). Financial Statements Analysis In order to evaluate the performance of any business, it is important to analyze its performance both from its financial statements and by doing comparison with its competitors. First, it is important to review the performance of Wal-Mart in the last couple of years which can be extracted from evaluation of its financial statements. The summary of financial performance of Wal-Mart is represented in the form of table after analyzing its Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Statement of Cas h Flows (ttm stands for Trailing Twelve Months): The above table shows that company’s performance is increasing despite recession going on in the world. Management of the store is effective as is evident from the ratios of Return on Assets and Return on Equity; it shows that management is performing its function properly so that store’s performance gets boosted. Wal-Mart’s financial statements’ analysis shows that it is still in multi-billion bracket and is also paying off good amount of dividends to its shareholders. One area of concern is total debt to equity ratio which is higher; the company that is performing well has lower debt to equity ratio. The main reason for increase in debt is its heavy investment done in technological avenues which were done via loans from banks and financial institutions. The current ration of store is also less than 1 which is not a good indication because it shows that current assets of store are less than current liabili ties. Although considering its stock market performance which is showing increasing trend but there are some issues internally that needs to be addressed. Since the competition in retail industry is getting competitive, it is mandatory for the stores to ensure that they can compete with the existing and new entrants in the market. Overall, financial health of store is fine and smoothly progressing in retail industry; it is expected to grow exponentially worldwide. However, the main area of concern for management team is its current ration and rise in expenses; the team will have to ensure that it is able to pay off its debts well within agreed time period. Competitor Analysis The main competitors of Wal-Mart are Target Corporation and Costco. According to Ambartsoumian (2011), discount retailers growth

Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Analysis - Case Study Example Moreover, Starbucks will operate in a joint venture with the Tata group which has knowledge of the domestic market. 1. The pricing of CCD is lower as compared to Starbucks and there is a difference of almost Rs. 400 in the prices of the two companies. Therefore, CCD has a clear advantage over the Starbucks as far as the pricing is concerned. The products of both the coffee chains are up to the market. Both the companies deliver the quality product to its customers but even then Starbucks has slightest advantage over CCD as far as the products are concerned due to its global standing. 2. The supply chain of the Starbucks as well as CCD varies to great extent. CCD works on backward integration and instead of buying the coffee from the suppliers it manufactures coffee for itself. All the activities of the supply chain are controlled by CCD itself. CCD has neither any franchises nor it hires the staff through the third party. All the outlets of the company are controlled by itself and the employees are also hired and trained by CCD itself. On the contrary, Starbucks buys the coffee from the manufacturing countries instead of from the manufacturers. So the supply chain of the Starbucks starts from the buying of the coffee from the manufacturing countries and ends with the delivery of the coffee o the consumers. 3. The customers of Starbucks are much greater than that of CCD as far as its global operations are concerned. However, in India the current customers of CCD are much greater. CCD attracts all types of customers due to its effective pricing and diverse offering. The potential customers of CCD are also projected to be higher due to the trend of taking coffee among the youth of India and the pleasant environment provided CCD. At present the existing customers of Starbucks are lower but they might increase in future due to expansion of its network. 4. The customer service of CCD is great and helps it in retaining the large number of

The First Industrial Revolution Essay Example for Free

The First Industrial Revolution Essay The two most significant social consequences of the First Industrial Revolution were the emergence of the Bourgeoisie and the rise of factories. As a result of new developments in machinery and the formation of factories, the division of the labor force drastically changed. No longer were people born into their crafts; however, they were able to choose factory work as their profession, and wealthy land owners were no longer able to count on the possession of large tracts of land as a form of wealth. The land owners either transitioned into becoming factory owners, or they faced bankruptcy due to lack of production which resulted from people born on their land leaving when they came of age to seek better paying positions in factories. The specialized craftsman were being forced out of existence by factories which could not only produce better goods, but they were able to, in some cases, triple the production of products previously produced by the specialized craftsman. Many people were choosing to become machine operators because the work was easier in the sense that they were able to work in all day long instead on only daylight to dawn, and this increased production led to the formation of the Bourgeoisie. The Bourgeoisie was the newly created middle class that was all but non-existent before the First Industrial Revolution. These positions came into existence due to the increased production of products that needed to be sold to the public. The Bourgeoisie was primarily shop owners, and their ability to market products to the public resulted in their dramatic increase in wealth and status within their local communities. These shop owners basically became the intermediary between the factory owners and the local populace, and their importance resulted in a new power struggle with the Factory and land owners. The Bourgeoisie caused the explosion of Capitalism in Europe and the rest of the world. The shop owners were able to rise above poverty by being able to supply everyone with goods that were previously only available to the wealthy. Being able to provide these items as a result of factories increased the wealth and influence of the Middle class businessmen, and Capitalism was born. Industrial Revolution and Capitalism In a nut shell, Price claimed the Industrial Revolution created the division of labor (2004). The Division of Labor is perfectly encapsulated by the Henry Ford model of the assembly line (Price, 2004). Each worker on the assembly line only needs to know how to attach or inspect the operation of their assigned part on to the object as a whole, and not how to assemble the entire product. This allows for any unskilled person to be taught how to attach their doodad onto the doohickey without knowing what the doohickey does or operates. This is capitalism in the basic form of the ideal. Capitalism desires economic efficiency, thus the assembly line is a perfect example of the rise of unskilled factory workers and the decline of skilled craftsmen during the industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism. The rise of Capitalism assisted in increasing the chasm which already existed between the wealthy and the poor. The newly created middle class also rapidly becoming wealthy as a result of the new commerce, and were able to spend more time perusing the leisure activities before only enjoyed by the rich. Capitalism naturally had it opposition from all sides, the wealthy, the middle class, and the increasingly poor. This opposition was able to take root within the poor and lower middle class as they were the ones who were not able to benefit from the huge profits caused by inflation increasing faster than wages. The new theory of communism was developed from the combination of feudalism and Asia produced items. The Link between Communism and Capitalism and the Development of Communistic Theory The disparity between the classes, the rich and the poor, was increasing by leaps and bounds every day. The demand of the rich factory owners to increase production thus increasing profits without any concern for the actual workers and their working conditions could be linked to Karl marks theory of communism (Price, 2004). The development of Communist theory naturally grew out of the ill-treatment of workers participating in Capitalism (Gates, 2011). Factory workers were dehumanized, dishonored, and treated as possessions by the factory owners (Gates, 2011). The consequences of the deplorable conditions of the employees created fertile beds for the theory of communism to take root and germinate (Steven, 2009) In Capitalism, individuals can earn wealth, own their own property, and production abilities, and everyone has the right to produce products. In Communism, the wealth, property, and production all belong to the state and are communal property. Communism vacuums up all the land, assigns someone to manage the production, and dictates what will be produced, for example: corn, wheat, or beans. At harvest time, the crops are harvested, processed, and shipped out to the central distribution warehouses to be doled out at the leisure of the state and not necessarily as needs demand. The people who grew and harvested the crops do not get to keep any for their personal use. In Capitalism, each individual or corporation owns the land, decides what is to be grown, and who ever can afford to purchase the harvested product can purchase it, and some or all is kept for the use of the owners. Communism does not encourage free thought of the individuals as they might realize that there could be profit to be made. Capitalism encourages individuals to think for themselves. This freedom of thought allows for each person to have the ability to encounter a problem, and creatively generate a solution that might benefit others for the right price. These two differences are what have allowed Capitalism to flourish over the past several centuries, and doomed Communism for failure almost before it was allowed to germinate as a viable way of life. References Gates, L. (2011, March 11). capitalism/communism History Discussion. Study Guides, Lesson Plans, Homework Help, Answers More enotes.com. Retrieved January 5, 2013, from http://www.enotes.com/history/discuss/capitalism-communism-93289 Price, R. G. (2004, January 29). Division of Labor, Assembly Line Thought The Paradox of Democratic Capitalism. rationalrevolution.net Making sense of history, economics, politics, philosophy, and war. Retrieved January 5, 2013, from http://rationalrevolution.net/articles/division_of_labor.htm Steven (2009, December 14). Capitalism and communism Gilles Dauv | libcom.org. libcom.org. Retrieved January 5, 2013, from http://libcom.org/library/capitalism-communism-gilles-dauve

Major Research Designs And Methods Psychology Essay

Major Research Designs And Methods Psychology Essay Since time immemorial, Sociologists have been using different designs and research methods to examine society and social behaviour. Most sociological research involves  field work typically designed to depict the characteristics of a population as fully as possible. The designs and methods have proved utilitarian in studying the behaviour and relationships among groups of people and institutions and how their characteristics are shaped by these relationships. It analyses how society changes and how it maintains stability, looking into both unanimity and conflict among different social groups. Sociologys subject matter comprises of social procedures such as, deviance, identity development, socialization and social institutions, including work, religion, family. Major research designs The three most popular social research  designs are discussed below- CROSS SECTIONAL: It is also known as transversal studies,  cross-sectional analyses and  prevalence study. Cross sectional research involves the study of a number of individuals varying in age but have the same attribute or characteristic of interest at a single point of time. It forms a class of  research methods  that necessitate observation of all of a population, or a representative subset, at one specific point in time. They differ from  case-control studies  in that they aim to provide data on the entire population under study, whereas case-control studies typically include only individuals with a specific characteristic, with a sample, often a tiny minority, of the rest of the population. Cross-sectional studies are descriptive studies (neither longitudinal nor experimental). Unlike case-control studies, they can be used to describe, not only the  Odds ratio, but also  absolute risks and  relative risks  from  prevalences.  They may be used to describe some feature of the population, such as  prevalence  of an illness, or they may support inferences of cause and effect.  Longitudinal studies  differ from both in making a series of observations more than once on members of the study population over a period of time. Longitudinal, in which scientists study the same individuals or society repeatedly over a specified period of time. A  longitudinal study  is a  correlation  research study that involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods of time often many decades. It is a type of observation study. Longitudinal studies are often used in psychology to study developmental trends across the life span, and in sociology  to study life events throughout lifetimes or generations. The reason for this is that unlike  cross-sectional, in which different individuals with same characteristics are compared,[1]  longitudinal studies track the same people, and therefore the differences observed in those people are less likely to be the result of cultural differences across generations. Because of this benefit, longitudinal studies make observing changes more accurate, and they are applied in various other fields. In medicine, the design is used to uncover predictors of ce rtain diseases. In advertising, the design is used to identify the changes that advertising has produced in the attitudes and behaviours of those within the target audience who have seen the advertising campaign. Cross-sequential, in which scientists test individuals in a cross-sectional sample more than once over a specified period of time Six of the most popular sociological research  methods  (procedures) are the  case study, survey, observational, correlation, experimental,  and  cross-cultural methods, as well as working with information already available. Cross sequential studies combine both longitudinal and cross sectional methods in an attempt to both shorten the length of the research and minimize developmental assumptions Research methods Five of the most popular methods which help in sociological research are- Case study Survey Observational Experimental Cross-cultural CASE STUDY METHOD: In  case study research, a research worker analyses a person or small group of individuals with a strange situation or condition. Case studies are usually clinical in scope. The researcher (often a clinical sociologist) sometimes applies self-report measures to gather quantitative data on the field. A comprehensive examination, including a long-term follow-up, can last months or years. The advantage of case study is that, it obtains meaningful information about individuals or groups. The disadvantage is, it is only applicable to individuals with alike characteristics instead of the general population. SURVEY RESEARCH METHOD: It is the most common method by which researchers gather their data. This type of research method  involves face-to-face interviewing or administering  questionnaires, or written surveys, in which interviewer meets with his subject to ask them questions. The investigator examines the data acquired from surveys to know about similarities, differences, and current trend. The researcher then makes predictions about the subjects being studied. Its positive side includes acquiring information from a large number of responders, conducting interviews according to respondents convenience, and obtaining data as tattily as possible. Its negative side includes biased volunteer or interviewer and distortion. Distortion occurs when the subjects are not honest with the investigator. OBSERVATIONAL METHOD: It is also called field research, is a basic of sociology. Observational research involves directly noticing subjects behaviour, either in a laboratory (called laboratory observation) or in a natural environment (called  naturalistic observation). Observational research ensures the investigator that subjects will share totally honest accounts of the experiences, take the study seriously, learn to remember, do not feel embarrassed. Observation studies are of two types- Participant Observation and Non-Participant Observation. In participant the investigator gets an opportunity to be a part of the group he is studying and might even live with them. This must not influence the behaviour or attitude of the people they are studying. In nonparticipant observation, the research worker analyses a group of individual but does not otherwise interact with them. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD: This research method  tries to ascertain  how  and  why  something happens. Experimental research tests the way of how one variable  affects the other. There are various factors that can affect the resultant of any type of experimental research. One is discovering random samples and representative of the universe being analysed. Another is bias  experimenter, in which the investigators prospects about what should or should not occur in the study shake the results. Still some other is ascertaining for  immaterial variables, such as noise level or room temperature, which may intervene with the conclusions of the experiment. Only when researcher cautiously controls for immaterial variables can she or he draw sensible conclusions about the results of specific variables on other. The major plus point of this method is that the experimenter can be reasonably sure of a cause-and-effect relationship. Most experiments take place in the laboratory, which ma y be a room with a unidirectional mirror, but some experiments occur in the field, or in a natural environment. CROSS-CULTURAL METHOD: This method involves the study of values, folkways, norms, attitudes, mores, customs, and practices necessitate knowledge of other societies and cultures. This research is designed to discover variations across people from different culture experience and background. Most cross-cultural research involves direct observation, survey, and  participant observation  methods of research. In participant observation the investigator gets an opportunity to be a part of the subjects community he is studying and might even live with them. The positive aspect of this method of research is that the information obtained is considered within the social, political, economical, and religious systems of that community. The study also demonstrates that Western cultural standards are not necessarily practised by other societies. What may be acceptable or normal for one group may be unacceptable or abnormal for another. Conclusion The important types of sociological research include cross cultural, surveys, experiments, the use of existing data and observational studies. Surveys are the most common of all as it allows the researcher for gathering much information on subjects or respondents that is relatively trivial. The conclusion of surveys that use random samples can be generalized to the population that the sample represents. An observational study is also common and allows us to acquire in-depth knowledge of a small group of individual. Because the samples of these analyses are not random, the outcome cannot necessarily be generalized to a population. Experiments are very less common in sociology. When field experiments are conducted in sociology, they can yield valuable information because of their experimental design.

Spirit Of Enquiry Is Vital To Human Fulfilment Philosophy Essay

Spirit Of Enquiry Is Vital To Human Fulfilment Philosophy Essay The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. Albert Einstein Humans are by nature curious and enquiring beings. We are also rarely able to be content in the state in which we find ourselves, as there is always something not possessed or obtainable, something we are not fully aware of that we still desire. As we go about our daily lives we experience and actively seek the unknown. Indeed it is generally accepted that enquiry and curiosity generally leads to overwhelmingly positive experiences as opposed to continuing blindly with the mundane nature of everyday life. There is indeed much to be said for searching out new and exciting experiences, giving us a fuller perspective and a greater insight into the world around us. Scientists identify the spirit of enquiry as being synonymous to scientific temper most scientific discoveries, after all, were conceived in the spirit of enquiry. However, is this mental attitude crucial for human satisfaction and fulfilment? The quest for human fulfilment is one which to this day remains largely unsolved; there is of course no correct way to live ones life, otherwise we would all be satisfied. Human fulfilment is difficult to define but for me it represents, at its core, a basic feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Three things which I believe are absolutely paramount to this feeling of fulfilment are: successful relationships, achieving ones aims, and discovery self-discovery or otherwise. These are all inter-linked without venturing into some realm of the unknown, how can we ever have new experiences, achieve ones desires or meet other like-minded people? Enquiry is absolutely essential in leading us to the most fulfilling experiences of our lives, whether it is discovering and reading a book which inspires you to change your life, visiting an entirely new country and immersing yourself in its cultures and traditions or making an important scientific discovery. Whilst some scientific advances have been achieved purely by chance (e.g. the discovery of Penicillin) most require a questioning, seeking mind and perseverance at the highest level. Today science does not tend to advance by chance humans are at such a level of understanding (through our continuation of efforts) that we must in general use a trial and error basis for research, which is where intelligence and our basic feelings of curiosity are hugely important. In a similar way, it is generally accepted that in todays economic climate, a good education is of paramount importance. In a world where places for further education and where jobs are scarce, universities and prospective employers are increasingly looking for individuals who demonstrate this very spirit of enquiry. People who throw themselves into lots of different things are far more appealing than those who do not take advantage of their situation and do not actively seek new experiences; this is because an active and enquiring mind is present in an adaptable, versatile and intelligent individual. Thus, it is conducive to human fulfilment in the sense that it facilitates transition into the working world. Equally vital however is the ability to focus the mind, and not fall into the trap of becoming a jack of all trades, as leaving quests or pursuits unfinished can be the least fulfilling and most tragic thing of all. As well as its rather superficial economic benefits (ease of finding a job etc), an enquiring and curious mind is in my opinion a lot more content than an intellectually apathetic one however, according to various polls, only a small proportion of Americans own passports (the Guardian estimates the number at 22%). Although this is not a definitive sign that they are not mentally inquisitive, it does suggest some of them have little interest in leaving the safety and comfort of their country. However this does not apparently adversely affect their happiness according to a survey from gallup.com, 84% of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their personal life at this time, while 14% are dissatisfied. In this case, those surveyed feel fulfilled without having to take the leap of leaving their country. There is obviously a significant defence to the argument that only through intellectual curiosity we can be truly fulfilled. However I believe that the more basic intelligence one has, the more one will naturally feel the instinct to explore and to enquire. Those who do will often become enriched by the wealth of knowledge and personal experience gained, and those who dont will either continue unaware of what the world holds and not mind while the rest will undoubtedly feel unfulfilled. There is of course an argument that in some cases, ignorance is bliss. I strongly believe that todays current state of general hysteria (particularly with regard to health and crime) is in some part caused the media whether its claims be misinformed or otherwise, I believe that (warnings about genuine and formidable dangers aside) some things are better left unsaid. Scaremongering the public about the possible carcinogenic properties of everyday foods or the pervasiveness of violent crime is not particularly constructive; it is hard to focus on the things which really matter in life and seek fulfilment in an atmosphere of chronic paranoia in some ways, a more relaxed approach to daily life would be more beneficial to the human spirit. However, I strongly believe that on a more basic level, humans must continue to search spiritually, scientifically and personally if there is any hope for happiness and fulfilment. There is a danger that if we let the important aspects of our lives be pushed aside by apathy and ignorance, we run the risk of losing sight of these things entirely, which would be a tragedy as friendship, love and discovery are the sole paths to human fulfilment and being happy, which in the end is arguably the most important thing we can ever hope to be.

The Impact of Ophelia on Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

The Impact of Ophelia on Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚   Could the Bard of Avon have created a more innocent and obedient young lady in Hamlet than the victimized Ophelia? I think not. Let us discuss the ups and downs of her life in the play.    Michael Pennington in â€Å"Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven,† describes personality traits of the young lady: This is the woman she might have become – warm, tolerant and imaginative. Instead she becomes jagged, benighted and imaginative. . . .Ophelia is made mad not only by circumstance but by something in herself. A personality forced into such deep hiding that it has seemed almost vacant, has all the time been so painfully open to impressions that they now usurp her reflexes and take possession of her. She has loved, or been prepared to love, the wrong man; her father has brought disaster on himself, and she has no mother: she is terribly lonely. (73-74)    Helena Faucit (Lady Martin) in On Some of Shakespeare's Female Characters reveals the misunderstood character of Ophelia:    My views of Shakespeare's women have been wont to take their shape in the living portraiture of the stage, and not in words. I have, in imagination, lived their lives from the very beginning to the end; and Ophelia, as I have pictured her to myself, is so unlike what I hear and read about her, and have seen represented on the stage, that I can scarcely hope to make any one think of her as I do. It hurts me to hear her spoken of, as she often is, as a weak creature, wanting in truthfulness, in purpose, in force of character, and only interesting when she loses the little wits she had. And yet who can wonder that a character so delicately outlined, and shaded in with touches so fine, should be o... ...    Lehmann, Courtney and Lisa S. Starks. "Making Mother Matter: Repression, Revision, and the Stakes of 'Reading Psychoanalysis Into' Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.1 (May, 2000): 2.1-24 <URL: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-1/lehmhaml.htm>.    Pennington, Michael. â€Å"Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of â€Å"Hamlet†: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.      

My Teaching Philosophy Essay -- Education Teaching Philosophy

My Teaching Philosophy I believe that education extends far beyond the classroom walls, and involves many more people than students and teachers. People should be learning wherever they go, and should continue learning long after they’ve graduated from high school or college. Education isn’t something that can be quantified with tests or report cards, but is instead something that people carry with them. It’s a survival pack for life, and some people are better equipped in certain areas than in others. People with a solid education are prepared for nearly anything, as they will be able to provide for their own physical, emotional, and aesthetic needs. That being said, I also believe that a crucial part of education does occur within school during the formative years of a person’s life. Regardless of whether a child is fortunate enough to come from an encouraging and loving home, it is the job of the school to provide emotional support as well as intellectual knowledge. â€Å"The school,† of course, is an abstract term which actually means the teachers and administrators. I...

Marks & Spencer PESTLE Analysis Essay

Major Firms cannot survive and continue to prosper without analyzing their general environment and acting upon the trends identified. Scanning and monitoring the general environment are activities they cannot afford to ignore. Discuss this statement with reference to the performance of the UK retailer Marks & Spencer over the last 10 years. Introduction Marks and Spencer is a major British multinational retailer headquartered in Westminster, London. It has a network of 766 stores in the United Kingdom and 418 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It was founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds. It specializes in the selling of clothing and luxury food products. Michael Marks was from Russia and Thomas Spencer was a cashier from Yorkshire. In 1884, Michael Marks started his own business in Kirkgate Market, Leeds by opening a penny bazaar stall. Then to develop his business he opened a shop at Manchester with the partnership of Thomas Spencer. Initially, the company used to be known as Marks & Sparks but over the years, the company decided to settle down for Marks & Spencer. In 1998, it became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over ?1 billion. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. PESTLE Analysis An organization’s environment is made up of: The Internal Environment: Staff, office technology, wages, finance, etc. The Micro Environment: External customers, agents, distributors, suppliers, etc. The Macro Environment: Political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental etc. This is also known as the PESTLE environment. PESTLE analysis describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. It is a part of the external analysis which gives an overview of the different macro-environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration in order to achieve its goals. Let’s talk about the different factors of the PESTLE environment for Marks & Spencer in depth. Political Political factors are those factors that are made, run and changed by the government. These factors show the level of anticipation by the government in different trades and businesses. Specifically the sectors in which government’s anticipation is the most are trade policy, labor law, trade restrictions, tariffs, and political stability. These factors also include goods and services needed or provided by the government. This is decided by the government what kind and quantity of goods and services can enter or go out of the country. These policies are directly worked by government and can only be changed by them. Other than these political factors government have a large anticipation in health, education, infrastructure and defense of the country. The government has its own sets of rules and regulations which every company has to abide such as health & safety, planning for hazard identification, risk management and risk control. If somehow a company doesn’t follow these rules and regulations, the companies will have to face strict consequences and outcomes, which include heavy fines or even closure of the company. Marks and Spencer was accused of not abiding the standards for and was charged for neglecting the safety regulation after a door fell on an employee. Marks and Spencer was not pled guilty of this trial. Marks and Spencer was the first company to achieve fair trade policy route which is cut salt and fat in M&S food. Marks and Spencer’s believes that it is very important to interact and work with the government to protect an  organization’s legitimate interests and to develop policies which addresses wider public objectives. Marks and Spencer’s respond to the government queries which are available publically on their sites. The company has full support from the government because of its rich historic values and fair means of trade practice. Because Marks & Spencer has become a very powerful organization in the retail world, new competitors find it very difficult to keep up with the quality of products and services that Marks & Spencer provide. The two political f actors that affect the company are political stability and VAT. Political stability is the government works their way whereas Marks and Spencer’s wants things differently. VAT is the terms known as value added tax which is set by the government and paid by the companies. It definitely affects Marks and Spencer’s because if the government increases VAT, M&S also has to increase their prices or else it would decrease the firm’s income. Economic Economic factors are determinants of an economy’s performance that directly impacts a company and have long term effects. For example, a rise in the inflation rate of any economy would affect the way companies’ price their products and services. It would also affect the purchasing power of a consumer and change demand/supply models for that economy. Economic factors include inflation rate, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, economic growth patterns etc. It also accounts for the FDI (foreign direct investment) depending on certain specific industries who’re undergoing this analysis. The United Kingdom has an open economy and ranks among the fourth largest in the world. Fiscal and monetary policies are properly managed because of that there is low inflation and strong government finances in the country. Marks & Spencer needs to organize a complete economic analysis. It is essential to consider the state of economy in the short- and long-terms. Issues such as i nterest rates, inflation, GDP, employment levels, etc. need to have hold in the marketing plan so that the strategies adopted encounter all such issues and ensure sustainability of competitive position. Current economic situation in the UK is favorable with low-to-moderate interest rates which signal a healthy economy. A healthy economy is a sign of increasing disposable income which, in turn, is good for the business. Marks & Spencer needs to concentrate more in the fashion arena as younger  generation spends most of their disposable incomes on clothing. Social Social factors are fundamentals that one cannot directly control but they definitely affect your business and marketing strategies. Basically, to know your social environment and to deal with it, you have to think about ‘people’ here. The aspects that we need to consider in order to understand people are cultural aspects, age distribution and emphasis on environment concerns. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a company’s products and how that company operates. Marks & Spencer has modified itself a lot according to its consumer’s wants. M&S core shops typically feature a selection of the company’s clothing ranges and a food hall. In UK, people are seen to live longer now, which means now they can spend more during their lifetime. As Marks & Spencer’s most of the customer were people aged over 40, with a large proportion of them over 55, this is why the clothing range offered by M&S is of a conservative nature. Now, as peopleâ€℠¢s choices of attire have been changing since last ten years, Marks & Spencer is improvising its clothing line in accordance with the customers changing tastes. The clothing line sold and the space given to it basically depends on the locality and customer demographic. Say for example, some shops located in London do not stock the Classic Collection, instead they go with the stock Limited Collection and a full Autograph range. The latest recession had played an important role in increasing the level of unemployment. This caused a decrease in Marks & Spencer’s sales as people’s purchasing power declined. Eventually, Marks & Spencer lowered its price for customer’s convenience. As it was estimated there will be rise again in the level of employment, people would have money to spend, eventually a rise in sales was seen. Now a days, people want to feel unique, up to date and convenient. Therefore, people have started using credit cards to satisfy their desires. Another factor is that since credit card came into action, an increase of more than 10% happened in all trade (BBC News, 2000). Since 18 April 2000, Marks & Spencer allowed its customers to pay with credit cards. They did so because they wanted to compete with its competitors who had started accepting credit cards a long time back. Another significant social effect that took place in the recent years is the environmental. Marks &  Spencer have recognized an increase in the number of their customers who say they will tak e environmental action. It is not only the usual buying concerns such as price, quality and style which attracts their customers but also making sure all these things are underpinned by sustainability. This sets Marks & Spencer apart from its opponents and assures its customers that they can trust them to do the right thing. Marks & Spencer are continuing to drive hard to reduce, reuse, recycle and reinvent to become more capable across their operations. In UK, stores have been set as â€Å"Simply Food† that cater to customer’s demand in convenient locality. In 2009 the company also began selling a limited range of other brands such as Coca-Cola and Stella Artois without dropping the number of Marks & Spencer goods they sold. Technology Constant evolution in technology has helped businesses operate efficiently in competitive markets such as retail as modern IT systems help increase productivity & lower costs. Furthermore, consumers across the globe are harnessing the power of internet to purchase items online & get them delivered straight to their homes. Online shopping has enabled M&S to automate & accelerate purchases & reduce the supply cycle for products sold online. M&S has already invested ?100m on new technologies and ?150m on a new model for its website that will be completed by 2014. This clearly shows that M&S is investing heavily in technology to increase its efficiency. Analysts expect sales figures to be somewhere between ?800 million to ?1 billion once the website is fully revamped. Recently, M&S stores in UK were equipped with free Wi-Fi. M&S hopes that customers will use the Wi-Fi to explore other products the company has to offer. Additionally, customer assistants in stores have been given iPads to help shoppers by providing them with more information about different products. This move has helped M&S to integrate its internet & high street offerings. Other tactics involve installing big screens in stores which promote clothing & interactive screens placed strategically which enables customers to browse through the products & place orders. M&S believes that their â€Å"hospitality offer† is an advanced way to get more business. Probably the biggest advancement in M&S’s books would be the opening of M&S’s distribution centre in Castle Donington. The reason for its remarkableness is that it’s a 900,000 sq. ft. by 25 metre  high centre that has been exclusively made to serve as a warehouse for online orders. Because of its tremendous size, it is arguably the biggest distribution centre in UK. The centre is capable of processing 1 million products per day & hold 16 million products as inventory. The centre is fully automated & fitted with world class warehousing technology which involves automated storage & retrieval systems. More than 150,000 different variety products are stored in the warehouse. Work g oes inside 24Ãâ€"7 & 50 vehicles are uses every day for inventory management. As for employees, 1,200 people are employed during peak seasons. Lastly, the site has been built with an eco-friendly outlook. The centre has solar panels installed on its outside to harness solar energy & use it to heat the centre during cold weather. Legal Like any other firm, Marks & Spencer has also had to deal with some legal issues. In September last year, BBC news reported that M&S was fined 1 million GBP over asbestos risk. It failed to protect the staff and customers from the risk of asbestos which is a highly heat resistant silicate mineral. The judge, Christopher Harvey claimed that the company was more interested in making profits rather than planning for asbestos removal .However the company claimed that it acted responsibly and was disappointed. On 8th august 2010, M&S was accused for sweatshop scandal where Indian workers were paid just 25p per hour and forced to work overtime. Some workers have even claimed that they were paid half the amount for the overtime they worked and those who refused to work were asked to leave and find new jobs. M&S admitted that the suppliers had worked excessive overtime and that their own audits found a number of other violations which was described as high risk issues in documentations and conditions .The observer found that the company was using workers hired through middlemen and were being forced to work for 7 days a week, a practice that is condemned by their union as, â€Å"slave labor† but the company again refused all these claims and said that they were ethical in their working and they would not tolerate anything in their supply chain. On 19th May 2013, it was found out that M&S was involved in a tax fraud like that of Amazon. Moreover, earlier M&S claimed to be doing the same business as Amazon whereas it wasn’t. The sales revenue that was supposed to go to the UK was sent to Ireland because of the tax rate being  26% in the United Kingdom and 20% in Ireland. Even though Marks and Spencer claimed to do the same business as Amazon, it was rather saving up on its sales revenue. M&S was actually engaging in unethical practices such as evading tax. Environmental It is to be noted that M&S is one of the most sustainable brands out there in the market. Infact, they launched an initiative called â€Å"Plan A† in January 2007. They set out 100 commitments that were to be achieved in a time frame of 5 years. Currently, they’ve extended their Plan A to achieve 180 commitments by 2015 & with that they are aiming at becoming the â€Å"world’s most sustainable retailer.† One of M&S’s Plan A programs is â€Å"shwopping.† The idea of shwopping is simple. You donate your old clothes. Your old clothes are sold to Oxfam. Oxfam either recycles your clothes or re-sells them to third world markets where there is demand for clothes but consumers do not have enough money to pay for them. Over the four years, shwopping has seen more than 11 million clothing items get donated which comes out at around 8 million GBP of charity in the form of recycled clothes. By engaging in sustainable practices, the company has improved energy efficiency in stores by 10% & reduced packaging by 15%. Another thing is that the distribution centre M&S has in Castle Donington, it’s been equipped with Europe’s largest solar-wall. The walls of the centre are equipped with solar panels which helps heat the building. The project is carbon neutral & half of the structure has been built from concrete that was from a former power station. Currently, M&S charges 5p per plastic bag that a consumer needs for carrying items. All profits generated from selling plastic bags are forwarded to Groundwork which invests in projects that improve parks, play areas & public gardens in and around UK. One time, when concerns were raised by customers about the production of Angora Wool, M&S took action and conducted additional visits to the farms. On 12th December 2013 it announced that it would stop selling products containing Angora Wool and that it has updated its animal welfare policy to remove all Angora from its supply chain. By engaging in sustainable practices, M&S has been able to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions by almost 40%. The company also has been accredited with efficient electricity usage, reduced gas leaks & better waste recycling levels. They also encourage their suppliers to practice eco-friendly techniques & helped them go green & achieve higher efficiency. Conclusion With the help of PESTLE analysis, we were able to gain insight into Marks & Spencer’s business environment. Although there are a lot of factors which affect every business, we think were able to highlight the important factors that affect M&S on a macro level. No doubt, M&S has been very successful & highly competitive in their drive to provide unparalleled high quality goods & services for decades. Economic slowdowns have compelled to compete against cheaper, younger & more fashion conscious clothing lines. The sustainable approach that M&S has adopted definitely deserves another mention. Firms like M&S actually make younger & smaller firms think about their practices & inspires them to undertake a similar approach to business. Agreed, there are some initial costs that have to be incurred while going green, but in the long run, there is a lot you get back, both from customers & Mother Nature. References 1. Marks & Spencer. 2014. Marks & Spencer. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.marksandspencer.com/. [Accessed 01 March 14]. 2. HubPages. 2014. Marks & Spencer’s PEST Analysis. [ONLINE] Available at: http://mr-gadget.hubpages.com/hub/Analyse-your-own-organisation-or-division-in-organisation. [Accessed 02 March 14]. 3. Tripod. 2002. A Marketing Analysis of Marks and Spencer. [ONLINE] Available at: http://betty-sung.tripod.com/marks_&_spencer.htm#_Toc23588767. [Accessed 02 March 14]. 4. issuu. 2010. A case study analysis report of Marks and Spencer Plc. [ONLINE] Available at:http://issuu.com/emmabunce/docs/m_s_case_study. [Accessed 01 March 14]. 5. The Telegraph. 2012. Marks & Spencer installs wi-fi in e-commerce push. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9504384/Marks-and-Spencer-installs-wi-fi-in-e-commerce-push.html. [Accessed 02 March 14]. 6. Marks & Spencer. 2013. Marks & Spencer. [ONLINE] Available at:http://corporate.marksa ndspencer.com/investors/press_releases/mands-opens-new-distribution-centre-in-castle-donington. [Accessed 02 March 14].

Intellectual Property Rights Reaction Paper

For the premiere seminar that we find attended last February 27, 2013, I could say that Ive well-educated a lot based from what the speaker unit had discussed. more or less of the papers based from what I can have in mind are copyrights and trademarks. I k instantaneously that this theme will be very steadying especially for me because I am a Digital Arts student and I often create Graphic aim and Vector Artworks which I too role on the internet. And we all know that nowa twenty-four hourss, just about people on the internet go int know how to ask allowance whenever they use a certain catch so the rights of the sustainer is beingness is being violated.For the over all presentation of the seminar, I would rate it probably 7 because at some point I got worldly on it probably because the speaker wasnt that lively when he was discussing and I was hoping that at some point he would verbalise us some depiction associate to the issuing. But again, the overall present ation was commodity and I can say that the pigeonholing was ready enough because everything went well from the scratch line until the end of the seminar.For the third seminar which was conducted by my concourse, I can say that what she had discussed was good enough. The idea was not just for women but in addition for LGBT and I believe that this seminar was really cooperative and informative since our batch will now be having our internship and situations like what she had shown can perchance happen to us and our boss. Ive learned that whenever we are being harassed by someone, we should not be afraid to croak because it will also be for our own good.My most favorite dispel during the seminar was the showcasing of the video shehave. She showed us different videos related to the topic and explained each one of them. though this part was the one that consumed most of the time, I save learned a lot from it. At some point I also got bored because she was talking too slow. She crimson consumed the time which was supposed to be condition for the second speaker but for the overall rate of the seminar I can choke our group a rate of 8 out of 10.For the fourth seminar which was held the same day with our group, I can say that I havent learned anything because at that place were just 30 minutes left(p) before the end of time and duration the speaker was discussing the introduction of the topic and covering some video clips, the electricity of a sudden went off causing the seminar to be stopped. Though I dont have any background about their topic I think it was really interesting. I was also interested hearing their speaker deliberate what was supposed to be say because some of my friends said that she was good and at the same she is also teaching Sociology in our school.All in all, my rating for the fourth group was 6 out of 10 since they werent able to finish it.