Ball and Brown Essay

In 1968 Raymond Ball and Phillip Brown published ‘An empirical evaluation of accounting income numbers’ in the Journal of Accounting research. After an initial lukewarm response from the academic community it rapidly became what the American Accounting Association now calls ‘the seed that made a difference’. The purpose of this essay is to introduce the study of Ball and Brown(motivations, research questions and findings) and identify its significant contributions in capital markets research. Introduction According to the resources provided, Ball and Brown described the motivation for their study as a test of existing scholarly research that painted a dim picture of reported earnings. The early articles concluded that earnings could not be informative, and therefore major changes to accounting practice where necessary to correct the problem. In their research, Ball and Brown sought to answer the simple fundamental research question: are accounting income numbers useful? Their position was summarised: â€Å"An empirical evaluation of accounting income numbers requires agreement as to what real-world outcome constitutes an appropriate test of usefulness. Because net income is a number of particular interest to investors, the outcome we use as a predictive criterion is the investment decision as it is reflected in security prices†(Ball and Brown 1968). Ball and Brown found that when stocks had a positive income surprise, the abnormal stock price returns for the event window were also likely to be positive, and vice versa. They also found that a majority of the increase in the abnormal returns was before the announcement date, which implied that analysts have fairly accurate forecasts of whether firms will outperform or underperform. Significance of their contributions Although there does have some limitations in Ball and Brown’s study, it had a significant impact on later research. Ball and Brown (1968) provide compelling evidence that there is information content in accounting earnings announcements. In the meantime, they correlate the sign of the abnormal  stock return in the month of an earnings announcement with the sign of the earnings change of a certain firm’s earnings in a previous year earnings. Starting with Ball and Brown (1968), many studies used such association with stock returns to compare alternative accounting performance measures, such as historical cost earnings, current cost earnings, residual earnings, operating cash flows, and so on. As Watts and Zimmerman point out, most accounting research since Ball and Brown (1968) has been positive, and the role of accounting theory is no longer normative. Ball and Brown (1968) heralded the positive-economics-based empirical capital markets research in the late 1960s.Concurrent developments in economics and finance constituted the theoretical and methodological impetus to the early capital markets research in accounting. In addition, their study initially provides reliable evidence that stock markets can influence annual reports. Then researchers began to do a lot in reflect of stock market. Furthermore, the method used is also applicable to a large number of accounting and financial issues, including dividend announcements, earnings announcements, mergers and acquisitions, and investment spending. 3. Conclusion Ball and Brown (1969) expressed a view of information in markets that was revolutionary and contributed to a significant change in attitudes towards investing and financial markets. By testing the connection between earnings expectations and share price changes they were the genesis of a body of research that now underpins modern day investment processes. References Jackson, S. (1999), â€Å"Australia: Towns get by without their banks†, The Australian. pp. 3. Phillips, N. and Malhotra, N. (2008). ‘Taking social construction seriously: extending the discursiveapproach in institutional theory’. In Greenwood, R., Oliver, C., Sahlin, K. and Suddaby, R. (Eds),Handbook of Organizational Institutionalism. London: Sage, 602–720. How can responsible international mining and oil companies use their social investment funds? Nikolai, Bazley, and Jefferson Jones. Intermediate Accounting. South-Western College Pub, 209 Massoud, M. and C. Raiborn(2003), â€Å"Accounting for Goodwill: Are We Better Off?,† Review of Business, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 26-32. Ball and Brown (1968): The seed that made a difference, Ball, R., and Brown, P. (1968), â€Å"An empirical evaluation of accounting income numbers†, Journal of Accounting Research 6 (2), pp.159-178 Watts and Zimmerman (1979), â€Å"The Demand for and Supply of Accounting Theories: The Market for Excuses†, The Accounting Review, Vol. 54, No. 2, American Accounting Association. ———————–

Organizational Effectiveness Essay

The survival of an organization must have the ability to change with the environment. New generations and advanced technology continue to challenge organizations. To completely gain an understanding on the effectiveness of an organization, it is important to identify the three key metrics and provide an example for each. Next, a company will be selected for ineffectiveness and a description of practices that have contributed to the organizations ineffectiveness. The last metric is recognized for the beneficial purpose toward the effectiveness on the organization. Key Metrics and Examples â€Å"Because managers are responsible for utilizing organizational resources in a way that maximizes an organization’s ability to create value, it is important to understand how they evaluate organizational performance† (Jones, 2010, p. 15). The three key metrics for an effective organization are control, innovation, and efficiency. The first key metric is control which is defined as focusing on the customers, stakeholders, and internal and external resources of the organization. The second key metric is innovation which means the recreation or discovery of a new product. During the innovation of a new product, the organization must then look into developing new skills and processes for the employees. The third key metric is efficiency which means to stay on top of competitive products, gaining knowledge of new technology, all in a cost effective and timely manner. An example of control is when management takes the action to secure â€Å"scarce and valued skills and resources from outside the organization† (Jones, 2010, p. 15). To provide an example of innovation from an internal approach, a manager will evaluate an employee’s skills and ask them to invent a creative product based on their customer’s needs. An example of efficiency is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"convert skills and resources efficiently into finished goods and services (technical approach)† (Jones, 2010, p. 15). Ineffective Business and Practices An ineffective business I am familiar with is a county courthouse I worked with for over five years. The practices they were utilizing in their offices was confusing for new hired employees and courtroom staff. Each courtroom judge and their staff ran their office differently so the main district clerk office would have to train their staff various ways pertaining to each judge. Information entered into an old software application was not accurate and documents were stored in folders with mistaken case numbers on some case files. Constituents would often miss their court dates due to lack of written communication because the district clerk staff was not mailing out the forms in the appropriate time. Eventually, the courthouse had to benefit in a new technological approach to become an effective organization. â€Å"The technical approach allows managers to evaluate how efficiently an organization can convert some fixed amount of organizational skills and resources into finished goods and services† (Jones, 2010, p. 17). Metrics to Improve Effectiveness â€Å"Three metrics that are beneficial in measuring technical effectiveness include measuring product quality to be sure it increases, reduce the number of defects, and reducing production costs† (Jones, 2010). In this scenario, the measurement of product efficiency and productivity based on inputs and outputs is a beneficial way to measure effectiveness. Goals should be defined for control, innovation, and efficiency based on the focus of technology and the data exchanged between offices. It is important to increase the completion of files each day with accurate input on a data system. Reducing inaccurate data or misplaced information for courts will also increase the effectiveness of productivity between the court and clerk offices. The reduction of paper is a production cost if the software application is utilized to its full capacity. Conclusion The definition of an organization environment is â€Å"the set of forces and conditions that operate beyond an organization’s boundaries but affect its  ability to acquire and use resources to create value† (Jones, 2010, p. 2). An organization that is willing to reinvent itself as their environment changes will be an effective organization that continues to succeed with their products and value their employees. To measure the effectiveness of an organization, the three metrics must be utilized within the inputs and outputs of processes. A county government office was selected for its ineffective practices but with improvement on the three measurements, the organization has the capability of working in an effective manner that would provide a large amount of revenue after five years. Reference Jones, G. R. (2010). Organizational, Design, Theory, and Change (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Forfeiture Clauses in Construction Contract

In building and engineering contracts it is usual to insert a provision empowering the employer to forfeit certain rights or property of the contractor on the occurrence of certain events. â€Å"Forfeiture clause† is a loose term usually used to describe a clause in a written building contract giving the employer the right upon the happening of an event to determine the contract or the contractor’s employment under it, or to eject the contractor from the site, or otherwise to take the work substantially out of his hands.In standard form building contracts it is usually referred to as ‘determination of employment’ or termination. In this sense JCT SBC 05 clauses 8. 4 and 8. 9 which relates to termination by employer and contractor respectively are forfeiture clauses. It is common in construction contracts to find determination clauses allowing either side to bring their contractual obligations to an end should an event specified occur due to the actions or i nactions of the other.It would seem that common law determination and determination under a clause of contract are alternatives. There are differences between the processes. First, whereas common law determination depends upon repudiatory conduct or a fundamental breach, the grounds of determination specified by the contract need not exhibit these features, although frequently such will be present. Second, the remedies for common law determination are provided by law, whereas with a contractual determination the clause itself must expressly deal with the issue of remedies.Third, at common law in the face of repudiatory conduct or fundamental breach the innocent party need only indicate to the other that he accepts the breach and considers the contract discharged. Under a contractual determination clause the procedure specified must be carefully followed, failure to so may prevent a successful determination. The right of forfeiture may be stipulated to accrue either 1) on the bankrup tcy of the contractor only, or ) on his bankruptcy and also on the occurrence of other events, or 3) on the occurrence of other events only Clause 8. 5. 1 of the JCT SBC 05 states that if the contractor is insolvent, the employment may at any time by notice to the contractor terminate the contractor’s employment. Similarly Clause 8. 10. 1 of the JCT SBC 05 states that the employer is insolvent, the contractor may by notice to the employer terminate the Contractor’s employment under the contract.A provision empowering the employer to forfeit the contract on the bankruptcy of the contractor is introduced into building and engineering contracts for the purpose of preventing a contractor’s trustee in bankruptcy from electing to complete the contract, and such a provision is valid, if it is coupled with a stipulation that the contractor’s contract shall be a personal one; and further, so far as the forfeiture affects the mere licence of the contractor to enter upon the site, it would seem that the revocation of that licence can be conditioned on bankruptcy, as a mere licence does not seem to be included in the definition of property[1].A trustee, however, would be entitled to enter the site to remove property of the bankrupt in respect of which the employer had no right under the contract The validity of a right to forfeit on the bankruptcy of the contractor is dependent on the nature of what is stipulated to be forfeited.In addition to bankruptcy, forfeiture is usually conditioned upon the happening of one or more of the following events: 1)not commencing the work 2) not regularly proceeding with the work for a fixed number of days[2], 3) not proceeding to the satisfaction of the employer or the architect[3], 4) not proceeding with such despatch as, in the opinion of the architect, will enable the works to be duly completed by the time stipulated, 5) not observing some stipulations of the contract[4] 6) leaving the works in an unfinishe d state, or 7)failing after proper notice to rectify defective work, 8) not maintaining the works[5] JCT 05 SBC Clause 8. states: 1. Notice of termination of the Contractor’s employment shall not be given unreasonably or vexatiously. 2. Such termination shall take effect on receipt of the relevant notice 3. Each notice referred to in this section shall be given in writing and given by actual, special or recorded delivery. Where given by special or recorded delivery it shall, subject to proof to the contrary, be deemed to have been received on the Second Business Day after the date of posting. Also Clause 8. 3 of the JCT 05 states: 1. The provisions of clauses 8. 4 to 8. 7 are without prejudice to any other rights and remedies of the Employer.The provisions of clauses 8. 9 and 8. 10 and (in the case of termination under either of those clauses) the provisions of clauses 8. 12, are without prejudice to any other rights and remedies of the contractor. 2. Irrespective of the grou nds of termination, the contractor’s employment may at any time be reinstated if and on such terms as the parties may agree The requirements of the contract must be properly complied with, for the courts construe forfeiture clauses strictly[6], and a wrongful forfeiture by the employer or his agent normally amounts to a repudiation on the part of the employer[7].There must be some definite unqualified act showing that the power has been exercised, although writing or other formality is not necessary unless expressly required. The contract may also require a certain notice to be given, and that such notice must set out the default complained of[8]. In appropriate circumstances the notice may be of a general character and need not necessarily refer to the number of the clause which is being invoked, provided that there is no doubt that it is exercising or purporting to exercise the contractual power of determination[9].But it is obviously preferable to state explicitly the clau se relied on and to follow its actual wording as closely as possible. It also seems that if a material statement in such a notice is made recklessly, without an honest belief in its truth, the notice is a nullity. Forfeiture in reliance on such a notice would be ineffective and would normally amount to repudiation by the employer. When an event occurs which gives rise to the right to forfeit, the power of forfeiture must be exercised within a reasonable time or the employer will be deemed to have waived his ight unless the event is a continuing breach of contract. Where the contract provides for termination of the contract by a warning notice followed by a termination and two notices have been served, a party can only rely on that provision if an ordinary commercial businessman can see that that there is a sensible connection between the two notices both in content and in time as seen in the case of Architectural Installation Services v James Gibbon Windows[10]Also, where the contra ct provides for completion by a certain date and also provides for forfeiture for delay, and the completion date has passed, it is a question of construction whether the forfeiture clause for delay can still be enforced. Thus where the object of the clause was to enable the architect to â€Å"have the means of requiring the works to be proceeded with in such a manner and at such a rate of progress as to ensure their completion at the time stipulated† it was held that the clause did not apply after the completion date[11].But in another contract where the clause provided â€Å"for the execution of the work with due diligence and as much expedition as the surveyor will require†, it was held that the clause was as much applicable to the fulfilment of the contract within a reasonable time as to its completion by the contract date. The parties may agree that any consequences may follow the exercise of a right of forfeiture[12], provided there is no illegality, nor fraud on the bankruptcy law, and the clause is not so onerous that it will not be enforced on the grounds that it is a penalty[13].The employer is usually given the right to take possession of the site and complete the works. In addition, there is frequently a clause vesting the property in unfixed materials, and perhaps plant, in the employer, or there may be merely a right to seize the materials[14] or hold them by way of lien[15] until they are built into the works, or there may be clauses giving the employer rights to use the contractor’s plants and materials[16]. Where the contractor is guilty of any of the defaults specified in clause 8. . 1 JCT 05 SBC, the contract administrator is to issue a written notice specifying the default. If the default is then continued for 14 days, the employer may within 10 days of the continuance terminate the contractor’s employment by using a notice to this effect. Furthermore, if termination does not take place on this occasion, any subse quent repetition of a specified default gives the employer the right to terminate immediately; there is no need (and indeed no power) to issue a second default notice. 17] It is also expressly provided under clause 8. 2. 1 that a notice of termination is not to be given ‘unreasonably or vexatiously’ When an employer, in exercise of his rights under a forfeiture clause, enters and completes the work and uses the contractor’s materials or plant, or holds retention money due to the contractor, he must, subject to the provisions of the contact, account to the contractor. He will have to show that that the materials and plant and money were expended reasonably[18].The Court, it would seem ,as seen in Fulton v Dornwell[19], will make full allowance for extra cost caused by the disruption and delay occasioned by the contractor’s default. Also, where the employer determines the contract under a forfeiture clause because of some breach of contract by the contractor , the employer’s right to damages depends upon the wording of the contract. He may not be entitled to the enhanced cost of completing by another contractor if the breach for which he determined the contract did not amount to repudiation and the contract does not so provide. 20] Termination of contract was examined in the recent case between Ellis Tylin ltd v Co-operative Retail services[21]. Co-operative Retail services Ltd (CRS) is a national retailer which operates from approximately 730 premises across the country. In early 1996 it contracted with Ellis Tylin the task of maintaining and repairing mechanical and electrical plant within its various premises. The contract was for a period of three years with provision for revision of rates of payment at the end of the first and second years.Disputes arose as to the scope and responsibility for works carried out under the agreement and the operation of the contract came to an end three months after the end of the first year. C lause 1. 8 of the agreement concerned the review of fees for the maintenance services and the rights of either party to terminate the contract in the event that agreement could not be reached. Disputes arose as to whether the proper mechanisms for termination had been applied and the court was asked to consider these questions as preliminary issues.It was acknowledged that the right of Ellis Tylin to end the agreement pursuant to clause 18 only arose if Ellis Tylin first took the action described within that clause. This involved making a written proposal for the revision of the amount of the fees after the expiry of ten months from the date of commencement of works. CRS argued that Ellis Tylin had failed to follow this procedure. Counsel for CRS submitted that clause 1. 8 of the contract should be construed either as a determination clause or as a break clause comparable to the type of provision found in leases. Strict compliance was required.The act of contractual determination wa s one which deprived the other party of the benefit of the contract it had concluded. His honour Judge Bowsher QC reviewed textbooks on the subject of contractual termination. In Chitty on contracts (27th edition)[22], it was stated â€Å"the terms of the of the termination notice may provide that notice can only be given after a specified event†. In the Interpretaion of contracts by Kim Lewison QC[23], it is stated â€Å"An option to terminate is construed in the same manner as any other option, and accordingly any condition must be strictly complied with.Any condition precedent must be strictly fulfilled. The clause must be exercised strictly in accordance with its terms†. Also Hudson’s Building and Engineering (11th edition) states[24], â€Å"Exact and meticulous compliance by the determining party with any formal or procedural requirements laid down in the termination clause, for example, as to notices or time limits, will usually be required if a contractu al termination is to be successful†Judge Bowsher added however, that words in a contract should be given a natural and ordinary meaning and he quoted Lord Diplock when he said in Antaios Cia Naveira SA v Salen Rederierna AB[25]: â€Å"if detailed semantic and syntactical words in a commercial contract is going to lead to a conclusion that flouts business common sense, it must be made to yield to business common sense†.Judge Bowsher concluded that whilst Ellis Tylin had given notice earlier than the time period set down in the contract, there could be no doubt of the intention that negotiations should take place for a revision of the fee. Taking into account all the evidence he concluded that Ellis Tylin had given valid notice of termination of agreement. However, subsequent evidence showed that the parties had in fact agreed revision to the fees to be submitted to the second year of the contract.Accordingly the notice of the termination had been overridden, and could no t be regarded as a valid notice. By ceasing to work following expiry of its invalid termination notice, Ellis Tylin had repudiated the contract. The wrongful operation of a termination clause (i. e when you are not entitled to) amounts to repudiation. A contractual power of determination will be wrongly exercised if the events upon which it is conditioned are not established (unless the contract provides for that question to be concluded by a binding opinion or certificate).In the great majority of modern contracts the question will be subject to review by an arbitrator or the courts, however; and it has also been seen that the courts have, under some clauses, been prepared to imply a term that the exercise of the power itself should be reasonable as seen in Renard Construction v Minister of Public Works[26]. Contractual determinations will also be wrongful if exercised prematurely in breach of a contractual time limit, however marginally.It is an unavoidable feature of construction contracts that an employer’s purported determination will in nearly all cases constitute a repudiatory breach, if whatever the general merits, it later transpires that the determination was invalid. In such a case, if the contractor has accepted the repudiation by leaving the site, the owner will be liable for the possible heavy damages attendant upon repudiation and cannot, if he discovers his mistake, restore the contract status quo ante without the agreement of the contractor.The purported exercise of a power to forfeit may be invalidated either by reason of the fact that the events upon which it is conditioned have not occurred; or, that a correct notice has not been given[27], or that that a sufficiently clear election to exercise the right has not been made, or that there has been a been delay or other conduct recognising the continued existence of the contract after knowledge of the breach, if the breach is not a continuing one.Generally, the measure of damages in the case of a wrongful forfeiture falls to be determined by the ordinary common law rules. Per Lord Cranworth in Ranger v G. W. R. y,[28]: â€Å"The right of the appellant (the contractor) would be to recover such amount of damages as would put him in as nearly as possible the same position as if no such wrong has been committed-that is, not as if there had been no contract, but as if he had been allowed to complete the contract without interruption†In Smith v Howden Union (1890), the plaintiff had nearly completed a sewerage contract and the engineer fraudulently refused to certify. The defendants took possession of the works and certain plant. It was held that the plaintiff was entitled to damages for prevention of completion, such damages being what he would have been entitled to if he had completed and the engineer had certified; and judgement was given for the unpaid balance of the contract price, extras properly ordered, extras properly certified, and the value of the plan t seized.The principle remedy for any breach of contract is an award for damages. As a general principle, where an employer is guilty of a breach of a construction contract, the contractor is entitled to damages under two headings. The first is damages for any actual loss that has been suffered, and the second is damages for any profit of which the contractor had been deprived. Where the employer’s breach is sufficient to justify the contractor in terminating the contract, the contractor is entitled to damages reflecting everything which would have een received under the contract, or proportion of it that remains outstanding at the date of termination, less what it would have cost the contractor to complete the work. It has been clearly established that the damages should include the profit element on work remaining to be done as seen in the landmark case of Wraight Ltd v P H & T (Holdings) Ltd[29]. Where, however, the contract is one which the contractor had under-priced and on which the contractor would thus have made no profit, only nominal damages will be awarded for the employer’s breach.This is because as seen in C&P Haulage v Middleton[30], an award of damages should not put the claimant in a better position than if the contract had been performed. But if this procedure was relentless pursued it would lead to a party in default having to pay ‘for all loss de facto resulting from a particular breach however improbable, however unpredictable’. [31] The courts therefore set a limit to the loss for which damages are recoverable, and loss beyond such limit is said to be remote. The famous rule as stated in the case Hadley v Baxendale[32] is: Where two parties have made a contract which one of them has broken the damages which the other party ought to receive in respect of such breach of contract should be such as may fairly and reasonably be considered either (1) arising naturally, i. e according to the usual course of things from such breach of contract itself, or (2) such as may reasonably be supposed to have been in the contemplation of both parties at the time they made the contract, as the probable result of the breach of it† This is demonstrated in the case of Balfour Beatty Construction (Scotland) Ltd v Scottish Power Plc[33].The claimants there, who were constructing a concrete aqueduct over a main road, installed a concrete batching plant and arranged for the defendants to supply electricity to it. The claimants needed to pour all the concrete in a single continuous operation and so, when the electricity supply failed, the claimants had to demolish all the work which had been done. Unsurprisingly, it was held that while the defendants were clearly in breach of contract because of the power failure, they were not liable for the extra losses nvolved in the demolition and reconstruction, since the claimants had not informed them that a continuous pour was essential. It has long been established th at contractor’s claims for loss and expense under express contractual provisions are assessed in exactly the same way as damages for breach of contract. Any disruption to the regular process of work under a contract may lead the contractor to incur administrative costs, such as the diversion of managerial time and effort, at head office.If so, these costs may justifiably be claimed, but it will not be simply assumed that such losses have been suffered. They must be specified and properly supported by the evidence, for example by records of the time spent by individuals in dealing with the particular problem[34]. Where the contract period is prolonged by something for which the employer is contractually responsible, the contractor may may also seek to claim in respect of general office overheads.When making application for the head office overheads part of loss and/or expense under Standard Form Building Contracts, contractors often base their claim on a formula. The Courts ha ve never given approval to the use of formula in this way although they have accepted the use of formulae in certain cases which generally were decided on their own facts. Indeed, the courts have tended to disapprove formulae unless as a last resort or the parties have agreed their use as seen in Alfred Mc Alpine Homes North Ltd v Property & Land Contractors Ltd[35]. Actual costs are normally required.Claims for head office overheads are essentially claims for lost opportunity to contribute to those overheads, because the overheads do not actually change or, if they do, the amount of any extra overheads directly resulting from the delay can be claimed separately. Formulae assume a healthy construction industry and a contractor with finite resources with the result that if he is delayed on a project, he will be deprived of the chance to take other work. Where the industry is sluggish or where the contractor is so large that turning away work does not arise, the latter will face diffi cult problems in showing the lost opportunity[36].There are several formulae in common use notably Emden formula, Eichleay formula and Hudson formula. Also a contractor who has accepted the wrongful repudiation is not restricted to suing for damages for breach on contract. He may, as an alternative, where he has elected to treat the contract as rescinded, sue upon a quantum meruit. The expression quantum meruit means â€Å"the amount he deserves† or â€Å"what the job is worth†. A quantum reuit clause claim is one in which the contractor seeks payment of the reasonable value of work done for the employer.Where the employer is in breach of contract, the crucial question is whether the contractor in such circumstances can simply ignore the contract and instead claim a reasonable sum for all the work done, even if this means that the contractor recovers more than what would have recovered under the contract. In the situation where there is a contract, then the issue in a Contractual Quantum Meruit claim is either the measure of the â€Å"reasonable sum† or the interpretation of similarly wide express terms. The issue is whether the measure is on the basis of cost or market price. There appears to be no hard and fast rule.In the case of an express contract to do work at an unquantified price, the measure is the reasonable remuneration of the contractor Serck Controls Ltd. v Drake & Scull Engineering Ltd[37]. In the case where there was a contract, the assessment of a quantum meruit was usually based on actual cost which would include on and off site overheads provided that it was reasonable and was reasonably and not unnecessarily incurred, plus an appropriate addition for profit[38] Judge Bowsher QC in Laserbore Ltd v Morrison Biggs Wall Ltd[39] had to decide the meaning of the term â€Å"Fair and reasonable payments for all works executed†.He considered that the costs plus basis was wrong in principle even though in some instances it may produce the right result. The appropriate approach was to adopt general market rates.

Digital forensic Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Digital forensic - Coursework Example So, digital forensic has become very essential and in fact a part of the overall security perspective of any computer based industry, in spite of various challenges associated with the digital forensic investigation process. The increased use of Skype is resulting in increased number of cyber crimes as the users take advantage of the anonymity associated with its use. But with the aid of apt digital forensic tools, valuable evidences can be retrieved and it can reveal the defendant’s activities. This report will discuss about the various available tools that will aid the digital forensic investigation process, document the steps involved in the investigation process along with the challenges that has to be faced during the course of the investigation process. The artifacts collected from a Skype conversation can be analysed with the help of several investigation tools like ‘Skype chat carver’, ‘Belkasoft Evidence Center’, ‘Chat Examiner’, ‘Epilog’, ‘Forensic Assistant’, ‘Internet Evidence Finder’, ‘Skype Extractor’, ‘SkypeAlyzer’, ‘SkypeLogview’, and others (Mikhaylov 2013). It is very important to know where and how to recover the evidences like calls, messages, contacts, file transfers, and voicemails from a user’s accounts in order to utilize the above mentioned tools in the forensic analysis process. The steps stated below will help in the evidence recovery process. There are four users who use Skype application in this example. The file named ‘shared’ is a XML file which contains the main configuration information like time of usage, IP address, and other useful information. Exploring the ‘shared’ file one can retrieve the Unix style time stamp information (Shaw 2014). Here comes the first challenge. This Unix style time stamp information is displayed in a coded format as a string of numbers, which has to be converted to

Loan modification rules Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Loan modification rules - Essay Example The Home Affordable Modification Program The Home Affordable Modification Program is intended to help as many as 3 to 4 million economically stressed homeowners prevent foreclosure by altering mortgage loan payments that is reasonable (â€Å"Home Affordable Modification Program†). The program attempts to alter the mortgage payment to 31% of the homeowner’s monthly income. Reducing the mortgage payment to 31% of pretax income is achieved first by having the interest rate for the mortgage decreased to as low as 2%. The second step will be to lengthen the term of the loan to 40 years and if the payment still has not reached the targeted threshold, the lender can withhold principal and charge interest on a part of the loan. Qualifications The qualifications to decrease the monthly mortgage payment to 31% of the homeowner’s income are uniform throughout the mortgage industry. The Home Affordable Modification Program offers homeowner’s mortgage payment changes i f they are have trouble making mortgage payments because of a hardship.

Carbon Emission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Carbon Emission - Essay Example Some of the activities that take place for the carbon dioxide to be emitted cannot be easily avoided for involve daily essential activities that make the life of a human being complete. Among these activities include, burning fuel to provide warmth during winter, cooking, multivehicle combustion and other industrial activities. The earth’s temperature   has solely increased as a result of carbon dioxide was discovered way back in early 90’s after a series of argument between the parties who could propose and opposes but in the late 60’s they came to an agreement and research on how this gas accumulated commenced Martha 26). â€Å"Global warming is indeed a scam, perpetrated by scientists with vested interests, but in need of crash courses in geology, logic and the philosophy of science†. (Robinson 77). Due to this concerned, environmentalists have linked carbon dioxide as a gradually toxic gas capable of being responsible for the complete destruction of the universe in the future if caution is not taken. It is an air-based pollutant currently responsible for several thousand of mortality cases and introduction of other clinical conditions mostly respiratory (Robinson 77). Hudson (19) asserts that naturally before human being started industrial activities beyond natures control, the latter could regulate its own proportionality of carbon gases and the oxygen. Animals could inhale oxygen gases, and through reparation and decomposition, carbon was relapsed. This carbon having being a raw material for the formation of food by plants was taken from the environment. Unfortunately, because of human activities that have been characterized as an addition of more carbon in the environment and reduction of the necessary plants which could absorb these gases through deforestation. This has therefore, served as the major cause of an imbalance of these two gases proportionality â€Å"With all of the hysteria, all of the fear, all of the phony s cience, could it be that man-made global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people?† (Hudson 19). And goes ahead to explain how the Findings from a research have suggested that, a rough estimate of more than 20,000 deaths in the whole world have been caused by air pollution cases are said to increase as the temperatures in the earth increase by 1 degree Celsius. The study went ahead and proved hoe carbon was correlated by the increment of temperature in the earth and therefore, concluded to be the prime Causer of global warming, and its mortality risk because of the ozone layer development was determined. As compared to the health experts, the environmentalists have blamed the carbon emission for this role played in the negative impacts of the environmental properties and consequently activities with them directly or indirectly involved (Hudson 19). The greatest effect her is abnormal temperature increase, which causes other effects like drying of wa ter bodies and swamps that significantly affects the life of plants and beasts that were initially suited for such weather. On examining and confidently concluding the effect of this environmental threat, governments mostly from the developed countries under different environmental related sectors, have come up with strict regulatory based on controlling the

Meeting the need for large family homes in mixed tenure estates with Essay

Meeting the need for large family homes in mixed tenure estates with little equity and poor quality existing housing - Essay Example ew of this need, there is a greater challenge in meeting the need for large family homes in mixed tenure estates with little equity and poor quality existing housing. The Council has a plan of developing up to 365,600 houses by 2026 to address this problem having studied the current need and the population growth rate. In 2007, the UK government issued a policy statement on â€Å"Building a Greener Future† which envisioned the construction of zero carbon homes from 2016. The approach to zero carbon homes is based on the following key points: high energy efficiency, direct heat connection or minimal carbon reduction onsite and offsite solutions for countering other emissions. Birmingham City Council’s policy on housing regeneration and development finds its roots upon this reality. This calls for the development of housing plans that will ensure minimal environmental degradation. Buildings, according to government surveys, are responsible for up to 50% of UK’s carbon emissions and energy consumption with homes currently accounting for 27%. From these figures, it is beyond doubt that homes contribute significantly to global climate change. Energy consumption and carbon emission levels can significantly be reduced by making improvements to energy performance and utilisation in homes. This can also be reduced by installing efficient certified air conditioning systems in homes which should be regularly inspected to ensure they meet regulatory requirements. Heating water in tanks is known to greatly increase the amount of energy used in homes. Water heaters installed in homes should be instant (tankless) heaters as opposed to traditional heaters which have tanks. In general, families need to have awareness of how to use energy efficiently and by installing equipments which have automated control systems. During construction, design, and installation considerations must be taken into account. Only efficient models of heating equipments and energy consuming

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 57

Case study - Essay Example This needs a consent and disclosure form that should be separate from all job application form. The list of present and past addresses is the foundation for a systematic background check. Knowing where the person has lived is crucial for deciding where to search for criminal records and looking for time gaps as well, and mismatches of location compared to the information given by the applicant. An individual’s social security number (SSN) gets  given between their first job (victor, 2010). Hence, an SSN validation one can know if the applicant has a particular SSN one gave or the applicant is lying. The best searches for criminal background get carried out at person counties since there is no centralized entity to control every criminal record. One of the reason is the likelihood of getting criminal record is high in an individual’s present county residence because several crimes take place near their work or home. County searches are useful since misdemeanors and felonies normally get prosecuted at county courts court, and their results may not be reported to the state. Victor (2010) states, Background checks should get offered before employment. This is due to the sensitivity of the information in the applicant reports and particular records. To avoid getting information that would discriminate against the applicant, they are free to know where the origin of information used against them. Also, they should consent before the employer obtains a credit report. How to carry out background checks online: research and choose a company to conduct background checks on the applicants. Register for the website. Then request background checks. Once one clears registration, start requesting for background checks from the company by putting pertinent data for the applicant as prompted (Victor, 2010). It is risky since one

Democratic Deficit in Canada Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Democratic Deficit in Canada - Term Paper Example What and how a country faces democratic deficit is all dependent on the perception of its people towards the government policies, this thinking alone could be as a result of higher expectations of the people from its government or it could very well be because of their objectives. The subjective thinking of the people or the objective thinking is what categorizes a country to be labeled as suffering from democratic deficit or not suffering from Democratic deficit. A system usually falls under the category of Democratic Deficit because as society grows and becomes more complex the needs change and become of different priorities which need to be met by the elected representatives. Failing of which the people see it as not working as a democratic system and hence term the system Democratic Deficit. In a similar manner the democratic institutions have to be in accordance to the changing needs like for example an institution that worked for a few hundred people would not prove successful with the figures of hundreds changing to millions. Hence the Democratic Deficit sets where the government fails to keep up with the growing demand of technology and economic environment. Even the media plays a very important role to the problem of democratic deficit by publicizing one view to the extreme. ... e of the media to project the situation in a manner without thinking up tactics of promoting its own cause only then would the people be able to grasp the deficiencies if any in the government or even the good beneficial effects that the system is affording. The knowledge gain factor is directly associated with the media in the current times and one must ensure that the media plays its vital role fully and duly. What the term democratic deficit implies is that it is the differences of the different people's opinions in the sizing up of their government. We could also put it in this way that basically the people feel that they are being neglected and their needs are not addressed. By Canadian standards the democratic deficit stems from the fact that when a definite gap is seen in the involvement, trust and decision making of its people. The main characterizing point of the system to be in democratic deficit is when there is a low voter turnout; people do not take an active interest in politics and a failure of trust in the democratic institutions. Canada has shown a gradual decline of the voter turnout. This started from the Second World War and was especially marked in the years 1953, 1974 and 1980. If the recent elections were to be accounted for then one would note how the eligible voter's number was by far greater than the number who did vote and the party one. Canada has seen less interest in the Canadian politics and leadership since 1960's. Today Canada suffers from democratic deficit as the people of Canada do not have high opinions about their politicians and they simply don't trust them. They are of the opinion that those who stand to be elected are misfit and will not keep their word and are more after the money than they have any care about the people or

External and Internal Environments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

External and Internal Environments - Assignment Example Since the amalgamation and formation of The ExxonMobil Corporation, growth has been significant and implicit to the outstanding performance and competence in the petroleum field of business. The market leadership performance is relative to investment initiatives by the corporation to improve on the environmental factors with the aim of propulsion towards achieving the target objectives (Cooper, 2006). The following entails Exxon’s general and competitive forces, the future forecasts, the opportunities and threats, strengths and weaknesses and the company’s vale prepositions emanating from the key competences. The economic and technological segments of the general environment in reference to the Exxon Corporation The multinational corporation ranks first among the six petroleum giants across the globe. The continuous performance and unchallenged growth emanates from the direct and successful investment of the corporation’s surplus revenue. In close relation to the investments, the corporation values the other segments in the general environment, for example investing in community welfare programs and initiatives that focus on creating environmentally friendly programs (Hogan & Sturzenegger, 2010). These attributes are propellants to the skyrocketing demand with the corporation investing heavily to the required supply and cater to the demand. The future prospects in relation to inclination of demand and supply of oil products signify a state of inelasticity as the forecasted population by the year 2040 shall total at 9 billion, a factor implicating the demand of fuel and energy. With these forecasts, the corporation insists on a continuous investment program in revamping the petroleum projects throughout the affiliated companies (Cooper, 2006). The petroleum field of production is sensitive to technology in resolution to the growing urge of environmentally friendly programs. With the increased threat of global warming, the world reflects emph ases on industrial operations and goods that cause little or no harm to the environment. The ExxonMobil Corporation forecasts on the future use of energy in accordance to the increased population. Therefore, the corporation indulges in a continuous technological improvement to produce enough of the required petroleum products (Hogan & Sturzenegger, 2010). Production of alternative energy products that reflect to the general environment is the key to Exxon’s penetration to other global economies despite the political, legal, social and cultural constraints. The essence is that the economic and technological approaches of the corporation are implicit of the inclined performance of the multinational’s operations and competence. Forces of competition In accordance to Michael Porter’s competitive forces analyses, the main factors of consideration in relation to competition reflect on the new entrants in the market, extent of substitution, the power of buyers and supp liers, and the existing relations among the present competitors. The petroleum industry stands vulnerable to the threat of competition forces. With the increased demand of petroleum products, manufacturers result into production of bio-fuels to supplement the crude oil levels and production capacity. This factor implicates to the threat of substitution of the crude by the bio-fuel as well as creating a

Business Models and Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Models and Planning - Assignment Example In addition, development in e-business and its associated effects that caused transitions in business models identified periodic challenged in existing business models and established the need for improved models. Efficiency and effectiveness needs towards optimal profitability in e-business models facilitated this. the e-business revolution was therefore important because it identified needs transition in business models.1 Strategy and structure are supplementary elements in implementation of business models to achieve objectives. While strategy forms the basis of a model through development of objectives, structure establishes a framework though which the strategic objectives can be achieved through a business model. Dell’s strategy of direct sales is an example. Based on the strategy, the company develops its model around information technology and formulates its structure to focus on the technology-based strategy. Consequently and from a business model persoective, strategy and structure have a suplimentary relation in which structure facilitate success of a

Essay Essay Example for Free

Essay Essay THE MOST MEMORIABLE VACATION My most memorable vacation was when I went to NHA TRANG with my family last summer. When my father told me I was excited because NHA TRANG famous for beautiful beaches and delicious foods. After four hours on the train, finally we arrived. Although I felt tired after long hours, I am happy when I was standing in front of a beautiful beach. Firstly, we arranged our bags and after that, we quickly swim in the blue sea. Next, my younger brother and I were building sandcastles while my parents were sunbathing on the sand. For a few hours, we felt hungry so we went to a nearby restaurant to enjoy tasty foods. In the afternoon, we visited some beautiful and famous places such as THAP BA PONAGAR; HON CHONG then went to NHA TRANG center to buy some souvenirs. The day went by so fast. The trip was short but it had a strong impression on me and my family and I have many memories of that day. QUALITY OF A GOOD TEACHER The good teacher has three important qualities. The first quality of a good teacher is that having strong knowledge of his or her subject matter. For instance, teachers have to provide students with specific content knowledge. A good teacher will know how to explain the content that he or she is teaching in a way easy to the most understand for students. Another quality of a good teacher is enthusiastic and caring. For example, he or she always cares academic status of the students and help them more advance in learning. Moreover, they also learn about the family circumstances of the individual students and find ways to help the poor students. The last quality is that confidence. Standing in front of a class, he or she has to the voice clear and full of confidence to their student pay attention to his or her lectures. To sum up, a good teacher need to have three qualities above and ethic good quality. DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING IN THE DOMITORY Living in a college dormitory has several disadvantages. The first disadvantage is narrow space. For example, dormitory in PHU YEN University, there are eight students sharing the room, it becomes crowded and narrow. You do not have much space to learn within a dorm. In addition, your  roommates can be messy, upset, or talkative so you will feel uncomfortable when living together with them. Another disadvantage is food. You are not allowed to cook in the dormitory so you have to eat rice at the canteen or at the restaurant. The amount you have to pay for meals in the dorm expensive than in the motel. In addition, you will feel tired of when you have to eat the same foods every day. Finally, living in a dormitory is noisy. Sometime you cannot concentrate for learn if your roommate opens music loudly. To sum up, you must find the best accommodation for you to convenient for your learning but you should think before deciding to live in the dormitory. A BEAUTIFUL BEACH AT DAWN Beyond a shadow of doubt, NHA TRANG beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam, particularly at dawn. Every day, at 5.30pm, the sunrise slowly, it is like yolk rise from the bottom of the sea. At that time, the beach always crowded. Many people get together here very early to do the exercise and bathe in the sea. The beach scenery at dawn is fantastic, with a neglected beauty. The silence covers the whole beach; there is no sound but the sound of breaking waves. If you stand on the sandbank and stare into the distance, in the sun direction, you will have a strange feeling; have something peaceful in the deep of your soul. The atmosphere is so great by the winds, which come from. When the sun has risen completely, you can see some light rays of sunlight; they signal to you that the dawn-time nearly ended. I think words cannot describe how nice this beach is at dawn. If you have a chance to visit somewhere, why do not you try visiting NHA TRANG to enjoy the beach landscape at dawn in the true sense of the word? A BEAUTIFUL BEACH AT DUSK Sitting on the fine sand, I can see the amazing beauty of the beach at dusk. The sun like a fiery orb looks like it is gradually receding into the waters below. The setting sun’s red rays lit up the sky above the western horizon. At the time, the sky consisted of an assortment of shades, a blend of reds, oranges, and yellows. The waters below mirror this effect. The waves are tinted vermilion; the sand under my feet is the same color, the vivid color mix highlights the beauty of the beach at dusk like a perfect picture. I can  hear is the sound of the waves as they crash against the shore, and seagulls, which I cannot see, squawking in the distance. Sometime I can smell the fishy smell of fish. It smells warm and salty, as I breathe in the cold, salty. I just stand there, eyes closed, and feel the moment until the dusk and the warm feeling fades. I wish time could stop to enjoy this wonderful moment longer. HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN RICE You can make a tasty chicken rice dish if you follow these easy steps. The first step is to prepare the necessary ingredient such as haft chicken, rice, three slices ginger, salt, coriander onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and chilly sauce. Next, cook the rice in the rice cooker. The third step is to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and then combine all the other ingredients and mix well in a bowl. After that, pour the mixture over the chicken, cover with foil and bake until the rice is cooked. When the rice is cooked, season to taste with salt, if needed. Finally, scoop a bowl of chicken rice on plate. Place cooked chicken over the rice. Garnish with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, coriander, and spring onions. Now sit down and enjoy your delicious chicken rice plate with ginger sauce and chilly sauce on the side. HOW TO PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW Before a job interview, you can be stressful, but you can reduce your stress by following these skills. The first skill is picking out what you are going to wear to your job interview. The first choice an interviewer makes is going to base on how you look and what you are wearing. That is why it is always important to dress appropriately for a job interview. The second skill is that practiced greeting before your interviewer. You should always greet your interviewer with a friendly smile and a firm handshake. It will create a good impression about you to the interviewer. Next, you should prepare some typical interview questions you will probably be asked during a job interview. If you prepare well the answers of the interviewers can ask, you will not be surprised with questions about them. Practice interviewing  with a friend or family member ahead of time and it will be much easier when you are actually in a job interview. To sum up, the interviewers will appreciate what you did and can choice if you have a good preparation. AUSTRALIAN AND VIETNAMESE EDUCATION SYSTEM Australian and Vietnamese have similarities and differences in the education system. We can see that both education systems of Australian and Vietnam are quite similar that they have twelve grades, from one to twelve. In addition, schooling is compulsory for students until the age of fifteen. Despite the similarities, the two educations have some very important differences in system division, school-time. The first major difference between Vietnamese and Australian education is the system division. In Australia, primary school goes from grade one to six and secondary school from grade seven to twelve. In Vietnam, we have primary school (from grade one to five), middle school (from grade six to nine), and high school (from grade ten to twelve). Another obvious difference that we can see from these two educations is school-time. In Australian, the academic year begins in early February for school students and late February/early March for vocational and university students. However, in Vietnamese, the academic year begins in middle August for students and late August/ early September for university students. Although both education systems of Australian and Vietnamese have a lot of differences and similarities, they are good education systems for students. AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE MEALS American and Vietnamese meals are quite different. One difference is Americans have one big dinner per day but Vietnamese have three meals a day with some snacking on fruits and cakes. Americans always think to take advantage of that time to be effective, breakfast and lunch only eating briefly, in the evening with more spare time, so comfortable chatting happily, and eating dinner together. Another difference is that the Vietnamese have breakfast with soup â€Å"pho,† rice or rice noodles; bean sprouts; greens; boiled eggs; and crusty bread and drink green tea or coffee. The Vietnamese have lunch and dinner with rice, fish, or meat;  vegetable dish with fish sauce then snacks with fruits or cakes. In contrast, Americans eat many foods that are high in calories and fat, such as hamburger, fried chicken, sandwiches. They do not spend much time in preparing food so they choose fast foods or going to the restaurant to eat. All in all, though there are differences between American meal and Vietnamese meal, they are typical culturally in the world.

The Seven Dimensional Model of Religion

The Seven Dimensional Model of Religion This essay examines Smarts seven dimensional model of religion against six main world religions. I shall then examine how other belief systems fit into the same model. I shall consider other models briefly attempting an analysis of whether Smarts model is successful. When I mention religion I mean the Christian religion; and not only the Christian religion but the Protestant religion; and not only the Protestant religion, but the Church of England. (Henry Fielding: TomJones) The first consideration when attempting the definition of religion is that a straight forward definition such as Fielding attempts in his classical work excludes the world view of religion. He speaks of Christianity excluding some traditions we will examine. Each religious tradition within itself embodies numerous belief systems. Many philosophers and theologians would insist that religion is not definable. Smart recognises that religion: is partly a matter of convention as to what is counted under the head of religion and what is not. (Ninian Smart: ThePhenomenon of Religion p10) In setting out his model Smart attempts to find one that is inclusivistic of global religion whilst confining the definition to that which can be classified as of religion. The seven dimensions are: InowExperiential; Doctrinal; Mythical; Ritualistic; Institutional and Ethic I now  propose to examine these key areas explaining briefly what Smart meant by them attempting to apply it to the six world traditions. Experiential Smart explains the experiential dimension as the emotions witnessed by the founder of the tradition and its followers. Rudolf Otto describes it as the numinous experience, that is, the feeling one experiences when the senses of man are aroused as a result of paranormal or special places. Examples of this are Moses and the Burning Bush; Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. The second aspect of the experiential is that of mysticism. This is an inner seeking of that which is unknowable. Examples of this would be the whirling dhervishes and the Hasidic tradition within Judaism. Doctrinal Smart explains this as the formulation of a system to encapsulate the tradition. For instance, Smart gives Aquinas philosophical explanation of creation an authoritative feel compared with the story of creation in Genesis. There is also the doctrine of theTrinity going some way to explain Jesus as God within Christianity. Within Buddhism, the Buddha explained himself the path to salvation whereas other traditions have left that to the succeeding institution to develop. Mythological Smart explains this as sacred history or sacred story rather than the term we are familiar with today. The great religions have stories to tell of their founders such as the Enlightenment of the Buddha or the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. There are also stories to explain difficult concepts for example evil. Many faiths strengthen these stories by writing them down as in the Torah or the Quran.Oral traditions also evolve such as the Catholic tradition of relying on various saints for help. Ritual Smart explained this as a method by which religion expresses itself. Humankind uses rituals worldwide as a form of communication, for example, the handshake. There is a binding together of people who recognise these rituals. Examples of these will be: the ancient Jewish tradition of ritual sacrifice in the Temple; Baptism withinChristianity. Ethical Religions usually follow a code ofethics they expect their followers to adopt. This concerns not only the individuals behaviour but also that of the society. Examples of this are: the ten commandments; the 613 commandments of Jewish Law; Vatican Edicts on birth control. Institutional Smart describes this as the tangible visual embodiment of religion that can be seen on two levels through groups of people as in the Church, or the Sangha. The second level is through the buildings such as the mosque, the mandir, the cathedral. Also within this category can be places of religious significance such as Benares, the River Ganges and Jerusalem. Visual/Artistic These aspects of religion can be translated into works of art; architecture; music. This aids ritual or understanding sacred story for example hymns, rosary beads. In Smarts book Religious Experience and Mankind he argues that this model works as closely as possible to discovering the nature of religion. He struggles however in that other world philosophies such as Humanism and Communism closely follow the model. For the purpose of brevity, I shalloutline the model against communism to illustrate the comparisons. In the ritual dimension, communismhad set in place ceremonies performed in praise of the philosophy for examplethere were annual celebrations of the revolution. In the experiential dimensionKarl Marx was held as the prophet and founder of wisdom. His revelation of anew system created the wow factor. In the mythological dimension oraltraditions were developed of the revolution. Das Kapital became the sacredtext. In the doctrinal dimension, edicts were passed down explaining howpeople were now meant to work and live. In the ethical dimension moralbehaviour and the laws of society were adjusted to make credible the communisttradition. For instance, it was acceptable to murder if the criminal was apolitical agitator and the authorities executed. In the institutional dimensionthe communist party became the church and the mission was communism. In thematerial dimension places such as Lenins tomb became a shrine, a focal pointof worship. Yet, communism could never be considered a religion but more anideology. Yet it fits within the model quite confortably. The social dimension isquestionable. It also relates to politics and racism as an identity, a label,a badge of allegiance of a group. This is how Richard Gombrich terms modernworld religion. For him, the key to defining religion is what you do, notwhat you think. Hans Kung demonstrates thatreligion can be classified in terms of family. Indian religions tend to followa mystical route with a mystical leader; Chinese religion with a wise sage; andNear Eastern religion with a wise figure. It is not possible to put a narrowdefinition on the religion but I can accept that they belong together infacilitating humankind with its humanity. Bibliography Fielding Henry: Tom Jones Oxford World Classics Oxford 1998 Gombrich Richard: TherevadaBuddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benaresto Modern Colombo RoutledgeLondon 1988 Kung Hans: Tracing the Way:Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions Continuum 2002 Otto Rudolf: Mysticism(East) RA Kessinger Publishing 2003 Open University: A5 Religion Block4 units 14-15 pp 36-38 Smart Ninian: The Phenomenon ofReligion London and Oxford 1978 p10 Smart Ninian: ReligiousExperience and Mankind Collins New York 1971

Phoenician Society: Role of Seafaring and Maritime Knowledge

Phoenician Society: Role of Seafaring and Maritime Knowledge Discuss the role of seafaring and maritime knowledge within Phoenician society and its expansion. Introduction. As a people the Phoenicians endured for some three thousand years and were already flourishing by 3,000 B.C. but it was not until about 1100 B.C., with the demise of the existing dominant peoples in the area, that the Phoenicians came to the fore as a significant force. From this time, until around 600 B.C., they dominated the Mediterranean by trading and establishing colonies one of the most important being Carthage. The success of their culture seems mainly to have been due to the proximity of the Mediterranean that encouraged dependence on seafaring and trade. Indeed, as Holst[1] indicates, international trade formed part of the guiding principles on which the Phoenician civilization was founded that also included a commitment to resilient partnerships, peaceful settlement of disputes, equality, privacy, religious freedom and respect of women. Although the majority of Phoenician trade was initially land based, a significant amount began to take place by sea[2] testified by the we alth of Tyre that, along with Byblos, Sidon, Arados and Simyra, were the main home-based Phoenician sea ports. Initially, Phoenician sea trade was mainly with the Greeks involving glass, slaves and Tyrian purple dye made from a sea shell called Murex and textiles coloured with such dyes formed one of the main Phoenician exports. Most of the major Mediterranean countries were involved in trade with the Phoenicians that included such commodities as cotton, timber, wool, precious stones, embroidery, wine, corn and various other foodstuff including spices whereas countries as far away as Spain traded metals such as tin, iron and lead.[3] The Importance of Trade Trade and colonisation originally centred on bartering indigenous timber as well as fishing skills, the latter of which is thought to have provided the competence for later seafaring abilities.[4] The far reaching sea trade of the Phoenicians took two forms – with existing Phoenician colonies and countries in navigable reach. The colonies provided a means by which the home country could be assured of supplies of goods deemed essential. In this respect, Cyprus became a colony to ensure the supply of wood and copper, Sardinia and Spain for useful metals. In return for such goods, Phoenicia supplied such finished items as cotton and linen, pottery, ornaments, weapons, and glass. It was not, however, just with the Mediterranean that trade occurred but also with the Propontis and ports within the Black Sea.[5] The dominance of Phoenicians in seafaring has not gone without criticism however as early reports of such supremacy in Homer’s Odyssey, and also by Herodotus, has been viewed by some modern commentators as erroneous.[6] The extent of Phoenician preeminence in this respect seems to have been settled by Bass’s underwater excavations of the Cape Gelidonya wreck that highlights the extent of Phoenician trade.[7] The archaeological evidence from this excavation seems therefore to support the dominance of Phoenician seafaring from 1200 B.C. onwards. The recent discovery of two exceptionally large Phoenician merchant ships adds further substance to this view.[8] It is probable that the Phoenician maritime empire was preceded by trade with various outposts throughout the Mediterranean or otherwise began as safe anchorage points along the coast.[9] It was only later that these places became colonies set up to protect Phoenician interests that required ships of war which, unlike merchant vessels were employed all year round,[10] to protect both colonies and trade routes. The Phoenician character of many of these ports was lost due to the rise and dominance of other powers such as the Greeks and Romans that has masked the extent of Phoenician influence. Importantly, trade by sea was linked to specialist product areas that otherwise would not have come together that allowed the Phoenicians to establish a rate of exchange to their advantage.[11] Transportation of various metals available in the western Mediterranean by sea, such as Spanish silver, thus allowed the Phoenicians to link the demand in the east, from countries like Assyria etc., to the raw material centres of the west. The Phoenicians also took advantage of turning the raw materials transported from the west into quality refined goods to be later exported. These products, because they tended to be more refined and better quality than what most other countries could supply, were therefore much sought after and such goods have been found in western ports such as Carthage.[12] Moreover, the direct sea route through the Mediterranean provided the best means of direct and efficient transport of materials and products and the extent of this trade along the Mediterranean is confirmed by the fact that Phoenician coins came to be manufactured in Tyre from the fifth century B.C. onwards.[13] The Extent of Phoenician Trade Links It is thought that the growth in Assyrian power and pressure on the coastal cities first led the Phoenicians to turn to seafaring.[14] In this respect, Assyrian power is thought to have blocked access to resources to the east to the extent that the Phoenicians were obliged to turn west towards the Mediterranean for raw materials.[15] Others, however, contend that it was the growth in Assyrian wealth and power that stimulated Phoenician interest in Mediterranean seafaring because of the increased demands for products.[16] This could have likewise been hastened by the economic growth and increased demand of Tyre and other Phoenician ports for raw materials. It is likely, however, that rather than one factor there was a set of interrelated events involving political, historical, economic criteria that led to the Pheonician exploitation of the Mediterranean. Indeed, Tyre and associated ports were ideally situated to act as a conduit through which the products and resources of the Mediter ranean and countries to the east could be exchanged.[17] Moreover, a massive investment in time and resources would have been required to mount expeditions throughout the Mediterranean by sea that suggests Tyre was economically and politically secure. The exploits of the Phoenicians in the Mediterranean should not be viewed as exploration as most of the main sea routes had been charted during the Bronze Age. Rather the Phoenicians were able to use and improve their maritime skills to become the dominant force in the Mediterranean for six hundred years. Yet, there are reports that they ventured much further afield which suggest exploration was part of a general outlook. For example, Herodotus reports that they sailed down the Red Sea to circumnavigate Africa returning via the Straits of Gibraltar.[18] Some even propose that they may have voyaged as far as southern Britain to acquire Cornish tin but this was probably based on indirect rather than direct trade.[19] In this respect, reports of a tin ingot discovered in a Cornish harbour similar to those of ancient Crete remain controversial.[20] The Veneti of Brittany may also have actually been Phoenicians who controlled the trade route to Britain and were thought to be adept seafare rs. The control of trade routes seems to have been a characteristic of Phoenician dominance in that this allowed more exclusive access to resources around and outside the Mediterranean that helped to reinforce Phoenician power. The interest in regions outside the Mediterranean is supported by the notion that some coastal ports such as the present Portuguese port known as Peniche is claimed to derive from the Greek for Phoenicia.[21] Moreover, there are many Phoenician remains to be found along the Portuguese coast.[22] Such exploits beyond the Mediterranean may have partially been encouraged by the fact that the Greeks had prevented Carthage from gaining access to the home ports.[23] Indeed, it may have been the rise in Greek power that led to Carthage becoming such an important city port for the Phoenicians in the central Mediterranean and could have been a factor leading, in the 8th century B.C., to Carthage succeeding Tyre as the main Phoenician city. There is also some evidence that the Phoenicians may have even reached some of the Atlantic islands such as the Azores and Canaries.[24] Ultimately, it was the rise in Greek power in the east, the barrier of the Atlantic in the west and the rise of Rome that bought an end to Phoenician power.[25] In sum, the Phoenician influence along the Mediterranean coastline appears to be both a consequence of great initiative and impressive seafaring skills that was instigated by the promise of trade and pressures from the rise in other Mediterranean powers to the east. Types of Boats The initial attempts in seafaring by Phoenicians are thought to have been quite crude based on travel between islands by means of rafts followed by more sophisticated but still crude sailing vessels inspired by the need to fish.[26] The first boats seemed to have consisted of a keel, a rounded hull and a raised platform for the steersman with the oars intersecting the bulwark.[27] This formed a template for a subsequent craft where four upright rowers operated curved oars in a boat that lacked a rudder with a mast held aloft by two ropes secured at the front and rear of the vessel. The mast, however, seems not to have been used for a sail, but to support a viewing structure from which an archer or other attacker was able to launch missiles. From this, a larger vessel evolved with a low bow and raised stern with a rudder with a pointed prow and oars on each side of about fifteen to twenty in number that the Greeks referred to as triaconters and penteconters that are represented on coi ns but were shown without a mast so must have been a type of refined rowing boat. Around 700 B.C. further advances occurred in ship construction in that, instead of being situated on one level, rowers were now placed on two levels thus doubling the number of oarsmen. These vessels were known as â€Å"biremes† by the Greeks and incorporated two steering oars issuing from the stern some with a mast and yardarm to support a sail that came in two forms one designed for war, the â€Å"long ship†, and another, with a more rounded prow used for the purpose of trade.[28] Inspired by the Greek example, the Phoenicians also went on to develop their own version of the trireme with three levels of rowers.[29] The size of these vessels can be gauged by the fact that the top level consisted of 31 rowers.[30] The Phoenicians have also been credited with inventing both the keel and ram as well as the caulking of planks with bitumen though some believe that the ram or beaked prow is said to have been adopted by the Phoenicians from the Mycenaeans It was the use of an adjustable sail, more oarsmen and a double steering oar that led to increased speed and manoeuvrability allowing the furthest points of the Mediterranean to be reached and it was the round-shaped merchant ships called â€Å"gaulos† that was mainly relied on in this respect.[31] Such innovations to ship construction illustrate the commitment of the Phoenicians to seafaring and their seafaring skills were so renowned throughout the ancient world that Phoenician ships and sailors were often co-opted into foreign war fleets.[32] Navigation The Phoenicians are thought to have invented the art of navigation. They used oars when there was little or no wind and large square sails at other times. Although they obviously practiced coastal navigation, the distribution of ports indicates that more long distance open sea voyages were also undertaken.[33] The fact that the Phoenicians had important centres at Sardinia, Sicily and Ibiza suggests that they often sailed the high seas. This would have involved extended periods at sea essential for the effective transportation of goods. They would probably, however, have employed short coastal journeys to travel from one port to the next but relied on deep sea navigation for longer voyages[34] and in places like the Aegean, with the many islands and dangerous currents, oars would have been used rather than sails. It is thought that the Phoenicians were also able to sail at night and used the Pole star and knowledge of astronomy for navigation. This knowledge along with the fact that , given favourable viewing conditions, land is nearly always visible anywhere in the Mediterranean -allowed the Phoenicians to use their seafaring skills to good effect. Conclusion The Phoenicians obviously depended on seafaring skills in order to extend trade links and their influence throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. This seems to have gone hand in hand with a need to develop more sea worthy vessels and navigational abilities to venture further into the open seas. Evidence from historical documents, such as found in Herodotus and others, indicate the extent of Phoenician maritime skills that evolved in tandem with the foundation of ever distant colonies and trading outposts. These skills seem to have been further encouraged by the advantages that came from the home ports being located where raw material from the west, which were in demand by countries in the Levant, could be traded for finished products. The Phoenicians were able to exploit this further by producing high quality manufactured goods that were exported to all areas thus increasing their economic power and wealth that allowed more sophisticated ships to be built for longer voyages. This te ndency is reflected in the progressive growth in Phoenician influence and colonisation from east to west from about 12,000 B.C. onwards. Trade went first, however, with colonisation following when the opportunity arose. Ultimately, however, Phoenician influence may have declined in the Mediterranean due to an over-reliance on seafaring that was unable to compete with more land based powers. In other words, their greatest strength eventually became their greatest weakness. Bibliography Aubert, M. E. (2001) The Phoenicians and the West – Politics, Colonies and Trade. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Boardman, J. Edwards, I. E. S., Hammond N. G. L. (1991) ‘Preface’ in, The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries B.C. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Basch, L. (1969) Phoenician Oared Ships. The Mariner’s Mirror. 55, pp. 139-162. Barnett, R.D. (1958) Early Shipping in the Near East. Antiquity 32 (128): pp. 220-230. Bass, G. F. (1972) A History of Seafaring based on Under-water Archaeology. Walker Company: London. Boucher-Colozier, E. 1953. Cahiers de Byrsa III, 11. Casson, L. (1971) Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World. Princeton University Press: Princeton. Culican, W. (1991) ‘Phoenicia and Phoenician colonization.’ In The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries. B.C. J. Boardman, I. E. S. Edwards, N. G. L Hammond, editors. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge) pp. 461-545. de Sà ©lincourt, A. (1959) The Histories (Herodotus). Penguin: Harmonsworth. Diodorus Siculus. (1935) Library of History. C. H. Loeb Classical Library. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA. Frankenstein, S. 1979 ‘The Phoenicians in the Far West: a function of Neo-Assyrian imperialism. In, Power and Propoganda. A Symposium on Ancient Empires. M. T. Larsen, editor. (Akademisk Forlag: Copenhagen) pp. 263-294. Guthrie, J. 1970. Bizzare Ships of the Nineteenth Century. Hutchinson: London. Grayson, A. K. (1991) Boardman, J. Edwards, I. E. S., Hammond N. G. L. (1991) ‘Assyrian Civilization’. In The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries B.C. J. Boardman, I. E. S. Edwards, N. G. L Hammond, editors. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 194-228. Greenberg, M. (1997) Ezekiel 21-37: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible, Vol 22A. Doubleday: New York. Harden, D. (1948) The Phoenician on the West Coast of Africa. Antiquity. 22: p. 147. Harden, D. (1962) The Phoenicians. Thames and Hudson: London. Harrison, R. J. (1988) Spain at the Dawn of History: Iberian, Phoenicians and Greeks. Thames and Hudson: London. Hencken, O’Neil. H. (1932) The Archaeology of Cornwall and Scilly. Methuen: London. Hill, G. F. (1910) Greek Coins of Phoenicia. British Museum. Holst, S. (2005) Phoenicians: Lebanon’s Epic Heritage. Cambridge and Boston Press: Los Angeles. Moscati, S. and Grassi, P. (2001) The Phoenicians. I.B. Tauris: London. Perrot G. and Chipiez, C. (1893) Histoire de lArt dans lAntiquità ©. Hachette: Paris. Rawlinson, G. (2004) History of Phoenicia. Kessinger:Montana Tilley, A. (2004) Seafaring on the Ancient Mediterranean. BAR International Series. 1268. Archaeopress/J. and E. Hedges: Oxford. 1 Footnotes [1] Holst, 2005 [2] See, for example, Judgement of Ezekiel 26-1– â€Å"Judgement on Tyre† in Greenberg, 1997 [3] Perrot and Chipiez, 1893 [4] Culican, 1991 [5] Tilley 2004 p. 76 [6] Tilley, 2004; p. 77 [7] Bass, 1972 [8] Tilley, 2004; p. 78 [9] Harden, 1962; p. 158. [10] Moscati and Grassi, 2001; p.85. [11] Harrison 1988; p. 42 [12] See, for example, Boucher-Colozier, 1953 [13] Hill, 1910 [14] Frankenstein, 1979 [15] Aubert, 2001; p. 70 [16] Culican 1991; p. 486 [17] Harrison, 1988 [18] see de Sà ©lincourt, 1959 [19] Harden, 1962; p. 171 [20] Hencken, 1932. [21] Guthrie, 1970; p. 103 [22] Tilley, 2004; p. 80 [23] Harden, 1962; p.171 [24] See, for example, Diodorus Siculus 1935 v. 20; Harden, 1948 [25] Boardman et al. 1991; p. xvi. [26] Rawlinson,; 2004 p. 122. [27] Ibid. [28] Perrot and Chipiez, 1893; p. 34 [29] Basch, 1969 [30] Casson, 1971 p. 95 [31] Barnett, 1958 [32] Grayson,1991; p. 220 [33] Aubert, 2001; p. 167 [34] Moscati and Grassi (2001); p. 84

Comparing Education for Leisure and Miracle on St. David’s Day :: Carol Ann Duffy Gillian Clarke Poems Essays

Comparing Education for Leisure and Miracle on St. David’s Day This essay will explore the similarities and differences between the two poems ‘Education for leisure’ which was written by Carol Ann Duffy and ‘Miracle on St. David’s Day’ by Gillian Clarke. The theme focused on the poems is ‘outsider’. In ‘Education for Leisure’ the man is an outsider because he is being ignored, however in ‘miracle on St. David’s Day’, the patient is well taken care of but is an outsider in his mind because he is sick and cannot speak. He wants to be an outsider so that no one can notice him. Firstly, the poem ‘Education for leisure’ creates a negative atmosphere caused by the treacherous outsider. Every stanza concludes with a full stop. The poem has five verses overall. Duffy has written this poem in the style of a diary, rather than constructing the words to rhyme. This is shown by the word ‘I’. She has also used metaphors to express the circumstances ‘†¦boredom stirring in the streets.’ This phrase shows that the day is awfully uninspired and no one is in prospect. This day is like any other day for the man because his life is filled with sadness. He feels uninspired and may feel frustrated due to the ‘boredom’. He wants to destroy something, ‘I am going to kill something.’ This phrase is directly alerting the reader that the man is unstable and is enthusiastic to kill. He is too weak and defenceless to kill a living thing so he mentions of victimising an object. It also indicates that the poem is occurring in the present tense. Duffy has used this to add to the tension in the mind of the speaker. The self-centeredness of the speaker appears in the repeated use of "I", "me", "my". ‘I have had enough of being ignored†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ this shows that the people around him do not take enough consideration towards him, therefore he feels insecure and abandoned. He has no one to express what he is feeling because he feels isolated. Duffy creates an image of a lonely, desperate man that desires to be heard so the reader’s emotions would be pitiful. The writer wants the reader’s emotions to be sympathetic towards the character. The speaker has no idea what he is saying so he constantly changes the subject this is referred to by the quote: ‘We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in another language and now the fly is in another’ this quote does not make sense due to the fact that the speaker keeps changing the topic he is talking about.

A report about Internet/intranet and server requirements :: Computer Science

A report about Internet/intranet and server requirements The internet server An Internet server delivers WebPages to computers via a telephone or broadband connection called a dial up connection. This can be done to computers anywhere in the world as long as they are connected to the internet. An internet server has something called DNS enabling. This allows a website to be found from that websites own server e.g. when someone types www.microsoft.com, the website is associated to Microsoft server so the website is delivered to your computer screen. The Intranet Server The intranet server is similar to the internet server as it delivers WebPages to computers however it is for LAN (local area networks). This means the pages are private and run through localised cabling. The WebPages are not available to computers outside the LAN and dial up connections are not enabled. Organisation the internet and intranet Internets are organised by numerous internet servers connected through a permanent broadband connection. For protection the servers are protected from other computers putting viruses and harmful materials by firewalls. Intranets are local so other computers outside the Local area network (LAN) cannot connect to the network. Ways of connected to the internet 1. Dial up modem-mainly used at home, works by dialing a telephone number of an internet server and connects via that. Standard connection is 56kb. This means it sends 56,000 bits per second. 2. LAN-Delivers the internet to a network of computers via a proxy server. The proxy server connects to the internet and delivers the internet to all the connected computers in a local area network. 3. ISDN (integrated services digital network)-a telephone connection that is designed to deliver digital information for computers but also can deliver audio signals for telephone conversations. It is generally faster than standard modem connections, usually 64kb or 128kb per second. 4. Broadband-Digital telephone connection that is constantly connected, delivering data much quicker than other connections at speeds 10, 20 or even 50 times quicker than your standard 56kb connection. Instead of using a modem it uses a router allowing a permanent connection. Web Server Requirements Web servers can be as fast or powerful as the user requires. This is dependent on what system they are running. A standard internet server will be 500MHZ, have 256MB of RAM and have around 8GB hard drive space. Of course all of these can be expanded dependent on the users needs. Also it depends on how many users are on the network. The more users, the faster the server will be required to allow a good internet

Essay on Edwin Chadwick

Edwin Chadwick was a man that made a huge different in our world a long time ago. Mr. Edwin Chadwick was born January 24th, 1800 and passed away July 16th, 1890. He lived a very long life and it was all due to the changes in the world that he made that prolonged his life as well as our lives today. I know everyone is asking the same question, â€Å"What did a man that died about 120 years ago do that helps prolong my life today? † I will tell you and explain how we still live by Mr. Edwin Chadwick’s changes and use his invents to this day. Mr.  Chadwick was born in Manchester, England; but was raised by both his parents in London. Mr. Chadwick was an attorney. Edwin Chadwick received his earliest education in Longsight and Stockport. In 1810, his parent decided to more to London where then begun to receive education by private tutors. Mr. Edwin Chadwick was an attorney that was all about making changes in the reforming of the poor laws and making sanitary conditions better so it could improve the public health. Mr. Edwin Chadwick believed that his inventions would not only improve the health of people, but it would also save money. In 1834, Edwin Chadwick was given a job as the secretary of the Poor Law Commissioners. Mr. Chadwick’s sanitary ideas made the government fierce and sustain criticism. Mr. Chadwick paid out of his own expense for researches and publishing papers about the unsafe sanitary conditions. Mr. Edwin Chadwick had a lot of problems with his superiors and there was a lot of disagreement that lead to the dissolution in 1847 of The Poor Law Commission. At the same time that Edwin Chadwick was working for The Poor Law Commission, he was answering questions about sanitary and trying to find away to improve it. Mr. Chadwick was all about making changes in reforming of the poor laws and sanitary conditions. Mr. Chadwick strongly believed that the unsafe sanitary conditions were causing illnesses and lots of unnecessary deaths. Mr. Edwin Chadwick was putting together ideas that later was known as the â€Å"sanitary idea†. In 1842, Edwin Chadwick invented what we know today as the sewer tank. He found a healthier and proper way for removal of trash and sewage. Mr. Edwin Chadwick knew that the odor from the sewage and trash was harming the public. Mr.  Edwin Chadwick also knew that by putting the sewage underground and running it through a special pipeline into a special designed tank would be healthier for the public and by doing so the unpleasant odor (miasmas) from the above ground sewage and trash would disappear. After Mr. Chadwick introduced the sewage tank and proper trash removal the life expectancy increased. Edwin Chadwick invented the self flushing toilet; it was lined in glazed bricks. We use these several times today and never really thought about where they came from or what life would be like without them. Mr. Chadwick invented and changed our sanitary conditions; by doing so there are few illnesses and deaths. We can flush our toilet and do not have to smell that nasty odor from the gas that would one day kill us. Edwin Chadwick had the idea of separating the sewage lines and water line a distances away from each other. By doing so it proved clean fresh drinking water that we enjoy today. In 1847, Edwin Chadwick changed the amount of smoke and soot that comes from chimneys. He created a law that protects the public from the harm of hazard materials. By doing so Edwin Chadwick helped control the pollution in our environment. This made it a lot easier and safer for people to breath fresh air and enjoy being outside. Edwin Chadwick forced the government to get health inspectors to see that our community stays safe, so that we could have healthier lives. He also pushed the government for better-ventilated and less crowded housing for families, wider streets for traveling to and from, workplace health and safety legislation for employees, increased use of indoor plumbing, and stops the children employment in factories. In 1854, Edwin Chadwick pushed the government to registration of all births, all deaths, and all marriage. It is amazing that if it was not for Edwin Chadwick we would not have birth certificates of our children, death certificates of our loved ones, or marriage licenses to our spouses. A driver’s license is needed to get a job and/or any government help that anyone might need. In 1854, Edwin Chadwick pushed the government to registration of all births, all deaths, and all marriage. It is amazing that if it was not for Edwin Chadwick we would not have birth certificates of our children, death certificates of our loved ones, or marriage licenses to our spouses. By inventing these certificates we can keep count of the population of people today. Because of Edwin Chadwick, We have birth certificate for our husbands, sons, daughters, and ourselves. We have marriage licenses to show our husbands when they acts crazy; okay and the men can show them to the wives too. We need death certificates to claim life insurance policies of loved ones.

Is the glass half empty or half full? Essay

An optimist will view a half filled cup as half-full, while a pessimist sees it as half empty. Happiness is water, while humans are the cups. Humans tend to either strive get a full cup for themselves, or they help others filling their cups while disregarding their own happiness. This is where a compromise comes in, where both cup and water must balance. Since it is very unlikely to get what is preferred most of the time, it is essential to balance the whole time. In The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby finds himself in a predicament. The only motive he has in life is to marry his true love. He must choose money or love. People will lose their happiness to others, or try to take it all for themselves. Until an individual can make compromises, they will struggle with life. The main character Jay Gatsby has only been pursuing only his happiness. Gatsby looks at the ground and â€Å"sees the blocks of the sidewalk really formed a ladder, and mounted in a secret place above the trees – he could climb to his if he climbed alone and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder.† This shows Gatsby’s character, as he can imprint his fantasies in the real world, on such a mundane object of life, the sidewalk. Only Gatsby can see it because only he can climb the ladder into the upper class, he cannot take Daisy with him. Once he is up there, he can maintain his ignorance of life and maintains his god-like complex in his mindless dream. This is a good example of a metaphor for life as pap means lacking substance or real value. He has to choose between his happiness or status. Jay’s friend Meyer Wolfsheim played with the faith of fifty million people, like a burglar blowing a safe. One single p erson affected fifty million people. The narrator Nick Carraway is the only poor main character who lives on the pair of Eggs. Nick rents, Gatsby buys, and the Buchannan’s inherent. When Nick is offered a small job by Gatsby, he chooses to refuse. This could have bolstered his income and his happiness. Nick disapproved of Gatsby from the beginning to the end. Yet he aided and provided support to Gatsby with his wild plans. The only way Nick could escape his life was to get drunk. He gets drunk in Myrtle’s apartment and has lots of fun. During one of Gatsby’s parties, Nick took two fingerbowls of champagne, and â€Å"the scene had changed before my eyes into something significant elemental and profound.† Alcohol is his way out of this world, and this is one of the things he does not admit to. At one of the parties the woman under the white plum tree, symbolizing purity is accompanied by a famous director. The director works his way up and kisses her. She does not pull back from the early signs of sexual misconduct, which shows us that the rich are not pure and want to keep ascending, even by resorting to sexual acts. Nick was going to berate Tom for such irresponsible behavior, then realized he was talking to a spoiled child. Nick reflects on the situation and comments, â€Å"I couldn’t forgive him or like [Tom], but I saw what he had done was to him, highly justified.† Nick sees that the rich are very irresponsible and careless and leave the poor to suffer. This cycle continues on and on, it will never stop unless everyone is equal, which will never happen due to human nature. The only way for everyone to have equal amounts of happiness is if it is shared. Some of the thing that prevents this is when people either take away all of their happiness to give to someone else, causing an imbalance which may shape a person for the worst, which is known as spoiling them. If the opposite occurs, where one person takes all of the joy and leaves the consequences to someone else, everyone suffers, and nothing good ever comes out of it. As Nick Carraway once said, â€Å"Laughter is easier, minute by minute, spilled with prodigality tipped by a cheerful world.†