Internal Control System Checklist

Internal Control System Checklist ACC/544 Monday December 03, 2010 Dr. YouKnew Abstract Internal control systems are purposed to aid in managing an array of risks, while monitoring the integrity and reliability of operational and financial data. Internal control systems ensure the proactively of audits, at the same time as serving to ensure that policies and procedures are enforced to protect the company’s financial information, limiting accounting inaccuracies and fraud. The following checklist is a tool to ensure that the objectives of internal control systems are met. Internal Control System ChecklistEthical Governance and Standards Ethical standards are the groundwork for internal control systems, where integrity is the basic principle. Business ethics show characteristics of acceptable business conduct, while ethics in internal control systems ensures that these standards are communicated, executed, reinforced, and monitored. When considering the following checklist for e valuating internal controls, three phases of the control evaluation are also applied. The three phases are understanding, assessment, and testing. I. Ethics & GovernanceYESNOComments Are the ethical standards exemplified by the board of directors?Are ethical standards reviewed with new employees either in orientation or by pamphlet? Are the ethical standards woven into employee evaluations? Are handbooks provided for ongoing review of ethical standards? Is there a process in place to review and correct bad ethical calls? Are ethical standards woven into business standards? Are fraudulent attempts in reporting communicated as intolerable to employees and management? Electronic Data Processing Electronic data processing guarantees against improper human intervention with computer processing and other transactions in a given organization.Computer programs help prevent access to certain information across departments and roles. Within the phases of the control evaluation the auditor wou ld want to ensure that each user completely understands his role and to protect the privacy of information given access. Ongoing assessment should be afforded to help each department head better manage user access and testing to ensure compliance. II. Electronic Data ProcessingYESNOComments Are policies in place to include reference check, security, and termination of employee security measures?Are the duties within the data processing system adequately segregated per role? (such as technical support, software developer, ect. ) Is the Electronic Data Processing system separate and independent from the operating and accounting departments? Is the Electronic Data Processing system such that it prevents duplicate documents from being introduced to the system? Are there adequate controls preventing changes to master files? Are there adequate controls over data entry to include supervision, current instructions, key verification of important fields and self check digits?Financial Reporti ng One of the three distinct objectives of internal control is to meet the responsibility of ensuring that financial statements are reliable. The term reliable involves the preparation of financial statements that are fairly presented in conformity with applicable financial reporting framework employed by management. The system of financial control over financial reporting therefore includes the design and implementation of policies and procedures necessary by managers to provide reasonable assurance that the ompany’s statements are presented in accordance with the basis of accounting. Evaluation of financial reporting within internal control system should place emphasis on testing and assessment. The following checklist addresses some key areas of testing and assessment of internal control of financial reporting. III. Financial ReportingYESNOComments Is the statement of financial position prepared monthly and reviewed by management and the finance committee? Are the responsi bilities for the final review and approval of financial reports segregated from those for the preparation of reports?Are monthly, semi-monthly and annual reports prepared comparing income and expenses with approved budget and reviewed by the management and the finance committee? Did the company employ a char of accounts? Are the tasks for maintaining the general ledger suitably segregated from those for the custody of assets? Is there a written accounting policy and procedural manuals distributed to appropriate personnel? Checklists mainly service as a tool that both managers and auditors can use to review a specific departments internal control and for ongoing purposes also.Checklists should be both drafted and assessments completed by management who are accountable for the business processes. When completing the checklist, simple yes or no responses prove a strong or weak internal control system where additional notes for improvement are observed. Multiple questions are needed to make the proper assessment of a control system. In conclusion, internal control checklists are integrated with control evaluations to provide the best information about the functionality of a system where changes or adjustments can be made.

Sredni Vashtar & the Lumber-Room Summary

A sickly ten-year-old boy lives a miserable life in the house of his domineering cousin guardian. However, He would not live another 5 years of his life because he is sick. He creates a fantasy religious cult in a garden shed, where his idols are a hen and a ferret. He is a lonely and imaginative young boy. One day he bought a polecat-ferret and named it Sredni Vashtar. Conradin lived with Mrs De Ropp, his guardian. She is the one who took care of Conradin and responsible to serve shelter, food and clothes for conradin. Although they lived together, Mrs De Ropp dislikes Conradin. She never shows her concern toward Conradin. In the story, Conradin keeps two animals in backyard shed which is a hen and a ferret. But, Mrs. De Ropp discovers the hen and told to Conradin that she has sold the hen to the butcher. When his guardian gets rids rid of his hen, he prays to the ferret for revenge. Then, Conradin turn his devotion to the Sredni Vashtar, a great ferret. It gives happiness to Conradin although he is sick. Sredni Vashtar is like a god for Conradin. One day, Mrs. De Ropp realized that Conradin was keeping something else from her in the shed where Sredni Vashtar stayed. She goes the shed again. At last she finds Sredni Vashtar while Conradin prays to his god for the safety of his ferret. She went there to check it but she was been bitten in the throat by the ferret and died. Sredni Vashtar bite Mrs. De Ropp. The maid went to the shed and shocked. She screamed out loud as she discovers the dead body of Mrs. De Ropp while Conradin enjoys toast in the kitchen. The Lumber-Room One morning, a boy called Nicholas doesn't want to eat his breakfast, and puts a frog in his bowl. His distant aunt gives out to him for this, and Nicholas's two cousins and younger brother are taken to the seaside at Jagbourough, while he has to remain at home as a punishment. When the other children have left, Nicholas's distant aunt goes to work in the garden and commands him to stay out of the gooseberry garden. Nicholas instead takes the key from a shelf in the library and sneaks into the lumber room, where he is never allowed to go. He has lots of fun in the lumber room. He sees lots of beautiful and strange objects, such as old ornaments, tapestries, and a teapot shaped like a duck. He finds a big book with pictures of birds in it. While he is looking at a picture of a duck, the aunt screams for him. Nicholas finds that she has fallen into a tank of water, and refuses to help her out on the grounds that she is an impostor. Nicholas's cousins and brother come back from the sea in a very bad mood. They have had no fun at all because the tide was in and one of them had sore feet. The aunt was rescued from the watertank by a kitchen maid after more than half an hour. Only Nicholas is happy because he is thinking of a tapestry depicting hounds and a stag.

An Understanding of Sports Sponsorship in India

An Understanding of Sports Sponsorship in India 1. Introduction The boost in competition, produced by the globalization of markets, had made the marketing mix a key factor for companies to be successful, or even to stay alive (Hollensen, 2003). Promotion has become ever more useful to have an effect on consumers’ attitudes and behaviour as a part of the marketing mix. Conventionally, promotion was consisted of advertising, PR and sales promotions (Vignali, 1997). Nevertheless, in modern years, there has been a substantial improvement in sponsorship of organasations and events in the fields of the sports, arts, social aid and broadcasting. This improvement has placed sponsorship at the same level of significance than most conventional promotion tools, particularly advertising (Lardinoit and Derbaix, 2001). In 2004, as per the projections, global spending in sponsorship was estimated to reach US $28 billion (from $23.6 billion in 1999 and $2 billion in 1984), of which 69% relates to sporting events (Meenaghan, 2001). Sponsor ship is a business-related activity where one party allows another a chance to utilize an association with a target audience in exchange for funds, resources or services. Sponsorship activities are used by organisations in a various ways to create brand associations, awareness and to penetrate through the clutter of commercial messages (Fill, 2009). Sponsorship can also be defined as † an investment in cash or kind in an activity, in return for access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with that activity. The company promotes its interests and brands by tying them to a specific and meaningful related event or cause† (Rowley and Williams, 2008). Sponsorship investment primarily was perhaps seen as a type of philanthropy; the sponsors may be expecting simply goodwill or nothing as a return (Quattrocchi, 2004; Chadwick and Thwaites, 2005). Considerable amount of sponsorship investments were carried out with no precise explanation or business objective except for helping a favourite sport or event (Davies and Quattrocchi, 2002). As a result in quiet few cases, sponsorship has been talked about as a kind of corporate philanthropy that is the company’s share of profits restored back into community (Polonsky and Speed, 2001). Though, lot of researchers affirmed that corporate philanthropy that used to be ascertained as a pure dedication to the community did look for circumlocutory benefits in corporate image, positive attitude towards the company or social recognition in the community, which similar to desired objectives of business sponsorship nowadays (Martnez et al. 2005). Sponsorship investment has been escalating quickly for many years and sport is the biggest area that has been used by sponsorships (Drewer, 2006). Numerous researchers have been produced to reveal how sponsorship works and how its results could be evaluated hypothetically, but the questions still remain debating (Cornwell et al. 2005). Sport has developed into a professional product or a service over the years. The increasing relevance in professional sport has turned it into a productive business, producing great revenues annually (Mason & Cochetel, 2006). Sport players and games have become commercial possessions offering companies new occasions to communicate and develop their brands (Morgen, 2004). Given the verity that sport sponsorships are usually more profitable compared to art or social cause sponsorships (Walliser, 2003), it can be concluded that sport sponsorship is an instrument of communications that ought to be given serious thought as a business investment. The allocations of limited resources with the purpose of attaining definite organisations’ objectives are important segments of sport sponsorship (Slack and Bentz, 1996). Therefore, it has repeatedly been described as a strategic activity in the marketing literature (Carter, 1996).

Program Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Program Theory - Essay Example Funnell and Rogers (2011, 58) stated that an effective social policy/ program needs to be able to overcome constraints arising from institutions, human resource, finance, and even politics that might be involved. In developing a social policy/ program, Funnell and Rogers (2011, 75-77) further noted that a theory is usually developed around the policy/ program, and it presents a feasible and plausible plan for improving the underlying social problem; this theory is usually known as the program theory. This present paper will focus on a social problem and the social program theory that has been proposed as a likely remedy to the social problem. More in particular, the paper will discuss the social problem that needs to be fixed, the solution that has been proposed to fix the problem, the likely outcomes after fixing the social problem, and how one can tell whether this social program has been fixed or not. The social problem The social problem that this present study proposes to fix is unemployment among graduate students. The root of this problem can be traced back to the economic recession that hit the United States in the period of 2008 to 2010, resulting into many job losses (Rushe, 2013). Moreover, in the run up to the last Presidential elections in the United States, the candidates were put to task on the social policies/ programs that they will implement to solve this problem, which has far-reaching detrimental consequences if it remains unresolved. Rushe (2013) stated that so far the Obama administration has been able to reduced the unemployment rate in the country because in the month of August, the rate of unemployment had decreased to 7.30%, which was an improvement compared to the previous rate that stood at 7.40% (Rushe, 2013). However, it is of essence to note that this rate is still quite high considering that the average rate of unemployment in the U.S was only 5.82% in the period of 1948 to 2013, and 1953 marked a record low of 2.5% while 1982 ma rked a record high of 10.82% (Rushe, 2013). Therefore, there is still a dire need of creating more jobs in order to absorb the unemployed, and even resolve some of the vices that are associated with unemployment within the society. According to Rushe (2013), this social problem is relevant in justifying the development of a new policy because creating more jobs will improve the living standards for American citizens, it will reduce the social crimes attributed to unemployment, and it will contribute to economic growth for the country. The program theory In relation to the social problem that has been identified above, this present study, proposed a program theory that reads as follows; â€Å"employed an engineering student is USA.† This theory acknowledges the social need that graduates need to find gainful employment in order up lift their living standard and make worthwhile contribution to the economic development of the country. The input that is under this program theory is for America to nurture more engineering students. Therefore, the output of this program is that the more engineers the U.S has the less the country will experience issues of unemployment. The impact of the program theory is increased rate of employment and the long-term goal is improved living standards for Americans and even improved economic development. The program theory is based on the premise that the engineering profession and in particular science and engineering has led to the creation of new

Fawaz Alhokair Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fawaz Alhokair Group - Essay Example Currently, it has 10,000 employees working in Saudi and abroad. Company has experienced significant increases in gross profit, a corresponding net profit increase, and in operating income for the fiscal period ending March 2013, as shown in Table 1 below Table 1. Income increases, Fiscal Year 2013* Comparative increases in income Item 2012 2013 % increase Net profit SR447.38M SR619.69M 38% Gross profit SR789.98M SR1,130.37M 43% Operating Income SR439.28M SR583.93 32.9% *12 months period Company considers these increases are due to their business strategies of new stores opening, introduction of new concepts and brands, international expansion and acquisition of the Nesk Trading Projects, LLC. Sales totaling SR1.899bn in 2009 increased by 2%; Revenue in KSA market increased by 34.6% in 2013, while international market revenue increased by 186% in 2013. For 2014, sales is expected to reach SR2,925bn. Management believes it is able to draw and keep competent workforce because of its cor porate culture, and these trained employees are experienced in adapting to swift fashion transformation of the retail market in the Kingdom. Out of its 10,000 employees, 33% are Saudis. The company represents famous international brand products and is acknowledged as a leader in fashion retail businesses in Saudi Arabia. ... any has continued to supply the market with new and fresh products in its stores conveniently located on major commercial centers and shopping centers. Furthermore, the grandiose product display excites the customers to the store and into the product. This marketing strategy has allowed the company to be on top of competition and to be abreast on fashion trends. The various brands it carries in its collection are aimed to target the middle bracket segment of the population thus creating a large base of operation. It has a competitive advantage of being able to offer lower cost pricing because of the economies of scale in bulk products purchase, lease rentals, combined attributes of manpower quality, committed management and a fully integrated logistics model. The low cost approach and the ability to source competitively priced products enabled Alkohair to gain an edge over its competitors. The low cost policy is one of the reasons for the success of the company. The fashion retail se gment of the company sets a competitive advantage seeing that it can choose prime locations and get better rental deals since the real estate segment of Alkohair is the largest shopping mall developers in KSA. Alkohair works with a demographic structure that allows them to offer higher quality and more fashionable products. However successful the company is, it is still confronted by problems related to the internal environment shown as: 1. Constant changes in fashion. These are the sensitive characteristics of the fashion industry. Fashion has a short life cycle since the designs that are popular in one season loses its attractiveness in the next season. This turns out to be a problem because company has to be aware of the fashion trends all the time. 2. Poor performance of brands. Not all

Marketing Planning and Strategy (Ethical Challenge) 1 Assignment

Marketing Planning and Strategy (Ethical Challenge) 1 - Assignment Example ntation may however target physically disabled people and people with health problems in order to determine involved costs and risk in product delivery for determining prices. This may harm members of the target population by subjecting them to higher prices based on their special needs. Raju (2009) argues that segmentation helps to meet needs of special groups but the associated disadvantage of cost may lead to greater harm than if products were offered without segmentation and prices remained uniform. In addition, such segmentation may for a basis for identification of the challenges facing the groups and therefore expose them to stigma. Consequently, targeting the physically disabled or people with help problems, with the aim of meeting their special needs at higher costs, are a violation of ethical practices. Targeting the segments in insurance coverage is an example. The segmentation may induce higher cover cost and limit the group’s ability to afford cover and access car e. In addition, the segmentation may create the impression that the segment have poor health and induce stigma against members of the segment to worsen their welfare through induced emotional instability (Brenkert and Beauchamp,

English literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

English literature - Essay Example He finds his job degrading with long working hours and little time for sleep and rest. His boss is a woman and â€Å"It was funny to have a white woman for a boss in a plant like this one† (Petry n.p.). His lack of interest in work often infuriates his boss. Their stern and hostile behavior makes him angry and it gets hard for him to resist the urge to beat her white employer, saying that he would never beat a woman. Further in the story, Mr. Johnson encounters a white girl working at a coffee shop who refuses to serve him just because he is black; it could be solely Mr. Johnson’s thinking that made him to think that every white person hates the black person. However, he resists his anger with his heart pounding to beat her but somehow; he learns to control his angers and walks out of the coffee shop. Anne Petry further explores how the bad sense of humor that Mae possesses makes Johnson to think that he is a black man with no respect in the society. She jokingly calls him a â€Å"nigger† (Petry n.p.). Her bad sense of humor provokes him to take out his anger, frustration and humiliation he encountered the entire day on her. The story projects that how the evils of racism was a bitter part of reality in American society in 1946. The story revolves around two main themes such as racial discrimination and domestic abuse. The domestic abuse that Mae faced was the outcome of the psychological aggression that was brought into Mr. Johnson due to the humiliation he faced by the hands of two white women. He hated to raise his fist against a woman but his aggression let him do that but this led to the death of his family’s belief, not to hit on any female. Anne Petry explains how our bottled aggressions and frustrations make us to do things that we consider immoral. Johnson is a colorful example of a man who fails to control motions unwinding his sheets of anger and frustration on his

Genetically Modified Crops Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetically Modified Crops - Essay Example The resultant organism would be referred to as transgenic. Similarly, genetically modified, GM crops would be created by changing the genetic material of crops though biotechnology. Techniques Various techniques have been used to introduce the needed genes in crops or inactivate the undesired ones. Bacterium Agrobacterium has the capacity to infect plants hence has been used as an appropriate DNA carrier. Its preparation would be conducted in a specialised solution that would make its cell walls even more porous. The desired gene would then be inserted into the plasmid of the bacterium – its extra chromosomal DNA molecule – and then dropped into the solution which would be heated to allow the plasmid to enter into the bacterium and express a new gene. The altered bacterium referred to as recombinant would be left to recover before being allowed to grow and probably make copies of the new gene. The bacterium would then be exposed to plant cells to deliver the new gene an d plasmid to the cells targeted for transformation (Adugna & Mesfin 2). With gene slicing, the restriction enzymes of bacteria would be used to attack foreign DNA, cutting it into accurate sections inhibiting it from insertion into the chromosome of the bacteria. Different bacteria produce varied restriction enzymes which cut DNA at different places. Molecular biologists use this capability to genetically engineer the DNA to be inserted into target cells for genetic modification. Another enzyme, DNA ligase, would then be used to fuse the sequences of the new gene into the chromosome. Alternatively, the new gene could be introduced into the bacterium’s plasmid which would invade the cell being targeted and deliver the gene. Carter, Moschini and Sheldon (15) give Agrobacterium tumefaciens as an example in this category. Other techniques include biolistics where the selected DNA would be attached to gold or tungsten microscopic particles and fired into the target cells by use of gas under pressure. In lipofection, liposomes would be used to carry the selected DNA and would be placed together with the target cells in a special solution causing a merger between the liposomes and phospholipids from the cell membrane giving in to the entry of the DNA into the chromosome. The viral carriers technique would involve use of a virus whose genetic make-up has the selected DNA added onto it to invade the target cells without causing death or damage thus adding the desired DNA to the target cells. In calcium phosphate precipitation, the selected DNA would be introduced to calcium phosphate creating tiny granules that would have the target cells respond by surrounding and ingesting the granules – endoocytosis – thus causing the granules to release the DNA into the host chromosomes. Examples of GM crops There are soybeans that have been modified genetically so as to make them tolerant to high levels of herbicides that could kill them, making them herbicide tolerant, HT. There are other crops including maize and cotton that have been engineered genetically to resist particular insect pests such as the toxin genes, Bt toxin extracted from Bacillus thuringiensis found in soil and introduced into the DNA of crops so as to make the crops produce specific toxins that kill the larvae of insect pests (Carter, Moschini & Sheldon 7). This would make such crops insect resistant, IR. The

Human resource management in Foxconn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human resource management in Foxconn - Essay Example It began in 2009 where a factory by the name of Sun Dayong, committed suicide just because he lost an iPhone 4 prototype in his posession (Barbosa 2008). It was followed by 14 suicides 2010 until 2012, the latest in June of 2012 where suicides were directly related to wage. Obviously, there is something very wrong in the human resource management practice of Foxconn which needs to be addressed. Human resource issue The kind of technology that Foxconn supplies to Apple may be cutting edge and its client, Apple Inc may be a revolutionary company but the human resource practice of Foxconn is medieval that even predated classical management theorists whose theorists were already debunked by modern practice of management. Foxconn workplaces were often described as labor camps due to the horrible treatment of its employees that include abuse and illegal overtimes to the point that employees commit suicide. Worst, Foxconn also make their employees sign waivers that gurantee that Foxconn wil l not be sued by its employees up to their descendants if something happened to them whether they died, get injured and committed suicide (Malone 2010). In its Mexico plant, it was even alleged that the bus that was supposed to take the workers to and from the plant were deliberately delayed by Foxconn so that the managemend could force its employees to do an overtime work without pay while waiting for the bus. This issue had been compounded until riot broke loose in February 19, 2010 where employees set fire in the company’s gymnasium. These actions only manifests how callous and abusive Foxconn in treating its employees. Their human resource practice virtually breaks every rule in good human resource management. Their human resource practice did not even conform to the basic tenet of Taylor’s scientific management which is the most basic management concept available today. Taylor management theories may have been dismissed as outdated but at least, Taylor had the mot ivation concept that if employees will be paid well, they will also be motivated to work well (Butler 1991). Foxconn is notorious in this aspect that its employees are even driven to suicide out of frustration of the company ‘s level of pay. It would find ways where it can force its employees to work overtime without pay such as delaying their commuter bus. It may be a cheap strategy but Foxconn would resort to it for as long as it can make more money out of its employees never mind if they will commit suicide later. Foxconn has also no regard for its employees welfare. Instead of addressing the root cause of its suicide issues in the company which is mismanagement and oppressive pay, it instead made its employees sign a contract that would deter them in suing the company if anything happen to them in the company. This is Foxconn’s response to its human resource issue which is to protect itself from legal complications instead of mending its management practice (Dalrymp le 2009). What Foxconn should have done? Applicable human resource theories. Had Foxconn been a conscientious company, it should have addressed the employees grievances instead of seeking legal protection. If the issue is pay, Foxconn should have increased the wages of its workers at least for it to become competitive industry and not at its current level where it drives employees to suicide. Second, it should have conducted leadership and management trainings to its

Microbiology Module Essay Example for Free

Microbiology Module Essay 1.) This article was published March-April, 2001. 2.) The two main type are resident flora and transient flora. 3.) Hand hygiene is used to prevent the colonization of transient flora. It includes hand washing and disinfection. Hand washing refers to washing hands with an unmedicated detergent and water or water alone. Its objective is to prevent cross-transmission by removing dirt and loose transient flora. 4.) Hand disinfection refers to use of an antiseptic solution to clean hands, either medicated soap or alcohol. 5.) Alcohol is the agent that has excellent activity. 6.) Propanol is the most effective alcohol and ethanol the least. 7.) In several hours resident flora are completely restored. 8.) The type and duration of patient care influenced the amount of bacteria found on the caregivers hands. 9.) The factors for noncompliance include: insufficient numbers of sinks; low risk for acquiring infection from patients; belief that glove use obviates need for hand hygiene; and ignorance of or disagreement with guidelines and protocols. People also incur skin irritation. 10.)Reasons reported by health-care workers for the lack of adherence with recommendations include skin irritation, inaccessible supplies, interference with worker-patient relation, patient needs perceived as priority, wearing gloves, forgetfulness, ignorance of guide-lines, insufficient time, high workload and understaffing, and lack of scientific information demonstrating impact of improved hand hygiene on hospital infection rates 11.)Lack of knowledge on the topic is the key barrier. 12.) Highest compliance was ICU, and the lowest compliance was open ward. 13.) Hospitals should provide their workers with alcohol based hand rubs, and free lotions and antiseptics. They should also educate and stress the importance of hand hygiene to their workers. Hospitals should set up a framework and make good hand hygiene a part of the culture of their hospital

Sudan and the USA: A comparison

Sudan and the USA: A comparison Sudan and the USA All countries in the world are unique in one way or another. When most people think of Sudan â€Å"the place of my birth†, they think of the south/north war and the recent genocide claims in Darfur. What many people do not realize is that not all of the countries in Africa are diverse as Sudan. While it does not compare to the USA, THERE ARE FEW DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES SUDAN AND THE USA from my point of view. In fact, this paper will focus on Sudan and the USA in view of their economy, education, and family. The first difference between Sudan and the USA can be traced through their economy. As an example, the USA is a stable, modern nation with a strong economy. The USA has a capitalist mixed economy, which is fueled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity. One the other hand, Sudans economy is not good. The aftereffects of the 21-year civil war and very limited infrastructure, however, present obstacles to stronger growth and a broader distribution of income. Sudans primary resource is agricultural, but oil production and export have taken on greater importance since 2000. Although the country is trying to diversify its cash crops, cotton, and gum Arabic remain its major agricultural exports. Sudans foreign debt is exceeding $21 billion, more than the countrys entire annual gross domestic product. Sudans inadequate and declining infrastructure inhibits economic growth. As you can see, there are stark differences between the economies of Suda n and the USA. Another difference between Sudan and the USA is their education systems. To illustrate, in Sudan, the education system is not that good. There are many people who dont have any possibility of going to school due to limited opportunities or lack of money. Schools are clustered in the vicinity of Khartoum (capital city) and to a lesser extent in other urban areas, although the population is mainly rural. This concentration was found at all levels but was most marked for those in situations beyond the four-year primary schools. The north suffered from shortages of teachers and buildings, but education in the south is even more inadequate. On the other hand, in the USA, American public education is operated by state and local governments. Children are required in most states to attend school from the age of six or seven until they turn eighteen; states allow students to leave school at sixteen or seventeen. Small percentages of children are homeschooled. The United States has many compet itive private and public institutions of higher education, as well as local community colleges with open admission policies. Education is often regarded as the key to opportunity, including financial security. Americans take a practical approach to learning, so what one learns outside the classroom through internships, extracurricular activities is often considered as important as what is learned in the classroom. Therefore, lifelong learning is highly valued, which results in many adult and continuing education programs. Americans have many choices in school. They decide their major field of study, perhaps with or without their parents influence, and students even get to select some of their courses. USA and Sudan also share some similarities. Indeed, both gained independence from Great Britain. Sudan declared its independence on January 1, 1956, whereas, USA declared independence from Britain in 1776. Other similarity is how both countries view family and family life. In Sudan, the extended family provided social services. Traditionally, the family was responsible for the old, the sick, and the mentally ill, although many of these responsibilities had been eroded by urbanization. In many cases, however, the burden of these social services normally falls upon the women. Conversely, in the USA, people value their family and the way they live. The main purpose of the American family is to bring about the happiness of each individual family member. The traditional family values include love and respect for parents, as well as for all members of the family. Regardless of nationality, race and religion, we as people must learn to care for one another, appreciate and respect our differences. As we move on to the next century, we are closer than before. Globalization will continue to be a challenge in the new world, and most influential force in determining the future course of our planet. Reference Central Intelligence Agency The World Factbook. (NOV 28, 2009). CIA The World Factbook Publications. Retrieved Nov 28, 2009 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Thrust Vectoring :: War Technology Technological Essays

Thrust Vectoring Imagine two US Air Force Jets with controls not responding, they are heading right for each other, the pilots don’t have enough time to eject, there’s a mid-air explosion, and the needless death of American servicemen. About one fifth of peacetime fighter losses during the past few years were due to loss of control. Now imagine that the US has been developing the technology to prevent this for the last decade, but due to budget problems this technology was never installed on our fighters. I’m talking about a Thrust Vectoring. This engineering term describes the use of an engines nozzle to direct the force coming from a jet engine in different directions other then straight out the back. Besides tragic, needless deaths, this technology has a military significance for front line fighter jets. With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Americans have seen the devastating power of our Air Force on Countries without a serious Air Defense network, like Is rael or Great Britain. These are countries with not just a Surface to Air Missile (SAM) threat, but an Air Force that can rival ours in its current state. Thrust Vectoring is the technology that will make our fighter jets true rulers of the air, not just on bombing runs, but air-to-air combat, better know as â€Å"Dog Fighting†. Thrust Vectoring was first used in a trivial form on Nazi Germany’s V-2 rockets. These rockets were devastating to the Allies in WWII with their accuracy due to graphite control vanes that helped the guidance of the missile. Modern rockets, both SAMs and Air-to-Air missiles have been using thrust vectoring to increase their agility in flight, and hence make them more lethal. During the Cold War German military planers recognized the shear numbers of Soviet fighters, and believing that any war would include intense Dog Fighting, began to look for ways to even the odds. Wolfgang Herbst with the Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm, now Deutsche Aerospace, Company led a team in Post-Stall engineering. Post-Stall describes a flight condition in which normal flight controls, like flaps, are no longer sufficient to maintain the flight ability of the aircraft. His team investigated new flight laws to describe the movement of an aircraft in Post-Stall flying conditions.

The Holocaust :: Nazi Germany History Adolph Hitler Essays

The Holocaust The Holocaust 1) Newsletter of the Blond Champion This was a newsletter written by a very anti-Semitic writer named Lanz. The newsletters were actually a series of pamphlets written over the course of three years. Hitler frequently bought the pamphlets, which described history as a constant battle between blond Aryan heroes, and dark, hairy ape-men. Lanz sometimes identified the ape-men as Jews, and he predicted that pogroms would soon come. He promoted the swastika as a sign of racial purity, and eventually raised a swastika flag over his castle. He may have been the main person who set an impression in Hitler’s mind that Jews are inferior, and a threat to society. Due to reading Lanz’s outlook on the Jews, Hitler concluded that diseased, filthy Jews would steal and abuse innocent young Aryan girls. 2) Protocols of the Elders of Zion This was a book brought to Germany and to Hitler by a Russian à ©migrà © named Alfred Rosenberg. It claimed to unveil the plans of a secret international Jewish conspiracy to take over the world. It was a pure piece of fiction, that was the new backbone for anti-Semites. Many anti-Semitic people commented on the Protocols. It was first brought to Germany in 1920, and by the end of 1920, there were already 120,000 copies sold! 3) Mein Kampf This is a book written by Adolf Hitler while he was in prison during 1923-24. In it, he portrays himself, at age 35, as a great intellectual and political figure. His single purpose was to write about his personal greatnesses, and about his plans to take over Germany so he can get rid of the Jews. He takes much credit in Mein Kampf, he doesn’t mention the fact that his parents, Lanz, and others influenced him a lot. He describes all of his ideas about the â€Å"Final Solution† to get rid of all the Jews in Germany, and then on to all the Jews in the World. He also talks about the perfect race of Aryans, blond, blue eyed, broad shouldered Germans, and about promoting the spread of anti-Semites all over the world. 4) Bolshevism This was a policy held by Bolsheviks, a party that brought violent revolution to Russia in 1918. Hitler saw that there were many Jews involved in Bolshevism, so he used that to prove his point that Jews were out to rule the world. 5) Nazism- Nazi This was a political party also known as the Nationalist Socialist German Worker’s party. It consisted of perfect German Aryans who had one goal in life- to wipe out all existence of Jews. Their anti-Semitic influential leader was Hitler. 6) Fichte Johann Gottlieb Fichte

Mix of Pagan and Christian Ideas in Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essay

The Mix of Pagan and Christian Ideas in Beowulf Beowulf was written in England around 1000 AD. "This provides us with an idea of a poem that was written during a time when the society had converted from paganism to christianity"(Cohen 138). "We know that paganism did exist alongside Christianity during the approximate era that Beowulf was composed"(Hall 61). "The Christian influences were combined with early folklore and heroic legends of dramatic tribes, early Beowulf scholars began to investigate whether or not Christian and biblical influences were added later to originally pagan influences"(Hall 61). "The Christian elements are almost without exception so deeply ingrained in the fabric of the poem that they cannot be explained away as the work of a reviser or later interpolator"(Klaeber 2). The fact that the two values are so closely intertwined in the poem, I believe that is the reason Beowulf has both Christian and pagan influences. The pagan elements in the epic poem Beowulf are evident in the characters superhuman personifications. Beowulf is depicted as a superhero. Beowulf takes it upon himself to save the Danes from Grendel. In his battle with Grendel, Beowulf chooses not to use weapons; he relies on his super strength. During the fight, Beowulf's strength takes over and Beowulf wrestles with Grendel until he is able to rip one of the monster's arms out of its socket. Superhuman feats also appear in the fight with Grendel's mother. When Beowulf enters the water, he swims downward for an entire day before he sees the bottom. He does this without the use of oxygen. During the battle with Grendel's mother, Beowulf realizes that Unferth's sword is useless against the monsters thick skin. He grabs an enormous sword made by giants, almost too heavy to hold and slashes through the monster's body. This superhero strength continues into the battle with the dragon. By this time, Beowulf is an old man. He stands up to the dragon and wounds him. Although Beowulf is fatally wounded himself, he still manages to deliver the final blow that kills the dragon. Grendel is also seen as a superhuman monster. Grendel has no knowledge of weapons so he too depends on his extraordinary strength to destroy his enemies. The dragon is also seen as a super powerful adversary. "As in most pagan folklore, the dragon is a much used enemy of the hero of the story"(Greenfield 87).

Ozone layer depletion Essay

The increased cancer levels caused by exposure to this ultraviolet light could be enormous. Recent studies estimates that 60 million Americans born by the year 2075 will get skin cancer because of ozone depletion. About one million of these people will die. In addition to cancer, some research shows that a decreased ozone layer will increase rates of malaria and other infectious diseases. According to recent studies 17 million more cases of cataracts can also be expected. . The environment will also be negatively affected by ozone depletion. The life cycles of plants will change, disrupting the food chain. Effects on animals will also be severe, and are very difficult to foresee. Oceans will be hit hard as well. The most basic organisms such as plankton may not be able to survive. If that happened, it would mean that all of the other animals that are above plankton in the food chain would also die out. Other ecosystems such as forests and deserts will also be harmed. The planet’s climate could also be affected by depletion of the ozone layer. Wind patterns could change, resulting in climatic changes throughout the world. Global warming is the continuing rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Global warming is caused by increased concentrations of green house gases in the atmosphere, resulting from human activities such as deforestation and burning of fossil fuels. Some of the effects of global warming and climate change on the environment include the folloing

Economic Concern in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice had a long and varied life before it finally saw publication on January 28, 1813. Austen began the book, originally titled First Impressions, in 1796. Economic concerns are all over the place in this novel. One of the things that Austen does so well is to poke fun of the whole social class mentality of England during that time. In the novel, the social and economic classes are drawn very clearly. For example, the Bennets are middle class and they are made to know it by their economic and social superiors – the Bingleys and Darcys. There is a sense of entitlement among the wealth and a sense of subservience among the others. One of the clearest examples of this dynamic based on social class is Mr. Collins who acts like a â€Å"slave† to his cultural superiors, like Lady Catherine de Brourgh. Finally, what makes the story so great is that this tension is teased out until love wins. The marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy is the resolution, but for this to happen Darcy has to overcome his pride and Elizabeth her prejudice. Both are rooted in class consciousness. In Pride and Prejudice, there are many characters who do not have financial concerns, such as Mr. Darcy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Bingley. Therefore I will restrict myself to talking about the Bennet family, and in particular, Mrs. Bennet, in this response. Key to focus on is the way that, at least in part, it is economic reasons that are behind Mrs. Bennet’s frantic attempts to marry off as many of her daughters as possible. Note what we are told in the first paragraph of Chapter Seven about the brute realities of the existence of the Bennet girls: Mr.  Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which , unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their mother’s fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but ill supply the deficiency of his. Her father had been an attorney in Meryton, and had left her four thousand pounds. The exact details that we are given clearly indicate how important money is. The way in which the property of Longbourne is entailed away from the female line adds new understanding to Mrs. Bennet’s determination that Lizzie should mary Mr. Collins, no matter what her personal feelings are, as it would effectively provide for Mrs. Bennet and the rest of the sisters after the event of Mr. Bennet. Later comments made by Mrs. Bennet about the Mr. Collins and Charlotte â€Å"turning them out onto the street† when Mr. Bennet dies, although are clearly exaggerated, nonetheless accurately reflect the uncertain future of this family unless they can marry off some of their daughters well to provide for the rest. Economic forces are therefore shown to bear massively on the fortunes of this family.

Heritage Assessment Essay

In all aspects, the background of any medical practitioner determines the overall attitude, aptitudes and performance of the practitioner. This paper seeks to identify this correlation with due reference to Culture Care Guide to Heritage Assessment by Spector (2009). The guide ardently utilizes the tools inherent in the guide in developing basic nursing principles within the fraternity. Within the guide, the write uses self experience in analyzing the traditions in the nursing profession. This paper seeks to make a clear comparison between the family of the writer and two other families in relation to their overall approach to health issues. The issues given expended attention are promotion, maintenance and restoration of health. The paper undertakes a dissection of how families adhere to subscribed health practices and traditions. Thereafter, the paper will give a brief overview of the author’s professional nursing heritage. Heritage Assessment Tools According Spector, the response of any patient to medication depends to a reasonable extend on the patient’s heritage, language and background. Spector (Spector S. , p 9) argues that the health of any individual can expressed in terms of the experiences and the expectation of individuals. Consequently, most of the medical professionals will tend to identify their experiences with their own heritage. Vividly, the understanding of the self assists one to be able to understand the other party. Within the precincts of this assertion (Spector S. , p 34) it’s imperative, according to Spector, that practitioners first understand themselves. There seems to be a tremendous paradigm shift within the American medical fraternity. This shift has been apparently precipitated by the trends in migration and the immigration patterns. By any feasible standards it appears arguably tenable that the mixing of the cultures has also contributed to the changing trends in Medicare. One of the key and outstanding aspects of the present medical system in the United States of America is that any practitioners have to ardently understand the myriads of the ethno cultures. To be able to understand the varied medical needs of the mixed cultures, two other cultures have to be identified for any feasible heritage assessment. The comparison is tidal as it does reveal the differences and similarities, if any, in the heritages of people with distinct backgrounds. Consequently, the analysis assists in the understanding of the different approaches to the maintenance of the varied heritage and their socialization prospects (Spector S. , p 16). The assessment also seeks to understand the acculturation process within the American system. In analyzing the heritage of the writer, the writer completed 29 questions that were designed for the Heritage Assessment. The instructions on the Heritage assessment Tool were very explicit asserting that if the degree of one identifying with their own culture was high, there would be a high number of the positives. The writer (Spector S. p 28) argues that after the family moved to a new place in the united states, despite the different socialization, she was assimilated, developing newer cultural identity. The writer argues that much as her culture and the heritage have determined her health and life values, the time of growth have played a bigger role. The promotion of health would be supported and promoted through a number of practices and routine activities. If the weather is very cold, anybody is expected to dress in a manner that is appropriate to ensure that the individual does not contract ailment related to cold. In addition, individual are expected to take part in the physical activities such as can keep their bodies physically healthy. Similarly, (Spector S. , p 23) the use of the right foods also assists in the promotion of good health. The food eaten assists in the reducing the likelihood of contracting certain ailments. The use of these foods is a practice that is developed over time. Clearly, this is where the heritage and the culture of any individual come in. This is indicative of the fact that the health promotion is a result of a multifaceted practice. The medical fitness of any individual as result of a conglomerations of numerous aspects which will play a role in the restoration, the promotion and the subsequent prevention of any ailments. When the first individual was assessed, it emerged that the religious foods were inevitable in the diet of the respondent. Clearly, if the diet is balanced through the use of the religious foods, the health of the individual will be maintained. This appears common in believers who are staunch. The assessment of the second individual showed that the individual was religious and that for him, physical activities were inevitable. The individual asserted that the father had insisted that every day in the morning he does some drills before going to school. Besides, the individual indicated that his food was not tied to religion. Vividly, unlike the first individual, the accumulation of fats would be unconceivable with such traits. Perhaps for this family physical activity had been turned into a culture (Spector S. p 12). Consequently, this would promote the health of the individual. Professional heritage The writer has a strong bond towards the profession, not as a result of any family ties but as individual innate desires towards the profession. Having yearned to be a professional in the area, the writer makes all the efforts in ensuring that the profession is practical even in his home. He practices various recommended health tenets. Subsequently, this not only promotes his personal health, but it also does enhance the transmission of the same practices to both the patients and the neighborhood. Conclusion It can be adduced from the foregoing discussion that the medical wellbeing of any individual is not only dependent on the culture but also on the habits that are implanted in an individual by the environment. The environment will be inclusive of the family, the religious group and the community. The practice of the professional ethics and sobriety will also depend on the environment and the innate aptitudes.

Bodhisattva in relation to a discussion of love in Buddhism Essay

In chapter three of â€Å"Dimensions of Love: East & West† by James A. Mohler, titled, â€Å"When he (Bodhisattva) exerts himself for the good of others, he should be filled with love and love alone without any admixture of self-interest†, we see how one who has set out on a quest to become a successful Bodhisattva must incorporate love for others (Mohler, 1975). The very soul of the Bodhisattva is devoted to the spreading of love in his fellow men. In the coming paragraphs, light shall be shed upon the intricacies involved in the responsibilities that one finds himself subjected to when he chooses to travel on the path of the Bodhisattva. The analysis performed shall be in the light of the third chapter of the book as mentioned above while elaborating upon the various aspects of the Mahayana Bodhisattva. As we go along with the summarization and analysis of the article, we shall observe the factors that are of primary importance to the Mahayana Bodhisattva and what the life of the Mahayana Bodhisattva dictates. Karuna dictates a side of the code of conduct that Buddha presented known as ahimsa. It is no surprise that the presence of Karuna is in multiple religions and mostly in ones that originated around the same time as did Buddhism and Jainism. It is believed that this element of uniformity may have become prevalent as a result of the movement to discourage the growing bloodshed of that time. The essence of Karuna is to make sure that any element that can encourage or can potentially lead to the encouraging of harm is not promoted under any circumstances. Ahimsa is a unique method of resistance that is incorporated in Kural as well as in Buddhism and in all religions it remains an ideology that speaks of replying to adversity with a unique passive resistance that is composed of exercising good in reply to evil when subjected to evil. So much so that Tiruvalluvar suggests that since all souls are equal, hence pain inflicted by one upon another is nothing but pain inflicted on one’s self. This ideology revolves around the concept of â€Å"self-giving† According to Mahayana Buddhism, the ultimate achievement of inner peace is only possible once one has committed one’s self to serving others and the singular purpose of one’s life has become the spreading of love and peace amongst others. It can be seen how this approach results in the attainment of inner peace for one. The path of success for the bodhisattva does not revolve around any segment of society but unanimously declares that all segments of society, whether drenched in riches or dwelling in the bowels of evil, are to be helped in their journey through life and towards salvation. To the bodhisattva, his very existence makes him responsible to save the people in the world from misery and pain (Rinchen, 1997). Yet modern day religious scholars often argue that the degree of significance that Mahayana Buddhism places on Karuna down plays the element of intelligence. Not only is Mahayana Buddhism shown as an approach to life, but in Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, it is also given form and shape in the Goddess of Mercy Kuan-yin. Kuan-yin is a goddess of mercy in the sense that she looks down upon the world with sympathy for the less fortunate. So much so that according to an ancient Chinese proverb, it is believed that a goddess of mercy dwells in every home. In order to become a bodhisattva that is complete in his being, it is necessary to commit one’s being and one’s life to the bringing of peace and love to others. The bodhisattva is not one whose comprehension of the world around him is dictated by the degree of affluence or hardship that it holds. The bodhisattva is oblivious to such worldly factors in his beliefs and his world exists for the bringing of peace and tranquility to the worried and the pained around him. The bodhisattva does not differentiate between the beggar and the king and helps anybody who karma leads to him. They choose to stay indifferent of infatuation, loathing and recklessness in order to develop virtue within their being. Even the very prayer of the bodhisattva does not center around the person saying the prayer himself/herself but on the extent to which he can be of service to the people around him/her and lead them through the path to inner peace. The bodhisattva prays for the inner illumination of others once he/she has achieved it. The desire of the bodhisattva is only to bring others to the path of inner illumination and nirvana. In this quest, the bodhisattva does not refrain from undergoing any form of pain or discomfort. If the bodhisattva must, then he/she will gladly suffer through pain and torture if it can bring another person peace and tranquility. This aspect is dominant to such a significant degree that the bodhisattva does not even choose to give his family and his own being the comfort and the satisfaction that he chooses to ensure for those who come to him for help and assistance and for the enlightenment that he has achieved. The love of a mother holds monumental importance in the universe, and it is the nature of this very love that the Bodhisattva holds for all he beings around him (Beliefnet, 2008). To the common man, freedom and information are two of the most important elements of success in his life, however, to the bodhisattva, all these and similar elements remain little significance once he has achieved the complete incorporation of Karuna in his being. Needless to say, the bodhisattva feels the pain that the people around him feel and chooses to commit his being to the eradication of that pain. He considers himself to be of no more respect than the people around him and sees all the people as his equal. He does not consider his world in the perception of his own being but chooses to perceive it in the perception of the people around him. The two foundations of the perception that the Bodhisattva chooses to incorporate in his being are that firstly, he never treats people with bias or prejudice but chooses to treat everybody equally as he sets about to take away the misery and pain from their lives. Secondly, the Bodhisattva does not treat anybody in a way that they would not appreciate, but in a way that would make them comfortable and make them feel warm and welcomed in the discovery of their path to nirvana. Until and unless all the people in the world are relieved of the pain and misery that they suffer, the bodhisattva never accepts the ultimate blessing of nirvana even though it has been bestowed upon him. He believes that his true happiness will be brought by allowing the people around him to gain access to relief from suffering. He refuses to accept nirvana as his state of mind until he has eradicated pain and suffering from the world and he chooses to spend the entirety of his life in the pursuit of this quest. For the bodhisattva, the consuming of flesh is another matter upon which he exercises very rigorous rules. It is believed in ahimsa that the reincarnation of a man who consumes the flesh of other living entities will be in the form of carnivorous animals. Beliefs related to the discouraging of the consumption of flesh are the most strongest in eastern traditions like Jainism and Buddhism. The quest for taking away the suffering from all beings at the cost of giving away one’s own comfort is the most primary of priorities for the bodhisattva. The bodhisattva does not turn his back from hard times and does not feel scared of or threatened from adverse circumstances or situations that may cause any discomfort or harm to the bodhisattva. He is always willing to sacrifice himself so that others may have a better development of their soul. The bodhisattva vows and dedicates his life to fighting against all forms of pain, discomfort, evil and sin that plague the people of the world he has been made responsible for by the inner peace that he has achieved. To the Bodhisattva, the people who are spending their lives in the thirst for wealth and are engaging every instant of their limited life in the race to acquire worldly possessions and to satisfy worldly desires are people who are in the need of the Bodhisattva the most. It is these people that the Bodhisattva tries to save and tries to bring them to peace of heart and realization and achievement of nirvana. Hence, it is the singular presence of all of God’s creations that the Bodhisattva gives room to in his heart. His mind and heart continue to contemplate how he can be of service to the people who are ailed with the perplexities of the material world and are lost in the pain and misery that the world captivates them in. To the Bodhisattva, the only purpose in life is to bring deliverance to these sick souls. In this quest, the Bodhisattva is willing to sacrifice his life and his property if the time calls for it. Not only is the Mahayana Bodhisattva willing to sacrifice his very life but he does not refrain from sacrificing every possession that he holds to his name if he can rid somebody of pain and discomfort by doing so. A person who chooses to enter Mahayana Bodhisattva works on six aspects of his person (Essortment, 2008). These six aspects include that of generosity, ethics, patience, effort, concentration and wisdom. Generosity is a trait not very commonly found in human kind, the unselfish desire, to put others wants, needs, requirements and satisfaction before one’s own. One always searches for personal gain, a means to benefit oneself. But according to Buddhist teachings the potential to benefit one’s self and by doing this, in turn benefiting countless others. This is the teachings of Buddhism, the need for self actualization in the form of selflessness, working for the good of others, concerning oneself with providing solutions for other suffering from the infliction of various situations. Ethics and moralistic virtue is one of the components of the 6 Perfections. Knowing the difference between right and wrong, good and evil and being able to hold a veneer of control over oneself, that is what Buddhism preaches. Patience corresponds to anger, and anger dominates a person’s actions in negative aspects. Therefore once again a veneer of calmness must at any cost take over the sensation of effused anger. Patience gives an aspect of happiness and peace. Effort is the driving force to achieve something this virtue is highly required to join the prestigious Bodhisattva. The reason for this is that in order to join, there are many virtues one must possess and if not possess then must procure within oneself, and for this relentless effort is required. Another key aspect that the Mahayana Bodhisattva spends time upon is Meditation. Meditation is the key for ultimate focus. Calm concentration helps one and heals others surrounding him. Distraction places a hurdle in focusing on things important, but meditation clears the mind of all else and focuses on what is required. Concentration creates clairvoyant abilities and provides focus on virtuous deeds. Besides mediation, knowledge and wisdom are the ultimate amalgamation of the other five perfections. To concern oneself in knowing taking precautions where necessary and controlling what when and where is the capability of wisdom. The Mahayana Bodhisattva believes that it is his purpose in life to ensure that the people who are happy always have smiles in their heart, that all the people who are plagued with disease find health and strength once more, that everybody finds the path to deliverance, that anybody who sets out on a journey reaches his destination safely and in time (Exotic India, 1998). All in all, the Mahayana Bodhisattva desires to take away all the pain in the world for his own self and replace it with nothing except joy and pure happiness. From the above elaboration of what the Mahayana Bodhisattva holds dear to himself, we can infer that the very establishment and fundamentals of Buddhism are based upon compassion. This compassion is unique in the sense that it is entirely selfless and comes from a soul that does not hold any concern for its own well being but believes that the completion of its existence will only be possible once it has spent its entire life in the quest for bringing peace and deliverance to the pained and troubled people of the world. The life of the Mahayana Bodhisattva is one plagued with pain and suffering from the apparent view of the person. But the fact of the matter remains that it is in this suffering and pain that the Mahayana Bodhisattva finds comfort. He finds comfort in knowing that he has given his share of happiness to somebody else and has therefore completed the purpose of his existence. Hence, we can conclude that attainment of material laurels is the least of concerns for the observer of Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism concentrates more on bringing sanctuary to people who are caught up in the web of the world and are suffering pain and misery because of it. Therefore, having become drenched in his responsibilities as a Mahayana Bodhisattva, the person becomes a reincarnation of the Buddha himself. References Beliefnet. (2008). What Mahayana Buddhists Believe . Retrieved February 13, 2009, from beliefnet. com: http://www. beliefnet. com/Faiths/2001/06/What-Mahayana-Buddhists-Believe. aspx Essortment. (2008). What is Bodhisattva? Retrieved February 13, 2009, from essortment. com: http://www. essortment. com/all/whatisbodhisat_rfld. htm Exotic India. (1998, October 27). The Bodhisattva Ideal. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from kheper. net: http://www. kheper. net/topics/Buddhism/bodhisattva. htm Mohler, J. (1975). Dimensions of love, East and West. Doubleday. Rinchen, G. (1997). The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. Snow Lion Publications.

Amazon Inc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Amazon Inc - Research Paper Example In its recent endeavors, the company has been performing as a proven technology leader and has developed e-commerce innovations such as personalized shopping services, I-click ordering easy-to-use and other browse features. The company offers faster and safer credit transaction facility to its customers, and e4-mail communication with customers and direct shopping at competitive price worldwide (Amazon.com, Inc., 1998). The primary purpose of this paper is to identify Amazon’s current and future challenges along with the requisite competencies needed for its success. Current and Future Challenges Amazon has been successful in satisfying its customers’ needs with lower prices, vast selection and speedy delivery facilities. Nevertheless, the company has been currently facing intense competition from other online book merchants, mainly due to ease in new entry and low level of switching costs in the industry. Furthermore, the challenges in the form of competition are expec ted to increase in the future, making it more challenging for Amazon to achieve its goals and objectives. Notably, the security and privacy issues have always been a matter for challenge for the online business companies like Amazon. Despite, the adequate level of security and other facilities provided by the company, many customers decipher reluctance for conducting transactions over the internet. Additionally, the rapidly changing e-commerce environment has offered the company to make constant changes in its strategies in order to grow and adapt to the changing environment. Along with these challenges, the poor logistics and supply chain management has radically affected the ability of the company to earn substantial profits (Singh & Waddell, 2004; University of Washington, 1998). Competencies Required For Success Over the years, the company has been able to meet the needs of its customers more effectively and efficiently, which has rewarded the company to establish itself as one of the world’s largest online retailers. However, the constant changes in the online business environment, along with increasing competition has urged the company to focus on certain specific factors to strengthen its core competencies in order to retain its market position and attain success in the future. Hence, it can be argued that market orientation is a crucial factor for modern management in the e-commerce sector. It is also essential for Amazon to target the relevant needs of the targeted customers rather than emphasizing solely on the advancement of its technology approach. It is also equally important for the company to capture the arising market opportunities after assessing the upcoming risks in an efficient manner. In this regard, it is suggestible that the goals and strategies framed by the company should be in consistent with SMART (i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reliable and Timely). It is thus necessary for the company to establish effective planning, monitoring and controlling of its activities. Furthermore, the company should conduct market analysis as well as competitors’ analysis at regular intervals in order to acquire potential understanding about the prevailing market trends and competitors strategies. The company should also involve in developing leaders for future and ensuring greater success with increased competencies of the future leader to deal with the challenges in the most efficient manner. Nonetheless,

Filtration Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Filtration - Term Paper Example There are several methods through which the filtrate induced may flow through the filter medium. This may be by gravity (hydrostatic head), pressure being applied upstream of the filter medium, reduced pressure or vacuum being applied downstream the filter medium or through centrifugal sedimentation. (b) Filtration mechanism This may be through cake or clarifying filtration. Cake filtration is when the solid gets stopped at the surface of the filter medium where it piles upon one another to form a cake. Also known as depth or filter medium filtration, clarifying filtration is when the solids get trapped within the pores of the filter medium. (c) By objective The objective of the filtration process may be either dry solids or clarified liquid or both. The filtration process may be either intermittent or continuous. When classifying filters, they are first divided into either cake or clarifying filters. They are then classified depending on the driving force and then finally into eithe r batch or continuous classes. Continuous filtration testing and scale up In continuous filtration, it is first assumed that the resistance of both the filter cloth and the filter drainage is insignificant as compared to the resistance of the filter cake. It is also assumed that both specific cake resistance and pressure drop remain constant throughout the filtration process. ... Cake discharge A practical filter application is one which produces a cake that is thick enough to discharge. There are minimum acceptable cake thicknesses that are required for discharge for various types of filtration systems and discharge mechanisms. Therefore, when running small scale tests, the experimenter should decide early during the test program the applicable type of discharge then later tailor the data collected in a way that it will fit the physical requirements of that unit type. Feed slurry temperature An increase in the feed slurry temperature decreases the viscosity of the liquid phase. The overall result of this is an increase in the filtration rate and a decrease in the cake moisture content. Cake thickness control At times, the rate of cake formation with bottom feed type filters may be rapid enough in such a way that it creates a cake that is too thick for subsequent operations. The cake thickness can be adjusted by simply adjusting the bridge blocks found in the filter valve so as to decrease the effective submergence, through reduction of the slurry level in the vat, and also by reducing the vacuum level in the portion where the cake forms. Representative samples It is essential for the sample to be used as the representative of the slurry in full scale plants to be tested under the conditions prevailing in the process. If the slurry has a temperature that is different from the ambient temperature, subsequent heating or cooling may change the distribution of the particle size. The age of the sample may also influence the particle size significantly. If an effect is likely, the bench scale testing should be at the laboratory site or at the plant on

Involving Parents Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Involving Parents - Coursework Example This will lead to immensely corporative children as they feel they have caring and considerate parents. This will lead to a society that has enhanced core values and ethics, which are deemed important. The desired outcome in this plan is to enhance partnership between parents and their children. It is a confirmed belief that children need care, protection and guidance from their parents. However, this can only be ascertained from close relationships. First, this will be an approach of parents noting the progress of their children. It is decreed that close monitoring and association with children will enhance their focus on their performance. Parents will be able to note areas of strength in their children. Similarly, the parents will be able to note the children’s weak areas. As such, there will be a better approach into rectifying the weak areas while enhancing their strengths. Secondly, parenting and corporation is a long-term activity, which is not propagated overnight. The refore, there should be initiation of some activities that will enhance the bond between parents and children (NCPIE, 2010). This could be an initial plan of the frequent activities that will enhance partnership between parents and their children. ... This is done through perfect communication and understanding. Therefore, this activity will be an initiation of corporation between parents and their children. This will have long-term results in enhancing trust and honesty in children. A budget is fundamental in this activity. First, there will be budget allocations for snacks and food. During the event, the children will serve their parents with a series of drinks and snacks. This is to teach the children the responsibility of serving their parents. Apparently, this will be a step to enhance the relationship between parents and their children. Secondly, there will be a budget allocation for entertainment. It is noted that the concentration of an audience is enhanced when there is a series of entertainment. Entertainment for both parents and children will evidently enhance the concentration of the meeting. In essence, the entertainment will help ease the audience as they are expecting a bonding session with each other. Thirdly, ther e will be a budget allocation for a venue. In essence, it is an inclusive meeting between parents and their children (NCPIE, 2010). This will help in ensuring all the people in attendance are comfortable with the environment. Fourthly, there will be a budget allocation for the meals. Sharing meals is one activity that many parents do not have with their children. This is partially due to the scope of their work. Some parents spend allot of their time working, which reduces the time for having meals together. Therefore, this dedicated day will be sharing most of the basic activities together. The plan is to have a whole day dedicated to corporation between parents and their children. This will be a day to enhance the relationship between the parents and their

Porfirian Diaz and his role in the Mexican Revolution Research Paper

Porfirian Diaz and his role in the Mexican Revolution - Research Paper Example Foreign turmoil could not be seized by Diaz and in 1877 there was a military conflict with U. At the ends of his first –term ruling, Porfirio did not appeal for the second term . During Diaz reign there were no civil wars in Mexico. Nevertheless, this benefit cost much to the country. The introduction of agrarian reform, which enabled the privileged class to own all lands, was a negative feature of Diaz regime. Farmers had to pay their debts in order to survive. A high increase of price led to starving in the country. There were no homes for more than 16% of population . Foreign investors were attracted to the country by the options of land owning and poor people were forced off from their lands even those, who owned vast landholding. The high inflation rates of US led to depression of 1907 and prices were life were huge for Mexicans. Porfiriato introduced the laissez-faire policies, but these policies could not facilitate the process of inflation. When the economy was on the edge of crisis, middle and upper class did not support Porfiriato policies anymore. Foreign banks introduced stricter regulations for credit and the government raised taxes. The wages for workers remained low and Porfiriato could not manage to bridge the gap of inflation growth and required money for daily living of people. In spite of political and social turmoil in the country, there was a need to reelect the President and Francisco Madero claimed that there was a need for Mexico to return to the Constitution of 1857 . 4. Dictatorship of Diaz was undermined and was strictly criticized by the people. Madero underlined the necessity to introduce political and not social reforms. He criticized Diaz dependence on the foreign capital and the growing number of American businessmen. Diaz was reelected and the anger intensified in the society. Villages

The Modern History of Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Modern History of Computing - Essay Example The source will trace the history of computers from early 1900s to the modern times. It will equally provide information relating to technological changes over that period and considerably highlight the contribution of computer technology innovators like Atanasoff, Babbage, and Colossus. The recognition of the book’s authors, its proper citations, worldwide sponsorships, and relevant outsourcing, promote the credibility and authoritativeness of the source. Additionally, the source document is equally factual, easy to read and understand. Hence, it is relevant to the topic. Ensmenger, Nathan "Who Invented the Computer? The Legal Battle That Changed Computing History." American Scientist 91.5 (2003): 467-468. Although the book is long and loses focus on the main issue about computer inventions, it is relevant to scholarly work. The source will help me to understand a legal case that explains Atanasoff as the actual inventor of the modern computer. However, although the judgeâ₠¬â„¢s ruling on this case is questionable, the authority of the author and the information will be applicable in this study. A more balanced and broader book on computer history would be more appropriate. Hodges,  Andrew. ... Additionally, the source will highlight the limitations of early computers as well as showing a brief history of computers. The source is authoritative and relevant. It is consistent with other sources on computer information and is widely recognized by many organizations. The author is highly knowledgeable and recognized. The planning and writing of this source document is easy to read and understand. Thus, the source document is widely applicable and relevant in this study. Miller, Stephen. "Pioneer Programmer Shaped The Evolution of Computers." Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition 14 Oct. 2011: A. Newspaper Source The wall street journal is a prominent academic material and its authority in information is reliable. The document helps me in analyzing information on the inventors of computer programming language and other software. The document will considerably highlight the contributions of Mr. Ritchie in computer technology from the early times to the recent times. It will also brief me with the difference between the early computer and modern computers. The Wall street journal is reliable in technological and business news in US. Thus, I will reasonably use this source document in my study. Rojas,  Raul and Hashagen,Ulf The first computers: history and architectures London: MIT Press, 2002 Print. This scholarly book is up-to-date with its publishing being 10 years ago. The information herein helps me to understand the origin of computers, the early computers, and their uses. Indeed, it highlights the development and components of early computers. This information will help me in analyzing the origin and development of early computers. Just like any other print media, the source

Science and Technology - Laboratory Course (SCI103-1404A-04) Lab Report

Science and Technology - Laboratory Course (SCI103-1404A-04) - Lab Report Example d 3 appear to be more acidic due to the fact that they are located on the downwind direction from the lake described as 1 which is surrounded by an industrial and settlement area. Carbon (iv) oxide and sulphur (iv) oxide are emissions associated with industrialization and are carried downwind by the wind and fall end up falling as acid rain. Lake 2 is found to suffer most from acidity as it is said to have a higher elevation as compared to Lake 3. Acidity falls in the form of either snow, rain or fog. The pH scale usually has a range running from 0-14. A pH value that is equal to 7 is said to be neutral. A pH value that is less than 7 is said to be acidic in nature and a pH that is greater than 7 is said to be basic. The PH scale is normally used to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions that is present in a solution. A low pH usually represents solutions that have a high concentration of hydrogen ion while high PH usually represents solutions with low concentration of hydrogen ions. Acids on a PH scale are substances that when added to water increases the concentration of hydrogen ions thus lowering the PH. A base on the other hand usually lowers the concentration of hydrogen ions thus raising the PH. There are other substances called buffers that enable solutions to resist changes in

Google Bike Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Google Bike - Essay Example Our current market research indicates that 20 inch wheel diameter is not comfortable with the majority of the rides; hence we will stoke bikes with wider wheel diameter to beat our competitors. Further, more our bikes will cost relatively low for the first years to attract more customers as we brand our company. Market Research And Analysis Our store will be located in Dallas and California among other mountainous regions. This would help attract more customers. Our team conducted a comprehensive market research and the findings will be applied in making major decisions. The company will stock bikes with wider diameter wheels for good speed and comfort. Currently, our competitors are stocking a 20 inch diameter wheel, and this is not appreciated by the customers. Customers complain of carrying huge amount of cash to such stores in major parts of the US, hence, will incorporate Visa services to enable easy and comfortable transactions. A good number of US citizens suffer from obesity and respiratory complications due to lack sufficient exercise. Google bikes would provide them a good opportunity to burn some calories and maintain good health. The majority of US citizens prefers cycling or walking to work places due to several reasons like expensive fuel, environmental conservation strategy and enjoying the natural weather among others, hence the company will stock quality Google bikes with comfortable design at affordable prices to workers or individual who prefer cycling to driving to work places (Abrams, 216). There is an increasing trend of collages establishment, this would mean increased number of students who prefer cycling to school, thus increased demand or market. Our competitors are prone of running out of stock mores o during summer or other holidays. Our company will adopt a supply chain that ensures that orders are made in good time to limit chances of running out of stock, customers are always turned away whenever they visit any store only to reali ze their preferred item is out of stock. Our biggest competitor will be Mashable Company whose bikes is expensive and uncomfortable, since they come in 20 inch wheel diameter. Financial Plan The latest Good ride’s financial report indicates that the company made a net profit of about $ 3 billion in the year 2012, from the sales of spare parts. To venture into Google bike business, it is estimated that a total of $ 2.5 million will be needed. The company financial team has done the financial analysis and ascertained that the company will employ both equity and debit capital. The equity capital will see the company raise about $ 1.5 million from its asset liquidification or from previous profits. The debit capital would see the company seek about $ 1.0 million loan from regional or national banks among other loaning institutions. It is estimated that the company is likely to make an annual net profit of $2.0 billion from the sale of Google bikes. The company will use 0.005% of the profit to settle the loan, however, the company will seek more loans to further expand the business while repaying the current loan, but all this will depend on the customers’ turn out. Economics Of The Business Currently, there is a good demand of Google bikes from the increasing trend of colleges’ establishment, rise in fuel prices and increase in outdoor activities like picnic, bike riding and bike rides among others. Good ride would take advantage of its competitors’

Diversity Ability in the work place Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity Ability in the work place - Term Paper Example In developed nations like the United States and UK where diversity is the major facet of democratic setup, the concept of workplace diversity is mandatory. Researchers are deeply at odds regarding the pros and corns of maintaining diversity in workplace. Many are of the opinion that diversity will intensify the organizational issues including conflict of interest, increasing HR costs, and communication barriers. On the other hand, others believe that diversity will enhance the potential of labor force. For instance, according to the latter concept, a workgroup that consists of senior, experienced individuals would ease the managerial tension as these individuals are familiar with every activity of business operation. In the same way workers from different cultural background can easily identify the potential customer segments of their region or culture. A company can make use this diversity for acquiring knowledge on various legal, ethical, cultural aspects of its business destinatio n. Acquiring diverse workforce will help a firm to preserve a pool of diverse skills too. For instance, elders with work experience and practical knowledge are equally important to youngsters with creative ideas and higher level of adaptability.

Proscenium and Concert Essay Example for Free

Proscenium and Concert Essay Thesis statement: A concert would not be possible without considering the importance of an organized and well-equipped facility. Successful concerts are what performers and organizer and audiences all hope for. This not only means the thoughtful programming of quality music, but also a smoothly run performance and production. Therefore, a lot of planning and making sure that everything is in order is the key to a successful all-out concert (Hudson, 2012). According to Vertudez, one of our interviewees, â€Å"Planning ahead of time [is the most important thing in organizing an event]. There could be some difficulties in setting up the facilities if you would not plan ahead of time.† Concerts became increasingly important to consider the many facets involved in presenting a concert. Concert events have been part of many cultures. Thus, it should require a lot of attention when organizing such events since a lot of participants are expecting a sure blast from it, taking into concern that 18 out of 40 concert attendees consider the facilities before attending concerts. For a start, it is necessary to determine what is wanted to attain out of the concert. Our interviewees mentioned the purposes of the concert they organized and to whom these concerts are for. This means that the organizers should need to identify the target audience of the concert and write a list of everything that is needed to be done. Preparing for logistics must be at the top of the list. Logistics are all the details that make the event happen. They range from ordering of the foods, if there is, to making sure that clean-up happens after the meal; from finding the right location to making sure that the needed props are ready. In short, logistics are all the little and big aspects that make for an event. The whole procedure of conceptualizing starts with setting up regular meet-ups with the concert committee to organize the aim of the plan (Matthews, 2008). The general principle behind a facility is to provide an area in which  audience can enjoy the concert event in a safe comfortable atmosphere. The facilities and structures are crucial for the whole event. Facilities are the aspect that ensures the smooth run of the concert. Facilities are composed of almost everything that is needed to make an event look perfect. The facility starts with the whole venue itself, the size, the capacity to accommodate people and the structure of the place, basically everything about the whole site. The sitting capacity, entrance and exit are also parts of the concerns of the facilities. Furthermore, the main concern of facilities in the concert is the equipment and sound system for the whole performance of the concert which is basically the highlight of the whole program. A concert is not be possible without considering the importance of an organized and well-equipped facility. It is always important to plan ahead of time when organizing events like concert. According to Quay (2012), the scope of the event may differ depending on the venue, some principles and practices to reduce uncertainties associated with planning. The venue should be settled first for existing facility available for the event. This is one of the essential factors when researching the feasibility of the project. The decision whether to hold the even indoor or outdoor is important. According to the results of the survey we conducted, 14 out 40 respondents prefer indoor events than outdoors because of the facilities used. Indoor concerts are held in appropriately sized venues for the anticipated crowd with public safety being the primary concern. However, campus facilities and resources should primarily support the event. In outdoor events, the facility should be maintained starting from walkways, sidewalks and entryways. These things are to be considered when deciding whether to hold an indoor or outdoor concert. The booking of the venue should be done ahead of time to assure the usage of facilities (Stamp, 2011). The decision of choosing a venue lies in the hands of the organizer—taking into consideration the equipment needed—for the audience to appreciate the sound systems used. All the needed sound equipment must be in good conditions before a performance as a sound engineer prefers. The organizer is also the one responsible in discussing venue matters with the owner of  the venue (Gross, 2005). Most of the facilities used in events are actually placed on the stage—the most obvious or center part of the concert. Staging in special events is essential and is actually adopted from theatre specials. Three types of stages are used according to the kind of special events namely thrust, proscenium and aerna stages. Thrust stage does not have backstage area so it requires fewer facilities and the audience area is just in front of the stage. Proscenium stage is often found in modern theatres where large backdrops are required. Arena stage requires the most facility because there are lots of entrances and it is constructed for really special events but audio, lighting and sight-line can cause problems (Matthews, 2008). Facilities depend on the venue. According to Pendon, one of our interviewees, â€Å"the lights and sounds system requires a certain electric current for the system to sustain its power. Plus the accommodation should be near the venue for the attendees to have convenience and less-hassle in their part.† Another example, for the past thirty years, concerts have been held in our country and there has been quite a number of known venues that hosted local and foreign artists. Currently, the Philippines has only two main concert venues that can occupy 10, 000 people—specifically, the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the SM Mall of Asia Arena. In 2014, the Philippine Arena is expected to be opened in Bulacan. Even if it is being built by a religious congregation, the said venue can still be available for other big events for it has 50, 000 sitting capacity. These venues have comfortable seats and strict policies which make them best concert venues in the city. They have more available facilities than open concert grounds because of sufficient air-conditioning systems and well-maintained toilets. All of these are considered to put up concert facilities (Concepcion, 2011). In order for a concert to be possible, it is necessary to need a committee. It is an important factor to consider having to appoint a management team to ensure that the facilities in the concert are in good condition. Furthermore, the team responsible in organizing the facilities should also be divided into specific sections. For instance in the checking  of acoustics, taking care of the number of seats as well as the arrangement of it, decorating the whole venue and also the people who will be responsible for cleaning the venue after the event. To greatly ensure and to be able to control the whole production, setting up meetings regularly would absolutely help. Weeks or even months before the actual event, everything should all be planned and set-upped. Considering a checklist should be put in concern. In addition, it is necessary to find out as much information, concerning the whole production, as possible ahead of time. The committee should always take time to look at every aspect of the event during the whole progress, as well as, set up meetings with the organizing committee regularly from the start of the process until the day of the concert (Hudson, 2012). Occasions will essentially need a lot of workers to be assigned on specific areas and tasks which are definitely crucial for the event (Health and Safety Executive, 1999). Events may rely on enthusiastic helpers. The crucial aspect is good coordination by the event management team, and close supervision and monitoring of helpers. The organizing group should be able to provide many services and great help in putting up the event. Management of workers and helpers requires clear job functions and responsibilities to be identified. Everyone working or providing services at the event should be clear about what they are required to do, how to do it and when it needs to be done. This can be achieved by preparing a schedule. Moreover, it is crucial for an event to assure the safety of everyone. An important occasion will absolutely be a success if it will be completely secured by the right and enough service of security (Smith, n.d.). All event organizers must be clearly aware of their responsibilities for the audience and other participants in the event, including the performers. Not only will the number of people attending be significant for the event management, but the activity itself will also influence the safety requirements. The essential components needed in the concert are the equipments, particularly the electronic devices such as the band instruments and the machines for stage effects. All the important audio equipment used in  special events is placed onstage. These includes all the equipment used by the performers such as vocal and instrument microphones, mixers and CD/DVD players as they are the ones to control them (Matthews, 2008). Stage setup is crucial to an effective and streamlined concert. Stage setup will vary in terms of how many artists are involved. Each piece of instrument should have its designated place. It is critical to set up the stage correctly in order for the performers and audience to enjoy best sound quality as possible. It would be best to plan ahead the setting up of instruments for it to be easily placed on stage. In setting up the amplifiers, it should be placed up on stage orderly. For the speakers on the stage, the main speakers should be placed toward the front of the stage in both sides and facing at an angle to the audience for optimal sound. Furthermore, the stage monitors should allow the performers to monitor the total sound output as heard by the audience. Lastly, in setting up the microphones, the number of performers and instruments that will need it should be considered. The microphones should also be placed in front of the amplifiers. The other form of equipment, which includes the smoke machines, the lights and others, will be needed to make the show look more spectacular. The lighting plan should have a list of each light, its location and what part of the stage it will light. In any stage events like play or concerts, it is important to attend rehearsals in order to familiarize with the changes of mood and positions of performers onstage. With this, one will know what he or she is lighting and if it fits (Cummings, 2011). Moreover, the special effects such as the smoke machines should be place in where the design of the stage will not be ruined and the performers should not be bothered. Furthermore, everything should have security plans in order to be ready if some unfortunate dilemmas occur with the electronic devices on the stage. The most common reason of special events’ power problems is grounding. It can cause potential shock to the person manipulating the power system and a buzzing sound in the audio system. A good practice on grounding can be done on outdoor shows. However, it is essential to be familiar with power systems  even if one is not an electrician. Just bear in mind to be careful around power systems to avoid accidents (Moody, 2010). Producers must be concerned with the risks involved in the operation of equipment and with safety of their own contracted personnel and participants Risk and safety should be considered in hosting special events like concerts. Too many event producers and event managers are not aware of facts about accidents that may occur such as standards for allowable stage load. Worse that can happen is for the people to be injured. Other problems that may occur will be on the venue, committee and equipment—all related and concerned with the facility. Moreover, problems occur in setting up concert venues because most are not set-up until the exact date of the event is a few days away. It is hard to predict how the location will look like especially if the place is not really similar. In addition to this, some popular event venues are fully booked that may require errands in setting up and removing equipments and decorations. Because of this, more works are predictably going to arise once the exact schedule of the concert approaches this can cause a domino effect when unfinished preparations of the venue pile up (Quay, 2012). Although the occurrence of problems is on the venue, it is inevitable for them to occur on the committee assigned to the facility. There are many tasks that should be undertaken and services that should be provided during an event. According to Stamp (2011), the event organizer has the responsibility to manage structure for an event which may differ between planning and technical operations. Another problem may occur when a member of the staff will not be able to attend the event. Once the performers or students are allowed to bring their set of equipment, no one will be able to cater to them when there is a need for trouble-shooting or repairing their equipments. Moreover, lack of crews will more likely cause problems in handling facilities of the concert. In fact, it expands the duties of the other available crews making them even busier. Additionally, usual problems may also occur in equipment. Normally, artists bring with them their own equipments. This usually include microphones,  instruments, effect machines, monitor units and recording devices. Due to the number of brought equipment, there will not be enough time for a crew or organizer to perfectly familiarize with their personal equipment before the performance. However, it is important to at least go through it to be able to manipulate it properly during the performance (Gross, 2005). Likewise, it is important to assume that a minor incident can have a potential to develop into a major incident if not properly planned for and managed. Thus, all incidents cause crowd disturbances. According to Quay (2012), accidents and problems are unavoidable especially during the actually concert, but if the organizers planned everything smoothly, it will be easier to handle all the facilities. It is essential to remember providing the audience with guides to the place and markings in the venue, such as arrows or printed labels of places, in order for people to not be lost and find the place that they are looking for, immediately. It is also necessary to ensure that on the day of the event, the person in-charge of opening the site will be able to open it on time (Youth Employment Summit, 2001).It will be up to the kind of event to determine the amount and sort of maintenance and other crucial logistics needed for facilities of the event. However, the design of the venue should consider the figures, such as the numbers, that has been finalized (Health Safety Executive, 1999). From the interviews conducted from student concert organizers, accidents are usually resolved as soon as they occur. Pendon also say that â€Å"Due to preparedness of whatever accident of malfunction that might happen, there is always an alternative or replacement for every facility needed.† Moreover, venue access is a function of the design of access roads. Such facilities have to be able to cope with the demand. In addition, the design and location of entrances should depend on the numbers of entrances required, where they are placed and the capacity to be handled at each entrance. Furthermore, concerning the stage decoration, it is important to check if it will create a good atmosphere on the stage and it should not get  too carried away by the decoration. Simple, elegant and inexpensive decorations should be used. Be creative, but avoid complicated arrangements so that everyone can participate in making the decorations. Make sure to have a good visible banner and that everything fits well with the stage. With the committee that was appointed, the team must compose of individuals who are reliable. It does not have to be a big team. The most important thing is that the team members share same enthusiasm for the cause; because after all, they are not being paid. Be sure to be surrounded only with people who are constantly positive and encouraging. Most important is that the team can be count on to be supportive throughout the planning and organizing the concert. In addition, as much as possible, all the details on what equipment would be needed in the concert should be enlisted in order to know what else needs to be provided (Gardner, 2011). The place on stage where the instruments and special effects machines will be placed should be finalized. The position of the machines and instruments should be assured to not bother or interfere with the performance of the artists, the stage decoration and also the view of the audience. Lastly, it is crucial to double-check if the security that has been assigned will be efficient. The concert security guards should possess an array of skills to keep a venue and its patrons free from violence. They must be observant and alert, as well as, capable of monitoring many people at once. They also need the strength and endurance to spend hours at a time on their feet. All in all, the role of security guards at a concert is to keep both musicians and audience safe. To successfully hold a concert, practices are not enough. It is important to have a dry-run of the concert for sound check, lights and stage plans, security of the place and cleaning of the venue and facilities. The dry-run of the concert will help a lot in improving the actual concert itself and to foresee a good event. In other words, dry-runs are usually held to identify possible problems that may occur. It is indeed crucial to perform a sound check in an important event in order to avoid technical difficulties, notably of those with huge number of audience and complex acoustic and other instrumental facilities. In addition, in order to pull it off, an adequate amount of time for checking should be taken into consideration by the creators of the event. In all circumstances, wrong equipment and connections or insufficiently covered circuits may cause electric shock and overloading which can lead to sound failure and result in a fire. With this possibility of accident to happen, a qualified sound engineer should properly check on generators during the dry-run of the concert to keep the facilities maintained in a good working condition (Matthews, 2008). Most concert attendees notice problems on the facilities especially on the sets of equipment used. Specifically, out of 40 respondents, 25% say that they always notice problems occurring on microphones; 53% oftentimes notice problems with the speakers and sound systems; 50% says sometimes problems occur in the stage lightings; 43% also experiences problems with the seats. Out of 40 concert attendees, 90% of them, or 36, prefer venues with comfort rooms—this means that it should always be considered by the organizers as an important factor in facilities. Since having performance areas in different spaces is uncontrollable, expected stage design dilemma must be thought of, firstly, in the planned concept. Consequently, planning in advance and thinking of solutions for probably staging problems that may come along the way should be considered due to time problems that may also arouse (Moody, 2010). The dry-run can help in pre-planning as to change some equipment locations on the stage. For instance, it can also bring out more ideas in proper transition of lightings. Basically, the mock concert will help a lot in fixing the lights and stage plans. According to Quay (2012), the dry-run should also be checking on the security of facilities. There should be an appointed chief steward to take responsibility for all the security matters of the event facilities in case  something unexpected happens—taking into consideration more security stewards required to take account at entrances and exits, unauthorized areas, front of stage areas, securing structures or equipment whereas more facilities are located. They are also needed for general tasks such as providing information and managing the flow of the crowd. Thus, the dry-run can impede the safe operation of extra security checks to reduce problems during the actual concert. After the concert, it is natural for everyone involved to be completely worn out and will immediately want to head home to rest since it is undeniably tiring to put up a concert. In spite of that, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that the venue will be let cleaned and as orderly as before the concert started (Gardner, 2011). To make this task easier, the organizers must have planned and divided its crew members to clean different facilities assigned to them. not all venues are free so there may be next event to be held at the same place so it must be cleaned right after the concert. After the research, including the interview and survey conducted, it is safe to conclude that a concert is not possible to be successful if the importance of an organized and well-equipped facility is not considered. There is no such event without any facility. The facility should make the event easier to organize rather than cause problems during the event. The facilities in a concert are important to lessen the effect of too much noise. These facilities include the stage, speakers, sound system and sound power levels which should all be fixed to minimize negative noise impact (Quay, 2012). Basically, facilities of a concert are mainly concerned with the sound systems as one of the core equipment to keep the quality of the event. Failure and accidents with the sound system is the last thing that organizers will likely expect. As the results of the survey show, audiences are also very aware of the facilities used in the concert and the whole concert has high dependence on it. Sometimes organization is needed for a concert to succeed. Aside from  the common concerns such as performers and selling tickets, it is important to consider the security, food, venue, equipment and advertising the event. It is also acceptable to estimate time and cost to be more important than they are (Hudson, 2012). There are also number of policies that govern the use of facilities depending on the venue. If the organizers show disregard for facilities and equipment or fails to abide by such given guidelines, it is possible for them to be denied further use of facilities. It is important to keep the place safe for all the concert attendees and crew members. The whole research on concert facilities implies that it is very important to preserve not only the crowd’s mood but also the artists’ lively mood and eagerness to perform. Keep in mind to push through schedules because time is really needed the most. Therefore, the facilities should help establish a connection between the audience and the performers and not disturb the ambiance surrounding them since 24 out of 40 concert attendees often think that a concert production depends on its facilities. References: Concepcion, P. (2011, March 1). A close look at the MoA Arena. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from http://entertainment.inquirer.net/43183/a-close-look-at-the-moa-arena Concepcion, P. (2011, January 3). A candid look at the metro’s top concert venues. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20110103-312321/A-candid-look-at-the-metros-top-concert-venues Concepcion, P. (2012, July 22). Big deal for big dome. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from http://entertainment.inquirer.net/43183/a-close-look-at-the-moa-arena Cummings, T. (2011, October 15). How to Set Up Stage Lights | eHow.com. eHow | How to Videos, Articles More Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from http://www.ehow.com/how_4853476_set-up-stage-lights.html Event management handbook: event planning. (2011). University of Maryland. The Adele H. Stamp Student Union. Event planning handbook: how to organize an event. (pp. 30-34). (2002). Logistics. YES. YES Workbook. Gardner, A. (2011, May 19). NewMusicBox  » Concert Organization Checklist. NewMusicBox . Retrieved September 26, 2012, from http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/concert-organization-checklist/ Gross, L. J. (n.d.). A basic introduction to concert sound engineering. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/ Guidelines for event organizers. (pp. 4-28). (2012). Advance planning, pre-event planning, managing the risk, management structure, preparing for the unexpected. Dublin Council: Wood Quay Books. Hudson, A. (n.d.). How to Set Up a Rock Concert | eHow.com. eHow | How to Videos, Articles More Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from http://www.ehow.com/how_7652963_set-up-rock-concert.html Matthews, D. (2008). Special event production the resources. Amsterdam: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Moody, J. L. (1989). Concert lighting: techniques, art, and business (3rd ed.). Boston: Focal Press. The event safety guide: a guide to health, safety and welfare at music and similar events. (2nd ed., pp. 15-20). (1999). Venue and Site Design. Norwich: HSE Books.