Monday, September 30, 2019

Family of Woodstock, Inc. Essay

The Family of Woodstock is more than a gate away for teens and young adults; it’s the exact opposite. As an interviewee for the upcoming position here at the organization, I would like to give you my full appreciation and knowledge or reasoning as to why I applied. When looking for which organization I should apply for after getting my degree in human service, I was leaning to helping those young people of our nation. After reading and learning what this organization has to offer for the young adolescents who are in need, as well as the young adult I felt that this is where I need to provide my skills. Here is a little bit of what amazed me and what I appreciated the most about this organization. Preparing an organization is hard, understanding the needs of others, and what they possess is more difficult unless one has a heart for it. The Family of Woodstock organization began when the founders found several factors that led them to create such an inspirational organization. From learning and understanding exactly why young teens and adults decide to escape from the confines of their world. Once the problem is recognized, there were reasons to plan an organization that would help provide such needs and materials. Some of the issues they go through such as sleeping in parking lots, hitchhiking, seeking out food, as well as clothing. This led the founders to provide materials and ensure that the rights to these materials. The organization specializes in meeting the needs of the communities around them who may be in need. Looking back through the history of Family of Woodstock, one can see the multiple areas where this organization has offered services for over forty years. Since 1970, there have been a twenty-four-hour hotline setup clients to call in and get immediate support. We can see the changes that have been going on within this organization. Helping those seek help with drug and substance abuse issues, as well as trying to seek funding from the county drug commission. Medical services start to become established, as well as the free store. The Family of Woodstock has offered services each year to the main issues that are an ongoing struggle faced by the individuals in the communities close to them. The main issues they help with are emergency housing, domestic violence victims, helping teen runaways, and the homeless. There are walk-in facilities that the Family of Woodstock does  meet the immediate needs of Ulster County. When Family of Woodstock began their beliefs and values started with helping the young people who were coming to the little town of Woodstock. However, many people did not feel that it was their problem or necessity to help those because they believed it was not Woodstock’s responsibility. Nevertheless, as more and more volunteers started helping, Family of Woodstock started to come together. The volunteers are what made Family of Woodstock as successful as they are today. The main volunteer group was called the Soft Landing Machine, which helped those who were substance abusers. They spent time with those who were drug users, as well as talk with them and visit. As of today, the volunteers and employees are what make Family of Woodstock, along with the diverse backgrounds, experience, and interests, but one thing they share are common values. The Family of Woodstock has branched into different directions but has primarily stayed on the same path it was founded on. That path is helping and providing those in need with the easiest ways to get the proper assistance needed to solve their problems without doing it for them. Families of Woodstock’s doors are always open to anyone who is in need without being judged. The organization has opportunities for staffers and volunteers who are trained to help troubled individuals feel welcomed and feel comfortable. The way Family of Woodstock has developed over the last forty years comes down to them working harder than ever by providing the services that are needed without too much change. Helping others within their community and see the difference that they are making and the opportunities for others to join the Family, so they can help support others as well. All human services organizations go through some changes, but as they go through these changes, the organizations will see what works better for them as times and society have change. As long as they keep going with their founding motto and the straight path of helping those in need there is nothing wrong with a little change to improve services. Human services professionals share a common goals and values when wanting to help improve one’s life, rather than the economic well-being of an individual and the families that they serve. While most human services programs serve different clients and offer different services, most clients have many issues and needs that require them to seek out several different services. However, as human services develop programs to help service the clients, we must  remember that there should be several other services looked at for their treatments. When specializing in human services delivery we need to be aware of what major issues are causing the suffering in today’s society and what are the minor issues. This goes to say that specialization of any human service delivers has become a trend throughout the profession. The reason is because as professionals they understand what issues families and individuals go through because of their experiences or knowledge. In conclusion, Family of Woodstock has helped many human services organizations become specialized in helping. With the knowledge and understanding, as well as the importance of helping others, Family of Woodstock has become an organization that has lasted for over forty years based on what is important to them. Their values have not changed over the years, but they have expanded their knowledge of how to help those who are in need. The Family of Woodstock has continued to grow and evolve so they can reach as many of those who are suffering alone. References Burger, W. R. (2011). Human services in contemporary America (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Gibbons, A. (2010). Family of Woodstock turns 40. Retrieved from http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20100808/family-of-woodstock-turns-40

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Priestley’s Paradox

It is assumed that technology has aided the increase in interpersonal communication however it important to discuss the effects of technology on modern communication. This essay briefly provides a critical opinion on modern communication and provides examples of some interpersonal communication that rely on new technology, its potential advantage and possible dilemma with the use of modern technology in interpersonal communication. The world today is a global world; we live in a global village and the world as we know it keeps decreasing due to the rapid growth of technology. The ever increasing speed at the development of new technology creates innovative ways of communicating and in more ways than one has changed the way people communicate. Although modern communication has some advantages, which include convenience, speed, dissemination, and these advantages can be overpowered by disadvantages such as lack of content, language confusion. It will be argued here that the role of modern technology provides methods that hinder interpersonal communication, therefore while there are certain advantages associated with the increase of communications technology; these are evidently outweighed by the disadvantages. Communication is important to humans and a vital part of our world; man is a social animal and therefore requires communication as an essential tool for socializing. Focusing on interpersonal communication skills, Eunson (2008, p. 86) defines this as the processes that help, distort or block communication of messages between individuals but communicating effectively requires some basic skills such as active listening, usage and interpretation of body language and facial expressions. Technology however has created different channels to enhance interpersonal communication, invention such as mobile phones, emails, social networks, has made for easier, faster and smarter ways of communicating. This has led to the internet becoming an essential instrument in the media and communication strategies of civil society (Bailey, Cammaers, Carpentier 2008, p. 98). However with such availability, communication barriers are constantly increasing, with language confusion and a vast vocabulary of ever growing internet slang. Priestley’s paradox suggests that the rapid increase in communications technology has increased the quantity but decreased the quality of contemporary communication (Eunson 2008, p. 4-5). Whether or not this statement is entirely true, it is undeniable that it is very representative of the degree to which communication has deteriorated due to the constant increase of different technologically enhanced means of communication. Communication between individuals includes both verbal and non-verbal that can be easily misunderstood depending on the medium of communication. The occurrence of misunderstanding between individuals is heightened because of the lack of personal connection and context. Emails are generally informal, unstructured with the use of colloquialisms and jargons, email has rendered irrelevant more direct and often more effective forms of communication such as using telephone, walking down the corridor and talking, or attending meetings (Eunson 2008, p. 208-215). In addition to that, some people take advantage of the accessibility of sending an email and say things they wouldn’t feel comfortable saying in face to face conversations and messages sent can be misinterpreted or misunderstood by receiver further reducing the quality of communication. Things such as body language and eye contact is non-existent when it comes to sending emails, these are very essential part of daily conversations and some people use it as an excuse to avoid face to face conversation. Many may argue that in the past few years the world has undergone radical changes with the amount of available modern communication mediums, and these appears to have caused an increase in the number of social networks. Online communications mediums, weblogs in part, are sites of author audience interaction that differ from face to face performance and traditional reader relationship (Buckingham 2000, p. 207). Most young people spend countless hours on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo creating friendships and relationships with people they meet in cyberspace. The strangeway in which so many of these interactants see the internet as both an intimate area for exchange, as well as a place for public display, challenges our perceptions of these boundaries (Buckingham & Willet 2006, p. 19). The ease at which many disclose personal information on the internet via social networking sites is alarming as they generally are exposed to risks of contact with paedophiles (e. g. via grooming in chat rooms) and often exposure to violent or racist / hate material (Buckingham & Willet 2006, p. 94). Another advantage of communicating via social network sites is that people can share ideas a nd values while maintaining anonymity. Concerns about modern communication is the

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Advantages Of Vegetarian Diet Biology Essay

Advantages Of Vegetarian Diet Biology Essay Vegetarian diet, in the last twenty years, has become a way of life for millions of people around the world. This paper, based on secondary research, describes history and discusses aspects of vegetarian diet. Particularly, three aspects are mentioned, including a brief history of vegetarianism, benefits and drawbacks of vegetarian diet. The findings of this research indicate that vegetarian diet has positive impacts to health, environment and animal life; however, it also brings negative effects such as nutritional deficiencies and changing in lifestyle. Overall, based on the findings, the paper draws conclusion that vegetarians should build a balanced diet to keep a healthy body. Introduction Albert Einstein was a vegetarian in the last years of his life, in the letter written to Hans Muehsam on March 30 1954, he wrote: â€Å"So I am living without fats, without meat, without fish, but am feeling quite well this way. It always seems to me that man was not born to be a carnivoreâ €  and vegetarian diet is believed that to be good for health. Vegetarianism, as stated in ‘Medical Dictionary Online’, â€Å"the voluntary abstinence from eating meat† and the term â€Å"vegetarian† is used to show diets that include essential plant foods and avoid animal foods. According to the Vegetarianism (Uttara, 2011), there are five main kinds of vegetarian diet: lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (includes eggs, honey, dairy products and plant foods), lacto vegetarian diet (includes honey, dairy products and plant foods), ovo vegetarian diet (includes eggs, honey and plant foods), vegan diet (includes only plant foods) and fruitarian diet (includes fruits, nuts and seeds). There are many kinds of vegetarian now that vegetarianism becomes more and more popular in over the world. A recent study (Thich 2007) found that from 1970, the number of vegetarians increases about 30%. The survey of The Vegetarian Times in the State of Illinois in the United States in 1992 among 12.4 million people, there were 8 million vegetarians. In Vietnam, W&S Company about research information online made a quick survey on 659 people in August, 2012, as a result, the popularity of vegetarians accounted for 59%. The reason why the number of vegetarians is increasing is that they believe vegetarian diet helps prevent them from diseases such as obesity, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease and other diseases. However, vegetarian diets also bring us some of drawbacks. Thus, this paper updates a brief history of vegetarianism and discusses about some advantages and disadvantages of vegetarian diet. 2. Discussion of finding 2.1. A brief history of vegetarianism According to Wikipedia, based on the earliest documents, historical development of vegetarianism started at the 6th century BC in ancient India and ancient Greece. The diet was closely hooked up to the idea of unharmed animals and was encouraged by religious groups and philosophers in both insta nces. During the ancient time, vegetarian diet was sprawled along over India, South East Asia and other areas, the overwhelming majority of vegetarians were Hindu, Jain and Buddhist. Nordqvist (2004) stated that â€Å"The conversion to Christianity of the Roman Empire virtually eliminated all traces of vegetarianism from Europe†. To the  Renaissance, vegetarianism re-emerged and became more popular in the 19th and 20th centuries. Spencer pointed out that the Vegetarian Society was first set up in England in 1847 and German, Netherlands and other European countries followed equivalent societies. The establishment of the International Vegetarian Union in 1908 made the wide development of vegetarian in Europe. Many people have changed their lifestyle by selecting vegetarian diet because of the rise in health consciousness (Null, 1996). The number of vegetarians keeps rising although it is small in comparison to the citizens in the world.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Yamamoto LED Leasing & Production Company Ltd Research Paper

Yamamoto LED Leasing & Production Company Ltd - Research Paper Example We use chips which are imported from Japan, Taiwan, and US to ensure that we deliver incredibly high video performance for our customer’s events and exhibitions.Production & ServicesAs your trusted partner and client, we ensure that all your videos are delivered to your target customers effectively and efficiently. Every LED module is assembled according to the customer’s screen size requirements. Our production team is always committed to delivering superior quality video effects, to ensure that all your promotional events and exhibitions are well received by your target customers. Our LED Screens are suited for:1. Indoor or Outdoor Shopping Arcades2. Concerts and performances3. Stadiums4. Outdoor wall sides on buildings5. Big screen display for digital signageWe are equipped with 6mm LED display modules with 27,778dots/m2. The display modules are assembled using SM3528 LED chips, which ensure that they display vivid color with high contrast. Screen sizes can be customized to suit the various events requirements. The maximum viewing distance can be up to 18m, with 1600 viewing angles, making it suitable for all kind of outdoor/indoor events.The 360 circular display is another Hi resolution LED display for outdoor display advertisements. It supports HDMI, DVI, and VGA connection with HD video signals. It can show online TV programs, VCD, DVD or display video when connected with live CAM.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Chinese language - take home final exam ( Reading comprehension in Coursework

Chinese language - take home final exam ( Reading comprehension in English) - Coursework Example Language policy was also part of government projects such as nation building and democratization. Ideology also had great role in shaping policy as the countries emphasized on unity. For example, Mainland China used Herderian ideology of â€Å"one language, one nation† whereas Taiwan used both herderian and Chinaisation ideology. Hong Kong adopted monolingualism and lingusitic purism. All the three countries adopted Modern Standard Chinese language (PTH), whose standard pronunciation is Beijing Mandarin or dialect. The two conferences on script reform in 1955 simplified Chinese character writing system, promulgated spoken PTH, and developed phonetic alphabet for unification of China (Cheng, 22). The phonetics formed the basis for language policy in all the countries. In 1958, the National People’s Congress approved Hanyu Pinyin Fangan ‘scheme for the phonetic alphabet of Chinese’ leading to emergence of a phonetic script. This pinyin offered standard pronunciation for Chinese characters and did not replace logographic Chinese script (Zhang, 567). Taiwan and Hong Kong use the traditional complex Chinese character script as the official written script. In PRC, Putonghua is medium of instruction in school, official language in workplaces and broadcasting. Prior to adopting Putonghua in 1949, PRC promoted Guoyu as the national language (Cheng, 16-22). In Hong Kong, English was the official language until 1974 when the official languages ordinance was passed giving Chinese (Modern standard Chinese,) co-official status with English. English occupied a higher status until 1987 when Chinese acquired equal status with English as working official language through an Amendment to the language ordinance (Zhang, 573). The difference from PRC policy is that Hong Kong used PTH in written form and Cantonese as the spoken form whereas PRC promoted PTH in written and spoken form (Cheng, 156). Since 1997, Hong Kong uses English and Chinese as medium of

Hans Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hans Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz - Essay Example According to the conventional view, realism is apprehensive with how the humankind is in contrast with the ideal situation, this is to mean that it is an empirical rather than normative paradigm. Realism views things from a pessimistic perspective since it emphasizes on the patterns of power politics that are dominant in the global political arena manifested through wars, recurring conflicts and rivalry among nations. Issues such as balance of power and security threats and measures are the main tools that the realism uses in the study of world politics; in addition, realists consider a state as the main player in international politics. Realism pays special attention to the most powerful states as they have a greater say in international politics compared to the less powerful states, the behaviour of these states usually dictates the patterns of international relations since they are considered rational egoists whose self interests come first. In the orthodox view, four differences are evident between classical realism and structural realism; the first difference is that while classical realism tries to locate the source of international conflict and wars to the imperfect nature of human beings, structural realism attributes these conflicts and wars to the anarchic nature of the international political system. The second difference is that while classical realism recognises the state as the most superior player in international relations, structural realism recognizes the role played by agents.... Realism pays special attention to the most powerful states as they have a greater say in international politics compared to the less powerful states, the behaviour of these states usually dictates the patterns of international relations since they are considered rational egoists whose self interests come first. In the orthodox view, four differences are evident between classical realism and structural realism; the first difference is that while classical realism tries to locate the source of international conflict and wars to the imperfect nature of human beings, structural realism attributes these conflicts and wars to the anarchic nature of the international political system. The second difference is that while classical realism recognises the state as the most superior player in international relations, structural realism recognizes the role played by agents. The third difference is that classical realism recognises the original super powers and the new powers in international rel ations while structural realism recognizes states as independent and unitary actors. The fourth difference is that while structural realism uses scientific methodology to study international relations which is influenced by the behaviourist revolution of the 1960’s, classical realism studies international relations based on based on an individual’s subjective valuations. Defining power Realism believes that the actions of a country are to a large extent determined by events that happen in the international arena. Hans Morgenthau defines power as the anything that gives a man control over another person; this includes both physical aggression and psychological manipulation of the subjects. According to Hans, the most important material

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Integrated STEM System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Integrated STEM System - Research Paper Example This essay will not deeply address the issues as the main project will follow that will handle the topic adequately. The acronym STEM refers to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It is a newly introduced curriculum which advocates for the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through integration. Meaning, it is a new approach which adopts an applied and interdisciplinary strategy while teaching these subjects without necessarily teaching them in isolation. By blending Chemistry, physics, In formation Technology, computer, engineering, mathematical science, geosciences, astronomy, life science and social sciences, the curriculum will be encouraging students to learn about practical problem solving skills which are of course essential in their day to day experiences. STEM was established in the United States with the aim of solving the problems created in education and offering of science subjects. The project is aimed at making the STEM related fields more relevant to the students. This is aimed in turn at ensuring that the students become more creative in the future and come up with new projects that can help the country scientifically. The problems in security are a major concern in many countries and it was also one of the highlighted problems that are to be addressed by the STEM project once it goes underway. This essay will look deeply into the idea and point out the strengths it has depicted and the limitations including the remedies that can be implemented to make it a more effective method of bridging the scientific and technological gap that is created in science subjects. However, in order to achieve its objectives, STEM program will have to be introduced to the learners as early as possible. As a matter of fact, it will be shift from the common tradition in which the STEM subjects are taught differently in schools. As a new system aiming at reaching the greatest possible

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Reflection Paper on Social Change through Immigrant Integration Essay

Reflection Paper on Social Change through Immigrant Integration - Essay Example However, in doing so, the organization walks the fine line between what Skerry has acknowledged as a propensity to "help" or "hassle" that is, the institute definitely has the means by which to assist immigrants, but must be careful not to impose the predominant culture in a condescending manner with the intent to either belittle or eradicate the immigrants' cultural heritage. If for no other reason than a closed system stagnates, the community as a whole is revitalized through embracing new perspectives. The goal of the institute should therefore be to offer a means of integration by first providing services that provide guidance to the present civic structure, second provide cultural access through which the immigrants might become familiar with more local customs, and lastly by encouraging a continuation of immigrant traditions and customs while making these as open as possible to the indigenous community. The purpose of these three approaches is to promote understanding and appre ciation between the two communities. Skerry has referenced Will Herberg's observation that " in America religion was a more acceptable basis of group identity than ethnicity or race." (p. 33) and does so to analyze the level of success achieved by the Latino based Resurrection Project. This project, affiliated with the Catholic Church, has created a feedback loop through which the community has been instructed by the church to avail itself of the organization; the organization then has assisted the community with economic incentives and guidance through certain legalities. The organization has attached conditionals to their assistance that, although these can be regarded as "hassles", ultimately tie the immigrants back into both the civic community and the Church's moral guidelines. The essential lesson of this example has been the use of cultural touchstones. The surrounding community became much more willing to accommodate the Latino community, partly because it had created a structured organization, but mostly becau se it was associated with a recognized organization: the Catholic Church. In an institutes efforts to promote immigrant integration, focus must be paid to such universal touchstones of human experience. Religion has certainly been one, but so are performances of music and art or festivals involving tradition (and more importantly food). Aside from these cultural events, people have always gathered over such shared concerns as children's welfare and education or the availability of healthcare. The extent of an institute's responsibility to promote immigrant integration hinges primarily on providing these opportunities for understanding. When different communities are allowed to gather formatters they share in common, they have taken the first step in recognizing their similarities. As this happens, immigrants become more familiar with local methods and attitudes, thereby growing more comfortable with learning about the new environment and how to unction within it. Yet the responsibility of integration must be equally shared by the immigrant as well. The indigenous

Monday, September 23, 2019

FIELD TRIP REFLECTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FIELD TRIP REFLECTION - Essay Example Some people keep themselves busy by playing chess and entertaining visitors while others spare time to watch people and appreciate the beauty of the city (Grimm et al. 265). Denver city has in place public transportation, which has reduced the amount of traffic on the roads since people prefer this mode of transport as it is cheaper and reliable. The amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere has reduced since few people use private vehicles reducing the amount of fuel consumed. The hotels and restaurants are highly maintained; hence, sanitation and public health standards are observed. The presence of the parks providing a good resting place for the town dwellers and provide a good opportunity for them to enjoy and appreciate their town (Grimm et al. 266). On the other hand, the city planners and managers failed to device and implement laws and policies governing operations of the city (Grimm et al. 267). For example, the number of homeless people is increasing each day where these people put up illegal camps within the city. The homeless and other idlers disrupt the peace of the town because they make it difficult for normal functioning of the town. These groups of people also pollute the environment since they drop litter around the place, the sleeping bags, and tents lower aesthetic beauty of the town. Public transportation should be maintained and many people encouraged to adopt it as it reduces traffic, reduces pollution and the amount of fuel consumed also reduces. The town planners and municipal council should urgently plan the town properly. Laws and rules should be strongly implemented to scrap out illegal camping within the middle of the town. Housing system should be strengthened so that the homeless can be safe and secure. In addition, resources should be distributed to areas outside the city so that migration to the city is reduced (Grimm et al. 268). Grimm

Saturday, September 21, 2019

If Dory Had Gone Against Marias Wishes Essay Example for Free

If Dory Had Gone Against Marias Wishes Essay Jack would respond in the affirmative and then, according to Dory, the â€Å"bed would squeak†. Emma wanted to believe that she was living in a fairy-tale and she so she did, refusing to let anyone tell her otherwise. Mrs. Robinson tried to tell Emma that her husband was being unfaithful, and Emma refused to believe. Though Emma had all right not to believe Mrs. Robinson, the fact still remained that Mrs. Robinson was unable to convince Emma of Jack’s infidelity. If Mrs. Robinson could not convince Emma that all was not right in her relationship with her husband, how would Dory, an eight year old girl who did not fully understand the workings of the adult world, be able to convince Emma that Jack was being unfaithful. Emma would have told Dory that she did not understand what she was talking about, and demand to know where she had received her information. When Dory had revealed her source, which she undoubtedly would because of her love for Emma and need to please her, Emma would no doubt have confronted Mrs. Robinson. That confrontation would only have put the altercation between Emma and Mrs. Robinson at a different setting. Emma would still have refused to believe that she was not the only woman in Jack York’s life. Mrs. Robinson would still have set up the â€Å"chance† meeting among Emma, Jack and the lady at the train station. Emma would still have reacted the way she did, and would still have died. It is therefore safe for me to say, that based on my analysis of the short story, Emma, as well as looking at the most likely outcomes for a slight change in the plot of the story, if Dory had told her mother about the lady at the train station, the outcome of the story would have probably been the same.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Financial System and Formal Credit Services in Vietnam

Financial System and Formal Credit Services in Vietnam An overview of the Vietnamese financial system Over a 4-year period from 1988 to 1992, the Vietnamese government have initiated a wide ranges of economic reforms in order to enhance the transition itself from a centrally-planned to a market-oriented economy. Along with the implementation of state enterprise reforms and external trade liberalization, the Vietnamese government have promoted a huge number of banking sector reforms, which has resulted into a diversification of the financial system. First, a Soviet-style mono banking system has switched to a two-tier banking system in 1988s with the four sector-specialised state-owned banks separated from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and playing a key role in the banking system. These four state-owned banks include the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank), the Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank), Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (VBARD) and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV). The SBV acts as the central bank, providin g both on-site and off-site inspection and supervising the operations of both banks and non-bank financial institutions. The public banking sector is comprised of the five state-owned commercial banks which altogether dominates the market. Second, the Vietnamese government also encouraged and created various opportunities for the influx of new players into the financial sector. These newcomers consisted of foreign banks, non-bank financial institutions such as insurance companies, join-stock commercial banks, join-venture banks, even credit funds and cooperatives. In addition, this policy has led to a dramatic rise in the quantities of branches and representative offices of existing state-owned commercial banks at that period. Bank for Foreign Trade, for example, has totalled 32 municipal and provincial branches (World Bank 2002). The branch network of the banking sector totally covers nearly 10,000 wards and communes throughout the nation. The economic reform process has, additionally, brought about the marked transformation in agriculture production sector. The presence of private family farms and non-farm enterprises in rural sites has increased pressures on the government for the establishment of credit institutions. Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (VBARD) and Vietnam Bank for Social Policy (VBSP) has then become the dominant financial service providers to the low-income population, and used the extensive network of political mass organizations to mobilize, appraise, and monitor clients (BWTP 2008). Like many other developing countries, Vietnamese credit markets is the coexistence of formal and informal credit markets. In general, rural financial system in Vietnam can be grouped into three main categories: formal sector, semi-formal sector and informal sector (Marsh et al. 2004; Lan and An 2005). The formal sector includes Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (VBARD), Vietnam Bank for Social Policy (VBSP) and People Credit Funds (PCFs) (World Bank, 2002). Semi-formal credit is provided by the National and International programs targeting at a selective range of borrowers and conforming to certain development targets (Pham and Lensink, 2007), and by Microfinance Programs of Mass Organizsations as well as by Savings and Credit Schemes supported by NGO and donors. The informal sector consists of private moneylenders, revolving credit associations (RCA), relatives, friends and other individuals. The informal sector has been the traditional provider of credit in rural a reas, as the result of an underdeveloped formal credit market (Marsh et al. 2004). In programs towards poor and vulnerable households, the Vietnamese Government included credit provision through microfinance institutions (MFIs) in their anti-poverty programs for the rural areas (Commins et al., 2001). These are programs focusing on female clientele who often join in groups, providing small loans for them to invest in income-generating activities (Armendariz and Morduch, 2005). The expected outcome is that rural female entrepreneurs can cope better with emergencies such as unfavorable natural events or be protected from further impoverishment during economic stress (Rutherford, 2002). The formal sector has been the key credit provider in the Vietnamese rural credit market, in which VBARD and VBSP are both the dominant. VBARD has the largest percentage of outstanding loans in the year 2010, accounting for 63%, followed by VBSP at 30%. The third position belongs to PCFs, at 6%. In contrast, microfinance institutions occupies merely 1% of outstanding loans. Figure: Percentage of outstanding loans of main sourcesto household borrowers Source: (PCFs 2010; VBARD 2010; VBSP 2010; Mix Market 2012) Source: Microfinance Resource Centre (2001) Regulations regarding banks With the aim of improving the provision of credit for individuals, households and firms in need and enhancing the effectiveness as well as the soundness of credit providing institutions, the Vietnamese government has promulgated a wide range of regulations on banking operations. These laws set numerous regulations for credit products offered, as well as for activities of credit institutions, ranging from capital norms, restrictions on asset/liability management and limits on credit institutions’ investment in real estate. In 2010, the government has issued the Decree No.41/2010/ND-CP on a wide range of credit policies aimed at agricultural and rural development. First, credit institutions should, under the decree, be encouraged to provide their credit services for rural areas with appropriate interest rates, in accordance with commercial lending mechanism. Second, lending procedures should be simplified, facilitating rural borrowers to get access to loans. Moreover, assistance policies for rural borrowers should also be built up so as to curb expected risks, say, natural disasters, earthquakes or epidemics. Third, the decree will operate as a legal framework for the political system and the whole society in the enhancement of the lending provision for the agricultural and rural development. Interest rate policy Interest rate policy is among crucial policies for the reform of banking sector regulated by The Law on Banks and Credit Institutions. Since 2000, the government has gradually liberalised interest rates. And it is the liberalization of the interest rate that gives financial institutions a little more freedom in determining the rates on lending and saving (WB, 2002). The replacement of the base interest rate mechanism plus margins for the ceiling mechanism regarding the domestic currency-based lending has then been applied for all formal financial institutions. Both base lending rate and margin, under this mechanism, acts as limits for the lending rate requirements of the banks. This new mechanism provides adequate flexibility to credit institutions and should help to enhance firms’ access to credit (IMF, 2002a). Furthermore, the Vietnamese government has also undertaken the regulation for the difference between lending rates and saving rates. According to this regulation, this spread cannot exceed 0.3% and 0.5% per month for short-term loans and medium-term and long-term loans respectively, which has in turn discouraged rural financial institutions from extending small loans to the rural poor and low-income households, given the high transaction costs for small loans (Dao, 2002). Lending technology In Vietnam, there are two prevailing lending methods namely individual lending and group lending. As shown in the table below, group lending has become more popular than individual lending, with the proportions for the year 1995, 1998 and 2001 standing at 98.1%, 92.1% and 87.6% respectively. Meanwhile, the percentages for individual lending method was much lower between 1995 and 2001. While individual lending technology typically focuses on the role of monitoring each individual borrower, the mechanism for group lending technology relies on the enforcement of joint liability of joining members. Generally, lending technologies can be distinguished based on different dimensions such as the primary source of information, screening and underwriting policies/procedures, structure of the loan contracts, and monitoring strategies and mechanisms (Berger and Udell 2006, hereafter BU06). Source: McCarty (2001) Collateral Under Decree No.41/2010/ND-CP, the mechanism of collateral for loans has been regulated as follows: First, credit institutions may take the provision of loans to customers with or without security assets into consideration under current regulations. Second, collateral-without lending conditions, procedures, and loan amounts must be in compliance with current provisions of law on credit institutions’ provision of loans to borrowers. For individuals and households engaged in agriculture, forestry, fishery or salt production, the amount of loan can total up to 50 million VND, whereas the figure for households operating business or production activities or providing services for agriculture and rural areas is up to 200 million VND. And up to 500 million VND for cooperatives and farm owners. Third, credit institutions consider providing trust-reliant loans for individuals and households on the basis of guarantee by sociopolitical organizations in rural areas under current regulatio ns. Sociopolitical organizations have responsibility of coordinating and performing all or some of the credit operation stages after reaching agreement with the lending credit institutions. In reality, collateral is regarded as one of mandatory requirements for loans by formal credit institutions. Credit institutions often ask for collateral from borrowers in order to ensure the probability of loan repayment, as well as reduce the asymmetric information between borrower and formal lender. The asymmetric information occurs since most of the banks stay far away from potential rural borrowers, and they find it difficult to acquire previous credit history information as well as current production/business information about those borrowers. In such a case, collateral requirements are given so as to mitigate these problems. Collateral is usually in the form of immovable assets such as land use certificates, buildings, fixed assets, bank accounts, and other valuable assets, in which land use certificates and real estate are the most preferred collateral by banks. In rural areas, there has been a small number of households that have met the collateral requirements imposed by fo rmal financial institutions, whereas a markedly bigger number of rural borrowers have faced the lack of of collateral for their loans. This has, in turn, confined rural borrowers from having access to loans from formal credit institutions. In such cases, these rural borrowers have to search for other credit providers that do not require collateral, say, private moneylenders, friends, or neighbours which all belong to the informal sector. Therefore, giving households the possibility to obtain land-use rights and use them as proof of collateral can give rise to the asymmetric information alleviation between borrower and formal credit lender, thus fostering credit transactions in rural credit markets accordingly. The formal sector Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (VBARD) Established in 1998 along with the the intense reform of the financial system and the reintroduction of commercial banks in Vietnam, the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (VBARD) has been regarded as a state policy bank and received subsidy from the Vietnamese government. VBARD has also been known as a legal entity with the sharp focus on the agriculture sector and rural areas. By the end of 2001, VBARD has become among leading commercial banks in Vietnam, having the most extensive branch network in Vietnamese rural areas. The bank then had an operating network of more than 2,300 branches and transaction offices nationwide at the end of 2010. There are the three following credit methodologies that VBARD has utilized for its lending operations. The first methodology is the the provision of individual loans for rural borrowers and enterprises. The mandatory requirement for this loan type is a proof of collateral, in which a land use certificate the so called â€Å"Red Book† for agricultural land or â€Å"Green Book† for forest land is the most widely used. Second, VBARD has also applied group lending mechanism in order to increase its coverage of rural households, as well as to reduce transaction costs associated with small loan collection. According to this method, each member of lending group bears equally the joint responsibility of loan repayment before a new round of loans is initiated. The eventual methodology involves the existence of guarantee groups formed by members of mass organizations, say, Vietnamese Women’s Union, Farmer’s Union or Youth’s Union in lending process. These m ass organizations play an important role in guaranteeing the loan repayment, and loans offered by VBARD are then channed through these groups to the target borrowers who are mainly unable to provide a proof of collateral. VBARD specializes in lending to rural households and small-scale enterprises involved in agriculture or off-farm enterprises, but the bank has recently expanded its urban branch network to capture the market of urban small enterprises (BWTP 2008). The outstanding loans granted by VBARD to the economy totalled up to 414,755 billion VND in the year 2010. While the percentage of loans for households accounted for 51%, the figure for non state-owned company was 43%. The proportions of loans supplied to state-owned company and to small cooperative enterprises were considerably lower, at 5% and 1% respectively. Figure. Outstanding loans of VBARD by sector Source: VBARD (2010) The flow chart 1 indicates the credit procedures adopted by VBARD. It is clear that there are thirteen distinct stages in the process of loan provision, beginning with the collection of loan application forms by bank officials and ending with the delivery of appropriate loans to the borrower. Chart 1: Lending procedures by VBARD in Vietnam Notes: 1. Bank officials receive loan application forms from the applicant; 2. After receiving loan application forms, bank officials report to the head of the credit department; 3. The head of the credit department assigns a bank official to examine the loan application forms to see if it is filled in properly; 4. The assigned bank official appraises the applicant, mainly based on collateral; 5. The assigned bank official informs the head of the credit department about the applicant; 6. The head of the credit department assesses the information and reports it to the director of the bank; 7. Director of the bank decides on the loan and informs the head of the credit department; 8. The head of credit department informs the assigned bank official about the decision; 9. The assigned bank officer informs the applicant; 10, 11, 12. Internal information among the bank’s specialized departments; 13. The treasury department disburses loans to the applicant, if accepted. Source: Adapted from Ninh (2003) Vietnam Bank for Social Policy (VBSP) The Vietnam Bank for Social Policies was established under Premier’s Decision No. 131/2002 QD-TTg dated October 4th, 2002 and the Government’s Decree No. 78/ND-CP dated October 4th, 2002 on the provision of credit for the poor and other policy beneficiaries. VBSP was set up on the basis of the reorganization of the Bank for the Poor and separated from VBARD with the aim of detaching the lending policy mechanism from the commercial lending mechanism. Since then, VBSP has developed its own network of 610 branches in 63 provinces/cities throughout the country and has extended loans to 46% of the poor in rural and mountainous areas (GSO Report on the results of VHLSS 2006). VBSP’s operations are under the supervision of the State Bank of Vietnam, whose the primary objective is to provide non-collateralized preferential loans of different rates and maturities to poor individuals, households, and organizations eligible for social benefits and policies. VBSP is conducting the method of entrusted lending via the four mass organizations, namely Women Union of Vietnam, Farmer Union of Vietnam, War Veteran Union of Vietnam and Youth Union of Vietnam. These four organizations take charge of some lending steps of VBSP such as establishing savings and credit groups; organizing certifying poor households, supervising borrowers in using loans properly etc, whereas VBSP has responsibility for conducting loan disbursement, loan collection and safe treasury management. The credit programs provided by VBSP has become increasingly diversified and appropriate with different borrowers. First, for the purpose of the implementation of the National Target Program on Hunger Eradication and Poverty Elimination initiated in 1988s, VBSP has established credit programs particularly targeting at poor households living in rural areas. The second customer group of VBSP is university/college students whose families are ranked as poor households at the commune level or village level. The objective of this lending is to support financially for those students in order that they have opportunities to fulfill their study. The third credit program of VBSP is for households living in disadvantaged and remote areas where there is very poor infrastructure or challenging climate conditions. The fourth credit program involves an implementation of the national strategy on clean water supply and environmental sanitation in rural areas for living conditions improvement, and the target customers are still poor households in rural places. Fifth, VBSP also builds up credit programs for job creation aimed at poor households and small business enterprises. Apart from credit programs listed above, there are still other various programs supporting for poor households in rural areas. The table below gives a comparison in terms of the percentages of outstanding loans allocated by VBSP for numerous credit programs between 2004 and 2010. It is evident that credit programs for production and business of poor households made up the largest percentage in both years, with 82% in 2004 and 40% in 2010. The second largest in 2010, which occupied 29% of the total outstanding loans, was credit programs for education. In contrast, that for migrant workers to go abroad accounted for only 1%. Table: The proportions of outstanding loans by credit programs. Source: (VBSP 2004; VBSP 2010) In regard to the loan interest rate, in 2013, the annual lending interest rate of the market was 10.8%, while the figure for VBSP was merely 6.0%. That means VBSP subsidized 4.8% of the lending interest rate for the poor (World Bank 2004). Since the decision No. 579/QÄ -TTg dated May 6, 2009 on the support of the lending interest rate for VBSP’s loans was issued, the annual interest rate on loans for agricultural production and off-farm jobs reduced by 5%, from 7.8% to 3.8%, while that of the market was standing at 10.5% on average. By late 2010, VBSP’s total outstanding loans mounted to 89,461 billion VND, 14 times higher compared to that in 2001. People’s Credit Funds (PCFs) People’s Credit Funds were established in 1993 after the collapse of rural credit cooperatives. According to Hung (1998), PCFs were constructed on the model of the Caisse Populaire system in Quebec, Canada, with the technical support from the Development International Desjardins (DID). PCFs were funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and supervised by the State Bank of Vietnam.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay examples --

When considering the numerous types of interactions between humans and computers that occur on a daily basis, from simple data entry and clerical work to high level programming and graphic design, they all require people to physically input information into the machine and receive some sort of visual or audio output. This, in fact is the primary goal when referring to input and output devices; to transfer information from a person’s mind into the computer and to then have the computer relay the results of said input. The difficulty in the transferring of information from the human brain into a computer lies essentially within the input device. The majority of input devices which are commonly in use today are simply not substantial enough to allow users to convey information to a computer at a sufficient rate. This problem has lead to the exploration and development of numerous new input devices. This paper will speak to these new input devices and how they, along with their corresponding output device, will allow the average computer user to decrease the latency between the human mind and the computer. With current technologies employed by the average computer user, the most common method for transmitting information from a human into a computer is through two simple devices, the keyboard and the mouse. These specific input methods, while convenient and nearly universal, are limited by the speed at which a human can operate them with their hands. To use typing as an example, it is reasonable to assume that anyone who works in the field of computer science or any of the various related industries knows how to use a keyboard to enter text into a computer. However this method of information transfer has its upper limits. Assumi... ...ices still suffer from the same limitations as the keyboard, namely that they are both limited by the speed and dexterity of the human hands. The computer mouse operates in a two dimensional world, generally manipulating two dimensional data such as text editors, internet browsers, and email applications. Nonetheless, there is a large portion of the computer industry which operates with various three dimensional applications. It is with these types of applications that gestural interaction becomes of greater value. Once such method of interaction that has received considerable attention in recent years is 3D spatial interaction where users’ motions are tracked in some way so as to determine their 3D pose (e.g., position and orientation) in space over time. This tracking can be done with sensors users wear or hold in their hands or unobtrusively with a camera.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Sex, Masculine Pride, and War in Henry V Essay -- Henry IV Henry V Ess

Sex, Masculine Pride, and War in Henry V      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry V, though reputed to be a crude, early item from Shakespeare's canon, provides many interesting and mature discussions on morality and psychology. Far from being, as it were, pre-written by being an "historical" work, it is a testament to the bard's skill that he can work so many ideas into a frame that has to take account of popular facts.    Interpretation of the play tends to revolve around issues of kingship, duplicity in Harry's self-presentation, or the consequences of war, but there is a glaring line of discussion present which has generally been missed: the relationship of war to sex and masculine pride. One critic writes, "War is a version of male lust. Hal never grows up but works out ways to aggrandize himself by owning more and more property. Geography as ego. And... he's a rapist too" (Landis 201). There are at least three significant relationships of pride, lust, and war which are brought out in the play and will be pointed to in the following. One is war as a response to insult and perceived or suggested (sexual) inadequacy. One is war as the occasion of massive rapine. The other is war itself as a sort of metaphorical rape. These themes will be brought to light most clearly by attention to the most traditionally ignored passages of Henry V.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Critics have often dismissed the comic scenes of the play as crowd-pleasing devices or filler, "only casually related to the main action" (Becker 74). The filler theory can be dismissed outright given the length the play already enjoys. The scenes involving Pistol, Nym, and Bardolph, or Fluellen and Gower actually fit the play perfectly. As far as the play's themes go, these... ... of many of this play's lines.    Works Cited Becker, George J. Shakespeare's Histories. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1977. Brennan, Anthony. Henry V. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1992. Landis, Hoan Hutton. "Another Penelope." Women's Re-Visions of Shakespeare. Ed. Marianne Novy. Chicago: Univeristy of Illinois Press, 1990. 196-211. Shakespeare, William. Henry V. Ed. F. Marshall and Stanley Wood. London: George Gill & Sons, (year unknown; between 1892 and 1936). Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Ed. John Dover Wilson. London: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Wilcox, Lance. "Katherine of France as Victim and Bride." Shakespeare Studies 27 (1985): 61-76.    1[1] i.e. the lily, the symbol of France, featured on its coat of arms. 2[2] "Flower of the bed," i.e. the maiden Katherine.

Death Of A Salesman :: essays research papers

“Maybe I did not live as I ought to have done, … but how could that be, when I did everything properly?';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can hear it now, Willy Loman uttering those words as he flips through the pages of his life. In the play, Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, we witness the deterioration and death of a very well intentioned man. The quote above from Leo Tolstoy’s Ivan Ilych, could not possibly better echo the situation developed in Arthur Miller’s play. The play becomes Willy Loman’s life trial in which he and his family undergo an intense review of their lives. Willy through his confessions searches to find out what went wrong in his life. However, he dies without ever grasping the truth of it all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Willy Loman is a traveling salesman in his sixties. As we first find him, he is in the beginning of an emotional crisis. His past, recurring to him in realistic flashbacks, is interfering with the present. Each episode draws forth another problem that Willy has to face in his present situation. The problem for Willy was the question that he was asking himself. It is a question that many older individuals ask themselves, “Did I succeed in life, was it all worth it?'; Poor Willy is beginning to realize that he has lived his entire life for the wrong reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Willy raised his two sons in all the wrong ways. He encouraged cheating and mocked hard work and true success. Everything in his life was a false standard. Willy’s view of an individual’s success was how well that individual was, “liked.'; He instilled in his children all the wrong values and encouraged all the wrong things. This poor moral installment is typified in this conversation between Willy and his son Biff.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  BIFF: I flunked math dad……. Would you talk to him? He’d like you Pop. You know the way you could talk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  WIILY: You’re on. We’ll drive right back   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  BIFF: Oh, Dad, good work! I’m sure he’ll change it for you!. See, the reason he hates me, Pop-one day he was late for class so I got up at the blackboard and imitated him. I crossed my eyes and talked with a lithp.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  WILLY: laughing: You did? The kids like it? I really found this conversation to show the exact problem that Willy had. He had instilled the worst values in his children and then never sought to correct them.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Analysis of “I Have a Dream” Speech

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech that electrified a nation. In Washington D. C, King delivered his speech on the steps of the Lincoln memorial and as his powerful voice echoed out across an audience of 200,000 people, echoes of the Gettysburg address could be heard as well as the Declaration of Independence and the Bible. It has been called â€Å"masterfully delivered and improvised sermon, bursting with biblical language and imagery. †The passionate speech is filled with rhetorical devices that help ground into earth King's demands of racial equality and outcries of social injustice.The second paragraph of the speech starts with â€Å"Five score years ago†, an allusion to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address. This is particularly poignant due to the fact that the speech was given on the steps of his memorial. A memorial to the president who passed the emancipation proclamation. Martin Luther King Jr. continues with comparing this (the emancipati on proclamation) â€Å"momentous decree† to a â€Å"great beacon light† to those who had â€Å"been seared in the flames of withering injustice† in an example of a simile and then a metaphor.The metaphor is expanded to call the proclamation â€Å"a joyous daybreak† to a â€Å"long night. † The metaphors help prove King's point through contrasting two abstract concepts through tangible things. The last sentence of the second paragraph is the first of many references to the bible. In comparing Psalms 30:5 â€Å"For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning† to King's line â€Å" It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity† the parallels can be seen.The use of biblical references helps link the work of MLK to the bible and divine things. Southerners being in the â€Å"bible belt† and dominantly Christian, this reference to the bible strikes home to these slaveholders. The third paragraph contains a strong example of anaphora with the repetition of â€Å"one hundred years later† four times. This is used to thrust home the point of how long the suffrage has gone on. The duration is important but also the effect of its repetition makes the paragraph seem longer and drawn out- like the injustices that are still being suffered- one hundred years later.Also a simile is used to compare segregation to imprisonment in the the phrases â€Å"manacles of segregation† and â€Å"chains of discrimination. † The usage of these rhetorical devices relates slavery to jail and further contrast it from the biblical allusions used with equality. Paragraph four of the speech is a large metaphor for an allusion to the United States Declaration of Independence which is later cited directly. In Specific King alludes to the declaration in saying â€Å"unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. † Which within itself is a tricolon ascends.This allusion to such an important American document is used to support King's theme of equality by pointing out its resonance in the purely American document. Throughout this portion of the speech King makes a metaphor of these guaranteed rights saying they are a â€Å"promissory note†. This metaphor links these intangible unalienable rights to something tangible which falls into place with the rest of the expanded metaphor. He goes on the say that the Negro people have received â€Å"a bad check† and when they tried to cash this check is comes back marked â€Å"â€Å"insufficient funds. † These metaphors feed into the larger one of a citizens rights to a promise of a bank. Martin Luther King Jr. shows his hope the country in the continuance of the metaphor in which he refuses to believe â€Å"the bank of justice† is bankrupt and that there are insufficient funds in the â€Å"great vaults of opportunity†. Furthermore he makes a metaphor of freedom to riches and security to justice. The use of all these smaller metaphors feed into the larger one and these rhetorical devices are used to link intangible to tangible.Also this shows the realist side of the speaker, not only does he allude and reference biblical things but also he realizes the importance of equality to blacks economically. The fourth â€Å"paragraph† of the speech ends with an example of anaphora. A short hopeful phrase of â€Å"now is the time† is repeated four times back to back to back to back in the last four lines of the paragraph. These rhetorical devices have a powerful impact and add a decisive, hopeful feel. Martin Luther King Jr. in this conclusion also makes another metaphor with saying racial injustice is â€Å"quick sands† and brotherhood is a â€Å"solid rock. These metaphors also link the intangible with the tangible creating a contrast. Apples and bananas are differ ent but the difference of good and bad is harder to see. When attached to real life objects the visualization is made. The rest of the speech contains several more independent metaphors, all used to support Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s points. â€Å"The whirlwinds of revolt will shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges†; making a metaphor of revolt to a whirlwind and justice to a bright day.Yet again, metaphors are used to represent abstract ideas with concrete things to create a contrast. In another place it is seen that storm are like persecution and winds like police brutality. Tying in the earlier metaphor to imprisonment, this usage of a rhetorical device shows the vicious circle Negroes were living with. At some point it becomes repetitious all of the metaphors of justice to everything from money to the bible. But yet again injustice is metaphored to â€Å"sweltering†¦ eat† (alluding to Richard III act one, scene one, li ne one) and justice to an â€Å"oasis† yet another instance in which the metaphors are used to show contrast. Later on the entire country is metaphored to as in â€Å"jangling discords† and that with brotherhood it can be transformed into a â€Å"beautiful symphony. † This metaphor is a nice break for all of those to justice but still the same ideas ring through. This usage of a rhetorical device ties to the topic at hand to a larger more national scale. Some of the most famous parts of this speech are due to the usage of anaphora.In several instances, besides those already listed, Martin Luther King Jr. uses this rhetorical device to sink his point deep into the hearts and minds of those who have heard it. He uses the phrase â€Å"We can never be satisfied† six times in paragraph thirteen. This powerfully blunt statement repeated over and over again is riveting and unifying. Then in paragraph fourteen King uses â€Å"go back to† six times to creat e a larger size to his efforts. After building up the crowd this use of anaphora disperses hope of a better tomorrow to all. No matter where, to everyone. Then in the onsecutive paragraph comes to most famous line of a speech possibly ever: â€Å"I have a dream. †He transitions from we, as a part of the crowd, to I, separating himself as a leader; sharing his dream. While these words may be the most famous, the speech ends with another example of anaphora that are the most important words of the speech. They are â€Å"Let freedom ring. † After alluding to â€Å"My country 'tis of thee† and its chorus line â€Å"let freedom ring† he expands to say let freedom ring in Pennsylvania, Colorado, California, Georgia, Tennessee and â€Å"from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. This all encompassing freedom is Martin Luther King's dream and this beautiful anaphora heightens the grandeur of the allusion. The depth of Martin Luther King Jr. and his speech is s een in his many allusions. Thirteen ends with an allusion to Amos 5:24 with â€Å"But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream† which echoes in King's line â€Å"No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream†.Another biblical allusion is in I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. Which echoes Isaiah 40:4-5 â€Å"Every valley shall be exalted, and very mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Both â€Å"And when this happens, . . . we will b e able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual† and Galatians 3:28 â€Å"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. † All of these biblical references connect the â€Å"dream' of king to the biblical writings.There are two additional non-biblical examples seen in his referencing to â€Å"My country Tis of Thee† and â€Å"Free at last† works of American music. . Martin Luther King Jr. also makes multiple allusions to the Declaration of Independence (some emitted as previously cited before). Including the direct quote of â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. â€Å"Another very closely related allusion is seen where he says â€Å"I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream†.In both instances, King is saying that his dream is no different than that of our founding fathers. What alluding the the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution does is show the legitimacy of his dream: it is directly seen in both documents. While it may not be exact anaphora the repetition of words such as freedom (used twenty times) and justice (eight) must be seen as notable. What they do as anaphora (a rhetorical device) is support the key themes of the whole speech- freedom and justice.If there is any impression to be taken from the speech it is the ideas of equality, justice and freedom for ALL. From the allusions to the metaphors and similes, the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech is littered with rhetorical devices but what exactly is rhetoric? Rhetoric is is the art of enchanting the soul (Plato) and the faculty of discovering in any particular case all of the available means of persuasion (Aristotle). It is th e use of rhetoric that sets this speech a part, makes it so famous and adds to its success in the spreading of one man's dream to change his world for the better.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Project Manager Letter Essay

(your company) will be holding a two-day boot camp in San Diego, California and Orlando, Florida on August 24 and 25, 2012. Both boot camps take place in the hotels we will be staying at to make things easier. Two teams of project developers from (your company) will head up this year’s highly educational instructional events. Each day will consist of approximately 5 hours of training and a question and answer period. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be catered so that we can concentrate on training and allow everyone some time to talk with our development teams. The first training day of boot camp will focus on the new compliance policies being introduced and address the new system platform and user interface. The second day will concentrate on Structured Query Language (SQL) which will be used to maintain and retrieve information from the database. Online instructional webinars will also be available from our team during the week of August 20-24, 2012 in two hour segments for five days that week. There will be homework assigned in these courses which you will be expected to complete in order to build a base of understanding. We prefer to train in person but realize that our plans will not accommodate everyone. That is why we offer the online counterpart. For those attending in person – there is the opportunity for each employee to earn their company one free hour of support for each successful completion of the course. At the end of the boot camp sessions and weeklong online training each participant will understand the basics of how their system is organized, rules and regulations that they must remain cognizant of and where to go for resources. In addition, our SQL primer will give you the basics for constructing reports for your company. Each participant will also receive the latest version of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 software as well as Report Builder 3.0 for constructing reports. What we will cover- Based on our company’s implementation plan it is essential to integrate our business information systems into a single technology platform using a common database development environment. We first must particular focus on implementing a corporate-wide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system. The ERP system will become the core technology, database, and development environment used by our company. The new compliance system will update all applicable laws and regulations of the company’s internal rules and regulations. The new compliance system will become the core element of our understanding of integrity. Who is involved- The stakeholders of this project are all employees companywide. They will be introduced to the new compliance system. Requirement for managers are to train a minimum of 10 hours on the new platform as well as other new compliance policies. The new platform will integrate the company’s day to day operations into a common database. That database will be used to access the information contained in a number of tables that the company and development teams will create. Project Objectives This project will implement a new ERP software system platform that will integrate our organization companywide systems. ERP will combine, organize, and maintain the data necessary for operations. We will be able to merge each of the company’s key operations, including the manufacturing, distribution, financial, human resources, and customer relations departments, into one software system and database system. The new compliance system is to assure we are within regulations and laws that dictate the handling of electronic information and personal data. All attendees will fill out a questionnaire upon completion of the course. These will be used to evaluate our team’s ability to communicate the necessary information. These will be available in online versions for our clients who are unable to attend the boot camp sessions and participate in the online webinars. Each participant’s company location will receive one hour of free support for every questionnaire that is completed. These hours will be available anytime within the first 90 days of system implementation and can be for either remote assistance in a web based platform or via phone. Measurable Organizational Value Our goal is to implement a new ERP system that will combine the data acquired from each location in our hosted environment and make accessible to each location. This will be done primarily by using Structured Query Language (SQL) and Microsoft based reporting services.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Jail and Prison Comparison Paper Essay

Jail is usually the first place a person is taken after being arrested by police officers. The authority of states to build, operate, and fill jails can be found in the Tenth Amendment, which has been construed to grant to states the power to pass their own laws to preserve the safety, health, and welfare of their communities. Jail is to protect the public and citizens of county by providing a wide range of constructive, professional correctional services for pre-trial and convicted detainees. Jail is also ensure the safety and welfare of staff, visitors, and offenders by operating facilities and programs in a secure, humane environment which meets professional and standards and constitutional requirements. It reduces the rate to reincarceration by providing offenders with the opportunity for self improvement and the inner resources necessary to make a successful adjustment within the community. An act of 1790 brought about sweeping reforms in the prison and authorized a penitentiary house with 16 cells to be built in the yard of the jail to carry out solitary confinement with labor for â€Å"hardened atrocious offenders. Jails are run by the county of a state and serve as locally-operated holding places, usually for brief periods of incarceration or as a detention place before and during trial and other legal matters. For example, someone convicted of a misdemeanor crime would be jail. In addition, the sentence must be less than a year. Jails are especially for someone b eing held in custody for trail, or they couldn’t afford bail, or they were just arrested will be held in the county jail, not prison. As such, jails are impermanent county residences, and lack many of the amenities and programs that the large prisons have. Jails are usually run by the sheriff or the local government. According to the Department of Justice, there are approximately 3,600 jails in the United States. On the hand, prisons are federal or state-run. Prisons are generally much bigger and much more high-security levels. Inmates convicted of federal felonies usually go to federal prison, and those convicted of state felonies go to state prison. Prisons often have very elaborate education and vocational training programs, halfway house service, work-release programs, and recreational and entertainment facilities. The original history of the federal prison system started back in the 1890s but it was not until 1930 that president Hoover signed a bill establishing a federal prison system that would actually start the building of actual federal facilities. The federal system had been relying on the state and local levels of government to house their prisoners. The Federal Bureau of Prisons was established within the Department of Justice and charged with the â€Å"management and regulation of all Federal penal and correctional institutions. † This responsibility covered the administration of the 11 Federal prisons in operation at the time. As time has passed and laws have changed, the Bureau’s responsibilities have grown, as has the prison population. At the end of 1930, the agency operated 14 facilities for just over 13,000 inmates. By 1940, the Bureau had grown to 24 facilities with 24,360 inmates. Except for a few fluctuations, the number of inmates did not change significantly between 1940 and 1980, when the population was 24,252, according to Federal Bureau of Prison. However, the number of facilities almost doubled from 24 to 44 as the Bureau gradually moved from operating large facilities confining inmates of many security levels to operating smaller facilities that each confined inmates with similar security needs. The federal prison incarcerated for longer time and associated with White Collar criminals. Some of the crimes that fall under federal crimes are drug dealer, political person, false insurance, bank robbery, and many more. On the other hand, the state prison system has been in existence since the early 1800s with the building of Sing Sing state prison. Sing Sing state prison is one of the oldest state penitentiaries in existence today and is still in use. The state prisons also refer to blue collar criminals. The state prison system is devised of a network of small prisons that hold most of the United States prison populations. Since the beginning of penitentiaries in each state growth has been a rising issue. Many states have to provide millions of dollars to their prison systems. Those who commit state or break the state roles, they will automatically be sent to state prison and wait for federal if there is any. Some crimes that can be incarcerated within a state prison such as habitual offender, sex offender, drug user , and other violent crime offender. In the State Prison, there are five security level have been established for correctional facilities and inmates are low security, medium security, high security, and maximum security. Inmates have been conditionally released into the community but remain under the supervision of the Department of Corrections. Low security includes Work Farms, Boot Camps, Forestry Camps, etc. Basically these are either first time low-risk offenders or inmates who have worked themselves up in the system and are possibly on their way out of prison. Being considered low risk, affords the inmate to better living conditions and a few more freedoms. They have earned the trust of the institution. This is why we believe it’s imperative to tell your family member to steer clear of any trouble during their incarceration. Minimum security categorize for inmates coming up in their time or those inmates that have committed a less severe crime. This level of inmate can be trusted and is usually designated as a form of trustee or in a trusted work detail. Medium security, 3 inmates are typical of any placement for someone headed to prison. You must earn the trust from the staff at all levels to work your way up. This level of inmate has some rights and freedoms, but not many. Finally, maximum security is typically in lockdown most of their time and are usually the more violent or feared members of the population. To be housed at this level the inmate must have performed an extremely violent crime. There are basically no freedoms unless the Max inmate is housed with other max inmates, and they are only allowed out for one hour per day. This is not always the case with every prison, jail or detention facility. Some offer multiple programs and allow limited movement, classes, details and freedom for all inmates. According to the Department of Justice, there are minimum security, low security, medium security, and high security in the Federal Prison system. Minimum security institution is also known as Federal Prison Camps have dormitory housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio, and limited or no perimeter fencing. These institutions are work- and program-oriented; and many are located adjacent to larger institutions or on military bases, where inmates help serve the labor needs of the larger institution or base. Low ecurity Federal Correctional Institutions have double-fenced perimeters, mostly dormitory or cubicle housing, and strong work and program components. The staff-to-inmate ratio in these institutions is higher than in minimum security facilities. Medium security have strengthened perimeters (often double fences with electronic detection systems), mostly cell-type housing, a wide variety of work and treatment programs, an even higher staff-to-inmate ratio than low security FC Is, and even greater internal controls. Finally, High security institutions know as United States Penitentiaries have highly secured perimeters (featuring walls or reinforced fences), multiple- and single-occupant cell housing, the highest staff-to-inmate ratio, and close control of inmate movement. Some of the factors influencing the growth in jail are drug offenders sex offenders, violent offenders, increase in time served women offenders. The corrections system does four fundamental things. The first three, basic life care for offenders, risk identification and risk management, cover the bases of managing offenders. However, only risk reduction â€Å"hits a home run† to significantly affect offender outcomes and community safety. According to the National Institute of Corrections, appropriate treatment reduces recidivism by 30%. In recent years community-based corrections has been trained in and begun implementing evidence-based practices. In recent years community-based corrections has been trained in and begun implementing evidence-based practices.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The Great Gatsby Final

In the novel The Great Gatsby, each heartache has very distinctive characteristics; all has life goals and dreams, and played an irreplaceable role in the novel. At first glance, the protagonists and antagonists are clear to see. One would place Jay Gatsby as the good guy, the one who has American dream, and who is a hopeless romantic who believes in everlasting love. For Daisy and Tom, they are definitely the antagonists, the bad ones, the one who tore Gatsby dreams and hopes apart.Nick on the other hand, has a great transformation throughout the novel; being the narrator of the novel, he seemed to have a fairly good view n himself while he's narrating the story'. Nevertheless, as the novel progress, there are parts and bits that could reveal how he may not be who he claimed to be. This paper would focus on the two characters, Nick Caraway and Daisy Buchanan. Their character will be viewed in an objective way, and attempt to see deeper into their life and why they did what they did. In the end, eventually find out whether they are actually the bad or good guy that people tend to view them, or perhaps there's something more to them. L. Nick Caraway: The narrator of this novel is Nick Caraway, a man who grew up in family of prominent, well-to-do people† in Chicago; he is a Yale graduate, loves literature and even considers himself as a â€Å"well-rounded man†. After he fought in the World War I, he joined the prosperous and fast-growing business world in New York.Somehow, he is the cousin of the tremendously wealthy Daisy Buchanan, and a college acquaintance of Tom Buchanan, they lived a luxurious life that was completely opposite of his. Being the narrator, it is easy to believe everything that he said, but there are signs that could show that he is not as simple or positive as he pronounce to be, as Peter L. Hays aid in his paper, Initially Nick's father tells him that â€Å"all the people in this world haven't had the advantages you've had† , presumably material advantages.But Nick interprets the statement to mean â€Å"a sense of fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth†, something very different, and a belief that qualifies Nick very much as a snob. In the novel, Nick is a tolerant and open minded listener, and highly educated so is also an intellectual, people felt the urge to confide to him and trust him. However, while Gatsby made up his past and have illegal business in his present life,Nick's family also did something similar; they earn their money by selling hardware but cover it up by saying that they have ducal blood. When he describes his own house, he said his house is a â€Å"small eyesore,† and gives him â€Å"consoling proximity of millionaires. † Though sounding somehow self- mocking, he might actually feel like being near to the rich does make up for his own living standards, as if lying about his background and living next to the rich could take up closer to being one of the people in the high society.Nick's true thoughts over the rich and himself were never clearly identified, UT it seems possible that he does want to fit into the complicated high society, despite the fact that he views himself as morally more advance than all the rest The readers learn more about his personality by the way he speaks and how he described the others as the novel progress.Nick calls himself â€Å"one of the few honest people that I have ever known† In the beginning of the novel, he claimed that he would reserve all judgments while interacting with others, as quoted from the novel: â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing any One,† he told me, â€Å"just remember that all the people in this oral haven't had the advantages that you've had. † He didn't say any more, but we've always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I'm inclined to reserve all judgments [†¦J. In the above passage, Nick said that he would reserve judgment on all things, but throughout the novel, he seems to be making personal remarks on the other characters. For example, he said his gracious next door neighbor Jay Gatsby is â€Å"unaffected com†, and the Buchannan couple were â€Å"careless people†; even said that his lover Jordan Baker is â€Å"incurably dishonest. Nick is not only the righteous and objective narrator who he claimed to be, he is also someone whose sight is muddled by the lavish life Of the rich and famous.His internal conflict over the lifestyle of his new life in New York goes on throughout the book, and is especially represented by his romantic relationship with Jordan Baker. He is in love with her energy and sophistication, but he is repeatedly disgust by her carelessness and dishonesty. Towards the end of the novel, Jordan said, â€Å"You said a bad driver was only safe until she met another bad driver? Well, I met another bad driver, didn't l? I mean it was careless of me to make such a wrong guess. I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person. Thought it was your secret pride. Perhaps in the end, the ones who seem the most trustworthy is the one that should not be trusted at all. I. Daisy Buchanan Daisy Buchanan is an interesting character to kick at. In common day terms, some people might view her as the head cheerleader who married the quarterback of the football team, a shallow beauty who cares about nothing but the superficial, money and good looks. Not exactly a scheming gold- digger, since she is already from the elite social class and has incredible lath of her own, but like what she said she wished her daughter would be, â€Å"a beautiful little fool†.Daisy was born in a rich and high class family in Louisville, where she had a short fling with the handsome young man Jay Gatsby who had a fake identity. When Nick described his cousin Daisy, he said she has a voice that m akes her untouchable and â€Å"full of money,† and made her sounds like someone who lives â€Å"high in a white palace, the king's daughter, the golden girl† She was the kind of girl who would make every girl feel jealous, who lived the life of comfort and had everything that any girl could ever wanted.To Gatsby, she is a symbol of wealth and social status, everything that he wanted and trying to achieve, and Gatsby fell in love with her, dedicated his whole life just for her basing on a faint hope that they could somehow be together once more. Unfortunately, the young lovers never got the chance to have their wishes come true, Daisy married another man when Gatsby was away at war. She did seem regretful though, before she got married, she drunkenly said: â€Å"Here, dearer'. â€Å"She groped around in a waste-basket she had with her on the bed and pulled out the string of peers. Take ‘me down-stairs and give ‘me back to whoever they belong to. Tell †˜me all Daisy change; her mind. Say: ‘Daisy's change' her mind! ‘†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ She still ended up marrying the rich Tom Buchanan, some may say she married for the money or did not had the patience to wait for Gatsby any longer, but perhaps all she ever wanted was to be loved and live an easy life, as Jordan described: â€Å"If he left the room for a minute she'd look around uneasily, and say: â€Å"Where's Tom gone? † and wear the most abstracted expression until she saw him coming in the door.She used to sit on the sand with his head in her lap by the hour, rubbing her fingers over his eyes and looking at him with unfathomable delight. Her love for Tom was not entirely based on his wealth or power, but she simply loved him. When she eventually fell in love with Tom after she reluctantly had got married, it was not that she only cared for the fabulous life and forgot all about Jay Gatsby, she merely wanted what every other 20 something girls wanted, to love and to be loved. Most readers have negative opinions of her.She killed a person by driving clumsily and decided to run away, leaving Jay Gatsby broken hearted and in the end, dead. She is overly rich which caused her to seem careless and did not have any constructive thoughts over other subjects beside love and money. But one must not neglect the fact that she was raised and lived in an environment that only taught her to act the way she did, she did not know any better. As a rich girl growing up, she was probably well protected and well loved, what was she to know what it meant to be responsible for ones actions?And yet, when her baby girl was born, she told Nick: â€Å"all right,' I said, ‘I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool – that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ It seemed that she was glad that her daughter was a girl, but in between her tears, a sadness also appeared, perhaps she ad wished that her chil d would be a boy, so it would not have to live as vulnerable as her. But since her child was a girl, she then wished that it was a beautiful fool like she is, to live a simple life and be blinded from all the unhappiness that she had to live with despite her wealth.Although not exactly not as complex and great as the â€Å"Great Gatsby', and very flawed, Nick and Daisy are still characters who are worth the reader's attention. They consist of complicated characteristics, both likable and repugnant, which made them seems like people who readers can relate to in their own lives. Novels are reflections of the realities, and having doubts and making bad decisions are things that everyone faces in their life.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Summary of 3 topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Summary of 3 topics - Essay Example It is supported by the claim of providing the examples and practical elementary facts related to how the established forces and agents of the American automobile industry played their roles in reducing the spectrum and scope of electric car and in return led to its subsequent failure. The cause and claim for developing electric car gained impetus and demand in the early 1990s when people demanded introduction of the new form of automobiles that would not add to the already threatened environment and the constraints that are faced by it. Owing to the public demand and the requirements the director of the movie Chris Paine undertook the investigative strategy and study in bid to expose all the ingredients and factors that did not let it flourish. A certain segment and monopoly has been said to be responsible for the non flourishing of the possible solution to the global oil consumption, global environment threats and other costs and economic considerations and constraints subjected with the usage of the fuel supported automobiles that are largely in place at present. The movie in the form of documentary and given an account of the ground facts that dominate and dictate the terms of the modern day automobile industries as well as the factors that are impeding the growth and introduction of the electric cars. The director of the movie has invested considerable research into the movie with aims of providing the customers with the real objectives and reasons why the technology could not flourish. The documentary made quite a stir with regard to its subject and the message conveyed through it. The directional features and other angles of the good movie making and the essentials required for a movie are fulfilled and based on this the move has won number of awards in terms of the critics and directional specialties. The movie rightly points out to the objects and the leads in the modern day that are obstructing the growth of this technology

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Distinguish between business risk and financial risk Essay

Distinguish between business risk and financial risk - Essay Example Systematic risk refers to the risk posed by the conditions of the environment, i.e. the possibility that the economy within which a business operates will experience a downturn; while unsystematic risk refers to the possibility that the specific sector of the economy in which a business operates will fail. In order to protect against unsystematic risks, businesses try operating is a variety of sectors so that losses from one business can be offset by the profits from another. Since systematic risk pertains to the economy of a country, there is little that businesses can do to prevent against the dangers of this kind of risk. Several internal and external factors cause business risk. Internal business risk factors can be corrected by the business, however the external factors are beyond the organization’s control. Internal factors broadly include operating costs, business structure and business efficiency. In order to reduce operating costs, businesses should look toward cost cutting measures or to increasing revenues such that costs are covered. Similarly, business structure and management policies should be tailored such that they enhance efficiency. The external factors that cause business risk include the change in demand for the product, unpredicted changes in the state of economies worldwide etc. Another category of risk posed to a business is financial risk. Financial risk pertains to the financing structure of a business. It can pertain to risks associated with shares (in case of a public limited company) or with the debt structure of the business and occurs when a business fails to pay its creditors. This risk is business specific, since each business has its own financing structure and how it manages the structure depends on the business’s policies and strategies. Financial risks are of several types; market risk (risks associated with shares in the stock market),

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Primary Crime Data Sources in the United States Essay

Primary Crime Data Sources in the United States - Essay Example This means that unreported crimes are not covered by the data. Therefore, the Uniform Crime Reports can not be said to cover all crimes but only reported crimes. They conclude that alone the Uniform Crime Reports do not provide comprehensive and conclusive data on incidence of crime in the United States so they must be considered only one part of an analysis of crime an supplemented with other sources of evidence. While they do not consider the National Archive of Criminal Justice Datas National Incident-Based Reporting System the same could be said of it. Its data is based on reported crime and leaves unreported crime unconsidered and unaccounted for. No official publications on crime rates consider unreported crime. Arguably, by definition, unreported crime cannot be considered using strictly quantitative measures. Unreported crime is best studied using other research methods such as interviews with residents of and employees of social service agencies in the city or area under examination. They may be particularly true in areas where law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system are distrusted or feared. Lynch and Jarvis (2008) point to an even greater problem with academic statistical analysis of the Uniform Crime Reports. They note that the data is produced by and for law enforcement agencies and is intended to provide broad indicators of crime trends to law enforcement agencies. They also note that the data is not statistically rigorous, nor does it claim to be, because it was never conceived as a tool for academic analysis. Unlike the Uniform Crime Reports the National Incident-Based Reporting System also includes data on clearance or the disposition of incidents. This is particularly useful data for researchers and is not impaired by the fact that only reported incidents are included in the data set. For example, Jarvis and Regoezci (2009) used the National Incident-Based Reporting System to

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

1) Do standardized tests measure your ability Essay

1) Do standardized tests measure your ability - Essay Example Standardized tests are common in USA and many other countries around the world. Standardized tests are administered to students mainly at mid-term and also at the end of the term. Despite the widespread usage of standardized tests, however, the question of the efficacy of the standardized tests in measuring the students’ ability is a highly controversial issue. A critical look at this debate shows that the use of standardized tests to measure students’ ability is not effective. This paper gives an argument to show that the standardized tests do not accurately measure students’ ability. To begin with, one of the reasons why the standardized tests do not accurately measure the students’ ability is that most of the time, the questions used in the standardized tests covers only a small portion of the syllabus. In other words, it is not possible for the questions used in the standardized tests to cover everything leant in the syllabus (Garrison, 2009). For this reason, it is possible for the questions used in the standardized tests to cover only the aspects of the syllabus that some students have not understood well or are not good at. For that reason, some students fail in standardized tests not because they are not intelligent, but because the aspect of the syllabus covered by the questions is the aspect that they have not grasped well or they are not good at. This fact shows that the use of standardized test to measure the students’ ability is not an effective way of testing the students’ ability. Secondly, the standardized tests do not take cognisance of the fact that some students may be poor in written exams but very good at oral exams (Popham, 1999). There are, of course, many bright students who fail their written exams, not because they are not intelligent, but simply because they are not good at written exams.