Criminal Justice Process Essay

Generally speaking, the concept of the legal system can often seem very complex, confusing, and intimidating. However, to assist in comprehending the system, the state of Kansas has defined a sequence of events in processing criminal cases where each action encompasses a specific function. Whether it is the police officer who investigates the crime, the prosecutor who must gather the facts for action, the defendant who must obtain a lawyer and prove their case, or the judge and jury who determine the fate of the offender; having a basic understanding of the law is imperative in protecting individual rights. Within this paper I will discuss the Kansas state criminal justice process and the multifaceted decisions that ensure justice is provided to all. Although the Kansas criminal law process is disclosed, it still may be difficult for an individual to navigate through the system alone. Therefore, once a person is taken into custody, he/she should immediately seek counsel to assist in the legal process. The first step in the criminal process is the investigation by law enforcement before an arrest is made. Moreover, an investigation of a said crime may be initiated in many ways. For instance, it could be as simple as an officer who witnesses a vehicle speeding or something that requires a more collective effort such as a 911 call from a bystander. An officer may speak to only one person or it may involve multiple witnesses being interviewed where evidence may be gathered over time. If an officer believes that there is enough evidence of a crime, he/she can try to obtain a search warrant. This process includes a judge who will review the information and approve/disapprove the warrant based on probable cause. Probable cause, as it applies to a search, is the facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that evidence is in a particular place (Wright, 2013). After law enforcement has conducted their investigation, a criminal arrest will transpire. A person may or may not be aware that they will be taken into custody, but in either situation, it is important for that individual to obtain the representation of an experienced defense lawyer as soon as possible. An arrest is defined as a seizure of a person and/or deprivation of his/her personal liberty by a legal authority or under legal authority (Gale, 2002). In Kansas, an officer of the law may arrest a person for the following reasons: a warrant  commanding that person to be arrested; has probable cause to believe that a warrant for the person’s arrest has been issued in this state or in another jurisdiction for a felony committed therein; has probable cause to believe that the person is committing or has committed felony (KSA, 2009). No matter where or when an interrogation occurs, the person in custody (deprived of his or her freedom of action in any significant way), must be read their Miranda rights if the suspect’s answers are to be used as evidence at a trial (Merriam-Webster, 1996). A Miranda warning is not required if a person is not in police custody; however, anything the person says can still be used at trial if the person is later charged with a crime. This exception most often happens when the police stop someone on the street to question him/her about a recent crime and the person blurts out a confession before the police have an opportunity to deliver the warning. Therefore, it is critical that a person in custody does not answer the police/detective’s questions without having a lawyer present. This will ensure the individual’s rights under the Fifth Amendment are protected and they do not make any self-incriminating statements. Kansas divides crimes into two categories: felonies and misdemeanors. A felony crime can be defined as a crime that results in incarceration of one year or more in jail or prison (Wright, 2013). The state of Kansas has four types of felony convictions: drug felonies, non-drug felonies, off grid felonies and non-grid felonies. Drug felonies are related to the possession, use, manufacture, and the sale of illegal drugs. Off grid felonies, which frequently have a life time sentence, are typically related to murder and certain child sex crimes. While, non grid felonies are usually related to domestic battery or felony driving under the influence. Once the suspect is arrested, a defense attorney is assigned to the person if the individual cannot afford one. A defense attorney is a lawyer who advises, represents, and acts for the defendant in a legal proceeding or for the offender in post-conviction proceedings (Gale, 2002). A defense attorney appears with the defendant at the arraignment where the defendant will plead guilty, not guilty or no contest. If the defendant pleads not guilty, the defense attorney then represents his/her client during the various stages of the trial process. During the pre-trail stage, the defense counsel’s investigation should begin its own inquiry by interviewing witnesses,  obtaining police reports, and reviewing other documents. (Gale, 2002). Additionally, any exculpatory evidence that the prosecutor discovers which is helpful to the defendant must be given to the defense attorney. It is during this stage that the defense attorney assesses the strength of the prosecutor’s case and advises the client as to the possible outcomes. If it would be useful in the defense effort, the defense counsel could hire a private investigator in an effort to collect evidence in support of the case or to discredit elements of the prosecution’s case. While the defense attorney is collecting evidence to help the client from being convicted, the prosecutor initiates his/her own effort on the criminal actions against the alleged person who has committed the offense. A prosecutor can be defined as a lawyer employed by the state who seeks to obtain a conviction in a court against the defendant (Gale, 2002). After the police investigators have filed the paper work for the arrest, the prosecutor will review the paper work and apply the appropriate Kansas laws to determine if the person that has been arrested should be formally charged with a crime. Unfortunately, this period can last a few days, weeks, or months. The most serious crimes in Kansas, such has murder and terrorism, have no statute of limitations. Statutes of limitations are federal and state laws that set out time periods within which a certain type of civil or criminal action must be brought or the right to bring the action will be lost (Gale, 2002). This law is to ensure the defendant has a fair chance to rebut the claim. Since Kansas does not set a time period for murder and terrorism, this does not violate the due process of the Fourteenth Amendment. The prosecutor will continue to examine the files and he/she may contact the police and request that additional inquiries are conducted. During this time, it may be possible to convince the prosecutor not to file charges or to request a lesser charge. After a charge is filed, the number of court appearances may vary depending on the type of case. A court appearance can be defined as the act of coming to court to defend or prosecute a case and to enter an appearance to register with a court that a defendant intends to defend an action (Black, 2007). â€Å"The first court appearance is known as an arraignment in the state of Kansas. An arraignment is a hearing before a court having jurisdiction in a criminal case. When a court arraigns a person, the identity of the defendant is established, and the defendant is  informed of the charge and his or her constitutional and statutory rights. Bail can also be set at arraignment. The defendant is required to enter a plea, which distinguishes an arraignment from a defendant’s first appearance, where all other matters may be raised† (Gale, 2002). The arraignment process in felony cases cannot take place unless the prosecutor has prepared a written set of charges. In the state of Kansas, the prosecutor is required to convene a grand jury before charging a defendant with a serious crime. After the suspect is convicted of the crime, a sentencing process is started. On July 1, 1993, the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Act was developed to assist in determining felony sentencing through a grid system. For this reason, Kansas law uses the following two primary factors to determine the punishment of a convicted felon: the severity level of the crime and the defendant’s criminal history. Sentencing is the penalty imposed by a court upon a person convicted of a crime. The types of sentences include capital punishment, imprisonment, fines, restitution, and probation (Gale, 2002). Since the 1980s, sentencing guidelines started utilizing a point system based on the criminal offense and the criminal history of the defendant. A higher number results in a more severe criminal sanction. Additionally, judges have little or no discretion to depart from these guidelines (Gale, 2002). Thus, sentencing guidelines that Kansas has established provide practitioners in the criminal justice system with an overview of presumptive felony sentences. The juncture of the severity level of the crime of conviction and the offender’s criminal history category is the presumed sentence (KSA, 2012). Once a person is convicted of a felony, either by pleading guilty or being found guilty at trial, the judge will order a pre-sentence investigation and receive a report from the probation office. This report will advise the judge of the severity level of the crime, which grid it is on, drug or non-drug, and the defendant’s criminal history. In Kansas, the sentencing grid is how the judge determines the sentencing of a felony conviction. Nevertheless, not all crimes will fit on the grid. Thus, the sentencing for those crimes is individually outlined by the legislature. The majority of the felony crimes in Kansas fall on the sentencing grid, where the criminal history and the severity level of the crime aid the judge in determining the sentence. Non-drug and drug are two grids on the sentencing range. The  non-drug grid contains ten severity levels of offenses that range from theft to rape and murder. A level one offense represents a significant transgression while a level ten represents the least serious of the crimes. The drug grid contains four levels of offenses encompassing possession, distribution, manufacturing and cultivation of controlled substances. Similar to the non-drug grid, a level one offense is a severe crime and a level four represents a minimum wrongdoing. After the judge or court reviews the drug or non drug grid, the next step is to look at the criminal history of the accused. Criminal history in Kansas is classified as â€Å"A† through â€Å"I†, depending on a person’s past criminal history (KSA, 2012). A criminal history score of â€Å"A† is the highest criminal history score and would likely be assigned to a person with three or more personal felonies. A criminal history score of â€Å"I† is the lowest criminal history score and would be allocated to an individual with only one misdemeanor conviction or no criminal history. Within each grid box there are three numbers which represent months of imprisonment. These three numbers provide the judge or court with a range for sentencing. The sentencing judge or court then has the discretion to sentence within these parameters. The middle number in the grid box is the average number that is intended to be the appropriate sentence time for a typical case. The upper and lower numbers should be used for cases involving aggravating or mitigating factors sufficient to warrant a departure. The sentencing judge or court may increase the length of a sentence up to double the duration within the grid box (KSA, 2012). The judge or court may also depart downward to lower the duration of a presumptive sentence. Moreover, the judge or court can impose a dispositional departure by electing to implement a sentence of prison to probation or probation to prison. Once the criminal history and the severity level of the offense are determined, the grids will dictate the sentencing range and disposition for the judge or court. For example, rape in Kansas is a severity level one felony. If the defendant has no prior criminal record, then the crime is punishable by 147, 155, or 165 months in prison. If the same crime was particularly cruel or violent, the judge may impose the aggravated sentence of 165 months in prison. A defendant with an â€Å"A† level criminal history who is convicted of a particularly brutal rape could face up to 653 months in prison. After the judge or court  has reviewed the grid and all the files for the case, sentencing can be deliberated. By Kansas law, judges or the court must impose a sentence shown in the appropriate grid box unless substantial and compelling reasons exist to depart from the sentences. The sentencing judge or court should consider all available alternatives in determining the appropriate sentence for each offender. The sentencing guidelines seek to establish equity among like offenders in similar case scenarios. Rehabilitative measures are still an integral part of the corrections process, and criminal justice professionals continue efforts to reestablish offenders within communities (KSA, 2012). The guidelines do not prohibit sentencing courts from departing from the prescribed sentence in atypical cases. The sentencing court is free to choose an appropriate sentence, or combination of sentences, for each case (KSA, 2012). In 2008, Kansas changed its sentencing guidelines by implementing a no downward dispositional departure for any crime of extreme sexual violence. A downward durational departure can be allowed for any crime of extreme sexual violence to no less than fifty percent of the center of the grid range of the sentence for such crime. Does the Kansas judge or court have to follow the guidelines in the grid box? The answer is no. The judge can deviate from the presumptive range within the box; however, in order for him/her to do so, there must be a substantial and compelling reason. This means, a specific fact should either illustrate that this case is either worse than typical for this type of crime, justifying a longer sentence, or better than typical for this kind of offense, justifying a shorter sentence. As long as the judge stays in the box, the sentence cannot be appealed. A conviction could be appealed, but not the sentence. Judges typically do not depart, either shorter or longer, unless both the prosecution and the defense agree that he/she should. In order for a judge to depart upward to a longer sentence than contained in the box, he/she must usually have a jury finding of the extraordinary fact justifying the longer sentence. In Kansas, the legislature has designated convictions as presumptive probation, presumptive prison, and border box. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a presumptive probation offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is entitled to a contract of probation. The defendant, on the other hand, could serve the underlying sentence if he/she violates the terms and  conditions of the probation contract. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a presumptive prison offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is not entitled to a contract of probation and must serve the underlying sentence. A defendant can avoid prison, only if, the court formally deviates from the sentencing guidelines by finding considerable and convincing reasons to grant probation. If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a border box offense, the legislature presumes that the defendant is not entitled to a contract of probation and must serve the underlying sentence. However, the court is allowed to grant probation at the request or agreement of the parties as long as the court is satisfied that a program is available to the defendant that will ensure community safety interests by promoting the defendant’s rehabilitation and reducing the likelihood of recidivism. There are special rules which could deprive a defendant of his/her presumption of probation and in turn can allow the judge to sentence him/her to prison. An example would be if the crime occurred while the defendant was already on probation or on bond for another crime. These special rules must be taken into consideration when determining what a judge might do at the time of sentencing. In conclusion, Kansas has established a concrete criminal law process that can be directly correlated to its own state legislation. The system provides reasonable and comprehensible guidelines for all to follow in the service of justice. The law is enforced to protect individuals; however, being aware of your fundamental rights is a personal responsibility. If you are stopped, questioned, arrested or searched by federal, state or local law enforcement officers, the most common approach should always be to ask for an attorney. Inevitably, the law is there to sustain the status quo, to protect property, vested rights, and established relationships. An ordered society cannot survive without some type of legal system, even if it is just one simple rule. In the end, the legal system is the only procedure which can guarantee that all human rights are respected. 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Kibera Slum

Kibera Case Study:- [pic] Kibera is a slum divsion in the City of Nairobi, Kenya. It is located 5 kilometres from the city centre. It is the largest slum in Nairobi and the second largest in Africa. A 2009 population and housing survey reported that Kibera’s population as 170,070. It is hard to acccurately compute the population due to the fact that the slum hasnt been officially reconised by the Kenyan government. Furthermore because it is a slum, residents may not be able to read or write, so filling in censes are a problem. General Facts:- |Population |700-900k | |Distance from Nairobi |7 km | |Physical size (acres) |~630 | |Portion of people earning 15% | |Est. AIDS orphans |>50,000 | |Portion of people renting |93% | |Avg. monthly rent |$15USD | |Avg. # rooms per dwelling |1. 11 | |Typical room size |9†² x 9†² | It is a place where the people who live there face innumerable challenges, including the following, to name a few†¦ †¢ Living in one-room houses made of mud, with tin roofs with about 1m? of space per person. †¢ No running water (most water has to be purchased from brokers) †¢ Little to no access to electricity †¢ Widespread unemployment and low wage-earning rates (< $1 a day for the majority) †¢ Rampant disease, from malaria to cholera to HIV †¢ Lack of ownership of their property Improvements:- After a decade or so there has been an increase in efforts to improve conditions. The most notable example is KENSUP, or the Kenya Slum Upgrading Project, which is sponsored by UN-HABITAT. Resulting from a 2000 meeting between President Moi and the UN Human Settlements Programme, KENSUP aims to improve physical structures in Kibera and other slums through a process called â€Å"slum upgrading. † The program calls for the temporary relocation of residents of Kibera to adjacent â€Å"decanting sites,† allowing the construction of permanent dwellings to proceed in the Kiberan villages. Work has commenced in the Soweto East village, and as of September 2009, the first decanting site was under construction. Kibera needs land/tenancy rights, housing, water, electricity, health clinics, education, employment, security plus much more. All these issues are being addressed to a lesser or greater extent by many organizations including the Churches, UN-Habitat, MSF, AMREF etc. Money is finding its way through from many international organizations including Gates Foundation, Bill Clinton Foundation, all the well known charities and of course the churches both in Africa and internationally.

Low-Wage Workers

It is not easy being a low-wage worker. In my case, I am a family man. I have a wife who just stays at home without any source of income and two kids who go to school. Sad to say, I am among the 30 million workers who earn less than $9 an hour. The truth is I do not want to be a low-wage worker but I do not have a choice. I never went to college. What kind of jobs is in store for high-school graduates only? If you want to know the answer, just look at me now. I was hired because I was referred by a friend who used to work for the company I am working for at present. Not that I did not have the qualifications for the job, but nowadays, referrals help a lot. After filling out the standardized bio-data, I was called for interview directly. Drug tests were not required. My employer is Chinese and runs a family business, so most of the higher positions are held by family members except for some employees who have worked their all their lives. The one who interviewed me was the Executive Vice-President of the company who happens to be the wife of the President. She was kind. Not the type I expected to be. She was very calm in asking questions, as if I have known her for a long time. I did not feel very uncomfortable. She encouraged me to speak my thoughts, which was good because I need not worry too much about what to say. Our relationship at present is fairly good. But still my sentiments of a low-paying job with almost no benefits remain to cause me more difficulties in life. I keep on asking myself, â€Å"When will I get out of this dead-end job?† My fellow employees come in two categories: the well-paid workers with benefits and those who are like me with minimal benefits. I am not counting the employed family members because of course, the get good pay. Those who have higher positions usually have graduated from college with good to excellent scholastic record. These are the employees who possess innate, learned, and transferable skills. There was some who just finished high-school but they have special skills which are indispensable in the company. The ones like me are graduates of high-school only, with limited skills and abilities except for some. This is the reason why after working for 10 years in this company, I hardly get a raise. If I or any of my family members get sick, we simply incur debts to be able to attend to our medications. In terms of the working conditions, it is quite disappointing. The warehouses where I work are not well-equipped. They do not even have a decent comfort room. We share lockers, too. Our break room is close to dilapidation so rest periods can be hardly called rest at all. As to breaks, we have 30-minute lunch breaks from 12:00-12:30 then 2 bathroom privileges, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. My employer, I think, is a large corporation because it has seven branches in the country though each establishment is not really as big as other large companies. It has hundreds of employees so maybe it is indeed a big investment. During working hours, we rarely talk with my co-workers. However, we get to discuss some topics while taking our breaks such as our family lives. Usually they are family problems and we can only share them to the people at work to at least ease out a bit. We also chat about current events, latest happenings inside and outside the workplace, entertainment, and just about anything under the sun. Labor unions have declined over the past few years. But at times we talk about it. Generally, my co-workers especially those who have worked for a long time in the company, have always wanted to form a union where we could express our sentiments to our employers. Maybe, this would have improved our status in this company. Nevertheless, no one has really had the guts to lead us. Inasmuch as I wanted to help, I chose to have a job rather than not having one at all. I am scared of being jobless. I am still thankful even if I am only a low-wage worker. Works Cited Hansen, Randall. â€Å"Surviving and Moving Beyond Low-Wage Jobs: Solutions for an Invisible Workforce in America.† Quintessential Careers. 28 June 2007 . Low-Wage Workers It is not easy being a low-wage worker. In my case, I am a family man. I have a wife who just stays at home without any source of income and two kids who go to school. Sad to say, I am among the 30 million workers who earn less than $9 an hour. The truth is I do not want to be a low-wage worker but I do not have a choice. I never went to college. What kind of jobs is in store for high-school graduates only? If you want to know the answer, just look at me now. I was hired because I was referred by a friend who used to work for the company I am working for at present. Not that I did not have the qualifications for the job, but nowadays, referrals help a lot. After filling out the standardized bio-data, I was called for interview directly. Drug tests were not required. My employer is Chinese and runs a family business, so most of the higher positions are held by family members except for some employees who have worked their all their lives. The one who interviewed me was the Executive Vice-President of the company who happens to be the wife of the President. She was kind. Not the type I expected to be. She was very calm in asking questions, as if I have known her for a long time. I did not feel very uncomfortable. She encouraged me to speak my thoughts, which was good because I need not worry too much about what to say. Our relationship at present is fairly good. But still my sentiments of a low-paying job with almost no benefits remain to cause me more difficulties in life. I keep on asking myself, â€Å"When will I get out of this dead-end job?† My fellow employees come in two categories: the well-paid workers with benefits and those who are like me with minimal benefits. I am not counting the employed family members because of course, the get good pay. Those who have higher positions usually have graduated from college with good to excellent scholastic record. These are the employees who possess innate, learned, and transferable skills. There was some who just finished high-school but they have special skills which are indispensable in the company. The ones like me are graduates of high-school only, with limited skills and abilities except for some. This is the reason why after working for 10 years in this company, I hardly get a raise. If I or any of my family members get sick, we simply incur debts to be able to attend to our medications. In terms of the working conditions, it is quite disappointing. The warehouses where I work are not well-equipped. They do not even have a decent comfort room. We share lockers, too. Our break room is close to dilapidation so rest periods can be hardly called rest at all. As to breaks, we have 30-minute lunch breaks from 12:00-12:30 then 2 bathroom privileges, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. My employer, I think, is a large corporation because it has seven branches in the country though each establishment is not really as big as other large companies. It has hundreds of employees so maybe it is indeed a big investment. During working hours, we rarely talk with my co-workers. However, we get to discuss some topics while taking our breaks such as our family lives. Usually they are family problems and we can only share them to the people at work to at least ease out a bit. We also chat about current events, latest happenings inside and outside the workplace, entertainment, and just about anything under the sun. Labor unions have declined over the past few years. But at times we talk about it. Generally, my co-workers especially those who have worked for a long time in the company, have always wanted to form a union where we could express our sentiments to our employers. Maybe, this would have improved our status in this company. Nevertheless, no one has really had the guts to lead us. Inasmuch as I wanted to help, I chose to have a job rather than not having one at all. I am scared of being jobless. I am still thankful even if I am only a low-wage worker. Works Cited Hansen, Randall. â€Å"Surviving and Moving Beyond Low-Wage Jobs: Solutions for an Invisible Workforce in America.† Quintessential Careers. 28 June 2007 .

Media literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media literacy - Essay Example Following several clashes with swords in series of fierce mortal combats, the duo, Jack and Will attempt to recapture the Black Pearl Ship, relinquish a fortune in forbidden treasure and save the British navy thereby lifting the curse of the pirates, (Solway, 2008). Redbank (2007) affirms that the film’s complexity was achieved following a number of production technicalities. With numerous shootings, the first one being on October 9, 2002 in which Jack Sparrow steals the interceptor, the production team constantly changed the script to achieve their primary objective; a pirate movie with comical characters and a comical storyline with violence and politics incorporated. Trimble (2007) further documents that the film’s computer generated forms of the cursed crewmembers are relatively convincing, a feat achieved by the visual effect integrated by the production team. According to Wiratmoko (2009), the film’s production unit uses a series of filmic conventions and mythological images of characters like the masculine pirate Jack Sparrow to achieve the film’s objectives. Supplementary characters also supports the main character for example, Elizabeth Swan asks ‘Whose side is Jack on?’ to depict the ambiguity in Jack’s loyalty. Will replies, ‘at the moment?’ thereby depicting Jack’s unstable, contingent, ever changing and heterogeneous character, (Solway, 2008). Trimble (2007) however reveals that, a deeper analysis of Jack’s character reveals a strange aspect of piratical freedom and liberty from political manipulation. Comparative to the life on port Toruga, the society in Port Royal is too structured, lacking in freedom with all inhabitants obeying the preset political standards. Trimble (2007) notes that, the movie manages to bring out the free lifestyle which majority of civilized individuals seeks, a life in which individuals are allowed wild random adventures. According to Wiratmoko

Perception Key Rothko and Arp and Conception Key City Planning Essay

Perception Key Rothko and Arp and Conception Key City Planning - Essay Example The colors appear primary, with the exception of the lack melded borders around the rectangular shape in the upper portion of the painting. In contrast, the curvaceous work entitled, Growth, by Arp, seems to radiate femininity. A profile perspective of the piece seems to indicate, though not definitively outline, a female subject matter. Despite its marble material, the work curves and invites the viewer in the way it is rendered suggesting a bold sensuality. Both works are compelling and move he viewer to think more deeply as to the artist’s intentions and mood at the time of rendering and conceiving the finished piece. Perception Key Rothko and Arp (Chapter 5 page 104) 1. And 2. Would you like to touch either of these works? Would you expect either the Rothko or the Arp to feel hot or cold to your touch? Rothko’s, Earth Greens and Arp’s, Growth, are both works that one would want to touch. Arps’s rendering is inviting and the white marble would expect it to be cool to the touch. If the image were to come to life it would seem fluid, and sensually warm. However, as it is presented, the marble would appear to be cool to the touch while Rothko’s Earth Greens evokes a different sensational feeling. The canvas has a naturally warm feeling. The red is bold and the black around the edges of it almost see to indicate a red so hot it was scorched. 3. Which work seems to require the more careful placement of lighting? Why? Both works would be affected by the lighting around them. The Rothko is so bold that bright lights would seem to cause it to appear even more powerful. Dim lights would wash the colors out a bit. With Arp’s work lighting is exceptionally important to the three dimensional quality of it. In photos of the statue the lighting changes the look of the work immensely. The curves shadow differently depending on the light Bright lights would enhance the white of the marble. The work almost morphs in different lightin g as though it is moving. 4. Which of the two works appears to be the more unchangeable in your perception? 5. Why do the authors claim that Earth Greens is more abstract than Growth: Can you think of other reasons for example, the shapes in the two works? The Rothko piece is far more stagnant. The rectangle and square seem solid as if holding their ground and unmovable. Earth Greens is far more abstract than Growth as it has less dimension and eaves he viewer with shape and color. Growth has form in three dimensions that indicates either a figure of a woman or at the very least representation of the feminine in the curves and sensations that emanate from viewing it City Planning 1. Do you think the city ought to be saved? Why not just spread out, without, the centralized functions of a city: what advantages does the city alone have? What still gives glamour to such cities as Florence, Venice, Rome, Paris, Vienna, and London? New York City is a magnificent city that has seen serious change over the last twenty-five years. During the 1980’s New York City was dirty dangerous and graffiti covered. To his credit Mayor Giuliani did an amazing job of cleaning the city during his two terms. The graffiti is

Special needs in Forensic Mental Health-Women Essay

Special needs in Forensic Mental Health-Women - Essay Example It is interesting that the social worker sees her as "innocent" and that she feels that the drug and alcohol abuse has contributed to her being able to interact with her children. Although this may be true, there is another issue that should be addressed that include her fear of abandonment and anti-social behaviour. This behaviour, along with her ambivalence towards her children could be an indication of an attachment injury that she received during the sexual abuse. Sue would not have been able to attach well to her parents because her father was bipolar and her mother suffered from chronic depression. Her parents history of mental illness would also mean that her parents were unable to bond with her or take care of even her basic needs. From the case study, the counsellor cannot ascertain whether Sue is mentally ill or whether the drugs and alcohol are responsible for her behaviour. She may be mentally impaired since her IQ results are within "borderline range of intellectual functioning," She could have mental retardation either intellectually or environmentally. Sue was raised by a depressed mother and a bipolar father. This indicates that her needs probably were not met as a child and that her home life was very erratic, so attachment may have happened but not in a very positive way. According to Sorbello, Eccleston, Ward & Jones (2002), female offenders who have been abused or neglected have a "higher rate of psychological dysfunction than men" (p. 200). For Sue, this is shown through her need for alcohol and drugs. Although the case study does not specifically comment on whether Sue is bipolar or suffering from depression, her drug and alcohol problems could be triggered by episodes of depression. This would be something that the mental health practitioner should examine. Because Sue was sexually abused as a child, this issue must be

ARNP Project Last Wk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ARNP Project Last Wk - Essay Example From the diagram, it would be noted that for ARNP to effectively market its services to Gen Y, it first has to review its goals and plans for the organization at large and the Gen Y to be specific. After this, the need to undertake external analysis on the Gen Y segment to come to terms with major demographic variables that pertains to the people. After this, an internal analysis will be needed to be sure if the organization has adequately put its house in ready to accommodate new customers that will be coming in. the internal analysis is often translated by a SWOT assessment, based on which strategies and objectives for the Gen Y group will be developed. The final stage will require the development and implementation of an action plan. Because ARNP is in the health sector, its action plan must focus on how the organization can present differentiated services to the Gen Y so that members within the Gen Y population would choose ARNP over other competitors for the mere fact that ARNP has different services that the others cannot

Policy Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy Issues - Essay Example The foreign policy focuses more on the international relationships between countries. All policy makers should be wary of any unintended negative outcomes of policy decisions made. The world experienced the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 describe by rise in inflation, loss of the dollar value to other foreign currencies and general stagnation of the US economy. This called for government involvement in saving the economy and other adverse effects of the recession. The then president, George Bush instructed government officials to come up with measures to save the economy. An economic policy was devised where the government used economic interventions such as comprehensive tax rebate, control of business entities and funding the Toxic Asset Relief Program. Controlling of businesses received significant amounts of resistant from conservative economists (Lind, & Tamas, 2006). This is because, they believed that businesses have the ability to act rationally and maximize efficiency and profit. As a result, profitability in business will eventually stabilize the economy. However, Bush’s administration was keen to indicate that the government played a role in the private sector business. Economists and conservative policy makers viewed the recession issue as a result of inadequate regulation in the financial industry of the USA. The perception on economic regulation changed since it offered an opportunity for recovery. Consequently, the policy makers decisively concluded that economic regulation would maintain a good level of equity in the country’s economic system. The regulation aimed at changing some tax laws, adjusting ownership of property, an implementing the concepts of individual accountability. However, the issue of ownership of property was believed to have led to the supreme mortgage crisis. Moreover, there were minimal measures to regulate the financial institutions especially for the individuals who could not afford owning property. The

The Effects of Economic Growth on Olympic Performance Research Proposal

The Effects of Economic Growth on Olympic Performance - Research Proposal Example ent variable, Olympic performance will be considered in totality with regard to all the various factors that work together to affect the nature of the performance in a positive or negative way. The research question adopted for this study is important in three main perspectives. First, the question is designed to highlight the inherent challenges in Olympic performance as understood from the perspective of economic influences. It will help to enhance the understanding of any imbalances, advantages, and any other factors that promote or detract from the fairness and competitive nature of sports. This is a correlation study that seeks to establish the link between dynamics of economic growth and performance in Olympics. The aspect of economic growth shall be considered from the level of the participating countries. As such, the research question could provide a resourceful guide on the patterns of performance between the poor countries and the rich countries in line with past and recent studies that cited disparities in economic progress as the guiding factor towards the usual outcomes. Past empirical studies have shown that the performance in Olympics is significantly dependent on the level of economic development (Bian, 2004; Bhattacharya, 2006). Correlation research findings have indicated that the level of performance is significantly related to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the participating countries (Nielsen, 2013). Precisely, countries with low GDP measures tend to show poor performance in athletics as compared to countries with relatively higher GDP values. The general thinking is that economic power provides the developed world with a higher advantage than the struggling economies. Rich countries invest larger sums of money into the development of sports infrastructure as compared to the poor countries. According to some studies, the difference in the level of investment is the baseline factor that creates the variations in performance (Kothari,

Long-Range Goals Essay Example for Free

Long-Range Goals Essay Every one of us builds dreams and creates goals of our own. And those goals and aspirations are frequently rooted on our desires, wants and wishes, which depend on our personal experiences and current situations in life. My long-range personal goals revolve on three vital things: academics, professional and financial matters. Academic goals focus on my desire to graduate from college and to pursue further education. In fact, I am the first one in the family who is going to obtain a diploma. I am currently in my freshman taking general courses and a major course in Accounting. However, because I have come up with a realization lately, I now desire to become a Math teacher. In order to achieve it, I have to change my major courses. Therefore I am going to enlist in courses under the Teaching Program. Right after college I plan to have my Masters Degree on Education in order for me to achieve my academic goal. My professional visions center on my desire to become the person I yearn for my self to be: a Math teacher. I need to fulfill the responsibilities of being one. I have to teach diligently and faithfully the subject I am required to teach. Moreover, I have to maintain proper order and discipline in the classroom. I have to maintain an approachable and amiable atmosphere with my students. I am going to share them learning that would be kept in tact in their heart and mind. My financial goals center on my vision to earn for my education and for my family and to have a stable career so that I would have a steady source of income. Currently, I work as a part-time employee. I do my job three days in a week to support myself especially my education and to sustain my family because my father has no job and my mother is mentally ill. Even though I am employed, I can definitely say that I am a full-time student because I never get absent to class and I do my schoolwork and projects. At present, I live in a Project I really hate to live in. I believe that the only way for me to have a better life is for me to be educated. I desire for my dreams and visions to come true and I know that education is the ultimate key in reaching them. My character, perseverance and wisdom are the supporting factors that go hand in hand with education.

Current State of the Environment in Ireland

Current State of the Environment in Ireland Critical Evaluation of the Current State of the Environment in Ireland in Light of the Current Legislation INTRODUCTION There is a growing concern to reconcile the proper development of business with environmental issues in order to promote basic environmental conditions that do not harm the community and the place where such industry will be installed. Thus, efforts to improve pollution levels, whether in terms of air, water, soil, noise, etc. Become fundamental. Entrepreneurs, more and more, must be aware of local needs and respond to their priorities and concerns. Moreover, Environmental Licensing and permitting is a fundamental tool, since it allows the entrepreneur to identify the environmental effects of his business, and how these effects can be managed. This instrument seeks to ensure that the preventive and control measures adopted in the projects are compatible with sustainable development. Regarding this, Ireland follows the European Union (EU) legislation to protect the environment, the main bodies responsible to ensure that the environment legislation is being follow is the Environmental Protective Agency (EPA), the local authorities and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The aim of this work is to do a critical evaluation on the current legislation of air and water quality on the current state of the environment in Ireland. AIR QUALITY FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE The Air Quality Framework was established in 1996 by the European Commission, in the aim to improve the air quality, succeeding this the four daughter directives were implemented in order to established limits for different pollutants. Although, this air quality framework and his first 3 daughters directives were replaced in 2008 by the Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe (CAFÉ) Directive. Following this, in 2009, the fourth daughter directive was transposed into the Irish legislation, were it specifies limit values and requirements to monitor arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic hydrocarbons. In 2011, the CAFÉ Directive was transposed to the Air Quality Standards in the Irish legislation. Comparing with other countries in the European Union (EU), Ireland have a good air quality but the biggest challenge is to keep the levels below the limit, especially because is growing the particulate matter on the air and this grow is more concern on the winter months because of the domestic solid fuel burning. From the air pollutants the most concern, considered by the European Environment Agency (EEA) are nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter (PM), ozone and PAHs. Those air pollutants are the most dangerous for the human health, vegetation and ecosystems and in the figure bellow it can be noticed the impacts. For this reason, the levels of air pollutants have to be monitor closely and its classified as very good, good, fair, poor and very poor. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) co-ordinate and manages this monitoring through 31 stations spread in Ireland and the data is available for the public. Figure 1- Impacts of Air Pollution (Source: EPA,2014) In order to improve the air quality, the EPA is implementing new measures by increasing the monitoring network with a program call new National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme where the public have a real-time information about the air quality and the pollutants. In the case of domestic fuel burning, will be implemented the nationwide ban on smoky coal and it is due in 2018 by encouraging the change from solid fuel to cleaner fuel alternatives and increasing the awareness about how the house heating can affect the quality of air. Moreover, as part of the EU Clean Air Policy Package Directive, the government of Ireland is going to implement the National Emissions Ceiling (NEC) to decrease the pollutant levels such as NOx and ammonia. Levels of ammonia is starting to rise concerns because of the agriculture sector growth that leads to a secondary formation of particulate matter. Another measure that can be adopt to help the air quality, water quality and climate change associated energy recovery with the anaerobic digestion of animal wastes. WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE In 2000, The EU Directive implemented The Water Framework Directive (WFD), 2000/60/EC was established. This legislation it is a framework for the management of sustainable water which includes the protection of surface water, estuaries transitional waters; groundwater and coastal waters. In addition, WFD also involves the protection of the entire ecosystem such as the animals and plants that lives there. According to the EPA website, this water framework directive it is important for maintain the good status of the waters use in different activities like bathing, recreating and drinking. With this legislation the water bodies are classified in five different levels: high status, good status, moderate status, poor status and bad status. In order to get at least a good status, the WFD created some programmes for the water bodies. The aim of these programmes is to specify the nature, extent and frequency that is analysed on the water bodies To monitoring the water bodies in Ireland, the country was divided in eight River Basin District (RBD) and it is not based on political borders. Was necessary to identify and classify each RBD for create a River Basin District Plan in order to achieve the necessary target status. PROBLEMS WITH THE WFD The Water Framework looks a good way to ensure the quality of water and to protect the environmental, but appears to be few weaknesses points in the River Basin Management Plans, especially because these Plans do not specify any action that have to be made to prevent the deterioration of the water bodies and a way to recovery the water that is not classify as a good status by the WFD. (SWAN, 2014). Moreover, the major problem in Ireland is that there is not a single agency that manages the quality of water but multiple organizations that regulates and supervises, leaving difficult to actually act effective. The idea of the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) is that the current water management structure needs a restructuration. In order to fix the problem with the fragmentation of agencies that manages the quality of water, the government of Ireland with managers from EPA and City and County Managers Association (CCMA) are proposing a type of three-tier governance system, as shown in figure 2 below.   It is a new system that delegate each tier for different agencies to lead and also specify what are they aims within the new system. The tier one is led by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG), tier two is led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the tier three is led by the local authorities. Figure 2: The three-tier governance structure for the Second Cycle River Basin Management Plans. Another problem that was identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) related with the Water Framework Directive is that in order to classified the water status, they do not consider microbiological elements. According to an analysis made by the EPA in 2012 40% of all samples taken from the 285 wells and springs in the EPA national groundwater monitoring network were polluted by microbial pathogens, which can pose a threat to private water supplies in particular. CONCLUSION It is important to increase the awareness of the pollution of air and water, since that they are related with public health and also economic aspects. The quality of water and air has to be good in order to preserve the environment to future generation. The existence of government regulations and legislations it is essential to keep a sustainable and preserve environment. In addition, more research has to done in order to create a link between the air and water quality with public health, this understanding is essential to identify the main issue and help all organizations to implement necessary improvements in the system. In conclusion, the agencies in charge for the environmental legislation acknowledges many of the problems that was cited in this paper and it is doing something about it to change the scenario. Legislation is always changing by implementing something new that it is discover, especially when it is about the environmental that is constantly changing and new technologies are coming. REFERENCES Sustainable Water Network, 2013.The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Interactions with the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and implications for the status of Irelands waters. [pdf] Dublin 2: Sustainable Water Network (SWAN). Available at: [Accessed 23th February]. Dublin Regional Air Quality Management Plan, 2009-2012. [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 23th February]. Citizen Information, 2016. European environmental law. [online] Available at:  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   [Accessed 23th February]. Environmental Policy Agency, 2012.Irelands Environment an Assessment. [pdf] Wexford: Environmental Policy Agency (EPA). Available at: [Accessed 23th February]. Environmental Policy Agency, 2015. WFD Governance. [online] Available at: [Accessed 23th February]. European Commission, 2015.Introduction to the new EU Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed 23th February]. Environmental Policy Agency, 2017. Ireland ´s Environmental Air. [online] Available at: [Accessed 23th February].

Four Basic Principles That Underpin Construction Projects Economics Essay

Four Basic Principles That Underpin Construction Projects Economics Essay Construction economics like pure economics, its mainstream equivalent is concerned with the allocation of scarce resources. This is far more complex that as it first appears. Many of the worlds resources (factors of production such as land, labour, capital and enterprise) are finite, yet people have infinite wants. We are therefore faced with a two-pronged problem; at any point in time there is a fixed stock of resources, set against many wants. In an attempt to reconcile this problem, economists argue that people must make careful choices, in terms in construction choices about what investments are made, how these are constructed and on whose behalf. Construction is greatly dependent on the changes in the UK economy, and particularly on those which are the direct result of the government policy. Construction output is a response to the demand for buildings, and this is result of derived demand for other products and service. Variations in the Gross national product will, in this way, influence the demand for construction work and the associated level of employment. There are four basic principles that underpin construction projects; supply, demand, markets and types of business. Supply The word supply used in economics is normally defined as; the total amount of good or service available for purchase; along with demand, one of the two key determinants of price. This definition states that supply can be calculated by looking at the demand. Supply can also be affected in many ways the main one being demand. However there can be other factors that can affect supply as well, it could be the price of other related goods for example; paper is made from trees, therefore a tree would be considered a related good to paper. If the price of harvesting a tree increases the supply for paper will decrease. The line marked S is the supply curve. The curve depicts the relationship between two variables only; the price and quantity supplied. The supply curve can also shift left or right if there is an increase of supply for a certain product of service, it will increase the quantity and reduce the price. A change in supply refers to a change in behaviour of sellers caused because a factor held constant has changed. As a result of a change in supply, there is a new relationship between price and quantity. As the supply has changed or shifted to the right, we can see that the quantity has increased but the price has decreased. Supply must always be looked at when beginning a construction project, for example if the supply of housing has decreased there would be no point in purchasing a house for refurbishment and selling it on as the demand would have also decreased. Therefore when beginning a project, the related supply should be checked carefully and the project should be started at the estimated time of equilibrium. Demand The word demand is used widely through out the economics world and it simply means; desire, a desire for someone to own a good or service also having the ability and willingness to pay. Just like supply there are several factors that can affect demand the main one being supply. However there are other factors that can also affect demand this can be the price of related good or even income. The more income a person gets it is more likely that they will buy something. The preference of a certain good can also increase demand, for example if a large amount of people prefer a pair of jeans over a pair trouser then the demand for jeans will increase and the demand for a pair of trousers will decrease. The red line shows the demand curve. The curve is two dimensional and depicts the relationship between two variables only; price and quantity demanded. Looking at the diagram on the right, we can see the red demand curve, there is a shift to the right, this tells us that the demand has increased; therefore supply has increased along with the increase of price and quantity. For example, there would be a sudden demand for pancakes on Pancake Day, because of this the supply will increase, the price and quantity will also increase. Elasticity of demand can be defined as, the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price. (John Sloman, 2003, page44). If the price elasticity of a product is known then predications can be made on the effect of price and quantity for a supply curve. The size of change in supply and in demand can be calculated for comparison. It is measured in percentage. This graph shows three constant-elasticity demand curves. D1 is a vertical curve; the quantity does not change if the price changes, therefore it has zero elasticity. D2 is a horizontal curve; this is infinitely elastic. Any price below P0 gives an infinite demand and any price above gives a demand of zero. The curve D3 if unitary elastic, this means when there is a given percentage change in the price of the good it will result in an identical percentage change in the quantity that is demanded. In terms of a construction demand is very similar to supply, for example after completing refurbishment works on a house, it should not be sold immediately. It should be sold at a suitable time; it should be sold when the demand is high. The reason for this is, when the demand for housing is low the price of the house will decrease, and when the supply increases so does the price. Markets A command economy is where supply is controlled by the government, they decide what type of good and services are needed and decide how they are distributed. A free market economy is all allocation of scares resources is determined by supply and demand. There is no control from the government, and there is free trade without any major problems. A mixed economy has the best of both; there are parts of the command economy and parts of the free market economy, a mixed economy is an economic systems that allows for the simultaneous operation of publicly and privately owned enterprises. Depending on the type of market there is a construction project can be affected in many ways. For example a command economy will just build houses if they are needed, they will sell house if they need to be sold, and there is little room for choice. A free market will build entirely out of will; if it is needed then it will be built. If someone has the desire and the correct funds to build a house, then they will. And if someone wishes to purchase a house, they will agree an amount and pay it off. As above a mixed economy is the best of both, however in many circumstances the price for housing price does rise and fall. But, anyone person can build at their own will, but they will need planning permission. Types of Business There is a large extent of business structures they all have different purposes but all have the same goal to be successful. The types of business are; a sole traders, partnerships, public limited companies, private limited companies, housing associations, non-profit making organisations. A sole trader is; an individual owns and runs their own business without the need for employees. For example this could be a small corner shop. A partnership is; there are two or more people working together to make a profit. The partners together own the business and normally share out profits equally between each other. This could be a small/medium sized grocery store. A public limited company (legally abbreviated to plc with or without full stops) is a type of limited liability Company in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (and other jurisdictions where companies law is derived from English law) which is permitted to offer its shares to the public. For example Natwest bank is a public limited company. Housing Associations provide housing, they are more commonly known as Registered Social Landlords or RSL for short. They function as a normal business and any profits that may be made a put back into the business, so it is a non-profit making business. An example of a housing association is London and Quadrant housing trust. Non-profit making organisations tend to help the local area or community and all surpluses are not distrusted but it is put back into the company to help it grow and achieve its goal. When the recession hit the UK the supply and demand for housing were affected. Banks were not lending money for people who wanted to buy houses and many people were not interested in buying at all, as interest rate were too high. Therefore the demand for new housing dramatically decreased as a consequence the supply also decreased. Scarcity Scarcity is the fundamental economic problem of having seemingly unlimited human needs and wants, in a world of limited resources. It states that society has insufficient productive resources to fulfill all human wants and needs.  [1]  Certain goods are likely to remain inherently scarce by definition or by design; examples include land and positional goods such as awards generated by honor systems, fame, and membership of elites. These things are said to derive all or most of their value from their scarcity. This can be a large problem, many thing in the world are scarce this includes land, food, and other resources. For example land is a scarce resource as there is only a limited amount available, but it is always in demand. Also, scarcity can affect many things in construction for example raw materials are a scarce resource as it is always in high demand. Raw materials are sold in what is called the factor market. This is because  raw materials are factors of production alon g with labour and  capital. Raw materials are so important to the production process that the success of a countrys economy can be determined by the amount of natural resources the country has within its own borders. A country that has abundant natural resources does not need to import as many raw materials, and  has an opportunity to export the materials to other countries.  [2]  Timber being a raw material, is a very scarce resource as the amount of time taken for it to grow is not quick enough for the ever growing human demand. Task 2 The construction industry is heavily reliant on borrowing money to complete many projects. Many people can not afford to pay off a construction project completely. Hence, when the rescission hit the United Kingdom it had a large affect on it. Banks could not afford to lend any money that would go towards constriction projects; from this moment on the construction industry is still suffering as clients can not get hold of necessary funds to pay off the contractor. Due to the downfall of the construction industry the housing industry has also declined as a result of this. Office for National Statistics modelling suggests that the sector declined by 0.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2010, following the 0.9 per cent fall in the final quarter of 2009. UK GDP as a whole rose 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2010, the same data revealed. The weak data suggests that the brief growth period in mid-2009 was a false dawn as the construction sector has lagged behind ever since. Most predictions had suggested that 2010 would see further decline in construction, however, with many predicting falls of around 5 per cent this year to add to the double digit declines of 2009. While the reasons for the further contraction in the sector were unclear, some surveys have suggested there is lower spending in the public sector as projects are delayed in the run up to the election on 6 May. The rate of growth in the whole economy of 0.2 per cent is a slowdown f rom 0.4 per cent growth in the final quarter of 2009.  [3]   The UK government has plans for public spending and it is hoped that these will include major construction projects, such as roads, schools and other public buildings. This would help the construction industry and those companies that supply the construction industry to ensure continued employment for many. Construction accounts for about 6 per cent of the economy, but analyst said that, despite its modest size, the rapid deterioration in the sector does not bode well for the economy, particularly following poor manufacturing figures last week.  [4]   Quite simply the main economic problem in construction is the fact that no one wants to build anything, because they can not build anything if they have no money. When a construction project commences the client needs to get a hold of enough funds to be able to complete the project. Since the recession many construction projects have been put on hold, the reason for this is that bank were reluctant to give out any loan and any loan that they did give had very high interest rates, as a result of this many people were put off to even consider taking out a loan. Hence many people have been made redundant as companies could not afford to keep them employed. As more and more people became redundant, people became competitive, to try and fight for their job. Only after the recession can work go back to normal, but it will take time for construction projects to go back how they were as construction projects are very expensive, and many of them are based on credit or loans given out by banks or other similar sources. The term business cycle (or economic cycle) refers to economy-wide fluctuations in production or economic activity over several months or years. These fluctuations occur around a long-term growth trend, and typically involve shifts over time between periods of relatively rapid economic growth (expansion or boom), and periods of relative stagnation or decline (contraction or recession). These fluctuations are often measured using the growth rate of real gross domestic product. Despite being termed cycles, most of these fluctuations in economic activity do not follow a mechanical or predictable periodic pattern.  [5]   Construction activity in the UK continued to decline in Q1 2009, but at a marginally slower pace than in Q4 2008. The net balance of surveyors reporting a decline in activity increased from -47 to -45. All sectors experienced declines in workloads, although such declines moderated in the private and, particularly, the public housing sectors. Private industrial and private commercial workloads continued to fall at pretty much the same rapid pace as in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, declines in infrastructure workloads accelerated and public non-housing workloads resumed their decline having increased in the previous quarter. Private housing workloads continued to fall sharply Q1 2009, but a slower pace than in Q4 2008. Workloads fell at a slower pace in the South West, the Midlands/ East Anglia region, the North, Scotland and the London/ South East region. In Wales, workloads continued to fall at the same sharp pace as in the previous quarter. In Northern Ireland, private housing workloads fell at slower pace. Public housing workloads continued to fall, but only mildly. Workloads increased in the Midlands/ East Anglia region, they stabilised in Wales and they fell elsewhere. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, the pace of decline in public housing workloads picked up sharply.  [6]   Capital costs are costs incurred on the purchase of land, buildings, construction and equipment to be used in the production of goods or the rendering of services. In other words, the total cost needed to bring a project to a commercially operable status. However, capital costs are not limited to the initial construction of a factory or other business. For example, the purchase of a new machine that will increase production and last for years is a capital cost. Capital costs do not include labour costs except for the labour used for construction. Unlike operating costs, capital costs are one-time expenses, although payment may be spread out over many years  [7]  in financial reports and tax returns. Capital costs are fixed and are therefore independent of the level of output.

The Age of Computers :: Essays Papers

The Age of Computers Believe it or not, but the age of computers is upon us. I believe Computers are not only here to stay, but in my opinion computers are the wave of the future. Only a device like the computer can change the way we work, live, and think. I see computers taking us places where no man has gone before. Twenty years ago people were just not up to date with computers back then. I mean if you ask someone about a computer, they probably would say something like, what in the world our you talking about, or what the hell is a computer. Today just about anybody you ask, can tell you something about a computer. Papia Bhattacharyya , says: "Technology has bounded onto the center stage in the last few years"(59). The earliest existence of the modern day computer's ancestor is the abacus. The abacus dates back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding beads which are strung on wires. The next step in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first digital calcu lating machine, which was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector. Now we look at Charles Babbage, who many say is the father of computers. Charles Babbage was a professor of mathematics. In the 1800's Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. This machine was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Charles Babbage was so ahead of his time, that the machines that were used back then were not even precise enough to make the parts for his computer. Gulliver, states: The first major use for a computer in the US was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without human intervention (Gulliver 82). In the 1930's punched-card machine techniques had become so well established that Howard Hathaway Aiken, together with engineers at IBM, came up with the automatic computer called Mark I. The Mark I ran by using prepunched paper tape. The Mark I was slow, and required 3 to 5 seconds to perform multiplication.

Elizabethan Society Exposed in King Lear Essay -- King Lear Essays

Blood gushing from stabbed eyes. Sipping poison slipped by one’s very own sister. Fathers turning against their sons. Such are the horrid outcomes of the characters in King Lear. Shakespeare has written one of the greatest tragedies of all time with this play and from the very start, has provided no cushion of happiness for his viewers. They are immediately thrust into a world of turmoil-Lear’s favorite daughter is banished by him, Gloucester is deceived by his younger son, Lear is sent into a storm by his ungrateful heirs†¦and the list goes on. Yet, what is it that causes these wretched consequences? Is it because there are many diabolical personalities in the play? Many mistakes made by fathers in disbelieving their trustworthy children? No. The answer is that society is ultimately responsible for the end results of the play. The world of King Lear demonstrates for the audience, by illustrating with its various characters and their doings that a s ociety built around a social hierarchy and material wealth will always be a place of unhappiness, filled with people committing wicked actions. Shakespeare scribbled King Lear away between the years 1603 and 1606. This was a tumultuous time because Queen Elizabeth I had died but had left no heir and no husband to seize her monarchy. Therefore, the citizens were worried and the competition for her regency was strong. In writing the play, Shakespeare broached this uneasy topic by creating the character King Lear, who is unsure of whom to pass down his power too. Thus, Shakespeare builds a setting with many of the current concerns and problems of his Elizabethan world (yet they are approached in a disguised manner). This time period in England was one where... ...me blind while if the sisters had never stolen their father’s trust, he would never have gone crazy, Goneril would never have poisoned Regan and committed suicide and Cordelia would not have died. Thus, the tragic parts in the tragedy would not exist just as a world without the unhappiness would be happy. Works Cited â€Å"King Lear: Background on Shakespeare.† PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. . Signet Classic Edition Teacher’s Guide. Hern, Leigh Ann; Ellis, W. Gieger; Reed, Aretha J. S. (co-eds.), Penguin. Web Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of King Lear. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print. â€Å"The Stucture of Elizabethan Society.† Walter Nelson. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. .