Your thoughts concerning an intranet where employees can learn and Essay

Your thoughts concerning an intranet where employees can learn and mutually inspire each other - Essay Example Intranets just as any other computer networks including the internet use computer’s internet protocols to facilitate the haring of such resources as information, computing services and operating systems among many others within a single organization. This implies that an organization can customize the features of its intranet thereby making it unique and accessible to particular group of people who have specific interest in the organization. The size and type of an intranet to install in an organization depends on the size of the organization and the nature of the database used in such organizations. Debenhams plc. Is a multinational retail chain operating as department stores in Denmark, the United Kingdom and Ireland. As an organization requires an integrated database with appropriate intranet to link its franchises t a central database, thus enabling consolidate communication among the employees of the company. An intranet is a composition of different communication devices including a computer, routers, switches, data cables and telephones among many other features. To uyse an intranet effectively, employees require appropriate training and skills. Furthermore, the employees can train and support each other on the use of either each of the myriad component of the intranet or the entire network. Besides the above elements, an intranet may include other features such as fax machines, telephones and printers among others. The incorporation of these in an intranets permits sharing of the resources. The placement of such fractures should be strategic in order to facilitate access and efficient service delivery. Sharing of the resources constitute a major advantage of intranets since it makes management of organizations such as Debenhams plc. easier. By including a printer and a fax machine in an intranet, the organization consolidates the information processing mechanism thus permitting every station to access and print information without the need to buy several printers for every department. Additionally, the intranet maintains the integrity of the data printed by the centrally placed printer since it eliminates the use of secondary data storage facilities such as flash drives most of which transfer computer viruses thus impairing the functionality of the machines. An intranet is a fundamental feature of the Debenhams plc. It improves the level of professionalism in the organization besides its role in the operations of the firm. Through the intranet, Debenhams’ employees learn and inspire each other a feature that don not only improve the level of professionalism in the organization but also motivate employees thus improving profitability. Just as with any other technology, it will compel the employees to learn the ways of operation and handling in order to use efficiently. This way, the installation of an intranet in organization will motivate employees to learn and those with adequate knowledge on the operation of the di fferent machines to help enlighten others. Additionally, subsequent upgrade of the intranet will require progressive training of the staff in order to improve their ability to operate the equipment better. The use of computers is elaborate and requires professional technical knowhow depending on the roles of an employee in an organization. Managers for example use detailed programs in managing the organization’s operations and finance, the roles and duties of the employees differ depending on their positions within the organization. This implies that their use of the intranet will equally differ thus compelling the installation of different features of the intranet depending on the use

American Civil War 1861-1865 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Civil War 1861-1865 - Essay Example The American civil war remains to be the deadliest and the most destructive of all America’s war, it is considered to be the first modern war on the continent and perhaps the globe and the only conflict in the United States (U.S.) history that was fought on the nation’s soil, with some of the 620.000 0f the 2.4 million soldiers, millions more injured and the territory of the south become devastated4. The American Civil War of 1861 to 1865 and was the most important and worst event in the American history as it was an extremely bloody and cruel war, which had most Americans fighting amongst themselves5. The American civil war started on the 12th of April in 1861 when the southern troops fired the fort Sumter which was a U.S. military fort on the coast of Charleston6. South Carolina. This war ended in the 9th of April 1865 when the confederate General Robert Lee surrendered his ragged army to the union General Ulysees Grant at the Appomattox house afterwards the other con federate armies gave up7. The American civil war was the first war to be reported in the press to the people back at home. In the year 1860 the north and south developed into different sections. The division of the north and the south was characterized various issues which included political, social and economics in the country, these issues were seen to be slowly diverting the two regions further into separate directions. The regional conflict was between two regions of the United States (the southern states and the northern states).

Fair Value Accounting Vs Historical Cost Accounting

Fair Value Accounting Vs Historical Cost Accounting i) Fair Value and Historical Cost Accounting Historical cost accounting is an accounting method by which assets are valued based on the actual amount of money with which they are bought and as such no inflation adjustments applied. (Eipstein and Jermacowicz, 2007). Fair value accounting on its part deals with the fair market value of the asset. A number of definitions for fair value are provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). According to the FASB cited in Barlev and Haddad (2003) â€Å"Fair value is the price for which a property could be sold in an arm’s length transaction between unrelated parties†. FAS 13 Accounting for Leases. According to Rayman (2007: 213) citing FASB (2006, par. 5) â€Å"fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date†. A similar definition is provided by the IASB in IAS 39 Financial Instruments, Recognition and Measurement: â€Å"fair value is the amount for which an asset could be exchanged, or a liability settled, between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s length transaction†. (IAS 39. par. 9) (Bertoni and De Rosa, 2005; Epstein and Jermacowicz, 2007). According to the IASB fair value can be defined as: â€Å"the amount at which an asset could be exchange or a liability settled between knowledgeable willing parties at an arms length transaction† The fair value concept is used in many accounting standards such as the IFRS covering certain areas like acquisitions and valuation of securities. A fair value is used in situations where the actual cost of an asset is not obtainable. Assets will need to be revalued from time to time for instance when the market value for securities change or when their purchase price is inseparable from larger transactions (as in the case with acquisitions). (Eipstein and Jermacowicz, 2007). The fair value can be determined by the following methods, in IFRS order of preference as such: If there are identical transactions in the market, assets and liabilities should be valued with reference to such transactions i.e. If identical transactions do not exist, but similar transactions exist, fair value should be estimated making the necessary adjustments and using market based assumptions If either of the above methods cannot be used, other valuation methods may be used. (Eipstein and Jermacowicz, 2007). Fair value often has a subjective element as so many valuations are likely to use the latter two methods. ii) The Ideal Approach The most suitable approach to valuing assets and liabilities is the fair value approach. According to Barlev and Haddad ( 2003) the IASB and FASB consider HCA-based financial statements as obscuring the real financial position and the results of operations of a firm thereby providing ample room for manipulation. Historical cost accounting book values of assets and liabilities provide managers some loopholes to conduct earnings management thus concealing their real activities. (Barlev and Haddad, 2003). On the contrary, fair value accounting on the other hand measures and records current values of assets and liabilities in the balance sheet therefore making the book value to be approximately equal to the market value. The fair value approach therefore increases the value relevance of the balance sheet. (Barlev and Haddad, 2003).The basic premise underlying the FASB’ s decision is that fair value of financial assets and liabilities better enables investors, creditors and other u sers of financial statements to assess the consequences of an entity’s investment and financing strategies. (Khurana and Kim, 2003). Carroll et al. (2002) investigate the value relevance of fair value accounting relative to the historical cost accounting for financial instruments held by closed-end mutual funds. The findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between stock prices and the value of investment securities as well as between stock returns and fair value securities’ gains and losses. (Carroll et al., 2002). Despite the IASB and FASBs’ interests in the fair value approach, there are some inherent problems with the approach. The main problem with the fair value approach is determining the fair market value of assets that do not trade in active markets. According to Carpenter et al. (2008), this issue has been a subject of debate in the accounting profession. Accounting standard setters (the IASB and the FASB) recommend two solutions to this problem: (i) consult outside experts, for example, in the valuation of real estate, the services of a real estate expert should be sought; (ii) practitioners’ associations should develop valuation models. (Carpenter et al., 2008). However, despite these adjustments, Carpenter et al. (2008) suggest that there are still doubts as to whether skilled experts provide accurate and homogenous valuations. Analysing the consistency and quality of valuations provided by a sample of 43 business valuation experts who were asked to value a small high tech firm preparing for an IPO, Carpenter et al. (2008) provide evidence that skilled experts employ different methods and multiples even when they rely on the same guidelines. Moreover, there are significant variations in the fair market values for the same investment. (Carpenter et al., 2008). The evidence also suggest an upward bias in the fair market value of the high tech firm as compared to the actual value following the IPO. (Carpenter et al., 2008). iii. Implications for Future Accounting Standards The implications for future accounting standards is that the IASB and the FASB should develop more appropriate methods of determining fair value, especially for assets and liabilities for which there is not active market. By so doing the value relevance of the balance sheet will increase. BIBLIOGRAPHY Barlev B., Haddad, J. R. (2003). Fair value accounting and the Management of the firm. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, vol.14, 383–415. Benston, G. J. (2006). Fair Value Accounting: A Cautionary Tale from Enron. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, vol. 25, pp. 465-484. Carroll, T. J., Linsmeier, T. J., Petroni, K. R. (2002). The Reliability of Fair Value vs. Historical Cost Information: Evidence from Closed-End Mutual Funds. Journal of Accounting, Auditing, Finance. Carpentier, Cecile, Labelle, Rà ©al, Laurent, Bruno and Suret, Jean-Marc (2008). Does Fair Value Measurement Provide Satisfactory Evidence for Audit? The Case of High Tech ValuationAvailable at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1269743 Epstein, B. J., Jermakowicz E. K. (2007). Interpretation and Application of International Financial Reporting Standards. Wiley and Sons Inc. Khurana, I K., Kim M. (2003). Relative value relevance of historical cost vs. fair value: Evidence from bank holding companies. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, vol. 22, pp. 19–42. Rayman, R. A. (2007). Fair value accounting and the present value fallacy: The need for an alternative conceptual framework. The British Accounting Review, vol. 39 211–225

My First Host Family :: Personal Narrative Studying Abroad Essays

My First Host Family The situation I was presented with was somewhat ironic. In preparation for my departure to Study Service Term in Costa Rica, I worried a great deal about my first host family. Would they be mean? Would I be able to understand their Spanish? Would I like their food? These were the main concerns for me then. At no time did I stop to consider that it might be difficult to leave my first host family, the thought never entered my head. After all, they were not really my family, why should it be hard? I was in a different country, thousands of miles away from the land of my birth, yet I had become so comfortable that it was hard to break away. So much of this place had left an impact on me that I didn’t want to consider leaving. These people took me, a total stranger, into their home, gave me food and shelter, and in only six short weeks made me feel like a genuine part of their family. I may not have understood before, but I was forced to deal with it now: this would be one of the longest nights of my life. Facing the inevitable, I said goodnight to my family as I did every other evening, and headed towards my room for the night. The hot sun had given way to the night, and crickets now sang in the infinite blackness outside my window. The curtains danced as cool, sweet breezes leaked effortlessly into my room, helping to calm my shaky soul. Yet I lay there for an eternity, eyes fixed on the intricate patterns of cracks in the ceiling as the wonders and worries of what was to come now swirled through my head. How would I make it for another six weeks? What would my next family be like? How could I possibly be as happy there as I was here? I finally fell asleep, but not the deep sleep that cleanses and offers comfort, rather a shallow trance tormented by visions and dreams, thoughts and emotions, fears and concerns. I traveled in and out of consciousness, seeking unsuccessfully to grasp something to hold onto, something stable in my life. The house was dark and motionless when my alarm jerked me out of slumber; my father, brother and sister had all left for the day already. I rose unrefreshed and headed for the bathroom, feeling as if I hadn’t slept at all.

Sonnet 129

The poem Sonnet 129 focuses on human lust and its inevitable stages of shame. Shakespeare promotes the theme that as a result of lust there is only corruptness, whether it be while one is â€Å"in pursuit† (9) (in the future tense), â€Å"in possession† (in the present tense), or after the fact (in the past tense) when it proves â€Å"a very woe† (11). The negativity of lust is extremely reinforced in only the third line of the poem with a chain of adjectives to describe lust: â€Å"Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame, / Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust† (3-4).This word choice exemplifies strong and ruthless voice that one would not usually categorize with lust. A simile is used to expound the consequence of lust by comparing it to when a fish is tricked by â€Å"a swallowed bait† (7). When a fish takes the bait with the hidden hook, the barb on the hook encases itself inside the fish’s flesh. This is an accurate compariso n to lust because the energy the fish exerts directly correlates with how deep the hook is buried. Correspondingly, just like when one is lustful, he or she is unavoidably doomed; that is, trying to escape the shame worsens the situation.Also, Shakespeare touches on the deceptiveness of lust: at first one is convinced lust is not a problem, merely â€Å"A bliss in proof† (11); however once realized and â€Å"proved† (11), the struggle with lust ends up being problematic. Moreover, Shakespeare expresses the shamefulness of viewing lust from â€Å"behind a dream† (12), the consequently terrible feeling one feels after lusting. The organization of Sonnet 129 helps convey Shakespeare’s idea about the tangles created by lust. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.This organization of rhyme forms a sense of always searching for a conclusion to the rhyme, as one reads one line and then the next in search for an end rhyme. There are no periods for the first 12 li nes creating a lack of pause, which forces one to read the entire poem through in a hastily manner. This all exemplifies the theme of lust because the poem reveals how once one lusts, they are never satisfied whether it be before, during, or after the lusting just like how as the reader is always propelled into the next word or phrase.The last couplet of the poem â€Å"All this the world well knows; yet none knows well / To Shun the heaven that leads men to this hell† (13-4) finally breaks the hurried 14 lines. In this couplet, Shakespeare explains that everyone knows lusting is a sin and it is always visible to God. This is an appropriate conclusion for this poem because it is reiterating the seriousness of lust and the Christian stance that lusting, in the end, will place you in hell.

Aup Definition

Unit 5 Assignment 1: Testing and Monitoring Security Controls Learning Objectives and Outcomes ?You will learn to recognize security events and baseline anomalies that might indicate suspicious activity. ?You will learn to identify policy violations and security breaches and to appropriately monitor threats and control activity across the network. Assignment Requirements Refer to the handout Testing and Monitoring Security Controls. It contains information on security events or breaches and baseline anomalies. After studying the handout, answer the following questions: Identify at least two types of security events and baseline anomalies that might indicate suspicious activity. ?Given a list of policy violations and security breaches, select three breaches, and consider the best options for controlling and monitoring each incident. Identify the methods to mitigate risk and minimize exposure to threats or vulnerabilities. Required Resources Worksheet: Testing and Monitoring Security C ontrols Submission Requirements ?Format: Microsoft Word ?Font: Arial, Size 12, Double-Space ?Length: 1–2 pages ?Due By: Unit 6 Self-Assessment Checklist I have identified at least two security events and baseline anomalies. ?I have indicated the best options for controlling and monitoring three of the policy violations and security breaches from the list. ?I have identified the methods to mitigate risk and to minimize exposure to threats or vulnerabilities. Unit 5 Assignment 2: Define an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) Learning Objectives and Outcomes ?You will learn to successfully identify inappropriate activity on a network and to develop a basic AUP that describes the handling of such incidents.Assignment Requirements Richman Investments requires the enforcement of strict ingress-egress filtering policies for network traffic. Certain traffic is expressly forbidden: ? No peer-to-peer file sharing or externally reachable file transfer protocol (FTP) servers ? No downloading exe cutables from known software sites ?No unauthorized redistribution of licensed or copyrighted material ? No exporting internal software or technical material in violation of export control laws ? No introduction of malicious programs into networks or onto systems ?No accessing unauthorized internal resources or information from external sources ? No port scanning or data interception on the network ?No denying service or circumventing authentication to legitimate users ? No using programs, scripts, or commands to interfere with other network users ? No sending unsolicited e-mail messages or junk mail to company recipients ? No accessing adult content from company resources ?No remote connections from systems failing to meet minimum security requirementsDefine a LAN-to-WAN, Internet, and Web surfing AUP that restricts usage of the company’s Internet connection and permits the company to monitor usage of the corporate Internet connection. Carefully evaluate the implications of each policy and how implementations might impact the IT infrastructure, both positively and negatively. Weigh the benefits and the disadvantages of each method. Consider whether or not a proposed solution causes an interruption to the legitimate users and how it might bring security at the expense of preventing a perfectly legitimate activity.Required Resources ?None Submission Requirements ?Format: Microsoft Word ?Font: Arial, Size 12, Double-Space ?Citation Style: Chicago Manual of Style ?Length: 1–2 pages ?Due By: Unit 6 Self-Assessment Checklist ?I have defined an effective LAN-to-WAN, Internet, and Web surfing AUP. ?I have evaluated the implications of each policy. ?I have carefully considered the benefits and disadvantages of each policy enforcement control. ?I have proposed strong ideas for acceptable and unacceptable resource usage.

Language and Its Characteristics Essay Example

Language and Its Characteristics Essay Example Language and Its Characteristics Essay Language and Its Characteristics Essay Language is a means of forming and storing ideas as reflections of reality and exchanging them in the process of human intercourse. Language is social by nature; it is inseparably connected with the people who are its creators and users; it grows and develops together with the development of society. Language incorporates the three constituent parts (sides), each being inherent in it by virtue of its social nature. These parts are the phonological system, the lexical system, the grammatical system. Only the unity of these three elements forms a language; without any one of them there is no human language in the above sense. The phonological system is the subfoundation of language; it determines the material (phonetical) appearance of its significant units. The lexical system is the whole set of naming means of language, that is, words and stable word-groups. The grammatical system is the whole set of regularities determining the combination of naming means in the formation of utterances as the embodiment of thinking process. Each of three constituent parts of language is studied by particular linguistic discipline. These disciplines presenting a series of approaches to their particular objects of analysis , give the corresponding descriptions of language consisting in ordered expositions of the constituent parts in question. Thus, the phonological description of language is effected by the science of phonology ; the lexical description of language is effected by the science of lexicology; the grammatical description of language is effected by the science of grammar. Now we are going to have a good look at each of these three disciplines. [Blokh,6] The first one is Phonology. The study of speech sounds is partitioned between two distinct but related disciplines, phonetic and phonology. Both terms come from the Greek word meaning sound, and there is a fair degree of overlap in what concerns the two subjects . Thus, the boundaries between phonetics and phonology are very difficult to draw, and there is a good deal of controversy amongst linguists as to exactly where they should lie. Despite the differences, it is clear that each of these subdisciplines relies on the other to a large extent , in the sense that phonological analyses have to be grounded in phonetic facts, and phonetic research has to be geared towards those capacities of the human vocal tract which subserve language specifically. Phonetics is essentially the study of the physical aspects of speech. This means the acoustic bases of speech (linked most closely with speech production). Thus, phonetic research might investigate the collection of frequencies of sound observed in the production of particular types of vowel, or it might examine the precise movements of the tongue in producing the sound s. Phonology is connected with the linguistic patterning of sounds in human languages Grammar . In earlier periods of the development of linguistic knowledge, grammatical scholars believed that the only purpose of grammar was to give strict rules of writing and speaking correctly. The rigid regulations for the correct ways of expression, for want of the profound understanding of the social nature of language, were often based on purely subjective and arbitrary judgements of individual grammar compilers. The result of this prescriptive approach was, that alongside of quite essential and useful information, non-existent rules were formulated that stood in sheer contradiction with the existing language usage, i. e. lingual reality. Traces of this arbitrary prescriptive approach to the grammatical teaching may easily be found even in to-dates school practice. The said traditional view of the purpose of grammar has lately been restated by some modern trends in linguistics. In particular, scholars belonging to these trends pay much attention to artificially constructing and analysing incorrect utterances with the aim of a better formulation of the rules for the construction of correct ones. The nature of grammar as a constituent part of language is better understood in the light of explicitly discriminating the two planes of language, namely, the plane of content and the plane of expression. . Modern linguistics lays a special stress on the systemic character of language and all its constituent parts. It accentuates the idea that language is a system of signs (meaningful units) which are closely interconnected and interdependent. Units of immediate interdependencies (such as classes and subclasses of words, various subtypes of syntactic constructions, etc. form different microsystems (subsystems) within the framework of the global macrosystem (supersystem) of the whole of language. Each system is a structured set of elements related to one another by a common function. The common function of all the lingual signs is to give expression to human thoughts. The systemic nature of grammar is probably more evident than that of any other sphere of language, since grammar is re sponsible for the very organisation of the informative content of utterances [БÐ »Ã ¾Ã'…, 4, 11 Ð ¸ Ã' Ã ». . Due to this fact, even the earliest grammatical treatises, within the cognitive limits of their times, disclosed some systemic features of the described material. But the scientifically sustained and consistent principles of systemic approach to language and its grammar were essentially developed in the linguistics of the twentieth century, namely, after the publication of the works by the Russian scholar Beaudoin de Courtenay and the Swiss scholar Ferdinand de Saussure. These two great men demonstrated the difference between lingual synchrony (coexistence of lingual elements) and diachrony (different time-periods in the development of lingual elements, as well as language as a whole) and defined language as a synchronic system of meaningful elements at any stage of its historical can be strictly defined, which is of crucial importance for the identification of the object of linguistic science. Language in the narrow sense of the word is a system of means of expression, while speech in the same narrow sense should be understood as the manifestation of the system of language in the process of intercourse. The system of language includes, on the one hand, the body of material units - sounds, morphemes, words, word-groups; on the other hand, the regularities or rules of the use of these units. Speech comprises both the act of producing utterances, and the utterances themselves, i. e. the text. Language and speech are inseparable, they form together an organic unity. As for grammar (the grammatical system), being an integral part of the lingual macrosystem it dynamically connects language with speech, because it categorially determines the lingual process of utterance production. Thus, we have the broad philosophical concept of language which is analysed by linguistics into two different aspects - the system of signs (language proper) and the use of signs (speech proper). The generalising term language is also preserved in linguistics, showing the unity of these two aspects [БÐ »Ã ¾Ã'…, 16]. The sign (meaningful unit) in the system of language has only a potential meaning. In speech, the potential meaning of the lingual sign is actualised, i. e. made situationally significant as part of the grammatically organised text. Lingual units stand to one another in two fundamental types of relations: syntagmatic and paradigmatic. Syntagmatic relations are immediate linear relations between units in a segmental sequence (string). E. g. : The spaceship was launched without the help of a booster rocket. In this sentence syntagmatically connected are the words and word-groups the spaceship, was launched, the spaceship was launched, was launched without the help, the help of a rocket, a booster rocket. . On the basis of discriminating synchrony and diachrony, the difference between language proper and speech proper

Munchausen Syndrome essays

Munchausen Syndrome essays A middle aged woman complaining of an abnormally high fever; a thirty-something blue collar worker having multiple seizures a day; a college student mysteriously contracting infection after infection. Is this a medical mystery, or are the patients intentionally harming themselves for the attention that their illness gives them? Strangely enough, many patients either feign their condition or infect themselves with disease in order to attract medical attention. How is this psychological illness different than hypochondria? With the condition known as hypochondria, people experience physical symptoms of illnesses, and find themselves frequenting doctors offices, believing that they are truly sick. However, in Munchausen syndrome, the sufferer knows that he or she is not ill at all, but seeks medical attention in order to gain attention he/she feels cannot be gained in any other manner. In some cases of Munchausen syndrome, the sufferer will even inflict harm upon him/herself in order to make become sick or hurt in such a way that medical attention is required. Widely misunderstood even by health professionals, factitious disorders must be considered in a modern perspective instead of the historical view, which erroneously groups all factitial patients under one extreme category. The term Munchausen Syndrome was introduced by Dr. Richard Asher in 1951 in a paper he wrote for the British medical journal, Lancet. Dr. Asher described this illness as a common syndrome which most doctors have seen, but about which little has been written. Like the famous Baron von Munchausen, the persons affected have always traveled widely; and their stories, like those attributed to him, are both dramatic and untruthful. Accordingly, the syndrome is respectfully dedicated to the baron, and named after him. Munchausen Syndrome is actually a misnomer. Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Munchausen (1720-1791) was actually an ...

Winter Skate Characteristics and Information

Winter Skate Characteristics and Information The winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata)  is a fish - a type of  cartilaginous fish that has wing-like pectoral fins  and a flat body. Skates resemble a stingray, but have a thicker tail that doesnt have any stinging barbs. The winter skate is one of dozens of species of skates.  . Description: Skates are a diamond-shaped fish that spend most of their time on the ocean bottom. Their gills are on their ventral side, so they breath through spiracles  on their dorsal side. Through the spiracles, they receive oxygenated water. Winter skates have a rounded appearance, with a blunt snout. They look similar to little skates (Leucoraja erinacea).  Winter skates can grow to about 41 inches in length and up to 15 pounds in weight. On their dorsal side, they are light brown with dark spots, and have a lighter, translucent patch on each side of their snout on front of the eyes.   Their ventral side is light with brown blotches. Winter skates have 72-110 teeth in each jaw. Stingrays can protect themselves with stinging barbs on their tail. Skates do not have tail barbs, but have thorns in various places on their body. On young skates, these thorns are on their shoulders, near their eyes and snout, along the middle of their disc and along their tail. Mature females have large thorns on the posterior edge of their dorsal fins and spines on their tail, along the edges of their disk and near their eyes and snout.   So although skates cannot sting humans, they must be handled with care to prevent being punctured by the thorns. Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Elasmobranchii Order: Rajiformes Family: Rajidae Genus:  Leucoraja Species:  ocellata Feeding: Winter skates are nocturnal, so they are more active at night than during the day.   Preferred prey include polychaetes, amphipods, isopods, bivalves, fish, crustaceans and squid.   Habitat and Distribution: Winter skates are found in the North Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland, Canada to South Carolina, U.S., on sand or gravel bottoms in waters up to 300 feet deep. Reproduction: Winter skates are sexually mature at 11-12 years. Mating occurs with the male embracing the female.It is easy to distinguish male skates from females because of the presence of claspers, which hang down from the males disk on either side of the tail. These are used  to transmit sperm to the female, and eggs are fertilized internally. The eggs develop in a capsule commonly called a mermaids purse - and then are deposited onto the ocean floor.   Once eggs are fertilized, gestation lasts for several months, during which time the young are nourished by the egg yolk.   When the young skate hatch, they are about 4-5 inches long and look like miniature adults.   The lifespan of this species is estimated at about 19 years.   Conservation and Human Uses: Winter skates are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. They take a long time (11-12 years) to become old enough to reproduce and produce few young at a time. Thus their population grows slowly and is vulnerable to exploitation.   Winter skates are harvested for human consumption, but are usually caught when fishermen are targeting other species.   References and Further Information: Bester, C. Winter Skate. Florida Museum of Natural History: Icthyology. Accessed February 27, 2015.Coulombe, Deborah A. 1984. The Seaside Naturalist. Simon Schuster. Kulka, D.W., Sulikowski, J. Gedamke, T. 2009.  Leucoraja ocellata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3.  Accessed February 27, 2015. Packer, D.B., Zetlin, C.A. and J.J. Vitaliano. Winter Skate, Leucoraja ocellata, Life History and Habitat Characteristics.  NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-179. Accessed February 28, 2015.NOAA FishWatch. Winter Skate.  Accessed February 27, 2015.

Implementing change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Implementing change - Research Paper Example This is because changes in office can bring about stress and anxiety among the employees (Rothwell, 2001). There are a number of ways that a manager can use to successfully implement changes in the department. Communication in any organization is vital. It is the role of the managers to ensure that communication channels are followed and the right message is conveyed and in time. As a manager, therefore, if there are changes in the organization that might either in the short run or long run affect one’s specific department, it is vital to make the communication to the workers in that department in time. Earlier information helps to ease the effects of change. Embrace the positive sides of the change and share it with your workers. When the employees see that their leader is positive with the upcoming change, then they will accept. This thus results to good performance within the said department. When the changes are focusing to a specific department, it can be a source of conflicts and disagreements between the employees from the other departments. It is the duty of the manager to explain to all other workers why the change is focusing a particular department and not all. This is to help curb the feeling of unfairness among the workers, (Britain, 2007). After giving out the necessary information regarding the change, invite suggestions from the employees. Also, let them ask questions regarding the upcoming changes and answer them appropriately. Communication helps in making the transition smooth. When communicating about the change, it is important to give a timeframe of when it is going to happen. Delay on implementation may raise anxiety among the employees. Have goals that are timely and learn to keep promises, (Rothwell, 2001). In case the change is not implemented as earlier stated, inform your employees and give reasons behind the delay. Mange well the department changes and make everyone

Major global crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Major global crimes - Essay Example Society is a very important component of any criminal justice system. There are four or five major types of societal set ups as far as law is concerned. Fork communal society is that considered to be barbaric/ primitive. It is associated with people of low education levels and economic backgrounds. The society have few law personnel hence more law offenders goes unpunished while suspects goes untried. But repeated offences could be punished by harsh or unusual punishments. This type of society is common in Africa as well as Middle East countries. Urban commercial societies are characterized by few stipulated laws. The king or some religious leaders could be mandated to create their own laws to guide the community as a whole. The punishments to law breakers are indefinite but they are harsh enough to pass some warnings to the rest of the society members. Urban industrial society is another kind of society set up where law abiders are provided with some kinds of incentives. Police in t his kind of society are given the responsibility to protect people’s property from theft and any kind of vandalism. Lastly, bureaucratic societies are the current or modern society set ups in different parts of the world. They are characterized by comprehensive written laws as well as law professionals like lawyers, judges, police forces with different specializations in accordance with various crime types. An international law comprise of the generalization of several legal traditions as a unit. The international law is formed in such away that each state or tradition is fully represented. This is to eliminate any kind of biasness. Several legal traditions exist and they include; common law which is majorly associated with Britain and its former colonies, civil law is associated with some African and European countries. Socialist law on the hand comprise of modified versions of civil law. Such modifications are in accordance with Marxist-Leninist theories among other theorie s. This kind of law is majorly associated with Russia and its neighbors. Islamic law is drawn from religious point of view and is associated with all countries where Islamic exists. Policing is the initial stage of encounter between the law offender and the criminal justice system. The police are expected to do some investigations following some crime then make arrests. However, a special kind of police reinforcement called Law enforcement agency may be required should the criminal be regarded harmful to the society or the country in general. The police may be compelled to use some legal forces to ensure social as well as public orders are adhered to. Even though different countries and states has different police structures, common role of police is to maintain law and order, further more, they are meant to serve the society with total equality. Court is a judicial unit where criminal cases are heard before their verdicts are provided. The main aim of the courts is to render justic e to both the accused and the plaintiff. Several countries have different court systems. For instance, USA among other nations regards a defendant as either guilty or not guilty and not innocent as applied in other countries. USA uses the adversarial system where both the defendant and the plaintiff argue the case by giving their

Selecting a Supplier or Contractor Research Paper

Selecting a Supplier or Contractor - Research Paper Example The four different projects chosen include that of production of electronic products, construction of a retail outlet, manufacturing glass containers and construction of residential buildings. The criteria for supplier selection followed by these projects include that of quality, the speed of delivery, cost and reputation respectively. After analyzing these criteria, a comparison of these supplier selection methods has been given along with the critique that identifies the best method of supplier selection. Every business has the impact of competition in the market due to increased globalization and various technological advancements. In such a competitive scenario, good supply chain becomes an important part of the corporate strategy. Coyle, Bardi, and Langey (2003) say that this prime need has driven the logistics managers to concentrate more on supplier capabilities, conceptualizing and designing and implementing the supply process. Traditionally, there were only a few criteria like cost, delivery time and quality of the goods that were mainly concerned with supplier selection says Smith et al (1963), in the recent there are many other criteria in selecting a suitable supplier. Selecting a competent supplier becomes the key to the production and delivery of high-quality products. Hence the supply chain managers need to adopt a proper strategy for selecting the suppliers based on some criteria. Selecting and maintaining a good supplier involves an important decision regarding the purchase of quality goods as it leads to quality products. The selection of competent suppliers can be based on various criteria as prescribed by Dickson (1996) are the net price quoted by the supplier, the reputation of the supplier, the extent up to which the supplier is able to meet the quality requirements, the replacement or

Change Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Change Managment - Essay Example As the discussion declares  managers today face constant change and they are often exposed to various challenges. Against this background, this paper has been designed to critically analyse the extent to which the concepts of management and leadership impact on the change process in a given organization.  This paper highlights that  change is either unplanned or planned alteration in the mode of carrying out activities or the status quo. Change is about making things differently and in case of planned change, it can be seen that the change activities are goal oriented and they are intentional. Both internal and external factors can necessitate change in a particular organization. The internal factors that can influence change in an organization include human resources issues while external factors include economic, social, political as well as technological issues.   It is important for organizations to conceptualise change as the gap that exists between the current status qu o and the desired objective. In order to achieve this feat, change has to be properly planned and there are many issues that are involved in carrying out this initiative. Drawing from the case given in patch1 attached, it can be observed that managing change is a process that requires concerted efforts especially by the leaders responsible for the change process.  There are quite a number of activities that are involved in change management such as initiating change, planning, action plan as well as stabilising the change results.

The Gross Profit Margin of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd Essay

The Gross Profit Margin of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd - Essay Example The Gross Income Margin is a financial measure to evaluate an organization’s financial wellbeing by disclosing the percentage of cash left after considering the cost of goods sold into account. The gross income value of an organization serves as the basis for the payment of further expenses and future reserves. The gross income margin of an organization can be calculated as the ratio of its revenue less its cost of sales to its revenue value. i.e., Gross Income Margin = (Revenue – Cost of Sales)/ Revenue The cost of sales refers to the direct expenses involved in the manufacturing of the products sold by the organization. The cost of sales value includes the cost of resources utilized in the manufacturing of the products along with the labor expenses utilized in the production of the products. Thus, the cost of sales can be computed as, Cost of Sales = Opening Stock + Purchases – Closing Stock The computation of the cost of sales of a company does not comprise of any indirect costs involved in the process of sale of the products. Thus, the repair and maintenance charges, costs of depreciation of tools and equipments, rent expenditure, wages and charges of water and electricity have been excluded from the calculation of the cost of sales and hence from the computation of the gross profit of the company . Therefore, the cost of sales of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd for the present year and the previous year would be, The assessment of the financial health of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd can be carried out by the examination of the financial ratios of the company. The analysis of the current ratio shows that it has increased from 1.28 in the previous year to 1.34 in the present year. Ideally, the company should have current assets by current liabilities ratio of 2:1, in order to be in a position to comfortably repay their short-term liabilities. Thus, though the percentage of current assets of the company is a little higher than that of the current liabilities, the company should try to improve its current ratio in order to enhance its liquidity. The company also needs to focus on its cash assets so as to improve its creditworthiness. The debt ratio and the debt to equity ratio indicate the financial leverage of the organization. Debt ratio signifies the relationship between the total liabilities and the total assets. The debt ratio of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd has slightly increased from 0.57 to 0.69 during the period. The debt to equity ratio helps in deriving a reasonable relationship between the debt and the equity value of a company . The present value of the debt to equity ratio also increased a little from 0.17 in the previous year to 0.21. Since the values of the mentioned ratios are moderately low, it can be implied that the company is in a position to raise long-term debts, in case it wants to, considering the moderately low interest rate. The fixed asset turnover ratio of Mark Equipment is 22.51 in the present year, whereas the fixed asset turnover of the company for the previous year has been 18.07. The total asset turnover for the previous year was 5.23, whereas it decreased to 3.63 in the present year. It implies that Mark Equipment had been able to generate more volume of sales in relation to the fixed assets it holds . Thus, the company had utilized and managed its fixed assets quite fairly, though it needs to improve the utilization of its overall assets.

Library research assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Library research - Assignment Example (check this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w5nMXB828Q&feature=plcp). After watching several powerpoint presentation and videos I now have a better idea how to do a research using the website despite the unavailability of the instruction video on how to begin a research. It is just unclear to me if there are soft copies of the book where I can access through my computer and download it because the instructional video just tells how to locate the book. I believe this is important because it makes research more efficient that would enable us to dig more reading materials at a lesser amount of time. My top three videos viewed are â€Å"Overview of Mason Libraries† because it provides me an idea how the online and physical library interacts,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Find a Book video† because it instructs me how to locate the book that I need in the maze of our library and â€Å"Find the Full-text of Google Scholar Articles† because it makes easier how to understand a book.   In general, the website had been helpful in orienting me how to do a research and I believe that I am now more prepared to do

The Gross Profit Margin of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd Essay

The Gross Profit Margin of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd - Essay Example The Gross Income Margin is a financial measure to evaluate an organization’s financial wellbeing by disclosing the percentage of cash left after considering the cost of goods sold into account. The gross income value of an organization serves as the basis for the payment of further expenses and future reserves. The gross income margin of an organization can be calculated as the ratio of its revenue less its cost of sales to its revenue value. i.e., Gross Income Margin = (Revenue – Cost of Sales)/ Revenue The cost of sales refers to the direct expenses involved in the manufacturing of the products sold by the organization. The cost of sales value includes the cost of resources utilized in the manufacturing of the products along with the labor expenses utilized in the production of the products. Thus, the cost of sales can be computed as, Cost of Sales = Opening Stock + Purchases – Closing Stock The computation of the cost of sales of a company does not comprise of any indirect costs involved in the process of sale of the products. Thus, the repair and maintenance charges, costs of depreciation of tools and equipments, rent expenditure, wages and charges of water and electricity have been excluded from the calculation of the cost of sales and hence from the computation of the gross profit of the company . Therefore, the cost of sales of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd for the present year and the previous year would be, The assessment of the financial health of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd can be carried out by the examination of the financial ratios of the company. The analysis of the current ratio shows that it has increased from 1.28 in the previous year to 1.34 in the present year. Ideally, the company should have current assets by current liabilities ratio of 2:1, in order to be in a position to comfortably repay their short-term liabilities. Thus, though the percentage of current assets of the company is a little higher than that of the current liabilities, the company should try to improve its current ratio in order to enhance its liquidity. The company also needs to focus on its cash assets so as to improve its creditworthiness. The debt ratio and the debt to equity ratio indicate the financial leverage of the organization. Debt ratio signifies the relationship between the total liabilities and the total assets. The debt ratio of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd has slightly increased from 0.57 to 0.69 during the period. The debt to equity ratio helps in deriving a reasonable relationship between the debt and the equity value of a company . The present value of the debt to equity ratio also increased a little from 0.17 in the previous year to 0.21. Since the values of the mentioned ratios are moderately low, it can be implied that the company is in a position to raise long-term debts, in case it wants to, considering the moderately low interest rate. The fixed asset turnover ratio of Mark Equipment is 22.51 in the present year, whereas the fixed asset turnover of the company for the previous year has been 18.07. The total asset turnover for the previous year was 5.23, whereas it decreased to 3.63 in the present year. It implies that Mark Equipment had been able to generate more volume of sales in relation to the fixed assets it holds . Thus, the company had utilized and managed its fixed assets quite fairly, though it needs to improve the utilization of its overall assets.

The Lives and Religions of Jesus and Muhammad Essay Example for Free

The Lives and Religions of Jesus and Muhammad Essay As the figureheads of two major world religions, the lives and teachings of Jesus and Muhammad are consistently examined and debated. The lives of these two men are strikingly different, and perhaps this is reflected in the different ways in which they are considered and worshipped. Jesus promoted peace and goodwill to all men, was destined for his role as a spiritual leader at the moment of conception, and is worshipped as a divine entity. In contrast, Muhammad was a powerful political and military leader as well as a religious one, and is not worshipped as a divine entity, but simply as a prophet, or messenger of God. The Life and Death of Jesus Christ Jesus is thought to have been born in Bethlehem, in or close to 4 BC (Bockmuehl, 13), and to have been raised in Nazareth by parents Mary and Joseph. Joseph was a carpenter by trade, as was Jesus himself. Jesus was a devout Jew (Bockmuehl, 15), but it is thought that his interpretation of the Torah was significantly different from what was generally accepted. The Gospels frequently describe incidents in which Jesus debated scripture and was critical of certain Jewish sects, most notably the Pharisees. In the absence of other historical sources, the Gospels are the main source of information about the life of Jesus. Little is known about the events that occurred between Jesus’ birth and his emergence as the leader of a religious movement. At an unknown point in his life, Jesus became a follower and friend of a prophet named John the Baptist (Bockmuehl, 22). After the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus began preaching. He taught that the kingdom of God was imminent and that repentance of sins and acceptance of the Gospel was necessary to â€Å"acquire treasure in heaven† (Mark 10:21). It is thought that Jesus’ ministry lasted approximately three years. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus traveled throughout Galileee, teaching in synagogues and open fields alike, healing the sick, and â€Å"proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom† (Matthew 4:23). Jesus used parables extensively, presumably because they made his messages of faith and forgiveness easier to understand. The events culminating in Jesus’ crucifixion occurred in Jerusalem (Bockmuehl, 36). According to the Gospels, he caused a disturbance in a temple by overturning tables belonging to moneychangers and preventing the passage of people who used the temple as a sort of shortcut through the city. Ultimately, he was executed because his teachings and actions made him a threat to the stability of established religion and power structures (Bockmuehl, 96). Jesus’ death is perhaps more important than his life, in terms of the impact it has had on the popularity and acceptance of his religious teachings. If Jesus had not died a martyr, Christianity would not exist as we know it today. Even more important than his manner of death, however, are the Gospel reports which state that three days after his death, his tomb was empty, and that he was subsequently seen alive by the disciples (Bockmuehl, 102). Regardless of whether or not Jesus was actually resurrected, belief in the resurrection is the defining principle of the Christian faith, and is the basis for the enormous impact of Christianity on the Western world. Jesus’ resurrection increases the significance of his death and validates the messages of his ministry (Bockmuehl, 101). The Life and Death of Muhammad Unlike Jesus, who, having been conceived immaculately was destined for greatness, Muhammad was a middle aged man before he received his calling (Cook, 14). Muhammad was born in or around 570 AD, and did not â€Å"receive his mission† (Cook, 14) for over forty years. This occurred on Mount Hira, near Mecca. It is said that as Muhammad lay asleep, the angel Gabriel came to him in a dream and revealed to him the first of a series of scriptures which eventually became the Koran. Muhammad subsequently spend ten to fifteen years in Mecca (Cook, 16), where he not only made many converts, but was also visited repeatedly by Gabriel, who introduced him to Abraham, Moses, and Jesus and allowed him to visit heaven. At this time, Paganism was the predominant religion in Mecca, and while Muhammad was mocked by some, he and his new religion were mostly tolerated. However, Muhammad began to criticize Pagan gods, and hostility was the eventual result, as city rules feared that the turbulence caused by religious division might limit trade between Mecca and other cities. A number of Muhammad’s followers fled to Ethiopia to escape persecution (Cook, 18). Muhammad himself eventually found protection in the form of tribesmen located in the northern city of Medina, who apparently saw Muhammad’s religion as a means of uniting their city, which was then fraught with internal political division (Cook, 19). Muhammad’s move to Medina took place in 622 AD, and is called the hijra. The year in which this occurred became known as the first year of the Muslim era. Once settled in Medina, Muhammad succeeding in uniting the warring Arab factions by enveloping both under the Muslim umbrella (Cook 21). With bloodshed between Muslims forbidden, the feud was effectively halted. With internal peace assured, Muhammad turned his attentions to external enemies, the chief of these being his home town, Mecca. He achieved a number of military successes, including the invasion and capture of Mecca (Cook, 22). His religious message spread as his conquests continued, and many Arab tribes submitted to his political and religious authority. Muhammad continued to receive visits from Gabriel, and many of the rituals which define Islam originated in this way (Cook, 23). Unlike Jesus, Muhammad died peacefully, of an unknown illness (Cook, 24), and was survived by nine wives as well as four daughters. Military operations continued in the name of Islam after his death. Muhammad had apparently planned to send an exploratory expedition to Palestine (Cook, 22), but died before this could be carried out. However, within a generation after his death, the Middle East had been conquered by the Muslims. Historical Worship of Jesus and Muhammad Jesus was an object of worship within a generation after his death (Bockmuehl, 220). Christ was invoked in prayer and hymn as early as the first century AD. However, it was not until the fourth century that Christianity was widely accepted (Bockmuehl, 223). At this point religious iconography began to appear in public displays, and purpose-built Christian churches were erected as the Christian faith became more organized and hierarchical. The importance of Christianity steadily increased until the end of the Middle Ages, at which point Christianity was the center of all aspects of life. Art, literature, music, and architecture were created to glorify Christ and depict Biblical events. Also at this time, religious art began to explore the human side of Jesus (Bockmuehl, 225), portraying his mental and physical anguish in realistic crucifixion scenes. It was not until the Italian Renaissance and Humanistic philosophy of the fifteenth century that secular art and literature began to appear. The self-exploration prompted by the Renaissance eventually gave rise to schisms within the previously unified Christian church. In the modern world, Jesus is increasingly viewed as just one of many prophets, including Moses, Muhammad, and Buddha (Bockmuehl, 237). Worship of Jesus in the twenty-first century is perhaps more personal than it once was, with less emphasis on organized religion and more emphasis on a personal relationship with Christ. This is perhaps necessary in a world which is increasingly secular, where there are many different religious denominations which identify as Christian, and where Christianity is no longer an entity which dominates every aspect of both public and private life. Unlike Jesus, who is worshipped as a divine entity, Muhammad is worshipped as a prophet or messenger of God, rather than a divine being (Cook, 83). Muhammad was not only a religious leader, but a political and military leader as well. The monotheistic faith that Muhammad created gave Islamic Arab nations the political stability that enabled them to become one of the world’s major civilizations (Cook, 86). Within two hundred years of Muhammad’s death, the Islamic religions had spread far beyond the borders of Arabian countries (Cook, 87). In the modern world, the faith is no longer spread via conquest of other countries, despite the efforts of extremist sects such as Al-Qaeda. As with Christianity, the basic tenets of Muslim faith remain unchanged, however the modern world has indeed influenced Muslim practices (Rippin, 127). Similar to the way in which the increasing separation of religion and state influenced Christianity, this division, together with the existence of the Muslim faith in countries which are not predominantly Muslim, has made the religion more of a personal choice and less of a political or national way of life. Just as with Christianity, numerous Muslim sects exist in the world. However, for devout Muslims, the rituals and practices of the faith remain virtually unchanged in comparison to what they were during ancient times. Conclusion The lives and deaths of Jesus and Mohammad have been just as influential in their respective religions as their teachings, if not more so. Both managed to unite innumerable people under one religion in different ways, which are reflected in their teachings and the events of their lives. Both were the figureheads of monotheistic religions, but had very different teachings. Jesus’ main message was the importance of love of both God and of fellow man, while Muhammad promoted unity within the Muslim community but used war as a means of spreading the Islamic faith to new lands. References Bockmuehl, Markus. (2001) The Cambridge companion to Jesus. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Cook, Michael. (1996) Muhammad. Oxford: Oxford University. Rippin, Andrew. (1990) Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. London: Routledge.

Multitouch Gesture Generation and Recognition Techniques

Multitouch Gesture Generation and Recognition Techniques Abstract: A huge number of users are using smart phones to communicate with each other. A smart phone user is exposed to various threats when they use their phone for communication. These threats can disorganization the operation of the smart phone, and transmit or modify user data rather than original [1]. So applications must guarantee privacy and integrity of the information. Single touch mobile security is unable to give efficient performance for confidential data. Hence we are moving towards multitouch mobile security for high security. In computing, multi-touch is authentication technology that enables a surface to recognize the presence of more than one touch points of contact with the touch screen [2]. By using multiple touch points to authenticate user for access confidential data in mobile phones. we are presenting our study about biometric gestures to authenticate user through multitouch finger points for more security [1]. Keywords: Multitouch, biometric gesture, authentication, security, smart phone Finger-tracking, Android Operating system. Introduction Todays IT admins face the troublesome task of managing the unnumberable amounts of mobile devices that connect with enterprise networks a day for communication through network. Securing mobile devices has become increasingly important now days as the numbers of the devices in operation and the uses to which they are put have expanded in world wide. The problem is compounded within the enterprise as the ongoing trend toward IT users or organizations is resulting in more and many more employee-owned devices connecting to the corporate internet. Authentication is a nothing but process in which the credentials provided are compared to those on file in a database of valid users information on a operating system. If the credentials match, the process is completed and the user is granted authorization for access to the system. The permissions and folders came back outline each the surroundings the user sees and also the method he will move with it, as well as the amount of access and differ ent rights comparable to the number of allotted cupboard space and different services [1]. The generally a computer authentication process is to use alphanumerical usernames or text based and passwords. This method has been shown to have some  disadvantages. For example, users tend to pick passwords that can be easily guessed and recognized by other hard to remember. To device this problem, some researchers have  developed authentication techniques that use multitouch biometric gesture as passwords for authentication. Multi-touch, in a computing environment, is an interface technology that enables input gestures on multiple points on the surface of a device. Although most generally used with touch screen devices on handheld devices, such as smart phones and tablets, and other multi-touch has been used for other surfaces as well, including touch pads and whiteboards, tables and walls [2]. In other words, multi-touch refers to the capability of a touch screen (or a touchpad) to recognize two or more points of contact on the surface simultaneously. The constant following of the multiple points permits the portable interface to acknowledge gestures, that modify advanced practicality similar to pinch-to-zoom, pinch. wherever gesture recognition is much of deciphering human gestures via mathematical algorithms. Gestures will originate from any bodily motion however normally originate from the face or hand and alternative human biometric gestures but the identification and recognition of posture, and human behaviours is additionally the topic of gesture recognition techniques. We used Equal Error Rate (EER) to measure accuracy. This is the rate at which False Acceptance Rate (FAR) and False Rejection Rate (FRR). To find out whether using multiple gestures would improve the systems performance, we combined scores of 2 different gestures from the same user in the same order and evaluated the EER of the combined gestures as: FAR= FRR= Developing a Gesture Authentication Technique Biometric systems are an effective way to authenticate valid users generally based on the something they are property [2] in mobile authentication. The goal of biometric identification is that the automatic verification of identity of a living person by proving over some distinctive gestures that solely he possesses in authentication method. Figure1: Multitouch behavior The biometric authentication system has two phases: enrollment phase and authentication phase. If new user must first record his secret hand signs at the first enrollment phase to the system. The process is performing the hand signs at the users discreet choice with sufficient space for hand movement during registration phase. Gesture Taxonomy [1] 1. Parallel: All fingertips are moving in the same direction during the gesture. For example, a bush swipe, during which all 5 fingers move from left to right the screen. 2. Closed: If all fingertips are moving inward toward the center of the hand. For example, a pinch gesture. 3. Opened: All fingertips are moving outward from the center of the hand. For example, a reverse pinch gesture. 4. Circular: All fingertips are rotating around the center of  the hand. For example, a clockwise or counterclockwise  rotation [1]. Figure1: Single touch Matching Touch Sequences to Specific Fingers: Hidden Markov Models [3] Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are statistical models and simplest versions of dynamic Bayesian Networks, where the system being modelled is a Markov process with an unobserved state. It is a collection of finite states connected by transitions, much like Bayesian Networks. Each state has two probabilities: a transition probability, and an output probability distribution. Parameters of the model are determined by training data [4][5]. Figure2: Hidden Markov Models hidden states, as well as N dimensional observable symbols. Figure3: Multitouch Movement The conventional HMM is expressed as the following [4]. HMM is the mathematical tool to model signals, objects à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that have the temporal structure and follow the Markov process. HMM can be described compactly as ÃŽÂ » = (A, B, à Ã¢â€š ¬) (Figure 4b) where, Figure 4: Conventional Hidden Markov Model A = {aij}: the state transition matrix aij=P[qt+1=sj|qt=si], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ià ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Naij=P[qt+1=sj|qt=si], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ià ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N B = {bj (k)}: the observation symbol probability distribution bj(k)=P[Ot=vk|qt=sj], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤jà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N, 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Mbj(k)=P[Ot=vk|qt=sj], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤jà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N,1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤M à Ã¢â€š ¬ = {à Ã¢â€š ¬i}: the initial state distribution à Ã¢â€š ¬i=P[q1=si]à Ã¢â€š ¬i=P[q1=si] Set of states: S = {s1s2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, sN} State at time t: qt Set of symbols: V = {v1, v2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, vM} Given the observation sequence OT1=O1O2OTO1T=O1O2OT and a model ÃŽÂ » = (A,B,à Ã¢â€š ¬), how do we efficiently compute P(O | ÃŽÂ »), i.e., the probability of the observation sequence given the model. Now let us consider following two states: Training: based on the input data sequences {O}, we calculate and adjust ÃŽÂ »=ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ ÃŽÂ »=ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ to maximize likelihood P(O | ÃŽÂ ») Recognizing: based on ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ =(AÃÅ'„ ,BÃÅ'„ ,à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ'„ )ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„=(AÃÅ'„,BÃÅ'„,à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ'„) for each class, we can then assign the class in which the likelihood P(O | ÃŽÂ ») is maximized. The observation symbol probability distribution P[Ot = vk | qt = sj] can be discrete symbols or continuous variables. If the observations are different symbols. B(i,k)=P(Ot=k|qt=si) B(i,k)=P(Ot=k|qt=si) If the observations are vectors in RL, it is common to represent P[Ot | qt] as a Gaussian: P[Ot=y|qt=si]=N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼i,ÃŽÂ £i) P[Ot=y|qt=si]=ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼i,ÃŽÂ £i) N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼,ÃŽÂ £)=1(2à Ã¢â€š ¬)L/2|ÃŽÂ £|1/2exp[à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢12(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)TÃŽÂ £Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)] ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼,ÃŽÂ £)=1(2à Ã¢â€š ¬)L/2|ÃŽÂ £|1/2exp[à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢12(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)TÃŽÂ £Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)] A more flexible representation is a mixture of M Gaussians: P[Ot=y|qt=si]=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœm=1MP(Mt=m|qt=si)ÃÆ'-ÃÆ'-N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼m,i,ÃŽÂ £m,i) P[Ot=y|qt=si]=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœm=1MP(Mt=m|qt=si)ÃÆ'-ÃÆ'-ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼m,i,ÃŽÂ £m,i) where Mt is a hidden variable that specifies which mixture component to use and P(Mt=m|qt=si) =C(i,m) is the conditional prior weight of each mixture component. In our approach, we both implement continuous and discrete output variable distribution for 1st and 2nd HMM stages respectively [3][6]. Dynamic Time Warping Dynamic Time Warping (DTW), introduced by Sakoe and Chiba in 1978, is an algorithm that compares two different sequences that may possibly vary in time. For example, if two video clips of different people walking a particular path were compared, the DTW algorithm would detect the similarities in the walking pattern, despite walking speed differences, accelerations or decelerations. [3][7] Figure 4: Dynamic time warping The algorithm begins with a set of template streams, describing each gesture available in the system database. This results in high computation time, and hence, limitations in recognition speed. Additionally, the storing of many templates for each gesture results in costly space usage on a resource-constrained device. Consider a training set of N sequences fS1; S2; : : : ; SNg, where each Sg represents sample of the same gesture class. Then, each sequence Sg composed by a set of feature vectors at each time t, Sg = fsg1; : : : ; sgLgg for a certain gesture category, where Lg is the length in frames of sequence Sg. Let us assume that sequences are ordered according to their length, so that Lgt1 _ Lg _ Lg+1; 8g 2 [2; ::;N ], the median length sequence is _ S = SdN2 e. This sequence _ S is used as a reference and the rest of sequences are aligned with it using the classical Dynamic Time Warping with Euclidean distance [4], in order to avoid the temporal deformations of various samples from an equivalent gesture class. Therefore, once the alignment method, all sequences have lengthLdN2 e. We define the set of warped sequences as ~ S = f ~ S1; ~ S2; : : : ; ~ SNg. Consider a training set of N sequences fS1; S2; : : : ; SNg, where each Sg represents a sample of the same gesture class. Then, each sequence Sg composed by a set of feature vectors at each time t, Sg = fsg1; : : : ; sgLgg for a certain gesture category, where Lg is the length in frames of sequence Sg. Let us consider that sequences are ordered according to their length, so that Lgt1 _ Lg _ Lg+1; 8g 2 [2; ::;N1], the median length sequence is _ S =SdN2 e[4]. This sequence _ S is used as a reference, and the remaining of sequences are assigned with it using the classical Dynamic Time Warping with Euclidean distance [3], in order to remove the temporal deformations of different samples from the same gesture category. Hence, after the alignment process, all sequences have lengthLdN2 e. We define the set of warped sequences as ~ S = f ~ S1; ~ S2; : : : ; ~ SNg [3]. Input: A gesture C={c1,..cn} with corresponding GMM model ÃŽÂ »={ÃŽÂ »1,..ÃŽÂ »m}, its similarly threshold value  µ, and the testing seprate Q={q1,..qn}, Cost Matrix M is defined,where N(x), x =(i,t) is the set of three upper-left location of x in M. Output:Working path of the dected gesture, if any. //Initialization for i=1:m do for j=1:à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¾ do M(i,j)=v end end for j=1:v do M(0,j)=0 end for t=0:v do for i=1:m do x=(i,j) M(x)=D(qi,ÃŽÂ »i)+minà ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’à Ã‚ µ N(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ª)M(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’) End end if m(m,t) W={argminà ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’ à Ã‚ µ N(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ª)M(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’)} Return End end [4] Artificial Neural Networks Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are networks of weighted, directed graphs where the nodes are artificial neurons, and the directed edges are connections between them. The most common ANN structure is the feed forward Multi-Layer Perceptron. Feed forward means that the signals only travels one way through the net [4][8]. For input pattern p, the i-th input layer node holds xp,i. Net input to j-th node in hidden layer: Now Output of j-th node in hidden layer: Then Net input to k-th node in output layer: Finally Output of k-th node in output layer: Network error for p: Neurons are arranged in layer wise, with the outputs of each neuron in the same layer being connected to the inputs of the neurons in that layer . Finally, the output layer neurons are assigned a value. Each output layer neuron show the particular class of gesture, and the record is assigned to however classs neuron has the highest value During training, the gesture class for each neuron in the output layer is known, and the nodes can be assigned the correct value. Critical Analysis A critical analysis based on the results achieved by is shown in this section. ANNs, HMMs, and DTW algorithms were implemented on a mobile phone, and measured in performance according to recognition speed, accuracy and time needed to train [3]. Since Bayesian Networks are a super class of HMMs which have been tweaked towards gesture classification, they are not considered. Thus according to recognition, accuracy and training time we can say that DTW gives better performance as compare to HMM and ANN. These results are summarized below: Table 1: Comparison between different algorithms [3] No. Algorithm Recognition Speed Accuracy Training Time 1 HMMs 10.5ms 95.25% Long 2 ANNs 23ms 90% Medium 3 DTW 8ms 95.25% No Training Finger Tracking: Firstly we need adjust finger tracking parameters, thats why we need to activate the calibration in the tab in on-screen display [5][9]. a. Projection Signatures: Projection signatures are performed directly on the resulting threshold binary image of the hand [5]. The core process of this algorithm is consists of adding the binary pixels row by row along a diagonal (the vertical in this case). Previous knowledge of the hand angle is therefore required. A low-pass filter is applied on the signature (row sums) in order to reduce low frequency variations that create many local maxima and cause the problem of multiple positives (more than one detection per fingertip). The five maxima thereby obtained correspond to the position of the five fingers. b. Geometric Properties: The second algorithm is based on the geometric properties and, as shown on line 3 of figure 5, uses a contour image of the hand on which a reference point is set. This point can be determined either by finding the centre of mass of the contour (barycenter or centroid) or by fixing a point on the wrist [6]. Figure 5: Hand Movement Euclidean distances from that point to every contour point are then computed, with the five resulting maxima assumed to correspond to the finger ends [5]. The minima can be used to determine the intersections between fingers (finger valleys). The geometric algorithm also required filtering in order to reduce the problem of multiple positives. c. Circular Hough Transform: The circular Hough transform is applied on the contour image of the hand but could as well be performed on an edge image with complex background if no elements of the image exhibit the circular shape of the fingertip radius. This can be done efficiently for finger ends by eliminating points that are found outside the contour image. The inconvenient is that the set of discard points contains a mix of finger valleys and false positive that cannot be sorted easily [5]. d. Color Markers: While the three previous algorithms rely only on the hand characteristics to find and track the fingers, the marker algorithm tracks color markers attached to the main joints of the fingers. Each color is tracked individually using colour segmentation and filtering [5]. This permits the identification of the different hand segments. The marker colors should therefore be easy to track and should not affect the threshold, edge or contour image of the hand. Respecting these constraints makes it possible to apply all algorithms to the same video images and therefore to compare each algorithm degree of accuracy and precision with respect to the markers [5]. Comparisons: Properties Projection Signature Geometric Properties Circular Hough Transform Color Makers Locates fingers Good Good Good Good Locates fingertips Poor Normal Normal Good Locates finger ends and valleys Poor Good Good Good Work with complex background Poor Good Normal Good Precision Good Good Good Good Accuracy Poor Good Good Good Table 2: Comparison between different techniques [5] All the presented algorithms have succeeded, in various degrees, in detecting each finger. The projection signatures algorithm can only roughly identify a finger, but the circular Hough transform and geometric properties algorithms can find both finger intersections and finger end points, it is important to note that in the case where finger are folded, the end points dont correspond to the fingertips [5]. Conclusion: We have plot three prominent strategies that comprehensively characterize the signal acknowledgment that should be possible on advanced mobile phones Artificial Neural Networks, Dynamic Time Warping and Hidden Markov Models were optimized, and tested on resource constrained devices (in this instance, cellular phones), and compared against each other in terms of accuracy, and computational performance. ANNs proved to have the slowest computation performance due to the large size of the neural network. HMMs performed better, but the DTW algorithm proved to be the fastest, with comparable recognition accuracy. DTWs also did not require training, as is the case with HMMs and ANNs. References [1] Kalyani Devidas: Deshmane Android Software based Multi-touch Gestures Recognition for Secure Biometric Modality [2] Memon, K. Isbister, N. Sae-Bae, N. and K. Ahmed, Multitouch gesture based authentication, IEEE Trans. Inf. Forensics Security, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 568-582, Apr. 2014 [3] Methods for Multi-touch Gesture Recognition:Daniel Wood [4] http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.5772/50204 [5] Finger Tracking Methods Using EyesWeb Anne-Marie Burns1 and Barbara Mazzarino2 [6]https://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~jcorso/t/CSE555/files/lecture_hmm.pdf [7]DWT: Probability-based Dynamic Time Warping and Bag-of-Visual -and-Depth-Words for Human Gesture Recognition [8]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_neural_network [9]http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/gesture-recognition Prof. Ramdas Pandurang Bagawade, Miss Pournima Akash Chavan, BE Computer Pursuing degree in PESs College of Engineering Phaltan. Miss Kajal Kantilal Jadhav, BE Computer Pursuing degree in PESs College of Engineering Phaltan

I Hear Them Calling My Name :: essays research papers

The Fear of People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People fear not succeeding, negative activities in their environment, death, terrorism, etc, but from a multicultural standpoint, we as a whole fear change. Our human race is also fearful of difference. We fear the difference of our religions, color, race, and sexual preferences. We are afraid of things not in our norm and things that stick out in the world. The issue of change and difference is very prevalent in the book I Hear Them Calling My Name: A Journey Through the New South. This book was well written by Chester Fuller. You can really see this multicultural issue by the way fear controls the characters’ emotions directed towards other people with difference.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book, Fuller journeys through the South just after the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. He is assigned to travel and find any difference or enbetterment in the treatment of blacks since the Civil Rights Movement. His first experience comes when his car breaks down on a highway in deep southern part of North Carolina. He walks to a gas station to get his car towed and the only mechanics/tow men are white. At first he gets the feeling he’s going to be abused by these men. In his mind, Fuller is plotting where he’s going to strike the men when they attack him. Fuller is so scared and set in his ways that he doesn’t look past the man’s race, but is rather intimidated and brainwashed. They arrive back at the station with car and the mechanic asks what seems to be the problem. Fuller thought maybe the fuel pump or something really expensive. The mechanic proceeds back to the car and tinkers with a few things and the car is done is minutes. The mechanic could have possibly put in a new fuel pump among other things and cost Fuller a lot of money, but instead charged a whopping eight dollars. The thing with all this is Fuller’s views of the mechanic the whole time and his emotions of being ready to fight. This amazes me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fuller missed this man’s kindness and respect, because of his fear of difference. This fear still occurs today. The only problem is that it exists in many other things than race or color of skin. Socially we have had a major problem with violence in schools. This all occurs because of difference.

America Needs File Sharing :: Argumentative

America Needs File Sharing A Farce on File Sharing What you are about to read is a researched story about file sharing. Although some characters in this story are based on real life people, most are fabricated. My advice to the reader is to take your time reading my story and pay special attention to the characters so that you will not get lost. Enjoy the tale. The day was hot and humid and for Los Anglos the sun shone somewhat brightly through the thick cloud of pollutants up above. In four corners of the city, four individuals began their daily morning routines. It was early, but already sweltering and as these four individuals began their days none knew that the road, which lay ahead of them, would lead them to the same destination. One issue would bring a celebrity, average working man, a journalist, and an eccentric fanatic all together. " I said egg whites! Hello! Don't you know the difference between yolk and egg?!" "I'm terribly sorry miss. Lets talk in terms of color. You want the yellow or the white part of the egg?" "The yellow! Egg whites you imbecile!" As the waiter ran back to the kitchen, she turned to the man in Gucci sunglasses she said, "Uh! Good help is so hard to find. I mean what kind of moron doesn't know the difference between egg whites and the yolk?" " Well I still say you're insane for hiring that new aerobics instructor, I mean the ass on Bradely! How could you give up such a find?" The man tossed his head in disgust and took a sip of his non-fat, easy on the foam, double shot cappuccino. " I know Jonathon, but he was absolutely monstrous to my reputation as a serious runner. If I want to win the celebrity marathon, I'm gonna have to get my mile time down to at least ten minutes." " But darling what if you start to sweat? How will you pose for those finishing pictures?" " Don’t worry my publicist is working on a deal to do pictures after I towel off and freshen up. Oh damn, I've got to go! I'm supposed to meet Charlie to prep me for the press conference.

Rational Choice Theory Human Essay

Kidnapping John was an ordinary struggling employee of a newspaper firm. One cannot tell by appearances what the mind is capable of, or is it situations that can arouse criminal intelligence in any one of us. However, it is when thoughts transform into actions that crime is committed and what is it that causes this transformation: opportunity. Crime Script John sat thinking of possible options. It has been a mistake to switch two jobs in three years. Not only did he not have a decent designation, he barely made enough to sustain himself, let alone repay the $4000 loan installments. Mr. Woolmar, the Boss, did not even know his full name properly in the six months that he had worked, let alone give him any financial help. He would have to do something drastic, something quick and maybe even something illegal. And it would have to be alone. Nothing in office, there were too many cameras. The next-door neighbours just had a baby†¦ kidnapping? Yes, but not a baby. Rob someone, take their cash, ATM, and car. Parking lots are good for that, no police, and hardly any public to get alerted and call 911. Yes, parking lots, that is where most crimes are committed, at least in the movies. Resources and setting up John required first of all, a gun. The only person whom he knew had a gun was his colleague, Sarah, who after attempted burglary at her residence had obtained an official permit to keep a gun for self-defense. He mentioned having to write an article on gun engineering and asked if he could borrow it for a few hours†¦office time only. He would take it at twelve ‘o clock, study the components, and return it at five before she leaves for home. Sarah, as her permit allowed her to carry the gun on her person, bought it to office the next day. All he cared about was that it was small in size, not too visible in his coat. Could have been a toy gun, some do look scarier than the real thing. The mask was cut out of a ladies polo neck shirt that he had bought at Labels yesterday, two holes for the eyes, a little slit for breathing and one for talking. Black, and cotton, he did not want the stifling nervous feeling to make him faint. A sports bag, to carry everything and sports gear, to look like: ‘I have just left gym and an going home. ’ This disguise also allowed him to wear joggers, which made less noise as he approached. Another factor that made him soundless was the linoleum floor of the parking lot. Linoleum is especially designed to absorb noise and shock from car tyres so that parking lots are serene. Little did floor manufacturers know how this ‘benefit’ would transform into a security hazard. He had also chosen a parking area that is mostly vacant during office lunch hours. A block away from his office was Hallman’s Securities: home to few of the richest brokers in the city. These were people who had it all and more. For them, a few thousand dollars amiss would not matter. All this was information gained from his very own newspaper articles. Actors and doing it As soon as it was One, John changed into his sports gear in the restroom, signed out ‘Gone for lunch’ walked two blocks down and started jogging as he approached the parking lot. A few stretches and he even smiled at a few lady lawyers walking out with their coffee flasks who waved back distracted. Most cars he had noticed parked in the morning, as he had stopped on his way to office, were not there. The red BMW was missing, it had particularly caught his attention because of its shine. The guard on duty was nowhere to be seen, lunch hours for everyone, hopefully. He continued with his stretches and hoped for the gentleman who had parked his Vitz at exactly 8:45, at the other end, to come out after a few more minutes when the movement died down. And there he was, navy blue shirt, maroon tie, grey trousers and the salt and pepper hair. Not really elderly enough to make John feel guilty, more of a younger wealthy CEO variety. John could now understand ‘rob the rich, give to the poor. ’ Ducking under the fichus undergrowth, John quickly put on his mask and sprinted to the other end. The gentleman nonchalantly put the keys in the lock, the rustling of leaves in the wind providing further cover to Johns hurried arrival. It was only â€Å"I have a gun, do as I say! ’ that made him stop, stiffen and put his hands up. â€Å"Get into the car, fast, don’t look back! † and John crouched low in the back seat. Once in the car, he could talk more, explain his situation, now that the gun was out of the view. â€Å"Give me your wallet, watch, and anything else that you are carrying! And you had better not hold anything back or else†¦ † said John as he poked the nozzle into his ribs. But the white-faced man was too shocked to comply. â€Å"Can’t you hear me?!! † and the second jolt startled his poor victim into action. John felt like an actor in a play. He had to force the ruthlessness into his voice; it was not coming naturally. Maybe that is how all criminals feel the first time. He wished he had not started this, but it was too late now, he had started committing the offence, might as well go all the way and reap the reward. At least he could thank his oratory skills for not fumbling with the words or faltering in volume to give away his own apprehensions. â€Å"Now you have to drive to the nearest ATM, NORMALLY, smile at people as they pass, NO ONE MUST SUSPECT, YOU UNDERSTAND! † said John, and the car started. Both the villain and the victim were on auto-pilot, like a robot drove the grey-haired man, knowing exactly where to turn, to stop at red lights, stare straight ahead, not looking here or there. John kept his gaze and nozzle fixated at his victim, ignoring the need to look around lest he give away the game. It was a slow mechanical drive. The car stopped at the ATM. It was one of those booth varieties. â€Å"I will wait outside† said John. â€Å"Take out your maximum and be out in two minutes, or I will come and shoot you inside. † Those two minutes seemed like eternity. John kept looking at his watch. What if the man had two cell phones, and had given John only one. What if he will look up the window and see a blue uniform holding a gun at him? A girl passed by the pavement, oblivious of everything except the tune in her I-pod. Then he heard the thud of the booth and saw a flash of Navy blue. Alerted to his teeth, he only breathed as he realized it was his fellow, not the cops. The man turned around and handed the cash. â€Å"That was all the limit allowed. † Silence as John counted the nine hundred and fifty dollars. Add that to the six hundred in the wallet, the five hundred the Tissot would go for, John realized that he would have to execute Part B of the plan, steal the car. Anyway it would be better to have the car to drive off in than to have to disappear from the crime on foot. â€Å"Drive and stop where I tell you! † China town was what John had in mind, there were less phone booths and more Chinese than American in that area. It would take longer for an American to get help there than anywhere else in New York. Jumping onto the passenger seat, John shouted’ â€Å"Get Out! † at the back alley. Yanking the mask off and driving at full speed John neither looked left or right as he speeded to the little repair shop run by the Mexican who had repaired the almost falling-apart foxy belonging to his Indian friend, Ranjeet. That was the only place he had ever seen a shady deal done, when suddenly a brand new Volvo was deposited by two high schoolers who walked away with cash in their pockets and smiles on their faces. The economic and emotional decadence that had disgusted him then, seemed so all right and understandable now. A crime does not feel like a crime if your needs are greater than the needs of your victim. Here too, the actions seemed rehearsed. Stop the car near the garage, walk inside, but a cigarette and open the packet to find the 4 smokes and the amount the Mexican feels is appropriate for the new arrival. Which was appropriate for John as well: A full two thousand and five hundred dollars. He may even give four hundred to charity to wash away his sin. He was just waiting for a taxi as he saw the Vitz being slowly pushed into the repair shop and the gate being closed. A few directions to the Indian cab driver, a speedy drive to office, a rush to the restroom where John changed back into his office attire, leaving the clothes and joggers in the huge trash bin, John was back at his desk at 2:15. â€Å"Rather early lunch? Was it a date? † asked Bob, his colleague â€Å"Yeah, sort of† said John as he finished formatting the article on why it is dangerous to polish guns on your own inside the house. â€Å"Here Sarah, thanks a lot, how do u use this thing? † Rational Choice Theory Human beings are rational creatures. That is why God created heaven and hell. We make the right choices there, because God is always watching. But cops are not always watching, so it is possible for would-be criminals to get away with a lot of things since â€Å"where there is a will, there is a way. † Crime arises when motivation meets opportunity. One may have the mind but not the means. If crimes such as Johns are to be prevented, either one or both of these factors would have to be reduced/removed from society. Motivation for crimes of financial nature, such as Johns, arises from need. It is not a case of a rich man trying to get richer by swindling the shareholders of his company. It is performing the big crime of kidnapping for a few thousand dollars. As said ‘Rationality involves an end/means calculation† (Sutton). Kidnappers may face lengthy terms in prison. The harsh sentences imposed and the poor risk-to-benefit ratio compared with other crimes have caused kidnapping for ransom virtually to die out in the United States. It may be that John was not aware of the consequences of getting caught. Here the question arises as to what were the violent actions the loan shark had threatened to take, that provoked John to risk something greater. A loan shark, is someone who illegally charges interest over the state’s legal limit, which could range up to, or even over 100% and threatens violence or damage to a person’s reputation. John could have come clean to the local police and requested for security. However, if the motivating factor was damage to reputation, it would have been disastrous for John as his career as a writer in a newspaper. A more comprehensive approach is needed to reduce the incidence of such crimes. The government may need to create public awareness about the seriousness and penalties of committing various crimes so that the law is not taken lightly in times of stress. The underlying problem, however, is economical. â€Å"With the new decade of 2010 upon us, little has changed and further victimizing seems inevitable as financial desperation increases globally in more households† (Sifakis, 1999). The government must crack down on the loan shark system and introduce schemes of credit borrowing from the State itself depending on merit and below market interest rates. In fact, why not without interest at all? Interest has been looked down upon in a few religions of the world because it makes the poor, poorer and the rich, richer. Had John had access to such a borrowing system, he may not have fallen prey to a local loan shark. John’s situation mentions that he has no family or friends. A very often and sad situation in the new American society is the loneliness of the individual. In other cultures, expenses and liabilities are shared by family members especially those living in a joint family system. Such a system also automatically keeps an emotional check and an eye on every member where deviance in behaviour or mood is immediately noticed. Problems are discussed and sorted out. When society becomes individualistic and there is less and less of a support structure, financial and psychological factors combine to breed crime Motivation is all in the mind. But the body acts only if there is an opportunity. If there is a situation in which the crime can be performed. John chose not to rob a bank because he did not have access to professional assistants. John chose not to defraud his employer because he lacked the IT expertise and there were surveillance cameras in office. He had the motivation for both of these, but did not have the opportunity so the crimes were not committed. Therefore the government needs to focus on situational crime prevention. This includes making public areas safer for people. Parking lots and parks often get deserted. More surveillance cameras must be installed. Security guards must be employed in shifts. Criminals commit crime mostly because they think they will not get caught. A general awareness of crime prevention must be installed in society. Situational crime prevention does not mean obtaining permits for guns. The more guns there are out there, the more the chances of anyone getting hurt. Obviously a gun is made to kill. One in ten will. The danger of it falling into the wrong hands is too great. Guns get jammed and fire at the wrong times. There have been numerous deaths around the world because of guns kept at home. Another factor in urban crime prevention is to assimilate the various ethnicities of a metropolitan into the community whole-heartedly. â€Å"Immediate steps can be taken to reclaim the urban environment and recreate a sense of community. Migrants in multicultural cities, who have internalized the culture conflict between two worlds, can be assisted in gaining new identities and allegiances† (United Nations Team, 1995). Poverty-stricken, derelict areas on the outskirts of metropolitans are like breeding areas or crime ports, where goods can be deposited, sold, purchased out of need but always with a racial revenge in the subconscious. In John’s case the Mexican was a character, which symbolized this mafia. If at the end of his crime, John did not have a place to sell the Vitz, the crime may not have arisen at all, since no one would be carrying four thousand dollars cash anyway. The crime had not been completed until John sold the car. The victim had time to contact the authorities. However, in such situations a victim’s reactions are often late especially if the aggressor is strong or loud. While the victim was inside the ATM booth he could have looked into the CCTV camera and made signs to indicate his situation. A compulsory self-defense course must be introduced at all private and public schools so that victims are at least able to respond for help at the right time and place. This would ensure a lot of criminals being taken off guard. After a crime is committed, it is the States responsibility to punish. â€Å"The Swiftness, Severity, and Certainty of punishment are the key elements in understanding a law’s ability to control human behavior† (Keel, 1997). The rational choice theory states that the benefit of the crime is greater than the pain: ‘Choice can be controlled through the perception and understanding of the potential pain or punishment that will follow an act judged to be in violation of the social good, the social contract,† (Lilly, Cullen and Ball, 1995). Whenever a crime attempt is aborted, a criminal punished, the story must flash on the media and be registered into the minds of the public, for human beings learn readily by example. Some societies go to the extent of public floggings and executions, so that all ye may learn. Utilizing the media for the good of the community is a governmental responsibility. The State may do much but it is the power of the people that can also be quite a deterrent to crime. † Self-help schemes have proven highly effective in well-organized communities. Specific crime prevention measures, such as neighbourhood block watches and neighbourhood courts, work best in partnership with local authorities, scrupulously avoiding vigilantism. † (United Nations Team, 1995. ) In many metropolitans, for example in Karachi, citizens have joined hands with the local area police to make their localities / cities safer places to live in; an organization named CPLC (Citizens Police Liaison Committee) with the slogan ‘Lets beat crime together’ has distributed car stickers with phone numbers easily displayed so that anyone who notices anything suspicious may inform it. Conclusion All efforts of the State and citizens alike must be more focused on eradicating ‘the way’ (that is, opportunity) because it is easier to eradicate than ‘the will’ (that is, motivation), which requires a long-term strategy. ‘To err is human† and the devil may open his workshop anywhere but as long as there is no opportunity, crime commission does not occur. The rational choice theory states that motivation and opportunity combine for crime commission. However sometimes motivation is not a factor at all. Even if the State and community are ideal, there are serial killers and psychopaths who commit crimes only because there are opportunities. John had the opportunity to kidnap and commit theft and he would have done it even if he were a serial killer who had a fetish for killing grey-haired men, instead of having been driven to it because of financial problems. Sometimes it is just temptation or the thrill of doing something daring and forbidden, that replaces motivational factors such as poverty or racism. So we may conclude that opportunity of crime can be equal to possibility of crime and though economic and sociological environments must be such that they deter crime, it is more relevant for the authorities to focus on situational crime prevention. References Kopel, D. B. (1995). Guns: who should have them?.. New York: Prometheus books. Keel, R. O. (1997). Rational Choice and Deterrence Theory. Lilly, J. Robert, Cullen, Francis T. and Ball, Richard A. (1995). Criminological Theory: Context and Consequences (2nd ed. ). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc. Sifakis, C. (1999). The Mafia Encyclopedia Checkmark Books Sutton, D, Ronald V. Clarke. Retrieved May 17th, 2010 from http://www. criminology. fsu. edu/crimtheory/clarke. htm United Nations. (1995, April). Stop Crime. Retrieved May 17th, 2010, from http://www. un. org/ecosocdev/geninfo/crime/dpi1646e. htm