Starbucks Red Flags of Fraud

Starbucks Coffee Company Stephanie Deacon Colorado Technical University Online: ACCT 320-1203A-01 Professor White 6 August 2012 Abstract This paper will provide an overview of Starbucks Coffee Company and identify seven red flags of possible fraudulent behavior within the organization. Steps to design a fraud prevention program will also be discussed based on the identified red flags. Starbucks Coffee Company opened its first store in Seattle, Washington in 1971 offering fresh-roasted whole bean coffees. Howard Schultz (Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer) joined Starbucks in 1982 as director of retail operations and marketing. Starbucks begins providing coffee to fine restaurants and espresso bars† (Starbucks, 2012). In 1985, â€Å"Howard founds Il Giornale, offering brewed coffee and espresso beverages made from Starbucks coffee beansâ€Å" (Starbucks, 2012). Two years later Howard Schultz purchases Starbucks assets with the help of local investors and Il Giornale changes its name to Starbucks Corporation and stores open in Chicago and Vancouver, Canada increasing the total number of stores to 17.Starbucks currently has over 16,000 stores in 50 countries and considers the company â€Å"the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the worldâ€Å" (Starbucks, 2012). Starbucks mission statement is â€Å" to inspire and nurture the human spirit-one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a timeâ€Å" (Starbucks, 2012). Starbucks refers to their employees as partners and their focus is to create a workplace that values and respects people from diverse backgrounds and to conduct business in an ethical manner.Starbucks has a business and ethics compliance program in place to help ensure that all employees make ethical decisions in the workplace. In addition to its retail outlets, the Starbucks brand of gourmet coffees, ready to drink Frappuccino and double shot drinks and ice creams are also sold in grocery and convenien ce store outlets. Starbucks total net revenues as of â€Å"fiscal year ending Oct 2, 2011 was $11,700. 4 (in millions) which was an increase from both 2010 fiscal year end of $10,707. 4 and $9,774. 6 from 2009 respectivelyâ€Å" (Starbucks Annual Report, 2012).As of â€Å"three quarters ended July 1, 2012, Starbucks unaudited net revenue was $9,935. 4 (millions), up from $8,668. 7 from July 3, 2011. Seven red flags of possible fraud Starbucks appears to have a good tone at the top with its established core values; however there can be instances of fraud going undetected by the auditors due to management’s override of controls. For example, with concerns about competition in the market, upper management could engage in creating fictitious revenues to make Starbucks look as if the company was performing better than it actually is. â€Å"McDonald’s 2011 annual revenues were $27. 1 billion† (Hoovers, 2012) in comparison to Starbucks $11. 70 billion and since McDo nald’s introduced the McCafe line in 2009 to compete with Starbucks, it has captured a sizeable portion of the coffee drinker’s market. According to Keith O’Brien from the New York Times, â€Å"beverages, thanks to smoothies and espresso drinks, are now a $9 billion annual business for McDonald’s in the United States† (O’Brien 2012). This type of competition could pressure Starbucks management to inflate the company’s earnings and one key area where this could be accomplished is with improper revenue recognition.Starbucks sells store valued gift cards called Starbucks cards where customers load money on the cards for future use in any participating Starbucks location. â€Å"Revenues from†¦stored value cards, primarily Starbucks Cards, are recognized when redeemed, or when we recognize breakage income† (Starbucks Annual Report, 2011). Breakage income is typically recognized when the redemption of the cards is likely to be r emote based on past history. Outstanding card balances are included in deferred revenue on the balance sheet.Management could record this deferred revenue on the income statement instead at year end, thus turning a potentially weak quarter into a much stronger one. Revenue recognition has a profound impact on a company’s income statement, and â€Å"not adhering to revenue recognition criteria could result in overstating revenue and net income in one reporting period and understating revenue and net income in a subsequent period† (Spiceland, Sepe, & Nelson, 2011, p. 30). â€Å"Typically, a senior executive who is inclined to â€Å"cook the books† possesses ow ethical standards, though this trait may often be difficult to detect prior to the commission of a crime† (White Collar Crime Fighter, n. d. ). Another red flag would be management unwilling to provide requested material to auditors, such as financial reports for fear they will uncover the fraud. The second area of concern for red flags of fraud would attribute to employee behavior. For instance, an employee who refuses to take vacation or sick time could be engaging in fraudulent activities.If an employee were embezzling from the company, â€Å"he would refuse vacation or promotion for fear of detection† (Hancox, n. d. ). Additional red flags to watch out for with employee behavior changes would be borrowing money from co-workers, â€Å"excessive gambling or drinking, or bragging about significant new purchases† (Hancox, n. d. ). High employee turnover is another indicator of potential fraud especially in an area of the organization that is more vulnerable to fraud such as payroll.High employee turnover can also be attributed to low morale and this could be a red flag of abusive management who may be engaging in fraudulent activity and should not be overlooked. High turnover at the executive level of the company would also be a red flag indicator that fraud might be occurring. Internal controls related to inventory encompass a large area ripe for fraud within Starbucks. Inventory deals with purchasing, receiving, shipping, processing and disbursements and if controls are overlooked it could seriously impact the company’s financial health.For example, high volumes of purchases from new vendors could be a red flag for fraud as this could indicate a fictitious company has been created and goods could be shipped to a fake address then stolen. Another red flag would be â€Å"purchasing agents that pick up vendor payments rather than have it mailed† (Hancox, n. d. ). Unusual increase in the book value of inventory or slow inventory turnover could be a red flag for fraud. For example, Starbucks inventory for â€Å"year end 2010 was $543. 3(millions) and $965. 8 for year end 2011† (Starbucks Annual Report, 2012).The COSO report indicated that â€Å"about 50 percent of the studied fraud companies overstated assets by recording f ictitious assets or assets not owner or capitalized items that should have been expensed†¦and the most commonly misstated asset was inventory† (Rezaee & Riley, 2010, p. 101). Payroll is another area that can be highly susceptible to fraud. A number of things to look for would be the personnel department reporting new hires or terminated employees to the payroll department to ensure that paychecks are going to the right people and that fictitious employees have not been created.Another issue would be having pre-numbered checks and having the sequence checked. If this internal control is not in place then it is possible to issue checks that have not been recorded in the system. Payroll checks should alos be authorized by two persons signatures to ensure that unauthorized payments are not made as a result of error or fraud. The company’s organizational structure could be an indicator of red flags for fraud. The first thing to look for would be the tone at the top of t he company.Unethical business conduct by executives is a key red flag in addition to high turnover of top executives. A clear line of authority is not present, â€Å"irresponsible corporate governance, and nonexistent corporate code of conduct and a decentralized organization structure without adequate monitoring† (Rezaee & Riley, 2010, p. 107). The corporate mission consists of maximizing profits and nothing else. The audit committee is ineffective, inexperienced and not capable of performing their duties. Financial performance red flags could include unusual rapid growth during an industry economic slump. Unexpected and sharp decreases in earnings or market share by the industry† (Rezaee & Riley, 2010, p. 110). Adverse legal circumstances could also lead to fraudulent behavior. Starbucks is engaged in a court hearing with Kraft Foods alleging a material breach of contract by Kraft and Starbucks discontinued their distribution arrangement with Kraft as of March 1, 2011 . â€Å"On December 6, 2010, Kraft commenced a federal court action against Starbucks, entitled Kraft Foods Global, Inc. v. Starbucks Corporation, in the U. S.District Court for the Southern District of New York (the â€Å"District Court†) seeking injunctive relief to prevent Starbucks from terminating the distribution arrangement until the parties’ dispute is resolved through the arbitration proceeding† (Starbucks Annual Report, 2012). The injunction was denied and Starbucks has since maintained control of their packaged coffee distribution. Starbucks is unsure of the financial damage that the breach by Kraft has caused and will most likely be able to estimate the damages in mid-2012. Fraud Prevention Program It is the organization's responsibility to create a culture of honesty and high ethics and to clearly communicate acceptable behavior and expectations of each employee† (AICPA, 2012). The tone at the top of Starbucks must consist of honorable, honest people with high integrity, and committed to competence as they set the example. Having strong core values at the top of the company and sharing those values throughout the organization will show Starbucks employees how the company operates. The board of directors and audit committee must be skilled, educated and qualified to perform their duties such as auditors having a CPA license.Roles of authority and responsibility must be clearly defined. Starbucks should have a tip telephone line established so that employees can confidentially report any violations of the code of conduct, suspected fraud or ethics violations. The integrity, ethical values and competence of Starbucks employees; management's philosophy and operating style of the organization will help reinforce the company’s culture as a strength and not a weakness. â€Å"Internal control is not merely documented by policy manuals and forms. Rather, it is put in by people at every level of an organization† (COS O, 2011).Policies and procedures covering financial and operational activities in place at Starbucks must be adhered to by employees at every level of the company to ensure the company is being run effectively and efficiently. For example, the procedures may â€Å"encompass a range of manual and automated activities such as authorizations and approvals, verifications, reconciliations, and business performance reviews† (COSO, 2011). Information processing controls, physical controls and segregation of duties should also be in place to ensure that risks are mitigated so Starbucks can meet its objectives.Management should create a positive work environment with good hiring, training and promotion practices to ensure all employees are capable of performing their jobs. â€Å"Research results indicate that wrongdoing occurs less frequently when employees have positive feelings about an entity than when they feel abused, threatened, or ignored† (AICPA, 2012). Creating a team- oriented environment where employees are involved in the decision-making process, positive feedback from management, recognition for good job performance and rewards for achievements all contribute to reducing the risks of fraud in the workplace.Effective communication of Starbucks objectives across the entire company is essential to its continued successful operations. Management must ensure that information is conveyed in a clear and understandable manner so the employees comprehend the importance of the internal control procedures and that they must be followed. Communication of information also includes â€Å"communicating with external parties regarding matters affecting the functioning of other components of internal control† (COSO, 2011).Starbucks upper management must monitor the control activities and confirm the effectiveness of its internal controls. Manual and ongoing evaluations monitor the internal control process activities throughout the normal dad-to-day oper ation of the company. Ongoing evaluations are â€Å"generally performed by line operating or functional managers who are competent and have sufficient knowledge to understand what is being evaluated and†¦ considering the implications of information they receiveâ€Å" (COSO, 2011).If the controls are inadequate, management must immediately communicate this information to the responsible party in order to take immediate action and employ corrective measures to ensure that controls are being followed as intended. â€Å"To effectively prevent or deter fraud, an entity should have an appropriate oversight function in place† (AICPA, 2012). An audit committee can strengthen a weak company environment by assessing the fraud risks identified by Starbucks management, evaluate the company`s anti-fraud policies and ensure that the tone at the top is conducting business with the highest level of integrity.Oversight by the audit committee â€Å"helps to ensure that senior managemen t fulfills its responsibility, but also can serve as a deterrent to senior management engaging in fraudulent activityâ€Å" (AICPA, 2012). References AICPA. (2012). AU Section 316 Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit. Retrieved from http://www. aicpa. org/Research/Standards/AuditAttest/DownloadableDocuments/AU-00316. pdf COSO. (2011). Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Retrieved from http://www. coso. org/documents/coso_framework_body_v6. pdf COSO. (2011).Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission About us. Retrieved from http://www. coso. org/aboutus. htm Hancox, S. (n. d. ) Red Flags for Fraud. Retrieved from http://www. osc. state. ny. us/localgov/pubs/red_flags_fraud. pdf Hoovers. (2012). Starbucks company overview. Retrieved from http://subscriber. hoovers. com/H/company360/overview. html? companyId=15745000000000 O`Brien, K. (2012). How McDonald`s Came Back Bigger Than Ever. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2012/05/06/magazine /how-mcdonalds-came-back-bigger-than-ever. html? r=1&pagewanted=all Rezaee, Z. , & Riley, R. Financial Statement Fraud Prevention and Detection (2nd ed. ). John Wiley & Sons Inc. Hoboken: New Jersey. Starbucks. (2012). Starbucks Annual Report. Retrieved from http://investor. starbucks. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=99518&p=irol-irhome White-Collar Crime. (n. d. ) Financial Statement Fraud: Detecting the Red Flags. Retrieved f http://www. wccfighter. com/FinancialStatementFraudRedFlags. html . . Spiceland, J. D. , Sepe, J. F. , & Nelson, M. W. (2011). Intermediate Accounting. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Gambling addiction Essay

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HRM-related issue - Assignment Example Every organization must have a definite strategy in order to deliver positive results. The purpose of the strategy is to make sure the assets of the organization are used to improve the productivity of the organization. Apple employs effective and professional HRM techniques that aim at keeping the company both profitable and valuable. Some of the techniques include networking and teamwork. The company has embedded emerging and effective strategies in a systematic way. The strategies are embedded within wider program of the organizational targets and goals. The strategies involve regularly up-skilling the human resource managers (Chanda & Shen 2009). The company is also integrating a variety of HRM policies as well as practices. The specific business strategy of the company takes into consideration a wide collection of factors. The business strategy of Apple Inc. is shaped by the core values of the company. Conversely, the core values of the company were considered while developing H RM practices. Successful implementation of the HRM strategies depends on the ability to develop employees and managers who are willing to facilitate and acquire the necessary competencies and attitudes. Apple has invested in a self-disciplined workforce with the necessary skills. The central point in the HRM strategy is the development of working practices and motivation that leads to increased flexibility and quality of work (Holbeche 2009). The HRM strategy seeks to have commitment and mutuality from the principle organizational players. Human resource management in the Apple Company implies that the contribution of the personnel is crucial to organizational success (Chanda & Shen 2009). According to the company, people are the most important asset. The company has embedded the HR strategy into the company policy. The employment practice is driven by the commercial intentions. The company uses and incorporates the human resources to the extent that they are compatible with the org anizational objectives. Human resource managers must strive towards achieving a sense of collective purpose among all the organizational stakeholders. HRM must develop real strategic approaches which factor in the aspects of the employee relations with an aim of transforming the employees’ mindset (Tyson & York 2000). This makes the employees congruent with the business objectives of the company (Holbeche 2009). The HRM of Apple Company is careful to ensure that the cost of rewarding different groups, hiring and training employees is matched by their anticipated levels of contribution and market availability. The core employees of the Apple Company must undergo intense indoctrination into the core values of the company (Kaplan & Norton 2001). It is expected that these values are to be seen in the behavior of these employees. This is not the case with the peripheral employees of the company. Research shows there are instances where the empowerment of the employees is seen as a threat by the HRM (Tyson & York 2000). The strategic roles of the human resource manager entail the flattening of hierarchies to accommodate the market driven reorganizations of the multinationals (Tyson & York 2000). Apple Company has business units that are functional and ensures that products to be delivered are both quality and excellent (O'Grady 2009). HRM strategy calls for increased employee involvement and teamwork. Through HRM, groups within the organization must

Ontela Picdeck Essay Example for Free

Ontela Picdeck Essay Ontela PicDeck creative approach to have cellular customers have the ability to automatically have pictures and videos directly sent to their computer. This reduces time needed and simplifying the strenuous act of doing it manually. The U. S mobile phone service industry earned 150 billion dollars in 2007 and growing. This technology has potential of playing a role in that with critiquing the marketing strategy they have approached the market with. It is essential for a better marketing strategy for Ontela to show customers so they can better understand the benefits and how to efficiently utilize it. The qualitative research segments best defined the customer expectations. Sarah, the parent, loved the fact the pictures â€Å"just appear â€Å"on the computer automatically. Steve, the young professional, looked to not always have to lug around the digital camera. Instead have a phone that can take care of both jobs. Regina, the teen, expectation exceeded both Steve and Sarah, but still within the abilities of PicDeck. Regina wanted to manage her pictures from her phone and monitor the pictures for her social networking sites. Herzberg’s 2-factor theory can be used in this instance. Using this theory to understand and distinguishing what motivates the purchase while staying â€Å"relevant†. In other words you must keep up with the recent trends like the social networking wave. These three segments all produce various expectations but all acknowledged the expectations of a simplified and quicker method to transferring pictures. These segments age groups and lifestyles greatly vary so the solution to market them must be more specified to that target group. The improvement of creating a more knowledgeable customer base will require a critiqued advertising campaign. In the case of Regina, advertising within the social networking programs like Facebook and MySpace. This advertising will catch the attention of these teen and inform them of the product. Specifically push the simplicity, timeliness, and how the pictures are still stored even when your cellular device is lost. For the younger generation and phones being a huge commodity, phones are constantly being stolen and lost. If interpreted right, then the teen will approach their parents to have their plan changed to include PicDeck. Then the parent will be informed and furthering the utterfly effect of a strict advertising scheme to the teenage target customers. This is how Sarah would be notified. Social is a major influence in customer behavior through family, friends, and reference groups. All play as contributors to trusting a buy of a product. Continuously for people who aren’t very tech savvy like Sarah and Steve; they do though always have an email and usually check it frequentl y. So a mass email to the entire customer base informing them of the new product. Steve would be influenced more by the occupation. Besides using this program for personal use, Steve would use this for his real estate job. To be successful in a job market like Steve’s you must influence your work with newer technology so you may keep up with competitors. â€Å"With PicDeck, work assignments are accomplished more efficiently and simply†, statements like this boost the products equity and what customers like Steve would want to hear. For a product to blossom you must target the younger generation first. With constant technology improvements it’s hard for the older generation to keep up. The younger generation is constantly working with the new technologies so you inform the younger generation and it will spread to older generations. Ontela has created an inferior product and now need to raise awareness of the tech advances this product has influenced. The magazine Telephony stated PicDeck to be â€Å"helping the bridge the gap between phone and PC†. Continuous advertising is needed in magazines for the working class people to involve this program into their workplace. For instance putting an ad in the magazine SkyMall. The magazine you see on every flight you’re on. This can target a business class customer base because the individuals who travel most are individuals travelling on business. And this is the only reading material on the plane.

Nurse Life Care Planning

Nurse Life Care Planning Debilitating and tragic accidents, painful, chronic illnesses that leave one dependent and unable to do many simple activities of daily life – who would you want to help plan the highly important details of care to maintain the rest of yours or a loved one’s life? Nurse Life Care Planners play a significant role in combining the assessment and diagnoses of a patient to develop a long-term plan with individualized interventions for that patient based on environmental conditions that will lead to optimal outcomes. (Lance, 2007). Nurse Life Care Planners extend beyond the biomedical aspect of an individual and approach care from a holistic perspective that includes managing symptoms, improving quality of life, promoting health, wellness, and managing disease. The American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners (AANLCP) defines a Nurse Life Care Planner duties as â€Å"employ[ing] the nursing process, or critical thinking methodology when developing a life care plan throu gh the diagnosis and treatment of the human response to alleviate suffering, prevent future illness and injury while promoting and optimizing health and abilities, and advocating for care of the individual and their family. The Nurse Life Care Planner may delegate the implementation and ongoing evaluation of the life care plan to a registered nurse case manager, or other nurse life care planners†(citation) . To develop the understanding of the important role Nurse Life Care Planners in healthcare provide, this paper will cover the educational requirements, training, salary, field history, demand, legal aspects, and applicable nursing theories related to a career as a Nurse Life Care Planner. Body Paragraph 1 Educational Requirements Much debate surrounds the level of degree required for Nurse Life Care Planners, specifically if Registered Nurses should have a minimum education of a bachelor’s degree level in Nursing and still remains a point of discrepancy, yet to be defined today. Currently, Registered Nurses with experience caring for critically injured or ill patients primarily in critical care settings are most-qualified to become Life Care Planners, for example Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA’s) with experience in critical care and a master’s degree level specialized in Anesthesia. Additionally, other professionals, such as counselors, case managers, social workers, psychologists, rehabilitation healthcare professionals and etc. with degrees and background in life care planning are eligible to become Life Care Planners (Van Wieren Reid, 2007). A certification in Life Care Planning is required once minimal education requirements are achieved for Registered Nurses, and at l east two years of experience in critical care are completed. Nurse Life Care Planners must acquire knowledge in all aspects of disability – medical, vocational, psychological, and behavioral – among additional knowledge of facility placement/referrals if long-term facilities are needed for an individual’s plan of care, and methods and skills for preventative care (Van Wieren Reid, 2007). Several Life Care Planning certification programs exist today and offer classes that focus on medical disability and case management, and life care development (â€Å"Becoming a Certified Life Care Planner,† n.d.). Salary The typical wage for nurse Life Care Planners ranges from eighty to one-hundred and fifty dollars per hour and continues to increase due to a great demand for Nurse Life Care Planners (â€Å"Life Care Planning Career†, n.d.). Body Paragraph 2 Job Description Patients who have survived critical illnesses or trauma and remain disabled with long term limitations from illness and/or injury, often require well-planned, coordinated long-term care. Through exercising the nursing process (Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, and Evaluate), Life Care Planners develop the most effective and individualized plan of care for their patient to achieve optimal wellness for their condition. Life Care Planning involves everything from basic and critical care nursing skills to evaluating costs and care providers that patients can afford. In term, Nurse Life Care Planners combine multiple aspects, experiences, and healthcare departments like, â€Å"Case Management, Rehabilitation, Home Health, and Discharge Planning† to provide care for dependent patients (Lance, 2007). Essentially, a complete, practicing knowledge of the nursing process helps define the goals and purpose of Nurse Life Care Planning. For example, consider a burn victim, a Nurse Life Ca re Planner will fully assess the patient and gather a database and effects of the burns holistically; then, the Nurse Life Care Planner will form a nursing diagnosis, coupled with a medical diagnosis based on the evidence gathered from an initial and on-going assessment to identify realistic concerns and risks the patient may face. Following the formed diagnoses, the Nurse Life Care Planner will develop a multidisciplinary-approached care plan for the patient’s diagnoses, including detailed thought and attention to the patient’s individual needs such as finances, environment, esteem, and other personal aspects that are crucial in quality long-term care. Finally, implementing the well-thought, highly detailed plan in a timely action (i.e. before scar maturation) for the patient begins, involving all aspects of healthcare before finally being evaluated and adjusted for the patient when necessary (Weed Berens, 2005). The Nursing Process’ role is a conceptual frame work or model that guides the work of Nurse Life Care Planners and facilitates achievement of individualized care and best outcomes for the patient. Setting Life Care Planning is not exclusive to working in hospital settings, many work for insurance companies, settlement companies, long-term health facilities like nursing homes, legally as attorneys consultants, and even self-employed within personal practices (Lance, 2007). Body Paragraph 3 Field History As a fairly recent practice, Dr. Paul Deutsch publicly described Nurse Life Care Planning thirty years ago to be a specialty of rehabilitation and â€Å"developed the basic tenets, methodologies and processes of Life Care Planning†¦as a fundamental tool of case management in his 1981 text, Damages in Tort Actions† (â€Å"Congratulations, Dr. Paul Deutsch,† 2007, p.). Over the last thirty years, Dr. Deutsch, among others, has continued developing Nurse Life Care Planning and has since begun to involve multiple healthcare fields â€Å"including rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation nursing, rehabilitation psychology, physiatry, case management, and other areas† (Van Wieren Reid, 2007, p. 25). Demand The need for such an ever-evolving career is very large for the small supply that is currently available today; there are approximately 560 Nurse Life Care Planners in the United States today, thus a hard demand to fulfill (Life Care Planning Career, n.d.). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s website, LongTermCare.gov, sixty-nine percent of the US population requires long-term care for at least three years and eight percent of the US population who are between ages forty and fifty have disabilities that require long-term care services; with these statistics alone, the number of Nurse Life Care Planners compared to population in need of long-term care is easily outweighed. Body Paragraph 4 Legal Issues Surrounding Nurse Life Care Planning More legal and ethical issues, typical to healthcare, surround Life Care Planning, especially when care plans consult end-of-life care. â€Å"End-of-Life Care† is loosely defined, varies among different theories, and has not been scientifically proved to be consistent with a precise period in time; ultimately, it can be defined by policy, procedures, and guidelines of different facilities and is specific to the illnesses and injuries a patient is diagnosed with (Izumi, Nagae, Sakurai, Imamura 2012, p. 613). Guaranteeing a high standard of care, relief from symptoms and preserving dignity by letting patients have control of their end-of-life care plans regardless of their medical and financial situations are key goals for end-of-life care planning. Two ways terminally-ill patients can preserve and form resources to sustain their best interests when not able to for themselves are by referring to previous Advanced Directives for refusals and outlines of treatments or referring t o an individual who has been given detailed directions by the patient themselves as a Power of Attorney (Brown Vaughan, 2013). Incorporating Advanced Directives and respecting Power of Attorneys into the patient’s life care plan is critical among being the most useful resources, yet can create potential ethical dilemmas or conflicts of interest amongst patients, family members, and providers that Nurse Life Care Planners might face during end-of-life care planning if not followed completely. In the 2014 study, â€Å"Narrative analysis of the ethics in providing advance care planning,† a group of researchers asked sixty-two care managers (RN’s or Social Workers) the ethical themes and values that they faced as care managers and when dealing with end-of-life care planning. Those themes were identified as humility, respect, responsibility, setting boundaries, client empowerment, courage, and veracity. The ethical theme and value of humility for understanding the diverse beliefs of clients, along with the respect for a client’s beliefs, similar to humility, regardless of the care manager’s beliefs were identified by the participants. Additionally, responsibility and setting boundaries were identified as ethical themes and values to educate clients on their options for end-of-life care planning and fulfilling their duties to their agencies and professions both legally and morally, while setting boundaries between social and professional obligations , which, in turn, can become legal boundaries. Empowering clients with information and choice needed to develop their end-of-life care plans, but not influencing the client’s decisions as well as courage to advocate for client’s faced with family-influenced decisions, were two other identified ethical themes and values for Nurse Life Care Planners. Finally, veracity, as an ethical theme and value from establishing rapport with clients and their families enough to be trusted with care-planning and the imperative information regarding care-planning (Baughman, Aultman, Ludwick, O’Neill, 2014). Guaranteeing a patient that their best interest and wishes will be maintained and used is not only a duty of the Nurse Life Care Planner, but a basis to providing quality care and allows clients to make critical decisions about their health in times when they do not have such capacity. Subsequently, identifying and maintaining ethical themes and values for quality patient care is an added duty during end-of-life and life care planning. Body Paragraph 5 Applicable Nursing Theory One’s response to chronic illness varies based upon individuals, but ultimately depends on their ability to cope as well as resources available to the patient to manage alterations in their health. In Carrie Jo Braden’s 1990 nursing theory, â€Å"A test of the Self-Help Model: Learned Response to Chronic Illness Experience† the theorist identifies that individuals subjected to chronic illnesses needing assistance with the strategies of managing and coping with the illness may depend more on the individual’s perception of their own ability to help themselves or remain helpless. The perception of learned-helplessness is, ultimately, lacking knowledge to remain in control of the common and manageable, yet irrepressible difficulties associated with chronic illnesses. Comparatively, the learned self-help response incorporates these irrepressible difficulties into a cultivated response, not necessarily as a treatment of the chronic illness, but as coping and man agement of the illness (Braden, 1990, p. 42). Braden (1990) conclusively states that the variables influencing self-help as a learned response to chronic illness are the illness severity, uncertainty, dependency, enabling skill, self-help and life quality. Both the severity of the illness and monitoring the illness remain the preexisting variables contributing to the learned response process, keeping in mind that adversities vary from illness-to-illness and person-to-person. The ability to monitor the complicated adversities of the illness are immediately linked with the severity of the illness and therefore the ability of the individual to find the resources to manage and cope with the severity; this also remains an issue of self-help and desire to access educational and supportive resources. Braden determined that the study’s participants who attended self-help classes were more likely to have gained monitoring and self-enabled care skills. Additionally, those with greater incomes had greater self-help ability to afford measures that maximize coping and management of chronic illness. Further discovery into background topics like predispositions of illness (gender, race, age), class, and income were variables not fully examined but identified as possible and actual contributors to self-help responses (Braden, 1990, p. 46-7). Nurse Life Care Planners connect the learned response to chronic illness and life care planning to resourcefully design individualized care plans that incorporates aspects and perceptions of self-help to cope and manage chronic illnesses. Additionally, Nurse Life Care Planners eliminate factors like financial disposition of the self-help response by examining and identifying life care plans that are affordable and patient-centered. Nurse Life Care Planners also provide critical patient education and support focused on the individual’s condition and outlined in the patient’s life care plan. By combining the Learned Response to Chronic Illness theory and the specialized skill and knowledge of the Nurse Life Care Planner, it is possible to provide the best options and plans for patient coping and management of chronic illnesses. Conclusion Examining the educational requirements/training, salary, history, demand, legal aspects, and nursing theories applicable to Nurse Life Care planning gives great insight into the importance and benefits of becoming a Nurse Life Care Planner. Nurse Life Care Planners are responsible for and play the critical role in alleviating the frustrations patients may encounter when faced with chronic illnesses. Individualizing care plans, remaining sensitive to patient preference and hardships, and providing a high standard of care is the prime objective of Nurse Life Planners. References Baughman, K., Aultman, J., Ludwick, R., O’Neill, A. (2014). Narrative analysis of the ethics in providing advance care planning. Nursing Ethics, 21(1), 53-63. doi:10.1177/0969733013486795 Becoming a Certified Life Care Planner. (n.d.). Nurse Without Borders. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from http://nursewithoutborders.org/becoming-a-certified-life-care-planner/ Braden, C. J. (1990). A test of the Self-Help Model: Learned Response to Chronic Illness Experience. Nursing Research, 39(1), 42-47. Brown, M., Vaughan, C. (2013). Care at the end of life: how policy and the law support practice. British Journal Of Nursing, 22(10), 580-583 Congratulations, Dr. Paul Deutsch. (2007).Journal of Life Care Planning,6(1-2), 53-54. Izumi, S., Nagae, H., Sakurai, C., Imamura, E. (2012). Defining end-of-life care from perspectives of nursing ethics.Nursing Ethics,19(5), 608-618. doi:10.1177/0969733011436205 Lance, K. (2007). Nurse life care planning. Virginia Nurses Today, 15(3), 11 Life Care Planning Career. (n.d.). Becoming a Life Care Planner. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from http://www.healthcarepathway.com/Health-Care-Careers/Life-Care-Planner.html#forms2 Van Wieren, T., Reid, C. (2007). Nursing educational requirements: relevance to life care planning credentialing policy.Journal Of Life Care Planning,6(1-2), 25-45. Weed, R., Berens, D. (2005). Basics of Burn Injury: Implications for Case Management and Life Care Planning. Lippincotts Case Management, 10(1), 22-29. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Who Needs Care?. (n.d.). LongTermCare.gov. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from http://longtermcare.gov/the-basics/who-needs-care/

Development of Extended Low Frequency Enclosure

Development of Extended Low Frequency Enclosure Introduction The rationale for this work is to present a theoretical and practical analysis of an extended low frequency enclosure capable of 20-65Hz, obtained through a method of careful cabinet design built around a suitable transducer and to support the findings with a build supporting sufficient evidence through implementation of testing. Low frequency tones Enclosure types Reinforced low frequencies cannot depend entirely on the driver itself for extended low end and requires a form of baffle or enclosure to completely isolate the front and rear drives. D. Weems (page 11) states also that a speaker can deliver 100 times greater sound intensity at low frequencies in a suitable box than in free air. Nearly all drivers are sat in an enclosure or at least some kind of baffle in order to increase and extend the low frequency output from the speaker system (J.Murphy pg 17). It is shown in figure 1 the importance of separation, illustrating how pressure waves from the front of the cone equal that of the pressure radiating from the rear and therefore are of opposite polarity and cancel each other out. Sound is directional at mid and higher frequencies and so these can be audible at a greater level, though wavelengths as long compared to the diameter of the speaker curve back and around the cone so that the out-of-phase waves mix (J.murphy pg17). When a baffle or box is utilized, the driver becomes much more efficient, using the much more contained air in front and behind the driver like a spring. Another purpose to house a speaker in an enclosure is its help to dampen the driver further from excessive vibrating at its frequency of resonance (fs) and furthermore to increase definition on the musical notes by reducing its hangover. If accurately designed, this should be kept to a minimum and is the relationship or air pressure against the cone between a speaker and its enclosure that helps balance the mechanical properties of air volume within and help generate a smooth flat frequency response. This is known as acoustic or resistive loading. S.Stark (pg141) explains in the lower two-thirds or so of a drivers intended frequency range, the speaker cone requires an extra amount of acoustical impedance (or load) to keep its motion under control. Again if both appliances are well designed, especially the driver construction, this acoustical imp edance is balanced out on the diaphragm movement. Loudspeaker driversThese are known as Thiele-Small parameters and are essentially a set of electromechanical parameters that determine the performance of a low frequency driver. Each driver is sent out with these specifications from the manufacture and help define a relationship between a speaker and an intended enclosure for use. They are very accurate and crucial in establishing constitution in the enclosure design in respect to sound quality and response output. One way to look at these in more depth is to see a direct correlation with the voice coil, magnet, and cone interacting with the cone suspension and the air in and outside the enclosure as an electrical circuit made up of resistors, capacitors and inductors. This can be seen as a relatively simple analysis circuit where changing the parameter increments of the individual components can alter the needed frequency. By then changing these parameters back into physical attributes such as enclosure size for a sealed box, a desi gn can be implemented (A. Ludwig 1997). This practice sets a scientific foundation in the practice of loudspeaker design as much a science as an art. It can often be seen in some cases, speaker designing a trial and error process, though with simple calculation correction methods based on these parameter formulas. For example, from predicted theory or software modelling, once a loudspeaker build has been complete, an initial test for electrical impedance across the driver terminals will demonstrate the first step in comparing the finished result with the simulations. If these are in contrast with the predictions, the enclosure can be tuned founded on these measurements. Often impedance spikes are sensitive to design faults and can cause extended amplification or location shifts at unintended frequencies. Ludwig (1997) however, suggests how these responses can be due to mutual coupling though in some cases such as a bass-reflex or ported designs actually a necessary result benefittin g the design by allowing air to enter the duct and work in alliance with the speaker cone. There are three parameter categories as constituted by Neville Thiele and Richard small. These are acoustical, mechanical and electrical and can be determined by either an A, M or E in their symbol script. Acoustic parameters are established by the effective piston area of the cone where the mechanical attributes are obtained by multiplying by the square of this area in the case of mass and resistive loss, or dividing by the square of the area in the case of compliance. Ludwig (1997). The electrical components involve two energy diffusions: the voice coil DC resistance and the amplifiers output resistance. To build a loudspeaker these parameters must be fully understood so justified usage can be applied in the different stages of design. Q has no dimensions though is a measure of damping on a speaker. It is simply the ratio between energy storing and energy dissipative mechanisms at resonance and in electrical terms, it is the ratio of the reactance to the resistance at its resonant frequency. D. Pierce (1995). The greater the damping of a speaker i.e. higher the Q, the lower its output is at resonant frequency indicating a small mechanical energy transfer in the driver. In other words, the amount of resistance available to dissipate the energy is small compared to the amount of energy stored. Therefore, for larger applications such as long horn or ported enclosures, generally a lower Q is required to produce the synonymous low frequency responses. This is induced by damping the resonant motion quickly as the resonant energy is dissipated quickly and removed from the resonant system. D.Pierce (1995). The mechanical and electrical mechanisms are classed as Qms and Qes with a combined unification closely described as Q ts, also determined by the enclosure volume (Vas) and total Q of the driver. EQUATIONS Essentially the compliance is the measure of stiffness of a drivers suspension measured in litres or cubic ft. Written as Vas, It denotes the same volume of air for the cone as it does for the speaker suspension. Larger drivers predominantly have a larger Vas due to the resistance of air it has to push in comparison to a smaller driver. The compliance must be established in order to ascertain whether an enclosure size is too small or large for the driver. A larger value equates to a stiffer surround and therefore being more suited in large enclosures. This said however, often results in a lower Qts and would correspond better as a mid-bass region either in a three or four way system. To follow on from these few basic parameters, a look into some basic speaker enclosures allows a practical look into the enclosure variables and how each box evolves to ascertain the diagnostics of my final build. EQUATION Compliance ratio =3 ÃŽ ± = Vas / Vab = Cms/cmb compliance of driver is expressed as an equivalent volume of air or Vas (Murphy pg24) Speaker designs can be put into two main classifications: direct radiators and acoustic horns with many variations and combinations to gain different frequency responses from the size, shape and air tightness of the box. Within these classifications bring four sub category types, each with their own advantages and disadvantages so suit different applications. A sealed box or air suspension enclosure uses quite a compact design, mainly found in home hi-fi where excessive SPL is not such an essential necessity. It utilizes the force of air at the rear driver more so than its own suspension, though a floppy driver is often used along with the spring to help dampen the driver cone movement. The rear of a speaker in any enclosure plays a fundamental part in shaping the sound waves. It is therefore clear to see why these types of enclosures are not commonly seen in the larger scale venues or for live music due to its inefficient design of soley manipulating the rear waves of the diaphragm as a linear air spring in a sealed enclosure. The compliance ratio decides whether the box is sealed (infinite baffle) or air suspension. An infinite baffle box usually has a low ratio of about one or two as the box replies predominantly on the cone suspension as a its control with a large box volume behind. This in turn acts similarly to a baffle of infinite proportion where the air gives little resistance to the movement of the cone. On the other hand, an air suspension can have a relatively high compliance ratio of four or five due to the air being reasonably stiff which in turn allows a looser driver where most the control is regulated. This enclosure has one self contained variable known as Vb and as mentioned by Ludwig, by altering the volume size in co-ordinance with driver parameters can help tune the box to its optimum response. As well as a drivers resonance frequency, the enclosure simultaneously also produces a system resonance known as fsc and a second order high pass filter defined as Qtc and corresponds to the sealed box Q. These parameters will perpetually be greater than the drivers uniformed fs and Qts. To gain the enclosures resonance, both the volume of the enclosure and driver parameters have to be applied. Therefore: F(sc) = F (fs, Qts, Vas, Vb) Ported box has two variables V(B) the box volume and F(B) the tuning frequency A ported enclosure essentially allow for extended low end with a given driver and is even possible to reduce the size of box gaining extra low end frequency without increasing the internal stiffness of the air. The air inside the box continues its proficiency as a spring yet the port serves as an additional piston where the vibrating air supplements the resonant frequency for two other contemporary resonances; one in phase slightly higher than the Fs and one lower than the Fs working out of phase. As with a sealed enclosure a balance has to be struck as this lower Fs and out of phase response can run the risk of over excursion as the roll off frequency quickly becomes a much steeper gradient. Stark (2004) explains how when a speaker is given a significant amount of power below the resonant frequency, the speaker unloads and becomes drastically more inclined to push beyond its normal excursion limits. At its best sound bad, but at worst can risk driver failure. Helmholtz resonator stark 178 Port tuning frequency = Fb Further advances on ported designs such as installing additional baffles inside the enclosure result in an even lower resonant frequency of the air mass in the enclosure, fabricating a smaller enclosure at the front with a larger air space at the rear of the driver. These are known as bandpass enclosures and by adjust the volumes of air in the two compartments help to equalize the enclosure with the duct or port used to tune the fs. This again comes as a compromise where a considerable amount of power is needed to produce the equivalent output levels. Transient response differences page 29 murphy What the different frequencies do More about the port Variations, band pass 4th 5th 6th order Horn loaded speakers serves a much more beneficial approach of further increasing efficiency over direct radiators and serve two paramount parameters: A higher composure of directivity control (especially in the higher frequencies) and loading of the driver. By increasing the loaded of the driver over that of the free air, increases efficiency and hence the output and by further concentrating the sound into a fixed solid angle increases the output further (B. Kolbrek horn theory). This method of amplification is not a recent discovery and has dated back thousands of years where ram horns have been used consisting of a small throat and large mouth where perceivable amplification is recognized. Thomas Edison then evolved this principle in 1877 where the first tin horn phonograph was invented, coupling the minute vibrations of the diaphragm to the air of the listening area (J.Dinsdale horn loudspeaker design). To expand this principle further, a loudspeaker propagates pressure producing an internal source impedance and external load impedance and essentially acts as an acoustical transformer, matching the high impedance at the driver to the low impedance of the room air by its smooth rate of increased cross sectional area from the driver cone to the horn mouth. In a direct radiating enclosure, because a mismatch between source and the load, most the energy is converted into heat in the voice coil and the mechanical resistances where the size of source is small compared to the wavelengths its trying to produce and therefore merely push the medium away and making it quite an inefficient design (B.Kolberk). Kolberk goes on to say that high frequency output consist of plane waves (Wave in which the wavefront is a plane surface; a wave whose equiphase surfaces form a family of parallel planes (J. D. Jackson, 1998 )) that do not spread out. The system will therefore be at its optimum efficiency as the load from the driver is at its highest. If the lower frequencies coul d be radiated also in pane waves Quarter wave horns Tapped The build Initially, a tapped horn build was not first choice. A model of a twin loaded 18 4th order bandpass sub was modelled using the software winISD. This program allows modelling of vented, bandpass and passive radiator enclosures with additional tools such as filter calculators and signal generators with help if designing multi-way systems. Various drivers were configured such as BC 6PE13, Beyma G550, PD 1850 and an RCF LF18X400 though a 800W Ciare 18.00sw would have been the driver of choice with a low fs of 22Hz at. This illustrates the maximum SPL response from the predicted cabinet. This was as close to flat as possible with a low f3 (cut of frequency -3db) and tuned to 29Hz. However, size would have been a serious issue with a cabinet size of 600 litres. This was the first initiation into speaker design with little appreciation to what is really intended from a low frequency enclosure. The purpose of this build is to establish an efficient, effective and accurate acoustical reproducing circuit. The circuit system should be able to emphasize the necessary frequency tones and accordingly dampen unwanted characteristics. Furthermore, through the desired frequency bandwidth, an ideal flat response contour should be achieved where the structure should collaborate, emphasizing the bass tones in the music content. From looking at sealed enclosures, an analytical careful design should be constructed where the use of both sides of the speaker should be implemented to its maximum performance. Therefore, by constructing a circuit where the change in phase from the front and rear of the driver actually couple and in turn reinforce the sound level output. For these reverse polarity sound waves to couple and increase efficiency, a folded horn arrangement seems a coherent route to pre-empt and can be either exponential, hyperbolic, tractix, parabolic or conical each giving their own individual response in terms of efficiency and distortion. In essence of a loudspeaker box, distinctively the drivers competence plays a considerable role in quality and magnitude of the sound as much as the structure of the box. A paramount feature of a good enclosure besides its principle design is its backbone of rigidity and strength. A feature of good quality cabinets demand a sturdy design with minimal or no waver from the surrounding walls or internal baffles caused by the high pressure sound waves. Correspondingly, joins and fixings should also be air tight and free from unwanted vibrations. Stark (pg 144) explains how this possible flexing of the walls can create unnecessary resonances and consequently reduces efficiency and maximum output. Furthermore, it also degrades the principle of the infinite baffle and can also diminish transient response. In other words, the enclosure is likely to continue vibrate after the driver has stropped moving. From analysing the different enclosures in research, a further look into quarter wave horns was undertaken. It was found that transmission lines absorbed much of the intensity on output though a slightly adapted rear loaded horn with a tap and could accomply a larger driver could be much more suitable resulting in a smaller driver and box with extended efficiency at low end. A new driver had to be found with a much more in depth look into the thiele-small parameters and which characteristics would work in such a horn. Again various speakers were modelled but the Eminence Lab-12 predicted the best results due to WinISD is not capable of calculating tapped horn responses so a look into the horn modelling software; Horn Response (Hornresp) designed by D.J.McBean was carried out. Here the parameters of the driver can be inserted along with the length and area of each horn section, the rear chamber parameters including acoustical lining specifications and a series of predicted test tools such as schematic diagram of the horn, acoustical impedance, SPL response, electrical impedance, diaphragm displacement, phase response and group delay. On first look at this program the input parameters for each section looked somewhat perplexing and took a lot of time calculating what each section could achieve with different horn designs. On initial play, parameters from other designs were inserted where alterations could be adjusted to see the possible outcome. Advancing from this further, looking at a pattern in previous models and trying to design a horn suitable for the needs of my own chosen driver. It wasnt until extensive reading in speaker design, that the different thiele-small parameters really came into play where a clear relationship between the driver parameters and enclosure parameter knowledge that a formulated pattern could be understood and used on further developments. Although the variables can be adjusted on the different sections, a starting point had to be established. Firstly a driver had to been chosen. It was quickly found however that not any driver would suit a tapped horn. For example, as ownership of a several 12 Ciare drivers a logical and initial route to take to help save money was to use these drivers. Dick pierce: Closed boxes store energy that interacts with the loudspeaker driver in complex ways, especially in vented enclosures. Boxes themselves also have resonances. Normally a high-Q closed box is combined with low-Q loudspeaker driver to give a desirable total system Q. But when we mount a loudspeaker driver on an open baffle this situation is reversed. An open baffle stores no energy and has a low-Q of 0.2 and Carver chose to use a high-Q woofer with a total Q of 3+ to arrive at a desirable total system Q. Sound is the element which occurs when an object is set to vibrate. Reproduced sound can be seen as an art to reinforce these inputs accompanied using sciences of physics, mechanical and electrical engineering. Loudspeakers have evolved considerably since E. W. Siemens built the first moving-coil transducer in 1875. Bibliography Ludwig. (1997). Thiele Small Analysis of Loudspeaker Enclosures. Available: http://www.silcom.com/~aludwig/Sysdes/Thiel_small_analysis.htm. Last accessed 10 April 21010. D. Pierce. (1995). what is Q. rec.audio.tech. 1 (1), 1. S.Stark (2004). Live Sound Reinforcement. 9th ed. Michigan: Artist Pro. 143. B. Kolbrek. (2008). Horn Theory: An introduction, Part 1. Tube, Solid State, Loudspeaker Technology. 1 (1), 1. J.Dinsdale. (1974). Horn Loudspeaker Design. . 1 (1), 1. J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics (Wiley: New York, 1998 )

Essay --

Are you interested in the people who inhabited America before the Europeans came? Well if you are then this is where you can learn about the Oneida Indian tribe. They are a group of Indians that lived in what is now central New York, Oneida and Madison counties. Now Oneida’s first appearing was sometime in the 1400’s, also Oneida means standing rock. They are also one of the 5 founding Iroquois Confederacy and played a huge American Revolution. Now as you can see the Oneida’s are a very interesting culture, now here is some more about them. Now a huge part of the Oneida’s history involves the Revolutionary War, sure they are still around but they have remained pretty neutral since the war. One of the major battle’s that they participated in was the Battle of Oriskany. The Battle of Oriskany was part of the Saratoga Campaign which was a plan for the British to take over the Hudson River. The leader of this campaign was Gen. John Burgoyne and he lead 8,000 men. But at the end, the campaign was a fail which lead to an American and Oneida win and a British loss. Now that is when the...

A Comparison of Shakespeares Prince Hamlet and Machiavelli’s The Princ

A Comparison of Prince Hamlet and Machiavelli's The Prince  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Machiavelli states that "it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good, and use this knowledge and not use it, according to the necessity of the case." Machiavelli's ideas both compare and contrast to the methods used by Hamlet. Hamlet's desire to drive the king mad and eventually kill him, is what he thinks he must do in order to set things right. Hamlet struggles to maintain his position as prince. Perhaps he lacks the essential qualities of a prince outlined by Machiavelli.    According to Machiavelli, the pursuit of all things regarded as virtuous and praiseworthy will only lead to the prince's ruin. This is completely true in the case of Hamlet, because he is on a quest to avenge his father's death. The battle between good and evil is constantly in the forefront of Hamlet's mind, as he wavers between acting civil or getting revenge outright. In the beginning, Hamlet struggles to remain good at all times, but this causes him extreme anguish. Hamlet is an honest man, who grieves for his father. He suffers because of the dishonesty of the others in the court, especially his mother and his uncle, and later, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet is able to see through them all, and realize that they're dishonest. He speaks these words to Guildenstern: "Anything but to th' purpose. You were sent for, and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour. I know the good King and Queen have sent for you." (Hamlet, II, ii., 278-280)    Hamlet's honesty is also seen when he is speaking with his mother. In act I, scene ii, Gertrude asks him why the de... ...e his goal was to get and retain power. He wanted to prove Claudius to be an unfit king, and he did so, but only as Hamlet himself was about to die. Hamlet had to cause grief by killing the king, but in the end, he is seen as a hero, because he unmasked his father's killer.    Sources Cited and Consulted: Gray, Terry A. "Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet." http://www.palomar.edu/Library/shake.htm. Jones, W. T. Masters of Political Thought. Ed. Edward, McChesner, and Sait. Vol. 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1947. Lee A. Jacobus.   A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers.   5th edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1998. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. Hill Thompson. Norwalk: The Easton Press, 1980. Shakespeare, William. The Three-Text Hamlet. Eds. Paul Bertram and Bernice Kliman. New York: AMS Press, 1991.

Biological Determinism :: essays research papers

Biological Determinism 1. According to the author of the article "All in the Genes?", there is no intrinsic causality between genetics and intelligence. The author analyses different aspects of biological determinism, and supplies many examples, which illustrate aspects of this problem that are being discussed since the time when these ideas became popular. He does not agree with biological determinist that the intellectual performance of a person depends on genes inherited from his parents. There are a lot of different theories about intellectual capabilities. All these theories reflect different points of views, depending on the period of time the authors of these theories lived. The author argues for the theory that in the nineteenth century , artificial barriers in social hierarchy prevented people from achieving higher intellectual performance. In the end of XX century, in most places these barriers were removed by the democratic processes, and nothing artificial can stand between the natural sorting process and social status of the people. These changes can not be considered as historical because the age of democracy is just two hundred years , and the time when inequality between classes and between people was a natural situation is almost as long as the history of the world . The author insists that there is no connection between environmental differences and genetics. In support of his idea the author state that any Canadian student can perform better in mathematics than some ancient professors of mathematics. The author comes to the conclusion that changes in a cultural environment are the main factor that determines level of intellectual performance, not inherited combination of parent's genes . He argues that genetic differences that appear in one environment may easily disappear in another. A theory that twins were raised in different social conditions will have the same level of intellectual performance because identical genetics constitution was used by the ideologist of biological determinism. The author rejects this theory because from his point of view, all these cases cannot be considered as always reliable on a close look, in most cases, twins were raised by the members of the same family or in other words, not in a diametrical opposite level of society. The author believes that there is no convincing measure of the role of genes in influencing human behavioural variation. During the argumentation of questions of biological determinism, the author supports his idea with numerous examples. He gives examples of supporters of bio determinism and outlines that these examples are not reliable. One of the fallacies of biological determinism is the result of IQ testing. According to some scientist only 20% of performance depend on environment and other 80%

Culture of Pakistan Essay

The 17th century Badshahi Mosque built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore The society and culture of Pakistan (Urdu: Ø «Ã™â€šÃ˜ §Ã™ Ã˜ ª Ù ¾Ã˜ §Ãš ©Ã˜ ³Ã˜ ªÃ˜ §Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å½) comprises numerous diverse cultures and ethnic groups: the Punjabis, Kashmiris, Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makrani in the south; Baloch and Pashtun in the west; and the ancient Dardic, Wakhi, and Burusho communities in the north. These Pakistani cultures have been greatly influenced by many of the surrounding countries’ cultures, such as the Turkic peoples, Persian, Arab, and other South Asian ethnic groups of the Subcontinent, Central Asia and the Middle East. In ancient times, Pakistan was a major cultural hub. Many cultural practices and great monuments have been inherited from the time of the ancient rulers of the region. One of the greatest cultural influences was that of the Persian Empire, of which Pakistan was a part. In fact, the Pakistani satraps were at one time the richest and most produc tive of the massive Persian Empire. Other key influences include the Afghan Empire, Mughal Empire and later, the short-lived but influential, the British Empire. Pakistan has a cultural and ethnic background going back to the Indus Valley Civilization, which existed from 2800–1800 B.C., and was remarkable for its ordered cities, advanced sanitation, excellent roads, and uniquely structured society. Pakistan has been invaded many times in the past, and has been occupied and settled by many different peoples, each of whom have left their imprint on the current inhabitants of the country. Some of the largest groups were the Proto-Indo-Aryans, of which Sindhis and Punjabis descend from and later Iranic peoples which the Baloch and Pashtuns descend from. Other less significant ones include the Greeks, Scythians, Persians, White Huns, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Buddhists, and other Eurasian groups, up to and including the British, who left in the late 1940s. The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia from the earliest times, and is analogous to Turkey’s position in Eurasia.[1] There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices. Their cultural origins also reveal influences from far afield, including Tibet, Nepal, India, and eastern Afghanistan. All groups show varying degrees of influence from Persia, Turkestan and Hellenistic Greece. Pakistan was the first region of South Asia to receive the full impact of Islam and has developed a distinct Islamic identity, historically different from areas further west.[1] Ancient sites in Pakistan include: Zoroastrian Fire temples, Islamic centres, shi’a shrines/Sufi shrines, Buddhist temples, Sikh, Hindu, and pagan temples and shrines, gardens, tombs, palaces, monuments, and Mughal and Indo-Saracenic buildings. Sculpture is dominated by Greco-Buddhist friezes, and crafts by ceramics, jewellery, silk goods and engraved woodwork and metalwork. Pakistani society is largely multilingual, multi-ethnic and multicultural. Though cultures within the country differ to some extent, more similarities than differences can be found, as most Pakistanis are mainly of Aryan heritage or have coexisted side by side along the Indus River for several thousand years, or both. However, over 60 years of integration, a distinctive â€Å"Pakistani† culture has sprung up, especially in the urban areas where many of the diverse ethnic groups have coexisted and ithe country now having a literacy rate of 55%, up from 3% at the time of independence. Traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families increasingly form nuclear families, owing to socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional culture of the extended family. The past few decades have seen emergence of a middle class in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Sialkot, Abbottabad, and Multan. Rural areas of Pakistan are regarded as more conservative, and are dominated by regional tribal customs dating back hundreds if not thousands of years. â€Å"Pakistan’s culture is again unique like the rest of the country. Pakistan’s geography is the meeting point of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia/Gulf. Its culture could be termed as a combination of sub continental, Islamic, Regional, English, and more recently global influences. Let us consider them piecemeal. The newly born Pakistan had to have a sub continental leaning, having been a part of for last 5000 years of its civilization. However, the Indus Valley, present day Pakistan, culture was different from the rest of North India or South India†. (Quoted Pakistan’s Identity, History and Culture, from the famous book Gwadar on the Global Chessboard by Nadir Mir)

Religious Allusions and Metaphorsâ€Martin Luther King Jr Essay

Martin Luther King, Jr., in his famous Letter from the Birmingham Jail, responds forcefully yet politely to a public statement made by eight Alabama clergymen in 1963. He defends his position as an African American and strongly defends racial equality, referencing countless sources and utilizing several literary devices. Most significantly, King uses frequent Biblical allusions and metaphors, not only to relate to the Clergymen and the people of Alabama, but also to display his passion for equality. For instance, when he speaks of just and unjust laws, he references the reasoning of Saint Thomas Aquinas, â€Å"To put in the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any laws that degrades human personality is unjust†(King 180). King cites the book of Daniel when he discusses Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the disobedience of a law for higher moral principle. King also relates himself to the Apostle Paul and his thriving effort to assist the men and women who call for his aid. After much further research I have gained new insight in why King used these metaphors as he did. Outside sources have helped me analyze the deeper meaning behind the allusions and understand the changes King was hoping to impose on the public and the Clergymen. King’s ideals are supported with his immense knowledge of the Bible, which make his connections extremely credible. King opens his letter by connecting himself with the Apostle Paul in an attempt to better associate with the Clergymen. â€Å"Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their â€Å"thus saith the Lord† far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I† (King 174). Upon first read of the â€Å"Letter† I clearly thought that King was using Biblical references simply to relate to the Clergymen on a level they could understand. Though King is, in a sense, trying to establish his credibility by using this allusion, there is a much more clandestine meaning. â€Å"Like The prophets of the eighth century and like St. Paul, King must leave home and respond to the call for aid† (Tiefenbrun 265). After researching Paul, I found why King used him in his letter. Paul was persecuted for spreading  Christianity. So much so that he was put in prison. While in prison he, like King, wrote many letters responding to the criticism he was receiving. Some of these letters were encouragement to the Christians of Corinth and later became the book of Corinthians in the Bible. Paul died as a martyr, fighting for his beliefs just as King did. Paul’s mention was an early warning to the Clergymen of what they were doing to King. If they continued their criticism and persecution, King will end up facing a grim future. At first read I thought King was only addressing the Clergymen as a response to their letter, but with further research I have uncovered an indirect public statement. In the Letter from Birmingham Jail, King discusses the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, praising their act of civil disobedience. He states, â€Å"It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire† (King 180). In this statement King is reaching out the general public, encouraging them not to conform to a â€Å"false idol† of society. † Kings Biblical reference to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego creates an identity between the Alabama demonstrators’ form of civil disobedience and â€Å"the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at sake† (Tiefenbrun 263). King uses Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to correlate his ideas of what a society could be not only to the ignorant people of Alabama but also to everyone willing to listen. Martin Luther King Jr. handpicked these events in Biblical history to more clearly represent what he is writing about and why he is so avidly defending his cause. He argues against repression and urges the public to defend their rights and resist the rut of conformity. Just reading Letter from Birmingham Jail won’t do it justice. Further researching the components of this letter have opened my eyes to what King was really portraying. King is pleading with the Clergymen to reconsider their prejudice against him and his beliefs. He is driving the public to become like him, and to become like  Paul stating that it is ok to be persecuted for your beliefs. He makes clear in hismessage that it will not be an easy task but it must be done in order to create an influential change in society. This change must be done now so that it can display its longstanding effects on the generations to come. Works Cited King, Martin Luther Jr. â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† A World of Ideas. Comp. Bissegger. Writers House LLC, 1963. Mott. Wesley T. â€Å"The Rhetoric of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Letter from Birmingham Jail.† Phylon (1960-), Vol 36, No. 4. (4th Qtr., 1975), pp. 411-421. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0031-8906%28197536%3A4%3C411%3ATROMLK%3E2.0.CO%3B2-ITiefenbrun, Susan. â€Å"Semiotics and Martin Luther King Junior’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†.† Cardozo Studies in Law and Literature, Vol. 4, No. 2. (Autumn, 1992), pp. 255-287. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=10431500%28199223%294%3A2%3C255%3ASAMLK%22%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I

‘Looking for Alibrandi’ essay Essay

Essay question: Family has a strong influence on our lives. It affects the way we view ourselves and those around us. How has family influenced Josephine and what impact does it have?Family is one of our main influences in our lives, although we are not always aware of it. It shapes the people we are and the choices we make in our lives. In the text ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ by Melina Marchetta, Josephine Alibrandi is seeking to be free from the world and its misunderstood societal regulations throughout her twelfth year of high school – the year of change and new ways of thinking. Throughout her journey, her family influences her way of thinking. She grows and learns through family and structure, accepting her Italian heritage and family members. Family shows who she is, and by accepting that, Josie is able to live freely to the life she dreamed of, although not in the way she originally expected. Throughout the book, family influences Josephine to reach her goal o f emancipation, creating a connected family and a liberated perspective on life. Throughout the book, Josie’s way of thinking changes immensely, from negativity towards her family and culture, to a new understanding and perspective towards life. This is the effect from family, personal experiences, and sharing truths and feelings. Which teaches Josie how she feels about her culture, family and find the part of herself which is embedded in her family. Showing that her family influences and changes the way she feels about life and gives her a new perspective towards it. As the book progresses, Josephine learns to appreciate family – the sacrifices they make her, her Italian heritage and the community of family. Josie became respectful and thankful towards her family as apposed to resentful, because they loved her and her individuality. This has influenced Josie to learn her own truths, make her own rules and way of life, but most importantly, to figure out where her place in life is, ‘I know where my place in life is. It’s not where the S eras or the Carlys of the world have slotted me†¦ I’m an Australian with Italian blood flowing rapidly through my veins. I’ll say that with pride, because it’s pride that I feel.’ (page 259). Once Josie realises that her family had confided with her and had sacrificed all these things for her and the Alibrandi/Andretti name, she took action, to change her life for herself and her family, to be a better person. ‘A lot has  changed at home†¦ Maybe because I’ve changed.’ (page 259), this shows that from what her family has taught her, Josephine has changed for the better. Maybe not in the way she expected to, but in the way she can learn to accept herself and her family, which has changed her family life to a more loving, excepting community. Every family has structure, just like Josephine’s family. Josephine’s family has a very significant structure, which is generally influenced by their Italian culture and society, making them blind to Josephine’s way of life, â€Å"They stifle me with their rules and regulations they have bought with them from Europe, but they haven’t changed with the times†¦ There’s always someone I have to respect.† (p40). This indicates that Josie’s family is stuck in the old Italian ways, so ignorant and stubborn. Expecting respect even though they have done nothing but age, â€Å"I am an old woman now and I deserve respect.† (p36). This is why Josie dislikes the culture and traditions, because she feels that those traditions are what hold her down and not let her live the free life she dreams of. But through experiences and feel she can not do anything that she wants with her life, her family will always look down upon her, only remembering the bad things and they will always talk, no matter what which is what Josie learns to accept â€Å"†¦I think that if I lived like a saint and walked with two feet in one shoe; If I wore the clothes of St Francis of Assisi and suffered like a martyr; if I lived by the rules and never committed a sin, people would still talk. Because human nature. They’ll always, like me, find someone to talk about.† (p261). Culture and its traditions is another thing Josie’s family is buried in, which brings Josie down with it as well, Josie: â€Å"Culture is nailed into you so deep you can’t escape it.† (p175). All this is what holds Josie down from being free and doing what she wants. Family in Josephine’s life is what influences Josie to who she is and what decisions and actions she makes. Even though her family is who she thinks has trapped her life and social standing under the floor, Josie can not help the fact that family and culture and traditions and wealth is what makes Josie the person she is. And it is not until she realises this is when her emancipation can happen. â€Å"I just sat there thinking back on the year and I  realised that I was emancipated long ago†¦ I remember feeling socially out of it at St. Martha’s, yet when the†¦ walk-a-thon happened, I realised I wasn’t. I thought my birth circumstances were a cross I’d bear for the rest of my life, but†¦ it had never been my cross. I had only made it mine.† (p258) Josie feels emancipated because she had taken the time to reflect back and look at the bigger picture. She realised that she didn’t care what people though of her anymore because what difference is it really going to make in her life. Josie will always be Josie, and no matter how much others disagree it can’t change her, â€Å"You can’t hate what you are a part of. What you are.† (p152). Her family will always be the ones who she will look up to, â€Å"And I cried because I was loved by two of the strongest women I would ever meet in my lifetime.† (p226) These strong characteristics are what have influenced Josie the most to stand up for herself and be strong for herself. â€Å"You know a wonderful thing happened to me when I reflected back on my year. ‘One day’ came. Because I finally understood.† (p261), throughout her journey Josie learns through her family a new way of thinking, she grows and learns through family influences and family structure, accepting her Italian heritage and family members. Family shows who she is, and by accepting that, Josie is able to live freely to the life she dreamed of, although not in the way she originally expected. Throughout the book, family influences Josephine to reach her goal of emancipation, creating a connected family and a liberated perspective on life.