The Economic Explanation for Americas Depression

The Economic Explanation for Americas Depression Free Online Research Papers In present day America, 25% of the entire population has been diagnosed with and is undergoing treatment for some type of depression [â€Å"One out of Four Diagnosed† www.minefully.org]. Because it is such a common occurrence, the American people have seemingly accepted depression, whether minor or major, as a social norm. What the general public has failed to recognize is that most U.S. Pharmaceutical companies promote their products for the sole financial benefit of their company versus the diagnosed individual. The relatively recent occurrence and contemporary rise in the amount of people diagnosed with depression is far too coincidental with that of Pharmaceutical stocks and their net worth, currently booming the billions. Reviewed and analyzed in this essay are the glitches in the system and tips on how not to fall into the traps of the modern day medical industry. Depression is generally single-handedly diagnosed by either a physician, who medically treats depression, or a psychiatrist, a specialist in human emotion. The saying â€Å"Never go to a Doctor whose office plants have died† [Greenberg 36] relays a strong message of the importance of professional looking practices. Anytime you walk into a doctor’s office, you are bound to be surrounded by advertisements, pamphlets, and even free samples for various prescription drugs; it is almost like shopping in a â€Å"Sam’s Club†! All of those things have a purpose for being there, and that purpose is to influence people to use medication to solve their health problems. Behind the array of display cards and informational packets lies one thing: pharmaceutical companies and their interest in the American people’s money. Members of our society are exceedingly consumed with appearance and embody a materialized sense of perfection that blinds them from seeing the mo tivations behind corporate actions. All medical examiners, from psychotherapists to pediatricians, benefit from advertising for Pharmaceutical companies, and vice versa. In California’s Official Health Care Report, the quality of statewide health care appeared to vary greatly by general popularity [â€Å"CA Quality Health Care Report† www.opa.ca.gov]. Much like adolescents select brand named clothing over generics, the most sponsored and commercialized health care facilities happened to lead the charts when it came to the number of patients, but not necessarily in their recovery rates [â€Å"CA Quality Health Care Report 2003-2005† www.opa.ca.gov]. Pharmaceutical companies unfairly benefit the â€Å"name brand† consumer over the â€Å"generic† consumer by offering larger discounts with higher premiums and by callously denying sometimes vital medications to those who simply cannot afford them. Two of our nation’s principal misers, doctors and pharmaceutical companies monopolize the market, essentially scheming our people without a hint of remorse. Not only are the individuals behind the diagnosis often corrupt, but so are the tests in which they gather their information. In the diagnosis there are no blood or urine samples taken, only personal information gathered and questioners answered. Originally used to diagnose depression, the HAM-D (Hamilton Department Rating Scale) was a biased test that produced flawed results and in turn many incorrect diagnoses’. For those reasons it was revised by medical experts; the result of those revisions was the popular and extensively accredited SCID (Structured Clinical Interview). Although it is presently the most commonly used form of diagnosis, it only increased diagnosis accuracy (patient success rates) by about 20% overall [â€Å"CA Quality Health Care Report† www.opa.gov]. Perhaps the reason the success rates haven’t notably inclined is because the tests genuinely have no guarantee of any accurate result. Asking indirect questions and taking natural emotional occu rrences to extremes, the tests seem more of a persuasion tactic than a supposed step toward recovery. Basing the test on the assumption of the individual, it asks similar questions in a repetitive fashion, focusing on casual neurovegative signs like sleep and appetite. Declared a hoax by psychotherapist and freelance writer Dr. Gary Greenburg, he commented that â€Å"Whatever my score on the SCID, it was hard to believe that (Dr.) Papakostas really thought I had Major Depression† [Greenburg 37]; involved in a study, Greenburg himself was mistakenly diagnosed with depression. On a test where the symptoms are all to casual, uncertainly is not an option; all questions require either a direct yes or no answer bubbled onto the answer sheet. Due to the lack of dedication to and interest in creating fair and legitimate tests, it could be said that government funded research has fizzled down to the sloppy and unsure collection of raw data that our doctors need to keep their sponsors happy. Shooting at a specific target with no set aim, one must question the legitimacy of a test issuing 2 of 17 points to a patient for merely denying they are ill at all. Last but not least is the issue of personal reaction to both prescription anti-depressants and their treatment plans. Anti-depressant medications are essentially chemicals that enter the body directly, altering its chemical makeup and supposedly achieving a desired balance. Ironically enough, a major argument by both Pharmaceuticals and doctors alike in the defense of prescription drugs is one that questions patient hope for and dedication to their recovery. If prescriptions were chemical solutions to chemical problems, then such factors would be irrelevant when it came to patient recovery. This concretely defends the psychological factor in depression treatment, also known as the Placebo Effect. In the same study involving Mr. Greenburg, it was found that in over half the trails used to approve the leading anti-depressant meds, the drugs failed to outperform their placebos. Even more shocking, the minimal advantage of the successful prescriptions over the placebos was an average of two points on the HAM-D scale [Greenburg 40]; this two point difference could be altered to the placebo’s benefit by a heartier meal or deeper sleep. In conclusion, the groundbreaking claim that 80% of prescription drug effects are actually placebo effects [Kirsch 40] isn’t so hard to believe after all. Furthermore, the American people have been brainwashed by the United States’ medical industry as a whole, and one must question what it will take to reverse that. In the last 40 years alone, there have been 100 new afflictions added to the lists diagnosing depression, and the number will only continue to grow; we cannot let the belief that any amount of happiness is enough work its way into our consumer economy. One day, people will come to embrace this phrase voiced by Norman Cousins: â€Å"The human body experiences a gravitational pull in the direction of hope. That is why patients` hopes are the physician’s secret weapon. They are the hidden ingredients in any prescriptions†. When we come to recognize the economics behind depression and embrace the power of the human mind, our people will discover the innate solution to man’s most agonizing illness. 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Biography of Philip Emeagwali, Computer Pioneer

Biography of Philip Emeagwali, Computer Pioneer Philip Emeagwali (born August 23, 1954) is a Nigerian-American computer scientist. He achieved distributed computing breakthroughs that helped lead to the development of the internet. His work with simultaneous calculations on connected microprocessors earned him a Gordon Bell Prize, considered the Nobel Prize of computing. Fast Facts: Philip Emeagwali Occupation: Computer scientistBorn: August 23, 1954 in Akure, NigeriaSpouse: Dale BrownChild: Ijeoma EmeagwaliKey Achievement: 1989 Gordon Bell Prize from the Institute of Electronics and Electrical EngineersNotable Quote: My focus is not on solving natures deeper mysteries. It is on using natures deeper mysteries to solve important societal problems. Early Life in Africa Born in Akure, a village in Nigeria, Philip Emeagwali was the oldest in a family of nine children. His family and neighbors considered him a prodigy because of his skills as a math student. His father spent a significant amount of time nurturing his sons education. By the time Emeagwali reached high school, his facility with numbers had earned him the nickname Calculus. Fifteen months after Emeagwalis high school education began, the Nigerian Civil War broke out, and his family, part of the Nigerian Igbo tribe, fled to the eastern part of the country. He found himself drafted into the army of the seceding state Biafra. Emeagwalis family lived in a refugee camp until the war ended in 1970. More than half a million of Biafrans died of starvation during the Nigerian Civil War. The Philip Emeagwali Family in 1962. Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 4.0 After the war ended, Philip Emeagwali doggedly continued to pursue his education. He attended school in Onitsha, Nigeria, and walked two hours to and from school each day. Unfortunately, he had to drop out due to financial problems. After continuing to study, he passed a high school equivalency exam administered by the University of London in 1973. The education efforts paid off when Emeagwali earned a scholarship to attend college in the U.S. College Education Philip Emeagwali traveled to the U.S. in 1974 to attend Oregon State University. Upon arrival, in the course of one week, he used a telephone, visited a library, and saw a computer for the first time. He earned his degree in mathematics in 1977. Later, he attended George Washington University to earn a Masters degree in Ocean and Marine Engineering. He also holds a second Masters from the University of Maryland in applied mathematics. While attending the University of Michigan on a doctoral fellowship in the 1980s, Emeagwali began work on a project to use computers to help identify untapped underground oil reservoirs. He grew up in Nigeria, an oil-rich country, and he was someone who both understood computers and how to drill for oil. Conflict over control of oil production was one of the critical causes of the Nigerian Civil War. Computing Achievements Initially, Philip Emeagwali worked on the oil discovery problem using a supercomputer. However, he decided it was more efficient to use thousands of widely distributed microprocessors to do his calculations instead of tying up eight expensive supercomputers. He discovered an unused computer at the Los Alamos National Laboratory formerly used to simulate nuclear explosions. It was dubbed the Connection Machine. Emeagwali began hooking up over 60,000 microprocessors. Ultimately, the Connection Machine, programmed remotely from Emeagwalis apartment in Ann Arbor, Michigan, ran more than 3.1 billion calculations per second and correctly identified the amount of oil in a simulated reservoir. The computing speed was faster than that achieved by a Cray supercomputer. Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 4.0 Describing his inspiration for the breakthrough, Emeagwali said that he remembered observing bees in nature. He saw their way of working together and communicating with each other was inherently more efficient than trying to accomplish tasks separately. He wanted to make computers emulate the construction and operation of a beehives honeycomb. Philip Emeagwalis primary achievement wasnt about oil. He demonstrated a practical and inexpensive way to allow computers to speak with each other and collaborate all around the world. The key to his achievement was programming each microprocessor to talk with six other neighboring microprocessors at the same time. The discovery ultimately helped lead toward the development of the internet. Legacy Emeagwalis work earned him the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers Gordon Bell Prize in 1989, considered the Nobel Prize of computing. He continues to work on computing problems, including models to describe and predict the weather, and has earned more than one hundred honors for his breakthrough achievements. Emeagwali is one of the most prominent African-American inventors of the 20th century.

District School and School Boundary Research Paper

District School and School Boundary - Research Paper Example Some schools or districts use an alternative term for this category and usually refer to it as intermediary school or junior high school. Junior high schools usually refer to schools that engulfs grade seven through nine, while intermediate schools cover grades three through five or sometimes when these grades are separated from elementary schools. Finally, the high school category that includes grades nine through twelve. Sometimes it may incorporate grade seven and above. There are numerous cases where high school covers only grades ten to twelve, and this category is sometimes regarded as senior high school. All categories of the schools that have been discussed herein are responsible for the management of district schools. Public schools are public learning institutions that are managed by school districts that are independently instituted dependent school systems or special purpose governments. These management systems are controlled and closely governed by local and state gover nment (Suzanne and O'Neill, 2007). Notably, district schools are never interfered with by the nation’s politic since they are legally independent body corporate and politic (Daniel and Aladjem, 2006). District learning institutions or the district schools are regarded as local government that have the same mandates and powers as those of a county or township that include eminent domain and taxation. However, the Virginia district divisions have taxing system within its district authority; thus, depends it must seek aid of other local governments including city, county, or town authorities for funding the school. The district school governing body is typically elected through the direct voting system. Nonetheless, the entire governing organ can be appointed by officials within the government (Suzanne and O'Neill, 2007). The district school governing body also known as stakeholders include school board, board of education, board of trustees, school committee, local school board s, district leaders, district accountability committee, school leaders, and school accountability committee. The superintendent is appointed by this body. Normally, an experienced pubic school administrator is appointed in the position of the superintendent. The superintendent’s functions are likened to those of districts chief executive. That is carrying and executing everyday’s decision making and implementing the institutions policies and strategies. Additionally, the school board may be mandated with responsibility such as quasi-judicial functions in matters relating to a serious student or employee discipline matters (Tierney and Fairchild, 2011). All the stakeholders within the school system have varies responsibilities; thus, they are expected to be accountable and supportive along their lines of duty. Other than the mentioned above, the district school stakeholders also include the parents (Suzanne and O'Neill, 2007). Every stakeholder has its own different con tribution to the school success. The Education Department is responsible for ensuring that high-quality information is provided to varied stakeholders including the students, especially concerning the school and district performance. This department is mandated to evaluating the performance of each and every public school, districts, and states applying the already stipulated set of common academic performance indicators (Tierney and

Report Analysis Quantitative Methods In B&M Statistics Project

Report Analysis Quantitative Methods In B&M - Statistics Project Example Thus, the countries or rather the observations are listed in a single column randomly; no alphabetical order is followed. Moreover, the four variables are listed in four different columns in order to link a country with its specific numeric variable. Thus, the outlay of the data makes it easy to read, analyze, interpret and even draw comparisons among the observations. From the summary above, GDP is the only variable which has no mode. Moreover, it has a positive skewness which implies that the data is evenly distributed. For the Inflation rate and employment rate variables, the data is negatively skewed. This implies the data is unevenly distributed. Finally, the Unemployment Rate variable has a positive skewness, with the median less than the mean. Thus, the data or rather the observations in this column are evenly distributed. From the above summary, the Gross Domestic Product is dependent on Inflation rate, Employment rate and Unemployment rate. Thus, the regression model that shows a relationship between the dependent and independent variables is as follows: Thus, inflation in a country alongside a high unemployment rate will definitely reduce the GDP. Moreover, placing all the variables at zero, the average GPD according to the model will be the Y- Intercept, for this case

Opportunity to make this film Essay Example for Free

Opportunity to make this film Essay Let him have it, Chris are the words used by Derek. The audience could interpret this statement in two different ways as an instruction to shoot or as a request to hand the weapon over. The audience is led to believe that Bentley meant the latter, but Craig interprets the line in the first way. He fires at the detective, wounding him in the shoulder. The impulsive movement of the camera and the unmistakeable sound of a gunshot are both used, with great effect, to scandalize the audience. The detective then retreats for cover, verbally and physically abusing Derek, Have you got a fucking gun, too, eh? He pushes him hard against the wall using his own body as a ram. This may have been to increase his levels of cover, reducing a possible target, but the audience think of it as intimidating Derek. The detective then proceeds to caution Bentley, but groans with pain before he can finish. He then finds the knuckle duster Bentley is carrying, a present from Craig. He seems to blame Bentley, forcing him against the wall, causing the audience to feel sorry for him even though what he has done is clearly wrong. The next scene is showing Craig reloading his weapon behind an access point to the roof. After each round he loads into the magazine, a police officer is shown in a police station being handed a gun before running out of shot. This gives the viewers the impression that each round in Craigs weapon is meant for that particular officer. This again makes the audience feel that hes there to kill, not just to get away, condemning him as some sort of maniac. The next thing shown is Chris firing randomly into the air as he moves closer to the camera. It shows him as being much more confident than before, as though this event was his rite of passage, his destiny. His teeth are clenched, ready for war and he wears a crazy smile, as though he is indeed insane. This confidence is not shared by Bentley, however, who is shown to be scared and worried. Later on, the same actions are taking place but as Craig walks amongst the skylights on the roof they light up, signifying that police were now inside the building. Police are shown to be in the very stairwell that Derek and the DC are hiding behind. An officer approaches the door, but before he can open it, another says Here, let me. This is ironic as the next sequence of events will show. The colour inside this tiny room is once again gold, annotating these characters as friendly. As the first officer jumps out from the door to join up with his colleague he is immediately shot by Craig. As this happens, the speed of the film slows, showing you the full gore of the fall the policeman has to take. The music then turns low as if to say that wasnt a good idea . As DC Fairfax runs inside shouting Get me a fucking gun, Derek wanders to the body. The camera then switches to a different shot, this one as though the audience are in Dereks head. The camera tentatively swoops from normal eye level to the body and then back up. He then gazes back at Craig, muttering You shot him. Stay back. At this point the audience does know that Craig has turned into a maniac, rejecting one of his friends. Two officers then grab Derek and use him as a shield to retreat back to the stairs. This makes Bentley appear as just a tool rather than a person, the police regarding him as a means to an end rather that an end in itself. You bastard uttered a police officer lingering in the stairwell as the two grasped him in a head lock. Now the door was open the colour inside the building had changed, or been infected with the chilling blue. Because of that the police had changed from someone the audience could trust into someone to be wary of. Meanwhile, Craig continues to fire randomly into the air, shouting abuse at the people present, You aint getting up here that way copper, Come on then, Im only sixteen. This action shows the audience his insanity and the amount of courage he has because this statement makes the audience believe that he feels he can take on the world. Eventually DC Fairfax re-emerges with a revolver too. He bides his time, waiting behind the cover of the stairwell. After a burst of fire, the audience hear a click. It is clear to all but Craig what this means. Fairfax advances, into no mans land, ready to face off his opponent. Stay back, says Chris, pointing the gun at the detective. But he continues to advance. Click. Click, Click. Craigs out of ammunition. He begins to step backwards, away from Fairfax. In a desperate attempt to end it, Craig turns the gun on himself and pulls the trigger, braced for impact. Click Click Click. He now begins to whimper, Fairfax pushing him further and further away. In a last ditch attempt, Craig summersaults from the roof onto a nearby greenhouse. The siege had ended. Throughout the whole of the scene, chilling blue was used to amplify the feeling of dread the audience are already feeling. This case is well publicised in all types of media, although not all sources sympathise with Derek. The Daily mail, the best selling newspaper at the time, printed a highly sensationalised and inaccurate report which claims Craig was in possession of a sten gun, a fully automatic weapon of devastating proportions. After the battle they report a heroic chase of the gunmen, over rooftops and down fire escapes. This relates to the film well, as this is biased, but on the part of the police, a normal response to murder. Another curious aspect of the investigation is whether Bentley actually even said the words that eventually killed him. During the trial, Craig denied the words were said. One police officer confirmed this in his statement, writing, I did not write it down because I did not hear it. I did not hear it down because it was not said. Claude Pains statement was later lost by police. Controversy still shrouds this topic, and, indeed, the whole court cases truth. It has been suggested in the book Let Him Have It, Chris by M. J. Trow that the words that hung Bentley may have been borrowed from the case of Rex V. Appleby who was hung for inciting his accomplice to kill a policeman by shouting Let him have it, he is all alone. Did the police believe what had hung Appleby would hang Bentley? These statements point out yet more bias acts to swing the trial in favour of the police. It seems that there is much biased activity within the real life events as well as the film. While the director has chosen that the character should say these words, he has ignored the fact the police constable killed on the roof, Sydney Miles, was a father of two. This may have been omitted so as not to prevent the audience feeling sympathy towards Derek and even some sympathy towards Chris. The next scene is after the court case and the sentence has been passed. The family has campaigned Bentleys innocence and found many to believe this too. The trial, too, has been uncovered as a sham. It is discovered that Derek has the mental age of eleven and should never have been tried. Victory seems almost certain for the Bentleys, but their pleas for a pardon have been rejected. Many feel this an injustice. The scene starts with Dereks father walking out, into his street, and looking around in despair. Although this action is shown for a mere two seconds, if that, a lot can be deduced. His pace is slow, his face pensive. As he walks out, the postman greets him with just one letter, a great deal less than days before. The camera zooms out, to reveal the street empty. This creates a sense of solace, that no-one is there to support the family. The roads are lined with decaying leaves, a sign that Derek is missed, for it was his job to clear them up. Their position is important, too. They are all in the gutter, suggesting that the father, like the leaves, is in the gutter too. The leaves are also dying, a subliminal message of whats to come. The next event is the constant switching of shot from the cell of Derek to the familys sitting room with them all gathered round, supporting each other. Nothing happens during these scenes, but the family is shown expressing their emotions. The use of this technique shows a direct link between them and Derek. Once again, Derek, or at least his face, is bathed in an almost angelic light. Close ups of everyones faces are used to convey just how much emotion he family are feeling. This technique also causes the audience to feel their sadness with the family, as though they were a member of that family. The section following that is of Bentley sitting down, crouched forward, over himself like an animal trying to protect itself. The vicar is reciting the Lords Prayer and Derek is saying as much as he can. This action suggests he now has no-one that can help him but God. He has stopped denying the inevitable and has accepted it. Gold is the predominant colour in this scene, warming the characters involved as though they are saints. The prayer is also what was said by the little girl before she spots Craig and Bentley climbing over the gates of the factory. This provides a waypoint in the film the audience can revisit, as though to say What if? The family is shown in the living room once again, but this time from above. This effect makes it feel like Derek is looking down at them, as though already dead. It tell the audience that there is only one future for Derek. This reciting is interrupted, however, by the guard telling him its time in a more forceful way. As soon as the door is flung open, the colour inside the room is changed by that of the outside. It is now dark and blue once more, suggesting, quite rightly, that the mood inside the cell has changed. The ensuing action is very rapid, providing a harsh contrast between the relaxed readings of the vicar and the short, sharp officials. The first line said is Here, drink this. Once Derek has drunk the liquid the camera acts, once again, like the audience are looking at the events through Dereks perspective. This rapid series of events gives the audience an impression of force, that Derek is being pushed into something that should never have happened. The camera cuts to Dereks supporters outside the prison, showing he audience that even the general public believe what will happen is wrong, reinforcing the audiences belief. The camera shows the crowd and then pans upward, showing the large towers of the prison. This is to show that the government is more far powerful than the people below. The coat of arms lies on the wall, meant to signify justice. The audience are now mentally branding everyone running the prison as evil. The scene shows that everyone is behind Derek, and makes the viewers ask why? Why did this happen? The camera shows Derek being led to the gallows, between two lines of executioners. The camera pans around these lines, showing, once again, the full might of authority. It makes the audience as well as Bentley feel as though there is no way out, no going back. Derek is taken into the execution room, blindfolded and hung. Once the blindfold is added, the music stops and now all the audience can hear is Dereks loud breathing. This creates a sense of apprehension, like they dont want to see what is about to happen. The action is once again very rapid, like the executioners dont even want to be there. The room is dark and has no source of light apart from a small window. As the execution is completed, Dereks shoes are shown falling off his feet and hitting the floor. There is now a lingering shot of them. They symbolise Derek, in a way. They give the impression that this is all that is left of him. They also highlight his mental age once more as they arent tied. After Derek is killed, the camera flies up, out of the room and returns to the family. This could be his spirit, flying away and returning to his home and family once more. As this takes place, there is no music, just the scared and agitated breathing of Derek. As the spirit enters the home, the audience can see the colours have changed. What was once lit with gold and yellow is now illuminated using the same chilling blue of that fateful night. This signifies that the mood inside the house has changed from warm and welcoming to cold and unforgiving. The family are shown crying on each others shoulders and the camera pans round the room to the clock, which is now the only thing audible over the crying. As the whimpers grow louder, the clock stops. This signifies that time has run out for Derek. As the credits begin to roll, the crying is faded out and silence follows. Medak has used every tool at his disposal to promote sympathy for Bentley and his family. The lighting is dark and harsh when showing characters that bring Derek down, while those that are friendly towards him are lit using gold and yellow. The music is repetitive and unforgiving, creating links to previous scenes it the audiences mind. Often there are large gaps with no music whatsoever to emphasize the action taking place. The camera often switches from a third person view to the action as though it were Derek to show the audience exactly what he can see. The camera also persists in showing the audience of Dereks suffering. The dialogue of many other characters involves swearing regularly, but not in the case of Derek or his family. They are shown to be as near angelic as humanly possible. Dereks dialogue is childlike and predictable, another method of showing the audience his mental age. The director has achieved his goal tremendously well. The director, in my view, has strayed from the truth very little, but has neglected to include certain aspects of the story altogether to promote sympathy for Bentley and his family. The film is, indeed biased, and that is clear in the audiences mind as the film ends, but then, most people, having been given the opportunity to make this film, would have produced it as biased.

Essay --

As-salamu Alaikum to the Reader Bismillah Hir Raá ¸ ¥man Ir Raá ¸ ¥im†¦ Without an advocate for the poor, without a new state of mind in America, the country lies on the brink of anarchy. - Louis Farrakhan Economic independence for our people is the primary goal of the Nation of Islam. The Most Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s Economic Blueprint is a catalyst for the changes needed in our Nation so that economic independence can stop being a distant, future goal. If our people do not collectively amass our resources as in the time of Noah, we will be washed over with the debt and burden of our discrepancies and disbelief. The ECONOMIC Blueprint will aid in eradicating the mental, physical, and spiritual chains that come with economic dependency on a people that work to marginalize and oppress you. The knowledge of a blueprint for economic independence however, can only benefit a nation that implements their knowledge. The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad says, â€Å"Mere belief accounts for nothing unless carried into practice.† Although, knowledge is powerful it can only work to the peoples b...

Narrative Reporting

Narrative reporting and introduction of OFR is an important development in corporate responsibility. The introduction of mandatory OFR made several companies race to meet with the requirements of the law. Subsequently, the OFR was made non mandatory again but awareness has been created. Every investor knows that he should look at the OFR of a company he seeks to invest in. If the OFR is missing it raises doubts about the credibility and the intentions of the company .In future even though the mandatory clause has been withdrawn, companies are likely to produce more comprehensive and informative OFR than ever before.Narrative reporting concentrates on presenting events and actions in certain order so that complications and problems are understood. Narrative reporting concentrates on the descriptions, events and facts that pertain to events, identifying the personnel who are involved and the manner in which the sequence of events took place. The OFR (Operating and financial review) is a report included in a company’s annual report and accounts that is published to meet the requirement of corporate governance that enumerates the operating activities and financial affairs of the company.In the UK the Operating and Financial Review was introduced with the purpose of increasing corporate responsibility. The purpose of this requirement was that social and environmental issues would be described in the OTR and this would provide a wider level of information to the shareholder. In addition, it was expected that the OTR would in a way compel companies to carry out external audit of these issues. Specifically it was intended that the OFR would provide better information to the investors on the likely performance of the companies during the financial year.The contents of the OFR should have an overview of the capital structure of the company and the financial characteristics of the company. In addition, the OFR was required to provide the main risks and uncertaintie s that faced the company. Further, the OFR was required to have descriptions of the brand strength, market strengths, company reputation and R&D, that is the resources that the company enjoyed in the market. Most importantly, the OFR required the companies to disclose the objectives and strategies of the company (Financial Reporting Council 2007).The OFR also required the companies to disclose its relationships with suppliers, customer and employees. In other words the company was required to disclose its relationship with the stakeholders of the company. The company was also required to comment on the reputation of the company, especially in relation to the society and the environment. Moreover, the company was required to comment on the impact the reputation would have on the future performance of the company (Yeldar. R. 2007).In the UK the OFR disclosures have been left to an extent to the directors of the company. Their views on the different points are critical in making the di sclosure useful to the company. Moreover, the government has focused on the OFR to fill the lacunae in reporting that traditional financial statements left in the annual reports (Morris. G, McKay. S & Oates. A, 2006). If the board is so inclined, then the OFR can simply be relegated to a public relations activity of the company.The point is that if companies choose not to include corporate responsibility issues in their OFR then there may be a need for a mandatory inclusion of corporate responsibility indicators in the OFR. Even though OFR is driving the companies to disclose corporate responsibility issues, the final decision to disclose remains with the companies (Gee. P, 2006). The OFRs are required to honestly disclose the performance, development and the position of the company to help the investor make better decisions. In addition, the OFRs are required to provide the salient factors and the important trend that affect the present financial performance and the future status o f the company. It is believed that not too many boards of directors will be eager to make an honest disclosure of these trends.To assess the current state of narrative reporting in the UK let us take a look at the review of narrative reporting published by the ASB on January 15, 2007. The report gives some areas of improvement that is the key performance indicators are missing in narrative reporting, the companies are not careful in their description of the principal risks and uncertainties and do not mention their approaches in mitigating these risks and uncertainties. What is most important is that forward looking information is not disclosed in the narrative reports.The review lauds the companies for reporting an increasing number of environmental, employee and social issues, the companies are giving good description of current developments and present performance and that the companies are providing more or less good descriptions of their current business, markets, strategic pla ns and objectives (Ploix. H, & Charkham. J 2005). The auditors are currently required to comment on whether the OFR is consistent with their knowledge of the Annual Report and accounts. However, it is often seen that currently the companies in their OFR often give spin over substance.The companies over emphasize their favorable performance and avoid mentioning their areas of weaknesses. It is expected that now the companies will be required to product a broader annual report and specify their non financial performance and plans for future. For example, Shell is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the UK and has a share of 23% of all emissions from FTSE 100 companies but this is not mentioned in the OFR of the company. There are no specific plans either to reduce emissions. Similarly, BP and Scottish Power are responsible for 17% of the emissions but this is not clearly mentioned in their annual reports.The lacuna in the law is that the auditor is required to compare the OFR s tatements with the financial reports and accounts and check if the statements in the OFR are in agreement with financial reports and accounts. This does not require the auditor to mention the omissions that have been made from the OFR nor does the audit of the narrative statement require the board of directors to make statements that disclose the weaknesses of the company. It is clear that in case of Shell, BP and Scottish Power if their emission levels of greenhouse gases are mentioned and the weaknesses in their future plans of reducing these emissions are clearly delineated in their annual reports, then several ethical investors may decide to stay away from these companies (Cowan. N, 2006, p 137).The recent history of the OFR is that the OFR was first introduced in 1993 by the ASB. At that time it was not mandatory. The Companies Act 1985(Operating and Financial Review and Directors’ Report etc.) Regulations 2005 required quoted companies to prepare a compulsory OFR and ot her companies to include in their Directors’ Reports a business review. Small companies were exempt from the requirements of this regulation.The Accounting Standards Board issued an accompanying Reporting Standard that those companies that complied with the Reporting Standard 1 would be presumed to have met the OFR Regulations. In November, 2005 the Chancellor announced that the government wanted to do away with the need for quoted companies to prepare an OFR. In January 2006 the Repeal Regulation of 2005 came into force that did away with the need for quoted companies to make an OFR.The Reporting Standard 1 was converted into a Reporting Statement. This remains just as a guiding statement for companies that decided to produce an OFR (Vilers. C, 2006). In the next month that is February 2006 the government requested suggestions and comments on improving the narrative reporting requirements. In May 2006 the government publicized amendments to the Business Review legislation. F inally, in November 2006, The Companies Act was given the final assent. and the Business Review requirements are now given legal sanction.Gordon Brown’s decision to abandon the mandatory nature of the OFR has been supported by two arguments. First, the government claims it wants to reduce bureaucracy. Second, government feels that the new requirements for business review meet the EU requirements for narrative reporting. This is the official line of the government.. However, there are other reasons that are being given as the reason for the abolition of the compulsory clause. It is claimed that the abolition of the mandatory requirement is offered as an incentive to business to remain in the UK and to attract new businesses to the UK. It is a part of the race to make UK attractive to business investors.Several environmental organizations like Friends of Earth and NGOs have decided to file a law suit against the government to force it to see reason. They see the withdrawal of t he mandatory clause as signal to the business sector to continue with their environmentally baneful expansion plans. These organizations had been earlier clamoring for mandatory social and environmental reporting for businesses. From this perspective it seems that Gordon Brown’s decision is not a good one.There are other reasons given to support Gordon Brown’s decision. The claim is that more than 80% of the listed companies will voluntarily comply with the requirements of Reporting Statement and generate OFR statements. Those that do not will face investor reaction and comply with the Reporting Statement requirements. Those that persist in not producing an OFR voluntarily will be perceived as not transparent by the investing public. In addition, the proponents of the abolition of mandatory OFR aver that the size and the complexity of the annual reports daunting to most investors. In 2005 the average length of the annual reports was 71 pages. Adding to this only confus es the shareholders.Finally, the materiality get out clause has made the compulsory OFR ineffective. This has also allowed companies to get out of the need to report their weaknesses. However, we should not write off the OFR as dead. Every business knows that it should have an OFR to inform its shareholder. The need for qualitative, non-financial information has been created in the investors. If a company does not produce an OFR the investor may suspect it several faults. The end result will be that the shareholders will find it prudent to stay away from companies that do not produce a comprehensive OFR. There will be reputed persons who will stay away from the boards of companies that do not produce an OFR that meets the standard prescribed by the ASB.The OFR lives in the business review. The government is not compelling the companies to produce an OFR but the shareholders, investors and other stakeholders will compel the companies to produce and OFR. Environmental organizations an d NGOs will take up the matter with companies that do not report on social and environmental issues. Companies that refuse to make OFRs may be shunned by ethical investors, high profile employees and environmentally conscious business partners. The awareness has been created, guidelines have been drafted and the importance of corporate responsibility has been emblazoned. The OFR has taken on a life of its own and even without compulsion it will feature in the annual reports of most UK companies.As the consciousness of investors increases, as the top employees become choosier and as corporations become more environmentally sensitive, OFR will continue to thrive. There is no need to revive the mandatory clause. Enough consciousness has been created to make the corporate sector aware and alive to its reporting responsibilities, the Business Review is adequate for this purpose. Those companies that do not behave in a responsible manner will suffer because they will not be able to sustai n the interests of stakeholders that matter.To sum, there are a number of reasons given in support of the abolition of the mandatory clause and a number of reasons are being given for the reintroduction of mandatory requirements for OFR However, the importance of the OFA has been driven home to the companies, the investors and other stakeholders. Financial reporting alone does not give enough information to make a decision and he knows that an OFA is important. The OFA continues to live in the UK corporate world even after the mandatory clause has been abolished.References:Cowan. N, 2006 Risk Analysis and Evaluation, Lessons Professional Publishing..Financial Reporting Council 2007 ‘ASB Publishes Review of Narrative Reporting’. Retrieved on January 30, 2007 from http://www.frc.org.uk-Gee. P, 2006 UK GAAP for Business and Practice, ElsevierMorris. G, McKay. S & Oates. A, 2006 Finance Director’s Handbook, Elsevier.Ploix. H, & Charkham. J 2005 Keeping Better Company : Corporate Governance Ten Years on, Oxford University Press.Vilers. C, 2006, Corporate Reporting and Company Law, Cambridge University Press. 205 -209Yeldar. R. 2007 Accounting Standards Board Publishes Review of Narrative Reporting, Retrieved on January 30, 2007 from: http://ry.com/news/news/?id=3345

Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Khan Pathan (born 17 November 1982 in Baroda) is an Indian cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He is a powerful and aggressive right-handed batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler. His half-brother Irfan Pathan is also an Indian cricketer. Though younger than Yusuf, it was Irfan who entered the Indian team first. Following his impressive performances in the 2007 Deodhar Trophy and the Inter-state domestic Twenty20 competition held in April 2007, Pathan was made a part of the Indian squad for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship, held in South Africa in September 2007.He made his Twenty20 international debut in the final against Pakistan. He opened the batting for India in the match, and scored 15 runs in the process. [1] After a good domestic season in 2007/08, he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League for USD 475,000 (INR 1. 9 crore). In the 2008 IPL season, he scored 435 runs and took 8 wickets. He recorded the sea son's fastest half century (from 21 balls) against the Deccan Chargers, and was also the Man of the Match in the final against the Chennai Super Kings.Following his good showing in the IPL, he was selected for the Indian one-day team. After the IPL though he played all the games in the Kitply Cup and Asia Cup he got to bat only four times. He couldn't perform very well with the bat and the ball in the Asia Cup and in the Kitply Cup and so he wasn't selected for the Series. against Sri Lanka. He performed well in domestic circuit and impressed the selectors and was selected for the England ODI series in November. He scored a fifty off just 29 balls in the second ODI against England in Indore, on his 26th birthday. [2].Yusuf had made his One-Day International debut for India against Pakistan at Dhaka on 10 June 2008. He became a regular feature of the national One-Day International team, but has yet to make his test debut [3]. Even though Pathan could not repeat his first IPL performa nce in the second season, he was selected in the Indian team to play the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 championships in England. In the second of the Super 8 matches of India, he made an unbeaten 33 from 17 balls against England, despite his team losing the game and crashing out of the tournament before the semi-finals.In late-2009, Pathan was dropped from the limited overs team after a series of unproductive performances and the allrounder's position was taken over by Ravindra Jadeja. In the final of the 2010 Duleep Trophy cricket tournament, Pathan scored a hundred in the first innings and a double hundred in the second and led his team West Zone to a three wicket win over South Zone. Pathan made 108 in the first innings and an unbeaten 210 from 190 balls in the second innings. This became a world record in cricket for the highest successful run chase in first class cricket history. 4] On 13 March 2010, Pathan scored a century off 37 balls, in an Indian Premier League match against Mumb ai Indians. The innings also included record 11 consecutive hits to the boundary (6, 6, 6, 6, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4). On 7th December 2010 Y Pathan scored his maiden century against New Zealand in the 4th ODI at Chinnaswamy stadium Bangalore,he scored 123 runs off 97 balls with 7 sixes and 7 fours and he named match of the match award. At the award distribution ceremony he stated that â€Å"this knock will boost my career†. [citation needed]

Vasco da Gama

The explorations and accomplishments of Vasco da Gama changed Portugal from a poor nation to one of the worlds greatest powers. His persona and exploits distinguished him as an influential pioneer who helped shape Portugal as a nation for the next 100 years. Vasco da Gama was born sometime in the 1460s near the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. Born into a wealthy and respected family of high-ranking soldiers, Gama also trained to be a soldier, although he was more interested in boats and navigation. When Gama was appointed to man an African slave boat on a small mission, he showed his skills as a navigator and was eventually promoted to captain. Over time, Gama became known as a talented navigator. Gama set out on his most important journey on July 8, 1497, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to find a sea route to India. Portugal was hoping to establish direct trade with India to avoid the high tariffs charged by Arabs, who controlled trade throughout the Mediterranean at the time. The lucrative spice trade would increase Portugals wealth immeasurably. Gama consulted Bartolomeu Dias, the only man to sail around the Cape, about potential dangers and the most efficient way of circling the Cape. Dias advised him to go in a large arc to avoid coastal tides and fierce storms. He also told him, One more thing. Watch your men for mutiny. If my own hadnt rebelled I might have reached India seven years ago (Syme 21) . This advice saved Gama time and prevented possible catastrophe. Gama was at sea for over three months without seeing land, the longest period ever experienced by a crew, and was not threatened by mutiny. This was because he had the trust and respec! t of his crew, without which he would have been unable to complete his mission to find the route to India. Gama set off with four ships, the Sao Gabriel which carried about 240 tons, the Sao Rafael , 200 tons, the Sao Maria,150 to...

Awesome Cover Letter Examples for College Students to Engage Employers

Awesome Cover Letter Examples for College Students to Engage Employers Awesome Cover Letter Examples for College Students to Engage Employers Writing a cover letter for resume as an undergraduate or freshly graduated student is both an exciting and difficult prospect. While many students focus on writing their resumes in order to impress their future employers, it’s important to note that both your resume and the cover letter for resume you send are what make your application. They both serve as a way of communicating who you are and how the company you are applying for can benefit from having you. It’s a two-way street after all. Many students will complain that their cover letter wasn’t good enough and that’s why they were turned down. While it’s not impossible, the more probable cause was that they mass e-mailed a resume with a cover letter and crossed their fingers. This is not how you apply for an internship or a job position. It shows that you don’t care about your employer and only think about yourself. Let’s take a look at how you can write a cover letter for resume in order to get hired. Do your research The best way to come up with perfect content for your application paper is by doing research. What does your dream company do? How long are they in business? Who is their CEO? Any and all information that you find about the company that you are chasing for an internship will help you a great deal. It will show that you care about them and do your work thoroughly. You can look up some cover letter examples in order to have a better understanding of what a company is looking for in its interns. The most prominent and developed companies don’t look for your academic background but for your particular set of skills. The most sought after skill in the corporate world is leadership. The ability to manage people and projects. Not how high your grade was in a particular course. Adapt to your company’s needs and you will be on your way of earning that internship you are looking for. Adapt your writing There is a cover letter for resume example everywhere you look, and knowing which style and tone of voice to acquire in order to impress your employer is part of the writing process. Some of the cover letter examples for students offer very detailed and step-by-step guides on how to craft your cover letter. Make sure that you study each one in order to recognize what style you need to use for that particular company. Are you sending your application via e-mail or in an envelope? Sometimes the envelope might be a great idea considering that it’s a dying fashion. It will help you look professional and elegant; making sure that your cover letter for resume actually gets read. Manage expectations The fact of the matter is that you are not the only person applying for a particular internship. It doesn’t mean that you should panic, only think critically about the chances you have. The most common mistake many students make is that they think the cover letter for resume is the first thing that your future employers will read when they receive your application. While in some cases that might be true, your employer is more interested in your resume. If it is well written and has everything that that particular employer wants in an intern, he or she will read your cover letter. Only then will the cover letter for resume come into play when applying for an internship. This means that your resume must be on par with what the company is looking for. It has to be well written and formatted, but most importantly it needs to fill the employer with confidence that you are the right person for them. It also means that you have to adapt your cover letter to your employer. While students think of internship more than they do of the company providing it, this has proven wrong in practice. You letter must be hand-crafted to cater to that particular company and only then does it have a chance in impressing your employer and landing you an internship. Format your paper While it’s important to adapt your writing to your employer, it’s even more important to format the paper properly. Try looking at some cover letter examples for students. You should start your cover letter for resume by greeting the person reading it (by name, mind you). The introduction of your paper should contain the reason for why you are writing the application and how you specifically can help the company. Employers are interested into why they should hire you and what benefit they have from you. Be sure to get straight to the point as soon as possible and your cover letter for resume will do the trick. The next paragraph should focus on your particular skills and again, how they can benefit the company. Make sure to keep the narrative going forward and don’t use the same sentences twice. It’s unprofessional and the employer will get the impression that you don’t have anything else to say. Use the final paragraph to close your cover letter for resume and state that you are looking forward to getting a phone call or an e-mail from the company. Always make sure that you give the reader a call-to-action, something that you expect them to do after they finish reading. As you’ve probably noticed by now, there is no way to write one cover letter and send it to multiple companies hoping that they will contact you; because they won’t. Adapt to your company of choice and craft the paper according to the research you’ve previously done. Following these tips and ideas will greatly increase your chances of earning an internship. It doesn’t mean that your cover letter for resume will be perfect, but it will be that much more professional and true to whom you are. Put every bit of hard work and effort into crafting your resume and cover letter; you will soon realize that hard work does pay off.

Ancient Chinese Contributions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ancient Chinese Contributions - Essay Example China is the motherhood of various objects that have become an integral part of every house and office. The inventions suggested by ancient China concern every sphere of human life. They are created to make human life more interesting and convenient. Each of the above-mentioned inventions is very significant and useful for the whole world. Moreover, each of them has an interesting and unique history that is worth paying attention to. Every person saw or played with a kite at least once in his/her life. The first kites were applied by Chinese people. It happened approximately two thousand and eight hundred years ago. It is known that this object was created by Chinese philosophers – Mozi and Lu Ban (Backus 2002). It happened in the fifth century BC. However, the usage of kites was not the same as today. They were applied as a message for a rescue mission. Sometimes kites were used by Chinese people for various purposes – measuring distances, signalling, military communic ation, testing the wind and lifting people. Today people resort to the use of compass in order not to be lost at the forest or in any other unknown place. It is a good device to use in order to find out the right direction. However, today a few people know about the initial role of compass. It was created by Chinese people in order to fulfil various religious purposes. ... In fact, it is the father of modern calculators. Before the invention of abacus people had to use fingers and hands. It was not very convenient. So, China gave the world a better way to count various things. This invention appeared about 3000 B.C. (Challen 2005). This device consisted of beads and wood. It was not very difficult to carry or hold abacus. It is applied even today, when there are computers and calculators at all offices. However, it is still rather convenient to use abacus, because it helps to keep track of numbers.