Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Spring Break Guide for College Students

Spring Break Guide for College Students Spring break- that last little bit of time off before the end of the academic year. Its something everyone looks forward to because its one of the few times in college you truly get a break from the grind. At the same time, a week goes by fast, and you dont want to head back to class feeling youve wasted your free time. No matter what year you are in school, your budget or your vacation style, here are several ideas for what you can do to make the most out of your spring break. 1. Go Home If you go to school away from home, taking a trip back can be a nice change of pace from college life. And if youre one of those students who isnt great at setting aside time to call Mom and Dad or keeping up with friends at home, this is a great opportunity to make up for it. This can be one of your most affordable options, too, if youre trying to save money. 2. Volunteer See if any service-oriented campus organizations are putting together a volunteer-based spring break trip. Service trips like that offer a great opportunity to see a different part of the country (or the world) while helping others. If youre not interested in traveling far or cant afford a trip, ask organizations in your hometown if they could use a volunteer for a week. 3. Stay on Campus Whether you live really far away or youre just dont want to pack up for a week, you may be able to stay on campus during spring break. (Check your schools policies.) With most people gone on break, you can enjoy a quieter campus, rest up, catch up on school work or explore parts of town youve never had time to visit. 4. Revisit Your Hobbies Is there something you enjoy doing that you havent been able to continue doing at school? Drawing, wall climbing, creative writing, cooking, crafting, playing video games, playing music- whatever it is you love to do, make some time for it during spring break. 5. Take a Road Trip You dont have to drive across the country, but think about loading up your car with snacks and a couple of friends and hitting the road. You could check out some local tourist attractions, visit state or national parks or do a tour of your friends hometowns. 6. Visit a Friend If your spring breaks line up, plan to spend time with a friend who doesnt go to school with you. If your breaks dont fall at the same time, see if you can spend a few days where they live or at their school so you can catch up. 7. Do Something You Dont Get to Do at School What dont you have time for because of the busyness of class and extracurricular activities? Going to the movies? Camping? Reading for fun? Make time for one or more of those things you love to do. 8. Go on a Group Vacation This is the quintessential spring break. Get together with a bunch of your friends or classmates and plan a big trip. These vacations can cost more than many other spring break options, so do your best to plan in advance so you can save up. Ideally youll be able to save a lot by carpooling and sharing lodging. 9. Take a Family Trip When was the last time your family took a vacation together? If youd like to spend more time with your family, propose a vacation during your spring break. 10. Make Some Extra Cash You probably cant find a new job for just a week, but if you had a summer job or worked in high school, ask your employer if they could use some help while youre home. You could also ask your parents if theres any extra work at their jobs that you could help with. 11. Job Hunt Whether you need a summer gig, want an internship or are looking for your first post-grad job, spring break is a great time to focus on your job hunt. If youre applying to or attending grad school in the fall, spring break is a good time to prepare. 12. Catch Up on Assignments It may feel like youll never make up the work if youve fallen behind in class, but you might be able to catch up during spring break. Set goals for how much time you want to dedicate to studying, so you dont get to the end of break and realize youre farther behind than you were before. 13. Relax The demands of college will intensify after you get back from break, so make sure youre ready to face them. Get plenty of sleep, eat well, spend time outside, listen to music- do whatever you can to make sure you get back to school refreshed.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Brackets (and how to use them) - Emphasis

Brackets (and how to use them) Brackets (and how to use them) So, those emoticon smiles: what else can they be used for? Round brackets Imagine the contents of round brackets (or parentheses) as an aside that might be said behind your hand (an actor on a stage might anyway). These punctuation marks come in handy to: include optional information You dont have much time left to finish your Christmas shopping (only six shopping days!). introduce an abbreviation or explain a term At this time of year, many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); although equally problematic during December is pogonophobia (a fear of beards). cross-refer If youre wondering where to put punctuation around brackets, youll soon find out (see below). To learn more about pogonophobia, see The Big Book of Phobias (p92). add authorial commentary (if appropriate to the context) The effects of SAD can be quite debilitating (believe me). cover several possible eventualities The Christmas e-bulletin should be well-received by its already tipsy reader(s). Square brackets But parentheses are not to be confused with square brackets. These can be used to: add an editors note or direction Emphasis staff will be required to wear Santa hats to work throughout December [Catie to purchase these]. clarify meaning in a quote without changing any of the original words She said, If you make me wear that thing [the Santa hat] to work, Im quitting. In these cases, you can just replace the word(s) being clarified eg I said: if you make me put on [the Santa hat], Im quitting. Humbug! Punctuating brackets It can be confusing working out where to put the punctuation around brackets (but were here to help): The first rule is quite straightforward. (If you are writing a full sentence inside them, the full stop or alternative should be inside the brackets.) But the full stop will be on the outside if the brackets contain only part of the full sentence (as these do). Put a comma outside the brackets (as demonstrated here), when those brackets appear at the end of a clause within the sentence. If the bracketed aside needs a question mark or exclamation mark, youll still need to add a full stop on the outside to complete the sentence (like this!).

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The role of the local planning authority Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The role of the local planning authority - Essay Example This crucial piece of infrastructure in this beach shack suburb will be finished with modern European finishes. Bamboo floorboards will be used for the flooring and morato marble will be used for the paneling and joinery. There will be a basement car park, finished in sandstone to accommodate all residents. The stylish architectural design and the rare beachfront location enables us as developers to offer the ultimate in beachfront living with the motto of 4 levels of elegance, and only 4 metres to the beach.There will be a 10 metre by 3 metre pool on the beachside of the site to accommodate for a more personal environment for the residents of the building. The facility will come with a small BBQ area allowing for a full functioning facility. The pool will be lined with black pebbles to attract the sun so there will be no need for heating. The rural site will have a house that will be purely for residential. Quality expectations: Goals were set to ensure that the quality of the proje ct in terms of product and process was not compromised.   Project planning was done with the consideration of the external environment which included technological changes, customers and competitors, suppliers, geographical location and climate; economic political and social settings The project was planned to run for two years. The stages involved were planning, programming, budgeting, design, construction documentation, bidding, construction, evaluation, testing and delivery.... The facility will come with a small BBQ area allowing for a full functioning facility. The pool will be lined with black pebbles to attract the sun so there will be no need for heating. Beautifully landscaped gardens High end European finishes 12 underground car parks with storage for each unit owner The rural site will have a house that will be purely for residential. Quality expectations: Goals were set to ensure that the quality of the project in terms of product and process was not compromised. Project planning was done with the consideration of the external environment which included technological changes, customers and competitors, suppliers, geographical location and climate; economic political and social settings The project was planned to run for two years. The stages involved were planning, programming, budgeting, design, construction documentation, bidding, construction, evaluation, testing and delivery. The main objective of the project was to come up with state-of-the-ar t apartments that could meet the need for quality living of the tenants. Quality control in construction mostly requires ensuring that the basic standards of workmanship and material have been complied with so that performance of the facility is in keeping with the given design. Such basic standards are outlined in the specifications provided for in the plan. In order to ensure conformity to the plans, statistical methods and random samples are mostly used as a measure to accept or reject materials and completed work. Rejection of batches of materials is done on the basis of non compliance or violation of the given specifications of design. An understood assumption in such conventional quality control

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Role of the Schools of Jurisprudence in Preserving Islamic Law Research Paper

The Role of the Schools of Jurisprudence in Preserving Islamic Law - Research Paper Example Prophet Muhammad’s successor had the power of introducing new legislation, but this power seemed to have been occasionally exercised during the Medinan period, thus supplementing the Quran (Alhaddad 31). Although the existing legislation was somehow adequate for the Medina’s Muslim community, the expanding Islamic empire under the first Islam dynasty, the Umayyad caliphate, lacked a legal establishment capable to accommodate a great complexity of cultures and races. Whereas the Caliphate was an Islamic institution, the Umayyads were to a considerable extent secular ruler and they only participated partly in the administration of the religion (Motzki 27). Gradual transformation of the Muslim society to urban culture from nomadic culture established new challenges for the Islamic law. The Quranic or religious elements of the law of the law became hugely submerged in the complex mass of legal materials that had been produced. Even though the Umayyad caliphate was successfu l in building a big and vast empire, they were criticized for the detachment from Islamic principles. During this time, a new authority was necessary so as to bring back and expand the Islamic law to accommodate matters concerning the Muslims. In the late period of the Umayyads, the first delegates acting as Islamic judges were appointed and their jurisdiction solely extended to Muslims. Subsequently, the framework of a new Arab Muslim society was created and a new justice administration emerged known as the Islamic jurisprudence. The work of the Islamic judges became increasingly specialized and gained authority in giving opinions regarding questions of religious importance (Haddad and Barbara 20).... This essay approves that Islamic scholars and jurists studied the Prophet’s life and the Quran and they adopted a detailed and refined methodology which they used in extracting legal verdicts and rulings. Muslim scholars agree that the four main schools of Islamic jurisprudence played and continue to play a fundamental role in preserving not only the Islamic law, but also the tradition of Islamic scholarship. It should be noted that these schools emphasized that the authority of the Muslim jurists were entirely derived from the God’s authority and that there is no authority that is vested in the individual jurists. This report makes a conclusion that human beings have been created by God to serve Him, as well as to create a surrounding or an environment where God’s world is upheld. It is for this reason that each Muslim must be aware of the need to lead his or her life in conformity with the wishes and orders of God. The importance of the schools of Islamic jurisprudence is reflected in the immediately mentioned statements. Schools of jurisprudence provide a basis for Muslims to understand matters of their religion. The Quran and the Hadith addresses the importance and the role of Islamic jurisprudence by demanding that Muslims should continue to study Islamic jurisprudence so that they are able to guide the other members of the society. This position is affirmed in the Hadith where Prophet Muhammad is seen emphasizing on the importance of Islamic jurisprudence by saying that when God intends good for a faithful He will grant him the good understanding of Islamic jurisprudence.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The elderly †a group apart Essay Example for Free

The elderly – a group apart Essay One of the largest groups that are routinely dismissed or ignored is the part of the population known as the elderly. Because of their age, some people think that their ways or knowledge may be outdated, no longer of use to the technological present. Other people dismiss the elderly because of their own issues regarding aging. Being around a person who is 85 or 90 makes them face the reality that they will also be that age someday, and they are not ready to admit that. This is evident by the enormous amounts of money spent on anti-aging products and the increasingly busy plastic surgery industry. Unfortunately, when the general society ignores this section of the population, they fail to realize just what they are losing. If people dont attempt to learn from those who have learned the important lessons of life, then they are doomed to make the same mistakes. What the general public does not recognize is the amount of wisdom that the elderly have. They have seen the world change before their eyes, and have so many stories to tell. Generally, the elderly are thought of as boring, and tired. Yet, when one takes the time to really listen to them, friendships can be created, and knowledge exchanged. Just because an elderly person may not know what an i-pod is, does not mean that they cant teach something new. The elderly are the same people that they were when they were young. The only difference is the wisdom and life-knowledge that they have gained on the way. Their humor, personalities, likes and dislikes are the same, as is their need of love and acceptance, a need that we all possess. Aging is a stage that is part of life, and just because someone is aged, does not make them less important.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

As I Lay Dying: Styles Used By William Faulkner :: essays research papers

As I Lay Dying: Styles Used By William Faulkner -Darl's Section (p.128) Most authors have certain styles that result in bringing across certain ideas. In As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner uses a subtle and discreet narrative manner to bring forth important pieces of information that adds to the story, and important themes. In one of the chapters narrated by Darl, this is shown very well In this chapter Darl uses a flashback to let us get a more in-depth look at the Bundren family; to let us see why it is so "dysfunctional." In this chapter we learn more about the relationships within the family, and more about Addie, about whom we previously have not learned much. We see how keen Darl's sense of intuition is, and we learn an important family secret. Darl is often used as an objective speaker, although he is indeed involved with the situation he is speaking about. In this chapter he recalls Jewel's purchase of his horse. This is a strong clue that Jewel is not Anse's son, since Anse is extremely lazy and would never work as hard as Jewel did for a horse. We also see the tension between Anse and Jewel. We see the lack of respect Jewel has for Anse. It is rather ironic when Anse says "He's just lazy, trying me" (p. 129) Since Jewel has been working really hard, and it is Anse who is lazy. Furthering on Jewel and Anse's relationship, I feel that it is fairly evident that Jewel knows that Anse is not his father. This is illustrated in the following section on page 136: "Jewel looked at Pa, his eyes paler than ever. 'He won't never eat a mouthful of yours' he said. 'Not a mouthful. I'll kill him first. Don't you never think it. Don't you never.' "The antagonism Jewel holds toward Anse is enormous, and this scene intensifies it showing that Jewel knows the truth or at least has a fair idea. We also see that Darl knows, and how he knows. At the end of the chapter, he sees his mother crying over Jewel when he is sleeping. He could see her anguish and almost feel it. His empathy and intuition led him to discovering the truth, and he also confirms his knowledge of Dewey Dell's pregnancy. We see the strength of his intuition and how it affects the rest of the family. The fact that Darl knows probably heightens the rivalry between the two brothers. In this chapter we see the way the family was before Addie's death and

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Death Penalty Essay

There are several reasons to argue for making the death penalty illegal in the United States of America. The United States Constitution does not allow for unkind penalties as a sentence for crime. The death penalty poses many risks to the innocent. World opinion supports the cessation of the death penalty. Poor and minorities suffer disproportionately from the death penalty. Capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. Putting people to death by capital punishment is not cost effective. Putting people to death by capital punishment is inhumane and should be illegal. The U. S.  Constitution states that, â€Å"cruel and unusual punishments (Amendment 8, 1791),† should not be inflicted on its citizens. It is especially cruel in cases of â€Å"botched† executions. On April 22, 1983 in Alabama, it took several jolts of 1,900 volts of electricity to execute John Evans. On the third attempt â€Å"another charge of electricity was sent through John’s body. Once again, his head and leg boiled (80, Canan, Burning at The Wire)†. In a 1994 case, Fierro v. Gomez, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California reviewed evidence on the effects of the gas chamber and supported Justice Brennan’s Eighth Amendment claim. The court â€Å"concluded that the time it takes for the lethal gas to kill an inmate combined with the degree of pain inflicted on the inmate warrants the use of another method of execution† (US Court for 9th Circuit). Brennan cited evidence that criminals executed in the gas chamber—by asphyxiation—suffered great pain over a number of minutes. Although most modern execution methods appear to be physically painless, appearances can be misleading. Renowned neurobiologists are now providing evidence which show that it is scientifically and medically certain that death by electrocution is not instantaneous. In the words of Harold Hillman, a prominent neurobiologist, â€Å"death by electrocution may inflict unnecessary pain, physical violence, and mutilation† (Hillman 174). The death penalty poses serious risk to the innocent. Due to inherent flaws in the US criminal justice system innocent people have been wrongly convicted. The danger is that once an innocent person is executed it cannot be remedied. Excerpts from a 1993 report by a US Congress Subcommittee, states that no matter how careful we are â€Å"the chances are high that innocent persons have been or will be executed† (deathpenaltyinfo. rg). In 1989 although no physical evidence linked Joseph Burrows to the murder of William Dulin, he was convicted and sent to Death Row. Witnesses later said they had been coerced by prosecutors and police. In summing up the appeal, Justice Harry Blackmun, stated that, an â€Å"execution without adequate safeguards is unacceptable, so too is an execution when the condemned prisoner can prove that he is innocent† (deathpenaltyinfo. org). In 1994, a Texas court sentenced Michael Blair to death for the 1993 murder of 7-year old Ashley Estell. Mr. Blair could have paid with his life. However a re-investigation of the case in May 2008 found that â€Å"no reasonable juror would have convicted [applicant] in light of newly discovered evidence (cca. courts. state. tx. us)†. More innocent people continue to be released from death row. â€Å"There have been 220 post-conviction DNA exonerations in United States history (innocenceproject. org). † World opinion is in favor of abolishing the death penalty. The European Union campaigns for the universal abolition of the death penalty. Abolition of the death penalty is a requirement for countries seeking EU membership. The EU Charter states that â€Å"no one shall be condemned to the death penalty, or executed (Article II-2)†. Turkey has joined the growing number of countries that advocate the abolishment of the death penalty. The Turkish Constitution states that, â€Å"neither death penalty nor general confiscation shall be imposed as punishment (Article 38, 9)†. Even in Central Asia where executions are part of a long tradition, several countries have limited or suspended the use of the death penalty. On June 26, 2006 the President of the Philippines Macapagal Arroyo passed into law a bill abolishing the death penalty. The bill ratified their 1987 Constitution which states that, â€Å"the death penalty shall not be imposed. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to reclusion perpetua† (Article III, section 19(1). In Africa, only six countries continue to impose the death penalty. On September 16, 2005, Liberia acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. Article 1. 2 of the protocol states that, â€Å"each State Party shall take all necessary measures to abolish the death penalty within its jurisdiction† (http://www2. ohchr. org). Because poor and minorities are disproportionately subjected to the death penalty, it should be prohibited. A United States Judiciary Subcommittee in 1994 found that, â€Å"minorities are being prosecuted under federal death penalty law far beyond their proportion in the general population† (usdoj. gov). Most court appointed attorneys often lack the experience necessary for capital trials. Since â€Å"ninety-five percent of death row inmates cannot afford their own attorney,† (deathpenaltyinfo. org) a court attorney is usually appointed for them. During closing remarks in a murder trial in a 1985 case in Georgia (State v. Dungee), the defense attorney stated that, the defendant â€Å"is poor and he is broke. He’s got an appointed lawyer† (11th Cir. 1985). The defendant was found guilty and sent to Death Row. A 2003 Amnesty International report found that the â€Å"juvenile offenders executed in Texas since 1998 were all African-Americans who committed their offenses at the age of 17† (texasdeathpenalty. rg). No white juveniles have been sentenced to death row in Texas since the death penalty was reinstated in 1982. Since capital punishment does not deter criminal offenses, it should not be a legal form of punishment. A study by The New York Times in 2000 found that homicide rates had risen and fallen along roughly symmetrical paths in the states with and without the death penalty. The neighboring states of Michigan, with no death penalty, and Indiana, which regularly imposes death sentences and carries out executions, have had virtually indistinguishable homicide rates. In 2007 the murder rate in Michigan was 676 (1. 76%) with a 10 million population† (disastercenter. com). While the murder rate in Indiana for the same period was â€Å"356 (1. 4%) with a population of 6. 3 million† people (disastercenter. com). An analysis of the murder rate in Virginia second behind Texas in number of executions from 1976-2004 (94/944) and neighboring Maryland show no significant difference. In 2007 the murder rate in Virginia was â€Å"406 with a 7. 7 million population† (fbi. gov) and in Maryland for the same period it was â€Å"553 with a population of 5. million people† (fbi. gov). It is also pertinent to compare states with high and low rates of execution as a result of the death penalty. A good comparison for this scenario is Oklahoma, which executed 75 candidates between 1976 and 2004, and Pennsylvania, which executed three. In 2004, Pennsylvania had â€Å"a total Crime Index of 2,995. 3 reported incidents per 100,000 people† (disastercenter. com). Whereas, Oklahoma â€Å"had a total Crime Index of 4,558. 6 reported incidents per 100,000 people† (disastercenter. com) in 2004. Although the crime index is not restricted to murders, Oklahoma’s numbers are significantly higher than Pennsylvania’s. The death penalty is cost-prohibitive and should be illegal. A system with a death penalty is vastly more expensive than one where the maximum penalty is keeping murderers in prison for life. In the State of California the additional cost of confining an inmate to Death Row, â€Å"is $90,000 per year, per inmate† (ccfaj. org). California could save about $90,000,000 per year by abolishing the death penalty and re-sentencing all of its Death Row inmates to life imprisonment. In Maryland an average capital-eligible case in which prosecutors do not seek the death penalty cost $1. 1 million. A capital-eligible case in which prosecutors unsuccessfully seek the death penalty costs $1. 8 million and a case resulting in a death sentence costs approximately $3 million. From 1978-1999 seeking the death penalty in 162 cases has cost tax payers of Maryland â€Å"$186 million more than what those cases would have cost had the death penalty not been sought† (Urban Institute Report, 2008). In Indiana â€Å"the cost of a death penalty trial and direct appeal alone is more than five times the cost of a life without parole trial and direct appeal† (in. gov). This was the conclusion from a 2002 Indiana Criminal Law Study conducted for the then Governor of Indiana Frank O’Bannon. From 1973 to 1988, the state of Florida spent an average of $3. 2 million per execution (in. gov). â€Å"Bottom line, life in prison is one-sixth as expensive† Miami Herald, July 10, 1988. The death penalty is in itself useless and has created counterproductive results in deterring the crime of murder. It wastes enormous resources on a handful of cases, to the detriment of measures that may provide actual rehabilitation. The United States is currently the only industrialized nation actively executing convicted felons by capital punishment. Considering that all human lives have an innate value it is inherently wrong to take one as a process to compensate for one that’s been lost. â€Å"The death penalty remains fraught with arbitrariness, discrimination, caprice, and mistake† – Justice Harry A. Blackmun, February 22, 1994. Our future generations will look back and shudder at the barbaric acts we practice today.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Icarus Literary Essay

The modern world has certainly evolved from the time of ancient Greece. In the poem Icarus, by Edward Field, a Greek mythological character is placed in the bustling, ironic reality of the modern world. The once fearless and ambitious Icarus, takes his risk taking too far and finds himself miserable and trapped. His only failure turns out to be his worst failure of all and Icarus cannot get up after this final fall. Field uses euphemism, imagery, dictation, and irony to tell the story of a young adventeurer who is unable to overcome his tragic defeat.Icarus provides a strong message to readers about reaching for the stars, but being able to pick yourself up after you fall. Field uses euphemism to describe Icarsus’ â€Å"hero[ic] fall† (l. 20), not to his tragic death, but rather â€Å"to the middling stature of the merely talented† (l. 21). Icarus is portrayed as a hero in Greek mythology, so when he is transformed into the vastly different, mediocre world, it is his ultimate fall. His life changes from â€Å"compel[ing] the sun† (l. 14), to â€Å"rid[ing] commuter trains† (l. 29).The transition to mediocrity is worse than death to Icarus, and Edward Field emphasises this through the use of euphemism. Icarus’ fall to mediocrity is also emphasised through Field’s strong use of imagery. The reader is able to easily understand and visualize the transition from the first stanza, which describes Icarus’ tragic death and implies the differences between his traditional home and his new home, to the third stanza, where imagery deprecates his life in the new world. Right away imagery illustrates Icarus’ hard fall into the contemporary world when he goes from a hero to a â€Å"report filed and forgotten† (l.6).This use of imagery shows how Icarus is quickly forgotten and his peers have a carelessness towards his new persona as â€Å"Mr. Hicks† (l. 10). The imagery enforced here helps the reader to understand the harsh reality of Icarus’ fall to mediocrity. Field’s use of irony and dictation are the final pieces that illustrate Icarus’ fall to the modern world. In the opening stanza of the poem the ironic culture of the new world is brought to light when the witnesses of Icarus’ fall run off to a â€Å"gang war† (l. 5). Right away this establishes the cruel stature of urban life and the ironic revision of roles for Icarus.When Icarus’ report is â€Å"filed and forgotten† (l. 6), it has an ironic spin on Greek mythology, because in ancient Greece tales resembling this would never be forgotten. Icarus’ new home in the real world is ironic because his new facade as â€Å"Mr. Hicks† (l. 10) is portrayed as a nice, friendly neighbour, which is very farfetched from Icarus’ foolish and disobedient personality in his traditional home. Fields use of dictation throughout the poem is a constant reminder of the new s etting in the contemporary world Icarus is now living in.Words like â€Å"commuter trains† (l.29) and â€Å"committees† (l. 30), constantly clarify and emphasis the mediocre setting. Field strongly employs techniques of euphemism, imagery, irony, and dictation. In doing so, he conveys both poetically personal reflections and an effective change of Icarus’ setting, shaping this work as an even more tragic story for the protagonist than his death would have been. Icarus provokes the reader to self reflect on their attempts to reach the heavens and their abrupt fallings. It is a reminder to us that no matter how hard you fall, nothing will beat the pain of giving up.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Stolen Credit Card

Your credit card is stolen. You place a phone call to the number provided in your tourist guide or in the local daily press. You provide your details and you cancel your card. You block it. In a few minutes, it should be transferred to the stop-list available to the authorization centres worldwide. From that moment on, no thief will be able to fraudulently use your card. You can sigh in relief. The danger is over. But is it ? It is definitely not. To understand why, we should first review the intricate procedure involved. In principle, the best and safest thing to do is call the authorization centre of the bank that issued your card (the issuer bank). Calling the number published in the media is second best because it connects the cardholder to a â€Å"volunteer† bank, which caters for the needs of all the issuers of a given card. Some service organizations (such as IAPA - the International Air Passengers Association) provide a similar service. The â€Å"catering bank† accepts the call, notes down the details of the cardholder and prepares a fax containing the instruction to cancel the card. The cancellation fax is then sent on to the issuing bank. The details of all the issuing banks are found in special manuals published by the clearing and payments associations of all the banks that issue a specific card. All the financial institutions that issue Mastercards, Eurocards and a few other more minor cards in Europe are members of Europay International (EPI). Here lies the first snag : the catering bank often mistakes the identity of the issuer. Many banks share the same name or are branches of a network. Banks with identical names can exist in Prague, Budapest and Frankfurt, or Vienna, for instance. Should a fax cancelling the card be sent to the wrong bank - the card will simply not be cancelled until it is too late. By the time the mistake is discovered, the card is usually thoroughly abused and the financial means of the... Free Essays on Stolen Credit Card Free Essays on Stolen Credit Card Your credit card is stolen. You place a phone call to the number provided in your tourist guide or in the local daily press. You provide your details and you cancel your card. You block it. In a few minutes, it should be transferred to the stop-list available to the authorization centres worldwide. From that moment on, no thief will be able to fraudulently use your card. You can sigh in relief. The danger is over. But is it ? It is definitely not. To understand why, we should first review the intricate procedure involved. In principle, the best and safest thing to do is call the authorization centre of the bank that issued your card (the issuer bank). Calling the number published in the media is second best because it connects the cardholder to a â€Å"volunteer† bank, which caters for the needs of all the issuers of a given card. Some service organizations (such as IAPA - the International Air Passengers Association) provide a similar service. The â€Å"catering bank† accepts the call, notes down the details of the cardholder and prepares a fax containing the instruction to cancel the card. The cancellation fax is then sent on to the issuing bank. The details of all the issuing banks are found in special manuals published by the clearing and payments associations of all the banks that issue a specific card. All the financial institutions that issue Mastercards, Eurocards and a few other more minor cards in Europe are members of Europay International (EPI). Here lies the first snag : the catering bank often mistakes the identity of the issuer. Many banks share the same name or are branches of a network. Banks with identical names can exist in Prague, Budapest and Frankfurt, or Vienna, for instance. Should a fax cancelling the card be sent to the wrong bank - the card will simply not be cancelled until it is too late. By the time the mistake is discovered, the card is usually thoroughly abused and the financial means of the...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Ten Common Myths Regarding Teachers

Ten Common Myths Regarding Teachers Teaching is one of the most misunderstood professions. Many people do not understand the dedication and hard work that it takes to be a good teacher. The truth is that it is often a thankless profession. A significant portion of the parents and students that we work with on a regular basis do not respect or appreciate what we are trying to do for them. Teachers deserve to be respected more, but there is a stigma associated with the profession that will not go away any time soon. The following myths drive this stigma making this job even more difficult than it already is. Myth #1 – Teachers work from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The fact that people believe that teachers only work Monday-Friday from 8-3 is laughable. Most teachers arrive early, stay late, and often spend a few hours on the weekend working in their classrooms. Throughout the school year, they also sacrifice time at home for activities such as grading papers and preparing for the next day. They are always on the job. A recent article published by BBC news in England highlighted a survey asking their teachers how many hours they spend on the job. This survey compares favorably to the amount of time teachers in the United States spend working each week. The survey evaluated the time spent in the classroom and the time spent working at home. According to the survey, teachers worked between 55-63 hours per week depending on the level that they teach. Myth #2 – Teachers have the entire summer off work. Yearly teaching contracts typically range from 175-190 days depending on the number of professional development days required by the state. Teachers generally receive about 2 ½ months for summer vacation. This does not mean they are not working. Most teachers will attend at least one professional development workshop during the summer, and many attend more. They utilize the summer to plan for the next year, read up on the latest educational literature, and pour through new curriculum that they will be teaching when the New Year begins. Most teachers also start showing up weeks in advance of the required reporting time to start preparing for the new year. They may be away from their students, but much of the summer is dedicated to improving in the next year. Myth #3 – Teachers complain too often about their pay. Teachers feel underpaid because they are. According to the National Education Association, the average teacher salary in 2012-2013, in the United States, was $36,141. According to Forbes Magazine, 2013 graduates earning a bachelor’s degree would make an average of $45,000. Teachers with all ranges of experience make $9000 less a year on average than those beginning their career in another field. Many teachers have been forced to find part-time jobs in the evenings, on the weekends, and throughout the summer to supplement their income. Many states have beginning teacher salaries below the poverty level forcing those who have mouths to feed to get government assistance to survive. Myth #4 – Teachers want to eliminate standardized testing. Most teachers do not have an issue with standardized testing itself. Students have been taking standardized tests every year for several decades. Teachers have utilized testing data to drive classroom and individual instruction for years. Teachers appreciate having the data and apply it to their classroom. The high stakes testing era has changed a lot of the perception of standardized testing. Teacher evaluations, high school graduation, and student retention are just a few of the things that are now tied to these tests. Teachers have been forced to sacrifice creativity and to ignore teachable moments to ensure that they cover everything their students will see on these tests. They waste weeks and sometimes months of class time doing comprehension test prep activities to prepare their students. Teachers are not afraid of standardized testing itself, they are afraid of how the results are now used. Myth #5 – Teachers are opposed to the Common Core State Standards. Standards have been around for years. They will always exist in some form. They are blueprints for teachers based on grade level and subject matter. Teachers value standards because it gives them a central path to follow as they move from point A to point B. The Common Core State Standards are no different. They are another blueprint for teachers to follow. There are some subtle changes that many teachers would like to make, but they truly are not much different than what most states have been using for years. So what are teachers opposed to? They are opposed to the testing tied the Common Core. They already loathe the overemphasis on standardized testing and believe the Common Core will increase that emphasis even more. Myth #6 – Teachers only teach, because they cannot do anything else. Teachers are some of the smartest people I know. It is frustrating that there are people in the world that actually believe that teaching is an easy profession full of people that are incapable of doing anything else. Most become teachers because they love working with young people and want to make an impact. It takes an exceptional person and those who consider it glorified â€Å"babysitting† would be shocked if they shadowed a teacher for a few days. Many teachers could pursue other career paths with less stress and more money, but choose to stay in the profession because they want to be a difference maker. Myth #7 – Teachers are out to get my child. Most teachers are there because they genuinely care for their students. For the most part, they are not out to get a child. They have a certain set of rules and expectations that every student is expected to follow. The chances are decent that the child is the issue if you think the teacher is out to get them. No teacher is perfect. There may be times that we come down too hard on a student. This often results out of frustration when a student refuses to respect the rules of the classroom. However, this does not mean we are out to get them. It means that we care enough about them to correct the behavior before it becomes uncorrectable. Myth #8 – Teachers are responsible for my child’s education. Parents are any child’s greatest teacher. Teachers only spend a few hours each day over the course of a year with a child, but parents spend a lifetime. In reality, it takes a partnership between parents and teachers to maximize a student’s learning potential. Neither parents nor teachers can do it alone. Teachers want a healthy partnership with parents. They understand the value that parents bring. They are frustrated by parents who believe they have little to no role in their child’s education other than making them go to school. Parents should understand that they are limiting their child’s education when they do not get involved. Myth #9 – Teachers are continuously opposed to change. Most teachers embrace change when it is for the better. Education is a continuously changing field. Trends, technology, and new research are continuously evolving and teachers do a decent job of keeping up with those changes. What they fight against is bureaucratic policy that forces them to do more with less. In recent years, class sizes have increased, and school funding has decreased, but teachers are expected to produce greater results than at any time. Teachers want more than the status quo, but they want to be properly equipped to fight their battles successfully. Myth #10 – Teachers are not like real people. Students get used to seeing their teachers in â€Å"teacher mode† day in and day out. It is hard sometimes to think of them as real people who have lives outside of school. Teachers are often held to a higher moral standard. We are expected to behave a certain way at all times. However, we are very much real people. We have families. We have hobbies and interests. We have lives outside of school. We make mistakes. We laugh and tell jokes. We like to do the same things everyone else likes to do. We are teachers, but we are people too.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Country Inventory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Country Inventory - Essay Example This manuscript will reflect on Scotland, highlighting its physical, cultural, religious, cultural and political aspects. Scotland, located in the northern part of the United Kingdom, harbors nearly 800 islands. Recent statistics indicate that the nation’s population is slightly over 5.2 million people (Hallwood & MacDonald, 2009). The three regions that are distinct in the country include the Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands. The Highlands is mainly a rugged barren region, with several valleys known as glens, including the Glen Mor. The area is particularly poor in forestation and typical with low population density (IBPUS, 2012). Mountain ranges such as the Grampian Mountain and the Northwest Highlands are some of the physical features present in the region. The Central Lowlands extends from coast to coast and is the most suitable place for agricultural activities. The land is relatively flat with a few hilly parts of the region. Its agricultural capa bilities render it the most populous region in Scotland(IBPUS, 2012). The region also boasts of mineral resources. Rivers Clyde, Tay and Fourth pass through the region, providing a suitable environment for agricultural practices. The third region is the Southern Uplands, located between the lowlands and the English boundary. The region consists of hilly plateaus. It is particularly barren, but the lower parts of the region encompass rich soils. The region is suitable for livestock rearing, with the availability of sheep and cattle. The Cheviot Hills are the most apparent physical features in the region(Koch, 2012). The climatic pattern is characteristically cool, wet and windy and modern culture. Modern and traditional music are a key feature of the country’s culture. The bagpipe, drum and the harp are key features of the music that have spread globally. The nation also encompasses sports as a key aspect of its culture. The nation has successfully participated in various spor t, including soccer, rugby, cricket and Olympic games at international levels. The nation’s major language is English, with a variety of dialects accents. Other significant languages include the Scots and Gaelic (Koch, 2012). A common Scottish diet may include fruits and vegetables. Mince and tatties, which comprise of ground beef and mashed potatoes, also serve as a common dish. Scotch natives use wine to celebrate special occasions, with turkey and haggis serving for Christmas. The country’s traditional dresses include the plaid and the kilt, which are worn on events such as weddings. Scotland’s tradition also boasts of diverse myths and legends, which include the Loch Ness monster and the Haggis among others (Koch, 2012). The nation’s most celebrated days include Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Mothers’ day among others. The nation is unique in that it has two flags, each with a distinct meaning. The flags are the Rampant and th e Saltire with the Rampant representing power and aristocracy while the Saltire represents the crucifixion of Saint Andrew, a significant figure in the Scottish history.UK’s hereditary nobility caste is also evident in the Scotland culture. Political Geography Before 1832, Scotland’s authority was under rich property-owners and the minority merchants. There was a political rearrangement that year, and