Brain Blast! Factors Affecting Retention

Brain Blast! Factors Affecting Retention BY hypoactive Chapter I Statement of the problem: The different factors affecting retention of fourth year students of Vulcan Ecumenical School Three Specific Questions: Why do some people have a better memory than others? ; How do we remember? ; and Why do we forget? Significance of the Study: To widen the knowledge of the readers about retention; Alms to show different ways on how one can have a better retention; This study Is to benefit students especially those from Vulcan Ecumenical School Scope and Limitation This study mainly focuses on the senior students of Vulcan Ecumenical School.The articles gathered here are a combination of local and foreign literature. Chapter II Review of Related Literature Presented In this chapter Is a synthesis of facts that support the topic the researchers would want to prove. Included in the chapter is the definition of memory, parts of the brain that are in charge on remembering and forgetting, connectiv ity of the brain, a deeper understanding on autobiographical and semantic memory, long term and short term memory, how and why people remember and forget, the reason why some people have a better memory than others and some methods on how one can Improve his/her memory.Local Literature According to Alfonse M. Albany of Philippine star, the human brain weighing roughly one-and-a-half kilos, with a volume more or less half that of a medium-sized coconut, with its about 100 billion neurons, each with some 10,000 interconnections, is probably the most complex structure that we know. Yet, that structural complexity hardly begins to hint at the incredible variety and the enormity of its functions. Surely, this is a case of a whole that is vastly greater than the sum of its parts.Albany said that the brain is the seat of our consciousness and of our emotions, the repository of our memories. It synthesizes and analyses our sensory inputs, decides what behavioral responses are appropriate or necessary to promote our continued survival. And when parts of it fail to perform properly, we are burdened with depression, or schizophrenia, or Alchemist's diseases, or other such debilitating disorders. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates put it well: â€Å"Men ought to know that from nothing else but the brain come Joys, delights, laughter and sports, and sorrows, grieves, despondency, and lamentations. No wonder the brain has been the subject of intense scientific scrutiny's for a very long time. A currently active area of study concerns the â€Å"connectivity† of the brain. Physiologists distinguish â€Å"structural† or â€Å"anatomical† connectivity from â€Å"functional† connectivity and both from â€Å"effective† connectivity. The first merely means the physical connections between groups of neurons 1 . The second refers to correlated behaviors of different brain regions. The last involves the transfer of information from one region to another, possibly affecting the behavior of the latter ? a causal connection 2.Our Marvelous Brains On one of the articles of Koruna Sanchez she wrote that because of the amount of information that the human brain receives everyday, a sort of built-in filter kicks in to only allow those that seem important. Otherwise the brain would literally heat up and burn out faster than we would want it to. A good example was when a portrait of the famous Mona Lisa was shown to several persons, they all failed to notice a OF in the background, which of course is not in the original painting.Because we know, or supposed to know what the Mona Lisa looks like, we don't look at other details anymore. Misdirection's is another way to distract the brain. So many examples of seduction were shown, which is the bread and butter of a good magician or illusionist, and yes, even con artists and criminals. Your brain is made to focus on something while ignoring everything else. Watching a basketball bein g passed several times among players while totally ignoring a gorilla that walks among them. And this is what criminals like pickpockets master.That little bump on the shoulder is enough to distract you while they go after your wallet or purse. Or using beautiful women to get the attention of gullible men. You know the rest. Foreign Literature 1. Definition of memory According to lucid research. Mom, the human memory is a complex activity of the brain that allows us to store information and retrieve it again when we need it. There are two discrete memory systems: A system that keeps a record of our personal life experiences is usually called Autobiographical memory. A system that holds the knowledge about the world is called Semantic memory.It is possible for one system to work better than the other because these two work in somewhat different ways. For example, a student might have a good autobiographical memory and recall in detail everything about an event, but a poor semantic me mory o failing to remember things that need to be learned in school. Both memory systems can store information from all our senses – vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch – but in semantic memory visual and auditory-verbal modes of information usually predominate, unless another mode was particularly important.For example, a perfume maker would have a very well-developed semantic memory for doors. 2. Get to know your Brain Parts of the brain that is in charge of remembering and forgetting: The Cortex As said by Dry. Paul Nassau, the Cortex 5 is the outer covering of the brain. It is a word that translates to mean â€Å"bark of a tree†. This is one part of the brain that is responsible for your most complicated thinking abilities. Your memory, language, personality, intentional motor skills, spatial ability and visual perception are all controlled by the Cortex.The Medial Section of the Brain This part tends to be older and more primitive. These are responsible fo r controlling drives, impulses, fears, instincts, emotions, reflexes, subconscious processes and automatic behaviors. Supporter The â€Å"Subcultures† are the deeper brain structures. This permits a smooth integration of information processing in the brain. 3. Short-term Memory According to Keener Cherry, Short-term memory is also known as primary or active memory. It is the information that comes from giving attention to sensory memories.Duration of short-term Memory: Most of the information stored in this memory usually last for approximately 20 to 30 seconds. While many of our short-term memories are quickly forgotten, attending to this situation allows it to continue on the next stage – Long-term memory. The Capacity of Short-term Memory: â€Å"The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two†, expert psychologist George Miller suggested that people can store between five and nine items. More recent research suggests that people are capable of storing approximate ly four chunks of information in short-term memory. . Long-term Memory According to Keener Cherry, Long-term memory refers to the continuing storage of information. The information is largely outside of our awareness, but can be called into working memory to be used when needed. Some of the information is easy to recall, while others are more difficult to access. Duration of Long-term Memory: Long-term memories can last for a matter of days to as long as many decades. Types of Long-Term Memory Long-term memory is usually divided into two types – declaratively (explicit) memory ND procedural (implicit) memory. Declarative includes all of the memories that are available in consciousness. Declarative memory can be further divided into episodic memory (specific events) and semantic memory (knowledge about the world). Procedural memory involves memories of body movement and how to use objects in the environment. How to drive a car or use a computer are examples of procedural memor ies. 5. A deeper understanding about Autobiographical and Semantic Memory According to human-memory. Net, Autobiographical or Episodic memory is a memory system consisting of experiences recollected from an individual's life.Individuals can see themselves as actors in these events, and the emotional charge and the entire situation surrounded by the event is usually part of the memory. On the other hand, Semantic memory is a more structured record of facts, meanings, concepts and knowledge about the external world that we have attained. As stated by Luke Mastic, semantic memory is generally derived from the episodic memory, in that we learn new facts or concepts from our experiences, and the episodic memory is considered to support and underpin semantic memory. 6. Why do we forget? Lucid research. M says that the human memory is a system which is intended to remember information as well as forget information. Generally, we only retain the information we need for as long as we need it , and then it is forgotten. The human brain is constantly bombarded with huge amount of knowledge, and even though the information storage capacity of the human brain is very large, if we store every single item of information that ever reached our senses from the moment we were born, our memory would totally be overloaded before we started school. The fact is: we simply do not need to retain most of the information we receive each day.We only need to preserve some of that information and can safely forget the rest. The trick is to make sure that the information we do need is stored properly in memory ready for memory for a short time provided we strive to keep it there (e. G. By thinking about it or by rehearsing it to ourselves). This process is called short-term memory or at times working memory because we use this when working on any activity, such as listening to a conversation. But unless we also make an active effort to store that information in long-term memory in a semantic form, it will be forgotten very rapidly.Once in long-term memory, information is reasonably permanent. However, if we don't use that information we are likely to find a difficult to access when we need it, and the information is not stored very efficiently, it will also be difficult to access. When we say we have forgotten some item of information what we really mean is either: (a) the information was never properly store in long-term memory in the first place, or (b) the information has been stored in long-term memory but we can't find it because it has been stored in an disorganized way and/or because we haven't used that information for ages. 7.How do we remember, and why do we forget? An article by Shish Uranus said that the notion of memory is so intriguing that we've come up with more metaphors for it than for any other mental phenomenon. Early theories predicted a memory â€Å"Ingram†24, a literal text written by the body to describe past experiences. Freud popularize d descriptions of repressed memories, experiences physically buried in the depths of the subconscious. Modern descriptions are dominated by analogies to computers, in which the human brain is a hard disk that stores experience in electronic files and folders. Our memory represents a change in who we are.Our habits, our ideologies, our hopes and fears are all influenced by what we remember in the past. At the most basic level, we remember because the connections between our brains' neurons change; each experience primes the brain for the next experience. 8. How does the Brain process information Chris McKee said that information processing starts with input from the sensory organs, which transform physical stimuli such as touch, heat, sound waves, or photons of light into electrochemical signals. The sensory information is repeatedly transformed by the algorithms of the brain in both bottom-up and top-down processing.For example, when looking at a picture of a black box on a white ba ckground, bottom-up processing puts together very simple information such as color, orientation, and where the borders of the object are – where the color changes significantly over a short space – to decide that you are seeing a box. Top-down processing uses the decisions made at some steps of the bottom-up process to speed up your recognition of the box. Top-down processing in this example might help you identify the object as a black box rather than a box-shaped hole in the white background.Once information is processed to a degree, an attention filter decides owe important the signal is and which cognitive processes it should be made available to. For example, although your brain processes every blade of grass when you look down at your shoes, a healthy attention filter prevents you from noticing them individually. In contrast, you might pick out your name, even when spoken in a noisy room. There are many stages of processing, and the results of processing are 9. W hy do some people have better memory than other people According to Joyce Ward, people vary in the efficiency of their long-term memory.Some have a good memory and some poor long-term memory. This is probably determined partly by hereditary. But research has shown that most of the difference between people with good and poor memory can be attributed to the methods they use to learn that information in the first place. By developing the appropriate memory strategies we automatically store information in a more organized and efficient way that makes it easier for us to locate when we need it. Despite individual differences in memory, research indicates that in most people memory can be improved significantly by appropriate training. His does not mean that we can enlarge the storage capacity of our memory, what it means is that we can make our Emory more efficient, so that it is more likely to absorb new information and hold that information in a way that makes it easy for us to find i t again immediately when we need it. In order for the brain to process information, it must first be stored. There are multiple types of memory, including sensory, working, and long-term. First, information is encoded. There are types of encoding specific to each type of sensory stimuli.For example, verbal input can be encoded structurally, referring to what the printed word looks like, phonemically, referring to what the word sounds like, or semantically, referring to what the word means. Once information is stored, it must be maintained. Some animal studies suggest that working memory, which stores information for roughly 20 seconds, is maintained by an electrical signal looping through a particular series of neurons for a short period of time. Information in long- term memory is hypothesized to be maintained in the structure of certain types of proteins. 0. Capacity of the Human Memory According to Robert Gonzales, the comparison between the human brain and a computer is not a pe rfect one, but it does lend itself to some interesting lines of inquiry. The capacity of an average human head varies, depending on who you ask. Some experts estimates it in as low as 1 terabyte or approximately 1000 gigabytes. The reason behind the 100-terabyte estimate still has its flaws. It assumes, for example, that each synapse store 1 byte of information. In reality, each one could conceivably store more or less than that. 1 1 .Improving the memory No. 1: Stay Mentally Active Just as physical activity helps keep your body in shape, mentally stimulating activities help keep your brain in shape. Do things that challenge your mind such as solving crossword puzzles and learning to play an instrument. No. 2: Socialize regularly Social interaction helps ward of depression and stress, both of which can contribute and other. No. 3: Get organized You are more likely to forget things if your home is cluttered and your notes are in not in order. No. 4: Focus Limit distractions, and don' t try to do many things at once.If you focus on the information that you're trying to remember, you'll be more likely to recall it later. Understanding – if we understand the information it will be easier for us to remember, and if we understand how memory works, it is easier to make it work well for us personally Practice – the more often one does an activity, the more likely he/she will member it- Memory Strategies – ways of processing information that will help a person remember well. Organization – this ensure that information is stored in a more meaningful and well-organized way which is easy for the brain to recall it. 2. Tips for enhancing your ability to learn and remember According to helped. Org, these are some ways on how one can enhance his/her ability to learn and remember. 0 Pay attention – You can't remember something if you never learned it, and you can't learn something?that is, encode it into your brain?if you don't pay enough att ention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your memory. If you're easily distracted, pick a quiet place where you won't be interrupted. Involve as many senses as possible.Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells, and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. Even if you're a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it's new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an dress of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone. For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details.

Junk foods Essay

Research has revealed that the increase in the junk foods industry is interrelated with the rapid increase in the obesity pandemic. Junk foods contain high calories and fats and are therefore the sole ingredient in the spread of overweight and obesity. The cause for alarm is that the targeted lots are the pre-school, school going children and adolescents. Over the years, the number of school going children becoming overweight and obese has increased two fold because they easily access the fast foods and junk foods outlets. Overweight is a condition responsible for so many other diseases: these are like: heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, high pertension, the gallbladder disease, infertility and weakened immune system, just to mention but a few. The illnesses aside, obese people face social stigma: the society discriminates the victims because people normally believe that they are to blame for their conditions. As such, they do not freely intermingle with the rest for fear of such stigmatization (Cassell, D. 000). Junk foods should therefore not be encouraged in schools because of the health effects that follow and because basically ‘prevention is better than cure’. The junk food culture today has become a social custom and so many school going children therefore just take these foodstuffs to conform to what other people-especially their peers- are doing to identify with them. Such environments that are conducive to weight gain make school going children more vulnerable to obesity. In most cases, non-healthy foods are more affordable than the healthy alternatives: junk food manufactures make the foods more attractive because of the labeling that is more appealing. When children grow up not knowing how to prepare healthy foods, they resort to cheaper and less time consuming –in preparation-foods which are obviously more energy giving and have high percentages of calories. Apart from school going children, even adults are not spared in then spread of the obesity pandemic, and this is a cause for alarm in the society (Jefferies, R.  B 2005). To perfectly understand the correlation between increased consumption of junk foods and the increase in prevalence of obesity, the role of junk foods in nutrition related disorders should be analyzed. Junk foods and fast foods consumption coupled with little or no healthy exercise is the sole reason for the abrupt increase in overweight and obesity especially in urbanized regions. In such regions, the quality of the diets is questionable; this has led to the increase in obesity which in severe cases leads to death. The probability of overweight children becoming overweight way into adulthood is very high, and chances of such a person dying prematurely are high too. Obesity caused by excess consumption of junk foods has dire economic effects: since obesity leads to other diseases like high blood pressure, the costs of treating these ailments are far above the ground. A country’s healthcare system is hard-pressed: this is a financial weigh down since the biggest percentage of the healthcare costs are taken care of by the tax payers. The costs divided into direct and indirect costs: direct costs are those that are injected into the direct treatment of the disease, prevention and diagnosis and research. Expenditure that is not direct are those of the employment asset value of employees lost due to the people who are sick and the employment benefits lost due to passing away of the employees. Hospital bills are very costly since these funds run into billions that could be injected into other projects, this means that overall, the economy of a country strains due to this pandemic (Hernell,O 2005). The psychological effects are among other things, negative body image or low self esteem, unease, dejection and more often than not, obese individuals carry out themselves in a way that is not socially healthy. Social stigmatization can be eliminated by increase in education about obesity matters. The position that the sale of junk food promotes school activities-as held by many- holds no water; this is because the students’ health and the society’s’ health in general is more important than that financial aspect of it. To say that the society is going to make money at the expense of children’s health is unreasonable; this explains why junk food sales should not be encouraged in schools at any cost. Thanks to excessive consumption of junk foods, tooth decay and disorders have increased to epidemic levels and dental care is needed, this is very costly given that the economy is not forthcoming. Osteoporosis is an even major fear and the overall treatment of these diseases is very costly, all said and done, prevention of these diseases by discouraging the consumption of junk foods is less costly (Cataldo, R. 000). Another reason why junk foods should be discouraged in schools is because these foodstuffs create a ‘bliss point’: this is a point where a person eating them feels hungrier and wants more and more. The ingredients used to make junk foods like sugar and fats are addictive; the worst party of it is that the foods are always available and therefore the temptation of taking more and more is hard to resist. These modern foods are hyper appetizing and the end results of most of such foods is to create and or arouse a mind-set of pleasure. Research has proven that half the populations of people who are obese and overweight are more likely to be restless or, better said, over-active than their normal counterparts. Once these people are electrified, the neurons in the brain trigger more action making their systems to demand more food to eat-more often than not, this means yearning for more junk foods. The bliss point is the peak of wanting more salt, sugar and fats: these are the ingredients for desserts and other junk foods and at the best possible level, ones appetite is excited to want more of such foods (Hollander, T 2004). The evil of junk foods is that they make us to desire less of healthy foods and therefore discourage healthy eating: this fact explains why junk foods should no be encouraged in schools. Healthy eating is one thing that constitutes discipline; when people do not eat healthy, they are considered not to be morally well-mannered and this is one of the contributory factors to social stigma experienced by people who are overweight. Healthy eating ensures fine health and therefore one is not at risk of getting diseases. When young adults eat healthy, this is a way of ensuring that they are responsible and that they need not wait for adults to instill good manners. Junk foods make students inactive (that is once they become overweight), this means a people of lazy character who can not get involved in much activity. Inactivity is disastrous in the work place and even in schools: this means that even the performance of students in class reduces abruptly and this is not impressive for the schools image. Should these people grow into adults and get to the employment fields, they become sluggish at work and this in turn leads to poor performance. Overweight people are more often than not discriminated at work and in extreme cases, they even could be paid at lower rates than their counterparts and this is not just. Inactivity or a country of inactive people is costly to the overall economic growth because this causes it to be low (Corrine B 1999). Junk foods by reducing activity lead to health issues that in the long run lead to disabilities, diabetes and arthritis are just some of the effects of eating these foods in excessive amounts and soon, people are eating themselves to premature death. Levels of cholesterol rise due to the same and insulin resistance thrives. Thanks to fast foods and unhealthy eating, breathing problems in men increase and in women, fertility rates decrease. The ingredients used to make junk foods are of very poor quality and are less rich in nutrients. The question is not the quantity of the food, rather, it is the quality, and this explains why the body does not get the right nutrients in the right proportions when someone eats junk food. On this note therefore, the individual eats more and more but does not get enough of the food, or rather, gets hungry too fast. Indeed, eating junk foods in excess is an act that triggers a health time bomb (Dare, C. 1999). These foodstuffs reduce the desire to want very much of foods rich in calcium: calcium is very important in bone structure construction and once we do not have enough of it, the effects are out of the ordinary. Young adults therefore suffer from poor bone structure at very tender ages hence reducing their life spans. Highly processes foods (as junk foods are) contain a lot of chemicals in their additives; we may not get obese but we could get other sicknesses. One may not even suffer when they are young but the side effects catch up with us as we age, so the solution is to stop eating these foods in the first place. It is not a small truth therefore to say that by eating these highly artificial foods, our systems get intoxicated with poisons. Some of the old age effects of these foods are early menopause: in spite of having poor fertility, menopause also catches up with us and this means women are at a greater risk (Escott, S. 1996) Since overweight and obesity are major concerns in the world at large and are caused by excessive consumption of junk foods, it is important to devise ways of preventing the disease in view of the fact, it is a health time bomb in waiting. Obesity slows down the metabolic rates (hence slowing down the process of breaking down of food) of the victims hence leading to inactivity and putting one at a risk of adding more weight. To curb this problem therefore, the solution is to eat healthy coupled with taking exercises. The rationale behind this argument is straight forward, when one exercises, the metabolic process or better said, the process of breaking down of fats is increased and therefore, the fats are emulsified or broken down into a more normal digestive process. One may either employ the services of a qualified nutritionist or adopt a healthier eating pattern: just enough body giving foods and more of the other essential nutrients in the right proportions. Eating healthy will have to be coupled with having the right attitude and great discipline. Again, one need to go on an exercising program, long brisk walks although not strenuous, jogging and probably going to the gym, reduction of average screen time and instead focusing on body fitness would just make a huge difference in health (Franseen, L. 1999). Another way out is to change ones lifestyle in a positive way: more often than not, the biggest barrier to change at times is the mind set. Often, one believes that they can not take up a challenge and change; this is normally when one believes that they can not achieve a certain goal. People are often caught up in busy schedules and do not have time to get involved in exercising programs. Another barrier to change is normally the environment in which one lives; people tend to conform to the lifestyles that other people lead in their surrounding. In this case the pointers to these lifestyles are trends in food and status. One needs to beat the barriers by evaluating the current lifestyle, identifying the flaws in the said lifestyle and making out the areas that need amendments. Information acquisition is important in this process and helps one learn healthy ways to lose weight (Garfinkel, P. E 1997). Support system helps one to lose a large mass of weight and doing it single-handedly. Friends can act like a source of enthusiasm in spite of the fact that they may not want to achieve the same objectives as you, they provide support just in case you may want to draw back. In a weight loss program, setting practical goals is one of the ways of achieving the goals of weight loss and management. Objectives that are short term and that are practical help one to gain the driving force towards their realization. In the same breath, an individual does an assessment to see where they have reached against how far they want to go and what they have so far achieved. In the instance that short term objectives are set, they prove helpful in achieving and the realization of the final objective (Rosenbloom, C. 999). As a point of concern, learning institutions should be made healthy places to learn: the quality of food served should therefore be of great importance both to the administration and to the society in general in order to guarantee security to our children. For students to learn at their full potentials, the feeding programs should ensure that the foods served are of high nutritional value and that they are fresh and attractive to the scholars and that the food service supports the learning institutions educational mission. School meals should meet the health standards of the regulatory authorities and these should also be met by the learning institutions’ feeding programs: these standards if imposed, the students will not be left at risk of feeding on junk and fast foods throughout the day. The regulatory authorities together with the learning institutions administration should ensure that the meals served in school grounds should offer a wide assortment of cultural cuisines to offer students with a variety to choose from (Woolsey, M. 2002). There should not be an incongruity between what the children are taught in learning institutions on nourishment and good eating habits and the reality on the ground, whether students are eating unhealthy foodstuffs or what is easily available is junk food. Against this background therefore, food and nutrition should be incorporated into the schools learning syllabus and the students should also learn about food preparation. At the grass roots levels, there should be established an advice-giving board that should comprise of the educators, parents and the community at large to come up with courses of action that govern school feeding programs. The advice-giving board should instill disciplinary action against the learning institutions that do not follow the resolutions passed, time and again; the board members should make impromptu visits and inspect the food service amenities and the set of choices of foodstuffs available for students. Such an arrangement would ensure good discipline on standards of hygiene and food quality especially if there is a feedback mechanism provided to monitor the implementation (Smith, A. F 2006). Medics say that eating of beans help in burning up calories: beans are low in fats and calories content and when one takes beans; they feel satisfied for as long as four hours. Often, one does not feel like eating when they are fully satisfied and as such, there is no temptation to eat junk foods. Exercises should also be done after meals so that the process of emulsification of fats is complete, aerobic classes are ideal in this case because as a matter of fact, stored fats are naturally turned into fats and stored in this form. Breakfast should be the largest meal in the entire and normal day; it should also be the meal that contains the largest amount of calories. Since there is a lot of activities during the mid-morning and the entire day, calories are burnt down easily and more rapidly. Biologically, eating food with very little calorie content is no the solution to weight loss, this is because when the body is at very low metabolism, it is considered famished. When the body lacks adequate nutrients, it becomes difficult to achieve loss of weight. Lifting weights is also Okayed as a way of loosing weight, this is because lifting weight increases muscles and this in turn increases the rate of burning down calories and fats. Drinking a lot of water is very healthy a method of reducing weight: the higher the amount one takes the higher the likelihood of loosing weight, when one feels hungry, it helps one to eat less. When one drinks water before eating, they do not eat much (Carolyn, C. 2004).

The novel Passing by Stella Larsen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The novel Passing by Stella Larsen - Essay Example The fall of Clare is in haziness. The readers are forced t think about the major part played Irene in the fall of Clare Redfeild . Clare consciously accompanies Irene’s husband Brain in tea parties. During these outings Irene notices her ability with men. She has such a magnetic ability to charm and enthrall them with her beauty, pull them through her skilful speech. Irene is sure that Clare would go after anything that she desired with disregard to the feeling of others . â€Å"Why to get the thing I want badly enough, I would do anything, hurt anybody, throw anything away, I am not safe† p(81). The real Irene is one who wishes to enjoy the liberal life of Clare .But she now blames herself for hiding the fact of being Black. John Bellow is also unknown about her identity. But in the curse of the time Irene notices the influence of Clare even on her own husband. To Irene, security was the most important and desired thing in life .It was clear that Irene at a moment subconsciously wished for an end to Clare. When Clare confesses about the breaking of the china tea cup to Hugwentworth that it was a mindful effort, she reveals her mind. The white tea cup is really Clare herself who has the same white ancestors and live in the world through deception. Clearly the shattering of the tea cup with its white fragments is the shadows of the impending death of Clare

Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Apple Inc - Essay Example As for the software products, Apple offers a complete portfolio of consumer and professional software applications which include iOS and Mac OS X for its operating system; and iCloud for its online content tool. Moreover, Apple sells and delivers digital content and application such as music and literary art through iTunes Store, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store. In line with its unique offerings, Apple sells a variety of third party compatible products such as printers, storage devices, speakers, and headphones; as well as applications of software programs. In terms of customers, Apple caters to private consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and the education sector. Demographically, Apple’s private consumers are mainly consisted of young, early adopters who are technologically-savvy and are followers of media trends, as described by David Appleyard in his online article entitled Profile of an iPhone User: Interesting Statistics about  Yourself. Being heavy u sers of the web and mobile devices, they always want to get updated with the current social happenings. Apple also caters to small and medium-sized business by providing hardware and software products that aim to simplify its business operations through easy-to-use computer products and software applications. As for the education sector, Apple is also committed to bringing the effective integration of technology into the classroom set-up to attain higher levels of student achievement. As such, Apple supports mobile learning and distribution of education materials through iTunes U. Apple’s company vision is driven by its commitment to bring the best customer experience through valuable product innovation. As such, the company’s business strategy focuses on its â€Å"unique ability to design and develop its operating systems, hardware, application software, and services to provide its customers new products and solutions with superior ease-of-use, seamless integration, and innovative design† (Apple 1). In line with this overarching goal of delivering innovative products and services, Apple invests heavily on research and development, as evidenced by its expenditures of $2.4 billion, $1.8 billion, and $1.3 billion for 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. This is grounded on Apple’s belief that in order to compete successfully, it must ensure a continual and timely flow of competitive products and services to the market. Keeping with its mission of driving innovation, Apple consistently manufactures hardware and software products that are known for its simplicity and beauty. In this light, functionality and form essentially constitute the key attributes of all its products. As highlighted in an online blog entitled 7 Strategies that You Must Learn from Apple Marketing, Apple’s success banks on turning the ordinary into something beautiful. But developing a good product and service is not enough. It must be delivered and communicat ed well to the consumers. Thus, as part of its business strategy, Apple also emphasizes on enhancing the customer experience and creating relevant marketing communications. Firstly, giving valuable customer experience relies on ensuring a smooth and unique point-of-sale service. Thus, having strategic distribution networks is important. Currently, Apple manages its own retail and online stores;

Taxation and Housing Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Taxation and Housing Issues - Essay Example Hence, in order to understand the economic feasibility of a particular country, a close analysis of the prevailing issues on taxation and housing is necessary. This paper will critically analyze various issues pertaining to taxation and housing in the United Kingdom, United States, and United Arab Emirates. Issues relating to taxation and housing in the UK The economic spectrum of the United Kingdom indicates that taxation issues have impeded the faster growth of the country. UK holding companies have been heavily suffering from tax issues in the recent years. Corporation tax deductions are available to a UK holding company on the interest payment to investors subject to anti-avoidance policies. More details on these features can be found at . The anti-avoidance provisions including transfer pricing are increasingly complex in nature and therefore the country’s holding companies are not benefited from tax reductions. In addition, a UK holding company does not get any tax deduc tion benefit while paying dividends to investors. Similarly, the tax deductions allowed to the UK’s small scale enterprises for boosting entrepreneurship actually result in a deadweight cost. This situation adversely affects the overall growth of the economy. Over the past few years, the UK government has faced a series of issues associated with the country’s corporate tax structure. In order to resolve the limitations of its corporate tax structure, the country is changing its policy from taxing worldwide profits to a more territorial taxation approach. Irish tax issues on UK transactions remain to be a major growth impediment to the UK’s business sector. Tax evasion has been a potential issue in the UK over the last few decades, and recently the country adopted tax fraud prevention measures. When an outsider deals with purchase of real property in the UK, he has to consider a number of factors including capital gains tax, stamp duty, inheritance tax, and incom e tax. The UK housing market has been struggling with numerous issues especially since the global financial crisis 2008. As a result, even small flats are becoming unaffordable to lower class of the society. Housing sector data show that affordability of housing in the UK has been getting worse since late 1990s as house prices grew faster than earnings rate. Although most of the developed countries including the United States experienced housing price increases in the beginning of the 21st century, this issue was different in the United Kingdom in two aspects. Firstly, the country’s house prices boom began earlier as compared to other developed economies, and indicated relatively sustained increases. Secondly, the regional pattern of the country was almost uniform. As per statistical data, house prices in the United Kingdom increased by 90% between 2002 and 2007. The average age of first time home buyers is also increasing in the country. Although mortgages were increasingly available to people, mounting housing prices remains to be an issue in the country. As reported by Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (2004), an additional 39,000 houses per annum were essential to meet housing requirements of the country effectively. The primary issue behind the housing market struggle in the UK is that the country does not have enough space to build new houses. In contrast, many people possess more

GE coursework Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GE coursework - Case Study Example Welch created the culture of the company in his own image. His philosophy that good leaders create a vision for the company helped him to motivate the management to put optimum performance in their operations. This culture has been made possible by uniting different cultural forces across the globe. The success of the company can also be attributed to its positive stance towards diversity. Any company that fails to take into account the values and culture of the people in the environment in which it operates is bound to fall. However, GE has managed to take a positive approach towards diversity across the whole globe. It specialises on technology based businesses such as semiconductors and radio stations. These products have high demand across the globe and it can be seen that any company that specialise in technical products is likely to attract many customers Its digitization process such as the use of the internet has also positively contributed to its success. The internet has revolutionised the business landscape during the contemporary period and this has also contributed towards the success of GE in its global and regional

Job Search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Job Search - Essay Example The aforementioned are just some of the reasons why I have studied linguistics. On the professional level, I want to apply my knowledge and skills in making communication even better for people. Culture is currently one of the interests of studies for objectives on globalization therefore, linguists are necessarily sought for. Aside from having helped some people in communicating with others, I have worked for â€Å"Cinescape†, a company in Kuwait which works on films, adding Arabic subtitles for English films intended for the Arab-speaking viewers. This is where I learned basic skills and techniques in performing the job. in addition, I worked for two years at Lohaibi Company translating interviews from Arabic to English and English to Arabic. Moreover, I also worked for a television network as an assistant translator after my contract with Lohaibi. Basically, my job was to translate conversations in the films from English to Arabic and vice versa as well as add subtitles to the films. I enjoyed my jobs because along the way, I have learned more than what I expected and my interest in language grew even stronger. The advertisement of Market Road Films has caught my attention initially because I know that I am qualified for it. I do not just have the interest for the job but I also possess knowledge and skills that are necessary in completing the task. ... I think such projects are necessary for the preservation of the parts of historical information so it should really be taken seriously. The job may be a pro bono but just the thought of working on a great project along with the director and editor of the film themselves, is simply overwhelming. I love to work with people and I believe that the job will not just be beneficial for me, giving me a sense of fulfillment and pride but it will also become my contribution to the Arab world in preserving an important part of their history. Abdulaziz Alwehaibi 588 Main St. Hackensack, NJ 07601 201-417-1147 aziz_92@student.fdu.edu Travis Ballenger Market Road Films 232 3rd St., Studio B401 Brooklyn, NY 11215 Dear Mr. Ballenger, This is in response to your advertisement on the need for a translator for â€Å"First to Fall†. I have degrees in Linguistics and Accounting, providing me with the communication and organizational skills. I have translated films from Arabic to English and English to Arabic for five years. In my work experience, I have gained the basic computer skills and experience needed for the job. I worked well with other employees and through the years, I have acquired not only knowledge but foreign friends as well who have been great contributors and influences in my career and decisions with my studies. In addition, I improved my English oral and written communication skills. I have come to appreciate the treasures found in languages which now drive me to learn more for me to be able to contribute more to my community. I believe my education on languages and work experiences where I applied most of what I learned in school qualifies me to the position being sought for. I understand that a lot of people are

REMEDIES LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

REMEDIES LAW - Essay Example In considering the impact of blame culture, this study will reflect on the attitudes of judges when being asked to apportion liability, and examine case law in this area in order to explore whether recent cases demonstrate reluctance or willingness on the part of judges with regard to the apportioning of blame. Mullender (2006) suggests that the culture of blame might stem from the emergence of professional negligence claims and personal injury claims. In his study he noted that judges had become aware of a rise in the number of claims, some of which appeared to be fake. In McLoughlin v O’Brien [1982]1 Lord Wilberforce warned that ‘†¦such an extension may lead to a proliferation of claims, and possibly fraudulent claims, to the establishment of an industry of lawyers and psychiatrists who will formulate a claim for nervous shock damages, including what in America is called the customary miscarriage, for all, or many, road accidents and industrial accidents’. ‘Blame culture’ focuses on the need to hold someone accountable for what might otherwise have been considered a mere accident. Atiyah (1997) suggests that the culture of blame exists not only in claims for personal injuries and losses, but also in the criminal sphere, where there is a desperate need to find the person responsible for the crime that has been committed, and to see them punished for their wrongdoing. Vines (2008) argues that previously an injured party would have been prepared to accept an apology for the accident as suitable recompense for the harm caused, but with the insurgence of the ‘compensation culture’, apologies are often construed as admissions of guilt, and used in order to claim monetary compensation for the harm. The UK government has attempted to address this assumption through s2 of the Compensation Act 2006 which states that This does not stop the court allowing the adducing of such admissions in court, but is

My Philosophy change is a challenge Essay Example for Free

My Philosophy change is a challenge Essay I. Introduction Man needs philosophy in order to be able to think, act and live accordingly. It is a basic blueprint of a man’s actions from thinking, to interacting with others. The only thing that is constant is change. This saying is indeed true especially in the Philippine Education System. For every change implemented lies challengers on the part of the classroom teachers who portrays varied roles. The rapid changes in the world have made curriculum design even more difficult. to be globally competitive II. Aims of my Philosophy chosen There is a need to revise the curriculum from time to time for us to suit the needs of time. We should go on with the flow of life and we should revise it now because curriculum in the past is not anymore very effective or suited for today’s generation As pro active individual I consider Change as a challenge and not a threat. Meeting new challenges require the opportunity to take risks and try new ideas. As a learning individual change is inevitable to meet the needs of society. In a fast changing society education is one way to connect oneself to the past and to project into the future and therefore aims in Philosophy should be considered. III. Role of Philosophy chosen to Education Education and philosophy are closely tied together; both are associated with teaching, learning, and discovering. Philosophy is more of an all-encompassing part of life, though; education is a more specific form of it. Due to the contributions of philosophers over the centuries, education has developed into the powerful tool that it is today. Without philosophy, education would essentially not exist. That said importance of philosophy in education is in fact the foundation in which all academic teaching and intellectual learning is built off. IV. Role of Philosophy to the content development 1. It guides everyone to plan collaboratively for school change to meet the learner’s diverse needs 2. It serves as a vehicle to open new ideas for positive outcomes 3 It strengthens the goals on meeting challenges for a fully functional learner. Language is dynamic as well as the curriculum. We have different curriculum in the past and in the present. We are now in a globally competitive world. A world that also needs competitive teachers and students. So, how will you become competitive if your curriculum is traditional? And is not aware of the new trends of teaching today? Students now are fond of using computers. They will probably choose going to the computer shop than going to school. As a teacher, what will you do? Don’t be a boring teacher! An effective way of solving this kind of phenomena is that the teachers must use technology in teaching. Make it as your partner in delivering a lesson so that the students will not get bored. Make a teaching-learning process lively and meaningful. Teaching and learning give life and meaning to the curriculum because this is the process wherein the teacher and the students interact with each other interchangeably or vice versa. If there is an effective teaching-learning process, it’s really a big help to the curriculum. It’s a big honor because each complements and supplements each other. The value placed in teaching will reap the same value in learning. Thus, a good curriculum can be judged by the kind if teaching and the quality of learning derived from it. The most important thing to keep in mind about strategic content development is that it’s truly an improvisational process. The reason why you want to identify as many viable options for potentially remarkable content is simple: You’ll almost certainly need to make adjustments on the process, and it’s easier to do that when you’ve already identified alternatives. So, the final aspect of strategic content development is to constantly evaluate what happened along the way, and why. The most valuable lessons are often found in the things that didn’t work, so treat it all as a learning experience that keeps your content constantly fresh and worth talking about. V. Significant effect of this curriculum development to the current trends in attaining universal truth in Educational Process In 2012 Deped’s K 12 Program goes full blast. Brother Armin Luistro has described the implementation of the universal primary or pre-school education in the Philippines as the â€Å"defining moment† in the administration of President Aquino as it seeks to implement reforms with deep impact on the welfare of Filipino children and the youth. DepEd’s enhanced curriculum aims to meet the overall objective of preparing children for productive work, either as employees or entrepreneurs, while maintaining its current academic thrust It seems that the President is rushing this program before his term ends. If this program is not implemented well, we might not achieve our real objectives. And all we have done is to disrupt the whole system. Changing programs and implementing new ones is not cheap. Will the next President change the system again? In a survey conducted by SWS from Aug. 24 to 27 last year showed growing acceptability of the key features of the K-12 program compared to survey results in March 2012. About 72 percent of Filipino adults believe that K-12 will give students more sufficient knowledge and preparation for work and college compared to those who finished 10 years of basic education, garnering a net rating of +48, up from +35 last March. The percentage of Filipinos who believe that more students will be encouraged to finish the two-year SHS because it is equivalent to two years of college hit 69 percent, or a 10- point increase from 59 percent in March. The results showed that 68 percent of Filipinos with a net rating of +39 believe that more students will finish SHS even with the additional cost and number of years because K-12 graduate will be better prepared for work, higher education, and business. The results of the survey did’nt even reach 75% which means some are not amenable to the new program. Although the selling point of K to 12 is the assurance that graduates of Senior High School will be able to work immediately, even before or without seeking a college degree Under certain circumstances, it is possible to revise only the high school curriculum. Even in this case, we have to wait until those already in First Year have finished Fourth Year (under the present system). After drawing up a curriculum on paper (including such things as expected competencies, prerequisites, qualifications, learning areas, scope, coverage, and outcomes), curriculum designers have to think about the textbooks and other instructional materials that will have to be created for the new or revised subjects. Although teacher training is a separate process, curriculum designers also have to give pointers on how teachers should be trained to handle the subjects. There also has to be some way to determine if and when the curriculum needs to be revised; this is called program assessment or evaluation. Because of abrupt implementation teachers are really having a hard time coping with the changes not to mention the lack of classrooms, instructional materials and the real physical situation of the learners. If the government can financially sustain the program without adding too much burden on parents, it’s worth giving it a try. However, nowadays, most of the students are the happy-go-lucky types who do not regard education as their priority. They’d rather bum around in malls or stay glued to computers. As a result, most graduates are half-baked, who can’t even write or speak good English, unlike the students of yesteryears. Before, a Grade 6 pupils then could already teach. An additional two years to the basic education curriculum could spell two more years of burden to poor parents who could hardly send their children to school. Before full implementation, there usually is a year-long pilot to debug the curriculum, as well as a longer transition period within which some students will be following the old curriculum and some following the new. Curriculum should not only focus on the tools necessary to develop reasoned and logical construction of new knowledge in our various fields of study, but also should aggressively cultivate a culture that nurtures creativity in all of our learners. This point seems particularly important.

Research Ethics Board of Canada Essay Example for Free

Research Ethics Board of Canada Essay There are many rules that must be adhered to when describing a course of ethics. The purpose of this reading, â€Å"Ethics,† was to inform readers of the rules and regulations set forth by the Research Ethics Board of Canada. The ethics board keeps a close watch over matters of all types of human research. The given selection made obvious the Canadian government’s involvement in the research practices of its countrymen, and also the government’s commitment to keeping human research work ethically sound. The Research Ethics Board of Canada, or the REB, must be consulted in every instance of â€Å"research involving human subjects† (p. 3). Part of their job is to make sure that the safety of the living research subjects is held in high esteem. They also provide a â€Å"clear moral foundation† for research practices (p. 54). The REB is not limited to cases of research on the living. Even in the case of deceased bodies, the REB requires that â€Å"respect† is in order due to the â€Å"dignity of the person from whom tissue is obtained† (p. 76). Regarding the ethical treatment of the living and the dead, the REB has the final say so in what can or cannot be done with a human body, and their opinions supersede those of the researchers (p. 3). The REB oversees laboratory practices, but they also oversee ethical treatment of humans in the public sector as well. In the public sector, celebrities and sports figures are often hounded by reporters and photographers. The REB, however, protects some of their privacy by including in their general policies rules about research on â€Å"living people in the public arena† (p. 1). The REB does not regulate research about people who fall into this classification unless â€Å"the subject is approached directly for interviews or for access to private papers† (p. 1). When such requests occur, the REB must step in and confirm that the â€Å"research† is being done ethically and in accordance with policy (p. 1). One could safely assume that most people wanting information for unethical purposes would be dissuaded by the measure of protection the REB provides. The REB may just have a general measure of authority in research in the public sector, but in some research situations, they assume a great amount of control. In cases of extremely invasive or â€Å"potentially harmful† research, the REB must assess, monitor, and review each case with â€Å"intense scrutiny† (p. 9). The REB especially monitors cases that are â€Å"the most ethically challenging† (p. 9). Some of these cases may include situations where children are involved. Potential â€Å"physical, moral, psychological, and social consequences† must be provided for review by the REB before research on a child, particularly a very sick child, can be approved (p. 28). Even if the research is approved, the REB gives the final decision about the research to the person who will be undergoing it. The REB works with people who usually would not be able to indicate consent, such as young children, Alzheimer’s patients, and the cognitively impaired (p. 29). In the interest of ethical behavior, if the person indicates that they do not want to take part in the research, the REB will step in and remove them from the situation. Even though the REB is a governmental agency, they still have control over what happens medically to the most frail and innocent patients. It would be unethical to include a person in a study that they did not choose to take part in, so in the name of ethics the REB stops researchers from taking advantage of perilous situations. The protection of the people of Canada is the main job of the REB. Even though some people are opposed to governmental intrusion into areas of health and ethical treatment, the REB is a good example of appropriate governmental intervention into such research. Canada has an excellent model for the rest of the world.

HND in Business Management

HND in Business Management HND in Business Management 1) MAIN PRINCIPLES THAT AFFECT THE LEGAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR CONSUMERS:- The primary way to meet consumers growing information is to build and achieve consumer confidence and responsibility. The public relations profession should consider the whole system of EC directives and regulations covering consumer relations. One of the main issue concerning is health and safety information and consumer representation. Right balanced should be built between the interest of the consumers and suppliers. For Consumer protection and information policy, five basic rights were established in 1975 by Council of Ministers. 1. The right to protection of health and safety, because goods and services must not present a risk under normal condition of use. 2. The right to protection of economic interest, because the purchaser must be protected against abusive practice of the seller such as misleading advertising, unfair contract clauses, etc. 3. The right to redress, because consumers should be advised and helped in the case of unsatisfactory products and services and swift redress for any damages suffered. 4. The right of information and education, because consumers should be in position to make a choice based on full information. 5. The right of representation, because consumer organizations should be consulted on all proposed legislation affecting consumer interest. Many community directive and regulations have adopted general measures and included into legislation such as: Foodstuff: Lists of items and clear fact have been drawn up for preservatives used in foodstuffs; manufacture and trade description of many food products are also considered. Presentation and labeling: Specify rules to be signify on the packaging, such as quality of ingredients, food relating to diet, showing the amount of calories it produce with other nutritional information labeled. Misleading advertising: If a consumer experience that he or she has been misled by an advertising claim or presentation, legal action against the manufacturer is possible. Product liability: Regulation also states that manufacturers are responsible for any damage their products may cause to the consumer. The burden of proof will lie with the producer. Medicinal products: standardized terms on testing, evaluation, authorization, labeling and patent rights have been determined. Door steps sales: purchasers have a week cooling off period in the case of contracts negotiated away from the salesmens business premises; the salesman is required to inform the consumer in writing of above right of cancellation. Information system: If authority is determine that a product has or could cause damage to health and is restricting its sale; all will be informed so appropriate action can be taken. Other regulation cover issues, such as; package tours, rights of air travelers, safety of toys, consumer credit. Therefore, a standardized level of protection of consumer rights has been established and at the same time many trade barrier have been abolished through standards and regulations. EXAMPLES:- In 1981 Council of Ministers implemented a consumer programme to cover the period until 1986. This pressurizes the importance of the price and quality ratio to consumers and tackled the problems of the services sector. Special meeting of Ministers was held, to discuss the consumer policy, in 1983. GENERAL PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT: 1. Consumer relations specialist must acknowledge the basic consumer rights to information, to audience, to freedom of choice and to safety. 2. Consumer relations specialist must show intellectual reliability, loyalty and honesty towards their company and consumers. The specialist must not use, which to their knowledge, is false or misleading. The specialist must avoid the use of unsuitable practices and methods with the intellectual reliability, loyalty and honesty. (Clause 3 CERP Code of Conduct). 3. Consumer relations programmes must be carried out openly: they must be readily identifiable, bear a clear indication of their origin and must not be handled to mislead third parties. (Clause 4 CERP Code of Conduct) 4. Consumer relations specialist must not reveal any confidential information received from their clients or employees and make no use of such information without authorization. (Clause 7 CERP Code of Conduct) 5. Considering that a consumer is an individual or a group offered or sold products or services for their own satisfaction, a consumer relations specialist must grant to the same individual or group all after sales services that they may require. 6. A constant concern on the part of the consumer relations specialist with consumer rights to information and moreover the duty to provide information within the limits of professional confidence must be considered as a basic responsibility. (Clause 14 CERP Code of Conduct) 7. Information must be given clearly making sure of the consumers education and cultural background and their knowledge on products and service and so forth. 8. Consumers pay no cost for the implementation of consumer relations programme. 9. Consumers information cannot be used for any market research, promotion or direct marketing without the authority of the consumer. 10. If the use of a product or a service requires proper warnings, it is the duty of consumer relations specialist to disclose it openly. 11. Any attempt to deceive consumer opinion or its representatives is forbidden. (Clause 15 CERP Code of Conduct) 12. No payment or gift shall be offered or given to any person having an interest in a Consumer group or Association for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of such group or association. 1 2 15 2)LEGAL RULES APPLICABLE TO CONSUMER CREDIT AGREEMENTS AND AGENCY: Credit Bureaus are private enterprises or are operated on a cooperative basis by the merchants. Users of the service pay a fee and receive information from different sources a.) If a credit agreement is signed and consumer wants to cancel it. It can only be done if the consumer signed the agreement in his own home. If the agreement was dealt over the phone or at the sellers shop or office, the consumer will not be able to cancel the agreement b.) Seller will have to send a written notice telling consumer on how to cancel the agreement. Consumer then must send a notice to the address given on the notice. Consumer will be entitled to the return of any deposit paid or goods traded in part exchange if you cancel the agreement in time. c.) A creditor, cannot demand early payment, try to get the goods back or end the agreement without first serving a written notice on you giving you 7 days notice of their intention to take such action. d.) If the consumer have paid a third of the total price of the goods under HP agreement then the creditor cannot take the goods back without a court order. Consumer can ask the court to suspend the Return Order and accept your offer to pay the rest of amount by installments. e.) If creditor takes back the goods without the court order, consumer can sue the creditor and claim back all the money they paid under the agreement. The creditor cannot enter your premises to retrieve the goods without your permission. f.) If consumer finds an agreement unfair then the consumer can appeal to the court and ask them to amend the agreement or place a new one. The court will only do this if the agreement is unreasonable or corrupt. g.) A seller can be the person who grants consumer credit or they may arrange for consumer to get credit from a 3rd party or that 3rd party may arrange to supply the goods to consumer. Consumer protection is that consumer can choose who to sue. h.) Consumer can either sue the seller or the provider of the credit or both. This helps consumer because if the seller goes bust consumer can try and get their money from the credit provider instead i.) Consumer must be given certain written information about the credit agreement which must include; †¢ The total charge for credit. †¢ The Annual Percentage Rate (APR). †¢ The cash price for the goods. EXAMPLE:- A Nigerian letter fraud, in which a letter is mailed form Nigeria, offers the recipient the opportunity to share in a percentage of millions of dollars that the author, a self-proclaimed government official, is trying to transfer illegally out of Nigeria. The recipient is encouraged to send information to the author, such as bank name and account numbers and other information. Some of the letters has been received via E-mail through the Internet. The scheme relies on convincing a willing victim to send money to the author of the letter in Nigeria in several installments. Some Tips to Avoid Nigerian Letter or 419 Fraud: Þ If you receive a letter from Nigeria asking you to send personal or banking information, do not reply in any manner. Send the letter to the U.S. Secret Service, your local FBI office, or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Þ If you know someone who is corresponding in one of these schemes, encourage that person to contact the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service as soon as possible. Þ Be careful of individuals representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts. Þ Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation. Þ Guard your account information carefully. 2 3 4 5 15 3) LEGAL RULES RELATING TO MONOPOLIES, MERGERS AND ANTICOMPETETIVE PRACTICES USING ‘MICROSOFTS BIG PATENT VERDICT OVERTURNED CASE IN 2009:  § 2 is not violated only by having a monopoly.  § 2 is violated by a firm only when it acquires or maintains, or attempt to do so by engaging in â€Å"exclusionary conduct† which is different from growth or development as a result of engaging in a superior product, business expertise, or other historical event. After conceding that Microsoft had monopoly powers, the District court came to the conclusion that Microsoft had violated  § 2 by engaging in a number of â€Å"exclusionary acts†, with a view to preventing the distribution and use of similar products which might threaten their own monopoly. The District Court held Microsoft liable for: (1) The way in which it integrated IE into Windows. (2) Its various dealings with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Internet Access Providers (IAPs), Internet Content Providers (ICPs), Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and Apple Computer. (3) Its efforts to contain and to subvert Java technologies; and (4) Its course of conduct as a whole. Upon appeal, Microsoft argues that it did not engage in any exclusionary conduct. It is not easy to make out whether an act is â€Å"exclusionary† or a result of vigorous competition because there are many numbers of reasons for illegal exclusion. An antitrust court is faced with the challenge to lay down principles to distinguish â€Å"exclusionary acts† which may have the effect of reducing social welfare, and competitive acts, which may increase it. From a century of case law on monopolization under  § 2, however, several principles do emerge. First, to be condemned as exclusionary, a monopolists act must have an anticompetitive effect. That is, it must harm the competitive process and thereby harm consumers. In contrast, harm to one or more competitors will not suffice. Second, the plaintiff, on whom the burden of proof of course rests. Third, if a plaintiff successfully establishes a prima facie case under  § 2 by demonstrating anticompetitive effect, then the monopolist may proffer a precompetitive justification for its conduct. Fourth, if the monopolists precompetitive justification stands unrequited, then the plaintiff must demonstrate that the anticompetitive harm of the conduct outweighs the pro- competitive benefit. As the Fifth Circuit more recently explained, [i]t is clear that the analysis under section 2 is similar to that under section 1 regardless whether the rule of reason label is applied. Finally, in conclusion, while trying to determine whether the monopolists has harmed competition and has therefore committed an act of â€Å"exclusionary† purpose of  § 2, our focus should be on the effect of that conduct and not on the motive behind it. Evidence of the monopolists motive is relevant to understand the likely effect of the monopolists conduct. 6 7 8 9 10 4) KEY PROVISIONS RELATING TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB: Intellectual Property is defined as legal rights that result form intellectual activity. Intellectual activity may include any action from industrial, scientific, literary and artistic field. India Intellectual properties comes into 4 major buckets; Copy Right, Patent, Trademark and Design Protection. (IPR) Intellectual Property Rights of computer software is covered under the Copyright Law, which is protected under the provision of Indian Copyright Act 1957. Major changes came into effect from 10 May 1995 to Indian Copyright Law, which made the Indian Copyright Law the toughest in the world. This was the first time; the Copyright Law was clearly explained in India: The rights of a copyright holder Position on rentals of software the rights of the user to make backup copies. Most of the software is easy to copy, so the Copyright Act was needed. According to section 14 of the Act, it is illegal to make and distribute copies of copyrighted software without the proper permission of the authority. A Criminal and Civil action can be organized for restriction, actual damage or legal damages per breach. Heavy punishment and fines can also be applied for violation of software copyright. Section 63 B orders a minimum jail term of 7 days, which can be extended up to 3 years. SUMMARY OF INDIAN GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO PROTECT IPR: Indian government began to take different steps towards Intellectual Properties Rights Protection. The Government has taken number of measures and strengthened the enforcement of Copyright Law. A summary of these measures is given below: 1. A Handbook of Copyright Law has brought out by the Government to create awareness of copyright laws amongst professionals, members of the public etc. Handbooks are free of cost and have been distributed to the stat and central government officials. 2. National Police Academy and National Academy of Customs and Narcotics developed several training programs on copyright laws for the police and custom officers. 3. The Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India has begun taking several measures for strengthening the enforcement of copyrights that include Copyright Enforcement Advisory Council (CEAC). Separate cells have been created at Police Headquarters, organizations of seminar and workshops are to cerate greater awareness of copyright laws among the enforcement personnel and the general public. 4. Special cells have been set up in 23 states and union Territories for copyright enforcement. These states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Andaman Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman Diu, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and West Bengal. 5. The Government began to develop seminars/ workshops on copyright issues. These seminars include enforcement personnel and representatives of industry organizations. Government started to take number of measures and therefore more activity has been found in the enforcement of copyright laws in the country. BEST PRACTICES TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LOSS: The following Best Practices will help minimize the risk of losing Intellectual Property in conducting business offshore: 1. Understand the Intellectual Property rights: To protect the Intellectual Property the first and foremost step is to get a general idea of different plan and laws by the offshore country. 2. Set up an Internal Intellectual Property protection team: An Internal intellectual team should be organized, whose responsibility is to protect ongoing business and to monitor the Intellectual properties, violations etc. 3. Examine the work entity that can be copyrighted/ patented: Examine the work individually that can be copyrighted/ patented, and it is important to make sure that such protection will be valid in the country of offshore activity/ development. 4. Offshore vendor history: Extreme caution must be taken when company is entering into a vender relationship with an offshore entity. Company must understand the vendors history with respect to any Intellectual property violations. 5. Define IP violation clause: Define a separate Intellectual Property Violation clause and the consequences of Intellectual property violation, when signing a deal with the offshore vendor. Some companies sign the deal with the onsite entity of the offshore vendor, thin gives them more advantage to take any legal actions. 6. Seek a reference check for all the team members: It is important to check the offshore team and to seek the appropriate reference to make sure there is no IP violation case history behind the individual. 7. Pay Attention to use of unauthorized software/third party products: Be careful of using unauthorized software or third party products. Unlicensed software or products shouldnt be used by both onsite and the offshore team. 8. Enforce Central Repository: Enforce a central storage area for all the code and documents can not only improve the overall efficiency, and will also avoid numerous placeholders for critical documents and code. 9. Perform Periodic IP Audit: An audit should examine any new work that can be copyrighted and remove all unauthorized software/ product and allot suitable rights to the documents and update any changes to ownership to patents. 10. Enforce the use of References: Make sure to give appropriate references and credits to the owner of the work, this will raise the standards of the employees to acknowledge and respect and protect other peoples work. 11. Develop Awareness: Protecting the Intellectual property can be greatly enhanced if all the employees of the company and the offshore team are on the same page as to how much attention the company pays to protect Intellectual Properties. Case Studies Related to Indian IPR Protection In Bangalore police arrested three software engineers for copying software from a company they were working for. The accused engineers had started a new company called Ample Wave Communication Network. They had illegally copied the code of the companys software and were using at their company. Police seized four computers, one server and one laptop from accused. (source: DH News Service, Bangalore) Intellectual Property Protection in India Shekhar Verma a former Employee of Mumbai-based Geometric Software Solutions Company was accused of stealing $60 million worth of source code of a software product of Geometric Softwares US-based client, Solid Works and trying to sell them to other companies for a fortune. The American firm has the exclusive rights over the software. (Source Rediff.com) Conclusion Loss of intellectual property can cause companies to lose their position in the market. Understanding the countrys IP rights and following the best practices can reduce the risk of loosing the companys Intellectual property. Commitment to protect the Intellectual property should be developed and look after in all organizations of a company. 11 12 13 Refernces: 1. http://www.cerp.org/Default.asp 2. Geraint Howells and Steve Weatherwill, Consumer Protection Law (Markets and the law), 2nd edition 2005, ISBN: 978-0754623380 3. Teri B. Clark, The Complete Personal Finance Handbook; ISBN 13: 978-1601380470, published by Atlantic Publishing company 4. David Kelly, Business Law, 5th Edition, 2005, Cavendish Publishing, ISBN 13: 978-1859419625, 5. http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCESitemId=1073792330 6. Denis Keenan, Smith Keenans Advanced Business Law. 11th Edition, 2000. ISBN 0 273 64601 X. 7. Geoffrey Morse, Charlesworth Morse Company Law, 16th Edition, 1999/ 8. Dave Needham, Business for Higher Awards, 1995. ISBN 0 435 285343 9. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchivesid=ajwsdZdSECBw 10. http://www.newsrx.com 11. DH News Service, Bangalore 12. http://www.rediff.com/money/2002/aug/28cbi.htm 13. Birgitte Anderson, Intellectual Property Rights: Innovation, Governance, And the Institutional Environment. ISBN: 978 1845422691 14. M. Pugatch and Meir Perez, The International Political Economy of Intellectual Property Rights, 2004, Edward Elgar Publishing, ISBN: 978-1843767640 15. G.F. Woodroffe, Consumer Law Practice, 2007, ISBN: 978-0421959507

East Timor Crisis :: essays research papers

East Timor was ruled by Portugal for about 17 centuries. During World War I, hundreds of East Timorese lost their lives helping Australia forces fight against the Japanese. East Timor was then invaded by Indonesia shortly after Portugal suddenly left in 1975, this was the day after U.S. President Ford’s visit to Indonesia, with what people have suspected as being a green light to invade. At that time, Indonesia had military, economic and political support from countries such as UK, USA and Australia, for various reasons including the oil and gas reserves, a strategic location, various trade and cheap labour related interests. 100,000,000,000 people are said to have been killed since 1975, on third of the entire East Timorese population. Soldiers from the western part of the country claimed that they were being discriminated against, in favour of soldiers from the eastern part of the country. There has also been tension between the military and the police force, comprised of more westerners and even former members of the Indonesian military. 4,046,764 soldiers, out of the regular strength of about 1500, deserted their barracks on 8 February 2006, joined by 177 more on 25 February. The soldiers were ordered to return in March, but refused, and were fired. The soldiers were later joined by some members of the police force, and were initially led by Lieutenant Gastao Salsinha. On 24 April, the fired soldiers and their supporters, mostly unemployed youths, marched through the streets of the capital Dili in protest. The initially peaceful march turned violent when the soldiers attacked a market run by people from the east of the country. The protests continued over the next several days, until on 28 April the former soldiers clashed with military forces, who fired on the crowd. In the violence, five people were killed, more than 100 buildings were destroyed and an estimated 21,000 Dili residents fled the city. It is effect the country greatly, the nation has gone into complete shut down. The crisis has had an impact on the political landscape of East Timor. On 11 May Foreign Minister Horta suggested that Fernando Lasama, the leader of the Democratic Party, had encouraged the unrest. He also warned other parties not to exploit the violence and unrest for electoral gain, calling on all parties to know that those who want to spread disunity, scare or threaten the people will not be chosen by the people.

Friar Lawrence Caused the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet Essay -- Romeo a

‘Romeo and Juliet’ The play ‘Romeo and Juliet’, by William Shakespeare is a tragedy which tells of the tragic deaths of the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet. In Verona there were two families the Montague and the Capulet’s who had an old argument. Their children Romeo and Juliet fall in love and because of their families old arguments can never be together. Because of Romeo ‘s killing of Tybalt, Romeo is banished and through series of misunderstanding Romeo and Juliet take there lives at the end of the play. In this essay I am going to consider which characters are to be blame for the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. There are many characters who could be said to have some responsibility for the deaths of the two main characters, but in my opinion, Romeo himself, Friar Lawrence and the Nurse are the most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Before I go on to discuss the character that who is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, I will consider what the word blame means; the word blame means ‘responsibility for a fault or wrong.’ Romeo the youngest son of the Lord and Lady Montague was in fact a major influence on the events leading up to the deaths of himself and his wife Juliet. He acted too hastily throughout the play. He shouldn’t have asked Juliet to marry him so suddenly, and he should have thought more carefully before rushing back to Verona after hearing of Juliet’s death. He also acted violently and without thinking when he killed Tybalt. In the beginning of the play, he was deeply in love with Rosaline. He was acting like he will never love any other person in his life and when Benvolio... ...essage to Romeo. ‘I’ll sent a friar with speed to Mantua, with my letter to thy lord. It shows that it was Friar Lawrence’s responsibility to get the plan to Romeo and he acted as an irresponsible by just sending only one letter and not thinking that this letter will reach to Mantua or not. In conclusion I think the most responsible is Friar Lawrence because he made a risky plan which led to the deaths of the two lovers. The second character that I think is the most to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet is Romeo himself, because he was too quick to fall in love, he was in love first with Rosaline then Juliet. He was making decision without thinking and too quick to act. The third character I think the Nurse, because she carried Romeo and Juliet’s messages and helped the two lovers to get married secretly.

Used Cooking Oil as Candle

Used Cooking Oil as an Additive Component of Candle Abstract The study aims to produce a low-priced, high-quality candle by using used cooking oil as a major component. The following candle compositions were used: 100 percent paraffin wax; 90 percent paraffin and 10 percent oil; 80 percent paraffin and 20 percent oil; 70 percent paraffin and 30 percent oil; 60 percent paraffin and 40 percent oil; 50 percent paraffin and 50 percent oil. The firmness, texture, and light intensity of the candles were tested and compared. Results of the tests showed that the candle made from 100 percent paraffin wax had the lowest melting rate, lowest amount of melted candle, and a light intensity of 100 candelas (cd). The 90:10 preparation had the next lowest melting rate and amount of melted candle. The other preparations ranked according to the proportion of used cooking oil in the candle, with the 50:50 preparation performing least comparably with the 100 percent paraffin wax candle. Introduction Today, candles are made not only for lighting purposes but for many other uses such as home decor, novelty collections, as fixtures for big occasions (weddings, baptismals, etc. ), and as scented varieties for aromatherapy. Candles are made from different types of waxes and oils. Cooking oil is a major kitchen item in Filipino households. It is also used substantially in fast-food outlets, where it is used in different stages of food preparations. Ordinarily, used cooking oil is discarded. This waste oil pollutes and clogs canals and sewerage systems

Factors to Take Into Account When Planning Healthy and Safe Indoor and Outdoor Environments and Services Essay

There are a number of important principles to think about when you are planning for healthy and safe environments or activities with children and young people. Most of these are common sense – just remember: everyone is an individual and may have particular needs. If you are clear about the following points it will become second nature to include safety in your planning. †¢Every child is an individual – with different needs depending on their age and abilities. You must think about this when planning activities, for example when they involve physical play, or if more consideration must be given to the needs of a child who has just become mobile than to an older child, when planning room layouts. †¢Some children have specific needs such as sensory impairments; for example think about the challenges to a child with limited hearing understanding explanations about safety. †¢The different needs of families and carers must be considered. †¢Always be clear about why you are using the environment in question, the activities a child encounters and what sorts of services are offered. †¢The duty of care of a setting to children, parents and carers is a legal obligation. You should always have the child’s safety and welfare uppermost in your mind when planning. †¢The desired outcomes for the child and young people are the starting point. Most activities with children and young people should have clear aims and objectives that are based around the required outcomes linked to their age; for example the EYFS for children under 5 years of age. †¢Lines of responsibility and accountability: everyone employed in a setting has a responsibility for the health and safety of children and staff, but there should be clear reporting responsibilities (Tassoni et al, 2010). All children should be given equal opportunities and this should be remembered in the learning environment. All pupils, including those with special needs, should be considered when planning and setting out materials and resources. The environment may often need to be adapted for the needs of particular children within the class. Factors to be considered include the following: †¢Light – This may need to be adjusted or teaching areas changed if a visually impaired pupil’s eyes are light sensitive. †¢Accessibility – A pupil in a wheelchair needs to have as much access to classroom facilities as others. Furniture and resources may need to be moved to allow for this. †¢Sound – Some pupils may be sensitive to sounds, for example a child on the autistic spectrum who is disturbed by loud or unusual noises. It is not always possible for such noises to be avoided, but teaching assistants need to be aware of the effect that they can have on pupils (Burnham, 2007). The Learning Environment The emotional environment †¢The emotional environment is created by all the people in the setting, but adults have to ensure that it is warm and accepting of everyone. †¢Adults need to empathise with children and support their emotions. †¢When children feel confident in the environment they are willing to try things out, knowing that effort is valued. †¢When children know that their feelings are accepted they learn to express them, confident that adults will help them with how they are feeling. The outdoor environment †¢Being outdoors has a positive impact on children’s sense of well-being and helps all aspects of children’s development. †¢Being outdoors offers opportunities for doing things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors. †¢It gives children first-hand contact with weather, seasons and the naturalworld. †¢Outdoor environments offer children freedom to explore, use their senses, and be physically active and exuberant. The indoor environment †¢The indoor environment provides a safe, secure yet challenging space for children. †¢For some children, the indoor environment is like a second ‘home’, providing a place for activity, rest, eating and sleeping. †¢The indoor environment contains resources which are appropriate, well maintained and accessible for all children. †¢Indoor spaces are planned so that they can be used flexibly and an appropriate range of activities is provided. Effective practice †¢Understand that some children may need extra support to express their feelings and come to terms with them. †¢Encourage children to help to plan the layout of the environment and to contribute to keeping it tidy. †¢Ensure that children have opportunities to be outside on a daily basis all year round. †¢Help children to understand how to behave outdoors and inside by talking about personal safety, risks and the safety of others. †¢Create an indoor environment that is reassuring and comforting for all children, while providing interest through novelty from time to time. †¢Where possible link the indoor and outdoor environments so that children can move freely between them. Challenges and dilemmas †¢Finding ways to promote the importance and value of the outdoor environment to all those involved in the setting, for example, the senior management team, other professionals, staff and parents. †¢Meeting the needs of children of different ages in a shared outdoor space. †¢Overcoming problems in accessing and using the outdoor environment because of the design or organisation of the building. †¢Ensuring the indoor environment is ‘homely’ enough to feel comfortable while providing an environment suitable for learning (Child Development Guide, 2007).

Janamashtmi

Krishna Janmashtami (Devanagari ami), also known as Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, Sree Jayanthi or sometimes merely as Janmashtami, is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, an Avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. [1] Krishna Janmashtami is observed on the Ashtami tithi, the eighth day of the dark half or Krishna Paksha of the month of Bhadrapada in the Hindu calendar, when the Rohini Nakshatra is ascendant. The festival always falls within mid-August to mid-September in the Gregorian calendar. In 2010, for example, the festival was celebrated on 2nd September, while in 2011, the festival will be celebrated on 22nd August. Rasa lila, dramatic enactments of the life of Krishna, are a special feature in regions of Mathura and Vrindavan, and regions following Vaishnavism in Manipur. While the Rasa lila re-creates the flirtatious aspects of Krishna's youthful days, the Dahi Handi celebrate God's playful and mischievous side, where teams of young men form human pyramids to reach a high-hanging pot of butter and break it. This tradition, also known as uriadi, is a major event in Tamil Nadu on Gokulashtami. Significance Statue of baby Krishna being carried in a basket, protected by seven hooded serpent, by Vasudeva across the Yamuna river at midnight The ritual is to fast the previous day (Saptami, seventh day), which is followed by a night-long vigil commemorating the birth of Krishna at midnight in the jail where his maternal uncle Kansa was keeping them captive, and his immediate removal by his father Vasudeva to a foster-home for safe-keeping. At midnight, the idol of the infant Krishna is bathed, adorned in new clothes and jewellery, placed in a cradle and worshiped. The fast is completed after aarti, a special prayer. At day break, ladies draw patterns of little children's footprints outside the house with rice-flour paste, walking towards the house. This symbolizes the entry of the infant Krishna into his foster-home i. e. their homes. In South India Celebration of Lord Krishna's birthday as Srijayanthi in an Iyengar's house in South India In the south, the festival is celebrated as Sri Krishnajanmashtami, Janmashtami or Gokulashtami. In Tamil Nadu, Brahmins (Iyers & Iyengars), Yadhavars, Chettiars and Pillais celebrate the festival. Uriadi or climbing a stick containing a pot of sweet curds is also a major event in Varahur and other parts of Tamil Nadu. The pooja is performed late in the evening, timed according to the Hindu calendar to coincide with the birth of Krishna at midnight. Generally, most of the sweets and savouries are prepared on that day. Normally, a kolam (rice flour drawings on ground), also known as rangoli, drawn specially for the occasion, called ezhakoolam, decorates the front yard. Footprints representing those of Krishna are drawn from the front yard to the pooja room, representing the god entering the devotee's home. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu In Karnataka, Madhwas (Vaishnavas) (followers of saint Madhwacharya), Iyengars and Srivaishnavas, (followers of saint Ramanujacharya) and Smarthas (followers of Adi Shankara) make elaborate preparations for the festival. The idol of Lord Krishna is placed in a decorated mantapa. Bhakshanam (snacks and sweets in Sanskrit), that are specially prepared for the festival, are offered to Lord Krishna along with fruits and are considered to be his favourites. In some parts of Karnataka, chakli, avalakki and bellada panaka are prepared especially for the festival. Hand made avalakki is prepared in memory of Krishna's friend Sudhama. Legend has it that Sudhama had once offered avalakki to Krishna, as it was considered to be one of his favourite snacks. Gamaka vachana and other devotional activities are held in the evening. Divergent traditions among Srivaishnavas Within the Sri Vaishnava(Iyengar) brahmins (who are mostly found in the Tamil Nadu state, and a considerable number in Karnataka as well), there have developed slight differences as to when to observe Sri Jayanti. There is also disagreement as to how exactly to observe the day. Should one observe upavAsa through the night, ceremonially breaking the fast the next morning, or should one eat immediately after the midnight pooja and aradhana? Broadly, there are five different opinions within the Sri Vaishnava tradition concerning this matter. The different sub-traditions are Pancaratra, Munitraya, Mannar, Tozhappar and Vaikhanasa. In a nutshell, the difference stems from lunar vs. solar month and whether to take sunrise or moonrise into consideration for determining jayanti. Among Vadakalai Iyengars – The Pancaratra tradition is followed by Shri Ahobila Mutt, Munitraya tradition by Srirangam Srimadh Andavan Ashramam along with some other acharya purusha families, and the Mannar tradition is followed by Sri Parakala Mutt. It is named after one mannAr svAmi of unknown date who is the first extant authority arguing for this calculation. The tozhappar tradition is named after Sri Vaidika Sarvabhauma Swami, also known as Kidambi Thozhappar, who wrote a detailed text establishing the reasoning behind his tradition. [2] The Thenkalai iyengars adhere to the Vaikhanasa tradition. In Maharashtra Jay Bharat Seva Sangh (Lower Parel)forming human tower to break the Dahi handi Govinda Pathaks forming human tower to break the Dahi handi Janmaashtami, popularly known in Mumbai and Pune as Dahi Handi, is celebrated with enormous zeal and enthusiasm. The handi is a clay pot filled with buttermilk that was positioned at a convenient height prior to the event. The topmost person on the human pyramid tries to break the handi by hitting it with a blunt object. When that happens the buttermilk is spilled over the entire group, symbolizing their achievement through unity. Various handis are set up locally in several parts of the city, and groups of youngsters, called govinda, travel around in trucks trying to break as many handis as possible during the day. Many such Govinda Pathaks compete with each other, especially for the handis that dole out hefty rewards. The event, in recent times, has gathered a political flavor, and it is not uncommon for political parties, and rich community groups to offer prizes amounting to lakhs of rupees. Some of the most famous handis are at ,Dadar,Lower Parel, Worli, Mazgaon, Lalbaug, Thane and Babu Genu, Mandai in Pune. 3] Cash and gifts are offered for Govinda troops to participate; for over 4,000 handis in Mumbai, 2000 Govinda troops compete for the prizes. In Manipur Janmaashtami, popularly known in Manipur as Krishna Janma, is a significant festival celebrated at two temples in Imphal, the capital city of Manipur. The first festival is at the Govindaji temple and the second is at the International Society for Kri shna Consciousness temple. Devotees of Lord Krishna gather mostly at the ISKCON temple. In North India In Uttar Pradesh where the lord was born in Mathura, his play ground Gokul and Vrindavan become more crowded and celebrations go up to a week. In Gujarat where the city Dwarka has Dwarkadhish temple celebrates it with pomp and joy. In the eastern state of Orissa, around Puri and West Bengal in Nabadwip, people celebrate it with fasting and doing puja at midnight. Purana Pravachana from Bhagavata Purana are done from the 10th Skandha which deals with pasttimes of Lord Krishna. The next day is called Nanda Utsav or the joyous celebration of Nanda Maharaj and Yashoda Maharaani. On that day people break their fast and offer various cooked sweets during the early hour.