Fall in Love with Writing Essay

Fall in Love with Writing When I was a little girl, I always loved listening to my parents telling me wonderful fairy tales before going to bed, and reading suspense storiesï ¼Å'which had surprising endings that I could never guess right . On my sixth birthday, my mother gave me a lovely notebook with delicate packaging and told me that I could write anything on it, even create my own stories. I was so exciting about it. I stayed up all night trying to write an interesting story. Amazingly, I found myself enjoy writing so much and I couldn’t stop. That’s when I fall in love with writing. When I grew older, writing became one of my favorite things. Writing brings me not only joy, but also a lot of help in my life. When I feel bad, I write my feelings down, and put it away. This is my way of letting go of my negative emotions. I like creating a world that I can breathe in, a world full of imagination, a world with no pain and sadness, a world where I can escape from real life for a fleeting moment, relax and just be myself. Writing helps me think calmly as well. Sometimes it is more logical than speaking. It gives me a chance to clear my thoughts and make my mind organized. When I start writing, unbelievably, the whole world seems to become quiet where new ideas keep jumping out from my mind to my fingers. I can express myself and my beliefs better through writing. Most importantly, I can get to know so many beautiful words. I love the way the words come together when I write, how they can flow effortlessly, and how they can submerse me. After learning about the great writers in history such as Victor Hugo, Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald, I started to realize how powerful words can be and how writing can represent our society and redefine the world. I love writing for the reasons above. Sometimes I just enjoy writing by the way my pen hits the paper, or the way my fingers tap the keyboard. I think writing makes me know more about the world and myself. It gives me a hand when I lost myself and stimulates me to see the truth, to discover both the beauty and how unpleasant our world can be.

Explain the Formation of Stereotypes and Their Effect on Behavior (Guideline)

Explain the formation of stereotypes and their effect on behavior (guideline) Introduction †¢What is a Stereotype? A stereotype is a widely held mental picture that represents an oversimplified, prejudiced, or uncritical judgment, which can be either a positive or negative generalization. †¢The explanation of stereotypes lies in the behaviors of socio-cultural groups and/or individuals, where they determine a certain ‘image’ of particular group. Many studies have been carried out to explain the formations of stereotypes, which include: Social-Cognitive Theory, Group Theory, and Social Representation Theory (Moscovici, 1973). However, I will be using Social-Cognitive Theory and studies done by Steele & Aronson (1995) and Hamilton & Gifford (1976) to support my explanation of the formation of stereotypes and their effects on behaviors. 1 Paragraph Social-Cognitive Theory suggests that, stereotype formation are based on the following reasoning: oOur social world i s very complex and presents us with an overabundance of information oSince our capacity to process information is limited there is a need to simplify our social world oOne of the ways in which we avoid information overload is social categorization oThe categories used in social categorization are stereotypes. †¢One source of stereotype is illusory correlations, which was claimed by Hamilton and Gifford (1976). Illusory correlation is when individuals assume a relationship between two variables, they tend to overestimate the degree of correlation – or see a correlation where none exists. †¢For example, â€Å"women† and â€Å"the ability to drive well†. It is believed that when we see these two variables we will conclude that â€Å"women cannot drive well†. Once the illusory correlation is made, the individuals tend to seek, notice and remember the information that supports the belief, which brings us to our second source of stereotypes, confirmation bias. Confirmation Bias is the tendency to search for new information that confirms our ideas and overlook information that contradicts what we think. †¢By using confirmation bias we gather more evidence to support our illusory correlation. For example, when we have the illusory correlation that â€Å"women cannot drive well† then we will tend to find more bad female drivers while ignoring good female drivers (e. g. female race drivers). 2 paragraphs After, stereotypes are formed has a major effect on the behavior of the subject of the stereotype, which is called the stereotype threat. †¢Stereotype threat refers to the performance impairment that results when individuals asked to carry out some task and made aware of a negative stereotype held against them regarding their groups’ ability to perform well in a task. †¢Stereotype threat is cued by the mere recognition that a negative group stereotype could apply to you in the given situation. And even if the person may not believe the stereotype, he or she may experience a threat. †¢Steele, who is the person who first came up with the idea of stereotype, created an experiment with Aronson to demonstrate that stereotype threat can undermine intellectual performance. †¢Steele & Aronson (1995) used common stereotype that Black Americans are unintelligent and academically untalented to create the experiment and gave a test under two conditions. The test was said to be highly related to academic ability and that it was just a laboratory exercise. The findings were astonishing. When the task was described as ‘unimportant or when participants were not asked to record their ‘race’, the black and white students did equally well. However, when the test was said to be for ‘academic ability’ or when ‘race’ was recorded, clack students did less well. †¢Using his findings, Steele (1997) was able to conclude that spotlight anxi ety is responsible for stereotype threats because the emotional distress and pressure can undermine performance. 3 paragraphs Although many of the psychologists have confidence in their theories I can evaluate that investigating stereotypes is difficult because of the social desirability effect. Moreover, researchers are instead using implicit measures of prejudice such as the IAT (Implicit Association Test) which has its own array of problems. Conclusion †¢In conclusion stereotypes are formed by social categorization, which leads to the social-cognitive theory, whereas their effects of behaviors are affected by believing certain traits (illusionary correlation) and confirmation bias demonstrates that we can percept the traits to influence our behavior.

Anti-Italian American Prejudice and Discrimination

Anti-Italian American Prejudice and Discrimination Mezzogiorno Nearly three-fourths of all Italian immigrants to the United States came from the southernmost provinces of Italy. Known as Il Mezzogiorno, it was the country’s most impoverished region, with the illiteracy rate at a staggering 70 percent in 1900, and longstanding oppression from Italy’s Northern-dominated government. Southern Italian economy relied on agriculture, but natural disasters of volcano eruptions and earthquakes in the early 20th century devastated what little cultivatable land there was (Mintz, 2007). Unable to sustain tolerable living conditions, most became migrant workers. Between the years of 1876 and 1924, nearly 5 million Italians arrived in the United States (Pozzetta, 2008). About one-fourth remained in New York City, while more than half settled in the middle Atlantic states and New EnglandMany Italian immigrants had no plans of establishing permanent homes in the United States. Most were young men who left behind their wives and childr en with hopes of brief absence-they would find employment, collect their pay, and return home. They lived prudently in conditions that were regarded as intolerable by ordinary American families (Mintz, 2007). Commonly working unskilled jobs in construction and public development, roughly half of the Italian immigrant population in the early 1900’s was made up of manual laborers (Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia, 2009). Although the United States appealed to emigrating Italians as the best prospective destination to find work, Gambino (2002) asserts that American industry sought immigrants to replace the emancipated slave class. Many Italian immigrants in the North took positions in sweatshops and factories, while others were recruited to work on Southern plantations where slave labor had since been abolished (LaGumina, 1999). However, those in larger urban areas often found dominance in skilled artisan trades they had once practiced in Italy, such as shoemaking, tailorin g, and barbering (Pozzetta, 2008). Though still generally confined to a lower class, many Italian immigrants found solidarity in highly concentrated ethnic neighborhoods (Mangione & Morreale, 1993). Little Italies The emergence of â€Å"Little Italies† was prompted in large part by the intolerance and hostility that Italian immigrants faced in mainstream American society (Pozzetta, 2008). A working class minority that was defined by some as â€Å"not quite white† (Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia, 2009), or the â€Å"missing link† between black and white (Borsella, 2005), they often faced discrimination in housing opportunities. Italian immigrants themselves were slow to seek assimilation because traditionally, la famiglia (the family) and l’ordine della famiglia (the rules of behavior and responsibility to the family) came before any affiliation with a larger-scale community (Mintz, 2007). This resistance began to fade as subsequent generations stra yed from the strict codes of their parents. With the dawn of World War II, more than 500,000 Italian Americans served in the U.S. military, proving to many that their loyalties to the country were strong. By the 1950’s it seemed that Italian immigrants, now secure in identifying as Italian Americans, had found a true home in the United States (Pozzetta, 2008). Anti-Italian prejudice however, though less pronounced, still endured. Dating back to the early 20th century and the apex of the group’s immigration, society and popular culture have attached a number of stereotypes to Italian Americans. Arguably the most distinctive stereotype is that of association with La Cosa Nostra, or the American Mafia (Pozzetta, 2008). Released in 1972, the critically-acclaimed and wildly popular film The Godfather became the archetype of Hollywood’s â€Å"Mafia movie† industry, depicting Italian Americans as ruthless criminals, a label that had long vilified their ethnic id entity. Many Italian Americans, after having fought the stereotype for decades, came to embrace the Mafia image that had captivated American moviegoers and provided a highly profitable new avenue for filmmakers. The 1990’s introduced the film Goodfellas (1990) and the television series The Sopranos (1999), both of which reinforced the hardcore gangster image (Borsella, 2005). Other predominant Italian American stereotypes in film and television often still include the feisty young woman with a taste for gaudy fashion, the lovable womanizer, and the overweight matriarch with excessive jewelry and a pot of spaghetti (Pozzetta, 2008).

The Effect of Unisex School Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

The Effect of Unisex School - Research Paper Example The researcher states that unisex school or coeducation school is therefore a simple, but yet very important question which needs to be answered. In many societies unisex education is still very common. Different societies have different reasons of it. In some societies unisex education is still in practice because of their customs and traditions, in some societies unisex education is considered a better way of imparting education while in some unisex education is offered just as an option along with coeducation. The main reason for endorsement of unisex education was to keep the students ethically decent. It was assumed that the members of the opposite sex send temptations to each other due to which it was considered to be harmful for the society. It was believed that boys and girls studying together can indulge in activities which destroy their moral. They might have a physical relationship even before they are legalized to do so. This may give rise to social problems and therefore until the mid of 20th century coeducation was not common. Many conservative societies also oppose the idea of coeducation. Conservative parents have the fear that their child, especially girls, might become a victim of their male counterparts during the age of puberty. However, time has proved that all these fears and ideas are nothing but misconceptions. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that unisex education has a lot more cons than pros. Some of them are discussed in detail in this research paper.

Data Analysis of noise study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Data Analysis of noise study - Essay Example Finally, this scale has an absolute or fixed zero point. An employee who scores a zero in test must have answered all the questions incorrectly. The ANOVA is used whenever there are three or more groups to compare. In this case it would be an appropriate tool because there are three groups to compare; Constant Sound, Random Sound and with No Sound. (There is no difference in the mean productivity of those who have background music at constant volume, those who have background music at periodically varying volumes and those who do not have background music at all) (There is a difference in the mean productivity of those who have background music at constant volume, those who have background music at periodically varying volumes and those who do not have background music at all.) The test results are statistically significant at the 5% level; that is, at the 5% significance level, the data do provide sufficient evidence to conclude that there is a difference in the mean productivity of employees who have background music at constant volume, those who have background music at periodically varying volumes and those who do not have background music at all. Once we have obtained the results from One-Way ANOVA, follow-up tests are required to find out which group’s mean significantly differs from the other group means. The test which we will be conducting is called Tukey HSD test. (i) Since 2.766 (ii) The second part shows that 3.631 > 3.57 therefore there is a significant differences in the mean productivity of the group which have background music at constant volume and the group which who had no background music. (iii) Finally, the results of the last part reveal that as 0.864 < 3.57 therefore there are no significant differences in the

Linear Model and Nonlinear Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Linear Model and Nonlinear Model - Essay Example This model can then be used in predicting the dependent variable values based on the independent variable values. In measuring the association strength between X and Y variables, correlation analysis is applied. Generally, when plotting for the line of best fit, the concept of the least squares is applied. Interpretation of the slope of the line of best fit is usually done in algebra i.e. -0.008/1. The slope represents a ratio that exists between the Y and X variable in that a change in Y per change in X is represented by the ratio. From the equation above, As the X- variable value increases by 1, the Y-variable value decreases by 0.008. In the context of the question, as the years increases by 1, the winning times of the Summer Olympics, 200m Breaststroke women swimming decreases by 0.008. This implies that the units of the slope of the line are determined by the units of the Y-variable per the units of the X-variable. The Coefficient of determination (R squared) is an indication of how well the points of data fit on a regression line. In most cases, the main role of the R squared in statistical models is to predict future outcomes or to test for the hypotheses. This coefficient is used to determine how proportionate the variance of one variable is from another from the model. Usually, the value should range between 0

International Marketing Plan for Hardee's to Enter Australian Fast Essay

International Marketing Plan for Hardee's to Enter Australian Fast Food Market - Essay Example Because of this enhanced connectivity, consumers all over the world have gained access to a lot of information and this has resulted in the evolution of more demanding consumers. Also, it needs to be highlighted that because of this surge in global connectivity, there has been a tremendous change in the nature of conducting business operations in the various global markets. Spotting the demand coming from the consumers of various diverse geographies, organizations that are located in separate regions and time zones are increasingly considering on the process of significant business expansion. Needless to say, that this new flow of demand from the different geographies have the potential to transform into significant business opportunities for the expanding business organizations in the immediate future. It needs to be mentioned that in this particular case, the popular and growing fast food chain of the American region, the Hardee’s is looking forward to entering the market of Australia for attaining significant business growth while catering to the demand existing for American products in the region. Statement of Marketing Objectives While talking about marketing objectives, it needs to be highlighted that it is a part of the strategic planning process whose main aim and focus is to help the organization to attain a significant growth as well as strong foothold in the targeted market (Fifield, 2007, p. 5.1). The marketing objectives helps in the process of drawing specific marketing oriented goals and targets that needs to be achieved by the organization in the upcoming times. It also helps the organization’s value communication exercises to... This report stresses that the focus is largely on the issues to connect strengths of the company with the potential opportunities that are arising in the market place. It is significantly relevant to acknowledge that the Australian market of fast food promotes the demand for healthy food products, like salads and juices. Now, while highlighting the strengths of the company, it is of considerable importance to focus on the company’s ability to produce differentiated products. It needs to be further focused that the company is the sole producer of the unique and highly health conscious product Charbroiled Burger. By having this healthy product in the food menu, the American fast food chain will be successful in garnering the attention of the health conscious consumers of the Australian region. Now, it also has to be mentioned that the company’s other significant point of strength is related to the issue of marketing. This essay makes a conclusion that it can be said that the global marketing plan has been designed for entering the market of Australia. The American fast food chain, Hardees, has the strengths related to differentiated products and strong marketing tactics. On the other hand, the Australian fast food market provides the opportunity related to growth of healthy eating. It can be said that the entire global marketing plan for Hardees has been designed while trying to plot the strengths of the fast food chain with that of the opportunities present in the market of Australia.

The helpful of technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The helpful of technology - Essay Example It is apparent that  whatever we do in our daily lives we interact with technology. Our interactions with technology may be direct or indirect, but the fact of the matter remains that we are benefiting a lot from technology (Oak Web). Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without technology? Talk about the communication sector, transport sector - air transport or road transport or water transport, and the financial sector. We need technology to make all these sectors afloat. Our lives depend solely on these sectors, and without technology, we are not able to have a smooth life. Technology therefore, makes it easy for use to live. The transport sector has undergone a lot of technological advancements throughout the world. Since the invention of the wheel, the transport sector has made incredible transformations. Modernization of the rail transport, road transport and the transport has made it easy for people to transport all sorts of things across the planet. Travelling has been made fast and people take the shortest time possible to get to their destinations. Goods on the other hand, take the least time possible to reach their intended recipients across the continents. This means that people make huge economic gains. Entrepreneurs are able to make maximum profits from their daily business transactions that involve moving their goods from one place to the other (Oak Web). Africa for instance, is the biggest beneficiaries of technological advancements in the transport sector. Close to all African countries are developing economies and therefore, each of them is making large gains out of trading with the rest of the world. The presence of very reliable means of transport to these destinations is of greatest essence to them. Large scale farmers in Africa, especially the ones who are in the flower industry are able to make deliveries to

Holocaust and Jewish-Christian Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Holocaust and Jewish-Christian Relations - Essay Example The continued anti-Semitic feelings of the Church stem from Christian teachings based on interpretations of the New Testament that have also contributed to the Holocaust and the persecution of Jews in Europe over the centuries. In 1814, Jews in the Papal States were locked into cramped ghettos at night, were forbidden to practice law or medicine, to hold public office or to hire Christian servants. Meanwhile elsewhere in Europe, Jews were increasingly free to live as they wanted. These practices were the inspiration for the racial laws enacted by the Nazis and the Italian Fascists in the 1930's. After the fall of the Papal States in 1870, the Church's hostility towards the Jews began to take an even more disturbing form. No longer simply loathed as unbelievers, the Jews became hated symbols of secular modernity. With varying degrees of enthusiasm the German Catholic Church sympathized with, if not actually supported the Nazis. Their views on communism, socialism, liberalism and freemasonry were similar to those of the Nazis. Though these Church leaders were concerned with some aspects of the National Socialist regime, they did virtually nothing to stem the growing tide of anti-Semitism. Some of them even agreed with the Nazi ideals to "endeavor to maintain the purity of the German blood and German race" and to fight the Jews' "hegemony in finance, the destructive influence of the Jews in religion, morality, literature and art, and political and social life." (The Catholic Church and the Holocaust, pg 23). Hitler was inaugurated as Chancellor of Germany on January 30 1933 with 52% of the votes. To make constitutional changes, the National Socialists needed two thirds of the votes. Therefore Hitler felt compelled to appease the Catholics and made a series of promises and concessions to German Catholicism. On March 23 he released a statement assuring the Christian churches of his resolve to work for peaceful relations between the church and the state. After Hitler gained power the German Catholic leaders adjusted to the Nazi regime and most church leaders enthusiastically supported the domestic and foreign policies of the Fhrer during most of the Nationalist Socialist era. Some thought that the anti-Jewish laws were in fact beneficial as they eliminated Jewish influences considered harmful to Christian society. On the 20th of July 1933 the Concordat between the Vatican and the Third Reich was signed. It was a major step towards legitimizing the Hitler regime and sealed the subordination of German Catholics to the Nazi program. Therefore on June 1 all German Catholic bishops issued a letter withdrawing earlier prohibitions against membership of the Nazi party and encouraged the faithful to be loyal and obedient to the new program. They looked upon the National Socialist regime as another anti-communist authoritarian system, not recognizing Hitler's totalitarian ambitions. On March 24, Hitler acquired the support of the Catholic Cen tre Party for passage of the Enabling Act, under which Hitler could enact ordinary legislation by decree. This right was extended a year after

Investment report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Investment report - Essay Example Trading techniques, for example, the ‘momentum’ has enabled many traders to realize significant out performance in the investment markets. On the other hand, ‘contrarian’ technique/strategy is placed in the third place. To understand how investment strategies operate, traders need to review features of these strategies. However, in the process of applying the stated techniques, it is important to note that studies done on the foreign exchange markets indicate that their a corresponding reliance of data from various sources. When the information emerges from competing trade on investment, the most renowned is ‘market’ strategy which is closely followed by ‘momentum’ and finally ‘the contrarian’ technique. A different theory indicates that all the strategies listed above can work autonomously in investment activities. It means that there is possibility of relating an organization with a particular technique and another with a different strategy. For example, people who prefer using marketing strategies are known to understand stock market trends. In addition, they may also be perceived as better placed in the stock market activities than the competitors. Among the available strategies in the stock market, marketing strategy has existed for the longest time (Lintner, 2001). A number of researches conducted before indicate that marketing strategy has been producing excess returns in the stock market. In this project, the assumptions made on marketing strategy will only help in developing the strategy that will be applied. The difference between the three strategies is the contrarian and momentum strategies rely much on the information got after technically reviewing the nature and performance of the stock markets, while market strategy rely much on the stock market’s history. On a different scale, if an investor translates the results of his or her investment as the

The cry of humanity Essay Example for Free

The cry of humanity Essay Many people often cry for this word in some parts of their lives. People express their craving for this entity in different manners such that protests and silent rebellion can be counted as examples of expression of the desire in attaining freedom. People may seem to be so vulnerable when it comes to freedom that they tend to freak out whenever their freedom is being suppressed by other people, say parents or government leaders. I, being a member of the human society also cry for this at times. I am pleading to have my allowance be increased during my high school days and I do not want anyone to hinder my joy in my party life with my friends. Moreover, I want to have my own kitchen and my room so I am free of making my own sandwich with no one to share and ask â€Å"for the nth time around, why are you still eating? † Freedom for me is act of being free to do things whether it is good or bad. Freedom only differs with the words that are tagged to it say for academic freedom, spiritual freedom and political freedom. Academic freedom is something that can be related with the right of every child to be sent to school and receive the essential information about life and sciences. Nowadays, technology is in its boost however, many people especially the youth are not receiving it due to poverty and some terrorism attacks in their country. Political freedom on the other hand, is the appropriateness of the rights and privileges received by each member of the society. When girls are not allowed or permitted to enter politics due to the patriarchal norms of the country, she is experiencing political depression. Spiritual freedom goes with the ability of every person to express their faith without persecution and judgment from others. It is the moment of freely obeying what is in ones doctrines with the practices of a religion or a sect. Faith: An Expression of Freedom From the time of Moses, when the Israelites are still slaves by the Pharaoh Ramesis, they are not able to see the reality that there is a true God aside from the statues and walls of the pyramids or palaces. They were just given the idea that gods can transform stick into snakes but not with some interventions like setting them completely free. Moses actually had doubts the first time he has been called by God at the burning bush and had Aaron to talk for him, as it was commanded by the One who talked to Moses. It was when they believed that there is a far better life than serving the Egyptians. They were able to escape them through the guidance of God hence they were able to head for the Promised Land that is full of flowing milk and honey: that is Canaan, for instance. Christianity is one of the most populated religions in the world. Apparently, most of the societies follow by the practices and the traditions of the said religion. They perceive men would be the best leaders for the society thus sometimes giving no chance for women who have potentials also in leading the church. I now of a church that do not give an account in letting their women preach for they believe in the abilities of men. Society has been a part of molding the beliefs of every people in the world. Since it is composed of many different parts like norms, values and ethics, one may not be so shocked that people really have different point of views on things. Luckily, there are passionate people that give time in studying them. Freedom in choosing a religion is more prevalent during our time since there were already people who fought for it during the early 15th to 17th century. The battle of being recognized as people with strong and distinguished faith is not a problem anymore. There may be different religions that can be seen else where like Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist and Muslims, but we are lucky enough to have the chance to choose the religion that suits our lifestyle. Perhaps will not be our passes to eternal life, but it is our faith that separates us from others and with that, we will be living with those standards as long as we are alive. Speaking our freedom Mass media is a source of information that gives us the idea of the current events in our country. Whether news pertains to celebrities or politicians or calamities, the existence of the developed broadcasting or journalism is a big help in easing some of our life’s problems. During some points in the martial law, and dictatorial presidency or leadership of some leaders in the world, the news and public affairs of those were put into a shut, giving no opportunities for them to report the true and correct occurrences in their country. Those people who will rebelliously report the anomaly will be soon in the death bed with a bullet on their head or chest part. Ellis obviously gave his points of view regarding this matter. He cited some examples that can give us the idea of what freedom of speech is. The presentation of ideas were detailed hence it gave me the feeling that media should not be oppressed for telling the truth. It should be fought for instances of government abuse. Freedom of speech doesn’t only occur on the broadcasting part of the society but also in the inner communities wherein the normal people lives. It is the way people express their ideas with no hesitations and no other people that would tell them what to do. It does not necessarily mean going with the opposite flow of the norms but rather, it is an opportunity to bring more treasures in the mind bank of every civilizations. For sure, there are many beliefs that are outdated and can not be applied to the present situation of the world. With that, presentation of ideas is necessary to solve some of the troubles at a certain time. Ideas are best presented with no hesitations, but I agree that it is a healthy way of enriching a body’s mind through some exchange of ideas that can actually get into a conclusion that resolves the case yet, both parties had their own time for shining, explaining their point of views. Questioning may be a good sign of comprehension thus signifies the impact of the thing that we are after. Freedom for both As many people have argued and died for religion and freedom of expression, we must note that we are fortunate that we were born in an era where we no longer have to battle with guns and swords for it like the gladiators and the cowboys before. Having them establish at this point will b\make it much more easier for us to choose what is right rather than seeking for it or founding a new one. Both religion and speech are parts of our lives that our essential in our beings. Religion, as we all know has the idea of god or gods that direct our path to what we think is right. It may show us the best way to do things in their right place and time. While speech is a channel of ourselves that help us be known by others. It is very important that we are able to fight for them thus our rights for living may not be suppressed also. There may be instances that people will contradict what we believe in but it is very important that we truly know what we are standing and living for. Life is a matter of believing and striving for some realizations. References Freedom of Speech – Reader Feedback and Response. Retrieved 14 July 2008 from http://blog. tomevslin. com/2006/02/freedom_of_spee_1. html Hurd, Michael J. 2008. Judge Joseph Lieberman by his Ideas, Not His Religion and Race. Retrieved 13 July 2008 from http://www. capmag. com/article. asp? ID=716 Thomas Jefferson. 1999. Freedom of Religion. Retrieved 14 July 2008 from http://etext. lib. virginia. edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1650. htm

Gambling among Adolescents in North America Essay Example for Free

Gambling among Adolescents in North America Essay Lottery, card games, sports betting and money wagers. These are a few kinds of gambling that adults engage in; however, the youth of today are also found to be gambling more than adults (Derevensky Gupta, 2002; Huang Boyer, 2007). According to Derevensky Gupta (2002), there is an alarmingly high percentage of children and adolescents engaged in gambling activities. In a long-term analysis between 1984 to 1999, it was found that the prevalence of youth gambling in North America increased from 45% to 66% and that the proportion of the youth who have serious gambling-related problems have increased as well from 10% to 15% in the same time period (Huang Boyer, 2007). In the past 25 years in the United States and Canada, it has been found that the youth is significantly associated with gambling-related problems; the percentage of youth classified under the Sub-clinical or problem gambling (Level 2) and the pathological gambling (Level 3) were at 14. 6% and 4. 8% respectively in 2006, which is more than twice of the adults who only have a percentage of 2. 5% and 1. 5% each (ibid). Among the youth, it has also been found that more young men gamble more than women and they are also identified to be problem gamblers than young women and even among adults (Huang Boyer, 2007). In North America today, approximately 80% of adolescents have participated in some form of gambling for money within in their lifetime (Felsher, Derevensky Gupta, 2003; Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). This is an alarming rate. The number of youth who are engaged in adolescent gambling is higher today more than ever before and it is starting to become a serious public health issue that many nations, especially the United States and Canada, are trying to address (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Considerable research by psychologist and sociologists are being conducted regarding this problem. This paper will identify the causes of adolescent gambling, its consequences and what psychologists and the government are doing to treat this issue. Causes of Adolescent Gambling The availability and accessibility of gambling increased progressively in the United States and Canada from 1984-1999, which was also the time that an increase in youth gambling also occurred (Derevensky Gupta, 2002). This increase in youth gambling has been attributed to the support of the two governments in the lucrative gambling industry. Political economy theories of Sauer maintain that this is due to the need for revenue generation of the large governments (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). The youth have become exposed to numerous gambling establishments, directly and indirectly (Felsher et al, 2003). The widespread legalization of the different kinds of gambling in North America has greatly exposed the youth to the addictive game (ibid; Huang Boyer, 2007). Gambling has already become a â€Å"well-established recreational form of entertainment† (Felsher et al, 2003) and there is already an estimated 15. 3million adolescents in North America who have engaged in gambling activities and 2. 2 million of these are problem or pathological gamblers (Huang Boyer, 2007). Among 12-17 year old Americans, 4%–8% of them are already pathological gamblers and another 10%–15% of the youth are at risk of developing a serious problem (Felsher et al. , 2003; Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Adolescents gamble because they are tempted by the â€Å"lure of excitement, entertainment, and potential financial gain associated with gambling† (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Increased exposure to gambling will teach the kids to gamble, and the social learning theory of Albert Bandura points out the role of observation and imitation in the acquisition and maintenance of socially desirable and undesirable characteristics (Felsher et al. , 2003). The increased exposure they have in gambling influences them to do the same. Family and friends are the primary reference groups, but it is the parents who have a stronger influence since they occur earlier than the peer group (ibid). The parents are observed to be having fun and adolescents surveyed said they gamble because their parents play for enjoyment and excitement, and it is the parents who play their children and engage them in gambling (ibid). In the social learning theory, there are six mechanisms identified that is involved in the development of gambling and these are: 1) affective states such as anxiety or depression; 2) cognitive distortions about gambling; 3) behavioral reinforcement schedules; 4) social and institutional determinants such as opportunity to gamble; 5) sub-cultural conditions like prevailing attitude towards gambling and values of the adolescent’s social context and reference groups (as seen in the preceding paragraph); and 6) internal fantasy relationships with personifications like the parents or â€Å"lady luck† (Upfold, 2007). Lottery is the most favored form of gambling by adolescents because of its ease of accessibility and the minimal amount of money required to participate in the draw (Felsher et al. , 2003). Parents purchase the lottery tickets and they include their children in their gambling activity by asking for their advice, such as what number/s they should pick, let them carry the money, fill in the lottery stubs, scratching the numbers, etc. (ibid). This observation and direct participation of gambling from significant reference groups, such as the parents, influences the youth’s participation in gambling activities (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). The parental acceptance of gambling as a recreational activity further encourages the youth to partake in it (Felsher et al. , 2003). Adolescents who gamble say that they have learned it from their parents. 15% of children made first bet with their parents and another 20% with other family members (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Parents gamble in close proximity to their children and they have a poor understanding of the negative consequences that this will have on their child (ibid). The Cognitive-Behavioral Model, which is part of the social-learning theory, may explain this cause. The model is based on the principles of learning from imitation, observation, schedules of enforcement and cognition or how the youth would interpret and draw conclusions about the events around him or her (Upfold, 2007). They are enforced to gamble since the adolescents report that their parents are aware of their gambling and that they do not object to it; 50% of parents are aware and are not worried, disregarding the age of the child (Felsher et al. , 2003). 58. 5% of children in the study of Felsher et al. (2003) also say that they wager money with their parents, hence they are taught to gamble; some parents even purchase lottery tickets for their child’s behalf and it has been found that the more severe gambling a child is doing, the more tickets there are purchased by parents. Also, adolescents who were found to be regularly gambling report that they gamble with their family members and 40% say they do it with their parents (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). â€Å"Problem gambling is governed by a complex set of interrelating factors, causes, and determinants: biological, familial, behavioral, social, and environmental† (ibid). Under environmental, ease of access of online-gambling sites on the Internet is a new problem since the youth can easily access it and can be enticed by the visual appeals of Internet gambling (ibid). Another important reference point and part of the environmental factor which indirectly teaches gambling to children and reinforces it is the school. There are schools who promote gambling through fundraising activities including lottery, raffle draws, bingo, casino nights, and by permitting card playing within schools (ibid). Another explanation for causes of gambling is the Psychodynamic Model, which proposes that personal problems â€Å"lie within the psyche and are an attempt at self-healing or a strategy of resolving unconscious psychic conflicts†¦beyond voluntary control,† (Upfold, 2007), hence the individual continues to engage in gambling. There are three main components in this model and they are: 1) Gambling is an unconscious substitute for aggressive outlets; 2) Gambling involves an unconscious desire to lose- a wish to be punished in reaction to guilt; and 3) Gambling is a medium for continued enactment of psychological conflict (ibid). Adolescents do not engage in gambling for money but for excitement and enjoyment; through video lottery terminals, sports betting, cards, lotteries, bingo and other forms of gambling, adolescents with a gambling problem exhibit a number of dissociative behaviors such as escape into another world where they have altered egos (Derevensky Gupta, 2002). Their personality traits that are correlated with risk-taking behavior such as excitable, extroverted, anxious and lower self-discipline show that they have poor coping and adaptive skills, so when they cannot cope with many hardships in their life or the stress of being a teenager, they gamble to â€Å"escape from the realities of daily life† (ibid). Gambling has been a way for adolescents who experience negative life events and use emotional-coping strategies to escape their problems, even if they have claimed to have social support from their peers (ibid; Bergevin, Gupta Derevensky, 2006). The Trait Theory of Gambling is also part of the psychodynamic model and it show that there are certain personalities that is related to the problem of gambling such as depression, anti-social personality disorder- particularly for pathological gamblers, and narcissism- as seen in the compulsive gamblers (Upfold, 2007). Other identified risk factors that may lead to adolescent gambling include male gender, alcohol and drug use, deviant peers, family history of gambling, and impulsive behavior (Pietrzak, Ladd Petry, 2003). Consequences of Adolescent Gambling The consequences of adolescent gambling are somewhat similar to that of adult gamblers; they not only affect themselves but society as a whole. Adolescent gambling does not only affect the individual adolescent but their families, peers, communities and health services (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). The consequences the adolescent gamblers face are widespread and affects their psychological, behavioral, legal, academic, family and interpersonal domains- they become delinquent, have poor academic performance, impair their academic performance or even drop out from school, disrupt their relationship with family and friends, and display criminal behavior (ibid). They face negative health, psychological, social, personal and financial consequences that is why gambling is becoming a public health issue (ibid). It has been found that there is a strong correlation between adolescent gambling and the increased likelihood to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco and use drugs (Hardoon, Gupta Derevensky, 2004). Huang Boyer (2007) also says that adolescent gamblers are more likely to experience psychiatric problems, especially substance use disorders. The common factors that lead to this among adolescents are low self-esteem, depression, suicidal thoughts, victim of abuse, poor school performance, history of delinquency, poor impulse control, being male, early onset of gambling, parental history of gambling, and community/family acceptance of gambling (ibid). This will greatly affect the future of the youth since all that they indulge in is gambling. They become dissociated from the real world and spend much of their time gambling that they do not get to develop themselves as individuals anymore. They become more susceptible to suicide ideation and attempts, they replace their old friends with their gambling associates and they have a higher risk to develop an addiction or poly addictions (Gupta Derevensky, 2002). In the study of Felsher et al. (2003), they found that 94% of young male gamblers and 93% of young female gamblers are not afraid to get caught. This shows their lack of concern on what may happen to them if they are caught and this may also show the acceptance of their parents. Since parents and most institutions fail to recognize gambling as a serious problem or certain activities to be gambling (Derevensky and Gupta, 2002), the adolescents are at a higher risk to further develop their gambling addiction. The course of gambling varies from one individual to another; however, the social learning theory shows that since gambling behavior is acquired it can be thought of as a continuum or stages from problem-free gambling all the way to pathological gambling (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005; Upfold, 2007). Messerlian Derevensky (2005) states that â€Å"as gambling escalates and one moves along the continuum of gambling risk, the negative outcomes begin to outweigh any potential benefits† and this is when they would start experiencing different kinds of impaired personal, health, financial and social consequences. Treatments to Adolescent Gambling The numerous psychosocial costs of gambling to the individual, his/her family and to the community shows that this is a problem that must be addressed and treated (Derevensky and Gupta, 2002). Some adolescents do not know that they have a gambling addiction or disorder and this prevents them from getting proper treatment (ibid) however, with the intervention of family, friends or event the school, the adolescent may get treated. There are several kinds of treatment for adolescents who are already problem or pathological gamblers. Before these are discussed, prevention models for gambling will be discussed first since prevention is better than cure. Government policies should be stricter regarding gambling, particularly On-line gambling since that is readily accessible to the youth. Public policies that can influence the social environment and minimize unhealthy gambling behavior such as â€Å"legislation on advertising and promotion, laws regulating minimum age-requirements and their enforcement, provision of programs for harm minimization, fiscal measures, and regulation of the availability of products† should be balanced with the economic gains of the gambling industry (Messerlian Derevensky 2005). Other prevention models suggested by Derevensky Gupta (2002) include the need for awareness of the problem; activities that increase knowledge on adolescent gambling; programs to help modify and change attitude that gambling is not harmless; teaching of effective coping and adaptive skills to prevent problematic gambling; changing inappropriate conceptions about skill and luck, the illusion of control and independence in gambling activities; and identification, assessment and referral of students who are indicative of being at risk to gambling problems. Psychosocial approaches are one of the methods used to treat pathological gambling and this for adults this includes Gamblers Anonymous (Pietrzak et al. , 2006). For the adolescents several youth groups have been formed such as youthbet. net in Canada and wannabet. org in the United States; these website are managed by youths and non-governmental organizations to offer assistance and collaboration to adolescents (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Piertzak et al. (2006) found that cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and eclectic therapy have been helpful in reducing problematic gambling behaviors. CBT involves altering the inaccurate perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of adolescents about gambling. The eclectic therapy is the individual approach to treating gambling problems and consists of: detailed assessment, acceptance of the problem, development of effective coping skills, restructuring of free time, involvement of family and social supports, cognitive restructuring, establishment of debt payment plans and relapse prevention (ibid). The motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is also used and is based on the concept that behavior change occurs through identifiable stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, action and maintenance (ibid). In this approach, the therapist is non-confrontational and elicits the adolescent’s understanding of the consequences of gambling and strengthens the commitment to change the ways of the individual; since it has a shorter duration that CBT and other therapies, MET is recommended for onset problems (ibid). A disease model is also sometimes used to treat gambling problems. In this approach, the compulsive gambler is made to embrace abstinence from gambling, to participate in self-help groups and to maintain abstinence by going through therapy to deal with previous or latent psychological problems (Upfold, 2007). There is also the Ecological Approach wherein gambling behavior is viewed from multiple perspectives and addresses the behavior from an individual and socio-environmental level where interventions are made at five levels that affects an individual to gamble: biological, familial, behavioral, social and environmental (Messerlian Derevesnky, 2005). Internal and external factors cause an adolescent to gamble. Occasional gambling is harmless but once exposed to gambling especially at a young age, gambling problems may occur and develop into an addiction, which may affect the social, academic and personal life of the adolescent. Treatments vary such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, eclectic therapy, motivational-enhancement therapy and ecological approach; however, prevention of adolescent gambling is still the best and this can be done through increased awareness about the public health problem and stricter government policies regarding access of adolescents to gambling venues, especially online gambling. Bibliography Bergevin, T. , Gupta, R. and Derevensky, J. (2006). Adolescent gambling: Understanding the role of stress and coping. Journal of Gambling Studies, (22), 195-208. Derevensky, J. L. and Gupta, R. (2002). Youth gambling: A clinical and research perspective. The Electronic Journal of Gambling Issues. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://www. camh. net/egambling/issue2/feature/index. html Felsher, J. R. , Derevensky, J. L. , Gupta, R. (2003). Parental influences and social modelling of youth lottery participation. Journal of Community Applied Social Psychology, 13: 361-377. Hardoon, K. K. , Gupta, R. and Derevensky, J. L. (2004). Psychosocial variables associated with adolescent gambling. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18 (2), 170 – 179. Huang, J. H. and Boyer, R.. (2007). Epidemiology of youth gambling problems in Canada: A national prevalence study. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 52 (10). Messerlian, C. and Derevensky, M. (2005). Youth gambling: A public health perspective. Journal of Gambling Issues (14). Pietrzak, R. H. , Ladd, G. T. and Petry, N. M. (2003). Disordered gambling in adolescents: Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment. Pediatr Drugs, 5 (9), 583 – 592. Upfold, Darryl. (2007). An introduction to conceptual models of problem gambling. Center for Addiction and Mental Health. Retrieved April 13, 2008, from http://www. problemgambling. ca/EN/ResourcesForProfessionals/Pages/AnIntroductiontoConceptualModelsofProblemGambling. aspx

The importance of enterprise wide computing

The importance of enterprise wide computing â€Å"The Importance of Enterprise-wide Computing And The Difficulties of Information Sharing Within The Growth of Personal Computers and Database in Current Environment† Introduction Current breakthroughs in information technology have enabled the worldwide usage of distributed computing systems, leading to decentralize management of information. This has been supported by and has become inflamed great competition in business through faster and more precise data storage and retrieval and information processing. A number of organizations have accomplished high efficiency, comprising ease of use and lesser costs in operations by adopting a client/server computing structure. Furthermore, system integration and interoperability issues are being intensified as institutions and organizations are moving from mainframe based processes towards an open, distributed computing environment, and this situation is pressing corporations into an accelerated construction of extensive distributed systems for operational use. Technological transformations are at this point is happening and accelerating very fast that it may increase the computational power just same as the creation of desktop and personal computers did. Soon a lot of demanding computer applications will no longer be executed mainly on supercomputers and singular workstations relying on local data sources. Alternatively enterprise-wide systems, and eventually nationwide systems, will be used that include of workstations, vector supercomputers, and parallel supercomputers linked by a local and wide-area network. With this technology, users will be displayed with the illusion of a singular and highly powerful computer, rather than a collection of moderate machines. The system will program the application components on processors, administer data transfer, and moreover, it provides communication and synchronization to dramatically enhance application performance. Furthermore, barriers between computers will be concealed, similarly accompanied by the location of data as well as the drawback of processors. To demonstrate the theory of an enterprise-wide system, first think about the workstation or p ersonal computer on a table. It can run the applications by a ratio that is generally a function of its expense, manipulate local data kept on a local disk, and perform printouts on local printers. Sharing of resources among another user is minimal and also hard. If the workstation is joined to a local area network, not only the resources of the workstation are available, but so with the network file and printers is actuality made available to be used and shared. This enables expensive equipment such as hard disks and printers to be shared, and permits data to be shared between users on the Local area network. With these types of system structure, processing resources can be divided and shared in a method by remote login to another machine. To understand an enterprise-wide system, a lot of systems in under a bigger organization, such as a company, or academic institutions are connected, so it will become additionally powerful resources such as parallel machines and vector supercompu ters. Still, connection solely does not construct an enterprise-wide system. To transform a collection of devices with machines into an enterprise-wide system it requires software that can perform sharing resources such as processor cycles and databases similarly as easy as sharing files and printers on a Local area network. Background Of Enterprise-Wide Computing The enterprise-wide computing environment is a distinct environment as of conventional host-centric information technology environments that support traditional types of information systems. In a host centric computer surrounding and environment, for an example a mainframe, each information system and application deals with its corresponding technical responsibilities independent of the other groups. The groups productions are worked together. However, there is an intense level of independence as well as separation among the groups. In the host centric environment, the operating system along with application software work by process system resource applications between the software layers in a hierarchical method. This allows the applications group to construct programs and transport the source program to the production environment for collection, while not corrupting different application software products. In the situation of an interruption, the program is backed out of the produc tion surroundings and the clients carry on their regular roles using an earlier version of the program. Application computer programmers exist in a somewhat isolated world and system management is not an interest. This is a usual support approach to an organization which used these traditional system and software approach. Host centric computing environments developed for the time when hierarchical organizations were the pattern. As an outcome the information technology fields of this period were hierarchically structured. Furthermore, at that time information technology was designed and deployed to support hierarchical organization structures. Meanwhile, in the enterprise-wide computing environment, enterprise-wide client/server information systems were developed to fit various different organizational structures for example, flat and matrix, differ from the traditional where it only fixed with the hierarchical organization structure. Client/server application provides the versatility and diversity required to support these various organizational structures. Client/server technologies allow software systems to converse with each other through a network. The systems connect clients and servers through a network that supports distributed computing, diagnosis, and presentation, given a common approach for distributing computer authorization within organizations. A client is a program that attaches to a system to request resources, and a server is a program that runs on a device listening on a designated part of the network wait for different programs to connect to it. Client/server information systems can operate separately i n standalone networks or moreover, regularly as the portion of an enterprise-wide network. In this scenario, a client/server computing structure provides for the network connection of any computer or server to any other computer, allowing desktops to connect to a network and access various servers or other system resources easily. In comparison, host-centric traditional information systems run in a standalone environment. Client/server technology divided the information system in three layers. The first layer, the presentation layer, is the portion of the information systems that the customer views. For example, a web site downloaded from www.dell.com present text, pictures, video, etc. By this level, the customer inserts buying information to the dell server. The second layer is the operation layer where the algorithms execute and also the general data manipulation takes place. At dell server, the customers data is processed. For example, credit card confirmation and a total are de cided derived from the number of items bought. In the third layer, the data layer, information is kept and fetched from the dell databases. The three layers exist in host-centric traditional information, however, execute on a particular computer. The Importance Of Enterprise-Wide Computing The arrangement of business strategies for an organizations information technology is a repetitive subject in an information system scope, and has appeared obviously in the latest surveys of critical concerns for information system management. Present day corporate downsizing patterns have had the effect of flattening organization structures. A conversion of information systems has gone along with this organizational flattening. Various different architectures have advanced during the transition from the monolithic centralized systems of the previous to the decentralized, distributed, client/server, and network-based computing architectures of the present day. In spite of their diversities, many of these architectures share an important attribute allocation of processing jobs or data through various computing platforms. In simple occasions this might require saving data or applications on a local area network server and retrieving it using a personal computer. In further complicated situations, is when encountering partitioning of databases and application programs, data migration, multiphase database updates, and many more. The common thread in these scenarios is the use of enterprise-wide computing to accomplish a single task. The speedy enterprise-wide computing growth during the 1990s has transformed the information system roles and its management in many institutions as well as organizations. The attributes of this transformation frequently comprise a downsizing of systems apart from mainframe environments to smaller platforms, paired with network-based accesses to information management. In different situations, it has been an increase in the dimension and sophistication of end-user developed systems, or the up scaling of departmental or local area network based computing, alongside local area network have become the repositories for mission-critical corporate information. Computing difficulties that once were allocated to mainframe computers are now regu larly allocated to desktop computing platforms. Cost performance ratios keep on improving dramatically over reasonably short periods of time. The arrival of the Internet and the Web offer exceptional chances as well as demanding management problems. In the middle of an expanding set of technology alternatives, information system managers must however encounter basic inquiries with regard to the character of underlying technology infrastructures and the application of rapidly changing technologies to business decision making. The term â€Å"enterprise-wide computing architecture† is being used to define the set of computing platforms in addition to the data networking facilities to support an organizations information needs. Once upon a time fairly well-balanced in nature, architectures are at this point is a subject to frequent alteration as organizations attempt to achieve the best fit technology to their organizations. Given the expanding set of technological alternatives, this has got turn out to be no longer an easy task to achieve. It has become an important concern for information system managers since dependence on information technology increases. Regardless of this issue, efficient strategies for specifying an enterprise-wide computing architecture are however lacking. Architectures are the appearance of an organizations overall information system approach. Technological integration is growing viewed as a way to support the overall strategic goals of a business. Appropriate architectures of enterprise-wide computing enable organizations to meet current information needs, and to successfully adopt brand new information processing paradigms in a cost-effective method. The advantages of coordinated architectures comprise: minimization of unacceptable redundancy of system components, appropriate measurement of information processing roles to platforms, significant allocation of computing resources to organization locations, as well as the capabilit y to share information resources among organizational bodies at a manageable expense. The idea behind the enterprise-wide computing includes the capability to centrally control and moreover manage numerous software distributions across a huge number of clients workstations. Administering over one hundred applications across more than one thousand desktops in the enterprise-wide environment can turn out to be an ominous assignment and a nightmare. But, finding and making use of the proper tools for this task can be the single most important goal to be obtained. While IT organizations resume to grow, so does the need for simplified management tools that can contribute to greater functionality. When the total of workstations and software applications taken care of in the desktop environments carry on to grow from day to day, the organization must sequentially analyze the tools with which these environments are administered. Issues and difficulties of information sharing for databases in context of enterprise-wide computing The swift advancements in hardware, software, and networks technology have caused the management of enterprise wide computing network systems has become gradually a more challenging job. Due to the tight connecting among hardware, software, and data of computer peripherals, each hundreds or thousands of personal computers that are linked and connected in an enterprise level environment has got to be administered efficiently. The range and character of nowadays computing environments are incrementally changing from traditional, one-on-one client/server fundamental interaction to the brand new cooperative paradigm. It subsequently turns out to be of primary importance to provide the method of protecting the secrecy of the data and information, while promising its accessibility and availability to authorized clients. Executing on-line querying services securely on open networks is remarkably difficult. For that reason, a lot of enterprises outsource their data center operations to other application service providers. A promising management towards prevention of unauthorized access to outsourced information and data is being applied by encryption. In the majority organizations, databases contain a critical assembly of sensitive information and data. Protecting with a suitable level of protection to database content is hence, a necessary section of any comprehensive security program. Database encryption is a proven technique that establishes an additional layer to traditional network and application-level security solutions, hindering exposure of sensitive data and information, even if the database server is compromised. Database encryption avoids unauthorized users, including intruders breaking inside an organization network, from obtaining and seeing the sensitive information and data in the databases. Likewise, it permits database administrators to carry out their jobs without enabling them to access sensitive information and data in plaintext. Whats more, encryption protects data integrity; like probably data tampering can be identified as well as data correctness can be restored. While frequently research has been done on the interchangeable impact of data and transmission security on organizational comprehensive security strategy, the impact of service outsourcing on data security has been fewer investigated. Traditional approaches to database encryption ha ve the unique objective of protecting the data in the repository and also assume trust in the server, which decrypts data for query execution. This hypothesis is slighter justified in the modern cooperative paradigm, where various Web services cooperate and trade information in order to approach a variety of applications. Efficient cooperation among Web services along with data owners often needed critical information to be prepared continuously available for on-line querying by another services or end users. For example, telemedicine programs involve network transferring of medical data, location established services need availability of users cartographical coordinations, whereas electronic business decision support systems regularly have to to access sensitive information such as credit statuses. Clients, partners, regulatory agencies and even suppliers nowadays usually need access to information initially intended to be kept deep within organizations information systems. executing on-line querying services securely on exposed networks is excessively difficult; for this rationality, many organizations choose to outsource their data center exercises to external application source providers rather than permitting direct access to their databases from potentially ill-disposed networks like the Internet. Additionally, outsourcing relational databases to external providers promises higher accessibility and availability with more effective disaster protection than in-house developments. For example, remote storage technologies, storage area networks are being used to place sensitive and even important organization information at a providers site, on systems whose architecture is particularly designed for database publishing and access is managed by the provider itself. As an outcom e of this trend toward outsourcing, extremely sensitive data are now kept on systems operates in locations that are not under the data owners control, such as chartered space and untrusted partners locations. Consequently, data confidentiality and even integrity can be set at risk by outsourcing data storage and its management. Adoption of security best practices in outsourced spots, such as the utilitization of firewalls and intrusion detection devices, is not under the data owners jurisdiction. In inclusion, data owners may not completely trust provider discretion; in the contrast, preventing a provider from looking over the data stored on its own devise and machines are extremely hard. For this nature of services to run successfully it is therefore, of its main importance to provide the way of protecting the confidentiality of the information remotely kept, while assuring its acceccibility and availability to authorized clients. The demand that the database component remains confidential to the database server itself introduces a couple of new fascinating challenges. Traditional encrypted DBMSs assume trust in the DBMS itself, which can subsequently decrypt data for query execution. In an outsourced environment outline, such hypothesis is not applicable anymore as the party to which the service is actuality outsourced cannot be granted full access to the plaintext data. Since confidentiality claims that data decryption must be possible solely by the client site, methods that can be used to countermeasure these inconveniences are needed for allowing untrusted servers to execute queries on encrypted data. Bibliography APA style refer to book Cases on Database Technologies and Applications for sample or articles on APA citation.

Tree Conservation Essay :: essays research papers

Trees the Most Valuable Resource on Earth Today  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forests are one of the most valuable resources on the planet today. Without forests it would be almost impossible for any living thing to survive. But, with this in mind many people destroy forests. It is as though they don’t even care that they are dooming themselves as well as the trees. Hopefully through this article I can help save the forest and help human kind, as well as all other organisms, by telling how important the forest is and how it functions. What is a Forest?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A forest is more than just a bunch of trees growing next to each other. A forest is a very complex system of animals and plants, living in and on fertile and suitable soil. Forests are divided up into five different levels or layers. These levels are the canopy, herb, shrub, understory, and the forest floor. The canopy layer is the top layer. This is where photosynthesis takes place and it’s also where the leafy tops of the trees are. This layer is home to a variety of insects and squirrels. The next layer is the understory. This is made up of smaller trees and is home to birds and climbing animals. The third layer is known as the shrub layer. It is made up of shrubs and vines. It also provides nuts and berries. The next layer is the herb layer. This layer is made up of soft green plants and wildflowers. Birds, insects, snakes, and toads also nest there. The last and final layer is the forest floor. This is the thick fertile soil covered by twigs, branches, insects and detritus. Why are Trees Important?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trees are major erosion blockers. Their leaves intercept rain and lower the force of impact the water has on the ground. Each tiny rain drop is like a miniature bomb. It splatters and washes dirt away with it. Tree roots also hold in soil and keep it from washing away. People plant trees on mountain slopes and other similar places to prevent mud slides. This aspect makes trees a very valuable resource.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Healthy forests serve as wonderful habitats. It provides clean water, food, shelter, and the space that living organisms need to survive. Different animals need different habitats. The forest gives them this with a variety of places to live. All though some live on the ground, most of them live in trees.

Comparing Salem Possessed by Paul Boyer, The Story of the Salem Witch T

Comparing "Salem Possessed" by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, "The Story of the Salem Witch Trials" by Bryan Le Beau, and "The Devil in the Shape of a Woman" by Carol Karlsen The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 spread just about as fast as the Black Plague. This epidemic caused chaos among neighbors in a community. The chronology of events describes an awful time for colonists from June 10th to September 22nd of that year. The books "Salem Possessed" by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, "The Story of the Salem Witch Trials" by Bryan Le Beau, and "The Devil in the Shape of a Woman" by Carol Karlsen all describe these events and provide varying explanations for the epidemic that plagued Salem Village. This review will look at the facts that surrounded the trials and then using those facts will look at the cause stated in each book for the hysteria to compare and contrast with one another. The trials themselves began following an instance involving Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, and Ann Putnam, 3 young girls in the village. (Dufour, 248) The girls were caught performing fortune-telling rituals in the woods outside the village. The claimed at the time that they were trying to find information on the type of man that would be most suitable for them to marry. Soon after this event the girls began to experience hysterical type fits. These fits prompted Reverend Samuel Parris, the father of Betty Parris, to call on authorities to find an explanation for the fits. The explanation they found was very simple: witchcraft. As the months went on more girls began to experience the same sort of events. It was only after intense questioning that the girls revealed the names of those afflicting them: Sarah Osborne, Sarah Good... ... arguments and sufficient evidence to back it up. The remaining problem lies in the fact that there are no survivors to tell the accurate and unbiased story, if such a story exists. In 1692 Salem Village got its "15 minutes of fame" and proved to people the extents humans will go to for the sake of conflict and religion. It should teach a lesson every human being needs to learn, the smallest incident can lead to hysteria of epidemic proportions. BIBLIOGRAPHY Boyer, Paul, and Stephen Nissenbaum. Salem Possessed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1974. Dufour, Ronald P. Colonial America. Minneapolis, MN: West Publishing Company, 1994. Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial America. New York: W.W.Norton & Co., 1987. Le Beau, Bryan F. The Story of the Salem Witch Trials. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998.

It Doesnt Matter Summary :: Nicholas Carr Article Summary

Electricity, the telephone, the steam engine, the telegraph, the railroad andÂ…..IT? In his HBR article, "IT Doesn't Matter," Nicholas Carr has stirred up quite a bit of controversy around IT's role as strategic business differentiator. He examines the evolution of IT and argues that it follows a pattern very similar to that of earlier technologies like railroads and electricity. At the beginning of their evolution, these technologies provided opportunities for competitive advantage. However, as they become more and more available Ââ€" as they become ubiquitous Ââ€" they transform into "commodity inputs," and lose their strategic differentiation capabilities. From a strategic viewpoint, they essentially become "invisible." Carr distinguishes between proprietary technologies and what he calls infrastructural technologies. Proprietary technologies can provide a strategic advantage as long as they remain restricted through "physical limitations, intellectual property rights, high costs or a lack of standards," but once those restrictions are lifted, the strategic advantage is lost. In contrast, infrastructural technologies provide far greater value when shared. Although an infrastructural technology might appear proprietary in the early stages of buildout, eventually the characteristics and economics of infrastructural technology necessitate that they will be broadly shared and will become a part of the broader business infrastructure. To illustrate his point, Carr uses the example of a proprietary railroad. It is possible that a company might gain a competitive advantage by building lines only to their suppliers, but eventually this benefit would be trivial compared to the broader good realized by bu ilding a railway network. The same is true for IT - no company today would gain a cost-effective competitive advantage by narrowing its focus and implementing an Internet only between their suppliers to the exclusion of the rest of the world. To further shore up his "IT as commodity" theory, Carr cites the fact that major technology vendors, such as Microsoft and IBM, are positioning themselves as "IT utilities," companies that control the provision of business applications over "the grid." Couple this IT-as-utility trend with the rapidly decreasing cost of processing power, data storage and transmission, and even the most "cutting-edge IT capabilities quickly become available to all." Although IT may seem too diverse to be compared to commodities such as electricity and the railroads, Carr points out three specific characteristics that guarantee rapid commoditization: IT is a transport mechanism; IT is highly replicable; and IT is subject to rapid price deflation.

Evidence suggests a link between Late Onset

It is a primary degenerative disease of the cerebral cortex. It accounts for over 65% of all dementia cases, commonest cause of dementia. First described by Alzheimer in 1907 and named after him by Kraeplin. It is a progressive brain damage. It destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior. The incidence is about 2 – 7 % at ages above 65yrs. This doubles after every additional 5yrs to 8-10% at 80yrs and 30-40% at 90yrs. Rare below 50yrs. This progressive increase in incidence with age has caused significant medical, social and economic concerns in nations with growing number of elderly people.It is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. It does not have any current cure; treatment available is targeted at presenting symptoms. Pathology Aetiology: The cause is unknown. However there is increased incidence in Down’s syndrome. The risk is also higher with increased free radical formation and failure of antioxidant defenses which ma y contribute to the degeneration [SOD is reduced by 25% in the frontal cortex and hippocampus]. It is occasionally familial. Besides, genetic studies show linkage between Familial AD and loci on chromosomes 1, 14 & 21.Late onset AD is a heterogenous disorder. Evidence suggests a link between Late Onset AD and atherosclerosis, inflammation and cholesterol. Linkage has also been found to a gene locus on chromosome 19q. There is also a strong association between Alzheimer disease and amyloid proteins. In this disease condition, there is a breakdown in some of the synapses that serve the function of information storage, processing and memory; this spreads to other cells and over time, these cells die. Such affected cells are surrounded by plaques and contain characteristic tangles.Macroscopy: Macroscopic examination of the brain shows a variable degree of cortical atrophy with widened sulci. These changes are pronounced in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes. Hydrocephalus ex vacuo -compensatory ventricular enlargement occurs due to parenchyma loss. Microscopy: Microscopic examination shows senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid angiopathy. All these changes are also found in the brains of elderly because they are features of aging. The pathologic changes seen in this disease begin first in the entorhinal cortex, spread to the hippocampus and isocortex and eventually to the neocortex.Senile plaques: are spherical collections of dilate neuritic processes which surround a central amyloid core. The neuritic processes are also called dystrophic neuritis; are silver-staining and contain paired helical filaments, abnormal mitochondria and synaptic vesicles. The periphery is occupied by microglial cells and astrocytes. The amyloid core is stained by Congo red stain; it contains abnormal proteins predominantly amyloid proteins. There are also diffuse plaques in those with Down syndrome; these lack the neuritic processes seen in senile plaques.Neurofibril lary tangles: bundles of filaments in the cytoplasm of the neurons encircling the nucleus. They are vivid as fibrillary structures with silver staining although they are also basophilic with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain. These structures contain paired helical and straight filaments; the former contain protein tau, Microtubule-associated protein [MAP2] and ubiquitin. The quantities of these tangles correspond to the degree of dementia. Another pathologic feature is Amyloid angiopathy which is an invariable finding in Alzheimer disease associated with amyloid protein.Besides, there is also accumulation of intraneuronal vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Amyloid angiopathy, hirano bodies are mostly within the frontal, parietal and temporal cortex, hippocampus and substantia inominata. There is also marked reduction in Ach, NE, 5-HT. Diagnosis Alzheimer disease usually becomes clinically apparent as insidious impairment of higher mental functions with changes in mood and behaviour. Later progre ssive impairment in orientation, memory, attention and concentration worsens.Eventually patient becomes mute, immobile and severely disturbed. The diagnosis of Alzheimer disease is based on a combination of clinical and pathologic presentations. There are impaired cognitive functions, Psychotic features such as delusion and hallucinations, and depression. The course is relentlessly progressive. Survival rate varies between 8 & 10yrs Management includes Good history, mental state and thorough physical examination. Every patient must be thoroughly evaluated to determine the extent and severity of the disease.Psychometric testing – for confirmation, Mini Mental State Examination ,7-min screening, mental test score, clinical dementia rating, Wechsler adult intelligence scale [WAIS: current IQ to previous I Q] Investigation: these physical investigations are useful to access the physical status of the patient; identify any physical illness and determine co-morbidities. Blood test : full haemogram, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, C-Reactive Protein, urea and electrolyte, Fasting and random blood sugar, liver function test, Ca, Vitamin B12, Folate assay, Thyroid function test.Imaging: Chest X-Ray, cranial CT scan, MRI, PET, SPECT, angiography Others: Lumbar Puncture and CSF analysis, brain biopsy for histology Treatment Generally, goal of treatment is to maintain remaining ability as far as possible to preserve dignity, relieve distressing symptoms, slow disease progression & provide care for as long as possible in the familiar home environment. Patients should be made aware of their condition if possible. Inform patient the nature of the disease so that they can adapt favorably to existing conditions.Family support is an important part of the treatment plan: Counseling of the relatives & careers, family support and medical problems of the careers also deserve particular attention. The emphasis here is to encourage family members to show understanding for pati ent’s condition and help them live well with the condition. Behavioral methods that have been suggested include re- enforcement, shaping, desensitization, prompts & other practical aids to cope with forgetfulness. Drug treatment: there is not cure for Alzheimer disease but some drugs have proven useful in patients.These drugs are used based on their mechanism of action and the pathogenesis of the disease. These include: Antioxidants: these are useful to reduce free radicals implicated as etiologic agents for AD. Anticholinesterases, such as neostigmine, physostigmine increase, Ach levels. Antipsychotics are indicated to control paranoid delusions while antidepressants may be indicated when depressive symptoms are prominent. Prevention: recent evidence suggests that participation in cognitively demanding activities in later life can be preventive. Prognosis The changes in Alzheimer disease are irreversible.The disease is terribly progressive and the biological history can rare ly be altered. This makes the prognosis unfavorable. However, palliative measures can be adopted to alleviate the deficit and preserve remaining functions. References Cummings J, Cole G: Alzheimer Disease, JAMA 287:2335, 2002 Braak H, Braak E: Frequency of Stages of Alzheimer-related lesions in different age categories. Neurobiol Aging 18:351; 1997 Braak H, Braak E: Neuropahtological staging of Alzheimer-related changes. Acta Neuropathol [Berl] 82:239; 1991 Mirra SM, Hart MN, Terry RD: Making the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Arch Pathol Lab Med 117:131, 1993

Review of Financial Statements Essay

Financial statements are essential accounting tools which include balance sheets, cash flow statements, and income statements that provide information on a company’s past and present financial history. Information on financial statements can be used by any number of public and private entities to determine if an organization’s financial status is healthy. Burger King and McDonald’s are two organizations that use financial statements in conducting business. Further, this paper will discuss the financial statements of each company, the firms which audit each companies financial statements, and define accounting concepts, terminologies, and transactions used in the financial statements. Additional information will provided regarding when McDonald’s and Burger King were established and what product and services they provide to the public. Overview of Organizations McDonalds first opened its doors in 1940 introducing the concept of the â€Å"speedee service system† offering french fries, hamburgers, and shakes to satisfy the hungry customer quickly at a low price. Over the next 65 plus years the McDonalds menu has changed from just french fries and hamburgers to salads, wraps, chicken nuggets and many more items which cater to the ever changing tastes of consumers. McDonalds has been criticized over the years as being a major contributor high obesity rates, in part due to the speedee service concept. These criticism have caused McDonald’s to rethink menu items and helped the company to enact numerous changes to the menu which now offers nutritional guides for each menu item and healthier choices such as salads, fruit, and milk. McDonald’s has changed the oil used to fry foods to make the fries healthier and includes a choice of meal sizes and most recently started a new line of coffee drinks, which offers the desired Starbucks taste for a fraction of the cost. â€Å"The fast food chain currently has 31,000 restaurants worldwide and operates in 119 countries and serves approximately 47 million customers daily. McDonalds is also highly associated with the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) that has donated money and services to families and communities for over 35 years to approximately 37 million children and families.† (McDonalds, 2009). The McDonald Corporation pays for most of  RMHC’s global administration cost so that all donations go directly to the community and families. The charity is in such high demand that RMHC plans to expand their programs by 37% by 2010 to better help those in need. Burger King started in 1953 first known as Insta Burger King offering hamburgers to consumers that was cooked on a small cooker called an Insta-Broiler oven; the concept proved to be successful. â€Å"In 1954 the name changed to Burger King, the broiler oven first used was replaced with the flame broiler and soon became popular for offering their flame broiled hamburgers and what is now known as the Whopper burger.† (Burger King, 2009). The next 60 plus years for Burger King began suffering the same criticisms as McDonalds. It seemed all fast food chains were being blamed for the increased obesity rate in the U.S. Burger King followed suit and began making changes to their menus adding chicken, salads, fruit, food nutritional guides, smaller sizes, choice of drinks such as tea, milk, and changing the oil used to fry French fries as well as additional changes. Burger King Corporation is associated with a few charity organizations such as â€Å"Have It Your Way† which works to alleviate hunger, disease, and promotes community education through scholarship programs; the McLamore Foundation provides scholarships and is associated with several charities for When Organizations Were Established Burger King was founded in 1954 in Miami, Florida by James McLamore and David Edgerton. â€Å"McLamore and Edgerton, both of whom had extensive experience in the restaurant business before starting their joint venture, believed in the simple concept of providing the customer with reasonably priced quality food, served quickly in attractive, clean surroundings.† (New York Job Source, 2009), thus, the invention of the Whopper which was an instant success. Today Burger is found in all 50 states and 74 countries and territories throughout the world with more than 11,700 restaurants. In 1967 the Pillsbury Company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota purchased the company and its employees and the company went public in May 2006 at $17 a share. Today the company remains majority-owned by an equity group comprised of Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital Partners and the Goldman Sachs Funds. (New York Job Source, 2009). McDonald’s was founded by two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald of San  Bernardino, California. Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine distributor happened on the brothers’ restaurant as he was curious to discover why such a small establishment would need 10 milkshake machines. Kroc was impressed by the speed with which these two brothers were able to provide service in their busy hamburger stand and he asked the brothers for a briefing on their â€Å"McDonald’s Speedee System† and after the briefing he requested and â€Å"secured the rights to duplicate the system throughout the United States. â€Å"Ray Kroc opened his first outlet in Chicago in 1955, 50 years later the number of McDonald’s locations had expanded to over 31,500.† (Albrecht, Stice, Stice, & Swain, 2008, pg. 76). Today McDonald’s averages over 100 million dollars a day and is located in 121 countries around the world. Both companies had meager beginnings and have grown into fas t food superstars. Accounting Organizations Providing Audits Both McDonald’s and Burger King offer burgers, fries, and creamy shakes. However, the differences between McDonald’s and Burger King are far more than golden arches and golden crowns. McDonald’s has both and internal and external audit committees. The internal audit committee is composed of five Directors, each of whom meets the independence and other requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (Santona, 2009). The committee abides by a charter which states all its responsibilities and is reviewed annually. Ernst & Young LLP (Ernst & Young), the Company’s independent auditors, is responsible for performing an audit of the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and for issuing a report on those statements (Santona, 2009). The Burger King Corporation also has both internal and external audit committees. The internal committees perform quarterly internal audits that are published for investors, but these audits are indicated as unaudited by an external entity. KPMG LLP is the external organization the Burger King Corporation uses for its external audits. Financial Statements Used and Terminology As a publicly traded company within the United States Burger King Corporation (BKC) has taken all the necessary steps required to abide by the regulations set forth the Sarbanes-Oxley Act  of 2002. â€Å"The annual report for FY2008 includes information such as business information, risk factors, physical assets, legal proceedings, stockholder matters, and finally a comprehensive financial statement.† (Burger King Corp, 2009). This section of the annual report begins with management reports on internal controls which are in place regarding financial reporting which explains in detail the understanding of both the CEO and CFO and their obligation to take full responsibility for the content of the annual report. The report of the independent registered public accounting firm (KPMG) is and additional statement of responsibility from the independent accounting firm which states the firm has reviewed the information. Paged within the reportcontain the balance sheet, statement of income, statement of stockholders equity, and statement of cash flows for FY2008 compared to 2007, 2006, and 2005. While BKC’s annual report was presented in a standard no-frills format, McDonald’s Corporation’s 2008 annual report included graphics and photos as the driver of the information. Along with the financial statements, â€Å"McDonald’s annual report focused on highlights from the menu to the money along with letters of welcome from the Chairman, Andy McKenna and CEO, Jim Skinner.† (McDonalds Corporation, 2009). The financial reporting still included the management’s report on internal controls, the report of independent registered public accounting firm (Ernst & Young, LLP), the balance sheet, statement of income, statement of stockholders equity, and the statement of cash flows. In both instances a dedicated effort was made to satisfy the requirements regulated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Basic Accounting ConceptsIn 2008, McDonalds’ financial report shows annual total revenue at 23,522.4 million dollars compared to Burger King’s 2,455.0 million dollars; a difference of 21,067.4 million dollars; McDonald’s clearly having earned more revenue (MSN Money, 2009). However, prior to 2003, the difference between McDonald’s profits and Burger King’s were even greater. â€Å"From 2001 through 2003 Burger King was losing money, but has made a steady annual gross profit since.† (CNN Money, 2006). Transactions In 2008, Burger Kings’ annual profit was 1,452.0 million dollars and in 2007 the profit was 1,317.0 million dollars, a growth of 135 million dollars. McDonald’s has also encountered gross profit over the past two years, however, at a much greater scale. In 2008 the gross profit recorded was 8,639.2 million dollars and in 2007 a gross profit was recorded of 7,905.2, an increase in profit of 734 million dollars. Accounts Affected by Transactions While the two fast food restaurant chains are no where near comparable in revenue, both chains are increasing revenue year after year. Since 2006, when Burger King became a publicly traded company; like McDonald’s, they both worked to maintain a profitable growth for share holders which has increased the amount of profit each year (MSN Money, 2009). Both companies have cash assets as well as land and property, rental fees, food, supplies, salary responsibilities, and advertising. Financial Statements Affected by TransactionsEach of the transactions listed for Burger King and McDonald’s are provided in detail on a number of the financial statements. Specifically, the profit can be followed on the balance sheet, the statement of income, and the statement of cash flows located in each annual report. In addition these figures are compared to the previous years’ numbers on each of these statements. Conclusion McDonald’s and Burger King have been in business for decades and each company has established its respective company in the hearts of the American people and consumers across the globe when they expanded into global market. Both companies use reputable accounting firms and the same types of financial statements in order to assess the health of their financial status. This paper has shown how important understanding the concepts, terms, and transactions listed on financial statements are in order to better gauge how a company is faring financially on a year to year basis. References Albrecht, W.S., Stice, E.K., Stice, J.D. & Swain, M.R. (2008). Accounting: Concepts and applications, (10 ed). Cengage Learning Center, Mason, Ohio. Burger King Corp. (2009). Company Info. Retrieved June 20, 2009 http://www.bk.com/Companyinfo/corporation/fact.aspxCNN Money. (2006). The King Meets his Public. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/03/06/8370602/index.htmMcDonalds. (2009). Our company. Retrieved June 18, 2009 from http://www.aboutmcdonalds. Com/mcd/our_company.htmlMcDonald’s Corporation (2009). 2008 annual report. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://www1.mcdonalds.com/annualreport/index.htmlMSN Money. (2009). McDonalds Corporation: Financial Statement. Retrieved June 18, 2009,from http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statement.aspx?Symbol=MCD&1stStatement=Income&stmntView=AnnMSN Money. (2009). Burger King Holdings Inc.: Financial Statement Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statement.aspx?Symbol =BKC&1stStatement=Income&stmntView=AnnNew York Job Source. (2009). Burger King: World’s second largest food chain. Retrieved June 19, 2009 from http://www.nyjobsource.com/burgerking.htmlSantona, G. (2009). McDonald’s: 2009 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting and Proxy Statement. Retrieved June 20, 2009, from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/etc/medialib/aboutMcDonaldsinvestor_relations.Par.58.686.File.tmp/2009%20Annual%Shareholders%20Meeting%20Proxy %20Statement.pdf