Misleading Graphs free essay sample

Figure 1, which appeared in Erickson Times, shows the number of Olympic medals won by country. For Germany, the picture of two medals corresponds to almost 500 medals. Therefore, we would expect the picture of four medals to correspond to almost 1000 medals and the picture of six medals to correspond to almost 1500 medals. However, the label for the four-medal picture is 615 and for the 6 medal picture is 1975. Although there is the correct rank ordering, there is little relationship between the pictures of the medals and the labels of the number of medals. Misleading Graphs and Statistics It is a well known fact that statistics can be misleading. They are often used to prove a point, and can easily be twisted in favour of that point! The purpose of this section is to learn how to recognize common statisitcal deception so that to avoid being mislead. Bad Sampling When you use a sample to represent a larger group, you must make sure that the people in the sample are fairly representative of the larger group. We will write a custom essay sample on Misleading Graphs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Example 31. 1 Decide whether a mall is a good place to find a sample for a survey about the amount of allowance received by people ages 10 to 15. Solution. The mall is probably not a representative place to find a fair sample of people in this age range. Taking a sample at the mall might not represent fairly those people who receive a small allowance, or none Misleading Graphs Good graphs are extremely powerful tools for displaying large quantities of complex data; they help turn the realms of information available today into knowledge. But, unfortunately, some graphs deceive or mislead. This may happen because the designer chooses to give readers the impression of better performance or results than is actually the situation. In other cases, the person who prepares the graph may want to be accurate and honest, but may mislead the reader by a poor choice of a graph form or poor graph construction. The following things are important to consider when looking at a graph: 1. Title 2. Labels on both axes of a line or bar chart and on all sections of a pie chart 3. Source of the data 4. Key to a pictograph 5. Uniform size of a symbol in a pictograph 6. Scale: Does it start with zero? If not, is there a break shown 7. Scale: Are the numbers equally spaced? 1 The data on the right suggests that the AR program appears to be helping the students. To make a fair graph of this data, what type of graph would be best? - Incorrect origin of the Y-axis JUST LOOK AT THAT UPWARD SPIKE! Oh, the bottom line of the graph isnt 0, its 19  million. The number didnt triple, despite the looks of things. The most commonly seen sensationalization of graphs in the popular media is probably when the graph is drawn with the vertical axis starting not at 0, but somewhere just below the low point in the data being graphed. Both upward and downward trends are exaggerated, for a more exciting look. For example, the employment data graph to the right, taken from the  New Deal  article in June 2008, purports to illustrate the level of employment in the United States of America over the years. The amount of employment visually appears to triple from 1933 to 1941. However, the vertical axis begins at 19 million rather than at 0; this disguises the fact that the rise was actually about 56%. For this reason, the graph to the right is misleading. It is certainly more exciting than the flatter equivalent, but to be accurate, the graph should have been created with the vertical axis starting at 0. However, one should also avoid insisting on a misleading 0. For example, when plotting the temperature history of Boston, it makes no sense to start the plot at 0  K, since 0 K is far removed from physically obtainable values and will only obscure the actual range of variation. In general, if one needs to use an offset 0, it is advantageous to use labels that are large enough that the offset is legible in the thumbnail. - Abuse of the X-axis The rightmost of these two graphs was snipped from the trough of the leftmost graph. It would be misleading to use the rightmost snippet to claim to represent data during this time period. Manipulation of the graphs X-axis can also mislead; see the graph to the right. Both graphs are technically accurate depictions of the data they depict, and do use 0 as the base value of the Y-axis; but the rightmost graph only shows the trough; so it would be misleading to claim it depicts typical data over that time period. The graph might not be misleading if it were specifically labeled in the caption as showing data only from 1/10/2008 to 1/13/2008 — but its a judgment call whether the wider view would be better anyway.

Distilled Doesnt Mean Pure

Distilled Doesn't Mean Pure Heres a comment a reader posted in response to my article on removing fluoride from water:Ive been taught that distilled water is the purest that one can drink. On the original article you write that this is not a safe assumption. How so?Distillation does purify water, but it cant remove all contaminants. Actually, distilled water can be very impure. Consider how distillation works. First, youre basically boiling water and then letting it cool to collect it again. Ideally contaminants with different boiling points will be removed, if you are careful to collect the distilled liquid at exactly the right temperature and pressure. Its not as easy as it sounds. Plus, there are contaminants that wont separate from the water just from vaporization. Sometimes the distilling process actually adds contaminants that werent originally present, from the glassware or metal components.For distilled drinking water, keep in mind even if the distillation process is scrupulous, impurities come from the container into which the water is placed. Heavy metals are used to stabilize packaging plastics and can leach into the water over time. For that matter, plastic monomers coat a new container and become a part of bottled water.Hard Soft Water | Distilling Ethanol for Your Car

TERM PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TERM PAPER - Essay Example healthcare system. The emergence of new diseases and continuous growth of the population have triggered the need to modernize disease prevention and public health systems. In the past, the clamor for a National Health Insurance was the outcry of many administrations – in the U.S. and many countries in Europe. Recently however, the Obama administration has pushed for the full implementation of its once a campaign platform but now has become a law, the Affordable Care Act or what is popularly known as the ObamaCare. The aim of this law is to implement within the next ten years an Information System for the healthcare sector and to invest $10 billion annually for the many programs about health insurance and address the problems and challenges of healthcare. Modernizing disease prevention and public health systems is a question of policies and political will. If there is political will, all things are possible under the sun. But what should be modernized? The Medicare and the Medi caid are two healthcare programs that insure U.S. citizens but the system is already rotten and needs to be reprogrammed to address healthcare problems of the people. Medicare was designed to provide healthcare insurance to seniors and the disabled. It was run by the government to focus on reimbursing healthcare expenses and financed by federal taxes but also shared by payroll tax from employers and their workers, to include individual enrollees. Medicare covers hospitalization expenses, physician fees, and expenses for drugs. Medicare Gaps The Medicare program has many gaps which need review and so-called modernization. For example, insurance lacks nursing services, inadequate preventive care insurance, and no insurance for dental, loss of hearing, or vision. Since there is lack of insurance, some enrollees resort to supplemental insurance and so more expenses for the citizens. This gap needs to be reviewed and covered by the ObamaCare, or the Affordable Care Act launched by the pr esent administration. The Medicaid is a government insurance program for the poor and the disabled. It is also the program for poor pregnant women, children, seniors, disabled, and poor parents. Although it’s a federal program, states are given the leeway to improve the coverage and eligibility options. (Chua, 2006, p. 2) Incentives for Prevention of Chronic Diseases Stakeholders in disease prevention should be provided with government incentives. Again this is a question of policies. Policy makers should be able to determine the areas where care is most needed, know the various stakeholders and identify their motivational factors where they could be effective in disease prevention, and develop systems in accessing the incentives. (Singh as cited in Committee on Living Well with Chronic Disease: Public Action to Reduce Disability and Improve Functioning and Quality of Life, Institute of Medicine, 2011, p. 240) Modernizing Disease Prevention and Public Health Systems Problems in healthcare require new ways of detection and prevention of illness. Aids and other virus-triggered diseases are considered new diseases that require new techniques and methods. A. Clinical and Community Preventive Services When there is improved collaboration among health professionals and the community, there is increased reduction in health disparities, deaths and morbidity. Public and private sectors should focus more on the 65-years-and-older sector as this is growing. This is composed of Baby Boomers who

Article Resposne Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Resposne - Essay Example At the beginning, such people are in denial of cultural difference hence believed that their own culture is the only real one. The second stage is defense, at people at this stage have some knowledge to understand cultural difference and hence see it to be real. Finally, the last stage is minimization in which an individual begins to realize certain elements in his/her culture are universal. People at this stage see similarities. The next level is ethnorelative where a person experiences his/her culture recognizing other cultures as well. Here, there are also three stages of development. The first is acceptance, and this refers to the ability of an individual to understand and appreciate differences in culture. Such people are able to make cultural contrasts. The second stage is adaptation, and people at this stage develop habits and behaviors that are appropriate to that other culture. They not only recognize alternative cultural experiences but develop behavior that is line with th e other culture. The final stage is integration, and this is a state in which a person’s understanding of self includes his/her movement in and out of other cultures. Therefore, their identities generally lie between multiple cultures or world views. Based on this article, I believe I am at the minimization stage under the ethnocentric development. For the time I have been in London, there are two major elements/practices in this culture common to my American culture. First, there is a similarity in religious beliefs and practices. In my culture, the dominant religion is Christianity, and many believe in God and Jesus Christ. This is also the case here in London, and this is illustrated by the many churches around. Secondly, in America, education is one of the pillars of our society. Similarly, this appears to be the case here. There are similarities when it comes

Novel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Novel - Essay Example Since the ultimate aim of all is to find a suitable match to get married religion does not play the usual role of dividing the people. This is the symbolic message through the characterization in the book articulated by Farahad Zama. The irony is Aruna, though thick into the business of marriage, is unable to marry herself due to financial constraints. She supports the family and without her salary the family has nothing to look forward to. They have no means to fulfil the dowry demands from the husband’s family and high expenditure devolved in making elaborate arrangements for the marriage ceremonies. Her own Bureau cannot help her out because the message of the Bureau is quite clear: â€Å"The Marriage Bureau for Rich People†. The theme of the book is what makes the marriages work and the attitude of the combustible younger generation to the institution of marriage is cleverly elaborated by the author. In issues related to marriage, in India, the caste system holds sway, inter-caste marriages are rare, and love marriages are even rarer. The love marriages find approval if they are within the caste. The involvement and interference of the family members at the negotiating stage of the marriage is too strong. These two systems are at loggerheads and for or against opinions on them baffle definition. The genre of this novel is moral romance. The raw material used by Mr. Ali for successful alliances is love. To him his Marriage Bureau is the mission, not the commission (a business tool for aggrandizement of wealth) He finds his post-retirement job more interesting than his involvement in civil service. Mr. Ali has not defined any particular ideology for running the business of his Bureau, he has accepted the reality of conglomeration of different systems of marriages as per Hindu, Muslim and Christian traditions, and most of his clients are interested in bridegrooms/brides of the same religion, with additional qualifying yardsticks of

Overview Of The Firstbank Nigeria Plc

Overview Of The Firstbank Nigeria Plc FIRSTBANK Nigeria Plc is one of the oldest financial institutions and indeed the largest retail lender in Nigeria, its the 1st bank to be established in West Africa. The bank was incorporated in Liverpool as a Limited Liability company in March 1894 with the name Bank of British West Africa. The bank was listed on the Nigerian Stock exchange (NSE) in March 1971 after which it acquired its name First Bank of Nigeria in 1979. Following the CBN induced industry-wide consolidation in 2005 the bank acquired its merchant banking subsidiary, FBN Merchant Banker ltd and MBC intl Bank Plc. FirstBank maintains a subsidiary in United Kingdom which has a branch in Paris, the bank also has representative offices in South Africa, China and Dubai through which it offers offshore financial services. Presently the Banks assets are in excess of N100billion. 1.2 THE NATURE AND SIZE FIRSTBANK as a leading commercial bank has the largest network of branches in the country, over the years the bank has continually reviewed its organizational structure and corporate identity in line with changing financial environment. Known for its uniqueness for being dependably dynamic and stability, 1st Bank has made for its self a name, a brand goodwill associated with fidelity and safety of funds. Being a key player in the nations financial-banking sector, Firstbank delivers a wide range of financial services to its numerous customers; the bank is well known for innovative changes in technological device and service delivery. Being the first bank to introduce a Biometric ATM i.e. an ATM machine that uses both pin no selection and finger prints to identify transaction buttresses this point. The bank through its acquired subsidiaries also provide other financial services and they include, insurance policies, housing schemes, asset portfolio management. 1.3 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FIRSTBANK offers a wide range of wholesale, retail and consumer banking products and services in ensuring that it keeps true to its name as the 1st bank of choice in the country,. Our products include: Æ’ËÅ" CONSUMER BANKING: Generic Savings Account, Current Account, First Premium Term Deposit, First Savings Plus Account, First Hifi (Children) Account, First Current Plus Current Account(with zero COT), FIRST Current Business Account, First Dom Account, First Instant Savings Account. All accounts have the flexibility of over the counter withdrawals given the new CBN policy, ATM cards, Dividend warrants lodgment and access to E-Banking services. . Æ’ËÅ" WHOLESALE BANKING: The services and products therein are further divided into ASSET PRODUCTS: They include- Term loans, Overdraft, Oil and Gas contract finance(OGCF), Bankers Acceptance, Commercial Papers, Bills Discounting, Project Finance, Equipment Leasing etc, INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINACE: Includes but not limited to- Import finance, Export Finance, Clean lineconfirmation, Letters of Credit, Bills for Collection, Forex Trading Invisible RemittancesPayment for Services. Æ’ËÅ" E- BANKING: First Online which allows you to transact business online at the comfort or your home or offices. First Alert-Instant notification on your account First Mobile-Access to your account through you phone, it includes buying of airtime and payment of utility bills. First Pay and First Collect-effect payment and several collection to and from your merchants. FIRST CARDS : Debit and Credit cards which include- MasterCard, FirstBank Naira MasterCard, First Cash Card, Visa Card (Gold, Classic and Infinite), Visa Credit Card. Notice that all cards issued by the bank comes with FIRSTBANK brand name- FIRST FIGURE 1C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAFirstBank MasterCard.jpg C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAVISA_GOLD2.gif C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAFirstCash Card.jpg Æ’ËÅ" MONEY TRANSFER: FIRSTBANK offers funds transfer services locally and internationally through mediums like- First Domestic Transfer, Western Union, Money Gram and RIA. Æ’ËÅ" OTHER SERVICES: Other services rendered by the bank includes- Agricultural Financing, FIRST Diaspora banking services for Nigerians in Diaspora and Bills Payment for prompt settlement of utility bills(e.g. PHCN, Water and DSTV) 1.4 VISION, MISSION AND ESSENCE Vision: To be the clear leader and Nigerias bank of first choice Mission: To remain true to our name by providing the best financial services possible Essence: The DNA of the FirstBank brand lies in its strength, size and dependability, typified by its brand icon, the African Elephant. Our brand essence is therefore Dependably Dynamic which is a holistic representation of our past, present and the future of FirstBank. 1.5 CORE VALUES The core values of FirstBank are coined in an acronym for quick recall and living by the guiding principle TELL SPIC Team Work Everyday a better way, the team spirit is embedded in our culture as the best possible way to work. Ethics The good will of the bank is to be maintained as you deal with both internal and external customers, ensuring that the client leaves your office satisfied. Loyalty the essence of brand name and its very existence evolves in loyalty to our customers, Firstbank has been in existence for generations and loyalty to our customers is what makes us tick. Superior Performance To strengthen the banks brand, leverage and upscale the customers experience through delivery of excellent services. Professionalism To revolutionize the Banks operations in line with the dynamics of the operating environment while ensuring that we provide the best financial services unmatched. Integrity Adopt high ethical values to guide the conduct of all banking business and transactions in conformity with all relevant regulatory requirements. Customer Centricity The customer is the king and the reason we are in business, their demands should be met in line with banks policy 1.6 OUR BRAND PILLARS LEADERSHIP Our statusability as truly the 1st and No1 SAFETYSECURITY- Security of fundsInvestments, job security, Integrity. ENTERPRISE Resourcefulness, Tenacity SERVICE EXCELLENCE Efficiency, Performance focused, Reliability, Accessibility 2.0 PLANNING This chapter focuses on goal setting, study plan, expected difficulties to be encountered in data collection and plan to overcome these challenges. 2.1 OBJECTIVE OF THE ORGANISATIONAL ANALYSIS The objective of the organizational analysis is to specifically examine the current state of the Banks operational and structural framework, analyse the functional units and the interface relations and also recommend ways of improving the interface relations. 2.2 GOAL SETTING Goals setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed (S.M.A.R.T ) target by an individual or organization. Goal focuses attention towards goal-relevant activities, revealing the objectives and strategies in which the goals can be met. Figure 1 below is the structured project plan for the organisational analysis. Activity Timeline 20-Jun-12 22-Jun-12 24-Jun-12 26-Jun-12 28-Jun-12 30-Jun-12 2-July-12 4-July-12 8-July-12 10-July-12 12-July-12 14-July-12 16-July-12 18-July-12 22-July-12 Review of BSN course material Data Gathering Data compilation Report writing Draft Report Review Sub-set meeting Review Update report Draft submission to set adviser Correction and final submission Figure 2: Project Plan 2.3 PROJECT PLAN Reviewing of the BSN course materials and EBSCO database to understand theory on organisational structures, data collection method and research report writing style. The internet (Google search and Wikipedia) comes in very handy in enhancing project plan. The objective of the data collection stage of the project is to gather relevant and accurate information, to obtain the participation and co-operation of the appropriate target population and to facilitate the collection and analysis of data. The targeted populations are staff of the functional units, staff of hub branches, heads of the functional units (department) and some strategic business units and staff of Human Capital Management- Head Office. The medium to achieve this includes- Informal Interviews, telephone survey, one-on-one chats with some members of the targeted population e.g. the heads of departments and staff of the Human Capital management because of their exigent duties. All perceived sensitive questions would be handled through interviews (which are not formal) and not written questionnaires. The FirstBank Intranet and internet website will be used extensively to gather information on functional units and organizational structure while personal visits to the Head Office and hub branches will be utilized to objectively gather information on functions of various departments, interface relations and recommendations for improvement of the interface relations. Data compilation stage will include analyzing data collected and reviewing information from subset meetings and research report writing. Report writing stage would involve applying the reviewed data gained from the various materials and extraction of relevant information from FIRSTBANK intranet and periodic publications. Data structuring and report preparation will also be done at this stage. Reviewed responses from telephone calls and outcomes of informal interviews Discussed challenges with Set Advisor at subset meeting and via phone calls. Update and revised document with necessary corrections. 2.4 DIFFICULTIES TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN DATA COLLECTION Questionnaires could not be used because of the banks policy on bulk mails or questionnaires related to work and business environment hence adequate data collection seemed impossible. Network challenges when accessing both the internet and the Banks intranet. Time constraint and the busy schedule of visited staff will also be a limitation. Insufficient time due to researchers official duties. 2.5 PLAN TO OVERCOME THESE DIFFICULTIES All perceived sensitive questions would be handled through interviews and not written questionnaires. Extra hours to be dedicated for accessing the Banks intranet while a substitute internet modem was purchased to curb congestion or delays on web hosts. Personal interviews will be conducted for staff with busy schedule, telephone calls and communication chat applications were also utilized for other staff Ensure proper time management. 3.0 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE This chapter focuses on the theories of organisational structure and organisational culture. 3.1 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Organisations exist to achieve goals; these goals are broken down into tasks as the basis for jobs. The term organisational structure therefore refers to the formal configuration between individuals and groups regarding the allocation of tasks, responsibilities, and authority within the organization (Galbraith, 1987; Greenberg, 2011). Said differently, The framework, typically hierarchical, within which an organization arranges its lines of authority and communications, and allocates rights and duties. Organizational structure determines the manner and extent to which roles, power, and responsibilities are delegated, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management. (Business Dictionary-Google). The structure of the organization can be defined simply as the sum total of ways in which its labour is divided into distinct tasks and the its coordination is achieved among these tasks /(Mintzberg 1983a) Very early organizational structures were often based either on product or function (Oliveira Takahashi, 2012). Others moved beyond these early approaches and examined the relationship between organizational strategy and structure (Brickley, Smith, Zimmerman, Willett, 2002). This approach began with the landmark work of Alfred Chandler (1962, 2003), who traced the historical development of some companies, He concluded from his study that an organizations strategy tends to influence its structure. He suggests that strategy indirectly determines such variables as the organizations tasks technology, and environments, and each of these influences the structure of the organization. More recently, social scientists have augmented Chandlers thesis by contending that an organizations strategy determines its environment, technology, and tasks. These variables, coupled with growth rates and power distribution, affect organisational structure. The Organisational structure as argued by Alfred Chandler can be seen in FIRSTBANK structure which was changed recently to suit the Banks intended strategy. The Bank in Oct 2010 had embarked on a re-structuring of its entire operational system and workforce, we can therefore deduce that Strategy determines organizational structure. A critical review of Mintzberg definition shows that it is not against the aforementioned, the design of every superstructure ends up as a compromise between the objective factors of work flow, process and scale interdependency, and the subjective factors of personality and social need. Organisations may be conceived on paper, but they must function with flesh-and-blood human beings. (Mintzberg, 1983). Hence for a critical analysis of FirstBank OA, the Mintzberg theory will be adopted. 3.1.1 ORGANISATIONAL CONFIGURATION Mintzberg claims that organisations are composed of five basic elements, or groups of individuals, any of which may predominate in an organisation. The design parameters determine individual positions (examples will be shown using FirstBank configuration) Operating Core: Staff or employees who perform the basic work related to an organisations product or service e.g.- Tellers, Customer Service Officer, Foreign Operations Staff Strategic Apex: Top-Management responsible for running an entire organisation. The Executive Directors and Executive Vice President of the bank sit at the Strategic Apex Middle Line: Managers who stand in a direct line relationship between the strategic apex and the operating core. They include the Group Heads, RegionalArea Office Managers. Techno structure: Organisational specialists responsible for standardising various aspects of an organisations activities eg- Internal Control and Audit, Compliance, Credit Risk Management(CRM) AND MANCO Support Staff: Individuals who provide support to an organisation outside its operating workflow.(I.T support, Security personnels) Mintzberg identified five organisational configurations, they however depend some contingency factors which include Age of the organization, Size Technical System, Environment and Power factors: Æ’ËÅ" Simple Structure is characterized by loose division of labor, relies on direct supervision and finds its key part at the strategic apex Æ’ËÅ" Machine Bureaucracy which relies on standardisation of work process, relatively centralized power for decision making; with its key part in the techno structure where the planners of the organisation reside. Professional Bureaucracy which deals with standardisation of skills and has the operating core as its key part. Divisionalised form -each division has its own structure, it centers on standardisation of outputs. Autonomous units are created to deal with entire product lines, allowing top management to focus on large-scale, strategic decision. The middle line is key part of the organisation. Adhocracy, a highly informal, strong presence of mutual adjustment, organic organisation in which specialists work in teams, coordinating with each other on various projects. FIRSTBANKS structure like most large corporations is characterized by the divisionalised form of Mintzbergs configuration as various divisions (departments) are created by their product lines or end products. The techno structure is located at Head Office to provide services to all divisions; support staffs are located within each division like we have the IT support for each area and marketing assistants who are support staff assigned to each branch. Most of the operational activities are conducted by the middle line managers, department heads or unit heads and they all operate with some form of independence and centralization within their units. They coordinate the output, acting between the strategic apex and the operating core. They also oversee the activities of the operating core and are expected to report back to strategic apex. The typical operational structure in a FIRSTBANK branch is divided into two divisions- i. The Operations Unit who are in charge of the everyday running of branch and attending to customers demand. The head of this unit is called The Branch Operations Manager. ii. The Retail or marketing unit who are in charge of increasing the market size and credit portfolio of the branch. The Business Manager heads this unit of the branch. Each of these units runs independently of each other with separate reporting lines even though they are situated in the same complex ant they form part of the whole group. Given the Banks ever evolving strategy in line with changes in market dynamics and technological advancement, the structure design is determined by the strategic planning and corporate transformation unit through the HCM department, stating unit and individual key responsibilities and the reporting lines. The final structure is then approved by the strategic apex and the statutory regulatory authority (Central Bank of Nigeria). Usually the bank makes the policies available on its local INTRANET and other periodic publications or circulars as organisational changes are initiated. 3.1.2 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE EFFECTIVENESS EFFICIENCY Effectiveness of a system is about doing the right things. Its about producing the intended or expected result, In measuring organisational effectiveness, the relevant question would be: is the organisational system doing the right thing for its survival?, is it focusing its drive on opportunities to produce revenue? Is it producing the output it needs if it is to survive? Efficiency of a system, on the other hand is about the inputs the system uses in order to produce outputs that is doing things right, accomplishing your tasks with a minimum of time and resource, It centers on performance and cost reduction. To thoroughly examine organizational success, both measures should be considered because productivity is a function of inputs to outputs which is the theme of efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency should always be the servant of effectiveness.(BSN Phase 1, module IX, p 575) Looking at the Banks history and evolutions, one can boldly say that FIRSTBANK has achieved some level of efficiency and effectiveness. The total assets of the Bank as at Dec 2011 as published equals N,2463,543, total equity was N373,572 while the total Customer Deposits was N1,783,777,(figures are in millions).however there is room and need for improvement, the Bank lacks behind in mobilization of current account deposits and booking of credit facilities. These lapses deny the bank of some benefits which include increase in customer base and collection of float income from these deposits. The FIRST Instant savings account was introduced by the Bank to bridge this gap on deposit mobilization, this product however has not recorded much success because of the strict requirements, the deployment of FINACLE 10 Banking solution which is scheduled to kick off this year July is an Efficiency measure in order to reduce turnaround time, this I believe is coming rather too late. The strategic Apex of the Bank needs to review these points afore mentioned and reach a favorable conclusion so that the Bank can edge forward. 3.1.3 DESIGN PARAMETERS Mintzberg identified nine design parameters. By using these parameters the organisational designer can influence the way individuals are positioned in the organisation and the way groups or departments are formed. The design parameters are Job specialisation; Behavior formation; Training and indoctrination; Unit grouping; size; Planning and control systems; Liaison devices; Vertical and horizontal decentralization. The design parameters predominant in FIRSTBANK are: Job Specialisation: In FIRSTBANK, all job titles are specified, the roles to be performed, the job description, key competences and reporting lines are well explained for staff to understand. Job Specification for each job title is easily accessible on the intranet, it is the banks believe that job specialization increases employee productivity. Æ’ËÅ" Training and indoctrination: In order to carry out task, employees need to possess particular skills and knowledge.(BSN Phase 1 Course Notes, pg 584). In FirstBank its a trend to continuously train staff on a need to know and improvement basis, this exercise forms part of appraisal marks to be awarded during year end performance rating. The heads of branches or departments recommend staff for training if a knowledge gap or improvement need is identified. Educational and career advancement is also encouraged. The Human Capital Management Development anchors this aspect of the bank. Given the ever increasing need for the aforementioned, the Bank has rebranded its HCMD training arm to be called FIRST ACADEMY. The essence is to inculcate the banks values, ensuring that their staffs are well grounded and ever ahead of industry trends. Indoctrination are done upon recruitment of staff be it new or experienced hirees in order to imbibe the banks culture and values into them. The unit grouping is an important design parameter in FIRSTBANK because it creates a system of supervision in which there is a reporting line, departmental, unit or group head for all strategic units of the bank, this encourages standardization of outputs. Firstbank adopts functional grouping Vertical decentralisation: Mintzberg (1983a, p.99) defines vertical decentralisation as the dispersal of formal power down the chain of line authority. FISTBANK adopts limited vertical decentralization. Heads of departments/units are delegated the power to control most of the decisions concerning their line units and such decisions are cascaded down to their subordinates, however they have their reporting lines and various limits. 3.2 ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Culture refers to the underlying values, beliefs and codes of practice that makes an organisation what It is. The customs of an organisation, the self image of its members, the things that make it different from others are its culture. Culture is symbolic; Culture is unifying and refers to the processes that bind the organization together. Culture is rooted deep in unconscious sources but is represented in superficial practices and behavior codes. Deal and Kennedy (1982) argue that culture is the single most important factor accounting for success or failure in organizations. They identified four key dimensions of culture: Values the beliefs that lie at the heart of the corporate culture. Heroes the people who embody values. Rites and rituals routines of interaction that have strong symbolic qualities. The culture network the informal communication system or hidden hierarchy of power in the organization. Peters and Waterman (1982) suggest a psychological theory of the link between organizational culture and business performance. Culture can be looked upon as a reward of work; we sacrifice much to the organization and culture is a form of return on effort. Schein (1992) says that organisational culture is developed over time as people in the organisation learn to deal successfully with problems of external adaptation and internal integration. It becomes the common language and the common background. Employee values are measured against organizational values to predict employee intentions to stay, and predict turnover. This is done through instrument like Organizational Culture Profile (OCP) to measure employee commitment (OReilly, ChatmanCaldwell 1991). However Daniel Denisons model (1990) asserts that organizational culture can be described by four general dimensions: Mission Strategic Direction and Intent, Goals and Objectives and Vision Adaptability Creating Change, Customer Focus and Organizational Learning Involvement Empowerment, Team Orientation and Capability Development Consistency Core Values, Agreement, Coordination/Integration Denisons model also allows cultures to be described broadly as externally or internally focused as well as flexible versus stable. The model has been typically used to diagnose cultural problems in organizations. 3.2.1 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ORGANISATIONS CULTURE (FIRSTBANK) According to Schein (1992), the two main reasons why cultures develop in organizations is due to external adaptation and internal integration. External adaptation reflects an evolutionary approach to organizational culture and suggests that cultures develop and persist because they help an organization to survive and flourish. If the culture is valuable, then it holds the potential for generating sustained competitive advantages. Additionally, internal integration is an important function since social structures are required for organizations to exist. Organizational practices are learned through socialization at the workplace. Work environments reinforce culture on a daily basis by encouraging employees to exercise cultural values. Organisational culture is shaped by multiple factors, including the following: External environment Industry Size and nature of the organizations workforce Technologies the organization uses The organizations history and ownership The external environment to FirstBank includes the ever emerging competitors, the realization of this pushes the Banks management is forge ahead and be innovative. The increasing number of banks offering same products that Firstbank had exclusivity to buttress this point, exceptional service delivery and brand value/positioning are the keys to have an edge over others. Other aspects of FirstBanks external environment include the legal or statutory regulations which the Bank must conform with, the political, socio-economic dynamics of Nigeria. The workforce of the bank is considerably large in comparism to other banks being the bank with the largest number of branch network and emerging diaspora banking through its subsidiaries. Prior to the rebranding of the Banks workforce, 1stBank had a culture of mostly old staff and few young staff, in 2008 the bank retrenched over 900 staff especially those who had spent over 25 years in service, the management immediately embarked on recruitment of new and experienced hirees who were relatively young, in addition to this, salaries were increased to suit the modern banker status. A new culture in that aspect had been achieved as 1stbankers were no longer distinguished by long suits and old staff. 3.2.2 FIRSTBANK CULTURE FIRSTBANK possesses a strong culture which is continually being improved. In the light of Daniel Denisons model of culture dimensions, FirstBanks mission strategic direction, goals and objectives, are clearly understood by members of staff. The Bank strives to make its staff live by its core values and this has so far helped the bank in terms of durability and goodwill. For the importance of the afore mentioned, FirstBank carries periodic mystery shopping exercise and branch spot checks to ensure that we live what we preach, hence staff are enjoined to move with the train. FirstBank adapts quickly to industry changes and are quick to identify a market opportunity hence they are most often the fore most bank for some products or innovations in the banking industry. Its the bank policy for staff to stick to a particular dress code, have the banks premises painted in a particular way and colour, have a products and services delivered to customers with the brand name FIRST and a unique way of service delivery. All this distinguishes the Bank and a Firstbanker from every other bank or person. The Elephant is also a historic symbol of FirstBanks culture which represents stability and strength, like Peters and Waterman (1982) suggests, the strong culture of the bank has positively enhanced its good will and market share, however things can get better. There exist an area of improvement in the Banks culture as it is normally being discussed within its members that staff are not been sufficiently motivated, the slow promotion process is a major aspect of this. A review of the Banks choice to downsize its work force recently by way of retiring (and firing) staff (although with mouth watering incentives) buttresses this point. Firing on the base of culture Usually pointed as a source of creating family like environment, the notion of corporate culture is also used for firing, with this practice started from shoe company Zappos, which granted its fired employees with huge compensations afterwards.(Google- Wikipedia .As the corporate culture may mean almost everything, firing on the base of culture means the employer does not accept and desire to be inclusive for the culture of the employee and thus the employee does not fit in corporate culture, although this may fall in the ground of discrimination, there is still not law or case law resolving or addressing the question making this practice possible and available for businesses for now. Firing on corporate culture is a recent practice, from 2008. 3.2.3 CULTURAL TYPES Handy (1985) identified four(4) types of organizational culture and they include: Power culture: Entrepreneurial in nature, central control, quick to response, built on trust flexible. Role culture: Roles are more important than persons, functional, rule and procedure driven Task Culture: Cross functional, based on jobs and projects, networked, coordinationcombination of jobs around tasks. Person Culture: People are the central focus, controls are only possible where members agree. FIRSTBANK adopts the role culture, this is because the roles are seen before the persons behind it, and the workforce is also driven by rule (policies) and procedure. 3.2.4 THE PROCESSUAL APPROACH The processual approach is a translation model in which movements of ideas or objects reside in the sense maki

Overview of VPN Technologies :: essays research papers

Multi-vendor interoperability for virtual private networking is essential in today’s networking environment due to the nature of business acquisitions, the need to extend corporate networks to contractors and partners, and the diverse equipment within company networks. To ensure customers have an open solution, Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based VPN technology is based on industry standards. By supporting IETF industry standards, Microsoft delivers a VPN solution that will work with other standard-compliant devices or software systems, helping to lower the cost and complexity of supporting proprietary solutions. Customers who use standards-based technology are not locked into any given vendor’s proprietary implementations. Microsoft supports the IETF efforts to standardize VPN technology. To date, two major technologies are IETF standards: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)—a combination of PPTP and Cisco’s Layer 2 Forwarding, which evolved through the IETF standards process. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)—an architecture, protocol, and related Internet Key Exchange (IKE) protocol, which are described by IETF RFCs 2401-2409. The combination of these technologies is described in RFC 3193, an IETF Proposed Standard. In addition to IETF standards-track technologies, Microsoft supports PPTP, created by the PPTP Industry Forum (US Robotics [now 3Com], 3Com/Primary Access, Ascend, Microsoft, and ECI Telematics.) PPTP is a published informational RFC (RFC 2637) and has many companies shipping third-party implementations. For advanced security requirements, IPSec has emerged as a key technology. However, IPSec tunnel mode by itself does support legacy authentication methods, tunnel IP address assignment and configuration, and multiple protocols—all critical requirements for remote access VPN connections. To provide a truly interoperable solution, Windows Server 2003 uses L2TP in combination with IPSec to provide an interoperable, secure VPN solution. L2TP has broad vendor support, particularly among the largest network access equipment providers, and has verified interoperability in a series of vendor-sponsored testing events.

John the Baptist Portrayed in Art

Saint John The Baptist There are countless portrayals of John the Baptist and the representation of his relationship to Jesus and to the Church. John has been one of the saints most frequently appearing in Christian art. The Baptism of Christ was one of the earliest scenes from the life of Christ to be frequently depicted in Early Christian art. John's tall, thin, and bearded figure is already established and recognizable by the 5th century. In the Gospel of Luke, we are first introduced to him when Mary goes to tell her cousin, Elizabeth, the news of her pregnancy.Elizabeth, already six month’s pregnant, felt the unborn child â€Å"jump for joy† in her womb. According to the Gospels, John declared, â€Å"I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord. ’† Christians interpret this to mean that John was sent to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. John does just this, when he is the one who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and baptizes him. The baptism marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Because this was said to be the beginning, John is know as John the Baptist and John the Forerunner.We will describe the appearance of John the Baptist further in our analysis and how this depicts his life hundreds of years later. The first work, titled â€Å"John the Forerunner† was done by an unknown iconographer in the typical Orthodox style during the 11th Century. It follows the prototypes established for John the Baptist within the Eastern tradition. In fact, the orthodox often refer to John as the Forerunner, as you see in this piece, because as stated before, he led the way for Christ’s arrival. As most orthodox works are, John is very still and lacking emotion, and there is no emphasis on three dimensionality.The mosaic relies heavily on symbolism instead, by portraying John with a scroll in his left hand and a gesture pointing up to Jesus Christ with his right hand. The iconic imag ery of the scroll symbolizes John’s importance and holiness as a preacher of God. The scroll reads â€Å"ECCE AGNUS DEI, QUI TOLLIT PECCATA MUNDI†, or â€Å"Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,† marking John’s prediction of the Messiah’s approach. Typically, we see John dressed in his camel tunic, but here, we see the specifics of his clothing may vary. John the Baptist is also depicted with a halo, emphasizing his ainthood and his major contribution to the life and mission of Christ. In Donatello’s bronze statue of Saint John the Baptist, we see his tunic made of camel hair, along with the iconographic imagery of his raised right arm and his symbolic staff and scroll in his let arm. Although the imagery is still present, Donatello gives St. John emotions with the expression of pain or grief on his face. The adding of emotion was a fairly common trait of the Florentine High Renaissance period, and it also signifies a slight shift in representation compared to our previous Orthodox work.For quite some time, there was debate over the completion date of the sculpture. In 1973, the restoration of the piece revealed a signature and date of 1438. The date confirms that Donatello carved the sculpture in Florence for the Venetian confraternity of the Florentines. The Renaissance was a time of innovation within religious art. We start to see it with Donatello’s work, but it is strikingly clear in Jacopo del Sellaio’s circa 1480 version of St. John. Sellaio abandons the iconic scroll, traditional clothing, and even John’s gesture made toward the heavens.Instead, Sellaio shows us a youthful John the Baptist, wearing bright, impressive colors. Included is a small bowl, placed at John’s feet to symbolize the baptism of Christ. Other than that, most of the religious symbolism has transferred to political symbolism, evident in the detail of the landscape. In the distance, we see th e Palazzo Vecchio, Brunelleschi’s dome cathedral and the campanile designed by Giotto. Therefore, this work would have appealed to the Church and the people of Florence by combining a sense of religious, social, and political pride, which was also not uncommon during the Renaissance in Florence.The Sermon of Saint John the Baptist, by Pieter Bruegel, was done in the elaborately detailed Baroque style during the Reformation Period of Northern Europe. In the painting dated 1566, and done with oil on wood, we recognize a village preacher at one of the countless religious congregations that took place during the Reformation. The preacher is identified as John the Baptist, as he is in his traditional camel cloak. St. John is almost lost in the heart of the picture, leaving the colorful, unorganized crowd to be the principal subject of the painting.We must search for the meaning of the painting by looking closely; scanning to see what story the painter intended to tell. John the Ba ptist therefore is not in the traditional iconic format here. The size, detail, and landscape seem to be more of the focus, which is a quality of Baroque Reformation art. This change in focus served as a statement for the Protestants, insinuating that the salvation of humankind lies within the individual’s faith alone, not solely with the canons of the Catholic Church. Our group looked at this painting and immediately noticed the â€Å"light at the end of the tunnel†, or how the path forward, is lit up so brightly.John the Baptist is almost preaching and pointing the way from the dark to the light, from wrong to right, towards the path of Christ. This painting is now on display in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. Dutch artist, Bartholomeus Breenbergh, completed his version of The Preaching of John the Baptist circa 1634, which is again in the Baroque Reformation period. Breenbergh does represent John the Baptist traditionally for the most part, keeping his right ha nd pointed to the sky and his left hand holding a staff. On the contrary though, the attention to individuality and landscape still presents itself, much like Bruegel’s work.The crowd around John the Baptist seems to be preoccupied and somewhat inattentive, further symbolizing the Catholic and Protestant split. John the Baptist may be talking of the Saviors arrival, and has scared those who do not or refuse to believe. Breenbergh’s piece can be viewed in person in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City. Spanish artist, El Greco is credited for his Counter Reformation work in his rendition of St. John the Baptist. The detailed landscape we have discussed previously is still incorporated, however, the focus and iconography are extremely emphasized.Paying tribute to the traditional St. John the Baptist, El Greco removes the confusion of the Reformation style and retains his pose, staff, camel tunic, and lamb. The images we have seen so far have not included the lamb, but in earlier images of St. John the Baptist, the lamb was commonly interchangeable with the scroll or staff. If the scroll or staff were absent from the image, then a book or object with a picture of a lamb on it would be present, in order to keep the iconography of Jesus Christ within the context.We see El Greco taking the initiative and mixing the Catholic Church’s traditional conventions with the Baroque style, which essentially is the definition of Counter Reformation art. Another example of Counter Reformation art during the Baroque period can be seen in Mattia Preti’s Saint John the Baptist Preaching. Similar to El Greco’s work, the symbolism and iconography is much more in-depth compared to the Reformation art in the north. The Counter Reformation style resorts back to the heavy emphasis on symbolism in art, a quality that seemed to fade during the Renaissance.This return to symbolism served as the Catholic Church’s statement on the importa nce of tradition and its restoration after the Protestant Reformation. John the Baptist looks almost exhausted, assumed from preaching, as the background shows the sun setting after a long day. The lamb is also laying down, looking towards where John is pointing to the coming of Jesus. In Philippe de Champaigne’s 1657 version of John the Baptist, we are able to see him up close and large in size in comparison to other portrayals as well as to the background of this painting in general. De Champaigne has St.John looking out, assuming that he does not yet have your attention. His glare seems to take you in and point you in the direction of an approaching figure. As the Forerunner, Jesus’ precursor, John the Baptist is announcing the coming of the Messiah with the staff and scroll announcing â€Å"Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world. † John the Baptist is about to hand over his reign as preacher to the greater one who is on His way. This painting almost transcends time, John is not just pointing us back to the past, but to how Jesus’ mission is still in the future.The picture shows Jesus as someone we haven't met, haven't heard of, and can barely see yet. It is showing its viewer the coming of Jesus then and as He will come again, as the scripture tells us. The life-size marble statue of St. John the Baptist, by Giuseppe Obici, shows that during the 19th century, the Catholic Church was still holding strong to its iconic representation of St. John the Baptist. By this point, the traditional conventions displayed in this sculpture should be obvious, furthering the importance of iconography in art, at least by the Catholic Church’s standards.Just twenty-two years after Obici’s ever-symbolic John the Baptist, French sculptor Auguste Rodin breaks the mold of the Church’s iconographic representation. In Rodin’s version, St. John is stripped of his normal tunic and left nude, a feature t hat would not have been popular amongst the ideals of the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century. The religious symbolism is also removed from this work. The lamb representing his holiness as a preacher is left out, and although it appears St. John’s gesture towards heaven remains, this convention is left out also.Sources say that the statue was originally holding a cross in his right hand, but was soon removed to take away any narrative context for the figure. Without the cross, there aren’t any religious connotations involved with this piece, other than its title. Some may consider this to be a sign of the Church’s declining influence on art and a beginning to the contemporary age of the 20th century. Moving on to Modern art, the work done last year by a young English artist, Lara French, entitled â€Å"John the Baptist† after its inspiration, the medieval work on the right.This abstracted piece of modern art removes itself even further from the orig inal icon of John the Baptist, maybe as far as physically and symbolically possible. We speculated and talked as a group about any possible connections between the two, and came up with very few. We therefore look forward to hearing what our classmates have to say and to see if they find any features that we missed. In conclusion, we have looked at works ranging from the 11th century to today. The early Orthodox works appear highly iconographic and unconcerned with anything else.The Renaissance introduced to the world new ways to look at religious art. This was mainly due to the growing power and pride of Popes, aristocratic families, and the politics of Florence at the time. The Church lost some of this power during the Reformation, in which the Protestants used art to make statements about their beliefs. In reaction, the Catholic Church did the same by restoring their tradition and iconography in their art. Finally, as the need for patrons declined and the presence of artistic fre edom increased, iconography in art is now generally decided by artists themselves.

Free Essays on Richard Cory

Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, Richard Cory, is a modern day Aesop fable. It educates us about the things that we think we should have, but truly do not want. The story starts off by saying, â€Å"Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him.† The people on the pavement were people who looked up to Richard Cory. This is because Richard Cory was a well-distinguished businessman. This can be seen from the fact that Richard Cory continually â€Å"went down town†. I know that he went down town on business because of the way the speaker says that he was dressed. The author makes it appear that the people on the pavement had low-income jobs, while the poem says that Richard Cory was rich. The people on the pavement therefore wanted to be like him. It seems that the people did not truly know every thing that went on in the life of Richard Cory. The man Richard Cory had a good bit of money, was schooled in every grace, and was a gentleman from sole to crown. Yet, Richard Cory one calm summer night took his own life by shooting himself in the head. The type of death that Richard Cory suffered is usually the result of someone who was not very stable. Cory is considered, however, to be very financially stable. He is also considered to be very stable all the way around. This cannot be true, however, because he committed suicide and stable people do not do that sort of thing. The physical appearance of Richard Cory’s life may have been very stable, yet the mental outlook of his life was most likely in shambles. While the people on the pavement only saw the outward manifestation of Cory’s wealth, they did not stop to consider what the contents were of his inward treasure. It is in this area of his life that I believe Richard Cory was poor. The people on the pavement did not consider this. Many times we as humans hastily make assumptions that are based on incomplete information. The peopl... Free Essays on Richard Cory Free Essays on Richard Cory Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, Richard Cory, is a modern day Aesop fable. It educates us about the things that we think we should have, but truly do not want. The story starts off by saying, â€Å"Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him.† The people on the pavement were people who looked up to Richard Cory. This is because Richard Cory was a well-distinguished businessman. This can be seen from the fact that Richard Cory continually â€Å"went down town†. I know that he went down town on business because of the way the speaker says that he was dressed. The author makes it appear that the people on the pavement had low-income jobs, while the poem says that Richard Cory was rich. The people on the pavement therefore wanted to be like him. It seems that the people did not truly know every thing that went on in the life of Richard Cory. The man Richard Cory had a good bit of money, was schooled in every grace, and was a gentleman from sole to crown. Yet, Richard Cory one calm summer night took his own life by shooting himself in the head. The type of death that Richard Cory suffered is usually the result of someone who was not very stable. Cory is considered, however, to be very financially stable. He is also considered to be very stable all the way around. This cannot be true, however, because he committed suicide and stable people do not do that sort of thing. The physical appearance of Richard Cory’s life may have been very stable, yet the mental outlook of his life was most likely in shambles. While the people on the pavement only saw the outward manifestation of Cory’s wealth, they did not stop to consider what the contents were of his inward treasure. It is in this area of his life that I believe Richard Cory was poor. The people on the pavement did not consider this. Many times we as humans hastily make assumptions that are based on incomplete information. The peopl...

Terrorism Not A Way Essays - Light, Pyrotechnics, Fireworks

Terrorism Not A Way Essays - Light, Pyrotechnics, Fireworks Terrorism Not A Way -**** LISTS OF SUPPLIERS AND MORE INFORMATION **** Most, if not all, of the information in this publication can be obtained through a public or university library. There are also many publications that are put out by people who want to make money by telling other people how to make explosives at home. Adds for such appear frequently in paramilitary magazines and newspapers. This list is presented to show the large number of places that information and materials can be purchased from. It also includes fireworks companies and the like. COMPANY NAME AND ADDRESS WHAT COMPANY SELLS FULL AUTO CO. INC. EXPLOSIVE RECIPES, P.O. BOX 1881 PAPER TUBING MURFREESBORO, TN 37133 UNLIMITED CHEMICALS AND FUSE BOX 1378-SN HERMISTON, OREGON 97838 AMERICAN FIREWORKS NEWS FIREWORKS NEWS MAGAZINE WITH SR BOX 30 SOURCES AND TECHNIQUES DINGMAN'S FERRY, PENNSYLVANIA 18328 BARNETT INTERNATIONAL INC. BOWS, CROSSBOWS, ARCHERY MATERIALS, 125 RUNNELS STREET AIR RIFLES P.O. BOX 226 PORT HURON, MICHIGAN 48060 CROSSMAN AIR GUNS AIR GUNS P.O. BOX 22927 ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 14692 R. ALLEN PROFESSIONAL FIREWORKS CONSTRUCTION P.O. BOX 146 BOOKS & FORMULAS WILLOW GROVE, PA 19090 MJ DISTRIBUTING FIREWORKS FORMULAS P.O. BOX 10585 YAKIMA,WA 98909 EXECUTIVE PROTECTION PRODUCTS INC. TEAR GAS GRENADES, 316 CALIFORNIA AVE. PROTECTION DEVICES RENO, NEVADA 89509 COMPANY NAME AND ADDRESS WHAT COMPANY SELLS BADGER FIREWORKS CO. INC. CLASS B AND C FIREWORKS BOX 1451 JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN 53547 NEW ENGLAND FIREWORKS CO. INC. CLASS C FIREWORKS P.O. BOX 3504 STAMFORD, CONNECTICUTT 06095 RAINBOW TRAIL CLASS C FIREWORKS BOX 581 EDGEMONT, PENNSYLVANIA 19028 STONINGTON FIREWORKS INC. CLASS C AND B FIREWORKS 4010 NEW WILSEY BAY U.25 ROAD RAPID RIVER, MICHIGAN 49878 WINDY CITY FIREWORKS INC. CLASS C AND B FIREWORKS P.O. BOX 11 (GOOD PRICES!) ROCHESTER, INDIANA 46975 BOOKS THE ANARCHIST COOKBOOK II-IV (highly circulated) THE IMPROVISED MUNITIONS MANUAL (formulas work, but put maker at risk) MILITARY EXPLOSIVES Two manuals of interest: Duponts Blaster's Handbook, a $20 manual mainly useful for rock and seismographic operations. Atlas's Powder Manual or Manual of Rock Blasting (I forget the title, it's in the office). This is a $60 book, well worth the cash, dealing with the above two topics, plus demolitions, and non-quarry blasting. -= Exodus =-

Essay Topic 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Topic 1 - Essay Example Taxation has been an issue. Many states have their sources of income tax. However, the national government, in its quest to raise more revenue for the country’s agenda, has instituted numerous mechanisms that enable it to get a large share of the tax that states collect. It has enabled the national government to suppress the federal government as its needs increase day in day out. Controversial issues such as abortion and same-sex marriages have allowed the national government to influence states. It is not clear what laws, especially pertaining to such controversial issues should be followed. However, national laws have prevailed in the country concerning such controversial issues as individual states continue to deliberate on the way forward. The process of nationalization is justified, because in the current world, globalization has led to a seemingly smaller world. Hence, the country’s agenda should be one as opposed to that of each state, which will ensure that the nation prevails on its soil and in the global

Resersal of fortune by Patrick R. Keefe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Resersal of fortune by Patrick R. Keefe - Essay Example Whereas a discussion of the legal engagement and litigation would have been a none too interesting approach, the author instead able to utilize foreshadowing, a representation of the back story and flash forwarding as a means of engaging interest and promoting the action itself where it might otherwise be a boring or ignored. As a function of this particular level of analysis, the author will discuss some of the core strengths and weaknesses of the article in question, â€Å"Reversal of Fortune†, as well as analyzing what aspects could have made the story more effective and powerful to the reader. Similarly, the author also utilizes rhetorical mode and arrangement as a way of highlighting the argument. Ultimately, many critics of this particular article may point to its excessive length as a primary shortfall with regards the interest of the reader might share. However, this link is only the result of the fact that the writer takes a nuanced and differentiated view of the subject matter at hand. Rather than merely delving into the issue and explain both sides, the representation of the back story and a firm and thorough discussion of the data that supports the case is represented. Furthermore, by arranging the topic in terms of a simulant to the way in which a defendant and a prosecution might operate, the author is able to represent the manner through which the case itself is indicative of the lawsuit and legal entanglements that are so effective in understanding what actually occurred. By allowing the reader to make a determination for themselves, rather than for speeding f acts and opinions, the author is able to present a nuanced case that can be understood and appreciated by all individuals that reader; regardless of their political or socioeconomic affiliation/understanding of South American politics and the means