Jet Blue Case Analysis free essay sample

Technological * Beginning e-ticketing * Automated systems (cockpits) * Advertisements (newly introduced animated) Porters Bargaining power of Buyer: H Threat of Substitute: H Bargaining Power of Suppliers: H Threat of New Entrance: L Competitive Rivalry: H Core Competencies: Logistics Competitive Advantage: Efficiency Strategy: LCP 4p’s Product: JetBlue is cornering the marketplace with its productivity, in-flight features, and customer service. Due to the fact that the company only purchases new planes of a single type, maintenance downtime is reduced and it is able to keep its planes in the air. In fact, JetBlue maintains the highest in-air average in the industry. Additionally, JetBlue employs an operational recovery tool technology that allows planners to minimize flight cancellations and delays. On board, JetBlue prides itself on treating all customers as equals and providing more comfort than other airlines. Features that draw customers in include assigned leather seats, more leg room, and superior on-board service. Furthermore, JetBlue is one only a few airlines that offers each passenger free Direct TV and XM satellite radio entertainment. We will write a custom essay sample on Jet Blue Case Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Finally, with regard to customer service, JetBlue focuses intently on attracting and motivating a talented workforce. The company gives each employee a sense of ownership in the operations. This value and respect bestowed on each employee translates into a motivated, productive workforce that focuses on customer satisfaction and exceeds consumer expectations. Price: Although JetBlue focuses on service value through highly productive personnel and aircraft, potential consumers are still interested in value when they fly; the Price aspect of the marketing mix. Customers are interested in quality service at a reasonable price. In this regard, JetBlue excels, doing things that their competitors cannot or will not; offering the cheapest fares, cross-country. With its low-cost strategy, JetBlue has found that it can increase market share and dazzle customers with top-quality at lower prices. This combination has generated a significant competitive advantage for other airlines to surmount. (Penetration) Place: JetBlue continues to analyze the market. Through an investigative study, the company determined it was best not to compete in the New York-Boston and New York-Washington shuttle markets with the current dominance of Delta and US Airways shuttles. However, JetBlue is considering giving major airlines a run for their money as they consider to enter the high-demand Caribbean market. Promotion: JetBlue surprisingly has quickly garnered a loyal, satisfied group of flyers which has led to repeat business. As JetBlue has discovered that attracting new customers and customer turnover can be costly, the company focuses strong attention on customer retention through its high quality/low cost strategy and free word of mouth advertising. This approach helps increase the company’s profit margin and simultaneously reduce costs.

Politics in Hartford in 1900s essays

Politics in Hartford in 1900's essays During the early 1900s, politics in Connecticut, particularly the growing metropolis of Hartford, were generally similar to the rest of the nation. Connecticut was run by Democrats and Republicans, and partially influenced by political machines. In order to compare and contrast the difference between the politics in Connecticut and the politics in the rest of the country, one must provide answers to a few questions. How active and successful were progressive efforts in Connecticut? Were there political machines in Hartford? Were they powerful? How active and successful was the Progressive party in Connecticut? Is there evidence of corruption in Hartford politics? Answers to these questions will be provided below in this essay. Progressivism was prominent in Hartford in the early twentieth century by middle class citizens. These citizens were predominately white, Protestant, long time citizens of the state and country, and were concerned in the decline of the American way of life, and theyre individual role in that lifestyle. One of their chief concerns was that of the population regulations in determining how many senators and representatives from individual towns were sent to Hartford. Every town was allowed two representatives, no matter the size of the town. This made for unbalanced representation in the House. Towns like Union, with a population of 322, had the same number of representatives as Hartford and New Haven, which each had populations over 100,000. This estimates that only twelve percent of the states population could elect the majority of the lawmakers in the lower house. The situation in the senate was a little better, but it still took only about one-third of the states voters to elect a majority. The largest senatorial district had a population that was seven times that of the smallest. In all, the cities were better represented in the Senate than in the lower house and this made the s...

Service innovation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Service innovation - Assignment Example Designing for service, according to Barrett et al. (2015), is fundamental to achieve service innovation in the contemporary businesses environment. Design thinking entails generating insights about the end users of a service to outlining perspective of their preference. First, Barrett et al. (2015) suggest that researchers should embrace the concepts of design thinking approach to integrating insights of end users of a service to promote innovation solutions. That involves focusing on multiple the demands actors who use the service such as managers, employees, customers, users and other stakeholders during the design process. In relation to the suggestion, designing for service in the banking sector should take into account the unique demands of all users of the system. It must integrate the necessities and demands of managers in the banking sector. It must suit the demands of customers and other users. For instance, designing for service should ensure security of the system that constitutes a key concern of the managers. Managers should have a secure system that is not vulnerable money laundering or effects of cyber-attacks. It should support supervision of activities and transactions in the system. In meeting the demand of employees, design for service in the banking sector should be easy to use and secure. Customers demand innovation solutions that are effective in driving competition. It should create new possibilities in financial transactions that are convenient for the customer to use. Design for service in the banking sector should allow the use of new technologies that promote efficiency for the customer. Other users such as shareholders in the banking sector should find the system easy to access and use. In essence, all users of the service expect exceptional mix of products suited to address their distinct

Bonds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bonds - Essay Example Bonds carrying premium are issued at a price above the face value of the bond whereas bonds issued at discount are normally below the face value of the bond. There are various reasons as to why the bonds are normally issued at face value, or at discount or at premium and this largely depends upon the different circumstances. If the overall reputation and creditworthiness of the firm is relatively good in the market and investors have relatively better expectations of the future performance of the firm than the firm may be able to sell its bonds at premium. Selling on premium may also be because of the fact that existing bond issues having similar risk characteristics may be offering lower interest rates therefore by if the issuer is willing to offer higher rate of return to the lenders than it may be possible that the bond will be issued at premium. Similarly, bonds may be offered at discount because issuing firm may not enjoy the relatively better credit ratings in the industry and investors are not willing to put more money into the firm. Selling at discount can also be due to the fact that overall yield offered by the bond may be significantly lower than the existing bonds of same risk category thus investors, in order to get compensated for the opportunity forgone to earn higher interest demand from issuing firms to offer their bonds at discount. (Navarro, 2003) Finally issuing bonds at face value indicates the indifference of the investors towards the company i.e. investors may not have relatively more trust in the future prospects of the company and may be expecting to earn normal rate of returns on their investment. Selling at face value does not however mean that the firm is not doing well or may be facing difficulties in future but in actual it indicates the ability of the firm to match its offerings according to the market expectations. There are different reporting requirements for bonds issued at premium, discount and face

Labour Movements in Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Labour Movements in Germany - Essay Example The economic fluctuations witnessed during the 1870’s stirred debate on the feasibility of free market system. The economic depression had a weighty consequence on the philosophy of English Trade Unions, which led to adoption of an Anti-Capitalist stance. By then, Englishmen from all classes had grown to admire and respect established political institutions. They also had confidence on the existing liberal and conservative parties, which they thought were competent enough to bring about essential reforms on capitalism as well as other political and social problems (Lipset 1983, p.12). Thus, working class support of conventional political institutions and hope in further reform, demonstrates contrast between Britain and Germany. The latter emphasized pre-eminence of the political while in Britain trade unions organization was the principal focus (Linden 1988, p.307). The reformist policies undertaken in Britain in late 19th century, and early 20th century significantly contribu ted in assimilation of the workers into the National community, thus reducing resentment to existing political institutions. Whereas SPD was considered as a revolutionary threat, Labour party was not. Apart from economic woes, there were other factors that agitated for recruitment to socialist causes such as industrial expansion, which spurred growth and favoured intense concentration of capital and labour. Similarly, there was immense growth in numbers of urban workers coupled with mass literacy. Whereas economic factor was the overriding theme that heralded socialism in Britain, political factor can be considered to have been the prime motivation in Germany. Workers movement in Germany emerged in the 1840’s although they were limited to the artisans. However, with time, they coalesced to form workers association, which promoted socialist aims of redistribution of wealth and elimination of private property. However, divisions arose concerning how social change could be achie ved in society. The contesting parties were torn in between revolution and alliance with the state (Linden 1988, p.307). Prior to 1914; the political parties of Germany did not show willingness or constitutional ability to take power. Much of the parties influence was anchored in pressuring the government through obstruction of legislations and interrogating of government’s on its executive actions. The foremost motivation of the political parties was sectional advantages. Social Democratic Party (SPD) represented socially defensive organizations. At initiation, SPD was split between non-Marxist and Marxist. Later on, the division was between Orthodox and Revisionist Marxist and eventually it adopted a modest, democratic, progressive approach to socialism. Its representation mainly featured politically conscious workers who were repressed by the state. The party, which was inaugurated in 1875, adopted revolutionary programme, dedicated to eradication of class rule (Nettl 1965 , p.65). The party also affirmed its dedication of working within the existing system for short term reforms such as state sponsored education system, universal suffrage in all German states and social legislations that safeguarded the working conditions and health of workers. SPD from the onset considered itself an outcast in the political life in Imperial Germany and emphasized a

How Motherhood Impacts On Womens Career Choices Social Work Essay

How Motherhood Impacts On Womens Career Choices Social Work Essay In most contemporary industrialised nations, womens participation rates have been rising. Since the 1980s, womens employment has become more continuous, even among mothers with children. (Lewis, 2009:27) However, despite of the optimistic rising employment rate among women, the career break due to motherhood still has a major impact on womens careers. Some women opt for part-time jobs after giving birth to child/children while some might exit the labour till their children reach school ages. This essay aims to examine the impact of motherhood on womens career in terms of womens work and care decision and type of works mothers do under different contingencies. As Windebank (2001:269) points out that there are great variations in mothers employment participation rates and career patterns across countries, this essay mainly focuses on mothers career choices and patterns in two countries, namely Sweden (a generous welfare country which striving for womens equality) and the United Kingdom . The first part of the essay briefly talks about the general impacts of motherhood on womens career followed by the descriptions of womens career choices (e.g. work or care decision) and career patterns (e.g. full-time VS. part-time, types of work mothers do) in the two countries mentioned. In the final part, the possible explanations to the patterns found in both countries will be addressed, such as the economic incentive, social norms, institutional context, and womens education level. And the essay will be concluded by summarizing the impacts of motherhood on womens career and discussing its implications for policy makers. Motherhoods Impact on Womens Career The evidence (Vlasblom and Schippers, 2006:335) shows that motherhood could have impacts on womens participation rate both before and after the childbirth. In their article, the female participation rates in all three countries, namely the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom, have declined since 12 months before the childbirth and never return to the original level 24 months after the childbirth. Hewlett (2005) also states that 37% of women take some kind of break from work to achieve appropriate work-life balance. Although 93% of those women who taken a break after give a birth to children want to re-enter the job market, only 74% are successful, among these only 40% return to full time work. The statistics suggests that motherhood does affect womens career to a different degrees and it could last over a long period of time. In general, motherhood itself presents four choices for women. First, women could remain in their full-time jobs after giving birth to their child/children. Second, they could choose a more flexible job or a part-time work to achieve work life balance after becoming a mother. Third, women could choose to exit the labour force permanently for their families. Forth, women could leave the labour market temporarily and return to work after a while (e.g. when their child/children reach school age) (Vlasblom and Schippers, 2006:330). However, women who take the last option might find difficult to return to the labour market. As Joshi et al (1996) point out that losing of tie with the labour market due to the complete exit could depreciate womens human capital and make future entrance difficult. Therefore, the longer a mother is out of the labour force, the harder it is for her to return to work. Mothers Career Choices and Patterns in Sweden Being one of the most generous welfare states, Sweden is often regarded as a role model in terms of striving for equal women rights. In fact, most Swedish women work fulltime prior to give birth and the majority of women do return to paid work (either long part-time or full-time) after the maternity leave. According to the Statistics Sweden (a leading Swedish official statistics website), there are more than 80 percent of Swedish mothers in the labour market by the year of 1999. The high return rate is probably attributed to its long paid parental leave. According to the Swedish Law, all parents (employed prior to give birth) are entitled to 12 months leave with approximately 3,600 Pounds income replacement (up to 80% of their income before childbirth) plus 90 days of Guaranteed days with 6 pounds per day. Besides, parents rights to return to labour market are guaranteed by Swedish labour regulations. (Bjornberg, 2002:34) These policies not only help women to reconcile the work and c are balance during the most difficult period (with small child under 1 year old), but also encourage women to take part in workforce after maternity work by ensuring them better chances of being employed. As a result, child under 1 year is usually taken care at home by their parents (mainly mothers). And among children aged 1-6 years, institutional care instead of home care is commonly chosen by Swedish parents as that most mothers could return to their jobs afterwards. The statistics (Statistics Sweden, 2008) shows that 86% of children aged 1-6 years are in municipal day care in the year 2007. Based on the observations, Bjornberg (2002:39) suggests that the traditional male breadwinner model with mothers as housewives is not supported in Sweden rather a dual-earner model is more common and acceptable in Sweden. The high return rate does not occur among mothers with one child but among mothers with more than one child as well. As the Swedish policy states that the parent is able to enjoy the same insured income level if the next child-birth is within 30 months of the previous child. Thus, it makes possible for mothers with more than one child to return to labour market after maternity leave without worrying about the costs and losing their working rights. It is interesting to note that many returned mothers in Sweden choose to start work as part-timers. Traditionally, part-time work often associated with characteristics such as low pay, no benefits and low status, however, part-time work in Sweden has a different meaning. The long working hours (e.g. 30 hours per week) gives part-time a non-marginalized feature in Sweden. And part-time working mothers are generally treated similarly to their full-time colleagues and able to have more autonomy in their time (Sundstrom and Duvander, 2000). Fagan and Lallement (2000:45) indicate that part-time workers have integrated into Swedish labour market and received equal treatment in labour law and wage structures. Mothers Career Choices and Patterns in the United Kingdom Pursuing to be a liberal welfare state, the U.K. government has also come up with explicit policies to reconcile paid work and family life in terms of childcare services, childcare leave and flexible working hours since 1997. (Lewis and Campbell, 2007:4) Evidence shows that the newly introduced family-friendly initiatives do have certain effects in changing the British labour market situations. The mother participation rate in the market has increased from 24% in 1979 to 67% in 1999 (Dench et al., 2002) although among returned mothers, many engage in part-time rather than full-time jobs. Statistics (Social Trends, 2005) shows that 40% of women aged sixteen to fifty-nine with children are in a part-time job. However, the part-time work has a different definition in UK compare to that of Sweden in terms of the working hours. Part-time mothers only work about 16 hours per week in U.K. (Bishop, 2004) which is much shorter than 30+ hours in Sweden. In the aspect of public childcare system , it is not as popular as that of Sweden due to the poor qualification of childcare staff in UK and a lack of funding. (Lewis and Campbell, 2007) In general, instead of the traditional male breadwinner model or Swedish dual-earner model, Britain parents are taking a one-and-a-half earner model, which fathers work long hours (48+ hours per week) while mothers work short hours (about 16 hours). (Christine and Tang, 2004) Therefore, atypical job (e.g. part-time work) and shift parenting are common in UK. (Lavalle et al., 2002) Explanations to the Patterns Found Based on the findings of both Sweden and UK, it is clear that motherhood affects womens career not only in the form of career breaks during childbirth but also in terms of the after-effects on balancing work and childcare. There are several similarities found among working mothers in both countries, for instance, both countries have a relatively high mother return rate. However, part-time mothers in Sweden are seemingly to enjoy a better benefit coverage, status and pay compared to mothers in U.K. In the following part of the essay, the reasons account for the different patterns observed will be discussed and whether the high return rate reflects womens true preference between work and family will be explored. According to Hakim (2000), the difference in work and care decision made by mothers is determined by each womans preference. However, many researchers criticize Hakims statement by showing other factors which restricting womens decisions, such as the income level of the household, institutional context, social norm and womens education level. Household Income Level Household income level directly limits mothers decision on work and care. According to Vlasblom and Schippers (2006), mothers are more likely to go back to labour market if the benefit for participation is larger than its opportunity costs. For instance, most mothers in Sweden choose to work as womens income in a household is as important as their partners in order to maintain a high living standard as close as possible to those of households without children.( Bjornberg, 2002:36) In the case of U.K., the decrease in family subsidy in tax system during the 1990s has made childcare more costly, (Sainsbury, 1999) as a result, many British mothers chose to return to workforce during that time. However, unlike Sweden, high quality and affordable public childcare is not widely spread in U.K. According to Taylors survey (2003), there are only 8 % of organizations offering financial assistance with childcare costs and 3% organizations providing childcare for their employees. Thus, the lack of childcare service and the high costs associated with childcare outsourcing for working parents has explained the increasing number of part-time working mothers and the shifting childcare arrangement between parents in U.K. Social Norms Under the traditional male breadwinner model, mothers are expected to become housewives while fathers will be the only income source for the household. However, as time passes by, the social norm has been changed and working mothers are more acceptable in both countries (Vlasblom and Schippers, 2006). And in Sweden, women to have a gainful employment before childbirth is essential as the replacement income during 12 months maternity leave is determined by womens salary level prior to giving birth. Those mothers who were housewives do not receive any income benefit during the first year of child care (Bjornberg, 2002). Such policies, to a certain extent, have reinforced the womens importance in the job market and increased the acceptance of womens role as workers in general. However, in both countries, the increasing in women participation rate and social acceptance of working mothers does not match the changes in their male spouses behaviours. Gershuny (2000) points out that mens participation in unpaid work is much lower than womens participation rate in paid work. According to Elvin-Nowak and Thomsson (2001:432), fathers work schedule is considered as fixed and unalterable and mothers concern about childrens well-being more than fathers do, as a result, the negotiations come to rest between the woman and her conscience rather than between the mother and the father. Uneven distribution of domestic chores, especially childcare is still prevalent nowadays. In U.K., the long working hours of men has left the childcare to mothers mainly. Without the help from their spouses, it is more difficult for mothers to combine the work and childcare and thus, full-time work is often not an available option for many British mothers. The situation in Sweden is relativ ely better than that in U.K. due to the introduction of compulsory Daddy Month policy. However, Even in country like Sweden, fathers only spend just half the time in taking care of children as their partners do (Gornick and Meyers, 2008:318). Institutional Context Institutional context is one of the most critical factor in shaping womens work and care decision. Often, the change in mothers behaviour is as a result of change in institutional policies, such as the reduced in family subsidy mentioned above. Both British government and Swedish government are aiming to promote waged labour through its policies, like extension of maternity leave, childcare provision or flexible working-hour practices, in order to attract mothers into workforce and to increase the labour supply and tax base (OECD, 2005). However, these two countries have varied degree of success in obtaining the goal. The difference in institutional policies explains why the part-time mothers in Sweden could focus on their work better than those of U.K. First of all, the public childcare is well-developed and widely used in Sweden, therefore, most Swedish women are able to work long hour part-time or full-time job without worrying lack of proper care for their children. Besides, the introduction of Daddy Month in Sweden has increased the fathers participation in childcare task and thus, reduces the burden from mothers. According to the statistics, 77% of father in Sweden took up the whole month leave in 1995. However, the formal childcare is either too expensive or poorly organized in U.K. which forces most British mothers to care children privately and restricts their career development. Besides, the long working hours for British fathers makes sharing private childcare more difficult and often mothers have to change their working hours in order to suit their partners more rigid schedules for childcare. Thus, mothers career in U.K. is more likely to be disturbed than their counterpart in Sweden. Womens Educational Level Besides the differences in external factors, such as the policies, income and social norms, the educational level among women also affect the degree of motherhoods impacts on their careers. The educational level here not only refers to the initial education (Portela, 2001), but also the working experiences and personal capabilities a woman possesses. Elvin-Nowak and Thomsson (2001:407) suggests that mothers with different social background have different motherhood experiences and interpreted the meaning of the motherhood differently. In general, low-skilled female workers are more likely to exit the labour force for their children than those high-skilled workers (Cantillon at al., 2001). And Hofferth et al.s (1996) study is consistent with Cantillons findings, showing that high-skilled women tend to use formal childcare while low-skilled women tend to provide childcare themselves. As a result, high-skilled women are more likely to commit themselves into their work without worrying about the childcare. At the same time, with the high earnings gained from work, they are able to afford the formal childcare while for the low-skilled women who cannot afford the formal childcare with the low earnings, staying at home to look after their children becomes the only option for them. In UK, 75 percent of highly educated women with children aged under 5 years old are actively participate in paid work while only 24 percent of women without qualifications are in workforce. (EOR, 2001) Similar results are found among Swedish wo men too. Besides, Sundstrom and Duvander (2000) found that parents with higher educational level are more likely to share the domestic tasks including childcare than couples with lower educational level. Therefore, it confirms the view that women whose level of education is high is more likely to take part in work. Conclusion This essay has examined the motherhood impact on womens career choice and patterns in Sweden and the U.K. The findings show that both countries have an increasing mother participation rate. But despite of the optimistic rising working mother numbers in both countries, working mothers careers are still affected by the motherhood. Not only that full-time work option is no longer available for many mothers due to the burden of childcare, part-time working mothers are generally more difficult to concentrate on their jobs, especially in the U.K where formal provision of formal childcare system is not well-developed. Besides, possible factors, such as household income level, social norms, institutional policies and womens educational level, which restrict mothers work and care decision, are explored in the essay. However, there are many other factors which could shape the motherhoods impact on womens career, for instance, the number of children. Women with smaller family size have less car eer breaks and spend less time on childcare, thus they have better opportunity to channel their energy into paid work (Gill et al., 2000). Besides, the rising divorce rate and high teenage pregnancy rate result an increase in singe-mother families. Motherhoods impact on single mother family could be different from normal families. After analyzing the possible factors which affect working mothers careers, how their accessibility to the labour market and status could be increased is the key challenge that should be addressed. Based on Sweden and the U.K. cases, it is clear that institutional policies could a powerful tool for creating a better environment for working mothers. For instance, the Daddy Month introduced by Swedish government has been successful in tackling the unequal division of work among men and women and this policy could be learnt by other countries too. In sum, in order to increase working mothers full-time participation rate and achieve better work-life balance in the society, governments should invest more on the institutional policies. In another word, following the concept of diversity/mainstreaming, government should change the focus from trying to fit working mothers into the society to changing the society/organization/culture to embrace differences by making working mothers issue centr al to every aspect of the policy. Word: 2930

Health Care in the United States: An Evolving System Essay example --

The decision on who to interview regarding changes in the health care industry was an easy one and timed just perfectly. My boss and friend for many years will retire in May 2016. I instinctively knew she would be happy to share the many changes in healthcare and the impact these changes have had on her professional career. Regina Slone has been practicing medicine for forty-one years. She is a Professor of Pediatrics, a Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist and the Section Head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital. She has spent the majority of her professional career in this organization. Dr. Slone holds an academic position combining teaching, clinical care and research which is the position of a traditional academic professor in a medical school. She is involved in activities related to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). She has been on the city’s top docs list for many years. With these credentials, one can imagine the vast number of changes she has seen and the impacts these changes have made to the healthcare delivery system. During the past five years, she has seen increased bureaucracy at both at a medical school and hospital level. She feels the hospital functions more as a large business entity rather than a large clinical care organization. Growth, market share and competition continue to be the emphasis. We have become the leader of pediatrics and have a monopoly on the pediatric market. In fact, the SOM faculty doubled from 300 to 600 in an effort to keep wait times down and to compete in the private practice model. She believes Children’s Hospital has pushed too rapidly for growt... ...ine. One cannot forget the rewarding field in which our clinicians work and the many contributions from caring professionals, like Dr. Slone, to the field of medicine. These advancements and discoveries have promoted the health of children during her 41 years of practice. For that, many families our thankful and I am very fortunate to have worked closely with this remarkable individual during the wonderful and challenging times in healthcare. Works Cited Angst, C. M., Devaraj, S., & D'Arcy, J. (2012). Dual Role of IT-Assisted Communication in Patient Care: A Validated Structure-Process-Outcome Framework. Journal Of Management Information Systems, 29(2), 257-292. Schultz, H.A, & Young, K.M. (2013). Health Care USA: Understanding Its Organization and Delivery. Retrieved from http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/HAP_NPSG_Chapter_2014.pdf

Nanotech N Nanoscience

Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology Introduction Student Guide Lesson Overview In this lesson, you will learn the differences between â€Å"Nanoscience† and â€Å"Nanotechnology. † Both are extremely exciting, but have distinct differences in what the people in these fields do. Throughout this lesson you'll be asked to research and discuss what is happening in nanoscience and nanotechnology. A lot is going on in both fields and the potential for a lot more is HUGE. Before coming to class Complete the on-line Knowledge Probe (KP) called KP: Nanoscience vs Nanotechnology.Objectives At the end of this lesson you will be able to do the following: ? List several examples of nanoscience exploration and research activities ? List several examples of nanotechnology innovations and products ? Correctly apply the terms Nanoscience and Nanotechnology to different situations ? Tell another person what the differences are between Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Resources National Nanotech nology Initiative (NNI) web site: www. nano. gov NNI site â€Å"What is Nanotechnology†: http://www. nano. gov/nanotech-101/what Nano Science and Technology Institute : http://www. nsti. org/UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 1 of 10 Lesson Outline Pre-class assignment Knowledge Probe Before coming to class, you complete an on-line assessment of your current understanding of nanoscience vs. nanotechnology (KP – Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology). In-class Activity: NanoScience vs. NanoTechnology In this activity you will develop your own definitions of nanoscience and nanotechnology based on current knowledge. You will be required to share your results with the instructor and other students as part of the class discussion.Discussion on the results of Activity You will share your definitions of nanoscience and nanotechnology with other students and the instructors. The discussion should cover the differences and sim ilarities of each. The instructor will present several examples of which you will determine â€Å"nanoscience†, â€Å"nanotechnology† or â€Å"both†. The class will reach a consensus on the correct definition of each. Post-Assessment Complete a short assessment that measures your understanding of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Assessment Strategy You will be assessed on the following: ?Completion of the online Knowledge Probe: Nanoscience vs. nanotechnology ? Participation in the classroom discussion ? Grade on the in-class Post-Quiz: Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology Terminology Nanoscience Nanotechnology Nano http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nano Nanometer http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/nanometer Science http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/science Technology http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/technology UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 2 of 10 Introduction What is Nanoscience?To give you a hint, the illustration below represents a biomolecule that nanoscientists have discovered. What is it? First of all, what's the red spiral? What's the figure walking on top of the red spiral? Give up? Very simply put, the red spiral is a microfilament, a minute fiber found in muscle cells. The green figure walking on top of the microfilament is a protein molecule called myosin. Nanoscientists have discovered that the mysoin protein acts like a linear motor. To contract a muscle, the myosin molecule (or motor) walks in nano-size steps along the microfilament.As the myosin molecule walks, it pulls on the microfilament causing the muscle cells to contract. [Illustration by and courtesy of PrecisionGraphics. com] So what is Nanoscience? This is really a two part question: 1) What is nano? 2) What is science? By the end of this lesson, you will be able to answer these questions. You will also be able to answer the question – What is the difference between Nanoscience and Nan otechnology? There is a huge difference! So let's find out. UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 3 of 10 Lesson Content What is Nano?Let's start with answering the question, â€Å"What is nano? † Here are some nano-size objects: DNA Molecule: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) about 2 nanometers in diameter Dozens of Silicon atoms Each silicon atom is approximately 0. 234 nanometers in diameter; therefore this picture is about 4 nm wide. This picture was taken using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). [AFM image by and courtesy of Franz Giessibl] NanoDot This image shows a nano-size Gold particle (50 nm) sitting on the end of a microcantilever. [Courtesy of the Craighead Group, Cornell] UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 4 of 10 The Definition of Nano Nano is a metric prefix which is applied to measurements of length such as millimeter, micrometer, and nanometers. It can al so be applied to measurements that indicate the â€Å"amount† of something: milliampere or nanoamperes (an amounts of electrical current), microliters or nanoliters (the amount of a volume), and kilograms or nanograms (the mass of something). The prefix nano is used as another indication of size or amount. You may already know, or soon will find out, that a nanometer is defined as one-billionth of a meter (1 x 10-9 meter).A meter is a little longer than a yard (1 meter = 1. 09 yards). Graphic unit is â€Å"nanometer† Graphic source: National Cancer Institute What is Science? Now let's look at the second question: What is science? There are many definitions of science. Here are a couple: 1) â€Å"The systematic observation of natural events and conditions in order to discover facts about them and to formulate laws and principals based on these facts. †[Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology] 2) â€Å"The organized body of knowledge that is derived f rom such observations and that can be verified or tested by further investigation. [Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology] Sound pretty complicated? Well it isn’t really. It just takes some time to think about it. UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 5 of 10 One way to look at the definition of science is that science is trying to figure out nature’s rule book. ? What are the rules which govern material properties? ? How do things move? ? Why do natural events occur as they do? An example of nanoscience was the discover of how the gecko can walk on ceilings and stick to glass walls of an aquarium.Hint: It has something to do with nano-size objects in the feet. You'll study this later in this course. Through science we know the answer to questions such as these: ? Why are plants green? ? Why do some things float and others sink? ? How do our lungs pull the oxygen out of the air? Scientists are the peo ple who do the investigations or experiments and try to determine what the rules of nature are. The experiments are done in a very precise and systematic way so that others can re-do the experiments and (hopefully) get the same results. Getting the same results is what is meant by being â€Å"verifiable† and â€Å"repeatable. So now you should have a better idea as to what science means: Figuring out the rules which determine how things work in nature. UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 6 of 10 What is Technology? What does the term â€Å"Technology† really mean? We live in a society which is packed with all sorts of â€Å"technology†: iPODs, iPads, cell phones, laptops, GPS (Global Positioning Systems), gaming systems (Wii, Nintendo, X-box, Playstation), DLP (Digital Light Processors) displays, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), WiFi †¦ I’m sure you can come up with dozens more technology driven devices and systems.How is Technology defined? The National Institute of Health (NIH) defines technology as â€Å"A body of knowledge used to create tools, develop skills, and extract or collect materials; the application of science (the combination of the scientific method and material) to meet an objective or solve a problem. † Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary defines technology as 1 a: the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area b: a capability given by the practical application of knowledge 2: a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge.UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 7 of 10 So What is NanoTechnology? Here are a couple of examples of Nanotechnology. Liposome A liposome is a tiny nanoparticle or vacated sphere made out of the same material as a cell membrane. It is hoped that one day we can fill a lipsome with drugs and inject it into the blood stream. Using the properties associated with the liposome's membrane, it will connect to a cancerous tumor, emit the drugs and kill the cancerous cells.Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) Carbon nanotubes use the properties of carbon to form tubes with a length to diameter ratio greater than 1,000,000! Potential applications of CNTs include electrical connections for micro and nano-sized electronics, fibers 20 times stronger than bulletresistent kevlar fibers, and surfaces slicker than Teflon. [Images by Junifer Nez, SCME] So, what do you think? What is NanoTechnology? Activity: NanoScience vs. NanoTechnology Link to and complete the activity – Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 8 of 10An Example of Nanoscience Enabling Nanotechnology Now that you have developed definitions for nanoscience and nanotechnology, what do you think is the difference between the two? In this picture you see a dep iction of a molecule. This particular molecule makes up the famous non-stick Teflon coating used on cookware, telecommunication cables, and clothes. Identifying the molecule's design and determining its physical and chemical properties are examples of nanoscience. Learning how to control and mass produce the molecule to make the desired Teflon coatings is an example of nanotechnology. [Images by SCME]More on Teflon Coatings The molecules that are used for Teflon coatings repel water molecules when assembled in a film. These Teflon coatings are said to be hydrophobic. â€Å"Hydro† means water and â€Å"phobic† means â€Å"scared of† or â€Å"repulsed by. † Nanotechnology has lead to the development of a process that takes billions and billions of these molecules to make a continuous coating. The result is a hydrophobic surface called a Teflon coating. UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 9 of 10 Summa ry In this lesson you have learned ? what is nanoscience, ? hat is nanotechnology, and ? what are the differences and similarities between nanoscience and nanotechnology. Through the applications you've seen, you should have recognized that nanoscience and nanotechnology are not science fiction, but are areas of study that are growing at a tremendous pace throughout the world in a variety of fields. Homework Complete the on-line Assessment – Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology References 1 Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) web site: www. nano. gov Nano Science and Technology Institute : http://www. nsti. org/This work has been funded through the support of a National Science Foundation grant, DUE # UNM NanoTechnology NScience_vs_Ntechnology_PG_0301912 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 10 of 10 Activity – Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology Student Guide Introduction This activity will help you to better identify the difference between nanoscience and nanotechnology. In this activity you will develop your own definitions of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Once your definitions have been developed, you will work with the other students and reach a consensus on what is the best definition for each of these two areas.Activity: Time to Complete: approximately 45 minutes. Procedure: 1. Write down your definition of nanoscience. 2. Write down your definition of nanotechnology. 3. Share your definitions with the other students in the class or through the discussion board. 4. Review others’ definitions of nanoscience and nanotechnology. 5. Discuss your definitions and, as a group, reach a consensus on a definition for each term. (Do not use the definitions used in this lesson. Come up with your own. ) 6. Submit your activity results to your instructor. UNM NanoTechnology Definitions_AC_PG_031912 Definitions Nanoscience vs.Nanotechnology AC_PG Page 1 of 1 Post-Activ ity Questions / Answers 1. List at least two examples, experiments or discoveries that would fall under your definition of nanoscience. 2. List at least two examples, experiments, or developments that would fall under your definition of nanotechnology. 3. Is there a clear dividing line between nanoscience and nanotechnology? Support your answer with examples. Summary This activity allowed you to further your understanding of nanoscience vs. nanotechnology and identify examples of each. This work has been funded through the support of a National Science Foundation grant, DUE #UNM NanoTechnology Definitions_AC_PG_031912 Definitions Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology AC_PG Page 2 of 2 UNM NanoTechnology Definitions_AC_PG_031912 Cut To Size Activity IG Page 3 of 3 This quiz must be taken before the first class meeting. Online quiz: Knowledge Probe – Nanoscience vs. nanotechnology 1. Nanoscience a. Develops means by which to manipulate particles at the molecular level b. Develops the systems for studying particles at the molecular level c. Studies the properties of particles at the molecular level d. Studies the formation of particles at the molecular level 2. Nanotechnology a.Develops means by which to manipulate particles at the molecular level b. Develops the systems for studying particles at the molecular level c. Studies the properties of particles at the molecular level d. Studies the formation of particles at the molecular level 3. For each of the following, identify it as either nanoscience or nanotechnology a. The exploitation of the properties of self-assembly i. Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology b. The study of the rules that govern material properties at the nanoscale i. Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology c. The development of liposome vesicles into drug delivery systems i.Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology d. The design of a process that yields hydrophobic films i. Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology e. The identification of the molecular design of hydrophobic mate rials i. Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology 4. Nanotechnology ____________________ the findings of nanoscience. a. Validates b. Exploits c. Manipulates d. Clarifies 5. Which of the following is a job requirement for a technologist working for a nanotechnology company? a. Operate commercial-scale production equipment to produce, test, or modify materials, devices for the purpose of understanding their chemical and physical properties. b.Research and manipulate structures at the atomic and subatomic level for the purpose of understanding their hydrophobic characteristics. c. Experiment with and modify processes for the development of new energy producing products using nano-size particles. UNM NanoTechnology Quiz1-science_tech_PG_030112 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 1 of 1 Post-Discussion Quiz – Nanoscience vs. nanotechnology 1. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at the nanoscale for the purpose of a. Discovering new physical properties b. Analyzing how molecules react to each other c. Proving or disproving established theories d.Creating new products or applications 2. For each of the following, identify it as either nanoscience or nanotechnology a. The study of the rules that govern material properties at the nanoscale i. Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology b. The development of liposome vesicles into drug delivery systems i. Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology c. The exploitation of the properties of self-assembly i. Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology d. The identification of the molecular design of hydrophobic materials i. Nanoscience ii. Nanotechnology e. The design of a process that yields hydrophobic films i. Nanoscience ii.Nanotechnology 3. Which of the following statements is TRUE? a. Nanotechnology enables the advancement of nanoscience. b. Nanoscience enables the advancement of nanotechnology. c. Nanoscience exploits the properties of nanoparticles for human gain. d. Nanotechnology is the study and discovery of the properties of matter in the nanoscale. 4. Which of the following is a job requirement for a technologist working for a nanotechnology company? a. Operate commercial-scale production equipment to produce, test, or modify materials, devices for the purpose of understanding their chemical and physical properties. b.Research and manipulate structures at the atomic and subatomic level for the purpose of understanding their hydrophobic characteristics. c. Experiment with and modify processes for the development of new energy producing products using nano-size particles. 5. Which of the following questions would be answered by a technologist versus a scientist? a. What is needed to create a hydrophobic surface? b. How do our lungs extract oxygen from air? c. Why don’t plants stay green year round? d. What is the melting temperature of nano-particles of gold? UNM NanoTechnology Quiz2-science_tech_PG_030112 Nanoscience vs. Nanotechnology IG Page 1 of 1

A Literary Review on Molieres The Imaginary Invalid Essays

A Literary Review on Molieres The Imaginary Invalid Essays A Literary Review on Molieres The Imaginary Invalid Paper A Literary Review on Molieres The Imaginary Invalid Paper Moliere’s â€Å"The Imaginary Invalid† is a play about a hypochondriac who is so obsessed with his health and money that he ends up neglecting his family’s needs to better his own. Moliere sets up the exposition of the play in Act I by the apothecary bills Argon is reading aloud. After Toinette, the maid, then enters the scene she sarcastically makes a comment about all of the bills lying on the table. Toinette lets the audience know that Argon is a hypochondriac by rebutting everything he says about his doctors and illnesses with sarcastic comments. For instance, when Argon says, â€Å"You leave my insides alone.† She comes back with, â€Å"I wish you would. You’d be a different man.† She also lets the audience know by saying, â€Å"Why, if it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t even know you were ill,† speaking of the apothecary. The main conflict of the play is Argon’s unwillingness to accept that he is not ill and he is, in fact, a very healthy man. This â€Å"illness† leads to the selfishness that he shows his family, especially his daughter Angelica. Later in Act I his â€Å"illnesses† prove to have relevance to the conflict when she speaks of Cleante, the man she loves. Cleante is not a doctor; therefore, Argon will not give his blessings for Angelica to marry him. The conflict of the play was that Argon would not give his blessings for the marriage of his daughter, Angelica, and the man she loves, Cleante. The main characters involved in the conflict besides Angelica and Cleante is Argon, the problem, Toinette and Argon’s brother, Beralde, which resolve the conflict in the end. Argon is involved, as stated earlier, because he will not give his blessings on the marriage. Toinette and Beralde were involved in the resolution to the conflict because they cared about Angelica and her happiness. I believe that Beralde was more involved in the resolution because he felt that his brother was going far with his hypochondria, but still cared for Angelica’s happiness. Argon seemed to over-step the line when he tried to ruin the lives of his daughter just for his mental well being. The steps taken to see that Angelica does not have to marry a man that she simply does not want to marry lead up to the climax of the play. Argon finally realizes who cares about him and who doesn’t when he overhears his wife, Beline, speaking of his death and then Angelica. The climax was in Act III when The denoument of the play was uncertain. The dominant theme of this play is mind versus body. The play is about a wealthy, but self-centered, man who believes that he is constantly ill. However, there is obvious doubt to whether he is really ill or is he is simply imagining his illnesses. Therefore, the primary theme is Argon’s internal struggle of the body versus mind. This theme is developed throughout the play into smaller themes such as greed versus love and death versus life. It was obvious to me that in the play, Argon was only imagining his illnesses and that he was in dire need of attention. Argon had two groups of people giving him this attention, though both very different. One group (the doctors, Beline, and Bonnefoy, the lawyer) wanted his money. The other group (Angelica, Toinette, Beralde, and Clente) only wanted his love. Together these two groups compete for the wealth and love that they need from Argon.

Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man Essay Example

Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man Essay Example Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man Essay Nigerian Judiciary and the defence of the common man Essay Essay Topic: In Cold Blood Law In line with the doctrine of separation of powers, which is a cardinal feature of a democratic system, the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the independence of the Judiciary. The doctrine of seperation of power was introduced by French political philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu in order to protect the people from dictatorship or authoritarianism. Under this arrangement, three branches of goverment were formed: the executive, legislature and judiciary. The legislature is responsible for making laws, the executive implements while the judiciary interpretes the laws. It was Madisons system of Checks and Balances that would keep the three in check. No one branch would be able to exploit its power without the scrutiny of one of the other branches. Montesquieu did specify that the independence of the judiciary has to be real, and not apparent merely. The judiciary was generally seen as the most important of powers, independent and unchecked, and also considered the least dangerous. That the judiciary all over the world is regarded as the last hope of the common man needs not be over-emphasised. This is why stakeholders in the justice sector often refer to it as a strong fortress, standing sure and strong, providing succour and shelter for the defenceless and vulnerable of the society; a safe haven where the oppressed, the injured, the dismayed, the upstanding, the expectant, indeed the whole society, looks up to for succour, protection and justice. But in Nigeria today, many see this statement, not only as literary expression, but as a cliche that is fast becoming a mirage to the common man because of the multitude of problems plaguing this hallowed instituton. A well functional judiciary is a central element of the civil society. It is the sole adjudicator over the political, social and economic spheres. But despite the encomiums the Nigerian judiciary has received in recent time, the justice sector has practically collapsed under the weight of abject neglect by past administrations. The sector is slow in dispensing justice. Laws are archaic and antiquated, court infrastructures are obsolete and the prisons are over-crowded resulting in the collapsed of civil and criminal justice system. The Nigerian judiciary has come a long way since its establishment during the colonial era. The Nigerian legal system has had a lot of influence from English law on its growth. According to Obilade (1979), English law has a tremendous influence on the Nigerian legal system, and English law forms a substantial part of Nigerian law. Both the suspended 1979 constitution and the never implemented 1989 constitutions, as well as the new constitution promulgated on May 29, 1999 provide for an independent judiciary. In practice, the judiciary is subject to executive and legislative branch pressure, influence by political leaders at both the state and federal levels, and suffers from corruption and inefficiency. Under the 1999 constitution, the regular court system comprises federal and state trial courts, state appeals courts, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Supreme Court, and Shariah (Islamic) and customary (traditional) courts of appeal for each state and for the federal capital territory of Abuja. Courts of the first instance include magistrate or district courts, customary or traditional courts, Shariah courts, and for some specified cases, the state high courts. In principle, customary and Shariah courts have jurisdiction only if both plaintiff and defendant agree, but fear of legal costs, delays, and distance to alternative venues encourage many litigants to choose these courts. Trials in the regular court system are public and generally respect constitutionally protected individual rights, including a presumption of innocence, the right to be present, to confront witnesses, to present evidence, and to be represented by legal counsel. However, low compensation for judges, understaffing, poor equipment, bribery, special settlements, and a host of developmental factors decrease the reliability and impartiality of the courts. The Nigerian judiciary has indeed come a long way and has evolved over the years from the 1st republic through the various military interventions to the present 5th republic. The judiciary has not been immune to the turbulent and capricious changes in leadership. Nigerias chequerd political and social evolution has indeed taken its toll on this indispensable institution of Government. Our prolonged romance with military regimes has unarguably wrecked the greatest havoc on the judiciary. The military regimes, notorious for their trademark of arbitrariness, authoritarianism and contempt for the rule of law did not regard the judiciary as an arm of government. Instead, these corrupt and unconscionable military regimes with intimidation and inducements manipulated the judiciary and effectively debased this institution. The decay of the Nigerian judiciary can therefore be traced to the military era. The soldiers always suspend the constitution when they come to power and enact decrees that guide their actions. Intimidation, extra judicial killings and assasination of dissenters which is usually the hallmark of military government all contributed to the castration and destruction of the judiciary. The massive corruption that takes place under military regime also lures some unscrupulous and rapacious judicial officers who make themselves stooges in the hands of the evil men in power just for a share of the filthy lucre. So, the military rule has had a particularly corrosive effect on the judiciary. As Justice Agboola recently put it: The aberration of military regimes dealt a dangerous blow to law because military regimes engendered lawlessness. You cannot have law when sombody is above the law. Law must be supreme. Nigeria, as a country has not lived up to the expectations of her founders in terms of overall development in different aspects of life. Nigeria is still bedevilled by various problems which has successfully impeded our adancement as a nation. Corruption is generally regarded as the bane of this country. Corrution at the different levels of government in different institutions has curtailed development in all critical sectors. Basic amenities like steady electricity, water and good roads are still beyond the reach of the citizenry. Free and fair elections have eluded us and power is still in the hands of a few privileged elite class who continue to manipulate the electoral process to install their stooges to continue the cycle of self enrichment and political aggrandizement. Corruption is indeed endemic in Nigeria; it is a way of life and in this situation, one would be stretching optimism to its greatest boundaries to expect the judiciary to be above board. With the pervasve and chronic corruption in this country and its evil offsprings: opportunism, nepotism, incompetence and mediocrity, no institution of government is wholly functional and efficient. Corrution has infiltrated all institutions and parastatals and even our learned judges are not immune. In a corrupt system like ours, meritocracy and competence are substituted with mediocrity and incompetence. A corrupt system throws up unscrupulous and incompetent individuals who are bereft of selflessness and patriotism. These individuals are greeedy and selfish, and are susceptible to financial inducements and gratifications. In such an unfortunate scenario, justice becomes a product which is sold to the highest bidders. The comon man, who do not have the finacial muscle to buy judicial favors or manipulate the process is left with the short end of the stick. In such an ill-concieved system, there certainly can be no justice for the commin man. The return of Nigeria to democatic rule was heralded by great joy and overflowing optimism. The Nigerian masses were full of hope that the years of suffering, poverty and injustice were over. The newly sworn in administration made mouth watering promises. We were told that our decaying infrastrucures will be revamped, that the educational and health system will be refurbished and upgraded, that there will be masive industrialization which will create jobs for the swarm of unemployed youths. The new government also promised to address the numerous human rights abuses of the autocratic military regimes and to respect the rule of law. Nigerians gullibly swallowed all the lofty promises and with high hopes, prepared themselves for the ride to the promised land. Alas, the implementation of the sweet promises proved not to only be an ardous task, but an impossible one. The first indication that the status quo was not about to change in the judicial system was the failure of the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa panel which was set up to investigate and resolve cases of human rights abuse during the military era. Victims attended the hearings and passionately presented their cases. But the various individuals, especially the ex military rulers indicted, snubbed the panel and refused to answer the summons. The government did nothing to make these people respect the panel which really undermined the credibility of the panel. Obviously, the hands of the government was tied because some of the indicted individuals bankrolled the campaign of the sitting president. At the end of the hearings, the renowned Justice Oputa and his colleagues made recommendations to the government which it contemptuously ignored and failed to implement till this day. Another case that comes to mind is that of the Apo 6 victims. These were 5 young men and a lady who were brutally murdered in cold blood on 7th june,2005 on the orders of a ruthless senior poice officer, Assistant commissioner of police Ibrahim Danjuma. At the time, the case generated much controversy and outrage. The police officers tried to lie by labelling the innocent victims armed robbers. These accusations were unanimously rejected by people who knew these young men as honest men engaged in legitimate business. Owing to the furore generated by the massacre, the federal government under former president Olusegun Obasanjo set up a judicial panel of inquiry which investigated the circumstances leading to the death of the victims. The panel rejected the police accusations and indicted the policemen for the gruesome murder of the innocent citizens. The federal government apologized to the families of the victims and gave them monetary compensation. The case was then transferred to court for the prosecution of the indicted police officers. One would expect that given the international attention attracted by the case and the intense media scrutiny, that the federal government would spare no efforts to ensure a expeditious and sound trial. Unfortunately, that was not the case, a year and two months after this welter of incontrovertible evidence was gathered, two of the accused, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Danjuma and Police Constable Emmanuel Acheneje were granted bail by Justice Isaq Bello of Abuja High Court. That was on Wednesday, August 2, 2006. The two were admitted to bail on medical ground. While Danjuma was said to be suffering from diabetes, ulcer and heart problem, Acheneje was said to have contracted the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and in the Justices opinion, granting Bello bail would enable him seek adequate medical treatment while that of Acheneje was predicated on the excuse that he could afflict other inmates with other ailments, which come with HIV/AIDS. And you would have thought that if for any reason whatsoever, such a man standing trial for so dreadful a crime was to be granted bail, the conditions would be so stringent, particularly bearing in mind that Danjuma had made several attempts in the past to escape from detention and also the fact that one of the principal suspects, Othman Abdulsalam, the DPO of Garki Police Station at the time the crime was committed escaped from the police detention facility and is still on the run. The case narrated above is just one of numerous cases in which average citizens are denied justice and the privileged are allowed to commit crimes with impunity. I am sure that there are cases that are far worse than this, but this one happened to come to limelight. The situation in Nigeria today is that the ordinary man has lost hope in the Nigerian judicial system. The problems are numerous and apart from corrruption, which is clearly at the root of all problems in this country, the system is run by unpatriotic and mediocre people. Approximately seventy percent of the inmates in all the prisons in this country are awaiting trial. The judicial process is so tardy and sluggish in this country that some people serve out the term of their alleged crimes before the completion of their trials. The case is even worse for poor people who may not be able to afford legal representation. The Nigerian prison system is a mess and the conditions in most of them are worse than that in Hitlers concentration camps. The police have no respect for the rule of law and ordinary citizens are sometimes treated like animals. Sometimes, people arrested for various crimes are held in police detention for extensive periods of time without reference to the stipulations of the law book for the maximum period people can be detained without trial. The police force being one of the most corrupt institutions in this country also exploits the masses blatantly by charging outrageous fees for bail and demanding financial inducements from the weak and desperate. Most analysts and stakeholders have concluded that unnecessary and frequent delays experienced in judicial proceedings have great adverse effects on the administration of justice in Nigeria. This situation is brought about by the congestion of cases in the courts as well as unnecessary adjournments sought by counsels in both civil and criminal proceedings. Recently, eminent jurist, Justice Chukwufudi Oputa, (JSC) identified delay and huge expense as twin weaknesses of Nigerias justice system. Justice Oputa said: The administration of the justice in our courts suffers from two major constraints, namely delay and expense. If it takes seven to ten years to decide a case, prospective litigants may decided not to go to court at all. But the one thing that frightens prospective litigants from the court is the inordinate expense which has to be incurred with the result that a very large proportion of our countrymen are as it were, priced out of our legal system. The present administration of President Umaru go slow Yaradua which made lofty promises of respecting the rule of law has failed to live up to expectations. There has been no reforms designed nor implemented in this institution and the status quo has been maintained. The rich are still sheltered from justice and there are still cases of judicial witch hunt. This is evidenced by the shabby handling by the EFCC of the prosecution of the corrupt ex-governors like James Ibori. The Federal government if anything has gone out of its way to protect these corrupt politicians fro the hands of justice. We all watched with shame as the Attorney general succesfully frustrated the prosecution of Ibori and his accomplices by the United kingdom. such a macabre dance can only make credible nations to scoff at the governments anti-corruption battle and further distance themselves from this cursed land. It is well known that there are two sets of rules in this country,one for the poor and another for the rich and privileged. The only area in our judicial system where we have recorded marginal success is in the election petition tribunals although it can be argued that this does not directly apply to the common man, because in most cases,the litigators are affluent members of the society. Nevertheless, this piece cannot be complete without mentioning the landmark judgements that has come out of the election tribunals in recent times. The success of Gov peter Obi at the electoral tribunals and his subsequent reinstatement by the supreme court is worthy of mention. Also, the victory of Adams Oshiomole was also remarkable given the fact that he was clearly elected on a popular mandate. Some other noteworthy judgements were bastardized by the sleazy and stinking INEC, Nigerians corrupt electoral body notorious for being an appendage of the ruling peoples democratic party. This is evidenced by the cases in Kogi,Enugu and most recently, Ekiti where the gubernatorial elections were upturned only for the shameless electoral umpire to reenact the same electoral sham. Lately, Nigeria once again made mockery of itself in the international community following the mayhem that occured in some northern states during the crash of the radical islamic sect, Boko harem with security agencies. The leader of the sect was captured and killed in police custody igniting widespread international condemnation. It is indeed, very unfortunate and distressing that in the year 2009, when less endowed countries are making progress and undergoing widespread advancement, Nigeria is still indulging in extrajudicial killing. No matter the magnitude of the crime committed, every individual is entitled to fair hearing. All accused remain innocent until convicted by a legitimate court of law. This is a basic knowlege and for the police force to disregard that shows that we still have a very long wy to go as a country. In conclusion, the fate of the common man in the hands of the Nigerian judiciary is bleak and forlorn. Infact, there is no justice for the common man in our present judicial system. The judicial system needs to be completely overhauled for it to function in line with international standards. Of course, reforming the judicial system cannot be effective without overhauling the police force which is in an even worse shape. We have to purge this country of corruption for us to make any tangible progress in this regard. We need responsible, honest and committed leadership and only a credible electoral process can produce that. Only a responsible and selfless government can implement people-oriented reforms which will impact on the various institutions in this country including the judiciary so that they can function in line with the prevailing standards in developed countries. Till then, the fate of the common man in this country remains in Gods hands.

Intermediate Macroeconomics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intermediate Macroeconomics - Research Paper Example The decrease in the interest or cash rate will encourage the consumers and investors to spend more money. This, in turn, will increase the overall output and, as a result, will force the GDP growth rate to increase in the next two quarters. Hence, the decreasing inflation rate will contribute towards the real GDP growth for 2012 quarter IV and 2013 quarter I. This is also supported by the depreciating Australian currency. 2. Inflation Rate for 2012 Quarter IV and 2013 Quarter I: It is being forecasted that the inflation rate will be 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 and 0.6875 percent in the first quarter of 2013 (derived from the Australian Government Budget 2012–13). The inflation rate is being forecasted to be down in the fourth quarter of 2012 because of the less capital investment in response to the weakening economic conditions all over the world (RBA statistics). However, this low inflation rate will push the RBA to decrease the cash rate and, thus, force the in vestors to invest in the market. This, in turn, will increase the money circulation and spending and, hence, will increase the demand which will force the inflation rate to increase in the first quarter of 2013. This is also supported by the decreasing interest rates (RBA statistics). ... This is because of the decreasing inflation rate in the previous quarter and underestimated market demand (RBA statistics). Hence, the decrease in the inflation rate and market demand will force the RBA to take necessary measures to increase the overall economic growth of the country. In order to increase the demand and improve the investment activities, the RBA will decrease the cash rate. The decreasing cash rate will discourage the investors and consumers from saving their money and will, hence, increase the consumer spending, investment and market demand, which, in turn, will result in increasing the overall economic growth in the country (Mankiw, 2009). The RBA will keep this decrease in the cash rate for a couple of months and will monitor the domestic and international market. The increasing market demand will eventually result in increasing the inflation rate and, hence, RBA will be forced to again increase the cash rate in the second quarter of 2013. 4. Average Exchange Rate between the Australian Dollar and the US Dollar to Prevail from November 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013: The average exchange rate between the Australian Dollar and the US Dollar, which is more likely to prevail from November 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013, is 0.98 US dollars per Australian dollar (Derived with the help of Australian Dollar Currency Exchange Forecast). This can be directly related with the decision of the RBA to decrease the cash rate and interest rates. One reason behind the lengthened high exchange rate or value of the Australian dollar has been the difference in the interest rates prevailing in Australia and United States. The decreasing interest rate will force the investors to look for some other places for investment and hence, there

Philosophy Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy Paper - Essay Example Hume is representative of skepticism in the search for Truth, skepticism of the mind itself in its ability to make valid judgments devoid of connection with material reality. Only when mental deductions were tied directly to â€Å"objective fact† through material measurements and statistical replicability would they be validated by the scientific method. Thus, the foundations of epistemology are revised with Hume in European thought, and Kant’s â€Å"Critique of Pure Reason† is an example of this in German philosophy of the same period. Kant’s polemics against metaphysics served to promote their devaluation in Western thought from the early 18th century, and metaphysics with its subjective methods that could not be proved or measured empirically were no longer considered objective knowledge. Hume’s writings on the biases, and the manner that logic reasons from the biases awoke Kant to writing his â€Å"Critique of Pure Reason† and other treatises. What Hume wrote of in the biases Kant would formulate more clearly in a conceptualization of a priori knowledge. In Kant’s philosophy, the logic of the biases was transformed into a type of integral essentialism, where the logic governing a process was held by the observer to be simultaneously its own nature, cause, and identity. This is based in an analysis of materialism that, like Hume, was based on substance and empiricism as indicative of the factuality of truth. In Kant, the application of moral awareness is limited to experience in the w orld as such, and therefore cannot be extended beyond being through speculation to places where the individual had no experience, thus limiting metaphysics to physics in the academic context of knowledge construction and validation. Kant’s model of consciousness was based on the preservation of the moral consciousness within logical thought or as its greater context of understanding. Thus, through this application, the biases in the