Research Design Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Design - Research Paper Example This study design is of great importance since it informs policy formulation and implementation strategies and avoids wastage of resources in starting interventions that would not change the state of the population. In the case of HBP the study type would inform the researcher whether the access to a health facility and follow-up are the major causes and therefore policies and interventions to address the same can be put in place to ensure that the interventions are most effective and do not use a lot of resources. HBP management has proven to be technical and requires behavior changes, good diet, along with a regimen of antihypertensive medications that require medical follow-up. Therefore the black men in urban areas have poor access to health services and do not seek care or remain in treatment and this is considered as a great factor in the rate of disability and death in this population. This study design is important in this particular scenario since in order to understand if the factors expressed are the real cause, one half of the population be exposed to the factors and the other not and then assessed over a period of time in order to determine whether the factors have an effect on HBP management. A cohort study is a type of study design which is used widely in cases where the researcher aims at reaching persons with particular similarities. There are different cohorts that can be described in terms of age or condition being suffered from. Most cohorts are attributed by age and therefore age has been the most common dividing factor in cohort studies. It has been expressed widely in this study where Dr Jemmott focuses on reducing risky sexual behavior, primarily among minority adolescents. This clearly illustrates that the target population of the study are the adolescents who are the cohort in this case. The use of cohort study design is important in ensuring that the target population is actually captured

The Morally Blasphemous Essay Example for Free

The Morally Blasphemous Essay In the following essay, I will argue that modern day suicide bombers are not morally blameless by Camus’s standards. To be morally blameless in Camus’s terms, modern day suicide bombers must absolutely meet two vital criteria. For suicide bombers to be morally blameless, Camus stresses that these terrorists must have a just cause, and secondly meet the qualifications of proportional atonement. Since some suicide bombers have a just cause, but all do not meet the criteria of proportional atonement, they are therefore considered not to be morally blameless by Camus’s standards. In the following paragraphs, I will lay out the framework and foundations to explain why the majority of suicide bombers do not meet the criteria for proportional atonement. Secondly I will attempt to demonstrate how some of the terrorism committed by these people, may be in the name of justice but then again look at fluent counter arguments that point out that suicide bombers are breaking one of Camus’s important deontological constraints. Proportional atonement for Camus is the ability for any terrorist , and in this case Kaliayev, to reflect on his actions after having committed the act of violence against the Grand Duke. The terrorist or suicide bomber must then have the courage to pay the ultimate price with their own life. In Kaliayev’s case, this means to refuse any form of acquittal and to suffer the punishment. For Camus, paying with one’s life is the highest price an individual can pay. Therefore a terrorist willing to go through with his or her plan must understand that by doing so, he or she is acting under the pretenses that they are giving up everything. Those who provide an argument in saying that terrorists do pay a proportional price, bring forth the idea that by blowing themselves up, suicide bombers are clearly paying with their life, and are therefore accepting to pay the maximum price. Whether a terrorist like Kaliayev, kills one person by blowing up the Grand Duke’s carriage, or whether it be the back bombers who blew themselves up killing 191 Spaniards in Madrid, these terrorists are paying the ultimate price for what they see as committing an act of justice. The number of people you kill, be it one or ten thousand is irrelevant as a person only has one life to give since we cannot kill ourselves over. For those who hold this true, what they are failing to realize is that suicide bombers, although they are paying the ultimate price, are often celebrated as heroes back at home and monetary compensation is often rewarded to the family members of the suicide bombers. Therefore, you might say that terrorist do pay with their lives but minus the amount of post-mortem social prestige. In his book Driven to Death, author Ariel Merari discusses the effect that monetary compensation has on helping to recruit suicide bombers. In his book, Merari states that families receive money from many sources, including local charities as well as terrorist recruiter groups like modern day Al-Qaeda and the Palestinian authority. In Iraq, before the fall of Sadam Hussein’s regime, his government would give between $20,000 and $25,000 to the families of su icide bombers, often given the goal to blow up and kill American troops or Iranian Shi’ites. 1 1Merari, Ariel. A Controlled Study of Would Be Suicides. Driven to Death. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. 132-33. Print This brings me to my next point which discuses the power of what I call selfish reasoning. Another method is to try and compare modern day suicide bombers, (which we unfortunately have to generalize as Muslims) to Kaliayev. In my estimation suicide bombers blow themselves up for much ore selfish reasons. This would include the Islamic tradition of securing a place in paradise. Thus it could be far fetched to say that their death is an act of repentance but rather a quick way of going right up to paradise. Of course we do have to recognize that this may not be true for all suicide bombers. Unlike these suicide bombers Kaliayev is content to die for his cause, which is for securing a better life for the Russian people. Throughout the play there is absolutely no talk of heaven or paradise but rather the act of death as merely the end. During one of his arguments with Stepan, Kailayev notes that he joined the revolution because he loves life and is willing to give it up for the group’s cause. 2 The final foundation I wish to discuss is this idea of repentance. After having killed the Grand Duke, Kaliayev was forced to go on living in prison for a short amount of time, forced to focus and repent on his action. Even for the short amount of time, Kaliayev was forced to live knowing that he was a murderer and knowing of his dirty blood stained hands. Unlike Kaliayev who is forced to reconcile and repent, suicide bombers blow themselves up immediately, removing any bit of suffering, self reflection and pity from their agenda. This of course brings me to the next idea, which will focus on Camus’s first argument of being able to fulfill la just cause. 2Camus, Albert. The Just Assasins. Trans. Stuart Gilbert. Caligula And 3 Other Plays. New York: Random House, 1958. 243. Print. To say whether or not suicide bombers have a just or unjust cause is a very tricky question to answer. Since we are talking about modern day examples, let us assume we are referring to modern day su icide bombers recruited for groups like Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda’s objective is to stop the evils of American-Western oppression and economic control in the Arab world. In the last century, America has secured a dictatorship in Iran, invaded Iraq on a number of occasions, invaded Afghanistan overthrowing the Taliban and has stationed troops in Saudi Arabia in an effort to maintain a partnership that would give the United States cheap oil. Certainly having felt the oppression, suicide bombers and terrorists networks who do not have the means to take on the American military head on and engage in what is called guerilla or asymmetrical warfare. Suicide bombers will target the populations of western countries in order for the people to demand policy changes from the government out of fear of further attacks. After the dreadful Madrid bombings in 2004, the Spanish government pulled out of Iraq. A parallel can be drawn to the terrorist organization in the â€Å"Just Assassins†, unable to take the Russian military head on, the oppressed proletariats resort to unconventional warfare of terrorism against the leaders of governments in order to achieve their goal of freedom which Camus would define as clearly a just want for both those in the Arab world and for the proletariats of Russia. All this being considered, those opposed to the granting terrorists the â€Å"just cause† stamp of approval, we must consider that suicide bombers unlike Kaliayev are engaging in the violation of one of Camus’s largest moral constraints which includes the killing of innocents, along with the guilty. When a suicide bomber blows himself up, he usually does so with the goal of killing as many people as possible. In the story, kalayev cannot bring himself to kill the Grand Dukes niece and nephew because they are innocent; a group consensus follows his decision. If the Madrid back pack bombers wanted to get Camus’s morally blameless stamp of approval, perhaps they would have blown up the Spanish government rather than commuters. Having considered all the factors that have been discussed, for suicide bombers to be morally blameless by Camus’s standards they must first have a just cause and secondly practice proportional atonement. Whether or not some suicide bombers have a just cause is certainly up for interpretation and can be seen in many different lights, factors would include whether blowing up civilians is morally just and on what account they can be seen as blameful for even supporting a government that oppresses a people. On the other hand, assuming that the given suicide bombers have a just cause, it is evident for the reasons stated above that no modern day suicide bomber can fit the criteria of proportional atonement. Therefore anyway you put it, modern day suicide bombers are not morally blameless because they cannot meet both criteria successfully. Works Cited Camus, Albert, and Stuart Gilbert. Caligula Three Other Plays. New York: Random House, 1958. Print. Merari, Ariel. Driven to Death: Psychological and Social Aspects of Suicide Terrorism. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

Decrypting Cryptography Essay -- E-Commerce Internet Papers

Decrypting Cryptography Cryptography is the study of techniques and implementation dedicated to the solving of complex problems. Today, its primary use is to protect sensitive information by maintaining the privacy of communications. In general, the secret information is transformed into an altered text by a process referred to as encryption, thus preventing the message from being read by anyone besides the intended receiver. It is this cipher text that is transmitted to the intended recipient, who must use the proper key to reverse the process, that is convert the encoded message back into its plain text form. Cryptography has seen a recent rise in popularity due to the expanding nature of communications technology, the Internet, and the inherent security needs of such systems. Cryptography has many practical uses besides providing a code for secret communications. A major contributor to the many current applications of cryptology is the status of computers. Cryptology provides the tools to create a large-scale network of individuals who can communicate with each other confidentially without the threat of an unintended party being able to receive the transmission. The electronically intangible nature of e-mail messages makes them particularly susceptible to attack. Cryptography provides encryption for e-mails, so that only the intended recipient can access the plain text. Cryptographic applications have been augmented with the recent increase of business conducted over the Internet, otherwise known as e-commerce. Online banking, brokerage accounts, and shopping have increased the need for protection against fraud, theft and corruption of the vital information that is sent via the Internet with each electronic transa... ...lobe. Whether you are trading stocks at the office, talking on a cellular phone in the car, or just purchasing a CD at home, cryptography provides the necessary security to insure that your sensitive information will not fall into the wrong hands. Works Cited [1] Daepp, Ulrich. â€Å"Public Key Encryption Scheme.† 14 October 1999. [2] â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions About Today’s Cryptology.† RSA Security. [FTP] ftp://ftp.rsasecurity.com/pub/labsfaq/labsfaq4.pdf. 1 December 1999. [3] â€Å"Leonard Adleman.† The University of Southern California. [WWW] http://www-hto.usc.edu/people/Adleman.html. 3 December 1999. [4] McHugh, Josh. â€Å"People-Innovators, Smart People, Smart Ideas: Leonard Adleman.† Forbes 7 July 1997. [5] â€Å"RSA† [WWW] http://www.whatis.com/rsa.htm. 3 December 1999 [6] Shamir, Adi. â€Å"RSA for Paranoids.† CryptoBytes vol.1, no.3 Autumn 1995: 1-4.

Storm Born Chapter Twelve

I finally worked up the courage to see my mom and Roland a few days later. Tim had left for the day, but he'd apparently baked this morning. A plate of almond poppy seed muffins sat on the kitchen table, and I grabbed two for the road. My ability to think clearly had improved with some rest, but my anger and pain hadn't really faded. I still felt betrayed and not just by Wil. If anything, I could forgive him more easily than anyone else. He had not fostered a years-long secret. His actions had been open and desperate. They had not been so insidious as Kiyo's, my mom's, and Roland's. When I arrived at the house, I didn't bother knocking. The front door was open, and I pushed inside, slamming it loudly behind me. â€Å"Genie?† I heard my mom call. â€Å"Is that you?† I walked across the wood floor, my shoes echoing in the foyer. Mom and Roland sat at the kitchen table, eating lunch. Bread and cold cuts were laid out, along with assorted condiments. It looked so normal. So peaceful and innocent. My mom half-rose when she saw me. â€Å"Thank God you're back safe. I've been so – what's the matter?† I loved these people so much, but seeing them increased my fury, maybe because I did love them so much. For a moment, I couldn't get the words out. I just stared at them, looking from face to face. â€Å"Eugenie?† she asked tentatively. â€Å"Who's my father?† I demanded of her. â€Å"Was I born in the Otherworld?† I saw her go pale, her dark eyes widening in fear. In an instant, Roland was up beside her. â€Å"Eugenie, listen – † The look on his face spoke legions. â€Å"Jesus. It really is true.† I saw him open his mouth to protest, but then he thought better of it. â€Å"How did you find out?† Honesty, at least. â€Å"It's all over the Otherworld. Everyone knows. I'm apparently next in line for world domination.† â€Å"That's not true,† he said. â€Å"Forget about it. You aren't like them.† â€Å"But I am one of them, right? At least half?† â€Å"By blood only. Everything else†¦well, for all intents and purposes, you're human. You have nothing to do with them.† â€Å"Except killing and banishing them. How could you set me up for that†¦if I'm†¦?† One of them, I wanted to finish. But I couldn't get the words out. â€Å"Because you have a talent for it. One we need. You know what they can do.† â€Å"Yes. And you've made sure I do, telling me all the horror stories growing up. But there's a hell of a lot more than that. They're weird, yes, but not all evil.† My mother suddenly joined the conversation, eyes wild and frantic. â€Å"Yes! They are! You don't know what you're talking about. When did you have this revelation? A day ago? A week ago? I lived with them for three years, Eugenie. Three years.† Her voice dropped to a whisper. â€Å"Three years, and I never once encountered a decent one. No one who would help me. No one who would keep me from Tirigan.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Storm King,† said Roland. â€Å"That's his name. Was his name.† â€Å"They say you saved her from him.† He nodded. â€Å"I was there chasing down a kelpie when I heard rumors of a captured human woman. I went to investigate and found her and you. You were a baby. I slipped you both out of there and hid you.† â€Å"But Dorian†¦someone I met†¦said Storm King came looking for us.† â€Å"He did. And he found you.† I frowned. From what Dorian had said, I should have been a young teenager then. â€Å"I don't remember that.† Roland nodded again. â€Å"Once close enough, he could reach out and call to you. He summoned you to him. By the time I tracked you down, you were out in the desert, very near a crossroads. You'd walked miles to get to him.† â€Å"I don't remember that,† I repeated. In some ways, what Roland told me now was crazier than what I'd learned at Aeson's. â€Å"His magic spoke to yours. He wanted to take you back with him, and you fought against him. You were struck by lightning in the process.† â€Å"Wait, I know I'd remember that.† â€Å"No. I hypnotized you and repressed it. I killed him, but your magic had still been awakened. After seeing what I'd seen, I was afraid you couldn't control it – that it would control you instead.† â€Å"I don't have any magic. Not gentry magic anyway.† â€Å"Not that you know of. It's hidden away. I made you forget. After that, I started teaching you the craft in the hope of protecting you. I didn't know if others would follow him or if someone else could reawaken you or summon you. I needed to give you the tools you'd need for defense.† He suddenly looked tired. â€Å"I never realized how well you'd take to them.† I felt as tired as he looked, despite all the sleep. I pulled up one of the chairs and sat; they continued to stand. So I had met Storm King. I had answered his summons. And I had been struck by lightning? That was interesting, because in a lot of cultures, shamans are called to their art through some traumatic event. Lightning strikes are actually common ones. Many of the local Indian shamans – already skeptical of the plethora of New Age white shamans – did not consider me authentic since I'd had no such profound initiation. Turns out I had. Score one for me. â€Å"You made me forget. You got inside my head, and you made me forget. All this time†¦both of you have known and never told me.† â€Å"We wanted to protect you,† he said. â€Å"And what then? Did you think I'd never find out?† The heat rose in my voice again. â€Å"I had to hear it from gentry. I would have rather heard it from you.† My mother closed her eyes, and one tear trailed down her cheek. Roland regarded me calmly. â€Å"In hindsight, yes, that would have been better. But we never thought it would actually come out.† â€Å"It's out,† I said bitterly. â€Å"Everyone knows it. And now everyone wants a piece of this prophecy – and of me.† â€Å"What prophecy?† I told them. When I finished, my mother sat down and buried her face in her hands, crying softly. I could hear her murmuring, â€Å"It'll happen to her. It'll happen to her too.† Roland rested a hand on her shoulder. â€Å"Don't put much stock in gentry prophecies. They come out with a new one every day.† â€Å"Doesn't matter, if they believe it. They're still going to come after me.† â€Å"You should stay with us. I'll help protect you.† I stood up, glancing at my mother. No way would I expose her to more gentry. â€Å"No. This is my problem. Besides, don't take this too badly† – I felt myself start to choke up – â€Å"but I don't really want to see you guys for a while. I guess you meant well, but†¦I need to†¦I don't know. I need to think.† â€Å"Eugenie – † I saw raw pain on his face. My mom's sobs grew louder. I stood up, averting my eyes from both of them. Suddenly, I couldn't stay here anymore. â€Å"I've got to go.† Roland was still calling after me when I practically ran out of the house. But I needed to get away, or I'd say something stupid. I didn't want to hurt them, even though I probably had. But they'd hurt me too, and we all needed to deal with that. While opening my car door, I looked up and saw a red fox watching me from the same spot as last time. I strode toward him, close but not too close. â€Å"Go away!† I shouted. He stared at me, unmoving. â€Å"I mean it. I'm not speaking to you. You're as bad as the rest of them.† He lay down, resting his chin on crossed paws while he continued to regard me solemnly. â€Å"I don't care how cute you are, okay? I'm through with you.† A woman working in her yard next door gave me an uneasy look. I turned my back on the fox, got in the car, and drove home. Yet, as I did, I couldn't help but feel relieved Kiyo had survived. I honestly hadn't known if he would. Strong and vicious he might be, but Aeson had been slinging fire at him. The question was, had Kiyo merely escaped? Or had he managed to kill the king? What had happened to Jasmine? Tim still wasn't back when I got home. I decided then I didn't want to leave my house that day or make any pretense of productivity. I wanted to hit the sauna, put on pajamas, and then watch bad TV while eating Milky Ways. It seemed like a pretty solid plan, and I set out to make it happen. Twenty minutes later, I sat immersed in hot steam, draped in humidity. Heat was great for loosening muscles, although that only made me realize how much I'd hurt them. At least I'd made it out alive. That was the real miracle, considering what a disaster last night had turned into. I didn't want to think much about it or about Mom and Roland, but it was hard not to. Part of me still believed – still hoped – that all of this was a mistake. After all, wasn't it just everyone's say-so? Of course, somehow I doubted my parents would make all that up. But really. Where was the DNA test? The photographic evidence? I had nothing tangible. Nothing I could see and believe. Except my own memories. The memories Roland had covered up for me. Hypnotism wasn't uncommon in our line of work. It was just another state of unconsciousness. Shamans who served as religious leaders and healers used similar techniques on their followers and patients to heal the body and mind. Roland and I, as â€Å"freelance shamans,† didn't really have much need for it. Our contact with the spirit world often became more physical and direct. But I had done some healings and soul retrievals, so I knew the basics. Leaning my head against the wall, I closed my eyes and thought about the tattoo of Selene on my back. She was my earthly connection, the grounding of my body and soul and mind in this world. I focused on her image and what she represented and then slowly altered my state of mind. Rather than slipping out to another plane, I crossed inward, back into the far reaches of myself and the parts of me buried in my unconscious. It probably didn't take long, but in that state, it was painstakingly slow. I browsed through pieces of me, both memories and hidden truths alike. All the things that made me Eugenie Markham. I concentrated on lightning, hoping it would snag my attention. Surely a lightning strike couldn't be buried forever. There. A faint tug. I dove in after it, trying to grasp it and the memory it linked to. It was difficult. The image was slippery, like trying to hold on to a fish. Each time I thought I had it, it wriggled away. Roland had done a good job. Steeling myself, I fought against the layers, clawing and fighting until – I woke up in bed. But it wasn't the bed in my house. It was a different bed, a smaller bed covered in a pink comforter. The bed of my childhood. I lay in it, staring up at a ceiling covered in plastic stars just like the one I had as an adult. It was the middle of the night, and I couldn't sleep. I'd been an insomniac then, just as now. This time, however, it was different. Something other than my churning mind was keeping me awake. Somewhere, outside, I could hear a voice calling me. No, not a voice exactly, but it was a pull. A pull I couldn't shut out. Climbing out of bed, I slipped my feet into dirty sneakers and put a light jacket on over my pajamas. In the hallway, the door to Mom and Roland's room was closed. I moved past as quietly as possible, down the stairs and then out the door. Outside, the air was still warm. It was high summer. Earlier temperatures had been in the 100s; even now, they had dropped only to the 80s. I walked down the quiet street of our neighborhood, past all the familiar cars and houses. With each step, the call grew louder. I followed, my feet moving on their own. The call led me away from our street, our subdivision, and even the small suburb we lived in. I traveled off of main roads, moving onto trails I'd never known existed. Then, after almost two hours, I stopped. I didn't know where I was. The desert, obviously, because that and the mountains were all that surrounded Tucson. The foothills were larger than at home, so I must have gone north. Otherwise, there were no distinguishing features. Prickly pears and saguaros spread out around me in quiet watchfulness. Suddenly, I felt the air around me charge. There was a presence with me. A person. I turned and saw a man standing and watching me, far taller than my twelve-year-old self. His features were indistinct; I could not make them out no matter how hard I tried. He was only a dark shape, crackling with power. â€Å"Eugenie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I took three steps back, but he held his hand out to me. â€Å"Eugenie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook off the thrall that had brought me out here. Desperately, I realized I had to get away as quickly as I could. But I no longer knew the way back. The trails I'd followed were a blur. So, I backed up farther, but he kept coming, beckoning to me. My feet stumbled, and I fell. Still facing him, I tried to get up, but he stood over me now. In his indistinct features, I could make out a crown on his head, glittering silver and purple. â€Å"Come,† he said, extending his arm to help me up. â€Å"It's time to go.† I was trapped. Helpless and trapped and out of options. I had never felt so desperate in my young life. It terrified me. I decided then and there that if I survived this, I would make sure I could never be helpless again. His hand touched my shoulder, and I screamed. As I did, some part of me reached out beyond my body and grasped the power lying around us – I blinked. Steam swirled around me in the sauna, and I felt lightheaded. I'd been in there too long; it was a wonder I hadn't passed out. Standing up, I had to grip the wall for support and close my eyes. My heart raced from the vision, the vision that finally convinced me all of this was true. I knew – knew with absolute certainty – that the dark man had been Storm King, my father. I could feel it within me. In my soul. Overcome, I sat back down, needing a few more moments to consider all this and get my bearings. Yet, the longer I sat there, the more I began to despair. Storm King really was my father. And as for the rest of my life†¦well, things were bad. And they were only going to get worse. Every horny gentry wanted to knock me up; the rest probably still wanted to kill me. I'd never have a moment of peace again. Minutes passed as I ruminated on all this, falling deeper and deeper into depression – as well as exhaustion. I felt fatigued, too apathetic to care about any of it now. What was the point? I had snubbed my parents today. I'd let Jasmine Delaney down. I had nothing to look forward to ever again except a life of fighting and running. And really, why should I even bother fighting anymore? Nothing mattered. It was hopeless. I should just cross over to the Otherworld and give myself up. At least it'd stop the agony of – I opened my eyes and sat bolt upright. What was wrong with me? Things were grim, but this†¦this wasn't natural. I blinked rapidly, trying to gain focus as I took deep breaths. There it was. I could feel it. A thick, unseen darkness wrapping itself around me. It touched me, crawling along my skin. It was trying to drag me down, to suck away all of my energy. All of my hope. Standing up, no longer dizzy, I pulled my robe off its hook and put it on. Slowly, I opened the door of the sauna and stuck my head out. I saw nothing too disconcerting, but that bleak feeling continued to swirl around me. The light almost seemed dimmer, darker than it should be for late afternoon. I squinted, trying to break the illusion, for that's what it was. Stepping completely out of the sauna, I tried to assess the source. The sauna was in the center of my house. Turn left to go to the kitchen and living room, right toward the bathroom and bedrooms. My weapons were in my bedroom; that was where I wanted to be. But if the thing was in the front of the house, I didn't want to turn my back on it. At last, I compromised by putting my back up to the hall's wall and sliding down it toward my bedroom. The distance wasn't far, but when you had to inch your way there, it felt like miles. Creeping, I passed Tim's closed bedroom door, grateful he wasn't here. He knew about my shamanic adventures, but that didn't mean I wanted him exposed to them. Next came the bathroom. Yeah, the only bathroom. The thing about cute little houses was the â€Å"little† part. I loved everything else about this place, but next time, I'd make sure my house had at least as many bathrooms as occupants. Tim and I had gotten into some nasty rumbles when – A hand reached out for me from within the dark bathroom, but I saw it coming out of my periphery. I ducked and slid across the hall as he lumbered out. A Gray Man. That had been one of my top three culprits for the negativity zone my house had become. Gray Men cast an aura of despair around them, feeding off physical energy and positive feelings. This one was, well, gray, of course. Other than that, he looked more or less human-shaped, with dark eyes and scraggly white hair. He was even dressed, which I took as a plus since other monsters and sometimes elemental gentry often came over in loincloths or nothing at all, depending on their strength. Considering what everyone wanted to do to me, I was pretty happy about keeping genitalia covered up. I tried to scramble toward my bedroom, but his long arm reached out and grabbed me by the hair. I yelled out as he dragged me toward him, pressing me to his body. At least he didn't say anything suggestive; Gray Men were apparently strong, silent types. But the way he grappled with my robe left little to the imagination about what he wanted to do. Struggling in his strong grasp, I tried to break free but mostly managed to loosen my robe more. Swearing, I decided if I couldn't get away, then I'd at least delay his amorous actions. My knee jutted up in one hard motion, hitting him in the groin. His hold on me loosened, and he groaned as one hand instinctively reached down between his legs. I broke away from him, still trying to make for my bedroom. Deciding he could ignore the pain, he lunged toward me, just stopping me from getting to my bedroom doorway. Gripping me by both shoulders, he shoved me up against the wall so that I faced it. Using that hard surface as a constraint, he held me with one arm against it while his other finished pulling off the robe. I felt his tongue lick my neck, but the truly disgusting nature of that couldn't really permeate me. I was in survival mode now. I struggled against him, hoping to make it difficult for him to get his own pants off. Being pinned liked this gave me fewer options for escape. Moving my hands against the wall, I groped around for something – anything – I could use as a weapon. Then my fingers brushed over a small decorative mirror that had been my grandmother's. It wasn't very big, but its frame was shaped like a sun – with sharp, pointed metal rays. Not only that, they were silver rays. Grabbing it from the wall, I held it in my left hand, not my dominant hand, but the hand I wore my amethyst ring on. The amethyst could cut through magic and glamour and also focus my own intentions. It wasn't as good as a wand, but it had to do. Concentrating on the stone, I let my will pour into it. The stone amplified my energy and then sent it into the silver frame. In as fluid a motion as I could manage in my confined state, I swung the mirror back, driving it into any flesh I could find. The Gray Man screamed, and I smelled something burning. He released me, and I turned around, not wasting any time, though I uneasily realized I'd dumped more energy into that silver than I should have been capable of. The mirror had stuck in his side and was smoking. It wouldn't kill him, but having it lodged in there was pretty serious. He reached out toward it with hesitant fingers, knowing he had to touch it to pull it out. I sprinted to my bedroom. He was only seconds behind me, but it was all I needed to arm myself in my bedroom. He came running in after me, but this time I was on the offensive. I used the silver athame to draw the death symbol on his chest, eliciting a tortured scream from him. Iron was the bane of gentry, but for whatever other reasons, silver hurt anything else Otherworldly. I didn't know why, but I didn't question it either. Especially when it had just proven so handy. Hurt or no, he pushed me backward. I landed on my bed, head hitting with a crack against the wall. It slowed me, but I had already started connecting beyond this world. I reached out, touched the world of death, and sent that connection through the wand. It leapt out at the Gray Man, sucking him in. He fought it, thrashing as though physical action might fight the pull. It couldn't. A moment later, he vanished. Almost immediately, the spell of despair in my house disappeared. It was like emerging from underwater. I could breathe again. I let my body slump and relax. I wanted to lean my head against the wall but knew that wouldn't feel too good after the hard blow I'd just sustained. A loud sound cracked out from the front of my house, like the door being kicked open. I jerked up, adrenaline going a second round as I heard footsteps pounding down the hall. I was reaching for the gun when a familiar voice yelled, â€Å"Eugenie?† Relaxing – only slightly – I watched as Kiyo burst into my room.

Poverty Essay Introduction Essay

Poverty is a serious issue that has been going on for centuries. Every day there are people who die due to hunger but there are solutions to reducing, and even stopping, poverty. Global poverty comes in an abundance of shapes and sizes. One of the main sources of poverty is the lack of investment in the future at all levels. The manufacturer outsources to China because he does not want to invest in long-term employees. The government does not want to invest in quality employees through education, infrastructure, health care, etc. The potential employee does not want to invest in his future through education or training, but would rather have immediate gratification of leisure. A second main source is the lack of certain basic government functions. The government needs to be able to provide stability, through laws and establishing property rights. Without these basic things, there is little incentive for the people to develop new products, or work hard, because it will just be taken a way by someone more powerful. I don’t think government is the solution to everything, but it is necessary for a few basic functions.

20 Facts About the Chemical Element Silver

20 Facts About the Chemical Element Silver Silver is a precious metal that has been known since ancient time. This is a list of interesting facts about the element silver. 1. The word silver comes from the  Anglo-Saxon word  seolfor.  There is no word that rhymes with the English word silver. It is a transition metal element, with symbol Ag, atomic number 47, and atomic weight of 107.8682. 2. Silver is exceptionally shiny! It is the most reflective element, which makes it useful in mirrors, telescopes, microscopes and solar cells. Polished silver reflects 95% of the visible light spectrum. However, silver is a poor reflector of ultraviolet light. Stocktrek Images/Getty Images 3. Silver can exist in its native state. In other words, nuggets or crystals of pure silver exist in nature. Silver also occurs as a natural alloy with gold that is called electrum. Silver commonly occurs in copper, lead, and zinc ores. 4. Silver metal is not toxic to humans. In fact, it can be used as a food decoration. However, most silver salts are toxic. Silver is germicidal, meaning it kills bacteria and other lower organisms. 5. Silver is the best electric conductor of the elements. It is used as the standard by which other conductors are measured. On a scale of  0 to 100, silver ranks 100 in terms of electrical conductivity. Copper ranks 97 and gold ranks 76. 6. Silver has been known since antiquity. It was one of the first five metals to be discovered. Mankind learned to separate silver from lead back in 3000 BC. Silver  objects have been found dating back before 4000 BC. It is believed the element was discovered around 5000 BC. Early Saxon coins, 5th-6th century. Silver pennies known as sceattas, found in excavations in London area.   Heritage Spanish/Getty Images 7. Only gold is more ductile than silver. An ounce of silver can be drawn into a wire 8,000 feet long. 8. The most commonly encountered form of silver is sterling silver. Sterling silver consists of 92.5% silver, with the balance consists of other metals, usually copper. 9. The chemical symbol for silver, Ag, comes from the  Latin word for silver, argentum, which in turn derives from the Sanskit word  argunas, which mean shining. 10. A single grain of silver (~65 mg) can be pressed into a sheet 150 times thinner than the average sheet of paper. 11. Silver is the best thermal conductor of any metal. The lines you see in the rear window of a car consist of silver, used to defrost ice in the winter. 12. The words for silver and money are the same in fourteen languages or more. 13. The primary source of silver today is the New World. Mexico is the leading producer, followed by Peru. The United States, Canada, Russia, and Australia also produce silver.  Around two-thirds of the silver obtained today is a by-product of copper, lead, and zinc mining. Silver mines in Mexico, such as this now-abandoned one, provided Spain, in the 18th century, with over one third of the silver sent out of the New World.   Danny Lehman/Getty Images 14. Coins minted in the United States prior to 1965 consists of about 90% silver. Kennedy half dollars  minted in the United States  between 1965 to 1969 contained 40% silver.   15. The compound silver iodide has been used for cloud seeding, to cause clouds to produce rain and try to control hurricanes. 16. The price of silver presently is less than that of gold, varying according to demand, discovery of sources and the invention of methods of separating the metal from other elements. In ancient Egypt and Medieval European countries, silver was valued more highly than gold. 17. Some silver compounds are highly explosive. Examples include silver fulminate, silver azide, silver(II) oxide, silver amide, silver acetylide, and silver oxalate. These are compounds in which silver forms a bond with nitrogen or oxygen. Although heat, drying, or pressure often ignite these compounds, sometimes all it takes is exposure to light. They may even explode spontaneously. 18. Silvers atomic number is 47, with an atomic weight of 107.8682. 19. Silver is stable in oxygen and water, but it  tarnishes in air because of a reaction with sulfur compounds to form a black sulfide layer. 20. Uses of silver metal include currency, silverware, jewelry, and dentistry. Its antimicrobial properties make it useful for air conditioning and water filtration. It is used to make mirror coatings, for solar energy applications, in electronics, and for photography. Sources Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-08-037941-9.Hammond, C. R. (2004). The Elements, in Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (81st ed.). CRC press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

Information System Security essays

Information System Security essays With growth, problems arise; and problems bring on solutions. As information system technologies become, now more than ever, a part of our survival, threats arise as well. The main focus of these threats is to invade our privacy and disrupt our function. Whether to steal our identity for criminal financial gain or just to play a prank to fill a wasted day, cyber crimes have affected peoples homes as well as corporate headquarters. Nevertheless, society has become more aware of the existence of such activity, and is taking steps towards fighting these technological transgressions. The threats on todays information systems include, but not limited to, the following: Spy ware, viruses and worms, spam, cookies, PHISH scams, and malicious acts. A spy ware is a program that is installed on a computer with out the users knowledge; in order to collect information on the user. [19] Spy ware uses the computers processing resources in order to run, and in many cases causes the computer to become extremely sluggish or even totally unusable. [19] There are several types of spy ware; among which are ad ware (installed by advertisers), Trojans (collects personal information and passwords), key loggers (stores every user key-stroke), and bundled installs (spy ware downloaded as part of a useful application). [19] Ad ware is commonly the least problematic out of the different types of spy ware due to the fact that it uses the least amount of processing resources and it helps advertisers collect useful marketing data on customers; however, it can prove cumbersome when it causes pop-up windows to appear. On the other side of the spectrum, Trojans and key loggers collect information for identity theft and fraud purposes. [19] Viruses and worms are programs that are intentionally created to disrupt the functionality of an information system. [22] There are two types of viruses, email viruses and viruses the result from u...

Political Parties and the Facebook Founder

Political Parties and the Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg says hes neither a Democrat nor a Republican. But his social media network, Facebook, has played a huge role in American politics, particularly the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Zuckerberg Isnt Affiliated With a Major Party Zuckerberg is registered to vote in Santa Clara County, California, but does not identify himself as being affiliated with the Republican, Democrat or any other party, according to a 2013 report in the Wall Street Journal. I think its hard to affiliate as being either a Democrat or a Republican. Im pro knowledge economy, Zuckerberg said in September 2016. Facebook Political Action Committee The Facebook cofounder  and his companys  political action committee  have  given tens of  thousands of dollars to political candidates of both parties in recent years, a relatively small amount relative to the vast sums of money flowing through the election process. Yet the billionaire’s spending on campaigns does not tell us much  about his political affiliation, a topic of much speculation. Zuckerberg is a major contributor to Facebook’s political-action committee, called Facebook Inc. PAC. He’s given $25,000 to the PAC since 2011, according to federal records. The Facebook PAC raised nearly $350,000 in the 2012 election cycle. It spent $277,675 supporting federal candidates; Facebook spent more on Republicans ($144,000) than it did on Democrats ($125,000).   In the 2016 elections, Facebook PAC spent $517,000 supporting federal candidates. In all, 56 percent went to Republicans and 44 percent went to Democrats. In the 2018 election cycle, Facebook PAC spent $278,000 supporting candidates for federal office, mostly on Republicans, records show. Zuckerberg did, however, give his largest one-time donation to the Democratic Party in San Francisco in 2015 when he cut a check for $10,000, according to Federal Election Commission records. He has sharply criticized President Trumps Republican immigration policies, saying he was concerned about the impact of the presidents first executive orders. We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat, Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who dont pose a threat will live in fear of deportation. Zuckerbergs large donation to Democrats and his criticism of Trump have led some to the conclusion that the Facebook CEO is a Democrat. But Zuckerberg did not contribute to anyone in the 2016 congressional or presidential races, not even Democrat Hillary Clinton. He also stayed out of the 2018 midterm elections, records show. But Zuckerberg and Facebook have  nonetheless come under intense scrutiny for the social networks outsized influence on American political discourse, in particular its role in the 2016 election. Campaign Contributions to Republicans and Democrats Zuckerberg himself has contributed to:   Sean Eldridge: Zuckerberg contributed the maximum $5,200 to the Republican House candidate’s campaign committee in 2013. Eldridge is husband of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, according to the National Journal.Orrin G. Hatch: Zuckerberg contributed the maximum $5,200 to the Republican senator from Utah’s campaign committee in 2013.Marco Rubio: Zuckerberg contributed the maximum $5,200 to the Republican senator from Florida’s campaign committee in 2013.Paul D. Ryan: Zuckerberg contributed $2,600 to the failed 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee and House member in 2014.Charles E. Schumer: Zuckerberg contributed the maximum $5,200 to the Democratic senator from New York’s campaign committee in 2013.Cory Booker:  Zuckerberg also contributed $7,800 in 2013 to the  prominent member of the Democratic Party and senator  who is widely believed to be a leading candidate for president as soon as 2020. But  Zuckerberg  sought and received a full ref und for unexplained reasons. Facebooks Role in the 2016 Election Facebook has drawn fire not for its or its founders campaign contributions, however, but for its business practices. The company has been criticized for allowing partisan third parties (one of which had ties to the Trump campaign) to collect data about users, and for allowing its platform to serve as a tool for Russian groups seeking to sow discord among the American electorate. Zuckerberg was called to testify in his own defense before members of Congress who had express concern for user privacy. The companys largest controversy to date has been the disclosure, first reported by The New York Times, that a political consulting firm harvested the data of tens of millions of Facebook users, information that was later used to build psychological profiles of potential voters in 2016. The firm, Cambridge Analytica, worked for the Trump campaign in 2016. Its misuse of the data prompted internal investigations by Facebook and the suspension of about 200 apps. Facebook was also hammered by policymakers for allowing the  proliferation of misinformation, often called fake news, across its platform- misinformation that was designed to disrupt the election process, government officials have said. A  Kremlin-backed firm called the  Internet Research Agency purchased thousands of derogatory Facebook ads as part of its operations to interfere in elections and political processes,† federal prosecutors allege. Facebook did little, if anything, to discourage the spread of misinformation before and during the campaign. Zuckerberg and Facebook launched efforts to take down fake accounts and misinformation. The social media cofounder told members of Congress the company previously didnt take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and Im sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here. Political Advocacy Zuckerberg is among the tech leaders behind FWD.us, or Forward U.S. The group is organized as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization under Internal Revenue Service code. That means it can spend money on electioneering or make contributions to super PACs without naming individual donors. FWD.us spent $600,000 on lobbying for immigration reform in 2013, according to the Center For Responsive Politics in Washington. The group’s primary mission is to get policy makers to pass comprehensive immigration reform that includes, among other tenets, a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States who do not have legal status. Zuckerberg and many tech leaders are lobbying Congress to pass measures that would allow for more temporary visas to be issued to high-skilled workers. The contributions to individual members of congress or candidates listed above are examples of his support for those who back immigration reform. Zuckerberg, though he personally has contributed to Republican political campaigns, has said the FWD.us is nonpartisan. â€Å"We will work with members of Congress from both parties, the administration and state and local officials,† Zuckerberg wrote in The Washington Post. â€Å"We will use online and offline advocacy tools to build support for policy changes, and we will strongly support those willing to take the tough stands necessary to promote these policies in Washington.†

Managing business performance & IT Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing business performance & IT - Case Study Example 1. Current inclination of the company to explore only â€Å"opportunities that are not considered profitable for the large organizations†. Propensity to niche-market only instead of aggressively competing in the market for a bigger market share. 2. Conservative (in contrast to aggressive) marketing strategies, relying mainly for repeat sales on â€Å"quality of its products† and on its â€Å"competitive pricing strategy† with its related price flexibility rational 2. Profit maximization as a result of faster turn-over of products and service opportunities brought about by a likely sales increase due to increased access to company products and services by existing and prospective clients 5. Potential inability to respond quickly and appropriately to a fast-changing, technologically driven developments in the industry which might make the company become a mere industry follower instead of becoming an industry leader; a price taker instead of becoming a price leader. Porter’s Five Forces is a business analysis tool that is focused on the industry with which the firm or the company operates. Accordingly, a chief executive must use this business tool in order to analyze how his company fares well within the industry, and the analysis is contextualized given the peculiarities of the industry within which it operates. The framework of analysis, developed by Michael Porter, indicates the five forces which Porter claimed to be influencing the behavior of a particular company. These forces are: supplier power, buyer power, barriers to entry, threat of substitutes, and degree of rivalry (Porter, 1998). The facts of the case that were given were quite limited to do a comprehensive analysis of the industry with which the company operates. As such the analysis using Porter’s Five Forces is quite limited to the facts that were given, plus certain assumptions and educated guess works. According to the given facts of the case, the company has a good working

Working with groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working with groups - Essay Example They can sometimes be positive and sometimes negative depending on how they are translated by others in the group. In relation to myself with others, I learned that my strong value system seems to make me a candidate for leadership in the group. People seem to appreciate my outspoken attitudes. The positive way that followers in the group responded to my thoughts and ideas made me the person who would empower others that made the group function better. The most difficult activity in the group was getting meaningful feedback. Because most in the group found common values and attitudes, people did not want to challenge the discussion for fear of conflict. This seemed to limit productivity that Stubbs talks about in the textbook. Stubbs also mentions that situations are always in a state of flux in a group and this was hard to reduce to make discussion more productive and valuable. What I learned that would be most valuable to a future career is linked to the last discussion about fear of conflict and good social connection in the group. I learned that when people get along very well in a group, they will sometimes hold onto the truth and not provide thoughts or ideas that might cause harm to these connections. This is why a group seems to need a leader to keep conversation focused and empower others to be honest. The group seems to need a leader to keep things productive when others are concerned about making everyone happy. For example, English is my second language and it made translating difficult at times. Rather than say they did not understand, they wanted to keep peace in the group. A real professional commits to excellence which was in the leadership video. Excellence is honesty in a group that wants to be productive even if it means creating productive conflict. The leadership video also said that people need to embrace humor and optimism with a quote by the disabled Helen

Receivables Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Receivables - Coursework Example This is because the accountants after assessing his books of accounts are at a position to make a decision based on the profits or losses made in the year and the amounts of the accounts receivables due for the year. Blair’s recommendation could be biased and uninformed based on the bonuses of the medium sized companies as all managers’ aims are to maximize on profits. Internal controls are logical measure adopted by an organization used in ensuring that their business runs effectively to protect the organization from collapsing, such measures includes reviews and procedures. Detective internal controls which are measures taken after an irregularity has occurred, in this case the managers recommendation for accounting are useful for the future decision making. Some of the useful detective controls include the performance and quality assurance of the company reviews, reconciliations of the books of accounts to aid the manager in making sound decisions, conducting audits on the company’s’ books from different years and comparing inventory records with those of the different years. This way the manager is more knowledgeable and not just profit

Risk (Decision) Analysis --Hotel Investment Scenario Assignment

Risk (Decision) Analysis --Hotel Investment Scenario - Assignment Example The research identifies three aspects of risk management ought to receive a high amount of attention. One of these is risk identification the other aspect to consider is that of risk assessment and then there is risk management. The paper seeks to review the issues of risk management and analysis when choosing an investment which in this case is either between Sundowner and Magnifique. Risk Identification and Analysis In the case provided, it is important to analyze the situation of both Sundowner and Magnifique as a study. The study shows how the external and internal risks are vital for identification in any company seeking to succeed (Wagner & Bode, 2009, 138). This is due to fact that risks not only present themselves from outside an organization but also from the interior. The research portrays deeply the various risks that a company has from the outside, which are the demand of the products, the environmental risks that the products have, the physical issues and the supply issu es. Internal risks are other factors that the research portrays for the precise recognition of all the risks involved. This brings to attention the fact that many of the contemporary business people tend to ignore the fact that interior risks are more dangerous than exterior ones and thus this acts as a major cause of failure. Identification of the various internal practices that a company takes is important, and the review and scrutiny of each is vital in that it acknowledges internal risks associated with the planning of the product flow from the producer, control and mitigation that may pose as negligible but very crucial. Risk Assessment After clear identification of the various existing risks, the following step is the risk assessment stage. There are two major types of risk assessment, and these include the quantitative and the qualitative risk management procedures. Indulgence in these key properties is very important in Supply Chain Risk Management research. Both of the proc edures have their importance and exclusion of any of them might have excessive repercussions on a company (Berman & Putu, 2012, 843). This is based on the fact that each one of them has its major points that work towards achieving a fully functioning risk assessment process. Quantitative risk management is the type of management whereby the manager or the responsible personnel identifies various aspects of the risk through calculations and the use of diagrams to assist in the process of resolution (George & Lisa, 2004, 400). The research gets deep into this type of management with the use of various examples and analysis charts for further understanding of risk management. The study also focuses on the qualitative aspect of risk management that involves the review of the various theoretical notions that often bring about the occurrence of risks and consequently try to analyze an example of a company that undergoes this with its provided supply chain. The study also seeks to identify the given five major steps involved in the risk assessment process. This is because for the success of any given policy in an institution, the management team of the company has to ensure that it is free from any previous risk, thus ensuring a smooth flow of workload. The first step that a company should take towards risk assessment is identifying the hazard (Martin & Hau,

Chest Pain Clinical Examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chest Pain Clinical Examination - Essay Example This can be done mainly through eliciting the history in fair detail. As a nurse practitioner in the community, I will be facing many cases of chest pain. Recently I had to manage such a case and I believe that the experience has equipped me with confidence. I adopted a structured approach to evaluate the case and progress through a mental checklist for eliciting the essential historical details (Reigle, 2005). The collected relevant data helped the decision- making and subsequent management. Case Presentation Respecting the confidentiality and privacy of the patient, I met her in the emergency department where I was working. With her consent, as she was conscious and answering, I elicited the history of the chest pain from Mrs John. Mrs John, 81 years old and weighing 85 kg., had been brought to the Emergency Department by her son. I followed the mnemonic TROCAR for eliciting the history of the presenting complaint of chest pain. She had a sudden but mild chest pain while she was in bed. Time of onset was when she woke up with it at 6a.m. and first dismissed it as indigestion. As it was not giving way after her antacid liquid, she called her son. Also experiencing shortness of breath, the duration of pain had lasted for the past forty minutes. Mrs. John had fatigue since the previous night, something she was not accustomed to. Radiation of the left-sided chest pain was to the back. Onset was sudden. The character of the pain was a dull aching sensation. There was no particular aggravation or relief. The severity remained constant as a dull pain. It was a left sided chest pain. The excessive sweating worsened her fatigue. She was reluctant to go to hospital but her son insisted on it. She had then been brought to my department where I was on duty. Past History revealed that she had been a hypertensive on treatment for the past twenty years. There was a history of irregularity in treatment at times. The mild senile dementia with partial loss of memory that the l ady suffered from was the cause of the irregular treatment. Now her son was in charge of giving her the medicine. She became diabetic fifteen years ago and was on oral anti-diabetics since then. Seven years ago she had a fall injuring her left trochanter which was managed accordingly. She now walks with a limp. There was no history of allergies but she had been taking antacids on and off presumably for acid-peptic disease. Smoking was not her weakness and she had not travelled for a long time. Before retirement she was working as a personal secretary in an industrial concern. Family history revealed that two brothers had died of myocardial infarction but at a later age of around 85 years. Obesity was in the family too. Mrs. John’s mother had diabetes and died of renal failure. Nursing care plan This has been elaborated upon the mnemonic ADPIE (assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation). Assessment On inspection, obviously obese Mrs. John appeared dyspnoei c taking short breaths with the respiratory rate being 28 per minute but regular. Her heart rate was 90 per minute and irregular at times due to ectopic beats. Her supine blood pressure was 200/120mm Hg. Palpation of abdomen did not reveal any abnormalities. Percussion ruled out fluid in the chest or abdomen. Auscultation elicited an irregular heart and tachypnea. During the general physical examination, I enumerated and eliminated non-cardiac causes; her symptom details helped me to distinguish her illness

Risk (Decision) Analysis --Hotel Investment Scenario Assignment

Risk (Decision) Analysis --Hotel Investment Scenario - Assignment Example The research identifies three aspects of risk management ought to receive a high amount of attention. One of these is risk identification the other aspect to consider is that of risk assessment and then there is risk management. The paper seeks to review the issues of risk management and analysis when choosing an investment which in this case is either between Sundowner and Magnifique. Risk Identification and Analysis In the case provided, it is important to analyze the situation of both Sundowner and Magnifique as a study. The study shows how the external and internal risks are vital for identification in any company seeking to succeed (Wagner & Bode, 2009, 138). This is due to fact that risks not only present themselves from outside an organization but also from the interior. The research portrays deeply the various risks that a company has from the outside, which are the demand of the products, the environmental risks that the products have, the physical issues and the supply issu es. Internal risks are other factors that the research portrays for the precise recognition of all the risks involved. This brings to attention the fact that many of the contemporary business people tend to ignore the fact that interior risks are more dangerous than exterior ones and thus this acts as a major cause of failure. Identification of the various internal practices that a company takes is important, and the review and scrutiny of each is vital in that it acknowledges internal risks associated with the planning of the product flow from the producer, control and mitigation that may pose as negligible but very crucial. Risk Assessment After clear identification of the various existing risks, the following step is the risk assessment stage. There are two major types of risk assessment, and these include the quantitative and the qualitative risk management procedures. Indulgence in these key properties is very important in Supply Chain Risk Management research. Both of the proc edures have their importance and exclusion of any of them might have excessive repercussions on a company (Berman & Putu, 2012, 843). This is based on the fact that each one of them has its major points that work towards achieving a fully functioning risk assessment process. Quantitative risk management is the type of management whereby the manager or the responsible personnel identifies various aspects of the risk through calculations and the use of diagrams to assist in the process of resolution (George & Lisa, 2004, 400). The research gets deep into this type of management with the use of various examples and analysis charts for further understanding of risk management. The study also focuses on the qualitative aspect of risk management that involves the review of the various theoretical notions that often bring about the occurrence of risks and consequently try to analyze an example of a company that undergoes this with its provided supply chain. The study also seeks to identify the given five major steps involved in the risk assessment process. This is because for the success of any given policy in an institution, the management team of the company has to ensure that it is free from any previous risk, thus ensuring a smooth flow of workload. The first step that a company should take towards risk assessment is identifying the hazard (Martin & Hau,

U07d1 Statistics and Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U07d1 Statistics and Information - Essay Example Regression differs from correlation - which establishes whether there is any association between two variables (Chatterjee and Hadi, p. 24). In the case of health care industry, this analysis has a major role and is used in several different aspects like the study of diabetic indicators. This method has been used in order to examine the relationships between different medical issues like blood pressure and diabetes and other possible issues. Correlation analysis: Correlation refers to the degree of association between two variables. When two variables are said to be correlated, it indicates that there is a relationship or a pattern in the movement of the two variables. However, correlation does not indicate causation, i.e., the cause of movement of the variable. In other words, when two variables of correlated, it does not necessarily mean that the change in one variable is responsible or is the cause of change in the other variable (Downing and Clark, 178). In the case of health care industry, correlation analysis can be used to learn the differences between the percentage change of the visceral AT and also the changes in terms of the changes in the AT (Cowel, 2007). T-tests: This is a test that helps in addressing the issues of credibility. Here the process is very simple where the mean values for the groups are divided by the dispersion of the differences and the results are the T – Test ratio. Considering the health care industry, it is important to note that this method has a major role in the health care and is one of the best ways to bring out the incorrect and wrong claims (Downing & Clark, 2010). For instance the claims that a certain food or medicine brings down the blood sugar of a person. This can be tested by the t tests and helps attain a truthful response of the effectiveness of the food or drug. (Horton, 2009) Analysis of variance: This is one of the statistical methods to

Enron Corporation Essay Example for Free

Enron Corporation Essay I  Ã‚   The Beginning When Enron Corporation declared a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2001, it left the public especially its investors and stockholders reeling from such financial scandal and collapse.   Enron had allegedly overstated its profits by $586 million since 1997 in order to protect the firm’s balance sheet and practiced insider trading as well fraud and conspiracy. Enron had been the seventh largest company in the United States and had been one of the largest financial contributors to the Presidential elections, especially the Bush family. To the outside world, Enron portrayed a picture of success.   However, upon closure inspection on the inside, Enron was on the brink of collapse. When Enron’s stock price hit its highest at $90, the executives who allegedly knew of the offshore accounts of Enron started selling their respective shares and to encouraged the public to continue buying the said stocks.   However, the executives knew that the stock prices would not increase anymore but still reassured the public and its investors that the prices of stock would reach a high $130-140 per share. By August 2001, Enron’s stock prices had dropped from $90 to a measly $42. It became evident that the company had fraudulently induced and fooled the public, investors and stockholders to buying the company’s stocks and shares. Amidst all these, Enron founder and former chairman Kenneth Lay continued to reassure the public to remain calm, and asked the investors to buy the company’s shares as the company will regain its profits in the succeeding months. Nonetheless, in October of 2001, the stocks plunged to $15 but the investors saw this as an opportunity to buy Enron stocks at such low prices. But the truth about the company’s financial standing became public and the stock price finally hit rock bottom at $1 per share. II   Basis of the Charges Stockholders and investors gathered and instituted a class-action suit against Enron and its officers in order to recover the millions of investment they made on Enron as result of the false representation and fraud by the company. Enron top executives specifically its Chief Executive Officers, Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were charged and convicted with the collapse of the energy giant. Kenneth Lay faced seven counts of fraud and conspiracy while Skilling faced 31 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors about Enron’s financial position. In 1987, Enron auditors found out a billion-dollar oil trading scandal in its New York offices.   Traders had been engaged in this kind of practice – falsifying transactions in order to boost their volume and profit thereby fattening their bonuses as well. Although CEO Kenneth Lay knew of this, he did not fire the traders nor contacted the authorities in order to cover up their problems. But this incident did not deter the traders and six months later, competitors began to grow suspicious because if word got out, Enron’s trading partners could have demanded that the company cover its positions with cash, which the company did not have (Fowler).   Thus, the traders were fired and charged but not until they were able to transfer million of dollars into their personal accounts.   Enron for its part was able to get away by bluffing the market and reported $85 million in loss but sources claim that the loss totalled to at least $135 million. CEO Jeffrey Skilling, who joined Enron in 1990, did not care much about the expenses incurred by the company as long as the margins looked good.   He was also more concerned with the revenues increases and widening profit margins instead of the cash flows which was practiced by his predecessor. So enamoured were the top executives in increasing business profit that when a deal failed or fell apart, more effort was placed into hiding the consequences instead of rectifying and owning up to the problem.   After taking over as chief operating officer, he renewed the almost non-existent post of chief financial officer and delegated many of the management responsibilities. In theory, Enron had mechanisms that would assess risk and accurately report financial numbers. These mechanisms required that deals should be strictly analyzed which included review by the legal department of the originating unit, the corporate legal department, chief risk officer and chief accounting officer.   However, due to the insidious practice of the company, auditors and accountants were bullied to over ride the system and departments were able to determine the total value of their proposals by manipulating the long-term price of whatever product was sold or bought.   The company also used a â€Å"mark-to-market† accounting system pushed by Skilling which allows a company to report as current revenue the total value of a deal over its projected lifetime (Fowler). This system made earning appear good which in turn pumped up the stock prices and increased the value of stocks which executives received as bonuses. III Trial As the stunned investors witnessed Enron’s stock prices plunged, the government began a massive crackdown on the executives who were responsible for the collapse of the company, and would end up in the conclusion of convincing and proving to the jury that Lay and Skilling, the two top executives of the company, where guilty of massive fraud and were thus guilty. Government prosecutors were at first overwhelmed with the girth of the corporate fraud.   Nevertheless, they began to take measures to respond to these kinds of crimes and a barrage of criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions began to surface.   Thus, in 2002, the Presidential Corporate Fraud Task Force filed criminal charges against more than 900 defendants, of which 60 are chief executive or president level and successfully prosecuted or convicted 500 of them. The case against Lay and Skilling were heard by US District Judge Sim Lake and lasted nearly four months while the jury deliberated for six days.   The defense counsel initially attempted to persuade the judge to move the trial away from Houston, Enron’s hometown as they were afraid that the jury might be influenced by anger due to the resulting loss of jobs and money and would see them as a way of revenge. Kenneth Lay faced seven counts of fraud and conspiracy fraud and conspiracy while Skilling on the other hand, faced 31 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors about Enron’s financial position.   Although both asserted their innocence of the charges against them, they were convicted for a total of 29 criminal counts as well as conspiracy to hide the failing health of the company by selling boosterich optimism to Wall Street and the public (MSNBC). Lay, who was convicted to 6 counts of conspiracy, securities and wire fraud in the corporate trial and 4 counts on separate personal banking trial, surrendered his passport and posted a $5 million bond secured by the family.   His sentence also carried a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison for the corporate trial while 120 years in personal trial respectively.   Ã‚  Skilling on the other hand, was convicted by 19 counts out of the 28 charged as well as one count of insider trading while being acquitted with the remaining charges. The charges against   these Enron top executives prospered as other executives turned the table and plead guilty in their respective charges in order to receive lower sentences than that prescribed.   Among the former employees who testified against Lay and Skilling was Ben Glisan who is now serving a 5-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy.   According to Glisan, both Lay and Skilling knew that the company was in deep financial trouble but tried to hide it instead. Ultimately, the jury rejected Skilling’s defense that no fraud happened at Enron save for those committed by a number of executives skimming millions in secret side deals, while bad publicity and poor market confidence resulted in the collapse of the energy giant. III. Effects of the Enron Collapse As the jurors found that these once-wealthy and powerful executives repeatedly lied to cover up the real position of the company by covering up accounting and auditing failures which eventually led to its collapse in 2001, the left a devastating effect in the business world as well as the lives of the investors and shareholders.   The demise of Enron wiped out more than $60 billion in market value, almost $2.1 billion in retirement savings and costs more than 5,600 to lose their jobs. The anger of the public over the recent corporate scandals led to the passing of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which was designed to make company executives more accountable. Although public distrust for white-collar trial could not actually reverse the damage done to investor confidence, the Lay and Skilling trial however has become a start of a healing process for public-investor relations to be righted again. IV Timothy Belden Apart from the other key witnesses who were former Enron employees and who testified against the top two Enron officials, Timothy Belden particularly made the charges against Lay and Skilling stick, ending in their conviction.   Belden who was the first person to be charged in the manipulation of Western Energy markets, initially engaged in lengthy dance with federal officials over his plea and eventual cooperation in testifying against Lay and Skilling.   He pleaded guilty in 2002 to conspiracy and admitted that he gave false information to California’s electrical grid operators.   Belden is also said to be the â€Å"mastermind behind the strategies described† in memos that spelled out how Enron manipulated the California market (Schreiber). Beginning in the mid-nineties, California was among the first states to deregulate electricity.   The deregulation occurred just as when companies were leaving the state in numbers thereby creating a recession. The deregulation was supposed to reduce the ten percent of the tax payers’ bill while breaking the old methods of greedy companies.   As California deregulated the wholesale side of its energy markets, it also kept price caps in the retail side. It coincided with the State’s decision to bar utilities from signing long-term cheap fixed prices which forced them to into an unpredictable market.   Thus, the utilities were made to pay exorbitant prices but were not able to pass on to their consumers the prices they incurred.   Enron promised to deliver power more efficiently and build new plants that can run on cheaper fuels. Commencing in 1998 until 2001, Belden as well as other executives from Enron devised a fraudulent scheme in order to obtain increased revenue for Enron from wholesale electricity consumers and other market participants in the State of California. The schemes perpetrated by Belden and the other Enron executives required them to submit false information to the companies supplied by Enron and misrepresented the nature of electricity which the company was supposed to supply. Despite being paid to relieve congestion, the company however, did not do so and instead imported as well as exported electricity in order to receive higher prices from the companies they supply. Of particular interest in the course of the trial is a transcript of conversation between Belden and one of the operators of the power plant wherein the two discussed shutting down one of Reliant’s power plants in California to create a shortage in order for the prices to skyrocket. As the scheme worked, causing the power prices to arrive at high and unjust levels in California, it thereby became illegal under the Federal Energy Policy Act. In his testimony, he called California’s post-deregulation power market dysfunctional and said his company bought cheap electricity in the Northwest to sell in California at a profit (Baker). This practice created the appearance among consumers that there was shortage of electricity, thereby having the need to jack up the prices. Enron was able to pocket off almost $1 billion in a period of nine months in 2000 and 2001. Belden admitted however, that he only met with Lay and Skilling once during a colleague’s party.   But nevertheless, Belden’s testimony proved to be a very crucial one as it confirmed and proved that Lay and Skilling knew of what was happening in California but turned to hide it instead. As company vice-president and head of Enron’s West Coast trading operation, Belden supervised a staff of 120 that went from $50 million in earnings in 1999 to $800 million in 2001, while Californias power markets disintegrated into panic and sky-high prices. When one of Enron’s lawyers started investigating these â€Å"irregularities† as a response to the investigation conducted by the California Public Utility Commission. The lawyers found out of Enron’s tactic of using advantage of the energy crisis and revealed through a memo that Enron created false congestion lines, transferred energy in and out of state to avoid price caps and charged for services the company never actually provided (Swartz).   And yet, inspite of the information the lawyer gave to the top executives, and traders have been told to return the money made on improper trading, the executives at Enron still decided against it despite knowing that the practice was illegal.   For Belden and the other traders, sending the money back would mean that the other companies will know what Enron was doing.   Nevertheless, Belden and Enron continued on with the practice.   Skilling, on the other hand, fully knew well of the said practice by the company in 2001 as he was already tipped by one of the executives who learned of the previous investigation. During examination, Belden admitted to US District Judge Martin Jenkins that he did it because he was trying to maximize profit for Enron. Belden claimed that he was only following Enron’s instructions as he handled his trades (CBS News).   According to Belden’s counsel, Enron knew fully well of Belden’s action but was never disciplined nor sanctioned at all. In fact, Belden may have reaped bonus for such practice as revenues from his trading unit climbed from $50 million in 1999 to $500 million in 2000 to $800 million in 2001.     When he was charged with conspiracy, Belden after a long time of dealing and negotiating with the federal government, decided to turn against Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, claiming that the two top executives knew of the practice he and other traders did as indicated by the internal company memos which described how Enron took power out of California at a time of rolling blackouts and shortages and how it sold out of state to elude price caps (CBS News).

The Words And Works Of Jesus Christ Theology Religion Essay

The Words And Works Of Jesus Christ Theology Religion Essay The name Jesus (IÄâ€Å"sous) is the Greek form for the Hebrew Yeshua (Yahweh saves). Jesus is the realisation/fulfilment of the prophecies of Gods Messiah for his people. While on earth He spoke as no-one ever spoke and has done deeds no-one has done (John 3:2). In this assignment a broad chronological overview is presented of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ with some focus on his words and works. A chronological overview of His ministry of three years is undertaken with special attention to the first six months, the last six months and the last week. BEFORE THE FIRST YEAR The Gospel writers account of Jesus infant/childhood years vary. The Synoptic Gospels (Matt-Luke) contain some data (although Mark does not have anything on Jesus childhood) but the Gospel of John speaks only about the Logos who became a man (John 1:14). The conception of Christ was kept secret by Mary who à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦kept all thingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in her heart (Luke 2:19). In the Synoptic Gospels Matthew gives particulars about Jesus birth and his earliest childhood (Matt. 2) but Luke also has some information about Jesus twelfth year (Luke 2:41-52). Jesuss infancy is narrated in four incidents in Luke 2:8-40 and Matthew 2:1-23. (Anon., n.d.). Luke wrote about two events where an angel declared the birth of Jesus to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-14) and then the shepherds visit to Bethlehem (2:15-20). In the second event, the presentation of Jesus in Jerusalem (Luke 2:21-39) following the circumcision and the purification of his mother (2:22). Simeon had a revelation about Jesus, that he would see the Christ before his death (Luke 2:26), and by proclaiming it, the prophetess Anna overheard it and she praised God 2:38). Luke takes trouble to confirm that Joseph and Mary did everything required by the Law (circumcision, purification). Matthew recorded the visit of the Magi (wise men) (Matt. 2:1-12) who believed that the Deliverer was born. This is a dramatic narrative wherein Herods falsity and cruelty come to the fore (Matt. 2:7-18). It ends with the familys flight to Egypt to escape Herods command that in that region all boys up to the age of 2 must be killed. Luke recorded one incident from Jesuss childhood (Luke 2:40-52) in which His spiritual development is clear. During their visit to Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-50) for the Passover Jesus proved his proficiency in the Law. At age twelve He would have been bar-mitzvah and was responsible before the law for himself (Pentecost, 1984:76). At this occasion Jesus actively participated in the temple, listening and asking questions, which was customary for all Jews (Tenney, 1975) Before Jesus ministry started, several significant events took place: the preaching of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-17), the Baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22) which was the ultimate purpose of Johns work. The most important event in Christs preparation period that revealed His true character was the temptation (Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13). That concluded Christs life before the commencement of the first year of His earthly ministry (Tenney, 1975). THE FIRST YEAR The start of Jesus Judean ministry was recorded by John (John 1:35-4:42) although there is some historical uncertainty concerning this period (bron). Jesus and John entered Jerusalem for the Passover, marking the beginning of the first year of Jesuss ministry. During this visit, Jesus made contact with disciples to be. In Johns Gospel a selection (John 20:30-31) of Jesus signs (sÄâ€Å"meia) are told. The first of these that revealed His glory was at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-12). Through this sign Jesus began to move the disciples to put their faith in Him (John 1:11). Two significant other things Jesus did was the cleansing of the temple (John 2:13f), establishing the righteousness that belongs to the Lord and the conversation He had with Nicodemus (John 3). This very important discussion went over the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3, 5) and Gods standard for eternal life. John also recorded Jesus performing other miracles and signs (John 2:23-25) that revealed Him as the Messiah. Since Jesus started His public ministry, John the Baptists ministry waned and his followers began to follow Jesus. After Jesus baptism, He separated Himself from John, engaging in a countermovement. Johns intention was not to draw men to him, but to be a servant of God. Leaving Judea for Galilee, Jesus had to go through Samaria (John 4:4), and at Sichar he had a watershed conversation with a Samaritan woman, during which he presented Himself as the gift of God (John 4:10) ending in ministering to the Samaritans for two days (4:30f). Christ revealed Himself as the gift to the Jew and the gentile. Also during this conversation, Christs insight into mans nature was revealed, setting the pattern for personal evangelism. Christs first year of ministering ended with His withdrawal from Judea (Matt. 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:19-20; 4:14; John 4:1-4). The reason why Christ withdrew from Judea was to start His widespread ministry in Galilee. He was fully aware of the rising conflict the Pharisees wanted between His own and Johns disciples and to bring disunity amongst them. Another reason why Christ went to Galilee was the imprisonment of John by Herod. Luke recorded a third reason for Christ to leave Judea he was under the guidance of the Spirit of God (Luke 4:14). Since it was not Jesus time to die, He moved His ministry from Judea to Galilee. THE SECOND YEAR John recorded this period (John 4:43-54) as the second time of Jesus performing signs in Galilee. Knowing the miracle works Jesus did à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the Galileans welcomed Him (John 4:45), hoping to see and hear a repeat of the same signs. Yet, Jesus knew the rejection of Himself and His message lurking in them by telling them that a prophet has no honour in his own country (John 4:44). The Galileans believed in His name, but not in Himself. Christ then started a new way of ministering in Galilee by proclaiming a word of God, validating the message by accompanying numerous miracles and signs. About these signs Tenney fittingly wrote [t]he healing of the officials son at Capernaum serves as a fitting prelude for the whole Galilean ministry (Tenney, 1975). After Jesus pronounced Himself as the Messiah who came to fulfil Scripture (Isaiah 6:1-2a) He was rejected by the Nazarenes (Matt. 13;54-58; Mark 6;1-6a). Jesus then moved to Capernaum, starting His main message Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near (Matt. 4:17). The first four disciples Peter and Andrew, James and John were called (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11). Their mission was to be fishers of men. Jesus conducted the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), teaching the people of ethics in a manner that even a child could understand it. Matthew summarised Jesuss words (teachings) and works (miracles) (Smith, 2012). During this period Jesus did many works of healing and feeding that Matthew grouped together (Matt. 8:1-9:8). Most of these healings were also recorded in Mark and Luke, but in different order (owing to each writers context). These miracles had two main effects, to draw crowds of people after Him and ensuing conflict between Himself and the Pharisees. Jesus criticised them of hypocrisy (Matt. 23) and they viewed him as a law breaker. There were many Sabbath controversies mainly due to Jesus healing on that day. Healing marks an important aspect of Jesuss ministry. All four gospels recorded Jesuss choosing the twelve disciples. They were people from all walks of life with specific instructions, not only for themselves but also for the Church of Christ. Christ was preparing them His crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus was based for 2 ½ years in Capernaum, conducting the ministry Himself and later by His disciples. Jesus used the Kingdom parables to explain His ministry, but also protecting it and introducing something new (Heb. 8:13). In the miracle of feeding the 5,000 the beginning of Christs third year of ministry ensued. THE THIRD YEAR The First Six Months Christ withdrew from Galilee arriving at Caesarea Philippi, where He asked them (the twelve) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦who do people say the Son of Man is? (Matt. 16:13). Although the recording of these words differ slightly, the effect thereof was the turning point in the Gospel of Christ (Smith, 2012). Simon Peter grasping the identity of Christ replied You are the Christ, The Son of the Living God (Matt 16:16). Christ was finally revealed and accepted by the twelve as the Son of God. Jesus revealed to the Apostles His mission (Matt. 16:21). Going to Jerusalem (appointed place of sacrifice) to suffer much from the elders, chief priests and teachers of law, eventually to die (Matt 1:21; Mark 10:45). But, He conquered death (John 11:25) and both person and work rose on the third day (Pentecost, 1984). Christ established instructions concerning discipleship, the cost thereof and demands to become a true disciple (Luke 9:23) (Pentecost, 1984). After Jesus separated Peter, James and John (Mark 9:2) coming down the mountain after a glorious experience of Gods glory, Jesus commanded them to tell no-one until Christs rising from the dead (Mark 9:9). The reason for this being entrusting the ministry to man and the fact that the people were already rejecting Him (Pentecost, 1984). No miracles and signs were performed and Christ was teaching them about Faith (Matt 17:20) and the fact that prayer is essentially an attitude of utter dependence on God (Pentecost, 1984). Nazareth was characterized by unbelief (John 7:5) and Jesus knew the plot of the Jews, His approaching death as the Feast of Tabernacles had arrived. Not only did Jesus foretell His death but revealed Gods plan. He remained and sent the twelve alone to the Feast of Tabernacles. The people hated Christ for exposing their sins (7:7), His condemnation of Pharisaism, rejecting His judgment of their unrighteousness and their denial of God (Pentecost, 1984). The Feast of Tabernacles marked an important turning point in the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus turned to Jerusalem, facing His opposition that would culminate in His death and resurrection. Christ was rejected by the Samaritans and went to another village, not allowing to be defiled by circumstances, obeying Gods will, plan and timetable (Luke 9:53) (Pentecost, 1984). During this period, Christ taught the disciples about life in the Church, their role and in Matthew 18 establishing relationships in the Kingdom of God (Smith, 2012). The Last Six Months Jesus started His ministry in Jerusalem, evangelizing Judea and surrounding areas (Luke 10:1-13; 21) between the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:51-61; John 7:1-10) and the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22-42) (Smith, 2012). When Jesuss life was endangered when the crowd wanted to stone Him, Jesus withdrew to Bethany beyond the Jordan, starting to teach in Perea until He was called to the home of Mary and Martha where He raised Lazarus from the dead (Pentecost, 1984). Due to the indication by the leaders of Israel to reject Jesus, Christ appointed seventy-two (Luke 10:1) as His representatives to deliver the message throughout Judea. Although His works and Words openly declared Him as the Christ, the Jews still tried to seize Him at the Feast of Dedication for not admitting and Jesus had to withdraw again (John 10:22-42) (Smith, 2012), continuing His Judean ministry. The second part of the Perean ministry stretches from the Feast of Dedication in December 32 A.D. to the last journey to Jerusalem in the spring of 33. Jesus was pressing towards the excruciating purpose for which He came to earth, and on the way His teachings was done on Discipleship (Luke 14), evangelism (Luke 15), stewardship (Luke 16) and servant hood (Luke 17) (Smith, 2012). Christ again demonstrated His status as the Son of God, the manner in which he handled the raising of Lazarus (John 11:4), not revealing this miracle publicly as with the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:38-40). Jesus finally approached Jerusalem; still ministering on the way, with teachings on divorce (Matt. 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12), children (Matt. 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17), conversion (Matt. 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30) and leadership (Matt. 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45). During this six months Jesus continued to His final destiny, Jerusalem. He knew His end would be crucifixion, but he went on teaching, revealing Him as the Son of God and equipping His disciples for ministry and after His departure to continue. Jesus taught them much regarding moral, ethical and spiritual topics. To establish His Kingdom was His final call and purpose. He then finally returned, knowing that the Jews wanted to kill him, also revealing this fact to His disciples, but they did not understand. The last week of Jesuss life concludes the last six months starting at the Feast of Passover in Jerusalem. The Last Week Finally the time came that Jesus was preparing His disciples for to witness the slaying of the lamb at the Passover (John 11:55). These events began on the Sunday morning when Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. Through the triumphal entry Christ, fulfilling scripture (Zech. 9:9; Is. 62:11), was met with a mixed response. Some people saw Him as the King, who came to deliver them from the Roman oppression (Smith, 2012), and realizing Christs intention, turned against Him. Conflict arose and Christ had to leave, spending the night in Bethany. The Monday, on returning to Jerusalem, Christ cursed the fig tree (Mark 11:14), thereby revealing His authority. He proceeds on His journey and at the temple, finding the people trading there, He again cleansed the temple. He established Himself as the guardian of His Fathers House (John 12:20-50) (Pentecost, 1984). Tuesday was a day of controversy and various people tried to entrap Him, to silence and finally kill Him. During this time Christ gave His disciples His most comprehensive end-time teaching, the Olivet Discourse (Smith, 2012). The Wednesday was spent with His disciples (no recording in scripture) and the Thursday the Last Supper was held. At this event Jesus enacted what he said in Mark 10:45 that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve when he washes His disciples feet (John 13:1). He revealed the betrayal (John 13:18) and encouraged the disciples with the farewell discourse (John 14-16). After the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane He was handed over for crucifixion. There were several stages up to the cross: an examining at the High Priest Annas house (John 18:12-14; 19-24) where Peter denied Christ three times before cockcrow (John 18:12). Before the Sanhedrin (Matt. 26:57) charges of a threatened destruction of the temple linked with blasphemy were brought in (Tenney, 1975). He was then brought before Pilates but he, finding no guilt in Him, handed Him back to Herod. Again Jesus was sent to Pilate who had him scourged and crucified. A dispute developed between the Jews and Pilate regarding the notice on the cross. The gospels record Jesus time on the cross, crowned with His last words it is finished (John 19:30). These terrible occurrences were overturned in the resurrection on the third day. Evidence about Jesus statement in John 11:25 (that He is the resurrection and life) was given on occasions where over 500 saw Him. Therefore, the Great Commission as recorded in Matthew 28 has its basis in Christ, His command and promise (Smith, 2012). CONCLUSION Christ came and offered Himself as Saviour, but His own did not acknowledge His revelation of the Father and King therefore rejected Him to be crucified. Jesus came to give us new life-everlasting life, revealing the nature of God the Father and God the Spirit and who wants to be worshipped, any place and any time. Throughout Jesus ministry He suffered rejection but in the end the triumph of the resurrection is the basis of faith, God showing the divine approval for Christs work upon the cross. That is the basis of the Gospel.