Analysis of the Allegory of the Cave Essay

Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† presents a visualization of people who are slaves that have been chained in front of a fire their whole lives. These people observe the shadows of different things shown on the cave wall that is in front of them. The shadows are the only â€Å"reality† the slaves know. This is because they have never seen anything else to compare them to. Plato argues that there is a critical flaw in how people mistake their limited perceptions as reality, as truth, and as what they believe to be what is good. The allegory reveals how the flaw affects our education, our spirituality, and our politics. The flaw that Plato speaks about is how people trust what they see and think it is real. In The Allegory of the Cave, the slaves in the caves know that the shadows, shown on the wall by the fire behind them, are real. If they were to talk to the shadows echoes would make the shadows appear to talk back. To the slaves, as Plato puts it, â€Å"the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images†¦. † The allegory also talks about how a slave is later brought out of the cave, in what Plato refers to as â€Å"the ascent of the soul into the intellectual world. † Once out of the cave, the slaves discover that what they thought was real is not. They learn to understand all of these new images as what is real and what is true. Since the slaves have been in the dark for all their lives, both literally and metaphorically, the light blinds them. Representing knowledge, the light is too brilliant for them to see and comprehend. The slaves must be re-educated. They have to learn that the reflections are truer than shadows and the objects truer than reflections. They must deal with a new reality that does not exist within the cave. Plato says that these people who are brought out of the cave must go back into the cave to educate the other slaves. But the only people who should be allowed back into the cave are the ones who are willing to go back. The people must teach the other slaves about the reality outside of the cave, and what is outside of the slaves’ reality. These are representing the philosophers in the allegory. The capacity to learn exists in the soul. Humans need to use their whole soul to learn, not just use their eyes. The allegory states that, â€Å"†¦the power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already; and that just as the eye was unable to turn from the darkness to light without the whole body, so too the instrument of knowledge can only y the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being†¦. † According to Plato, human beings’ misperception about â€Å"reality† also affects the spiritual growth of that person. When the slave makes the ascent out of the cave that they have been in their entire life and sees the sun, they will be reminded of God. Plato wrote about how the slaves may even mistake the sun for God because the slaves would have no real perception of what the sun or what God looks like. Having moved from darkness into light, the slaves come to the conclusion that this bright light must be God. Plato argues that one’s soul holds knowledge of what is true. When one learns, one simply remembers. People originate from Heaven where they knew the truth. In the Bible it even talks about how on the outside people are wasting away every day but on the inside they are being renewed every day. One is renewed day by day by remembering things that their soul knows, but that they have forgotten. Also, Plato discredits a government run by the people in the cave who are uneducated and yet still fight for power. He also argues that the people who have made the ascent from the cave must govern, for they know what is real and what is not real because they understand that the shadows are only dreams, or something that is unreal. Plato says it is difficult to go back down into the darkness after somebody has seen the light, but they must. They must educate the slaves about the world above, so the slaves understand that power is not the greater good. Even though it will be about ten times harder to readjust to the darkness after descending into the cave again they will see about ten times better, because now they know the shadows are not real. They will govern with knowledge of good and truth. I believe that the Allegory of the Cave simply states that we must question reality and we must not trust just what our eyes tell us. We must know more than just what the eyes see. The slave in the allegory that makes the ascent and eventually rejects the truth of the shadows comes to know a truer truth. But then they believe what their eyes show them that is on this world. They have forgotten that they must question reality, because how are they to know that this reality is realer than that of the caves’? Somebody may wonder what if we are the shadows in the cave. And who knows. It corresponds to having an imaginary friend when a person is younger. The imaginary friend is very real to whoever the befriended person is, but as the person gets older or makes the ascent to the world of knowledge, they will mostly likely reject their childhood imaginary friends. Everybody is faced with a different reality where they start to believe that what their eyes show them is the only truth. They forget to question things and don’t realize that maybe there is yet another ascent, out of this bigger â€Å"cave† of the light. It may be something that nobody will know about until they reach the point of ascent. Human beings’ knowledge of goodness, reality, and truth will forever be limited by their fear of new ideas and new perspectives. As long as people are afraid of questioning what they cannot see, they will be stuck, chained up as slaves who are trapped in the darkness of the unknown in their very own cave.

The Influence of Roman Engineering and Architecture

The ingeniousness and beauty of Roman architecture has not been lost on us in the 2000 years since it was built. Even today, we still marvel at what incredible builders the Romans were, and at the sheer scale and integrity of many of their projects. It is hard to argue that today’s architecture will maintain the same lasting grandeur as that which the Romans built. If we can still respect and admire the grandeur of Rome as it was in it’s day, one can only imagine how much of an influence people of the time felt, due to the incredible innovations that the Romans brought to the new regions of their empire.In fact, it is because of the superior engineering skills and architectural ideas possessed by the Romans, and respected by others, that allowed them to conquer, influence and rule such a vast area of the world, for such an extended period of time. Citizens of regions conquered by Rome were the beneficiaries of Roman innovations such as a (public) fresh water supply, bri dges over previously impassable rivers, roads linking all parts of the empire (especially to the capital) and incredible public buildings like the forums and baths.They were more easily persuaded into acceptance once the Romans arrived when they saw or heard of these innovations which they realized could have such a huge and beneficial impact on their lifestyles. The first thing the Romans did upon entering a new region, after winning the war that gained them their new territory, was construct roads and bridges. This was the best way to â€Å"Romanize† the new areas, as it permitted easier communication between the colony and the mother country.The roads all led to the capital, which solidified its position as the centre of power, and also allowed the rulers easier and faster access to the colonies when necessary. It has been said that at the peak of Rome’s power, one could travel from the English Channel all the way to Rome without ever fording a stream, simply becaus e the Romans had built so many bridges to link its colonies. As the Romans were the first to master bridge building on such a large scale, they had a huge influence on the people in even the most remote regions. Places that had been impassible could suddenly be crossed by bridge.The bridges were a commanding presence on the landscape as well, easily conveying the sense of who was in power and influencing the people of the region. The Puente Alcantara in Spain can perhaps best show the expansive influence that the Romans held through their bridges, (Images 1 and 2). Built in AD100 and still standing today, Puente Alcantara reaches 164 feet at its highest point, is 600 feet long and has spans of 92 to 98 feet wide. Such an example of architecture so far from the centre of power is a lasting monument to the influential power once held by the Romans.People were drawn into conformity when they saw the superior skills of the Romans, who also perfected pile driving for the construction of bridges and built each bridge arch as self-supporting to avoid damage to the entire structure if only one portion was damaged. The Roman use of the arch itself, which had never been used to such a great extent before, is itself the main reason they were able to build the huge and influential structures that they were. The use of the arch was of course not limited to bridges; it was common in all Roman architecture of the time.The next major use for it in the new colonies, however, was in the construction of a water supply system—the system of Roman aqueducts. Rome already had an extensive system of aqueducts to supply the city with fresh water, and the Romans used the same system in other regions to civilize the â€Å"barbarian† tribes they had just subdued. Such a system was unheard of in other civilizations. The Romans were a very sanitary and hygienic people to whom fresh water was very important. The new colonies had never been concerned about such sanitation.The R omans, however, were able to bring fresh water to the towns from long distances away by carrying it through tunnels and over valleys with their towering aqueducts. This water was then used for the public baths and toilets, besides the expected drinking water. The fact that this water was for the public, and not reserved for private use, pleased people in the new colonies even more, and made them even more accepting of Roman control. The actual aqueducts themselves, built by the Romans to carry the water, were perhaps even more influential.Aqueducts like Pont du Gard at Nimes (Images 3 and 4), or Segovia in Spain (Image 5), the latter of which still carries water today, were monumental landmarks in the colonies where they were built and still are today. That the Romans would build such magnificent and monumental structures for the sole purpose of supplying water to its colonies was likely overwhelming to those benefiting from it. So the Romans supplied the towns with water, and made travel between towns easier. But what about improving life within the town itself?It is in the public buildings such as the bath, the forum and the amphitheater, which people used and experienced daily, where Rome was able to exert its greatest influence. The fact that these buildings were open to all and not reserved for an elitist group of society only increased their significance. It is arguable that the grandness of the baths has yet to be surpassed in any public building since. These were huge, lavishly ornamented structures where citizens would go not only to bathe, but also for sports, club-life and exhibitions of art.The baths acted as a community centre, uniting citizens in the towns in which they were located. There was also the Roman invention of the forum, today’s equivalent of which would be city hall, the law courts, a marketplace and a church all combined in a single structure. It was a novel idea that one could go to a single building at the centre of town and find everything they needed. People were also allowed open discussion here and were able to publicly voice their opinions and socialize with fellow citizens.However, the forum’s accessibility and openness should not hide the fact that it was used by the Romans as a control centre, where legislative duties for the town were carried out, giving Rome further influence over the citizens. The amphitheaters cannot be forgotten, as they were used by the Romans to please and placate people through the presentation of spectacles. Their architectural grandeur was also influential, however, as they were usually four stories tall, could be covered by a canopy, and were the size of two theatres put together.The Romans didn’t build the public buildings just for their own good, they were used to show â€Å"who’s boss† and keep people appeased. These buildings were superior to anything else that had been or was being built, which helped Rome keep the territory it had co nquered. It is still difficult to comprehend that the Romans were able to create an empire as vast and as powerful as they did. Lasting several centuries and covering Europe, Asia Minor and Northern Africa and even overtaking their historical enemies the Greeks, their empire was of a magnitude that has been unsurpassed but often dreamed. When we look back at how they chieved such widespread influence there is no doubt that the principal factor in their achievements was due to their superior skills in architecture and engineering of the day. They brought fresh clean water to the towns and cities they conquered using the aqueducts which are still inspiring and influential monuments today. We can only imagine the significance they held 2000 years ago. As Frontius said of the aqueducts, they are â€Å"†¦a signal testimony to the greatness of the Roman Empire. † The water brought by the aqueducts was then distributed to the public and used in even more magnificent structures like the baths.How could people not be influenced by such great inventions as these and the forum and the amphitheater, which were used by the Romans not only to please the people but also to help maintain power? The Romans built bridges and roads to link their new colonies and built them so they were a lasting and powerful presence. These bridges were not just a show of power in their grandeur, but were also used by the Romans as quick access to the colonies they needed to keep under control. People of the world were not nearly as advanced in terms of the engineering ability of the Romans, and were persuaded to accept Roman rule.They respected and admired the Roman’s superior abilities and innovations and were therefore easier to conquer and less likely to revolt, allowing the Romans to expand their empire and maintain their influence for such a long time. The Romans no doubt improved their quality of life upon conquering them, and it is hard not to accept a new ruling class if such improvements are occurring. The greatness of the Roman Empire as it was is a direct result of the fact that they were such superior engineers and architects.

Banking services in saudi arabia research proposal

Banking problems in the late 1950s decade resulted in regulatory framework being strengthened in Saudi Arabia during the middle 1960s decade in which broad supervisory capacity was given to SAMA in a legal environment that upheld the concept of a Universal Banking Model allowing banks to make provision of a wide range of financial services â€Å"including banking, investments, securities, etc. through their branches.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) There were 12 operating banks by 1979 only three of which, were non-Saudi banks and branches had doubled by that year to 140. II. Lending Institutions in Saudi Arabia Five major lending institutions were introduced in the decade of the 1970s: (1) Saudi Credit Bank; (2) Saudi Agricultural Bank; (3) Public Investment Fund; (4) Saudi Development Fund; and (5) the Real Estate Fund. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) Restructuring was accomplished arising from encouragement by the Saudi Government and by 1975 there was a reported â€Å"10 international bank†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦including â€Å"29 branches present.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) There was a rise and fall in the economy and SAMA faced a critical challenge for supervision in 1982 â€Å"when irregularities appeared in Saudi Cairo Bank’s operations. Two senior managers were involved in unauthorized trading in bullion during the 1979-81 period, and had concealed accumulated losses that exceeded the Bank’s share capital.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) It is reported that SAMA required the Bank to issue new shares and double its capital i n 1986. SAMA arranged this increase to be taken up entirely by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Bank also benefited from â€Å"low-cost† deposits from the Public Investment Fund. These measures helped the Bank with liquidity and rescued it back to a healthy position.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 4-5 III. Regulatory Framework of Banking System in Saudi Arabia SAMA in collaboration with Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance ensured the financial system’s stability and assisted banks in clearing the hurdles of economic downturn. Included in this collaborative initiative were the following actions: (1) Banks were required to seek SAMA’s approval prior to announcing their dividends. The Banking Control Law required all banks to build their statutory reserves equal to their share capital. SAMA further encouraged Saudi banks to build additional reserves to strengthen their capital base. (2) Most foreign shareholders in Saudi banks enjoyed a tax holiday for the first five years of their ownership. To encourage retention of profits, the tax holiday was extended in most cases by another 5 years after which a deferred tax scheme was permitted; (3) In 1986, SAMA obtained a ruling from the Tax Department that permitted the tax deduction of loan loss provisions on an accrual basis. This encouraged banks to increase their loan loss provisions for doubtful accounts; (4) To encourage Saudi banks to increase their inter-bank dealings and to support the development of a riyal inter-bank market, a tax ruling was obtained which exempted foreign banks from withholding taxes when carrying out inter-bank transactions with Saudi banks; (5) Corporate Governance. SAMA recognized the need to encourage banks to take strong steps to improve their risk management and control procedures. Consequently, it took major initiatives in the area of corporate governance. Firstly, it required all banks to develop and strengthen their internal audit departments, and secondly it issued minimum internal control guidelines. In addition, SAMA issued accounting standards for Commercial Banks in Saudi Arabia which were in line with International Accounting Standards; (6) Creation of Banking Disputes Committee. In 1987, Saudi authorities established a Banking Dispute Committee by the order of the Council of Ministers. The creation of this Committee a s the only relevant quasicourt to handle dispute between banks and their customers significantly strengthened the legal system. By law, all banking disputes had to be referred to this Committee and the rulings of this Committee were given the same enforcement support as decisions from any other court; (7) Exchange of Information on Large Borrowers and on Delinquent Loans. In the early 1980’s, SAMA established a credit information service that provided information to Saudi banks on all large exposures of the Banking System. This enabled banks to better assess the credit position and risk of big borrowers. Also in 1986, SAMA permitted banks to exchange information on delinquent borrowers as a means of applying collective pressure on them. These measures have proved quite effective in resolving problems of delinquent loans.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 5-6) IV. Improvement of Banking Services Banking and financial services were improved during the early decade of the 1980s by technological advances and SAMA had acknowledged a decade earlier that there was not only a potential but as well as need to â€Å"enhance and strengthen the Saudi financial markets through greater investment in modern technology. It is reported that the primary objectives of this strategy were: (1) elimination of duplication of efforts and waste; and (2) development of a national infrastructure. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 7) Technology enhanced business services introduced included: (1) automated Cheque Clearing System (1986); (2) linking of Saudi Arabia with the SWIFT payment network; (3) introduction of a national Automated Teller Machine System enabling customers to access accounts from any machine in Saudi Arabia and from the major financial markets; (4) introduction of debit, credit and charge cards; and (5) introduction of Point-of-Sale terminals that link customers, traders and banks. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.7) International Islamic Financial Institutions It is reported that International Islamic Financial Institutions are reported in the work of Memon (2007) entitled â€Å"Islamic Banking: Present and Future Challenges† to be making provision of â€Å"a wide range of services in accordance with the basic principles of Shariah. The products are reported to include: (1) Mudaraba; (2) Murabaha; (3) Musharaka; (4) Ijarah; (5) Isstina; and (6) Salam. (Memon, 2007, p.4) Conventional banks are reported to operate under the concept â€Å"of lender-borrower relationship where interest is considered as the rental income on capital. The depositors are assumed to be capital providers.† (Memon, 2007, p.4) Bank customers are reported to be divided into three broad categories as follows: (1) religiously motivated customers; (2) high profit customers; and (3) customers who are religiously motivated but also expect returns at least similar to conventional banks. (Memon, 2007, p.6) It is reported as follows in regards to the Islamic ec onomic system: â€Å"Islamic economics is a system, which not only fulfils our moral, ethical, and religious obligations but also demonstrates to be economically feasible and financially rewarding. Islamic banking is based on asset-based transactions for the purpose of income generation, and prohibits financing in all forms of economic activities, which are normally and/or socially injurious to the society.† (Memon, 2007, p.6) Additionally stated is that the Islamic field of Banking operations â€Å"is unlimited. It is under continuous process of evolving and Islamic financial modes instruments have been developed to cover nearly all kinds of businesses including consumer financing, project financing, house financing, working capital financing, import and export financing, venture capital, etc.† (Memon, 2007, p.6) A survey conducted in the United States indicates that U.S. banker perception of Islamic Banking includes that 10 out of 20 Islamic Banking practices are vie wed as acceptable. Those ten include: (1) investment accounts; (2) transfer of funds; (3) cost plus finance; (4) profit and loss; (5) sharing, (6) trust financing, (7) leasing, (8) lease purchase, (9) letters of guarantee, and (10) flexible investment of deposit and role as trustees. (Memon, 2007, p.8) VI. Service Quality in Saudi Arabian Banks The work of Al-Fawzan (2005) entitled â€Å"Assessing Service Quality in a Saudi Bank† states that service quality is defined as â€Å"the degree of alignment between customers’ expectations and their perceptions of the service received.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005, p.1) Al-Fawzan (2005) states that the move to â€Å"†¦managed service has increased demands for outcome-based accountability, cost containment, and attention to customer-focused quality in order to remain competitive in a rapidly changing environment. This dual focus on driving down costs while increasing quality has intensified pressures to understand, measure, and manage quality from a customer perspective.† (p.101) While banking systems are stated to provide services that are the same they are differentiated by the quality of services provided. In addition, today’s customers are â€Å"†¦more aware of the alternatives and their expectations of service have increased. Service quality c an, therefore, be used as a strategic tool to build a distinctive advantage over competitors. Banks are striving for zero defection and retaining every customer that the company can profitably serve in order to achieve service excellence.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Zero defections makes a requirement of ongoing efforts for improving service quality. It is reported that while quality â€Å"can not be improved unless it is measured, it can be defined from several perspectives, e.g., the ability to satisfy the needs and expectations of the customer, or the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy given needs.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) There is a growing acknowledgement of quality importance in banking services although â€Å"its conceptualization and empirical assessment have remained limited.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Al-Fawzan (2005) reports that the â€Å"central tenet of the quality paradigm is the importance of understand ing and utilizing customer data to drive operational and strategic decisions, defining quality from the outside-in based on customer information is critical. This shift in defining quality often necessitates a fundamental change in the way professionals, managers, staff, and policy makers think about and identify those who â€Å"buy† or â€Å"use† products and service.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Those who use banking services are not generally refers to as ‘customers’ but instead are referred to as ‘client† suggesting â€Å"†¦a passive voice in the service delivery process, which is reflected by professionals in the field who question the credibility of client evaluation of services. On the other hand, customer carries an image of an active participant with more input in determining choices and decisions. Clients of human service organizations who follow directions from professionals and make few demands on the system are labeled as â€Å"cooperative.† In contrast, customers in the business sector who are loyal to the service, interact with the staff, and are willing to show their preferences are viewed as â€Å"desirable customer.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Al-Fawzan states that customers have difficulty in the articulation of â€Å"banking service quality† therefore â€Å"the recipient of the service can only really assess it, t hereby making its measurement more subjective than exact. Hence, the measurement of banking service quality has to be based on perceived quality rather than objective quality because services are intangible, heterogeneous and their consumption and production occur simultaneously.† (2005) It is reported that service quality â€Å"†¦ is a measure of how well the service level matches customers’ expectations.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) It is reported that Parasuraman et al. â€Å"†¦defined service quality as perceived by customers and items from a comparison on their expectations of the services they will receive with their perceptions of the performance of the service provider.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) The study reported by Al-Fawzan (2005) summarizes the results stated the following findings: (1) the most important dimension determined by Saudi Bank customers is that of ‘assurance dimension’; (2) a service gap exists in service quality provided b y Saudi Banks with the most notable gap being the accessibility dimension; (3) Saudi Bank customers, on average, rated Saudi Banks service quality to be overall good; (4) the expectations of Saudi Banks by customers are â€Å"highest in reliability dimension; (5) 67.8% of SB customers rated the overall service quality as good and very good; (5) SB employees dress nicely and they are polite when talking to customers; (6) SB has exceeded customers’ expectations in performing the service right from the beginning and in instilling the confidence in customers that their transactions are complete and safe.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) The work of Sohail and Shaikh (2008) entitled â€Å"Internet Banking and Quality of Service: Perspectives from a Developing Nation in the Middle East† reports a study that had as its objective the measurement of the quality of service from the perspective of the customer on internet banking in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted via a questionnaire survey and an extensive review of literature. Findings in the study report that upon the basis of a factor analysis three factors were found to influence the evaluation of quality of internet banking services by users. Those three factors identified are stated to include: (1) efficiency and security; (2) fulfillment; and (3) responsiveness. (Sohail and Shaikh, 2008) In 2010 Jasimuddin reported in the work entitled â€Å"Saudi Arabian Banks on the Web† reports that commercial transactions via the Internet began in 1995 and that online banking is an application with much promise. However, while many banks in developed countri es have made provision of banking services via the Internet, Saudi Arabia is â€Å"lagging behind.† (Jasimuddin, 2010, p.1) The environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s environment is very conducive to Internet banking service provision. Jasimuddin reports that as of 2000 there were 11 banks and 1201 branches operating in Saudi Arabia. As of the middle of 2000, there are 11 banks with 1201 branches operating across Saudi Arabia. Eight banks are reported to have established a web site presence which is a rate of 73% of banks with a web site presence although only two of these offer Internet Banking Services. When the Saudi banks web sites are compared there is not major difference noted in the content of the bank web sites. The contents of the websites are stated to be inclusive of information about the bank, the addresses of branches and ATMs, phone and fax numbers, press releases, newsletters, news about the site and welcome letters, hot links, job opportunities, publications, contact and email, feedback, sitemap, site search, online forms and so forth. (Jasimuddin, 2010, paraphrased) Practically all of the banks provide information relating to customer services that â€Å"incorporate financial market, retail and corporate banking, investment treasury service, telephone and PC banking.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) I t is reported that online banking in Saudi Arabia is still a â€Å"very marginal activity† and that internet is presently being used by Saudi banks primarily for â€Å"brand awareness and promotion.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) Saudi banks will be driven by â€Å"the dynamic and imperatives of e-finance†¦to build web site and to start Internet banking.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) In other words, since this is a banking service that is increasingly familiar customers will be requesting these services from banks in the future in Saudi Arabia. VII. Technology Use in Banking Service Provision It was reported in 2007 that the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia was established in Saudi Arabia prior to any other banks being established. This bank has 300 branches throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with some branches stated to be â€Å"dedicated exclusively to Islamic Banking Services. The National Commercial bank reports having implemented use of a digital signage system which is reported to make provision of a â€Å"better platform for NCB to better communicate with its employees, educating them about the banks products and services and enhancing the service they provide to their customers.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) Summary of Literature Reviewed It is clear that banks in Saudi Arabia are faced with a diverse customer-base and this makes a requirement of diversification of banking services offered by banks in the Kingdom. While internet banking services provision is somewhat behind the development in the rest of the world, it is certain that Saudi Arabian banking customers will clearly see the benefits to Internet banking and that the push will soon be on for provision of this banking service by Saudi Arabian banks. Internet banking as well as other technological advanced service possibilities are presently being explored by Saudi Arabian banks including such technologies as a digital signage system among others. While the banking sector is quite developed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia there does appear to be a general mistrust of Internet banking technology and not just on the part of customers but in the view of the banking industry in Saudi Arabia as well. Recommendations Arising from this study is a recommendation for research to be conducted examining the quality of banking service provision by banks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a focus on technology use. References Memon, N.A. (2007) Islamic Banking: Present and Future Challenges. Journal of Management and Social Sciences. Vol. 3, No. 1, (Spring 2007) 01-10. Institute of Business and Technology (BIZTEK). Retrieved from: http://www.biztek.edu.pk/downloads/research/jmss_v3_n1/1-islamic%20banking.pdf A Case Study On Globalization and the Role of Institution Building in the Financial Sector Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. February 2004. Retrieved from: http://www.sama.gov.sa/sites/samaen/OtherReportsLib/SK521-04(CaseStudyonGlobalization-RoleofInstitutionBuildinginSaudiArabia-Final)Dr.Shaukat.pdf Al-Fawzan, MA (2005) Assessing Service Quality in a Saudi Bank. J. King Saud Univ., Vol. 18, Eng. Sci. (1), pp. 101-115, Riyadh (1426H./2005). Sohail, M.S. and Shaikh, N.M. (2008) Internet banking and quality of service: Perspectives from a developing nation in the Middle East. â€Å", Online Information Review, Vol. 32 Iss: 1, pp.58 – 72 Jasimuddin, Sajjad M. (2010) Saudi Arabianu Banks on the Web. Array Development. Retrieved from: http://www.tenso.fr/emarketing/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Aper%C3%A7u-de-%C2%AB%C2%A0Saudi-Arabian-Banks-on-the-Web%C2%A0%C2%BB.pdf Banking services in saudi arabia research proposal Banking problems in the late 1950s decade resulted in regulatory framework being strengthened in Saudi Arabia during the middle 1960s decade in which broad supervisory capacity was given to SAMA in a legal environment that upheld the concept of a Universal Banking Model allowing banks to make provision of a wide range of financial services â€Å"including banking, investments, securities, etc. through their branches.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) There were 12 operating banks by 1979 only three of which, were non-Saudi banks and branches had doubled by that year to 140. II. Lending Institutions in Saudi Arabia Five major lending institutions were introduced in the decade of the 1970s: (1) Saudi Credit Bank; (2) Saudi Agricultural Bank; (3) Public Investment Fund; (4) Saudi Development Fund; and (5) the Real Estate Fund. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) Restructuring was accomplished arising from encouragement by the Saudi Government and by 1975 there was a reported â€Å"10 international bank†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦including â€Å"29 branches present.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) There was a rise and fall in the economy and SAMA faced a critical challenge for supervision in 1982 â€Å"when irregularities appeared in Saudi Cairo Bank’s operations. Two senior managers were involved in unauthorized trading in bullion during the 1979-81 period, and had concealed accumulated losses that exceeded the Bank’s share capital.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) It is reported that SAMA required the Bank to issue new shares and double its capital i n 1986. SAMA arranged this increase to be taken up entirely by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Bank also benefited from â€Å"low-cost† deposits from the Public Investment Fund. These measures helped the Bank with liquidity and rescued it back to a healthy position.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 4-5 III. Regulatory Framework of Banking System in Saudi Arabia SAMA in collaboration with Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance ensured the financial system’s stability and assisted banks in clearing the hurdles of economic downturn. Included in this collaborative initiative were the following actions: (1) Banks were required to seek SAMA’s approval prior to announcing their dividends. The Banking Control Law required all banks to build their statutory reserves equal to their share capital. SAMA further encouraged Saudi banks to build additional reserves to strengthen their capital base. (2) Most foreign shareholders in Saudi banks enjoyed a tax holiday for the first five years of their ownership. To encourage retention of profits, the tax holiday was extended in most cases by another 5 years after which a deferred tax scheme was permitted; (3) In 1986, SAMA obtained a ruling from the Tax Department that permitted the tax deduction of loan loss provisions on an accrual basis. This encouraged banks to increase their loan loss provisions for doubtful accounts; (4) To encourage Saudi banks to increase their inter-bank dealings and to support the development of a riyal inter-bank market, a tax ruling was obtained which exempted foreign banks from withholding taxes when carrying out inter-bank transactions with Saudi banks; (5) Corporate Governance. SAMA recognized the need to encourage banks to take strong steps to improve their risk management and control procedures. Consequently, it took major initiatives in the area of corporate governance. Firstly, it required all banks to develop and strengthen their internal audit departments, and secondly it issued minimum internal control guidelines. In addition, SAMA issued accounting standards for Commercial Banks in Saudi Arabia which were in line with International Accounting Standards; (6) Creation of Banking Disputes Committee. In 1987, Saudi authorities established a Banking Dispute Committee by the order of the Council of Ministers. The creation of this Committee a s the only relevant quasicourt to handle dispute between banks and their customers significantly strengthened the legal system. By law, all banking disputes had to be referred to this Committee and the rulings of this Committee were given the same enforcement support as decisions from any other court; (7) Exchange of Information on Large Borrowers and on Delinquent Loans. In the early 1980’s, SAMA established a credit information service that provided information to Saudi banks on all large exposures of the Banking System. This enabled banks to better assess the credit position and risk of big borrowers. Also in 1986, SAMA permitted banks to exchange information on delinquent borrowers as a means of applying collective pressure on them. These measures have proved quite effective in resolving problems of delinquent loans.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 5-6) IV. Improvement of Banking Services Banking and financial services were improved during the early decade of the 1980s by technological advances and SAMA had acknowledged a decade earlier that there was not only a potential but as well as need to â€Å"enhance and strengthen the Saudi financial markets through greater investment in modern technology. It is reported that the primary objectives of this strategy were: (1) elimination of duplication of efforts and waste; and (2) development of a national infrastructure. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 7) Technology enhanced business services introduced included: (1) automated Cheque Clearing System (1986); (2) linking of Saudi Arabia with the SWIFT payment network; (3) introduction of a national Automated Teller Machine System enabling customers to access accounts from any machine in Saudi Arabia and from the major financial markets; (4) introduction of debit, credit and charge cards; and (5) introduction of Point-of-Sale terminals that link customers, traders and banks. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.7) International Islamic Financial Institutions It is reported that International Islamic Financial Institutions are reported in the work of Memon (2007) entitled â€Å"Islamic Banking: Present and Future Challenges† to be making provision of â€Å"a wide range of services in accordance with the basic principles of Shariah. The products are reported to include: (1) Mudaraba; (2) Murabaha; (3) Musharaka; (4) Ijarah; (5) Isstina; and (6) Salam. (Memon, 2007, p.4) Conventional banks are reported to operate under the concept â€Å"of lender-borrower relationship where interest is considered as the rental income on capital. The depositors are assumed to be capital providers.† (Memon, 2007, p.4) Bank customers are reported to be divided into three broad categories as follows: (1) religiously motivated customers; (2) high profit customers; and (3) customers who are religiously motivated but also expect returns at least similar to conventional banks. (Memon, 2007, p.6) It is reported as follows in regards to the Islamic ec onomic system: â€Å"Islamic economics is a system, which not only fulfils our moral, ethical, and religious obligations but also demonstrates to be economically feasible and financially rewarding. Islamic banking is based on asset-based transactions for the purpose of income generation, and prohibits financing in all forms of economic activities, which are normally and/or socially injurious to the society.† (Memon, 2007, p.6) Additionally stated is that the Islamic field of Banking operations â€Å"is unlimited. It is under continuous process of evolving and Islamic financial modes instruments have been developed to cover nearly all kinds of businesses including consumer financing, project financing, house financing, working capital financing, import and export financing, venture capital, etc.† (Memon, 2007, p.6) A survey conducted in the United States indicates that U.S. banker perception of Islamic Banking includes that 10 out of 20 Islamic Banking practices are vie wed as acceptable. Those ten include: (1) investment accounts; (2) transfer of funds; (3) cost plus finance; (4) profit and loss; (5) sharing, (6) trust financing, (7) leasing, (8) lease purchase, (9) letters of guarantee, and (10) flexible investment of deposit and role as trustees. (Memon, 2007, p.8) VI. Service Quality in Saudi Arabian Banks The work of Al-Fawzan (2005) entitled â€Å"Assessing Service Quality in a Saudi Bank† states that service quality is defined as â€Å"the degree of alignment between customers’ expectations and their perceptions of the service received.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005, p.1) Al-Fawzan (2005) states that the move to â€Å"†¦managed service has increased demands for outcome-based accountability, cost containment, and attention to customer-focused quality in order to remain competitive in a rapidly changing environment. This dual focus on driving down costs while increasing quality has intensified pressures to understand, measure, and manage quality from a customer perspective.† (p.101) While banking systems are stated to provide services that are the same they are differentiated by the quality of services provided. In addition, today’s customers are â€Å"†¦more aware of the alternatives and their expectations of service have increased. Service quality c an, therefore, be used as a strategic tool to build a distinctive advantage over competitors. Banks are striving for zero defection and retaining every customer that the company can profitably serve in order to achieve service excellence.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Zero defections makes a requirement of ongoing efforts for improving service quality. It is reported that while quality â€Å"can not be improved unless it is measured, it can be defined from several perspectives, e.g., the ability to satisfy the needs and expectations of the customer, or the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy given needs.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) There is a growing acknowledgement of quality importance in banking services although â€Å"its conceptualization and empirical assessment have remained limited.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Al-Fawzan (2005) reports that the â€Å"central tenet of the quality paradigm is the importance of understand ing and utilizing customer data to drive operational and strategic decisions, defining quality from the outside-in based on customer information is critical. This shift in defining quality often necessitates a fundamental change in the way professionals, managers, staff, and policy makers think about and identify those who â€Å"buy† or â€Å"use† products and service.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Those who use banking services are not generally refers to as ‘customers’ but instead are referred to as ‘client† suggesting â€Å"†¦a passive voice in the service delivery process, which is reflected by professionals in the field who question the credibility of client evaluation of services. On the other hand, customer carries an image of an active participant with more input in determining choices and decisions. Clients of human service organizations who follow directions from professionals and make few demands on the system are labeled as â€Å"cooperative.† In contrast, customers in the business sector who are loyal to the service, interact with the staff, and are willing to show their preferences are viewed as â€Å"desirable customer.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Al-Fawzan states that customers have difficulty in the articulation of â€Å"banking service quality† therefore â€Å"the recipient of the service can only really assess it, t hereby making its measurement more subjective than exact. Hence, the measurement of banking service quality has to be based on perceived quality rather than objective quality because services are intangible, heterogeneous and their consumption and production occur simultaneously.† (2005) It is reported that service quality â€Å"†¦ is a measure of how well the service level matches customers’ expectations.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) It is reported that Parasuraman et al. â€Å"†¦defined service quality as perceived by customers and items from a comparison on their expectations of the services they will receive with their perceptions of the performance of the service provider.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) The study reported by Al-Fawzan (2005) summarizes the results stated the following findings: (1) the most important dimension determined by Saudi Bank customers is that of ‘assurance dimension’; (2) a service gap exists in service quality provided b y Saudi Banks with the most notable gap being the accessibility dimension; (3) Saudi Bank customers, on average, rated Saudi Banks service quality to be overall good; (4) the expectations of Saudi Banks by customers are â€Å"highest in reliability dimension; (5) 67.8% of SB customers rated the overall service quality as good and very good; (5) SB employees dress nicely and they are polite when talking to customers; (6) SB has exceeded customers’ expectations in performing the service right from the beginning and in instilling the confidence in customers that their transactions are complete and safe.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) The work of Sohail and Shaikh (2008) entitled â€Å"Internet Banking and Quality of Service: Perspectives from a Developing Nation in the Middle East† reports a study that had as its objective the measurement of the quality of service from the perspective of the customer on internet banking in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted via a questionnaire survey and an extensive review of literature. Findings in the study report that upon the basis of a factor analysis three factors were found to influence the evaluation of quality of internet banking services by users. Those three factors identified are stated to include: (1) efficiency and security; (2) fulfillment; and (3) responsiveness. (Sohail and Shaikh, 2008) In 2010 Jasimuddin reported in the work entitled â€Å"Saudi Arabian Banks on the Web† reports that commercial transactions via the Internet began in 1995 and that online banking is an application with much promise. However, while many banks in developed countri es have made provision of banking services via the Internet, Saudi Arabia is â€Å"lagging behind.† (Jasimuddin, 2010, p.1) The environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s environment is very conducive to Internet banking service provision. Jasimuddin reports that as of 2000 there were 11 banks and 1201 branches operating in Saudi Arabia. As of the middle of 2000, there are 11 banks with 1201 branches operating across Saudi Arabia. Eight banks are reported to have established a web site presence which is a rate of 73% of banks with a web site presence although only two of these offer Internet Banking Services. When the Saudi banks web sites are compared there is not major difference noted in the content of the bank web sites. The contents of the websites are stated to be inclusive of information about the bank, the addresses of branches and ATMs, phone and fax numbers, press releases, newsletters, news about the site and welcome letters, hot links, job opportunities, publications, contact and email, feedback, sitemap, site search, online forms and so forth. (Jasimuddin, 2010, paraphrased) Practically all of the banks provide information relating to customer services that â€Å"incorporate financial market, retail and corporate banking, investment treasury service, telephone and PC banking.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) I t is reported that online banking in Saudi Arabia is still a â€Å"very marginal activity† and that internet is presently being used by Saudi banks primarily for â€Å"brand awareness and promotion.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) Saudi banks will be driven by â€Å"the dynamic and imperatives of e-finance†¦to build web site and to start Internet banking.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) In other words, since this is a banking service that is increasingly familiar customers will be requesting these services from banks in the future in Saudi Arabia. VII. Technology Use in Banking Service Provision It was reported in 2007 that the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia was established in Saudi Arabia prior to any other banks being established. This bank has 300 branches throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with some branches stated to be â€Å"dedicated exclusively to Islamic Banking Services. The National Commercial bank reports having implemented use of a digital signage system which is reported to make provision of a â€Å"better platform for NCB to better communicate with its employees, educating them about the banks products and services and enhancing the service they provide to their customers.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) Summary of Literature Reviewed It is clear that banks in Saudi Arabia are faced with a diverse customer-base and this makes a requirement of diversification of banking services offered by banks in the Kingdom. While internet banking services provision is somewhat behind the development in the rest of the world, it is certain that Saudi Arabian banking customers will clearly see the benefits to Internet banking and that the push will soon be on for provision of this banking service by Saudi Arabian banks. Internet banking as well as other technological advanced service possibilities are presently being explored by Saudi Arabian banks including such technologies as a digital signage system among others. While the banking sector is quite developed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia there does appear to be a general mistrust of Internet banking technology and not just on the part of customers but in the view of the banking industry in Saudi Arabia as well. Recommendations Arising from this study is a recommendation for research to be conducted examining the quality of banking service provision by banks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a focus on technology use. References Memon, N.A. (2007) Islamic Banking: Present and Future Challenges. Journal of Management and Social Sciences. Vol. 3, No. 1, (Spring 2007) 01-10. Institute of Business and Technology (BIZTEK). Retrieved from: http://www.biztek.edu.pk/downloads/research/jmss_v3_n1/1-islamic%20banking.pdf A Case Study On Globalization and the Role of Institution Building in the Financial Sector Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. February 2004. Retrieved from: http://www.sama.gov.sa/sites/samaen/OtherReportsLib/SK521-04(CaseStudyonGlobalization-RoleofInstitutionBuildinginSaudiArabia-Final)Dr.Shaukat.pdf Al-Fawzan, MA (2005) Assessing Service Quality in a Saudi Bank. J. King Saud Univ., Vol. 18, Eng. Sci. (1), pp. 101-115, Riyadh (1426H./2005). Sohail, M.S. and Shaikh, N.M. (2008) Internet banking and quality of service: Perspectives from a developing nation in the Middle East. â€Å", Online Information Review, Vol. 32 Iss: 1, pp.58 – 72 Jasimuddin, Sajjad M. (2010) Saudi Arabianu Banks on the Web. Array Development. Retrieved from: http://www.tenso.fr/emarketing/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Aper%C3%A7u-de-%C2%AB%C2%A0Saudi-Arabian-Banks-on-the-Web%C2%A0%C2%BB.pdf

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Discuss the role of vitamin K, vitamin D and calcium on bone health across the lifespan and review the evidence that supplementation with vitamin D and calcium - Essay Example In this manner the strength and vitality of the bones are maintained. However, this process varies in significant manner during advanced age, which may have a negative impact on the strength of the bone and its ability to satisfactorily perform its essential functions. With the increase in life spans being experienced around the world and particularly in the developed world maintaining healthy bones has become more important, so that the elderly segments of population can continue their active phase of life, without risks of damage of fractures to bones impeding the quality of their lives. This has led to increasing interest in the interaction between nutrition and bone growth and development and the nutrients that are significant in prevention of deficiencies, with particular emphasis on optimising peak bone mass and making the risk for osteoporosis minimal (Prentice, et al, 2006). Bones are made up of hard living tissue, which are in the form of hard matrix consisting of calcium salts deposited around protein fibres. The protein fibres are made up of collagen and provide the bones with their strength and elasticity, while it is the mineral deposits that make the bones rigid. Bones may be divided into the outer bone and the inner bone. The outer bone layer is called the periostem and it makes up eighty percent of the mass of a bone and provides rigidity to the bone. The trabecular bone is the inner bone, the structure of which looks like a honeycomb, due to the spongy mesh-like bone that it consists of to provide strength to the bone. It makes up twenty percent of the mass of the bone. Within the cavity of the bone, bone marrow is found, which is responsible for the production of red blood cells. Bones are in different shape and length based on the functions that they perform in the skeletal system. osteoclasts and

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Review and Critical thinking Essay Review Questions Syncopation is placing emphasis or accents on beats that are unexpected, or, alternatively. Is music that combined the music of marches with the rhythms of African music. The instruments used for ragtime are used in jazz. Cornetist who helped to create jazz music . His music had a loud piercing sound that be heard in the distance. Bebop had faster rhythms and more complex harmonies. A form of jazz that emphasized improvisation. In hot jazz multiple musicians did improvisation, In classic it was one. Critical Thinking Questions Both use improvisation at some point. A difference is that classical music try not to improvise but jazz music use it all the time. A characteristic of jazz is that it uses a of improvisation. Another characteristic is that it has influence from its african roots. What they mean by that is that jazz is Americas music, it was created in america and was given a lot attention. Even the government gave attention to it. Buddy bolden was one of the people to create jazz, not much is know about his music, but some people that heard his music have said it was a loud piercing sound that can be heard from a distance. Improvisation is creating music in the moment by responding to the other players around you. Jazz music uses improvisation almost all the time, most jazz pieces use improvisation.

Mr aaban Essay Example for Free

Mr aaban Essay An employees contract of employment may be terminated by either the employer or the employer or the employee giving the notice required by the applicable award or the industrial Relation act 1990. Where the prescribed notice is not given, the employee shall be paid wages in lieu of notice, or the employer may withhold wages due to the employee. Part 2 Notwithstanding Part 1 above, where any employee is guilty of misconduct, the contract of employment may be terminated instantaneously. Where it is alleged that an employee is guilty of misconduct, the employee shall be provided with details of the allegation/s and be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to allegations prior to a decisions being made to either terminate the employment or to issue a written warning. Part 3 where it is alleged that an employees capacity or performance is unsatisfactory, then the following procedure should be followed. The existence of this procedure shall not prevent an employee being dismissed in accordance with part 2 above. The initial discussion and direction will be provided on an informal basis by Business manager of other authorised person. If the problem/s persist the Business manager to other authorised person will discuss with employee. 1. the matter/s of concern; 2. action necessary to resolve the concerns; and 3. a timetable for improvement to be evidence. input including explanations will be sought from the employee. As a result of this discussion the Business manager or other authorised person will notify the employee in writing regarding those matters in question discussed per clause 3. 5 above The notice will detail; 1 the matter/s of concern; 2. actions necessary to resolve the concerns; 3. a timetable for improvement to be evidenced. This notice will be signed and confirmed by the employee to recorded the discussion (3) above. of there is a disagreement as to the content of the notice the employee shall have the opportunity for their view to be placed on the record. Appropriate monitoring and counselling shall then be provided to the employee by the business manager or other authorised person. part 4 at any meeting or discussion forming part of the process in part2 or 3, the employee nay be accompanied by a union representative or other person of the employees choosing. Macville Private Incident Hazard Form Incident/ Hazard Report Form Given Name: John Family name: Dawson Position Title: Equipment Assistant International? Yes No Visiting Student Agency Personnel Visitor Contractor Employee number/ Student ID : s654 Address: 57 Mitford Crescent Craigieburn Division: 50 Management Unit: 15 TAFE Unit/ Sub Management Unit: 20 DOB: 02/06/1985 Gender: M F Contact details: 86557342 Have you reported this to your Team Leader/ Manager? Yes No Date 15/08/2012 notified Yes Name ( please Print): Matthew Contact: 0432654678 Macville Private Questions and Answers for Incident Hazard Form Question1. Feed back for the use of Templates: Answer: For Incident Hazard form we got feedback from the employees and management committee so made some changes in it. In incident hazard form we got the feedback from employee suggested that we need to add more question in section 2 details of incident. Rest of the format for this template was achieved good response from all of them. Question 2. Change in template after feedback Answer: According to the feedback on the use of template we made some changes in for example we add some more question regarding the incident so we after giving the answer to those question we have more information what actually happened. Question 3. How to provide information for document Answer: We can use Meta tag which is primary used to help search engines better index a document by supplying additional information about the document. Question4 : Which particular section of the form should prior check the form? Answer: In incident hazard form first check the details of the person to check they are appropriate and then check the details of the incidents what actually happened. Question 5: which software used to make forms for example? Answer: For Incident Form we used software Microsoft word. Macville Private Question and answer for Performance Development form Question1 : Feedback for the use of Templates Answer: Fro the Professional development form we got feedback from the employees and management committee so made some changes in it. First of all we just asked in the form for professional goals then they suggested that if we achieved good response from all of them. Question2. Change in template after feedback Answer: According to the feedback on the use of template we made some changes in for example we made another column of personal goals in professional development form so we can achieve both goal employees personal and professional Question3 : How to provide information for document Answer: We can use Meta tag which is primarily used to help search engines better index a document by supplying additional information about the document. Question4: Which particular section of the form should prior check the form Answer: In Performance development form all the sections are important but firstly we will check the Name of the person and date of reviewed and there goals. Question5: Provide clear instruction for the use of all three forms. Answer: Development form is a really good way to know the employees work performance that how the employee is doing the job and what he/she want to achieve from doing that job and what/where they can do best in the future for the organisation to achieve their targets and mission.

Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs How do native English children acquire irregular verbs? The process of how children acquire their first language is a widely investigated phenomenon. Some researchers and experts agree that every child has a special language learning device, which enables them to learn a language very effectively. Numerous researches have been conducted on the different stages of first language acquisition. One of these stages is the process of verb acquisition. Children usually make errors when trying to use the past tense forms of irregular verbs, but later on these errors disappear, as they acquire the correct forms. In this paper I will, firstly demonstrate the stages of first language acquisition and place the phase of verb acquisition, then I will explain the most common mistake children make with irregular past tenses, and lastly, I will give an explanation to this phenomenon, and show the consequence it could possibly have. According to Pinker (1994) when a child is born it can distinguish all the phonemes of the worlds languages, even if there is no distinction in their mother tongue. By reaching ten months of age, however, they will have learned the sounds used in their language, and will not have a universal knowledge of sounds anymore, just like adults. Children learn to understand speech between two month and their first birthday. They start to produce syllables in between this time span, at around their seventh month. This phase is called babbling. Then, they begin to use single, isolated words when they are one year old, and with eighteen months, their vocabulary starts to grow very quickly, and syntax also begins with combining words. When they reach their second year the development in all fields of language learning is very rapid, and as Pinker (1994) states, with three years a child is a grammatical genius (p. 276). For a better overview we could name the stages as follows: Syllable Babbling, Gibberish Babbling, One-Word-Utterances, Two-Word-String, and All Hell Breaks Loose (Pinker, 1994, p. 269). The acquisition of verbs usually takes place later than that of nouns (Harris, Meints and Plunkett, 2008). There are two types of verbs: regular verbs and irregular verbs. In order to produce the past tenses of verbs, Redman and Rice (2001) point out, that children need to acquire the morphophonological component of past tense, the rules for producing the various forms associated with past tense (p. 655). This means, that they have to learn that the past tense is constructed by adding -ed to the stem, and that there are irregular verbs, which are exceptions to the rule, and are produced differently. Learning to produce the past tense of regular verbs is usually not a problem for children, because they only have to know one rule, and be able to apply it. The problem is with irregular verbs, because there is no rule there, which can be applied. The mistake children commonly make when trying to use the past tense of irregular verbs is called overregularization. This can occur whan the c hild already knows, that in order to express past tense, -ed has to be added to the stem of the verb, and applies this rule, incorrectly, to irregular verbs as well (Matthews and Theakston, 2006). There is an explanation to this phenomenon. According to Pinker (1994), irregular verb forms have to be memorized independently, linked together as word pairs, and if the correct form cannot be retrieved from memory, the general rule of adding -ed is applied. This substitution can occur, because regular inflection is a symbol-combination rule and does not need access to the contents of memory (Pinker, 2001, p. 19). In the English language there are about 180 irregular verbs, which originate from Old and Middle English. There used to be about twice as many, but adults also tend to forget that a verb is irregular, especially if it is not a common, often used verb, and start to use it as a regular verb (Pinker, 1994). Therefore, the amount of regular verbs is increasing, while that of irregular ones is decreasing. It can be concluded then, that verb acquisition starts between the childs first and second birthday, somewhat after noun acquisition. When using the past tense of verbs, children have to know the rule which is used with regular verbs, and that there are irregular verbs, which are produced differently. However, they tend to apply the general rule, which is used for regular verbs, also for irregular verbs. This is probably so, because there is no rule for generating the past tense of irregular verbs, so they have to be memorized as pairs of words, and if the child cannot remember the right form, or the other half of the word pair, it simply applies the rule it knows, and generates a regular past tensed verb. Irregular verbs, that are not often used, might stay in the childs lexicon as regular ones, and this can cause the increase of regular verbs and the decrease of irregular verbs. References Harris, P. L., Meints, K., Plunkett, K. (2008). Eating apples and houseplants: Typicality constraints on thematic roles in early verb learning. Language and Cognitive Processes, 23, 434-463. Matthews, D. E., Theakston, A. L. (2006). Errors of omission in English-speaking childrens production of plurals and the past tense: The effects of frequency, phonology, and competition. Cognitive Science, 30, 1027-1052. Pinker, S. (1994). Baby born talking-Describes Heaven. In The language instinct (pp. 262-296). London, England: Penguin Books. Pinker, S. (2001). Words and rules. Eye on Psi Chi, 14-19. Redmond, S. M., Rice, M. L. (2001). Detection of irregular verb violations by children with and without SLI. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 44, 655-669.

Defragmenting Computer Geeks :: Computer Geeks Nerd Essays

Defragmenting Computer Geeks What constitutes a computer geek? Take a second to formulate an image of what a computer geek is. What does he/she look, act, and sound like? Mark is currently enrolled at JMU, and this is his second semester away from home at college. Mark, a skinny pale Caucasian male has his face two inches away from the computer monitor. He is playing the most up to date popular Star Trek video game on his newly acquired Pentium 5 processor. Ring Ring Ring†¦.the phone rang, his eyes still fixated on the screen, he adjusts his glasses, and then went back to his game while the ringing had stopped. The first five words that popped into my head when picturing a computer geek were Caucasian, skinny, antisocial, timid, and glasses. The thoughts running through my mind were typical stereotypes of a nerd and a geek. In my definition, a computer geek is an outcast of society whom are obsessed by computers and everything that has to do with technology. The reason I depicted a geek in such a physically weak manner is from stereotypes that I acquired through high school up until the present. From elementary school to high school the so-called â€Å"popular† kids were always bullying around the intelligent, who were typically skinny, weak, and introverted. Their skin would have no pigment and pale because they never get enough sunlight. Geeks and nerds are very smart compared to the average and often have glasses on because of their damaged eyes from the bright monitor. In the intro, I pictured that he did not pick up the phone, which shows that the geek is antisocial and c aught up in the game. He would most likely act strange and awkward in social situations. After I read the Luddite vs. Fetishist article and learned the term of fetishist, I have always pictured the â€Å"computer geek† as an introverted and anti-social character (Henderson 36). I am obviously stereotyping against people with introverted personalities. My opinion of an outgoing person is one who interacts in social events rather than sitting alone in front of a piece of machinery, wasting his or her life away playing games, and browsing the web. My assumption may be because of the act of sitting in front of a computer, it is an antisocial non-interactive act rather than a social activity like shooting pool, and conversing over the dinner table.

Tobacco Essay -- essays research papers fc

THIS IS A PAPER REGARDING THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY (3 PAGES). The Killing Business? This paper is about the tobacco industry. Some would find that the label ‘killing business’ is very appropriate. Others would say that that name is misleading and inaccurate. Biased, I am not. So we will look at the issue in regards to the industry from both consumer and producer points of perspective with fairness and equality in reach. With an open mind now, let’s peer closer at the aftermath tobacco has left us standing in. Something has to get a non-tobacco user to try his/her first cigarette, cigar, chew, or whatever it may be. What is that something? Tobacco ads play an important part in getting people hooked. The government has taken a step in the right direction by reducing the ways that the industry can advertise tobacco. They have limited it to written ads mostly like magazines, billboards, sponsorship (meaning that Marlboro could sponsor a racecar driver), and T-shirts. They aren’t able to advertise on television or radio in any way. This helps to steer youth away from tobacco. But is this grafting the industry’s amendment of free speech? Not when the industry is responsible for thousands of deaths each and every year. What is it that makes a tobacco-user keep on buying the product? One of the most addictive substances in the United States. The mystery matter that keeps consumers coming back for more is nicotine. Is it necessary that the industry utilize nicotine to keep customer...

ALS DISEASE Oral Notes :: essays research papers

ALS- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Lou Gehrig’s disease- Yankee B-Ball player 1903-1941 Neurodegenerative disease- Unknown cause breaks tissue down in nervous system. Motor Neurons- they control muscle movement Affects nerves from the brain to the spinal cord (upper motor neurons) then the lower spinal cord (lower motor neurons) which control muscle movement. With this disease, for unknown reasons, these neurons die, meaning a progressive loss of the ability to move nearly any of the muscles in the body. Lou Gehrig’s disease affects voluntary muscles, controlled by conscious thought, such as the arm, leg, and trunk muscles. ALS DOES NOT affect the heart muscle, or the â€Å"smooth† muscle of the digestive system, bladder, and other internal organs. Most keep eye movement as well. â€Å"Amyotrophic†- means the loss of muscle bulk. â€Å"Lateral† indicates the spinal cord being affected. â€Å"Sclerosis† describes hardened tissue that develops in the place of healthy nerves. 50,000 approximately people in the US, 5,000 new cases each year. Onset between ages 40-70, usually. Men have a slightly higher chance of developing ALS. Normally, neurons in the spinal cord and brain convey messages from the brain to muscles to give movement to the arms, legs, trunk, neck, and head. When the motor neurons die, the muscles can’t move, with weakness in result. Loss of bulk is also a symptom. Loss of Lower motor neurons can make twitching. Two forms are known- Familial and sporadic. Familial accounts for about 10% of all Lou Gehrig’s cases. Sporadic LGD has no known cause. The earliest sign of LGD is weakness in arms or legs, and the throat and mouth muscles.-Speech slurred, hard to chew and swallow. Other early signs are twitching and muscle loss. Later symptoms lead to the loss of the ability to walk, use arms and hands, to speak clearly or at all, to swallow, and to hold the head up. Eventually coughing and breathing become difficult.

Tiger Mon Equal to Children Success in Future

The . issue . of . whether . a . tiger . mum . equals . a . better . future . has . aroused . a . wide . debate . in our community recently. The . news . recently . reported . that Asian tiger parents also called Chinese-style version of parenting, struggle much effect to children. However, I disagree with the above statement, in this essay; I will explain the reasons and conclude that the tiger mom is equal to better future for their children. The background is that it has been argued that a tiger mom cannot lead students for a better future. In fact, a tiger mom can be a role model to their children.Parents can guide their children in their growth, their personal development, as well as building up their right value which can lead them to a better future. Chinatown American parents often focus on educational achievement, personality, personal accomplishment, and problem solving skills. With these aspects, they have high expectations of their children, for example, children are expe cted to master various musical instruments, and succeed in everything. Every parent would like to cultivate all the good things and values to their children when they are still innocent.This is why the name of â€Å"tiger parents† comes from, in another word â€Å"strict parents†. Outstanding academic results can set up good career aspects in the future, no matter if it is in Hong Kong or western countries, not only in manufacturing-based or service-based career. TheBigGreen (2012) showed that in the top-level schools, 90 percent of children have an outstanding parent who plans a strict and harsh timetable for their children. It is shown that when a child enrolls in a high-level institution can refer to a minority who have a tiger parent.The strict parents will plan a full schedule for children to learn extra knowledge and practical skills. Focusing on academic achievements, their parents will arrange many tutorials for them to excel in exams. In order to reach the tar get and be the top student in the school, their children might get high GPA or obtain a Dean’s List, which must be beneficial to them in future career. When you have succeeded in your academic field, getting a high CGPA in every term, you may have a chance to have placement or internship in worldwide enterprises.In addition, with higher education level, the children can be professionals in different social statuses, and also lead to social progress. Another reason why strict-parenting is a better way for a child’s future is that they give the child pleasure. In childhood, developing the proper social network, personal accomplishment, and respective interpersonal skills is necessary for their social activities, such as, table etiquette, social dancing, and classical music and so on. At the same way, the aggressive parents plan a timetable for their children to learn different musical instruments.Participating in the class, children can make more new friends from differe nt top-level schools. The parents will filter undesirable friends and build the proper social network in children’ s institution level and personal accomplishment. All these can be contributed in future career. Since if you need any support, your social network can be your consultant teams and help you deal with the problems. Moreover, learning a musical instrument in childhood, it could mater some kinds of long-term training.The child will feel pleasure when they can master something and be confident to perform well on the stage in the future. It is because they were always used to practice a lot and join various Royal Conservatory of Music examinations, which need to perform in the auditorium. When they feel pleasure under the strict parenting method, it will not cause any mental and physical effects in the future. Another reason is that tiger mom method training children are more target-oriented, and also well-organized and well-planning.Shane (2013) reported that Vaile an alyzing when a child , who is more well-planned, will be more sensitive about the social issue and critical thinking. In another word, it means that an aggressive parenting guides the children to plan and schedule. With the result of well-planning, children can be equipped with multiple perspectives and make decent conversation. On the other hand, Chinese proverbs, â€Å"success required hard work†, nothing comes from reaping without sowing. The parents help their children develop the habit from childhood, things must be planned in advance.Since they were used to do anything on schedule and on time in childhood, it caused them struggling their future works and everyday-life in the future. When in the future, you must be facing something unexpected, before the work start, you can imagine the situation and procedures in many possibilities. So you can prepare the contingency measures to solve those problems. Nonetheless, many people may have a misconception about â€Å"tiger mu m†, which is only exploiting and maltreating children.However, the meaning of â€Å"tiger mum† and â€Å"strict parent† is that parents can guide their child to the right ways to be succeed in all fields. Parents’ and Children’s Internal Conflicts (2012) insist that parents experienced . much . more . internal . conflict . in . pushing . their . children . to . success, . and . the . tiger . parents . kind . of . guilty . for . putting . children . through . the . top-level . institution. .Besides, most of the people may think that freedom, social skills and creativities may also be crushed by this type of harsh parenting.This is another misunderstanding concept. It is not true that strict parenting will cause external side-effects on mental and physical in the future. Undoubtedly, aggressive parenting style puts high-pressure on their children's childhood, but it can lead them to build up high-pressure resistant, blame resistant characteristics und er their guiding. In future, they could bear heavy workload, more missions and projects, and be more flexible to suit in different challenging situations.This is a sharpened competitiveness and strength which can excel with others. Additionally, children could further understand themselves and find self-image, value and esteem, reflecting when parents disciplining. The tiger mom may have a role model and guide the child to be successful, the benefit is more than the harmful effects to the children. The misunderstanding can be clarified by the fact. In consequence, even though the tiger mom approach is equal to a better future for children, it should not be black and white.Tiger parents build up a proper value to their children and teach them many things which could be used in future, like personality, personal accomplishment, and problem solving skills. Moreover, they plan the most meaningful and useful schedules for children, in order to have success in educational fields. Some ins ist that strict parenting might damage childhood; however, this is a misconception. The reason why the parents are only to guide children keep in rules, instill proper value, and leading them to self-reflection. With all bove conditions, â€Å"tiger mom† or â€Å"strict-parenting style† is not a harmful thing to children. Reference list Courtney Rivette. (2012). The Controversy Behind â€Å"Tiger Moms† . The Big Green. Retrieved March 22, 2013, from Retrieved http://www. thebiggreen. net/2012/03/15/the-controversy-behind-tiger-moms Shane. (2103) Twice-exceptional students with deafness or hard-of-hearing and giftedness. Exceptionality in East Asia, 216. Qin, D. B. , T. , Han, E. J. and Chee G. (2012) Parents’ and Children’s Internal Conflicts. New Direction for Child and Adolescent Development, 134, 35-57.

Leonardo Da Vinci and Pierre Renoir Comparative Essay

The two renowned artists Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) and Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) are both good role models for the progressing art society but when comparing these two gifted men it is evident that their artworks both relinquish a different message to the viewers and are portrayed using different art techniques and equipment. Leonardo, born to be known as the archetype of a Renaissance man, was an Italian painter, inventor, mathematician, writer, and engineer. He was explicitly known for his realistic, geometrically designed and religiously inspired paintings. Renoir, however, was a French man who devoted his life to introduce the impressionist style to the art community. As a true worshiper of natural beauty and feminine aura, Renoir’s painting symbolized the entire liveliness of French culture and European scenes. Leonardo’s style of painting was influenced greatly during the formation of the Renaissance period that first emerged in Italy during the 14th to the 17th century. It was a new era in which European scholars craved for greater knowledge of medieval times and Italy was their primary source for it contained the great art and architecture of Rome and held manuscripts that scholars studied to learn the lives of the early Romans and Greek. Thus most themes of Leonardo’s paintings portray religious beliefs and mythology. Its art revolved in finished images comparable to reality and the colours conservative, brush strokes concealed, leaving no trace of the artist’s emotions or techniques. Impressionism, however, opposed the entire concept of Renaissance art. Initiated by French artist, Claude Monet during the late 1870’s in France and soon followed by more painters one of which leading them is Pierre Auguste Renoir, conflicted the techniques of French art Schools and ignored their Euclidian perspectives and took advantage of the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution brought the popularity of the camera, metal tubes were invented and so paint was achieved in a fast yet cheap way, people had more leisure time and places such as parks, malls, stores, circuses were easily established. Painters like Auguste Renoir had more subject matters and the opportunity to paint and observe the fleeting moment of light outside instead of relying on their memory and paint inside a studio. Most of Leonardo’s buyers are wealthy church organizations such as the Catholic Church that value realism as they will use them as either for cathedral decorations or another image worthy for worshiping. During the Renaissance period, if a patron is willing to buy for an artwork, he or she controls the subject matter, the completion date, the materials used and a set payment. Artists were also required to show preliminary plans to be approved by the patron before the actual artwork was painted. Renoir, however, had buyers that appreciated his colorful artworks for the purpose of house decorations or family portraits. Artists like Renoir had more liberty in exhibiting and selling their works. Artists like Renoir painted outdoors and so people had the chance to observe how they capture the scenery in front of them thus, making it easier for them to be recognised. Renoir and Leonardo share different subject matters in their paintings yet they both possess the ability to dazzle the viewer. Leonardo’s inspiration revolved mostly in religion which he greatly portrays in â€Å"St John the Baptist† where St John wears pellets and animal skin while holding loosely a reed staff with a cross at one end and uses his right hand to point up a feminine hand to heaven. On the other hand, Renoir’s passion relied on his deep adoration for feminine sensuality which he greatly conveys in â€Å"Nude in Lanscape† where a raven, shoulder length haired, naked woman sits on a rock covered with a long white sheet that she also uses to wipe her left ankle. The woman’s body is facing sideways but her whole face is seen as she looks downward on the withering grasses. The scene is in a tiny forest during a lazy Sunday afternoon. Upon thoroughly studying these two artworks it is evident that the two artists use different colour schemes and art techniques in order to show the theme of their artwork. Leonardo portrays St John’s wavy, curled hair in an intense reddish brown colour to imply shadows while a neutralized pinkish brown to show a tint of shininess. Leonardo also provides an empty, darkish background to achieve negative space in order to enhance his use of chiaroscuro on St John’s face and right arm. St John’s innocent, auburn eyes are darkened due to the heavy amount of yellow light coming from the foreground. St John’s pale lips are curled enigmatically giving the viewer the impression of whether he is pure good or evil. Renoir, on the other hand, uses a dark brown colour with short strokes of a midnight blue colour instead of black to darken it. Renoir provides a vibrant background by using a cool orange to show shadows from the overlapping grasses and warm yellow to show the effects of light on the tree trunks and the withering grasses. The neutralized green on the tree’s foliage recede. The woman’s body is yellowish due to the amount of yellow light but her face is darkened. The highlights on her body are white. He uses cool purple to show shadows on the white sheet and the shallowness of the lake while a warm red on her body especially on her chubby breasts, slender back and rosy cheeks to create a sense of form. It also makes the cool colours contrast with warm colours. The artist’s however both use gestural lines to implicate movement but have used them in different areas of their paintings. Leonardo uses gestural lines to show the liveliness of St John’s hair and contour lines to impeccably form St John’s realistic face, muscular right arm and while using the technique sfumato (which means applying translucent layers of colours) Leonardo was able to achieve a feeling of a three dimensional shape to the viewer finished with a smooth surface. In contrast to Renoir who uses short, thick, gestural lines to show the continuous movement of his brush strokes in the entire painting providing a simulated texture. He applies wet paint to wet paint without waiting for the successive applications to dry, producing softer edges and intermingling of complementary colours Leonardo and Renoir share equal importance for how balanced light and dark are in their paintings. The intense dark background and the vibrancy of ellow light on St John’s face and arm provides a symmetrical balance and value contrast that can easily make St John’s face the emphasis and focal area. Conversely, Renoir uses the trees surrounded by deep shadows to poise the woman’s plump body in an asymmetrical balance of visual elements. Her face like St John also is the focal area in which the strongest light and dark value contrasts. St John the Baptist and Nude in Landscape are both oil paintings. But St John the Baptist was painted on walnut wo od using tempera paints while Nude in Landscape was painted on canvas using the average metal tube paints. St John’s pointing gesture towards the heavens shows the complete message of the painting that baptism which St John symbolizes is important in order for a human being to gain salvation. In Nude in Landscape, Renoir has the sole intention of conveying to the viewer his great love for portraying nude women and how he sees the fleeting changes of light on their tender flesh. Leonardo’s passion for portraying religious characters or biblical matters showed the world the great importance of religion and how it should never be forgotten. He portrays his figures in a realistic manner to show viewers his great understanding of the human anatomy and how science and its necessity for thorough observation are related to art. Renoir, however, paints not to share a message to the world but rather show people the majestic effects of light in everything and to remind people that art is not a competition for talent, observation and fame but rather a deep visual expression for one’s perspectives and feelings in life.