Lobbying strategies used by financial services Essay

General knowledge about patenting and the patent reform legislation. A patent can be said to be a se of exclusive rights given to an inventor or his assignee for a given period in exchange for the invention details. However in countries like us extras qualification utility patents is used to differentiate them from other types of patents, this should not be confused with utility models grants by other countries. (http://www.ipaustralia-gov.au/patents/what_index.sch.html)examples of these particular patents for invention includes biological patents, business method patents, chemical patents and software patents. In some other countries other types of intellectual property rights (IPR) are called patents while industrial design rights are referred to as design patents which protect the physical designs of objects which are not of great utility. As such therefore, patent should not be mistaken for a right to practice or use the inventor, it(patent) provides the authority to prevent other people from making, using, selling or offering for sale or importing the patented invention for as long as the term of the patent remains, which in most cases is usually 20years. In real sense a patent is a limited property right that the government leases to inventors in exchange of their (inventors) disclosure of the details leading to their invention. Patent therefore, like any other property rights can be leased, mortgaged, assigned, licensed, given away or even transfered.As briefly stated above the rights governing a patent varies from country to country. For instance in Australia, other people are allowed to build on top of already patented invention. This is possible by making use of exceptions from infringement procedures e.g. allowances for academic research (http. /paustralia- gov.au/patents/what_ index .sch.html). While on the other hand in US things are very different on patent rights governing research, whereby even developing of an existing invention amounts to infringement. The mystery of patents is exhibited when one wants to make an improvement of an already patented invention. This can only be done legally by seeking permission from the patent holder, assuming that the patent is still in force When the new improvement is made the owner of it can bar the original patent owner from using the improvement and hence denying him of the right to exploit the patent. However some countries require that the invention be exploited in the jurisdiction it covers. Again the penalties of not working an invention vary from country to country but the common penalties ranges from revocation of the patent rights to awarding of a license to any party in a position to exploit the invention. The patentee can seek legal redress and challenge the revocation or the issuance of the license. But there exists a big hurdle in offering of tangible evidence that, the requirement of the public have really been met by the working the invention. Generally patents can only be put in force through law suits (e.g. in US, patent infringements are handled in the US federal courts) in other countries like France and Australia criminal penalties for patent infringements are given. In case of an infringement the patent owner will demand to be compensated financially for past infringement and then also seek to bar the defendant (infringer)from engaging in any further acts of infringement. However it is not always easy for the patent owner to prove that infringement really took place. As such, he is required to establish that the accused practiced all that the patent was entitled to; again, the issue of independent jurisdictions patent rights tradition also arises. The above statements about the powers of a patent owner are enough evidence to show that there is a great limitation on the patent owner because the accused has a right to challenge the validity of a patent .It is common for civil courts hearing patent cases to declare patents invalid. The basis on which a patent can be declared invalid are stated on the patent agreement, and again this varies from one jurisdiction to another. However some countries like UK have laws discoursing infringers from challenging the validity of patents. In the UK this discouraged through the certificate of contested validity. Nevertheless not all patent rights disputes are settled through litigatation. Majority of these disputes are settled through private patent licensing agreements. These agreement are simply practical, effective contracts whereby the patent owner (also know as licensor) voluntarily decides not to sue an infringer in return of some payment .Research shows that this is common in companies which deals with complex products. These companies also issue patented licenses to other business rivals under what is known as cross licensing agreements. This in turn facilities the cross accessing of each other inventions (special problems in patent cases 66.FRD 529,197 by Howard T Markey) As seen above different jurisdictions have different traditions of approaching patenting, but it should be noted that in many nations both single entities (natural persons) and corporate entities can apply for a patent. On issuance of this patent then the entity (ies) becomes the owners of the patents. However, it is mandatory that the inventor (s) be named so that the public can get to know how the owner(s) of the patent acquired the rights. For example in US only the inventor(s) (natural person) can apply for a patent, in cases of multi inventors then each inventor is given a patent which s very independent from those given to other co- inventors . It is a normal practice also in US for inventors to assign their ownership rights to a corporate body, this is done in cases of multi-inventors so that only one single entity has the rights to grant a license. Another reason is to increase the liquidity of the patent as property, so that inventors can be in a position to sell them to a third party, who in turn owns the patent as though they were the real investors. From the above detailed information about the function ability of patents and patent rights it is evident that patents and patent rights need to be protected by relevant laws so that neither party i.e. patent owners, authorities, and infringers is vulnerable to mistreatment. Therefore nations and also internal communities have come up with laws that govern the enforcement of patents. Patents as such therefore, are governed by laws at a national level and at an international level through signing of treaties. It can be said that patents are therefore not national but territorial in nature. It is traditional that every nation forms a [patent office which carries out patenting responsibilities in regards of the laws of the country. However cases of infringements are left to be catered by national courts. On an international scale it is the work of the world Trade organization (WTO) to harmonize these patent laws. Agreement have been reached successfully in aligning these patent laws .Adherence to these agreements is a mandatory requirement for admission to the WTO, a factor leading to mass compliance by many nations .Even the developing countries are not left back although they have been known to enforce national laws protecting their local industries. A paramount international meting held in Paris relating to patent systems culminated in the signing of the above agreement. Although the agreement does not have a consequential legal effect in national jurisdictions its principles are largely inculcated in many current patent systems. For instance one such principle is the right to claim priority which allows an application filled in a member state of the Paris meeting to be valid for one year and also to be filled in any other member state and still receive its original filling date. This is a great achievement since patent ownership is entirely date oriented. Again the powers and dynamics of patents vary from sate to another. In US for example, the lands prime law (constitution), gives the congress the mandate to make laws, to promote, and uphold the progress of Science and useful Arts. These laws once passed, are then enshrined in Title 35 of the United States Code. The United States patent and trademark office (USPTO) was created under the above laws. (US patent activity, 1790 to present – http://www. Upstaged/web/ offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/h-counts-html). In UR, patent laws are contained in the patents Act 1977 (amended). On international perspective, as mentioned above there exists international freely procedures e.g. procedures under European patent convention (EPC) which works under European patent organization (EPO) and patent cooperation Treaty (PCT) among many others. Similar treaties exist in African content countries. For a natural person or a corporate entity to be awarded a patent then an application requesting the same has to be filled at the relevant patent office. This application contains such information like how to make and put the invention into use and also the utility of the invention. Also contained in the application form is claims which explain more about the invention and the extend of patent rights in regards to applicants wishes. The above details together with a written description with drawings are part of the patent specification. In some nations like US, the applicant is also required to include the most effective way to make and practice the invention. The claim part acts as a disclosure to the public on the limits to which the patentee has over the invention. In other words a claim shows what the patent covers and what does not cover. It should be noted also that a single patent can have numerous claims, each regarded as an independent invention. Once the above requirements have been provided it is now the duty of the patent office to counter check whether the application is in order with the relevant legal provisions in relation to the particular specie of patents. Once it is approved the patent takes effect from the date issued and it is subject to yearly renewals so as to remain in force in relation to (Egbert vs. Lippmenn, 104 U.S. 333 (1881) â€Å"the corset case†) The US supreme court passed a decision that any inventor who has not applied for a patent for more than eleven years of using the invention, cannot be given one. Hence there is a need to seek for a patent once an invention has been made (http://www. Wolf Greenfield. Com/media/news. 9.pdf) In a summary of the above information about patent system four main aspects have clearly been discussed about, they include; i. Inventing: – Through intensive research and consulting Scientists and artists are able to come up with inventions. The desire to dig more and come up with inventions is catalyzed by the existence of patent rights. Which comes with much money as a result of selling patent licenses ii. Disclosing the invention made: – As per the meaning of patent, the disclosure of invention is for a common good. This is so because there are projections as to the rights of invention and hence inventors feel free to disclose their invention. This disclosure facilitates for exploitation of patent right when the current one expire or even improvements are made. iii. To invest in producing, experimenting, and marketing of the invention. This is done out the faith that infrequent cases are well protected against. iv. Designing and improving of earlier patents: – This can only be possible is details of already existing patents are disclosed to the public. All the above stuff concerning modern patent system allows for infant inventors to gain exclusive rights and therefore becoming licensors. They therefore gain financially and in the long run promoting more innovations. Due to loopholes the legal systems governing patents cases of double awarding of patents have been common. (According to R.Buck minster Fuller 1938). Due to the increasing number of inventions the patent filling systems are becoming more complex day and day and hence there is a likehood of awarding a patent to an invention already patented before. However with the introduction of reliable computing system this has been kept at bay. According to Michael Heller, a law professor and Rebecca Sue Eisenberg in a 1998 in their 1998 science article, intellectual property Rights (IPR) have become so much fragmented that signing them will require an agreement with all the owners of fragments. Another big hurdle in patents is that they discourage innovations especially with corporate entities who may own many patents and enter into litigations incases of infringement although they are doing absolutely nothing to develop the invention. Other numerous problems also exist and as a result critisms have been common opposing the patents system and proposing for their abolition altogether. Lastly, it will be fair to put forth some historical information regarding the existence of patents. Reliable evidence suggests that the first stints of patents can be traced to ancient Greek cities whereby any one who came up with a new recipe was allowed to make the food for one year. On the other hand, modern patents can be traced to the republic of Venice whereby new inventions were publicly communicated to prevent undue infringement. Other countries followed suit e.g. U.K, US and therefore the idea of patents spread through other parts of the World. The above detailed account about patents gives a reader of this paper a sound basis to now tackle the issue of financial services industry, lobbying strategies in the addressing of the patent reform bill (legislation) before the 110th congress. As already explained above the patents system in united states are under the body known as United States patent and Trade mark organization (USPTO).This body is therefore incharge of issuance of patents to inventors. According to a 2004 report by National Agency of a sciences and another report of 2003 report by Federal Trade Commissioner a bill (patent Reform Act 2005) was proposed. The main aim of this bill was to try and bring a theme of modernity in the USA patent system. Although it was not until 2007 when this bill was introduced to the bicameral US parliament (Senate and House of representatives). This bill now known as â€Å"The patent Reform Act of 2007† was introduced as a proposal in the 110th US congress for discussion and eventual change of the United States Patent Laws. The bills main objective was to bring the American patent laws to the same level with other countries patent laws. (According to a patent system for the 21st century, by Stephen. A. Merrill Richard L. Levin and mark B. Myers, 2004- (http://www ton.nap.eds/catalog//76.html) The main changes brought by this legislation were – I). Converting US from a first- to- invent system to a first- inventor- to -file system. This bill will bring US to conformity with other countries of world. This system will also reduce legal costs, simplify the patent process, improve fairness and also facilitate a movement towards harmonized international patent system. It is also agreed that this change will reduce the complexity associated with the current USPTO interference proceedings. This will therefore make inventors to focus more on inventing. Since this change would make US to be in harmony with other countries it will help US inventors to pursue their innovative dreams in more consisted manner. On the hand, critics have agreed that this system of first to file will encourage unnecessary USPTO with unharmonized disclosure information; therefore quality of patents is compromised. Again the small scale inventors will be at a disadvantage when competing with large co operations in the race to the pattern office. The next major change was apportionment of damages. The bill will seek to bring sanity in the award of damages due from infringements of patents. The bill allows a court of law to ensure that the damages are paid according to the prevailing economic conditions pertaining to the patented invention. This was seen a measure to cut excessive royalty payment infringed patented. Large technological companies and financial services industries supported this change because they lie on features which are in most cases in patented. Critics of this system argued that, the congress should not attempt to prioritize the factors that a court may apply when determining reasonable damage rights. This system may also undermine the existing licenses and therefore leads to the rise of litigation. Those critics included USPTO, the biotechnology among many others. Other charges embedded in the bill included; Allowing a third party assignee to file a patent application, Revising procedures for patent interference disputes; Allowing financial institutions to infringe patents on the check collection system, Allowing a person who is not the patent owner to file a petition with the board cancel a patent as invalid among many other changes. These changes sought to facilitate a general overhaul of the US patent system. Which according to the coalition for 21st century patent Return was in dire need for periodic examination and foundational changes (http://www.ipfrolmer.com/depts/artic.asp?id=14890&deptid=4) This reform bill on patents was introduced to the House of Representatives by a democrat, MR. Howard Berman and in the senate by another Democrat, MR. Patrick Leahy. It was passed in the House of Representatives but put under more scrutiny pending voting in the senate following its introduction in the 110th United States Congress. The bill has been faced with positive and negative critisms from different organizations. Those organizations lobbying for its subsequent adoption argue that, the bill is necessary to bringing in the much needed changes and consequently reduce the number of soaring ills which are killing innovation. Some of these organizations include coalition for patent fairness, Business software alliance intellectual property owners association and lastly American institute of certified public accounts. Those according to them are weakening the rights of patent owners innovations included the following national small business organization, innovatiove alliance, Biotechnology industry organization among others (http://www.napp, org/resources/nap opp to 2007 senate Bill. pdf) According to the US department of commerce the only part which need some revision is section 4 which they argue may harm the nation’s intellectual property system. The bill also attracted critisms from international community with a Chinese expert calling the bill hypocritical; since it is weakening the rights of patent owners in US when US has been urging the Chinese government to strengthen the rights of their patent owners. An observation also comes from India pharmaceutical Alliance who argued the bills provision allows for the validity of a US patent to be challenged immediately after issuance. They also predict that the bill may favour Indian manufacturers since it reduces legal costs and risks. (Http.economictrimes.com/article show/mst 22256,pr+page – 1.cms1) The lobbying strategies The first question one should ask himself when tackling this debate is very simple, how is the proposed patent reform bill going to affect the performance of the financial institutions? Secondly has the current patent laws been in â€Å"favor† of the financial institutions? With these two questions in mind then it is very easy to the financial institutions stand in respect to these reforms. Consequently, therefore, the lobbying strategies they employ will be directly related to these effects. This issue of patent reforms may seem to a nonprofessional to be of no consequential impact and therefore does not deserve much thought but to the business community things are very different. The above detailed account of the pros and cons of the patent reform bill, it is very clear that there exists a tug-of war between some of the corporate US citizens. On one side of the war are much dreaded patent trolls or better known as patent sharks-small firms or individuals who wit fully trap large manufacturers in patent infringement suits in order to benefit from damage awards. On the other side of this war are financial institutions, which, includes banks and insurance firms who have joined hands with large tech-companies. It is understood that these two sectors have been faced with regular lawsuits coming from the much-dreaded patent sharks. At the center of the dispute is the current Americas patent system that is suffering from lack of a major policy overhaul for along period of time and struggling to stay in level with innovation in thev21st century. Therefore, financial institutions have always found themselves in a hot spot under the current patent laws. It is in this light that any reforms that seeks to address their plight is seen as a relieve to them. The first strategy therefore employed by these financial institutions was the formation of a bargaining platform in the form of â€Å"the coalition of patent fairness†. This group lobbied the senate to help curb the weak patents and bourgeois lawsuits from patent sharks. The group also lobbied against a ruling made by the federal appeals court that opened doors for patents on business methods, including different types of banking, investments and insurance techniques. It is through this lobbying that, the senate judiciary committee included a provision that grants banks immunity against lawsuits from patent holders like Texas Company Data Treasury, which holds patent on a method of digitally scanning, sending and storing checks. Another strategy used by financial firms is by applying for patents. These patents unlike those of other industries are not primarily for financial gains but for defensive purposes against the escalating number of patent infringement cases from the much-dreaded patent sharks. Financial institutions in US are also exploiting the fact that US is the only nation in the world to have been left back using the first-to-invent system of patenting to lobby the international organizations (WTO).this seems to have borne fruits because the USPTO seems to have yielded to the pressure and therefore agreed to bring some changes. This has worked through the harmonization of the US patenting system with the rest of the world. After the House of Representatives passed its version of the bill, many AUTM members frantically contacted their congressional members a move that enabled many parts of the bill to be amended. However the senate bill remained to be harmonized. Following great concern from the university community and other bodies, a number of changes were made. One lobbying strategy, which financial services institution used was voicing their concerns through the AUTM, an organization of many universities and other bodies that induces closeness to industries. It should be noted that the AUTM and the university community were not in anyway against the improvement of US patent system. Their main concern was to see that before the bill was finally voted for in the senate, the contentious parts should be first fine-tuned. As a show of great support to the improvement of the US patent system, the university group therefore put fourth the following suggestions (i) a one-year grace period for first inventor and strong inventor oath should be included. ii)Removal of the previous user rights expansion in favour of study of issue university patent can be in a risk of expanding prior user rights iii) Venue reform provision that exempt universities and technology transfer foundations that offer patent services to universities. The bill as it were had many provisions that were of great concern to US universities chiefly because it undermined the ability of the universities to transfer technology to local industries. This was due to the making of patents difficult to protect decreasing the amount of damages patent holder can get from an infringer and opening new avenues for infringers to put to task the validity of issued patents. This change of USPTO rules and the issue of Supreme Court in mind made it more burdensome, and expensive to get, maintain and even enforce patents. It also poses difficulties for Universities when starting companies, which attract venture funding. Other areas, which concerned Universities and financial institutions were, are as follows:- i. A compulsory search report and analyses, which reflect heavily on the financial aspects of Universities on technology, transfer offices. ii. Absence of meaningful inadequate contact reform iii. An open-ended, post-grant administrative review of patent quality. iv. Venue reform policy that forces patentee to file suits in the infringer home district court and v. Apportionment of damages in patent infringement suits. Another strategic lobbying device at the disposal of financial institutions and other concerned organizations was through approaching federal relations officer near them. These federal relations officers are discharged with the main duty of acting as the intermediaries between the people and senate (legislators). Due to the bill, having so many controversial sections, there was an urgent need for the stakeholders to harmonize their divergent views and come up with a consensus. This was achieved through the congressional research service (CRS) an arm of United State Congress that provides policy and legal advices to committees and members of both the house and the Senate regardless of party affiliations. The CRS committee collects views from the public and then they act accordingly. Again, this CRS also carries out civic education concerning the interpretation of bills and their effect to the lives of the common person. Holding of workshops and seminars with the other stakeholders was another worthwhile strategy used to help bring every concerned party on board so that when the legislation is adopted no one would feel shortchanged. Workshops are known to bring warring parties together on a mutual agreement. These workshops therefore lobbied the opposing bodies into ceding some of their unrealistic demands. Financial services institutions through their attorneys lobbied the senate judiciary committee into making provisions that gave them more power in the using of technologies made by other inventors. These technologies are necessary in the improvement of banking services offered to customers. The bill therefore needed to be lobbied and subsequently harmonized. Conclusion The AUTM through their technology transfer managers evaluated impact of the long legislation on its general operations and therefore come up with a strategy, educate the university management and also other interested and the work with the federal relations officer, who in turn contacts the lawmakers. This technology transfer managers advice the legislators on the need to go the dialogue way so that at end of it all no constituency feels as being shortchanged by the passing of the patent reform legislation. In general, the current state of the bill would weaken the entire American patent system by making patented under to protect. The damages entitled to a patent owner after an infringement has been reduced adding salt to the wound. New avenues for infringers to challenge an already issued patent have also been opened. Although the bill continues to be harmonized bit by bit, the university technology transfer system still view some areas as not fully catered for. The legislation also provides for a patent trial and appeal bond, which is charged with the responsibilities of reviewing decisions of examiners upon applications and reexamination proceedings. Financial services institution therefore can utilize this avenue in addressing and subsequent challenging of the patent reforms legislations. This board comes as an indicator on how this reform legislation has deliberately been drafted and therefore only needs to be harmonized on the small areas. However, it is fair to say that America need this bill to at least bring some uniformity with rest of the world because it has been the only country adopting the first-invent system of patenting. Two, according to Senator Leahy, America needs an efficient and streamlined patent system if it is to remain in the forefront of the world economy. This patent will bring quality and at the same time discourage counter productive litigations. Senator Berman on his side argued that, there should be no doubt, as to whether the US system of patenting produces high quality patents, and therefore changing the existing patenting practices through the congress is the only way out. The bill also, should not be viewed with suspicion since it was founded and introduced in the two houses on a bipartisan basis. It is also the bedrock of American innovation, and therefore there is great need to protect innovation and creativity, according to Senator Hatch. Financial services industry being one of the major economic players of the United State of America, needs also to standup on its own and voice out their grievances. In addition, financial services institutions like banks and insurance companies have a duty to challenge the patent reforms legislation because they have started to seek protection from infringement lawsuits from patent sharks. This was facilitated through the introduction of financial patents. References; More about patent reforms, available at, 1) http://www.ipfrolmer.com/depts/artic.asp?id=14890&deptid=4, accessed on april30 2008 Effects of patent reforms, available at, 2)Http.economictrimes.com/article show/mst 22256,pr+page – 1.cms1) , accessed on april30 2008 Patent reforms for 21st cen. available at, 3) http://www ton.nap.eds/catalog//76.html) accessed on april30 2008 US patent and trademark office, available at, 4) http://www. Upstaged/web/ offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/h-counts-html accessed on april30 2008 Regulations governing patent application, available at, 5) http://www. Wolf Greenfield. Com/media/news. 9.pdf) accessed on april30 2008 More about patenting, available at, 6)http://www.ipaustralia-gov.au/patents/what_index.sch.html) accessed on april30 2008 Patenting and innovations, available at, 7) Heller, M.A., & Eisenberg, R.S. (1998). Can Patents Deter Innovation? The Ant commons in Biomedical Research. Science. Different organizations response towards the patent reform bill, available at; 8) http://dev.bsa.org/country/public%20policy/patents.aspx, accessed on april30 2008

Edgar Degas and his Passion for Ballet

Ballet was considered as a classical form of art. The beauty of this dance type was considered timeless and unchanging. It was considered as an art in itself. The movement of the ballerinas represented years of training. Routines were rehearsed until they were perfected. It was an art form that entailed perfection and it was all for a night’s glory for a stage performance.The movement of the ballet dancers entailed specific rhythm; it required them to have undeniable grace and unity with the music. This made dance, for whatever genre or form, a beautiful piece of performance art. The discipline that was attributed to ballet was something that was unique to this dance form.Ballet was a dance that was considered one of the most exquisite. It had existed for centuries and was depicted in numerous art works. Strength and grace characterized this art form. The experience of watching ballet was the actual experience of art. When dance was depicted in paintings, sculptures or photogr aphy, it would represent something that was beyond beautiful. It was considered as the capturing of beauty on the canvass or the photograph. It was art depicted in art.Edgar Degas represented the art of depicting art in the best possible manner. He was the master of ballerina paintings. Dance had been a subject of visual artwork but it was Degas who represented this art form in one of the most exquisite manner. The portrayal of ballet in painting was uniquely captivating when it was expressed in the Impressionist art period.The movement of the brushes complemented the actual movement of the dancers as they were being observed and painting. Visible brush strokes made exemplified the beauty of ballet. From their costumes, to the forms of their bodies, to the graceful movements they exuded, Impressionism and ballet could be considered as a perfect match. Emphasis on movement was something that was definitive of both the art movement and the dance form.ImpressionismImpressionism was a m ovement that was seen in the 19th century wherein artists chose subjects according to what they ordinarily see around them. Traditional impressionism was interested in depicting the everyday scenes of the nearby streets, a quiet meadow or countryside or the look of the cafes and theaters (Hubbard 33).Most artists in this movement were known for completing a piece of art in a single session. Movements of other periods usually took days, weeks, months and even years in order to complete their art. Some would make sketches and then go back to the studio to complete the picture.Impressionists look at their subjects as photographers would look at theirs. Impressionist painters see daylight to play a significant role in their art and they try to capture on canvas what was happening in a fleeting moment of time before it disappeared (Hubbard 33).In order to accomplish the effect of light and how it reflected in objects, they focus on shading and lighting effects rather than the solidness o f the shapes of their subjects. Impressionists were distinguished by their obvious brush strokes and indistinct outlines of their subjects, whether they may be people, trees or mountains.Brush strokes reflect how Impressionist painters had to work very swiftly. Oil painting was usually done by putting small dabs in the canvass and by using short strokes with little color mixing.   These bright and frequently unmixed colors develop into blended shades when the painting was dried and finish (Hubbard 33).Edouard Manet was one of the famous impressionism artists who focused on landscape paintings. Following the ideals of impressionism, he believed that art must be portrayed in what the artist actually saw in that particular moment in time. French impressionists that included Claude Monet, Camille Pissaro and Edgar Degas painted different things but worked with similar goals in mind. Degas focused on painting dancers and was successful in capturing the beauty of their movement.The Arti st of DancersBackgroundDegas (1834-1917) considered himself as an anti-impressionist because he had a misanthropic nature and had the constant tendency to emphasize (Novotny 199). He prioritized the time he spent in finishing his drawings. He wanted them to be as real as possible however, the style that his brush strokes and colors could not separate him from being classified in the Impressionist movement.

Chaos in the Caribbean Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chaos in the Caribbean - Case Study Example In addition, Avey’s responsibilities as the Jamaican government expertise witness involved giving forensic examination and audit assistance. He employed professional examination techniques to carry out an investigation in a way that his findings would be relevant when presented to a court of law (De-Carmoy, 1990). An alert expert witness declaration is essential in any investigation. Avey had an adequate comprehension of the legal course, regulatory and statutory issues of compliance, and pertinent rules of evidence. This made him the most suitable candidate to be appointed by the Jamaican government. Moreover, he investigated evidence that regarded affirmations. This was to determine the evidence association to ascertained criteria performed as required by a court of law. Avey carried out his research on the basis of reliable principles of accounting. This assisted him hastily find out misdealing in Blaise Merchant Bank and Trust Company where finances were lent from a single Blaise financial unit to corporations managed by its main shareholders. In the case involving Century National Bank and its associated financial units, he established dishonesty was the main reason for the issues (McLaughlin, 2006). Question 2 Avey employed professional forensic accounting techniques to investigate the link between Blaise Merchant Bank and Trust Company, Eagle Merchant Bank, and Century National Bank and its associated financial units. Avey may have used source and application of funds technique. This method is utilized when enormous amounts of finances are used for personal gain or growth as a substitute of buying investments or assets. For example, in the Century National Bank and its associated financial unit’s case, the bank used depositors’ money to obtain assets like real estate for the possible personal benefit of the people who managed the financial institutions instead of the benefit of the institutions (McLaughlin, 2006). In addition, the ap plication of funds technique may have been applied in the Eagle merchant Bank case. Here, instead of the depositors’ funds being used for the benefit of the financial institution, the money was misused. This was in connection with the building of a hotel that was intended as an apartment complex with 130 room suites. Avey may also have used analytical tools during his investigation. Forensic accountants make use of trending to examine financial numbers within a period (De-Carmoy, 1990). Trending entails performing indicators ratio analyses, for example, working capital and inventory turnover to ascertain deceitful financial statements. Avey used trending to detect self-dealing in Blaise Merchant Bank and Trust Company. In this case, finances were given out from a sole Blaise financial unit to corporations managed by key shareholders. Donald Panton and his wife’s funds were utilized to finance the institution’s owners businesses. Question 3 The troubles in the fi nancial sector began when Blaise Merchant Bank and Trust Company was temporarily managed by the Finance and planning minister.

Textual Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem The Brain is wider than the Research Paper

Textual Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem The Brain is wider than the Sky - Research Paper Example The poem also employs fundamental devices that make a poem memorable in its delivery of message (Deppman 76). Uniqueness in Emily Dickinson choice of structure and form in the entire poem is clear. She creates an extremely provocative poem using minimal words. For example, the poem provokes its respective audience to explore the relations of the mind to the sky, the sea and God. Her entire poem reveals the use of several dashes that seem to heighten uncertainty. Dickson places a dash after every sentence in her poem making critics question the intentional use of the symbol. Careful analysis reveals that the dashes emphasize the meaning in the poem. It is fundamental to acknowledge that the form of her poem is captivating because of its brevity. One would not expect such a short poem to deliver an intense message. Other significant elements about form and structure in this poem include Emily’s choice of three stanzas. She ensures that there is equal division of lines in her poem making each of the three stanzas have three lines. There is a notable pattern in the rhyme scheme that she introduces to make the poem suitable. For example, in her first stanza, Emily Dickinson creates an internal rhyme that increases the musicality of her poem. The second line of the first stanza ends with the word â€Å"side† while the second last line ends with the word â€Å"beside†.... The word â€Å"Blue† rhymes with â€Å"do† while â€Å"pound† rhymes with â€Å"sound†. Biographical Criticism Dickson’s previous exposure and consequent address of topics that are relevant to the Romantic Movement in poetry make the poem relevant. She chooses the omniscient point of view in elaborating her storyline. This poem does not seem to have specific voices. However, it has a significantly powerful voice that is neither first person nor second person. The voice is always present throughout the poem. Dickinson displays poetic prowess when using this unique voice to deliver her message in the poem. In the second stanza of the poem, she implies â€Å"-Put them side by side-â€Å". This commanding voice lacks a clear origin. An interesting aspect of the omniscient viewpoint that combines physics and psychology (Faflak 55) Dickinson addresses matters that are beyond feminism in this poem. She uses the poem to display her wonder on significant a spects of nature. Her other works equally focus on several fascinating ideas that are natural (Farr & Louise 5). For example, she focuses on the brain and its power over other powerful elements. She seems to have mastered Romanticism because of her exemplary delivery of a poem that focuses on natural ideas. Psychoanalytic Criticism Dickinson succeeds in accessing the parts of the brain that seem to be unreachable because they are unconscious. The poem allows her to express ideas that seem impossible in the normal world. She uses her poetic justice to reveal some of her unusual desires. Emily Dickinson satisfies the psychoanalytic elements in her poem. Psychoanalysts suggest that people’s actions are governed by sexual desires. Emily displays her sexual

National Electronic Healthcare Record Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

National Electronic Healthcare Record - Essay Example To Blobel (2002), in order to maintain an efficient and high-quality care of patients, the status and processes related to patient’s health, either directly and indirectly, must be provided and managed. Such information, he says, would include medical observation, ward procedures, laboratory results, medical controlling, account management and billing, materials and pharmacy, and the like. As explained by Blobel (2002), inter-organizational virtual electronic healthcare records, in fact, can be built when health information systems within establishments converge to electronic patient record systems. EHRs require that much, he says, but they enable healthcare establishments to build a basis for any communication and cooperation within and between themselves (Ibid). Lander and Daniel (n.d.).defines a virtual electronic health record (EHR) as a collection of individual records that reside in a variety of information systems and locations and on multiple types of media. It contains information from many health-related encounters and will collectively reflect the current health status and lifetime medical history of an individual. There are many benefits that most healthcare professionals agree would ensue if the industry could finally implement a universal EHR. (Smith & Newell, n.d.). A lot of clinical and administrative benefits would be recognized then. As discussed by Smith & Newell (n.d.), there would be immediate and universal access to the patient record, easier and quicker navigation through records, no lost charts, and clinical data that is formatted to be easy to read and analyze. Further, there would be reduction of paperwork, documentation errors, and filing activities. Considered would be coding efficiency and efficacy, alerts for medication errors, drug interactions, and patient allergies, including the ability to electronically transmit information to other providers. As to progress, EHR models are said to be still struggling towards

Edit my summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Edit my summary - Essay Example udy where the researchers focus mainly on how twitter helped public relation specialists in building relationships by having followers on twitter who helped in reaching out to other effective individuals or organizations. The communication on twitter can be bilateral if the two parties are following each other and it can be unilateral if only one party is following. Khalid Al†Shohaib, Ali A. J. Al†Kandari, & Masaud A. Abdulrahim (2009) mention the role of the Internet in facilitating the public relations practitioner tasks especially when the organization is facing competition. This study will be analyzing the usage of the Internet by Saudi public relations practitioners and that their Internet existence is tied to religious and political values. Diffusion of innovation theory is used to show Internet’s role in public relations in Saudi Arabia by sending surveys to the main three metropolitan regions in Saudi Arabia divided between public and private organizations. The findings highlighted that only 46 per cent of public relation practitioners are using the Internet to facilitate their tasks. Al-Enad (1992) discussed how public relations operate in different settings using public relation models. He used the critical theory and the ethical theory. The public relations practitioners are the link between the organization and the stakeholders. The focus to public relations focus can be divided into several categories that include organizational PR where the practitioners’ focus is the organizations goals, responsible PR where the needs of stakeholders come first, and balanced PR, which is based on dialog as well as considering the needs of organization and the stakeholders. The result of this study showed that the majority of organizations are trying to meet the needs of both parties. Saxton, G. D. & Waters, R. D. (2014). What do Stakeholders Like on Facebook? Examining Public Reactions to Nonprofit Organizations’ Informational, Promotional, and

Introduction to Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introduction to Terrorism - Research Paper Example The question then becomes what constitutes the best means of fighting terrorism. This essay considers the recruitment and financing of operatives by Al Qaeda and argues that the pivotal element in stopping terrorism is to follow the financing. Recruitment can be argued to represent the backbone of Al Qaeda operations. In considering recruitment processes, it’s argued that Al Qaeda recruits are not simply restricted to a regional area, but are rather united through the Muslim struggle against Western dominance. It follows that recruitment practices span the globe. Indeed, Blake states, â€Å"Pennsylvania professor Marc Sageman discovered 70 percent of terrorists were recruited outside their native country† (Blake, pg. 9). Within this spectrum of understanding, there are a number of elements implemented as means of recruiting displaced individuals. Among these elements indicate that training camps within Afghanistan and Pakistan represent crucial areas where individuals c an become involved with Al Qaeda operations. ... It is no surprise then that in fighting terrorism, it is critical to track and stop this flow of money. Funding to Al Qaeda comes from a variety of sources. Among these include, â€Å"charitable donations, businesses, and just about any illegal activity such as drug, weapon and immigrant trafficking, counterfeiting, forgery, kidnapping, etc† (Ward, pg. 17). Some of the major such income sources include Saudi charities. David Farley (2003) argues that if these sources could be shutdown Al Qaeda operations would suffer perhaps a critical blow. Bin Laden’s connections to wealthy contacts constituted a highly important element in procuring a large amount of this funding. While these charitable donations are given for a variety of reasons, the primary reason seems to be a religious affiliation with the political aims of the Al Qaeda terrorist effort. In addition to charitable donations, Al Qaeda business interests constitute other important elements of financing. In these re gards, investments in a variety of sources functions as important avenues of income. Like the mafia, Al Qaeda business operations function through fronts that operate for the nefarious terrorist purposes underneath. For instance, Bin Laden was able to generate income through secretly selling freight ships for a period. Within all of these operations the laundering and movement of funding to different organizational elements also constitute essential elements of the terrorist organizations operations. It’s clear that funding constitutes a major element of Al Qaeda operations. In conclusion, while it may be possible to eliminate leaders in the terrorist movement, or shutdown training facilities, the essential element in limiting terrorism is through tracing the funding that Al Qaeda

The Ddoctrine of Judicial Precedent depends on the Hierarchy of the Essay

The Ddoctrine of Judicial Precedent depends on the Hierarchy of the Courts - Essay Example In case similar cases emerge in the prospect, similar rules or rationale is utilized in conveying justice through legal decisions. The doctrine finds basis on stare decisis meaning that considering previous decision made on similar cases. A decision made at some point in law is considered applicable to cases that bear similar facts. For the doctrine to function in an effective manner, it is necessitated that point of law within certain cases is established. During conveyance of justice, the judge ought to offer the rationale under which he or she provides certain judgment and not another. The doctrine presents general rule where all courts are required to follow the same rationale in delivering decisions that were developed in courts that bear higher ranks (Mitchell & Dadhania 2003, 61). The doctrine is reliant on the chain of command of the court system, previous case records and the attitude or approaches that the judges utilize. The hierarchy of the court system in the English con text offers a better comprehension of precedent doctrine. The courts are organized, in terms of their capabilities or power, to command. The hierarchical structure bears five divisions under which the precedent is applied. These divisions offer judgments in relation to the cases carried out in previously from a superior court. The precedents that transpire in higher courts are considered applicable to lower and middle courts without any doubt. Therefore, decisions undertaken can be carried out without further probe into the cases, as long as the material facts and other facts are almost similar to another case undertaken in the past (Mitchell & Dadhania 2003, 62). The doctrine is reliant on the hierarchy that the court system presents in all its operations. Every court bears a given standing in relation to certain cases with respect to other courts thus affecting the provision of decisions on certain cases. These hierarchical systems ought to be considered in making decisions that i nvolve the precedent doctrine. The lower courts can comfortably apply decisions presented by the highest ranked courts. Similarly, decisions that emanate from House of Lords are applicable to the rest of the courts within the legal arrangement with the exemption of the House of Lords (Kennedy 1994, 1). Therefore, its decisions find appliances to all systems of legal arrangements but the decisions made by the house cannot be applied to cases that concern it. Supreme Court is considered top in the rank with regard to the legal arrangement prevalent in English Law. Previously, the Supreme Court functioned as the House of Lords although this was changed in 2009 (OUP 2011, 11). However, the powers were never altered meaning that only the name changed. The Supreme Court comprises of 12 justices with fives of these being independent of any previous precedents. That is they are not bound to pursue decisions made in any previous cases. In addition, their judgments are applicable to the rest of courts that lie below them. In practicality, justices in this legal level are likely to follow their decisions that they had previous offered in similar cases. In order for them to change their personal judgments, a vivid reason ought to crop up. Additionally, these justices preside over judgments from Commonwealth nations. Under such circumstance, the justices are considered as the Privy Council (OUP 2011, 11). In principle, the decisions developed by the Privy Council find no application in

Argument essay on achievement gap Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument on achievement gap - Essay Example The issue needs to be resolved because despite of many efforts, an analysis of the different states in 2011 revealed that there were still five states in America where this achievement gap had increased since 2003. This analysis explained that an effective policy for overcoming this issue is needed in the country (Johnson 11; Lynch). The achievement gap is a matter of concern as it affects a large number of American students and this issue needs to be addressed with strong and effective strategies for the improvement of the educational system of the country. The achievement gap has been observed not only in primary and secondary schools but it has also been seen in children during their kindergarten years. A further analysis of achievement gap in minority groups has revealed that this gap is known to exist in schools even if the economic status of the all the students is the same. This means that each cause of an achievement gap is independent and it is not essential that students co ming from good economic backgrounds would be saved from this issue (Williams 26,27). According to an analysis done by the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2007, it was seen that white students were better achievers in reading and math tests which were conducted in the fourth and eighth grade (Lynch). Thus, these surveys and reports indicate that the achievement gap is a grave issue and needs a thorough assessment. This is because considering the statistics of the immigrants in the country; it can be judged that this gap would rise if it is not tackled. This can be assessed as statistics reveal that from the year 2000 till the year 2050, the number of whites would reduce in the United States to 49 percent from 68 percent and the Latinos would form 40 percent of the America population. In a similar trend, the African Americans would rise by 1 percent whereas the Asian population would surge by four percent (Haller). The optimal way to overcome this achievement gap in the country is the formulation of effective instructions and interventions for the students. The achievement gap reduction can be achieved by providing improvement at three levels. These include classroom interventions, targeted interventions and intensive interventions. The most important of these is the classroom intervention where eighty percent of the students of the class learn. The students should be encouraged to learn and study and should be motivated to avoid failing in class. With this, the other interventions should also run side by side for students who are in need of them. For example targeted interventions should be carried out for approximately fifteen percent of the students who have failed to achieve good grades due to their socioeconomic status or due to having difficulties in learning English and reading. Intensive interventions should be saved for students who are not motivated despite of classroom and targeted interventions and do not seem to be interested towards the improvement of their education. These students should be handled individually by a team of instructors and psychologists. This three level process is the most optimal way to overcome the achievement gap in the country (Johnson 12,13). The program focusing upon interventions has not been practiced in the United Sta

Business plan for Education and Cookery School Essay

Business plan for Education and Cookery School - Essay Example The project offers children with hands-on-firm experience as they learn. It will allow children to learn about food sources, the process of making food, and farming conservation concepts. The education center will also be equipped with a kitchen where students will learn how to cook as part of field-to-fork cycle. The education center will offer evening cookery classes that emphasize on field-to-fork cycle. These classes will run between 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM three days in the week. Weekend classes will also be offered at special times of the where when certain harvests are made. The strategy of the project is to work with local schools, Countryside Learning, FACE and growing schools in order to provide a fully integrated learning environment. The target is to reach 200 schools within Gloucestershire County and later expand to other schools in North Wiltshire and beyond. Farm diversification has become an important element in the farming industry in the UK. Great Britain suggests that half of the farms in the UK utilize some form of diversification. These diversification businesses bring about  £10,400 extra income for the farm. Diversification also increases the utilization of physical resources within the farm. Furthermore, it enhances better utilization of farming skills. Diversification also integrates the farm into the rural economy. Farm diversification alternatives may be agricultural or non-agricultural. This business plan suggests a planned non-agricultural approach to business diversification. The name of the business is Education and Cookery School (ECS). The business is located on the lower Harnhill farm which is owned by the Royal Agricultural University. It will be an educational center that will offer education to local schools within Gloucestershire County towns including Harnhill, Cirencester, Cheltenham, Marlborough, Royal Wotton Bassett and Swindon. The educational center will offer evening classes and special classes during the weekend on sp ecial harvest periods. Located on the outskirts of Cirencester in Gloucestershire, Harnhill is a prominently mixed farm with of about 600 acres.

Supporting Immigration Essay Example for Free

Supporting Immigration Essay Our Nation is surrounded by immigrants, people of different nationalities, backgrounds, cultures and languages who add diversity and richness to our lives. I support immigration because it reminds us that we are a country of immigrants and we were once strangers in this land as well. In reality everyone is an immigrant to this country except the Native Indians, so we should all give a chance to the majority of people who want to travel here for just one simple reason, a better life. I actually think that our country would benefit from a sizeable amount of good hard working immigrants. Like Rupert Murdoch says â€Å"As an immigrant, I chose to live in America because it is one of the freest and most vibrant nations in the world and as an immigrant, I feel an obligation to speak up for immigration policies that will keep America the most economically robust, creative and freedom-loving nation in the world†. People argue how the foreign-born population in the United States tripled in the past four decades and currently totals about 37 million or 12 percent of the population today. However the immigrant’s percentage of the total U.S population is below the nation’s historic highest recorded data. Correspondingly, the United States is less a nation of immigrants now than a century ago, when nearly 15 percent of the population was foreign born. Other countries have proportionately larger immigrant populations. For instance, places like Canada have a 17 percent population of foreign born, Australia running in first place with 24 percent. Studies found that Immigrants and U.S. workers do not generally compete for the same jobs. Their skills and educational levels at the lower job levels are different than those workers who are born in America. Immigrants usually choose different occupations than the average American worker because that is the work that is available to them. These are jobs that U.S born workers wont take because they find those types of work unappealing. Like jobs that include dishwashing in restaurants, farm work, landscaping work, care giving, and low- level construction work. Showing that immigrants do not displace American workers, but instead supply labor that is very much needed and help the American way of life. To sum up, immigrants are not only needed for the low level jobs that Americans refuse to work in, but also the high level jobs. Those immigrants such as the computer experts and scientists have been recruited by companies that need their help because they cannot find U.S workers to do the job. When in reality these high level immigrant workers actually provide investment since they are valuable in fields that rely on high technology. Having a positive effect on the U.S economy and benefitting our country because of their creativity and willingness to work hard. Bibliography * http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/immigration_2.html * http://www.gcir.org/immigration/facts/statistics * http://www.workpermity.com/news/2006_10_16/us/immigrants_make_wages_better.ht

Information technology for pims pumps Essay Example for Free

Information technology for pims pumps Essay Analysis section 1 Background/to identification of problem Pims Pumps are an industrial pumping company which are involved in the distribution, installation and maintenance of industrial pumping units. The company has a large fleet of vans and many specialised tools and lots of equipment. Currently all of the equipment is logged in and out of the workshop and vans and this information is stored on paper. Analysis section 2 identification of the prospective user(s) The prospective users are the managers of the business all of whom are computer literate and are already using a computer system for other aspects of the business. The company have a small network of computers installed and all involved are competent in opening and using Microsoft access 2000 Analysis section 3 identification of user needs and acceptable limitations The system needs to be able to store large amounts of data about the whereabouts of equipment, it must be able to search through the data for any specified criteria, it must be able to be edited, it must be secure and user friendly. Interview Example documents from user Observation The proposed system can only be tested to a certain extent on being able to store large amounts of data. Analysis section 4 realistic appraisal of the feasibility of potential solutions. Analysis section 5 justification of chosen solution I have chosen to use this system because Analysis section 6 description of current system data sources and destinations The current system involves the user logging in and out equipment to vans and back into the warehouse. The user must enter his/her name, the date and time, the registration of the vehicle they are taking it to, the name of the piece of equipment and the serial number of the piece of equipment. At the end of each week the logbook except for the most recent page is taken to the admin office and stored in a filing cabinet in date order. When a piece of equipment is missing, needed of has been damaged the user can then refer back to the log book to find out who if anyone still has the piece of equipment and who else has used it recently. This can be very time consuming, as the user has to visually scan through the logbooks until he comes to the entry, which could be anything up to 15 pages. This could easily result in human error and is a big waste of time Analysis section 8 data flow diagram of current system. At current there is no flow of data as the information is simply logged and referred to if needed in the future. Analysis section 7 objectives of the project Input tasks (Data entry / Modification / View) The system will provide a user-friendly simple interface with the initial user allowing them to enter the same information as they usually do just on a keyboard. This should avoid all complications. The user interface for the initial user will be very secure to try and prevent accidental damage to the system however the management features will be able to be accessed by the management team through a password. There will be a user guide and a trouble shooting section to try and solve any potential problems. The system will be presented in form view with a main menu and various forms for different functions Output tasks (Reports) The system will be able to produce a report showing the location of any piece of equipment, or all the equipment one member of staff has recently used or all the equipment currently in a particular van. The system must be able to search through all the records for any criteria and produce a report for each one Processing tasks. The system must be able to process the information and sort it into any order that the user wishes. Quantitative performance considerations The system is going to be run over a long period of time and so will need to be able to store a very large amount of data. This s one thing I will not be able to test to its full extent however I can estimate through hardware performance whether the system is adequate or not. Qualitative evaluation criteria Data security of the new system The system will have security passwords and all obvious features that would allow the user to enter restricted areas of the system would be disabled. The system will prompt the user to save changes or automatically save changes on exit anyway. Analysis section 9 Data flow diagram of new system Analysis section 10 E-R Model Project stage 2 : design Design section 1 Overall system design The system will involve a series of tables, queries, reports and forms all linked together to provide a user-friendly system capable of all of the system requirements. I will have tables for vans, equipment, warehouse and users and will link these together and display them on one form. There will be a menu form giving the user options and security passwords for management to access and edit existing data or to view existing data. All of the data entry will be validated and the tables will be set to certain data types to try and ensure the user is entering the correct information. There will be four main tables related to bookings, employees, equipment and vehicles. There will also be four forms based upon these tables and then a main menu form for easy navigation of my database system Design section 2 Description of modular structure of system. The system will be based around 4 main tables. These are TblEmployees, which contains information about the employees that work at the company. TblEquipment, which lists equipment, details about it, its current location and a list of who has recently used it. TblVehicles will contain a list of all of the vans that Pims Pumps use and contain a list of all the equipment that is currently in each van. TblBookings will record all the bookings in an out that a piece of equipment makes and records the equipment and employee ID numbers. These tables will all be linked together in an entity relationship diagram. Design section 3 Definition of data requirements The database will have to store relevant information about the employees using the booking system information about the companys vehicles and equipment information. The fields I will store in my equipment table are as follows: 1. Equipment ID A unique number assigned to each piece of equipment. 2. Description a brief description of the piece of equipment 3. Service interval The next date when the piece of equipment is due to be serviced The fields I will store in my employee table are as follows: 1. Employee name full name of the employee 2. Employee ID a unique number assigned to each employee The fields I will store in my vehicles table are as follows: 1. Registration The registration number of my vehicle 2. Vehicle ID A unique number assigned to each vehicle I will also have a bookings table, which will store the employee and equipment ID for each booking of equipment, and the date on which the booking was made. This will enable me to run a query to find out for example what equipment any employee has used or what equipment is currently in a certain van etc. Design section 4 Identification of storage requirements and media Development hardware I can design my system on any hardware running Microsoft Windows 95 or later and that is capable of running Microsoft Access at speed. I do not require any additional specific hardware for designing my database. End-user hardware The end user already has hardware capable of running my database and all the staff are familiar with Microsoft based programs. Development software I will design the database in Microsoft Access as this is very flexible and powerful enough to undertake all or the required tasks End-user software The end user will also have to use Microsoft Access as that is the only program that my database will run on I will design the database to be user friendly and limit access to all of its functions to try and prevent accidental damage to the system. Design section 5 Identification of suitable algorithms for data transformation Queries Macros Visual basic code Design section 6 identification of any validation required I have several input masks throughout my tables however no validations are needed. The input masks that ii have used are simply in place to ensure that the user is entering the correct information or at least information that is in the correct format. Design section 7 overall user interface design Here is a plan of the layout of my main menu; Design section 8 Sample of planned data capture and entry (e. g. forms Design section 9 sample of planned data validation Design section 8 Description of record/database structure normalisation Normalisation Tables design Design section 11 Sample of planned valid output (e. g. reports). I will produce reports based on queries related to different things however the format will remain the same. Below is an example of what a report would look like if the user queried for what equipment an employee has recently used: Design section 12 Database design including relations, foreign keys, and primary keys. Entity-relationship diagram List and describe all relations separately 1. There is a one to many relationship from Equipment ID in the Equipment table to Equipment ID in the booking table. This enables there to be many pieces of equipment logged in the bookings table. 2. There is a one to many relationship from Employee ID in the Employees table to Employee ID in the Bookings table. This enables there to be many employees listed in the bookings table of that one employee can have many bookings. Indicate all primary and foreign keys for each table TblEquipments primary key is Equipment ID and it contains no foreign keys TblBookings primary key is Booking ID and it contains Equipment ID and Employee ID as foreign keys TblVehicles primary key is Vehicle ID and it contains no foreign keys TblEmployees primary key is Employee ID and it contains no foreign keys Design section 13 Planned measures for security and integrity of data Design section 14 Planned measures for systems security Design section 15 Overall test strategy Project stage 3 : Technical solution Project stage 4 : System testing Test section 1- Design of test plan strategy Test section 2 Minimal test data Test section 3 Expected results for typical test data Test section 4 Erroneous data (Check forms reject invalid data) Test section 5 Expected results for extreme data. Check that data just within range is accepted and stored Check that calculations using extreme data works Test section 6 Hard copy of representative samples of test runs Project stage 5 : Maintenance Maintenance section 1 System overview Maintenance section 2 Summary of features used Maintenance section 3 -Sample of detailed algorithm design using a recognised methodology Maintenance section 4 Annotated listings of program code, macro code tailoring Maintenance section 5 Screenshots (Mainly from design view) Table screenshots. Reports screenshots Query screenshots Macros screenshots Visual basic code Maintenance section 6 List/description of package items developed Project stage 6 : User manual User manual Brief introduction User manual Samples of actual screen displays in situ User manual Samples of error messages and/or error recovery procedures Project stage 7 : Appraisal Appraisal section 1 Comparison of project performance against objectives Evaluation of end-user requirements Evaluation of the qualitative criteria Evaluation of the quantitative criteria.

Culture Between Brixton And Brick Lane Cultural Studies Essay

Culture Between Brixton And Brick Lane Cultural Studies Essay It is undoubtedly the case that we live in an age where wealthy people dominate the world and that there is strength in numbers. Many would argue gentrification has a negative effect in towns whereas others claim it brings richness to inhabited poor towns. It is clear that both Brixton and Brick Lane have suffered from their consequences but how good are those? However, not only gentrification affects the culture of a determined place, but also does the commodification as it happened since not many years ago in both Brixton and Brick Lane. As with the gentrification, the consequences are different between both areas and will be analysed below. Gentrification is defined as the process by which wealthier (mostly middle-income) people move into, renovate, and restore housing and sometimes businesses in inner cities or other deteriorated areas formerly home to poorer people. Because of this prices rise and, these rising prices then force out the remaining population of lower income people and more middle and upper income people are attracted, perpetuating the cycle of gentrification. As a result, in many cases, large families are forced to leave the area because they cannot afford to pay such high rents leading to a change in the culture of the place. This way, those poor families who have to face the hard reality of measuring each coin they own in order to feed the whole family and pay all the expenses so that they are not kicked out. That is how it works, some rich people not satisfied with their current wealth want to enrich even more even though they are ruining others ´ life. In general, gentrification is driven by people with little empathy and rather selfish whose only aim is to be greedy. Others would argue that gentrification brings richness to the culture and economy of the area and that it does not have any setbacks. Fortunately, there are few cases when gentrification has been welcomed because it has not been done with evil intention. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES But, which are the advantages and disadvantages of gentrification? On the one hand housing values increase for homeowners and also an increase of tax revenues for city services. Furthermore, reinvestment is made in infrastructure, roads, water mains, local schools etc. Another positive aspect would be that some businesses expand or change to serve new populations and this enhances the economy. In addition to this, housing stock might be renovated and upgraded to the income of money to the area. As there economy enhances, development of job opportunities occurs either in the short term or in the long run. All these lead to the redevelopment of urban core in a short period of time. Likewise, for those working downtown, the commuting reduces considerably. Finally, gentrification brings the concentration of population and public services in existing areas thereby reducing suburban sprawl. On the other hand, a great deal of disadvantages exists. First of all, as previously mentioned, higher income investors displace lower income residents making them feel angry. In other words, burden of economic displacement placed on those least able to afford it. Another downside of gentrification is that it disrupts community institutions rooted in neighbourhoods. However, the one of the worst drawbacks could be that forces people to move away from community institutions built to serve needs. Obviously, due to all these facts, racial and economic conflict during the transition period could be increased. Gentrification also has a bad effect on markets as markets can be manipulated to serve developer interest at the expense of older residents and new investors. Last but not least, it increases urban density and parking/traffic problems in neighbourhood. BRICK LANE As far as Brick Lane ´s gentrification is concerned, famous artist who were looking for cheap studios and workshops, got interested in and attracted to Brick Lane. Unfortunately, if we focus on this side, gentrification has had a negative effect on Brick Lane because local artists have been victims of displacement owing to their higher rent. Should we look it from the point of view of culture, Brick Lane is losing little by little its well-known creativity since numerous computer art companies are taking over the area. As a result of its unusual historical heritage, Brick Lane has turned into the home of many different backgrounds. The Bangladeshi is still the leading ethnicity in the area followed by the Asian community. After that, hipsters are progressively becoming the third most influential community in Brick Lane. Nevertheless, as gentrification changes the same do a lot of ethnicities and that can be reflected in younger generations of Bangladeshi who are willing to separate from their parents without losing their roots. Nevertheless, fortunately, despite the gentrification attempts, Brick Lane remains almost exclusively Asian. The Bangladeshi ´s strength in the area is so noticeable that many investors do not dare to go there so Brick Lane does not even suffer the consequences of gentrification. Of course it has suffered from it but like many other places in the world. We could say that the culture of Brick Lane is almost intact when it comes to consequences of gentrification. That could be seen in the fact that Brick Lane and its surrounding streets house are some of the poorest people in Britain, yet within a few hundred yards to the west lies the City of London the richest area of the UK. BRIXTON When it comes to Brixton ´s gentrification, the gentrification process started 20 years ago more or less although the process has become noticeable only during the last few years. The typical newcomers to the area are middleclass young professionals working in London, looking for modern flats at a relatively affordable price in a trendy area such as Brixton. Even though gentrification forces residents to leave their neighbourhoods, numerous families who have lived in Brixton for a long period welcome the changes because they feel the process will give them the chance to improve their quality of life. Thanks to the increase of the value of houses provoked by the gentrification, various families can afford now larger houses and they can give their children a better education in better schools. In spite of the fact that some of them do not have more choice but to leave Brixton, most shops and market stalls remain, and a large amount of people who have left the area come back to Brixton in order to go shopping or whatever they are willing to do. Because of its sheer proximity to the London center, the neighborhood is getting more urbanized and civilized and money is invested in the areas real estate. Apart from the improvement of the neighborhood through gentrification, Brixton can also benefit from the cultural tourism. Although gentrification has commonly a bad connotation because diminishes the local culture, to my mind, gentrification is having a good effect on Brixton. This is supported by the fact that the area is becoming little by little even safer and the poor economy is enhancing as well. The point is that the Afro- Caribbean culture is very strong because those who left come back in order to run their businesses and those newcomers of the area are eager to adapt and experience the local culture. Nowadays peoples of different nationalities and ethnicities mix in the district but Afro-Caribbean still predominate. However, it is true many families were forced to move unfairly but I think it has been worth happening because the positive sides overweight the negative ones. COMPARISON Taking into account all these facts, I feel the gentrification of culture between Brixton and Brick Lane is being different from my point of view. Brick Lane has hardly suffered the process of gentrification and the culture remains almost intact whereas the gentrification in Brixton is being tougher. The culture of Brixton is being affected but I think it is being for the good of Brixton because it used to be a controversial place where it is famous because of its crimes and drug dealers, therefore I think a renewal is needed as long as it does not destroy the little Jamaican ´s culture and heritage. COMMODIFICATION Commodification is the transformation of cultural icons, personalities or artifacts into a commodity. Cultural commodification can be understood as the process of eating others. You bring your own culture to a new place and step by step you achieve to settle it down and thus, then the new assembled culture is normal in the place. The previous culture in a specific place is altered and substituted by a new one. BRIXTON One important moment of Brixton happened in 1948 when immigrants from Jamaica on the Empire Wind, arrived in England looking for a better life, these British African- Caribbean individuals were housed and worked in Brixton. This is regarded as a landmark in history as the symbol of multiculturalism society in Brixton. It is thanks to this movement why it can be noticed easily the commodification of culture nowadays in Brixton. As you walk through the streets, it is rather difficult not to realize that you are surrounded by a different culture because the stores, restaurants, people and smells make you feel you are in a new environment. Not only do you come across with Caribbean food in restaurants and afro Caribbean people, but you also find in markets clothes and bags with the Jamaican flag and colors. Obviously, the Bob Marley is present almost everywhere. Nevertheless, it is not just about Jamaican culture in Brixton, there are also South American Butchers and restaurants are an important part of the picture along with Vietnamese and Indian supermarkets. Unfortunately, commodification has brought bad things to Brixton as well. Brixton is known as the drug capital of London where is not weird to catch people smoking cigars in the street being this due to the Rastafarian movement who think smoking is something good. Likewise, commodification has created a rather uncomfortable sensation in Brixton because is one of the most dangerous places to live in London because its rate of crime. Brixton used to be a place where the British Afro-Caribbean culture had its center but now this is dissolving into a more general and commercially viable mix of cultures. BRICK LANE The commodification of culture in Brick Lane is rather high nowadays as I could feel when I went there more than a month ago. The commodification could be reflected in almost every single aspect of the life in Brick Lane. First of all, what really impressed us was the amount of Indian restaurants in the zone. Therefore, food is one of the most important factors which have changed the culture in Brick Lane in the last decades. Of course, the amount of Bangladeshi was surprising even though it was market day and a lot of tourists come in order to have a memorable time. Everything is clearer if we see that Brick Lane is known as Bangla town because there might be a rationale to being called like this. In 1970s when Bangladeshi refugees moved into the Brick Lane the new religion was introduced, the Islam. Although there are diverse ethnicities, Bangladeshis dominate the area. Furthermore, the street art is very important in Brick lane and gives a special ambiance to the area and the famous markets too. COMPARISON In both Brixton and Brick Lane the commodification of culture is rather relevant because they are very famous in London because of its determined cultures. They differ from other areas in London In Brixton the black community is still present but as tourist flock the area, the commodification of culture is changing again. The original culture is changing into something new. I think this good due to the setbacks about crime and drugs I have just mentioned above. In Brick Lane the commodification is an important part as well and it can be seen very easily if you go to Brick Lane. The advantage of Brick Lane ´s commodification is that there are few problems in Brick Lane and it is a safe place to live whereas Brixton has received many claims CONCLUSION Whether it is viewed as positive or negative however, there is no doubt that gentrified areas are becoming important parts of the fabric of cities worldwide. There is no doubt that Brick Lane and Brixton are very famous because of its cultures and that they have its different charm. However, nowadays, Brick Lane ´s situation regarding culture seems to be better because the gentrification is not high and the commodification is benefiting the area whereas Brixton is suffering more the consequences of gentrification and the culture is changing quicker than in Brick Lane and the commodification in Brixton is giving little benefits to the area.

Reasons Youth Join Gangs Essay -- Why Young People Join Gangs

Deviance in Gang Involvement Reasons Youth Join Gangs The problem of gang activity is not a new one facing our country. Ever since the beginnings of human existence gangs have served as a means of protection for humans. The issue of gang activity has recently, however, come to the forefront of dilemmas facing our nation. While cities like Chicago and Los Angeles are chronic gang sites, other cities such as â€Å"Miami, Portland, Columbus, Dallas, and Milwaukee have only recently (within the last decade) had what they termed as a gang problem† (Conly 7). Gang numbers have, without question, skyrocketed over the past 10 to 20 years. Los Angeles, for example, has recently been estimated to have as many as 90,000 gang members (Conly 14). The importance of these numbers cannot be overlooked. However, to fully understand the problems that gangs may pose to society, the term gang must be defined. Without a definition the impact of gang maliciousness on society may be lost. Throughout its history the term â€Å"gang† has possessed a diverse usage, being linked to outlaws in the â€Å"wild west† and organized crime groups among others (Decker and Van Winkle 2). Due to this, a clear-cut definition of a gang does not exist. However, most agree that a gang is a group of mostly males that engages in delinquent activities. However, the definition goes much further than that. A police officer, for example, may call a gang â€Å"an on-going, organized association of three or more persons who individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in criminal activity† (Conly 5). Notwithstanding, this definition is terribly obscure. That definition could include a group of boys who occasionally drink alcohol. On the other hand it could also includ... ...bliography: Conly, Catherine H., et al. Street Gangs: Current Knowledge and Strategies. Washington: Dept. of Justice. Office of Justice Programs and National institute of Justice, 1993. Decker, Scott H., and Berik Van Winkle. Life in the Gang: Family Friends and Violence. New York: Cambridge Up, 1996. Dickersen, Debra. â€Å"Cease Fire in Simple City.† U.S. News and World Report 16 Mar. 1998: 22-25. Korem, Dan. Suburban Gangs: The Affluent Rebels. Texas: International Focus Press, 1994. Sanders, William B. Gangbangs and Drivebys: Grounded Culture and Juvenile Gang Violence. New York: Walter de Gruyter Inc, 1994. Spergel, Irving A. The youth Gang Problem: A Community Approach. New York: Oxford Up, 1995. Trump, K. S. Youth Gangs and School: The Need for Intervention and Prevention Strategies. Cleveland: Urban Child Research Center, 1993.

An Analysis of Burger King :: Business Management Studies

An Analysis of Burger King Burger King is a reliable burger company which has had its ups and downs. In 1974, it came out with a slogan of "Have it your way" and at this time it also had a 4 % market share. Burger King's idea was to have the customer have their burger done their way rather than a standard burger. In the early 80's Burger King was trying to keep sales growing so they had to keep changing their advertising. In 1982 "Battle of the burgers" and "Aren't you hungry for a Burger king now?" were the slogans used. In 1983 "Broiling vs. frying" and 1985 "The big switch". All these ads throughout the years helped increase market shares from 7.6% to 8.3% from 1983 to 1985. "Search for herb" was a slogan used by BK about a person that has never tasted a whopper burger, this campaign was supposed to increase market share by 10% but in reality only increased it by 1% it was a disaster. In 1986-1987 "this is a burger king town" and "best food for fast times" brought a lot of attention to the company. In 1988 "We do it like you do it" was used often but a year later they came out with two new slogans which confused the customer. In 1989 "Sometimes you gotta break the rules" and "BK tee vee" with MTV and Dan Cortese with "I love this place". This was another huge setback for BK because people on the go and parents found this ad loud and irritating. BK at this time has failed to establish a solid image that would differentiate it from its competitors. Ads if anything only confused consumers as to what advantages BK offered. In 1993 it had a market share of 6.1% were McDonalds had 15.6% and BK's sales were growing slower than its rivals. Failed advertising campaigns weren't the only problem's, they also had internal problems. Management lacked focus and direction and has struggled with marketing mix decisions. Franchises became confused and angered, service was slow and food preparation wasn't consistent. Burger King lost its core product-flame broiled burgers, made the way the customer wanted them. Another thing that hurt them was the fact they didn't lower prices to keep competing with their competitors this led to a below average sales growth. Many in store promotion also failed. In 1993 a new CEO was introduced, this allowed for huge turnaround and in fact it did. He helped please the franchises and responded to their problems and listened to their recommendations. Then later he lowered prices and hired a new advertising agency.

Robert Frosts Poetic Techniques Used in The Road Not Taken :: Robert Frost Poetry The Road Not Taken Essays

Robert Frost’s Poetic Techniques Used in The Road Not Taken Robert Frost utilizes several poetic techniques to reveal the theme in his poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, which is stressing the importance the decision making of one is, regardless of whether or not it is agreement with the resolution of their peers, and how it can affect their future. The techniques exercised in this piece of work are symbolism, imagery, and tone. Symbolism is the most powerfully used technique due to the fact a good number of lines located in this poem is used to signify a certain object or idea related to our life or today’s world. Imagery is significant in drawing out the theme for the reason that it allows the reader to construct a depiction in their mind, permitting them to relate more to the poem and interpret the theme their own way. In this poem, imagery permits the reader to imagine the scene that this poem takes place in resulting in an enhanced understanding of the theme. The tone this work presents is an insecure attitude which allo ws the theme to be brought out due to the fact the theme relates to a dilemma in one’s life. As seen by the reader, these techniques strongly aid in the revealing of this specific theme. The first technique Frost utilizes to uncover the theme is the strongest method, symbolism. Exploiting symbolism is used by containing objects in the poem that represent an article of something relevant in the reader’s life; therefore, assisting in the presentation of the theme. The primarily symbolized object in this poem is the fork in the road, which is the basis of the theme. â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, /And sorry I could not travel both / And be one traveler, long I stood / And looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth† (Frost.

Exegesis of Isaiah 7:14-16

History of the Old Testament Exegesis of Isaiah 7:14-16 Historical Context of Isaiah 7:14-16 The book of Isaiah is a vast collection of many works by both Isaiah and other anonymous writers. Although the entire book is dated from the post-exilic period, different sections of the book were written at various times. In fact, the organization of the book isn’t ordered chronologically, but rather by combining separate literary works and booklets (Hastings 424).According to Robert Alter and Frank Kemode of Harvard University Press, the book of Isaiah is broken down into three general sections: Isaiah (or Proto-Isaiah), Deutero-Isaiah and Trito-Isaiah. (Alter 165). Editor and biblical scholar James Hastings noted, â€Å"the book of Isaiah is the result of a long and complex literary history† (425). Since the book was not all written at the same time or by a single author, each sentence seems to come with it’s own fascinating history, with varying contexts lying between each line.Beginning with Proto-Isaiah, chapters 1-39 are thought to have been greatly written by Isaiah, while consisting of â€Å"oracles and eschatology† (Alter 165). Beginning the early period of Isaiah’s ministry at 3:1-15, Isaiah describes the â€Å"social integration of Jerusalem† (Hastings 426). Without divulging too greatly into the historical context of chapter 7 quite yet, Proto-Isaiah addresses the period of the collapse of the northern kingdom before the Assyrians.It reveals Yahweh’s coming judgment towards Assyria for its â€Å"pride and refusal to recognize that it is the instrument of Yahweh’s purpose,† while predicting the â€Å"overthrow of the Assyrian invader† (Hastings 426). Moving on to Deutero-Isaiah, the prophecies in chapters 40-55 are thought to have been composed by an anonymous prophet who lived among the Judean exiles during the time of Babylonian captivity (Alter 174). This prophet responds to the major e vents that had previously taken place. Having over exerted their power and resources, the Assyrian empire collapsed.Proceeding Assyrian’s weakening, the Babylonian empire took control (Alter 176). As Robert Alter states, â€Å"just as Jerusalem is the focus and personification of the whole Judean community, so the Babylonian capital represents the entire enemy nation† (176). Since Babylon is the enemy of the Judeans, much of Deutero-Isaiah speaks of freedom from the oppressing empire. Cyrus the Great, father of the Persian Empire, is portrayed as â€Å"destined by Yahweh to redeem Israel, and to execute judgment upon Babylon† (Hastings 197).Throughout the book, the author tries to give a renewed hope to the Hebrew exiles, while giving the glory of their prophesied redemption to Yahweh. Lastly, Trito-Isaiah is believed to be the product of the writings from a number of authors. From chapters 56-66, this last section of Isaiah is filled with poetry and narratives of the return of the exiled Jews. As predicted, Cyrus the Great defeated Babylon’s king, Nabonidus, and conquered Babylon. Upon Babylon’s surrender to Cyrus’ general, Gobyras, in October 539 B. C. , Cyrus the Great took charge.According to Cyrus, he entered the country with little opposition, claiming to have been â€Å"chosen by Marduk to be his restorer† (Hastings 197). Marduk was the god that Nabonidus had abandoned in order to focus his worship to Sin, the moon-god. In view of that, Cyrus makes it a point to bring the god back. Nonetheless, Cyrus is pictured as â€Å"the friend of Yahweh and Yahweh’s anointed† (Hastings 197). As the new ruler, Cyrus released the Jews from their bondage and gave them his consent to â€Å"return to Palestine and rebuild the Temple† (Hastings 197).The historical background of Trito-Isaiah established, the major themes of this portion of Isaiah include repentance, justice and the path of the righteous (Alter 182). Literary Context of Isaiah 7:14-16 Continuing from the historical background of Proto-Isaiah, Isaiah 7 describes Isaiah’s prophetic warnings to Ahaz, the king of Judah around 732 BC. Prior to Isaiah’s warnings, Israel and Aram tried to attack Judah, to no avail. Following the attack, at 7:3 God sends Isaiah to give a message to Ahaz to seek God or else lose God’s hand of protection.Unfortunately, Ahaz does not comply, and instead buys the help of the Assyrians and even sacrifices his own son to the gods in hopes of protecting Jerusalem (Buttrick 215). However, if Ahaz wanted David’s dynasty to remain, he had to be in obedience to God, as Isaiah 7:9 claims. To his detriment, Ahaz is not willing to engage in faith, a major component of the â€Å"historical emergence of prophecy† in those times (Buttrick 216). God even tells Ahaz to ask for whatever kind of sign that he wishes to prove God’s ability to deliver Judah, but Ahaz refu ses.Although the state of affairs was the same as the preceding verses, the passages 10 and 13 suggest a change in the time and audience. Verse 13 uses the plural when Isaiah is relaying God’s message to Ahaz, implying that the discussion took place with an audience, rather than solely speaking to Ahaz. In verse 10, â€Å"again the Lord spoke to Ahaz† indicates a conversation that occurred at a later point in time (Strong 31). So it is possible that the events did not all occur with the same audience and at the same time.An interesting detail, at 7:13 Isaiah uses the phrase â€Å"my God† when speaking to Ahaz, referencing the fact that Ahaz no longer serves the Lord (Buttrick 218). Looking now to the verses immediately proceeding 7:14-16, God’s passion for His people is revealed. At 7:18-19, Alter writes, â€Å"Invading troops give way to swarms of horseflies and bumblebees that ‘shall come, and shall rest all of them in desolate valleys†¦Ã¢â‚ ¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (Alter 173). This verse reveals Isaiah’s use of poetry to describe prophecies. Also, Isaiah uses metaphors to describe Israel’s destruction by plagues and swords (Alter 173).Isaiah understands that God’s judgment is out of a desire to bring Israel to nothing, so that they would finally look to God. Isaiah portrays God’s ultimate desire for the country’s purification, not for the destruction of the people (Rice 366). At verses 21-22, God’s heart for Israel’s redemption is portrayed through the promise of an abundance of curds and honey (Rice 364). Interestingly, it’s thought that Isaiah may not have written verses 21-25, because the language is so common and plain, whereas Isaiah usually uses such poetic language.Scholars propose, â€Å"these passages represent a disciples recollection of his message rather than his own words† (Buttrick 222). Examples such as these continue to point to the thesis that Isaiah i s in fact the result of multiple authors. Commentary on Isaiah 7:14-16 Isaiah 7:14 â€Å"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. † (RSV) This verse contains many important pieces that all require the context of the situation. George Buttrick makes an interesting comment in noting that â€Å"therefore normally introduces a threat† (218).Following God’s reproach towards Ahaz at 7:13, such a threat is to be expected. Here, Yahweh’s anger stems from Ahaz’ direct refusal of God’s wishes at 7:12. Since Ahaz doesn’t accept God’s offer of a sign for immediate deliverance, God gives Ahaz a sign by his own initiative. The sign, given at 7:14, is to come in the form of a maiden’s son, with the name Immanuel, meaning â€Å"God is with us† (Buttrick 218). The word for â€Å"sign† here is also the same word that is used for th e miraculous, and thus implies that God’s â€Å"saving presence† will come through the child, a symbol of hope (Buttrick 218).Although the maiden has often been referred to as a virgin throughout evangelical history, the original Hebrew text actually translates â€Å"young woman† (Alexander 112), or â€Å"young woman of marriageable age, possibly a virgin† (Buttrick 218). Also, the verse changes tenses, saying, â€Å"the young woman is with child and shall bear a son† (Alexander 112). This is significant because the actual woman who is to give birth may have been a woman whom was pregnant at the time, while the words may in fact be directed to a specific young lady.The answer remains unknown to this day. Isaiah 7:15 â€Å"He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. † (RVS) In this verse, the curds and the honey refers to the most prized foods available to the â€Å"nomadic wanderers, but not the fo od of Ahaz’ court† (Buttrick 220). The child must be weaned before he is able to eat the curds and honey, and thus this portion refers to the period of the child’s beginning stages of development. The context in which these words are being prophesied is â€Å"one of judgment† (Rice 368).In light of this, many scholars believe that the child eating curds and honey means that the child â€Å"will experience want and adversity† so that he will be able to know and refrain from sin and decide to live righteously (Rice 368). It seems as though Isaiah is painting a picture for Ahaz of the way of the righteous, in response to Ahaz’ direct refusal of good and his choice towards evil at 7:12. To add to this point, verses 15 and 16 may have been reversed at some point in history, since 7:15 seems to have the same threatening theme as in 7:17 (Buttrick 220). Isaiah 7:16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land befor e whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. † (RVS) Verse 16 seems to flow as a continuation of the word of hope and deliverance as seen at 7:14. As discussed earlier in this exegesis, prophesies of the days of freedom are also seen at 7:21-22, with promises of abundance and joy. The fact that the child will know how to â€Å"refuse the evil and choose the good† (RVS, 7:16) implies that there is a right and a wrong that the child will learn how to distinguish between (Rice 368).Apart from the ethical decisions, 7:16 may also be referring to the number of years that it may take the child to learn his likes and dislikes, usually about three years (Buttrick 220). When the child is finally weaned, and is almost to the age in which he is beginning to make his own decisions, the enemies of Judah will be no more (Rice 368). As seen at 7:1, the two kings Rezin and Pekah were the enemies of Judah at that time. Therefore, the verse refers to the destruction of their powe r (Rice 368). Summary of Isaiah 7:14-16Overall, this entire passage directs its attention to the sign that Yahweh is to send to Ahaz. It goes into a poetic description of the path in which that sign, Immanuel, will come into this world and the decisions between right and wrong that he will face. Although he will face many trials, he will continue to choose good over evil. As a child, Immanuel is also a symbol of hope; adding to this, his name means â€Å"God is with us,† which shines a light on the deliverance of the exiles (Alexander 112). This last verse brings a revelation of the Hebrew deliverance from the enemies of Judah, the two kings Rezin and Pekah.Although addressing judgment and trials, the passage breathes in the promise of deliverance and exhales a spirit of hope for Judah. Bibliography Alexander, Neil M. â€Å"Isaiah 7:1-25. † The Sign of Immanuel. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001. 110-113. Print. Vol. 6 of The New Interpreter’s Bible, Ed. Clifford E. Baldridge. 12. 1994-2001. Buttrick, George Arthur. â€Å"Isaiah. † Isaiah. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1956. 215-223. Print. Vol. 5 of The Interpreter’s Bible. Ed. Nolan B Harmon. 12 vols. 1952-1957. Hastings, James. â€Å"Isaiah. † Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1963. Isaiah. † The Literary Guide to the Bible. Ed. Robert Alter and Frank Kermode. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1987. 165-183. Print. The Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: Revised Standard Version. Ed. Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. Print. Rice, Gene. â€Å"The Interpretation Of Isaiah 7:15-17. † Journal Of Biblical Literature 96. 3 (1977): 363. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 May 2012. Strong, James. â€Å"Ahaz. † The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988. Print.