What are Savings Bonds Essay Example For Students

What are Savings Bonds? Essay The United States established savings bonds, known then as warbonds, in 1941 to help to pay for the huge expenses it incurred duringWorld War II. Today, savings bonds still help keep the government wheelsrunning smoothly. Savings bonds are a debt instrument of the U.S. Government, issued as savings certificates to individual investors in smallamounts. Savings bond certificates bear face value denominations rangingfrom $50 to $10,000. Since they are backed by the full faith and credit ofthe Federal Government, savings bonds are among the safest investmentspeople can find. The U.S. Government is unlikely to default; and even if you lose yoursavings bond certificate, the Government will often replace it, especiallyif you can provide such information as the serial number, issuance date,address and Social Security number of the owner. Another major advantageof savings bonds is that they are an accessible investment for almostanyone, since you can buy savings bonds in amounts as low as $25. Forinstance, you can buy a $50 Series EE bond for $25, and at maturity you canredeem it for $50. As a result, savings bonds still make good gifts forchildren planning to attend a college or technical school. That is not all. We will write a custom essay on What are Savings Bonds? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Savings bonds have at least two more advantages. They can provide a taxshelter; for instance, you would not pay income tax on the earnings ofSeries EE bonds until you redeemed the bonds. In addition, savings bondsare easy to acquire from a variety of resources. Besides being extremelyeasy to acquire, a savings bond offers another attractive purchasingfeature: no sellers fees. Unlike stock purchases, there are no fees orcommissions that add to the purchase price. Where do you buy Savings bonds? Savings bonds are sometimes availablethrough a payroll deduction plan at work. Also you could purchase them at avariety of government offices and financial institutions: Banks, CreditUnions, Federal Reserve banks and branches by phone or mail only (TheFederal Reserve no longer provides a walk-in service), and the Bureau ofPublic Debt. Anyone who bought or received a savings bond before 1980, they owned aSeries E or Series H savings bond. That year, Series EE and Series HH bondsreplaced the original series. The two current series offer a differentmaturity and interest rate. In 1998, the U.S. Government introducedinflation-indexed Series I bonds. The U.S. Government issues Series EEbonds at one-half their face value, which ranges from $50 to $10,000. Atmaturity, you can redeem the bonds at their face value. You may buy up to aface value maximum of $30,000 in Series EE bonds annually. Series EE bondsearn interest for 30 years. Series HH bonds earn interest for 20 years. You can acquire Series HH bonds only through an exchange of your Series Eor Series EE bonds. A minimum acquisition is $500. Other denominationsissued are $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000. Unlike Series EE bonds, youpurchase Series HH bonds at their full face value and thereafter receiveregular interest payments. Series I bonds also are sold at their full facevalue, beginning with a minimum denomination of $50. Other denominationsare $75, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000. Like Series EEbonds, you receive the interest earned when you cash the bond. I bonds earninterest for 30 years. The current rate on Series EE bonds is 2.61 percent interest, throughApril 2004. New interest rates are announced twice a year and take effectMay 1 and November 1. If held for five years, Series EE bonds pay 90percent of the six-month average yield on five-year Treasury securities. .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 , .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .postImageUrl , .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 , .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015:hover , .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015:visited , .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015:active { border:0!important; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015:active , .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015 .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud426471c29406fc0d60859ebbb46e015:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Business Management EssayEarnings vary for Series EE bonds issued from 1980 to 1997. Many Series Ebonds have stopped paying interest. You receive the interest earned alongwith your principal when you cash in the bond. Series HH bonds pay a fixedrate of interest from the date you purchase the bonds. In August 2004 itwill be the last issue month for HH/H bonds. After August 31, 2004, no onewill be able to reinvest on HH/H or exchange their EE/E bonds for HH bonds. Series I bonds bought from May 1, 2003 through October 30, 2003 will earn4.66 percent interest for the first six months. The rate is a combinationof a fixed rate of 1.1 percent (fixed for the life of the bond) plus anadjustable rate (adjusted six months) based on inflation. You receive theinterest earned along with your principal when you cash in the bond. Thefederal government developed Series I bonds to assure investors a rate ofreturn above inflation. Historically, some savings bonds have, in reality,lost purchasing power during periods of high inflation. While savings bonds are intended to be long-term investments,eventually the time will come when we want to redeem them. Maybe we needthe money to return to school, for a long-awaited retirement cruise, or fora hundred and one other reasons. Generally, the easiest way to redeemsavings bonds is through a local bank, credit union, or other financialinstitution, although you also can contact the U.S. Bureau of Public Debtor the nearest Federal Reserve Bank. Redeeming savings bonds at a localfinancial institution is a simple and straightforward process. If you arenot the owner of the bonds, you will also have to establish that you areentitled to cash them. For example, you may be listed as a beneficiary onthe bonds of someone who has died and in addition can provide a deathcertificate of the former bond owner. In addition, you can redeem yourbonds for their full value, unless you have held them for less than fiveyears. In that case, there is a penalty equaling three months interest. For example, if you redeemed a Series EE bond that you had held for twoyears, you would receive interest for 21 months-not 24 months. In the other hand, before cashing your Series EE bonds, you have theopportunity to exchange them for Series HH bonds instead, especially ifthey are near maturity. Series HH bonds will pay twice-yearly interestpayments. In addition, exchanging Series E or EE bonds for HH bonds willcontinue to provide a tax shelter for the funds invested (Series I bondsmay not be exchanged for HH bonds.) In order to exchange Series E or EEbonds, they must be at least six months old (12 months old if purchasedFebruary 2003 and after). They also must be currently worth at least $500and must be exchanged within one year of maturity. Since Series HH bondsare available only in multiples of $500, you can elect to either receivesome of your Series E or EE investment in cash or pay additional funds inorder to acquire the HH bonds. For instance, if you want to exchange SeriesEE bonds worth $1,200 for Series HH bonds, you can receive either $1,000 inHH bonds and $200 cash or $1,500 in HH bonds with an additional payment of$300. There is no limit to the number of HH bonds own. The easiest way toexchange Series E or EE bonds for Series HH bonds is through a localfinancial institution, which can help with the paperwork and transmit yourapplication to a Federal Reserve Bank. Or, you can get an application andfile it yourself with the nearest Federal Reserve branch. .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f , .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .postImageUrl , .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f , .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f:hover , .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f:visited , .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f:active { border:0!important; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f:active , .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u65a9bf3e51f75cb9f2dc64e260938b3f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: rosa parks EssayWhile savings bonds do not earn high interest, the low interest rateis sometimes compensated by favorable tax terms. What specifically are thetax advantages? For starters, you do not pay any state or local taxes onthe earnings of any savings bonds you own. While you must pay federal taxeson the earnings of Series HH bonds in the year that you receive thatinterest, you can defer earnings and taxes on Series E, EE and I bonds forlong periods. Also, you can hold Series EE and I bonds for 30 years. Afterthat period, you can exchange Series EE bonds for HH Series bonds and thenhold them for another 20 years. After 20 years, you must redeem the HHbonds and finall y pay any taxes owed on the earnings from the old EE bonds. If you buy Series EE or Series I bonds in the name of your child and redeemthe bonds while the child is still your dependent, you will pay taxes onthe earnings at the childs rate. The childs rate may be 0 percent if thechilds total unearned income is $700 or less; in any case, it is almostcertainly less than your tax rate. In 1990, the Treasury Department established the Education Bond Program,which exempts savings bond earnings from federal tax if the bonds areredeemed to pay for qualified education expenses. To qualify for thisprogram, an adult age 24 or older must buy the bonds. He or she then mustredeem them and document tuition and certain other education-relatedexpenses. (Room, board, and books are not qualified.) If the value of thebonds redeemed is greater than the qualified expenses, only the proportionused for qualified expenses is tax-free. The full exclusion is also onlyavailable to single taxpayers with annual income below $53,100 and marriedpersons filing jointly with income below $78,350. Single taxpayers withincome of $67,250 or more and married persons filing jointly with income of$108,350 or more are ineligible for this program. As you can see, there can be many advantages to practice of givingsavings bonds each year or buying savings bonds. Besides offering severaltax advantages, savings bonds can provide a reasonable, inflation-indexedreturn and a steady investment vehicle for the long term and not to mentionthe safety and backing of a U.S. Government-issued security.

An book report about les miserable in a political fashion.

An book report about les miserable in a political fashion. Les MiserablesVictor Hugo was correct. Books like Les Miserables that reveal the corruption and evils of society will never be useless to us.The poverty of man still surrounds us today, over 100 years after Les Miserables was written. Poverty still pollutes the cities of America. One of Victor Hugo's main reasons for writing Les Miserables was to help people recognize that not everyone is as well off as they could be. Hugo showed the world that one man could make a difference. Jean Valjean, the main character in Les Miserables had huge impacts on everyone he came in contact with. Thankfully, there are actual people like Jean Valjean that help the homeless and the poor. Characters like Jean Valjean and people like Victor Hugo truly do inspire others to be better and to help the unfortunate. ("Household Economic Studies": 1-10) People in Africa, 3rd world countries, and even in America die each day due to malnutrition and starvation.Jean Paul Valjean.Fortunately, Les Miserables and boo ks like it can help people understand how important it is to help the less fortunate. Organizations such as the IRRI help feed the starving children and adults of these unfortunate countries.Cosette's childhood was dwarfed or shortened because of her life with the Thenardier's. Fortunately there are Child Protective Services who investigate abusive parents and if they are in fact abusive the children are taken away and put into a better home. Organizations such as the Child Protective Services prove that there are people like Jean Valjean who want to help children in need of better homes and better families. As you can see there are real life people like the character Jean Valjean who help the less fortunate lead better lives. Les Miserables shows us the evils of society. After we identify the...

Bilingualism is a natural phenomenon worldwide

Bilingualism is a natural phenomenon worldwide Bilingualism is a natural phenomenon worldwide. Unwittingly, however, monolingualism has been used as a standard to characterize and define bilingualism and multilingualism in linguistic research. Such a conception led to a â€Å"fractional† â€Å"irregular† and â€Å"distorted† view of bilingualism, which is becoming rapidly outmoded in the light of multipronged, rapidly growing interdisciplinary research. Other central concepts such as individuals† bilingual language attitudes, language choices, and consequences are addressed, which set bilinguals apart from monolinguals. Language acquisition is as much an innate, biological, as social phenomenon. Political bilingualism refers to the language policies of a country. Unlike individual bilingualism, categories such as monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual nations do not reflect the actual linguistic situation in a particular country (Edwards, 2004/2006; Romaine, 1989/1995). Hong Kong, for instance, is officially recognized as a bilingual country. This means that Hong Kong promotes bilingualism as a language policy of the country as well as in its society as a whole. English and Chinese are official languages. By no means does it imply that most speakers in Hong Kong are bilinguals. In fact, monolingual countries may reflect a high degree of bilingualism. Multilingual countries such as South Africa, Switzerland, Finland and Canada often use one of the two approaches—â€Å"Personality† and â€Å"Territorial†Ã¢â‚¬â€to ensure bilingualism. The Personality principle aims to preserve individual rights (Extra Gorter, 2008) while the Territorial principle ensure s bilingualism or multilingual within a particular area to a variable degree, as in the case of Belgium. In India, where 23 languages are officially recognized, the government’s language policies are very receptive to multilingualism. The â€Å"three-language formula† is the official language policy of the country (Annamalai, 2001). In addition to learning Hindi and English, the co-national languages, school children can learn a third language spoken within or outside their state. To my personal opinion, bilinguals can move between one or more language models as required for the production, comprehension, and processing of verbal messages in a most cost-effective and efficient way. Bilingualism is a natural phenomenon worldwide. Unwittingly, however, monolingualism has been used as a standard to characterize and define bilingualism and multilingualism in linguistic research. Such a conception led to a â€Å"fractional† â€Å"irregular† and â€Å"distorted† view of bilingualism, which is becoming rapidly outmoded in the light of multipronged, rapidly growing interdisciplinary research. Other central concepts such as individuals† bilingual language attitudes, language choices, and consequences are addressed, which set bilinguals apart from monolinguals. Language acquisition is as much an innate, biological, as social phenomenon.

Opertaing a small rural-based business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Opertaing a small rural-based business - Essay Example (Landstorm, pp. 13-14, 2005) In particular, SMEs play a significant role in the contribution to rural economy. Since few years, sector of rural-based tourism has developed and grown progressively in the country. Certain limits related to the annual turnover or the number of employees have been defined and described in every country, in order to identify the definition the small and medium enterprises. However, every country has its economy, and thus, definition of the abovementioned term has been provided by various trade organizations according to their terms and conditions. In this regard, these enterprises have been abbreviated by SME by some of the major trade organizations, as well as, unions, such as, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the European Union. For instance, a limit of five hundred employees was put on the German companies according to their traditional definition. On the other hand, a limit of only hundred employees was the standard for becoming SME in the Belgium. (Hall, pp. 49-50, 1997) In this paper, we will try to discuss different steps that can be taken to establish and operate small rural-based business in particularly, tourism sector of the United Kingdom. Every business confronts different threats and weaknesses during various business processes; however, establishment of a business brings new opportunities and strengths that will be discussed in this paper as well. The importance of the small business sector in tourism sector of the country will be highlighted during this paper, and few implications will be provided during the study. In the United Kingdom, magnitude of the annual balance sheet, annual turnover, and number of employees are considered during the evaluation of a small business firm statistically. In detail, small business firms have been categorized according to their volume. For instance,

Enhancing Security in System Administration Assignment

Enhancing Security in System Administration - Assignment Example Contextually, it can be affirmed that an operating system is usually viewed to be one of the major fundamental aspects concerning improving the security of every computing system by a considerable level. It can be argued in this similar regard that secured programs require safe operating system and ignorance of this may lead to failure. In other words, operating systems must be capable of ensuring effective execution of various programs as well as mechanisms effectively and most vitally enabling high performance use of various computer resources. Ensuring secure performance of all operational processes largely relies on accurate implementation of different hardware resources and scheduling mechanisms (Jaeger, 2008). Specially mentioning, the security threats associated with various system administrators are recently receiving increasing attention driven by series of events resulting in significant damage due to security threats. The primary challenges related with system administrato r can be attributed by taking into concern certain significant aspects like security and manageability. In practice, operating systems require various tasks that need to be executed in order to make sure that the system operations impose extensive impact on sensitive user data and process. For instance, adding and removing various software systems and drivers may result in causing the user data to be at risk through corruption, leakages and losses (Scarfone, Janseen & Tracy, 2012).) With this concern, the primary purpose of this paper is to develop, document and assess best practices for server deployment and administration that would eventually support and enhance the security of Megacorp towards upgrading its new operating system. 1. Enhancing Security a. Before Server Deployments Deployment of servers in any organization is costly and daunting. The servers provide broad array of services to internal as well as external users and stores along with delivers different sensitive info rmation to the organizations. Moreover, servers are frequently introduced by the intruders in order to gain unauthorized access of valuable data and other services. There exist certain few common threats to servers that have been represented below: Malicious objects may use software bugs in the server or its operating system in order to gain unofficial access to the server Denial of service (DoS) might also be directed to secondary network infrastructure, deterring the valid users to execute the server services Sensitive information stored in the main server may get access by the intruders or may change in an unauthorized manner Sensitive data or information that are transferred or encrypted amid the servers and thus the client may get interrupted by unauthorized users. Correspondingly, it can be admitted that it is often more difficult to address the security of servers after the deployment or the implementation of effective operation systems. Thus, security should be prudently mea sured from the preliminary stage of planning. It is essential to make effective decisions about determining the configurations of various information systems appropriately and consistently in order to ensure effective outcome of the deployment plan. It has been ascertained that organizations often fail to address dissimilar human resource associated

Religion Definition Essay Example for Free

Religion Definition Essay 1. What is a religion? You’ve read our textbook author’s definition; use that definition as a starting point to go further. The word â€Å"religion† is such a broad word that to this day there is no one definition that can satisfy all religions. For the time being, it is better to simply be open to many possible definitions, without embracing any single one. Different people especially in different religions will all have a difference in opinion when trying to use very few words to define religion. The traditional definition of religion is a system of belief that involves worship of a God or gods, prayer, ritual, and a moral code. Religion is important to many people because it gives them something to believe in. Religion helps human deal with their mortality. As human beings, we look to religion for answers to life’s unexpected or unknown questions such as death, pain, afterlife, or rebirth. Religion has a way of helping us deal with death and offers comfort. Religion also helps us be creativity and express ourselves through music, dance, and art. It gives us a sense of viewing life as something beautiful and lively. People who have a religion usually are more happy knowing that they life can reflect something of the supernatural that they do not understand. Through art, we get to express how we are feeling on the inside. Many people use music, dance, and art to show others what they cannot express through words. Religion gives them a sense of confident. 2. Discuss some of the characteristics that religions have in common. Some characteristics that religions have in common are: belief system, community, central myths, ritual, characteristic emotional experiences, material expression, and sacredness. Not all religions will consist of all elements but rather some of these characteristics are commonly accepted. Many believe in a worldview were all things in the universe and human being has a place in it. Humans need of belonging helps them seek out for a community where they can belong too and share their ideals and practices. Many religions have this so people can rely on one another. Other characteristics that are shared in religions are passed down from generations to generations through stories or reenactment of major events in the religious group. Each religion has its own myth that is central to the religion. Not only are myths passed down but rituals as well. These beliefs are enacted and made real through ceremonies. Also, ethics are passed down which are set guidelines for the group of people; these are viewed as being revealed through a supernatural realm. Religions also allow people to express themselves emotionally and give a sense of inner peace that cannot come from outer resources. Material expression allows religions to make use of astonishing variety of physical elements. Each religion has a source of sacredness that is distinctive from the ordinary. Ceremonies express the distinction through different language, clothing, and architecture. Each tradition exhibit most of these characteristics but for those who practice them will manifest them in different ways and at different times. 3. In addition to characteristics in common among religions, there are some patterns with regard to beliefs, world views, etc., that are exhibited by most religions. Discuss these patterns. There are three different patterns that we look for to see similarity and difference among religions. The first pattern is views of the world and life. Religions must offer answers to life’s great questions that are asked. All questions are the same, but the answers very depending on the religion. Because of the great variety of worldview each answer is different and must be examined close to get a better understanding of why it is the way it is. Some religion view the universe as being created by a Creator while others believe it has no beginning and no ending. Some view nature as the realm of evil where it needs to be overcome. Others believe that humans are called to shape it. Each view differs from religion to religion. The second pattern is the focus of beliefs and practices. There are three concepts that are practiced, although one may be more dominant than the other depending on the purpose of importance. Sacramental orientation emphasizes carrying out rituals and ceremonies regularly and correctly as the path to salvation. Some believe that correct ritual influences the processes of nature. Prophetic orientation implies that a human being may be an important intermediary between the believer and the sacred. This is prominent in Judaism, Protestant Christianity, and Islam. Mystical orientation seeks union with something greater such as God, nature, the universe, or reality as a whole. Upanishadi Hinduism, Daoism, and some Buddhism stress the importance of this. The third pattern is the view of male and female. As human being the role of men and women are very important and religion has had much to say about the roles of men and women on earth and in the divine realm. Today many influential religions consider the male as dominate; the sacred and full-time religious specialists are usually males. Although this may not be completely true, in the past, female divinities once played an important role in many culture and religion. 4. Having discussed in last week’s Discussion Board postings your own reasons for taking this World Religions course, discuss some of the benefits of studying the major religions of the world cited by our textbook author. Studying the different religions around the world allows for a better understanding of each religion and helps educate and improve one’s experience of other related subjects. When studying other religion it allows insights into the religious traditions such as values, relationships, personalities, and human creativity. Not only that but it gives the outsiders an appreciation for the things that are not obvious to the insider. Other benefits include insight into everyday life. Religions influence everyday life in many ways. Many people use religion for moral issues, on buildings, comic strips. The study of religion with help a person recognizes the religious influence everywhere. For someone who has no religion or is on their religious quest, understanding and studying the many different religions will help them find a place to belong too. Knowledge of the different religion will aid a person in their journey of life. Short Answer Questions: 5. What is the origin and meaning of the word â€Å"religion†? The origin of the word â€Å"religion† comes from the Latin roots re-, meaning â€Å"again,† and lig-, meaning â€Å"join† or â€Å"connect.† The translation would then mean â€Å"to join again,† or â€Å"to reconnect.† This word suggests the joining of our natural, human world to the sacred world. 6. What is the meaning of â€Å"sacred†? Sacred is a God or gods that is set apart because of its holiness. These deities are considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion. 7. Define and contrast monotheism and polytheism. Monotheism is the term that means a belief in one God. Those who believe in God believe that He is all powerful, pure spirit, and not fully definable in words. Polytheism on the other hand means worship of or believing in many coexisting gods. These multiple gods may be fairly separate entities, each in charge of an aspect of reality, or they may be multiple manifestations of the same basic sacred reality. 8. Define and contrast atheism and agnosticism. Atheism is the denial of the existence of any God or gods. Agnosticism is to argue that the existence of God cannot be proven. 9. How are symbols used in religion? Symbols are important in religion because religions are so varied in their teachings and in conflict with each other that symbols help express truth. Symbols are fairly concrete, ordinary, and universal that represents and helps human beings intensely experience something of greater difficulty. 10. What is a sacrament? Give two or three examples of sacraments in a religion with which you are familiar. A sacrament is a religious rite or act seen as way of receiving Gods grace. In some mysterious way God uses physical things to bring about spiritual changes and give His grace. As a Christian, a few sacraments that we hold are: baptism, communion, and fasting. These are all important in receiving God’s grace. 11. Contrast linear and cyclical time in the study of religion. Linear time place an emphasis on creation, religions that believe in this is Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, time is very important. Linear time means moving in a straight line from the beginning of the universe to its end. In cyclical time, the universe simply moves through endless changes, which repeat themselves over grand periods of time. Buddhism believes time is cyclical and is not as crucial because ultimately the universe is not moving to a final point.

Extinction Of Dinosaurs Essay -- essays research papers

Extinction of Dinosaurs Two-hundred and thirty million years ago the first dinosaur-like creature roamed the earth. Within five million years it could be considered a dinosaur. They were soon at the top of the food chain. They populated every continent. Then 65 million years ago they vanished. The most powerful creatures ever to live on earth had become extinct. Dinosaurs were not the only victims of this "mass extinction." There were many other species that were killed off. During what is known as the K-T extinction (K stands for Cretaceous, T stands for Tertiary), many species and families became extinct. These include all marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs, mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs, and ammonites, swimming and flying reptiles, sea crocodiles, and foraminifera. In addition to that there were many bony fish, sponges, snails, clams, and sea urchins became extinct. Paleontologists have proposed scenarios that could have caused these extinctions. One such scenario involves the growing number of small mammals which ate dinosaur eggs, and therefore caused the dinosaurs' birth rate to drop. The birth rate became smaller than the death rate and the dinosaurs died out. This, however, is not a plausible scenario. This would only account for the dinosaurs, but not all the other creatures of that time. Paleontologists needed to come up with a more plausible and de...

Marvin Bower

The late Marvin Bower, who transformed McKinsey & Co. into one of the best management consulting firms in the world, said that the â€Å"ability to inspire and require workers to be their best is the greatest resource of any business, and that the rewards for doing so include growth for the business itself, and growth in competitive position, size, and profits† (Edersheim, 2004, p. 65). Much literature about theories of motivation and work relate to the subject of inspiring employees to do their best (Gagne and Deci, 2005; Ambrose and Kulik, 1999). This paper explores how managers can use theories of motivating employees to make the workplace better, more profitable, and efficient. A manager’s job is to get things done through their employees, so knowing how to motivate employees is always a challenge that has never been easy. Many changes driven by worldwide social and economic forces are happening at the workplace. The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s and the globalization of businesses are transforming corporations – public and private, large and small – in a radical way (Stiglitz, 2002). Global competition and the rise of democracy are pressuring companies to be more competitive, agile, and lean, changing the nature of organizational structures and the relationships between managers and workers (Micklethwait & Wooldridge, 2000). Another change agent is the progress of information and communications technology, especially the Internet and mobile computing, which has altered the nature of communication within the organization and the quality of the workforce. Workers are more educated and knowledgeable, able to gain quick access to information and perform knowledge-based tasks in an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration (Heerwagen, Kelly, & Kampshroer, 2005). As the workplace structure and the workers themselves change, management faces the problem posed by Gerstner (2002) after a successful ten-year effort to bring IBM Corporation out of a crisis: -How do you pull the levers of motivation to change the attitudes, behavior, and thinking of a population? Of course, different people are motivated by different things. Some by money. Some by advancement. Some by recognition. For some, the most effective motivation is fear – or anger. For others, that doesn’t (sic) work; it’s learning, or the opportunity to make an impact, to see their efforts produce concrete results. Most people can be roused by the threat of extinction. And most can be inspired by a compelling vision of the future. Over the past ten years, I’ve pulled most of those levers (p. 203). Effectively changing the attitudes, behavior, and thinking of workers demands that a manager knows what levers of motivation to pull in the first place. Much research has been done to identify empirically-proven theories and methods that managers can use to motivate their employees (Gagne and Deci, 2005, p. 333). Maslow proposed that a person is motivated by satisfying five levels of human needs: (1) physiological (hunger and thirst); (2) safety (bodily); (3) social (friendship and affiliation); (4) esteem (for oneself and others); and (5) self-actualization (growth and realization of potential) (Chapman, 2004a). Herzberg stated that work satisfaction results from the presence of hygiene factors like salary, status, working conditions, supervisor and management, security, relationship with subordinates, and policies, and motivational factors like achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement, and personal growth. A worker will be satisfied if the motivation factors are met (Chapman, 2004c). According to Adams’s Equity Theory, what workers put into their work (inputs) is fairly balanced with what they expect to get out of it (outputs). Motivation will get the most out of employee inputs like personal effort and hard work by making the employee see it balanced by outputs (salary, benefits, and intangibles like praise and achievement) (Chapman, 2004b). Vroom’s Expectancy Theory states that three factors should be present for motivation to take place: valence (value placed on the expected reward), expectancy (belief that efforts are linked to performance), and instrumentality (belief that performance is related to rewards). Knowing each employee’s valence and expectancy, and showing the instrumentality between the two, will help the manager trigger the motivation of the employee. Porter and Lawler built on Vroom’s theory by proposing a model of intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, which states that people are intrinsically motivated if they do something they find interesting and from which they derive satisfaction, and that people are extrinsically motivated if they do the activity because they are satisfied with the tangible or verbal rewards attached (Gagne and Deci, 2005, p. 331). Schwab (1985) equates this with Herzberg’s motivation (intrinsic) and hygiene (extrinsic) factors but contemporary authors claim that it is closer to Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (Ambrose and Kulik, 1999, p. 257). All these theories may be said to be based on Skinner’s reinforcement theory, which states that behavior can be shaped, changed or maintained through the use of positive and negative reinforcement, implying that a person can behave in a certain way through the use of motivational levers. Motivation can be used to improve employee performance and productivity. As Bruce and Pepitone (1999, pp. 38-42) point out, employees can be motivated to do their work better, that is, improve their work performance, and to work more efficiently and more effectively, that is, improve their productivity. One way is to share information (like profit and loss or quality of service) on how your department is doing in comparison with others in or outside the company. Asking employees to help you solve a problem appeals to their need for self-actualization (Maslow) and helps them set high personal standards of growth and potential. You may motivate them with bonuses (Vroom’s rewards or Adams’s outputs) they will get if performance improves.   Use the tools depending on what you think your employees need. This first step can make your employees want to improve their performance and be more productive. Getting employees warmed up is good, but it is not enough. After getting them initially motivated, the manager has to help each one establish and achieve higher goals. Motivation can be a useful tool in goal-setting by pointing out targets that will bring employees out of their comfort zones to attain personal growth. Hiam (1999, pp. 213-216), warning us against confusing goal-setting sessions with employee manipulation, states that the motivational key is to make employee realize that aiming for a higher goal is good for different reasons, presenting both tangible (pay raise and bonus) and intangible (self-esteem and personal growth) rewards. Some employees are motivated by financial rewards, but many are equally motivated by seeing that their work is meaningful (Hiam, 1999, p. 222). In discussing the rewards of work, Bruce and Pepitone (1999, p.53) state that if employees are properly motivated and helped by their managers to aim for higher goals and succeed in achieving it, employees will feel that the work they do is fun and enjoyable, making it part of the reward itself that they are willing to share with the organization.   In effect, work becomes its own reward. Heller (1998, p.43) adds that motivation is a useful tool not only when setting higher work performance goals but in assessing the success or failure of employee efforts. Employee evaluation and assessment can be a forum for further motivation in two areas: to encourage the employee to build on strengths and accomplishments, leading the way for higher levels of future performance, or for helping the employee overcome personal weaknesses that hamper job performance. Through the use of positive reinforcement (praise and encouragement for success and achievement) and negative reinforcement (suggestions for improvement or behavioral change), managers can sustain organizational morale and help employees overcome falling enthusiasm or a lack of personal ambition. Hiam (1999, p. 122) notes that positive feedback (â€Å"You can do it because you’re good enough †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) is more motivating than negative feedback (â€Å"Why can’t you do something that others can?†) and encourages managers to use positive reinforcement to build up employee motivation and morale, although negative reinforcement (not the same as negative feedback) may be helpful for disciplining or correcting employees. Boosting self-confidence is one of the best ways to maintain high levels of motivation in employees (Bruce & Pepitone, 1999, p. 114). The reason is that people grow in confidence when they see that someone, especially one in a position of authority, believes in them. This creates expectations that, as we learn from Vroom and Porter, motivate people. Therefore, a manager who believes in his employees can sustain high levels of motivation. Doing the opposite (showing lack of confidence and trust) can be fatal for the organization and the career of a manager whose task is to motivate and, therefore, trust and believe in his employees. It is a scientifically-proven fact that men and women are different (Ridley, 1999). They differ also in their motivation styles. Several studies (Su and Bradberry, 2004; Marano, 2003; Sachs, 1995) show how women and men differ (for example, women are more intuitive and perceptive, while men are more systematic and rules-based) in their communication and social skills, vital for the process of motivation. While men find it easier to motivate using the basic needs and tangible rewards, and women may be better at using higher level needs and intangible factors, all good managers, regardless of gender, should combine the ability to motivate using all the tools available (Gerstner, 2002; Sachs, 1995). References Ambrose, M. L. & Kulik, C. T. (1999). Old friends, new faces: motivation research in the 1990s.   Journal of Management. 25, 231-292. Bruce, A. and Pepitone, J. (1999).   Motivating Employees.   New York: McGraw-Hill. Chapman, A.   (2004a).   Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.   Retrieved November 11, 2005, from http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm Chapman, A. (2004b).   Adams’ Equity Theory. Retrieved November 11, 2005, from   http://www.businessballs.com/adamsequitytheory.htm Chapman, A.   (2004c).   Frederick Herzberg’s Motivational Theory. Retrieved November 11, 2005, from http://www.businessballs.com/herzberg.htm Edersheim, E. H.   (2004).   McKinsey’s Marvin Bower.   Vision, Leadership, and the Creation of Management Consulting.   (pp. 41-65).   New Jersey: John Wiley. Gagne, M. and Deci, E.L. (2005).   Self-determination theory and work motivation.   Journal of Organizational Behavior.   26, 331-362. Retrieved November Gerstner, L. V. Jr. (2002).   Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?   (p. 203). New York: HarperCollins. Heerwagen, J., Kelly, K., and Kampshroer, K. (2005).   The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work, and Workplace. National Institute of Building Sciences.   Retrieved November 12, 2005, from http://www.wbdg.org/design/chngorgwork.php Heller, R. (1998).   Essential Managers: Motivating People. (1st American ed.)   D. Tombesi-Walton (Ed.). New York: DK. Hiam, A. (1999).   Streetwise Motivating and Rewarding Employees.   Holbrook, MA: Adams. Marano, H. E. (July-August 2003). The New Sex Scorecard. Psychology Today.   Retrieved November 15, 2005, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-2832.html Micklethwait, J. and Wooldridge, A.   (2000).   A Future Perfect.   The Challenge and Hidden Promise of Globalization. (pp. 122-139). New York: Crown. Ridley, M. (1999).   Genome, The autobiography of a species in 23 chapters. (pp. 216-218). New York: HarperCollins. Sachs, M. (1995). Men and women communication styles. Retrieved November 14, 2005, from http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5280.html Schwab, D. P. (1985).   Motivation in Organizations.   In L. R. Bittel and J. E. Ramsey (Eds.), Handbook for Professional Managers. (p. 585).   New York: McGraw-Hill. Stiglitz, J. E.   (2002).   Globalization and its Discontents.   (pp. 21-22). London: Penguin. Su, L. D. and Bradberry, T. (2004).   EQ and Gender: Women Feel Smarter.   Retrieved November 15, 2005, from   https://www.talentsmart.com/media/uploads/EQ_and_Gender.pdf Wikipedia (2005).   Retrieved November 12, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/   

Analysis on Empire of the Sun

G. Ballard who Is portrayed as Jamie In the movie(Breadline 1). At the beginning of the movie. While the mall character Jamie Is In his hotel room, he sees that the Japanese ships are attacking American ships that are docked at the harbor in Shanghai(Breadline 1). Japan also used aircrafts to bomb China(Dunn 1). Like most Americans, when a war begins they are scared, running for shelter and trying to get out of harms way. At any place or time when a war would begin, the actions of people would be the same as this movie portrayed it to be.In Empire of he Sun, people were screaming, running down streets and ducking from bullets as they were flying through the air. Since the war took place In 1941 the ships are very old, not as equips as they are today nor are they technologically advanced as the ships are now. Airplanes in this movie were also less sophisticated then they are today. The older aircrafts randomly dropped bombs in hopes of hitting a target, since then,aircrafts can drop b ombs with pinpoint accuracy(Dunn 2). In one scene, when planes were flying so low Jamie had to duck while he was standing on a alcohol.Today's airplanes can be thousands of feet In the alarm but still get the Job done on the ground. Near the middle of the movie, right after Jamie meets two American Merchant Seaman named Franks and Basis, all three get captured by the Japanese soldiers and are sent too detention center where they lived for four years. Japanese soldiers went around capturing civilians who were not Japanese. There were more than 14,000 white people in these camps(History on the Net 1). The detention center In the movie Is portrayed exactly how they were In the war.The centers are ridden with diseases, no food or water, ripped or warn out clothing and very tight quarters. For example, there could be as many as 10 men in a 16 X 16 foot room at the camp(Harris 1). One in every three people died of starvation(History on the Net 1). That is exactly how it was in real life f or captured civilians. The movie showed how horribly harsh it was to live in a detention center during the war, but Jamie seemed to like it. The scene Is historically accurate because the American planes had bombed the camp to gain control.At the end of the movie James camp was rescued by American soldiers that took all the kids from the POP camp to a hospital camp to find their parents. Waiting outside the camp, Jamie is hoping his parents would arrive. Being captured for that many years, people's appearances changes especially one of a child. The scene depicted many happy kids being reunited with their parents as was Jasmine's feeling when he finally found his parents. Being separated from his parents at ten Declining AT ten war Ana Delving alone Tort Tour years, en may now want to stay lose to their side until he is an adult.Sometimes there is good that comes out of a war as in this movie where soldiers and nurses will do whatever it takes to reunite love ones. In all, the movie is a historically accurate film based on a true story from war time. It shows scenes that the director wants to portray correctly. The director shows how a child must learn to grow up very quick and learn how to survive. This director also showed how war was different in 1941 to today in regards to how the ships and airplanes differ from then and now.

42432 Essays - Epistemologists, Rationalists, Ren Descartes

42432 Essays - Epistemologists, Rationalists, Ren Descartes 42432 art I: List at least four differences between Descartes and Locke on how we obtain knowledge. For Descartes, (1) knowledge relies completely on utter certainty. Because perception is undependable, (2) knowledge cannot come from our five senses. Descartes believes knowledge can come from experience and deduction. But for this philosopher, (3) he does not believe we gain knowledge from the outside world. Therefore it must come from within. In light to how we view things, Descartes believes that deduction ``can never be performed wrongly by an intellect which is in the least degree rational'', so deductive knowledge is (the only) certain knowledge. Such a system requires a basis of intuitively understood principles from which knowledge can be deduced. (4) He believes that there are some principles which are automatically known, just like the idea of the existence of ourselves and that of God's existence, these are principles which are ``revealed to [us] by natural light'' and ``cannot in any way be open to doubt''. In the end Descartes sees these principles as innate. On the opposite end, John Locke believes something completely different. (1) For starters, he does not believe that knowledge is certain, but that it is just is highly probable. He goes on to say that (2) knowledge comes from our fives sensations or our five senses. Those five senses come from the outside world. Locke disagrees with Descartes when he s...

Psychologists and Jury Selection Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Psychologists and Jury Selection - Term Paper Example The researcher states that in case such as Bruno Hauptmann, there could be strong public mood against the accused which could influence the jury to convict the innocent. Here, the jurists’ personality characteristics and traits might play an important role. In a media intensity society, it is particularly true as it often wages psychological wars to mobilize public opinion over what it considers as truth. The trial of O. J. Simpson was characterized by ‘continued media interest and public fascination with his actions and statements. The belief that â€Å"he got away with murder† even led to proposals to reform and restrict the jury system’. The certainty necessary to punish nay accused could be accumulated by the jurists based on their prejudices and worldview. Most importantly, according to Greene et.al, ‘truth is elusive, and in the legal system, all truth seekers are subject to human error, even though the system seems to assume that they approach infallibility. The failure to achieve perfection in our decision making will become evident as the steps in the trial process are reviewed’. Jury sentiments are directly a product of jurists’ opinions, attitudes and beliefs. Attorneys have two options for selecting new juries. First of all, a panel of prospective jurors need to be identified which is known as venire. Secondly, ‘a process known as voir dire is employed to question and select the eventual jurors’. It involves every jurist telling truth about himself/herself. This process naturally involves elimination as the jurists who hold biases over a particular case are dismissed from the trial. Only the ones who hold a free mind and free from limitations are selected. There is a difference between judges’ decisions and Juries’ decisions. It has been found that â€Å"citizens believe a jury decision offers more procedural fairness (greater thoroughness, better representation of the commun ity, fewer personal biases affecting decisions) than a decision by a judge†. Jury sentiments are the major cause for the discrepancies in the judicial verdicts. In their famous survey, ‘Kalven and Zeisel, after reviewing the multitude of discrepancies, used this term to cover all trials in which, in the judge’s view, the jury’s verdict was detrimentally determined by factors beyond the evidence and the law’. Especially in victimless crimes, there could a stronger tendency for sentiments towards the culprit. In some cases, if the case gets more social importance through media intervention, the number of jurists may be relatively high. It is very difficult even to keep the jury selection procedure just as it would involve discrimination against minority religions, races, nationalities and other cognizable groups.

Analysis paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis paper 2 - Essay Example Though born and raised as a girl, her sexual orientation started changing when she was in high school, always opting to express masculine characteristics, despite the fact that she had male testosterone hormones that would make her sexually function as a man. At birth, she was given a female name, Teena Brandon, which she reversed later on, to adapt the name Brandon Teena, which would display her as a man. However, a brother of a woman she once dated discovered that she was anatomically female, an incident that forces her to run away from her childhood neighborhood, to Falls City, Nebraska where she forges friendship with an ex-convict male John Lotter and his friends Nissen, Candace and Lana, a woman with whom Brandon later establishes a romantic relationship (Shamir and Jennifer, 59). Lana is unaware of the biological sex and the female anatomical body characteristics of Brandon, until Brandon is arrested and charged in a court of law, for some crime she had previously committed. T his presents the perfect opportunity for the biological sex of Brandon to be revealed, since she is placed in a female prison section, and identified by her female birth name, Teena Brandon (Shamir and Jennifer, 21). Lana bails Brandon out and on questioning her why she had been placed in the female section of the cell, she lies to her that she was a hermaphrodite, and was in the process of securing a Sex reassignment surgery, would leave her as a man. However, the media reporting through a newspaper publishes the case of Brandon arrest, incidentally identifying her by her female birth name. This raises suspicion amongst her male friends, who then seizes an opportunity to force her to undress and showcase her real sex even to her girlfriend, Lana (Shamir and Jennifer, 77). The two male friends; Lotter and Nissen subsequently forces her into a car and take her to a secluded place, where they raped her and threatened her not to raise the issue with the police. However, her girlfriend implored on her to file a report with the police, something that she does. Eventually the two friends who had raped her realize it, and make a plan to murder her. They eventually execute the plan and shot her and her friend Candace, while Lana is left crying over her dead body, having been unable to protect them from killing her friends. Analysis The film, Boys Don't Cry (1999), is a wholesomely gendered piece, revolving around the life of a female, who is uncomfortable with her biological sex status, and is striving to forge a different identity as a male, an attempt that finally leads to her loss of life. In this film, the position of the female is a subordinate to that of the female, and the male dominates the society, through doing everything as they please, while the female gender must conform to a certain social path. The problem in this case is that Brandon, the main character in the film is dominated by the estrogen Hormone, which makes her a non-operative transgendered fema le-to-male individual. Through the dominance of the estrogen Hormone, Brandon is anatomically female, and she struggles very