Reflection on Running a Marathon free essay sample

The senior project I chose to do, was to compete in the John Muir Woods Marathon. I decided to run this marathon because running has always been a passion of mine, and I wanted to take it to the next level and compete in an official marathon. In training for the marathon, I learned self discipline, endurance, and how to have stamina. I also learned, that a marathon (26. 2 miles) is a lot longer than it actually seems! I was able to raise a total of $336. 0 towards the Danny Zabicki Foundation. Running a marathon was both the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. Although I knew that it would be a very long course, it lasted a lot longer than I had anticipated, and I was definitely not expecting so many stairs and hills in the run. I knew that the race would consist of 4,400 feet of climbing and descending, but until I actually started running the course, that number didn’t mean much to me. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflection on Running a Marathon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After the first three miles, I was fully aware of what 4,400 feet if climbing and descending entailed. It’s still too soon to tell if I would ever run another marathon. However, I have no regrets in doing so. My family and friends came along to support me, and I was able to see them at every check point for encouragement. It was more rewarding that I could have ever imagined. To top it off, I was actually able to run for a cause, which made it all the more meaningful to me.

Causes of the War of Jenkins Ear

Causes of the War of Jenkins' Ear Background: As part of the Treaty of Utrecht which ended the War of the Spanish Succession, Britain received a thirty-year trade agreement (an asiento) from Spain which permitted British merchants to trade up to 500 tons of goods per year in the Spanish colonies as well as sell an unlimited number of slaves. This asiento also provided inroads in Spanish America for British smugglers. Though the asiento was in effect, its operation was often hindered by military conflicts between the two nations which occurred in 1718-1720, 1726, and 1727-1729. In the wake of the Anglo-Spanish War (1727-1729), Britain granted Spain the right to stop British ships to ensure that the terms of the agreement were being respected. This right was included in the Treaty of Seville which ended the conflict. Believing that the British were taking advantage of the agreement and smuggling, Spanish authorities began boarding and seizing British ships, as well as holding and torturing their crews. This led to an increase in tensions and an up swell of anti-Spanish sentiment in Britain. Though issues were mitigated somewhat in the mid-1730s when British First Minister Sir Robert Walpole supported the Spanish position during the War of the Polish Succession, they continued to exist as the root causes had not been addressed. Though wishing to avoid war, Walpole was pressured into sending additional troops to the West Indies and dispatching Vice Admiral Nicholas Haddock to Gibraltar with a fleet. In return, King Philip V suspended the asiento and confiscated British ships in Spanish ports. Wishing to avoid a military conflict, both sides met at Pardo to seek a diplomatic resolution as Spain lacked the military resources to defend its colonies while Britain did not wish interfere with profits from the slave trade. The resulting Convention of Pardo, which was signed in early 1739, called for Britain to receive  Ã‚ £95,000 in compensation for damages to its shipping while paying  Ã‚ £68,000 in back revenue to Spain from the asiento. Additionally, Spain agree to territorial limits in regard to searching British merchant vessels. When the terms of the convention were released, they proved unpopular in Britain and the public clamored for war. By October, both sides had repeatedly violated the conventions terms. Though reluctant, Walpole officially declared war on October 23, 1739. The term War of Jenkins Ear derives from Captain Robert Jenkins who had his ear cut off by the Spanish Coast Guard in 1731. Asked to appear in Parliament to recount his tale, he reputedly displ ayed his ear during his testimony. Porto Bello In one of the first actions of the war, Vice Admiral Edward Vernon descended on Porto Bello, Panama with six ships of the line. Attacking the poorly defended Spanish town, he quickly captured it and remained there for three weeks. While there, Vernons men destroyed the citys fortifications, warehouses, and port facilities. The victory led to the naming of Portobello Road in London and public debut of the song Rule, Britannia! With the beginning of 1740, both sides anticipated that France would enter the war on the side of Spain. This led to invasion scares in Britain and resulted in the bulk of their military and naval strength being retained in Europe. Florida Overseas, Governor James Oglethorpe of Georgia mounted an expedition into Spanish Florida with the goal of capturing St. Augustine. Marching south with around 3,000 men, he arrived in June and commenced constructing batteries on  Anastasia Island. On June 24, Oglethorpe began a bombardment of the city while ships from the Royal Navy blockaded the port. In the source of the siege, British forces suffered a defeat at Fort Mose. Their situation worsened when the Spanish were able to penetrate the naval blockade to reinforce and resupply St. Augustines garrison. This action forced Oglethorpe to abandon the siege and withdraw back to Georgia. Ansons Cruise Though the Royal Navy was focusing on home defense, a squadron was formed in late 1740, under Commodore George Anson to raid Spanish possessions in the Pacific. Departing on September 18, 1740, Ansons squadron encountered severe weather and was plagued by disease. Reduced to his flagship, HMS Centurion (60 guns), Anson reached Macau where he was able to refit and rest his crew. Cruising off the Philippines, he encountered the treasure galleon Nuestra Seà ±ora de Covadonga on June 20, 1743. Overhauling the Spanish vessel, Centurion captured it after a brief fight. Completing a circumnavigation of the globe, Anson returned home a hero. Cartagena Encouraged by Vernons success against Porto Bello in 1739, efforts were made in 1741 to mount a larger expedition in Caribbean. Assembling a force of over 180 ships and 30,000 men, Vernon planed to attack Cartagena. Arriving in early March 1741, Vernons efforts to take the city were plagued by a lack of supplies, personal rivalries, and rampaging disease. Endeavoring to defeat the Spanish, Vernon was forced to withdraw after sixty-seven days which saw around a third of his force lost to enemy fire and disease. News of the defeat ultimately led to Walpole leaving office and being replaced by Lord Wilmington. More interested in pursuing campaigns in the Mediterranean, Wilmington began to wind down operations in the Americas. Repulsed at Cartagena, Vernon attempted to take Santiago de Cuba and landed his ground forces at Guantnamo Bay. Advancing against their objective, the British were soon bogged down by disease and fatigue. Though the British attempted to continue the invasion, they were forced to abandon the operation when they met heavier than anticipated opposition. In the Mediterranean, Vice Admiral Haddock worked to blockade the Spanish coast and though he took several valuable prizes, was unable to bring the Spanish fleet to action. British pride at sea was also marred by the damage inflicted by Spanish privateers which attacked unescorted merchantmen around the Atlantic. Georgia In Georgia, Oglethorpe remained in command of the colonys military forces despite his earlier failure at St. Augustine. In the summer of 1742, Governor Manuel de Montiano of Florida advanced north and landed on St. Simons Island. Moving to meet this threat, Oglethorpes forces won the Battles of Bloody Marsh and Gully Hole Creek which compelled Montiano to retreat back to Florida. Absorption into the War of the Austrian Succession While Britain and Spain were engaged in the War of Jenkins Ear, the War of the Austrian Succession had broken out in Europe. Soon drawn into the larger conflict, the war between Britain and Spain was subsumed by mid-1742. While the bulk of the fighting occurred in Europe, the French fortress at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia was captured by New England colonists in 1745. The War of the Austrian Succession came to an end in 1748 with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. While the settlement dealt with the issues of the wider conflict, it did little to specifically address the causes of the 1739 war. Meeting two years later, the British and Spanish concluded the Treaty of Madrid. In this document, Spain bought back the asiento for  £100,000 while agreeing to allow Britain to trade freely in its colonies. Selected Sources Global Security: War of Jenkins EarHistory of War: War of Jenkins EarNew Georgia Encyclopedia: War of Jenkins Ear

Wine Club Advert Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wine Club Advert - Research Paper Example I consider the Wine Club advertisement on the New York Times newspaper as an appropriate article for rhetorical analysis. The basic message propagated by the advertisement is the 50% discount entitled for every member of the club for all their purchases on wine. The first approach towards rhetorical analysis is to consider the ethos aspect of the advertisement. In this case, ethos reflects the ethical and moral aspect of the advert (Faigley & Jack 2010). The people behind the advert believe that drinking of wine has health and lifestyles benefits. However, people do not benefit from the health and therapeutic value resulting from drinking of wine due to price factors. Thus reducing price through discount is the first strategy of eliminating cost burden. However, the advertisement considers price reduction strategy as a sufficient factor for encouraging wine drinking among the people. According to the advertisement, joining a wine-drinking club will contribute to the development of wi ne drinking habit among the people. The advertisement is trying to make the audience to reconsider their naivety towards their health. In addition, the advertisement is trying to erase people’s mentality towards wine drinking and the association of wine with immorality. Thus, the advertisement is trying to make people reconsider their attitude towards wine drinking. The advertisement is also trying to explore people’s ignorance that results from generalization. Although the advert is trying to pass credible information to the audience, it fails to set its facts straight. The advertisement illustrate useful information about drinking wine and encouraging people to drink wine by joining wine drinking clubs. However, the advert does not provide accurate information concerning the benefits of drinking wine and the role of wine drinking clubs in influencing people’s behaviors. The only evidence provided by the advertisement concerns the role of wine drinking club mem bership in eliminating consumer’s burden. For instance, the advertisement claims that all members of the wine drinking will obtain their favorite drink at a price 50% below the marked price. However, this price reduction does not imply that wine drinking will increase by 50%. Despite the controversies surrounding the advert concerning inadequate evidence, the advertisement has a high degree of persuasiveness. Firstly, the advertisement contains colorful pictures of different brands of wine. These pictures not only encourage the audience about wine drinking club membership but also the lifestyle that comes with wine drinking. The advertisement has significant claims concerning different lifestyle diseases and the recent discoveries on the benefits of drinking wine. However, the advert does not provide a clear link between its message and a solution to the problem. It is evident that the advertisement provides solution to the problem without setting appropriate strategies for s olving the problem. The advert has evident mythology aspects that relate to its intended message. Firstly, the advert relies on the power of association as a strategy towards elimination of people’s attitude towards drinking of wine. In addition, the advertisement relies on scientific discoveries and people’s observation. Although the advert creates a link between current scientific discovery and modern day medical problem, it is slightly unrealistic (Radway, 2010). This deficiency creates a basis for the cultural myth in the advertisement. In addition, the advertisement illustrates the numerous cultural myths associated with wine drinking. For instance, people associate wine drinking with the rich people. In addition, different brands of wine are associated with ancient European monarchies. For instance, the

Differentiate between neligence, intentional and constitutional torts Essay

Differentiate between neligence, intentional and constitutional torts. What act(s) can cause a tort liability - Essay Example For example: an employee of the criminal justice department conducted his duties without making sure that others are not harmed by his means of conducting duty, due to this others may have been inflicted with harm or injury, thus the official is held responsible for conducted his duties in a negligent manner. Criminal justice officers experience intentional torts when they indulge knowingly and freely indulge in activities due to which citizens or other individuals of a society may be harmed (Vaughn, 1999). For example: a police officer uses coercive methods to obtain a confession from a suspect, due to his act the suspect gets badly injured, the police official is held responsible for using coercion and the confession obtained from the suspect might not be used as evidence in the court of law. A criminal justice employee may be held responsible in a case of constitutional tort if he fails to conduct his duties in accordance to the constitution of the country (Carlson, 1985, p.342). For example: if a police official makes an arrest and forgets to read the Miranda rights to the suspect, the police official may be held responsible for acting according the constitution and the suspect may be free to leave as his Miranda rights were not read to him (Peak, 2011, p.281). Various activities conducted by the officials of the criminal justice system lead to tort liability, these activities includes: negligent behaviour, wrongful charges for arrest, breach of right of privacy, upholding information and evidence, and coercive interrogation. When an official of the criminal justice system is said to have acted in a negligent manner, he is said to have not exercised his duty of due care (Peak, 2011, p.341). This means that while conducting his duties, an official has not ensured to eradicate practices and procedures that may harm an individual and that are foreseen. Therefore a police official has to exercise his duty of care while conducting his

Multiple Regression and Correlation Techniques Assignment

Multiple Regression and Correlation Techniques - Assignment Example The controversy is likely to misinform a research basis and compromise research objectives through poor variable selection and validity issues. Researchers can however resolve the controversy by focusing on theory rather than uninformed bias to the divergent literatures. Effort for limiting the number of variables in a study, subject to influence of identified theory is another approach to resolving the controversy (Hot, Imel and Chan, 2008; Aparasu, 2011). Tests involving mediator and moderator variables generate diversified controversies with inclusion of time factor as the major source of controversy as researchers focus on cross sectional studies in the analyses. Determination of whether a variable is a moderator or a mediator variable is another major source of controversy and may misinform actual relationships among variables into invalid results research implications. A shift from focus on cross sectional studies and an open approach to critical perspectives to developed results are proposed as solution to the mediator and moderator controversy. Researcher integrity is therefore necessary in incorporating divergent views on a study (Hot, Imel and Chan, 2008; Yin,

Income and Government Services: A Review of the Literature

Income and Government Services: A Review of the Literature In 1935 the Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest government services offered by the Federal government. In order to fund government services like Social Security, taxes are levied on various income levels. This taxation is met with opposing viewpoints from various political perspectives. In general, conservatives oppose progressive taxation policies and programs that redistribute wealth while liberals typically support them (Chamber 2013). However, many people, regardless of income level, receive benefits from these government services or programs (Mettler 2008). Furthermore, across all income levels, participation and the array of use of these government programs is notably higher than one might expect (Mettler 2008) So this raises the question; does an individual’s level of income affect their perception of the country’s need for government services? It is important to answer this question because currently, the United States is battling a large amount of debt which some believe can be limited through reductions in spending on government services. By researching a possible link between an individual’s income level and their perception of government services, a more sophisticated conversation can take place regarding the significance of those services. In an earlier piece research conducted by Jeron Van Der Wall, Peter Achterberg, and Dick Houtman (2007) across fifteen countries found that income is a prominent indicator of perception. The countries included in the study were; Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States for the time period 1956 to 1990. They aim to try and provide an alternative explanation to Paul Nieuwbeerta’s (1996) research, which found that since the end of World War II voting for a specific political ideology based on one’s socioeconomic class, or class voting, was on the decline in Western civilization. To conduct their research, they rely on income as the primary indicator of class. They find that the patterns in class voting are driven by the cultural and educational differences across all incomes (Van Der Wall 2007). This indicates that class voting still exists and income l evel is still a relative factor to political ideology. Additionally Van Der Wall claims â€Å"class has been buried alive under the increasing weight of cultural voting, systematically misinterpreted as a decline in class voting† (Van Der Waal 417: 2007) when in fact class voting has become stronger since the pre-World War II era. (Van Der Wall 2007). However, because of the lack of accountability for variables like educational differences, working class, and just the evolution of political cultural in general, the findings raised by previous researchers are not entirely conclusive. By revealing these additional variables, a more thorough investigation can be conducted in regards to the relation between one’s income and their perception towards the necessity for government services. When discussing perception, personality traits must also be examined. Research conducted by Scott E. Seibert and Maria L. Kraimer (2001) examines how the Big Five personality traits are causally linked with extrinsic career success. They find that Extraverts, that are additionally psychologically more stable, are more likely to have extrinsic career success (Seibert 2001). Extraverts are outgoing and dominant individuals whose strive for success is driven by their personal ambition to come out on top. They have lower self-regard then introverts and are more willing to sacrifice better working conditions for the chance to rise above their peers. In regards to being agreeable and team players, extraverts are less likely to be agreeable and when working in organized conditions with others they are more likely to be more dominant and still try to stand out amongst their peers (Seibert 2001). Extraverts are rugged individualists, that is, they believe they are only ones who can determine how successful they are. This is a fundamental concept related to conservatism. And because extraverts are more likely to be successful and have higher incomes then introverts, Seibert and Kraimers’ (2007) findings reinforce the notion that individuals with higher levels of income are more conservative. Coinciding with personality, intelligence also affects the action and thought processes of people. Cognitive abilities are generally defined as the abilities one possesses to perform the simplest of tasks and the most difficult. They are the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, pay attention, and problem solve. They form together to create an individual’s intelligence quotient, which is generally linked with one’s overall level of intelligence. General mental ability (GMA), which was introduced by C. Spearman (1904), is also used to describe an individual’s level of intelligence. In their research, Frank Schmidt and John Hunter (2004) confirm that GMA sco res are strongly related to job performance and income level. Drawing from research conducted by Charles Murray(1998) that addition to examined GMA scores within families, â€Å"Murray found that the siblings with higher GMA scores received more education, entered more prestigious occupations, had higher income, and were employed more regularly† (Schmidt 2004). Using this evidence from Schmidt and Hunter’s research and correlating it with findings produced by Satoshi Kanazawa (2010) that show that more intelligent individuals are in fact more liberal, leads to the logical conclusion, assuming income is as related to intelligence as suggested, that higher income individuals are more likely to be liberal then conservative. Across the research provided, income is a relative factor in terms of political ideology. However, it is clear that a consensus on whether or not individuals with higher incomes are politically more liberal or conservative hasn’t been reached. Seibert and Kraimer’s (2001) research shows that the particular types of personalities that rise to the top in economic status are predominantly those of who, are more conservative in nature. What their research negates to account for is the level of intelligence possessed by those extraverts who are successful. Rather, they assume that they already have a high degree of intelligence because they possess the cognitive abilities to beat out their peers and earn higher incomes. Generally, this more than likely would be agreed upon. Furthering their point, intelligence as discussed in Schmidt and Hunter’s (2004) research, shows that intelligence is strongly linked to income level. However, the disparity in logic is introduced with Satoshi Kanazawa’s (2010) research which concludes that individuals, who possess a higher level of intelligence, are more liberal.   References Chambers, John R., Swan, Lawton K., and Heesacker, Martin. 2013. â€Å"Better Off Than We Know Distorted Perceptions of Incomes and Income Inequality in America† Jeroen van der Waal., Achterberg, Peter., and Houtman Dick. 2007. â€Å"Class Is Not Dead−−It HasBeen Buried Alive: Class Voting and Cultural Voting in Postwar Western Societies (1956−1990)†Ã‚  Politics Society  2007 35: 40. Kanazawa, Satoshi. 2010. â€Å"Why Liberals and Atheists Are More Intelligent†.  Social Psychology Quarterly,  Vol. 73, No. 1 (March 2010), pp. 33-57. Mettler, Suzanne., and Stonecash, Jeffrey M. 2008. â€Å"Government Program Usage and Political Voice†.  Social Science Quarterly: 89: 273–293. Murray, Charles. 1998.  Income Inequality and IQ.  Washington D.C: The AEI Press. Nieuwbeerta, P. (1996). â€Å"The Democratic Class Struggle in Postwar Societies: Class Voting in Twenty Countries, 1945-1990†.  Acta Sociologica  (Taylor Francis Ltd), 39(4), 345-383. Schmidt, Frank L., and Hunter, John. 2004. â€Å"General Mental Ability in the World of Work: Occupational Attainment and Job Performance.  Social Psychology  2004, Vol. 86, No.1, 162-173. Spearman, C. (1904). â€Å"General Intelligence, Objectively Determined and Measured.† American Journal of Psychology, 15, 201–293.

Essay --

The formula for baking soda is NaHCO3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate_).The chemical formula for vinegar is CH3COOH (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid). The chemical formula for the reaction is NaHCO3 + CH3COOH => CaCO3 + 2NaCl + H2O + CO2. The calcium atom from the calcium chloride molecule forms a new bond with the carbon trioxide form the sodium bicarbonate. This creates one of the product calcium carbonate, which is a covalent bond (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070328160450AAVglRs). The two chlorine atoms left from the calcium chloride molecule is bonded with the sodium atom in the sodium bicarbonate to create sodium chloride, an ionic bond (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/molecule/nacl.html). The left over atoms are two hydrogen atoms, three oxygen atoms, and one carbon atom. The two hydrogens form the water molecule with an oxygen atom, and ionic bond (comp book). Then all that is left is the carbon and the other two oxygen atoms. These three form the CO2 that is released. Below is a picture summarizing most of this paragraph. How would you give models or examples of any reaction? Well, in terms of 3D models, you should make sure that all the atoms in the product are equal to the number atoms in the reactants when they are combined. No atom is lost or created during the reaction. The same requirements go for writing an equation, as shown in the photo above. you can also write a formula for the product. Something that you must remember is that the metal reactant always comes first. The non metal reactant comes in second, and it usually end in -ide. (http://www.deltacollege.edu/emp/preedy/Handouts/Nomenclature%20Handout.pdf) Last, but not least, the easiest way to show a r... ... when a reaction happened and how to make it happen faster, but do you know to identify the reactants and the products, and how did it bonded? in terms of acid or base, you can use a pH meter or even some pH paper. After you use them, compare the color you get to the scale that should be included. You can also look at the formula for the product to find the reactants, telling you what is in it. The elements on the periodic table are organized based on the number of electron rings and valence electrons, which determine if they will bond and with what. The element carbon has biggest number of bonds, which is four. Carbon can be covalently bonded, meaning sharing electrons with another element, like in the calcium carbonate. Carbon can also be an ionically bonded, meaning the opposite charges of non metal ions and metal ions attract, like in sodium chloride. (comp book)

Capital One Bank Evaluation

Bank Performance Evaluation Project Capital One Bank Capital One Financial Corporation’s headquarters is in McLean, Virginia and in the Federal Reserve district five, The Federal Reserve of Richmond, Virginia. It is number 89 in peer group one with their consolidated assets of over $300 million. Peer group one banks are institutions that have equal to or greater than $10 million in consolidated assets. Capital One Bank specializes in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, while providing banking and savings products.They are a Fortune 500 company and have paved the way for mass credit card marketing in the 1990’s. Since its inception in 1988, Capital One has acquired numerous smaller banks and has kept growing to become one of the most well know bank holding companies in the United States. Unfortunately in November 2008, Capital One Bank suffered devastating losses and received $3. 5 billion bail-out funds from the Federal Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. But by mid 2009, Capital One Bank had bought back over 3. 5 million of their preferred stock shares from the United States Treasury.Although Capital One Bank has experienced some economic hardships in the recent past, it seems to be holding steady after the wake of the 2008 financial system meltdown. If we take a close look at this bank’s performance report, we can find some interesting information about their biggest asset components. For Capital One’s assets their percentage for loans to individuals is relatively high, 36. 77 percent compared to that of the peer group average of 4. 98 percent. This is indicative of a company that produces a large number of loans to individuals in the form of real estate, auto, and credit cards.This also indicates that this bank is interested in making profits from interest on loans. Real estate loans for this company are high with 22. 26 percent compared to the peer group average of 32. 89 percent. Although this bank dabbles in commercial bank ing, it keeps its commercial and industrial loans to a minimum in comparison to its other peer one counterparts. There are a few areas where Capital one shows virtually no interest such as; agricultural loans, investments in mutual funds and equity securities, and fed funds sold and reverse repos which are purchased under an agreement to resell.Federal funds sold are used for overnight funds that â€Å"keep balances on deposits at Federal Reserve Banks for purposes of clearing daily checks and deposits†(Olsen Research Associates). A reason Capital One Bank does not use this practice may be because it does not want to risk losing assets in the event that the borrowing bank defaults. Because Fed Funds Contracts are not secured they are always subject to loss if the borrowing bank defaults (Olsen Research Associates). Capital One Bank has relatively average percentages of debt securities of less than or more than one year.A debt security can be bought or sold between two parties , has defined amounts, rates, and maturities. As a whole, debt securities are relatively safer than equity securities because they have a principal amount that is returned to the lender at a specified maturity date. Moving on to the liquidity and funding of Capital One Bank, the core deposits are above those of other peer banks at 64. 84 percent compared to 55. 17 percent. Core deposits are comprised of demand deposits, deposit accounts that are subject to negotiable orders of withdrawal or automatic transfer from the savings accounts.This section also includes time deposits of less than $100,000, money market deposit accounts, other savings accounts, and other non-interest bearing deposit balances. Banks count on core deposits to fund loans while offering advantages â€Å"such as predictable costs and a measurement of the degree of customer loyalty† (Core Deposits). Core deposits are less vulnerable to short-term changes in the interest rates than CD’s or money market accounts (Core Deposits). The net loans and leases percentages of Capital One Bank are high as well compared to their competing banks.This is due to the high number of loans this bank awards to individuals in the form of mortgages, car loans, personal loans, and credit cards. Credit card loans blow the competition out of the water with an extremely high 40. 9 percent compared to peer group one’s average of 2. 41 percent. The liquid assets of Capital One are slightly lower in comparison to their peers by about 10 percentage point; this is another indicator that this bank produces numerous loans and has its assets â€Å"tied† up.Turning the attention to the relative income statement and marginal analysis portion of the report will describe the key components of earnings relative to average assets, margin analysis ratios, the yields or returns of specific assets, and the cost of funds. The report shows that Capital One’s main source of income is interest income in cluding; high interest income equaling a higher net interest income. Adjusted operating income, which is net interest income plus non-interest income, for Capital One Bank is 7. 45 percent to the peer group average of 4. 74.This is almost twice the amount of income from interest over its competitors. After accounting for operating expenses and realized gains and losses, the company has a pretax net income of 1. 82 percent and a net operating income of 1. 38 percent. The company’s interest expenses are insignificantly higher than those of its peers. Capital One has made provisions for loan and lease losses which are monies set aside for default loans. These provisions are greater than the competitors by 1. 25 percent and represent the bank’s desire to survive if loans default.Looking at the margin analysis portion of this section, you can note that the net interest income to average earning assets is twice as high as its competitors in peer group one at 6. 49 percent. I t is safe to say that Capital One Bank receives the majority of its income from interest. â€Å"Capitalization is the long-term funding that allows a business firm to operate. It is the investment that the business owner and any other investors make in the firm. It is a financial term which refers to the sum of the stockholder's equity of the firm and the firm's long-term debt, such as bonds or mortgages† (Peavler).Capitalization is also a measurement of business value based on the share price and number of shares outstanding. This is generally the market’s representation of the company’s value (Ycharts). For Capital One Bank, there capitalization is relatively similar to its counterparts. Equity capital to total asset ratio for Capital one is 13. 13 percent while the average for peer group one is 11. 30 and does not represent a substantial difference. Although Capital One Financial has seen its ups and downs over the past few years, it reports their â€Å"thir d quarter net income jumped 47 percent versus the prior year quarter†.This increase in profits is credited to the acquisition of ING Direct a financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance, and asset management services, and HSBC’s United States card business (Associated Press). Net income increased $357 million from this time last year and price per share went from $1. 77 to $2. 01, a 24 cent increase (Associated Press). Revenues also soared 39 percent to $5. 78 billion. Capital One Financial reports that it expects consumer demand to slow down soon, but they are prepared for what the future holds. ————————————————-Top of FormDec 10, 2012 12:17 p. m. ET| COF (Common Stock) | Exchange:NYSE (US Dollar)| Last Trade| $57. 77| Change| + 0. 70| | | | % Change| 1. 23%| | Volume| 1,167,465| Intraday High| $57. 80| | Open| $56. 91| Intraday Low| $56 . 78| | Minimum 20 minute delay Bottom of Form| | (Capital One: Stock Quote and Chart) Works Cited Associated Press. â€Å"News Summary:Capital One Posts Higher 3Q Profit. † Bloomberg Businessweek News. 18 2012: n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. . â€Å"Capital One Financial Corporation Market Cap. Ycharts. N. p. , 06 2012. Web. 6 Dec 2012. . â€Å"Core Deposits. † Investopedia US. United States: 2012.

Supermax Prisons

Supermax Prisons and Their Adverse Effects Introduction Due to increasing crime rates and the extensive belief that rehabilitative programs for inmates do not work, a new and harsher method for prisons is being utilized. Instead of scattering the worst criminals, they are being consolidated into Supermax prisons. Supermax prisons are state of the art penitentiaries meant to hold only the worst of the worst criminals and inmates that cannot be trusted in regular prisons. There are strict regulations and policies to control inmates’ time for communication, recreation, visiting, religious practices, and education even more than regular prisons.More often than not, â€Å"inmates in supermax prisons spend 23 hours of every day locked in a small cell† (Hickey pg. 160). Supermax prisons work upon the premise that the most violent and disorderly inmates can be better controlled â€Å"by separation, restricted movement, and limited access to staff and other inmates† (Hick ey pg. 167). While supermax prisons are believed to reduce crime and increase safety, there are questions of whether or not this is actually the case. Compare/Contrast CritiqueSupermax prisons are considered effective because they consolidate the most violent criminals and allow for other prisons to function more safely and more normally for both staff and inmates. However the inmates cannot just be consolidated and held to the same standards as regular prisons, as was revealed at Marion in 1980 when the â€Å"operation began to show clear signs of the underlying stresses of using this quasi-normal system to deal with such aggressive offenders† (Hickey pg. 164). In response, a new and more sophisticated facility was created to cater to the high-security needs of a prison with extremely dangerous inmates.These newer facilities were created to â€Å"control the inmate’s behavior until they demonstrate that they can be moved back to a traditional open-population penitent iary† (Hickey pg. 165). While incarcerated at supermax prisons, the inmates are handcuffed around staff, eat and exercise alone, and are kept in their cells for most of the day. As prisoners behave well, they are given more and more privileges until they are deemed safe enough to return to regular prisons. Additionally, there is a much higher staff to inmate ratio than at normal prisons.All services that are required are available and â€Å"operations are consistent with constitutional requirements related to conditions and confinement† (Hickey pg. 166). After returning to regular penitentiaries from a supermax prison, 80% of former inmates behave well enough that they do not return to the supermax prison. Supermax prisons provide a level of safety and security for both staff and inmates that other prisons cannot provide. On the other hand, there is a dark side and harsh reality to supermax prisons besides the obvious high costs of maintaining the prisons that are funde d by tax payers.While supermax prisons claim to uphold the prisoner’s constitutional rights, there are many claims that state otherwise ranging from the denial of medical care to illegal censorship of mail—â€Å"prison guards have testified to shackling prisoners to their beds and spraying them with high-pressure fire hoses† (Hickey pg. 169). The placement of inmates at certain levels of security and confinement based upon behavior is arbitrary. The guards determine what is â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† behavior, and their reasons could be as menial as â€Å"refusing to make beds or complaining about clogged and overflowing toilets† (Hickey pg. 169).Additionally, the amount of control that the inmates are placed under (near 24-hour isolation, little to no physical contact between visitors and inmates and highly limited and scheduled outdoor recreation time) creates an environment that is psychologically debilitating and harmful to personal and social identities. Rehabilitation is set aside and replaced with competition between the inmates for privileges, fostering a hostile environment. The amount of frustration, deprivation, and despair that inmates endure do not create less violent inmates, but something much more dangerous (at the least, more angry).Fighting violence with more violence is not working—supermax prisons are not reducing crime or safety. Critique of the Debate Supermax prisons are a good idea on paper. However, in practice, supermax prisons do not work. In a contrasting example, there are many soldiers returning from war. They are greeted by family, strangers buy food for them out of gratitude for their service, and there are programs and support groups that help them return to normal ways of life. Still, the transition from the life of a soldier in combat back to the civilian world is not easy. However, these issues are recognized and respected in many forms of support.On the other hand, for the in creasingly large amount of criminals who are sent to supermax prisons for breaking the law, the preparation and actual transition from prison life back to regular society is not widely recognized or respected, with little or no support. There are few credible methods or support groups that truly help previous convicts return to normal life, especially in comparison to a soldier returning from war. Additionally, individuals that are accepted members of society greet the returning convicts with trepidation and suspicion because of the belief â€Å"once a thief, always a thief. Consequently, the convict’s return to society and â€Å"normal† life is nearly impossible and recommitting criminal acts is expected. While the return of a criminal from prison should not be honored the way a soldier is honored when returning from deployment, a criminal should have similar rehabilitative and re-immersion programs and support groups. With the levels of confinement being dictated by arbitrary rules and expectations set in place by guards, inmates behave well only because they want privileges and rewards rather than to actually improve themselves.Using a reward-punishment system does not develop character or help prisoners in their eventual assimilation back into society. When inmates are released from prison, they need to return better than they were before prison or else they will just end up in prison again. In order for this to be accomplished, â€Å"a more holistic view of crime control† needs to be set in order and there needs to be more of a focus â€Å"on community and restoration and less on imprisonment† (Hickey pg. 174). The United States has been using prisons for centuries now and imprisonment rates have only increased throughout history.Perhaps the answer to reducing crime is not in the traditional idea of fear of punishment, but the United States seems to be stuck on the idea of using prisons and imprisonment to thwart crime neverth eless. In a perfect world, criminals will be sent to prison, spend their time there wisely, and return to society a changed people. However, in reality, inmates are being released from prison worse off than when they entered the prison. Not seeing or interacting with another human being creates a disconnection from humanity.For the inmate, being kept totally separated and isolated from everyone, there must inevitably be a sense of anger and resentment towards the system that should be helping them and at the very least be showing them how to act properly in society upon their release from prison. Additionally, controlling every aspect of a person’s life is not productive or educational. Learning from mistakes is a part of life, but supermax prisons have nothing to offer in terms of learning. Since the inmates have clearly made mistakes (they are in prison after all), they should be educated on how to learn and grow from their mistakes.Instead, they are just put down as failur es and expected to continue failing. However, as supermax prisons become more and more popular, rehabilitative programs and the inmate’s humanity are being set aside for safer conditions and security. The idea that you have to sacrifice either the humanity of the inmate or the safety of the staff would imply that the system is severely flawed. There has to be a better way to punish criminals, but also rehabilitate them. Conclusion The current penal system that the United States has is flawed and supermax prisons are simply not as effective as was expected.The traditional use of prisons and imprisonment as a way to deter crime is not (nor has it ever been) actually successful at reducing crime, but for some reason we keep to the same plan and modify it rather than take a whole new approach. A person who goes to prison should not want or need to commit deviance after leaving prison—they should leave a changed person. Society should strive to help the person returning fro m prison similar to the way soldiers are aided upon their return to the United States.Instead, society remains adamant in continuing to punish and then ignore those who commit crimes which in end creates a never ending cycle of deviance. The system for punishing criminals needs to change, but how society views the punishment of criminals needs to change as well. Instead of focusing on revenge and justice, the focus needs to be on rehabilitation and development. Works Cited Hickey, T. (2012). Taking sides: Clashing views in crime and criminology. (10th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.

american indian essays

american indian essays It was approaching dusk as the conspicuous line of dark vans entered the reservation. These vehicles served the purpose of furnishing transportation for about 30 members of a Cleveland area youth group, whose mission was to bring good news to the badlands. In short, the group was ministering to the Indian children of the Pine Ridge Reservation, which was in close vicinity to the natural wonder found in the foothills of the badlands. The trip became a tradition for my church and I traveled there on three separate occasions. Each year, the team received a welcoming that could be described as anything but inviting. In fact, the first year the trip fell on the Fourth of July and as we drove in, our vehicles were bombarded with fireworks. I could never really grasp why we were so despised. After all, our intentions were commendable. The matter became clearer after I read Zitkala-sas American Indian Stories. Within this text, a Native American expresses her beliefs that actions s imilar to ours serve merely in altering culture. The main characters civilization had religious beliefs long before the white man presented his ideas. Essentially, the Sioux religion was based on nature. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact beliefs of the group because of the deficiency of information. However from the text, some aspects can be gathered. First, it appears as though everything in nature is believed to retain a spirit. Zitkala-Sa is observing the flowers and personifies them, assuming they are possessive of a spirit by saying, Their quaint round faces of varied hue convince the heart which leaps with glad surprise that they too, are living symbols of omnipotent thought. (102) Everything natural was incorporated into their religious beliefs. Thus, the people receive refreshment of the soul through companionship with the outdoors. The narrator describes a spiritual expe...

Strenght limitation ans challenge of ethically social responsible Coursework

Strenght limitation ans challenge of ethically social responsible business - Coursework Example increases the relationships and independence in all the business sectors and more so in dealing with the customers that are on daily basis generating from the business. Social responsibility issues as well as the ethical concerns are extremely sensitive especially to the managers running the business. Due to some of the pressures they often receive from the groups of interest, public, media coverage, governmental and other legal concerns, the managers ensure that they are solely responsible for any of the developments that are more likely in the social and ethical conducts of their people (Joshua 2000, pg.64). This is commonly challenging especially in the decision making of what and where to apply effectively a certain condition that ought to be in place. If there are any conflicting concerns and situations in the peoples and organizations conducts, then it remains a challenge of where to draw the line and make up for the necessary adjustments of the situation. Social responsibility and the ethical conducts of an individual are thus very important in order to avoid some of the conflicting concerns in ensuring a working business environment. In examining some of the common views of ethics that are standardized in the success of any business, that is how to get to the root causes of the challenges. Diagnosing the strengths that are involved in some of the questionings that involves business and the social ethical responsibility of it is just the beginning of a successful business-working environment. The utilitarianism ethics view whereby an ethical problem is likely to approach the question in considering which of the action course may do the least or rather a good harm. According to John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, the actions are more likely to categorize in a way that they either make many people satisfied and happy of the outcomes (Bowie 1987, pg.53). Further, they explain that a small number of people could be unhappy but so long as the majority is happy

Fuzzy Logic system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fuzzy Logic system - Essay Example The results of the analysis for different input and output conditions are compared and finally the best conditions are derived for the best performance of the machine. The given control system is a manufacturing machinery whose reliability can be analysed through the performance of three parts namely part A, part B and part C present in that machine. In order to diagnose faults in the components there are three sensors associated with them namely sensor 1, sensor 2 and sensor 3. A fault in any one of the three components may require either a cheap or expensive repair. The recovery time, the time that it takes the machine to return to full working order after repair, is either quick or slow or takes an intermediate amount of time. The output values of the sensors are to be controlled in a specific manner to evaluate the condition on the three parts on a scale 0 ( representing good condition – okay ) to 1( representing faulty condition). The given machinery can be represented and analysed using the Fuzzy Logic Tool Box available in MATLAB. Fuzzy logic starts with the concept of a fuzzy set. A fuzzy set is a set without a crisp, clearly defined boundary. It can contain elements with only a partial degree of membership. For the given system fuzzy variables are defined for each sensor and each part. The fuzzy variables for each sensor contain three equally sized, linear shaped, overlapping fuzzy sets comprising high, medium and low. The fuzzy variable for each machine part also contains three equally sized, linear shaped, overlapping fuzzy sets comprising of faulty, unreliable and okay. To construct the default system, the Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System in MATLAB GUI has been used. Mamdanis method was among the first control systems built using fuzzy set theory. It was proposed in 1975 by Ebrahim Mamdani (Sabeghi and Naghibzadeh , 2006,). In the FIS editor the default methods for AND , OR, implication, aggregation and defuzzification have been used. Three