Jainism vs. Sikhism Essay

Read the assigned chapters for the week and complete the following table. Be as specific as possible when identifying practices, beliefs, rituals, and historical elements. Cite sources in APA formatting. Sikhism as a religion believes in the followings: Core Beliefs Jainism Sikhism 1. Every living being has a soul 2. Sikhism believes in One GOD. 3. Every soul is potentially divine, with innate qualities of infinite knowledge, perception, power, and bliss (masked by its karmas). 4. Sikhism believes Guru Granth Sahib as the last and eternal Gurus of Sikhs. 5. Regard every living being as you do yourself, harming no one and being kind to all living beings. Sikhism believes in Karma- the law of cause and effect. 6. Every soul is born as a heavenly being, human, sub-human or hellish being according to its own karmas. 7. Sikhism believes in Reincarnation. 8. Every soul is the architect of its own life, here or hereafter 6. When a soul is freed from karmas, it becomes free and attains divine consciousness, experiencing infinite knowledge, perception, power, and bliss 9. Sikhism believes in Multiple paths to salvation. 10. Sikhism opposes Pilgrimage,rituals practices 11. Sikhism believes in Karma- the law of cause and effect. Respond to the following questions in 150 to 200 words: 1. What do you think is the most important similarity and which is the most important difference? Use specifics to support your answer. Although Sikhism and Jainism are both South Asian religions with high philosophical values, they differ significantly in their age, diet, ways of salvation, and most importantly, their concept of God. Jainism is the oldest known religion in India being most recently traced back to its latest tirthankara or prophet, Mahavira (599 – 527 BCE), whereas Sikhism is the youngest tradition and began in the 15th century in the state, Punjab. Eventhough both religions believe in karma and reincarnation of the soul, Sikhs are not required to be strict vegetarians, highly contrasting to the vegan diet ofthe Janis. A significant difference between these two eastern religions is their belief in how to attain salvation in their lives. Since Janis do not believe in a single God or multiples gods for that matter, they believe their salvation is gained solely through their own personal struggle and victory. Jains do not believe there is heavenly figure guiding them through life, but rather that the universe is a never-ending cycle. This drastically differs fromthe monotheistic beliefs of Sikhism of how there is only one creator and God,mostly referred to as Allah in the Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhs believe they may gain salvation through serving Allah, and eventually becomes one with God.Both religions practice and revere Ahisma (non-violence), however Jains heavily emphasize this lifestyle more than Sikhs do. This can be seen historically when the Sikhs wanted to rise politically, formed a military and beared arms. 2. Consider the following statement: Sallekhana (â€Å"holy death†) violates the Jain principle of ahimsa because it is an act of violence against oneself. Using examples from Ch. 5 of your text, what points might a follower of Jainism make to argue against this statement? non injury extends to thought, word and action. Mahavira taught that all beings desire life. Therefore no one has the right to take away the life of another being. According to Jainism, the killing of animals is a great sin. Jainism goes further and says that there is life in trees, and plants and there is life in air, water, mud, etc., and that all things have the right to exist.(live) References: http://www.sikhismguide.org/ http://www.religioustolerance.org/sikhism2.htm http://sohum-jainism.blogspot.com/2010/10/jainism-core-beliefs.html http://religion.answers.wikia.com/wiki/What_are_the_5_main_beliefs_of_Jainism http://toseventhheaven.blogspot.com/2010/04/17-significant-differences-between.html http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_core_belief_for_Sikhism

Demand, Supply and Market Equilibrium

Demand, Supply and Market Equilibrium Every market has a demand side and a supply side and where these two forces are in balance it is said that the markets are at equilibrium. The Demand Schedule: The Demand side can be represented by law of downward sloping demand curve. When the price of commodity is raised (ad other things held constant), buyers tend to buy less of the commodity. Similarly when the price is lowered, other things being constant, quantity demanded increases. The above figure shows quantity demanded at different prices.Here we can observe that the quantity demanded increases as the price decreases and vice versa keeping other things constant. This happens basically due to factors namely Income effect and substitution effect. Demands for any quantity is determined by three factors namely want for the commodity, will to buy the same and ability to buy the same. A whole array of factors determines how much would be the quantity would be demanded at a given price i. e. the other factors that are mentioned above: 1. Average income of the consumer 2. Size of the market . Prices and availability of related goods 4. Tastes and preferences of the consumer 5. Special influences Shift in demand curve Vs Movement along Demand Curve or Change in Demand Vs Change in Quantity Demanded A change in demand occurs when one of the elements underlying the demand curve shifts. For example if a person likes Pizzas and his income increases. So as his income increases he will demand more of pizzas even if the prices of pizzas do not change. In other words, higher income level has resulted in higher demand for pizzas i. e. here are a shift n the demand curve or change in demand. Again if the price of pizzas fall and other things viz. income of the consumer remains same. Again there would rise in quantity demanded. This increase in quantity demanded is due to decrease in price. This change represents movement along demand curve or change in quantity demanded. Further th is can be explained by the following graph. Here we can observe that with increase in income level the consumer shifted to series 2 and with decrease in price of the commodity he would move along the same demand curve in series one.The Supply Schedule: Supply schedule shows the amount of a commodity that the seller would like to offer for sell at various prices. Supply curves are drawn on assumption of constant technology, and input or resources (labour, land and capital) prices. The above curves shows amount of commodity that a supplier would like to sell at various prices. For example at a price of Re. 1 he does not wish to sell any quantity and at a price of Rs. 5 he would like to sell 18 units of the commodity. There are various factors effecting supply curve they are stated as follows: 1. Technology . Input Prices 3. Prices of related goods 4. Government Policy 5. Special influences Shifts of Curves Vs Movement along the curves As is the case with the demand curve, supply curve s also follow the same principal. Change in any of the above mentioned factors would cause a shift in curves and any change occurs due to change in price it is called movement along the curve. The same is shown below: Equilibrium of Supply and Demand The market equilibrium comes at that price and quantity where the forces of supply and demand are in balance. At the equilibrium price amount that the uyer wants to buy is just equal to the amount that seller wants to sell. The reason we call this equilibrium is that when the forces of supply and demand are in balance, there is no reason for price to rise or fall, as long as other things remain unchanged. In economics equilibrium means that the different forces operating on a market are in balance, so the resulting price and quantity reconcile the desires of purchases and suppliers. Equilibrium can be shown and explained by the below mentioned graphical representation. The above graph shows at a price of Rs. 0, quantity demanded and sup plied is 19 units. Any increase (or decrease) in price would result in fall (or rise) in demand, keeping the other things constant. Further the relationship between demand curve and supply curve are discussed as below: | Demand and Supply Shifts| Effect on Price & Quantity| If Demand rises| Demand curve shifts to the right| Price , Quantity | If Demand falls| Demand curve shifts to the left| Price , Quantity| If Supply rises| Supply curve shifts to the right| Price , Quantity| If Supply falls| Supply curve shifts to the left| Price , Quantity |When there is excess demand or excess supply, the market by determining the equilibrium price and quantities, allocates or rations out the scares goods among the possible uses. The market place through its interaction of supply and demand does the rationing. This is rationing by the purse. When cell phones was launched in India cost of both handsets and call rates were high, infact even incoming calls were charged exuberantly. Then came Relian ce with its dream of handing cell phones to each Indians.They came out with the concept of no charges for incoming calls and also came out with lower call rates as compared to the existing players it created an instant demand for its connections and hence captured major products and as a result all the existing players had to lower their tariffs matching to that of Reliance. Again the handsets were costly but Nokia came into the market with wide range of handsets and was instant hit. It captured the market initially. Recently we see Samsung coming out with lower ranged handsets with all the applications and features combined in its handsets at a lower price and creating a demand for its products.There are some exception to the theory of price and demand. There are few players in this industry which are exceptions viz. Blackberry and Apple’s i-phones. I-phones acts as an exception because of its features and the status and brand value it commands in the market. While Blackberr y has a feature called BBM and its image as business phones due to which it acts an exception to the law of demand as irrespective of its price business class still demands it. We can say that the market works on the demand and supply structure but still there are some exceptions to these rules also as discussed above.

Information On Positive Parenting Strategies Education Essay

Childrens Services Central [ hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cscentral.org.au ] is an administration supplying professional development preparation and inclusion support for early childhood pedagogues in New South Wales. It is an enterprise funded by the Australian Government under the Inclusion and Professional Support Program. The end of this administration is to increase the accomplishments and knowledge base of the early childhood pedagogues in order promote, and to keep high quality early childhood services for the kids. They work in partnership with other taking administrations to supply quality preparation, resources and support for those who require. This site besides provides valuable information on National Quality Framework, Early old ages larning Frame work, Changes in Early Childhood Education and Care, and links to forums where early childhood professionals are able to take part and lend. Both sites demonstrate trustiness, authorization, truth, objectiveness, currency and coverage. The information on both sites managed by Government bureaus and early childhood professionals. The information online could be authored by and viewed by any single. Assorted sites are created holding different intent in head. The web sites are non subjected to any regulative boundaries and hence there is no monitoring of the contents or does non necessitate blessing to be published. Therefore, contents from any sites need to be treated with cautiousness and evaluated against its truth and credibleness. When working with Information and Communication Technologies, pedagogues need to be cognizant that there are multiple ways of presenting and pass oning information, and different accomplishments are needed for reading and construing informations online.A One needs to oppugn whether the contents credible? Whose sentiment is presented? A Can the information be trusted? A â€Å" resource that is believable is one which shows grounds of genuineness, dependability and credibility † [ URL ] ( An Educators ‘ Guide to Credibility and Web Evaluation, 1999 ) . A possible country for betterment on both sites would be to propose a site rating subdivision where readers can notice, propose or rate the information on the site. Such inputs would help in placing user outlooks, and to provide efficaciously for the intended audience. Both sites provide entree to of import and valuable information and links to a scope of sites at their finger tips. Using on-line resources to heighten leading: An organisaion ‘s workability finally depends on it reactivity to engineering and the environment within which it operates. Majority of the early childhood services are runing within a community of technologically advanced environment, and which requires the service suppliers to incorporate information and communicating engineering for effectual and dynamic instruction and disposal. It is suggested that the â€Å" usage of engineering, used suitably, is able to â€Å" heighten the quality of the service proviso † ( Ebbeck & A ; Wanniganayake 2003, p.51 ) . Leadership and teaching method inclusive of appropriate Integration of Information and communicating engineering, in the acquisition environments, are able to affect and prosecute the kids and the parents in a mode which was non possible in the past. Technology connects people, enhance and expedite procedures, create new possibilities, â€Å" widen interaction with local and planetary communities † ( MCEETYA. 2005 ) Children of today ‘s coevals are born into a universe full of technological environment. They are able to voyage technological tools with easiness and confident compared old coevalss. Social webs such as, face book, YouTube allows them to link and pass on with the universe around them. Xbox and drama Stationss are the drama tools of many preschool age kids. Families excessively are utilizing engineering for â€Å" acquisition, diversion, direction and communicating. Technologies are cheaper, more nomadic and able to be used by scholars of all ages † ( MCEETYA. 2005 ) . Within the early childhood services, â€Å" Early Old ages Learning Framework † , â€Å" The National Quality Framework † , â€Å" constructivism † stresses the importance of the relationships between the household, the context and the community. Communication enabled by the usage of ICT facilitates and heighten this relationship. It provides new chances for parents and households to prosecute with the pedagogues, larning plans and their kids ‘s advancement [ Uniform resource locator: Learning as a personal event ] . Pedagogical leading in an early childhood puting requires attending to ticket inside informations from assorted impact statements steering early childhood instruction and attention. Outcome four in the National Early Years Framework ( 2009 ) indicates that Children resource their ain acquisition through linking with people, topographic point, engineerings and natural and processed stuffs and this is apparent when the services allows kids to prosecute in larning experiences to ‘experiment with different engineerings ‘ and ‘use information and communicating engineerings ( ICT ) to look into and job solve ‘ . Educational environments inclusive of appropriate information and communicating engineerings non merely do direction procedures easier and faster, it besides fosters, encourages and influences interactions, cognition and linguistic communication development in kids ( Presnky 2008, instruction Hot topICT 2009 ) . Siemens ( 2004 ) proposes a â€Å" learning theory for the digital age † which clearly identifies the demand for the scholars to be able to prosecute with, place, and locate information through the usage of Information and Communication Technology. Early on childhood leaders need to be critical of their patterns and maintain up to day of the month with the germinating arguments on the pros and cons of incorporating ICT in educational scenes. Siemens ( 2004 ) provinces: â€Å" Our ability to larn what we need for tomorrow is more of import than what we know todayaˆÂ ¦ When cognition, nevertheless, is needed, but non known, the ability to stop up into beginnings to run into the demands becomes a critical accomplishment. ..As cognition continues to turn and germinate, entree to what is needed is more of import than what the scholar presently possesses. The field of instruction has been slow to acknowledge both the impact of new acquisition tools and the environmental alterations in what it means to larn † . Rodd suggest that the cyberspace within and beyond the administrations is a utile tool for larning and professional development, and accessing and sharing information. Early childhood services needs to link the people, the procedures and the technological tools every bit closely as possible in order to be effectual in a invariably altering environment. As pedagogues, it is expected that the kids are exposed to valuable acquisition environment where they are cherished, nourished and protected in so that they can boom in their development and growing.

A monograph about artichoke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

A monograph about artichoke - Essay Example ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE 15 A. Cynara 15 B. Helianthus tuberosus 17 C. Stachys affinis 18 VII. PHARMACOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE 18 A. Cynara 18 a. Antimicrobial Activities 21 b. Antioxidant Activities 22 c. Cholesterol Biosynthesis Inhibition 22 d. Cardioprotection 23 e. Hepatoprotective and Choleretic 23 f. Dyspepsia 24 g. Anti HIV 24 h. Anticancer 25 B. Helianthus tuberosus 25 A. Stachys affinis 25 Conclusion: 25 REFERENCES 28 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1: Globe Artichoke Flower 8 Figure 2: Globe Artichoke Thistle 8 Figure 3: Jerusalem Artichoke Plant 9 Figure 4: Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers 9 Figure 5: Chinese Artichoke Plant 10 Figure 6: Chinese Artichoke Tubers 10 Figure 7: Lineage of Cynara 14 Figure 8: Lineage of Helianthus tuberosus 15 Figure 9: Lineage of Stachys affinis 16 Figure 10: Immature Floral Head of Globe Artichoke 18 Figure 11: The three routes in phenylpropanoid metabolism (1, 2 and 3) proposed for Chlorogenic acid (CGA) synthesis (Camino, 2007) 21 ARTICHOKES I. INTRODUCTION Co mmon names, in contrast to scientific names approved by the binomial nomenclature lead to grave confusion in the identification and study of living organisms. A common name indiscreetly applied to varied plants is artichoke. The name artichoke refers to three groups of taxonomically distinct plants; the globe artichoke (Cynara), Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and the Chinese artichoke (Stachys affinis). While in the latter two the edible part is the tuber, in the former the floral bud is edible. Accordingly the word artichoke also refers to the edible bud of the globe artichoke as well as the edible tubers of the Jerusalem artichoke and the Chinese artichoke. A comparative account of the three plants is presented in table 1. When unspecified the term artichoke refers to globe artichoke or Cynara, a genera of the family Asteraceae that is characterized by the presence of an inflorescence or floral head. Cynara, also known as ‘thistles’ due to the presence of leaves with sharp prickly margins comprises of ten species, all thistle like perennial plants. Table 1: Chief Characteristics of the Three Artichokes Globe artichoke Jerusalem artichoke Chinese artichoke Scientific nomenclature Cynara Helianthus tuberosus L. Stachys affinis Bunge Family Asteraceae Asteraceae Labiatae (Lamiaceae) Edible part Floral bud Tuber Tuber Habitat Light, warm soil with sunny edges Rich and damp areas Wet and submersed areas Distribution Mediterranean basin Eastern North America E. Asia- China, Japan Medicinal use Anticholesterolemic, antirheumatic, cholagogue, digestive, diuretic, hypoglycaemic, lithonotripic Aperient. Aphrodisiac, diuretic, stimachic, tonic Anodyne II. HISTORICAL SURVEY A. Cynara Whether Cynara was known to ancient civilization cannot be ascertained. Though artichoke finds mention in ancient literatures, but the varied names used and the equally diverse descriptions have lead different researchers to interpret the ancient authors in differen t ways. While DeCandolle suggests that cultivated globe artichoke was unknown to ancient world, Foury on the basis of writings of Pliny and Columella,

Montaigne in his Apology for Raymond Sebond Essay - 1

Montaigne in his Apology for Raymond Sebond - Essay Example He continued to indicate that philosophers were teaching various ludicrous doctrines about the human soul and the gods, which they did not clearly understand. He posited that the philosophers spoke in earnest on such matters, and in the process, they concealed their ignorance so as to accommodate public image. His essay was created with an aim of supporting and defending Christianity. He quoted Plato’s statements on immorality of the soul. In his arguments, Plato stated that, â€Å"I desire to be dissolved†, and Montaigne added, â€Å"and to be with Jesus†. Montaigne sought to indicate how philosophers can be pervasive in their teachings. He demonstrated that some of Plato’s arguments made some of his disciples to desire premature grave, because they hoped to enjoy the things that he had promised them soon enough. He compared the work of ancient philosophers and Christianity with the aim of teaching that human beings cannot attain certainty. In the introduction of skeptic arguments, Montaigne quoted the work of Plato. In the ancient world, the skeptics, just like Plato, aimed at striking a difference between appearance and reality. Additionally, both Plato and skeptics held that through appearance, people could develop opinions, and if they had a chance to encounter reality, the result would be knowledge. Plato and the skeptics had developed assumptions that could be used to differentiate between grasping reality and appearance. A good example that was used by Montaigne was Plato’s depiction character of reality in his idea of beauty. The main difference between Plato and the skeptics was that Plato believed that it was possible to rasp reality via exercise of reason and philosophy; while on the other hand, the skeptics denied the possibility. Concerning the concept of reality and appearance, Montaigne concentrated on implications. He carefully analyzed both sides of the

The Spring Gala Concert, Featuring the USA Percussion Ensemble, USA Essay

The Spring Gala Concert, Featuring the USA Percussion Ensemble, USA Steel, and the World Music Group - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the opening piece in the Spring Gala Concert was David Skidmore’s ‘Unknown Kind’. Skidmore is a relatively young composer having been born in 1982. Still, his compositions have been regularly performed around the country and at universities. His composition ‘Unknown Kind’ was originally performed at Carnegie Hall in 2007. While the author enjoyed the composition itself it ran counter to many of my expectations. The researcher had been expecting something more along the lines of traditional classical music, but the composition was slightly minimal and experimental. Still, it set a unique tone for the rest of the concert, as the rest of the compositions continued a slightly experimental theme. The ‘Unknown Kind’ composition was followed by a performance of Shostakovich’s ‘intermezzo’. This work fell along more traditional classical lines. This was perhaps the piece the author enjoyed the most as it balanced these classical elements with a sort of offbeat tone. David Maslanka’s ‘Crown of Thorns’ followed this piece. This was a highly minimal piece and during the performance, the author witnessed a young child dozing to sleep. The researcher didn’t share the child’s boredom, however, and after a period he came to appreciate the eccentricities in the work, as they offered an escape from run-of-the-mill type tonality. The intermission followed the conclusion of this piece.

Review of literature in a nursing research proposal Paper

Review of literature in a nursing proposal - Research Paper Example The most important type of information for a review of a research proposal are usually findings from an empirical investigation. Generally, research findings usually sum up what is known about a particular topic, but the information from such reports is only of great value when these findings are integrated in a critical synthesis. When doing a literature review for your research proposal, one should rely mostly on the primary source of the research findings. This is usually descriptions of studies written by researchers who did the actual research. Secondary sources can also be used where primary sources are not available. They are usually not that credible as they are descriptions of studies done by someone else and not the original researcher. Secondary sources at times fail to provide the much needed details about the studies and they are seldom complete objective (Booth et al, 2003). When choosing a topic for a nursing research proposal, one should consider a topic of interest and also should be related to the field that one is working on. There exist numerous topics in the field of medicine and nursing that might be of interest to someone. For instance, some of the research topics that one may consider for a research may be teaching in the field of medical ethics or Nephrology. As such, one will be required to construct a research topic from these broad areas of study in the nursing field. For instance, you may convert these broad topics into research questions that will also enable you to conduct a research. In the field of Nephrology, you may come up with a research topic such as; Examining the role of a Nephrology nurse in homes and dialysis hospitals while in the field of medical ethics you may come up with such a topic; Relevance of medical ethics in today’s online world among others. Once you have the

CHARACTER TRANSFORMATIONS IN FILM STORIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CHARACTER TRANSFORMATIONS IN FILM STORIES - Essay Example The Long Kiss Goodnight does not really involve an occasion or event; rather it is just a positive change in this character’s life. "Back when we first met you were all like oh phooey I burned the darn muffins. Now, you go into a bar and ten minutes later sailors come running out" (The long kiss goodnight). This line from the film, The Long Kiss Goodnight, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Mitch Henessey, perfectly summarizes the character transformation made by Geena Davis’ character from Samantha Caine back to Charly Baltimore. As Charly Baltimore, Davis’ character was originally a top-secret agent working for the United States’ Government. After suffering from Amnesia, she transforms into Samantha Caine, a suburban housewife, and beloved member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at her eight-year-old daughter, Caitlin’s school. However, her memories slowly begin to return to her while chopping vegetables during preparation of her family’s dinner one night. At first she thinks she may have been a chef, due to her above average knife skills. She is forced to learn that she was not a chef, but a lethal assassin, when characters from her past begin to seek her out to kill her. Character transformation films are an interesting genre. While generally somewhat predictable, the viewer has seen the â€Å"Ugly Duckling† story repeated in various forms throughout cinematic history, this film’s transformation did not wholly fit the typical mold. ‘Transformation movies’ 2005, Characteristics of transformation movies, viewed 10 December 2011,

Democracy and Citizinship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Democracy and Citizinship - Essay Example They employed varied methodologies, analytical and theoretical approaches in order to provide a clear understanding of political culture across the state. They both revealed the way civic culture should be culturally recognized as a fundamental right and stepping-stone for gaining political, social and economic objectives. In order to make democracy work, engaging citizens in policy making process and recognizing their fundamental rights is requisite. Therefore, this essay compares and contrasts on the issue of civic culture and making democracy work from a theoretical, analytical and methodological perspective from assorted texts. Differences between Civic Culture and Making Democracy Work from a Theoretical, Analytical and Methodological Perspective Almond and Verba carried out comparative cross-national survey in five democratic nations including the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Mexico in order to determine the quantified ideas and attitudes that compose civic culture. They employed a comparative fashion for testing individual attitudes as a complex way of understanding the civic culture and democratic system in the five democratic nations. ... 11). They also believe that it is through dissemination of cultural ideas that contribute a stable democracy. Therefore, they limited the research to individual attitudes and avoided the question about government. Almond and Verba employed interview research methodology and posed inquiries about the perception of the perception of individual about the democratic government in relation to citizens (Almond and Verba 1964, p.70). They alienated respondents into three political culture categories, which included the parochial culture, subject and participant culture in order to generate comparability atmosphere to understand democracy (Almond and Verba 1964, p.71). From these categories, they found out that the respondent in parochial culture did not have knowledge or interests in political activities. However, respondents were at least conscious, and they had little information about politics in the case of subject culture. They also understood that their lives were under the government policies. In the last participant aspects of political culture, the respondents in participant culture had fanatically developed political efficacy ideas and competencies as political actors (Lane 1964, p.2). The three categories of political cultural aspects can combine and create change in the political system because they are not jointly exclusive. The political cultures are different because each category differs and they can be further categorized into a number of cleavage members. This is what makes Almond and Verba believe that the combination between the political culture categories can result to a balanced political culture (Almond and Verba 1964, p. 32). Almond and Verba employ comparative methodology to explore the

Discussions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discussions - Assignment Example The Enron fraud was revealed to the public in October 2001 and this ended up in the bankruptcy of the organization. While analyzing the Enron accounting impropriety, it appears that the company executives exploited accounting limitations with intend to create a false view of the cash flows and to prepare a misleading balance sheet. This inflated the profits. Fair accounting practices and proper annual reporting might have prevented the Enron scandal. Effect of Accounting Impropriety Although improper or illegal accounting practices may assist a firm to gain short term financial benefits, such practices can have dreadful consequences on the company in the long term. Undoubtedly, accounting malpractices will reduce stakeholder confidence in management and hence investors would be reluctant to invest in the company. This situation may adversely affect the firm’s overall financial performance. Management professionals opine that active stakeholder engagement in business is inevita ble to improve financial performance. Hence, in order to minimize the resulting impact of accounting impropriety on the business, making timely changes to the top management team and to publish proper annual reports is essential. ... Hence, it can be stated that bookkeeping constitutes the basic part or starting point of the accounting process. As Banerjee (2010) states, the scope of bookkeeping is restricted to systematic and repetitive recording of business transactions in ledger accounts through journal. In contrast, the accounting process involves the preparation of Trial Balance, Profit & Loss A/c, Income Statement, and Balance Sheet using accepted accounting principles. While bookkeeping is only a clerical job, accounting is an analytical job (p.4). Accounting Equation Accounting equation also referred to as balance sheet equation, reflects the relationship between assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity of a business. This equation is linked to the concept that total debits equal total credits. The accounting equation can be expressed as Assets = Liabilities + Capital. As accounting equation is fundamental to the double entry bookkeeping system, it can greatly support the work of professional accoun tants. More precisely, this equation is the basic idea behind the preparation of balance sheet. A good understanding of this equation can assist stakeholders, particularly investors to form potential business decisions. While making business decisions, it is important to give specific focus to liabilities rather than assets. Discussion 3 SOX and Accounting Professionals The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has been recently introduced in the United States to promote fair reporting of asset valuation. The SOX framework necessitates proper financial accounting disclosure and therefore organizations are required to produce complete information of assets, depreciation, values, and status in any accounting period (Omnix Asset Management,

Why Is Criminalization Significant to Victims Research Paper

Why Is Criminalization Significant to Victims - Research Paper Example The supremacy of judges to formulate fresh law and criminalize behavior with hindsight is discouraged, as well. In a less explicit manner, where laws have not been firmly implemented, the acts barred by those laws might also endure de facto criminalization by a more efficient or committed legal implementation. There has been some doubt as to the extent and nature of the role to be played by the victims of crime. However, as critics argue, the relationship between criminology and victimology has become more challenging. The main issue is that, in the dialectic of Left Realism and Right Realism, a spotlight on the victim encourages rights selectively for specific victims, and promotes the theory that some victim rights and freedom are more significant compared to competing values or rights in society. Keeping in line with this topic, this paper will evaluate criminalisation with regards to the new criminology, Howard Becker's claim that 'there is no such thing as a deviant act, it is m erely behavior that people so label', the main arguments relating to crime and race and finally present the key arguments within critical criminology.According to critics, modern (new) criminology is under threat of being confined by its own liberation (Radical Criminology n.d, p. 1). These critics’ despairing prediction was occasioned by what they considered to be insufficient developments in the way where criminologists were choosing and approaching their job. The liberation they talked about is that which had restricted criminology to behavioral thoughts; the confinement is that which at the moment limits a new account of criminology only to political thoughts (Jewkes & Letherby 2002, p. 45). By picking out power devoid of analyzing its class basis, as well as the state nature, labeling theorists, together with the sociologists of deviance, changed the behaviors of the influential into a random flexing of ethical muscle (Jewkes & Letherby 2002, p. 45). In general, the labe ling process was to be identified as class-based, but the failure to do this granted the state free power to control people from countercultures and lower classes through labeling them as deviants. Therefore, what was needed was a study of all the processes concerned in the development of deviant action comprising of the structural and political dimensions that earlier theories had not considered. The arguments incorporated in the new criminology were derived from a Marxist study of social associations being rooted in class. Marx proposed that society was structurally split between the middle-class people who own the factories, land, and machines, as well as the wage owning classes, referred to as the proletariat. The middle class is able to use the lower classes thus securing power and material wealth for themselves. Marx's study of exploitation and power was applied by the new criminologists to reveal the truth about the institutional organizations of a capitalist society. Through applying Marxist scrutiny of class, new criminologists provide a majestic theory, a theory, which is globally used as a study of crime, law and the state. Certainly, they try to provide a fully social theory of deviance that concerns analyzing deviant actions, as well as its reaction together, putting them in a political economy of crime.

Profanity! THE PHENOMENON Essay Example for Free

Profanity! THE PHENOMENON Essay Introduction Language is the most important aspect in the life of all beings. We use language to express inner thoughts and emotions, make sense of complex and abstract thought, to learn to communicate with others, to fulfill our wants and needs, as well as to establish rules and maintain our culture. Language can be defined as verbal, physical, biologically innate, and a basic form of communication. We can define language as a system of communication using sounds or symbols that enables us to express our feelings, thoughts, ideas, and experiences. (E. Bruce Goldstein, Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience, 2nd ed. Thomson, 2008) Humans express their feelings in many different ways physically, mentally or verbally. Vulgar words, also known as swearing or cursing exists in all human languages that perform certain functions. One study found that swearing is not merely a common reaction to pain; it actually functions as a pain reliever where psychologist would advise people to swear than to hurt someone or yourself. However, the overuse of swear words tends to diminish their beneficial effect and will result in bad moral attitude. Swearing is a widespread but underappreciated anger management technique. (Mapà ºa Institute of Technology, â€Å"Vulgarized Filipino Identity: Development of Filipino Profanity†, 2011) Swear words have manyaliases: bad words, curse words, cuss words, dirty words, four-letter words, expletives, epithets, obscenities, profanity, blasphemy, bawdy language, foul language, rude language, vulgar language, or taboo language. This long but nonetheless non-exhaustive list of descriptors gives an indication both of the wide range of alternate labels that exist, and of the kind of words or language these labels denote. Most people have  at the very least a general idea of what such words or language use these descriptors refer to, if not an intimate knowledge of or even personal affinity for some particular examples. One definitive setof words encompassed by these labels is nonetheless elusive, due in part to the subjectivity of defining swearing. In very basic terms, swearing refers to the use of words which have the potential to be offensive, inappropriate, objectionable, or unacceptable in any given social context. The fact that there are so many labels for such words or language use is testimony to the variable nature of swearing. (Who’s Swearing Now? The Social Aspects of Conversational Swearing By Kristy Beers Fà ¤gersten) Swearing is prevalent in almost every culture around the world, with each having its own profanities. The practice of swearing is unique in that even though its thought of as taboo in most cultures, its still done by most people. In fact, in America, about 74 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds and about 48 percent of those over the age of 55 admit to swearing in public [source: YgoY]. And linguistics experts agree that young children learn swear words and begin to grasp their power long before theyre capable of understanding what they mean [source: Angier]. (http://curiosity.discovery.com) Children are such a large part of the society and as human at this point in time of their lives they now start to explore different things, most especially on words or languages to say. As we know, children are the most innocent beings, capable of saying such sweet and cute words or languages. We all know how they are fond of experiencing new things through exploration, learning through observing their elders. Sometimes the most unexpected things are the ones children end up copying not knowing if it is a good thing or bad thing. We’re all aware of that quality in kids. Everyone in their immediate surrounding is a role model to them and this comes with certain consequences. Our actions and choice of words have a clear effect on how a child behaves, as it’s perceived as appropriate. But what if it begins to get out of hand, considering they might not know the real meaning or  definition of profanity they learn from others? Word is the wave vibration, which has the power, as the creative and destructive. And the destructive words are profane words. Using swear words influence bad on young generation. Nowadays many adults use cursing words and it is bad for young generation, of course. Every man nowadays use taboo words, and it is difficult to re-educate them to not use them. To support my opinion further it is important to mention that children are hearing swearing in the movies and on TV, and in the music they listen to that they have become desensitized to it. (Valerie Strauss, 12.04.2005). So swearing get more popular and parents forget about that they influence bad on their children. (http://www.ih.kz/InternationalPress) Let’s take women in our society. Traditionally, women were the caregivers and homemakers. They refrain from using bad words at home. According to the article by Pamela Stewart (03.2011) statistics to 2010 year, â€Å"there has been an increase in the number of women using taboo words. In 2006, 45 percent of females were reported to swear in public.† So women cannot imagine that they learned their children use these cursing words. Fortunately, kids do not understand the meaning of these words, but happily reproduce the bad phrases shocking others. Agree, to hear such â€Å"bad words† from your child it is very awful. â€Å"Most mothers still scold their children for using taboo language or swearing† said Pamela Stewart, eHow Contributor. But how they can scold their children, if the cause of using taboo words among children it is their parents. Words, especially from those we consider leaders, can guide us or deceive us, make us knowledgeable or ignorant, violent or peaceful, sad or joyful, wise or foolish. Words or languages can be good or bad. Words can comfort when were feeling sad, inspire us to take action, acknowledge us for a job well done, humiliate us, and make us laugh, stimulate our thoughts, educate us, or incite violence. A poster on a school notice board declares: What we habitually say in our  heads, we usually end up saying with our lips, which ultimately direct our feet. Words are powerful. From others they often influence or direct our decisions and behaviour while our own words act to elicit responses from those who receive them. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/ ) According to Maureen Gill, an educator, author, blogger, and public speaker known for her insightful historical analyses, biting political commentaries and riveting fiction said that, she doubted the saying that says â€Å"the eyes are the window to soul† and didn’t doubt for a moment, however, she added that, the words we speak or write convey the inner workings of our minds and hearts. There is no better way to know a person than to listen to him/her speak, to know what they read, to understand whom they admire and if you know this, you know everything that is truly important to know about a person. Words, spoken and written, not only indicate whether a person is educated, cultured, kind or venal, they also demonstrate if thoughts are ordered and cognition is intact or impaired. The choice of words and their arrangement are used by physicians and other health experts to evaluate emotional as well as organic pathologies, Maureen Gill added. â€Å"Profane† is defined as irreverence, obloquy, or contempt (something sacred); Treat as not sacred: desecrate,, pollute; to debase by a wrong, unworthy, or vulgar use: abuse, defile, vulgarize (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, ). Thats just language learning. These words have no special status as taboo words, says Paul Bloom, Ph.D. Learning theyre taboo words is a later step. Bloom explains that children are using words to communicate instinctively. They dont yet have the judgment to take a step back and think about whether a word is appropriate in a given situation. Paul Bloom is a Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University. His research explores how children and adults understand the physical and social world, with special focus on language, morality, religion, fiction, and art. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.) In an article by Valerie Strauss, Washington Post Staff Writer, entitled â€Å"More and More, Kids Say the Foulest Things† said that, Profanity, in the large sense, is defined as words that others consider offensive, although it originally was restricted to words that were blasphemous. Once heard mostly in whispers, today it is inescapable. I never thought I would say this once being a hard-core anti-music censor but I understand why [young people] are doing this: You almost cant find a song, video game, television show, anything, without a curse word, said Laura Lee Cox, a seventh-grade teacher at Cedartown (Ga.) Middle School. Author David Riesman said, Words not only affect us temporarilythey change us. In the current generation, it is becoming more common for young children to use profane languages or â€Å"bad words† in a daily basis. It could be because of their parents, peers, or an incident that made them start using these profane languages we all know well. Sometimes children hear these words from other children, brothers or sisters, parents, or on TV. The child may repeat what she heard without knowing what the words mean. When an adult hears a young child talk like this, they usually either laugh or are shocked. Some children really enjoy the reaction they get from others, so they will continue using these words. (http://www.betterkidcare.psu.edu/TIPS/TIPS48.pdf) But according to Harvard Psychologist, Steven Pinker, Children are far more influenced by peers, says Pinker. Thats why kids of immigrants end up with the accent of their peer group rather than their parents. Particularly once theyve entered elementary school. Steven Pinker is a Canadian-born experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, linguist and popular science author. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89127830) â€Å"Their peers are the ones who affect and influence a child the most due to the amount of time they spend with them as classmates and/or friends.  Parents can influence their child too, for they may be unaware of their children listening to them when they happen to use profanity in a conversation with another person†, added by Steven Pinker Communication relationship defined as the verbal or non-verbal interaction. Communication involves almost every aspect of our interactions with others; for this reason, communication and relationships are inseparably connected. You can’t have a relationship with someone without communicating with them. Communication involves how we express our thoughts, ideas, and feelings to others, including what we say and how we say it. But when we communicate with others, we also communicate attitudes, values, priorities, and beliefs. No matter what we actually say to other people in words, we also send messages about what we think of them, what we think of ourselves, and whether or not we’re sincere and genuine in what we say. Verbal communication is those vocal or spoken languages while our non-verbal communication those things we don’t say with words, but with gestures, our facial expressions, and our attitude – speak volumes. (Rich, 1999) An interview with Ms.Dalisay O. Balagbagan, a guidance counselor from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, said that the status living of the family really affects language/words the child uses and also those children living in slum areas are more prone to be influenced by the people around them and used profane language/words habitually. â€Å"Yung mgabata ,yungunanilangnatututunan ay kung anoyungunanilangnakikita, nai-imitate kasinila. Kung anoyungnakikitanila – facial expressions, gestures, yunyungina-adopt nila.† Ms. Dalisay added. The reasons why children use swear words this often is because they’re exploring language. They might be testing a new word, perhaps to understand its meaning. They might also be trying to express a feeling such as frustration. Or they might simply be saying the word because it sounds funny or gets a reaction. Children might also be imitating others when they swear. (http://raisingchildren.net.au) The situation of children using profane language can be considered as an important issue in our country in terms of respecting and communicating properly. So, as the researchersgo on with this study, this will be a way or an instrument to understand and approach children regarding their use of profane language. This research is specifically important to the following: To the Academe This study will help them to conduct studies and researches regarding the appropriate way to communicate and to understand those children who use profane language. This study could also catch the eye of communication specialists and psychologists. To the Students This study would give them a larger view of understanding on how to deal with children engaged to profane language and could be also a guide for them to help themselves regarding the matter of using profane language. This could also help them with their family and other relatives to communicate and approach with them the right way. To the Parents The study could give them knowledge about their children who are possibly using or will be using profane language without them knowing. This could help them open up a conversation with their children regarding the matter, and could possibly help them stop or prevent their children who use profane language. The purpose of this study is to understand the children and how other people respond or communicate with those people who use profane language,and to instill awareness to the people about the usage of profanity among children in our society today. PROBLEM STATEMENT Children can easily adapt on every action and most especially about words/languages they hear from older people at this time. They did it on  their own way and they did not mind to know the real meaning of what they were trying to copy or have copied from someone ï€ ­ even if it’s good or bad. Children of today’s generation are engaged in profane languages since they were exposed early on streets and with their friends. This leads the researchers to conduct a study regarding children that engaged in profane language. This study aims to answer the question, â€Å"How does the use of profane language among children affect their communication relationship with others?† OBJECTIVES The objective of the study is to know how the use of the profane language among children affects their communication relationship. 1)To present the profile of the participants in terms of age/gender/educational attainment (age range: 10-17years old). 2)To identify the different profane language /terms the participants use and discern its meaning according to the participants understanding. 3)To know the reason why the participants use such language. 4)To know what/who influenced the participants in using profane languages. 5)To describe situations where the participants usually use profane language. 6)To know the perspective of participants on the image they project due to their use of profane language. 7)To know how profane language affects the participants communication relationship with the following: a)Family b)Peers c)Other people in the society THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Children learn how to communicate through what they hear and see from others. They learn to interact with the different people in their society and begin to pick up what they have learned since society has taught them that it is something acceptable. The way a child sees himself when he learns to use profane language changes over time, and this also affects his communication relationship with his family and peers for they may have a different point of view from them. Thus, the researchers used the Symbolic Interactionism Theory by George Herbert Mead to know the interpretation and understanding of the child about the usage of profane language and how it affects the child’s communication relationship with his family, peers, and other people in the society. It is the way we learn to interpret and give meaning to the world through our interactions with others. The Symbolic Interactionism Theory by George Herbert Mead (which was continued by Herbert Blumer) is based on the idea that social structures and meanings are created and maintained in social interaction. The Symbolic Interaction perspective is based on how humans develop a complex set of symbols to give meaning to the world (LaRossa and Reitzes, 1993). The theory focuses attention on the way people interact through symbols, and these are words, gestures, rules, and roles. Barbara BallisLal summarizes the premises of this movement. †¢People make decisions and act in accordance with their subjective understandings of the situations in which they find themselves. †¢Social life consists of interaction processes rather than structures and is therefore constantly changing. †¢People understand their experience through the meanings found in symbols of their primary groups, and language is an essential part of social life. †¢The world is made up of social objects that are named and have socially determined meanings. †¢Peoples actions are based on their interpretations, in which the relevant objects and actions in  the situation are taken into account and defined. †¢Ones self is a significant object and like all social objects is defined through social interaction with others. Symbolic Interactionism has changed significantly since its early years, as Gary Fine suggests. It has expanded by adopting insights from other theoretical areas and has increasingly contributed to the work of other areas of social science. Today, according to Fine, symbolic interactionism has incorporated the study of how groups coordinate their actions, how emotions are understood and controlled, how reality is constructed, how self is created, how large social structures get established, and how public policy can be influenced. (Theories of Human Communication, Stephen W. Littlejohn, 2002, Seventh Edition) The three cardinal concepts in Meads theory are the society, self, and mind. These categories are different aspects of the same general process, the social act. The social act is an umbrella concept under which nearly all other psychological and social processes fall. Society consists of the cooperative behaviors of societys members. Human cooperation requires that we understand others intentions. Cooperation consists of reading other peoples actions and intentions and responding in an appropriate way. We use meanings to interpret the happenings around us. Society is made possible by significant symbols. The interplay between responding to others and responding to self is an important concept in Meads theory, and provides a good transition to his second concept the self. You have a self because you can respond to yourself as an object. You sometimes react favorably to yourself and feel pride, happiness, and encouragement. The primary way you come to see yourself as others see you is through rule taking or assuming the perspective of others, and this is what leads to have a self-concept. Another term is generalized other, which is the way others see you. The self has two facets, each serving an essential function. The Iis the impulsive, unorganized, unpredictable part of you. The me is the generalized other, made up of the organized and consistent patterns shared with others. The last process is the mind, which is a process. It is nothing more than interacting with one self. There are three core principles: meaning, language, and thought or minding. The Meaning itself is not inherent in objects for human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings that they have assigned to them. The meaning arises in the process of interaction between people. It takes place in the context of relationships whether with the family or community. The Language is what human beings use to interact and it is the unique ability to name things. As children interact with family, peers and others, they learn the language and they also learn the social meanings attached to certain words (Language being the source of meaning). In Mead’s view, social life and communication between people are possible only when we understand and can use a common language, (Wood, 1997) The Thought is an inner conversation with oneself. It is a reflective pause through which we modify our interpretation of symbols. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The study aims to know how the use of profane language among children affects their communication relationship. Children work their relationships with everyone through interaction in their everyday lives. Unknowingly, they learn to adapt the language or behaviour these people use. The study is premised on the theory that the child’s relationship is built through the way he communicates with his family, peers and other people in the society, and vice versa. Basically, a child hears a certain profane language, whether it is towards him or to another person, and the child will immediately process in his mind that repeating the same word is okay because an adult said it. It is either he will feel closer to his peers who taught or whom he imitated the words from, or he will be more distant to his family, or he will be more intact with others in his surroundings. There are  many instances that cause children to use profanity. The child may also have a change in self-image whenever he uses the language, seeing how it makes others treat him. The Symbolic Interactionism Theory explains the way a child’s actions in the society, learning, and mind moves and changes. He has his own self-concept and how others see him, and the way he has adapted the profane language. The symbols they developed gave meaning to what we now know as profane language, for the society knows it but they do not fully understand the meaning behind these words. The children then use these words with a different meaningand understanding in mind, and since the older people know its meaning, they seem to either encourage the child to further use it or prevent themselves from doing so. The framework shown below explains how the usage of profane language among children affects their communication relationshipwith others. Figure 1.0 RESEARCH POSTULATES 1.The participants are children from a low type of environment and are exposed early to profane languages. 2.Some profane languages/terms that a child uses are: â€Å"Gago†, which is used to tell or show a person hatred and â€Å"Walanghiya†, which used to tell a person that he/she is shameless. The child does not fully know or understand the real meaning behind these words. 3.Children use profane language as part of their communication to express people how they feel, whether they’re happy or angry. They also use profane language to â€Å"fit in† in the society. 4.Children are influenced by their parents, friends, and even the society that they live in. 5.Examples of a situation when a child uses profane language is when they are playing around with their friends, when having a debate with someone, or having a conversation with a friend. They either use it unconsciously or to make themselves feel comfortable around others who use it as well. 6.Children think that using profane language is just a way of expressing their feelings. They don’t mind what other people would think of them. 7.Family becomes more aware and more cautious when they hear their child use profane language. Some friends will have a stronger communication relationship because they too use profane language. As for other people in the society, they distance themselves when encountering children using profane language. DEFINITION OF TERMS To be able to understand more this study the researcher had some up selected words to help and provide appropriate knowledge for the readers. These words are defined based on this study: Profane – it is characterized as curse, abusive, vulgar, or irreverent language often used with other verbs to indicate forcefulness, intensity, and enthusiasm to express oneself. Innocent- free from moral wrong; without sin; pure: innocent children. Language- a body of words and a system for their use of common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition. Imitate- To copy the actions, appearance, mannerisms, or speech, act like or follow a pattern or style set by another. Instinctively rising from impulse; spontaneous and unthinking; instinctual behaviour. Behavior is the range of actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with their environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment. Communication Relationship the process that we use to communicate our ideas, thoughts, and feelings to another person. Rhetoric The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively. aims to improve the capability of writers or speakers that attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. Symbolic interactionism the way we learn to interpret and give meaning to the world though our interactions with others. Identities the self-meaning in a role. Roles refer to â€Å"collections of expectations that define regularized patterns of behaviour within family life† Influence the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others. Taboo – forbidden to profane use or contact because of what are held to be dangerous supernatural powers; banned on grounds of morality or taste; banned as constituting, a risk. Cuss – alteration of curse. Blasphemy – the act of insulting or showing contempt, or lack of reverence for God.

The effectiveness of dispute resolution techniques as used in hong kong

The effectiveness of dispute resolution techniques as used in hong kong Construction in the past Years ago a construction project was a relatively simple arrangement. The owner retained an architect or engineer to develop the design and prepare the specifications for the desired project. The owner and architect or engineer then engaged the general contractor to perform the physical construction of the work leaving the methods of performance to him or her. Contractors and subcontractors were relatively straight forward, simple agreements without extensive exculpatory clauses. At that time, contracts were completed with appropriate time extensions with liquidated damages or pay for delay are depending of who was responsible for delay. Usually the work was of excellent quality because all parties of the team were working together. Nowadays, everything among the construction industry become complex and likewise resulted in a complex dispute resolution whether for a settlement of minor issue. Construction Claims In many construction projects, the argument always arisen among the parties, i.e., in between the contractor, consultant, material supplier and employer and in relation to the conditions of contracts, construction design, buildability, construction methodology and construction standard and etc. Likewise the argument will gradually step into a claim as the parties are intents to preserve their rights, interest and responsibilities as the argument of the works will always result delay and disruption to the construction progress and consequently incurred in an additional time and cost to the project under several particular circumstances. Nowadays, the construction projects are becoming more and more complex due to the innovation, evolution and technology development in the industry, the understanding and interpretation of the project requirement may differs among the parties (Malak and Saadi and Zeid 2002). In the meantime, the increased complexity of construction project, the construction processes, specification, documents and conditions of contracts has been contribution to higher possibilities of conflict that results a higher frequency of claims issue. There are many different types of construction claims are into categories relative to terms and generally defined in a contract. The parties are required to process the claim in accordance with the requirement specified in the main contract. Normally the claims are raised by the contractor as they were the first party acknowledge the construction progress is delay or disrupted by some kinds of event and responsible to identify the circumstances for reporting to the employer. The employer will then require assessing the claim issue. However, the basis of the identification of claims issue is often not exhaust enough by the contractor and therefore the employer will have a difficulty during the assessment process that results an adverse desire to the claimant, which is the contractor. Consequently, the claims cannot satisfy the claimant by extension of time or additional money during the construction period and become a higher degree of dispute that is requires further dispute resoluti on. All claims have the potential to be time consuming and expensive once the claims has different understanding among the employer and contractor (Barnard 2005). To reduce the potential time cost and expensive, usually the associated parties in the claims will proposed to a dispute resolution, i.e., Litigation, Mediation, Conciliation, Adjudication, Arbitration and etc. for minimize the unnecessary cost. Though these dispute resolutions are very common, the effectiveness is questioned by the industry due to the higher cost and time are still required for processing these resolutions. Research Aim, Objective(s), Hypotheses AIM The aim of this research paper is to investigate the effectiveness of dispute resolution techniques as used in Hong Kong. And, the investigation is concentrate on the review and quantifying the process and outcome effectiveness of one of the common use dispute resolution Mediation. OBJECTIVES * To conduct a critical review of literature relating to the definition and process of Mediation. * To conduct a critical review of literature relating to the history of dispute resolution of Mediation in Hong Kong. To review and investigate existing common use of dispute resolutions in Hong Kong. * To research and detail the actual processes, the difference in between these dispute resolutions, analyse the advantage and disadvantage of these dispute resolutions and summerise the general conclusion of these resolutions. * To collect data by face to face interview through the professional body that has experience involves in construction claims and mediation process. * To summerise and analyse the effectiveness of mediation which in the basis of time cost and reflection by the disputants. * To draw conclusion on the quantified effectiveness of mediation to testify the recognition by the construction industry and evaluate the future development of the applicable of mediation. Literature Review How claims propagate to a dispute A claim may be defines as a request, demand, application for payment of notification of presumed entitlement to which the (claimant), rightly or wrongly at this stage, considers himself entitled and in respect of which an agreement has not yet been reached (Barber and Hughes, 1992). For protect their own interest, the claimant will promptly reserves his rights to claim and presents a detailed account of the claims only a the need of the project where they can take advantage of any losses and delays and incorporate them into a claims. Therefore, the prevalence of the reservation of rights approach a construction claims. Normally, the contractor is the host and navigate the claims as the change to the project is always request by their employer, owner, consultant, employer or employers representative and the proof of contractor is breach the contract by the employer is often a difficult task (Hassanein and Nemr 2007). The change orders were the most prevalent causes of claims. The frequent appearance of a change order on a project is due to the engineer do a less thorough job in the design and planning stage and thereafter, the employer try to minimum the costs by not planning the project as real-time since initial planning. As a result the employer is put in a position where they are less likely to anticipate adverse conditions before they arise and are less capable of dealing with the variable. Accordingly, numerous cases had been reported about the contractor was received direct inductions from the employers representative or consultants due to their poor management in the pre-contract phase and outdate realization of the project. The consequence was additional incurred expenses. The increasing scope of work and poorly coordinated designs result change order and easier to propagate a construction claims. In addition, the differing site conditions, defective construction documents, suspensions of the work at the direction of the employer or consultant, wrongful delays in handling shop drawings, late deliveries of owner-furnished equipment and materials, interference by other prime contractors, lack of site access and etc. are easier to constitute a contractor claims once the poor management practice occurs in the employers team. The construction project is often delayed by the change and a claim may arise on account of a delay disruption. The nature of the construction claims leads to adversarial relationships regarding impacts and changes and often results in disputes. Background of Mediation The settlement of disputes arising from construction industry by methods other than litigation is common practice. The main reason for this is, where the substantial questions of the dispute are matters of fact rather than of law, a final and conclusive decision can be obtained in a manner which is quicker and cheaper than the formal legal. Construction disputes have used mediation since 1985 (Phillips, 1997). Compared to litigation, mediation has proved to be a faster, less expensive, more confidential, and more satisfactory way to resolve disputes. There is a national trend in favor of alternative methods of dispute resolution and away from the trench warfare style of litigation which has become so costly in recent decades. Mediation reflects a shift in the balance of power between employers and their lawyers. In scorched earth litigation the dispute is in the hands of litigators whose strength lies in motion practice and mammoth discover regimens. Mediation cuts through the posturing and tactics of litigation to get the merits of the dispute, where the employer is more of an authority, and to get to settlement negotiations, where the employer controls decision making (Fisher 1994). In fact, Mediation is a popular mode of dispute resolution in the United States (Bush and Folger 1994). As it is a non binding, consensual process of resolving conflicts through settlement conferences expedited by an impartial third party who facilitates negotiations (stories and their interpretation) between the disputants (Gillie et al. 1991;Rondeno and Rumbaugh 1999). Mediation may be considered a form of distributive justice, even though the contending parties control the discussion of the conflict and is ultimate resolution. It can be entered into voluntarily or as a result of a court order, and it does not bind the parties in any way other than by mutual agreement. Obviously, the mediation has been introduced and widely applied as a settlement method of dispute to construction industry for more than twenty years. As mediation describes a voluntary process which either side may abandon at any time without prejudice, whereby each side to a dispute is brought together before a neutral mediator, whose function is to assist the parties to arrive at common position by joint open session and private caucus (Hills 1995). During this process the mediator acts only as catalyst, not expressing his or her own opinion and not disclosing confidential information imparted by one of the parties, to the other. Through this process the parties move closer together until they reach a common position when settlement is reached. Because the mediation process itself is non binding and entirely without prejudice, it is necessary to record the agreement, in contract form, if it is to have legal effect. Although mediation is not regulated process, some rules do exist and are published by a few organizations that is applicable to Hong Kong construction industry. For example, the Construction Industry Mediation Rules published by the National Arbitration Committee in the United States, and the Hong Kong Government Mediation Rules published by the Government of Hong Kong. Mediation Process The Mediation is begins with the agreement of disputants that intents to settle certain amount of money and employ a mutually agreed mediator to commence mediated meeting to define issues and confirm each sides commitment. Agreement to mediate in the event of a dispute is either through terms of the contract (such as a mediation clause), or by mutual consent when the dispute arises. More commonly, one party approaches the mediation company to begin mediation proceeding. A representative then contracts the other side inviting them to cooperate in a mediation and consequence assists the disputants in negotiating a settlement. This is a form of collective decision making in which the mediator facilitates voluntary agreements between the parties in dispute. During this decision making process, the mediator compiles information, evaluates alternatives, and makes suggestions to the disputants aiming for a consensual agreement. The mediator will meet each party in turn to assist them to exa mine and highlight the respective strengths, and weaknesses of their case and, if he is so authorized, carry offers from one side to the other until the parties reach a common position, as a result, the mediator helps in breaking barriers and pulling communalities. In these contexts, mediation is regarded as nonthreatening, and effective in suppressing or even settling construction dispute. Thus, mediation is used because of the prospect of achieving settlements that are mutually satisfying, win-win situation, cost effective, flexible, speedy, confidential, and voluntary. At this point a settlement is usually agreed and, if the parties so wish, a contract will be drawn up to make the terms of the settlement legally binding (Hills 1995). Why Mediation This method is aimed to employ an independent third party for assist to agreed certain specified desires from the disputants in a short time and most likely they will satisfy the mediation result as the lightly litigation is applied and cost saving in comparing with other dispute resolutions. And, mediation can restart the usual course of construction claim resolution by carving out one or more of the simpler claims for early agreement. Even if the parties cannot agree that those compromises will be paid right away, at least they can stipulate that they will be paid as part of any arbitration award or court judgment. The real value of such partial settlements is that they improve the atmosphere. They demonstrate to each side that the other is acting on good faith and deserves some credibility. A good mediation advocate helps identify the clients real interests and needs, so that it is possible for the parties to reach a bargain. For example, a contractor may be less interested in mon ey than in having additional time to complete the job, or in obtaining future work, while the owner wants the project completed as quickly and as economically as possible. Because the parties craft their own settlement, they are more likely to honor their agreement voluntarily. Mediation also provides a forum wherein the aggrieved party can present its position or defense directly to the opposing party rather than through an attorney (Trantina 2001), thereby giving the aggrieved party voice or recognition of being heard. Also, mediation can preserve the partys relationship (Lederman 1997). Mediation display of commercial acumen and far from being soft, it is a continuous process of structured, condensed, guided and intense negotiation requiring quickness of mind, flexibility and imaginative thinking. And mediation can be used at the same time as litigation or arbitration procedures or can replace litigation. So it is possible to litigate or arbitrate to show serious intentions but t o negotiate with mediation to get a better result. Even the mediation fails, it has more benefits than risks. Mediation can be tried fast and at little extra cost. Parties are free to leave the process if it is unproductive (Harmon 2003). At the same time, using mediation helps clarify the issues, helps with preparation for trial or further negotiations and encourages a realistic assessment of the case more rapidly than the adversarial process. Conclusion The principle finding of this paper is aimed to have a brief review of an understanding of mediation in construction industry. An investigation is also held for realised the consequential effect is resulted by construction claims to the industry. Nevertheless, the outcome of initial finding on the literature review is not ideal as original thought. The construction claims detailed in many literature papers are mainly focusing on the claims effect how delay and disrupt the project that very limited reports are specified, i.e., the outcome effect of mediation, the problematic occurs during the mediation. For the research aim regarding dispute resolution in this report is assess the effectiveness of the mediation. As this report is only focusing the dispute resolution on Mediation, quite a lot of literature reports actually already have concluded the effectiveness of this resolution methods. Unfortunately the concluded result is limited to list out the advantage and disadvantage of this resolution and leads to have a personal (author) bias which seems not neutrally enough(Yiu Cheung Mok 2006). Furthermore, it is not difficult to have the knowledge of the process of dispute resolution but the key information or real mediated case is hard to obtain. Most likely the reason is mediation is not open to public. As a result, the critical information of real case for consolidates substantiation to this report is relatively very limited. In summary, the topic actually has a greatly development space as the gap of the above said research objective do exist in the industry. The general description on the outcome effect of mediation by limited reference to real dispute case is the key finding during this investigation of literature review. And as above mentioned the papers are only listed out the particulars of the mediation without any consolidated data, i.e., amount to settle, time consumed and cost of mediation. Accordingly, the mediation application has not been clear identified for which scale or what kind of disputes. The difficulty of data collection is recognised and foreseeable. Thus, the further development of the final report will be initially focusing on the real case data collection and the development of quantify effectiveness of mediation. Methodology Based on the concerning to the objectives of this research paper, the research methodology is considerate to choose combining a case study and face to face interview with associated professional body in the construction industry who has similar experience that involves in the construction claims and mediation process. The presentation of a case study can reflected the cause and consequence of a claims event as a full story broad and accordingly indicate how the claims falls into a dispute. From the review of the claims process by a case study method, we can easier to understand the fundamental reason why the claims event is arisen and defining the claims type or determining the validity of claims by the point of view as an external third party. Thereafter, based on the stances of the relevant parties on the claims can evaluate the necessarily of the dispute as the claims somehow is without any contractual ground backup but become as a dispute shortly. For the method of face to face interview that is an effectiveness and straight forward path to obtain the result. The professional bodies who has experience on a claims and mediation process are able to tell what the consequence and subsequence of a construction claims and how the dispute resolution process. Moreover, the method for assess the effectiveness of the dispute resolution is by quantified the time cost by these peoples contributed on each case. The case study will select the construction project that has a dispute for detail analysis and illustrate the disputes among the construction industry in Hong Kong. The case study will be considered a recent completed bridge project in Hong Kong. This project is one of the longest cable stayed bridges in the world. The bridge was just completed recently and has 2 years delay from the originally planning. Mediation has had been carried out for settle the claims dispute in early construction stage. For the face to face interviewer selection, it is very depend on the availability of those personnel. Nevertheless, the target interviewer is decide to meet minimum 4 professional body involved in this project, assuming the key data can be obtained among these professional body. Restraints/Limitations In this research paper, it can be foreseeable the difficulty to systemize and identify the dispute nature among the construction industry. Initially, to collect the claims issue event from the as-built real construction project is time consuming and require lots of contacts to meet this objective but the outcome may not be satisfied to achieve the original idea as the industry always keep the claims as a confidential issue and not open to irrelative parties. Eventhough the claims was settled completely and not necessary proceed to kinds of litigation or arbitration, the information regarding the settlement definitely involves a sum of monies that the industry still inclined not to release the details as a reference for any further similar claims. Whilst the peoples who involves in the claims process of a construction project are very limited to Claims consultancy, Q.S. or senior manager. These peoples are always difficult to reach and as the industry norms, the fact of the claims event may not present thorough. It means the realistic of claims event may be questionable due to the limitation of the sources. Nevertheless, for simplify the evaluation of the effectiveness of the dispute resolutions is quantifying the time cost and feedback from the disputants, further measure the applicable frequency of this resolution. Research Programme Please refer to Appendix A Ethics and Safety Approval Please refer to Appendix B REFERENCES: Fisher, T. (1994) Construction Mediation. Dispute Resolution Journa, March 1994, pp.8-16. Harmon, K. (2003) Resolution of Construction Disputes:A Review of Current methodologies. Leadership and management in Engineering, October 2003, pp.187-197. Flake, R. and Perin, S. (2003) Mediating Construction Disputes:What Works and What Doesnt. Construction, May/July 2003, pp.24-34 Hassanein, A. and Nemr, W. (2007) Construction Claims in Egypt:Contrasts and Similarities With Published Literature. AACE International Transactions, INT.04, pp.1-5 Mcdonald, P. (1984) Construction claims costing for owners and contractors. Construction management and Economics, 2, pp.1-12. Baki, M. (1999) Delay Claims management in Construction A Step-by-Step Approach. Cost Engineering, 41(10), pp.36-48. Chester, M. and Hendrickson, C. (2005) Cost Impacts, Scheduling Impacts, and the Claims Process during Construction. Journal of construction engineering and management, January 2005, pp.102-107. McDuff, C. And Ray, M. (2002) Total Cost Construction Claims Tactics. AACE International Transactions, CDR 11, pp.1-3. Goyal, B. (1996) Consturciton Claims and Disputes:Causes and Cost/Time overruns. Journal of construction engineering and management, June 1996, pp.197-198. Brooker, P. And Lavers, A. (1997) Perceptions of alternative dispute resolution as constraints upon its use in the UK construction industry. Construction management and Economics,15, pp.519-526. Thompson, M. and Vorster, m. and Groton, J. (2000) Innovations to Mange Disputes:DRB and NEC. Journal of construction engineering and management, October 2000, pp.51-59. Cheung, SO. and Yiu, TW. and Yeung, SF. (2006) A study of Styles and outcomes in Construction dispute Negotiation. Journal of construction engineering and management, August 2006, pp.805-813. Treacy, T. (1995) Use of alternative dispute resolution in the construction industry. Journal of construction engineering and management, January 1995, pp.58-63. Mcgreevy, S. (2005) Arbitration, mediation, ligtigation:Whats best?. Mcgreevy on Law. Joyce, W. (2008) Returning Arbitration to an effective process in construction contracts. Dispute resolution journal, July 2008, pp.15-18. Shapiro, J. (2002) using Mediation and Arbitration to Resolve Construction Disputes. Business Credit, November 2002, pp.59-61. Kuzma, S. and Hoffman, D. and Bradley, L. (2002) The Impact of Daubert on Expert Testimony in Construction Disputes. Construction Law and Business, 3(1), pp.19-23. Gransberg, D. and Joplin, A. (2000) Developing Construction Claims for Arbitration:Two Arbitrators Viewpoint. Cost Engineering, 42(7), pp.29-31. Yiu, TW. and Cheung, SO. and Mok, FM. (2006) Logistic Likelihood analysis of mediation outcomes. Journal of construction engineering and management, October 2006, pp.1026-1036. Spalj, G. (2005) Construction Disputes. Construction Bulletin, 14 October 2005, pp.3-6. Hills, M. (1995) Building Contract procedures in Hong Kong. 3rd ed., Hong Kong:Longman.

Effect Of Financial Crisis On Indian Economy

Effect Of Financial Crisis On Indian Economy Introduction Financial Crisis a very common word heard in the recent few years. Year 2008, the beginning of the credit crunch. It was like Tsunami waves which took away almost everything from the economies. Recession can be defined as significant decline in the economic activity lasting more than a few months, which is normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, imports-exports, and wholesale-retail sales. Powerful developed economies like US and the Euro area were not able to control or reduce the effect of recession. The emerging economies like China, India and Brazil even though affected by recession but kept a good control over it. Through this research dissertation, I want to discuss the effect of financial crisis on a developing country. So, I have chosen India to discuss this topic. India is one of the powerful emerging economies in the world. In the recent years, India has shown a significant growth in GDP and overall. With recession and its effect overall the world, India with its good policies was able to prevent recession from entering into the deep roots of the country. Even though we can say financial crisis didnt affect India but still there are some sectors badly affected by the crisis. So I basically I would be discussing about the effect of financial crisis on India and the transmission of crisis from developed countries to India. Literature Review The literature review for this research includes the effect of financial crisis on the GDP growth rate of the country. The GDP growth rate of India was increasing at a rapid rate but showed a down-turn due to the after effect of recession. The GDP growth rate of the country was above 8.5% in 2010 and it was reduced to 8.2% at the start of 2011. The GDP was affected because of the countrys globalisation. In the last decade the countrys integration into the world economy was really fast. Due to this rapid growth, the percentage of imports-exports, as a proportion of GDP grew from 21.2% in 1997-98 to 34.7% in 2007-08. This growth shows the immense growth of economy. During the period of 2003-08, the investments share in GDP increased by 11%. Domestic funds was available in bulk but still it was expensive than foreign funding. The growth potential of India was strong in the global market, so the foreign investors were ready to provide funds at lower cost and thereby take risk. Because of this globalisation the financial crisis on the global economy affected the Indian economy. Countrys banking sector is relatively one of the healthy sectors in the economy and when the recession effect came to India both the Government of India and RBI (Reserve Bank of India) responded to the challenge in coordination and consultation. The actions of RBI comprised of monetary accommodation and counter cyclical regulatory forbearance. RBI measures helped the financial sector of the country to increase the initial primary liquidity which amounts up to 7% of countrys GDP. This shows how the banking sector of India controlled the effect of financial crisis. On the other hand, the economic activities of the country were slowing down. As the real GDP rate was diminished, the service sector, in which India is one of the best due to the powerful human resource, was affected. The service sector includes construction, transport communication, trade, hotels and restaurants sub-sectors. Business outsourcing is another major services provided by India. Most of the business outsourcing was done for US companies but due the financial crisis, this section affected badly. This in turn has affected the employment sector of the country. India is a country with high population, so a slight increase in the unemployment means so many of them has lost jobs. This must be the first time in seven years, exports have declined terribly. The industrial production index has also showed a negative growth. The uncertainty around the recession has decreased the business confidence. And the country has a decelerated investment demand. Before recession, Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) was the bulk buyers in the Indian stock market. They bought huge number of shares by investing millions of dollars, as Indian economy was a developing at a rapid rate. But the subprime crisis affected them very badly. Some of the companies were short of cash, whereas others were trapped with bad debts. Even there are companies which had to declare bankruptcy. These after effects had a great impact on the Indian stock markets. The adverse effect of financial crisis on the economic growth of the country can affect the poor and the food security of the country. The increase in food price in India was comparatively lower than that of global food prices. When the price of food globally increased by 150%, in India it was just 23%. This happened between 2005 and second quarter of 2008. After that, there was a decline in the food prices but it is still much higher than that at the beginning of the decade. If compared, the inflation of food articles was 10% and that of general inflation was 6%. India is one of the top receivers of foreign remittance. India secure the first position with 17.4 billion US $ in 2003. Middle-east is one of the main destinations for migrants from India. But after financial crisis, the Gulf countries, mainly UAE got affected badly. UAE is one of the countries, where we can find a lot of Indians in the construction sector which went down after the crisis. This has affected the flow of remittance from UAE to India. According to World Bank the remittance flow to developing countries can go down by 7%-10%. This will affect the foreign exchange reserve and investment sector of the country. While concluding the literature part, it is clear that Indian economy was affected badly. But due to strong policies and high liquidity, the government was able to reduce the after effect to an extent. Methodology Through this topic I would like to find answers for some questions. They are: What are the effects of global financial crisis on Indian economy? How did crisis affect Indian economy? What are the precautions and measures taken by the responsible authorities against crisis? In order to discuss these questions, I would like to research online as well as books newspapers, so that I get a clear-cut idea on financial crisis and Indian economy. Financial crisis is a familiar topic, so the details about it are available online. To do this research dissertation, online details are not enough, but interview with concerned persons will be useful for the project. When the research is done about the effect on Indian economy, the economy is divided into different sectors. Banking sector is one sector which was successful in preventing the recession effect. Giving more importance to Banking sector will be good enough to explain the effect on Indian economy.

Physics of Beer Pong :: physics beer pong drinking game

Do you have what it takes to become a beer pong champion? If so, you have come to the right place! In this step-by-step tutorial, I will reveal the secrets of miserably defeating your opponent at the sport of beer pong. When played in tournament, beer pong takes a great amount more physical, psychological, and intellectual endurance than many other sports. It may even take many years of practice to become a champion. Don’t assume that this game is not a blood thirsty sport either. Alcohol is related to 100,000 deaths annually in America, usually occurring after a night’s game of beer pong (Sage). I will rely heavily upon the laws of physics to explain in great detail the appropriate method to overcome your opponent's game, forcing them to streak across the neighborhood. The rules of beer pong vary between locations and can cause great strife amongst rivaling teams. The number one rule is that the house that is hosting the tournament controls the rules. The house rules must also be announced at the beginning of the tournament. The official rules located on Wikipedia may give you a good foundation for the general rules. Alterations in the game usually form from city traditions. In Valdez, Alaska, a place well known for its intense game of beer pong, there is a common tradition of using quotes from Family Guy and BASEketball to distract the other player. Usually after a few beers these jokes miraculously become funny. Another beer pong tradition is to force the losing team to streak publicly. The website PongRules allows people to post their own rules around the world (PongRules). Remember, beer pong is governed by the drinkers for the drinkers. There are two types of table measurements players may use. The official rules state that the table must be eight feet long, at least two feet wide, and stand four feet tall. However, it is more commonly played on a ping pong table where the height reaches 30 inches (Organization). For the purposes of this project, I will be deriving my calculations using the dimensions of a ping pong table. The regulation ping pong ball consists of being 3-star, 40mm in diameter, and weighing 2.7 grams. Now, at each end of the table ten cups must be sorted in a triangular position similar to bowling pens but with the rims touching like so: Usually three 12-ounce beers of your choice are divided equally among the 10 cups.

Life on Other planets. Essay -- essays research papers

One of the most common unanswered questions scientists find themselves asking is "Is there life on other planets?" Since the first famously documented UFO sighting in 1947, the idea of extra-terrestrial life has been debated almost non-stop. The subject has inspired many TV programs, such as The X-Files, and films (Mars Attacks, Independence Day, and the Men in Black films to name but a few). Scientists have come up with many new ideas and ways of trying to either prove or disprove the existence of life elsewhere. Mars is a very similar planet to earth in relation to size and atmosphere. Therefore it seemed like the most likely place to search for life. At the end of the 19th century, an American named Percival Lowell built himself an observatory so that it was possible for him to study Mars in intimate detail when its orbit was closest to Earth. At this time it had recently been suggested that the planet had a system of channels on the surface, present from the evaporation of flowing water. Looking through his telescope Lowell became convinced he could see a network of artificial canals. This led him to believe that there were intelligent beings on Mars who had built these canals. However, spacecraft have now visited Mars and found that there is no evidence of water at all. It is now thought that the lines he could see were the combination of Lowell's overactive imagination, and scratches on the lens of his telescope. We are now searching one of Jupiter's moons, Europa, as this seems to be th e next likely place to hold life. It is seen to be more likely, however, that we will find less intelligent life in one of two different ways: It may be possible for us to obtain material from another planet or moon or star from elsewhere in the Solar System. Spacecraft may be able to visit these bodies and, for example, use a robot to collect material for examination. This may be examined on site, or brought to Earth to be investigated in laboratory conditions. They could be tested for things such as evidence of fossilised organisms. Another, possibly slightly far-fetched hope is that we may find simple organisms like bacteria actually living on the desired planet. These ideas spanned from the discovery of rock on our planet that originated from Mars; knocked from the planet when a comet collided with it. In 1996 a group of scientists created conflict by ... ...them is so great that they are dragged to our planet. Another idea is that UFO's are not really from other planets at all, but created right here on Earth. Supposedly Germans, Americans and Soviets started the 'Projekt Saucer' in Germany towards the end of World War II. During the war Germans sent ships to the Antarctic with equipment and plans for a massive underground structure. It is said that at the end of the war scientists and engineers who had been working on Projekt Saucer in Germany ended up in this underground structure, where even more advanced saucers were created. In a manner of thinking this is by far the scariest theory should it be proved correct, for it brings up more questions than it gives answers. What would people on Earth want to create spaceships for? Why keep it such a secret if everything is harmless? Maybe, if this theory is proved correct, it is better not to know the answers. To conclude, there are no solid facts on the existence of extra-terrestrials. Whether or not they exist will, until definite proof is brought forward, be a topic of major debate. Personally I believe that there is something out there-although what it is I wouldn't hazard a guess.