Fetus in the Stomach free essay sample

The Fetus in the Stomach Last night, I had a strange dream. I dreamed that I was a tiny dot in the womb of my mother. Formed by love, and blessed by the Lord. I could not see, I could not hear, but I could feel that I was loved. Embrace by the warm tenderness of my mothers flesh. Here, I breathe on my mothers breath! Here I fed on my mothers food! Oh what a place to live! Oh what a place to grow! I was extremely happy in my little world. Believe me, it was happiness beyond compare. In Gods time, I was a tiny dot, no more. I grew, and grew, and grew. Caressed by parental affection. I wanted to say, thank you mother, thank father, for your love, thank you for my life. One day, I heard splashing sounds, and boyish laughter’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Fetus in the Stomach or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I can hear! I can hear! My heart was filled with joy! I kicked and kicked in celebration. Then, I stopped. I heard a sweet voice saying, Mark, Joe, out of the bathroom now! You might catch cold! I thought, she must be my mother. Yes, indeed, she was my mother. The two boys, Mark and Joe answered, Yes mama! I echoed in the silence of my heart, Mama, I love you, Mark and Joe, I love you! Wait for me, my brothers, we will climb the guava tree in mamas garden together soon. On another day, my father cam home and told mama, I have the results! Its a girl! I am a girl! I am a girl! I am the only girl! Mark and Joe, you will have a loving sister! Mother, Father, I promise, I will be a good daughter! I will make you happy parents! But one evening, deep in the night, I heard my father and mother, talk about hard times, Rising prices of gasoline! And food! High cost of education! My father cried aloud, How can I support a family of three children?! I was shocked! Am I an unwanted child? Oh, yes that was what my father had meant! Oh no, father, please, mother, love me as you love Mark and Joe! I shouted, I shouted again and again, Love me, love me please! I kicked, I kicked again and again for my mother to get the message! I cried, I cried again and again so my father and mother would pity me! I prayed, I prayed again and again, Lord, I want to be born! My father came home, late one evening. He told my mother, Here are pills from the health center, take one for thirteen days. I was afraid! When the first pill was taken by my mother, the nectar in my mothers milk, turned bitter! Oh, God! Pills to murder innocent babies! Unborn but with life! Father, mother, why are you doing this to me?! Do you not love me? Do you not pity me? Love me as you love my brothers! Father, you said you cannot support a family of three children, are you killing me just so Mark and Joe will live? Father, mother, brothers, I do not want to die! I want to be part of you! I want to wash your clothes, I want to cook your food, please do not kill me! How cruel, how cruel! I cannot defend myself, I cannot run away to avoid the pills poison! I cannot spit it out for my lips are weak and tender! Somebody, Help me! Nobody cares. I want to live! But nobody cares. I want to be with Mark and Joe! Then, I felt unbearable pain. I became weaker, and weaker. I was dying little by little. I want to live! But I could breathe, no more. Father, mother, you have murdered me, but I love youMark, Joe, good luck my brothers, I am sorry, but I can no longer climb the guava tree in our mothers garden I.. I (deathly, but audible whisper.. ) Declamation piece: The Fetus in the Stomach Last night, I had a strange dream. I dreamed that I was a tiny dot in the womb of my mother. Formed by love, and blessed by the Lord. I could not see, I could not hear, but I could feel that I was loved. Embrace by the warm tenderness of my mothers flesh. Here, I breathe on my mothers breath! Here I fed on my mothers food! Oh what a place to live! Oh what a place to grow! I was extremely happy in my little world. Believe me, it was happiness beyond compare. In Gods time, I was a tiny dot, no more. I grew, and grew, and grew. Caressed by parental affection. I wanted to say, thank you mother, thank father, for your love, thank you for my life. One day, I heard splashing sounds, and boyish laughters. I can hear! I can hear! My heart was filled with joy! I kicked and kicked in celebration. Then, I stopped. I heard a sweet voice saying, Mark, Joe, out of the bathroom now! You might catch cold! I thought, she must be my mother. Yes, indeed, she was my mother. The two boys, Mark and Joe answered, Yes mama! I echoed in the silence of my heart, Mama, I love you, Mark and Joe, I love you! Wait for me, my brothers, we will climb the guava tree in mamas garden together soon. On another day, my father cam home and told mama, I have the results! Its a girl! I am a girl! I am a girl! I am the only girl! Mark and Joe, you will have a loving sister! Mother, Father, I promise, I will be a good daughter! I will make you happy parents! But one evening, deep in the night, I heard my father and mother, talk about hard times, Rising prices of gasoline! And food! High cost of education! My father cried aloud, How can I support a family of three children?! I was shocked! Am I an unwanted child? Oh, yes that was what my father had meant! Oh no, father, please, mother, love me as you love Mark and Joe! I shouted, I shouted again and again, Love me, love me please! I kicked, I kicked again and again for my mother to get the message! I cried, I cried again and again so my father and mother would pity me! I prayed, I prayed again and again, Lord, I want to be born! My father came home, late one evening. He told my mother, Here are pills from the health center, take one for thirteen days. I was afraid! When the first pill was taken by my mother, the nectar in my mothers milk, turned bitter! Oh, God! Pills to murder innocent babies! Unborn but with life! Father, mother, why are you doing this to me?! Do you not love me? Do you not pity me? Love me as you love my brothers! Father, you said you cannot support a family of three children, are you killing me just so Mark and Joe will live? Father, mother, brothers, I do not want to die! I want to be part of you! I want to wash your clothes, I want to cook your food, please do not kill me! How cruel, how cruel! I cannot defend myself, I cannot run away to avoid the pills poison! I cannot spit it out for my lips are weak and tender! Somebody, Help me! Nobody cares. I want to live! But nobody cares. I want to be with Mark and Joe! Then, I felt unbearable pain. I became weaker, and weaker. I was dying little by little. I want to live! But I could breathe, no more. Father, mother, you have murdered me, but I love youMark, Joe, good luck my brothers, I am sorry, but I can no longer climb the guava tree in our mothers garden.

Sometimes Death Comes Knocking, Sometimes it Tears Down the Walls Professor Ramos Blog

Sometimes Death Comes Knocking, Sometimes it Tears Down the Walls Lance Barnett English 102 8/9/18 Sometimes Death Comes Knocking, Sometimes it Tears Down the Walls The term â€Å"Zombie† is derived from nzambi, the Kongo word for the spirit of the dead. Zombies have become supremely popular in media and entertainment in recent years. A multitude of movies, books, comics, and video games are based around zombies and the zombie apocalypse. Shows such as The Walking Dead and I Zombie have become incredibly popular and even unrelated series have begun to incorporate zombies in one way or another. Almost every franchise imaginable has some kind of zombie or undead in it now. From Super Mario and Call of Duty to Star Wars and Marvel Comics, the undead craze is sweeping the nation. The idea of the dead returning to torment the living is no new invention however, so the question is why has it gained so much traction in media and pop culture recently? What caused this generation to become so infatuated with the living dead? For the most part, mythical monsters are based around exactly that, myths, but zombies are a little different. Monsters such as vampires, werewolves, or Frankenstein’s monster are creations that represent mankind’s fears, uncouth desires, or shortcomings in the eras in which their story is being told. Zombies fall into that category as well but, in addition to that, they have origins that are rooted in real events as well as myths that date all the way back to prehistory. One of the, if not the, largest contributors to the creation of zombie lore were the Haitians. In Haiti, which is primarily a voodoo nation, it was common for someone known as a Bokor to create and employ Zombie slaves. Now, of course, these zombies are not truly undead in the sense that they are not actually soulless, walking corpses, but for generations their appearance, demeanor, and the method of their creation led the majority to believe that they were indeed the dead risen. In Haiti, if you just so happened to know of a nearby bokor, you could hire them to zombify someone. Say your spouse is caught cheating, your child has grown into a dishonorable adult, or that conniving M’baku down the street stole another one of your chickens. If you wanted to, you could hire a bokor to turn said transgressor into a shuffling, mindless, entity. Bokors are alchemists who create various concoctions using ingredients such as bones, shells, herbs, and animal parts. The zombies that they create are actually living people who have been introduced to a potent zombie mixture called â €Å"coup padre† that dulls their minds and make them susceptible to the influence of their master. Though the full recipe for the concoction is unknown, it is common belief that tetrodoxin, an incredibly dangerous neurotoxin found in the fou fou, also known as the porcupine fish, is used very carefully in the mixture. Small doses of tetrodoxin often cause confusion, loss of balance, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms are why we commonly see zombies in our fiction aimlessly wandering with blank stares, shambling, and moaning/ huffing. Often times, if a bokor is coming for someone, they will find a way to get them to ingest a concoction that renders them in a near death state that is indistinguishable from death itself without modern medical equipment. The victim’s heartrate will drop dramatically, the skin becomes pale and clammy, and their pulse becomes unnoticeable. After their burial, the bokor will visit the grave, dig up their new slave and give them the coup padre. The victim then awakens as a dull and mindless drone. The people of Haiti were unaware of exactly how a bokor went about creating zombies. All they knew was that someone in their community was pronounced dead, was buried, and is now rumored to have been seen meandering around. Thus the idea of the mindless, shambling, zombie was born. Zombies became known in the United States when stories of the zombie slaves of Haiti made their way over and left the populace shocked and horrified by the dark rituals of these voodoo shamans. These tales led to the creation of the 1932 movie White Zombie, which is the first feature length zombie film ever made. In the movie, the female protagonist is stalked and transformed into a zombie by an evil voodoo priest played by the famous horror actor Bela Lugosi, best known for his influential role as Dracula in the 1931 film. The true rise of zombies into popularity, however, didn’t come until the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, directed by George Romero. Two more zombie films were directed by Romero over the next 15 years and, shortly after the start of the 80s, the subject of zombies really started to pick up. The early examples of zombies in media often portrayed them as the result of supernatural practices such as witchcraft, voodoo, or demonic rituals. This came as a result of historic accounts and myths about undead. Regardless of the vast differences between them, stories about zombies throughout history have been rooted in the supernatural. The fear of the dead rising from their graves has been prevalent among mankind for as long as we can remember. Stone Age remains appear to have been originally buried intact, but eventually they began to bury their remains with their skulls smashed or removed and buried in a separate grave farther away. Some believe that this was done to ensure that the dead would not return to life. Zombies aren’t specifically mentioned in the Bible, but there are references of the dead coming back to life here as well. Ezekiel finds himself in a boneyard and prophesies to the bones. The bones shake and become covered in flesh, yet â€Å"there was no brea th in them.† Isaiah 26:19 states, â€Å"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.† The Greeks believed that certain people were more likely to return from the dead than others. Those who committed suicide, were murdered, cursed, or died from other traumatic experiences such as the plague or drowning were thought to likely return as undead and prey on the living. Some believe that the Mayans suffered a kind of zombie apocalypse towards the end of their civilization. Human bones found within the ruins of many Mayan cities exhibit human tooth marks and appear to have been forcefully ripped apart and evidence is thought to have been found of children eating their parents as well. From the state that the cities were left in, it has been surmised that they slaughtered and ate themselves within a few days’ time. In addition to bei ng exclusively supernatural, many ancient incarnations of the undead display special abilities, powers, or quirks. In Norse mythology, Draugr are living corpses who wander their crypts. They are described as bloated with black skin and are known to possess some supernatural abilities such as shapeshifting, entering the dreams of the living, and driving people insane. Draugr slaughter and consume the living just like modern zombies but, unlike most modern zombies, draugr have also been known to utilize tools such a heavy stones or swords to kill. Jiang Shi, the Chinese version of the zombie, literally means â€Å"stiff corpse†. These zombies are very strange in that their mode of locomotion is hopping around. In Romania, the Strigoi is a zombie of someone who has died with regrets or troubles. Dying without being baptized or before marriage are other ways that someone could end up coming back as a strigoi. Some post mortem marriage ceremonies are performed for the newly deceas ed as a way to try to keep them from becoming a strigoi. Like the draugr, strigoi exhibit some supernatural abilities or traits that weren’t commonly found among modern zombies until recently including primarily only drinking blood and the ability to transform into animals. These traits almost make them seem more like vampires than zombies, however the fact that your corpse can become one without having been bit by one separates the two in a way. In video games especially, the need to keep things fresh, new, and interesting, has led to the creation of many new types of zombies with strange abilities similar to some of the zombies from history. There are zombies that spit acid, have frog-like tongues, explode, and some that can use certain kinds of weaponry. Media based on cultural mythology also use specific examples of ancient undead to spice things up. The Witcher novels, which follow the adventures of a monster slayer in a fantasy world of Polish mythology, feature the str iga, the Polish version of the strigoi and Draugr make an appearance in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Cohen’s Monster Culture mentions that one important characteristic that monsters have is the ability to shift and reflect the relevant fears and apprehensions of the era that tells their stories. Like vampires evolving from the hideous Nosferatu into the succubus/ incubus-like vampires of today, zombies have also changed. As stated before, historical accounts, myths, and early media representations of undead portray them as supernatural creations. As the fear of witches, demons, and other foul spirits became less prevalent, the reasoning behind zombies shifted from being mainly supernatural to being scientific. Science and medicine have progressed incredibly far in the last few decades and some scientific advances have come under scrutiny as to whether or not they are moral or safe. Scientifically created abominations and diseases have become popular â€Å"monsters† of sorts and zombie lore happened to have very little trouble adopting this idea. The majority of modern zombie fiction revolves around an outbreak of a virus or disease of some kind that transforms people into flesh eating zombies. More often than not, the antagonists of these stories are scientific enterprises who attempt to create bioweapons but then lose control of said bioweapons which causes the initial outbreak. The real life fear of â€Å"Big Science† plays into zombie fiction in a crucial way. As zombies strayed further away from their Haitian roots and as special effects became more and more impressive, depictions of zombies became more and more grotesque in an attempt to keep the shock factor of the audience intact. Another niche that zombies have had little trouble fitting into is the apocalypse genre. The apocalypse genre has been touched upon in history in tales such as Gilgamesh or Ragnarok, but as the new millennium drew near and prophesies from the Mayans and Nostradamus seemed to be coming to fruition, the fear of the end of the world became more and more prevalent. More often than not, zombie centric fiction deals with the spread of the undead bringing total societal collapse. Very rarely are outbreaks contained in small areas. Zombies in modern media have adapted and changed in order to fit into many separate genres from apocalypse to sci-fi to fantasy. This ability to morph and adapt and even bring back traits from history to stay interesting and relevant suggests that zombies still have quite the lifespan left even though they can be considered one of the oldest known monsters. As new genres and forms of media gain popularity, be sure to keep an eye on your dead. They never quite seem to stay where you put them. Zombie Annotated Bibliography Zombies, H. (2018). Zombies: Facts and Voodoo Origins | HISTORY.com. [online] HISTORY.com. Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/history-of-zombies [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. This article discusses the origins of Zombies and how the subject of the undead apocalypse has become extremely popular in pop culture. Great Discoveries in Archaeology. (2018). History of Zombies. [online] Available at: http://anthropology.msu.edu/anp264-ss13/2013/04/25/history-of-zombies/ [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. This student post goes into some more detail about the original Haitian zombie slaves that helped inspire the legends of the undead. Lin, K. (2018). History of Zombies from Ancient Times to Pop Culture. [online] Historic Mysteries. Available at: https://www.historicmysteries.com/history-of-zombies/ [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. This article discusses zombies in history that date back even further than the Haitian zombie slaves. Tales and rituals meant to keep the dead at rest from even the stone age and ancient Greece. Mariani, M. (2018). The Tragic, Forgotten History of Zombies. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/how-america-erased-the-tragic-history-of-the-zombie/412264/ [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. This is another article that explains how the true tragedy of zombie slaves became lost to us as we began to incorporate the subject of zombies into entertainment. Swanser, B. (2018). The Mysterious Real Zombies of Haiti | Mysterious Universe. [online] Mysterious Universe. Available at: https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/08/the-mysterious-real-zombies-of-haiti/ [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. This article goes the furthest in depth about the process of Haitian zombification and a bit more into their culture.

Social analysis is valued because it is inspired by a will to make a Essay

Social analysis is valued because it is inspired by a will to make a better world (Steven Seidman 1998) Discuss this statement - Essay Example Seidman described his disappointment in the sorts of sociological practice that has become a narrow and specialized conversation about definitions in theory and disagreements about method. Then he wrote, more optimistically: â€Å"I return to sociology as I initially came to the discipline, with the hope of finding a home where social analysis is valued because it is inspired by a will to make a better world. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Social analysis is then part or a technique in sociology, purpose of which, according to Sweden, is â€Å"to be a part of the ongoing conversation and conflict over the present and future shape of the social world.† Du Bois & Wright (2001), in their work ‘Applying sociology –  Making a better world’ define the term as follows:† Sociology is the study of human social life, groups, and societies, giving special emphasis to modern industrialized systems. It is a discipline involving the ability to think imaginatively and one in which personal views of the world are set aside so we may look more carefully at the influences that shape our lives and those of others. Social structure is an important concept in sociology.† From the above definition, what group view matter? Although the author said personal views are set aside, individual goals must be disregarded. It simply means that the works of sociology is to find melting points where people of different beliefs and biases could work together for the common good. Du Bois & Wright (2001) believe in permanent construction and reconstruction of social life, which is based upon the meanings people attach to their actions. The authors thus said: â€Å"In sociological research it is important to distinguish between the intended and unintended results of human action. Sociology studies the resulting balance between social reproduction and social transformation. Social

Technology Support System For Homeland Security Program Assignment

Technology Support System For Homeland Security Program - Assignment Example Former Senator Rudman views the department to be a needed â€Å"formulation† in spite of the existing of great Army, Marine Corps and Air Force (2003). However, in assessing the organization and mission of the DHS, this proposal sees the agency to be wanting in resources and capacity along the aspects of independent mobilization and focus of initiatives. Organizationally, the DHS has to correlate with federal agencies to be able to mobilize anti-terrorism initiatives; it also lacks the integrated mechanism so that the department can effectively interface with the anti-terrorism network of agencies within the bureaucracy. Thus, the creation of an Information Communication and Assistance Services or ICAS is hereby proposed. Specifically, the ICAS is a novel concept of a management information system which will link the DHS with correlated anti-terrorism federal, state and local agencies using information and communication technologies. It will also enable the DHS to directly ser ve the people at the grassroots level through a social Web site and a 9-12 quick assistance response system. If implemented with a budget request of 18 Million USD, the proposal will consequently resolve what U.S. President Barack Obama perceives to be a â€Å"systemic failure in the existing homeland security services (Newsweek, an. 11, 2010). TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR HOMELAND SECURITY Problem Identification The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States have greatly dismayed Americans on their vulnerability to terrorism at home. Beyond the great grief of the citizenry, the catastrophic event provoked an awareness of the country’s dire need for security. Describing terrorism as â€Å"a global, generation-defining struggle against an enemy of vast military and ideological power,† (Time, 2000), U.S. President George W. Bush ordered the setting up of a Department of Home Security or DHS in order to protect the nation from terrorism inflicted in any o f its 50 states. (50 States.com, 2012). This unprecedented move was intended not simply to enlarge the already existing security manpower of the United States, but to enlist the cooperation of partners involving all relevant security agencies, and the American citizenry as well. The potential threats are many, ranging from home-made bombs to ballistic missiles hurled from concealed sites thousands of miles away. The tools of terrorism also vary from simple devises hidden in an air traveler’s shoe to sophisticated nuclear weapons system, each having the capacity to inflict a high share of human suffering and death. The department has therefore been given a critical mandate to â€Å"mobilize and focus the resources of the federal government, state and local governments, the private sector and the American people to accomplish its mission to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recove r from attacks that do occur† (Hutton & Mydlarz, 2003). TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR HOMELAND SECURITY Understandably, the challenge assumed by the department is immense. Already since the 2001 September attacks that toppled down the New York Twin Towers, it was reported that 45 Jhadist terror attacks were planned against the United States (Avlon, 2011). Fortunately, these were prevented by proficient intelligence work, functional policing, and avid public support.

Are corporations persons with religious freedom rights Case Study

Are corporations persons with religious freedom rights - Case Study Example ) The court observed that the reason of extending these rights to corporations was to protect the right of employees, shareholders and officers of the corporation. Allowing these corporations to enforce RFRA claims serve to protect the religious liberty of the corporation. c) The court also reasoned that corporations would be considered persons with religious freedom rights within the meaning of the RFRA. Non profit organizations are considered persons within the meaning of the RFRA and this should be extended to for profit organizations. Although the main objective of these organizations is to make money they also undertake humanitarian and altruistic endeavors similar to those of non profit organizations. d) The court also noted that the governments mandate on contraception greatly hinders the exercise of religion. In its judgment the court noted that the government already had an existing and functional mandate that was already implemented for non profit organizations and this could be extended to corporations with religious reservations. The government would therefore use the non restrictive mandate for Hobby Lobby (Churchill 2014). a) The most likely impact the outcome in Burwell v Hobby Lobby will have will be the perceived impact on employees and employers. However, the court was quick to point out that the decision concerned the contraception mandate only. Thus the outcome cannot be applied where the employer’s religious beliefs conflict with any other requirement. b) The court also clarified that the decision only applies to closely held corporations which are operated according to the sacred beliefs of its owners. What this means is that all other for profit organizations that are closely held are exempt from providing contraception coverage for its employees (Cohen, Lynch, & Curfman 2014). c) The outcome in this case will also affect the mandate of ACA. Under the ACA, exemptions apply only if the employer qualifies as a religious employer, or

Impact Of Product Bundling In Indian Retail Banking Marketing Essay

Impact Of Product Bundling In Indian Retail Banking Marketing Essay The retail banking is the growth trigger of the banks. Even though there is a phenomenal opportunities for growth in retail banking, the challenges are also daunting. Banks are struggling to retain its customers through retail banking. According to Reichheld research, a 5 per cent increase in customer retention can increase profitability by 35 per cent in banking business. The pervasive practice of bundling the products by banks, have built up so much momentum over the past few years in Europe, Asia and Pacific countries. The concept of product bundling is not widely used by Indian banks, since it is not legally accepted by RBI guidelines. Private sector banks are having this type of retailing products in non-core areas of banking. For example, ICICI bank is providing home loan insurance cover exclusively to its home loan customers with tie-up with ICICI Lombard insurance. Previous researches proved that bundling strategies not only retain the customers but also reduces the variable cost of the products. The primary purpose of the research is to find out the cause and effect of product bundling in financial quality system of banking. The retail marketing factors are measured with service marketing factors ie, product, price, promotion, place, process, physical evidence and person. The financial quality system is identified based on the CAMELS system ie., Capital, Asset quality, Management quality , Earning quality , Liquidity and Sensitivity to market risk. Primary data were collected from the 200 customers of ICICI Bank home loan borrowers. Cluster analysis is used to group them. The effect on financial quality is measured based on interview conducted among the 25 regional managers of the same bank. The results show that the retail marketing factors are having high impact on financial quality system. Hence product bundling concept balances the operational and financial risk to have financial sustainability in retail banking. Key words: Product bundling, CAMELS, Core banking. Introduction The banking sector has witnessed wide ranging changes under the influence of the financial Sector reforms initiated during 2009. The approach to such reforms in India has been one of gradual and non-disruptive progress through a consultative process. The emphasis has been on deregulation and opening up the banking sector to market forces. The Reserve Bank has been consistently working towards the establishment of an enabling regulatory framework with prompt and effective supervision as well as the development of technological and institutional infrastructure. Persistent efforts have been made towards adoption of international benchmarks as appropriate to Indian conditions. While certain changes in the legal infrastructure are yet to be effected, the developments so far have brought the Indian financial system closer to global standards. Banks are now moving towards Universal Banking, which is a combination of commercial banking, investment banking and various other activities includi ng insurance. Banks will need to create value in new ways, notably through differentiation on offers and services. Banks have to strengthen the added value they bring to clients by personalizing their customer approach and developing their advisory capacities.By international standards, however, there is still much scope for retail banking in India. After all, retail loans constitute less than seven per cent of GDP in India vis-à  -vis about 35 per cent for other Asian economies South Korea (55 per cent), Taiwan (52 per cent), Malaysia (33 per cent) and Thailand (18 per cent). is a likelihood that the growth numbers seem to get somewhat exaggerated. Hence there is a need of constant innovation in retail banking. This requires product development and differentiation, innovation and business process reengineering, micro-planning, marketing, prudent pricing, customisation, technological upgradation, home / electronic / mobile banking, cost reduction and cross-selling. Service bundling offers one me thod of cross-selling that places less of the burden on the bank employee who, despite training, often simply lacks the skills and/or motivation to be an effective salesperson, and more on the design and promotion of the product. Due to bundling of services and delivery channels, the areas of potential conflicts of interest tend to increase in universal banks and financial conglomerates. A product bundle as a bilateral contract must guarantee a possibility to obtain extra profit /or saving/ for each partner /bank versus customer/ at agreed price level /or discount/, but as well as both of them must accept some uncertainty or risk of lost. Bundling means offering two or more products together as a package.. Bundled accounts have built up so much momentum over the past few years that they have become a dominant focus of the retail operations at many banks. The practice is pervasive in the banking industry. Application of bundling strategies in retail banking reduces a banks variable cost for selling, secures both stable and higher income by periodical fees for covering high fix running costs as well. The biggest opportunity for current retail banking is building a strong relationship with customer by cross- selling extra bundled products, which leads to a higher retention and loyalty of customers. Empirical findings prove the paradox, that product bundles with discounted price for customer generate extra profit for bank, hand in hand with a still increasing customer satisfaction. Clever construction of bundles and bounded rationality decision making of customer offers a solution of profitable discounts not only for a banking sector, but at least for sector of services. According to a research by Reichheld and Sasser in the Harvard Business Review, 5 per cent increase in customer retention can increase profitability by 35 per cent in banking business, 50 per cent in insurance and brokerage, and 125 per cent in the consumer credit card market. Thus, banks need to emphasise retaining customers and increasing market share. Review The Dynamic Pricing and Product Bundling application standardizes a banks pricing and product bundling processes and allows the bank to reduce maintenance costs and increase its cross-sell opportunities(Morphy, 2006). The easiest way to retain the bank customers is to test the market by shuffling the existing product mix and creating new bundled offerings to optimize deposit growth (Barham, 2007). Clever construction of bundles and bounded rationality decision making of customer offers a solution of profitable discounts not only for a banking sector, but at least for sector of services.(Peter). The result is that customers generally get a superior annual percentage yield (APY), while the bank gets higher profit and volume. The secret by-product of bundling is the superior APY; it is what customers seek, it has the potential to drive balance with profitability, and it is a strategy largely overlooked by community banks. Concept of Product Bundling Product bundling is an intelligent strategy that is becoming increasingly popular in the banking sector. Banks offer multiple financial products and services to customers as a package. Bundling is generally recognized as a potentially appropriate means to tackle competition, to acquire new customers, to cross-sell new services to the existing customers and to retain the existing customers, who are getting increasingly savvy and sophisticated. Bundling helps to boost profits substantially by increasing the opportunity to cross-sell. It is also a great method for increasing the sales volume of products that are not in high demand. Bundling is not a new concept in retail banking. It has been existing for more than a decade-and-a-half, but there is a shift in focus now, as a result of which, it has gained popularity. Earlier, banks were mostly concerned with increasing the effectiveness of the use of its core banking products like current accounts and daily transaction-based activities. In the last few years, the priority has shifted to actively improving product penetration into the existing customer base, increasing sales by attracting new customers, innovating the product offerings, and lastly but most importantly, retaining and enhancing customer relationships and basing price reductions on the total volume and/or desired use of services. STANDARD CHARTERED Bank (SCB) is giving its Priority Banking customers up 12 per cent interest earnings through its latest wealth management offerings.In its new exclusive promotion, SCB Priority Banking customers will enjoy attractive interest rates on a Brunei Dollar fixed deposit when they invest in a unit trust at the same time. An intelligent pricing strategy that is becoming more and more popular in banking is bundling. One example is the NatWest package Advantage Gold. This bundle costs  £6 per month and combines a current account with lower interest rates for loans, rebates in certain insurance policies as well as various additional services such as lowest price guarantees for different articles, discounts for videos and DVDs, a customer magazine, commission-free traveller cheques, rebates for hotel stays, etc. In the Dutch market most cross selling in the consumer market is of a soft variety, that is, price inducements are offered to accept a bundle of services rather that exclusive tying arrangements. More often, bundle design decisions are based upon short term objectives such as attracting new customers, increasing fee income, or merely matching competitive offerings. There are two basic forms of bundling, pure and mixed. In pure bundling, the products or services cannot be purchased separately. They are available only in bundled form. In contrast, mixed bundling allows the consumer to purchase one or more of the services individually or to purchase the bundle Some examples of retail product bundles being offered by banks: If a customer maintains a defined amount of savings and has taken a defined amount of loan, then discounts are offered on interest rates, auto loans, free phone banking, counseling once-a-year, etc. Here again, there can be a tiered approach i.e. when balances/loan amounts increase, more discounts and additional free services are provided. Cluster analysis is used for classifying the consumer satisfaction variables into relatively homogeneous groups. The respondents were clustered on the basis of satisfaction level sought from the different attitudes under seven service marketing mix. The variables satisfaction levels are measured through five pointss summated rating scale i.e., strongly dissatisfied, dissatisfied, neutral, satisfied and strongly dissatisfied. The ratings are made as 1,2,3,4 and 5 respectively for each point. Product level satisfaction level is measured with the variables quality, scalability, multiplicity, reliability and security. Price level satisfaction is measured with the variables fair pricing, interest and transaction charges. Promotion level satisfaction is measured with the variables informative, awareness, receptive and attentive. Place level satisfaction is measured with the variables accessibility, convenience and diversified place. Process level satisfaction is measured with the variable s bundling, integration, processing time, and error-free process. Physical evidence (Documentation) level satisfaction is measured with the variables easy to go through, less documentation, unambiguous and legality. Person level satisfaction is measured with the variables involvement, technical support, friendliness and trust. The measure of similarity is measured by euclidean distance model. The reliability and validity of cluster analysis was done by making multiple runs using different order of cases. The clustering criterion was the Akaikes Information Criterion. The number of clusters was determined based on the minimum six-cluster solution. Based on the cluster group centroids of each service marketing mix, the level of satisfaction are labeled as impressive (>4), stirring (3.5 to 4.0), striking (3.0 to 3.5), modest (2.5 to 3.0,) un-impressive (2.0 to 2.5) and mediocre ( Two-group discriminant analysis is used to find out the disriminant factor among the existing customer and new customers using the product bundling . The independent variables are customer service level satisfaction variables i.e, product, price, promotion, place, process, physical evidence and person. The responses are rated based on the cluster centroid of each customer service level variables. The ratings for impressive, stirring, striking, modest, un-impressive and mediocre clusters are 6,5,4,3,2 and 1 respectively. The grouping variables are existing customer and new customers. Because there are two groups, only one discriminant function is estimated. The eigen value associated with this function is 1.64 and it accounts for 100 percent of the explained variance. The Wilks à « associated with this function is 0.312, which transforms to a chi-square of 32.45 with 7 degrees of freedom. This is significant beyond the o.o5 level. Hence null hypothesis is rejected. The structure matrix is displayed in Table-2. It appears that the existing and new customers are more widely separated in terms of price than that of other variables. The canonical correlation associated with this function is 0.783. The square of this correlation 0.61 indicates that 61% of the variance in the dependent variable is explained by this model. In 1995, RBI had set up a working group under the chairmanship of Shri S. Padmanabhan to review the banking supervision system. The Committee certain recommendations and based on such suggetions a rating system for domestic and foreign banks based on the international CAMELS model combining financial management and systems and control elements was introduced for the inspection cycle commencing from July 1998. It recommended that the banks should be rated on a five point scale (A to E) based on the lines of international CAMELS rating model. CAMELS evaluates banks on the following six parameters :- CAMEL approach will serve as an important. This will help lead to a low-cost high-quality result with secure profit levels. Capital Adequacy : Capital Adequacy is a measurement of a bank to determine if solvency can be maintained due to risks that have been incurred as a course of business. Capital allows a financial institution to grow, establish and maintain both public and regulatory confidence, and provide a cushion (reserves) to be able to absorb potential loan losses above and beyond identified problems. A bank must be able to generate capital internally, through earnings retention, as a test of capital strength. An increase in capital as a result of restatements due to accounting standard changes is not an actual increase in capital. Asset Quality : Asset Quality evaluates risk, controllability, adequacy of loan loss reserves, and acceptable earnings; and the affect of off-balance sheet earnings and loss. The quality of a banks assets hinges on their ability to be collected. Asset quality determines the portfolio quality, the portfolio classification system (aging schedule and the methodology to classifying a receivable) and the fixed assets (the productivity of the long-term assets, for instance the branch network). Management quality : Management quality envisages the strategic planning applied in each level of flow of funds. It is reflected by the ownership structure of the bank, branch network , loan portfolio management, credit administration, policy development, employee training, audit oversight, quality of governance and quality of information technology system Earnings : Earnings determine the ability of a bank to increase capital (through retained earnings), absorb loan losses, support the future growth of assets, and provide a return to investors. The largest source of income for a bank is net interest revenue (interest income from lending activity less interest paid on deposits and debt). The second most important source is from investing activity. A substantial source of income also comes from foreign exchange and precious metal trading, and commissions/transaction fees and trust operations. Liquidity : Liquidity measures the ability of a bank to meet the demand from demand deposits in a particular year. Liquidity is what a bank requires if funding is interrupted and the bank must still be able to meet certain obligations (banks ability to repay depositors and other creditors without incurring excessive costs). The liquidity is affected by the institutions liabilities, including their tenor, interest rate, payment terms, sensitivity to changes in the macroeconomic environment, types of guarantees required on credit facilities, sources of credit available to the institution and the extent of resource diversification. A banks least expensive means of funding loan growth is through deposit accounts. When this is not available, banks must rely on more expensive funding sources such as borrowing funds at wholesale rates or liquidating investment securities portfolios.

Belief in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath :: Free Essay Writer

Belief in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath Holiness, sin, and life are repeatedly questioned throughout John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, particularly by the former preacher, Jim Casey. As a preacher, Casey only preaches what the bible states and he resigns from his occupation after he feels the urge to pursue life's true meaning and values of the individual - basically to make sense of the world he resides in. Casey closely resembles the character and motives of Jesus Christ, as he is enthused to uncover the answers to his wonders and doubts and begins to hold new beliefs of sacrificing the self to sustain the rights of society. All the while, questions concerning the ideas and beliefs of the world circulate through Jim Casey's mind and he makes the decision to separate himself from the teachings of society to determine logical resolutions to his convoluted uncertainties. After renouncing his job as a preacher, Casey first decides to ponder his questions by going "into the wilderness like Jesus" and seeing if he can attain the 'spirit,' while analyzing his thoughts (489-90). When others around him rarely observe ideas in depth, Casey transforms all of his thoughts into complex puzzles and seeks the answers little by little. Casey believes that by taking his ideas one piece at a time, he will one day be able to encounter the "real" truth. When he first hears of the conflict between the different social classes, Casey "[throws] back his head and [looks] at the sharp stars" in deep thought, his mind poring over the controversy (77). Casey's hours of analyzing bring his thoughts together and creates for him a la rger intellectual depth, which distinguishes his sole purpose from those around him. Light is used to exemplify Casey as Jesus Christ, holy and virtuous, and separate from other people. Even during insignificant situations, his character is expressed when "the light of the coming morning made his forehead seem to shine, and his hands, swinging beside him, flicked into the light and out again" (89). Casey's image as a holy figure automatically makes him a peacekeeper among the Joad family, and most of the time he succeeds in maintaining his title role. The members of the Joad family understand that Casey is not simply a 'former preacher,' but is someone with vigorous aura and strong beliefs on the rights of people. When Casey talks to Tom by a fire one night, "the firelight [goes] deep into his eyes and [ignites] red embers," signifying his powerful presence (72).

Public Procurement and Contract Administration in Nigeria

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION Overview of Procurement Procurement is the acquisition of goods, works and services at the best total cost of ownership, in the right quality and quantity and at the right time. It also involves the acquisition of goods and services at the right place and from the right source. Public Procurement is the acquisition of goods, works and services by Government Ministries Departments and Agencies. In an effort to provide development and fulfil campaign promises, governments all over the world are involved in large scale procurement of goods, works and services. Public Procurement account for substantial part of most countries GDP. The establishment of good public procurement system is increasingly being viewed as measure of accountability and transparency. The responsibility of government to ensure transparency is also increasingly becoming a serious campaign issue. Public Procurement helps ensure the judicious use of public resources. An efficient Public Procurement System will ensure at all times government acquisition of goods, works, and services are done with due regard to:  · Economy;  · Efficiency;  · Fairness;  · Reliability; Transparency; and  · Accountability and Ethical Standards. Economy: This will ensure that the procuring entity obtain the best value for the money expended. Value may include more than price. It includes quality, and timely delivery of the goods or services. However, the ultimate aim of a sound procurement is to obtain the maximum value for money. Efficiency: A good procurement must be seen to be posi tive. It should be devoid of bottlenecks and other forms of inefficiencies. A good procurement system is devoid of protracted delays. It must be simple and swift. Fairness: A good system will ensure fairness to all bidders and will be impartial, consistent, and reliable. It will ensure level playing field to all contractors, suppliers and consultants. Transparency: Good procurement system establishes and maintains rules and procedures that are accessible and unambiguous. It is not only fair, but it is seen to be fair. Accountability and Ethical Standards: A system must ensure its practitioners obey the rules. It enforces the rules through a process of sanctioning those who neglect, disobey or bend the rules to gain certain advantages. The rules and procedures must be clear and unambiguous The process of establishing formal public procurement system in Nigeria started with the election of Obasanjo in 1999. It started with the establishment of Due process office under the Presidency. The Due process office was headed then by Mrs. Oby Ekwesili, the current Vice President of World Bank in charge of African Region. The Due process Office succeeded in saving billions of Naira according to the press release by the Agency. Public Procurement bill was passed by the two houses of the National Assembly and signed into law by the President in 2007. The Act provide for the establishment of Public Procurement Council and Bureau for Public Procurement to beheaded by a Director General. Nigeria public procurement Act was enacted in 2007. Overview of Contract Administration Contract Administration on the other hand involves all those activities which are performed with aim of promoting the smooth execution of contracts. Contract Administration starts from the time a contract is signed to the time a contract is closed. There are various forms in which a contract can closes: A contract can close when an operational certificate has been issued and the contractor collects the final payment under the contract. A contract can close if it is terminated and what is due to the either of the party (client or contractor) has been paid. A contract could be terminated due non performance by the contractors, due to failure of the client to fulfil obligations under the contract or due to events or happening beyond the control of the parties to the contract (force majeure). A contract can be discharged when there is a dispute. This can happen either amicably or through mediation through arbitration and adjudication or through the court. The court is usually the last resort in this kind of settlement. Most modern contracts proscribe mediation mechanism. Contract closure should be seen as part of the procurement process that assures that the employer gets what it paid for and contractor, payment for goods or services delivered. The Role of Regulation in Public Procurement A good regulatory framework is pre-requisite for an efficient Public procurement system. The role of policy formulation should be separate from policy execution and a mechanism for handling protests must be established. Any agency involved in any form of execution of public procurement should not be involved in regulating procurement. The Nigeria Public Procurement Act is however, somehow deficient in the area of separation of policy formulation, execution and regulation and protest handling mechanism. The Bureau is involve in giving no objection for contracts yet is involve enforcing compliance with the provisions of the Act. This vested the power of execution and regulation in the Bureau. The Bureau also through the council (where the DG is the secretary) is involved in policy formulation and handling of protest. A good example of separation of regulation, execution and protest handling mechanism is the Kenyan public procurement system. It incorporated the necessary separation of execution, policy formulation and protest handling mechanism. However, this has not prevented politicians in Kenya from abusing the procurement system. In 2004 all the procurement officials in the various MDA in Kenya were suspended to allow politicians recover the money they spent in election campaign. The various agencies under the Kenyan Act are: Public Procurement Oversight Authority The functions of the Kenyan Public Procurement Oversight Authority are: To ensure that the procurement procedures established under the Act are complied with; To monitor the public procurement system and report on the overall functioning to the Minister and also do the following functions: support the training and professional development of persons involved in procurement Issue written directions to ublic entities with respect to procurement including the conduct of procurement proceedings and the dissemination of information on procurements; and ensure that procuring entities engage procurement professionals in their procurement units. To initiate public procurement policy and propose amendments to the Act. To perform such other functions and duties as provided for under the Act Public Procurement Oversight Advisory Board Composition The Public Procurement Oversight Advisory Board shall consist of nine members appointed by the Minister approved by Parliament from persons nominated by the prescribed organizations and the Director-General. Functions To advise the Authority generally on exercise of its powers and the performance of its functions To approve the estimates of the revenue and expenditures of the Authority; To recommend the appointment and termination of the Director-General of the Authority Perform such other functions and duties as provided for under the Act. Public Procurement Administrative Review Board The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board, review complaints and make appropriate recommendation to the government. The Public Procurement Oversight Authority shall provide administrative services to the Review Board. Procuring Entities (MDA) It is the responsibility of Procuring Entities to comply with provisions of the Act. Specifically the Kenyan Act provides; What is being procured must be within the approved budget of the procuring entity and included an annual procurement plan Procurement undertaken by a procuring entity must be as per threshold matrix as set out in the regulations There is adequate segregation of duties in respect of procurement initiation, processing and receipt of goods, works and services. A public entity shall establish a tender committee, procurement unit and such other bodies as required under the regulations for the purpose of making such ecisions on behalf of the public entity as specified in the Act . Procurement Planning The first thing to do in procurement is, planning the process. It involves definition of the project scope and expected completion time. Specifically, the procuring entities need to identify the required works, goods or services to be procured. The procuring entities also need to determine the various procurement sequences. The procuring entity will selec t equipment packages and choose the method of procurement to use depending on the scope and complexity of the assignment. The following methods are usually used in procurement of goods, works and services (non-intellectual services): International competitive bidding (ICB) Limited international bidding National competitive bidding Shopping Procurement Plan should separate consultancy services, works, goods and supply and installation of plants and equipments. Procurement plan should address the following; How the procurement process should be handled (ICB,NCB, Others, Co-financing) Define the timing of each step in the procurement process (Each step, Each Package). It should also identify the procurement & implementation team The plan should also take in account the approvals process and delays that may occur. It should take into account all technical, staffing, legal and training etc. Procurement Steps There should be identification of needs. The list of goods, equipment, materials plants etc. Types of Works (Large, Small, Very Small) and aassociated Services. The procuring entity should also indentify the means of transportation, distribution and training. The plan should also take into account after sales service and warranty period. The steps include the advertisement of tenders. The World Bank require advert in G. D. Market and United Nation Business on-line. National competitive bidding requires advert in at least two nationally read newspapers. The process includes; Issuance of Bidding Documents Bid or Quotations Submission & Opening Bid or Quotation Evaluation Contract and Purchase Order Award. This will be preceded by contract notification, signature and effectiveness. Pre-contract Meeting Officials of the procuring entity involve in the procurement process should meet in order to: Understand their responsibilities and restrictions under the contract The role of the project manager should also be defined The various tests and other forms of quality control should be defined. Specific deliverables and special contract provisions should be explained. Monitoring and performance measurement should be understood and invoicing and payment procedures should be explained. Pre- contract meeting/discussion between the employer and the contractors are usually organised. At such meeting, the objective of the contract and its requirements are clearly defined. The contract effectiveness conditions are explained. Others issues to be discussed are: The project manager (from the employer) and contractors representative Organization and structures of the contractor’s implementation team. Implementation schedule and Reporting method Progress meetings, works certification and invoicing After the pre-contract discussion all grey areas are ironed out, the contract is signed by contractor’s representative with the power of attorney and the authorised representative of the contractor. Contract Effectiveness This will take place after the contract has been signed and following conditions have been fulfilled: Contractor provide performance guaranty and advance payment guaranty (if required) If the contract requires payment of advance payment, it has been paid If Letter of Credit is required it must be established The Letter of Credit must be confirmed (if funded by Nigeria government) or made operative through issuance of special commitment if World Bank financed contract or letter of guaranty if AfDB financed contract The employer must write a letter conveying the effectiveness to the contractor Letter of Credit Letters of Credit are guided by universal custom practice established by International Chamber of commerce and Industry based in Paris, France. It provides condition to enable parties to contract of sale living in different countries to make and receive payment for goods supplied. It start with a bank in the buyers country (opening bank) opening direct communication with another bank in the seller country (advising bank), through a correspondence bank (usually the negotiating bank). The opening bank will open either an irrevocable Letter of credit or a revocable letter of credit depending on the circumstance of the transaction. It is irrevocable because once established neither of the party can cancel it unilaterally before the expiration of the validity. Letter of Credit is said to be confirmed if in addition to the confirmation of the opening bank, another bank (say the negotiating bank also add its confirmation). Under LC for contracts financed by World Bank, LC’s are irrevocable but are unconfirmed. They are made operational when a special commitment is issued on it by World Bank. Incoterms 2000 Incoterms means International Commercial Terms published by International Chambers of Commerce (ICC), Headquarter in Paris. Incoterms was created in 1936 by ICC to facilitate international trade by providing uniform interpretation of trade terms. Incoterms are regularly updated to keep pace with developments in international trade. The latest is incoterms 2000. The scope of incoterms is limited to rights & obligations of parties to contract of sales as it relates to delivery of tangible goods. For example under the C terms, the Seller fulfils his obligation upon the shipment of goods. Once the good are shipped by the seller, under the C terms the buyer is obliged to receive the goods. The following are the various incoterms Group E: Departure {text:list-item} Group E: Main Carriage unpaid {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Group C: Main Carriage Paid {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Group D: Arrival {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Terms of Payment There are terms of payment for various contracts. Terms of payment are usually specified in the bidding document or request for proposal (RFP). Under a project financed by credit from the World Bank, the following terms shall apply as follows; Schedule 1-Plant & Equipment from Abroad text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Schedule 2-Plant & Equipment from Employers Country {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Schedule 3-Local Transportation {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Schedule 4-Installation Service {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} All payment must be made 45 days from submission of invo ice and invoice not paid more than 60 days will attract interest. Role of Project Manager and Contractors Representative: Project Manager The contractor must be notified of the Project Manager in writing. The Project Manager shall act and represent the employer at times during the validity of the contract. He shall give all instructions, notices, orders, certificates etc. He shall give approval and receives notices, instructions, information on behalf of the employer. Contractors Representative: The employer must be notified in writing with his CV attached. Contractor representative must be approved by employer. The contractors representative act and represent the contractor at all time during the validity of the contract, He received all instructions, notices, orders, certificates, approvals and communications. The contractor representative issues all notices, instructions, information and other communications on behalf of the contractor Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation is an essentially part of contract administration. It is usually performed by project manager. Project Manager approves all designs and drawings for supply & installations contract etc. The project manager inspects & issue acceptance certificate before shipment. Proper monitoring ensures potential disputes are averted Invoicing and Payments Contractors and employers are partners. The contractors have goods/services or works required by the employer while the contractor want money from the employer. Contract won under international competitive bidding process give world-wide, most competitive price to the employer. Issuance of invoices and demand for payment is an obligation of the contractor while the employer has responsibility to pay for goods delivered and or services and works performed by the contractor. The format of invoicing and works certification should be worked out early to avoid employment of penalty clause. Progress Meetings Progress meeting is necessary aspect of large and complex contracts which takes longer time to complete. Progress meetings are held at regular intervals. It is usually held to monitor the progress of the contract implementation. At such meeting contract implementation progress are discussed and compared with the contract implementation schedule. Implementation problems are also discussed with a view of solving them. The objective is to ensure that the contract will be completed with requisite quality, on time and within budget. Some identified Contract Administration Problems in Nigeria Institutional problems like contracts enforcement and prolonged court procedures are serious impediment to smooth contract administration. Other common contract administration problems are: Contracts entered into with parties having little understanding of the contract terms. Ccontracts’ seen as ways of dispensing favours. Therefore, little attention is paid to qualification. Contractors in some cases do not employ qualified personnel to manage and execute contracts. It usually takes unnecessarily long time to issue sufficient Bonds and Insurances for the execution of contracts, due to stringent conditions. Inadequate monitoring by employers also affects smooth contract implementation. A common contract administration problem that has become very visible especially in Nigeria Power Sector is losing out other partners in JV or Consortium agreement Delay in making payment to the contractors due to inadequate budgetary provisions Employment of unqualified or incompetent sub-contractors Delays in opening LC’s and extension of LC’s & Form M. Misapplication of proceeds of advance payment by contractors Di spute in the interpretation of contract terms Delay in issuing Duties and vat exemptions certificate conveyance Difficulties in clearing goods in the ports and the poor state of the nation infrastructure Inconsistency in government policies and corruption of government officials Avoiding Dispute in contract implementation The best dispute resolution method is not to have disputed at all. However, if there is a dispute direct negotiations between the parties at an early stage could be helpful. If no solution is found through direct negotiation, establish in a letter the facts of which constitute the breach of contract to focus the problem on the issue under dispute In United Kingdom an alternative dispute resolution technique called â€Å"partnering technique† is being employed. Partnering starts with a workshop usually during the kick off meeting where expectations of parties (contractor and employer) are discussed and harmonised. A partnering agreement or charter is signed by the parties. Employer and contractor are expected to encourage their staff to achieve the charter. In some cases the employer and the contractor share offices in the spirit of the partnering. Dispute Resolution Adjudication Once a dispute cannot be resolved mutually between the parties, it can be referred to adjudicator by either party in writing with a copy to the other party. The adjudicator shall give his decision in writing to both parties. The decision of the adjudicator is not final. The name of the adjudicator and his CV is usually included in the bidding document. If a bidder has problem with a suggested adjudicator, he must indicate so in writing and suggest another adjudicator which must be accepted by the employer. Arbitration If either of the party is dissatisfied with the decision of the adjudicator, the dissatisfied party can write to the arbitrator. Either party may give the other notice to commence arbitration. The ddecision of arbitration are final and binding on all parties Arbitration Courts The Court of Arbitration of International Chamber of Commerce (Paris) is the most popular arbitration institute in the World. Other are; London Court of Arbitration and Allied Professional Society The American Arbitration Association in United State of American Arbitration Institute of Stockholm Chamber of Commerce based in Sweden. United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) – UN International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSID)- WB Change Orders and Price Adjustments Contracts are base on plans, designs, specification and quantities which are best estimates. Field conditions, revisions to original plan could cause the scope of the contract to change. Revisions caused by changes in expectation and technology may require change order. A â€Å"change order† is request for a change in the scope of a contract. It may be requested by either party to a contract. A â€Å"change order† signed by all the parties have the same authority as the original contract. For contracts financed by World Bank, change order is applied to changes in contract that is more than 5% of the contract sum. Under the World Bank procurement system, contract which exceed 18 months period should have provision for price adjustment. Contract Close Out Contract close out begins when the contract has been physically complete, i. e. all services have been performed and products delivered. Close out is completed when all administrative actions have been completed, all disputes settled, and final payment have been made. Materials and equipment to be handed over properly receipted. Contract close out is as important as contract award and contract monitoring. A check list of all services, products, etc. to be delivered in the contract should be kept in the contract file. Governance: Fraud, Corruption & Conflict of Interest Conflict of interest refers to a situation in which procurement official evaluate tenders involving companies in which they have direct or indirect interest. Fraud on the other hand includes misrepresentation or omission of facts to influence a procurement process or the execution of contract. It also includes collusion among bidders. corruption include offering, giving, receiving or soliciting directly or indirectly of anything of value to influence the action of a public official in the procurement process or contract execution. Governance: Identification of Corruption Some â€Å"red flags† in procurement process that indicate possibility of corruption include the following: Poor record keeping Deviations from procedures without written justification Poorly defined roles/responsibilities Absence of good internal control system â€Å"Red flags† can be exhibited by individuals involve in procurement and contract administration as follows: Extravagant lifestyle Excessive interaction with supplier(s) and contractors Too much secrecy Reluctance to delegate duties Keeping contact with certain suppliers exclusively Some â€Å"red flags† in a particular procuring entity are: Always the same suppliers competing & wining Reluctance of established supplier and contractors to bid for contracts in an entity Some â€Å"red flags† in contract administration Excessive cost overruns Excessive numbers of change orders (increasing cost) Payment of frivolous claims Governance: Corruption Contributing Factors& Known Signals Lack of competitive environment Lack of trained & competent procurement staff Widespread lack of trust & job security Permissive environment (no sanctions after established cases of fraud and corruption) Lack of good mechanism for handling protest & delays Known signals {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Case Study Case 1 An employer invited bid for the supply of one X-ray machine for the main hospital for delivery one month ex-stock within 2 months of Letter of Credit. In the bidding document, bidders were asked to quote price on CIP capital city by air in US dollars. Bidders were provided 60 days to submit bids. Six bids were opened publicly. All except one bidder quoted the price as solicited. One bidder quoted the price in French Francs. In its evaluation the employer rejected the bid as it did not comply with the currency provision. The employer proposed to award the contract to the lowest bidder as all the other bid are responsive. The contract will be financed under a credit from World Bank and the rejected bidder protested to the World Bank on the ground that World Bank permitted bids from any member country and currency and his bid was in fact the lowest. What should the World Bank do and Why? Case 2 In an agricultural project, an employer presented papers relating to an advance procurement of two bulldozers for World Bank financing retroactively. The employer/borrower claimed to have followed the World Bank ICB procedures. On review, it was noted that the General Procurement Notice (GPN) and Specific Procurement Notice (SPN) were issued, adequate time provided for the bidding, there was good response and award had been made to the lowest bidder. The only short-coming was the bids were opened by a government committee without inviting the bidder representative. Is the process valid under this circumstance? Case 3 You are the chairman of public procurement administrative review commission. A project includes the procurement of 10 tracks Dozers and excavators to be procured under a single package. The specifications stated the tracks should be powered by an engine with a minimum of 175 horsepower (SAE) at a rated RPM. Firm A offered its dozers with a 165HP. In the evaluation the committee consider the deviation as minor and awarded the contract to Firm A. Firm B

Fourth Grade Play

Fourth Grade Play Free Online Research Papers It was the fourth grade. I always heard rumors and gossip about a certain teacher. This year, kids said to take any teacher except Mrs. Williams, the oral project teacher. Of course in elementary, we did not have a choice of which teacher to choose. Boy, I was shocked when I glanced at the window that had my schedule. I knew it was going to be a bad year. The old, grouchy, mean Mrs. Williams would be my teacher. No problems, all I need to do is stand in front of the class and speak. Of course, I always hated talking in front of the class. I did orals in second and third grade; but it couldnt be that bad. Nothing could go wrong. Thats what I thought. The season changed with cold rains and blistering chills to blooming flowers and emerging birds. It was spring, and the school year would be over soon. This is when I finally knew why everyone hated her class. Mrs. Williams gave us the dreaded and most painful oral, The Play. It consisted of singing, dancing, acting, and prancing across the gym. Could it get any worse? Of course it could. On a piece of paper, stuck to a wall with eight pushpins and long-lasting duct tape, it stated, Invite people you know to The Play. A couple days after the announcement, a white envelope came in the the name Mrs. Williams pasted on the return address. Why wasnt I surprised to find out this was an invitation to The Play for my parents? There were no more excuses. I had no choice but to join the play. We first started by taking roles in different dramas. I rushed through a crowd of kids and hunted for a small lined part. I would be a dashing soldier, protecting the country of Rome from evil dragons while doing my best to keep the Gods happy. Next, we all took bells and canes for the singing, prancing, and dancing part of the play. I received a tiny scratched bell with a little red piece of yarn. It was the ugliest bell, but I became use to these consequences and I did not have any problem in going forward with progress. After getting our red-striped canes and other materials, we rehearsed our parts. Well most did. Personally, I hated the whole thing, especially the singing roles. When the kids werent in tune, she blamed it on me and forced me to sing more. When we had to jingle the bells for a beat, my bell would just make an ugly thump sound. Even with all these problems, everyone seemed ready for The Play. It just started to get dark and people piled onto the benches. Today was the day all our preparation came into action. Cameras covered the scene with parents making sure they did not miss anything. I was doing well. The Roman drama went perfectly and we excited the crowd with our acting skills. The singing and dancing were just as great. We sung with utmost excellence and made it to our spots with no wrong steps. That was the last major oral project we did in fourth grade. It was a pretty awful school year, but I gained a lot of knowledge from it. I learned how to speak in front of an audience in a firm and clear voice. I gained more confidence and I did not worry about orals as much. I guess fourth grade was not that bad, after acknowledging all the accomplishments I made that year. However, I sure would not want to go through the dire fourth grade again. Research Papers on Fourth Grade PlayThe Spring and AutumnStandardized TestingHip-Hop is ArtTrailblazing by Eric AndersonHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Hockey Game19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

10 Interesting Facts About Radioactive Tritium

10 Interesting Facts About Radioactive Tritium Tritium is the radioactive isotope of the element hydrogen. It has many useful applications. Here are some interesting facts about tritium: Tritium is also known as hydrogen-3 and has an element symbol T or 3H.  The nucleus of a tritium atom is called a triton  and consists of three particles: one proton and two neutrons. The word tritium comes from  Greek the word tritos, which means third. The other two isotopes of hydrogen are protium (most common form) and deuterium.Tritium has an atomic number of 1, like other hydrogen isotopes, but it has a mass of about 3 (3.016).Tritium decays via beta particle emission, with a half-life of 12.3 years. The beta decay releases 18 keV of energy, where tritium decays into helium-3 and a beta particle. As the neutron changes into a proton, the hydrogen changes into helium. This is an example of the natural transmutation of one element into another.Ernest Rutherford was the first person to produce tritium. Rutherford,  Mark Oliphant, and Paul Harteck prepared tritium from deuterium in 1934 but were unable to isolate it.  Luis Alvarez and Robert Cornog realized tritium was ra dioactive and successfully isolated the element. Trace amounts of tritium occur naturally on Earth when cosmic rays interact with the atmosphere. Most tritium that is available is made via neutron activation of lithium-6 in a nuclear reactor. Tritium is also produced by nuclear fission of uranium-235, uranium-233, and polonium-239. In the United States, tritium is produced at a nuclear facility in Savannah, Georgia. At the time of a report issued in 1996, only 225 kilograms of tritium had been produced in the United States.Tritium can exist as an odorless and colorless gas, like ordinary hydrogen, but the element is mainly found in liquid form as part of tritiated water or T2O, a form of heavy water.A tritium atom has the same 1 net electrical charge as any other hydrogen atom, but tritium behaves differently from the other isotopes in chemical reactions because the neutrons produce a stronger attractive nuclear force when another atom is brought close. Consequently, tritium is better able to fuse with lighter atoms to form heavier ones. External exposure to tritium gas or tritiated water is not very dangerous because tritium emits such a low energy beta particle that the radiation cannot penetrate the skin. However, tritium does pose some health risks if it is ingested, inhaled, or enters the body through an open wound or injection. The biological half-life ranges from around 7 to 14 days, so bioaccumulation of tritium is not a significant concern. Because beta particles are a form of ionizing radiation, the expected health effect from internal exposure to tritium would be an elevated risk of developing cancer.Tritium has many uses, including self-powered lighting, as a component in nuclear weapons, as a radioactive label in chemistry lab work, as a tracer for biological and environmental studies, and for controlled nuclear fusion.High levels of tritium were released into the environment from nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s. Prior to the tests, it is estimated only 3 to 4 kilograms of tritium was pres ent on the Earths surface. After testing, the levels rose 200-300%. Much of this tritium combined with oxygen to form tritiated water. One interesting consequence is that the tritiated water could be traced and used as a tool to monitor the hydrologic cycle and to map ocean currents. Sources Jenkins, William J. et al, 1996: Transient Tracers Track Ocean Climate Signals Oceanus, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Zerriffi, Hisham (January 1996). Tritium: The environmental, health, budgetary, and strategic effects of the Department of Energys decision to produce tritium. Institute for Energy and Environmental Research.

Arctic Exploration and the Future of the Arctic Ocean Essay

Arctic Exploration and the Future of the Arctic Ocean - Essay Example This would help him sail through with the boat he brought (Berton 2012). For years, many nations such as the U.S, Canada, Norway, Russia, and Denmark have interest in the riches and the potentials of the Arctic Ocean. Some of these nations have parts of the Arctic Ocean as their territory because the area has vast oil deposits and lucrative business activities like trade routes. These opportunities have made the nations to vie for arctic dominance thus causing disputes between these countries (Shah, 2010). Using compass for direction in the arctic can be useless because of magnetic inclination. This is the difference between the geographic north and magnetic north poles. The North Pole is all one side of a magnet so when you have a compass, it will be repelled and attracted at the same time. The compass will end up pointing towards a random position. This will be challenging for anyone trying to find his or her way through because the compass will identify north as a different

Implementation & Analysis of Public Policy Essay

Implementation & Analysis of Public Policy - Essay Example e 2004 general elections before the voters to 2006 and later 2008 with an election outcome of 52.7 percent voting in favor of the project (Albalate 15). This approval was for the first segment of the proposed railway system that was dubbed Proposition 1A. As Albalate asserts, the entire project was estimated to cost forty billion dollars, however, the authority responsible for the execution of the plan releases a novel cost estimation ranging between $98.5 billion and $118 billion. The system is anticipated to complete in 2035 whereby it will carry 120,000 riders each day at a speed of 200 miles per hour, if it gets built successfully (16). Despite the gobs of benefits anticipated from the proposed rail system, there has been criticism hitherto. The proposed rail system intends to meet California’s transportation needs of the 21st century. The 800-mile running rail is purposed to connect the major regions of the state such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. With the congestion in the transport systems, it is feasible to implement a system that will help in reducing both the inconveniences and time taken to travel. The state of California experiences severe air pollutions, and to eliminate this, the proposed rail system aims at achieving a cleaner environment wiping out the auto travel, which is the main agent of air pollution. The elimination of autos from the transport system will also reduce the state’s reliance on foreign oils. For other means of transport, the high-speed rail project will enhance connectivity. The rail system is also calculated at contributing to the state’s economic development and job creation for the persistently heightened unemployment characterized population. Besides, the high- speed rail system aspires to protect the preserved, ecologically sensitive, and agricultural lands by reducing the per passenger emissions, during travel, across the state of California (Jones 228). After the completion of the project, Californians have much