Digital Fortress Chapter 32

David Becker stood in the hallway outside suite 301. He knew that somewhere behind the ornately carved door was the ring. A matter of national security. Becker could hear movement inside the room. Faint talking. He knocked. A deep German accent called out. â€Å"Ja?† Becker remained silent. â€Å"Ja?† The door opened a crack, and a rotund Germanic face gazed down at him. Becker smiled politely. He did not know the man's name. â€Å"Deutscher, ja?† he asked. â€Å"German, right?† The man nodded, uncertain. Becker continued in perfect German. â€Å"May I speak to you a moment?† The man looked uneasy. â€Å"Was willst du? What do you want?† Becker realized he should have rehearsed this before brazenly knocking on a stranger's door. He searched for the right words. â€Å"You have something I need.† These were apparently not the right words. The German's eyes narrowed. â€Å"Ein ring,† Becker said. â€Å"Du hast einen Ring. You have a ring.† â€Å"Go away,† the German growled. He started to close the door. Without thinking, Becker slid his foot into the crack and jammed the door open. He immediately regretted the action. The German's eyes went wide. â€Å"Was tust du?† he demanded. â€Å"What are you doing?† Becker knew he was in over his head. He glanced nervously up and down the hall. He'd already been thrown out of the clinic; he had no intention of going two for two. â€Å"Nimm deinen Fu? weg!† the German bellowed. â€Å"Remove your foot!† Becker scanned the man's pudgy fingers for a ring. Nothing. I'm so close, he thought. â€Å"Ein Ring!† Becker repeated as the door slammed shut. David Becker stood a long moment in the well-furnished hallway. A replica of a Salvador Dali hung nearby. â€Å"Fitting.† Becker groaned. Surrealism. I'm trapped in an absurd dream. He'd woken up that morning in his own bed but had somehow ended up in Spain breaking into a stranger's hotel room on a quest for some magical ring. Strathmore's stern voice pulled him back to reality: You must find that ring. Becker took a deep breath and blocked out the words. He wanted to go home. He looked back to the door marked 301. His ticket home was just on the other side-a gold ring. All he had to do was get it. He exhaled purposefully. Then he strode back to suite 301 and knocked loudly on the door. It was time to play hardball. The German yanked open the door and was about to protest, but Becker cut him off. He flashed his Maryland squash club ID and barked, â€Å"Polizei!† Then Becker pushed his way into the room and threw on the lights. Wheeling, the German squinted in shock. â€Å"Was machst-â€Å" â€Å"Silence!† Becker switched to English. â€Å"Do you have a prostitute in this room?† Becker peered around the room. It was as plush as any hotel room he'd ever seen. Roses, champagne, a huge canopy bed. Rocio was nowhere to be seen. The bathroom door was closed. â€Å"Prostituiert?† The German glanced uneasily at the closed bathroom door. He was larger than Becker had imagined. His hairy chest began right under his triple chin and sloped outward to his colossal gut. The drawstring of his white terry-cloth Alfonso XIII bathrobe barely reached around his waist. Becker stared up at the giant with his most intimidating look. â€Å"What is your name?† A look of panic rippled across the German's corpulent face. â€Å"Was willst du? What do you want?† â€Å"I am with the tourist relations branch of the Spanish Guardia here in Seville. Do you have a prostitute in this room?† The German glanced nervously at the bathroom door. He hesitated. â€Å"Ja,† he finally admitted. â€Å"Do you know this is illegal in Spain?† â€Å"Nein,† the German lied. â€Å"I did not know. I'll send her home right now.† â€Å"I'm afraid it's too late for that,† Becker said with authority. He strolled casually into the room. â€Å"I have a proposition for you.† â€Å"Ein Vorschlag?† The German gasped. â€Å"A proposition?† â€Å"Yes. I can take you to headquarters right now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Becker paused dramatically and cracked his knuckles. â€Å"Or what?† the German asked, his eyes widening in fear. â€Å"Or we make a deal.† â€Å"What kind of deal?† The German had heard stories about the corruption in the Spanish Guardia Civil. â€Å"You have something I want,† Becker said. â€Å"Yes, of course!† the German effused, forcing a smile. He went immediately to the wallet on his dresser. â€Å"How much?† Becker let his jaw drop in mock indignation. â€Å"Are you trying to bribe an officer of the law?† he bellowed. â€Å"No! Of course not! I just thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The obese man quickly set down his wallet. â€Å"I†¦ I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was totally flustered. He collapsed on the corner of the bed and wrung his hands. The bed groaned under his weight. â€Å"I'm sorry.† Becker pulled a rose from the vase in the center of the room and casually smelled it before letting it fall to the floor. He spun suddenly. â€Å"What can you tell me about the murder?† The German went white. â€Å"Mord? Murder?† â€Å"Yes. The Asian man this morning? In the park? It was an assassination-Ermordung.† Becker loved the German word for assassination. Ermordung. It was so chilling. â€Å"Ermordung? He†¦ he was†¦?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But†¦ but that's impossible,† the German choked. â€Å"I was there. He had a heart attack. I saw it. No blood. No bullets.† Becker shook his head condescendingly. â€Å"Things are not always as they seem.† The German went whiter still. Becker gave an inward smile. The lie had served its purpose. The poor German was sweating profusely. â€Å"Wh-wh-at do you want?† he stammered. â€Å"I know nothing.† Becker began pacing. â€Å"The murdered man was wearing a gold ring. I need it.† â€Å"I-I don't have it.† Becker sighed patronizingly and motioned to the bathroom door. â€Å"And Rocio? Dewdrop?† The man went from white to purple. â€Å"You know Dewdrop?† He wiped the sweat from his fleshy forehead and drenched his terry-cloth sleeve. He was about to speak when the bathroom door swung open. Both men looked up. Rocio Eva Granada stood in the doorway. A vision. Long flowing red hair, perfect Iberian skin, deep-brown eyes, a high smooth forehead. She wore a white terry-cloth robe that matched the German's. The tie was drawn snugly over her wide hips, and the neck fell loosely open to reveal her tanned cleavage. She stepped into the bedroom, the picture of confidence. â€Å"May I help you?† she asked in throaty English. Becker gazed across the room at the stunning woman before him and did not blink. â€Å"I need the ring,† he said coldly. â€Å"Who are you?† she demanded. Becker switched to Spanish with a dead-on Andalusian accent. â€Å"Guardia Civil.† She laughed. â€Å"Impossible,† she replied in Spanish. Becker felt a knot rise in his throat. Rocio was clearly a little tougher than her client. â€Å"Impossible?† he repeated, keeping his cool. â€Å"Shall I take you downtown to prove it?† Rocio smirked. â€Å"I will not embarrass you by accepting your offer. Now, who are you?† Becker stuck to his story. â€Å"I am with the Seville Guardia.† Rocio stepped menacingly toward him. â€Å"I know every police officer on the force. They are my best clients.† Becker felt her stare cutting right through him. He regrouped. â€Å"I am with a special tourist task force. Give me the ring, or I'll have to take you down to the precinct and-â€Å" â€Å"And what?† she demanded, raising her eyebrows in mock anticipation. Becker fell silent. He was in over his head. The plan was backfiring. Why isn't she buying this? Rocio came closer. â€Å"I don't know who you are or what you want, but if you don't get out of this suite right now, I will call hotel security, and the real Guardia will arrest you for impersonating a police officer.† Becker knew that Strathmore could have him out of jail in five minutes, but it had been made very clear to him that this matter was supposed to be handled discreetly. Getting arrested was not part of the plan. Rocio had stopped a few feet in front of Becker and was glaring at him. â€Å"Okay.† Becker sighed, accentuating the defeat in his voice. He let his Spanish accent slip. â€Å"I am not with the Seville police. A U.S. government organization sent me to locate the ring. That's all I can reveal. I've been authorized to pay you for it.† There was a long silence. Rocio let his statement hang in the air a moment before parting her lips in a sly smile. â€Å"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?† She sat down on a chair and crossed her legs. â€Å"How much can you pay?† Becker muffled his sigh of relief. He wasted no time getting down to business. â€Å"I can pay you 750,000 pesetas. Five thousand American dollars.† It was half what he had on him but probably ten times what the ring was actually worth. Rocio raised her eyebrows. â€Å"That's a lot of money.† â€Å"Yes it is. Do we have a deal?† Rocio shook her head. â€Å"I wish I could say yes.† â€Å"A million pesetas?† Becker blurted. â€Å"It's all I have.† â€Å"My, my.† She smiled. â€Å"You Americans don't bargain very well. You wouldn't last a day in our markets.† â€Å"Cash, right now,† Becker said, reaching for the envelope in his jacket. I just want to go home. Rocio shook her head. â€Å"I can't.† Becker bristled angrily. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I no longer have the ring,† she said apologetically. â€Å"I've already sold it.†

Sending People Into Space

The history of sending people to the space is quite long. The first trip to the space was in 1961 by the Soviet Union during the cool war with the United States. It was an important event in the human history. However, since then sending people to the space become more and more for many reasons, such as research discover the space, espionage, and in the last 10 years for tourism too, so lots of money are spending in this field of sciences; which is not useful in some people's opinion and they think the money should divert to worthwhile causes such as reducing world hunger. This essay explores both sides of the argument advantages and disadvantages. There are a number of arguments in favour of sending people to the space. Firstly, discover the space which is very important to understand the space movement and predict any problems in the future, which would give people more time to find solution. For example, three weeks ago in the South America the space scientists predicted the hurricane before long time ,so the governments of Mexico and the USA control it, and the number of people who died or injured were a few. Secondly, exploration of space allowing people to know more about the weather, plants, moon, sun and our solar system, last week a planet of our solar system was discovered in the USA by a space scientist. Thirdly, there is no doubt that sending people with their technology improved our communication; it is easier now to exchange the information than before. For example, international call, the internet and satellites. Finally, many things which often help to improve our lives were developed by space scientists. For example, drugs, human researches, and materials â€Å"Teflon†. On the other hand, sending people to the space has also number of disadvantages. The first is that the majority of governments send people to the space for undeclared purpose which is espionage. Also they do not share the information with others. As a result each country sends their own, which means spend more money in situation they can share together. Moreover, in the recent year some companies started to attract rich people to go to the space, which costs lots of money. For example, Dennis Tito from the USA, who went with NASA for 8 days to the space and his trip cost  £14m. In conclusion, sending people to the space is necessary for both the governments and people; it will help and improve our lives in many ways. However, they have to work together in this field to reduce the number of money which is spending in their research.

B.Ed Notes of Communication

Principle of appropriate feedback Principle of facilitators and barriers of communication Verbal Communication: Oral; Written; Oral and written Non Verbal Communication Facial Expression Language of the eye Body language Sound Symbols Symbolic Code language ? ? Desirable Undesirable ? Â  Maieunic theory of Teaching Communication theory of Teaching (Herbartian) Moulding Theory of Teaching (conditioning) The Mutual inquiry theory of Teaching Gagne’s hierarchical theory of instruction Atkinson’s Optimal learning theory of Instruction Bruner’s Cognitive theory of Instruction Gage’s cognitive theory of teaching \ Ryan’s theory of Teaching behaviour Clark’s general theory of teaching Mitra’s psychological theory of teaching Mangal Mangal: Theories of Teaching Communication and Teaching Learning J C Aggarwal: Communication, Information Technology and computers in Education ? What is Classroom communication? What are the principles of an effective classroom communication?

Discrimination in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discrimination in the Workplace - Essay Example At a personal level, I had the chance to witness high levels of discrimination at my workplace. The law gives protection to workers against the act of discrimination be it in terms of dismissal, remuneration, recruitment promotions and transfers among other aspects. Violation of these regulations, by companies, have resulted in huge costs impacted by law firms. The financial implications of discrimination at workplace normally go beyond the cash liabilities (Benjamin). The discrimination I faced in my company had great impacts on the individual, organizational, and global level, which affected the productivity of the workforce, the company's ability to keep and recruit workers. The company developed the habit of favoring one gender and looking down upon the other. The male gender was regarded as competent compared to my female gender. Concepts that aligned with discrimination included reduced job satisfaction and motivation, tarnished name of the company, and reduced loyalty accompan ied with an increased turnover level (Benjamin). Discrimination practices by the top management resulted in negative implications on my job satisfaction and motivation at an individual ground. I was a victim of demotion in the company due to the fact that I was a lady. I became demoralized at work and I lacked the zeal of being among the productive employees. The discrimination subject affected nearly all the ladies in the organization resulting into tainting of the company’s reputation at a global level. Promotion and company additional benefits are supposed to be awarded to all workers equally.

The Un-Tradiional Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Un-Tradiional Paper - Essay Example Now, in the age of internet and technology, different other sources are available for research. All those sources which in the past were only available in print form are now accessed online. The reliability of the data depends upon the reliability of the source which is disseminating that information. Academic credentials of the writer and publisher are very vital in this regard. Academia in general prefers those sources which are written by scholars and are published by renowned publishing institutes. Internet, though a source of abundant information is usually dubbed as unscholarly and unreliable due to the anonymity of authorship or doubt about the academic credentials of the author. Wikipedia, search engines, websites,forums and blogs are these days higly accessed channels for the information. But usually the teachers regard them as unscholary sources and do not encourage the mention of those as reference in research. The reason is that these articles are written by those persons who use their personal opinion which is sometimes bias. Another reason for unreliablility of these sources is that they do not give proper references for the material they use as information. Mostly we do not know that the data contained in that piece is writing is authentic or not. In the give research project, I have chosen five articles on â€Å" social media† from some unscholarly sources. I have not selected these article not from any selection, book, scholarly journal or academic website. I have chosen five sources from internet websites, blogs, forums, opinionated editorials and Wikipedia. After seledtion of the articles, I have tried to point out those aspects of these writings which exclude them from the category of authentic, reliable and scholarly sources. First source: Website article My first selected piece of writing is an article about social media on a website titled â€Å" Social Media Today†. The article is written by David Chang who is CEO of commun ity named â€Å" Share Bloc† and possess a sufficient knowledge about social media and business related to it. In the current article â€Å" Mobile is tweeting the world†, Chang has highlighted the economic prospects of using social media sites like twitter on mobiles. The article is unreliable and unscholarly as we do ot find information cited or quoted from traditionally accepted academic sources like books, journals or articles, rather the information given seems to be from the author’s own knowledge. The article no doubt is informative but is not research based. It is opinionated and we can not rule out some element of bias from it. The academic credentials of the author have not been given and we even are not sure whether this article has been written by David Chang. We do not know whether the name is real or somebody is using it as pseudonym. No intextt citation has been used and graph used in the article contain no reference. The author does not disclose his source of information. The method of retention of information on this site is also unknown. We do not know whether the source we are consulting will be available to us on the same location in future. Second source: News paper article on new generations civilized attitude at social media Though the editorial pretends to include the results of an online survey, yet the reliability of the article remains an issue. The referencing is not proper as usually no in

Business Viability Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Viability Plan - Case Study Example Due to the great demand on the services provided by the organisation, it was decided that a feasibility plan is to be conducted so that it can expand in offering of new services. The services should include the market plan, management plan, operations plan, risk management plan and financial plan. The finding is to be used in decision-making. Dog's dinner incorporation is a non-profit making organisation This Company was established at the end of the year 2004 and it functioned in the provision of non-profession theatre. The organisation has a staff membership of twenty with a basis of non-professional theatre. The company has been successful in the production of several plays. These plays include the four plays and memory water which were produced in 2005 while the production of four plays 2 and Andrew Bovell's play was in 2006.The success were also contributed by the fact that the plays were written by the staff of the company. The business has grown in that it started in the year 2004 and it is currently having twenty employees. It is seen that the business has grown as seen in the accounting records. The total income as per the year 2006 on June, the income was low at 6067 while on 2007 June was 7356.15. Dog's dinner incorporation is an organisation that provides theatre entertainment services such as drama and so it is planning to expand by providing a set of new services. The organisation intends to present high quality production which may be original or non original to the local audience who have an interest in the presentations. It also intends to have a chance of working with the local secondary schools by providing live performance based on literature of the secondary set books and the drama texts. This is of great importance to the secondary school student s that will have a golden chance of viewing live performance and hence break the monotony of reading only textbooks. The company intends to have an edge in competing with other companies by offering services that are going to stimulate them to think and reflect on their lives and society and so this challenge in which it will be offering to their audience will make the organisation to be attractive to many people. Don Daya nada, Richard Irons, Steve Harrison, and John Herbon, PatricioRowland (2002). The free performance by the writers, technicians and performers will lead to their talent being given a forum in presenting quality, original and established work to the public. The free service will enable the performance to be less costly and hence it will attract more people and through this there will be promotion of the business. Dave Hall, Jones, Cano Raffo (1999). To be considered In the plan is the copyright issues in which their presentations are copyrighted and their trade name are presented to the registrar of society to ensure that it is not by any other person or groups. Their trademark should be registered to prevent other companies infringing on their rights and also prevent other groups from using their name in making their presentations. Dave Hall, Jones, Cano Raffo (1999) Planning consideration Planning is the process whereby the future activities are arranged in a chronological order so that they can be implemented. The aim of a plan is to provide a

The Divine Comedy. The World Structure and The Role of Virgil Essay

The Divine Comedy. The World Structure and The Role of Virgil - Essay Example Thus, there are at least 3 dimensions of Dante’s relationship with Ancient Greek and Roman culture: the poetical one, that is, the influence of the language and symbolism of the previous ages; the difference in world order in Dante’s and classic thinkers’ visions; and the most specific one, Dante’s relationship with Virgil as outlined in the Divine Comedy. This essay addresses all 3 of them. Poetical Aspect Many Dante scholars agree that the most important cultural trait of Classical poetry in the Divine Comedy is its style, that is, its verse, rhetorical topoi, strictness of composition, and the characteristics of genre (Curtius 353-358). Virgil, as well as other figures of ancient writers/rhapsodes such as Lucan and Homer, was the one of the â€Å"regulated poets† whose writing had an imprint of elaborate poetical systems (Curtius 354). Dante wanted his verse and his vision of afterlife to be systematic and logical. Dante’s structured of In ferno is even more elaborate than Virgil’s: in the Aeneid (VI), Aeneus travels through only three sectors of Hell, not shaped as circles and surrounded by different basins rather than parts of one system (Virgil). Still, the overall structure is the same: it is a descriptive journey with a powerful guide (Sybil in Aeneus’s case) beginning in the dark wood and ending on the light mountain top: â€Å"And takes a rising ground, from thence to see / The long procession of his progeny† (Aeneid VI.1024). As for merely linguistic influences, Curtius finds numerous Latinisms in the Divine Comedy , such as his use of the river (‘Fuime’) image used to demonstrate the eloquence of Dante’s speech as related to Virgil’s (Curtius 356). Most of these Latinisms are Medieval, not related to Renaissance poetics (Curtius 354). They indicate that Dante perceived Virgil’s worldview mainly through medieval lens. Thus, his ideas of human nature and th e structure of the world are different from Virgil’s and much closer to Christianity. The World Structure The meaning of Hell is strikingly different in the Divine Comedy and the Classic culture. Dante’s Hell and Purgatory are designed for sinners, being something like a disciplinary place for corrupted souls; thus, it has a strict hierarchy, and every punishment is logically connected with the crime, like the Diviners in Canto XX who are forced to walk with their heads turned back. The punishments are arranged according to the severity of crime, descending into the depth and ending with the frozen circle, like in other medieval literary descriptions of Hell (Turner 87). As the main function of Hell is punishment, the characters are described vividly, in the flesh, and usually with some moral assessment: Those spirits, faint and naked, color chang'd, And gnash'd their teeth, soon as the cruel words They heard.   God and their parents they blasphem'd, The human kind, the place, the time, and seed That did engender them and give them birth (Divine Comedy III.94-98) This is the description of the souls (disembodied!) about to be transported by Charon. In Virgil’s version, it is Charon who provokes disgust; the souls of the dead are described in a neutral if not compassionate way: An airy crowd came rushing where he stood, Which fill'd the margin of the fatal flood: Husbands and wives, boys and unmarried maids, And mighty heroes' more majestic shades, And youths, intomb'd before their fathers' eyes, With hollow groans, and shrieks, and feeble cries (Aeneid VI.422-427). Virgil’s vision of the afterlife, like that of many other Ancient Greeks and Romans, is morally neutral: it’s a fate, an important category of Ancient worldview. Like Ovid, Virgil believed that death is a

The Importance of Learning and Achievement in Life Regardless Essay

The Importance of Learning and Achievement in Life Regardless - Essay Example In the school year 2004-2005, the researcher had the privilege of working with the most wonderful Middle School Resource Room children. The experience of teaching in a rural farming community was an eye-opening experience and one that I will never forget. The following research has been based on the idea that children of poverty often do not achieve their highest potential in school. One way or another, it seems that grades are not important to them. In my opinion, grades are not important to the said students because they feel as though they do not have many opportunities such as getting a good paying job, acquiring lots of money and so on. Resource Room students often see themselves as inadequate in the area of knowledge, skills and brains. Hence, it is the duty of the teacher or teachers to help these students see what they have to offer the world, the job market and other sectors of success in the society. Although this is the case, it could not be denied that the main will of th ese students is to free themselves from poverty. How? Through short term schooling, earning minimum grades and planning to obtain a minimum wage paying job in the future. In this regard, understanding poverty and middle school resource room student achievement will allow teachers to begin to understand the students’ thinking, their rationale for school, their view concerning the importance of school, their patterns of displaying several behavioural reactions towards numerous situations concerning themselves and their education.

Government Expansion for National Security Essay

Government Expansion for National Security - Essay Example Law enforcement agencies across the nation are faced with the dilemma with countering terrorist threats based on information that are at best loaded with the scenario that any potential terrorist act may actually happen. Using any information, most of the time unverified and unspecified to issue alert warnings to the public has been justified on the premise that the September 11 attacks happened because the intelligence agencies were slow to issue warnings and release information to other law enforcement agencies. The pre-emptive orientation of the intelligence community has gathered force in the face of growing concerns that civil liberties are in danger of being trampled. In 2004, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, creating a Director of National Intelligence to be on top of the country's intelligence community. He also acts as the President's top intelligence adviser. While this move was meant to coordinate nationwide intelligence operati ons, there have been considerable areas of conflict among the law enforcement agencies. The public has recently seen the military and the Central Intelligence Agency encroaching too much on the sphere of domestic intelligence, which is the turf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Financial records of individuals and other parties who are suspected of being involved in terrorism have been examined by the FBI through the issuance of national security letters and for the most part, banks and other institutions have cooperated. However, it has been reported that even the Pentagon and the CIA have been issuing their own version of the national security letters (Lichtblau & Mazzetti 2007). Furthermore, the FBI has complained that the military have been directly dealing with the police, without proper coordination with the bureau in issuing warnings against possible terrorist threats. The White House is also mulling to give more teeth to an agency within the Pentagon called the Counterintelligence Field Activity or CIFA currently in-charge of coordinating security efforts by giving it authority to investigate crimes such as trea son, foreign or terrorist sabotage, including economic sabotage within the country (Pincus 2005). Moreover, a legislation is being pushed to allow the military access to the database on U.S. citizens gathered by the FBI. Concerns about this have been somehow mitigated by an amendment which will require the Pentagon to seek approval for this data-sharing from the Director of the National Intelligence and to report to Congress any of such activity. The question of whether executive powers should be expanded has come to pass because in fact the American public has indeed given its go-signal for this to happen. While the public has recently been against the War in Iraq and other reports concerning Government Expansion for National Security 2 domestic spying, the American people had been united right after the September 11 attacks in giving President Bush authority to deal with the terrorist threat

Women's Rights Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women's Rights - Thesis Example It further investigates how the modern day African societies reverse the effect of such retrogressive beliefs, which have contributed to the denial of human rights to women in the societies. In doing the research analyses a number of sources primary of which are films and videos obtained from you tube and other digital video disc formats. These videos depict the different forms of women maltreatments and the rights denial mechanisms that the African women face in their daily lives. Some of these videos show how the female genital mutilation a vice that have through time denied the African girl child equal academic opportunity since after the practice the young girls are immediately married off to elderly men (Ogundipe-Leslie 21). The research also uses secondary sources, which include books and newspaper articles, which recount the struggle of the African woman for liberty and equal opportunity in the society. These seek to depict the progresses made by different governments in the continent to level the playing ground for both sexes thus uplift the status of the girl child thus that of the African woman by extrapolation (Rwomire

The Mendelssohn Concerto in E Minor Essay Example for Free

The Mendelssohn Concerto in E Minor Essay â€Å"I would like to compose a violin concerto for next winter. One in E minor keeps running through my head, and the opening gives me no peace,† German composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his friend, violinist Ferdinand David, in 1838. Mendelssohn would seek to collaborate on his last orchestral work with David, revising it painstakingly until its premiere in Leipzig in 1845. The first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 4, is considered a staple of the violin repertoire and an example piece of the romantic period. While Mendelssohn is widely recognized as a romantic who remained loyal mainly to traditional, classical forms, the technical demands of the soloist, the novel placement and qualities of the cadenza, and the features of the overall form illustrate both the novelty of the concerto and why it served as an example for later composers. The concerto is credited with being challenging but manageable in its technical demands of the soloist. While it contains many intricate techniques, it â€Å"plays well under the fingers,† undoubtedly because of Ferdinand David’s input. Because of this, it is widely used by violin instructors to introduce concerti to students. Its place as an introductory learning tool is held by Mendelssohn’s frequent use of octaves (rehearsal B and K) to lead the player to arrival points such as the high â€Å"B† after rehearsal B, seen in Example 1. Example 1: Varied use of octaves surrounding rehearsal B. The Classical style to which Mendelssohn remained loyal is characterized in technique by his use of ricochet bowing, first developed by Niccolo Paganini, in the chord section immediately following the cadenza after rehearsal letter O. While many of his strategies were common in the concerto’s time (including accent and tenuto articulations and virtuosic melodic lines), Mendelssohn departs from tradition in his treatment of the ricochet bowing technique. It is used to accompany an orchestra that reintroduces the theme after the cadenza; this is a reversal of the traditional role of having the soloist recapitulate the main idea. The Mendelssohn concerto is also novel in its treatment of the cadenza. The series of arpeggios in the ricochet bowing style before rehearsal P (or number 13) can be considered an extension of the traditional Classical cadenza played only by the soloist because these are continued after the orchestra re-enters (see Example 2). Example 2: The orchestra re-enters at rehearsal 13 as the soloist accompanies. Example 2: The orchestra re-enters at rehearsal 13 as the soloist accompanies. In the classical form, such as that used by Mozart in the first movement of his Violin Concerto in A major, KV 219, the cadenza is considered an entirely separate section from the orchestra. Also novel for the concerto’s time is Mendelssohn’s placement of the cadenza between the development and recapitulation sections, as opposed to its usual place at the end of the movement. Placement at the end can be found in Mozart’s concerto, as well as in the first movement of the Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1 (closed by only a short orchestra section). Another difference from the compositions of Mendelssohn’s predecessors and contemporaries is the fact that, in his careful editing, Mendelssohn wrote out the entire cadenza for the soloist; many classical composers intended for improvisation to be involved, either in keeping with their ideas or as completely new ideas. This tradition can be seen in the first movement of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 1; a cadenza later written by Fritz Kreisler is one of the most commonly performed for Beethoven’s first movement. Other formal features promote the concerto’s position as novel for its time. As a contrast to the traditional â€Å"double exposition† classical model, the violin enters at the start with a soaring melody after just two measures of orchestral introduction. The classical model normally contains a full exposition, with the orchestra introducing the main themes before the soloist enters. In effect, the orchestra and the soloist perform two separate expositions. Although the three movements of the concerto are written in the standard fast-slow-fast structure, distinctive from tradition was Mendelssohn’s decision to create a through-composed form, in which the three movements are connected, or played attacca. At the end of the first movement and into the second, the bassoon’s held note serves as a link between the two, a simple transition to a lyrical second movement. The technical and formal features of the violin concerto, as compared to Mendelssohn’s education in the classical form, illustrate that the work was innovative for its time. Mendelssohn’s collaboration with Ferdinand David demonstrates the work’s attention to technical detail. Mendelssohn’s careful editing is illustrated by the complete composition of the cadenza, as opposed to one intended for improvisation. The first movement’s novelty in technique and form also serves as an example as to why Mendelssohn was as inspiration to later composers such as Joseph Joachim and William Sterndale Bennett.

My Trip to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island Essay Example for Free

My Trip to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island Essay This tourist location is nationally known. Thousands of people a year come to Mackinaw City to enjoy the view of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. They also come to drive across the five mile long Mackinaw Bridge. It is a small town with hotels on every street. As I first arrived into Mackinaw City I noticed the Mackinaw Bridge far off in the distance. The colors of the bridge were a pale peach color with a hint of pale yellow. The bridge was always visible from any part in Mackinaw City because of how big it was and how tall it stood. As I looked around I saw hundreds of hotels surrounding the roads. Going down the road hundreds of people were walking to places whether it was to go to get ice cream or to go to a small grocery store. Hotels were lined up on the shore of Lake Huron. Luckily, we were staying at one of those hotels. The people there were very nice and courteous. As we walked into our hotel room, which was on the third floor, the light from outside shined through the balcony doors. I walked out on the balcony and on my left you could see the Mackinaw Bridge clear as day and on he right you could see all the ferries headed to Mackinaw Island. After we got settled in we headed down to the beach. The water was freezing cold but it was still fun because every time a ferry passed by huge waves of water would travel up to the shore and crash into it. I was excited because the next morning we got to take a ferry under the Mackinaw Bridge and to Mackinaw Island. The ferry went fast and there was a lot of wind which made it colder than it actually was but it was still fun! As we got further away from Mackinaw City the more you see of it. It was a beautiful sight. As the ferry got closer to Mackinaw Island you could see more and more people walking around the island. There were no cars at all, all there was, was trolleys being pulled around by horses. Entering the island you notice the buildings are very historic and old. There were a ton of hills. The island is like one big circle. A small beach area was on the island and in the distance you could see the Mackinaw Bridge. As the sun was shining down on the island it make the lake glisten and it made it bluer than it would be if it was cloudy. The streets were filled with people riding bikes and getting on the trolleys. While you were on the island you could walk up a bunch of stairs up to Fort Mackinac. It is a historical landmark where the attack of 1812 happened. As you walk around Fort Mackinac you see a group of people reenacting the historical event that happened there. Being that far up on a hill, you could see all of Mackinaw Island. The sun made everything shine brighter. Going here was very relaxing and you werent worried about anything. It was like all that weight got lifted off your shoulders and you were free to have fun and do what made this a very memorable vacation for me, which I will never forget.

Resiliency in Homelessness

Resiliency in Homelessness Problem Statement There is a great deal of research into resilience in children, whether they are housed or homeless. However, there is less research about resilience in adults, whether they are housed or homeless. This does not make sense to me. Childrens well-being, which includes their resilience, is directly correlated with that of the adults in their families. Women currently earn 60 cents for every dollar a man earns with a wider ethnic pay gap (CCH, page 3). Families with children make up thirty-five percent of the homeless population, with the remaining sixty-five percent of the homeless population being single individuals (CCH, page 1). Get data on #s headed by single parents, especially female-headed families. According to the City of Chicago 2007 Point in Time Count, the racial demographics of the homeless population were: African American: 75 percent; White: 16 percent; Latino: 6 percent (CCH, FAQ). Strength in the face of adversity is one of the most important characteristics you can have . Challenges and disappointments are inevitable in life. Resilience is one of the keys to life satisfaction. Resilience can help prevent depression, enhances relationships, helps us deal with sudden and unexpected challenges, as well as those we anticipate and cannot avoid. It also safeguards us against long-term difficulties.Given this reality I decided to investigate if resilience reduces negative effects of homelessness in adults and in their transition after becoming housed. The information I find can be useful for those working with adults who are homeless and those making the transition from homelessness to housing. Methodology I wrote 10 questions based on the theory found in a literature review on resilience. I interviewed five experts in the field of homelessness: Erin Ryan MSW, the Executive Director of Lincoln Park Community Shelter (LPCS) ; Ms. Jen Patterson, Director of Development and Communications at Housing Opportunities for Women (HOW); Mr. Steven Skovensky, Ms. Natalie Hutchinson, and Ms. Ann Birhle, are Resident Services Managers at Mercy Housing Lakefront. LPCS, HOW and Mercy Housing are located in Chicago. All five interviewees have at least five years working with the homeless and those housed after being homeless. I chose Mr. Skovensky, Ms. Patterson, Ms. Hutchinson and Ms. Birhle because after working with them from approximately 2000-2003. (I currently work with Ms. Hutchinson, Ms. Birhle and Mr. Skovensky.) footnote I asked Ms. Ryan after becoming acquainted with some of Lincoln Park Community Shelters graduates. I asked an Executive Director of another shelter in Chicago but there was no response from her. [Ms. Ryans phone interview lasted 30 minutes, due to a prior commitment; she later answered questions sent by email. Ms. Pattersons interview lasted an hour at her office. Mr. Skovenskys and Ms. Birhles interviews lasted approximately 40 minutes in their offices. Ms. Hutchinsons interview lasted an hour in her office.] footnotes The questions I asked each person were: 1) their definition of resilience; 2) if resilient clients behave differently than those who are less resilient; 3) if resilience can be taught; 4) if resilience can be taught in a difficult situation; 5) the strengths and limitations or shortcomings the clients have; 6) if men and women show resilience in different ways; 7) cultural, racial or ethnic differences in how resilience is shown; 8) how their organizations work with clients/residents to learn resilience; 9) if resilience can ease the negative effects of homelessness and the transition to being housed; 10) if there was anything important I did not ask them about Interview Summary Everyones definitions of resilience agree with each others and mirror literature. Examples of resilience given included: the ability to adapt to ones circumstances, the ability to move forward when faced with challenges and/or barriers, which are different for everyone and have multiple layers, like jobs, families, and so on (Patterson, Ryan); the ability to persevere and bounce back under extreme conditions and overcome extreme barriers; ability to recover and rebound from difficult or traumatic experiences (Skovensky); an ability to recover and rebound from difficult or traumatic experiences and learn from them and create positive change (Hutchinson); Ms. Patterson mentioned that someones social network, which allows people to be more resilient; that support system disappearing is the worst thing that happens before someone goes to HOW. People need to use their skills and support network to navigate and rebuild. The adaptability piece the ability to shift and change easily is key . The resilient person has an easier time because life is constantly changing. Barriers may include any form of trauma, like violence, loss, addiction, mental health crises, incarceration, becoming homeless, and the public health system (being ill and not having insurance). Primarily one of the big things of resilience is overcoming what would incapacitate most people (Skovensky). Responses varied when participants were asked if more resilient clients behave differently than those who are less resilient. Those less resilient might take a couple steps backward or not move forward in a way they thought they could. The person might move from the shelter to housing, found they werent as ready as they thought, and move back into the shelter. Some clients might need more support, such as a case manager in an on-site office or someone ensuring they take their meds daily or need transportation daily (Patterson). Erin noticed that often the hardest thing to overcome is a persons stereotypes of what homelessness is. LPCS staff encounters what appears to a denial system in place. More educated people often act like theyre better than others. People are sometimes unwilling to help until defenses are broken. Its important to help people come to terms with it during what Ms. Ryan called a grief process, which some handle better than others. Some are more willing to network, are open to suggestion, willing to take advice, more open-minded and talk to people; they have more human connections. Those who are more isolated have a more difficult time. This includes people dealing with chronic illnesses, whether physical or mental illnesses. Mitigating factors can complicate things for people, with the admission they need help and the willingness to accept it being important. This is especially true with addiction. This also reflects the literature on resilience. which? Mr. Skovensky mentioned two things that stand out for him: 1) those who appear more resilient seem to have an element of using humor as a coping mechanism; they seemed to laugh, smile, almost incongruent with their experiences. Youd think theyd be completely demoralized but they could laugh and smile and keep moving forward. 2) Using their creativity; using art, and/or writing to chronicle their experience. One person in the photography group saying it made him feel better about his life and his problems; may be more about self-esteem than resilience though. Somebody sharing their experiences in their writing inspired others in the writing group; it helps the writer and the audience (Skovensky). This reflected what Smith and her colleagues found. More resilient people dont seem to be as stuck in past hurt or mired down. They have the ability to roll with the punches a bit better. More resilient people dont personalize things as much, dont say that negative things are being directed specifically at them; they can contextualize things better. its easier to ask for help because they dont take things personally. They can rely on available resources more easily, feel more of a sense of community, and involvement (Hutchinson). Ms. Ryan and Ms. Patterson believe that the basic principles and concepts of resilience can be taught. However, imparting that information; people must be willing to put that information into practice. Some people say want to be told what to do but the most one can do is lay out the options available so the client can make their decisions from there. As Ms. Patterson said, clients must do it for themselves. Mr. Skovensky believes that resilience may have more to do with personality. Resiliency seems more like a character trait or something engrained in our personality than a skill. Which paper is this like? Coping mechanisms, which involve specific strategies for dealing with problems or concerns, are skills that can be taught. Examples understanding your support system and the role it plays; understanding resources available; understanding how to process anger in a way not detrimental to you or others; understanding its okay to say no to situations, dont have to be all things to all people; only thing one can own is your own actions, not others actions. Resiliency, on the other hand, seems more intangible in how you can measure and explain. As a result it is hard to describe who is resilient and who isnt. Like Ms. Birhle, Ms. Hutchinson believes resilience can be encouraged but requires a certain kind of outlook that can be mod eled for people. Resilience comes from a particular way of looking at the world, a particular perspective, which can be taught. People who are more resilient feel more of a we instead of us vs. them. Anyone can teach anything to someone willing to learn. If someone isnt ready for the change, then why even consider it? People can be taught different ways of coping if the person is ready and open to learning it. This reminded me of the pre-contemplative stage described by James Prochaska and his colleagues. In this stage, there is no intention to change behavior in the foreseeable future; many people are unaware or under-aware of their problems, despite the fact that their friends and families are well aware of the problems (Prochaska, DiClimente, Norcross, 1992). When it comes to teaching resilience in difficult situations, there was some disagreement. Ms. Patterson said yes but also acknowledged that it is harder to take a step back from things and take a long-term perspective during hard times, especially if one hasnt practiced at it. Ms. Ryan said she thinks different coping skills can be taught which, over time, can make one more resilient. People can also experience a shift in world-view as a result of tragedy or joy that can increase resilience, such as a cultural, spiritual, or otherwise awa kening (such as hitting rock bottom in an addiction). For Ms. Hutchinson, it is either the best or worst of time to teach resilience, depending on the person. In substance abuse, it is similar to hitting bottom before being ready to change. A tree will bend or break in a strong wind. Resilience is the bending tree. Have to recognize the need for it, and be willing to try it. When I asked if people can improve on their resilience, Ms. Hutchinson said yes; like stretching and exercise, it becomes easier the more someone does it. Mr. Skovensky disagreed, saying he believes that coping skills can be taught but is not convinced that resilience can be taught, since he believes it is a personality/character trait. For him, it comes back to a persons life experience and personality (Skovensky). I then asked about strengths they see in their clients. Ms. Patterson sees many strengths in HOW clients, including the motivation to succeed and improve their lives, the willingness to take responsi bilities of living, initiative, determination, and the willingness to take control of their lives. The clients are willing to reframe their experiences and how they define and see themselves. Ms. Ryan sees diverse strengths with mainly cultural differences. Some people tend to have stronger ties with family support systems, or churches or other groups. Also, those who have grown up without as many opportunities, who are closer to poverty, are usually a bit more resourceful in terms of using internal coping skills and resilience. Some cultures value the concept of community and it is not shameful to ask for help, whereas others value independence and self-reliance more. The it takes a child vs. bootstraps philosophies. In Ms. Ryans opinion, the first one is more helpful in terms of long-term resilience from something as devastating as homelessness. For Mr. Skovensky, the ones who have been the most resilient have some insight into their own situation, insight into whatever their barriers are (whether addiction and recovery, or mental illness). Having an outlet, whether its creative or a good sense of humor, that gives them the ability to place it in context. Having a good support system is vital. Resilient people dont let themselves be labeled (like Im an alcoholic, Im bipolar, etc.). They exhibit a willingness to take responsibility for their lives. Ms. Hutchinson sees hopefulness, determination, a sense of purpose, tenacity, the ability to forgive themselves and others, the willingness to ask for assistance, and endurance. When asked about limitations or shortcomings, the answers varied somewhat. For Mr. Skovensky, it includes the inability to build/sustain relationships with anyone (case manager or family member); flat-out addiction. A sub-grouping of that is a lack of insight into how an addiction can be affecting their life. Being unwilling to ask for help. For Ms. Hutchinson, the question about shortcomings was a one. She doesnt like to think of it as a shortcoming because it is a value judgment in a way. For her, it includes: being challenged by past traumas, which clients see as making it difficult for them to move; have less energy for the present if burdened by the past or past trauma; weighted down; trying to find a quality and struggling to do so; difficulty accepting responsibility for decisions or actions. Those with less resilience tend to have an outward locus of control; things happen to them. They are more reactive than proactive. Resilient people have the ability to accept things rathe r than fight them; instead of why me, its why not me, its happened and now I have to respond. Most participants saw some difference in resilience based on gender. Ms. Patterson said there is an equality when the monetary dynamic and the accompanying power dynamic are removed. There might not be a lot of possessions or money but everyone was really strong because they want to find their way to somewhere safe. At RESTs womens shelter, women seemed a bit more territorial as a way of showing they are valuable and contributing. At the Mens shelter they said yeah sure, go ahead. For Mr. Skovensky, its more difficult for women to succeed than men. Women have more barriers because the way society is set up. Its almost like they have to work harder to overcome barriers and trauma. I dont think I can comment on whether men or women are more resilient. Barriers include more violence (domestic, sexual abuse during childhood) against women, more stereotyping and expectation of what womens roles are, exploitation of women on the street (prostitution), unequal power dynamic in society. The literature I found does not explore differences and similarities in how men and women show resilience and the role socialization plays in those behaviors. Ms. Birhle and Ms. Hutchinson agreed that men and women display differences due to gender socialization playing a role. Sometimes men think they have to be rugged individualists. As a result it may more difficult for them to ask for help in certain things; be vulnerable or show v ulnerable feelings (Hutchinson). While Ms. Birhle does not subscribe to women are this way and men are a different way, she noticed that it takes men more time to ask for help. They try to suck it up, saying I can handle it. Ms. Ryan said there were differences at a surface level but not much individually. The issues are the same with men and women exhibiting similar reactions. I asked Ms. Hutchinson and Ms. Birhle if there are any differences along racial or ethnic lines. Ms. Hutchinson said that it might have more to do with class issues then ethnicity. Its about access to resources in a way. If you dont have resources, it plays a bigger role than ethnicity or race, which is more about economics than race or ethnicity. If people feel there is a place to reach out to theyll do it. We can find differences in places people have access to resources than the role race plays, which tends to be more monetary. A white person may have skin privilege. A white person might not feel harassed in a store where a person of color does. I consider this to be significant since she is black. Ms. Birhle noticed it mainly with minority communities. African-Americans and Asians tend to ________ more of a stigma; as a result members of those communities tend to a harder time doing it. Asians are more priva te; mental illness is considered a problem and they might not get help. African-American people in our society have adapted to more oppressive situations and probably been resilient to racism and lack of great opportunity. On the one hand, African-Americans can be really resilient because they have always dealt with a lot; black people have to work harder. On the other hand, the environment contributes to a lot of problems, whether violence or poor education and not seeing a way out. It is different for whites. Blacks having less access to resources and racism, which is institutionalized in society. There is a similarity class-wise (economically) across race and ethnicity but whites dont have the issue of race in this society Interview Summary 2 I asked what the organizations do to help their clients with resilience. Ms. Patterson said that HOW teaches their clients what they need to do but wont do it for them. I was unable to ask Ms. Ryan. The LPCS website mentions three tracks clients can participate in that help with substance abuse recovery, mental and physical health, and job hunting. These tracks helps clients identify and address the reasons why they are homelessness and the barriers they face to becoming self-sufficient. Clients are required to participate in one or more track. These programs reflect information about resilience in terms of the capacity to make realistic plans and take steps to carry them out; a positive view of yourself and confidence in your strengths and abilities; skills in communication and problem solving and finding help. Mercy Housing Lakefront provides many services and programs for its residents. Mercy Housing Lakefronts model of engagement of providing supportive housing with on-site case management and trying to treat people like adults and not forcing them to make changes and dealing with people where theyre at, I think in developing a good relationship with them, developing a community. Mercy Housing Lakefront also: 1) tries to provide a lot of activities the form of Tenant Leadership program, creative opportunities (writing group, art group); 2) trying to provide a home, a safe place; 3) referral to local services and benefits when residents ask for referrals (Birhle). offer encouragement and support that may strengthen or encourage resiliency through case management and groups, they work with people to develop coping skills (Skovensky). There is a program at the Belray Apartments called Motivation Mondays, which helps provide motivation for changing participants lives for the better. Group members gather resources emotionally, talk about self as a whole being. Participants are asked what they want to accomplish, what their barriers are, and what support do they need (Hutchinson). My last question was if resilience eases the negative effects of homelessness. Four of the five interviewees said yes. For Ms. Ryan, the more quickly people adapt, the more quickly theyre out of it, bounce back and avoid a downward spiral. Resilience includes: capacity to make realistic plans and carry them out; positive view of oneself; self-confidence; communication skills and problem-solving skills; capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses (Ryan). Ms. Patterson stated that resilience helps people cope with the challenges, identify solutions and act on them. Resilience may not change the challenges and barriers people face but can help people cope (Patterson). For Ms. Hutchinson, resilience eases the negative effect of any trauma. Homelessness can be recognized as a temporary state. If they are resilient, they recognize they will come out of it and can come out of it. Their comments strongly reflect literature on resilience. Mr. Skovensky found it hard to answer that question, not experienced it himself. For him, he thinks it does help as a means of overcoming the negative effects The last question The last question asked if resilience helps people make the transition from homelessness to being housed. One reason I asked this question is I couldnt find anything in literature about this subject. Four of the five said yes. Ms. Patterson said that being housed presents a different set of challenges than being homeless. [ The challenges include maintaining a budget and home, developing relationships with the landlord and neighbors, connecting with area resources. Ms. Ryan relates resilience closely with adaptability. The better able someone is to adapt to a new situation, the more resilient they are. Making the transition from homelessness to housing is a big change, and requires adaptability in order to handle it well, especially if someone has been homeless for a long period of time.] [Ms. Hutchinson stated that resiliency is a positive quality which helps you move from one place to another. It is a response to stressors. For Ms. Birhle the staff noticed that for some residents those less resilient homelessness takes such a toll, they are tired and want to just have their apartment. The more resilient a person is, the better able they are to adapt, and adapt to changes that are huge and stressful, recognizing when they need help and asking for it.] Mr. Skovensky hopes resilience helps with that transition. They want people to know the services and groups that are available at the building and in community. The Delmar Apartments conducts a new tenant orientation, providing a cohort the person can be part of as a support system. This reflects the need for a support system in literature. I asked Ms. Hutchinson if there was anything I didnt ask that she considered to be important. She couldnt think of anything then began a dialog with me. She asked what I think is the core aspect of resilience? What is the most important thing, where if that one thing is absent you cant have resiliency? My answer was determination, tenacity; if you dont have it, youre not going anywhere. Ms. Hutchinson then ask: What about endurance? My response was that stepping back to recharge ones batteries isnt the same as quitting. Ms. Hutchinson said that maybe part of it too is planning; we cant be reactive all the time. Spending time to reflect is important since it is needed for recharging and learning. The ability to reflect on your experiences is so important; allowing us the space for reflective thought. These important questions and the concepts they represent are not mentioned in the literature I found. Recommendations Study adult population and resilience. How does resilience help adults, especially those experiencing adversity? Study how resilience helps those making the transition from homelessness to being housed. Tailor services to what the person or family wants and needs. The decision as to what services the family or individual partake in should be a collaboration between the clients and service-providers. Study how Prochaskas work on whether the stages of change relate to resilience. Why or why not? How can people be encouraged to move out of pre-contemplation and powerlessness to making positive changes? Study to learn best practices on what services best bolster and/or teach resilience. What are the best practices on learning how to turn negative experiences into lessons of growth. Study how tenacity, determination, endurance and reflecting on ones experiences relate to resilience. What role do those qualities play in resilience, if any? Study what the core aspect of resilience is, where resilience does not exist if that aspect is absent. Study how to  ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬____________ that aspect Many articles about building resilience are available on-line. This is unavailable for those without Internet connections and looking for information. How do creative arts (including art, writing, photography, and so on) play in resilience? How to they ______ resilience? Workshops and training classes on building resilience are available in many places. However, cost may be prohibitive to anyone with a low-income or unable to take time off work or lacks transportation to the workshop. Insurance, whether public or private, could pay for attending these workshops. Carpooling can provide transportation for those lacking transit. Emphasizing employment as the main route out of poverty misses the mark, especially lacking an adequate education, and support system (childcare, adequate mental health, and so on). Explore the differences and similarities in how men and women show resilience and the role socialization plays in those behaviors.

An Invasion of Haiti is Averted by Accord To Restore Aristide :: essays research papers

An Invasion of Haiti is Averted by Accord To Restore Aristide 1993- President Clinton needed a significant foreign policy victory to boost his sagging political career, and Haiti seemed to be the "perfect opportunity" to do this. 1994- Even after a year of frenzied negotiations no tangible results were in sight and the "perfect opportunity" seemed to be turning in to yet another nightmare for the President. However , this was not to be and President Clinton turned near defeat in to a resounding victory, with the help of former president and skilled negotiator, Jimmy Carter. September 19, 1994- Today the threat of invasion is over and, "a society (American society) that doesn't rest comfortably with the burdens of imperialism can breathe easy". American troops will enter Haiti as "peace keepers" and not as members of an invading force. In order to arrive at a peaceful solution several concessions had to be made by U.S government negotiators and Haitian dictator, General Raoul Cedras. 1) The U.S government let General Cedras and his cohorts "save face" by allowing the military junta to step down, after their parliament passed a general amnesty for the military. If this had not happened the U.S government would have had to oust the ruling party by using force, and this would have made the junta look bad. 2) The U.S agreed to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Haiti as soon as possible. 3) The U.S also dropped it's insistence that General Cedras and two of his military commanders leave the country. On it's part, the Haitian Junta agreed to hand over power to the democratically elected government of exiled Haitian leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The key to solving this complex problem was former President, Jimmy Carter. All through the crisis, Jimmy Carter stayed in direct contact with General Cedras, who he had come to know well while acting as an independent election- observer during the Haitian elections in 1993. Carter knew the situation on the ground and offered to act as a go-between. However, White House officials declined his offer initially. This was partly because they were upset that Carter had publicly disagreed with some of the current administration's policies as regards North Korea. When negotiations between the U.S and the Haitian government broke down, President Clinton went on national television and announced that United States armed forces would soon invade Haiti. This move wasn't aimed at ending negotiations but at making a last ditch attempt to arrive at a peaceful solution.

An Image of Truth :: Essays Papers

An Image of Truth Plato teaches that reality is to be found in universal â€Å"forms.† Images of objects are therefore pale imitations of reality: that is, at least twice removed from the truth. Nevertheless, Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice suggests that the image of a person can offer true insights that the actual person might not. In her very first meeting with Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth is left â€Å"with no very cordial feelings towards him† and after spending â€Å"four days in the same house with him† she still â€Å"think[s] him very disagreeable† (9, 53).1 Even after Mr. Darcy has directly and blatantly declared his love for Elizabeth she cannot consider him favorably and exclaims â€Å"I have never desired your good opinion† (125). Just to walk with him in the park â€Å"seem[s] like willful ill‑nature or a voluntary penance† (120). However, Elizabeth’s feelings for Darcy change after she views the portrait of him at Pemberley. She d evelops a â€Å"more gentle sensation toward the original† after seeing the painting and may even consider Darcy’s â€Å"regard with a deeper sentiment of gratitude than it had ever raised before† (162). Elizabeth needs the indirect image of Darcy in this portrait to view the man himself more accurately than she can when she faces him in person. The painting offers her time to contemplate Darcy’s true character. Furthermore, the frozen image creates a distance from which Elizabeth may consider Darcy without the interference of her intense emotions. When Elizabeth is face to face with Darcy, she must engage him in conversation, but when she examines the portrait, she does not have to speak: she can look at the painting for â€Å"several moments†¦in earnest contemplation† and even â€Å"return to it again† before leaving (162). Socially, great importance is placed on witty dialogue and polite conversation. At the first ball, the newly arrived Mr. Darcy is criticized for his reserve; rather than extend himself to form new acquaintances, he speaks only â€Å"occasionally to [a lady] of his own party† (8). Yet by refraining from conventional conversation, Mr. Darcy is able to form sound opinions. When he â€Å"wish[es] to know more of [Elizabeth]† he first â€Å"attend[s] to her conversations with others† before directly engaging her in dialogue (17). He even advises Elizabeth to take her time in getting to know him, urging â€Å"I could wish, Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch my character at the present moment†¦the performance would reflect no credit on either.

Requiring School Uniform :: miscellaneous

Requiring School Uniform If the school considering requiring all students to wear uniform during school, this is not a good idea that all students think. It is because nowadays, teenager want to have their own style and wear whatever they want. They don't want anyone to force them wear the uniform. And they want to give any others students or friends saw their best look, best look can take give other students or friends' attention, they can attract other students by the look or style they wear. So most students will think wear their clothes are better than the school uniform. First, some of the students think wear their clothes are the habit they they do that everyday. So they won't like to wear the uniform. And most the girls like to wear some clothes that can attract other boys to look at them and their friends will said they are so cool. Then the boys will date them and the girls will feel so happy and have another boyfriend. And in the other way, some of the boys always want to wear their clothes and look so cool to attract other girls, so they can have the other girlfriends. That is one reason they students like to wear their clothes and not uniform. Second, some of the uniform in other school was so ugly or outdate. It is because the school teacher or principal don't know what the students like or what style do the students want to wear. Every students have their own style and their won't have the same idea as the other students. So the school cannot make a uniform to content all the students. And the other things is the students will think wear the school uniform was so dumb and stupid, and they think that the people in outside will laugh at them or make fun on them. Third, the students want to be free, they want to have all the freedom. United state is a freedom country, they think they can wear the clothes in their way. It is because uniform maybe is some pressure for the students, they don't want school to force them to wear it. Uniform give the students a uncomfortable feeling, they will feel not comfortable to wear it, and now all teenager like to buy many clothes and wear different everyday. Maybe some students don't want people to know what school they are and if they wear uniform, the other people will know what school they are.

Farehnheit 451 Essay

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel about how the world would be without feelings, emotions, and knowing what you want in life. Mildred Montag and Clarisse McClellan are two different characters in the novel that act in very diverse ways. The main distinctions between Mildred and Clarisse is that, their personalities are different, they have different views on life, and their feelings toward Guy are completely dissimilar. Mildred Montag is one of the main characters in Fahrenheit 451. Mildred has many struggles and difficulties. She is unrealistic, cares only about herself, and doesn’t show any real emotions. Guy Montag is her husband, but yet it doesn’t feel that way in the novel. No emotions are showed between the two, they sleep in different beds, and their views are both very different. Mildred’s main hobby is watching television. She is unexciting, vacant, and obsessed with television. Throughout the novel nothing new is said about Mildred, her character doesn’t change and nor do her feelings. In one part of the novel, Guy asks her how she feels about life, is she satisfied, is she happy? â€Å"I’m proud of it (Bradbury 26) † she says, and she convinces herself to be content even though she is not. Clarisse McClellan is one of the characters that have an immense impact in Montag’s life. Clarisse has an independent mind; she has intellect and shows feelings and emotions. Innocence is her strength and is one of the realistic characters in the novel. Clarisse has a short part in the novel but made a full impact on the main character; Montag. Something that she shows is being normal and just enjoying the fine things in life. In one part of the novel she says to Montag, â€Å"Isn’t this a nice time to walk? I like to smell things and look at things, and sometimes stay up all night, walking and watch the sunrise (Bradbury, 7).† It shows how she appreciates what she has, she isn’t afraid of anyone, and she know how to just be herself. Clarisse’s feelings towards Montag in the book make a big influence on him. When she first meets him she isn’t afraid to express herself. She walks along him as he goes home and says, â€Å"Do you mind if I walk back with you? I’m Clarisse McClellan (Bradbury, 6).† This just shows how different she is and how she is not afraid to act the way she does.

Statistical Package For Social Sciences Education Essay

This chapter shall show the information gathered in the study and interview conducted by the research worker. The quantitative consequences gathered undergone assorted statistical trials through the usage of Statistical Package for Social Sciences ( SPSS ) . The qualitative informations obtained from the interviews were discussed and analysed in relation to the bing literature. Cronbach ‘s Alpha Normally, the Cronbach ‘s Alpha dependability coefficient ranges between 0-1. However, there is no existent bound for the coefficient. The closer Cronbach ‘s alpha coefficient is to 1.0 the greater the internal consistence of the points in the graduated table. Based upon the expression _ = rk / [ 1 + ( k -1 ) R ] where K is the figure of points considered and R is the mean of the inter-item correlativities the size of alpha is determined by both the figure of points in the graduated table and the average inter-item correlativities. George and Mallery ( 2003 ) provide the undermentioned regulations of pollex: â€Å" _ & gt ; .9 – Excellent, _ & gt ; .8 – Good, _ & gt ; .7 – Acceptable, _ & gt ; .6 – Questionable, _ & gt ; .5 – Poor, and_ & lt ; .5 – Unacceptable † . In the instance of the obtained informations, the dependability coefficient is.887 which indicates good dependability coefficient. While increasing the value of alpha is partly dependent upon the figure of points in the graduated table, it should be noted that this has decreasing returns. It should besides be noted that an alpha of.8 is likely a sensible end. It should besides be noted that while a high value for Cronbach ‘s alpha indicates good internal consistence of the points in the graduated table, it does non intend that the graduated table is unidimensional. The dimensionality of the graduated table can be computed utilizing the factor analysis which will be discussed in the following subdivision. Factor Analysis The method followed here was to first analyze the initial responses of the participants with a position to choosing a subset of features that might act upon farther responses. Then, study responses were analysed at the point degree, utilizing figures, tabular arraies, or text entirely, to supply a first feeling. These point degree responses were scrutinised for underlying forms via factor analytic processs ( Note that all processs reported here utilise SPSS ) . A requirement for including an point was that responses were non excessively severely skewed ( i.e. , 90 % or more of responses clustered in individual cell ) and that more by and large, the degree of response to that point was non deficient ( & lt ; 15-20 % ) to destabilize analysis. The factors identified in this manner correspond to the primary subjects or latent variables to which letter writers seem to be reacting in footings of assorted related points. The protocol adopted here for factor analysis was to utilize default scenes ab initio ( Principal Axis Factor – PAF ) and to revolve the matrix of burdens to obtain extraneous ( independent ) factors ( Varimax rotary motion ) . The premier end of factor analysis is to individuality simple ( points loadings & gt ; 0.30 on merely one factor ) that are explainable, presuming that points are factorable ( The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin step of trying adequateness trials whether the partial correlativities among variables are little. Bartlett ‘s trial of sphericalness trials whether the correlativity matrix is an individuality matrix, bespeaking that the factor theoretical account is inappropriate ) . Once clearly defined and explainable factors had been identified ( Factor loadings = & gt ; .10 were illustrated via an included tabular array even though merely point burdens & gt ; 0.30 were considered relevant to factor burdens ) , and responses related to these factors were saved in the signifier of factor tonss. These Bartlett factor tonss are tantamount to sub-scale or scale tonss with agencies of nothing and standard divergences of one ( z-scores ) , and with participants credited with separate tonss in relation to each identified factor. A Principal Axis Factor ( PAF ) with a Varimax ( extraneous ) rotary motion of 22 of the 24 Likert scale inquiries from this study questionnaire was conducted on informations gathered from 20 participants. An scrutiny of the Kaiser-Meyer Olkin step of trying adequateness suggested that the sample was factorable ( KMO=.698 ) . Descriptive Statisticss The descriptive statistics computed the mean, standard divergence, and the discrepancy of in between constituents of the variable presented. Table 1 shows the sum-up of the said calculation. The calculation revealed that it has -3.439 random effects on the variables. Table 1 – Summary of Descriptive Statistics Computation of Variables Nitrogen Mean Std. Deviation Std. Mistake 95 % Confidence Interval for Mean Minimum Maximum Between- Component Discrepancy Lower Boundary Upper Bound 75 3 85.00 5.292 3.055 71.86 98.14 79 89 76 2 88.50 .707 .500 82.15 94.85 88 89 77 1 89.00....89 89 78 1 82.00....82 82 79 1 87.00....87 87 80 1 89.00....89 89 82 1 94.00....94 94 83 1 88.00....88 88 84 1 90.00....90 90 85 4 87.75 .957 .479 86.23 89.27 87 89 86 1 80.00....80 80 87 4 85.75 5.965 2.983 76.26 95.24 77 90 88 1 89.00....89 89 89 4 89.25 2.062 1.031 85.97 92.53 87 92 90 3 81.67 9.074 5.239 59.13 104.21 75 92 92 1 87.00....87 87 Entire 30 86.77 4.614 .842 85.04 88.49 75 94 Model Fixed Effectss 4.953 .904 84.83 88.71 Random Effectss .904a 84.84a 88.69a -3.439 Another high spot of the descriptive statistics is the frequences of the evaluations achieved by the kindergartners. Tables 2 and 3 summarize the frequence.Table 2 – Summary of Preschoolers Rating Frequency before Portfolio AssessmentFrequency Percentage Valid Percentage Accumulative Percentage Valid 75 3 9.7 10.0 10.0 76 2 6.5 6.7 16.7 77 1 3.2 3.3 20.0 78 1 3.2 3.3 23.3 79 1 3.2 3.3 26.7 80 1 3.2 3.3 30.0 82 1 3.2 3.3 33.3 83 1 3.2 3.3 36.7 84 1 3.2 3.3 40.0 85 4 12.9 13.3 53.3 86 1 3.2 3.3 56.7 87 4 12.9 13.3 70.0 88 1 3.2 3.3 73.3 89 4 12.9 13.3 86.7 90 3 9.7 10.0 96.7 92 1 3.2 3.3 100.0 Entire 30 96.8 100.0 Missing System 1 3.2 Entire 31 100.0Table 4 – Summary of Preschoolers Rating Frequency after Portfolio AssessmentFrequency Percentage Valid Percentage Accumulative Percentage Valid 75 1 3.2 3.3 3.3 77 1 3.2 3.3 6.7 78 1 3.2 3.3 10.0 79 1 3.2 3.3 13.3 80 1 3.2 3.3 16.7 82 1 3.2 3.3 20.0 87 7 22.6 23.3 43.3 88 3 9.7 10.0 53.3 89 9 29.0 30.0 83.3 90 2 6.5 6.7 90.0 92 2 6.5 6.7 96.7 94 1 3.2 3.3 100.0 Entire 30 96.8 100.0 Missing System 1 3.2 Entire 31 100.0 One Way Analysis of Variance ( ANOVA ) One manner Analysis of Variance ( ANOVA ) is done with the dependant variable which is the reading development of the kindergartners with the independent variable which is the portfolio appraisal. The computed F value for the tonss of the kindergartners is.745 which is greater value of significance which is.711. This show a important consequence of the portfolio appraisal in the addition of acquisition of the kindergartners based on a 0.05 degree of significance. Discussion of Questionnaires Question 1 – What are the things that can actuate kids to be interested in reading? Based on the gathered consequences most of the kids are motivated to be interested in reading by agencies of the ocular artworks that accompany the stuffs. Besides, the kids are motivated based on the learning scheme of the instructors during the talks. Another relevant factor in the kids ‘s involvement is the wages system being given if they are making great in their several work. Question 2 – In your observation, about how long does it take for kindergartners to accomplish entire reading development? Based on the consequences gathered, most kindergartners achieve entire reading development in about six months. This is in close coordination of instructors every bit good as the parents in practising their kids. However, there are kindergartners that develop their full reading ability in about a twelvemonth. Assorted factors affect this such as the kid ‘s involvement, sum of coordination and monitoring of parents among others. Question 3 – Based on your experience, what is the feedback that you get from pupils when they are making their portfolios? Based on the consequences gathered, the common feedback that pupils have with respects to their portfolios is that it ‘s really interesting and they find it really utile towards the betterment. However there are pupils that are happening the portfolio really hard and finds it as a challenge. Question 4 – What differences do you detect in the span of clip of reading development activities where portfolios are involved and those that are non? Based on the collected consequences, the major difference observed in the underdeveloped activities of the pupils under the portfolio is that their comprehension has been improved. Besides, their involvement towards reading has been improved. Although there are pupils that does n't look to do a difference towards their reading attitude and wonts. Those pupils that are non under the portfolio did non do any difference with respects to their reading attitude and wonts prior to the survey. Question 5 – Do you believe the responses to these portfolios depend on the group of kids that are being taught? Based on the gathered information from the instructors, the assorted responses of the kids on the portfolios being taught depends upon the age group of the kids. This was observed by the instructors with older pupils that develop their involvements and reading attitudes significantly. On the other manus, younger pupils under the portfolio does n't look to develop every bit much involvement as that of the older 1s. Question 6 – Based on your professional experience, does a portfolio appraisal consequence accurately reflect the degree of reading development of a kid? Based on the consequences gathered from the professional experience of the instructors, the portfolio appraisal can reflect the accurate degree of the kid ‘s reading development. As per Chen and Martin ( 2000 ) portfolio appraisal makes usage of happy standards that are indexs of success. Portfolio appraisal is an efficient tool for finding a pupil ‘s learning degree and degree of betterment. Portfolio appraisal besides encourages student-teacher interaction and therefore encourages interactive larning utilizing diverse instructional methods. Numerous surveies ( Chen & A ; Martin ; Colley & A ; Walker, 2003 ) demonstrated that portfolio appraisal can be helpful in bring oning acquisition, peculiarly in reading ( Afferblach, 2007 ; Hillmer & A ; Holmes, 2007 ) . Question 7 – Describe the extent to which you believe the usage of portfolios in the schoolroom has improved reading direction. The instructors interviewed in the survey believed that the extent of the betterment in the reading direction by agencies of the portfolios are important. Portfolios can supply grounds that pupils have met criterions that a assortment of learning techniques are used in the schoolroom, and that pupils are actively engaged in larning ( Damiani, 2004 ) . Portfolios can assist instructors assist pupils realistically appraise themselves by supplying specific qualitative ends and forms that avoid vagueness, unrealistic positive or negative self-evaluation, either-or thought ( the work is either good or bad ) , or perfectionism ( Damiani ) . Question 8 – Based on your experience, should the usage of these portfolios be implemented in all schools that teach preschool kids? Based on the response of the instructors, they believe that the execution of the usage of portfolios in schools that teach preschool kids is in topographic point. Student portfolios can besides function as theoretical accounts for instructors to develop their ain portfolios to demo their professional development. A instructor ‘s professional portfolio could include a statement of learning doctrine ; videotapes of successful categories, course of study stuffs developed ; class course of study ; sample lesson programs ; professional development ends and aims, professional development seminars, categories, or workshops attended ; articles published ; pupil ratings ; acknowledgment awards or certifications ; professional associations, and principal ‘s and supervisor ‘s ratings ( Attinello, Lare, & A ; Waters, 2006 ) . Question 9 – What betterments can you propose for the betterments of these portfolios? Most of the instructors ‘ suggestions sing the betterment of the portfolios are the customization of the portfolios into assorted reading ability degree. Portfolio-based appraisal is one option to standardise assessment methods and is believed to offer more authority as an appraisal method ( Miholic & A ; Moss, 2001: King, Patterson, & A ; Stolle, 2008 ) . While attacks involved in this method differ, they have in common digests of the work activities of pupils, besides known as the pupil portfolio ( Au, Raphael, & A ; Mooney, 2008 ; Berryman & A ; Russell, 2001 ; Hillmer & A ; Holmes, 2007 ) . This aggregation shows the attempts exerted by pupils and their personal academic development and accomplishment. Included in the aggregation are indicants of the engagement of pupils in choice of contents, standards for choice and judging virtues, and confirmations of the pupil ‘s self-reflection ( Miholic & A ; Moss ; Hillmer & A ; Holmes, 2007 ) . The portfolio is intended to in carnate a digest of the plants or attempts by pupils considered as their ‘best ‘ ; that is, pupils ‘ personal choices of their sample work activities and of import paperss that pertain to accomplishments and advancement ( Lynch & A ; Struewing, 2001 ; Hope, 2005 ) . Question 10 – What other stairss or processs do you urge to back up portfolio appraisal of kindergartners? The most common recommendation based on the instructors ‘ responses is the portfolio should be customized depending on the degree of reading ability of the pupils. In some attacks, instructors normally scan through the portfolio and measure the work with mention to a hiting usher. In some instances, pupils or their schoolmates would besides rate their plants. A acquisition record is so prepared by the instructor, which shows the concluding mark with affiliated confirmations such as a sample essay ( Lynch & A ; Struewing, 2001 ; Hillmer & A ; Holmes, 2007 ; Hope, 2005 ) . Decision Chapter 4 is the presentation of the consequences, analysis and treatment of the informations gathered from the respondents of this survey. The quantitative informations gathered were analysed utilizing the statistical trials Cronbach ‘s Alpha for dependability of the information gathered ; Factor Analysis for the scrutiny of the initial responses of the respondents ; and One Way Analysis of Variance ( ANOVA ) for the dependant and independent variables. On the other manus, the qualitative informations were discussed in relation to the bing literature sing the topic of the survey. The computed informations revealed that there ‘s a important consequence of the portfolio appraisal in the addition of acquisition of the kindergartners based on a 0.05 degree of significance.

Difference between Counseling and Psychotherapy Essay

Counseling is a professional relationship established voluntarily by an individual who feels the need of psychological help, with a person trained to provide that help. Psychotherapy is any procedure designed to alleviate behavioral disorders by psychological means suggestions, psychoanalysis, counseling interviews, play activities and changes in the patient’s environment. applied when there is personality maladjustment or mental disorder. COUNSELING PSYCHOTHERAPY Helps people identify problems, crises, and encourages them to take positive steps to resolve these issues. Helps people with psychological problems that have built up over the course of a long period of time. It is the best course of therapeutic treatment for anyone who already has an understanding of well being and who is also able to resolve problems. It will help you understand your feelings, thoughts and actions more clearly. Counseling is a short term process that encourages the change of behavior. Psychotherapy is a long-term process of treatment that identifies emotional issues and the background to problems and difficulties. CREATING A HELPING RELATIONSHIP 1. Allow the person and peer support giver to get to know each other and possibly decide whether working together would be fruitful. The peer support giver should take the lead in structuring and providing an atmosphere of trust; 2. To create a relaxed, casual and non-threatening atmosphere with informal conversational style; 3. Rather than asking personal questions, the peer support giver can make self disclosures either to prompt self disclosures on the part of the person being helped or to allow the person to become more comfortable with the relationship; 4. The use of silence can be valuable as silence allows the person to share an issue at a level he or she.

Impact of mobile and internet banking Essay

Abstract Financial institutions have been in the process of significant transformation. The force behind the transformation of these institutions is innovation in information technology. Information and communication technology is at the Centre of this global change curve of mobile and internet banking in Kenya. Rapid development of information technology has made banking tasks more efficient and cheaper. This study sought to  determine the impact of mobile and internet-banking on performance of financial institutions in Kenya where the survey was conducted on financial institutions in Nairobi. The study also sought to identify the extent of use of mobile and internet banking in financial institutions. The study investigated 30 financial institutions. The study found that the most prevalent internet banking service is balance inquiry while the least is online bill payment. Cash withdrawal was the most commonly used mobile banking service whereas purchasing commodities was the least commonly used. CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTION. Background of the study Mobile banking is an innovation that has progressively rendered itself in pervasive ways cutting across several financial institutions and other sectors of the economy. During the 21st century mobile banking advanced from providing mere text messaging services to that of pseudo internet banking where customers could not only view their balances and set up multiple types of alerts but also transact activities such as fund transfers, redeem loyalty coupons, deposit cheques via the mobile phone and instruct payroll based transactions (Vaidya 2011). The world has also become increasingly addicted to doing business in the cyber space, across the internet and World Wide Web. Internet commerce in its own respect has expanded in various innovative forms of money, and based on digital data issued by private market actors, has in one way or another substituted for state sanctioned bank notes and checking accounts as customary means of payments (Cohen 2001). Technology has greatly advanced playing a major role in improving the standards of service delivery in the financial institution sector. Days are long gone when customers would queue in the banking halls waiting to pay their utility bills, school fees or any other financial transactions. They can now do this at their convenience by using their ATM cards or over the internet from the comfort of their homes. Additionally due to the tremendous growth of the mobile phone industry most financial institutions have ventured into the untapped opportunity and have partnered with mobile phone network providers to offer banking services to their clients. ATM  banking is one of the earliest and widely adopted retail e-banking services in Kenya (Nyangosi et al. 2009). However according to an annual report by Central Bank of Kenya its adoption and usage has been surpassed by mobile banking in the last few years (CBK 2008). The suggested reason for this is that many low income earners now have access to mobile phones. A positive aspect of mobile phones is that mobile networks are available in remote areas at a low cost. The poor often have greater familiarity and trust in mobile phone companies than with normal financial institutions. Banking In general terms, banking is the business activity of accepting and safeguarding money owned by other individuals and entities and then lending out this money in order to earn a profit. The Banking Act of Kenya defines banking to mean the accepting from members of the public of money on deposit repayable on demand or at the expiry of a fixed period or after notice, the accepting from members of the public of money on current account and payment and acceptance of checks and the employing of money held on deposit or on current account or any part of it by lending, investment or in any other manner for the account and the risk of the person so employing the money. Currently Kenya has 43 licensed commercial banks of these, 31 are locally owned and 12 are foreign owned. Citibank, Habib Bank, standard chartered and Barclays Bank are among the foreign-owned financial institutions in Kenya. The government of Kenya has a substantial stake in three of Kenya’s commercial banks. The remaining local commercial banks are largely family owned. Commercial banks in Kenya accept deposits from individuals and make a profit by using the deposits to offer loans to businesses at high interest rates. These banks are regulated by the Central Bank Act and the Companies’ Act, which stipulates the activities they should be engaged in, the rules on publishing of financial statements, minimum capital requirements as well as reserve requirements. Examples of new innovations in the Kenyan banks include adoption of ATMs, smart cards, internet and mobile banking as discussed below. Mobile banking Mobile banking (m-banking) refers to provision and availment of banking and  financial services through the help of mobile telecommunication devices. The scope of offered services may include facilities to conduct bank and stock market transactions, administer accounts and to access customized information. Mobile networks in Kenya offer m-money services in the name of M-pesa by Safaricom, Orange money by Orange, Yu-cash by Essar, and Airtel money by Airtel. Currently the mobile money market size is about 15 million users transferring Kshs. 2 billion daily, of these over 14 million are Mpesa customers. M-money providers have partnered with commercial banks such as Equity Bank, I&M Bank, and Kenya Commercial Bank, Barclays and Co-operative to offer mobile based financial products that aim to reach the unbanked. Internet banking Internet banking (e-banking) is the use of internet and telecommunication networks to deliver a wide range of value added products and services to bank customers (Steven, 2002) through the use of a system that allows individuals to perform banking activities at home or from their offices or over the internet. Some online banks are traditional banks which also offer online banking, while others are online only and have no physical presence. Online banking through traditional banks enables customers to perform all routine transactions, such as account transfers, balance inquiries, bill payments, and stop-payment requests, and some even offer online loan applications. Customers can access account information at any time, day or night, and this can be done from anywhere. Internet banking has improved banking efficiency in rendering services to customers. Financial institutions in Kenya cannot ignore information systems since they play an important role in their operations because custome rs are conscious of technological advancements and demand higher quality services. Problem Statement A fundamental assumption of most recent research in operations improvement and operations learning has been that technological innovation has a direct bearing on performance improvement (Upton and Kim, 1999). Strategic management in financial institutions demand that they should have effective systems in place to counter unpredictable events that can sustain their operations while minimizing the risks involved through  technological innovations. Only financial institutions that are able to adapt to their changing environment and adopt new ideas and business methods have guaranteed survival. Some of the forces of change which have impacted the performance of financial institutions mainly include technological advancements such as use of mobile phones and the internet. Since the beginning of e-banking Kenyan financial institutions have witnessed many changes. Customers now have access to fast, efficient and convenient banking services. Most financial institutions in Kenya are investing large sums on money in information and communication technology (ICT). However while the rapid development of ICT has made some banking tasks more efficient and cheaper, technological advancements have their fair share of problems; for example they take a large share of bank resources, plastic card fraud particularly on lost and stolen cards and counterfeit card fraud. Thus there is a need to manage costs and risks associated with internet banking. It is crucial that internet banking innovations be made through sound analysis of risks and costs associated to avoid harm on banks performance. Bank performance is directly dependent on efficiency and effectiveness of internet banking and on the other hand tight controls in standards to prevent losses associated with internet banking. In order not to impair on their prosperity, financial institutions need to strike a balance between tight controls and standards in efficiency of internet banking. This is only possible if the effects of internet banking on financial institutions and its customers are well analyzed and understood. Mobile money has emerged as a strong competition to financial institutions in Kenya. Initially cellular phones were developed to improve communication from the earlier primitive forms of communications such as smoke and drums. Financial institutions introduced ICT as an improvement to the banking channels. This has thus enabled bank customers’ access information relating to their accounts, (Tiwari, Buse and Herstatt, 2007.). In this regard mobile phone service providers have taken mobile money services deeper into the financial sector by offering a range of financial services through their networks. The CBK and the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) have allowed service providers to offer mobile money services as there appears to be no reprieve as competition in the mobile money business is still heating up with entry of new money transfer systems which now allow transactions across all mobile  telephone service providers like M-pesa. Objectives of the study. The study objectives are: To establish the impact of mobile and internet banking on the performance of financial institutions in Kenya. To establish the extent of use of mobile and internet banking in financial institutions in Kenya. Significance of the study The study will be crucial to emerging financial institutions as it will provide answers to the factors against the implementation of internet banking in Kenya, prove of the success and growth associated with the implementation of internet banking and highlight the areas of banking operations that can be enhanced via internet banking. It is equally significant for bank executives and indeed the policy makers of the banks and financial institutions to be aware of internet banking as a product of internet commerce with a view to making strategic decisions. The study is also expected to give an insight on the state of mobile money services as a competition to the commercial banks in Kenya and the factors that have greatly influenced its growth. Players in the financial institution sector and telecommunications industry will find the study useful as they can use the findings to strategize on how they can mutually benefit from this development. Finally, our study adds to the existing literature, and is a valuable tool for students, academicians, institutions, corporate managers and individuals who want to learn more about mobile and internet banking. Limitations of the study In undertaking this study a number of challenges were faced. There was bureaucracy in getting approval to respond to questionnaires with most institutions insisting that permission be sought from the Chief Executive Officer or Human Resource Manager. This led to delays in obtaining the required responses for data analysis in time. Some customers were unwilling to divulge information and seemed to not have time to fill in the questionnaires. CHAPTER TWO. Literature Review. This chapter seeks to explore in depth the concept of internet and mobile banking through a review of the various theories as well as empirical studies. Theoretical framework Theory of information production and contemporary banking theory Diamond (1984) suggested that economic agents may find it worthwhile to produce information about possible investment opportunities if this information is not free; for instance surplus units could incur substantial search costs if they were to seek out borrowers directly. There would be duplication of information production costs if there were no banks as surplus units would incur considerable expenses in seeking out the relevant information before they commit funds to a borrower. Banks enjoy economies of scale and have expertise in processing information related to deficit units (borrowers). They may obtain information upon first contact with borrowers but in real sense it’s more likely to be learned over time through repeated dealings with the borrower. As they develop this information they develop a credit rating and become experts in processing information. As a result they have an information advantage and depositors are willing to place funds with a bank knowing that this will be directed to the appropriate borrowers without the former having to incur information costs. Bhattacharya and Thakor (1993) contemporary banking theory suggests that banks, together with other financial intermediaries are essential in the allocation of capital in the economy. This theory is centered on information asymmetry, an assumption that â€Å"different economic agents possess different pieces of information on relevant economic variables, in that agents will use this information for their own profit† (Freixas and Rochet 1988). Asymmetric information leads to adverse selection and moral hazard problems. Asymmetric information problem that occurs before the transaction occurs and is related to the lack of information about the lenders charact eristics, is known as adverse selection. Moral hazard takes place after the transaction occurs and is related with incentives by the lenders to behave opportunistically. Innovation diffusion theory Mahajan and Peterson (1985) defined an innovation as any idea, object or practice that is perceived as new by members of the social system and defined the diffusion of innovation as the process by which the innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of social systems. Diffusion of innovation theory attempts to explain and describe the mechanisms of how new inventions in this case internet and mobile banking is adopted and becomes successful Clarke (1995). Sevcik (2004) stated that not all innovations are adopted even if they are good it may take a long time for an innovation to be adopted. He further stated that resistance to change may be a hindrance to diffusion of innovation although it might not stop the innovation it will slow it down. Rogers (1995) identified five critical attributes that greatly influence the rate of adoption. These include relative advantage,compatibility,complexity,triability and observability.According to Rogers, the rate of adoption of new innovations will depend on how an organization perceives its relative advantage, compatibility, triability,observability and complexity.If an organization in Kenya observes the benefits of mobile and internet banking they will adopt these innovations given other factors such as the availability of the required tools. Adoption of such innovations will be faster in organizations that have internet access and information technology departments than in organizations without. Empirical studies Internet banking Recent literature has a narrow focus and ignores internet banking almost entirely; it equates internet money with the substitution of currency with internet gadget. For instance Freedman (2000) suggests that internet banking and internet money consists of three devices; access devices, stored value cards, and network money. Internet banking is simply the access to new devices and is therefore ignored. Internet money is the sum of stored value (smart cards) and network money (value stored on computer hard drives). Santomero and Seater (1996), Prinz (1999) and Shy and Tarkka (2002) present models that identify conditions under which alternative payments substitute for currency. Most of these models indicate that there is at least a  possibility for internet substitutes for currency to emerge and flourish on a wide scale depending on the characteristics of the various technology and those of the potential users. Friedman (1999), intimated that internet banking presents the possibility that an entire alternative payment system not under the control of the Central Bank may arise. Today computers make it at least possible to bypass the payment system altogether, instead using direct bilateral clearing and settlement (Friedman, 1999). Trends in mobile and internet banking in Kenya With the emerging wave of information driven economy, the banking industry in Kenya has inevitably found itself unable to resist technological indulgence. This has led to a boom in development of mobile banking laying down a strong base for low cost banking, and growth of mobile phone use in rural Kenya. Standard Chartered in 2009 launched its mobile banking in seven markets in Africa. In the Kenyan market it offers a number of services on a unique, user-friendly platform called Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) and is only available on GSM carrier networks which enable customers to access banking in real time, anywhere in the world, through their mobile phones. The platform is a convenient menu-driven application that is not dependent on specific customer handsets and does not need to be downloaded. Barclays bank’s m-banking platform is known as ‘hello money’. It allows customers to carry their bank in their mobile and access banking services anytime/anywhere on the move. Unlike other players in the sector this is all for free. Co-operative bank pioneered mobile banking way back in 2004 by enabling customers to access their accounts and transact using their mobile phones. It offers services such as balance enquiries, mini-statements, SMS alerts on credit and debit transactions to an account, pay utility bills and funds transfer. Equity bank on the other hand has its own m-banking platform known as Eazzy 24/7 offering services similar to those of co-operative bank. Telephone and PC banking is a facility that enables customers, via telephone calls, find out about their position with their bankers by merely dialing the telephone numbers given to them by the banks. In addition, the computers on the phone would require special codes given to the customers as a mea ns of identification of authentic users before they can receive any information they requested for. Telephone and PC banking brings the bank to the doorstep  of the customer, it does not require the customer to leave his premises. The card system is a unique internet payment type. Smart cards are plastic devices with embedded integrated circuit being used for settlement of financial obligations. Depending on the sophistication, it can be used as a Credit Card, Debit Card and ATM cards. The cards are internetally loaded with cash value and can be carried around like cash and store information on a microchip. The microchip contains a â€Å"purse† in which value is held internetally. In addition, it also contains security programs which protect transactions between one card user and the other. It can also be transferred directly to a retailer, merchant or any other outlet to pay for goods and services, and like cash, transactions between individuals without the need for banks or any other third parties. Also, the system does not require central clearing, it is valued immediat ely. CHAPTER THREE. Research Methodology A research methodology guides the researcher in collecting, analyzing and interpreting observed facts (Bless and Achola, 1988). This chapter introduces the logical framework to be followed in the process of conducting the study. It is divided into: research design, population and sample, data collection and data analysis. Research Design According to McMillan and Schumacher (2001) a research design is a plan for selecting subjects, research sites and data collection procedures to answer the research questions. It is the conceptual framework within which research is conducted and constitutes the blueprint for the collection of data and the analysis thereof of the collected data Based on the purpose of the study and the type of data involved, descriptive and qualitative research designs were used. The goal was to provide a clear understanding of mobile and internet banking and its usage in financial institutions and therefore conclude on the impact it has had on their performance. Qualitative data was collected from the managers, subordinate staff as well as from customers of the financial institutions. Population and Sample. Cooper and Emory (1995) define population as the total collection of elements about which the researcher wishes to make some inferences. An element is the subject on which the measurement is being taken and is the unit of the study. The population of interest in this study consisted of 61 financial institutions operating in Kenya of which only 30 responded. The managers, employees and customers were targeted as the key respondents. There was a need to sample the population because not all the population elements use mobile and internet banking. The study therefore used stratified sampling. This is the process of dividing members of the population into homogeneous subgroups before sampling. The strata should be mutually exclusive: every element in the population must be assigned to only one stratum. Financial institutions were classified according to microfinance institutions, SACCOS and commercial banks where 2 microfinance institutions, 11 SACCOS and 17 commercial banks were sampled . Data Collection. Primary sources were used in data collection. Open and close-ended questionnaires were administered to target respondents. In total two questionnaires were delivered: one to managers and employees and another to customers. They purposed to find out information regarding the level of usage of mobile and internet banking, demographics of the customers, services offered and used, level of satisfaction, impact on performance, opportunities for growth and challenges faced through the use of mobile and internet banking. This instrument allowed for cost and time savings for the respondents as well as the researchers. Data Analysis According to Bryman and Bell (2003) data analysis refers to a technique used to make inferences from data collected by means of a systematic and objective identification of specific characteristics. Once data is collected it has to be edited to verify to the completeness of data, coded in order to assign numbers or symbols to the various answers for effective categorization/classification, entered in order to convert the information gathered to a medium for viewing and manipulation (e.g. excel or statistical  package for social sciences SSPS) and finally displayed through the use of frequency tables and charts. Collected data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Qualitative data regarding customer level satisfaction, challenges faced demographics and services provided and used were analyzed using content analysis to measure the semantic contents of the message. Qualitative data was analyzed using statistical data analysis. The data was tabulated in pie-cha rts, tables and graphs for easier understanding and presentation. Data Analysis and Interpretation This section presents the data analysis, findings and discussion of the study in line with the research objectives of the study, the study’s research objective was to establish the impact of mobile and internet banking on financial performance of financial institutions in Kenya. To achieve the objective the research raised a number specific objective; to establish the extent of use of mobile banking and the extent of use of internet banking in financial institutions in Kenya. Data analysis The response rate of the questionnaires from the three types of institutions under study was fairly high, out of the 98 questionnaires sent to the respondents, 64 questionnaires both from customers and managers/employees were returned for analysis. To enhance the quality of the data obtained structured questions were used whereby the respondents were asked to give various indicators on mobile and internet banking. Various data were collected to satisfy this study in accordance with the methodology. The software that was used for the following analysis was Microsoft excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Summary The study revealed that among the financial institutions surveyed, commercial banks had the highest usage of internet banking at 43.3%, SACCOs had the second highest usage of internet banking whereas none of the microfinance institutions used internet banking.Amongst all the financial institutions surveyed commercial banks had the highest usage of mobile banking, SACCOs the second highest whereas MFIs had the least usage of mobile banking even though all of them used mobile banking. Of the services provided by financial institutions via internet banking the service that customers used most was online balance inquiry (40%) whereas the least used service was online bill payment (3.3%). According to the financial institutions the customer turn out level was high (63.3%) as a result of the use of internet banking. 66.7% of the respondents indicated that internet banking had a positive impact on performance whereas only 6.7% indicated that it had not impacted on performance of the financi al institutions Conclusion The study was able to achieve the set objectives; to explore the impact of mobile and internet banking on performance of financial institutions, as well as the extent of use of mobile and internet banking, by surveying a representative sample of financial institutions within Nairobi. The study found that commercial banks had the highest rate of usage of internet  banking among the financial institutions sampled. SACCOS are slowly adopting internet banking, while micro finance institutions have not yet adopted internet banking. The study revealed that the most prevalent internet banking services were seeking product rate information and the use of online credit cards. Since its introduction in mid-2005, the adoption of internet banking has been slow due to impaired unavailability of infrastructure and lack of supportive legislation for internet banking (Nyangosi et al 2009). However the adoption of internet banking has enhanced performance of the banking industry due to increased efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. The study found that mobile banking faces various challenges among them being, system delays by the mobile money transfer service providers, slow processing of transactions especially during the weekends, high transactions costs, limit on the amount of money that can be withdrawn in a day and fraud. These challenges can be solved through regular maintenance of mobile money transfer systems which will help in managing the systems’ capacity and in turn address the problem of transaction delays and improve customer service through speedy support and lower user charges. Suggestions for further study The study focused on the impact of internet and mobile banking on financial performance of financial institutions in Kenya while its evident its rampant growth impacts on the overall economy as well. Therefore, a study should be conducted to investigate the impact of mobile and internet banking on the economy.The study found that mobile banking has been adopted at a faster rate than internet banking therefore a study needs to be conducted to investigate why this is the case. References: Berestien, A. (1998), Monetary Policy Implications of Digital Money, Kyklos, Vol. 51. Bhattacharya, S. and A. Thakor (1993), ‘’Contemporary Banking Theory,’’ Journal of Financial Intermediation 3, 2-50. 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