Human sexuality Essay Example for Free

Human sexuality Essay She was barely eight years old when together with seven of her age mates ,she was handed over to a traditional circumciser who took them through the painful process of FGM. it has been many years since ,and she has accomplished so much in life, but the incident remains fresh in her mind. The old woman who took them through the process was going blind, she says, and three of the eight who underwent the procedure died due to excessive bleeding. One of them was her very close friend. Luckily for her, the bleeding was not too much and she had a savior at hand. Her father, who was a policeman, took her to a hospital in Garissa using a police land rover. This was the traumatizing experience that nominated Member of Parliament, Sophia Abdi Noor went through when her mother blessed her to undergo the rite of passage that would cleanse her and make her acceptable for marriage according to tradition. Never before in history of the august house had a member used her own life experience to move debate as Ms.  Sophia did when supporting the bill to outlaw female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation is the term used for operations or removal of all or just part of the external parts of female genitilia. This practice has for a long time come under increasingly intense international scrutiny from the news media, feminist and human rights organizations. The main reasons for continuation of FGM are firstly, as a rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood; a circumcised woman is considered mature, obedient and aware of her role in the family and society. Secondly, FGM is perpetuated as a means of reducing sexual desire of girls and women, thereby curbing sexual activity before and ensuring fidelity within marriage. Although opposition to female ‘circumcision’ has been articulated throughout the twentieth century, starting with missionaries and colonial administrators, the current resurgence of indignation was ignited in part by activists at conferences honoring the United Nations Decade for women(1975-1985). (Shell-Duncan. B,Hernland-Y;pg 23) The practice of circumcising women has very deep roots that touch all aspects of the cultures that continue to inflict it upon their girls. However,it still remains to be a practice that violates the human rights of affected women in a moral and ethical sense because it generates psychological torture, low self-esteem, tampers with a woman’s sexuality and is a health hazard. Psychological torture The pain inflicted by F. G. M does not stop with the initial procedure, but often continues as an ongoing torture throughout a woman’s life. Intense pain and hemorrhage experienced during the procedure can lead to shock. A 1985 Kenyan study found that nearly 97% of the 269 women interviewed experienced intense pain during and after F. G.  M and more than 13% went into shock. According to WHO, It is self-evident that any form of surgical interference in the highly sensitive genital organs constitutes a serious threat to the woman, and that the painful operation is a source of major physical as well as psychological trauma. The extent and nature of the immediate and long-term mental disturbances will depend on the girl’s inner defences, the prevailing psychological environment, and a host of other factors. The family no doubt does its best to mitigate the painful effects of the operation; nonetheless, they necessarily undergo overwhelming experiences. Even before the operation, the threat of ‘cutting’ and fear provoking situation may disturb the mental state of the child to the degree that it causes worry, anxiety, sleeplessness, nightmares or panic. As anticipating precautions against these anxieties the family commonly uses various forms of traditional magi co-religious practice such as fumigation, or the wearing of amulets. On a religious perspective, the scripture prescribes that special efforts be made to care for those who are most vulnerable. (Deut 10:17-19,Ps 82:3,4; Ps24:11,12;Luke 1:52-54) Jesus taught that children should be loved and protected. Therefore,the genital mutilation of young girls violates the biblical mandate to safeguard children and protect them from harm and abuse Tampers with a woman’s sexuality. Sexual intercourse can only take place after opening the infibulation, through surgery or penetrative sexual intercourse. Consequently, intercourse is frequently painful during the first weeks after initiation. Although it is difficult to verify reports or women’s sexual experiences, physical complications from FGM often impede sexual enjoyment. FGM destroys much or all of the vulva nerve endings, delaying arousal or impairing orgasm. Lacerations loss of skin elasticity, or development of neuron (a tumor or mass growing from a nerve) can lead to painful intercourse. In a 1993 Kenyan study, 5% of women interviewed experienced painful intercourse while 9. 3% of them reported having difficult or impossible penetration, and that many of the married ones only accepted it only as a duty. Scripture celebrates the divinely ordained gift of sexual intimacy within marriage (Eccl9. 9;Prov 5:18,19). The practice of female genital mutilation should be renounced because it threatens the creator’s design for the experience of joyful sexuality by married couples. For married couples, the gift of sexual union may be further blessed by the birth of children (Prov 31:28). The fact that successful childbirth is threatened by FGM is additional grounds for opposition to this practice. Health hazard. In October 1994, as a response to the call to Global Action,UNICEF issued an executive directive declaring that FGM is a health hazard to children and violation of their human rights. FGM in any form should not be practiced by health professionals in any setting including hospitals or other health establishments. Unnecessary oddly mutilation cannot be condoned by health providers. FGM is harmful to the health of women and girls and violates their basic human rights and medicalization of the procedure does not eliminate this harm. On the contrary, it reinforces the continuation of the practice by seeming to legitimize it. Health practitioners should provide all necessary care and counseling for complications that may arise as a result. Group circumcision, where the same unsterilized instrument is used on several girls at a time, repeat cutting and stitching increases risk of HIV infection. The Bible presents the goodness of God’s creation, including the creation of human beings (Gen 1:31; Ps 139:13, 14). God is the source and sustainer of human life (Job 33:4; john 1:3, 4). He calls for preservation of human life and holds humanity accountable for its destruction(Gen 9:5,6;Ex20:13,Jer 7:3-34). The human body is the â€Å"the temple of the Holy Spirit,† and followers of God are urged to care for and preserve their bodies, including the Creator’s gift of sexuality, as a spiritual responsibility (1cor6:15-19). Because FGM is harmful to health, threatening to life, and injurious to sexual function, it is incompatible with the will of God. Having discussed the side effects that FGM pauses to victims, various communities have come up with measures to fight this procedure, an alternative rite of passage in the abandonment of FGM is used. It involves a four-step procedure Preparation Seminars for both parents and initiates are encouraged. The topics will include side effects of female circumcision, and get prepared to attend a residential seminar to elaborate on what the alternative procedure entails. Actual Circumcision In the alternative Rite of passage, actual circumcision should be stopped since we have learnt that it is not necessary to make a woman an adult nor mature. The side effects of F. C both short and long terms are to be avoided if actual circumcision is not performed. Parents can select a teacher and trainer, for their daughter who will accompany her to the residential centre for an alternative rite of passage seminar. Seclusion. For this the girls will attend a residential seminar for one week away from home. The initiate will be accompanied with their teacher and trainer. Women both circumcised and un circumcised from the community will facilitate during the seminar. Additional topics-AIDS, STI’s, simple hygiene and great women in the Bible, in community and in Kenya. Rites and rituals will be optional. Girls of circumcision age are between six and twelve years old. For the purpose of effective learning, the girls will be divided into two groups; girls between six and nine, ten and twelve. Graduation Graduation is expected to be brief and colourful. Songs, drama, plays and poems will be encouraged. Parents, community leaders, politicians and government officials will be invited to attend to witness the graduation of whole girls. Certificates of graduation will be awarded and prayers, blessings conducted. Exchange of gifts for newly graduated girls will be carried out and finally the graduates will be handed over to the community,chief,church elders and clan elders. Since it’s an annual event, committees are to b e established to plan for the following year.

Implementation Of Compliance Monitoring Programme Framework Information Technology Essay

Implementation Of Compliance Monitoring Programme Framework Information Technology Essay Only UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) alone has issued over  £13 million of fines in year 2011 so far ( £89m in 2010 and  £23 in 2009). (FSA, 2011) For the larger firms, the monetary value of such fine may be a drop in the ocean. Nevertheless, it may pose a major reputational risk. According to Bank of International Settlements Principles on compliance function in banks (BIS, 2005:14), the responsibilities of the banks Compliance Function (CF) should be to assist senior management in managing effectively the compliance risks faced by the bank. Furthermore, BIS survey on implementation of compliance principles in banks (2008) shows that the core tasks of the compliance function defined in laws, regulations or binding guidance in respondent jurisdictions are monitoring and testing compliance by performing sufficient and representative compliance testing as well as reporting on a regular basis to senior management where the results of the compliance testing should be reported in accordance with the banks internal risk management procedures. (BIS, 2005:14; 2008:3) The importance of an effective Compliance monitoring program is continually growing due to the increased complexity of regulations, rising regulator activity and the growing impact of non-compliance. Compliance monitoring is, indeed, the heartbeat of any CF. The creation of compliance and policy manuals are important, however, such policy management might be irrelevant without an effective compliance monitoring. (ComplianceTrack, 2011) (Appendix) Therefore, it is essential that every CF takes advantage of monitoring process to its fullest in order to protect their companies from negative consequences that non-compliance in their area may have. The aim of this assignment is to briefly outline a framework for Compliance Monitoring Programme for a pan European Financial Services (FS) organisation. This I based on the material discussed in class, further research, as well as my personal experience with Compliance gained in Irish and international companies operating not only in the FS, but also in communications, hospitality and consultancy industries. The Teamwork Compliance, with Compliance Monitoring at its core, is considered as the 2nd line of defence in the overall company Integrated Assurance Framework, also known as the Three Lines of Defence. (Appendix) The business standing in the so called 1st line of defence owns, manages and controls compliance risks through management, procedures, controls, quality assurance. The compliance monitoring then carried out by the CF in the 2nd line of defence provides assurance that the business adequately manages its compliance risks. In the final 3rd line of defence the Audit both internal and external performs the overall assessment of the adequacy of compliance functions. BIS (2005:13) suggest there should be appropriate mechanisms for co-operation among all the above assurance providers within the Integrated Assurance Framework and with the head of compliance. These mechanisms should be sufficient to ensure that the head of compliance can perform his or her responsibilities effectively. Hence, not all compliance responsibilities are necessarily carried out by a compliance unit. Compliance responsibilities may be exercised by staff in different departments. (Appendix1, 2) Such coordination with other assurance providers may lead to one of the three following review approaches (Zurich, 2010): 1. Review execution is performed by another assurance provider (e.g. Internal audit performs an AML review). In this case, CF should support the assurance provider with technical expertise during execution of the review (e.g. support in setting up the review program). 2. Joint reviews. CF participates in a review led by another assurance provider. In this case only one report will be written by the assurance provider who has the review lead. 3. Compliance Reviews. If review types 1 or 2 are not feasible or adequate, CF performs an own Compliance review. BIS Principles (BIS, 2005:14) stress that if some of the Compliance responsibilities are carried out by staff in different departments, the allocation of responsibilities to each department should be clear. As might be expected, PWC research (2009:16) shows, that in practice the three lines of defence can and often do overlap, depending on the organisational compliance structure (e.g. embedded compliance staff in the business who undertake real-time surveillance of transactions to ensure compliance with AML, market abuse or client order handling rules). To resolve these confilicts, PWC recommends to put the CF squarely in the advisory category (i.e. in the second line of defence). This means operationalising the first line of defence where compliance control and day-to-day monitoring becomes more clearly the responsibility of the business, with the compliance function providing oversight and advice. (Appendix) The Virtuous Cycle (Compliance assurance process) 1. Risk Assessment The continuous cycle is usually annual and starts with risk assessment to detect potential compliance issues and risks, in accordance with companys risk appetite. The monitoring is typically (Appendix) planned on risk-based basis as this approach enables resources to be targeted to the areas where they are most needed and will prove most effective, potentially not only saving compliance costs but also gaining greater business support for compliance measures. (Better Regulation, 2008) The following sources need to be considered to determine which compliance risks should be monitored on the highest group company level: 1. Risk assessments, which can, for instance, be categorised by business areas or standards prescribed by regulator (e.g. FSA handbook categories) 2. Regulatory Environment: Laws, regulations, specific requests by the Regulator 3. Monitoring currently executed and planned in the future periods by other assurance providers 4. Local risk assessments and compliance plans Moreover, the required depth, breath and frequency monitoring activities depend on the size and complexity of the nature of the industry and the company itself. 2. Compliance Plan Based on this input, CF establishes its review needs, which should subsequently be discussed and coordinated with other assurance providers in order to leverage on the existing review frameworks and to avoid duplication, gaps and to limit business interruption. All defined reviews on compliance risks, irrespective of which assurance provider executes them, will be included in the annual Compliance Monitoring Plan. This Compliance Plan typically details the what (scope and objectives, problems/risks, priorities), who (resources), when (start and finish dates, major milestones), and how (activities to be carried out and data to be collected). 3. Compliance Data Collection and Testing The Compliance procedure manual tells you how to comply with the regulators rules. How do you, however, ensure that your company has been following this manual? The answer is by conducting compliance testing on a regular basis to see whether those procedures are working as expected, and what the exceptions are. (Cyriac, 2011) Hence, CF should have a process in place that systematically collects all the compliance-relevant information. The list below defines the main issue and risk identification activities that CF can use to monitor compliance risks (Zurich, 2010): Compliance Testing The aim of compliance testing is to conduct detailed evaluation of compliance-relevant procedures and internal controls (manual and automated) built into company business processes to asses whether these are adequate to manage the risk within the scope of CF. Tests should be completed clearly, concisely and accurately, in line with CF and company standard methodologies. Ideally, large portion of such testing population can be sources from company management information system such as records of complaints, errors, exceptions, mitigating actions and their status, trends, and the like. Reasonable sample sizes when testing areas with a volume of data (e.g. trades) should be used. (Cyriac, 2011) Compliance monitoring is meant to be both proactive and reactive. It should collect data to prove the availability of controls and validations and it should also collect data relating to failure. (ComplianceTrack, 2011; PWC, 2005) The actual frequency of tests is dependant on the abovementioned risk assessments. As a general guideline, higher risk areas are recommended to be tested more regularly, at least monthly, medium risk areas, at least quarterly, and lower risk areas, at least annually. (Cyriac, 2011) As mentioned earlier, the CF can take advantage of the connections, resources and expertise within the Integrated assurance framework in certain circumstances where the CF may require to increase the independence, quality and/or frequency of their reviews. The following basic steps may be executed when performing a Compliance test: Review Preparation and announcement Inform the Business about the planned review and discuss review process, scope, timing and collaboration Prepare the review by gathering information and establishing the review program Fieldwork Execute the review according to review program and file supporting review documents and evidence Discuss observations and actions with the Business Testing by Other Assurance Providers Regular meetings should be arranged within the Integrated assurance framework to identify potential issues that might have an impact on compliance risks. Also, CF should be kept in the loop in regards to reports from other assurance providers. Complaints External Perhaps also part of a good MIS, complaint handling procedure should exist where all complaints are registered and tracked for regularly relevant compliance statistics (e. g. number of complaints, summary of major topics, actions taken, status, development needs). Complaints Internal To encourage employees to express concerns, an infrastructure for reports (often anonymous) should be in place (e.g. dedicated contact persons, hotlines, email address, web forms, etc.) and all staff informed and actively reminded of its existence. Reported issues are investigated and acted upon in timely manner and reported to relevant stakeholders (e.g. number of complaints, major topics, status, channels used for reporting). Day-to-day Counselling Compliance should not be seen not just as a monitoring tool but as an active, ongoing support to management. As business progressively manifests the right behaviour embodying both integrity and innovation the need for the CF to police its activities diminishes, and the value-adding counsellor role comes more to the fore. (Appendix?) (PWC, 2005) Having a good relationship with the business is vital to the success of the compliance function, particularly when it comes to assessing the compliance risk of the business. Companies with a mature compliance culture tend to think of the compliance function as a vital element of business operations and no decisions on, for example, new business ventures or services would be taken without the involvement of the CF and its advice on all compliance risk areas. (Metheven, 2011) At the same time, however, the pendulum should not be allowed to swing unreservedly in the counsellor direction. Compliance has a critical role to play in compliance oversight and monitoring in order not only to provide the necessary comfort to (senior) management but also to frame the advice it provides going forward. A clear delineation needs to be set between doing compliance and monitoring compliance. (PWC, 2005) Yet, interestingly, in PWC 2009 (:15) survey of 76 financial institutions based in 16 European countries forty-eight percent of respondents say the difference between the compliance management and the compliance monitoring programmes is still not fully understood within their organisation. Hence, CF should attend all committees where compliance risks may be discussed. Annual Relationship Management plan is a popular solution, outlining minimum required regular meetings with management to discuss potential risks, issues and new developments. Regulatory Environment Monitoring Changes in regulation, laws and industry should be monitored systematically. Where action is required, owner of the particular area should be advised of the matter and the deadline for implementation. CF should ensure the owner has all support needed (compliance, legal etc.) so the deadlines and requirements of the new regulation are met. As usual, it is important to keep all stakeholders informed. Compliance officers increasingly appreciate the need for a coherent dialogue with regulators to gain a better understanding of their changing expectations and the need to monitor the upstream risks of new regulations more effectively. (PWC, 2009:4) To ensure no surprises, or last-minute scrambling and the associated unnecessary expense, particular attention should be paid to monitoring new regulatory proposals. (PWC, 2009:9) How do we do it? UK monitor it, tell us about it, agree deadlines, help us to read the docs ensure interpretation ok, bring directors into the loop,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Regulatory Action Monitoring Reviews, investigations and requests from regulatory bodies should be received and analysed. CF must ensure timely resolutions of such requests, possibly also coordinating the whole process. It is a good practice to share the results of the Regulators activities (e.g. regulatory review report including fines or sanctions where appropriate) and implementation progress (status of internal actions) with relevant stakeholders. Training The best practice dictates that annual Training Plan should be established to communicate regulatory/compliance matters to employees of the organisation. These activities can be measured (e.g. coverage, success rate, completed by deadline) and results used as indicators for next periods. Local CF monitoring Important part of Compliance monitoring in organisations consisting of various units/branches is to ensure that CFs across the company execute their tasks according to the company principles. (Appendix) This can be done by regular meetings of group CF with local CF units (e.g. one-to-one/joint, face-to-face/teleconference/online; discussing risks, activities, infrastructure), reporting (e.g. issues, risks, activities, KPI performance), periodic meetings with key local business stakeholders (e.g. satisfaction, cooperation, added-value, prioritization, resource), regular quality assurance reviews (carried out by CF and/or in cooperation with another assurance provider) Monitoring of Outsourced functions and activities There are strong parallels in approach in terms of controlling third-party networks and outsourced functions or activities. (Appendix) Key control elements stressed by respondents include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quality of the due diligence exercise prior to entering the relationship à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Contracts and written agreements (service level agreements) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Robust monitoring by the (local) compliance function and testing exercises (for example, mystery shopping) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ongoing communication and training sessions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Metrics/controls/reporting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quality of the compliance function within the third-party distributor or outsourcer, and compliance policies in place, as well as a clear definition of compliance processes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Onsite reviews by compliance and internal audit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Complaints analysis à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Dedicated unit within the compliance function to oversee third-party distributors or outsourcers. Does IT help? Priority should be placed on the development and use of technology able to help management to really understand, on a timely and consistent basis, what is going on in the business. From the perspective of the CF, a robust technological infrastructure entails both sophisticated tools for monitoring compliance in business activities, together with appropriate tools for streamlining compliance function activities, and facilitating knowledge sharing. (PWC, 2005:11) The apparently low level of knowledge of IT within compliance functions supports the view that, in many organisations, the IT department is not considered to be a key stakeholder in the compliance function, and vice versa. However, PWC believe that technology is a key enabler to supporting compliance within the organisation, and presents a significant opportunity for many organisations. This means the use of technology to: Control and manage processes that cut across systems and organisational boundaries. Compliance touches nearly every operating and administrative unit and business process in an organisation so the task of controlling and managing the compliance process itself is huge. Each of these require appropriate application of technology in order to establish sustainable compliance. (e.g. document management, status reporting, automated internal controls) Appropriate use of IT can improve the quality of information and speed of delivery transferring data from one system to another, replacing manual processes for execution, analysis and reporting, challenging the quality of data, modelling alternatives and delivering reports and dashboard information to decision makers. Reliable information increases confidence to take action. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Identify and manage events in a consistent and auditable manner. Technology is used to identify events and report exceptions. This involves optimising control capabilities in existing business and support systems, use of integration technologies to bring together information from disparate source systems and administering and monitoring of risk and control self-assessments and other surveys. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build accountability into the management and reporting of events. IT help ensure action by creating a closed loop environment that incorporates accountability for each incident and requires action. (PWC, 2005:61) According to PWC (2005) survey of 73 FS (63% banking, 19% investments, 18% insurance) institutions in 17 countries, 36 percent of respondents considered inadequate IT infrastructure for compliance monitoring as one of the biggest challenges of achieving a compliant organisation. (PWC, 2005: 19) 4. Data Analysis Results of reviews on compliance risks, as defined above, should be captured and analyzed. Every Compliance function should systematically monitor and analyze the captured data in order to identify compliance risks, issues, problems and trends. Key Performance Indicators reflecting the monitoring activities can be an important part of the reporting dashboard and help to identify trends on a local and group level. 5. Reporting and Follow up Reports to stakeholders (e.g. those charged with governance) on compliance monitoring and analysis need to present a balanced view of the situation, risks, issues, actions taken, highlighting both positive and constructive/developmental aspects, and proposing improvement actions. Reporting happens according to reporting standards of the particular company but generally include the following: Write and discuss report, observations and actions with the business Share report with relevant stakeholders Follow up actions Sample Reporting Content Executive Summary Background Objective and Scope Description of compliance testing/review carried out Observations Rating of quality of controls and processes under review. Actions 6. Review Being part of the Integrated assurance framework, Compliance should itself be subject to regular view usually annual as mentioned above usually by external and internal audit. Benchmarking with industry peers is also a beneficial practice. Without processes to judge program elements and implement necessary improvements, any compliance program will have difficulty staying efficient, effective and up to date. Well-developed routine monitoring and periodic assessment processes, with clear paths for communication of recommended changes, may be the best sign of a mature and effective management system. (OCEG, 2004:2)

Hate crimes :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Victims of hate crimes vary in the indiscretions placed against them, whether it is from a simple slander to a vicious attack. But they all have the same mutual notion that the crimes that were committed against them are far above other crimes because they were carried out in hate. I believe that the idea of creating a separate punishment for crimes of this nature is absolutely nonsensical and inane in theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the attached article, it states that â€Å"Congressional negotiators stripped a measure to strengthen 1960s-era hate crimes law from a massive defense bill, likely killing for this year the effort to broaden hate crimes protections for gay people and the disabled (Reuters, 2004).† This action, for some, it a disappointment and a big step back in their movement. â€Å"Backers of the hate crimes legislation, a top priority for gay rights and disabled advocacy groups (Reuters, 2004)† seem more interested in intensifying punishment that is only against them. Such cases that they believe deserved intensification are those like â€Å"the dragging death of a black man named James Byrd in Texas (Reuters, 2004)† and â€Å"the fatal beating of a young gay man named Matthew Shepard in Wyoming (Williams, 2004).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But I believe the ideals that those kind of people are fighting for is a futile effort and a lost cause. Singling out crimes and criminals with the addition of â€Å"hate† has no added value in the context of the crime. A crime that has been committed in the essence of hate is only as valid as a crime that is not completely perpetrated out of hate. And yes, a hate crime is seen as more debauched in our growingly politically correct society, but under the scrutiny of law it should not be seen as a special crime in need of special punishment. In our legislation we should not make a special needs section to satisfy the victims of intolerance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In our society everything and everyone is suppose to be equal, and in classifying two different murderers as one being a hate murderer and the other simply a murderer is not acceptable. Now I am not trying to defend murders in my accusations but rather am trying to make a point. Crimes that are committed out of intolerance of one’s beliefs or actions are no different than a crime that is committed out of pure pleasure per se.

The Person I Admire Most, and Why :: College Admissions Essays

The Person I Admire Most, and Why Throughout grade school, I was an average student in academic subjects, partly because I was embarrassed about my accent. Things were even worse in P.E. I always tried to hide when my classmates picked teams for sports because I felt so awkward. When we played baseball or kickball, I always seemed to stumble in front of my classmates. Because I believed I was horrible at physical activities, without really even trying, I had no confidence and felt embarrassed about performing in front of others. Soon I even lost what confidence I had in the classroom and stopped raising my hand to answer questions, even when I knew the answer. My seventh grade year started off just the same. But, in spring semester when track season started, everything changed. That's when I encountered the person I admire the most, the person to whom I attribute my success as an athlete and my belief in myself. He recognized a hidden talent in me and encouraged me to develop it. That person is my seventh grade P.E. instructor, Coach García. One afternoon, during P.E., Coach García marched us onto the track and divided us into groups for relay races. He started talking, and the first thing I noticed was that he spoke with an accent, too. But soon I started paying more attention to what he was saying how teamwork is such an important element for the relay race because we would have to pass the baton to our teammates. He could see that I was hanging back. Every time he said, "Remember, do your best because your teammates need you," he seemed to be talking directly to me! At the practices, I kept hearing his phrase, "Your teammates need you." Even though I couldn't see how my teammates would need me, since I could never seem to play any sport, when we went to our first track meet, I decided to test Coach García's theory. When I received the baton, I darted away from the starting line, running as fast as I could. I pushed myself that day, something I had never done before in P.E. I started off so fast that I gave my team a great lead, and we won the race.

The Ethics of Microsoft’s Product Pricing Structure Essay -- Microsoft

The Ethics of Microsoft’s Product Pricing Structure Introduction Microsoft, currently one of the world’s biggest and most influential software companies, was found in 1975 by William Gates and Paul Allen.[1] It quickly positioned itself as a leader in the software community and due to the strength growth of its user base for the Windows operating system and numerous other products, it became both widely popular and widely hated. Many consumers love the suite of products that Microsoft offers because they are easy to use, are widely supported, and have many applications written specifically to for them. On the other hand, there are many who dislike Microsoft, claiming that their policies lead to an uncompetitive market and that their practices are unethical. In recent years many court cases, including a major anti-trust suit have been brought against Microsoft. This paper aims to focus on the issue of Microsoft’s product pricing structure and to discuss the issues that have arisen because of it. There are two different yet similar ethical issues surrounding Microsoft’s product pricing. Within the United States there has been growing concern that because Microsoft controls such a large portion of the market that they are using this to their advantage and to drive prices up. A number of cases have been brought to court and found Microsoft guilty of price fixing, causing them to refund money to consumers in states like California and Iowa. The ethical issue clearly surrounds Microsoft’s motives. Are they driving up prices and simply trying to make more money with no thought to the impact on the community, or are they trying to run a legitimate profit-based business that strives to keep make everyone happier and ... ...p://webspeedreader.com/Articles/Microsoft.htm?Default-04-20-2001> [10] AFP, Microsoft Still in Talks with EU for Possible Compromise, 15 March 2004, [11] InfoTech, Erwin Lemuel G. Oliva, Software Makers: Pricing Standard Worldwide, 2003, 15 March 2004, 14 Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2003?, 10 February 2004, [12] University of Central Florida, Barbara Moore’s Slides, Antitrust and Industrial Policy, 2003?, 15 March 2004, [13] Russel Verney, Price Fixing in Plain Sight, 2001, 15 March 2004,

“Ode to an Orange” by Larry Woiwode Essay

Ode to an Orange by Larry Woiwode is an evocative essay that brought many of my memories back. I became part of the story by experiencing what the author was describing. Larry incites all of our senses with the sharp description of an orange that for most of us is simply another fruit. The smell produced when we squeeze it, and its spherical orange shape gives us the sensation of being there. This essay made me think about the different ways we look at an orange. Most of us are accustomed to the conventional way of seeing an orange. However, for some people an orange is a lot more than merely a fruit. The author emphasizes in the importance of an orange for him. One example of this emphasis is at line 10 when he mentions; â€Å"There was no depth of degradation that we wouldn’t descend to in order to get one†. This tells me that the author not only liked oranges, but that he was passionate about enjoying the flavor and texture of an orange. I think that the author feels in this way because the orange brings some of his most memorable times back. He clearly remembers the way her mother used to tease him and his brother. He emphasizes this by repeating his thoughts in the end. I enjoyed reading this story because I can relate with what the author writes. In the summers of my childhood, there was no better flavor than the originated by a cold orange juice. After reading this story, I felt a strong desire to buy some oranges and make a glass of cold juice, and the fact that is summer now; greatly complements it. Finally, this story has made me more aware of the ordinary things we have around us. Everything is an interesting topic for writing, and as the book mentions, we need to be more perceptive with our environment. Larry has a unique way to make us feel inside the story. He reminds me that before theaters and television was writing. We only need our imagination to create the most beautiful stories.

Human Beings are More Alike than Different

â€Å"Human beings are more alike than different.† This is a statement that may be argued by many people. Personally I agree with this statement because even thought, all of us are unique individuals, but the purpose of our existence is the same.Humans are greedy, greed is a feeling where we want more than what most people have in the world. People are this way because of society and the world in general. People all want money, we cannot do much unless we have money.People choose to be greedy and keep money because they feel as if they earn it they have to keep it. Some people fake their divorce to get money from the government and even fake their income so they can get free medical care, food stamps.Humans are selfish, if there is one thing that we love the most in this world would be ourselves. We are no different from each other, we become selfish without seeing or knowing it because we always want to believe we're right at all costs. After we are born, we cry for our needs to be known, we cry to have attention.Slowly we learned to live with others and accommodate others but at times of crisis, our instincts tell us to save ourselves first. We judge and gossip others, even whole societies or whole other countries, on too little information or on media reports.Humans all want freedom, we all want freedom because everything we do has to do with freedom. Nothing could be done right without freedom, without freedom, we would be forced do to do things we do not want to do, and no way to change it at all. Consequently it is indeed that â€Å"human beings are more alike than different. †