Principles of Personal Development Essay

Standards that influence the way adult social care job roles are carried out. Codes of Practice set out the criteria against which providers are assessed by. They also describe the standards of conduct and practice with which workers must carry out their activities and ensure that what they do is competent and consistent with the values of their employer. These standards are how registrants’ ‘ï ¬ tness to practice’ is determined. For a care worker to work in a certain profession, they have to register with their particular Professional Council and then work to the Codes of Practice which they deem ï ¬ t. Not following their Code of Practice could result in them being taken of the register and no longer allowed to work in that role. Reflecting on work activities is an important way to develop own knowledge and skills. Reflection on your own practice is important because it allows you to assess what you are doing well, identify areas where you might like or maybe need more training or guidance in to ensure you are performing to the best you can, and are meeting all standards and expectations within the elderly house policies and procedures. Reflecting on your practice can enhance and improve your confidence and self esteem because you can look at what you are doing well, the things you have learnt and achieved and feel good about yourself especially if you have done something with ease that you used to find difficult, if you have done something you never did well in or something that you have never tried before. This then gives you confidence to continue working well and to aim to try other new things or to use what new skills or knowledge you have gained in your practices. During the activity you improve you learning by asking you supervisor/senior. You learn from others people strategies. Find ways to reflect your self in your activity. Reflection, which is learning through experience, is not a new concept. As humans, we naturally reflect on our surroundings and experiences. It is a learning tool that will help us improve our skill and develop our knowledge and practice. Also it is important to find your strengths and weaknesses so that you can develop and improve on them, so you can make your weakness your strengths. Reflecting on your self is a complex activity that requires the individual to develop a set of skills. When you reflect you stand back and think of a situation or problem, gain a new perspective of something, make sense of our experiences and construct meaning and knowledge that directs actions in practice. Use evidence to help decide on decisions. Ways to ensure that personal attitudes or beliefs do not obstruct the quality of work. The best way to ensure that personal attitudes or beliefs don’t obstruct the quality of work is to be dedicated to excellence. Personal attitudes can be changed through education. That is an important way. It helps to develop a good work ethic. How learning activities can develop knowledge, skills and understanding. How a learning activity has improved own knowledge, skills and understanding. The more you think and plan, the better you can do. Think things all the way through to a successful conclusion. Improving improved own knowledge, skills and understanding by reflecting on a situation I don’t have a situation that I really want to share, but I spend a great deal of time reflecting on life from various perspectives from the logical/intellectual to the mystical/muse. The two quotes below are on a list that I keep in my desk. They remind me why I must make time, even if it appears I’m doing something else, to reflect. * â€Å"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!† ― Dr. Seuss * â€Å"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.† ― Albert Einstein Feedback from others has developed own knowledge, skills and understanding The example is comments, critics, suggestions. If someone know what to do to this feedback, that person already know what to do next. That was a development by feedback How a personal development plan can contribute to own learning and development Definition of personal development plan Personal development planning (PDP) is the process of creating an action plan based on awareness, values, reflection, goal-setting and planning for personal development within the context of a career, education, relationship or for self-improvement. Who can be involved in the PDP process Typically, each employee’s line manager should be responsible for the individual employee’s PDP. * Managers may need appropriate training to ensure they can manage PDPs effectively. Developing these skills can be built into the manager’s own PDP. * The most senior employees – and those whose performance has the most impact on the performance of the business – may benefit from an external mentor Sources of support for own learning and development There are many sources of support that you can access and many different ways that you can help yourself, when developing your practice. The appraisal or supervision system in your workplace can be a good starting point. This will help you to identify areas of your practice that need to be developed, and to plan to use opportunities for training and development. Some employers provide appraisal at six-monthly or 12-monthly intervals, but supervision should be at least once a month. This gives you a good opportunity to use the experience and knowledge of your supervisor to help you plan how to move forward in your practice. Benefits of using PDP to identify ongoing improvements in own knowledge and understanding Some advantages of taking a personal development approach to your work are: Gaining a clearer focus to your learning. Helping to keep yourself motivated. A better understanding of how you learn and how to improve your performance. More enjoyment and less stress from your learning as you become consciously skilled. More awareness of how to apply your learning to new problems and contexts.

Obesity: Who Is at Fault?

Obesity: Who is at Fault? Name University of International Business and Economics Obesity: Who is at Fault? It is no secret that an increasing amount of Americans are gaining weight and much of this blame is put on fast food establishments such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and Krystal’s, to name a few. According to Warren Belasco and Philip Scranton (2002), â€Å"The increasing consumption of convenience foods is an international trend influenced by changing lifestyles† (p. 3) From a superficial perspective, this doesn’t seem like much of a problem.However, Robert Jeffery and Simone French (1998), authors of the article Epidemic Obesity in the United States: Are Fast Food and Television Viewing Contributing? assert that â€Å"Obesity is an important public health problem that, in recent years, has reached epidemic proportions† (p. 277). In fact, some are calling the problem the â€Å"obesity epidemic. † Several lawsuits against fast food establishments have been filed by those who are overweight. It’s a serious problem, one that cannot be ignored. Before anyone assumes that it’s just the United States, think again.With the increasing number of fast food establishments in countries other than the United States, such as China, Japan, and Brazil, so are obesity rates. The obesity epidemic can no longer be ignored and must be solved. While the problem is known, the source of it is not and must be traced. What exactly is the source of obesity? Many people believe it to be fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Krystals, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell. After all, are they not the ones distributing the food so unhealthy and high in calories? Are they not the ones advertising delicious, backstabbing food?Are they not the ones making the food so addictive that the consumers have no choice but to eat it and come back for more? It is not a secret that there have been countless lawsuits against fast food establishments. One of the most popular lawsuits, Pelman v. McDonald’s, has been nicknamed the â€Å"McLawsuit. † In this lawsuit, two overweight children (one of whom was nineteen years old) sued McDonald’s seeking compensation for their health related problems cause by obesity. There is no debate that most people understand that fast food is unhealthy, regardless of what the Pelman v.McDonald’s lawsuit claims. There have been documentaries recording, such as Morgan Spurlocks’ Supersize Me, in which he eats McDonald’s for three meals for a month. The result is irrevocable and much more severe than any of the three doctors he had hired imagined. It would be hard to find someone that denied that fast food was unhealthy. However, this does not mean that it is the reason for obesity. Fast food establishments should not be blamed for the obesity epidemic because when it all comes down to it, it†™s a simple matter of choice.Fast food establishments do not hold their consumers at gunpoint and force them to buy their food, nor do they additives in their products to make it chemically addictive, despite what the plaintiffs lawsuit claim. Todd G. Buchholz, an international economist, keynote speaker, and author of â€Å"Are Fast-Food Establishments Making Americans Fat† poses an interested scenario: The overweight baseball fan jumps to his feet in the bleachers of Wringley Field, screaming for the Chicago Cubs to hold onto their 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning.He squeezes a Cubs pennant on his left hand while shoving a mustard-smeared hot dog into his mouth with the right. The Dodgers have a runner on the first who is sneaking a big lead off the base. The Cubs’ pitcher has thrown three balls and two strikes to the batter, a notorious power hitter. The obese fan holds his breath, while the pitcher winds up and fires a blazing fastball. ‘Crack! â €™ The ball flies over the fan’s head into the bleachers for a game-winning home run. The fan slumps to his bleacher seat and has a heart attack. Who should the fan sue? a) The Cubs for breaking his heart? (b) The hot dog company for making a fatty food? (c) The hot dog vendor for selling him a fatty food? (d) All of the above? (p. 1) While this scenario seems completely absurd, there is quite a lot of truth in how today’s society works. The question that Buchholz proposes must be dealt with. Just who is to blame for obesity? The vendors? The fast food corporations? There have been lawsuits, many which are still prevalent today. The question has not been answered and people are still seeking answers.As stated earlier, many believe the fault lies with the fast food corporations, which is why countless lawsuits have been filed against them. However, perhaps there is more than one reason why fast food establishments have been under attack. Buchholz examines this very perspective. Lawyers are under pressure to take these cases for fear that if they do not, their reputation will be tarnished. Under any normal circumstances, it would be easy to turn the cases down. Unfortunately for them, it they are no considered normal circumstances.Despite the popularity of fast food, it has become quite popular for people to denounce the restaurants because of reasons such as: the food is making the people fat, the corporations brainwash kids, and they bribe the children with toys. Michelle M. Mello, Eric B. Rimm, and David M. Studdert analyze one lawsuit in particular. Pelman v. McDonald’s, or rather, the â€Å"McLawsuit,† as it was dubbed by the public, was filed against McDonald’s by two overweight children seeking compensation for their health problems caused by obesity. They had claimed that McDonald’s had deployed deceptive advertising, promotion, and sales.In addition, the corporation had produced food that was not only unsafe but had also failed to warn consumers of the dangers of its products. It is quite interesting to note that the plaintiff’s attorney had also filed a similar lawsuit against McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants on behalf of adults. Believing it would be unsuccessful, the attorney withdrew the case to pursue Pelman. With children as plaintiffs, it was believed that the success would be higher, as the children would be seen as representatives of the afflicted population (Mello, et al. 2003, p. 208).The judge, Judge Sweet, dismissed the case, stating, â€Å"Nobody is forced to eat at McDonald’s, except, perhaps, parents of small children who desire McDonald’s food, toy promotions or playgrounds and demand their parents’ accompaniment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Stout 2003). In an interview with the plaintiff’s lawyer’s colleague, John Banzhaf, he admits: The biggest problem is what lawyers call causation†¦it’s hard to tell what cau sed a heart attack. What percentage is obesity, versus other factors? And was McDonald’s 4 percent, versus 2 perfect for Haagen-Dazs? Everybody knows that, if you want to lose weight, you eat less, less calorie input, and more exercise.You don’t have to learn that. (The Center for Consumer Freedom, 2003) The case drew national attention but many spectators realized it was more or less a farce in order to make a few extra dollars for the plaintiffs and their lawyer. The authors list key points of the case made by the plaintiffs’ lawyers, one of which the case is compared to those made against tobacco companies. However, there are significant differences. Unlike tobacco cases, there has been no evidence to prove that fast food contains chemicals that are addictive. Mello, Rimm, and Studdert are not the only ones to note this. Buchholz also acknowledges this key point.Additionally, no person has claimed that they have ever become sick from â€Å"second hand† eating. Another key point is that while cigarette research has been consistent over the years, diet research fails to do the same. In fact, their research is often contradictory. There are claims that the consumers are often too ignorant to understand the risks of the food they eat. However, this is a moot point of fast food restaurants. Consumers are becoming more aware of nutritional and caloric value of food and because of this, fast food restaurants, have reacted by making their nutritional value readily available to the public.Not only that, they have also changed their menu to feature more salads and foods with less calories. Buchholz brings up yet another important and crucial point: to understand the answer, you must understand the nature surrounding the problem. He states that even with the popularity of fast food establishments, people still eat two thirds of their daily calories at home. So while critics do a wonderful job of portraying fast food restaurants as manipulat ive, evil corporations, they fail to compare fast food to food made at home, school, or restaurants that do not fall into the fast food category.While plaintiffs’ lawyers condemn the nutritional value of fast food, they fail to acknowledge that alternatives are just as bad. For example, school meals are not much better than fast foods. While the schools provide few calories, in place is more saturated fat, more than fast food establishments provide. Saturated fat is â€Å"the more dangerous subset of fats† (Buccholz, p. 4). In fact, Buchholz notes, fast food actually has fewer calories today than they did four decades ago. In the 1970s, the fat content of fast food meals and home cooked meals were very similar.Even twenty-nine years ago, while home cooking may have won prizes for their extraordinary taste, very few would receive them from today’s nutritionists. Of course, that’s not the only thing to focus on. Modern jobs frequently require less physical work, meaning less time spent burning calories and more time being stationary. There are more desk jobs, which means workers are paid to sit in their seats rather than exert energy. Work at home jobs are also more prevalent. With the growing popularity of the Internet, money can be made without even taking a step outside of the house.A survey shows that while people are not eating larger meals, they are snacking a lot more, something that definitely contributes to the calorie count. According to Buchholz, people have actually doubled the calories consumed between meals. This is a crucial point to keep in mind when examining the cause for obesity. Portion size is something else that is also criticized harshly. While fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s have been super sizing meals, they seem to be the target of many consumers despite other places that have also been supersizing their food, with little or no criticism.Examples provided by Buchholz include movie theatre popc orn containers or all-you-can-eat buffets. Studies show that people can eat bigger portions of fast food-like meals such as hamburgers and fries not at the restaurants but in their own home kitchen. Home cooked hamburgers on average now weigh eight ounces rather than the five to seven ounces served in restaurants, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Despite the movie theatre down the block selling super sized popcorn or the all-you-can-eat buffet, which encourages people to loosen their belt buckle, they are not under attack as a cause for obesity. Common sense dictates that McDonald’s, even if they have a super size option, does not encourage the consumer to eat all they can. All-you-can-eat buffets, on the other hand, do. Buffets encourage the consumer to exceed the limitations of their stomach and eat as much as possible. However, ironically, buffets have evaded the line of attack and blame by consumers.Yes, fast food restaurants contain plenty of calories and no one denies that this is not healthy. However, in comparison with other food alternatives, fast food does not seem as bad as the media portrays them to be. â€Å"Unlike smoking, fast food appears to be safe when consumed in moderation†¦scientists at snack-food companies have reportedly investigated how certain foods trigger overeating, but not damning evidence has emerged that food manufacturers manipulate the content of their products to get consumers addicted† (Mello et al. p. 211) Moderation is the key. In a study done by Robert W.Jeffery and Simone A. French, the objective was to observe the correlation of TV, fast food, and body mass index (BMI). The results showed that the former two were positively correlated with BMI in women but not in men, and predicted weight gain in women with high income. This information is supports the claims made by Buchholz. Buchholz stated before that there are more people simply staying in one place rather tha n burning calories. Such is what happens with television viewing. To watch television means to do little to not moving, equaling to no calories burnt. Epidemic Obesity in the United States: Are Fast Foods and Television Contributing† concluded that increases in availability of fast food and television may contribute to growing obesity rates. Fast food is a lot more prominent and available than it was in the past. It is simply a lot more accessible than before. However, Buchholz has this point covered; while fast food is a lot more prominent, so are jobs that require less moving and increase in time to eat and snack. Fast food may contribute to obesity but it simply not the only cause, nor should it be the main focus if people are looking to fix the problem.In â€Å"Fast Food: Unfriendly and Unhealthy† by S Stender, J Dyerberg, and A Astrup, association between fast food intake and weight gain is shown. The authors note ways in which fast food can be â€Å"obesogenic. à ¢â‚¬  One must look at necessary things such as the portion size, energy density and fat content. The authors then conclude that reducing portions to normal sizes, eliminating trans fat, switching to lean meat, and other such actions would benefit the consumers in their quest for lowering obesity rates. However, by reducing portions to one size takes away the right of the consumer to make choices, argues Buchholz (p. 0). Beyond medical research, Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker, produced the documentary Super Size Me in 2004. In this film, Spurlock undergoes a mission to see what would happen to his body if he eats McDonald’s three times a day for one month. The rules were simple: if it wasn’t on the McDonald’s menu, he couldn’t have it; he must sample everything on the menu within thirty days; he must have McDonald’s three times a day; he can only and must super size the meal when asked; and will attempt to walk as much as the t ypical American.Throughout the film, Spurlock goes through a change, both physically and mentally. His three doctors, nutritionalist, and personal trainer that he had hired all agreed that he was physically above average before his experiment began. Though all three doctors had predicted that the â€Å"Mcdiet† would have a negative effect on his body, none expected anything to be as drastic as what really happened, included but not limited to heart palpitations, and liver deterioration. Some of the results were irreversible.At the end of the documentary, Spurlock shows that some people do indeed eat McDonald’s more frequently than they should, resulting in their weight gain and obesity health issues. Spurlocks’ main focus is on the negative impact of McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants. However, this is unfair to the corporations. While McDonald’s may cause health problems, it only does so when consumed frequently. Even though he has shown t hat there are people who eat McDonald’s frequently, he failed to mention that the consumers have a choice.Fast food corporations are not holding their consumers at gunpoint and forcing them to buy their food but Spurlock presents his information in such a way as to convince his audience that it is indeed the corporations who are at fault and thus, it would be counterintuitive to his position on the subject matter. Daniel J. DeNoon (2006), author of â€Å"Obesity More Complex Than We Think? ,† suggests that even though doctors are blaming obesity on overeating and inactivity, there are other factors that play critical roles. Even if the other causes have little effect, they may together make a big difference.Other reasons include, but are not limited to, lack of sleep, pollution, and prevalence of air conditioning, side effects of medicine, genetics, and age. So while fast food corporations may contribute to the obesity problem by providing food high in calories, the co rporations cannot control any of the other factors that may lead to obesity. While it seems to be quite the trend for consumers sue fast food corporations for their obesity problems, one must reconsider if the question of whether the problem lies within the food or the corporation and reevaluate their position.It’s easy to point the finger and there is no denying that fast food, when consumed frequently, is harmful. However, there has been no evidence stating that when consumed in moderation it is harmful. Unlike the lawsuits against tobacco companies, there is nothing chemically addictive about fast food, nor has anyone died of second hand eating, since swallowing food requires self consent. In fact, fast food restaurants have been proven to not be physically addictive (Buchholz 3).By blaming corporations for the food the public is choosing to eat, it suggests that the public is incapable of making wise decisions and thus degrades the individual. Everybody wants a scapegoat for their problems because nobody likes to admit that it may not be their personal fault. Fast food isn’t to blame. The consumers are. Fast food establishments aren’t making consumers fat. Consumers are making consumers fat. Works Cited Belasco, W. , & Scranton, P. (2001). Food nations. Routledge. Buchholz, T. (2003). Are fast-food establishments making americans fat?.Journal of Controversial Medical Claims, 10(4), 1-10. DeNoon, D. (2006, June 27). Obesity more complex than we think?. Retrieved from www. webmd. com/content/article/124/115592 Jeffery, R. , & French, S. (1998). Epidemic obesity in the united states: Are fast foods and television viewing contributing?. American Journal of Public Health, 88(2), 227 228. Mello, M. , Rimm, E. , & Studdert, D. (1998). The mclawsuit: The fast-food industry and legal accountability for obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 88(2), 207 216.Special report: Judge dismisses frivolous mclawsuit. (2003, January 22). Retrieved fr om http://www. consumerfreedom. com/2003/01/1753-special-report-judge-dismisses frivolous-mclawsuit/ Spurlock, M. (Director) (2004). Super size me [DVD]. Stender, S. , Dyerberg, J. , & Astrup, A. (2007). Fast food: Unfriendly and unhealthy. International Journal of Obesity, 31, 887-890. doi: 10. 1038 Stout, D. (2003, January 24). Obese teens lose mclawsuit. Retrieved from http://www. theage. com. au/articles/2003/01/23/1042911491525. html

The Lost Puppy

The Great Impact of War Modern warfare has changed a great deal since we fought for our freedom from Great Britain in the late 18th century, and has possibly even changed more since World War 1. Countless Battles have been fought throughout our gracious history here in American, and many stories have been told from older to younger generations. This is where â€Å"Ogichidag†, meaning warrior, tells its story. Soldiers from notable wars throughout history have vivid and very detailed accounts of what they saw while they were at war.Many of these decorated warriors tell of their stories to younger generations, and in this case it is a family tradition for many of the men to join the armed forces. As they go off to war they must deal with the aftermath of all they accumulated while there, and find a way to deal with this bitterness. For many people listening to their elder’s stories, and hearing the many accolades they’ve accumulated is a great privilege. In â€Å" Ogichidag† this person hears stories all the way back to World War 1.He vividly listens as, â€Å" the old men told stories of getting gassed in the trenches, WW one† (Lines 2-3). As he listens to these stories of great harm he feels more intrigued with every word. He indulges in the thought of one day having the same stories to tell his son or daughter. He knows to well that going and serving his country is more than putting on a vest and running around in the desert. He thinks of it as an honorable accomplishment within himself.As it later goes on to describe his cousins as he, â€Å"felt the fear in their voices† (9) he knows his time to serve his beloved country is right around the corner. Entering most arguable the hardest branch in the military, the marines, is also another feat that will show just how mentally and physically ready he is. Joining the marines right before the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was at the most intense part of the Cold War. At the blink of an eye, America could be engaged in nuclear warfare.For those thirteen days soldiers were ready for anything, and while no shots were fired it helped him prepare for the only war American has ever lost. 58,148 people died in the war we know as Vietnam. Watching comrades die in front of one’s eyes played a major influence on how these veterans lived out the rest of their lives. As what seems to be a family tradition for this family to serve in the military, he knew from all the stories he had heard over the years that war was no easy task. For the lives he saw lost at war, telling these stories would be rather problematical.As â€Å"Ogichidag† describes each war since the early 1900’s, each warrior it portrays the hardships that come with war. Though speaking of such excruciating memories, they find it important to pass down stories so their family legacy never dies. With the ears of the prospering young ogichidag’s are filled, they have a sense of exc itement going to war. While their eager to serve this great nation they know in the back of their heads the aftermath of war is very powerful, and they must deal with this wretchedness.

Support Immigrants are the Best Way to Strengthen a Country Essay

Support Immigrants are the Best Way to Strengthen a Country - Essay Example The entrepreneurial activities are always important due to the taxation levied on such businesses by the government (Fleegler, 32). Big entrepreneurial ventures always give the government large amounts of money through taxation. This is important in strengthening the country in many ways. The government can always use such money collected from taxation to pay its laborers. This leads to a very strong nation. In addition, the entrepreneurial activities also contribute greatly towards strengthening of the economy of a nation. It is of crucial significance to note that entrepreneurial ventures initiated by the immigrants always create job opportunities to a large number of populations in the country. This is important in strengthening the economy of such a nation. This makes the government become strong. In addition, the government also taxes the employees thereby contributing to the government’s economic growth, thus strengthening the nation.It is of crucial significance to note that most immigrants contribute to several key government sectors involving technological sector, industrial as well as infrastructure. This leads to strengthening of the government. Most immigrants are always very innovative and inventive (Fleegler, 37). As such, they always come up with several technologies that aid in ensuring effective and efficient sectoral operations. It is important to note that the role of technology in ensuring a strong government is inevitable. One of the major causes behind such exploitation of professional influence.

A marketing strategy to promote Starbucks Case Study

A marketing strategy to promote Starbucks - Case Study Example (Wash, 2006) Perhaps Starbucks can set up small forums with presentations that could revolve around the idea of Starbucks adhering to cleanliness, hygiene, high quality, special discount offers and discussing the advantages of coffee over tea. Starbucks should also point out the benefits of having their coffee as compared to the other coffee makers, i.e. their competitors. As they say, "seeing is believing"; the discussion could therefore be more visual rather than textual displaying images of how Starbucks prepares its products as well as demonstrating coffee as the more healthier beverage than other beverages like sodas, sugar drinks, tea, etc. This should signify that Starbucks cares for its customers so that healthy beverages of high quality are delivered to them. Billboards or banners are other ways of capturing the population. Eye catchy displays and slogans relating to the differentiated taste of Starbucks that would evoke the mouth-watering sensation in people should be given much emphasis on. Answer 6) A marketing strategy to promote Starbucks can be that of having free trials of different products in smaller cities. There maybe a number of barriers faced. First, because tea has been a part of the Chinese culture and heritage for a long period, there might be some resistance to switching to coffee. Secondly, people may be reluctant to try out a new product. Thirdly, the issue of coffee being more expensive may crop up. However, the unique taste of Starbucks once known to people will most definitely never be forgotten. The idea is to introduce the masses to their variety of products that Starbucks sells. This way their strategy would be successful. Answer 7) India is one of the fastest growing third world countries. Taking a look into its demographics, one could tell that incomes in the middle class have risen greatly during this period (Kaur & Tayal, 2007). Coffee being a more expensive beverage, this increase in income has led to an increase in

Significance of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Significance of Leadership - Essay Example I was tapped to lead a six-person team plagued by complaints such as â€Å"I feel stifled by the bureaucracy,† â€Å"I am bored by the repetitive routines,† and â€Å"My boss has no sense of business.† Before taking on the responsibility, my mentor asked whether I had seriously considered what it meant to lead this infamous team. In my response, I quoted my former coach: â€Å"There’s no bad boy, only a bad coach.† I did not criticize the so-called bad boys, many previous leaders had done the same mistake and I certainly did not want to follow in their footsteps. Another positive thing which I did was that I listened to them patiently and gave them a good chance to express themselves, all these above things worked in my favor and I ended up winning their hearts. I defined my role as the team’s backup. I wouldn’t lead; I planned to support. I shared my vision of turning the team members into real leaders who not only developed ideas but also put them into action and delivered results. I invented the â€Å"changing seats† game, in which team members alternated sitting in my chair every Monday morning, initiating an activity for the whole team to execute that week. Later, I proposed setting up a Your-Voice forum, in which the team would exchange ideas about the latest international practices in trade finance as well as necessary reformations in workflow and business process. Motivated by the team’s enthusiasm, I convinced the executives to provide a small budget to support our lecture series involving professionals in insurance, shipping, and foreign exchange management policy. The lecture series was open to the entire organization, which helped rebuild the team’s image into a positive one. Gradually, I guided my bad boys to turn their innovative ideas into case studies and papers for top management’s reference.

Sexism in Criminal Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sexism in Criminal Justice System - Essay Example Gender differences describe those differences described by the society and relate to the given social roles. Sex differences are biologically defined. Viewing the intrinsic societal perceptions, the notable notion of sexism is a leading social concern concerning different ideologies held by the society. Sexism entails the oppressive ideologies, attitudes, and behaviors held and propagated at either sex (Thompson, 2012).   The establishment of the social community is a notable advancement in the understanding of social discrimination issues and creating mitigation for the same accordingly. Hence, the understanding of sexism as an evil in the criminal justice system is a defining step towards establishing mitigation for such undesirable occurrences in the very system meant to maintain social order.  It is apparent there is inconsistent progress in improving the fight against the sexism issue. The issue of sexism and related discrimination acts Sexist remarks and actions are an ever yday occurrence, although most cases it occurs naturally at the subconscious level of the human conceptualization depending on the ideologies of that given system. The occurrence within the justice system is an illustration of such perpetuation of the subject of sexism in the society (Belknap, 2007). The women in the criminal justice system continue to face marginalization as they find it remarkably difficult to achieve the senior positions within the system.  The very subject that women are ineligible to hold the senior positions in the system because of their gender is evidence of the propagation of the evil of sexism. Another observable occurrence is that women victims and offenders continue to face heightened levels of marginalization in the criminal justice systems designed for men. The system fails to facilitate the women with support, safety, and justice (Thompson, 2012).  Ã‚  

How Does Gender Bias Negatively Impact the Role of Men in Nursing Essay

How Does Gender Bias Negatively Impact the Role of Men in Nursing - Essay Example Gender bias negatively impacts the role of men in nursing by: Not all male nurses believe gender bias has had a negative impact on their career. But, fewer than 6% of the Registered Nurses in the United States today are men (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Considering approximately 49% of the population is male, the 6% figure indicates that bias may be impacting the entry and retention of men in the nursing field. Furthermore, Wilson (2005) in a study of Australian nursing students, found that in a three-year period, the average attrition rate for males in a university-based nursing program was 55.5% but only 45% for females. This, too, raises concerns about what is keeping men from entering or staying in the nursing field. One answer is gender bias. Gender bias, most succinctly defined by the higher education company McGraw-Hill, is "Behavior that results from the underlying belief in sex role stereotypes." (McGraw-Hill Education Company). Entire dissertations have been written defining sex role stereotypes. ... eotypes ("conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conceptions, opinions, or images") ("Stereotypes") based on the roles ("characteristic and expected social behaviors of an individual") ("Roles") based on sex/gender, traditionally male or female. Vogel, Wester, Heesacker, & Madon's (2003) finding that women and men act in accordance with social roles which are often segregated along gender lines helps summarize how sex role stereotypes are perpetuated. They continue, "Popular culture has embraced the idea that women and men are different. Self-help books, talk shows, and magazine articles routinely acknowledge large gender differences" With popular culture stressing distinct differences and roles for men and women, it is understandable that a career traditionally considered female would not be considered attractive to some men. To assess biases and the status of Men in Nursing in 2005, the research firm of Bernard Hodes Group performed an on-line survey, open to male nurses and nursing students, from October until December 2004 and received almost 500 responses (N=498) (Bernard Hodes Group, 2005). Of note were the men's responses to the question regarding their perceptions about nursing before entering the field. The top four responses, with percentages responding, to what they had as perceptions of men and nursing: Traditionally female dominated field (85%) Other professions perceived "more appropriate" (62%) Nursing salaries are not competitive with other careers (33%) Nursing is not an autonomous, decision-making profession (27%) The next most popular response, "Nursing doesn't provide much upward mobility" garnered only 16% of responses. It is evident that the perception - or stereotype - of a subservient female is still in place. The media does not

Proposal on Accounting Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Proposal on Accounting - Dissertation Example The proposed research statement for this research is as follows: - â€Å"To explore and analyze the role of creative accounting in the recent banking crises and failures† Research Objectives The research would revolve around the following research objectives: - To explore various dimensions of creative accounting, earnings management and accounting scandals To analyze the links between creative accounting and the recent financial recession and banking crisis To propose precautionary measures which could draw a line between â€Å"good and moral creative accounting† and â€Å"bad and immoral creative accounting† Literature Review â€Å"Creative accounting is also known as aggressive accounting† (Torre, pp. 52-54, 2009), which refers to the practice of accounting that is in line with the letter of law but very much against the spirit of the law. In other words, it refers to the manipulation of the financial numbers related to the company in such a way to port ray a favorable and positive picture of the company. Quite understandably, the same is done due to the pressures from the stakeholders’ pressure of the company, to achieve targets or to keep their own jobs (Torre, pp. 52-54, 2009). Without any doubts, the current financial recession and banking crisis is very much a product of creative accounting practices. ... d play its part and the same is true for Lehman brothers and various others, which accounted bankruptcy, and the ones, which almost reached bankruptcy (Jones, Powers & Crosson, pp. 41, 2010). Experts believe that it all started due to early signs of financial recession due to bursting of housing bubble and the impact of subprime mortgages (Jones, pp. 254-255, 2009). Banks which were forced to abide by the rules of mark to market accounting had to value their assets at the current market value which was decreasing steadily. With decreasing value of assets, the accountants had a problem at their hands, which was to improve the outlook of the company’s balance sheets so that investors could be wooed not to take away the investments (Jones, Powers & Crosson, pp. 41, 2010). Once accountants knew that the picture was appearing favorable, banks and their managers started acting very irresponsibly by lending money to borrowers who they knew would never be able to pay back under normal circumstances. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac played an important role in disturbing and distorting the financial markets and using the accounting as means to manipulate their financial positions. Quite understandably, this was not the solution of the problem and when the banks reached near the point of liquidation and bankruptcy, the investors and shareholders had no clue whatsoever about the happenings (Davies, pp. 37, 2010; Jones, pp. 254-255, 2009). Methodology In order to conduct this study, the researcher would ensure the use of both secondary and primary data. Secondary data would come under acquisition from different resources, such as books, journals, previous researches, data, statistics, and others. Questionnaires would be the major source of primary data and the target respondents of

What are the pros and cons of applying sterotypes to identify Essay

What are the pros and cons of applying sterotypes to identify potential criminals and do the costs outweigh the benefits, or vice versa - Essay Example Many theories have been put forward to explain the occurrence of criminal acts. Some of these theories include conflict theory, structural-functional theory, symbolic interactions and labeling theory.Criminal behavior is an act that violates the norms of a society according to Sociologists-Criminal act can also be an act that violates the laws of the land in a formal setting according to oxford dictionary of law. Criminology is a violation of socially constituted laws, norms or values. In this paper, I will analyze criminal behavior based on stereotypes as have been put forward by sociological theorists. I will discuss the pros and cons of applying stereotypes to identify the potential criminal. Lombroso had put forward a theory of crime and deviant. Lombroso suggested ways in which society can identify a criminal based on genetic, biological and psychological characteristics. Lombroso had suggested some genetically and biological characteristics which identify a criminal for example, a person with six fingers left-handed eyebrows that meet at the bottom, squinted eye to be criminals (Ashmore and Longo, 22;Hamilton,191) .Based on Lombroso theory it is possible for police or community to victimize individuals based on the characteristics given by Lombroso yet they are innocent. This has been so in the U.S where African Americans are often perceived as criminals as seen in the case that appeared in the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2002. In the court, the police argued that the man, black, must be the one who had sold cocaine to state's informant since he sounded black. The stereotype that it's African Americans who engage in crime has led to increase of crime causes. The young Af rican Americans argue that they are perceived as criminals even when they are innocent (Randall, 88; Irving 63). The occurrence has led to many young African Americans who are potential criminals to engage in crime (Schissel, 71; Thornberry, 14; Duffy and Scotts, 29). Empirical studies have been done by sociologists to verify the truth of the theory and it has been found that there are individuals who possess the given characteristics yet they are morally upright. Media has played a role in strengthening certain stereotypes by highlighting crimes committed by certain group of people and emphasize how police die in line of duty (Gray, Fishman and Gruyter, 21 ;Oliver, 88 ;Weitzer, 11). Lombroso theory of description of criminals formed the basis of development of labeling theory. The theory of labeling focuses on the linguistic tendency of individuals to act in accordance to how society has described them based on norms and stereotype. Howard Becker has put forward ways in which individuals adhere to the labeling and become delinquent or criminals. For example, when a teenage is told by everyone that he resemble a thug; the particular teenager can even begin by picking other people's items like books with the notion "after all everyone perceives me as a thief". Psychologically, the teenager is oriented to criminal behaviors due to labeling and this is an adverse effect on society. When a potential criminal is described or labeled a criminal according to Becker, it becomes very hard to reform the individual through imprisonment and rehabilitation facilities since the individual already perceives that the society already perceive him as criminal so whether he/she changes, whenever a criminal act occurs the society will suspect him first. An empirical study on criminal maniacs or prison maniacs has given data on the theory which verify the theory (Presdee, 44). However, there has been stereotype that women are harmless and this has led to increase in crime since crime happen unnoticed (Daly and Maher, 54)

Trifles deals with gender perception a sensitive reading of the drama Essay

Trifles deals with gender perception a sensitive reading of the drama involves understanding how the men view the women, how t - Essay Example "Trifles" deals with gender perception; a sensitive reading of the drama involves understanding how the men view the women, how the women view the men, and how the women ultimately triumph over the men. Men are presented as an egoistic species that reserve the back roles for the women right from the beginning of the play. Throughout the development of the play, women seem to be placed in the dark and they consequently withdraw themselves to trivial details that men count as unimportant in the case. â€Å"She didn't pay much attention,† are examples of words men use in the play to refer to women (vcu.edu, 6th conversation by Hale). At one point in the play, women are depicted as a species that concentrates on trifles at an instance when men plainly mock them for linking a quilt to murder case evidence. "Trifles" deals with gender perception; a sensitive reading of the drama involves understanding how the men view the women. Other trivial details that the women fall on in their assistance to unravel the murder are equally rejected by the chauvinistic men in the play. In aromatic turn of events, the very rejections termed trivial become the main pieces of reliable evidence.

Sample Question and Answer in an Interview Essay Example for Free

Sample Question and Answer in an Interview Essay 1. Tell me about yourself.  Since this is often the opening question in an interview, be extra careful that you don’t run off at the mouth. Keep your answer to a minute or two at most. Cover four topics: early years, education, work history, and recent career experience. Emphasize this last subject. Remember that this is likely to be a warm-up question. Don’t waste your best points on it. 2. What do you know about our organization? You should be able to discuss products or services, revenues, reputation, image, goals, problems, management style, people, history and philosophy. see more:muet speaking question But don’t act as if you know everything about the place. Let your answer show that you have taken the time to do some research, but don’t overwhelm the interviewer, and make it clear that you wish to learn more. You might start your answer in this manner: â€Å"In my job search, I’ve investigated a number of companies. Yours is one of the few that interests me, for these reasons†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Give your answer a positive tone. Don’t say, â€Å"Well, everyone tells me that you’re in all sorts of trouble, and that’s why I’m here†, even if that is why you’re there. 3. Why do you want to work for us? The deadliest answer you can give is â€Å"Because I like people. † What else would you like-animals? Here, and throughout the interview, a good answer comes from having done your homework so that you can speak in terms of the company’s needs. You might say that your research has shown that the company is doing things you would like to be involved with, and that it’s doing them in ways that greatly interest you. For example, if the organization is known for strong management, your answer should mention that fact and show that you would like to be a part of that team. If the company places a great deal of emphasis on research and development, emphasize the fact that you want to create new things and that you know this is a place in which such activity is encouraged. If the organization stresses financial controls, your answer should mention a reverence for numbers. If you feel that you have to concoct an answer to this question – if, for example, the company stresses research, and you feel that you should mention it even though it really doesn’t interest you- then you probably should not be taking that interview, because you probably shouldn’t be considering a job with that organization. Your homework should include learning enough about the company to avoid approaching places where you wouldn’t be able -or wouldn’t want- to function. Since most of us are poor liars, it’s difficult to con anyone in an interview. But even if you should succeed at it, your prize is a job you don’t really want. 4. What can you do for us that someone else can’t? Here you have every right, and perhaps an obligation, to toot your own horn and be a bit egotistical. Talk about your record of getting things done, and mention specifics from your resume or list of career accomplishments. Say that your skills and interests, combined with this history of getting results, make you valuable. Mention your ability to set priorities, identify problems, and use your experience and energy to solve them. 5. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive about it? List three or four attractive factors of the job, and mention a single, minor, unattractive item. 6. Why should we hire you? Create your answer by thinking in terms of your ability, your experience, and your energy. (See question 4. ) 7. What do you look for in a job? Keep your answer oriented to opportunities at this organization. Talk about your desire to perform and be recognized for your contributions. Make your answer oriented toward opportunity rather than personal security. 8. Please give me your definition of [the position for which you are being interviewed]. Keep your answer brief and task oriented. Think in terms of responsibilities and accountability. Make sure that you really do understand what the position involves before you attempt an answer. If you are not certain, ask the interviewer; he / she may answer the question for you. 9. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm? Be realistic. Say that, while you would expect to meet pressing demands and pull your own weight from the first day, it might take six months to a year before you could expect to know the organization and its needs well enough to make a major contribution. 10. How long would you stay with us? Say that you are interested in a career with the organization, but admit that you would have to continue to feel challenged to remain with any organization. Think in terms of, â€Å"As long as we both feel achievement-oriented. † 11.  Your resume suggests that you may be over-qualified or too experienced for this position. What’s Your opinion? Emphasize your interest in establishing a long-term association with the organization, and say that you assume that if you perform well in his job, new opportunities will open up for you. Mention that a strong company needs a strong staff. Observe that experienced executives are always at a premium. Suggest that since you are so well qualified, the employer will get a fast return on his investment. Say that a growing, energetic company can never have too much talent. 12. What is your management style?  You should know enough about the company’s style to know that your management style will complement it. Possible styles include: task oriented (I’ll enjoy problem-solving identifying what’s wrong, choosing a solution and implementing it†), results-oriented (â€Å"Every management decision I make is determined by how it will affect the bottom line†), or even paternalistic (â€Å"I’m committed to taking care of my subordinates and pointing them in the right direction†). A participative style is currently quite popular: an open-door method of managing in which you get things done by motivating people and delegating responsibility. As you consider this question, think about whether your style will let you work happily and effectively within the organization. 13. Are you a good manager? Can you give me some examples? Do you feel that you have top managerial potential? Keep your answer achievement and ask-oriented. Rely on example to buttress your argument. Stress your experience and your energy. 14. What do you look for when You hire people? Think in terms of skills, initiative, and the adaptability to be able to work comfortably and effectively with others. Mention that you like to hire people who appear capable of moving up in the organization. 15. Have you ever had to fire people? What were the reasons, and how did you handle the situation? Admit that the situation was not easy, but say that it worked out well, both for the company and, you think, for the individ ual. Show that, like anyone else, you don’t enjoy unpleasant tasks but that you can resolve them efficiently and -in the case of firing someone- humanely. 16. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager or executive? Mention planning, execution, and cost-control. The most difficult task is to motivate and manage employees to get something planned and completed on time and within the budget. 17. What important trends do you see in our industry? Be prepared with two or three trends that illustrate how well you understand your industry. You might consider technological challenges or opportunities, economic conditions, or even regulatory demands as you collect your thoughts about the direction in which your business is heading. 18. Why are you leaving (did you leave) your present (last) job? Be brief, to the point, and as honest as you can without hurting yourself. Refer back to the planning phase of your job search. where you considered this topic as you set your reference statements. If you were laid off in an across-the-board cutback, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your decision, the result of your action. Do not mention personality conflicts. The interviewer may spend some time probing you on this issue, particularly if it is clear that you were terminated. The â€Å"We agreed to disagree† approach may be useful. Remember hat your references are likely to be checked, so don’t concoct a story for an interview. 19. How do you feel about leaving all your benefits to find a new job? Mention that you are concerned, naturally, but not panicked. You are willing to accept some risk to find the right job for yourself. Don’t suggest that security might interest you more than getting the job done successfully. 20. In your current (last) position, what features do (did) you like the most? The least? Be careful and be positive. Describe more features that you liked than disliked. Don’t cite personality problems. If you make your last job sound terrible, an interviewer may wonder why you remained there until now. 21. What do you think of your boss?

Assemblers And Disassembler Softwares Computer Science Essay

Assemblers And Disassembler Softwares Computer Science Essay A disassembler is a computer program that translates machine language into assembly language the inverse operation to that of an assembler . A disassembler differs from a decompiler which targets a high-level language rather than an assembly language. The output of a disassembler is often formatted for human-readability rather than suitability for input to an assembler, making it principally a reverse-engineering tool. Assembly language source code generally permits the use of constants and programmer comments . These are usually removed from the assembled machine code by the assembler . A disassembler operating on the machine code would produce disassembly lacking these constants and comments. The disassembled output becomes more difficult for a human to interpret than the original annotated source code. Some disassemblers make use of the symbolic debugging information present in object files such as ELF. The Interactive Disassemblerallow the human user to make up mnemonic symbols for values or regions of code in an interactive session: human insight applied to the disassembly process often parallels human creativity in the code writing process. Disassembly is not an exact science: On CISC platforms with variable-width instructions, or in the presence of self-modifying code, it is possible for a single program to have two or more reasonable disassemblies. Determining which instructions would actually be encountered during a run of the program reduces to the proven-unsolvable halting problem. Examples of disassemblers Any interactive debugger will include some way of viewing the disassembly of the program being debugged. Often, the same disassembly tool will be packaged as a standalone disassembler distributed along with the debugger. For example, objdump, part of GNU Binutils, is related to the interactive debugger gdb . The some ofexample of dissembler are IDA ILDASM is a tool contained in the .NET Framework SDK. It can be used to disassemble PE files containing Common Intermediate Language code. OllyDbg is a 32-bit assembler level analysing debugger PVDasm is a Free, Interactive, Multi-CPU disassembler. SIMON a test/ debugger/ animator with integrated dis-assembler for Assembler, COBOL and PL/1 Texe is a Free, 32bit disassembler and windows PE file analyzer. unPIC is a disassembler for PIC microcontrollers Interactive Disassembler Interactive Disassembler The Interactive Disassembler, more commonly known as simply IDA, is a disassembler used for reverse engineering. It supports a variety of executable formats for different processors and operating systems. It also can be used as a debugger for Windows PE, Mac OS XMach-O, and LinuxELF executables. A decompiler plugin for programs compiled with a C/C++compiler is available at extra cost. The latest full version of Ida Pro is commercial.IDA performs much automatic code analysis, using cross-references between code sections knowledge of parameters of API calls, and other information. However the nature of disassembly precludes total accuracy, and a great deal of human intervention is necessarily required. IDA has interactive functionality to aid in improving the disassembly. A typical IDA user will begin with an automatically generated disassembly listing and then convert sections from code to data and viceversa. Scripting IDC scripts make it possible to extend the operation of the disassembler. Some helpful scripts are provided, which can serve as the basis for user written scripts. Most frequently scripts are used for extra modification of the generated code. For example, external symbol tables can be loaded thereby using the function names of the original source code. There are websites devoted to IDA scripts and offer assistance for frequently arising problems. Users have created plugins that allow other common scripting languages to be used instead of, or in addition to, IDC. IdaRUB supports Ruby and IDAPython adds support for Python Supported systems/processors/compilers Operating systems x86WindowsGUI x86 Windows console x86 Linux console x86 Mac OS X ARM Windows CE Executable file formats PE (Windows) ELF (Linux, most *BSD) Mach-O (Mac OS X) Netware .exe OS/2 .exe Geos .exe Dos/Watcom LE executable (without embedded dos extender) raw binary, such as a ROM image Processors Intel 8086 family ARM, including thumb code Motorola 68xxx/h8 ZilogZ80 MOS Technology 6502 Intel i860 DEC Alpha Analog Devices ADSP218x Angstrem KR1878 Atmel AVR series DEC series PDP11 Fujitsu F2MC16L/F2MC16LX Fujitsu FR 32-bit Family Hitachi SH3/SH3B/SH4/SH4B Hitachi H8: h8300/h8300a/h8s300/h8500 Intel 196 series: 80196/80196NP Intel 51 series: 8051/80251b/80251s/80930b/80930s Intel i960 series Intel Itanium (ia64) series Java virtual machine MIPS: mipsb/mipsl/mipsr/mipsrl/r5900b/r5900l Microchip PIC: PIC12Cxx/PIC16Cxx/PIC18Cxx MSIL Mitsubishi 7700 Family: m7700/m7750 Mitsubishi m32/m32rx Mitsubishi m740 Mitsubishi m7900 Motorola DSP 5600x Family: dsp561xx/dsp5663xx/dsp566xx/dsp56k Motorola ColdFire Motorola HCS12 NEC 78K0/78K0S PA-RISC PowerPC SGS-Thomson ST20/ST20c4/ST7 SPARC Family Samsung SAM8 Siemens C166 series TMS320Cxxx series Compiler/libraries (for automatic library function recognition)[3] Borland C++ 5.x for DOS/Windows Borland C++ 3.1 Borland C Builder v4 for DOS/Windows GNU C++ for Cygwin Microsoft C Microsoft QuickC Microsoft Visual C++ Watcom C++ (16/32 bit) for DOS/OS2 ARM C v1.2 GNU C++ for Unix/common SIMON (Batch Interactive test/debug) SIMON (Batch interactive test/debug) was a proprietary test/debugging toolkit for interactively testing Batch programs designed to run on IBMs System 360/370/390 architecture. It operated in two modes, one of which was full instruction set simulator mode and provided Instruction step, conditional Program Breakpoint (Pause) and storage alteration features for Assembler, COBOL and PL/1 programs. High level language (HLL) users were also able to see and modify variables directly at a breakpoint by their symbolic names and set conditional breakpoints by data content. Many of the features were also available in partial monitor mode which relied on deliberately interrupting the program at pre-defined points or when a program check occurred.In this mode, processing was not significantly different from normal processing speed without monitoring. It additionally provided features to prevent application program errors such as Program Check, Wild branch , and Program loop. It was possible to correct many errors and interactively alter the control flow of the executing application program. This permitted more errors to be detected for each compilation which, at the time, were often scheduled batch jobs with printed output, often requiring several hours turnaround before the next test run. Operating Systems Simon could be executed on IBMMVS, MVS/XA, ESA or DOS/VSE operating systems and required IBM 3270 terminals for interaction with the application program. LIDA lida is basically a disassembler and code analysis tool. It uses the bastards libdisasm for single opcode It allows interactive control over the generated deadlisting via commands and builtin tools. features It trace execution flow of binary It work with symbolic names: interactive naming of functions, labels, commenting of code. It scan for known anti-debugging, anti-disassembling techniques It scan for user defined code sequences It integrated patcher It also integrated cryptoanalyzer Many disassemblers out there use the output of objdump à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ lida that tries a more serious approach. The several limitations of objdump are broken by using libdisasm and by tracing the execution flow of the program. Further by having the control over the disassembly more features can be included. Everybody who has already worked on some deadlisting will immediate feel a need to work interactive with the code and be able to change it. Therefore lida will have an integrated patcher resolves symbolic names, provides the ability to comment the code, serves efficient browsing methods. The more exotic features of lida should be on the analysis side. The code can be scanned for custom sequences known antidebugging techniques known encryption algorithms also you will be able to directly work with the programs data and for example pass it to several customizable en-/decryption routines. This of course only makes limited sense as it is not a debugger. Tough often I really missed this functionality. Limitations of objdump based disassemblers Usual programs one would like to disassemble are either coded directly in assembly, or use some tricks to avoid beeing disassembled. I will here give a short overview of the most objdump features objdump relies on section headers It is an ELF executable that contains correct section headers. Tough for the OS-loader to run an ELF binary, section headers are not necessary at all. The important thing to get a process loaded into memory are the program headers . So the first common anti disassembling trick is to either drop or manipulate the ELF section headers By doing so, objdump refuses to perform the disassembly: [emailprotected]> file tiny-crackme tiny-crackme: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1, statically linked, corrupted section header size [emailprotected]> objdump -D tiny-crackme objdump: tiny-crackme: File format not recognized The binary I took as example to verify is yanistos tiny-crackme objdump does not trace the execution flow I By not tracing the execution flow objdump can easily be fooled to just disassemble a few lines and stop there. This means it does not recognize any functions, does not see the code which is stored in data sections. objdump does not trace the execution flow Additionally another common trick is to insert garbage opcodes and overjump them to disalign the disassembly from the execution flow. Example: When an instruction jumps into the middle of the next instruction, objdump does not disassemble from this exact location. It will continue with the next instruction and consequently dissasemble garbage from here on. As a result you will mainly see totally usesless instructions in the whole disassembly. . Implementation Details lida uses libdasm of the bastard for single opcode decoding. It does not use the whole environment including the typhoon database. The main program is coded in perl/TK which uses a C backend for the most timeconsuming parts (disassembly, analysis, scanning for strings). Generally lida is designed to be as fast as possible (the disassembly) by trying not to waste all your RAM 🙂 lida is designed to be also efficient in usability. Therefore all important functions are accessible via single keystrokes, or short commands. This means no clicking around is necessary, you can enter your tasks directly into the commandline. The disassembling engine The disassembling is done in currently 4 (or 6) passes, default is all 6: 1st pass is the main control flow disassembly Here the disassembly is started from the executables entrypoint, and recursively disassembles the binary by following each branch, and stepping into each sub- routine. This leads in also disassembling code blocks in data sections, if existent :), so the disassembly is not limited to a .text section. Also, if indirect jumps/calls are used, the final destination is looked up in the binaries data of course 2nd pass for glibc binaries: A heuristic scan scans for the main() function and starts pass1 there (so also re- cursive disassembling) 3rd pass all other code sections This pass repeats pass1 for all found executable sections, and starts at section start. If the binary does not contain section headers, the disassembly starts at the first loaded executable address. 4th pass functions This pass scans for typical function prologues and starts pass1 at each found address. This is for discovering code regions which are not explicitly called, and where their entrypoints are evaluated at runtime. 5th pass disassembling caves All passes build up a map of the binary. If until now there are code regions which were not yet disassembled, they can be now. 6th pass remainders If pass 5 was executed, and there are still caves, they are displayed as DB xx, Definitely for pass 4 and 5 there are enhancements to come, as well as for the recursive disassembly function itself. Also to mention whenever a jump into the middle of a previous instruction is beeing found, currently those addresses are beeing marked. To follow is a representation of instructions within instructions (compare 3.1), as of course by intelligent placing of opcodes both instructions can be valid and used during the execution flow. Signature Scanning Basically it is done by a signature scanning. I quote it because it is not a simple pattern matching. For understanding that, one needs a little understanding of typical hash-encryption algorythms. Lets take for example a MD5 hash. How can we find the code that does an MD5 hash? On a very high level generating a hash is usually done in 3 steps: the init function, the update function and the finalize function. The init function usually sets up an array of some numeric values, which are then modified in a loop using the input data (plain data) during the algorythm, until the hash is calculated. The finalize function creates the representation in a common format (easily spoken; it pads the digest and is appending the size). Hoewever, it does not matter to know actually how the algorythm works to find it 🙂 Due to the common fact, that the initialization functions use fixed numeric initialization values, which are the same in every implementation, as they are part of the algorythm these are the values we are searching for. For MD5 those are: 0x67452301 0xefcdab89 0x98badcfe 0x10325476 So to find an MD5 implementation, it is necessary to scan for those dword values, of course they can appear in any order (strange enough nearly always they are used in the listed order above). Now as those dwords can exist also in just any binary by accident (oltough seldom) some smarter scanning is done: the values need to appear in a limited size of a code block. The values can be in any order, and also some fuzzyness has been added to scan for a little bit altered init values. Heuristic Scanning Heuristic scanning is not yet implemented. It is intended to find custom crypto code. Basically it is beeing looked for a sequence of suspicious opcode sequences, which look like an encryption routine. OllyDbg is an x86debugger that emphasizes binary code analysis, which is useful when source code is not available. It traces registers, recognizes procedures, API calls, switches, tables, constants and strings, as well as locates routines from object files and libraries. According to the programs help file, version 1.10 is the final 1.x release. Version 2.0 is in development and is being written from the ground up. The software is free of cost, but the shareware license requires users to register with the author. The current version of OllyDbg cannot disassemble binaries compiled for 64-bit processors.

Bakhresa Group Organisational Structure and Innovation

Bakhresa Group Organisational Structure and Innovation Identify the strand of organisation structure and innovation approach used by the Bakhresa group. Is it organic or mechanistic structure followed by the Bakhresa group? Among the two which one is more suitable to innovation and why? How can Bakhresa group manage the tension between the need for creativity and efficiency? Discuss the main organisational characteristics that facilitate the innovation process in the Bakhresa group. Explain the key individual roles within the innovation process and the activities they perform in the Bakhresa group. How did Bakhresa group establish innovative environment that propagates the virtuous circle of innovation? Explain its features. BACKGROUND BAKHRESA GROUP OF COMPANIES TANZANIA Bakhresa Group is one of the leading Industrial Houses in Tanzania, East Africa. Started in a humble manner with a small restaurant in the Port City of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in mid seventies, it has now emerged as a respected business group in the Region. The Group has its operations spread in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia and most recently in Mozambique. Plans are in place to spread its wings to other countries. The group now boastsÂÂ  of a turnover of more than Three Hundred Million United Sates Dollars and is a proud employer of more than two thousand employees associated directly. There are several companies under its umbrella and have investments mainly in Food and Beverage Sector, Packaging, Logistics and Real Estate. The Bakhresa group of companies offers two groups of product and services that is food and beverage, and services. Examples of food and beverage companies owned by Bakhresa includes; Bakhresa Grain Milling (Malawi) Ltd, Salim Bakhresa Co Ltd, Bakhresa Grain Milling (U) Ltd, Bakhresa Grain Milling (Mozambique) Lda, Zanzibar Milling Corporation Ltd, Bakhresa Food Products Ltd, Azam Bakeries Company Ltd, Salim Bakhresa Co Ltd and those of services includes; Omar Packaging Industries Ltd, Said Salim Bakhresa Co Ltd, Paper Kraft International Ltd, Bakhresa Food Products Ltd, etc ORGANISATION STRUCTURE AND INNOVATION Identify the strand of organisation structure and innovation approach used by the Bakhresa group. Is it organic or mechanistic structure, among the two which one is more suitable to innovation and why? The structure of an organization is defined by Mintzberg (1978) as the sum total of ways in which it divides its labor into distinct tasks and then achieves coordination among them. One of the problems is recognizing that different groups within an organization behave differently and interact with different parts of the wider external environment. None the less, there have been numerous useful studies exploring the link between the organizational structure and innovative performance. Trott (2005) described the two organizational structures such as Organic and Mechanistic structure as follows:- Mechanistic organization tends to offer a less suitable environment for managing the creativity and the innovation process. From Bakhresa group of companies case study analysis the following facts were deduced The channel of communication is highly structured, there is restricted information flow, and operating styles are uniform and restricted. Authority for decision is based on formal line management position and the management is reluctant to adapt changing circumstances. Therefore Bakhresa group of companies use the mechanistic organization structure which offer less suitable environment for innovation and creativity. The seminal work by Burns and Stalker (1961) on Scottish electronic organisation looked at the impact of technical change on organisational structures and on a system of social relationships. It suggests that organic, flexible structures, characterized by the absence of formality and hierarchy, support innovation more effectively than do mechanistic structures. THE DILEMMA OF INNOVATION MANAGEMENT How can Bakhresa group manage the tension between the need for creativity and efficiency? Trott (2005) explained that within an organization there is a fundamental tension between the need for stability and the need for creativity. On the one hand, companies require stability and static routines to accomplish daily tasks efficiently and quickly. This enables the organization to compete today, for example processing of millions of cheques by banks everyday. On the other hand, companies also need to develop new ideas and new products to be competitive in the future. Hence they need to nurture a creative environment where ideas can be tested and developed. This poses one of the most fundamental problems for management today. The diagram below by Trott (2005) explains the tension Management between the need for creativity and efficiency. Organization Efficiency gains The efficient day to day operations within an organization require stable routines which can be achieved in stable and controlled environments The development of new products/services requires creativity and room to try out new ideas this is achieved in a loose and flexible environment Creativity gains From the Bakhresa group of companies study case analysis shows that The management of the Bakhresa Group is committed to long-term growth rather than short-term profit and the organization is willing to invest in the long-term development of technology and is aware of its threats and opportunities and thus comply straight to the organization creativity gains and efficient gains as described by Trott (2005) above. ORGANISATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT FACILITATE THE INNOVATION PROCESS Discuss the main organisational characteristics that facilitate the innovation process in the Bakhresa group. Trott (2005) explains the following organizational Characteristics that Facilitate the Innovation Process Growth Orientation It is characterized by a commitment to long-term growth rather than short-term profit. Not all companies first and foremost objective is growth. Some companies are established merely to exploit a short-term opportunity, other companies would like to maintain the company at its existing size: the objective of innovative companies is to grow the business the actively plan for the long-term, as it has been seen in the Bakhresa group of companies The management of the Bakhresa Group is committed to long-term growth rather than short-term profit and the organization is willing to invest in the long-term development of technology and is aware of its threats and opportunities. On top of that Trott (2005) added the following characteristics that facilitate the innovation process. Vigilance It is characterized by the ability of the organization to be aware of its threats and opportunities. Vigilance requires continual external scanning e.g. within the marketing function the activity would form part of market research and competitor analysis collecting valuable information is one thing, but relaying it to the necessary individuals and acting on it are two necessary associated requirements. Presently Bakhresa group is catering the fuel needs of customers in Zanzibar and Local bunkers. The vision is to enter the international bunkering business in near future since Zanzibar is the gateway to the East African coast. Commitment to Technology It is characterized by the willingness to invest in the long-term development of technology. Most innovative firms exhibit patience in permitting ideas to geminate and develop overtime. This need to be accompanied by a commitment to resources in terms of intellectual input without a long-term approach it would be extremely difficult for the company to attract good scientists. As seen in the Bakhresa group of companies technology is highly applied, most of the tasks are machinery operated. On the other hand the Company has a well supported IT system to run its day to day operations. PC Workstation Internet Access Satellite base Fleet Management Solutions Tracking System Fleet Cost and Maintenance Management System Road Base Daily Reporting Fleet Management System Real time location of trucks at finger tips Speed monitoring feedback on screen at all times Telephone and SMS availability at all times Acceptance of RISKS It is characterized by the willingness to include risky opportunities in a balanced portfolio. It means the willingness to consider carefully risky opportunities. Ability to take calculated risks and include them in a balanced portfolio of projects. Being an entrepreneur Bakhresa took a great risk to even in the foreign land and still think to spread its wings all over the African countries. Cross-functional Cooperation It is characterized by mutual respect among individuals and a willingness to work together across functions. Inter-departmental conflict is a well documented barrier to innovation. Often conflict has been observed between marketing and R D functions as the two groups often have very different interests. Receptivity It is characterized by the ability to be aware of, to identify and take effective advantage of externally developed technology. Most technology based innovations involve a combination of several different technologies. It would be unusual for all the technology to be developed in-house. That is why business is witnessing an in chasing number of joint ventures and alliances. Slack It is characterized by an ability to manage the innovation dilemma and provide room for creativity while organizations place a great emphasis on the need for efficiency, there is also a need for a certain amount of slack to allow individuals room to think, experiment, discuss ideas and be creative. Adaptability It is characterized by a readiness to accept change. The development of new product innovations will invariably lead to disruptions to established organizational activities. Major or radical innovations may result in significant changes, although the two are not necessarily linked. The organization must be ready to accept change in the way it manages its internal activities. Otherwise proposed innovations would be stifled due to a reluctance to alter existing ways of working or to learn new techniques. Diverse Range of Skills It is characterized by a combination of specialization and diversity of knowledge and skills organizations require individuals of a hybrid nature who are able to understand a variety of technical subjects and facilitate the transfer of knowledge within the company. It is the ability of the organization to manage this diversity of knowledge skills effectively that lies at the heart of the innovation process. Bakhresa Group started in a humble manner with a small restaurant in the Port City of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, past three decades, it has now emerged as a respected business group in the Region. The Group has its operations spread in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and most recently in Mozambique. There are several companies under its umbrella and have investments mainly in Food and Beverage Sector, Packaging, Logistics and Real Estate. The Bakhresa Group has established companies dealing with variety of products from manufacturing of Food and Beverage Sector, Packaging, Logistics and Real Estate and has become a market leader because of innovation and entrepreneurship. THE ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE INNOVATION PROCESS Explain the key individual roles within the innovation process and the activities they perform in the Bakhresa group Trott (2005) explains innovation process is essentially a people process and that organizational structure, formal decision making processes, delegation of authority and other formal aspects of a so-called well run company are not necessary conditions for successful technological innovation. The study of Rubenstein has revealed that certain individuals had fulfilled a variety of roles that had contributed to successful technological innovation. Technical Innovator: This individual is an expert in one or two fields. Generates new ideas and sees new and different ways of doing things. Also referred to as the mad scientific. In the Bakhresa group of companies there is no technical innovator. Technical/Commercial Scanner This individual acquires vast amounts of information from outside the organization, often through net working. This may include market and technical information. For the company to survive and perform effectively, technical information is very important as seen in the Bakhresa group of companies. Gatekeeper This individual keeps informed of related developments that occur outside the organization through journals, conferences, colleagues and other companies. Passes information on to others, finds it easy to talk to colleagues. Serves as an information resource for others in the organization, consequently for the organisation to meet customer needs it is important to search for the outside information to see what other organisation do. Product champion This individual sells new ideas to others in the organization. Acquires resources, aggressive in championing his/her cause, takes risks. As per Bakhresa group of companies there is no product champion. Project Leader This individual provides the team with leadership and motivation. Plans and organizes the project ensures that administrative requirements are met. Provides necessary coordination among team members sees that project moves forward effectively. Balances Project goals with organizational needs Sponsor This individual provides access to a power base within the organization: a senior person. Buffers the Project team from unnecessary organizational constraints, helps the project team to get what it needs from other parts of the organization. Provides legitimacy and organizational confidence in the project. The Bakhresa Group engages commercial scanner, gatekeeper and project leader and sponsor to facilitate the innovation process. Even though the Bakhresa Group of companies lack product champion and technical innovator still the innovation activities within the organization is excellent. ESTABLISHING AN INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENT AND PROPAGATING THE VIRTUOUS CIRCLE How did Bakhresa group establish innovative environment that propagates the virtuous circle of innovation? Explain its features As from (Porters 1985 cited in Trott 2005) explained that, given the importance of innovation, many businesses have spent enormous sum of money trying to develop an environment that fosters innovation. Creating a virtuous circle of innovation means getting competitive advantage over others. Virtuous circle of innovation The organizations Reputation for innovation High morale and Attraction of Retention of creative creative people people Motivates people and organizational Reduce frustration encouragement of Creativity and innovation A willingness in the Org. to accept new ideas Development of Innovative Product Reputation of the Organization It takes many years to develop. It is strongly linked to overall performance. Some companies are able to achieve wide exposure of new products or new research as seen in the case analysis Bakhresa group of companies started in a humble manner with a small restaurant in the Port City of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in mid seventies, it has now emerged as a respected business group in the Region. The Group has its operations spread in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia and most recently in Mozambique. Attraction of creative people Creative people will be attracted to those companies that themselves are viewed as creative. TOP scientists and researchers will seek employment with such companies. Currently Bakhresa group of companies is an employer of more than two thousand employees associated directly. Organizational encouragement of creativity The creativity has to be supported with actions and resources with the time to be creative: Organization can try to build sufficient slack into the system to allow for creative thinking and tolerates errors and mistakes and successful ideas need to be rewarded. Development of Innovative Products Developing new products that are genuine improvements compared with products currently available. Taking an example of Bakhresa Food Products Limited (BFPL) is based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and produces high quality, delicious and nutritious Azam brand Ice Creams, Fruit Juices, Frozen Chapattis and Uhai (means Life in Kiswahili) brand Pure Drinking Water. Azam Bakeries, the largest bakery in Tanzania, produces the popular Azam brand bread, cakes and donuts. The state of the art technology is used for producing the bakery products making the company proud of supplyingÂÂ  essential food in the country. It has a modern biscuit factory producing the finest varieties of biscuits. Many varieties of biscuits such as Chai, Creams, Glucose, Coconut, Nice, Marie, and Shortcake are popular in the country. Willingness to Accept New Ideas Many organizations suffer from an inability to implement changes and new ideas even after rewarding the people involved in developing those ideas. Once a new product idea has been accepted it is important that it is carried through to completion. In future Bakhresa group of companies expect to trade Lubricants Jet A1 LPG With 60odd resorts of 150beds capacity each, in Zanzibar there is also ample scope for bulk supply LPG (In tanks), if they will able to arrange logistics. Increased Motivation and Reduced frustrations Individuals within the organization can see their ideas and efforts contributing to the performance of the business; they will be encouraged still further: on the other hand if seemingly good ideas are constantly overlooked, this will lead to increased frustrations. High Morale and Retention of Creative people A rewarding and enjoyable working environment will help to retain creative people. This in turn should reinforce the companys innovative capabilities. The Bakhresa Group, given the importance of innovation, has spent enormous sums of money trying to develop an environment that fosters innovation. The Bakhresa Group is aware of developing a reputation for innovation which helps propagate a virtuous circle that reinforces Groups abilities. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION As seen in the case study analysis, Bakhresa group of companies is now expanding towards all over the Africa supplying services and products. The company mainly caters through the food and beverage products and service products. The organisation structure of Bakhresa group of companies is characterized by mechanistic structure which is not very much conducive for enhancing innovation process within organisation, for more efficiency and effectiveness I suggest Bakhresa group of companies to start adopting organic structure. Meanwhile the structure of Bakhresa group of companies lacks the product champion and technical innovator so I suggest also including those two individual roles for maximum output of companies. Despite various organisation that falls under the umbrella of the Bakhresa group of companies the top management of all sub companies is comprised by family members, something that might bring trouble when family instability happens.

Women Essay -- Persuasive, Violence Against Women

This investigation is roasted in the hypothesis that although the world has changed and modernized, and laws for the protection of minorities have increased, even the penalties for the violation of human rights are more severe; but the female figure are still victims of abuse, discrimination, and violence around the world. To test this hypothesis we will consider three Journals. The first Journals subject is â€Å"HONOUR": CRIMES, PARADIGMS, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. By Simone Cusack, & Rebecca J Cook. (2007). This talks about violence against women in the Muslim world. The second journal subject is CURBING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION. By Gender & Behavior (Dec 2010). Discussing the concept and practice of mutilation on women. And the last subject is THE GUATEMALAN FEMICIDE: AN EPIDEMIC OF IMPUNITY. By Velasco, Natalie. (2008). And talk about women that have been raped, mutilated, and brutally murdered in Guatemala. To start we were talking about the first journal, â€Å"HONOUR": CRIMES, PARADIGMS, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN by Simone Cusack, & Rebecca J Cook (2007). And this one talks about a project that was done in the center of Islamic(CIMEL), and Middle Eastern law and center of human rights protection (INTERIGHTS); and thus to investigate the crimes of "Honor" and violence against women. Crimes of â€Å"Honor† which basically describes how Muslim women are punished for their families or community members because they considered to be dishonored by the victim. The authors of this manuscript also want to investigate how the legal system are linked with the crimes of "Honorâ€Å", and how to combat this probl... ...According to statistics 13% of the women who reported abuse in their homes unfortunately they were killed days after. The journal makes several recommendations to the Governor of Guatemala, such as giving a public condemnation of the murderer and hijackers, procedures of research showing violence, create a database that shows people who have Disappeared, the laws has to be more stringent about the rules against violence of women, Finally, have to be placed rules do not allow women violence. In conclusion I must say that unfortunately the hypothesis was proven with the help of different Journals, and unfortunately governments, regional and society must change the hard rules that dominate women and not allowed them to grow in the society; on the contrary these laws limiting their personal and moral development.

Lesch Nyhan Syndrome :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lesch Nyhan Syndrome Lesch Nyhan Syndrome (LNS) was first reported in 1964 by Michael Lesch and William L. Nyhan. It is a rare disorder located on the x chromosome. It is a sex-linked trait, which means that it is passed from mother to son. This condition can be inherited or occur spontaneously as a result of a genetic mutation. It usually appears once in every 100,000 male births. Since the defective gene is recessive, females almost never exhibit symptoms of the disease. However, they can be carriers of the allele.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lesch Nyhan is associated with an almost complete absence of the enzyme HGPRTase (hypoxanthene guanine phosphoribosil transferase). This is the enzyme that recycles hypoxanthen and guanine, which are two of the genetic building blocks. When this enzyme is not present, the hypoxanthen and guanine are converted into excessive uric acid. Children around four to six months old are usually diagnosed with LND when orange, sand like uric acid crystals are observed in their diapers. These crystals cause painful urination, arthritis and kidney stones as they build up in various areas of the body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  LNS had many symptoms. Affected people manifest developmental delays, seizures, spacticiy, speech impairment and moderate retardation. The victims usually fall within a 40-80 IQ range. By four years of age the children usually start to exhibit the most well-known symptom of Lesch Nyhan; self-mutilization. The patients begin practicing physical mutilization and hurting themselves through indirect emotional injuries. These behaviors seem to grow as the children get older and become more physically capable of inflicting self-injury and more mentally capable of thinking up new ways to hurt themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Early forms of self-mutilization include biting of the tongue and cheeks, gouging the nose and eyes, rubbing various body parts raw, and banging the head, arms, and legs on things. Another realm of abnormal behavior associated with LNS is manifested as indirect or emotional self-injury. Individuals with these symptoms are compelled to hurt and abuse themselves and the people they care for most. They lash out at parents, teachers and aides. A few examples of this behavior include kicking and head butting as they are being dressed or bathed, cursing without provocation, spitting, vomiting or spilling drinks on care providers. After performing these behaviors, the individual will apologize profusely, only to repeat the offending behavior shortly thereafter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientists have come to recognize this behavior as indirect attempts of self-injury.

Informatinn On Black Libraries :: essays research papers fc

Informatinn on Black Libraries Namibia Resource Centre Southern Africa Library The Library The library's collection of books focuses primarily on southern Africa and publications originating from the region. Its holdings of publications printed in Namibia since the early 1950s are probably the most extensive outside Africa. The collection contains publications in European and African languages and emphasises the social sciences and humanities. The rare-book collection of early accounts of European explorations covers the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. Special attention is being given to material documenting the history of the Swiss in Africa. The collection of periodicals includes both colonial and current titles, some of which are not to be found in other institutions in Switzerland. Current periodicals from southern Africa include newspapers, community newsletters, business bulletins and scientific journals. The collection of bibliographies is intended to cover all major geographic regions and subject issues concerning sub-Saharan Africa. They enable us to maintain the original purpose of the institution, i.e. to provide bibliographical information to researchers and others interested in Africa. The Archives The archival collection consists of several sections. One section primarily holds personal papers of individuals from Namibia and Switzerland. Another section consists of press cuttings and grey literature (pamphlets, reports, posters, etc.) from southern Africa and includes material from various Anti- Apartheid movements. Printed material concerning "SWAPO of Namibia" is regarded as extensive. In addition, a small collection of historical photographs from Namibia is being kept. The map collection contains 800 maps on Namibia, at present on loan to the Institute of Geography of the University of Basel. Reference guides on all archival holdings are available to researchers. The Publications Our own publications form part of our effort to promote knowledge and encourage research on Africa. Since 1971 more than 70 titles have been published, some of which are now considered to be standard texts on their subject. The series published by the BAB are: "Communications from the Basel Africa Bibliography" "Beitraege zur Afrikakunde" "Geomethodica" Reference guides on the archival holdings of the BAB. Occasional publications include dissertations, reprints, and working papers. Bibliophiles will find out second-hand bookshop particularly attractive. It has become a meeting point of people interested in Africa and a window ot the street inviting passers-by to come in, browse through the shelves and have a chat. Basler Afrika Bibliographien The Basler Afrika Bibliographien (BAB) houses the only Namibia Resource Centre in Europe and the only Southern Africa Library in Switzerland. Established in 1971 by Carl Schlettwein as a private research institution, it forms today part of a foundation whose aim it is to encourage research on Africa in general and