Critical Thinking Essay: the Godfather Essay

The Godfather, a story about a multigenerational crime family by the Italian American author Mario Puzo, was one of the best-selling books since it was published in 1969. Not only the book was a phenomenon, its movie under the direction of director Francis Ford Coppola had also become a landmark in American movie since it was released in 1972. The Godfather detailed impressively the activities of the gangster world, especially the Corleone family which was under the control of the patriarch Vito Corleone starring by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as his youngest son Michael Corleone who soon inherited his father’s position. The film lived up to the term masterpiece which helped it win three Academy Awards for best actor, best picture, and best adapted screenplay. Although the movie was full of brutal violence and mass killing of people, it also showed the care, the love, and the loyalty of the Corleone family members for each other. Rather than just showing the criminal side of breaking the laws or murdering people, The Godfather showed a brand new vision of the gangster world to the audiences. The criminal genre first started with the film the Little Caesar which was the first movie ever made about the gangster world in 1931. Later, many famous directors had taken advantage of this new trend and released many great movies with this genre, such as director Howard Hawkes with his famous film Scarface in 1932 and director Raoul Walsh with the movie White Heat in 1949. Those were all the big films that gave the audiences the impression of how audacious and dangerous the Mafia was. Mostly those movies focused on a younger gangster who was trying to work his way up in his criminal career to become well-known and powerful in the underworld by all means. Then, the release of the Godfather impressively surprised all the fans of the mob movies with a totally different viewing experience. The film depicted a systematic criminal organization, a â€Å"family business† that was transferred from generation to generation. The audiences are attracted in the very first plot of the movie when it shows Vito Corleone is doing his â€Å"business†. The man is insisting him to take revenge for his daughter who was brutally beaten by her boyfriend and he will pay any price the Godfather wants. The audiences will think that surely the Don will say â€Å"yes† because that is how a mobster is in their mind: Give them money, they will do anything. However, Vito says â€Å"No† because the only thing he wants from the man is friendship and he feels disrespectful when the man is only talking about money. Another plot that shows the breakthrough of the Godfather is when his oldest son, Santino, was butchered by Emilio Barzini’s men, the second most powerful Don, Vito still takes the initiative of renouncing all the vengeance at which audiences think there will be a massacre between the two families. Vito also makes a concession in doing drug business though he mentioned that he never believed drugs. In return, he wants a guarantee from other families for the safety of his own family and the younger son, Michael, who is still in Sicily hiding away from the police. Furthermore, thanks to director Coppola for being determined in choosing the appropriate actors and actresses for every characters in the movie which was a great contribution to the movie that made it become a masterpiece. Marlon Brando was not the first choice for the character Vito Corleone, he was actually refused for casting by the Paramount executives. However, Coppola believed Marlon was the best match for the character so he fought hard for him until the executives agreed. Marlon proved to the executives that Coppola was right by showing his consensus in being a patriarch of a powerful criminal family. The way the Godfather talks to his clients makes him a respectable man to his friends and family but a dangerous and cold-hearted killer to those who wants to go against him. Besides, the great performance of Marlon Brando puts an outstanding development of Al Pacino’s character. Like Marlon, Al Pacino was not highly valued by the executives because of his looks and lack of experiences in acting. However, with his efforts, the viewers can see the improvement in performing Michael Corleone through all the scenes. The scene he played that helped him keep his role is when Michael was in the restaurant with McCluskey and Sollozo. This plot was really breathtaking and terrifying that makes viewers attentively watch it to the end. Michael’s shiver and worry before the shot successfully portrays an inexperienced mobster, a newbie in the underworld of Michael. Indeed, in the second half of the movie, when Michael took over his father’s chair and started the wipe-out of all of the family’s rivals, he showed an image of a young Don who was more wise and dangerous than his father. As a gangster movie, the Godfather has many plots that can make viewers jump out of their chairs or hide their faces behind their hands. As an experienced director, Coppola knew how to combine background music with the plots to emphasize their contents. For example, when Jack Woltz refused the offer from the Godfather of letting Johnny Fontane cast a role in his movie, the next morning he woke up and saw his beloved horse head in his bed. The evil music was playing very small when the scene was showing Woltz’s garden, viewers could even hear the sound of the crickets. Then the camera slowly moved to Woltz’s bedroom where the music was playing louder and louder as it reached near Woltz’s bed. Finally, the music turned to maximum when Woltz was screaming because he saw the horse head. This scene really freaked people out because Coppola used a real horse head. Lastly, the movie is remarkable because it shows deeply the human part of mobsters. A typical example of how the Corleone members care for each other is Santino’s care about his sister, Conny. At the first scene of the movie, there was the wedding of Conny and Carlo. Unfortunately, Carlo did not love her. He purposely married to Conny because he wanted to get involved in Corleone family which was the most powerful Mafia family in New York. However, Vito Corleone did not let any outsiders to be part of the his business. Carlo was disappointed and he started abusing Conny fiercely, his just married wife. In the film, audiences can see Santino was the only member in the family protected Conny. Santino was also a very hot-tempered person. In some plots, because he was so aggressive, he brought a very bad impression on viewers. Nevertheless, watching him beating Carlo on the street, viewers would have a more positive feeling toward him. Another plot that makes the audiences more sympathy with the movie is when Vito retired, he became an old man with very simple joys of doing gardening and playing with his grandson. Later in the movie, he died by a heart attack, a very normal way that could happen to other elders. That scene really surprises viewers because they may think as one of the most powerful Don in the Mafia world, Vito Corleone should have had a more honorable death. Overall, although the Godfather was released in 1972 at which the performance of the actors and actresses were not as good as the casts now, it still has the full attention of audiences every time they watch. It is rated R which means it has many extremely violent scenes and nudity plots. Some people may think its violence is quite tame. However, if parents don’t take seriously consideration before letting their kids see the movie, their kids might still have a nightmare at night. Work Cited Seal, Mark. â€Å"The Godfather Wars.† Vanity Fair. N.p., Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. . Rovi, Bruce Eder. â€Å"Little-Caesar – Trailer – Cast – Showtimes – NYTimes.com.† Little-Caesar – Trailer – Cast – Showtimes – NYTimes.com. The New York Times, n.d. . â€Å"TheGodfather Trivia: Leavethe Gun, Read the Trivia!(Total Trivia Entries: 147).† The Godfather Trivia. N.p., n.d. .

King Philip’s War Essay

King Philip’s War lasted from 1675 to 1676. It was the bloodiest conflict between American colonists and Indians in the 17th century New England. By 1600, colonial settlers no longer depended on the Indians for survival; therefore they pushed into Indian Territory in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. To protect their lands, the Wampanoag chief, King Philip, also known as Metacom organized a federation of tribes, which in 1675 destroyed several frontier settlements. King Philip’s War was the beginning of the development of a greater American identity; the conflicts suffered by the colonists gave them a distinct identity than that of the subjects of the English crown. The first Thanksgiving feast took place in 1621. This celebration marked the partnership of the Native Americans and the colonists. That year, Massasoit signed a treaty with the Pilgrim governor promising to give aid against enemies; they maintained 40 years of peace. However after Massasoit died in 1661, this peace began to deteriorate. The population of the colonial settlers grew rapidly and soon they outnumbered the Indians. Therefore, Europeans and the Indians frequently fought overland. When Metacom became sachem he was amid Plymouth Colony’s demands for land. He was humiliated several times, and forced to admit guilt and surrender. He then soon became angry at the colonists because they forced him not to sell Wampanoag without seeking their council first. Benjamin Church is considered the father of  American ranging. He was the captain of the first  Ranger force in America. Church was commissioned by the Governor of the  Plymouth Colony  Josiah Winslow  to form the first ranger company for  King Philip’s War. He played a unique and crucial role in King Philip’s War because he developed friendship with Native Americans and worked to understand and learn from those who lived near his frontier home. Church designed his force primarily to emulate Indian patterns of war. Toward this end, he endeavored to learn to fight like Indians from Indians. Philip and his followers went to New York hoping to find recruit and supplies. However Edward Andros, the governor of New York feared that the war might spread to his colony, therefore, he formed allies with the Mohawks who were enemies of Wampanoag. The Mohawks attacked Philip’s forces, and he returned to the New England colonies. On Aug. 12, 1676, a Wampanoag informer named Alderman killed King Philip. Philip was beheaded and quartered, and his head was displayed on a pole in Plymouth for more than 20 years.

Morality Play Essay

In life people strive consistently to choose between what is right and wrong. Most never take time to critically evaluate what factors drive their moral compass. Most have never taken the time to understand the conflicts that arise within their moral decisions. Analysis of the philosophical quiz â€Å"Are you a moral realist? † results gave me the opportunity to scrutinize my own moral compass. To follow I will discuss my opinion on the results of the quiz and the impact it had on my foundation of morality. I agree completely with the analysis. Upon completion of the quiz I learned that I was a moral objectivist and a moral relativist. Questions number two and eight provided me with the most glaring obvious evidence of my moral inconsistency. I felt very strongly that what is right or wrong depends on individual viewpoints and society supports this statement. When the Supreme Court is hearing case a group of justices vote on what is right. They don’t always the same opinion but the perception of what is being told is what makes a law and dictates what is right. Question number eight is in direct conflict because in no uncertain terms I believe it is wrong no matter whom you are, where you are, to torture innocent babies just for fun. My strong feelings in that regards completely nullifies right and wrong being based on individual viewpoints. The quiz result stating my position is inconsistent is correct. I was surprised by the results of the quiz; it opened my eyes to the truth of my ethical principles. I understand now that morality is something that I have failed to evaluate. The truth that I have discovered of my morality is that it is in conflict. This conflict exists because I have been guided by outside factors in my views of what is ethical. For example, politics tells me that freedom of religion is a right protected in the constitution so in my mind it became wrong to challenge someone’s religious views no matter what their views made them do. Being that I rationalized it is not justifiable to challenge someone religious views then a woman put to death in another country in the name of religion is not wrong due to the religions moral authority. I can say I have indeed fell victim to the distinguishing between descriptive ethics and normative ethics. Individuals have a diverse array of moral beliefs, which vary from person to person and culture to culture. To say this is to simply describe what is the case (Chaffe pg. 225). I have come to realize a person being killed in the name of religion is something that happens but it doesn’t mean that it is something that should happen. One could say my moral compass pointed north on some occasions and south on others. I see clearly that in every circumstance when a question was asked I thought how it applied to me. In truth my ethical judgment comes from a selfish place. In each scenario my determination was made by looking at what is appropriate for me and secondly society as a whole. I think the inconsistency in my morally can be attributed to two facts. The first is what is good for me always comes first and that I am torn between allowing descriptive and normative ethics govern my decisions. With morality there is what is and what should be, and with my own personal morality the same applies. My personal conflicts ethically stem from failure to consciously asses my moral compass. Morality is much more than someone’s beliefs governing their actions, it’s about an acceptance of what is right and wrong universally no matter a person’s culture, religion, or background. By assessment of my moral compass I have uncovered that I must take a closer look at what should be and stop being guided by what is. Bibliography Chaffee, J. (2011). The philosopher’s way: thinking critically about profound ideas (4th ed. ). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.

Hunters in the Snow by Tobias Wolff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hunters in the Snow by Tobias Wolff - Essay Example But in "Hunters in the Snow", lies, betrayal and insensitivity have overshadowed the good aspects of one another. This situation is played out in a snowy surrounding, as if the whiteness of the place makes a stark background to the evil that's brewing among the three friends. Each of the three buddies tries to look for a deer to shoot, each not really keen on doing so, and this accounts so much for their failure (other hunters as told in the story would have their deer "strapped to the hoods" of their jeeps and cars) as not having seen a deer to shoot. Tub, the first character introduced in the story is a sensitive person who battles a gluttony problem and hides it with apparent efforts to diet. Sensitivity in a person, though a positive trait makes that person vulnerable to others and makes him violent at times. Tub fires off at a Kenny for shooting at old dog after their failure to shoot any deer, "What did he ever do to you" Both Frank and Kenny, rib him for being fat, knowing that "Nobody knows. That's the worst of it, Frank. Not the being fat, I never got any big kick out of being thin, but the lying. Having to lead a double life like a spy or a hit man. Like when I make a big deal about only having an orange for breakfast and then scarf all the way to work. Oreos, Mars Bars, Twinkies. Sugar Babies. Snickers". And when Tub shoots Kenny, out of weakness and fear that he would end up like the unfortunate dog, he could only say, "I had to". Among the three friends, Frank probably has the capacity to be understanding about the extreme sides of his two friends - Tub's sensitivity and Kenny's toughness. Instead, this insight to the truth made him perverted and manipulative. When Tub was horrified with Frank's confirmation of an affair with a fifteen-year old girl, he makes for a philosophical pitch against conformity, "You can't just put people into categories like that, Tub. That's why the whole system is wrong. And that's why this country is going to hell in a rowboat." Frank even likens his young girlfriend with Shakespeare's Juliet, an indication of his intellectual capacity "Fifteen. She'll be sixteen in May. May fourth, three twenty-seven p.m. Hell, Tub, a hundred years ago she'd have been an old maid by that age. Juliet was only thirteen." Frank also pitches for Tub's sympathy for his relationship trouble and to appease his guilt towards his plans of leaving his wife. He does by taking advantage of Tub's food weakne ss - and succeeds because Tub also needs Frank to expiate himself from shooting their friend. The two takes their time at another roadhouse, not really in a hurry to carry their bleeding friend to a hospital. Instead, Frank orders Tobias Wolff's's "Hunters in the Snow" platefuls of pancakes, butter and syrup to further corrupt Tub and make him an accomplice in his deceit. When at the end, and on the wheel, he says "I'm going to the hospital" to the bleeding Kenny's hope of making it alive - he commits the final betrayal, with Tub's connivance. Kenny, the apparent

Compare and Contrast two Counterinsurgency campaigns Research Paper

Compare and Contrast two Counterinsurgency campaigns - Research Paper Example They used various tactics to win the support of the people; both policies of attraction and chastisement. After taking over, the Americans, set their bases in Philippines and colonized it. The Americans used the policies of attraction and chastisement to woo the support of the locals. This paper is going to highlight the application of policies of attraction and chastisement in both Cuba and Attraction. The policy of attraction was an appealing message, while the policy of chastisement was using of force. It will show how Americans were trying to bring change in a short time. Spanish were failing the economies of both Cuba and Philippines and this paper will highlight the reason Americans removed Spanish authorities in these two countries. Spain was in the war with Cuba. They had invaded the territory of the South American nation. Americans used their press called the yellow papers to spread the news of the war all over the world (Company, 1999). American policy makers felt the investments, which Americans had invested in Cuba would face destruction. Many people lost their lives. The European countries put in place the Monroe Doctrine that prohibited any form of war, whether internally or externally. European countries felt they had to react and stop the war too. There was pressure from all quarters towards Spain, so that they stopped the war. The American government sent a warship to Cuba as a warning to Spain as they wanted a lasting peace. The ship sent to deliver the warning was bombed (Archives, 2014). American press sent out rumors that the Spanish troops destroyed the ship. In reality, Cuban rebels were responsible for the ambush. This triggered American congress to declare war against the Spanish forces in Cub a (Blumenfeld, 2003). US wanted the Spanish to withdraw its troops immediately. America declared war. It was the first time for almost eighty years since US was in the war against a European country.

McDonaldisation of Disney Theme Parks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

McDonaldisation of Disney Theme Parks - Essay Example Literature shows that McDonaldisation has come to represent the vast commodification and standardization of numerous products and services in different industries and sectors (O’Toole 2009; Thompson 2006). Learning, for instance, has been McDonaldised with the rise of standardized approaches to tutorials and pre-school services, such as Kumon and kindergarten services that have the same learning strategies and materials. This paper reviews the McDonaldisation of Disney theme parks. The author already visited several Disney parks particularly in California and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. It begins with providing an overview of the theory of McDonaldisation and then it applies the features of McDonaldisation on these theme parks. This paper argues that Disney theme parks have been McDonaldised, because they promote efficiency, calculability, predictability, better control, and the substitution of human by non-human technology. Theory of McDonaldisation McDonaldisation â€Å"is the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world† (Ritzer 1993, p.1 cited in Keel 2010). The theory has been developed by George Ritzer who has taken important elements of Max Weber’s framework and broadened and made them more relevant to present society (Keel 2010). The vital theme of Weber's examination of modern society was the process of Rationalisation, which is a process where conventional modes of thinking were replaced by ends/means analysis that pursued efficiency and formalized social control (Keel 2010). For Weber, the demonstration of this process was Bureaucracy, a large and formal organization that possessed a hierarchical authority structure, clear division of labor, written rules and regulations, impersonality and technical competence (Keel 2010). Bureaucratic organizations stand for the process of rationalization and the structure they in flict on human interaction and thinking intensifies the process, leading to a more and more rationalized world (Keel 2010). Ritzer critically analyses the impacts of social structural transformations on human interaction and identity (Keel 2010). He stresses that in the later part of the 20th century, the social structures of the fast-food restaurant has become the â€Å"organizational force† that broadened the process of rationalization further to the dimensions of interaction and individual identity (Keel 2010). Ritzer stresses that the five themes within this McDonaldisation process are Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, Increased Control, and the Replacement of Human by Non-human Technology, as well as the â€Å"irrationality of rationality† (Keel 2010). Efficiency pertains to choosing the means of production that was rapidly and uses the least cost or effort (Keel 2010). Calculability concentrates on factors that have to be calculated, counted, and measure d (Keel 2010). Quantification tends to stress quantity over quantity, hence leading to mass production (Keel 2010). Quality becomes equal to quantity, such as quota (Ritzer 1994, p.142 cited in Keel 2010). Predictability means decreasing potential differences in the delivery of services or goods (Keel 2010). â€Å"A Big Mac is a Big Mac is a Big Mac† wherever it is served (Keel 2010). Increased control and the substitution of human by non-human technology are deeply connected (Keel 2010). Ritzer combines the two McDonaldisation process: â€Å"...these two elements are closely linked.

How do cultural factors influence a Multi National Company's decisions Essay

How do cultural factors influence a Multi National Company's decisions on location selection and organizational structure for it - Essay Example Transformation firms that differ significantly from national and international firms are making the later firms, are making them accountable to global markets and economic settings. Because of globalization effect, the state ability to regulate its economic activities is declining rapidly, while global markets increase in their dominance over national economic policies. These policies have to be aligned in a way that guarantees multinational companies and competitive advantage. Globalization has created ways for opportunities for increasing number of businesses to cross their countrywide borders and enlarge their market share, lessen expenses, as well as improve proficiency. Multinational companies are going global mainly because, of market saturation in the parent country; they look for new markets to bit competition. The multinational companies take advantage of the economies of scale in the targeted country to increase their business by gaining more stable profits. This as a resul t has led to increased growth of international movement of products and services rapidly. Cultural factors influence a Multi-National Company's decisions on location selection Cultural factors affect both the brand appearance and affect the structural organization of the company ranging from the management of workers, the sales of the product and the gratification of the consumers. Organizational structure has to be adjustable so that it can meet the cultural aspects in areas with varied cultures. According to research, culture comprises of a set of dogmas, moral principles, language, customs as well as laws apprehended in mutual by a country, a society, or other distinct group of individuals (Haleblian, McNamara and Davison, 2009). Currently, with many refugees in various nations worldwide, there is a wide range of cultural diversity, religious views, traditions as well as ethics, reflecting the dispersed basis of the people. Organizational culture is referred to as a pattern of mu tual understanding s around which action is organized. Alternatively, it can be taken to imply a scheme of knowledge, of standards for remarking, considering, appraising, and acting that serve to associate human societies to their environmental settings. From statistics, there has been an increase in developments in the area of transport and communications, which have made the universe a global community. Accordingly, there has been a reduction of trade barriers because of the presence free trade zones in a significant number of nations (Beamish and Lupton, 2009). However, despite the fact that there has been the lessening in trade blockades to entering new global markets, there are still various complications. Managers who deal with multinational organizations currently encounter an exterior setting that is rapidly altering multilayered, unreliable and dynamically competitive. Multinational organizations can help in the creation of competitive benefits; although only under particul ar conditions. It is of great significance to note that, issues that relate to diverse groups within the workforce are complex and delicate to handle. Therefore, this means that without substantial understanding of the diverse organizational and socioeconomic as well as cultural factors, multinational corporations may not flourish in taking full benefit of the existing resources and chances (Porter, 1998). Therefore, the practices of

Birth Control In South Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Birth Control In South Africa - Essay Example No stepping-stones. Summer Winter" Located in the southern tip of African continent, South Africa, known as South African Republic till recently, has mixed racial background of whites, blacks and Indians. It was discovered by Europeans during the age of discovery competition among European powers. Both Archbishop Tutu and President Mandela called South Africa as The Rainbow Nation. Country has world renowned archaeological sites and fossil wealth at Sterkfontein, Makapansgat and Kromdraai which has given the world homos, homo habilis and homo erectus etc. It presents the most fascinating tapestry patterns of human struggles and endeavors, where almost all the stages and results are visible. The Portuguese, Dutch, and British competed for supremacy that slowly paved way to practice of severe apartheid that the world abhorred for decades. Workers came from countries like India, Madagascar and Indonesia, who are called Cape Malays now. Great Britain defeated the rest of European powers, especially Dutch, and after 1860, finding diamonds and gold became the main cause of greater potential and resulting immigration. "The South African whites must either be embarrassingly stupid of Machiavellian;there are nine million Africans against their three million; how do they propose - in a democratic arrangement - to balance this numerical superiority" asks Modisane (1963, p.239).

Propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Propaganda - Essay Example Propaganda extends beyond the Machiavellian ‘black’ methods that are often implemented in wartime situations, and includes ‘white’ and ‘grey’ propaganda wherein overtly or subtly stated ideologies are advanced to achieve persuasive means. (Linebarger 1954). One such example of less devious, yet arguably a no less manipulative form of propaganda, is broadcast daily across American television sets – the nightly news. Indeed, recent video leaks of Dan Rather humorously spending five minutes to determine whether to leave his collar up or down for an outside broadcast and Katie Couric mocking then vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin demonstrates both the high levels of aesthetic and ideological manipulation that go into producing the CBS Evening News (Shea 2008). While there are a diverse amount of tacit ideological assumptions that can be identified in both local and national news broadcasts, this essay examines the specific propaganda me chanisms advanced in the July 22nd, 2010 episode of the CBS Evening News News with Katie Couric. Viewers familiar with the CBS Evening News are aware that the show starts with a nightly overview of what will be included in the broadcasts. This specific episode indicates that the broadcast will include: the BP Oil Spill, the Shirley Sherrod incident, an examination of the immigration debate, and a piece on how researchers used twitter to determine the country’s mood. Already in this programming outline a number of ideological assumptions are readily present. While the news is mythologized as existing in an objective vacuum, where relevant content is reported to the public, it’s clear that the format is much more aligned with the dramatic principles required to draw and hold an audience. In this instance, the CBS Evening News includes the most somber, yet startling information first BP Oil Spill. It seems this ultimately has the effect of catching the viewer up on past o ccurrences; for instance, the daily reports on the minutest details of the BP Oil Spill come to represent a sort of daily drama for viewers, with continuity being made from past broadcasts. The plot twist for the night’s broadcast is that a potential storm may sidetrack the clean-up crews. While the information is presented as direct news, its hidden ideological assumptions are clearly that BP hasn’t done enough in aiding the coast, and now they are further failing as may be unable to accomplish their clean-up before the oncoming storm.

Critically Assess Government Policy on 'Bridging the Digital Divide' Essay

Critically Assess Government Policy on 'Bridging the Digital Divide' in U.K - Essay Example However, the relevant measures are often proved as inadequate; delays and failures are reported when trying to apply such policies in practices. Current paper focuses on the efforts of the British government to ‘bridge the digital divide’ so that the quality of services in the country’s private and public sector to be improved, since these services are highly based on ICTs. The aspects of this effort are analysed below. The review of the plans that the British government has promoted in this field has led to the following assumption: the effort of the British government ‘to bridge the digital divide’ can be characterized as successful, at least up to now. In accordance with a relevant report, the expansion of online services could lead to savings of about ? 1.3b each year (France 2011). However, in the future, the effectiveness of these plans would be in risk, taking into consideration the continuous advances of technology and the level of resources r equired for the realization of the relevant schemes. 2. Bridging the digital divide in Britain – governmental policy In order to understand the effectiveness of the efforts of the British government ‘to bridge the digital divide’ across the country, it would be necessary to understand the context of the specific effort. The phrase ‘bridging the digital divide’ reflects the efforts required for covering gaps in regard to the use of ICTs within a particular country. Most commonly, these gaps are covered through a series of initiatives focusing on different aspects of the use of ICTs. For example, emphasis is given on the physical access to online centres, the availability of appropriate Internet connection, the development of computer skills of people of different ages, the elimination of inequalities in regard to the access to ICTs and the development of effective e-government schemes in accordance with the sources available and the targets set, eithe r in the short or the long term. The efforts of the British government to ‘bridge the digital divide’ have been based on the avoidance of complex ICTs; by choosing ICTs which are easy to be managed and flexible, as of their potentials and their needs, the British government tries to increase the efficiency of its online services which have been characterized by difficulties as of their access and failures as of their performance (Cabinet Office 2011). The British government’s new strategy in regard to the promotion of ICTs across the country is presented in Graph 1 (Appendix). It is clear that the country’s government has set different priorities, compared to the past, for improving its online services. Simplicity and high speed have been preferred instead of complexity, since in this way the following target is achieved: the level of ICTs in the public sector of Britain is standardized, a fact that helps people to understand easier the use of ICTs for acc essing the country’s public sector. 2.1 Measures for supporting physical access The physical access to online services requires that online centres across UK are increased, in terms of their number. In this way, people in all regions will be able to access the government’s online services. At the same time, the quality of broadband services available in online centres in Britain should be improved, leading to the increase of the number of customers. Since problems are often reported across the countr

Art Paper Essay Example for Free

Art Paper Essay The picture shows a tree almost completely bare of its leaves. Shot vertically from an upward perspective, it is set against a clear but dusky sky. The slender reddish-gray tree features a slight elbow-like stump near the base, suggesting an initial angled development before growing up straight. The main branches forks from around the tree, as the lesser and fine branches appear to swing around and entangle in the crown area. The bark of the tall trunk itself is rather smooth and the fine branches on top seem dainty and struggling for new foliage. Beneath, the stump and the visible area below it appear hazy, as these spots obviously form closest to the camera lens that took the photograph. The picture juxtaposes the shadowed underside of the tree branches against a dim bluish sky. Bibliography Perspective_Tree.jpg (Picture). Index of /~jpadley/Images/Mindy_Sarah. Gonzaga University. 2006. Retrieved 1 Dec.1. http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~jpadley/Images/Mindy_Sarah/ Perspective_Tree.jpg.

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Race and Ethnicity Essay Pretend you are driving along on the highway. You see a person on the side of the road having car problems. This is person is wearing an Armani suit and driving a Porsche. The next day, you encounter the same incident but, this time, it is a man wearing baggy jeans with holes in them, a dirty shirt and he looks very unclean. Would you be more likely to stop for the man in the Armani suit, or the the second man? I know that I would stop for man #1. The reason I and most of our society would do so, is because we have a horrible habit. The habit is unintentional and we do it not meaning to hurt anybody This habit is stereotyping people by the way they look or talk based on what society considers normal. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout, Atticus and Tom Robinson are victims of being stereotyped by others. Each has to cope with being stereotyped. Scout and Atticus have the ability to change their ways in order for people to respect them, unlike Tom Robinson, who is stereotyped as a mutant to the town of Mayberry simply because he is black. For example people are preaching to Scout that she should act like a typical girl. Atticus is stereotyped as a traitor to his people, the white race, because he stands up for a black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a young woman. Last but not least, Tom Robinson is stereotyped as being a flaw in the human race because he is black. When he is accused of committing a rape, he is not given a fair trial, due to the fact that he is an African-American. During a Sunday brunch, Scout’s aunt, Alexandra, forces Scout to wear a skirt and help her to cook. Being a proper lady, Aunt Alexandra does not want the town ladies to think that she was raising her niece to be a tomboy. Therefore, she has Scout put on a facade. Against her will, Scout does everything a typical polite girl would do. She serves the ladies, wears a skirt, and brushes her hair. Scout goes through this tremendous effort because she does not want to be known as a tomboy simply because she would choose to climb a tree rather than bake a pie. Scout is able to make a deception. Should she change her ways to prevent getting a bad name or should she stick to her beliefs and deal with being called a tomboy. Unfortunately, Scout ignores her morals and changes her ways. Scout is not the only character having to rise above stereotypes. Her father, Atticus, must do so as well. Atticus, a white man, is asked to be a lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell.. After carefully examining evidence, Atticus realizes that Tom Robinson is 100% innocent. Therefore, Atticus goes to court, where he stands up for a black man in front of a white jury. Atticus gives sure proof arguments and evidence to prove that Robinson is innocent. Unfortunately, after a long recess, Robinson is found guilty of rape. Because Atticus stood up for the truth, and went against his own race, he is stereotyped as a traitor and a blacks lover by the Ewells.. It is truly unfortunate that both Atticus and his daughter, Scout, are cast aside by the population of their town because they go against majorities beliefs and do what they believe is decent. Although, there is one factor that separates Scout from Atticus in this situation. Both Scout and Atticus are able to control what people think of them in these particular situations. Scout becomes a conformist, while Atticus continues to stand up for his beliefs and does not change despite the fact that he will get a bad reputation. Unlike Atticus and Scout, Tom Robinson does not have the ability change his ways in order for him to be seen as an equal because Tom’s fault was that he was born black. This was not his choice or decision. When Tom Robinson was accused of committing a rape, every person knew that no matter how good Atticus’s arguments were, Robinson would be found guilty simply because he was black. Blacks were considered as flaws in a wannabe-utopian society. They were treated as if they were rodents, some inferior animals that were not human because they had a dark skin tone. Being a black man, Robinson lived with this stereotype his entire life. Even though people treated Robinson worse than they would treat an animal, Robinson felt no hate towards these people. He was very polite towards them; he was always willing to lend a helping hand. Unfortunately, Tom Robinson could not change the outlook of the people. It is obvious that Scout, Atticus, and Tom Robinson had to face the world knowing that nobody looked at their character but they looked at the title, an ignorant stereotype, given to them by society. Scout preferred to be comfortable and not wear skirts, therefore, she was a â€Å"tomboy. † Atticus defended an innocent man that was of color, therefore, Atticus was a â€Å"black lover. † Lastly, Tom Robinson was marked guilty in the minds of the people before they even knew what he was accused of because he was born black. Unfortunately, only Scout and Atticus had the ability to change their ways to lose their bad name. Scout, Atticus, and Tom Robinson are only three examples of how society handles issues that contrast the primitive belief of normalcy. We label the object and teach our offspring’s to stay away from this object. Unfortunately, in the process of stereotyping, we ourselves are becoming a stereotype.

Tescos Market Position Analysis

Tescos Market Position Analysis This is a report on Tesco PLC which is one of the largest grocery and general merchandising retailer in the UK and in other countries around the world. Tesco is the third largest retailer in the world; the first two largest retailers are wall-mart which is also known as Asda in the UK and Carrefour which is a French international retail organisation. Tesco is the 2nd largest retailer in the world in comparison of profits which is leaded by Wal-Mart. This report looks at the organisation on how it was formed to how it has become successful around the UK and the rest of the world. Tesco is a highly reputable organisation which has been growing over the last 8 decades and is still growing. Tesco is a highly profitable organisation and evidence has been shown of this in this report. In this report I will use a range of models and strategic analysis both internal of the organisation and externally as well as strategy formulation. I this report I have use a rage of model and tool to demonstrate what TESCO is all about. Tescos has over 4,330 stores around the world but mainly around the UK. In this report I have used the strategic tools like PESTEL, Porters Five Forces, SWOT analysis and a value chain analysis. 2. Background how and when TESCO was introduced and its current position in the market Tesco initial was founded by Jack Cohen early in the 1920s. The brand was initially named when jack Cohen bought a shipment of tea from T.E.Stockwell and by using the initials of T.E.Stockwell Cohen added the first two letter of his surname to create the brand TESCO. The first Tesco was open in 1929 in the north of London in the area of Brunt Oak. Tesco first started by selling food and drinks and over the year has diversified its product range from clothing, insurance, telecommunications and retailing and renting DVDs to online services like music download and software. The organisation has also diversified geographically as it is a well known brand around the UK which was the primary focus to the rest of the world and is now operating in 14 major countries around the world. TESCO is on the London stock exchange as the FTSE 100 Index which shows Tesco is one of the 100 most capitalised organisations in the UK. In 2009 Tescos has staggering revenue of 54biillion and the organisation employs over 472,000 employees worldwide. Tesco have over 960 Tesco express stores around the UK which sell around 7,000 products which include fresh food around the Tesco express local stores. Tesco also has around 170 metro stores which sell a diverse range of food products around city centres. Tesco currently has over 450 superstores which Sell all their product rage including services such as DVD rental and Tesco Mobile. Tesco provides financial services called Tesco Personal Finance (TPF) as well as providing broadband internet connections.  The position of Tescos in regards to shares with other market leaders have been put into a PIE chart below: Market share Tesco ASDA Sainsburys Morrison Others % of market share 30.60% 16.60% 16.30% 11.10% 25.40% Fig 1: Share of leading organisations in UK Food Retail Market 3. PESTEL Political With the immersion of 10 more countries in the European Union (EU) in 2004 had promoted the trades between Western and the Eastern European countries (BBC, 2009). This has allowed Tesco to expand in the retail markets around the EU. Last year it was signed off by Tesco with china that Tesco will be able to open a chain of shopping malls in China. This joint project included three main malls to be built in Qinhuangdao, Anshan and Fushan. A total of 18 hypermarkets were also expected to open this year. This information was provided by Tesco last year. The growth of the international market is on the rise and is predicted to account for 25% of the companys profit. In the Straits Times 2010 article it is motioned that due to Chinas accession with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) it has promoted a free flow for foreign trades this was done by removing all barriers which would encourage companies from the west including Tesco to make it way to the most profitable market which would encompass over 1.3 billion people. Economic The economic factor is a point of concern for Tesco since the UK was officially declared as being in the recession in 2008. This has affected the consumers directly as they became insecure about their financial income. The buying behaviour of Tescos customers meant since the recession consumers were more selective on what they bought. The reduction of the interest rates helped in the reduction of the growth of unemployment in 2009. As a result the spending power of the consumers in on the rise again as people became more secure about their financial positions. However there is still allot of people under threat and so are likely to spend less money on the ready prepared meals, this will affect the sales value and the profit margins adversely. On a positive note in regards to the recession consumer are more likely to cook at home compared to eating out and this would have a positive effect on the amount of sales in the grocery retailers like Tescos. Consumers are less likely to cut down on food expenses instead the percentage of spending on food has risen over the years. Below is a graph showing this form Euromonitor 2010: Fig 2: The % of UK consumers spending on food from 2004 2008 The economic recession has been brought to radiance with the help of the following GDP growth graph since 1990 (BBC news 2010): Fig 3: UK GDP Growth 1990-2010 Social In an analysis UK population it shows that there are more people in the UK who are retired compared to the children in the UK. The elder generation tends to eat less and tend to travel less to supermarkets compared to the younger generation. It has been predicted that the internet shopping is more convenient to the elder generation but due to the low amounts of food required by the elder generation deliveries are less profitable. In the recent decade the number of people choosing has increased and Tesco have identified this and have increased their product range to meet customer demands. Payments by cheque and cash were 1st made achievable by Tesco. Technological One of the main macro ecological variables that have inclined the supply chain, operation and process of grocery and food retailers is technology. The operations of supermarkets are being affected by the use of services like internet shopping. Internet shopping has been growing and is still growing in the UK. The subscription of internet has developed by over 50% and it is estimated to have 70% of UK being users of the internet. (Office for National Statistics, 2010). The use of loyalty schemes which are used by online retailer helps to retain customer as people are discouraged to shop elsewhere (Sun, 2009). Online shopping is also available on phone so people can shop anywhere at any time. Due to the increase of the access of broadband internet shopping is increasing in the UK. 15.5 million Number of users is in UK who is broadband users and this account for 70% of the total market (Keynote 2010). Environmental The environmentally friendly solution of reducing packaging is promoted by the UK Government. In a study by the Office for National statistic, the number of people using reusable bags has raised by 3% from 71% to 74% and those consumers using normal bags and are trying to cut down has also increased from 65% to 68%. This has helped in reducing the cost and it also good for Tesco CSR image. Tesco has recently started adding carbon footprint data to dairy product, orange juice and potatoes and plans to expanding this data onto bread and non-food items in the future (Tesco 2010) There are customers who are reusing bags, recycling old mobile phones and aluminium cans and also prefer bagless deliveries. These customers are being awarded for their contributions through the Tescos Clubcard points (Datamonitor, 2010). Supermarket Tesco have put wind turbines on one of the stores roof this produces enough energy to run all 15 tills. Fig 4: Consumers actively being Green 2007-2010 Legal Due to the rise of the VAT in January to 20% by the government to reduce the budget deficit, Tesco non-food products will be affected such as clothing and electrical goods. In recent years the national minimum wage has been increased by 15.5% this has increased the supermarkets running and operating costs. Porters Five Forces Analysis Threat for substitute products and services In the retail market the threats for grocery retail products is low compared to non-food products. Substitute food products are available from local convenience stores and shop but are not seen as a threat for Tesco as Tesco is able to provide higher quality for lower prices due to buying power and other factors. Tesco are also opening express stores which take most of the business form local convenience stores. The threat for non food items is high as consumers are inclined to by discounted products like clothing form other retailers, however due to the recession Tescos is benefiting compared to the specialised clothing outlets. Threat of entry of new competitors Threats in the food retail industry are low for new competitors. To succeed in the food retail market a huge investment is required to be competitive against Tesco or other food retailers as the new organisation would have to build a brand name. Major retailer of food like Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury account for 80% of shopping for food in the UK (Mintel 2010). In order to compete against the established brads the new brad must either produce a higher quality or sell the product for lower prices or even both to be any threat to the big players. To gain permission from the local government to establish a new supermarket could take a considerable amount of time so therefore there is a key barrier for new entrant in this business. Intensity of competitive rivalry Competitive rivalry is quite high in the food retail industry. Due to the high level and the growing levels of rival market shares Tesco is at risk of losing its market leadership. All the major competitors like Asda Morrisons and Sainsbury have had an increase in the market share for 2009-2010. All the major retailers are being very competitive against each other as they are always lowering prices and promoting products. In the rural areas of the UK consumers are inclined to go to places like Somerfield and Co-op due to the distance of the major retailers. The highly discounted food products from retailer like Aldi and Lidl are inclining customers to go there especially in times of financial difficulties due to the recession. These retailers have grown by 25% during 2008. (Keynote, 2010). Bargaining power for buyers The Bargaining power for the buyer is high. Consumers are inclined to buy cheaper products and with the use of the internet for comparing product prices consumers are inclined to switch to cheaper alternatives. Where products are more standardised and have little differentiation consumers can easily switch from one brand to a different one. Bargaining power for suppliers Bargaining power for suppliers is low Suppliers are attracted to sell their products to major retailer like Asda and Tesco as the supplier would not want to lose their contacts with these major suppliers due to their selling power and so the negotiations with suppliers are strengthened and the major retailers are likely to come with a positive outcome when it comes to buying at lower prices. Detailed SWOT Analysis Below I have done a SWOT analysis for Tesco. Strengths Tesco is the 3rd largest retailer in the world. Tesco holds 30.7% of shares for the UK grocery market. In a research done by Datamonitor 2010 Tesco has a turnover of  £54 billion this in an increase of 14.9% compared to 2008. Tesco has done this by customising products and services to meet the demands of the consumers. Tesco has focused on reducing product prices without compromising on quality. Online services in the non-food retail market; Tesco Direct has seen an increase by 50% (Tesco, 2010). Tesco has retained its customer with the use of Clubcard. The information from Clubcard has been used to promote products and other promotional techniques. Fig 4: Tesco annual Growth in Key Performance Indicators Weaknesses Tesco has not performed well over the last year compared to the competitor in a report by Mintel (2010). A large number of goods were recalled which has resulted in finical loss. This has also had negative impact on the brands image. The main operations of the organisation are in the UK where it is recorded more than 75% of its revenue is generated in the UK in 2009. This was mentioned in a report by Tesco (2010). The organisation lacks geographic diversification and this shows a key weakness for Tesco to systematic risks of the UK market. Opportunities In a report by Mintel (2010) it is recorded that Tesco have opened over 620stores in 2009 and 435 of them were in international locations. The geographic growth will help the firm to improvising its economy of scale, while it is also reducing the exposure of the systematic risk. In the Guardian (2010) it is mentioned that Tesco.com has over 1 million customers, this has provided the firm to attract new customers which is helping to increase profits due to overall costs. The company is focusing in expanding geographically; this will strengthen its global market position. Tesco has signed off a new deal with Tata group which is one of the major industrial organisations based in India (Daily Mail, 2010) The food retail market is expected to grow from  £125 billion in 2009 to over  £145 billion by the year 2014 as it is important to have enough food. (Euromonitor, 2010) Threats Due to the reduction to consumers income and the rise of unemployment the buyers behaviour is affected and non-food products are being adversely affected. Tesco has been the market share leader for over 15 years and is now facing difficult times due to the intense competition of its competitors like Asda and Morrisons (Mintel, 2010). Bellow is an abridged SWOT analysis of which can be summarised in the illustration below: Fig 5: Tesco reduced SWOT Analysis Value Chain Analysis for Tesco The value chain shows the strength and weakness in the value accumulation process. The value chain for Tesco has been illustrated below: Fig 6: Value chain for Tesco Primary Activities Inbound logistics The primary stage of the value chain is where the opportunity arises to create value for the business. The first stage is known to be upstream for activities. Inbound logistics is where products are bought from the supplier and are and are handled and transported to the shelves. Tesco adds value by maintaining the level of choice while it is also improving the efficiency of distribution system. Quality control measures are taken to remove the damaged goods and reducing the cost which may be incurred to its consumers. Operations In the day to day running of the stores Tesco has to maintain its service levels by selling the products and services and making sure they are open for business in accordance to their trading hours. Tesco would have to also make sure products are available on shelves for their day to day business, this is done overnight daily. In order to keep their competitive advantage Tesco may have to consider opening more hours or even opening metro and express stores. To do this Tesco must seek permission from the council and sometimes this may not be possible, this would take away their competitive advantage. Outbound logistics Outbound logistic is the third stage of the value chain and Tesco add value by providing deliveries to customers. Tangibles such as parking facilities, trolley collection, staff at till and systems are also used to gain the competitive advantage by saving time of consumers if done properly. The implementation of trolley deposit stations and keeping them orderly helps customers to get to and from the stores premises allot quicker as well as making these facilities available to use. Marketing and sales The marketing and sales side of the value chain is more downstream. The Tesco club card provides discounts and help to keep customers loyal. Tesco also advertise on the radio, newspapers as well as TV adverts to attract customers with their pricing and promotions available. In regards to selling environmentally friendly products there are some constrains however Tesco can take advantage of this by providing products that are environmentally friendly which could help attract new customers. Support Activities Company Infrastructure To help maintain the price of the products the implementation of security systems are in place as well as anti fraud systems to prevent people acting fraudulently. To reduce costs departments such as profit protection are employed by Tesco to reduce losses. The reduction of crime and its prevention helps Tesco keeps is low prices low. Human resource management Human resource management would be regarded as a downstream activity. The job of HRM is to make sure staff are recruited and trained properly so benefits are passed to the customers. Tesco are always trying to maintain is high level of customers service by putting in programs for employees which are performance related. Employees are paid more by providing a better service to its customers and so employees are encouraged to do this. Technology development This activity is also downstream and Tescos ability to provide product ranges which are new and innovative products has to be maintained. The product vitality adds value to the brand of these products. Conclusion The report has clearly showed the success of Tescos from a small enterprise to a large PLC. Tesco success depends on their brand name which has always been evolving. Tescos brand name has hit the world like a virus but mainly in the UK. Tesco have managed to get the right message across to its consumers by making sure their CRS was to focus on their stakeholders. In order to succeed in the future Tesco has to diversify its products ranges and also diversify geographically as it has done over the last 8 decades, this will continue to create new customers as well as retaining its existing customers. Also to continue to succeed Tesco must adapt to any changes which may occur like a change in the services like broadband, BT have started to install fibre optic to increase its broadband seed. If Tesco wants to continue to grow its must adopt to all changes in real time, not only with this help retain customers as the services and products are up to date but this will also attract new customers. The strategy formulation for Tesco is to continue to learn. Large organisations like Tesco the strategy should be analysed and implemented on all levels of the hierarchy. The strategy of the different levels must be common throughout the hierarchy in order to have the competitive advantage. http://www.tesco.com/talkingtesco/retailing/Bottom of Form Top of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form

Animal Influences in Paleolithic, Egyptian and Greek Art Essay

Animal Influences in Paleolithic, Egyptian and Greek Art There are numerous ways in which animals have resonated within the human mind. Throughout history there have been representations ranging from the realistic, to myths, legends, symbols, and even horrific murderous beasts; at the same time providing fascinating perspectives of our own humanity. Various forms of art have conveyed ideas and concepts of animal’s intelligence, as well as behavior, from generation to generation. Animal art is used as a tool to make the connection between different cultures at different time periods and it relates historical and symbolic meanings. In most cultures animals have been linked with the supernatural forces which were believed to control the natural world and the destiny of humans. They were often revered as the agents. or associates, of gods, and goddesses, and were even the focus of worship as deities. Following the tracks of historical animal art, through the human imagination introduces a trail of creativity and unsurpassed beauty. Paleolithic art: Cave paintings are the earliest known example of human art dating 40,000 to 8,000 BCE. The paintings mainly feature various animals running, sleeping, and eating. Some also contain a few humans, geometrical shapes, and even hand prints. The artist used permanent features like ceilings, floors, and walls of rock shelters and caves as their canvas. Pigments of black, yellow, red, and brown were utilized to display the observations of animals. The painters gathered a great deal of information about finding food, and which foods were safe to eat or to hunt, by closely observing animals. The valuable information was passed to others through the detailes in the... ... Avery, Catherine B. The New Century Classical Handbook. New York, 1962 Beckett, Sister Wendy. The Story of Painting. New York, 1994 Boardman, John, Greek Art. London, 1964 Durant, Will. Our Oriental Heritage. New York, 1935 Fleming, William. Arts & Ideas. New York Gombrich, E. H. The Story of Art. London, 1967 Hall, James. Dictionary of Subjects & Symbolism in Art. New York, 1974 Kirk, G. S. The Nature of Greek Myths. New York, 1975 Janson, H. W. History of Art. New York, 1969 Leroi-Gourhan, Andre. Treasures of Prehistoric Art. New York MacClintock, Dorcas. Animals Observed. New York, 1993 Metropolitan Museum of Art. Treasures of Tutankhamun. New York, 1976 Richter, Gisela M. A. A Handbook of Greek Art. New York, 1987 Scranton, Robert L. Aesthetic Aspects of Ancient Art. Chicago, 1964 Stockstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York, 1995

Epidemic Outbreaks in Africa Essay -- Health Medical Disease History E

Epidemic Outbreaks in Africa One of the most devastating and frightening diseases to encroach on unsuspecting African communities is the deadly Ebola virus. This virus was believed to have first reared its ugly head in the mid 1970s with outbreaks in both the Sudan and Zaire. These epidemics resulted in more than 600 cases of people infected, and had alarming case fatality rates as high as 90 percent.1 Such profound numbers drove fear and panic into the hearts of the local population, with people confused and frightened about losing the entire members of their family. Yet, despite the severity of the 1970s outbreak, Ebola managed to remain fairly quiet for the next several years until a group of outbreaks occurred in the mid 1990s in northeast Gabon as well as Zaire. Several years later conveying the same sense of palpable fear, Ebola once again, entered the stage, this time around in Uganda in the year 2000.2 As a student volunteer working for a charitable health organization in Gulu, Uganda that summer, the reality of death and the effects of the disease consumed my thoughts as I pondered the risks I was taking each passing day by just being in the middle of an epidemic. Ten new suspected cases were diagnosed daily at the local hospital, and the medical staff were challenged by the overwhelming workload. Surgical supplies ran low as the need to constantly dispose of protective wear after each exposure occurred, due to the high contagious nature of the rapidly spreading virus. The smell of bleach and disinfectant pierced our nostrils, as our rubber boots and gear were sprayed down after any contact with the infected. The scene conveyed a sense of despair and uncertainty, as people questioned what had they done to... ... 5 Simpson, 11. 6 Ibid. 7 Smyth. 8 Vidal, 5. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid., 6. 11 Ibid., 8. Works Cited: Associated Press. "Ebola Virus Outbreak Kills 37" The Guardian, 18 October 2000: B7+ McCarthy, Michael. "Ebola Outbreak Continues in Uganda," The Lancet 356 (2000): Science & Medicine section. Recer, Paul. "Sick Animals May be Source of Ebola" Associated Press Online, 15 January 2004: 1+ Simpson, D.I.H. "Marburg and Ebola Virus Infections: A Guide for Their Diagnosis, Management, and Control," WHO Offset Publication 36 (1997): 5-27 Smyth, Garry. "Six days in Hell: City Man Films Ebola Virus," St. John's Telegram (Newfoundland), 14 November 2000: sec. news; p.1. Front. Vidal, John. "Life: Mostly They Died, Ebola Devastates Whole Villages, But We Do Not Know Where it Comes From" The Guardian (London), 17 June 2004: 4-8.

Future Outlook of Trucking :: miscellaneous

Future Outlook of Trucking When you think of dangerous occupations, which ones come to mind? Do you think about the police officer who risks his life daily to protect persons and property? Or the firefighter who places the safety of others above his own? Those are dangerous professions, but based on the sheer numbers of lives lost, the single most dangerous profession is that of a truck driver. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more truck drivers died while working in 2003 than the combined total deaths of police officers, loggers, construction laborers and aircraft pilots (Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2003, page13). In addition to the danger of highway driving, there are increased health risks from poor diet, irregular sleep patterns, and lack of exercise. Some call truck driving â€Å"the loneliest job†, and for good reason. Weeks on the road away from family and children can stress the most even-tempered person. Combine that with delays at shippers and receivers, unsympathetic disp atchers and ill-timed breakdowns and you can see why driving is so stressful. Even with the risks associated with driving, truck driving is appealing because it is more than just a job. It takes a complete lifestyle change and requires a serious commitment to be a successful over-the-road driver. If you ask the average person to describe the job of a truck driver, you would probably hear it described in simple terms such as, â€Å"Truckers drive a truck and deliver freight†. If only it were as simple as that! Truck drivers have to wear several different hats. A driver must have some mechanical skills, good map reading skills, possess good time management skills, and have good people skills. A driver must possess a valid class "A" commercial driver’s license (CDL). CDL applicants must pass a general driving written exam, a class "A" exam and an air brake exam. In addition, CDL holders have the option to add endorsements to their license. Endorsements include the authorization to pull tankers, double and triple trailers, or haul hazardous materials. In addition, a driver must pass a driving test demonstrating driving ability, backing ability and parking skills. Furthermore, the driver must demonstrate a complete pre-trip safety inspection, verbally identify the pa rts of the truck, and describe possible malfunctions for each part. Truck driving requires specialized knowledge of airbrakes systems, securing and transporting hazardous materials, calculating and conforming to various state bridge laws and safely maneuvering a 70-foot, 40-ton vehicle in varying terrains, traffic and weather.

Effect of Social Networking

Over the past few years, social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace have exploded in popularity, especially among children and teenagers. The social networks as Facebook, MySpace and others are all â€Å"virtual places† where people find themselves and share information. Nowadays, social networks are the best tools for communication, though in the first place they were used only for university purposes, where students and colleagues stayed in contact with each other after works or studies.However, recent events involving child predators and other dangerous individuals using these sites have raised concerns about safety. Particularly in the western conutries, many parents view social networking websites with suspicion while having limited understanding of what these sites really are or how they work. Used responsibly, social networking sites do not pose a danger or threat to anyone. Facebook, Myspace, and other sites have numerous benefits for their users in terms of interacting and talking with other people, but also provide comprehensive privacy and safety features.Facebook, for example, does not allow people to view others’ profiles unless they are friends, which requires both people to confirm their relationship. Even though Some studies imply that social networks could have negative impact on people social health. These can cause people to stray from reality and immerse themselves in the virtual world of social community. â€Å"Instead of meeting people in person, they spend more time in front of the computer screens checking what the virtual friends are doing. †The next effect that many scientists have warned about is the influence that social networks can have on human health. The main effect is on the human brain. â€Å"Baroness Greenfield, an Oxford University neuroscientist and director of the Royal Institution, believes repeated exposure could effectively ‘rewire' the brain. † Another important effect of social networks is on business. Online social networking is the newest weapon to get more customers. â€Å"William Baker, a professor of marketing at San Diego State University, found that firms that ely heavily on external social networks scored 24 percent higher on a measure of radical innovation than companies that don't. Online networks can help you hire the right people, market your product — or even find a manufacturer. † In conclusion, as stated before, today social networks are the main tools of communications. Networks like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and so on can have a great impact on human life and influence positively or negatively the social life, health and the world business.

Samoan Culture

Keenan Schwalger Mrs. Kay Berry English 1010 10/19/10 Samoan culture plays a large part in the lives of those with Samoan heritage. Samoan culture is kept strong in a Samoan house hold by keeping the culture alive. This is done by keeping family unity, the art of traditional tattooing, and eating traditional foods and cooking traditional ways. Family life in Samoan culture is huge. They value family very much. It is one of the most important parts of their life. They mostly live with their extended family all in one house in Samoa, or very near them here in the US.Traditionally the Grandmother and Grandfather will live with one their children and sometimes if needed, so will a couple of the Aunts and Uncles. The idea of sending a parent or grandparent to live in nursing home is unheard of in Samoan, and most other Polynesian cultures. It is expected that they will take care of their family. Clarence Schwalger, a Samoan living in Saint George Utah says that â€Å"the entire Samoan cu lture is based around the family†. It is not unusual to see a large Samoan family living in one house. Most Polynesians, including Samoans have very large families, with more than 5 children up to 10 or more.Family is so important that when they have a family reunion the entire family will fly from even New Zealand just to be with the family for a week. It doesn’t matter if they go into debt to go. It is that important to them. Some families can have a family reunion every 2 to 3 years. Any special occasions in the family can be an excuse to get together. Baptism, blessings, weddings, and funerals are all important occasions that bring extended families together. Being together as an extended family is what Samoans love best. The tattoo is a very important, symbolic and, respected part of the culture.It is known as the turning from a boy to a man. The Samoan tattoo is called the Pe’a, and starts on the lower back and run all the way down to the lower thigh. Many of the designs represent animals and have many meanings. â€Å"The triangles on the back resemble the Samoan flying fox. The flying fox is actually a bat, and when it looks for food, it circles in flight. Samoans believe the circular flying represents the cycles of life. † (Channell,18). In Samoa these tattoos are given to the chief of the family and he is the one who is fully tattooed.The tattooing is a very painful process and is done by taking pieces of sharpen bone and ink and taping the tattoo in with a mallet. The tattoo designs are beautiful designs consisting of many geometric shapes put together in a way they flows. The tattoo is much respected. Once started, it must be completed or it will bring shame upon the young man, and his family. After it is completed, the young mans gains new status among his people. With the receiving of his tattoo, he has now taken on the responsibly of being a man, and also to be an example and leader of his family. In Samoa, eating is a large part of the traditional culture.Almost all Polynesians eat in family groups and often invite others to join in their large meals. They almost always cook more than is needed just in case someone drops in for dinner. A Sunday feast called to'ono'i is prepared in a large cooking pots big enough to feed almost an army. In Samoa, traditional meals are cooked in an umu, which is an in ground cooking pit. Food is cleaned, and traditionally wrapped in banana leaves and put on the tops of rocks that have been heated. The food is then covered by more leaves, and the entire oven steams together for several hours.Hot rocks cook amazingly well, and are even used to cook meats as large as a pig. This type of cooking is very hard work, and is so tradition calls that the men do all the cooking. There is an old saying that goes something like â€Å"most people eat until they are full, but Samoans eat until they are tired. † This is evident by the largeness of the people. Samoans love t o eat. The main diet in Samoa consists of chicken, fish and local fruits and vegetables. This is slowly starting to change however, with the introduction of fast food restaurants such as McDonalds.

Development of the US economy over the Past 3 Years Essay

The American government has been successful in running its economy for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 as shown in continuing productivity growth, the low level of inflation as well low interest rate. This paper therefore attempts to discuss or dramatize the success of the American Government been in running its Economy over the last three years. Since any success will have to be explained on what actions the American government has, this paper will therefore describe and evaluate the main macro economic policies used by the American government, if there is any, over the last three years. How successful is the American government in running its Economy over the last three years? The American government performed well in terms of GDP and other growth measures for the last three years starting from 2005 up to the third quarter of 2007. GPD growth was recorded to have an average of 3 ? % from 2005 up to first quarter of 2006. This slowed down a little starting from second quarter of 2006 (2 ? %) to first and second quarter of 2007 , but the third quarter of 2007 appeared to started showing higher increases at 3. 9%. In describing the state of the US economy, Poole said â€Å"†¦The U. S. economy is highly productive, profit-making opportunities abound, interest rates and inflation are both relatively low and stable. † The economy is however not without any challenges to face. Said challenge is not the business cycle but how the US economy will adjust on many fronts to the baby boom generation retirement but Poole believes that the U. S. laws and institutions will enable the country to face these challenges with a better deal of buoyancy than in some other countries that is facing or will be facing the demographic challenge sooner. Poole expressed an assurance that the U. S. economy is fundamentally sound. He cited the fact that surveys of business economists over the past few years regularly pointed to key sources of strength of US economy and these include â€Å"a dynamic and flexible labour market and a financial system that rewards innovation and risk-taking by channelling capital to its highest rates of return. † He explained that the US market-based economy will allow companies â€Å"the ability and the incentive to innovate and to adapt quickly to changes in relative demands for goods and services. Thus he observes that present managements responding promptly to various shocks that shock the economy and according to him this is a growing dynamism of the U. S. economy which be believes is satisfactorily illustrated by the rise in the economy’s rate of productivity growth that has began as early as 1995 and there is still no sign of let up even at present. One way to check economic performance is the level of inflation. Poole said, that inflation as measured by the all-items CPI called â€Å"headline CPI inflation† slowed from 3. 4 percent in 2005 to 2. percent in 2006, while the inflation rate measured by the PCE (core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices) price index rose slowed from 2. 9 percent to 2. 3 percent over the same period. The decline of inflation in 2006 could only indicate remarkable effect of the monetary policy. Poole explained that the restraint of headline inflation is undeniably an indication of the sharp decline in energy prices over the second half of 2006. He added that most economists believe that core inflation is a better measure of inflation pressures. He also explained that that slight increase in the core PCE price index from 2. percent in 2005 to 2. 2 percent in 2006, and the core CPI index increase more, from 2. 2 to 2. 6 percent was negative indication. However, the core price pressures have been easing out lately which was an indication of a momentum that is headed to a favourable direction. What are the economic policies used by the American Government in managing the economy? The main macro economic policies used by the American government over the last three years include the use of its monetary policies. The use of monetary policy is evident in Federal Reserve Bank having raised its target for the federal funds rate from 1 percent in 2004 to 5? ercent in June of 2006 and is still maintained at present. It was the US monetary policy actions that have kept inflation largely, although not perfectly in check. Monetary policies involved the actions done by the Federal Reserve Bank to control money supply for purposing of managing inflation and necessarily GDP growth. Thus Poole believes that such monetary policy likely had something to do with the timing of slower GDP growth. He emphasized that the timing of slower GDP growth was the inevitable result of falling margin of underutilized resources. He admits however of other factors that is causing the slowdown starting in second quarter of 2006 which he felt as independent of monetary policy. One was the sharp increase energy prices, which showed improvement in the middle of 2006 while the other was considerable weakness in housing markets, which Poole believed may just now be giving off very tentative signal of the need to stop as has reached the bottom . In relation to the use of monetary policy to the US economy, Poole suggested three remarkable facts that deserve attention. He identified the first by saying that the real GDP growth, though sluggish in prior years has become robust starting in 2003, which may now have contributed a present low unemployment rate of 4. 6 percent. Another is that fact long-term inflation expectations were hardly shifted, while the third is the fact of quarterly average yield on 10-year nominal Treasury securities that was actually slightly lower than it was in mid 2002. Thus Poole is justifying that, â€Å"the economy has performed well despite a near tripling of crude oil prices since December 2001. He also pointed about the issue of present energy price increase. The first one is of course attributing, the increase in price â€Å"a consequence of a booming world economy, which raised energy demand rather than a supply shock; while the second one is attributing to monetary policies in the US and in most other countries have their jobs well of securing inflation expectations. † Despite a decline in growth in 2006 as compared to 2005, Poole found still further proof to the latest data on stable performance of the US economy. Poole, said, â€Å"†¦Particularly noteworthy was the larger-than-expected increase in real GDP during the fourth quarter of 2006. Following relatively anaemic rates of growth in the second and third quarters of 2006, growth of real GDP during the fourth quarter picked up nicely, rising to a 3. 5 percent annual rate. † Will the decline in the some of the measurable variable prove a failure of the monetary policy of the company? Poole cited two other aspects of the GDP report which were less favourable than the overall report. First, there was recorded slight decline in the business fixed investment during the fourth quarter of 2006. He interpreted that that the decline was nothing more than normal variation, as may be perhaps a consequence on the part of firms that were waiting for release of the new Vista operating system from Microsoft. To support his position, he explained that over the four quarters of 2006, a 6. 8 percent in non-residential fixed investment rose was recorded and one could readily appreciate that a healthy and expected increase given that the economy has continued to absorb excess capacity. This he even believe on the positive figures forecast for the economy that will â€Å"perhaps produce better than expected results. He however warned that â€Å"the extension of the fourth quarter weakness in business capital outlays going forward certainly would be a cause for concern. † The second noticeable aspect of the GDP report that was the nearly twenty percent rate of decline in residential fixed investment. He narrated that the decline began in the second quarter and was followed by a greater decline in each of the subsequent quarter. Thus he explained that as a normal result, the sharp decline in private housing starts and sales must have cause a significant pull on real GDP growth in 2006. Thus the second half of 2006, showed the contribution to real GDP growth from real residential fixed investment to have averaged about negative percentage points. This would prompt then the explanation for the slowing down in 2006 on why monetary policy was not applied to address the problem. Poole, explained that the Year 2006 was a hard situation for homebuilders as compared to 2005. He explained that following a record-setting rate of 1. 7 million units that have started in 2005, he noted that single-family started to fall to 1. 5 million units in 2006. He explained that the this average showed a comparatively large number of starts during the first half of the year which was followed by a much lower level of starts during the second half of 2006. This he noted December 2006- single-family starts which were approximately 16. 5 percent below annual average. In comparison, Poole cited the consensus of the Blue Chip forecasters made in December 2005 that real residential fixed investment would decrease by only about 1. 4 percent in 2006, using annual average data, but the actual the decline was about 4 ¼ percent. The rate fourth quarter as of 2006 is therefore obviously steeper, than the fourth quarter of 2005 to the fourth quarter of 2006. It may thus be observed that the slowing down of growth starting in the second quarter of 2006 may be attributed to the continued fall on sale of housing although presently there are already signs of recovery. But since the third quarter of 2007 has even exceeded even the average of growth rate prior to slight decline in second quarter of 2006, it may be argued that the problem of housing has eased out already. It may be concluded that the American government has been successful in running its Economy over the last three years in terms of GDP and controlled level of inflation and the lower interest rate. The main macro economic policies used by the American government over the last three years include mainly the use of its monetary policies through the Federal Reserve Bank of the US by raising interest rate a little in order to control inflation. Since it was able to do its part in controlling prices via inflationary measures the US Government through the Federal Reserve has done well it function of managing the economy.

Mobile Money Transfer

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Mobile money transfer Mobile money transfer, also referred to as mobile money, mobile  payment, and mobile wallet generally refer to payment services operated under  financial regulations and performed from or via a  mobile device. Instead of paying with cash, cheque, or credit cards, a consumer can use a mobile phone to pay for a wide range of services and digital or hard goods. Although the concept of using non-coin-based currency systems has a long history,  it is only recently that the technology to support such systems has become widely available.Similarly, Julia s. cheney defined mobile financial services from her paper examination of mobile banking and mobile payments as follows â€Å"Mobile financial services is a term applied to a range of financial activities conducted using mobile devices, such as cellular phones or personal digital assistants. These activities fall into two broad categories: mobile banking and mobile payments. Mobile banking allows bank customers to check balances, monitor transactions, obtain other account information, transfer funds, locate branches or ATMs, and, sometimes, pay bills. In the United States, depository institutions' mobile banking platforms rely on one or a combination of the following three strategies: SMS text messaging, browser-based programs, or downloadable mobile-banking applications. The term mobile payments refers to payment transactions initiated or confirmed using a person's mobile cellular phone or personal digital assistant. These may be such things as making a purchase at the point of sale, sending money to a person or a business, or purchasing a product or service remotely. Mobile payments generally fall into two categories. Those made at the point of sale are called â€Å"proximity payments† and are typically initiated using NFC technology. Mobile â€Å"remote payments,† on the other hand, are not transmitted by NFC but rather require payments to be initiated and settled through the mobile cellular phone network in combination with an associated payment network. These payments may involve person-to-person, person-to-business, or business-to-business payments and rely on SMS text messaging, wireless Internet technology, or a downloaded application in order to execute the payment.Mobile payment is being adopted all over the world in different ways (wirelessintelligence.com) (erricson.com 2011). In 2008, the combined market for all types of mobile payments was projected to reach more than $600B globally by 2013 (juniper research 2013),  which would be double the figure as of February, 2011 (bonsoni.com 2011). The mobile payment market for goods and services, excluding contactless  near field communication  or NFC transactions and money transfers, is expected to exceed $300B globally by 2013 (juniper research 2013). In  developing countries  mobile payment solutions have been deployed as a means of extending financial services to the community known as the â€Å"unbanked† or â€Å"under banked,† which is estimated to be as much as 50% of the world's adult population, according to Financial Access' 2009 Report â€Å"Half the World is Unbanked† (financialAccess.org 2009). These payment networks are often used for  micropayments.  The use of mobile payments in developing countries has attracted public and private funding by organizations such as the  Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,  United States Agency for International Development  and  Mercy Corps.Mobile financial services cover a â€Å"broad range of financial activities that Consumers engage in or access using their mobile phones† (Boyd and Jacob, 2007:6). They can be classified into three separate categories: mobile banking (m?banking), Mobile money transfer (m?money transfer), and mobile payments (m?payments) (GSMA, 2008a). M?banking is subsumed under the larger category of electronic banking.Electronic banking (e?banking) refers to â€Å"the provision of retail and small value banking products and services through electronic channels. These include deposit taking, lending, account management, the provision of financial advice, electronic bill payment and the provision of other electronic payment products and services such as electronic money† (Basel 1998:3). As a form of e?banking, m?banking is defined as:†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦financial services delivered via mobile networks and performed on a mobile phone. These services may or may not be defined as banking services by the regulator, depending on the legislation of the country in question, as well as on which services are offered.† (Bà ¥ngens and Sà ¶derberg 2008: 7).Porteous (2006) further explains that mobile banking can either be additive or transformational. For the former type, m?banking is considered an additional channel for existing clients to access banking services; in the transformational category, however, it targets clients who do not have bank accounts, aiming to include them into the formal banking system. (Bà ¥ngens and Sà ¶derberg 2008). Money, on the other hand, is a form of electronic money. Electronic money refers to â€Å"stored value or prepaid payment mechanisms for executing payments via point of sale terminals, direct transfers between two devices, or over the computer networks, such as the Internet. Stored value products include hardware or card based mechanisms (electronic purses or wallets), and software or network based cash (also called digital cash)† (Basel, 1998:3?4). M? money then refers to â€Å"services that connect consumers financially through mobile phones. Mobile money allows for any mobile phone subscriber – whether banked or unbanked – to deposit value into their mobile account, send value via a simple handset to another mobile subscriber, and allow the recipient to turn that value back into cash easily and cheaply† (GSMA, 2009:7). In this way, m?money can be used for both transfers and payments. In fact, m?money is generally used in m?payments and m?money transfers rather than for m?banking. As such, m?money does not earn interest compared to bank deposits. This ensures that all e?cash (of which m?money is one) dispensed and circulating corresponds to actual funds in the system. This helps the central banks track movements in money supply1 (Mapa, 2009). With this, m?money cannot be used for savings and cannot be lent by m?money service providers (Sec 5.C and D of Circular 649) (BSP 2009). However, whether these funds should not earn interest has been questioned by some, especially when the funds that are pooled to back?up the issued e?money can be deposited in a prudentially regulated institution or invested in â€Å"lower?risk† securities (Tarazi, 2009).Thus far, the use of m?money has primarily been transactional, such as payment of bills (including payment conversion of m?money to electronic loads), transfer of funds. In microfinance, for instance, the system has largely been utilized to transfer and pay loans.Mobile banking models:Lyman et.al. (2006) makes two distinctions of branchless banking: bank led Non?bank commercial actors. This was further expanded by Goswami & Raghavendran (2009) by breaking down mobile banking variants into 5 models based on how they partner up with telecommunication providers: (1) carriers going solo, (2) banks going solo, (3) exclusive bank and telecom partnership, (4) bank telecom open partnership, and (5) open federation model. These variations indicate that there is much innovation occurring with respect to delivering m?banking/m?money services. Although innovation is important, at some point, standardization would be needed to support interoperability that would enhance services among customers (GSMA, 2008a). In fact, of the five models mentioned, the open federation model is considered by Goswami & Raghavendran (2009) as the most flexible and dynamic since it allows for a partnership between all banks and telecom companies while sharing a common platform for m? banking. The platform then expands the coverage of mobile banking and gives the unbanked a freedom to choose with whom to maintain an account. The other implication of the variety of existing models is that it creates different regulatory arrangements depending on the nature of partnerships between telecommunication carriers and financial institutions. In the case of SMART Money in the Philippines, for instance, the banking regulations have complied with by its banking partner, whereas the telecommunications aspect is addressed by the telecommunications provider. A regulatory distinction however occurs once there is e?money issuance by a telecommunication company or non?bank entity through the telecommunications operator (Lyman, et al. 2006), as was the case with Globe Telecom's G?Cash. In both cases, they had to work with financial regulators on banking regulations it was not previously concerned with. Mobile phone payments is a popular and most preferable way of sending and receiving money in Africa since the vast majority of the continents' population are ruler dwellers or uneducated (Ayo, Ukpere, Oni, Ometo, & Akinsiko, 2012; Mangudla, 2012). The concept of mobile money transfer dates back to the history of telecommunication and banking industries. There are collaborations between the two industries for the facilitation of MMT service (Ayo et.al, 2012). M-PESA was the first MMT service in Africa, which was introduced by Safaricom of Kenya (A Vodafone partner) in 2007. M-PESA (M refers to mobile, and PESA refers money in Swahili language) can be accessed from the different outlets such as the headquarter, main branches of the company, or an authorized business outlet. Safaricom registered over 20, 000 consumers for M-PESA within the first month of introducing the service (Hughes & Lonie, 2007), and the number reached more than 15 million users of MMT in Kenya after five years of launching (Michaels, 2011). He contends that there are several factors behind the wide adoption and acceptance of this service by the users including rapid migration to cities for work, a significant unbanked number of the populace, the credibility of the service provider, and finally their commitment towards families in home villages. Therefore, as asserted by Hughes & Lonie, (2007), the M-PESA is primarily designed for the unbanked populace in Kenya. The MMT also was later introduced in several African countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Somalia among others. The success of these services in South Africa and Ghana were less than the Kenya's M-PESA success (Tobbin, 2010). MMT IN SOMALIA:MMT service in Somalia was first introduced by GOLIS , HORMUD and TELESOM telecommunication companies working with puntland, south central Somalia and Somaliland respectively. SAHAL and ZAAD money transfer was the first product; however, EVC, the hormud version of MMT, was banned by al-Shabab Group. The hormud company later introduced a more advanced service named EVC Plus. Other telecommunication service providers later offered similar products with different brands. For example, Nation link offer E-MAAL and somtel offers E-DAHAB services respectively. The lack of effective government in Somalia affected the necessities of the life and the telecommunication industry filled the governmental gap by introducing revolutionary technologies (Osman, 2012). The industry provides several services such landline, mobile phones, internet and mobile banking. The mobile banking or what we can refer to mobile money transfer is very popular in the most sophisticated and active people in Africa with regard to mobile phone payment (Osman, 2012).Many diverse factors contribute to the adoption and acceptance of these MMT services in Somalia. One major reason is that the banking systems in the country are very limited. In addition, there is much risk for caring cash since the country is still politically unstable and recovering from more than two decades of chaos and civil war (Mohamed, 2013). There are huge remittances sent by the Somali Diaspora back home to their families, friends, relatives, or business associates. There is also huge migration to the major cities because of economic crisis, famine, droughts, and job seeking. All these factors can contribute to the acceptance and usage of MMT service by the Somalis as they were behind its usage in other countries especially in Africa. There are limited empirical studies on the state of art of MMT adoption in the country. Sayid, Echchabi, and Abd. Aziz (2012) examined the mobile money acceptance in Somalia by drawing on the TAM model. Sayid et.al's (2012) study suggested that perceived usefulness and security positively affected the attitude towards mobile banking, whereas social influence and perceived usefulness significantly and positively influenced the intention to accept mobile money. Furthermore, their study suggested that perceived ease of use had positive effect on perceived usefulness of mobile money. Sayid et.al's (2012) sample size was very small (N=100) which is difficult to draw a statistical conclusion from it. In addition, this study looked at the MMT in a broader scope. However, their study provided useful insights about the factors influencing the acceptance and adoption of MMT in the country.The current study will examine the trends, challenge and future of mobile money transfer and banking in puntland. The study will focus sahal service as particular as there is no such in depth analysis in this service before. This service has 597,000 sahal service active subscribers which do mobile money services across puntland, similarly it has 86,000 active mobile payment subscribers which use sahal payment as their first choice paybills.The study will focus on these customers, the regulation and the mobile network operators to study the trends, challenges and future of this service.