Time and time again he practices his moves until

He kneels down, trying to lay low to avoid detection.   He has stalked his prey all day.   He has studied â€Å"the kill† from every conceivable angle.   He replayed every scenario in his mind.Time and time again he practices his moves until he is sure that there are no mistakes.   There can be no letting go of this one.   This is the big one that will make everything else seem so insignificant.This will be the last hunt.   It is as if his eyes are glued to this target.   Nothing will deny him this.   It is his birthright.   It is his destiny.   He approaches his prey confidently as his prey stares at him unaware of what will happen next.   As the first words are spoken, he knows that the game is afoot.   The mark has been engaged and the â€Å"con† shall now begin to unfold.It was a very simple transaction.   Legitimate on its face and humanitarian in character.   The young man’s life had taken on the most unfortunate of all turns.   In a span of one month, he had lost everything to the financial crisis.Formerly a successful trader on wall street, one error had cost him his entire life savings and even now threatened to ruin the futures of his daughters, whose pictures he was not slow to show.   â€Å"They are honor students in high school but I don’t know if I can afford to send them to college†, he claims.   The mark looks at him with compassion, reflecting a hint of suspicion.â€Å"Kind sir, I understand your wary nature and I would like to say that I do not appeal to your generosity but as an honest and working man who has fallen on hard times, I would just like to beseech you for an opportunity for me to redeem my pride and rebuild my spirit,† the con man begins his speech and he knows it is only a few more moments before the job is done.â€Å"If you would indulge me for a moment of your time to enlighten you about my situation for you see, I was not like this.   In fact, I liv ed among the haves and looked down on the have nots.   As luck would have it, however, I have fallen on hard times and seek only a way to redeem myself in my eyes so that I may have the courage to face my family when I return home to tell them of my tragic failure.†It is the perfect pitch.   Not an appeal to generosity but rather an appeal to the pride of all men; the need to be able to bravely face his troubles.   It strikes a chord in everyone’s heart, for who could ever deny a little help to a person who wants nothing more than a chance to regain his pride.   There has been no mention of money except that which has been lost by the con man.   Neither will there be a mention of money until the con man is convinced that he has secured his mark.â€Å"Dear sir,† he continues, â€Å"thank you indeed for this time and as you have given me the chance to walk with my head up high again, allow me to repay your act of kindness with a generous gesture.   I w as a trusted banker for a very wealthy family and as such, I am privy to many of their transactions.   If you are interested, I can invest your money in a few of their business that are already making so much money.The returns are not extraordinary but certainly better than normal bank rates.   I only offer this to you because you have been so kind.   Here is my card, please give me a call.   Have a nice day.†Game, set and match.   All he has to do is just sit and wait.   There is no cause for what he does.   It is simply just about the money.   For those who fall prey to the scam, the only cause is the money.   There is nothing more to it.   There are no deeper existential philosophies and moralities to wrestle with just the thought of having more cold hard cash or having none at all.Every con has an angle.   Every con plays on the emotions of people.   Logic never betrays its owner.   Every decision a person regrets in life can be traced back to a s ingle strand of emotion that clouded solid judgment.   This is something that every con man understands.   This is something that every con man counts on.   The cause is simply just money, for after all, a con is about the dollars and sense!

The Measurement of Student Engagement

While there is limited research on engagement in adult literacy contexts across researchers, the literature shows a vast number of researchers have studied student engagement. The definitions and descriptions of student engagement are broad and range from engagement as ‘participation' in school as a social system (Finn, 1989; Newmann, 1981; Newmann, Wehlage, & Lamborn, 1992), to the concept that engagement is a cognitive function used during certain academic tasks (Corno & Mandinach, 1983; Helme & Clark, 2001; Pintrich & De Groot, 1990). More recently, student engagement has been built around the optimistic goal of developing students' abilities to ‘learn how to learn' or to become lifelong learners in a knowledge-based society (Gilbert, 2007, p. 1). Therefore, it is clear there is no ‘one' universal agreement among researchers as to what a definition of student engagement might be. Researchers have instead explained different forms of engagement and how they work for different students under different conditions (Kuh, 2009).For example, Kuh (2009) defines student engagement as â€Å"the time and effort students devote to activities that are empirically linked to desired outcomes of college and what institutions do to induce students to participate in these activities† (p. 683). Coates (2007) describes engagement as a â€Å"broad construct intended to encompass salient academic as well as certain non-academic aspects of the student experience† (p. 22), comprising: Active and collaborative learning; participation in challenging academic activities; formative communication with academic staff; involvement in enriching educational experiences; and feeling legitimated and supported by university learning communities. Hu and Kuh (2001) define engagement as â€Å"the quality of effort students themselves devote to educationally purposeful activities that contribute directly to desired outcomes† (p. 3). Comparably, Harper and Quaye, (2008) suggest engagement is more than involvement or participation and requires feelings, sense-making, and activity — as acting without feeling engaged is merely involvement or ‘compliance' and feeling engaged without acting is ‘dissociation'. Glanville and Wildhagen (2007) acknowledge there is a debate over the recognition of engagement being a single or multi-dimensional concept state. These authors conclude that â€Å"engagement should be measured as a multidimensional concept† (p. 1019) that is divided into behavioural and psychological segments. In recognising this ‘multi-dimensional' concept, Fredricks et al. (2004) drawing on Bloom (1956), identify three dimensions of student engagement that can be synthesised to gain a deeper and more meaningful grasp on student engagement: Cognitive, emotional, and behavioural.In looking at these categories, in turn, cognitive engagement includes two components; psychological and cognitive. The psychological component emphasises students' investment in learning, motivation to learn and self-regulated learning as it relates to thoughtfulness and a willingness to put in the effort to comprehend complex ideas and to master difficult skills (Blumenfeld, Kempler, & Krajcik, 2006). The cognitive component involves self-regulated learning, meta-cognition, application of learning strategies, and being strategic in thinking and studying. Cognitively engaged students invest in their learning, seek to go beyond the requirements and enjoy being challenged (Fredricks et al., 2004). In the adult literacy context, examples of cognitive engagement might include: The effort in understanding course material; completing assignments; critically analysing information; applying concepts to real-world examples; and deepening insights through research and interaction (Harper & Quaye, 2008). Emotional engagement comprises students' attitudes, interests, and values – mostly in relation to positive or negative interactions with faculty, staff, students, academics, or the institution. Students who engage emotionally experience affective reactions such as interest, excitement and enjoyment, or a sense of belonging (Fredricks et al., 2004). Emotional engagement also refers to a student's reactions to others, connections with the school community, and how students feel about their educational experience (O'Donnell, Reeve, ; Smith, 2011).Behavioural engagement involves complying with behavioural norms such as attendance, involvement and participation, student behaviours related to concentration, attention, persistence, effort, asking questions, and contributing to class discussions (Fredricks et al., 2004; Hattie ; Anderman, 2013). These students are typically not disruptive, nor do they demonstrate negative behaviour (Fredricks et al., 2004). In adult literacy, examples of behavioural engagement may include respecting others, listening to instructors and peers, engaging in discussions, and participating in group work or teams (Harper ; Quaye, 2008).Fredricks et al., (2004) explain that each of these three dimensions can have a ‘positive' and a ‘negative' pole, each one representing a form of engagement – with the two extremities separated by a space of non-engagement, demonstrated by withdrawal, or apathy. This means that students can engage either positively or negatively along one or more of the dimensions or engage positively or negatively along one or more dimension while not engaging along another or ‘others' (Fredricks et al., 2004).

Irony of Kingship in Edward Ii

Irony of kingship One way to discuss the â€Å"irony of kingship† in Christopher Marlowe’s play Edward II is to focus on the ways in which Edward himself falls short of Renaissance ideals of a good king. Edward, in other words, has inherited the title of monarch, but he often fails to live up to the responsibilities of ruling a monarchy. His personal affection for Gaveston is so great that he often neglects his duties to his other subjects. This kind of neglect is already implied in Gaveston’s opening speech.In that speech, Gaveston begins by reading two sentences from a personal letter he has received from Edward: My father is deceas'd. Come, Gaveston, And share the kingdom with thy dearest friend. No sooner does Edward’s father die, and no sooner does Edward thereby become king, than he is already focusing, ironically, on his own personal desires. The idea that a monarch could â€Å"share† the kingdom with a friend (no matter how â€Å"dear†) would have struck many of Marlowe’s contemporaries as foolish and irresponsible.Gaveston’s reaction – in which he delights in the prospects of being â€Å"the favourite of a king† – already suggests the potentially ironic outcome of Edward’s plan: he hopes to benefit himself by giving too much power to a man who ironically seems primarily interested in his own â€Å"bliss† and â€Å"delight. † Instead of feeling summoned to England as a responsible statesman, Gaveston correctly sees an â€Å"amorous† intention in Edward’s words.Many Elizabethans would have thought that the king now had a responsibility to put his personal affections aside (especially since he was already married) and act in the best interests of the nation. Instead, Edward’s motives seem, ironically, the opposite of those of a king who should be truly devoted to his people. Clearly, Gaveston has no great desire to go to England and encou rage Edward to be a selfless ruler.Instead, Gaveston next mentions his desire to be held in the king’s â€Å"arms. † Speaking of Edward, Gaveston refers to â€Å"The king, upon whose bosom let me lie,† even if doing so means that he will â€Å"be still at enmity† with â€Å"the world† (that is, with others in the kingdom). Gaveston’s desires, like those of Edward, are mainly personal. The crucial difference is that Gaveston is not the king. Edward is, and his subsequent behavior will seem ironic in light of his very important social role.Gaveston assumes that once he has become the personal favorite of the monarch, he will not have to show respect to other important people in the realm: Farewell base stooping to the lordly peers! My knee shall bow to none but to the king. Given the nature of the relationship between Gaveston and Edward, the last line just quoted would have struck many Elizabethans as especially ironic and even shocking. The play’s opening speech already implies that little good can come to the kingdom from the kind of relationship the ambitious â€Å"favourite† desires.Keeping aside the facts of the king’s typical waywardness and unnatural love towards his favourite, we can analyse the issue of kingship from a totally different dimension. He has never been a good king, but if we judge Edward as a human being then definitely we have to say that he is an over emotional, honest, and good hearted person who lacked the political shrudeness and cunning to handle the power-hungry barons who were ready to take the advantage of the immaturity of the young king and desired to snatch his power and money.If Edward would have given a little more time , perhaps he could have prove himself a better king , but Younger Mortimer did not allow such chances and slaughtered the king secretively to suit his purposes. Now the question arises that if a man is not cunning, shrude and tricky is that a vice or virtue? Can we really blame Edward just because he could not conform to the so called notion of being a perfect king? All these questions are very ironical and makes the very issue of kingship all the more complex which keep open multi-dimensional possibilities to interpret the topic as well as the play itself.

Television Programming Violence that Causes Real Violence Essay

Television Programming Violence that Causes Real Violence - Essay Example For over thirty years this has been an issue. There have been several advocacy groups that have attested to the fact that children will emulate that which they see. They have presented many examples, such as: children believing that they were Superman and threw themselves from roofs, thinking that they could fly; other children using their father ´s gun believing they were playing and killing other children; and, other children modeling the behaviors they watch on television and becoming aggressive, thinking that that is the way to have solved a problem, thus violence causes higher crime rates. Today the topic is still fresh. The heated discussion relating to both the youth violence and media has continued to grow. It is still a debatable issue of whether or not television influences the behaviors of the viewers or not. In the media bloc, the public impugns the television networks, which in turn chastise the writers and producers, who sequentially hold the advertisers accountable, who in the end turn to blame the public. In the violence bloc, the federal government holds the youth responsible for their own actions, who charge the commune, which censures the schools, which points the finger at the parents, and who ultimately blame the government (Caldwell, 1995). This is a vicious circle and no one wants to take the blame for it, yet we see violence increasing every day and the advocate groups continue defending their point that television influences the viewers ´ lifestyles. These viewers may learn positive models, such as through programs like Sesame Street, Electric Com pany, Zoom, 321 Contact, and REBOP. These were programs that taught children how to read and write, how to learn about different cultures, and how to become interested in science. These shows obtained awards for excellence and influenced the youngsters positively. If these shows demonstrated that they were able to influence youngsters around the  world (they have been dubbed into many languages), then why should we think violent programs do not influence the youngsters in a negative way as well?  

Southwest Airlines Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Southwest Airlines - Case Study Example In 1992, 10% of stocks of the company were owned by employees. It encourages union membership with management having good relationship with the labor union, thereby avoiding any loss of mandays through strike or lockups. The organizational culture of company thrives on excellent teamwork that promotes collective decision making and shared learning. Being part of profit sharing encourages concept of ‘big family’ significantly forges personal bond with the company that reflects in their committed work and improved productive outcome. Continuous improvement and innovation in customer service is the hallmark of the airlines. The employees and staff are empowered to make decisions regarding the welfare of the customer on and off the flight. The company’s strategy was to increase the number of customer service agents so that the passengers could get improved personal service and emotional support and security at the time of crisis. Grant (2007) says that analysis and identification of the changing preferences of the customer are important ingredients to gain leverage against their rivals (Grant, 2007). Southwest has been focused in its customer service and makes continuous efforts to update its products line with that of the changing public requirements. Company’s stock ticker symbol is fittingly chosen as ‘LUV’! Indeed, the company has been innovative in its new plans and features to meet the challenges of time. While the management follows stringent regulations and strict time schedules, it has, at the same time, empowered its workforce to make decisions based on informed choices. Southwest prefers destination to destination flights which is preferred by customers and therefore is more popular. Its low cost strategy has been successful because of its exemplary customer service, security features and specialized short haul flights. The high

Northern Irelands Unionist Paramilitaries Essay

Northern Irelands Unionist Paramilitaries - Essay Example There are many books and other material that have discussed these topics at length and with great competence. The unionist point of view has been and still is the preservation of the status quo, that is, Northern Ireland within the political framework of the United Kingdom. The status quo not only preserves their built-in advantage as the majority in Northern Ireland, it also protects them from becoming the minority in a united Ireland. The status quo, they believe, is their only guarantee that they can keep exercising their right to their own identity, traditions, religion and culture. Loyalists are all these and more. Where nationalist paramilitaries are willing to use force to change the status quo, loyalist paramilitaries are willing to use force to preserve the status quo. This is their objective and rationale in the use of both force and the threat of force. Loyalist paramilitaries (such as the UDA, UVF and LVF) who usually choose civilian targets, use terror against the Catholic community to prevent it from attempting to change the status quo. ... Their choice is also influenced by the ease with which they can access their targets, and by their own extreme sectarianism. Nationalist paramilitaries on the other hand tend to pick their targets from the ranks of the police and military, in keeping with their stance against the state and for protection of the people against state abuse. 2 Paramilitary groups, both loyalist and republican seemed quite successful in launching their military operations, if we are to judge by the number of dead and injured. Almost 3,600 died in Northern Ireland from 1969 to December 1997, and out of that number 87% were victims of paramilitary groups. If the same proportion were to be applied to a country like Britain, it would have around 170,000 casualties or half a million in a country like the US.3 Loyal and Armed 3 "Between 1968 and 1998, loyalist paramilitaries killed an estimated 864 civilians (most of them Catholic), compared with an estimated 728 civilians (most of them Protestant) killed by the IRA. Experts say loyalist groups have often acted out of religious hatred, while the IRA has more often targeted British security officers- killing more than 1,000 of them-in an effort to further its political goal of ejecting the British from Northern Ireland." 4 But did these acts of violence and terror help unionist paramilitaries in achieving their objective of maintaining a Northern Ireland status quo The Anglo-Irish Agreement The Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed by Northern Ireland's House of Representatives and Senate in 1999. It provides for the implementation of human rights laws in Northern Ireland, including recognition of equal status and rights for all minorities,

Case Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Analysis Report - Essay Example Additionally they were given the rights to explore and exploit two gas properties. However, the company required funds to develop and exploit the sites. Thus, it went into an agreement with Macquarie Bank which agreed to finance them with US $45million, with an interest of 15% p.a and 50% equity stake. After the agreement, the reserves were extensive and profitable, so the East Cameroon Company was able to repay the loan quickly. The case study is one that the Macquarie bank is not willing to finance the company, two, and it still owns a 50% stake in the East Cameroon Company. The East Cameroon Company, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Campbell Evans established that the company could not move on since they had little control of the company. The bank now had 50% stake. Meaning the original founders could no longer control the business as before. Evans is, therefore, looking for alternative funding options. At first he is more interested in getting the financial support to continue with the exploration (Cunningham, 2002). The most financial proposals he has received are from banks and require equity component. Evans and the other shareholders are not ready to give out more equity to banks. Evans would like to return the company’s shares as before so that they can control the company. Evans was approached by Bemo Securitisation (BSEC) financier who offered an interesting financial solution. The solution is the use of Sukuk bond. This is an Islamic finance that would allow East Cameroon to reverse Macquarie’s equity stake. Additionally, it would replace it with a high yielding bond-like channel. However, Evans was not certain of how the Sukuk bond works. He therefore, decided to research before making any decision. The Sukuk structure was more complex that what he had thought. One, It consisted of securitizing hydrocarbon