American Experience in Huck Finn Essays

American Experience in Huck Finn Essays American Experience in Huck Finn Essay American Experience in Huck Finn Essay Essay Topic: Mark Twain The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn â€Å"All modern American Literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.. † claimed Ernest Hemingway, a American author and journalist. This quote represents the idea and perception of Huckleberry Finn as a defining moment in American Literature, a time when a new culture was being formed west of the Atlantic that had many different subjects and characteristics than that of the literature in Europe. What makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn so original and such a representation of America is that whatever Huckleberry Finn, the character, is about or can be defined by, is what America was all about. Through this complex character, Mark Twain was able to create a new American experience and show the reader all about it. The main characteristics of the American experience that Mark Twain represented through this character included a social commentary on the southern culture and its response to slavery and its general antebellum culture, the nature that defines America and how America defines its nature and the freedom from it, and the new anti-materialistic hero. The opening of the book deals with the most serious issue depicted; the idea of slavery and the response of the southerners to its injustices. The majority of the American experience of slavery and its response are shown through the relationship between the main protagonist, Huck and his friend Jim. When Jim first approaches Huck to tell him that he has run away from his master Huck replies, â€Å"People would call me a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum- but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t agoing to tell.. † (1379). In a time when it was illegal to aide slaves in their escape, Huck was just beginning to start his moral dilemma of his loyalties to the law, and his friendship with Jim. This brings about a side note on the American experience of slavery that is not as developed as the response to slavery in Huck and that is: how does a person act and feel in a society in which they have friends that can become slaves. In many Abolitionist books and essays at the time, the reader was directed to feel for the slave as a man, as a brother. They used emotions to show the hardships of the slaves and play upon the guilt of the white American to end slavery. In Huckleberry Finn, Twain asked the reader to determine how they would act on slavery when they saw their friends under servitude. This was a large issue because it brings out personal alliances with cultural alliances of the south. However, the main American experience Twain is trying to develop on slavery is not the personal relationship and whether or not slavery was a terrible issue, it was the southerners response to slavery. This is exemplified by two separate cases. The first is with slavery and Jim, and the second is with Huck’s abusive and drunken father who would â€Å"lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard† (1359). Both of these issues were just symbols of the southern distorted culture of the time. A culture that could enslave a man, calls themselves good Christian men, and then falls asleep drunk. What is peculiar about this novel is not necessarily Twain’s feelings regarding the morality of this culture. It is fairly obvious that he disapproves of such and shows that it is a morally defunct society, but rather what makes this novel truly representative of the American experience is showing how even someone who is not morally corrupted acts upon it. Huck, who is shown through his helping of Jim and his friendship with Jim, clearly understands the injustice of slavery and the immoral acts his father does. What does he do about it though? Does he seek to transform this southern society through work or a mini-revolution? No, he just simply moves along. This is the central irony of the book, and thus represented of one of the ironies of the American experience in the 19th century. Huck Finn chooses to leave intact this society that is clearly in need of change, and just simply leaves the place behind. It shows that he is against slavery and the ideals of the south and thus won’t live in it, but he also won’t change it. This was one of the most prominent experiences of America in the 19th century. Many whites disagreed with slavery, but if it did not affect their lives, as they were not necessarily the culprit or the victim, they just went on living their lives. The most common feature of this novel is movement. While this was crucial in developing the irony that was the southern response to slavery, it is also important in itself. In this novel, the main characters are always going somewhere, leaving a place in which they didn’t like or had a bad experience, and moving on to the next. This sense of freedom from nature was feature that is distinctly American. In the novel, the river was a entral metaphor as it brought them food, their raft, but also gave them a means of transportation. The American experience of traveling for the sake of traveling and expanding yourself in nature is shown from their experiences with movement in the river. Huck Finn was a character who is always in motion, always free. This was seen by the fact that he did start out the trip trying to pr ovide freedom for Jim up the river, but when they passed Cairo he did not stop. In fact, the new route would take them to New Orleans, a slave-trading capital of the south at the time (Johnson). The freedom that nature provided Huck was seen by his depiction of the nights on the raft as â€Å"It’s lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars.. † (1423). This freedom brings a release from the world of land, the towns where people were entrapped in a cycle of guns, alcohol, and racism. He does not see in moral meaning in nature like the transcendentalists of the time, rather it was an escape of the modern world, a place to have pleasant feelings. This freedom is an American experience. In just a purely physical sense, America has the opportunities for freedom. Vast lands, ample rivers, defined seasons all allow the American to seek freedom from society. This is something that was not seen in Europe as you were subjected to just your own country’s land through language, cultural, and physical barriers. This idea of jumping on a raft and finding your freedom, both spiritually as in the case of Huck and physically in the case of Jim, is something that represents a true American experience. This myth of the open frontier continued in writing for decades to come, a myth that would allow the individual American to escape the rapidly growing urban centers that were developing an uneducated middle-class. The last particularly American subject is the hero of the novel himself, Huck. Huck is envisioned as this romantic anti-society anti-inheritance hero. In coming-to-age novels of the time, many were determined to show the process the character mature, moving past their youthful selves and into a role of social acceptance of culture. Huck represents a new American subject, on who speaks as he wishes, and does as he wants. Because of his traveling lifestyle, Huck does not concern himself with inheritance or money for any matter. What mattered most for Huck in the story was the materials that made the journey possible. He was not concerned with his social class, his need for a life with a wife, kids, and money. This metaphor represents the American Anti-materialistic culture that was forming, and thus Twain depicted it as such in his story. The sense of anti-conformity culture was the subject, a view that was depicted primarily by Huck. To combat the idea that Huck was just a child, and this is how he was supposed to act, Twain introduces two characters. The Duke and Dauphin, con-artists who swindle people out of their money by performing productions represent the free nature, the anti-materialistic culture that Huck represents. While these two do act in order to obtain money, the goal of the money is not to obtain a higher social order, but to carry on in life. It supplies their thirst for fun. This was seen when after a heist, the Duke asks to count the money so that they can â€Å"take and give it to the girls† (1451). This shows that they went about their plan yes for the money, but the money was not an object that they desired; it is what it can be immediately used for that defines it. This was against the European experience of inheritance and the desire to better oneself in a Victorian fashion, and represented an American subject. Huck finds out throughout the story and the encounters with the people in the towns, how to live in order to escape the social conformity, thus creating his own identity. This idea of putting your obligations to you self-creation and fun, and not to the creation of a self that is defined by community or cultural standards was an effective approach to an American subject. In an extended metaphor, Huck Finn and his friends and acquaintances represent an American subject. Their reactions to slavery represent the blind eye and unwillingness to put about change in the southern culture of slavery and racism, a subject that would arguably represent the south to this day. At the same time, the river which took them away from their culture as opposed to fighting it, also represents the freedom of America, a subject Twain makes sure he repeats throughout the novel. Lastly, the characters themselves represent a new age of anti-materialism, a staunch contrast to the European idea of self-betterment for the sake of culture and standing. In all, these metaphors all show a new American subject. Cited: Twain, Mark. â€Å" The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. † The Harper Single Volume American Literature. Ed. McQuade et al. New York: Longman. 1999. 1355-1522 Walter Johnson, Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999, p. 2 and 6.

Nueva interpretación de las leyes de deportación en USA

Nueva interpretacià ³n de las leyes de deportacià ³n en USA Si usted o una persona querida est en riesgo de ser deportada puede que esta situacià ³n le cause gran inquietud e, incluso, dolor.   En este artà ­culo usted puede informarse de quià ©nes pueden ser deportados y tambià ©n de cules son los à ºltimos cambios de interpretacià ³n de las leyes   de deportacià ³n, cules son las protecciones para los migrantes, cules estn previstas pero todavà ­a no se aplican y cà ³mo luchar una deportacià ³n y, si finalmente tiene lugar, cules son las consecuencias.   Quà © inmigrantes pueden ser deportados La realidad es que puede ser deportada de los Estados Unidos cualquier persona extranjera que est como indocumentada o que es condenada por ciertos delitos o ha cometido ciertas violaciones migratorias.   Esto quiere decir que en determinadas circunstancias muy concretas incluso los residentes permanentes legales pueden ser deportados. Nueva interpretacià ³n de las leyes de deportacià ³n Despuà ©s de varios aà ±os consecutivos con nà ºmeros muy altos de migrantes deportados, el gobierno dio por cerrado el programa conocido como Comunidades Seguras y ha comenzado a aplicar un sistema de prioridades de deportacià ³n.   Esto hay que entenderlo de la siguiente manera: cualquier persona indocumentada o que cometa una violacià ³n migratoria o un delito que lleva aparejada una deportacià ³n puede ser deportada, pero no todos son prioridad.   Y el gobierno se va a centrar principalmente en esos casos que sà ­ lo son. Adems, se han aprobado una serie de medidas legales que protegen frente a la deportacià ³n a ciertas categorà ­as de indocumentados. Protecciones frente a la deportacià ³n   Destacan tres: En primer lugar, el programa de la Accià ³n Diferida, conocido por sus iniciales en inglà ©s como DACA. Beneficia a muchachos que llegaron a Estados Unidos siendo nià ±os y cumplen otros requisitos de estudios, rà ©cords, etc.   En segundo lugar, el programa de Parole in Place (PIP, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) para indocumentados que son familiares de ciudadanos que sirven en el Ejà ©rcito. Y, finalmente, la igualdad migratoria que se concede a los matrimonios entre dos hombres o dos mujeres   como  la que se da a los de un hombre con una mujer. Esto es asà ­ por una decisià ³n de la Corte Suprema relativa al reconocimiento del matrimonio homosexual. Protecciones pendientes y que no estn en vigor por el momento El gobierno tiene previstas las siguientes protecciones para migrantes indocumentados: DACA extendido, para alcanzar a ms muchachos que el programa que ahora est vigente.Y DAPA, para los paps y mams de ciudadanos americanos. Por el momento estos dos programas no se pueden aplicar y estn pendientes de una resolucià ³n de las Cortes. Mientras se decide a su favor o en su contra los derechos de los padres de los ciudadanos americanos son limitados. Cà ³mo luchar contra un proceso de deportacià ³n Cuando se inicia un trmite de deportacià ³n es importante saber que hay caminos para intentar lucharlo. Y en estos momentos es fundamental considerar contratar a un abogado. Ya que aunque pueden resultar caros, lo cierto es que las estadà ­sticas son muy claras y muestran una gran diferencia de resultados cuando un inmigrante se presenta con abogado que ha estudiado bien el caso y lucha por salvarlo a cuando el migrante se representa por sà ­ mismo.  En estos casos el gobierno nunca paga por el abogado.   Relacionado con este asunto, recordar que no presentarse ante una Corte de inmigracià ³n cuando se tiene una cita puede tener consecuencias muy negativas. Incluso es posible acabar con una orden de deportacià ³n sin saberlo.   Si no es posible acudir el dà ­a y la hora que dice en la carta de citacià ³n, considerar cambiar antes la fecha. Incluso es posible cambiar el estado, si el migrante se ha mudado. Es muy importante entender que la deportacià ³n es un asunto grave y lo mejor es estar informado antes de tomar decisiones que pueden tener consecuencias dolorosas. Consecuencias de la deportacià ³n Si un inmigrante es deportado, hay un castigo y por un tiempo tiene que esperar fuera de Estados Unidos antes de volver a aplicar para poder ingresar de nuevo al paà ­s, aunque en circunstancias muy especiales se puede pedir solicitar un perdà ³n. Adems, es conveniente tener en cuenta que es muy arriesgado ingresar ilegalmente a Estados Unidos, si se ha sido previamente deportado, porque eso es un delito (felony) y tiene consecuencias muy serias.   Quà © hacer En casos de posible deportacià ³n es importante conocer las posibles opciones y asesorarse con un abogado competente que forme parte de Aila, que es la asociacià ³n de abogados de inmigracià ³n de Estados Unidos. Es muy importante evitar fraudes y no caer en las mentiras de personas inescrupulosas que a cambio de dinero prometen resultados que, simplemente, no son posibles segà ºn las leyes actuales.   Por à ºltimo, si se considera que este artà ­culo contiene informacià ³n relevante, por favor, compartir en las redes sociales. Si se desea recibir ms informacià ³n sobre visas, green cards, ciudadanà ­a y dems temas migratorios en Estados Unidos, por favor suscribirse a mi cuenta de Twitter, FB o a la newsletter semanal.   Este artà ­culo es meramente informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso concreto.

The Relationship between MNEs & SMEs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Relationship between MNEs & SMEs - Essay Example Global dominance of the TRIAD and the MNE’s within it will be gone forever. 1. The relationship between MNE’s within the TRIAD and SME’s in low cost economies and characterise how TRIAD MNE’s have sustained their dominance within international markets. The relationship between MNE’s within TRIAD and SME’s in low cost economies has been particularly based on the intricate dynamics of global trade with the former dominating the business environment while the later simply working towards developing a niche in the vast international market (Royd et al, 2004, 94-96). Therefore, MNE’s have been significant in developing global supply chains and other complex networks in low cost economies which saw the rise of SME’s in those countries. As a result, the connection between MNE’s within TRIAD and SME’s in low cost economies is diverse in the sense that the aspect of market competition and economic rivalry has prevailed link ing the two in which MNE’s have been perceived as dominating the market in low cost economies at the expense of local SME’s. ... sing the link between MNE’s and SME’s, it is necessary to focus on the business environment in low cost economies prior to the entry of TRIAD MNE’s and how their activity spurred growth among local SME’S. There is a symbiotic relationship linking TRIAD based MNE’s and SME’s in low cost economics whereby MNE’s are perceived as potential partners on economic growth and expansion of trade linkages and thus welcomed and supported by the local SME’s through supply networks and other business cooperation mechanism(United Nations, Transnational Corporations and Management Division, 1993, 65-71). As a matter of fact, the relationship involving SME’s and MNE’s has been bolstered by governments and other trade agencies in low cost economies who have realized the huge potential of trade linkages involving the two. Therefore, low cost economies have laid several incentives in place for MNE’s to cooperate with SMEâ€℠¢s creating a dynamic liaison that is beneficial to trade. Attracting MNE’s particularly those with manufacturing plants has become the focus of most local economic development agencies that endeavour to promote an enabling environment for the respective MNE’s due to the many benefits associated with MNE activities in local businesses. Apart from the creation of job opportunities in low cost economies, MNE’s have been identified and credible agents in the development of strategic clusters in low cost economies that could spur economic development. More particular has been the fact that MNE’s can augment the development of SME’s in low cost economies through purchasing inputs and material components thus creating niche for local businesses. The connection involving MNE’s of TRIAD and SME’s of low cost economies are primarily based on

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What is churn? An overview

What is churn? An overview Churn is the phenomenon where a customer switches from one service to a competitors service (Tsai Chen, 2009:2). There are two main types of churn, namely voluntary churn and involuntary churn. Voluntary churn is when the customer initiated the service termination. Involuntary churn means the company suspended the customers service and this is usually because of non-payment or service abuse. Companies, in various industries, have recently started to realise that their client set is their most valuable asset. Retaining the existing clients is the best marketing strategy. Numerous studies have confirmed this by showing that it is more profitable to keep your existing clients satisfied than to constantly attract new clients (Van Den Poel Larivià ¨re, 2004:197; Coussement Van Den Poel, 2008:313). According to Van Den Poel and Larivià ¨re (2004:197) successful customer retention has more than just financial benefits: Successful customer retention programs free the organisation to focus on existing customers needs and the building of relationships. It lowers the need to find new customers with uncertain levels of risk. Long term customers tend to buy more and provide positive advertising through word-of-mouth. The company has better knowledge of long term customers and they are less expensive with lower uncertainty and risk. Customers with longer tenures are less likely to be influenced by competitive marketing strategies. Sales may decrease if customers churn, due to lost opportunities. These customers also need to be replaced, which can cost five to six times more than simply retaining the customer. 1.1.Growth in Fixed-line Markets According to Agrawal (2009) the high growth phase in the telecommunications market is over. In the future, wealth in the industry will be split between the companies. Revenues (of telecommunication companies) are declining around the world. Figure 2 shows Telkoms fixed-line customer base and customer growth rate for the previous seven years. The number of lines is used as an estimate for the number of fixed-line customers. Figure 2-Telkoms fixed-line annual customer base (Idea adopted from Ahn, Han Lee (2006:554)) With the lower customer growth worldwide, it is becoming vital to prevent customers from churning. 1.2.Preventing Customer Churn The two basic approaches to churn management are divided into untargeted and targeted approaches. Untargeted approaches rely on superior products and mass advertising to decrease churn (Neslin, Gupta, Kamakura, Lu Mason, 2004:3). Targeted approaches rely on identifying customers who are likely to churn and then customising a service plan or incentive to prevent it from happening. Targeted approaches can be further divided into proactive and reactive approaches. With a proactive approach the company identifies customers who are likely to churn at a future date. These customers are then targeted with incentives or special programs to attempt to retain them. In a reactive targeted approach the company waits until the customer cancels the account and then offers the customer an incentive (Neslin et al., 2004:4). A proactive targeted approach has the advantage of lower incentive costs (because the customer is not â€Å"bribed† at the last minute to stay with the company). It also prevents a culture where customers threaten to churn in order to negotiate a better deal with the company (Neslin et al., 2004:4). The proactive, targeted approach is dependent on a predictive statistical technique to predict churners with a high accuracy. Otherwise the companys funds may be wasted on unnecessary programs that incorrectly identified customers. 1.3.Main Churn Predictors According to Chu, Tsai and Ho (2007:704) the main contributors to churn in the telecommunications industry are; price, coverage, quality and customer service. Their contributions to churn can be seen from Figure 3. Figure 3 indicates that the primary reason for churn is price related (47% of the sample). The customer churns because a cheaper service or product is available, through no fault of the company. This means that a perfect retention strategy, based on customer satisfaction, can only prevent 53% of the churners (Chu et al., 2007:704). 1.4.Churn Management Framework Datta, Masand, Mani and Li (2001:486) proposed a five stage framework for customer churn management (Figure 4). The first stage is to identify suitable data for the modelling process. The quality of this data is extremely important. Poor data quality can cause large losses in money, time and opportunities (Olson, 2003:1). It is also important to determine if all the available historical data, or only the most recent data, is going to be used. The second stage consists of the data semantics problem. It has a direct link with the first stage. In order to complete the first stage successfully, a complete understanding of the data and the variables information are required. Data quality issues are linked to data semantics because it often influences data interpretation directly. It frequently leads to data misinterpretation (Dasu Johnson, 2003:100). Stage three handles feature selection. Cios, Pedrycz, Swiniarski and Kurgan (2007:207) define feature selection as â€Å"a process of finding a subset of features, from the original set of features forming patterns in a given data set†. It is important to select a sufficient number of diverse features for the modelling phase. Section 5.5.3 discusses some of the most important features found in the literature. Stage four is the predictive model development stage. There are many alternative methods available. Figure 5 shows the number of times a statistical technique was mentioned in the papers the author read. These methods are discussed in detail in Section 6. The final stage is the model validation process. The goal of this stage is to ensure that the model delivers accurate predictions. 5.5.1Stage one Identify data Usually a churn indicator flag must be derived in order to define churners. Currently, there exists no standard accepted definition for churn (Attaa, 2009). One of the popular definitions state that a customer is considered churned if the customer had no active products for three consecutive months (Attaa, 2009; Virgin Media, 2009; Orascom Telecom, 2008). Once a target variable is derived, the set of best features (variables) can be determined. 5.5.2Stage two Data semantics Data semantics is the process of understanding the context of the data. Certain variables are difficult to interpret and must be carefully studied. It is also important to use consistent data definitions in the database. Datta, et al. (2001) claims that this phase is extremely important. 5.5.3Stage three Feature selection Feature selection is another important stage. The variables selected here are used in the modelling stage. It consists of two phases. Firstly, an initial feature subset is determined. Secondly, the subset is evaluated based on a certain criterion. Ahn et al. (2006:554) describe four main types of determinants in churn. These determinants should be included in the initial feature subset. Customer dissatisfaction is the first determinant of churn mentioned. It is driven by network and call quality. Service failures have also been identified as â€Å"triggers† that accelerate churn. Customers who are unhappy can have an extended negative influence on a company. They can spread negative word-of-month and also appeal to third-party consumer affair bodies (Ahn et al., 2006:555). Cost of switching is the second main determinant. Customers maintain their relationships with a company based on one of two reasons: they â€Å"have to† stay (constraint) or they â€Å"want to† stay (loyalty). Companies can use loyalty programs or membership cards to encourage their customers to â€Å"want to† stay (Ahn et al., 2006:556). Service usage is the third main determinant. A customers service usage can broadly be described with minutes of use, frequency of use and total number of distinct numbers used. Service usage is one of the most popular predictors in churn models. It is still unclear if the correlation between churn and service usage is positive or negative (Ahn et al., 2006:556). The final main determinant is customer status. According to Ahn et al. (2006:556), customers seldom churn suddenly from a service provider. Customers are usually suspended for a while due to payment issues, or they decide not to use the service for a while, before they churn. Wei and Chiu (2002:105) use length of service and payment method as further possible predictors of churn. Customers with a longer service history are less likely to churn. Customers who authorise direct payment from their bank accounts are also expected to be less likely to churn. Qi, Zhang, Shu, Li and Ge (2004?:2) derived different growth rates and number of abnormal fluctuation variables to model churn. Customers with growing usage are less likely to churn and customers with a high abnormal fluctuation are more likely to churn. 5.5.4Stage four Model development It is clear from Figure 5 that decision tree models are the most frequently used models. The second most popular technique is logistic regression, followed closely by neural networks and survival analysis. The technique that featured in the least number of papers is discriminant analysis. Discriminant analysis is a multivariate technique that classifies observations into existing categories. A mathematical function is derived from a set of continuous variables that best discriminates among the set of categories (Meilgaard, Civille Carr, 1999:323). According to Cohen and Cohen (2002:485) discriminant analysis makes stronger modelling assumptions than logistic regression. These include that the predictor variables must be multivariate normally distributed and the within-group covariance matrix must be homogeneous. These assumptions are rarely met in practice. According to Harrell (2001:217) even if these assumptions are met, the results obtained from logistic regression are still as accurate as those obtained from discrimination analysis. Discriminant analysis will, therefore, not be considered. A neural network is a parallel data processing structure that possesses the ability to learn. The concept is roughly based on the human brain (Hadden, Tiwari, Roy Ruta, 2006:2). Most neural networks are based on the perceptron architecture where a weighted linear combination of inputs is sent through a nonlinear function. According to de Waal and du Toit (2006:1) neural networks have been known to offer accurate predictions with difficult interpretations. Understanding the drivers of churn is one of the main goals of churn modelling and, unfortunately, traditional neural networks provide limited understanding of the model. Yang and Chiu (2007:319) confirm this by stating that neural networks use an internal weight scheme that doesnt provide any insight into why the solution is valid. It is often called a black-box methodology and neural networks are, therefore, also not considered in this study. The statistical methodologies used in this study are decision trees, logistic regression and survival analysis. Decision tree modelling is discussed in Section 6.1, logistic regression in Sections 6.2 and 6.3 and survival analysis is discussed in Section 6.4. 5.5.5Stage five Validation of results Each modelling technique has its own, specific validation method. To compare the models, accuracy will be used. However, a high accuracy on the training and validation data sets does not automatically result in accurate predictions on the population dataset. It is important to take the impact of oversampling into account. Section 5.6 discusses oversampling and the adjustments that need to be made. 1.5.Adjustments for Target Level Imbalances From Telkoms data it is clear that churn is a rare event of great interest and great value (Gupta, Hanssens, Hardie, Kahn, Kumar, Lin Sriram, 2006:152). If the event is rare, using a sample with the same proportion of events and non-events as the population is not ideal. Assume a decision tree is developed from such a sample and the event rate (x%) is very low. A prediction model could obtain a high accuracy (1-x%) by simply assigning all the cases to the majority level (e.g. predict all customers are non-churners) (Wei Chiu, 2002:106). A sample with more balanced levels of the target is required. Basic sampling methods to decrease the level of class imbalances include under-sampling and over-sampling. Under-sampling eliminates some of the majority-class cases by randomly selecting a lower percentage of them for the sample. Over-sampling duplicates minority-class cases by including a randomly selected case more than once (Burez Van Den Poel, 2009:4630). Under-sampling has the drawback that potentially useful information is unused. Over-sampling has the drawback that it might lead to over-fitting because cases are duplicated. Studies have shown that over-sampling is ineffective at improving the recognition of the minority class (Drummond Holte, 2003:8). According to Chen, Liaw Breiman, (2004:2) under-sampling has an edge over over-sampling. However, if the probability of an event (target variable equals one) in the population differs from the probability of an event in the sample, it is necessary to make adjustments for the prior probabilities. Otherwise the probability of the event will be overestimated. This will lead to score graphs and statistics that are inaccurate or misleading (Georges, 2007:456). Therefore, decision-based statistics based on accuracy (or misclassification) misrepresent the model performance on the population. A model developed on this sample will identify more churners than there actually are (high false alarm rate). Without an adjustment for prior probabilities, the estimates for the event will be overestimated. According to Potts (2001:72) the accuracy can be adjusted with equation 1. It takes prior probabilities into account. With: : the population proportion of non-churners : the population proportion of churners : the sample proportion of non-churners : the sample proportion of churners : the number of true negatives (number of correctly predicted non- churners) : the number of true positives (number of correctly predicted churners) : the number of instances in the sample However, accuracy as a model efficiency measure trained on an under-sampled dataset is dependent on the threshold. This threshold is influenced by the class imbalance between the sample and the population (Burez Van Den Poel, 2009:4626).

Pastoral care :: essays research papers

African American Pastoral Care by Edward P. Wimberly is a supplement to the book written in 1979 on Pastoral Care in the Black Church. Pastoral Care by African Americans shows pastoral counselors how to care for African Americans through a narrative methodology. By linking personal stories and the pastor's stories to the heart language of the Bible stories, counselors can use God's unfolding drama to bring healing and reconciliation to human lives. Further, demonstrating that caring can be shown through story telling and is widely used by the black church. The stories relayed are basic methods used in the past by black clergy, seminary students and lay people. Using the methodology of storytelling can build and improve the care given by our black pastors. Black Pastors share stories how caring for their members rely on seven needed narratives gained from stories and metaphors. They motivate their members to action by: helping them to see themselves in a new light, help them recognize new resources, enable them to channel behavior in constructive ways, sustain them in crisis, bring healing and reconciliation in relationships, heal scars of memories, and provide guidance when direction is needed. The African American Pastor tell stories that help people gain a glimpse of hope in the midst of suffering. Metaphors have been used for centuries to link Christians to positive directions in life. God from the very beginning uses identifying through biblical stories to heal, provide wholeness, and liberation for the sake of others. God provides four major functions to act in our lives: to unfold, link, thicken, and twist to arrive at the final outcome of our purpose in life. In examining the Pastoral Care shared through God’s four major functions we begin to understand what is meant by unfold, God plans our lives one scene and one chapter at a time, and the purpose is not revealed until the complete story is complete. We then rely on Gods guidance to link the unfolding story to their lives. The scriptures help to relate the plot of the story to themselves. Black Pastors sharing their stories with members who see from the unfolding events and how they relate every day. Thickening refers to those events that intrude into God’s unfolding story and seek to change the direction of that story from all involved. Suffering sometimes stakes its claim on our lives and hinders our growth and development.

The Crucible-Theme- 5-Paragraph

â€Å"Even the Good can be Twisted† â€Å"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. † ( Dr. Seuss) â€Å"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. † (Psalm 23:4) â€Å"God has given you one face, and you make yourself another. † (William Shakespeare) These quotes, found throughout many different time periods of history, all say the same: â€Å"Be who you are and don’t let anything change that. † These are great words to live by, but, in time of weakness, does one stay true?Can even the good be twisted? This is a theme that is represented throughout The Crucible many times. Characters such as Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor, and Reverend Hale had good intentions or morals in the beginning but were soon marred by protecting a lover, temptation, or the questioning of all that one stood on. To begin, Elizabeth Proctor was twisted in a way tha t was out of love for her husband and his keeping safe. In the beginning, Elizabeth was a character that was known for never lying. She was a woman of Salem that could do no wrong and loved her husband abundantly.Soon, though, her incorruption was challenged when she was brought to court to prove her husband’s innocence. Instead of telling the truth, she lied about the affair that John had previously confessed about. Thinking what was best, detrimental to herself or not, Elizabeth broke the one thing that made her consistent. She chose hurting her own conscience and fate over seeing her husband be punished for a crime he actually committed. As a result of this, Elizabeth’s whole character was altered, changing from a purely good woman to a liar.Simultaneously, John Proctor’s character was distorted in many ways. Even before the play began, John had broken his own moral code by having an affair with Abigail Williams. This went against, not just the rules of the c hurch, but his own personal beliefs and everything he lived by. This caused John to have internal conflict throughout the entire play, making him guilt-ridden. This contention was only to him until he openly stated it in court to prove his wife’s innocence from witchcraft. It was a moot point though, because Elizabeth did the same thing for him, damning him to be ried for taking part in black magic. Only in the end did John Proctor feel any forgiveness towards himself. In his mind, he deserved the punishment he was going to endure and wasn’t going condemn anyone else in the process. All in all, John was a noble man but, warped by temptation, was made a man of slander. Furthermore, Reverend Hale was pushed to change also. Hale came into Salem a stranger, but knew how to fix the problem the town endured. He never questioned that God had a plan and always thought that something was either good or bad, with no gray area in between.This thinking is challenged when Elizabeth , a pure person, is accused and then later when John confesses. He knows that these people are honest and leaves the court for a period of time. In the end, Hale is a desperate man, and even though knowing there is no witchcraft present, he urges John to admit that he is not the one that should be punished. He has to question all the rules he has lived by his whole life and pursue something he knows is incorrect. In essence, Reverend Hale is pushed to his limits and is turned into a man that will be permanently in suspicion of any standards he ever thought were true.In the end, as a reader, one is challenged to think, if put in that situation, if he or she would falter from what is right. If one would, knowing that is against every precedent and moral one owns, be brought away from all that is good and change? This play shows this theme various times throughout that the good, like Elizabeth, John, and Hale, would be changed when brought up against acting out of love, lust, and doing what is right. The Crucible is continuously asking the reader, â€Å"Can even the good be twisted? †

Free Essays on My Generation

My Generation There is a wide range of differences that have occurred from generation to generation. Most of them are issues between my parent’s generation and my generation, â€Å"Generation T.† The generation of today has seen many advancements in technology from palm pilots to the world of virtual reality. Technology has even gone as far as creating a robotic dog that behaves just like a real dog. Technology is not the only area that makes our generation different from any other. Our generation has also seen many changes in the style of living such as marriage, dating and even the responsibilities we take on. Marriage in past generation such as my parent’s generation was seen as more of a sacred ritual than it is today. Many couples back then married at a very young age and have maintained healthy marriages throughout their lives. My parents decided to get married after I was born; my mom was sixteen and my dad was 17. They have been married now for 20 years and have enjoyed every minute of it. In today’s generation people are not marrying as young but the divorce rate is higher than ever. Many married couples today get married for the wrong reasons or they decide to bail rather than work their problems out. Another difference between my generation and my parent’s generation is the dating guidelines. In the past it was unheard of for a girl or boy to hangout at each other’s houses. Kids had to sneak around and lie to their parents about where they were going and with whom they were hanging out. Today some parents allow their sons or daughters to sleep over their boyfriend or girlfriend’s house. Half of the parents today don’t even know where their children are at half the time. Finally, the responsibilities of today’s generation has decreased tremendously. In my parent’s generation young adults had to pay for their own expenses, clothing, and cars. Some young adults had to take care of their younger... Free Essays on My Generation Free Essays on My Generation My Generation My generation, Generation Y, people born between the mid 1980's to the mid 1990's, is a very different group of people compared to previous generations. My generation is a very corrupt and rebellious group that does not comply with previous generations’ social standards. Compared to previous generations, the people of my generation are looked at as rebels and punks. We are an independent, undisciplined, and inconsiderate group. People in my generation have totally lost the meaning of a relationship. There are many relationships that are disrupted due to a person cheating. Cheating is extremely common in my generation today. People my age usually do not care to be in a long term relationship, but to get with as many girls, or guys, as possible. I think that some are hesitant to start relationships due to the fact that they know they will not remain within the barriers of the relationship. Another factor to our failed relationships is unprotected sex. Many relationships are cut short due to a child being involved. People have premarital unprotected sex which results in broken relationships because a child is now involved. The boyfriend, either afraid or not wanting the responsibility of taking care of his child, leaves the girlfriend. This is a huge reason why so many premarital relationships fail. My generation is very reluctant to commitment, which is why the marriage rate has significantly dropped and the divorce rate has skyrocketed. In previous generations it was not as common to get a divorce. Today it seems as if every time you turn your head someone is getting a divorce. Some couples that have premarital sex and get pregnant get married for the child, but soon get divorced. This reason alone has affected the divorce rate greatly. Today, almost 50% of marriages result in a divorce. This number is huge compared to less than 10% from the 1940's to the 1960's and 20 % from the 1970's to late 1980's earl... Free Essays on My Generation My Generation There is a wide range of differences that have occurred from generation to generation. Most of them are issues between my parent’s generation and my generation, â€Å"Generation T.† The generation of today has seen many advancements in technology from palm pilots to the world of virtual reality. Technology has even gone as far as creating a robotic dog that behaves just like a real dog. Technology is not the only area that makes our generation different from any other. Our generation has also seen many changes in the style of living such as marriage, dating and even the responsibilities we take on. Marriage in past generation such as my parent’s generation was seen as more of a sacred ritual than it is today. Many couples back then married at a very young age and have maintained healthy marriages throughout their lives. My parents decided to get married after I was born; my mom was sixteen and my dad was 17. They have been married now for 20 years and have enjoyed every minute of it. In today’s generation people are not marrying as young but the divorce rate is higher than ever. Many married couples today get married for the wrong reasons or they decide to bail rather than work their problems out. Another difference between my generation and my parent’s generation is the dating guidelines. In the past it was unheard of for a girl or boy to hangout at each other’s houses. Kids had to sneak around and lie to their parents about where they were going and with whom they were hanging out. Today some parents allow their sons or daughters to sleep over their boyfriend or girlfriend’s house. Half of the parents today don’t even know where their children are at half the time. Finally, the responsibilities of today’s generation has decreased tremendously. In my parent’s generation young adults had to pay for their own expenses, clothing, and cars. Some young adults had to take care of their younger...

Using Question Words That Begin With Wh in English

Using Question Words That Begin With Wh in English There are a number of ways you can ask a question in English, but the most common way is to use a word that begins with the letter combination wh-. There are nine wh-  question words, which are also called  interrogatives. One of them, how, is spelled differently, but it functions the same way and is thus considered a wh- question: What (What  do you want for dinner?)Who (Who  do you think will win the election?)Whom (I want to know to  whom  I should address this letter.)Whose (Whose  sock is this?)Which (Which  of these shirts should I buy?)When (When  does the concert begin?)Where (Where  should we visit in Spain?)Why (Why  is the sky blue?)How (How  do we get there from here?) By using one of these words to ask a question, the speaker is inferring that he or she expects a reply that is more detailed than a simple  yes or no  can satisfy. They imply that the subject has a range of options from which to choose or possess specific knowledge of a subject. Using Wh-  Question Words Wh-  question words are pretty easy to identify because they nearly always are found at the beginning of a sentence. This is called  subject/verb inversion  (or subject-auxiliary inversion), because the subjects of these sentences follow the verbs, rather than precede them. For instance: What did you do at the mall? (Subject is you)Where should we go on vacation? (Subject is we) As with much of English grammar, there are exceptions to this rule, such as when the  subject  is itself a  wh- word, as in these examples: When is not important; we need to decide where to go first.Who left the door open?What is that doing here? Another exception applies youre asking a question about the  object of a preposition  in a declarative sentence: To whom is that package addressed?For whom is the subject matter of this film appropriate? This kind of formal language, while grammatically correct, is not used often in informal conversation. But its quite common for  academic writing. Special Cases If your question is urgent or you want to follow up your first query to get more information, you can use the auxiliary verb do to add emphasis. For example, consider this dialogue: Where did you go on vacation? (verb phrase: did go)We went to Mexico City.What did you do there?   (verb phrase: did do)We visited our friends who live there. You must also use do if youre using a wh-  question in the negative, including instances where the wh-word functions as the subject: Who doesnt love freebies?Why I didnt buy this shirt earlier is beyond me. Finally, remember that you can also use wh-  words to ask a question by placing them at the end of a sentence, rather than at the beginning, where theyre usually found: Youll be visiting Spain until when?Todays date is what?Your wedding is being held where? Sources BBC World Service staff. Learning English: Wh- Questions. BBC.co.uk.Carter, Ronald; McCarthy, Michael; Mark, Geraldine; and OKeeffe, Anne. Wh-  Questions: From  English Grammar Today. Dictionary.Cambridge.org.

Company law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Company law - Essay Example The loan by WRFL to SPFL and the guaranteeing of SPFL’s bank loan by WRFL raises the issue of director’s duties to creditors and shareholders. Had SPFL not been experiencing some financial difficulties, there would have been no duties to consider. Creditors typically have no status jointly or severally with respect to companies that are solvent.4 However, when a company is suffering difficulties or is insolvent the position is quite different. Moreover, while creditors will not be able to sue a solvent company for mismanagement, directors do have a duty to safeguard the interests of creditors. As Lord Templeman stated in Winkworth v Edward Baron Development Co. Ltd: A duty is owed by directors to the company and to the creditors of the company to ensure that the affairs of the company are properly administered and that its property is not dissipated or exploited for the benefit of the directors themselves to the prejudice of the creditors.5 In addition to owing a duty to creditors to safeguard against the mismanagement of the company’s property and assets, Section 172 (3) of the Companies Act 2006 carries the duty to creditors a bit further. This further duty is found in the duty to promote the success of the company for its members6 which is subject to the any law that requires directors â€Å"in certain circumstances to consider or act in the interests of creditors of the company†.7 Even so, the duty toward creditors is not such that directors are required to act in the best interest of creditors but merely to ensure that action taken would not leave creditors more disadvantaged than they would be upon liquidation.8 The overall duty of directors to act in the best interests of the company and its members generally includes the duty to act in the best interests of its shareholders.9 The duty to shareholders and creditors as described so far

Hypercholesterolemia in the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Essay

Hypercholesterolemia in the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease - Essay Example In the developed world, it is one of the leading causes of death both in men and women. Around 94,000 deaths each year in the UK are attributed to this condition and the prevalence of this condition is about 2.6 million. The most common symptom associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) is angina and about 2 million people are affected with it each year. With age the prevalence and severity of CHD would only increase (NHS 2009). The two most notable conditions that are associated with CHD are angina and myocardial infarction. Myocardial infarction arises when coronary arteries are completely blocked and angina arises when the coronary arteries are partially blocked. Some of the common symptoms that are associated with CHD include breathlessness, chest pain, palpitations, a feeling of heaviness or tightness over the chest, sweating, confusions, anxiety, light-headedness, breathlessness, and dyspnea. Some of the common complications that can arise with the progression of CHD include heart attack, angina, heart failure, and arrhythmia (Mayo Clinic 2012). The main pathophysiology associated with CHD is the build-up of plaque in the coronary artery. As the plaque builds up, the lumen of the vessel becomes narrower, and so does the heart receive reduced supply of blood, resulting in the development of several symptoms of CHD including chest pain, breathlessness, and light-headedness. ... Following the process of atherosclerosis, there may be breakage or rupture of the plaques resulting in deposition of platelets at the site of repair. This platelet clump may block the lumen resulting in partial or complete arterial blockage causing angina or myocardial infarction (Mayo Clinic 2012). Figure 2: Complications of CHD In the UK, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia is high. About 1 in every 500 individuals is affected with familial hypercholesterolemia (an autosomal dominant condition characterised by high levels of Low Density lipoproteins (LDL) in the blood resulting in the development of atherosclerosis at a very rapid rate). Further the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia due to sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercises and diet has resulted in very high prevalence of CHD in the population. About 10 to 15% of the 110,000 population that have familial hypercholesterolemia are unaware of their condition, due to which they may be at a very high risk to suffer from angina o r myocardial infarction (Wadwa 2007). Almost every patient with coronary artery disease has a minimum of one modifiable cardiovascular risk factor, and that most of the risk factors remain insufficiently controlled even after patients are diagnosed for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). â€Å"Hypercholesterolemia is a condition characterized by very high levels of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is produced in the body and obtained from foods that come from animals (particularly egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products). The body needs this substance to build cell membranes, make certain hormones, and produce compounds that aid in fat