Mortgage Fraud in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Mortgage Fraud in the UK - Essay Example While past research has focused on the personal motivating factors behind the commission of a white-collar crime, this particular article review several facets of the crime itself and explores the possible neighborhood risk factors that help attract the crime. From a national perspective, mortgage fraud seems to take place more frequently in neighborhoods that have low socioeconomic indicators. These links become even more distinct when the amount of fraud occurrences within the community is factored in as a variable. Upon disaggregating the data according to the region, the fraud indicator variables also display differing trend levels, perhaps indicating that as mortgage fraud practices begin to mature within an area, its community dynamics are likely to modify as well.  In conclusion, mortgage fraud is on the increase in the United Kingdom and good measures need to be put in place to curb the crime. A delay in proactive and preventive measures in regard to mortgage fraud will gre atly affect the economy and that the revenue collected by the government will reduce drastically. Mortgages have a long history spanning from the 12th century but have been in common use in the UK housing sector since 1925. The word mortgage is said to derive from the French for a ‘dead pledge’ meaning â€Å"the one in which the borrower has to find ways to repay the loan† (Giles 2009). According to Giles (2009), the process of securing a mortgage can be defined as â€Å"Alien on a piece of land or property as security for a debt†. During late 2008 and early 2009, the downturn in the UK economy had a drastic impact on the once strong housing sector with house prices slumping and mortgage approval decisions declining (House Price Crash 2009). A leading factor as to why lenders run into financial trouble was lending to applicants who had provided falsified information (BBC News 2009).  

Poverty in Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Poverty in Africa - Essay Example This has led not only to the formation but also to strengthening of G8 from time to time. The fabric of G8 is engulfing in its fold ever more areas of security, trade, development and other human concerns including environment and sustainable growth and advancement perspectives. The 'collapse' of the Brettonwoods system in 1971, formation of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries in 1967, Yom Kippur War of 1973 the 1973 Oil Crisis, economic recession and stagflation in 1970s are the major factors leading to emergence of G8 (Tinbergen, 1977. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis ). Their concern for poverty also has apparent reasons. Among developing and underdeveloped nations, Africa alone has about 170 million people living in subhuman circumstances with almost nothing but garbage to eat daily. This is, indeed, a vast potential of human resource going waste while living under severe conditions. Future of the world, to a great extent, lies in proper prospective development of these widespread pockets of poverty and squalor. G8, as such, has evolved from a 'Library Group' to G8 today. Since 1975, the heads of state or government of the major industrial democracies have been meeting annually to deal with the major economic and political issues facing their domestic societies and the international community as a whole. The six countries at the first summit, held at Rambouillet, France, in November 1975, were France, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan and Italy (sometimes referred to as the G6). They were joined by Canada at the San Juan Summit of 1976 in Puerto Rico, and by the European Community at the London Summit of 1977. From then on, membership in the Group of Seven, or G7, was fixed, although 15 developing countries' leaders met with the G7 leaders on the eve of the 1989 Paris Summit, and the USSR and then Russia participated G8: Poverty in Africa in a post-summit dialogue with the G7 since 1991. Starting with the 1994 Naples Summit, the G7 met with Russia at each summit (referred to as the P8 or Political Eight). The Denver Summit of the Eight was a milestone, marking full Russian participation in all but financial and certain economic discussions; and the 1998 Birmingham Summit saw full Russian participation, giving birth to the Group of Eight, or G8 (although the G7 continued to function along side the formal summits). At the Kananaskis Summit in Canada in 2002, it was announced that Russia would host the G8 Summit in 2006, thus completing its process of becoming a full member (http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/what_is_g8.html see also http://www.g8online.org/ , http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/ ). G8 and Millennium Summit Goals G8, at the latest Gleneagles Summit, has covered several areas of contemporary challenges to international community. One of the major concerns has been the question of poverty in

Literary Criticism on The Star by H.G. Wells Research Paper - 1

Literary Criticism on The Star by H.G. Wells - Research Paper Example   Both of them along with Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback has been referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". They have always been at the forefront of scientific thinking, they challenged the traditional and conservative views of many people who rejected the advanced and innovative research ideas and stubbornly followed old, outdated conceptions of the universe, the origin of man and the so-called â€Å"higher divine power.† In this work, we will make an attempt to reflect the points of view of both writers to the power of human thought, the role of science in the modern world, as well as the growing conflict between traditional religious beliefs and progressive scientific views. The objects of this essay are the novels â€Å"The Star† by H.G. Wells and â€Å"The Star† by Arthur C. Clarke. â€Å"The Star† by H.G. Wells is an apocalyptic short story written in 1897. It tells us that one day all mankind of the Earth was notified about the penetration of a new star into the solar system. Having disturbed the normal orbit of the planet Neptune, the star quickly approaches the Earth. At first, this fact concerns only astronomers, other people all around the world continue their everyday life not paying much attention to the unknown star. A famous master mathematician publishes his calculations according to which â€Å"the star would either hit Earth or pass by at close proximity, which would lead to apocalyptic ecological consequences† (Wells). The terrible prognoses come true and soon the whole planet is overwhelmed with earthquakes, ice-melting, floods, tsunamis causing â€Å"the devastation across the world. Most of the human population perishes, and its works remain unusable, cities, cathedrals, farms, etc. and when it seems that nothing can save the humanity the killing star suddenly slightly changes its orbit about the Earth to a more distant one† (Wells).

Perspectives in Human Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Perspectives in Human - Research Paper Example I must say, I didn’t understand many principles that my family stood for, but I always tried to reason them out with a positive presumption. I was brought up amongst these ideals, and I was on my way to becoming a helf-decent Paxton myself. But things have changed a lot since my first semester in College. Growing up in the Paxton family, the first thing I was taught was to sing the glory of god and his creations. Not a day passed without my mother reading out a verse from the Bible before I went to bed. Sometimes, these verses would manifest themselves into biblical dreams. The holidays brought the entire family together and it would be a refresher course of all the family ideals. The eldest son always joined the forces. Serving the nation was a family mandate. But in a family full of ex-service men, the true heroes were the war veterans. Like Uncle Avi, who served during Vietnam. I was always convinced that My Brother Franklin would also join the marines and also doubted if h e’d ever return. The very concept of patriotism was now muddled with the hatred I had brewed towards wars and conflicts. The Paxtons also have strong preferences. We never employed Mexicans in our gardens, which meant ours’ was the dullest garden in the neighborhood. ... My family is the dearest thing to me. And I have always aspired to be the ideal Paxton. I am almost certain that for it is the most important thing to me. However, experiences that I have had this semester have completely shaken the very foundations of what I believed. This semester I learned many things. Not all of them were in line with what I always grew up learning. It can be very mind-boggling at times, when your very constitution is challenged by something new. It is like trusting someone all your life and learning one fine day, that the person was a lie. Honestly, I’d have preferred to be in that hypothetical situation than the predicament that I was in a few weeks ago. Mainly because it was my prerogative to understand, accept the latest developments and embrace change. And I have always found change to be the most uncomfortable thing. I guess the seeds were sown deep by my family. One of the things that I learnt this semester was that every human being is born with a set of rights that are inalienable. This means that we are born with some rights which cannot be taken away by anybody. Our Bill of Rights only lists these rights out. It was strange for me to believe that we always had these rights with us. Like an inherent part of our body. I always thought that people spoke, behaved and lived the way their parents did. So if I ever met a person who condemned our Country, I would think badly about his parents or family and wonder why they never disciplined him. Similarly, if someone was a homosexual, I’d wonder why his parents never sent him to the doctor. Now I have become aware that our families, societies and countries are not the reason why we choose to behave or express

Same Sex Marriage in California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Same Sex Marriage in California - Essay Example Hence, the people wanted to pass this measure as a constitutional amendment to restore the definition of a recognized marriage in California as between a man and a woman. When the advocates of Proposition 8 presented their measure to the California Secretary of State in 2007 for permission to circulate, the ballot title that was given to it was the "California Marriage Protection Act". Prior to the passage of the Proposition 8, same-sex marriage was a constitutionally-protected right in California. The California Supreme Court Justices affirmed this understanding of the constitution in May 2008. Charlene Gomes (2005) argued that since that there is an increasing number of committed same-sex couples in the United States, there is a need for legal recognition of these relationships in order to foster the emotional and economic well-being of these families. Marvin Allison (2007) argued from a progressive religious perspective, which emphasizes justice at the heart of marriage, sexuality and family. He stated that justice means seeking abundant life for all. He then states that justice requires careful examination of social practices and institution that foster or forbid human flourishing. Furthermore, he stated that justice demands that we empower disenfranchised persons so they may lead their own life projects. A just society is one that allows people to fulfill their individual desires such as the capacity to enjoy various sexual partnerships. Several states such as Vermont, New York City, and foreign jurisdictions have passed laws allowing same-sex couples. These places cov er the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Sweden, Portugal, Greenland and the Basque region of Spain. The case of Vermont is particularly interesting since same-sex marriage had been promoted judicially by that state. It was on July 1, 2000, when the law allowing civil unions went into effect in Vermont. Civil Unions extend to gay and lesbian couples "all the same benefits, protections and responsibilities under law, whether they derive from statute, administrative or court rule, policy, common law or any other source of civil law, as are granted to spouses in a marriage" (15 V.S.A. [section] 1204(a)).Opponents of the same-sex marriage argue that it goes against the well-being of society. Glen Lavy of the Arizona legal defense group, Alliance Defense Fund stated that he opposes same-sex marriage since it fosters the well-being of children and society. He was pleased with the New York Court when it issued the statement that the government had a key interest in advancing heterosexual marriage as the social institution that best forges a linkage between sex, procreation and child reari ng. Social science researchers have come up with studies that reinforce stability of a heterosexual marriage as providing a positive environment for children to grow up and become responsible adults.Same-sex marriage goes against Christian tradition that has seen sexual love as a gift from God and a good in its own right. However, it also recognizes the dangers of undisciplined desire and its strong destructive potential.Several independent church groups have campaigned for the passage of Proposition 8. The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America headed by evangelical minister Rick Warren supported the passage of Prop. 8. The National Organization for Marriage and Focus on the Family campaigned and helped

Ethnics studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ethnics studies - Essay Example To start with, smoke signals does not have an elaborate theme as it keeps on shifting from the niche of poverty to richness or urban to rural as the acting environment. In addition, it has not provided adequate illustration of the characters because one can see victor and his friend engaged in much of Indian type of culture while their parents are of English origin. The only bold part of this movie is the racial theme aspect. This is more pronounced from the beginning of the movie when Victor’s speaks like an Indian in persuasion for a lift. It is also clear on ethnic disparity between the Indians and English speakers. Such incidents have also featured in the Mclintock movie when Mr. Douglas saves an Indian racial leader from an assassination attempt after been mistaken to have kidnapped one of the girls who later turned out to have been lost on her way back home. Moreover, the two films above indicate racial ethnicity dated as far as 1950s, but none has a clear chronological analysis of specific duration in which it existed. This makes it very difficult for the audience to draw appropriate analysis and may be mistaken that it was meant to brainwash members of the society (Alexie 4:00). In the Mclintock movie, Americans have also demonstrated the theme of ethnicity against Indian immigrants without proper arguments supporting the racial disparity between these two communities. For instance, in Mclintock movie, we have only been showed the grounds of assassination of the Indian leader on the counts of ethnicity with no proper backings. This kind of theme is also cultivated in the smoke signals where Indians are treated as poor, weak and heavy drinkers who do not even form part of their culture (Alexie 2:00). Both movies demonstrate the themes of violence that has no foundation throughout the whole play. At the initial stages of the smoke signals, Victor’s parents are engaged in violence that may be assumed to be domestic in nature. In addition, Victor and his

Perspectives in Human Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Perspectives in Human - Research Paper Example I must say, I didn’t understand many principles that my family stood for, but I always tried to reason them out with a positive presumption. I was brought up amongst these ideals, and I was on my way to becoming a helf-decent Paxton myself. But things have changed a lot since my first semester in College. Growing up in the Paxton family, the first thing I was taught was to sing the glory of god and his creations. Not a day passed without my mother reading out a verse from the Bible before I went to bed. Sometimes, these verses would manifest themselves into biblical dreams. The holidays brought the entire family together and it would be a refresher course of all the family ideals. The eldest son always joined the forces. Serving the nation was a family mandate. But in a family full of ex-service men, the true heroes were the war veterans. Like Uncle Avi, who served during Vietnam. I was always convinced that My Brother Franklin would also join the marines and also doubted if h e’d ever return. The very concept of patriotism was now muddled with the hatred I had brewed towards wars and conflicts. The Paxtons also have strong preferences. We never employed Mexicans in our gardens, which meant ours’ was the dullest garden in the neighborhood. ... My family is the dearest thing to me. And I have always aspired to be the ideal Paxton. I am almost certain that for it is the most important thing to me. However, experiences that I have had this semester have completely shaken the very foundations of what I believed. This semester I learned many things. Not all of them were in line with what I always grew up learning. It can be very mind-boggling at times, when your very constitution is challenged by something new. It is like trusting someone all your life and learning one fine day, that the person was a lie. Honestly, I’d have preferred to be in that hypothetical situation than the predicament that I was in a few weeks ago. Mainly because it was my prerogative to understand, accept the latest developments and embrace change. And I have always found change to be the most uncomfortable thing. I guess the seeds were sown deep by my family. One of the things that I learnt this semester was that every human being is born with a set of rights that are inalienable. This means that we are born with some rights which cannot be taken away by anybody. Our Bill of Rights only lists these rights out. It was strange for me to believe that we always had these rights with us. Like an inherent part of our body. I always thought that people spoke, behaved and lived the way their parents did. So if I ever met a person who condemned our Country, I would think badly about his parents or family and wonder why they never disciplined him. Similarly, if someone was a homosexual, I’d wonder why his parents never sent him to the doctor. Now I have become aware that our families, societies and countries are not the reason why we choose to behave or express