Proposal- Civil Engineering

Proposal To: Dr. Rod Zink From: Shivani Priyam SUBJECT: Recommendation Report â€Å"Topic† Revised Draft: Wednesday April 17, 2013 The purpose of this proposal is to summarize my recommendation report. Through this proposal, I will explain my theoretical situation in which I make a recommendation to the Assotech Limited’s Planning and Coordination team as to which type of master plan is best suited for their upcoming project. Through the course of this proposal I will explain Assotech Limited’s position in the Real Estate market in India.I will also compare two master plans since that will be critical in making a strong informative recommendation to the organization. Finally, at the end of my proposal I will outline my tentative schedule and breakdown the costs that I expect to incur while putting together my recommendation report. Introduction As Civil Engineer I have been hired by Assotech Limited to select the best master plan for a land area of 12. 062 acres, which comprises of  High Rise Towers of 2 BHK, 3BHK, 3 BHK + Servant room + Study & 4 BHK + Servant room + Study apartments as per the market requirements catering to buyers of all segments of the society.Some inventory of villas has also been introduced to take the advantage of huge demand for this. I have been hired to help the company choose between 2 possible master plans for the development. I will compare the two alternatives and recommend the best possible alternative for the company and the future residents. The company wants a master plan that takes into account the climatic conditions, sun and wind movement and incorporates these factors in our designs.I have to suggest the best alternative that will be the most efficient, the most cost effective option and also the most reliable over time for the homeowners and also maximize the use of natural elements in our buildings. Description of Case study The site is strategically located at Sector 99; in the upcoming New Gurgao n Area (India), which is in close proximity to the newly built Terminal-3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, . The topography of the site is majorly flat with minor level differences.The client needs a master plan that will build Low rise development on the Southern side and high raise development on the Northern side for maximum utilization of natural resources. Gurgaon falls in the Composite Climatic Zone of India having all types of climatic characteristics from hot & dry, warm, humid as well as cold conditions. A climatic data glance over the past two decades show that hottest months are from May till June and the coldest months are from December till January, normal Annual Rainfall being 553mm. The Average Annual Wind Direction is North West to South East.The winds in this zone on an average are light but gain force in summers and monsoons. The site is located south East to the master plan. The wind direction being North West to South East will bring purified cool breeze i nto the site. Human comfort is a function of four primary variables; air temperature, air movement, humidity, and the mean radiant temperature of interior surfaces. Natural ventilation is an energy efficient way to increase human comfort because air movement increases heat transfer from the surface when cooler outside air replaces warm and humid indoor air.Natural ventilation, unlike fan-forced ventilation, uses the natural forces of wind and buoyancy to deliver fresh air into buildings. To maximize Natural Ventilation in buildings we need: * Set Building orientation to receive prevailing breezes * Cooling of breezes by vegetative shading * Introduction of water bodies along the wind path to control temperature. * Architectural devices such as wind chimneys, atria, courtyards, windows, and operable blinds to induce natural air flow. The Two Plans:The two types of master plans that Assotech limited are taking under consideration incorporates all the major factors such as the climatol ogy, wind, solar path and solar gain but vary in terms of the amount of energy and cost it can save which is where my job begins. The first plan is called the Option 1 and the second plan is called Option 2. Before a decision on the two plans can be made, Environment clearance certificate needs to be obtained and the two plans needs to be tested upon three major factors: 1.Strategically Oriented buildings to maintain apartment temperatures through wind and sunlight. 2. Natural ventilation, unlike fan –forced ventilation, should use the natural forces of wind and buoyancy to deliver fresh air into buildings. 3. Should use temperature friendly materials for optimal apartment insulation. Comparative study of the two plans: The comparative study here shows the total energy and cost savings fro the two options. It presents a very drastic contrast between the two options with regards to AC cooling, Heating systems and Day lighting in the areas.This table highlights the energy savin gs with respect to the three main factors and also clearly states which option is the most efficient one. Take example of one bedroom of 150 -170 Sq. ft. Average running of 175 days in a year | Option1| Option2| A C (summers)| | | Connected load| 1. 5 tr| 1. 5 tr| operational load| 1. 3 tr| 1. 5 tr| total energy saving/ day| 2. 0 KW| NIL| Heating (winters)| | | Connected load| 2. 0 KW| 2. 0 KW| operational load| 1. 7 KW| 2. 0 KW| total energy saving/ day| 7. 0 KW| NIL| Day lighting| | | Connected load| 100 W| 100W| operational load| 65 W| 65 W| otal energy saving/ day| 70 W| NIL| Saving due to option 1 = 6581. 625 INR or 121. 47  US Dollar| In AC cooling systems, it shows a difference of 0. 2 tr. between the two options regarding operational load. It also shows the total energy savings if we go with Option1- Master Plan Green. In heating systems, it shows a difference of 0. 3 tr. in terms of operational loading, hence contributing majorly to towards total energy savings with optio n 1. In Day lighting, although there isn’t any loading difference but option 1 contributes 70 W worth energy saving, as compared to option 2 which contributes NIL.In conclusion, as it is evident from the comparative table, option 1 is a more efficient, cost effective and the most reliable option for our consumers. Option 1- Master Plan Green The massing on the site is such that to maximize the views from the Expressway. The blocks on the North and North West get the benefit of views of the Master Plan Green. The hierarchy of heights on the site respects the Vaastu Principles with lower tower on the North East and increasing heights towards South West. The geometry of the site has also been considered.The entrances of the site are at North East and South West with reference to Vaastu requirements. The central location of the Clubhouse gives an easy access from all parts of the site. The Club also has a direct access to avoid congestion on any part of the site. All the building s on the site face Central Green Courtyards. The site is divided into two huge green courts flowing into each other through a central lawn. Option 2- Master Plan White This option gets the benefit of the Natural Resources that is Wind and Sun.The Wind Movement has been taken care of by placing the building blocks strategically to get the advantage of natural ventilation in maximum number of apartments. The peripheral road gives a direct access to all the blocks with their separate drop offs. The placement of Villas on the Southern edge of the site and Taller buildings on the Northern edge allows Sun penetration in maximum number of apartments. Decision Criteria: In option 2 there is a linear tower in the central court,  this makes a closed courtyard comparing with Option 1.After closely observing the shadow diagram of both the options I concluded that option 1 has less shadow towers falling on each other and have open court yard (from club side) thus having better cross ventilatio n for  all the towers and its units. The minimum amount of shadows helps us in winters and reduces the requirement of heating load in overall load capacity as well as operational time when compared with option 2. Same is case for cross ventilation. Option 1 reduces the heat, makes the indoor spaces cooler as compared to option 2 thus reducing the load on the air conditioning. Prospective Audience:My primary audience would be the Manager of the Planning and Coordination team, who will read the report and recommendations and decide what he/she believes, will work best for his/her situation. The secondary audience will be the owners and management of the construction company. They will be making the final decision for the company and decide if the recommendation that I give to them will be best for their situation and whether or not they will be using those master plans. They will also check to ensure that the recommended mater plans meets all of the requirements that they have given to me as their engineer.Another audience for the report would be the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority who is in charge of the entire environment related factors will have to approve of the plan to make sure it will meet all of the regulation in the areas. Work Schedule For Implementation Of The Plan: The work schedule will begin as soon as the final proposal is handed in and will finish the day that the report is due. Task| April 1st– 8th | 9th-22nd| April 23rd- May 5th | 6th -12th | 13th– 19th | May 20th -June 3rd | Research systems| | | | | | | Form idea on better system| | | | | | | Initial Report draft body| | | | | | |Report front and end matter draft| | | | | | | Review and edit| | | | | | | Finish report and print and binding| | | | | | | Cost of Publication for the plan: The costs for the two options I am considering in my recommendation report are charted below: Option| Cost| Option 1 Air Conditioning unitsHeating UnitsVentilation strategiesSunli ght incorporated tower structure| $6. 48 /- per sq. ft. | Option 2 Air Conditioning unitsHeating UnitsVentilation strategiesSunlight incorporated tower structure | $10. 78 /- per sq. ft. | I have decided to go with option 1. Total savings due to option 2 is 121. 47  US Dollar.Schedule for the recommendation report: I feel as I navigate through this project I would need to plan and stay focused to accomplish all tasks in a timely manner and hence my planner for this recommendation report would be: Task| Week 11| Week 12| Week 13| Week 14| Week 15| Week 16| 1| Proposal| | | | | 2| | | Initial Draft| | | 3| | | | | Complete| | 4| | | | | | Final| Qualifications: This project falls under my current work related responsibilities. As a civil engineer in Assotech Limited, I have a wealth of resources and knowledge available to conduct a realistic analysis for the two master plan alternatives.I also fully understand the pros and cons of the two options, which would help me to see the effe ct of each on the company and how it would result in achieving the main aim of the project. Since, I am able to utilize the resources I have available through Assotech Ltd. my cost for this project will very minimal. Cost of required materials I believe these could be the possible costs while creating the final product. The costs would include the cost of color printing, and the coil binding. Thus the break down of the cost is listed below: Items| Cost| Color printing| $0. 49| Paper| $0. 0| Coil Binding| $ 3. 50| Total | $3. 99| ————————————————- Permission to Continue: After reading the proposal I am asking for permission to carry onto the recommendation report for the task of finding a suitable master plan in relation to climatic conditions and energy usage for Assotech limited for their project in Gurgaon, India. Citation requirements: 1. Assotech Limited. . 2012. Assot ech Blith [Internet]. Noida (UP): Assotech Moonshine Urban Developers Pvt Ltd; [2012 January, cited 2013 February]. Available from: http://assotechlimited. om/our-projects/featured-project-assotech-blith. html The website is the official website of Assotech Ltd. I am using this website as one of my sources for the recommendation report since this page would help me find information on the company and help me with my analysis and findings. I have used this website for obtaining the data for the comparative study, the cost of publishing and the work schedule for the plan to be implemented. 2. 2009. Gurgaon (UP): Sustainable Habitats- Teri Initiative [cited 2013]. Available from: http://www. sustainable-buildings. org/files/composite_SolarEnergy. df As we know, large quantities of energy are consumed in providing lighting, ventilation, and thermal comfort in the buildings. Using proper planning and design the architects have made it possible to reduce the wastage of energy and lighting . Thus, this website helped me with all the topography and climate related information required for my comparative study. Secondly, this website provided me with the information I needed to base my comparative options which were AC cooling, heating system and day lighting. Thirdly, it also gave me information about the location of the construction. 3. A R COP. 007. Planning and coordination [Internet]. 2007. Arcop Associates Pvt. Ltd, cited 2013] Available from: http://www. arcop. co. in/planningandurbandesign. htm ————————————————- This website helped me with my master plan options and cost related questions. I used this website to obtain the visuals I needed for my report. It provided me with all the details along with the visuals for the master plan green as well as the master plan white. ——————————â €”———– [ 1 ]. Vaastu- â€Å"ancient doctrine about science of construction and architecture. †

Lincoln’s Efforts to Preserve the Union Essay

To what extent did Lincoln’s economic, military, and political policies from 1861 to 1865 contribute to the preservation of the Union? Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860. As a president of the United States, Lincoln’s goal was to keep the Union together. The problem of slavery and the secession by the South are mainly the two issues that lead to the dissolve of the Union, in which Lincoln put all his efforts to deal with during his presidency. â€Å"He believes this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. He does not expect the Union to be dissolved; He does not expect the house to fall; but he does expect it will cease to be divided.† Lincoln claimed that it is either all free or all slaves in the Union, the Union cannot tolerate half free and half slaves. Lincoln viewed slavery as â€Å"a moral, social, and political wrong†. He â€Å"does not believe it is a constitutional right to hold slaves in a territory of the United St ates† (Paul Boyer 360). Lincoln’s dream was to free all the slaves, but this dream can only go by gradually, he cannot end slavery immediately because it will further the dissolve of the Union. However, Southerners viewed his victory of being a president of the United States as a victory for abolition. Here the problem raised, southern states decided to begin the process of secession from the Union. Lincoln’s hard time began from now on. How was he going to solve this problem? Lincoln help preserved the Union in three different aspects which are economic, military and political policies. His economic strategy was to use capital, weapon and trade; his military strategy was the war of attrition and the three-part strategy to take over the control of Mississippi River and Richmond; his political strategy was to promise he will not end slavery immediately but gradually and establish the Emancipation of Proclamation to claim that every slaves in South will be free so that they will give up to fight against the Union. Since the process of secession is inevitable, the southern states were joining together to form a new nation called the Confederacy. This new formation indic ated that Lincoln was losing part of the Union. As a president, Lincoln was trying his best to help preserve the Union. At the beginning of the Civil War, Lincoln applies the northern advantages to help strengthen the military. First, the North had a huge population advantage, so that the North were able to recruit more soldiers and volunteers to help fight for the war. Second, â€Å"the North controlled more than 85 percent of the nation’s industry and significant material resources. These advantages enabled the North to produce military supplies and replace lost or damaged equipment more rapidly than the Confederacy† (Boyer 371). With these economic advantages, Lincoln was able to supply the army with better foods, shelters and clothing. The soldiers did not need to suffer as more as the Confederate. Even if the Union was out of supplies during the war, it would be more fasten to resupply it. â€Å"In addition, since most of the nation’s railroad lines were located in the Northeast and Midwest, the Union co uld move troops and supplies with ease† (Boyer 371). The economic and transportation advantages also helped fasten the process of resupply and aiding the army. The percentage for the Union to win the war was higher since the North was having better economic advantages than the South. During the Civil War, Lincoln’s military strategies was mainly to divide the south geographically, so that southern states are finding difficult to connect with each other. Lincoln used a three part strategy, first, he plan to take over the control of the capital of the Confederate which is Richmond. Second, Lincoln plan to gain control of the Mississippi River, this â€Å"allowed north to penetrate deep into the south, and prevent the Confederacy from using the waterway to resupply its forces† (Boyer 375). To take over the control of the Mississippi River, North needed to control the largest city in the south which is New Orleans. â€Å"New Orleans is a central port for supplying troops along and west of the river, capturing New Orleans would allow the Union to cut off supplies to western confederate forces and to move troops up the Mississippi River† (Boyer 383). Third, Lincoln used the Anaconda Plan to institute a naval blockade of the south to slowly squeeze the life out of the South like anaconda snake. This hurts the south economy by stopping the south from trading with foreign countries. This three part strategy helped weaken the forces of the Confederacy and further the process to win the war. Lincoln’s another military strategy was to trap the Confederacy army force inside Vicksburg until they are died by starving. In this way, they can force the Confederate to surrender without wasting any manpower and using any violence. In addition, Lincoln used â€Å"the war of attrition† to continue to fight until the South ran out of men, supplies, and the will to fight (Boyer 392). Also, Lincoln used the strategy called the â€Å"total war† to strike at the Confederate economic resources by taking away what supplies they could use and destroying anything that might be helpful to the Confederate, burning farmhouses, slaughtering livestock, and tear up railroad tracks (Boyer 394). These military strategies gave the Confederate a hard time in both economic and war. Near the end of the Civil War, Lincoln was forced to change the purpose of the war from preserving the Union to abolish slavery by abolitionists. Frederick Douglass said it did not worth if the war was only fight for saving the Union without ending slavery. â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand† means that the United States cannot always divided into two parts, one is the Union who opposed slavery, and another is the Confederacy who supported slavery. As Lincoln said in his speech â€Å"I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so† (Abraham Lincoln) to claim that slavery should be abolished gradually, not immediately, because it would upset the South. And it is wrong to allowed slavery to spread to every other part of the wide world. Lincoln helped preserve the Union politically by making the Emancipation of Proclamation to free all slaves living in areas still rebelling against the United States. He assured it would apply only to the Confederate states to peace the conflict in the Border States. â€Å"Lincoln hoped that if slaves learned that the North was fighting to free them, they would desert their masters, thereby weakening the South’s economy† (Boyer 385). Lincoln’s political strategy to free slaves in the Confederacy help preserve the Union by weakening the Confederacy’s economy and making them cannot stand by oneself and was forced to unite with the Union. Abraham Lincoln was a great leader and president of the United States. Although, he was having a hard time during his presidency, he never planned to stop helping the Union. Instead, he helped save the Union in three different aspects: economic, military and political strategies to gain back the territories from the Confederacy and united them to develop the United States of America. Without the help of Lincoln, the United States would be dividing into two parts and slavery would still exist. Without the help of Lincoln, the United States would not be able to reunite together as a complete nation. Lincoln’ efforts to help preserve the Union will always stay in every Americans’ mind. Works Cited 1. Boyer, Paul S. â€Å"Chapter 12 The Civil War 1861-1865.† Holt American nation. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2005. 360, 368,-372,375,382-387,390-395. Print. 2. Abraham, Lincoln. â€Å"From Lincoln’s Cooper Union Address.† The Cooper Union Speech. Library of America. Cooper Union, New York City. 27 Feb. 1860. Address. 3. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln’s Speech at Peoria, Illinois.† Editorial. The OAH Magazine of History Oct. 2007: 35. Print. 4. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln: First Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989.† Bartleby.com: Great Books Online — Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and hundreds more. 02 Feb. 2013 .

Australian Indigenous People

The argument of Peter Sutton (2001, 13) that the problem of the Aboriginal People arises from a mix of complex factors that are ancient cultural and social and various external forces has been rightly argued. If we observe the history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander there disadvantage began with them being disposed of their land and then being displaced. The losses of their autonomy, racial discrimination, and poverty’s intergenerational effects have further fuelled their disadvantages (Aboriginal economy & society: Australia at the threshold of colonisation, 2005). There are more often than not various prejudices that have been faced by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when they try to rent the home, get services in banks and shops, find a job and do the most common things which every other Australian takes for granted. There are casual relationships that exist with each disadvantage that interrelates to another disadvantage. For example, without their being adequate facilities for studying at home, even with the encouragement from parents, learning would not be an easy task. Education similarly would be difficult for children who are suffering from middle ear troubles or a hearing loss or are malnourished (Macoun, 2011). Health is affected due to there being poor sanitation and housing that is not appropriate. There is often tertiary education which is required for progression to middles and senior positions. Being unemployed and poor lower statistically the self-esteem and increases death, illness and the likelihood of their being imprisonment and arrest, just as poor health effects employability and limits achievement in education.   There has been great suffering that the indigenous people have suffered in the past. It can well be stated that the problems that are faced by the Australian Indigenous people arise today from a complex combination together of the current which, which the time post-conquest, and external impact from factors that are historical, with there being a relevant number of pre-existing ancient, cultural and social factors (Austlii.edu.au, 2016). In Peter Sutton's article, the focus has in general been laid upon only violent conflicts however, these factors do trickle down to various disadvantages that are being faced by the indigenous people today (Sutton, 2001). There are various people for whom the proposition that the disadvantages to the Indigenous people have been caused by factors that are external only, such as colonization, is a fiction that continues to sustain. The defense for this sustaining fiction is that it is not possible for the masses to understand the subtlety that is there behind the truth and it is towards simplistic that they are more inclined towards (Austlii.edu.au, 2016). There has been on the contrary a silence relatively on the complexity of the casual factor, and there has been no acknowledgment of the same. In his 2001 academic paper Peter Sutton’s argument that the violence level and depravity require examining together the various complex factors as mentioned above. His argument is ended with shifts that are significant in the economy and culture of the Aboriginal people. Paul Toohey in his article Peter Sutton has been openly quoted and the differential treatment of the Aboriginal communities and the Aboriginal liberation politics wisdom (Ryan, 2010). The Aboriginal people in the 1960s asserted their right to freedom to vote, movement, accessing of social security at least the minimum level, consumption of alcohol and various other such freedoms. The achievement that resulted has helped close the gap that exists between the status of the Aboriginal as determined by the administrative and legislative action at both State and Commonwealth level on the one hand and citizenship rights on the other hand. This translated into practice as the discriminatory practices' removal by whic h the participation of the Aboriginal people were restricted in the white Australian's civic life (The Politics of Suffering: Indigenous Australia and the end of the liberal consensus, 2010). To take up on the point of Sutton on coming together of various factors that are cultural, there was no or little deep-seated recognition of a difference of values or culture during the liberation politics' mobilization. The distinct cultures and value of the Aboriginal Australia may be marketed by the white Australia in pursuit of national symbolism and gains economically, however, with respect to administrative and political policies, the values of the Aboriginal are considered to be common with that of all the Australians. The gains of the Aboriginal from politics of liberation include them being able to access the white citizenship, internal and institutional assimilationist of practices and policies, incorporatist models. In short being the opportunity to be in the white Australian's lifestyle. Aboriginal economy & society: Australia at the threshold of colonisation. (2005).  Choice Reviews Online, 42(05), pp.42-2891-42-2891. Austlii.edu.au. (2016).  Overcoming Disadvantage. [online] Available at: https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/orgs/car/overcoming_disadvantage/pg3.htm [Accessed 4 Aug. 2016]. Macoun, A. (2011). Aboriginality and the Northern Territory Intervention.  Australian Journal of Political Science, 46(3), pp.519-534. Ryan, L. (2010). Rewriting Aboriginal history.  History Australia, 7(3), pp.70.1-70.2. Sutton, P. (2001). The politics of suffering: Indigenous policy in Australia since the 1970s.Anthropological Forum, 11(2), pp.125-173. The Politics of Suffering: Indigenous Australia and the end of the liberal consensus. (2010).  Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 34(5), pp.535-536.

Finance - Assurance and Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finance - Assurance and Audit - Essay Example Internal audit function Fight (2002, p. 27) asserts that internal auditing serves the basic purpose of protecting the shareholders. Its role revolves around operational efficacy, financial reporting reliability, investigation and deterrence of fraud, asset safeguarding as well as ensuring compliance with the laws and regulations. Technically, internal auditors have a vital role in protection of the firm assets and their entire activities sum up to asset protection, which is also protection of the shareholders. According to Vinten (2004, p. 13), prevention of fraud revolves around monitoring of the financial procedures, including records and asset verification. Managers and other stakeholders commonly misappropriate these areas. A shareholder is an individual, an institution or a corporate with shares in a firm and has rights to the firm assets in case of liquidation. In essence, they own the company stock and have the right to protection from fraud and misappropriation. Internal audi tors have to protect the shareholders from financial loss resulting from fraudulent activities, obliteration of vital financial records, and concession of valuable, confidential information to unauthorized people, disruptive loss of business opportunities, unauthorized use of firm resources and confidence and customer relationship loss. Within a firm, it is easy to control most of the consequences by the appropriate application of internal control measures, including proper auditing procedures. Audit failure has brought questions about independent audit, yet it is necessary to note that auditing plays a significant role in the functioning of financial systems in any firm. It values the roles that financial reporters in firms play. However, the relevance of independent auditing is only visible when there is no fraud and absence of business failures after completion of auditing. This raises the questions regarding the need for independent auditors and one has to recognize the fact tha t a wide majority of audits stand the test of time when considering allegations of audit failures (Vinten, 2004, p. 45). There is normally an expectation that external auditors detect financial statement fraud and illegal acts by employees, which affect the financial reports integrity. The big concern is normally on misstatements in internally audited financial statements External auditors prepare reports regarding internal control over financial reporting. In the report, they outline the appropriateness of the management’s assessment of the internal controls and whether the company has maintained efficiency in control of internal financial reporting. Internal auditing carries out the initial auditing and prepares the financial reporting statements. In general, external auditors assess the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting, the design and operation of internal control over financial reporting basing on criteria of control, and finally, it ensures fairness in presentation of financial statements which conform with the generally acceptable accounting principles. Auditors have to keep improving their performance in protecting the shareholders, through the provision of accurate and adequate financial statements as well use of new technology in the audit process. This is essential for proper implementation of qualitative audits contributing to reliability of timely and useful financial information. They should be prepared to

Diegesis and the Artifice of Storytelling in Forrest Gump and Essay

Diegesis and the Artifice of Storytelling in Forrest Gump and Hairspray - Essay Example One of the original forms of this shift towards breaking this artifice of the screen, where audiences are aware of the work of art as existing in the form of artifice was the addition of sound to movies in the 1930s. Trying to draw the audience in to the world of the movie is not always beneficial, however. There are times when as a film maker one wants the audience to be aware of the story as a story – and non diegetic sound is a way to accomplish this. In Hairspray, the filmmakers went to extraordinary lengths to make much of the sound in the movie diegetic, trying to deflect the audiences attention from the artifice of spontaneous song and dance, while the film Forest Gump goes the opposite direction, using non-diegetic sound to draw the viewer’s attention to the artifice of the story, such as having a teller with biases and skewed perceptions. Musicals can sometimes struggle significantly with the transition into song and dance. It can sometimes simply be incredibly jarring for people to switch from normal dialogue – which we see every day in the world around us, to excellently choreographed dance accompanied by song that is so well performed that it clearly comes from a professional. Some musicals embrace this moment of awkwardness, using winks and nods at the audience to make emphasize and make light of the awkwardness of the transition; Hairspray, however, by making many of the songs diegetic, goes the opposite direction and tries to make the song and dance seem natural rather than out of place. This practice pervades the movie, starting with one of the opening scenes: the first song occurs on â€Å"the Corny Collins Show† a professional musical television event. Obviously in that case, singing and dancing makes perfect sense – as it does when the girls sing along at home. A viewer can even stretch their imagination to believing that, inspired by this show, a talented girl could begin singing about her life. This patter n continues throughout the film, first with song inserted into detention by students who are bored, then later by setting dance numbers in a record store, or again on a television set several times. Throughout this entire film, the directors made every effort to make all of the music diegetic. This process breaks down the divide between the viewer and the action occurring on screen. It makes it easier for viewers to suspend disbelief, as the ‘physics’ in the world on screen correspond to the ‘physics’ in the world around us – sometimes there is music, and that music has a known source, one can identify it, and sometimes people sing and dance do it. All of this breaks down the artifice of the story and tries to blur the lines between the world of the screen and the world around the viewer. While Hairspray makes frequent use of diegetic sound in order to break down the artifice of storytelling and creates many reasons for the song and dance that occurs , Forrest Gump goes in the complete opposite direction, using the narration – (mostly) nondiegetic sound – as a driving force of the plot and thus emphasizing the artifice of storytelling inherent to film (there are a few occurrences where the narration is diegetic in that

Someone is growing kittens in a bottle, effectively making Bonsai Essay

Someone is growing kittens in a bottle, effectively making Bonsai kittens - Essay Example The site's creator describes and illustrates in detail the method for abusing these animals" (Humane Society, 2008). III. Relating to the Audience: As long as this hoax has been around and for the sake of preventing animal cruelty, it is important that each of you know about Bonsai kittens and the possibility that there may actually be people out there doing this to the poor animals. IV. Thesis: The Bonsai kitten Internet hoax caused a massive negative public reaction, and even though it was only a hoax, many individuals and animal rights groups took great offense to the Bonsai kitten website and its content and pictures. I. In 2000, what has become known as the Bonsai kitten website appeared, depicting some very disturbing images of kittens being stuffed into bottles, as well as being fed, breathing, and ridding themselves of waste through tubes. (Wikipedia, 2008) II. The kittens were supposedly stuffed into these bottles as a form of decoration and were not removed until their bones and bodies had become twisted into some sort of desired shape to make them appear less "mundane" than regular animals. Bonsai kitten website. (2008).

Cities have the right to ban smoking in public Essay - 1

Cities have the right to ban smoking in public - Essay Example All cities around the world have a right to ban smoking in order to safeguard the health of its masses. On that note, it is going to follow the five steps of persuasion that entails the establishment of credibility, acknowledging the audience’s position, constructing a rationale, transplanting root elements, and seeking for a response (Lakhani, 2005). For instance, in the establishment of credibility, it is significant to observe that smoking causes health problems both to the active and passive smoker. Experts note that out of the 4000 chemical compounds that are found in cigarettes, 400 are noxious substances and cause various diseases and health risks. Similarly, the tar contained in all cigarettes causes both lung and mouth cancer. Additionally, addictive nicotine raises the cholesterol levels in a human body. Apart from the harmful effects of tar and nicotine, there is carbon monoxide that depletes the oxygen levels in the body. Another fundamental factor why banning of smoking in the cities is paramount is it reduce risks to non-smokers. These are the people also called the passive smokers. It is said that passive smokers are more exposed to the harmful effects of smoking than the active smokers (Haneline & Meeker, 2010). They, for instance, are prone to asthmatic attacks and the infections of the bronchia. Alternatively, according to Action on Smoking and Health group, the risk of heart attack increases for non-smokers if they are exposed to 30 minutes of smoking. On the same account, in a BBC News report released in 2002, many people in London succumbed to heart disease because of secondhand smoke. Therefore, despite the doubts that the audience may harbor against the banning of smoking in the cities around the world, there are other valid reasons. For example, my rationale construction postulation states that the ban of smoking will have many positive effects. This means that there will be

Discuss the evolution of enamelled glass in medieval Egypt and Syria, Essay

Discuss the evolution of enamelled glass in medieval Egypt and Syria, focusing on Carboni's book Glass for the Sultans - Essay Example This includes changes in history, politics and culture during the time, all which allowed glasswork and artistic symbols to begin to alter and to show a different understanding of the social knowledge of the time. The glass making that occurred in Egypt and Seria during the medieval times was a result of newer concepts related to society. This time period was known for the ability to conquer several lands and areas, all which were beginning to build and develop politically and within the infrastructure. The Middle Eastern area, ranging from Greece to Spain and Egypt, all were moving through these main influences within politics. Many were focused on conquering neighboring countries, as well as expanding influences. More importantly, the Islamic world began to develop, with many associating the ideas of enameled glass with the religious and philosophical thought processes within the country. The glass making in this region was divided into two time periods. The first was known as the Abbasid Era, which had the time period from 750 – 868. During this time period, Alexandria and Syrian were known for developing the different enameled glass, specifically with a focus on creating intricate pieces for royalty. More importantly, the works that were created were defined by contrasts and colors that associated with religious beliefs and the idea of sacred works during the time. The second time period was linked to Egypt during the Tulunid Era, ranging from 868 – 905. This began to alter from enameled glass to stained glass surfaces, mostly seen in accessories such as lanterns and vessels. The glass used in both these eras were known not only for their ornamentation, but were also created for practical means. There was use of the stained and enameled glass for buildings and architecture while lighting different archways were the main focus of most of

Budget vs Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) Essay

Budget vs Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) - Essay Example The budget portion within the CAFR comprises of what was predicted and even what actually happened in terms of monetary expenditure and income. The CAFR even comprises of investments that the government has made and these investments are details in different categories and it even comprises of the ending balance of investments that occurred in prior years. On the other hand a budget can be regarded as a map created by the government and this map comprises of spending that might be made by different governmental organizations over a particular year (Hou, 2013). It comprises of both revenues as well as the expenditure that different governmental units such as schools, defense services and other units spend and collect over a particular year. These budgets are created while keeping in mind the spending and revenues that were disbursed and collected by the governmental agencies in prior

Sustainability Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sustainability Management - Essay Example Like never before, solutions to the pressing needs of Rwanda may not be necessarily being found within the limits of its politics. (Ikeno, Jun, 29) Considering that the established arrangement of institutions in Rwanda are not so well placed to possess power to deliver policies that are required or those policies that have been requested by themselves. (Stoke, Peter, 12)These institutions have to take part in the transnational and polycentric governance network upon which power is dispersed. The weaknesses that Rwanda faces include the pressure from the growth exhibited internationally including from the neighboring Kenya. Some of these challenges also come from the emergence of non-state actors with new methods of mobilization. (Stoke, Peter, 43)To this end, the paper will isolate and discus the specific emergence of policy void in Rwanda. First and foremost, Rwanda’s high dependency on the foreign assistance puts the country in awkward situation. This was especially after the World Bank slashed the aid after the United Nation’s report suggesting that Rwanda was aiding in fueling violence in Democratic Republic of Congo. This has provided a wakeup call to Rwanda which now believes that attraction of investors is much more beneficial than seeking the donor aid that comes with conditions. There is also a huge gap that Rwanda has in the line of technology. Technology is envisaged to have the potential of converting the economy from agricultural base to knowledge base. A number of companies are now investing on this industry considering that startup is relatively cheaper to companies in the country than in the neighboring countries like Kenya. There is a considerable effort that Rwanda has made to ensure that it transform itself into technological hub. Apart from wiring itself with over a thousand miles of fiber optic cables, and further signing a deal for 4G network, the country has also ensured that ICT is

Globalization is only for Developed Countries Essay Example for Free

Globalization is only for Developed Countries Essay In the 1990s, the term globalization gained the popularity. At that time, globalization had become phenomena with an aura of an elemental force, almost similar to that of time and gravity. In simple words Globalization means that the same products will be available in all the countries of the world. It also means economic integration and a world united by the web. This glorious ideal made us think that if globalization would stay on with all its perks with falling trade barriers, leaving countries batter off economically and that it will reduce the widening gap between the rich and the poor. It was believed that the removal of the barriers to trade and foreign investment would result in a dynamic change in the way a company anywhere in the world would do business. It was hoped that the integration would prove beneficial to all. In the 1990s the iron curtain disappeared and trade barriers started falling, the gifts of several rounds of WTO, the Western and Japanese entrepreneurs started looking far beyond there borders for highly beneficial deals, cheap labor new markets and a very big lot of new customers. Nobel Laureate, Stiglitz (2002) rightly interpreted the situations of developing countries in his illustrative work Globalization and Its Discontents. He says; â€Å"Small developing countries are like small boats. Rapid capital market liberalization, in the manner pushed by the IMF, amounted to setting them off on a voyage on a rough sea, before the holes in their hulls have been repaired, before the captain has received training, before life vests have been put on board. Even in the best of circumstances, there was a high likelihood that they would be overturned when they were hit broadside by a big wave (p. 17). † With the end of World War II globalization started taking shape in a big way. In 1975, there were still only 7000 MNCs compared to more than 60000 today. A maddening race for going global began from opening up a two-man sales office to chalking out a countrywide network. Companies had to be big and they had to be universal. By the 1990s no one was alien to the charms of the phenomenon called globalization. The intellects of the world-entrepreneurs, economists, celebrities and politicians traveled around the world to tell us how small the world was getting. We were told to think globally and act locally. However, soon the reality dawned. The developed nations have discarded the moth-eaten policy and adopted an open-shutter strategy in coping with the developing nations. In the past they donned an apologetic camouflage and devised subtle and under-the-counter means to bring the developing countries round to their point of view, they at least acknowledged their sensitivities and treated them as members, no matter how low-grade, of the homo sapiens species. But now they have thrown all pretence to the winds and, without mincing words, dictated their terms to the developing world. Even Kipling had the decency to spell out the Western concern for the ‘uncivilized’ people of the third world by treating them as ‘the white man’s burden’. He was deeply committed to their improvement and had probably hatched some fantastic schemes to pull them out of their ‘savage’ state. But the present day reformers make no bones about it. They shamelessly believe that the condition of the third world countries is simply irretrievable and no amount of logic and persuasion can help them out of their ugly predicament. Therefore they now rely on dictation as a prescription for their conversation and have imposed their brand of progress and prosperity spineless people of the third world. And they are least bothered about their preferences and priorities.

The US Sugar Quotas Essay Example for Free

The US Sugar Quotas Essay In the bid to regulate the amount of sugar imported into the United States, the federal Government imposed a quota that gave limited exclusive rights of export to a few countries. These countries range from Brazil, Philippines, Peru and Colombia among others. The logic behind this move was to protect the United States infant sugar industry from the competition from foreign farmers that enjoy more conducive environment for surplus production. It was also in the bid to appease farmers from Louisiana territory. This was in spite of the fact that experts had warned that sugar growing in the United States would be impeded by the harsh environment. Others argued that the tariffs by the 1820s had to be maintained so as to maintain a high demand and the value of slaves. The imposition of sugar tariffs and quotas is supposed to help in subsidizing sugar growing. These sugar quotas continue to have negative impacts. It has to be understood that this is a costly system to the consumers and the taxpayers. The United States has maintained a very high price for its sugar, higher above the international price in sixth fold. James Bovard notes that â€Å"each 1-cent increase in the price of sugar adds between $ 250 and $ 300 million to consumers’ food bills.† He continues to note that a study conducted by one commerce department found out that â€Å"sugar program was costing American consumers more than $3 billion a year† (1998). The quota after its imposition single-handedly handed blows to other types of businesses. Brazil in a retaliatory stance reduced significantly its consumption of the American grain. Other countries that were relying on sugar exports to America resorted to wheat and corn, stiffening the competition that exists between the American and other countries. Candy producers have also been hit the worst. Initially, candy firms were circumventing the sugar quota by importing products high in sugar and then sifting the sugar, the federal government made a crackdown on this. Now, these firms are being forced to compete with their foreign counterparts who apparently have access to cheap sugar and hence cheap chocolate has increased, hurting the local industries. A number of people in the United States have lost jobs due to the sugar quotas. This number is higher than the number of farmers that the quota purports to protect. According to James Bovard, a commerce department had it that â€Å"the high price of sugar destroyed almost 9,000 US jobs in food manufacturing since 1981.† An example is given of one Branch Candy Company that relocated to Canada terminating over three thousand workers contracts. It remains the opinion of the majority that the sugar quota is not only hurting the multilateral tie that the United States has enjoys with the neighboring countries, it is also exploitative to the consumers. It is the high time that these quotas were abolished and the sugar plantations converted to other viable crops.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The taking over the mantle of power in the house by the Republicans in the mid 1990s had given false signs that the sugar quota would finally cease to exist. A bill co-sponsored to end the program lost narrowly as the house voted to stay the sugar quota system. Immense lobbying took place in the house before the voting. This indicates how volatile the debate is and how it is influenced by politics and the fear of backlash from the sugar growing Districts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An analysis of the history and recent trends of the United States sugar quota reveals it has always been at the centre of American politics especially on its relations with the immediate neighbors such as Cuba and Mexico. The Clinton administration for example had to grapple with the sugar politics as the congress was being required to approve the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). One specific aim of NAFTA was to remove the quotas and the tariffs that existed between the United States and other countries such as Mexico and Canada.   The removal of the stringent controls with Mexico could have the net result of opening up the United States market to the unlimited imports of sugar thus threatening the high sugar prices existing (Roberts, P., 1999). Right from the early 1800, politics have dominated and completely dictated the implementation of the sugar quotas. Former congressmen have been enjoying lucrative contracts as lobbyists for the industry or for the foreign sugar producers wishing to be a part of the exclusive list. It is to be noted that the number of farmers set to profit in the United States sugar quotas fall way below fifty thousand, but due to the sensitivity of the matter and the amount of money involved, they have been able to influence the sugar importation policies in the excuse that it is in the bid to protect an infant industry. The sugar industry in the United States has become lucrative solely because of the subsidies it receives. The taxes imposed on sugar extend far beyond the price and its cost. The protectionist and the loan program on sugar mean that the farmers are in a win-win situation. They have enough funds to cater for cost of growing and producing and are slated to sell at a high price. All this is a done in the wake of sharp criticm that has reigned in sugar politics especially from the affected neighbors. In the bid to respond to the criticism on the infringement of the free market and enterprise spirit, the Reagan administration for example formed the foreign aimed Program aimed at providing the affected countries with food. The fears by the producers that imports will lead to reduced sugar prices and the loss of revenue and subsidies has led to the immense lobbying especially by the districts producing sugar, this has prompted favorable policies and bills in the congress. References Roberts, Paul. Nov. 1, 1999. The Sweet Hereafter: Our Craving for Sugar Starves the Everglades and Fattens the Politicians. Harpers. James Bovard, April 1998. The Great Sugar Shaft. The Future of Freedom Foundation. Retrieved on 12th may 2008 from http://www.fff.org/freedom/0498d.asp

Nuclear Energy The Problems And Solutions Environmental Sciences Essay

Nuclear Energy The Problems And Solutions Environmental Sciences Essay Nuclear energy is a divisive issue that many people have mixed feelings about. Nuclear power has many dangerous effects to the environment and the people living near a power plant. Many countries use nuclear power as an alternate source of electrical energy from fossil fuels. Nuclear energy has to be handled with extreme care or it could lead to disastrous damages. These problems included radiation, disposing of nuclear waste, and high costs of building and maintaining power plants. But while it is extremely dangerous to use nuclear energy, it does provide an alternate source of energy that does not pollute the air. Let us look at what nuclear energy is and where it came from. Most early atomic research was focused on developing effective weapons for use in World War II. After World War II, the government allowed nuclear energy to be developed for citizen use. We generated our first electricity from nuclear energy in 1951. According to the European Nuclear Society, as of end 2011 the total electricity production since 1951 amounts to 69,760 billion kWh and the cumulative operating experience amounted to 15,080 years by end of 2012. Because of accidents and public reluctance for them a new nuclear power plant has not been ordered in the U.S. since 1973. So, what is nuclear energy? According to the EPA, nuclear energy originates from the splitting of uranium atoms in a process called fission. Fission releases energy that can be used to make steam, which is used in a turbine to generate electricity. Nuclear energy is generally used in a combine mixture with Uranium and Plutonium. EPA further states, in the plantà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s nuclear reactor, neutrons from uranium atoms collide with each other, releasing heat and neutrons in a chain reaction. This heat is used to generate steam, which powers a turbine to generate electricity. Unfortunately, nuclear energy also generates some nasty by-products like tritium, cesium, krypton, neptunium and iodine. Let us talk about what is it that makes nuclear energy so bad for the environment and to people living near power plants. Let us start with the dangerous information and knowledge of this process. Knowledge of how to create power plants is shared among many nations. The problems with sharing this knowledge, is that countries will have access to the knowledge of how to make nuclear weapons, which could be bad for some nations. The International Energy Agency or IEA is responsible for energy in many countries, but some have criticizes them for not being able to keep the knowledge from hostile countries. There have been many accidents with nuclear power plants. On April 26, 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl power plant exploded. 30 people were killed instantly, including 28 from radiation exposure, and a further 209 on site were treated for acute radiation poisoning. The World Health Organization found that the fallout from the explosion was incredibly far-reaching. 985,000 deaths can be attributed to the Chernobyl accident between 1986 and 2004. The accident cost the former Soviet Union more than three times the economic benefits accrued from the operation of every other Soviet nuclear power plant operated between 1954 and 1990. Another accident happened recently in Japan. On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The emerging crisis at the plant was complex, and, to make matters worse, it was exacerbated by communication gaps between the government and the nuclear industry. The plant suffered major damage from the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 and, as of February 2013, is not expected to reopen. The earthquake and tsunami disabled the reactor cooling systems, leading to releases of radioactivity and triggering a 30 km evacuation zone surrounding the plant. On April 20, 2011, the Japanese authorities declared the 20 km evacuation zone a no-go area which may only be entered under government supervision. Radiation releases caused large evacuations, concern about food and water supplies, and treatment of nuclear workers. A few of the plants workers were severely injured or killed by the disaster conditions (drownin g, falling equipment damage etc.) resulting from the earthquake. There were no immediate deaths due to direct radiation exposures, but at least six workers have exceeded lifetime legal limits for radiation and more than 300 have received significant radiation doses. Predicted future cancer deaths due to accumulated radiation exposures in the population living near Fukushima have ranged from none to 100. There are also many environmental problems with using nuclear energy as well. All the steps in the complex process of creating nuclear energy entail environmental hazards. The mining of uranium, as well as its refining and enrichment, and the production of plutonium produce radioactive isotopes that contaminate the surrounding area, including the groundwater, air, land, plants, and equipment. As a result, humans and the entire ecosystem are adversely and profoundly affected. Some of these radioactive isotopes are extraordinarily long-lived, remaining toxic for hundreds of thousands of years. Presently, we are only beginning to observe and experience the consequences of producing nuclear energy. Nuclear waste is produced in many different ways. There are wastes produced in the reactor core, wastes created as a result of radioactive contamination, and wastes produced as a byproduct of uranium mining, refining, and enrichment. The vast majority of radiation in nuclear waste is given off from spent fuel rods. A typical reactor will generate 20 to 30 tons of high-level nuclear waste annually. There is no known way to safely dispose of this waste, which remains dangerously radioactive until it naturally decays. The rate of decay of a radioactive isotope is called its half-life, the time in which half the initial amount of atoms present takes to decay. The half-life of Plutonium-239, one particularly lethal component of nuclear waste, is 24,000 years. The hazardous life of a radioactive element (the length of time that must elapse before the material is considered safe) is at least 10 half-lives. Therefore, Plutonium-239 will remain hazardous for at least 240,000 years. There was a proposal to dump nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a site that is considered sacred by the Western Shoshone. The plan was for Yucca Mountain to hold all of the high level nuclear waste ever produced from every nuclear power plant in the US. However, that would completely fill up the site and not account for future waste. Transporting the wastes by truck and rail would be extremely dangerous. Repository sites in Australia, Argentina, China, southern Africa, and Russia have also been considered. Though some countries reprocess nuclear waste (in essence, preparing it to send through the cycle again to create more energy), this process is banned in the U.S. due to increased proliferation risks, as the reprocessed materials can also be used for making bombs. Reprocessing is also not a solution because it just creates additional nuclear waste. There are a few different methods of waste immobilization. In the vitrification process, waste is combined with glass-forming mat erials and melted. Once the materials solidify, the waste is trapped inside and cant easily be released. There are many alternative energy sources that are sustainable and do not pose the accident risks inherent in nuclear energy production. Many of them are renewable and some have little risks to the environment. These other energy sources includes: bioenergy, geothermal, wind, solar, and tidal energy.Bioenergy comes from any fuel that is derived from biomass recently living organisms or their metabolic byproducts. Unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal and nuclear fuels, bioenergy is a renewable energy source. Geothermal energy is power generated from natural steam, hot water, hot rocks, or lava in the Earths crust. In general, geothermal power is produced by pumping water into cracks in the Earths crust and then conveying the heated water or steam back to the surface so that its heat can be extracted through a heat exchanger, or its pressure can be used to drive turbines. Wind energy form of energy conversion in which turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for power. Since wind power does not require the use of fossil fuels, it is considered a renewable energy source. Solar energy is energy derived from the Suns radiation. Passive solar energy can be exploited through architectural design, as by positioning windows to allow sunlight to enter and help heat a space. Active solar energy involves the conversion of sunlight to electrical energy, especially in solar cells. Hydrogen power is a term for the energy production and distribution of hydrogen as a viable fuel source to power buildings, homes and the transportation industry. Tidal energy is produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall of tides. Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy. Many more sustainable resources could be found and current resources improved if better technology were available and if the government and utilities actively promoted their development. There are many different alternative sources that are safer for the environment and human health then nuclear energy. The nuclear energy industry has been quick to declare this technology as the solution to global warming. Many claim it has a net positive environmental gain compared to fossil fuels, though this ignores the problems and dangers associated with nuclear waste. The United States currently has no acceptable, long-term strategy for managing nuclear waste and, thus, the risks to the environment are huge. For now, because of the devastating incident of Chernobyl and many other factors, nuclear power growth has slowed, but still is a problem that needs to address and hopefully fixed. In addition, nuclear energy always carries with it the threat of nuclear proliferation and terrorist attack on the plants. If a government is to maintain a non-proliferation policy, a non-nuclear energy policy must also be in place. Combined with the risk of a meltdown, it is clear that although nuclear energy may appear to be a solution to climate change, it only brings with it more problems. There is always the chance that there will be a meltdown at one of the United Statesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ 103 commercial nuclear reactors or, even more likely, in a country with less stringent nuclear energy laws. Nuclear energy is not the solution it brings with it huge risks and has the potential to wreak havoc on health and on the environment. Sources: Peterson, P. F. (2001). The Pros and Cons of Nuclear Fuel Recycling. Science, 294(5549), 2093. Zehner, O. (2012). Nuclear Powers Unsettled Future. Futurist, 46(2), 17-21. Rugy V. No to Nukes. Reason [serial online]. July 2012;44(3):18-19. Available from: Academic Search Elite, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 13, 2013. Lewis, J. (2008). the nuclear option. Mother Jones, 33(3), 56-92. Flory, P. W. (2006). Just the Facts. Foreign Affairs, 85(5), 149-150. EPA (2012) Nuclear Energy Ita, M. (2006). Nuclear vs solar energy, which?. New African, (449), 37-38. Lewis, H. W. (1986). The Accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and Its Consequences. Environment, 28(9), 25. LePoire, D. J. (2011). Exploring New Energy Alternative. Futurist, 45(5), 34-38. Funabashi, Y., Kitazawa, K. (2012). Fukushima in review: A complex disaster, a disastrous response. Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists, 68(2), 9-21. doi:10.1177/0096340212440359 European Nuclear Society (2012). Nuclear power plants, world-wide

The Selfish Gene :: essays research papers fc

Creationism is a Bible–based view of human origin that states humans were created in their current form and have not changed, or evolved, throughout the years. However the belief that our species has changed over time to suit our environment is considered evolution. As both sides possess strong evidence for their conclusions, the debate that stemmed many years ago, even before the famous Scopes trial, has no end in sight. Recently state education boards in Kansas, Alabama and Kentucky have given school districts the opportunity to decide for themselves whether creationism will be taught, along with evolution, in their classrooms. Furthermore, the state of Colorado has dropped all questions on their standardized tests that pertain to evolution. Conversely, on October 8th, 1999 '…the New Mexico Board of Education voted overwhelmingly… to limit the statewide science curriculum to the teaching of evolution'; (Janofsky 1). Creationists refer to the Bible to explain that the creator developed the universe, including Adam and Eve. But, creationists also use science to disprove the theory of evolution. Through the second law of thermodynamics, which states that a system is always heading towards disorder, creationists explain that there was once a time when the universe was more orderly and that singularity existed approximately 15 billion years ago. If this is true, where did this singularity come from? Creationists believe that only a superior creator could have set forth this condition. Although evolution is only a theory, it is widely accepted and is based solely on scientific data. Through the second law of thermodynamics evolutionists believe that humans should continue in a pattern of disorder as are those things neglected in a system. However, humans have become more orderly and more suited for their environment, clearly a process that is carried out by gradual change over time. Through Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species, published in 1859, the world was introduced to natural selection and the theory of evolution. In his autobiography, Darwin states 'It was evident that such facts as these, as well as many others, could be explained on the supposition that species gradually become modified'; (118-119). This type of thinking in his times was extremely radical and unheard of, but throughout the years evolution has been explored further and accepted by most scientists. Further research into the origin of man proved that genes were the maps by which humans change. In The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins states ".

Comparing the Movies, Fight Club and Gladiator Essay -- Film Compare C

Comparing the Movies, Fight Club and Gladiator People today enjoy the same things that people enjoyed during the Roman Empire. In the movie, Gladiator, Maximus fights in the Coliseum in front of all the people of Rome. In the movie Fight Club they have fights between different people in front of all the people of the club. This shows that people who lived 1000s of years before us where entertained by violence just like most of us are today. The theme that ties both Fight Club and Gladiator together is people are entertained by violence. The movie Gladiator starts off by Maximus Decimus Meridas, who is played by Russel Crowe, being a respected general of Rome. Maximus leads the Roman army in a successful defeat against the barbarians. After this battle is over Maximus is confronted by the elderly Roman emperor and he tells him that he will be the next emperor of Rome when he passes away. The emperor’s son (Commodus) hears of this and murders his father. Now he is Emperor Commodus and orders to kill Maximus and his family. His family is murdered but Maximus ge...

the truth :: essays research papers

Shona is an agglutinative language, employing both prefixes and suffixes. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are all identifiable, as well as personal pronouns, demonstratives, positional prefixes, and various types of agreement markers. All agreement morphology in Shona is prefixal. Nouns are divisible into a number of classes, based both on the agreement morphology in the verb and on the morphology of the noun itself. Verbs: Finite Verbs The order of elements in the Shona finite verb is shown in (1). (1) (NEG)-SUBJ-(TMA)*-(OBJ)-Ãâ€"-(DERIV. SUFF.)*-(PASS.)-FV-(OBJ2) The asterisk is a convention adopted from syntactic phrase structure rules; however, whereas there it is used to indicate that an element may appear an indefinite number of times, we use it here to indicate that we are unsure of the maximum number of TMA elements and derivational suffixes allowed in a single verb. We are also unsure how stringently the TMA elements and derivational suffixes are ordered. "FV" is a convention borrowed from Bantuist notation. It stands for "final vowel". This vowel is /a/ in the positive indicative for almost all verbs. A few verbs (/ri/ "be", /si/ "not be", /ti/ "say") appear to have an intrinsic final /i/, while some others (/NÆ’ge/~/NÆ’gi/~/NÆ’ga/ [an auxiliary (perhaps a sort of copula)], /ne/~/na/ "have", /Ve/~/Va/ "be") alternate between /e/ and /a/ (and sometimes /i/) in ways we do not yet understand. In the negative indicative, the final vowel for all verbs except those just mentioned is /a/, except in the present habitual, where the final vowel is /e/~/i/ (our consultant indicated that these are in free variation). See the section on the imperative for more about the final vowel. The Shona personal agreement morphemes for the subject are given in Table 1. Person Singular Plural 1p nÆ’d"$- t"$Ãâ€" 2p u$- mu$- 3p a@- ~ wa@- Va@- Table 1: Personal subject prefixes Our consultant indicated that /waÃâ€"/ for the third-person singular conveys slightly more respect than /aÃâ€"/. Respect may also be shown by using second- and third-person plural forms for singular referents. First- and second-person subject prefixes appear to have low tone underlyingly, while third-person subject prefixes have underlying high tone. Subject agreement appears to be absolutely obligatory for all Shona verbs. The personal agreement morphemes for the object are given in Table 2. Person Singular Plural 1p -nÆ’di- -ti- 2p -ku- -ku-†¦-i 3p -mu- -Va- Table 2: Personal object prefixes. Note that the first-person singular and plural and the third-person plural are identical to the subject prefixes, while the rest differ. The second-person plural object marker consists of two parts, /ku/ immediately before the root and /i/ at the end of the verb, after the final vowel. the truth :: essays research papers Shona is an agglutinative language, employing both prefixes and suffixes. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are all identifiable, as well as personal pronouns, demonstratives, positional prefixes, and various types of agreement markers. All agreement morphology in Shona is prefixal. Nouns are divisible into a number of classes, based both on the agreement morphology in the verb and on the morphology of the noun itself. Verbs: Finite Verbs The order of elements in the Shona finite verb is shown in (1). (1) (NEG)-SUBJ-(TMA)*-(OBJ)-Ãâ€"-(DERIV. SUFF.)*-(PASS.)-FV-(OBJ2) The asterisk is a convention adopted from syntactic phrase structure rules; however, whereas there it is used to indicate that an element may appear an indefinite number of times, we use it here to indicate that we are unsure of the maximum number of TMA elements and derivational suffixes allowed in a single verb. We are also unsure how stringently the TMA elements and derivational suffixes are ordered. "FV" is a convention borrowed from Bantuist notation. It stands for "final vowel". This vowel is /a/ in the positive indicative for almost all verbs. A few verbs (/ri/ "be", /si/ "not be", /ti/ "say") appear to have an intrinsic final /i/, while some others (/NÆ’ge/~/NÆ’gi/~/NÆ’ga/ [an auxiliary (perhaps a sort of copula)], /ne/~/na/ "have", /Ve/~/Va/ "be") alternate between /e/ and /a/ (and sometimes /i/) in ways we do not yet understand. In the negative indicative, the final vowel for all verbs except those just mentioned is /a/, except in the present habitual, where the final vowel is /e/~/i/ (our consultant indicated that these are in free variation). See the section on the imperative for more about the final vowel. The Shona personal agreement morphemes for the subject are given in Table 1. Person Singular Plural 1p nÆ’d"$- t"$Ãâ€" 2p u$- mu$- 3p a@- ~ wa@- Va@- Table 1: Personal subject prefixes Our consultant indicated that /waÃâ€"/ for the third-person singular conveys slightly more respect than /aÃâ€"/. Respect may also be shown by using second- and third-person plural forms for singular referents. First- and second-person subject prefixes appear to have low tone underlyingly, while third-person subject prefixes have underlying high tone. Subject agreement appears to be absolutely obligatory for all Shona verbs. The personal agreement morphemes for the object are given in Table 2. Person Singular Plural 1p -nÆ’di- -ti- 2p -ku- -ku-†¦-i 3p -mu- -Va- Table 2: Personal object prefixes. Note that the first-person singular and plural and the third-person plural are identical to the subject prefixes, while the rest differ. The second-person plural object marker consists of two parts, /ku/ immediately before the root and /i/ at the end of the verb, after the final vowel.

Marriott Corp: the Cost of Capital

To : President, Marriott Corporation From : FLO299 Subject : Marriott Corporation – The Cost of Capital Date : April 6, 2010 The Importance of the Cost of Capital The cost of capital is important as it forms the basis for Marriott’s investing and financial decisions. By understanding and knowing the cost of capital, Marriott is able to select relevant investment projects for the company, determine incentive compensation, and repurchase undervalued shares when needed. The returns of a project were found by discounting the appropriate cash flows against the appropriate hurdle rates. Without knowing the cost of capital, Marriott would not be able to determine hurdle rates that would help Marriott’s growth. Also, knowing the cost of debt would allow Marriott to optimize the use of debt in the company’s capital structure. Knowing the hurdle rates on a divisional level would also enable Marriott to reward their managers using incentive compensation. By using hurdle rates, Marriott managers would be â€Å"more sensitive to Marriott’s financial strategy and capital market conditions† and would give the company a more accountable method of rewarding their employees. Lastly, Marriott’s method of calculating a â€Å"warranted equity value† for its common shares required knowing the company’s equity cost of capital. A share price that was below the â€Å"warranted equity value† signaled to Marriott when the company needed to step in to repurchase its stock as the company believed that repurchases of shares were a better use of Marriott’s cash flow and debt capacity than acquisitions or owning real estate. Computing Marriott’s WACC The cost-of-capital was computed both divisionally and overall for the company. It required using the formula WACC = (1-t_)RD(D/V) + RE(E/V). D and E are the market values of the debt and equity respectively and V (market value) = D+E. RD and RE are the pretax cost of debt and cost of equity respectively and t is the corporate tax rate. The Numbers Used in Marriott’s WACC A 34% tax rate rate will be assumed for simplicity's sake so more effort can be focused on other issues . The above WACC calculation uses market value of debt. Cost of debt can be observed directly by calculating the yield to maturity of outstanding bonds, but since the bond market is not very transparent and we know Marriott's unsecured debt is A-rated, the company can expect to pay a spread above some base rate. Which index to use should be determined by project life, and as lodging is based on a long term business model, a 30-year treasury bond is appropriate. In this case, the base is 8. 95% according to Tabe B and the spread for the overall company is 130 basis points according to Table A. Also found in Table A, Marriott set a target of the debt percentage in its capital structure to be 60% for the overall company. Because there is no way of directly observing the return that equity investors require, we rely on a couple of methods to estimate it. A dividend growth model can be used, and although simply to use, this approach assumes steady dividend growth. This approach also does not directly adjust for the riskiness of a project. An alternative approach is to use CAPM, which does not rely on dividend growth and does take both the market risk premium and systematic risk into consideration. Using CAPM to estimate the cost of equity we use the following formula: _E(R)=Rf+ {draw:frame} *MRP_. Rf is the same risk-free base rate used to calculate cost of debt, in this case, 8. 95% from Table A. The {draw:frame} is obtained from regression using market data and therefore is affected by leverage. To adjust for this, the B is unlevered and then relevered so that it is the B for business risk only, independent of capital structure. With due consideration given to each input, Appendix A is a computation of Marriott's WACC, 11. 87%, which is also the required rate of return for the company overall. The Use of Marriott’s WACC in Divisional Decisions Marriott can use the computed WACC to support its stock repurchasing decisions because it allows the equity cash flows to be discounted at a company level rate. But because each cost of capital input could differ amongst its divisions, the cost of capital varies across each. If Marriott used the above calculated WACC for all divisional decisions, it would cause the company to take on riskier projects, projects that once risk adjusted would likely cause the company to lose money in the long run. A better approach would be to use individual {draw:frame} for each project with CAPM to calculate the WACC for each project and compare it to IRR. Determining Divisional WACC To estimate the WACC for each division, we need their corresponding {draw:frame} . To do this we use comparable companies for each division; this is because we cannot run regressions at the divisional level as that information is not available. For the lodging division, we compare other hotel companies, for the restaurant division, we compare other restaurants, and for the contract services division we use the identity: {draw:frame} M=WL* {draw:frame} L+WR {draw:frame} R+WCS {draw:frame} CS. The identifiable assets in Exhibit 2 will be used to compute the weights of each division. Once again, because the information is actual market numbers, {draw:frame} E is affected by leverage and must be unlevered by multiplying it by 1 – market leverage. This results in {draw:frame} A which is business risk, independent of capital structure. Asset risk is the only thing that is comparable across firms. Within each divisional comparison to comparable companies, weighted average of {draw:frame} A is used as smaller companies have less impact on the overall segment. These numbers are shown in Exhibit 3. The WACC for each division is found in Appendix B to D. Differences in WACC Appendix A: Marriott’s Overall WACC Calculation Appendix B: Marriott’s WACC for Lodging Appendix C: Marriott’s WACC for Restaurants Appendix D: Marriott’s WACC for Contract Services Identifiable lodging assets = 2777. 4 WL = 60. 61% {draw:frame} L = . 57 Identifiable restaurant assets = 567. 6 WR = 12. 39% {draw:frame} R = . 75 Identifiable contract services assets = 1237. 7 WCS= 27. 00% {draw:frame} CS = solve for this below {draw:frame} M=WL* {draw:frame} L+WR {draw:frame} R+WCS {draw:frame} CS 0. 57 = . 6061*0. 42 + . 12390. 75 + . 2700 {draw:frame} CS {draw:frame} CS = 0. 57

The Bioethics Debate

Kristi Ellis Mrs. Scheidt English 1301. 174 11 October 2012 Paper #2 – The Bioethics Debate In â€Å"Patenting Life,† by Michael Crichton, and â€Å"Bioethics and the Stem Cell Research Debate,† by Robyn S. Shapiro, they discuss gene patenting, medicine, stem cell research, and the laws of bioethics. According to Crichton and Shapiro, humans are all born with genes, stem cells, and organs that are part of our natural world, yet when the law tries to put limits on these rights it becomes unethical. Crichton and Shapiro both agree about the controversial issues surrounding science and medicine.They both point out the unethical issues, the innovation in medicine, and the impact on science and medicine in relation to the law. In both essays Crichton and Shapiro list many immoralities that arise out of bioethical issues. For instance, Crichton refers to an example of the Canavan disease in which the process to find a cure was halted due to gene patenting. It was a pri me example of an issue that was unethical because the owner of the gene for the disease could choose whether or not to charge for a test and choose how much to charge for it, which blocks medical innovations.Crichton states, â€Å"There is no clearer indication that gene patents block innovation, inhibit research and put us all at risk† (432). Crichton goes on to say that genes are part of humans naturally and should not be privately owned (431). In comparison, Shapiro explains although embryonic stem cells give promise to the medical field, many ethical issues surround it such as the destruction of the embryo. Shapiro also writes that those who denounce embryonic stem cell research believe the embryo is already a human being with rights from conception, while others believe that human rights do not exist prior to birth (435).Additionally, medical advancement is critical for innovation in both essays. Crichton states that gene patenting prevents medical testing and slows medi cal advancement. Not only does it halt research, but it causes the costs of medical testing to rise because the owner can charge whatever he wants (431). He mentions doctors cannot get information on if a medication will or will not work on someone because the lack of quality tests. Crichton says â€Å"For years we’ve been promised the coming era of personalized medicine – medicine suited to our particular body makeup.Gene patents destroy that dream† (432). In contrast, Shapiro states that stem cells are important to the medical field because they can turn into a wide array of cell types that can help people with diseases such as diabetes, nervous system diseases, and Parkinson’s disease (434-35). In addition, he says stem cell research could provide important information on how human organs and tissues develop, which could lead to development of new medications (435). In both sources, the law plays a significant role in the unethical issues surrounding s cience and medicine.Crichton mentions how the United States Patent Office issued gene patents by mistake because of misinterpreted Supreme Court rulings. The issue of gene patents make it hard for people to donate their genes because most of the genes are privately owned (431). Crichton states that two congressman sponsored the genomic research and Accessibility Act, a bill that would ban patenting genes in nature (432). Shapiro denotes the growing importance of the law surrounding bioethical issues. He cites the United States Supreme Court cases of Roe v.Wade and Stenberg v. Carkart which dealt with a partial birth abortion law. Shapiro states, â€Å"In state courts, bioethical considerations inform judges’ balancing of patient healthcare confidentiality with a â€Å"duty to warn† of potentially dangerous patient behavior (433). The most significant law Shapiro cites is the Dickey Amendment which prohibits federal funding for embryo research (436). Shapiro mentions i n addition to federal funding restrictions, many states have laws that limit embryonic stem cell research.Lastly, he cites the eligibility of federal patent protections significantly, the Thomson Patents (437). In conclusion, both Crichton and Shapiro can conclude the topics of gene patenting and embryonic stem cell research are unethical in some way. Although gene patenting blocks innovation and embryonic stem cell research promotes it, they both have laws that limit the impact on the world of science and medicine. According to Shapiro, â€Å"As these issues have moved to the center of public debate, the law has assumed an increasingly important place in the discipline of bioethics† (433).Thus, when the law puts limits on human genetics it becomes unethical and immoral according to both essays in this bioethical debate. WORD COUNT: 740 Works Cited Crichton, Michael. â€Å"Patenting Life. † Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Readings Across the Disciplines. 6th ed. E d. Katherine Anne Ackley. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. 431-432. Print. Shapiro, S. Robyn. â€Å"Bioethics and the Stem Cell Research Debate. † Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Readings Across the Disciplines. 6th ed. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. 433-438. Print.

Community Service Argument Essay

Community Service Argument Green Bay High Schools are being faced with a very controversial issue, which revolves around whether or not community service hours are needed to graduate. High schools are arguing that 24 hours of community service are needed to graduate from their facility of learning, but many frustrated students are voicing protests to this demand. This situation has caused much controversy among the school system and many arguments have risen in support and against this community service issue. Supporters of the community service project argue that if students fulfill their 24 hours of community service in high school they will develop into upstanding pillars of the community. They believe that students will become better aware of what the real world is like by doing community service and giving back to their community. Students will learn valuable life lessons by participating in community service and will feel good about themselves for helping others in need. Protestors have struck back with a very solid argument. They feel that if high school students are forced to do community service they will begin to see it as a punishment and as something that they have to do because it is required instead of something that they want to do because it is the right thing to do. Students will in the future look back at the community service projects that they were forced to do throughout high school and will continue to carry a negative outlook on community service for the entirety of their lifetime. Another idea that the protestors give about this community service issue is time constraints will make it close to impossible for high school students to fill the necessary 24 hours needed to graduate. High school students have an enormous amount of things going on in their lives. They attend school daily for 7 hours, participate in extra-curricular activities, and have part-time jobs. High school students have such a limited amount of time for themselves, as it is that by tacking on another time-consuming project like community service is ridiculous. Supporters argue back that high school students only need to fulfill 24 hours of community service throughout 4 years, that really isn’t asking a whole lot of time commitment. If students budget their time and start the community service when they are a freshman all they need to do is an hour every other week and they will still be done  with a year or so to spare. A final controversial issue that pops up is transportation. The protestors argue that freshman and sophomores in high school do not have their driver’s license, so how are they expected to get to their community service site when their parents or friends are at work or just to busy to give them a ride. Unless the school offers a means of transportation for the students there really is no solution to this problem. The supporters argue that students can find community service projects close to home or if they live in the country find another student to car pool with. Forcing students to complete 24 hours of community service in high school in order to graduate is a very controversial issue. Both sides have solid arguments about why community service should or should not be forced upon students. Community service is a wonderful thing that everyone should be required to do at some point in their life, but are high school students mature and responsible enough to take on community service projects at this stage in their life?

Good And Bad Manners Essay

Good Manners have a deep Affect on our minds. As bad manners produce bad results in society, good manners produce good results. Good manners are unconsciously acquired in our childhood, but they can also be cultivated later on. Every human being should be treated with due respect and dignity. The animal instinct in us makes us rough and vulgar, but a cultured and civilized man is gentle and polite. By good manners we understand the way in which a person should behave in society. One is expected to show respect one’s elders. Good manners are necessary for everyone, in every walk of life. It is good manners to thank anybooy who does anything for you. When a waiter brings you a glass of water, you may thank him. â€Å"Friends and good manners will carry you where money won’t go.† Good manners are vital for success in life. Nobody likes a rude person, but good manners endear a man to other. A shopkeeper who behaves rudely with his customers can never flourish in his trade, but one who behaves politely and pleasantly with others attracts a large number of customers. Patients always rush to a doctor who is sympathetic towards them. A leader cannot have a large follower unless he is polite to others. In fact good manners have a magnetic influence over the people. Good manner are not, however, born with us. They have to be cultivated with great care. Childhood is the best period to cultivate good manners and so both parents and teachers have a great role to play. Bad Manners: The Height of Bad Manners is Way too Much To begin with, Bad Manners is defined by lack of polite or well-bred social behavior resulting by ignorance, this may be true, but I don ´t think so, this is because nowadays people are adopting this reprehensive conducts no just by ignorance, but for doing whatever they want, in this bad manner conducts we can see: not respecting adults, farting in front of anybody, not saluting, people that don ´t respect the third age privileges in public places/transport. In the world we can see many of this awful behavior but each day we can see it more in our community its becoming part of our daily life to be disrespectful with others and don ´t minding about if the other  person would feel bad about it. As your parents probably told you not so many years ago this â€Å"Bad Manners Acts† where severally punished with very strict sanction but now we can see a teenager threatening and old man so they give him the spot in the bus.

Comparing the differences of purpose of government according to Term Paper

Comparing the differences of purpose of government according to Philosophers. (Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, and Locke) - Term Paper Example Some of the difficulties that society in the classical period faced are the same as what society experience today. For example, the question on whether to have a democratic, aristocratic, tyrannical or oligarchy was handled by in the classical period by Aristotle yet the same question still presents when discussing modern forms of governments. Thus, it is true to say that philosophers of classical period and modern philosophers are still faced with the same question on what is the purpose of the government and how does the government exercise its powers. According to Plato’s idea of an ideal state, the structures and functions in society should be explored in relation to the structure of individual soul. According to him, the individual soul is the different parts of the body in which the workers were the productive part that is represented by the abdomen, the solders that are the protective part represented by the chest and philosopher kings are the governing part that is rep resented by the head. From this classification, Plato envisioned the government, solders and workers each performing a different function in the state. The state as represented by the head can be seen to control and direct the functioning of other parts of the state as the whole body. This means that the government which is represented by the head, has the role of coordinating the activities all other parts of the society (Chang 71). Plato’s stand as expressed in the Laws presents and authoritarian view of government and authority. He claims that for a society to prosper, the authority must impose the right conditions on the people. Further, for maintenance of this prosperity, the authority should be iron fisted in dealing with the people (Crombie 178). My view is that this form of government does not allow the people to exercise their rights freely since all the power rests on the rulers and the people cannot question the decisions made by such a government. A government tha t functions under such ideals might become tyrannical thus denying the people their rights to exercise their opinion freely. Plato and Aristotle differed in their views of the functioning of the government where Plato’s idea of government was a centralized system with power resting in the hands of a few individual who belong to a political class and they exercised sovereignty over laws governing the land. His idea of the soul and the body where governing is a function of the head means that the government is a reserve of a few who are able to climb to the highest pinnacle of society. I find Aristotle’s government functioning as a more suitable one since it allows for the governing of the people through a constitution. This is a favorable system given that the sovereign power lies with the people and the government exercises such powers according to the demands of the society. Aristotle sees the functioning of the government as determined by the aspirations of people th at is enshrined in the constitution. According to him, the functioning and purpose for which the society sets up a government is enshrined in the will of the people and is further expressed through the constitution. The government function is based on the different forms that they take. Aristotle claims that the role of government will vary depending on whether it is a tyranny, aristocracy, an oligarchy or a democratic government (Simpson 215). Aristotle stated in his definition that a constitution is an organization of offices particularly one that has sovereignty over all the others in the society. In this definition, Aristotle recognized offices as the constitution and not a written law. A government will function differently, he argues, when

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Globalization - Essay Example This has an impact on the capitalist social and economic relations through microeconomic and multilateralism phenomena like competitiveness of businesses globally. The consequential change of production systems has an impact on the labor process, class structure, technological application, and capital organization and structure. Globalization marginalizes workers that are less educated and less skilled. As a result of globalization, expansion of business does not automatically result in increased employment. The higher mobility in comparison to labor can cause high capital remuneration. Power in the global economy is a company’s ability to command the tangible as well as intangible assets that result in increased loyalty of the customers irrespective of location. A company can tap into global networks no matter what is its geographic location or size. Globalization has had mixed effects on world economy with the increase in trade and foreign direct investment on one hand, and increased labor and production costs and income inequality on the other hand. Globalization has mixed effects on currency as a result of which, certain countries become stronger economically while other countries loose economic strength. Acceleration of globalization has caused market conditions to change. This has affected the volatility and value of national currencies all over the world. For example, the euro EUR in the European Union has replaced a number of local currencies. The Renminbi RMB has challenged the power of the US dollar. Many other currencies are linked with euro and dollar to deter harmful volatilities and fluctuations. Countries like Germany and China have taken advantage of the power of global currencies’ unification to sustain their growth. On the other hand, countries like Spain and Greece have gathered huge national debt while other countries have become poorer. A range of factors

American Dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Dream - Essay Example Although there had been growing aspirations, which are considered the basis of American dream, the term American dream was first used in 1931 by James Truslow. Although many American still contemplate of the American dream, the dream is different for everyone. The dreams of the Americans are very divergent and some are not even associated with the initial American dream. The American dream was meant to provide success, happiness, and freedom for all. The above would result from availability of equal opportunities for all Americans to achieve their goals based on their ability but not diversity. However, some have not achieved any of this. Initially, most Americans interpreted the American dream as the ability to possess excessive wealth in terms of motorcar and extraordinary wages. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jnr, gave his opinion regarding the American dream. In his dream, Luther envisioned an America that was free from any form of discrimination. In Luther’s opinion, achievement of American dream would come about when the descendants of slaves would be able to live together with the posterities of the slave masters. In Luther’s opinion, American dream was a concept in which justice will reign over racism and oppression. Equal opportunity meant a justice system where people will be judged by their character and not their skin color or nationality. In this concept, the American dream is far from being achieved. Years after the launching of the American groups, several individuals are still struggling as they attempt to convince the American authorities that they are Americans. Although some aspects of the American dream have been achieved, much of the dream is long dead. In other worlds, some aspects of the dream are still a dream that has not been achieved. The American dream is only alive in the minds of people. For people like Sami Al-Arian, who suffer because of their ethnic identity, the American dream is dead. The American dream was supposed to bring justice to all. However, people Like Sami Al-Arian, face charges for crimes they did not commit because of their religious beliefs and country of origin. The American dream envisioned an America where all people were free to enjoy their freedom irrespective of their nationalities. However, people from certain regions of the world or certain religious beliefs are treated with impartiality. They have to keep attesting that they are not terrorists (Al-Arian, 2012) The dream of an America with racial equality is no longer living. Impartiality towards minority groups remains high. The opportunities to share i n the American