Thursday, December 26, 2019

There Are Many Ways That Have Been Proven To Help In...

There are many ways that have been proven to help in preventing cardiovascular diseases; certain exercises and foods in particular. The American Heart Association gives a breakdown, of what you and should be doing to help prevent heart disease, depending on your age. They clearly state, no matter what your age is, you should be eating a healthy diet; this includes, eating a diet low in sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat. Sodium is the salt added into your food. Foods high in sodium are chips, table salt, crackers, pickles, sauces, dressings, and canned foods. Saturated fat is a molecule that has no double bonds, which makes it â€Å"stackable† and is considered an unhealthy fat. Foods high in saturated fat are; fatty beef, poultry (with†¦show more content†¦Exercise is another key to maintain a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. The American Heart Association recommends 150-minutes of moderate-intensity, aerobic, physical activity, or 75-minutes of vigorous-in tensity, aerobic, physical activity. To stave off boredom, it’s suggested to do a combination of both types of exercise throughout the week (American Heart Association, 2017). Aerobic physical activity is described as, â€Å"Exercise with oxygen.† During this type of exercise, the body, more specifically the heart, is working hard to pump oxygenated blood from the heart to the muscles throughout your body (another name for this type of exercise is cardio-exercise). Specific examples of aerobic exercise are; cardio machines, walking, jogging, running, swimming, hiking, and even dancing. The intensity of the exercise depends on how fast and how long the exercise is consistently maintained over a period of time (Weil, n.d.). Strength training actives, such as; lifting weights and utilizing muscle-strengthening machines, may be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease, as well. The American Heart Association recommends older adults do muscle-strengthening actives at least two times a week (especially for those individuals who are at a greater genetic disposition forShow MoreRelatedWhy Vaccination Is Necessary For Our Public Health And Public Safety ( Plotkin 1-15 )1323 Words   |  6 Pagesvaccines, to possibility cure or remove a disease. However, there are many concerns when it comes to vaccinations; are they okay for the body and/or will vaccines cause our bodies harm? Or are vaccines okay to get, and do they work? State laws are pushing to make vaccines a requirement. Because of these laws being passed, many argue that they are being forced in getting their children vaccinated. People should be able to have the freedom to choose if they want their children to be vaccinated or notRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1057 Words   |  5 Pagesuses a hefty sum of money to regulate drug use and to enforce laws passed to protect society from the threats of certain drugs. Some debate that the fight against drugs is not needed and that society has already lost the war on drugs and the only way to answer the problem is to terminate most of the fighting altogether by decriminalizing the use of marijuana. William Buckley says, Pot is harmful, but people should not go to jail for smoking it (Buckley). Buckley was a college professor at ColumbianRead MoreBanning Designer Babies : An Experimental Technique1236 Words   |  5 Pagesyears the discussion on designer babies has been up surging and is now at the forefront of many medical and academic discussions. An experimental technique, known as gene therapy, birthed the idea of designer babies (â€Å"Gene Therapy†. GHF). This very experimental technique, why, uses healthy genes to treat, or rather prevent diseases that co uld be passed down from parent to child. However, scientists have ventured to further expound on the concept of preventing disease to a more cosmetic and superficialRead MoreDesigner Babies : An Experimental Technique1220 Words   |  5 PagesFor years the discussion on designer babies has been upsurging and is now at the forefront of many medical and academic discussions. An experimental technique, known as gene therapy, birthed the idea of designer babies. This very experimental technique, y, uses healthy genes to treat, or rather prevent diseases that could be passed down from parent to child. However, scientists have ventured to further expound on the concept of preventing disease to a more cosmetic and superficial approach. The moreRead MoreBenefits Of Learning About Ones Culture1292 Words   |  6 Pagesbetween people. For many, culture is embedded from a young age and it is not much of a challenge to feel in touch with one’s roots. However, an oft-found issue in Abor iginal populations is the perceived lack of cultural knowledge. Be it through politics or oppression, many Aboriginal people feel a disconnect between them and their culture and have trouble connecting with their cultural backgrounds on a social level. Teaching Aboriginal people about their own cultures can help them lead better livesRead MoreAnti Depressants The Best Treatment For Depression1510 Words   |  7 Pagesin activities; changes in eating and sleeping habits; restlessness and aggravation; feelings of worthlessness and guilt; lack of motivation and enthusiasm; fatigue and no energy; difficulty concentrating; and thoughts of death and suicide. Many people can have different effects of depression. Common effects include but are not limited to, problems at school or work; running away (more common in adolescents); drug and alcohol abuse; low self-esteem; internet addiction; reckless behavior; and violenceRead MoreVaccines Prevent The Human Race1697 Words   |  7 Pages1 child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine† (Global Health Security: Immunization). Providing immunity to human, vaccines have saved countless lives through one simple injecting and have eradicated many di seases that used be common among people. Vaccines is the solution and allow us to be able to combat diseases that have overwhelmed humans for centuries. Having this preventative practice has been extremely beneficial and vital to the well-being of theRead MoreSex Education And Sexual Education884 Words   |  4 Pagescontrol themselves and sex education provides substantial advice. With this in mind, sex education provides preparedness, answers questions, and creates awareness. To begin with, sex education creates the state of readiness. One way it proves this is with preventing pregnancies. The article â€Å"Effective Sex Education† by Brigid McKeon states, â€Å"Though the teen birth rate has declined to its lowest levels since data collection began, the United States still has the highest teen birth rate.† The aboveRead MoreExercise : How Exercise Improves Your Mood1722 Words   |  7 Pagesexercise in the elderly. According to the staff at Mayo Clinic, there are 7 important benefits of regular exercise (2015). The first reason is that exercise improves your mood (Mayo Clinic, 2015). Are you are feeling down and need an emotional lift, or have had a stressful day at work and need to blow off some steam? A small workout at the gym or a brisk walk at the park might be your answer. Exercise â€Å"stimulates the brain to release chemicals to make you feel happier and more relaxed† (Mayo Clinic, 2015)Read MoreAll Schools Should Teach Sex Education Programs962 Words   |  4 PagesAll Schools Should Teach Sex Education Programs Young children have curious minds to many things, and even though they are told â€Å"no† or to â€Å"stay away†, they tend to act on that curiosity. This also applies to sex. Kids see it on the television, hear it in music, see it on the Internet and start asking about it. Some parents believe that teaching a Sex Education program should just consist of abstinence and nothing more, due to the belief that exposing young children to sexual activity would encourage

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

A Brief Note On Israeli And Japanese Pregnancy Processes

Tsipy Ivry’s book on Israeli and Japanese pregnancy processes is an important work towards feminist anthropology and the study of pregnancy and birth in anthropology. The focuses of pregnancies brought to term in Israel and Japan, and the U.S. have many differences. The importance of genetic testing in the U.S. and Israel, and the lack of importance of it in Japan is very interesting and culturally-based. In an updated paper from 2011, Rayna Rapp expands on birthing practices and childbearing in New York City, in regards to genetic testing. Rapp also spread their studies into how western reproductive technology has spread to â€Å"developing nations† and the phenomena of wealthy westerners heading to less economically developed countries for IVF, stem cell, and other reproductive treatments and services. For example, embryotic tissue is regarded differently and more secularly in India than many Euro-American discourses and thus many seek medical treatment in India that are from other countries. The IVF process greatly effects marriages and depending upon its success further impacts partnerships and marriages, as well as gendered expectations of motherhood and fatherhood. Many women in rural countries, in good health, will donate their eggs too for monetary gain. Furthermore, IVF can be complicated by cultural and religious beliefs and practices. For example, in Israel traditional IVF is banned but obtaining eggs from other non-Jewish women is permitted, or in Sharia Iran, theShow MoreRelatedPsy 244 Essay10464 Words   |  42 Pagesthe examination will come from the lectures (Topics I – X) and the assigned chapters and parts of chapters in the textbook. To help frame the questions for you, they will be organized under the same main headings and subheadings used in the Lecture Notes. The only exceptions will be a few subheadings that pertain to material covered only in the text. Under each heading will be a mix of true-false and multiple-cho ice questions, and possibly a few analogies, with all answers to be recorded on a scantronRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesto the processes and misguided policies that led to decades of agrarian and industrial depression from the late 1860s to the 1890s, as well as the social tensions and political rivalries that generated and were in turn fed by imperialist expansionism, one cannot begin to comprehend the causes and consequences of the Great War that began in 1914. That conflict determined the contours of the twentieth century in myriad ways. On the one hand, the war set in motion transformative processes that were

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Diane Ackerman free essay sample

I dont want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well† (Quoteopia). Diane Ackerman was born in 1948. She considers herself a poet, a naturalist, and an essayist. She spent a year at Boston University in the late 1960s and transferred to Pennsylvania State University. She intended to study physiological psychology, but a computer error during transfer had her major listed as English. She accepted this mistake as fate. She received MFA, MA, PhD from Cornell University and taught at the University of Pittsburgh, Washington, University, New York University, Cornell, and Columbia. Diane Ackerman was not comfortable as a child with her creativity or her expression never being encouraged. She was considered strange with her gift of very keen senses and a need to write her experiences down. She worried neighbors by talking to herself, she was reprimanded for coloring trees that werent green, she proposed experiments to determine whether people could fly, she imagined that the dark fruits in a nearby plum orchard were really bats. We will write a custom essay sample on Diane Ackerman or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was ashamed because I had a secret world. Children are the biggest conformists: They dont want to be different, they want to be like their chums (Veslany, â€Å"Conversation†). ?She continued secretly writing for herself. It was not until she met her partner, novelist Paul West, that encouragement came. Ackerman studied English literature at Penn State under West who tutored her informally in prose writing for nearly 10 years.? When Ackerman began to publish her work in graduate school and get some response to it, she was stunned. It was amazing to me that people would actually praise me for and enjoy what I was most ashamed of for so many years of my life. It made me part of a community spread out in time and in country: a community of writers, some of whom were dead some of whom I felt closest to were dead. Such feelings of kinship extended to John Donne, Colette, Lucretius, Boethius, Virginia Woolf, Rilke and Proust (Veslany, â€Å"Conversation†). Her creed is: â€Å"All life is sacred, life loves light and we can always improve our behavior towards one another† (Richards, â€Å"At Play†). Half of Diane Ackerman’s books is poetry. Hers was a typical drama of a gifted child: her parents were unsure if her creativity was healthy or normal. When her college major was switched from physiological psychology to English due to mistake, Diane Ackerman accepted it as fate. However, her interest to this field never disappeared: her prose books are an example of fine science popularization. She is undoubtedly a poet who is capable to see beauty behind the life’s chaos: â€Å"I think, that being at a point in your life when you can accept all of the mischief and mayhem that the universe is going to throw at you and nonetheless feel a sense of praise. Not because youre in denial about all the harshness. The tough thing is to get to the point where you can accept it and still think its grace to be born and live† (Richards, â€Å"At Play†). Her last book is about coping with a crisis of your loved one. She wrote it after her husband, novelist Paul West, had a massive stroke in 2006, lost his ability to speak and later miraculously regained it. They have been married since 1970, he is 18 years her senior.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Puritans Essays - Dominion Of New England,

The Puritans The Puritans dream was to create a model society for the rest of Christendom. Their goal was to make a society in every way connected to god. Every aspect of their lives, from political status and employment to even recreation and dress, was taken into account in order to live a more pious life. But to really understand what the aspirations of the puritans were, we must first understand their beliefs. Their goal was absolute purity; to live with out sin in a sinful world was to them the supreme challenge in life. They were derisively called Puritans because they sought to purify the Church of England of the popish and antichristian stuff with which they believed the simplicity of the primitive Christian church had been encrusted. The Puritans believed that mans only purpose in life was to glorify God on earth and, if he were especially fortunate, to continue the good work in Heaven. For the puritans, to glorify god meant keeping him in mind at all times, working to the best of their ability at whatever job god had fated them to do, and following a strict moral code based on the bible. Every act and thought was either a glorification of god or its opposite. Thus, leading a pious life in the form of working hard, praying, and churchgoing, was considered paying homage to God. Through all of these things, the most important was to be mindful of God at all times. Pride, complacency, and gratification of the senses could not be permitted if they captured the place in the mind reserved for the Almighty. This does not mean, however, (as many people have believed) that the Puritans did not allow themselves to be comfortable and happy. First of all, the Puritans took happiness in the knowledge that they were living a pure life the way God had intended it to be. Second they believed in working hard, and if one acquired wealth by working hard, saving, and staying sober, than that was evidence of God favoring that person. Eating well, drinking well, sexual indulgence within the bounds of matrimony, and enjoying the comforts of life were not proscribed by the Puritans. In actuality, the Puritans were waging war upon certain human propensities that they regarded as evils: covetousness, materialism, the love of ostentation, and concern with the externals of religion rather than with the things of the spirit. When a puritan felt that he had failed to meet the requirements set for him by God, he flagellated himself remorselessly with introspective cross-examinations that usually took the form of thoughts of eternal reprobation and torment. The puritan was in constant internal conflict, whether it was restraining his human desires, or if he failed in that, than scolding himself for faltering in his efforts. The Puritans believed that they were Gods select few that could carry out his original orders the way he had intended. Now that we have made clear the beliefs that the Puritans held so dear, we can better observe their aspirations when they arrived in Massachusetts. They came to the New World to erect a City Upon a Hill that would serve as a model for the rest of the Christian world. Thus, in the eyes of the Puritan leaders, the settlement of New England appeared to be the most significant act in human history since Christ bade farewell to his disciples. The city of God was destined to be built in New England and the Puritans intended to be the founders. An entire community living as God had directed men to live, this was the vision that spurred thousands of people to make the dangerous Atlantic journey to New England. The Puritans goal in New England was to create the perfect pure society where nobody sinned and God ruled completely. They attempted this by making laws about and regulating every aspect of life in the colony. To achieve this, the church needed to rule the colony. And if the church ruled the colony, only the real Puritans could be part of the church. They believed only a minority of the population pure enough to be a part of the church. Consequently, the Puritans restricted church membership and

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Rope-a-Dope and International Affairs

Rope-a-Dope and International Affairs Rope-a-Dope and International Affairs Rope-a-Dope and International Affairs By Maeve Maddox The other day I began listening to an interview between NPR’s Scott Simon and Dennis Ross, a member of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. My attention was stopped cold by this sentence in Simon’s opening remarks: I apologize for using a sports analogy, but what about the chances that this might be the rope-a-dope strategy for Iran? I don’t know how I’ve managed to go so long without encountering this expression, but I hadn’t a clue as to what Simon meant by â€Å"the rope-a-dope strategy.† The expression originated in 1974 when the boxer Muhammad Ali introduced the tactic in his fight with George Foreman. Besides its use to describe a boxing maneuver, apparently the expression is commonly used in political writing. My only excuse for remaining ignorant of it for so long is that my interest in politics is on a par with my interest in sports. Neither the OED nor Merriam-Webster Unabridged has an entry for â€Å"rope-a-dope,† but I found this definition at the free online Oxford Dictionaries: rope-a-dope noun: (US informal) A boxing tactic of pretending to be trapped against the ropes, goading an opponent to throw tiring ineffective punches. The expression has been applied to the delaying tactics favored by Iran at least since 2006: Many fear that the Iranians are engaged in a game of â€Å"rope-a-dope,† absorbing our best efforts to stop their nuclear program while buying time to get themselves over the nuclear know-how threshold. –US Senate report, 2006 One problem with using sports analogies in general reporting is that not all readers are familiar with them. Another is that the writers who use the expressions may not use them to mean the same thing. And a third is that the more such an expression is used, the more the original meaning is likely to shift. These seem to be the most common interpretations of â€Å"the rope-a-dope strategy†: -provoking an opponent to energy-wasting rage -pretending to be weaker than one is -distracting an opponent from one’s true purpose -employing delaying tactics In the case of Iran, â€Å"rope-a-dope† equates to â€Å"delaying tactics†: delaying tactics: an action or strategy designed to defer or postpone something in order to gain an advantage for oneself. For the sake of sports-challenged listeners, Simon could have said, â€Å"What about the chances that this might be a delaying tactic on the part of Iran?† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant Names"Latter," not "Ladder"10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Ingredients in Coke and Their Function

Ingredients in Coke and Their Function You probably know that once upon a time Coca-Cola or Coke contained cocaine. What you might not know is that the beverage is still flavored with an extract from the coca leaf and that the cocaine which is extracted from the leaves is sold for medicinal use. The Stepan Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which is sold to Mallinckrodt, the only US company that is licensed to purify cocaine. So... what are the other ingredients in Coke and what do they do? Coke contains a fairly short list of ingredients: Carbonated waterSugar (which can be sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup)CaffeinePhosphoric acid v. caramel (E150d)Natural flavorings (which include coca leaf extract) The purpose of the carbonated water and sugar is obvious, but you may be unaware caramel coloring is also an important flavoring agent... well, unless you ever tried the clear versions of Coke or Pepsi. Theres a good reason those never became popular. Caramel color is a soluble food coloring that is prepared by heat treating carbohydrates. The golden or brown liquid retains a bitter taste and burnt sugar odor. The caffeine is a stimulant, but also contributes a characteristic bitter flavor to the cola. The secret formula of the additional flavorings is known to two executives at Coca-Cola. The original copy of the formula is kept in Atlanta in the SunTrust Banks vault.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Why Globalization Is Bad for the Economy Research Paper

Why Globalization Is Bad for the Economy - Research Paper Example Macro economics consists of concepts that can be applied to the entire world. Globalization is a procedure of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world. For thousands of years, people and corporations have been buying from and selling to each other in lands at great distances hence globalization is not the new concept, but there have been vast changes in form of technology, advancement and policies over decades. Globalization can be explained as Covering a wide range of distinct political, economic, and cultural trends and discouraging barriers. Globalization became commonplace in the last two decades, and In today’s world barriers and distance don’ t matter anymore especially because of the advancement in technology, media and internal and most of all the mode of travelling. By the help of all the advancement and progress in the technology now anyone can travel a thousand miles in matter of hours and days. However Globalization is a very controversial topic, many economist don’t support the idea of globalization as it has many diverse affects on the economy. As many economist believe that Advances in communication and transportation technology, combined with free-market ideology, have given goods, services, and capital unprecedented mobility. And this can affect the local market of the country. Because of globalization â€Å"international trade† takes place. International trade is the exchange of goods and services among different countries, no country is self sufficient and can’t produce all that it needs to survive, and hence the countries need to Export and import to meet their needs. With the help of m odern techniques, up to date procedures, contemporary practices, globalization and highly advanced transportation system, the International trade system is spreading really fast. in today’s world International trade is important for meeting the needs of the country, not every country can produce all that it wants so in order to meet their needs and demands the trade takes place. International trade can benefit the economy of the country by expanding the local market and increasing the variety of the goods and services available. International trade is the basic source of bringing â€Å"FOREX† in the country. Trade often increases competition and it helps in reducing monopolistic pricing and the cons that generate from that. It encourages local investors and manufactures to perform better and keep stable pricing in the market. International trade is one of the major sources of revenue for the country. By doing more exports and fewer imports the country can actually achi eve economic stability. international trade can help reduce local dependence on the existing companies and international trade can even help stabilize seasonal market fluctuations. No matter the level of the development of the country there will always be some specific products that other countries must be producing at a cheaper rate, in order to make maximum use of minimum resources the country import those certain goods, The are produced at lower marginal costs, this help countries save and stay in their budget, this concept is known as the â€Å"Comparative Advantage†. International trade is one of the best examples of Globalization. In spite of all these benefits international tra

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Crisis and Expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crisis and Expansion - Essay Example As new modes of communication arrived on the scene, they allowed faster and more secure ways of sending and receiving information. It is also the time when various stratified groups of citizens started realizing their rights, particularly the African Americans and women. This gave rise to several black and women’s rights movements demanding greater rights for the minority or neglected group. The 19th century is also important due to the numerous expansions, exterminations, and exclusions took place. The Gold Rush also occurred during the same century when a great number of people flocked into California in order to find gold, but the incident also resulted in the death of several hundred Native Americans. Further activities during the century included the American Civil War and the rise of capitalistic ideas which influenced its own following. Thus, the nineteenth century was characterized by geographical expansion, industrial development, and activism. A significant portion of the 19th century was occupied by the westward territorial expansion of American settlements. Following the American independence from the colonization of Great Britain, the US was a free land which faced the problems of rising inflation and a weak economy (The significance of the frontier in American history pg 1). However, it is also during this time when American settlements sprawled further westwards in order to find suitable dwellings that met their need for sufficient resources. The American population kept growing and expanding in numbers and the American society found itself to be sharply extending to western continents as they went through the societal development process. The society and the people were also subject to the rapidly changing external environments which spurred them to expand to places where they could conquer the â€Å"wilderness†. Thus, in response to the changing social, economic,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Reforms in China Essay Example for Free

Reforms in China Essay Many reforms have been introduced in China since it attained its independence but the most significant ones took place after 1978. These reforms are very popular in the history of China as the economic transformation is all attributed to them. The need to introduce the reforms was the urgent political as well as economic urgency to revive the Chinese economy which was headed for doom. Communism failed to see the country realize its goals of industrialization. Instead it had seen the country compromise its food security and it was clear that development would not be realized self sufficiently. There was need to introduce new and different policies to help change the country’s economy. The reforms were successful in the sense that they liberalized prices, diversified the banking systems and promoted the development of the private sector which was almost inexistent. The state sectors would gain increased autonomy and would operate in a free economy as a way of increasing their efficiency. Despite all these positive effects of the reforms, important issues that emerge calling for serious or vital considerations if they are to be addressed effectively. This paper aims at classifying the CPS reform strategy and establishing if it is a sinified socialist or an authoritarian developmentalist. CPS reform strategy is authoritarian developmentalistic in nature. The reforms have been successful in improving the people’s standards of living and as Randall explain in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? the life expectancy rate has risen. (Peerenboom, 2007). China has been registering economic growth year after year and this is expected to go on for quite a long time. It has promoted trade liberalization and embraced capitalism but the role of the state is also significant and cannot be undermined. The state is responsible for the regulation as well as the control of important sectors of the economy. It also ensures that the conditions are effective for the effective operations of business. Privatization was to be encouraged with the introduction of the reforms. It strengthened the private sector which was almost inexistent during the era of communism. The reforms have brought about mixed feelings to the Chinese people. Despite the economic benefits that came with the reforms it is argued that they brought about separation or segregation among the Chinese people. China introduced the reform as it wanted to revive the economy as well as to increase its independence where the aspect of foreign dominance would be eliminated. The political leaders at the time internalized the need for intensive economic development and there were focused to enhancing industrialization. A socialist nation is one where the state has much control over almost all aspects. Such systems are condemned in the sense that they create minimal incentives to encourage innovation. In general, the issue of efficiency is one that raises much concern in as far as such states are concerned. With the reforms the government control on prices would be minimized and consequently the market distortions that were caused would be eliminated. If power is decentralized the various levels of government would have the autonomy necessarily to enable them work effectively and efficiently. Allowing state corporations to operate within the limits of the market forces of demand and supply would see to it that prices reflected the actual prices. It is this ideology that would enhance the effectiveness of such bodies. As China moved away from the initially practiced socialism it continued to undermine nationalism and the economic aspect was placed above the other aspects. The resultant effect of this practice was the intensive distortions in the economy as well as in the political arena. The popular values that ensured that the people’s interests remained the government’s major role were replaced by the need to develop. As Randall explains in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? chapter four democracy in the Asian countries remains a highly debatable issue and it creates mixed reactions in people. The real sense of democracy does not seem to be felt as can be seen in the manner in which elections are carried out. In any democratic nations elections are carried out to let the people have a say in the matters concerning their nation. They act as a measure that checks on how a country is run. Good leaders are generally elected or re-elected to continue with the projects they have established. However, the manner in which most Asian countries conduct their elections is quite questionable and it raises concerns as to whether the main reason for the elections is to ensure that democracy prevails. They are characterized by chaos and people would go the extra mile of disrespecting the rule of law to secure their position in power. The response of the common man as regards to this issue is hostile in nature. If people are denied the right to freely and fairly participate in the running of their own nation then they end up opting for harsh measures. (Peerenboom, 2007). Tun-jen, Jacques and Deborah argue there is need to reform the political organization too. Power in China has not been reformed and the same powers that the first generation had are the same powers that the four generation has. (Huang, 2005). A good illustration to prove the reality of this statement is the fact that just as the earlier leaders had much power in as far as the military was concerned so are the current leaders. There is need to change the political system especially the party organizations. This would lead to their effectiveness in addressing issues as they emerge. The political leadership should move with the times as different times are characterized by different and unique issues. Tun-jen, Jacques and Deborah suggest that if the government is to regain its lost glory tarnished by the rampant corruption that jeopardizes its very legitimacy then the political leadership must be reformed. It must change in a manner that makes it relevant to the newly emerging situation. (Amin, 2005). The reforms can be explained as ‘authoritarian developmentalistic in nature. The political elite who form the government are committed to ensuring that development remains a highly valued national goal. To attain this goal they have set necessary institutions to design, implement the state led development projects. Although capitalism is embraced in such a state this is not without some restrictions. The institutions with the role of ensuring that policies set in place are geared towards the economic development of the nation makes it hard for other parties to make their contribution. This exclusivity of some institutions at that expense of the majority causes much conflicts or tension. The capitalism exercised in China is limited to the extent at which the state intervention is ensured. Policies that are allowed are those that pave way for rapid industrialization and more preference is given to the structures or institutions that would be of a positive impact in as far as economic development is concerned. The reforms failed to let the market operate effectively as with the mixed economy government control in market was inevitable. As Randall explains in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? chapter four, bureaucratic privileges were not effectively addressed and the country’s power structure was not effectively addressed thus undermining democracy. As a result of this the common man feels detached from the same system that is supposed to ensure that his interests are amicably dealt with. The government has failed in fulfilling its responsibilities effectively as can be seen in the way it exhibits laxity in the implementation of laws that ensure the protection of its citizens. Public participation is highly disregarded in as far as policy making is concerned. The reforms were to bring about significant changes which should be felt by the entire system. (Peerenboom, 2007). Consequently there is need to implement changes in the legal as well as the political institutions. Some aspects of socialism should be adopted to ensure that economic development is not at the expense of the common man. For there to be effective development it is important that countries must embrace democracy. Whenever democracy is undermined then the chances for intensive demonstrations are increased and this is not good for the economy. If people are not allowed to have a say in their affairs they may opt for the harsh ways of expressing their views. Again, if consultation is not done the policies to be implemented may not necessarily the best for the people. Democracy invokes varying or rather conflicting views as some argue that its efficiency is correlated to state of the country in question. To this regard they argue that its effectiveness would be felt in the developed countries. (Peerenboom, 2007). However, in some developing countries with many groups where there is minimal chance of one group dominating the others it can well exercised. In the current position, democracy only works to benefit a few people in the society. The elite who stand a better position in society whether in the aspects of power or money tend to benefit at the expense of the majority poor. Democracy does not address the same issues it was introduced to deal with. In any cases it only works to perpetuate conflicts as the commoners will strive to use whichever means at their disposal to have their voice heard. The inefficiencies that ‘democracy’ is characterized with include the lack of transparency by the elite n society. This paves way for irregularities in the system as the political elites are not answerable to anyone. They are reluctant to meet the needs or interests of the people even though that is their major role. Another important characteristic of this democracy as explained by Randall in China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? is the poor dissemination of information. The reason behind such practice is the need to keep the people in the dark in the running of the state. As the saying goes, ‘what you do not know does not bother you’, if people are not aware of the actual evils of their systems then they would not air their views on the same. Again, if only the positive information is disseminated then the people are less likely to condemn the system or even make contributions in the running of the system. (Peerenboom, 2007). In chapter four of his book, China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? , Randall explains how China prides in the way it has successfully alleviated millions from poverty. However their efforts can be countered by the fact that it has not dealt with the issue of inequalities effectively as the gap between the haves and the have-nots is very wide. (Peerenboom, 2007). The government is however committed to ensuring that education and healthcare are given much priority and this can be seen in the introduction of free schooling and subsidized medical care in the rural areas. There exist significant disparities in as gender is concerned and women tend to for instance register higher illiteracy rates compared to men. The minorities also seems to have been neglected by the current system and thus there is need to address their interests. Although the Chinese people need to address the main issues affecting them especially the inequality and corruption such efforts are hindered by the lack of sufficient resources. The social groups that would have come in handy in enhancing this lack the financial power to operate effectively and efficiently. Randall in China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? describes the civil societies as too weak to meet their challenge. Jianfu Shen in his article, Population Growth, Ecological Degradation and Construction in the Western Region of China, the population growth is also an issue that the Chinese government should address. (Shen, 2004). It is critical for it to promote equality among its citizen so that it has a unified growth. The issue of inequality is also cited as one that calls for urgent redress by Tun-jen Cheng and others in China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, (Friedman, 2005). The issue of environmental degradation is also highlighted and it has intensified as industrialization continues to be embraced. In China the elections do not address the people’s problems. (Peerenboom, 2007). This is evident in the sense that the problems of inequality, corruption, poverty and human suffering are not resolved after elections. The elected government seems to forfeit its role in addressing the problems at hand. Politics is dominated by the political elite who are in close links with the business elite or are themselves in business. Money also plays an important role in influencing the elections as the affluent give money to attract more votes. The authoritarian developmentalistic reform strategy gives room for social evils like political violence as well as rampant corruption. Corruption is a major setback in China as Randall explains in chapter five of his book, China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? There is need to ensure that the existing institution especially the legal system reform so that they can effectively deal with it. The role of the legal system cannot be underestimated in as far as economic development is concerned. Law and order must be maintained to create conducive environments for the people. If the rule of law is well adhered to then the chances for corrupt dealings will be minimized to a large extent. The legal systems would ensure that property rights are respected and this will be effective in ensuring that businesses flourish. (Peerenboom, 2007). This paper has by and large explained the aftermath of the reforms as a way of defining the strategy’s position. The reforms produced varying effects as some benefited at the expense of others. Whether the reforms brought about economic growth is undisputable given the fact that they saw the country emerge from just another developing country to register an increment in the country’s GDP year after the other. Many people were relieved from poverty as their incomes rose and so did their standards of living. However there is another aspect of the reforms that is not only worrying but needs to be addressed. The reasons that make the reform strategy take the form of an authoritarian developmentalist by limiting the people’s voice or say is irrelevant need to be well addressed. Lack of effective democracy where important human rights are not respected makes the reform strategy a failure in the sense that it undermines important issues that it ought to be addressing. References Randall Peerenboom. 2007. China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? ` Oxford University Press Yanghong Huang, 2005. `Is the Chinese State Apparatus Being Revamped? ` in Tun-jen Cheng, et. al. ,eds. , China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, River Edge, N. J. : World Scientific Publishing Company, Samir Amin, 2005. `Theory and Practice of the Chinese Market Socialism Project: Is Market Socialism an Alternative to Liberal Globalization? ` in Tian Yu Cao, ed. , The Chinese Model of Development, London and New York: Routledge,. Edward Friedman. 2005. `Jiang Zemins Successors and Chinas Growing Rich-Poor Gap,` in Tun-jen Cheng, et. al. ,eds. , China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, River Edge, N. J. : World Scientific Publishing Company Jianfu Shen, 2004. `Population Growth, Ecological Degradation and Construction in the Western Region of China,` Journal of Contemporary China, 13, 41 (November 2004): 637-661

Friday, November 15, 2019

Characterization in The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea and Won

Characterization in The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea and Wonderful Fool      Ã‚  Ã‚   The literary technique of characterization is often used to create and delineate a human character in a work of literature. When forming a character, writers can use many different methods of characterization. However, there is one method of characterization that speaks volumes about the character and requires no more than a single word - the character's personal name. In many cases, a personal name describes the character by associating him with a certain type of people or with a well known historical figure. Therefore, since the reader learns the character's name first, a personal name is a primary method of characterization; it creates an image in the reader's mind that corresponds with the name of the character. Once this image has been created, all subsequent actions and beliefs of the character are somehow in accordance with this image; otherwise, the character does not seem logical and the reader is not be able to relate to the work. In the novels The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea, by Yukio Mishima, and Wonderful Fool, by Shusako Endo, each author gives one of his characters a personal name that guides the character's actions and beliefs.    Noboru, the name assigned to a 13 year old child in Mishima's novel The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea means little boy in Japanese (Honda). By naming this major character Noboru, Mishima has characterized him as nothing more than a little boy. Consequently, Noboru's actions and beliefs are typical of the actions and beliefs of a small child.    Noboru's actions are the first to show the effects of his name. When Noboru discovers a peephol... ... be translated from Japanese to English. Due to cultural barriers, those who read the translated versions of the novels fail to see the importance of names like Noboru and Tomoe, and the impact that these names have on the rest of the work. Consequently, some of the literary value of the novels is lost in the translation. By using personal names as primary sources of characterization, Endo and Mishima offer a concluding suggestion that, whenever possible, it is best to read works of literature in the language in which they were originally written.    WORKS CITED †¢ Endo, Shusako. Wonderful Fool. Trans. Francis Mathy. Chester Springs: Peter Owen Publishers, 1995. †¢ Honda, Yoriko. Telephone Interview. 23 January 1997. †¢ Mishima, Yukio. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. Trans. John Nathan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1965.   

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

American Prisons

As far as memory could recall, man has continually developed laws to keep resolute civilization along with criminal sanctions to discourage the infringement of those laws. Accordingly, the number of inmates in federal and state penal colonies in the United States has soared to about 200,000 since the 1940s, and at the start of 1997, about 645 out of every 100,000 American citizens lived behind bars (Dakrat 1). However, alternative sanctions during the last decade have become prevalent in the United States, as well as in other western nations.The introduction of alternative sanctions has turned into one of the most significant developments in punishment principles in the country, in view of the fact that it reflects on the victims, offenders, community, as well as sentencing as a whole, in an absolutely different outlook. In a country with the world’s largest prison population, adding up to more than 2. 2 million, and where a number of States allocates more funds to the mainten ance of criminals than on education, alternative punishments are at this time a matter of necessity. Problems Faced By American PrisonsIt is not easy for most people to offer compassion for the millions of convicts incarcerated in the overcrowded prisons of America. A good number of the country’s population even believes that what takes place inside every prison establishments do not affect them. On the contrary, what occurs in prisons comes back to the society with a vengeance. Approximately 13. 5 million people in the country have served their own time in prisons and jails over the course of the year, and in the long run 95 percent of them are discharged back into the society (â€Å"Rising prison problems begin to trickle into society†).Because too many prisons are inhumane, unhealthy or unsafe, several of the released inmates return to the society as more hardened criminals eager to perpetrate new transgressions as well as to blame for spreading communicable disease s, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, etc. , that were not taken cared of during the time that they were locked up. Currently, prison problems involve: 1. Corrections officers and inmates alike are constantly in fear of being assaulted. Even so, numerous prisons still do not report or collect information concerning the assaults, and when they do, the information is generally untrustworthy.2. Education lessens rule-breaking and is proven to cut the rate of recidivisms by almost half (â€Å"Rising prison problems begin to trickle into society†). However, despite the fact that the prison population has doubled since the 1990s, the pace of funding for prison vocational training and education has not persisted. 3. In excess of 1. 5 million prisoners carrying severe communicable diseases are discharged every year (â€Å"Rising prison problems begin to trickle into society†).In fact, a number of penal complex with as many as 5,000 prisoners have no more than two resident d octors. 4. Incarceration can no longer be viewed as the main form of criminal punishment given the growing expenses of both management and construction of prisons as well as the crisis of prison overcrowding (Junger-Tas 9). At this time, America is contending with the menacing economic recession that is acting as a powerful brake on advancing the country’s utilization of large funding in support to resolve the foregoing problems.The development of alternative punishments is therefore the result of the justice system’s exploration for new sentencing strategies to rise above these intertwining problems. Effects of Traditional Prison Sentence Anchored in the findings of the Center for Criminal Justice Studies at the University of New Brunswick and the Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, unwarranted use of imprisonment has enormous expenditure implications. On the average, each American spends $50,000 annually to keep criminals in prison (Dakrat 2).In additio n, prisons should not be employed with anticipations of reducing illicit behavior. The soaring recidivism rate signifies that the risk of getting arrested and returned to prison does not deter criminals. Moreover, a research points out higher rates of recidivism among incarcerated youthful delinquents than those granted alternative sanctions (Dakrat 2). Incarceration devoid of appropriate treatment, criminals with severe infectious disease, criminal behavior or with mental health disorders are generally expected to leave prison in substandard health as well as character than when they initially went in.The problem can have an enormous impact on communities, since 97 percent of all incarcerated criminals are in time released from prison and live along with the entire population (Webb). Alternatives to Prison Opponents of long-established imprisonment have disputed the destructive potentiality of the punishment because it falls short of addressing the fundamental economic and psycholo gical reasons that lead individuals to perpetrate crimes (Rierden 2).Alternative sanctions, on the other hand attempt to transform behavior of criminals in addition to giving the necessary tools that will help them in not making the same mistakes again when released. Moreover, because of prison overcrowding, this modern sanction will give the country the opportunity to appropriately incarcerate and rehabilitate more serious criminals for extended portions of their prison term. There are basically an enormous number of useful alternative programs.Compensation, restitution, community service, intensive probation supervision, electronic monitoring, and regular house searches, for instance, still endure a sense of redress for the injured party and a sense of atonement to the legal order violated. In addition, there are several new and unconventional alternative programs that as well do not involve imprisonment. The most practical and astounding programs among them are the â€Å"drug tr eatment, and classes and fees: for the rich program† (David). Drug treatment program are aimed for nonviolent drug dependents with prior convictions.Criminals who qualify are required to join in a residential drug-treatment program. Those who graduate were found to be 87 percent less expected to re-offend than others (David). Conversely, while not yet put into practice, the whole idea of classes and fees program is to require corporate offenders to teach in low-income academes (David). Since a number of these offenders have been educated at first-rate schools, they are more valuable if allowed to teach in classrooms rather than be placed behind bars throughout their sentence at the taxpayers’ expense.The imposition of prison sentence should only be selective depending on each circumstances, such as: to protect the public from violent crime; when all other sanctions are incompatible taking into consideration the gravity of the crime; when the criminal is a habitual delin quent; to safeguard the morality of the criminal justice administration; and if the entire sanctions have not effected to conformity with the arrangements set forth in the punishment (Junger-Tas 7). In other words, imprisonment shall only be employed if the gravity of the offense is such that all other punishment is totally unsatisfactory.The Best Alternative The best alternative to imprisonment is one that is less restraining than incarceration yet more confining than conventional probation. Community service intends criminals to work for the advantage of the community, to make amends to the community, as well as to be penalized. Community service is expected to lessen the undesirable effects induced by imprisonment, decrease prison overcrowding, as well as offer a constructive experience for criminals for working in a typical community (Junger-Tas 11).The essential feature of the punishment lies in the supervision and control of the implementation of compulsory orders in the commu nity, instead of confining the criminal’s movement within a penal complex. In the early 1990s, developing countries regarded community service as an official alternative to prison, although it was already practiced in several communities. Community service is designed to punish criminals who are worthy of intermediate punishments.The program is applied to criminals that deserve to endure more than average probationers but not as much as criminals in prisons and jails (Samaha 428). Community service necessitates offender complete within a given time frame a particular number of hours of voluntary community work. In particular, criminals are required to wash automobiles in an agency motor pool, rake leaves or cut grass in parks, sweep up around housing projects or public structures, and clear garbage from playgrounds. Community service in the Federal courts is a special condition of supervised release or probation.However, community service is a commendable alternative for non- habitual criminals who perpetrated minor offenses or requires a prison term of one year or less. Criminals sentenced to community service must be expansively screened to get rid of those with histories of violent behavior. Because of community service, there might be a slight possibility of additional nonviolent transgressions; nevertheless, the degree the program manages to keep nonviolent offenders outside penal complex creates opportunity for the government to imprison and rehabilitate the more violent ones.Community service positively embraces the treatment factor as well on account of cautious matching of offenders to projects and services that constructively relates with their issues (Harding 78). In imposing the program, judges must consider the offenders’ availability and skills, and then match them with works available at nonprofit agencies and government. In the course of performing the community service, offenders are expected to learn how to take responsibilities as well as remunerate the communities they once damaged.However, failure to abide with the community service program results to the re-sentencing of the criminal. Many observers believe that offenders who previously benefited from community services gained confidence, self-respect, and a sense of accomplishment from their community work (Tonry and Hamilton 82). The rate of recurrence of conviction is lower among criminals who had found their experience in community service to be meaningful (Tonry and Hamilton 83). Moreover, rates of recidivism among those who completed the program are not higher than for criminals sent to prison.Not only is community service more effective and compassionate, they are as well less expensive. When both indirect and direct expenses are taken into consideration, an average-sized community service sentence is less expensive than incarceration. Imprisonment costs ranges from $30,000 to $59,000 annually, while community service generally costs only $2,000 annually and up to $20,000 in other alternative programs (Agosin 217). Conclusion The high cost of imprisonment and overcrowded prisons are among the most multifaceted concerns surrounding the criminal justice system.Unfortunately, because of these, prisons make uncertain the successful reintegration of criminals in the community. They transform the imprisoned offender, but the transformation is likely to be more depressing than encouraging. Alternative programs, on the other hand, particularly community service encourage a sense of social responsibility among criminals and permit them to enhance their character in the course of serving the community. Prison alone will never get to the bottom of the crime problems in America.Leaders and citizens alike must be more unconventional and tolerant to alternative programs. Alternative sentencing gives defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges a better range of sentencing options. It is not easy to resolve how much community service serves as a substitute for incarceration; nevertheless, one thing is for sure, that sentencing a non-habitual and less violent offender with community service works out the dilemma of prison overcrowding and saves the country an enormous amount of money. Works Cited Agosin, Marjorie. Women, Gender, and Human Rights: A Global Perspective.New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2001. Dakrat. â€Å"Alternatives to Prison: Why Imprisonment Doesn’t Work and What to Do About It. † 26 April 2007. Associated Content. 27 January 2009 . David, Ruth. â€Å"Ten Alternatives To Prison. † 18 April 2006. Online: Forbes Magazine. 27 January 2009 . Harding, John. Probation and the Community: A Practice and Policy Reader.London: Taylor & Francis, 1986. Junger-Tas, J. Alternative to Prison Sentences: Experiences and Developments. Netherlands: Kugler Publications,1994. Rierden, Andi. â€Å"Alternatives to Prison Mends Fences and Lives. † 23 June 1991. Online: The New York Times. 27 Jan uary 2009 . â€Å"Rising prison problems begin to trickle into society. † 11 June 2006. USA Today. 27 January 2009

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Dysfunctional Behaviour Essay

A dysfunctional behaviour can be defined as â€Å"an inappropriate action or response, other than an activity of daily living, in a given social milieu that is a problem for the caregiver.† Dysfunctional behaviours commonly accompany cognitive impairment and are a significant source of burden to caregivers. Dysfunctional behaviours may be the first sign of a dementing illness, even before caregivers perceive changes in the patient’s cognitive abilities. Dysfunctional Behaviour has been called many things- abnormal, atypical and currently dysfunctional- which seem to reflect society’s view of the individual. If someone is not able to function as a normal human being, the label ‘dysfunctional’ carries less stigma than the label ‘abnormal’. It states that a person is clearly not functioning correctly and is therefore not leading what would be considered a ‘normal’ life. He or she may lack the full range of emotions or feelings and may participate in only a limited range of behaviours that does not allow for a fully functioning lifestyle. Approaches of Dysfunctional Behaviour * Behavioural The behaviourist perspective is that we are born blank slates and all behaviour is learnt. Therefore any dysfunctional behaviour is learnt, by operant conditioning, classical conditioning, or social learning. This places the responsibility on us to ensure that we do not ‘teach’ dysfunctional behaviours to others. * Biological The biological approach, which is part of biopsychology, would favour the nature side of the nature-nurture debate. Biological explanations of behaviour assert that something in our biology is the fundamental cause of dysfunctional behaviour. There could be genetic cause, or a malformation of brain structures. * Cognitive The third approach to explain dysfunctional behaviour is that of cognitive psychology, which sees our behaviour as being a consequence of some internal processing of information. Much like a computer, we take in information, process it and respond in some way. If however there is a problem with the circuit boards in a computer, the response may not be what we would expect, and this is the same with humans. If something goes wrong with what information we attend to, and how we perceive and store it, then the response may not be what everyone expects and this could lead to a label of dysfunctional behaviour.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Defining Gender Roles And Consequences In The Fairytale World

â€Å"A soldier came marching down the road: Left . . . right! Left . . . right! He had a pack on his back and a sword at his side. He had been in the war and was on his way home.† (pg. 1) â€Å"Once upon a time there was a woman whose only desire was to have a tiny little child.† (pg. 29) The opening lines from The Tinderbox and Inchelina demonstrate that in the world of Andersen’s fairytales, gender is represented with a very clear distinction between masculine and feminine roles. The rules of the fairytale require both male and female characters to make a journey or maturation into adulthood that ends when they marry and start a family of their own, but the rules of how that journey is accomplished differ greatly based on gender. The roles played by each are specific, and there tends to be severe consequences involved whenever a character behaves contrary to their assigned role. Andersen depicts the masculine role as one of action. The goal at the end of his journey is to settle down with a wife and children, often in financial circumstances above where he began. A male character cannot merely sit back and let fate carry him along, however. He is expected to actively strive towards the higher state. This usually requires him to employ exceptional cunning and cleverness to outsmart other characters in order to gain wealth or the privilege of a princess’ hand in marriage. For example, in The Tinderbox, the young soldier does not return home from war and wait for a new life to be handed to him. Instead, he takes an active role in his journey towards maturation. First he gains wealth by bravely entering into a bargain with the witch: â€Å"You climb up to the top of the tree, crawl into the hole, and slide down deep inside it. I’ll tie a rope around your waist, so I can pull you up again when you call me.† (pg. 1) â€Å"That doesn’t sound bad! said the soldier. But what am I to do for you, old witch?† (pg.... Free Essays on Defining Gender Roles And Consequences In The Fairytale World Free Essays on Defining Gender Roles And Consequences In The Fairytale World â€Å"A soldier came marching down the road: Left . . . right! Left . . . right! He had a pack on his back and a sword at his side. He had been in the war and was on his way home.† (pg. 1) â€Å"Once upon a time there was a woman whose only desire was to have a tiny little child.† (pg. 29) The opening lines from The Tinderbox and Inchelina demonstrate that in the world of Andersen’s fairytales, gender is represented with a very clear distinction between masculine and feminine roles. The rules of the fairytale require both male and female characters to make a journey or maturation into adulthood that ends when they marry and start a family of their own, but the rules of how that journey is accomplished differ greatly based on gender. The roles played by each are specific, and there tends to be severe consequences involved whenever a character behaves contrary to their assigned role. Andersen depicts the masculine role as one of action. The goal at the end of his journey is to settle down with a wife and children, often in financial circumstances above where he began. A male character cannot merely sit back and let fate carry him along, however. He is expected to actively strive towards the higher state. This usually requires him to employ exceptional cunning and cleverness to outsmart other characters in order to gain wealth or the privilege of a princess’ hand in marriage. For example, in The Tinderbox, the young soldier does not return home from war and wait for a new life to be handed to him. Instead, he takes an active role in his journey towards maturation. First he gains wealth by bravely entering into a bargain with the witch: â€Å"You climb up to the top of the tree, crawl into the hole, and slide down deep inside it. I’ll tie a rope around your waist, so I can pull you up again when you call me.† (pg. 1) â€Å"That doesn’t sound bad! said the soldier. But what am I to do for you, old witch?† (pg....

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Peters Projection and the Mercator Map

The Peters Projection and the Mercator Map Proponents of the Peters projection map claim that their map is a good, fair, and non-racist view of the world. Theyre comparing their map to the almost-defunct Mercator map. Unfortunately, geographers and cartographers agree that neither map projection is appropriate for use as a map of our planet. The Mercator vs. Peters controversy is truly a moot point. Both maps are rectangular projections and are poor representations of the planet. But heres how each came to prominence and in most cases, misuse. The Peters Projection German historian and journalist Arno Peters called a press conference in 1973 to announce his new map projection that treated each country fairly by representing area accurately. The Peters projection map used a rectangular coordinate system that showed parallel lines of latitude and longitude. Skilled at marketing, Arno claimed that his map more fairly displayed third world countries than the popular Mercator projection map, which distorts and dramatically enlarges the size of Eurasian and North American countries.   While the Peters projection does (almost) represent the land of equal area equally, all map projections distort the shape of the earth, a sphere.   Peters Picks Up Popularity   Proponents of the Peters map were vociferous and demanded that organizations switch to the new, fairer map of the world. Even the United Nations Development Programme began using the Peters projection in its maps. But the popularity of the Peters Projection may have been due to a lack of knowledge about basic cartography.   Today, relatively few organizations use the map, yet the evangelizing continues.   Peters chose to compare his strange-looking map to the Mercator map because he knew that it was an inappropriate map of the earth. Defenders of the Peters projection claim that the Mercator projection distorts the size of countries and continents in the Northern Hemisphere and a  place like Greenland appears to be the same size as Africa, yet Africas land mass is actually fourteen times larger. These claims are certainly all true and correct. The Mercator map was never intended to be used as a wall map and by the time Peters started complaining about it, the Mercator map was well on its way out of fashion anyway. The Mercator Map The Mercator projection was developed in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator as a navigation tool. Like the Peters map, the grid is rectangular and lines of latitude and longitude are all parallel. The Mercator map was designed as an aid to navigators since straight lines on the Mercator projection are loxodromes or rhumb lines representing lines of constant compass bearing perfect for true direction. If a navigator wishes to sail from Spain to the West Indies, all he has to do is draw a line between the two points and the navigator knows which compass direction to continually sail to reach their destination. The Mercator map has always been a poor projection for a world map, yet due to its rectangular grid and shape, geographically illiterate publishers found it useful for wall maps, atlas maps, and maps in books and newspapers published by non-geographers. It became the standard map projection in the mental map of most westerners. The argument against the Mercator projection by the pro-Peters folks usually discusses its advantage for colonial powers by making Europe look a lot larger than it actually is on the globe. Mercator No Longer Widely Used Fortunately, over the past few decades, the Mercator projection has fallen into disuse from many reliable sources. In a 1980s study, two British geographers discovered that the Mercator map did not exist among dozens of atlases examined. But some major map companies still produce wall maps using the Mercator projection.   In 1989, seven North American professional geographic organizations (including the American Cartographic Association, National Council for Geographic Education, Association of American Geographers, and the National Geographic Society) adopted a resolution that called for a ban on all rectangular coordinate maps. The resolution called for the complete elimination of the use of the Mercator as well as the Peters projection. But what to replace them with? Alternatives to Mercator and Peters Non-rectangular maps have been around for a long time. The National Geographic Society adopted the Van der Grinten projection, which encloses the world in a circle, in 1922. Then in 1988, they switched to the Robinson projection, on which the high latitudes are less distorted in size (but more so in shape). Also in 1998, the Society began using the Winkel Tripel projection, which provides a slightly better balance between size and shape than the Robinson projection. Compromise projections like the Robinson or Winkle Tripel present the world in a more globe-like look and are strongly encouraged by geographers. These are the types of projections youll see on maps of continents or of the world today.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Role of Engineers in Sustainable Construction Assignment

Role of Engineers in Sustainable Construction - Assignment Example Architectural engineers have a tremendous responsibility when it comes to sustainable development, particularly its implementation, because of their central role in construction, as well as their skills and knowledge (Donnelly & Boyle, 2006: p149). This report seeks to examine the aspects required to construct a sustainable building for Apple Corporation. The report will focus on the issues that the Apple building must take into consideration in keeping with the sustainability of construction pioneered in Sydney’s walking tour. First, the engineers must assess the CO2 lifecycle of concrete from the production of raw materials, their transport to the construction site, and concrete production (Park et al, 2012: p2941). This will be done with the aim of pinpointing the processes that require more effort in reduction of CO2 emissions. After this, is completed, the engineers should now use this information to come up with the appropriate concrete technologies that will reduce emis sions and improve energy efficiency. Finally, the engineers will also have to design a diagrid faà §ade that increases the energy efficiency and sustainability of the Apple building by reducing electricity needs. ... According to Park et al, the process of concrete production is divided into various stages, including raw material production, material transportation, and concrete production, all of which must be assesses to reduce emissions (Park et al, 2012: p2942), as shown in appendix 1. Park et al (2012), build on Donnelly & Boyle’s assertion on the importance of architectural engineers in sustainable construction by asserting that they will have to assess the CO2 emissions in concrete lifecycle, especially as they seek to increase the compressive strength of concrete. This can be done through computing for the emitted CO2 and consumed energy for production of cement, admixture, and aggregate as shown in appendix 2. During transportation, the fuel used by trucks, distance travelled, and their fuel efficiency is important. Finally, with regards to production, the total consumption of energy and CO2 emission is measured for the storage, transportation, measurement, and mixing stages (Park et al, 2012: p2943). These emissions are assessed with the aim of reducing emissions and improving sustainability of the environment. The engineers will also have to come up with ways to accurately assess these emissions during the construction of the Apple building so as to ensure that it fits within the confines of allowed emissions in the area covered by the Sydney walking tour. In this case, the engineers will have to analyze the emissions from the cement, coarse aggregate, fly ash, blast furnace slag, water, fine aggregate, and water with reduction of admixture in different proportions (Park et al, 2012: p2944). The engineers will also be required to analyze the lifecycle of CO2 emissions. Taking into account the lifecycle of

Friday, November 1, 2019

Minimum Wage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Minimum Wage - Essay Example Critics are of the view that minimum wage forces employers to appoint only skilled workers and therefore employees with lesser skills may struggle to get employment. This paper argues in favour of minimum wage after analysing both the sides of the issue. â€Å"The vast majority of economists believe the minimum wage law costs the economy thousands of jobs†(Messerli). In their opinion, enforcement of minimum wage will decrease the demand for workers. They explain their argument based on the supply and demand theory of economics. When salary goes up, supply of workers will also goes up and thereby the demand for the workers will geos down. In other words, when supply increases, demand decreases. The above theory might be true in theoretical terms, but in practical terms, it may not be so. It should be noted that majorities of the western countries are outsourcing their jobs to India like Asian countries at present because of the labour shortage. It should be noted that in countr ies like America and Britain, an ordinary worker is getting salaries, three to four times more than that an Indian worker is getting in his country. In other words, even though the wages are high, supply of labour force is not increasing in countries like America and Britain. On the other hand, in India like countries even though the wages are low, excess of supply of labour is in place. ... Part-time work and full time work should be separated from each other. Minimum wage for part time work need not be the same as that of the full time. Authorities can prescribe separate norms of minimum wage with respect to part time and full time work. Moreover, separate minimum wage norms can be enforced with respect to the qualification and experience of the employees. â€Å"Abolishing the minimum wage will allow businesses to achieve greater efficiency and lower prices. Anytime you give businesses more flexibility, you will increase efficiency and lower prices† (Messerli). It is an accepted fact that only a satisfied worker will try to deliver more than 100% of his efficiency. In other words, workers who struggle to get a decent salary may not be fully committed to the organization. It is better for an organization to have more committed workers to increase its efficiency and productivity rather than having a huge workforce of unskilled or cheaper labours. Salary is the maj or motivating factor for the employees and therefore minimum wage will definitely motivate the workers more and thereby the organization will be benefitted. â€Å"Adults who currently work for minimum wage are likely to lose jobs to teenagers who will work for much less. Many adults trying to make a living are forced to work minimum wage jobs† (Messerli). Employers may exploit the workers in the absence of a minimum wage law. They will try to terminate experienced workers even without any reasons, for appointing fresh workers in order to reduce their employee wage expenditure. Thus, even experienced employees will be forced to work under tremendous pressure if minimum wage law is not implemented. In the absence of minimum law, business will take undue advantages in the form of

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The risks and benefits of social networking services Essay

The risks and benefits of social networking services - Essay Example research, it was found that through social networking sites are hugely favourable among people, especially young adults; they have been ignoring various dangerous attributes of these networking services. Social networking sites can be defined as virtual communities used by individuals for interacting and communicating with friends, families and also meeting new people based on similar or shared interests. Social networking services such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram have taken a critical important place in the lives of new age individuals. Apart from that, websites such as Facebook are known to increase the overall technical literacy of young adults. At the same time, these social media services are the cause of various positive and negative trends occurring in the society (Zafirovski, 2001). Therefore, it is important to understand the critical influence of these social media services so that negative consequences can be minimized and positive effects can be maximized. The objective of the present report is to understand the various risks and benefits of social networking sites. Recent research on usage of social networking services has suggested that the overall interest towards these sites is increasing in a substantial manner. At the same time, there contribution towards risks and benefits in an individual’s daily life is also heightened. The most common social networking services are instant messaging services, email and websites where information is shared. According to a recent survey conducted in 2011, it was revealed that almost 73 percent children as well as 47 percent adults are using these social networks (Red Crbit, 2013). Various benefits have been identified related to social media services and their usages (Cohn, 2010). By frequently using video clips, photographs and access to numerous articles, young adults gain a significant knowledge and understanding about the nature, production as well as usage of multiple content forms,

Monday, October 28, 2019

Purposes Of Different Types Of Organisation Economics Essay

Purposes Of Different Types Of Organisation Economics Essay The sole trader is a business owned by one person who is self-employed and why may, in some cases, employ other people on a full or part time basis. Normally using personal funds to start business, the sole trader decides on the type of goods or services to be produced, where the business is to be located, what capital is required, what staff(if any) to employ, what the target market should be. In Britain about eighty per cent of all business is sole traders. The reason for this predominance is the relative ease with which an individual can establish a business this type. Examples include: builders, small shops, independent agents. Partnership is when two or more individuals establish a business which they own. The partners have unlimited personal liability both jointly and severally.   The liability of limited partners is limited to their investment in the partnership. Under the law, partnerships are limited to 20 or less partners. Partnership companies usually have written contracts between partners, but thats not necessary. This states the type of partnership it is, how much capital each party has contributed, and how profits and losses will be shared. The typical examples of partnerships are doctors, dentists and solicitors.  They can benefit from shared expertise, but like the sole trader, have unlimited liability. Limited companies are companies which are registered at Companies House- www.companieshouse.gov.uk. It is a legal entity or legal person with its own legal rights and obligations, separate and distinct from those of its members. All property, which is registered on company, belongs to company and is not treated as belonging to the companys shareholders and directors. The benefit of limited company is that is offers limited liability to its members. The company as a separate legal entity is liable for its debts and the members and directors are not personally liable unless they have acted wrongly in some way. There are two types of limited companies as public limited companies (PLCs) and private limited companies (Limited, LTD). The vast majority of trading companies are private companies limited by shares. Many private companies are very small. There is no minimum capital required for private company and its commonly less than 100 £. A private company may not offer shares to the public. For example it can be any shop, pub, construction company etc. PLC is company which  is appropriate for larger businesses where shares are intended to be available to the general public. A public company must have a minimum share capital of  £50,000, of which at least one-quarter plus any share premium must be paid up before the company can obtain its trading certificate from Companies House and start trading. This is the only type of company which may raise capital by offering shares to the public. For example its some supermarket chain, delivery company or airlines company. Consumer co-operative societies are organisations owned by consumers which aim is fulfilling needs and aspirations of their members. They operate in market system independently from the state as mutual aid, oriented to service rather than make a profit.  Consumers cooperatives often take the form of retail outlets owned and operated by their consumers, such as  food cooperatives, health care, insurance,  housing,  utilities  and personal finance. Workers co-operatives are organisations in which ownership and control of the assets are in the hands of the people who working in it. They have the objective of creating and maintaining sustainable jobs and generating wealth, to improve the quality of life of the worker-members, dignify human work, allow workers democratic self-management and promote community and local development. The main principles of the organisations are democracy, open membership, social responsibility, mutual co-operation and trust, help to differentiate co-operative from other forms of business organisations. Public corporations are legal entities created by government to undertake commercial activities behalf of an owner government. In the public sector the state owns assets in various forms, which it uses to provide a range of goods and services felt to be of benefit to its citizens. These state corporations an important part of the public sector of the economy and they are very significant to national output, employment and investment. These public corporations are hospitals, municipal water companies, rail services etc. Describe the extent to which an organisation meets the objectives of different. The main organisational objective of for-profit organisation is to make more profit. Aims and objectives establish where the business would like to be in the future, helping to control their plans, motivate staff and give everyone sense of direction. Any decision made within the organisation should be in line with their aims and objectives. The objectives are influence by various stakeholders, as well as the nature of the business. Different stakeholder groups will have different objectives to satisfy their interests. Objectives can be: corporate which affect the whole business, departmental objectives that are for a certain area of business and individual objectives are used in performance appraisal for employees. Employees- wage levels; working conditions; job security; personal development Managers- job security; status; personal power; organisational profitability; growth of the organisation Shareholders- market value of investment; dividends; security of investment; liquidity of investment Creditors- security of loan; interest of loan; liquidity of investment Suppliers- security of contract; regular payment; growth of organisation; market development Society- safe products; environmental sensitivity; equal opportunities; avoidance of discrimination Explain the responsibilities of an organisation and strategies employed to meet them. Every company, business, department has a duty and remit to provide a service. An organisation must operate within the boundaries of the law. Reputation and trust are everything, and a consumer cant have trust or faith in your ability to deliver if you cant prove and guarantee youre legitimacy. An organisation must also have strict financial control. Recruitment is vitally important. Organisations need reliable workers who have enthusiasm, but also intelligence; workers that are able to be creative but also to take advice and critique from management. Also organisations are responsible for health and safety of their employees. They need to provide safe working environment and equipment. Explain how economic systems attempt to allocate resources effectively. There are three kinds of economic system which are basically adopted by the different countries. They are: free market, centrally planned, mixed market. Free market economic system: The intervention of government is kept at a minimum level or neglected in free market system and all the economics resources comes under the private sectors as well market. Price mechanism will determine how much of goods or services will be supplied according to the market demands. Most decisions are based on market mechanism. The supply, demand and ability play the vital role in market decision making. As per looking at the free market system it raises the various unsolved questions like who will produce the goods and services and infrastructures for the country to meet the needs of every public. For example UK. Centrally planned economy system: Centrally planned economic system refers that government allocates the economic resources; government makes all the planning regarding the economical activities. Private sectors are kept far away in involvement of any economical accumulation. These kinds of economics were found in the Asian, central Europe, Eastern Europe and Latin American nations but now these are found in Cuba, Iraq, Iran, North Korea etc. In these systems basically unemployment problems will not be faced since government plan all the economical activities and resources will be allocated based needs of its people and different industries inputs. Mixed economy system: This system is a mixture of all other systems. The system where both capitalism and socialism economic system are included it is known as mixed economic system. Mixed economic system splits the available economic resources available in the country to both private sectors and government. Private sectors are encouraged to get involved and participate in utilizing the resources which helps to gain economic profit for whole nation. Countries like USA, UK, Russia and China to countries like Cambodia, Peru and Vietnam has adopted this economic system. When one fails to meets the public desire other can get it and helps to maintain the economic balance not only in the particular country but also the whole nation. Assess the impact of fiscal and monetary policy on business organisations and their activities. Fiscal policy decisions have a widespread effect on the everyday decisions and behaviour of individual households and businesses. Basically fiscal policy means how government taxes us and how it spends the money. Increased taxation makes the price of goods and services more expensive, reducing demand for them and reducing employment. Lower taxes mean more disposable income for consumers and more cash for businesses to invest in jobs and equipment. Stimulus-spending programs, which are short term in nature and often involve infrastructure projects, can also help drive business demand by creating short term jobs. Increasing income or consumption taxes usually mean less disposable income, which, over time, can decelerate business activity. Monetary policy impact changes in short term interest rates influence long term interest rates, such as mortgage rates. Low interest rates mean lower interest expense for businesses and higher disposable income for consumers. This combination means higher business profits. Lower mortgage rates may spur more home buying activity, which is usually good for the construction industry. Lower rates also mean more refinancing of existing mortgages, which may also enable consumers to consider other purchases. High interest rates can have the opposite impact for businesses: higher interest expenses, lower sales and lower profits. Interest-rate changes can affect stock prices, which can impact consumer spending. Evaluate the impact of competition policy and other regulatory mechanisms on the activities of a selected organisation. Apple Inc. Apple Inc was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in U.S. California. They had produced and selling computers. Company was growing up very quick, because they were kind of pioneers in that industry. Apple Computer was predominantly a manufacturer of personal computers. Apple core product lines are: Macintosh computer line, iPod music player, iPhone and iPad. The company now is also known for its iOS product range that began with iPhone, iPod and iPad. They also have iTunes- online music store. Now Apple is the largest technology company in the world its stock market value is $500 billion. Revenue of 2011 was $127.8 billion in sales. Recently, European Commission accused Apple Inc. of violating European Competition rules in music industry. Apple Inc. uses iTunes to sell particular songs. iTunes services prevent its users in one Member State of the European Union to buy songs from another iTunes webpage, which is located in another Member State. E.g. if consumer lives in the Czech Republic and he wants to buy the particular song from Slovakian iTunes webpage, he is not allowed to do so. That means that the price of the song shall be charged according to the place where the consumer lives (cost of songs varies between the Member States). European Commission sent to the Apple Inc. so called statement of objections which accused the Apple Inc. of unfair agreements with record labels of containing territorial sales restrictions, which violates European Union competition rules. The Apple Inc. tried to defend itself that this policy was as the outcome of the demands of the music record industry. Moreover the music which is bought from iTunes obligate to use only the Apple iPod music player, because other portable music players, does not support songs bought from iTunes. iPod users in the United Kingdom have to pay more cash for the song if they want to buy it from the iTunes online store in the United Kingdom than other users in the Continental Europe. European Commission was investigating this issue and threatened Apple Inc. with the fine of GBP 330.000.000. Explain how market structures determine the pricing and output decisions of businesses. Market structure is number of firms producing identical product homogenous. Monopolistic competition where there is a large number of firms, each having a small proportion of the market share and slightly differentiated products. They take the prices of other competitors as given and ignore the impact of its own prices of other firms. The number of firms and output determines supply and demand. For example: Coke and Pepsi; toothpaste; shaving foams like Gillette and Dove. Oligopoly is when a small number of firms control the market. Then usually prices of products or services are high. Industries which are examples of oligopolies include: Steel industry, aluminium, film, television, cell phone, gas, electricity. Duopoly is a special case of an oligopoly where two companies compete in a market. Monopsony when there is one buyer faces with many sellers. Oligopsony, a market where many sellers can be present but meet only a few buyers. Monopoly, where there is only one provider of a product or service. For example it was Microsoft Company in U.S. Natural monopoly is when firm is a natural monopoly if it is able to serve the entire market demand at a lower cost than any combination of two or more smaller, more specialized firms. Perfect competition a theoretical market structure that features no barriers to entry, an unlimited number of producers and consumers, and a perfectly elastic demand curve. Illustrate the way in which market forces shape organisational responses using a range of examples. Supply and demand are the forces that make market economies work. They determine the quantity of each good produced and the price at which it is sold. A market is a group of buyers and sellers of a particular good or service. The buyers as a group determine the demand for the product, and the sellers as a group determine the supply of the product. For example, if oil prices rises then price of delivery services rise and the price of the goods as well. When summer is end and tourist season is finished then prices of hotel rooms goes down. If grape harvest is bad one year then prices of wine will be higher in next year. Judge how the business and cultural environments shape the behaviour of a selected company. Apple Inc. The approach they working with and the secret of success, is based on simple, creative design and ease of using technology on daily bases. The success of Apple is embedded in Steve Jobs strength-based approach to company strategy. The pillars of Steve Jobs strategy are built upon a core of capabilities, the seizing of opportunities, and an organizational culture that enables the attainment of Apples goals. Steve Jobs was one of the companys master minds who had absolutely genial ideas, and he realized those ideas to change people lives. Before iPhone was released and smart phones come to our lives, the mobile phones became more complicated and difficult to use them. When the Apple released iPhone, it changes mobile phone market for ever. It was sensation, because it was absolutely different and completely new technology with touch screen and without many buttons as usually. Now the iPhone is part of many people lives and also fashion. iPhone becoming more popular in the world and the Apple now is 3rd larger mobile phone company in the world. Discuss the significance of international trade to UK business organisations. Some of the key commodities in which the UK trades are manufactured goods, beverages, fuels and chemicals. According to a World Trade Organization (WTO) report published in 2008, the UK has retained its position as the worlds largest commercial services exporter. Moreover, with the UK recording a profit of $263 billion in the commercial services sector, the country continues to be the worlds second largest provider of these services. UK trade consists of the movement of goods and services within the European Union, of which it is a member, and to non-EU countries. International trade in the UK is assisted by UK Trade Investment (UKTI). This government organization focuses on enhancing the competitiveness of UK companies through overseas trade and investments. It also aims at continuing to attract high-quality foreign direct investment (FDI). In order to attract foreign businesses and foreign investment, the British government has adopted a variety of programs. For instance, the Parliament allows local and regional governments to establish enterprise zones. In these zones, companies receive exemptions from property taxes and reimbursement for costs involved in the construction of new factories or business locations. There are also programs that provide incentives for companies to locate in economically depressed urban areas that are known as Assisted Areas. In 1998, the total value of these programs was US$315 million. There are 7 free trade zones in the United Kingdom (Birmingham, Humberside, Liverpool, Prestwick, Sheerness, Southampton, and Tilbury). These zones allow goods to be stored for shipment without tariffs or import duties. Analyse the impact of global factors on UK business organizations. International trade and the UK economy: UK businesses will see international trade growth accelerate from 2014 as the global economy ends a period of growth contraction, according to HSBC. There are fundamental changes taking place in world trade, UK exports to China and to India grew by 21% and 37% respectively in 2011 and HSBC estimates that it processed around one third of these by value. Market opportunities: Evaluating markets and future trends can be a major challenge for any business. New market opportunities spring from a range of possible sources and vary in their size, importance, and risk. New demographic or vertical industry segments New geographic regions Alternate offerings of service models, supplies, and other annuities World Trade Organisation (WTO) is the only international agency overseeing the rules of international trade. It polices free trade agreements, settles trade disputes between governments and organises trade negotiations. 4.3 Evaluate the impact of policies of the European Union on UK business organisations. The United Kingdom is a member of the European Union but isnt part of the single currency, the Euro. Free trade The EU is a trade bloc which means there are no quotas or tariffs for companies exporting goods and services within the EU. European legislation is meant to make it easier for UK businesses to trade across the EUs 27 states. The internal market the single market means UK citizens are free to move, live, study and trade anywhere within the EU.