Rabindranath Tagore’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech Essay

I was an obscure individual in those days. My name was hardly known outside my own province, but I was quite content with that obscurity, which protected me from the curiosity of crowds. And then came a time when my heart felt a longing to come out of that solitude and do some work for my fellow beings, and not merely give shape to my dreams and meditate deeply on the problems of life, but try to give expression to my ideas through some definite work, definitive service. The one thing, the one work, which came to my mind was to teach children. It was not because I was specially suited for this work of teaching, for I have not had myself the full benefit of a regular education. For some time I hesitated, but I felt that as I had a deep love for nature, I had naturally love for children also. My objective in starting this institution, Shanti Niketan, was to give children full freedom of joy, of life and of communion with nature. I myself had suffered when I was young, the impediments which were inflicted upon most boys at school and I have had to go through the machine of education which crushes the joy and freedom of life for which children have such insatiable thirst. My objective was to give freedom and joy to children. So, I had a few boys around me, and I taught them, and I tried to make them happy as their playmate and companion. I shared their life, and I felt that I was the biggest child of the party. And we all grew up together in this atmosphere of freedom. The vigour and joy of children, their chats and songs filled the air with a spirit of delight, which I drank every day I was there. In the evening, at sunset, I often used to sit alone, watching the trees of the shadowing avenue and in the silence of the afternoon, I could hear distinctly voices of children in the air, and it seemed to me that these shouts and songs and glad voices were like those trees, which come out from the heart of the earth like fountains of life towards the bosom of the infinite sky. And it symbolised, it brought before my mind, the whole cry of human life all expressions of joy and aspirations of men rising from the heart of humanity up to this sky. I knew that we also, the grown-up children, send up our cries of aspiration to the Infinite. In this atmosphere, I used to write my poems Gitanjali, and I sang them to myself at midnight under the glorious stars. In the early morning and afternoon glow of sunset, I used to write these songs till a day came when I felt impelled to come out once again and meet the heart of the large world. I could see that my coming out from the seclusion of life among these joyful children and doing my service was only a prelude to my pilgrimage to a larger world. I felt a great desire to come in touch with people of the West, for I was conscious that the present age belongs to the Western man with his superabundance of energy. I felt that I must, before I die, come to the West and meet the man of the secret shrine where the Divine presence has his dwelling, his temple. And I thought that the Divine man with all his powers and aspirations of life is dwelling in the West. And so I came out. After Gitanjali had been written in Bengali, I translated those poems into English, without having any desire to have them published, being diffident of my mastery of that language, but I had the manuscript with me when I came out to the West. And you know that the British public, when these poems were put before them, and those who had the opportunity of reading them in manuscript before, approved of them. I was accepted, and the heart of the West opened without delay†¦.

Building a Successful Corporation

A preliminary, albeit cursory review of literature on the topic of corporate success indicates that it is a vital element in the process of bringing about a vibrant economy and improved standard of living (Kay, 1995). With this understanding in mind, the researcher arrived at the conclusion that the topic of building a successful corporation merits further research from several different points of view; therefore, this proposal is presented in the interest of additional research.THE PROBLEM The researcher will conduct this study and write the subsequent thesis in order to adequately define and understand the process of building a successful corporation. Indeed, successful corporations are the backbone of the international economy, and add endless value to the human experience; therefore, it is both timely and valuable to better understand how and why successful corporations are created.THE METHOD The researcher will utilize an extensive variety of written works on the subject of outs ourcing as research material, in addition to Internet research and interviews with individuals knowledgeable in the subject matter. Information derived from these sources will be interpreted and presented along with relevant charts, tables and graphs to employ a thorough research method. THE FINDINGSThe researcher will present findings in a sufficiently technical, yet easily interpreted format, designed to allow the thesis to be utilized as a strategic planning tool for other firms. The findings will be presented with thorough documentation and explanation within the text of the thesis. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of the study is to define what constitutes a successful corporation, examine the case studies of successful corporations within that definition, and provide an overall stronger understanding of this topic.IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY This research is relevant and important because successful corporations are valuable not only to the United States, but to every nation that prides itself on offering people the opportunity to earn a fair wage for their labors; a wage that allows for a comfortable standard of living and the chance to obtain comfortable housing, quality medical care, and all of the other trappings that allow for prosperity and well-being.Undoubtedly, the business community needs to fully understand what success will mean for a corporation, as well as some of the best practices that other firms have used to gain success. OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY The study will center on a balanced analysis of the issue of corporate success to determine if it provides an immediate contribution to the economic, social, and moral prosperity of the United States, or perhaps it is just a step in the evolution of the American economy that will lead to economic growth and prosperity in the long term.The analysis of this phenomenon, by its very nature, will lead the researcher to analyze from a myriad of viewpoints; undoubtedly, there is a political element to the to pic, as well as a â€Å"trickle-down† effect that manifests itself in the buying decisions of individual consumers, businesses and industries. By viewing the topic one of human as well as business interest, a unique perspective will be achieved, adding to the breadth and validity of the research. Bibliography Kay, J. A. (1995). Foundations of Corporate Success: How Business Strategies Add Value. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 36

Matt broke a lot of traffic rules on the way to the Saitous'street. Meredith leaned on the console between the two front seats so that she could see the digital clock ticking down to midnight, and so that she could watch the transformation of Mrs. Flowers. At last her recently sane, sensible mind forced words out of her mouth. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers – you're changing.† â€Å"Yes, Meredith, dear. Some of it is due to the little present that Sage left for me. Some of it is my own wil – to return to the days when I was in my prime. I believe that this wil be my last fight, so I don't mind using al my energy in it. Fel ‘s Church must be saved.† â€Å"But – Mrs. Flowers – the people here – Well, they haven't always been – exactly nice – â€Å"Matt stammered his way to a stop. â€Å"The people here are like people everywhere,†Mrs. Flowers said calmly. â€Å"Treat them as you'd like to be treated, and things wil be fine. It was only when I'd let myself become a bitter, lonely old woman, always resentful of the fact that I had had to turn my home into a boardinghouse just to make ends meet, that people began to treat me – Well, at best as a loony old hag.† â€Å"Oh, Mrs. Flowers – and we've been such a bother to you!†Meredith found the words coming without her volition. â€Å"You've been the saving of me, child. Dear Stefan was the start, but as you can imagine, he didn't want to explain al his little differences to me, and I was suspicious of him. But he was always cordial and respectful and Elena was like sunlight, and Bonnie like laughter. Eventual y, when I dropped my hidebound barriers, so did you young ones. I won't say more about those who are present so as not to embarrass you, but you've done me a world of good.† Matt ran another stop sign and cleared his throat. Then, the steering wheel wavering slightly, he cleared his throat again. Meredith took over. â€Å"I think what Matt and I both want to say is†¦Well, it's that you've become very special to us, and we don't want to see you get hurt. This battle – â€Å" â€Å"Is a battle for al I hold dear. For al my memories. Back when I was a child and the boardinghouse was built – it was just a home, then, and I was very happy. As a young woman, I was very happy. And now that I have lived long enough to be an old woman – Well, besides you children, I Stillhave friends like Sophia Alpert and Orime Saitou. They are both healing women, and very good at it. We Stilltalk about different uses for my herbs.† Matt snapped his fingers. â€Å"That's another reason I was confused,†he said. â€Å"Because Dr. Alpert said that you and Mrs. Saitou were such good people. I thought she meant the old Mrs. Saitou – â€Å" â€Å"Who is not a ‘Mrs. Saitou'at all,†Mrs. Flowers said, almost sharply. â€Å"I have no idea what her name real y is – perhaps she is real y Inari, a deity gone bad. Ten years ago, I didn't know what made Orime Saitou suddenly so diffident and quiet. Now I realize that it began just around the time her ‘mother'moved in with her. I was quite fond of young Isobel, but she suddenly became – aloof – in an unchildlike way. Now I understand. And I am determined to fight for her – and for you – and for a town that is worth saving. Human lives are very, very precious. And now – here we are.† Matt had just turned onto the Saitous'block. Meredith took a moment to openly stare at the figure in the front passenger seat. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers!†she exclaimed. This made Matt turn to stare in his turn and what he saw made him clip a Volkswagen Jetta parked by the sidewalk. â€Å"Mrs†¦. Flowers?† â€Å"Please park now, Matt. You needn't cal me Mrs. Flowers if you don't want to. I have returned to the time when I was Theophilia – when my friends cal ed me Theo.† â€Å"But – how – why – ?†Matt stuttered. â€Å"I told you. I felt that it was time. Sage left me a gift that helped me change. An enemy beyond your powers to fight has arisen. I felt this back at the boardinghouse. This is the time that I have been waiting for. The last battle with the true enemy of Fel ‘s Church.† Meredith's heart actual y seemed ready to fly out of her chest. She had to be calm – calm and logical. She had seen magic many times. She knew the look of it, the feel of it. But frequently she had been too busy comforting Bonnie, or too worried about aiding Bonnie to take in what she was facing. Now, it was just her and Matt – and Matt had a stricken, stupefied look, as if he hadn't seen enough magic before. As if he might crack. â€Å"Matt,†she said loudly, and then even louder, â€Å"Matt!† He turned, then, to look at her, with his blue eyes wild and dark. â€Å"They'l kill her, Meredith!†he said. â€Å"Shinichi and Misao – you don't know what it feels like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Come on,†Meredith said. â€Å"We have to make sure that it doesn't kil her.† The dazed look passed from Matt's eyes. â€Å"We have to do this,†he agreed simply. â€Å"Right,†said Meredith, final y releasing him. Together they got out of the car to stand by Mrs. Flowers – no, by Theo. Theo had hair that hung almost to her waist; so fair that it looked silver in the moonlight. Her face was – electrifying. It was young; young and proud, with classic features and a look of quiet determination. Somehow during the drive, her clothes had changed too. Instead of a coat covered with bits of paper, she was wearing a sleeveless white gown that ended in a slight train. In style, it reminded Meredith a little of the â€Å"mermaid†dress she herself had worn when going to a bal in the Dark Dimension. But Meredith's dress had only made her look sultry. Theo looked†¦magnificent. As for the Post-it Note amulets†¦somehow the paper had disappeared and the writing had grown enormously, changing into very large scrawls that wrapped around the white gown. Theo was literal y swathed in haute couture arcane protection. And although she was reed slender, she was tal . Tal er than Meredith, tal er than Matt, tal er than Stefan, wherever he was in the Dark Dimensions. She was this tal not only because she had grown so much, but because the train of her dress was just brushing the ground. She had entirely overcome gravity. The whip, Sage's present to her, was coiled into a circle attached to her waist, shining as silver as her hair. Matt and Meredith simultaneously closed the SUV's doors. Matt left the engine running for a quick getaway. They walked around the garage so that they could see the front of the house. Meredith, not caring what she looked like or whether she seemed cool or in control, wiped her hands, one and then the other, on her jeans. This was the stave's first – and possibly only – true battle. What counted was not appearance, but performance. Both she and Matt stopped dead when they saw the figure standing at the bottom of the steps in front of the porch. It was no one they could identify from the house. But then the crimson lips opened, the delicate hands flew up to cover them, and wind-chime laughter came from somewhere behind the hands. For a moment they could only stare, fascinated, at this woman who was dressed al in black. She was ful y as tal as Theo, ful y as slender and graceful, and she was floating equal y high off the ground. But what Meredith and Matt were staring at was the fact that her hair was like Misao's or Shinichi's – but reversed. Whereas they had black hair with a crimson fringe on the bottom, this woman had crimson hair – yards and yards of it, with a black fringe al around it. Not only that, but she had delicate black fox ears emerging from the crimson hair, and a long sleek crimson tail, tipped with black. â€Å"Obaasan?†Matt gasped in disbelief. â€Å"Inari!†Meredith snapped. The lovely creature didn't even look at them. She was staring at Theo in contempt. â€Å"Tiny witch of a tiny town,†she said. â€Å"You've used nearly al your Power just to stand up to my level. What good are you?† â€Å"I have very smal Powers,†Theo agreed. â€Å"But if the town is worthless, why has it taken you so long to destroy it? Why have you watched others try – or were they all your pawns, Inari? Katherine, Klaus, poor young Tyler – were they your pawns, Kitsune Goddess?† Inari laughed – Stillthat chiming, girlish giggling, behind her fingers. â€Å"I don't need pawns! Shinichi and Misao are my bond-servants, as al kitsune are! If I have left them some freedom, it has been so they can get experience. We'l go on to larger cities now, and ravage them.† â€Å"You have to take Fel ‘s Church first,†Theo said steadily. â€Å"And I won't let you do that.† â€Å"You Stilldon't understand, do you? You are a human, with almost no Power left! Mine is the largest star bal in the worlds! I am a Goddess!† Theo lowered her head, then lifted it to look Inari in the eyes. â€Å"Do you want to know what I think the truth is, Inari?†she said. â€Å"I think that you have come to the end of a long, long, but not immortal life. I think you have dwindled so that at last you need to use a great deal of Power from your star bal – wherever it is – to appear this way. You are a very, very ancient woman and you have been setting children against their own parents, and parents against children across the world because you envy the children's youth. You have even come to envy Shinichi and Misao, and let them be hurt, as revenge.† Matt and Meredith looked at each other with wide eyes. Inari was breathing rapidly, but it seemed she couldn't think of anything to say. â€Å"You've even pretended to have entered a ‘second childhood'to behave girlishly. But none of it satisfies you, because the plain, sad truth is that you have come to the end of your long, long lifetime – no matter how great your Power. We must al take that final journey, and it is your turn now.† â€Å"Liar!†shrieked Inari, looking for a moment more glorious – more radiant than before. But then Meredith saw why. Her scarlet hair had actual y begun to smolder, framing her face in a dancing red light. And at last she spoke venemously. â€Å"Well, then, if you think this is my last battle, I must be sure to cause al the pain I can. Starting with you, witch.† Meredith and Matt both gasped. They were afraid for Theo, especial y as Inari's hair was braiding itself into thick ropes like serpents that floated around her head as if she were Medusa. The gasps were a mistake – they attracted Inari's attention. But she didn't move. She only said, â€Å"Smel that sweet scent on the wind? A roast sacrifice! I think the result wil be oishii – delicious! But perhaps you two would like to speak to Orime or Isobel one last time. I'm afraid they can't come out to see you.† Meredith's heart was pounding violently in her throat, as she realized that the Saitous'house was on fire. It seemed as if there were several smal fires burning, but she was terrified at the implication that Inari had already done something to the mother and daughter. â€Å"No, Matt!†she cried, grabbing Matt's arm. He would have charged straight at the laughing black-clad woman and tried to attack her feet – and seconds were invaluable now. â€Å"Come help me find them!† Theo came to their aid. Drawing up the white bul whip, she whirled it once around her head and cracked it precisely on Inari's raised hands, leaving a bloody gash on one. As a furious Inari turned back to her, Meredith and Matt ran. â€Å"The back door,†Matt said as they careered around the side of the house. Up ahead they saw a wooden fence, but no gate. Meredith was just considering using the stave to pole-vault, when Matt panted, â€Å"Here!†and made a cradle of his hands for her to step into. â€Å"I'l boost you over!† Meredith hesitated only an instant. Then, as he skidded to a stop she jumped to place one foot in his inter-locked fingers. Suddenly she was flying upward. She made the most of it, landing, catlike, on the fence's flat top, and then jumping down. She could hear Matt scrambling up the fence as she was suddenly surrounded by black smoke. She jumped backward three feet and yel ed, â€Å"Matt, the smoke is dangerous! Get low; hold your breath. Stay outside to help them when I bring them out!† Meredith had no idea whether Matt would listen to her or not, but she obeyed her own rules, crouching low, breath held, opening her eyes briefly to try to find the door. Then she almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of an axe crashing into wood, of wood splintering, and of the axe crashing again. She opened her eyes and saw that Matt hadn't listened to her, but she was glad because he'd found the door. His face was black with soot. â€Å"It was locked,†he explained, hefting the axe. Any optimism Meredith might have felt splintered like the door as she looked inside and saw only flames and more flames. My God, she thought, anyone in there is roasting, is probably dead already. But where had that thought come from? Her knowledge or her fear? Meredith couldn't just stop now. She took a step into searing heat and shouted, â€Å"Isobel! Mrs. Saitou! Where are you?† There was a weak, choking cry. â€Å"That's the kitchen!†she said. â€Å"Matt, it's Mrs. Saitou! Please go get her!† Matt obeyed, but threw over his shoulder, â€Å"Don't you go farther in.† Meredith had to go farther in. She remembered very well where Isobel's room was. Directly under her â€Å"grandmother's.† â€Å"Isobel! Isobel! Can you hear me?†Her voice was so low and husky from smoke that she knew she had to keep going. Isobel might be unconscious or too hoarse to answer. Meredith dropped to her knees, crawling on the ground where the air was slightly cooler and more clear. Okay. Isobel's room. She didn't want to touch the door handle with her hand, so she wrapped her T-shirt around it. The handle wouldn't turn. Locked. She didn't bother to investigate how, she simply turned around and mule-kicked the door right beside the handle. Wood splintered. Another kick, and with a wooden scream the door swung free. Meredith was feeling dizzy now, but she needed to see the entire room. She took two strides in, and – there! Sitting up on the bed in the smoky, hot, but otherwise scrupulously tidy little room was Isobel. As Meredith neared the bed she saw – to her fury – that the girl was tied to the brass headboard with duct tape. Two slashes of the stave took care of that. Then, amazingly, Isobel moved, raising a blackened face up to Meredith's. That was when Meredith's fury peaked. The girl had duct tape across her mouth, to prevent her from making any cry for help. Wincing herself to show that she knew this was going to be painful, Meredith grasped the duct tape and stripped it off. Isobel didn't cry out; instead she took in lungful after lungful of smoky air. Meredith stumbled toward the closet, snatched two identical-looking white shirts, and swerved back to Isobel. There was a ful tumbler of water right beside her, on the nightstand. Meredith wondered if it had been put there deliberately to increase Isobel's agony, but she didn't hesitate to use it. She gave Isobel a quick sip, took one herself, and then soaked each shirt. She held one over her own mouth and Isobel mimicked her, holding the wet shirt over her nose and mouth. Then Meredith grabbed her and guided her back to the door. After that it simply became a nightmare journey of crawling and kneeling and choking, pul ing Isobel with her al the time. Meredith thought it would never end, as each inch forward became harder and harder. The stave was an unbearable weight to heave along with her, but she refused to let go of it. It's precious, her mind said, but is it worth your life? No, Meredith thought. Not my life, but who knows what else wil be out there if I get Isobel into the cool darkness? You'l never get her there if you die because of – an object. It's not an object! Painful y Meredith used the stave to clear some smoldering debris from her path. It belonged to Grandpa in the time when he was sane. It fits my hand. It's not just a thing! Have it your own way, the voice said, and disappeared. Meredith was beginning to run into more debris now. Despite the cramping in her lungs, she was sure that she could make it out of the back door. She knew there should be a laundry room on her right. They should be able to feel a space there. And then suddenly in the dark something reared up and struck her a blow on the head. It took her dimming mind a long time to come up with a name for the thing that had hurt her. Armchair. Somehow they'd crawled too far. This was the living room. Meredith was flooded with horror. They'd gone too far – and they couldn't go out the front door into the midst of magical battle. They would have to backtrack, and this time make sure to find the laundry room, their gate to freedom. Meredith turned around, pul ing Isobel with her, hoping the younger girl would understand what they had to do. She left the stave on the burning living room floor. Elena sobbed to get her breath, even though she was al owing Stefan to help her now. He ran, holding Bonnie by one hand and Elena by the other. Damon was somewhere in front – scouting. It can't be far now, she kept thinking. Bonnie and I both saw the brightness – we both did. Just then, like a lantern put into a window, Elena saw it again. It's big, that's the problem. I keep thinking we should reach it because I have the wrong idea of what size it is in my mind. The closer we get, the bigger it gets. And that's good for us. We'l need a lot of Power. But we need to get there soon, or it could be al the Power in the universe and it won't matter. We'l be too late. Shinichi had indicated that they would be too late – but Shinichi had been born a liar. Still, surely just beyond that low branch was†¦ Oh, dear God, she thought. It's a star ball.

GLOBAL LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Essay - 1

GLOBAL LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Therefore, the total cost of the Model needs to be redefined. Carrying cost is constant; the model assumes that carrying costs are constant; however, this might vary depending on the quantity of inventory, economies of scale, increase in storage space, and renting of new warehouse. Independent orders; the increase of orders may increase the cost of saving by reducing the transportation and paperwork. This means that the original EOQ should be modified and developed to deal with the change. In essence, this means that the optimal strategy is computing one product Instantaneous delivery; the model assumes that the orders is delivered instantly; however, this can be modified to include the safe stock. In other words, the model assumes that there was no delay in delivery of stock and the delivered stock is as demanded. The model is based on assumptions hence not accurate; for instance, it assumes that there is a steady demand of the product for immediate restocking. However, the model does not consider variables such as economic fluctuations, as well as, seasonability of some products. Moreover, it assumes that holding charges, ordering costs, and inventory units are constant. This is difficult hence needs a constant monitoring of the inventory levels. In simple terms, the model is limited by the assumptions since the formula does not consider other factors and different products in the same order. Moreover, the model is based on complex mathematical calculations that require an individual to have a good understanding of algebra. This model disadvantages the small entrepreneurs who lack knowledge in calculating such figures. Notably, level production strategy is concerned with producing a plan that helps in maintaining a steady rate of employment and production. Satisfying demand requires that production in a firm be increased and lowered to

Explain what proposition knowledge is, and explain the JBT theory of Essay

Explain what proposition knowledge is, and explain the JBT theory of propositional knowledge. Be sure to explain why it seems th - Essay Example For example John and Brian apply for the same job and john believes that Brian will get the job and he has twenty bucks in his pocket. John is justified in believing that the one who will get the job has twenty bucks in his pocket, so it can be said that john is justified in believing the truth although he also has got twenty bucks in his pocket which he is does not know of. Another example is, for instance just meeting a person is not enough. One should have knowledge about the person. One should have details about that person. This kind of knowledge is known as Personal knowledge. Procedural knowledge also involves some kind of propositional knowledge. For instance, if you have knowledge of how to operate a computer then obviously you will know that by pressing a specific key what function will the computer perform. The Justified True Belief (JTB) theory was given by the famous Greek Philosopher, Plato. Plato was student of the great philosopher Socrates and was the teacher of Aris totle who was also a celebrated philosopher of his time. In Plato’s view, three elements, justification, truth and belief combine to form the definition of propositional knowledge.

The Experiences of Dick Spencer in Modrow Plant of Tri-American Essay - 1

The Experiences of Dick Spencer in Modrow Plant of Tri-American Corporation - Essay Example Dick inherited problems at Modrow plant; he was not included in initial planning and spent a lot of time in getting up to speed. His friendly and easy going attitude was not appreciated in the English plant as well as the Modrow plant by Canadian workers, as his casual strolls were considered as suspicious and steadily his stature and authority as a plant manager was undermined by the workers. The limitations he had as a leader was his inability to understand accounting practices and delegating tasks to his sub-ordinates, as a result he started taking interest in minor or unimportant issues of the plant. This micro management kept him away from core issues rising from expansion and modernization of the plant. His attempts to gain insights by spending time in manufacturing area were not ideal and a trusting behavior towards middle management should have brought better results in implementing the changes he wanted. He was not furnished by the relevant information by middle management a s they had doubts about his abilities as a leader additionally his obsession for gaining insight from workers left the middle management with lack of trust in him. In order for a successful change to come whether it is cost saving initiative, modernization or expansion Dick should have paid attention to more strategic issues of the time and used his time for inculcating trust within management, there are many leaders who lack the technical knowledge or experience but they achieve results by leaving the technical aspects of the work to technical staff communicating with their line managers and not seeing everything as a potential for cost saving initiatives. A gradual or incremental change would have helped Dick in first normalizing the situation due to his appointment ahead of local operating staff, gain trust of managers by staying away from the workers followed by understanding the modernization and expansion challenges.  This change is suggested keeping the personality of Dick in consideration, consequently an authoritative leader would have opted for a rapid change while resisting forces would have been removed or sidelined.  

Dangerous and Natural Energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dangerous and Natural Energy - Research Paper Example However, the risk that is close to the highest magnitude and frequency lies next to areas with the highest risk. As per the map, the western seaboard experiences the highest hazard of earthquakes (USGS: Science for a Changing World, 2012). Considering that the pink color represent areas with the highest earthquake hazard, Seattle lies in the green area, which is third to the least risky area. However, there are maroon areas surrounding it meaning that earthquakes may be experienced from these areas reaching the area (USGS: Science for a Changing World, 2012). In the past seven days, according to the earthquake center, there has not occurred any seismic activity in the area. The closest earthquake activity that occurred in the past seven days was in Canada and not in the USA. There has been seismic activity in the USA that has occurred in most recently, and in some cases up to this month on the 2nd of June in California. On a global scale, seismic activity seems to occur offshore in the areas bordering the land. This is particularly so in the areas around Alaska, the west coast of the USA, as well as the West coast of South America. Among all these regions, there is consistency in the occurrence based on fault lines around the world. These are mainly to the west of Alaska, East of Australia and the western side of the South American continent. There are, also, several earthquakes occurring in continental shelves in areas such as Alaska, China and India. In addition, there are several occurrences in the Middle East, an area with not much seismic activity. In Japan, 46 kilometers East of Namie, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake occurred on 2 July 2012. It occurred in an area where two fault lines lie (USGS: Science for a Changing World, 2012). Living in a red area is difficult following the high risk involved. However, I would be willing to live in such an area as long as I know the full implication of exposing myself to such a hazard and the benefits that come with

Cutural competence and cutural proficency (social work perspective) Essay

Cutural competence and cutural proficency (social work perspective) - Essay Example cultures; value diversity; institutionalizing cultural knowledge, the capability for cultural own assessment; and awareness of the dynamics that are inherent during cultures interaction (Goodson, 2001). The article describes the cultural beliefs, attitudes, awareness’s, biases, and history heritage of people from England and Afghanistan. More so, the discussion focuses on contrasting and comparing the two cultures, checking other social work theories and how to educate organizations and communities. Culture: since the start of British history, various battles and wars placed the Great Britain under the ruling of Vikings, Venetians, Saxons, Normans and Romans. The mixture intensified because of the refugee’s migration from Ireland, Russian and France (Smith, 2007). The result of the blending is several races with distinct statues, builds, cultural habits, hair colors, skin and gastronomy. There are three domineering languages in England: Welsh, Scottish and English. 92% of the populations are white, 3% are black, 1.3% is Pakistan, 1.2% is mixed, and 1.6% is other races. Major religions: 72% are Christians including Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican and Roman Catholic. 23% are undetermined or unspecified, 3% are Hindu and 2% are other denominations. In 1998, at least 20% of the total population believed in God, 15 percent were agnostics and 10 percent were atheists (Goodson, 2001). Nevertheless, the principal religious traditions in England are Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. In the recent era, there are a cult and pagan religions such as Transcendental Meditation, Unification Church, and goddess religion, among others. Awareness and education: the models of learning in England involve the direct interaction between a child and a parent or teacher. Major ceremonies for secular initiation for young adults and children are present in the educational clubs and process. Afghanistan is mountainous and landlocked, which has undergone

Personal reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Personal reflection - Essay Example These will increase food production to a great extent that will satisfy a nation’s population. In my thought, a growth in the economy should provide sufficient wealth for the whole population. Mostly, this does not happen because the population the poor grows rapidly and they do not share in the increased industrial expansion. The tragedy of commons is a trap that involves the conflict between resources of individual interests and those of common good. The problem with arising from this measure in managing the human population is the assumption that commons need to be regulated both the international and national agencies. In my thought, it is not entirely possible to control the commons or convert them to private property. In most countries, there does exist a gap between the existing population and what is regarded as the optimal population. Reasons, why countries have sub-optimal population, vary both geographically and historically. Daly suggests that tradable permits are a measure that can be use to control the human population. The allusion to birth rights for income inequality is contrasted. In my opinion, the tradable rights to have children are the only means to manage the human population. Each girl should be given a license to allow her to have, say, two children. Tradable birth rights may be a better measure as couples who have more than two children will risk previous the economic

A View Inside The Westboro Baptist Church Essay Example for Free

A View Inside The Westboro Baptist Church Essay Unlike most modern religious groups, the Westboro Baptist Church is unique in the fact that the organization doesn’t meet in a modern church setting. Instead, the Westboro Baptist Church meets on Sundays to picket and protest the funerals of people whom they feel have created blasphemous acts against God. This recently included the funeral of Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs. In an October 7th cbsnews. com article journalist Edecio Martinez quoted Margie Phelps as posting on twitter, â€Å"He had huge platform†¦gave God no glory and taught sin. This in return yielded a great a greatly deal of responses by media, family, and some other government officials as well. This is the story behind the Westboro Baptist Church and its opposing counterparts. It is first important to understand the dynamics of the Westboro Baptist Church. Known for its fight against the alternative lifestyles of the homosexual community, the members of the Westboro Baptist Church have often times been referred to as the serial protesters and also have been characterized as a hate group. This church is an independent church founded by Fred Phelps in 1955. The group contains 71 members most of which are of Phelps family. Their congregations include picketing and the desecration of the American flag. Theologically speaking they refer to themselves as Calvinist. The church’s view is that most religious groups are Satan worshipers, frauds, and teach lies. They believe that â€Å"God Hates fags† and that it should be a crime. The two most notable groups that Westboro Baptist Church has chosen to picket are homosexuals and celebrities. This organization is without a question unique in its own rights. Since the Westboro Baptist Church popped up on the scene in Nov. 27, 1955, the public has had something to say about them. In efforts to expires the disapproval of the Westboro Baptist Church other groups have met in areas where the church was picketing and turned away from churches protesters. Perhaps one of the most famous counter protests happened after the September 11 attacks. One young man Jared Dailey , stood across from the group and held a sign that displayed, â€Å"NOT today Fred. † Two days later the number shifted from 1 to 86 people standing across from the group. In future protest against the group the slogan that began Dailey used has been popular in use. As a means to counter the Westboro Baptist church organizations such as, The Boston Center for the Arts and an ad-hoc group in Richmond countered the protest by doing pledges and then donating the money to LGBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans-gender) organizational projects. Others have arranged protest and hackers have been known to hack the Westboro batiste Church websites and disable them from the internet. There have been violent actions also against the group. There have been recorded incidents of angry mob attempting to attack the group, a fire near their meeting lace estimated at $10,000 in damage, and also Army Veteran Ryan Newell was arrested with ammo and an attempt on an attack of the group. For the most part the general public objects to the Westboro Baptist Church and their beliefs. Arguments on both sides of the debacle have both taking time out to use the First Amendment in their defense. The Westboro Baptist Church found themselves in hot water when the father of the Marine Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder sued them for defamation of character, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress on June 5,2006. Although the court threw out the defamation and privacy suits due to the First Amendment the trial still went on for other charges. The family argued that even though the first amendment gives an American citizen the right to free speech it still is limited. On the judges mark the first amendment was recited and let it be known that if vulgar, offensive, or shocking statements were made, then that would be grounds of a guilty plea. The Plea was guilty on behalf of Fred and the other members of the Phelps family. The Westboro Baptist Church also took action as well, on July 21,2006; the ACLU (The American Civil Liberties Union) of eastern Missouri filed a suit for Shirley L. Phelps-Roper. This suit stated that the Missouri law saying that no one was allowed to picket in front of a church or a funeral an hour before or an hour after was preventing her from utilizing her right to religious liberty and free speech. Although the argument was relevant the courts still shot down the suit stating that â€Å"in individual states and cities the law is interpreted as they see fit because the amendment is vague as to the terms and conditions. The Phelps family continued on still to federal court in hopes of a win. On both sides of the argument each have had valid point that the first amendment protects both sides. As the situation continued, it called for the Supreme Court to step in. The Supreme Court stated that even though they do not agree with the Westboro’s acts they still have to aside with them due to the First Amendment of freedom of speech. The Supreme Court quoted â€Å"that freedom of speech is so central to the nation that it protects cruel and unpopular protests even, in this case, at the moment of a familys most profound grief. The Westboro Baptist Church is an organization of people with their own beliefs and opinions. Their religion no matter how extreme it may be is still what they believe to be a religion. Time has shown the world many interpretations of God worshipers, and many interpretations of religion, and the Bible. This is not the first group to have these views and probably won’t be the last. The world is a big place with many different people and it is important to look past the ignorance and see the importance of accepting everyone for who they are like it or not.

The Rise Of Green Vehicles Marketing Essay

The Rise Of Green Vehicles Marketing Essay Introduction A green vehicle is a motor vehicle that has less dangerous and less deadly effects to the environment than any regular gasoline or diesel powered vehicles. The major inspiration of the development of alternative fuels and green engineering are to reduce the harmful environmental impacts and to create the mentality of reducing dependency to oil. Based on what customers majority demand in automobile industry: low fuel consumption, low cost, low noise pollution, state-of-the-art technology, and environmentally friendly, manufactures are significantly are transforming their technology to the green vehicle technology. Green vehicles are powered by alternative fuels and include hybrids, electric cars, ethanol, hydrogen cars, natural gas, plug-in hybrids, biodiesel, and air powered vehicles. Latest trend of the green vehicles popularity was significantly caused by the rise of oil prices. People are trying to find other ways to save their money from purchasing gas for their gas/diesel powere d cars. Tax saving also contributes to the rise of green vehicles popularity in various countries such as United States and European Union. According to IRS website, The Energy Policy Act of 2005 replaced the clean-fuel burning deduction with a tax credit. A tax credit is subtracted directly from the total amount of federal tax owed, thus reducing or even eliminating the taxpayers tax obligation. The tax credit for hybrid vehicles applies to vehicles purchased or placed in service on or after January 1, 2006 (www.irs.gov). This paper will answer several questions that people might be curios about. First, I will discuss the causes of the booming market of green vehicles in the last decade. Secondly, I will discuss the controversies of GMs electric vehicle EV1 and its relation to the conspiracy theories with Oil Company. Background As mentioned before, green vehicles include hybrids, electric cars, ethanol, hydrogen cars, natural gas, plug-in hybrids, biodiesel, and air powered vehicles. Hybrids combine two or more different propulsion systems, typically a gasoline engine and one or more electric drive motors. Most hybrids on the road today compliment their gas engines by charging a battery when breaking. Engines running on diesel or other alternative fuels can also be used in hybrids. A hybrid drive is fully scalable, which means the drive can be used to power everything from small commuter cars to large buses and even locomotives. Hybrids get more MPG or miles per gallon than most non-hybrids, and usually have very low tailpipe emissions (greencar.com). Electric cars produce zero localized emissions since theyre propelled by electric motors that run on batteries charged at home, or special electric vehicle charging stations. Electric cars are extremely efficient and run for pennies per mile, much cheaper than any other alternative fuel. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. As a fuel, ethanol can be used in more than 30 flex fuel vehicle models that have been designed to run on alcohol, gasoline, or any combination of the two fuels from the same tank. Most ethanol today is produced from corn or sugar cane, although this will change as cheaper cellulosic ethanol made from fast growing woody grasses and other biomass becomes a reality. Hydrogen cars perhaps the cleanest of all alternative fuels, burning with nearly zero emissions in an internal combustion engine and with emissions of only water vapor and heat in an electro-mechanical fuel cell. Natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, is being used by an increasing number of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles like refuse trucks and delivery vans. Natural gas is stored and used in its liquefied or compressed states. It is most commonly abbreviated as LNG for Liquefied Natural Gas, a nd CNG for Compressed Natural Gas. While a variety of light-duty natural gas cars were once available, the only factory-produced natural gas car made today in the U.S. is Hondas Civic GX. Plug-in hybrids boast great potential for improving fuel economy. Plug in hybrid technology allows gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles to be recharged from the grid and run many miles on battery power alone. A gas engine provides additional driving range as needed after the battery power is gone. Plug in hybrids may never need to run on anything but electricity for shorter commutes. The combination of gas and electric driving technologies can already achieve up to 150 mpg. Biodiesel is a renewable alternative fuel made from various sources ranging from waste vegetable oil to soybeans. It can often be used seamlessly in diesel engines of all kinds. Biodiesel is a cleaner fuel than standard petroleum diesel. Since it can be produced locally, biodiesel has the potential to decrease our dependence on for eign countries for oil, and enhance local economies where biodiesel production is taking place. Air powered cars are relatively new to the green car scene. Compressed air is currently being explored as a viable alternative fuel to efficiently power car engines with little or no environmental impact (greencar.com). Going back to the history of green vehicles, they have been around for around almost 120 years. Jake Richardson in his article 9 Electric Cars 100 Years Old or More explains that the first green vehicle ever made was 1891 Morison. Made by William Morrison in 1891, some say the Morrison was the first electric vehicle in America. It  had a four horsepower engine, and could  carry 6-12 passengers. Top speed was about 20 mph. The batteries needed to be recharged every 50 miles. It has been said the car was actually completed in 1887 and was driven in a Des Moines parade in 1888. If that is true, the Morrison was first built 122 years ago, and it was built in America, where today they are  almost no electric cars on the roads. Next is electrobat, produced from 1894-1899.   Electrobats were made for several years in Philadelphia. The first ones were very heavy and used steel  tires to support a large lead battery. They employed twin 1.5 hp motors and  had a top speed of 20 mph. They could go 25 miles on one charge. Next is the 1900 Riker. Riker is a bulky enclosed cabin four passenger sedan that was made about the turn of the century; the Riker featured electric side lamps, wooden-spoked wheels, and a voice tube so passengers could communicate with the driver. Cabin windows could be raised and lowered. 48 battery cells were onboard, with an electric engine near each rear wheel.  The drivers seat was about 6-7 feet in the air.   Next is 1901 Riker torpedo. Andrew Riker, the founder of Riker Electric Vehicles, made the Torpedo in 1901 to be the fastest car on the road. Next is the 1902 Studebaker, 1906 Krieger, 1909 Babcock, and 1909 Bailey (http://gas2.org). It hasnt been seriously developed until the 1973 when the oil crisis strikes. Paul Lucas in his article The History of Green Motoring explains that in the 1980s, attempts to develop the green car concept reached new heights. In Switzerland for example, there was an annual race for solar-powered veh icles called the Tour de Sol. This ran from 1985-1995. In 1991, BMW created a pair of battery powered E1 concepts that failed to get past the concept stage. In the same year, the Citroen Citela was born with a range of 130 miles and top speeds of 70mph. GM also introduced its first purpose-built electric vehicle, the EV1, from 1996-1999. Since the turn of the millennium the concept of green cars has expanded at a phenomenal rate. This is because of the contribution of the expansion of hybrid cars, which effectively plug the gap between electric cars and conventional vehicles. Popular models include the Toyota Camry, which was once acclaimed as the top-selling passenger vehicle in America, and the Toyota Prius which in 2007 was the number-one selling hybrid vehicle worldwide. The concept has even been introduced into larger vehicles such as the Lexus RX400h, an off-roader. The Volkswagen BlueMotion Polo, which became available in 2007, cut CO2 emissions even further. Hydrogen fuelled cars arrived in 2006 through the BMW 7 Series, while the Ford Airstream was introduced in 2007 with a lithium battery that was topped up by a hydrogen fuel cell (www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk). Major Reasons So, what exactly encouraged the rise of green vehicle popularity? One of the major contributors to the popularity of green vehicle is the increase of oil prices all over the world. The advancement of technology is causing the green vehicles to consume less gas. Ricky Lim in his article 3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars explains that Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon (http://ezinearticles.com. One of the technologies of hybrid cars is that they will only use the gasoline engine during constant speed such as highways speed. During the stop and go traffic, the electric engine will be functioned thats resulting in saving fuel. People always wonder on why hybrids cars are extremely quiet during idle. It is because the gasoline engine is turned off. The electric engine doesnt produce any noise at all. Here are the data of gas consumption on some of the hybrid cars: Ford Escape 31.9 mpg; Honda Accord 29.4 mpg; Honda Civic 46.2 mpg; Honda Insight 55.3 mpg; Lexus GS 450H 23.5 mpg; Lexus RX 400H 25.3 mpg; Mercury Mariner 29.5 mpg; Nissan Altima 34.3 mpg; Saturn Vue 25.9 mpg; Toyota Camry 36.5 mpg; Toyota Highlander 26.4 mpg; Toyota Prius 47.5 mpg (www.greenhybrid.com). Based on www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com, Hybrid car sales statistics have shown steady growth over most of the last five years, but sales peaked in early 2008 (at 45,000 vehicles) and showed a steady decline in the second half of 2008 with sales starting to recover somewhat in spring 2009. Considering the spike in oil and gasoline prices up to about July of 2008, and their rapid decline once the economic downturn hit later in 2008, its not surprising that sales show a peak followed by a steady drop. Fortunately for hybrid car manufacturers, gasoline price increases in the second through fourth quarters of 2009 have been accompanied by a return to high er hybrid car sales (http://www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com/hybrid-car-sales-statistics.html). Take a look at this chart, which shows three data series: hybrid car sales statistics by month, a 12-month moving average of hybrid car sales, and average US gas prices per gallon, from January 2004 to December 2009: (www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com) According to carsdirect.com, the August 2009 hybrid car statistics show that of the more than 200,000 hybrid cars sold in the U.S. year-to-date (YTD), the Toyota Prius is the top selling vehicle. There were 93,810 Prius sales through August 2009, with 18,886 units being sold in the month of August alone. Behind the Prius were the Toyota Camry, which sold 17,630 YTD, Honda Insight, selling 14,045 YTD, Honda Civic at 14,014 units sold and Ford Escape in the top 5 at 11,222 units sold YTD. In the month of August, Toyota Prius sales were 49% of all August U.S. hybrid sales. Camrys August sales made up 5% of hybrid sales, Insights comprised 11%, Civics 2% and Escape sales were 4% of all August hybrid car sales.   There were 38,701 hybrid cars sold in the United States in August 2009. Sales of the Toyota Prius were 1% of all car sales in the month of August.   All hybrid sales were 3% of the car sales that were made in the month. The number of hybrids sold in the month is up 48.6% over the same time period in 2008, showing a rise in the popularity of these vehicles by American drivers. Toyota, Honda and Ford are the largest makers of hybrid vehicles, with the most sales and models.  Toyota features the top-selling Prius, Camry and Highlander models. Honda has the Insight and Civic while Ford produces the Escape and Fusion hybrid vehicles (www.carsdirect.com). Based on www.mixedpower.com, from the states hybrid sales statistics in 2008, California sold the most hybrid cars with 39,830 units followed by New York: 8,810; Florida: 8,612; Texas: 8,255; and Illinois: 6,107 (www.mixedpower.com). The increasing of environmental awareness also contributes to the rise of green vehicles popularity. Alexandria Haber in his article The Facts About Hybrid Car Emissions and Global Warming explains that hybrid cars emit far lower levels of pollutants in the air than conventional cars, resulting decreased pollution and reduced effects of global warming. Because no two people drive the same way, it is therefore difficult to estimate, but emissions can be reduced from 25% to 90%, when comparing hybrid cars to conventional gas-powered vehicles (www.buzzle.com). Ricky Lim also in his article explains that hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned (www.buzzle.com). It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (http://ezinearticles.com). Peak oil theory also emerges and causes people to be more aware to consume more oil. Peak oil theory states: that any finite resource, (including oil), will have a beginning, middle, and an end of production, and at some point it will reach a level of maximum output as seen in the graph: (www.peakoil.com) This is the graph of world oil production from 1900-2080 taken from www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net It indicates that in the future we will have no more oil to be consumed, and the productivity of green vehicles has to be increased to decrease the dependency of oil. The last contributor to the rise of green vehicles is the tax incentives for the green vehicles buyers. It was in 2005 that Energy Policy Act of 2005 was passed by the United States congress and passed by President George W.Bush. The act, described by proponents as an attempt to combat growing energy problems, changed US energy policy by providing tax incentives and loan guarantees for energy production of various types. Consumers can itemize purchases on their federal income tax form, which will lower the total amount of tax they owe the government. In addition to federal tax incentives, some consumers will also be eligible for utility or state rebates, as well as state tax incentives for energy-efficient homes, vehicles and equipment (www.energy.gov). According to www.hybridcars.com, the exact amount of credit given by the government may vary: Current Models Make Model Tax Credit Audi A3 TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,300 Audi Q7 TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,150 BMW 335d (Clean Diesel) $900 BMW X5 xDrive35d (Clean Diesel) $1,800 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid $1,300 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid $2,200 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid $2,200 Ford Escape Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Ford Escape Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Ford Fusion Hybrid $3,400 GMC Sierra Hybrid $2,200 GMC Yukon Hybrid $2,200 Honda Civic Hybrid $2,100 Honda 2005 Civic Hybrid (auto) $1,700 Lexus GS 450h $1,550 Lexus LS 600hL $450 Lexus RX 400h $2,200 Mazda Tribute Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Mazda Tribute Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Mercedes GL 320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $1,800 Mercedes R320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $1,550 Mercedes ML 320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $900 Mercedes S400 Hybrid $1,150 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Mercury Milan Hybrid $3,400 Nissan Altima $2,350 Toyota Camry Hybrid $2,600 Toyota Highlander Hybrid $2,600 Toyota Prius $3,150 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,300 Volkswagen Touareg TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,150 Despite of its cons, green vehicles have the cons as well. Phillip Dunn in his article Hybrid Cars Pros and Cons explains that all this new technology comes at a price: a hybrid car is complex and expensive. It has two motors and all the ancillary systems to manage them plus a heavy battery and a regeneration system used to produce electricity during breaking. Hybrids are the most gasoline efficient of all cars they typically get 48 to 60 mpg (claimed). Not bad, but only about 20% to 35% better than a fuel efficient gasoline powered vehicle like the Honda Civic, for example, that gets 36 mpg. But, when comparing prices hybrids cost from $19,000 to $25,000 and gas saver cars cost $14,000 to $17,000 the justification to buy becomes less clear. Much of the fuel efficiency comes from improvements in aero dynamics, weight reduction and, the biggest change: a smaller, less powerful gas engine. In fact, any car will get substantially better mileage just by reducing the engine size. The main reason this is not done has to do customer demand they want the extra power and zippiness (www.physorg.com). EV1 Controversies. Since the rise of green vehicles popularity, have the oil industries been affected tremendously? In the 1990s oil was getting scarcer and the pollution produced by combustion engines was becoming recognized as a very serious problem. Consumers began to demand some solutions that would save their world, their bank accounts and their breathing from gasolines bad effects. Like mentioned earlier, electric cars have been around for 110 years from the first time its been made. Alexandra Paul in her article Who Killed my Electric Car? explains that in 1900, electric cars outsold both gasoline and steam vehicles because electric cars didnt have the vibration, noise and dirtiness associated with gas vehicles. But soon afterward with the discovery of Texas crude oil that reduced the price of gasoline, the invention of the electric starter in 1912 that eliminated the need for a hand crank, and the mass production of internal combustion engine vehicles by Henry Ford the electric vehicle went t he way of the horse and buggy (www.cnn.com). In the 1990s oil was getting scarcer and the pollution produced by combustion engines was becoming recognized as a very serious problem. Consumers began to demand some solutions that would save their world, their bank accounts and their breathing from gasolines bad effects. In 1990 California passed the ZEV, requiring 2% of new vehicles sold in California to be emission-free by 1998, 10% by 2003. In response to ZEV, GM launched their revolutionary car EV1. The EV1 required no gas, no oil changes, no mufflers and rare brake maintenance. The success of electric vehicles would have threatened the status quo and core business models of two of the worlds biggest industries oil and automobile. Electric cars are a threat to the profitability of the conventional gas-powered auto industry. GM said that it spent more than $1 billion to market and develop the EV1 (www.ecosherpa.com). Not only would a successful electric car program cannibalize sale s of conventional cars, but the electric car costs the auto industry in other ways: lacking an engine, it saves the driver the cost of replacement parts, motor oil, filters, and spark plugs. The EV1s regenerative braking system, in which the cars electronic controls handled much of the work of slowing down the car, spared the cars mechanical brake system from wear. Brake parts and repair is a billion-plus dollar industry alone. The EV1s efficiency was a winner for consumers but a loser for the auto industry. Despite of its advantages, EV1 still had its disadvantages: it was only available to be leased to the public; it was only available for three year leases with no option for renewal or purchase at the end lease period. Leases ranged from $299 to over $574 monthly which was pretty expensive at that time. EV1 also had a short range (around 80 miles) and no backup system. It took 12 hours to fill up the battery. All in all, GMs EV1 has brought pros and cons to the public. It was thr eatening the oil industry, yet it also had major weaknesses to sustain its existence. In conclusion, the popularity of the non-traditional energy sources is increasing since more than two decades. People have realized the importance of the green vehicles for the environment. The rise of green vehicles has been encouraged by the uncontrollable increases on gas prices, the awareness trend to save the environment, and also the tax incentives that is given by the government. The electric cars need to be existed for one more time because with the advancement of technology, it wouldnt be difficult to produce a better car than GMs EV1. Electric vehicles will help tremendously to conserve the oil that has been consumed uncontrollably.

African American History :: essays research papers

Berida’s story exemplifies the issues facing women in Africa in general and Kenya in particular, especially with respect to gender and class in many ways. Berida explains in her story the hardships that women have in providing for themselves as well as their families. Some of the hardships that Berida talks about are in the article â€Å"The African and Kenyan Contexts.† The article states that, â€Å"across the continent, people of many African nations have been troubled by low levels of economic productivity, environmental degradation, inadequate physical and social infrastructure, the exigencies of structural adjustment, and the battering of declining commodity prices.† The hardships that are discussed are in the areas of education, economics, and ecological.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most important issues discussed is economics. Everyone in the world today needs money to survive. Berida explains how she had to work hard day and night to provide for her for her family. She was the breadwinner in the family because her husband was an alcoholic and would spend all the money. She tried to make money any way she could. Berida and other women would go from city to city buying and selling goods for more than what they had paid for them to make a profit. Berida also worked for others, farming when she could not afford to buy and sell. When the trade business it depends on what the state of the economy is in to make good profits. African cities tend to be very poor and do not receive help from the government or other countries. All of the money that Berida made went to food, clothing, and education for her children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compared to European Nations there are few educated people in Africa. Education in Africa is very expensive and many families cannot afford to send their children to school until they graduate. Although Berida had very little education; she did what she could to keep her children in school. Depending on how much Berida made when her trading business was good, some of her children received more education than others. Berida feels that poor families should not have too many children because a decent education costs too much. Females in most families had to stop going to school to help take care of the younger children and out their parents while the younger children go to school. The less education that one has the less chance there is of getting a decent job.

South and Southeast Asia Essay -- essays papers

South and Southeast Asia Introduction The region under scrutiny happens to be among the most impoverished countries in the world, though allowing for so much growth that is has made them among the fastest growing countries in the world. The region with all this potential is South and Southeast Asia, and the countries holding 40% of the world’s poor are Bangladesh, Thailand, Pakistan and India. How is it that South Asia has grown so much over the past decade with 35% of its men and 59% of its woman being illiterate? Or how is it that half a billion of the people in South Asia are living off less than a dollar a day? So much of the information I have found for this paper is hard to swallow, though I will try and tell it to you straight and in this sequence: 1. What is believed to be the beginning of the crisis that South Asia is faced with now? 2. Who is supporting growth and development in South Asia? 3. Through all this support, how much debt is being created? 4. What are individual weaknesses facing certain countries in South Asia? 5. Can these countries be of success in the long run? The beginning of the crisis Since July of 1997 Southeast Asia has been hit by an economic crisis of major proportion. The economic crisis was originally limited to Thailand’s financial sector, when the central bank of Thailand devalued its currency, the baht. Like so many other currencies the baht had been pegged to the all so valuable U.S. dollar to help ensure stability. Though because of the major success in the U.S. economy the dollar has been seen as strengthening, leading many investors to feel that the baht and many of the other currencies pegged to the dollar were overvalued. Because of this created concern many of the investors fearing an unstable currency chose to exchange it’s currency for dollars. As the confidence in the baht dwindled, companies operating in Southeast Asia scrambled to get rid of its currency as well. Thailand’s central bank was hoping that this devaluation would stop and eventually restore confidence in it’s currency, how would this happen of cours e? I would assume that Thailand was hoping for a lowering in the price of goods in dollar terms, which would make those products competitive in foreign markets. This in turn would attract new investments into the country. Though this did not happen, and a monsoon of loan def... ... from a larger standpoint while still keeping the topics small. I did this because currency is something that nearly every country has trouble controlling. Plus there are a lot of troubles that come with a collapsing currency, as far as market instability and fear of investing. This was just a few of the problems that effected every country used in this paper, every country that was spoken about was among the poorest countries in the world though still receiving recognition for being among the fastest growing countries in the world. That in it’s self is hard to explain; how would this happen to this specific region of the world. These are the types of questions that were attempted in this paper. The specific answers are not given in this paper however because I personally cannot answer them. But what it will take for these countries to succeed has been answered and the funding is there for them to do that. If the progress continues in the direction that all these countries are facing, it is possible for all these countries to survive and pull themselves out of poverty. Bibliography: www.worldbank.com www.state.gov/issues/economic/trade www.facts.com www.boi.go.th

William Howard Taft Essay -- essays research papers

William Howard Taft William Taft was a nominated by his successor, Teddy Roosevelt. He was nominated for the Republican Party in the Presidential Race in 1908, in which he defeated William Jennings Bryant of the Democratic Party. He was called a â€Å"trust buster†, by people against his beliefs and decisions. In his Inaugural Address, he stated that many ideas in which supported Teddy Roosevelt. One, Interstate commerce railroads was a large element to the country and market of the railroad business. He wanted them to be more secure and have the Industry be more productive. Taft, in (1910) created the Mann-Elkins Act which strengthened Interstate Commerce Commission, made the original long-short haul clause more effective, and created more government control on railroad businesses. Taft wanted to reach a new efficiency and wanted to push his â€Å"successors† ideas. The 16th and 17th Amendments were passed during his Presidency to create an Income tax, and providing for the people of a state electing US Senators instead of the state legislature. Two states were also added to the Union. Taft commented about the revision of the Dingly Act. In 1909, he called a special session to create the Payne-Aldrich Tariff that seemed to be a protectionist measure and Taft calling it, â€Å"a really good bill†. The Payne-Aldrich Tariff was the first changes to the Dingley Act in which increased rates on manufactured goods and helped the Industrial Northeast but angered the Midwest. The Intervention...

Airline Regulations

AIRLINE REGULATIONS Research Paper AVSC 1220 TREVOR CARTER ID # 10524707 *The airline industry operates like the veins of the United States by pumping precious cargo throughout the country. Most *people don’t realize how different the airlines were a few decades ago. The entire industry was regulated by the government. Regulation is usually considered a more socialistic liberal idea that is opposed by conservative capitalists. Although I personally believe in a government with a small limited *role* in our daily lives, I have come to the conclusion that the airline industry is a rare exception that needs to return to regulation which would benefit the airlines and the consumers in numerous ways. In the days of regulation the government had total control of routes, fares, gates and almost anything necessary to operate an airline. It also created many barriers to entry which would prevent any new start up airline. All the government would have to do is not allow them at any airports or not approve of any route application. Economists complained that regulation was inefficient so in 1978 the Airline Deregulation Act was passed allowing the free market to dictate airline prices and schedules. The following thirty years have proved this to be a terrible mistake. There are a wide range of facts when looking for the change in price of a ticket today compared to the airlines under regulation. Some say the tickets are 15* % cheaper. Others claim there is hardly a difference because one must account for the 10% travel agent fee that is avoided with today’s online booking. So there is clearly no great ticket price benefit due to deregulation. However in the past tickets were fully refundable and you could change your destination without numerous penalties. Today people scour the internet for a discounted ticket which will usually mean a few stops along the way that may not be in the general direction of their destination. Some passengers may have to fly into alternative airports to receive a discount. Southwest airlines now flies into most major airports just as the legacy airlines do, however, in Southwest’s early days they broke into the freshly deregulated industry by basing their operation out of LUV field Dallas (not Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport) and flying to locations such as Burbank, CA. The reason for this was because it is much cheaper to operate out of these airports to avoid paying high prices for gates and other airport fees. Southwest also undercut the pay scales across the board. They were the first low cost carrier. By *saving all this money they would be able to provide cheaper tickets to customers and the free market was beginning its control on the industry. This started the domino effect of airlines entering the market. *With a few major airlines doing most of the long haul flights many commuter airlines have started business with 100 seat type jets. Most people will see US Airways Express and think it is a division of US Airways; however that airplane might be one of 4 or 5 airlines that fly under the US Airways paint scheme. The air is absolutely saturated with all of these small jets. The air traffic control system *needs to be upgraded because of this. Instead of having 737’s make two or three flights a day on a short haul trip say from Philly to Buffalo, they will have these 100 seat regional jets make 5 or 6 flights a day. With fuel prices soaring this does not seem efficient. Safety of the consumer is also being endangered. For the last year or so many small regional airlines were hiring a large amount of pilots due to a shortage. The minimum flight time qualifications were dropped lower than they have ever been before. Some new hires are getting in the cockpit with as little as 300 hours. The average airline pilot has several thousand hours. With flight training declining every year due to the high cost, commercial pilots are becoming scarcer. When you add more airplanes while fewer pilots are being trained it creates a huge shortage. The Federal Aviation Administration pushed the mandatory retirement age to 65 adding 5 more years to a pilots career if he chooses to stay which many aren’t and won’t, due to the terrible state of the industry and conditions they have been working in. This is just a temporary fix that might stave off the shortage for a few years but hiring will start again and there won’t be enough pilots let alone enough experience pilots to fly all of these airplanes. Under regulation when oil quadrupled in the 70’s, the price was passed onto the consumer by raising ticket prices. This is unfortunate but it is a part of the way our economy works. Today with prices rising, the airlines will not raise prices and instead try to run other companies into the ground by lowering prices. This is not healthy competition. The airline industry lost 25 billion dollars from 2000*-2005. During that period a*irfares dropped 10* percent while 20 airlines went bankrupt. US Airways and Northwest Airlines have removed their obligation to their pension funds by pleading in *bankruptcy court that they couldn’t operate *without* do*ing so. This wiped out over 8,5*00 pilots retirement funds between the two of them. Over 7000 Delta pilots have also since lost their retirements. * Pilots have conceded roughly 25-35*% pay cuts along with losing their retirements in order to keep these airlines afloat and ensure the passenger gets a good deal on their ticket. Within the past few weeks Aloha Airlines joined the ranks and went out of business continuing the downward spiral of the airline industry specifically over the last 10 years. Delta and Northwest announced on April 14th a plan to merge which would create the largest airline in the world. There is also speculation of many more mergers and or bankruptcies to come. Mergers are a sign of these companies being better off w orking together than separate. That is certainly not the healthy competition the lawmakers of the 60’s and 70’s envisioned while forming this plan. Deregulation has lent instability to an industry which serves to make the world flatter. Maybe it would be in the broader interest if this industry went back to the era of regulation. Not that the system was flawless but at least with a guaranteed return on capital, airlines wouldn’t be forced to cut corners and compromise safety *. * There has been recent talk of law makers on Capitol Hill revisiting the regulation idea due to the horrible state of the industry. Hopefully they will work quickly and save the sinking ship before it’s too late*. SOURCES L. Smith Jr. , Fred. â€Å"Airline Deregulation. Library of Economics and Liberty 25 Nov 2008 http://www. econlib. org/library/Enc/AirlineDeregulation. html. *Barnum, John. â€Å"What Prompted Airline Deregulation 20 Years Ago? What Were the Objectives of That Deregulation and How Were They Achieved. *† Find Law Library 08/15/1998 25 Nov 2008 http://library. findlaw. com/1988/Sep/1/129304. html. *Bailey, Elizabeth E. â€Å"Airline Deregulation Confronting the Paradoxes. † Regulation: The Cato Review of Business and Government* 15, no. 3. Available online at: *http://www. cato. org/pubs/regulation/regv15n3/reg15n3-bailey. html*. *Transportation Security Administration*

Rapex is a weapon for woman against rape

Rapex is a weapon for woman against rape. It is a diaphragm with teeth which bites when something touches it that is not supposed to, such as a penis. This is both painful and will make the rape stop immediately. It also has to be removed surgically thus it is much easier to identify the rapist. In this essay I will explain and discuss the facts and uses for Rapex, the medical concerns for Rapex and the ethical and safety issues. In South Africa there are 119 people per 100,000 that are raped every year. This is probably 9 times as much because the number that was previously mentioned is only the reported rapes. You could also say that there is 50,000 rapes per year in South Africa. This is again about 4 times as many because rapes of children and acquaintances are never reported. This is an alarmingly high number and measures needed to be made. One of these measures was the Rapex anti rape device. Rapex also prevents pregnancy and the infection of sexually transmitted diseases. This is another important function of Rapex because South Africa has the most people in the world which are infected by HIV/AIDS. 1 of nine people in South Africa are infected with the virus. This scientific development has lead to many discussions of ethical issues such as if Rapex would be used for revenge by an angry wife or girlfriend or that it might cause the men to act violently towards the women and hurt them or even kill them. Rapex is made of latex and polyurethane which is held firm by shafts of sharp barbs. When the man penetrates the hooks are fastened into the tip of the man's erected penis and the Rapex has to be surgically removed after that. Rapex is much like a diaphragm thus it should not stay inside the vagina for more than 24 hours. You should wear it when you know you are in danger of being raped such as walking a long distance or when you are somewhere were there are a minimal amount of people and a rapist can easily be attacked. You should also not wear it when you have you are menstruating. The reason that the men rape women in South Africa is that the men feel superior to them and women don't really count in society. They are suppressed by men and don't have the sufficient means to protect themselves. The reason for men raping children is that there is a smaller chance of sexually transmitted diseases. The man suffers from pain but no permanent injuries are inflicted. The woman may however suffer from violence from the man as a result to the pain the man is having. This could even result in death. Rapex is not as helpful by preventing rape because the man still has to penetrate for the Rapex to have an effect. This still causes the woman to be raped but she stops it immediately and she doesn't get pregnant or get a sexually transmitted disease. She does however get a chance to get the man back. In my opinion it is more a weapon for revenge than for self protection. The defense mechanism, Rapex, should be this hard. At least for the time being to scare men and do reduce the amount of rapes taking place. Also, the men that do rape will be identified. The punishment for raping in South Africa is very low at the moment and if the Rapex I going to be used the punishment should also go up. There should also be a punishment for women that use it as a weapon for attack and not as self defense. The 3 main religions in South Africa are Zion Christian, Pentecostal/Charismatic and Catholic. None of these religions encourage rape and so the religious and cultural issues of the Rapex have no impact on this in my opinion. If they choose to rape, against their religion then they can also suffer from this. To conclude I believe I think that the Rapex is a good idea to stop rape, pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. However, there is a big chance that it will be misused and that the men will get angry and kill the women. Therefore, I don't think Rapex should be produced in large amounts but I think the whole educational system, civil law system and the society needs to change when it comes to its look on women. Women need to get a better education allowing them to work and became more equal to men. The civil law system needs to change its punishments of rape and the society needs to change in the way that men except woman as their equal. Rapex is only a temporary solution to the problem of rape and instead of investing money in something short term I believe you can better invest it in something that will stay long term such as a change in society and the role of women within that society.

Obamacare: a Threat to America

President Barack Obama has been written into the history books for becoming the first African American president of the United States. The president plans on changing history again by bringing universal health care into the United States, which has won him much popularity among Democratic voters. President Obama’s speeches are adored by his fans but raise many red flags for the majority of America. Major concerns Americans have with President Obama’s two proposed health-care bills are that health-care options will no longer be available, the real cost of Obamacare, and small businesses.As many Americans believe Presidents Obama’s health-care plan is what the United States has needed for decades, considering he did get elected, his polices will prove to be a bane for the United States. The main concern for many Americans about the Obama’s Health-Care plan is the fact that they will lose the freedom to choose. Choosing health-care benefits, doctors, and high -deductable coverage is important to every insured American citizen, so why would Obama change that?In his speeches, Obama has promised Americans that they will be able to keep their existing health-care coverage but the proposed bills tell a different story. Both bills necessitate that Americans buy approved plans that have a number of universal benefits or face penalties. Even with a five year grace period given to big employers to convert to the new plans, there will be no options if the bills are passed. Choosing what benefits are included in one’s health-care plan often times saves money that could put food on the table for a struggling family.Several states have already imposed a list of required benefits for health-care plans; everyone from â€Å"chiropractors to alcohol-abuse counselors† competes to be included on lists of required benefits (Tully). This competition is one reason health-care costs continue to rise. A few of the mandated benefits of the bills in clude coverage for prescription drugs, substance-abuse services, mental-health services, as well as insuring â€Å"children† until they reach 26 years of age. Before the bills are finalized, the Department of Health and Human Services will hire â€Å"experts† to complete he list (Tully). Thus, nobody will know exactly what this standardized list of benefits will include until the bills are passed. For some Americans, choosing their doctors is very important. Whatever the reason, some people feel more comfortable around certain doctors than others. Why would Obama take away such a simple freedom? With passing of the bills, Americans will be assigned primary care physicians who then will assign patients to specialists, if needed. It is up to the â€Å"gate-keeper† which specialist the patients sees and when.Of course, the choice is to be made on which route is the most â€Å"cost-effective† (Tully). The situation only gets worse when primary care physicians deny patients care, and still get paid. Another freedom Obama’s Health-Care bills will strip from Americans is the choice of high-deductable coverage. Currently about 5 million Americans take advantage of Health Savings Accounts (HSA) offered by their employers (Tully). These work when an employee puts money into the account, requiring the employer to make an equivalent deposit.Employees use Health Savings Accounts to pay for high-deductable coverage plans which, in turn, they use to cover several-thousand dollar medical bills. With high-deductable plans, patients are to cover regular doctor visits themselves; HSAs help cover these bills as well. The proposed bills cause great concern to HSA participants for the simple fact that they will no longer be able to choose a plan with â€Å"stripped† benefits. To rub salt on an open wound, John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis says, â€Å"The government could set extremely low deductibles that would elimin ate HSAs..And they could do it after the bills are passed. † Mandating minimum benefit packages will only drive up medical costs for those who now rely on HSAs to cover medical expenses, ending â€Å"consumer-driven† care (Tully). By eliminating money coming in from independent consumers instead of big insurance companies, the proposed bills will snuff out any type of market health-care now has. Another major concern for Americans about Obamacare is a topic President Obama would rather not mention: cost.According to the Congressional Budget Office, the price tag of the bill coming from the Senate Health Committee would be approximately $1 trillion spanning ten years, and that would only cover a small portion of uninsured Americans. Even worse, the Congressional Budget Office estimates another bill from the Senate Finance Committee at over $1. 6 trillion (Reich). These numbers come at the worst possible time when the United States deficit has reached an all-time high at over $14 trillion as of January (Sahadi).This begs the question, how does Obama expect to pay for these tremendous bills? The answer: Obama plans to raise taxes. Though Medicare cuts and increased taxes will pay for much of the immediate â€Å"overhaul,† according to the proposed bills, the first sign federal tax credits will not be seen until 2013. Only eligible small businesses, up to 25 employees, can receive very limited tax credits up to 35% towards employee health coverage, which Obama hopes will persuade small businesses to offer employee health-care plans (Fox News).But in reality, the cuts affects only one-third of small businesses, leaving the nearly rest of America to get insurance through their big business employer or buy it themselves (Danner). The United States is less than $300 billion away from our debt ceiling, what would another $1 trillion in debt do to our country? Experts predict â€Å"crippling† results. Even in the best case scenario, the value of U. S. bonds and currency would be destroyed. If the U. S. did default, markets around the world would see the effects (Sahadi). If the U. S. overnment is about to lose the ability to pay its own bills, why is the president trying to reform health-care knowing it will add to the already outstanding debt? Small business are another key concern for Americans as President Obama is pushing harder than ever for his proposed health bills. In his campaign Obama ensured Americans that his bills will include benefits for small business, however that is not the case. Looking closely, the proposed tax credits for small businesses will put each small business through a series of tests to decide whether it is eligible for the credit and how much they could receive.With less than one-third of small businesses fully eligible under the restrictions, President Obama’s Health-Care plan will leave Americans with few options when it comes to health-care. Even more, the president neglects to me ntion is that his tax credits for small business are only temporary, six years at the most (Danner). After the credits run out, small businesses will be forced to pay full price for employee health costs, driving up the cost of business dramatically.Businesses that cannot afford the full price tag of employee coverage and newly imposed taxes will have no choice but go out of business. Small businesses created 64% of all new jobs in the last 15 years; the idea of unemployment taking another dramatic rise caused by the closing of numerous small businesses is something the current economy of the United States cannot handle (SBA. gov). There is no doubt Americans like President Obama but when a record number of Americans lose their jobs because of his bills, what will Americans think of him then?There is no doubt President Obama is an excellent speaker but his way with words hides truths that Americans need to know. Now that these truths have leaked out to the public, Americans are conc erned about many different aspects of the president’s proposed bills. Understand, the idea of every American citizen having health insurance sounds great to everybody, but at what cost? Major concerns of American citizens are that health-care options will no longer be available, the real cost of Obamacare, and small businesses.President Obama’s promise that Americans could keep their current plans has been proven bogus, he has neglected to mention the tremendous costs of his proposed health-care bills, and these bills could irreversibly damage the American economy; is Obama the change that America was searching for? As his 2,000 page documents conceal the truths behind his proposed ideas, President Obama’s health-care plan has proven itself to be yet another bane that could very possibly be placed on top the United States’ already weighted shoulders.

Fundamental Elements of a Story Essay

This essay is going to talk about three different points: What are the types of effect that the writer can leave on his readers by his story? How important is the writer’s style to make his story access into his readers’ minds? What are the possible ways that the writer could use to make his theme noticed in his story? What are the Different Ways a Story’s Format Affects the Reader’s Comprehension? Positive effect The format of the story must be effective for the reader; if the form of the story is well organized the reader’s comprehension will be affected. The writer must organize the story elements and build a connection between all of these elements. Negative effect The format of the story could be not effective for the reader because of unorganized story structure. The way that the writer is telling his point of view doesn’t affect readers properly. In What Ways do the Style and Point of View in a Story Format Effects the Delivery of that Story? The style and the point of view are important because the writer is the story teller. When the writer’s point of view is cleared and detailed his story becomes effective (Story, 2007). How can the Theme be Evident throughout a Story’s Elements? The theme can be evident depending on how the writer includes it in the story elements. For example, according to critics Joseph Conrad in his novel ‘Heart of Darkness’ showed his racist personality and negative attitude towards women (Student Resources, 2008). Conclusion A story acceptance depends on the style of the author; maybe most readers will love it or hate it. The writer could write a story in 2 different ways with one 1 theme; the level of acceptance will not be the same in both cases. References Elements of the Short Story. (2007). Retrieved October 20, 2008, from http://www. scribblingwomen. org/elements. htm Student Resources. (2008). Retrieved October 20, 2008, from http://www. josephconradsociety. org/student_resources. htm

Arab and Israeli conflict Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arab and Israeli conflict - Research Paper Example nding being Arab states, it was evident from the beginning that there would be conflict due to the subdivision of the land and this conflict over land (as one of the main reasons for the Israel-Arab conflict) continues until present with the Palestinians claiming a portion of the land between the West Banka and Gaza strip as theirs but the Israelis remaining adamant over it. This conflict has continued amid the numerous efforts to broker peace (by even international bodies like the United Nations and the superpowers: US and UK) including signing peace treaties. The phrase in discussion emanates from the Sykes-Picot agreement to subdivide the Ottoman Empire land into different zones which ultimately led to an unending war and conflict since 1916. This essay is going to discuss in detail this Arab-Israeli conflict including the efforts towards fostering peace through peace treaties and how that has evidently failed to present. This problem started in 1923 when the British subdivided the land which was originally to be Palestine land according to the Ottoman Empire into two: the larger portion (75% of the land) was awarded to the Palestinians and 25% to the Jews (which are the Israelis). This subdivision did not go very well with other Arab countries nationalists who claimed that this was unfair and they did not want to share the land in any way (despite the Jews having been the first occupants of that land from the 19th Century and it is them who paved way for the currently numerous Arabs occupying that area). The claim of this strip of land that was on the West side of the Jordan river is what has led to this seemingly unending â€Å"head to head† war between the Arabs and the Israelis with each side refusing to give up. With the constant attacks from the Arab-Palestinians over the land, the Jews had no choice but to reiterate and also start defending their territory and preventing further attacks over their land (which was granted to them by the British whether

Single Parenting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Single Parenting - Essay Example Parenthood has now taken a sharp turn and cases of children being brought up in single families have increased significantly. This has been as a result of divorce cases or children born out of wedlock. In other cases children are born by parents who are just cohabitating and are not legally married. Such children face a lot of challenges both at family level and society level. Such children are usually considered by societies to be illegitimate and thus highly condemnable. These children are therefore born with illegitimacy stigma and are therefore faced by several problems and negative altitudes. Thus, the school counselors should consider such children as a special group when dealing with them so that they can better address their problems (Katz, Dunham & Zimmerman, 1997). Research has revealed that there is a relationship between the changing family structures and children in respect to examination performance, the research shows that children who are brought up by both parents perform better are more resistant to peer pressure influence whereas students from single families... They also have a higher rate of dropping out of school as compared to those children brought up in a family structure consisting of both parents; they also have greater psychological and social problems. Variation of deviant behavior among the children from single families depends on what caused the single family structure. Studies have shown that those as a result of divorce are more likely to be more deviant as compared to the children raised in single families where one of the parents may have died or born of single mothers. The worst case of deviant behavior is when a child is raised by either a step mother or a step father who mistreat them in their early development stages. Such children develop very negative altitudes in life which often accompany them throughout their lives. While dealing with such children, the school teachers and counselors should consider their plight, so as to be able to assist them in an attempt to prevent them from engaging in deviant behavior (Shih, 20 08). Single parents are faced with numerous problems in raising their children, they sped a lot of energy and time in practicing parenting and yet their results usually have numerous shortcomings. With out help from the other spouse and society single parents try to raise their children effectively. However, monitoring discipline among their children is quite difficult since the burden is laid on one person who is also expected to provide for the entire family with all their needs. The children can therefore take advantage of their parents and engage in practices that are considered to be defiant. It might not be possible for the parent to monitor each child closely and therefore the children who have a propensity of misbehaving have an opportunity to do

Public Education is Killing the Creativity Essay - 3

Public Education is Killing the Creativity - Essay Example The main objective of developing an education system was not to nurture the talent and skills in people but rather to equip them with certain skills that would help bring up a pool of knowledgeable personnel to act as the labor force in the industries that were booming at the time. This ideology did not change even when the industrial era was over; since education kept on being passed like a culture and the old ideologies became perpetual through the time to the present as the same principles can be seen applicable to date (Robinson, 2011). Therefore, the idea of people being different with variable skills was not taken into consideration as a whole, because the educational idea focused only on developing academicians and not artists. It is at this juncture that interpersonal skills and talents that are embedded in various personalities were killed and buried as the educational system had no place for them. In essence, if one was not doing well in formal education he/she was readily regarded as a good for nothing as they would not provide any material well to the skilled workforce that was in need at the time (Robinson, 2011). However, these principles have slightly changed over time to incorporate co-curriculum activities among the courses offered in the formal education syllabus but the art related subjects have little or no significance when it comes to the overall grading of the students. For instance, students who are good in subjects like mathematics and the sciences but poor in art and music are regarded brilliant and intelligent as opposed to those who are good in arts but weak in core subjects hence often regarding them as academic failures. Therefore, the ideal of over-emphasizing certain subjects over the others kills the morale of those that are good in the areas that are not strongly emphasized in the academic programme (Robinson, 2011).