Saturday, December 28, 2019

A Brief Note On The Punic Wars And Rome - 1713 Words

Evan Myers Dr. Cary Western Cultural Traditions I October 14, 2015 Rome Midterm Essays Punic Wars The three Punic Wars were between ancient Carthage and Rome and took place over almost a century. The wars began in 264 B.C. and ended in 146 B.C. with the destruction of Carthage (History.com Staff). At the time the war broke out, Carthage was the world’s leading maritime power in the Mediterranean and Rome was the dominant power in the Italian Peninsula (History.com Staff). In the First Punic War, Rome defeated the Carthaginians at sea and Sicily became Rome’s first overseas province (History.com Staff). This First War ended with Rome in control of Sicily and Corsica resulting in the Roman Empire’s rise to a naval power in addition†¦show more content†¦Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was born in Rome in July 100 B.C. to Gaius Julius Caesar and Aurelia Cotta (Biography.com Editors). Caesar is noted as one of the greatest military leaders in history and played a significant role in the events that led to the rise of the Roman Empire. He was known to be a bold and decisive leader (Biography.com Editors). In the early 60s B.C., Caesar began a successful career in the military as an effective soldier and in politics as a prosecuting advocate. He joined the army and fought in several wars and became involved in Roman politics (Biography.com Editors). He was successfully elected consul in 59 B.C., which was a powerful government position, and the highest office in Rome (Biography.com Editors). By 46 B.C., he eventually became dictator of the Roman Empire after several alliances such as the First Triumvirate with Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus (Biography.com Editors). In March 44 B.C., his reign ended when he was assassinated in the Senate by political rivals on the Ides of March (Biography.com Editors). Caesar’s rule was a major contribution to the reform of Rome and he changed the nature of the Roman Empire (History.com Staff). Augustus Caesar Augustus Caesar was born Gaius Octavius Thurinus on September 63 B.C. and was the great nephew and adopted son and heir of Julius Caesar. Augustus was the first Emperor of Rome. He is a leading figure in the history of Rome and laid the foundations of

Friday, December 20, 2019

Queen Elizabeth I As Unworthy Of The Throne - 2196 Words

Queen Elizabeth I was underestimated by many and was seen as unworthy of the throne. Queen Elizabeth I had a successful reign full of victories and power and was able to make sixteenth century England a thriving nation. The middle and upper class were living comfortably and England’s tin, coal, and led industries were taking off (Lambert, par. 1). The reign of Queen Elizabeth I was strong and powerful (Boatner, par. 7). She not only kept the nation strong but united as one. As triumphant as her life may seem, she did deal with a difficult childhood and an almost inexistent love life. Her lack of romantic relationships is why she is now known as England’s virgin queen, she died having never gotten married and without any children (Brimacombe 28). Queen Elizabeth I had a huge ascendency on the prosperity of England throughout her whole life: her childhood, adulthood and her golden years. This essay will discuss the hardships, triumphs and the influence that Queen Elizabe th I had during her time on the throne within the different stages of her life: her childhood, adulthood and her golden years. The Renaissance, as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica, â€Å"literally means the rebirth of European civilization† (www.britannica.com). People started gaining interest in â€Å"classical scholarship and values† (www.britannica.com). During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, one of her most recognized victories was the Spanish Armada. It was a â€Å"great fleet sent by KingShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Elizabeth I s Speech975 Words   |  4 Pagesappears as one of the main topics these three samples of Elizabeth I’s speeches. While she commonly mentions gender to sound humble and motherly, she also combines her gender with her knowledge to drive her points when explaining or avoiding topics, influencing the people’s opinion, and rallying the people. Some of these ideas have been captured in her portraits. Elizabeth uses her gender and knowledge to make herself appear as a humble queen who knows she does not deserve the crown while still usingRead MoreThe Doubt of Future Foes by Queen Elizabeth I: The Outraged Thoughts of a Proud Queen805 Words   |  4 PagesOne might second guess poetry written by the Queen of England while others might be intrigued by it. During Queen Elizabeth’s challenging reign as Queen, she faced many burdensome obstacles. In her poem, â€Å"The Doubt of Future Foes†, she describes a significant one which involved her sister, Mary of Scots. She expresses her condescending and disgusted attitude toward her tenacious sister by using picturesque language. The inspiration for this poem, Mary had been living under her sister’s protectionRead MoreElizabeth : The Forgotten Years Essay1577 Words   |  7 PagesOften considered by historians as one of England’s greatest monarchs, Elizabeth Tudor’s life and prosperous reign have inspir ed numerous historical works including books, biographies, and visual media representations. Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years, written by John Guy, is an exquisitely detailed biography of the Tudor queen, which encapsulates her not only as an authoritative figure but also as an independent woman. Guy focuses on the trialling years of Elizabeth’s rise to prominence, as she facesRead MoreElizabeth I, Monarch Of England, And Marie De L Incarnation Essay1517 Words   |  7 PagesElizabeth I, monarch of England, and Marie de l’Incarnation, a French nun, both invoked God and other forms of religious power to stake their claims to authority. Elizabeth’s role as a queen came at a time when her country was going through political turmoil. Marie’s role as a missionary in New France was to civilize the indigenous people. Although working to better their countries, both of these writers are vastly different due to their social positions. While Elizabeth had the subst antial taskRead MoreThe Book Of Martyrs By John Foxe925 Words   |  4 PagesI will be examining an image taken from the Book, Acts and Monuments, or better known as the Book of Martyrs. This book was written by John Foxe in 1563. Foxe was a devout protestant during a time where Catholicism was being revived By Queen Mary. This Image displays Thomas Cranmer. Cranmer was the Archbishop of Canterbury during King Henry’s regime and helped Henry annul his marriage with Catherine. Cranmer supported Royal Supremacy and was a huge reason for the creation of the Protestant ChurchRead More The Portrayal of Socially Destructive and Over-Ambitious Richard, in Shakespeares Richard III2909 Words   |  12 Pageswith the other protagonists in the play and also by what he confesses as his intentions. Richard’s political ambition is revealed through his strategic calculations based on the order of birth in his York family which puts him third away from the throne. Ahead of him is his elder brother, George Clarence, a barrier which will have to eradicate. His brother, King Edward, is another political barrier, by simply being alive, in power and equally by being the father of the two young princes . Richard’sRead MoreQueen Elizabeth I Essays3117 Words   |  13 Pages Queen Elizabeth I was by all rights Englands most praised monarch. Her success in her reign, viewed in later centuries, cannot adequately encompass all that she did or how she maintained her power. In part, her endurance stems from the way in which she learned early in life to fight with forces that were not physical, those of her mind, her intellect, and her own spirit. She used her intellect to create an empire. Her education and early training of mind together with her basic understandingRead MoreEssay about Elizabethan Theater1308 Words   |  6 Pages Elizabethan Theater Drama changed literature and theater into what it is today. I. History of Elizabethan Theater a. forming of theater 1. medieval church 2. mystery and morality b. actors 1. rogues and thieves 2. acting guilds II. Influences and people a. commanding actors 1. Shakespeare 2. Burbage b. other 1. wars of the roses (other historical influences) 2. laws restricting theater III. The theaters a. prices 1. seating 2. stage b. the theater and the globe 1. locations and characteristicsRead More The Seriousness of in Shakespeares Comedy of Errors Essay examples1916 Words   |  8 PagesThe Seriousness of The Comedy of Errors      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Comedy of Errors has often been dismissed as a mere farce, unworthy of any serious attention. Yet, when the author is Shakespeare, even a farce is well worth a second look. Shakespeare himself may have takent his comedic work quite seriously, for audiences expected comedy of his day not only to entertain, but also to morally instruct. It is not surprising, therefore, that for one of his earliest comedies, Shakespeare found a model in theRead More Cleopatras Beauty Essay3422 Words   |  14 Pagesactual beauty. Actual beauty can be defined as the interaction of personality and sensuality with the external. Cleopatra is lauded for her beauty but this beauty is, in fact, actual beauty. Would we consider Cleopatra beautiful in this day and age? I say no. Perhaps if we knew her and were ensnared by her legendary charms, she would be beautiful to us but one must decipher her personality before discovering her actual beauty. PHYSICAL BEAUTY Physical beauty is uncontrollable and is purely a

Thursday, December 12, 2019

No-Calorie Powder May Substitute for Foods Fat Essay No-Calorie Powder May Substitute for Foods FatGeorge E. Inglett of the U.S. Department of Agricultures BiopolymerResearch Unit in Peoria III invented a no-calorie fat substitute called Z-Trim. It is a mix of crushed fibers made from the hulls of grains. It can replace thefat and some of the carbohydrates in foods such as chocolates, brownies, cheese,and ground beef. He spent three years trying to perfect Z-Trim to be smoothbecause he made it out of tough hulls of corn, oats, and rice. He first crushedthe hulls with a solution of hydrogen peroxide. He washed the peroxide off incentrifuge. After this step it was still too large, so he put the pieces backthrough the first step of the hydrogen peroxide and the centrifuge. That madeit smooth. Now, it is a fine, white cellulose powder that can be made into agel by adding water. Inglett also developed Oatrim. This is made up of a digestible fiberfrom oat flour that provides four calories per gram. Z-Trim compared to another fat substitute, olestra, is different. Olestra can cause gastrointestinal distress and take vitamins and carotenoidsout of the body. The new substitute does not have those affects. Inglett saysthat you should eat more of the kind of fibers that make up Z-Trim to reducethe chances of getting intestinal disorders. But there are some people who argue with Ingletts theory on his newsubstitute. I wouldnt expect Z-Trim to have the same kinds of problems asolestra, says Margo Wootan, a senior scientist at the Center for Science in thePublic Interest in Washington, D.C. Fiber is already found in our diet, whileolestra is a synthetic chemical. There is also concern for the microbialstability of foods containing Z-Trim. Whenever you remove the lipid materialand replace it with water, says Thomas H. Parliment, a flavor chemist for KraftFoods in White Plains, New York, microbes are to grow, and you can get mold.That would have to be worked out before Z-Trim could go on the market, Parlimentsays. If you want to replace fat in food, Inglett says, only 3 safe no-caloriepossibilities exist: water, air, and fiber. You dont sell anybody air, youdont sell anybody water, but you can sell people Z-Trim.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Tax Rate Biases in Tax Planning Decisions

Question: Discuss about the Tax Rate Biases in Tax Planning Decisions. Answer: Introduction The following case is based on the contract of sale entered by the taxpayer on January 10 2002, for the purpose of land sale valued $2,975,000. The contract was formed as per the Option Agreement between the parties along with the option fee amounted to $25,000 to be borne by the purchaser as soon as the contract is executed. According to the clause 2 of the contract, it was stated that the option would be exercised by providing written notice including the payment of contract deposit amount. Another clause of the contract i.e. clause 5 stated that on receiving the written notice and requisite payment, the seller would be liable to sell the land while the purchaser would be liable to buy the same. According to the terms and conditions of the contract, buyer paid the deposit amount but failed to pay the balance amount $2,677,500 on the extended settlement date July 10 2003. Due to the failure in payment, taxpayer served a rescission notice on buyer to fulfill the default amount, which was not complied on 11 July 2003. Accordingly, the taxpayer rescinded the contract on sale on land while the amount of deposit was forfeited on 26 July 2003. Issue: Accordingly, the case was proceeded to the commissioner and assessed the seller for payment of GST with respect to the forfeited amount. The Commissioner contended that the forfeited amount was deposited within the meaning of taxable supply under section 9-5 GST Act (Goods and Service Tax Act) 1999. The Federal Court of Australia contended that the taxpayer forfeited the deposit amounted was subjected to receipt of consideration for the supply on rescission of the contract. Law/ Regulations breached Law: Considering the regulations of GST Act 1999 section 9-5, it is stated that the taxable supply would be regarded as supply for consideration if the payment of such supply does not meet the other present relevant criteria. Further, section 9-10(1) provides the meaning of supply that includes grant, assignment or sale of real property against the consideration (Wilkinson?Ryan and Hoffman 2015). In addition, it has been stated that under section 29-5 GST Act 1999, taxable supply is subjected to the charge of GST for the period of tax during which the amount of consideration has been received in terms of the issued invoice (Odening, Ritter and Httel 2015). The Act of GST 1999 also states the regulations on security deposit under section 99-5 providing that the amount of security deposit cannot be referred as an amount of consideration. However, it would be considered as consideration only if the amount of security deposit is forfeited by the seller due to failure of performance as per the contract obligation (Kowalski 2015). The amount of deposit will be included as a part of consideration if such amount is accounted in the form of consideration. Therefore, the amount of deposit with respect to taxable supply is subjected to the charge of GST since the security deposit was a part of consideration for the performance as per the contract (Moore 2016). Breach of Law: In view of the facts of the case, it has been noted that the payment of contract amount for sale of land had been categorized as deposit amount and the balance amount of settlement date. As the buyer failed to pay the balance amount of consideration as on the extended date of the contract therefore, the taxpayer forfeited the balance amount and failed to consider the amount as a taxable supply for the payment of GST. It can be said that the taxpayer breached the regulation of GST Act 1999 section 99-5 on constituting the forfeited amount as consideration. Since the principle under section, 99-5 provides that the security deposit amount is regarded as consideration if such amount has been forfeited due to failure of performance (May 2016). Since the amount of security deposit $297,500 forfeited by the taxpayer, it is said that the requirement of section 99-5 has been breached. Further, taxpayer did not consider section 9-5 of GST 1999 with respect to the meaning of taxa ble supply, which states the inclusion of consideration if the same does not fall in any other criteria (Yung 2016). In both the situations, the deposit amount forfeited by the taxpayer constitutes the part of consideration hence Goods and Service Tax charge would be applicable on the amount of deposit. With respect to the terms of economy, GST is referred as consumption tax since the burden is imposed on the consumers while it is directly chargeable to the receiver of the consideration. Additionally, section 9-10 provides that the word supply include real property, which means the right or interest on the land as well as a license to own the land (Behal 2016). Accordingly, in the present case, the contract on sale of land had been created but the taxpayer has not provided the invoice to the purchaser. Further, mere presentation of contract does not constitute or transfer the right to use or occupy the land since the full consideration had not been paid to the seller. Analysis of courts decision In view of the principles of GST Act, the Australian court held that the contract between the taxpayer and purchaser for sale of land i.e. for the supply of real property. However, the supply of property could not be considered since the contract was rescinded. On the contrary, the taxpayer forfeited the amount of security deposited and as per the rules of section 99-5 of GST Act 1999 forfeiture of deposit is considered as consideration. Accordingly, taxpayer is liable to pay GST charges on the deposit amount $297,500 @ 10% i.e. $29,750. According to the section 9-70 under GST Act, GST is chargeable on the amount of taxable supply at the rate 10%, which was breached by the taxpayer since the taxpayer did not charge the amount of GST. Division 29 under the GST Act states the regulations on charges for a tax period if the taxpayer receives the consideration and if the respective invoice has been issued for the taxable supply (Smalley 2016). In the present case, the taxpayer or seller did not issue any invoice but the taxpayer had received consideration with respect to the security deposit. Therefore, it can be noted that the taxpayer breached the regulations of division 29 since one criteria has been followed in terms of receipt of consideration. The decision of the court had been taken on the basis of legal requirements of GST Act 1999 on taxable supply. Even though the contract was not complied as the taxpayer rescinded it but the forfeiture of deposit amount would be constituted as consideration, hence the provision of GST Act 1999 would be applicable. The case is similar to the case of Brien v Dwyer (1978) 141 CLR 378 where in the deposit amount was considered as a standalone obligation therefore GST charge was applicable. Another reason for which the court contended application of GST charges is the inclusion of deposit amount as a part of consideration for supply of property. The amount of security deposit was a part of supply consideration as in the case of Carpenter v McGrath (1996) 40 NSWLR in which the taxpayer held for breach of GST principles section 9-70. Conclusion Considering the present case of Reliance Carpet Co. Pty Ltd v FC of T, it can be concluded that rescinding of contract does not exclude the chargeability of Goods and Service Tax on the amount of consideration. As per the principle of section 9-5 GST Act 1999, it was contended that the amount of security deposit would not be considered as amount of consideration. However, if the seller forfeits the amount on failure of contractual performance, then it would be subjected to consideration. In the present case, taxpayer rescinded the contract since the purchaser paid the deposit amount but failed to pay the balance amount on the settlement date. On failure of payment, the taxpayer forfeited the amount of security deposit but did not pay the GST charges and breached the regulations of section 9-5 and division 29 of GST Act 1999. Further, the meaning of supply as per the principles of GST Act 1999 constitutes transfer of real property (Amberger, Eberhartinger and Kasper 2016). Hence, in the given case sale of land would be referred as supply within the meaning of section 9-70, GST Act 1999 whereas the transfer would not be constituted since the obligation of performance was failed. The principle on considering the deposit amount for charges of GST is available only if the receiver forfeits the deposit amount due to failure of contractual performance. In the given case, even though the taxpayer has not provided the invoice for sale of property, amount of security deposit was forfeited. Accordingly, the taxpayer would be liable to pay 10% GST on deposit amount $297,500 as per section 99-5 GST Act 1999. Therefore, it can be concluded that the decision of the court with respect to the charges of GST was correct and reasonable. Reference List Amberger, H., Eberhartinger, E. and Kasper, M., 2016. Tax Rate Biases in Tax Planning Decisions: Experimental Evidence.WU International Taxation Research Paper Series, (2016-29). Bal, A., 2015. Taxing Virtual Currency: Challenges and Solutions.Intertax,43(5), pp.380-394. Behal, V., 2016. IMPACT OF GST ON INDIAN ECONOMY.South Asia Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies,2(4). Bramwell, A.W. and Socash, L., 2015. Preserving Inherited Exclusion Amounts: The New Planning Frontier.Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law Journal,50(1), p.1. Bryant, J.J., 2013. Recovering Taxes Paid When Income Is Forfeited: An Analysis of Section 1341.Journal of Taxation of Investments,30(3). Kowalski, P., 2015. Taxing Bitcoin Transactions Under Polish Tax Law/Opodatkowanie Obrotu Bitcoinami Na Gruncie Przepisw Polskiego Prawa Podatkowego.Comparative Economic Research,18(3), pp.139-152. May, S., 2016. Applying the GST to imported digital products and services: Problems and solutions.Tax Specialist,19(3), p.110. Millar, R. and McCarthy, D., 2012. The Future of Indirect Taxation: Recent Trends in VAT and GST Systems Around the WorldAustralia.THE FUTURE OF INDIRECT TAXATION: RECENT TRENDS IN VAT AND GST SYSTEMS AROUND THE WORLD, T. Ecker, M. Lang, and I. Lejeune, eds., Kluwer Law International: The Netherlands, pp.21-96. Millar, R., 2014. Grappling with basic VAT concepts in the Australian GST: the meaning of supply for consideration.World Journal of VAT/GST Law,3(1), pp.1-31. Moore, M.L., 2016. 16 Tax Implications of the Treatment of Marketing Expenses.Accountable Marketing: Linking Marketing Actions to Financial Performance, p.218. Odening, M., Ritter, M. and Httel, S., 2015. The term structure of land lease rates. In2015 AAEA WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California(No. 201664). Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Western Agricultural Economics Association. Petra, S.T. and Dorata, N.T., 2012. Restricted Stock Awards and Taxes: What Employees and Employers Should Know: Forfeiture Risk, Stock's Potential Future Value Are Key Considerations for Sec. 83 (b) Elections.Journal of Accountancy,213(2), p.44. Smalley, K.E., 2016. Student Note: Section 83 (b) Elections: Taxation and Governance Considerations for Tennessee Start-Up Ventures.Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law,17(2), p.5. Smalley, K.E., 2016. Student Note: Section 83 (b) Elections: Taxation and Governance Considerations for Tennessee Start-Up Ventures.Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law,17(2), p.5. Wilkinson?Ryan, T. and Hoffman, D.A., 2015. The common sense of contract formation.Stanford Law Review,67, pp.14-5. Yung, B., 2016. Justice and taxation: From GST to Hong Kong tax system. InEthical Dilemmas in Public Policy(pp. 183-195). Springer Singapore.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Strategic Analsis of Ethiopian Airlines Essay Example For Students

Strategic Analsis of Ethiopian Airlines Essay This report is compiled for the partial fulfillment of the course entitled Global strategy Analysis and practice, based on analysis of the Ethiopian Airlines business strategy. The Ethiopian Airlines is a state owned enterprise which operates globally. The study will provide a brief assessment on the Ethiopian Airlines Business strategy based on analysis of data collected from secondary sources which includes data from the Internet, websites, company magazine, news papers, and annual reports. We have also conducted interview with the company senior management. The problem related to time constraints to collect raw data and access to primary data was the issues that limit the study. The first part of the report provides a brief overview about Ethiopian Airlines. On the next step we look a computational analysis that includes the SWAT, PESTEL and Porter’s five forces model. The last section addresses the conclusion and recommendation. We will write a custom essay on Strategic Analsis of Ethiopian Airlines specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now For a new entrant to the airline industry the current situation is un pleasant. Whereas for Ethiopian Airlines stayed in the market for a long time with a best safety record and operational reputability. It gives the company a strong brand name, loyal customer, big market share in the continent and has a good image in Europe and Asia. On contrary the domestic flight service has a weakness in satisfying the local customers like flight delay, flight cancellation and low service quality.. Ethiopian Airlines adopts demarcation basic strategy to get a competitive advantage by implementing electronic ticketing and online check-in. In addition, it gained a competitive advantage by focusing in new segments in the market. The airline wants to grow from 53 to around 80 destinations by 2015. Also it provides aircraft maintenance, pilot and technicians training including training by plane simulator, including for most African countries. Ethiopian Airlines sets its strategy to maximize stake holders’ interest by implementing latest aviation technologies, skilled manpower, provide aircraft maintenance which leads increasing its market share to become a world class African Airlines. RECOMENDATIONS In addition to the existing strategy of the company the study recommends the following shall be incorporated. Reduce operational costs Ethiopian Airlines should reduce the operational costs by improving maintenance processes, having high aircraft utilization, perform effective flight scheduling, out

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Little Picture Questions in SAT Reading 5 Key Tips

Little Picture Questions in SAT Reading 5 Key Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Little picture, or detail, questions make up a significant amount of questions on the SAT Critical Reading sections. Of 4 post-2005 publicly available tests I surveyed, little picture questions accounted for 25% of all passage-based questions and 17% of all SAT Reading questions. This means that it is well worth your time in your SAT Reading prep to make sure you can consistently answer little picture questions accurately and in a reasonable amount of time (what that range is for accuracy and reasonableness will depend on the score you are aiming for). In this article, I’ll provide examples of the different ways the SAT will ask you to use little picture skills, explain the SAT Reading strategies you can use to help with these questions, and end with a walkthrough of a sample questions. First, however, I’ll explain what exactly I mean by â€Å"little picture† questions. Note:The advice in this article is still relevant for the new SAT (March 2016 and beyond), but some of the examples haven't been updated yet. feature image credit: Miniature Fimo Nikon D80 by 55Laney69, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. What Are Little Picture Questions? Little picture questions are questions that ask you to find specific details from a passage. Moreover, you will not just be asked about details at random; SAT Reading questions asks you specifically about details that are vital to understanding the passage (even though you don’t necessarily have to read the whole passage to find these details). For example, you might be asked, based on information from the passage, what the milky blue that appears around the edges of older dogs’ eyes signifies (cataracts); you would NOT, however, be asked the color of the film (unless that had greater significance in the passage as a whole). I’ve divided up little picture questions into two types: Type 1: Find The (Paraphrased) Detail Type 2: Given Line Information, Find What A Word/Phrase Refers To Type 1: Find the (Paraphrased) Detail These questions, which ask you to find a particular detail in the passage (sometimes paraphrased in the answer choice, sometimes stated directly using the same words as the passage), make up the majority of little picture questions. There are two ways in which the SAT Reading will ask you to fact find: 1. Find the Information in a Specific Place By far, questions that give you a location and ask you to find the detail to answer the question are the most common type of little picture question (more than half). Sometimes, you'll have to paraphrase the detail (meaning the passage uses slightly different wording than the correct answer choice). This is most often the case with questions that ask things like the following question: â€Å"Which of the following views of conflict is best supported by lines 37-40 (â€Å"These . . . one†) ?† To answer this question, you must first go to the lines cited in the question... "These places have interesting frictions and incongruities, and often, if you stand at the point of tangency, you can see both sides better than if you were in the middle of either one." ...and paraphrase the information contained in those lines. Only after that should you look at the answer choices to see what matches. In this case, the correct answer is (E) You can learn more about two parties in conflict as an observer than as an involved participant. Depending on how complex the passage is, detail questions with specific line information can require some vocab knowledge. Here's an example of a question where that might be the case: â€Å"The author initially responded to Herd’s request â€Å"with condescension† (lines 13-14) because the author† Lines 13-14: "I still blush at the fact that I went to graduate school to become a historian in order to contribute to the Black Struggle for social justice and yet met her request to write a history of Black women in Indiana with condescension." Now, if you don’t know what â€Å"condescension† means, the question might be tricky. If there is a word you don't know in the question or passage, context clues can often help. In the case of the question above, going on to read the next sentence will help you answer the question without needing to know what â€Å"condescension† means: "I had never even thought about Black women as historical subjects with their own relations to a state’s history, and I thought her invitation and phone call extraordinarily intrusive." Since this sentence is an explanation of the previous sentence, you don't even need to know what "condescension" means to figure out why the author responded to Herd's request "with condescension;" instead, you can just paraphrase the explanatory sentence above to get the answer to the question: (E) viewed Herd’ s request as irrelevant and presumptuous. Of course, if you also don't know the word "presumptuous" (or other words in the answer choices), process of elimination may be your best bet (more on that in Strategies). I've gathered what I think are good examples of detail/little picture questions with location information below, so you can get an idea of how these questions are worded: â€Å"Passage 1 suggests that the Fermi Paradox depends most directly on which assumption?† â€Å"The fourth paragraph (lines 50-56) indicates that Plato’s principal objection to â€Å"poetry† (line 50) was its† â€Å"The comment about â€Å"a new medium of artistic expression† (line 62) primarily suggests that† â€Å"The â€Å"porcupine women of this world† (lines 76-77) are best described as people who† â€Å"Ultimately, Cecil views his remark in line 34 (â€Å"It . . . now†) as† â€Å"The primary reason described for the usefulness of the theory mentioned in line 57 is its ability to† â€Å"In the quotation in lines 61-64, George Will primarily draws attention to† â€Å"Lines 30-34 (â€Å"In spite . . . persevered†) suggest that the author believed that† â€Å"In lines 40-43 (â€Å"Moonless . . . Sun†), the narrator’s comment about the â€Å"arrangement† demonstrates a preference for" 2. Find the Information in a Non-Specific Place The information needed to answer these questions is somewhere in the passage, maybe even narrowed down to a few paragraphs/generalization like â€Å"end of the passage,† but you aren't given specific lines. Because exact location information is not given, the wording of the questions is often even simpler than it is for questions for which you do have specific location information. Sometimes, the words in the question are taken directly from the text. At other times, just as for Type 1, a little paraphrasing is required. Some examples: â€Å"Which statement about the Fermi Paradox is supported by both passages?† â€Å"At the end of the passage, the author suggests that it would be ideal if the† â€Å"According to the author, too much energy today is spent debating† â€Å"In the first two paragraphs of the passage (lines 1-23), the author suggests that both sides of the debate† â€Å"Both passages support which of the following conclusions about Earth’s carrying capacity for humans?† â€Å"Darwin (lines 1-13, Passage 1) and Meek (lines 45-51, Passage 2) serve as examples of† â€Å"Both the author of Passage 1 and the â€Å"experts† mentioned in line 53 of Passage 2 directly support the idea that† Rare Question Types While the majority of little picture questions that ask you to find the (paraphrased) detail are phrased as shown above, there are a couple of rarer question types that I think are worth mentioning. The first of these are the "NOT/EXCEPT" questions. They are relatively rare (I found four examples out of 480 passage-based questions) and generally look something like this: â€Å"The author makes use of all of the following EXCEPT† These questions can be tricky because there will always, ALWAYS be at least one answer choice that banks on you forgetting the "EXCEPT" and, instead, saying to yourself "Aha! The author makes use of this, so it's the right answer." Not that I have ever done this myself. No. Of course not. Even rarer than "NOT/EXCEPT" questions on SAT Reading are what I call the "I, II, III" questions. Here's an example of what I mean: Which of the following can be found in both passages? I. A theory about how people originally traveled to Boston II. An exact date Boston was initially settled III. Reference to possible sources of food for early Bostonians. (A) I only (B) II only (C) I and III only (D) II and III only (E) I, II, and III Fortunately, this is one case where the question looks more obnoxious than it is. Why? Because you can use process of elimination to your advantage. Let's say you are able to immediately cross out statement II - the passage contains no information about an exact date when Boston was initially settled. That means that you can eliminate answer choices (B), (D), and (E) right away, and can focus your efforts on statement III (if it's true, then (C) must be the correct answer; if it's false, than (A) must be the correct answer). Clock Face by David~O, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Type 2: Given Line Information, Find What a Word/Phrase Refers to These are detail questions where you are given a word or phrase (in a specific line) and asked what it's referring to. In some ways, these questions require you to use skills similar to those you'd need for vocab in context questions, but unlike with vocab in context questions, the correct answer will be very specific to the passage. For example, if a little picture question asks about what the word â€Å"death† refers to, the answer choices won’t be â€Å"the absence of life, the cessation of movement, the end of a fad,† and so on (which would be possible answers if the question was something like "In line 42, the word "death" most nearly means"). Instead, answer choices to detail questions will be highly specific, like â€Å"the neglect of older cultural monuments.† These questions require taking another step because you don’t just have to go to the lines in question to find the detail – you have to figure out what that detail is referring to (which is not necessarily included in the cited lines). I've seen these words (where you have to find what they refer to) called "compression nouns" by Meltzer. Personally, I think of questions that ask you to find what a particular word or phrase refers to as very similar to Prounoun/Antecedent questions on the Writing section; like pronouns, these words refer back to other words/things. Here are some examples of questions that give you a phrase or word and ask you to find the detail it refers to: â€Å"Based on information presented in the passage, which best describes what Georgia was â€Å"tired of † (line 8) ?† â€Å"In lines 63-64, â€Å"psychological reality† describes which quality?† â€Å"As described in lines 17-23, the â€Å"practice† refers to the† â€Å"The phrase â€Å"horrible immensities† (line 54) primarily indicates† SAT Reading Strategies for Mastering Little Picture Questions I've list the following strategies for answering little picture questions in no particular order, since the order you choose will depend on the way you read the passage. (1) To answer little picture questions, start by figuring out what the key information the SAT is looking for in the question. Take the following question: â€Å"Which challenge is emphasized by the author in the final paragraph (lines 73-77)?† Now, here's the key information I extracted from that question: â€Å"final paragraph† (location information) â€Å"challenge† (you’re looking for something that was difficult) maybe â€Å"author† (if there are other people who could be emphasizing challenges in that context, then specifying that you're looking for a challenge emphasized by the author is important; otherwise, the author thing is pretty much something you can take for granted) (2) Figure out where in the passage the detail being asked about is (if you aren’t given the exact lines outright) and read the relevant section slowly. How do you find the detail if you aren't given the exact lines outright? While sometimes the questions use the same language as the passage, and all you have to do is scan the passage for the words used in the question to get your answer, this is not always true. In these cases, your best bet is to turn to the answer choices and see if you can find those in the text instead (and then if you don't find an answer choice in the text, you can eliminate it!). Because searching for these details can take up way too much time, I would recommend starting with questions that include location information and then moving on to those that lack location information. (3) You can try to quickly answer the question in your own words as well, even though the answer choices are sometimes taken word-for-word from the text. Putting the answers in your own words helps prevent you from falling into â€Å"I recognized the phrasing so I’ll just choose it† trap (when in fact the SAT has sneakily reversed the meaning on you). (4) As always, process of elimination is hugely helpful with these questions – if the text directly contradicts an answer choice, you can cross it out with no worries. (5) I almost always do little picture questions first on each passage. For me, hunting for the details gets me acquainted with the passage without having to read the whole thing. Plus, detail questions are easy points because they often involve nothing more than finding what is stated in the text. The order you answer questions in, however, will depend on your reading strategy and what works best for you. If you tend to read the passage thoroughly first, I would recommend answering big picture questions before moving on to little picture questions. That way, you can answer questions about the whole passage before getting lost in the details. If you read the questions first, absolutely start with level one little picture questions (get them out of the way). Answering these questions can give you a better idea of the way the essay is laid out. The only reason not to start with little picture questions would be if you are concerned it might disorient you and make it harder for you to answer other types of questions. If you skim, then answer questions, it could go either way. Skimming can help you form a mental map of where certain details are more likely to show up, which means answering detail questions first would be good...but answering detail questions first also might get you bogged down in detail too quickly and make it harder to answer big picture questions. Ultimately, you need to do some trial and error on your own to figure out which is most effective for you by using each method on multiple practice Reading questions (including SAT Reading sections as well as full length practice SATs). The strategy you get the most points with is the one to go with. Walkthrough To wrap up this article, I'm going to go through an example and apply strategies in my own order (you might find that using the strategies I mention above in a different order works best for you). The question: â€Å"According to lines 41-46 (â€Å"When I . . . crossfire†), the author’s initial goal was to† (A) consider the perspectives of both the American doctors and the Lees family to see what insights might develop (B) serve as a counselor to the county hospital’s Hmong patients in order to ease their anxieties (C) work out a compromise between the American doctors and the Lees family (D) acquire a greater knowledge of how the American medical culture serves patients (E) try to reduce the misunderstandings between the American doctors and the Lees family and promote good will The relevant lines: "When I first came to Merced, I hoped that the culture of American medicine, about which I knew a little, and the culture of the Hmong, about which I knew nothing, would somehow illuminate each other if I could position myself between the two and manage not to get caught in the cross-fire." Step 1: What key info is being looked for in the question? Hmm...what was the author's â€Å"initial goal†? Initial = first, goal =†¦goal. So what was the first thing the author wanted to do? Step 2: Find the passage and read the lines carefully Well, I already found the passage (because the lines are given), but now it's time to read carefully (maybe looking for a word like â€Å"first† or â€Å"initial†). "When I first came to Merced, I hoped that the culture of American medicine, about which I knew a little, and the culture of the Hmong, about which I knew nothing, would somehow illuminate each other if I could position myself between the two and manage not to get caught in the cross-fire." Step 3: Answer in my own words So the passage says that at first the author wanted to stand between the two cultures (American medicine and Hmong). Probably not literally. â€Å"hoped† that they â€Å"would somehow illuminate each other† = hoped that could learn from them? Probably? Bah. Let’s look at the answer choices. (A) consider the perspectives of both the American doctors and the Lees family to see what insights might develop This seems like it could be right –the author definitely wants to consider two different perspectives. Not sure about the rest of the answer choice – might need more context than just the lines cited in the question. (B) serve as a counselor to the county hospital’s Hmong patients in order to ease their anxieties Uh, no, there’s nothing about being a counselor. Can double check context though. (C) work out a compromise between the American doctors and the Lees family Seems like it could be possible, I guess. Except that the first thing the author hopes is that the cultures illuminate each other, not that the author can make a compromise. So maybe a compromise came later, but the illuminating came first. (D) acquire a greater knowledge of how the American medical culture serves patients I mean, sort of? The relevant lines do say something about American medical culture. But nothing about how it serves patients. (E) try to reduce the misunderstandings between the American doctors and the Lees family and promote good will Nothing in the lines cited about promoting goodwill. Looks like I might need a little more context to answer the question. What about the line before the cited lines? â€Å"This is especially true when the apposition is culture† What is â€Å"this†? Or â€Å"apposition?† Hmm let’s see what the line after the cross-fire line is, maybe that’ll be less work. I can always go back to the line before â€Å"This†¦culture† if I need to. â€Å"But after getting to know the Lees family and their daughter’s doctors and realizing how hard it was to blame anyone, I stopped analyzing the situation in such linear terms.† Aha! â€Å"stopped analyzing† meaning that analyzing is what the author WAS doing. Let’s take a look at the answers again. (A) consider the perspectives of both the American doctors and the Lees family to see what insights might develop Yes, author was doing analysis! I’ll double check the others to make sure I can eliminate them. (B) serve as a counselor to the county hospital’s Hmong patients in order to ease their anxieties Nope, even less supported now. ELIMINATE. (C) work out a compromise between the American doctors and the Lees family Nope, compromise ≠  analysis. ELIMINATE. (D) acquire a greater knowledge of how the American medical culture serves patients I mean, that’s part of the goal, but not the whole thing . Also why the â€Å"serves patients†? Not part of the point. The author just didn’t know about the American medical cultural in general. ELIMINATE. (E) try to reduce the misunderstandings between the American doctors and the Lees family and promote good will Nope, no reducing or promoting here! ELIMINATE! To triple check, what was that thing that â€Å"This is especially true when the apposition is cultural† was referring to? Looks like it was referring to part of the previous sentence: "...if you stand at the point of tangency, you can see both sides better than if you were in the middle of either one." Even more confirmation: you can see both sides better does not equal being a counselor, or creating a compromise, learning about how to serve patients, or promoting goodwill. Answer must be (A). Actually answering these questions on the SAT will probably not take nearly this long, because you won’t have to (nor should you) write out complete explanations for every reason to reject the answer like I just did. If you find you’re taking longer than 30-45 seconds on a question, circle it and come back to it later. SAT Reading Practice Questions Intro material and relevant paragraphs for questions 1-3: The following passage is from a 1991 essay that discusses the debate over which authors should be taught in English classes. 1. Lines 30-39 (â€Å"In school . . . cultures†) present a model of education where students learn to (A) value cultural diversity over tradition (B) respect the views of both sides of the debate (C) reflect critically on the nature of American schooling (D) differentiate between classic and contemporary works (E) explore the world through wide-ranging reading 2. In lines 54-60 (â€Å"School . . . say†), the author describes a world in which schools teach books that are (A) interesting (B) celebrated (C) uncontroversial (D) not obviously relevant (E) not likely to inspire 3. Lines 60-64 (â€Å"Being . . . teenagers†) suggest that excluding a book from a reading list might (A) enhance the reputation of the book’s author (B) encourage students to protest the decision (C) influence course curricula nationwide (D) appease conservative parents (E) disappoint the book’s fans Intro material and relevant paragraphs for questions 4-6: The following passage is adapted from a book published in 1999. 4. The â€Å"dark cloud† mentioned in line 4 refers to an (A) atypical diagnosis (B) unsupported hypothesis (C) unknown threat (D) evil influence (E) important contradiction 5. Which pairing best represents the different models of the universe presented in lines 7-14? (A) Big and little (B) Old and new (C) Complex and simple (D) Verified and undocumented (E) Theoretical and practical 6. The author uses the â€Å"automobile† (lines 45-46) to represent equations that (A) demand a professional’s attention (B) are intrinsically unreliable (C) do not work together effectively (D) can be easily adjusted if necessary (E) are based on dated mathematics Answer key (scroll down when ready): 1. E 2. D 3. A 4.E 5. A 6. C Summary of SAT Reading Strategies for Little Picture Questions Find the key information in the question and/or put the question in your own words. Read the indicated part of the passage carefully, looking for context if necessary (especially if you’re being asked what a word or phrase refers to). Answer in your own words and find the answer that matches that answer. Eliminate three wrong answers. What’s Next? â€Å"Where can I find more official practice questions?† I hear you cry. Never fear – we have a complete guide to finding official SAT practice tests, including free links! Interested in more SAT Reading skills articles like this one? We’ve got articles on big picture, words in context, inference, and paired passage questions, or you can just go toour ultimate SAT Reading study guide to find a list of all of our Reading skills articles. Not sure how you’re supposed to finish the SAT Critical Reading section without running out of time? Learn about three different ways to read the passage on the SAT. Need structured help? Try our very own PrepScholar test prep platform. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

If Crime is Normal why is so much Effort Devoted to its Control Essay

If Crime is Normal why is so much Effort Devoted to its Control - Essay Example Every human being has free will and free choice, they have the mentality to know right from wrong and they choose what path to take. This, from a sociological and psychological perspective is considered to be normal behavior in society. Thereby criminal intentions and actions are norms in the world even though they go against the very morals that societies have established. This is perhaps why law enforcement attempts to control and minimize these adversities even though they are everyday forms of existence as well. Again, even though crime is an existential part of existence, it is considered by many to be similar to a plague that has not been able to be washed away from society completely and therefore has remained for decades. Because of this many theorizations about crime have developed to analyze why it exists, why it has become something that is looked upon as normal, and what the causes of it actually are as well. Dolan, a criminological researcher, and writer (1994) claim that crime has become something so familiar in society, basically due to the classical socioeconomic causes of it. This can be traced as far back as the 15th century in England, when a crime was at times rampant and extremely violent, more so than it even is today. Crime in the 1500's took on the form of petty treason among servants and sometimes even the owners of these servants as well. From this it developed into more severe atrocities in society, sometimes becoming murder where the deceitful wife killed her husband as he slept, and even on to more dramatic forms of crime that took England by storm such as the crimes of "Jack the Ripper" (Valier 2003, pg. 34). The issues of crime in society are at times spell-binding and even terrifying as they take many forms and have the capability of taking place anywhere at any time, again placing them as a severe adversity in society, but quite normal activity among human beings all over the world.  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Poetry and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Poetry and Politics - Essay Example have tapped into the American conscience and have examined the utility of war against the backdrop of the experiences of American soldiers abroad and Americans at home in times of war (Goldensohn, 2006). Poets are generally expected to be contemplative and to give expression to reality. Poets not only â€Å"interpret the world, but inform and renew it† (Clements, 1990, p. 239). In this regard, American poets through poetic expression have contemplated, interpreted, informed and renewed the war expression, rationalizing for the most part their objection to war. Some of these poets were actually â€Å"conscientious objectors† (Metres, 2007, p. 5). Robert Lowell was a conscientious objector and is the main subject in his poem Memories of West Street and Lepke which reflects upon his experiences when he was imprisoned for a few days in West Street Jail awaiting a sentence for his refusal to be drafted for the Second World War (Metres, 2000). During his stint in Jail, Lowell met Czar Lepke, a leader of a gang known as Murder Incorporated, who had been sentenced to death for murder. Lepke allegedly told Lowell that he was in jail for killing a human being and asked Lowell what he was in jail for to which Lowell replied â€Å"Oh, I’m in for refusing to kill† (Metres, 2000, p. 661). Lowell’s Memories of West Street and Lepke does not recount this specific encounter, but it presents a realistic image of American freedom and by doing so, forces the reader to ponder whether or not that freedom is worth going to war to protect. Lowell himself is living in a huge house and has only one child, a nine month old baby girl. Meanwhile, a man is â€Å"scavenging filth in the back alley trash cans† and â€Å"has two children† (Lowell, Lines 6-7). Thus Lowell’s consciously brings attention to the fact that freedom brings about inequities. Moreover, Lowell mentions his young daughter which brings to mind the fact that at this very young age, she might never know her father

Monday, November 18, 2019

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Case Study Example The government wanted to establish a knowledge-based economy and technology-oriented, efficient and well-equipped libraries were one of the main pre-requisites for building such an economy. The advance in information search technologies was rendering the old libraries defunct, thus the call to upgrade them to meet the present and emerging needs of library users. The change was massive in that there was an overhaul of the entire management style from hierarchical to team-based approach. The culture of the library was also changed. From strategic standpoint, the change was aimed at increasing the competitiveness of public libraries by making it customer-centric, which would be equated to profit maximization in for-profit organization. The Singapore library system’s â€Å"customer† is the general public, which includes students, people with small business enterprises and individuals of various ethnic backgrounds. The â€Å"product† offered by the library include books and other collections that facilitate learning and promote cultural heritage. Initially, service delivery was through queuing for services and there was a lot of inefficiency. In order to reduce the lines for services, a self-service system was implemented in which self-checkout machines were used. Unlike the traditional libraries, the change ensure that Singaporeans accessed the libraries anytime and from anywhere by making available electronic information to users, which they could remotely access. The traditional service delivery remained unchanged. This is because the aim was to use technology to improve rather than replace traditional service delivery system. The retention of the traditional service delivery system was not a change failure, but an intentional move by the NLB. The major components of the change effort included the government, the community, the management and the entire staff of public libraries. The government provided financial support required for the

Friday, November 15, 2019

Iconic Images of the 1980s

Iconic Images of the 1980s Images of 1980s Speaking of 1980s often people think about Reagan, â€Å"Greed is good†, and funny hair styles. Of course the 80s were more than that, but if you asked me what I am thinking about the 1980s it would be a longest â€Å"Mhm† followed by â€Å"I was not even born yet.† However, images can be a tool for us to study the detail of history. The greatest thing about learning history for a visual person is to look into photos. Each and every photograph has a story to tell. Ever since the technology of modern camera was introduce in the 18 century, people have been using this technique to capture memorable moments.   Ã‚   Photography in the 1980s was personal and political, or a mixture of both. Nevertheless, thanks to the photographers who are there to capture events, the future generation can study them. What happened at the scene of Reagan’s attempted Assassination? How big was the crowed when the Berlin wall fell down at 1989? What did Chernobyl look like after the explosion? I believe those events had already been symbolized. Some say â€Å"history always repeats itself.† That is somehow true if we look deeper into every decades. The world still has the same problems that happened before. What is so special about the 1980s is that is a historical turning point. Through several iconic photos of the 1980s the decade can be seen as one plagued with wars, tragic events and political unrest, but it was also a decade where freedom and human rights were advanced. Afghan Girl, 1985 (See Figure 1) The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan during 1977-1980 might been seen as a milestone of U.S. history due to the help we have been giving, but due to poor Sharbat Gula and her family it is not an event to be celebrated. In 1985, National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry shot a portrait of a 12 year-old Afghan girl named Sharbat Gula made it to the cover of National Geographic Magazine. However, what people could not see in the photo â€Å"Afghan Girl† was the reason that caused Sharbat Gula’s sorrow eyes. From 1979 to 1989, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan armed with Arab resistance launched a war of aggression and counter-aggression. The evening of December 27, the Soviet Union deployed eight divisions, Special Forces, and airborne troops in a brutal military invasion of Afghanistan. In only three and a half hours, they gained â€Å"complete military and political control of Kabul and large portions of the country† (Office of Historian) Until early 1980, 8.5 million troops invaded which gradually increased to 10 million people. There were almost 10 years long of ongoing civil wars, invasions and conflicts in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, little Sharbat Gula was born into this event. After the Soviet invasion of blatant military, the Afghan people in the nation in danger of life and death, the original anti-government revolutionary activity soon developed into a larger anti-Soviet war against the Soviet Union. According to the article â€Å"A Life Revealed: Along Afghanistans War-torn Frontier† by Debra Denker, Sharbat Gula’s village was bombed and invaded by Soviet Union around the early 80s. Unfortunately, Sharbat Gula’s parents were killed by bombing, about 100 people died from war, 600 million people were forced to flee their homes and become refugees. Later, photographer Steve McCurry visited Afghanistan, and was given a â€Å"war-torn frontier.† tour. In one of the refugee camps, he ca ptured the hunting face of Sharbat Gula among other similar age girls. Sharbat Gula’s portrait became the symbol of post war fear of the Muslim world (Denker). In 1988, under the auspices of the UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar, the Soviet Union, the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan met in in Kabul and their four foreign ministers signed in Geneva a political settlement for Afghanistan. The Soviet troops had to withdraw from Afghanistan within nine months, putting an end of a nine-year occupation (Dibb). Wars and conflicts are a never ending nightmare which is still haunting us today. The look on Sharbat Gula’s face fully expressed that. The Reagan Assassination Attempt, 1981 (See figure 2) Same time at the early 80s, the most serious incident which happened to President Ronald Wilson Reagan was when he got shot just outside the Washington Hilton Hotel by a young man named John Hinckley Jr. In the photo of the scene right after the shooting, reporters were making roars within the crowed, few officers holding a gun down on the sidewalk, and the president was thrown into the limo car. It was chaotic. The gunman was held immediately after the shooting. This event shocked the entire society for Reagan had only been elected to be a president for ten weeks. President Reagan was heading to the white house unaware that he had been shot. Shortly after he left the scene, he did not realize one of the ricochets punctured his lung until he started coughing up blood. He then was rushed to George Washington University Hospital. The New York Times reported President Reagan remained in good humor even he was fainted due to the blood loss. He told his doctors, â€Å"Please tell me youà ¢â‚¬â„¢re Republicans† (Raines). Fortunately, President Reagan survived after the operation, and recovered after weeks. The motive to assassinate the President surprisingly had nothing to do with political reasons, but with John Hinckley’s obsession with actress Jodie Foster. This obsession was based on the movie Taxi Driver.† He firmly believed that if he became famous by mimicking the plot from Taxi Driver, would be able to get Jodie Foster’s attention. What happened to gunman John Hinckley afterward was 13 charged against him. However, due to his mental problem, the court sent him to St. Elizabeths Hospital for life instead of prison. The unsuccessful attempted assassination brought dramatic changes to Reagans presidency. His survival boosted a wave of public sympathy and he gained popularity. He was also the first president who survived the assassination (Brands). Although politics was not the reason why John Hinckley opened fire, it is still one of the many major political events in the 1980s. Chernobyl Accident 1986 (See Figure 3) Besides wars and political unrest, there was a major unclear accident happened at Chernobyl, Ukraine. The photo that taken by authorities right after the accident shows the explosion had destroyed the entire building to a hollow hole on the ground. What happened was that event management and technical staff decided to test the turbine in case of a sudden loss of power, the strain of the reactor. This overnight test was neither carefully planned nor authorized by superiors. On the afternoon of April 25, 1986, the unit fourth in accordance with the plan was shut down, when the operation began an experiment related to the security system. The case of this experiment is to understand the plant loses all power, but the rotating turbine has enough energy capable of supplying electric power for 45 seconds, which is the time required to start the emergency diesel generator supply. The reactor power is reduced to half of the rated output, and the emergency reactor core cooling system is turne d off. After 11:10, the staffs did not re-open the emergency cooling system, which was the first major mistake, according to a series of serious negligence operations are: the output power was reduced to one percent of rated output, much lower than the power required for the experiment; the majority of the control rods withdrawn; and the other important safety system was turned off. These operational mistakes made the unit fourth become unstable. Output had been rising rapidly, technical workers lost control of the reactor, output power rose to up to 100 times the rated output, and thus part of the fuel rods ruptures, and the heat burst a lot of things to make the cooling water evaporation, resulting in a steam explosion destroying a weight of about 1,000 tonnes of reactor cover. From May 1 to 6, due to the reactor explosion, more than 26 percent of the radiation dose was released into the outside world, 31 firefighters and two people from the plant lost their lives, most of them have been severely burned from radiation, while 209 suffered severe radiation injuries (U.S.NRC). Strictly speaking, the Chernobyl accident cannot be called a human error. It was more like a willful violation. It seemed following the scheduled timetable was seen as more important than safety. Staff were prohibited from running the operation under low power, and stopped safety device testing. It was like in travel a little faster by car, removing the brakes in the car regardless of rules or safety, and just desperately rushing forward to the destination, leading to a monstrous disaster. 25 years later today, the area outside of Chernobyl nuclear plant still reminds uninhabitable. People’s belongings still stay in the same spots, but not a trace of life in sight. The fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989 (See figure 4) Finally, the voice of freedom is rising at the end of 1980s. After nearly three decades of separation, the Berlin Wall finally fell down on the evening of November 9, 1989. A photo taken by Associated Press captured the moment when demonstrators tore down a piece of the Berlin wall. Berlin Wall and the wall that speared North and South Korea right now is the same product after World War II. After World War II, Germany and Berlin by the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain and France divided Germany into four zones. In 1949, the Soviet Union occupied East Germany, the capital set in East Berlin. West Germany and the US and British law were established in the occupied territories. Initially people in Berlin were able to move around freely between the districts, but with the Cold War, tensions started building up. In order to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany. The border began to close up. From 1949 to 1961, about 2.5 million East Germans who risked being shot by Eas t Germany fled to West Berlin. Berlin Wall started just barbed wires in August 13, 1961. It was later replaced by a large number of real fences more than 155 kilometers long, about 3 to 4 meters high (Behind The Wall). After the construction was completed, a total of more than 5000 people successfully fled to West Berlin, 3000 people were arrested, and over 400 people were killed and injured (Leslie). 25 years ago, the new East German government began to plan to relax travel restrictions for East German people, but due to a misunderstanding of the then East German Politburo on superior orders, mistakenly announced Berlin Wall is about to open, resulting in tens of thousands of people took to the streets, the demolition of the wall, the whole of Germany into a state of extreme excitement. One of the Time reporter Ken Olsen recalled the day when he was in Germany says â€Å"They were screaming, Tor auf! Tor auf! Open the gate!† (Rothman) Although it was not the structure of walls collapsed, it had been removed by people. People climbed the Berlin Wall, removed graffiti, and took pieces of building materials as souvenirs. 11 months later, the two Germanies finally reunited. Tank Man, 1989 (See figure 5) Just several months before the Fall of Berlin Wall, in Tiananmen Square Beijing, China, a Tank man stood in front of type 59 tanks and attempted to block their way. He was pulled away by another man lright after. This thrilling scene happened to be caught by Jeff Widener (The Associated Press) in June 5, 1989 who was inside the Plaza Hotel next to the Tiananmen Square. He hid the negatives in the toilet water tank to avoid police forces’ search or the truth will not have spread around the world (Iyer). What triggered this event can be traced back to the Deng Xiaoping era. He was in power after 1979 and the implement reform and opened up policy on topic such as to industrialized, agriculture, national defense, science and technology, four modernizations. After a decade of reform, social and economic problems, such as a widening wealth gap and serious inflation; workers were dissatisfied because their salaries did not keep up with the pace of inflation, causing large flow of the rural population to the cities to make a living, leading to more homeless beggars and other social issues; official corruption, and other deep complaints. By the end of 1986, students at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei held anti-corruption protests. Then, Shanghai, Beijing and other cities have also lead to student protests, they asked the government to carry out democratic reforms. CPC (Communist Party of China) General Secretary Hu Yaobang was tough because of the absence of clearance, and he had been criticized and resigned from office in the following year the General Secretary (Lui). The spring of 1989, the international communist forces collapsed. Democratic movements began in Eastern Europe. Inspired by the movement, in late April 1989, students and Beijing residents’ protests gathered in Tiananmen Square. Since then, the whole country has undergone a similar student protest movement. On June 3 in the evening, the CPC decided to send troops to suppress, to disperse the crowd in and around Tiananmen Square, the army opened fire to the masses, and even tanks shot protesters. By 4 in the morning, the army controlled Square, people were forced to evacuate. The next day, after the first night of the crackdown, Tiananmen Square was cleared. All of the students who were in the movement for several months disappeared without a trace. Everything had been wiped out. The tanks in Tiananmen traveled quickly around, declaring military force. The photo of the â€Å"Tank Man† became a symbol of Tiananmen. It showed the courage of ordinary people fighting on beha lf of freedom. Unsung heroes raised up public concern of their human rights. Before then, people constantly live under fear of the iron fist. To summarize, thanks to the efforts of photographers, the future generation can see the 1980s was not only overwhelmed by national conflicts, politics, and unfortunate accidents, but was also a decade of new beginning. See how photos show the stories of the time. It is not about the photo itself such as how it was constructed, or what kind of the camera photographers used, but it is about the messages that those photos are trying to deliver. Sharbat Gula the Afghan girl’s frightened eyes revealed how it was when international communism was still powerful. Beloved President Reagan survived an attempted assassination, and became a god like figure in the 80s. Later, the Chernobyl Accident happened, and if there were not any photos documented, we would never know how intense it was when an unclear powerful plant melted function. At the end of the 80s, Berlin Wall fell down, and people in China stood up for freedom and human rights. Those two photos quickly became a symbol of free spirits. Visual images are so powerful that they could not only grab people’s attention, but also shout out message that words failed to present. I appreciate those brave photographers who were there at the first scene so we can look into what was going on in the past. Are we learn our lessons from history. 1980s might seem like a problematic period, but people survived to make it a better tomorrow.       Figure 1. McCurry, Steve. Afghan Girl. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia.com,  Dec. 1984. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Figure 2. Reagan Assassination Attempt. Digital image. Wikipedia.  Wikipedia.com, 30 Mar. 1981. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Figure 3. Soviet Authorities. Taken by  the Authorities in the immediate aftermath  of Chernobyl Disaster. Digital image. Wikipedia.  Wikipedia.com, Apr. 1986. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Figure 4. AP. Fall of the Berlin Wall. Digital image.  The Telegraph. The Telegraph, Nov. 1989. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Figure 5. Widener, Jeff. The Tank Man was trying to block the way of tanks  with his own body alone during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia.com, June 1989. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. Work Cited Behind The Wall. New Yorker 90.34 (2014): 31-1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Nov.  2014. Braun, David. How They Found National Geographic’s â€Å"Afghan Girl. National Geographic.  07 Mar 2003. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. Brands, H. W. Reagan Reborn.American History48.3 (2013): 46-51.Academic Search  Complete. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Chernobyl Accident 1986. Chernobyl. World Nuclear Association, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 28  Nov. 2014. Denker, Debra. A Life Revealed: Along Afghanistans War-torn Frontier. National  Geographic. 167 (Jun 1985). 2002. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. Dibb, Paul. The Soviet Experience In Afghanistan: Lessons To Be Learned?. Australian  Journal Of International Affairs 64.5 (2010): 495-509. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. Iyer, Pico. The Unknown Rebel. (Cover Story). Time 151.14 (1998): 192. Academic Search  Complete. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. Leslie, John. The Fall Of The Berlin Wall Twenty Years Later. New Zealand International  Review 34.5 (2009): 21-24. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. Lui, Andrew. Looking Back At Tiananmen Square. Peace Review 12.1 (2000): 139-145.  Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. Raines, Howell. Reagan Wounded In Chest By Gunman; Outlook Good After 2-Hour Surgery;  Aide And 2 Guards Shot; Suspect Held. The New York Time Mar. 1981, Late City ed.: 1. Print. Rothman, Lily. Witness To History: Reporters Recall The Berlin Wall’S Fall. Time.Com  (2014): N.PAG. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. United States. Office of the Historian. The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S.Response, 1978–1980. The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. Response, 1978–1980. Office of the Historian, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. United States. U.S.NRC. Backgrounder on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident.  U.S.NRC. United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

diz ish onli fer yOo babe... :: essays research papers

Alexander Hamilton was a man of vision as well as economic genius. While he was Americas Secretary of Treasury, he wrote three major reports to Congress. These included: Report Relative to a Provision for the Support of Public Credit, The Reports on Public Credit II, and The Report on Manufacturers. His views expressed in these three reports laid the foundation upon which the economic success of modern day America was built. Although many of his policies have since been tweaked modified or re-named, the fundamental ideas he expressed have been consistent throughout. The amazing staying power of Alexander Hamilton's economic policies and the success that they have produced are clearly evident in today's modern economy. One of the most profound things about the visionary economic policies of Hamilton is that they not only solved the immediate problems facing the United States, but they also accounted for many of the challenges that the United States would be forced to contend with in the distant future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When George Washington first appointed Alexander Hamilton Secretary of Treasury, the most pressing issue was the payment of the debt acquired while financing the Revolution. He tackled this issue in his first report to Congress entitled: the Report Relative to a Provision for the Support of Public Credit. ?It is agreed on all hands, that part of the debt that has been contracted abroad, and is denominated the foreign debt, ought to be provided for, according to the precise terms of the contracts relating to it. The discussions, which can arise, therefore, will have reference essentially to the domestic part of it, or that there is not the same unanimity of sentiment on this part, as on the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Secretary has too much deference for the opinions of every part of the community, not to have observed one, which has, more than once, made its appearance in the public prints.... It involves this question, whether discrimination ought not to be made between original holders of public securities, and the present possessors, by purchase. Those who advocate a discrimination are for making full provision for the securities of the former, at their nominal value; but contend, that the latter ought to receive no more than the cost to them, and the interest: And the idea is sometimes suggested of making good the difference to the primitive possessor....   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Secretary, after the most mature reflection on the force of this argument, is induced reject the doctrine it contains.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Vicious Cycle of Broken Homes and Unsuccessful Marriages

Children from broken homes become disenchanted with the idea of marriage. When they grow up, they come to distrust its role as a social institution and look at it lightly. According to statistics, a high percentage of people from broken homes end up with unsuccessful marriages (Rossi, 1990, p. 246). Research on broken homes show the overwhelming negative impact of broken homes on the psychological health of children. Studies show, for example, that delinquency is related to broken families.Parental neglect plays a part in the frequency of delinquency among females, particularly when this neglect results from a broken home . Children from broken homes are also more likely to develop attention deficit disorders than children from normal families. They tend to suffer more damaging mental problems that influence them to make incorrect decisions in life (Rossi, 1990, p. 247). These children could sustain these psychological problems in their early adulthood, making them unfit to handle re sponsibilities in a marriage setting (Coleman, 1976, p. 389).Other studies show that children from broken homes are more likely to have sex before the age of 16. It’s been shown that the adolescent mind is not developed enough to make strong life decisions. If children are pushed to marry because of unwanted pregnancies, then the resulting marriage is more in danger of falling apart. As children in broken homes become more and more distrustful of marriage and sustain more psychological trauma, broken marriages unsuccessful marriages form a vicious cycle that leaves everyone a victim. Early intervention is needed to correct children’s view of marriage and themselves.However, this is not easy to do as research also shows that broken homes lead to educational difficulties in children. People from broken families must seek counseling to strengthen their marriages. Education plays a vital role in stopping this vicious cycle, but it must be done early and regularly through t he victims’ lives. References Coleman, J. C. (1976). Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life. New York: Scott, Foresman. Rossi, A. S. (1990). Of human bonding: parent-child relations across the life course. Piscataway: Aldine Transaction.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Santa Barbara Song Sparrow Facts

Santa Barbara Song Sparrow Facts The Santa Barbara Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia graminea, sensu) is a now-extinct subspecies of song sparrow that lived on Santa Barbara Island in California and was most closely related to the Channel Island Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia graminea). It was one of the smallest of the 23 subspecies of song sparrows and had a perky short tail. Fast Facts: Santa Barbara Song Sparrow Scientific Name: Melospiza melodia graminea, sensuCommon Name: Santa Barbara Song SparrowBasic Animal Group: BirdSize: 4.7–6.7 inches; wingspan 7.1–9.4 inchesWeight: 0.4–1.9 ouncesLifespan: 4 yearsDiet:  OmnivoreHabitat: On Santa Barbara Island, Channel Islands, CaliforniaPopulation: 0Conservation Status: Extinct Description There are 34 subspecies of song sparrows in the world: It is one of the most polytypic birds in North America, with a good deal of variation, especially in geographically restricted species. The Santa Barbara Song Sparrow resembled other similar subspecies  and is described as most closely resembling the Heermanns Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia heermanni). It was one of the smallest song sparrow subspecies and was characterized by a particularly gray back with dark streaks. Most song sparrows are browner in color with dark streaks. In general, a song sparrows breast and belly are white with dark streaking and a dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. It has a brown-capped head and a long, brown tail that is rounded on the end. The sparrows face is gray and streaked. The Santa Barbara song sparrows were distinguished from other song sparrows by a smaller, more slender bill, and a tail which was shorter than the wing. Habitat and Range The Santa Barbara Song Sparrow was known to exist only on 639-acre Santa Barbara Island (the smallest of the Channel Islands) in Los Angeles County, California. The sparrows natural habitat on the island was much like the habitat of other species of the song sparrow, which are generally abundant and adaptable on the mainland United States. Habitat components on the island that the sparrow relied on included: Thickets of shrubs like sagebrush, dense grasslands, and other scrubby vegetation for nesting and shelter (cover)Food resources such as giant coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantean, also called the tree sunflower), the Santa Barbara Island live-forever, shrubby buckwheat, and chicoryStanding or running fresh water or a consistent source of moisture from fog or dew Diet and Behavior In general, song sparrows are known to frequently forage on the ground and also in low vegetation where they are protected from predators by thickets and shrubs. Like other song sparrow species, the Santa Barbara Song Sparrow ate a variety of plant seeds and insects (including beetles, caterpillars, bees, ants and wasps, and flies). In spring, during the periods of nesting and rearing of young, insects increased in terms of the important components of the sparrows diet. The year-round diet of song sparrows in California is 21 percent insects and 79 percent plants; the song sparrow also eats crustaceans and mollusks on the coasts. Reproduction and Offspring Based on extant species of song sparrows on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Anacapa islands in the Channels, the Santa Barbara song sparrow built compact, open nests of twigs and other plant material, which were optionally lined with grass. The female laid three broods per season, each between two to six red-brown marked, pale green eggs. Incubation ranged from 12–14 days and was tended to by the female. Both parents were involved in the feeding until the sparrows were fledged 9–12 days later.   The birds were serially and simultaneously polygamous, and DNA studies showed that 15 percent or more of the young were sired outside the social pair. Extinction Process During the first half of the 20th century, sparrow nesting habitat (scrub vegetation) on Santa Barbara Island began disappearing as a result of clearing land for farming and from browsing by introduced goats, European rabbits, and New Zealand red rabbits. Unnatural predation also threatened sparrows during this time, after the introduction of domestic cats to the island. The sparrows natural predators included the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), Common Raven (Corvus corax), and Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus). Even with these new challenges to its survival, the song sparrows maintained a viable population through the summer of 1958. Unfortunately, a large fire in 1959 destroyed most of the sparrows remaining habitat. The birds are thought to have been extirpated from the island during the 1960s because years of intensive surveys and monitoring throughout the 1990s did not reveal any resident song sparrows on the island. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially determined that the Santa Barbara Song Sparrow was extinct and removed it from the endangered species list on October 12, 1983, citing a loss of habitat and predation by feral cats. Sources Arcese, Peter et al. Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia. Birds of North America: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, January 1, 2002.  BirdLife International 2016. Melospiza melodia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened: e.T22721058A94696727, 2016. Santa Barbara song sparrow (Melospiza melodia . ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  graminea: Delisted due to ExtinctionVan Rossem, A. J. â€Å"A Survey of the Song Sparrows of the Santa Barbara Islands.† The Condor 26.6 (1924): 217–220.Zink, Robert M., and Donna L. Dittmann. Gene Flow, Refugia, and Evolution of Geographic Variation in the Song Sparrow (Melospiza Melodia). Evolution 47.3 (1993): 717–29.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Supplements essays

Supplements essays The effects of Androstenedione vs. DHEA supplementation in men. Androstenedione is a popular and widely used supplement among body builders and athletes. Dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA is a wellknown precursor to testosterone, as well as a special interest as an anti aging supplement. Both supplements have been criticized for their ineffectiveness or lack of proof. Androstenedione has become extremely popular since, once home run, king Mark Mc Gwire admitted to using it during his extremely popular home run race in 1998. The NFL, the International Olymipic Committee and NHL have banned the use of it. Androstenedione is a natural precursor to testosterone. The adrenal glands and gonads produce Androstenedione. In the liver Androstenedione can be converted to testosterone and back depending on the need (1). The anabolic effects that testosterone displays are what is desired by users. Androstenedione can also be converted to estrone, a predominantely female hormone (2). This conversion is responsible for many of the possible negative side effects. The recommended dosage of androstenedione is 25mg to 100mg daily. Most supplement companies have made claims that androstenedione can boost testosterone. There have been no studies done to date that androstenedione boosts testosterone enough to achieve any anabolic effects. There have been many independant studies that claim a 211% to 337% raise in serum testosterone levels but only for a limited amount of time. In a study called the acute effects of androstendione supplementation in healthy young they examined the effects of andr o supplementation on the hormone profile of 10 young males and its interaction males with resistance exercise. The test subjects were given 200mg of androstenedione for 2 days and then 2 weeks later they were given either androstenedione or a placebo. On the second day they performed resistance exercises. There was a 2-3 fold increase in an...

Monday, November 4, 2019

CAL Final Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CAL Final Literature - Essay Example They state further that the application and use of organizational learning mechanisms embody organizational learning. The utilization of organizational learning mechanisms helps the organization to collect, store, analyze, publish and make use of this information to the benefit of the organization. 2 RESEARCH APPROACH Organizations use research as one of the means of creating knowledge. Research is also used to identify problems and find solutions. Lee and Greenley (2010, p. 5) emphasize research has to be conducted in a business environment but researchers need to make sure that their research has the required rigor and relevance. The discussion further leads to viewpoints from various authors and one particular viewpoint of induction approach particularly was significant to me. This was from Evert Gummesson, who argues that for achieving good results and to ensure rigor a researcher should follow an inductive method. This is because within a deductive method the theory that will be used may be outdated or based in different environments. Therefore, it cannot be adopted to attain the desired results from the research. The argument is that, through the use of inductive approach; a researcher is not influenced by previously established theories and starts to begin with collecting information. Within my organization study, I opt to carry out a deductive approach which is contradicting with Evert Gummesson arguments (Lee and Greenley, 2010, p.5). I support this approach as I am not basing my discussion on a particular research or textbook but by analyzing different literatures on the topic of employee motivation and organizational behavior. Different point of view and...Organizations use research as one of the means of creating knowledge. Research is also used to identify problems and find solutions. Lee and Greenley (2010, p. 5) emphasize research has to be conducted in a business environment but researchers need to make sure that their research has the required rigor and relevance. The discussion further leads to viewpoints from various authors and one particular viewpoint of induction approach particularly was significant to me. This was from Evert Gummesson, who argues that for achieving good results and to ensure rigor a researcher should follow an inductive method. This is because within a deductive method the theory that will be used may be outdated or based in different environments. Therefore, it cannot be adopted to attain the desired results from the research. The argument is that, through the use of inductive approach; a researcher is not influenced by previously established theories and starts to begin with collecting information. Within my organization study, I opt to carry out a deductive approach which is contradicting with Evert Gummesson arguments (Lee and Greenley, 2010, p.5). I support this approach as I am not basing my discussion on a particular research or textbook but by analyzing different literatures on the topic of employee motivation and organizational behavior. Different point of view and findings from researchers would provide a strong point of view for beginning the research.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Final - Assignment Example At the moment there is only one international instrument which applies generally to all forests: The Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests 2007. This instrument does not meet the specific needs of tropical rain forests and therefore does not address the specific causes of tropical rain forest deforestation. As a member of Protection of Tropical Rainforests, I would like to suggest the implementation of the International Convention for the Conservation of Tropical Rain Forests and recommend including the following 12 articles: Article 1: State parties will implement measures to promote and improve farming methods and techniques that replenish soil nutrients. (This article was selected because a number of countries in which tropical rain forest exists have poor farmers who depend on farming to survive. The farming methods used by both poor and economically successful farmers can be exploitive and contribute to soil degradation in the tropical rain forest).4 Article 2: State parties undertake to implement a system in which poor farmers are able to own title to a parcel of land in tropical rain forest for the purpose of farming. (This article is necessary as it is believed that once a farmer owns his or her farmland, they will have an incentive to safeguard against soil degradation to ensure that the soil is good for continued farming).5 Article 3: State parties shall introduce policies and laws that prohibits farmers that have been issued title to land for farming using other areas of the tropical rain forest for farming. (This should increase the incentive of farmers to keep the nutrient value of the soil to which they have title. This would also prevent farmers moving on to other areas of the tropical rain forest).6 Article 4: State parties should implement policies for infrastructure planning that minimises the impact on tropical rain forests. (This article is

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Crisis Towards Zapatistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Crisis Towards Zapatistan - Essay Example The historical research was conducted till the contemporary time, ending at decolonization. Then I undertook an extensive study of primary sources which include Newspapers, academic journals, Television documentaries, news reels and Fiction Literature including poetry. I have also directed my research towards the emergence of militant/extremist Islam in its International context. The List of all the sources is attached. This research was a precursor to field appraisal visits to Zapatistan. A total of six visits were undertaken often under hostile conditions. During the course of these visits I sought audience and conducted interviews with President Marcos, The leader of Islamist Reform Party Mr. Wasih Mehtazberam, The General Secretary of Christian Nationalist Front; Mr. Corazine Constantine and I also managed to secure a brief but very productive tte--tte with Imam Nasir Fazlullah, the elusive Guerilla Leader, in his secret stronghold in Tien Shan Mountains, bordering People's Repub lic of China. Besides talking to these luminaries, I often held illuminating discussions with University Professors, Traders, Oilmen and the person on the street. It was difficult however to directly talk to women across the strict gender segregated divide, especially in Muslim quarters, but fortunately I had a lady colleague; Ms. Iona Wazir, who conducted these talks. Her report has been structured in this memo, however a separate report can be provided if required. I will now outline, albeit briefly the historical development of Zapatistan, so as to contextualize the present crisis. Zapatistan is a landlocked country and shares its borders with Russia to the North and West, PRC to the East, Iran and Afghanistan to the South and South East respectively. It has key geopolitical and economic importance. The primary income generating activity is agriculture, in which 76% of the population is involved. The farm work is managed by small family units, both men and women are agricultural labourers. The Market and trade in agriculture is dominated and controlled by middlemen. A major portion of agriculture produce is exported through state owned and controlled 'Zapatistan Trading Corporation'. This dominance of middlemen and bureaucratic control of trade has been a major cause/contributor to rural poverty. There is a nascent textile and sugar industry but it is also state controlled, the minimum wage of industrial labour is less than 5$ per day, fomenting frequent trade union unrest and harsh reprisals by the regime. The country is rich in Minerals, primarily Oil and Natural Gas. Petrochemical Sale accounts for 90% of state earnings. The extraction and production of Oil is state controlled and is leased out to Shell and British Petroleum. The oil is shipped through a pipeline to Black Sea for The Shell International Refinery. The Muslim dominated Southern region is rich in oil; however the northern highlands also have sizeable oil deposits. The Oil revenues are controlled by the state and wealth has 'trickeled down' at least to the urban areas. The few major cities now reflect the oil boom and have been redesigned by best Urban Planning Firms in the world. The town squares are dominated by statues of the President and his family members. Zapatistan was colonized by Imperial Russia in 1756 and gained its independence

Monday, October 28, 2019

Measuring Respect Essay Example for Free

Measuring Respect Essay Campbell-Ewald, an award winning integrated communications agency, noticed that their customer relationship management (CRM) solutions were not meeting the expectations that they should. In order to gain an understanding of how respect influences customer loyalty and purchasing, they team up with a research company, Synovate and developed three different surveys. The surveys consisted of 27 to 29 attitudinal statements that customer use a 5-point scale to rate. They statements were designed to measure how the customers defined respect and how important respect was in determining a purchase. They selected more than 5,000 customers from each business sectors: insurance, automotive, and retail, and mailed them the survey to complete. The customers they selected to survey were adults at least 18 years of age (Cooper Schindler, 2011). Once they had received the completed surveys they analyzed the results. They then used the results to validate the relevance of its five â€Å"People Principles†. The five â€Å"People Principles† were: ? Appreciate me ?Intentions don’t matter; actions do ?Listen; then you’ll know what I said. ?It’s about me, not about you. ?Admit it- you goofed! These five â€Å"People Principles† have helped companies like General Motors, Continental Airlines, and Farmers Insurance incorporate respectful behaviors into their business operations (Cooper Schindler, 2011). When Campbell-Ewald and Synovate developed the surveys they knew that they needed to address respect from all areas such as how a customer ranks respect to loyalty, respect to purchases, respect to continue purchases, and respect to referrals. By gaining a complete overview on how a customer reviews respect then they could develop the five â€Å"People Principles† that their clients could use to improve customer service, increase revenue, gain a competitive advantage, and build a thriving business. Campbell-Ewald knew that their research, findings, and developments would be what would make them successful. By using the numerical scale survey they were placing the same standards on all statements, which make the evaluation process easier. When conducting a survey, the more customers you select to survey will increase the number of responses that a research company will receive back. It is not likely that all 5000 customers responded but I am sure well over 50 percent responded, which gave them a diverse poll of responses. Whereas, if they had chose to survey only 100 customers then they may have received only 30 responses, which is not enough when conducting such research. Using the numerical scale makes tally and measuring the result easier, which will make the comparison easier. Also, by using the numerical scale a research firm eliminates the opportunity for researchers to be swayed by a person comments or opinions, a person either agrees or does not agree with no explanation.