How did the United Staes policy in Iraq,Afghanistan and the Middle Essay

How did the United Staes policy in Iraq,Afghanistan and the Middle East, particularly during the Bush administration affect the U.S interest in Latin America after 2002 - Essay Example When George Bush took over power, he was among the people ready to fight against these criminal activities in Latin America. However, the US invasion in the Middle East led to its disengagement from Latin America. This is because a good number of Political bodies were against this move to Iraq. Their argument was that the already weak economy would further deteriorate since the US would intentionally increase gasoline prices. The US in its proclamation states that its key interests in other countries are in line with promoting democracy and peace. This includes eliminating oppressive governments in most of the Middle East countries while at times supporting the same oppressive regimes depending on how they agree with their economic interests. This support has led to controversies bringing the topic back at home. The Latin America’s budgets are in a vacuum just because the US wants to use such oppression to impose is policy reforms over Latin America (Youngers). By evading discussion like terrorism, it has become very easy for the US Southern Command to encourage most of the military operations in the internal affairs of most Latin American countries. The US has economic interests in the Middle East. It uses diplomatic missions, relief assistance to cover up its main agenda. This on the contrary displaces most Latin American nations who are the leading oil sources in the American region to compete effectively. While the US promises to support them in fighting issues like terror, it goes ahead to enter deals with terror related

Factory Work Essay Example for Free

Factory Work Essay In Deborah Boe’s â€Å"Factory Work† (n.d.) the author paints a picture of the monotonous and sometimes dangerous work that goes on in the life of a low income factory worker. The character remarks how the hot glue machine she works â€Å"ate† her shirt once, and how one of her co-workers used to have long hair until the machine â€Å"got† it. The character has been doing the same repetitive job over and over. Now she no longer needs to think about what she is doing and her mind wanders as she is working. While the character thinks that it isn’t bad in the factory, there is an overall sense of boredom and sadness with the life she leads. People from a low socioeconomic class such as the main character are often forced into dull monotonous jobs where they make enough money to survive but not to advance out of the system. As a result of her class, the character is willing to put up with the dangers, the lack of stimulation, and the threat of being laid off because she is still bringing in a paycheck (Boe, n.d.). This poem reminds me of two monotonous jobs that I had right out of high school. Since I was just a teenager with no work experience and no marketable skills, I had very limited options in the jobs that I could get. The first job that I had was working part time as a tour guide at a pumpkin patch. I would sit on the hay wagon and collect the tickets of the passengers, and once we had enough people loaded the tractor would start up and take us around the farm. This is where the monotony would kick in. I had the speech so memorized that I could recite it perfectly several years after. I didn’t have to think about the words that were coming out of my mouth, I would just need to stand there and let the speech roll out. I think the cadence occupied more of my thoughts than the actual words. Even though the job was monotonous I still really enjoyed being outside and seeing people’s reactions to the farm. The second job I had that was monotonous was working fast food in the mall food court. This was my first real job working 8 hours a day 5 days a week. The quality of workforce they had can be gauged by the fact that the owner offered me a management position after my second day there. I spent hours and hours standing behind a hot grill, dropping meat and vegetables on as the order was called over the loud speaker. While this job required as much thought as the pumpkin patch did, here I felt like I was trapped inside my mind as I worked. At the pumpkin patch I could enjoy the sunshine, but in the mall you have very little understanding of what is going on outside. The sun could be shining, it could be raining, and it might be daytime or night time. In the mall you learn not to say good morning or afternoon because you’re never really that sure of the time. Your internal clock loses all perspective in the fake lighting. I would take working outside in real light any time. I can associate with the character in â€Å"Factory Work† (Boe, n.d.) because my socioeconomic class trapped me in a monotonous job.

Methods for Sustainability in the Chemical Industry

Methods for Sustainability in the Chemical Industry Table of Contents (Jump to) INTRODUCTION WAYS OF MAINTAINING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY 1. RENEWABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY 2. CATALYSIS 3. EFFICIENT WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLE 4. SAFER SOLVENT CONCLUSION REFERENCE INTRODUCTION Also known as green chemistry, sustainability in the chemical industry is the practise or a viewpoint of chemical researches that is design to focus on the reduction or elimination of the chemical processes that results to the production of a generation of hazardous substances particularly to the environment and humanity (USEPA, 2015). With reference to the current climatic changes, physical evidences shows that the rate at which solar energy is received from the sun compared to the rate at which it is lost to space, has severely increased over the previous decades, Hence, negatively affecting the climates of different regions across the globe. This could be correlated to the fact that many chemical processes used in the industries today are not sustainable enough (Blackstone 2015). Figure 1: Gas Emission from a Chemical Plant Source: www.texastribune.org WAYS OF MAINTAINING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY There are several approaches to maintain sustainability in the chemical industry today; however this report concentrated on four of them; 1. RENEWABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY Most chemical processes requires energy in order to materialize, and with fossil fuel becoming progressively more scarce with comparison to demand, there is the necessity to find alternative sources, such as recycled or renewable energy. The aftereffects of using fossil fuel, particularly to operate a chemical plant such an ammonia plant for example is that a large amount of Carbon-monoxide is produced as by-product hence contributing to the current global challenges of climate change (University of York, 2014). Ways of Using Energy Effectively By using good insulative materials and well-sustained equipment, heat loss will be reduced during the process of production and any surplus heat should be re-used to produced hot water rather than being lost to the environment. Chemical reactions that require lower temperature should be considered when the option is available. Where possible, chemical plants should avoid using generator to generate electricity because of the emission of carbon-monoxide. 2. CATALYSIS The use of catalysts plays an enormous role in the enhancement of a more sustainable process for the production of chemicals. There are several benefits in using and developing catalysts for industrial chemical reactions, some significant ones being: They positively affect the condition needed for the chemical reaction, often decreasing the energy required by reducing the pressure and temperature. They facilitate the usage of alternative reactions which generally have a better atom economy therefore reduces wastage. They enable the possibility to precisely control the reaction pathways, hence decreasing unwanted by-products and making it easier to purify and separate the preferred products. Example: In the production of nylon-6 (an essential polymer used to make fabrics); cyclohexanone is altered into caprolactam through the means of oxime (reacting hydroxylamine hydrogen-sulphate with ketone). This process requires the need to isomerised sulphuric acid with the reactant (caprolactam) which then gives off ammonium sulphate (wastage). With the introduction of a catalyst (zeolite), the chemical reactions are rearranged hence resulting to elimination of the subsequent wastage from sulphuric acid (University of York, 2014). 3. EFFICIENT WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLE As much as it is practically impossible to have zero-wastage, chemical practises can imbibe the following culture below; Waste Avoidance: Where possible, chemical processes that involve less or no wastage should be considered simply because it saves time, money and preserves the environment. Generally, chemical waste products are treated specially due to their hazardous tendencies to humanity and the environment (Blackstone 2015). Waste Re-usage: In cases whereby it is almost impossible not to produce waste, alternative means should be devised in order to re-use the waste products created. For example, a chemical plant, that conducts a lot of combustion can re-use the carbon-monoxide (by-product) to produced methanol by the hydrogenation of the carbon-monoxide (University of York, 2014). Waste-to-energy Conversion and Recycle: In certain circumstances, the energy needed to recycle the waste product maybe significant compared to the advantages of the recycled product therefore it may be considerable better to convert waste to energy. Recycle and converting waste to energy should be interchangeable. For example, the production of cotton with the use of pesticides and fertilisers could end up requiring more energy and polluting more than the production of certain artificial fibres or fabrics (University of York 2014). Landfill: this is often regarded as the most cost-effective way to dispose selective chemical waste especially in countries like America and Nigeria with large open fields. With other waste management methods such as incineration and resource recovery both requiring wide investments in manpower and infrastructure, landfills have fewer cost, allowing them to stand favourably. They can also be upgraded to generate natural gas which can be potentially seen as revenue stream (Blackstone 2015). 4. SAFER SOLVENT As part of the means to preserve the environment and to maintain the practises of a sustainable chemistry, it is preferable to conduct reactions that occur in a gaseous phase simply because they avoid the usage of solvents to bring reactants together. Examples of these processes include; the manufacture of ammonia, methanol, ethene and ethanoic. In the production of ethanoic, where possible, an alternative solvent which is not harmful should be used because the solvent readily evaporates into the atmosphere unless safety precautions are taken to contain them (University of York, 2014). CONCLUSION The four means of maintaining sustainability in the chemical industry as explained with example in the body of this essay would go a long way in preserving the environment and its ecosystem if kept in practise, particularly to the future generations. In addition, the need to equally emphasis and imbibe this practise in modern chemical processes is economical viable both to the chemical industries and to potential investors. REFERENCES Rupert Blackstone (2015). How do we achieve a sustainable lifestyle?Institution of mechanical engineers UK. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.imeche.org/knowledge/industries/energy-environment-and-sustainability/news/Sustainable-Lifestyles. [Accessed: 20 April 2015]. University of York (2014). Essential Chemical Industry online. Green chemistry. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/processes/green-chemistry.html. [Accessed 19 April 2015]. United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 2015. Green Chemistry | US EPA. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www2.epa.gov/green-chemistry. [Accessed 16 April 2015].

Validity: External, Internal, and Construct Essay -- Business Manageme

Validity In research paradigm, validity and reliability are the most basic characteristic issues used in qualitative and quantitative analysis. Validity as a psychometric standard is embedded in a positivist approach, which is relevant in reflecting on the qualitative point of view ascribed to the establishment of the truth. In view of this, definition of positivism ascribe to a theory systematic to validity. Additionally, other empirical conceptions culminating from resided validity include truth, deduction, universal laws, evidence, reason, and actuality among others. For any qualitative research conducted, validity as a concept is a determinant that measures the truth concerning the investigation. Validity is measured by researchers by asking questions and answers are retrieved from other people’s research work (Joppe, 2000, p. 1). Other researchers define validity in quantitative research as construct validity. Construct implies initial concept, hypothesis, notion or question determining data gathered and method of data collection. However, quantitative practitioners affirm the cause or effect interplay between data and construct for validation of investigation by applying test procedures or processes (Golafshani, 2003, p. 599). As a result, with regard to validity, researchers conclude that, it is whether measurements of the mean are accurate or they are measuring the intended features. Accuracy of the mean helps in relating the cause-and-effect relationship present in internal validity. The above definition is associated with quantitative research methodology. It summarizes that validity to be the extent in which instruments measure the exact thing it purports to measure. An example of validity in research is ... ...nformation provided during the course of study. In the case of project construction management, leaders need to be aware of the variables affecting internal and external validity to be able to convince the readers on aspects introduced and needing further research. References Creswell, J. (2000). Determining validity in qualitative inquiry. Theory into Practice, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 124-131. Cozby, P & Bates, C. (2012). Methods in behavioral research. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. The Qualitative Report 8 (4), 597-607. Scandura, T & Williams, E. (2000). Research Methodology in Management: Current Practices, Trends and Implications for Future Research. Academy of Management Journal 43 (6), 1248-1264. Trochim, W., & Donnelly, J. (2008). Chapters 1, 3, 5, 6, 7

Pest Analysis of Coca Cola

PEST Analysis The PEST Analysis identifies changes in the market caused by: Political , Economical, Social and Technological factors. Political Analysis and Factors: Those Non- Alcoholic Beverages like; Coca-Cola, are within the food category, under the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). The government has control over the manufacturing procedure of these products in terms of regulations. Companies who fail to meet the standards of law, are fined by the government. Following are provided some of the factors that are influencing Coca-Cola's Operations. 1.Changes in Laws and Regulations like; changes in Accounting Standards, taxation requirements (tax rate changes, modified tax law interpretations, entrance of new tax laws), and environmental laws either in domestic or foreign authorities. 2. Changes in Non-Alcoholic business era. These are; competitive product and pricing policy pressures, ability to maintain or earn share of sales in worldwide market compared to rivals. 3. Political Conditions, specifically in international markets, like; civil conflict, governmental changes and restrictions concerning the ability to relocate capital across borders. 4.Ability to penetrate emerging and developing markets, that also relies on economic and political conditions, and also their ability to form effectively strategic business alliances with local bottlers, and to enhance their production amenities, distribution networks, sales equipment, and technology. Economic: In 2001, the recession influenced the companies operations, but because of aggressive actions the US Economy estimated to have returned in positive growth in 2002. Currently, because of global recession, Coca-Cola can borrow capital and invest in other products, because the interest rates are lowered.Also, it can borrow to advance its research of new products and technology. By researching for new products is cost effective, the company could sell its products at a lower price, so its cutomers would purchase more Coca-Cola products at a lower price. Social: The majority of US citizens are excersizing healthier lifestyles. That has strongly influenced the sales of non-alcoholic beverage sector, because many customers are switching to bottled water and diet colas like; Coca-Cola Light or Zero, instead of drinking beer or other beverages.Additionally, time management is quite 43 % of all households, and it has increased. Customers aged from 37 to 55, are concerned with their nutrition. Also, large portion of the population is within the range of baby boomers age. While many cutomers are getting at older ages in life, they are more concerned in long term increasing their permanence. That will continue to affect the non-alcoholic beverage sector, by increasing the demand, in healthier and other beverages. Technological: Some factors that affect the company's actual results to vary essentially from the expected results, are the following: 1.The efficiency of company's advertising, marketing and promotional programs, The new technology advances of television and internet that use incomparable effects for advertising through the use of media. Those advances make the products seem attractive. This supports the selling promotion of the products. Coca-Cola in media tends to use this technology so, to sell effectively its products. 2. Entrance of cans and plastic bottles in the past, have increased sales volume for the company because they are easier to carry and customers can bin them once they have been used. . Since the technology is advancing continuously there has been entrance of new machineries' equipment all the time. Because of that, Coca-Cola's production volume has increased sharply compared to few years ago. 4. CCE-Coca-Cola Enterprises have six factories in Britain by using modern technology equipment so to ensure top product quality and quick delivery. In Wakefield,Yorkshire in 1990, CCE opened one of the Europe's largest soft drinks factory. That factory has t he ability to produce faster the cans of Coca-Cola even faster than bullets of a machine gun.

The handmaid’s tale: chapter 2 commentary

This passage from `The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Attwood uses stream of consciousness as a narrative technique to portray the thoughts of the main character, Offred, is going through. Attwood does this very realistically; in the sense that she writes in the way a human mind works, by describing the setting of the room. Thus the setting of the room is vital as it is through the setting that the themes are explored. The main theme of freedom in the passage is shown through the objects described in her room. The style of writing is structured in a way which reflects the minor details of the human mind ith the lack of movement in passage to put emphasize on how Offred refuse to let her mine wonder from the things that are around her, in her room. The tone of the passage changes, first it is more uncertain and unsure but later changes to a more certain tone, this shown through the diction used. Attwood structures her narrative technique in such a way that it creates a uniform setting and creates a sense of everything being controlled or repressed. The sense of freedom that Atwood restricts from Offred in the passage is shown through the description of the room. The narrator focuses on hat she `can' do rather then what she can not do. â€Å"I can sit in the chair† This is ironic because although she is focusing on what she is able to do, yet she is reinforcing how limited the things she can do are. â€Å"Air can come in and make the curtains move† The sense of freedom is shown through the movement of the curtains and the flow of the air; these objects have a sense of movement whereas her thoughts don't because she can not escape through the â€Å"partly open window†. Attwood uses the repetition of window to emphasize how Offred can see beyond the window but can not do anything about it. This depicts the vindication shown in the passage as the slightly open window can be seen as Serena joy taking pleasure in watching the handmaid's suffer, as they are not able to attain freedom but just have the slightest taste of it. Offred can not escape but she can feel the wind slightly touching her. Attwood portrays Offred's thoughts in contrast next to each other to reinforce the lack of freedom. â€Å"Where I am is not a prison but a privilege, as Aunt Lydia said†¦ † This depicts that she feels she is in a prison because of her lack of freedom but then Attwood abruptly nds saying that Aunt Lydia says this, and doesn't allow Offred to think about it much further. Offred is presenting her room to sound like a prison but then quickly says that Aunt Lydia told her to see it as a privilege. This shows how Aunt Lydia feels this not her, because of the authorization given to Aunt Lydia. This use of juxtaposition reemphasizes how her room is actually more a prison then a privilege. Offred is portrayed as only a spectator who can see through the window; this also shows her position in the society of Gilead as she is limited to what she is aware of and she can only reconstruct what he knows. The lack of freedom is hinted throughout the passage â€Å"I know why there is no glass†¦. Why the window opens only partly and why the glass is shatterproof† This implies she is aware of why her freedom is being restricted and reinforces that everything in her room is controlled and unified. The role of the main character, as a handmaid and women and how they can't have there own thoughts are also depicted through the passage. One of the main elements, the floor is being described as â€Å"highly polished† The wood is something that is natural in the room, but it has too been polished. This indicates that everything that is natural is changed in the society she lives in, emphasizing how women are also changed and treated like objects. This is reinforced in † waste not want not† this has certain subdued hint of cynicism in it, as it should be used to describe an object but it reflects who she is and how she is detached as she is treated like an object or a property of someone. â€Å"Why do I want† Implying that she doesn't want to be treated like the `polished' object she is being treated as. â€Å"Sunlight comes through the window too, and falls on the floor† This is the whole oncept of something welcoming entering through the window, yet it doesn't fall on her but on the floor. Attwood is trying to portray how everything just bypasses Offred and ignores her, which symbolizes how everyone ignores or bypasses Offred. The role of Offred is also hinted throughout the passage. Attwood uses the repetition of â€Å"white† to do this. White symbolizes something which is pure, which can also mean being virgin, which shows how the women role in the book has a sexual aspect to it. This is further revealed when the `bed' is described as a place where â€Å"nothing takes lace in the bed but sleep; or no sleep† This seems like pun; with a play on word bring in a hint of sarcasm highlighting the change of tone in the passage. This then highlights the theme of the lack of freedom within the society and emphasizes her role is related to sexual activity. The idea of â€Å"think of it as being in army† again puts emphasizes on her role, of doing something as a service and being forced in to doing it. Attwood perceives the role as something that has been â€Å"in reduced circumstances†, implying that there was something before this time and it was better. Attwood deals with the concept of â€Å"thoughts being rationed† and the desperation of the main character not to think throughout the passage. The narrative technique of juxtaposition is used in a sense, as Attwood allows her to think so much and then restricts her from going beyond the setting of the room. This desperation of not wanting to think is shown through the use of short sentences, which helps not getting involved and stops the thinking process. The language used is very powerful but precise making the tone sound bored but yet it is more detached. Thinking can hurt you chances, and intend to survive. † The idea of the whole passage is shown, as Attwood tries to focus on the small objects in the setting rather then letting Offred thoughts wander away because she knows that everything must be controlled in the society. The theme of repression and everything being controlled, is also shown in the passage through the uniformity â€Å"does each of us have the same print, the same chair, the same white curtains,† this suggests that everything is meant to be the same. The author depicts how the theme is shown in the portrayal of the room. Things in the room have to be controlled as â€Å"thought must be rationed† thus highlighting the society at the time and its ideals. â€Å"there is no glass, in front the water-colour picture of blue irises, and why the window opens only partly and why the glass is shatterproof† The change in the mood is clearly shown here, as the passage starts with a more detached, uncertain tone of what she can do or rather not do which leads to the hint of sarcasm and the tone of being more confident and certain about something. The repression is also stressed through the use of the haracter, Aunt Lydia who has an authoritative voice and tries to control the thoughts. â€Å"Think of it as being in a army† and â€Å"where I am is not a person but a privilege, as Aunt Lydia said,† Attwood first uses the imperative tense to show the power and control that the Aunt has, she also makes what Aunt Lydia says seem like a chant and by using the comma to separate what is said with Aunt Lydia she emphasizes this is what â€Å"Aunt Lydia said† and not what she thinks. The passage from `The handmaid's tale' by Margaret Attwood focuses on the setting of the room which is shown as a symbol of her capture. The theme of turning something bad into something good is explored all throughout the passage. This is shown through juxtaposition, â€Å"braided rags† Attwood portrays turning rags into something beautiful which is what she is trying to create throughout the passage by restricting the thoughts of Offred, so that her thoughts don't wander away. The beginning of the passage shows a more uncertain tone, where the thoughts are more restricted but towards the end of the passage the tone is changed to a more cynical tone which implies more of her thoughts.

Helen Garner essays

Helen Garner essays Helen Garner is the most interesting character that is revealed in The First Stone because of her language techniques and her unique way of writing. It is a non-fiction text, very personal, (as we only hear Garners point of view) honest and frank. The novel was extremely controversial, particularly as Garner is a pioneering feminist, and her way of writing the book goes against all ideas and beliefs of feminism and being a feminist. The interesting thing about Garners writing technique is that she poses dilemmas and raises more questions than answers, so she keeps us guessing until the end of the book. Helen Garner is the most interesting character revealed in The First Stone, because since she is telling us the story of the Ormond sexual harassment case, we learn to value her opinion, which is the only one we hear throughout the novel. However, the content of The First Stone thrust Garner into an inescapable spotlight, and was a major controversy and she soon had many people (m ainly feminists) opposing her ideas that she wrote down in her book. The First Stone is a book about two young women attending Ormond University in Melbourne who were at a party and claimed to have been sexually assaulted by the Master of their University at the time, Dr Colin Shepherd. Garner became increasingly intrigued by the case, and as the story unfolds, the reader sees what Garner thinks of the two women, feminism, men, (encompassing sex and power) and indeed, what happened on the night of the party. She starts investigating and looking for interviews almost right away, even attending the final court hearing. She speaks to many people surrounding the case, such as Dr Ruth V, Janet F, Ms Vivien S, Ms Rose H, Barbara W, Fiona P, Ms Margaret L, Christine G and most importantly, Mrs Shepherd. Garner states in...

The Boy Who Cried to a Wolf Essays

The Boy Who Cried to a Wolf Essays The Boy Who Cried to a Wolf Essay The Boy Who Cried to a Wolf Essay William finished his meagre breakfast and left the house. He strolled through the town without purpose until he came to the cobblers, his fathers place of work. He went inside seeking his fathers counsel. His father was busy studying the stitching on a new boot he had made. Ah, young Will what brings you here? Nothing much, mother is doing my head in with this farmer Sykes business, I didnt have anything to do with it. Oh, dont worry son, when I was your age I got up to all kinds of mischief. But I didnt do anything exclaimed William,Of course you didnt son. With that Mr Hallwater descended into anecdotes of times when he was younger. William slowly backed out of the cobblers. William decided that no one believed that he had nothing to do with the orchard incident and retreated to his sanctuary, the tree in the field. As he wandered slowly, caught up in his reverie he was brought back to the reality of his surrounding by a dark figure leaning against his cherished spot. Upon closer inspection the figure was coated from head to toe with matted dark grey fur. Upon even closer inspection William deduced that the figure was in fact a wolf. William did not fear the wolf, he saw it as an opportunity to talk to someone about his oppressed life. The wolf looked William blankly in the face, William, unfazed looked straight back. The wolf was confused, usually his reputation was enough to send people sprinting back to the town. He saw this as an opportunity to talk to someone about his crafty and revered lifestyle. What brings you here kid? the wolf eyed William up and down slowly. Just came here to escape Replied William. Escape from what? Life in general That bad is it? The wolf and William got drawn into a long conversation about how hard their lives were. So you dont like your folks, eh? They just dont listen to me. Doesnt it just drive you mad? Definitely Dont you just want to get revenge on them for the way theyve treated you so far? Actually, yeh, yeh I do. Well maybe I can help you out the wolfs wide mouth broadened further into a smile. So what are we going to do? enquired William.

Tale tell heart (edga allenr poe) Research Paper

Tale tell heart (edga allenr poe) - Research Paper Example It is a graphic novel that relates how a man kills another man, and yet is convinced that he is not mad. The story opens when an unnamed narrator says that he is not insane, but nervous. He is of the view that the disease afflicting him has made his senses sharper. He talks about an old man who has never harmed him; yet the old man’s blue eye frightens him. The narrator observes the old man closely and one day, he murders him. He cuts the body into pieces and hides them under the floorboards. Soon, he starts hearing sounds coming from the floorboards. The sounds are that of a heart beating and the narrator thinks that it is the old man’s heart. When the police come, the narrator gets scared that they will hear the thumping of the heart. Caught in his vacillating emotions, the narrator panics and admits the crime (Jackson 176). After reading the story, it can be suggested that the hypersensitivity of the narrator was the reason for his downfall. This essay aims to reflec t upon this hypothesis and establishes the extent to which the dramatized and exaggerated emotions of the narrator culminate in him owning up to his crime. The essay provides three lines of argument and follows them up with a conclusion. The dramatized emotions of the narrator are an important indicator of his hypersensitivity. In the opening sentences of the story, the narrator claims to be nervous, not insane. Throughout the story, the narrator tries to justify the rationality of his actions by refuting that he is mad. He considers himself innocent even though he murdered a man, who has never harmed him. The narrator does not kill the man to gain any benefits. He is spurred into action by the blue eye old man. The narrator is indeed mad and the accrual and buildup of emotions of the period of time exceeds the tolerance threshold of the narrator, such that he is unable to hide his secret any longer. Bloomfield and Costa assert that the story is

Reading responese 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading responese 4 - Assignment Example The first one is human egocentrism. In fact, it follows from the title of the article itself that one of the themes deals with this very issue. The author of the article is supposed to review the Maine Lobster Festival for Gourmet magazine and its target audience and, by this, promote and advertise the festival. However, it is not his main agenda. Instead of promoting the festival, the author discusses the cruel ways of cooking a lobster in minor details, such as a discussion of sensory neurons of these crustaceans. In this regard, Wallace refers to people’s reasoning that they have a right to eat lobsters because the latter are much more primitive creatures. In addition to this, the author of the piece touches upon the notion of tourism, explores its essence and its influence on people engaged in this activity. More specifically, he claims that a person gains nothing from it and that the more people travel to a particular place the more this place is ruined by these people. I n other words, Wallace believes that tourism has nothing to do with knowledge and learning more about the world and self. One of the most notable things about Wallace’s piece under discussion is his use of footnotes. In fact, he changes this feature of academic writing into something more alive, meaningful and sense-bearing. Some of the foot notes do perform their initial, main task, which is to explain and comment a certain part of the text above it, such as the first one. However, the majority of them are designated to perform other tasks. Wallace’s footnotes are essential to the story and reader’s understating of its tone and intentions of the author. They are the actual pieces of the text in which he doubts, criticizes and even asks questions. In fact, sometimes it even seems that it is not the text of the short story itself but the footnotes that contain the author’s main point on the issue. They are like a playwright’s remarks in a play that does not interfere

The Pilot Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Pilot Program - Essay Example Which I did. The next chapter on Reproduction was suspect and I decided to refer it to the Board of Education. After careful and deliberate review they determined that the terminology, especially with respect to cell division, was too explicit for a 13-year-old. Chapter 7: 43 pages were removed. Parents were outraged that I had gutted the textbook. They had no clue as to what was missing. I told them I had removed the pages as the direct result of a request by the publisher. That seemed to placate them until they became curious about what had been removed. I demonstrated the conflicting views of the frog. I told them I was not a legal scholar, just the textbook coordinator, but was legally compelled to remove certain sections on constitutional grounds. The parents grew louder. I produced the missing pages from Chapter 6. They asked me what followed Evolution. I said "Reproduction and Primates." I showed them the picture of the friendly monkey. The monkey was smiling. This brought about a pleasant quiet across the wild and unruly crowd. There is just something about a smiling monkey. Now we were on common ground. I had to burn all 28 pilot textbooks. They were deemed unusable and the pilot program never got off the ground. The new pilot program in biology is a field trip.

Drafting And Design In The Field Of Industrial Engineering Entails Essay

Drafting And Design In The Field Of Industrial Engineering Entails - Essay Example The field of industrial engineering entails engineers determining the best methods of using factors of production such as energy, materials, machines people and information to make products. Industrial managers form a link between operational performance and goals. Industrial engineers have the concern of maximizing production by managing people, technology methods of business planning and other factor inputs. They differ from the rest of the engineers who only deal with products or processes. As much as most of the industrial engineers serve in manufacturing firms, healthcare companies, communication, and consulting services (Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, 2015). Industrial engineers study products and their requirements carefully and use complex mathematical skills such as research and installation of manufacturing systems. They do so while attempting to solve problems that relate to production, organizational and related problems. Industrial engineers also design systems that help in management control for efficient coordination of activities, which maximizes production. They also improve or develop the physical distribution of services and goods systems. Their work also entails the determination of the best combinations of raw material, transportation services, costs and availability of factors of production (US Department of Labor, 2015). They use the computer and other technology systems in controlling and simulating different activities and devices. The work of industrial engineers may also be the development of systems for salary and wage administration as well as job evaluation programs. For one to be an industrial engineer, they require having a bachelor’s degree in the field of engineering. Such a requirement is the most common for many entry-level jobs in engineering. In addition to this credential, one may become an industrial engineer if they are a college graduate with a degree in mathematics or physical science.

Health Gap between Rich and Poor in Briatin Essay

Health Gap between Rich and Poor in Briatin - Essay Example There were a lot of repressed meanings that could possibly be interpreted in these news writings. As a result, this essay would present the point of view on the issue through the evaluation of the three online news sources via using a deconstructive approach. I would first discuss my point of view with regards to the online news article published by BBC Online (1998). Upon reading BBC’s news report, I could say that it was really written in a conservative approach with the aim of not only providing information to the public but largely on persuading the citizens of UK, in particular, the poor sectors of the society, that the government could resolve this widening health gap. This media group’s manner of reporting was done through informing the public on what the government was thinking about the health issue. In fact, as stated by the author of the report who was a government’s former chief medical officer, Sir Donald Acheson, the local authorities had already me chanisms to resolve the challenges encountered by the most economically deprived sector of society. As part of the government, he greatly had voiced how the government were seriously considering the said health issue because of its significant impact on the succeeding generations. In fact, the seventy – five (75) recommendations given in the report was far – reaching as it had included thirty – nine (39) categories which consisted of health all the other areas related it like education, housing and environment. Though, it was only the voice of the government that was clearly expressed. Through taking into consideration the source of the news report, the BBC, a non – commercial, government - owned organization, it could be greatly understood the careful manner of reporting since it was being funded and supported by the government itself. As part of the local authority, this medium was serving a purpose of not only providing the information to the public bu t also, for the large part, it had played to protect the government. It was biased in the sense that the voice of the government was the only voice that was presented. Thus, this article of BBC had suppressed the other possible interpretations of this issue through not presenting the other sides of the problem. Given the serious health concerns encountered by the authorities, BBC had functioned as a mechanism of the government to give assurance to its people that everything was manageable and under control, that the growing health gap between the rich and the poor sectors of society would soon be resolved. In this manner, the public should worry about nothing because the government was doing its role. Indeed, BBC’s manner of providing information to the public was serving the benefit of its sponsor, the government. On the

Problems with the Channel Tunnel Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Problems with the Channel Tunnel Project - Essay Example This paper discusses that the Channel Tunnel project represents one of the greatest engineering feats executed in the twentieth century. The tunnel project connects England and France through a railway link that exists in the ground layer under water. This project effectively reduced the dependency on the English Channel as a means of transportation between England and France. Moreover, this project can be seen as laying the basis for larger and longer tunnel projects that might one day even connect the Atlantic. On the business front, the Channel Tunnel project represents one of the largest privately funded projects ever undertaken. The project relied on the cooperation between two governments, several bankers providing the funding and several contractors along with numerous regulatory agencies. As mentioned before, the engineering aspects of the tunnel and its railway traffic represented new unbroken ground. This in itself represented new challenges as the Channel Tunnel forced eng ineers to do what was previously seen as impossible. As the Channel Tunnel project proceeded, several major and myriad minor changes had to be undertaken to make the project a success. The Channel Tunnel project represented something that had never been done before so the challenges confronting all teams on all fronts were new and required innovation to be dealt with successfully. Later changes in the structure of the project also mandated some large changes. Finally, as the Channel Tunnel project was commissioned, it was found that the project was both over budget and late. A number of complex factors and situations were responsible for creating delays and overruns through the life of the project. This text will attempt to analyse the complex factors that were responsible for these delays and overruns while also suggesting solutions that could be implemented in the future to avoid similar problems. These factors will be looked at in detail from the perspective of the planning and i mplementation phases that represent the greatest project management problems. 2. Problems with the Channel Tunnel Project 2.1. Planning Issues The initial planning phase demarcated that the Channel Project was to provide a fixed transportation system that connected England and France. This new transportation connection was expected to spur economic growth and development. In addition, the Channel Project was expected to aid the integration of Britain with mainland Europe in order to improve European trade. Moreover, the tunnel between England and France was expected to provide cheaper alternatives to more expensive modes of transportation such as shipping and air transport. The railway system envisioned for the purpose was also better in that it was a high-speed system when compared to both shipping and air transport. Although working for the Channel Tunnel had been on going in the seventies but the real concrete measures came through in 1984. The British and French governments agre ed to common proposals for safety, security and environmental concerns before the project was opened up for bidding. Both governments in 1985 requested the first proposals for the Channel Project. A number of proposals were submitted for the Channel Project. After an evaluation from both the British and French sides, the proposal submitted by Channel Tunnel Group / FranceManche (later Eurotunnel) was accepted. The initial proposal delineated a 32-mile double rail tunnel that was to accommodate passenger trains as well as cargo trains and a special truck and car carrying shuttle service. The initial bid price was set at some $5.5 billion for the entire project. 2.2. Shortage of Time for Planning The initial proposals were submitted in a short period and this in turn led to many oversights that could have been avoided by detailed studies. When put in a project management perspective, it could be surmised that high-level design estimates along with rough order of magnitude estimates co uld have led to better estimates as to the total scope and cost of the project. The shortage of

Drafting And Design In The Field Of Industrial Engineering Entails Essay

Drafting And Design In The Field Of Industrial Engineering Entails - Essay Example The field of industrial engineering entails engineers determining the best methods of using factors of production such as energy, materials, machines people and information to make products. Industrial managers form a link between operational performance and goals. Industrial engineers have the concern of maximizing production by managing people, technology methods of business planning and other factor inputs. They differ from the rest of the engineers who only deal with products or processes. As much as most of the industrial engineers serve in manufacturing firms, healthcare companies, communication, and consulting services (Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, 2015). Industrial engineers study products and their requirements carefully and use complex mathematical skills such as research and installation of manufacturing systems. They do so while attempting to solve problems that relate to production, organizational and related problems. Industrial engineers also design systems that help in management control for efficient coordination of activities, which maximizes production. They also improve or develop the physical distribution of services and goods systems. Their work also entails the determination of the best combinations of raw material, transportation services, costs and availability of factors of production (US Department of Labor, 2015). They use the computer and other technology systems in controlling and simulating different activities and devices. The work of industrial engineers may also be the development of systems for salary and wage administration as well as job evaluation programs. For one to be an industrial engineer, they require having a bachelor’s degree in the field of engineering. Such a requirement is the most common for many entry-level jobs in engineering. In addition to this credential, one may become an industrial engineer if they are a college graduate with a degree in mathematics or physical science.

Problems with the Channel Tunnel Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Problems with the Channel Tunnel Project - Essay Example This paper discusses that the Channel Tunnel project represents one of the greatest engineering feats executed in the twentieth century. The tunnel project connects England and France through a railway link that exists in the ground layer under water. This project effectively reduced the dependency on the English Channel as a means of transportation between England and France. Moreover, this project can be seen as laying the basis for larger and longer tunnel projects that might one day even connect the Atlantic. On the business front, the Channel Tunnel project represents one of the largest privately funded projects ever undertaken. The project relied on the cooperation between two governments, several bankers providing the funding and several contractors along with numerous regulatory agencies. As mentioned before, the engineering aspects of the tunnel and its railway traffic represented new unbroken ground. This in itself represented new challenges as the Channel Tunnel forced eng ineers to do what was previously seen as impossible. As the Channel Tunnel project proceeded, several major and myriad minor changes had to be undertaken to make the project a success. The Channel Tunnel project represented something that had never been done before so the challenges confronting all teams on all fronts were new and required innovation to be dealt with successfully. Later changes in the structure of the project also mandated some large changes. Finally, as the Channel Tunnel project was commissioned, it was found that the project was both over budget and late. A number of complex factors and situations were responsible for creating delays and overruns through the life of the project. This text will attempt to analyse the complex factors that were responsible for these delays and overruns while also suggesting solutions that could be implemented in the future to avoid similar problems. These factors will be looked at in detail from the perspective of the planning and i mplementation phases that represent the greatest project management problems. 2. Problems with the Channel Tunnel Project 2.1. Planning Issues The initial planning phase demarcated that the Channel Project was to provide a fixed transportation system that connected England and France. This new transportation connection was expected to spur economic growth and development. In addition, the Channel Project was expected to aid the integration of Britain with mainland Europe in order to improve European trade. Moreover, the tunnel between England and France was expected to provide cheaper alternatives to more expensive modes of transportation such as shipping and air transport. The railway system envisioned for the purpose was also better in that it was a high-speed system when compared to both shipping and air transport. Although working for the Channel Tunnel had been on going in the seventies but the real concrete measures came through in 1984. The British and French governments agre ed to common proposals for safety, security and environmental concerns before the project was opened up for bidding. Both governments in 1985 requested the first proposals for the Channel Project. A number of proposals were submitted for the Channel Project. After an evaluation from both the British and French sides, the proposal submitted by Channel Tunnel Group / FranceManche (later Eurotunnel) was accepted. The initial proposal delineated a 32-mile double rail tunnel that was to accommodate passenger trains as well as cargo trains and a special truck and car carrying shuttle service. The initial bid price was set at some $5.5 billion for the entire project. 2.2. Shortage of Time for Planning The initial proposals were submitted in a short period and this in turn led to many oversights that could have been avoided by detailed studies. When put in a project management perspective, it could be surmised that high-level design estimates along with rough order of magnitude estimates co uld have led to better estimates as to the total scope and cost of the project. The shortage of

Where Are You Going, Where have You Been Essay Example for Free

Where Are You Going, Where have You Been Essay Vanity can be exposed as ones greatest weakness. Where Are You Going, Where have You Been, a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates, describes Connies misconception of beauty as her only value, and also the ways in which Arnold Friend, a potential rapist and murderer, manipulates and takes advantage of Connies vanity. Connie is a fifteen year old girl who knows the extent to which her beauty can be used to her advantage. Connie knew she was pretty and that was everything. However, beauty causes Connie to become vain, and thus gives Connie the misconception that she is more powerful than the boys that are attracted to her. This proves that Connie believes her beauty allows her to transcend above other people, especially boys. As a result, although her beauteous physique can be seen as a benefit to Connie, her vanity proves to become her ultimate weakness and it leads to her demise as seen when Arnold Friend states I took a special interest in you, such a pretty girl. Connie becomes powerless in Arnold Friends presence because he manipulates and takes advantage of her vanity and desire for attention. Connies newly found sexuality as a teen gives her control over the boys she encounters at places such as the fly-infested drive in, which she describes as a haven and blessing they yearned for. The drive- in, which is fly-infested in reality, is the sacred building where Connie believes that her beauty can be truly appreciated, whereas at her home, beauty is not acknowledged at all. As a result, Connie further embraces her beauty in order to satiate her need for attention. In her trashy daydreams, Connie describes boys as dissolved into a single face that was not even a face but an idea. Connie is more enticed by the idea of having a boyfriend, which shows that she does not care much for the actual boy. This allows Connie to be more easily overpowered by Arnold Friends disguise when he first comes over to her house to take her away. This is evident when Connie states that for a moment [Arnold] wasnt even in focus but was just a blur standing there against his gold car This shows that Arnold becomes the concept of a  boyfriend to Connie, which is not even a face but an idea. Arnold eventually uses his opportunity as a potential boyfriend to flatter and ultimately overpower Connie in the end. A desire can undermine ones ability to guard ones self from tempting factors. Connies lack of attention from her family, especially her father, engenders her desire to be wanted by a man. Her desire for attention is noticed by Arnold Friend, and thus he uses that desire to his advantage. By turning Connies desire into her weakness, he uses manipulative tactics to overpower her vain personality. As a teenager, Connie is not able to truly identify herself. Connie is both a daughter and a sister to her family. However, her vanity and superficiality causes her to become a sexual object to boys as well, and thus she is flustered as to which role she can truly identify herself with. As a result of Connies identity crisis, Arnold Friend uses this to his advantage and overpowers Connie by further disorienting her with mixed feelings of both violence and passion. This is evident when Arnold threatens to hurt Connies family while attempting to seduce her with flattery, such as I like them the way you are, honey, as well. Arnold Friend psychologically manipulates Connie by acting both loving and violent, and this causes Connie to become powerless in Arnolds presence because she is not accustomed to a males who are so bipolar in emotions towards her. However, there is no rush or urgency as Arnold Friend casually speaks with Connie. This builds up to the suspense up until Connie finally realizes the danger she is in and all she could do is scream into the phone. Although Connie is caught up between the identities of being a daughter, sister, and an object of sexuality, Connies basis for these different roles is fixed upon physical appearance. Connie compares her beauty to her mother and sister, and she is always checking other peoples faces to make sure her own was all right. This shows that Connie fundamentally values physical beauty over all other factors. Although a grotesque encounter is foreshadowed when Arnold warns Connie gonna get you, babe, Connie allows Arnold to converse with her because she liked the way he was dressed. This further proves that Connie is immersed with only the superficial, and this  gives Arnold the chance to overpower Connie by becoming what she desires. Arnold is aware that Connie is primarily concerned with outer appearances, and this allows him to present himself in a desirable manner towards Connie. Connies inability to disregard the superficial in time resulted in her failure to recognize Arnolds disguise, and thus he was able to overpower her. Although Connie thinks of herself as a skilled flirt, she is soon stereotyped as nothing more than the pretty girl. Arnold Friend says, What else is there for a girl like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in? This proves that Connie, a girl who values beauty as the greatest worth, will be inevitably overpowered by a man who values and desires beauty as well. Music is both a shelter and exposure to Connie. Whenever Connie hears music, she feels a glow of slow pulsed joy that seemed to rise mysteriously out of the music itself. Connie was all about the the music that made everything so good. Music is made into such an important entity that it is almost given its own character. Music symbolizes security and safety, and she even describes the music at the drive- in as music at a church service; it was something to depend upon. By comparing it to church, she indicates that music is a form of religion to her. However, music as a religion does not bring Connie salvation. Although music is seen as Connies refuge, it leads to her powerlessness in front of Arnold Friend. One way in which Arnold is able to gain Connies trust is through his disguise and poor attempt to become like the man in the popular teenage songs. However, music is also a factor manipulated by Arnold and he uses it against her. Music is a refuge for Connie and Arnold is aware of that. The same song that was playing both Connies home and Ellies car seemed to blend together. The music, car, and outfit is all used by Arnold Friend as a way to become the type of lover described in the teen songs, and Connie falls for this guise and accepts his facade. Arnolds speech was spoken with a slight rhythmic lilt and Connie somehow recognized them Connie believes that she recognizes Arnold only because he seems to have come out from the teen songs she always listens to. As Connie realizes Arnold is not the idealized man in the songs, she loses recognition of everything that she is familiar with. She says that the kitchen looked like a place she had never seen before. This shows that  Arnold takes away more than Connies music; he takes away Connies life and everything else she is familiar with. Connie misinterprets that everything is the way it was in movies and promised in songs. She believes that her life will replicate the exact lover and life that is promised in the songs, which is just a mere fantasy and delusion in Connies case. As a result, Arnold seduces Connie by appearing to be what was promised in the songs, and overpowers Connie by using music as a tool. Arnold Friend is further able to overpower Connie because she is unsure of her identity that she has at home and everywhere else that is not home. Teenagers often are troubled by the fact that they are no longer children, but they are still not yet adults. As a result, Connie embraces the only thing she is certain of; her beauty. By overemphasizing the value of beauty, she becomes vain and self centered. Although she is troubled by her teenage turmoil, her family does not provide her with any moral support or guidance. Like Arnold Friend, her family is not what they seem. Arnold puts on a guise in order to become the idealized man in popular teen songs. In similarity, her parents appear to be typical parents, but they prove to be partly detached from Connies need. Connies father was away at work most of the time, and didnt bother talking much to them. As a result, Connie needed to seek for male attention elsewhere, such as from the boys at the drive in. Arnold Friend was aware of Connies desire for attention, especially from males, and thus used it to his advantage to overpower her. Even her mother seems to not be concerned about Connies desire for attention. Although at times Connie and her mother are almost friends over coffee, an issue arises that causes the two to argue over something of little value to either of them. Connie indicates that her mother had been pretty once too and as a result, Connie believes that her mother prefers her over June, who is plain and chunky and steady. This encourages Connie to believe that real value lies in beauty, and thus she makes the mistake of embracing vanity. This leads to Arnolds manipulation of Connies beauty and desire, which leads to his empowerment over Connie. As a result of her parents lack of concern and guidance, Connie is powerless when confronted by Arnold Friend. She does not know how to defend herself,  and only relies on her flirting, her beauty, and the fantasy that music represents. Connie was not taught by her parents how to act towards strangers. This is evident because Connies parents would not even ask her obvious parental questions such as Where are you going? or Where have you been? Due to the parents lack of concern, Connie takes advantage of her parents apathetic trust and goes out to places where parents would usually disapprove of. However, Connie feels guilty about deceiving her mom, who is simple and kind enough But the temptations of the drive- in and the boys overpower that guilt. This foreshadows Connies inability to overpower the temptations that Arnold Friend represents. Connie and her mom still manages to share a bond, as seen when Connie thinks to herself Im not going to see my mother again. Connies powerless ness is inevitable because her family did not emphasize true moral values, and as a result Connie embraced her beauty as her only value, which ultimately leads to her end by Arnolds hands. It is evident that Connie was overpowered by Arnold Friend because she embraced vanity as her only value, and also that Arnold took advantage of Connies desire for attention from men. Where are you Going, Where have you Been describes the eventual self awareness of Connie. Throughout the story, Connie has disregarded everything but her beauty. As a result, she only had her vanity as protection from Arnold Friend. This was clearly ineffective because it was obvious that it was Connies beauty and vanity that Arnold had desired since he first saw her. Arnolds desire for Connie overpowered Connies desire for attention, and thus Connie had no choice but to follow Arnold in the end. Although it music was something that made everything good and was something to depend on, Arnold manipulated music as well, and as a result he took away everything that provided joy and a sense of certainty to Connie. Connie had neither moral support nor guidance from her parents, and therefore she overemphasiz ed beauty as a value to the point where it blinded her from viewing Arnold Friend as an old fiend. Arnold Friend was able to disguise himself as an old friend by attempting to be the idealized man portrayed in the songs. He succeeded as a result of Connies misconception that everything is the way it was in movies and promised in songs. When Connie first sees Arnold, she cannot see anything  but her reflection in Arnolds sunglasses. This indicates that Arnold gives Connie the opportunity to see what herself as the stereotypical pretty girl, which Arnold replies what else is there for a girl like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in By manipulating her vanity, her desires, and her music, Arnold is able to take away her identity as a teenager, and thus Connie becomes powerless in the presence of Arnold. However, Connie matures when she casts aside her vanity by sacrificing herself for her familys safety. She eventually overcomes her own vanity in order to protect her family from Arnold, but only after she was completely overpowered by Arnold Friend. Although she was caught be tween the role of being a daughter, sister, and an object of sexual desire, she takes on the role of a hero at the end by giving her life for her family. Despite the fact that Connie became powerless in Arnolds presence, she was still able to overcome her vanity and selfishness for her familys sake, and this proves that Connie became powerful by the end of the story. Works Cited Oates, Joyce Carol. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing, Compact. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner., and Stephen R. Mandell.. New York: Heinle, 2006. 579-591 Quirk, Tom. A SOURCE FOR WHERE ARE YOU GOING, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?. Studies in Short Fiction 18.4 (Fall 1981): 413. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Santa Monica College Library, Santa Monica, CA. 4 Apr. 2008 http://libdb.smc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=aphAN=7133354site=ehost-live Hurley, C. Harold. CRACKING THE SECRET CODE IN OATESS WHERE ARE YOU GOING, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?. Studies in Short Fiction 24.1 (Winter 1987): 62. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Santa Monica College Library, Santa Monica, CA. 4 Apr. 2008 http://libdb.smc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=aphAN=7151290site=ehost-live

Manufacturing Process of Bricks

Manufacturing Process of Bricks A brick has been a common construction material used everywhere for more than 6000 years, and has been in various shape, sizes and were made by mixing many different type of materials, each of them having their own advantage and disadvantage; and formed the basic structure and the back bone of many civilisations and was used in a wide range of buildings in centuries from building palaces, housing factories, in tunnels construction, water ways, bridges, making it the oldest manufactured building material. For centuries, the brick making process was done by hand, and involved clay being moulded and then dried in the sun until the industrial revolution when the process turned to mechanization. Today technological and mechanical advancement has helped to have a more complete knowledge of the raw material and its properties, and better control of firing, improvement in the kiln designs, all have contributed to the advancement of brick quality and has made contemporary bricks more efficien t and has improved the overall quality of the products. Today, brick is found in various materials and made in various shapes depending on the use. There are concrete brick, calcium silicate brick, clay brick and Adobe brick. See Appendix 1 This report will be looking at the technology associated with the manufacturing process of automated and traditional soil clay brick, adobe brick plain mud brick which are still use today in certain part of the globe or sometimes and slump brick- and the future of brick. PART ONE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF AUTOMATED BRICK The first stage in the manufacturing process of the soil clay brick start with the selection of the raw material. RAW MATERIAL The main raw material in brick making is clay and it is one of the most abundant natural mineral materials on the planet. On earth, there is a wide range of clay which varies considerably in physical properties, colour, hardness and mineralogical content; making it difficult to pinpoint particular clay and say this is the best clay for brick making but they do, however, have certain properties in common. PROPERTIES and TYPES OF CLAYS Clay is complex material as individual, and their deposits is unique due to their specific modes of formation and physical characteristics, and are rarely present as pure minerals but rather are mixtures of the different clay types of one group or type normally being dominant. But the Clay entering in brick manufacturing must possess and fulfil some specific properties and characteristic such as the ability to be crushed and mixed with water to form a plastic material which can be moulded into various shapes; shrinkage or swelling percentage on firing, meaning when subject to appropriate temperatures the clay particles must fuse together; the bloating characteristics, meaning the percentage of water absorption; firing colour, meaning the colour of the brick after drying and percentage of fines produced upon crushing and fire strength and these physical properties determine their commercial value. The clays from which burnt bricks are made may be divided into three principal types, all of which have similar chemical compositions but different physical characteristics. They are: 2. A Surface Clays also called Alluvial and Drift Clays Found near the surface of the earth, may be the up thrusts of older deposits or of more recent, sedimentary formation; are readily worked and require little preparation. 2. B Shale clays or rocky clays Shale is sedimentary deposits clays that have been subjected to high pressures until they have hardened almost to the form of slate which are often difficult to work and necessitate the use of heavy machinery to extract but, may be brought into plastic condition by long weathering (i.e. by exposure to rain, frost and sun) or by crushing and grinding in water, and they then resemble ordinary alluvial clays in every respect. 2. C Fire Clays Fire clays are usually mined at deeper levels of the earth than other clays where they form the bed layer under seams of coal and have refractory qualities and a high degree of resistance to heat. MANUFACTURING PROCESS The process of making clay brick is generally uniform, although manufactures tailor their production to fit their particular raw materials. In general, the manufacturing process consists of essentially of six stages: Mining and Gathering raw materials Preparation of raw material (crushing, grinding, screening and mixing the raw materials) Making of the brick or Forming Process (forming, cutting and coating) Drying Curing ( firing and cooling) Packaging and storing Diagram of the industrial manufacturing process of clay bricks MINING and GATHERING RAW MATERIALS The choice of the mining method of clay will depend on the kind of clay, on the depth, thickness, hardness and physical geology of the clay location under the ground. The general method of extracting clay from the quarry is once or twice a year using heavy plant machinery to stock pile large amounts, so to ensure continuous brick production regardless of the weather conditions and because clays are rarely present as pure minerals but rather mixtures of the different clay types; laboratory testing of the clays from different parts of quarry will determine the characteristics of the layers and will be stock in separate different categories which will facilitate the blending of the raw materials. PREPATION OF THE RAW MATERIAL In the manufacturer, the clay rock is crashed and reduced in smaller particles, and then the material produced is screen through an inclined vibrating screening machine to control the particle sizes prior to water being added. During the screening, manufactures adjust and compensate the different variations in chemical composition and physical properties by blending clays from different locations and sources to fit their standard of the end product. Consequently, to fulfil their requirements of perfect clay for bricks making, or for the composition of the raw material to fulfil their standard, the different mixes and proportions of clay and chemical are blended together, prior to add water, as which of them affect the working properties of clays causing them to vary in their behaviour affecting the properties of the final product. At the same time, manufacture has standardized their end product and their manufacturing processes to limit variations in the processing and the inconsistency in end product. For instance, a clay brick that when cure turn white may be developed commercially because, by adding various minerals like oxide of iron will affect the propriety of the brick in such a way that when cure it will produce a red brick if also there is consistency in the manufacturing processes. Example: Clay containing from 5 to 8 % of oxide of iron will, under ordinary conditions of firing, produce a red brick; but if the clay contains 3 to 4% of alkalis, or the brick is fired too hard, the colour will be darker and purple. An excess of Alumina compound tending to make the colour lighter and brighter. FORMING OF THE BRICK The first step in forming process is to produce a homogeneous plastic clay mass work up into proper consistency by adding water to clay in a mixing chamber with one or more revolving shafts with blade extensions. After the kneading, the plastic clay mass is ready for forming. There are three different methods of shaping and forming brick: the stiff-mud process or extrusion process 6. A. The stiff-mud process or extrusion process In the stiff-mud process or extrusion process, the clay is mixed with just enough water to produce clay plastic mass with water in the range of 10 to 15 percent of the clay mass. Next, the clay is extruded through a die, producing a horizontal column of clay which passes by conveyor belt through an automatic wire cutter to create the individual brick. The cutter spaces and die size are precisely calculated to compensate for shrinkage during drying and firing. 6. B. Soft-mud process In the soft-mud process or moulded process, the clay contains too much water to be extruded. The plastic clay mass contain 20 to 30 percent of water per mass is used to produce brick either by hand or machine. In the machine driven soft-mud process, standard brick are produce in mass quantities as the machine replicate the hand-making process much quicker. 6. C. Hand making In the simplest form which is done by hand, the craftsman will produce one brick at the time by stuffing a lump of soft clay in a mould and the excess clay is stuff from the top of the mould and the brick is turned out. The mould is lubricated with either sand or water to prevent the brick from sticking in the mould. 6. D. The dry-press process In this process hydraulic or compressed air rams is used to press clay with very low plasticity, containing no more than ten percent of water by weight, into steel moulds under pressures from 500 to 1500 psi creating a very compact and dense brick. DRYING PROCESS Prior to the brick to be fired in the kiln, after the brick is formed using any of the method describes above, it containing 7 to 30 percent of moisture, depending upon the forming method. This moisture must be removed prior to the brick can be fired in the kiln otherwise, there will be formation of scum and certain mechanical defects from occurring or the brick will explode when the brick is subject to the intense heat of the kiln. This drying process which last about 18 to 40 hours, is normally done by placing the green brick in enclosed dryer which utilize excess heat supplied from the exhaust heat of kiln to maximize thermal efficiency. To ensure good result, devices are installed to measure and control humidity in the drying facilities. A. Firing After the drying, the brick are fired in furnace chamber called kiln for 10 to 40 hours, where there are subject to a temperature of ranging between 100 to 1200 degrees centigrade depending on clay type or material used and the type of finished brick required. During the process, clay particles and impurities will undergo changes as the temperature in the kilns rises. The remaining water in the brick will dry up or evaporate; unlike the metal, clay softens slowly and melts or vitrifies gradually in rising temperature. The clay molecules mass breaks down becomes soft enough to stick together; the mass becomes tight, solid and non absorbent giving the brick it texture and colour. To ensure a good product and avoid the brick to be deformed due to heat also called viscous fusion, kiln is fitted with sensors to control the temperature in the different stage the firing process. 7.A.1. What is a Kiln? In brief, kilns are just containers for heat; fuelled by natural gas, coal, sawdust, and methane gas from landfills or a combination of these fuels. There are many different types of kilns but the most common types are the continuous kilns (tunnel) which are always firing; they never cool and are capable of turning out large quantities of bricks at steady constant rate and the periodic (intermittent) kilns which are fired on an intermittent schedule. http://www.pottery-magic.com/pottery/history/bottle_kiln.htm PACKAGING Following the firing process is the packaging but prior to that the bricks are gradually cool down, for 10 hours for tunnel kiln and form 5 to 24 hours in periodic kiln, as the rate of cooling affect directly the final colour of the bricks. After the brick has cool downs, there are unload from the kiln; sorted, graded, packaged and place in a storage yard or loaded rail cars or truck of delivery. PART TWO MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF ADOBE CLAY BRICK The adobe brick, this type of earthen building materials has been around since the beginning of civilisation and has been the main building material for most of the civilisation. In our day, Adobe are mostly used in hot and dry climates and become the characteristic of the third world. Although this is a very old material, it manufacturing process hasnt change since. As with the soil clay brick the main ingredient which enter in the manufacturing process is clay and the manufacturing process start with the choice of the raw material. SELECTION OF RAW MATERIALS Adobe brick are made from a mixture of mud or clay and small pieces of straw or reeds, and are formed by hand and left in the sun to dry. The secret of make adobe bricks lays on the choice of the type of clay to use as it is made of surface clay soil. Although the bricks are made in rural area where there is no sophisticated laboratory for testing but prior using the clay it has to be tested. The testing of the clay can be done by filling 2/3 of a graded glass jar with the clay you plan to use, and then fill the jar with water and put a lid on. Shake the jar for about two minutes making sure the clay is totally mix up with the water then let the jar and the mix to sit overnight. After about 24 hours, examine the jar and its content; the clay would have broken up into two distinct bands of sand on the bottom and clay on the top. There should not be more clay than sand on the ration of 30 percent clay and 70 percent sand for an ideal adobe brick making clay. EQUIPMENT NEEDED Clay soil Measuring Tape Hammer Hand Saw 24 timbers Nails Shovel Bucket Water Straw PREPARATION OF BRICKS After selecting the clay, an area must be clear prior to start making bricks and a shed to protect the newly made against the rain as it can take a couple of days for them to dry. In the nearby, dig a hole of about 3 to 4 feet long, 2 to 3 feet wide and 2 to 3 feet deep as a mixing pit for the different ingredients. Then fill the hole with water and let it drain out as this will strengthen the wall of the hole for it not to crumble while mixing the clay soil. This will take at least a day to dry out.  Make mould of the bricks using timber. The traditional size is 4 by 10 by 14 inches and this is made with 2 by 4 studs nailed into a ladder like shape. MAKING ADOBE BRICKS Once the water in the pit has dry out, fill the pit halfway with the clay soil then add water gradually as mixing with the feet our shovel until the mix is stiff. Straw can be added to reinforce the mix but it is not necessary.Fill the mould using a shovel or hand thenlevel off the excess with the shovel or with a straight edge, makingsure there are no air pockets or gaps.  Let the bricks set and then gently remove the mould from them leaving the wet adobe bricks to dry for several days (at least three) before handling. Wash the mould and repeat the process in a different area. DRYING PROCESS Leave the adobe brick where they are while they dry in the sun for several days before turning them on the edge to completely dry out and harden and put under the shed so that the drying time can continue. When the edges turn white, they are ready to be moved, but not used. This process could take at least 3 weeks prior the brick is use. PART THREE THE FUTURE OF CLAY BRICK As the world population is growing especially in developing countries, there is a need of urbanisation to accommodate this populace meaning more bricks are needed to answer to this demand of infrastructure development. With the growing problem of energy price soaring, with the world running out of fossil fuel, with the reduction of deforestation which encourages the expansion of the desert, the clay brick industry is now facing an energy crisis and this crisis is affecting and will affect everyone. In the developed country, it is affecting the price of the accommodation and the house price while in the developing country it is leading to the impoverishment of many. This crisis resound as called for innovation by funding a new way of making new type of clay brick or improving the firing process by a new design of kiln aiming to reduce energy consumption by minimizing the energy required by the process as firing time and temperature in the kiln are the two key factors which contribute in the making of solid brick. In the developed country, electricity and fossil fuel are use as the main fuel source for brick firing as they are abundant. Founding other alternative to these sources of energy could be the way forward. But investing in nuclear power will raise an environmental issue of dealing with the nuclear waste; investing in the renewable energy will be a gamble in the way that, most of this technology are still in embryonic state and will require funding a good spot to install them and a big area to cover to be able to produce enough energy necessary to power this industries such investment will impair on the price of brick. It will mean also to divert energy which will be helpful to thousand household into industry. UNFIRED CLAY BRICK The way forward will be probably in reducing the energy consumption by designing better kiln and improving our knowledge of the minimum energy required by the process as unnecessary prolonged firing time and too high temperature will eventually consume more energy but minimum firing temperature and shortening firing time do not only reduce energy but also increase the productivity. In the developing country, this crisis reverberates as called for innovation, finding an alternative for curing clay brick as they are facing desertification. Curing is done, depending on the area, by fire wood, rice husk and maize cob or residue as main fuel sources for brick firing because they are abundant in developing country. Even though other agricultural waste such as saw dust and oil palm shell are used as substitute for wood, a new design of kiln is necessary to cope with the small size of fuel. If thinking in term of innovation in finding a new way of making clay brick, the new brick should be energy efficient in manufacturing process especial if cure through a kiln. Although the adobe clay brick may seem to be the answer but this brick however is not very strong or durable and tend to crack on drying. But one of the modern additions is to compensate this weakness by mixing soil clay with sand and stabilizing it with 4 to 8 % of cement or gypsum and then compress these materials in a given mould form, which results in strong and durable bricks, which do not crack. This is done with simple and yet innovative manually or engine-operated brick presses made from substantial steel sections with axle steel shaft with a top round shaft is case hardened carbon steel with a lid and with a bottom that moves up and down; the compression given by the machine compact the soil particles together to make dense regular shaped brick, usually 300x300x 130 mm in size and it is use  to produce interlocking soil clay bricks without burning. MANUFACTURING UNFIRED CLAY BRICKS This process uses the same type of clay use for the adobe brick. After the soil clay has been selected, it must be properly mix with Portland cement or gypsum then add water to the content so that the final product is a dry mixture containing about 15% water by weight. The dry mixture is poured in the mould of the press machine which is compress by pushing the press lever from one side to the other after closure of the top with a steel lid, with a force of about12 to 14 tons mould pressure. After the compression finish, the brick is eject from the machine and stack in the way to prevent water loss. Water is added daily so that the cement can be hydrated properly. The curing process will take about 28 days.   ADVANTAGES This Environmentally-sound building process is practical, inexpensive and  environmentallyHYPERLINK http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/environment/soil-brick-making-machines-can-save-the-forests.html  HYPERLINK http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/environment/soil-brick-making-machines-can-save-the-forests.htmlfriendly, as well as significant in cost savings and on-going green benefits, building with unfired soil clay bricks is one of the solution for the housing crisis because it has a lot of environmental benefits. Figure 2 The environment is protected in several ways: It lessens the ecological impact of building construction, thereby reducing deforestation and the need kiln. There is hence no need to burn the bricks, which makes this process a very low-energy requiring one. It saves money as the brick can be made On-site eliminating transportation, middlemen and breakage cost. On the other hand, unfired clay brick provide a sustainable and healthy alternative as replacement to conventional masonry materials. The structures made with soil bricks are as beautiful and durable as housing made from conventional bricks with the higher acoustical qualities that shut out exterior noise for less stressful living and reduce the need to heat or cool the interior. The soil brick is suitable especially for use in multi storey buildings, due to its durability and robustness. The bricks are already strong enough to be handled for storage when they leave the machine. Brick presses allow countryside people to build independently their own affordable bricks to self-build their houses and not have to rely on salesmen and production in towns, bad roads, transport problems and fluctuating prices. CONCLUSION The lack of fossil fuels the world will face shortly will drive the world in an economical crisis which we havent experience before driving up the price of accommodation. Though the idea of compress clay bricks from soil is far from new in the developing country, but for some unknown  reasons this technology doesnt seem to have made its brake through the developed world. There is a need to implement this new product of a low carbon footprint in the building industry. REFERENCES http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/3wdev/VITAHTML/SUBLEV/EN1/CLAYPROD.HTM /how_242553_.html www.ibstock.com/pdfs/technical/TIS16howbrickaremade http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/environment/soil-brick-making-machines-can-save-the-forests.html http://www.newdawnengineering.com/website/brickandtile/tbrick/ http://opus.bath.ac.uk/16170/1/papers/Paper%2031.pdf www.bia.org/bia/technotes/t9.html REPORT: Manufacturing of Bricks 9.12.2006 Publish: The Brick Industry Association www.gobrick.com/omnisam/common/getfile.cfm?file=/bia/technotes/t9 Access 20.03.2010 Careful humidity control Publish: Vaisala news 1998 Www. Vaisala.com Access 24.03.10 ABCs of making Adobe bricks Publish: College of agriculture and home economics New Mexico state university March 2003 www.aces.nmsu.edu Access 24.03.10 Websites Mineral information institute www.mii.org 16.03.10 Bright Hub www.brighthub.com 13.03.10 University College London www.es.ucl.ac.uk 13.03.10 Answer.com/reference answer www.answer.com 17.03.2010 How to make adobe bricks www.ehow.com 17.03.2010 How to make Adobe bricks www.doityourself.com 07.04.2010

A Murderers Journey Through The Works Of Dostoyevsky And Poe :: essays research papers fc

A Murderer's Journey Through The Works of Dostoyevsky and Poe Some people believe that most murderers have a mental illness which causes them to commit their crime. This belief is strongly disagreed with by the authors Edgar Allan Poe and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Crime and Punishment, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, â€Å"The Black Cat†,and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† are very similar in this contradiction. Each murderer takes a specific journey that has been illustrated in each case. The psychological make-up of each murderer shows that he is a normal person up to the point at which something compels him to commit this horrible crime, and after that his conscience usually leads to his own downfall. Before the murder has been committed the character is a regular human being. In most cases the characters that end up carrying through with this crime are above average people. Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment is "... quite an extraordinarily handsome young man..." (Crime and Punishment, pg.21) Raskolnikov is a very gifted university student, with a very good talent for figuring people out. Raskolinikov takes great pride and care for his family. On receiving a letter from his mother ...he quickly raised the letter to his lips and kissed it; then he spent a long time poring over the handwriting on the envelope, over the small, slanting handwriting, so familiar and dear to him, of his mother who had once taught him to read and write. (Crime and Punishment, pg.47) Raskolnikov's mother, who taught him how to read and write did this job quite well. This resulted in a very gifted and brilliant university student. This point is illustrated throughout the novel from the planning and carrying out of the murder, to interactions with the police. The narrator from the short story "The Black Cat" describes his "tenderness of heart was even so conspicuous as to make me the jest of his companions." ("The Black Cat", pg.390) He is quite a regular human being who is "...especially fond of animals..." ("The Black Cat", pg.390) The narrator also has a great wife whom he describes as being quite similar to himself, which shows that he must be quite normal if a good woman chooses to marry him. Much alike is the narrator from the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart". Again this character is full of love. The victim of his crime had done no wrong and for that the narrator "...loved the old man." ("The Tell-Tale Heart", pg.384) The narrator shows the same brilliance in planning the crime that Raskolnikov exhibits. People with great intelligence, great lives, possessions and friends must be normal people.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Essay -- essays research papers

Harriet Beecher Stowe was a high class women, reformer, and writer in the 1800’s. She wrote many anti-slavery documents that helped reform society. You may know her as the writer of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the best-selling book in the 1800’s about how bad slavery was. Because of the encouragement if her husband, Calvin E. Stowe, she became one of the most famous writers, reformers, and abolitionist women of the 1800’s. Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe was born on June 14, 1811, in Linchfeild, Connecticut. Her father, Reverend Lyman Beecher, raised her in a strong, religious, abolitionist environment. She was also very well educated. In 1832, she moved to Cincinnati with her father. There she learned about slavery that was taking place in the state underneath her. In 1836, she married Calvin E. Stowe, a collage professor who encouraged her writing, that was soon to make her one of the famous women in American history. A few years later she moved to Maine because her husband was excepted into a college as a professor. Harriet Beecher Stowe is well known for her well written anti-slavery document, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is one of Harriet’s Most potent pieces of writing. It was also the 1800’s best selling book. She may also be known for her other, not so famous, anti-slavery documents known as the following: Dread: the Tale of the Great Dismissal Swamp, The Minister’s Wooing, The Pearl of Orr’s Island, and The Oldtown Folks. These books may n...

Can a Non Muslim Be a Syariah Lawyer

Topic: A Non-Muslim Shariah Lawyer Thesis Statement : ————————————————- A Non Muslim cannot be a Syariah lawyer First of all, a non-muslim cannot be a syariah lawyer simply because a syariah lawyer must be a muslim.Rule 10 of the PeguamSyarie Rules 1993 (Federal Territories), section (a) clearly provides that a person may be admitted to be a syariah lawyer only if he or she (i) is a Muslim and has passed the final examination which leads to the certificate of bachelor's degree in Syariah from any university or any Islamic educational institution recognized by the government of Malaysia or(ii) is a Muslim member of the judicial and legal service of the Federation or (iii) is a Muslim advocate and solicitor enrolled under the Legal Profession Act 1967. PeguamSyarie Rules 1993) ; (Legal Profession Act 1967). To sum up the act above with simpler words, one must be a muslim in o rder to practice as a syariah lawyer in Malaysia besides the other contributing factors such as he or she must be a graduate from any university or Islamic institution, or an advocate or solicitor under the Legal Profession Act 1967. According to Dr.Wan Azhar bin Wan Ahmad in his article Non-MuslimsSyarie Lawyers, he has stated that , the answer to the question of â€Å"Can a non-muslim apply to be a syariah lawyer? â€Å" is being categorized as a â€Å"No†. If a non muslim applies to be a syariah lawyer, he or she can be considered as violating the law and shall be penalized for it. The legal rules set up clearly shows that in this rule 10 section (a) clause (i) ,(ii) and (iii) requires a muslim to be attached to all of these clauses in order to become a syariah lawyer.This was proven when aNational Fatwa Council of Malaysia has decided that a non-muslim cannot become a syariah lawyer in order to protect the purity of Islam during the review of Victoria Jayaseele Martinâ €™s application in challenging the court to accept a non-muslim to be a syariah lawyer. Martin’s application was struck off by the court. The second point to back up the reason why a syariah lawyer must be a muslim is because he has to deal with the Islamic matters.As for example, he has to strictly deal with the Islamic teachings, principles and practices of the tenets of Islam such as the reciting of the syahada, daily prayers, fasting during the month of Ramadhan ,almsgiving and the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. If a non-muslim that do not practice all the tenets of Islam mentioned above, the people that are hiring him for their cases, may raise doubt on his credibility. (http://executableoutlines. com/islam/islam_03. htm) Another reason why a non-muslim cannot be syariah lawyer is because Syariah lawyer must be an expert in the understandings of Al-Quran and Hadith

Micropresentation Topics- Christ University

MICRO PRESENTATION TOPICS 1 Excellence is not an accomplishment, its a never ending process 39 What is meant to be, will always find a way 2 The pursuit of happiness 40 Its not the load that breaks you down. It is the way you carry it 3 The difference between a leader and boss 41 When all is said and done there is more said than done 3 The difference between a leader and boss 41 When all is said and done there is more said than done 4 Corporate social responsibility 42 Your focus determines your reality 5 Failure is an opportunity to begin again 3 Greenpeace 6 To be or not to be 44 Carbon footprints 7 Freedom and responsibility 45 Marine pollution 8 Knowledge and wisdom go hand in hand 46 Greenhouse effect 9 Democracy and India 47 What is global warming? 10 Leaders must be followers first 48 Genetic engineering 11 Inter-linking of rivers as a solution to water problems 49 You have to know the past to understand the present 12 Inter-linking of rivers – An ecological disaster 50 The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority 13 Pollution and economic development 1 Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world 14 The educated Indian and national commitment 52 Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. 15 Advertising and the consumer 53 Innovations in education 16 Intellectual bankruptcy in politics 54 We are creatures of our habits 17 Malala Yousafzai – candidate for Nobel Peace prize 55 India is a poor country with rich people. 18 India's preparedness to face terror attacks. 56 How can we contribute to saving the environment 19 Corruption – an epidemic 57 Genetic enginnering 0 India's lopsided development puts pressure on the cities 58 Marine pollution 21 State controlled economy vs liberalised economy 59 Coal mining and its impact on the environment 22 Indian states should be made smaller 60 What is soil conservation 23 Should India change its national game? 61 2013 budget 24 The corrupt efficient politician vs the inefficient honest politician 62 The problems of clinical waste 25 Funding of IIMs and IITs should be stopped 63 Economic development and its impact on the environment 26 Indians and patriotism 64 Kumbh Mela 2013 7 Higher education should be privatised 65 Land degradation 28 Oil prices in India 66 Environmental ethics 29 Success is all about human relations 67 Solutions for sustainable living 30 Are education and success co-related? 68 River contamination in India 31 Does the UN have relevance today 69 Impact of Facebook and Twiiter on youth 32 Happiness is not readymade. It comes from your own actions 70 Inflation and the Indian Economy 33 Is there hope in the darkest of days 71 Impact of decontrol of diesel on the common man 34 The purpose of life is to be happy 2 Haste makes waste 35 Age is an issue of mind over matter 73 The purpose of flashmobs 36 All things are difficult before they are easy 74 Organic farming 37 To live is the rarest t hing in the world. Most people only exist. 75 Impact of Coalition governments on the progress of the nation 38 Sometimes answers are simple to complicated questions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1. All candidates are required to participate in the Micro Presentation (Extempore) to test their communication skill and knowledge on the given topics. 2. The Micro Presentation is for 90 seconds per candidate, 3.Each Candidate will be asked to pick a topic on random basis at the Selection Process Venue and present orally on the Topic. 4. Candidates will have a chance to present only ONE topic listed. No second chance will be given to any candidate 5. Candidates should not possess any material related to the Topics during the Selection Process 6. Candidates will not be permitted to present any topic in Power Point (PPT) or Video 7. Cellular Phone, Satellite Phone, Pager, Scientific Calculators, Notebook, Textbooks, Printed Materials etc. , are not allowed into the Selection Process Venue. . The decision of the GD/MP Panel will be final and binding â€Å"Excellence is not an accomplishment. It is a spirit, a never ending process. † ~ What happens when you think you have reached â€Å"excellence†? Most will just stop because they think that they have reached it and there is really no need to go further. Well, have you ever wondered what was on the other side of excellence? How will we ever know unless we take a peak and strive for better? As Mr. Miller stated, it’s a never ending process. We are always looking for ways to improve our own performance so we must take the xtra step and look for ways to improve the organizations excellence. It all starts with you and one small positive action will have a domino effect into more smaller positive actions and eventually into massive positive actions to improving our excellence! Take a look around your own facility and see where you can improve. Maybe it starts wit h you or maybe it starts with improving something in your facility. Always remember to think like our customers. From our customers perspective, what can be done to become even more efficient at what we do and even better than we were yesterday.Taking positive actions in the right direction is certainly one of the easiest ways to make that spirit of excellence soar into other aspects of Family and MWR. We are one big family of the most superb service providers so let's always make we do not just excellent, but beyond that! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The Pursuit of Happyness is a 2006 American biographical drama film based on Chris Gardner's nearly one-year struggle with homelessness. Directed by Gabriele Muccino, the film features Will Smith as Gardner, an on-and-off-homeless salesman-turned stockbroker. Smith's son Jaden Smith co-stars, making his film debut as Gardner's son Christopher Jr.The screenplay by Steven Conrad is based on the best-selling memoir written by Gardner with Quinc y Troupe. The film was released on December 15, 2006, by Columbia Pictures. For his performance, Smith, was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actor. The unusual spelling of the film's title comes from a sign Gardner saw when he was homeless. In the film, â€Å"happiness† is misspelled as â€Å"happyness† outside the daycare facility Gardner's son attends. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. My friend has a saying; Leadership cannot be demanded – only earned and deserved.With that in mind, has anyone ever told you the difference between a boss and a leader? 1. The boss drives people; the leader coaches them. 2. The boss depends upon authority; the leader on good will. 3. The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm. 4. The boss says ‘I’; the leader says ‘we. ’ 5. The boss says ‘Get here on time’; the leader gets there ahead of time. 6. The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the br eakdown. 7. The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how. 8. The boss makes work a drudgery; the leader makes work a game. 9.The boss says ‘Go’; the leader says ‘Let’s go. ’† 10. The boss justifies or lays blame – the leader takes responsibility. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Corporate social responsibility Workers in all industries – including agriculture, technology, furniture, etc. – are still at risk. Today, after years of intense focus on the apparel and footwear industries, people are beginning to realize that urgent action is needed in other sectors, too. A proverbial â€Å"light bulb† has gone off in the minds of consumers and corporate executives alike: no brand is immune to supply chain issues, and the abuse of workers will not be tolerated in any industry.Last month Apple became the first technology company to join FLA as a Participating Company, triggering what we can only hope will be a new wave of corp orate social responsibility; a wave which knows no boundaries and cascades over geographic borders and product lines. Apple’s decision to join FLA sets a new standard for the technology industry, and reinforces that supply chain issues and protecting workers’ rights are not just the responsibility of apparel and footwear brands. It’s time for another generation of brands to join the fold. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Your focus determines your reality Your focus determines your reality†, this famous line was spoken by Qui-Gonn Jinn of Start Wars-The Phantom Menace fame. Ok, perhaps it is really infamous and you don't remember that quote. Nonetheless, think about it for a moment. Would you agree or disagree? I'm about to show you why I emphatically agree with this certain Jedi Master and not just because it's from Star Wars†¦ well not completely 😉 No I'm going to show you how your focus relates to anything you want to be successful in and then more s pecifically your Christian life.Ready? Let's Go! â€Å"Close or narrow attention; concentration† – so says Mister dictionary. com. When you are focusing on a certain aspect of anything, you generally ignore the rest of the picture. You're concentrating so hard that the rest of it at the very least becomes far less important and occupies less of your mental powers. So what happens? You get more of what you're focusing on. And less of what you're ignoring. You can be successful at what ever it is you are focusing on because you're giving it all your attention.And everything else gets harder to become better at. Whatever is in your focus, you will start to concentrate on it and you will be better conditioned to alter certain aspects of your life which will allow the object of your focus to actually become a true part of your life. Perhaps an example is in order: [Example] Say you are on a diet. You're not allowed to eat any carbohydrates. So what should you focus on? If y ou're gonna focus on the fact that you can't eat donuts and ho hos, what do you think you're gonna be craving all day? That's right–ho hos and donuts!Now instead, lets say you focus on how you can make a great tasting meal out of fresh vegetables and yummy lean meat products, how you're gonna prepare them, cook them and enrich the flavor. What do you think you're gonna be craving that night? The no-carb-lean-meaty meal of course! [end example] See how your focus determines your reality? If you're concentrating on what you shouldn't be doing, you're setting yourself up for failure†¦ are you starting to see how this relates to your Christian walk? What do most Christians focus on? What do most preachers preach on? What you can't do! Am I right?The only result that can come from focusing on what you can't do is you doing exactly that! Most Christians think in terms of what they can't do–the law. The Bible goes so far as to say that we would not even know about sin if it wasn't for the law: â€Å"On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, â€Å"YOU SHALL NOT COVET. But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind† Romans 7:7-8 Likewise we would not even have the desire to do what we're not supposed to do if we weren't focused on not doing it. just read it again, It'll make sense). So it is clear that by fixating our attention on what it is we are trying to avoid, we are actually setting ourselves up for failure. You can't focus on what you don't want and get what you want. But you need to focus on something! And like our diet example, the right way to focus is on what you do want! Just like the diet works if you focus on the good foods, your Christian life will work if you focus on what is good–Jesus Christ and his life that he gave you. Focusing on Christ and allowing him to express himself through you daily is the key to success in your Christian life.Pay no heed to what you're not supposed to do, â€Å"out of sight-out of mind! â€Å". So I guess ole Qui Gonn was right, â€Å"your focus does determine your reality†! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Greenpeace is a non-governmental[2] environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. [3] Greenpeace states its goal is to â€Å"ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity†[4] and focuses its campaigning on world wide issues such as global warming, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic engineering, and anti-nuclear issues.Greenpeace uses direct action, lobbying and research to achieve its goals. The global organization does not accept funding from governments, corporations or political parties, relying on 2. 9 million individual supporters and foundation grants. [5][6] Greenpeace has a general consultative status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council[7] and is a founding member[8] of the INGO Accountability Charter; an international non-governmental organization that intends to foster accountability and transparency of non-governmental organizations.Greenpeace evolved from the peace movement and anti-nuclear protests in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. On September 15, 1971, the newly founded Don't Make a Wave Committee sent a chartered ship, Phyllis Cormack, renamed Greenpeace for the protest, from Vancouver to oppose United States testing of nuclear devices in Amchitka, Alaska. The Don't Make a Wave Committee subsequently adopted the name Greenpeace. [9] In a few years, Greenpeace spread to several countries and started to campaign on other environmental issues such as commercial whaling and toxic waste. In the late 1970s, the ifferent regional Greenpeace groups formed Greenpeace International to oversee the goals and operatio ns of the regional organizations globally. [10] Greenpeace received international attention during the 1980s when the French intelligence agency bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, one of the most well-known vessels operated by Greenpeace, killing one individual. [11] In the following years, Greenpeace evolved into one of the largest environmental organizations in the world. [12][13] Greenpeace is known for its direct actions[14][15] and has been described as the most visible environmental organization in the world. 16][17] Greenpeace has raised environmental issues to public knowledge,[18][19][20] and influenced both the private and the public sector. [21][22] Greenpeace has also been a source of controversy;[23] its motives and methods have received criticism[24][25] and the organization's direct actions have sparked legal actions against Greenpeace activists. [26][27] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"To Be, Or Not To Be† Meaning [pic] To live or n ot to live, that is the question. Is it better to stay, and suffer all of the ridiculous highs and lows of life? Or to leave, and avoid the trials and tribulations altogether?We cannot answer this. Even after you die you still might dream. And who knows what you'll dream? If it wasn't for that fear who would bear all the evils and humiliations of life? The injustices and oppression? The gloating of the powerful? The pain of loving someone who could care less? The lack of integrity? The abuses of the government? The rejections we all face? Why would we put up with all of this when we could just end our lives so easily? Why burden ourselves by continuing to live? It's the fear of what awaits after death.Death is an undiscovered country, a place from which no one ever returns. The existence of death puzzles us and makes us put up with all the miseries of life. So instead of exploring something we can't we perceive in advance, we continue to put up with our lives here. Our imaginations make us cowards. And our resolutions only turn us into self-compromised human beings. Therefore, we choose to take no action. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. A carbon footprint has historically been defined by Championne as â€Å"the total sets of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person. [1] However, calculating the total carbon footprint is impossible due to the large amount of data required and the fact that carbon dioxide can be produced by natural occurrences. It is for this reason that Wright, Kemp, and Williams, writing in the journal Carbon Management, have suggested a more practicable definition: â€Å"A measure of the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions of a defined population, system or activity, considering all relevant sources, sinks and storage within the spatial and temporal boundary of the population, system or activity of interest.Calculated as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) using the relevant 100-year global warming potential (GWP100). â€Å"[2] Greenhouse gases can be emitted through transport, land clearance, and the production and consumption of food, fuels, manufactured goods, materials, wood, roads, buildings, and services. [3] For simplicity of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted. Most of the carbon footprint emissions for the average U. S. household come from â€Å"indirect† sources, i. e. uel burned to produce goods far away from the final consumer. These are distinguished from emissions which come from burning fuel directly in one's car or stove, commonly referred to as â€Å"direct† sources of the consumer's carbon footprint. [4] The concept name of the carbon footprint originates from ecological footprint,discussion,[5] which was developed by Rees and Wackernagel in the 1990s which estimates the number of â€Å"earths† that would theoretically be required if e veryone on the planet consumed resources at the same level as the person calculating their ecological footprint.However, carbon footprints are much more specific than ecological footprints since they measure direct emissions of gasses that cause climate change into the atmosphere. Measuring Carbon Footprints An individual's, nation's, or organization's carbon footprint can be measured by undertaking a GHG emissions assessment or other calculative activities denoted as carbon accounting. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it, e. g. by technological developments, better process and product management, changed Green Public or Private Procurement (GPP), carbon capture, consumption strategies, and others.Several free online carbon footprint calculators exist, with at least one supported by publicly available peer-reviewed data and calculations from the University of California, Berkeley's CoolClimate Network research consortium. [6][7] The m itigation of carbon footprints through the development of alternative projects, such as solar or wind energy or reforestation, represents one way of reducing a carbon footprint and is often known as Carbon offsetting. The main influences on carbon footprints include population, economic output, and energy and carbon intensity of the economy. 8] These factors are the main targets of individuals and businesses in order to decrease carbon footprints. Scholars suggest the most effective way to decrease a carbon footprint is to either decrease the amount of energy needed for production or to decrease the dependence on carbon emitting fuels. [8] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Freedom & Responsibility Freedom, from an existential perspective, cannot be separated from responsibility. With freedom comes responsibility. Yet, it is common for many people to seek freedom while trying to avoid responsibility.While, at times, it appears that people may be able to succeed at this, there remai ns a psychological consequence. This consequence is often not very noticeable, but may find expression through guilt, anxiety, depression, or even anger. Existential freedom is not the same things as freedom in the political sense we often think of it in America. In fact, political freedom could be view to be a rather shallow, though not unimportant, type of freedom. A person can be existentially free despite not being politically free, and a person can avoid embracing their existential freedom despite being offered great political freedoms.Frankl (1984), in the story of his experience in the concentration camps, provides a powerful overview of this distinction. While all his political or social freedoms were taken away, he gives credit for his survival to his psychological freedom. This psychological freedom allowed him to find and embrace meaning in the midst of what appeared to be meaningless suffering. Ways of Avoiding Responsibility There are several common examples of how peop le avoid responsibility in American culture. Conformity is one good example. Americans pride themselves on being autonomous individuals to the point of idealizing individualism.However, upon closer analysis, Americans find extremely creative ways of giving up their freedom. Americans conform through blind allegiance to various organizations and institutions including political parties and religious institutions. This is not to say that being dedicated to either of these are bad. In fact, often they can lead to very positive outcomes. The problem comes with blind allegiance where a person gives up their responsibility to critically think through the beliefs, perspectives, and values of the organization.When this happens, the individual's values are no longer authentic. When a person gives their allegiance to an external belief structure, they may go in one of several directions. First, they often will become very rigid in their allegiance to the organization or structure to which the y have committed. This type of conformity can be seen through various forms of fundamentalism — religious, political, psychological systems, etc. Second, they may present as being very committed to a belief systems or organization, but they feel very comfortable bending the rules where it does fit their desires.It becomes easy to bend the rules because they are not really committed to the underlying values system. However, when a person is deeply committed to authentic moral or value principles, they are less willing to act in ways which contradict these principles. The principles are authentic. Another way avoid responsibility can occur through the belief that one is powerless. There can be many factors which are seen to render a person powerless. A person can perceive themselves as a victim of their environment, of various supernatural or spiritual forces, their unconscious, or a victim of their biology/genes.While an existential approach will recognize that all of these fa ctors may influence a person, none of them render a person powerless or completely control them. The Ability to Choose Freedom Otto Rank discusses the issue of freedom beautifully. Essentially, Rank states that the degree to which a person is unaware of those forces which influence us, they are controlled by them. Stated differently, the degree which we are unaware of how our drives, instincts, unconscious, and environment are influencing us, they control us.However, if a person chooses not to be aware of these influences, even if done so passively or unconsciously, a choice has still been made. Self-awareness, in Rank's conceptualization, is a commitment people make which can enhance their freedom. Yet, most people choose to live a life of being unaware. It can be frightening to deeply know who we are and the realities of our existence. Yet, it can be even more rewarding. The movie the Matrix provides a parallel to this understanding of freedom and awareness.While many choose to av oid living in the realities of life, a few choose to live more fully in awareness. The existential question then becomes do you choose the blue pill? Or will you take the red one? Self-Awareness and the Ethical Life If we accept Ranks views on freedom, the unconscious, and the will, then to live a responsible life is to live a life committed to self-awareness. If the choice made is to merely be a product of our biology, our unconscious, and our environment; then the choice has been made to live an inauthentic and irresponsible life.This commitment is not always an easy one, but, again, the rewards can be great. The inauthentic and unaware life limits a person in so many ways. First, it limits a person's ability to live an ethical life. Second, it limits the potential for authenticity. A third loss, which is necessarily connected to the second loss, is that we are limited in our ability for intimacy and relational satisfaction. It is only through knowing ourselves that we can be auth entically in relationship with others. However, the ironic paradox remains that the only way we can come to now ourselves is through relationship with others. In returning to the discussion of ethics, it can be seen that this is profoundly different approach to ethics than the one typically embraced by American society. A close look at America's value system reveals that it typically is based on a) conformity to rules and ethics codes, b) what benefits the individual or their family the most, or c) what is more financially beneficial for the individual. I would maintain that an existential approach to ethics must be counterculture in American society.As existential thought tends to be anti-structural, it will focus on broader principles instead of rules. These principles may be derived from a religious or spiritual system, but not necessarily so. They would embrace a respect for human existence, but also the broader environmental and natural systems (nature) of which human existence is a part. Love, compassion, and a commitment to social justice (not in the punitive or avenging sense, but rather in seeking to change the evils of society) are the principles which are foundational to existential theory.While many individual principles may also be a part of different peoples' values system, I would maintain that these principles are essential to an existential ethics. Self awareness is needed to live in accordance with these principles. However, the lack of self awareness is not an acceptable excuse for a person's behavior. Freedom & Responsibility in Therapy The process of change cannot begin until a person accepts responsibility. This is one of the difficult challenges of growth. In order to grow, a person must accept responsibility for what they have done to contribute to where they are at in life.If they have no responsibility, then they have little ability to change. When applied to therapy, this could be taken to mean that the therapist must break through t he walls of defense in order to help the client take responsibility. This is generally not consistent with the existential approach. Bugental (1987) provides some of the best illustrations of this. With his profound respect for the client, Bugental also shows a respect for the client's defenses. Instead of forcing through defenses, they can be used as a guide to help the therapist know when the client is ready to go deeper into an issue.When the defenses are strong, the therapist respects the need for the defense and does not push on that issue at that time. However, when the defenses are lowered the therapist then can recognize that it is a good time to move deeper. This is not to suggest there is never a time to confront or challenge a client's defenses. Rather it recognizes that before this is done the therapist must recognize the value of the defense. It also suggests that defenses can be challenged or confronted in a softer manner. I like to use the metaphor of the invitation h ere.The job of the therapist is to continuously invite the client to examine the defenses and the issues which the defenses are protecting, yet always respect the client's desire to not accept the invitation. †¦. Marine pollution occurs when harmful, or potentially harmful, effects result from the entry into the ocean of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise, or the spread of invasive organisms. Most sources of marine pollution are land based. The pollution often comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff and wind blown debris and dust.Many potentially toxic chemicals adhere to tiny particles which are then taken up by plankton and benthos animals, most of which are either deposit or filter feeders. In this way, the toxins are concentrated upward within ocean food chains. Many particles combine chemically in a manner highly depletive of oxygen, causing estuaries to become anoxic. When pesticides are incorporated into the marine ecosystem, they quickly become absorbed into marine food webs. Once in the food webs, these pesticides can cause mutations, as well as diseases, which can be harmful to humans as well as the entire food web.Toxic metals can also be introduced into marine food webs. These can cause a change to tissue matter, biochemistry, behaviour, reproduction, and suppress growth in marine life. Also, many animal feeds have a high fish meal or fish hydrolysate content. In this way, marine toxins can be transferred to land animals, and appear later in meat and dairy products †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Knowledge and wisdom go hand in hand Best Answer – Chosen by Asker My thought on knowledge is that people learn while as a child through their parents and teachers. Its that learned knowledge that has been passed down rom one generation to the next from one person to the next and then passed on to another. Its the Transfer of Knowledge from person to person. Wisdom is the knowledge a person has gai ned as they have grown and experienced while living life. Its the knowledge that people acquire separate from their parents because they have not been able to for one reason or another inform, educate or teach. Its the knowledge one can only learn from doing and experiencing. Intellectuality comes from high intelligence, coupled with interest in the world around you.If you're curious about things and want to know things, you'll study. It's irrelevant where you study. You can simply read up on your own without getting a tertiary education. Life experience will aid wisdom. But being intellectual doesn't necessarily mean you're wise. Wisdom is the sum of your life experience. It's emotional and experience that you apply to your life. Intellectuality is more abstract. You apply it to problems and questions that don't necessarily have anything to do with life and living. You can be wise without being intellectual, and vise versa. Or you can be both. Or†¦ sometimes†¦ either. :p †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface and the lower atmosphere, it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence of the gases. [1][2] Solar radiation at the frequencies of visible light largely passes through the atmosphere to warm the planetary surface, which then emits this energy at the lower frequencies of infrared thermal radiation.Infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases, which in turn re-radiate much of the energy to the surface and lower atmosphere. The mechanism is named after the effect of solar radiation passing through glass and warming a greenhouse, but the way it retains heat is fundamentally different as a greenhouse works by reducing airflow, isolating the warm air inside the structure so that heat is no t lost by convection. [2][3][4] If an ideal thermally conductive blackbody was the same distance from the Sun as the Earth is, it would have a temperature of about 5.  °C. However, since the Earth reflects about 30%[5] [6] of the incoming sunlight, this idealized planet's effective temperature (the temperature of a blackbody that would emit the same amount of radiation) would be about ? 18  °C. [7][8] The surface temperature of this hypothetical planet is 33  °C below Earth's actual surface temperature of approximately 14  °C. [9] The mechanism that produces this difference between the actual surface temperature and the effective temperature is due to the atmosphere and is known as the greenhouse effect. 10] Earth’s natural greenhouse effect makes life as we know it possible. However, human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests, have intensified the natural greenhouse effect, causing global warming. [11] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Democracy and India India is the seventh largest (by area) and the second most populous country in the world, with roughly one-sixth of its population, of about a billion and a quarter. It is the world's largest democracy. It is one of the world's oldest civilizations yet, a very young nation. Elections to its Parliament are held once every 5 years.Currently, Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is the head of the government, enjoying a majority in the Parliament, while President Pranab Mukherjee, is the head of state. India is a constitutional republic governed under the world's longest written constitution, federally consisting of 28 states and seven centrally administered union territories, with New Delhi as the nation's capital. The country has four main national parties: the Indian National Congress (INC), Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).The Indian National Congress has governed the country for 3/4th's of the time si nce independence from Britain in 1947, under the de facto one party system[1] and now, under the Dominant-party system. At the level of its states, many regional parties stand for elections to state legislatures, every five years. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 0. 8  °C (1.  °F), with about two-thirds of the increase occurring since 1980. [2] Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. [3][4][5][6] These findings are recognized by the national science academies of all major industrialized nations. [7][A] Climate model projections were summarized in the 2007 F ourth Assessment Report (AR4) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).They indicated that during the 21st century the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1. 1 to 2. 9  °C (2 to 5. 2  °F) for their lowest emissions scenario and 2. 4 to 6. 4  °C (4. 3 to 11. 5  °F) for their highest. [8] The ranges of these estimates arise from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations. [9][10] Future warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe. [11] The effects of an increase in global temperature include a rise in sea levels and a change in the amount and pattern of precipitation, as well a probable expansion of subtropical deserts. 12] Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with the continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects of the warming include a more frequent occurrence of extreme-weather events including heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall, ocean acidification and species extinctions due to shifting temperature regimes. Effects significant to humans include the threat to food security from decreasing crop yields and the loss of habitat from inundation. 13][14] Proposed policy responses to global warming include mitigation by emissions reduction, adaptation to its effects, and possible future geoengineering. Most countries are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),[15] whose ultimate objective is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic (i. e. , human-induced) climate change. [16] Parties to the UNFCCC have adopted a range of policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions[17]:10[18][19][20]:9 and to assist in adaptation to global warming. 17]:13[20]:10[21][22] Parties to the UNFCCC have agreed that deep cuts in emissions are required,[23] and that future global warming should be limited to below 2. 0  °C (3. 6  °F) relative to the pre-industrial l evel. [23][B] Reports published in 2011 by the United Nations Environment Programme[24] and the International Energy Agency[25] suggest that efforts as of the early 21st century to reduce emissions may be inadequate to meet the UNFCCC's 2  °C target. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Followers First, Leaders Second. March 15, 2009 | by Randy Willis | Leave a Comment!One morning last week, during my time with God, I was praying for my (and Joleen’s) ministry/leadership, and said †¦ Make us the followers you want us to be so that we can be the leaders you call us to be! I have always believed that leaders must first be followers. Christ-following leaders must first be followers of God; indeed, their leadership flows out of following God! But leaders must also be good followers of others (e. g. , those in authority, other leaders, etc. ). In other words, followership is a prerequisite of leadership.One of the challenges leaders face is knowing when to follow and when to lead. Certainly, lea ders must always follow God. At times, leaders need to know when to follow others as well, particularly, those to whom they delegate responsibility and/or share ministry. Leaders carry the ultimate responsibility of leadership, of course, but there are times when they need to follow, to let others lead. We are followers first (that’s one of the reasons why I like and prefer the term â€Å"Christ-followers†), then leaders.So, are you a good leader? And, just as important for leaders, are you a good follower? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. New DNA may be inserted in the host genome by first isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using molecular cloning methods to generate a DNA sequence, or by synthesizing the DNA, and then inserting this construct into the host organism. Genes may be removed, or â€Å"knocked out†, using a nuclease.Gene targeting is a different technique that uses homologous recombination to change an endogenous gene, and can be used to delete a gene, remove exons, add a gene, or introduce point mutations. An organism that is generated through genetic engineering is considered to be a genetically modified organism (GMO). The first GMOs were bacteria in 1973; GM mice were generated in 1974. Insulin-producing bacteria were commercialized in 1982 and genetically modified food has been sold since 1994. Genetic engineering techniques have been applied in numerous fields including research, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and medicine.Enzymes used in laundry detergent and medicines such as insulin and human growth hormone are now manufactured in GM cells, experimental GM cell lines and GM animals such as mice or zebrafish are being used for research purposes, and genetically modified crops have been commercialized. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Inter-linking of rivers as a solution to water problems The India n Rivers Inter-link is a proposed large-scale civil engineering project that aims to join the majority of India's rivers by canals and so reduce persistent water shortages in parts of India. [edit] HistoryIn 1972 the then Minister for Irrigation K. L. Rao proposed a 2640 kilometer long link between the Ganges and Kaveri rivers. In 1974 plans were proposed for the ‘Garland canal'. In 1982 the National Water Development Agency was set up to carry out surveys of the links and prepare feasibility studies. The Garland Canal was proposed by Dinshaw J. Dastur, a consultant Engineer [edit] The Project The Inter-link would consist of two parts, a northern Himalayan River Development component and a southern Peninsular River Development component. [edit] Himalayan developmentThe northern component would consist of a series of dams built along the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers in India, Nepal and Bhutan for the purposes of storage. Canals would be built to transfer surplus water from the eastern tributaries of the Ganga to the west. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries would be linked with the Ganga and the Ganga with the Mahanadi river. This part of the project would provide additional irrigation for about 220,000 square kilometres and generate about 30 gigawatts of electricity. In theory it would provide extra flood control in the Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins.It could also provide excess water for the controversial Farakka Barrage which could be used to flush out the silt at the port of Kolkata. [edit] Peninsular development The main part of the project would send water from the eastern part of India to the south and west. The southern development project would consist of four main parts. First, the Mahanadi, Godavari. Krishna and Kaveri rivers would all be linked by canals. Extra water storage dams would be built along the course of these rivers. The purpose of this would be to transfer surplus water from the Mahanadi and Godavari rivers to the south of Indi a.Second, those rivers that flow west to the north of Mumbai and the south of Tapi would be linked. Due to the irregular fluctuations in water levels in the region, as much storage capacity would be built as possible. The water would be used by the urban areas of Bombay and also to provide irrigation in the coastal areas of Maharashtra. Third the Ken and Chambal rivers would be linked in order to provide better water facilities for Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Finally a number of west-flowing rivers along the Western Ghats simply discharge into the Arabian Sea. As many of these as possible would be diverted for irrigation purposes.The Peninsular part of the project would provide additional irrigation to 130,000 square kilometres and generation an additional 4 gigawatts of power. [edit] Criticism †¢ Critics also point to the enormous costs conservatively estimated at some US$ 140b which India cannot afford to spend. †¢ The change in elevation (a minimum of 100 m, gener ally increases towards the south) from the plains of northern India to the Vindhya and Satpura ranges and the Deccan Plateau beyond them, pose a major challenge to the project; as the water would have to travel upwards in order to reach Maharashtra and southern India. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Inter-linking of rivers – An ecological disaster Less than a month after Rahul Gandhi warned against â€Å"playing with nature†, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said the idea of interlinking India's rivers was a â€Å"disaster†, putting a question mark on the future of the ambitious project. â€Å"The interlinking of rivers will be a human-ecological-economic disaster. It is easy to do interlinking on paper. Interlinking of rivers has limited basin value, but largescale interlinking would be a disaster,† Ramesh said at a press briefing today.In Chennai last month, Rahul had expressed concern over the environmental fallout of interlinking. â€Å"We should not play with nature on such a massive scale,† he was quoted as saying. The remark drew flak from UPA ally DMK, which reminded Rahul that it was Indira Gandhi who set up the National Water Development Agency in 1982 to study the possibility of water transfers from surplus basins to deficit areas. DMK chief M Karunanidhi pointed out that UPA-I's 2004 National Common Minimum Programme had promised â€Å"a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility of linking of rivers†¦ tarting with south-bound rivers†. Asked about the party's stand on the issue, the Congress remained non-committal. â€Å"It is a larger issue. It is not a magic wand. There is an awesome scale of interlinking. It is a super long term solution, and not a medium or short-term solution,† spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. â€Å"I don't think anybody is rejecting or accepting it. After 25 years of considerable expenditure, you may still have the same problem. Unless you are s ure, you can't embark on it. It is a project with extremely multifarious aspects and the jury is out,† Singhvi said. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority Managing in a business environment would also entail making the most effective use of that thing or resource whether it is money, machines, material, supply chains, accounting, engineering, people or whatever. Very few managers are unaware of the fact that if we only used the machine and never properly cared for it, the machine's capacity would degrade rather steadily over time and eventually suffer a casualty which would render it useless. To be successful at maintaining machinery or a function like ccounting, one must thoroughly understand that machine or function, how it works and what it needs. Direction, integrity, consistency, and connection create the leadership relationship. That's a first step in building an organization, but it doesn't address the issue of how lea ders make their organizations successful. Leaders can choose to lead in a good direction or a bad one. Actually, a full spectrum exists from exceptionally bad to exceptionally good. Every manager will by his/her actions will lead in some direction within this spectrum.This direction may not be understood or chosen by the manager, but that is irrelevant. This is always the leaderaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s choice, whether or not the leader realizes it. Leadership is not a process any manager can change. It happens inexorably every minute of every day because most people follow more or less. The only choice available to a manager is the standard that employees will follow. Because of these characteristics, â€Å"followership† turns out to be a major force in managing people. Those managers who take advantage of it can become extremely effective at managing their human capital.You cannot build trust without treating people with respect and dignity. It is now all too common to have layoffs in which those let go are immediately escorted off the premises. This process deprives them and those left behind of the opportunity to say good-bye and, more fundamentally, signals distrust and disrespect. Consider instead the New Zealand Post, which, since becoming a state-owned enterprise expected to operate like a private company in 1987, has accomplished amazing things. People laid off were offered generous severance, given parties on their leaving, and recognized for their contributions to the company.Indeed, the Post even let the staff help decide who would go and who would stay — for it turned out that some people the organization intended to keep wanted to leave or retire and others wanted to stay. Clear expectations are critical to building trust. The more clear you are about what others expect from you and what you expect from others, the easier you will find it to build trust. When your supervisor and your employees know that you really care about their personal a nd professional success, and your actions demonstrate this case, they will find you easier to trust.Building trust is not difficult, but it takes time. There may be instant pudding and instant tea; there is no such thing as instant trust. But, if you do what you say youaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re going to do; do even more than is expected; openly communicate often; practice the concept of aâ‚ ¬? no surprises;aâ‚ ¬? be honest, even when it costs you something to be honest; and really care about an individualaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s personal and professional success, you will find it easier to build relationships based on trust.You can get people to do what they are paid to do by using all sorts of manipulative tactics. You could easily tell employees that if they do not get a task done, you will give them a negative performance appraisal, and that, in turn, will make them ineligible for the next round of raises. That may work. Or you may have employees who do aâ‚ ¬? exactly what you tell them to do. aâ‚ ¬? What you will not have is a workforce that is motivated to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Because you do not care about them.Their level of care for you as an individual, or your success as a manager, is lacking because of their limited relationship with you. True leaders understand that success does not depend on their titles, but on the values they uphold and the choices they make on a daily basis. They know that leadership is not achieved through technical expertise, but rather is based on a relationship with their followers. It is our hope that the following insights will help you with the aâ‚ ¬? relationship savvyaâ‚ ¬? ou need to be a great supervisor, and an outstanding leader. †¦.. Pollution and economic development There are many environmental issues in India. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage, and pollution of the natural environment are all challenges for India. The situation was worse between 1947 through 1995. According to d ata collection and environment assessment studies of World Bank experts, between 1995 through 2010, India has made one of the fastest progress in the world, in addressing its environmental issues and improving its environmental quality. 1][2] Still, India has a long way to go to reach environmental quality similar to those enjoyed in developed economies. Pollution remains a major challenge and opportunity for India. Some believe economic development is causing the environmental issues. Others believe economic development is key to improving India's environmental management and preventing pollution in India. It is also suggested that India's growing population is the primary cause of India's environmental degradation. Systematic studies challenge this theory.Empirical evidence from countries such as Japan, England and Singapore, each with population density similar or higher than India, yet each enjoying environmental quality vastly superior than India, suggests population density ma y not be the only factor affecting India's issues. [3] Major environmental issues are forest and agricultural degradation of land, resource depletion (water, mineral, forest, sand, rocks etc. ), environmental degradation, public health, loss of biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems, livelihood security for the poor. 4] The major sources of pollution in India include the rampant burning of fuelwood and biomass such as dried waste from livestock as the primary source of energy,[5] lack of organized garbage and waste removal services, lack of sewage treatment operations, lack of flood control and monsoon water drainage system, diversion of consumer waste into rivers, cremation practices near major rivers, government mandated protection of highly polluting old public transport, and continued operation by Indian government of government owned, high emission plants built between 1950 to 1980. 6][7][8][9][10] India's water supply and sanitation issues are related to many environme ntal issues. Environmental issues are one of the primary causes of disease, health issues and long term livelihood impact for India. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world. But when Christo van der Rheede and his team facilitated a leadership and management course for teachers, education as a weapon seemed impossible when it was found that teachers themselves aren’t equipped to enforce this notion.While these teachers have all the commitment and enthusiasm necessary, how is it possible that most of our schools are struggling to deliver quality education Comments By Anonymous Wed 4 Aug, 2010 – 16:58 it is good †¢ reply â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world. † These are the wise words of former president Nelson Mandela who celebrates his 91st birthday t his month. Indeed prophetic words calling on all South Africans to account for the way in which education is used to ensure the success of South Africa’s nation-building project.Education forms the cornerstone of this project, as it entails the transfer of knowledge, skills and values. If education fails, all the effort up to now will be in vain. Already, a very disconcerting picture is painted by researchers investigating an education system which fails to produce skilled citizens. We, at the Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans (SBA), share the concern over the state of affairs in education. For this reason, SBA recently facilitated a three-day leadership and management course to approximately fifty teachers, under the auspices of the Enkwenkwezi Trust.What struck me was the commitment and enthusiasm of the teachers who sacrificed their winter holidays working through the modules from 9am – 4pm. They clearly thirsted for the knowledge we shared with them. This exp erience has compelled me to critically question not only the nature and extent of support given to teachers but also the role which office-based education officials, specifically appointed for the task, can be expected to play in this regard.If the majority of the teaching personnel at ground level are prepared to perform their daily tasks with such commitment and enthusiasm, how is it possible that most of our schools are struggling to deliver quality education? My observation during all our training sessions is that many of the teachers do not have an adequate grasp of the new curriculum. It was expected of an entire generation of teachers trained during the previous dispensation to undergo a change in mindset from the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ in a matter of weeks.To them it was and still is an uphill battle, as a few weeks’ training in the new curriculum is simply not sufficient and often leaves them more confused and despondent. In contrast, the genera tion of teachers now being trained has a better understanding of the new curriculum after four years of training. It is no wonder, therefore, that they are considered a ray of light by many principals and their senior management. However, making a change of mindset from the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ is possible. With proper guidance and sensible management of these changes teachers will be able to make headway.Unfortunately, we have a chronic shortage of experienced and in some instances indifferent office-based education officials to give teachers step-by-step guidance and top-class support. In some provinces, especially in urban areas, this expertise is readily available. These schools also have access to the internet and resource centres where teachers can get the necessary assistance. There are, however, education district offices in the former homelands, rural as well as urban areas that lack expertise to give teachers the necessary guidance and support.To ma ke matters worse, those schools do not even have access to the internet or to well-equipped resource centres. No wonder most of the schools in our country are struggling to provide quality education to our children. The entire curriculum delivery process is compromised due to a lack of support and this I wish to motivate by means of the following diagram: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. A customer who complains to you should be valued – many of your dissatisfied customers will take their business elsewhere and not even give you an opportunity to respond.Bill Gates has stated that: â€Å"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning†. If you want to build long and loving relationships with your customers then: †¢ Always be open to discussing problems with your customers †¢ Listen and empathize – consider the reasons behind the dissatisfaction and hurt †¢ Be personal and ca ring – don’t brush them aside with automated, standard responses †¢ Say sorry and acknowledge the problem – even if you believe you are not in the wrong †¢ Show your affection when you’re in the wrong – but don’t overdo it! Give customers and complaint handlers access to someone who can come in to mediate when a solution cannot be found but a continued relationship is still required †¢ Take time to think about your actions and look at ways to improve the way you do things in future †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Advertising and the consumer Why is it so difficult to introspect on advertising and how it influences us? Because we look for major effects, that’s why! Too often, we look for the ability of an ad to persuade us. We look for a major effect rather than more subtle, minor effects.Big and immediate effects of advertising do occur when the advertiser has something new to say. Then it is easy for us to introspect on its effect. But most effects of advertising fall well short of persuasion. These minor effects are not obvious but they are more characteristic of the way advertising works. To understand advertising we have to understand and measure these effects. When our kids are growing up we don’t notice their physical growth each day but from time to time we become aware that they have grown.Determining how much a child has grown in the last 24 hours is like evaluating the effect of being exposed to a single commercial. In both cases, the changes are too small for us to notice. But even small effects of advertising can influence which brand we choose especially when all other factors are equal and when alternative brands are much the same. Advertising is paid, nonpersonal communication that is designed to communicate in a creative manner, through the use of mass or information-directed media, the nature of products, services, and ideas.It is a form of persuasive communication that offer s information about products, ideas, and services that serves the objectives determined by the advertiser. Advertising may influence consumers in many different ways, but the primary goal of advertising is to increase the probability that consumers exposed to an advertisement will behave or believe as the advertiser wishes. Thus, the ultimate objective of advertising is to sell things persuasively and creatively.Advertising is used by commercial firms trying to sell products and services; by politicians and political interest groups to sell ideas or persuade voters; by not-for-profit organizations to raise funds, solicit volunteers, or influence the actions of viewers; and by governments seeking to encourage or discourage particular activities, such a wearing seatbelts, participating in the census, or ceasing to smoke. The forms that advertising takes and the media in which advertisements appear are as varied as the advertisers themselves and the messages that they wish to deliver. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Innovation in EducationIntroduction Education is the crucible in which Innovations are forged. Promoting creativity and incentivizing innovations through our educational institutions is a first step towards broadening and deepening the impact of innovations in our society and economy. In large scale education systems such as ours, catering to a vast population with relatively limited resources, this is a major challenge. At the same time, with rapid advances in new technologies, changing needs of the economy, and the very presence of the challenges identified above, the sector itself presents a fertile ground for pioneering innovations.Recognising the fundamental role of education in nurturing and fostering an ecosystem of innovation the National Innovation Council is engaged in a series of initiatives to encourage innovations in existing educational institutions – universities, colleges and schools, as well as promoting new educational m odels and innovative platforms for knowledge creation, dissemination and application. Some of the key proposals of the NInc in this domain include: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Intellectual bankruptcy in politicsGujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi launched a fresh attack on the Center on December 27, saying the country was in the grip of pessimism because of â€Å"policy paralysis, intellectual bankruptcy and lack of leadership. † He said the Center’s policies â€Å"lack urgency or seriousness† in tackling economic crises and thus the â€Å"sense of pessimism† in the 12th Plan. â€Å"There is a policy paralysis, intellectual bankruptcy and lack of leadership in the country because of which the country was experiencing stagnancy. We are going on the path of negative growth,† Modi told reporters at the 57th National Development Council (NDC) meeting here.In his speech at the meeting, Modi said, â€Å"It seems that there is no urgency or seriousness in tackling economic crises facing the country. There has been a virtual lack of direction in the macro-economic management of the country. † Modi also called for setting up a National Resources Commission on the lines of the Finance Commission, which discusses the allocation of grants to states every five years. He said the country is facing a demographic opportunity as 65 percent of the population is young and pitched for a youth-centric growth, which focused on skill development. It is unfortunate that the central government has been bereft of any vision or strategy in this regard. This feeling of helplessness in making effective policy interventions has resulted in job creation suffering and the youth of the country becoming disillusioned,† he said in his speech. †¦. We are creatures of our habits This blog will be about habits. I do research on habits and self-change and I've blogged on these topics for almost two years now. Here at Psychology Today, I have a bigger and b etter platform, and I am ever so grateful. But, what to say first?How to set the tone? Perhaps I should begin with the title of my blog, Creatures of Habit. The title says so much about my approach to human psychology in general, and to habits in particular. First off, we are creatures. We are animals. We're very sophisticated and good-looking and all that, but let's never forget that we're made of flesh and blood. In particular, our brains are incredibly complex evolved machines. Our brains govern basic processes such as breathing and food intake, and also enable us to appreciate the finer points of John Cleese's performances in Fawlty Towers.Bottom of Form As creatures, we have needs. We need to eat, and so we eat. As rather intelligent and social creatures, we like to chat with one another, and so we do. We take turns and finish our conversations gracefully. And there