Water Supply and Its Situation in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Kansas, Ca Dissertation

Water Supply and Its Situation in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Kansas, California, Nevada andMexico - Dissertation Example First, in the case of Texas that is experiencing about 40% of drought conditions as Hess & Frohlich write, the state needs to reverse the heavy use of water in the processing of natural gases in the fracking process (1). This will help save water and even save the agricultural sector. Oklahoma’s water problem may be solved by making agreements with other states on how it can save water even if it has to dig underground reservoirs for the same. Hess & Frohlich says that the same case would apply for Arizona since the state enjoys seasonal rains throughout the year (1). Through saving this water in underground reservoirs, the state can help deal with the severe drought conditions. Kansas, Nevada, and Mexico would greatly benefit from an institution of a water management plan that would even include the help of engineers to even construct underground pipes that will help store and transport water in the required places. For the case of California, investing in desalination water plants would prove useful since these plants as Hess & Frohlich explain would help save a lot of water that would have otherwise gone into waste (1). This water would also help in agricultural practices among the many farm workers in the state. From an analysis of the water supply conditions in these states, it is evident that there requires having stringent and timely measures to solve the water problems existing today. As seen in the compilation of Hess & Frohlich, fracking is a major contributor to drought in Texas (1). According to BBC, fracking is the process that involves drilling into the earth in the quest to release the gas underground (1). In this process, water of high pressure is directed at that underground rock so as to release the gas underneath. In the course of the fracking process, BBC writes that gas flares up from the ground either after the horizontal or a vertical process of hitting the rock layers.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Essay Example for Free

Cadbury Dairy Milk Essay Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing their rights of, disadvantaged producers and workers especially in the South (FINE, 2001). Fair Trade certified producer organizations must comply with a number of requirements, related to social, economic and environmental developments. In addition, labour conditions in these organizations must follow certain standards. The essential characteristic of Fair Trade cocoa is that producer organizations receive a higher price for their cocoa beans. The Fair Trade price represents the necessary condition for the producer organizations to have the financial ability to fulfil the above requirements, and to cover the certification fees. It is calculated on the basis of world market prices, plus fair trade premiums. The Fair Trade premium for standard quality cocoa is US$ 150 per tonne. The minimum price for Fair Trade standard quality cocoa, including the premium, is US$ 1,750 per tonne. Other benefits for certified producer organizations are better capacity building and market access. Presently, cocoa sold with the Fair Trade label still captures a very low share of the cocoa market (0. 5%). Organic cocoa and chocolate The organic cocoa market represents a very small share of the total cocoa market, estimated at less than 0. 5% of total production. ICCO estimates production of certified organic cocoa at 15,500 tonnes, sourced from the following countries: Madagascar, Tanzania, Uganda, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Fiji, India, Sri Lanka and Vanuatu. However, the demand for organic cocoa products is growing at a very strong pace, as consumers are increasingly concerned about the safety of their food supply along with other environmental issues. According to Euromonitor International, global organic chocolate sales were estimated to have increased from a value of US$ 171 million in 2002 to US$ 304 million in 2005. Certified organic cocoa producers must comply with all requirements associated with the legislation of importing countries on production of organic products. The benefit for cocoa farmers is that organic cocoa commands a higher price than conventional cocoa, usually ranging from US$ 100 to US$ 300 per tonne. However, originating countries with smaller volumes can fetch much higher premiums. This premium should cover both the cost of fulfilling organic cocoa production requirements and certification fees paid to certification bodies. | | | | The Indian Chocolate Industry has come a long way since long years. Ever since 1947 the Cadbury is in India, Cadbury chocolates have ruled the hearts of Indians with their fabulous taste. Indian Chocolate Industry’s Cadbury Company today employs nearly 2000 people across India. The company is one of the oldest and strongest players in the Indian confectionary industry with an estimated 68% value share and 62% volume share of the total chocolate market. It has exhibited continuously strong revenue growth of 34% and net profit growth of 24% throughout the 1990’s. The brand of Cadbury is known for its exceptional capabilities in product innovation, distribution and marketing. With brands like Dairy Milk, Gems, 5 Star, Bournvita, Perk, Celebrations, Bytes, Chocki, Delite and Temptations, there is a Cadbury offering to suit all occasions and moods. Today, the company reaches millions of loyal customers through a distribution network of 5. 5 lakhs outlets across the country and this number is increasing everyday. In 1946 the cadbury? s manufacturing operations started in mumbai, which was subsequently transferred to thane. In 1964, induri farm at talegaon, near pune was set up with a view to promote modern methods as well as improve milk yield. In 1981-82, a new chocolate manufacturing unit was set up in the same location in talegaon. The company, way back in 1964, pioneered cocoa farming in india to reduce dependence on imported cocoa beans. The parent company provided cocoa seeds and clonal materials free of cost for the first 8 years of operations. Cocoa farming is done in karnataka, kerala and tamil nadu. In 1977, the company also took steps to promote higher production of milk by setting up a subsidiary induri farms ltd. , near pune. In 1989, the company set up a new plant at malanpur, mp, to derive benefits available to the backward area. In 1995, cadbury expanded malanpur plant in a major way. The malanpur plant has modernized facilities for gems, eclairs, and perk etc. Cadbury operates as the third party operations at phalton, warana and nashik in maharashtra. These factories churn out close to 8,000 tonnes of chocolate annually. In response to rising demand in the chocolate industry and reduce dependency on imports, indian cocoa producers have planned to increase domestic cocoa production by 60% in the next four years. The indian market is thought to be worth some 15bn rupee (? 0. 25bn) and has been hailed as offering great potential for western chocolate manufacturers as the market is still in its early stages. Chocolate consumption is gaining popularity in india due to increasing prosperity coupled with a shift in food habits, pushing up the countrys cocoa imports. Firms across the country have announced plans to step-up domestic production from 10,000 tonnes to 16,000 tonnes, according to reuters. To secure good quality raw material in the long term, private players like cadbury india are encouraging cocoa cultivation, the news agency said. Cocoa requirement is growing around 15% annually and will reach about 30,000 tonnes in the next 5 years. brief introduction indian chocolate industry as today is dominated by two companies, both multinationals. The market leader is cadbury with a lions share of 70%. The companys brands like five star, gems, eclairs, perk, dairy milk are leaders in their segments. Untill early 90s, cadbury had a market share of over 80 %, but its party was spoiled when nestle appeared on the scene. The other one has introduced its international brands in the country (kit kat, lions), and now commands approximately 15% market share. The two companies operating in the segment are gujarat co-operative milk marketing federation (gcmmf) and central arecanut and cocoa manufactures and processors co-operation (campco). Competition in the segment will soonly get keener as overseas chocolate giants hersheys and mars consolidate to grab a bite of the indian chocolate pie. The uk based confectionery giant, cadbury is a dominant player in the indian chocolate market and the company expects the energy glucose variant of its popular perk brand to be singularly responsible for adding five per cent annually to the size of the company? s market share. market capitalization The indian candy market is currently valued at around $664 million, with about 70% share ($ 461 million) in sugar confectionery and the remaining 30% ($ 203 million) in chocolate confectionery. Indian chocolate industry is estimated at us$ 400 million and growing at 18% per annum. Cadbury has over 70 % share in this market, and recorded a turnover of over us$ 37m in 2008. size of the industry The size of the market for chocolates in india was estimated at 30,000 tonnes in 2008. Bars of moulded chocolates like amul, milk chocolate, dairy milk, truffle, nestle premium, and nestle milky bar comprise the largest segment, accounting for 37% of the total market in terms of volume. The chocolate market in india has a production volume of 30,800 tonnes. The chocolate segment is characterized by high volumes, huge expenses on advertising, low margins, and price sensitivity. the count segment is the next biggest segment, accounting for 30% of the total chocolate market. The count segment has been growing at a faster pace during the last three years driven by growth in perk and kitkat volumes. Wafer chocolates such as kit kat and perk also belong to this segment. Panned chocolates accounts for 10% of the total market. The chocolate market today is primarily dominated by cadbury and nestle, together accounting for 90% of the market. major players †¢cadbury? s india limited †¢nestle india †¢gujarat co-operative milk marketing federation †¢cocoa manufactures and processors co-operative (campco) †¢bars count lines wafer panned premium †¢cadbury? s dairy milk variants †¢5-star, milk †¢amul milk chocolate †¢treat perk gems, †¢tiffins temptation celebrations †¢nestle milky bar bar one. latest developments †¢chocolate-lovers may soon find their chocolate dearer if the problems plaguing the industry continue. Raw material costs have risen by more than 20 % in the last few years. Although retail prices have not increased, a rise in input costs will force the manufacturers to consider a price hike. the bigger players in the country such as cadbury, which leads the rs 2,500 crore chocolate markets in india with a share of 72%, will find it easier to absorb the surge in input costs as it has products at various price points in the market, said industry experts. Cadbury may also opt for a price hike, albeit marginal, if the current trend continues. Indian chocolate industry? s margin range between 10 and 20%, depending on the price point at which the product is placed. The input costs in india are under check owing to the 24% decline in the prices of sugar. †¢the world? s leading manufacturer of high quality cocoa and chocolate products barry callebaut, has announced the opening of its first, state-of the art, chocolate academy in mumbai, india in july 2007. †¢according to the analysis of the international market intelligence provider euromonitor, the relatively small indian chocolate market with volumes of about 55,000 metric tonnes of chocolate and compound per year is expected to grow on average per year by around 17. 8% between 2008 and 2012. Ferrero the italian confectionery giant of $8 billion has planned up for a new production facility in maharashtra with an investment of over $125 million to whip up some of its popular brands that include rocher and kinder. INDIAN CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY AT A GLANCE IN 2011 -2012 | Chocolate market in India is estimated to be around 1500 crores according to A C Nielson report, growing at 18-20% per annum. Cadbury is the market leader with 72% market share of India. The per capita consumption of chocolate in India is 300 gram compared with 1. 9 kilograms in developed markets such as the United Kingdom. Over 70 per cent of the consumption takes place in the urban markets of India. Margins in the chocolate industry range between 10 and 20 per cent, depending on the price point at which the product is placed. Chocolate sales have risen by 15% in recent years to reach 36000 tonnes according to one estimate. Another estimate puts the figure at 25000 tonnes. | | The chocolate wafer market in India is around 35 % of the total chocolate market and has been growing at around 13% annually. As per a study, the Indian candy market is currently valued at around USD 664 million, with about 70%, or USD 461 million, in sugar confectionery and the remaining 30%, or USD 203 million, in chocolate confectionery. The global chocolate market is worth $75 billion annually. | | Chocolate Market in India Facts Figures 1. Chocolate market is estimated to be around 1500 crores (ACNielson) growing at 18-20% per annum 2. Cadbury is the market leader with 72% market share 3. The per capita consumption of chocolate in India is 300 gram compared with 1. 9 kilograms in developed markets such as the United Kingdom 4. Over 70 per cent of the consumption takes place in the urban markets 5. Margins in the chocolate industry range between 10 and 20 per cent, depending on the price point at which the product is placed 6. Chocolate sales have risen by 15% in 2007 to reach 36000 tonnes according to one estimate. Another estimate puts the figure at 25000 tonnes 7. The chocolate wafer market (Ulta Perk etc) is around 35 % of the total chocolate market and has been growing at around 13% annually 8. As per Euromonitor study, Indian candy market is currently valued at around USD 664 million, with about 70%, or USD 461 million, in sugar confectionery and the remaining 30%, or USD 203 million, in chocolate confectionery 9. Entire Celebrations range marketshare is 6. 5% 10. The global chocolate market is worth $75 billion annually Companies 1. The chocolate market in India has only three big players, Cadbury, Nestle and Amul 2. New brands such as Sweet World, Candico and Chocolatiers are present in several malls 3. The largest target segment for Cadbury is youth 4. Delhi-based Chocolatiers, started with a small shop in south Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park and has now ventured into malls and multiplexes in NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore, with focus on high-end or designer chocolates, a niche market of their own 5. Candico India is aiming for 400 locations across malls and multiplexes in the country by 2010. Companies Brands 1. Cadbury Cadbury, 5 Star, Bytes (chocolate snack), Celebration, Dairy Milk, Gems, Perk 2. Nestle Bar One, Kit Kat, Milkybar, Munch, Nestle 3. Amul Amul (Chocozoo, Chocomines) 4. Dairy Milk is the market leader 5. 5 Star (heritage brand which came to India in 1969) has a marketshare of over 14% Consumer Trends 1. Mithai- the traditional Indian sweats is getting substituted by chocolates among upwardly mobile Indians. Instead of buying sweats on Raksha Bandhan, sisters prefer offering chocolates to their brothers. This is the reason for sudden spurt in advertisement between July Sep by most of the companies 2. The range and variety of chocolates available in malls seems to be growing day by day, which leads to lot of impulse sales for chocolate companies 3. Chocolates which use to be unaffordable, is now considered mid-priced. Convenience over Mithai in terms of packaging and shelf life in making both middle class and rich Indians opt for chocolates 4. Designer chocolates have become status symbols. They are linked to one’s aspiration and lifestyle and malls are perfect points of sale as people usually are happy and gay at these destinations 5. Cadbury initial communication for Celebrations was concentrated on occasions like Diwali and Rakshabandhan. Over the last seven to eight years, the brand emerged as a good gift proposition for occasions and enabled people to come closer. Research done by Cadbury suggested that they should extend the plank of occasion-based gifting to social gifting i. e. all-year-round gifting options 6. Consumers can choose from wide range of chocolates, which initially was limited to Milk chocolates like DairyMilk and MilkyBar. In past few years we have seen so many SKUs with almonds, raisins and all sort of nuts. And how can we forget latest 5 star crunchy and Ulta Perk, which has opened new windows for consumers 7. In past, consumers had negligible inclination for dark chocolates. But now we have seen a change in the Indian palate, which is increasing the base of this sub-segment Advertisement Trends (AdEx division of TAM Media Research) 1. Chocolate advertising rose by 30 per cent during January-November 2007 compared to January-November 2006 2. Maximum chocolate advertising was during Raksha Bandhan across 2005 and 2006 and January-November 2007 3. As expected chocolate advertising skewed towards kids channels and regional GEC took the second position 4. Cadbury India Ltd rules chocolate advertising on television 5. 17 per cent more advertising during third quarter 2007 (Raksha Bandhan festival) compared to first quarter 2007 6. Regional GEC took the second place with a 21 per cent share ad volumes of chocolates, followed by Hindi movie with 13 per cent share during January-November 2007 7. Among regional GEC, maximum advertising of chocolates was on Malayalam and Bengali channels 8. Cadbury India Ltd was way ahead of its peers with 66 per cent share followed by Nestle India Ltd and Parle Products Pvt Ltd during January-November 2007 9. During January-November 2007 the number of new chocolate brands advertised decreased to seven from 12 during 2006 10. Nestle Munch Pop Chocolate led the chart of new chocolate brands advertised on television during January-November 2007 Some BTL Activities 1. Cadbury India has tied up with leading coffee chain Cafe Coffee Day for direct sampling of the product in top cities External Environment 1. The prices of cocoa and milk, the chief ingredients used in chocolates, have gone up by 50 per cent, while the price of sugar, another important raw material, has come down. The overall input costs have gone up by 20 per cent. If the prices of these commodities keep increasing, companies will be forced to increase the prices. India imports most of its cocoa requirements. The prices of cocoa have risen globally due to unavailability of the commodity 2. US-based chocolate-maker Hersheys is mulling a foray into the Indian chocolate market through its joint venture with Godrej Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk Cadbury Dairy Milk has captured the heart of Indian consumers for over six decades; but there was room for a more premium entrant in the category. And enter CDM Silk. Most CDM lovers thought that nothing could taste better, but CDM Silk came as a welcome surprise! It is creamier, smoother, and tastier. Its dome shaped cubes pack more chocolate and hence provide a superior eat experience. Launched in January 2010, with a tantalizing taste that tempts the taste buds, CDM Silk delivered an exquisite chocolate eating experience in the Indian market. Our Advertising: The advertising highlights the joy of savoring CDM Silk and builds on its creamy and smooth experience that instantly melts in your mouth. This brand promise was beautifully captured by the tagline `Have You Felt Silk Lately? ’ The campaign comprised of three commercials which showcased different protagonists indulging and savoringCadbury Dairy Milk Silk chocolate, with innocence and unabashed joy, unmindful of their surroundings.

Laplace Transform Example

Laplace Transform Example Abstract: This paper describes the Laplace transform used in solving the differential equation and the comparison with the other usual methods of solving the differential equation. The method of Laplace transform has the advantage of directly giving the solution of differential equation with given boundary values without the necessity of first finding the general solution and then evaluating from it the arbitrary constants. Moreover the ready formulas of the Laplace reduce the problem of solving differential equations to mere algebraic manipulation. Introduction: Differential equation is an equation which involves differential coefficients or differentials. It may be defined in a more refined way as an equation that defines a Relationship between a function and one or more derivatives of that function. Let y be some function of the independent variable t. Then following are some differential equations relating y to one or more of its derivatives. The equation states that the first derivative of the function y equals the product of and the function y itself. An additional, implicit statement in this differential equation is that the stated relationship holds only for all t for which both the function and its first derivative are defined. Some other differential equations: Differential equations arise from many problems in oscillations of mechanical and electrical systems, bending of beams conduction of heat, velocity of chemical reactions etc., and as such play a very important role in all modern scientific and engineering studies. There are many ways of solving the differential equation and the most effective way is to use the Laplace equation because it provides the easy path to solve the differential equation without involving any long process of finding out the complementary function and particular integral. Solution of differential equation: A solution of a differential equation is a relation between the variables which satisfy the given differential equation. A first order homogeneous differential equation involves only the first derivative of a function and the function itself, with constants only as multipliers. The equation is of the form and can be solved by the substitutio The solution which fits a specific physical situation is obtained by substituting the solution into the equation and evaluating the various constants by forcing the solution to fit the physical boundary conditions of the problem at hand. Substituting gives The general solution to a differential equation must satisfy both the homogeneous and non-homogeneous equations. It is the nature of the homogeneous solution that the equation gives a zero value. If you find a particular solution to the non-homogeneous equation, you can add the homogeneous solution to that solution and it will still be a solution since its net result will be to add zero. This does not mean that the homogeneous solution adds no meaning to the picture; the homogeneous part of the solution for a physical situation helps in the understanding of the physical system. A solution can be formed as the sum of the homogeneous and non-homogeneous solutions, and it will have a number of arbitrary (undetermined) constants. Such a solution is called the general solution to the differential equation. For application to a physical problem, the constants must be determined by forcing the solution to fit physical boundary conditions. Once a general solution is formed and then forced to fit the physical boundary conditions, one can be confident that it is the unique solution to the problem, as gauranteed by the uniqueness theorem. Uniqueness theorem: For the differential equations applicable to physical problems, it is often possible to start with a general form and force that form to fit the physical boundary conditions of the problem. This kind of approach is made possible by the fact that there is one and only one solution to the differential equation, i.e., the solution is unique. Stated in terms of a first order differential equation, if the problem meets the condition such that f(x,y) and the derivative of y is continuous in a given rectangle of (x,y) values, then there is one and only one solution to the equation which will meet the boundary conditions. Laplace in solving differential equation: The Laplace transform method of solving differential equations yields particular solutions without the necessity of first finding the general solution and then evaluating the arbitrary constants. This method is in general shorter than the above mentioned methods and is specially used for solving the linear differential equation with constant coefficients. Working procedure: Take the Laplace transform of both sides of the differential equation using the formulas of Laplace and the given initial conditions. Transpose the terms with minus sign to right. Divide by the coefficient of y, getting y as a known function of s. Resolve this function of s into partial fractions and take the inverse transform of both sides. This gives y as a function of t which is the desired solution satisfying the given conditions. Solving the algebraic equation in the mapped space Back transformation of the solution into the original space. Figure 1: Schema for solving differential equations using the Laplace transformation Some of the examples which demonstrate the use of the Laplace in solving the differential equation are as follows: Example no.1 Consider the differential equation with the initial conditions . Proceeding using the steps given above one has Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: The complex function must be decomposed into partial fractions in order to use the tables of correspondences. This gives By using the formulas of the inverse laplace transform we can convert these frequency domains back in the time domain and hence get the desired result as , Another example of the laplace involving trigonometric function is We want to solve with initial conditions f(0) = 0 and f †²(0)=0. We note that and we get So this is equivalent to We deduce So we apply the Laplace inverse transform and get Periodic functions: In mathematics, a periodic function is a function that repeats its values in regular intervals or periods. The most important examples are the trigonometric functions, which repeat over intervals of length 2Ï€. Periodic functions are used throughout science to describe oscillations, waves, and other phenomena that exhibit periodicity. A function f is said to be periodic if for all values of x. The constant P is called the period, and is required to be nonzero. A function with period P will repeat on intervals of length P, and these intervals are sometimes also referred to as periods. For example, the sine function is periodic with period 2Ï€, since for all values of x. This function repeats on intervals of length 2Ï€ (see the graph to the right). Geometrically, a periodic function can be defined as a function whose graph exhibits translational symmetry. Specifically, a function f is periodic with period P if the graph of f is invariant under translation in the x-direction by a distance of P. This definition of periodic can be extended to other geometric shapes and patterns, such as periodic tessellations of the plane.A function that is not periodic is called aperiodic. Laplace transform of periodic functions: If function f(t) is periodic with period p > 0, so that f(t + p) = f(t), and f1(t) is one period (i.e. one cycle) of the function, then the Laplace of this periodic function is given by The basic concept of the formula is the Laplace Transform of the periodic function f(t) with period p, equals the Laplace Transform of one cycle of the function, divided by (1 − e-sp).Laplace transform of some of the common functions like the graph given below is given by Fig no3:continous graphical function From the graph, we see that the first period is given by: and that the period p = 2. Now So Hence, the Laplace transform of the periodic function, f(t) is given by: Other continuous wave forms and there Laplace transforms are This wave is an example of the full wave rectification which is obtained by the rectifier used in the electronic instruments. Here, and the period, p = Ï€. So the Laplace Transform of the periodic function is given by: Conclusion: The knowledge of Laplace transform has in recent years become an essential part of mathematical background required of engineers and scientists. This is because the transform method an easy and effective means for the solution of many problems arising in engineering. The method of laplace transformation is proving to be the most effective and easy way of solving differential equations and hence it is replacing other methods of solution of the differential equation. The most frequent function encompassed in electronics engineering is continuous function and most of the functions are in the time domain and we need to convert them in the frequency domain, this operation is performed excellently by the Laplace transform and hence its application is further enlarged using it in the solution of the continuous functions.

Macroeconomics :: Economy Economics Essays

Macroeconomics â€Å"How might a country go about lowering its NAIRU? What are the welfare implications of so doing?† In tackling this question, we will adopt a theoretical approach in the sense that we will focus on an economy and explain the determinants of NAIRU as well as the policy options. But it seems logical to first introduce the concept of NAIRU, or the non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment, which will be interchangeably used with the â€Å"equilibrium rate of unemployment†. According to Carlin and Soskice , the central concept of equilibrium unemployment can be defined as â€Å"the rate of unemployment at which the expected real wage that results from wage-setting decisions is equal to the real wage implied by price-setting decisions†. Stiglitz argues that the NAIRU is used as a theory to understand the causes of inflation (predicting the changes in inflation rates) and is important because it enlightens the relation between unemployment and increasing inflation. The NAIRU corresponds to the rate of unemployment which is consistent with an unchanging inflation rate, and further reflects how the economy behaves out of equilibrium. Unless employment is at equilibrium level, inflation will increase or decrease until it reaches the NAIRU, the level of output and employment at which inflation is constant. In fact, Stiglitz explains that when unemployment is below the NAIRU, real wages demands are greater than the amount firms are willing to pay. At equilibrium, the behavior of wage-setters is compatible with that of the price-setters. His point is indeed that â€Å"if NAIRU exists, it must be changing over time† . What is more, Stiglitz identifies four phenomena that can change the NAIRU, namely changing demogra phics of the labor force, the productivity growth becoming more in line with worker expectations, an increase in the competitiveness of the labor and product market (through greater openness and trade), and finally hysterisis, which says that a higher NAIRU will generate an even higher one. He also discards the theory according to which productivity rate affects the equilibrium rate: productivity only has a temporary influence through the â€Å"wage-aspiration† effect. According to Altig and Gomme , the NAIRU is thought to represent a â€Å"speed limit† for economic activity: â€Å"it measures a nation’s sustainable production capability†. If the economy grows faster than its resources can support over the long-run, that is when the unemployment rate falls below the NAIRU, then price pressure builds and inflation rate accelerates.

Implications for Social Wellness and Development

I chose this article because it was very interesting to me. When you are growing out of adolescence into adulthood, you never think of the psychology that is involved in your growing. You don’t think about how and what influences the person you are becoming or the person that you want to be when you reach adulthood. During this stage of social development, you learn more about what you like, how you love and the actual wellness that you are working toward. Most people will never think of this, they think that life is life and that you are just supposed to live it. They have no idea of the development and the consequences that could come from poor judgment. I know that I never thought of this and it took me until I was 23 years old to figure out what I wanted out of my life because before that I just coasted through it carelessly, never worrying about the consequences. The major problem with this is that when an adolescent graduates high school, most of them move out of their parents’ home and into their own apartment or into a dorm. There, they basically have no rules and don’t have to worry about the consequences of their actions. If I had to write a research paper on this subject, I would definitely use this article. There is so much information throughout; there are even diagrams and illustrations. I found the diagram The Indivisible Self: An Evidence-Based Model of Wellness very informative and interesting. There was also the purpose of study and hypothesis where there were five hypotheses, the method and the instruments used to conduct this study. The subscales were very informative as well. The results and the discussion were also very stimulating. I find that psychology is a very complex study that requires much critical thinking but I am loving this subject. You learn so much about yourself and everyone around you.

Ambrosia Gibboney Essays - Behavior, Psychology, Ethics, Psychopathy

Ambrosia Gibboney Essays - Behavior, Psychology, Ethics, Psychopathy Ambrosia Gibboney Mrs.B English 101 11/18/16 Type of sociopaths When someone hears, or says the word sociopath people automatically assume that they are all the same and that they are all very bad people. That is a common misconception. In fact, a lot of sociopaths are CEO's of big companies because of their aggressive, charismatic, attitude. There are a few characteristics that all sociopaths have in common. They are superficially charming and charismatic people. Sociopaths, depending on how sever their condition is tend to have little to no remorse. This simply means that they have no problem with using people for their own selfish gains. Most sociopaths are very intelligent. They are very skilled liars and don't have a real sense of right or wrong. A physical trait is that they usually tend to have very bright eyes and are able to keep eye contact for long periods of time. Don't assume that every one that stares at you is a sociopath although a couple of them just might be. Now that I told you some of their common characteristics I will b e explains 3 types of sociopaths. There is a common sociopath, disempathetic sociopath and a hostile sociopath. The common sociopath doesn't lean toward one trait this person tends to have a mix of all the traits. They make up the majority of the sociopaths. They usually don't hold a job very well and are frequently traveling from place to place. Common sociopaths aren't very dangerous but they should not be provoked. When making decisions, they don't use their conscious because they don't care how the outcome of their decision effects other people. Not all of the common sociopaths are like this some can hold jobs. The ones that can hold jobs might only have slight sociopathic tendencies and can live normal lives. Disempathic sociopath is the next type of sociopath I will be talking about. These people tend to live normal lives and blend into society very easily. They are capably of having feelings for a very select group of people. Those people are family and very close friends. They are very charming and tend to have multiple partners. It is very rare for them to find someone outside of their close circle that they can truly connect with. The people outside of the circle are seen as objects with little to no value. This type of sociopath can be very dangerous if something someone says or does angers them. They are risk takers and are abnormally calm in scary situations. You could ask them do walk down a dark alley by themselves and they would because they don't get the concept of fear. Lastly this one is the most dangerous sociopaths. The name of the type of this sociopath is called a hostile sociopath. A hostile sociopath can't control their anger very well. They have a hard time holding jobs and usually don't have friends. When angered by someone they will stop at nothing to hurt them. Hostile sociopaths are master manipulators. They also see people as objects and will pretend to like a person just to get what they want out of them. Once they have gotten what they wanted they will toss that person away and move on to the next. This is how most of their relationships with people end up. This type of sociopath should be avoided at all cost; it might just save your life. These sociopaths are very good at blending in with society. The reason why is because they look normal. They are everywhere and they do normal things like me and you. They go to schools, live in homes, buy food, have families. There is a good chance one is your boss. Sociopaths tend to excel in positions of power and are very intelligent. It takes a long time to spot the difference because who's to say what normal really is, but If you look close enough you might be able to spot one.

American Wasteland

American Wasteland American Wasteland Food wastage is a common phenomenon in the United States. In the book American Wasteland, Jonathan Bloom explores the economic, as well as environmental, impacts of food wastage. In an extensive way, Bloom shows how much unused food is thrown away and what reasons are behind the large production of never eaten food, discovering the supply chain from field to the fridge in details. Indeed, the book is intriguing and shocking, especially to people, who never allow food wastage. The concepts in the book come as a warning to the psychological point of view, as most people take it for granted that food is always available. It acts as a wakeup call to reality from the general insensitiveness to food as a resource. Therefore, Bloom uses this riveting book to boost individual and collective responsibility in becoming more food conscious. As a big nation with high population, America tries to produce enough food in order to ensure food security of its citizens. The United States produces nearly 590 billion pounds of food annually. This amount is enough to feed the country sufficiently in that same year. However, it is shocking that approximately 160 billion pounds of food go to waste annually, because of peoples insensitivity. The figures come from the striking fact that nearly all disposed food is edible at the disposal time. The figures show the significance of individual contribution to the overall wastage. Indeed, on average, an individual discards edible food of approximately 197 pounds annually. What is worrying is the notable increase in the food disposal over the years. The Industrial Revolution and change in the lifestyle of the Americans over the past years have influenced food conservation and consciousness negatively. People migration away from the rural to urban areas is a substantial change in their lifestyle. Life in a rural area involves farming and production of ones own food. The urban movement, therefore, drew people from the agricultural life into a life of buying and eating final products. Today, many people are not conscious of the food value and the efforts that are made during the process of its production. Secondly, the hustle and bustle of life barely gives time for cooking and having meals at home. Eating out means that any food left in the house for some time spoils every day. Though the technology enables food storage, most people are quick to consider stored food bad, just according to the smell of the nose, which can often deceive. The increase in literacy and health awareness have also made many people too sensitive to food s poilage, because of the fact that it can be more pathogenic and cause diseases. The oversensitivity, therefore, means that an individual finds it more justifiable to throw food away. In contrast to increased food spoilage and food wastage, people should have become more conscious of a possibility when the supplier of food can become unreliable; hence, this will increase food preservation. The unavoidable food loss in the chain from food production to food consumption is understandable. Number of circumstances help to distinguish and define the responsibility of individuals in reducing food wastage; for example, natural food catastrophes, like harsh weather, disease outbreaks, or insect invasion. In other instances, some foodstuffs, such as banana, spoil easily after ripening, hence, become inedible. Other foods contain unusable parts, like peels, covers, bones, shells that are usually discarded because of inedibility. All the mentioned scenarios are a natural loss of food but not wastage. Effort to reduce unforeseen calamities in the production of food is welcome. This underscores the relevance of modern scientific researches and support to providing alternative plants that are more resistant and more stable to changing weathers. Introducing innovation in converting most parts of products that would have otherwise gone to waste will also increase the overall rate of p roducts utilization. Peoples lifestyle and mindset, as indicated earlier, are the contributory factors for the food wastage. Many foodstuffs, fit for consumption, go to waste in most homes, hotels, and groceries across the country today. This wastage stems from personal decisions of people, from the farmer to the final consumer, basing on their ethics (32). Notably, food will spoil if left for a long time, as spoilage is possible even in refrigerated food. Therefore, appliances, such as fridges, never should become dumping places. It is necessary to eat up all of the stored food instead of buying excessive amount of food and throwing it away latter. If eating out is unavoidable, it is reasonable to order clear and GMO free food. On the other hand, food stores or groceries should not be obsessed with ensuring fresh items in their shelves. Instead of discarding foodstuff from shelves to create space for fresh items, groceries can instead reduce the prices of edible though not very fresh items. This concept goes hand in hand with the psychological change that stayed food may be perfectly healthy and nutritious for consumption. The consequences of food wastage may not be easily noticeable, yet they play a crucial role in the environmental and economic influence. Most food types also go bad easily. For example, if a person eats half a banana and leaves it behind until evening, the banana spoils, and the person has to dispose it. The act of disposing of wasted food is particularly common, as the litter is common in most streets. This means that individuals have less time and pay less attention to perceive the effects of disposing food, such as foul smell. Rooting foodstuffs contribute considerable greenhouse gases, which pollutes the environment. Since, individuals buy foodstuffs, food wastage amounts to wasteful expenditure. Bloom explains (25) that the money spent on food, which end up in litterbin, would better be in a bank account. The trend of food insensitivity will cause imbalance in the future. As the population increases, the ratio of resources and food per person diminishes, leading to harmful level s, as Bloom warns. In conclusion, people should learn to avoid food wastage, since wastage has different negative effects. Food wastage is an expensive habit that has environmental effects. Therefore, it is essential that people learn to avoid throwing food. Foods in the fridges should be taken before they go rancid instead of going for eat out. It is also crucial to buy enough food, but not excess food left behind later. Stores that sell foodstuffs should not be too customer oriented to concentrate solely on fresh products. They should find means of reducing wastage of foodstuffs. These measures coupled with personal sensitiveness on the matter will eventually transform the nation into a non-food-wasting one.

Eternal Love Through Death Essay Example

Eternal Love Through Death Essay Example Eternal Love Through Death Paper Eternal Love Through Death Paper Essay Topic: Keats Poems and Letters Love, being one of the most debated topics in literature, often serves as a source of inspirations for many of writers and poets, including John Keats. Throughout his life, he wrote countless love poems and letters, addressing his lover – Fanny Brawne. The star, apart from being the symbol of steadfastness and constancy, it is also a metaphor representing Keats himself. Through Keats’ idea of â€Å"Mansion of life†, the poem is consisted of two floors where the first floor displays his passionate love for Brawne while the second floor talks about his inner desire for death. Keats first expresses his ideal, however paradoxical love. There are two essential yet conflicting qualities in this poem – the reality verses the ideal and the immortal verses the mortal. On one hand, he would like to be like a star, steadfast and unchanging. On the other, he dislikes the solitude of the star as it has to watch â€Å"the moving waters† and â€Å"the new soft-fallen mask/Of snow† from afar like a â€Å"sleepless Eremite†. He continues to state that if he â€Å"has to live ever†, he would rather â€Å"pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†. The ideas to be eternal and to love simultaneously do not go hand in hand. To love, one has to be human and therefore not an immortal, steadfast star. In the last line of the poem, Keats acknowledges that he would like to â€Å"live ever† in love, but he has to be human in order to experience love, which hints that the love between Keats and Brawne will not last and will eventually fade away as time goes by. The other possible alternative to immortalize their love is â€Å"swoon to death†. One of Keats’ letters from 3 May 1818 to Fanny Brawne echoes the idea of â€Å"swooning† and it says â€Å"†¦I love you; all I can bring you is a swooning admiration of your Beauty. †(Poet.  org) This can be interpreted that he wants to die while experiencing intense, ecstatic love or according to the letter, overwhelmed by her beauty. While I was reading Bright Star, I could not help but catch the similarity between Keats and Shakespeare’s idea of love. In the opening of Shakespeare’s sonnet 116, Shakespeare talks about his ideal love and marriage. Keats, being a reader of Shakespeare, is in some way affected or inspired by him. Shakespeare describes love as an â€Å"ever-fixed marks† that â€Å"is never shaken† even in the wildest storms. Keats transformed Shakespeare’s â€Å"ever-fixed† into steadfastness. Keats then moves on to talk about a more sexual and sensuous love. With more explicit descriptions of â€Å"my [his] fair love’s† body parts, those descriptions hint the idea of sex and orgasm. He imagines himself â€Å"pilliow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†. The word â€Å"ripening† gives a notion of youth, implicating that the lady is young and energetic. Keats also describes the rising and falling of her chest when she takes her â€Å"tender-taken breath†. If he could, he would â€Å"so live ever†. However, it is impossible to live forever and the only solution would be â€Å"swoon to death†. Keats did not explicitly tell the readers what it means to be â€Å"swoon to death† and leave us a lot of room for imaginations. The word â€Å"swoon† and other erotic images of the lady’s body parts bring us to the subtext of the poem – sex. La petite mort is a French idiom or euphemism for orgasm, meaning little death. According to Oxford Dictionaries, â€Å"swoon† means â€Å"to enter a state of ecstasy or rapture†. Whether he intended to talk about sex at the end of the poem is still indefinable as we have no idea of what Keats was thinking when he wrote the poem. Though Keats did not write any overly sexual poetry, there is always a strong erotic indication in many of his works. If the sexual subtext is intended in the poem, I believe that it creates a nice denouement to the poem. Keats’ obsession with death and his love for Fanny are intertwined seamlessly throughout the poem. In one of his letters, he states â€Å"I have two luxuries to brood over in my walks, your loveliness and the hour of my death† (Poet. org). Not only is Keats intimidated by death, to some extent he is also intrigued by it. Even though he is worried about the approaching death, to him the promise of death is comforting and soothing. The only resolution to achieve the paradoxical ideal of being eternal as well as experiencing love is death. Through death, immutability and steadfastness can be achieved. Keats has seen many people died in his lifetime. His father died when he was eight; his mother died from tuberculosis when he was 14; his brother Tom died also from tuberculosis when he was 19. Along with his family’s deaths, he has also seen a lot of patients died as he was also a medical student. Therefore, constantly seeing people die in a way reminds him of the transience and the mutability of life. There are some religious references in the second quatrain of the poem. All these references, other than conveying the loneliness and the solitude of the star, also illustrate his longing for the promising death. The poem was written in 1819, the same year when Keats contracted with tuberculosis. The word â€Å"ablution† is heavily loaded with connotations, both religion and about death. From the Oxford Dictionary, â€Å"ablution† refers to the washing or cleansing of the body†. In Christianity, there are different forms of ablution and one of them is the preparation before the burial of a dead person. Here Keats is hinting that his death is near and the priest will cleans his body after his death with â€Å"the moving waters†. Further Keats also mentions the â€Å"soft-fallen mask/Of snow† in the following two lines. Seasons always act as symbols of different stages of human life in literature. Spring refers to birth or new beginning; summer means maturity; autumn represents old age while winter symbolizes death. In line 7-8, with â€Å"the mountains and moors† covered in snow, such explicit image suggests that death is approaching. Though death is coming, Keats is not browbeaten. Yet, he is fascinated with death as it helps him to accomplish the co-existence of eternity and love. Bright Star is a poem that can be read on many different levels. To me, the poem is not merely a declaration of his ardent love for Fanny Brawne. It is also an expressive lyric poem addressing his awe as well as obsession with death. The main themes of the poem are smoothly woven together and this showcases Keats’ expressiveness and his wit. Keats, John. Bright Star. n. d.  poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/21012

Media, Culture, and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media, Culture, and Society - Essay Example Women had been limited to serve the family. Women, during Betty’s time period, were not allowed to find a male job (Curran 147). Second, Betty could choose to walk the uncharted and unfamiliar path. Betty decided to choose the less travelled road. Betty chose to be an engineer. Society during Betty’s time reserved the engineering jobs to the male members of society. Betty’s boss also believes that Betty’s place should be at home. Betty’s friends were strongly against Betty’s determination to become an engineer. Evidently, the story emphasizes that TV shows incorporate luminal and bardic functions of popular entertain as a cultural forum for people to espouse their agreement or disagreement on Women’s swerving away from their normal charted paths, like having men’s jobs (Curran 147). Question 2. Mass Media is cultural forum. Mass media facilitates discussion concerning its television shows (Lull 157). People see television shows, watch a movie, read newspapers, hear news, views, and music from the radio stations, and research the internet. All these are media outlets. Mass media is a powerful tool that can change the minds of the viewers or listeners. Father Knows Best focuses on a family that represents a minor group of families in the United States during the 1950’s era. ... Television brainwashes American Society to break away from tradition and go where no one has gone before. Consequently, the television show is considered a site of ideological contention, despite its attempts at ideological containment. The Father Knows Best television series espouses that family members must go out of their way to ensure the family is always happy, considered ideological containment. The television show creates a twist that makes the television viewers decide whether women and their families can go against tradition by allowing Betty to be an engineer, doing home chores and making babies. Mass media is espousing ideological containment because the television series, love boat caters to the television audience’s love cravings. The Love Boat television series creates a cultural forum among the television viewers as they discuss and defend their own opinions regarding The Love Boat issues. Question 3. Both Newcomb and Hirsch correctly espouse that television is a cultural forum (), where people debate issues shown in mass media’s television shows, being the government’s ideological apparatus or voice. The two authors insist that the television’s glaring messages normally influence or alter the television audiences’ current position on certain cultural issues (Edgerton 58). The television image of commercials portraying sexy women as beautiful creates loyalists and detractors of such â€Å"slender is in† concepts. The authors emphasize that the mass media, especially the television shows can make or break a person, family, or community. Consequently, people come together to discuss their viewpoints on the television shows, including the Father Knows Best television series. Mass media tries to make the people take a stand and to

File Sharing and Burning CDs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

File Sharing and Burning CDs - Essay Example He is now known as the media man. All the videos and movies in our circle of friends come from him. He writes freeware software for us, whenever we need any and then posts them to us. He has all the latest movies and videos that we could want. He however became very possessive about his computer system and didn’t allow others to enter without his permission. Once I tried to log on to his computer without his permission and there was an outbreak from him. He was really upset and called it ‘invasion of privacy’. I however apologized and explained that it was totally unintentional. This experienced opened up a new world of computers for me. Prior to this experience I had always considered computers as a tool which was used to perform work. The closeness that my cousin felt towards his computer created intrigue towards this feeling. I wanted to learn and understand this feeling. The first step was setting up a personal computer which was similar to my cousin’s, only less powerful. Using a fast internet connection I downloaded some movie and share them using torrents. It was indeed a magical experience. There were thousands of people who downloaded from my link and gave thank you notes. Some of them went ahead and asked for other movies which they really wanted to watch. I was flattered this experience gave me an insight into the personal side of file sharing. This practice does not only give you sense of purpose but also gives great joy. The reason for people to engage in this practice is indeed different for different people. Some share file just to earn money through advertisement. This is a hefty amount and many take it up as a full time job. Others however find it joyful to be of service to other and to be liked. It all depends on the psychological contract of individuals. The feeling of sharing and finding a connection with thousands of people all around the world is indeed priceless. Many people find it

Finding the Right College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finding the Right College - Essay Example The college provides various scholarships and grants that rate up to $10,000 a year. Hence my yearly college expense will be around $114,492. However, considering the high boarding charges, staying at home would reduce my yearly expenses by $11,780. Though the cost seems to be pretty high, a degree from a reputed institution would lead to a great future. Considering the value of a degree obtained from New York University, several openings are available all around the US. Being a graduate in Statistics, I have the choice of entering into medical research, business research or financial accounting. For a career in Statistics, the salary package ranges from $29,000 - $197,000. I have mentioned a few concerns that offer glossy salary: Smith Hanley Consulting Group, PharmaNet, ClinForce, McGrath Systems and Robert Half Finance & Accounting U.S. For a Statistician/Statistical Programmer at Smith Hanley Consulting Group and PharmaNet, the pay ranges from $50,000 - $70,000 per year. Being a biostatistician at ClinForce, I would eventually receive $65,000 in a short span. Hence staying at home, I would be able to pay my loan in a 10-year span with this salary. I could even consider being placed at McGrath Systems and Robert Half Finance & Accounting U.S.as Cost Research Analyst or Accountant. The pay ranges from $40,000 - $50,000 per year. All the jobs may enable me to pay back the loan in a 20-year plan if I consider staying at my relative’s residence during college. With research, I have found that acquiring just a degree in Statistics would not help me to land up in such high profile jobs.  

Public Opinion on Homosexuality and Marriage Essay

Public Opinion on Homosexuality and Marriage - Essay Example The crux of the homosexual debate revolves around the definition of marriage. The Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines â€Å"marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman for purposes of all federal laws, and provides that states need not recognize a marriage from another state if it is between persons of the same sex† (Chabot, p.8). In other words, marriage is restricted to a union between one man and one woman and same-sex marriage, even if it is recognized by one state is not recognized by the federal government and therefore federal benefits are denied to homosexuals. This Act has opened a can of worms. Those who support homosexual marriages argue on the basis of civil and religious freedom, financial viability and the principle of love. One writer argues that â€Å"the First Amendment of the Constitution clearly states that a person's religious views or lack thereof must be protected. Marriage by the state is a secular activity; the government cannot start making laws just because a religion says they should† (Messerli, 22 May 2009, p.1). In other words, one religious view should not dictate the view or lifestyle of another. Same-sex marriage is a matter of choice and the state has no right to deny homosexuals of this choice. Another argument states that â€Å"The right to marry the person that you love, have made a commitment to, and wish to live with for the rest of your life is a foundational human right† (Robinson, p.3). He also went on to quote a pamphlet by the National Gay and Lesbian Task which states that, "If legally marri ed, gay, lesbian and bisexual couples would have a greater ability to care for and protect their families.† The financial benefits the pamphlet named included joint tax returns, joint insurance policies for home, auto and health, automatic inheritance on death, secure workplace and other benefits such as annuities, pension plans, Medicare, etc.   

Economics of Sport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics of Sport - Essay Example Without this sports excitement, the league and the events would be dull and would not attract fans and customers. The uniqueness of the sports world lies in the fact that they develop their business on selling competition. One of the key features of the economics of sports is that the demand for its product is related to the uncertainty of the outcome (Garland, Malcom & Rowe, 2000). The league attempts to restrict competition so that no one team is able to gain too much market power or excessive dominance. If any team of professional team sports gains monopoly, it would cause the revenue to disappear altogether (Garland, Malcom & Rowe, 2000). There are many ways to measure competitive balances, the most frequently used metrics are standard deviation and win percentages of the teams for a given year, ratio of the actual to idealized standardized standard deviation of win percentages, ratio of top to bottom win percentages, the range of win percentages, the gini coefficient of win percentages and the excess tail frequencies (Zimbalist, 2004). It is assumed that fans have a strong preference of uncertainty of outcomes for the purpose of hopes and expectations. The best measure to use would be one to which consumers show most sensitivity (Zimbalist, 2004). In his book â€Å"Handbook of sports economics† (2006) Fizel explains that there are many measures of competitive balance, but their efficacy is still argued over. However the arguments over the relative efficacy are due to the inability to understand the distinction between the three main elements of competitive balance. remain at the top and those which are not remain at the bottom for long periods of time. Although it is widely agree that competitive balance is essential for keeping fans interested, it has also been viewed that in certain cases the home team’s performance has a significant impact on the attendance. This is in contrast to the hypotheses of uncertainty of outcome. This probability

Visual aesthetics in movie Once upon a time in the west, and Frida Essay

Visual aesthetics in movie Once upon a time in the west, and Frida - Essay Example In rare form, the films aesthetics skillfully incorporates Kahlo's paintings into real scenes, often focusing for several minutes on the slight differences between realized canvas and filmed reality. The visuals are one of the film's strongest points. The same fluid efficiency that the direction produces during the scenes focused on the interplay between paint and flesh impressively permeates the whole film. The camera work, lighting and costumes assist in producing the aesthetic visualizations of the film. Another part of the movie's visual aesthetic is the rather stilted animations that occur between certain scenes of the film. Borrowing images from Kahlo's work and almost always centered on death another very visible theme of the movie, these transitions are eerie and strangely powerful. A scene early in the film, when Rivera is proposing to Kahlo, he tells her that while he can never be faithful, he promises at least his loyalty. The film itself makes a similar promise to its audience, and while in one sense "Frida" isn't worthy of its subject, it always remains loyal to her aesthetics. The film's constant visual backdrop is of a new town in the process of being built in the middle of the desert, a town that will be called Sweetwater, due to its valuable water supply which will be an important way station for the comin

Public Opinion on Homosexuality and Marriage Essay

Public Opinion on Homosexuality and Marriage - Essay Example The crux of the homosexual debate revolves around the definition of marriage. The Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines â€Å"marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman for purposes of all federal laws, and provides that states need not recognize a marriage from another state if it is between persons of the same sex† (Chabot, p.8). In other words, marriage is restricted to a union between one man and one woman and same-sex marriage, even if it is recognized by one state is not recognized by the federal government and therefore federal benefits are denied to homosexuals. This Act has opened a can of worms. Those who support homosexual marriages argue on the basis of civil and religious freedom, financial viability and the principle of love. One writer argues that â€Å"the First Amendment of the Constitution clearly states that a person's religious views or lack thereof must be protected. Marriage by the state is a secular activity; the government cannot start making laws just because a religion says they should† (Messerli, 22 May 2009, p.1). In other words, one religious view should not dictate the view or lifestyle of another. Same-sex marriage is a matter of choice and the state has no right to deny homosexuals of this choice. Another argument states that â€Å"The right to marry the person that you love, have made a commitment to, and wish to live with for the rest of your life is a foundational human right† (Robinson, p.3). He also went on to quote a pamphlet by the National Gay and Lesbian Task which states that, "If legally marri ed, gay, lesbian and bisexual couples would have a greater ability to care for and protect their families.† The financial benefits the pamphlet named included joint tax returns, joint insurance policies for home, auto and health, automatic inheritance on death, secure workplace and other benefits such as annuities, pension plans, Medicare, etc.   

Visual aesthetics in movie Once upon a time in the west, and Frida Essay

Visual aesthetics in movie Once upon a time in the west, and Frida - Essay Example In rare form, the films aesthetics skillfully incorporates Kahlo's paintings into real scenes, often focusing for several minutes on the slight differences between realized canvas and filmed reality. The visuals are one of the film's strongest points. The same fluid efficiency that the direction produces during the scenes focused on the interplay between paint and flesh impressively permeates the whole film. The camera work, lighting and costumes assist in producing the aesthetic visualizations of the film. Another part of the movie's visual aesthetic is the rather stilted animations that occur between certain scenes of the film. Borrowing images from Kahlo's work and almost always centered on death another very visible theme of the movie, these transitions are eerie and strangely powerful. A scene early in the film, when Rivera is proposing to Kahlo, he tells her that while he can never be faithful, he promises at least his loyalty. The film itself makes a similar promise to its audience, and while in one sense "Frida" isn't worthy of its subject, it always remains loyal to her aesthetics. The film's constant visual backdrop is of a new town in the process of being built in the middle of the desert, a town that will be called Sweetwater, due to its valuable water supply which will be an important way station for the comin

People of different races, immigrate to a different country Essay Example for Free

People of different races, immigrate to a different country Essay What are the feelings of those exiles? Many people immigrate out of their country of origin to a different country everday. Whilst some may feel excited at the prospect of discovering a new World, others may feel alienated and strange about their new environment. In the poems Search for my Tongue and Island Man, the poets Sujata Bhatt and Grace Nichols talk about their feelings towards immigration and what they felt when they experienced a great change of culture and environment in their lifes. This essay will analyse how both poets make their feelings apparent throughout their poems. The first poem is Grace Nichols Island Man, her use of colours can show what she feels about both the Carribean and London. Nichols uses colour to reflect Island mans feelings in the poem ; she uses the words dull and grey to describe London. But in contrast she calls the Carribean Island Mans small emerald island, to show how precious the island is to Island Man, like an actual emerald diamond. She compares Island Mans life in London with his life in the Carribean. She also makes clear where Island Man would rather be. This is shown through Nicholss choice of words defiantly and heaves. It suggests the difficulty in which Island Man has to drag himself out of Bed after dreaming about his Homeland. How angry he feels when the sun surfaces defiantly to disturb his dreams. Another word that proofs shows how Island Man feels about london is another, its is used in the context that it suggests a never ending chain of days which are routine to Island Man. It aslo suggests a growing sense of boredom Island Man feels with his daily dull and gray surrounds. These colours bring up an image of grey concrete floors, a surge of wheels, a metaphor which refers to the small compact cars of today in the grey metallic soar, another metaphor used to describe Londons futuristicness. Nichols also used repetition on the words come back to add emphasis on how island man always returns to the harsh reality of London. The effect Nichols is trying to create of her imagery of both ther Carribean are so that she can illustrate an image of London and an image of the Carribean, in which the differences are greater than the personalities. The Carribean is described as the ideal place to live, quiet fishermen going out to sea the sounds of wild seabirds and the sound of the gentle breaking and wombing of the sea in his head. Usually, for many people the sounds of steady sea is associated with calmness and serenenity, relaxing and quiet. It is apparent which Island Man would choose. When the image contrasts are that of a dull and depressing London Day surrounded by more dull and grey concrete buildings, and the bright and beautiful Caribbean Island, it is clear that Island Man, and therefore Nichols prefers the Carribean, and feels happier living in the Carribean. Another poem in which the theme of immigration, culture and identity is apparent is the poem written by Sujata Bhatt, Search for my tongue. In this Poem, Bhatt spoke of her struggle to fit in, in her new Home in America. She also speaks of her fear of losing her roots in India. Search for my tongue is a personal and emotional poem about losing ones language and identity. It is about her own experience and her initial grief of having lost a part of herself that was a key of who she saw herself. In the first part of the poem, the writer explores the idea of having two tongues in your mouth. The word tongue can refer to both the body organ which we use for speech, and the language we speak with it. She includes this ambiguous word in her title, suggesting that she lost her ability to talk the language she used before her arrival in the new country. I ask you, what you would do if you had two tongues in your mouth is used to include the reader in her poem, to make the reader feel empathetic of her situation. She talks about how problems arise when speaking her mother tongue in an environment where the foreign tongue is used so frequently that the mother tongue will rot and die in your mouth from no use. The third part of the poem is an extended metaphor, written in Gujurati. This can be to show how hard it is living in a country where you couldnt speak or read the language. She uses the words rot, die and spit frequently, to emphasise how negative Bhatt felt about having lost her tongue. Bhatt uses these strong words to show the strong feelings of loss she felt at that time of identity crisis. She also adds an anglicised transcript to indicate sounds of the gujurati words, to help you read it. It also shows how the two tongues are different. Which adds more emphasis on how Bhatt felt because it shows the great difference between the languages. This explains what she ment when she had said you could not use both of them together even if you thought that way., because their difference would make it hard for people to speak both languages together. The last part of the poem is by far the most interesting part, it is the part where Bhatt describes her dream in which her mother tongue buds out of her mouth and pushes the other tongue aside. This fact is also supported as the Gujurati is positioned at the core with English either side of it. This demonstrates that the English and Gujurati language are able to function together in the poem, and therefore are able to function together in her life. She put the Gujurati language in the core of the Poem to show that it is the center of her culture, and as if the gujurati really did push the english language aside. She did this show that both tongues can work together, contradicting her earlier statement about how they couldnt work together even if you thought that way. As Bhatt describes rediscovering her lost tongue, feelings of Joy are very apparent. She describes her tongue to bud out of her mouth, like a Flower, she talks about how it grows strong veins that will help it implant itself in her mouth. Her mother tongue blossoms out of her mouth, after re-growing from a stump. Her ending, Everytime I think Ive forgotten, I think Ive lost the mother tongue, it blossoms out of my mouth, leaves a positive imprint on the readers minds, because at the end, she did find that even when she felt she was losing herself, she knew she can never really forget her culture. As comparison to both, in each poem, alienation and cultural identity is the main theme. Both poets use startling imagery to illustrate their point and get their feelings across. In Island Man Nichols talks about how he seems to dream of his small emerald island, and in Search for my Tongue, Bhatt discovers her true culture is brought alive in her dreams. This suggests that even though both writers felt that they have lost their culture completley, in their subconscious dreams it always returns. The similarities occur in both poems. To conclude, both Bhatt and Nichols have clearly shown their feelings about immigration and about their new and strange surroundings they have to live in, and how they have to change to adapt to them. This change ment to Bhatt that her mother tongue slowly dwindles until she feels she cant speak it anymore. Nichols Island Man being forced to spent his live in a country he doesnt like, after dreaming of his homeland the Carribean. In my opinion, both poets semi-autobiographies tell alot about all the negative feelings people may harbour towards immigration. Since such a big part of this Country has at some point of their or their Parents live have lived in a whole different country. It shows the people who have lived here all their life how it felt to lose something so precious, it is described a tongue in Bhatts poem and an emerald in Nicholss. The themes of cultural and personal identity were apparent throughout both poems and both poets had put their feelings across for the reader to understand. The idea of identity crisis is also beautifully potrayed by both writers, and in the end the motive of the poems was put across to show the reader how it really feels to lose something that identifies you with yourself.

Implementation of a Remote Access Water Laboratory

Implementation of a Remote Access Water Laboratory   Introduction As information and communication technologies rapidly advance, so too does the spectrum of resource used in the field of education. One such resource is the use of online learning material and remote access laboratories for distance learning courses. One of the hallmarks of a distance learning course is the separation of teacher and learner in space and/or time, allowing the learner self-paced study at convenient times, and locations [1], [2]. Since its inception, distance learning has become a powerful tool for students in pursuit of education [4]. Context of Project The Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) at Loughborough University is the largest and leading sustainable energy research centre in the UK, it has overseen the research and development of the most progressive renewable energy technologies [6]. The centre was the first in the UK to offer a postgraduate degree programme in the field of renewable energy systems technology, along with its innovative distance learning adaptation [6]. Laboratory exercises play a critical role in the education of science and engineering [11], it is important for effective distance learning courses to provide a hands-on laboratory experience [12]. Due to the influence of information, communication and computational technologies; remote labs are considered one of the five major shifts in engineering education over the past 100 years they have the capacity to provide a hands-on experience for distance learning students with significant advantages in accessibility, availability and safety [20], [21]. Problem Statement Figure 1-1 outlines the scope of the project. Water power has been exploited by human beings for many centuries; early water wheels driven by rivers or tides were used to grind wheat or drive machinery. As technologies matured and with the advent of electricity, water wheels had become water turbines designed to generate electricity from the energy stored within the water resource [8]. Over 70% of the earths surface is covered by water, with such a vast resource potential the importance of studying water turbines becomes apparent [9]. The current distance learning laboratory assessment for the Water Power module suggests the use of a simulation software to model a water turbine under different conditions; this is not sufficient for understanding the physical behaviour of the turbine as simulation labs can only produce preprogrammed results [4]. A remote lab utilises a software that allows students to gain experimental data using real instruments set in a lab on-campus using only a PC with the aid of the internet [7]. For distance learning students to gain a truer understanding of water turbine behaviour, it is proposed that the on-campus laboratory be modified for use as a remote lab. Aims and Objectives The aim of this project is to design a system that can be used in conjunction with the on-campus axial water turbine instrumentation, allowing remote access and control of the lab for distance learning students. The main objectives to facilitate this aim are outlined below: Identify the dynamic, controllable elements of the on-campus laboratory instrumentation. Design and build a system by which the dynamic elements can be controlled. Implement a method by which this system can be remotely accessed through the Learn server. Integrate the system with the current software used for the laboratory. Literature Review Remote Laboratories Introduction For 20 years remote access laboratories have been used in science and engineering education though they have since greatly impacted pedagogy in these fields, their potential in support of distance learning courses and the student autonomous learning experience has yet to be fully realised [10], [11], [15], [16]. Definition It can be difficult to assert what remote laboratories encompass as definitions provided in the literature are at times inconsistent [10]. A clear definition of remote laboratories will be established in the context of this project in order to avoid ambiguity. A remote laboratory is the framework that enables students to carry out a laboratory experiment, using real instruments, through the medium of the internet; eliminating the time and space constraints imposed by hands-on laboratories [14], [17]. Building Blocks There are four critical building blocks that form the foundations of a remote laboratory these must be well understood in order to achieve the desired aim [12]: Scheduling: Distance learning courses necessitate the flexibility of allowing students to decide when the can fit labs into their schedule. Remote-Access: It is necessary that the students can make a secure connection to the lab environment The Operating Environment: It is essential that the user interface of the system is easy to use and understand. Laboratory Assignment: The student must realise the aim of the lab and subsequently make the connection between theory and application. In Distance Learning Remote laboratories offer a very high level of flexibility, with access usually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; meeting the needs of distance learning courses [10].   According to certain studies; remote labs have been as effective and had a comparable impact on students to hands-on labs [26]. Remote laboratories are not free of short comings; they require space, devices, and maintenance at times even greater than hands-on laboratories [13]. They are also designed as single-user applications; this removes the elements of interaction that hands-on laboratories offer. Other Laboratory Methods Simulated Laboratories Simulated laboratories; usually justified by their cost effectiveness and spatial advantages, have been shown to inspire cognitive thinking by allowing students greater freedom to explore and experiment [18], [19], [23], [24]. This however comes with its disadvantages; simulated laboratories are usually designed as single-user applications, subsequently isolating the students. Simulated laboratories are shown to not be equal in their standard across institutions [22]. Though they serve well in some cases; they are not an adequate substitute for hands-on laboratories, as they do not provide the range of possibilities produced when manipulating physical matter the results produced are preprogrammed [4]. Hands-on Laboratories Hands-on Laboratories have been shown to be a corner stone in engineering education as engineering students identify themselves as being essentially practical [25]. The results gathered from conducting a hands-on experiment provide natural results, and in this regard are far superior to those of simulated laboratories. Though the benefits of hands-on laboratory experiments are clear; disadvantages are also present. Laboratory management can be expensive, equipment requires regular maintenance and qualified staff are needed to supervise experiments [13]. The constraints of accessibility and availability render hands-on laboratory sessions impractical for distance learning students [20]. Conclusions Remote laboratories utilise software allowing students to gain experimental data using real instruments set in a lab on-campus using only a PC with the aid of the internet [7]. This allows the students to gain practical results from experimentation, eliminating the disadvantages of simulated labs while retaining its advantages. Proposed Methodology Figure 3-1 represents the overall approach that will be taken for this project. Figure 3-1 Overview of Methodology for Project Proposed Deliverables The final deliverable will be in the form of a completed system having integrated both hardware and software and having met the following requirements as shown in Table 4-1. Table 4-1 Requirements for System # Requirements Explanation 1 Easy to Use The system must be easy to access through the Learn server with an intuitive, and simplistic user interface. This allows the student to interact with the software without any great difficulty. 2 Easy to Maintain The system should have easy access points in case of failure parts should be replaceable. 3 Durable The system should have a high finish with sufficient build quality to last several years. 4 Reliable The system should have minimal components and moving parts, this reduces the chance of failure of the system as a whole. Projected Resource Requirements The projected resource requirements are shown in Table 5-1 below. Table 5-1 Projected Resource Requirements Hardware Requirements Software Requirements Technical Expertise MyRIO Hardware Package LabVIEW Electronics Understanding Electric Motors AutoCAD LabVIEW Competency Exterior Machined Parts Engineering Workshop Cost: The maximum cost of the hardware is expected to be in the region of  £600. Software should incur not cost. The maximum cost of machining of parts is expected to be in the region of  £400 Total maximum cost will approximate  £1000. References Perraton H. A theory for distance education. Prospects. 1981 Mar;11(1):13-24. Perreault H, Waldman L, Alexander M, Zhao J. Overcoming barriers to successful delivery of distance-learning courses. Journal of Education for Business. 2002 Jul;77(6):313-8. Cropley AJ, Kahl TN. Distance education and distance learning: Some psychological considerations. Distance Education. 1983 Mar;4(1):27-39. Hamza MK, Alhalabi B, Hsu S, Larrondo-Petrie MM, Marcovitz DM. Remote labs. Computers in the Schools. 2002 Dec;19(3-4):171-90. Feisel, L.D. and Rosa, A.J. (2005) The role of the laboratory in undergraduate engineering education, Journal of Engineering Education, 94(1), pp. 121-130. doi: 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2005.tb00833.x. Loughborough. Loughborough University. [place unknown: publisher unknown]. Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology [cited 2017 Feb 21]. Available from:. Sancristobal E, Castro M, Martin S, Tawkif M. Remote Labs as Learning Services in the Educational Arena. Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON). 2011. Duckers L, Watson S. Water Power 1. 1st ed. Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology: Loughborough University; [date unknown]. Oceanic N, Administration A. [place unknown: publisher unknown]. How much water is in the ocean?; 2013 Jun 1 [cited 2017 Feb 22]. Available from: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanwater.html. Gomes L, Bogosyan S. Current trends in remote laboratories. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. 2009 Dec;56(12):4744-56. Cooper M, Ferreira JMM. Remote laboratories extending access to science and engineering curricular. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies. 2009 Oct;2(4):342-53. Rigby S, Dark M. Designing a Flexible, Multipurpose Remote Lab for the IT Curriculum. Proceeding SIGITE 06 Proceedings of the 7th conference on Information technology education. 2006 Oct 19:161-4. Bochicchio MA, Longo A. Hands-on remote labs: Collaborative web laboratories as a case study for IT engineering classes. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies. 2009 Oct;2(4):320-30. Hua J, Ganz A. Web enabled remote laboratory (r-lab) framework. InFRONTIERS IN EDUCATION CONFERENCE 2003 Nov 5 (Vol. 1, pp. T2C-8). STIPES. Gravier C, Fayolle J, Bayard B, Ates M, Lardon J. State of the art about remote laboratories paradigms-foundations of ongoing mutations. International Journal of Online Engineering. 2008 Feb 18;4(1):http-www. Trevelyan J. Lessons learned from 10 years experience with remote laboratories. InInternational Conference on Engineering Education and Research 2004 Jun 27 (Vol. 11, p. 2007). Garcà ­a-Zubà ­a J, Là ³pez-de-Ipià ±a D, Orduà ±a P. Evolving towards better architectures for remote laboratories: a practical case. International Journal of Online Engineering, Special Issue REV. 2005 Nov 8. Corter JE, Esche SK, Chassapis C, Ma J, Nickerson JV. Process and learning outcomes from remotely-operated, simulated, and hands-on student laboratories. Computers Education. 2011 Nov 30;57(3):2054-67. Balamuralithara B, Woods PC. Virtual laboratories in engineering education: The simulation lab and remote lab. Computer Applications in Engineering Education. 2009 Mar 1;17(1):108-18. Marques MA, Viegas MC, Costa-Lobo MC, Fidalgo AV, Alves GR, Rocha JS, Gustavsson I. How remote labs impact on course outcomes: Various practices using VISIR. IEEE Transactions on Education. 2014 Aug;57(3):151-9. Froyd JE, Wankat PC, Smith KA. Five major shifts in 100 years of engineering education. Proceedings of the IEEE. 2012 May;100(Special Centennial Issue):1344-60. Budhu M. Virtual laboratories for engineering education. InInternational Conference on Engineering Education 2002 Aug 18 (pp. 12-18). Manchester, UK. Pyatt K, Sims R. Learner performance and attitudes in traditional versus simulated laboratory experiences. ICT: Providing choices for learners and learning. Proceedings ascilite Singapore. 2007 Sep:870-9. Powell RM, Anderson H, Van der Spiegel J, Pope DP. Using webà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ based technology in laboratory instruction to reduce costs. Computer Applications in Engineering Education. 2002 Jan 1;10(4):204-14. Edward NS. The role of laboratory work in engineering education: student and staff perceptions. International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education. 2002 Jan;39(1):11-9. Corter JE, Nickerson JV, Esche SK, Chassapis C. Remote versus hands-on labs: A comparative study. InFrontiers in Education, 2004. FIE 2004. 34th Annual 2004 Oct 20 (pp. F1G-17). IEEE.

Shabanu Essay :: essays research papers

Shabanu Essay In the novel Shabanu, by Suzanne Fisher Staples, women are portrayed in two distinct ways: obedient and rebellious. The obedient women would include Phulan, Mama, and Auntie. Rebellious women would consist of Sharma, Fatima, and, of course, Shabanu. The protagonist Shabanu, portrays herself as a rebellious woman. Shabanu constantly disobeys her father. In the beginning of the novel, Shabanu attempts to retrieve her camel Mithoo so he will not be harmed by Tipu, another camel. Dadi tells her No several times but she insists. Dadi is furious, ?Don?t ever disobey me? (27). Dadi shakes her so hard that her head flies back and fourth. Shabanu gets home and while she is making chapaties Auntie says to her, ?Shabanu, you are wild as the wind, you must learn to obey. Otherwise?I am afraid for you? (28). Another example of Shabanu?s rebelliousness is when she throws water on the landlord. Nazir Muhammad and his men say the want to ?claim? Shabanu and her sister, Phulan. Shabanu becomes disgusted and decides to throw her head forward, causing the water jug on her head to spill over the embankment and Nazir Muhammad. Sharma, Shabanu?s aunt, is a very rebellious woman as well. Sharma is described as bold, ?Most men don?t like her and are afraid of her? (98). Sharma cares about Shabanu and tries to look out for her. Although Sharma had no intentions of causing Shabanu danger, she gave her some very dangerous advice. ?You try to make him happy so he can?t bare to be away from you a single moment. If he treats you badly, come stay with us? (209). Auntie, unlike Sharma and Shabanu, portrays an obedient woman, with morals. Auntie is traditional, and often criticizes Mama for having no sons in the family. ?If God had blessed you with sons, we wouldn?t have to break our fingers over wedding dresses? (3). Auntie looks down on Shabanu for being ?boy like?. ?A young lady shouldn?t go with her headdress uncovered. You?re too old to act like a boy? (33). Mama is obedient as well. Mama slaps Shabanu as a consequence to non-traditional views. Mama accepts that Dadi takes care of the ?manly? problems such as the selling of the camels. Being the man, Dadi also takes care of the dangerous situations, like getting grandpa after the sandstorm.

braces Suck! :: essays research papers

"Braces Suck!" One out of three children or teenagers will have to live, at one point, as a prisoner of their own dentist. Teenagers are faced with zit and acne wars during the stages of puberty and braces add additional torture to this already hellish time to both parent and child. A life with braces is far more embarrassing, painful, and expensive than living with buck-teeth, gaps, or overlapping teeth. Mental scars remain long after cuts and bloody sores in the mouth have healed. These metal-like plates come with a long list of insults and nicknames. All through school one can expect to be called brace-face, Jaws and metal mouth just to name a few. The 'orthodontically' challenged are always the center of electricity and lip-locking jokes. The dentist's office is also a source of embarrassment. Most offices are filled with other patients and operating rooms are easily accessible making it easy for others to watch the pain and embarrassment the patient has to goes through. If one should forget to brush their teeth before their visit, they will regrettably become immortal as the doctor announces the left-over remains of a Turkey and Cheese sandwich stuck between the molars. Braces become a constant source of embarrassment. Braces are three to four years of physical torture beginning with the very first office visit. The applying of the brackets itself is long, tiresome, and uncomfortable. First, cold, flavored clay is shoved into the inside of the mouth, forming a mold as it dries. Jagged metal squares (brackets) are glued to the tooth, forcing hot, burning, glue to drip down the gums. Braces also cause everyday aches and pains in the mouth. Metal wires, guiding teeth to a new shape, stab the inside of the mouth causing cuts and sores while tearing the linings of the mouth each time a person's mouth opens. Rubber bands that are strung across each of the brackets pull and stretch teeth until gums are painful and sore. Being born with imperfect teeth can be painful†¦trust me! Braces hurt parents' wallets well after the metal and glue is scraped and chiseled off. Payments while braces are being worn are unbelievable. The average cost of braces today is around 10 thousand dollars.

Cultural Sensivity Essay

The manner in which color is employed in an international context is a significant factor which is frequently maltreated or neglected by the developers of Web sites and instructional material. What is more, its application is even more complicated due to the notion that perception of color is conditioned not merely by one’s physical competence to see it. It is even more important for a designer to understand the meaning of a color in terms of cultural preferences. Following are some recommendations in regards to the world’s attitudes toward the basic colors. So, the developer of a site oriented on an international viewer should keep in mind that blue is the best-tolerated color worldwide. Blue is one of the colors that is unobjected in the majority of ethnical traditions. Therefore, a designer can employ it for all sorts of sites, no matter what its audience, purpose, or placement are. In regards to the pleasant perception of this color specialists state that on our planet you cannot find anything that would be isolated from the surroundings – that is, excluding the sky. This may be the cause for prevailing religious beliefs place their deity somewhere above, while evil usually resides under the ground. There is a group of colors that possess somewhat indistinct characteristics and meanings. Among those one should mention pink. When developing sites for citizens of East India, it is recommended to avoid pale version of this color for the reason that male audience consider it as having a feminine attribute. In some states, on the other hand, representatives of both genders favor pastels; the perfect example is Japan. But the most important category for the designer to remember is the group of unsafe colors. The most noteworthy example is purple, which is received negatively in all around the world. Catholic-dominated countries, for example, have this color as a representation of death and crucifixion. Moreover, it symbolizes mystical teachings and practices that oppose the tenets of Christianism, Judaism and Muslimism. It is crucial for instructional designers to realize that all material is unseparatable from culture. Thus, Web site developers must take some special aspects of culture like, for example, color preferances, and integrate them into the project in order to create culturally sensitive presentation. Reference List 1. Design at Work Leaning Network. (April 2003). A brief introduction to information design. Retrieved on February 23, 2007, from http://http://www. christiania. edu/iforum/iforum/ePaper_no_4_3003. pdf.

Hunger in America

****** Willingham M. Handran English 112 Hunger in America We live in a nation where a large percentage of its inhabitants suffer from economic hardship and are left with no other option but to pick and choose between certain necessities over other fundamental needs due to a lack of financial resources. Many of these people are forced into having to choose between taking their life-saving medications or being able to eat for that day, while others simply have no choice at all.These people simply have no other choice but go hungry despite the copious amounts of food produced in this nation. Some of the primary factors responsible for this heartbreaking predicament stem from a lack of consistent public awareness outside of the quick fix Band-Aid approach during Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday food drives and other short-term feeding campaigns coupled with an inadequate job market for both the unemployed and the underemployed which causes poverty.Insufficient and inconsistent charita ble donations to assist those in need are also contributing factors along with the physical and financial barriers which prevent general access to food to a large population of children, the elderly and the disabled. Another high profile reason for this wide spread problem is due to the direct relationship between the increase in the cost of fuel and how it affects the price of food. Hunger is an equal opportunity destructive force which gives no preference to sex, age, race, religion or educational background.Food insecurities in the United States alone affect an outrageous percentage of citizens in the world’s most affluent nation, afflicting millions of Americans on a daily basis. Hunger in America is neither widely acknowledged nor highly publicized due to the fact that the United States is the world’s wealthiest nation. In light of the facts as stated by our government’s Department of Agriculture and in the minds of all hungry persons in this country, Ameri ca should be recognized as being the world’s most wasteful and irresponsible nation on earth.The United States disposes of billions of pounds of high-quality edible food every single year. Hunger in America is an egregious and inexplicable indictment against our society, and it has created an environment of extreme hardship and suffering that is completely inexcusable in a land where hunger should not even exist and where something more must be done to alleviate hunger in our great nation. Our Citizen’s Health and Sustenance We live in the world’s wealthiest and most plentiful country, yet almost 15 percent of U. S. amilies, about 49 million Americans, including 16. 2 million children struggle to acquire sustenance (Bread for the World). About 15 percent of the American population find themselves struggling at varying degrees from day to day in order to provide food for themselves and their families. Why, in the midst of plenty, are people forced to go without b asic necessities? Tens of millions of Americans are directly affected by this silent plague known as the American hunger crisis which is directly proportional to the level of poverty existing in the United States.As a matter of fact, â€Å"The nation’s official poverty rate in 2010 was 15. 1 percent, up from 14. 3 percent in 2009†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Income, Poverty and Health Insurance in the United States: 2010). These proximate percentages between hunger and poverty blatantly illustrate the relationship between the two. Without poverty, hunger doesn’t exist. In the discussion of poverty and hunger, inevitabilities such as food, healthcare, basic and adequate shelter, utilities and transportation expenses are severely limited and some of these necessities are either cut back drastically, or they are simply inaccessible.One might have enough money to feed their family, but not have the ability to pay for their children’s health expenses or clothing. â€Å"The numbe r of people without health insurance coverage rose from 49. 0 million in 2009 to 49. 9 million in 2010†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Income, Poverty and Health Insurance in the United States: 2010). The vast number of people without health insurance is simply another statistic where the figures are obviously too much of a similarity to be justified as mere coincidence.Without their health, how can any American citizen be expected to obtain, much less maintain an adequate paying job and continue to be able to provide sustenance for themselves and their families? Regarding jobs, for a significant number of Americans, the U. S. labor market is not very efficient and doesn’t work as a reliable way to create a steady career to provide for their families (Bread for the World). The job market in the United States has continued to remain stagnant with an unemployment rate that has surpassed eight percent since February 2009, and it has been projected that the very same percentage is oing to exist i n our country until 2014 (Understanding and Responding to Persistently High Unemployment). When the unemployment rate is coupled with the rate of underemployment, those who are employed only part-time but possessing the skills necessary for full-time employment, the percentage of food insecure individuals more than doubled. People that are having a hard time finding full-time work, and those who are willing and able to work, but who have been discouraged from searching so long has risen to 17. percent in the month of September 2010 (Record Underemployment Devastates American Workers). Far too many people are in desperate need of both food and full-time employment. Hunger in America – Hidden in Plain Sight Not only is it extremely disconcerting and an indictment against the government at both the federal and state levels, but it’s also a direct reflection of American society in general that the issue of hunger in America has not been given the recognition or public awar eness that is warranted for such a national and catastrophic epidemic.While there are organizations and individuals that continue to bring this concern into the light of the public eye, it is still neither adequate nor consistent enough to bring a broad awareness to our current hunger plight in this country. Members of Bread for the World continue to write letters to members of Congress to emphasize the severity of this situation hoping that those with the political power and clout will actually do something (Bread for the World). Many American children are at risk because they have not been recognized as being the victims of this national disaster which is American hunger (Lichter et al, 97).While there is promising news on the war against hunger, there are many more battles to be won. The House of Representatives recently passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act which was signed into law on December 13, 2010 by President Barrack Obama (Advocacy). This legislation authorized the fu nding and set the policy for the United States Department of Agriculture’s primary child nutrition programs (Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act). This is definitely a step in the right direction but much more must be done.For example, becoming an advocate for individuals suffering from food insecurity is critical to fighting hunger because it offers many ways to become active not only in important public policy issues of the day, but also within our communities (Advocacy). More focused and stringent efforts from the public and private sectors are necessary to keep this critical issue in the arena of public awareness since a large majority of the American population is completely unaware of the reality that almost 50 million of their neighbors, friends, family and coworkers suffer daily from this silent epidemic.Single Mothers and Others Among the several millions of people that do suffer from food insecurity in America, there are certain groups of people from distressed backgrounds that tend to deal with much more pressure than others when it comes to hunger and poverty. Fathers all over our nation are deserting their partners and children. In merely three decades, the percent of children living without their fathers increased from 17 percent to 36 percent, more than doubling the number ( Popenoe, 33). As disturbing as it may seem, the percentage that exists today continues to grow.Young developing children and their struggling mothers that strive to endure the difficulties of life without a father in the home or with an estranged father who doesn’t pay child support has resulted in huge numbers of women and children to be left in great need of financial aid. In fact, single mother families are the group of citizens that are most at risk. Their numbers are rapidly growing, and they are becoming the poorest segment of the population in the country (Dodson, 109). Many of the worst tragedies in situations like these are the children that go to bed without enough to eat at night.Millions of children are left to sit in hunger and are helpless because their guardians cannot provide an adequate amount of food for their nourishment. In fact, one in five children or 20 percent suffered from hunger in the year 2000. That was ten million children. Even worse, three million of those children underwent an even more stomach wrenching hunger predicament where they had no other choice but to eat even less and were forced to skip meals due to a lack of food (Food First). A major contributing factor that has had a direct negative impact on these families is the seemingly ever increasing cost of fuel or access to energy.Whenever the price of oil and gas increases, every aspect of our economy is affected. The worst of which is the increase in the cost of food. Beginning with the farmers who require fuel to operate their tractors and other farm equipment along with oil-based pesticides and other chemicals needed for large crop production, this is jus t the beginning (Heinberg ). As manufacturers require energy to produce food for public consumption, they must increase their costs of production to cover the extra energy expense.The large semi-trucks that deliver those food products have to pay more for fuel, and the grocery store is forced to increase their prices in order to remain in business (Gas Prices Start to Affect Food Prices). While single mother families are at the top of the food insecure pyramid, another group of individuals is suffering just as much. These people are our senior citizens and the disabled who must survive on fixed incomes, the majority of whom depend solely on the federal government through social security payments they receive along with certain entitlement programs if they qualify (Sepulvado).Furthermore, the fact that the United States of America disposes of over 100 billion pounds of editable food annually is an ignominious slap in the face to the masses of hungry American citizens (Hunger In Ameri ca). Hunger in America – Conclusion Alleviating hunger in America may be a disheartening and seemingly overwhelming task, but there is an untold and extremely underpublicized confidence among many public and private organizations and individuals that it is possible with persistence and dedication. The facts are clear. Approximately 50 million American citizens suffer from a lack of food.In our politically correct society, the phrase ‘food insecure’ was adopted as a more palatable euphemism to avoid and hide the harsh reality that the wealthiest nation on earth is filled with millions of desperately hungry people, over 16 million of whom are children. Lack of consistent public awareness, inadequate government funding and insufficient charitable contributions, the unemployment and underemployment rates and the increasing costs of fuel are all contributing factors that continue to feed the national disgrace of American hunger.There are quotes from famous individuals concerning hunger that seem fitting to include and conclude this research. â€Å"Most of our citizenry believes that hunger only affects people who are lazy or people who are just looking for a handout, people who don’t want to work, but, sadly, that is not true. Over one-third of our hungry people are innocent children who are members of households that simply cannot provide enough food or proper nutrition. And to think of the elderly suffering from malnutrition is just too hard for most of us. UnlikeThird World nations, in our country the problem is not having too little – it is about not caring enough! Write your elected representatives and promote support for the hungry. â€Å"-Erin Brokovich. Another quote from the most iconic civil rights leader in the United States said this: â€Å"Why should there be hunger and deprivation in any land, in any city, at any table, when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic nec essities of life? There is no deficit in human resources. The deficit is in human will. â€Å"-Martin Luther King, Jr.The 32nd President of the United States said this about hunger: â€Å"But while they prate of economic laws, men and women are starving. We must lay hold of the fact that economic laws are not made by nature. They are made by human beings. †-Franklin D. Roosevelt. This final quote comes from a woman who many would claim was the most selfless individual in our lifetime: â€Å"When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed. -Mother Teresa. Hunger in America is an incomprehensible condemnation against our nation. This social injustice directly inflicts extreme hardship upon millions of Americans and causes unnecessary and completely avoidable suffering simply because we as individuals and federal and state agencies are poor stewards of the food resources which we have in an abundant supply; yet we deliberately dispose of billions of pounds of good edible food which is more than enough to alleviate hunger in the most prosperous and the most powerful country on earth.Works Cited â€Å"Advocacy. † Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Bread for the World: Have Faith. End Hunger. â€Å"U. S. Hunger†Ã¢â‚¬  Homepage. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. . Dodson, Lisa. â€Å"Chapter 5. † Lost Fathers. By Cynthia R. . Daniels. New York: St. Martin's, 1998. Print. Food First. â€Å"Ch. 1. † Poverty: Opposing Viewpoints. â€Å"Hunger Is a Serious Problem for America’s Poor† San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2004. 19-21. Print. â€Å"Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. † Web. 18 Apr. 2012. . Heinberg, Richard. â€Å"Article. Soaring Oil and Food Prices Threaten Affordable Food Supply. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Hunger In America. † Hunger in America Diminished by Gardeners and AmpleHarvest. org. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. â€Å"Income, Poverty and Health Insurance in the United States: 2010. † Census Bureau Homepage. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. . Lichter, Daniel T. , Vincent J. Roscigno, and Dennis J. Condron. â€Å"Chapter 7. † Challenges for Rural America in the Twenty-first Century. Ed. David L. Brown, Louis E. Swanson, and Alan W. Barton. University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 2003. 97-98.Print. Popenoe, David. â€Å"Chapter 2. † Lost Fathers. By Cynthia R. . Daniels. New York: St. Martin's, 1998. Print. â€Å"Record Underemployment Devastates American Workers. † GOP. gov. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. . Sepulvado, John. â€Å"Rising Food Prices Could Drive up Rates of Hunger. † CNN. Cable News Network, 16 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Understanding and Responding to Persistently High Unemployment. † CBO. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. . Vivek, S. â€Å"Chapter 8. † Global Obligations for the Right to Foo d. By George Kent. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Print.