Monday, September 30, 2019

Hardware and Software Essay

A way to make the revenue cycle run smoothly is by integrating hardware and software to assist in the setup of the various systems. This setup would make it easier for Riordan Manufacturing to access their financial information. We will discuss what hardware and software is needed, and will go on to identify who accesses this information. Another area to cover is the controls that need to be implemented based around the accounting procedures, and what information should be available through the corporate Internet and intranet. Examining Hardware and SoftwareTo integrate cost of goods sold into the accounting process Riordan Manufacturing would need a system to work for all locations. Currently, the thr ee locations have different systems. It would require software that is compatible for all locations as well. At the present time, each location uses different software as well. Information Shared Between Different Cycles One source of information to be shared would be the balance sheet. It highlights the company’s assets, liabilities, and stockholders equity. Another source of information to share is the income statement. The breakdown of revenue and expenses appear on this statement. The final results capture net profit or net loss. Access to Information While integrating this accounting process into an automated system there should be only a select few people who have access to the information contained in the database. Those people would include the database designer, the people or persons installing the hardware or software and database management. The database designer would need access to the information for obvious reasons along with the persons installing the hardware or software. Database management would need access to the information to insure that the information is being installed correctly and to insure breach of security is not an issue. When creating a database, there should be as few people as possible that have access to the information. That way information contained in the database can be kept as secure as possible. Internal Controls The internal controls required for the revenue cycle  specifically dealing with cost of goods sold are similar to other accounting areas. The first set of internal controls deal with whom has access to the accounting information system. The set of controls that deal with issues of security in the system and are embedded into the system are called IT general controls (Bagranoff 2008). IT general controls deal with whom is authorized to access and change data files. One of the general controls required for the company’s system would be restricting access to programs. The control would prevent unauthorized personal from changing anything in the program. The second area of internal controls or application controls deals with transactions. Application controls can be divided in three parts: input control, processing controls, and output controls (Bagranoff 2008). These three areas of control deal with data input, processing data and the reporting of processed data. Application controls are vital to ensuring accuracy and legitimacy of the data. Two common input internal controls that would be required are feedback mechanism and edit tests. Additional internal controls can be added to better facilitate the input processes. Processing data controls deals with the data after input. The first internal control needed is an audit trail. This control allows a person to follow the route the data has taken and will take. The second area is file control which ensures the integrity of the file. The final step in application control is the output controls. One area of concern in this area is control of company forms. In the area of revenue specifically cost of goods sold the forms that should be managed are purchase orders and inventory control sheets. Reports Generated IT is currently being used to support finance and accounting decisions, inventory control, and logistics. While it is apparent that the inventory methods in use are effective, there is room for improvement. Documenting the receipt of raw materials and shipping of manufactured items is done using paper invoices. IT can be applied to this process to achieve a  more streamlined approach. One way to streamline the process is to automate the receipt of raw materials so that necessary inventory data is automatically entered into the inventory system as raw materials are received, instead of waiting for clerks to input this data manually. Using bar code scanner technology to input this data would be a more efficient and would reduce errors. A similar process could be used for outbound shipping of finished products. Integrating bar code technology with Riordan’s existing database would allow management to receive real-time inventory data on raw materials received and manufactured products shipped. Making the data available in real-time, instead of having to wait for data entry clerks to manually input the data, would further enhance the business intelligence (BI) necessary to support both operational and strategic decision-making. Intranet or Internet As a way to make the accounting process easier for all involved, Riordan Manufacturing must brainstorm on how to provide information through the corporate intranet or Internet. In order to decide on where to list information, some detail on the meaning of the intranet and Internet is provided. â€Å"The intranet is for internal communications purposes. These computer networks use the same software as the Internet, but are internal to the organization that created them† (Bagranoff, 2008, p. 7). â€Å"The Internet is a collection of local and wide area networks that are now connected together via the Internet backbone – that is, the main electronic connections of the system† (Bagranoff, 2008, p. 5). A good way to use the intranet would be to have all locations connected. This in return would allow all information to be accessible to each location. At the same time, it saves time trying to get information forwarded to corporate. The intranet could be used to give updates on key issues relating to the accounting process as well. The Internet is a good place to provide customers with information on the history of Riordan Manufacturing. Another area of interest is listing some information on the products that are being sold. Listing a telephone number with a contact for the customer to call regarding issues is a good idea as well. Conclusion With the hardware and software implemented and having good internal controls over the accounting information will help to have more consistent and more accurate financial reports. The revenue cycle is an important factor in running the business from the time an order invoices to the time the order is collected. Being able to report quicker and faster on internal financial reports will even give the business a quick glance of how they are doing from week-to-week or monthly so they know what they need to work on, or even if they need to make a purchase. This way the business will always know where they stand on their financials. Reference Bagranoff, N. A., Simkin, M. G., and Strand, C. (2008). Core Concepts of AccountingInformation Systems (10th ed.). [Electronic Version]. New York: Wiley. Retrieved July 10, 2008 from University of Phoenix, ACC/340, rEsource Web site: https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/login.aspBagranoff, N. A. (2008). Accounting on the Internet. [University of Phoenix CustomEdition e-text].John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved July 12, 2008, from University ofPhoenix, ACC340 Web site.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Ptlls assignment

Introduction In this assignment I will discuss the roles, responsibilities and relationships in lifelong learning as described in Ann Gravels' book, Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. I use my experiences of teaching abroad to clarify how the various theories and aspects of teaching affected my own role in adult teaching. 1. Roles and Responsibilities in lifelong learning Role and responsibilities and Identifying and meeting needs (1. 3/1. ) Gravels (2012) states that the main role of a teacher Is to teach a subject In such way that all dents are actively involved during every session. By using clear language and terms that are understandable for all students, the teacher ensures the learning that takes place. Managing students from the beginning of the course to completion by monitoring progress, providing feedback and keeping accurate records Is the final part of the being a teacher. A teacher Is also responsible for keeping up to date with the latest developments and changes In their field.In order to be effective at teaching and learning, a teacher has to address all the phases of the teaching cycle (Gravels, 201 2:POP): In my own role as a language tutor at the Dutch Flemish Institute in Cairo, I was involved in all stages of this cycle. At the registration day for the course, students had to complete a registration form and have an interview. The application form could give an indication of potential literacy/learning issues, for example when students had someone else fill out the form, or had spelling problems.The interview was simultaneously a tool to check whether the English level of the students was sufficient as well as a way of finding out what motivated the student and discuss the application form and course. Step 1: Identifying needs) Before the start of the programmer, I would check all my teaching materials and go over the entire syllabus while using the evaluation of the former course to see if any adaptations to the lesson pl an needed to be made. For example replace exercises that did not work with others or skip all together, replace grammar explanations that did not explain well for others.A teacher needs to be up to date on the latest developments and changes in their subject field, and adapt the course accordingly. (Step 2: Planning Learning) Before the start of sessions I prepared the room, checked materials were resent and audio-visual equipment was working. During the sessions my lesson plan guided me through all the topics that needed to be covered. I made hand-outs that described the grammar In English for extra clarity with some extra exercises to try out, as the books were all In Dutch.By using a variety of teaching tools and techniques I tried to keep all students actively Involved throughout the sessions. (Step 3: Facilitating Learning) Mid semester I made my students do a test, which would count for half of the total of the written exam score. This test allowed the dents and me alike to ev aluate progress made so far and Identify problem areas. As a result I could discuss problem topics again and sometimes advise students on studying methods.At the end of the course there was a final written exam as well as out evaluation forms, which would be filled out anonymously to encourage students to speak their minds. These forms were taken by the Admit department, where they, combined with the results of the students and the teachers' own experiences, were used to evaluate the programmer. (Step 5: Quality assurance and evaluation) Another responsibility as a teacher is the record keeping. Records must be kept to satisfy the organization's needs, external quality assure but also to support the assessment of a student.A teacher can keep a closer track on progress made if records are kept up to date on a regular basis. Records must be kept accurate, factual, legible and up to date. But more importantly, records should be kept secure and confidential. Every organization in the UK that stores personal data must do so by the guidelines and rules set in The Data Protection Act (2003) Legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice (1 . 1) Similar to other professions and work sectors, the educational sector is bound by legislation, requirements and codes of practices.These can be generic, I. E. General to all teaching staff or specific, targeted to a specialist subject. A good example of generic legislation is the Education Act (2011) which covers a collection of laws relating to education. Other Acts address more specific parts of education, for example the Education and Skills Act (2008) is meant to increase participation in learning for young people and adults and providing second chances. Protection of Children Act (1998) was designed to protect children and vulnerable adults alike.Practically it means that everyone working with people in these groups will have to be checked and approved by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DB'S) which replace d the Criminal Records Bureau. Depending on the institution I would go teach at, I might have to undergo a check by the DB'S. The Children Act (2004)/ Every Child Matters, the 5 main outcomes of this Act are that Every Child should: – be healthy, -stay safe, – enjoy and achieve, -make a positive contribution, – achieve economic well-being. As a teacher I would have to ensure that these outcomes are incorporated in my interaction with the students.For example provide access to ranking water and healthy food. Or engage every student in group activities. According to the Freedom of Information Act (2000), teachers should provide access to the records that are kept on the students if the student requests access. For example, a student of mine was unhappy with the final grading at the end of a course, my records showed how the end grading was calculated and that no subjectivity was involved. The Code of Professional Practice (2008) by the Institute for Learning offer s a guideline for teachers in the Lifelong Learning Sector based on 7 behaviors.Teachers should work in a manner that is in accordance with these behaviors so as to guarantee a profession standard. Teaching students about food handling, restaurant techniques or kitchen techniques, means the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system must be taught. This European system regulates the handling food and offers procedures to ensure the food is healthy to eat. It stipulates for example which temperature food should be stored at, and all stored food should be labeled with content, date of production and who produced it.When teaching Dutch, I must follow the latest grammar and spelling rules as set by ‘The Dutch Language Union'. Both of these would fall under the specific level. For the Data Protection Act see page, the Health and Safety Act see page 5 and the Equality Act Equality is about the rights of students to have access to, attend, and participate in their chosen learn ing experience (Gravels, 2012). Diversity, according to Gravels (2012), is about valuing and respecting the differences in students.The Equality Act (2010) is a consolidation of all harassment and anti-discrimination legislation into one Act that combines these two concepts. In order to abide by this Act, a teacher must himself and actively encourage all students to respect all others without regard for GE, disability, gender, race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, marriage and maternity/pregnancy. While teaching in Egypt I found that the women in the class needed encouragement to speak up, and I also had to ensure that both Islam and Christianity would make an equal appearance in pictures and explanations. A key consideration in the planning and preparation of any lesson , therefore, is that it should create learning opportunities which are accessible to all the students and which do not make any student feel excluded, directly or by implication' (Wallace, 001 : 47) T his includes ensuring all learning styles (VS..) will be used in each session, that students with learning problems like dyslexia or deafness will be accommodated and that materials and examples are chosen in a way that no student feels excluded. Professional Boundaries and Points of Referral (2. +2. 2+2. 3) A teacher should always behave in a professional manner and work within the boundaries of the responsibilities that come with the role. For example, keep a healthy distance between the student and the teacher both physically and virtually. Don't hand out private phone numbers or exchange social media details with the students. Students might need assistance with issues, some things the teacher can assist with but other issues are crossing the boundaries of a teacher's knowledge and responsibility.For example when a student came to me with problems with his visa, I was not able to help him but I did refer him to the person at the embassy who could help him. Another student had is sues with paying for the course; I referred him to the Administrator to discuss the possibility of a payment plan. Sometimes the teacher can help by referral to a colleague. One semester I had a student in my group who with in the first hour of the first session had shown that he ally was not a ‘beginner'.During the break I spoke with my colleague who taught the intermediate level and introduced the student to her. We all agreed it was in his best interest for him to leave my class and Join the other class. The next I made sure the Administration was aware of this change and that new books would be prepared before his next session. Whenever problems arose during a session, I would inform the Admit department about it and my actions, so they would be aware in case of a complaint.My fellow tutors and I shared extra course material we made, so all students would have the same experience no matter who their tutor was. When dealing with students, colleagues or external parties a te acher should always remain professional and aware of the standards of the institution you work for. A Safe Learning Environment and Appropriate Behavior & Respect (3. 1+3. 2) involves not only the venue and resources used, but also your attitude and the support you give to your students. † (Gravels, 2012:24) The way the room is set up can send a first signal on what students can expect.A class room setup suggests an autocratic, pedagogical (teacher centered), lecture style where as a horse shoe or a square setup suggests a more democratic, ontological (student centered) style of caching. Whatever style the teacher chooses there other aspects to consider as well, e. G. , ensuring that all students have a clear view of the teacher and the visual aids used but also light, temperature and fresh air can have an impact on a student's learning. The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) is a piece of legislation that covers occupational Health and Safety.Teachers and the institutions i n which they work are responsible for enforcement. In the classroom this means the teacher should explain what the procedures are for evacuation in case of emergency or warn against ripping or falling off chairs. The teacher should be active when seeing a potential hazard, not reactive. One way of promoting appropriate behavior and respect is by creating ground rules. Ground rules are boundaries, rules and conditions within which students can safely work and learn. Gravels, 2012:91) Some ground rules can and will be set autocratic by the teacher or institution; â€Å"no smoking†, â€Å"respect each other†, â€Å"no swearing†, fire regulations. Other ground rules can be set democratically, the students can make a list of rules they want to impose in the class room, e. G. , â€Å"if ate, do not disrupt†, â€Å"phones should be on silent†, and â€Å"offer each other help when needed†. The advantage of democratic rules is that students will be m ore engaged in enforcing these rules. The ground rules should at all times be clear and unambiguous.Ground rules can help when disturbances occur during a session, by reminding students what behavior was agreed upon. Appropriate behavior and respect can and should be encouraged by the teacher's behavior. Through body language, tone of voice, choice of words a teacher can show respect to students but also indicate a level of trust and confidence. This should make a teacher more approachable for students who might need some extra help and also encourage and motivate students to behave similarly through leading through example.A supportive teaching environment can be created by encouraging students to ask questions during the session or after, if it relates to more personal matters. Another way is to ensure that all learning styles are addressed in each session. Students should be aware of what they will learn, why they need to learn it and how they will learn. As a teacher I would try to include Flemings (2005) BARK method, by using visual, aural, read and write and kinesthesia elements in my session so that the information would be offered in a way that suited every student's needs.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Symposium Reflective Journal Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Symposium Reflective Journal - Term Paper Example Socrates’ speech is one of the latest ones and it is in typical Socrates’ manner – dialogue. Using persuasive arguments Socrates responds to the, previous to his, speech of Agathon asking the man some questions that logically lead them to some crucial conclusions about Eros. Socrates claims, and it sounds really reasonable, that â€Å"Eros is love, first of all, of some things, and secondly, of whatever things the need for which is present to him† (Plat. Sym. 200e). The next following logical arguments that come after this one claim that Eros strives to beauty but it isn’t beautiful itself as it wants only to possess beautiful things. The point seems not really convincible as the concept of love becomes totally vague. The first reason is that if Eros is a kind of love that wants to have beautiful things in its possession and preserve them, then how does it work in real life and where does this Eros exist? What kind of phenomena is this? Retelling hi s dialogue with some woman Diotima, Socrates comes to the conclusion that it turns out that Eros is ugly as far as it strives to possess beauty, and Socrates argues that ugly thing cannot be good (Ibid. 201c). From this point it is impossible for Eros to be a god. Diotima solves the dilemma and answers the question of the essence of Eros. She points out the Eros is â€Å"a great spirit: for the whole of the spiritual is between divine and mortal† (Sym. 202e). The Diotima’s definition of the essence of Eros shows that it is a special force which is a kind of medium between gods and humans, it is a sort of connection between them which also helps people to connect with gods. The Socrates description of Eros becomes logical in connection with the entire doctrine of world view described in Plato’s dialogues. Probably, Eros is the force that connects the world of ideas with the material reality and makes everything in this world to move and

Friday, September 27, 2019

PLO and Hamas achieved the Palestinian national aspiration Research Paper

PLO and Hamas achieved the Palestinian national aspiration - Research Paper Example Hamas challenged PLO’s political agenda for Palestinian national territory and secular nationalism, in effect taking over the original Palestinian national aspiration, traditionally associated with the PLO, and situating them in an Islamic perspective. By appealing to an Islamic national aspiration, Hamas successfully merged everyday issues and religious dogma.     A conflict, growing over time, between Hamas, the PLO, and particularly Fatah, has continuously disrupted the realization of the Palestinian national goals of these organizations. Hamas firmly declined the proposals of Fatah and the PLO, wanting instead to build and legitimize itself as a political substitute. The conflict between the PLO and Hamas reached its climax during the alleged Madrid process—a chain of bilateral compromises between those with territorial demands and Israel.   Hamas’s doctrine recognizes the PLO as an â€Å"ally, father, brother, relative, friend† and Hamas prevent ed a military conflict with Fatah in the past. Hamas, under the headship of Sheikh Yasin, firmly condemned internal strife between Palestinian political groups for this would merely strengthen the position of Israel and undermine the Palestinian national aspiration.  Ã‚   From the very beginning, Hamas was unsure about the PLO, expressing, on the one hand, allegiance to its political autonomy and ideological identity and, on the other, a concern for coexistence.   The effort of Hamas to sustain a harmonious relationship with the PLO.... The conflict between the PLO and Hamas reached its climax during the alleged Madrid process—a chain of bilateral compromises between those with territorial demands and Israel.3 However, Hamas’s doctrine recognizes the PLO as an â€Å"ally, father, brother, relative, friend†4 and Hamas prevented a military conflict with Fatah in the past. Hamas, under the headship of Sheikh Yasin, firmly condemned internal strife between Palestinian political groups for this would merely strengthen the position of Israel and undermine the Palestinian national aspiration.5 From the very beginning, Hamas was unsure about the PLO, expressing, on the one hand, allegiance to its political autonomy and ideological identity and, on the other, a concern for coexistence.6 The effort of Hamas to sustain a harmonious relationship with the PLO, and eventually with the PA, revealed its political flaw with regards to the rising local, regional, and global support for the peace process between t he PLO and Israel.7 It was this idea of the weakness of its status that pushed Hamas to attempt to build an agreement with the PLO that would provide it with the opportunity to strengthen its capability and influence and boost its ranks. Moreover, its pursuit of organizational autonomy and identity encouraged Hamas to look for ways to frustrate the move of PLO toward suppression and hegemony. Literature Review The references used in this paper are both primary and secondary. The author used textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, newspapers, and magazines. The best primary references that are used in this paper are Mkhaimar Abusada’s Palestinian Party Affiliation and Political Attitudes toward the Peace Process, Omri Arens’s and Edward

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Importance of music in the film Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Importance of music in the film - Research Paper Example This "Importance of music in the film" essay, outlines purposes of the usage of music in movie industrie. The integration of music in the film industry has a long history that dates back to the early 20th century, the same time when the digital technology was evolving in this field. The first form of film with music was the Al Jolson which was launched in the 1927, a film that hit across the world for its presumed appeal. This formed a new opening that many film makers saw as an invention of the art, and an opening to a new era of â€Å"talkie† movies. In 1930, the filmmakers had already started to use movies as the preludes of their movie to set the atmosphere of the movie. This quick adoption of the use of music in the industry can be attributed to the appeal that the music was already earning from the public. By 1942, music was becoming an avoidable ingredient in the films with more pronounced songs with a wide range of themes. One of the movies in this time was the Casabla nca movie by Max Steiner that includes the French and German National anthems to bring out the spirit of nationality within the theme. As the music found its way into the films, more people found their way to the theatre as music was already becoming an attractive element in the movie industry. Patterson (2013) points to a number of special requirements that demanded for the inclusion of music from different genres in the film industry. The post war films allured to patriotism by including patriotic songs in the films.... As the music found its way into the films, more people found their way to the theatre as music was already becoming an attractive element in the movie industry. Patterson (2013) points to a number of special requirements that demanded for the inclusion of music from different genres in the film industry. For instance, the post war films such as the â€Å"The Dam Busters† which was launched by Eric Coates allured to patriotism by including patriotic songs in the films. In some other movies, the films were based on the music, which was achieved by creating pictures after the music. A good example is Disney’s Fantasias that was created in this manner. In the 1970s, more people were able to match the music genre with themes that they wanted to convey in the film. For instance, John Carpenter used a repetitive song in his movie ‘the Halloween’ which is highly regarded for its effective matching of music with the theme of the film. Patterson regards this as the p eriod in which music was inspired by the movie, a time when music and film were inseparable. Today, film scoring has featured into the optimization of human minds and the music industry and film industry have converged to optimize their productions. In this era, music is used to create more than just the theme but also to be part of entertainment, the film story line and to draw the emotions of the public into the theme of the film (Paterson, 2013: Scaruffi, 2005). With the evolution of technology, more film makers have an option to make more tracks recording to form both parts of the movie as well as the background sounds. In this time, critics have also risen up to condemn the inclusion of more than necessary music in the film

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The importance of sustainable purchasing and supply Essay

The importance of sustainable purchasing and supply - Essay Example It can also be stated that purchasing and supply operations on a long term basis enable the organisations to gain greater stability and generate substantial profits. The paper intends to discuss the perception of procurement and the benefits of effective purchasing and supply in a business. Various aspects like the significance of the association between a good purchaser and a supplier, the notion of competitive advantage and how the selection of a reliable supplier is such an important issue in generating competitive advantage will also be discussed in the paper. 1. Concept of Procurement Procurement is the process of obtaining new products or services. It is often regarded as a strategic role for different organisations belonging to both public along with private sectors. It has been viewed to be a dynamic process that covers several significant activities relating to supply chain that comprise generating contracts, purchasing and performing logistical functions (Bower, 2003). It h as been apparently observed that the procurement process includes certain fundamental inputs in the form of physical structure like raw materials that is required for preserving the product standards and maintain greater product reliability supporting the organisations to accomplish superior competitive position. The process of procurement also consists certain other wide ranging aspects that include storing, receiving and inspecting among others. The process also signifies the requisition as well as the acquisition of materials. The perception of procurement generates a logical meaning that indicates to supply the right materials to the correct person and at a precise time. It can also be viewed that an effective process of purchasing or procurement assists an organisation in decreasing the costs and maintaining the quality of the products along with mitigating the risks linked with supply chain management. Moreover, effectual procurement would also enable the organisations to gene rate greater productivity, broader availability of raw materials and mitigate the risks relating to inventory levels of products (Altekar, 2005). In this similar concern, the aspect of sustainable procurement can be considered as a significant aspect as a form of business activity in this modern day context. It is regarded as a process through which considerable savings can be done with respect to decrease in the waste materials, increase in the efficiency of the business along with gaining greater competitiveness. Various oil companies have generally adopted sustainable procurement programs such as investing much upon transportation facilities and networking with the intention of competing with their major market competitors. It also develops the economy by offering employment facilities and sourcing organisation (Mahadevan, 2010). 2. Benefits of Effective Purchasing and Supply Effective purchasing and supply can be principally determined as one of the imperative elements in the pr ocess of supply chain mana

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Health promotion lnterveton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Health promotion lnterveton - Essay Example This intervention seeks to create awareness of the potential health risks posed by binge drinking, as well as the potential benefits of non-indulgence in binge drinking. The health promotion intervention took place at the London Metropolitan University through a PowerPoint presentation. Prior to the intervention, a selection of ten participants willing to participate in the health promotion intervention took place. A pre-assessment of the perceptions of the participants in binge drinking occurred before the intervention. After the intervention, each participant filled in a post-assessment questionnaire. Analysis and comparison of these assessments determined the outcome of the intervention. In the recent past, studies have revealed that there is an increased rate of binge drinking among undergraduate students. A close analysis of students’ perception on alcohol use highlights that they consider it a pleasurable activity. Binge drinking among university students has been soaring at alarming rates. A remarkable percentage of students specifically 92.4% fall into the category of binge drinkers. These statistics reveal that university students have adopted the British drinking culture. Despite previous efforts by the government to reduce binge drinking, it seems to be increasing in universities. Notably, as the number of university students increased, binge drinkers among the students increase. In 2002, over 60% of undergraduates indulged in binge drinking. In one of the Scottish Universities, a study conducted to establish the percentage of binge drinkers that involved 180 female students revealed that most of them indulged in binge drinking. However, such students did not categorize themselves as binge drinkers (Marks, & Maguire 2010, p. 654). The increasing rates of binge drinking among university students are the cause for concern considering the negative health effects associated

Monday, September 23, 2019

Case study 9B Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case study 9B - Assignment Example 1. The first word that attracts attention in the statement is â€Å"digging up†. The ways to â€Å"sig up† the information can be different and not always ethical. Also, persuasiveness of delivering the news the way it is put in the statement strikes the eye as well. The matter is that while some interpret the statement as it is, others may find implications there and use them for their own benefit and to the damage of others. Sometimes the desire to be persuasive while delivering information results in extensive appeal to reader’s emotions, which can lead to the distortion of the information perception. In this case, an aggregator may act as a watchdog over the information; however, this means that it performs tasks uncharacteristic of it, meaning it will act like a critic rather than content placer. 2. The main difference here is the fact that the Associated Press licenses the content and then sell it to the authorized parties, which means the work is paid for. The Huffington Post, in its turn, simply rewrites the content and buries links using quite an aggressive approach to news aggregation. 1. Despite the fact that today many people tend to speak about the ethical side of the problem, for example, the infringement of a copyright, for the long-standing cooperatives, such as the Associated Press, the issue is mostly of economic nature. The matter is that because of news aggregation, such cooperatives lose significant sums of money while aggregators, such as the Huffington Post or Google News, profit from the information other gathered at great cost. If the aggregators paid for content, that might eliminate the ethical side other problem; at the same time, other problems might appear, mostly those associated with the changed character of such projects. 2. News is everywhere and is free; in fact, no one owns the news. It is rather the medium is owned by certain companies. The media

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Gender Roles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Gender Roles - Essay Example The approach evaluates the society at a macro-level while focusing on social structures such as gender roles that shape the society as a whole. It addresses the society as a whole by considering by considering its constituent elements such as traditions, norms, institutions, and customs. Herbert Spenser popularized the analogy that presents parts of the society, for example, gender, as organs that function together for the human body to be normal (Magar). Gender roles from a functionalist perspective were articulated in early 1950s. The theory suggests that differences in gender roles are an efficient way of creating divisions in labor. The division, therefore, aims at maximizing the use of resources, as well as, the efficiency of the society’s system. The perspective views the predefined roles as complementary. Men will provide for the families while women manage homes. Gender, therefore, contributes to the society’s stability, in the same way, as other social institutions (Magar). The functional prerequisites refer to the basic needs such as shelter and clothing that people require to live beyond the poverty line. In a similar way, the functional prerequisite also refers to factors that help maintain society order. Gender roles maintain social order by ensuring that the basic needs people need in the society are available

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Meiji Period Essay Example for Free

Meiji Period Essay Meiji means ‘the enlightened rule’ in Japanese. In Japan the period from 1868 to 1912 is called ‘Meiji Era’?. (Meiji Period). The name Meiji was chosen by the young prince Mutsuhito, when he succeeded his father to the throne. During this period Japan emerged as a world political and economic power. Japan underwent a surprising progress from medieval society to important and primary military power and economic power in Asia. During the Meiji period the emperor was only fifteen years old but he was fortunate to have a group of excellent advisors who brought amalgamation of eastern and western cultures. They adapted western ideas while retaining the importance of the east. During this period the government made all efforts to build up its military strength and progress economic status. The samurai warriors were the traditional military system in Japan. The samurai system was replaced by the essential military service. The army was trained by the Prussian and French instructors. In two major wars that is in Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 against china and Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05 against Russia, the Japanese army proved its superiority. Japan has emerged as the strong new power in Asia after these two wars. The Government gave importance to the ideas and interests of farmers, samurai, merchants and former feudal estate owners. Foreign experts were employed in the fields of defense, industry, agriculture and transportation and their methods and practices were cautiously considered and adopted. Political and social reforms were given much importance during this period. Some of the reforms include declaration of religious freedom in 1873; the lunar calendar which was considered most important by the Japanese society was replaced by Gregorian calendar, introduction of the taxation system, freedom of trade, and freedom of land acquisition and in 1890 first elections was held for DIET. Along with this education was also given utmost importance and was made compulsory. The attendance at schools stood at ninety-eight percent by the end of the Meiji period. The Meiji era was a phase of strong emotions and radical reforms. The government intended to build Japan as a democratic country. Many of the Japanese scholars were sent to western countries to study languages and western science to improve the agrarian economy of Tokugawa Japan in to developed industrial sector. By means of huge governmental investments, the communication networks and transportation were developed. The first telegraph line was established between Yokahoma and Tokyo in 1869, a horse-drawn tramway system was introduced, national postal service was introduced in 1871the first steel bridge known as Azuma steel bridge was opened, in 1872, Meiji emperor opened the first train connection between Tokyo and Yokahoma. The powerful and large businesses in Japan known as zaibatsu were supported by the government to develop and support the industries and businesses. The period in 1880’s also led to financial crisis due to huge expenditures which led to the reform in the currency system and establishment of the Bank of Japan. The textile industry became the largest industry and grew faster in Japan until World War II. In 1889 Japan established its first European style constitution. The emperor was top of the navy, executive, army and legislative power. During the Meiji period, Japan emerged as a major power and a developed country. Japan was changed totally by the western stone buildings which include deparment stores, banks and government sites. The Meiji period led to the economic boom and standard military power. REFERENCES: 1. Meiji Period (1868-1912), Japan cultural profile, October 5, 2006. http://www. culturalprofiles. net/japan/Directories/Japan_Cultural_Profile/-13234. html

Friday, September 20, 2019

Household Consumption Analysis in Rawalpindi

Household Consumption Analysis in Rawalpindi Imran Ejaz 1. Introduction: Consumption and production generate economic activities in an economy. Consumption and production go side by side. Consumption creates demand for further production of goods and services. It is not wrong to say that if there is no consumption there is no economic activity in the country. Only the final purchase of goods and services is known as consumption, and every commercial activity is for production purpose. Consumption can be expressed in two ways. In nominal, means the money spent on the purchase of goods and services, and in real, means the deriving of the utility of goods and services for the satisfaction of wants e.g. using up of consumer goods both durables and non durables. Consumption amounts to the biggest part of Pakistan which accounts for 81% of Gross Domestic product in 2013 according to World Bank statistics. Consumption is also termed as the total spending on goods and services in an economy. The consumption function is used to estimate the proportion of total consumption in an economy. In social sciences, the consumption function is a used to express trend of consumer spending as income of people rising and falling. Consumption function provides an excellent illustration of a typical sequence in the development of the country and standard of living of the people. Bentham (1748) also considered production and its usage as important determinants of an economy. The process of consumption was vital for any system to sustain. Keynes (1936) addresses the theory of consumption, which showed the relationship between consumer income and consumption. According to Keynes, â€Å"People on average, have behavior that when their income increase, they spend more, but not as much as their income raises. It is made up of autonomous consumption that was not influenced by current income and induced consu mption that was influenced by the economy’s income level. Chow et al. (2001) did a research about the Chinese economy and Chinese entrepreneurs who had grown along with the Chinese economy. This research paper compares and contrasts the consumption habits of low and high income business class and concluded that small businesses incomes are transitory and more unstable hence their consumption is less and they tend to save more on the other hand entrepreneurs who earn more and largely spend on meals, moving from one place to other, private formal education and expensive items as their incomes were permanent and stable over a period of time. Socio-demographic factors, geographic locations of household have significant effects on the tastes and preferences. Similarly, gathering and socializing activities of consumers that were carried out are the second largest expense in their budgets as they need a lot of networking to succeed the business. But low income class spends a larger amount of their income on health issues, education of their masses . Tai and Tam (1997) discussed the consumption behavior of females that was changing due to the  different socio economic factors such as delayed marriage, smaller family size and single parents  have lead to changing dynamics of consumer market as a result the consumer preference were  changing and consumption pattern of the families. Siddiquie (1982) analyzed the consumption patterns based on the Engle law in terms of income, household size and number of earners. The study showed that the consumption of food and non-food items was strongly affected by the changes in total expenditures and size of households. Consumption patterns in Pakistan have been estimated by Burki (1997) using time series data. By using Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) technique and data from 1972-1992 there was an exogenous growth in non durable food items demand irrespective of the movements in their prices and growth. Study focused that the policy makers should focus on own price elasticity to predict impact of taxes. This study will be developed on the basis of Household Consumption in Rawalpindi. The study will include both cross-sectional and time series data of consumer behavior. Questionnaire will also be developed to address the study beside secondary sources. In this study econometric model will be developed by taking income, age, family size, consumer price index as independent variable and household consumption as dependent variable. Expenditure on food items will be used as a proxy variable. 1.1 Objective of the study: The objectives of the study are as follows: To analyze the significance of demographic factors (family size, age) on household consumption expenditure in Rawalpindi. To study empirically the impact of economic factors (income, consumer price index and household consumption expenditure in Rawalpindi) 1.2Significance of the study: Consumption is the sole cause and biggest reason due to which all economic activities begins ranging from hiring of services of factors, investing money, constructing factory or building and many more. As if there is no consumption in any society there is no need for activities of any type ranging from running a business or employing somewhere in any capacity. In short it is the consumption so that economies lively exist otherwise not. Consumption is an important function of income but there are many other factors that influence the  consumption pattern there are incidence when two households with same income level may have  different consumption pattern due to lifestyle, preference and the stage of life cycle they are in as a  household greatly affects the consumption patterns. All these researches try to explore the behavior  patterns that are crucial for molding the consumption pattern all these researches have added  different key reasons and not a single research as been able to come up with any common behavior  traits in the different societies of the world this phenomena indicate that the consumption patterns  changing according to society the house hold resides in. Income is the main component on which the consumption depends. The study will incorporate the causal relationship between household consumption to income and household consumption to consumer price index which is the important and new in this study as compared to the work done earlier. This study will be a bird’s eye view about every citizen consumption pattern which is affected by macro economic variables and demographic factors. Review of Literature: Thomas (1993). In this paper he tried to find out whether all household members share same preferences or they were dictated by any one member of the household. They came to a conclusion that when income was in hands of females shares of expenditure increases towards housing, education, health, household services and recreation when males were given the budget they tend to spend excess on health, household service and recreation. Education was considered intervening variable for earning hence increase in consumption, so they excluded education from demand function and include it as a valid instrument for total income. The researchers have come to these conclusions by conducting linear and quadratic models on the complied data Carroll et al. (1994) conducted a research about habit formation that consumption was happened at same level when a household was not enjoying same level of income as it did previously. Secondly they tried to analyze the impact of consumer sentiments on the consumption patterns taking into considerations the various economic variables into account. They ruled out permanent income and pure life cycle hypothesis and stated consumer spending was an unclear measure of uncertainty when uncertainty increased the level of consumption fell down hence leading to precautionary savings. Fei et al. (2003) conducted a research explaining the fact how children influenced the spending patterns of family and in about 27.8% of families, children’s consumption used one third of the family’s total income. In 35.6% of families, children’s consumption used 40% of the family’s total income. In 19.4% of families, children’s consumption took one half of the family’s income. And in 7.4% of families, children’s consumption took over one half of the family’s income. Thus in most families, the child’s consumption level was higher than the average per capita consumption of the family. He highlighted various factors such as higher education levels for children including extra amounts paid for private education and tutors.Moreover more recreational activities and high end gadgets like mobiles phone, laptops and increased expenses towards health care of the children. Khan and Dhar (2004) carried out a research on behavioral decision theoretic perspective on hedonic and utilitarian choices and they found out that difference between purchase and consumption of goods and service. The study found out that there was a very thin line which consumer does not even realize and decision making of consumption was merely affected by income, preference and lifestyle of the consumer. Aydin (2006) carried out the research about the consumption patterns in Turkey’s different socio economic classes and found that globalization has led to transformation, reconfiguration and reformulations of class structure and this was leading to social shifts from class based politics to identity politics, ideology to lifestyles and mass production to consumption these forces have fuelled the social change hence leading to emergences of new middle class living a new leisure lifestyle. The research reapproved the fact that social class variables had a significant effect on consumption.Income had the strongest positive effect at all the consumption level simultaneously. Education had effected the class differentiation, i.e., the group with higher education had better living standards thus making education important mediating factor. The analysis in this research paper depicted the class structuration results due to interaction income, education levels, and residential location . .D’orlando(2010) carried out a research to investigate the importance of behavioral principals in micro-foundation of Keynes consumption theory. It was concluded that behavioral instead of maximizing principals can be rightfully considered as possible for micro foundation for Keynes’s work. He said there were chances of cross fertilization of Keynesian approach and behavioral sciences in reference to theory consumption function. This research showed that utility maximization was not the major focus Keynes representation of individual’s behavior and many subjective factors were included in the consumption theory lastly the traditional aggregate consumption function is immensely based on maximizing agents. 3. Methodology: Variables taken in the study will be both demographic and economic variables which are to be estimated.In this research thesis both time series and cross sectional data will be used. On economic variables including consumer price index, income and expenditure will be taken. Consumer price index data are time series for 2004-2014 (10 years) and data on income, expenditure, family size and age are cross sectional. Interview through questionnaire will be undertaken from different income groups of the people living in Rawalpindi to gather the data on factors effecting consumption of household. To obtain the estimates of household consumption an Ordinary Least Square method will be used which meets econometric criteria. In this study two equations will be developed, equation one which will shows the consumption of household who belong to low income class while equation two will represents the consumption of household belong to high income class. In the study CPI, will be taken as independ ent variables which affect the consumption as if there is increase in price level for food and non food items over a period of time it would lead to reduce consumption of the masses as it would lead to reduce the purchasing power of money. The people who can afford to buy more goods before inflation now with the same amount of income they can buy less goods after inflation. 3.1 Data: The population in this study comprise of the District Rawalpinidi. Data will be collected through questionnaire from different classes of people besides secondary sources available on other variables. The sample data on the variables will be collected by interviewing different people through questionnaire from the different class of people residing in Rawalpindi and also from secondary sources on monthly basis so that model shall gives true picture regarding the society behavior of the factors affecting consumption. Generally data has two types in statistics 1) Primary data—first hand data 2) Secondary data—earlier data available In this study primary data will be used for some demographic feature i.e. age and family size and income. Due to non availability of second hand data on variables like family size and age, and income survey will be conducted in Rawalpindi. The sample will include all the heads of households. By considering the resource and time constraints, method of ordinary least square will be used for which sampled peoples will be surveyed in the area of district Rawalpindi for the study. For addressing the issue, a set of few questions will be developed required for the study to be carried out. The study shall be rely both cross section and time series data values. A set of questions will be ask from the respondents to avail the data on demographic features. A questionnaire will be circulated to different groups or sectors including the Public Sector, and Private Sector. The secondary data will be taken from the sources which includes Pakistan Statistical Bureau and from Pakistan Social and Living Measurement regarding the consumer price index variable. 3.2 Model: CHH=f (YL, YH, A, FS, CPI) Dependent Variable: CHH= Average Household Consumption Expenditure (Rs per month) Independent Variable: YL= lower income class; (Avgerage monthly income less than or equal to Rs 25000) YH=High income class (Average monthly income of more than Rs 25000 and less than or equal to Rs 40000) CPI=Consumer price index (index to measure inflation on per month basis) A= Average Age of household (years) FS=Family Size (No of persons) On the basis of variables the following equations developed for estimation purpose. CHHL=ÃŽ ²o+ÃŽ ²1iYL+ÃŽ ²2iFS+ÃŽ ²3iA+ÃŽ ²4iCPI+ µi Equation 1 CHHH=ÃŽ ²o+ÃŽ ²1iYH+ÃŽ ²2iFS+ÃŽ ²3iA+ÃŽ ²4iCPI+ µiEquation 2 Where; ÃŽ ²o = Intercept ÃŽ ²1, ÃŽ ²2, ÃŽ ²3, ÃŽ ²4, is the slope co-efficient of the model. ÃŽ ¼i = Disturbance term of model. i = Number of households (i ~ 1 to 120) Effects of different variables on household consumption Parameter Theoretically expected effect ÃŽ ²1+/- ÃŽ ²2+/- ÃŽ ²3+/- ÃŽ ²4+/- References: Ahmad, E., Shamim, F. (2007). An Analysis of household consumption in Urban and  rural regions, Journal of Retailing and consumer services, 14(2), 150-164. Airola, Jim. (2007). The Use of Remittance Income in Mexico†, International Migration  Review, 41(4), 850-859 Ajmair, M,. Akhtar, N. (2012). Houehold Consumption in Pakistan (A Case Study of  District Bhimber, AJK) EuroJounal publishing Inc 75(3), 448-457 Ali,M.S. (1981). Rural urban consumption patterns in Pakistan.Pakistan Economic and Social  Review 20(2), 85-94 Ali,M.Shaukat. (1986). Household Consumption and Saving behavior in Pakistan: An  Application of the Extended Linear Expenditure System. The Pakistan Development  Review 24(1), 23-27 Aydin, Kemal.(2006). Social Stratification and Consumption Patterns in Turkey. Social  Indicator Research.75(3), 463-501 Bacon, J., German, C. (2000). An Analysis of Household Consumption of Fresh Potatoes in  Delaware, Journal of Food distribution Research, 31(1), 103-111. Bentham, Jeremy (1748). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. The  Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. 31-33 Burki A.Abid (1997). Estimating consumer preference for food, Using time series data of Pakistan. The Pakistan Development Review. 36(2), 131-153. Burney, N., Khan, A. (1992).Household Size, its Composition and Consumption Patterns  in Pakistan, An Empirical Analysis Using Micro Data. Pakistan Institute of Development  Economics, 27 (2), 57 – 72. Carroll, D. Christopher., Fuhrer, C. Jeffry., Wilcox,W. David (1994). Does Consumer  Sentiment Forecast Household Spending. The American Economic Review, Vol. 84(5), 1397-1408 Cheema, A., Malik, M. (1995).Changes in consumption patterns and employment under  Alternative in come distribution in Pakistan The Pakistan Development Review,  24(1),1-22. Chow,Clement K.W.,Fung,Michael K.Y., Ngo,H.Y. (1999). Consumption patterns of  Entrepreneurs in the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong Institute of Business Studies Working Paper Series 52(2001), 189-202 D’orlando E. Sanfilipo.(2010).Behavioral foundations for the Keynesian consumption  function. Journal of Economic Psychology31(6), 1035-1046. Fei,Linwu., Shu, YU.,Len, Lan Wei.,Teresa, J.C.Yin. (2003). Weight-control behavior among  dobese children: association with family-related factors. Journal of Nursing Research. 11(1), 19-30. Keynes, J.M.(1936). The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money. (London:  Macmillan). P.383 Khan,M.I.(1963). A Note on Consumption Patterns in Rural Areas of East Pakistan. The  Pakistan Development Review 3(3). Khan.U, Dhar.R.(2004).A Behavioral Decision Theoretic Perspective on Hedonic and  Utilitarian Choice. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making. 9(4), 265-281. Kruijk,J.L.de,I.C.Havinga J.B. Van Lochem (1991).Consumption behaviour in Pakistan. An  application of the (Extended) Linear Expenditure System. The Pakistan Development  Review 30(4). Malik,S. (1982).Analysis of Consumption Pattern in Pakistan. The Pakistan Economic and  Social Review 20(2), 108-122 Siddiqui,R.(1982). An Analysis of Consumption Pattern in Pakistan. The Pakistan Development Review 21(4), 275-296 Tai.H.C.Susan,Tam L.M.Jackie (1997).A life style analysis of female cosumers in greater  China.Journal of Psychology and Marketing. 14(3), 287-307. Thomas, Duncan (1993).The distribution of income and expenditure within household,  Annales de Economie et de statistiques, 29, 109-136 World Bank.(n.d). (2013). Retrieved from website worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicator/wdi-2013.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The dark side of fast food Essay -- Health, Diseases, Obesity

Today’s furious pace of life does not provide people with an opportunity of leisurely eating. The replacing of traditional food to convenience food is the result of the general intensification of work. At present people are usually under time pressure. Therefore, fast food seems to suit to the rhythm of modern life. However, it is argued by nutritionists that fast food is not beneficial to health, and causes health problems such as diabetes, heart diseases and obesity issues. The number of American overweight adults, whose mass is defined as 120 percent, has increased from 25 to 35 percent over the period of time from 1960 to 1991, while the percentage among adolescents has grown from 10 percent to 20 percent from 1970 to 1991 (James K. Binkley. 1997). In addition, these indexes are rising simultaneously with the development of fast food, one aspect is food delivering system, widespread service all over the world, which leads to population living passive life style and contri bute to acquiring obesity. During the period of time between 1980 and 1990 the proportion of money spent on food, that is prepared out of home has increased from 26 percent to 37 percent (Robert W. Jeffery and A. Simone. 1998). Moreover, significant minority of children are suffering from obesity. While sales of fast food are growing, the quality of health is declining. Presently, there are about 30,000 McDonald’s restaurants in 120 countries full of regular clients (BBC. Worldservice.com). In addition, there are many other similar corporations which mean that the fast food industry is prospering. Currently, humanity has a significant problem with a health of people due to a wrong nutrition, which consist of a different types of fast food. It is, therefore, ... ...possible solutions for stabilizing situation and providing healthy style of life without the fast food. Those are to put a stop for the usage of harmful ingredients in food, to decrease and limit amount of the fast food restaurants and to reduce the advertisement time on television and to reduce total amount of banners and websites of these fast food corporations. Moreover, it is believed, that these methods will improve today’s difficulties of people with the fast food consumption and addiction, and will provide healthy life – style (O’Rourke. 2005). In conclusion, in today’s situation, humanity and particularly governments of countries have to dispute for the active life without fast food, and to stop the fast food addiction, because of which all of these terrible things such as children and adults obesity, heart diseases and diabetes mellitus are happened.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Welton College in Dead Poets Society Essay -- essays research papers

Dead Poets Society positions the audience to see Welton as a rigid, oppressive and destructive place. Throughout the unravelling of Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society, the audience are often faced with the reality that attendance at Welton College would be undesirable. The physical and mental stresses endured by students due to the harshness and unforgiving nature of the school is underlining in many instances. Strict and unyielding authoritarian figures compel pupils to live in a damaging and caustic world, and to be placed under immense levels of anxiety and tension. The cruel world in which our impressionable young characters are forced to live in results directly in the tragic death of Neil Perry. During the screenplay, Welton is repeatedly shown to be a school where pupils are entrapped. Religious followers of the â€Å"Empty Vessel Theory†, Welton’s authority confine students to the four walls of their school building, and to the four wall of their mind. This theory reinforces the feeling of imprisonment Neil felt before his suicide. The boys are educated by books, and rely heavily on note-taking and on the blackboard. Classrooms, illuminated by single bulbs and devoid of natural light, give definite impressions as to the students’ state of mind. The lack of luminosity illustrates the deficiency in vigour, vitality and vividness of the boys, and similarly defines the students’ attitude to school life in general – gloomy, mournful and depressed. Similarly, the boys’ faces are usually shrouded in darkness, emphasising the deficiency in cheerfulness, and in the ending of their free spirit and will. Imprisoned physically, mentally and sp iritually, the boys are unable to wander on the path to self-discovery, and instead are forced to ... ...boys are forever compelled to do as adults say. The lack of trust and love for the boys is telling in many scenes and the constant disregard for their opinions and views brings about the untimely death of a youngster driven to the edge. Throughout the screenplay, Weir proves that it is the horrendous surroundings of the boys which cause the death of Neil Perry. Young students, especially in their adolescent years, need to be supported and encouraged and to feel value in society. Welton’s authority confirm on many an occasion their inability to cater to such demands. They succeed only in quashing mental, physical and spiritual sustenance of their students. Parents, who sent their children to such an austere academy, should have thought twice. The scars inflicted at Welton last a lifetime – and drastically reduce the length of Neil Perry’s young life.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Gamma Knife Improves Treatment of Brain Disorders Essay -- Explora

The Gamma Knife Improves Treatment of Brain Disorders Advanced treatment for brain tumors and brain disorders, the Gamma Knife is a tool being utilized to treat thousands of functional brain disorders every year without the danger involved in invasive procedures. Not many people can say they were up and about the same day after treatment of a brain tumor. This is now possible with the Gamma Knife, a technology utilizing gamma rays to treat brain disorders successfully and with no incision. These requirements are essential when trying to treat the disorders in a sensitive organ as the brain, where millimeters may mean the difference between life or death or brain damage. Developed in 1968 by Swedish neurosurgeon Lars Leksell, the Gamma Knife was not used until many years later when advanced diagnostic methods were developed. With the advent of technology such as the MRI and CT scan, the Gamma Knife's full capabilities are finally being realized. Conditions often treated with the technology are arteriovenus malformations, acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, and brain metastases. The risk of surgical complications is non-existent since the procedure is performed without an incision. It is also almost painless; patients usually opt for just local anesthesia and a mild sedative. The patient's head does not even need to be shaved for the procedure. During invasive procedures, surgeons are forced to actually penetrate the brain and work with MRI and CAT scan pictures to locate tumors and remove them. This is often an inaccurate procedure that may leave portions of the tumor still in the brain and require another operation. Another downside to invasive procedure is that tumo... ...Knife is also cost-effective. With no need for long hospital stays or rehabilitation, the procedure is obviously highly recommended by medical-insurance providers. The Gamma Knife is revolutionizing the treatment of brain disorders. Before, when a cancer spread to the brain, it was considered a terminal illness. Now, a patient is able to walk in and be treated in just a half hour. There have not even been any reported deaths or complications resulting from the procedure. It is being bought for use in many hospitals around the world and may be, in the not too distant future, as common as any other surgical procedure performed today. Bibliography http://www.chw.edu/mha/Gamma/gamma.html http://www.chw.edu/mha/Gamma/Q&A.html http://gammaknife.org/technical.html "Magnetic Resonance Imaging", Encarta. Microsoft Corporation, 1997.

Ocean Spray Case Study Essay

OceanSpray Cranberries Inc is the world’s leading grower owned corporative that harvests and exports of cranberry and grape fruit along with its bye-products in the form of juice, sauce, etc throughout the globe. Founded in 1912, at South Hanson, Ocean Spray Cranberries has managed to keep its brand name as the world leader in food products till date. It is only because of the various strategies it has adopted at different periods when encountered with a difficulty. In Cranberry Industry as described by Jeff Kapell as â€Å"growing cranberries is not just a business, but a way of life –there was a sense of commitment to the land that went beyond making a profit.† OceanSpray had however succeeded in balancing supply and demand by expanding acreage each year. Ocean Spray’s marketing had let to an increase in the number of independent cranberry growers. When OceanSpray was at its peak in business, the government started introducing several regulations and restrictions on using environmental elements such as air, water, and soil etc., which obviously affected the supply and demand cycles of OceanSpray. The major regulations that affected OceanSpray’s economy were the one related to bog expansion. A bog is a type of wetland which is most suited for the growth of Cranberry fruits. However the government restricted the number of bogs to be used by growers for cultivation which in turn affected the production made by OceanSpray. The government also restricted the use of chemicals and fertilizers in bogs to grow the fruits in order to prevent soil contamination, land degradation and water pollution. OceanSpray being so committed to the society had to oblige to the regulations of the government. Thus the concern for environment by both the government as well as OceanSpray affected OceanSpray’s business and economy to a great extent. 2. ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN OCEAN SPRAY: In order to resolve the issues related to the environment, the Board of Directors of OceanSpray established an Environmental Committee. To co-ordinate environmental programs and develop a broad strategy on the environment a six-member corporate environmental policy was created. It was necessary to develop a formal management structure to coordinate the widening range of environmental regulations affecting the cooperative, at that time. The Managers throughout the company developed parallel environmental programs coordinated through the Environmental Affairs Team. An employee of OceanSpray by name, Neil Bryson headed the Environmental, Health and Safety activities at a corporate level. 2. (i) ROLE OF MANAGERS IN CONTROLLING THE OWNERS: Ocean Spray Management felt that the new environmental policies would be more acceptable to growers if they were developed by other grower members. The grower shall follow the practices, rules and regulations that protected the environment. The growers had already started researching on finding out alternate pesticides for their bogs to protect the wetlands. However there was a need for educating them and guiding them since the management of bog had to be done in a more professional way using sophisticated agriculture management practices. Hence it is mandatory for the managers to exercise control over the owners on practicing agriculture to grow cranberries. 2. (ii) INVOLVEMENT OF MANAGERS IN RE-AUTHORISING CLEAN WATER ACT The government as an initiative to protect wetland introduced new rules and regulations. As a result it restructured and strengthened the definition of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, an act which was related to preventing water pollution. This directly affected the bog maintenance and bog expansion activities of Cranberry growers of OceanSpray. The bog owners really started suffering because of this.As a caretaker of the growers; it is the responsibility of the management of OceanSpray to help them get out  of trouble. Hence the managers must obviously get involved directly in recommending the government to re-authorize the Clean Water Act. 3. OPPORTUNI TIES FOR EXPANSION OF CANBERRY BOG Cranberry Bogs had been developed on natural wetland areas. The bogs were formed around the margin of streams and ponds. Cranberries were one component of ecosystem. The commercial cultivation of the cranberry altered to the ecological diversity of the bog. The functional value of wetlands were recognized by environmental activists including physical and hydrologic properties such as flood protection, ground water recharge and erosion control, biological and biochemical functions and nutrient provision. Cranberry cultivation posed for developing wetland regulations. The cranberry was a native wetland plant. The impacts of cranberry production on the aesthetic and the intrinsic value of the wetland functions related to water quality and biodiversity. The studies undertaken by the growers and the Ocean Spray suggested that the cranberry bog was low in diversity. The cranberry growers protected large areas of land from urbanization. Cranberry Bog were the heart of a unique growing system that included wetlands, uplands, ditches, flumes, ponds and reservoirs. There were four acres of support land for every acre of cranberry bog. The entire Cranberry wetland system provided a diversity of habitat for many rare animal and plant species. Hence the government restricted the usage of bogs which were of high value to the environment. However, Cranberries had their best growth at their best only in bogs. The regulations imposed by the federal governments minimized the opportunities of expanding the bogs by OceanSpray for the cultivation of Cranberries. The expansion of the bogs became an literally impossible owing to the acts like Clean Water Act and Wet Land Protection Act which insisted on ,†No Net Loss Of Wetland†. The individual growers had to get approval for each and every process by both the federal and state governments which made running the entire show much complicated than it was before. Hence the bog expansion became just a dream for the growers. But by analyzing from the growers point of view, they have been into Cranberry business for generations and for them this meant something more than just making profit. So the sudden regulations should not have been imposed on them and they should definitely be given an opportunity to expand the blog. 4. OCEAN SPRAY’S ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE â€Å"Competitive advantage is defined as the advantage that a firm has over its competitors, allowing it to generate greater sales and retain more customers. Competitive advantage gives a company an edge over its rivals and an ability to generate greater value for the firm and its shareholders. The more sustainable the competitive advantage, the more difficult it is for competitors to neutralize it† [Investopedia, Website]. OceanSpray as the world leader in Cranberry Industry had the farmers and land owners who did the job of cultivating and harvesting fruits with utmost dedication and care rather than just profit making. They by nature had much concern towards the environment and OceanSpray as an organization introduced and practiced several environmental programs. Some of the most noteworthy programs were water management which researched on irrigation techniques for the efficient use of water resource, wildlife enhancement, a program to preserve and promote wildlife, pesticide screening, a program to analyze and identify the right combination of pesticides that would both promote the growth of the fruit as well as preserve the fertility of the soil, Pesticide use that formulated the risk criteria for the use of pesticides and advised the same to the farmers as well, and finally the Integrated Pest Management Program that insisted on aspects like manipulation of water resources, maintenance of irrigation systems and the proper application of sand. This proves that the OceanSpray environment programs definitely stood as a competitive advantage to it increasing its reputation among customers and respect among government and other competitors. (c) TEACHING VEHICLE TO AIR AND WATER POLLUTION Let us see how this case study can be considered as a tool to teach the concept of Air and Water pollution: Strengths of this case that make it a teaching vehicle to air and water pollution: The module 6 of this subject covers the concept of air, noise and water pollution. In water pollution, the importance of wetlands in treating waste water and preventing water pollution is discussed under the topic; â€Å"Public Policy and Preventive Action†. This case study of OceanSpray is about the practices adopted by the growers and management to preserve wetland as well as expand their bog and productions rate. Learning this case study gives us a clear idea about preventing and managing water pollution. Thus this case study could be considered as a teaching vehicle for water pollution. Weaknesses of this case that make it a teaching vehicle to air and water pollution: This case study is about the environment management practices adopted by OceanSpray in order to overcome the troubles caused by the introduction of new rules and regulations by the government to protect wetlands and prevent water pollution. However this does not provide any informative data about the source, cause, type and prevention of air pollution. Thus the OceanSpray case study could be very well considered as a training vehicle for water pollution but not air pollution. REFERENCES Investopedia, Available at http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/competitive_advantage.asp Accessed on 12th August 2010. Ecology, ECO8011 Module 6 Air, noise & water pollution.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Las Dos Fridas (The Two Fridas) – Frida Kahlo Painting

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderon, or Frida Kahlo, was a painter born in Mexico in 1907 and died in 1954. Her father was German and her mother was Mexican Indian. From her childhood, she was diagnosed with polio, a disease that infects the spine, and the disease left her right leg distorted. At 18, returning from her art school, the bus she was riding in hit a tram and an iron bar pierced her abdomen/pelvis area. Her legs and vertebrae suffered serious damage. The accident was a turning point in her life. In her hospital bed, she installed a mirror above her bed. She painted many works, most of which were self-portraits.In 1928, Frida met Diego Rivera, whom she married a year later. She could not have children with him because of the accident. Frida was a huge part of the surrealism movement, and a good example of this would be her painting, â€Å"Las Dos Fridas† (â€Å"The Two Fridas†). This work was painted in 1939, shortly after her divorce from Diego Rivera. The painting depicts two different personalities, or versions of her, sitting on a bench. The Frida on the left is clad in a Victorian era wedding dress (this depicts the Frida that Diego left), and the one on the right wears a Tehuana, which is the part of Frida that Diego loved and respected.The hearts of the two Fridas are exposed. The one on the left’s heart is broken, and the one on the right’s heart is whole. The fact that she is holding her own hand could suggest that she wants us to see that she is her only companion. The composition of the foreground makes the two women the centre of attention, and the gloomy sky in the background could reflect inner turmoil. Despite the deeper meaning of the portrait, both Fridas look equally as confident and officious.Movement in this portrait is very little, the only thing we can see that is actively moving is the cut artery from her heart which is squirting blood. This is the first thing that caught my attention. I think, pai red with the scissors in her hand, this could imply self-destruction but giving the circumstances one would be right to assume heartbreak. The actual make-up of the painting is very pristine, with her use of oil on canvas. The brush strokes are delicate, precise and give a realistic effect. There’s a lot of depth in the painting, like in the folds of her dresses and the use of shadow.Frida has shown light and dark tones clearly by making herself the lightest and most vibrant subject in the area, which in contrast, is very dark and almost sinister. Despite the contrast, there’s still a sort of darkness all throughout the painting. The portrait gives an overall negative vibe; it makes me feel sympathetic towards her. The use of line is very subtle and is immaculately blended. The most colourful thing in the foreground is the happy Frida on the right, who wears blue, orange, and gold tones. There doesn’t seem to be an obvious colour scheme.Frida in the white dress is very neutral; it complies of subtle tones of olive and lilac, and overall the wedding dress is a blend of harmonious colours. The painting is, in my opinion, half cold tones and half warm tones. The representation of herself in the painting is realistic but her style of painting gives it an almost cartoon effect. I really adore this painting. I like it because it’s obviously something which holds much deeper meaning. It’s symbolic of heartbreak, despair and deceitfulness but, ultimately, is a representation of empowerment and sticking by your side when no one else will.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Informative Speech: Alfred Nobel

What would you say if one morning you wake up, read by mistake your own obituary, and see what people think about you? How would you like to be called:† the merchant of death, who built a fortune, by discovering new ways to mutilate and kill, is dead†. This happened to Alfred Nobel. The story is that when Alfred Nobel’s brother died, a French newspaper mistakenly published an obituary of Alfred. When he read this, he remained pained all of his life. The purpose of my speech is to inform you who Alfred Nobel is.Although, I have not known Alfred Nobel in person, by reading his biographies, along with my great interest in history of inventors qualifies me to speak on this matter. Today I would like to inform you, who Alfred Nobel is; what he had done to be famous, and how he affected our world/society. In the beginning, I will start with some background information, including place, family and education. Alfred Nobel was born on October 21, 1833, Stockholm, Sweden.He was the forth son of Caroline and Immanuele Nobel, a manufacturer of torpedoes, mines and explosives. In order to achieve better life conditions, when Alfred was nine years old, the family moved to Petersburg, Russia, where Alfred received private education. From the beginning, Alfred proved to be a genius. He was not only a brilliant student with vastly laboratory skills, but also a competent chemist. By the age of seventeen, he was fluently writing and speaking in five languages: English, French, German, Russian, as well as Swedish.According to Kenne Fant in a biography called â€Å"Alfred Nobel†: â€Å" All his life he derived nearly as much pleasure experimenting with language as he did experimenting with acids and powders in his laboratory(p. 5, ch. 13). † Trying to sum up his life in one sentence, he offered the following: â€Å" I am a misanthrope and yet utterly benevolent, have more then one screw loose yet am a super-idealist who digest philosophy more effic iently than food. † Today, since 1902, we mainly recognize Alfred Nobel as the founder of the Nobel Prize.Today, since 1902, most of the people recognize Alfred Nobel as the founder of The Nobel Prize. Now that I gave you some brief information about who Alfred Nobel is, I will tell you how he became famous. Fascinated by the speculative and experimental elements of chemistry, Alfred transformed his kitchen into a small laboratory. From the beginning, he became very interested in the inexplicable behavior of an explosive substance called nitroglycerine. Nitroglycerine is a yellow liquid that is explosive near sudden heat; also today, it is used as a vasodilator medicine.Therefore, in 1863, Alfred Nobel was the first to solve the mystery of detonating NG in a practical useful way. This detonator marked the beginning of Nobel’s reputation as an inventor. According to British historian F. D. Miles, â€Å"the introduction of a detonating cap is without doubt the greatest d iscovery that has ever been made, in the theory and practice of explosives. On this discovery all modern application of explosives is based (p. 57, ch. 12). † However, due to its dangerous properties, NG was very risky to handle and transport.In fact, it was so dangerous, that Nobel’s factory blew up killing his younger brother and other innocent people. After this incident, Alfred became even more determined in finding a new foolproof way to transport NG, but without diminishing its blasting power. Therefore, in 1867, once again Alfred proved himself the inventor of the impossible – a reddish-yellow plastic mass, called dynamite, established his fame world wide, for the second time. In his experiments, he experiment in search of better ones, so in 1875 he invented a more powerful form of dynamite, called blasting gelatin.Now that you know how Alfred Nobel became famous, I will tell you how the result of his experiments along with the legacy he left behind affect ed our society. First, critics believe that Alfred Nobel created his explosives for peace purposes only. His explosive substances were critical to mining operations and communication systems, such as the construction of the railroads and tunnels. Secondly, Alfred, himself said, â€Å"There is nothing in our world that can not be misused†. Thus, ballistite, recognized as one of Nobel’s most disturbing inventions, revolutionized the munitions industry.Moreover, three decades later, Krummel, one of his explosives factories became the site of Germany’s largest atomic reactor. In addition, the dynamite had its first use in 1870 when the Franco-Prussian war broke out. At his death, in 1896, ninety factories of manufacturing explosives and ammunition already existed. However, instead of all his â€Å"demonic devices† that he created, Alfred never wanted to be remembered as the â€Å"merchant of death who kills and mutilate†, thereby he rewrote his will, c reating the Nobel Peace Prize.Since 1902, every year in Sweden, the Nobel prize is awarded for achievements in chemistry, physics, psychology, medicine or literature and of peace. Today I had the pleasure to inform you about the life of Alfred Nobel, by also mentioning how he became famous and how he changed our world. According to Kenne Fant, â€Å"Alfred Nobel left a legacy of lasting importance. Through his prizes, this restless, eternal wanderer, has forever etched his name in human memory (p. 7,ch. I). †

Saturday, September 14, 2019

“Not My Best Side” U A Fanthorpe Essay

In â€Å"Not My Best Side† U A Fanthorpe challenges the traditional, stereotypical characters in the legend Of St George and the dragon only to replace them with another equally stereotypical set In the poem â€Å"Not my best side† U A Fanthorpe has challenged the orthodox images of the characters in Uccello’s painting of St George and the Dragon. She has successfully manipulated them into modern day caricatures. Through traditional stereotypical views and legends, Uccello has portrayed the fire-breathing dragon as grotesque and beastly. Yet this is the dragon whom a boy no older than a teenager, can tame. The poem contrasts any stereotypical view the reader may have taken and reveals that the dragon is no more innocent than the other characters. In the first sentence of the first stanza, the reader is confronted by a dress conscientious victim of fashion; this is hardly a fire-breathing monster. The dragon criticises all but himself, from the painter Uccello who, â€Å"didn’t give me a chance to pose properly† to the, â€Å"horse with a deformed neck†. Fanthorpe has given such a beast a pitiful personality the painter is described as a, â€Å"poor chap† however this is not an obvious reaction expected from such a beast. The phrases used by the dragon portray how the poem is the inverse of the painting itself. The fact that the angle of the picture was not in his favour has proven to disappoint the dragon deeply but he forgets the fact that he is about to be defeated and overcomes this with an answer; â€Å"I always rise again†. The character is quick to point out such supposed absurdities as, â€Å"what, after all are two feet to a monster?† and how his conqueror travels on a horse, â€Å"with a deformed neck†. His questions convey his unhappiness of being mocked, from his point of view his killers and victims appear to be blind, juvenile or ugly. Not taking things, as seriously as he should, the dragon tends to ask rhetorical questions: â€Å"should my conqueror be so ostentatiously beardless?† and, â€Å"Why should my victim be so unattractive as to be inedible?† The character does not think why they should take him anymore seriously than he is prepared to take them. Two diametrically opposed personalities, one from Uccello’s painting of St George and the Dragon, the other from U A Fanthorpe’s poem of â€Å"Not My Best Side† are never the less the same person. Painted unnaturally white and almost glowing, the young woman in the painting could be described as a symbol of virginity. She would be insulted to be given such a personality to the one in the poem where her casual sexual attitude is most noticeable in the double entendres: â€Å"wearing machinery† and, â€Å"see all his equipment† throughout the stanza. How these phrases are interpreted, is up to the reader. Half way through the second stanza the reader infers that she would have focused her attention on another issue but instead she is now talking of how she would â€Å"enjoy† being eaten by the dragon and assumes that all girls would like the same. Fanthorpe has prescribed to the girl a rather a modern woman’s personality rather than the image of a more biblical girl. Her language and her sentences are modern and appear slightly immature. One would usually associate phrases like, â€Å"And the way he looked at me† with a teenager. One would not assume a religious orthodox figure to be using phrases such as, â€Å"he might have acne, blackheads or even bad breath†. As well as being critical she also insults her hero’s manhood, â€Å"when this boy turns up†. Indeed her declaration† I didn’t much fancy him† shows her first thought that apparently ran through her mind when she was about to be rescued from death by the very same boy. Fanthorpe has created a similarity between the two characters of the dragon and the young woman. Both are far more concerned with their image and what others think of them than the reality of the situation. It could be said that her second stanza creates a less than glamorous image of today’s new woman. St George. The legendary character who is said to be the fearless slayer of the almighty dragon. However in this stanza, St George shatters our illusions as Fanthorpe allows St George to speak for himself. He is boastful about his, â€Å"machinery† and brags how he is educated to a degree in â€Å"Dragon management† and so-called â€Å"Virgin Reclamation†. Even his horse now sounds more like a car as he mentions it has, â€Å"Automatic transmission†. The first five lines of the stanza show how the traditional story has been put into a modern context. They also show how his own stupidity can make a mockery of him. His words, â€Å"Virgin Reclamation† are an example of his arrogance because he hopes to impress by using words longer than two syllables. Also he thinks that killing is a form of â€Å"management.† Such euphemisms and vocabulary choices not only make him look ignorant and boastful but also are not the words that should be coming out of the mouth of a true hero. His, â€Å"custom built spear† makes him sound like a modern day hero, a James Bond, type but as he is only a boy he has a good few years remaining before he takes on the role. By giving St George elaborate twentieth Century technical vocabulary Fanthorpe has escaped from the biblical sense of the picture to a stereotypical and has equalled him to a modern day Essex man. He attention seeking makes him appear snobbish, â€Å"You can’t do better than me†¦I’m qualified and equipped†. The reader would expect that it would be highly discomforting to be rescued by a hero with this bragging persona. Fanthorpe has created a complete inverse of the legendary character. St George’s more chauvinist qualities leak through when he intimidates the woman by asking her how or if she would like to be rescued. He is expecting her to take on the role of Sleeping Beauty waiting for the strong and handsome prince. St George’s expectations are worked when he tells her that she could be, â€Å"endangering job prospects† if she does not wish to cooperate. Here, he has taken on a very sexist attitude, and although it seems as if he would like to save the lives of others, once again he shows his ignorance by telling her, â€Å"What†¦does it matter what You want? You’re in my way†. He is only thinking of himself. Here in the third stanza is the third vision of a selfish personality. Fanthorpe’s modern day caricatures are not complementary! The three characters in this poem hold quite different opinions yet are extremely similar in the way that each character is as different as the other. They do not like being criticised but do not think how their insults to others are even more critical, â€Å"Unattractive as to be inedible.† In each of the stanzas the characters start off with good-natured comments but as they progress to the end of the stanza the points they have made appear ruder and their egotism reveals itself. The last lines all end with a sarcastic comment. All the characters are not too worried about anyone but them self. Over all they are looking after the image of number one, which seems to be the only thing that matters. Fanthorpe’s images of three types have little of the spiritual among them. As I read about thoughts, which are materialistic, vain or lustful, I learn that Fanthorpe seems concerned with showing us not our best sides.

Friday, September 13, 2019

No topic need Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No topic need - Essay Example ion, it also tries to produce or develop products as per the preferences of the customers so as to enhance their reliability and loyalty within their minds. Only then, the rate of switch over costs of the customers might get reduced thereby enhancing the demand of the product lines of Ford motors. Other than this, in order to retain the customers for longer period of time, the organization of Ford Motors desire to offer high attention over quality, performance and technical specifications. Keeping this concept of product in mind, the organization of Ford Motors developed Honda Civic GX, which is extremely trendy in design and excellent in all season roads. The development of Honda Civic GX helped the organization of Ford Motors to fascinate a wide range of customers thereby amplifying its market share by almost 35 percent among others. However, in order to enhance its selling target, the organization tried to promote the specifications of this car such as ultra-high performance, high comfort etc in order to attract the interested customers. This is done in order to increase the demand of the product thereby amplifying the profit margin and brand image of the organization among others. Moreover, as per marketing concept, the organization of Ford Motors develops the product lin es, keeping in mind the requirements and needs of the customers so as to retain its loyalty and reliability. Furthermore, in order to retain the well-being of the society, the organization of Ford Motors developed Honda Civic GX, and promoted it by the name, green car. This clearly shows that, the organization tries to protect the environment from varied types of green houses gases emitted from the non-renewable fuels. b) In order to protect the market share and profitability, the organization of Ford Motors tried to offer higher concentration over the prices of its products. This is because, maximum extent of its target customers desire to attain, high-ended products but at a competitive

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Vetoing of Jobs in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vetoing of Jobs in America - Essay Example Public polls have recently indicated that a majority of people support the project although there is still a great percentage of Americans opposing the entire project. Most of the supporters reason that the project will have numerous benefits to America. On the other hand, some Americans have aired their environmental and safety concerns about the project. According to the current economic state, it is evident that America needs more jobs. In addition, gas and fuel prices have been on the rise in the recent past. These are the factors that should convict the president to approve the southern and northern legs of the projects. The expedition of the TransCanada pipeline project has the potential of opening up job opportunities for the American people. It is clear that unemployment rates have been on the rise in the recent past. It is critical for the government to give attention to any project that I likely to improve the current situation. Statistics reveal that there are a great numb er of unemployed Americans despite their education level. An opportunity that is likely to create more than 250000 jobs is not something to disapprove. This is the reason why majority of American feel that the project should receive approval (Minicucc 1). The postponing of the approval of the consideration of the northern leg of the project until 2013 is disheartening to many Americans who were looking forward to the new jobs that the project will bring. The issues that led to the postponing of the crucial decision revolve around environmental and safety issues. Since America has other major pipelines, it is worthwhile to examine the risks posed by the existing pipelines. Understanding of such risks will enable the government to indulge into the project with more safety caution rather than let it go completely. According to the Energy Information Administration, the Trans Alaska pipeline is a classical example of a pipeline constructed with relevant safety measures put into place to minimize potential effects to both the environment and people. Reliable sources reveal that the spill rates of oil have decreased immensely in the recent past. These statistics imply that the TransCanada pipeline project is viable and should receive approval. According to the Oil Information Service, it is a time when fuel and gas prices are rising at an alarming rate, it is critical for the government to analyze the possible effect of the keystone pipeline to the gas prices. It is evident that the pipeline will be tapping more fuel into the country and them increasing supply is likely to bring the prices down. Although many people are afraid that different hubs along the pipeline will have the capacity to readjust prices and raise them, their fears are unwarranted because the effect will be minimal. America is suffering and approval of the project will be a great relief in the current hard economic times. The white house relented from approving the northern leg of the project beca use of the short notice on which it had to make the decision. According to white house reports, there was no adequate time to analyze and assess the risks of the project and address all the environmental concerns. However, Trans Canada already has in place environmental regulations that can be of potential use to assess whether the project is worth a trial (Trans Canada corporation 1). America has the appropriate guidelines that should enable it to weigh out the potential of the pipeline. Bearing in mind that pipeline transport poses the