How to Make a Solar System Model

A solar system model is an effective tool that teachers use to teach about our planet and its environment. The solar system is made of the sun (a star), as well as the  planets  Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and the celestial bodies that orbit those planets (like moons).   You can make a solar system model out of many types of materials. The one thing you should keep in mind is scale; you will need to represent the different planets according to differences in size. You should also realize that a true scale will probably not be possible when it comes to distance. Especially if you have to carry this model on the school bus. One of the easiest materials to use for planets is Styrofoam © balls. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and they come in a variety of sizes; however, if you intend to color the planets, be aware that regular spray paint in a can often contain chemicals that will dissolve Styrofoam —so it is best to use water-based paints. Types of Solar System Models There are two main types of models: box models and hanging models. You will need a very large (basketball sized) circle or semi-circle to represent the sun. For a box model, you could use a large foam ball, and for a hanging model, you could use an inexpensive toy ball. You will often find inexpensive balls at a one-dollar type store. You can use affordable finger paint or markers to color the planets. A sample range when considering sizes for planets, from large to small, might measure: Jupiter (brownish with a red spot): 4 - 7 inchesSaturn (yellow with red ring): 3 - 6 inchesUranus (green): 4 - 5 inchesNeptune (blue): 3 - 4 inchesVenus (yellow): 2 inchesEarth (blue): 2 inchesMars (red): 1.5 inchesMercury (orange): 1 inch Please note that this is not the right order of arrangement (see the sequence below.) How to Assemble the Model To make a hanging model, you can use straws or wooden  dowel  rods (like for grilling kebabs) to connect the planets to the sun  in the center. You could also use a hula-hoop toy to form the main structure, suspend the sun in the middle (connect it to two sides), and hang the planets around the circle. You can also arrange the planets in a straight line from the sun showing their relative distance (to scale). However, although you may have heard the term planetary alignment used by astronomers, they do not mean the planets are all in a straight line, they are simply referring to some of the planets being in the same general region. To make a box model, cut off the top flaps of the box and set it on its side. Color the inside of the box black, to represent space. You might also sprinkle silver glitter inside for stars. Attach the semicircular sun to one side, and hang the planets in order, from the sun, in the following sequence: MercuryVenusEarthMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptune Remember the mnemonic device for this is: My very educated mother just served us nachos.

Theme Of Dreams In Harlem By Langston Hughes - 870 Words

Dreams are aspirations that people hope to achieve in their lifetime. They are a motive that drives lives to accomplish goals. When trying to achieve these goals, people can do anything. However, what happens when a dream is deferred? A dream cast aside can frustrate a person in the deepest way. It tends to permeate their thoughts and becomes an unshakable burden. In the poem â€Å"Harlem,† Langston Hughes, through literary technique, raises strong themes through a short amount of language Hughes is asking what happens to a dream that is being put off. What do these dreams do, do they do good, do they do bad, or do they do neither good nor bad? He continues by stating this simile: â€Å"Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Using this simile,†¦show more content†¦Dreams were untreated, deserted and disregarded, but we’re steady giving up if something fails, but if they trust in themselves and have faith they can all be what they set out in this world to be. â€Å"Dream Deferred† propels us to making accomplishment, but after we jeopardize them by allocating them off in our mind they discharge, by meaning, that rather than permitting out dreams to negative like; â€Å"Fester like a painful or being a sagging load† (Line 5 and 10). We can permit dream discharge to be a driven power shoving us towards accomplishments. Hughes implies on this poem â€Å"Harlem† is to not permit your dreams to stay dormant. Hughes begins â€Å"Theme for English B† with a sort of biographical feel, place of birth is mentioned and his schooling, but the meaning behind the poem gets deeper as you read. Hughes starts off pretty strongly with â€Å"I wonder if it’s that simple?† (â€Å"Theme B† 6). His use of a question so early on lets a reader know that his poem is for more than just show. He wants you to think. His rhetorical question isn’t simple. The speaker of the poem is wondering if he can answer the question so easily, and limit himself to words by doing so. Then, in both lines seven and ten, Hughes takes the time to mention that the speaker is black. By his doing you can see the importance placed on race at that time. If someone were to so specifically mention his or her race now, without being asked, it would be thought of asShow MoreRelatedThe Harlem Renaissance : The Rebirth Of African American Arts1708 Words   |  7 PagesHarlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place in Harlem, New York. This mainly took place starting from the end of the First World War until the mid-1930s. Harlem, at this time, was the center of the African-American culture, and Harlem appealed lot of black artists, writers, scholars, musicians, poets, and photographers. Lots of these artists had fled from the South because they needed to get away from their oppressive caste system so thatRead MoreEssay on Langston Hughes a Harlem Renaissance Man1463 Words   |  6 Pagesdistrict of New York City called Harlem. The area known as Harlem matured into the hideaway of jazz and the blues where the African American artist emerged calling themselves the â€Å"New Negro.† The New Negro was the cornerstone for an era known today as the Harlem Renaissance (Barksdale 23). The Harlem Renaissance warranted the expression of the double consciousness of the African Americans, which was exposed by art ists such as Langston Hughes. James Mercer Langston Hughes was an African American poetRead MoreA Brief Look at Langston Hughes1413 Words   |  6 PagesLangston Hughes Langston Hughes’ challenging background, ethnicity, and era of life can all be thought of reasons as to why his style of writing relates among discrimination and unsettling topics. Although his writing can be said to bring hope to the African Americans, his style can be frightening and daunting when taken the time to read his pieces. They may not seem real, but they are his way of interpreting and informing the future of what African Americans, like himself, had to go throughRead MoreRacism and Langston Hughes658 Words   |  3 PagesLangston Hughes was a great African American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist (â€Å"The Biography of Langston Hughes†). As a child, he grew up in the times of racial inequality. As a result, his poems often shared the recurring theme of hope, breaking free from racial inequality, and to strive for a better future. This theme was very evident in the poems â€Å"Dreams† and â€Å"I Dream a World† , by Langston Hughes. This common theme is a result of the era Hughes grew up in. James LangstonRead MoreLiterary Analysis of Langston Hughess A Dream Deferred1028 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscusses the themes, figures of speech, word placement, and flow of the piece, and A Dream Deferred, is no exception. In Langston Hughess poem, A Dream Deferred, the theme is that no really knows to dreams if they are not reached, and very realistic figures of speech help convey this idea; the poem can be surprisingly related to Mr. Hughess life through the subtitle and quotes from Langston himself. The meaning of, A Dream Deferred, is that no one really knows what happens to dreams that areRead More Dreams of Blacks Deferred in the Poetry of Langston Hughes Essay1711 Words   |  7 PagesDreams of Blacks Deferred in the Poetry of Langston Hughes    The poetry of Langston Hughes, the poet laureate of Harlem, is an effective commentary on the condition of blacks in America during the 20th Century. Hughes places particular emphasis on Harlem, a black area in New York that became a destination of many hopeful blacks in the first half of the 1900s. In much of Hughes poetry, a theme that runs throughout is that of a dream deferred. The recurrence of a dream deferred in severalRead More`` True Freedom `` By Langston Hughes1163 Words   |  5 Pagesmight be gained through lessons learned from history, from accomplishing and seeing dreams become reality, or from standing up for beliefs. Langston Hughes, an American poet known for his writing during the Harlem Renaissance period said, â€Å"In all my life, I have never been free. I have never been able to do anything with freedom, except in the field of my writing.† (citation). As a young African American man, Hughes faced man obstacles, but writing gave him a sense of freedom o f expression. His poetryRead MoreDreams in Langston Hughes Poems1401 Words   |  6 Pages Langston Hughes’ challenging background, ethnicity, and era of life can all be thought of reasons as to why his style of writing relates among discrimination and unsettling topics. Although his writing can be said to bring hope to the African Americans, his style can be frightening and daunting when taken the time to read his pieces. They may not seem real, but they are his way of interpreting and informing the future of what African Americans, like himself, had to go through and what they hadRead MoreLangston Hughes : A Modernist1222 Words   |  5 PagesSappington 13 Apr. 2017 Langston Hughes: A Modernist Credited as being the most recognizable figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes played a vital role in the Modernist literary movement and the movement to revitalize African American culture in the early 20th century. Hughes’s poems reflect his personal struggle and the collective struggle of African Americans during this cultural revival. Langston Hughes’s life contained key influences on his work. As a child, Hughes witnessed a divorceRead MoreLangston Hughes Essay1084 Words   |  5 PagesLangston Hughes was a large influence on the African-American population of America. Some of the ways he did this was how his poetry influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and the Harlem Renaissance. These caused the civil rights movement that resulted in African-Americans getting the rights that they deserved in the United States. Hughes was born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was young and his grandmother raised him. She got him into literature and education; she was one of

Mass Media and Violence free essay sample

Is it hard to believe that just forty years ago only a few privileged American families had televisions in their home? In recent years, it is estimated that a whopping ninety-eight percent of Americans have one or more television sets in their home. Motion pictures, televisions, video games, and the internet are just some forms of mass media that have emerged since the last century. With the rise of mass media, the increase of violent behavior has increased as well. Mass media influences many factors of people’s lives such as moral beliefs, behavior, and values. Violence in mass media is greatly dominating our society and continues to do so. It causes aggression and is a growing epidemic among the youth. Scott Barbour praises the American Academy of Pediatrics: â€Å"The vast majority of studies conclude that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between media violence and real-life violence. This link is undeniable and uncontestable. We will write a custom essay sample on Mass Media and Violence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † It is no lie when they say the average American child witnesses 200,000 acts of violence on TV by the age of eighteen. Watching violent TV shows or movies promotes aggression. People want to follow what everyone else is doing so they will follow and may even commit what these actors are doing on the television. According to L. R. Huesmann, research shows that fictional TV and film violence contribute to both short and long-term increase in aggression and violence in young viewers. Children are in particular are affected by violence, aggression, or sexual abuse in our media because of their helpless psychology. Some forms of aggression include truancy, lack of social skills, and failing out of school. It is no doubt that the media that promotes violence and aggression is the same one to have an effect on society. This is a monkey see, monkey do world and people may not even know that they being effected, but they are. Especially with the next generation coming up, they sort of are growing up with the violence. It becomes more and more traumatic as they see it more. According to Mughal, children and teen’s values and beliefs will become more aggressive. He goes on to say that media portrays war as entertainment [in video games]. War is not entertainment and nobody wins in real war while real people are getting killed. This illustrates another problem: can ociety depict from reality and fantasy? Most of the recent shootings in the United States were committed by the youth. Is it just a coincidence or is it because of the hostility displayed on their television sets? Many people think that violence in media is entirely based on real life. They proclaim that since we live in the real world, the media cannot possibly be more violent than what we already know. Actually, it is impossible for people to know all horrific events that have taken place. Also, some would say that it is up to the individual to decide what to be exposed to. That is not true, since you are exposed to cruel media whether you know it or not. Even on the news, â€Å"Crimes such as murders, robberies, and abuse are shown as deviant behavior† rather than actual violence. In conclusion, violence in media does affect society. It is a growing wave and teaches aggression. Some solutions could be placing regulations on TV and motion picture producers. If gun makers have regulations on guns they make, why not placing rules on producers? Also, parents should be aware of what their children watch.

Boxer rebellion Essay Example For Students

Boxer rebellion Essay When Japan defeated China in 1895, European powers answered with an order they called, â€Å" carving up the Chinese melon.† Following the division of Africa among European powers, they turned their sights to what they saw as an extremely weak Chinese government. European powers and America began to scramble for what was called â€Å"spheres of interest. † These spheres of interest involved holding leases for all railway and public advantages in different regions of China. Russia got Port Arthur, Britain got the New Territories near the Hong Kong region, Germany got Shantung and America got nothing. America was focusing largely on Guam and the Philippines and had missed the opportunity and so insisted on the â€Å"open-door policy† in China were commercial opportunities were equally available to all Western powers and the political and territorial integrity of China stayed intact. The imperial court responded to this foreign threat by giving aid to various secret societies. Traditionally, secret societies had been formed in opposition to imperial government; as such, they were certainly a threat to the Ch’ing government. However, anti-foreign sentiment had risen so greatly in China that the Empress Dowager,ruler of China, believed that the secret societies could be the leaders in a military deportation of Europeans. This policy reached its crucial period in 1900 with the Boxer Rebellion.The Boxers, or â€Å"The Righteous and Harmonious Fists,† were a religious society that had originally rebelled against the imperial government in Shantung in 1898. They practiced an animistic magic of rituals and spells that they believed made them invulnerable to bullets and pain. The Boxers believed that the expulsion of foreign devils would magically renew Chinese society and begin a new golden age. Much of their discontent, however, was focused on the economic scarcity of the 1890’s. They were a passionate and confident group, full of contempt for authority and violent emotions. In reality, the Boxer Rebellion could hardly be classified as either a rebellion or a war against the Europeans. China was largely under control of regional Governors General these regional officials ignored the Empress Dowager’s instructions and put forth every effort to prevent disorder or any harm coming to foreigners. The Boxer Rebellion, then, existed only in a few places and centered in Beijing. The Boxers laid seize to the foreign compound in Beijing cutting the Embassies off from their countries. The western response was quick and harsh. Within a couple of months, an international force captured and occupied Beijing and forced the imperial government to agree to the most embarrassing terms yet: the Boxer Protocol of 1901. Under the Boxer Protocol, European powers got the right to maintain military forces in the capital, therefore placing the imperial government under arrest. It also suspended civil service exams; demanded a huge amount to be paid to European powers for the losses they suffered, and ordered government officials to be punished for their role in the rebellion. It also suspended all arms imports into the country. The embarrassment of the Boxer Protocols set China on a new course of reform that dramatically put into place all of the reforms, originally proposed by K’ang Yu-wei, prior to the Boxer Uprising. In 1901, the education system was redone to allow girls to attend and study Classics and Confucian studies were changed to the study of Western math, science, engineering, and geography. The civil service examination was also changed to reflect this new teaching method. Finally, in 1905, it was abandoned altogether. China began to send its children to Europe and Japan to study the new subjects. The military was reorganized under Yuan Shih-k’ai, who adopted the Japan and Western style of military discipline and organization. In 1909 the last emperor, Pu Yi, the Hsan-tung emperor, ascended the throne. .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 , .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .postImageUrl , .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 , .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80:hover , .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80:visited , .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80:active { border:0!important; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80:active , .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80 .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7e10ac082d95276843ccac0852459a80:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Uncanny Relationship of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp Essay Soon there after the Imperial Dynasty was disposed by feuding warlords. The Boxer Rebellion was the last gasp of a dying imperial regime.

Dont Talk To Cops Essays (538 words) - Arrest, Criminal Law

Don't Talk to Cops By Robert W. Zeuner, Member of the New York State Bar " GOOD MORNING! My name is investigator Holmes. Do you mind answering a few simple questions?" If you open your door one day and are greeted with those words, STOP AND THINK! Whether it is the local police or the FBI at your door, you have certain legal rights of which you ought to be aware before you proceed any further. In the first place, when law enforcement authorities come to see you, there are no "simple questions". Unless they are investigating a traffic accident, you can be sure that they want information about somebody. And that somebody may be you! Rule number one to remember when confronted by the authorities is that there is no law requiring you to talk with the police, the FBI, or the representative of any other investigative agency. Even the simplest questions may be loaded and the seemingly harmless bits of information which you volunteer may later become vital links in a chain of circumstantial evidence against you or a friend. DO NOT INVITE THE INVESTIGATOR INTO YOUR HOME! Such an invitation not only gives him the opportunity to look around for clues to your lifestyle, friends, reading material, etc., but also tends to prolong the conversation. The longer the conversation, the more chance there is for a skill investigator to find out what he wants to know. Many times a police officer will ask you to accompany him to the police station to answer a few questions. In that case, simply thank him for the invitation and indicate that you are not disposed to accept it at this time. Often the authorities simply want to photograph a person for identification purposes, a procedure which is easily accomplished by placing him in a private room with a two-way mirror at the station, asking him a few innocent questions, and then releasing him. If the investigator becomes angry at your failure to cooperate and threatens you with arrest, stand firm. He cannot legally place you under arrest or enter your home without a warr ent signed by a judge. If he indicates that he has such a warrent, ask to see it. A person under arrest, or located on premises to be searched, generally must be shown a warrent if he requests it and must be given to chance to read it. Without a warrent, an officer depends solely upon your helpfulness to obtain the information he wants. So, unless you are quite sure of yourself, don't be helpful. Probably the wisest approach to take to a persistant investigator is simply to say: "I'm quite busy now. If you have any questions that you feel I can answer, I'd be happy to listen to them in my lawyer's office. Goodbye!" Talk is cheap. When that talk involves the law enforcement authorities, it may cost you, or someone close to you, dearly. This info came from a leaflet that was printed as a public service by individuals concerned with the growing role of authoritarianism and police power in our society. Please feel free to copy or republish. This info also applies to dealing with private investigators, and corporate security agents.

Consultation For Leaders In Management - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Consultation For Leaders In Management - Smart Custom Writing Letter of CreditAssess the place of Letters of Credit in the International commercial arena What is International Finance Management? The international financial management of a trust/company is concerned with management of its funds which reflects how efficiently the company is managing its funds. The overall objective of all business is to secure funds at low cost and their effective utilisation in the business for a profit. The funds so utilised must generate an income higher than the cost of procuring them. Here it is to be noted that all companies need both long-term and short-term capital. The finance manager must therefore keep in view the needs of both long-term debt and working capital and ensure that the business enjoys an optimum level of working capital and that it does not keep too many funds blocked in inventories, book-debts, cash, etc. The capital structuring and average cost of capital for the company should also be examined.[1] Financial analysis is analysis of financial statements of a company to assess is financial health and soundness of its management. "Financial Statement analysis" involves a study of the financial statements of a company to ascertain its prevailing state of affairs and the reasons therefore. Such a Study would enable the public and investors to ascertain whether one company is more profitable than the other, and also to state the causes and factors probably responsible for this[2]. Letters of Credit In a document, the bank agrees to honor a draft drawn on the importer, provided the bill of lading and other details are in order. Obviously, the local bank will "not issue a letter of credit unless it feels the importer is creditworthy and will pay the draft. The letter of credit arrangement pretty much eliminates the exporter's risk in selling goods to an unknown importer in another country. Illustration of a Confirmed Letter The arrangement is strengthened further if a bank in the exporter's country confirms the letter of credit. A New York exporter wishes to ship goods to a Brazilian importer located in Rio de Janeiro. The im ­porter's bank in Rio regards the importer as a sound credit risk and is willing to is ­sue a letter of credit guaranteeing payment for the goods when they are received. Thus, the Rio bank substitutes its credit for that of the importer. In fact, the deal is mutually between the Rio bank and the New York exporter- the beneficiary of the letter of credit,. The exporter may wish to work through her bank, because she has little knowledge of the Rio bank. She asks her New York bank to confirm the Rio bank's letter of credit. If the New York bank is satisfied with the creditworthiness of the Rio bank, it will agree to do so. When it does, it obligates itself to honor drafts drawn in keeping with the letter of credit arrangement.[3] Thus, when the exporter ships the goods, she draws a draft in accordance with the terms of the letter of credit arrangement. She presents the draft to her New York bank and the bank pays her the amount designated, assuming all the conditions of shipment is met. As a result of this arrangement, the exporter has her money, with no worries about payment. The New York bank then forwards the draft and other documents to the Rio bank. Upon affirming that the goods have been shipped in a proper manner, the Rio bank honors the draft and pays the New York bank. In turn, it goes to the Brazilian importer and collects from him once the goods have arrived in Rio and are delivered. Trade Facilitation Rather than extending credit directly to an im ­porter, the exporter relies on one or more banks, and their creditworthiness is sub ­stituted for that of the importer. The letter itself can be either irrevocable or revoca ­ble, but drafts drawn under an irrevocable letter must be honored by the issuing bank. A revocable letter makes sure for an arrangement for pay ­ment of cash. However we cannot guarantee that the draft will be paid. Most letters of credit are irre ­vocable, and the process described assumes an irrevocable letter. The three documents described- the draft, the bill of lading, and the letter of credit- are required in most international transactions. Established procedures ex ­ist for doing business on this basis[4]. Process of the Letter of Credit transaction and the problems associated with enforcement of parties’ rights in a conflict situation.    Expansion and Contraction    Countertrading In addition to the documents used to facilitate a standard transaction, more customized means for financing trade. One method is the countertrade. Countertrade agreement is where the selling party accepts payment in the form of goods as opposed to currency. When exchange restrictions and other preclude payment in hard currencies, such as dollars and yen, it may be to accept goods instead. These goods may be produced in the country .But this need not be the case. Countertrading is nothing more than anything.-l needs to be mindful that there are risks in accepting goods in lieu of a hard facts. Quality and standardization on receipt may differ from what was there. There may be volatility in prices, if indeed a viable market exists at all. All the method involves risk, countertrade associations and consultants, together other infrastructure, have developed to facilitate this means of trade. Factoring . The factor assumes the credit risk, so the exporter is assured of being true. The typical fee is around 2 percent of the value of the overseas shipment. But receivable is collected, a cash advance is possible for upward to 90 percent a shipment's value. For such an advance, the exporter pays interest, and this is   and above the factor's fee. Most factors will not do business with an exporter . less the volume is reasonably large, say at least $2 million in annual transactions,   Also, the factor can reject certain accounts that it deems too risky For accounted are accepted, the main advantage to the exporter is the peace of mind that credit   entrusting collections to a factor with international contacts and experience. Forfeiting Forfeiting is a means of financing trade which resembles factoring. An expo who is owed money evidenced by a longer-term note, as opposed to sell the note to a financial institution at a discount. The discount reflects I length of time the note has to maturity as well as the credit risk of its drawer usually the note is for 6 months or longer and involves larger transactions. An institution would not engage in forfeiting a $9,600 note but might if it were $180,000. [5]    Expansion abroad is undertaken to go, into new markets, acquire less costly pro ­duction facilities, and secure raw materials. Foreign investment different from domestic investment, as there are a number of reasons left behind that. Taxation is different, and there are risks present in po ­litical conditions. A company faces three types of risk in its foreign operations: translation exposure, trans ­actions exposure, and economic exposure. Changes in exchange rates cause translation exposure and its change in accounting income and balance sheet statements. Transactions exposure relates to settling a particular transaction, like open account credit, at one exchange rate when the obligation was booked at another. Economic exposure has to do with the impact of changing exchange rates on the existing balance sheet of a foreign subsidiary and on the expected future repatriated cash flows. Two frameworks were presented for measuring the degree of eco ­nomic exposure. The first aggregated the indi ­vidual exposure coefficients for all balance sheet items.[6] The second measured the degree of net exposure for expected future cash flows. This was net of any natural hedge, where local cur ­rency margins adjust naturally to offset a change in exchange rates. A natural hedge de ­pends on the degree to which prices and costs are globally determined or domestically deter ­mined. A relationship can be plotted between the value of repatriated cash flows and the ex ­change rate. The direction of the line and its steepness tells us whether or not we are hurt if the foreign currency appreciates (depreciates) in value and the degree of exposure. Net expo ­sure is that which remains after any natural hedge.[7] Using several protective devices, a company can protect against any net exposure. If the expo ­sure is short-term in nature, it can adjust intercompany accounts in what is known as an operating hedge. For longer-term exposure, it can undertake a hedge by financing in differ ­ent currencies. The major sources of interna ­tional financing are commercial banks, discounted trade drafts, Eurodollar loans, and in ­ternational bonds. The last includes Eu ­robonds, foreign bonds, floating-rate notes linked to LIBOR, currency-option bonds, and multiple-currency bonds. Eventually, we can see that there are currency hedges, may include, futures contracts, forward contracts, currency swaps, cur ­rency options etc. For the first, one buys a forward contract for the exchange of one procedure for another at a specific future date and at an exchange ratio set in advance. For this protection, there is a cost that is determined by the difference in the forward and spot exchange rates. Currency futures contracts are like forward contracts in function, but there are differences in settlement and other features. Currency options afford protection against "one-sided" risk. Fi ­nally, currency swaps are an important longer-term risk-shifting device.    There are several theories provide a better understanding of the relationship be ­tween interest rates, inflation, and rate of exchange. Purchasing power parity is the idea that a basket of goods should sell at the same price internationally, after factoring into account ex ­change rates. Relative inflation has an impor ­tant influence on exchange rates and on rela ­tive interest rates. Interest-rate parity suggests that the difference between forward and spot currency exchange rates can be explained by differences in nominal interest rates between two countries. Three principal documents are involved in international trade. The draft is an order by the exporter to the importer to pay a specified amount of money either upon presentation of the draft or a certain number of days after pre ­sentation. Translation Exposure Translation exposure relates to the accounting treatment of changes in exchange rates. State ­ment of the Financial Accounting Stan ­dards Board deals with the translation of for ­eign currency changes on the balance sheet and income statement. An American company must determine a func ­tional currency for each of its foreign sub ­sidiaries under those mentioned rules, If the subsidiary is a stand-alone op ­eration that is integrated within a particular country, the functional currency may be the lo ­cal currency; otherwise, it is the dollar where high inflation occurs the functional currency must be the dol ­lar regardless of the conditions given.    The functional currency used is important because it determines the translation process. Moreover, translation gains or losses are not reflected in the income statement, but rather are recognized in owners' equity as a translation adjustment. The fact that such ad ­justments do not affect accounting income is appealing to many companies. If the functional currency is the dollar, however, this is not the case. Gains or losses are reflected in the income statement of the parent company using what is known as the temporal method. In general, the use of the dollar as the functional currency re ­sults in greater fluctuations in accounting in ­come, but in smaller fluctuations in balance sheet items than does the use of the local cur ­rency. Let us examine the differences. Differences in Methods With the dollar as the functional currency, bal ­ance sheet and income statement items are cat ­egorized as to historical exchange rates or as to current exchange rates. Cash, receivables, lia ­bilities, sales, expenses, and taxes are trans ­lated using current exchange rates[8], whereas in ­ventories, plant and equipment, equity, cost of goods sold, and depreciation are translated at the historical exchange rates existing at the time of the transactions. This differs from the situation where the local currency is used as the functional currency; here all items are translated at current exchange rates. To illustrate, a company we shall call Richmond Precision Instruments has a sub ­sidiary in the Kingdom. At the first of the year, the exchange rate is 8 to the dollar, and that rate has prevailed for many years. During the year however, it declines steadily in value to 10 to the dollar at year end. But the rate of exchange comes to 9. It shows the balance sheet and the income statement for the foreign subsidiary at the beginning and at the end of the year and the effect of the method of transla ­tion.    The oppo ­site would occur in our example if the liso in ­creased in value relative to the dollar. We see that there is substantially more change in total assets when a local functional currency is used than when a dollar functional currency is employed. In our example, sales are adjusted by the average exchange rate that prevailed during the year for both accounting methods. For column 4, local functional currency, all cost and expense items are adjusted by this exchange rate[9]. For the last column, dollar functional cur ­rency, cost of goods sold, and depreciation are translated at historical exchange rates whereas the other items are translated at the current average rate. We see that operat ­ing income and net income are larger when the local functional currency is used than when the functional currency is the dollar. For the latter method, the translation gain is factored in, so that net income agrees with the change in re ­tained earnings from 12/31/xl to 12/31/x2. W e see that this change is $845 - $750 = $95. In contrast, when the functional currency is local, the translation adjustment occurs after the in ­come figure of $111. The adjustment is that amount, - $176, that, together with net income, brings the liability and net worth part of the balance sheet into balance. This amount then is added to the sum of past translation adjust ­ments to obtain the new accumulated transla ­tion adjustment figure that appears on the bal ­ance sheet. As we assume past adjustments total zero, this item becomes - $176. Thus, the translation adjustments far in two methods are in opposite directions. Shot the liso increase in value relative to the data the effect would be the reverse of that illus ­trated: Operating income would be higher. Implications Because translation gains or losses are not re ­flected directly on the income statement; it supported operating income tends to fluctuate when the functional currency is local when it is the dollar. However, the balance sheet items is increased, o the translation of all items by the current change rate. Because many corporate fives are concerned with accounting FASB No. 52 is popular, as long as qualifies for a local functional currency ever, this accounting method also has its backs. For one thing, it distorts the sheet and the historical cost numbers over, it may cause return on asset and other measures of return to be less.    RISK MANAGEMENT AND WEALTH MAXIMISATION    Here the techniques for managing financial risks, in particular those that arise more prominently in the context of international finance are being discussed. The above discussion of the impact of risk on the value of the firm gives rise to a very important and interesting question: what should be the attitude of the firm's management regarding firm-specific risks? It appears that since these risks are diversifiable, they are not "priced" by the investors, that is, they do not affect the expected rate of return demanded by the investors- the discount rate. Why then should the firm spend resources to insure against these risks? Even if certain risks are systematic in the sense that they affect almost all firms adversely, it is not clear hedging such risks necessarily adds to shareholder value.[10] Risks can be hedged only at a cost since the party to whom the risk is transferred will demand compensation for bearing the risk. Thus, while it is true that increase in energy costs will ha ve an adverse impact on almost all firms, in an efficient market, the compensation that has to be paid for bearing this risk would just equal the increase in the value of the firm resulting from eliminating this risk; on balance the firms’ shareholders will neither rain nor los[11]e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Risks arising out of fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices are pervasive, It is, they affect most firms; however they affect different firms in different ways and are therefore idiosyncratic.[12] Finally, even if the irrelevance argument is not found to be convincing, the well-known Modigliani-Miller analysis of a firm's optimal capital structure offers another argument against hedging. In a world of no taxes, no transactions costs and no information asymmetries, they demonstrated that a firm's financing policy does not matter as long as it does not affect its investment policy. If some shareholders are unhappy with the particular debt-equity structure adopted by the firm, they can achieve whatever leverage they de ­sire by trading on their own account. The same argument can be extended to hedging risks such as ex ­change rate risks. A firm which exports to the United States and has dollar receivables can hedge these with forward sales of dollars against rupees; but if its shareholders can achieve the same result on their own (by taking similar but smaller positions in the dollar-rupee forward market), hedging by the firm will add no shareholder value. If capital markets are perfect, individual investors, in particular a firm's share ­holders can replicate any financial strategy adopted by the firm. In such a world active risk management policy cannot add value. In practice, we find that firms do expend considerable amount of resources- managerial time and money- in an attempt to hedge firm-specific risks. For instance, they avoid highly risky investment projects, purchase insurance against product liability suits, enter into forward contracts in foreign ex ­change, and specific commodities and so forth. Is there a rationale for these actions? In addition to the "irrelevance of unsystematic risks" or "shareholders can do it themselves" arguments against hedging, it has also been argued that since financial markets are efficient, it makes little difference in the long run whether and what kind of risk management posture a firm adopts. This means that with efficient markets it would not matter in the long run whether a firm follows an active hedging policy, a purely passive strategy of hedging all risks at all times, or a policy of no hedging at all. Note however that the hypothesis of efficiency of financial markets is far from firmly established. If active risk management by a firm adds shareholder value it must be (i) because it alters the firm's cash flow in a way which is beneficial to the shareholders even after meeting the cost of hedging and (ii) the firm can achieve this at a lower cost than what the shareholders would have to incur if they did it on their own. This is possible in the presence of some capital market imperfections which are assumed away by the Modigliani-Miller theorem. With reference to the valuation equation, hedging can increase shareholder wealth both by influencing future cash flows and by reducing the discount rate at which these cash flows are discounted. In general it is true that the former effects stronger though there can be circumstances under which hedging can reduce the expected return investors demand from a particular firm[13]. One of the most cogent arguments for hedging by the firm has been presented by Froot et al (1994). They not only provide a rationale for hedging as such but also put forward an explanation as to why selec ­tive or discretionary hedging rather than 100 per cent hedging might be an optimal policy under certain conditions. The main thrust of their argument can be summarized as follows: Firms enhance shareholder wealth- create "corporate value"- by making good investments. "Invest ­ments" here means not only physical plant and equipment but also RD, product development, mar ­ket investments such as advertising and promotion and so forth.[14] THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL MARKET The last two decades have witnessed the emergence of a vast financial market straddling national boundaries enabling massive cross-border capital flows from those who have surplus funds and are in search d high returns to those seeking low-cost funding. The phenomenon of borrowers, including governments, one country accessing the financial markets of another is not new; what is new is the degree of mobility d capital, the global dispersal of the finance industry, and the enormous diversity of markets and inst which a firm seeking funding can tap.    THE LETTER OF CREDIT MECHANISM   In such a case, the opening bank "accepts" the draft and it becomes A Banker's Acceptance: The exporter can get immediate payment by discounting the accepted draft either with the opening bank, o with his own bank or by selling the acceptance in the market'. Financing is thus provide* by the bank which discounts the draft or by a money market investor who buys the acceptance. (With sigh drafts, the importer's bank may provide credit to the importer as a part of their ongoing business relationship). To cater to the wide variety of transactions and customers, different types of letters of credit have evolved. A Revocable L/C is issued by the issuing bank and contains a provision that the bank may amend or cancel the credit without the approval of the beneficiary. An Irrevocable L/C cannot be so amended or cancelled without the exporter's prior approval. A Confirmed, Irrevocable L/C contains an extra protection; in addition to the issuing bank's commitment, a Confirming Bank adds its own undertaking to pay provided a] conditions are met. The confirming bank (which may be but need not be the same as the advising bank will pay even if the issuing bank cannot or will not honor the exporter's draft. A Revolving L/C is use when the exporter is going to make shipments on a continuing basis and a single L/C will cover several shipments. A Transferable L/C permits the beneficiary to transfer a part or whole of the credit in favor of one or more secondary beneficiaries. This type of L/C is used by trader exporters who act as middlemen on recourse basis. The ultimate holder of the notes than presents them to the bank at which they are pay ­able, as they fall due.[15] Traditionally, Forfeiting used to be a form of fixed rate, medium-term funding, but over time Forfeiters have become very flexible and are willing to offer terms to suit the needs of their customers. Some Forfeiting houses will accept paper with maturities up to ten years while in other cases it may be as short as 180 days. The secondary market for the paper generally ranges between one and ten years, depending upon the reputation of the importer, the country to which the importer belongs and the reputation of the bank providing the guarantee. Normally Forfeiters will ensure that the importer, not the exporter bears the cost of financing. That is, the face value of the notes is such that after applying the discount, the exporter gets paid what he would normally charge for cash payment. However for competitive reasons some exporters may choose to ab ­sorb some of the financing cost to make the transaction more attractive to the importer. Charges depend on the market interest rates for the currency of the underlying contract and on the per ­ceived credit risks related to the importer, his country and the credit rating of the availing (or guaranteeing) bank. The interest cost is made up of the following components: (1)   The Forfeiter’s refinancing costs benchmarked to the cost of funds in the relevant Euromarkets seg ­ment applicable to the average life of the transaction. For a five year deal, for example, repayable by ten semi-annual equal installments, LIBOR rate applicable for 2.75 years would be used. (2)   A margin or spread for covering the political, commercial, and transfer risks attached to the availed/ guarantor. It varies from country to country, and guarantor to guarantor[16]. (3)   Some additional charges such as interest for "grace period" granted to the importer and a commit ­ment fee when necessary. The whole transaction can be processed quite fast. Many Forfeiters claim that they take no more than two days after the exporter presents all the proper documents. Buyers' Credits are a form of Eurocurrency loans designed to finance a specific transaction involving import of goods and services. The importer works out a deferred payment arrangement with the lending bank which the bank treats as a loan. [17] Traditionally, Forfeiting used to be a form of fixed rate, medium-term (one to five years) funding, but over time Forfeiters have become very flexible and are willing to offer terms to suit the needs of their customers. Some Forfeiting houses will accept paper with maturities up to ten years while in other cases it may be as short as 180 days. The secondary market for the paper generally ranges between one and ten years, depending upon the reputation of the importer, the country to which the importer belongs and the reputation of the bank providing the guarantee. Normally Forfeiters will ensure that the importer, not the exporter bears the cost of financing. That is, the face value of the notes is such that after applying the discount, the exporter gets paid what he would normally charge for cash payment. However for competitive reasons some exporters may choose to ab ­sorb some of the financing cost to make the transaction more attractive to the importer.[18] Charges depend on the market interest rates for the currency of the underlying contract and on the per ­ceived credit risks related to the importer, his country and the credit rating of the analyzing (or guaranteeing) bank. The interest cost is made up of the following components: (1)   The Forfeiter’s refinancing costs benchmarked to the cost of funds in the relevant Euromarkets seg ­ment applicable to the average life of the transaction. (2)   A margin or spread for covering the political, commercial, and transfer risks attached to the availed/ guarantor. It varies from country to country, and guarantor to guarantor. (3)   Some additional charges such as interest for "grace period" granted to the importer and a commit ­ment fee when necessary.    Bibliography A.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Articles/Books/Reports Kraus, M.W.; Keltner, D. (2008), "Signs of Socioeconomic Status Barro, Robert (1979) "On the Determination of the Public Debt", Journal of Political Economy, Vol 87, pages 940-71. Barro, Robert (1999) "Notes on Optimal Fund Management", Harvard University, May2006 Dornbusch, Rudi (2001) 'A Primer on Emerging Market Crises', MIT, January. Leong, Donna (1999) " Fund Management: Theory and Practice", HM Treasury Occasional Paper. Boushey, Heather and Weller, Christian. (2005) â€Å"What the Numbers Tell Us.† Pp 27-40. Demos. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cases Lucas, Robert and Nancy Stokey (1983) "Optimal Fiscal and Monetary Policy in an Economy without Capital", Journal of Monetary Economics 12, pp. 55-93. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Legislation Missale, Alessandro (1997) "Managing the Public Fund: The Optimal Taxation Approach", Journal of Economic Surveys Vol 121 No.3.

Religion - St. Augustine's Confessions Research Paper

Religion - St. Augustine's Confessions - Research Paper Example Augustine is an influential man. Beyond his obvious influence in the faith, he has exerted tremendous sway on philosophy, theology, and even education. Augustine was not originally a believer. His autobiographical book, Confessions, details his conversion. However, unlike a standard autobiographical book, Augustine recounts the events of his life in terms of how they impact his faith and his beliefs. Many people find the story of Augustine infinitely inspiring and fascinating. Indeed, Benedict XVI called him â€Å"one of Christian history's greatest converts† during his address to the General Audience at the Paul VI Audience Hall. Augustine’s conversion is not a story of blinding light or a single moment that shifted everything. It is, rather, a story of small steps toward an ultimate goal. It is the story of how many forces work to point a person in the direction they need to go. It is the story of how listening to small signs and signals can help a person find their r ightful spot. Although Augustine grew up with religious instruction, he was not a believer in the way he was after his conversion. In fact, he describes his feelings regarding spirituality and faith quite clearly. â€Å"Thus I at that time believed with my mother and the whole house, except my father; yet he did not overcome the influence of my mother’s piety in me so as to prevent my believing in Christ, as he had not yet believed in Him† (Schaff and Augustine, Chapter XI). ... Augustine’s background did not lend itself to faithfulness. His world was much like that of the modern child and adolescent: pleasure and material focused. He recounts the specifics of the society and family in which he was reared. Augustine’s first mention of any sort of spiritual awareness is after entering school. School was a place of wretched existence for Augustine, who was fearful of beatings from his teachers. Augustine recalls his introduction to God: â€Å"O Lord, I observed men praying to thee, and I learned from them to conceive thee--after my capacity for understanding as it was then--to be some great Being, who, though not visible to our senses, was able to hear and help us† (Augustine, 50). He explains that he sought God’s assistance with his everyday concerns at the time, which centered upon comfort. â€Å"Small as I was, I prayed with no slight earnestness that I might not be beaten at school† (Augustine, 50). Augustine’s upb ringing continues in a typical manner; he is consumed with concern over material items and pleasure. His thoughts are not focused toward God. In fact, his thoughts turn to lust as he approaches adolescence. He speaks about the fact that lust is almost taught to boys through their education. He points out that they read about the gods, who deeds are wicked and within whom lust is strong and overpowering. His point is fair that lust is almost taught to boys as a natural condition, one which they can excuse. After all, if even a god cannot overcome his desires, how could a mere mortal be expected to do so? Augustine discusses in depth his battle with lust. This is a battle which will plague him throughout his life, even unto his life as a servant of God. It is a very mortal

Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Social Psychology - Essay Example There are also distortions in the type of research that is conducted by students in psychology because they only cover one age group and occupation. There are four interrogative themes in the social psychological world which include: power relations; situated knowledges; individual-society dualism; and agency-structure dualism. There are also four very critical social psychological perspectives which are cognitive social, discursive psychological, phenomenological and psychoanalytic perspectives. I will analyze how two of these perspectives work with and against a social psychological system and also provide a bit of a background on some psychological terms to ensure a clear understanding of the topic. Background and Body To keep a good head on our shoulders and stand strong, it is important to use the identity development technique of Erik Erikson which is to symbolize items we have left behind, symbolize items that we look forward to, have symbols of what we look above or up to, an d have items below us; what we have to the left and right is also important. In social psychology, there tends to be a dualistic viewpoint of either seeing the individual's perspective or that of society. These items are referred to as dichotomies. Individual society dualism and agency structure dualism are very important dichotomies in social psychology. Dichotomous thinking is deemed unhelpful according to social psychologists. Emotion is looked at in social psychology and refinements to the epistemology and ontology aspects in this subject are constantly being reviewed and developed. Dualisms lead to distortions when handled improperly by individual or groups. Dualisms must be minimized as much as possible in order to create a free individual and society. Verbal and non-verbal emotion are constantly being analyzed in order to best meet the needs of the individuals or society in an environment. Embodiment is another social psychological topic that is important. There are critiques on mind-body, individual-society, and agency structure dualisms in order to capture this term's requirements. In order to be strong we must strive to balance all of the above dualisms. Social psychology has only existed for about 100 years. Social psychology had been defined and it was founded in North America. Social psychology is defined as the study of an individual, either male or female, and how they are involved in their surroundings and environments. The social scientists did not want to reduce psychology to an individual or social basis which is what the individual-social dualism is all about. There are two kinds of social psychologies in the field. They are named psychological social psychology and sociological social psychology. Psychological social psychology is about the individual while sociological social psychology is macro. Both of these types of psychology were developed in North America like most concepts and definitions of social psychology. Many forms of social psychology exist to be critiqued in order to analyze and develop new theories to its already extensive structural base. The first world war created a lack luster attitude toward social psychology and by the time the second world war came about, it was in demand to find new ways to treat people and remove the racism for lesser thans in society. The second world wa

Business Ethics and the Global Dimensions of Business Essay

Business Ethics and the Global Dimensions of Business - Essay Example Many businesses are targeting the real estate market of both India and China (Plunkett Research, 2011). The Asian markets are a great target, but the company has to select its location carefully and expand slowly to minimize business risk. I do not recommend a full expansion plan into Asia because they are a lot of countries in Asia that are extremely poor with a lack of economic resources. A country that must be an immediate target for the company is the island of Japan. Japan eight months ago was hit by the fourth biggest earthquake in the world’s history; a massive 8.9 richer scale earthquake (CountryWatch, 2011). As a construction company the firm can capitalize on the natural disaster to profit in the short and medium term. There should be plenty of construction projects in Japan for the next five years. The firm should seek a horizontal growth expansion plan. This plan works best if the country selects locations that have a high demand for the service the industry offers . Emerging economies typically have plenty of construction projects available since better infrastructure is needed to achieve social progress. Asia is the world’s largest continent with an area of 17.3 million square miles (CultureGrams, 2011). ... The two most practiced religions are Buddhism and Muslim. People in Asia are disciplined and believe in the common good of the group. Socialism is widely practice throughout Asia. The eastern economic region is one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Eastern Asia is composed of the following countries: 1. China 2. Japan 3. North Korea 4. South Korea 5. Mongolia 6. Taiwan China has been the fast growing economy during the past three decades reaching yearly GPD growth of approximately 9%. The income per capital in China is one the rise. In 2008 the real gross domestic product of China was $7,600. That number is relatively high since the prices of goods in China are similar to the prices Americans paid during the 1950’s. China is the most populated place in the world. XYZ could promote housing projects of very tall building in order to optimize their real estate capacity per square feet of land. The real estate markets in China are extremely favorable due to a rising mid dle class that is looking to upgrade their current living accommodations. India has also become a hotspot for business due to the high quality of labor at affordable prices (Plunkett Research, 2011). There are ethical issues that should be considered when entering the Asian markets. Corruption is widespread across many governments in Asia. Executives have to make tough decisions whether to participate in what would be considered unethical behavior in the United States due to the difference in business customers and overall cultural factors. Bribes are not considered the same in China than in the United States since Chinese culture on many instances accepts bribe as normal behavior of doing business. There is also the consideration of labor laws. Labor laws in many emerging economies

Role of Silicosis in Silica-associated Lung Cancer

Role of Silicosis in Silica-associated Lung Cancer Background Crystalline silica is a mineral compound composed of silicon and oxygen atoms that are arranged in a repeating pattern. Common polymorphs of crystalline silica include quartz, cristobalite and tridymite, with quartz as the most common form. Human exposure to crystalline silica is most often from occupational tasks that involve disturbance, use or manufacture of quartz-containing materials, including stonecutting, mining, quarrying and ceramics.[i],[ii] In 1997, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded there was sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity in humans with occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica in the quartz or cristobalite form.[iii] The 1997 IARC Monograph noted the greater part of epidemiologic studies reported the presence of silicosis (referring to the chronic or also known as classic type), a fibrotic disease of the lung that is associated with high exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust, increases excess lung cancer risk among workers exposed to silica. However, it remains unclear whether lung cancer development among these workers is due to the presence of silicosis or due to exposure to significant silica levels with silicosis being a confounder rather than a prerequisite. A recent literature review of relevant epidemiological studies confirmed that there remains uncertainty about excess lung cancer risk exclusively among silicotic workers due to the shortcomings of the design of existing epidemiological studies, including the inaccurate measurement of silica exposure, inadequate characterization of the exposure-response relationship between crystalline silica and lung cancer, inadequate control for potential confounders such as known lung cancer risk factors and the presence of other carcinogenic agents in the workplace, and the absence of comparing the lung cancer risk between silicotics and non-silicotic (do not have silicosis) workers as controls. The proposed research study attempts to clari fy the role of silicosis in silica-associated lung cancer development by addressing some of the identified study design challenges. Significance Determining if silicosis is a prerequisite for lung cancer development has important public health implications for setting occupational standard for silica exposure, implementing workplace medical surveillance programs and determining causation in medico-legal cases. For example, if it is determined that lung cancer risk increases among workers exposed to silica only in the presence of silicosis, then efforts should be focused on reducing high silica exposure to a level that reduces the risk of developing silicosis. However, if it is determined that silicosis is not a prerequisite, then lung cancer development can occur at silica exposures lower than those likely to cause silicosis, which makes prevention of exposure to high silica levels not adequate for worker protection. Specific Aims To better understand the role of silicosis in the pathway leading to lung cancer from occupational exposure to silica, the specific aims of the study are: To examine the association between occupational exposure to crystalline silica and lung cancer risk in the presence and absence of silicosis and To measure the exposure-response relationship between crystalline silica and lung cancer risk with risk estimates adjusted by silicosis Procedures/Methods Study Design and Population A nested case-control study design will be utilized to analyze the association between occupational exposure to crystalline silica and lung cancer risk among silicotic and non-silicotic workers from an original cohort mortality study. The original study was conducted among workers from the Vermont granite industry.[iv] They were identified from a group insurance program enrollment between January 1st, 1947 and December 31st, 1998, Vermont Department of Health Division of Industrial Hygiene (DIH) records, pension records, data from a study of workers employed from 1979 to 1987 and data from a study of retired workers.iv The data from the multiple sources were linked to avoid duplications. As a result, the cohort consisted of 7052 Vermont granite industry workers. The mortality follow-up of the cohort identified 359 observed lung cancer deaths. iv Age at death, smoking history and silica dust exposure, medical history of obstructive lung disease and demographics will be compared betwee n the cases and controls. Workers that did not have sufficient smoking information, work histories and available chest radiographs were excluded. The exposure of interest will be the cumulative exposure to silica dust. The study population is unique in that the Vermont granite industry has a long history of silica exposure, medical surveillance and a general exclusion of occupational exposures associated with lung cancer. Case Ascertainment Lung cancer cases will be ascertained from the original Vermont granite industry cohort study. The vital status and cause of data was ascertained from the US National Death Index (NDI), US Social Security Administration vital status records and the Vermont State Records Office. The cause of death was coded to the 9th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). Control Ascertainment Controls will also be ascertained from the original cohort study. The controls are defined as workers who did not die from lung cancer. Lung cancer cases will be matched to 2 controls by age. Silicosis Ascertainment The presence of silicosis among the cases and controls would be obtained from compensation and medical surveillance records. Silica Exposure Measurement Cumulative exposure to respirable crystalline silica was measured using a job exposure matrix that utilized industrial hygiene measurements. The cumulative exposures are categorized in quartiles. Sample Size Justification According to the sample size calculator (http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm), it is estimated that this study would need approximately 360 subjects are required in the study to obtain the confidence level of 95% with an interval of 5%, if we are selecting subjects from the 7052 Vermont granite industry workers cohort. We will strive to obtain 90 cases and 180 controls, based on the availability of sufficient smoking information, work histories and chest radiographs. Statistical Analysis Statistical analysis will be performed to calculate odds ratios to examine the association between lung cancer and total and each quartile of cumulative silica exposure in the presence and absence of silicosis. Odds ratios will be adjusted for smoking, obstructive lung disease and age as they are potential confounders. Odds ratios will be calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Study Strengths Strengths of the proposed study include: comparing the association of silica exposure and lung cancer in both silicotic and non-silicotic workers measuring the exposure-response relationship between silica and lung cancer risk, taking into account the presence and absence silicosis controlling for potential confounders of smoking and obstructive lung disease excluding potential confounders of other occupational exposures associated with lung cancer by studying the granite industry cohort conducting a nested case-control study is less expensive than a full cohort study since a comparably significant number of lung cancer cases have emerged Study Limitations Potential biases and study limitations are: Selection bias is a concern as silicotic workers are identified from compensation and medical surveillance records Silicotic workers may be diagnosed by different criteria, but resulting in non-differential misclassification Differential misclassification may result from categorizing the silica exposure in quartiles Silica exposure assessment may not be accurate if the job exposure matrix is methodologically sound Only studied one type of industry associated with silica exposure Non-diseased persons from whom the controls are selected may not be fully representative of the original cohort due to loss to follow-up or death References [i] International Labour Organization (ILO)/SafeWork Bookshelf (2006). ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety: Volume 1, Part I. Body: Chapter 10 Silicosis. Available at http://www.ilo.org/safework_bookshelf/english?dnd=170000102nh=0. [ii] Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (2002). OSHA Fact Sheet: Crystalline Silica Exposure Health Hazard Information [Electronic Version]. Available at http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/crystalline-factsheet.pdf [iii] WHO/IARC (1997). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans: Silica, Some Silicates, Coal Dust and para-Aramid Fibrils [Electronic Version]. Volume 68; available at http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol68/mono68.pdf. [iv] Vacek PM, Verma DK, Graham WG, Callas PW, Gibbs GW (2010). Mortality in Vermont granite workers and its association with silica exposure. Occup Environ Med, 68(5), 312-318.

freeclo Freedom in Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange :: Clockwork Orange Essays

Freedom in A Clockwork Orange A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess tells a story about a young man and his choices of freedom. The book asks the question "is it better to have someone constantly do the right thing, or to have the freedom of choice to do the right or wrong thing". The author shows the affect of society on a human who has been institutionalized and let back into society. The author of the book goes on to show how the protagonist copes with society under his given conditions. "Georgie let go of holding his goobers apart and just let him have one in the toothless rot with his ringy fist, and that made the old veck start moaning a lot then, then out comes the blood, my brothers, real beautiful." (Page 7) This had been an occurrence that took place when the protagonist was walking down the street with no apparent intention of harming anyone. This occurrence shows the time in Alex's life where he is able to make decisions on his own, weather he chooses for those actions to be morally appropriate or not is up to his discretion. "He has no real choice, has he? Self-interest, fear of physical pain, drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice." (Page 126) This is the occurrence of Alex's life after he has been arrested for his wrong doings and has been brought to the institute. This is where the reform of Alex has occurred. He had been tortured beyond his belief. Now each time that Alex has a thought of an immoral deed he gets sick to his stomach. Alex now has no choice of doing what he wishes to do; he has no real choice. This is what the doctors and observers believe was the reform of Alex. "I could viddy myself carving the whole litso of the creeching world with my cut-throat britva. And there was the slow movement and the lovely last singing movement still to come. I was cured all right." (Page 179) The government does try to make Alex an unconditionally good person through institutionalization: however, since it is a forced goodness, conflicting his own will, a complete goodness is not attained. This shows that the reform of Alex is now over and has no significance over him.

Captain Ahab portrayed as monomaniacal in Moby Dick Essay

Monomania, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary, is the pathological obsession with one subject or idea. In Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick, an obsession causes monomania in its main character. Through his actions, words, thoughts, and what others think about him, Captain Ahab is truly monomaniacal. Ahab is monomaniacal through his words and thoughts. â€Å"Talk not to me of blasphemy,man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.† This shows Ahab’s madness because only he would have the nerve to say that no matter who it is, great or small, he would stand up to them; this includes Moby Dick. Ahab often smokes a pipe, but he realizes something and says â€Å"What business have I with this pipe? This thing that is meant for sereneness, to send up mild white vapors among mild white hairs, not among torn iron-grey locks like mine. I’ll smoke no more.† He admits that he is not a peaceful man, which is quite monomaniacal. Another event that shows Ahab’s monomania is when he talks directly to a dead whale’s head, saying â€Å" Speak, thou vast and venerable head, mighty head and tell us the secret thing that is in thee†¦O head! thou hast seen enough to split the planets and make an infidel of Abraham, and not one syllable is thine!† His obsession leads him to even say that he will pay someone to kill Moby Dick just for the sake of revenge. â€Å"Whosoever of ye raises me that same white whale, he shall have this gold ounce, my boys!† When Ahab finally meets Moby Dick, his monomania hits its high point as his last words before his death are â€Å"Sink all coffins and hearses to one common pool! And since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!† Captain Ahab is not only monomaniacal through his words, but through his actions, also. In one incident, Ahab holds Starbuck at gunpoint just because he asked if he could have a crew of men fix a leak. Is that not an action of a madman? Ahab also breaks the ship’s compass at one point in the story so that the crew learns how the ship moves. He also refuses to recognize the warnings that are presented during gams; he dismisses them without any thought or hesitation because his obsession makes him blind to the reality and stupidity of the search for Moby Dick. Ahab also has no respect for his  fellow sailors, as he has manipulated them quite often. Everyone on the Pequod, especially Ishmael, thought that they were going on a normal whaling voyage, not a suicidal chase for a deadly white whale. If someone is to be called monomaniacal, not only one point of view can confirm that. The thoughts of fellows crew members on the Pequod often comment on how they feel about Ahab. Ishmael describes Ahab as being â€Å"A grand, ungodly, god-like man, Captain Ahab; doesn’t speak much;Ahab’s been in colleges, as well as among the cannibals; been used to deeper wonders than the waves; fixed his fiery lance in mightier, stranger foes than whales.† Queeqeug gives his two cents worth when he says â€Å" More than once did he put forth the faint blossom of a look, which, in any other man, would have soon flowered out in a smile.† Obviously, Ahab did not like to smile, which is something that happy people do. Finally, Stubb comments that â€Å"The sea had jeeringly kept his finite body up, but drowned the infinite of his soul.† He says that Ahab has wasted his soul in pursuit of Moby Dick, and that if it was not for the sea and the white whale, Ahab would not be monomaniacal. Ahab is monomaniacal through what he says, what he does, and what other think of him. He not only manipulates his fellow sailors, he also acts like a madman because of his obsession with the pursuit of Moby Dick. Captain Ahab is seemingly monomaniacal despite what he thinks of himself.

Anomic Suicide essays

Anomic Suicide essays Durkheims theory of anomic suicide presents itself in a complex yet sound manner. He chooses to concentrate wholly on society as a force on individuals than individuals as a force upon themselves. Isolation and lack of participation in normal social activities according to Durkheim is the root and cause of suicide. Those that commit the act of suicide are deemed to have felt a sense of purposelessness in their lives. Excessive ambition and aspiration towards unrealistic goals followed by failure is also a determining factor in anomic suicide. Setting limitations upon oneself and practicing modesty, humility, discipline and reason coupled with understanding would liberate man from the thoughts of self-destruction. Lack of religion in recent history has negatively affected some people due to deficiency of belief in an all-powerful being watching and loving mortals indiscriminately. Opulence of a man generally causes a decreased belief in religion and a greater belief in self. This mil d sense of grandiosity can at any trying moment veer into great depression triggering suicidal acts. Simmel discusses the mentally evolved state of being and thought in man living in a metropolitan society. The presence of varying types of people, institutions, and things as a whole desensitize man, to a point, from certain situations. Intellect and wealth, according to Simmel are interrelated. A notion of blas is prevalent in a metropolitan man since he dwells in a diverse environment. However, this certain indifference may develop into a belligerence from individually defined triggers of aversion. ...

Minors are Clearly in Need of Protection essays

Minors are Clearly in Need of Protection essays Minors are clearly in need of protection in the formation of a contract, but not at the expense of fair-minded adults with whom they may be dealing. How far does the law of contract support this view? A minor is a person under the age of 18, although in 1969, before the Family Law Reform act was passed, a person under the age of 21 was classed as an infant. The Family Law Reform act lowered the age to 18 and introduced the term minor. A minors capacity to contract is very much restricted but if there was no protection at all for minors then it would be seen that the law is too harsh on young people. Considering at 16 a minor can get married, have children and get a job it seems strange that the age has not been brought down further to 16 instead of 18 as the Law Commission suggested in 1982.The aim of this age limit is to protect minors from their own inexperience and perhaps from unwise transactions whilst not being too harsh on any adult dealing with a minor. In the case of Nash v Inman (1908) a Cambridge university graduate ordered eleven fancy waistcoats from a Savile Row tailor. He did not pay for them, relying on the fact that he was not of full capacity. As waistcoats were normal student clothing at Cambridge they were classed as necessaries meaning that a contract did exist between Inman and Nash. However, the father of the university graduate had already bought him a substantial amount of clothing including waistcoats so the additional ones he ordered were not necessary at all. The law protected the student very well but was incredible harsh on the tailor who after all of that received nothing at all. There is a great difference in the experiences of various young people. In a case where a minor had knowingly taken advantage of an adult, using the law of contractual capacity to his benefit, there appeared to be injustice arising out of a law that ai...

Eurasian Energy Politics and Security Research Paper

Eurasian Energy Politics and Security - Research Paper Example The existing projects and pipelines between Russia and the EU, including the issues in these projects shall be discussed. Alternatives to Russia, especially South Caucasus and Central Asia will also be considered. The proposed pipelines, Nabucco, Transcaspian pipeline, and BP’s new project for natural gas shall be included in this discussion. Finally, China’s entrance to Eurasian energy politics shall also be considered under this discussion. This paper is being discussed in order to conceptualize a clear understanding of energy politics, including its significant points of interest which now impact on the current relations between Eurasian nations. States in the Caspian and Central Asian region have proven oil reserves numbering about 38 billion barrels and this does not include possibly undiscovered barrels of crude oil in the region (Cohen and DeCarlo-Souza, p. 5). Kazakhstan is considered to be the largest oil producer in the region with onshore fields in the northern Caspian Sea and other regions. Turkmenistan is the largest natural gas producer in the Caspian region and is serving the energy needs of the region well. Since the Caspian oil reserves were discovered, most energy exports from the Caspian and Central Asia came from the Caspian and Central Asia came from the Russian Empire, supplying consumers in Europe and Soviet Union (Cohen and DeCarlo-Souza, p. 5). Significant exports from the Caspian started with the establishment of the 1997 100,000 Baku-Novorossiysk pipelines transporting oil to Georgia’s Black Sea Coast (Cohen and DeCarlo-Souza, p. 5). In 2001, Kazakhstan started pumping oil from its Tengiz oil fi eld into Novorossiysk via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium or the CPC. The CPC is shared by various oil companies from different countries. Russia lost its control of the Caspian oil exports in 2005 when the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline was opened (Cohen and DeCarlo-Souza, p. 5).  

Problems Of The Beginning Writer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problems Of The Beginning Writer - Essay Example Writing about my anger did not offer enough time for my learning because I would not have enough time to express ideas. There was no one who would come by to support my desire to develop. This environment meant that my literacy skills failed to develop because the family condition denied me the opportunity I needed to develop them through experience with books and through correction. I discovered the importance of these skills in my life but it was unfortunate that I had no place or tools to facilitate the development competence in the language. In my young adulthood, I started to develop my language literacy skills but many times, I faced numerous challenges from my foster parents. At that age, it was very unfortunate that I lacked the vocabulary to construct sentences. I discovered that I had a hard time to make meaningful sentences regardless of the effort I put to write about my anger and the experiences I underwent at home. This issue exposed my limited skills in language litera cy because it was evident enough that I struggled to combine vocabularies to make sentences and combining them to form a good paragraph. This situation was discouraging to me but I had to do it regularly so that I could establish my competence in language and grow to be a good reader and writer later in my life. Later on, I would try to advance my writing skills through writing about the things in my family that angered me and in that way, I was able to relieve myself of the disappointment I experienced.... I discovered the importance of these skills in my life but it was unfortunate that I had no place or tools to facilitate the development competence in language. In my young adulthood, I started to develop my language literacy skills but many times, I faced numerous challenges from my foster parents. At that age, it was very unfortunate that I lacked vocabulary to construct sentences. I discovered that I had a hard time to make meaningful sentences regardless of the effort I put to write about my anger and the experiences I underwent at home. This issue exposed my limited skills in language literacy because it was evident enough that I struggled to combine vocabularies to make sentences and combining them to form a good paragraph. This situation was discouraging to me but I had to do it regularly so that I could establish my competence in language and grow to be a good reader and writer later in my life. As a student in college, I have discovered the importance of reading because I ha ve many volumes that I need to go through to achieve what I need to attain a degree. Through this experience, I discover how much I need to have the skills to avoid the negative impact of their lack on my performance while in college. I also discovered that my writing skills are below the average for a college student but, instead of getting discouraged by this, I feel motivated to develop them so that I can achieve my dream of authoring a book about my life dedicated to all women. Although I have put substantial effort, I have determined that my writing skills are not up to standard and therefore, I continue to develop my skills in reading and writing, to grow in vocabulary. My encounters as a child undermined my attempt to learn and

Business Law and the Accounting Profession Research Paper

Business Law and the Accounting Profession - Research Paper Example It governs all transactions in the land including business. Law is often associated with ethics. Ethics is the field of study that aims to encourage all people to act in accordance with the law. It focuses more on one's morality, the ability to decide in a rightful manner taking into consideration any possible consequences of the decision. It is crucial for law and ethics to unite, but unfortunately at times it is not the case. Sometimes an individual must consider doing an unlawful act to do something that is ethical, it sounds complicated, but it happens in reality especially in handling business transactions (Beatty and Samuelson 16). The day to day dilemmas in business led to the formulation of business laws that seek to promote the value of law and ethics in the globally progressing business environment. Sources of Business Law In spite of the existence of business laws there are still some professionals who opt to perform their duties through unethical means. Perhaps this wrong ful act has contributed to the growing disbelief of people towards the information that is being shown in financial statements. The violation could either be intentional, that is when the accountant voluntarily made the violation or unintentional, if there is no willingness to do the wrongful act (e.g., when the employer threatens an employee to do something unethical for the sake of the company). Accounting regulations were established to govern professional accountants into practicing ethical behavior. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the government agency tasked to promulgate regulations that are set to be followed by organizations particularly the accountants who are most of the time susceptible to trouble. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 made possible the creation of SEC to formulate and impose securities law. In 2002 former U.S. President George W. Bush passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or the Public Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act. The law was est ablished to ensure the credibility of financial statements. Due to the increasing number of fraud related issues in companies, the government finally realized the need to reform the laws that govern organizations and protect the right of investors (Peck 11). Issues in the Accounting Profession There have been recent scandals that involved accounting professionals. This type of profession is never easy to handle and sometimes it places an accountant's reputation at stake. In most cases, the cause of complications in the accounting profession is in the making of financial statements. Financial statement misrepresentation is strictly prohibited. Although that rule is clearly emphasized, many seem to disregard it. The violation is avoidable if companies will consciously make an effort to adhere to the said policy. If unluckily an accountant is caught doing this wrongful act, then there is no possible way to get out of this mess. Whatever the case may be, an accountant will still be held liable because an offense has been committed and the harm has already been done. As in the case of a criminal act a suspect is convicted if the commission of a crime is proven beyond reasonable doubt, so a suspect is not yet considered a criminal unless there is enough evidence. Say for example a company that is struggling financially. The only way to solve the problem is to manipulate the figures in the financial report so that investors will remain faithful to the company. The accountant is left with no other choice, but to do what the employer says. There are two possible consequences to this act. The first consequence is that if the manipulation will push through there are chances of reviving the company and so

The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay Example for Free

The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a political satire on society. The butt of the satire is civilization at the time of the second world war. During this era, a civilized society goes to war and obliterates, maims, and kills. In this novel, Golding depicts destruction, killing, and fear as evil in the heart of man, and uses irony to elaborate on this theme. The novel begins with a plane crashing on an uninhabited island. We are not told the reason for this, but we can assume the crash was a result of events associated with World War II. The survivors of the crash are a group of boys who we know little about prior to the crash. The group of boys then attempt to create a functional society by using a system of rules and a chief. The story then revolves around the breakdown of the boys society. Piggy and Ralph meet up with each other after escaping from their shot-down plane. A large scar was made by the crashing plane in the untouched jungle, symbolizing the first of mans destruction on the island. A war is going on in the outside world, and now for the rest of the book, everyone on the island will be isolated from the real world and put into their own world. Throughout the book we are told of the scar, and it is clear to understand that the scar symbolises mans destruction and destructive forces The island is ultimately a natural environment untamed by man that holds the resources for the boys survival parallel to other life on the island. Golding tries to convey the island like a cage confining the boys and isolating them from the rest of the world. We are told in the story that no boy could reach even the reef over the stretch of water. This shows us that the reef is like a boundary that cannot be crossed by any inhabitant on the island. A major factor stopping the boys getting even close to the reef is between the beach and the reef: the snapped sharks waited. This information helps us comprehend there is no way out. Another device Golding uses to emphasise the boys isolation is metaphors the miraculous throbbing stars. The stars help us understand the boys isolation as they are surrounded by mystery and speculation but their reality can never be found because they are so far away and out of reach. We are told the boys response to this situation is that they were gradually made accustomed to these mysteries and ignored them. Even though the mysteries are ignored, this does not mean that they do not exist or does it? : Sometimes land loomed where there was no land. This shows us that however tangible some of the mirages may seem, they are not necessarily real. The island is not an obvious character or type of life but it demonstrates human qualities and characteristics through its description. The way Golding brings the island to life is mainly through personification and metaphors: The great rock loitered. The wind roared. A thunderous plume leapt half way up the mount. Sending at last an arm of surf up. This language help us visualize the island as a character more powerful than any life on the island, but it has different capabilities and communicates as a force opposed to a physical presence. Near the beginning of Lord of the Flies we can see the island as a paradise: The water was warmer than blood and the temperature even though a little hot is generally comfortable. Which shows us how generally the boys were happy on the island. This gives us an optimistic view towards the book: the air was bright. Later on the mood changes to a darker more cynical mood, which warns us of trouble to come. The sun transforms from a warm presence to an angry eye. This device Golding uses warns us in chapter nine that tension is rising between Jack and Ralph: Revolving masses of gas piled up the static until the air was ready to explode. Throughout Lord of the Flies Golding uses surrounding conditions to reflect the mood on the island. This device helps the island become integrated into the story as a character. The boys in the difficult situation they are presented with have different reactions to their surroundings. Their first experiences with the island prove to show a foreign unfriendly environment: All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat. The metaphor bath of heat shows the area around the boys is humid and the destruction may be a message about how humans are in the centre of our planets destruction. This situation because it is so extreme brings out the boys characters immediately and shows their ability to cope with the situation. Ralphs first reactions are casual as he pays little attention to his surroundings, which may indicate he may not understand what is happening at this stage. He could also feel the island poses little threat to him and is in a safe environment. Piggy, however, seems to understand how serious his situation is and feels unsafe on the island we can see this from his attempts to start a conversation with Ralph and he makes suggestions to deal with the situation. I suppose well want to know all their names. At the end of Lord of the Flies the island is burning down and Ralph is being hunted down. The fact that the island is burning down could be suggesting the only thing we are going to achieve is the destruction of the planet if we keep on fighting and developing weapons of greater power. The boys near the end of the book describe the surrounding events as a game. This could be telling us that wars and destruction in modern society are just considered a game but really they are destroying our lives and people are dying. So when the boys were taken off the island the question arises were they really rescued, or just moved to the real world to aid the destruction of our planet. The irony of the final chapter can be viewed either way about if the boys were really rescued.

Hype or Worthwhile Essay -- Nutrition

With all of the diets, health concerns, and lack of knowledge about food in general these days it is not surprising that people have turned to other means of getting nutrients. A main way of getting those nutrients is through dietary supplements. Dietary supplements are described by the FDA website as a product that is taken orally and must contain either vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs or other substances that are used to help the diet. These are known as dietary ingredients and can come in the forms of tablets, capsules, powders, energy bars, and liquids (N.p.). With this definition of supplements it’s not surprising to find out that the Nutrition Business Journal reported that 28 billion dollars were spent on supplements in 2010.(N.p) Dietary supplements are a part of most people’s daily lives, however are they too integrated or a necessary part of life. Dietary supplements went under a reconstruction in 1994, when the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was passed by the U.S. Congress. Dr. William Soller explained that the DSHEA created a framework where the FDA was allowed to make a regulatory system for dietary supplements. The DHSEA also clarified dietary supplements to mean a part of food while dietary ingredients are not â€Å"food additives†. The DSHEA required manufactures of new dietary ingredients (NDI) to submit paperwork to the FDA so that the FDA could say that the ingredients were safe to consume. Now a day because of amendments added afterwards to the DHSEA the FDA can regulate dietary supplements easier and can use enforcement against mislabeled and unsafe products. (N.p). As good as this sounds it doesn’t mean that before a product hits the market it is FDA approved, basically the FDA can... ...ation of 500 Stories.† Plos Medicine 5.5: n. pag. PLoS Medicine. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. . Soller, Wiiliam R, Holly J Bayne, and Christopher Shaheen. â€Å"The Regulated Dietary Supplement Industry: Myths of an Unnegulated Industry Dispelled.† HerbalGram 93: 42-57. Alt HealthWatch. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=awh&AN=72364965>. Tweed, Vera. â€Å"Supplements and Drugs.† Amazing Wellness Fall 2011: 58-62. Consumer Health Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. detail?sid=7e3aa3ce-39dc-493b-86ac-eff77baaf36e%40sessionmgr10&vid=11&hid=115&bdata= JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=c9h&AN=66865242>.

National Discipline Awardee Essay

â€Å"A person is not measured by his accomplishments or possessions, but how he deals with people and how deep his relationship with God is. † Young as I am, I have been taught by my God fearing parents to value everything – big or small – that we have. I am not from a prestigious clan or a well-off family but I feel privileged because I was able to see life more meaningful and worth living. It’s all because of my loved-ones that keeps me going. Amid the crucial days that come my way, I would be standing there because I believe that tests won’t be given to me if I cannot surpass them. Being chosen as a National Discipline Awardee is another challenge for me. Challenge because I have to prove everybody that I deserve that award. Nevertheless, they would probably look at me with their eyes stick on everything that I will do and on decisions that I will make. But, I don’t mind them. I have nothing to do. I just have to be myself. I don’t have to be somebody else just to please everybody. I am confident that what I have right now is the fruit of what my parents taught me ever since childhood. The virtues that they implanted in my heart helped me a lot in achieving my goals and dreams. And now, it’s my turn to give them something that they can be proud of. This award would definitely give them so much joy. And as for me, it’s indeed an honor. But I know, it doesn’t stop there, it is better if I could share something for our society especially for the youth. I have often wondered how some of our youth today were greatly influenced by the modern trend. Some lives have gone astray and dreams of a good future vanished. All because of the bad vices that they have been practicing which they learned from the BAD influences in our environment. My heart bleeds every time I will see parents working so hard just to give their child all the things they need. Yet, their deeds often neglected. I guess, what is lacking, is the discipline in our youth sector. Our teachers never failed to remind us that resorting to drugs, alcohol, premarital sex and other form of vices is an immoral act or habit. And this will definitely ruin their lives and bring nothing but trouble. So instead of doing so, I learned to respect y God-given life, and nurture the talents that I have. â€Å"Discipline† of the youth, is what we need, and that is being pure in thoughts, in words and in deeds. It has been said that you may whatever you resolve to be. You must be determined to be something in the world, and you will be someone or something. â€Å"I cannot† never accomplished anything. â€Å"I’ll try† has wrought wonders. Opportunities – that would direct my lives, trials – that would teach me lessons, and decision-making – where I can apply all lessons I’ve learned from my daily experiences, will always be just around the corner, playing a vital part in my personal life. But what really matters, is that I know I have this determination and will to overcome difficulties and hardships. I may not be from a well-off family nor has deformity in my physical aspect; I believe I would never get tired of trying and trying again. For it is only in the minds of my detractors that I can’t do it. Failure is not a hindrance for me to stop believing and dreaming rather I make it an inspiration for me to try and strive my best even more and have enough perseverance to attain success. Lastly, I learned to think less of myself. I found out that there should be selflessness and diminish in my heart selfishness. For I believe that it is only through selfless love that I can find true happiness. Reaching out for others especially in the needs of time and sacrificing my personal advantages or desires for the good of the masses gives me fulfillment in my heart. Sharing my time, talents as well as blessings with my brothers and sisters is the best way to say â€Å"Thank you† to God. Above all this, I would like to put emphasis that being a good role model for my fellow youth is simply what I can do to make this country a better place to live in.