Evolution of Technology Essay

â€Å"Men are only so good as their technical developments allows them to be† (Orwell 56). When the technology boom occurred in the 1990s and beyond, a typical student’s backpack would consist of a boondoggle, leather-bound planner, pager, cassette player, 3. 5 inch floppy disk, and a hardcover textbook. Time advanced, and eventually made its way into the 2000s, when then a backpack would hold a keychain game, CD player, soft cover textbook with a CD-ROM, and a box-shaped cell phone. Technology continued to grow into the next decade with backpacks full of smart phones, laptops, graphic calculators, receipts for online textbook purchases, MP3 players, a backup charger, and a 4GB flash drive attached to the bag’s zipper. Evolution of technology has come into major play, and has begun to conquer today’s society with one discovery at a time. For example, as assembly lines become familiar to many, technology advancements closely follow. While hundreds of employees used to manually run a factory, the majority of the hard work is now done by machines, also known as artificial labor. This change has affected business owners positively, thus allowing for new positions to help run the technology and to ensure all is running well. After such advancements were formed in our society, hundreds to thousands of new companies and manufacturing plants have been built, resulting in a major increase of available jobs to the middle class, which currently, the majority of United States citizens currently occupy. Recently, IBM teamed up with Corporate Service Corps (CSC) in order to send 30 volunteers out into different countries to work on technology-related assistance, such as distance learning programs, and upgraded laser eye treatments. The fact that advanced technology can help to save millions of lives has been one of the biggest reasons for such a large demand. IBM plan to take on several projects in different countries such as India, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ghana, and more. A total of 12 teams will go into each of those countries and successfully complete the projects for better technology-based education and eye treatments, which will cost approximately $250,000 each, all paid for by IBM. The overall project has not only opened up new opportunities for those willing to add this adventurous project to their resume, but it’s also reaching out to communities in dire need, something that the latest technology has allowed to be done. Furthermore, technology has been able to expedite the process of sending aid to places I need more quickly and efficiently with the release of new features to currently existing pieces of technology, as well as software applications. Renowned author Sarah Murray explains, â€Å"When a huge earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, the addition of Haitian Creole – spoken by 8m people in that country – to Microsoft’s online translation engine, which was achieved in just five days, helped humanitarian workers who needed to be able to translate quickly. Something as simple as an online translation system, a piece of virtual technology, was able to help save thousands to millions of lives in Haiti. One of the biggest issues in aid relief is the language and unfamiliar surrounding barrier, which Microsoft has been able to defeat with the use of several applications. The company has been closely working with skilled programmers to create certain software which allow for a variety of functions, such as Twisted Pair Wave software, which allows humanitarian professionals to keep in contact with one another from any device by keeping connected to one specific network. Relief workers can then locate others in the area by sending a ping signal to the network, which helps when in an entirely new environment and unsure of the native language. Technology continues to save the lives of many, by creating jobs that allow people to continue and support their family, as well as being able to provide support for those in a life-or-death situation when it comes down to the essentials such as food, water, and housing. Some fortunate people fail to realize how difficult it really is to obtain such aid. While technology has helped to eradicate useless jobs and help to decrease labor costs, it has resulted in the creation new useful jobs, such as manufacturing the actual technology to be used in a computer, and a computer specialist field that help to put the newly-made computers to use. Thus, if a job is able to be taken over by a machine that is incapable of independent thought, the job may be less suitable for a human being. While ATMs have replaced bank-tellers, we now have newly found jobs which focus on repairing, and manufacturing the ATM machines; it works like a two-edged sword.

Inequality in British Schools Essay

The educational system is one of the most influential institutions in society as it provides young people with a vast amount of knowledge, attitudes and skills. These are acquired formally through set lessons or informally through the ‘hidden curriculum’ which provides the unofficial and unplanned consequences of school experience. Social Inequality is one of the major preoccupations of sociology. The relationship between inequality and education has been studied for many years. Although it seems obvious that educational success is simply down to an individual’s capabilities and motivation, sociological research shows that the inequalities in social class, gender and race and ethnicity have had a huge influence in the differential achievement within British schooling. The development of the educational system in Britain was first put in place to secure equal educational opportunities for all young people, however despite these efforts, sociological evidence states that not all children with the same ability achieve the same success. Some sociologists, such as Charles Murray have contended with the idea that genetic intellectual potential determines an individual’s performance in school. This idea is rejected by the conflict theorist’s as they believe social class to be one of the main factors that determine whether a child is successful at school or not, as there are major differences between the levels of achievement of those that are part of the working social class and those apart of the middle class. (Macionis. J, Plummer.K, 2008) One of the main explanations for this is material deprivation. Working class families are financially in a worse position than those of the middle class and therefore are not able to make the most of their educational opportunities. As they are living in poorer housing conditions they may not have the space at home to be able to complete their schoolwork with full concentration. The lack of financial funds means that many families will not be able to provide their children with the necessities needed to fully develop within education, for example a household computer, sports equipment, or even money for school trips. It may be financially difficult for parents on a low income to support their children in higher education as well. Although student grants have been put in place, many children avoid higher education as they worry about the debt or travel costs. It also more likely for those from a working class  background to be managing education with a part time job, such as paper rounds or shop work, this can cause conflict between the amount of time available for work and the amount of time spent on studying. (Browne. K, 2005) Research suggests that it is not only factors outside of the school that can effect achievement; there are also factors inside the school that have an impact on a child’s educational experiences. Teachers have been known to take into account things such as a child’s standard of behaviour, dress, speech and their social class and background and this reflects how teachers treat particular individuals within the classroom. Teachers are often part of the middle class and the children that share the same values and standards are likely to be seen as ‘brighter’ than those with working class values. The working class have a different focus on their values, attitudes and their lifestyle in soc iety. This often works as a barrier to the success of the working class. The blame for underachievement is often focused in the direction of the family and community. These material and cultural conditions put working class children at a disadvantage when it comes to achievement in schools. Many of these factors, which have no relation to biological potential, have contributed to the educational class divide in Britain. Sociologist Robert.K.Merton was credited for the term ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ which focuses on a teacher’s attitude towards a pupil, for example if a pupil is labelled as bright and is encouraged and praised by the teacher, the child will feel self-confident and will strive for success. On the other hand if the teacher labels a pupil as ‘un co-operative’ or from a ‘poor’ background, this can cause low self-esteem and the pupil will be likely to fail to achieve much success. The Neo Marxist’s perspective on class stratification in Britain claims that schools create a ‘false class consciousness’ so it seems that they promote equal opportunities for all, but they really reproduce a capitalist division of labour, preparing young people for class-determined careers in the labour market. Willis (1977) accepts the Marxist’s view on education being closely linked to the needs of the capitalist’s system; however he does not agree with the idea of there being a direct link between education and the economy. (Macionis. J, Plummer.K, 2008) His study found that â€Å"poorer children often grow up in environments where people see little hope of upward social mobility and rebel against the system rather than trying to  conform with in. In such an environment adults often discourage rather than encourage success at school.† (Macionis. J, Plummer.K, 2008) Social class is not the only inequality in Britain’s schooling. So ciologists have also found a link between gender and academic success. Until the late 1980’s there was high concern about the underachievement of girls. Societies had been structured to consider schooling more important for males than for females. Although the gap in gender inequality has narrowed in Britain, many women still study traditionally feminine subjects, such as literature whilst men are more likely to study subjects that are seen to be more masculine like engineering. (Macionis. J, Plummer.K, 2008) Sue Sharpe in a 1976 survey called ‘just like a girl’ discovered that the priorities of young girls were ‘love, marriage, husbands, children and then jobs and careers, more or less in that order’. When she repeated her research in 1994, she found that the order had changed to ‘having a job, career and being able to support themselves before having a family.’ (Browne. K, 2005) Weiner (1995) has argued that teachers have more forcefully challenged stereotypes since the 1980’s and sexist images have been removed from learning materials, which could be the reason for the changes in girl’s attitudes towards their own education. The increase in incentives for girls to gain qu alifications has been due to a number of reasons, one of them being the women’s movement that managed to achieve a great deal of success in challenging traditional stereotypes for women’s roles in society. Many women now look past traditional roles, such as housewives and mothers and are motivated to gain independence and to do well in their careers. Women on average work hard during their time at school and are more motivated to do well. They put more effort into their presentation as they give up more time to do their school work. (Browne. K, 2005) It is clear that there have been major changes in the gender perception of girls in Britain’s schools and the inequalities between males and females has become less and less. Although certain traditional gender perceptions exist through subject choice, females now have more equal opportunities to gain knowledge within the classroom and achieve success. However in modern day society the tables have now turned and there has been a sudden ‘moral panic’ over the underachievement of boys. (Weiner, Arnot and David 1997) Swann (1992) found that boys dominated class discussion by often acting inappropriately and interrupting, whereas girls  are known to have a more laid back attitude within the classroom and are praised for their abilities to listen and co-operate, which leads to the teacher having a more positive view to girls within the class, helping to produce the ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ of girls greater achievement levels. (Holborn.M and Langley.P, 2002) Mitsos and Browne accept that boys are under-achieving and suggest that it is because men are culturally encouraged to appear macho and tough in society and these types of behaviours take place within the classroom and distract from learning. They also believe that the decline in manual work may result in the working class boys losing motivation as it is getting harder and harder to find jobs. Although these reasons seem valid, sociologists believe that more research has to be done within this area. (Holborn.M and Langley.P, 2002) More recent studies on education and gender have come away from the simple ‘differential achievement’ and now take into account a lot more processes within schools. The active role of the pupil is seen to create gender relationships and the way in which children form ideas on identities is seen to have a bigger impact. We have discussed social class and gender inequalities within Britain’s schools; however we are still to look into ethni city and race and the effects this has on differential achievement within schools. Many children from ethnic minority backgrounds tend to not do as well as other members of the population when it comes to education. Similar to the working class issues as majority of ethnic minority groups are part of the working class they face a series of disadvantages in social conditions, such as poor housing conditions and higher rates of unemployment within their home, which can cause a disadvantage in the chances of success. (Macionis. J, Plummer.K, 2008) Ethnic minorities are also at a disadvantage in school as they often suffer from isolation or racism from other pupils or are even discriminated against from teachers. Although, all schools in Britain are now legally obliged to have an anti-racist policy and teachers are now trained in equality legislation, research in secondary schools has shown conflict between white teachers and African Caribbean pupils. Stereotypes of African Caribbean young males have caused teachers to have more positive expectations of other ethnic mi nority groups, more than others. This explains the high level of black exclusions from schools and also explains why most permanent exclusions are down to disobedience of some sort, for  example pupils refusing to conform to school rules or being verbally abusive to teachers. The Labelling of certain pupils can cause them to comply with what is expected of them, for example disruptive behaviour and therefore leads to major effects on achievement. Phoenix (2001) conducted numerous studies identifying racism in schools; some suggest teachers discriminate against black and South Asian students, treating them in stereotypical ways. (Holborn.M and Langley.P, 2002) Racism can cause ethnic minorities to feel in some ways rejected from society and therefore racism within schools can cause young people to feel rejected from school as well, which can lead to prevention of achievement as individuals are not able to work to their full potential as they are not happy and comfortable in the school environment. Not all sociologists agree with the inequalities of ethnic minorities in schools. Taylor (1981) argues that the emphasis on faults in the education system should be treated with some degree of caution. Teachers do not necessarily behave in ways that reflect negative stereotypes of ethnic minority groups according to Taylor and that many teachers consider ethnic equality within schools to be of a high level of importance. (Holborn.M and Langley.P, 2002) There is enough evidence to link differential achievement with inequalities within Britain’s schools. Social class and ethnic inequalities effect the education and success of some pupils to some extent. Although, there have been developments and improvements on equality in society as a whole including educational institutions, there is still a long way to go before all individuals can be provided with equal opportunities of success. There are still clear class divisions within Britain’s schools as the working class are constantly at a disadvantage which prevents them from achieving to their full potential. Ethnic minority groups have very similar issues that need to be addressed in order for equal opportunities to evolve. However, there have been drastic changes in gender equality in schools and females and males are now being treated equally within the classroom. These changes have occurred within the whole of society as traditional gender stereotypes have been broken. These changes have had positive results as females now strive to achieve success. Referencing Browne, K., 2005. An introduction to sociology. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Polity Press Holborn, M., Langley, P., 2002. Sociology Themes and Perspectives. Fulham: Collins Macionis, J.J., Plummer, K., 2008. Sociology. 4th ed. Essex: Pearson Moore, S., Aiken, D., Chapman, S., 2006. Sociology A2. 2nd ed. Fulham: Collins Girls and Education (online) Available at: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/girls_education.htm Assessed on 07/06/2012

Mass Media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mass Media - Research Paper Example The reach of mass media is so vast that the Internet users who were 40 million in population in 1995 increased their numbers to above 800 million in the year, 2005 (Brym and Lie, 2006, pp.108). From a peripheral view, it can be seen that mass communication, is a one way process but mass media theorists have after deeper introspection, put forward different view points as well, regarding the nature of mass communication. Some theories focus on the top down dissemination of information. Some present mass communication scenario in a totally different light where social conflicts are reinforced and some others stresses the mutuality involved in a mass communication process with the producer and consumer on both ends. Reception of messages, the process of decoding them, giving feedback, and behavioral changes associated with this whole affair have to be taken into consideration while studying mass media. While looking into the various aspects of the social theories and their impact on the mass media as well as on the society as a whole, it can be inferred that only the three major sociology theories (functionalism, conflict, interactionism) in combination can address the complexities involved with the social institution, mass media. ... ion, social control (and) entertainment† which are the pillars on which a particular order of the society can stay firm (Brym and Lie, 2006, p.546). The four basic premises of this theory are that a) social structures and patterns mould or influence human behavior, b) a particular social structure can develop or destroy the total social stability, c) such social structures are built based on shared concepts and values, and d) it is only a matter of regaining equilibrium so that the society remains stable and peaceful (Brym and Lie, 2006, pp.13). This theory has great scope in assessing the impact of mass media in society, which can be considered as a social structure capable of maintaining and destroying social stability. The information or message that is handed over to the consumer through mass media is viewed here as having a unifying function at conceptual levels of the society. An idea is disseminated, it is discussed, and a consensual position created in the society, whic h is an outcome of shared values. Similarly, each and every individual who cater to the information disseminated by mass media, is actually going through a socialization process, which enables him/her to function in a society in an acceptable manner. It is the learning process of accepted social behavior that occurs in the mass media space. Before the emergence of mass media, the young people had to depend solely on their family, community and school for socialization but after mass media came into being, it has become the most important socializing space and tool. This is why it is observed that the youth has an inherent tendency to create and maintain their identities by processing the cultural messages that they get from the media, i.e.; they tend to imitate the outward looks as well as

Pancreatic cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pancreatic cancer - Research Paper Example Pancreatic cancer is known to be a lethal cancer which accounts for the fourth most renowned cancer which causes death in the United States of America. It starts with lesions in the epitheliums and may later on go to become invasive enough to cause death. This research essay would further revolve around the epidemiology, etiology and pathogenesis of the pancreatic cancer. Pancreas is a complex gland having both exocrine and endocrine functions. The organ has a very important role to play in the digestion of substances in the body but as the pancreas has a retroperitoneal location it does not show the progression of diseases in the initial stages. Thus it is very hard to detect diseases of pancreas in the initial stages. The exocrine part of the gland secretes digestive enzymes which help in digesting food particles whereas the endocrine portion secretes only a limited number of enzymes such as insulin and glucagon. The major abnormalities caused by the non-functioning of the endocrine portion of the pancreas are diabetes mellitus and neoplasms. And the major diseases caused by the exocrine portion are related to the inflammation of the pancreas itself (Catalano et al 2009). With latest researches being carried out much has become known about many cancers but the exact cause of pancreatic cancer is yet to be found. Most of the individuals suffering from pancreatic cancer are adults who are above 60 (Gold & Goldin 1998). Many factors have been studied in relation to the pancreatic cancer and it has been found that smoking is one of the foremost external influence which can trigger the cancer (Gold & Goldin 1998). Similarly inflammation of pancreas is also known to be an important factor that may cause the cancer (Lowenfels et al 1997). However some individuals do argue that it is because of the pancreatic cancer that the inflammation of pancreas occurs. As all cancers are related to genetics, pancreatic cancer is also known to be associated with the relative

Engineered Wood Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Engineered Wood - Research Paper Example This increases the durability of the products. Composition of engineered wood The aspects of manufacturing of engineered wood that help differentiate between the products made from it and also cause differences in the performance characteristics of different products include the quality of veneer used in engineered wood, the species and density of the timber used in it, the arrangement and thickness of veneers, and the type of bond between veneers (Austral Plywoods, 2012). The softwoods and hardwoods that are used to make lumber are also useful for making the products of engineered wood. Engineered wood that is made of fibers or wood particles are also made from wood waste or sawmill scraps. The oriented strand board is made from trees that belong to the poplar family that is a non-structural yet common species. Similar engineered cellulosic products are made from a variety of lignin-containing materials that include but are not limited to rice straw, wheat straw, sugar cane residue, kenaf stalks, and hemp stalks. Products made from these materials contain vegetable fibers instead of actual wood. â€Å"The best engineered wood floors  are built having 3-12 multiple ply layers†¦that are cross layered, glued and pressed together† (Hosking, 2012). ... cts can be categorized into a variety of types that include plywood, glued laminated timber, oriented strand board, laminated veneer lumber, and cross laminated timber. They are discussed as follows: Plywood Plywood is a kind of structural panel made in wood that is often referred to as the original product of engineered wood. Plywood is made from the cross-laminated veneer sheets that are bonded with one another with moisture-resistant and durable adhesives under specific conditions of pressure and heat. The stiffness and strength of panel in both directions are enhanced by changing the direction of grain of the veneers layer by layer. Other panels of structural wood include structural composite panels and oriented strand board. Glued laminated timber Glued laminated timber is made up of numerous layers of dimensional timber that are bonded with one another with the help of adhesives that are resistant to moisture. These adhesives help create large structural members of great streng th which can be used in buildings as horizontal beams or vertical columns. Glued laminated timber provides extensive design flexibility when it is manufactured in the curved shape. Oriented strand board Oriented strand board is a structural panel made from rectangular strands of engineered wood which are first oriented longitudinally and then organized in layers that are tied together with adhesives that are cured with heat and are resistant to moisture. Individual layers of the oriented strand board are cross-oriented that helps them develop stiffness along with strength in the panel. Oriented strand board is manufactured in the form of large continuous mats. The quality of oriented strand board is consistent throughout and there are no gaps, voids, or laps in it. Laminated veneer lumber

Development and application of a diatom-inferred pH model Research Paper

Development and application of a diatom-inferred pH model - Research Paper Example The RMSE gives a measure of the ‘apparent’ error in the model and thus over-optimistic while the RMSE calculated using bootstrap is a more reliable indicator of the true predictive ability of a transfer function. Analysis of the dataset with both simple weighted averaging (WA) and weighted averaging with tolerance down-weighting (WA(tol)) resulted in the selection of WA for pH reconstructions as it gave lower estimates of the RMSEP (Table 2). After having decided on criteria that maximize the performance of the model, I have applied it to a lake sediment core, Llyn Hir to perform a pH reconstruction. In WA reconstructions, averages are taken twice, once in WA regression and once in WA calibration. The resulting shrinkage of the inferred environmental variable is corrected for using inverse or classical deshrinking regression (Birks et al., 1990). Following analyses using both methods, trends in residuals revealed that inverse deshrinking was more prone to be biased than classical deshrinking technique (Table 3). The resulting WA classical deshrinked transfer function was applied to fossil diatom assemblages enumerated from the Llyn Hir sediment core. WA regression and calibration (both with and without tolerance down-weighting) were performed using C2 Programme. The WA model shows a strong predicted relationship between observed pH and diatom-inferred pH values (r2 = 0.83) (Figure 2). Statistical results for both simple and tolerance down-weighted WA show that the predictive ability of the WA and WA(tol) models, in terms of the predicted r2 and the RMSEP, are comparable (Table 2). Simple WA was chosen as it gives slightly higher predicted correlation between measured and diatom-inferred pH and lower predicted estimates of the error in this model. A total of 124 diatom taxa were observed throughout the Llyn Hir core, 8 of which did not occur in the training dataset. This means that over 90% of the diatoms occurred in training set which makes our

Testing Analog and Mixed Signal Circuits With Built In Hardware Research Paper

Testing Analog and Mixed Signal Circuits With Built In Hardware - Research Paper Example Before beginning definite manufacturing of high-volume products, the testing, designing, assessment of the prototypes are important. Furthermore, the comprehensive inspection of the manufactured products must be done in order to ensure the availability of high quality and defect free product. Eventually the cost of the product can be minimized by providing the required information during the manufacturing process. The fabrication procedure of the integrated-circuit (IC) comprises doping steps, etching, printing and photolithography. The reason for the collapse of an individual integrated-circuit (IC) is the imperfect steps related to the fabrication process. Above all, the mixed-signal ICs are more responsive towards steps imperfections thus, resulting in low performance of circuits. However, these imperfections are insignificant in the digital - circuit domain but as compared to the mixed-signal circuits, imperfections among the traces in structure of small capacitance can cause a significant change in the circuit performance. For this reason, the sensitivity behavior of the circuit also improved due to the reduction of the circuit geometry. Hence, before shipping it to the customers every single IC is being thoroughly checked. This priority testing of ICs enhances the final quality of the product without affecting its brilliance. In addition, this quality check also ensures the excellence of the product and its design, during the key phase of the product development once put into practice. The detailed and long tests are being performed during the process of implementation of the ICs due to the small imperfection of the high sensitivity of mixed-signal circuits resulting in the high testing cost. Now researchers are looking forward to merge the testing process of both analog and the digital-circuit via analog signals to divert digital circuits or by utilizing digital signals for example, serial bit stream in order to divert the analog signals. The analog-test methods are not fully developed, therefore restricted access is suffered by mixed-signal specially; the shrinking dimensions with the high integration densities in the development of semi-conductor technology. On the other hand, the test systems related to the digital devices are well maintained and developed. However, the benefits are taken from the advancement and knowledge of digital-test by the analog and mixe d-signal test, because they are far away from the latest development regarding testing procedures. Another reason for the failure of the analog testing system is the deficiency of the implementation of a testing procedure for example, Standard Fault Model, however, approximately all the digital test methods rely on stuck-fault model thus, with the help of their fault reporting, the test generation algorithms are estimated. This model is simply accepted for the functional test as compared to the performance test, it is not accepted. The sources of complexity during the testing procedures of analog

How service delivery can be improved through better project management Case Study

How service delivery can be improved through better project management - Case Study Example The major facet of the new market trend is that it offers wide ranges of products and services to customers. Since customers get the opportunity to choose from different marketers’ products, in addition to product quality they give emphasis on the efficacy of service delivery. Service delivery system has a considerable significance in South Africa. This paper will focus on effectiveness of South African construction management and consultancy services. What is service delivery? Modern business houses have developed a distinct team called project management team in order to improve various activities associated with service delivery. The efficacy of service delivery can be enhanced through the better project management strategies initiated by such a professional team. Better project management provides improved methodologies and tools for service delivery thereby beneficially accelerating the service delivery (Professional service delivery). The persons involved in project mana gement collect information regarding customers’ necessities or product demand in the market; and try to manage the project effectively to improve the service delivery as a whole. This system has greatly developed in South Africa; the following part illustrates different service delivery activities and their importance in South Africa. ... The customer interaction initiated by the project management team must make good relationship with customers. Many of the market researchers opine that good customer relationship would play a vital role in the overall success of project management and thereby the effectiveness of service delivery. Therefore, as Mehta (n.d.) points out, communication skill and good customer relationship are the basic qualities that a project manager must possess. Through project management, the available resources can be used effectively by team members sharing their knowledge and innovative ideas (Project management course). Market trends are changing everyday and hence service delivery system must par with the latest trends so as to vie with the competitors. The active involvement of project management in market research and demand forecasting activities can add to the updation of service delivery trends. This accessibility of project management team to the current information enables them to identi fy the existing problems and demands of the customers. The collected data should be efficiently processed in order to get meaningful information. After the analysis of the processed data and decision formulation, there are large numbers of phases ranging from planning phase to implementation phase. In each of these phases, the project management has an inevitable role to play. Once a change is implemented, it is necessary to assess it acceptance among the customers (How good are your change management skills?). Since the project management team has a direct contact with market and customers, it is very easy to evaluate the effects of the implemented changes. If the market survey indicates that

Persuasive speaking PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Persuasive speaking - PowerPoint Presentation Example The crucial message to emphasize actually is that it is never too late to finish what one has started; meaning, there is value in finishing one’s education. Why do students drop out in the first place? There are a multitude of rationales for dropping out. The reasons range from personal problems, family concerns, transportation dilemmas and academic issues. Furger, in his article entitled How to End the Drop Out Crisis (2008), has identified several reasons why high school students opt to leave school without earning their high school diploma. Among those cited were: â€Å"(1) dropping out is the culmination of years of academic hurdles, missteps, and wrong turns; (2) it is a response to conflicting life pressures -- the need to help support their family financially or the demands of caring for siblings or their own child; (3) students become bored and see no connection between academic life and "real" life; (4) young people feel disconnected from their peers and from teacher s and other adults at school; and (5) schools and communities have too few resources to meet the complex emotional and academic needs of their most vulnerable youth.† By being aware of these reasons, parents, teachers, school administrators, the local community and the nation, as a whole, should look for appropriate measures to address the root causes for dropping out especially as it has serious implications to the economy. The research conducted by The Alliance for Excellent Education (2007) highlighted that dropouts are a financial drain on the economies of each state and the nation. Lower local, state, and national tax revenues are perhaps the most obvious consequence of higher dropout rates. Even when dropouts are employed, they earn significantly lower wages than graduates. State and local economies suffer further when they have less-educated populaces, as they find it more difficult to attract new business investment. Simultaneously, these entities must spend more on so cial programs when their populations have lower educational levels. Dropouts represent a tremendous waste of human potential and productivity, and reduce the nation’s ability to compete in an increasingly global economy. On the contrary, helping students realize the value of education by assisting them to graduate has economic and social benefits to society. Students who manage to graduate earning higher wages tantamount to resulting in attendant benefits to the local, state, and national economic conditions. Likewise, diverse research studies have validated the following advantages: high school graduates live longer (Muennig, 2005), are less likely to be teen parents (Haveman et al., 2001), and are more likely to raise healthier, better-educated children. In fact, children of parents who graduate from high school are themselves far more likely to graduate from high school than are children of parents without a high school degree (Wolfe & Haveman, 2002). High school graduates are also less likely to commit crimes (Raphael, 2004), rely on government health care (Muennig, 2005), or use other public services such as food stamps or housing assistance (Garfinkel et al., 2005). Additionally, high school graduates engage in civic activity, including voting and volunteering in their communities, at higher levels (Junn, 2005). A remuneration of the discourse reveals that there are obviously more benefits to be derived from seeking ways and means to ensue students stay in school until graduation than to

Italian and German Unification Essay Example for Free

Italian and German Unification Essay During the years from 1858 to 1871 Italy and afterward Germany emerged as unified countries with one constitution and changed the path of history in Europe and consequently the whole world by shifting and changing or in many cases simply disturbing the balance of power not only in Europe but in the world. Both incidents were the direct results of various nationalist movements in both countries which share similarities and have differences in the basic ideologies behind them and the methods undertaken by their political leaders who made the unifications possible. In Italy the unification movement was lead by Conte di Camillo Benso Cavour (1810-61), who was the prime minister of the government of Piedmont-Sardinia, a constitutional monarchy. Cavour was a nobleman with liberal ideas while the leader of the German unification Prince Otto Edward Leopold von Bismarck, (1815-1898), the chancellor of Prussia, a conservative and absolutist monarchy was a Junker (German noble landowners) and a fanatical conservative. (Merriman Ch. 17) Yet, not only the difference in situations surrounding the social and political life both in Italian and German lands in internal and international stages at the time of unifications, but the differences between the social and political background of these two leaders and their very own way of thinking and ideologies made their methods and the paths of unifications of their homelands different from one another. This paper will discuss the similarities and differences in the methods undertaken by both leaders to achieve unification and to some extent the results of the two incidents. Further it will weigh the promises for democratization against the potential strengths or shortcomings of national unification in these countries. The very first characteristic of both movements that attracts one’s attention is the fact that both goals were achieved by the means of military and political manipulations and maneuvers, although ironically enough, the early attempts made to unify the states under a same flag both in German and Italian lands were made by liberals and in many cases even republicans who in fact gave birth to the modern idea of unified Germany and unified Italy. But all the attempts made by liberals and republicans in the way of Italian and German causes either by political and peaceful means or through revolts and revolutions were total failures and almost all of them ended up in disasters for their leaders and in many cases for every-day average person. As Germany, Italy was characterized â€Å"by the slow and late public emergence of the bourgeois politics and by an accentuated localism both in the collective expectations and social relationships. † (Caglioti) As an example of political and peaceful attempts made by more moderate liberals one can point to the Parliament of Frankfurt which desperately but unsuccessfully tried to force the rulers of the fragmented German states to come together and unify under the rule of Hohenzolern dynasty during the revolutions of 1848-49, and as an example of more radical turn of the unification movements one can look at the revolution of 1848-49 in Italy in which nationalist radical currents along with republican followers of Mazzini conducted revolts against the Habsburg rule and their military presence as well as conservative local rulers of fragmented so called â€Å"Italian† states throughout the peninsula and northern states which ended up in defeat for revolutionaries in the hands of Austrian armies and local conservative forces. (Smith Ch. II) These defeats however, were inspirations for both Bismarck and Cavour to implement the idea of a unified Germany and a unified Italy by means other than peaceful and â€Å"pure political† activities, which had been proven impracticable and incompetent in earlier stages. In other words, although both Bismarck and Cavour were politicians and set the stage for their goals by genus political maneuvers, the final fate of unification both in Italian and German cases were in hands of military and both leaders used military and warfare extensively to settle their word with their opponents. The use of military and warfare not only came to help to prevent the outside opposition to unification cause from destroying it, but it provided both leaders with a very powerful and practical means to strangle any inside opposition conducted either by their political and ideological opponents or the petty rulers of the fragmented states both in Italian and German lands who were the natural claimants and/or opponents to the unification cause. (Merriman Ch. 17) And another ironic fact about the unification attempts made by Cavour and Bismarck is the fact that, although they were trying to unify Germany and Italy under the rule of monarchies with conservative themes, and in the form of very centralized powers and autocratic states. And in case of the government of Prussia even absolutist and totalitarianist, there were very few oppositions and objections to the path of unifications taken by Bismarck and Cavour by liberals and even republicans who in fact opposed and challenged the very existence of the conservative state of Piedmont- Sardinia and the kingdom of Prussia and that in turn had its roots in the fact that liberals and their more radical republican and democrat colleagues were disillusioned by the results of the 1848-49 revolutions and previous attempts made to unify Germany and Italy. (Merriman Ch. 17) The belief of â€Å"Revolution from the bottom†, referred to by radical liberals and republicans were being replaced by the theory of â€Å"Reform from the top† mainly celebrated by moderate conservatives and of course the fact that all those liberals and republicans who were potential opponents to the unification under a conservative rule, were true patriots and all of them were greatly affected by the ideologies of nationalism, if they were not categorized directly as nationalists and that stopped them from opposing to Bismarck and Cavour since in a sense they were all moving towards a same goal when it came to unifying their homelands.

The Project Duration Practices In Jkr Construction Essay

The Project Duration Practices In Jkr Construction Essay In project management delivering the project as stipulated time in the contract is the most important factor to be focussed by the contractor and the implementer. Time is one of the three factors in project management should be given priority beside cost and quality. These three factors are related to each other and will give effect if one of these factors neglected. Time estimation has been identified as one of the key performance to be addressed in providing best value to construction client. To predict the construction duration of project based variables which are construction duration, building type, procurement route, contractor selection method, type of client, contract value, building function and complexity of the building. Construction management decisions are made based on schedules that are developed during the early planning stage of projects, many possible scenarios also should be considered during construction. Construction programmes are of utmost importance for a successful timely delivery of buildings or infrastructure projects. A well developed project schedule model is a dynamic tool that can be used to predict when the project work that remains to be completed can reasonably be expected to be accomplished. There is no specific tool in determining the accurate time for project duration practices in JKR. Most of the project duration was based on previous durations of the project which were not the same component of each project. By using the previous experience it may not shows the correct duration for the project. From this estimation of project duration JKR use the history of project duration based on the cost of the project, the size of the project, location and complexity of the project. This method is used since the existence of JKR. No specific method for estimate the duration of the project. It is important that the project implementation schedule is planned so that it functions according to determine other than completion on schedule without delays that could affect the other activities expected by the end-user.  Good schedule will ensure the implementation of realistic; given enough time for activities such design approval procurement, construction, tests the line and so on.   Scheduling that fails to take into account the important matters will result in projects having extension of time, or termination.  This will affect the end user involve additional expenses, including financial liability, employee relocation and storage of equipment and problems inventory. Delays in the completion of an entire project due to poor scheduling can also create havoc for owners who are eager to start using the constructed facilities (Gomar et al., 2002). 1.2 Problem  Statement Delivering the project on time as stated in the contract to the client is important to JKR as an implementer. The main problem in JKRs current practice is estimating accurate time in JKR project. Failing to deliver the project on time to the client will show the performance of JKR. One of JKRs objectives is to deliver the entire project in time as agreed with the client. Inaccurate time estimation will lead to late completion of the project. Inaccurate time estimation will cause the client additional operational cost. Incorrect in determine the project duration will shows the capability of JKR as a technical department in government. This is one of the reasons for project to be given extension of time (EOT) beside other reason such as the contractor selected cannot give full commitment to the project. Base on the JKRs record most of the project will have at least one EOT. From the data provided by JKR Project Monitoring Unit shows that more than 50% of the projects in Ninth Malaysia Plan supervised by JKR are completed behind time. This shows that time estimation for those projects are not accurate. This study will create a standard model to be used to estimate project duration. Aim of the study The main aim of this study is to develop appropriate mathematical model and strategies that can be used by the practitioners to improve current method of time estimation for JKRs projects. Objectives of the study To achieve this aim, the following objectives have been delineated To  identify  the factors that influence the completion time of the JKR projects. To study the relationship between JKRs estimated times with the actual completion based on 5 years historical data To develop mathematical model improving time estimating for school project by JKR. Scope of the study This study will use school building project by JKR only. Historical data for this study will rely on project that had been completed within past five (5) years. Mathematical model that will be used is multiple regression technique. Other more advance technique will be employed as the research progress and if found suitable. Research Methodology The methodology is divided into three stages. Planning Stage The planning stage is where the topic of study determines, aim and objective is set. Besides that literature search is done to accommodate literature review. Data Collecting Stage At this stage the methodology used in conducting this study is through literature search, data collection and structured interviews with the professionals or expert panel who are involved in time estimating of the project and questionnaires survey to JKRs staff who directly involved in determining the time of the project. Data collection will be gathered from the project as stated in the scope of study. From the results, the questionnaires survey will be conducted among JKR staff within the category of the study to assess their opinions of the findings towards the objectives of the study. Besides the questionnaires survey some interviews has also been conducted with the professionals as the expert panel, project manager, engineer and quantity surveyor to assess their opinions towards the findings based on data that have gathered. The interviews are divided into face to face questions and answers session and answering the structured questionnaires. The qualitative data generated from the questionnaires have been analyzed using statistical method and finally inferences were made to support the study findings. Reporting and Validating Stage At this stage a report will be produced based on the analysis done in second stage. The new process created from the finding will be tested and validated by the expert and selected JKR staff who involve in the process. The overall sequence of study process undertaken is shown in figure 3.1 PLANNING STAGE DATA COLLECTION STAGE REPORTING AND VALIDATING STAGE Study Topic Literature Review Objective (i) To  identify  the factors that influence the completion time of the JKR projects. Questionnaire Survey to evaluate current practice to determine factors that influence project time completion Validation of the model Develop mathematical model to express the relationship Interview with Expert Panel to determine current practice to determine the current process Objective (ii) To study the relationship between JKRs estimated times with the actual completion based on 5 years historical data Defining Study Aim, Objective and Scope Document search about current practice Objective (iii) To  develop  mathematical model  improving   time  estimating  for  school   project by JKR. To establish mathematical model to show relationship between completion time and factors that influence completion date Report and Finding Validation of the process Figure 1.1 Research Methodology Process CHAPTER 2 SCHEDULING PRACTICE IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT 2.1 Introduction A skill essential for good project management is accurate time estimation. There are two important reasons to get time estimates right: To drive the setting of datelines for planning and delivery of projects To guide in determine the cost of contract. It is important to make time estimation as input into other techniques used to organise and structure all projects. People always neglected or underestimate the needed time to implement project. It may reduce large project to a series of smaller project if a good time estimation technique is being used. An important aspect of Project Management is scheduling time accurately. This is a critical component of Project planning as this will decide the deadline for the completion of a project, whether small, medium or mega. (Suri et al., 2009) Stage of Time Estimation Time estimation should be taken into account during planning of the project. During this stage it is important to set the target date for completion of the project. However, a reliable estimate of the construction time at the early stages of design development will reduce uncertainty, provide a key focus for the design team, and can prove beneficial to the overall management of the construction process (Nkado 1992). Forecasting of construction cost and time is very important to contract administration as time prediction and cost forming a basis for planning, monitoring, budgeting and litigation. There are two methods of estimating construction cost and time. According to available budget by the client and time constraint through a detailed analysis of work to be done and resources available, using estimates of the time and cost requirements for each specific activity The detailed estimation of construction activities usually relies on the estimators experience and judgement to correctly interpret project and site information and make the best possible decisions. (Alfred, 1988) Current Time Estimation With the use of computer software, the estimation of construction time can be determined. This is despite the fact that a number of computer-based time forecasting techniques have been developed through research and targeted to construction professionals, including quantity surveyors, for the purpose of forecasting construction time at early design stages (Brandon 1990; Nkado 1992). In some industries, there are books recording industry standards for use by cost and schedule estimators. In every industry area there will be a body of knowledge that associates the accomplishment of known work efforts with time duration. Interviewing those who have had experience with similar projects is the best way to determine how long things will really take. Construction time demands the focus of attention of all the key participants in the construction process and is often a basis for evaluating the success of a project and the efficiency of the project organisation. Alternative procurement approaches (Masterman 1992; Turner 1990) facilitate the overlapping of design and construction times. Scheduling is a process that anticipates the future and the time taken to complete the project can not be anticipated exactly. There are techniques that can increase the likelihood of being close if planning and estimating is done side by side, the project can be managed to achieve the schedule by accelerating some efforts or modifying approaches to meet required dates. Project Manager is responsible in developing a project schedule. According to Project Management Institutes Project Management Body of Knowledge defines a project schedule as the planned dates for performing schedule activities and the planned dates for meeting schedule milestones. The practice of schedule development leverages knowledge gained from activity definition, sequencing, and estimating to create a formal sequence of project activities, the project schedule, that outlines when required work should start, when it is expected to be completed, and who will do the work. Successful project managers are those who can plan for the unexpected and are flexible enough to accommodate the unforeseen. (Needleman, 1993) CHAPTER 3 SCHEDULING PRACTICE IN JKR PROJECT Introduction Time estimation still the main agenda when JKR preparing for any new project. It is very important for public projects to be completed on time, as the clients, users, stakeholders and the general public usually look at project success from the macro view where their first criterion for project success appeared to be the completion time (Lim and Mohamed, 1999). Construction time performance references has identified that time along with cost and quality are the three crucial success in construction project. Literature review on construction projects suggested that the common criteria for project success are generally considered to be cost, time and quality/performance (De Wit, 1988; Wright, 1997; Arditi and Gunaydin, 1997; Frimpong et al., 2003; Williams, 2003; Luu et al., 2003). 3.2 Time Estimation Practise by JKR In project management time is the important criterion in accessing the progress of the construction. According to Nkado (1995), construction time has been shown to be the most influential in the overall time performance of projects. Experience is one of important criterion in scheduling process together with experience with general scheduling in the project area. From the past experience of construction projects showed that more time was given during construction. This time was determined either by JKR or by the contractor depending on the type of tender. The fixed duration time was determined by JKR. Their estimated duration mostly is based on their past experience and as a result, these estimations were found to be inaccurate. The estimated time was done base on the rules of thumb. As the construction time often has to be compressed in order to fit into the imposed time constraints, there may be insufficient buffer time to overcome unexpected interruptions, or disturbances, to the planned schedule. (Isaksson, 2005). Practitioners prefer to rely instead on their experience or to refer to historical records of the time performance of past projects (Atkin et al. 1993). 3.3 Consideration for Estimation In determining the accurate time for the construction project, a few characteristic has to be considered. According to (Ahmad et al., 2006) data related to project characteristics were: contract size (in terms of Ringgit Malaysia); tender type three types of tender, i.e. open tender, open to bumiputra only (native Malay contractors) or selective tender; bid ratio (the difference between awarded bid and next lowest bid); bid spread (the difference between lowest and highest bid); percentage difference between awarded bid and estimate; extra project cost; number of bidders; size of contractor (class A, class B, class C and class D and E); project complexity (less complex, moderately complex or highly complex); type of design and supervision (projects both designed and supervised by appointed consultants, projects designed by consultant and supervised by government engineers, project both designed and supervised by government engineers); experience of contractors (similar to the work tendered, comparable or other experience); and project regional location (northern, western, eastern and southern region). Abd Majid and McCaffer (1998) conducted a literature survey on causes of project delay where they claimed that 50 percent of the delays can be categorized as non-excusable delays for which the contractors were responsible. A study by Kumaraswamy and Chan (1998) indicated that six common significant factors for both building works and civil engineering projects were: poor site management, supervision, low speed of decision making involving all project teams, client initiated variations, necessary variations of works inadequate contractor experience. In estimating time of project, a consideration on the characteristic and factors of the project must take into account during planning. The factors that JKR consider for the project that estimated are cost, location and complexity. These factors are taken base on the history of construction in JKR. In order to gets more accurate time estimating a few other factors should be consider not only the above. Reaction by JKR Top Management Director General of JKR Malaysia (2002) in meeting with Directors of JKR Malaysia has mention about the project duration implemented by JKR. Quoted from minutes of meeting the by Director General of JKR Malaysia (a) Mengambil maklum : (i) akan keterangan bahawa tempoh pembinaan yang ditetapkan adalah sesuatu yang tidak mustahil untuk dicapai. Pembinaan sekolah dalam tempoh 6 bulan merupakan sesuatu yang praktikal dan telah dibuktikan dengan kejayaan pembinaan Projek Sekolah Kebangsaan Paya Besar Lunas, Kulim yang disiapkan dalam tempoh tersebut. (ii) akan keterangan bahawa Projek SRJK(C) Tropicana Damansara berjaya disiapkan dalam tempoh 5.5 bulan sahaja. (iii) akan keterangan bahawa Pengarah INTAN begitu kagum dengan penyiapan Projek INTAN Kluang sehinggakan beliau meminta JKR melaksanakan semua kampus INTAN yang lain. Base on the above quote by Director General of JKR Malaysia it shows how important accurate time estimation in JKR Project to top management. JKR has used fixed duration time for the construction of school and it is successful. Another criteria to be consider in determining the time is method of construction. Most of the building projects implemented by JKR in the second half on Ninth Malaysian Plan (RMKe 9) are using Industrialised Building System (IBS). Base on the instruction by Ministry of Finance through the Treasury Circular Letters No 7 Year 2008, at least seventy percent (70%) of component must use IBS for government project. This instruction will lead to another criteria that accurately estimate the time in JKR project.

Rutherford B. Hayes Essays -- essays research papers

	 Rutherford B. Hayes was considered by many to be a simple, uncontroversial, and honest man to run for the presidency. That is why many people are perplexed that such an astute person should have one of the most controversial elections and presidencies ever. Considering Hayes’ honorable principles, it came as a surprise to see how he could unknowingly make a decision about reconstruction where its effects were so blatantly derogatory to the cause he was trying to help. 	The controversy began when he was merely running for office. Hayes was running against Democrat Samuel J. Tilden. When the ballots were tallied in 1876, Hayes clearly lost the popular vote, and had lost the electoral vote 184 to 165 . However, twenty votes in Oregon, South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana were disputed due to the protest that blacks were not given the equal chance to go to the polls and vote. Congress created and electoral commission, which carefully decided that Hayes would receive all twenty votes. Facing the possibility that the country would be left without a president, both parties were considering taking the office by force. In spite of all the conflict, a deal was finally struck. Republicans made a secret deal with Democrats in congress, who agreed not to dispute the Hayes victory in exchange for a promise to withdraw federal troops from the south and end reconstruction . Hayes made good on the deal. He swiftly ended Reconstruction and pulled federal t roops out of the last two occupied states, South Carolina and Louisiana . During the brief period of radical reconstruction the negro enjoyed both civil and political rights. 	This political bargain contained three generally recognized parts: 1) The north would keep hands off the ‘negro problem’. 2) The rules governing race relations in the South would be written by whites. 3) These rules would concede the negro limited civil rights, but neither social nor political equality (page 787) . It is clear, however, that by 1876-77, a majority of white Americans were weary of continuing to battle southern retaliation to the reconstruction, especially when there appeared some possibility that the South was ready to give more than lip service to the rights promised by the Civil War Amendments. This bargain quickly caused an uproar by its opponents. Democrat William Clay said, "Instead of withdrawing... ...et out his southern policy very clearly. He wanted to eliminate political acts of violence against blacks. He insisted, and believed, that white southerners would adhere to the tenets of the Civil War Amendments. He insisted that the federal government had a responsibility to provide aid for education and public improvements. He also believed it was essential that honest government by educated citizens be restored in the south. His theory was that this kind of government could be achieved by insuring that blacks get an education so they can participate intelligently in the elections. His ideal of having educated blacks was quite strong. Hayes said, "securing peace, prosperity, and the protection of human rights require education. As long as any considerable numbers of our countrymen are uneducated, the citizenship of every American in every state is impaired". There are many proofs that President Hayes had good intentions when making the policy to end reconstruction. His goal was to help the black man gain and maintain civil rights. Although he couldn’t foresee at the time, ending reconstruction was a decision that rapidly decelerated the black man’s race for equality.

Feminism and Cultural Relativism in Human Rights Discourse: Sex-determi

Feminism and Cultural Relativism in Human Rights Discourse: Sex-determination Test in India ABSTRACT: Feminists and cultural relativists are highly critical of human rights even if their criticisms have taken two diametrically opposed sides. This has created a conflict between the two groups. In this paper, I summarize the views of feminists and cultural relativists and then show that there are many similarities between them despite their differences, for they share a common ground concerning human rights discourse. Based on the similarities, I believe that both must work together on this matter by making changes in an inclusive way with regard to human rights violations. This is true not only at the international level but also at national levels. To demonstrate this, I analyze the issue of the sex-determination test in India and show that if feminists and cultural relativists joined hands, then the problem of aborting female fetuses in India (due to cultural conditioning and leading to the larger problem of adverse sex ratios) could be resolved. I conclude by proposing th at medical technology could be channeled in the direction of progress if feminists and cultural relativists work jointly for the promotion of women's rights by recognizing 'different voices' of women across race, class, age, culture, sexual orientation and wealth. Recently, during the world conferences organized by United Nations in Vienna, Cairo and Beijing, the human rights discourse has taken different forms and have created bitter differences among different camps. In these international conferences, feminists claim victory over cultural relativists as feminists were able to reaffirm women's human rights. (1) Feminists and cultural relativists are the... ... (5) See Claude Ake, "The African Context of Human Rights," Africa Today, Vol. 32, number 5 (1987) (6) Hilary Charlesworth, "What are Women's International Human Rights"?, Human Rights of Women, supra note 25, at 617. (7) See Shashi Tharoo, "The Universality of Human Rights and their Relevance to Developing Countries," Nordic Journal of International Law, Vol. 142 (1990 (8) See Radhika Balakrishnan, "The Social Context of Sex Selection and the Politics of Abortion in India," Power and Decision: The Social Control of Reproduction, by Gita Sen and Rachel C. Snow, 266-283; Amartya Sen, "The Economics of Life and Death," Scientific American, (May), 40-47. (9) See the growth of population chart in Amulya Ratna Nanda, Census of India, 1991, Series-1, Registrar General & Census Commisioner, India, Statement 2, 21. (10) Bombay Case Reporter, 20:3, (1988) 2-7.

The Curse of Life in There Are No Children Here :: There are No Children Here Essays

There Are No Children Here – The Curse of Life  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To most living in the Henry Horner Homes, life often seems to be more of a curse than a gift. The people of this public housing project only experience the briefest moments of joy before the reality of their lives comes rushing back to them. This book chronicles the lives of two boys, Lafeyette, 10, and Pharoah, 7, from the summer of 1985 to the fall of 1989. Though the boys are young, author Alex Kotlowitz adeptly conveys that these children are not children at all. They have not been allowed to live the carefree lives that most of us living outside of the projects did. Instead, very early on they became aware of their hardships and had to learn to deal with them. In their short lives, they have been to more funerals than weddings and this has simultaneously crushed their spirits and hardened them. The environment in which these boys live is one of violence, drugs and poverty. Their housing is less than optimal, as the bathtub faucet cannot be shut off, the oven and kitchen sink are broken, and the plumbing is often out of order. Gang activity rules these Chicago housing projects. This book gives a keen insight to someone on the outside on how intense the violence there is. Bullets riddle through the night, and frequently into the apartments. Facing each new day with the fear that your life could be taken away in a second, by one of many acts of gang violence, leaves the residents feeling hopelessly insecure. Throughout the book, Lafeyette and Pharoah voice a strong desire to get out of the projects. However, a solution as to how this might be accomplished is never discussed. The family is dependent on welfare, so there is no extra money to be saved for alternative residence. For the time being, Lafeyette and Pharoah make a conscious decision to lay low and keep away form gangs and drugs so they do not become a part of the life that keeps them down. Lafeyette and Pharoah make insightful comments about how people get sucked into gang-life. They, like many other children and adults, are caught in the middle of despising gang activity, but still understanding the reasons people are involved in it. There are not many examples of tangible incentives to stay out, but to join means that you will have power, protection and money.

Hannibal Barca and the Carthaginian Campaign Essay

Hannibal Barca is the famous Carthaginian general, who is especially renowned for his successful campaign against Rome during the Second Punic War in 218 BC. Hannibal won some of the most famous victories against a numerically superior Roman army in Roman battlefields, notably the Battle of Cannae, which is universally considered as a masterpiece of military strategy and ranks among greatest military achievements in history (Gabriel, 2001). The innovative use of strategy and resources and capitalizing on enemy’s slightest weakness to turn into decisive victory for himself had been unique characteristics of Hannibal’s leadership that has earned him place in annals of great military leaders of history. Even today, many military schools still teach Hannibal’s military strategy, specially his placement of forces and improvisation in attack maneuvers. Hannibal Barca (247 BC-183 BC) Hannibal rose to his fame during the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) during which he established himself as one of the most brilliant strategists and tactician of the war seen by ancient world. If analyzed from the overall view of leadership, there are very few generals even in modern times who can compete with Hannibal. Hannibal was not only extremely proficient in military techniques and innovations but he was also excellent in understanding the delicate balance between military and political power. He was also very apt in exercising directed will and personal leadership-indeed, it was his sheer personal presence and force that motivated soldiers under him for 16 years in a foreign land. A study of Hannibal’s style of campaign is highly relevant even from modern perspective. Further, the Second Punic War introduced the concept of strategic endurance and tactical engagement, which still form the basis of military strategy. In these senses, the Hannibal’s campaign in the Second Punic War is watershed event in the military history of the West (Gabriel, 2001) . Historians still debate about the exact causes that inspired Hannibal to muster Carthaginian Ships and lead the army to Italy on an inordinately long and, in the end, deliberately unaccomplished campaign. While in more than one ways, Hannibal continued to injure, wound and dent the Roman pride to the degree where Romans were afraid to send an army against him, Hannibal never did actually sack the Rome or take control of the Empire (Gabriel, 2001). It is suggested that Hannibal’s chief motivation was to neither to humiliate Rome for their victory in first Punic war, nor to settle any personal score, but rather a more prudent vision of checking the expansionist ambition of Rome and keep Carthage secure in the only feasibly way-by attacking the Rome itself. Rome of the third century B. C.  E. was still on the way to power and glory that it would acquire a century later. At this time Rome was largely a land power while Carthage had emerged as the richest and most powerful trading nation due to its control over sea and its access to market of Sicily, Corsica and Spain. But the expanding Roman interests soon brought Sicily in their purview, leading to direct conflict with Carthage (Gabriel, 2001). The strategic position of Sicily had placed it in such position that while it marked as a check over Roman expansion, its loss would translate into a direct threat over Carthage. This conflict of interests led to the first Punic War in 261 BC where Rome and Carthage were locked in a 20 years long war, bitterly fought by each side. Despite suffering huge casualties, Rome won by 241 BC and Carthage suffered heavy losses. Its major markets were annexed by Rome, its trading fleet was reduced and it was subjected to heavy indemnity. Faced with prospects of financial ruin, the state stood at the verge of civil war when it was rescued by its most able general Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal Barca. Hannibal was born in 247 BC and he grew up while closely watching his father’s style of leadership and military tactics (Gabriel, 2001). It can be said that defeat of first Punic War was one of the motivating factors for young Hannibal Barca, who quickly rose through military ranks to command the forces of Carthage. At this time, most of the fighting units were primarily composed of tribal mercenaries who only valued chieftains who could lead them to victory and subsequent plunder. Therefore, Hannibal’s rise among these soldiers in itself is a testimony to his formidable reputation as a brilliant young tactician, competent to deliver victory even in most adverse of the situations (Gabriel, 2001). The Second Punic War (218BC-201 BC) The Punic Wars are recognized as the harbinger of modern style of warfare, which is dependent more on strategy, skill and technique than numerical supremacy. They marked an important shift from the earlier one-day affairs where the fates of empires were often settled in a single engagement. The Second Punic War lasted for 16 years, during which Rome hardly ever won a single engagement; however, it maintained its tenacious grip over the empire without collapsing until it gathered sufficient strength to achieve victory (Gabriel, 2001). The war also established the important of political will and social organization as decisive elements towards victory. Eventually, Rome’s victory started the era of political and strategic resource gathering that ultimately led to creation of the Roman Empire. However, these results came much later on. At the time of Hannibal’s campaign, Rome was still a very strong nation-state with ample economic resources, manpower and competent generals with large legions of armies under their command. On the other hand, when Hannibal started his campaign his resources were severely restrained. After discounting all the forces required to secure Carthaginian mainland, Hannibal was left with only 40,000 men and 8–10,000 horse, mostly Africans and Numidians, from Carthage itself. The rest would have to be raised from friendly Iberian tribes. By comparison, Rome had a reservoir of 250,000 foot and 23,000 horses, which it could gather in any instant of war. Including the forces of its allies, the Roman swelled to Drawing swelled to 700,000 foot and 70,000 horse, an army that was even larger than Napoleon’s Grand Army that invaded Russia in 1812 (Gabriel, 2001). With these difficulties in sight, Hannibal was well aware that he could not win a war of attrition or a direct battle against Rome. His only route to success lied through a prolonged campaign where he hoped to defeat Roman army in separate encounters and thus alienate Roman allies, who would no longer see Rome as a significant power. This strategy was dangerous because Hannibal would be directly leading his army to play against Roman strength in ground war. Further, with Roman control over sea routes, the campaign would be required to be self sustaining for its entire period as no help could be reached from Carthage if the troops were entrapped by Roman army (Gabriel, 2001). Added to this multiplicity of difficulties was the fact that the entire campaign was to take place on Italian lands, where Roman generals had better advantage in understanding the weather and terrain. By 218 BC, Rome was itself preparing for a double assault under its two generals, Publius Cornelius Scipio and Sempronius Longus. Scipio was to attack Spain with a force of 24000 thousand soldiers and 1500 horses while Sempronius was preparing to invade Africa with 36000 men and 1800 horses. He started his invasion in May 218 BC, with strength of 50,000 men 9000 horses, and 37 elephants, hoping to recruit the Celtic and Gallic tribes en route during the campaign (Gabriel, 2001). He had to face some hostility from local tribes but after crushing them ruthlessly in a six week campaign he led his forces through Alps. Records show that Hannibal started his crossing with almost 60,000 men and 37 elephants and by the time he crossed the Alps, only 23000 men and horses and 10 elephants were left alive, though barely in fighting condition. This was a terrible setback to his campaign plans, but he did not let despair sink in (Morris. 1937). His sudden and completely unexpected descent by Alps had indeed taken the Roman Senate by surprise and thrown many of their military plans into haywire. Both Scipio and Longus were called from their planned invasion to counter impending threat of Hannibal. The Roman generals were indeed somewhat overconfident, having to operate within their own country lands. Further, they had remarkable degree of vanity, anger, impetuousness and ego-elements which Hannibal used dexterously to his advantage in drawing them to battle (Tony.  1992). Battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae. Hannibal’s forces had won a number of small skirmishes and minor battles against the pursuing army of Scipio which had given them confidence and also support of a large number of native tribes. Even some of the Celtic contingents within Scipio army revolted, killed Roman soldiers and joined Hannibal’s forces. This alerted the Roman general who then stationed his army over a hill near river Trebia, awaiting Longus and his army, to jointly take upon the Hannibal’s army that was resting across other side of the River (Tony. 1992). When Longus joined Scipio, the Roman contingent swelled to an impressive degree, far outnumbering Hannibal’s troops. However, even under these circumstances, Scipio urged caution and asked Longus to wait for winters and further reinforcement before beginning the battle. Semponius Longus was instead in favor of a quick action and quick glory. Hannibal provided further provocation to him as small part of his troops attacked Roman legions repeatedly, challenging them for war. Longus took the bait and ordered his troops to cross the Trebia river for a direct showdown against Hannibal’s army(Tony. 1992). However, unknown to him, Hannibal had concealed an elite force of 2000 cavalry under the banks of river, who were ready to spring a trap to Roman army. Further, Hannibal’s forces were well rested and had a definite action plan against their enemies. A 40000 strong Roman and allied army crossed the river Trebia to engage with Hannibal’s 30000 troops on a cold December morning. As the battle started, the hidden units of Hannibal attacked, taking them completely unawares and causing great disarray and confusion in the Roman columns. This confusion, along with strategic marshalling of Hannibal, cost Romans heavily (Tony.  1992). More than 30,000 of their soldiers died and rest fled to safety, handing Hannibal his first great victory of the campaign. His losses were minimal in comparison, which boosted the spirit of his army and drew more native tribes to him. Battle of Lake Trasimene The defeat prompted a change in of command in Roman army and senate appointed Cnaeus Servilius and Gaius Flaminius as counsel of wars to block Hannibal’s invasion to Rome. Hannibal found Flaminius not much different from Longus and therefore decided to lure him to battle using the same strategy that he used at Trebia. Hannibal ordered his troops to burn countryside, towns, villages and slaughter livestocks, but prevented them from taking directly on the Roman armies. The tactics was to enrage the generals, trick them into making a mistake and then destroy the Roman army at the place that offered Hannibal’s troop maximum advantage.. Flaminius fell for the these tricks and he decided to pursue Hannibal’s army through the valley besides lake Trasimene. He mistook 6000 of Hannibal’s troop as his entire army and entered the valley with 15000 of his force to defeat the Roman tormentor. But the full strength of Hannibal’s 30000 strong army was hiding in forest, under the veil of a thick fog, so that the entire Roman army went past them without taking any cognizance of their presence! At the right moment, Hannibal ordered the attack, which completely routed the Roman army. The battle lasted two hours during which 15000 Roman soldiers were killed at cost of 1500 men in Hannibal’s army (Gabriel, 2001). Battle of Cannae Hannibal’s victory in battle of lake Tresimene sent waves of fear through Roman empire. In just two years he had defeat four of the best Roman counsels and caused more than 50,000 casualties. Rome realized for the first time that it was up against one of its most formidable foe and to counter the challenge, it placed the command of battle in hands of Quintus Fabius, who was a very competent commander with acute understanding of military as well as political affairs (Daly. 2002). Fabius made a correct strategic assessment of the situation and concluded that in the end of war, Rome’s domestic advantage, its superior alliance relation and its vast resources would lead to its victory against Hannibal. Therefore, he did not show any hurry in marching to the battlefield and apprehending the culprit. He very well knew that time was working in Rome’s favor (Daly. 2002) The military policy he started was in accordance with this understanding and it was aimed at containing Hannibal rather than defeating him. For more than a year, Fabius policy paid dividends as he strengthened defenses, retained the alliances and by refusing to engage Hannibal in a direct conflict, denied him any opportunity of a victory. Fabius was fighting the true war of attrition, which would have destroyed Hannibal’s army (Gabriel, 2001). But the mood in Rome was favoring war and they viewed Fabius working style as too cautionary. The senate replaced Fabius by L. Aemilius Paulus and C. Terentius Varro as generals of war. These generals immediately fell for the bait of war that Fabius was deliberately avoiding in summer of 216 BC a 86000 strong Roman army under generalship of Varro took to field against Hannibal’s 45000 strong force near the village of Cannae (Daly. 2002). Varro made two crucial errors. First he positioned the river Aufidus on his right flank, which denied his soldiers any space of maneuver and secondly he completely ignored the strong Carthaginian cavalry. Hannibal, in his usual display of brilliance kept his strongest units at flanks and weakest at the center. Varro took the bait and his army pushed deep inside the Carthaginian formation, where they were trapped in a pincer movement by Hannibal’s superior strong force (Daly. 2002). It was akin that they were trapped in a V shaped formation with no route to escape. The battle was over within few hours and its end, 52000 Roman soldiers were laying dead, and 5000 were taken prisoner. Hannibal’s forces had suffered 8000 losses. The combined casualty was around 60000, making it one of the bloodiest battles fought (Gabriel, 2001). Further Campaigns Cannae was a great victory for Hannibal, and it marked culmination of his three years of war efforts where he had incapacitated more than 20 percent of entire Roman population that was capable of entering military. However, it is said, that the terrible sight after battle of Cannae had affected Hannibal deeply and despite the fact that there was no hindrance to his journey to Rome, he refused to take the coveted road, earning him censure and criticism from his own generals (Gabriel, 2001). Post the defeat of Cannae, Rome re-mobilized its army and within two years, it numbers had swelled back to 200,000 men under arms. However, it had learned from the mistakes and instead of attacking Hannibal directly, it played on Fabian strategy of tiring him, denying him an opportunity of waging a direct battle. This tactics worked successfully and by 210 BC, was Hannibal had been contained in southern Italy, while Roman armies won victories in Greece and Spain. True, Hannibal was still out of their reach and every effort to touch him resulted in a defeat for the Roman troops, but overall the Roman grip had greatly strengthened (Gabriel, 2001). By 204 B. C. E. Scipio launched a campaign against Africa, which threatened Carthage itself. This prompted the state politicians to negotiate with Rome which led to recall of Hannibal and his armies from Italy. Hannibal’s last battle was with Scipio on the African plain near the small village of Zama where he was as defeated, and thus ended the military career of one of the greatest generals of the ancient world/ Conclusion Of all the adversaries that Rome faced in its long history, Hannibal Barca is indelibly etched as its greatest foe and for very concrete reasons. In the entire history of Rome, no other general had single handed ravaged the empire to the degree that Hannibal managed, staying virtually undefeated through his 16 years long campaign, while outsmarting best of the Roman generals and strategist. It’s the testimony of Hannibal’s enterprise however, that his most authentic biography is given by none other than Roman historians. . His campaign against Rome produced some of the finest military strategy and thinking that ancient world had seen, or for that matter even the modern world has seen. Like all military leaders he was cruel and ruthless, but only to the degree where these traits served to meet the objective of his campaign. His very decision to abandon the route of Rome in wake of the slaughter at the Battle of Cannae shows the finer elements of his character.

Africa and African continent Essay

Slavery is and it involves conditions of controlling people against their expectations or lives; this can especially be done with violence, compulsion and force. Slavery is practiced so as to obtain cheap labor from people that have been illegally against their will. Slave trade was experienced in almost all African countries the most common form of slave trade was trans-Atlantic slave trade. ( E. W. Duggan (2003). â€Å"Generating systems requirements with facilitated group techniques. † Human-Computer Interaction 18, 373–394. ) Slave trade was the trading of the illegally obtained labor for exchange with cheap goods and services from the western countries, the slaves used to do too much work with very little pay or exchange for goodies from the people who took them as slaves. Slave trade had both negative and positive effects on the traders, the slaves and the African continent as a whole. The impacts were felt in the economical, social and psychological welfare of the African societies. (Thornton, John K. â€Å"Sexual Demography: The Impact of the Slave Trade on Family Structure. † In Slave Trades, 1500-1800. Ed. Patrick Manning. Variorum, 1997: 133-143. ) Impacts of slavery on the African people were; it took away healthy and strong young people who were working in the industries, this slowed down industrialization in Africa; slave trade brought about African racism with the Atlantic world which still affects Africans up to date because Africans were looked down upon as dirty workers; it led to a polygamous society as most of the slaves who were taken were men leaving behind women and children; slavery brought about hatred with different African communities because some rulers wanted to trade their people while others did not want; slave trade brought civilization to the African people as they were able to obtain material that they were not manufacturing locally and at very cheap price. ( J. Mustajoki, R. P. Hamalainen and M. Marttunen (2002). â€Å"Participatory multi-criteria decision analysis with Web-Hipre: a case of lake regulation policy. † Systems Analysis Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology. ) Impacts on the continent of Africa were; due to slave trade Africa was able to be exposed to the outside world; it led to slow growth of population in Africa as most of the slaves were relocated another continent most people were taken as slaves and some died on their way during their shipment; Africa was able to develop economically as there was development in infrastructure, growth of urban centers it also improved living standards in the Africa because the traders and African rulers received a lot of exchange I return for the slaves they sold; it also brought about region a class of very wealthy and highly Europeanized traders who took their children to get better education. ( Thornton, John K. â€Å"Sexual Demography: The Impact of the Slave Trade on Family Structure. † In Slave Trades, 1500-1800. Ed. Patrick Manning. Variorum, 1997: 133-143. ) To conclude slavery and slave trade had impacts in the African people and the African continent. There were either negative and positive impacts on the slave trade depending on your argument one can talk about the positive or the negative impacts. Some people view the slavery and slave trade as the best thing that ever happened in Africa and Europe and some view it as the worst. Because the impacts are still being felt up to date in both Africa and the rest of the world, things like racism are still affecting blacks all over the world because they were taken as slaves though too many efforts have been used to make sure that there is no racism its still affecting Africans allover the world positively it brought a great deal of urbanization in Africa which brought about industrialization, urbanization and all that Africans would have not done that by themselves. If we look at a country like South Africa that attained its independence recently there are great things that the slave trade which led to colonization did in South Africa that any other country in Africa. Reference: 1. Thornton, John K. â€Å"Sexual Demography: The Impact of the Slave Trade on Family Structure. † In Slave Trades, 1500-1800. Ed. Patrick Manning. Variorum, 1997: 133-143. 2. J. Mustajoki, R. P. Hamalainen and M. Marttunen (2002). â€Å"Participatory multi-criteria decision analysis with Web-Hipre: a case of lake regulation policy. † Systems Analysis Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology. 3. E. W. Duggan (2003). â€Å"Generating systems requirements with facilitated group techniques. † Human-Computer Interaction 18, 373–394.

Cause and Effect Essay Example Essay

What is the leading cause of death in the U.S.? Many people would guess cancer, but they would be wrong. The leading cause of death over the past few years has been heart disease. Last year, heart diseases claimed the lives of more than 600,000 Americans. The most common of these is acute myocardial infarction, better known as a heart attack. Each year, about 720,000 Americans suffer from a heart attack. That averages to almost two thousand heart attack cases a day! So why are there so many heart attacks? The answer is simple: by eating unhealthily, not exercising, and smoking, millions of people put themselves at risk of suffering a heart attack. One of the main causes of a heart attack is an unhealthy diet. Because eating healthily costs more, people turn to cheap fast food instead. This fast food is loaded with cholesterol, an important lipid used in the membranes of cells. However, if a person eats too much cholesterol, the excess begins to build up along the wall of the person’s arteries. This substance, called plaque, inhibits the flow of blood to the heart. Consequentially, the heart has to pump much harder to circulate the blood. An unhealthy diet also leads to high blood pressure which further increases the build up of plaque and other fatty matter in the arteries. All of this plaque causes decreased blood flow to the heart which makes it weaker. Although the decreased flow of blood can cause heart problems later on, the real danger is the risk that a piece of the plaque could break off, leaving a gap. If this happens, red blood cells form a clot on top of the plaque which could result in the blockage of the entire artery, causing a heart attack. Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the best ways to lower the risk of having a heart attack. Another factor that increases the risk of having a heart attack is lack of exercise. The heart is a muscle and like any other muscle, it becomes stronger by exercising. Sadly, many people do not and the heart stays weak. It does not pump as well, leading to decreased capability in the future, and numerous health problems. Exercising also prevents clotting in the arteries, therefore lowering the chances of having the arteries blocked. Lazy people who sit and watch television all day miss out on this benefit, and increase the likelihood of a heart attack. Finally, exercise reduces inflammation in the arteries, optimizing blood flow and reducing the threat of a heart attack. Unfortunately, many people do not take the time to exercise, and they suffer from poor blood flow, inflammation of the arteries, and increased risk of heart problems. By not exercising, people put themselves in danger of suffering a heart attack. Finally, countless heart attacks are caused by smoking. Surprisingly, about one in every five deaths from heart disease is caused by smoking. Everybody knows that smoking leads to breathing issues and lung cancer, but what most people do not realize is that smoking also puts people at a higher risk of having a heart attack. The 4,000 or more poisonous substances in a cigarette harm blood vessels throughout the body, including the heart. They also increase the likelihood of blood clots in the arteries which cause heart attacks. Next, smoking causes the arteries to narrow which reduces blood flow further. This means that it does not take as big of a clot to cause a heart attack. Lastly, the carbon monoxide breathed in from smoking replaces the oxygen that would have been breathed in. The carbon monoxide then binds to the red blood cells and is distributed to the body instead of oxygen. This poisons the whole body, including the heart, and makes it have to do more work to supply the body with oxygen. By smoking these lethal substances, people put themselves in the clutches of the leading cause of death in the world. In a society where the fast-food industry booms, video games replace exercise, and cigarettes litter the streets everywhere, it is not surprising that so many people have heart attacks each year. Many people choose to eat unhealthily, lounge around all day, and smoke, endangering their overall health and putting themselves at risk of a heart attack. However, people always have a choice. Although all these things can cause a heart attack, they are not really the underlying problem. The irresponsible behavior and foolish decisions of people is really behind the leading cause of death in America.

Its features and importance Essay

   Picture Gear Studio, DVgate Plus, Sonic Stage Other Giga Pocket PVR hardware and software with TV tuner card with remote control Support Policy One-year parts and labor warranty; 24-hour weekday toll-free support during warranty period. $19. 95 fee for phone support after 1-year warranty. Where is it available? What is its price? The SONY RS530G is available at any high end computer shop and also in the internet. Ordering this Desktop PC through the internet at eBay. com or PCExpress. com would come out cheaper than buying it here in the Philippines. Its price is $ 1850. 00 which leaves me with a total of $150. 00. The excess money I could use for extra accessories for the computer like other software’s may it be for leisure or education. III. Systems Ruled Out Obviously Workstations, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), Mainframes, Mini-Computers and Super Computers were out of the question while choosing my preferred computer system. I don’t need a very powerful PC that is used for Computer Aided Design (CAD) nor Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). I don’t need a computer that would serve up to 70 users because most probably the maximum users that will be using my computer would be 3. Definitely minicomputers are out of my list for one thing they’re phased out. I don’t need a computer that would serve hundred of users at a time; I’m only a student and not a business so mainframes are crossed out of my list too. Besides mainframes are too complicated to handle as it is. Super computers on the other hand are used by businesses for task demanding extreme computing power especially in establishments for science like meteorology and finding out more on enzymes. PDA’s are too small plus it’s not practical for a student like me to buy a PDA just to set my schedule straight in school and take notes. I need a computer that would aid me in my studies just like a Micro computer. Micro computers hold floppy disk drives and CD-ROM drive or even a DVD drive that would help me in storing data need for my classes, reports and papers. It’s the most practical thing to get as of now because if I think of leaving within three years for the UK technology improves quickly and by then if ever I buy a laptop it would be phased out and it would be harder to up grade not like a desktop pc. IV. Conclusion I therefore conclude that at this time, as a student, it would be more practical for me to buy a Desktop PC that would help me in school work and at the same time entertain me for my free time. Laptops are doubled the price of a Desktop PC and is harder to upgrade unlike a Desktop PC. Usually Laptops are used by professionals who are on the go and need computers most of the time to make use of their time. References   Charles S Parker, Understanding Computers: Today & Tomorrow: 200 edition, Harcourt College Publishers www. villman. com   www. Amazon. com   www. eBay. com Note from taken from class   and gathered data from different stores :   PC Express   Stores in Greenhills Shopping Mall   Stores in Cybermall.