Friday, November 29, 2019

Frankenstein Essays (382 words) - Frankenstein,

Frankenstein This is an English book report on "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley Frankenstein The story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is about a man who created something that messes with nature, and nature came back to mess with him because nature is more powerful than man. Victor Frankenstein was very interested in natural philosophy and chemistry and basically tried to play G-d by creating life. When he found the secret of activating dead flesh, he created a superhuman being composed of rotted corpses. What he did was considered unthinkable, and he was haunted by his own creation. When the monster escaped, Frankenstein knew that he had to deal with the consequences of what the monster might do. Frankenstein received a letter one day which informed him of his younger brother William's murder, and immediately suspected that he was responsible, for he was the creator of the hideous monster. A friend of the family named Justine Moritz was the "presumed" murderer, and Frankenstein was determined to prove her innocent. Circumstantial evidence, however, led the courts to believe Justine guilty, because found in her pocket was a photograph which had belonged to William. Justine had been put to death, and Frankenstein had yet to find his creation. Finally, upon their meeting, the monster confessed to his creator of what he had been through, how he was rejected by society, and finally, how he had come to kill William. When William had revealed his name to the monster, the monster immediately figured that by killing the young boy, he would have revenge on Frankenstein for giving him life. The monster did not understand the concept of right and wrong and he especially didn't mean to kill anybody. His expression of anger ended up being violent, even fatal to the victim, and it just worked out that he killed people. As the monster's story continued, he demanded of Frankenstein a female mate who he can be with until his end, and promised to live away from society. Frankenstein, meanwhile, tried to restore the monster's demented mind so he could live a normal life. Although at first Frankenstein agreed to create a friend for the monster, he changed his mind for fear that between the two of them, his life, as well as many others, would be in danger. The creature wanted revenge, and so everything important in Frankenstein's life ended up being destroyed, including his wife and best friend.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Is globalisation a new phenomenon in world politics Essays

Is globalisation a new phenomenon in world politics Essays Is globalisation a new phenomenon in world politics Essay Is globalisation a new phenomenon in world politics Essay In the many academic papers and books published on the subject, globalisation has been given numerous and varying definitions. In spite of these variations, globalisation is commonly agreed to be political, social and economic in its effects: In political life, globalization takes a distinct form, though the general trends towards deterrorialization, interconnectedness across borders, and the acceleration of social activity are fundamental here as well( Scheuerman, 2002) The Progressive Living Glossary defines it as being both a cultural and political concept, seeing it as a trend towards a single world society, a process which trends toward the undermining of national sovereignty in favor of the economic interests of gigantic transnational corporations. (www. progressiveliving. org). Alternatively, Anthony Giddens, a leading sociologist, defines globalisation as a decoupling of space and time and states that culture and knowledge can be instantaneously shared throughout the world using communications systems such as the Internet. www. globalisationguide. org). For the purposes of this essay, I will be utilising the definition that I feel best fits the concept of globalisation, that of Baylis and Smith, who state it as the process of increasing interconnectedness between societies such that events in one part of the world more and more have effects on peoples and societies far away (2001, p7). Although the word globalisation itself is a relatively ne w one, the concept as particularly seen through this last definition can be traced back centuries, even to ancient times. In this essay I intend to show that globalisation is not a new phenomenon and that although there seems to be no commonly agreed point of origin, its roots can be traced back through world history. Additionally, there seems to be an inextricable link between the development of globalisation and the growth of capitalism. However, the advent of instantaneous global telecommunication systems and increased access to all parts of the globe have effectively allowed the process to advance a greater rate in more recent years. The Roman Empire, which encompassed most of the known world, showed clear evidence of sophisticated levels of interconnectedness. Economically, it had its own commercial trading network which stretched hundreds of miles and a common currency similar to that of the modern European Union. On a social level, their culture strongly permeated their conquered nationalities, the legacies of which can still be seen today. Effective communication systems enabled political decisions, originating in Rome, to be carried out across the length and breadth of the empire. The first circumnavigation of the earth in 1519 to 1521 can be regarded as the next significant event which furthered the progress of globalisation from earlier times. For the first time in history the entire world was potentially exposed to global influences. The resulting explosion in trade, on a scale never experienced before, marked the first great leap forward for globalisation. This was quickly followed by a growth in colonialism amongst the great European powers. These powers succeeded in carving most of the known world into vast empires, meaning that by the late nineteenth century even isolated and previously inaccessible continents, like the interior of Africa, were under the jurisdiction of European powers. (Baylis and Smith(eds), 2001, p 45). The Concert of Europe, which was a balance of power coalition, applied the notions of diplomacy and international law on a world wide scale by enforcing them upon their colonies. Even the countries which did not fall under the control of a European nation, were still obliged to abide by these practises. Although it can be argued that western powers economically exploited and enforced their culture upon their colonial territories, nonetheless, this still represents a form of interconnectedness concurrent with the above definition of globalisation cited earlier (Baylis and Smith, 2001). In the years following World War II a strong feeling of anticolonialism emerged. Leaders of European colonies demanded self-determination, an ideal which had its origins in western culture. The resulting independence allowed them access to an inclusive international society thus increasing the existence of interconnectedness between states and nations. From 1947 onwards the majority of Asian and African colonies gained their independence, became full members of the United Nations thus effectively creating a new world order. From the 1960s onwards, the introduction of global communications succeeded in further reducing local and national boundaries as the transfer of information, and potentially power, became instantaneous. However, the ongoing Cold War remained a major barrier as it effectively divided the globe and prevented the process of interconnectedness politically, socially and economically. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 the last remaining obstacle to globalisation was effectively removed. For the first time in history an international society encompassing the entire world was created. With Communism defeated, for the first time, every country in the world was either capitalist or dependent on trade with capitalist nations. This created an ideal environment for globalisation to flourish. Transnational corporations were able to expand into previously forbidden areas and trade worldwide. Countries from the former Soviet Bloc could now communicate with Western nations, and vice versa, meaning that ideas and cultural experience could be exchanged. Cultural communication at a global level has also increased rapidly. Through the combination of TV, radio, Internet and film, experience of diverse cultures can be gained. The speed at which globalisation has occurred in the past century at a political level is clear to see when studying the number of international organisations and agencies which now exist. Intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) have sprung up at an incredible rate. In 1909 37 IGOs and 176 INGOs existed, while in 1996, this had grown to 260 IGOs and five and a half thousand INGOs. This proves that globalisation is not a new phenomenon, as at the start of the Twentieth century there existed many international agencies. However, the number which exist in modern times shows just how quickly globalisation has progressed. The main difference between the globalisation today and that of say, a hundred years ago, is the difference in communication. Whilst international trade amongst the richest countries is not significantly greater than it was at the start of the twentieth century, but international communication was slow and expensive. The growth of instantaneous communications has completely changed the political system. This can be seen most clearly when looking at modern warfare. Wars can now be controlled from a computer screen thousands of miles away from the front line. The process of globalisation, although an ongoing one, has rapidly accelerated in the past ten to fifteen years. The fall of the Soviet Union gave rise to a truly worldwide international community for the first time, and global communications systems enable this community to talk to each other instantaneously. World trade has also grown due to the emergence of capitalism as the ideological victor of the Cold War and due to the great advances in communications, specifically the Internet. Globalisation, however, is not entirely new, as its roots lie centuries back. Recent events have taken the process to heights never previously seen or envisaged, but essentially, globalisation has existed, to a lesser extent, for as long as people have been internationally trading.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Network Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Network Design - Essay Example floods etc. Furthermore, the distance between the two buildings is 120 meters that is manageable for connecting the sites physically. However, in case of configuring a wireless network, IEEE-802.11g Compliant will be recommended for covering the distance of 250 meters. Figure 1.1 demonstrates the current architecture and Figure 1.2 illustrates the network architecture for Tyrell Corporation Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2 2 Addressing Deployment Approach for Departments Star topology is recommended for the wired local area network. It is the most widely adopted topology. The star topology supports the centralized provision of network resources and services. The support staff can manage the network administrative and troubleshooting tasks centrally. Star topology helps to implement centralized security architecture for improved and enhanced security of the network. The network implementation cost can be saved by provisioning the core systems located centrally. The security controls and backup s ystems are also located centrally for better troubleshooting and management. For deploying the local network for Tyrell Corporation, CAT 5 cable is the best option. It supports both voice and data transmission. CAT-5 is in the form of twisted pairs. This cable consists of 4 copper wire pairs, connecting the network node with RJ 45 connectors.CAT-5 supports up to 100 to 1000 MHz speeds in a ‘full duplex’ mode (Category 5 Cable. 2007). The Tyrell Corporation enterprise network will corresponds to request related to internet applications, online transactions, requests by sale contractors, file transfer protocol and Emails. CAT 5 can support these features with ease. However, CAT 5 cable can support up to 300 feet equal to 100 meters in distance. A requirement of the switch is mandatory for every 300 feet. Data switches perform packet distribution tasks within the local area network. Acting as a core backbone, Tyrell Corporation network requires fast Ethernet switches to su pport the internet and external communication. The Cisco Catalyst 3750 v2 series switch is recommended to cater the requirements for the current scenario as well as for the future. The deployment of switches will be carried out by disconnecting one department at a time on a non-working day, as the installation will be conducted by the vendors or the staff available at Tyrell Corporation. From each of these available departments, human resource department will be the first one to be replaced with the new switch supporting VLAN and addressing security issues. The next department will be the technology department itself for enabling compatibility with the human resource department switch, as proper configuration and testing is required. Each department follows the similar approach with finance department to be the last one. Cisco Catalyst 3750 is the OSI layer 3 stackable switch, supporting the energy efficiency factor. Stackable means that more switches can be added to the current swi tch configuration for providing more network nodes. This switch supports the Cisco Energy Wise technology, which assist in the provision of power management of the big switch network. At the same time, the Cisco energy wise technology reduces the cost and carbon foot prints. The latest invention to the energy wise technology is the ‘Cisco Energy Wise’ Orchestrator which is a dedicated turnkey power management solution

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Architectural Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Architectural Theory - Essay Example The plan of a design must be based on the understanding of the context for which the building will be utilised. This statement was made by Claude-Nicolas in 1790, living in New York. This was in response to the debate between heroic architecture and heroic architects. The design and plan of cities remains reflection of the societies which established these architectural environments. This statement was made by Mumford in 1961, living in London. It was in response to the observation of medieval buildings which have remained symbolic in modern times. The internal arrangement for any architectural structure depends heavily on the architecture method for determining the interior. This statement was made by Ching and Eckler 2012, living in New York. It was in response to the significance of developing a plan before determining the use of a building. The development of structures should be focused on presenting the aesthetics depicting the society. This statement was made by Howard 1898, living in Hertfordshire, England. It was in response to positive qualities of economic and social elements in the plan for a building. There is a significant effect of the environment upon the architectural plans made. This statement was made by Geddes in 1879, living in London. This was in response to the influence of Frederic le play on regional planning

Monday, November 18, 2019

Eat at my restaurant cash flow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eat at my restaurant cash flow - Essay Example Net income values are a good indicator of the business progress. Obtained via accrual accounting, net income value shows the net profits or losses that the company achieves in the specified period. Moreover, net income values can easily be obtained from the income statement and represents the difference between all accounting revenues both direct and indirect and all accounting expenses. As matter of fact, many investors depend on net income figures to make investment decisions. Perceptibly, dividends are always proportional to net income. Therefore, if the trend of net income figure is increasing then the company can attracts investors due to expected rise of the shares. The implication is that, the firm can easily access capital, and to be precise equity, hence stands a better chance to expand. However, profitability and insolvency is not always guaranteed by positive net income figures. Note that, allow net income values could be as a result of a high expenses figure which might h ave originated from high depreciation of assets. If the value of these expenses is one time, or rather does not influence s operational saes, then the net income figure falsely predicts the firm’s financial status. It’s to the opinion of many scholars that cash dictates financial position and thus, cash flow predicts long term profitability. Literary a positive net cash flow from operating activities implies that the business is collecting more cash that it’s spending and positive trend predicts a bright future.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Degrading Marine Bacteria: Isolation and Characterization

Degrading Marine Bacteria: Isolation and Characterization Isolation and Characterization of (PAH) Biodegrading Marine Bacteria Sulaiman Ali Alharbi1*, M.E.Zayed1, Arunachalam Chinnathambi1, Naiyf S. Alharbi1 and Milton Wainwright1,2 ABSTRACT Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are considered to be important and dangerous pollutants which cause serious health problems and/or genetic defects in humans, as well as harming the flora and fauna of affected habitats. In this study, we interested in determining if bacteria can be successfully used to bioremediate PAH pollution as an alternative to physical and chemical methods. The bacteria used in this study were isolated from three PAH polluted sites of Mediterranean Sea, off Alexandria, Egypt. The study is devoted to the isolation of bacteria that can degrade three low molecular weight PAHs and to determine the effect of pH on this process. Nine phenanthrene-degrading, seven-naphthalene-degrading and eight anthracene-degrading bacteria were isolated, by enrichment, from the marine water sample. All of the isolates grew on the PAHs (phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene) at varying rates and utilized them as sole source of carbon and energy. Key words:   Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), Biodegrading marine bacteria, Environmental contamination, Marine water, Introduction Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are contaminants of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems which generated continuously by the inadvertently incomplete combustion of organic matter, for instance in forest fires, home heating, traffic, and waste incineration1. PAHs constitute a large and diverse class of organic compounds and are generally described as molecules which consist of three or more fused aromatic rings in various structural configurations2. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are composed of fused, aromatic rings whose biochemical persistence arises from dense clouds of Ï€-electrons on both sides of the ring structures, thereby making them resistant to nucleophilic attack3. Environments contaminated with PAHs are deemed hazardous because of their carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects4,5 and low molecular weight PAHs such as naphthalene (the simplest, containing two benzene rings), anthracene and phenanthrene (both of which contain three benzene rings) are also known to possess potentially hazardous health effects6. A variety of techniques have been applied to the treatment of environments contaminated by PAH containing petroleum hydrocarbons, notably physical treatments using thermal or chemical processes7. However, these treatments are generally time consuming and expensive8,9. Microbial bioremediation however, provides a potentially cheap and effective means of bio-remediating PAH-contaminated environments10. The ability of microorganisms to degrade PAHs is well documented11, 12 and microbial degradation is a major environmental process affecting the fate of PAHs in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems13. Bioremediation using microbes converts toxic or persistent organic molecules into harmless end products, such as carbon dioxide and water 14. Unfortunately PAHs possess physical properties, such as low aqueous solubility and high solid water distribution ratios, which militate against their rapid microbial utilization resulting in their accumulation in the terrestrial and aquatic environments1. It is imperative therefore that the factors which influence the bioavailability and decomposition of PAHs in the environment be studied and optimized7. The aim of the work described here was to screening environmental samples for bacteria that are capable of degrading PAHs and use them a sole carbon and energy source. Materials and Methods Isolation of bacteria: Bacteria were isolated from three PAH-polluted sites of the Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria, Egypt, where PAH pollutants have been continually released. All isolates were preserved in 750 ÃŽ ¼l LB culture supplemented with 250 ÃŽ ¼l of 60% glycerol and maintained at -80oC. Media used: Bushnell-Haas (BH) medium, Luria-Bertani, Nutrient broth and Blood agar were used for the isolation of bacteria. All media were prepared using distilled water and sterilized by autoclaving at 120oC for 20 min. Medium- pH was adjusted as required before sterilization using   1N NaOH or 1N HCl. Hydrocarbon stock solutions: Stock solutions of each PAH (100 mg/ml) were prepared in ethyl acetate and sterilized by filtration. Isolation of phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degrading bacteria: Water samples were collected from three PAH-polluted sites in the Mediterranean Sea, off Alexandria, Egypt, where PAH pollutants have been continually released into these aquatic environments without any control. Water samples (50ml) were collected from the contaminated sites under aseptic conditions. Phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degrading bacteria were isolated from water samples by spreading onto solid medium; 100  µl of each water sample was spread over the surface Bushnell-Haas agar plates containing (100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 mg/l) of either, phenanthrene, anthracene or naphthalene, as the sole carbon and energy source. The plates were then incubated at 30oC for 7 days. Assay of phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degradation: Phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degradation by the bacteria under a variety of concentrations was determined using 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 100 ml Bushnell-Haas broth supplemented with phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene in the concentration range,10, 30, 50, 70, 90, 130 to 150 mg/l.. The cultures were inoculated by transferring 1 ml of nutrient broth of pre culture medium of the strain under test. The cultures were then incubated at 30oC and 200 rpm; bacterial growth was daily evaluated by measuring the increase of OD600nm of the culture. Determination of naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene residues in the culture medium: The concentration of naphthalene and phenanthrene residues in the culture medium was determined by measuring the optical density at a wavelength of 254 nm and 275 nm respectively15. Extraction was carried out in a separator funnel, by mixing for two minutes an aliquot of the culture medium with an equal volume of hexane. The resulting organic phase was then used for the spectrophotometric readings. In some cases the sample was diluted with hexane in order to bring it out within the range of the calibration line (0.01-0.07 mg/ml for naphthalene and 0.001-0.1 mg/ml for phenanthrene). For the determination of anthracene residue, aliquots of the culture medium were mixed for two minutes with an equal volume of ethyl acetate and the optical density of the resulting organic phase was measured at a wavelength of 254 nm using ethyl acetate as a blank. For preparation of standard curve of anthracene, a stock solution of 10 ppm in ethyl acetate was prepared and aliquots in the range of 0.2 to 1 ppm were separately measured at 254 nm16. Utilization of carbon source: All purified isolates were tested for growth on 0.01%, of either, naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene or phenol which were added as sole carbon sources to BH liquid medium. Sterilized BH medium containing the desired amount of hydrocarbon source was inoculated with the test strain and incubated in an orbital shaker at 200 rpm and 30oC for 72 h. Growth was tested by measuring the increase of OD600nm of the cultures. Effect of pH on the degradation of naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene: In order to determine the effect of pH on naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene degradation, 50 ml of BH broth cultures were first prepared at the following pH; 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. After sterilization, 50 mg/l naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene was added to each flask, separately. 0.5 ml of Nutrient Broth overnight culture of bacterial strains (OD600 1.3-1.5) was added to each flask. The flasks were incubated at 30oC and 200 rpm for 72h. Bacterial growth was estimated using spectrophotometer at OD600nm of the cultures. Results and Discussion Isolation and selection of phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene biodegrading bacteria: Phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene degrading bacteria were isolated from water samples.   A range of bacterial colony types were observed on the different carbon source-containing plates, nine isolates were found to utilize phenanthrene, seven   grew on the naphthalene plates and eight isolates grew on anthracene amended media. Isolates Ph1, Ph2, Ph3, Ph4, Ph5 and Ph7 showed the ability to degrade phenanthrene as sole carbon sorce. The optical density (OD600)   for the bacterial isolates respective was was; 0.16, 0.512, 0.17, 0.482, 0.632 and 0.24. Isolates Ph6, Ph8 and Ph9 on the otherhand failed to utilize phenanthrene as sole carbon and energy source (Fig.1). Among the tested isolates only Ph5 isolate showed sustantial   growth rate on phenanthrene when compared with other tested isolates. According to the ioslates which showed no degrdation of the tetsed PAH, We assume that these isolates which did not degrade PAH may have lost this ability during preservation, or may have lost genes which control the utilization of this substrate; assumptions mirored in the work of   Zhao, et al., (2009)17, who reported that some phenanthrene degrading isolates lost their ability to degrade phenanthrene after a period of more than three weeks of preservation. Figure 1. Degradation of phenanthrene (20 mgl) by 9 bacterial isolates (named; Ph1-Ph9).       In studies using naphthalene, only two isolates Na6 and Na7 showed dehradation   with the latter being the best naphthalene degrader (Fig.2). The other isolates, Na1, Na2, Na3, Na4 and Na5, in contrast, failed to use naphthalene as a sole carbon and energy source. Regarding the anthracene-degarding isolates, five- An1, An2, An3, An4 and An7 degraded the substrate with ODs respectively oft: 0.174, 0.614, 0.551, 0.482 and 0.164 (Fig.3). Isolate,   An2 isolate was the msot active anthracene degrader,while isolates An5, An6 and An8 were unable   to use anthracene as a sole source carbon and energy source. Figure 2.   Degradation of naphthalene (20 mgl) by 7 bacterial isolates (named; Na1-Na7). Figure 3. Degradation of anthracene (20 mgl) by the bacterial isolates (named; An1-An8). Effect of pH on hydrocarbons degradation by the different bacterial isolates: The effect of pH (2.0, 3.0, 4.0,   up to 11.0) on PAH degradation by the isolated bacteria Ph5, Na7 and An2 was investigated in BH medium containing 50 mgl phenanthrene and 20 mgl naphthalene or anthracene respectively. In the case of phenanthrene, the optimum pH for bacterial growth and phenanthrene degradation was pH 7. At pH 6 and pH 8, bacterial growth and substrate degradation was markedly reduced (Fig.4). Shin et al.,(2008)18 reported that, relatively high mineralization rates of phenanthrene are found over a pH range of 6-8, with maximum mineralization rate occurring at pH 6 in a mineral salt medium. In the present study we found that the pH 7 is the optimum for obtaining a high mineralization rate of phenanthrene in BH medium; in agreement with Simarro, et al., (2011)19, our results confirm that the optimal pH value for the degradation of this substrate,   in BH medium, is pH7. Figure 4. The ability of the selected Ph5 isolate to degrade 50 mg/l phenanthrene at different pH. Growth and biodegradation depends on the type of PAHs used and the optimum pH range is very variable20. Some acid resistant Gram-positive bacteria, such as Mycobacterium sp., show better PAH degradation capabilities under acid conditions, largely because low pH seems to render such Mycobacteria more permeable to hydrophobic substrates21. However, other microorganisms belonging to Pseudomonas genus tend to prefer neutral pH conditions. In agreement with previous works19, our results confirm that neutral pH is optimum for the biodegradation of PAHs. Our results are also in agreement with Bisht, et al.(2010)22, who reported the ability of D. radiodurans SBA6 and B. circulans SBA12 to degrade naphthalene and anthracene over in the pH range of 5.0 to 11 (Fig.5). Othman et al.(2009)23 observed that changes in media pH can alter the electrical charge on various chemicals groups in enzymes molecules, thereby probably altering the enzymes ability to bind its substrate and catalyze a given rea ction. Imbalance of the electrical charges in very acidic and alkali conditions can also disrupt hydrogen bonds and other weak forces that maintain enzyme structure. Such disruption of enzyme structure is called denaturation, a phenomenon which leads to poor rates of biodegradation. Figure 5. Determination of the ability of Na7 and An2 isolate to degrade 20 mg/l naphthalene and anthracene respectively, over a range of pH. Utilization of different hydrocarbons by the same bacterium: Phenol (a single ring compound) was also included in this experiment as an example of a low molecular weight PAHs to provide a comparison with the high molecular weights hydrocarbons e.g. naphthalene (two rings), anthracene, and phenanthrene (both three compounds). Isolate Ph5 was shown to use phenol, naphthalene and anthracene as sole carbon and energy source (Fig.6). These results are slightly different from those reported by Zhao, et al. (2009)17, who reported that a bacterial isolate (ZP2) was able to degrade phenanthrene and naphthalene but failed to degrade anthracene as sole carbon source. Figure 6. Assimilation of 0.01% of naphthalene, anthracene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by Ph5 isolate. The same response was seen in the other two isolates Na7 and An2.   Isolate, Na7 rapidly mineralized phenol, phenanthrene and anthracene when added as sole carbon sources (Fig.7). Isolate An2 degraded phenol, naphthalene and phenanthrene as sole sources of energy (Fig.8). An isolate used in a study by Dean-Ross, et al. (2001)24 in contrasts was able to mineralize anthracene and phenanthrene but not naphthalene when grown under identical conditions. Figure 7. Utilization of 0.01% of phenanthrene, anthracene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by the isolate Na7. Figure 8. Consumption of 0.01% of phenanthrene, naphthalene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by An2 isolate. Phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene are the main components of crude oil and ubiquitous in contaminated water and soil. These carbon-sources could be utilized by a range of living in these polluted environments. Hydrocarbon mineralization occurs in a variety of ways depending on the species of bacterium isolated and it use of a preferred pathway. In this study, the wide range carbon-source utilization of tested isolates confirms their ability to use potentially different degradation pathways. Al-Thani, et al.(2009)25, similarly reported that the acclimation of a microbial community to one substrate frequently results in the simultaneous acclimation to some, but not all structurally related molecules. As a result, individual microbial species have the ability to act on several structurally similar substrates and therefore more easily act on their analogues following initial exposure26,27. Conclusion: In this investigation, we fascinated in determining if bacteria can be successfully used to bioremediate PAH pollution as a substitute to physical and chemical methods.In conclusion, some of our isolates grew well on the tested 4 low molecular weight organic aromatic compounds and as also reported28, individual bacterial strains could degrade several PAHs, but tended to prefer a single one and also we establish that the pH 7 is the optimum for obtaining a high mineralization rate of phenanthrene in BH medium. Acknowledgements Authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding the work through the research group project No. RGP-VPP-332. References 1Johnsen, A. R., Wick, L. Y. and Harms, H. 2005.Principles of microbial PAH-degradation in soil. Environ. Pollut. 133(1):71-84. 2Blumer, M. 1976. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in nature. Sci. Am. 234:35-45. 3Nnamchi, C. I., Obeta, J. A. N. and Ezeogu, L. I. 2006.Isolation and characterization of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from Nsukka soils in Nigeria. Int. J. Environ. Sci.Tech. 3:181-190. 4Miller, E. C. and Miller, J. A. 1974.Biochemical mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis. Edited by Busch, H. The Molecular Biology of Cancer, New York: Academic Press, pp.377-403. 5Autrup, H. 1990.Carcinogen metabolism in cultured human tissues and cells. Carcinogen. 11: 707-712. 6Klaasen, C. D. 2001. Casarett and Doulls Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp.107-132. 7Piskonen, R. and Itavaara, M. 2004. Evaluation of Chemical Pretreatment of Contaminated Soil for Improved PAH Bioremediation. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 65: 627-634. 8Leahy, J.G. and Colwell, R.R. 1990. Microbial Degradation of Hydrocarbons in the Environ. Microbiol. Rev. 54: 305-315. 9Ward, W., Singh, A. and Van Hamme, J. 2003.Accelerated biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon waste. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 30: 260-270. 10Phillips, T.M., Liu, D., Seech, A.G., Lee, H and Trevors, J.T. 2000. Monitoring bioremediation in creosote contaminated soils using chemical analysis and toxicity tests. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 24: 132-139. 11Churchill, S. A., Harper, J. P. and Churchill, P. F. 1999. Isolation and characterization of a Mycobacterium species capable of degrading three-and four ring aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:549-52. 12Weissenfels, W. D., Beyer, M., Klein, J. and Rehm H. J. 1991. Microbial metabolism of fluoranthene: isolation and identification of ring fission products. Appl. Microbiol. 34:528-535. 13Supaka, N., Pinphanichakarn, P., Pattaragulwanit, K., Thaniyavarn, S., Omori, T. and Juntongjin, K.2001. Isolation and characterization of a phenanthrene- degrading Sphingomonas sp. strain P2 and its ability to degrade fluoranthene and pyrene via cometabolism. Sci. Asia. 27: 21-28. 14Lee, S. and Cutright, T. J. 1996. Nutrient medium for the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soil. US Patent. 5, 508, 194. 15Marta, I., Alquati, C., Morgia, P., Mansi, A., Scotti, R., Nicolini, L. and Papacchini, M. 2006.Contaminated sites: assessment of the metabolism, growth and genetic characterization of wild-type microbial strains able to degrade naphthalene. Prevention Today. 2: 35-50. 16Kumar, G., Singla, R. and Kumar, R. 2010. Plasmid associated anthracene degradation by Pseudomonas sp. isolated from filling station site. Natur. and Sci. 8: 89-94. 17Zhao, H. P., Wu, Q. S., Wang, L., Zhao, X. T. and Gao, H. W. 2009. Degradation of phenanthrene by bacterial strain isolated from soil in oil refinery fields in Shanghai, China. J. Hazard. Mater. 164: 863-869. 18Shin, K., Kim, J. and Kim, K. 2008.Effect of biosurfactant addition on the biodegradation of phenanthrene in soil-water system. Environ. Eng. Res. 13: 8-13. 19Simarro, R., Gonzalez, N., Bautista, L. F., Sanz, R. and Molina, M. C. 2011. Optimization of key abiotic factors of PAH (naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene) biodegradation process by a bacterial consortium. Water Air Soil Pollut. 217: 365-374. 20Dibble, J.R. and Bartha, R. 1979.Effect of environmental parameters on the biodegradation of oil sludge. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 37: 729-739. 21Kim, Y.H., Freeman, J.P., Moody, J.D., Engesse, K.H. and Cerniglia, C.E. 2005.Effects of pH on the degradation of phenanthrene and pyrene by Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 275-285. 22Bisht, S., Pandey, P., Sood, A., Sharma, S. and Bisht, N. S. 2010.Biodegradation of naphthalene and anthracene by chemo-tactically active rhizobacteria of Populus deltoides. Braz. J. Microbiol. 41: 922-930. 23Othman, N., Hussain, N.H., Abd Karim, A.T. and Abdul-Talib, S. 2009.Isolation and optimization of napthalene degradative bacteria. International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure and Built Environment in Developing Countries. Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.101-105. 24Dean-Ross, D., Moody, J. D., Freeman, J. P., Doerge, D. R. and Cerniglia, C. E. 2001.Metabolism of anthracene by Rhodococcus species. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 204: 205-211. 25Al-Thani, R.F., Abd-El-Haleem, D.A.M. and Al-Shammri, M. 2009.Isolation and characterization of polyaromatic hydrocarbons-degrading bacteria from different Qatari soils. African J. of Microbiol. Resear. 3: 761-766. 26Bauer, J. and Capone, D. 1985. Degradation and mineralization of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons anthracene and naphthalene in inter tidal marine sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 50: 81-90. 27Mitchell, J. and Cain, R. 1996. Rapid onset of the accelerated degradation of dicarboximide. Pesticides Sci. 48: 1-11. 28Tadros, M. G. and Hughes, J. B. 1997. Degradation of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by indigenous mixed and pure cultures isolated from coastal sediments. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 63(65): 865-870 Can Liberty and Equality be Reconciled in Political Theory? Can Liberty and Equality be Reconciled in Political Theory? The word reconcile means that, to find a way in which two situations or beliefs that are opposed to each other can agree and exist together. It is sometimes difficult to reconcile for instance science and religion. When two people are reconciled they become friendly again after they have argued, (Cambridge advanced learners dictionary). In this essay I will dwell much on whether liberty and equality can be reconciled by defining these concepts. Liberty and freedom are often used interchangeably, however they essentially mean the ability to think or act as one wishes. Gerald McCallum: â€Å"Freedom is always of something (an agent or agents) to do or not to do, become or not become something†. Most political theorists assume that people ought to be free unless there are compelling reasons for restricting their freedom. For instance J.S.Mill believes that, to be human is to enjoy a sphere of in which one is able to think, express ideas and lead a lifestyle of one’s own choosing. He went on to say, â€Å"even if a person finds himself in an opinion, he should be free to express that opinion† and â€Å"if all mankind, minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would not be justified to silence that person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind† By allowing individuals to be free, society can progress, hence the ideas of mi nimal government and protection of human rights and freedoms. There are two concepts of liberty, these includes negative and positive liberty (Isaiah Berlin, 958). Negative liberty involves response to the question: what is the area within which the subject a person or group of persons is or should be left to do what he is able to do or be, without interference by other people. It implies freedom of choice, therefore, Law and Government should only serve to enlarge and not restrict freedoms, and privacy of the individual must be respected by recognizing a clear distinction between what is public and what is private and finally it advocates individual rationality as the basis for choice. On the other hand, positive liberty is involved in the answer to the question: what or who is the source of control or interference that can determine someone to do or be, also interested in the question ‘By whom am I governed?’ However, as opposed to â€Å"How much am I governed? G.C. Mc Callum, (1972). According to T.H. Green it means personal gr owth and self-development. Liberalism is one of the dominant political ideologies of the contemporary world that favors liberty in terms of equality. It is founded on the traditional notions of individualism: this reflects the belief in the supreme importance of the human individual as opposed to any social group or collective body. The liberal goal is therefore to create a society within which individuals can flourish and prosper with everyone pursing what they consider as good in any way they choose to define it. Therefore, individual freedoms or liberties are given priority over notions of equality, justice and authority. It is thus based on the presumption that freedom is a good thing and that any limitations of the same should be justified. It is strongly against limitation on freedom of individuals to pursue self interest. It however, favors private property and free enterprise, for instance freedom to buy and sell anything. And finally it is against state control and seconds that role of the state limit ed to maintaining law and order, in this respect, it should provide defense and oversee enforcement of contracts. Equality refers to the belief that human beings are born having equal rights. The Declaration of Independence asserts some of these rights to be life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Equality is not about blanket uniformity but rather to establish the legal, political or social conditions in which people will be able to enjoy equally worthwhile and satisfying lives. The principle of equality sometimes contains the assertion that people must have equal access to wealth and property in order for them to more fully realize the principle of equality. According to Oxford English Dictionary, equality implies the condition of having equal dignity, rank or privilege with others, the condition of being equal in power, ability, achievement of excellence, fairness, impartiality, due proportion, and proportionateness. Therefore, this term is defined in the light of equal conditions guaranteed to each for making the best of him. In the words of Barker, it implies that â€Å"whatever conditions are guaranteed to me in the form of rights, shall also, and in the same measure, be guaranteed to others and that whatever rights are given to others shall also be given to me†. So says Laski: undoubtedly, it implies fundamentally a leveling process. It means that no man shall be so placed in society that he can over-reach his neighbor to the extent which constitutes a denial of the latter’s citizenship†, J.J. Rousseau [(1762) 1969]. There are two forms of equality positive and negative. Positive form implies the adequate provision of opportunities for all. Here, the term ‘adequate opportunities’ does not mean ‘equal opportunities’. Since people differ in their needs and capacities and also in their efforts, they need different opportunities for their individual self-development, Friedrich Hayek and Keith Joseph (1979). Negative equality implies the absence of undue privileges. That is to say there should be no artificial grounds of discrimination, such as of religion, color, race, caste, wealth, sex, and many more. The underlying principle being that no talent should suffer from frustration for want of encouragement. It is still a challenge to provide a coherent defense of equality. This however requires separating out the various principles, and explaining what it is that is being equalized or equality is in danger of degenerating into a mere political slogan unless it is possible to a nswer the question ‘equality of what’?: is it income, or well being, the capacity to acquire certain goods, or something else? Socialism is also one of the dominant ideologies of the modern world that favors equality than liberty. Socialists believe in a Common Ownership: this relates to the ownership of property in the community as opposed to individual ownership. The argument here is that by placing property in joint community ownership, the common good is promoted rather than the good of individuals. To them a positive view of freedom must be examined in a social context and therefore in the context of resources of a material kind. The right to read and write, for example, requires the provision of schooling if such a right is to be meaningful. In the Socialist World Order all classes and private property are abolished. The means of production for instance, that is all land, machinery, factories and other productive resources must be under the democratic control of the people. Wage labor is unknown. All worked for the collective good and products are distributed according to the principle of â€Å"From all according to their ability to all according to their need. They however, call this a good society. Liberty and Equality are political concepts that strongly oppose each other, to be specific; between them there is what we call war of principles. For instance, Libertarians believes that Libertaria is the place where humankind should seek its future. This is because it is a society where people are truly free. They have the economic freedom to pursue their own ends in a market society. Indeed Libertaria is run exclusively on market lines. They do not believe in the good society as such, as market choices constantly fluctuate. Individuals must choose their own good life and the market is where they make their key decisions. On the other hand, Egalitarians believes that Egalitaria is the ideal place to which humankind should commit itself. It is the benchmark by which other societies can measure whether they are serving the aims which any good society should fulfill. Individuals believe that market decisions produce what people want. In Libertaria all make market choices and all receive from the market that which is their due. They are free from both the stifling collectivity of Communitarian and from the fear of having to make sacrifices, a fear which haunts Utilitarian. While Egalitaria would be the good society because it would be one in which all citizens are treated as being of equal worth. It would have basic political liberties, equality of opportunity and the rule of law, all of which are constitutionally guaranteed. It would also be dedicated to ensuring that these basic rights are of equal worth to their possessors (Lukes, 1993: 34). Libertaria has freedom of speech, of movement, of thought and of association. The rule of law prevails and there is no torture. They have a minimal state which oversees the system of free exchange, the courts, contractual disputes, the armed forces and the police. They realize that the state can build up its own interests which can conflict with those of private individuals. They therefore, keep its role to an absolute minimum. Freedom is their watchword and freedom to choose is prized above all else. On the other hand, the citizens of Egalitaria would be filled with a basic abhorrence of injustice and would strive to overcome any involuntary disadvantage whether such disadvantages are the result of religion, class, gender, ethnicity or whatever. Egalitaria would not tolerate the gross inequalities which characterize some of the communities within Communitarian. Rights in Egalitaria would be universal, not subject to the dictates of history, culture and tradition. Considering the above argument it seems like each ideology is giving no space to the enjoyment of the other ideology, or in simple terms we can say that it is hard for liberty and equality to go together, however, in practice these terms are mutually reinforcing each other. It is also very hard to find a society that is purely libertarian or that is purely Egalitarian, this means that in libertarian the possibility of finding some element of equality is there, same applies to the egalitarian, there are some sort of liberties though to the slightest degree. Therefore, there are some instances where liberty and equality move together with a common goal for instance the promotion of welfare of the people. It is also of great important that liberty and equality should work hand in hand, just because they act as watch dog to each other, for instance, the relationship that is between them is that like of three arms of government executive, parliamentary and judiciary. The problem with establishing the realm of liberty is that there are a bewildering number of grounds upon which freedom can be upheld. In much liberal political thought freedom is closely related to the notion of rights. However, as many political theorists employ a value-free or social-scientific understanding of such terms, they are quite prepared to accept that certain freedoms such as the freedom to murder should be constrained. In that sense, liberty or license distinction merely begs the question: which freedoms are we willing to approve, and which ones are we justified in curtailing? Alternative means of distinguishing between liberty and license was proposed by J.S. Mill. As libertarian who believed that individual freedom was the basis of moral self-development, Mill proposed that individuals should enjoy the greatest possible realm of liberty. However, Mill also recognized that unrestrained liberty could become oppressive, objectionable, morally corrupt and even tyrannical. In on Liberty (1859) 1972) Mill proposed a clear distinction between self-regarding actions and other-regarding actions, suggesting that each individual should exercise sovereign control over his or her own body or life. The only justification for constraining the individual, Mill argued, was in the event of ‘harm’ being done to others. Mill emphasizes that liberty becomes license not only when the rights of another are violated, or when harm is done to others, but when liberty is unequally shared out. In this sense equality is seen as standing block to the existence of license . Equality is a multi-dimensional concept. Diverse opinions are put forth in locating the exact relationship between these two concepts. Writers like De Tocqueville and Lord Acton hold the view that liberty and equality are opposed to each other as they are antagonistic. The desire to have equality destroys the possibility of having full liberty. Achievement of equality demands positive state action. Equality needs a positive state and liberty needs a Negative State. The Elite theory of Democracy is against the principle of equality. But on the other hand writers like Maitland, Rousseau, Barker, Laski and others, hold the view that they are complementary to each other, in the sense that they both play an important part in human life, fulfilling separate but complementary. Since the principles of liberty and equality are ideals capable of being mutually realizable, one answer to the continuing debate regarding each principles precedence would be the check of each principle on the excesses of the other. A just society might hold itself to the standard that, while difficult to reconcile, it is still most desirable to strive to strike a balance between upholding the belief in the inherent equality of all individuals, and the protecting the right to liberty for all its members. L. T. Hothouse opined that liberty without equality is a high-sounding phrase with squalid results. Liberty lies in equality. Liberty without equality degenerates into license and equality without liberty lapses into uniformity. To Prof. Barker Equality in all its forms, must always be subject and instrumental to the free development of capacity; but if it be pressed to the length of uniformity; if uniformity be made to thwart the free development of capacity, the subject becomes th e master, and the world is turned topsy-turvy. Liberty unites men but equality criticizes the social hierarchy and contributes towards the stability of the community ((1931) 1969) R.H. Tawney. Therefore liberty would be hollow without some measure of equality and equality would be meaningless without liberty. In this age of democracy where voting is a powerful weapon in the hands of the electorate economic equality is most essential condition because the economically powerful person will use his economic resources to gain political power. Political equality will be a mockery in the absence of economic equality. As per above argument it is hard to say that liberty and equality can be reconciled or not, in the sense that these terms are supported by different ideologies but which are reinforcing each other. So to say that they can be reconciled is forgetting that the terms are founded on different ideologies and on the same point to say that they cannot be reconciled is also forgetting that these terms are mutually reinforcing each other, hence making this question very contested one. Who determine that excessive use of liberties leads into license? What yard stick do they use to determine harm to others? And what is harm? It is good to know that what is harm to me cannot be harm to others and vice-versa. For instance, a society that is comprised of well-off and worse-off, come together and agree that they should be following the principle of â€Å"to each according to ability† can another man from a distance society come and say that the well-off in this particular society are harming the worse-off? This cannot be possible since what he calls it harm cannot be harm to others. In this case the worse-off choose to do what they can manage to, according to the level of their economic status, therefore, it is not harm to them, because they have decided to follow it based on their will and rationality. And again, who determine that excessive use of equality leads to uniformity? What is uniformity? What yard stick do they use to measure uniformity? In every time we talk of equality we must also note that there are some forms of inequality. What is equality to a particular society cannot be equality to the other, since society perceives things in different way all together. The issue of inequality will not come to an end since they were there before, they are here today and possibly they will be there tomorrow. What a just society would do is to come up with measures or initiative to overcome them. For instance legitimate inequality, affirmative action and positive discrimination where the society comprised of well-off and worse-off come to a consensus that they should accept the status of inequality and that they will be following a principle of â€Å"to each according to needy†, but the end result should be greater to the worse-off so that they should little by little cover the gap that is there between them. On the other hand this makes sure that talents, skills and ability are not hindered. Therefore, one cannot come and say, this is uniformity since what is uniformity to him cannot be uniformity to others. It is good to reflect on these questions and acknowledge that what is liberty or equality to the state cannot be liberty or equality to individuals or the collectives group and vice-versa. What was liberty or equality yesterday cannot be liberty or equality today. These things keeps on changing based on circumstances that people as a nation are going through. Therefore, liberty and equality are continuously changing depending on time and who uses them. Finally, based on argument above its very tricky and challenging to say that liberty and equality can be reconciled or not. However, beauty lies in the hands of the beholder; even though, there are no general examples that can be sighted to show that liberty and equality can be reconciled, but there is a room for reconciliation since they are complementary. Therefore, liberty and equality have a common end, the promotion of the value of the personality and the free development of its capacities. No one of these can be enjoyed in isolation. Bibliography Heywood, A. (2004). Introduction to Political Theory. In A. Heywood, Introduction to Political Theory (p. 252 and 284). china: Palgrave Mc Millan. J.C, J. (2004). Principle of modern politcal science. In J. Johari, Principle of modern politcal science (p. 200). New Dehli: Sterling. Hoffman J. and Graham P (2009) introduction to Political Theory. Professor Wizeman Chijere Chirwa, Dr. Fidelis Edge Kanyongolo and Dr. Edrinnie Kayambazithu. (2004). Building an informed Nation. In Building an informed Nation (p. 58). Lilongwe: Democracy Consolidation Programme.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Of Mice And Men - Symbolism :: essays research papers

The central element of this novella is its symbolism. This novella has plenty of symbolical forms, such as people, creed, and some of the animals. Candy has several terms of symbolism, for example his disability is a symbol of the migrant workers who are just literally forgotten about, they are forgotten when they are no use to the owners. Candy’s dog is a symbol of a life only for advantage to others Lennie also for shadows this, he is belittled of his mind but enormously commented for his strength. Also he is compelled to lie about the fight he had with Curley, this is a symbol of typical male society in the, â€Å"Depression era†. Crook has many symbolical items, his disability is a symbol of his loneliness. He constantly rubs his back with medicine to inoculate to himself, this is a symbol of the pain he intakes. He is extremely lonely. His book of California rights is a symbol of power and knowledge of his rights of freedom. The neatness of his stable is a symbol that he is trying to show that he has got the same things as white people. The farm is a very important symbol in the novella it is important because it is repeated throughout the novella it is reminding the reader of the comforting dream that Lennie and George have created. It is a symbol of brotherly love. The dream in some ways is like the whole â€Å"Depression era† it reminds the reader of freedom and homely pleasure. Curley and Curley’s wife both represent evil both oppress and abuse the migrant workers. Curley especially harasses Lennie because of Lennie’s strength and how enormous he is. This is a symbol of cat and mouse. The horses rattling chains are a symbol of the slavery and lack of freedom. This symbol occurs quite often. The mouse in the novella is soft, small, this is a symbol of innocence. This for shadows Lennie he is venerable. Lennie is a symbol himself in his action towards beguiling soft things. Like when he stroked that ladies dress and she cried out rape it was a symbol of the power a white woman had then. Another example of this is when crooks said to Curley’s wife to go or he would call the boss to Curley’s wife but all she did was black mailed him by saying, â€Å"Listen, Nigger, you know what I can do if you open your trap, I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t funny.

Monday, November 11, 2019

A Review on the Rich and the Rest of Us

THE RICH AND THE REST OF US: A POVERTY MANIFESTO By Cornel West and Tavis Smiley â€Å"Our intent with The rich and the rest of us is to make [people] think about the pervasiveness of poverty, its real causation, and the threat it poses to our democracy. We want to raise awareness about poverty and discuss how best to end it- in out lifetime. â€Å"(Excerpted from the introduction, page 10-11) When I started with this book, I had expected it to be a book on how depressing poverty is and maybe how to become rich. What I came across was none of that but a realistic approach with some new ideas of how to deal with poverty.The authors have explained everything in simple language that is discernable by everyone and no necessarily economists. It is based on the US economy and not poverty all over the world. It deals with the situation of poverty in the US. Recently with the Presidential election campaign, a lot was said about the difference between the middle class and the rich. Especial ly with the tax cuts issue where tax cuts are being wanted for the middle class and the wealthy shall not be given any cuts. Any household that is earning anything more than $1 million per year should not be paying lesser income tax than what a middle class family does.This book has historical backgrounds, personal stories and statistics to say to us that poverty is not just a big issue but also a national threat along with bringing shame upon USA. It seems that the citizens of America as a whole does not choose to solve this problem. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley are crying out for help to speedily address the growing poverty before it forever distorts the US democracy, values and economic future. The great recession has affected a large number of people who have been forced into poverty and also deepening the poverty that already exists.United States census declares that 50% of all Americans are now in the low income or close to low-income bracket. When the biggest economic institu tions fell due to the recession, they went to the Government for help, which was given to them. But, in turn, the majority of Americans suffered. There were no more jobs and place to live. One-third of the American middle class has fallen into poverty. This book is a fast read that encapsulates current issues with the historic past and obvious advocacy. This book shows how every president has handled the problem of poverty and the change of political and popular attitude towards the poor.They also talk about a â€Å"new poor† that has been added to the homeless, food insecurity and unemployment. They use Martin Luther King as a major example who immersed himself in the subject of poverty before his demise. Though, he saw it as an issue that only affected the African-American population. The new poverty is not like the poverty we associate with wrongdoing. This new poverty is the â€Å"working poor† who have jobs and sometimes more than one person in d family is earning . Just they are not being paid enough to sustain themselves and their families.They have no unions to protect their interests, no benefits like medical or retirement and long working hours. There is no surety of jobs and no guarantee so every worker is one salary away from poverty and also one lay off away. Basically Smiley and West has started a War for the poor. They are trying to give a voice to those less fortunate. For them, their ultimate goal is to try and give back the American dream, which has now been down sized and outsourced. They say that during the presidential elections on 2012 both the parties never said the word poor or poverty.Another important aspect of the book is the Occupy movement. It was what marked the state of their inequality in economics and an ongoing change in America’s policies and priorities. Tavis Smiley says in the book â€Å"We wanted people who are struggling in this current economy to know that they are not alone and not forgotten. † It tells us about a imperfect system where there is no economic equality. Even though America is changing into a nation of major minority, it does not have the market unity to ensure success. The poverty manifesto talks about twelve points about what steps to be taken to help the situation.First and foremost fair wages should be given to the people so that they are enough to live on. Then the Government needs to introduce more jobs; the prison and mass incarceration rates need to be looked at, tax codes, fair inflation rates. The most imperative of all is to release a call for a conference at the White House on the abolition of poverty and for that a sample letter must be sent to the President. This book says that USA is in a state of emergency, and that they should stand up and take some action. They need to work towards sustaining solutions and jobs with living wages.Unless they do that, they will not get the status of a great nation back. The efforts have to come from bottom up and will need brave leadership at the top most level to get back America in old form. Politics is run by money, and people with substantial amounts can actually affect the public policy. It is how the democracy of USA was designed and not much has changed since it was founded. The only major difference is that now corporations influence more than individuals now. The power of money is the same no matter whether you are a republican or a democrat.I find that the first part of the book is very good. It gives us a good look into poverty and backing it up by statistics and graphs. West and Smiley delve in deeper and examine the emotions comprised in poverty. I enjoyed the way it is written and how the authors provide us with two different voices. Personally I think that the book lacks where the solutions are concerned. No doubt hay have given some ideas on how to take on the problem but most seems repetitive and doesn’t seem like they are thorough. After reading the book I have a much better understanding of the poverty situation in America.I had heard the presidential debates and the speeches but never really understood the seriousness till I read this book. This book is highly recommended for all those to want to face problems by smart public policy, which would end up getting work for people and also providing the structure and services needed. A new economy can be created that will be supportable and progressive. One that will put the citizens on America back to work, just, the right leadership is needed. A Review by Ritika Malhotra 1153 words [Turnitin similarity: 5%]

Friday, November 8, 2019

Advanced French Verb Conjugation

Advanced French Verb Conjugation Conjugation refers to the five possible inflections of a verb: Person, Number, Mood, Tense, and Voice. Once youve made a choice from each of these five, you have a conjugation or inflection. For example:Verb - parlerPerson - first personNumber - singularMood - indicativeTense - presentVoice - active je parleVerb - allerPerson - third personNumber - pluralMood - subjunctiveTense - presentVoice - active quils aillentWhen conjugating a French verb, the first things to figure out are the tense and mood, which work hand-in-hand. All moods have at least two tenses (present and past) out of the possible 8 (only the indicative has all 8). The verb timeline lists moods horizontally and tenses vertically.The indicative is the most common mood and is normally not stated. When you talk about the passà © composà ©, the imperfect, or the present tense, for example, you mean of the indicative mood. Its only with other moods like subjunctive and conditional that the mood is stated explicitly.All m oods have a present tense, which is again not made explicit except in the indicative and participle (parentheses indicate what normally goes unsaid): present (indicative)(present) conditional(present) subjunctive(present) imperative(present) infinitivepresent participle So for example, the imperfect (indicative) and the imperfect subjunctive are two different moods of the same tense. On the other hand, the (present) conditional and the past conditional are two different tenses of the same mood. The verb timeline can help you understand this, because it lines up moods and tenses so that you can see how they all fit together. X axis Y axis verb form and basis of individual conjugations. Voil - now that you understand the basics of French verb conjugation, study the lessons on individual tenses and moods (linked from the verb timeline) to learn more, or visit my French grammar glossary. Tricky Subjects When you understand subject pronouns, tenses, moods, and how to conjugate  French verbs, youre in great shape. There are however some grammatical subjects which make conjugation a bit more difficult. Multiple Subjects When you have more than one subject, you have to figure out which  subject pronouns  would replace that group and then conjugate the verb accordingly. For example,  toi et moi  would be replaced by  nous, as would  David et moi.  Toi et lui  and  Michel et toi  would be replaced by  vous.  Lui et elle  or  Marc et Anne  would be replaced by  ils. The trick is to make this replacement in your head without actually saying it out loud, as denoted by the (parentheses):  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toi et moi (nous) pouvons le faire  Ã‚  Ã‚  You and I can do it  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul, Marie et moi (nous) mangeons  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul, Marie, and I are eating  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toi et elle (vous) à ªtes en retard  Ã‚  Ã‚  You and she are late  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sophie et toi (vous) devez partir  Ã‚  Ã‚  You and Sophie have to leave  Ã‚  Ã‚  Luc et sa femme (ils) sont arrivà ©s  Ã‚  Ã‚  Luc and his wife have arrived  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lui et elle (ils) lisent beaucoup  Ã‚  Ã‚  He and she read a lot Subject +Object Pronoun In a construction with an  object pronoun, usually  nous  or  vous, there is sometimes a tendency to conjugate the verb according to it, rather than to the  subject pronoun, because the object directly precedes the verb. Though this tends to be a careless mistake made orally rather than a lack of understanding, its included here just as a little reminder.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je vous ai donnà © la liste  Ã‚  Ã‚  I gave you the list  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Je vous avez donnà © la liste xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vous nous avez menti  Ã‚  Ã‚  You lied to us  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Vous nous avons menti xx Cest... qui The construction  cest  Ã‚  stressed pronoun  Ã‚  qui  makes many people - including at times native French speakers - want to use the third person singular verb conjugation because of  qui. But this is incorrect; in fact, the conjugation has to agree with the pronoun.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest moi qui ai gagnà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Its me that won  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Cest moi qui a gagnà © xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest vous qui avez tort  Ã‚  Ã‚  Youre the one whos wrong  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Cest vous qui a tort xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest nous qui allons le faire  Ã‚  Ã‚  Were the ones who are going to do it  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Cest nous qui va le faire xx Pronoun + Qui Similar to the  cest... qui  construction is a subject or  demonstrative pronoun  Ã‚  qui. Again, the  qui  makes people want to use the third person singular, but once again the conjugation has to agree with the pronoun.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vous qui avez mangà © pouvez partir  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those of you who have eaten may leave  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Vous qui a mangà © pouvez partir xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ceux qui veulent aider doivent me voir  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those who want to help need to see me  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Ceux qui veut aider doivent me voir xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je cherche celles qui à ©tudient  Ã‚  Ã‚  Im looking for the ones who are studying  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Je cherche celles qui à ©tudie xx Collective Subjects Collective subjects can take the third person singular or plural:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Un tas de fleurs sont mortes / Un tas de fleurs est mort  Ã‚  Ã‚  A bunch of flowers died  Ã‚  Ã‚  Un grand nombre de livres ont disparu / Un grand nombre de livres a disparu  Ã‚  Ã‚  A large number of books disappeared Adverbs of Quantity Adverbs of quantity  take the third person singular or plural, depending on the number of the noun that follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Beaucoup dà ©tudiants sont arrivà ©s  Ã‚  Ã‚  A lot of students have arrived  Ã‚  Ã‚  Peu de pluie est tombà ©e  Ã‚  Ã‚  Little rain fell  Ã‚  Ã‚  Combien de livres y a-t-il  ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  How many books are there?Also see ...dentre... below. Indefinite Pronouns Indefinite pronouns  always take a third person conjugation (either singular or plural, depending on the number of the pronoun).  Ã‚  Ã‚  La plupart a dà ©cidà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most have decided  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plusieurs sont perdus  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many are lost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tout le monde est l  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone is thereAlso see ...dentre... ...dentre... When an  adverb of quantity  or  indefinite pronoun  is followed by  entre  Ã‚  personal pronoun, many non-native French speakers (including myself) want to conjugate the verb according to the personal pronoun. But this is incorrect - in this construction, the verb has to be conjugated to agree with what comes before  entre, not what comes after.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Certains dentre vous ont oublià ©Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of you forgot  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Certains dentre vous avez oublià © xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beaucoup dentre nous sont en retard  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of us are late  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Beaucoup dentre nous sommes en retard xx  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chacun dentre vous peut le faire  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each one of you can do it  Ã‚  Ã‚  xx Chacun dentre vous pouvez le faire xx

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Learning to Fly How to Become a Flight Attendant

Learning to Fly How to Become a Flight Attendant ever since commercial flying became a travel option for the masses, the role of flight attendant has been one full of appeal and mystique. travel the world! smile brightly as you usher people through the aggravations and indignities of modern travel! it sounds great, right? even as air travel has become both more common and more complicated, the flight attendants still have an air of glamour about them. their job is to make sure we’re safe and happy as we sit in a steel sky bus for hours at a time, and they do it well. idealized dreams of travel and adventure are one thing, and a solid career path is another. if you’re not prone to airsickness, and don’t mind the idea of traveling almost constantly, this really can be a great line of work for you. now that we’ve thankfully moved beyond the days of barbie-esque flight attendants with short skirts and even shorter career spans due to â€Å"aging out,† the flight attendant world is bigger and more dive rse than ever before. let’s take a look at what it takes to become a flight attendant.the benefitsagain, the passport stamps are nice, but being a flight attendant comes with a pretty appealing set of pluses. according to the flight academy, most airlines offer their flight attendants:paid, on-the-job trainingmedical, dental, and life insurancea 401(k) retirement planlong-term disability coverageperformance-based bonusespaid vacation and holidaysdiscounts on other travel and hospitality servicesthe qualificationsalthough restrictions on age and weight have loosened over the years, there may be some limited physical requirements, born out of working in a small space and needing to be mobile for hours at a time on a moving aircraft. typically, flight attendants are physically:4’11†³- 6’4† tall (requirements vary according to airline requirements), with weight proportional.19 to 60  years old.without tattoos, facial piercings, or other obvious body mod ifications.able to wear contacts if they have vision issues.neat in appearance and well-groomed.able to stay on their feet for long periods of time.there are also usually minimum educational, experience, and language requirements. depending on a particular airline’s policies, flight attendants will likely need to be:a u.s. citizen or able to work legally in the u.s., if applying for a u.s.-based airline.free of a criminal background, particularly felonies.fluent in english.a high school graduate, ged recipient, or higher.well-versed in customer service.adept at problem solving on the fly (pun intended).although the image of a cookie cutter flight attendants are more a relic of the mad men era, each airline may have additional appearance standards for their customer-facing flight attendants.the decisionif you meet these initial criteria, your next step is to decide whether you want to move forward with becoming a flight attendant. questions you should consider:can you pass a c riminal background check and a drug test?can you work in tight spaces and stay mobile for extended periods of time?can you sell in-flight services and products on behalf of your airline?do you possess strong customer service skills? (meaning, are you likely to keep your cool when people are less-than civil in a contained space?)are you willing to learn and perform basic emergency medical and lifesaving skills as necessary (anti-choking maneuvers, cpr, etc.)?are you willing to relocate as necessary, travel frequently, and be away from home?are you willing to work unpredictable shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays?can you commit to a rigorous training program?if the answer to any of those questions is â€Å"no,† then perhaps it’s time to look at a different career path. but if you’re full of â€Å"yes†es all the way down the list, then the next step is looking at what it takes to become a flight attendant.the trainingairlines typically have in-h ouse training programs, but there are also independent educational programs (like this one) that coach you on the daily tasks and responsibilities of the job, as well as teaching necessary skills like cpr/first aid, crisis management, customer service, and more.all flight attendants need to be certified by the federal aviation administration (faa). this certification typically follows the intensive 3 – 6 week training course offered by the hiring airline. as they get closer to completing their training, flight attendants go on test flights before they can receive their faa certificate of demonstrated proficiency.the outlookaccording to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, the median salary for flight attendants is $44,860 per year, with about average growth over the next ten years.if you have people skills and a roaming spirit, becoming a flight attendant could be a fantastic career option for you. what do you think- are you ready to take to the skies for your next big career opportunity?looking to start a career as a flight attendant, or find a new job in the field? search for flight attendant jobs in your area of the country. happy flying!

Monday, November 4, 2019

SWOT Analysis of Business Plan for the Education Website Assignment

SWOT Analysis of Business Plan for the Education Website - Assignment Example This paper discusses about an Educational Website Business Plan as a business venture as available on the site: http://www.bplans.com/educational_website_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.php Details of the Business Plan under Consideration The Education Website Business is basically to educate people as to why they should use environmentally products that can sustain living on this earth. Due to rapid industrialization and growth of population, there has been a grave threat to our environment. Rapid climate changes such as floods, cyclones, or scanty rain falls throughout the world have threatened our living on this planet. A time has come to educate the people on this very sensitive matter and earn the living adopting eco friendly measures. The purpose of the website is to guide and educate people that with a little change in their living style and consumption habits they can make huge difference. The revenue comes in the form of commission received on selling products that can su stain life and do not harm our environment. As such, it does not require stocking or maintaining any inventory of products. Thus, plan is to keep expenses at the least and without involvement of any variable cost. A small Fixed expenses will be toward maintaining a website and very little will be spent on other small requirements. To make profit from the first year is not a sole aim; however, equally it has been kept in mind that business does not have negative cash flows. SWOT analysis will be crucial to understand the viability of this business plan. Strengths of the Plan This is a unique business plan and their lies its strength compared with any conventional business plan. The advantage is that it does not need huge financial resources for any machinery or equipment; neither any hard core marketing is required. This being a novel concept does not pose any threat in terms of real competition. The company has tied with several manufacturers who themselves, in turn, are staunch sup porters of eco friendly products. They produce and sell only those products which replace existing non biodegradable products such as plastics and bio fuels. Marketing means efforts required in popularizing the web site and that is done through link building and SEO techniques requiring minimal expense. Break even and financial ratio analysis indicates that business plan can take off without long gestation period. The business plan for an educative website like this is to provide the information to the people that are in search of environmentally friendly products. Ever since the awareness among people has increased, the market has also expanded many folds for such products. Currently, there are hundreds of businesses that exclusively manufacture such products. Since this is purely an education site, there is no need to create any distribution strategies; neither there is any need to keep any inventories on any of the product. People just visit the site, place their orders and make the payments. Orders are then diverted to the respective manufacturers deducting applicable discounts or commissions for delivery to the buyer. There is no need of any highly trained person for running this business and that is also strength of this business plan. Weaknesses The major weakness in the business plan is that it does not speak clearly how educative content will be developed in the beginning. In fact, it will require intense efforts either through search optimization techniques (SEO) or link building or through other techniques such as educative articles or schemes for environmental cause for making the buyers to visit this site. Great efforts will be needed to generate unique and educative

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Marketing Experiential Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Experiential Exercise - Essay Example Looking at some important insights on how a number of university students decide on their actual purchase of backpacks? As far as modern backpack’s fashion style, convenience and capacity are concerned, there are a lot of stories to tell. Here’s a quite interesting point of view from one of the respondents. â€Å"I prefer a backpack that will make me feel good, aside from the great consideration of its capacity†. There’s no doubt why this respondent rated the three given criteria with five points. â€Å"It feels good when you carry at your back, not just convenience and satisfaction, but a remarkable sense of touch of fashion in it, for fashion is the common trend today, starting from your hairstyle and down to anything else†, she added in a comment. On average, fashion and convenience came on top, followed by capacity as consideration of the respondents prior to the actual purchase of their backpacks. The other respondent stated, â€Å"I think if I am convenient with my backpack, it follows that at some point, it addressed the consideration of its capacity.† The said respondent added, â€Å"In as much as possible, I just want to carry something at my back at a considerable weight, but just enough to satisfy me by giving me a brief space that is required for my belongings.† The survey was conducted at one of the renowned university in town, where there are many university students who gladly have chosen backpacks for daily use in school. Systematic purposive random sampling was employed so as to randomly choose the respondents who are using backpacks, but without considerable bias because everybody in the target population has equal chance of being chosen. The data collection was made possible by employing personal and laddering interviews. Below is the actual analysis based on the respondents’ responses concerning the backpacks in terms of fashion style, convenience and