Thought paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thought paper - Assignment Example However, it seems like it would take a quick study to recognize the cues that indicate these issues. In most cases, I wouldn’t have caught the cues if it hadn’t been for the arrows pointing them out. However, not having the arrows to do so, I might have paid closer attention to the text. What I found most interesting about the article was that the final couple, who were discussing issues that would never be resolved, were the ones that had the best chances of celebrating a happy marriage. Their issues didn’t seem to be much different from the other couples featured – couple 1 fundamentally disagreed about him talking to her more when he wanted only to be left alone and couple 3 had essentially the same problem as she wanted him to talk to her more and he wanted to leave things private – but the outcomes were very different simply by the way they discussed them and the expectations each had. Couple 1 expected the other to change, couple 3 acknowledge d that they had different ways of seeing things and agree to continue trying to meet halfway. As far as the article relates to class readings, I can see a lot of ways in which the communication styles of the couple will affect the family. The naturalistic study vows not to interfere in the relationship and thus is able to determine which communication styles are effective in helping a marriage last. There are a number of ways that the family can be examined, but all of these would be affected by poor communication. For example, there seems to be a strong bias in which the women are constantly seeking attention and validation from the men and in which the men are constantly seeking escape or silence from the women. This could be the examination of the conflict theorists or the biosocial theorists. The issues brought up in chapter three regarding poverty and the

Treating The Aged With Respect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Treating The Aged With Respect - Essay Example The old adage is to enjoy life to the fullest, from the early years to the onset of the sunset years. This is equally applicable to anyone, whether rich or poor, as enjoyment of life can be quite simple. It does not take plenty of money to do so, although money certainly helps in so many ways if one can have it (and plenty of it if possible). There are advantages to growing old, such as experience and wisdom that supposedly goes with it; love and respect are the other things one can crave for. American society is characterized by a hectic lifestyle and working schedule; everybody is either at school trying to earn a degree or working hard to earn enough for comfortable living and also at the same time attain that iconic American dream, to reach the middle class. Another dream is to have squirreled away enough savings for an enjoyable retirement to afford some things. This paper deals on the question whether Americans treat their aged with enough respect and love. Discussion Contrary to anecdotal evidence, Americans greatly honor their old relatives although it can be admitted that most of these younger people are often quite busy pursuing their careers that precludes them expressing their love and respect for their senior loved ones in the more frequent ways that most people normally expect. But nevertheless, they express this through phone calls. They also send loving letters to them, and for those seniors who are Internet savvy, then they can also connect on the Internet through social networking sites such as Facebook. A point is that people mistakenly believe the seniors are largely forgotten in a fast-moving society such as America where everybody is in a hurry to get off to somewhere. From the viewpoint of the old and aged citizens of this country, they have the vantage point of having a lifetime of memories or a long list of experiences to comfort them in their old age. They may suffer from some infirmity but that does not preclude them from enjoying life as long as they are not bedridden yet and can still pursue some activities of normal living (Cowley x). Seniors can also surprisingly be creative and inventive when it comes to meeting some of their physical needs without asking for help. These can be illustrated by taking their time when walking (very slowly so as not to fall) or find a new way of doing things only t hey can think of. What is quite remarkable is often their positive outlook on life despite advancing in years and facing the inevitable (Janis 5). Most seniors tend to become deeply spiritual as they are in a stage in life prior to going into eternity. Today's senior citizens enjoy an active lifestyle unlike that of earlier generations of aged people who were confined to nursing homes and spend the rest of the day doing nothing or keep playing the same parlor games over and over throughout a day. The advent of modern medicine has made senior living worthwhile and older or retired people can go wherever they want to such as places as go on luxury cruise or enjoy a sunny beach environment in a tropical country. These people go whenever they want to go with no one curtailing their activities. A positive attitude is the next best thing to having good health; it keeps the years away. The saying is to live and love well enough to keep mind and muscles going for a long time (Stein 52). You nger people show their respect for older loved ones when they visit them in nursing or retirement homes to enjoy being together with their aging parents or relatives. Moreover, they also show respect

Finding Nemo Film Analysis

Finding Nemo Film Analysis  »Ã‚ ¿ Pixar Animation Studios made a large splash at the summer box office on May 30, 2003 with Finding Nemo. Directed by Andrew Stanton and Co-Director Lee Unkrich, Finding Nemo won an Oscar, thirty-four other awards, and thirty-five nominations; also, the film was ranked in the top ten American Film Institutes list of the ten greatest films in the genre Animation in June 2008. With all of the movies accomplishments, how could one not see this joyful movie? This film also stars Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, and Alexander Gould (Finding Nemo). Finding Nemo is a tale of an adventurous young clownfish, Nemo, who ends up in an aquarium. In search to find his son, Marlin finds Dory, and the two of them encounter adventures and reunite with Nemo. Finding Nemo is a remarkable movie due to the enlightening theme, meticulous and glorious animation, and a well-played cast. The theme of Finding Nemo forms through a father-son love story. Several components of the story help interpret the message of the film. One major element is the concern about Nemos short fin, a deformity that keeps Marlin worried. Stanton states: [Nemos disability is] a metaphor for anything you worry is insufficient or hasnt formed yet in your child (Corliss). Parents become worried about a handicap in their child and think that the disability is a corrupt view of the parent. This movie can teach parents that there is no perfect father or child, like Marlin and Nemo. On Marlins journey, Marlin is set on finding his son when divers take Nemo; on his journey he meets the unforgettable Crush who is the complete opposite of Marlin, relaxed with parenting. Corliss explains, When Marlin asks the sea turtle Crush how a father knows when his kids are ready to swim out on their own, the wise dude replies, Well, you never really know. But when they know, you know- yknow?'(Corliss). Parents c an relate to Crush and Nemos devoted dad that children need to grow up and discover the world. The message of the movie is important for parents; the message is about letting go and getting back. According to Corliss, Nemos fish-out-of-water plot was hatched back in 1992, when he visited Marine World in Vallejo, Calif. His feelings of protectiveness towards his own boy Ben inspired the father-son story (Corliss). By looking at the views of Stanton, readers may see how he and other parents feel about the letting go and getting back policy. Even though parents may find the policy hard to follow, watching this movie can help relieve the hard way of stress by understanding the lesson of the movie. O Sullivan elucidates, [Nemos]father is forced to enlist the aide of a beautiful stranger to decipher the only clue left at the crime scene, even while the pair narrowly averts such threats as a trio of predatory thugs foundering in a 12-step program (O Sullivan). Through all of Marlins comica l, action-packed, and nerve-racking encounters, he learns his lesson after gaining Nemo back, knowing when to hold means knowing when to let go. The spectacular animation is a huge hit in Finding Nemo. The almost impossible underwater animation requires many elements and hard work and Pixar has outdone it. The animation consists of glorious images that represent the ocean in varying degrees of darkness and light, stillness and turbulence, clarity and obscurity, and in ways that high light the myriad colors possessed by underwater life(McCarthy). McCarthy describes the underwater animation with such beauty that how could one resist to see the hard work paid off. In addition, the underwater detail is the product of meticulous effort. Ansen proclaims, High on the movies list of accomplishments is its creation of an undersea wonderland whose opalescent colors and shifting light reflect the enchanted aura of dreamy aquatic photography (Ansen). The movie successfully sustains a watery ambience, which is not an easy thing to do given that water is semitransparent. With an unexpected beauty, Finding Nemo is able to portray decent use of color and form. According to Ebert, Finding Nemo is one of those rare movies where I [want] to sit in the front row and let the images wash out to the edges of my field of vision (Ebert).This animation makes people feel like they are inside the movie. Also, for many people, they could have a second-viewing for the effects. A perfect cast comments the perfect movie. Dory needing an enthusiastic personality was matched with the perfect voice, Ellen DeGeneres. Ansen believes, Ellen DeGeneres, hilarious and poignant, gives a tour de force reading (Ansen). DeGeneres attracts a prodigious crowd to Finding Nemo. According to Holden, Ms. DeGeneres infuses what could have been a one-note role with an irresistible enthusiasm and playfulness (Holden). Without her reading, Dory would not have the same personality. Other characters are also very memorable. Michael O Sullivan observes, Pixars attention to minute details of characterization—lobsters speak with New England accents, seagulls are mindless, yapping clones [fixate] on their next meal—pay off big time (O Sullivan). These voices also bring in the full effect of the characters and movie, making the movie very comical. Finding Nemos fame is an outcome of an unforgettable theme, breathtaking animation, and a comical and perfect-fitting cast. The paradox of love theme can relate to all parents and future parents. Furthermore, the spectacular and detailed animation can warrant for a second viewing and make people feel in a state of reverie. Finally, the cast produces a stunning success. This film is outstanding connecting to each person in the audience. Finding Nemo is a success to Pixar films and one must not resist seeing it! Works Cited Ansen, David. Freeing Nemo: A Whale of a Tale. Newsweek. Newsweek, Inc., 2 June 2003. Web. 12 January 2010. Corliss, Richard. Hook, Line, and Thinker. Time. Time Inc., 19 May 2003. Web. 12 January 2010. Ebert, Roger. Finding Nemo. Rogerebert.com. Rogerebert.com, 30 May 2003. Web. 14 January 2010. Finding Nemo. Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, Inc. Web. 27 January 2010. Holden, Stephen. Film Review: Vast Sea, Tiny Fish. Big Crisis. The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 30 May 2003. Web. 13 January 2010. McCarthy, Todd. Finding Nemo. Variety. Reed Business Information, 26 May 2003. Web. 12 January 2010. O Sullivan, Michael. Finding Nemo: This Fish Story is a Keeper. The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company, 30 May 2003. Web. 13 January 2010.

United Nations Peacekeeping Essay example -- World Politics Peace UN E

United Nations Peacekeeping Figures Not Available â€Å"The United Nations is so radically defective that it is incapable of establishing world order; truth be told, not only has the UN failed [to achieve its peacekeeping objectives], but it was always bound †¦ to fail† (Simioni 12). At first sight, it would seem that this is part of just one of the many current debates about the effectiveness of the UN as the main arbitrator of the international community. In fact, it represents one of the view points expressed in August 1947, soon after the failure of the first and only round of negotiations concerning the establishment of a transnational army under direct UN command (DEA 33). Since then, the controversy about the role of the United Nations in maintaining global security has remained an ever-current issue, with prominent political personalities contesting the reliability, and even the underlying principles of such an organization. In spite of the never-diminishing criticism, the UN remains a key player on the global ar ena, the only truly representative spokesperson for an increasingly complex assembly of peace-seeking nations. Moreover, ever since its establishment in 1945, the United Nations has achieved notable successes in promoting world peace, by delivering efficient peacekeeping and peacemaking operations, by diversifying its conflict-prevention measures, and by maintaining an equidistant and impartial position towards combatant parties. These standards have been considered essential in assessing the effectiveness of the UN throughout its existence. The neutral stance towards world issues was highly valued by the founders of the organization. Subsequently, former Secretary-General U Thant stated, â€Å"the basis of the UN is the pledge by sovereign states to co-operate†¦ in [efficient] joint missions to alleviate conflicts worldwide†¦ in a responsible and [fair] manner† (qtd. in Schoenberg xi). In later years the trend to broaden peacekeeping initiatives represented Kofi An nan’s main strategy of further enhancing the organization’s ability to cope with new geopolitical developments. Therefore, in evaluating UN successes it is essential to consider both quantitative and qualitative evidence supporting the three above-mentioned criteria. From peacekeeping to peacemaking Over the years, the UN has moved from traditional, observer-based peacekeeping to more... ...ealing with relentless sovereign countries, the Security Council also coordinates the activity of the International War Crimes Tribunal, which can prosecute war criminals in spite of the immunity offered by their political position. Thus, the UN is able to actively deter heads of state and other important officials from instigating to grave human rights violations and other types of abuses against the civilian population (â€Å"War Crimes†). Therefore, the structure and the prerogatives of the Security Council give the United Nations not only its highly valued impartiality – an impartiality that is vital to the process of peacekeeping – but also the ability to minimize the costs for the innocent bystanders of armed conflicts. Overall, the United Nations represent a mechanism that is highly proficient in promoting world peace, by deploying efficient peacekeeping and peacemaking operations, by implementing diverse conflict-prevention measures, and by maintaining an impartial position towards combatant parties. In fact, the UN is currently the only international organization that has the mandate of virtually the entire international community to work towards global peace and security.

IT Applications and Groupware Essay

Groupware Technology uses software that collaborate the work of different groups. It is based on internal networks and centralized storage space. The purpose is to facilitate fast communication without physical contact. Groupware includes email, workflow, calendaring, instant messaging and conferencing. Implementation Strategies The three main strategies for effective implementation and use of groupware are as follows: Understanding the Organizational Requirements This is the most important part for implementation any technology or group in an organization. Different organizations require different groupware products as they have different requirements. (Hills) A groupware that is good for one organization might turn out to be a disaster for another. Therefore it is necessary to understand the requirements of the organization before implementing any new technology. This involves the study of underlying business processes and work flows, mapping them and then identifying gaps and areas which need improvement or need to be automated. The goals of the company, its organization structure and size are important factors in evaluating what is best for the company. Large companies with great number of employees require higher level of collaboration as compared to small companies and therefore need more complex technology. The communication structure within the organization is also an important factor. Some organizations follow a strict and formal stru cture of conversing while others rely on less formal way. Thus the communication style needs to be understood before implementing technology to automate it. Lastly the new technology must blend well with the existing systems. Most of the organization do not follow a sharing culture and people like to work independently and are reluctant to share information. Implementing Groupware technology in such an organization will not be effective as people would oppose any change that will be threat to their existing culture. The solution lies in first changing the organization culture and then implementing the new technology. The company should promote a collaborative culture that encourages people to work in teams and share their work and ideas. (Hills) Managing and Training People People are an important asset of any organization. If their needs and requirements are not satisfied then any change introduced in bound to fail.   Unless the technology is accepted by the users, any investment in that technology would be a complete failure. People usually oppose change because they like doing the things they have always been done. Therefore it is important to understand their concerns, problems and interactions before implementing the groupware technology. They need to be assured that the new technology is not to replace them but to make their work more efficient and fast. Employees most fear the loss of control and privacy as groupware makes everything available to everyone through a centralized system. These fears can be overcome by making people a part of implementation process and involving them as much as possible. Moreover people do not like to follow standard operating procedure and follow the more convenient methods. Thus the actual work practices need to be studied and incorporated in the groupware systems. (Hills) The success of any investment in technology depends on how readily it is accepted by the users. Therefore whenever a new technology is introduced the user must be trained to use it. They must be made to feel secure and assured that the technology is to improve their work. Organizations must hold training and interview sessions to cover all their needs and to involve them in the implementation process as much as possible. The purpose and benefits of the new groupware technology must be well communicated. 3. Using the Right Technology and Tools Once the organization and people requirements are well understood, the organization knows which technology is suitable for them. However other than the organizational structure and people, the technology infrastructure of the organization is also an important factor. There are four main factors to consider:  · Internal Network Structure The groupware technology is meant to provide a shared environment through collaboration and therefore require good understanding of the existing network technology. Network delays, User interface, audio/video quality, notifications and concurrency control are vital considerations since they all affect the user experience. (Brinck, 1998) If the existing Networks of the company are not up to the standard and face considerable delays and suffer from slow response time then implementing any new technology would do no good but will actually make things worse. Therefore organizations must upgrade their technology infrastructure including internal networks to utilize full benefit of the new technology.  · Collaborative tools One of the challenges in the collaborative environment is the tracking of shared documents. In a shared environment documents are used by multiple people and there exist multiple copies of the same document in different places. This makes hard to identify which the final version of the document. So Tracking and Version Control tools in groupware keep a record of all changes in a document and present the user with one final version. Features like Digital Signatures also help in tracking documents by storing information about who holds the document at what time and what changes were made. (Miller, 2005)  · Maintaining Privacy and Control Since collaborative systems allow sharing of information, thus Privacy and Security are the two major challenges faced by organizations implementing groupware. However some information is private and needs to be protected. The collaborative environment of groupware technology allows all information to be available to everyone at all time. This may lead to unauthorized access of information. One way to protect confidential information is to gives users control over what information they want to share. Also enforcing controls over what information a user can view saves private information to be seen by users who do not require it.   (Brinck , 1998)  · Consistency and Concurrency In groupware systems, one document is viewed by multiple users. Therefore it is important that consistency is maintained and all users view the same type of information. For example if one user has red color for a particular document and the other user has a blue color for the same document then this will create confusion. All users must be view the same data. To avoid this misunderstanding users must now what information is private and what information is shared. It is also important that users are provided customized view as all users don’t require everything. However customization requirements must not conflict with consistency. Every user must know how others are viewing the information. (Brinck, 1998) Concurrency is coordinating multiple tasks that are done at the same time. In a shared environment one document can be accessed by multiple users. This causes problems like one person accessing the document for all the time, unauthorized access and conflicting changes made by all users. To avoid such issues techniques like floor control, locking and merging is used. In this only one person can control over who accesses the document and for what time. The person who wants to access the document locks it so that other users can just view it without modifying. Similarly all users can edit the document during the time it is locked with them. In the end all the changes by different users are merged together so that the users have one final document at the end. (Brinck, 1998) Conclusion Technology infrastructure including the internal networks of the organization is important  issue that needs attention for any new technology implementation. However the social impact  cannot be ignored. It is highly required for successful implementation that the technology fulfills  the needs of users and is accepted by them.

Internal Sanctions

One of John Stewart Mill’s focuses in his book Utilitarianism, is that utilitarianism has all the sanctions of other moral systems. Events or excuses that people accept as permission to continue with a choice. These sanctions derive from a wide spectrum of different approvals, usually built upon moral preference. Mill is able to categorize every human license into exist internal and external sanctions, and believes that it is possible to change your moral selection.External sanctions exist outside of the individual, independent of his mind. They may take the form of peer pressure, the fear of disapproval, or the fear of god. Internal sanctions stem from one’s conscience. These consist of feelings like discomfort or joy when one realizes the consequences of a decision. These feelings can influence actions, especially if one’s moral nature is particularly sophisticated. Internal sanctions often prove to be more powerful than any external sanctions because they do r equire more emotional attention.Because these forces are often based on individual morals and duty, there is no reason that they can’t be changed to support utilitarian principles. Some philosophers suggest that individuals are more likely to follow moral principles if the see them as object fact, rather than subjective feelings. Mill observes that regardless of what a person believes the root of a moral principle to be, his ultimate motivation is always subjective feeling. Mill focuses on if the feeling of duty is â€Å"innate or implanted,† mostly because this area is so confusing.To try and understand how both of these sanctions would affect choice, it could be explained as follows: If a religious leader, government professional or respected philosopher was to suggest to society that all our current morals were wrong and it was the purpose of humans to promote suffering among men, would society be able to change? People must be capable of internalizing this extraneo us command, and convince their conscience that it is morally acceptable. But could a person force his mind to accept such a drastic and dramatic change?Mill would way that is most definitely possible, especially for this example. People could easily be educated and socialized and develop the internal sanctions to promote suffering, but they would be artificial feelings. Since these emotions are not particularly a part of human nature or experience, the society would end up reacting more on external sanctions, with internal reactions. Sanctions are something we constantly unconsciously use to make decisions. Whether it is outside or inside forces that compel us to make a decision, our morals are the mold.

Kublai Khan and the Mongols Invasions of Japan

Kublai Khan and the Mongols' Invasions of Japan The Mongol Invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 devastated Japanese resources and power in the region, nearly destroying the samurai culture and Empire of Japan entirely before a typhoon miraculously spared their last stronghold. Although Japan started the war between the two rival empires with hefty troops of honorable samurai, the sheer force and brute strength of their Mongol invaders pushed the noble warriors to their limits, making them question their very code of honor in facing these fierce combatants. The impact of nearly two decades of struggle between their rulers would echo on throughout Japanese history, even through the Second World War and the very culture of modern-day Japan. Precursor to Invasion In 1266, the Mongol ruler  Kublai Khan  paused in his campaign to subdue all of  China, and sent a message to the Emperor of Japan, whom he addressed as the ruler of a small country, and advised the Japanese sovereign to pay him tribute at once- or else. The Khans emissaries returned from Japan without an answer. Five times over the next six years, Kublai Khan sent his messengers; the Japanese  shogun  would not allow them even to land on Honshu, the main island.   In 1271, Kublai Khan defeated the Song Dynasty and declared himself the first emperor of Chinas Yuan Dynasty. A grandson of Genghis Khan, he ruled over much of China plus Mongolia and Korea; meanwhile, his uncles and cousins controlled an empire that stretched from Hungary in the west to the Pacific coast of Siberia in the east. The great khans of the Mongol Empire did not tolerate impudence from their neighbors, and Kublai was quick to demand a strike against  Japan  as early as 1272. However, his counselors advised him to bide his time until a proper armada of warships could be built- 300 to 600, vessels which would be commissioned from the shipyards of southern China and Korea, and an army of some 40,000 men. Against this mighty force, Japan could muster only about 10,000 fighting men from the ranks of the often-squabbling samurai clans. Japans warriors were seriously outmatched. The First Invasion, 1274 From the port of Masan in southern Korea, the Mongols and their subjects launched a step-wise attack on Japan in the autumn of 1274. Hundreds of large ships and an even larger number of small boats- estimated between 500 and 900 in number- set out into the Sea of Japan. First, the invaders seized the islands of Tsushima and Iki about halfway between the tip of the Korean peninsula and the main islands of Japan. Quickly overcoming desperate resistance from the islands approximately 300 Japanese residents, the Mongol troops slaughtered them all and sailed on to the east. On November 18, the Mongol armada reached Hakata Bay, near the present-day city of Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu. Much of our knowledge about the details of this invasion comes from a scroll which was commissioned by the samurai Takezaki Suenaga, who fought against the Mongols in both campaigns. Japan's Military Weaknesses Suenaga relates that the samurai army set out to fight according to their code of bushido; a warrior would step out, announce his name and lineage, and prepare for one-on-one combat with a foe. Unfortunately for the Japanese, the Mongols were not familiar with the code. When a lone samurai stepped forward to challenge them, the Mongols would simply attack him en masse, much like ants swarming a beetle. To make matters worse for the Japanese, the Yuan forces also used poison-tipped arrows, catapult-launched explosive shells, and a shorter bow that was accurate at twice the range of the samurais longbows. In addition, the Mongols fought in units, rather than each man for himself. Drumbeats relayed the orders guiding their precisely coordinated attacks. All of this was new to the samurai- often fatally so. Takezaki Suenaga and the three other warriors from his household were all unhorsed in the fighting, and each sustained serious wounds that day. A late charge by over 100 Japanese reinforcements was all that saved Suenaga and his men. The injured samurai drew back a few miles from the bay for the night, determined to renew their nearly hopeless defense in the morning. As night fell, a driving wind and heavy rain began to lash the coast. Close Call with Domination Unbeknownst to the Japanese defenders, the Chinese and Korean sailors on board Kublai Khans ships were busy persuading the Mongolian generals to let them weigh anchor and head further out to sea. They worried that the strong wind and high surf would drive their ships aground in Hakata Bay. The Mongols relented, and the great Armada sailed out into open waters- straight into the arms of an approaching typhoon. Two days later, a third of the Yuan ships lay on the bottom of the Pacific, and perhaps 13,000 of Kublai Khans soldiers and sailors had drowned. The battered survivors limped home, and Japan was spared the Great Khans dominion- for the time being.  While Kublai Khan sat at his capital in Dadu (modern-day Beijing) and brooded over his fleets misfortunes, the samurai waited for the  bakufu  in Kamakura to reward them for their valor, but that reward never came. Uneasy Peace: The Seven-year Interlude Traditionally, the bakufu gave a land grant to noble warriors at the end of battle so they could relax in times of peace. However, in the case of the invasion, there were no spoils to dole out- the invaders came from outside of  Japan,  and left no booty behind so the  bakufu  had no way to pay the thousands of samurai who had fought to fend off the Mongols. Takezaki Suenaga took the unusual step of traveling for two months to the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Kamakura shoguns  court to plead his case in person. Suenaga was rewarded with a prize horse and stewardship of a Kyushu island estate for his pains. Of the estimated 10,000  samurai warriors who fought, only 120 received any reward at all. This did not endear the Kamakura government to the vast majority of the samurai, to say the least. Even as Suenaga was making his case, Kublai Khan sent a six-man delegation to demand that the Japanese emperor  travel  to Dadu and kowtow to him. The Japanese responded by beheading the Chinese diplomats, a terrible infringement of the Mongol law against abusing emissaries. Then Japan prepared for a second attack. The leaders of Kyushu took a census of all available warriors and weaponry. In addition, Kyushus landowning class was given the task of building a defensive wall around Hakata Bay, five to fifteen feet high and 25 miles long. Construction took five years with each landholder responsible for a section of the wall proportional to the size of his estate. Meanwhile, Kublai Khan established a new government division called the Ministry for Conquering Japan. In 1980, the ministry devised plans for a two-pronged attack the following spring, to crush the recalcitrant Japanese once and for all. The Second Invasion, 1281 In the spring of 1281, the Japanese got word that a second Yuan invasion force was coming their way. The waiting samurai sharpened their swords and prayed to Hachiman, the Shinto god of war, but Kublai Khan was determined to smash Japan this time and he knew that his defeat seven years earlier had simply been bad luck, due more to the weather than to any extraordinary fighting prowess of the samurai. With more forewarning of this second attack, Japan was able to muster 40,000 samurai and other fighting men. They assembled behind the defensive wall at Hakata Bay, their eyes trained to the west. The Mongols sent two separate forces this time- an impressive force of 900 ships containing 40,000 Korean, Chinese, and Mongol troops set out from Masan, while an even larger force of 100,000 sailed from southern China in 3,500 ships. The Ministry for Conquering Japans plan called for an overwhelming coordinated attack from the combined imperial Yuan fleets. The Korean fleet reached Hakata Bay on June 23, 1281, but the ships from China were nowhere to be seen. The smaller division of the Yuan army was unable to breach the Japanese defensive wall, so a stationary battle evolved. Samurai weakened their opponents by rowing out to the Mongol ships in small boats under cover of darkness, setting fire to the ships and attacking their troops, and then rowing back to land. These night-time raids demoralized the Mongols conscripts, some of whom had only recently been conquered and had no love for the emperor. A stalemate between the evenly-matched foes lasted for 50 days, as the Korean fleet waited for the expected Chinese reinforcements. On August 12, the Mongols main fleet landed to the west of Hakata Bay. Now faced with a force more than three times as large as their own, the samurai were in serious danger of being overrun and slaughtered. With little hope of  survival- and little thought of reward if they triumphed- the Japanese samurai fought on with desperate bravery. Japan's Miracle They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case, its certainly true. Just when it appeared that the samurai would be exterminated and Japan crushed under the Mongol yoke, an incredible, miraculous event took place. On August 15, 1281, a second typhoon roared ashore at Kyushu. Of the khans 4,400 ships, only a few hundred rode out the towering waves and vicious winds. Nearly all of the invaders drowned in the storm, and those few thousand who made it to shore were hunted and killed without mercy by the samurai with very few returning to tell the tale at Dadu. The Japanese believed that their gods had sent the storms to preserve Japan from the Mongols. They called the two storms  kamikaze, or divine winds. Kublai Khan seemed to agree that Japan was protected by supernatural forces, thus abandoning the idea of conquering the island nation. The Aftermath For the Kamakura  bakufu, however, the outcome was disastrous. Once again the samurai demanded payment for the three months theyd spent warding off the Mongols. In addition, this time the priests who had prayed for divine protection added their own payment demands, citing the typhoons as evidence of the effectiveness of their prayers. The  bakufu  still had little to dispense, and what disposable riches they had  were given to the priests, who held more influence in the capital than the samurai. Suenaga did not even try to seek payment, instead commissioning the scroll where most modern understandings of this period come from as a record of his own accomplishments during both invasions. Dissatisfaction with the Kamakura  bakufu  festered among the ranks of the samurai over the following decades. When a strong emperor, Go-Daigo, rose in 1318 and challenged the authority of the  bakufu, the samurai refused to rally to the military leaders defense. After a complex civil war lasting 15 years, the Kamakura  bakufu  was defeated and the Ashikaga Shogunate assumed power over Japan. The Ashikaga family and all the other samurai passed down the story of the kamikaze, and Japans warriors drew strength and inspiration from the legend for centuries. As late as  World War II  from 1939 to 1945, Japanese imperial troops invoked the kamikaze in their battles against the Allied forces in the Pacific and its story still influences the natures culture to this day.

Chernobyl Disaster essays

Chernobyl Disaster essays The Chernobyl Disaster: Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts in Europe The nuclear power plant disaster in the town of Chernobyl in 1986 came to have major impact on the environment and the population of the European continent. Due to the lack of security and financial resources, the Chernobyl plant was considered unsafe before the accident; one was able to prevent the accident from happening, as the old Soviet regime would not let any nuclear specialists from the west into the country. As a result, current winds following the disaster brought radioactive particles to Scandinavia and northwestern Europe, which came to have much greater impact than if the winds would have been blowing in another direction. According to De Boer and Catsburg (1997), the Chernobyl accident was not the first incident at a nuclear plant. In 1979, the nuclear plant at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania had troubles, as well as the nuclear plant at Sellafield in Great Britain 1985. The accident in Chernobyl concerned peoples opinion about safety issues related to nuclear plants (Catsburg, De Boer 254). Much of the information about the Chernobyl disaster has been kept secret from people outside the former republic of Russia, but since the breakdown of the Soviet Union, a lot of information has become available to the west. Nuclear power is a fantastic energy source as it is efficient and leaves minimal chemical pollution, which can be minimized if it is done right. It is extremely effective and consistent, but what if something goes wrong? The oppositional forces to nuclear power received free advertising due to the disaster and the question about nuclear power was once again a subject for discussion. There are about 440 nuclear power reactors and 217 nuclear power plants around the world; so far two have collapsed. This might seem like a small percentage but if one looks at the consequences of the two; one will see devastat...

Alexander the Great, Greek Military Leader

Alexander the Great, Greek Military Leader Alexander the Great was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia and one of his wives, Olympias, a daughter of the non-Macedonian King Neoptolemus I of Epirus. At least, thats the conventional story. As a great hero, there are other more miraculous versions of the conception. Name:  Alexander III of MacedonDates:  c. 20 July 356 B.C. - 10 June 323.Place of Birth and Death:  Pella and BabylonDates of Rule:  336-323Parents:  Philip II of Macedonia and OlympiasOccupation:  Ruler and military leader Alexander was born around July 20, 356 B.C. Being non-Macedonian made Olympias status lower than the Macedonian woman Philip later married. As a result, there was much conflict between Alexanders parents. As a Youth Alexander was tutored by Leonidas (possibly his uncle) and the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. During his youth, Alexander showed great observational powers when he tamed the wild horse Bucephalus. In 326, when his beloved horse died, he renamed a city in India/Pakistan, on the banks of the Hydaspes (Jhelum) river, for Bucephalus. Our image of Alexander is youthful because that is how his official portraits depict  him. See Photos of Alexander the Great in Art. As Regent In 340 B.C., while his father Philip went off to fight rebels, Alexander was made regent in Macedonia. During his regency, the Maedi of northern Macedonia revolted. Alexander put down the revolt and renamed their city after himself.  In 336 after his father was assassinated, he became ruler of Macedonia. The Gordian Knot One legend about Alexander the Great is that when he was in Gordium, Turkey, in 333, he undid the Gordian Knot. This knot had been tied by the legendary, fabulously wealthy King Midas. The prophecy about the Gordian knot was that the person who untied it would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great is said to have undone the Gordian Knot not by unraveling it, but by slashing through it with a sword. Major Battles Battle of the Granicus - 334 B.C. (western Turkey) against Persian satraps with Greek mercenaries.Battle of Issus - 333 B.C. (Hatay province of Turkey) against King Darius of Persia.Battle of Gaugamela - 331 B.C. (northern Iraq) against King Darius of Persia.Battle of the Hydaspes (Jhelum) - 326 B.C. (northern Punjab, in modern Pakistan) against King Poros, who ruled a small kingdom, but had war elephants. Near the end of Alexanders expansion. (Although Alexander had intended to go further, and was soon thwarted by his own men, he thought he was near the edge of the earth.) Death In 323, Alexander the Great returned to Babylonia where he became ill suddenly and died. The cause of his death is unknown. It could have been disease or poison. It might have had to do with a wound inflicted in India. Alexanders successors were the Diadochi Wives Alexander the Greats wives were, first, Roxane (327), and then, Statiera/Barsine, and Parysatis. When, in 324, he married Stateira, daughter of Darius, and Parysatis, daughter of Artaxerxes III, he did not repudiate the Sogdian princess Roxane. The wedding ceremony took place in Susa and at the same time, Alexanders friend Hephaestion married Drypetis, Stateiras sister. Alexander provided dowries so that 80 of his companions could also marry noble Iranian women. Reference: Pierre Briants  Alexander the Great and His Empire. Children Herakles, son of Alexanders wife/mistress Barsine [Sources: Alexander the Great and His Empire, by Pierre Briant and Alexander the Great, by Philip Freeman]Alexander IV, son of Roxane Both children were killed before they reached adulthood. Source: www.pothos.org/alexander.asp?paraID71keyword_id12titleChildren Alexander the Great- Children Alexander the Great Quizzes Why Did Alexander Burn Persepolis QuizAlexander the Great Quiz I - The Early YearsAlexander the Great Quiz II - From Empire-Building to Death Other Articles on Alexander the Great What Color Was Alexanders Hair?Was Alexander the Great a Greek?

Hip-hop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hip-hop - Essay Example For a long time, hip-hop was only a black person’s way of expressing the life in the ghetto. The very start of the hip-hop culture was to make sure that the world, mainly in the American society, knew and understood that the American minorities were undergoing different hurdles. The important part was to make sure, that they could reach out, use music to express themselves and tell of their views about everything taking place in the society. Ideally, hip-hop started out as music before the culture took over and began looking at the way things are taking shape. The important thing is to realize that music became the ideal way of creating awareness of a culture coming up in the society today. Every locality has created a version of hip-hop that suits the community best. It inspired resilience, violence and civil rights. It was a way of expressing the disinterest in the way African Americans were being treated, with most of the musicians being unemployed and living off handouts. From the 1970s to date, the growth of hip-hop has become an international avenue for anyone willing to use it to spread positive messages across the world. The black communities made hip-hop evolve to other societies and communities. Their aim was to spread it everywhere and catalyze the growth of a new culture across the world. It was no longer a black person’s way of expression but now common amongst Latinos, whites, and other communities. It took different versions as people began associating it with violence, flashy things as well as sex and money. The origins were in poverty, but the new version of hip-hop had a way of making some of the revered things such as violence seems glorified. Hip-hop was not only a place to use lyrics as a way of expression, but also to use them to appeal to different things. For instance, some musicians will use hip-hop as a way of showing wealth. This

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Analysis - Case Study Example It provides financial benefits and rewards and fulfills the interest of its employees. It provides a unique training program and leads up to the expectation of the employees which is the most common and popular method of recruiting, retaining and empowering of the staff. The company has focused on exploration of new gas and oil reserves and also in the development of the main and important projects with the application of technology for adding value to the resource holders. The policy and procedures has been formulated for controlling the fluctuation in the price of natural gas and oil, minimizing the physical and environmental risk and for promoting legal, regulatory and financial developments. It has been striving hard to maintain its position of being considered as the largest integrated chemical and energy company and it is adopting the transformation program and development in technology for safeguarding the environment. Shell is involved in recruiting, training and rewarding its employees or the staff for developing the business capabilities which ensures that the business of the company has increased and developed the performance and the engagement level. The corporate culture that is adopted by the company has undergone remarkable changes in framing the culture of the organization. It has focused on the creation, research and development and utilization of the knowledge for building and developing corporate culture. The company mainly attempt to maintain leadership for innovation in case of the energy industry. The potentiality of the leader among the young workers is developed for maximizing the organizational culture. The strategy of corporate citizenship is mainly developed for understanding the positive and tangible influence in the United Kingdom and influencing the prosperity and economic growth of the company. And enhancing the efficiency and

Discuss the importance of process and materials in the work of your Essay

Discuss the importance of process and materials in the work of your artist or designer ( Rex Brandt ) - Essay Example Further, as a teacher, he inspired innumerable students to paint skillfully with watercolours. To Brandt (p.9), working with this oldest medium known to man was exciting because the transparent colours glowed like stained glass. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the watercolour artist Rex Brandt’s paintings, and determine the importance of process and materials in his works. The Importance of Process and Materials in the Work of Rex Brandt Brandt (a) (p.119) considered drawing to be the at the heart of watercolour painting. He advocated the importance of sketching as a primary step even in the case of landscapes, and the development of an individual style in executing a painting (Brandt (b) 16). Another requirement was an appropriate choice of materials for achieving best results, and he took into consideration the key role of paper for the medium of transparent pigment or watercolours. The artist appreciated the sparkling white paper adjacent with the transparent, colourful dark hues which forms a unique feature of watercolours. According to Brandt (p.81), â€Å"pure or transparent watercolour is universally appealing† because of its clarity and directness in portraying the image or scene. The artist used three basic watercolour techniques: the wash or control method, wet-into-wet, and dry brush and line. All the three methods may be used in the same painting (Brandt 145). It was considered essential to master the techniques of flat and gradated washes before progressing to the wet-into-wet, drybrush and line methods. Brandt focused equally on controlling the wash, handling colour through the different techniques as given above, correcting mistakes, and on matting and framing the completed art work. Further, the way thin watercolour on white paper reflects light has been compared by Brandt (p.11) to â€Å"the luster of a sea-shell, the translucence of a tide pool, and the luminosity of coloured glass against the sunâ € . After evaporation of the water and the gumbinder taking hold, each small nuance of the painting becomes fixed to the white surface of the paper. However, the main charm of using watercolours is its distinctive potential for gradation which contributes to the visual excitement created by the paintings. This effect is produced by arpeggios or flowing series of gradations in colour and value, as seen in Fig.1. below. Thus, watercolour is a special medium which readily accommodates an interchange of colours as well as gradation, which in turn can modulate its characteristic movement, liquidity and bounce. Fig.1. August at South Beach by Rex Brandt (California Watercolour (1), 2011) In watercolour paintings, accents with with the help of light watercolours are not completed as finishing touches, since light shades cannot cover dark watercolours. Working from light to dark is most effective in such paintings; similarly, it is advisable to work from very broad areas to smaller areas â€Å"since the progressively darker washes will overlay and obscure the lighter ones† (Brandt 98). The artist provided accents using the extremes of light and dark colours; while the grays acted as amalgams thereby giving a sense of unification to the entire picture. A vast number of Brandt’

International business Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International business - Movie Review Example The team shooting the documentary visited the largest U.S. landfill, known as Apex, based in Las Vegas, to show the viewers how landfills work. Then they travels to China, Beijing, and show the flip side or reverse of the story: looking into just a few of the hundreds of illegal dumpsites, which have emerged in the citys outskirts to deal with the rising waste produced by Chinas growing middle class (Hulu 1). The documentary leads to a report that is centered on advocating for recycling garbage, as well as the many opportunities it offers, whether it is plastic cans being remanufactured into textiles or waste foodstuff being repurposed into high-octane gas. According to the documentary, roughly 80% of what Americans discard into the waste system is recyclable. However, only 28% of these throwaways are recycled. This has lead to major destruction of the habitat as, for instance, waste is China is been thrown to major rivers that a used to supply water to the Chinese citizens (Hulu 1). Ways to solving these issues are easy and simply require individual effort. Each year, Americans throw plastic cups, paper, forks and spoons, which are enough to circle the equator a number of rounds. This is a lot of waste, which could simply be reduced by washing the dishes. Every American, on a yearly basis, uses approximately 1 billion shopping bags, leading to 300,000 tons of landfill waste (Hulu 1). A solution to this is through introducing reusable bags. Reusable bags will help curb this trend by reducing the 300,000 tons of wastage caused by these plastic bags. In the documentary, it was projected that 275 million tires were in unsold stocks (Hulu 1). This can cater as a breeding site for mosquitoes and a home for rodents as they keep heat. These piles also easily ignite, developing toxin-emitting, hard-to-put out fires, which can combust for months.

Rule Developing Experimentation and Its Use in Marketing Research Paper

Rule Developing Experimentation and Its Use in Marketing - Research Paper Example   It means with a very little effort a huge target can be achieved. There need be motivation and interest to adhere to it. RDE helps in yielding high dividends. RDE can be implemented for not only consumer good companies but also B2B companies. RDE is nothing new, but Alex Gofman and Howard R. Moskowitz, have exhibited the essence of it very nicely in their book. Importance is given to the development of items that are not yet well known in the market, but that will be highly acceptable. RDE is a solution-oriented learning experience. The customers help the manufacturer to design and create a new product, which has come to the market after it is produced through rigorous research and development programme. â€Å"It is systemized solution-oriented business process experimentation that designs, tests, modifies alternate ideas, packages, products or services in a disciplined way using the experimental design so that the developer and marketer discover what appeals to the customer, ev en if the customer articulate the need, much less the solution.†(Alex Gofman & Howard Moskowitz, 2007) At the outset, it was made use of for product optimization and then message optimization for advertising, promotions etc. Applications of RDE are there in any field that involves human choices and decisions, for example, social science, public policies, the stock market, crisis communication management etc. 1) Identify the free offer that accompanies the main product. For example, take the case of credit card. The offer may be with respect to Annual Percentage Rate (APR). In the case of others, there may be rewards, monetary benefits or discounts. The structure of RDE grants higher success than any other method. It is accepted that the seven steps are given above clearly make the consumer understand the problem and arrive at the proper solution.

CSI and the Post Modern Body Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CSI and the Post Modern Body - Assignment Example Therefore, it may not be fully dependable for the development of forensic science, as it seems more fictional. The CSI emphasizes more on the role of forensic science, including the relationships of DNA while undertaking investigations, while attaching less significance to the role of informers or even the detectives’ work (Harrington, 2007). The foundation of CSI is based on the fact that the identity given by the DNA tests undertaken is indisputable and accurately points to the suspect, regardless of the fact that the body could be mutilated. Most significant is the fact that it is impossible to accurately determine the actual gender of the victim, without the application of science. Therefore, the case of identity of the suspect becomes a puzzle to solve, up until the forensic science is applied, which identifies the suspect as a man, who has been living as a woman conducting surgeries and killing the victims (Harrington, 2007). The strength of the argument presented here is the fact that science is the undisputable basis of presenting an accurate identity of the individuals involved in crime. This is because; through forensic science, where the DNA of the suspects involved can be traced, then the real identity of those involved can be unquestionably noted (Harrington, 2007). Considering that through transsexual surgeries, the gender of an individual can be changed, then, it makes the investigations through detectives more complicated. This is because, while the investigation could point to the suspect of the crime from a certain gender, then tracing them would be difficult since they can change that. However, through forensic science, the real identity will always remain, as the DNA of an individual can never be changed (Harrington, 2007). Thus, the argument presents science as the basis of providing society with the unbiased truth of identity. The role of the detectives,

Rule Developing Experimentation and Its Use in Marketing Research Paper

Rule Developing Experimentation and Its Use in Marketing - Research Paper Example   It means with a very little effort a huge target can be achieved. There need be motivation and interest to adhere to it. RDE helps in yielding high dividends. RDE can be implemented for not only consumer good companies but also B2B companies. RDE is nothing new, but Alex Gofman and Howard R. Moskowitz, have exhibited the essence of it very nicely in their book. Importance is given to the development of items that are not yet well known in the market, but that will be highly acceptable. RDE is a solution-oriented learning experience. The customers help the manufacturer to design and create a new product, which has come to the market after it is produced through rigorous research and development programme. â€Å"It is systemized solution-oriented business process experimentation that designs, tests, modifies alternate ideas, packages, products or services in a disciplined way using the experimental design so that the developer and marketer discover what appeals to the customer, ev en if the customer articulate the need, much less the solution.†(Alex Gofman & Howard Moskowitz, 2007) At the outset, it was made use of for product optimization and then message optimization for advertising, promotions etc. Applications of RDE are there in any field that involves human choices and decisions, for example, social science, public policies, the stock market, crisis communication management etc. 1) Identify the free offer that accompanies the main product. For example, take the case of credit card. The offer may be with respect to Annual Percentage Rate (APR). In the case of others, there may be rewards, monetary benefits or discounts. The structure of RDE grants higher success than any other method. It is accepted that the seven steps are given above clearly make the consumer understand the problem and arrive at the proper solution.

Down these mean streets by Thomas Piri Essay Example for Free

Down these mean streets by Thomas Piri Essay Years after its original publication, Piri Thomas’s Down These Mean Streets remains as powerful, immediate, and shocking as it was when it first stunned readers. In this classic confessional autobiography, firmly in the tradition of Eldridge Cleaver’s Soul on Ice and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Piri Thomas describes the experience of growing up in the barrio of Spanish Harlem, a labyrinth of lawlessness, drugs, gangs, and crime. The teenaged Piri seeks a place for himself in barrio society by becoming a gang leader, and as he grows up his life spirals into a self-destructive cycle of drug addiction and violence, the same cycle that he sees all around him and hardly knows how to break. Piri is also troubled by a very personal problem: much darker than his brothers and sisters, he decides that he, unlike his siblings, is black, and that he must come to terms with life as a black American. Eventually arrested for shooting two men in an armed robbery, Piri spends six years in Sing and Comstock prisons. With insight and poetry he describes his time in prison, the dreams and emotions that prompted him finally to start life again as a writer, street poet, and performer, and how he became an activist with a passionate commitment to reaching and helping today’s youth. One of the most striking features of Down These Mean Streets is its language. â€Å"It is a linguistic event,† said The New York Times Book Review. â€Å"Gutter language, Spanish imagery and personal poetics†¦mingle into a kind of individual statement that has very much its own sound. † Piri Thomas’s brilliant way with words, his ability to make language come alive on the page, should prove attractive to young people and inspire them to look at writing and literature in fresh new ways. Thirty years ago Piri Thomas made literary history with this lacerating, lyrical memoir of his coming of age on the streets of Spanish Harlem. Here was the testament of a born outsider: a Puerto Rican in English-speaking America; a dark-skinned morenito in a family that refused to acknowledge its African blood. Here was an unsparing document of Thomass plunge into the deadly consolations of drugs, street fighting, and armed robberya descent that ended when the twenty-two-year-old Piri was sent to prison for shooting a cop. As he recounts the journey that took him from adolescence in El Barrio to a lock-up in Sing to the freedom that comes of self-acceptance, faith, and inner confidence, Piri Thomas gives us a book that is as exultant as it is harrowing and whose every page bears the irrepressible rhythm of its authors voice. Thirty years after its first appearance, this classic of manhood, marginalisation, survival, and transcendence is available in an anniversary edition with a new Introduction by the author. The questions, assignments, and discussion topics that follow are designed to guide your students as they approach the many issues raised in Down These Mean Streets. The questions of race and culture, of drugs, and of crime and punishment are all treated in the book, and should provide jumping-off points for many fruitful discussions. Another important element of the book is its vivid description of the youth culture of the barrio. Ask your students not only to pay special attention to that culture, but also to compare it with their own, and to look for similarities even when similarities might not be immediately evident. Piri Thomas gained the distance and objectivity to observe his world without prejudice or self-deception; your students should try to do the same. Finally, the students should be encouraged to look at the book not only as a cultural document, but also as a work of literature. Ask them to examine the language Thomas uses, his choice of words, the â€Å"flow† of the story. How does he create his informal tone, his sense of immediacy? This work might help change your students’ ideas about the â€Å"right† way to write, and inspire them to try to find their own individual voices. To what extent is Harlem’s communal code of pride, masculinity, and â€Å"rep† re-created in prison life? How does life inside prison resemble life outside? â€Å"The reasoning that my punishment was deserved was absent. As prison blocks off your body, so it suffocates your mind.† [pp. 255–56] Does this indicate to you an essential fault in the prison system? Do you think that the advice Piri gives Tico about how to deal with Rube is good? Is prison a purely negative experience for Piri, or are there good things about it? Which of the people he meets while in prison enrich and improve his life? Does Piri decide not to join the rioters, or is the decision essentially made for him by the hacks? Why does Chaplin/Muhammed believe that Christianity is the white man’s religion, Islam the black man’s? Do outside or societal factors play a role in Chaplin/ Muhammad’s choice of religions? As he leaves prison, Piri says, â€Å"I am not ever going to be the same. I’m changed all right. † [p. 306] In what ways has Piri changed, and what has changed him? Which of his ideas have been altered by his time in prison? Piri presents himself as a product of his race, culture, and community, but many of his traits are purely his own. How would you describe Piri’s personality? Poppa: What kind of a person is Poppa? What makes him proud, what makes him ashamed? Is he a good or bad father, a good or bad husband? Do you find him sympathetic? Trina: Piri sees Trina as nearly perfect. How would you describe her? Do you think that she behaves passively toward Piri, or does she demonstrate spirit of her own? What do you think of her response to Dulcien’s baby? Brew: How would you describe Brew’s character? What has given him his outlook on life, and how does it differ from Alayce’s? How does he perceive Piri? Why does he agree to go south with Piri? Chaplin/Muhammed: What has made Muhammed hate Christianity? What does Islam mean to him? Piri Thomas uses a number of pungent expressions, both in Spanish and English. How does the language he uses express his character and his world? Write a two-page essay describing one day in your life. Use your own style of talking, and try to be as colloquial as possible. What might your essay tell the reader about you, your friends, and your world? The youth culture in Spanish Harlem to which Piri and his friends belong has certain firm, if unwritten, rules. Would you say the same is true of your own school or neighborhood? What are the rules that govern the behavior of young people you know? What do you feel you have to do to be â€Å"cool,† to be accepted, to belong? Write a short essay describing the social rules your own friend’s follow. Piri is describing a specific period in time: the 1940s. Do you find that the life a family like the Thomas’s lived has changed much since that time? Make a list of the things that have changed for teenagers like Piri, and of the things that have stayed the same. Reference †¢ Down these mean streets by Thomas Piri

Sources Of Municipal Solid Waste In Delhi Environmental Sciences Essay

Sources Of Municipal Solid Waste In Delhi Environmental Sciences Essay India is the second most populated country a second fastest growing economy in the world. From the period of 2001-2026 the population of India is to increase from 1030 million to 1400 million, if we consider the increase rate to be 1.2 % annually then there will be an increase of 36% in 2026.accordingly about 285 million live in urban areas and about 742 million live in rural areas. (Census of India, 2001).In India urbanisation is becoming more because people are moving from villages to cities and there is a rapid increase in population in the metropolitan cities .Mumbai is the largest populated city followed by New Delhi and Kolkata. Generally, the greater the economic prosperity and the higher the percentage of urban population, the greater is the amount of solid waste produced (Hoornweg and Laura, 1999). In Hoornweg and Laura, 1999 1996 about 114,576 tonnes/day of municipal solid waste was generated by the urban population of India, by the end of 2026 it is predicted to increase to 440,460  tonnes/day This great increase in the amount of MSW generated is due to changing lifestyle and living standards urban population(Hoornweg and Laura, 1999). STUDY AREA Delhi is a very densely populated area and is the capital of India. Since Delhi is an urbanised city the annual growth rate is increasing very rapidly in the last decade the growth rate has increased by 3.85%. Delhi is the capital of India this tells us that it is the centre for commerce trade and power, since it is one of the largest cities and the capital it produces excellent job opportunities, which account for its rapid increase in its population and increased pace of urbanization. Due to the fast urbanisation and the growing population the production of municipal solid waste is also increasing very rapidly. According to a survey Delhi generates about 7000 tonnes/day of municipal solid waste and this municipal waste is to ride about 17000-25000 tonnes/day by the year 2026.due to the rapid increase in the population and municipal solid waste the disposal of the waste has become a great head ache for the municipality in Delhi. Out of the waste gathered only 70-80% of municipal sol id waste is collected while the remaining is dumped onto streets or open ditches. Out of the 70-805 collected only 9% of the collected municipal solid waste is treated by composting the remaining is sent to the land fill sites. New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) are three municipal entities responsible for MSW management in Delhi. (Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008). IDENTIFICATION OF SOURCES, TYPES AND COMPOSITION OF MUNCIPAL SOLID WASTE IN DELHI Sources and types of solid waste in Delhi: Residential:-the residence might be single family or multiple family dwellers the types of waste they produce are paper, food wastes , cardboard , leather, yard wastes, textiles, glass, special wastes, metals, plastics , ashes, wood and household hazardous wastes. Industrial: industries produce ashes, food wastes, packaging, special wastes, housekeeping wastes, construction and demolition materials and hazardous wastes. Commercial Institutional: they produce wood, metals, cardboard, glass, special wastes, Paper, food wastes, hazardous wastes. Municipal services: landscape and tree trimmings, Street sweepings, general wastes from beaches, parks, and other recreational areas, sludge. (Hoornweg, Daniel with Laura Thomas. 1999) Composition of waste: The population of Delhi is 13.9 million they produce 7000 tonnes/day of municipal solid waste at the rate of 0.500 kg/capital/day and accordingly the population as well as the MSW in increasing by 2026 the municipal solid waste generated will increase to 17,000-25,000 tonnes/day. Because of the increase in the MSW the municipal body will face a lot of problem after composting and incineration they would still have to deal with a lot of waste and this waste would generally go to landfill sites. The characterisation of the waste by its type, composition and source is important this will make monitoring and management of solid waste easy. Based on this we can use different types of processes to dispose the solid waste. The following information will tell about the generation of MSW from various sources is Delhi in the year 2004. Source wise generation of the MSW (tonnes/day) in Delhi Sources MSW(Tonnes/day) Residential waste 3010 Industrial waste 502 Hospital waste 107 Main shopping centres 1017 Construction waste 382 Vegetable and fruit markets 538 Source 🙠 MCD, 2004) The Tata Energy Research Institute conducted a study in 2002 in Delhi to determine the physical and chemical composition of municipal solid waste. This study in 2002 tells us that the composition of MSW is not changed that much from the past decade. According to the study the major part of the MSW consists of biodegradables fallowed by other wastes. Physical composition (as wt. %) of MSW Chemical composition (as wt. %) of MSW Parameters 2002 Biodegradable 38.6 Inert 34.7 Glass and Crockery 1.0 Paper 5.6 Non-biodegradable 13.9 Plastic 6.0 Parameters 2002 Moisture 43.8 Phosphorus as P2O5 0.3 Organic carbon 20.5 nitrogen 0.9 C/N ratio 24.1 Calorific value (kCal/kg) 713.0 Source 🙠 TERI, 2002) The composition of MSW of an urban population depends on various factors like place location, climate, commercial activities, population, cultural activities, economic status if the residence and urban structure .Before we do anything we need to know the composition of the MSW so we can determine the best suited operations and equipment for the facilities that dispose of the MSW. There was a survey conducted by Municipal Corporation of Delhi to evaluate the composition and properties of MSW. This study involved the different places in Delhi where MSW was produces. The following table tells the details of the study Composition (as wt. %) of MSW generating from various sources in Delhi Parameters Food waste Recyclables Inert Others Moisture Ash content C/N ratio Lower CV (kcal/kg) Higher CV (kcal/kg) Residential waste 1.low income group 58.4 15.7 22.8 3.1 54 21.8 39 754-2226 2238-4844 2. Middle income group 76.6 21.2 0.5 1.7 65 6.3 30 732-1939 3415-6307 3.High income group 71.9 23.1 0.3 4.7 59 10.9 31 1300-1887 4503-5359 4. JJ Clusters (Slums) 69.4 14.1 15.8 0.7 63 15.6 46 204-1548 1582-4912 Vegetable markets 97.2 2.3 0.5 76 3.3 16 0-1309 3083-4442 Institutional areas 59.7 33.8 4 2.5 50 6.7 35 129-3778 2642-5459 Streets 28.4 12 56.1 3.5 19 56.7 51 1007-2041 1188-3289 Commercial areas 15.6 68 16.4 18 8.8 158 1815-4593 3373-6185 Landfills 73.7 9.2 10.8 6.3 47 15.3 38 191-4495 2042-5315 Source :- (MCD, 2004) RELEVANT REGULATIONS FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA The major policies and legislative frameworks for the municipal solid waste management in Delhi are Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000: according to this policy there is a set process for the collection, sorting, storage, transportation and disposal of the MSW. The Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 and Amendment Rules, 2003:- bio-medical waste should be treated according to the standards of schedule v. The Delhi plastic bag (Manufacture, Sales and Usage) And Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 2000: according to this plastic bags should be recycled and non-degradable plastic bags should not be dumped in public drains. Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 and Amendment Rules, 2000 and 2003:-there are limitations for the import and export of hazardous wastes and there should be proper handling and management of hazardous waste. (Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2000) MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGENENT IN DELHI Primary collection and storage of MSW in Delhi According to the Delhi municipal corporation act 1957 the owners, tenants or the person who is occupying the residence, commercial or industrial area is responsible for the disposal of the MSW at a particular area provided by the municipal corporation. But this rule was changed in 2000 which stated that the collection of MSW would be from house to house because of this rule the municipality cooperation faced a lot of problem due to the rise in population as well as residential houses so doth the systems are being applied to collect MSW. The municipal cooperation of Delhi is getting awareness programs to help the citizens understand the need of segregating the municipal solid waste by placing two separate bins one for recycling materials and the other non-recycling materials. By doing this the municipality is reducing the work load and they can dispose of the material in an easy way without any fuss. The municipal authority has a schedule for the collection of the waste example a part icular area will have a particular day for the collection of MSW. The Delhi municipal authority provides a primary storage facilities like dustbins, metal containers that have different capacities ranging from 1m3 ,4m3,10m3 to 12-15 tonnes these containers are placed in locations that are easily accusable to people. The size of the containers that are place at a primary storage location depends on the amount of MSW being produced by the area and the population of the area. These metal containers and bins are emptied with the help of modern hydraulic collection trucks. In Delhi on an average there are 3-4 collection sites. The MCD has employed about 50,000 people for primary storage collection, 2600 for secondary storage collection and about 370 people foe sweeping the streets. (Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2000) Transportation The MCD has many vehicles for the collection of primary and secondary storage waste. The MSD in its fleet contains refuse removal trucks, tractors and loaders they have about 100 vehicles to do the job. What these vehicles do is they collect the waste and take them to the landfill sites. Recycling and re-use Recycling and re-use of MSW is done in a widespread manner where waste pickers are employed as well as there are self employed waste pickers who collect the waste and sell them. How the system works is that these waste pickers and waste collectors gather waste from the residential areas, commercial areas, streets and landfill sites and they sell them to the dealers these dealers range from small, medium and large dealers. After the dealers purchase the materials they are sent to the recycling plant that is established by the government. The following table tells us at what rate the materials are sold (Ankit agarwal, Ashish Singhmar, 2004) Prices of recyclable materials at different recycling levels Recyclable material Recyclable material Price at small recyclable dealer (Rs.) Price at medium recyclable dealer (Rs.) Price at large recyclable dealer (Rs.) Value added in the Process (%) Plastic PET bottles 1.75 2.25-2.50 3.75-4 121 Milk packets 5.5-6.5 6-7 8-8.50 37.5 Hard plastic like shampoo bottles, caps 7-7.25 9 10-10.5 41 Plastic thread, fibres, ropes, chair cane 6-7 8-8.50 10 67 Plastic cups and glasses 7-8 10-12 13-14 80 Paper White paper 3-3.25 3.75-4 5-6 76 Mix shredded paper 2-2.25 2.25-2.50 3-3.25 47 Cartons and brown packing Papers 2.25 2.50 3 33 Fresh newspaper 3-3.50 3.25-3.75 4.50-4.75 42 Tetra pack 1.75-2 2-2.25 2.75-3 53 Glass Broken glass 0.50 0.90-1 90 Bottles 2 2.25-2.50 19 Aluminium Beer and cold drink cans 40-45 43-48 75-85 88 Deodorant, scent cans 42-45 55-60 90-95 113 Aluminium foil 20-22 25-27 30-32 48 Other metals Steel utensils 20-22 25-27 30 43 Copper wire 70-75 80-85 95-100 35 Source 🙠 Ankit agarwal, Ashish Singhmar, 2004) Composting: Coming to composting only 9% of the total MSW is composted the remaining 91% is sent to landfill sites. There are three places set up by the Delhi municipal authority for composting MSW where as two plants are set up at Okhala and the other one is set up at Bhalswa .These plant has a treatment capacity of 150 tonnes/day but they are not utilised to the fullest because of the cost. The treatment capacity of the plant at Bhalswa is 500 tonnes/day. (Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008) Incineration: The municipal cooperation of Delhi also tried incarnation they built an incineration plant with the help of a foreign company. But this was shut down immediately because the MSW did not have enough calorific value the minimum calorific value is between 1200-1400 kcal/kg. (Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008). Final disposal of MSW: Of the total amount of MSW collected 91% is sent to landfill. These landfill sites are located at the outskirts of the city. The land fill sites are the nearest available low line area or waste lands. The transfer of the MSW to these sites is by the vehicles that the Delhi municipality has. These landfill sites are chosen based only on availability and not on any other reason. These landfill sites are poorly maintained which arises a problem of health and safety as well as environmental concerns. There is another big issue because of the poor maintenance of the landfill sites there is a lot of leachate that is being produced mostly in the rainy season due to which the ground water as well as the river next to the landfill sites is getting contaminated. At these landfill sites with the help of bulldozers the MSW is levelled and compressed. The MSW is compressed to a layer of 2-5m and a covering is provided. At the binging there were 20 landfill sites that were created by the Delhi mun icipality out of which 15 are exhausted already. At present there are 3 landfill sites that are being operated one is at Gazipur it was started in 1984 , the other landfill site is located at Bhalswa it was started in 1993 ,the last operating land fill site is located in Okhala it was started in 1994. (Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008). HEALTH AND SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS Health and safety and environmental risks are a major concern in the MSW management in Delhi. The workers as well as the waste pickers are not provided with proper health and safety equipment like boots and gloves. The working conditions are unhygienic .the chance of transfer of infection is high and because of this if a worker gets sick he loses his wages. The workers are also not provided with medical insurance. The environmental risk is also high because the landfill sites are not maintained properly and the leachate gets leaked into the underground water as well as the river Yamuna .these issues should be looked into very carefully. IMPROVEMENTE We can improve these poor conditions by privatisation. We can let the private sectors help in the disposal of MSW. The Delhi municipal authorities can open the incineration plant and dispose the waste. They can also involve the local communities as well as the NGOs to help in the disposal of waste. The municipal authorities should identify a proper treatment technology. The authorities should increase standards of reuse and recycling of waste mainly composting. CONCLUSION With the rapid increase in population and fast urbanisation of Delhi the current policies and regulations want be sufficient for controlling the rapid increase in the MSW. Due to this the health and safety as well as the environmental risks are increasing .The municipal authorities of Delhi cannot keep up with the MSW that is being produced now but according to a prediction the MSW by 2026 is going to increase 4 folds if this happens the municipal authorities will be facing a lot of problem. Even the Delhi government has realised this and they are making changes in the form of master plans. The government is also approaching the public and private sectors for help like the citizens and the NGOs. First of all people should be educated on proper disposal of MSW. The government should see to that the master plans are being properly followed at all levels. Only by doing this the Delhi municipal authorities can keep the MSW in control. Referencing Ankit agarwal, Ashish Singhmar, 2004. Municipal solid waste recycling and associated markets in Delhi, India. Resources, Conservation and Recycling Census of India,.2001 . Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (GoI). [Online].available http://www.censusindia.net Hoornweg, Daniel with Laura Thomas. 1999. Working Paper Series Nr. 1. Urban Development Sector Unit. East Asia and Pacific Region. Page 5. [Online] http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/urbanenvironment/sectors/solid-waste-sources.html. Hoornweg, D., Laura, T., 1999. What a waste: solid management in Asia. Working Paper Series No. 1. Urban Development Sector Unit, East Asia and Pacific Region, the World Bank, Washington, DC MCD, 2004. Feasibility study and master plan report for optimal solid waste treatment and disposal for the entire state of Delhi based on public and private partnership solution, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi, India. Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2000.the gazette of India. [Online]. Available http://envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/mswmhr.html TERI, 2002.Performance Measurements of Pilot Cities, Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi, India. Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008. State of municipal solid waste management in Delhi, the capital of India, Waste Management Volume 28, Issue 7, 2008, Pages 1276-1287

Modern Marvels :: Technology

As vainglorious as it may seem, there are actually a few people out there who think they are the picture of perfection. I definitely excluded myself from that group when I was born, on October 29, 1991, with 3284932273 flaws. Although the list of my short-comings is extremely extensive there is one that is leading to my inevitable downfall, my dependency of technology is extremely high! If my memory serves me correct, when I was younger I had an excellent memory. I was able to recall almost any information within the blink of an eye. Whether it was a telephone number or an address I knew it. It took one piece of technology to change this virtue, that device was a cell phone. When I was 12 years old, I obtained my first cell phone for my birthday. Prior to that day there wasn?t a thing in the world I thought I needed more. I stored phone numbers and other important information that at one point in time I remembered unmistakably. Now it?s as if I suffer from a mild case of amnesia. If I can barely keep in mind school deadlines, how can I retain a phone number from the lost portion of my brain? When I have my ?senior moments? and I can?t remember a thing, I am in total distress. I suffer mentally and physically, my headaches are unbearable at times. My computer has made just as much of a contribution to my demise as my cell phone, over the years it as accomplished myriad milestones. The internet is better than it has ever been, information can be quickly retrieved, and entertainment is around nearly every corner. Although the computer conveniences millions of people it hurts them just as much. I don?t know a person in the world (familiar with technology) who doesn?t like technological advancements, but it encourages laziness. There are a lot of people in the world who sit around and use the computer for every aspect of life. They basically live their life through a computer screen, they schedule, pay bills, organize financial information, shop, and a slew of other activities. Not looking on the brighter side of things, this lifestyle can lead to ghastly consequences such as obesity and many other health problems. Many people take for granted the technology that we abuse and habitually overuse in our daily lives.

Malaria Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedical Disease

Abstract: Malaria, which has killed more people than those killed by all the war and all the plagues combined, is caused by a small protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium that resides within cells in the bloodstream to mature and avoid detection. There are four main species of Plasmodium that cause malaria. These species of the parasite infect humans and female anopheline mosquitoes at different stages in their life cycle. When an infected female anopheline mosquito feeds upon the blood of the vertebrate, the parasite is transferred through the saliva, into the body of the vertebrate host. Once in the bloodstream the parasite makes its way to the liver and then infects the cells in the liver and in the bloodstream. Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Plasmodium. It infects approximately 300 million people a year and is responsible for 1 – 1.5 million deaths each year. Though cases of this disease rarely occur in the US, they are still prevalent in developing areas of the world such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. There are 156 species of Plasmodium that are known to infect vertebrates. From that group, there are 4 main species that cause various forms of this deadly, yet preventable and curable disease in humans: Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium ovale; and Plasmodium malaria, which can also cause malaria in certain species of apes that are closely related to humans. The main differences between the species of Plasmodium are the appearance (shape and size), the developmental stages of the parasite, the manner is which they infect their host, and the appearance of the blood cells that they infect. Despite the difference between these species, they still target the sa... ...cells in the liver and bloodstream. Using the protection of the cell and making proteins that cause the cells to stick the walls of the blood vessels to avoid being destroyed by the spleen, the parasite is able to stay one step ahead of the immune system of the host. In the blood stream the parasite uses the glucose need for cell process, lysis infected and uninfected blood cells, and release toxins to the blood streams that can lead to serious complications. 4 Bibliography: Mali, Sonja. "Traveler's Health: Yellow Book." Malaria. CDC. 26 Jul 2006 . "Microbiology @ Leicester." Malaria. November 11, 2005. Leicester. 26 Jul 2006 . "Malaria." Malaria. 29 July 2006. Wikipedia. 26 Jul 2006 .

Harpo Productions Inc

HARPO Productions Inc. is a privately held company and it was founded by Oprah Winfrey and her lawyer Jeff Jacobs in 1986; a production company that used her first name spelled backwards. In 1988, the company took full charge of Winfrey’s show. It also includes HARPO Films and HARPO Radio, Inc. The facilities are on the city’s Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago and with additional offices in Los Angeles. In 1990s, â€Å"This Company had annual revenues of about $150 million with the number employees working for this company† (Encyclopedia of Chicago). The HARPO Productions, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of HARPO Entertainment Group. The organization has grown to include over 220 people, of whom 68 percent are women and has a modest turnover of 10 to 15 percent. In 2002, The Oprah Winfrey Show impressed the industry with an average of 7. 2 million viewers per episode, beating the second-ranked show by 35 percent. (â€Å"Oprah. com†) The HARPO Productions Inc. is the â€Å"umbrella company† for the entertainment and media entrepreneur, talk show, host, actress, and producer Oprah. Winfrey used her popularity on television to expand into movie production and publishing, making her the most successful African American business owner in the United States and one of the wealthiest entertainers in the world. † (â€Å"Reference for Business†) The HARPO Productions Inc. is one of the most successful corporation in the entertainment history. HARPO Productions Inc. has an internship program to help students and you ng professionals offering a platform in the business world. This will provide the possibility for them to be hired in a future and become successful intern’s students who demonstrate dedication and good learning skills. Oprah is the most interested and committed to concentrate on important topics in order to help others to succeed in life, for example – alcoholism or building family relationships. Throughout the years she has learned how many people suffer with these two big issues, and therefore; she dedicated many of her shows specifically to this topic. Moreover; it helped a lot to increase the power of her show and her popularity in many different ways. The main goal is to help people to feel better in their own lives. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Oprah Winfrey started her career in 1973 as a broadcasting reporter on a radio station in Nashville, Tennessee. Later, in January 1984, she began to host WLS-TV' program – a morning talk show in Chicago, which in September 1985 became â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show†. According to Business Network BNET â€Å"on September 8, 1986. ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show' was televised nationwide. Less than a year later, the program was ranked the top syndicated talk show in the United States†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. In June 1987 the show received three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Host, Outstanding Talk/Service Program, and Outstanding Direction. † The â€Å"Oprah Winfrey Show† stayed number one day time talk show for 12 years strait and winning twenty five Emmys plus seven that went to Oprah herself. Despite Oprah's difficult childhood, in 1988 she became â€Å"the first woman in the history to own and produce her own talk show†. (www. fundinguniverse. om) Today, Oprah is an owner and the chair of HARPO Productions Inc; along with HARPO Stu ¬dios, HARPO Films, HARPO Print LLC; and HARPO Video, with a total net worth of over $1 billion. Oprah is the Chairman and Chief Executive officer but Erik Logan and Sheri Salata have been named Co-Presidents of HARPO Productions Inc. Both are to continue being presidents with remaining base at HARPO Productions headqua rters in Chicago. Tim Bennett was the active president until May of this year and Douglas J. Pattison is the Chief Financial Officer. According to the article â€Å"Bloomberg Businessweek† the â€Å"Salata and Logan will lead HARPO Productions efforts as the company develops new programming beyond for â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show† for the syndication, prime, cable, radio, digital, and emerging platforms. † The idea is for Salata to continue in her role as the executive producer until the end of â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show† 25th season that is going to be next year in 2011. Oprah Winfrey announced an agreement with the Discovery Health Network in which she will over the net work, renaming it OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). With a network under her name, she hopes to inspire viewers to greater actions. Oprah is a leader through her show and on-air book club because she motivates the viewers to change their habits. †I said from the beginning that this was an opportunity to step out of the box and make the kinds of shows that make my heart sing,† She noted. â€Å" It’s about unleashing the power of human potential; that’s what it’s all about† (Oprah. com). As the years progressed, Oprah quickly realized that she needed to drastically change the direction which her show was heading. She used renewal strategy to differentiate her show from other day time talk shows. She moved away from thrilling and controversial stuff and started using more positive topics. She began to focus on promoting constant inspiration and personal and professional growth. The main targets are women ages18 and up but Oprah is not shying away from male's listeners either. Several of her shows were done specifically for men or were focusing on men's issues. Her show began to feature poetry, music, literature, as well as human issues, which helped to create much stronger relationship with her audience. To expand her audience, Oprah added to her repertoire Oxygen Media a cable channel, O – The Oprah Magazine, and the Oprah's Book Club on-air reading club. All of these medias have the same core value – they all promote personal growth and share the life-enriching mission and message of the founder and guiding force of HARPO Productions Inc. – Oprah Winfrey. The fundamental believe of HARPO Productions Inc. is that media can make a positive difference and that individuals can change the world for better place. This includes the definition of social responsibility â€Å"to do the right things and act in ways that are good for society†. (textbook, pg 93) Some of the examples of making the world a better place are topics related to spirit, health, relationships, books, money, world, and community. For instant: Oprah is reaching out to her audience with plea to help children of abuse. She â€Å"initiated The National Child Protection Act†(www. fundinguniverse. com) in 1993, the Oprah Bill, which established a â€Å"national database of all convicted child abusers. † (www. fundinguniverse. om) Several of her shows were done on catching predators, child molesters, convicted child sexual offenders, and interviews with detectives and police officers dealing with this particular issue were Oprah asked her audience to help to catch these fugitives. The viewers respond was enormous because her listeners are mainly women and moms and for them the number one priority is the safety of their children. Another example would be the creation of â€Å"Oprah's Angel Network† where Oprah is encouraging her audience to do charitable work (volunteer for Habitat for Humanity) and make â€Å"charitable financial contributions†(www. fundinguniverse. om) for example to provide scholarships for college students. Oprah understands that not everybody have means to help financially and therefore according to Look to The Stars, The World of Celebrity Giving â€Å"Oprah gave 300 members of her audience $1000 each to donate to a charity of their choice. † Also, she encourages her viewers to help out in their own communities by donating time and skills. There is no surprise why in 2004, Oprah Winfrey show became the top-rated day time talk show for 17 years with 48 million viewers, or why she was awarded with â€Å"Favorite Talk Show Host† at the 30th Annual People's Choice Awards that year. The HARPO Productions Inc. Strategic Management Process of identifying companies mission, goal and strategy was extremely successful. According to â€Å"HARPO Creative Works† the â€Å"mission statement for Oprah Winfrey Show is to use television to transform people's lives; to uplift, entertain and enlighten; to make viewers see themselves differently; and to bring a sense of fulfillment into every home. † If Oprah didn't change the curse her show was heading, she would be probably stuck somewhere in between all the other similar day time talk shows as Maury Povich show or Martha Stewart show. This is exactly why HARPO Productions Inc. has been so triumphant. HARPO Productions Inc. competitive strategy is to be significantly different. Oprah successfully managed to differentiated her talk show from all the other shows that use scandalous, shallow, and sensational topics. She became an icon and yet stayed approachable at the same time. According to â€Å"Syndication’s Stars: Trustworthy And Influential† the â€Å"Influential Personality Index† illustrates how far ahead from other competitors Oprah's personality ranked. Influential Personality Index Oprah Winfrey 554 Dr. Phil McGraw 306 Tyra Banks 236 Judge Cristina Perez 235 Ellen DeGeneres 223 Judge Lynn Toler 215 Judge Joe Brown 208 Judge Judy Sheindlin 195 Rachael Ray 187 Regis Philbin 186 The undeniable bond between her and her audience based on trust, honesty, and truth ensures loyal viewers. Moreover; the fact that Oprah shares her personal life, her personal struggles and AHA moments with her audience makes her even more human and real, therefore; her audience can relate, which creates even stronger connection in between the two. There are not that many talk show hosts that reveal the true ups and downs of their personal lives to their viewers. For example Martha Stewart is a convicted felon which makes her a less trustworthy as a role model. The strong connection is not limited to only U. S. audience. The Oprah Winfrey Show is available to over 120 countries worldwide. Some of the episodes focus on global issues and perspectives, which would be another area where Oprah show is differentiating itself from the other shows. The geocentric attitude episodes are focusing on women and the lifestyle in different countries, probable issues and problems women have to face on everyday basis, but also what might be enriching for U. S. women when they see what other cultures do, don't do, or do differently. For that matter the show features â€Å"the world's most engaging guests from the famous to everyday people all changing the world in which we live. † (harpocreativeworks. tv/info) Oprah is reaching out to every home on the planet with the mission â€Å"to make viewers see themselves differently; and to bring a sense of fulfillment. â€Å"(harpocreativeworks. tv/info) There is no other show that does that. The purpose of each show is to inspire the audience and let each message provoke an actions. The talk show host Oprah Winfrey with her dynamic personality has an unique power of â€Å"Magic Touch†. She can turn books into bestsellers, every product mentioned on her show experiences rocketing sales. According to Latif Lewis' article from Daily Finance â€Å"an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show [illustrates] just how influential the media mogul can be on product sales†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. It's quite amazing, the effect that a vote of confidence from one human being can have† on success of single product or business as a whole. Moreover; Oprah's enormous competence consists in turning â€Å"no names† into a brand names. The article of Latif Lewis, â€Å"Oprah's magic touch can make or break your business† talks about Lisa Price and her â€Å"beauty and skin-care line† and how this not so known beauty products had a very valuable promotion: â€Å"an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show†. After that, Lisa Price was experiencing extremely high demand for her products. She made some financial deals and her â€Å"company took off. Carol's Daughter stores can now be found in several U. S. states and the products are carries in retailers like Sephora and Macy's†.