Thursday, October 31, 2019

Genius and Intellectual Mentality in America Essay

Genius and Intellectual Mentality in America - Essay Example The program The Big Bang Theory is a social experiment that is not only entertaining, but reveals a great deal about a sub-culture that has emerged that is child-like in their social habits, but have intellects that exceed the average. The Big Bang Theory revolves around four males and one female. The four males all work at the same university as research scientists and two of them live in an apartment as roommates. The third male lives with his mother and the fourth male lives in an apartment by himself. A more detailed character analysis will be within this essay, just as it will be important for clear definitions to be created for the words nerd and geek, which is the foundation of the identities of the four male characters. It is in the conflict between the social status of the men to the young woman that provides the opportunity for humor and social exploration. Definitions According to Anderegg, the definitions of a nerd or a geek are often interchangeable, but the specific def initions are actually quite different. A nerd is defined by someone who tends to be focused on academics and as a result is socially awkward. A geek is defined by someone who is more focused on sub-cultures that are not as socially accepted, but are still part of pop culture. Anderegg states that â€Å"nerds and geeks possess arcane knowledge that few other people possess† (n.p.). The types of knowledge that they have often mean extensions of popular culture products, which can mean computer and electronics. This also includes playing games such as World of Warcraft, collecting action figures, reading and becoming absorbed in alternative universes through books, comic books, and graphic novels, as well as being fans of cult favorite programs such as Star Trek, Stargate, and Battlestar Galactica. One of the reasons that nerds and geeks are attracted to alternative universes is that they are not completely comfortable in the social structures of the real world. In learning abou t and inserting themselves in the fantasies of new universes, the possibilities of being a welcomed member or an imagined hero allows for the social awkwardness to be minimized (Pustz 250). In learning about those who engage in online gaming, it is possible to see that the social problems of not having the appearance of a sexually attractive body falls away with the opportunity to build an avatar that allows the individual to express their identity in a safe space, where it is arguably easier to become the more authentic self. In creating and ‘living’ a life in a fantasy world, the social problems that have impeded them from expressing themselves is melted away and they can sink or swim according to who they are on the inside (Waggoner 10). Character Analyses The lead character who exhibits the most realistic characteristics and against whom the caricatures of the other three males are balanced is Leonard. Leonard is played by Johnny Galecki who previously was on the Am erican program Rosanne, which also was a reflection of contemporary culture (IMDB). He has a realistic appearance which is not overly good looking, nor unattractive. Through the prop of a pair of glasses that dangle near the end of his nose, only to be repeatedly pushed up again, he is transformed

Monday, October 28, 2019

Applications of Information Technology Essay Example for Free

Applications of Information Technology Essay Driving force in educational reform Students have many opportunities to learn the basic computer skills to facilitate their learning. Multimedia learning centre (MMLC) in secondary school Classroom with a projector 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Smart home technology ?Allows people to control household and other domestic appliances over the Internet ? Personal computer ?Has become a necessity for many households 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Personal computer Uses of personal computer 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Home office ?Refers to a small computerized office setup at home ?Self-employed persons can work at home and communicate with others through the Internet. Clients Self-employed person Colleagues 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Public Places ? Information kiosk ?Provides information on nearby facilities in public places ? Electronic Money ?Can be used for petty cash payments ?Example: Octopus Octopus Kiosks 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Public Places Internet access service ?It is provided in various public places. ?The public can obtain information from the Internet more conveniently. Internet access service in public area 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? Office automation ?Office automation helps office workers improve working efficiency productivity, data security and communications with others An automated office 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? Intranet ?A private and small-scale Internet of an organization ?Helps improve workflow and enables efficient collaboration and  communication. Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? E-commerce ?Refers to commercial activities carried out in an electronic network ?The Internet is now the most popular way to conduct e-commerce. e-bay, a popular online auction site 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? E-commerce We can also purchase groceries online (http://www. wellcome. com. hk) We can book tickets online (http://www. cityline. com. hk) Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Information technology has become an  important means of providing government services. ? Under the ‘2004 Digital 21 Strategy’, the Hong Kong SAR government has committed to developing e-government. 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Electronic Service Delivery ?A web site that provides a wide range of government information and services ?The services include, application for government job vacancies payment of government bills purchasing books making appointments for The use of public services 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Employers concerned about exposing of company confidentials More difficult for employers to monitor work progress 1. 2 Information Technology and the Information Age ? Digital Divide ? Describes the growing gap between those people who can access and make effective use of IT and those who cannot ? Separate people into two groups ?Internet users ?Non-Internet users.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Myth Of Equality In American Society Politics Essay

The Myth Of Equality In American Society Politics Essay The American society is viewed by the global community as the nation of freedom, as the country in which any person is able to experience the greatest degree of equality. Indeed, the United States of America is undoubtedly the most diverse nation in the world with people representing different cultures and ethnicities. The Constitution of the United States guarantee equal protection of all citizens and prohibits discrimination based on gender, age, physical characteristics, or any other factors which make one person different to the others. However, it should be recognized that the American society does not function as the nation of equals as discrimination, stereotyping, and prejudices are still widespread. The American children are taught at schools that the United States of America was founded with the idea that all people are considered equal (Jeynes and Martinez 195). The history books suggest that the founding fathers did not apply this idea to the African American slaves in the South; however, the ratification of the Constitution was the first step to bring the principle of equality into law. Even though the American government grants equal rights and equal protections to all citizens, it would be wrong to state with confidence that the American society is the nation of equals. Jeynes and Martinez emphasize that as long as Darwinism evolution remains the sole teaching about mans origins that children are exposed to in the public schools, racism will be highly institutionalized in the way children are instructed (196). Even though this argument deals mostly with religious aspects of the human evolution, Jeynes and Martinez describe the current situation in American society very clear. Even today, many people are strongly convinced that the Whites are superior to African Americans in their intellectual abilities while African Americans are superior to Whites in terms of physical development and athletic skills. It is possible to assume that African Americans, for example, are more skilful in sports due to their physical characteristics; however, this difference should not become the benchmark for dividing society in groups. Due to the social stratification and the segmentation of the nation into different groups, the concept of equality is present on the paper only. Every person has a number of groups he or she belongs to. For example, a teenager may belong to the African American group by his race, basketball team by his sports participation, Christian group by his religious beliefs, and high school community by his age. From one side, social identification is necessary for the development as well as normal functioning of any person. From the other side, the institutionalized social groups contribute to further division of society and diminishment of the concept of equality. Sidlow and Henschen draw the attention of the American nation to the idea of civil rights which guarantee all citizens equal treatment under the law, as supported with the Fourteenth Amendment (99). From the standpoint of democracy, all people have equal rights as well. However, the idea of equality within American society is an ideal which has not been achieved yet. Numerous groups in American society struggle today to obtain equal treatment. For example, the gay couples try to obtain legal equality in terms of marriage and adoption of children and millions of illegal immigrants strive to achieve legal status of citizens. Thus, the law does not allow discrimination against a particular group of people; however, it does not imply that equality is created. In a sense, the emergence of the independent United States is based on the history of discrimination against minorities. Sidlow and Henschen emphasize that discrimination against women, African Americans, and Native Americans dates back to the early years of the nation, the time when farmers in the South refused to give equal rights to others (99). As more and more diverse people arrived to the United States, it was necessary to bring in the issue of equality into political framework. Nevertheless, it was not enough to ensure equality on the paper; it was necessary to integrate the concept of equality into social relations. Consequently, today millions of people belonging to diverse minority groups have no opportunity to experience equality in their daily lives. It is important to mention that despite of the widespread recognition of the importance of equality and tolerance towards differences among people, the scientific and academic community started to focus on the rights of minority people only a decade or two ago. In particular, the idea of the inclusive classrooms emerged only several years ago, when the educators realized that their classrooms were composed of diverse students with different needs. It does not mean that classrooms became diverse only a decade ago. It means that the issue of equality has not been properly addressed before. Initially, it was expected that the diverse people coming to the United States would be assimilated into the mainstream culture. However, Vera and Feagin argue that today the mere idea of assimilation is no longer effective. Thus, clear distinctions are made between those who believe all people should be given a fair chance to succeed and those who believe that if people dont have equal access to res ources, measures should be take to equalize opportunity (299). Unfortunately, the equality in American nation exists mostly theoretically rather than practically. People are judged by their market value, as Americans are taught to respect the wealthy and despise the poor. The human character has less value than social and physical attributes. Moreover, Vera and Feagin suggest that very few people are willing to support proactive measure to ensure equality because it would mean loss of the privileges for the dominant groups. At the same time, many people believe that equality is the defining feature of the American society, as any person from any part of the world is able to become successful in this country. However, this view is expressed in support of the economic success rather than social equality. In addition to economic measures of success, the American people attribute significant value to individualism as opposed to collectivism. In other words, Americans tend to emphasize the importance of individuals rather than teams, groups, or community. Naylor argues that because of this particular flavor of self-reliance, the American nation can not become equal (56). For many people, equality means nothing more than equal participation in educational and educational systems, for example. Indeed, equality does not mean that all people have equal talents and are able to achieve outstanding success. Equality is not attainable in these aspects. Therefore, equality means equal access to systems and equal opportunities for all people. The global community believes that the American nation grants equal opportunities to all citizens. Nevertheless, until today no significant progress has been achieved to guarantee equal opportunities. Many initiatives have been introduced to tackle the problem of discrimination with the hope to integrate equality into American society. For example, the affirmative action was institutionalized to give minority students a better chance for admission. However, affirmative action initiative failed because of its ineffectiveness. The American society is not a nation of equals, and the removal of the political barriers to equality did not result in the removal of economic and social barriers as well. Naylor suggests that the members of the mainstream culture tend to focus on freedom, the rights of the individual, equality, achievement, and mobility (57). The members of other groups strive to become part of mainstream culture as well. The reason to seek membership in dominant culture is rather obvious for many centuries, the dominating groups have been enjoying more rights and freedoms. Today, the situation is not much different to the time when African Americans were slaves, for example. Even though slavery has been prohibited, members of minority groups do not have equal access to political, economic, and social systems. The reason for the failure to bring equality into society is not related to the weakness of political system or lack of opportunities for all. The key issue behind lack of equality is related to cultural and economic factors. For example, a teenager born to immigrant parents may not have equal opportunity to attend college compared to other students only because his parents are not able to afford education. Consequently, this teenager is not able to take advantage of equal opportunity to have well-paid job because lack of education is projected on career. In the long-run, this teenager is likely to become an adult who does not fit the mainstream group of successful, educated Whites not because of ethnic or racial differences but rather because of the social and economic barriers. In conclusion, the American nation prides itself for its principle of equality, freedoms and rights for all. Nevertheless, the reality is that equality remains nothing more than a concept addressed by the American Constitution. As the nation of immigrants, the American society includes diverse people who strive to take the fullest advantage of their individualism. To ensure equality, the government should remove not only legislative barriers to equal participation but also provide all people with an opportunity to participate in economic and social systems.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

rock & pop :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What has the power to make you get up and move, to both inspire you and enrage you? Rock, rap, â€Å"pop†, country, and blues are all forms of this phenomenon we call music. Music has been a part of each and everyone of our lives. How often have you heard a song and it brought you back to a place in your past, or reminded you of someone? Chances are you were listening to music that fell into one of the two most popular categories, rock or pop. Both rock and pop can be considered movements in society, however the motivation for these movements were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Also another thing that they have in common is that once the artists are famous the may both have a tendency to fall off the deep end. This may entail spending thousands of dollars on drugs and alcohol. Eventually many of both pop and rock stars end up in rehab. Even though the lines between rock and pop can be blurred at times there are many distinct differences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most profound differences is the way both types of music came about. Rock and roll started back in the early 60’s. It was a time when the Vietnam war had just begun. Steppenwolf, The Beetles, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors all were sending out soulful messages through their music. They were singing about war, drugs, and love instead of war. There lyrics were from the heart. It provoked feelings of rage for the government, and love for one another. The rock and roll movement began out of pent up energy that had to be released in an positive manner. It had very pure, honest intentions. On the other hand pop, short for popular, music was contrived from the beginning. It too had it’s beginnings in the 60’s starting with the Monkeys. Four guys were brought together by some corporate bigwigs to create an American version of the Beetles. Little did the public know that they were not even singing their own songs. They were lip-singing the whol e time. But, they managed to top the charts and make young girls faint. That could be considered the first pop music.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another major difference between rock and pop groups are the way they get started. Pop groups are usually formed by record companies with preconceived notions of what kind of image they want the artist to have.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Direction and Purpose Essay

Metaphors provide creative images for readers. They give flavor to literature and allow free interpretation of a piece; thereby making a conversation in a story, an image in a poem, a symbolism in the plot and such, more interesting. Through the use of such a figure of speech, the images are laid bare and presented fresh. This creates an interaction between the reader, the author and the piece; as readers are made to analyze the images presented and the idea that the metaphor is trying to introduce. It seems the poem, â€Å"Manila†, efficiently develops the metaphor that is the Philippines society during the colonial era, through a timeline. It takes the problem of colonial Manila into the modern Filipino mindset. The poem begins with an introduction [Lines 1-3], which gives us the first glimpse of the similarities between the city of Manila and the hermit crab. The succeeding stanzas [4-8] elaborate the physical conditions of the country’s capital and finally, the poem concludes [l9-14] with the mentality upheld by the nation. To appreciate how metaphors lay bare Espino’s â€Å"Manila†, let us analyze the imagery create in the poem, line by line. Unlike most poems, â€Å"Manila† begins with an epigraph from Nick Joaquin, which reads: â€Å"Dust and crabs, dust and crabs.† We can assume that this quote gives a foreview of what Federico Espino’s poem will highlight. Though very little is conveyed in this line, we are able to suppose that the metaphor will hold significance to the poem proper. Dust may be described as either something that depicts age or some remains of an explosion. We also know of crabs as an animal that crawls and has claws. Crabs are also able to survive on land for short periods of time and can literally live on dust. â€Å"Manila† begins with the line: â€Å"A hermit crab beside the tide of times,† if we look at the concept of the hermit crabs as a description of Manila, the line merely tells us that time has passed. It tells us that Manila has an old history and that it has endured much. The next line: â€Å"She bears the traces of her former homes/ the shells of foreign cultures and the slime,† tells us that the country’s history contributes much to its identity. The city has withstood much to the point that it is now isolated and delayed in comparison to the developments of other countries. The â€Å"former homes† are the shells that the crab has already left behind. The â€Å"foreign cultures† such as that of the Spanish, British, Japanese and Americans have all freed the country, yet their influences – dating back to colonial times – still linger. But as hermit crabs changes its shell, Manila now looks for a new â€Å"shell† of protection as she enters another era – whilst trying to retain its identity. Even with the passing of time, the mix of culture is still protected and preserved, which the narrator describes as both positive and negative – implying that though the foreigners have given us a rich culture, they have made us endure much â€Å"slime† and shit (considering that slime is a gastropod’s mucus secretion) in order to take what was rightly ours – freedom. In the succeeding lines: â€Å"Now she looks for food as small waves comb/Upon the shore where bits of driftwood lie†, we now see a direction in the poem. Again it highlights how the hermit crab searches for something and we now see she looks for food. Keeping in mind that food is parallel to life – since it is necessary in sustaining life – the hermit crab looks for nourishment in a place which seemingly has very little to give. From Nick Joaquin’s â€Å"Sa Loob ng Maynila†, we understand the devastation in the city when it served as the center of the revolution, and we see that starting anew is difficult when one is left on what is being portrayed as a deserted island. As expected, â€Å"she finds nothing in her hungry quest/ Instead she hears the raucous seagull’s cry/ Which is a shriek beyond the rock-ribbed nest.† In these lines, the seagulls – natural predators of the hermit crab – are foreign countries. We can assume that not only are we looking up at the seagulls but that they are also in a position to take advantage of us. In relation to the Philippines’ history, foreign countries are soaring. Other countries progress and it is a mockery when – ironically – the countries we defeated fighting for our independence are now more stable than we are – they still rise above us. We are still beneath them in a sense to the point we have to crawl in order to get anywhere. These lines are merely creating the image of a third world country. All seems futile, especially when you have nowhere else to go. â€Å"It mocks her as she crawls upon the sand— The sidewise movement of the hermit crab/ Which Dylan saw on a deserted strand/ And used as a metaphor in runes that throb† It is possible that Dylan represents a foreigner (since it is a typical name for an American boy) and he saw our â€Å"aimless wandering† and toke advantage of it – however, this is more of a hunch than a legitimate argument. What is clear though, is the point of our sideways movement, which is the natural direction a hermit crab follows. By this we can concur that the movement has become innate. We are not moving forward. We want so much, yet work so little. Perhaps, these lines also imply that we search in all the wrong places. â€Å"With life. Yes, this city is a pair of claws/ Creeping, crabbing with all its tragic flaws.† These last lines of the poem summarize the intent of the entire poem. Here it is implied that the people of the Philippines are aware of the damage in their society. Slowly, almost lifelessly, the Filipinos attempt to move through the things we dislike in our country. We complain so much yet we do very little – and perhaps that is our downfall. True there is no prefect nation, but in most nations you see a progression. In reference to Nick Joaquin’s opening epigraph, perhaps the dust is the remains of those countries that once colonized us. We never bothered to clean up what was left to us – good and bad. Espino hints that perhaps that is why we are not moving forward, there is too much to fix all at once. And this can be related to what we call â€Å"crab mentality† or the Filipinos’ attitude of clawing at those who have gotten ahead to pull them back again. We â€Å"creep† and â€Å"crawl† in our own flaws – in our own mistakes – instead of picking ourselves and walking. It is our own claws that hold us back. The generalizations made by Espino are obvious. Though the title is â€Å"Manila† is it clear that the city, being the â€Å"heart† of colonial Philippines, is a synecdoche for the entire country. And when all aspects of Espino’s Manila are examined, we see that the metaphor is in the intricate, descriptive design of the Philippines as a hermit crab trapped on a deserted island. Though she is attempting to escape, she is crawling blindly in no particularly direction. It seems not much has change. Though â€Å"Manila† was written a long time ago, it is relatively surprising that the text paints Manila in a sad, accurate manner. We fought for our freedom. Now we merely struggle with it. It seems our nation cannot decide independently; like a hermit crab, we depend on our symbiotic relationships. We cannot survive alone and we rely on what can be give to us by those who â€Å"protect† us. The dependence relayed in the poem explains why we have no direction, no purpose, and no resources. We are – truly – stuck.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on The Next Big Thing

In the article â€Å"The Next Big Thing?† the future of business computing is addressed. Computers have changed the face of business forever. Nowadays, every company has a website that is better than its competitor’s with mire features than ever before. The problem brought about by all this web competition, is that every company has information or a way of transporting it. Each company charges for their services, but not every service offers the same services thus there is a lapse in options when tow companies wish to network or pursue internet business. In this article, the possible solution to this information and trade problem on the Internet is presented in the form of â€Å"utility computing.† Basically, the Internet will become standardized in the business market allowing for easier trade and information sharing. Soon, getting information on the net well be easier than picking up a phone, and businesses wont have to worry about connection costs and b enefits between different carriers. Companies well pay for computer services like they would pay for phone services or water services. This article addresses one of the largest and fastest growing arenas of business; Internet e-commerce. In chapter 7 of the textbook, e-commerce is discussed. In the chapter the benefits and drawbacks to e-commerce are discussed. One of those drawbacks discussed, is the issue of Internet fraud. One of the benefits to a standardized e-commerce system would be the elimination of false companies because the Internet would have standardized security measures. Also discussed in chapter 7 is the issue of Internet financial security. With the web as diversified as it is now there is know way of knowing whom to trust with money. Just like the elimination of Internet fraud, Internet finances would be more secure with fewer companies handling corporate or customer monies. As far as standardization of e-commerce is concerned there are both benefi... Free Essays on The Next Big Thing Free Essays on The Next Big Thing In the article â€Å"The Next Big Thing?† the future of business computing is addressed. Computers have changed the face of business forever. Nowadays, every company has a website that is better than its competitor’s with mire features than ever before. The problem brought about by all this web competition, is that every company has information or a way of transporting it. Each company charges for their services, but not every service offers the same services thus there is a lapse in options when tow companies wish to network or pursue internet business. In this article, the possible solution to this information and trade problem on the Internet is presented in the form of â€Å"utility computing.† Basically, the Internet will become standardized in the business market allowing for easier trade and information sharing. Soon, getting information on the net well be easier than picking up a phone, and businesses wont have to worry about connection costs and b enefits between different carriers. Companies well pay for computer services like they would pay for phone services or water services. This article addresses one of the largest and fastest growing arenas of business; Internet e-commerce. In chapter 7 of the textbook, e-commerce is discussed. In the chapter the benefits and drawbacks to e-commerce are discussed. One of those drawbacks discussed, is the issue of Internet fraud. One of the benefits to a standardized e-commerce system would be the elimination of false companies because the Internet would have standardized security measures. Also discussed in chapter 7 is the issue of Internet financial security. With the web as diversified as it is now there is know way of knowing whom to trust with money. Just like the elimination of Internet fraud, Internet finances would be more secure with fewer companies handling corporate or customer monies. As far as standardization of e-commerce is concerned there are both benefi...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Gonad The Barbarian And The Venus Flytrap

Throughout history women have been denied the same basic freedom and rights that men have inherently been given. The right to vote, the right to earn comparable wages, the right to show your face and yes, even the right to have an orgasm openly and freely, independent of male control or judgment. Women’s sexuality has been suppressed and repressed in one form or another for far too long. Pornography is not unlike other areas of society and culture around the world. In â€Å"Gonad the Barbarian and the Venus Flytrap† Anne McClintock discusses the history of women as sexual beings and also gives insight into the role of pornography as a means of pleasure, voyeurism and employment for women. McClintock also explores the world of pornography and how it relates to the male ego. The purpose of McClintock’s article is to introduce the reader to the history and the problems associated with women acting as sexual beings and at the same time, examining the role of pornogra phy and its evolution. McClintock believes that it is narrow-minded to view pornography as the evil of society and the downfall of women’s role as sexual beings (114). To simply classify pornography as an instrument that objectifies women and therefore gives men justification for the ill treatment of women would be ignoring the foundation of some ill conceived beliefs that have existed long before the invention of pornography. McClintock states that the basis of sexism is not rooted in pornography rather, it is rooted in the history of the world and how women have been viewed, better yet, not viewed as sexual beings. McClintock expresses this view of the historical treatment of women by saying â€Å"[w]omen’s desire, by contrast, has been crimped to history’s sad museums of corsets, chastity belts, the virginity cult and genital mutilation†(113). Another basis for McClintock’s beliefs of pornography is the existence of male insecurity, homophobia and the exclusion o... Free Essays on Gonad The Barbarian And The Venus Flytrap Free Essays on Gonad The Barbarian And The Venus Flytrap Throughout history women have been denied the same basic freedom and rights that men have inherently been given. The right to vote, the right to earn comparable wages, the right to show your face and yes, even the right to have an orgasm openly and freely, independent of male control or judgment. Women’s sexuality has been suppressed and repressed in one form or another for far too long. Pornography is not unlike other areas of society and culture around the world. In â€Å"Gonad the Barbarian and the Venus Flytrap† Anne McClintock discusses the history of women as sexual beings and also gives insight into the role of pornography as a means of pleasure, voyeurism and employment for women. McClintock also explores the world of pornography and how it relates to the male ego. The purpose of McClintock’s article is to introduce the reader to the history and the problems associated with women acting as sexual beings and at the same time, examining the role of pornogra phy and its evolution. McClintock believes that it is narrow-minded to view pornography as the evil of society and the downfall of women’s role as sexual beings (114). To simply classify pornography as an instrument that objectifies women and therefore gives men justification for the ill treatment of women would be ignoring the foundation of some ill conceived beliefs that have existed long before the invention of pornography. McClintock states that the basis of sexism is not rooted in pornography rather, it is rooted in the history of the world and how women have been viewed, better yet, not viewed as sexual beings. McClintock expresses this view of the historical treatment of women by saying â€Å"[w]omen’s desire, by contrast, has been crimped to history’s sad museums of corsets, chastity belts, the virginity cult and genital mutilation†(113). Another basis for McClintock’s beliefs of pornography is the existence of male insecurity, homophobia and the exclusion o...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Review of Wordfast Strengths and Weaknesses of This Translation Memory Tool

Review of Wordfast Strengths and Weaknesses of This Translation Memory Tool With the recent advancements in the sphere of computer technologies and the advent of ICT translation productivity tools, translation can be regarded as not only craft, but also a rapidly growing industry. Whereas the translations are paid by the word count, the translator’s productivity is defined as the greatest number of words translated at the lowest price and within the minimal time period.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Review of Wordfast: Strengths and Weaknesses of This Translation Memory Tool specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Translation memory (TM) is a software program aimed at enhancing the productivity of individual translators and translators’ groups through storing the segments of the translated texts in the computerized databases and retrieving hits during the following translations. It allows not only not to translate the same or similar units twice, but also to achieve consistency in t erminology within different projects or different translators. Wordfast as one of the world-known budget TMs has its strengths and weaknesses which will be reviewed in this report. The main strengths of Wordfast The budget price, the available demo version and understandable manual are recognized by most translators using it as the main advantages of Wordfast. The 350 Euros as the price for downloading this CAT tool directly from Wordfast corporate website is significantly lower compared to its much more expensive analogues, such as Trados and DÃ ©j vu, for example. Another significant strength of Wordfast is the availability of not only a demo version which can be downloaded for free, but also the unlimited trial period which allows using this demo version for training purposes as long as the translator needs. Actually, it is possible even to use it in work because the request to pay for the software appears only after the program exceeds the limit of 500 translation units. Thus, even after the TM is full, the translator can create a new one and continue working with a demo version. Moreover, a very large translation memory (VLTM) for Wordfast have created recently and can be downloaded for free so that to overcome the above-mentioned limitation. The learning curve is one of the most important advantages of Wordfast. Its manual is relatively brief, straightforward and easy to follow.Advertising Looking for essay on programming? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Regarding the technical characteristics, the TM editor, sentence-based segments, project management strength and the standards compliance can be regarded as the main strengths of Wordfast. As to the TM editor criterion, it can be stated that working in Word documents as the accustomed environment allows the translator to reduce the time required for learning the main features offered by Wordfast. Moreover, this tool can also be used for working with Excel and Power Point documents. The sentence based units used in Wordfast are more convenient as compared to the translational suites working with the whole texts. The compliance with the main standards allows sharing the TMs even with those who use other types of CAT software. A set of tools called PlusTools included into Wordfast is another advantage of this software which allows simplifying the procedures of aligning the source and target texts before starting work on a particular project. Opening the PlusTools and clicking on the Align button, the translator can process the source and target texts which will appear either in the table format in one document or in the two documents placed side by side on the screen. The search engine of Wordfast allows finding not only exact, but also fuzzy matches with certain extent of deviation between the source and target units. The match rate indicating the degree of correspondence appears between the two segments and allows t he translator to estimate the appropriateness of using certain matches in the context of a particular project. It is also possible to use the * wildcard instead of the end of the term in case if various endings are possible. This feature is intended to make the search process more effective. It is possible to perform searches on both regular and background TMs so that to define whether a particular term is appropriate for the concrete text.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Review of Wordfast: Strengths and Weaknesses of This Translation Memory Tool specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wordfast not only allows accelerating the translation process, enhancing the translator’s productivity by economizing time and resources, but also allows preserving the consistency of terminology among the various projects which is usually appreciated by the customers. Moreover, it is much easier to work with the colored text fields as compared to working with glancing back and forth between the white screen of the two documents with the source and target texts. The sentence-based segmentation encourages a translator to concentrate efforts on only one sentence at a time which is les tiresome for the translator’s eyes. It means that working with Wordfast would enhance the productivity even if there are no many repetitions in the document. The main weaknesses of Wordfast Recognizing the variety of benefits of using Wordfast in the translation process, it should be noted that the use of this ACT program can have a number of unintended negative implications for the quality of the target text and the translation process in general. One of the most significant disadvantages of working with Wordfast is the concentration on only one segment at a time which can become a hurdle for the high quality translation. Though this feature has been mentioned above as one of the advantages of this software it actually can c ut both ways. Thus, concentrating on only one sentence, the translator fails to consider the whole context. Moreover, in most cases the segment-by-segment approach would not allow creating cohesive texts in terms of their style and tone. The problem is that changing the sentence and especially the paragraph structure will result in creating non-existing matches, whereas the TM tool is unable to indicate the changes which were performed for the purpose of improving the style and automatically matches the segments in the source and target documents.Advertising Looking for essay on programming? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, the Wordfast interface is inappropriate for proofreading the target documents, and the translators to look for the ways out so that not to distort the created match units which can cause the errors in following translations. The automatic application of a given translation found in TM within the whole text can result in error propagation. For example, when a customer provides the TMs before the beginning of the translators’ work on the project, the provided files can contain translation mistakes which would complicate the translation processes instead of optimizing it. On the other hand, committing a mistake and incorporating it into the customer’s TM will result in further error propagation because this TM can be sent to other translators working with the customer in future. In general, the translators can never fully rely on TMs. Regarding the use of the * wildcard at the end of the term while working with the search engine, it should be noted that it can be pl aced only after four characters from the beginning of the entry. However, there are lots of cases when the wildcard has to be placed earlier for enhancing the effectiveness of search. Thus, this feature is a bit incomplete and requires further consideration from developers. Regardless of the fact that the initial version of Wordfast was developed for Windows and Macintosh, currently, most of the links to the software compatible with Macintosh are dead. Thus, the Macintosh version can hardly be found online. The psychological aspect of depending upon Wordfast which can be developed after getting accustomed to working with the tool can be regarded as another drawback of using this software. In general, most of Wordfast features cut both ways and can result in both positive and negative implications for the translation process, not only allowing individual translators and translators’ teams to enhance their productivity and preserve the terminology consistency within the project s, but also requiring translators’ advanced professionalism and concentration for preventing the error propagation. Conclusion Wordfast as one of the world-known TM software is appreciated for its budget price, unlimited trial period, the wide range of features and straightforward and easy to follow guidelines as compared to its analogues. However, apart from all its strengths allowing the translators to enhance the productivity and convenience of the translation process, Wordfast has a number of features which can result in unintended negative implications and deserve the developers’ consideration. In that regard, the interface of the program does not allow proofreading the target documents for style and tone and the automatic application of the translation match to the whole document can result in error propagation.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The Korean War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Korean War - Research Paper Example The two countries survived under dictatorial regimes that extended hostility to the citizens of both countries. In mid 1950, North Korea invaded the south surprisingly seeking to topple the southern authority and successfully unite the two countries under communism authority, and most probably under, Kim IL Sung leadership. The following statement describes the events leading to the battle, the battlefield, and the involvement of other authorities to the war (International, 2005). Invasion On the July 14, the north staged a very critical front at the border of South Korea to provoke a battle. The southerners felt the pressure but assumed competence and superiority over the North, thus deploying the army to the battlefront, without proper analysis on their aggressive neighbor (Dutton, 2007). North Korean army owned superior armament from the soviets and this gave them a confidence stance. Some of the South Korean citizens supported the process of unification, relating the plight preva iling between the two countries as resulting from separation. They related their country’s situation to that of China, which slowly recollected all fallen states under the leadership of Mao. Therefore, on the dawn of the first day of invasion, the southern authorities announced their success in tackling the northern troops, which was a lie but seeking loyalty from the southern citizens. On the other hand, the north seized the opportunity to invade further into the southern territory, and combating the weaker southern troops (Kang & Rigoulot, 2001). North Korea advanced towards South Korea, fighting relentlessly despite the South Korean president’s remarks that his armies were outweighing the enemy’s capacity, thus, provoking a battle over territorial rights. The North was fully prepared to war unlike their neighbors with whom they caught unawares. Although both countries lived in hostility, none could tell when the opponent would engage in a battle (Dutton, 2007 ). Whilst in the battlefield, the South Korean troops staged a fierce battle but all in vain, since the Northern troops reigned in superior artillery and ammunition. President Syng-Man Rhee observed the weakness in his army, and associated to lack of military training, equipment, personnel, and preparedness, as the Northern strike was a surprise one (Dutton, 2007). Southern capabilities President Syng-Man Rhee of the Republic of South Korea, realized that his troops lacked military skills and weaponry, thus despite their struggle, chances of success over the enemy remained minute as the north outshined them with all aspects, ranging from artillery to personnel. The South Koreans further pleaded for help and the U.S.A offered two-week training to the Korean army. After the two weeks training, America applauded South Korean Military and commented on their degree of integrity and the skill, they now possessed to retaliate against the enemy. The South Koreans, overwhelmed by the praises , proceeded to the battlefield with a lion heart, as they perceived a win over an enemy they did not analyze. The battlefront was at the north of South Korea .South Koreans depended fully on guns, while their enemy had the best weaponry from the Soviets. Approximately, the north possessed over 34 tanks each with 88mm caliber. However, this did not distract the Southerners as they

Friday, October 18, 2019

World population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World population - Essay Example Hundreds of years ago Thomas Malthus forecast that the world’s population will surpass the earth’s feeding resources. In fact Malthus predicts that a world population collapse will result from the over demand for the world’s food resources by an overly large population.(World Population) After all these years, the world population continues to boom and although there are a large number living in abject poverty, it is not as a result of a lack of food. There are those who argue that the over population is on the decline as a result of increased infant mortality and low birthrates. Moreover, humanity will come to an end as a result of depletion of the earth’s ozone layer, pollution and toxic waste long before the population begins to die out as a result of an imbalance between food supplies and population numbers. When one looks at the distribution of the world’s population it is arguable that as long as the population growth is stable and sustained in countries such as Canada, the United States and European nations, the world’s food supply will not be endangered. Moreover, immigration to cities will not become a fact capable of threatening civilization as we know it. The significance of the population growth locations is relevant to the consumption of food. American’s consume almost 40 times as much food as Asians. Canadian’s and Europeans eat almost as much as the Americans. In other words there is more than enough food to go around. But thankfully, North American and Canada are not among the countries experiencing massive population growths.(World Population) Sixty percent of the world’s population is located in Europe. China alone hosts 20% of the world’s people. India, hovers dangerously close to China with 16% of the world’s population. Africa is not far behind with 12% of the world’s population. Europe hosts 11% of the world’s people and North America accounts for 8% of the world’s

Protestantism and Catholicism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Protestantism and Catholicism - Essay Example Other significant concerns expressed by Martin Luther entailed the notion that there were fundamental ideological differences between the religious truths as Martin Luther saw it and the doctrine of the Catholic Church. These differences included the notion of purgatory, particular judgment, devotion to Mary, the intercession of the saints, most of the sacraments, and the authority of the Pope.1 These ideological differences led to a split within the Catholic Church. This split effectively led to the creation of the Protestant Church as well as a difference in the way in which both churches set out to negotiate with the popular culture of the time. This paper will focus on these differences and illuminate the underlying causes of contention. First and foremost, in order to conceptualize the difference between Catholicism and Protestantism with regards to the negotiation of popular culture it is prudent that we discuss the basic tenets of the two religions. Most importantly, the fundamental religious beliefs of Catholics are those that have been derived from the New Testament and are symbolized through the many sacraments. The most fundamental belief is one that entails the notion that there is a holy trinity and the deity consists of three divine persons-God the father, the son and the Holy Ghost.2 Within the Catholic Church there is a central belief that God came into being as a direct result of the incarnation of his Son. Within the Catholic tradition there is an emphasis on sacraments. Essentially, there are seven sacraments. These sacraments include Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick. The Sacraments are essentially ceremonies which highlight what is impo rtant, sacred and significant in the lives of Catholics. Of these sacraments, the Baptism and the Eucharist have special prominence in that the Baptism is the sacramental entry into religious life for Catholics and the Eucharist is the symbolic memorial of the death and subsequent resurrection of Christ. Another important sacrament is that of the Reconciliation wherein Catholics are given absolution from their sins through the process of confession.3 The Protestant Reformation era represents a split within the Catholic Church and the emergence of the Protestant Church as a corrective action for dealing with what Martin Luther and other reformists felt were inherent flaws within Christianity. First and foremost, the official start of the reformation can be seen in 1517 when Martin Luther, an ex-communicated monk, produced his ninety-five theses which delineated his repugnance at the fact that there was a systematic abuse of papal power. This abuse was most evident in the sale of indulgences by Pope Leo X as a means of raising funds for the construction of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.4 This action served to infuriate an already furious Martin Luther who was essentially appalled at the fact that the powers afforded the Pope continued to expand and had become such that the Catholic Church not only asserted its influence on the mundane existence of its constituents but its influence was now evident in the determination of the qua lity of after-life afforded to believers. Essentially, his main contention involved the fact that faith had taken a diminished role while good acts were given a more prominent role. The notion of one buying his/her way into heaven was one that disturbed Luther who

Monopoly...is a great enemy to good management. Adam Smith, (1776), Essay

Monopoly...is a great enemy to good management. Adam Smith, (1776), The Wealth of Nations, Book I, Chapter XI. Discuss - Essay Example In the light of this statement therefore this question involves the discussion of the various market structures and their contribution to the achievement of the highest possible level of allocative and productive efficiency (in both static and dynamic senses).The question already suggests that the Monopolised market structure is not conducive to â€Å"good management† or efficient resource allocation. Resource allocation in a modern economy demands allocative efficiency which means that resources should be allocated to match the wants of society. Essentially this would mean a point of allocation where no redistribution would enable one individual to be made better off without making someone else worse off. Allocative efficiency would therefore consider both the consumer (demand) and the producer (supply) and that it should satisfy the needs of both. This essay will mainly discuss the two main extremes of competing market structures i.e. monopoly and perfect competition and to a slightly lesser extent similar models along the vast range of economic models falling halfway between these extremes for example Oligopolies. Perfect Competition represents the efficiency achieved by an industry which has extensive competition and almost no interference in the market forces either by the sellers or buyers or the government. Monopoly on the other hand represents a rather inefficient means of market structure characterised by lack of competition and extensive market control. 3.The reason the statement by Adam Smith seems to resent Monopoly power is because of the complete market control by the monopolist who as the only seller in the market will control the supply of goods in the market and is able to influence the price of its product sometimes in an unfair way. Perfect competition, in contrast is preferred in this regard as a market structure where each firm has neither got any significant

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Mercy, Witness, and Imelda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mercy, Witness, and Imelda - Essay Example While in â€Å"Mercy† the mother and the old woman in the essay considers the death of the patient as a jewel to them, the family members of the patients in â€Å"Witness," and â€Å"Imelda" are epitomes of human compassion and love. This paper seeks to explore how doctors and family members deal with the consequences of their decisions that may or may not be based on love. One can understand that the doctor in all the three essays is moved by compassion and love towards the patients as well as their family members; there is no doubt that this has added more charm to his personal and medical profession. In both â€Å"Mercy† and â€Å"Witness† the doctor displays immense amount of compassion and love towards the patients whereas in â€Å"Imelda" the professor undergoes considerable transformation after Imelda is dead. In â€Å"Mercy†, the doctor observes that there is no uncertainty for the flies when it comes to death whereas humans lack such fraternity and everyone is left alone to suffer. The doctor in the essay is totally compassionate towards the 42 year old patient who suffers from a cancer of the pancreas in the abdomen. The doctor desperately promises that he will not let the patient suffer and will get him out of the pain. However, the doctor at this juncture knows for certain that â€Å"there is no way to kill the pain w ithout killing the man who owns it† (Selzer 71). Finally, at the instigation of the women, he decides to put an end to the life of the patient by pressing on the larynx (windpipe) of the patient. However, he is moved by his medical ethics and compassion towards the patient that he realises soon that he is not supposed to do the cruel deed. Similarly, in â€Å"Witness† one can experience the compassionate attitude of the doctor towards the patient and his loving father. The doctor is extremely moved by the six year old patient who suffers from tumour. He knows that â€Å"the baby

JOurnal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

JOurnal - Essay Example She is a big and obese lady who had asked me to help her select some clothes for her. I chose for her an appropriate dress but all she wanted were dresses that were black in color. I had recommended other colors appropriate for her but she refused these and instead insisted on having only black dresses. I suggested pants for her but she instead wanted either a skirt or dress but only if it is color black. I got lucky and was able to get one for her. She was a bit friendly and talkative but I felt or sensed she was a weirdo somehow but thought it impolite to say so to her. I took a brief break and came back to the center at around five o’clock but I ended feeling scared of black clothes right now. Quite funny. After I got home last week from work, I got sick and took two days off at the agency. Today, I am still sick but cannot afford to be absent anymore as I had been absent for a number of days already. I am extremely thankful to the supervisor for accepting my excuses for absences but I need to render some overtime to make up for previous absences. I went to the agency today but still weird regarding my encounter with that big fat lady last week who chose black clothes. I saw three other interns who later on left as they had rendered their time already. It is now only me who is left and I felt sad about it. Later, a male client went on looking for some male stuff and men’s clothes. I got everything he wanted in an hour as he was not difficult to deal with. I went home and in the late afternoon, I came back to the donation center and saw it filled with many people who donated clothes and other stuff they no longer wanted to the agency. I was a bit happy that people are so generou s despite the hard times and I was grateful for their charity. I stayed here until past midnight and I went home somehow happy, elated, and fulfilled. I am glad to have helped other people and somehow help reduce poverty (Van

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Monopoly...is a great enemy to good management. Adam Smith, (1776), Essay

Monopoly...is a great enemy to good management. Adam Smith, (1776), The Wealth of Nations, Book I, Chapter XI. Discuss - Essay Example In the light of this statement therefore this question involves the discussion of the various market structures and their contribution to the achievement of the highest possible level of allocative and productive efficiency (in both static and dynamic senses).The question already suggests that the Monopolised market structure is not conducive to â€Å"good management† or efficient resource allocation. Resource allocation in a modern economy demands allocative efficiency which means that resources should be allocated to match the wants of society. Essentially this would mean a point of allocation where no redistribution would enable one individual to be made better off without making someone else worse off. Allocative efficiency would therefore consider both the consumer (demand) and the producer (supply) and that it should satisfy the needs of both. This essay will mainly discuss the two main extremes of competing market structures i.e. monopoly and perfect competition and to a slightly lesser extent similar models along the vast range of economic models falling halfway between these extremes for example Oligopolies. Perfect Competition represents the efficiency achieved by an industry which has extensive competition and almost no interference in the market forces either by the sellers or buyers or the government. Monopoly on the other hand represents a rather inefficient means of market structure characterised by lack of competition and extensive market control. 3.The reason the statement by Adam Smith seems to resent Monopoly power is because of the complete market control by the monopolist who as the only seller in the market will control the supply of goods in the market and is able to influence the price of its product sometimes in an unfair way. Perfect competition, in contrast is preferred in this regard as a market structure where each firm has neither got any significant

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

JOurnal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

JOurnal - Essay Example She is a big and obese lady who had asked me to help her select some clothes for her. I chose for her an appropriate dress but all she wanted were dresses that were black in color. I had recommended other colors appropriate for her but she refused these and instead insisted on having only black dresses. I suggested pants for her but she instead wanted either a skirt or dress but only if it is color black. I got lucky and was able to get one for her. She was a bit friendly and talkative but I felt or sensed she was a weirdo somehow but thought it impolite to say so to her. I took a brief break and came back to the center at around five o’clock but I ended feeling scared of black clothes right now. Quite funny. After I got home last week from work, I got sick and took two days off at the agency. Today, I am still sick but cannot afford to be absent anymore as I had been absent for a number of days already. I am extremely thankful to the supervisor for accepting my excuses for absences but I need to render some overtime to make up for previous absences. I went to the agency today but still weird regarding my encounter with that big fat lady last week who chose black clothes. I saw three other interns who later on left as they had rendered their time already. It is now only me who is left and I felt sad about it. Later, a male client went on looking for some male stuff and men’s clothes. I got everything he wanted in an hour as he was not difficult to deal with. I went home and in the late afternoon, I came back to the donation center and saw it filled with many people who donated clothes and other stuff they no longer wanted to the agency. I was a bit happy that people are so generou s despite the hard times and I was grateful for their charity. I stayed here until past midnight and I went home somehow happy, elated, and fulfilled. I am glad to have helped other people and somehow help reduce poverty (Van

Global Alcoholic Drinks Market 2014-2018 Essay Example for Free

Global Alcoholic Drinks Market 2014-2018 Essay The Global Alcoholic Drinks market comprises three segments: Beer, Spirits, and Wine. The Beer segment led the market in 2013 with 53. 24 percent and 75. 34 percent share, in terms of revenue and volume, respectively. Increase in demand among the millennial population in the US, growing demand for premium alcoholic beverages, and increased marketing and promotions by vendors are some of the factors that have driven the consumption and sales of alcoholic drinks. The Global Alcoholic Drinks market is witnessing a steady growth both in terms of revenue and volume. However, the mature nature of the Beer market is expected to have a negative impact on the growth of the market at large. Covered in this Report This report covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the Global Alcoholic Drinks market for the period 2014-2018. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the retail sales of various alcoholic beverages. It also includes the market size based on volume, which is calculated based on the consumption of alcoholic drinks by consumers in the world. VIEW OUR FULL TOC HERE Key Regions †¢EMEA †¢APAC †¢Americas Key Vendors †¢Bacardi and Co. Ltd. †¢Beam Global Spirits Wine †¢Diageo plc †¢Pernod Ricard †¢SABMiller plc Other Prominent Vendors †¢Anheuser-Busch InBev †¢Asahi Breweries †¢Brown-Forman †¢Carlsberg Breweries †¢Central European Distribution †¢Constellation Spirits †¢Distell Group †¢Grupo Modelo. †¢Gruppo Campari †¢Heineken †¢Illva Saronno †¢John Distilleries †¢Jose Cuervo †¢Molson Coors †¢Patron Spirits †¢Shiva Distilleries †¢Suntory †¢The Wine Group †¢Tilak Nagar Industries †¢United Spirits †¢VS Group †¢William Grant Sons Key Market Driver †¢Growing Demand for Premium Alcoholic Beverages †¢For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Challenge †¢Increased Competition from Non-alcoholic Beverages †¢For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Trend †¢Demand for Low Alcohol Content. †¢For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Questions Answered in this Report †¢What will the market size be in 2018 and what will the growth rate be? †¢What are the key market trends? †¢What is driving this market? †¢What are the challenges to market growth? †¢Who are the key vendors in this market space? †¢What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? †¢What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? For more insights, view our Global Alcoholic Drinks Market 2014-2018 report.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Graphene Oxide With Covalently Linked Porphyrin Antennae

Graphene Oxide With Covalently Linked Porphyrin Antennae Swetanshu Tandon Paper Title: Graphene oxide with covalently linked porphyrin antennae: Synthesis,characterization and photophysical properties. Relevant spectroscopic Techniques UV-visible spectroscopy ATR-IR spectroscopy Raman spectroscopy Fluorescence spectroscopy Transient absorption spectroscopy Introduction In this paper, the authors describe the synthesis, characterisation and properties of a hybrid material, GO-H2P, obtained by treating graphene oxide (GO) with 5-(4-aminophenyl)-10, 15, 20-triphenyl-21, 23H-porphyrin (H2P). The characterisation has been done by UV–visible, ATR-IR (Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared) and Raman spectroscopy. Steady state and time resolved fluorescence studies and transient absorption measurements were also conducted to study the electron transfer process from H2P to graphene oxide by photoexcitation. Morphological characterisation has been carried out with the help of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cyclic voltametry and differential pulsed voltametry were conducted to study the electrochemical characteristics like redox potentials. Choice of techniques Spectroscopic techniques have been carried out on the GO-H2P material dispersed in dimethylformamide at concentration not exceeding 1 mg/mL. UV-visible spectroscopy has been employed in this study due to the presence of porphyrin group which have a characteristic absorption around 420 nm (Soret band) corresponding to a1u(π)–eg*(π) transitions and a weak absorption near 550 nm (Q band).The Soret band involves transition from ground state to second excited state while Q band involves transition from ground state to first excited state. Graphene oxide also shows a characteristic transition at 230 nm again corresponding to π-π* transitions. The nature of linkage can be investigated with the help of this technique. ATR-IR spectroscopy has been used in the study in order to characterise the O–H, C=O, and C–OH bands present in graphene oxide which have characteristic vibrations. Also, in order to confirm the formation of GO-H2P hybrid by the formation of amide units between carboxylic group of graphene oxide and amine group of the porphyrin derivative, ATR-IR spectroscopy can be used. Raman spectroscopy has been used to follow the transformation of graphite to graphene oxide and further to GO-H2P. The sp2 hybridisation in all the three materials, i.e. graphite, graphene and graphene oxide, leads to the formation of different peaks due to first and higher order scattering process. The presence of π-electrons make the scattering process resonant thus making the response stronger. The fluorescence properties of porphyrin derivatives due to π- π* transitions between the two highest occupied molecular orbitals and the two lowest occupied molecular orbitals within the ring justifies the use fluorescence spectroscopy in the study. Fluorescence spectroscopy has been used to examine the nature of electronic interaction between graphene oxide and H2P. The photoexcitability of GO-H2P leads to the application of transient absorption spectroscopy. Transient absorption spectroscopy has allowed the examination of the phenomenon of quenching of luminescence in further detail. Information Obtained A broad monotonically decreasing signal on moving from ultraviolet to visible region was obtained in the UV-visible spectrum of GO-H2P which is characteristic of graphene oxide. The spectrum was obtained in a solution of dimethylformamide at concentration not exceeding 1 mg/mL as mentioned before. Broadening and shortening of the band at 420 nm, characteristic of H2P (Soret-band), is also observed besides its bathochromic shift (by ca. 2 nm) while the Q bands were flattened to the base line. Bathochromic shift signifies increased conjugation. So, it can be concluded that not only there is a linkage between GO and H2P units but also electronic interactions between the two. The ATR-IR spectra provided in the supporting information reveals a peak at 1715 cm-1 corresponding to C=O vibration. The fingerprints are at 3616 cm-1 and 3490 cm-1due to O–H stretching due to their high bond strength. The covalent linkage between GO and H2P moieties is supported by the presence of a peak at 1630 cm-1 which is characteristic of carbonyl group of amide units. The signal due to graphene layer appears in the region ~1650 – 1550 nm. In the Raman spectrum for graphite the G-band, characteristic of all sp2 hybridised carbons, is present at 1580 cm-1. The G/ (or 2D)-band – the first overtone of the D peak which is also a characteristic of all sp2 hybridised carbons – is located at 2725 cm-1 as a sharp and symmetric band. For GO, the Raman spectrum shows a D band, which is a characteristic of disorder for sp2 hybridised carbons, at 1345 cm-1. This accounts for the defects produced due to the oxidation of graphite. Also, the G/-band in GO appears broader and hypsochromically shifted thereby implying the presence of single and bilayers of GO sheets which is further supported by AFM analysis. The Raman spectrum of GO-H2P is almost identical to that of GO. This means that treatment with H2P perturbs the graphene layer of GO to a very small extent. IR as well as Raman spectroscopic techniques have been used in this study to follow the formation of GO-H2P from graphite. Both these techniques complement each other as one (infrared spectroscopy) is applicable to vibrational modes in which the dipole moment of the molecule is altered while the other (Raman spectroscopy) is applicable to modes involving change in the electric polarizability. ATR-IR spectroscopy provides information of the functional groups and thus helps in following and confirming the formation of GO-H2P from graphene oxide and the porphyrin derivative. Raman spectroscopy, on the other hand, supports the observations obtained by infrared spectroscopy. Also, it provides an insight of the extent of disorder of the graphene layer which keeps vibrating. The D band gives information about the extent of disorder in graphene layers. UV-visible spectroscopy provides information about the nature of interaction between GO and H2P units. It, in addition to the data provided b y IR and Raman spectroscopy, points out that transfer of electrons might be possible between the porphyrin units and graphene oxide layers. The nature of electronic interactions of the H2P units with the graphene oxide sheets has been further investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. On excitation with 418 nm radiation, characteristic fluorescence emission H2P, in dimethylformamide, at 660 nm and 716 nm are observed. In GO-H2P, these emissions are significantly quenched. The emission at 660 nm is also shifted by 10 nm hypsochromically. Quantifying the quenching of the porphyrin emission in this hybrid material tends to be a little difficult because of interference from the absorption of graphene oxide at the excitation wavelength. However, the effective emission quenching of porphyrin in the GO-H2P hybrid indicates that electronic interactions between the singlet excited state of the porphyrin and graphene oxide are dominant. The fluorescence lifetime of photoexcited porphyrin in GO-H2P hybrid have been calculated to be 675 ps (50%) and 1600 ps (50%) which is significantly lower than that of the intact porphyrin, H2P (2900 ps (100%)). This further supports the efficient emission quenching by the graphene sheets. The effective quenching of the fluorescence emission due to H2P in GO-H2P implies electronic interaction between the singlet excited state of H2P with GO. So, H2P acts as an energy absorber unit and GO unit acts as an electron transporting unit. Transient absorption spectrum complements the information obtained from fluorescence spectroscopy using Nd-YAG laser. The Q band can be photoexcited by using a laser light source of 532 nm which led to the population of the singlet excited state of H2P. The band absorption, in the transient absorption spectrum, due to oxidised porphyrin species (H2P+) lies in the visible region at 610 nm. The band observed at 450 nm is the characteristic feature of porphyrin and is almost identical to the one observed in the transient absorption spectroscopy of intact H2P. It occurs due to triplet-triplet absorption of the porphyrin. The bands in the near infrared region are due to the electrons trapped within the reduced graphene sheets (GO) in which absorption is observed in the near infrared region due to the presence of GO species. This is further supported by the absorption spectrum of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide. Thus, transient absorption spectrum provides evidence in support of t he formation of charge separated radical ion pair GO H2P+. The depletion observed near 1100 nm is due to the fundamental YAG laser. The decline of transient absorption with time is a proof of the development of charge recombination which de-excites the radical ion pair back to its ground state. The decay profile for these transient species gave a charge-recombination rate constant (kCR) of 1.8 X 107 s1. This allows the evaluation of the lifetime of the radical ion pair GO H2P+ which comes out to be 56 ns in dimethylformamide. This further confirms that the charge separation is the cause of fluorescence quenching. The emission and transient absorption spectroscopy give information about the conductive nature of GO-H2P hybrid. As pointed out in the observations of UV-visible spectroscopy, the nature of bond in between graphene oxide and H2P if not purely covalent but involves electronic interaction too. Fluorescence spectroscopy helps in further examining the nature of interaction of the GO-H2P linkage. It confirms the observations of UV-visible spectroscopy and indicates the presence of charged species as inferred by the short fluorescence lifetime profile. Transient absorption spectroscopy further confirms this. Also, it confirms that the observations of cyclic voltammetry and differential pulsed voltametry which indicate the presence of radical ion pairs GO H2P+. It also indicates the development of charge recombination which drives the radical ion pair back to its ground state. Overall, it gets confirmed that H2P can easily get photoexcited and transfer electron to graphene oxide which is able to capture these electrons effectively. Additional spectroscopic information that may provide useful information The presence of porphyrin moiety makes this substance particularly interesting. This is because of the characteristic Soret band which is used for its identification. Also, the molar extinction coefficient for porphyrins is pretty high. 5-(4-aminophenyl)-10, 15, 20-triphenyl-21, 23H-porphyrin, which has been used in the analysis, is chiral in nature. So, circular dichroic spectroscopy can be conducted. The high value of the molar extinction coefficient would be helpful as it increases the sensitivity of the technique in this study carried out over this porphyrin derivative covalently linked to graphene oxide. The chiral nature would not only help in supporting the data obtained by various characterisation techniques (infrared, UV-visible, Raman spectroscopy) but would prove helpful in the conformational and configurational analysis of the porphyrin as well. It might also help in exploring the chiral nature of the GO-H2P hybrid. Spectra and Tables

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Noise Reduction In Hearing Aids :: essays research papers

Recently in a local hearing clinic, a client’s concerns were discussed. â€Å"I’m afraid I won’t like them. My brother in law bought two hearing aids, and he keeps them in a drawer in the kitchen.† While the number of people dissatisfied with their hearing aids hovers around 50%, the hearing aid industry is hard pressed to decrease the number of returns, and increase the average daily use of each aid. In order to accomplish this, hearing aid manufacturers must answer the most often heard complaint: â€Å"It doesn’t work well in noise.† Unfortunately, a hearing aid will never be able to accomplish the sifting and sorting that is carried out in the human brain. While a person with normal hearing sits in a restaurant, he can distinguish a conversational speech signal that is as little as three decibels greater than the ambient noise. On the other hand, a person with a 30-decibel sensorineural loss might need the speech signal to be 15 or more decibels greater than the ambient noise. The hearing aid’s task is to acoustically or electronically compensate for both the neurological shortcomings of the hearing impaired person and the wide band increase inherent in any basic amplifier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acoustic compensation can be carried out in a hearing aid microphone. Most hearing aids today utilize omnidirectional microphones, which pick up sound equally from all directions. This may be beneficial and practical in some cases, as in the completely in the canal (CIC) aid. The CIC aid uses the natural funneling of the auricle in order to focus sound directly into the instrument. Behind-the-ear (BTE) and full concha in-the-ear (ITE) aids lose this anatomical feature, and may benefit from a directional microphone. â€Å"The purpose of using a directional microphone is to focus its sensitivity toward the front of the listener, thereby attenuating or reducing unwanted â€Å"noise† or competition emanating from behind the listener.† (Stach 1998) Microphone directionality can be accomplished by using a single microphone with two sound inlets. In this mechanical method, the time lag created by a sound entering each inlet is precisely calibrated to cancel out sounds from the sides and back of the microphone as they strike the diaphragm. The Phonak MicroZoom uses an electronic approach. Each MicroZoom contains two omnidirectional microphones. According to the flyer, â€Å"One picks up sound in front of you while a second picks up sound from the sides and rear.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Elder abuse Essay -- Health Care

Elder Abuse Elder abuse has been present in our society in the past times; however, it has been the hidden problem and under recognized by our community. It is really challenging for people to understand the severity of this problem unless one encountered it in one’s life. Society began to really acknowledge this issue because of the cases that have been reported. There are varieties of categories of elder abuse that are reportable to a healthcare provider; however, many cases are still left unreported and elder victims continue to suffer from mistreatment. The seniors that surround us have contributed to our community and to the great things that we now have. These people should be recognized and protected in all areas of life instead of being mistreated and left behind. Elder abuse is a social problem because it violates the ethical principles, standards of practice, and the legislature. In our society we have been taught from a young age to respect our elders and treat them with dignity and respect. Those who should be the most honored end up being one of the most vulnerable populations and a group of people that require special attention and care. These people require skilled nursing care and support from family and friends. Regardless of the abuse, it would lead to the needless suffering, pain, and violations of human rights. Elder abuse violates the principles of ethics; some of them are justice, autonomy, and nonmalificence. When dealing with older adults the caregivers are required to provide a fair treatment. The caregiver who stands in trust relationship to the resident cannot intentionally cause any harm or neglect. For the residents to be treated in a fair way, health providers must appropriately provide care to... ...aveman, B. (2006). Perceptions of elder abuse: voices of professionals and volunteers in Sweden -- an exploratory study. Scandinavian Journal Of Caring Sciences, 20(2), 151-159 American Nurses Association. (November 15, 2010). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. In Nursing World. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics.pdf. CCERAP. (2011). About Elder Abuse. In Colorado Coalition for Elder Rights and Abuse Prevention. Retrieved March 27, 2012, from http://www.ccerap.org/index.php/about-elder-abuse. National Institute of Justice. (Novembeer 6, 2007). Elder Abuse. In National Institute of Justice. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/elder-abuse/welcome.htm.http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/main_site/pdf/publication/FinalStatistics050331.pdf

Friday, October 11, 2019

Is the Expansion of Tesco’s going to affect the local businesses?

I have chosen to study the expansion of Tesco's for a number of different reasons. The main reason is that I think that the expansion is going to completely change Clevedon, as it tourist town. It does not need a super store in it. I think that a lot of small businesses/shops are going to suffer if Tesco's gets the go ahead. I also think that there are going to be a number of side affects if the development happens. E.g. environmental issues. These are the main reasons why I have chosen to study the expansion of Tesco's. Methodology In my investigation I plan to do a number of things. I am planning to go round the shops in Clevedon and ask them what they think of the expansion of Tesco's. I am going to ask them all the same questions as to make it a fair investigation. I am going to ask 1) Do you think the expansion of Tesco's is going to affect your business directly? Please explain your answer 2) Do you think there will be any side affects of the expansion of Tesco's? These could be positive of negative. Please explain your answer. 3) Do you think that other businesses are going to be affected by the expansion of Tesco's? Please state what type of businesses you think are going to suffer. I am going to go to a number of different shops asking them what they think. I am also going to interview Morrison's and Lidl, as these are the other two big stores in Clevedon. Along with all the shops in Clevedon I am going to be fair and give Tesco's their chance to put their points across. I am going to interview and hopefully get the plans of the expansion of Tesco's. I am also going to be getting information off the Internet about the expansion of Tesco's. I am going to find old newspaper articles about the expansion and sum them up then put them into my results section. I think I am going to try and get peoples opinion about the expansion of Tesco, but when I went down to Tesco's to do random surveys no one was willing to do them. So I asked simple yes or no questions and I got some results. My two questions where. 1) Do you want Tesco's should expand? 2) Do you think the expansion is going to affect the small business and shops in Clevedon? Results The first thing I am going to do is I am going to get as much information about the expansion of Tesco's as I can. This was the original article that was published in the North Somerset Times on the 01 March 2007. â€Å"Tesco's proposal to demolish its Clevedon store and replace it with one twice as large has finally been registered with planners. The Mercury exclusively revealed in November that Britain's biggest retailer had paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.3 million for land next to its existing store. The supermarket giant intends to build the new store on the site of the current one, and also the premises occupied by Labcaire and the Bradshaw Group. Town residents, small businesses and other interested groups can now comment on the application after plans were formally registered with North Somerset Council last Thursday. They will be discussed by Clevedon Town Council later in March before going to North Somerset Council for a final decision. Tesco plans to keep the Kenn Road store open while the new one is being built and then demolish it for more parking spaces. It says the new store will bring about 150 extra full- and part-time jobs, injecting, it claims, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.5 million per year into the local economy. Current jobs would be safeguarded by keeping the old store open during the construction phase. The petrol station will also be moved on to the Bradshaw site. The new store would have a sales area of 60,148sq ft, compared to the current 27,286, and would provide 602 parking spaces. Tesco says the glass-fronted store would be built from sustainable materials, which are years ahead of what is required under building regulations. The part of the store which would face Southern Way would be two storeys high, the second storey containing a cafe and staff areas. In November Tesco spokesman Felix Gummer said the store, which would be branded as Tesco Extra, would sell a wider range of goods.† After reading up on the problem at hand I went to the local businesses and small shops to see what they think. I asked them all the same 3 questions, which I wrote in my methodology. The first shop I went to interview was WH Smiths. Smiths were very keen to give me lots of information about their view on the expansion on Tesco's. Their answers to my questions are as follows. 1) I think that the expansion of Tesco's is going to greatly affect our business. Our Clevedon Branch is one of the smallest Branches of WH Smiths around. This shop isn't big enough to cope with the demands of Clevedon as it is. We think that if the expansion of Tesco's does go ahead then we are going to loose a lot of business. I think this, as the new Tesco's is going to stock all the products that we stock. Plus as they are a national store it is cheaper for them to produce the products that we stock. So we are going to be under cut. So I am pretty sure that if the expansion does go ahead we are not going to be here much longer. 2) I think that the expansion is going to bring more people to Clevedon, but they will not come into the centre of Clevedon, they will use Tesco's then go. If it was Morrison's expanding then I think that it would be completely different. All the shops around the centre will benefit but as it is Tesco's I think that a lot of shops are going to suffer. I also think that as more people are going to coming to Clevedon then there is going to be a lot more cars coming to Clevedon. Causing more noise and air pollutions. 3) I think that a lot of small business/shops are going to be affected as Tesco's are going to stock a much wider verity of products. Products that the shops in the centre stock. So people are going to go to Tesco's as it is going to be cheaper for them to buy from Tesco's. I then moved round and went to New Look. New Look didn't seem to want to give as much information as WH Smiths but I got their opinion. 1) Our store does not feel threatened by the expansion of Tesco. If anything we think it is going to benefit our business. We do not feel threatened as we are offering a different product. We offer our customers fashionable clothes. Tesco's will not get the designers that we have, so we offer different types of clothes. We do not know if Tesco is even going to sell clothes. 2) As said above we think it is going to bring in more customers to our store. 3) No comment I then went to Woolworth's store they would not let me speak to the manager but I talked to one of the members of staff and got their opinion. 1) I think that the expansion of Tesco's is going to affect our store, but I am not sure if it is going to be in a good way or a bad way. I think that it is either going to take our customers away from us, or it is going to bring in more people from surrounding towns and this may increase our sales. 2) I do however believe that there are going to be a lot of side affects. The biggest being pollution, with all the extra cars coming in to shop at Tesco's plus the noise pollution, the pollution all the machinery will have to use to build the store. Also the local residents are going to be affected, me being one of them my garden backs onto the site, I think my personal area is going to be ruined. 3) I think that certain businesses are going to benefit and certain businesses are going to suffer. I think the well established, well known businesses will be fine but the small self owned ones will not. I then went and saw a friend who works at Aaron's Pets. I managed to talk to the manager of this Branch. He was very keen to give me his ideas about he expansion. 1) I don't think that we are going to be massively affected. I think that in certain areas we will b like with the animal toys, and certain typed of food, i.e. dog and cat food. But we offer a different product to the massive super store. We offer pets and the products that the animals need. (He said need with a lot of emphasis) 2) I do think that a lot of people are going to be affected by the expansion in different ways. I think that people are going to be kept awake at night by the constant traffic flow into and away from the store. Also the delivery lorries come in all through the day and night. Pollution is going to be a problem. As I am manager of a pet store I am very concerned about the animals around the area. There is area or woodland next to the roundabout that will be home to all sorts of creatures that will hunt at night, so there will be a bigger chance of them being run over. 3) I think that all the businesses in Clevedon are going to either suffer or benefit from the expansion. Due to Tesco's bringing in more customers or taking the customers to them. I then went to interview the bakeries. I am going to sum up what the 3 bakeries said and put them into one as they all said the same thing. 1) They all said more or less the same thing, we think that we are going to loose a lot of customers all our younger and middle aged customers will properly choose Tesco's as they will be cheaper. But the older generation are properly going to use us, as they have been using us all their life. Plus the loyal customers that come in to get the bread or tea, they will keep coming to us 2) They all said that the expansion of Tesco's is going to cause a lot of pollution and noise around the Kenn road area, but it wont so much affect the centre of Clevedon. 3) They all said the same thing for this question that it will keep all the bakeries on their feet and keep their standards high. I then went on to interview more shops around the centre of Clevedon and on hill road. They all came out with the same points as above so I have decided to not to include the interviews. I am however going to include information that I found from Morrison's. Nobody was available to comment on behalf of Morrison's but I found an article on the Internet that sums up their views. â€Å"Morrisons has warned the future of its Clevedon store would be under threat if Tesco is given the go-ahead to expand. The retailer says if Tesco is allowed to more than double the size of its Kenn Road store, it would hit the vitality of Clevedon town centre. It has written to North Somerset Council planners strongly objecting to Tesco's proposals. Its planning agent, Peacock and Smith, said there was no need for further supermarket expansion in Clevedon. It said: â€Å"The Morrisons store is the largest retail facility in the town centre and anchors the centre. â€Å"It generates a significant number of linked shopping trips with other shops and services in the town. â€Å"Our client has confirmed that its long-term viability may be under threat if the proposed development were to be approved. â€Å"Should closure of the store ultimately occur, this would also have major implications for the health of Clevedon town centre. â€Å"Accordingly, we consider that, in accordance with national and local retail policy to foster the health of town centres, this application should be refused.† It adds there is spare capacity at its Clevedon store and it is undertrading. Turnover is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10.6 million per year, whereas it would expect it to be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15 million for a store of that size.† This is the information I have gained from shops, it is both primary, the interviews on the shops, and secondary, the articles I have got off the Internet. I am now going to see what customers at Tesco and Morrison's think of the expansion. I found this very difficult and no one seemed willing to give me explanations so I had to except one word yes or no answers. I asked 50 random people the two questions and got closed answers (yes no). 1) Do you want Tesco's should expand? 2) Do you think the expansion is going to affect the small business and shops in Clevedon? Positive Negative Won't affect it Evaluation From all the evidence I have gathered from both primary and secondary sources, I have found out that most people think that the expansion of Tesco's is going to affect local businesses. However people think that the affects it is going to have could be negative or positive. A lot more people believe that it is going to have negative affects on the local businesses. 72% of 50 people I randomly selected from Morrison's and Tesco believe that the affects are going to be negative. This is a vast majority of my random selection. However 20% of people I surveyed believed that the affects are going to positive. By brining in more people to the area, thus bringing more people to the shops. The shop owners came across differently. They all believed that there are going to affects on the economy. The only shops that feel that they are going to be affected are the shops that stock the same products as what Tesco do. The shops that stock specialist items like New Look, don't feel threatened at all. As they have their own designer's so they don't think they will be negatively affected. They think that the new Tesco will bring in more people to Clevedon so more people will visit the shops. Everyone apart from a few people think that in some way the expansion of Tesco's will affect the local businesses. This answers my question is the Expansion of Tesco's going to affect the local businesses? From all my research the answer to the question is yes the businesses are going to be affected but it may be for the better or the worse. If I were to do this task I would do a couple of things differently. In my questions that I asked the shops I would make question 3 â€Å"Do you think there will be any side affects of the expansion of Tesco's? These could be positive of negative. Please explain your answer.† I would make this question more specific or I would get rid of it. Yes I got a lot of information off this question but the information was not relevant to my question so it was a waste of time. I would also ask a lot more random questions, as I think that this is the best way to find out what people think. I believe I have answered my question and have got a lot of evidence to back up my point.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Law reform regarding Animal Welfare Essay

As the world changes so do worldviews and therefore, so do the accepted morals and values of the time. With these changing morals and values come altering laws, amended or renewed to reflect these changing views. This is called law reform, in particular, the subject of Animal Welfare. Laws in relation to animal welfare have been made and amended to restore justice and equality to the voiceless members of society. Before recent times, the rights of animals had been severely overlooked. Attention has been brought to breeding and slaughtering practices around the world through wide scale media. In such countries these processes fly under the radar and are rarely monitored, until now. This is when worldwide regulations have to be put in place to ensure that appropriate and adequate treatments are adhered to around the world. Most animal cruelties on a small scale are kept quiet, and are performed either in secluded areas away from prying eyes or those who witness such things are unable or unsure of how to seek justice. Although most of the first laws regarding animal protection from human mistreatment were made in the early 19th Century, according to Peter Sankoff and Steven White’s book; ‘Animal Law in Australiasia’, these laws fall short of bringing adequate justice to the cruelties within Australia and New Zealand. Activists, academics, law professionals and many others share this view, giving even more reason to amend relevant legislation to cover any discrepancies and loopholes. Animal law has only recently emerged as a studied genre of law, which means it is slowly becoming more known. The constitution is the basis for all Australian law and in this case, particularly from section 51. Firstly, section 51 of the Constitution provides that the ‘Parliament shall†¦ have power to make laws for peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to’ 39 subject matters, known as ‘heads of power’. Although the constitution itself doesn’t outline laws regarding animals other than fish, it does give the conditions in which other laws can be created. The Commonwealth can enact any law, provided that the law is characterized as being under at least one of the heads of power. Subject to some limitations, a law that is characterized as being one with respect to one of these heads of power will be valid although it may regulate some other matter that is not specifically allocated to the Commonwealth (such as animal welfare). Through external affairs powers and corporations power came these treaties: Examples of the treaties form ed with other countries are as follows: * The Convention on Biological Diversity 1992, * The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 1973, * The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species and Wild Animals 1979 (‘the Bonn Convention’) and * The Convention on the Conservation of Nature in the South Pacific 1976 (‘the Apia Convention’). Mechanisms of Reform- Non-Government Organizations. ‘Lawyers For Animals’ is an organization dedicated to advocating the need to improve animal welfare through education and law, as well as ‘Voiceless’. Voiceless is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering networks for law professionals, academics and politicians to influence law and the need for law reform regarding animal welfare. They conduct research regarding agricultural industry practices, exposing legalized cruelty and promoting need for debate. They also attempt to inform the public about consuming and which products have and have not come from low quality, quantity breeders. They recognize the need for a voice that projects the facts of cruelty among everyday people and corporations that give way to law reform and law making in relation to the protection and rights of animals. By building a forum, social justice movement, funding in education, participation in events and forming relationships with law schools and firms, Voiceless hopes to pr ovoke change and awareness about animal welfare. The key issues that have been addressed as contemporary issues regarding this subject are; * Animals as property * Animals in agriculture * Animal welfare legislation * Labeling * Live animal export * Intensive livestock production and climate change * Animals used for scientific purposes * Animals used for entertainment * Pets * Pests * Wild animals * Fish and crustaceans These are a vast range of issues, which call for a vast range of bills to be introduced from a large number of interested politicians. Having animals as property and pets, means that we as humans own them. We dictate what it is they eat, drink, do etc. We are responsible for taking care of them, and the blatant fact is that many people don’t. As Gary Francione, ‘distinguished professor of law’, states – animals are ‘as a matter of law, solely means to human ends. As such, their value is measured in terms of their usefulness to humans, and not in terms of their own interests’. The Animal Legal Defence Fund (‘ALDF’), was established in 1979 and has more than 100,000 dedicated lawyer members who apply their skills in a number of ways in order to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. For example, the ‘Litigation Program’ files cutting-edge lawsuits to stop the abuse of companion animals, and animals abused in industries including factory farming and the entertainment business; while the ‘Criminal Justice Program’ works with law enforcement and prosecutors to seek maximum penalties for animal abusers. ALDF has also been at the forefront of law reform in respect to one that can actually make a difference. With changing times also comes the once described as ‘likely to be the next great social justice movement’, animal welfare is becoming more well known. Universities have been reflecting this growing issue, providing more and more opportunities for education on and relating to animal rights and animals and the environment. Examples of such debates for reform topics and their respectable supporters ( as found on http://www.alrc.gov.au/news-media/2008/will-‘animal-rights’-become-next-great-social-justice-movement) a re below: * Arguments in favour of basic legal rights for nonhumans (Steven Wise; President, Center for the Expansion of Fundamental Rights Inc., Coral Springs, Florida, USA ); * Suicide foods’: the anthropomorphising of animals (Prof Mark Kingwell, Uni of Toronto); * Animal rights activists’ case against the animal industries (Tom Regan, American philosopher and animal rights activist); * The philosophy behind animal welfare (Geoffrey Bloom, Geoffrey Bloom & Associates); * The law and pig farming (Dr Malcolm Caulfield, legal counsel for Animals Australia); * Animals and the law in Australia: a livestock industry perspective ( Kathleen Plowman; General Manager Policy for Australian Pork Ltd, with Alan Person and John Topfer); * The treatment of feral animals (Graeme McEwen, Barristers Animal Welfare Panel); * The ethics of animal biotechnology (Professors Mickey Gjerris and Peter Sandoe, University of Copenhagen); * Animal derived food labelling (Katrina Sharman, Corporate Counse l, Voiceless, the fund for animals); * The common law and animal rights (Nichola Donovan, Lawyers for Animals); * Animals, guardianship and the local courts Another benefit human’s get from animals is profit. Breeding and meat production are industries where greed comes into play and animals needs and rights are forgotten. These NGO’s raise awareness and with the help of media, put pressure on the courts and parliament to introduce change. Certain ministers will be targeted and issues put forward to so that agencies have a representative in court. Animal Laws that already exsist: * Animal Welfare Act 1992 (ACT) * Animal Welfare Act 1999 (NT) * Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (NSW) * Animal Care & Protection Act 2001 (QLD) * Animal Welfare Act 1985 (SA) * Animal Welfare Act 1993 (TAS) * Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (VIC) * Animal Welfare Act 2002 (WA The shortcomings of these laws are the lack of equal treatment among animals used for scientific research and those that are pets. Eg: Cats will receive better treatment than pigs, as they are pets and pigs are used simply to grow and once they are grown, to eat. Again, seen as property beneficial to humans, which goes against the rules of law. The majority of the difficulties with enforcement stem from the manner by which the power to enforce animal welfare legislation is granted. The power is granted to: * State government departments; * the RSPCA; * and the police. Much of the enforcement is carried out by the RSPCA. It is the state and territory governments that are responsible for enacting legislation appropriate to their areas, therefore this will be done through the New South Wales Law Reform Commission. The New South Wales Law Reform Commission takes care of localized matters in relation to the state and the Australian Law Reform Commission takes care of matters to do with international treaties of trade and animal treatment. The New South Wales Law Reform Commission may be the pinnacle of law making bodies for New South Wales, The Australian Law Reform Commission itself recognizes the altering times and calls for change throughout the country. Dated 19th May 2009, David Weisbrot, President of the ALRC spoke at the University of Sydney about their views upon the issue, with the NGO ‘Voiceless’. He stated that; â€Å"I think we need; national – or at least harmonised – legislation that protects animal welfare; and is not set at the lowest common denominator; or is so riddled with loopholes that you could drive a large factory farm truck though.† From the President of the ALRC itself, one would have to assume actions were being made in establishing new laws regarding animals, however it is not so. In the recent years, there has been much talk of changes yet no actions or amendments have been put in place as a follow through of this talk. David also stated that we evolve over time, resulting in the need for law reform and that it is this slow and painstakingly gradual task. Reasons for law reform regarding animal welfare: An example of the altering views are prime in the subject of Sweden banning importations of Australian wool in the fear that it would be supporting mulesing. This could go on to be a major issue for the wool trade industry. Another concept is that of the changing and growing world, as the population grows, so does the need for food. This pressures farmers into states of mass production; Eg: The mass breeding and steroid use in chickens so that they reach adulthood 10x faster than usual, leaving their legs to break and mutate under the abnormal weight that grows too fast for the rest of the body to keep up. These chickens have shorter and extremely painful life spans, are kept in battery cages where there is no room for them to walk or sit. This issue has been addressed in documentaries attempting to make the public aware of the cruel and selfish origin their produce is coming from and spur politicians into addressing the subject with observance of practices and laws to protect such a nimals. As is seen in the many above genre’s relating to animals as pets, food and many other things, a massive need for appropriate and widespread legislation has surfaced. Ways of mass production are under complete scrutiny for cruel practices, while more monitoring of animal owners has become paramount for the RSPCA. Universities have opened doors to educating the worlds youth about this topic, providing a new force of law trained individuals, able to influence people within their league into the advertisement and hopeful altering of current laws. These trained professionals have the ability to uncover the shortcomings of current laws that have been so far swept under the rug, and take them to members of the State and Federal Governments for consideration. The Non-Government Organizations such as the RSPCA or Voiceless project widely held views of the public, who may not be as educated or influential within the political spectrum, but allow the public a say all the same. With a new influx of technology from the late 20th into modern 21st century, brings both positive and negative possibilities when monitoring and even bringing about animal cruelty. That is, one can use cameras placed in chicken farms to monitor such breeding, but it is the development of scientific technology that has allowed such abnormal growth in the first place. Education towards use of technology in a morally aware way should be a priority for the government, as well as making the public more aware of those cruelties that happen every single day. By making the public largely aware of various aspects of animal cruelty, many more opinions can be altered to support the work of the RSPCA and Voiceless, so that both the N.S.W Law Reform Commission and Australian Law Re form Commission can alter their own priorities and make changes to relative legislation. Bibliography: * http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/welfare * http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/reform * http://www.lawyersforanimals.org.au/documents/Animal-Law-Subject-Proposal.pdf * http://lawyersforanimals.org.au/ * http://www.federationpress.com.au/bookstore/book.asp?isbn=9781862877191 * http://www.animallaw.info/nonus/articles/ovaustrailia.htm * http://lsa.net.au/wcb-content/uploads/lsa/files/2011/Animal%20Law%20-%20a%20need%20for%20reform%20(LSA%20State%20Conference%20March%202011).pdf * http://www.alrc.gov.au/news-media/2008/will-‘animal-rights’-become-next-great-social-justice-movement * http://www.alrc.gov.au/news-media/2009/voiceless-animal-law-lecture-series