Thursday, November 28, 2019

Maya Angelou free essay sample

This poem is written with Maya Angelou herself as the speaker. She is speaking to her audience of oppressors about how she has overcome racism, criticism, sexism, and personal obstacles in her life with pride and grace. This poem is historically rooted with the mentions of slavery, a â€Å"past of pain,† and â€Å"gifts of ancestors,† however she is speaking in the present having overcome all of the hardships of her past and embarking on the rest of her journey with the knowledge that she is a strong African American woman. Still I Rise is about overcoming oppression with grace and pride, having no sympathy for the oppressors and giving to validity to the reasons for oppression. There is rhyme every other line for most of the poem that immediately guides the reader through the poem. The phrases â€Å"I rise† and â€Å"Still I rise† are used repetetively throughout the poem to show that the speaker continues to overcome each situation of oppression and each oppressor. We will write a custom essay sample on Maya Angelou or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Imagery is dominant in this poem, especially after Angelou questions her oppressors. She gives the us images like â€Å"I walk like I’ve got oil wells /Pumping in my living room† and â€Å"Shoulders falling down like teardrops† and † I dance like I’ve got diamonds/ At the meeting of my thighs. † There is also the repeating image of air and dust rising. Much of her imagery is conveyed through similes and metaphors. This usuage of figurative languages gives us a very clear picture of what Angelou means and usually conveys a strong emotion. For example, when Angelou says â€Å"Shoulders falling down like teardrops,† we get an image of drooping shoulders (like the shape of a tear) and the tear itself is immediately associated with sadness. The two of these combined makes the images even stronger. The poem is more a narrative than anything else because Angelou interacts with her audience as she talks about the highs and lows of her life and history. The main symbol throughout the poem is that of rising dust. For dust to rise, it must be unsettled from the ground in some way and then forms a dust cloud. But once the dust has been unsettled from the ground, it can leave and RISE. This can be applied to Angelou’s overcome of the obstacles and her oppressors on the â€Å"ground† and rising above them all, unsettling and challenging the oppression. This poem has a very certain seriousness to it, but Angelou brings in her pride as an African American woman and injects playful images into the poem when questioning her oppressors. The stanzas that have questions show the direct relationship between the speaker and the audience, Angelou and her oppressors, and allows the reader to put themselves in the heat of the discussion and in the heart of the poem. The tone is one of sureness, pride, and grace. This online analysis says that the â€Å"you† that the poem is speaking to is the white race and that the â€Å"I† is the black race. This analysis says that the poem is a discussion between black and white, where the black, with Maya Angelou speaking, is taking pride in her heritage and what she has come from and intimidating the white race. This analysis says that â€Å"Maya is pretentiously assuring the audience that she will ‘rise† to any occasion and her color won’t hold her back. † After reading this analysis, I agree with the â€Å"you† being the white race. I thought before that the â€Å"you† had been specific to her own life, but this interpretation makes sense with the multiple references to slavery.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Great Expectations

Influence on Great Expectations Many characters influence Pip’s life in Great Expectations. He learns many important lessons while interacting with each of these characters. The role of Pip in Great Expectations is developed through the positive and negative influences of Joe, Magwitch and Miss Havisham. Joe is one of the influences that affect’s Pip from a very early stage. Joe gives him a sense of honesty, friendliness, generosity, diligence and dignity. Joe is continually faithful to Pip throughout the entire novel. Joe is constantly being abused by Mrs. Joe without defending himself. Mrs. Joe uses the â€Å"tickler† and tar-water to punish Joe and Pip (chapter 2). This shows how Joe has a weak side to his character; Pip sees through this and doesn’t admire the trait. When Pip was close to death Joe arrives to aid him (chapter 57). He takes care of Pip and leaves without being thanked. This reinforces all the values he had as a child sensed in Joe but could not fully understand. Later on as the story draws to an end, Pip learns to do honest labor. He looks back and realizes that he too, like Joe, is a working man. Through Magwitch Pip learns to become a gentleman, Magwitch’s gratitude and his own redemption during the third stage of Great Expectations. Magwitch also instilled fear in a young Pip. At the first encounter of Magwitch and Pip the convict tells Pip that he will not eat his heart and liver, but that another convict will do so (chapter 1). Pip is even forced to steal and lie for the convict. Pip goes through most of the novel believing Miss. Havisham is his benefactress and when he discovers that it is Magwitch his perspectives about his expectations completely change. Pip is revolted by the man he once felt sorrow and sympathy for. The time he spends with Magwitch from when he arrives to the sad moment of his death, Pip learns again many things he had forgotte... Free Essays on Great Expectations Free Essays on Great Expectations Influence on Great Expectations Many characters influence Pip’s life in Great Expectations. He learns many important lessons while interacting with each of these characters. The role of Pip in Great Expectations is developed through the positive and negative influences of Joe, Magwitch and Miss Havisham. Joe is one of the influences that affect’s Pip from a very early stage. Joe gives him a sense of honesty, friendliness, generosity, diligence and dignity. Joe is continually faithful to Pip throughout the entire novel. Joe is constantly being abused by Mrs. Joe without defending himself. Mrs. Joe uses the â€Å"tickler† and tar-water to punish Joe and Pip (chapter 2). This shows how Joe has a weak side to his character; Pip sees through this and doesn’t admire the trait. When Pip was close to death Joe arrives to aid him (chapter 57). He takes care of Pip and leaves without being thanked. This reinforces all the values he had as a child sensed in Joe but could not fully understand. Later on as the story draws to an end, Pip learns to do honest labor. He looks back and realizes that he too, like Joe, is a working man. Through Magwitch Pip learns to become a gentleman, Magwitch’s gratitude and his own redemption during the third stage of Great Expectations. Magwitch also instilled fear in a young Pip. At the first encounter of Magwitch and Pip the convict tells Pip that he will not eat his heart and liver, but that another convict will do so (chapter 1). Pip is even forced to steal and lie for the convict. Pip goes through most of the novel believing Miss. Havisham is his benefactress and when he discovers that it is Magwitch his perspectives about his expectations completely change. Pip is revolted by the man he once felt sorrow and sympathy for. The time he spends with Magwitch from when he arrives to the sad moment of his death, Pip learns again many things he had forgotte...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

I will upload files that include the topic Essay

I will upload files that include the topic - Essay Example The people in the story are exiled from the memories of China and find difficulty in establishing their own identity in an estranged country. Both the stories talk about the people who come to America to construct their life leaving their home, family, attachments and jobs. However the story â€Å" Brave We Are† is more of accepting various culture than the Chinese immigrants of â€Å" The Good Fall†. The two stories talks about hybridity and cultural differences faced by American immigrants . (Thesis) People get mixed and children born out of such hybridity bring multiculturalism which can be a brave action but still a matter of concern. According to ( Naqvi 932)â€Å" Brave we are, we who answer questions that spill forth artlessly from the mouth of nine year old purist questions that can neither be waved not dismissed with ambiguity† The characters in both the novel were not able to switch culture easily as they think . According to(Jin 229) â€Å" Mark Zong has ordered him to leave, but the monk went to a park and hanged himself instead†. By birth, their identity had been shaped by their culture and religion. Being a Muslim from Pakistan, it was not easy for Naqvi to change her cultural identity. As per (Varnum 9-13) â€Å"Cultural psychologists have consistently found different patterns of thinking and perception in different societies, with some cultures demonstrating a more analytic pattern and others a more holistic pattern†. She was locked in to a solitary culture and could not embrace the American culture completely. The American culture is new to Naqvi and being a foreigner accepting the modern life of America is a strange concept for her as well as the Chinese immigrants in â€Å" A Good Fall†. In the novel â€Å" Brave We are†Naqvi a mother faces threats when her son ask her about the meaning of hybridity. She tries to answer the question without her son going deep into the subject. She finds it absurd about the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Interrogating the Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interrogating the Museum - Essay Example It is â€Å"is fashioned after the many cabinets of curiosities housed among princely palaces that originated throughout Europe during the 1500s. Ours follows this tradition with a stimulating mixture of books, games, costumes, and other hands-on activities for the entire family (Denver Art Museum). Perhaps the extra effort that was undertaken by the curator of the museum was consistent with its mission not just to house art works but rather to â€Å"enrich the lives of present and future generations through the acquisition, presentation, and preservation of works of art† which explains why the â€Å"unusual† presentation of the art works. The Bernadette Berger Discovery Library contains a mixture of artworks, artifacts, books and other printed artistic materials that it would be difficult to classify the discovery library as a mere museum or study area because it is a combination of both and even more because it encourages the visitors toward a self-discovery of the a rea. In addition, the discovery library in Denver Art Museum is also constantly rearranged to invite its visitors for a return. The moment visitors enter the library, they would notice unusually sized furniture where books, artifacts and artworks are nicely tucked on the walls and cabinets which includes an 18th century doll house, an Egyptian mummy case and several Greek vases. What is unusual with the framing of the artworks there is that some are contained in drawers that the visitors can roll out to see them which includes Egyptian jewelry. What is interesting in the discovery library were the artworks that early Native Americans would have which includes ceramics, basketries and even photos and paintings of the old American West. They are also constantly being rearranged but in general, the place could simulate a comfortable home with oversize furniture and air conditioned. It is also one of the very few museums where there are computers that we could use. Equally interesting, and perhaps the visionary approach of its curator is that there were no staff present when I visited the place and we were just left alone. It was not to neglect us visitors but it was more of encouraging us to explore what is in the library and to encourage that, staff presence were removed. And it was effective because I became engaged with the discovery center. The Bernadette Berger Discovery Library was opened between 1997 and 1999 which was deliberately created as a â€Å"themed† library and used the term â€Å"discovery library† for it to send a message to its visitors that they are welcome not to mention to become more comfortable with the place that would induce them to stay longer. The set up of presenting the books and artworks in the Discovery Library was intended to break the pattern where visitors see a museum with a permanent set up or presentation where they would only visit once not to mention that the visit would be a bore because they remain standing that they could only spend for minimum amount of time (Williams 160). Personally, this is the most interesting part of the museum because it is inviting, relaxing and engaging unlike in other places in other museum where there are no activities that all I have to do is stare at the artwork or listen to the explanation of the curator where I have been standing all along. With this kind of set up, the guests visit

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Management Report and Proposal Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Management Report and Proposal - Dissertation Example While discussing on the lines of fast diffusion of the internet connectivity in various corners of the world, it can be said that the emergence of the internet has been tremendously accelerated on the basis of fast acceptance and penetration of various kinds of technological gadgets like the I-pads, I phones by the masses around the world. With the rapid acceptance of the internet connectivity in both the developing as well as the developed countries, the entire world has become globally connected through the virtual and digital platform. It is of considerable importance to mention that because of this global interconnectivity there has been a tremendous shift in the power balance in the market. The internet connectivity has brought forward the power of knowledge to the consumers around the world. The easy access of knowledge by the consumers of both the developed as well as the developing regions is increasingly paving the way for trends related to digitization. Because of the trend s of digitization, there has been a tremendous amount of cross border demand for various products and services that are increasingly emerging from multiple small and big points around the world. It needs to be mentioned that these new kinds of demands are increasingly creating a shift of power balance in the market dynamics all around the world. Previously what used to be a market that is dominated by the power the sellers has paved the roads for the market that is being dominated by the buyers and consumers. Because of this new modification and shift on the lines of consumer demand, many new as well as existing companies are sensing tremendous amount of business opportunity for various kinds of new as well as innovative business products and solutions. In order to tap the business opportunities that are brewing in the markets of the developing as well as the developed region, the companies that are located in various geographies around the world are seriously considering on the opt ions related to entering into newer markets. It is utterly relevant to mention that the internet is playing a tremendously catalytic role in regards to providing the information that is highly necessary for the purpose of entering these new markets. Since, more and more companies of multinational as well as international and transnational nature are slowly starting to enter into the market of a particular region of a new country or location, the level of competition in the market of that particular region is starting to rise. This is in return creating a pressure on the already existing companies to stay tremendously competitive in the marketplace. In an attempt to stay competitive in the market place, the companies in many markets around the world are increasingly trying to sport a lean structure, while cutting organizational costs. Because of the trimming down of organization related operating expenses, there has been a direct impact in regards to the amount of manpower that will be maintained by the company as an asset. Thus, it is creating the trends of

Friday, November 15, 2019

Public Expenditure on Education in India

Public Expenditure on Education in India Abstract Prioritizing amongst the competing ends for the government treasury is a big challenge for a developing country like India. Poverty eradication, health and other crucial social needs compete with education and create fiscal pressures. But an investment in education is considered inevitable. This research paper compares public expenditure on education in India in 2005-06 and 2010-11. As observed, government spent more on revenue account than capital account. Share of the State and Union territories in public expenditure on education was more than that of the Centre. States/UTs spending were highest for Non-plan expenditure across all categories of public expenditure on education. Spending was almost double in 2010-11 as compared to 2005-06 in absolute terms but the relative shares between categories hardly changed. Share of expenditure on education was highest for elementary education followed by secondary education, university education higher education, technical education and then adult education. Key words Public expenditure, education, plan, non-plan, revenue, capital, India INTRODUCTION There are primarily three sources of financing the education in India i.e. financing through central government, state government and non-government sector (including parents, non-government organizations, banks, philanthropic contributions and as a part of corporate social responsibility activities amongst others). Government is expected to shoulder greater responsibility in providing for education due to the social returns associated with education. The central and state financing is further bifurcated in Revenue account and capital account and Plan and Non-plan expenditure. Expenditures on capital account are long-term in nature. They are used for acquiring fixed assets such as land, building, machinery and equipment. Other items that also fall under this category include loans and advances sanctioned by the Centre to the State governments, union territories and public sector undertakings. However, expenditures incurred for the routine functioning of the government departments and various other services, largely not associated with acquisition of assets such as subsidies, salaries, interest, etc. incurred by the government are referred to as revenue expenditure. Plan expenditure refers to the expenditure devoted towards the funding of the plans by the government. On the other hand, non-plan expenditure refers to the expenditures other than those devoted for the plans of government. Plan and non-plan expenditure are incurred on capital and revenue accounts. The objective of this paper is to analyze in detail the contributions made by the Centre and the State governments towards expenditure on education in 2005-06 and 2010-11 and observe the changes thereby. The selected years were chosen due to the availability of comparable data. Data for actual expenditure, revised estimates of budgeted expenditure and budgeted estimates were available, but for the purpose of analysis the data related to actual expenditure incurred was only considered. Henceforth State would refer to State and Union territories combine, CAPITAL AND REVENUE EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION In absolute terms the budgeted expenditure on education and other departments by Central and State governments in 2005-06 accounted for INR 1,14,389 crores out of which the expenditure on revenue account was about INR 1,13,229 crores (98.99%), on capital account was about INR 1,143 crores (1%) and on loans and advances was about INR 17 crores (0.01%). Similarly for 2010-11 the total expenditure accounted for INR 2,97,311 crores out of which the expenditure on revenue account was about INR 2,93,478 crores (98.71%), on capital account was about INR 3,776 crores (1.27%) and on loans and advances was about INR 57 crores (0.02%). While the absolute budgeted expenditure on education almost increased 2.5 times over the period of five years, the relative share of revenue account, capital account and loans and advances almost remained same. There was just a shift of 0.27% from revenue to capital account. It was further observed that the entire contribution on capital account came from the Sta tes with no share at all from the Centre. As can be observed the share of revenue account left almost negligible share for capital account and loans and advances from the total expenditure. Since capital expenditures are incurred on procurement of fixed assets, the data indicated that lesser expenditure was incurred in acquiring land, building, machinery and equipment. Growth in education would be difficult if it was not duly supported by a growth in acquisition of assets. It can also be observed that the contribution for expenditure on salaries, subsidies and interest payments through revenue account was high. PLAN AND NON-PLAN EXPENDITURE While plan and non-plan expenditure were also incurred on capital account, the amount being comparatively meager, plan and non-plan expenditure on revenue account only had been analyzed. The total budgeted Plan and Non-plan expenditure by education and other departments on revenue account were INR 1,13,229 in 2005-06 and INR 2,93,478 in 2010-11 as suggested in the previous section. In 2005-06 Plan expenditure accounted for 27.9% and Non-plan expenditure accounted for 72.1% of the total budgeted expenditure on revenue account. Similarly in 2010-11 Plan expenditure accounted for 33.2% and Non-plan expenditure accounted for 66.8% of the total budgeted expenditure on revenue account. Therefore over a period of five years about 5% of the share of Non-plan expenditure was shifted to Plan expenditure. For 2005-06 and 2010-11 the Plan expenditure for Center was more and Non-plan expenditure of State was more. Across the total budgeted Plan and Non-plan revenue expenditure the highest share was of Non-plan expenditure by States. The Non-plan expenditure by States accounted for 67% of the total revenue expenditure in 2005-06 and 59% in 2010-11 respectively as can be seen in figure 1. Figure 1: Budgeted Plan and Non Plan Expenditure on Revenue account for Center and State for 2005-06 and 2010-11 Source: MHRD (2008, 2014) Hence it can be concluded that the budgeted expenditure on education was incurred most on the revenue account and of the revenue account the contribution of the non-plan expenditure by the State was highest. EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION AS A PERCENTAGE OF GDP Expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP is a globally accepted criterion which is widely used for international comparisons of financing of education. Figure 2 depicts public expenditure on various sectors of education namely elementary, secondary, university higher, technical education as a percentage of GDP. Expenditure of Adult education was nominal and so has not been included. Public expenditure included the expenditure incurred by education department and other departments and ministries respectively for various sectors. India being a developing nation highest public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was incurred on elementary education in 2005-06 (1.61) and in 2010-11 (1.7). It was followed by expenditure on secondary education, university and higher education and technical education for 2005-06 as well as 2009-10. In comparison with 2005-06 public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was incurred more in 2010-11 across all levels of education. Expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP by states was highest for elementary education followed by secondary education, university higher education and technical education for 2005-06 and 2010-11. But the expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP by Centre was highest for elementary education, and was followed by university and higher education, technical education instead of secondary education, that got the least share. Compared to 2005-06 in 2010-11 the commitment by the Centre increased for university higher education and technical education with little left for secondary education. The contribution by the Centre almost doubled for university and higher education and more than doubled for technical education. For secondary education there was a fall in the public expenditure on education from 0.7% to 0.1% of the GDP from 20 05-06 to 2010-11. It can be further observed that the contribution of state for all levels of education was more than that for Centre for both the years 2005-06 to 2010-11 as can be observed in figure 3. While not much change could be observed in the share of State and Centre as a percentage of GDP in 2005-06 and 2010-11 for elementary and secondary education, a dramatic rise in the share of the Centre as compared to State could be observed for university higher education and technical education for the same period. Figure 3: Sector-wise share of State and Centre in Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP for 2005-06 and 2010-11 Source: MHRD (2008, 2014) The share of State (76.4%) and Centre (23.6%) for elementary education in 2005-06 almost remained stagnant as observed for State (74.7%) and Centre’s share (25.3%) in the GDP in 2009-10. Similarly the share of State (92.2%) and Centre (7.8%) for secondary education in 2005-06 was almost the same for State (89.9%) and Centre (10.1%) in 2009-10. Share of Centre for university and higher education in public expenditure as a percentage of GDP increased from 23.9% to 38.4% and that of the States decreased from 76.1% to 61.6%. Likewise the share of Centre for technical education increased from 33.3% to 50% and that of the States decreased from 66.7% to 50% from 2005-06 to 2010-11. Therefore the shift from the Centre to State in the share of university and higher education was to the tune of about 15% and for technical education it was about 17%. CONCLUSION The present scenario calls for serious action in support of financing the higher education access in India. A bigger financial commitment surpassing the inflationary conditions both by the central and the state government is warranted. A larger share as a percentage of GDP should be allocated for the expenditure on education to enhance the access to education. Higher funds would be required to address the expenditures on revenue account, like that for filling the vacant faculty positions. On the other side, the expenditure on capital account like raising the qualitative learning infrastructure would be obligatory to achieve a higher rate of enrolments. Access to equitable and qualitative higher education is the need of the hour for a country like India aspiring to excel in the economic growth and development. The commitment from government and private sector towards the investments in developing human capital will determine if the demographic advantage will be a dividend or a liability. Governments today increasingly face the limitation to raise means owing to the fiscal pressures, increased demand for access to education, rising costs, expectations for improvement in infrastructure, increasing the resources, enhancing, quality and competing prioritized demands on the government treasury. For a developing country like India, it is difficult to assume that government alone would be able to achieve the mammoth task of assuring access to education for the masses. Higher efficiencies can be achieved by the allocation of the funds on the criterion of ‘performance based funding’. Increased accountability should be accompanie d by increased autonomy to raise funds at the institutional level, with wisdom to assure the opportunity of access to quality education for anyone willing to pursue the same. The government through necessary regulatory changes should incentivize philanthropic and alumni contributions by allowing tax rebates on incurring such expenditures by individuals. Income generated through consultancies, research and development and providing training workshops in the area of expertise should be appreciated and encouraged. Considering the present and future demand for higher education in India, it cannot be denied that financing remains a serious challenge. To achieve this mammoth task, all possible sources of funding will have to be explored to assure a qualitative and equitable access to higher education.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Free College Admissions Essays: An opinion I have had to defend :: College Admissions Essays

Tell us about an opinion you have had to defend Tell us about an opinion you have had to defend. How has this affected your belief system? I chuckle to myself every time I think about this. I am perceived as a mild-mannered, intelligent individual until I mention that I am involved in riflery. It is interesting to watch someone's expression change. It is as if I instantaneously grew a pair of horns and a sharp set of claws. Believe me this gets worse; I am a member of the NRA. I try to tell these folks that I belong to the NRA to fire my rifle. "Oh my God! You fire real guns? with real bullets?!?" they remark with a perplexed look on their face. Besides having horns and claws, I now possess a tail and leathery wings. This is how it began five years ago. I had played on a soccer team for several years. As I grew older I began having difficulty playing soccer because of shortness of breath. I was diagnosed as having mild asthma which ended my soccer career and eliminated my participation in most physical sports. Shortly afterward, during a Boy Scout summer camp, I participated in riflery at their shooting range. This was the first time I had ever touched a firearm. To my amazement, I won the camp's first place award for marksmanship. I was more than eager when a friend of mine asked me if I would like to join a shooting club. My parents were wary when I asked to join the rifle club. My mother feared guns, but my father felt there was no problem with trying this sport. Gratefully, he gave me the opportunity to try rifle marksmanship, despite secretly hoping that I would quit. Both of my parents were afraid of what people would think about their son's involvement with guns. Like my parents a majority of people believe that all firearms are dangerous to our society. All they remember are the hysterical news releases of street violence and injured children. I am often asked how many deer I've shot. Frankly, I could never bring myself to injure another living creature and neither would most of the competitors I have met. Yet, I keep finding myself defending the sport from all of the misconceptions that surround it.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Abiotic Factors Affecting Organisms – revision notes

Light Light intensity can be measured both physically measured for example with a LICOR light meter or a QSL (quantum scalar irradiance) meter. Luminous intensity can be measured subjectively measured with eg. a foot-candle meter, a type of photographic exposure meter. Intensity-watts rn-2 or einsteins m-2sec-1 Luminosity Units include candles, lumens, footcandles and lux. Temperature Temperature is measured using a thermometer. It's also a measure of how fast the atoms and molecules of a substance are moving. The units of measure are degrees on the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales. Humidity Hygrometers may be designed for indoor or outdoor use (or both). Analog hygrometers use a moisture-sensitive material that is attached to a coil spring. The spring controls a needle on an easy-to-read circular dial. Analog hygrometers are often part of a durable, weather-resistant device that also includes a thermometer. Digital hygrometers determine the relative humidity by using a sensor to monitor an electric current that is affected by moisture levels. Relative humidity, expressed as a percent. Salinity Salinity is often measured by measuring how well electricity travels through the water. This property of water is called conductivity. Water that has dissolved salt in it will conduct electricity better than water with no dissolved salt.Handheld Refractometer /Hydrometer /Conductivity Meter expressed in parts per million(ppm) O2 concentration Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method for monitoring a person's O2 saturation. Or Gas sensor used. pO2 CO2 concentration Use a sensor connected to a PC via an arduino board. pCO2 Wind Wind speed is now commonly measured with an anemometer but can also be classified using the older Beaufort scale which is based on people's observation of specifically definedwind effects. Knot Factor– Light Light is important to both animals and plants as it is the main source of living organisms energy on earth. It takes part in photosynthesis which provides energy to both animals and plants, required for growth, movement and survival. Plants need to grow to be used as a food source for animals. Light is also important for animals vision, without light we would not be able to see which would hamper movement and many senses. Humans also required sunlight for vitamin D. Light is also needed for warmth. Factor– Temperature Temperature is a major determining factor of global climate patterns. It affects the life cycles of plants and animals, influences weather and tides, and controls the freeze and thaw of the polar ice caps. A small change in average temperature can have powerful effects on the environment worldwide and can determine if a certain species has a suitable habitat for survival. Temperature also affects the rate of important reactions, it effects enzymes and many other chemicals and their efficiency. Factor-Humidity Humidity drives most of the observable weather phenomena starting with clouds via fog, rain to storms and finally to such dramatic weather phenomena as hurricanes. It is not possible to forecast the weather exactly without precise knowledge of humidity in all the layers of the atmosphere. Humidity affects chemical reactions, the environment of animals and plants. Factor– Salinity Ocean salinity plays key roles in the global hydrological cycle, ocean circulation and in regulating Earth's climate. Today's scientists know that Earth's water cycle is dominated by exchanges between the ocean and atmosphere, with sea surface salinity (SSS) varying because of freshwater input and output, via the processes of evaporation and precipitation. Factor– O2 Concentration plant cells need oxygen to live, because without oxygen they can't perform aerobic respiration to produce co2 (respiration is the process of breaking down food to get energy). Similarly animals need o2 to respire and live, breath and produce energy. O2 concentration also effects habitats as different species require different levels of o2. Factor– CO2 Concentration Without CO2 the life of photosynthetic organisms and animals would be impossible, given that CO2 provides the basis for the synthesis of organic compounds that provide nutrients for plants and animals. We also know CO2 is toxic to humans therefore affects their health. However plants need co2 for energy. Factor-Wind Wind effects seed dispersal and aids the production of pollen needed for pollination which is important because it leads to the production of fruits we can eat, and seeds that will create more plants. Wind also effects the moisture surrounding guard cells and the gas and water exchange in plants and animals.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Military Ranks, Units and Weapons

Military Ranks, Units and Weapons Military Ranks, Units and Weapons Military Ranks, Units and Weapons By Mark Nichol Even the best and most popular authors get facts wrong sometimes (often because they leave research to others and don’t vet it, or are careless in their own investigations), but that’s no excuse for shoddy writing that contradicts what a large segment of the readership knows to be true. One area that’s a minefield, so to speak, for writers is the military. It’s easy to find detailed information about military ranks, units, and weaponry, not to mention history, but here’s some basic training: Military Rank Various nations follow differing conventions of nomenclature for military ranks, which specify an individual’s place in the military hierarchy. Charts that compare various military ranks among and within countries abound in print and online, but the major distinction is between commissioned officers, noncommissioned officers, and enlisted personnel. The first category is for personnel, often college graduates, who command units of various sizes depending on seniority. Noncoms are experienced enlisted personnel who supervise smaller groups of lower-ranking personnel. The term captain is a common point of confusion. A captain (the word is from the Latin for â€Å"head†) originally led a company of soldiers of indeterminate size. In modern armies, marine units, and air forces, captains are relatively low-ranking officers probably in their late 20s or early 30s. Naval captains, however, for reasons I won’t detail here, are much higher in equivalent seniority and usually much older. Furthermore, the commanding officer of most vessels is, by tradition, called the captain, though they may not hold that specific rank. In books, films, and television programs, the creators often stretch the bounds of probability as far as rank is concerned. In the original Star Trek TV series, for example, Captain Kirk was very young to be commanding a starship, though the 2009 big-screen reboot gives a plausible explanation for his precocious promotion. (Well, as plausible as anything is concerned when the subject is Star Trek.) By contrast, Brad Pitt’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s World War II action flick Inglourious Basterds [sic] is a mere army lieutenant. People who hold that beginner’s rank are likely to be in their early to mid-20s, but Pitt is old enough to be a lieutenant’s father. Military-style ranks are used in American police and fire departments. In large cities, a captain is a fairly high rank (while lieutenants are fairly common, especially among detectives), but in smaller departments, the chief may hold the rank of captain, and there may be only one lieutenant, or up to several. Similarly, a captain or a lieutenant heads up a fire company, which may consist of only a few firefighters, but a small-town fire department with a single station may be headed by a captain. Military Units You’ve seen it before: a book or movie synopsis that goes something like â€Å"A tough sergeant leads a platoon of commandos behind enemy lines . . . .† The military has a very specific organizational structure, and a platoon, which consists of several dozen soldiers, is never led by a sergeant, who in combat would be responsible for no more than a dozen or so men. As it turns out, the story’s commando unit consists of eight guys. There’s no military unit ordinarily consisting of eight soldiers, but an ad hoc assemblage could informally be called a squad. But if it’s on a special mission, even a mere eight-man unit would likely be led not by a sergeant but by a fairly junior officer, like Tom Hanks’s Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan (who is assisted by a sergeant, who would take charge if his commanding officer were killed or incapacitated). Military Weapons Plenty of derision has been aimed over the years at war and cop movies and westerns, and at genre fiction, in which the hero’s magic gun never runs out of bullets, but it still happens. (I was annoyed too, while watching an already annoying fantasy film, when a character ambled through a crowded market square with an uncovered double-bladed battle-ax strapped to his back. All he had to do was inadvertently back into somebody to perform an instant nose-ectomy.) Follow the Drill Details like these may seem trivial to civilians, but they’re distracting to millions of service members and veterans, and many others, who know a sergeant major from a major general, a division from a detachment, and a Luger from a Ruger. The same problem afflicts people with firsthand or secondhand knowledge of any other system or profession or industry or avocation. So, if you’re going to write about the military, or about any other topic, do your research, and write it right. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Economic Analysis Forecast Macro Environment Airline Essay Example

Economic Analysis Forecast Macro Environment Airline Essay Example Economic Analysis Forecast Macro Environment Airline Paper Economic Analysis Forecast Macro Environment Airline Paper Overview In todays global economy, firms rely on the analysis of macroeconomic and industry data to develop performance improving strategies and increase their profitability. With this in mind, the following report consists of an analysis of the U. Macro environment, the airline Industry, and Delta Air Lines. It covers both a historic period from 1996 to 2000 and a current period from 2001 to the present. Even though there has been current significant Improvement in GAP, there are new concerns regarding deflation, the present jobless recovery, and the fact that production is increasing at a faster rate than demand. Subsequent analysis will focus on the changing factors that have lead to these results. When facing economic expansion or recession, the Federal Reserve Board (the Fed) relies on different measures to potentially Influence the economic environment. The Feeds current approach has been the opposite; It has expanded the money supply to lower the targeted federal funds rate In order to try to pull the economy out of the recession and generate sustainable amount of economic growth. Economic expansion (1996 2000) contributed to Deltas and the overall airline industry positive performance. On average, the airline industry contributed O. These macroeconomic events had direct effects over the airline industry. For example, increase in labor and fuel costs forced labor cuts in the Industry and the grounding of a significant number of aircraft. The different factors affecting the Industrys performance also have direct effects over Delta Air Lines. This is evidenced by the generation of profits during the expansion period (totaling LOS$ 4,040 million) and losses during the period of economic downturn (totaling US$ 2,934 million). With loss still remaining on their income statements, major carriers, including Delta, are searching for deferent ways o face the new low-cost competition. By analyzing past and current trends in the macroeconomic environment, In the airline Industry, and In Deltas performance, respectively, we highlight existing links between each. It Is Important to mention that our analysis focuses solely on the commercial aviation sector in order to satisfy Deltas informational needs.  Based on this research and analysis, our report is intended to provide an objective macroeconomic and industry forecast for the coming year and provide recommendations to Delta. The Macroeconomic Environment We now analyze the U. Agronomic environment during the historic and current periods. GAP Analysis To understand the changes In GAP behavior we look at its basic components (See Average Growth of Real GAP Components graph). These international economic problems caused the dollar to strengthen against foreign currencies, which in turn debilitated U. This deteriorating environment gave way to the current period, greeted by recession. Worries related to the war with Iraq, as well as persistent concerns about the course of economic activity and corporate earnings, created a high degree of risk aversion mongo Dustless executives Tanat constrained capital spending Ana null. I nose factors will be discussed in more detail in subsequent analysis. Inflation Analysis The general trend for inflation during both the historic and current periods has been to remain low. For example, in the airline industry, Internet fare bookings have decreased overall commission expenses. However, profit margins were contracted as rising costs created higher prices in a competitive market environment. Capacity Utilization In our previous analysis we mentioned the effects of increased productivity and market competition on inflation. These factors were fueled by the overall favorable economic conditions. After analyzing the differences and trends in the macroeconomic environment between the historic and current periods, we now focus our attention on the Federal Reserves role in the economy. Feeds Response To meet the goals of high growth, low inflation, and low unemployment, the Fed looks at the range of variables discussed in previous analysis. 5% in order to try to pull the economy out of the recession and generate sustainable amount of economic growth. The Federal Reserve also lowered the targeted federal funds rate in order o reduce the strain on the economy caused by international economic instability (Asia, Russia, and Latin America). As mentioned in the Inflation Analysis section, price increases have been low throughout this period due to: Decrease in overall spending Decrease in wealth due to poor stock market returns High unemployment rates Lower capacity utilization In the present, fiscal policy has provided additional support to consumer spending. At present, inflation, for the first time since the early sass, is as low as the Fed wants so low, in fact, that threes a remote risk of the economy tipping into a debilitating deflation. The macroeconomic environment has great impact over the strategies used by industries and firms. To illustrate this relationship, we presented in this section an analysis of the most influential factors in industry and firm decision making which are: real GAP growth and its components, inflation, and productivity. Our analysis also covered the inverse relationship that exists between the unemployment rate and both capacity utilization and consumer confidence. The next section focuses on the airline industry. Agronomic environment to the overall industry performance during the historic and current periods. Our main focus will be centered on the industry contribution to GAP, its competitive environment, pricing and economies of scale strategies, and its major costs. The Airline Industry All the macroeconomic factors we have analyzed have direct influence over the behavior of the different industries in the economy. In this section, we discuss the airline industry performance during the historic and current periods by emphasizing the relationship it poses with the macro environment. Traditionally, there has been a direct relationship between the growth of the economy and the growth of the industry. For instance, during the historic period, the industry and the economy were both characterized by decreasing unemployment, and as the GAP improved, the industry sustained profits. In the current period, the industry was badly affected by the existing recession, and even with the recent improvement in the economic environment, the industry has not been able to recover at the same rate as the economy. The changes in the macroeconomic environment have great influence over the industry mainly due to its principle characteristics: The current market structure AT ten Lorene Ministry Is centralize Day a null degree AT market incarceration with a small number of dominant, large firms although other producers are present. In the airline industry, the top airlines historically were American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, US Airways, and United, better known as the Big Six. Traditionally, entry of smaller firms into this market was moderately difficult due to strategies used by the Big Six such as: Cutting ticket prices below actual cost (predatory Holding gates and slots at airports so they can conveniently fly ion and out blocking smaller firms Holding long-term leases on gates and retaining dates currently onto in use to prevent their use by others Holding veto rights over airport expansion projects that might let ion new competitors Controlling critical ground-handling baggage services at dominant hubs; usually charging smaller airlines prohibitively high prices for using them The Industry Evolves Even with the long-standing structure of the airline industry, changes are inevitable. The most important challenge faced is the change in the industry competitive environment. As the airline industry entered the current period, it faced problems related to the general economic recession. The 9/1 1 terrorist attacks and the war with Iraq have led to further dampening effects on the industry. A new breed of carriers is gaining strength in this environment: low-cost airlines. Industry Performance and Contribution to GAP Historically, there has been a very strict correlation between how the airline industry performs financially and how the nations economy performs, measured by GAP. This indicates that the airline industry was a major contributor to the nations economy. During this period, airlines reported high net profits linked to the period of economic expansion discussed in the macroeconomic section of this port. Historical periods profits enabled airline carriers to rebuild their balance sheets from the Gulf War years. Unfortunately, from 2001 to the present, the industry has accumulated net losses. Although GAP figures had already been declining prior to 9/1 1, as the above graph indicates, the slowing economy and the bursting dot. Com bubble also negatively impacted the industry. This deteriorating behavior is once again consistent with the performance of the overall macroeconomic environment. At the present, the low-cost carriers are capitalizing on the debt of the major carriers. This capitalization, coupled with huge investments made by big firms during the historical period (See Aircraft Orders Options graph) to face increased demand, forced big airlines to improve efficiency through cost-cutting measures described in further analysis. The precipitous drop in traffic following the 9/1 1 attacks were mirrored by the industry sharp reduction in capacity fleets shrunk by 298 aircraft. Industry Costs Bleed Profits During the historic period, the effects of decreased demand and increased competitive pressures from low-cost carriers have made major airlines focus on cost management to improve their income statements, which have been yielding negative numbers since 2001. The largest expenses for the airline industry in both the historical and current periods include flying operations (29%), aircraft and traffic servicing (16%), maintenance (12%), and promotion and sales (11%). We begin by analyzing the industry largest expense: labor. More than 1/3 of the revenue generated each day is used to pay the workforce, causing airline labor costs per employee to be among the highest of any industry in the US. The graph to the left illustrates this relationship by comparing en average annual employee compensation In ten Lorene Ministry to Tanat In ten u private industry. The industry presented a steady increase in the number of employees from 1996 to 2000. This behavior is consistent with a moderate industry expansion and contributed to low unemployment rates. Following 2000, airline companies began to look for ways to improve cost management; they began cutting labor costs. When aviation experiences economic difficulties, those difficulties reverberate across the economy. For every Job in the airline industry, an estimated 1 5 jobs are produced in the broader economy. Nearly 100,000 airline employees along with roughly 400,000 others in the U. Fuel constitutes the industry second largest operational expense. During times of relatively moderate fuel prices, these costs averaged 10 to 12% of industry expenses. The industry is exposed to severe price escalation every one-cent increase in the cost of a gallon of Jet fuel costs the industry $180 million per year. Past fuel increases and recessions have had negative effects on the airline industry, and profitability has suffered as a direct consequence of the weakening economy. Within these costs, the main expense is omissions, which constituted 13% of the industry operating expenses in the historical period. Unfortunately for airlines, they are unable to raise their prices in response to these escalated costs due to the highly competitive environment characterizing the industry. This term relates to the fact that once an airline operates in a network of city-pair routes, the marginal costs of adding new routes are low. Demand for Airline Service While the partnerships mentioned before have improved supply issues by limiting domestic competition, carriers must still deal with other factors affecting demand.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Accounting For Leases And New Proposed Models Essay

Accounting For Leases And New Proposed Models - Essay Example The International Accounting Standards Board calls for a new lease accounting principle that relates to assets and liabilities. This write up proposes criteria to be set for deciding between two interpretations of whether the lease increases or decreases both assets and / or liabilities. SFAS no. 13, which was issued by FASB, was at that time, 2001, showing improvement on the setting of accounting standards for leases. Many write ups on leases followed suit such as 9 FASB amendments, 12 FASB technical bulletins, EITF consensus, 6 FASB interpretations and others. The FASB is continually working to come up with an adjustment to the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards no. 13 (lease) because it has failed to address many questions by many sectors of the accounting, school, business and other companies on the accounting procedures and interpretation of leases. SFAS no 13 states that an asset can be considered a capital lease, where the value of the leased property is included in the balance sheet of the lessee, If the four conditions listed a are met: a) The lease conveys ownership to the lessee at the end of the lease term. b) The lessee has an option to purchase the asset at a bargain price at the end of the lease term. c) The lease term covers 75% or more of the economic life of the asset. d) The present value of the rental payments when using the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate is ninety percent or more of the fair market value of the asset. TWO ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTS OF LEASE ACCOUNTING One of the main points of SFAS 13 is that all lease contracts generate obligations that should be presented in the balance sheet, contrary to what the Financial Accounting Standards Board believes. In fact, SFAS no. 13 states that "a lease that transfers substantially the entire benefits and risks incident to the ownership of property should be accounted for as the acquisition of an asset and the incurrence of an obligation by the lessee and as a sale or financing by the lessor. All other leases should be accounted for as operating leases. (FASB 1976, para. 60)" FASB differs this by saying that not all lease contracts create both a new asset and a new liability. The FASB and G4+1 group have been implementing the FASB standard on lease recording. Companies in Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand have also been following the FASB standards. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND ACCOUNTING FOR LEASES When assessing the generally accepted accounting principles states that accounting information that should be included in the financial statements are those that are submitted on time to the decision makers. These financial statements must also be relevant to the decision making process. Further, the financial statement items should stated in such a way as to permit comparability between two accounting periods or two or more financial entity who are subsidiaries, branches or competitors. Therefore, when rights and obligations are recorded in a lease contract, intangible assets are created. An airline company comes into "existence" when it buys an airplane. According to monsoon, There is a possibility that lessees may record the lease asset in the balance sheet will be boundless because intangible assets cannot be easily estimated. When a bank

Friday, November 1, 2019

My Legends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My Legends - Essay Example What happened to me in sixth grade was just a spot of my bad history the real beginning was in junior high school. After graduating from primary school, I went to the fourth junior high school in the city. This was the best school in my hometown, but it was also famous for bad boys and girls. Most bad students from my city came to this school. There were three grades and I made several new friends who always wanted to play. I usually go with them and we played together every day. In China, we can’t smoke and go to the entertainment places. However, I started to smoke and was able to go to internet clubs with them. Sometimes we fight with other students for any reason, so some students were scared of us and treated us as bad guys, but we were not the worst students. Even though I always did bad things, my grade was a little good. I was good at English and Math, and I always got in the first three ranks. At the same time my parents began to work on their own company, so they har dly had time for me, and I started to behave worse. Actually, I thought I would have a party time without my parents’ control over me, but it didn’t take long. One day, I went to the internet club, as usual, not knowing that my mother followed me;. she criticized me and pulled me home. As a punishment, my parents made me kneel for three hours to reflect on what I did. Another occasion, my father learned from his friend that I also involved myself in fighting in the streets, so I was again punished for it.