Conservation of the Everglades National Park Research Paper

Conservation of the Everglades National Park - Research Paper Example The Park is home to several species of wildlife such as herons, egrets, wood storks, red-shouldered hawks, snail kites, wild turkeys, woodpeckers, and warblers. In addition, it is the only Park in the world with two contrasting species of animals coexisting in the same ecosystem. For example, alligators, commonly found in temperate climatic zones, live with crocodiles, only found in tropical zones. Since the Park receives both freshwater and saltwater from different sources, plants and animals from temperate and tropical climatic zones are a common feature. Funding from external sources is necessary to support conservation programs aimed at preserving the existing ecosystem, as well as develop lasting solutions to slow down the effects of global warming on the Park’s flora and fauna. Diversity and biological interrelationships among the life forms in the area During the dry season often experienced between December and April, the alligator digs out large holes in the limestone that provides shelter for turtles, insects, wading birds, and fish. These holes provide a secure place for these animals to cool down during the day before returning to their habitats at night (Spoolman & Miller, 2011). Moreover, during the wet seasons, alligators spread out the marshes floating on the water to make way for wading birds and other freshwater animals. The life cycle of the snail kites is dependent upon the availability of the apple snail, which is its staple prey in the Park. Due to the seasonal water flow affecting the Park, the population of the apple snails is diminishing, endangering the survival of the snail kites. Thus, conservancy strategies have been put in place to control the use of water in the Park so as to reverse the current seasonal dry spells that, for years, have disrupted the Park’s ecosystem. For there to be a stable balance between the predators and their prey, conservancy programs should be modeled towards reversing the effects of global w arming currently affecting the flora and fauna native to the Park (Balint, Stewart, Desai, & Walters, 2011). Mangrove trees provide nesting grounds for different species of birds living in the Park. Furthermore, snakes prey on these birds for survival, thus keeping the mangrove forest intact would strengthen this food chain, providing a balance between the two species dominant in the Park. Human intrusions threatening the Park Although the Park is protected from the inside, its surroundings are constantly being destroyed by human activities, such as building canals to redirect water from the river for irrigation. The water channeled off the Park is being utilized by the neighboring communities to water their plantations, as well as for domestic use. Besides, the canal’s major objective is to control flooding during the rainy season when water from the springs overflows to the plantations surrounding the Park (Parrish, 2011). Water from the â€Å"River of Grass† is curr ently being used to irrigate sugarcane plantations located between the Park and Lake Okeechobee. It is said that the river no longer flows to the Park as it used to when the Park was opened since most of the water is being tapped for domestic and industrial use.

Manchester United SWOT Analysis

Manchester United SWOT Analysis It has been argued that Manchester United is one of the best football clubs in the world, who has more than a hundred years history and lots of funs all over the world. According to Benson (2008), since Manchester United was founded in 1878, it has won many final of league champions in the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Same as other successful organization, the Manchester United has a good manage team, effective operation and a very strong financial support. Manchester United is not a Plc. Since it was bought by the Glazer family, it is now a private limited company and became the Manchester United Ltd. This report is going to analysis Manchester United Ltd by applying SWOT and PEST analysis. SWOT Analysis (S)trengths Manchester United has the strongest and most valuable brand of any football club, and arguably non national sports club, in the world (Brand Finance, 2009, p. 19). This allows the company to generate massive revenues from commercial sponsorship deals and the sale of merchandise around the world. This brand strength is reflected in the clubs estimated 330 million fans worldwide, which represents around 5% of the worlds population. The level of loyalty engendered by most football clubs implies that this level of support is unlikely to fade in the short term, with only a prolonged period of underperformance on the field causing Manchester Uniteds brand strength to decline. The companys other main strengths are its strong squad playing squad and large stadium. The playing squad has won the Premier League trophy three years in a row, won the 2008 Champions League, and as of the 16th March 2010 is at the top of the Premier League and in the Champions League quarter finals in spite of losing arguably its best player in Cristiano Ronaldo. This shows the strength of the squad and its ability to move forward and continue to bring success and attract revenue (Samuel, 2010). The clubs stadium, Old Trafford, is the largest club stadium in the country, with a capacity of almost 76,000, allowing the club to generate significant match day revenues from ticket sales and refreshments (Premier League, 2009, p. 27). (W)eaknesses The clubs main weakness is its high level of debt. The club has two main sources of debt:  £507 million of bonds at interest rates of around 9%, incurring interest costs of around  £45 million per year, and  £202 of payment in kind loans, with interest rates of 14.25%, which compound onto the capital value of the loans each year (Ducker and Power, 2010). The  £45 million interest payments on the bonds represent almost 50% of the clubs  £91 million cash profit (BBC Sport, 2010), giving an interest cover ratio of just over 2, which indicates the clubs debts are taking up a significant amount of its profits. Indeed, much of the clubs strengths are arguably being countered by this weakness. In addition to this, Manchester Uniteds status as a football club creates a large potential for its revenue to fluctuate sharply based on its on-pitch performances. For example, in the 2008-09 season Manchester United earned 37.8 million Euros from its participation in the Champions League, when it reached the final (euFootball.biz, 2009). If the club fails to match this achievement in future seasons, its revenues will fall. Due to the difficulties in progressing this far in such a major competition, it becomes difficult for the company to project revenues in the future, potentially causing liquidity problems. (O)pportunities The main future opportunity for the club is its ability to obtain greater revenue from its global fan base. The club currently has 330 million fans, and revenue of 327 million Euros per annum, most of which is probably generated within the UK and Europe, from match day and broadcasting revenues (Deloitte, 2010). If the company can obtain just one extra Euro per fan per year, then it could double its revenues and massively increase its profits. The high level of unexploited fans also allows the club to develop its commercial revenue streams, such as sponsorships and partnerships. A recent example of this was the partnership deal signed with Telekom Malysia (Hashim, 2010). If this deal could be replicated in other attractive markets, Manchester United could see another major growth in revenue. (T)hreats There are two main threats to Manchester United. The first is that the interest rates on the payment in kind loans are high and can rise further in the future. This could cause the company to incur significantly higher debt levels in future. Indeed, if the company fails to pay off any of these loans, then by their maturity date they will be valued at over half a billion pounds, effectively doubling the companys total level of debt (Ducker and Power, 2010). This threat is also strongly linked to fan protests against the current owners and the level of debt (BBC, 2010). Whilst these protests have not yet had a notable impact on the clubs financial situation, if the level of debt becomes a greater burden they may lead to fan boycotts, causing reducing revenues and increasing the threat from debt. The other main threat is the pending retirement of manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who is now 68 (Ferguson, 2000, p. 12). Ferguson has managed United for almost 25 years, and has led them to over 30 trophies in this time (ManUtd.com, 2010). Given the importance of continued on-field success to Manchester Uniteds financial situation, it is clear that the company must put a strong succession plan in place to ensure performances and financial results do not suffer when Ferguson decides to retire. PEST (P)olitical The main political factors affecting Manchester United are the English Football Association and the European and global equivalents: UEFA and FIFA. These bodies are responsible for determining how all football clubs can operate, in terms of transferring and signing players and carrying out their on-pitch activities. For Manchester United, of particular concern are proposals concerning the level of debt that clubs are allowed to carry, and the need to balance their books and break even on their football activities (UEFA, 2010). This is of concern because Manchester Uniteds high level of debt could well cause the club to encounter short term financial difficulties in the near future, which could lead to sanctions from UEFA, further increasing the scale and duration of any financial difficulties. (E)conomic As with any business, Manchester Uniteds revenues are likely to be affected by the prevailing economic conditions. In particular, as watching football matches and following football teams is expensive and not necessary for peoples continued economic wellbeing, one might expect that football clubs such as Manchester United would suffer in periods of economic decline. However, in spite of the major economic recession that recently affected the UK, Manchester United has continued to grow its revenues, which reached record levels last year (BBC Sport, 2010). Indeed, had the pound sterling not fallen significantly against the Euro, Manchester United would have had the highest revenue of any football club in Europe in the year to 30th June 2009 (Deloitte, 2010). This of course reveals another important economic factor for Manchester United to consider: given the pounds current weakness against the Euro, buying players will be more difficult as clubs in the Eurozone will have more purchasin g power on the global transfer markets. (S)ocial The main social factor affecting Manchester United is the continued desire for people to watch football, both as a form of entertainment and as a social activity. Whilst previous periods such as the 1980s were affected by football hooliganism, in recent years football has experienced a boom in social interest, leading to large numbers of people becoming fans. This is of benefit to Manchester United who, with the largest fan base and most valuable brand in the world (Brand Finance, 2009), can expect to obtain the lions share of new fans. (T)echnological The main technological factor affecting Manchester United is the rise in the internet and other broadcasting channels. This allows the company to reach a wider range of fans across a wider range of channels, and hence obtain more money from the various global fans who do not live within range of traditional distribution networks or cannot access match broadcasts on their local television networks. Conclusion To conclude, even though Manchester United Ltd has financial problem with its high level debt, but the strengths of this operation team may help to overcome and to turn it become a new opportunity. It is because, factors such as the long history, capability for wining champion, the loyalty of the football team funs or its famous players all can bring some lovely profit in. However, Manchester United Ltd still needs to treat its problem seriously and face their weakness and threats in a right way, or they would lose the honour which was built in the past.

Evaluation of the Fractal Dimension of a Crystal :: Chemistry Chemical Papers

Evaluation of the Fractal Dimension of a Crystal Abstract The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of voltage and molarity changes on the fractal dimension of a Cu crystal formed by the re-dox reaction between Cu and CuSO4. Using the introductory information obtained from research, the fractal geometry of the Cu crystals was determined for each set of parameters. Through the analysis of data, it was determined that the fractal dimension is directly related to the voltage. The data also shows that the molarity is inversely related to the fractal dimension, but through research this was determined to be an error. Introduction A fractal is a geometric pattern that is repeated indefinitely that it cannot be represented with typical mathematics. Fractals can be seen in nature in the way minerals develop over time, the manner in which trees limbs shoot from the trunk, and the development of the human body (i.e. the lungs)1. These fractals determine a way to attempt to simplify the randomness of the universe via probability and theories regarding diffusion and intermolecular attractions. The way dimensions in typical geometry are the typical 0-D, 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D. However, much matter does not fit these basic categories. A great example is a snowflake. If the negligible depth of a snowflake were ignored, it would be considered a 2-D object. However this is not completely true. A 2-D object can always be described by a finite number of tiles all in the same plane, because the snowflake cannot be described with only planes and also requires lines, it can be assumed it possesses properties of both a 1-D and 2-D object. A snowflake can be loosely approximated as a ~ 1.5-D object. This is fractal dimension of the object. In order to determine a more exact fractal dimension of an object, smaller and smaller pieces are zoomed in upon and used to determine a rough estimate of the amount of pieces that exhibit the same pattern (self-similarity) as the whole object. The relationship between the zoom and self similarity of the object determine the fractal dimension:

Using Material from Item a and Elsewhere, Assess Sociological Views of Crime Reduction Strategies.

Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess sociological views of crime reduction strategies. (21 marks). There are numerous different types of strategies for crime reduction. These include crime prevention tactics which are suitable for whole societies, and also forms of punishment which are suitable for individuals. Crime prevention strategies include situational crime prevention, environmental crime prevention, and social and community crime prevention. Ron Clark describes situational crime prevention as ‘a pre-emptive approach that relies, not on improving society or its institutions, but simple on reducing opportunities for crime’.He identifies three features of measures aimed at situational crime prevention, firstly that they are directed at specific crimes, that they involve managing or altering the immediate environment of the crime and lastly that they aim at increasing the effort and risks of committing crime and reducing the rewards. For example, ‘t arget hardening’ measures such as increased surveillance in shops via CCTV or security guards increases the effort a shoplifter needs to make. Underlying situation crime prevention approaches is an rational choice theory.This is the view that criminals act rationally, weighing up the costs and benefits of a crime opportunity before deciding whether to commit it. This contrasts with theories that stress ‘root causes’ such as capitalist exploitation. Clarke argues that most theories offer no realistic solutions to crime. The most obvious things to do, he argues, is to focus on the immediate crime situation, since this is where possibility for prevention is greatest. Most crime is opportunistic, so we need to reduce the opportunities.One criticism of situation crime prevention measures is that they do not reduce crime, they simply displace it. For example, Chaiken et al found that a crackdown on subway robberies in New York merely displaced them to the streets above . Although displacement can be in several forms, spatial, temporal, target, tactical and functional. However other than the criticism of displacement, situation crime prevention methods are also criticised as it tends to focus on opportunistic petty street crimes. It ignores white collar, corporate and state crime, which are costly and harmful.Environmental crime prevention is based on the phase of ‘broken windows’, Wilson and Kelling use this point to stand for all the various signs of disorder and lack of concern for others that are found in some neighbourhoods. They argue that leaving broken windows unrepaired sends out a signal that no one cares. In these neighbourhoods, there is an absence of both formal social control and informal control. The police are only concerned with serious crime and turn a blind eye to petty nuisance behaviour, while respectable members of the community feel intimidated and powerless. Without curative action, the problem deteriorates.As i tem A shows this causes families and respectable people to move out and the area becomes a magnet for deviants. Wilson and Kelling’s key idea is that disorder and the absence of controls leads to crime. Their solution is to crack down on any disorder using a twofold strategy. First an environmental improvement strategy that any broken window must be repaired immediately, otherwise more will follow and the neighbourhood will be on the slide. Secondly the police must adopt a zero tolerance policing strategy. Instead of merely reacting to crime, the must proactively tackle even the slightest sign of disorder, even if it is not criminal.This would halt neighbourhood decline and prevent serious crime taking root. Great success has been claimed for zero tolerance policing, especially in New York. Programs that were set up to tackle subway graffiti, fare dodging, drug dealing and begging proved successful, from this in New York there was a significant fall in crime. However, it is n ot clear how far zero tolerance was the cause of the improvements, as the NYPD previously benefited from 7000 extra officers as well as there was also a general decline in the crime rate in major US cities at the time, including ones where police did not adopt a zero tolerance policy.Nonetheless, zero tolerance has been very influential globally, including the UK, where it has influenced New Labour’s anti-social behaviour policies. In contrast to Wilson and Kelling’s approach, social and community prevention strategies place the emphasis firmly on the potential offender and their social context. The aim of these strategies is to remove the conditions that predispose individuals to crime in the first place. These are longer-term strategies, since they attempt to tackle the root causes of offending, rather than simply removing opportunities for crime.Because the causes of crime are often rotted in social conditions such as poverty, more general social reform programmes a ddressing these issues may have a crime prevention role, even if this is not their main focus. All three approaches discussed above take for granted the nature and definition of crime. They generally focus on fairly low-level and/or interpersonal crimes of violence. This disregards the crimes of the powerful and environmental crimes. The definition of the ‘crime problem’ reflects the priorities of politicians and agencies tasked with crime prevention.

Introduction to Ergonomics

Dafpus skripsi Bridger, R. S. 1995. Introduction to Ergonomics. International Editions. Singapore : McGraw- Hill Book Co. European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. 2010. Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the EU-Facts and Figures. http://osha. europa. eu/en/publications/reports/TERO09009ENC (diakses pada tanggal 17 September 2012) Health and Safety Executive Authority. 2004. Getting to Grips with Manual Handling. UK : sss http://www. hse. gov. uk/pubns/indg143. df (diakses pada tanggal 17 September 2012) Health and Safety Authority. 2005. Guidance on the Management of Manual Handling in the Workplace.http://www.hsaeng/Publications_and_Forms/Publications/Retail/Management_Manual_Handling. pdf (diakses pada tanggal 17 September 2012) Kurniawidjaja, L. Meily. 2010. Teori dan Aplikasi Kesehatan Kerja. Jakarta: Penerbit Universitas Indonesia (UI-Press). Nurmianto, Eko. 2004. Ergonomi: Konsep Dasar dan Aplikasinya, 2nd. Ed. Surabaya: Penerbit Guna Widya. Tarwaka, dkk. 2004. Erg onomi untuk Kesehatan, Keselamatan, & Produktivitas. Edisi I, Cetakan I. Surakarta: UNIBA Press. Santoso, Gempur, Dr. , Drs. , M. Kes. 2004. Ergonomi: Manusia, Peralatan, dan Lingkungan. Jakarta: Prestasi Pustaka Publisher. Sastrowinoto, Suyatno, Ir. 1985. Meningkatkan Produktivitas dengan Ergonomi. Jakarta: PT Pustaka Binaman Pressindo. Suma’mur, P. K. , Rd. , MSc. 1989. Ergonomi untuk Produktivitas Kerja. Jakarta: CV. Haji Masagung.Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission of New Brunswick. 2010. Ergonomics Guidelines for Manual Handling, 2nd. Ed. , Australia : Worksafe NB, http://www. worksafenb. ca/docs/MANUALEdist. pdf (diakses pada tanggal 03 Agustus 2012) WorkCover New South Wales Authority. 2012. Manual Handling Black Spots: Manufacturing. Industry Reference Group, http://www. workcover. nsw. gov. au/formspublications/pages/manualhandlingmanufacturing. aspx (diakses pada tanggal 06 November 2012)

Free Essays on Daughter

My life started well in the backwoods of eastern Tennessee. My father was a farmer and loved the smell of his land. He loved to talk all day about the war, â€Å"Theys ain’t gonna when nothen fight’n like a buncha chickens† he’d most often say. He also loved my mother, brother and me. I barely remember my mother now for she died when I was very young. All I remember is her dressing me in little pretty dresses for church ad I would try my best not to let her because I was a bit of a tom boy with dirty little fingernails, mest up hair and the bottoms of my feet were as black as coal. Nevertheless my mother would try her very best to make me look pretty for Sunday morning church. The day was April 17,1921. I remember this day well for this was the day that me and my mother had our last struggle for that Sunday morning dress. â€Å"Jenny Fraiser you’d better be still, you’s gotta were this here dress for church,† my mother yelled as she struggled with the little dress on my head. â€Å"NO! I ain’t wear’n no pretty girl close!† I screamed as my mom struggled with the dress around my Straight little arms on the kitchen floor. â€Å"You’d better be put’n this dress on before I get outside and get your Pa!† she said walking towards the door. Realizing that she was the victor in this little argument I put on the dress with tears rolling down my cheek. I was so angry over the fact that she had won that I yelled â€Å"I hate you momma! I hate you real bad!† My mother then cried but I had never seen her cry like this before. No matter how much I apologized she still just kept on crying with her face buried in her trembling hands. Finally she took me in her arms, kissed me on the cheek with her tear soaked lips and said â€Å"It’ll all be alright Maxine, I love you. There’s thing that you ain’t gonna be able to understand just yet, but life’l be good to ya Maxine, I love you.†... Free Essays on Daughter Free Essays on Daughter My life started well in the backwoods of eastern Tennessee. My father was a farmer and loved the smell of his land. He loved to talk all day about the war, â€Å"Theys ain’t gonna when nothen fight’n like a buncha chickens† he’d most often say. He also loved my mother, brother and me. I barely remember my mother now for she died when I was very young. All I remember is her dressing me in little pretty dresses for church ad I would try my best not to let her because I was a bit of a tom boy with dirty little fingernails, mest up hair and the bottoms of my feet were as black as coal. Nevertheless my mother would try her very best to make me look pretty for Sunday morning church. The day was April 17,1921. I remember this day well for this was the day that me and my mother had our last struggle for that Sunday morning dress. â€Å"Jenny Fraiser you’d better be still, you’s gotta were this here dress for church,† my mother yelled as she struggled with the little dress on my head. â€Å"NO! I ain’t wear’n no pretty girl close!† I screamed as my mom struggled with the dress around my Straight little arms on the kitchen floor. â€Å"You’d better be put’n this dress on before I get outside and get your Pa!† she said walking towards the door. Realizing that she was the victor in this little argument I put on the dress with tears rolling down my cheek. I was so angry over the fact that she had won that I yelled â€Å"I hate you momma! I hate you real bad!† My mother then cried but I had never seen her cry like this before. No matter how much I apologized she still just kept on crying with her face buried in her trembling hands. Finally she took me in her arms, kissed me on the cheek with her tear soaked lips and said â€Å"It’ll all be alright Maxine, I love you. There’s thing that you ain’t gonna be able to understand just yet, but life’l be good to ya Maxine, I love you.†...

Critical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail

Critical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail Introduction The article is about the injustice meted out on the African Americans in the US before the passing of the Civil Rights law that initiated sweeping civil reforms in the US, guaranteeing equal rights for African American citizens. Written as a letter by Martin Luther King Jr., the text criticises the lack of progress in the elimination of oppressive segregation laws in the American South.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The author further criticizes white Christian leaders in the American South, accusing them of not being vocal enough in condemning the evil inherent in segregation laws. The author accuses these leaders of supporting the status quo by refusing to support the cause of the Americans in their attempt to have these laws changed or repealed. The letter is addressed specifically to the Southern Christi an and Jewish leaders, who had asked the author to stop his non-violent campaigns in Birmingham, for the sake of overall peace in the city. The author, in response, wrote this letter to explain why his campaigns were necessary, and garner their support for similar future campaigns in an attempt to rid the American South of the repressive segregation laws. Author’s Two Main Concerns The author addresses two overriding issues in his attempt to convince these Southern religious leaders (and other concerned readers) why the segregation laws were unjust, and why inaction would never result in a change. The author states that, segregation laws were unjust because they deprived African Americans a sense of self; moreover, African Americans had an obligation to fight these unjust laws. According to the author, the segregation laws made African Americans acquire a sense of inferiority. The author lists the evils that are visited on African Americans because of these laws. African Amer icans were routinely lynched by mobs, killed by police, referred to in derogatory terms such as â€Å"boy†, and denied entry to various social places due to their race (Par. 15). Such events weighed heavily on the consciences of African Americans, leading them to have a belief that they were inherently inferior to their white counterparts. The second issue that the author addresses is the belief that the fight for change and the repeal of these unjust laws cannot be postponed or delayed. Since the Southern religious leaders had requested the author to exercise patience in his demand for reforms, the author is adamant that his non-violent push for equal rights for African Americans could not wait for an ideal or opportune time to proceed – justice delayed too him was justice denied (Par. 14).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Critical Response and Analys is These two concerns by the author are justified. The argument that the segregation laws were inherently unjust, contributed to high poverty rates amongst African Americans, and made African Americans to feel inferior to their white counterparts is plausible. Segregation laws were ratified by most constitutions in Southern States; therefore, such laws, however unjust, acquired a sense of legitimacy amongst the citizens of these states. Subsequently, most educational, religious, public and private institutions would, out of obedience to state constitutions, pursue policies that entrenched segregation. Due to this almost omniscient presence of segregation laws and policies, the average African American would, in his daily practice, encounter some form of discrimination. African American children would also easily encounter and perceive discriminative acts against them. Therefore, due to the high prevalence of such discriminative laws, African Americans easily and inevitably acquired a belief that they belonged to an inferior race. Secondly, the author is justified in being impatient with the pace of reform in the country. The author informs the Southern religious leaders, who had urged him to be patient in his demand for reforms, that had they been the ones to experience the effects of the unjust segregation laws, they would not urge for caution and patience. According to the author, â€Å"freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed† (Luther, 1963, Par. 14). African Americans were right in being impatient with the slow and almost nonexistent pace of reforms in the country, and in the Southern States in particular. The emancipation proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, which effectively ended slavery in the US, was signed in 1864. This proclamation was supposed to grant African Americans equal citizenship rights, and was intended to free them from all forms of discrimination previously directed at them. T he author writes his text/letter almost 100 years later and yet African Americans are still in some form of bondage wrought by segregation laws. Clearly, the African American benefited little from leaving the struggle for equality in the hands of his oppressor. African Americans were thus right in engaging in non-violent protest and other forms of civil action to push the concerned leaders to repeal these discriminative laws.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Textual Analysis The author uses many relevant analogies, quotes, observations and examples to state his purpose and give credence to his argument. The author states his most graphic example of the discriminative, vile and heinous acts experienced by African Americans in paragraph 15. The author describes the atrocities committed by white mobs and the police on African Americans. He chronicles the acts, beginning with African American mothers and fathers being lynched, African American youth being cursed, kicked and killed by the police, and proceeds to list other such crimes, ending the list with instances of African Americans being referred derogatively as â€Å"boy† regardless of age, and African American women not being properly addressed as â€Å"Mrs.† The crux of the author’s argument on why his followers could not afford to be patient in their demand for reform rests on the examples of heinous acts meted on African Americans stated here. The order of these crimes on African Americans as placed by the author almost obscures the deadly crimes such as lynching and extra-judicial deaths. By ending his numerous examples with comparatively minor acts of African Americans being referred to as â€Å"boy†, or the women not being given the title â€Å"Mrs.†, the author makes the serious crimes of lynching and extra -judicial killings appear less so. The progression should have started with these minor acts and ended with the unforgivable, wicked and heinous crimes of lynching, extra-judicial killings and beatings, to make them more prominent, as they would be if they were to appear at the end of the list. Such an arrangement would foreground these serious crimes, and subsequently stir indignation in any reader. It would also explain why waiting for reforms to take place at a slow pace advocated by the Southern religious leaders was not an option – lives were at stake. Conclusion The author has convincingly stated his purpose; that of highlighting the unjustness of the segregation law, and the need for a pro-active approach bring about the repeal of these laws. His example on crimes against committed against African Americans, served to highlight the less serious crimes at the expense of crimes such as lynching and murder. Reference Luther, M. (1963). Letter from Birmingham Jail. The Mar tin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Homer Simpson Quotes on Beer

Homer Simpson Quotes on Beer Homer Simpson and beer are inseparable. Homers goofy attitude towards beer lends a whole new perspective to alcohol. Stupidity Homer no function beer well without. Insults Youve been rubbing my nose in it since I got here! Your family is better than my family, your beer comes from farther away than my beer, you and your son like each other, your wifes butt is higher than my wifes butt! You make me sick! Opinions Beer... Now theres a temporary solution. Opinions I like my beer cold... my TV loud... and my homosexuals flaming. Opinions Ah, the college road trip. What better way to spread beer-fueled mayhem? Opinions You must love this country more than I love a cold beer on a hot Christmas morning. Opinions Ive figured out an alternative to giving up my beer. Basically, we become a family of traveling acrobats. Opinions Bart, a woman is like beer. They look good, they smell good, and youd step over your own mother just to get one! Parenting Aw, theres only one can of beer left and its Barts. Parenting Now son, you dont want to drink beer. Thats for Daddies, and kids with fake IDs. Wise Cracks All right, brain. You dont like me and I dont like you, but lets just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.

Review #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Review #3 - Essay Example The appearance of hand axes is evidenced in the Lower Paleolithic period as used by the Homo erectus. The initial radiation Homo erectus is found to emerge from Africa and Eurasia. The evolution of this species of Homo sapiens dates back to approximately 160,000 years from both Africa and Eurasia. Ultimately, Homo sapiens are described as more civilized humans, with the appearance of bows and arrows being linked to Homo sapiens sapiens in the past 10, 000 years. The five part discussion in this article have an historical significance to the humans as they help in understanding the origin of mankind. From the 5 parts of the article it is possible to ascertain that human beings have through the evolution become wiser, from one ancient period the other. This is crucial to human understanding that every generation that emerges is always at a better intellection capability than the preceding one. Lastly, the entire five parts of the article focuses on the origin of humankind based on many assumptions that do not embrace a religious account of the creation of human beings. The differently can only be seen as an opposed illustration of evolution of human from a primitive ape, which highly differ from religious

The Ryan Air Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Ryan Air - Case Study Example This was an organic growth model. The airline makes money by reducing its costs at every point. This is the reason that despite a drop in yields of 14 percent, it still achieved margins of over 20 percent as they carried 47% more passengers. The airline has strong sales promotions and heavy discounting. The airline owns rather than leases aircrafts but has been considering leasing at least one-third of its fleet due to changes in the market conditions. It also makes money by oil hedging but since the oil prices were expected to decline in the year under study, Ryanair decided not to hedge in 2004. To cope with the falling ticket prices, the airline hope to generate revenue by providing ancillary services such as satellite television and internet services, arcade games on rented laptops and screening favorite movies on television. They also earn through advertising on their website. However, despite the low fares, the airline’s load factor stared declining and its share price had declined substantially. This requires that Ryanair reconsider its strategy and take decisions based on facts and figures. Ryanair has registered revenue growth in 2004 over 2003 but the net profit has declined by 14% during the same period (Appendix A). The airline has been consistently registering profits for 26 quarters but the profits have declined in 2004 which has been primarily due to escalating fuel costs. The number of aircrafts operated commensurate with traffic growth as is evident from Appendix B. The net profits have declined as also the earnings per share (Appendix C) which has given the airline an adverse reputation with investors. The balance sheet shows that the equity base has declined while its total liabilities have increased. Economical – low impact because again being within Europe, which has a stable economy and stable consumers. Denomination is Euro is another positive factor contributing to economic stability. Outside of

Open Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Open - Term Paper Example Investors are always looking for strategies through which they can generate higher return on their investment whether that particular strategy falls within the domain of any particular theory or not. Through this paper a unique method of increasing the investor’s return is analyzed, i.e. by following the transaction pattern of a director of the corporation. The directors in corporations all around the globe are actively involved in insider trading of their shares, and being on a strategic position they are well aware of the future outlook of their company. It is a general notion that the directors of the company are able to generate profits by selling the shares of the company and this paper tries to provide empirical evidence for it. The paper has two primary objectives: (1) Whether directors are able to generate abnormal gain through insider trading of the shares, as suggested by various economists and financial analyst (based on American Stock Market) (2) Can individual and corporate shareholder can also earn good return by following in the footsteps of the directors. In the world of economics and finance, when it comes to financial malpractices, insider trading tops the list. Insider trading is one of the most notorious financial crimes being practiced by managers, directors and other employees all around the globe. Insider trading can be defined as the buying and selling of a security by an individual who has direct and reliable access to the non-public information about the security. Insider trading is not always considered as a malpractice or illegal and is subjective to the underlying intention to the transaction. The statement can be further elaborated by considering the fact that if the trader is reaping profits on the basis of such information which is not being public yet, then the insider trading transaction is illegal. In addition, insider trading does not always mean that buying and selling of security is taking place. Providing confidenti al information to a third party, in exchange of monetary or any other form of consideration, is also illegal. The practice of insider trading is not confined to Directors of any corporation but the practice also prevails among brokers and even the family members of the directors. Although, once the information is public, the inside transaction is not illegal as the parties involved does not derive any unfair advantage over the general public. Media has made the masses at general knowledgeable with the passage of time and they have also equipped themselves with the technicalities of insider trading especially after the cases of Enron and Martha Stewart. The Securities and Exchange Commission of USA has adopted the practice of enforcing strict and practical guidelines which distinguishes legal and illegal trading of the shares by the inside people. Insider trading is not a recent or a latest money making gimmick which has been exploited by the directors and managers to earn higher ret urn. The history of insider trading dates back to the great depression as well. The securities and exchange commission of the United State has made it compulsory for the key management personnel and other officers of the company. Insider trading creates impact on the share price of the corporation to which the transaction

Climate and Air Pollution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Climate and Air Pollution - Assignment Example The government should introduce tax incentives for companies that adopt the green energy (Dornbusch 62). There should steeper penalties for countries that pollute the environment like oil and gas exploration companies. The Government can open up its market for products produced organically and using green energy. The strategy will encourage companies to shift to green energy to access the market. The strategies will influence the economies differently. Green energy creates jobs encouraging employment of more people (McNamee 108). The trade incentive will encourage more good to be produced to meet the large market demand. Educating the public is crucial. Once people are educated on the importance of green energy, there will be inventions that are beneficial to the economy (Petersons 120). Once green energy is fully adopted effects of global warming will reduce and the money used to tackle disasters channeled

Human resources management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human resources management - Essay Example This is what creates financial profits for business. However, from the employee’s point of view, job satisfaction is likely to be the primary variable people look for in their job. Riggio states that ‘job satisfaction consists of the feelings and attitudes concerning one’s job’ (1990: 186). Judge et al (2001) acknowledge that there is a high correlation between job satisfaction and job performance, and Landy (1989) goes as far to describe this relationship as the ‘Holy Grail’ of industrial psychologists. However, Drenth et al claim that ‘there is no support for the widely held view that satisfied employees achieve higher and increased effective levels of performance’ (1998: 284). It is therefore the purpose of this assignment to discuss if a happy workforce is a productive workforce. In order to determine how increased job satisfaction could lead to increased productivity, I believe that it is important to discuss the factors that make people want to work in the first place in order to gain a holistic perspective on the issue. This is the same approach Vroom (1995) took in her analysis on the motivational bases of work. Vroom highlights five motivational factors that encourage people to work. Firstly, she acknowledges ‘work roles provide wages to the occupant in return for their services’ (1995: 35). Secondly, working keeps people busy and active, and stops people becoming idle. Thirdly, jobs can provide employees with continually engaging environments in which to work. Fourthly, there are many social satisfactions derived from work, and social psychologists have emphasised the fact that work is a social activity, requiring interaction with other people. Finally, Vroom (1995) highlights that sociologists have emphasised the importance a person’s occupation has on their social status, and the respect it can generate. There therefore appears to be two types of conditions that affect the like lihood that people will work; economic incentives and motivational factors. Herzberg et al’s (1959) Two Factor Theory receives a lot of interest from many managers in work organisations, who wish to discover how employee satisfaction can improve job productivity. In their study, respondents of mid-level administration staff were asked to examine the points of their career at which they’d experienced the most positive and negative feelings. They were asked to indicate the causes of this and the effects that arose. The most positive feelings that led to higher employee satisfaction were ranked, and are as follows; Achievement and recognition from senior management for successful completion of tasks The work itself, i.e. how much of a challenge it was, responsibility concerns such as working without a supervisor, being promoted and being put in charge of other workers Salary and a rise in wages Other factors with lower frequency including status, the policy and management of the company The factors leading to dissatisfaction related to the working environment and were labelled as ‘hygiene factors’, such as working conditions. Factors relating to job satisfaction were labelled ‘motivating factors’, and included intrinsic factors such as the possibility of promotion or increased responsibility within an employee’s job (Hollway, 2000). Herzberg et al (1959) concluded that ‘feelings of self actualisation and growth are the key to

Point Helper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Point Helper - Assignment Example governments bailout. Daniel Akerson, Chairman and Chief Executive of GM, spoke to his shareholders regarding the current position of his company. He stated that â€Å"GM has gone from almost being history to making history† (Terlep). A new GM has been created after bringing about numerous changes in his company. The new GM has gone on to become the largest IPO ever in a span of 18 months. The progress has happened through review of design, engineering and manufacturing footprints, reducing complexities and eliminating costs (Terlep). A new senior management team had been recruited and more talented people from within and outside had been employed to build new business models. Some analysts have predicted that GM will have a market growth of more than 12MM units from 2010 to 2015, and GM has become the market share leader in the BRIC countries (Terlep). They have successfully invested $3.4B in U.S and thereby generated 9000 new jobs since its bankruptcy. They have further announced an additional $2B in U.S. facility investment which will support 28000 other jobs (Terlep). â€Å"GM has great potential to deliver profitable growth around the world as the recovery continues,† said Dan Ammann, senior vice president and CFO of GM to the shareholders (Terlep).Thus we see that GM has rebuilt itself out of the ashes like a phoenix by creating a strong customer demand for its new fuel efficient vehicles and a competitive cost structure which has leveraged their strong brands in the market and increase their profits year by

Human resources management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human resources management - Essay Example This is what creates financial profits for business. However, from the employee’s point of view, job satisfaction is likely to be the primary variable people look for in their job. Riggio states that ‘job satisfaction consists of the feelings and attitudes concerning one’s job’ (1990: 186). Judge et al (2001) acknowledge that there is a high correlation between job satisfaction and job performance, and Landy (1989) goes as far to describe this relationship as the ‘Holy Grail’ of industrial psychologists. However, Drenth et al claim that ‘there is no support for the widely held view that satisfied employees achieve higher and increased effective levels of performance’ (1998: 284). It is therefore the purpose of this assignment to discuss if a happy workforce is a productive workforce. In order to determine how increased job satisfaction could lead to increased productivity, I believe that it is important to discuss the factors that make people want to work in the first place in order to gain a holistic perspective on the issue. This is the same approach Vroom (1995) took in her analysis on the motivational bases of work. Vroom highlights five motivational factors that encourage people to work. Firstly, she acknowledges ‘work roles provide wages to the occupant in return for their services’ (1995: 35). Secondly, working keeps people busy and active, and stops people becoming idle. Thirdly, jobs can provide employees with continually engaging environments in which to work. Fourthly, there are many social satisfactions derived from work, and social psychologists have emphasised the fact that work is a social activity, requiring interaction with other people. Finally, Vroom (1995) highlights that sociologists have emphasised the importance a person’s occupation has on their social status, and the respect it can generate. There therefore appears to be two types of conditions that affect the like lihood that people will work; economic incentives and motivational factors. Herzberg et al’s (1959) Two Factor Theory receives a lot of interest from many managers in work organisations, who wish to discover how employee satisfaction can improve job productivity. In their study, respondents of mid-level administration staff were asked to examine the points of their career at which they’d experienced the most positive and negative feelings. They were asked to indicate the causes of this and the effects that arose. The most positive feelings that led to higher employee satisfaction were ranked, and are as follows; Achievement and recognition from senior management for successful completion of tasks The work itself, i.e. how much of a challenge it was, responsibility concerns such as working without a supervisor, being promoted and being put in charge of other workers Salary and a rise in wages Other factors with lower frequency including status, the policy and management of the company The factors leading to dissatisfaction related to the working environment and were labelled as ‘hygiene factors’, such as working conditions. Factors relating to job satisfaction were labelled ‘motivating factors’, and included intrinsic factors such as the possibility of promotion or increased responsibility within an employee’s job (Hollway, 2000). Herzberg et al (1959) concluded that ‘feelings of self actualisation and growth are the key to

Israeli and Arab conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Israeli and Arab conflict - Essay Example It starts with the Biblical story of Abraham who moved from the land of Ur in present-day Iraq/Iran to the land of Canaan as it was then called. According to Biblical traditions, Abraham was promised the whole land adjacent to the Red Sea and within the west of the Jordan river. However, there were some native Canaanites on the land. Abraham's grandson, Jacob (Israel) moved to Egypt with his children and grandchildren. They lived in Egypt for a few hundreds of years and became a great and populous nation. They then returned to the land of Canaan a few generations after Abraham. The descendants of Abraham became known as the Israelite community. They lived side-by-side with the natives of the land of Canaan. This include the Philistines, the Jebusites, the Hittites and many other native tribes. After a few centuries, the Israelite community became more numerous in the land and with the rise of David as king and leader of the community, it was transformed to a state and its capital was established in Jerusalem. The State of Israel was however divided into two: Judah in the South and the Northern Kingdom. The northern Kingdom was destroyed and the people were sold into nations around the world. The people from Judah however remained a united state around the capital Jerusalem. Eventually, the Roman defeated Judah in AD63 and the remnants of Judah were sold as slave in the Diaspora (Safrai 1). In the Diaspora, the people of Judah continued to maintain their traditional practices and maintained their identity. They became known as the Jews. Meanwhile, the Romans renamed the State of Israel Palaestina which became known as Palestine (Safrai 1). As the Roman power faded, the land of Palestine was inhabited by people from other Middle Eastern origins and this include the Canaanites, Philistines and others who lived in the land before Abraham moved onto it. After the Romans, the land came under the control of the founder of Islam and his successors. As a result of that, they converted to Islam and assimilated to the main sphere of Arab communities. However, the land of Canaan/Israel became known as the Holy Lands and it changed hands for generations before the Crusaders contested over the land for generations. Eventually, it became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s and it remained under Ottoman rule until 1918. British Rule & Palestine The Ottomans were Muslims, however, they never considered themselves Arabs (Willner et al 487). There was therefore a clear distinction between Ottomans or Turkish Muslims and Arabs of the Middle East and North America. During the era of the Ottoman domination of the Middle East and North America, the Arabs were ruled by Ottoman governors. Hence, the British defeat of the Ottoman Empire came with a promise of liberating the Arabs after the war (Willner et al 489). Britain used a complicated system of forming alliances and diplomatic ties with different peoples around the world during the First World War period which was fought between 1913 and 1917. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire was part of the â€Å"Asian Theater† of a larger war that was fought in Europe and other parts of the world. Britain had used the help of the Americans, Monarchical Russia and many others to defeat the Germans in the European War. They had also promised the Jewish Group seeking a homeland for the Jewish people known as the Zionists in Europe and around the world that they will help

The History Of Tobacco History Essay

The History Of Tobacco History Essay The drought finally ended and Jamestown turned a corner. A new cash crop was introduced to Virginia which brought prosperity and a path into the future. John Rolfe is credited with being the man who introduced tobacco to America. Tobacco has a long history in the Americas. The Mayan Indians of Mexico carved drawings in stone showing tobacco use. These drawings date back to somewhere between 600 to 900 A.D. Tobacco was grown by American Indians before the Europeans came from England, Spain, France, and Italy to North America. Native Americans smoked tobacco through a pipe for special religious and medical purposes. Tobacco was the first crop grown for money in North America. In 1612 John Rolfe and the settlers of the first American colony in Jamestown, Virginia grew tobacco as a cash crop. It was their main source of money. Other cash crops were corn, cotton, wheat, sugar, and soya beans. Tobacco helped pay for the American Revolution against England. Also, the first President of the U.S. grew tobacco. Ralph Hamor, Secretary of Virginia, reported that Rolfe planted the first tobacco seeds that he obtained from somewhere in the Caribbean, I may not forget the gentleman worthie of much commendations, which first tooke the pains to make triall thereof, his name Mr. John Rolfe, Anno Domini 1612, partly for the love he hath a long time borne unto it, and partly to raise commodity to the adventurers. He crossed the Caribbean breed with the indigenous tobacco to produce a plant well adapted to the local soil. Rolfe gave some tobacco from his crop to friends to make triall of, and they agreed that the new leaf had smoked pleasant, sweete and strong. Rolfes first crop that was shipped to London compared favorably with the Spanish product. The colony prospered and called for women to come to Jamestown and marry the settlers. It became a boomtown and people come in droves to America. While tobacco brought the colonists prosperity, it had a dark side from the beginning. It required a great deal of labor and so created the conditions in which slavery would later flourish. Tobacco would determine Virginias future. John Rolfe was an earlier American settler. His date of birth is unknown, but he was baptized on 6 May 1585 and came to the Colonies in 1610. He was one of many settlers sent by the Virginia Company of London, charged with finding ways to make the New World profitable, and in this assignment Rolfe was wildly successful: The native Virginia variety of tobacco, Nicotiana rustica, had been deemed too bitter for English customers tastes, but in about 1612 Rolfe imported and began cultivating Caribbean tobacco, Nicotiana Tabacum. Ever since, tobacco has been the regions dominant crop. His first wife died en route to the colonies, and Rolfe later married the Native Princess Pocahontas, who had been kidnapped and converted to Christianity. He returned to England with her, where they met with King James I and Sir Walter Raleigh and were greeted across England as celebrity-curiosities. Tragically, she contracted a disease for which she had no genetic immunity smallpox, some say, or pneumonia and died within months. Rolfe, now twice widowed, returned to Virginia where he served in several colonial administrative posts and married a third time. During a 1622 battle with Natives, his home was destroyed, and Rolfe is presumed to have perished, though his body was never found.Through Thomas Rolfe, his son with Pocahontas, Rolfes progeny extends through many generations of Virginias most prominent families, including the Bollings, Randolphs, and First Lady Edith Wilson. The social stature of these families necessitated the insertion of a specific clause in Virginia later laws against miscegeny, defining fourth- and subsequent generation descendants of Native Americans as legally White. Prices for tobacco began to drop because every person had their own farms in their backyards where they couldve planted their own set of tobacco. Alth ough military discipline almost certainly helped motivate the Jamestown settlers to work, tobacco is what eventually saved the colony. In 1612 an Englishman named John Rolfe introduced a mild strain of tobacco that was perfect for smoking. Suddenly the plant was in demand and could make huge profits, and this provided motivation for settlers to work. Unfortunately, the high profit margin encouraged many to grow tobacco for sale rather than plant food to feed the colony. One farmer could grow about one or two thousand plants, which made about five hundred pounds of tobacco. This brought a profit of between  £25 and  £200 per year (farmers in England earned about  £3 profit per year). The promise of huge profits led to a flood of tobacco in the market. By 1629, the bottom dropped out of the tobacco market because of overproduction. The early years of tobacco production were challenging because labor was scarce in Jamestown, and tobacco was a very labor-intensive crop. Many peopl e planted the crop by using sticks to make a small hole in the ground and placing seeds down the hole. Many settlers lived along rivers and streams so the harvested crop could be transported easily. Eventually, many planters recognized the need for an alternative source of labor for the crop in order to maximize profits. One solution for a desperately needed labor force was indentured servitude. Indentured servants usually received passage to the New World in exchange for four or five years of service, although this was later extended to seven years. At the end of service, servants were supposed to receive their freedom and a gift-usually clothes and tools and sometimes a small section of land. The owners of indentured servants did receive some benefits-specifically something called a headright (fifty acres of land for each head or servant bought) as well as cheap labor. Indentured servants could typically travel to Jamestown for less than  £12 per servant. Those who needed labore rs usually attempted to get English servants first, but the system was also extended to include the Irish, a group viewed as less civilized than the English and more like the savage American Indians. Common characteristics of indentured servants can be seen by viewing the populations statistics. More men than women came to the New World as indentured servants. Women were outnumbered four to one and made up only 20 percent of the servant population. Women were not allowed to marry while a servant, so many became pregnant out of wedlock. Some pregnant women escaped servitude while others had to add two years to their term of service. There was almost no incentive to keep indentured servants well fed or healthy, so many servants were mistreated. Some owners bought and sold indentured servants even though this was illegal, and some servants complained of being treated as slaves. As the need for labor increased, many planters began to shift from working indentured servants to owning slav es. Slavery was introduced into Jamestown in 1619, when about twenty Africans were brought to Virginia, along with about ninety Englishwomen. According to the ship log, Africans were sold as indentured servants for food. The women on the ship were purchased with 120 pounds of tobacco and most quickly became settlers wives. Although the word slave was not used yet to refer to Africans, evidence shows that they were not allowed their freedom after a term of service as the European indentured servants were. Therefore, many historians consider these twenty Africans to be the first slaves in what later became the United States. Since there was no incentive to keep indentured servants well fed or healthy, the number of Europeans who would agree to the terms dropped significantly. Some owners bought and sold indentured servants, and some servants complained of being treated as slaves. Planters turned from servants to African slaves because fewer indentured servants would sign on to work fo r a full contract. Many indentured servants tried to escape before their term of service expired. By the year 1618, Virginia produced 20,000 pounds of tobacco. Nine years later they produced over 500,000 pounds of it, and then two more years after they produced over 1,500,000 pounds of it. Each Virginian got 50 acres for themselves whose passage they paid. Rolfe was a very smart guy, the reason I said this is because even though he promised them freedom dues after working over 5 to 7 years, deep down inside he knew that only 1 out of 10 of those slaves would outlive the contract. They were all forbidden to get married. Even though tobacco is what really had put Virginia on the map. By the 1800s, many people had begun using small amounts of tobacco. Some chewed it. Others smoked it occasionally in a pipe, or they hand-rolled a cigarette or cigar. On the average, people smoked about 40 cigarettes a year. The first commercial cigarettes were made in 1865 by Washington Duke on his 300-acre farm in Raleigh, North Carolina. His hand-rolled cigarettes were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War. It was not until James Bonsack invented the cigarette-making machine in 1881 that cigarette smoking became widespread. Bonsacks cigarette machine could make 120,000 cigarettes a day. He went into business with Washington Dukes son, James Buck Duke. They built a factory and made 10 million cigarettes their first year and about one billion cigarettes five years later. The first brand of cigarettes were packaged in a box with baseball cards and were called Duke of Durham. Buck Duke and his father started the first tobacco company in the U.S. They named it the American Tobac co Company. The American Tobacco Company was the largest and most powerful tobacco company until the early 1900s. Several companies were making cigarettes by the early 1900s. In 1902 Philip Morris company came out with its Marlboro brand. They were selling their cigarettes mainly to men. Everything changed during World War I (1914-18) and World War II (1939-45). Soldiers overseas were given free cigarettes every day. At home production increased and cigarettes were being marketed to women too. More than any other war, World War II brought more independence for women. Many of them went to work and started smoking for the first time while their husbands were away. By 1944 cigarette production was up to 300 billion a year. Service men received about 75% of all cigarettes produced. The wars were good for the tobacco industry. Since WW II, there have been six giant cigarette companies in the U.S. They are Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, American Brands, Lorillard, Brown Williamson, and Li ggett Myers (now called the Brooke Group). They make millions of dollars selling cigarettes in the U.S. and all over the world. In 1964 the Surgeon General of the U.S. (the chief doctor for the country) wrote a report about the dangers of cigarette smoking. He said that the nicotine and tar in cigarettes cause lung cancer. In 1965 the Congress of the U.S. passed the Cigarette Labelling and Advertising Act. It said that every cigarette pack must have a warning label on its side stating Cigarettes may be hazardous to your health. By the 1980s, the tobacco companies had come out with new brands of cigarettes with lower amounts of tar and nicotine and improved filters to keep their customers buying and to help reduce their fears. The early 1980s were called the tar wars because tobacco companies competed aggressively to make over 100 low tar and ultra low tar cigarettes. Each company made and sold many different brands of cigarettes. In 1984 Congress passed another law called the Compr ehensive Smoking Education Act. It said that the cigarette companies every three months had to change the warning labels on cigarette packs. It created four different labels for the companies to rotate. Since the 1980s, federal, state, local governments, and private companies have begun taking actions to restrict cigarette smoking in public places. The warning labels were the first step. Tobacco companies cannot advertise cigarettes on television or radio. It is against a law that was passed by Congress in 1971. Many cities across the U.S. do not allow smoking in public buildings and restaurants. Since 1990, airlines have not allowed smoking on airplane flights in the U.S. that are six hours or less. State taxes on cigarettes have increased. As it becomes more difficult for tobacco companies to sell their products in the U.S., they are looking outside. U.S. tobacco companies are now growing tobacco in Africa, South America (Brazil and Paraguay), India, Pakistan, the Phillipines, Gre ece, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic. Fifty percent (50%) of the sales of U.S. tobacco companies go to Asian countries, such as Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, the Phillipines, and Taiwan. Where Im from in the Bahamas we have many people who use tobacco for their reasons but most of everyone use it to calm their nerves. Nowadays, even young teenagers smoke cigarettes or other type of drugs. Economics deals with the making and selling of products and services to consumers. Products are things like chewing tobacco, cigarettes, televisions, houses, and cars. Services include medical care, education, and insurance. Consumers are the people like ourselves who buy or receive the products and services. The U.S. has a capitalist economic system. Under this system, one or more people get together and form a company to make and sell something. They do this to make money. The money that they make after paying off their bills or expenses is called profit. In other words, a profit is the m oney they have for themselves after paying rent, salaries, utility bills (electricity, gas, telephone) and buying machines/computers and any other equipment they need to make their product and run their business. When companies sell more than they spend, they make a profit. Selling their products to other countries is called exporting. The product that is sold is called an export. Buying from other countries is called importing, and what U.S. companies buy is called an import. For example, if Ford Motor Company buys steel from Japan to make a car, it is importing a product. Steel is the import. When Ford sells its cars to Brazil, it is exporting. Cars are the exports. When companies or governments export more than they import, they have a trade surplus. A trade surplus is another way of saying a profit. On the other hand, when they import more than they export, they have a trade deficit. A deficit means a debt or money owed to someone else. Throughout history, tobacco companies have had a trade surplus. That is one big reason why they have been important to the economy of the U.S. In 1992 the tobacco industry reported a $5.65 billion dollar trade surplus. In the first half of 1992, tobacco exports were $2 billion more than imports. The taxes that the tobacco companies pay provide a lot of money for the U.S. government. In 1992, Philip Morris alone paid $4.5 billion in taxes. This makes it the largest tax payer in the U.S. The making or manufacturing of cigarettes is almost completely automated. It is done by machines without people. Machines crush and clean tobacco leaves and add chemicals like nicotine. They also roll cigarettes, put on filters, cut them to length, and then package them. All of the six U.S. companies producing cigarettes are large and powerful. They are so strong that not even all the medical reports of the health dangers of smoking and all the laws restricting smoking and advertising have been able to weaken them. They are still able to make big profits by buying up other non-tobacco companies in the U.S. and by selling and making cigarettes outside the country. For example, Philip Morris bought Miller Beer and Kraft General Foods, and R.J. Reynolds bought the Nabisco Food Group and General Entertainment Corporation. The U.S. government and the tobacco companies help each other. Since 1964 all the Surgeon Generals of the U.S. have talked and written about the health dangers of cigarettes. Still, cigarettes are made, advertised, and sold. The tobacco industry gives thousands of dollars to help cover the costs of political campaigns of people running for political office. These are people who want to be elected or reelected as Senators, Representatives, Vice-President, and President. In turn the politicians help the tobacco industry. One way politicians help is continuing the tobacco price support system. Under the price support system, tobacco can only be grown on a certain number of government-approved farms. The gover nment gives farms special, low interest loans to help cover the costs of growing tobacco. The U.S. Department of Agriculture allows a certain amount of tobacco to be grown each year. This is called a quota. It also sets a minimum price for tobacco. When the farmer takes his/her tobacco to the market, any tobacco not sold one cent above the government price is bought by grower cooperatives and stored to be sold another year. Tobacco products are products made entirely or partly of leaf tobacco as raw material, which are intended to be smoked, sucked, chewed or snuffed. All contain the highly addictive psychoactive ingredient, nicotine. Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Despite this, it is common throughout the world. A number of countries have legislation restricting tobacco advertising, and regulating who can buy and use tobacco products, and where people can smoke. What Im about to explain to you are some of the effects tobacco can cause to your body and they are, Tobacco stains your teeth and gives you bad breath. Tobacco ruins some of your taste buds, so you wont be able to taste your favorite foods as well. Tobacco causes bleeding gums (gum disease) and cancers of the mouth and throat. When you smoke it also increases your heart rate and blood pressure and causes heart disease and heart attacks. If you try to do activities like exercise or play sports, your heart has to work harder to keep up. Smokers have trouble breathing because smoking damages the lungs. If you have asthma, you can have more frequent a nd more serious attacks. Smoking causes a lot of coughing with phlegm (mucous).Tobacco can cause emphysema (lung disease) and lung cancer. Smoking causes dry, yellow skin and wrinkles. The smell sticks to your skin. Less blood and oxygen flows to your muscles, which causes them to hurt more when you exercise or play sports. These are some of the effects that tobacco does to you and your body. Tobacco is very addictive, it starts out as something they try just to try or do it through peer pressure. They usually start out with something not as strong like red man or beechnut because regular dip will make you sick the first time you try it. From there they usually go to pouches and when the buzz is too weak from that they use regular dip, then they are hooked. The nicotine craving from there is hard to overcome. A lot of people who work outside like to dip because when you get used to the buzz it feels amazing. It is really relaxing, That is also why you see a lot of major league baseb all players who dip especially when they are hitting.. it keeps them nice and relaxed. Dip is a simple tobacco product that you can chew. Tobacco Company gave away about 2 billion cigarettes to our troops abroad. Back then the negative effects of tobacco on peoples health were largely unknown. Nicotine masks fatigue and hunger, also help focus thoughts and provides a calming effect. It was largely thought nicotine also caused a heightened sense of awareness thus making one a better soldier. Many people also like the taste and aroma of burning tobacco. Its also noted that nicotine helps with the symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, in fact many mental health programs give free cigarettes to their patients, both as an incentive to attend and because of the calming effects. Unfortunately nicotine is highly addictive and is also a carcinogen. You know before WWI lung cancer was so rare doctors often traveled across country to get a glimpse at a case. Nationwide there was some thing like 11 cases per year, not the case anymore though. I advise no one to do drug unless its for health reasons. Many children and teens use cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco because their friends do. Movies and TV shows can make smoking seem attractive. Teens, especially girls, often use smoking to try to control their weight. Teens may think that smoking is a way to look more mature, independent, and self-confident to their peers. They may smoke to rebel against their parents. Most teens do not know how addictive cigarettes are. Peers may persuade teenagers and even younger children to try tobacco. Even if they do not try verbally to influence another person, simply using tobacco around young people can motivate them to mimic the behavior. Only because they want to fit in, or seem more mature than they really are, they try using tobacco. When teenagers or younger people first begin using tobacco, it is easy to limit usage. They may only use it during parties or when ar ound friends who use tobacco. They may believe that tobacco is not addictive for them and that they can continue to control their use indefinitely. Little that they know is nicotine is very addictive, and eventually they will likely become addicted as well. Nicotine is a nitrogen-containing chemical an alkaloid, which is made by several types of plants, including the tobacco plant. Nicotine is also produced synthetically. The type of nicotine found in tobacco plants, comes from the nightshade family. Red peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes are examples of the nightshade family. Apart from being a substance found in tobacco products, nicotine is also an antiherbivore chemical, specifically for the elimination of insects it used to be extensively used as an insecticide. When humans, mammals and most other types of animals are exposed to nicotine, it increases their heart rate, heart muscle oxygen consumption rate, and heart stroke volume these are known as pharmacologic effect s. I advise every single person, stay far away from anything that has nicotine in it, most products that do have that in it is tobacco which isnt good for neither you nor your body.

Jealousy in Three Dramatic Monologues by Browning Essay -- Robert Brow

Jealousy in Three Dramatic Monologues by Browning The poems 'My Last Duchess', 'Porphyria's Lover' and 'The Laboratory' are three dramatic monologues, theatrical tales of bitter jealousy told by anonymous, murderous lovers. 'My Last Duchess' and 'Porphyria's Lover' use the simple idea of cruel male domination to portray the narrator's jealousy, as these two men do not know any other way of controlling their seemingly flirtatious lovers' behaviour. They try to completely possess their women as objects, and such a need for power seems to be a pure statement of irrational jealousy. The following quotations show this idea clearly and, although the later is not direct to the murder of his lover, it is plain that the narrator is cruel, objective possessiveness. "I propped her head up as before." This quotation clearly shows that Porphyria's lover did not seem to understand the full consequence of murdering this woman, an idea which is also quite apparent in my last duchess, as the Duke certainly appears to brag about his wife's flirtatious behaviour, and it stopping. Returning to the idea of cruel male domination, though, this is obviously apparent in 'My Last Duchess' when the Duke suddenly proclaims the following; "Notice Neptune, though, taming a sea-horse." I would argue that Neptune is representative of the Duke, 'taming' though I would suggest imprisoning, brutally dominating a beauty of nature, which is representative of the Duchess, whom the Duke violently 'tamed' also. This idea is not so apparent in 'The Laboratory' because the narrator is female. We do, however, see her plotting the murder of her adulterous husband, so in a way is trying to 'tame' him too. Cruel, male domination... ...ithee?" The woman has bought a poison to kill her husband's lover with, which is a typical murder weapon of women, and also the most vicious of the three murders, as it would be the most painful for the victim. Murder, therefore, is the main presentation of jealousy in the three poems, and gives us considerable insight to the point of the narrator, because the poems are dramatic monologues. The narrators cannot see that their jealousy has overridden natural behaviour because they simply couldn't control and dominate their lover's behaviour. In conclusion, therefore, jealousy is presented throughout the poems as an ultimate need for control and brutal domination, leading to the irrational behaviour of the narrators, and unprecedented murder through inability to control their own behaviour, let alone anyone else's, and of course, their own jealousy.

German Guilt in Bernhard Schlinks The Reader Essay -- essays research

Every year or so, something happens in the media that brings us all back to the atrocities of World War II, and the German persecution of the Jews. It seems that the horrors of that time can only be digested and understood in small bites. How else can we personalize and comprehend a tragedy of that magnitude? Most of what we read and view in the media about the holocaust is a perspective from the Jewish experience. Recently, however, a question has been posed in regards to finding closure with that troubling piece of history from the German conscience. Can one German's experience reflect the tendencies of the entire country with regards to passion, denial, guilt, and finally justice? Absolutely, according to Michael Berg, the main character in Bernhard Schlink?s novel, The Reader. After being hypnotized for two days while I read this very interesting story, I would have to agree. Once I saw the startling similarities in the area of seduction, the door opened for me to see what I believe Schlink was trying to show all along. We are capable of behaving in quite extraordinary ways, but when all is said and done, we must live with the consequences of our actions, as individuals or as a Nation. Although we may deny the motives of our past actions, either good or bad, the truth does not change, and with the truth comes a reckoning, The book starts in post-war Germany. A fifteen year old Michael Berg is assisted by a beautiful older woman after vomiting in the street. He is very ill and needs months to recover from Hepatitis, but goes back to thank the woman, Hanna, as soon as he is fit enough to leave his home. Although Mich... ...anting to forgive the German war criminals, (Hanna), but being unable to openly because it would appear to condone the actions. He speaks of something being so horrific that the mind can become numb to it. What would his approach to Hanna have been if he had not been involved with her emotionally? The questions keep coming, with no easy answers. Michael tries to atone for his betrayal of Hanna by reading books to her on cassette, then sending them to her in prison. Hanna learns to read and gains understanding of the Holocaust. She tries to atone for her involvement by leaving her earnings to a survivor and after she dies, Michael attempts to carry out her will. The survivor refuses the money, and sends Michael on his way with no sympathy. This book leaves many of us quietly asking ourselves, ?What would I have done. It also demands to be read again.

Paleolithic vs. Neolithic

It has long been understood that in order for a species to survive there needs to be a certain level of adaptation. It is an integral and well-known concept of the human race and a familiar and widely accepted component in the development of man. Essentially, this is what happened when the Paleolithic cultures evolved into the Mesolithic, and eventually the Neolithic culture.The concepts of specialization and diversification were relevant in the transformation of these cultures. Specialization can be defined as â€Å"a structural adaptation of a body part to a particular function or of an organism for life in a particular environment† (Merriam-Webster). The hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic culture were prepared, sometimes at a moment’s notice, to pick up and evacuate their current living areas in order to migrate to an environment in which their living conditions would be greatly improved. Such conditions included better climates, and most importantly, more suitable land to live off of.The scarcity of food was a major problem at the time. The hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic society were tasked with solving this prevalent issue and they did so with the strategic use of tools and stone. Such tools include the common hand axe, chisel, the arrow and spearhead, and the grinder (â€Å"Early Humans†). Tools such as these enabled them to acquire larger quantities of food and necessities for a longer, and ultimately, a more healthful life. The decision process of the nomadic people with regards to the settlement location and migration patterns were largely a factor based upon the current conditions of the weather. There were not many women or children whom survived, the population mainly consisted of aggressive men who were a part of smaller groups, made up predominately of adults usually numbering around thirty.This in turn made it easier to provide food and shelter since there were a fewer number of people. During the Paleolithic era, peopl e’s main occupation was probably finding enough food to survive. Eventually, the Paleolithic culture had to undergo a transformation in order to sustain a longer, improved lifestyle, taking them out of the Stone Age and into the New Age, also known as the Neolithic Era.The Neolithic culture began when humans discovered agriculture and raising cattle, which allowed them to no longer need to live a nomadic life style  (â€Å"Hunter-Gatherers to Farmers†). The culture of the Neolithic people began to progress due to the fact that they began to settle with larger groups in a more stationary setting of one area. By this point, the Neanderthals were now all deceased. In this reality sprung the early signs of civilization such as cities, the social system of hierarchy, and an overall more literate population of people. This time period, beginning around about 9500 B.C., became known as the agricultural revolution.They eventually evolved from hunter-gatherers into farmers wh om still gathered food from the wild, but they now had crops that they cultivated, making the food supply more abundant and more tailored to an increasing population. They were able to settle in fertile areas with predictable climate, usually near river basins (â€Å"Neolithic vs. Paleolithic†), but no longer were the inhabitants of these lands â€Å"light on the earth† like the Paleolithic people before them. The accumulation of more possessions such as livestock became prevalent, thus requiring more space. More women and children survived as well, making the size of the groups increase from around 100 to 1,000 people; a drastic change from the Paleolithic groups.The increase in population caused diseases to spread amongst the groups of Neolithic people because of the close proximity and relativity to others. A social hierarchy eventually had to be enacted to keep the growing population in order. Technology, language, and art continued to advance in the Neolithic cult ure once people started to work together, extending the knowledge, and creating an environment more suitable for the developments to come. The issue of ownership also became prevalent since before there existed no concept of owning specific land. Private property came to be during this time, in effect causing the emergence of ownership of land, livestock, and even tools.As I became more informed on the transformation of the Paleolithic to Neolithic culture, I could not help but to start comparing the changes they underwent to that of the Native Americans and White Settlers. The Native Americans led a simple life, one marked by the use of land as a means of survival. They were a nomadic type of hunter-gatherers usually ruled by tribal leaders and elders just as the Paleolithic people were. When obstacles such as seasonal-change and weather were thrust upon them, they would uproot and find another place to survive. Also, the Paleolithic culture believed in spiritual rituals, as did th e Native Americans. Dr. Miles H. Hodges explains, â€Å"His (Paleolithic man) world view informs him that all events in life result from the actions of the spiritual world working in an invisible way in and through the visible world.The visible world of material reality is merely the outer form or dressing of an even greater inner reality† (â€Å"Paleolithic Society and Culture†). This concept aligned with the beliefs of the Native Americans and their respect for the spiritual world. An example that is parallel with the spiritual beliefs of both the Native Americans and Paleolithic people would be if a hunt were to bring success there were important spiritual rituals to be performed. The Neolithic people became the White Settlers in my mind mainly because of the fact that life became more structured in a sense. Due to this structure, more focus was put on the advancement and expansion of the culture. They also had a similar effect on the land because they did not live lightly or have the same respect for it as the Native Americans did.The Neolithic Age marked the beginnings of established society for modern man, comparable to the White Settlers when they institutionalized beliefs such as religion. Overall, the reason for comparing the Paleolithic and Neolithic times with the Native Americans and White Settlers is because of the fact that an evolution, or change, that began approximately 11,500-5,000 years ago (â€Å"Neolithic Revolution†), essentially repeated at a time more relevant to generations closer to us. This concept, in turn, has made the subject in its entirety, an easier topic to understand.Changes are constant in this world; they have continued to be so since the beginning of the human race. In the end, the Paleolithic culture was a gateway into the Neolithic culture and ultimately served as a stepping-stone for the advancement of the Neolithic culture. The resulting innovations in society, economy, and technology in the Neolit hic Age then paved the way for all of modern civilization. The change from roaming hoards of prehistoric man to settled agriculturists allowed for the establishment of society out of a nomadic culture.

Related Text For Tom Brennan Essay Essay

By the Grace of God by Katy Perry is a song of heart break and determination , Katy herself is faced with the challenge of working though positive and negative experiences she has encountered through her divorce. These negative experiences that Katy faces are portrayed through a number of features some include the use of a depressing and Grey tones throughout the first two verses â€Å" thought i wasn’t enough â€Å" , â€Å" Couldn’t take it anymore†, â€Å" Running on empty so out of gas† This is one way Katy expresses her negative experience of heartache and pain, this also can refer to her depression. Another technique used to reveal her pain is the use of similes for example â€Å" locked up tight like iron mountain† Katy feels trapped and depressed and â€Å" when the truth was like swallowing sand† Katy feels as though she is better to just suffer than face the truth although Katy has faced all of these negative experiences she some how finds it in herself to make her own positive experiences in a similar way to Tom Brennan. For the rest of the song Katy is all about turning her negative experiences into positives. She is determined â€Å" to pick herself back up† and to fight through the pain and get back to her new/ normal life. This is when she leans to the spiritual/ religious side of things which is a strong theme throughout the rest of the song as it ends every chorus â€Å" By the Grace of God† These positive experiences of rebuilding and reflection are proclaimed through two main features the use of imagery and the repetition of lyrics. Types of imagery indicated in this song are religious imagery â€Å" By the grace of god ( There was no other way) this indicates to the audience that her faith was her last resort to help her turn her life. hopeful imagery â€Å" I picked myself back up â€Å" , â€Å" Decided to stay†, â€Å" I’m not giving up† This unveils to us that she is willing to leave the past behind and is ready to face the future. Imagery of Katy rebuilding her confidence is strong throughout the middle and end of this song this displays that her life is really heading in a positive direction and she is not going to let the negative things bring her down examples of this are â€Å" I could Finally see my self again† This is very similar the the quote In Tom Brennan â€Å"I could smile, ‘cause I could see that he was  coming back’.

Human Multi-Tasking

Human multitasking is the best performance by an individual of appearing to handle more than one task at the same time. The term is derived from computer multitasking. An example of multitasking is taking phone calls while typing an email. Some believe that multitasking can result in time wasted due to human context switching and apparently causing more errors due to insufficient attention. Etymology The term â€Å"multitasking† originated in the computer engineering industry. [1] It refers to the ability of a microprocessor to apparently process several tasks simultaneously. 2] Computer multitasking in single core microprocessors actually involves time-sharing the processor; only one task can actually be active at a time, but tasks are rotated through many times a second. With multi-core computers, each core can perform a separate task simultaneously. The first published use of the word â€Å"multitask† appeared in an IBM paper describing the capabilities of the IBM Sy stem/360 in 1965. [3] [edit]Research on human multitasking Since the 1990s, experimental psychologists have started experiments on the nature and limits of human multitasking. It has been shown multitasking is not as workable as concentrated times.In general, these studies have disclosed that people show severe interference when even very simple tasks are performed at the same time, if both tasks require selecting and producing action (e. g. , (Gladstones, Regan & Lee 1989) (Pashler 1994)). Many researchers believe that action planning represents a â€Å"bottleneck†, which the human brain can only perform one task at a time. [4] Psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell[5] has gone so far as to describe multitasking as a â€Å"mythical activity in which people believe they can perform two or more tasks simultaneously as effectively as one. Others have researched multitasking in specific domains, such as learning. Mayer and Moreno[6] have studied the phenomenon of cognitive load in mu ltimedia learning extensively and have concluded that it is difficult, and possibly impossible to learn new information while engaging in multitasking. Junco and Cotten examined how multitasking affects academic success and found that students who engaged in more multitasking reported more problems with their academic work. 7] A more recent study on the effects of multitasking on academic performance found that using Facebook and text messaging while studying were negatively related to student grades, while online searching and emailing were not [8]. [edit]The brain's role in multitasking Because the brain cannot fully focus when multitasking, people take longer to complete tasks and are predisposed to error. When people attempt to complete many tasks at one time, â€Å"or [alternate] rapidly between them, errors go way up and it takes far longer—often double the time or more—to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially,† states Meyer. 9] This is lar gely because â€Å"the brain is compelled to restart and refocus†. [10] A study by Meyer and David Kieras found that in the interim between each exchange, the brain makes no progress whatsoever. Therefore, multitasking people not only perform each task less suitably, but lose time in the process. When presented with much information, the brain is forced to pause and refocus continuously as one switches between tasks. [10] Realistically, this is â€Å"a rapid toggling among tasks rather than simultaneous processing. According to a study done by Jordan Grafman, chief of the cognitive neuroscience section at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, â€Å"the most anterior part [of the brain] allows [a person] to leave something when it’s incomplete and return to the same place and continue from there,† while Broadman’s Area 10, a part of the brain’s frontal lobes, is important for establishing and attaining long term goals. [9] Fo cusing on multiple dissimilar tasks at once forces the brain to process all activity in its anterior. Though the brain is complex and can perform a myriad of tasks, it cannot multitask well.Another study by Rene Marois, a psychologist of Vanderbilt University, discovered that the brain exhibits a â€Å"response selection bottleneck† when asked to perform several tasks at once. The brain must then decide which activity is most important, thereby taking more time. Psychologist David Meyer of the University of Michigan claims that, instead of a â€Å"bottleneck,† the brain experiences â€Å"adaptive executive control† which places priorities on each activity. These viewpoints differ in that, while bottlenecking attempts to force many thoughts through the brain at once, adaptive executive control prioritizes tasks to maintain resemblance of rder. The brain better understands this order and, as psychologists such as Dr. Meyer believe, can therefore be trained to mult itask. [11] Because the brain is an expanse of yet uncharted territory, psychologists do not understand how the brain truly processes input and reacts to overstimulation. Some research suggests that the human brain can be trained to multitask. A study published in Child Development by Monica Luciana, associate professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, discovered that the brain’s capability of categorizing competing information continues to develop until ages sixteen and seventeen.Perhaps if people are trained to multitask at an early age, they will become efficient at multitasking. A study by Vanderbilt University found that multitasking is largely limited by â€Å"the speed with which our prefrontal cortex processes information. † Paul E. Dux, co-author of the study, believes that this process can become faster through proper training. The research team found that with training, the brain can think and perform certain tasks more quickly, effectively allo wing time for another task. The study trained seven people to perform two simple tasks, either separately or together, and conducted brain scans of the participants.The individuals multitasked poorly at first but, with training, were able to adeptly perform the tasks simultaneously. Brain scans of the participants indicate that the prefrontal cortex quickened its ability to process the information, enabling the individuals to multitask more efficiently. However, the study also suggests that the brain is incapable of performing multiple tasks at one time, even after extensive training. [12] This study further indicates that, while the brain can become adept at processing and responding to certain information, it cannot truly multitask.People have a limited ability to retain information, which worsens when the amount of information increases. For this reason people alter information to make it more memorable, such as separating a ten-digit phone number into three smaller groups or div iding the alphabet into sets of three to five letters. George Miller, former psychologist at Harvard University, believes the limits to the human brain’s capacity centers around â€Å"the number seven, plus or minus two. † An illustrative example of this is a test in which a person must repeat numbers read aloud.While two or three numbers are easily repeated, shown in the beginning straight line, fifteen numbers becomes more difficult, as the line curves. The person would, on average, repeat seven correctly. [13] Brains are only capable of storing a limited amount of information in their short term memories. This ineffectiveness of the human brain for multitasking has been demonstrated in different studies. [14][15][16] Laboratory based studies of multi-tasking indicate that one motivation for switching between tasks is to increase the time spent on the task that produces the most reward (Payne, Duggan & Neth, 2007).This reward could be progress towards an overall task goal or it could simply be the opportunity to pursue a more interesting or fun activity. Payne, Duggan and Neth (2007) found that decisions to switch task reflected either the reward provided by the current task or the availability of a suitable opportunity to switch (i. e. the completion of a subgoal). A French fMRI study published in 2010 indicated preliminary support for the hypothesis that the brain can pursue at most two goals simultaneously, one for each frontal lobe (which has a goal-oriented area). [17] [edit]Continuous partial attentionMain article: Continuous partial attention Author Steven Berlin Johnson describes one kind of multitasking: â€Å"It usually involves skimming the surface of the incoming data, picking out the relevant details, and moving on to the next stream. You’re paying attention, but only partially. That lets you cast a wider net, but it also runs the risk of keeping you from really studying the fish. â€Å"[18] Multimedia pioneer Linda Stone coined the phrase â€Å"continuous partial attention† for this kind of processing. [19] Continuous partial attention is multitasking where things do not get studied in depth.Rapidly increasing technology fosters multitasking because it promotes multiple sources of input at a given time. Instead of exchanging old equipment like TV, print, and music, for new equipment such as computers, the Internet, and video games children and teens combine forms of media and continually increase sources of input. [20] According to studies by the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 1999 only 16 percent of time spent using media such as internet, television, video games, telephones, text-messaging, or e-mail was combined.In 2005, 26 percent of the time this media was used together. [11] This increase in media usage decreases the amount of attention paid to each device. Today 82 percent of youth use the Internet by the seventh grade, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. A 2005 surv ey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that, while their usage of media continued at a constant 6. 5 hours per day, Americans ages 8 to 18 were crowding roughly 8. 5 hours’ worth of media into their days due to multitasking.The survey showed that one quarter to one third of the participants have more than one input â€Å"most of the time† while watching television, listening to music, or reading. [9] The 2007 Harvard Business Review featured Linda Stone’s idea of â€Å"continuous partial attention,† or, â€Å"constantly scanning for opportunities and staying on top of contacts, events, and activities in an effort to miss nothing†. [11] As technology provides more distractions, attention is spread among tasks more thinly. A prevalent example of this inattention to detail due to multitasking is apparent when people talk on cell phones while driving.Talking and driving are mutually exclusive because focusing on both the conversation and the road use s the same part of the brain. [citation needed] As a result, people generally become more concerned with their phone conversations and do not concentrate on their immediate surroundings. A 2006 study published in the Human Factors journal showed that drivers talking on cell phones were more involved in rear-end collisions and sped up slower than drivers intoxicated over the . 08% legal limit. [citation needed] When talking, people must withdraw their attention from the road in order to formulate responses.Because the brain cannot focus on two sources of input at one time, driving and listening or talking, constantly changing input provided by cell phones distracts the brain and increases the likelihood of accidents. [citation needed] [edit]Popular commentary on practical multitasking Multitasking has been criticized as a hindrance to completing tasks or feeling happiness. Barry Schwartz has noted that, given the media-rich landscape of the Internet era, it is tempting to get into a habit of dwelling in a constant sea of information with too many choices, which has been noted to have a negative effect on human happiness. 21] The idea that women are better multitaskers than men has been popular in the media. Recently, a study by British psychologist Professor Keith Laws at the University of Hertfordshire was widely reported in the press to have provided the first evidence of female multitasking superiority. [22] A formal research paper has yet to be published. In another study,[23] females were found to perform better at coordinating a primary test with a secondary test (p=0. 007), supporting this notion that females are better at multi-tasking.However, the authors concluded their tests may not reflect real life multi-tasking and that further research was required. Observers of youth in modern society often comment upon the apparently advanced multitasking capabilities of the youngest generations of humans (Generation Y and Generation Z). While it is true that c ontemporary researchers find that youths in today's world exhibit high levels of multitasking, most experts believe that members of the Net Generation are not any better at multitasking than members of older generations. 24] However, recent studies by Bardhi, Rohm, and Sultan argue that Generation Y is becoming better at media multitasking. This is evidenced by the fact that they are gaining control over deciding which messages they pay attention to or not. [25] Furthermore, while there is a great deal of evidence showing the negative effects of multitasking on cognitive tasks [26] [27] [28] [29] [30], there is no evidence showing that multitasking has a positive or neutral effect on these tasks. **Source: WIKIPEDIA (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Human_multitasking)