Monopoly essay Essay

Monopoly is â€Å"a firm that can determine the market price of a good. In the extreme case, a monopoly is the only seller of a good or service. † (Miller 103) Characteristics of a Monopoly. Are that there is one single seller in the market with no competition and there are many buyers in the market. The seller controls the prices of the goods or services and is the price maker as well. The consumers do not have perfect information on the goods or services. Advantages of a Monopoly. The Monopolies avoids duplications and hence wastage of resources. Enjoys economics of scale, due to it being the only supplier of the product or service in the market, makes many profits and be used for research and development to maintain their status as a monopoly. They also use price discrimination to benefit the weaker economic section of society. To avoid competition, they can afford to invest in the latest technology and machinery. Disadvantages of a Monopoly. Monopolies have poor levels of service, there is no consumer sovereignty, the consumers are charged high prices for such low quality goods, and lack of competition could lead to low quality goods, as well as out dated goods. What is required for a monopoly to earn profits in the long run? First off, any market type can see super normal profits in the short-run. What is more important is what happens in the long-run. Pure monopolies are not the only monopoly that can make profits. Natural Monopoly or a price discriminating monopoly can make profits as well. The only difference between them is â€Å"why† they are monopolies to begin with. Oligopolies are not monopolies, although they do tend to make above normal profits. Monopolistic competition does not yield these types of profits in the long-run. Economic profit goes to zero here in the long-run because there is a lack of barriers here to prevent competition from entering (as there is with perfect competition). If a firm uses economies of scale then I would be talking about a natural monopoly (or a few firms in oligopoly depending on how large or small the minimum efficient scale is). If the MES were small, economies of scale would not be an entry barrier to competition in order to achieve positive economic profits. If the MES were large, large enough to support one firm only, that would be the definition of a natural monopoly. â€Å"In the long run, a monopolistically competitive firm adjusts plant size, or the quantity of capital, to maximize long-run profit. In addition, the entry and exit of firms into and out of a monopolistically competitive market eliminates economic profit and guarantees that each monopolistically competitive firm earns nothing more or less than a normal profit. † (http://www. amosweb. com/cgi-bin/awb_nav. pl? s=wpd&c=dsp&k=monopolistic+competition, +long run+production+analysis). Works Cited Roger LeRoy Miller. Economics Today, Sixteenth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. , publishing as Addison-Wesley, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2006. http://www. amosweb. com/cgi-bin/awb_nav. pl? s=wpd&c=dsp&k=monopolistic+competition,+long-run+production+analysis.

Rico Act Essay

The RICO Act has been an important component in addressing organized and white collar crime. Write a five page (double-spaced) essay that summarizes the RICO Act and its impact on organized and white collar crime. Be sure to support your thoughts with information from our readings. Rico Act Essay The term â€Å"Rico Act† stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Codified as chapter 96, Title 18, of the United States Code which was passed by Congress in 1970. The purpose of the Act was to eliminate the ill-affects of organized crime on the nation’s economy. The Rico Act provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The RICO Act focuses specifically on racketeering, and it allows for the leaders of a syndicate to be tried for the crimes which they ordered others to do or assisted them in doing. It closed a perceived loophole that allowed someone who told a man to commit a crime such as murder, to be exempt from the trial because they did not actually do it or were physically involved. Racketeering is defined as the process of forming or running an organization to operate or commit or otherwise execute ongoing criminal activities. For example the drug mafia planning and executing drug traffic in an organized manner. Such crimes are generally illegitimate business when a person commits crimes such as extortion, loan-sharking, bribery, and obstruction of justice in furtherance of illegal business activities. The definition of a â€Å"racketeering activity† means any act or threat involving murder, kidnapping, gambling, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act), which is chargeable under State law and punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. There are a number of illegal and prohibited activities listed in the act and are as follows: Prohibited activities listed in Section 1962 of the Rico Act. a) It shall be unlawful for any person who has received any income derived, directly or indirectly, from a pattern of racketeering activity or through collection of an unlawful debt in which such person has participated as a principal within the meaning of section 2, title 18, United States Code, to use or invest, directly or indirectly, any part of such income, or the proceeds of such income, in acquisition of any interest in, or the establishme nt or operation of, any enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce. A purchase of securities on the open market for purposes of investment, and without the intention of controlling or participating in the control of the issuer, or of assisting another to do so, shall not be unlawful under this subsection if the securities of the issuer held by the purchaser, the members of his immediate family, and his or their accomplices in any pattern or racketeering activity or the collection of an unlawful debt after such purchase do not amount in the aggregate to one percent of the outstanding securities of any one class, and do not confer, either in law or in fact, the power to elect one or more directors of the issuer. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person through a pattern of racketeering activity or through collection of any unlawful debt to acquire or maintain, directly or indirectly, any interest in or control of any enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce. c) It shall be unlawful for any person employed by or associated with any enterprise engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce, to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity or collection of unlawful debt. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person to conspire to violate any of the provisions of subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this section. Under RICO, a person who is a member of an illegal enterprise or organization that has committed any two of 35 crimes including 27 federal crimes and 8 state crimes, within a 10-year period, can be charged with racketeering. Those found guilty of racketeering can be fined up to $25,000 and sentenced to 20 years in prison per racketeering count. In addition, the racketeer must forfeit all ill-gotten gains and interest in any business gained through a pattern of â€Å"racketeering activity. RICO also permits a private individual harmed by the actions of suc h an enterprise to file a civil lawsuit and collect monetary damages. Despite its harsh provisions, a RICO-related charge is considered easy to prove in court, as it focuses on patterns of behavior as opposed to criminal acts. Although some of the RICO predicate acts are extortion and blackmail, one of the most successful applications of the RICO laws has been the ability to indict or sanction individuals for their behavior and actions committed against witnesses and victims in alleged retaliation or retribution for cooperating with federal law enforcement or intelligence agencies. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of bringing organized crime members to justice, ten years passed before the first RICO convictions were obtained. Throughout the 1970s crime families continually fought for power over the many racketeering enterprises that brought in huge sums of money. The National Conference on Organized Crime in 1975 estimated that mob related racketeering reached about $50 billion a year in the United States. An example of a popular case where the Rico Act was used to bring down a criminal organization was the numerous arrests of members of the Gambino Crime Family. The Carlo Gambino family was one of New York's most powerful in the American Mafia. It was successfully weakened by convictions obtained under the RICO Act of 1970. Under Gambino’s leadership, family rackets spread into new areas. Starting in the late ’50s, they engaged in large-scale drug trafficking. The Gambino and Lucchese families put a stranglehold on illegal activities at JFK International Airport, effectively boxing out all competition. Gambino bought into all kinds of legitimate businesses such as pizza parlors, meat markets, restaurants, construction companies, trucking firms, dress factories, and nightclubs, and used them as fronts to facilitate illegal operations. Battles for power and control between crime families resulted in numerous murders. Members of one family would assassinate another's boss. The family of the assassinated boss sought revenge by murdering a member of the offending family. Murders were also committed to prevent a crime member from testifying in a trial. The first convictions of American Mafia members under RICO began in 1980. Numerous gangsters were convicted for a variety of racketeering offenses. In 1985 the bosses of all five New York City Mafia families were convicted under RICO and each received at least one hundred years in prison. In 1992 Salvatore â€Å"Sammy the Bull† Gravano testified in court against his boss, John Gotti, head of the Gambino crime family at that time. In doing so he broke the sacred code of the Mafia, the code of silence barring every Mafia member from ever testifying against another Mafia member. Gotti was sentenced to life in prison. His brother Peter Gotti took over the family but was sentenced in April 2004 to nine years in prison. From our reading, we also learned that Rico can provide other benefits to local, county, state and federal law enforcement. As stated by Osterburg and Ward, page 632, â€Å"Through asset forfeiture provisions the government can confiscate money, houses, cars, boats, planes, electronics and weapons. This has not only impacted on the specific criminals targeted, but in many jurisdictions has been used as a means for law enforcement to expand their own efforts. In my own department, we use the proceeds from asset forfeitures to purchase vehicle equipment and bullet proof vests. Summary For decades, law enforcement strategies have focused on identifying and prosecuting the leaders of criminal enterpris es. Members may be charged or arrested for relatively minor infractions. Charges for even small infractions can provide prosecutors with the leverage to conduct further investigations of the group. The goal is to get â€Å"smaller fish† to â€Å"flip† and testify against the heads of the organization. The ultimate aim is to disrupt the group as a whole. Since the inception of the Rico Act, thousands of arrests and convictions have been handed down against members of organized crime. All five New York crime families have been disabled by Rico convictions and numerous other crime families have felt the sting. There has been mixed reviews on the total effectiveness of the Rico Act, but most will agree that there seems to be no end to organized crime and those willing to engage in criminal activity and enterprise. References www. ricoact. com/ricoact/nutshell. asp RICO – What Happened Next . . . – Crime, Family, Mafia, Families, Organized, and American http://law. jrank. org/pages/12394/RICO-What-happened-next. html#ixzz1XrNLl9Gg http://www. trutv. com/library/crime/gangster_outlaws/family_epics/gambino/3. html www. justice. gc. ca/eng/pi/rs/rep-rap/2005/rr05_5/p5. html. Osterburg and Ward. , Criminal Investigations, A Method for Reconstructing the

Positive Relationships With Children Essay

Positive relationships with children and young people are important for the following reasons: When a child/young person feels comfortable and settled within their care setting they are more likely to engage and participate more with staff and other children within the group which creates a more relaxed atmosphere, it also makes the separation process easier for the parents/carers as well as the child /young person as it shows that the child/young person is emotionally secure, Building and maintaining positive relationships is also important as it contributes to the developmental needs of each individual child/young person personally, socially and emotionally which then enhances their language skills as they gain confidence talking to each other and staff. Positive relationships also enables us as practitioners to understand and respond to children/young people more effectively as we are able to recognise their emotions and expressions and also enables practitioners to plan more accurately as we know more of the interests and understand the developmental needs of the children/young people in our care. Making sure as a practitioner I keep to my word i.e. if a child/group have done a particular activity today, and I have told another group/child they may have a turn next session I must make sure that is what takes place as theses situations will affect the trust between myself and the children within the setting. Positive relationships are maintained by us practitioners, parents /carers being good role models, by showing courtesy and respect to each other at all times, remembering that we must show respect and courtesy to our younger as well as our elders, Always being fair and consistent, listening to what is being said without making judgement and making sure that any rules and boundaries set out are kept to and understanding when information is to be kept confidential, being able to identify and resolve disagreements /conflicts, help children and young people to understand the difference. Effective communication- the way in which we speak to an individual, according to age and developmental stage of the child/young person, being  aware of body language/hand gestures and facial expressions. Ensuring that children and young people are aware and understand their views and opinions are valued and considered. It is important that people involved in the care of children and young people build and maintain positive relationships with each other, as this can also have an enormous impact the development and wellbeing of the children and young people within their care spectrum, having a positive relationship with the child/young persons parent/carer can have positive effect on the child/young person, as this is the first step in getting to know and understand the initial needs and preferences, likes and dislikes and fears or concerns of each individual, also by including parent/carers in various sessions giving them the opportunity to contribute and get involved in planning and implementing of various activities it encourages people to engage in conversation where different views, ideas, and skills are learned. Also shared whilst showing the children/young people how to live in diverse community where we are all individuals who are able to work together regardless of background or upbringing. positive relationships between the various professionals working with children/young people whether it be colleagues, external agency/organisation or service, is important as it has a direct impact on the child/young person ongoing development, being able to share information between adults involving children/young people in different situations engaging in various activities, means that planning for the children/young people can be done more effectively as each professional involved may see a different way of contributing towards the development /wellbeing of the child/young person, they may also have the opportunity to identify any needs and interests different to those already established, the welfare of children/young people can be properly monitored while being assured that each child/young person is being given consistent care, any concerns or issues can be shared accurately and promptly when required following correct procedures and guidelines.

The Report on Presidential Elections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Report on Presidential Elections - Essay Example The candidates have their own parties some of which are fragmented. The electoral laws advocate that the candidates should employ an interactive model, which incorporates the political influence of institutions and social cleavages. Social cleavages are linked with social identity because in electoral institutions or in the society, there are always divided groups. This may determine the way the society behaves towards voting for their preferred presidential candidate. The empirical research in comparative politics reveals that social cleavages impact the number of presidential candidates or parties in the election process. The electoral process has been a political issue in the late 20th century; thus, many political scholars provide their viewpoints that the electoral policies should exercise an outstanding self-governing effect on the political party system. The electoral exercises are determined by the electoral laws of a state and they depend on the party systems. The electoral laws exercise significant roles in the political society because of the independent effect they create on the party system. The research indicates that the electoral system influence on a party system is significant and it is unpretentious when comparing it with the effect of sociological factors (Jones 106). The issue of the party system fragmentation is one of the causes that creates varying degree in the presidential elections.... Thus, they advocated on the use of interactive model in assessing the combined political institution influences and social cleavages on the party fragmentation. Therefore, they came up with the solution of employing interactive model in political institutions. Though, the model is unclear as to whether it can be beneficial in understanding the party fragmentation in presidential elections. Understanding the party fragmentation determinants in the presidential elections is crucial because of the three main reasons. One of the reasons is that presidential elections exercise significant effect on the party system and the electoral laws (Jones 74). Another one is that the fragmentation level of the party system in the electoral laws may have a strong impact on the nature of the administration in the presidential democratic system. For example, one party government and the coalition government or effective or ineffective legislation; thus contributing to party fragmentation. The greater t he fragmentation levels the more problems in identifying the probable governance option in the presidential elections (Jones 74). Many voters can be incapable of making effective choice in the presidential elections because of party fragmentation and poor electoral legislation. The presidential election with weak legislative support may end up being deemed as candidates with undesirable traits in fragmented party systems. The influence of electoral policies is restrictive on the extent of social cleavages polity. The social cleavages seem to impact effective presidential election process; thus, many scholars argue that institutional and interactive models are among the effective approaches in competitive presidential elections. Dickson and Scheve (351) argue that social cleavage can provide

Government's Involvement or Role in the Marketplace - Managerial Essay

Government's Involvement or Role in the Marketplace - Managerial Economics - Essay Example Economists often assume that markets are perfectly competitive and that all information necessary to make rational decisions is available. . But this is not always true. Sometimes the market is far from being competitive, there is lack of adequate information for participants, and a single buyer or seller, or a small group of buyers and sellers, may be able to control market prices. This power exercised by monopolists and oligopolists is called market power. Market power can cause markets to be inefficient, keeping price and quantity away from the supply-and-demand equilibrium (Mankiw, 1998; Samuelson and Marks, 1995). There are instances when society as a whole is not well served; therefore, it is incumbent on the government to intervene, usually for two reasons: to promote efficiency (enlarging the economic pie), and to promote equity (ensuring a better division of the pie). To make their analysis simple, economists often assume that market outcomes matter only to the buyers and sellers, but in real life decisions by market participants sometimes affect people who had nothing to do with the market at all. Such side effects, called externalities, cause welfare to hinge on more than just values and costs when buyers and sellers decide how much to consume and produce, thus the market equilibrium can become inefficient from the viewpoint of society as a whole. Market power and externalities are what constitute market failure – which means that the market, unregulated and left on its own, fails to allocate resources efficiently. When markets fail, public policy may be able to provide a remedy to the problem situation and perhaps increase economic efficiency. The government intervenes in the hope of improving market outcomes. However, it is by no means certain that government intervention can improve the state of

The Public Interest Defence in UK Copyright Law and the impact of Essay

The Public Interest Defence in UK Copyright Law and the impact of Ashdown v Telegraph Group - Essay Example According to Hugues, the Copy right act itself does not define 'fair dealing', the interpretation of which must be judged on the merits of the individual case, allowing the courts the freedom to "tailor their decisions to the facts which are placed before them without having to work their way around an impractical definition". According to Guangyong, the last defence to copyright infringement is termed 'public interest', which is "a newer and less well-developed defence in the copyright field compared with others, whereby the work is deemed important for wider distribution and fair dealing is not applicable". In Hyde Park v. Yelland , Jacob J., "assumed that it may well be that balancing the 'freedom of expression' conferred by Article 10 of the ECHR and the 'right to respect for private life' conferred by Article 8 will involve the judges in just the same or a similar sort of exercise as is involved in judging whether there is a public interest defence" (Sutti) Sutti goes on to say that" commentators were surprised when the Court of Appeal of Hyde Park v. Yelland reversed the decision of Jacob J. denying the possibility of a public interest defence in an action for a copyright infringement." Taking the above as precedent, the first time that the English courts "fully addressed the issue of the impact of the HRA on copyright law was in the case of Ashdown v Telegraph Group Lt, which involved important issues of freedom of expression of the press and the right of the public to receive information of legitimate public interest."(Walker) In this case, The Sunday Telegraph reproduced the minute of a private meeting between Ashdown, a prominent politician, and the Prime Minister. Ashdown sued the newspaper for breach of copyright. The newspaper argued that the provision of the Copyright Act 1988 should be interpreted in context with the Human Rights Act 1998 section 3 (1) The Court of Appeal was receptive in principle to the human rights defence: "now that the Human Rights Act is in force, there is the clearest public interest in giving effect to the right of freedom of expression in those rare cases where this right trumps the rights conferred by the Copyright Act". (Griffit hs) But the appeal was decided against the appellant on the basis of fair dealing: the newspaper's activities were not fair because it had taken "too much" of Mr Ashdown's "work product". - this narrow interpretation of Laddie was to lead to criticisms of inflexibility (Griffiths) Sir Morrit assumed " the importance of the right of property and stressed the right of every natural or legal person to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. He continued: "intellectual property rights in general and copyright in particular constitute a restriction on the exercise of the right of freedom of expression. Thus Article 10 is engaged"." (Sutti) According to Walker, the right to freedom of expression was cited in the newspaper's argument that the Act was incapable of satisfying the requirement of being 'necessary in a democratic society'. At first instance this argument was rejected with Morritt V-C stating that, "The provisions of the Act alone can and do satisfy the 3rd requirement of article 10(2) as well. The needs of a democratic soci

Is the way Socrates founds the city in speech,especially the role of Essay - 1

Is the way Socrates founds the city in speech,especially the role of the guardians,compatible with 5th Century Athens How about Sparta or any other city or nat - Essay Example Thesis The role of the guardians bears resemblance with functions and duties of rulers in the 5th century Athens and can be compared with the role of communists in soviet Russia and Communist China. The guardians in The Republic bear resemblance with rules of ancient Athens. The most important political principle of Platos ideal state is rule by an enlightened elite, highly trained and educated for the role and endowed with a philosophical turn of mind that presumably assures the wisdom of their policies. Platos commentary is principally concerned with the training and duties of this elite class, the Guardians. In fact, Athens had a whole host of officials, for the most part annually selected boards of magistrates, each devoted to an aspect of social regulation. Magistrates shared some of the duties involved in policing Athens, their role and function will only indirectly be a concern of this work. Interpreted more narrowly, policing also describes the work of an organized police force, a disciplined, professional corps, whose duties include enforcing the law through investigation and prosecution and ensuring public order. The Guardians themselves are divided into two major gro ups. The larger group (sometimes referred to in the texts as "Auxiliaries") includes civil servants and a permanent military force, skilled in the art of war and dedicated to the task of defending the state from external enemies. In ancient Athens, there was social division: the military would be charged with keeping civil order within the state as well. The most important virtue of these Guardians is courage. However, those rulers who show a gift for rational and philosophical contemplation are eligible to become Rulers, who are charged with making the important policy decisions that the lower orders of Guardians will then carry out and enforce. In a direct response to what he saw as the corruption and decadence

Iphone Network and Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Iphone Network and Technology - Research Paper Example become the force to reckon with. It is one of the leading brands of the cellular phones in the market, and has indeed introduced many features in the industry for the first time that have been duly copied by the other companies in the hopes of matching in the race towards the most saleable phone (Frommer, 2011). The indigenous features and offers of the Apple company, however, make sure that few competitors can match the product in terms of quality, features, cost, and ease of operation (Frommer, 2011). Such a success is quite surprising, given that Apple is a relatively new player in the field, and a few years back it was not even predicted to enter the game (Vogelstein, 2008). And now it has broken the monopoly of the established giants of the cellular industry (Vogelstein, 2008) and made its own mark, which is quite hard to match. Such success merits an in depth analysis of the iPhone and its technology. This paper analysis the iPhone technology in terms of its management informat ion system, MIS, and telecommunication design. This will be followed by recommendations for improvement of the systems. Network classification: the iPhone introduced to the world not just a new trend in mobile technology, but also a new model for the smart phones (Frommer, 2011). This means that it had the capability to access the Internet and have a global network connectivity (Frommer, 2011). This was important to provide customers with a high level of user experience and ease of operation; now they could use their phones not just for making calls but also to conduct business and use the Internet (Frommer, 2011). Since the target was the incorporation of the Internet into a cellular phone and a global access, the iPhone utilized the technology of wireless network connections (Frommer, 2011). This section studies this technology in detail and presents some of its advantages over the wired technology. The wireless network is essentially what is called the wi-fi technology (WiFi Note s, n.d.). this form of network has become the most popular in the industry, and has become synonymous with all the families of wireless technologies that are currently used (WiFi Notes, n.d.). The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE, uses a referencing notation based on numbers that are given to each family of technological systems employed by the network industry (WiFi Notes, n.d.). These groups of numbers can be subdivided into smaller categories, based on the differences in the operational techniques of the systems. The wi-fi technology used by the iPhone is numbered as 802.11 (WiFi Notes, n.d.), this being the reference number of this particular

The Emergent Threat of Bio-Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Emergent Threat of Bio-Terrorism - Essay Example This paper weighs the pros and cons on whether al Qaeda or any other international terrorist group indeed has the motivation and capability to develop and use bio-weapons to carry out their missions of terror against the civilized world. If biological weapons represent the new threat to world peace and security that it is feared to be, we need to examine the desire and capability of authorities to deal with this yet to be experienced challenge to existing health and defense systems. Together with chemical and nuclear weapons, modern biological weapons are commonly classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and have been used as such on many occasions in the past. Biochemical weapons may appeal to terrorists for three major reasons: 1) they are easier and cheaper to acquire than nuclear devices and cause more casualties; 2) their effects on target population are hard to detect and counter; and 3) the threat of their use causes fear, which element the terrorists love most (Danitz, 1998, p. 3). The use of bio-weapons actually goes back to the siege warfare in Medieval Ages, among which was the recorded attempt to spread disease through dead horses at northern France in 1340. In 1346, cadavers of plague victims were dumped on the defenders at Caffa in Crimea, while human and animal manure was used at Karlstein in Bohemia in 1422. The most successful was said to be the bio-attack at Caffa, where a large number of the defenders came down with the Bubonic plague (Wheelis, 2002, p. 12). On the American frontier, some of the disease outbreaks between the 18th and early 20th centuries might have been deliberately instigated (Fenn, 2000). The best documented of those early bio-attacks took place at Fort Pitt in Pennsylvania at the height of the Pontiac rebellion in 1763, when British troops gifted the Fort Pitt defenders with blankets and handkerchiefs from smallpox patients. The latter-day known incident of that nature happened between 1957 and 1965 when land speculators and corrupt agents of the Brazilian Indian Protective Service introduced smallpox, measles, flu and tuberculosis into the American Indians on the Amazonian basin. For smallpox, fomites were used and for the other diseases the culprits had the sick whites mixed with tribe members (Wheelis, 2002, p. 13). War records starting from the American Revolutionary War to the Cold War era also reveal the extensive use of bio-weapons. There was the story of how British troops attacked the Continental Army in Boston and Quebec on several occasions with smallpox by driving infected civilians into the enemy fold. In World War I, the Germans waged a covert bio-attack by having secret agents inject anthrax and glanders cultures into farm animals penned for shipment to Allied countries. Japan resorted to the same tactic during World War II mostly against the Chinese. In the 1942 Chekiang campaign, for example, retreating Japanese agents poisoned wells, sprayed the ground behind them with microbial cultures and left infected foodstuff for the

Close reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Close reading - Essay Example Matusky and Sooi (2004) studied the Malaysian dance and commented that the Malaysian musical traditions were always accompanied with dance or dance drama that did not have any dialogue as its essence was to engage the audience to the set act so that they could derive a meaning out of the performance. This acted as an act that included the attributes of the classical or folk music2. As a result, the dance incorporated the use of the body more so the hands and the feet. Thus through their traditional Malay music, the Malay dancer(s) introduced the use of hands as they swayed their hands from side to side or up and down as a form to express emotion and attachment to the song. Malay classical dance history and characteristics The early Malay dances incorporated various dance forms such as mak yong, mek mulung and manohra and these were practiced often in the courts thus their origination. The mak yong comprised of a much dramatized dance act that depicted the stories of the princes and p rincesses. The women who acted as princesses wore royal costumes while the men wore the same costumes and an additional male clown. Their dance was also accompanied by drums, gongs and a serunai. The dance is also related to Puteri, which is an ancient ritual that was believed, that when it was performed by the dancers, it was prone to release supernatural powers and as a result, the kings did not follow much on that, rather they adopted the dance that was related to theatrical performances. This dance involved the simple act of a female and a male at the courts. Manohra also shares some aspects with mak yong such as the dance that consists of the female and the male and it also incorporates more of dance rather than the story that is behind to the dance set being performed. Manohra also served as a traditional and respected ritual and it was also believed to have the aspect of super natural powers. When the dance was performed, it was always accompanied with the serunai, two gedung , two gedumbak, kesi, bamboo or wood clappers and gongs. As of today, there exists only two active manohra groups’ in Malaysia and tey happen to occupy the parts of Kelantan. Mek mulung on the other hand involved a dance drama that depicted a local legend that had happened in the community. As a result this dance also had the same aspects in meaning and body gesture when compared to mak yong and manohra. When the dance was performed, it was always accompanied with the use of the serembong, gong, serunai and ceruk. The oldest surviving Malaysian performance traditions can be dated back to the peoples of the Orang Asli communities of Peninsular Malaysia who are very scarce in numbers in the region. Some of the community sub groups include the Negrito communities that include the Bateq, Jahai, Kensui, Kintak, Lanoh and Mendriq peoples and they are located in the Kelantan, Pahang, Perak and Terengganu regions. The Senoi include the Che Wong, Jahut, Mahmeri, Semai, Semoq Beri and Temiar peoples who are located in Kelantan, Pahang, Perak and Selangor, and the Proto-Malay peoples incorporate the Jakun, Orang Kanaq, Orang Laut, Orang Seletar, Semelai and Temuan) majoritively in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang. The Orang Asli performances involved the incorporation of music, song and dance and they were preformed mainly at social events

Failing to Love Essay Example for Free

Failing to Love Essay In her story â€Å"Never Marry a Mexican† Sandra Cisneros introduces the reader to the complex issues surrounding the racial and sexual identity of a Mexican-American woman living in the United States. The story is about a Chicana woman and how she seeks revenge on a white lover who has rejected her by becoming the sexual tutor of his teenage son. Cisneros give life to the protagonist Clemencia and paints her as a character in a modern day to demonstrate the pervasive negative impact on Mexican-American women, especially on Chicanas residing within the United States. Clemencia, the protagonist of the story, thinks â€Å"Drew, remember when you used to call me your Malinalli? It was a joke, a private game between us, because you looked like a Cortes with that beard of yours. My dark skin against yours†¦My Malinalli, Malinche, my courtesan, you said, and yanked my head back by the braid† (192). Clemencia is a painter, but she must support herself in other ways too. She sometimes acts as a translator; however for Clemencia Spanish is now the â€Å"native† language. In this discussion of her occupation, Clemencia pronounces â€Å"any way you look at it, what I do to make a living is a form of prostitution† (181). She feels as though when she is not painting she merely sells herself to make a living, much like La Malinche had to do in her relationship with Cortes. Clemencia constantly allows herself to fall in love with unavailable men who are always married and always white. This pattern results from her mother’s constant advice, â€Å"Never Marry a Mexican†. Clemencia’s mother, a lower-class Chicana woman from the United States who married an upper-class Mexican man, felt inescapable discrimination by both her husband’s upper-class family and mainstream U.S. society for her dark skin color. Her answer to this was to marry out, and supposedly up, by divorcing Clemencia’s father and marrying a white man. It is because of this example that Clemencia never sees Mexican men as potential lovers. She explains: â€Å"Mexican men, forget it. For a long time the men clearing off the tables or chopping meat behind the butcher counter or driving the buss I rode to school every day, those weren’t men. Not men I considered as potential lovers. Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Chilean, Columbian, Panamanian, Salvadorean, Bolivian, Honduran, Argentine, Dominican, Venezuelan, Guatemalan, Ecuadorean, Nicaraguan, Peruvian, Costa Rican, Paraguayan, Uruguayan, I don’t care. I never saw them. My mother did this to me†(179). Here Clemencia is adopting the racist Anglo discourse by lumping all Latinos into one, unified group. Her discussion of â€Å"Mexican† does not distinguish between class and race; to her â€Å"Mexican† means busboys, butchers, and bus drivers. Mexican is no longer the nationality of the people of Mexico, but rather a class of servers who happen to be brown. Here Cisneros demonstrates how the racism of dominant society in America is often internalized and serves to separate the people of disempowered groups. Cisneros makes a strong statement against internalized racism by showing how Clemencia’s rejection of men of her own race and obsession with white men ultimately leaves her lonely. Clemencia comes to the frustrating, yet enlightening realization that the white men in her life have, like her, adopted the mantra â€Å"never marry a Mexican† when she remembers the conversation Drew and she had the last night they spent together. Clemencia recalls in an inner dialogue, how â€Å"we had agreed. All for the best. Surely I could see that, couldn’t I? My own good. A good sport. A young girl like me. Hadn’t I understood†¦responsibilities. You didn’t think? Never marry a Mexican. Never marry a Mexican. No of course. I see. I see† (186). Now Clemencia is now lost without a proper choice of lovers. Mexicans are out of bounds because she could never marry a Mexican, but she now realizes that white men are also out of bounds because they too could never marry a Mexican; they could never marry her. Cisneros is therefore demonstrating how internalized racism does not serve to differentiate certain ethnic Mexicans from others in the eyes of white society, and instead only serves to isolate such Mexican-Americans from the culture to which they are supposed to feel connected. By having Clemencia reject the roles of wife and mother and instead embrace the socially deviant mistress role, Cisneros demonstrates how women who refuse socially acceptable roles often must do so at the expense of other women. In an attempt to claim agency that she would otherwise be denied as a married Chicana in dominant, patriarchal society, Clemencia embraces the role of the mistress. The mistress, because of her strictly sexual nature, is traditionally regarded as a role that reinforces male dominance in heterosexual relationships. Through her role as mistress and her rejection of the role of wife or mother, she attempts to combat the patriarchal system of oppression and makes allowances for flexibility of gender-role expectations. However because the role of the mistress also depends upon there being another woman, the wife, who is betrayed by both her husband and the mistress, the mistress role does not combat the patriarchal system for all women. It does, in fact, reinforce patriarchal oppression of the wife/mother role. Clemencia seems to have little problem acknowledging her betrayal of other women. She candidly tells the reader â€Å"I’ve been accomplice, having caused deliberate pain to other women. I’m vindictive and cruel, and I’m capable of anything† (179). Therefore, in order to escape subscribed gender roles and claim agency in her sexual relationships, Clemencia hurts other women. Cisneros seems to be saying that â€Å"mujeres andariegas†, or daring women who reject the roles society expects of them, do not help to institutionally change society for all women but rather must betray other women in their search for personal freedom. Clemencia attempts to further com bat patriarchal gender roles in her sexual relationships the role of el chingà ³n. When describing sex with Drew, she says â€Å"I leapt inside you and split you like an apple. Opened for the other to look and not give back† (185). Here Clemencia not only takes on the man’s part by â€Å"leaping† inside, she also executes the violent actions attached to the verb chingar. Clemencia imagines that this sexual aggressiveness empowers her over Drew. She says â€Å"You were ashamed to be so naked†¦But I saw you for what you are, when you opened yourself for me† (185). To Clemencia, sexual relations are based on power dynamics, and in order to escape the passive feminine chingada role she must embrace the possessive, dominant, masculine chingà ³n role. Clemencia extends her embodiment of the chingà ³n role into her dealings with the wives, and even a son, of her lovers. More than once she had sex with a lover while his wife was in labor with his child. She confesses â€Å"it has given me a bit of crazy joy to be able to kill those women like that†¦To know I’ve had their husbands when they were anchored in blue hospital rooms, their guts yanked inside out†(184). Clemencia’s relationship with Drew’s son is another example of her fulfilling a sort of â€Å"vindictive sexual satisfaction†. She says of him â€Å"I sleep with this boy, their son. To make the boy love me the way I love his father. To make him want me the way I love his father†¦I can tell from the way he looks at me, I have him in my power†¦I let him nibble†¦Before I snap by teeth† (187). Therefore she seduces him not to satisfy the yearning of her body or hear, but rather to achieve sexual power of the son, which she perceives as giving her indirect power of his parents. Clemencia is ultimately left lonely without a lover, a connection to her culture, or meaningful female friendships. The reason for this lies in the world view Clemencia has inherited from her society. She perceives the world in black and white, in terms of inescapable binaries between which she must choose. She fails to become an acceptable marriage partner to Drew, she fails to escape being hurt by her lovers even as a mistress. Works Cited Never Marry a Mexican. Random House, Inc. and Vintage Books1991

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Essay Example for Free

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Essay Gertrude becomes shocked at what Hamlet has just done Oh me, what hast thou done? here she stands in shock. Gertrude cannot really believe that her own son has committed a ruthless murder. This can be interpreted by Gertrude holding her head in her hands and not wanting to look at Hamlet or the dead body of Polonius. Hamlet tells Gertrude what Claudius has done A bloody deed? Almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother, she does not want to believe Hamlet as she says, As kill a king? Hamlet on the other hand looks at Polonius as a wretched, rash, intruding fool he pities Polonius. This is because he has always tried to get to the top by methods that have not always proved successful or helpful by indirections find directions out. Now Hamlet turns on Gertrude, he forces her down again and accuses her of having no sense of feeling If damni d custom have not brazed it so, that it be proof and bulwark against sense. He also accuses her of not knowing the meaning of marriage vows makes marriage vows as false as dicers oaths. He then compares the two husbands. He does this to show to Gertrude what she had and what she has now so she sees what a big mistake she made by marring Claudius and not seeing his true self. Hamlet regards his father as one of the Gods Hyperions curls, the front of Jove himself, an eye like Mars, to threaten and command; a station like the herald Mercury he also says where every god did seem to set his seal. Followed by him talking about Claudius like a mildewed ear. Like in many publications Hamlet will have the picture of King Hamlet around his neck in a locket and Gertrude will have the picture of Claudius around her neck in a similar fashion. Afterwards he begins to insult Gertrude about her inability to be in command of her sexual desires. Many people believe that Hamlet is so malevolent towards Ophelia because Hamlet sees Gertrude having no control over her life so he thinks that all women are like that and cannot make up their minds. Another reason is that he subconsciously loves his mother and cannot commit in another relationship. At this point Gertrude realises what she has done Thou turnst my eyes into my very soul, and there I see such black and grainid spots as will not leave their tinct. However she does not want to hear any more and repeatedly tells him to stop Oh speak to me no more. These words like daggers enter my ears . daggers is a reoccurring theme as in Act 3 Scene 3 he says I will speak daggers to her but use none. So in actual fact he achieved his goal. When the ghost appears Hamlet goes quiet and speaks peacefully. He does this as he looks up to and respects his father also he is still quite scared of him even though it is his father it is still a ghost. Additionally Hamlet is worried what it might do to him because Hamlet has been offensive toward his mother, which was not part of the plan. The ghost is dressed in armour, as he was when he was living. The ghost reminds Hamlet of his purpose and tells him to comfort Gertrude This visitation is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose. But look, amazement on thy mother sits. Oh step between her and her fighting soul the ghost says this quietly, almost whispering. This statement shows that even though Gertrude married so soon after his death, King Hamlet still cares for her. Immediately after Hamlet comforts her and asks how she is doing, his tone of voice changes completely as if something just wash over him. Very confused by what just happened she asks Hamlet Wheron do you look? this could imply that Gertrude does not care as much for King Hamlet as Hamlet as she cannot see King Hamlet. It could also mean that King Hamlet would rather not appear before of Gertrude, as he still loves her and would not want to startle or upset her. Hamlet eventually convinces Gertrude that in reality he is not mad and asks for her forgiveness. He does this as he feels, on reflection of what the ghost said, that he was very harsh to Gertrude, also he upset her and is afraid of the ghost. Hamlet subsequently requests Gertrude not to sleep with Claudius and tell him about the conversation and his antic disposition. He threatens Gertrude and becomes quite aggressive again but not as much, Gertrude again becomes a little scared of Hamlet. Gertrude subsequently reassured Hamlet that she would not say anything I have no life to breathe what though hast said to me. Hamlet reveals his plot to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He tells her this as he feels that she is on his side and he would like to remain as honest and loyal as possible to her. At this point Gertrude has been through so much she does not really take this in and so does not make much of a reaction. The scene ends with Hamlet dragging Polonius body out of the room leaving Gertrude in a solitary moment. The lights dim all is quiet and all that is heard is the rain and the scene will end with a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. This scene prepares us for what is to come as it gives us an insight into what Hamlet is capable of. Additionally this is the first time a murder has taken place besides King Hamlets murder. This scene contains so many emotions that it is practically a play itself. I believe that the Branagh production worked the best as there was much more emphasis on the important parts of the scene although there was too much violence when killing Polonius. Also Gertrude does more to get away from Hamlet in this film than the others do as she turns away much more when he talks to her about Claudius and her failure to control her sexual feelings. His production also had more emotion to it and showed what was happening much more clearly. This play has proved so popular through the ages as it contains something for everyone, as it ranges from romance to murder. Furthermore everyone can relate to it as it has many components of real life situated within the play, this made it, and made it stay so popular. There is also much more room to interpret the script so every time you see Hamlet performed by a different company you can be assured that you will get a new play each time.

Frito Lay Company: Cracker Jack Case Analysis

Frito Lay Company: Cracker Jack Case Analysis Frito-Lay is worldwide leader in snack manufacturing and marketing. It represented 54 percent of retail sales of snack chips in United States, making it leader in that category. Frito-Lay is division of PepsiCo. Inc and in 1996 represented 31 percent of PepsiCos net sales and 60 percent of PepsiCos operating profit (Kerin Peterson, 2010). Some of popular brands of Frio-Lay are Lays and Ruffles, Doritos, Tostitos, Potato chips, Cheetos, Sun Chips and Funyuns onion-flavored snacks. During 1990s majority of Frito-Lays growth was attributed to its low-fat and no-fat snacks such as Baked Lays potato crisps, Baked Tostitos tortilla chips, and Rold Gold pretzels. Frito-Lay has extensive manufacturing infrastructure with 45 manufacturing plants in 26 states, including worlds largest snack food plan in Frankfort, Indiana. It has extensive warehouses and distribution facilities as well with more than 1,800 in number and 17,500 salespeople who make 750,000 sales and delivery calls on approx 35 0,000 retail store customers each week (Kerin Peterson, 2010). It also is one of leading national advertisers in the United States. Borden Foods Cracker Jack is one of leading brand in Ready-To-Eat (RTE) caramel popcorn category. Because of Bordens strategic decision to focus its resources on pasta business and grain-meals, which needs significant resource investment, it has decided to divest Cracker Jack and related assets. Frito-Lays New Ventures Division, which seeks and creates new business platform and products to grow business (Kerin Peterson, 2010), evaluating purchase of Cracker Jack brand to grow Frito-Lays business. Problem Identification Ready to Eat (RTE) caramel popcorn product category has several different types of competitors; national brand firms, seasonal/specialty firms, regional firms and private label firms. Cracker Jack is national brand and its biggest competing brand is Crunch n Munch from International Foods Home Inc. In 1996 dollar sales market share of Cracker Jack was 26% whereas Crunch n Munch enjoyed 32% of market share (Kerin Peterson, 2010). Generally RTE caramel popcorn is viewed as undermarketed category, especially Cracker Jack spent far less in media advertising compared to Crunch n Munch. Because of reasons mentioned above and several other reasons Cracker Jack is seen by consumer as a brand which has lost momentum. Frito-Lay has decided to purchase Cracker Jack brand and regaining this momentum is key factor. Identifying the Root Problem Components Cracker Jack brand has universal awareness, however its seen as traditional and old fashioned, and less contemporary than Crunch n Munch. Although there are several Cracker Jack products such as Cracker Jack Fat Free, Butter Toffee, and Nutty Deluxe, consumer awareness of these is below 50 percent. Although consumers are aware of Cracker Jack brand largely because of its heritage, only 7.1 percent of U.S. household consumes it primarily because a) they dont think about it as they dont see advertisements b) unavailable where they shop and c) they see it as too expensive and say boxes are not large enough. Components of root problem which Frito-Lay needs to tackle are premium price of Cracker Jack, extend Cracker jack trademark and revitalize Cracker Jacks base business. To do this it needs to expand distribution of Cracker Jack, develop new packaging and flavors (and at same time reduce SKUs which are not popular. It has 32 SKUs), impactful product positioning, increase consumer advertisement and establish price leadership. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Frito-Lay has strong strong-door-delivery sales force. Executives are very proactive and detailed in projects they undertake, project Bingo is good example of it. Frito-Lays extensive sales and distribution infrastructure and manufacturing facilities. Leading national advertiser in dollars spent and creative execution. Frito-Lays brand name reputation and its strong presence in consumer food business. Opportunities: Addition of new product category allows Frito-Lay to reach out to new customers for its existing brands. Cracker Jack brand equity gives opportunity to Frito-Lay to start selling its existing brand in new markets. Extended product line and market share provides Frito-Lay with more negotiation power with retailers. Extend Frito-Lay brand presence in vending machines. Weaknesses: Cracker Jack brand is considered traditional and old fashioned. Cracker Jack is premium priced brand and its price has risen by 5 to 6 percent per year since 1993. Frito-Lays inexperience in RTE caramel popcorn product category. Negative direct product contribution for year 1994,1995,1996 gives negative impression of product Threats: Strong competition from International Home Foods, Inc. (Crunch n Munch brand) Competitors could outbid Frito-Lay to acquire Cracker Jack. Increase in health consciousness among consumers could impact Cracker Jack sales, unless consumer perception changes to consider it as low-fat RTE. Retailers might not be willing to give shelf space, considering popularity and sales of Crunch n Munch. Evaluation of Alternatives Frito-Lay has three options to expand its growth. First, expand its existing snack business by exploring new eating occasions for its existing or new products. Second, enter new product category by capitalizing on its existing strength. Third, called Opportunistic acquisitions, where Frito-Lay would acquire related food company specific brands or entire business. Frito-Lay has already penetrated market with its strong brand name, sales and distribution infrastructure and advertisement therefore first option would be stretch and require lot of creative ideas and dollars. Entering new product category is risky due to inexperience in those categories and strong well established competition therefore second option has high risks. Acquisition of new brand or company would bring its own challenges such as corporate cultural challenge but will also give head start in entering new product category. Recommendation Considering various options, Frito-Lay should go with third option; acquire brand or entire new business, especially when Borden intends to divest the Cracker Jack Brand, which has very high brand awareness. Frito-Lay should integrate sales and distribution of Cracker Jack with Frito-Lay brands and place Cracker Jack on Salty Snack Aisle. Doing so would send signal to consumers that Cracker Jack is now part of well known brand which is progressive and will be easily accessible to consumers. For first year it should primarily focus on 8-oz Bag-in-Box product so that consumers can relate Cracker Jack with good tasting product which is relatively cheaper. Consumer Advertisement should be done aggressively so that consumers see it and remember to purchase it. For this, Frito-Lay should spend $22 million in Advertising and Promotion for 8-oz Bag-in-Box. This effort is expected to bring $83.4 million in sales. It should spend $15 million in advertisement and promotion of 7-oz Flex Bag, whi ch is expected to bring $77.1 million of sales. Using this combination of promotional activities, consumers will remember Cracker Jack brand and when they go to purchase it they would have accessibility to 8-oz and 7-oz Cracker Jack bags in same location along with Frito-Lay brands. To make sure resources are focused on re-establishing Cracker Jack prestige to contemporary consumer base, it should cut down SKUs from 32 to 12. This would enable sales distribution department of Frito-Lay to use existing infrastructure to distribute Cracker Jack to almost all market segments. Frito-Lay should not purchase manufacturing facility of Cracker Jack brand, rather utilize its own manufacturing facility and extend it to package Cracker Jack brand. This would ensure consistency of machinery, maintain good business relationship with current machine supplier and enable utilization of existing trained workforce. In second and third year, additional Cracker Jack flavors should be introduced in market and aggressive consumer advertisement should be done in range of $32 million. Executing these strategies would help growth of Frito-Lay by entering in new consumer product category.

Background of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Essay -- Food Safe

Background of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act In the Summer of 2012, more than a half billion eggs were recalled in the United States. These salmonella contaminated eggs were responsible for sickening more than 1,000 people across the country (Jalonick, 2010). This outbreak served as a â€Å"wake-up call† for the need to empower the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to carry out stricter regulations on the food and drug industry. Due to the outbreak and need for stricter regulations, The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) (S. 510 & H.R. 2751) was proposed and signed into law by President Obama on January 4th 2011. The Food Safety Modernization Act strives to make sure that the U.S. food supply is safe by redirecting the efforts of federal regulators from responding to contamination, to preventing it. There are four main elements of the Act. The first element provides new FDA controls over imported foods and six hundred foreign facility inspections (Levitt, 2011). The amount of inspections is proposed to double every year for five years. Under the Food Safety Modernization Act, new fees will be issued to food companies. Food companies will be required to have export certificates. Other fees will be associated with importation of foods (Levitt, 2011). However, the new act will allow for a fast lane for imports for those companies that subject themselves to more intense inspection and participate in the qualified importer program. Overall, the act will provide the FDA with more enforcement powers (Levitt, 2011). Power will come in the form of increased inspections of both domestic and f oreign facilities and mandatory recalls if the FDA suspects a food, drug, or beverage may be tainted. Lastly, under the new act, ... ...more than half a billion nationwide. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/21/egg-recall-expands-to-mor_n_690019.html (7)Layton, L. (2010, December 19). Food-safety measure passes senate in sunday surprise. Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/19/AR2010121904032.html (8)Layton, L. (2009, July 31). House approves food-safety bill; law would expand fda's power. Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/30/AR2009073003271.html?hpid=topnews (9)Levitt, J. (2011, March 21). Fda food safety modernization act. . Retrieved from http://www.sfa.org/public_documents/Food_Safety_Presentation.pdf (10)Shiner, M. (2010, December 12). Senate oks food safety measure. Politico. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46598.html

Revolutionary Causes - USA Essay -- essays research papers

A number of issues raised tensions between the colonies and Great Britain. The already tense atmosphere was pushed even further with a number of taxes, acts and proclamations passed by Britain. These numerous acts usually dealt with taxes and other issues that came into conflict with the independent nature of the American colonists. No one issue was solely responsible for the eventual American Revolution. Though all of these added together raised the resentment to a boiling point and all contributed to the revolution. The harsh frontier life led to the independent and often stubborn nature of the American Colonists. This development of this unique colonial personality conflicted drastically with the norms of the British Empire. This cultural personality also led to the passionately independent and democratic political leanings of the young colonies. The end of the French Indian War left bitter tensions amongst the Native American tribes, Britain and the colonists. The Native tribes were understandably upset with the outcome of the French Indian War. The French had treated the natives fairly and in general, honestly as well. Furthermore they accepted and often adopted the dress or culture of the Natives. This was in contrast to the crooked dealings, corruption and arrogance the Native Americans encountered with the British. The British even denied the very humanity of the American Indian and were contemptuous of the Native culture. After the French were defeated the British continued to treat the Natives unfairly. The Natives were further angered when they were informed that there were now expected to be loyal subjects of a foreign king. With the French gone, even more colonist trickled into Indian lands. The colonists saw the land as a war prize and were eager to expand their settlements. More forts were consequently built to pr otect and regulate the frontier. The Native tribes were alarmed with the British domination and saw their land and culture slipping away. This tension amongst the tribes led to a resurgence of Native culture. A movement embracing the fundamentals of Native traditions that rejected the western culture gained ground. Pontiac, a chief and great orator used his influence to build alliance and untied fellow tribes against the British. The Native Americans launched a bloody war, conquering at least eight British forts. This conflict was ca... ...sidences. These acts were seen as a great intrusion to the colonists. They resented the invasiveness of the acts as well as the financial burdens. This issue was even mentioned in the Declaration of Independence as a point of contention and oppression. New York led the resistance to the Quartering acts. As the British commander?s headquarters, the New York colony argued it carried an unfair portion of the financial burden. The colony initially protested and limited the services and goods it was willing to provide. The defiance increased until December of 1766 when New York refused to honor any of the Quartering Acts. Predictably Britain retaliated. The issue was eventually settled though not to any side?s full satisfaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  British and colonial relations were never perfect and they seriously and quickly deteriorated in the years after 1763. In the Declaration of Independence the colonists pointed to issues such as the quartering of troops and unrepresented taxation among the key issues leading to the declaration. All of these issues as well as the very nature and personality of the American colonists resulted in the eventual war with Great Britain.

Gun Control in America Today Essay -- Guns Weapons Violence Crime Essa

During the Vietnam War, more than twice as many Americans were killed with firearms in the U.S. than died in combat. Today, firearms are used in approximately 65% of the 11,000 homicides a year. Suicides are carried out via a gun 57% of the 16,600 a year (â€Å"GunCite† 49). These statistics pose the question, â€Å"Would there be that many fewer deaths if guns were banned altogether? Or would these deaths occur just the same but by other means?† Studies on both a local and a national level have shown that the majority of murders are committed by those with previous criminal records. The â€Å"crimes of passion† are not very common; rather, most murders are planned and therefore would occur no matter what weapon is to be used (â€Å"GunCite† 49). However, controlling the guns in America is still an issue that needs to be addressed. Banning guns completely is not what should be done, however; if the government controls guns by other means, then crime w ill be reduced yet many Americans will still have them to use in recreation and in self defense. The Second Amendment of the Bill of Right in the United States Constitution says â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.â€Å" This statement has been interpreted two very different ways over the years. The Americans that favor strict gun control have come to the conclusion that this amendment guarantees the right of the states to own firearms. They believe the forefathers of the Constitution wanted to guarantee every state the right to keep and bear firearms, in order to defend against the federal government, should it try to possess too much power. The â€Å"well regulated militia,† they say, refers to state troops using state-supplied firearms, such as the National Guard or the Naval Militia. They believe that the Second Amendment was just another part of the checks and balances built into the American government. One strength this viewpoint has is that whi le the Supreme Court has never made a direct ruling on how to interpret the Second Amendment, it has never stuck down any gun-control law as being unconstitutional under the Second Amendment (Beard and Rand 224). Americans that are against gun control interpret this amendment in a very different manner. While they do not dispute that every state has the right to keep and bea... ...iewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. â€Å"GunCite† http://www.guncite.com. 8 December 2002. Halbrook, Stephen P. â€Å"An Individual Right† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Kopel, David B. â€Å"Guns Are Necessary for Self-Defense† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. National Rifle Association. â€Å"Gun Control Violates the Constitution† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Schwerin, Ursula. â€Å"The More Guns, the More Violence† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Vaughn, Jerry. â€Å"Guns Difficult to Use† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Wright, James D. â€Å"Gun Control Would Not Reduce Crime† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Zimring, Franklin E. and Gordon Hawkins. â€Å"Guns Should Not Be Used for Self-Defense† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989.

Psychological gambling Essay

Abstract: Few studies have explored the relationship between gambling and health status. Both compulsive and pathological gambling are disorders related to obsession-compulsive disorder. The data supports the notion that gambling does affect with non-gambling health problems. The purpose of this article is to provide the information between gambling behaviors and substance use disorders, health associations, screening and treatment options for problem and pathological gambling. Pathological gambling is an addictive and stress proposing disorder. More research is needed to investigate directly the biological and health relations associated with the different types of gambling behaviors and to define the role for doctors or therapists in the prevention and treatment of problem and pathological gambling. There are many types of gambling that people indulge in today. People of all ages have been seduced by gambling. Gambling is done every day, so as it continues to grow, so does the debt of the American people. Attractions such as online casinos with jackpots equivalent to ten years salary and simple sports booking, makes it more common today than it was yesterday. Gambling is hard to resist because it offers a feeling of hope, and defines that thin line between reality and fantasy that ends with a mental payoff. The main question with this concern is; is it all about the money? It couldn’t be all about the money, unless the general public was extremely stupid. The odds of winning the lottery are lesser than the odds of someone being struck by lightning (1 in 649,739) or than someone being killed by a terrorist attack abroad (1 in 650,000). (7). It has been said, â€Å"If you bought 100 tickets a week your entire adult life, from the age of 18 to 75, you’d have a 1 percent chance of winning the lottery†. (7) Now, a number of psychological studies have been done which indicate that the desire to play the lottery has more to do with the inability or unconcern of a person to calculate the total sum of their own money over time spent of these dollar tickets. The hope and fantastic feeling they receive is worth more than the dollar they give the 7-11 clerk at that time. Casino games create a different sensation. Whether it be cards, slots, or dice games after being seated in front of it for an hour or two there will generally be a win, some kind of win. Usually that win is small. It serves the person, or the brain, with a sort of reward. The reward entices the person to want to continue their game so to get another reward (7). The basis for this affirmative award is biological. Research done at the Massachusetts General Hospital has showed similar brain activity induced by prize money to food and drug rewards. The scientists measuring this brain activity compared it with giving a cocaine addict an infusion of cocaine. (2) An experiment was set up wherein the brain activity of the subjects was measured while they gambled. â€Å"Each subject was offered one of three spinners: a ‘good spinner’ offered them a chance to earn $10, $2. 50, or nothing; an ‘intermediate spinner’ offered $2. 50, $0, or -$1. 50; and a ‘bad spinner’ let them win nothing or lose, -$1. 50 or -$6. † (3) The brain activity was measured with a high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging, otherwise known as an fMRI, while they were spinning for six seconds and after then after they had spun. The results showed that the brain activity proved to be strong, moderate, and low in accordance with the level of spinning – good, intermediate and bad. The proportions always demonstrated the expected brain activity. The scientists performing this experiment came to the conclusion that money serves as the same type of reward to humans as does drugs and food; it sets into motion a reward mechanism in the brain providing relative stimulus to the amount of reward or loss which is taking place. â€Å"The similarity suggests that a common brain circuitry is used for various types of rewards. â€Å"(3) Considering the conclusion of this experiment to be true, there still remains an unsettling question pertaining to gambling and brain circuitry. Why do some people gamble more than others? At first I searched for some demographic conclusions to support a hypothesis that some group of people gambled more than others. However, there simply isn’t much discrimination when it comes to gambling. The National Opinion Research Center, a government based study, showed that there is no gender gap in terms of gambling: the 1998 statistic showed 49% women and 51% men gamble in general. (1) The consensus showed that all different ages gamble. Some specifications were made like people between thirty and sixty tended to gamble with more money than the younger and older, but that seems natural because that range probably gains the most salary. It also specified that those under eighteen tended to play less in casino, lottery and horse races but that is because they were not allowed in. Thus, those under eighteen were showed to make more wagers outside of a gambling facility than the other age groups. Depending on the game, there seemed to be a pretty even distribution of race among gamblers. The bottom line being; the desire to gamble does not depend on any specific background or gender or age or culture. It depends on the human desire to gain monetary pleasure, to get something for little to nothing, to be rewarded via dollars rather than food or drugs. The demographic statistics and equalities listed above still do not account for why some crave gambling more than others. Distinctions have been made among gamblers. The categories are as follows: non-gambler, low-risk gambler, at-risk gambler, problem gambler and pathological gambler. (1) The desire to gamble becomes increasingly more prevalent and obsessive as the levels progress. A pathological gambler, according to the DSM-IV criteria is constantly preoccupied with gambling, increases the amounts of money spent over time on gambling so not to achieve a tolerance, cannot stop gambling, gambles as an escape, attempts to ‘break even’ after having lost money, lies constantly to friends and family about gambling, sometimes commits illegal acts to support gambling, risks significant relationships, jobs, or education for gambling, and uses the financial help of others to be ‘bailed out’ of some situation caused by gambling. (1) Why are these people so obsessed with gambling that it takes over their lives? It has been hypothesized that pathological gamblers have dysfunctional reward pathways. â€Å"When the pathways function correctly, one important result is a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can stimulate pleasurable feelings. † Pathological gamblers have been proven to have lower activity in an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters. This may create a problem for serotonin distribution. Also, researchers have identified a greater amount of certain genetic configurations in pathological gamblers, a variation which may be responsible for the deficient reward pathway. (4) The medication prescribed to some of these pathological gamblers who were tested increased their serotonin levels and seemed to have positive effects in the way of their resisting the urge to gamble. Many equate the pathological desire to gamble with a problem in the decision-making area of the brain, a constant lapse in judgment so to speak. The areas of the brain associated with the decision-making process are the middle frontal, inferior frontal and orbital gyrus. (4) While this neurological analysis may offer some understanding to why people gamble for reward purposes, it does not explain the bigger relationship between human beings and gambling. Gambling does not necessarily need to involve money; it can instead be translated to a risk. People gamble everyday whether it be the tasting of a new food or skipping an important business meeting. It seems that gambling is a part of life necessary to perpetuate the human species. Diversification, a part of natural life, involves adapting to different environments and niches. Say a bee only acquired nutrients from one specific flower, never venturing out to samples other types of pollen, what would happen? Suppose one winter that specific type of flower failed to survive, or some sort of spontaneous extinction occurred, all the bees who fed off this flower would become extinct as well. The same sort of thing may occur if a person moved to a different country, wherein the food looked completely different. In order to stay alive, that person would have to take a chance on a new type of diet. Human beings, as well as a majority of the remaining Animal Kingdom are inclined to diversify and adapt to new surroundings in order to stay strong and able to perpetuate their species. The same notion of adaptation for survival applies to drastic temperature changes and the effect it has on the body. (5) â€Å"Although shell temperature is not regulated within narrow limits the way internal body temperature is, thermoregulatory responses do strongly affect the temperature of the shell, and especially its outermost layer, the skin. † The temperature of the environment is directly related to the thickness of this shell. If the shell is needed to conserve heat, it may expand to a several centimeters underneath the skin’s surface, however, if the environment is warm, then the shell will tend to only be about one centimeter thick. This shell of warmth protects people in the case that they wish to change environmental settings, or so the same species can survive in all different locations. The complex nature of the human body responds well to their desire to gamble, to diversify, to extend their minds and risk. Whether it be monetary, behavioral or just plain desire to risk, humans are drawn towards the new and the chancy.It is the danger of loss and the thrill of life that keeps us breathing. Works Consulted: 1)Alvarez,A. The Biggest Game in Town. New York: Chronicle Books, 2002. 2)Brunson,Doyle. Doyle Brunson’s Super System. Cardoza Pub, 1979. 3)Dostoeyevsky,Fyodor. The Gambler. New York: Viking Press, 1966. 4)http://www. norc. uchicago. edu/new/gamb-fin. htm 5)http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2001/05/010524062100. htm 6)http://www. sciam. com/article. cfm? articleID=0004400A-E6F5-1C5E-B882809EC588ED9F 7)http://www. gnxp. com/MT2/archives/001309. html 8)http://www. reflection-idea. com/psychics. html.

Plato †The Republic, Machiavelli †The Prince, Hobbes †Leviathan Essay

1. The Lessons of Nature The most important lesson I believe I have learned about modern and historical politics from my reading of Plato, Machiavelli, and Hobbes, is that Western society has historically viewed politics as a way to grapple with human nature and the self-interests which are believed to drive human behavior. Although this perception of human nature has opposing views among Western philosophers such as Locke, I took the collective impact of The Republic, The Prince, and Leviathan as penetrating insights into the hierarchical and self-interested aspects of humanity, which in some ways, by some points of view seemed contrary, to me, to the essential viewpoint and philosophical perspective which may be necessary for Western society to embrace in the future. So an important insight for me, in fact, the most important insight in my opinion is that these great philosophers denote, to a very large degree, the visions of the past, and ideas about politics, which, while still very current, are probably apt to evolve in the future.   One might even go so far as to suggest that the present, with its global discord and challenges presents a time of â€Å"punctuated equilibrium† for Western philosophical and political thought. 2. Hobbes’ Lesson of the Leviathan To begin with, viewing the massive, sometimes oppressively â€Å"omnipotent† government in contemporary times as something which is not only necessary, but — in fact – demonstrates both the triumph of humanity over the hostilities of nature, but also the attainment of â€Å"justice† is sometimes difficult for me to see.   On the other hand, I have no issue with seeing that many other people, and in fact, people in powerful positions in government, belive this completely. When Hobbes writes that: â€Å" Hitherto I have set forth the nature of Man, (whose Pride and other Passions have compelled him to submit himselfe to Government;) together with the great power of his Governour, whom I compared to Leviathan, taking that comparison out of the two last verses of the one and fortieth of Job; where God having set forth the great power of Leviathan, calleth him King of the Proud†Ã‚   (Waller,1901, p. 231), I shudder to think that actual people in positions of power in the real world believe this as gospel. I think, specifically, of the Bush administration’s recent attempt to expand Presidential authority: â€Å"There is nothing, saith he, on earth, to be compared with him. He is made so as not to be afraid. Hee seeth every high thing below him; and is King of all the children of pride.† (Waller, 1901, p. 231) 3. The Lesson of the Modern Presidency The logical outcome of the modern vision of the President as the leader of a specific political party, rather than the Constitutional conception of the President as a non-partisan arbiter of the Congress, is that individual Presidential candidates, rather than the political parties themselves, would emerge as the foremost consideration in Presidential elections. Hobbes’ Leviathan needs a â€Å"head† and in modern times his admonition, quoted below, seems especially frightening: â€Å"The maintenance of Civill Society, depending on Justice and Justice on the power of Life and Death, and other lesse Rewards and Punishments, residing in them that have the Soveraignty of the Common-wealth; It is impossible a Common-wealth should stand, where any other than the Soveraign, hath a power of giving greater rewards than Life; and   of inflicting greater punishments, then Death  (Waller, 1901, p. 326) In practical terms, the rise of the â€Å"candidate† campaign has eliminated the old method of â€Å"platform† politics where a political parties ideological and issue-related stances are measured against one another with the direct contest between one   candidate and another.   One clear result of this practice is that individual candidates are now virtually dissected by the media and by prospective voters to measure their probable â€Å"characters† and â€Å"defects.† The fascination with individual manners, faux pas, manner of dress, speech, religious affiliation, past memberships in social organizations or clubs, or even past associations with friends or acquaintances now play, arguably, a more important role than issues in recent Presidential elections. In modern Presidential politics, the political parties often seem like afterthoughts. The present day situation presents a precisely opposite vision of a Constitutional model for the American Presidency. Because the Presidential candidates are now regarded as leaders of their respective parties and not simply as nominees of them, the expectation is that a given candidate will follow, to partisan exclusion, the   aims and desires of his or her party. In fact, the expectation in modern politics is that the party and the candidate are virtually identical, but that in the long run executive, rather than democratic, authority is the final word. An entire library of observations could be written about the expansion of Presidential authority — indeed, the tyranny of Presidential authority — relative to political parties which is exemplified by the Bush administration. 4. The Lesson of Plato and Slavery When reading political philosophy, I am usually aware of historical relationships that might seem a bit odd to others. Therefore, my thinking about not only the historical, but contemporary, impact of African American slavery in America while reading Plato’s Republic may seem off-beat at first, but the thought-process I underwent, and the conclusions I drew are part of the important lessons about political philosophy I learned from class-readings. One thing that stood out for me in all three writers was the hierarchical fundamental assumptions that comprised the core-beliefs of all three philosopher’s works. An example of this rigid, hierarchical thinking is found in the following passage of the   Republic: they should receive the laws from us in the finest possible way like a dye, so that their   Ã‚   opinion about what’s terrible and about everything else would be color- fast because they had gotten the proper nature and rearing, and their dye could not be washed out by those lyes so terribly effective at scouring, pleasure  (Plato,1991, p.108) The kind of cultural schism encouraged by this kind of thinking, is, in reality, both profound and of long duration. I started to wonder what it would be like if one ruling class, reared on the airy ideas of Plato, the â€Å"objective† and hierarchical ideas of Hobbes, and the self-interested mastery of Machiavelli enacted the principles set forth in these philosophies, not as mere ideas, but as deep culturally encoded principles. Obviously, it was not a stretch to think fo the history of African Americans, first subjected to the tyranny of slavery, then cast into the role of â€Å"other† after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery, who became a culture without any identity other than that which had been thrust upon them from their former â€Å"masters.† However, African Americans were cast into an equally prejudicial cultural role in America and this time, the justification for both Northerners and Southerners was that slavery, though evil, had at least allowed for the â€Å"humanization† of the African race. This deep-seated racism obstructed any chance for the African Americans in the post Civil War era to geminate a specifically African American culture of their one making and instead cast them back into a role   very similar to the one they had occupied as slaves. The institution of slavery in America was malicious enough and long-lasting enough to genuinely sever African Americans from their historic cultural roots. The loss of their indigenous culture gave rise to hybrid African American cultures and a search for African American identity which, although many gains in civil liberties and social awareness have taken place,   continues to this day. My thought is that any distinction of hierarchy where the intimation is that the rule of one class over another is both natural and necessary, will result in the erosion of culture in both the ruling and subjected classes.  Ã‚   Plato ridicules such an idea: if the people are discontented and say that it is not just for a son in his prime to be supported by his father, but the reverse, the father should be supported by the son; and that they didn’t beget and set him up so that when he   had grown great they should be   Ã‚   slaves to their own slaves and support him and the slaves along with other flotsam, but so that with him as leader they would be freed from the rich and those who are said to be gentlemen in the city; and they now bid him and his comrades to go away from the city   like a father driving a son along with his trouble- some drinking fellows out of the house?  (Plato, 1991, p. 118) However, I would suggest that the historical case of African American slavery represents a very apt model for how the political philosophies of hierarchy can lead to enduring corruption because the contemporary political situation of the United States both domestically and internationally, is still very much connected to race and race-based hierarchies. By following Hobbes’ idea that the ruled must be led by their rulers, or Plato’s idea that the ruled should be indoctrinated to love their station in life, or Machiavelli’s idea that the ruled should be placated or tricked by their rulers into a state of   passivity, there is a feeling in my mind that an entirely different mode of thinking could be and should be engaged, not to vindicate, but to rescue the world from the antiquated philosophies of the past. 5. The Lesson of Machiavelli and Assassination The point at which the self-interest of leaders becomes, itself, the most dangerous threat to any nation, culture, or society, is among the most important lessons I learned from the class readings and I most specifically learned this from reading The Prince, which I found to be, like Hobbes and Plato, much more illuminating on   the subject of how Western society has viewed itself and its political institutions than as a penetrating glimpse into humanity’s essential nature   or future cultural and political existence. Machiavelli stresses that all acts of a political nature are rooted in self-interest. It is not a matter of public-service, but of public passivity and censure that drives the politician. Speaking of Oliverotto’s murder of his enemies, Machiavelli remarks: â€Å"After this murder, Oliverotto mounted his horse, paraded through the town, and besieged the chief officials in the government palace; so that out of fear they were forced to obey him and to constitute a government of which he made himself prince† (Machiavelli, 1998, p. 32). Implicit in this remark is not only the idea that murder can be an expedient political strategy but that any political act is partially only what it is perceived to be.   Machiavelli mentions of Oliveratto â€Å"And when all those were killed who, because they were discontented, might have harmed him, he strengthened himself by instituting new civil and military institutions; so that, in the space of the year that he held the principality, (Machiavelli, 1998, p. 32). In conclusion, the political philosophies of Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Plato represent a compelling collection of ideas which seem to have driven Western politics for centuries. However strong the rational conclusions, observations, and inspired thoughts of these past philosophers –to my mind — none of the theories offered seem to address the issues which seem most problematic and current in contemporary society. By following the ideas in these philosophical systems which elevate self-interest, social schism, warfare, and political expedience, the social, political, and cultural resources of the West are weakened, not strengthened.

Knowledge of the terminology Essay

This paper intends to answer the following question, â€Å"Is it appropriate for an officer to use personal or neighborhood slang or jargon in a report? † as well as, explain the reason/s for it. No, it is not appropriate for an officer to use personal or neighborhood slang or jargon in a report. The reasons for this are the following: First of all, â€Å"jargon† may only be understood by those people use it (Caudle et. al. , 1999). The individuals who use it are those who belong to â€Å"groups that have a similar interest† (Caudle et. al. , 1999). Groups inclined in medicine, law, trade, etc are those who converse/communicate through the use of jargon (Caudle et. al. , 1999). Second, it is claimed that â€Å"people may use jargon to leave an impression of intelligence or to confuse a person† (Caudle et. al. , 1999). This reason in itself is very clear, it is extremely inappropriate for an officer to file his or her report using â€Å"slang† or â€Å"jargon† since this may confuse some individuals who do not belong to the group who may read the aforementioned report (Caudle et. al. , 1999). Third, jargon is only understood by those who have certain knowledge of the terminology utilized (Caudle et. al. , 1999). Thus, in filing a report, it is better to write it in plain English, which is commonly understood by everybody (Caudle et. al. , 1999). Furthermore, it will be easily understood by readers because it does not involve exaggerated words that may puzzle anyone (Caudle et. al. , 1999). Last but not least, the use of jargon is disadvantageous (Caudle et. al. , 1999). In this case, the person may feel offended upon reading the report of the police just like when an individual is included in a conversation where he or she feels excluded because â€Å"jargon† is utilized instead of a â€Å"common† language (Caudle et. al. , 1999). Explaining further, an individual may feel that the report may entail a â€Å"hidden agenda† because of the utilization of â€Å"jargon† or â€Å"slang† (Caudle et. al. , 1999). Reference Caudle, P. , Courtney, K. , Guyton, H. , Keller, M. , & Kind, Carol. (1999). Jargon. Retrieved August 14, 2007 from http://www. uncp. edu/home/canada/work/allam/1914-/language/jargon. htm

Chemistry Assignment Essay

Metals are mined from ores, considering yield to see if it is economically viable for a business to mine at a particular site. However, due to environmental damage and global warming, recycling has increased globally to create a sustainable future. By examining the cost and energy expenditure of recycling and extracting aluminium we can understand why recycling is a better choice than extracting metal from its ore. Discuss the importance of predicting yield in the identification, mining and extraction of commercial ore deposits Yield is the amount of product obtained or in mining terms how much (amount) a particular metal can be extracted from an ore (a deposit of minerals in which a commercial metal can be extracted from). Predicting yield in the processes of identification, mining and extraction is vital to the success of a business. For a business to compete with the global markets, the investment must be profitable and in some cases sustainable to last year’s into the future. Percentage composition is used widely in the mining industries to calculate and measure the yield of particular metal from an ore. For example, haematite (Fe2O3), a compound consisting only of iron and oxygen, can theoretically produce around 70% iron while chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), consisting only of copper, iron and sulphur can produce theoretically 35% copper. However if we express yield as a percentage of the ore dug out, an iron ore would only contain about 16% iron and for a copper ore only contain 1-5% copper. This is because an ore dug out of the ground contains unwanted minerals like dirt, rocks and other waste products which add to the mass of the required mineral ;giving a low yield percentage. Since compounds like chalcopyrite and haematite have uniform composition, ores are mixtures of useful minerals and other waste products which have variable composition (different location will yield different amounts of metals). This will affect if it is economical to mine the ore at a particular location and hence demonstrate that predicting yield is important. Predicting yield in the process of mining and extraction is important, whether extracting the metal from the ore or actually mining it, because it can determine if it is profitable or not. Extraction techniques must be efficient and sustainable. Copper is extracted through roasting it with oxygen before smelting it to form liquid copper. It is then reduced by bubbling air into the liquid copper to reduce copper sulphide to copper metal. Since this sulphur dioxide doesn’t escape fast enough, it forms blister copper with is 98% copper. Electrolysis is used to refine it. Due the significant amount of energy required and the cost involved it may seem copper is unprofitable. Yet if the copper price is high, the consumption is high, location is not far from refinery plants and factories that use copper, if there is a steady sustainable source(abundance) of copper ore and the extraction technique is efficient plus cost effective then a profit can be gained from the high cost of extraction, transport and the money needed to pay for the energy consumption. For a copper ore site to be economical it must contain at least 5% of copper or more. Haematite is extracted through reducing it with carbon monoxide to form iron (metal) which falls to the bottom of the blast furnace. Limestone is also heated in the blast furnace which decomposes and reacts with silica to form a slag that floats on the liquid iron, hence stopping iron from reacting with oxygen. High heat is needed to separate iron from oxygen since iron is reactive to oxygen and sand and limestone is needed to prevent the union of these two elements. Hence for haematite to be economically viable an ore must contain at least 20% iron as the energy needed to extract the metal is large and the world’s demand for iron is great. Since iron ore price is relatively high, a profit can be obtained from deposits of iron ore that contain more than 20% of iron. Hence predicting the yield of ore deposits is important to determine if it is profitable to mine. Justify the increased recycling of metals in our society and across the World Recycling is a process that changes waste materials into new products. In recent years, recycling of metals has increased dramatically in Australia and across the world. This is because we are more aware that recycling metals saves money, energy and causes far less pollution compared to extracting metals from ores. This is also spurred on by the fact that our metal ore deposits are depleting (going to run out) if we mine and extract metals at this rate. Hence recycling has been encouraged by organisation like Planet Ark and this has helped spread the message of the benefits of recycling instead of putting money into extracting and mining ores. ‘Reusing and recycling’ metals allow us to conserve these precious commodities so it would be available for the future generation. Demand for metals will increase as new technology will be discovered. Hence recycling is needed to return back old and useless appliance so it can be made it new useful products. Figure 1: It shows froth floatation Note: The vast amount of water used during the process Generally recycling metals use less energy (melting material requires the breaking of weak intermolecular bonds), water and cost less (less energy is needed to break the intermolecular bonds hence the cost will be minimised and new products with recycled material would be cheaper). Energy used in metal extraction comes from coal, oil or gas (as high temperatures are needed to break strong Intramolecular bonds). These fuels are non-renewable and are limited. It also releases large amounts of greenhouse gases when burnt which can cause global warming. Water is used extensively in mining during froth floatation (figure 1). This water can be better spent for human consumption as some countries are experiencing drought and this can cause famine (Africa). Also, harmful chemicals used in the extraction of some metals can seep into the soil and water making it toxic to fauna, flora and humans (figure 1. 1). Figure 1. 1: Acid mine water pollution For example, Bauxite (aluminium ore) is mined near tropical forest. This can cause irreversible damage to the environment as natural vegetation is destroyed, leaving soil bare and subjected to erosion. It can scar the land(figure 2)(removing so much soil and rock that leaves a gigantic hole in the landscape) and since many chemical process need to take place before aluminium is extracted, slag (unwanted metals) are left behind and pollutants are released into the atmosphere adding to global warming. Figure 2: Shows a mine that is extracting metals Note: The extensive invasion of the land and that it is irreversible. But recycling aluminium on the other hand doesn’t scar the land. Little to no pollution occurs and natural vegetation and fauna are not disrupted. Large amounts of rubbish are no produced and water is not needed. For every 1 tonne of aluminium that is recycled, 5 tonne of bauxite is conserved. Metals make up a small percentage of the ore. A large percentage of the ore is the gangue (consisting of dirt, sand and other material) which ends up in landfills. This reduces the space for cities to expand, limiting the number of farms and communities that can be developed and cause overcrowding. Recycling metals doesn’t take up space; hence reduces landfill, as scrap metals are mostly recycled back to make new products. Since ores are non-renewable resources (created by the Big bang and there is no way of returning it to Earth’s crust) it is conserved, reducing the amount of mines opened and environmental impacts that it is associated with. As ores high in metal concentration decrease, the cost of processing ever less pure ores increase. To compensate for the increase in less pure ores, more must be mined. This increases the price of ores making it a valuable resource which is expensive to the consumer. Recycling metals helps to lower the prices of these ores, as the metal is reused without having to mine for new ores. Metals are used worldwide for a variety of purposes from soft drink cans to aircraft bodies. Australia has recycled 63% of aluminium cans; nearly two billion cans a year with a total value estimated to be 33 million dollars. America has recycled in excess of 62. 6 billion cans in the year 2004, worth more than one billion dollars back into the economy. Since recycled aluminium is exported to other countries, Australia benefits as it generate large amounts of money; positively impacting on Australia economy and its benefit flowing into society. However, recycling can only be done if used material is collected from scattered location. The ore on the other hand is confined to one location (the mining site); where factories are often close by to produce products from the freshly extracted metals. But once the product hits the shelves it is scattered across many different countries and throughout communities. It is hard to keep track of all these products as some end up in landfill, waterways or in the people’s backyard. Collecting used material for recycling would cost money as trucks are needed to transport scrap metal to recycling centres. Hence energy (fuel) is needed to operate this machinery. In recent years (figure3), the media has focused on recycling aluminium drink cans because they are widely used and commonly dispersed inappropriately throughout the community. E. g. In waterways, storm drains and in the ocean. Recycling of others metal like iron, steel, copper and lead have always been significant but never reported as it is mainly used at an industrial/commercial level rather than by consumers. However since iron rust, it can be returned to the environment, but aluminium doesn’t corrode (if it does, it forms an oxide layer that actually protects it from further oxidation) it ends up in landfill; taking up space. The only way to ‘get rid of it’ is to recycle it so it can be made into new products. Notice that recycling of lead and ferrous materials have decreased Figure 3: Shows recycling metals Notice that when metals are recycled they can be reused to make different products. Recycling is a sustainable process, saving the environment from pollution, money, conserving natural resources and reduces landfill. Energy is also reduced as recycling requires less energy than extracting a metal from its ore. This will ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy a better standard of living. Analyse information to compare the cost and energy expenditure involved in the extraction of aluminium from its ore and the recycling of aluminium The recycling of aluminium is cost-effective and uses less energy compared to extraction of aluminium from bauxite. To extract bauxite, land must be cleared for mining. Heavy equipment like bulldozers, hydraulic excavators and explosives are used to clear and mine the ore. These equipment cost considerable amount of money and use vast amount of energy (fuel) to operate. Transporting trucks, ships, railway cars are used to transport ores to extracting facilities or shipped to other countries; cost money and again energy (fuel) is needed to power these machines. Notice the size of the person compared to the truck.