Band of Brothers: E. Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne From Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle Nest, Book Analysis Essay

Book Report â€Å"Band of Brothers: E. Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne From Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle Nest† by Stephen E. Ambrose Band Of Brothers is the history of Easy Company, 506th Parachute†¨Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from basic training to†¨D-Day. It follows the jump into Holland, the Battle of†¨the Bulge, and finally the occupation of Berchtesgaden and Austria. This is a rarity among military histories, told from the viewpoint†¨of the front line soldier, the privates, non-commissioned officers and officers who†¨carry out the grand strategy of generals. Many books†¨discuss the inner working of commands at Division and Army levels, but few detail the day to day life of the†¨soldier. Stephen Ambrose’s book does that and†¨more. It explores the how draftee citizen soldiers of†¨elite outfits like the 101st Airborne did, in World War II, defeat†¨an enemy like the well trained German Wehrmacht and S.S. In 1942 the Second Battalion of the 506th was formed and started†¨basic training. The recruits volunteered for the thrill, the honor, the extra money, but above all the desire to be better†¨than the ordinary draftee. A description of the physical effort†¨required in basic training explains why a majority of the†¨volunteers never made it as far as the door of the airplane. When†¨the Company finally made it to Fort Benning for jump school, they†¨were in such great physical shape that they outdid the school’s†¨physical fitness cadre. After five jumps in December of†¨1942, the company qualified as Parachutists, and nine-months later†¨they were on a ship to England to train for the invasion of†¨Hitler’s Fortress Europa. Ambrose also details the nine months of training that the company†¨endured in England in preparation for the invasion. He†¨tells it from the viewpoint of both officers and men and explains†¨the final shift in Easy Company hierarchy just prior to D-Day. His†¨description of the night jump of the 101st in the early morning†¨hours of June 6, 1944, with men and officers scattered about the†¨countryside, and the confusion, heroism and chaos that surrounded†¨the successful landings at Utah Beach, is masterful. He†¨explains how the few outer roads from the beach are zeroed in by†¨German artillery, and that the job of the airborne was to nullify†¨the artillery and its defending troops. The efforts of Lt. Richard  Winters to fulfill that mission are one†¨of the high points of the book. As the book reports â€Å"By†¨this time, about 0700, E Company consisted of two light†¨machine-guns, one bazooka (no ammunition), one 60mm mortar, nine†¨rifleman, and two officers.† Lt. Winters was in charge. With less†¨than 100 men assembled in the battalion, the commander could only†¨afford to send Easy Company to attack and overrun a four gun German†¨battery defended by a fifty-man platoon. As the book puts it, quoting one of the men, â€Å"Here the training paid off. `We fought as†¨a team without standout stars,’ Lipton said. `We were like a†¨machine. We didn’t have anyone who leaped up and charged a†¨machine-gun. We knocked it out or made it withdraw by†¨maneuver and teamwork or mortar fire. We were smart;†¨there weren’t many flashy heroics. We had learned that heroics was†¨the way to get killed without getting the job done, and getting the†¨job done was more important.† Three hours after the attack†¨commenced, it was completed successfully. Easy Company went on to fight through Normandy until June 29th when†¨it was pulled out of line and sent to a field camp near Utah†¨Beach. They had jumped into Normandy with an effective†¨strength of 139 men and officers and ended up with†¨79. Ambrose’s description of those few days from the†¨night jump to their last fight at Carentan is magnificent. The book next describes the company’s jump into Holland, near the†¨Rhine River, where they fought through November of 1944, and then†¨on to Bastogne, to again become front line troops in the historic†¨Battle of the Bulge. Easy Company was the first Allied†¨troops to occupy Hitler’s mountain retreat at†¨Berchtesgaden. After occupation duty in Austria, the†¨company and battalion were sent back to a small town near Paris,†¨and on November 30, 1945, the 101st was deactivated. As Ambrose†¨puts it, â€Å"The Company had been born in July 1942 at†¨Toccoa. Its existence essentially came to an end almost†¨exactly three years later. In those three years the men had†¨seen more, endured more and contributed more than most men can see, endure or contribute in a lifetime.† Band Of Brothers†¨describe s those eventful three years in such a way as to make the†¨reader experience them too. I think Ambrose did very well telling the story of Easy Company because, as stated above, I felt that I was able to experience the three years very well. I am not much of a reader, but enjoyed reading the book very much. I love American history and I have an interest in the military. Having participated in JROTC in high school for 4 years and  doing ROTC my first year in college, I was able to understand the roles and concepts presented in the book. One theme I saw a lot in the book was the feeling and thought of brotherhood. The title of the book is Band of Brothers and Ambrose did a very good job of conveying the soldiers’ brotherhood through out the book. Starting at the beginning, when they are training, the soldiers’ trained together, worked together, and suffered together. As a team, working together is key, and the soldiers of the 101st Airborne identified that concept early on and kept it strong. One phrase I saw quite a few times was â€Å"follow me†. I think Ambrose included that phrase so much because it shows the leadership and brotherhood. They helped each other and led each other to success and improvement. From the American history perspective, I loved this book! I have been learning about World War 2 for several years now, i ncluding this year in this American History class with the great Keith Maljean, but this is the first time I learned from the soldiers’ perspectives. Ambrose did a phenomenal job of interviewing the members of the 101st Airborne and recounting their stories. Reading the book, I felt like I was right there with them on their first jump, landing in France, and at the first mention of the Airborne division. Volunteering for something new, not knowing what was going to happen. Literally jumping into an unknown, new division of the Army. I embarked with them on the fight to defeat Germany and bring an end to the Nazis. I feel that I gained a better understanding of the American soldier in the World War 2 era, and it is nothing like the American soldier nowadays. Today, our armed forces are facing things that we have seen before, for the most part. Back in the World War 2 era, the soldiers were facing new ships, vehicles, aircrafts, artillery, rocketry, small arms, and biological, chemical, and atomic weapons. It was a very scary time for the soldiers not knowing what was coming or how bad it is. Through the stories in Band of Brothers, I was able to understand what the life of the soldier was like and how they adapted to the new weaponry. When I first heard that I was going to have to do a book report for this class, I was completely dreading it due to my lack of joy for reading and writi ng, but I am glad that I stumbled across this book because I don’t know if I would have been able to find a book as good as this. Stephen Ambrose is a brilliant writer and recounted the stories of the men from the 101st Airborne with great detail. It was entertaining,  informative, and all around life changing. This book reinforced the concept of brotherhood and gave me a great perspective of World War 2 from a soldier’s point of view. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in American History or just looking for a good read.

Engineering Students Towards Engineering Drawing Education Essay

The attitude of technology pupils towards technology drawing was studied in this research under pupils ‘ position of their coachs ‘ instruction manner, schoolroom environment, single perceptual experiences and features, pre-knowledge of the class and survey stuffs. This questionnaire-based cross sectional study survey of 2nd to 5th twelvemonth technology pupils of the four Departments ( Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Agricultural ) in the College of Engineering of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta was conducted in 2012. The consequence showed that the pupils have positive attitude towards technology drawing but for the teaching manner of the instructors. It was recommended that instructors of technology drawing should be interested in the topics that they teach, be able to emphasis the demand of the topic to the pupils and see the success of their pupils of import. Keywords: pupils, technology, attitude, pullingIntroductionCommunication accomplishments and good presentation ability are indispensable for an applied scientist who aspires to transport out his/her professional pattern in the planetary sphere ( Riemer, 2002 ) . The ability to interchange thoughts, understand others ‘ positions, work out jobs and successfully use the stairss and procedures presented depends significantly on how effectual one is able to pass on with others ( Windle and Warren, 1999 ) . Graphic linguistic communication normally found among proficient professionals for communicating of thoughts and information from one individual to another is technology pulling ( Thomas et. al. , 1993 ) . This is used to clearly and briefly pass on all the information necessary to transform an thought or a construct into world. It contains in writing representation of its topic, dimensions, notes and specifications ( Taffesse and Kassa, 2005 ) . Engineering artworks design and bu ilding might every bit good be the most of import class of all surveies for technology or proficient calling. This is so because it is used by interior decorators, technicians, sanitarians and applied scientists to pass on designs and building inside informations among the members of these professions. The graphics is written in the signifier of drawings that represent the form, size, and specifications of physical objects. It is read by construing drawings so that physical objects can be constructed precisely as originally conceived by the interior decorator ( Taffesse and Kassa, 2005 ) .Design theoretical accountIn design procedure, working with design theoretical account is cardinal construct to the interior decorator. The design theoretical account is the reproduction of the theoretical account to be design. This theoretical account could be an abstraction that a interior decorator thought out, convey it on paper in study and/or note signifier, carry out some computations on it, bring forth elaborate formal technology drawings in 2D/3D position either conventionally or computing machine aided through to physical paradigms. The interior decorator uses the theoretical account of design to record and develop thoughts and to supply a footing to measure the design ( Sharma, 2009 ) . In the instance of larger design undertakings where more than one applied scientist is involved, design theoretical accounts are utilised to pass on and show thoughts between all those concerned with the merchandise design, development, industry and usage ( Sharma, 2009 ) . These accomplishments are needed by interior decorator generate and work with this theoretical account in order to efficaciously pass on thoughts and develop a design ( Sharma, 2009 ) . Engineering drawings are used in many different applications. For case, Surveyors, civil applied scientists, sanitarians use technology drawings to document such plants as the layout of a new subdivisions, or the marker of the bou ndaries for a piece of belongings. Contractors and building forces use proficient drawings as their bluish prints in change overing architectural and technology designs in to world ( Taffesse and Kassa, 2005 ) .AttitudeEveryone desires good consequences from our attempts. Most people are willing to set in their best to accomplish the success and felicity they want. Everyone has the capacity to set in 1s unconditioned potencies into action to get what one desire. But one thing that determines the extent to which one passionately acquire involved in one ‘s enterprise and maximise one ‘s possible to bring forth the quality of the consequence one receive is attitude ( Rohn, 2000 ) . Attitude is a mental province that pre-disposes a individual to move in a certain manner towards the attitude object ( Oppenheim, 1992 ; Sudman, and Bradburn, 1982 ; Oskamp, 1991 ) . When pupils have positive attitude towards a peculiar capable country they tend to show that by systematically put ing more clip and attempt in that capable country by assisting themselves through seeking extra acquisition chances to do up for whatever oversights they may be holding ( Lindquist, 1980 ) . Surveies carried out by Simpson, 1978 and Young, 1998 supposed that positive attitudes towards prescribed larning activities and stuffs by and large facilitate the accomplishment of the coveted acquisition results. Researches In instruction, suggests that pupil attitudes toward a capable country lead to academic success ( Popham, 2005 ; Royster, Harris, & A ; Schoeps, 1999 ) People ‘s attitude can be affected by unwilled misinformation provided from a negative beginnings of influence by voluntary entry ( Rohn, 2000 ) . Everyone influences and is being influenced from clip to clip. However, one determines the extent of one influenced and to which one is influenced. The factors that have positive strong influence on our attitudes are personality, environment, word look, avowal, self image, a ssociation, physical visual aspect ( Eromon, 2010 ) . Research carried out by Goodykoontz, 2008 on factors that affect college pupils ‘ attitude toward mathematics inferred that pupil attitudes are largely affected by four external factors: the instructor, learning manner, schoolroom environment, and appraisals and accomplishment. Additionally, one internal factor that besides affect pupil attitude, is single perceptual experiences and features. By and large talking, technology drawing is a topic that is frequently disliked may be due to clip involved, back interrupting strivings as pupils describe it, enormous work load, deficiency of spacial ability, inability to acquire the preciseness of dimensions, deficiency of cognition of the importance or kernel of the class etc. Undergraduate pupils of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta are non left out of this tendency of complain which in bend show in their public presentations. Relationship between pupil attitudes and acc omplishment degrees, in some peculiar surveies have suggested that accomplishment degrees have a causal influence on pupil attitudes ( Hannula, 2002 ; Tapia & A ; Marsh, 2001 ; Lopez, Lent, Brown, & A ; Gore, 1997 ; Midgley, Feldlaufer, & A ; Eccles, 1989 ) Academic attainments in establishments of higher acquisition can be considered as an result of two factors: the first is the single properties and the 2nd factor is the systems of instruction and forms of leaving cognition that are organized within schools ( Akinleke, 2012 ) . This survey intends to happen out the effects of both factors as it relates to technology pupils ‘ academic public presentation in technology drawingMaterials and MethodsThis questionnaire based cross-sectional survey of 2nd to 5th twelvemonth technology pupils of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria was conducted in 2012. Second to 5th twelvemonth technology pupils were chosen for the survey to guarantee that participant has at least completed a subdivision in his/her university instruction. All the technology pupils in the four sections ; mechanical, electrical, civil and agricultural technology of the school were included. The sample covered all the pupils who were present at the techno logy pupils ‘ conference of the college of technology. The questionnaire was distributed and collected at the terminal of the same twenty-four hours. However the pupils that were absent for any ground during the twenty-four hours of the survey were excluded from the survey. A sum of 200 questionnaires were distributed. The ego administered questionnaire assessed information on human ecology, pupils ‘ position of their coachs learning manner, schoolroom environment, single perceptual experiences and features, pre-knowledge of the class and survey stuffs. Engagement in this research was voluntary and no inducement was offered. Informed consent was obtained from participants after being informed about anon. nature and aim of the survey. Data analysis was done utilizing statistical bundle for societal scientific discipline ( SPSS version 16.0 ) . and trial of significance was considered important was done with qis square statistics. P & lt ; 0.05 was considered important.Con sequences and treatmentsOf the 200 questionnaires distributed, 152 questionnaires out the returned 1s were considered appropriate for this survey. Incomplete questionnaires were rejected. The 152 returned questionnaires gave an overall retrieval rate of 76 % . The retrieval rate for respondents in 200 degree was 30.3 % ( 46 ) , 300 degree was 36.8 % ( 56 ) , 400 degree was 14.5 % ( 22 ) and 500 degree was 18.5 % ( 28 ) . While Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Agricultural Engineering Departments are 16.4 % , 27.6 % , 30.9 % and 25.0 % severally. About nine-tenth ( 88.8 % ) of the respondents are males while staying ( 11.2 % ) are females ( table 1 ) . Majority ( 97.4 % ) of the respondents were in technology as their pick while 13.8 % out the 97.4 % are non in their country of involvement. These consequences showed that bulk of the pupils liked technology drawing ( 75.7 % ) while really few pupils 12.5 % did non like it from the first twenty-four hours the class was taught. More th an three-quarters-86.8 % ( 132/152 ) did non see technology drawing as a hard topic while 2.6 % ( 4/152 ) and 10.5 % ( 16/152 ) do n't cognize and make severally see it as a hard topic. As the acquisition progresses 67.8 % still did non develop any hate for the class while 15.1 % and 17.1 % developed hatred for the class and indecisive about the class severally ( tabular arraies 2 and 3 ) . As an applied scientist, one is trained in technology drawing to assist one transform an thought or a construct in to world, communicate designs and building inside informations to others, show constructs and simplify complex 3-d constructions which is a pre-requisite in any watercourse in the field of technology. On the inquiry â€Å" are you cognizant that the cognition of technology will be relevant to you as an applied scientist † 145 pupils stand foring 95.4 % reported the cognition of the importance of technology drawing to them as applied scientists, while 3 and 4 pupils stand forin g 2 % and 2.6 % of those who were nescient and cloudy ( tabular arraies 2 and 3 ) . Less than half- ( 44.1 % ) of the respondents offered proficient pulling during their secondary instruction which is the preliminary of technology pulling ethic. One-fifth ( 20.4 % ) of the respondents had information of what the class is all about and 18.4 % of the respondents reported being present at the official debut of the class ( table 4 ) . Detailed technology drawings are produced with the assistance of some particular instruments and/or equipment. Without the assistance of such tools it would hold been really hard for most people to fix technology drawings harmonizing to the general recognized standards/specifications ( Ballegu and Mpagalile ) . On the inquiry â€Å" Do you hold all the instrument needed for the drawing † 77 pupils stand foring 50.7 % reported being good equipped with the necessary drawing instruments. These instruments were provided by the pupils themselves 110 ( 72 .4 % ) ( table 4 ) . Good instruments are vehicle in technology drawing for communicating of designs and building inside informations to others. It is ever thwarting when an thought is at that place but the instrument for conveyance is defective, misfunctioning or non available. This thwarts a whole batch of thrust and thought and perchance shackles the flair for technology drawing. Learning environment is really important in sound instruction and larning procedure ( Kenpro, 2010 ) . A typical schoolroom should heighten effectual acquisition. This will engender more positive attitudes toward technology drawing, achieve more and manifest better outlining quality throughout their calling as applied scientists if the acquisition ambiance is really contributing. On the inquiry â€Å" Do you hold contributing auditorium for categories † 118 pupils stand foring 77.6 % agreed that their drawing studio is contributing with 63.8 % of them admiting that they ever get infinite for their drawings boards during pulling categories. A sum of 130 pupils stand foring 85.5 % alleged that they are adequate seats for everyone member of the category while 11 pupils stand foring 7.6 % complained that their schoolroom is crowded ( table 5 ) . There are bound of the figure of pupils under the attention and control of a instructor which if exceeded will ensue in deficient and effectual preparation and acquisition. There may besides be terrible disciplinary jobs, and some pupils might be threatened. All pupils should be treated every bit in order to file away effectual acquisition in schools ( New Arrivals Excellence Program Guide, 2007 ) .A About 44 pupils stand foring 28.9 % of the pupils complained that the entire figure of pupils in a category per category period is excessively much for a instructor to pull off. In making an effectual acquisition environment ( table 5 ) , the coach should hold thorough cognition of their topics and should be interested in the topics that the y teach, be able to unwrap the necessity for their topics, and see the success of their pupils of import ( Kenpro, 2010 ) . Teaching pupils is non ever about what is covered per period but how much the cognition that has been efficaciously passed on to them. A image is worth a 1000 words, and sometimes the easiest manner to show something is with an image. This holds true for technology, with technology drawings supplying an easy to understand graphical illustration of something which has been designed by an applied scientist. The drawings may stand for unsmooth bill of exchanges for an object which has non yet been produced, with the drawings being used to research how the point should be made, and they can besides document the procedure of doing or utilizing an point, or merely exemplify how something is supposed to look. The inquiries that assessed the position of pupils on their instructors ‘ learning method utilizing demonstrative form in their instruction revealed that 46 ( 30.3 % ) of the pupils agreed that their instructors are demonstrative in their instruction whereas 25 ( 16.4 % ) pupils hate technology as a consequence of hapless presentation. 13 pupils stand foring 8.6 % of the respondents see technology as something a bstract. On the other manus the pupils ( 68.4 % ) see their instructors as really friendly in the schoolroom ( table 6 ) . This perchance takes the pupils to category. There is high attending of pupils to technology pulling category as 83.6 % of the technology pupils reported regular attending at technology pulling categories with 25 pupils stand foring 16.4 % coverage irregular attending. There is no pupil who stays off from category seeking to analyze technology pulling on his/her ain. The pupils do non care about the clip the pulling takes, greater figure of the category do non see anything incorrect with the continuance of the technology pulling category period. About 37.5 % and 58.6 % of the respondents gets the cognition foremost manus from the instructors ever and sometimes severally. Preference for this pattern in the ever and sometimes classs were reported by 46.7 % and 49.3 % of the respondents severally ( table 2 ) . The pupils gave grounds that assignments were normally given by the instructors ever at the terminal of each of the categories with minority ( 9.2 % ) coverage regular assignment as being excessively much. The appraisal of the handiness of survey stuff showed that there are text editions available for the personal survey among 39.5 % of the respondents. A sum of 30.9 % of the respondents reported being able to use the basic cognition passed on to them in the category in other job and obtain the solution and 40.8 % of the respondents reported working more for better personal development ( table 7 ) . Table 1. Demographic features of the respondents Table 2. Class attending and personal sentiment across different degrees Table 3. Importance of technology Pulling Table 4. Possession of drawing tools Table 5. Classroom status Table 6. Teacher and instruction manner Table 7. Study stuff and personal developmentDecisionThe attitude of technology pupils towards technology pulling discussed under pupils ‘ position of their coachs learning manner, schoolroom environment, single perceptual experiences and features, pre-knowledge of the class and survey stuffs showed that pupils have positive attitude towards technology drawing. The lone challenges the pupils are confronting is the learning manner of the instructors. This survey has shown that when there is contributing environment, friendly instructors, positive perceptual experience and character, good survey stuffs and instruments, the instruction manner factor can travel a long manner to impact the pupils. The thought of pulling out syllables and covering it at the terminal of the survey twelvemonth is good but non much more is how many of those things passed on to the pupils meets the original purpose. It is recommended that instructors of technology drawing should be interested in the topi cs that they teach, be able to demo the demand of the topic to the pupils and see the success of their pupils of import.RecognitionsThe writers are thankful to the undergraduate pupils of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta whose engagement made this research a success.

Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Leadership - Assignment Example These ethical standards governing the existence of human life encompass diverse realms of endeavors including business entities. As businesses comprise a greater majority of the world’s human activities, the importance of studying ethics come as a necessity rather than a matter of natural occurrence. During the 1990s, the study on business ethics have been clearly structured and formalized through acknowledging it as a necessary part of business operations. Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell (2009, 6) define business ethics as â€Å"the principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business†. In the field of accounting, for example, Smith & Smith (2010) indicated that ethical issues were clearly identified in its practice as evidenced by the book written by Michael Josephson describing the â€Å"Ten Universal Values, as follows: honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, fidelity, fairness, caring, respect for others, responsible citizenship, pursuit of excellence, and accountability† (Smith & Smith, 2010, par. 10). Likewise, with organizations venturing in international markets, the tenets of moral and ethics need to encompass standards and guidelines which widen the jurisdiction of business ethics internationally. As averred by Enderle (1997), â€Å"business ethics is an emerging and dynamic field, depending strongly on economic factors, but also on political changes and a growing awareness of value conflicts and ethical and environmental demands† (1475). Business ethics discusses the concepts on leadership and management where managerial responsibilities for the conduct of subordinates need to conform to ethical codes for guidance and compliance. The study of ethics give direction to promote the ethical behavior expected of stakeholders in the business setting. It assists individuals and groups in understanding the ways to cope and address conflicts

HCM621-0804A-01 Ethics, Policy, and Law in Health Care Management - Essay - 5

HCM621-0804A-01 Ethics, Policy, and Law in Health Care Management - Phase 3 Individual Project - Essay Example Several numbers of uninsured people have full or part time employment. In order to decrease the number of uninsured individual within the working classes, the insurance will be covering children who are uninsured and extend its coverage to their families. In order to address the number of children who are uninsured it is best to find ways how to lower the numbers. Responses to health crisis will need time, effort and strength, but the assurance of having health coverage to all especially the children is important. I am suggesting the following policies in order to address the crisis. First is to expand the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP is a US federal government program for families with children that gives funds to states to provide health insurance. The program was designed to cover uninsured children in families with incomes that are modest but too high to qualify for Medicaid. Second is to focus on individuals who are eligible for the program in their hometown and encourage them to enrol in the program. And to expand CHIP coverage and include the patents and families of the children enrolled in the program. The statistics shows that nearly 9 million children are uninsured and they come from the community where the p arents themselves are uninsured. Affordable health care option can be provided if they allow CHIP to extend its coverage to the parents. The extension would be beneficial to the children who would take the program. Children enrolled in SCHIP are entitled to regular checkups, immunizations, doctor’s visits and hospital care. Under SCHIP, states have the choice of expanding Medicaid, establishing a separate, stand-alone program, or combining these two approaches.

Managing Diversity Journal Questionnaire Assignment

Managing Diversity Journal Questionnaire - Assignment Example Oprah Winfrey talks about the bridges in her life: Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hammer and others. Which people have been bridges for you? Why?† Page 37 My uncle; at my present part-time job work-place, my uncle used to be a favorite for my boss. I am also being favored effortlessly by the boss and other colleagues due to my uncle’s goodwill (Cardinal & Brown, 2007). They are parallel in my life; what I love to do is not related to my academic performance. My academics just help with knowledge but I love to undertake duties that give me pleasure and freedom instead of structured career systems. 13. â€Å"In today’s workplace, many individuals do not use all their potential, and particularly their insight, resourcefulness and talent. Does a lack of diversity consciousness shown by employees or their managers contribute to this situation? Explain.† Page 55 Yes. Most of the Asian managers do not promote employee participation in their workplaces. They perceive themselves to be intelligent and other minority groups to be inferior in regards to intelligence (Cardinal & Brown, 2007). 16. â€Å"Some government officials have argued that profiling is needed to track potential terrorists. They argue that it is negligent not to look at everything, including racial and religious factors. Others say that the United States should not use any kind of profiling in the war of terror. They argue that it is reckless and there is no proof it works. What is tour opinion? Is profiling justified in order to combat terror, and if so, under what circumstances.† Page 76 18. â€Å"Given the magnitude of the challenge, how do you summon the energy that is necessary to deal effectively with prejudicial beliefs, discriminatory behaviors and other social barriers that you may encounter? To flourish in the face of adversity, what can you do?† Page 84 I change my

Sexual Harassment Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sexual Harassment Law - Research Paper Example The alleged misconduct should be so severe and pervasive as to disturb emotional wellbeing and work performance of the victim which conditions are prima facie requirement for a conduct to be characterized as sexual harassment. The paper further lists out reasons for an organization to have sexual harassment policy statement along with the contents of the written policy as stated in the appendix. This research has also discussed the case law of Beth Ann Faragher, Petitioner V. City Of Boca Raton (1998). 1. Define sexual harassment as the term is used legally.   The legal definition of sexual harassment is: the illegal discrimination in employment based on sex. This definition is only a part of the behaviors that could constitute sexual harassment. The illegal employment discrimination behaviors and the experiences of sexual harassment often overlap. They are however not congruent. Some behaviors are readily identifiable as sexual harassment such as the supervisor’s demand on the employee to engage in sexual activity with him as a condition to continue in employment. Sexual harassment may not be overtly experienced by the victim but subjectively in a less defined contexts which may not be illegal (Gold, 2004). In Harris v Forklift Systems, Inc (1993), it was held by the Supreme Court that psychological injury cannot be claimed to prove sexual harassment under the constitutional law. ... Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) has been entrusted with the responsibility to enforce the provisions of Civil Rights Act relating to discrimination (Gold, 2004). The EEOC’s definition of sexual harassment states â€Å" Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment, (2) submission to rejection or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment† (Gold, 2004, p. 20) The definition has evolved through case law. The EEOC guideline cannot be technically law though it is subject to the judicial review of the Supreme Court. Thus, review has resulted in two kinds of sexual harassment. One, Quid pro quo harassment which arises when an employee is forced to exchange sexual favors for the benefit of employment present or future or to avoid adverse employment action. Second one is Hostile environment harassment that results in â€Å"severe or pervasive ridicule, unwelcome intimidation or insult based on sex† (p 21) 2. Explain how sexual harassment differs from gender discrimination.   Gender discrimination is mainly based on an individual’s gender in a sub group of female or male. It is different from sexual harassment for want of sexual

Eco-friendly textile production Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eco-friendly textile production - Research Paper Example The materials used in the making are very organic ranging from the fabric and dye to the buttons. The jeans are also called organic because the cotton used to make them is grown used organic means and is mainly grown in areas without access to these chemical fertilizers (Natural Choices, 2006, para. 4). Areas include West Africa where cotton is grown naturally with the conventional means of crop rotation. The creation was motivated by the choices made by consumers in regard to environmental impact. As a result, the line was launched despite facing challenges. Organic cotton is more expensive when compared to industrial cotton and, therefore, the company cannot make more of the jeans. Due to these factors, the textiles have a much higher price tag as compared to conventionally made ones. In addition, the Levi’s jeans manufacturers have taken into account the plight of farmers who participate in the production of cotton. By doing this, the farmers from solely depend on cotton farming for a living have an opportunity to improve their ways of living (Natural Choices, 2006, para. 5). This is through having the company buy their products from them at the appropriate price for the trouble they have gone trough and for the quality they provide. This overcomes unfair trade practices that certain countries impose, which, in turn, compromise on the quality of life for these farmers. Levi’s jeans company has created a way to instruct the consumer on how to take care of their products. This is by using recycled paper to print instruction using soy ink (Dunn, 2006, para. 1). In addition, the instructions are not just on how to clean but to clean them with lesser environmental impact and a message on recycling. Moreover, the recycling message encourages consumers to donate their worn out jeans to Goodwill than throw them out (Levi Strausse & Co., n.d., para.1). To be more eco friendly, the company is removing the need for tags attached to

Ecotourism and Carbon Neutrality Research Paper

Ecotourism and Carbon Neutrality - Research Paper Example 265). On top of these direct benefits, there are also indirect contributions in the form of millions of dollars directed to conservation projects from entrance fees, tourist philanthropic donations and ecotourism-operator philanthropy. However if ecotourism wishes to claim environmental bragging rights, it has to do better with regards to carbon usage and climate change. Like most contemporary forms of travel, ecotourism depends heavily on fossil fuel-dependent forms of transportation. This means that responsible travel to natural areas starts out with an environmental debt, especially with regards to the carbon emissions that must be repaid for there to be a net environmental gain. It is imperative that ecotourism incorporates other creative forms of carbon balancing as part of the customary practice, thus reducing its carbon debt from the start. Carbon neutrality is the benchmark in the maturation of ecotourism (Durham & Stronza, 2008, pg. 266). Ecotourism and Carbon Neutrality Inc reasingly ecotourism has been described to represent or at least encourage sustainable forms of tourism in natural areas. Sustainable tourism is focused on using resources sustainably and reducing over-consumption and waste (Buckley, 2004, pg. 15). Ecotourism is defined as the environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas in order to enjoy and appreciate nature and any accompanying cultural features that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local population (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996, pg. 20; Buckley, 2004, pg. 15). However, travel or mobility are mostly associated with considerable resource use in the form of fossils fuel and it therefore directly challenges the... This paper approves that ecotourism has been recognized and acclaimed with safeguarding biological and cultural diversity, reducing rural poverty and increasing public consciousness of environmental concerns as well as bolstering ties concerning tourism operators and local population. For this reason, it has increased in popularity with tourists as well as governmental development organizations and conservation agencies. However, for ecotourism to remain viable and appealing into the future, unambiguous and untainted means must be found to make ecotourism carbon neutral or better. This essay makes a conclusion that universal resorts in pursuit of being carbon neutral have begun to use alternative fuels in their service vehicles in an attempt to cut down toxic emissions. Moreover, the cooking oil utilized in its restaurants is reprocessed and reused as are the paper and cardboard supplies used throughput the resort. At SeaWorld and its affiliate parks, hydrogen energies fuel shuttles, dinnerware and utensils are produced from vegetable starch and sugarcane. Seafood, even for its animal populations is procured from green and natural fisheries, moreover, it has teamed up with the Rainforest Alliance to guarantee that foods acquired are farmed and harvested in manners that protects and safeguards area wildlife, habitats as well as the people. By the way, still in pursuit of carbon neutrality, the use of public transportation most notably by Disney World has gone a long way in reducing carbon emissions.

Interpersonal Violence Distortion of a Community Essay

Interpersonal Violence Distortion of a Community - Essay Example This may impact on the community negatively and will slow any development that would be taking place. According to Myer and Enns, the whole aspect of Christianity concerns reconciliation among individuals within a community. According to them, Christianity would be fighting oppression and violence in the lives of many individuals. They advocate for this with their foundation rooted on the teaching of the Jewish prophets. These two make references to the holy bible that gives guidelines on peacemaking process. The bible is the main source of restorative justice. Through teaching in the bible, one has a view of how disputes were earlier solved and uses the same in current events. At times, through the readings of the bible, people get to know what steps to take in problem solving. Restorative justice aims at resolving differences that would have risen earlier without causing any harm or even regenerating what had earlier happened. Restorative justice is for the purpose of repairing dif ferential concerns that arise in the community. These two authors emphasize that aspect of restorative justice is embedded in the bible as shown by the church. They have hence based their writings on issues of dispute resolving in the bible. For example before Saul converted to Paul he used to persecute Christians but after converting, he was regarded as a follower of Christ. Acts relating to the issues of personal violence would be grouped family and community types of violence. Further, those aspects relating to the family are grouped into partner, child or elder. Thus, there is child abuse, partner abuse or even elder abuse. Causes of interpersonal violence Writers have emphasized that violence cannot be caused by a single factor but, by a multiple factors. This is because violence is complex and may be as a result of one or more related aspects. These factors are looked into below to expound on the issue of violence. The individual is a factor to this respect. Individuals are di fferent in terms of ideas, feelings, practices, temper level and their views on the issue. The other aspects would be social, community and relationship areas. Interpersonal differences are those differences or disagreements that may come up when one individual in not in moral terms with another in society. Temper level within an individual may lead to violence within a community. We have to understand that there are people who get annoyed easily by unpretentious things. This would provoke such individuals to cause violence which is unnecessary. Violence can also be caused by communal aspects. At times, the community requires people to participate in some activities or even carry its own activities. Many are times when individuals may go against this issue. When asked about the progress of the same, they get annoyed, and cannot contain this pain in them and as a result, they initiate violence. Such aspects lead to serious problems that are harmful to the person and loss to the commu nity at large. There may also be societal aspects that may be a course of generation of violence. A valid action plan is to eliminate what annoys an individual to the extent of committing violence. In fact, Enns and Myers advocate for peacemaking as per the bible. Those annoyed hence should be slow to anger and listen to advice given to them by the medical experts. This would lead to peacemaking process in situations concerning violence. Effects of violence in the community Violence being unethical, impacts on the

Is Man Naturally Evil Essay Example for Free

Is Man Naturally Evil Essay Hsà ¼n Tzu says that man’s nature is naturally evil. Hsà ¼n Tzu wrote Man’s Nature is Evil in the year 300 BCE. Tzu thought that man’s nature is naturally evil and needs to be taught by a teacher to overcome this. He Mencius has not completely understood what man’s nature really is. Tzu also believes that if a man lacks something in himself that they go to look for whatever they lack in someone else. The last thing he talks about is how to differentiate between good and evil. Hsà ¼n Tzu’s belief that man’s nature is naturally evil is partially true, he does not believe in Mencius’s view whatsoever, Tzu believes that man looks for those attributes that he does not have in other people, and he also expresses the difference between good and evil. Tzu’s reasons apply to people in current day life because when people are born they do not know right from wrong, and I believe he is right when he says people look for attributes they lack themselves in others around them. Man’s nature is naturally evil according to Hsà ¼n Tzu; therefore man needs a teacher to guide him towards what is good. Tzu states in his writing, â€Å"A warped piece of wood must wait until it has been laid against the straightening board, steamed, and forced into shape before it can become straight; a piece of blunt metal must wait until it has been whetted on a grindstone before it can become sharp (pg. 101).† When Mencius is talking about this quote it means that a person does not start their life being the perfect human being. Everyone needs a teacher, leader, or mentor to show him or her the right and good way of doing things. When a person grows up without having some to look over them and guide them in the right direction they may start to go into the wrong direction. People need that mentor there to help them when they do not know what the right thing to may be. Then Hsà ¼n Tzu says, â€Å"Hence, today any man who takes to heart the instructions of his teacher, applies himself to his studies, and abides by ritual principles may become a gentleman, but anyone who gives free rein to his emotional nature, is content to indulge his passions, and disregards ritual principles becomes a petty man (pg. 101).† This statement by Tzu means that every man should listen to every word that his or her mentor gives them and never forget them. These words of advice that a person’s teacher gives them are going to help them achieve all of their goals for the rest of their lives. These wise  words from the mentors will make a man become good for the rest of their life. Hsà ¼n Tzu also states that if a man does not listen to the words of their mentor they will never be able to know what being good feels like. These people will live their entire lives going towards evil and will never be able to change it without the help of a mentor. I agree with Tzu on this topic because if it was not for our teachers and mentors people would be causing trouble all of the time. Hsà ¼n Tzu does not agree with Mencius’s thought on this subject matter. Tzu states that, â€Å"Mencius states that man is capable of learning because his nature is good, but I say that is wrong. It indicates that he has not really understood man’s nature nor distinguished between the basic nature and conscious activity (pg. 101).† Tzu explains basic nature as something that is just given to you by heaven when you are born. On the other hand, conscious activity is the things that are taught to people and that they learn from their mentors. The way Hsà ¼n Tzu explains basic nature and conscious activity is, â€Å"That part of man which cannot be learned or acquired by effort is called the nature; that part of him which can be acquired by learning and brought to completion by effort is called activity. This is the difference between nature and conscious activity (pg. 101).† Hsà ¼n Tzu speaks about how man does not have every quality, but he will strive to get as many qualities as he can no matter what the circumstances are. Tzu makes a statement that says, â€Å"A man whose accomplishments are meager longs for greatness; an ugly man longs for beauty; a man in cramped quarters longs for greatness; a poor man longs for wealth; a humble man longs for eminence. Whatever a man lacks in himself he will seek outside. But if a man is already rich, he will not long for wealth, and if he is already eminent, he will not long for greater power. What a man already possesses himself he will not bother to look for outside (pg. 103).† When Hsà ¼n Tzu says this he means that when someone does not have a quality that they want or may need they go and try to take that quality they are seeking from another person. I believe this happens because people are insecure about themselves and need to take things from others to make themselves feel good about themselves. Tzu the says, â€Å"Hence, man in the state in which he is born neither possesses nor understands ritual principles. If he does not  possess ritual principles, his behavior will be chaotic, and if he does not understand them, he will be wild and irresponsible. In fact, therefore, man in the state in which he is born possesses this tendency towards chaos and irresponsibility (pg. 103).† This is showing that Tzu thinks when a person is born they do not yet understand what ritual principles are and they believe they can do anything they want to do. Hsà ¼n Tzu then follows this by saying, â€Å"From this it is obvious, then, that man’s nature is evil, and that his goodness is the result of conscious activity (pg. 103).† I completely agree with Tzu’s theory on this concept because I believe this is the reason why some people feel the need to bully others. Hsà ¼n Tzu then talks about the distinction between good and evil. Tzu says, â€Å"All men in the world, past and present, agree in defining goodness as that which is upright, reasonable, and orderly, and evil as that which is prejudiced, irresponsible, and chaotic (pg.103).† Hsà ¼n defines the difference between being good and being evil. The way to be good in Tzu’s head is be accepting of other thoughts even if they do not make complete sense. I believe Tzu means that to be good people need to give everyone a chance no matter what their thoughts are. Tzu then goes on to talk about being evil. I believe that from what Tzu says being evil is judging a person by how he or she looks. Another way of being evil that I got out of this is that if someone does something wrong they try to go and blame it on someone else. Another thing that Hsà ¼n Tzu says is, â€Å"Therefore, in ancient times the sages, realizing that man’s nature is evil, that it is prejudiced and not upright, irresponsible and lacking in order, for this reason established the authority of the ruler to control it, elucidated ritual principles to transform it, set up laws and standards to correct it, and meted out strict punishments to restrain it (pg. 104).† This is a great statement mad by Tzu because it explains that without people leading us we would resort to doing all things evil. The sages knew that man’s nature was evil so they set up laws and rulers to restrict people from being evil and making them resort to being good. In my own life I had to be taught the difference between good and evil. I was born not knowing the difference between the two. My parents were a huge part of teaching me the difference between being good and not being evil. They were they to tell me when I was doing something wrong. After they told me that I did something wrong they would always try and help me correct it to the best of their ability. I also had all of my teachers growing up there to teach me things about being good that my parents did not teach me. I also had positive role models to look up to and hope to achieve what they did when I was growing up. I always wanted to be like Derek Jeter when I was growing up as a kid. He was my biggest inspiration out of any famous sports star. He was just a regular kid like me, and with the help of his parents, teachers, and role models he got to where he is today. Now he is a role model and inspiration for children all over the world. I believe that Hsà ¼n Tzu’s theory that what a man does not have in himself in looks for in others is a very true theory. I believe this has a lot to do with bullying. When a person bullies another human being I would say it is because they are insecure about themselves. The bullying of another helps that person feel more complete and better about him or herself. This is also another reason why we need teachers; they help us avoid doing this type of thing. Teachers are always going to be there to tell a person to stop doing something like this and correct them. In conclusion, I completely agree with Hsà ¼n Tzu’s ideas. Man’s nature is evil when he or she is born, and when the person is growing up they learn what is good through their parents, teachers, and mentors. Tzu talks about how Mencius does not fully understand what man’s nature is, and I agree with Hsà ¼n Tzu. I love Tzu’s idea of how if a man lacks a quality in himself he will go out and look for that quality in someone else. I agree with how Hsà ¼n Tzu defines the difference between good and evil. I was able to relate his theory of man being born with an evil nature by saying how my parents, teachers, and role models taught me what is right from wrong. I also see, in real life, people are always trying to get attributes that they lack themselves from other people around them. I believe that Hsà ¼n Tzu is a very intelligent man and I agree with his theories on human nature.

Principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah

Principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah Musharakah and Mudarabah written in the books of Islamic fiqh generally means contracts which are formed for starting a joint venture in which all partners participate in the business from starting till end when assets are liquidated. The books of Islamic fiqh were written in an environment when there were only small trades and no large scale businesses took place. The principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah can be applied to small as well as large scale commercial enterprises. The basic principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah are as follows: Musharakah and Mudarabah financing is not interest based Financier /investor must share loss to the extent of their investment Profit is distributed according to the agreed ratio with their mutual consent, but the sleeping partner cant claim more than the ratio of his investment Loss suffered by partner is exactly according to the proportion of his investment For financing a project, the traditional method of Musharakah and Mudarabah can be easily applied. If a Financier wants to finance the whole project, he can use Mudarabah financing and if some parties want to finance the project jointly, they can adopt Musharakah financing. It is very easy to evaluate the capital if the Musharakah or Mudarabah have been effected since inception of the project. In case of Musharakah if any partner wants to withdraw from the business, the other partners can purchase his share at an agreed ratio. The partner can thus either fully own the business on his own or can sell the share of the partner who withdrew his capital to other person who can substitute the withdrawing financier Securitization of Musharakah Musharakah financing can be securitised easily, in case of big projects a huge sum is required which a few people cant afford. Every person investing is given a Musharakah certificate which represents the amount of money he has invested in business. After the start of the business and buying non liquid assets, the certificates can be treated as negotiable instruments which can be sold in the secondary markets. However, if all the assets of Musharakah are in liquid form, buying and selling of these certificates is not allowed because as all the assets are in liquid form and exchange of such assets means exchanging money for money, and for exchanging money for money both must be equal. Access from any side is Riba, which is prohibited in Islam In case if the money invested is invested in non-liquid assets as land, machinery etc. the Musharakah certificate will represent the portion of ownership in those Assets. In this of assets being in non-liquid form, it will be allowed by the shariah to sell certificates in the secondary market on any price agreed upon by the parties with their mutual consent In case the assets in the business are a mixture of liquid and non-liquid assets most of the schools of thoughts including shafii have allowed trading only if the size of non-liquid assets in the whole business is more than 50%. However, if the Hanafi view is adopted, transaction if valid even if the non-liquid assets are less than 50% but the amount must be greater than liquid assets and non-liquid assets must not be negligible Financing of a single transaction The principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah can be easily used for financing a single transaction. It can be applied for fulling day to day needs of small traders as well as for import and export transactions. An importer can approach financier for financing him for importing goods for a single transaction. Banks can also finance for importing goods. If the letter of credit has no restrictions, Mudarabah can be followed and if the letter of credit has restrictions, Musharakah suits for such case. After selling the imported goods, the sales proceed can be shared by the financier and the imported on an agreed ratio When finance is required for working capital of a already running business, the principles of Musharakah can be applies in the following ways Before investing in the running business the capital of the business can be evaluated by the mutual consent. As according to Imam Malik, non-liquid assets can also form a part of capital so, this view can be applied here. The value of the already running business will be the share of one partner and the amount of investment by the financier will be his share. The profit given to the financier is agreed upon by both the parties which should not exceed the amount of his investment. The Musharakah can be for a limited period of time like 6 months, one year, two years, after the completion of the term both the liquid and non-liquid assets are evaluated again and profit may be distributed on the basis of evaluation Sharing of gross profit Financing by the method above can be very difficult in case the business is big and has large number of fixed assets, because the valuation of the assets, their appreciation or depreciation may create accounting problems which can cause disputes among partners. In this case Musharakah may be applied in another way In this scenario, difficulty arise due to calculation of indirect expenses like salary of staff, depreciation of machinery etc. For solving such problem only direct expense like raw material, labour, etc. Shall be borne by the Musharakah. It means all the indirect expenses shall be borne by the industrialist and instead of net profit, gross profit shall be shared among the partners. In order to compensate the industrialist, the percentage of his profit may be increased Running musharakah account on the basis of daily products Most of the financial institutions finance working capital by opening a running account from where the client draws the money at different intervals and returns surplus money. This process of credit and debit goes on and up to date of maturity. interest is calculated on the basis of daily products For making such arrangement possible for Musharakah Financing, following procedure may be suggested A portion of the actual profit must be used for management of the business A portion of the profit must be used for paying the investors Loss must be borne by the investor in the exact ratio of their investment in the business The average of the contribution made to the musharakah account on daily basis must be treated as the share capital of the financier Profit earned at the end of the term must be calculated on daily product basis, and must be distributed among the partners accordingly If parties allow such arrangement, it does not seem to violate any principles of Musharakah However, this needs to be looked into by the experts of Islamic jurisprudence. Practically, it means the parties have agreed to the principle that the profit earned at the end of the agreed time will be divided by the capital utilized per day. Which will lead to average of money earned on daily. The amount of money earned per day will then multiplied by the total number of days the money is invested by the partner for the calculation of his actual profit Some of the scholars do not allow this method as this method does not reflect the calculations of the actual profit earned by a partner of the Musharakah. The business may have earned a huge profit during the time a partner had no investment at all or share of his investment would be negligible but he will be paid at par with the other partners who had invested a huge sum of money. Similarly, the business may have suffered a great loss when a particular partner had invested huge amount of money and he will pass on loss to the other partners despite of their no investment during the loss or having invested negligible amount of money The answer to the argument is that it is not necessary for the partners in Musharakah that they earn profit on the amount of their investment only. Once the Musharakah takes place the profit earned by the business are earned by all the partners despite whether their money in invested in the business or not. This is generally true for the Hanafi school of thought,ÂÂ   which does not make it necessary for a Valid Musharakah that the money invested by the partners are together mixed up

Greenwashing in Media Essay -- Ethical Issues, Misleading Customers

Research ProjectGreenwashing in Media In this day and age companies have mastered the technique of misleading customers by fabricating false claims about a green product or service that they swear to provide. This insincere display of information is called ‘Greenwashing’, a spin-off of ‘Whitewashing’. Greenwashing could be said to be a global phenomenon and it’s commonly seen in advertisements, on products packing, websites, emails, speeches, and videos (just to name a few). Greenwashing is a thought out process, a planned and typically well designed campaign. There is a wide range of reasons why companies are eager to partake in greenwashing; divert attention for regulatory change, to persuade critics or consumers, expand the company's market, and to make the company seem appealing. The goal of this paper is to provide three examples of ‘greenwashing’ and to relate these examples to Downing et al. concepts. To help further explain these misleading claims, a well recognized company by the media is called Terrachoice. â€Å"The Terrachoice Environment Marketing Consulting practice converts knowledge of markets, science and marketing into winning, client-centered solutions to help sustainability leaders deliver results† (â€Å"The "six sins," 2007). Terrachoice has conducted a study of the â€Å"Environmental Claims in North American Consumer Markets† and found shocking results that made them want to give warning to potential consumers about the ‘six sins of greenwashing. The Terrachoice Company was designed to improve the communication between the purchasers and consumers, helping to enhance, strengthen, and prove market relationship. Companies that carry out greenwashing commonly use the words, ‘green’, ‘energy efficient’, and ‘clean’ to expo... ...efit† (p. xx). More and more individuals will run into greenwashing ads from the news to even advertising; however it’s important to recognize the exaggeration, persuasiveness and omission of information in these ads. It’s evident that any form of media is filled with manipulation; pulling the perception, actions, fears, desires, and values out of the consumer. In our text Downing et al. begins saying, â€Å"empiricist communications research†¦are concerned more with questions, problems, and perspectives than with the mere recitation of detailed facts. Indeed, critical scholars would argue that facts by themselves are impossible to interpret if they are not placed into some model or theory about how the media and society work† (xxviii). I think this sums up why we all should be critical in a positive manner, and should use the theories that help us analyze media material.

Prejudice and Racism in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: HOD Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness

Racism in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚   In the novel, Heart of Darkness, the author Joseph Conrad makes some comments, and he uses different terms to describe people of color that may offend some people. Also the readers can see how racist the Europeans were toward blacks not only because they were turned into slaves. We can see how the European people seem to think the Africans are not equal to them. There are many examples of discrimination towards woman in this story. Women were looked down and they were considered to be worth less then men, or even not as important. Racism and discrimination are all over in this novel. Joseph Conrad makes some remarks about blacks that are very disturbing and racist. One example of this is when he says, "†¦the thought of their humanity-like yours†¦Ugly" (Conrad). This just goes to show how Conrad was a complete racist. The thought of a black man’s humanity being compared to Conrad’s was just plain ugly to Conrad. That is plain and simple racism. Another example is the first time he saw a black man he said, "A certain enormous buck nigger encountered in Haiti fixed my conception of blind, furious, unreasoning rage, as manifested in the human animal to the end of my days. Of the nigger I used to dream for years afterwards" (Conrad). This remark Conrad made was disturbing and clearly racist because he described the black man as a "nigger" more then once. The Europeans were racist toward blacks. We can see how the European people seem to think the Africans are not equal to them because their black. For example Conrad says, "the thought of their humanity-like yours†¦Ugly" (Conrad). This just goes to show that when Conrad is compared to a black man he is discussed because he is racist. One reason we say the Europeans were racist was because they made the blacks be their slaves. The audience can see the people of color doing work for the white people and that just goes to show that they were racist. Women are discriminated throughout this book. There is not place in this book in which a woman has a job of equality to a man. The audience can see that the men do not treat woman very well or with any respect throughout Heart of Darkness. For example Kurtz had a mistress of some kind and she is described as a savage.

Investigating the strength of Electrolytic solutions Essay

Table 1 above shows the raw data of experiment I did to test the strength different electrolytic solutions. Moreover, this data table shows that all solutions except tap water and distilled water have the concentration of 0.5 M. In this table, some solutions’ ammeter reading has different uncertainty and multimeter setting. This is because solution like hydrochloric acid has high amp, so I had to set multimeter setting at 300mA in order to measure the ammeter reading of hydrochloric acid accurately. On the other hand, solution like distilled water has extremely low amp, so I had to set multimeter setting at 0.3mA in order to measure the ammeter reading of distilled water accurately. Hence, varying in uncertainty of reading in each solution because as 1 reading, for example, if measured at setting of 300mA, is 5 amp per reading but if measured at 0.3mA, it is read as 0.005 amp per reading. 2.1. Data Processing Neutral Table 2 is a processed data of experiment on investigation of the strength of different electrolytic solutions. I included average of the data about strength of each electrolytic solution to make the data table clearer. Furthermore, I also included standard deviation of the data, to summarize the spread of values around the mean. Lastly, I added additional information about these solutions, whether if they are acidic, basic or neutral solutions. 3.1 Conclusion and Evaluation 3.1.1. Conclusion: To conclude, the background information that was given to me by the instructor states that stronger acidic or basic solutions are stronger electrolytes than those of weaker acidic, basic or neutral solutions. Referring to Table 2, which is a processed data of acquired data from this experiment, it provides the information of solutions whether if they are acidic, basic or neutral. In addition, it shows that stronger acid and base tend to have higher ammeter reading and weaker acid and base or neutral solutions tend to have lower ammeter reading. For example, hydrochloric acid, which is a strong acid, transferred mean reading of 47amp, whereas acetic acid, which is a weak acid, transferred mean reading of 0.92amp. Therefore, the results I got through experiment yield to the background information given by the instructor. (NakanishMasaki) 3.1.2. Evaluation: Everytime I finished experimenting with one solution three times, I thoroughly washed plastic container and 2 carbon electrodes with tap water, which made direct contact with the solution while testing, and dried them with paper towel. The purpose is to avoid errors in results by preventing mix of preexisting solutions with another kind of solution. Moreover, since the fluctuation of the value that multimeter presented made hard for me to decide what to write as the data, whenever I fully connect complete electrical circuit, I waited for 15 seconds for the fluctuations to ease down. Finally, when I was performing experiment on calcium hydroxide (Picture 1), I mixed it by stirring with the glass pipe in order to uniformly spread the substance that was deposited on the bottom of the solution, so I can get uniformly mixed calcium hydroxide. I did my best to cover up the weaknesses of lab equipment, but there still are some weaknesses still which were present throughout the lab, and it might have varied the data I collected. First of all, in order to follow the written instruction from the instruction sheets given, I had to wash equipments that made direct contact with the solution everytime I’m changing the solution that I will perform experiment upon with distilled water, but due to the lack of distilled water, I washed them with tap water instead. Second of all, I am not sure if 15 seconds were enough time for the fluctuations of the value to settle, or maybe it was too much time. Last of all, whenever I finish mixing the calcium hydroxide, I have to transfer the solution to the smaller beaker for measurement, but it takes time to do that and the substance might have been settled down within the calcium hydroxide solution. Therefore, there were some errors that prevented me from collecting the best results. Improvements can be made by providing each candidate, like me, with better lab equipments such as more advanced multimeter. Also, enough distilled water so I can wash equipments with it to follow the original instructions given. Works Cited 1. http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/acidbaseeqia/bases.html 2. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac60144a032 3. http://goto.glocalnet.net/ibweb/homepagelink.htm

Questions on Modern Consumerism

I shop therefore I know that I am Decide if the following sentences are true or false according to the test ‘l shop therefore I know that I am†. 1- The two crucial defining features of modern consumerism are emotion and desire False.. The two are emotion and desire and individualism 2- It's quite clear that a distinctive channel of modern consumption is the extent to which good and services are bought by individuals for their own use. True.. 3- The two features support each other combining to define the nature of modern mesmerism.True.. 4- Astrology cannot serve as a useful guide to an understanding of the social and cultural word. False, it can serve as a guide to that. 5- What is needed is sociology of postmodernism, not a postmodern sociology True, as Mike Featheriness has said. 6- The author suggests that it is our interests or hobbies that define us. False, the author says that if you have some particular hobbies then you can meet people with similar interests. 7- Th e person we really consider' ‘ the real me† is to be found in our special mix of tastes.True 8- It is crucial for us to test ourselves for a wide range of variation in products. True 9- The marketplace is not indispensable to the process of discovering who we really are. False, it is 10- The real location of our identity is to be found in our reaction to products, and not in the products themselves. True 11- Our parent's and grandparent's used to consider themselves as we consider ourselves nowadays. False, for them identity was far more likely to be primarily a tater of their status and position in various institutions and associations. 12- Not all consumption is individualistic at nature.True This article is about the metaphysical basis of modern consumerism, which tries to explain the relationship between the metaphysic and the consumption showing several accepted answers to the crucial question Why do we consume? Such as the pursuit of pleasure and the imitation of o thers. It also emphasizes the crucial defining features of this consumerism which are the process of desiring† that lie at he heart of the phenomenon mentioned before and the critical but defining characteristic of it the individualism† which support each other combining to define the nature of modern consumerism.The author underlines that the individuals concerned appear to define their essential identity almost exclusively in terms of their tastes and viewed in that way the activity of consuming is considered as the vital and necessary path to self-discovery while the marketplace itself becomes indispensable to the process of discovering who we really are.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Thirty-three

CRIES AND SCREAMS FROM THE audience told me my disguise was gone. Many eyes also went to Dimitri. Adrian had dropped that illusion too, once I'd shed mine. And, as we'd been expecting, the guardians who had been gradually taking up position around us surged forward, armed with handguns. I still thought that was cheating. Fortunately, my mother and Mikhail moved quickly into place to block our attackers and deter any gunshots. â€Å"Don't,' I snapped at Dimitri, who I knew was probably about to join our two defenders. It was crucial he and I stay perfectly still, so we weren't taken as threats. I even went as far as to hold up my arms, and–reluctantly, I suspected–Dimitri did too. â€Å"Wait. Please listen to us first.' The guardian circle was tight, with no gaps. I was pretty sure my mom and Mikhail were the only thing keeping them from shooting us then and there. Guardians would always avoid fighting other guardians if possible. Two blockers were easy to take down, though, and these guardians wouldn't wait forever. Jill and Abe suddenly moved forward, taking positions next to us. More shields. I saw one of the looming guardians grimace. Civilians complicated things. Adrian had not moved, but the fact that he was enclosed in the circle at all still made him an obstacle. â€Å"Haul us off later if you want,' I said. â€Å"We won't resist. But you have to let us talk first. We know who killed the queen.' â€Å"So do we,' said one of the guardians. â€Å"Now, the rest of you †¦ back away before you're hurt. These are dangerous fugitives.' â€Å"They need to talk,' said Abe. â€Å"They have evidence.' Again, he pushed forward with his case, acting confidently about things he had no clue about. He was staking it all on me. I was starting to like him. It was kind of unfortunate that our evidence wasn't as 100 percent solid as I'd hoped, but as I'd said earlier †¦ technicalities. â€Å"Let them talk.' It was a new voice, but a voice I knew by heart. Lissa pushed her way through two of the guardians. They held their tight position, the immediate concern being that we not escape. This allowed her to slip through–but only so one could grab her arm and stop her from reaching us. â€Å"They've come this far. They were right about †¦ Jill.' Boy, that was not easy for her to say with a straight face, seeing as she hadn't entirely come to terms with the issue. My imminent death was probably the only thing distracting her from the earth shattering experience of learning she had a potential sibling. She too was taking a lot on faith here, confident I was telling the truth. â€Å"You've got them. They can't go anywhere. Just let them talk. I've got evidence to support their case too.' â€Å"I'd hold off on sharing that, Liss,' I said in a low voice. Lissa still believed Daniella was the killer and wasn't going to like hearing the truth. Lissa flashed me a confused look but didn't protest. â€Å"Let's hear them,' said one of the guardians–and not just any: Hans. â€Å"After an escape like they pulled, I'd really like to know what brought them back.' Hans was helping us? â€Å"But,' he continued, â€Å"I'm sure you two will understand we'll have to restrain you before you make your great reveal.' I looked at Dimitri who had already turned to me. We'd both known what we were getting ourselves into, and honestly, this was a better scenario than I'd envisioned. â€Å"Okay,' said Dimitri. He glanced at our noble protectors. â€Å"It's okay. Let them get through.' My mom and the others didn't move right away. â€Å"Do it,' I said. â€Å"Don't end up as our cellmates.' I thought for sure those loveable fools wouldn't listen to me. But Mikhail backed off first, and then the others did too, practically in sync. In a flash, guardians seized them all, leading them away. Dimitri and I stayed put, and four guardians moved in, two for Dimitri and two for me. Adrian had retreated with the others, but Lissa still stood a few feet away from us, all her trust in me. â€Å"Get on with it,' said Hans. He gripped my right arm tightly. I met Lissa's eyes, hating what I had to say. But, no. She wasn't the one I was worried about hurting the most. Looking out into the audience, I found Christian, who was understandably watching this drama with avid attention. I had to turn away and stare at the crowd as a whole, refusing to see individual faces. Just a blur. â€Å"I didn't kill Tatiana Ivashkov,' I said. Several people grumbled doubtfully. â€Å"I didn't like her. But I didn't kill her.' I glanced at Hans. â€Å"You've questioned the janitor who testified about where I was during the murder, right? And he ID'd the man who attacked Lissa as the one who paid him off to lie about where I was?' I'd learned from Mikhail that Joe had eventually admitted to taking money from the mystery Moroi, once the guardians had cornered him with the picture. Hans frowned, hesitated, and then nodded for me to continue. â€Å"There's no record of his existence–at least not with the guardians. But the Alchemists know who he is. They saw him at one of their facilities–acting as someone's bodyguard.' My eyes fell on Ethan Moore, who stood with the guardians near the door. â€Å"A bodyguard for someone who was let in to see Tatiana the night she died: Tasha Ozera.' There was no need for any uproar from the audience this time because Tasha more than made up for it on her own. She'd been sitting next to Christian and sprang up from her chair. â€Å"What on earth are you saying, Rose?' she exclaimed. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?' When I'd stood there defiantly, ready to face the crowd and demand justice, I'd been full of triumph and power. Now †¦ now I was just sad as I stared at someone I'd always trusted, someone who was staring back at me with so much shock and hurt. â€Å"I wish I was †¦ but it's true. We both know it is. You killed Tatiana.' Tasha's disbelief grew, tinged now with a little anger, though she still seemed to be giving me the benefit of the doubt. â€Å"I never, never believed you killed her–and I've fought for you on that. Why are you doing this? Are you playing on the Strigoi taint in our family? I thought you were above that kind of prejudice.' I swallowed. I'd thought getting evidence would be the hard part. It was nothing compared to revealing it. â€Å"What I'm saying has nothing to do with Strigoi. I almost wish it did. You hated Tatiana for her age law and refusal to let Moroi fight.' Another memory came to me, when Tasha had learned about the secret training sessions. Tasha had been aghast with what I now suspected might have been guilt at misjudging the queen. The crowd was riveted and stunned, but one person came to life: an Ozera I didn't know but who apparently had family solidarity on his mind. He stood up, crossing his arms defiantly. â€Å"Half this Court hated Tatiana for that law. You among them.' â€Å"I didn't have my bodyguard bribe a witness or attack Lis–Princess Dragomir. And don't pretend you didn't know the guy,' I warned her. â€Å"He was your bodyguard. You were seen together.' Ian's description of her when she visited St. Louis had been perfectly clear: long black hair, pale blue eyes, and scarring on one side of her face. â€Å"Rose, I can't even believe this is happening, but if James–that was his name–did whatever you're talking about, then he acted alone. He always had radical ideas. I knew that when I hired him as outside protection, but I never thought he was capable of murder.' She glanced around, looking for someone in charge, and finally settled on the Council. â€Å"I've always believed Rose was innocent. If James is the one responsible for this, then I'm more than happy to tell you whatever I know to clear Rose's name.' So, so easy. The mystery Moroi–James–was almost everywhere Tasha had been. He'd also been spotted in suspicious situations where she hadn't been–like Joe's bribery and Lissa's attack. I could save Tasha and just blame it all on him. He was already dead. Tasha and I could stay friends. She'd acted on principle, right? What was wrong with that? Christian stood up beside her, looking at me like I was a stranger. â€Å"Rose, how can you say any of this? You know her. You know she wouldn't do it. Stop making a scene and let us figure out how that James guy killed the queen.' So, so easy. Blame the dead man. â€Å"James couldn't have staked Tatiana,' I said. â€Å"He had an injured hand. It takes both hands for a Moroi to stake someone. I've seen it happen twice now. And I bet if you can get a straight answer out of Ethan Moore †¦' I glanced over at the guardian who had gone pale. He could probably jump into a fight and kill without hesitation. But this kind of scrutiny? And eventual interrogation by his peers? I didn't think he'd hold up. It was probably the reason Tasha had been able to manipulate him. â€Å"James wasn't there the night Tatiana died, was he? And I don't think Daniella Ivashkov was either, despite what Princess Dragomir was told earlier. But Tasha was. She was in the queen's chambers–and you didn't report it.' Ethan looked like he wanted to bolt, but his odds of escape were about as good as mine and Dimitri's. He slowly shook his head. â€Å"Tasha wouldn't kill anyone.' Not exactly the confirmation of her location I wanted–but close. The guardians would get more out of him later. â€Å"Rose!' Christian was pissed off now. Seeing him look at me with such outrage hurt even more than Tasha's expression. â€Å"Stop it!' Lissa took a few hesitant steps forward. I could feel in her mind that she didn't want to believe what I was saying either †¦ yet she still trusted me. She thought of a controversial solution. â€Å"I know it's wrong †¦ but if we used compulsion on the suspects †¦' â€Å"Don't even suggest that!' exclaimed Tasha, turning her sharp eyes on Lissa. â€Å"Stay out of this. Your future's on the line here. A future that could make you great and achieve the things our people need.' â€Å"A future you could manipulate,' I realized. â€Å"Lissa believes in a lot of the reforms you do †¦ and you think you could convince her of ones she doesn't. Especially if she's with your nephew. That's why you've fought so hard to change the quorum law. You wanted her to be queen.' Christian started to step forward, but Tasha laid a restraining hand on his shoulder. It didn't stop him from speaking. â€Å"That's idiotic. If she wanted Lissa to be queen, why make that James guy attack her?' That was a mystery for me too, one of the holes I hadn't quite figured out. But Dimitri had. Conscious of his two guards, he shifted closer to me. â€Å"Because no one was supposed to die.' Dimitri's low, resonant voice sounded wonderful with the room's acoustics. He needed no microphone as he directed his words to Tasha. â€Å"You didn't expect a guardian to be with her.' He was right, I realized. Eddie had been drafted that night under weird circumstances and only barely made it back in time to see Ambrose with Lissa. â€Å"James was probably going to fake an attack and run †¦ enough to generate sympathy and more support for Vasilisa. Which it certainly did–just a little more severely.' The outrage on Tasha's face transformed to something I couldn't entirely gauge right away. She'd seemed offended at my accusations, but from Dimitri–it was more. She looked legitimately hurt. Crushed. I knew that look. I'd seen it on Adrian's face a couple hours ago. â€Å"Dimka, not you too,' she said. Through Lissa's eyes, I watched the colors of Tasha's aura shift, burn a little brighter as she gazed at Dimitri. I could see exactly what Sonya had explained to me, how the aura showed affection. â€Å"And that's why I took the fall,' I murmured softly. No one but Dimitri and our guardians heard me. â€Å"Hmm?' Dimitri asked. I just shook my head. All this time, Tasha had still loved Dimitri. I knew she had last year, when she'd made him an offer to hook up and have kids–not something a lot of dhampir men had the chance to get. He'd refused, and I thought she had accepted simply being friends with him. She hadn't. She'd still loved him. When Lissa had revealed my relationship with Dimitri to Hans, Tasha had already known. But for how long? I wasn't sure. She'd obviously known about the relationship before killing Tatiana, and putting the murder on me left Tasha free and clear and opened back up her chances with Dimitri. There was no point in bringing up her personal motives for blaming me. Tatiana's murder was the real issue at stake. I just looked at Hans. â€Å"You can take me into custody, I meant it. But don't you think you've got enough to take her–and Ethan–in too?' Hans's face was unreadable. His feelings toward me had always gone back and forth, since the day we met. Sometimes I was a troublemaker without a future. Other times I had the potential to be a leader. He'd believed I was a murderer, yet he'd still allowed me to address the crowd. He didn't really like my friends either. What would he do now? He lifted his eyes from my face and looked to where several guardians were stationed in the audience, ready for any action. He gave a curt nod. â€Å"Take Lady Ozera. And Moore. We'll question them.' Seeing as Tasha was seated amidst other people, there was a bit of fear and panic when four guardians moved toward her. They avoided injuring other audience members as much as possible, but there was still plenty of pushing and shoving. What came as a total surprise was how fiercely Tasha fought back. She was trained, I remembered. Not in the same way guardians were, but enough to make it hard to get a hold of her. She could kick and punch–and stake queens–and even managed to knock one guardian down. She might actually try to fight her way out of here, I realized–though I didn't believe for an instant she could. It was too crowded and chaotic. Guardians were heading toward the fray. Terrified Moroi were trying to get away from the fight. Everybody seemed to be getting in everyone else's way. Suddenly, a loudcrack echoed through the room. A gunshot. Most of the Moroi dropped to the floor, though guardians kept coming. Holding a handgun she must have seized from the guardian she'd knocked over, Tasha grabbed the first Moroi she could with her free hand. So help me, it was Mia Rinaldi. She'd been sitting near Christian. I didn't think Tasha even noticed her hostage choice. â€Å"Don't move!' Tasha yelled at the encroaching guardians. The gun was at Mia's head, and I felt my heart stop. How had things escalated to this point? I'd never foreseen this. My task was supposed to be neat and tidy. Reveal Tasha. Put her away. Done. The guardians froze, less because of her command and more because they were sizing up how to deal with the total threat. Meanwhile, Tasha began to slowly–very slowly–make her way toward the exit, dragging Mia along. Her progress was slow and unwieldy, thanks to all the chairs and people in the way. The delay gave the guardians time to solve this ugly dilemma. They come first. Mia's life–a Moroi life–was on the line. The guardians didn't want Mia killed, but a gun-toting warrior Moroi also couldn't be allowed to go free. The thing was, Tasha wasn't the only warrior Moroi in the room. She had probably picked the worst hostage possible, and I could tell by the glint in Mia's eyes that she was not going to go quietly. Lissa realized this too. One or both of them were going to get killed, and Lissa couldn't let that happen. If she could get Tasha to look at her, she could compel her into submission. No, no, no, I thought. I didn't need another friend involved. Both Lissa and I saw Mia tensing to break her way out of Tasha's hold. Lissa realized she had to act now. I could feel it through the bond. I could feel her thoughts, the decision, even the way her body's muscles and nerves moved forward to get Tasha's attention. I felt it all so clearly, as if we shared the same body. I knew where Lissa would move before she even did. â€Å"Tasha, please don't–‘ Lissa sprang forward, her plaintive cry interrupted as Mia kicked back at Tasha and broke away, slipping down out of the gun's reach. Tasha, startled on two fronts, still had her gun pointed out. With Mia out of her grasp and everything happening so fast, Tasha frantically fired off a couple shots at the first threat moving toward her–which wasn't the rapidly approaching guardians. It was a slim figure in white who had shouted at Tasha. Or, well, it would have been. Like I said, I'd known exactly where Lissa would step and what she would do. And in those precious seconds before she acted, I broke out of my captors' hold and threw myself before Lissa. Someone leapt after me, but they were too late. That was when Tasha's gun had gone off. I felt a biting and burning in my chest, and then there was nothing but pain–a pain so complete and so intense it was almost beyond comprehension. I felt myself falling, felt Lissa catching me and yelling something–maybe to me, maybe to someone else. There was so much commotion in the room that I didn't know what had happened with Tasha. There was just me and the pain that my mind was trying to block out. The world seemed to grow quieter and quieter. I saw Lissa looking down on me, shouting something I couldn't hear. She was beautiful. Brilliant. Crowned in light †¦ but there was darkness closing in around her. And in that darkness, I saw the faces †¦ the ghosts and spirits that always followed me. Thicker they grew, closing in. Beckoning. A gun. I had been brought down by a gun. It was practically comical. Cheaters, I thought. I'd spent my life focusing on hand-to-hand combat, learning to dodge fangs and powerful hands that could snap my neck. A gun? It was so †¦ well, easy. Should I be insulted? I didn't know. Did it matter? I didn't know that either. All I knew in that moment was that I was going to die, regardless. My vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in, and I swore, it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: The world of the dead won't give you up a second time. Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri's face join Lissa's. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I loved most were safe, I could leave this world. The dead could finally have me. And I'd fulfilled my purpose, right? To protect? I'd done it. I'd saved Lissa, just like I'd sworn I'd always do. I was dying in battle. No appointment books for me. Lissa's face shone with tears, and I hoped that mine conveyed how much I loved her. With the last spark of life I had left, I tried to speak, tried to let Dimitri know I loved him too and that he had to protect her now. I don't think he understood, but the words of the guardian mantra were my last conscious thought. They come first.

Genetically Modified Foods: a Growing Concern Essay

Living in America, we sometimes forget what a huge problem malnutrition and starvation are in other parts of the world. It’s estimated that over 852 million people in the world are severely food deprived. Now, imagine a world where no one goes hungry, a farmer’s crop can survive a long drought or an early frost and still produce a large harvest, and harmful insects and weeds cannot survive in the same field as a crop. Imagine a world where malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies are a thing of the past, because the food we eat is so much more nutritious. Some scientists believe that, through new technology, this world could be a reality in our lifetime. I’m talking about genetically modified foods, or GM foods for short. People have been genetically altering foods for hundreds of years, but due to recent technological advancements, the potential of these foods have changed drastically. Many scientists believe that genetically modifying foods could help end world hunger while others say that it could result in human and environmental catastrophe. Although there are many potential risks there are also many potential benefits. Like the old saying goes, â€Å"with great power comes great responsibility. † Like almost all new technologies, genetically modified food technology needs to be closely monitored and evaluated as it progresses. Ultimately, genetically modified food technology has too much potential to be completely halted. So just what exactly is genetically modified food? In short, genetically modified foods are organisms that have had their DNA artificially changed to give them a new characteristic. Normally, these modifications are made to produce plants that are resistant to herbicides and pesticides, produce more food, have more nutrients, grow faster, or survive in harsher climates than usual. However, there have also been more unusual experiments done. According to American Scientist Magazine, a gene from a jellyfish has been spliced into plants to make them emit light. In another case the Monsanto Corporation (the largest genetically modified food company in the world) is developing grass seed that will produce different colored lawns. These altered organisms are commonly called genetically engineered, genetically modified, transgenic, or â€Å"Franken-foods†. Genetically engineered foods first went on the market in 1994. The product was a tomato engineered by a company called Calgene. The species of the tomato was called the FlavrSavr. Ironically, it was considered to have a mediocre flavor and never sold well. The FlavrSavr was a commercial failure and was off the market by 1997. Despite the early failure of the FlavrSavr, GM foods have flourished in the last ten years. Odds are you’ve eaten many genetically modified foods and not even known it. Currently, The Grocery Manufacturers of America estimate that 75% of processed foods in the U. S. contain at least one genetically modified ingredient. Although, genetically engineered foods have only been in production for the last 15 years, humans have been altering the DNA of plants for ages. For centuries, people have been using artificial selection to cross-breed plants. For example, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage have all derived from the same species of mustard. However, the process of artificial selection is very difficult and time consuming. Artificial selection is also limited to only plants of similar species. Fortunately, recent advancements in technology have made it possible to move DNA from one species to another regardless of their differences. The process behind GM foods is very difficult and complex, so this is a very simplified explanation of how it works. There are two main methods of genetically modifying foods. The first method uses bacteria to modify the DNA. First, the scientist uses enzymes to cut the desired gene out of the DNA. The gene is then coupled by a promoter and a terminator, these act as signposts to show the beginning and the end of the desired gene. Next, the gene is inserted into section of DNA called a plasmid. The plasmid is then inserted into bacteria. Finally, the bacteria are used to infect the plant cells, where they transfer the gene into the plant cell’s chromosome. The second method is more advanced but also more expensive than the first method. Here, the desired gene is cut from the DNA then attached to a tiny particle of gold or tungsten. Next, the particles are shot into the plant cells using a particle gun or â€Å"biolistic† gun. Lastly, the desired gene falls off of the particle and attaches to the chromosome. After insertion is achieved, the cell is allowed to divide so it makes copies of itself. Once the plants start to grow, they are tested to see if the gene was successfully transferred. Along with the original desired gene, a marker gene is also implanted in the cell. This is used as an easily identifiable trait. This way, all the scientist needs to do is look for this trait and if it is there then they know the desired gene was transferred successfully too. Through those two methods, scientists have been able to do amazing things. The potential benefits of genetically modifying foods are incredible. First off, there are many obvious benefits for the farmer. Their crops will be better because of advantages like herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. Another thing is that GM crops are being altered to withstand harsher weather and generate more food. Also, the farmer doesn’t have to spray his field as much, cutting down on the amount of fuel he uses. It’s estimated that GM foods have indirectly allowed farmers to cut back by 475 million gallons of fuel over the past nine years, which cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. There are even more benefits for the consumer. Because of increased production, there is more food, which in turn means cheaper food. Also, genetic engineering makes it possible for foods to taste better and be more nutritious. In fact, scientists at The University of Pittsburg School of Medicine recently engineered a pig that generates Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s are substances that help prevent cardiovascular disease. If this is approved by the FDA we could soon have pork that is actually good for your heart. Another group of scientists have created what they call â€Å"golden rice. † This is rice that contains beta carotene and vitamin A. Many nations rely heavily on rice as their main food source and this will immensely help those people get the nutrients they need. Another crop has been created that ripens much slower after being picked, so it can be shipped longer distances before rotting. Even with all of these benefits, genetically modified foods are still very controversial. Many people think GM foods are very dangerous and could result in human and environmental catastrophe. Some critics think that, much like bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics, insects could become resistant to the pesticides used on GM crops, making them more difficult to deal with in the future. Also, new plants could produce new allergens and toxins that the human body is unfamiliar with. The majority of GM foods being produced are resistant to herbicides. Researchers believe that this will cause farmers to use more herbicides on their crops. In turn, this could result in pollution that could be harmful to humans and the environment. Another concern is that, through cross-pollination, weeds and other plants could pick up the modified gene and become resistant to the very chemicals that are used to kill them. Although there seems to be many concerns over genetically modifying foods, no study has been done that shows any major risk associated with GM foods. The genetically modified food business continues to steadily grow despite public ignorance and uncertainty. Between 1996 and 2003 the amount of land being used to grow GM plants was increased by 40 times over. It is estimated that over 200 million acres of farm land are now devoted to growing GM plants. In 2000, only three countries made up for 98% of the global GM crop. America produces 68%, Argentina accounts for 23%, and Canada is responsible for 7%. Recently European governments and businesses have been pushing to boost their own GM food production. Nevertheless, according to a recent survey by The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, Americans are still very uncomfortable with GM foods. The survey showed that the majority of Americans know little to nothing about genetically engineered plants and animals, but it also showed that American consumers do not support banning the new technology, but rather want regulations put in place to ensure that the new products are safe. Regardless of how the public feels, we can expect to see more genetically modified foods in the future and exponential growth in the biotechnology business. Some ideas that developers have already mentioned are bananas that produce human vaccines against infectious diseases, fish that mature quicker, fruit and nut trees that mature quicker, and plants that produce new plastics that have unique properties. As soon as more long-term research is done we can expect to see an explosion of unique new GM products on the market. Ultimately, genetically modified plant technology has too much potential to be completely halted. Right now, most scientists agree that there is no proof that GM foods pose any threat to people or the environment. With proper evaluation and responsibility, genetically modified foods could help solve world hunger. That is a goal too great to be ignored because of possible threats. There are many potential risks associated with GM foods, but the potential benefits far outweigh them. Works Cited Black, Richard. â€Å"Europe Urged to Embrace GM Foods. † BBC News. 12 Sept. 2004. 15 April 2006 . Chaudry, Arshad. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods. † BioTeach. 16 April. 2006 . Eat This. † Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. Dir. Mark Wolper. Perf. Pen Jillette and Teller. 2003. DVD. Showtime Entertainment. 2004. Fagan Ph. D. , John B. â€Å"Genetically Engineered Food- a Serious Health Risk. † NetLink. 15 April 2006 . 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