When Small Means Big: The Impact of Nanotechnology

A revolution in science and technology, which will significantly impact our daily lives, is looming in the horizon. The scientific community is now excited by changes that could be brought about by the multidisciplinary discipline of nanoscience and nanotechnology, which is comprehensively defined asâ€Å"[r]esearch and technology development at the atomic, molecular, or macromolecular levels, in the length of approximately 1–100 nm range, to provide a fundamental understanding of phenomena and materials at the nanoscale, and to create and use structures, devices, and systems that have novel properties and functions because of their small size. The novel and differentiating properties and functions are developed at a critical length scale of matter typically under 100 nm.Nanotechnology research and development includes integration of nanoscale structure into larger material components, systems, and architectures. Within these larger scale assemblies, the control and construct ion of their structures and component devices remain at the nanoscale†. (National Research Council 2002, cited in Dreher 2004).Although technically encompassing any device measuring at least 1,000 nanometers—a nanometer (from Greek ‘nano’, meaning dwarf) is one-billionth of a meter (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004)—much of the work being done presently focuses on materials smaller than 100 nm (Gupta et al 2003) since it is at this level that materials exhibit unique physical and chemical properties that can be harvested to convey improvements to engineered materials (i.e. enhanced magnetic properties, better electrical and optical activity, and superior structural integrity) (Thomas & Sayre 2005).Ralph Merkle, as cited by Gupta et al (2003), noted that atomic configuration, to an extent, determines physical and chemical characteristics of materials, using as examples carbon in diamond, or silica from sand. From this perspect ive, the manufacturing techniques we are using today appear crude since we are moving molecules by heaps and mounds, and, therefore, are manufacturing devices that could still be improved for accuracy and precision (Gupta et al 2003). Nanotechnology, according to Gupta et al, aims to explore and exploit the possibility of designing at the molecular and atomic levels, and producing a generation of novel products that boast of greater strength, lighter weight and better precision (2003).Technically nanotechnology is not something new. Ball (2003) notes that nanoscale devices have been, and are currently being, utilized by organisms in their daily functioning. He cites, for instance, the proteins that serve as motors to flagella of motile bacteria, as readers and interpreters of the genetic code, or as miniature solar panels in plants that gather sunlight for photosynthesis (Ball 2003). The possibility of harnessing this potential within the environment and put them to practical use ha s been floated in the scientific community as early as the 1940s, when von Neumann forwarded the idea of manufacturing systems or machines that are capable of self-replication, which could potentially lower production costs (Gupta et al 2003).Richard Feynman in 1959, in an address to the American Physical Society entitled ‘There Is Plenty of Room at the Bottom’, advanced the possibility that, similar to what we are doing at the macroscopic scale, we could maneuver atoms to where we want them to be, and produce materials that would solve the problem of manufacture and reproduction (Buxton et al 2003; Gupta P et al 2003). In 1986, K Eric Drexler provided a picture of nanotechnological use in the future in his book Engines of Creation, where humans are utilizing self-replicating nanoscale robots in daily life processes (Ball 2003).The move from the drawing board to actual application, however, has been very recent—as evidenced by the relatively few nanotechnology pr oducts—fuelled by theoretical and laboratory progress which showed that, indeed, systems can be built from molecules and atoms maneuvered at the microscopic scale (Gupta et al 2003). L’Oreal recently introduced in the market sun creams that contain nano-sized grains of titanium dioxide, which absorbs ultraviolet light, but without the ‘smeared chalk’ appearance of regular creams (Ball 2003). This same technology, according to Ball (2003) was taken a step further when it was found that titanium dioxide particles become reactive when exposed to ultraviolet light, leading to the development of self-cleaning tiles and glasses—titanium-coated tiles and glasses that use the sun’s energy to burn up dirt stuck to their surfaces. In the filed of medicine, nanotechnology is currently being utilized with state-of-the-art technology to combat genetic diseases (Dunkley 2004).In addition to these, researches are currently undergoing, exploring the various possible applications of nanotechnology in various fields. For instance, in the medical sciences, the development of nanorobots could aid in precise, and rapid, cellular repair and regeneration, delivery of drugs at the site where it is needed, destruction of cancerous cells, or unblocking of clogged blood vessels (Dunkley 2004). The capacity to detect disease through alterations in body chemistry or physiology is also a possibility through nanotubes or nanowires coated with detector molecules (Buxton et al 2003). Molecular imaging, according to Buxton et al (2003) will also provide us with a view of the human body beyond gross anatomic structures, since this would utilize molecules that would home to tissues affected by specific disease processes. Environmental problems we face today, such as air pollution or oil spills, could be remedied through nanorobots designed to clean these toxic elements from the air we breath or the water we drink (Dunkley 2004).The material sciences will also significantly benefit from nanotechnology, with the promise of development of stronger and lighter plastics, computers with faster processors and increased memory storage, ion storage for batteries (which will improve performance), quick-charging battery cars, and fuel cells for motor-driven devices that are environment-friendly and energy efficient (Gupta et al 2003). Perhaps a bit too far in the future, Dunkley even forwards the idea that it might be possible, with nanorobots moving atoms and molecules, for us to create common and everyday things from our own backyard, moving manufacturing to the domain of the household with a wheelbarrow and a shovel (2004).Because of the great promise held by nanotechnology, governments worldwide are investing in nanoresearch, to further refine our understanding of this small world. Global investment in nanotechnology has been estimated to be â‚ ¬5 billion, according to the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering (2004). The E uropean Union pledged to spend â‚ ¬1 billion (Ball 2003), whereas Japan allocated $800M in 2003 (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). The United States is willing to spend nearly $3.7 billion for nanotechnology from 2005 to 2008, with nearly $500 million allocated for research funding (Dunkley 2004; The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004; Thomas & Sayre 2005).The considerable change nanotechnology can bring, as well as the huge sums of money governments worldwide are currently spending to make this a reality, has sparked some questions from various sectors on the impact of nanotechnologies, not only to the scientific fields to which it will be applied, but to the society in general. In the biological sciences, for instance, the primary concern is the possible toxicity exposure—and chronic exposure, at that—to nanoparticles can bring about, since these materials have the capability of interacting with cells and cellular organ elles, and hence, alter body physiology (Ball 2003; The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).Dreher (2004), and Thomas and Sayre (2005) have recently reviewed the evidence on the health impact of nanotechnology exposure, and found that there is a paucity of evidence to encourage or preclude use of nanotechnologies in humans pending full investigations and detailed evidence supporting or debunking the same. Ball (2003) notes that, in the same way as new drugs or devices, nanotechnology must be viewed as a potential health hazard unless proven otherwise. Large scale production in the future would necessitate hazard-testing and human exposure assessment, to minimize risks (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).The significant economic impact of nanotechnologies, according to experts, may not be felt in the short-term, although this must be viewed with caution, since it is entirely difficult to predict what impact a developing technology that has n ot yet realized its full potential will have (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). The differing capacities of developed, developing and underdeveloped countries to participate in the nanotechnology race has also raised concerns that it might intensify the economic gap between these nations, leading to what is referred to as a ‘nanodivide’ (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). Finally, patenting of nanotechnology—which is advantageous since it would, though economic incentive, encourage other individuals to contribute to scientific progress—may stifle creativity or innovation when a broad one is granted (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).Another area of concern is military and defense capability. The development of new devices—pervasive sensors, improved clothing and armor, and enhanced information and communication exchange—could be viewed both as opportunities and threat s, depending on who uses them, and how they are used (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). But more than this, the Royal Society (2004) cautions that the secrecy coupled with development of technologies for defense use might fuel public distrust, and heighten the understanding that nanotechnology is being developed primarily, if not entirely, for military ends.Ethical issues pervading the socio-cultural impact of nanotechnologies are also a concern. For instance, development of new nanodevices may cause a significant change in employment patterns, role perception, education patterns, and eventually family life (Dunkley 2004). The end result, still according to Dunkley (2004) would be a shift in our present definition of inequality, poverty, and class, and finally, the way we construe society in general.If what Dunkley predicted would come true (i.e. manufacturing at our own backyard), then the capacity to produce would be entirely dependent on having the neces sary resources for this production, which brings to fore the concern of concentration of the harvests of nanotechnology in the hands of a few. Although nanomanufacturing could present the solution to hunger and homelessness, the question remains whether it will alter our perception of the material world where we move (Dunkley 2004).The possibility of devices being used to store personal information, although enhancing personal security on the one hand, also raises the possibility of violation of civil liberties, especially when collection and distribution of the same is made without the consent of the person involved, or access to these information could be limited to the hands of the few who could develop and control personal information databases or systems (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).Finally, the possibility of radical human enhancement, or the creation of humans in the future, through nanotechnology (in conjunction with biotechnology and informati on technology), though a remote possibility, still carries with it the burden of resolving whether these creations are really human, and whether they also possess souls like we do (Dunkley 2004). In the same vein, this new capability would radically change, if not totally abolish, our perception of religion and morality (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). On a lesser plane, the possibility of nanotechnology extending human longevity to hundreds of years will definitely alter our view of aging and death (Dunkley 2004).What, then, lies in store for us in the future with nanotechnology? Actually, no one can tell, since nanotechnology is but a frontier—which, to Melbin is a pattern of sparse settlement in space or time—or what Dunkley (2004) describes as relatively ‘unsettled and a wilderness waiting to be discovered’. Until such time, therefore, that the full potential of nanotechnology has been realized, or at least understood throug h research, we may endlessly speculate about how nanotechnology will affect our daily lives and society in general, who will benefit from its, what and capabilities will it provide us. The concerns, however, raised in this paper are valid considerations of the impact the future application of nanotechnologies will have, and this necessitates caution and vigilance on the part of all stakeholders.ReferencesBall P, 2003 (23 Jun), ‘Nanotechnology Science's Next Frontier or Just a Load of Bull?’, New Statesman, vol. 132, no. 4643, pp. 30-31.Buxton DB, Lee SC, Wickline SA, Ferrari M & for the Working Group Members, 2003 (02 Dec), ‘Recommendations of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Nanotechnology Working Group’, Circulation, vol. 108, pp. 2737-2742.Dreher KL, 2004, ‘Health and environmental impact of nanotechnology: Toxicological assessment of manufactured nanoparticles’, Toxicological Sciences, vol. 77, pp. 3–5.Dunkley RWS, 2004, ‘Nanotechnology: Social Consequences and Future Implications’, Futures, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 1129-1132.Gupta P, Malhotra R, Segal MA & Verhaeren MYFJ, 2003, ‘Recent trends in nanotechnology’, in R Gulati, A Paoni & M Sawhney (eds), Kellogg on Technology & Innovation, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 261-283.The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2004, Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties, The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering, London.Thomas K & Sayre P, 2005, ‘Research strategies for safety evaluation of nanomaterials, Part I: Evaluating the human health implications of exposure to nanoscale materials’, Toxicological Sciences, vol. 87, no. 2, pp. 316–321.

People Become Overly Dependent on Technology

Environmental pollution and methods for treatment Pollution is the introduction of contaminates into the natural environment that cause adverse change , pollution can taken the form of chemical substances or energy such as noise , heat and light. The components of pollution can be either foreign substances, enrrgies or natural occurring contaminates . pollution is often classed as point source or non point source pollution. The BlackSmith issues an annual list of the world's worst ploouted places . n the 2007 issues the ten top nominess are located in Azerbaijan, China, India, Peru, Russia, Ukraine, Zambia. There are forms of pollution , which surround us from all directions . Firstly, Air pollution :- the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere common gaseous pollutants include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluoro carbons and nitrogen oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles . photochemical ozone and smog are created as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbo ns react to sunlight . econdly, light pollution :- include light trespass, over –illumination and astronomical interference . Thirdly, noise pollution :- which encompasses road way noise, air craft noise, industrial noise as well as high – industrial sonar. Fourthly, visual pollution:- which can refer to the presence of over head power lines , motor way bill boards , scarred landforms ( as form strip mining) ,open storage of trash, municipal solid waste or space debris . ifthly, water pollution:- by the discharge of untreated sewage , release of waste and contaminates into surface waters, discharges of untreated domestic sewage, and chemical contaminates into surface runoff flowing to surface waters . finally, thermal pollution:- is temperature change in natural water bodies caused by human influence , such as use of water as coolant in a power plant, also radio active contaminates resulting from 20th century activities in atomic physics , such as nuclear power generat ion and nuclear weapon research , manufacture and deployment.Effects of pollution on human health , adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans , ozone pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease , throat inflammation, chest pains and congestion, water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contaminates of drinking water by untreated seage in developing countries. An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper toilet and 1,000Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every day, Nearly 500 million Chinese lack access to safe drinking water , 656,000 people die prematurely each year in china because of air pollution . In India , air pollution is believed to cause 527,700 fatalities a year , studies have estimated that the number of people killed annually in the us could be cover 50,000. Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress and s leep disturbance.Mercury has been linked to developmental deficits in children and neurologic symptoms. Older people are majorly expose to disease induced by air pollution. Those with heart or lung disorders are under additional risk. Children and infants are also at serious risk. Lead and other heavy metals have been shown to cause neurological problems. Chemicals and radioactive substance can cause cancer and as well as birth defect.

Introduction Floyd

Defines communication competence as communicating in means that are effective and appropriate in a given situation. Practitioners of competent communication can be observed to share several common characteristics. I will attempt to surface 4 of these characteristics, with specific references made to Mr. Ian Low, flogger of The Silver Chef. Self-Awareness Self-awareness is defined as the awareness of how an individual's behavior affects others (Floyd, 2010).An effective communicator must be aware of his individuality and behavior and how others may be affected by his behavior, more specifically, whether it fits within the situation as well as social setting. Emotional intelligence would therefore be key and would allow an Individual to better comprehend the social behaviors and emotions of others, and In turn, translate Into competent communication. The Silver Chef blob was started in 2010 whereas 2 of the blobs he listed in his post, started a year after that in 2011.Despite being a more established food flogger, he demonstrates self-awareness in his posts and refrains from harboring on this fact. If he had, readers may not find his opinions to be credible. Adaptability This trait is defined as one's ability to modify one's own behavior to better suit a changing situation. A competent communicator must be able to adapt to changes in social settings and modify his own behavior appropriately. With reference to the blob, Mr. Low had previously posted a Top 5 Singapore Food Blob when he first started out as a food flogger.However, after 3 years of blobbing and galling more experience within the food community, Mr. Low Is adaptable enough to make a similar post, demonstrating adaptability as a communicator. Cognitive Complexity Being able to understand a given situation in multiple ways defines cognitive complexity (Floyd, 2010). To better understand what Is occurring In a specific situation, It Is Important for an Individual to be aware of the different perspective s. This would prevent him from misjudging what is going on in the said situation, leading to inappropriate responses.In his post, Mr. Low highlighted several aspects of The Dirty Stall such as short descriptions, simple cooking and infrequent blob posts. It would be easy to misconceive these facts and describe â€Å"alkaline† as lazy but Mr. Low demonstrates s a flogger who priorities quality over quantity. Ethics Floyd (2010) defines ethics as a set of ideas that guides us in deciding what is right or wrong. Fair treatment of others and honest communication are examples of ethical communication but cultural plurality may complicate one's understanding of ethical communication due to cultural differences.In his blob, Mr. Low demonstrated this when he admitted to not having met flogger â€Å"alkaline† in person before and that â€Å"alkaline† does not blob as often. It would have been easy to omit these facts to lend more credibility to his post but instead, he c ited to mention this fact. 494 words Question 2 The communication process possesses several key characteristics that would define it as being dynamic in nature. Apart from being irreversible, multi-dimensional and inevitable, communication is also transactional.Transactional communication involves simultaneous initiation and interpretation of messages by communicators (Dobbin & Pace, 2006). When an individual initiates a message, the initiator will look for feedback from other communicators. The initiator will then adapt his messages to the changing situation. This implies that communication can be a continuously changing process and that people may modify their behavior and messages throughout the process.With reference to the article, â€Å"1 in 2 Singapore residents do not have a close friend from another race: survey', I will attempt to provide examples to show how messages are coded and decoded effectively, or otherwise, to help me better understand the news reported in the ar ticle. Encoding and decoding of messages In the process of communication, encoding and decoding are two processes that enable communicators to initiate and interpret messages (Dobbin & Pace, 2006).Encoding is further defined as the initiation and creation of messages that enables a communicator to translate feelings, ideas and thoughts into symbols. Decoding refers to the interpretation of messages by deciphering symbols into comprehensible and meaningful feelings, ideas and thoughts by communicators. Effective coding and decoding Ideally, when messages are interpreted in the way they were meant to be conveyed, coding and decoding leads to shared meaning by communicators. This results in successful communication as the symbols would be meaningful and recognizable byExample 1 (Effective coding of article) Within the article, sub-headlines such as â€Å"No inter-racial and religious tension in Singapore† effectively summarizes the following paragraph into an easy-to- comprehend sentence. Effective coding of the article such as this, contributes to the effective decoding of the article by readers. Example 2 (Effective coding and decoding of postings) User Karl commented â€Å"the Divide and Conquer tactics deployed sure works, isn't it? Who is behind all this thing? † in reply to a post by another user Suffering Singapore.In reply User Suffering Singapore posted I was having that in mind and wanted to add to my posting but I thought that I should hear from others posters who share the same thoughts YES the divisive policies in the name of ethnic integration have created the reverse effect. What do you think? † In this example, Karl had effectively encoded his opinion that a â€Å"Divide and Conquer† strategy had been implemented leading to the problem previously highlighted by Suffering Singapore. This was then effectively decoded by Suffering Singapore, leading to shared meaning of the topic they were both discussing.Ineffective coding and decoding When messages are ineffectively coded and/or decoded, this could lead to the miscommunication as messages are misinterpreted. Example 1 (Ineffective encoding of article) When decoding the article's headline, communicators might misinterpret the article as focusing on an existing racial divide in Singapore. In trying to sensationalist the article to boost readership, the writer may not have effectively encoded the actual content of the article, which highlights several positives found in the survey. A reader may Jump to conclusions, assume the worst and let his opinions and feelings known n a post.Example 2 (Ineffective decoding of article) The article features a survey carried out with Singapore Residents on the state of racial and religious harmony in Singapore and focuses on several indicators such as inter-racial tension, discrimination and openness to embracing diversity. Several users have misinterpreted this article and user â€Å"BRB† in particular, comme nted the article as being racist in nature. The user posted â€Å"Wow.. This article is Just racist.. Why will my bestrides need to be of community something we never really thought much of or cared!.. â€Å"

Price Controls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Price Controls - Essay Example Price ceiling refers to the highest amount that can be charged for a product. Ceiling price controls determines the highest prices that might be charged for a particular commodity but do not limit transactions at lower prices below the ceiling price. On the other hand, price floor is the minimum amount charged for the product. However, just like in the case of price ceilings, price floor controls do not limit transactions at higher prices above the floor price (Newberry, 09). The government agency may be encouraged to fix and enforce the exact prices for which certain commodity or commodities may be sold. Alternatively, the government through the agency-as discussed above-might decides to set ceilings and floor prices for particular goods or services. The market prices determined by the interaction of the demand and supply curves are the basic building blocks for most economies. Consumers taste for a commodity will determine how much of the product they will be willing to buy at a given price. Consumers tend to buy more of a commodity as its prices declines (Newberry, 87). Companies in turn, decide on how much they will be willing to supply to the market at different prices. If consumers agree to pay more for a commodity, then more suppliers will be tempted to produce the product. The increased prices motivate manufacturers to increase their production capabilities by conducting research to improve the quality of the products. Therefore, the supply of goods in the market increases with an increase in the product’s price (Wise, 32). This dynamic interaction provides the equilibrium market price of the commodity where sellers and buyers can transact freely. The price that results from this interaction causes the quantity of goods being demanded by customers to be equal to the supply produced by manufacturers. In most countries, the government is going through hard times trying to control prices for some commodities. For instance, one of the critical issues that were facing American citizens by the year 2001 was how to manage prescription drug prices, particularly for senior who depend on Medicare coverage. Some policy makers at the time tried to encourage the government to directly contract with drug manufacturers to purchase drugs for the seniors-at the government set prices. However, despite numerous attempts by the policy maker, that kind of price control proved to be harmful to the American citizens. Considering the above example and many other similar cases, this paper will try to analyze the problems associated with price controls (Wise, 145). 2. Constitutional Issues affecting Price Control It is a common practice that every gov ernment will always gain favor from the voters and its constituents when it lowers prices of any popular commodity (Age?nor and Carlos, 89). That is, prices to some extent limit the welfare of an individual as it will reduce the amount of products consumed. Therefore, lowering the price will definitely increase the welfare of consumers especially if the prices are for popular good within a country. The government also gains favor from firms and lobbyists when it raises prices of some goods-that will earn them profits. Given these benefits to policymakers, you should not be surprised on discovering that price control is a common practice in history of most Western economies (Age?nor and Carl

In the event of peace, and a Palestinian state being formed, Palestine Essay

In the event of peace, and a Palestinian state being formed, Palestine would suffer massive economic repercussions due to lack of competitiveness and underdevel - Essay Example The current economic scenario in Palestine is not very encouraging. In the second quarter of 2007, the GDP of Palestine grew by 6.5%. The largest increases in gross value added were registered the following sectors: education (+32.1%), hotels (+24.9%), health ( +15.2%), construction (+13.9%) and agriculture (+12.8%). There was a decline however in sectors like mining, water and electricity and manufacturing. However in Gaza, due to political problems, 95% of the factories in Gaza had closed down leading to 32000 job losses. Many of these factories were approaching a point of 'no return' where owners were likely to sell their assets and shut down completely. (The Portland trust, Nov, 2007) In the previous years, between 2005 and 2006, the GDP in Palestine fell by 8.8%. In the first quarter of 2007, the GDP fell by 4.2%. This was 13.2% lower than the GDP for the first quarter of 2006.(The Portland Trust, July 2007) Besides the negative growth of the economy, it is the composition of the GDP that remains a cause for concern. The GDP is driven by Government and private consumption from aid rather than investment or production. Public sector employment for instance has increased by 60% between 1999 and 2006. Much of the foreign aid which could e used in infrastructure building is spent on salaries of government employees. (World Bank, 2007) Fig:2 Source: (World Bank Document, 2007) Even among Palestinians, the condition of those living in Gaza is particularly bad. Despite receiving aid, the number of people in Gaza living below the poverty line has increased from 21.6% in 1998 to nearly 35% in 2006. Without aid, the figure is likely to be around 67%. (World Bank, 2007) Fig:3 Source: (World Bank Document, 2007) Given the current economic scenario, it is likely that an independent Palestine face the immense challenge of managing the repercussions of years of negative economic growth and political instability. In the context of Palestine, the concept of 'peace' is crucial to the economy. According to a World Bank report, in 1968, an average Israeli was approximately 10 times richer than the average Palestinian. Today the situation is far worse. The GDP of Israel is almost 20 times that of Palestine and over 2/3rds of Palestinians live below the poverty line. (2007). This disparity in income level and lifestyle is a cause for concern. As Moshe Alamaro, a research scientist at the University of Massachusetts points out there can be no lasting peace if a destitute third world nation stress across the border to find a prosperous modern democracy. Alamaro compares the relationship between Japan and North Korea to that between in Israel and Palestine and says that Japan helped fuel economic growth in South Korea and thereby avoid any friction between the two states. Similarly, he believes that the west along with Israel needs to fuel economic growth in Palestine and thereby establish a mutually beneficial socio-economic relationship.(Alamaro, 2002) From the Palestinian perspective however, it is important to break free from the dependence on Israel. The Palestine National authority has charted a framework for Economic development. The framework suggests that dependence on Israel can be reduced by diversifying the export markets and

Explain the concept of majority rule with minority rights Essay

Explain the concept of majority rule with minority rights - Essay Example So majority rule is a means of organizing government and deciding public issues, it is not just another road to oppression. The main feature of democratic state is the absence of self-appointed group that has the right to oppress the others. That means that any majority, even in a democracy, should take away the basic rights and freedoms of a minority group or an individual. A democratic country is the country with the Constitution that commits the nation to secularism and equality for all its citizens without discrimination, and guarantees the rights of minorities. Minority rights, as applying to ethnic, religious, or linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples, are an integral part of international human rights law. Like children's rights, women's rights, and refugee rights, minority rights are "a legal framework designed to ensure that a specific group which is in a vulnerable, disadvantaged or marginalized position in society, is able to achieve equality and is protected from persecution"3. The point is that democracy is a system in which all citizens of the state have a guaranteed possibility to make free political decisions by majority rule. But it is very important to realize that a political decision made by the majority is not necessary lawful, as well as majority rule is not for sure democratic. Here we should refer to the Rule of Law, the concept of which has been laid down by Albert Venn Dicey. According to Dicey, there are three principles, which establish the rule of law: 1. The absolute supremacy or predominance of regular law as opposed to the influence of arbitrary power; 2. Equality before the law or the equal subjection of all classes to the ordinary law of the land administered by the ordinary courts; 3. The law of the constitution is a consequence of the rights of individuals as defined and enforced by the courts. So, it is necessary to provide the majority rule with individual human rights grantees, which will be able to protect the rights of minorities. The important issue here is that the minority rights by no means are dependable on majority will. They exist independently, and therefore they can not be eliminated by the majority vote. The ground basis of minority rights protection lays in the principle that democratic laws serve to protect the right of all the citizens of the country. The guarantees of such protection must be implemented in the supreme law of the state, i.e. Constitution. In order to demonstrate how these concepts are incorporated into the U.S. Constitution let us consider two examples, explaining each in reference to the intent of constitutional authors. The Bill of Rights in the US Constitution may be called the most important document serving to protect the rights of any minority of Americans. Since America is a heterogeneous society, almost all people hold at least one minority trait, opinion, belief, behavior, interest, or preference. At the micro-political level of interaction each person is a minority of one. According to Ayn Rand, the "smallest minority on earth is the

Role of Biology in Contemporary Criminological Thinking Essay

Role of Biology in Contemporary Criminological Thinking - Essay Example Cesare Lombroso was an Italian prison doctor during the 19th century who later to be known as the 'father of criminology'. Cesare Lombroso suggested that physiological features such as cheek bones, hairline, or cleft palate are indication of one's inclination to criminal acts. Lombroso's approach was greatly influenced by the theory of phrenology and by the theory of evolution of Charles Darwin. However, such theories were later taken over by the modern day theory on genetics and chemistry as influencing factors in one's inclination to behavioural crime ("Criminology", 2006). Lombroso furthered his studies with statistical analysis wherein he identified more 'Watavistic stigmata', as well as the immorality of efficiency in the approach of born criminals. Lombroso proposed the fair treatment of offenders by suggesting rehabilitation instead of harsh punishment. Despite Lombroso being the forerunner of criminology, his studies became the foundation of movements such as the eugenics during the 20th century. Today, Lombroso's research is no more the basis of modern criminology; however, psychology as well as psychiatry has used his theory in identifying crime potential of an individual independent of his surrounding environment ("Casare Lombroso", 2006).Ever since, medicine has been involve in the study of crime and its related problems. Medical studies such as physiognomy and phrenology which found the interconnection of the shape of the skull to the way mind think and behave. These theories were popular because they relieve the blame of the cause of crime from the hands of the government and the society as a whole, rather the blame is placed on the offender themselves who were biologically predispose to commit a crime which have distinct features from peaceful citizens. Modern studies only relate the body structure to crime due to the fact that people with stronger features can do more harm physically, however, with regards to studies such as by Lombroso is no longer being adopted. The new studies on genetics further showed evidence in the genetic cause of crime as chromosome and some genes that predispose one to commit crime were identified. However, further studies on twin, family, and adoption proved no direct link of genetic factor to crimes being committed ("Positivist school", 2006). Thereby propelled the nature vs. nurture debate further. Genetic factors More and more studies have shown that genes play a big role in aggressive behaviour of individual. One such study was conducted by Philip Vernon and colleagues wherein they have studied 247 adult twin pairs. 183 were identical twins and 64 others are fraternal twins. The subjects were examined with the use of 18 aggression measurements. Their analyses, they say, 'revealed that multiple measures of different dimensions of aggressive behaviour have moderate to quite large heritabilities'. Moreover, they say, 'there appears to be substantial overlap between genes associated with different types of aggression' ("Strong genetic influence on aggression seen", 2000; Vernon et al, 1999,

International business finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

International business finance - Essay Example The report also explores re-domiciling of IFM Plc from France to Monaco, in which the report establishes that there is a logical point of view based on a business perspective. In addition, the report addresses the plans set put by the company in expanding into Asia (India and China) that will require about â‚ ¬250 million. Although, the expansion will deliver growth of about 5% in the next five years and is worth undertaking, it carries high risks connected to the massive investment required. The high gearing level of 88% indicates that IFM Plc is significantly exposed to financial risk. The report outlines options that the company can implement to lower its gearing level and attract funding; however, this remains uncertain owing to the interplay of factors involved. In this section, the reports explore the diverse sources of finance that IFM Plc can utilize in its expansion into Asia and the factors that impact on the sources of finance. The report analyzes and appraises prospective venture between IFM Plc and a German subsidiary (EMF Plc), re-domiciling from France to Monaco and pursuing with its expansion efforts into Asia. Indeed, such a move will make sense since the bulk of the business operations are run in Monaco; nevertheless, such a move could hurt the company’s image since it will be purely for profit and the shareholders may not welcome the idea. In the analysis, the report illuminates the operational and strategic challenges that can create costs and benefits in re-domiciling the business into Monaco. The expansion into Asia will help the company to gain access to fresh markets into India and China, especially given that India and China are high-growth countries. The joint venture represents a legal entity that takes the nature of the partnership involved in the joint undertaking of a certain transaction for mutual benefit. As such, the two enterprises jointly undertake a certain transaction for mutual profit, contribute assets and share

Legalization of Marijuana (why america should NOT allow it) Research Paper

Legalization of Marijuana (why america should NOT allow it) - Research Paper Example As a result, there has been heated debate on whether to legalize it in America with its proponents claiming that it has medicinal values that might prevent some major diseases. Due to this, it was in 1970 that the Food and Drug Administration carried out thorough survey to establish its properties at the University of Washington. The results of the research indicated that the structure of Marijuana was very complex and it would take many other years of extensive study to establish its genuine medical values (Vaughn, 1). In 1972, the US Congress situated marijuana in Schedule one of the Controlled Substances Act since they deemed it to have no genuine medical values. From that time onwards, many states of the United States has taken a step further of legalizing the medicinal use of Marijuana (ProCon.org, 1). Marijuana is a brown, green, or gray mixture of desiccated, grated leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant, which contains a chemical referred to as tetrahydrocannabin ol. All forms of marijuana alter the normal functioning of the brain. One of the major characteristics of Marijuana is that it is very addictive. In this regard, studies indicate that doctors have diagnosed more teens with Marijuana that with any other abused drug including alcohol (Above the influence.com, 1). Head states that Many Americans believe Marijuana as a remedy for many of their health conditions ranging from glaucoma to cancer. However, on a national level, these anticipated benefits remain unaccepted. This implies that there is a lot of controversy in the assertion of medical benefits of Marijuana (2). Why America should not allow the legalization of Marijuana There are numerous reasons in support of the anti-legalization of Marijuana in America. In general, although proponents of Marijuana assert medicinal benefits, it becomes very dangerous to use it for medicinal purposes. In addition, it lacks approval by the Food and Drug Administration and different legal drugs ma ke use of marijuana needless (ProCon.org, 3). Generally, the harmful effects associated with use of Marijuana include general apathy, premature cancer, addiction, hostility and augmented violence, damage of harmonization and discernment, several mental disorders including despair, destruction to the immune system loss of memory and reproductive problems (Marijuana.com, 3). One of the major reasons of the anti-legalization of Marijuana is its severe addictive capability. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 categorizes Marijuana as a Schedule one drug on the foundation that is has a high possibility for abuse. This means that once people start using Marijuana, it gets in to their system and it becomes very hard to stop using it. In this regard, it dominates their lives and controls their actions towards using the drug (Head, 1). Contemporary survey indicates that Marijuana is presently the principal cause of drug addiction other than alcohol in the United States. For instance, among the 7 million people aged 12 and above categorized with severe addiction of an illegal drug in 2008, marijuana accounted for 4.2 million of this. This indicates that approximately two thirds of Americans stricken by any drug use condition are suffering from addiction of marijuana or its abuse (DuPont, 10). This simply implies that the number of people using Marijuana would sharply augment if the

5000 word essay Critically compare and contrast jungian therapy versus

5000 word Critically compare and contrast jungian therapy versus person centred counselling - Essay Example Therefore, this focuses on assessment, treatment, and understanding of psychological and behavioural problems and disorders. If one desires to deal with this ability, it would encompass the efforts on the ways in which the human psyche interacts with physical, emotional, and social aspects of health and dysfunction. Clinical psychology uses the scientific method to approach and understand human problems in behaviour, emotions, thinking, relationships, and health, and it uses what is known about the principles of human behaviour to help people with numerous troubles and concerns they experience during the course of life in their relationships, emotions, and physical selves. Contemporary clinical psychology uses integrative approaches to understand and address problems in human behaviour. Individual perspectives, indeed, contribute important pieces of understanding to the puzzle of human behaviour, but these pieces often need to be joined in a novel way together to visualize the whole picture and to provide the most complete and holistic perspective. For example, advances in biology have provided important knowledge about the role of neurotransmitters in depression. Similarly personal variables, such as, poverty, discrimination, and community support in depression are well appreciated. Ultimately , an intelligent melding of these biological, psychological, and social factors leads to intervention strategies that best address the complex needs of depressed individuals. Thus, one theoretical orientation alone may not address the complexity of the person seeking help. Although various clinical psychologists may be closely aligned to one particular theoretical or philosophical orientation, most contemporary clinical psychologists believe that problems in human behaviour are multidimensional, and they, therefore, use an integrative approach that suggests that

How Do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols Communicate What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Todays Society Essay Example for Free

How Do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols Communicate What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Todays Society Essay How do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols communicate what it means to be a black woman in today’s society? In this essay I will compare two poems. The two poems I will compare is Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I rise’ to Grace Nichols’ ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of Black women’. I think Maya Angelou’s ‘Still in rise’ has a rather different message to Grace Nichols’ poem. I think they are interesting to compare because Maya Angelo is lively and spirited about writing a poem about how strong black women are and how it is to be a black woman in today’s society. Whereas, Grace Nichols is more disgruntled and irritated about writing her poem. The first poem I will scrutinize is Maya Angelo’s ‘Still I rise’. The title ‘Still I rise’ shows strength and optimism as it is a short but strong meaning title. It means that Maya Angelou will always defend herself. It makes you feel no matter what you do to Maya Angelou she will just get back up again. This makes you believe that Maya Angelou is a strong person. In the first verse, Maya Angelou starts off using an accusatory tone when she says ‘you may write me down in history with you bitter, twisted lies’. This gives the impression that she is talking to white people when she says this. I think this means she doesn’t like what white people have wrote in their history books about black people’s past as it is over exaggerated and a lot of lies. Near the end of the first verse, she uses the simile ‘but still like dust, I’ll rise’. This is once again reinforcing the idea that she is a strong black woman. By using this simile she is also comparing herself and her race to dust and this suggests that you can’t get rid of black people and that they are everywhere you go, as dust is hard to get rid of and it is everywhere as you can’t control or capture it. In the second verse, Maya Angelou is more lively and spirited when she says ‘Does my sassiness upset you? ’ This suggests that she is getting more confident as she progresses through the poem. She also uses two rhetorical questions to grip the reader’s attention ‘why are you beset with gloom? Also, in the second verse she shows more confidence when she uses the phrase ‘‘cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells pumping in my living room. ’ The use of informal language ‘cause’ shows this. This phrase also makes me think that she feels powerful, rich and important. In the third stanza, she uses a lot of similes such as ‘Just like moons and like suns’ I think she has put this simile in because it is natural imagery and she wants black people to be described as this because it is not only a part of nature but the sun and moon are beautiful; vital to the world. In the next line she continues with the natural imagery by saying ‘With certainty of tides’. This is also natural imagery as she is comparing the black race with tides. I think she chose to use the natural imagery of tides here because not only is it once again vital to the world but it also creates a sense of power as tides and waves are incontrollable, powerful and constant and waves always come back so I think maybe she was also trying to reinforce the idea that she and her race are strong. However in the fourth verse, she stops using natural imagery and changes into an interrogative mode when she says ‘did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? ’ Here she uses negative lexis such as ‘broken’ to create an image of a typical slave to the reader. I think she does this here as she wants to show people that herself and her race are not slaves and that you should not dwell on their past and think of them as slaves. In the fifth stanza, it’s more about her culture when she uses the simile ‘cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines’ I think she is implying here that she is not rich in wealth but she is rich in culture and in spirit. I think this changes the atmosphere to a more relaxed mood as she is embracing her culture. Also, when she says ‘diggin in my own back yard’ it gives you a sense of black soulful language and reinforces the fact that she embraces her culture and language. However, in stanza six, it is a more harsh verse as she uses an accusatory tone once again. She creates an atmosphere of fury and annoyance by using onomatopoeia and harsh sounds such as ‘cut’ and ‘kill’. I think this was put in so people would remember the way white people treated slaves and how violent they were towards them. I think she is trying to give an insight of how it must have felt to be a slave and make people feel guilty for treating them so unfairly. At the end of this verse, she repeats herself ‘But still, like air, I’ll rise’. I think she does this to not only make people believe she is a strong, black woman, but to also make the poem memorable for the reader and make it stand out. Also, when she uses the simile ‘like air’ it makes you think that you can’t hurt her because she is ‘like air’ and you can’t cut or hurt air. I think air was a good simile to use here because air rises and I think Angelou was implying that she will rise above all expectations people have for her, black women and black men. Also, by using the word air Maya Angelou is trying to indicate that herself and the black race are now free as black people are now free from slavery. In the seventh stanza, the atmosphere changes and you can see Angelou’s pride in her culture and race. I think Maya Angelou is trying to create a different image for black women as she says ‘does my sexiness up set you? . This suggests that she is trying to make a new image for black women that is sexy and more elegant because before they were seen as only slaves. In the third and fourth line of this verse, she says ‘that I dance like I’ve got diamonds, at the meeting of my thighs’. By using the word diamond she is implying that black women are rare, precious and tough as those are the main characteristics of a diamond. I t hink she is suggesting black women should be treasured and kept safe as they are too precious to lose. In the last stanza, Angelou breaks free from the previous set structure of the quatrains and it’s a more symbolic structure; it does not have a pattern to it. I think this is because it is supposed to imitate the slaves breaking free. Also, it has a random lay out and I think this is reinforcing the idea that you can’t capture black people like slaves anymore and that black people shouldn’t be treated unfairly anymore. The last verse also has more energy to it as it speeds up more. I think this is because when black people broke free from slavery they were lively and more spirited and had more pride in their culture and race. Also, in the last verse, Angelou uses metaphors instead of similes now such as ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’. I think she changes from similes to metaphors in this verse because she has gained more confidence and pride. It has also become a more happier, lively verse again as she uses more positive lexis such as ‘daybreak’ and ‘wondrously clear’. This is because she is happy and proud of being black and wants black women and men to be perceived as happy and lively. She has not only broken free from the quatrains in this last verse, but she has also broken free from the AB rhyming sentences and is now using rhyming couplets as well as repetition of the words ‘I rise, I rise, I rise’ to show confidence, power and pride of what it means to be a black woman. Overall, throughout the whole of the poem, I believe that Maya Angelou was trying to change the perception of black women and make black women feel as confident and as proud as Angelou does of being black. Throughout the poem Angelou’s tone differs. As in the beginning, although she started with an accusatory tone, she went on and used positive lexis such as ‘hopes springing high’ this then changed from a interrogative mood to a more lively and spirited atmosphere. However, as the poem continues she starts to use negative lexis again and the interrogative mode re-appears making the poem seem more harsh to the reader, although, when you read on the poem ends in a more lively and happier tone as she uses more absolute phrases and starts to use metaphors rather than similes now; ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’. Angelou’s use of sound imagery is interesting as she makes the reader imagine not only pretty, natural images, but harsh, cruel images as well. For instance, ‘Just like moons and like suns’ and ‘Shoulders falling down like teardrops’. I think she does this so we all can see what she wants black people to be perceived as and also what black people used to be perceived as. Overall, I think Maya Angelou wrote this poem to change the perception of black women in today’s society. The second poem I will analyse is Grace Nichols ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of black women’. This is a poem with a slightly different message. Whereas, Maya Angelou’s poem was overall lively and spirited, Grace Nichols poem takes on a more sarcastic side of what it’s like to be a black woman, compared to a white woman, in today’s society and how she feels about being asked to write a poem on what it’s like to be a black woman. The heading of Grace Nichols poem’ Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of black women’ shows a sarcastic side as she has put realities in inverted commas. This gives you the impression that she doesn’t want to write this poem as black women are no different from white women or any other race. The first verse of the poem starts with ‘what they really want at times is a specimen whose heart is in the dust’. When she uses the word they in the beginning I think she is talking about white people, racists and those that misunderstand her race. Also, when she says the word specimen it makes you think of a different species; something that needs to be studied. I think this is what she feels racists think of the black race. When she refers to ‘whose heart is in the dust’ this makes the reader believe she thinks people pity her race. When she says ‘a mother-of-sufferer’ she is referring to ancestors of slaves and this then links to ‘trampled/oppressed’ which is the typical slave image. She’s is saying here that ‘they’, meaning white people or people that misunderstand her race, want a slave to write a poem about how it is to be a black person living in today’s society. Grace Nichols then moves on and says ‘they want a little black blood undressed and validation for the abused stereotype already in their heads’. This means that racists want a black, vulnerable person to be proof for the typical slave image, that’s a black stereotype, in their minds. When she says ‘black blood’ she is implying that black people are completely different to any other race and even have different blood, even though black people are no different from white people. She is also implying, when she says ‘For the abused stereotype already in their head’, that the stereotype has been put into people’s heads by white, biased history books. When she says, in the next verse, ‘a perfect song’ she is referring to someone that is proud of their race and would like to write a poem about being black, for example Maya Angelou. Within the next few lines, Grace Nichols talks more about how not all black women are the same and how they can’t be categorised. When she says’ I say I can write no poem big enough to hold the essence’. This means she can’t write one poem for black people or any other race as there are too many personalities and individuals to put them all into one category. When she says ‘of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman’ she is then showing her sarcasm again when she says ‘green woman’ as you can’t have green women and what she is trying to say is that we are all equal . ‘And there are Black women and Black women’ this is once again reinforcing the idea that there is not just ‘the’ black woman. There are different types of black women and they are not all the same and are individuals. In the next line she uses a very good simile when she says ‘like a contrasting sky of rainbow spectrum’. I love this simile as she is saying that there isn’t only one colour black and that when you put all the different colours together it makes something beautiful, such as a rainbow. She is also using natural imagery here and it makes you think of how special black people are to this world. As you go on in the poem, she uses the well known phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ very well as she says ‘touch a black woman you mistake for a rock and feel her melting down to fudge’. I think this is implying the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ as it is saying if you insult a black woman when you think she has ‘thick skin’ she could really be vulnerable inside. In her poem, she does not only talk about different types of people and race, but she also introduces the fact of the different types of language. ‘If need be we’ll trade a piece-a-pussy’. Here she uses her own language of Creole and mixes Caribbean English with English to create a sense of her own Caribbean culture and how proud she is to be black and have her own, unique culture. Also, during her poem, Grace Nichols refers to some famous black women as she says ‘and there are black women so dangerous in South Africa they prison them away’. Here she is talking about Winnie Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s wife. She also refers to Maya Angelou throughout her poem as she says’ and there are black women strong and eloquent and focused’. Here she talks about Maya Angelou and how proud she is of her race. However, at the end of the poem, she ends on a positive note as she says’ the twisted self-negating history we’ve inherited’. I think this means even though they see their history as twisted and cruel, she wants black people to focus on the present and make their history better than that of the ancestors that were slaves. She also says ‘crushing out with each dancing step’. This shows me that she wants to crush out their past history and therefore ends on a positive note. Overall, throughout the poem, I think Grace Nichols was trying to make black women proud of their culture and race and that they are no more different than white people or any other race. I think Grace Nichols didn’t have a set structure for the poem as it is sporadic and a random layout. I think she did this because there is not a set pattern for black women and that the layout represents this. Also, the layout is random and unique and that’s what she wants black women to be perceived as instead as being in a set pattern and categorised. Grace Nichols repeats several thing throughout her poem. ‘of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman’ is repeated a lot to emphasize the point that all races are equal and it doesn’t depend on colour for how we are treated. She also repeats the phrase ‘crushing out with each dancing step’ to make her point that you shouldn’t judge people by their past and that you should forget about you and your ancestors history and create new history. I think Grace Nichols used Creole to emphasize how she is proud of her culture and that black women should be proud as well and celebrate their own culture. I think these poems differ in messages and tones as Maya Angelou’s poem ‘still I rise’ her message is that black women should be proud about their culture and to be black and that Maya Angelou wants to change the perception of black women so that it is not the typical lave image but it is more sexy and elegant. Also, I think Maya Angelou was lively and spirited throughout most of her poem, although she had some accusatory tone and interrogative mode. However, Grace Nichols’s message was different from Maya Angelou’s as Grace Nichols wanted black women to be treated fairly and equally as any other race are and that she doesn’t think its right to define black women all in one category. Also, she didn’t think it was right to be asked to write a poem about how black women feel living in today’s society as it is no different from any other race woman. Grace Nichols’s tone throughout was mainly accusatory and angry. In some ways the two poems are similar as they both feel that their race should not be treated as slave just because some of their ancestors were in captivity as slaves in past history. Also, they both feel that their race should now think about the present and not focus on the past and believe you should forget about slavery and the past. They both also want black people to celebrate their culture. I think Grace Nichols’s poem portrays the black race better as Maya Angelou categorises the black race even though they are all individuals and can’t be put into just one category. Whereas, Grace Nichols says all the way through her poem that black people are individuals and all unique and you can’t categorise them. Also, I think Grace Nichols write not just about the good things about being a black woman, but she also write about the bad things, whereas, Maya Angelou doesn’t.

Life of Pi Essay Example for Free

Life of Pi Essay Here in Life of Pi the protagonists struggle for survival in the middle of an unheedful ocean is done in a tone that echoes the sound of a well-written work of fiction being read out aloud. Life of Pi is a story about struggling to survive through seemingly insurmountable odds. The shipwrecked inhabitants of the little lifeboat don’t simply concede to their fate: they actively fight against it. The human mind is an amazing instrument. In the face of the horrors of life, it creates a magical story that allows it to continue living with truths otherwise might not be able to accept. The struggle for existence, the struggle for survival, and the inner strength we have to find and tame before we can become master of our existence, are all realities which we have difficulty admitting. The struggle is with a young male that is vegetarian and Richard Parker is the capitalist within himself that he must struggle to overcome so he can be free to live the way he wants to, as a totally tolerant of all things vegetarian in Canada. While Pi has been starving, and the fish offer a sudden abundance of food, Pibeing a vegetarianwont eat the fish because it violates his beliefs, but his struggle to dominate Richard Parker is the dominating of his appetites. The food Pi has been eating from the lifeboat supply is destroyed by the tail of the whale, demonstrating the importance of food in the film, and how Pi learns he cant survive on just earthly food, or just heavenly food, but that he needs both, Pi abandons his lifelong vegetarianism and eats the fish to sustain himself. Summing up the emotion behind the struggle Pi encountered, while he was on the boat, Pi states, My face set to a grim and determined expression. I speak in all modesty as I say this, but I discovered at that moment that I have a fierce will to live. Its not something evident, in my experience. Some of us give up on life with only a resigned sigh. Others fight a little, then lose hope. Still othersand I am one of thosenever give up. We fight and fight and fight. We fight no matter the cost of battle, the losses we take the improbability of success. We fight to the very end. Its not a question of courage. Its something constitutional, an inability to let go. (Martel 164) This quote is inspirational and relates to Pis personality. Despite the fact that he faced many struggles throughout the novel (majorly part 2), he managed to remain optimistic and determined to find a way to escape. In most cases, a person would have just given up under the circumstances he fell under, but Pi had faith in getting off the ship and finding land. He never gave up despite the fact that he knew that hed never see his family again, and he had to survive for 227 days with a ferocious tiger, and little food. The odds against his survival were prominently against his favor, but that didnt stop him. He had to overcome his fear of killing animals in his struggle for survival. Pi went from hesitating to kill a fish, to becoming comparable to a professional fisherman. Although there were many thoughts going through his head to just jump off the boat and put an end to everything, his perseverance overcame his doubt and he did anything possible to survive. Personally I can see myself saying what Pi stated. Im a determined individual, and if I really want something, I will go to great lengths to get what I want.

Analysing Dasein According To Heidegger Philosophy Essay

Analysing Dasein According To Heidegger Philosophy Essay Martin Heidegger was a student of Husserl and even dedicated his book Being and Time to him. However, he ended up going against a lot of Husserls ideas. Where Husserls phenomenology is a phenomenology of description of objects and how they present themselves to us, Heideggers is a phenomenology of understanding and interpretation. As he says in Being and Time (1973: 25), Heideggers phenomenology is not pure, again going against his teacher, as Husserl strove for a pure phenomenological attitude he incorporates existential ontology into his phenomenology, which means being historically situated in the world. Husserl wilfully chose to leave history unexamined because of the implications it would have had on his science historical context would have made it impure. Heideggers phenomenology is almost hermeneutical (understanding and interpreting our historically lived situation through texts), so much so he applies this hermeneutical approach to human beings. Heidegger wants to move away from subject (that which remains unchanging) and consciousness and look at Being and his concept of Dasein. This essay will examine Heideggers concept of Dasein as a movement away from Husserls concept of consciousness of objects and subjectivity. It will begin by explaining what Dasein is and is not. Looking at it as ontologically situated in the world as having an understanding of the meaning of Being. It will then move on to looking at Dasein as the entity of all entities and seeking for the meaning of Being. This will lead onto the concept of the they-self and everydayness and how Dasein is situated in these which will inevitably move onto anxiety as a means of getting from the they to the my. This will link into the authentic and inauthentic self authentic being one-self and inauthentic being the they-self. Dasein literally means Being-there (Polt, 1999:29). It is not consciousness and it is not a person. It is not simply existence or a thing in the world. It is a verb to exist. Dasein is no-thing. It is the essential structure of a human being the way of Being of a human being. It is not static in the world, but active towards the world (towards the world coming back to Husserls idea of objects giving themselves towards the world). Dasein exists understandingly having the understanding of the meaning of Being ontologically always historically mediated. Dasein is ontological insofar as it understands the meaning of Being it only has an opaque and vague understanding of Being but it has some. (Heidegger, 1973: 31). Dasein is the condition of possibility of the world so it can be considered transcendental. However, at its simplest Dasein is just Being in the world. Heidegger refers to Beings as entities entities are anything that has existence (Polt, 1999: 2). He mentions that ). Entities are ontical they are out there in the world. Dasein is the entity that is distinct from all other entities in that it is out there and it exists towards the world. It is the entity of all entities. As Heidegger says in Being and Time (1973: 32), Entities present themselves towards the world simply as they are in their being. Heidegger is interested in the meaning of Being. Things are but Being is nowhere you cannot point to Being or Dasein like you can point to an object. Dasein is no-thing. We need to witness the no-thing of our Being we need to look for the meaning of our Being or at least have an understanding of it. Human existence Dasein is being interrogated. The Being of our being is been asked about. To get to the meaning of Being, we must first go through the human being and the Dasein. To do this, Heidegger talks about seeking (ibid: 24). When we look for something we must have an idea of what we are looking for we cannot look for something we have no experience of. Dasein is primordially temporal in three ways 1. Existence: Daseins potentiality for Being projects Being on various possibilities. 2. Thrownness: Represents Daseins structure phenomenon of the past that represents past as having been historically. It could be argued that we are forced to be who we are because of our past we 3. Falleness: Being alongside Daseins place among other Daseins made possible by those present and being in the world. It is the result of being thrown into the world from the past (ibid: 76). As Polt (1999:76) says, . The human needs to be taken away from this simple subjectivity and looked at in the broader sense I am as they. This is where the concept of Das-Man or the they-self comes into play. Dasein has an aspect to itself as a they-self. The opinions that are out there. What other people tell us about ourselves determines us. In the they-self, the Dasein is comfortable; it seeks refuge in the they-self. There is a tranquilising familiarity of the they -self. In the they-self we feel at home but philosophy is not about feeling at home. We are on the run from our meaning of Being we are on the run from ourselves. The they-self defines who we are so we can never really get out of it fully. The they-self is everydayness. Dasein has to retrieve itself from the Das-Man in order to truly be itself. To do this, Heidegger says we must undergo anxiety. Heidegger asks how do we get form the they to the my? Husserl suspends the empirical or natural attitude for the phenomenological. It is a wilful suspension. For Heidegger, suspension is affective and comes in the form of anxiety. He also wants to suspend the natural attitude for the phenomenological, but for him, he calls the natural attitude, the everyday. I am affected by anxiety. When I am anxious Im brought back to my proper Dasein. Anxiety is how we get from the they to the my. Heidegger says that we should let anxiety overcome us in order to get back to my-self or one-self. However, one-self is a task for Dasein, as Dasein is an entity concerned by its own being and is comforted by the they-self. We are anxious about our being in the world our Being is determined by the fact that sometime we will not be in the world. My Being towards death is an indeterminable determinacy there is something indeterminate about death, but it determines me. In this anxiousness we emancipate ou rselves from the they-self. Letting anxiety overwhelm us, is the only way to get to our authentic self. Heidegger says that we are merely actors in our daily lives and that we have to get back to who we really are. This is where authenticity and inauthenticity comes into practice. Dasein encompasses both the authentic and inauthentic. There is a Dasein of the they and a Dasein of the my. Authenticity is who I am it can be argued that we are trying to get back to our authentic selves. For the most part we are inauthentic and improper we live through the they-self in everydayness. In the they-self the authentic self is dormant. However, we can never fully leave one or get into the other. Heidegger (in Keane, N., 1927: 65) says, Silence, according to Heidegger is how we get back to our-self our authentic self. Not saying anything at all, says more than idle-talk. As he says in Being and Time (1973: 213), Being as Dasein is Being toward the world. Being toward the world means concern. ). Heidegger says in Being and Time (1973: 237), that at its most basic level, Being-in-the-world is care. As such, Dasein is fundamentally care. Dasein is always out ahead of itself it is born into a world that already has meaning. Caring implies things that matter to us so we do care about our Being (Polt, 1999: 79). Dasein is human existence. It is the way of Being for human beings. At its most basic it is Being-in-the-world humans existence in the world. It is the entity of all entities so it can be argued that it is the way of Being over all other ways of Being of human beings. Dasein lives through the world in the everyday sense of the they-self. We are what other people perceive us to be. We can only truly be our authentic self by undergoing anxiety and letting it overwhelm us. Dasein can be understood as the essence of human existence having lived through its historically lived situation. It is a part of a fundamental ontology. Dasein is active towards the world as having a history by living through the world. It has to try find (seeking) its authentic self or owness through anxiety. Dasein is basically Being-there Being-in-the-world.

Ecological Change With the Arrival of Europeans in the New World :: American America History

Ecological Change With the Arrival of Europeans in the New World Imagine yourself coming from an overpopulated, intensely manicured development (typical of many Americans) to an Island of immense vegetation and overgrowth. Your job is to develop a productive colony using these unknown plants. Your only guides are the natives of the land - if they are gentle and willing to help. Now forget all you know about ecology and the importance of cultures and think about what you would probably do. What if you had one more chance to go to your native land and bring back with you a few simple things to make your life easier? What would you bring? Most would probably react the same way the Europeans did, bringing seeds and machinery for cultivation with them. The Europeans may have even gone further than needed in their search for a productive product. Europeans were fearful and distrustful of the wild, natural areas. For example, many Europeans considered mountains to be hideous. This was said of the Alps, and many mountainous areas of Europe (Sale 77). They had this agenda to control whatever they could. If the land looked wild it needed tamed to their ideas, even if this made the ecosystem unstable or less productive. The results of their need for control and their lack of knowledge on ecosystems resulted in a reflux of new plants being imported. The most influential plants were the forage or grazing crops. These were brought because the Europeans wanted their own familiar crops to be in the grazing yards. These plants included white clover and "Kentucky" bluegrass. Ironically the Kentucky bluegrass was named so because it preceded west at a faster rate than the colonists, so when they arrived in Kentucky they found it in abundance and named it so. These plants were introduced at least as early as 1685, when William Penn was noted for trying some in his courtyard (2 Crosby 157). These plants spread with the equivalences of weeds. Imported, overgrazing European animals helped in the quick dispersal of these plants. The effect of these new grasses is hard to determine. Many of the indigenous grasses all but disappeared, except for small-untouched areas. The introduced animals helped to pave the way for many of these new plants (2 Crosby, 157). The animals first overgrazed the native plants, which were not adapted for heavy grazing, and then continued overgrazing created a new niche or specialization.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs Essays -- Pape

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs Harriet Jacobs in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl uses clear detail and straightforward language, except when talking about her sexual history, to fully describe what it is like to be a slave. Jacobs says that Northerners only think of slavery as perpetual bondage; they don't know the depth of degradation there is to that word. She believes that no one could truly understand how slavery really is unless they have gone through it. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl do not only tell about the physical pains and hard labor that she went through. It mostly concentrates on the emotional viewpoints on it and what it did to shape who she is. When writing her story, Jacobs had a clear motive. Her motive was one of a political taking. She writes through her experiences and sufferings to make it clear to people, mainly the Northerners, and more specifically white women in the North, how slavery really is. She does not want sympathy, however, she does want "to arouse the women in the North to a realizing sense of the condition of two millions of women of the South, still in bondage" (460). Jacobs wants people to take action in antislavery efforts. Jacobs in telling her story uses many techniques to make it effective. Some of the techniques that she uses are dealing with the use of her language, her selections of incidents and details, and her method of addressing an audience. Harriet Jacobs tells her story by breaking it down into sections according to different important aspects of her life. In doing this, each section is described vividly to give the reader a full effect and greater understanding of how it was to be treated as property. Like was said be... ...tive techniques to get her point across. Her story was very powerful and probably helped in the antislavery movement, therefore fulfilling her goal. In the end she is thought of as a "new kind of female hero" (497). She has gone through many hardships and she "articulates her struggle to assert her womanhood" (497). Even with her lack of a higher education, she shows intelligence throughout her writing. She had her own way of getting her points across, one being that a person could not possibly fully understand the degradation of slavery if he/she did not go through it themselves. This is a point within itself because it further relays the fact that slavery was a very horrible, evil and degrading thing. Works Cited: Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Ed. Jean Fagan Yellin. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1987.

Order Out of Chaos Essay -- History, Roman Empire, Charlemagne

Volatility in the West during the ninth and tenth centuries drove Europeans to strive for a more stable way of life. The institution of feudalism and St. Benedict’s monastic Rule arose in response to this problem and provided what the scattered kingdoms of the old Roman Empire were struggling to achieve. The death of Charlemagne, the succession of power to his son, Louis, and the signing of the Treaty of Verdun began the collapse of the strong and united Europe that had formerly been in place. Soon after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire the West started to face a myriad of problems. â€Å"The renewed invasions of the Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims and the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire led to the emergence of a new type of relationship between free individuals† (Spielvogel 163). The decline in government authority and protection forced peasants, who made up the majority of the medieval population, to depend on land-owning lords and barons that acquired their properties as sovereign power decentralized. This relationship based on the context of the subjection of a subordinate to a superior became known as feudalism. Coinciding with the breakdown of government was a transformation of the Church through the way members of the religious community lived, worked, a nd worshiped. Monasticism, such as that developed by St. Benedict, formed as an answer to problems within the Church and a need for structure in religious life. St. Benedict’s Rule and feudalism are leading examples of how there was a resolute search for stability in medieval Europe. â€Å"With the breakdown of governments, powerful nobles took control of large areas of land. They needed men to fight for them, so the practice arose of giving grants of land to vass... ... time when much of the barbarian west was only nominally Christian, Benedict’s Rule kept alive the spirit of pursuing a life of gospel perfection† (Reid 50). â€Å"Benedict’s rule, which was a synthesis of several rules, could be applied to any number of monasteries and locations† (Vidmar 79). This universality of his rule helped to stabilize not only monasticism and the church, but also rub off on the common people and nobility that the monastics encountered. Feudalism and St. Benedict’s monastic rule both exemplify the search for stability in the medieval western world. Together they steadied the chaos caused by the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire and the destructive invasions of the ninth century by correcting the military, political and religious status quo. This put the West on the road to advancement, expansion, and dominance in the centuries to come.

Human resources Essay Essay

This essay is basically about the Catastrophe Concepts contract. Catastrophe Concepts is an Australian manufacturer as well as a distributor of women’s fashion apparel. The sales manager of the company, Karen Stevens was hired by the company in the year 2001 and currently Karen works as a senior sales executive for Catastrophe Concepts. It has been eight years now that Karen is working for the company and is being paid $175,000 annually and is also provided with a company maintained car. However, there is no specific written record regarding Karen’s recruitment except for a letter that was sent to Karen in which she was welcomed to the company and it also said that she would be paid $75,000 annually by the company. However, Catastrophe Concepts is now facing a serious downturn that has concerned the marketing manager of the company, Lilly Zheng to question whether Karen should be allowed to continue working for the company or not. Karen has been working for Catastrophe Concepts since the last eight years with all sincerity and no issues of misconduct or decline in her performance can been seen as her performance has always been rated acceptable but she does not have any further chance of promotion or to further advance in her career. This is the reason why Lilly Zheng is concerned whether Karen should be allowed to continue working for the company or she should be terminated and due to this Lilly has a few questions in her mind and she wants the human resource manager, George Chapel to answer. In this part of the paper I would answer some of the questions arising in the mind of Lilly Zheng from the viewpoint of George Chapel. The first question that Lilly has in her mind is related to Karen’s termination and she wants to know how Catastrophe Concepts can terminate Karen. For this, I would say that termination would not be the correct word to be used in this case and the reason behind this is that an employee can only be terminated from the company on the basis of misconduct or due to unsatisfactory performance but Karen is not charged of any of the two so she cannot be terminated from Catastrophe Concepts. However, termination has a broader concept than this and it can be voluntary i. e. with the employee’s free will or it can be involuntary i. e. terminated by employer. Layoffs and dismissals are a part of involuntary termination. In this situation, Catastrophe Concepts can layoff Karen due to the downturn of the business or they can opt for a mutual agreement between Karen and the company. In order to make the termination soft, the company can take certain actions such as by asking Karen herself to resign and to convince her to do so by explaining her facts. Termination always leaves negative affects on the other employees working for the company as they become unsecure about their own job and their motivation level decreases. For this purpose, at the time when Karen is terminated, she should be given various incentives and should be allowed to leave the company in the most respectable manner (Storey 1998).. In case Karen agrees to leave the company and if she joins a competitor, there are many risks involved with this as Karen has worked for Catastrophe Concepts for quite a long period of eight years and she knows a lot about the company. Moreover, she is the senior sales executive and so she knows all the techniques of selling women’s apparel and where ever she will go she would definitely use her skills. Due to this, there should be some restrictions that should apply to Karen such as she should be made to sign a contract not to provide the company details to the competitor or to provide the competitor with the secrets of the company. (David 1997). If Karen provides confidential marketing information to the competitor, this would be very bad for Catastrophe Concepts as this will help the competitor not only to know the marketing secrets of the company but it would also help the competitor predict the future actions Catastrophe Concepts is planning to take and on this basis, they might come up with better strategies or they might use the same marketing plans before Catastrophe Concepts applies these strategies and plans and this will prove to be awful for Catastrophe Concepts. Another possibility that might happen after Karen’s termination is that she might lure and hire other staff currently employed by Catastrophe Concepts. This would also prove to be bad for Catastrophe Concepts as they would loose their employee and with the employee, they also have a lot of possibility off losing company’s information. Moreover, as the employees as already trained by Catastrophe Concepts, they would have to hire a new employee and train them all over again and this involves both financial and time cost. Huselid 1995). The second part of the paper suggests the restraint of trade clause that should have been included in Karen’s original written contract. Moreover, another thing that needs to be taken care off in this contract should be in context with the duration, extent and geography. For such situations, it is very important for Catastrophe Concepts to have a good human resource department so that they can fulfill their duties and do the best for the employees working in the company. It is the duty of the human resource department to come up with various strategies and trade clauses for the employees. Previously, however Catastrophe Concepts did not have any such trade clause due to which they are facing this problem now, therefore they should take steps now and should work on the clause so that such problems do not occur in future. It is always necessary for the company to have their legal rules defined to the employees so that they are aware of things. Having a trade clause would further enable to protect its legal rights and there should always be an agreement between the company and the employee. It is also a wise idea to have employment agreements as these would enable Catastrophe Concepts to guard their wellbeing against the employees working for the company; however the human resource department has to be careful when coming up with trade clauses and they should make sure that they have the most important ones already defined for the company. Some of the most important ones are mentioned in the paragraphs below. (Micallef & Powell 1997). When an employee agrees not to opt for a profession that is similar to the one he is currently working as in order to prevent competition against the company is possible when an employees signs a non-compete clause. Once the employee signs the contract, he is bound to obey it and he cannot opt for the same profession once he resigns or is terminated from a company. This contract can help the company to prevent the employee from distributing the company’s confidential information or any kind of trade secrets to the competitor. These secrets might include the company’s marketing strategies or the products the company plans to come up with in future. (Lado &Wilson 1994). Non-Solicitation Agreement would basically help Catastrophe Concepts to guard the employees from stealing information or the customers. Other than this, they can form non-competition agreements as they can center on geography, customers as well as knowledge. It is not likely for Catastrophe Concepts to stop the competitors from competing with the company but there are certain situations in which such contracts can be signed such as in employee-employer situation. Non-disparagement agreement averts the employee to speak bad things about the employer and the non-interference agreement averts the employee from interfering in relationships such as between the vendors or the customers, etc. Other than this, Catastrophe Concepts can also opt for confidentiality agreement, termination agreement and workplace property agreement, etc. Confidentiality agreement would prevent the employee from giving the confidential information of the company to the competitors while the termination agreement would help the company in terminating employees by making the employees sign a contract at the time they join the company. Moreover, another problem Catastrophe Concepts might face could be to keep the property at the workplace safe and secure and for this it is essential for the company to make the employees sign the workplace property agreement. (Leat 2001).

Marriage boundaries Essay

Important boundary principles helps couples build a strong marriage for the goodness of the family without compromising on their freedom, truth or integrity. Marriage boundaries may either be physical or emotional depending on how they are drafted by the two individuals. The physical boundaries entail the protection of the marriage from intruders (parents, in-laws, other people, external affairs or even children to some extent) who might disrupt the normal activities within the marriage. Emotional boundaries are complex to define and are usually confined to personal feelings, sexual satisfaction and how to deal with issues that may affect the family. In any perspective, marriage boundaries help to ensure that ea thriving family is achieved. There is other various marriage boundaries which dictate the extent to which the couple in the marriage are suppose to meet. These boundaries might range from sexual, family or societal relations which explain that married couples should remain as faithful as possible to each other. Unfaithfulness is believed to be the main contributor to marriage breakups and high divorce rates currently being experienced. Marriage identity Marriage identity is the legal aspect of the union between the two couples. Married people identify themselves as one and are related through love. Partners usually identify themselves as a family when children come to the scene . People marry either in a religious, social or judicial system and are awarded a marriage certificate. This is the legal identity in a marriage setting that identifies two people-husband and wife. Some societies also use children as an identity of their marriage and the family at large. These groups of people name their children after their parents. This will ensure that there is continuity of the family values and history for the generations to come Alliances Alliances in a marriage are very common these days due to increased collaboration of couples through religious, educational or geographical groupings. These alliances are can be good or bad for the family. Alliances can also be through corporations with the grandparents, extended family members and the community in general. Depending on the type of alliance developed in the marriage, good values or norms may be possible to be obtained. Some people in the alliance might use it as a weapon to ‘kill’ the morale of the other couple assuming that couples form alliances with one another (group marriage). There is always the issue of mistrust and spreading of propaganda among people in an alliance and the consequences are usually dire to the existence of a marriage Spouse differences Differences between the spouses may lead to family breakups . Spouse differences may come as a result of financial misappropriations or lack of it. In many societies, the spouses are taught to remain together as a couple despite the challenges that might be faced. Other wide and complicated factors have recently contributed to the emergence of spouse differences especially if they are not sorted out during courtship. Family differences and cultural disparities are the most common ones. It is also possible that the each partner in the marriage could associate himself or herself with a specific political group which may not be meaningful to the other partner. Such simple issues may result in huge misunderstandings in the marriage and by default the family at large. Many and more parents are increasingly incorporation their married children to their own settings so that they may be taught how to handle each other. Although this may be considered interference from the parents and the fact that those marrying are already grownups and can take care of them, it is important for the development of the family marriage Marriage economics Marriage economics is an issue that may in one way or another affect the family. Most cultures, historically makes sure that the family of the husband pays dowry to the family of the wife. Dowry is considered a token or gift for the wife’s family in order to allow the parents of the lady to have a ‘compensation’. Other cultures require that the family of the bride pays dowry to the family of the man marrying their daughter. But in both cases, the family of the groom and the family of the bride do the financial transactions without involving the bride. Recently issues of financial management between a husband and a wife have become a subject of discussion. People argue that the couple should have a joint account in order to make any financial decisions together. Excessive perfectionism Any marriage ensures that the families resulting from it benefit squarely. Children are the ‘fruits’ of the marriage and with that, the couple may want the children to live happily in future by investing in their good upbringing, education, behaviors, financial investments etc. In that process, there is a temptation of the parents to be over protective. Each of the partners would want to play their part in the child protection, upbringing and other roles of within the marital boundaries. Studies have shown that irresponsible children will most likely become irresponsible parents in future Marriage roles Marriage roles are dependent on the kind family it is considered. In a polygamous family, the father is the sole provider of the whole family and gets support from the wives. But in a monogamous marriage, the husband and wife share most of the roles. The husband in a traditional society is given more roles; security, provision of basic needs, building the houses among others. The wife on the other hand sires the children, prepare food and ensure that all household work is perfectly done. With increased levels of education, modernization and equality activists, things are changing and the roles of each member of the family is becoming insignificant. Marriage rules Depending on the two married partners, rules may differ from one marriage setting to the other. A marriage counselor once said that ‘the Dutch soccer principle’ applies in marriage. This principle means that any player can attack when an opportunity strikes and any player can defend when there is need to. The same applies in married where the husband or the wife can do the ‘attacking’ and ‘defending’ when necessary. Marriage rules are defined religiously, socially or legally through set policies by the government. Religious groups believe that the bible outlines how a husband and a wife must live together in harmony. One of the ten commandments of the bible clearly describes how one shall not covet his or her neighbor’s wife or practice any form of adultery, it is considered to be sin. Individuals also set their own marriage rules when they are beginning their married life i. e. to be faithful, committed, loving and considerate to each other.

Ensuring quality websites Essay

Internet is an ever expanding medium. The number of users of the World Wide Web colloquially called as the internet has grown to over 1. 02 billion and includes 15 percent population of the World. (World Internet Usage, 2006). This is slated to expand even more rapidly hereafter as it is proving to be an ideal medium for all types of social, business, government and informational transactions. Cyber Rater is a web site rating service which will assess web sites based on their quality, reliability and the timeliness with which they provide information to the user. The number of web sites is increasing exponentially. A survey by Netcraft for June 2006 reported an increase of 3. 96 million sites in one month between May to June. (Webserver Survey, 2006). However the plethora of sites on virtually all subjects has created a problem for the user, as he is unable to assess the efficacy and accuracy of the information provided on the site. Cyber rater will attempt to this void, by rating sites and providing these with a verification certificate based on authenticity, quality and speed in providing the information to the user. Cyber Rater will be a web based organization, thereby the initial infra structure cost will be restricted to computers and other information technology assets to facilitate speedy access of the net, register the sites, assess these and provide certification. The business is proposed to be started by December 2006 and a healthy return is expected with break even point reached by December 2007. Mission Statement Our Mission. To facilitate web users in instantly assessing the quality of a web site. Grading web sites on each subject based on quality will be a key facet of the mission. To create excellence on the web by generating a hierarchy of gradation for web sites will be inclusive in the overall mission. To improve the overall content on the web will be the underlying theme of the mission. Needs Proliferation of web sites as well as the large number of users of the web has created a new market for certification of the best sites based on quality and accuracy of content, timeliness in publication and credibility. This will provide a service to both the user as well as the web site provider. While the user will be able to gravitate to the best web site on a subject, the provider will attempt to improve his content based on authenticity of information, the assessed market needs of the users and the latest web and communication technologies available. This will greatly facilitate all users such as researchers and students who will get a certified source, the e purchaser, and an authenticated, best bargain without cheating and the business person timely information of opportunities available for commerce to beat the competition. A certified web site rating system will greatly improve the overall quality of the web as it will assist in establishing uniform standards, motivate investments in using state of the art technologies by web sites, adoption of best practices and sustained support will be available through government policies. Objectives The objectives of Cyber Rater will flow from its mission which is to facilitate web users in assessing the quality of a web site thereby enabling them to home on to the best in each category. The objectives will be broken down into three criteria as given below:- Objectives Related to Users Objective 1. To provide the user information of the quality of the web site he is accessing to do commerce, interact socially or merely to gain information on a subject. Objective 2. To provide knowledge workers assurance of the information that is being accessed by them on the web. This will overcome the present lack of credibility of most web sources for research. Objective 3. To provide the user with authentic and original information, free of copy right, trade mark or patent infringement. This will avoid the embarrassment as well possible legal action at a later stage. Objectives Related To Web Sites Objective 1. To provide a forum for quality web sites to propagate their value on the web. This will also enable them an opportunity to increase their popularity and revenues. Objective 2. To generate impetus for improving the overall quality of web sites and web content by creating a hierarchy of excellence. Objective 3. To disfranchise those web site providers who are not able to provide quality and authenticity to continue on the web. This will come about by their non certification, non access over a period by the user and thus a virtual demise due to infrequent access. Objectives Related to Business Objective 1. To follow the highest standards of ethics and values. This is essential to every rating agency and will enable maintenance of credibility and thus attract maximum business in the long term. Objective 2. To attract the best talent in the profession. This alone will ensure that the assessments made would maintain an even standard and are free from biases of lack of knowledge as well as judgment. Objective 3. To employ the best technologies available in the field and continue to constantly upgrade them. Objective 3. To ensure the financial viability of the business and break even within one year. References 1. Webserver Survey. 2006. June 2006 Webserver Survey. http://news. netcraft. com/archives/2006/06/04/june_2006_web_server_survey. html (24 June 2006). 2. World Internet Usage. 2006. Internet Usage Statistics: The Big Picture. http://www. internetworldstats. com/stats. htm. (24 June 2006).