Philosophies & Democracy Essay

Democracy and capitalism gave way to concentration of wealth amongst a small group of people. Private entrepreneurship got a boost due to capitalism. Given this scenario, many private entrepreneurs rose to build their industrial empires. There are many examples, where, the starting point of a given business was zero, and it rose to become a leading international business house. Increase in business, resulted in exaggerated accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few, and that was the time, when these new class of rich entrepreneurs, gave a thought to the society, in which they have been operating, and which has supported their enterprise in its rise. Carnegie Melon, at the beginning of industrial revolution, and Bill Gates, at the end of the twentieth century, are two solid examples of business rise from zero to international giants. Both of them, spent their full life, in amassing wealth, and as they grew, they started framing corporate philosophies, which put society at the focus of their activities. While they applied the rule of ‘everything is fair in business’, they turned towards society at the fag end of their lives. Corporate philosophies, by and large have nothing new to say, except that they work for the society, and they care for their customers. All corporate philosophies are concentrated around these central themes, in different words and sentences. Often, it is proved that corporate philosophies are not as sweet as they sound. When it comes to business, these philosophies are sacrificed, partially or fully. Was only genuine software skill responsible for the stupendous rise of Bill Gates and Microsoft? Of course no. There is in fact, considerable shrewdness going into the rise of Microsoft. In fact, corporate houses, as they grow, turn their attention towards betterment of society, in one or the other way. There are numerous examples to prove this, in the time gap between Carnegie Melon and Bill Gates. However, they are targeted at multiplication of business. An average American fully understands the implications of these corporate philosophies, and their implied meanings. For example, when cyber attacks started assuming alarming proportions, Bill Gates ordered a change in their corporate philosophy. It implied change in the approach of all software development. Now, instead of adding new features to the software, the focus was to be laid on protection of the software, because, Bill Gates argued, â€Å"In the past, we’ve made our software and services more compelling for users by adding new features and functionality, and by making our platform richly extensible . . . but all those great features won’t matter unless customers trust our software,† wrote Gates. â€Å"So now, when we face a choice between adding features and resolving security issues, we need to choose security. † ( Trustworthy computing, para 2) â€Å"Some of Microsoft’s perennial critics claim the initiative is long overdue, and question whether or not Microsoft will follow through on its promises, as the company could be forced to bear a reduction in the number of new features in its programs and significant new product delays. Some go further in arguing that such a massive security initiative cannot be undertaken without subjecting the Windows operating system source code to public domain — something the company has fought hard to avoid†. Writes an observer, in his opinion. ( Trustworthy computing, Para 4) What is true of Microsoft , is perhaps true of other companies also. An average American is well aware of the status of the company, and its capacity to deliver the promised goods, and is also right in judging the ethical behavior of a company. Conclusively it can be said that despite the tall claims made by the corporate philosophies, the average American of the ins and outs of that firm. References: 1) Trustworthy computing, Security and privacy deemed Microsoft’s top priorities, retrieved on 5 May 2009 from :

Analysis Of US International Trade Commission Decisions In Antidumping, Countervailing Duty And Safeguard Cases Essay

                 International trade commission Introduction                        International trade commission (ITC) is definite by US Legal as an independent quasi-judicial federal agency with broad investigative responsibilities on matters of trade. The agency mainly focuses on the investigation that surrounds the effects of dumped and subsidized imports on the domestic market and industries and conducts some global investigation with the aim of safeguarding. ITC also deals with the cases that deal with the imports violation of property rights (Knes). Thus, the system mainly deals with providing the rules that govern the international trade. History                     The issue of international trade and tariffs had a great impact on the United States economy in the late 19th century. This was because the country was experiencing unprecedented industrialization and expansive trade with partners beyond the borders. Through an act of 15th May, 1882 President Chester A. Arthur appointed a tariff commission under the Treasury to investigate the country’s economic activities and make recommendations on the tariff regulation. Another commission was appointed in 5th August 1909 pursuant to Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act, with the mandate collecting useful information that would help the government administer tariff laws. However, the commission was abolished in the mid-1912. A permanent solution was required on the issue of tariffs and international trade. The process to establish a tariff commission that would easily address international trade issues in the long term was started initiated in 1914, with the realization came in 1916 (Usitc.gov).                     The agency was formed by the US government, through the US congress, as an independent agency in the year 1916 and was named the Tariff Commission (Usitc.gov). The name of the agency was later changed to the United States international trade commission. The change was effected through section 171 of the Trade Act of 1974. The agency has three major elements in its mission that include: to administer US trade remedy laws within its mandate in a fair and an objective manner (Usitc.gov). The second element is to provide the president, and the congress with independent analysis, information, and support on matters of tariffs, international trade, and US competitiveness. Finally, the last element of the mission n relates to the maintenance of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).                   In this light, to achieve it mandates, the commission is run by six commissioners who are tasked with implementing the various regulations and duties mandated to the commission. The six commissioners are appointed by the president through the advice and the approval of the senate. The term of the commissioners is mainly a nine years term although the term might be shorter if a commissioner is appointed to refill an unexpired term (Usitc.gov). Mandate                     The commission was set to fulfill certain mandates that were very crucial to the American economy. Mainly, the commission has five major operations which are aimed at serving the commissions clients who are mainly external clients (Usitc.gov). The operations are import injury investigations, intellectual property-based import investigations, industry and economic analysis, tariff and trade information services and trade policy support.   Import injury                   This operation mainly regards the investigations that are undertaken to assess the antidumping and countervailing duty or subsidy. This operation is done in collaboration with the United States department of commerce. Although the investigations are done in collaboration, both institutions address different goals in these investigations (Usitc.gov). The department of commerce main focus is on establishing whether the occurrence of the dumping and subsidizing as well as the level of dumping and subsidizing amount. On the other hand, the commission aims at establishing whether the US economy and industries are threatened by the said dumping and subsidizing (‘US Federal Trade Commission Recommends Privacy Be Put At Heart Of Facial Recognition Tech’).                        Investigation on the import injury is prompted by the petitions that are filed by the US industries, who believe that the imports are sold in the US market at a price that is lower than the fair value. Prices lower than the fair value indicates dumping. Additionally, the industries petition against the imports that are advantaged in the sense that they enjoy counter available subsidies that are provided through the foreign government programs (Usitc.gov). The main reason for petitioning is because these acts make the marketing space unfair; thus the industries aim at leveling the playing field.                     If the decisions are arrived at by the both agencies are affirmative of the petitions laid to them by the industries petitioners, the commerce department issues an order to restrict this imports. The omission is also responsible for conducting investigations that relate to the global safeguards and market disruptions that may cause harm to the American industries (Usitc.gov). In effect, the commission makes recommendations to the president; these recommendations are aimed at offering remedy to the injury caused and facilitate industry adjustment to competition from outside products.   Intellectual Property Based Import Investigations                   The commission is highly involved in petitions regarding intellectual property rights. These petitions rate to patent and trademark infringements that are caused by imported goods. The investigation if successful results to a remedy that informs the customs prevent infringing imports from entering the boundaries (Usitc.gov). Furthermore, the commission may issue orders that bar those who are engaged in unfair acts from entering the country. According to a newspaper article written by Soder indicate that, â€Å"the commission has agreed to investigate whether 17 retailers — including big-name brands such as the Gap, American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch — are importing jeans made in a way that violates patents owned by RevoLaze LLC of Westlake.†   Industry and Economic Analysis                      The commission is also mandated with industrial and economic analysis task. This analysis is done by two offices that are: the Office of Industries and the Office of Economics (Usitc.gov). The commission offers this two offices technical support on economic matters (Pandit, Pg. 15). A good example is when the commission was requested by the US Senate Committee on Finance to investigate the effects of the digital trade in the US and the world economy in general (USITC, Pg. 1).                           The commission put the finding in three level tiers, where the findings were grouped as the firm level finding, industry level findings and economy level findings. The firm-level research was conducted on ten digital intensive industries (USITC, Pg. 32). The firms were questioned on the reason and the benefits they derived from using digital technology. The results of individual firms culminated to the results of the various industries. The economy wide findings summed the benefits of all the companies and industries and summarized them to general benefits (USITC, Pg. 33). This report gives a clear indication of the importance of the commission in providing the technical support to the various arms of government. Tariff and Trade Information Services                      The commission is also tasked with investigations that regarding tariffs. The United States economies practices some harmonized tariffs mechanism (Usitc.gov). Therefore, the commission makes recommendations regarding the modifications of the harmonized tariffs schedules so that to ensure the tariffs are in line with the World Custom Organization recommendations (Greenbaum et al., Pg. 160). A blog posted by Ngoriel indicates the commission conducted research to determine the hurdles that the US SMEs are facing when trading with the EU. The research findings indicate that the SMEs are facing various barriers that are unduly heavy on them when compared to the large companies. The commission made suggestion that the SMEs should be included in the trade negotiations between the US and the EU. Ngoriel indicated that, â€Å"among the challenges that were affecting the SMEs included high tariffs and inconsistent EU rules and testing mandates non-science-ba sed regulations, and a lack of harmonization between U.S. and EU standards.† Trade Policy Support                     The trade policy makers, both in the executive and the legislative branch of the government, source for the technical support from the commission (Usitc.gov). Additionally, the commission offers the government information on the various international trade issues through their various researches, briefings and meetings, and testimonies at the congressional hearings. Additionally, under this operation the commission is tasked with the work of making some final decisions on behalf the office of the president as well as drafting the President’s decrees and other documents (Usitc.gov). Benefits of the Commission to the US Economy                     The commission offers significant benefits to the United States economy. One, the commission offers noteworthy advantages to the country’s industries, especially when they are facing unfair competition from Imports. According the article published by V. James Adduci II and Tom M. Schaumberg in The American Corporate Counsel Magazine, the intellectual property owners have discovered the commission offers them an efficient and cost effective mechanism for protecting their rights (Caddel).                         In this regard, several jurisdictions around the globe have amended their laws and regulations in order to make them be congruent with the Act through which the Commission was founded. The Uruguay Round Agreements Act (â€Å"URAA†) amended its section 337 to make compliant with US international obligations (V. James Adduci II and Tom M. Schaumberg).                        In addition, the commission is helpful in establishing fair trading environment for the firms in the United States. According to Ngoriel, the commission improved the SMEs voice on the unfair treatment in their trading with the European Union. The commission affirmed the SMEs position on the high tariffs which the SMEs have to meet in their international trade operations (Usitc.gov). The commission emphasized on the need to incorporate the SMEs in any international trade negotiations with the United States trading partners.               Furthermore, the commission is essential in ensuring that the government is furnished with proper international trade information. This is done through research that is conducted by the commission and ultimately providing precise and accurate information that would guide the government to make proper decisions (Usitc.gov). A good example is the research that the commission conducted on behalf of the Senate (Bilmes). The research enabled the commission to make conclusive arguments regarding the impact of digital technology on the US firms, industries, and the economy as well as the world at large. Challenges Faced by the Commission                      The most significant challenge or difficult the difference of the trade laws among the various US trading partners. Some trade partners are very crucial to the running and success of the United States economy (Usitc.gov). Therefore, difficulty arises when the commission tries to harmonize the trading laws that govern the partners and the United States. This is seen in Caddel (Pg. 9) research paper, where the Caddel states that, â€Å"The Customs Court Act of 1980 created a special U.S. Court of International Trade with exclusive jurisdiction over appeals from the ITA and ITC. This act specifically provides standing for foreign companies and other domestic industries to challenge decisions and even allows the Court to hold hearings in foreign countries to ensure that foreign companies have the opportunity to respond. The result is a court that commonly rules against decisions of the ITA and ITC and maintains a rough balance between protectionism and free trade.†                     Additionally, although the commission is an independent institution, it faces some restriction in its operations. One the commission acts as an arbitration court for various issues it handles. After the commission makes a determination, the ruling is subjected to additional reviews by the US Court of Appeals (McDermott Will & Emery, Pg. 7). Moreover, all the determinations made by the commission are subjected to the presidential review. Although the presidential reviews are limited in scope by the public policy concerns, there have been a handful of instances when the commission recommendations and determinations have been rejected or overturned by the president (McDermott Will & Emery, Pg. 7). Also, the commission faces some challenges through political interference. Caddel (Pg 1) states that, â€Å"Research on the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent agency responsible for adjudicating AD/CVD claims, finds mixed evidence of po litical influence in these cases.† This demonstrates the political influence on the commission activities; the political influence is attributed to the congressional dominance. The congress influence is seen through its oversight powers over the commission (Caddel, 5). Recommendation to the Challenges                   The commission is very crucial to the running of the countries affairs in the international arena. Therefore, the government should work tirelessly to improve the trade relationship with its partners which will easily ease the operations the commission operation (Knes, Baldwin and Steagall). Due to the free trade agreements with partners like Canada and Mexico, the commission easily deals with these economies when dealing with trade harmonization operations (Knes). Moreover, the commission should be given a strong judicial framework that will earn the confidence of many individual, companies and economies. This judicial strength will enable the commission ruling to be taken as final, thus minimizing the appeals of the commission rulings. In effect, the consequential results will be an increase confidence in the commission. Conclusion                        The United States International Trade Commission is an important organ in the US economy and the relations with the global players. The commission has gone through significant metamorphosis that started in the late 19th century. The commission has increasingly been helpful in solving various issues that are face the United States industries. The commission has been in the forefront of protecting the economy’s players from unfair trade practices. References Adduci II, V. James Adduci II, and Tom M. Schaumberg. ‘Section 337 Offers Significant Advantages When Facing Unfair Competition From Imports | Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg LLP’. Adduci.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. Baldwin, Robert E, and Jeffrey W Steagall. Analysis Of US International Trade Commission Decisions In Antidumping, Countervailing Duty And Safeguard Cases. London: Centre for Economic Policy Research, 1994. Print. Bilmes, Jack. ‘Generally Speaking: Formulating An Argument In The US Federal Trade Commission’. Text & Talk – An Interdisciplinary Journal of Language, Discourse Communication Studies 28.2 (2008): 193-217. Web. Caddel, Jeremy. ‘Domestic Competition Over Trade Barriers In The US International Trade Commission’. International Studies Quarterly 58.2 (2013): 260-268. Web. Greenbaum, Noam et al. ‘Paleohydrology Of Extraordinary Floods Along The Swakop River At The Margin Of The Namib Desert And Their Paleoclimate Implications’. Quaternary Science Reviews 103 (2014): 153-169. Web. Knes, Michael. ‘U.S. International Trade Commission – Duties, Benefits’. Referenceforbusiness.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. Ngoriel,. ‘U.S. International Trade Commission Releases Report On How T-TIP Will Benefit Small Businesses’. Sba.gov. N.p., 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. Pandit, Ram. ‘US Trade Barriers And Import Price Of Canadian Softwood Lumber’. The International Trade Journal 23.4 (2009): 399-421. Web. Soder, Chuck. ‘U.S. International Trade Commission To Investigate If Retailers Are Importing Jeans Violating Revolaze Patents’. Crain’s Clevleand Business 2014. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. ‘US Federal Trade Commission Recommends Privacy Be Put At Heart Of Facial Recognition Tech’. Biometric Technology Today 2012.10 (2012): 1-2. Web. USITC,. Digital Trade In The U.S. And Global Economies, Part 2. 1st ed. United States International Trade Commission, 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. Usitc.gov,. ‘About The USITC | USITC’. Usitc.gov. N.p., 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. Usitc.gov,. ‘E-Discovery Limits — USITC Considers Proposal To Streamline Section 337Investigations’. Usitc.gov. N.p., 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. Source document

Superpower Has No Moral Duty to Intervene in Foreign Tyrannies

Lord Acton said â€Å"Power corrupts absolutely & absolute power corrupts absolutely. † And it is no wonder that super power corrupts superbly. Honourable panel of the jury, respected teachers & all my dear friends, and of course not to forget my worthy but disillusioned opponents, a very warm good afternoon to one & all. Nowadays the burning topic is whether superpower can involve in foreign affairs. Today I master Bright James George would like to speak against the motion ‘Superpower has a moral duty to intervene in foreign tyrannies. In this contemporary world, superpower has a habit which they call as a ‘moral intervention’. But I refer this as ‘poking their nose in other’s matter’. Since when the superpowers rose into this world, they found this intervention advantageous for them on the other hand harmful for others. I hope my opponents know that every members of United Nations has to abide to its policy. In December 1965, UN General Assembly had declared a policy stating that ‘no country has to intervene in whatsoever affairs of other countries. My opponents cannot turn a blind eye to these events: US-Vietnam war, Russia Chechnya Conflict. Is this what my opponents call these superpowers’ moral duty by violating the UN policies? You got to think twice, my friends. I fail to understand why my opponents believe in the so called moral duty of superpower intervention. Do superpowers know other country’s background, culture, tradition etc.? They know only a little and remember little knowledge is always dangerous. With a little knowledge how can they intervene in foreign tyrannies? It doesn’t sound good too either. When a country allows superpower to intervene in their tyrannies, it shows the incapability of the government to control that country. Moreover all the success of that country becomes the glory of the superpower. What a shame then! A country must stand on its own foot. It can only seek help in a very critical situation. My opponents should not forget that in this politically cut-throat competitive world, one never intervenes unless & until if he or she gets a profit out of it. Superpowers do the same. They only intervene in matters for amassing wealth & especially to quench the thirst of black water, that is, petroleum. It is no doubt that the motive of the Iraq war was to protect US economic interests- American access to gulf oil. Countries like the U. S. have misused its position as superpower says the global political scholar Francis Fukuyama claims â€Å"Twenty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the accepted end of the Cold War, the United States has misused its position as a superpower. † When President Bush sent US troops to Somalia in 1992, he cited a humanitarian reason: to feed the starving Somali Population. But paradoxically civil Order has broken down, and starvation was usedas a weapon against innocent people. The American troops were engaged in a manhunt for warlord Aideed. This led to ferocious fire fight on October 3, 1993 the search was in futile. Nothing substantial was accomplished. Only misery & sorrow. Percy Bysshe Shelly in his Queen Mab says, â€Å"Power, like a desolating pestilence, Pollutes whate’er it touches; and obedience, Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth, Makes slaves of men, and of the human frame A mechanized automaton. † According to me, â€Å"Superpower, like a destructing nuisance, Pollutes whate’er it intervenes. † For instance, the former Yugoslavia, the Serbs, Bosnians etc. fought for nationalism. But as the superpowers like Russia intervened for altruistic reasons, things became worse. The final result was the disintegration of Yugoslavia. U. S & China doesn’t give India permanent membership in UN General Assembly. France accepted, UK accepted. Why not the Americans & the Chinese? Just a mere fear of India becoming superpower and superpower becoming soft power. Afraid of India becoming superpower, the present superpower USA provides arms & ammunitions to Pakistan, so as to suppress India. However my obstinate opponents are still under the illusion of superpower intervention. Why superpower wants to involve in others matter, when they have problems like poverty, economic recession etc. in their country itself? To conclude, I would like to say â€Å"superpowers should not mess around with some other countries till theirs is in order. † Finally those who believe that ‘Superpower has a moral duty to intervene in foreign tyrannies’ I believe they live in the fool’s paradise. Thank you

The differences between Americas mass incarceration rates compared to Research Paper

The differences between Americas mass incarceration rates compared to one other country - Research Paper Example This essay compares US and Canada incarceration rate and the costs, in an attempt to provide viable recommendation on how the government should conduct its incarceration. Incarceration refers to the arrest of suspected criminals before their conviction and to confine them from the public. Incarceration in US was started as a security measure that aimed at safeguarding the public from potential criminals. The US imprisons many types of criminals including drug offenders and non-violent offenders. This situation is different in Canada as the government imprisons only those with high risk of violence. Statistics shows that the US has five times higher the rate of incarceration as compared to Canada. Approximately, the US incarcerates about 750 people per every 100 thousand which is much than the rate Canada which about 117 people per every 100 thousand individuals. In total, there are about 1.6 million prisoners in America. 90% of the prisoners in the US comprise young males at the age bracket of 20 to 30 years. In Canada, 70% of males of young age are in prison, and the rest is composed of women. By race, the percentage of blacks and Latinos in prison is much higher than that of the whites. Per every 100 thousand people in US, 3,074 blacks, 1258 Latinos are imprisoned while only 459 whites are victims (Cox, 2012). This is different in Canada where the ratio of whites to blacks in prison is fairly balanced. From the statistics, it is clear that the incarceration rate is much higher in US and more biased than the case in Canada. Evidently, the US spends a lot in maintaining their prisons as compared to Canada. Many scholars have come up to criticize the hefty spending of the US in maintaining prisons. The average cost of maintaining a prisoner is between $20 thousand and $30 thousand each year. Canada prisoner maintenance cost is much lower by 30%, which ensure that the nation spends little on incarceration. This shows that the US

Based on the appropriate texts (Corcyra, The Trojan Women, The Clouds, Essay

Based on the appropriate texts (Corcyra, The Trojan Women, The Clouds, The Republic, Gaugamela), define the three or so most important changes (or phenomena) in the Greek world in the period - Essay Example The philosophies that were a part of the changes of this time began with an understanding of the several gods that were a part of the culture. This began to alter with several philosophies and debates that were a part of the time period. One of the ways that this can be seen is through â€Å"The Republic† by Plato. The beginning part of this book shows the debate between several religious principles and morals, as well as how these contradicted ideas in society. Socrates, throughout this book, represents the new thought, which includes an understanding of justice, happiness and a questioning of morals and truth. This is opposed to other characters, such as Glaucon, who show the old ideas in society and how they no longer work with functioning in society. For instance, in an opening debate, Socrates and Glaucon begin to debate over the different concepts of wealth and how this can lead to justices or injustice. Glaucon states, â€Å"If, Socrates, we are to be guided at all ana logy of the preceding instances, than justice is the art which gives good to friends and evil to enemies† (Plato, 42). These types of debates would move through the religious concepts of justice as well as how they pertained to society, specifically to determine new types of morals that were being looked into during this time frame. While this particular concept was seen from one viewpoint, it could also be noted that the debates with morals and philosophies appeared to have more tensions in society. For instance, â€Å"The Clouds† by Aristophanes, is based on the works of Plato and specifically with the ideologies that Socrates represents. The play begins with the son Strepsiades, who is devoted to go to the school of Socrates, known as the Thinkery. This becomes a debate when Strepsiades sees goddesses and representations of clouds, which come to tell him truth outside of the Thinkery. This becomes the main conflict of the

Online Auction Fraud Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Online Auction Fraud - Research Paper Example After the invention of the computer, various networks were made to ensure the computers were able to communicate with each other. As time progressed, developments were achieved in the application of the internet in business transactions but the systems in place were not in a capacity to handle all the needs. This provided loopholes for the commission of internet crimes by criminals, as they would hide the identity while undertaking their attacks thus leaving limited evidence of themselves. In mid-1990’s, the internet frauds had increased to alarming rates and researches on the causes of the rapid growth and how it could be curbed were conducted. During the period towards the end of the twentieth century, the â€Å"dot.com† era, which was manifested by increased use of internet by organizations and people, resulted in increase of internet fraud. Due to the continuous technological advancement, the internet frauds have been on the increase with the current number of fraud s being around three times those conducted in mid-1990. There are two types of internet fraud namely offline and online. In offline fraud, the criminal usually steal personal data mostly financial and use it to make transactions. In the online fraud, criminals pose as esteemed institution and thus receive personal data, which they illegally use to make transaction. Some of the commonly used internet fraud include international modem dialer, investment schemes, fake legal schemes, market manipulation; work at home schemes, pharming, phishing, auction, and online shopping. This paper seeks to give an in-depth analysis of auction internet fraud. Online Auction Fraud Due to the continuous technological development, the internet has provided a platform in which direct interaction of the buyer and the seller is not necessary for a transaction to be effectively completed. Criminal have used advantage of this where they misrepresent a product advertised for sale through the internet auction site, fail to deliver the item, or deliver an item but not as specified by the customer after receiving all the money as stipulated in their agreement with the customers. This is usually defined as online auction fraud. To avoid one being a victim of such activities, it is often advisable to undertake a business transaction with companies or individuals one is well conversant with, clearly understand the contract terms, read the privacy policy and use the most secure means of remitting personal information (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2006). Methods of victimization Since the internet auction process involves bidding by the interested parties, some people use this opportunity to victimize their target customers. Some of the most commonly used victimization methods include: Non-delivery- this usually occurs when one puts an item for bid whereas no such item exists. Therefore, despite the customer satisfying all the conditions set, he will never get the item (Anon, 2009.). During the transaction, the sellers get the financial details of the customer and thus may use them to exploit him/her further. Misrepresentation- this is mainly executed by altering the actual details of an item in order to win a customer. In most cases, the images are used since they can easily be manipulated. Triangulation- this is somehow technical and involves a person buying something from an online seller using stolen details.  

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Statment - Essay Example He will show his likes and dislikes by reaching out, laughing and smiling, or discarding objects, crying, becoming stiff, agitated and hot. He cries to indicate discomfort or hunger. James has some sense of cause and effect. Along with the development of his logical thinking, his ability to anticipate events is also developing. Recent assessment has shown that he is functioning securely at level P2(i) of the level underpinning the National Curriculum. James daily life must follow a regular routine in order to allow him anticipate the next event in his day. He is touch dependent in the sense that holding an object allows him to gain and understand information about his environment. Although sometimes shy, James warms up to adults who show him support in his learning endeavours. He eagerly participates in activities for at least 20 minutes when surrounded by familiar adults. This sense of familiarity prevents him for participating in large and noisy groups thus limiting his self-occupation skills. James is a social person who enjoys the company of other people. He is always aware of familiar adults and enjoys one on one interaction activities with them. James has been observed to turn his head towards familiar adults who talk to him and respond positively to them by gesturing and smiling, sometimes he also uses vocalizing techniques in order to communicate with them. Due to James limited movement control caused by his cerebral palsy, he is unable to sit, stand, or walk without support. Therefore he constantly needs to be assisted in all his activities. These activities include changing his clothes and maintaining his body positions. He is totally dependent on those around him for mobility as he is wheelchair bound and must use leg gaiters when walking. James upper body suffered most of the effects of cerebral palsy which is why he finds it hard to reach for items

Legislative and Executive Powers Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Legislative and Executive Powers - Coursework Example ess the emotionally-fueled anger of the people because of the impending threats by extremists groups allowed Congress to pass a bill that was not well-planned in a relatively short time. The Patriot Act was passed only 45 days after the 9/11 attacks to provide a solution to the breach in national security. Many regard this law as a legal means for the government to spy on virtually any person. The wide reach of the law allows surveillance of private individuals that extends to their phone conversations, internet communications and even bank transactions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is granted the power to National Security Letters known as NSLs without judicial intervention which allows them access to the mentioned personal information. Those issued with NSLs have ‘gag orders’ prohibiting them to disclose (American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU], 2011). Several courts have declared this provision to be unlawful. A San Francisco federal district court judge st ruck down as unconstitutional the provisions of the law in this regard last year on an action brought by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (Sledge, 2013). Sledge, C. (2013, Mar. 15). National security letter gag orders struck down as unconstitutional (Update). The Huffington Post. Retrieved from

Android Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Android - Essay Example e open handset alliance can be characterised as a consortium of telecommunication companies aimed at promoting the open standards of mobile technology. Incidentally, the first mobile device using the android technology was the HTC dream which was unleashed in the year 2008(Davis &Guy, 74). On the contrary, the android user interface uses the basic concept of direct manipulation. Furthermore, with the aid of touch input which are made to resemble the real world actions for instance the swiping, tapping among other techniques to control the objects visible in the screen of the device. Moreover, other additional internal hardware is used by some android applications to act appropriately based on the user’s requirement for instance the adjusting of the screen depending on the screens orientation(Gookin &Dan, 69). Apparently, some of these internal hardware components include the accelerometer, gyroscopes among other components that are supported by the android technology. Moreover , the android technology allows the user to customize the home screen with the aid widgets which enable the display of live contents for instance the weather among other information. In addition, the android operating system also relays relevant information to the user for instance new text messages and email among other important notifications(Davis &Guy, 39). However, it is worth noting that the android system is not only used in mobile phones only but also in game consoles and television sets thus has a wide application. Essentially, in android systems, MVC is deficient but the system encompasses the following instead. First and foremost, the user defines the user interface in a variety of XML files on the basis of resolution, hardware or any other characteristic. In addition, the user also defines the resource in a variety of XML file on the basis of the locale(Toly, 74). Thirdly, the user extends classes for instance the listactivity, tabactivity and puts into consideration the XML

Motivational Factor at Tesco Essay Example for Free

Motivational Factor at Tesco Essay These theories concentrate of the benefits and importance of motivation, however researcher found it necessary for this research to consider that as it is mentioned by Vercueil, 2001 incorrectly implemented motivation management causes a harmful affect on the employees. Watt, 1998 refers to Anon saying that in the past motivation could be identifies as a way to make people want what we want and differs it from manipulation that makes individuals do what we want. However today as it mentioned by Bruce and Pepitone, 1999 modern employees are much more sophisticated and are in search for a greater satisfaction from the job they are doing. Artificial reward or money alone are nor enough. Therefore modern organisations need to learn and understand human nature as it indicates why people in these case employees behave in a particular manner. Managers need to motivate the employee leading to a grater working performances and mainly managers have to understand their employees needs and their life organization in order to meet the employees expectations and motivate ones performance more efficiently. Staff retention is a significant element of every successful business. It is characterized by the employees desire to sustain in the organization and continuing contribution to the business. In times of economic crisis more and more individuals have to stay at their jobs even if conditions are not favorable due to a risk of being unable to provide for a family. However more and more individuals are raising the importance of staff motivation management. Organizations today have realized that a modern employee needs to be rightly motivated and encouraged, not only money wise, to ensure staff retention. Motivation is a force that stimulates people to perform an action. Therefore motivation is a force which compel people go to their work every day and that is why people bring improvement in themselves to satisfy the desire of becoming or accomplishing what they have set out to become or accomplish in their life. More over with motivation any complicated situation can be converted into a simple and learning experience. In his research Watt, 2003 also states that managers must understand that individuals want to be treated fairly and have equal opportunities to advance. He highlights the problem of motivation today. Often organizations do not recognize that the motivation management requires different approaches depending on the industry sectors. The problem of motivation and staff performance as it is stated by Green et al, 1999 might stay undetected, hidden and unresolved by the managers. Therefore managers often don’t realize that it is important not only to appeal to the individual’s intellect but to their hearts as well. Green et all, 1999 also identifies three main problems for motivation: Lack of confidence Lack of trust Lack of satisfaction Well designed and implemented motivation strategy leads to employee’s retention therefore employee’s loyalty. Loyalty is a significant and vital part of any organization. As it is mentioned by Daft and Marcic, 2011 management should learn to allow all it s employees make a contribution and use its talents and potential in order to progress and improve their skills. This sort of motivation creates employees retention and ensures ones constant grow and contribution to the company. TK MAXX has a well developed reward and development management. Organization believes that its people should be growing as well as the business. From the first time the employee joins the company organization provides a comprehensive induction programs and ensures that whether it is about moving up the career ladder, learning and development of new skills or gaining experience working in different countries there are plenty of available opportunities for the employees. Company has a strong rewards and benefits system, pension scheme, holidays, private healthcare and voluntary benefits as a part of its employee motivation and ensures of employees happiness and satisfaction. All this provides companies growth and efficient performances with a high rate of employee’s retention. Researcher believes that T. K. Max is a real example of a right motivation management. Organization aims at ensuring satisfaction of its employees and at the same time ensures a solid growth and development for the business. Therefore the researcher wanted to examine the motivation strategies used by T. K. Max and analyze its effect on the employees. 1. 3. The Company Background The organization that we have chosen for our research is one of the most successful retailers in the market today. T. K. Max management in the Uxbridge branch were excited and happy to participate in our research and granted us with a permission to use the organization’s name in this investigation. T-K Maxx is a chain of clothing and accessories stores. The company was launched in 1994. It is a subsidiary of TJX Companies Inc. (TJXtra, JUNE 2010) TK MAXX always aimed to deliver frequently changing and best quality products at a price which is 20-60% less than other department and specialty stores regular prices. TK MAXX has label of â€Å"Always up to 60% less† and has target customers who is middle to upper-middle income shopper. But simultaneously who are fashion and value conscious. T. K. MAXX is now 7th largest fashion retailer in the U. K. It introduced the off price concept in the UK and it is now the only major off-price retailer in Europe. It was operating in UK and Ireland. Later on T. K. Maxx opened first stores in Germany in 2007 and also entered in Poland in 2009 (TJXtra, JUNE 2010) The reason why we the researcher choose TK-Maxx as an organization is its market share and the enormous global scale that it’s operate. Having its unique position in UK market T. K.

Computer Based Information Systems Information Technology Essay

Computer Based Information Systems Information Technology Essay Introduction Information systems are applied within an organisation or a business in order to improve effectiveness or efficiency within that organisation. One of the key reasons in which adding information systems to the business improves effectiveness and efficiency is because it enables employees to perform tasks, in which without the assistance of Information systems, results may be in accurate or it could take longer to complete tasks, for example, performing calculations is made easier by simply adding the correct formula, or analysing vast amount of data, all these tasks mentioned are performed more constructively with the aid of information systems. Each organisation can adapt a computer based information system to meet its needs and requirements, therefore they are not limited in which they are designed to have maximum benefit to the organisation. Computer information systems use a uniquely designed system in order to allow the organisation to organise their files and categorize data. Management theories relating to computer based information systems Borje Langefors Borje Langefors has had a big impact on information systems, he was the individual he created special emphasis on administrative data processing. Borje was able to indentify how computer based information systems can implement and meet the needs of organisations and their staff. Goodhue Thompson: Task Technology fit The task technology fit theory is used to explain the way that computer based information systems help to accomplish the demands of the task provided by the organization. The TTF, basis its theory on the fact that technology or computer based information systems will increase the performance of the business due to the fact that it helps and supports people within that organisation to complete the requirements for a task which has been set by a manager. Fred Davis: Technology Acceptance Model The technology acceptance model is a theory that shows how organizations can accept technology within their business, by accepting and using the technology this enables them to increase effectiveness and efficiency within their organisation. This theory basis its idea on the fact that when a person is presented with technology there are a number of different aspects that affect how and when they will use the computer based information systems. Fredrick Davis, split the theory into two different definitions, Perceived Usefulness and perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness. This was defined by Fred Davis as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance. Perceived ease of use, Davis defined this as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free from effort (Davis, 1989). (Expert systems in business and finance Paul R. Watkins and Lance B Eliot) F Taylor Taylor was the founder of scientific management; this adopted a different approach in which a task is completed within a business. Taylors theory adopts a scientific approach when managing a company. His quest to resolve the cause of low efficiency and increase effectiveness in an industry resulted in a conclusion that the ineffectiveness was primarily caused by the poor order and system of the management techniques. Therefore this theory relates to computer information based systems, because managers now use computers and other information systems in order to ensure that staff are receiving the support they need in order to reach maximum efficiency. However one of the disadvantages of computer based systems for managers, is that they need to send their staff on training days to ensure successful use of the systems, and leave no room for errors to occur, this therefore can be expensive for a company to do, and also time consuming in terms of whilst the employee is on training they ar e unable to complete attend work full time during that duration and a cover needs to be arranged. Computer based information systems Computer based information systems are used by managers within an organisation in order to increase productivity at that company and also maximise efficiency. CBI can be advantageous in many ways, for example a computer is able to collect and analyse more data than an average human, in which you as a manger are already saving time. Another way that it is advantageous, is that for example managers in supermarkets use computer based information systems such as barcode scanners, this is used for security and to monitor stock, therefore this is a effective way of knowing how much stock there is and how much has been sold. Expert system An expert system is a system that is used in order to perform a task that would have been completed by a human. Expert systems base their results on data that has been entered by the user, and provides a solution for that specific problem. The expert system acts like an interpreter between the user and the information systems, therefore you are able to manage the input and output of the data entered into the system. Advantages An advantage to using expert system is that it eliminates room for error, therefore the computer will not make the mistake that a human may make whilst analysing data, or calculating specific data, therefore this ensures the manager that results are accurate. Disadvantage However a particular disadvantage to this is that if the person using the system has entered the wrong data, or has made a mistake whilst using the system, then this can cause the whole data/result to be inaccurate. Data warehouse Data warehousing is a system that combines data from a range of different sources and generates a database that is easier to analyse and read. This is beneficial to managers when they want to establish certain trends occurring, as they are able to collect vast data and create an end result of one database with all the information necessary. It provides a over view of all the data that is collected. Advantages An advantage to managers from this type of system is that, there are no limitations in terms of, information can be gathered from a number of different sources available and it will convert them all into one database. This is therefore beneficial when a manager is trying to establish a certain trend, it helps them create strategic plans based on results gathered from data warehousing throughout a period of time. Disadvantages One of the main disadvantages for data warehousing is the cost, it is expensive for many companies to afford them. Other disadvantages include the complexity of the systems, therefore for example adding new data or waiting for the result of data can take time. Customer Related management Customer related management is a strategy that is used to help a organisation to manage the relationship with their customers in order to improve customer satisfaction and increase profits. This system is beneficial to the managers because it allows the whole organisation to have some contact with the customers whether it is direct or indirect. For example the manager/centre of a call centre uses CRM for their staff, because it gathers data about potential customers/callers and automatically the system generates different numbers gathered, the employees then gather the data from the number dialled, and the data is then sent to other departments to be analysed and stores. This is one example in which CRM can operate. Advantages Managers are able to benefit from this system because it ensures that profit margins are increased due to the fact that there is more interaction with the customers, therefore the organisation is able to understand the needs of the customer and meet their demands. This also leads to customer loyalty to the organisation for the service provided; this is due to the fact that the company is aware what the customer requires because of the interaction through CRM. Disadvantages CRM can be complex to install within the organisation, therefore small businesses do not install the CRM systems within their company. Another disadvantage is that many employees are not initially aware of benefits of the using the system, therefore a manager may face with conflict from staff which they have to resolve, this could ideally done through offering interactive training in order to identify the benefits of CRM, as well as time consuming this could potentially be expensive for the organisation. Enterprise Resource planning Enterprise resource planning is a system that is used in order to combine all of the organisations departments and functions into one overall system that acquires the needs of each department. It inter connects all the departments to work together in order to make decision making easier, for example human resources department provides all the information on employees payroll, pay slips ect, whilst the finance department provides the data of costs, profits, budgets, ect therefore each department communicates in order to create on successful system. This benefits the manager because it makes it easier for them to manage the business, it all saves them time because for example the system processes the order the same time for example that payment therefore the finance department immediately communicates with the warehousing department where the product is collected or delivered. Advantages One of the main advantages of the system and the aspect that the manager benefits from the most is due to the fact that each separate department cannot access another department in order to change any aspects of a transaction, therefore once a certain task is completed by a department they are unable to undo that function, in which a manager will have to oversee the potential problem and therefore resolve the situation as they please, this is beneficial because it gives the manager control within the organisation. Disadvantages One of the main disadvantages of enterprise resource planning is that, staff need adequate training in order to be able to use and handle the data effectively, many companys do not operate a successful policy protecting the data and how it is used, therefore this can lose customer trust and loyalty. Another main disadvantage is that the system needs to be maintained by professional personnel in which this costs more money as more staff need to be hired, this therefore increases the costs associated with using the system. Conclusion There are a wide variety of computer based information systems that are available to managers to use. Different systems are used for different purposes depending on the type of organisation and the purpose of the organisation, for example a manager at a non profit organization or a government agency will use different computer based information systems to gather and analyse their data for their specific purpose, compared to a manager at business that is profiting such as Tesco. Tesco uses information systems in order to gain data from their customer to analyse what products are more popular amongst customers. Whereas a non profit organization or a government agency will need to collect data from random members of the public in order to collate and analyse a vast variety of information therefore it is more generic. The main benefit of using computer based information systems, for the manager is that it allows them to analyse a whole range of data in which through this they can analyse positive factors and negative factors about the business, this therefore allows them to identify possible problems in which they are able to improve, this ultimately results in improved efficiency and effectiveness within the business. In which the manager can effectively increase the net profit of the organisation due to organised data provided through computer based information systems. However one of the main problems that I noticed that managers face through most of the systems, is the cost associated with applying the system effectively, therefore before a certain system is applied it is vital for a manager to outline the positive and negative factors of using the system, and to carefully decide if the organisation profits from using such a system or if the company can do without it. WORD COUNT: 2081 Bibliography http://sigs.aisnet.org/SIGHCI/amcis02_minitrack/RIP/Dishaw.pdf ACCESSED 25/02/2011 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5785/is_200910/ai_n42858812/ ACCESSED 28/02/2011 http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1189471 ACCESSED 28/02/2011 http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/g/crm.htm ACCESSED 28/02/2011 http://www.nowsell.com/marketing-guide/technology-acceptance-model.html ACCESSED -29/02/2011 http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/scientific/ ACCESSED 29/02/2011 http://www.management-hub.com/information-management-advantages.html ACCESSED 29/02/2011 http://www.whamtech.com/adv_disadv_dw.htm ACCESSED 29/02/2011 book: Expert systems in business and finance Paul R. Watkins and Lance B Eliot book: Boddy, D. (2008) Management: An Introduction (4th Ed). Harlow: Pearson Education. Book: Hannagan, T. (2008) Management: Concepts and Practices (5th Ed). Harlow: Pearson Education.

The Rich Diversity of Meanings of the Pardoners Tale Essay -- Pardone

The Rich Diversity of Meanings of the Pardoner's Tale Chaucer’s innovation in the Pardoner’s performance tests our concept of dramatic irony by suggesting information regarding the Pardoner’s sexuality, gender identity, and spirituality, major categories in the politics of identity, without confirming that information. Our presumed understanding of the Pardoner as a character lacks substantiation. As we learn about the Pardoner through the narrator’s eyes and ears, we look to fit the "noble ecclesiaste" (l. 708) into the figure shaped by our own prejudices and perceptions, as any active reader must do. But the Pardoner, ever aware of his audience, does not offer clear clues to his personality. This break between what the other characters say about the Pardoner and what the Pardoner says about himself has been a major source of tension for all readers of the Tales and especially critics who search for substantiation of their views beyond the Chaucer’s own language. The general tone of the Canterbury Tal es is comic. After all, the pilgrims are traveling to the shrine St. Thomas Beckett in a public act of holy reverence, but the Tales take a darker turn when the Pardoner is brought to the foreground. The whole Canterbury Tales is a collected set of performances, stories told about telling stories. As Joseph Ganim has written, theatricality, by which he means "a governing sense of performance, an interplay among the author’s voice, his fictional characters, and his immediate audience," is "a paradigm for the Chaucerian poetic" (5). This paper shall endeavor to show that the major effect of the Pardoner’s presence in the Tales is to focus the reader’s attention to questions of performance and performativity, literary perception, ... ...University of California Press, 1988. Lochrie, Karma; McCracken, Peggy; Schultz, James A. Editors. Constructing Medieval Sexuality. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1997. McAlpine, Monica E. â€Å"The Pardoner’s Homosexuality and How It Matters.† Geoffrey Chaucer’s The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. Ed. by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. pp. 103-124. Nevo, Ruth. â€Å"Chaucer: Motive and Mask in the General Prologue.† Geoffrey Chaucer’s The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. Ed. by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. pp. 9-20. Ross, Thomas W. Chaucer’s Bawdy. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1972. Sedgewick, G. G. â€Å"The Progress of Chaucer’s Pardoner, 1880-1940.† Chaucer: Modern Essays in Criticism. Ed. by Edward Wagnknecht. New York: Oxford University Press, 1959. pp. 126-158.

welfare reform :: essays research papers

divorced, deserted, and minority mothers and their children. Few private and government retirement pensions existed in the United States before the Great Depression. The prevailing view was that individuals should save for their old age or be supported by their children. About 30 states provided some welfare aid to poor elderly persons without any source of income. Local officials generally decided who deserved old-age assistance in their community. The emphasis during the first two years of President Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" was to provide work relief for the millions of unemployed Americans. Federal money came to the states pay for public works projects, which employed the jobless. Some federal aid also directly assisted needy victims of the Depression. The states, however, remained mainly responsible for taking care of the unemployables (widows, poor children, the elderly poor, and the disabled). But states and private charities, too, were unable to keep up the support of these people at a time when tax collections and personal giving were declining steeply. In his State of the Union Address before Congress on January 4, 1935, President Roosevelt said â€Å"the time has come for action by the national government" to provide "security against the major hazards and vicissitudes [uncertainties] of life." He went on to propose the creation of federal unemployment and old-age insurance programs. He also called for guaranteed benefits for poor single mothers and their children along with other dependent persons. By permanently expanding federal responsibility for the security of all Americans, Roosevelt believed that the necessity for government make-work employment and other forms of Depression relief would disappear. In his address before Congress, Roosevelt argued that the continuation of government relief programs was a bad thing for the country: â€Å"lessons of history, confirmed by the evidence immediately before me, show conclusively that continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber. To dole out relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit . . ..† A few months later, on August 18, 1935, Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. It set up a federal retirement program for persons over 65, which was financed by a payroll tax paid jointly by employers and their workers. FDR believed that federal old-age pensions together with employer-paid unemployment insurance (also a part of the Social Security Act) would provide the economic security people needed during both good and bad times.

Essay --

NO UNICORNS PLZ...I mean Uniforms XD Imagine that you wake up in the morning and you have to go to school. You put on the same clothes that you were wearing yesterday and walk to school. You open the door and you see a million people, all wearing the same exact outfit as you. It feels just like yesterday and the day before that. That is what everyday would be like if our school had uniforms. I know that many kids in public schools are against having uniforms in school. I also agree because I think that uniforms are a commitment, they don’t allow you to express yourself as freely, and they are boring and drab. Normally, when you get home from school you sit down and do your homework. Not anymore! You have to give your clothes to your parents so they can wash them or you have to wash them yourself. Â  This takes time away from your homework. One reason why we shouldn’t have uniforms is they are a big commitment for both the students and their parents. Everyday when you get home from school, your parents have to wash your uniforms so you can wear them the next day. Your mom or dad might have better things to do than wash your clothes every afternoon. Also, your parents have to purchase your uniforms. Usually, the uniforms aren’t cheap, but you have to buy them anyway, even if you are graduating that year. On top of that, you have other clothes that you could wear. When you are wearing the same dirty clothes over and over again, you have nice, clean clothes in your closet that you can’t wear to school. If you just bought a ton of new clothes for back to school, then you figure out that your school is having uniforms, you would have just wasted a lot of money. Those are some of the reasons why I think uniforms are a big commitment. ... ...y and every new school day will seem different and exciting. Also, as I said before, it would be hard to find your friends. When you walk into a busy room, you can’t see your friends and they are in uniforms so, they could be anywhere! Without uniforms, people can easily locate their friends by the clothes they wear. Although, with uniforms, you are lost in a sea of people trying to find your people who are wearing the same thing as everyone else. That is why I think uniforms are boring and plain. So, I think that uniforms are a very big commitment, they don’t allow students to express themselves, and they are boring. All of these are reasons why I strongly believe that schools shouldn’t require students to wear uniforms. I really think that uniforms will just cause more problems for students and their parents. So, would you want your school to have uniforms or not?

What If Rizal Was Not Exciled

In July 1982 Jose Rizal was exiled as prisoner in Dapitan. When he arrived in Dapitan, he found it to be a sleepy little town. He thought of ways and means to make it clean, beautiful, and modern. With the help of his friend, father Sanchez, he made a map of Mindanao in front of the church. The map was made up of stones, earth, and grass and it serves as adornment that makes the town plaza beautiful. He and Father Sanchez, together with the citizens, had erected a lamp post in every corner of Dapitan.By stroke of luck, he won six thousand pesos from lottery ticket and he spent the amount in Dapitan. Modern agriculture implements were taken and transmitted from the United State and he taught the farmers how to use them. He bought sixteen hectares of land along the bay where he himself built a little house. He had become a farmer who himself worked hard, toiled, and happy in planting coffee and cacao and from 800 to 1,000 coconuts. (Retana, 1907) As a doctor, Rizal was aware of a wide spread of malaria due to mosquito bites.In order to get rid of malaria, he drained the swap where mosquitoes were staying. He also directed the construction of water system to have potable water for the town. (Retana, 1907) As a scientist, he collected, with the help of his pupils, different kinds of species of insects, birds, snakes, butterflies, shells, and plants which he sent, for purposes of identification, to Museum of Dresden in Europe. As payment of these species, Director A. B. Meyer sent him scientific books and journals, artificial eyes, microscopes, and surgical instruments since he did not accept money.He also discovered three rare specimens of animals that were named in his honor by European scientist, these were: Draco rizali which is a small lizard know as a flying dragon; Apogania rizali a rare kind of beetle; and the Rhacophorus rizali, a peculiar frog species. Rizal was also an inventor although he was not as inventive wizard as Thomas Edison. He invented a cigare tte lighter which he called Sulpakan. The lighter used a compressed air mechanism. He sent it as a gift to his friend, Dr. Blumentritt. He also invented a wooden machine for making bricks which can produce about 6,000 bricks per day. Bantug, 1946; Craig ,1957; Kalaw 1930; Zaide, 1984) Rizal put up a school where he himself was a teacher. There were formal classes conducted from two to five o clock in the afternoon. His students, all of them were seventeen who were sons of leading citizens in Dapitan, had learned from him Arithmetic, Geometry, and two languages, English and Spanish. (Craig, 1927) It was in Dapitan where he treated the eyes of her mother and he succeeded because her mother’s eyes were cured temporarily. Upon request of his mother when she returned in Manila after Rizal had treated her eyes, Rizal wrote a poem entitled My Retreat.Critics had agreed that this poem was the most profound and noble he ever composed, but, it was only second to My Last Farewell. (Reta na) George Taufer an American from Hong Kong proceded to Dapitan to have his eyes treated by Rizal. Mr. Taufer was accompanied by two young women, Josephine Bracken and Manuela Orlac. Rizal and Josephine met every time Mr. Taufer had scheduled for treatment. Because of their meetings, Rizal and Josephine fell in love with each other and they intended to get married. Rizal asked the Dapitan priest but the priest told him to secure permission to marry Josephine from Bishop of Cebu.However, upon learning about the marriage, Mr. Taufer attempted to cut his own throat but was prevented by Rizal by holding his two wrists. Mr. Taufer also became temporarily insane because he would loss Josephine if he married Rizal. When Mr. Taufer went back in Manila, Josephine went along with him in order to avoid tragedy. Josephine did not go to Hongkong when Mr. Taufer proceeded there. Josephine retured in Dapitan and there, Rizal and Josephine lived together like man and wife. (Russel & Rodriguez, 192 3) If Rizal was not exiled in Dapitan the forgoing events and circumstances could not have happened.Dapitan would still be sleepy little town because it was Rizal who had awaken it. Illnesses of malaria and diarrhea are prevalent because swamp would not have drained and there will no potable water, respectably. The implements for agriculture are not modern because Rizal could no have won 6,000 pesos in lottery ticket and therefore modern agricultural implement could not have been taken from the United States. There is nothing in Europe specifically in Museum of Dresden that a Filipino people can be proud of as of today because Rizal could not have sent more than 400 articles of scientific value.The European scientist could not have praise Rizal because he could not have discovered the three rare specimens of animals. In fact, the European scientist, as token of appreciation to Rizal, had named rare specimen the rare specimen in his honor. In effect, even in Europe Rizal is being rec ognize to be a science because of his discovery and collection of different specimen of animals and plants. He could not even be an inventor for having invented a lighter and a wooden machine for making bricks because if he is in Manila, he would be very active in reforming the friars through peaceful means.If Rizal did not meet Josephine in Dapitan, the retraction issue will not exist. To allow Rizal to marry Josephine, the Spaniards wanted Rizal to sign the retraction document which contain that he is denouncing all the books and articles that he had written against catholic religion; and he had regain his faith in catholic religion. However controversy arises because some believe that Rizal signs it and so he married Josephine Bracken. Others said that his signature was not genuine and he did not marry Josephine Bracken.If Rizal was incarcerated in Fort Santiago, his movement is limited to his prison cell. Instead of being a farmer, scientist, and inventor, his attention and work s would be focus in La Liga Filipina by writing about the abuses of friars and the reforms he wanted to undergo in governance by Spanish officials in the Philippines. (he is very accessible to he could still be imprisoned in Fort Santiago where his movement is confined in a prison cell. He could have been easily approached and consulted by Filipinos who wanted to stage uprising against Spanish government.If he was in Manila, he could have easily noticed the mistakes and mistreatments being done by the Spaniards to the Filipinos and therefore, he could have expressed his oppositions to these mistreatments. If Rizal was not exiled in Dapitan he could not have met Josephine whom he wanted to marry. Retraction controversy on Rizal regarding whether he became a catholic again or not could not have been an issue because the main reason why Rizal wanted to return in his religion is because he wanted to marry Josephine.La Liga Filipina which he was actively involved could not be dormant. La Liga Filipina is a group which is derived from La Solidaridad and the Propaganda Movement. When Jose Rizal got exiled in Dapitan the Organization La Liga Filipina became inactive and later on split into two, the conservative had formed the Cuerpo de Compromisarios and the Radical which is led by Andres Bonifacio had formed the secret group named the Katipunan. The La Liga Filipina would have still existed if Rizal was still n Manila because he would have continued his active participation as reformist to correct and reform the misadministration being conducted by the Spanish officials as well as the misdemeanor of friars in the Philippines. ) http://joserizal. info/Biography/man_and_martyr/chapter13. htm http://joserizal. info/Biography/man_and_martyr/chapter14. htm http://www. mb. com. ph/node/236170/hero-exile-remembered http://agham. asti. dost. gov. ph/1st/rizalnat. htm http://joserizal. info/Reflections/retraction. htm

Has the Impact of 9/11 Been Baneful or Beneficial?

2013-02-0108 Bilal Syed Critical Issues in Pakistan’s foreign policy 13th October 2012 Has the impact of 9/11 been baneful or beneficial to Pakistan’s security environment? Analyze. The second year of the new millennium was witness to an event which might have perhaps altered the geo-political structure of the world and gave birth to a whole new phenomenon, one, which has been directing foreign policy affairs of the world for almost a decade now.This event comprised the four terrorist attacks on United States soil, on September the eleventh, 2001, in which hijacked planes crashed into the twin towers of the world trade centre, the Pentagon and one fell short of its target in Shanksfield Pennsylvania. These events gave birth to the â€Å"war on terror†, which has not only affected the United States but a lot of other countries as well, especially Pakistan, who had a prominent geo strategic location in the vicinity of the battle grounds for this war. This war has h ad both positive and negative effects on the security and general stability of Pakistan.This essay will try to discern these effects and establish whether in the long run, the impact of 9/11 has been baneful or beneficial to Pakistan’s security environment. Firstly, the positive impacts of the war on terror will be considered. Since the perpetrators of the attacks were considered to be hiding in Afghanistan, all the surrounding countries in the region became important strategic partners of the United States and its allies. Pakistan, perhaps the most influential since it had a long history of dealing with the Taliban and had in depth knowledge of the terrain and surrounding area.Chairperson, Department of Political Science, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Professor Razia Musarrat claims that â€Å"Pakistan’s geographical location, its nearness with Afghanistan, its close relations with the Taliban regime, its deep knowledge of the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, a nd its history of Cold War alliance made Pakistan obviously the most important strategic asset for the United States. † Pakistan offered its support to the United States including airbases and military intelligence to help eradicate the terrorist elements present in Afghanistan. As a result over the years Pakistan has received military ssistance and aid from the United States, helping in brining military and technological advancements to the country. It is important to note that at the time of these attacks, Pakistan was in isolation at the world stage due to sanctions imposed on it, after it carried out nuclear tests in 1998. India too was facing the same sanctions, but having a stronger economy meant that it managed to survive this dry spell comparatively more easily than Pakistan. Pakistan on the other hand was suffering from the consequences of these sanctions and the war on terror surprisingly came as a relief.Pakistan has been given economic assistance of almost ten bill ion dollars over a period of ten years as its ties with the waste slowly improved. This aid rescued its stagnant economy and ensured that Pakistan’s economic woes were overcome, a change, very welcome for the Musharraf regime. Thirdly, post 9/11, South Asia became the centre of the World’s attention. A senior political analyst notes, that â€Å"with the presence of two nuclear power friends, and an Al-Qaeda-strewn Afghanistan, South Asia assumed a strategic status in American eyes. The rebirth of South Asia prominence was not limited to America, rather for whole the world.There was a long chain of Heads of States, and highest officials visiting the region every alternative day were evidence of long term strategic interests of the US in the region. † This new found attention allowed internationally isolated Pakistan and India back into the main stream of world politics and bolstered the image of the country in the eyes of the world, as a nation that was against t errorism. A somewhat debateable positive outcome, but one that could be true is that this war against terrorism helped to control the spread of militancy in the country.Former foreign minister of Pakistan, Mr Abdul Sattar argues that, â€Å"another significant benefit of the post-9/11 policy has been containment of the baneful influence of extremists and militants. † Had the war on terror not been targeted against organizations like Al-Qaeda, they might have consolidated their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan and continued to follow their own agenda’s. The post 9/11 policy helped to contain this spread of ideology but unfortunately could not eliminate it from society completely. Another major impact of the war on terror, it can be argued, is that it led to stability in the region.The main cause of instability in the region over the years has been hostile Pakistan, India relations. Three major wars and countless other incidents aimed at undermining the other countr y, have soured an already messy divorce. The acquisition of nuclear warheads by both states coupled with the Kashmir issue, have caused this region to become highly volatile. This was also the case post 9/11, when after an attack on the Indian parliament in December of 2001, India mobilized its military forces on a large scale against Pakistan.Pakistan too responded and both armies stood face to face with each other opposite the international borders. There was a very serious threat of an outbreak of nuclear war and alarm bells started ringing in the international arena. Eventually it was the presence of the United States in the region which helped diffuse the highly volatile situation. The threat of nuclear war, coupled with the fear that a Pakistan-India war would be harmful to the war on terror, meant that the United Sates put in a full hearted effort to ease tensions.This was eventually the case and stability was brought to the region again. These are some of the positive outcom es to the war on terror for Pakistan. But there have been dreadful negative consequences for the country as well. Firstly, just like it can be argued that just like US presence brought stability to the region; it also brought a lot of instability. This is evident from the impact of the war on Afghanistan, where Prof. Dr. Razia Musarrat argues, that the â€Å"Taliban government had been successful to restore a kind of stability in Afghanistan for the first time after a very long period of unrest.America, by ripping to pieces the Taliban regime, once again pushed Afghanistan into a new phase of insurgency and civil war. This unstable and troubled situation will not remain confined within the Afghan borders; rather will soon spread into the neighbouring states. We can see for ourselves that the unrest and turbulence in Afghanistan has leaked out into Pakistan. † This has been a cause of great concern for Pakistan, because the Afghani brand of militancy and extremism has seeped i n the country and has started rearing its ugly head against the state.Secondly, Pakistan had friendly relations with the Taliban prior to the American offensive. So much so that they were considered supporters of the Taliban, a notion which caused concern to other surrounding countries like India. But after the war, the northern alliance came into power and the resulting Afghan government did not have a favourable view of Pakistan. India on the other hand took advantage of this and firmly established itself in Afghanistan. It became the largest regional donor of aid to Afghanistan in the post war period.Strong relations with Afghanistan could very beneficial for Indian foreign policy since Afghanistan shares such a large border with Pakistan. Having strong relations with a hostile neighbour’s neighbour is a strategically strong move and puts Pakistan in a delicate situation. Also, India could have easy access to Central Asia via Afghanistan, which could give it access to thei r abundant natural resources and open other cheaper trading avenues. India would not have to be dependent on Pakistan for access to Central Asia, which might come across as another blow to Pakistan.Another cause of concern for Pakistan, at the political level, was constant Indian pressure that Pakistan provided a safe haven for terrorists. India took advantage of American presence in the region and looked at this as an opportunity to further one of its foreign policy goals, that is, to ensure that Pakistan was strongly implicated in harbouring terrorists under its roof. The case for this argument was of course Pakistan’s close relations with the Taliban and the fact that Pakistan was a big supporter of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.Secondly India had claimed time and again that Pakistan uses terrorist groups to promote their foreign policy agenda’s. They claimed that the Pakistani intelligence cell, the ISI, with the blessings of the government equipped, trained an d infiltrated militants into Kashmir. This was a very serious claim considering Pakistan was a nuclear state which endorsed state sponsored terrorism. The Indian government hoped that the United States would finally understand India’s point of view and become an ally of India against Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism. Indian security agencies hope that the terrorist attack in New York on Tuesday will see the United States put pressure on Pakistan to extradite Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon, Chhota Shakeel and others, who masterminded the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in March 1993. † Domestically, Pakistan has had to pay a very heavy price for the part it has played in the war. There has been a huge increase in the number of terrorist and militant organizations in the country after the war.Following the events of the 2001-2002 standoff between Pakistan and India, Musharraf, pledged to crack down on the militant organizations working in the country. They were obvio usly not willing to go easily and put up resistance by targeting government and security establishments. Thousands of innocent civilians were killed as result of suicide attacks and the whole country was gripped in a constant state of fear. The law and order situation got so wore that the president himself narrowly survived two bold attempts on his life.The backlash was the worst in the north western region, for the people divided by international borders shared the same strong bonds of ethnicity and culture. Taking cue from the Taliban of Afghanistan, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan became an active anti-state terrorist organization comprised of mostly Pashtoons, just like the Afghani Taliban. It is responsible for carrying out hundreds of terrorist attacks on state owned institutions and civilians as well. They were perhaps behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and one of the biggest causes for instability in the Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa province.The situation became too bad to be i gnored and the Pakistan military launched a full scale military operation in which thousands of troops were involved to deal with this menace. Even though millions of rupees and a lot of soldiers were lost in the operation, the operation was unsuccessful and the Taliban continue living in the mountains of the Waziristan region, albeit as outlaws and vigilantes. This religious extremist ideology, unfortunately, is not only confined to Pakistan’s western provinces. This menace has slowly started spreading in the comparatively more peaceful Punjab and Sindh provinces as well.The society is slowly becoming more polarised on the issue of whether Pakistan should keep on fighting America’s war. Others however believe this is a war for Pakistan’s own survival. Whatever the case is, the country has been gripped in a constant state of fear and gloom. Notions of national cohesiveness and unity are fast withering away as the Pashtoon and Baloch communities claim they have f elt the brunt of the war on terror, a notion that is true considering the drone attacks that are carried out in their homelands.A 2012 report on the security situation of 2011 in Pakistan puts the matter in better perspective. â€Å"While  FATA  continued to reel under the impact of terrorism, there was no respite from terror in  KP  as well. Sindh continued to experience a more  centralized pattern  of violence in and around Karachi. However, the extension of the influence of armed extremist political, ethnic, sectarian and criminal groups in the city, and the chances of violence spreading to other areas of the Province, could not be ruled out. † Overall the costs of this war on terror have been staggering for Pakistan.The costs, in terms of monetary terms, political terms, social terms and most importantly loss of life are so huge, that Pakistan is still reeling from the blow. The report mentioned earlier, gives an idea regarding the losses sustained by Pakistan . â€Å"Pakistan’s continuing engagement with the production and export of Islamist extremism and terrorism continued to produce a bloody blowback at home, with a total of at least 6,142 persons, including of 2,797 militants, 2,580 civilians and 765 Security Forces (SFs) personnel killed in 2011.However, even this worrying total constituted an improvement of 17. 75 per cent over the preceding year. 7,435 persons, including 5,170 militants, 1,796 civilians and 469 SF personnel, had been killed in 2010. † Secondly, the war has almost dried up foreign investment in Pakistan, as no one is willing to come here considering the prevailing security situation and the unstable political scenario.The economy is in shambles as a major chunk of the budget goes to the army and less and less is spent on the people. It is true that Pakistan is getting aid from outside, but it cannot just rely on aid to survive in the future. A major energy crisis has added to the woes of the country a nd caused great distress to the public. Anti American sentiments are now at an all time high and the country looks forward to the day it does not have to deal with these issues any more.As former foreign minister Abdul Sattar says, â€Å"So colossal have been the human and material ravages our country has suffered during the last decade that no sensitive citizen can but wish Pakistan had followed a different course, one that might have saved our country and people from the nightmare in which we are still trapped. † If the positive and negative outcomes of the post 9/11 policy are weighed against each other, it can be concluded that it has been overall more baneful than beneficial to the country.Yes, the policy allowed Pakistan to come back into the main stream of international politics and yes, it caused an influx of foreign aid into the country which rescued a stagnant economy, but at what cost? The material costs of thousands of dollars or the cost of human life, to which a value cannot be assigned, have been tremendous. The country is gripped by a war that is ravaging its socio-political fabric. The economy is once again in shambles and the country stands on the brink of bankruptcy.The more alarming thought is that, the war on terror is still not over and its consequences keep haunting the country. Once the coalition troops leave Afghanistan, the whole region will be locked in a geo-political struggle for supremacy and with major players like hostile India involved, the odds do not look good for Pakistan. Works Cited: Balakrishnan, S. â€Å"India Hopes US Will Now Pressurise Pak. †Ã‚  The Times Of India. N. p. , 2001. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Pakistan Assessment 2012.   South Asia Terrorism Portal. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. . Musarrat, Prof. Dr. Razia. â€Å"US WAR ON TERRORISM AND ITS IMPACT ON SOUTH ASIA. † Thesis. University of the Punjab, n. d. Http://pu. edu. pk. University of the Punjab. Web. http://pu. edu. pk/images/ journal/pols/Currentissue-pdf/RAZIA. pdf Sattar, Abdul. â€Å"REVISIT TO POST-9/11 POLICY. †Ã‚  Criterion-Quarterly  7. 1 (2012): n. pag. Criterion-quarterly. com. 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. .

Organic Chemistry Experiment 4 †Recrystallization Essay

INTRODUCTION Recrystallization is the primary method for purifying solid organic compounds. Compounds obtained from natural sources or from reaction mixtures almost always contain impurities. The impurities may include some combination of insoluble, soluble, and colored impurities. To obtain a pure compound, these impurities must be removed. Each is removed in a separate step in the recrystallization procedure. [8] Acetylation of aniline by acetic anhydride was performed to synthesize the crude acetanilide. The obtained crude acetanilide contained acetic acid as well as unreacted acetic anhydride. The said impurities of the crude acetanilide were removed using activated charcoal, filtration and recrystallization. EXPERIMENTAL A. Compounds tested Aniline Aniline is a clear to slightly yellow liquid with a characteristic odor. It does not readily evaporate at room temperature. Aniline is slightly soluble in water and mixes readily with most organic solvents. Aniline is used to make a wide variety of products such as polyurethane foam, agricultural chemicals, synthetic dyes, antioxidants, stabilizers for the rubber industry, herbicides, varnishes and explosives. [2] Aniline is prepared commercially by the catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene or by the action of ammonia on chlorobenzene. The reduction of nitrobenzene can also be carried out with iron borings in aqueous acid. [6] Preparation of Aniline: C6H5NO2 + 3 H2 → C6H5NH2 + 2 H2O (a) (b) Figure 1. (a) Hydrogenation of nitrobenzene (b) Bechamp reduction Acetic anhydride Acetic anhydride is clear, colorless liquid with a strong, pungent, sour vinegar-like odor, lachrymator. [5] Acetic anhydride is an important solvent and acetylation agent. [4] It is used in the manufacture of acetyl compound, cellulose acetates, acetylizer and solvent in examining wool fat, glycerol, fatty and volatile oils, resins, detection of rosin, in organic synthesis, such as dehydrating agent in nitrations, sulfonations and other reactions where removal of water is necessary. [5] Acetic anhydride is prepared by the carbonylation of methyl acetate. There is a two-stage process for the preparation of acetic anhydride, in which, in a first step, methyl bromide or, preferably, iodide is carbonylated to provide the corresponding acetyl halide, such acetyl halide in turn being reacted with methyl acetate, in a second step, to provide acetic anhydride, which corresponds to the following reaction scheme, in the event that methyl iodide is the starting material: [7] Step 1: CH3I + CO → CH3COI Step 2: CH3COI + CH3COOCH3 → (CH3CO)2O + CH3I Figure 2. Carbonylation of methyl acetate B. Procedure 1. Choosing the Recrystallizing Solvent A corn-grain amount of pure acetanilide was placed into each of three test tubes. Methanol, hexane, and water were added to each test tube respectively. Each was shaken and was placed in a warm bath (37oC-40oC) for 1-5 minutes and then was cooled. Figure 3. Pure acetanilide in test tubes containing different solvents – methanol, hexane, water respectively. 2. Acetylation of Aniline by Acetic Anhydride Aniline solution was made by mixing 2mL of aniline with 20mL of distilled water. 3mL of acetic anhydride was then added to the solution to form acetylation. The over-all solution was then placed in an ice bath to form crystals of crude acetanilide. Figure 4. 2mL of aniline mixed with 20mL of distilled water Figure 5. 3mL of acetic anhydride added to the aniline solution Figure 6. Crystallization of crude acetanilide in an ice bath 3. Purification of Crude Acetanilide by Recrystallization The crude acetanilide crystals were filtered through a wet filter paper. The residue was then dried and weighed. In a separate Erlenmeyer flask, the crude acetanilide residue was placed and 20mL of the recrystallizing solvent was added. The solution was then heated on a hot plate until the entire solid dissolved completely. When the solution became colored, it was removed from the heat and enough amount of activated charcoal was added. The heating process continued until the solution became colorless. While the solution was still hot, it was quickly filtered using a fluted filter paper. Its filtrate was then cooled by placing the receiver in a beaker with cold water. The crystals that formed were collected and were washed. When the crystals completely dried up, it was then weighed. Figure 7. Filtration of the crude acetanilide crystals Figure 8. Crude acetanilide residue mixed with the recrystallizing solvent Figure 9. Heating process of the solution Figure 10. Addition of the activated charcoal to the solution Figure 11. Continued heating process of the solution until colorless Figure 12. Filtration and recrystallization of the acetanilide Figure 13. Weighing of the dried acetanilide crystals RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1. Choosing the Recrystallizing Solvent Among the three recrystallizing solvents – methanol, hexane, and water, water was chosen to be used in the recrystallization of the acetanilide. Table 1. Solubility of pure acetanilide in various solvents | At room temp.| During heating| Upon cooling| Water| Insoluble| Soluble| Insoluble| Methanol| Soluble| Soluble| Soluble| Hexane| Insoluble| Insoluble| Insoluble| 2. Acetylation of Aniline by Acetic Anhydride The crude acetanilide was obtained by the acetylation of the aniline. The crude acetanilide obtained was 7.2 grams in its weight. 3. Purification of Crude Acetanilide by Recrystallization Pure acetanilide was obtained by the recrystallization of the crude acetanilide. From the 7.2 grams of crude acetanilide, 1.2 grams of pure acetanilide was gathered. Theoretical Yield: Aniline 2mL x 1.0217 g/mL = 2.0434 g 2.04 g x 1 mol x 135.17 g = 93.13 g 1 mol 2.96 g Acetanilide Acetic Anhydride 3mL x 1.082 g/mL = 3.246 g 3.246 g x 1 mol x 135.17 g = 102.09 g 1 mol 4.30 g Acetanilide ∠´ Aniline is the limiting reagent. Percentage Yield: = Actual Yield x 100 Theoretical Yield = 1.20 grams x 100 2.96 grams = 40.54 % The experiment conducted was able to perform different chemical processes. In choosing the recrystallizing solvent, solubility test was conducted among various solvents – methanol, hexane, and water. The solubility test resulted to the conclusion of choosing water as the recrystallizing solvent. The experiment also included the acetylation of aniline by acetic anhydride to form the crude acetanilide. In the experiment, 7.2 grams of crude acetanilide was obtained. Since the crude acetanilide has impurities, it was purified by several processes – heating of solution, activated charcoal addition, and recrystallization. When recrystallization has already occurred in the solution, the pure acetanilide was then obtained. 40.54% of the pure acetanilide was gathered with its weight of 1.2 grams. REFERENCES [1] Acetylation of Aniline using Acetic Anhydride. http://prolabscientific.com/Acetylation-of-Aniline-using-Acetic-Anhydride-p-23917.html. [2] Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry: Toxic Substances Portal – Aniline. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=449&tid=79. [3] Bayquen, A. V., Cruz, C. T., de Guia, R. M., Lampa, F. F., PeÅ„a, G. T., Sarile, A. S., & Torres, P. C. (2009). Laboratory Manual in Organic Chemistry. 839 EDSA, South Triangle, Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc. [4] Chemical Book: Acetic Anhydride. http://www.chemicalbook.com/ChemicalProductProperty_EN_CB2852742.htm. [5] Chemical Book: Acetic anhydride (108-24-7). http://www.chemicalbook.com/ProductMSDSDetailCB2852742_EN.htm. [6] Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica: Aniline. http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/25473/aniline. [7] Gauthier-Lafaye et al. Carbonylation of methyl acetate. http://www.google.com.ph/patents?hl=en&lr=&vid=USPAT4500474&id=ymY2AAAAEBAJ&oi=fnd&dq=carbonylation+of+methyl+ acetate&printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q=carbonylation%20of%20methyl%20acetate&f=false. [8] Recrystallization. http://www.chem.umass.edu/~samal/269/cryst1.pdf.

Oedipus Rex Essay

â€Å"Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark. Better to live at random, best we can.† (lines 1068-1072) The themes of fate and light and darkness are prominent in Oedipus Rex, a play written in ancient Greece by the famous poet Sophocles. Oedipus was a powerful Greek king and was notable for his compassion, sense of justice and his swiftness of thought and action. Unfortunately for him, his life fell ill when the prophecy of his birth came true. Throughout the play, the audience experiences a series of emotions. They experience pity, fear, and anger. At the end of the play, the audience may or may not experience a katharsis, a cleansing or purgation of emotions. The dispute between whether Oedipus should be viewed as a victim or merely a part of the gods manifesting their power and thereby teaching man a lesson is a common argument still in literature today. As many members of an audience believe, Oedipus can appear as having been victimized by the prophecy stricken upon him at birth. Oedipus, being born into such a horrible predicament, had no choice but to live his life as he did always afraid of the horrible outcome of his fate. His parents Laius and Jocasta chose to selfishly bind there son’s feet together and abandon him as a way of making sure they would never see him again and never be vulnerable to the day that Oedipus’ prophecy would come true. Therefore, the emotion of pity arises in the audience and Oedipus is viewed as a victim of a very tragic fate. However, it is important to consider whether he inflicted more agony into his life by trying to fight against his fate. Were the gods punishing Oedipus and ultimately all of mankind because of his retaliation? If so, not only was Oedipus punished, but also his parents were for interfering with the gods’ plans. Oedipus suffered the consequence of losing his sight and his mother committed suicide because of her shame and embarrassment. Today, some view the idea of fate as something planned by a greater being and for human beings, out of our control. For Oedipus and his parents, they thought that they could change their fate but as an outcome and consequence for disrespecting the gods, there was no way to escape it. As Oedipus eagerly attempted to uncover the truth about his fate, acting decisively and deliberately refusing to shield himself from the truth. Although we see Oedipus as a playing-piece of fate, the irony becomes so magnified that it seems as if Oedipus was willingly bringing catastrophe upon himself. In one of Oedipus’ speeches, he declares that when he discovers the truth he will excommunicate the murderer from Thebes and punish him severely. Ironically, Oedipus is the murderer himself that he spoke so viciously about and he leaves Thebes and blinds himself after he finds that Jocasta has hanged herself. Despite the many character flaws that Oedipus withholds, such as quickness to anger, stubbornness, ignorance and arrogance, rather than viewing his fate as a natural result of the virtues and vices of his character, Oedipus teaches mankind a lesson in humility. Like many tragedies, Oedipus Rex teaches a lesson of morality to the audience. It teaches the audience that it is better to be humble and that even if you are a good leader, it does not necessarily mean that you are a good person. Oedipus Rex also teaches that no matter your past or what you do to change your fate, it will always catch up to you somehow. â€Å"People of Thebes, my countrymen, look on Oedipus. He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? Now what a black sea of terror has overwhelmed him. Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day, count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.† (lines 1678-1684) These words, spoken by the chorus, form the ending of Oedipus Rex. The chorus announces that even though Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx, he was never happy with his life and his fate and he caused his own fall. Rather than a victim to his fate, he was the antagonist to his fate.