Supernatural Character in Octavio Pazs Short Story, My...

Mexican-born author, Octavio Paz, in his short story, â€Å"My Life with the wave† suggests the protagonist is symbolic and then remains a supernatural character best understood in literal terms. He supports his claim by showing the reader the speakers difficulty of finding a place for the wave out of the ocean, how the protagonist suffers imprisonment for a crime he did not commit, and of how through the death of the wave the protagonist is able to free himself from the pain and torment he faced when he was engaged in a relationship with the wave. Pazs intention is to use the symbolism in order show the negative side of falling in love. Octavio Paz adopts an intense tone for the somber reader. The short story Life with the Wave, written by Octavio Paz leads us through an intense relationship between a simple man and a wave. Octavio Paz uses the â€Å"wave† to symbolize a woman. The wave can also be seen as changing just as humans do, she â€Å"was a white plume of vap or† then â€Å"soon†¦fell in a fine rain†(pg. 264). It seemed like love at first sight, she refused to go back No, her decision was made. She couldn’t go back. I tried sweetness, hardness, irony. (pg.263) I explained to her that it was impossible, that life in the city was not what she had been able to imagine with the ingenuousness of a wave that had never left the sea.(pg. 263) She cried, screamed, hugged, and threatened. I had to apologize. (pg.263) The wave is not a person; she is a thing with human emotions. The

Essay on The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien - 1253 Words

The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brein, is a story told through the eyes of members of a United States Army troop trudging their way through the Vietnamese country side and jungles during the Vietnam War. Each man has a specific job and so they carry specific belongings that they need to fulfill that job as well as a few mementos from home. These men also carry unseen baggage that is all too real to these men, their families and responsibilities back home preying on their minds, the horrors of war, and the stress of the importance of fulfilling their duties to keep then men around them alive. The soldiers carried the individual items necessary for individual jobs and sentimental mementoes from home, such as Rat Kiley, the†¦show more content†¦These are the reasons that the men could not sleep at night. Not the foreign sounds of animals and country they did not know, it was the memories that kept the men alert. â€Å"By and large they carried these things inside, maintaining a mask of composure† (Belasco 1469). The physical aspects of the things they carried, the men could get a respite by setting them down for a moment, but the mental things could not be dropped so easily, in fact most men always carried this weight, thus making the mental weight ‘upon their shoulders’ more tedious to deal with. The biggest mental struggles the men dealt with were those of the memories flashing across their minds of fellow comrades dying, the emotional weight of men not knowing if the man they are standing next to may die that day, memories from home and the w ar, both shameful and joyous, the turmoil of day-to-day life in an alien land, and embarrassment. O’Brien expands on this by saying, They carried the soldiers greatest fear, which was a fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor (Belasco 1469). The stress of these things, were wearisome to carry, but they had carry them to live to fight another day. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Things They Carried by Tim Obrien1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe War at Home The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, transports the reader into the minds of veterans of the Vietnam conflict. The Vietnam War dramatically changed Tim O’Brien and his comrades, making their return home a turbulent and difficult transition. The study, titled, The War at Home: Effects of Vietnam-Era Military Service on Post-War Household Stability, uses the draft lottery as a â€Å"natural experiment† on the general male population. The purpose of the NBER (National Bureau of EconomicRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim O’brien1610 Words   |  7 PagesThe Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien Plot: 1. RISING ACTION †¢ In the summer of 1968, Tim O’Brien receives a draft notice. Despite a desire to follow his convictions and flee to Canada, he feels he would be embarrassed to refuse to fulfill his patriotic duty and so concedes to fight in Vietnam. CLIMAX †¢ During their tour of duty, the men of the Alpha Company must cope with the loss of their own men and the guilt that comes from killing and watching others die. FALLING ACTION †¢ After he returnsRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrien1156 Words   |  5 PagesIn Tim O’Brien’s novel, â€Å"The Things They Carried,† imagination is seen to be both beneficial and harmful. This novel consists of a story truth and a real truth. Tim O’Brien writes the book about the Vietnam War based primarily on his memory of the war. He does not remember every detail of the war, thus he makes up some false details to make the story seem more interesting. He does not only describe his own experiences, but also describe the experiences of other characters. He wants the readers toRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrien1154 Words   |  5 PagesThe novel The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien begins by Mr. OBrien describing his dramatical events that happened during the middle of his Vietnam experience while he was fighting in the war. Mr. OBrien received his draft notice in the month of June in the year of 1968. When he received this notice Mr. OBrien had feelings of confusion, and that drove him to go north to the Canadian border, and it had him contemplating if he wanted to cross it or not because he does not want to be forced toRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrien793 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien there is an ambiguity assigned to the life of a soldier in the Vietnam war, an ambiguity that represents no clear moral victor, no clear heroes, and seemingly no end. In the movie, Platoon, written and directed by Oliver Stone, the same ambiguity is depicted, with no clear moral direction, no clear heroes, and no clear resolution. In the short story, â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† O’Brien talks in great detail about how a true war story, andRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien550 Words   |  2 Pagespersonnel documents are in order. These are just a few items that need to be checked off of a to-do list, or inventory if you will. In â€Å"The Things They Carried† by Tim O’Brien, the main character, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, runs through a series of events that he had his squad carried, both on their person and in their minds. â€Å"The Things They Carried† is about Cross and the soldiers under him and their activities in Vietnam during the war. The story begins with Cross introducing the objectRead MoreThe Things they Carried by Tim OBrien529 Words   |  2 PagesIn the story The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien didn’t mention anything about traditional war heroes. I think this was a great idea, because there are no traditional war heroes. A traditional war hero is someone who is fearless and someone who can’t be harmed mentally or emotionally. But in The Things They Carried the soldiers out on the front lines were emotionally and physically scarred. Tim O’Brien didn’t write about traditional war heroes, O’Brien wrote about normal people, people with differentRead More The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien580 Words   |  2 Pagesbook, The Things They Carried, author Tim O’Brien tells the captivating story of soldiers and everything they ha d to go through during the Vietnam War. He tells of the many things that change a person during a war and what helped many to get through it. One of the main things that helped them to get through was women. While women did not play a huge role in this book, they did play a very important role. Women were the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Martha was the lady that Lieutenant Jimmy Cross loved. He carried letters andRead MoreOverview: The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien1510 Words   |  7 Pages The Things They Carried is a novel written by Vietnam Veteran Tim O’Brien. The Vietnam War took place between 1955 and 1975. Most of the soldiers fighting were young teenage men around the age of eighteen and nineteen years old. Like O’Brien many of these young men were pulled away from their families and life to fight a war they didn’t approve of or even know about. This had a strong affect on most of these men and O’Brien uses different ways to show how the Vietnam War affected them both physicallyRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrien580 Words   |  2 Pagesdaydreaming and felt the pain of Lavenders death. He came to realize he was to blame for the death of Ted Lavender. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ mind was mixed with the emotions of both Martha and the death of Ted Lavender. While Lavenders body was being carried to the chopper, all Lieutenant Cross could think about was Martha. He was thinking about how he loved her more than anything, even more than his men. He believed Ted Lavender was dead because he loved Martha so much and could not stop thinking about

Quality Function Deployment for Automotive Industry- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theQuality Function Deployment for Automotive Industry. Answer: When beginning an industry or a business, the primary target of the Company is to satisfy the customers both internally or externally. However, the methodology or procedure to know precisely what your customers need may be a challenge according to Armellini et al (2017). Quality function deployment is one of the best methods to keenly evaluate what the customers require in an organization and provide the expected feedback that will fully satisfy the customers. The organization owners in Japan first applied the usage of quality function deployment in the year 1960 in reference to Ashrafuzzaman et al (2016). During this period, they effectively analyzed the customers needs and responded to them. This method brought meaningful results to the industries in Japan, and because of that, it was applied in the United States of America in the year 1980. From the statistics, this methodology brought many positive impacts in the field of automotive industry. Barad (2018) says that, when applying the quality function deployment in an organization, the management of that business should use a product or service in the organization. QFD incorporates about seven leadership and preparation materials to find the customers needs. It then arranges the priorities in a way that the customers will automatically choose them. The leadership tools that direct the decisions in QFD comprises of interaction matrix, features of the product, relationship matrix, impact rating, technical challenges competitive technical benchmark and lastly the target values citing the work of bin Ahmad Shamsuddin et al (2015). When the organization has identified the product or a service, the high seven pillars is applied systematically until the customer's priority is determined. For instance, the QFD starts with the first matrix to identify the most effective quality of the product. The attributes of the product or the service will comprise of the needs, compulsory and w ows of the potential customers in the market. After the identification of these characteristics, the quality function deployment uses the business purpose to focus on the next step. This step is to put the customers priorities for the particular organization. In this assignment, it is going to analyze the use of quality function deployment methodology in an organization selling phones to identify the customers needs. When applying the QFD procedure in this product, there are various steps that the business is going to look at to fully satisfy the customers. The first procedure to get the customer needs in the phone category. The customers may be having a range of needs; it is the work of the business to systematize the requirements as the first step in QFD. Franceschini (2016) say that, after that, the second step is to figure out the impact of the conditions collected on the phone that the organization wants to sell. Some requirements have featherweight at this stage; they should be wiped out from the list and focus on the critical needs that will truly satisfy the customers. According to the QFD method, after determining the weight of all the requirements, the business should now change the selected elements into a practical once. For i nstance, if the customers require some specific apps on the phone, the organization should check on this. In addition to that, the customers may also need the phone to have a particular design; the business should contact the technical team for the support. However, while translating these needs to technical ones, the company should also make some improvement on the phone regarding the current technology; this will also satisfy the customer most. Lastly, the QFD methodology requires the industry to develop advanced phones incorporating the selected requirements from the technical support team. The other thing the organization should also integrate on the phone is the design going with the current technology. On the other hand, a step may bring a challenge to the organization that is selecting the proper requirements from the customers that they should incorporate in the phone. However, QFD provides various ways of determining the heavyweight requirements. The best method is the use of AHP to identify the needs. AHP gives the scale of the listed priorities. It judges the needs according to the way the customers have rated them. This method is proved the best from many businesses that apply QFD in satisfaction of their customers. There are benefits that the business realizes when it uses the quality function deployment methodology according to Sarkar Panchal (2017). The first advantage is that the product from them, for instance, the phone, in this case, will be ranked high among the competitors when the analysis is done. Consequently, using this method makes the company hit the customer requirements directly because customers are the one that determines what the product should be made of. Lastly, QFD reduces the time that may have been wasted during the development because there is no risk of changes. References Armellini, F., Pelicioni, R. A., Kaminski, P. C., Bassetto, S. (2017). Including the voice of the client in the creative process: a case study of the integration of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to the Value Proposition Design (VPD) in the service sector.The Journal of Modern Project Management,5(2). Ashrafuzzaman, M., Al-Maruf, A., Mahbubul, I. M., Malek, A. A., Mukaddes, A. M. M. (2016). Quality function deployment approach to measure supply chain performance: a case study on garments accessories industries.International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering,22(1), 96-120. Barad, M. (2018). Quality Function Deployment (QFD). InStrategies and Techniques for Quality and Flexibility(pp. 101-121). Springer, Cham. bin Ahmad Shamsuddin, D. M., Chew, B. C., Shin, L. H. (2015). QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT FOR BIO PLASTICS ADOPTION IN MALAYSIAN INDUSTRY.Journal of Technology Management and Business,2(2). Franceschini, F. (2016).Advanced quality function deployment. CRC Press. Sarkar, D., Panchal, R. (2017). Quality Function Deployment (QFD): A Six Sigma Tool for Performance Monitoring of Ready Mixed Concrete.framework,4(2).

The Effect of Non-Financial Compensation free essay sample

The Effect of Financial and Non Financial Compensation to the Employee Performance Arik Prasetya†  and Masanori Kato Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Beppu-shi, Oita-ken, Japan Abstract This study aims (1) to examine the employee responses in terms of their performance to an implementation of the compensation policy that includes both financial and non financial compensations, (2) to analyze the influence of both financial and nonfinancial compensation collectively and individually. This research was conducted at PT. Telkom Malang Regional Office, by a proportional random sampling technique with the sample size of 57 employees. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis of financial and nonfinancial compensation showed that the compensation policy of PT. Telkom Malang Regional Office is in line with expectations of employees. Based on the results of multiple regression analysis, there are significant influences of financial and nonfinancial compensation to the employee performance. However it was noted that promotion did not influence the employee performance in this company. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effect of Non-Financial Compensation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Keywords: financial compensation, salary, incentive, non financial compensation, promotion, employee performance INTRODUCTION Job performance is influenced by many factors. According to Kreitner and Kinicki (2007), performance management is â€Å"continuous cycle of improving job performance with goal setting, feedback and coaching, and rewards and positive reinforcement†. In this study the focus was given to compensation scheme. An investigation was conducted at PT. Telkom Malang Regional Office to see how such factors of compensation scheme affect job performance of the employees. The question that prompted the current investigation was What degrees at which the salary, incentives, benefits, promotion, self-development, and work environment collectively or individually have influence on employee performance? . Compensation Compensation is one of the physical needs that influence motivation which in turn will affect the employee performance. Providing appropriate compensation within the meaning of fair and adequate to meet the requirements is one of the personnel department functions that are difficult to implement. Compensation includes the financial returns to the services renered by employees as part of employment relationships. Compensation is a form of rewards that flow to employees arising from their employment (Dessler, 1995). Compensation has a big influence in the recruitment of employees, motivation, productivity and employee turnover (Bernardin Russell, 1993). The level and magnitude of compensation should be of concern because the level of compensation will determine the lifestyle, self esteem, and the value of the company. Cascio (1991) describes that the principles that must be considered in granting effective compensation are: a. The principle of fairness, taking into account the ratio between the highest and lowest salaries, cost of living, and so forth. b. The principle of justice, where there should be a good element of justice in connection with the element of working time and job performance.

Japanese Number Seven History and Superstitions

Japanese Number Seven History and Superstitions Seven appears to be a universally lucky or holy number. There are many terms that include the number seven: seven wonders of the world, seven deadly sins, seven virtues, the seven seas, seven days of the week, seven colors of the spectrum, the seven dwarfs, and so on. Seven Samurai (Shichi-nin no Samurai) is a classic Japanese movie directed by Akira Kurosawa, which was remade into, The Magnificent Seven. Buddhists believe in seven reincarnations. The Japanese celebrate the seventh day after a babys birth, and mourn the seventh day and seventh week following a death. Japanese Unlucky Numbers It seems that every culture has lucky numbers and unlucky numbers. In Japan, four and nine are considered unlucky numbers because of their pronunciation. Four is pronounced shi, which is the same pronunciation as death. Nine is pronounced ku, which has the same pronunciation as agony or torture. In fact, some hospitals and apartments dont have rooms numbered 4 or 9. Some vehicle identification numbers are restricted on Japanese license plates, unless someone requests them. For example, 42 and 49 at the end of plates, which are linked to the words for death (shini æ ­ »Ã£  «) and to run over (shiku è ½ ¢Ã£  ). The full sequences 42-19, (proceeding to death æ ­ »Ã£  «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 ) and 42-56 (time to die æ ­ »Ã£  «Ã©  Æ') are also restricted. Learn more about unlucky Japanese numbers on my Question of the Week page. If you are not familiar with Japanese numbers, check out our page for learning Japanese numbers. Shichi-fuku-jin The Shichi-fuku-jin (ä ¸Æ'ç ¦ Ã§ ¥Å¾) is the Seven Gods of Luck in Japanese folklore. They are comical deities, often portrayed riding together on a treasure ship (takarabune). They carry various magical items such as an invisible hat, rolls of brocade, an inexhaustible purse, a lucky rain hat, robes of feathers, keys to the divine treasure house and important books and scrolls. Here are the names and the features of the Shichi-fuku-jin. Please check out the color image of the Shichi-fuku-jin at the top right of the article. Daikoku (Ã¥ ¤ §Ã© »â€™) - The god of wealth and farmers. He holds a big bag filled with treasures on his shoulder and an uchideno-kozuchi (lucky mallet) in his hand.Bishamon (æ ¯ËœÃ¦ ²â„¢Ã©â€"€) - The god of war and warriors. He wears a suit of armor, a helmet and is armed with a sword.Ebisu (æ  µÃ¦ ¯â€Ã¥ ¯ ¿) - The god of fishermen and wealth. He holds a large, red tai (sea bream) and a fishing rod.Fukurokuju (ç ¦ Ã§ ¦â€žÃ¥ ¯ ¿) - The god of longevity. He has an elongated bald head and a white beard.Juroujin (Ã¥ ¯ ¿Ã¨â‚¬ Ã¤ º º) - Another god of longevity. He wears a long white beard and a scholars cap, and is often accompanied by a stag, which is his messenger.Hotei (Ã¥ ¸Æ'è ¢â€¹) - The god of happiness. He has a jolly face and a big fat belly.Benzaiten (Ã¥ ¼ Ã¨ ² ¡Ã¥ ¤ ©) - The goddess of music. She carries a biwa (Japanese mandolin). Nanakusa Nanakusa (ä ¸Æ'è â€° means seven herbs. In Japan, there is a custom to eat nanakusa-gayu (seven herb rice porridge) on January 7th. These seven herbs are called, haru no nanakusa (seven herbs of spring). It is said that these herbs will remove evil from the body and prevent illness. Also, people tend to eat and drink too much on New Years Day; therefore it is an ideal light and healthy meal that contains a lot of vitamins. There are also the aki no nanakusa (seven herbs of autumn), but they are not usually eaten, but used for decorations to celebrate the week of the autumn equinox or the full moon in September. Haru no nanakusa (æ˜ ¥Ã£  ®Ã¤ ¸Æ'è â€°) - Seri (Japanese parsley), Nazuna (shepherds purse), Gogyou, Hakobera (chickweed), Hotokenoza, Suzuna, SuzushiroAki no nanakusa (ç §â€¹Ã£  ®Ã¤ ¸Æ'è â€°) - Hagi (bush clover), Kikyou (Chinese bellflower), Ominaeshi, Fujibakama, Nadeshiko (pink), Obana (Japanese pampas grass), Kuzu (arrowroot) Proverbs Including Seven Nana-korobi Ya-oki (ä ¸Æ'è » ¢Ã£  ³Ã¥â€¦ «Ã¨ µ ·Ã£  ) literally means, seven falls, eight getting up. Life has its ups and downs; therefore it is an encouragement to keep going no matter how tough it is. Shichiten-hakki (ä ¸Æ'è » ¢Ã¥â€¦ «Ã¨ µ ·) is one of the yoji-jukugo (four character kanji compounds) with same meaning. Seven Deadly Sins/Seven Virtues You can check out the kanji characters for seven deadly sins and seven virtues on our Kanji for tattoos page.

Solutions for Teaching in an Overcrowded Classroom

Solutions for Teaching in an Overcrowded Classroom One of the biggest issues facing schools and teachers today is overcrowding. A combination of an increasing population and a decrease in funding has caused class sizes to soar. In an ideal world, class sizes would be capped at 15 to 20 students. Unfortunately, many classrooms now regularly exceed 30 students, and it is not uncommon for there to be more than 40 students in a single class. Classroom overcrowding has sadly become the new normal. The issue is unlikely to go away anytime soon, so schools and teachers must create workable solutions to make the best out of a bad situation. Problems Created by Overcrowded Classrooms Teaching in an overcrowded classroom can be frustrating, overwhelming and stressful. An overcrowded classroom presents challenges that can feel nearly impossible to overcome, even to the  most effective teachers. Increasing class sizes is a sacrifice many schools have to make in order to keep their doors open in an era where schools are underfunded. Overcrowded classrooms create a number of problems for modern school systems, including: There is not enough of the teacher to go around. Students perform better when the teacher is able to give one-on-one or small-group instruction on a regular basis. As classroom size increases, this becomes increasingly difficult to do. Overcrowding increases classroom discipline issues. Large classes packed with students provide more opportunities for personality conflicts, tension, and general disruptive behavior. Even the best teachers find it difficult to manage an overcrowded classroom successfully and can find themselves spending more time managing their classroom than they do teaching. Struggling students fall further behind. Average and below-average students will struggle to advance in an overcrowded classroom. These students need more direct instruction, one-on-one instructional time and minimal distractions to maximize their learning potential. Standardized test scores suffer. While many teachers would argue that there is an overemphasis placed on test scores especially in America’s public schools, the chance of successfully improving proficiency on a standardized test decreases as the number of students in the classroom increases. The overall noise level is increased. This is an expected result when you increase the number of students in the classroom. Louder classrooms translate to distractions making it more difficult for students to learn and for teachers to teach. Teacher stress is increased often leading to teacher burnout. More students translate to more stress. Many excellent teachers are opting to leave the profession because it is not worth the stresses they deal with on a daily basis. Overcrowding leads to less access to equipment and technology. Space is already at a premium for many schools and there often is not enough room to accommodate specialties such as science or a computer lab. District Solutions to Overcrowded Classrooms Increasing class sizes should be the last resort for any school district. It should never be a starting point. There are many other ways to trim a budget. If all other options are exhausted, then schools may be forced to enact what is known as a reduction in force, where teachers and staff are laid off for budgetary reasons and class sizes subsequently increase. Even with tight budgets, districts can take certain actions to ease overcrowding issues: Take advantage of ability grouping. Schools should use benchmark assessments to determine student placement. Class sizes should be kept relatively small for those who perform unsatisfactorily. Students who are strong academically have less to lose in an overcrowded classroom. Provide teachers with an aide. Providing a teacher with an aide can help decrease the burden on the teacher. Aides receive a lower salary, so placing them in overcrowded classrooms would improve the student/teacher ratios while keeping costs low. Lobby for more funding. Schools administrators and teachers should regularly lobby their state and local representatives for more funding. They should keep them apprised of issues overcrowding is causing. Administrators can also invite them to spend time at their school so that they can see the impact of overcrowding. Solicit local donations. Private schools are able to keep their doors open due to tuition and to a large extent by soliciting donations. In tough financial times, public school administrators should not be afraid to solicit donations either. Teachers across the country have sought and used public donations for everything from technology upgrades to classroom basics like notebooks and paper. Every dollar counts and even garnering enough donations to hire an extra teacher or two each year can make a significant difference. Apply for grants. There are thousands of grant opportunities made available to schools each year. Grants exist for almost everything including technology, supplies, professional development and even teachers themselves. Teacher Solutions to Overcrowded Classrooms Teachers in an overcrowded classroom must be exceptionally organized. They have to be well prepared every day. They must develop a fluid system through trial and error to maximize the time they have with their students. Teachers can generate solutions for overcrowded classrooms by: Creating energetic and engaging lessons: Every lesson must be enticing, energetic and fun. It is easy for students in any class to be distracted and lose interest, but this is especially true in a large classroom. Lessons must be fast-paced, unique and full of attention grabbers. Tutoring struggling students who need more time after school: There simply is not enough time to provide struggling students with the one-on-one time that they need. Tutoring these students two to three times a week after school gives them a better shot at being successful. Assigning seats and rotating when necessary: With a large class, teachers must be structured, and this starts with strategically placed assigned seats. Students who are low academically and/or are behavior issues should be assigned seats toward the front. Students who are high academically and/or are well behaved should be provided seats toward the back. Understanding that the dynamics in an overcrowded classroom will be different: It is essential that teachers understand that there are significant differences in a classroom of 20 students compared to a classroom of 30 or 40. Teachers have no control over how many students are in their classes, so they cannot allow themselves to become stressed due to things that are out of their control. Teachers should understand that they are not going to be able to spend time with each student every day. They should understand that they will not get to know each student on a personal level. That is simply the reality in an overcrowded classroom. Lastly, structure is very important in any classroom but especially so in a classroom with lots of students. Teachers need to establish clear rules and expectations on day one, and then follow through as the year progresses. Clear rules and expectations will help create a much more manageable class- where students know what they are required to do and when- especially an overcrowded one.

Legalization of Marijuana (medicinal purposes only) Research Paper

Legalization of Marijuana (medicinal purposes only) - Research Paper Example For instance, in â€Å"Drugs: The Facts About Marijuana,† Ted Gottfried claims that â€Å"cannabis was used during the last half of the nineteenth century to treat gout, migraine headaches, rheumatism, hysteria, depression, loss of appetite, childbirth pains, and many other conditions† (11). During this time in history, marijuana was used extensively for its medicinal purposes. It was much beneficial but lacked consistency and standardization in the drug’s strength. Hence, slowly, the use of the drug for medicinal purposes declined. By the mid 1960’s, marijuana became the most abused illegal drug of the country. In the 1969 concert famously known as Woodstock, the use and abuse of marijuana created an outrage. Thus, from the 1970’s onwards, marijuana was not only illegal but was a serious crime against the law. Central to this debate today is whether to legalize its use or not and if to legalize, the limitations to be imposed. In religious, politica l and economic scenes, proponents have mainly based their arguments on the plant’s medicinal benefits while opponents cite issues to do with crime rate and health consequences e.g. brain damage among others. For instance, in 1996, the state of California legalized the use of marijuana in medical institutions for the relief of certain problems such as nausea and migraines. Contrary to this is the harm that marijuana legalization would entail. Thus, majority of the U.S. are against its legalization. In Ian Thomson’s â€Å"Inhaling: The Changing Significations of Marijuana in Hegemonic and Subcultural Discourses, from Antiquity Through its Prohibition,† he claims that the use of marijuana â€Å"had cost U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Douglas Ginsburg, a seat on the bench in 1987, a fact undoubtedly not lost on fast-rising political star Bi11 Clinton. He suggestively pointed out that similar use during the 1988 campaign by Bruce Babbit and Al Gore did no harm to their political careers† (3). The current American President, Barrack Obama, also admitted to have used it rather frequently in his early years. However, Obama, unlike Ginsburg, made it clear in numerous occasions that he is against marijuana legalisation but claimed that new ways need to be formulated. Kayla Morgan elucidates this in a work entitled â€Å"Legalizing Marijuana,† by saying that raids and prosecution of marijuana users would no longer be necessary (7). Nevertheless, the debate still remains open to question. The legalization of marijuana can be seen from two general perspectives, that is, from its advantages and disadvantages. Marijuana legalisation, being a controversial issue across the world, has both its pros and cons but in essence, its pros far outweigh its cons. It is important to appreciate that other people’s views are necessary in developing landmark legislations. This calls for the need to look keenly into the moral and economic issues that s urround marijuana use, whether it be for medicinal use or as a normal recreational drug. It is also quite necessary to dig deeper into the reasons as to why this issue is controversial, as well as the possible reasons people fight for its prohibition; one being its moral implications. In â€Å"Legalizing Marijuana,† Kayla Morgan states, â€Å"Legalizing marijuana is a moral issue for people on both sides of the debate† (10). These people argue that legalizing marijuana is morally wrong not because of its health or economic basis but because it manipulates

Nature and Causes of the Declining Political Participation in the Research Paper

Nature and Causes of the Declining Political Participation in the United States - Research Paper Example 2008). Ultimately, numerous people think that the government is not functioning in a useful way in society and fails to grant authority for the system they resist by taking part in it. A Brief History of U.S. Political Participation Historically, the United States has the lowest ranks of political participation, as determined by voter turnouts, of any leading industrial democracy. The United States is ranked below other highly industrialized democratic countries, excluding Switzerland, a country known for its steady electioneering and repudiation, until in recent times, to grant women suffrage rights, in cross-country turnout. G. Bingham Powell Jr. (1986 as cited in Crotty 1991), evaluating trends of political participation across 19 modern democratic countries, assumed that â€Å"voter turnout in the United States is severely inhibited by its institutional conflict†¦ the U.S. was disadvantaged by voluntary registration, unevenly competitive electoral districts, and very weak l inkages (perceptual and organizational) between parties and social groups† (pp. 25-26). Powell (1986 as cited in Crotty 1991) concludes that party system and institutional variables slow down turnout and registration processes, primary causes of the low ranking of the United States in terms of political participation compared to other countries. Robert W. Jackman, in a similar study of levels of political participation in 19 modern democratic nations, although opposing Powell over the function of the political traditions of a country in influencing the political participation rates, stresses the role of political institutions, such as electoral guidelines, political... Historically, the United States has the lowest ranks of political participation, as determined by voter turnouts, of any leading industrial democracy. The United States is ranked below other highly industrialized democratic countries, excluding Switzerland, a country known for its steady electioneering and repudiation, until in recent times, to grant women suffrage rights, in cross-country turnout. G. Bingham Powell Jr. (1986 as cited in Crotty 1991), evaluating trends of political participation across 19 modern democratic countries, assumed that â€Å"voter turnout in the United States is severely inhibited by its institutional conflict†¦ the U.S. was disadvantaged by voluntary registration, unevenly competitive electoral districts, and very weak linkages (perceptual and organizational) between parties and social groups† (pp. 25-26). Powell (1986 as cited in Crotty 1991) concludes that party system and institutional variables slow down turnout and registration processes, primary causes of the low ranking of the United States in terms of political participation compared to other countries. Robert W. Jackman, in a similar study of levels of political participation in 19 modern democratic nations, although opposing Powell over the function of the political traditions of a country in influencing the political participation rates, stresses the role of political institutions, such as electoral guidelines, political parties, and national electoral districts, in forming electorates (Ramakrishnan 2005).

Is Jealousy Ever a Good Thing Essay Example for Free

Is Jealousy Ever a Good Thing Essay Jealousy has always been one of the meanest quality of mankind. What is worse is that, it is almost inevitable. In one way or another, jealousy enters our lives, naturally and sometimes unconsciously, creating suffering for ourselves and others. As events from history and daily life have shown, human’s failure to stay away from this instinct has led to ruined relationships, suffering for everyone involved, and even demoralization. Let’s take Cesare Borgia as an example of how dangerous jealousy is to human. As the oldest son of the powerful Pope Alexander VI of Vatican, Cesare is said to have everything, from wealth to land and power. Compared to his brother Giovanni, however, Cesare himself felt inferior. He was sick of seeing Giovanni taking away from him beautiful women and more affection from the Pope, as well as losing more important military duties and national honor in to his brother. In situations like this, it is human nature to feel jealous, but Cesare’s extreme envy led him to kill his brother. Now having gained absolute power, it is ironic that Cesare was still not happy. His father was so upset that he imprisoned himself in a palace for a long time, and Cesare was detested by Giovanni’s wife and many family members. From the story, it is startling how jealousy can make people do crazy things and turn brotherhood into rivalry, degrading moral values and causing agony to everyone. Daily life proves to be a huge source of evidences for the negative effects of jealousy. I feel sad to see the way some of my friends at school treat each other like rivals. Because of excessive competitiveness in academics, the scene of some classmates making fun of somebody else’s low grade is not uncommon. I am astonished at the way many students turn so indifferent whenever I ask them for help with my homework, and the way they wish each other to fail exams so that they can climb to the top of the class. People may argue that being jealous of others’ success gives them extra determination. They must have not realized that friendship is more important than superficial achievements. By being jealous, they actually develop a selfish attitude, and sacrifice what may have become their lifelong friendships. Among the many ways to achieve our goals, being jealous is absolutely the worst one, for proofs from both history and daily life have shown that it can destroy friendships and creates rivalry. Unless people can avoid it and take others’ success as a model and motivation for themselves to make progress, they will never have what they want.

Symbols and Symbolism in Lord of the Flies :: Lord Flies Essays

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, the boys who are stranded on the island come in contact with many unique elements that symbolize ideas or concepts. Through the use of symbols such as the beast, the pig's head, and even Piggy's specs, Golding demonstrates that humans, when liberated from society's rules and taboos, allow their natural capacity for evil to dominate their existence. One of the most important and most obvious symbols in Lord of the Flies is the object that gives the novel its name, the pig's head. Golding's description of the slaughtered animal's head on a spear is very graphic and even frightening. The pig's head is depicted as "dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth," and the "obscene thing" is covered with a "black blob of flies" that "tickled under his nostrils" (William Golding, Lord of the Flies, New York, Putnam Publishing Group, 1954, p. 137, 138). As a result of this detailed, striking image, the reader becomes aware of the great evil and darkness represented by the Lord of the Flies, and when Simon begins to converse with the seemingly inanimate, devil-like object, the source of that wickedness is revealed. Even though the conversation may be entirely a hallucination, Simon learns that the beast, which has long since frightened the other boys on the island, is not an external force. In fact, the head of the slain pig tells him, "Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill! Ö You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" (p. 143). That is to say, the evil, epitomized by the pig's head, that is causing the boys' island society to decline is that which is inherently present within man. At the end of this scene, the immense evil represented by this powerful symbol can once again be seen as Simon faints after looking into the wide mouth of the pig and seeing "blackness within, a blackness that spread" (p. 144). Another of the most important symbols used to present the theme of the novel is the beast. In the imaginations of many of the boys, the beast is a tangible source of evil on the island. However, in reality, it represents the evil naturally present within everyone, which is causing life on the island to deteriorate. Simon begins to realize this even before his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, and during one argument over the existence of a beast, he attempts to share his insight with the others.

Difference Between Domestic and International Marketing

Difference between international marketing and domestic marketing First, International marketing is facing a more complex market environment . Domestic marketing is conducted in this country and so faced corresponding structure of the market environment is relatively simple ,which consists of those factors that are more familiar to companies — the domestic political, economic, legal, cultural and so on. However, International marketing is facing a more complex environment, it's a market with multi-level structure.This is because those companies who engage in international marketing , will inevitably be subjected to the world market environment. Which requires companies to face the world market environment, including the world's political, military, economic, technological and other aspects. Second, International marketing is facing more Uncertainties factors The contradiction between subjective understanding and objective reality, coupled with the volatility of the objective p rocess, international marketing facd more uncertainties factors for the companies .Compared with domestic marketing, it's more difficult to make sure the total demand, purchasers and competitors and more difficult to investigate and predict wholesale segment, retail structure, buying habits in international marketing. Third, International marketing is facing more diverse selection of marketing programs Companies in the domestic market, although also need to deal with different regions and different programs for different target markets, different strategies, and even the use of different promotions, but the overall program is the same however. he international market is a market composed of different countries . Enterprises in the international marketing, its marketing programs are of diversity, Enterprises in different country markets to sell their products, not unified marketing program, and must host country market, different scenarios were developed.Four, Marketing in internatio nal marketing is more difficult   Besides the complex environment and the uncertain factors ,diverse selection programs, international marketing have more risks and meet more fierce competition. The risks are added by the changing international political situation and the fluctuate exchange rate . Competitor's brilliant competitive strategy in price, promotion and products made the international market more and more narrow. Difference Between Domestic and International Marketing Difference between international marketing and domestic marketing First, International marketing is facing a more complex market environment . Domestic marketing is conducted in this country and so faced corresponding structure of the market environment is relatively simple ,which consists of those factors that are more familiar to companies — the domestic political, economic, legal, cultural and so on. However, International marketing is facing a more complex environment, it's a market with multi-level structure.This is because those companies who engage in international marketing , will inevitably be subjected to the world market environment. Which requires companies to face the world market environment, including the world's political, military, economic, technological and other aspects. Second, International marketing is facing more Uncertainties factors The contradiction between subjective understanding and objective reality, coupled with the volatility of the objective p rocess, international marketing facd more uncertainties factors for the companies .Compared with domestic marketing, it's more difficult to make sure the total demand, purchasers and competitors and more difficult to investigate and predict wholesale segment, retail structure, buying habits in international marketing. Third, International marketing is facing more diverse selection of marketing programs Companies in the domestic market, although also need to deal with different regions and different programs for different target markets, different strategies, and even the use of different promotions, but the overall program is the same however. he international market is a market composed of different countries . Enterprises in the international marketing, its marketing programs are of diversity, Enterprises in different country markets to sell their products, not unified marketing program, and must host country market, different scenarios were developed.Four, Marketing in internatio nal marketing is more difficult   Besides the complex environment and the uncertain factors ,diverse selection programs, international marketing have more risks and meet more fierce competition. The risks are added by the changing international political situation and the fluctuate exchange rate . Competitor's brilliant competitive strategy in price, promotion and products made the international market more and more narrow.

History of disease Essay

In what ways did the understanding of the treatment of disease change in the years 1860-1945? The treatment of disease changed dramatically in the years 1860-1845 due to the changes of how people understand it, how each discovery such as Pasteur’s opens new doors, leading to other discoveries such Koch’s identification of germs, the magic bullet and discovery of penicillin. this has help society to understand the causes of disease, and the ways to tackle it. These discoveries began in the 1800s, where doctors at the time were just beginning to speculate about germs and microbes with a new invention, the microscope. the microscope can see what is invisible to human eye and it was good use for identifying micro organism as they were incredibly small. those doctors who believed germs existed thought they were the result of disease and not the cause of it, and this idea was called the spontaneous generation. However this was about to be proven wrong, in 1857 a wine maker Lo use Pasteur was the man that made a breakthrough that linked germs to disease. His discovery was made by accident when he was investigating why sugar beat became sour unexpectedly. he proved that sugar beat soured because of the germs carried in the air. the germs in the sugar beat infected by the air is eliminated by boiling it with fire, this is known as pasteurizing. although his experimental evidence supported his idea, people at the time refused he’s belief. its like saying to the community that i have discovered a treatment for cancer but they wouldn’t believe it because it wasn’t taken to account for. Pasteur’s discovery has made a huge influence to the treatment of medicine. His work led to the discovery of vaccines for chicken cholera 1880, Anthrax 1881 and Rabies 1995. Furthermore, Robert Koch a German physician took Pasteur’s work a step further. He spend his work looking to link particular germs to particular diseases. His first major b reakthrough came in 1875 when he identified the microbe that causes the Anthrax disease. With the development of technology, he discovered that there are microbes that are preciously invisible to the human eye, even to the most powerful microscopes. because of this factor he developed ways of staining the microbes with dyes so he could see them, calculate the microbe’s rate of reproduction and their lifespan. His discovery of the identification of different bacteria and the different disease it caused was a huge breakthrough in medical history and the understanding of the treatment of diseases, as his work proved that what  really caused diseases was. This is a significance to medicine as he discovered 21 different germs causing diseases. in 1882 he discovered a germ that causes tuberculosis, 1883 a germ that caused cholera and these were one of the top 3 deadliest diseases. this breakthrough paved way for other scientists to take up the challenge and conduct research leading to new discoveries as such. Koch’s assistant Emil Behring developed the first an ti toxin which could help to destroy the poison spread from bacteria in the blood stream. This was used for the successful treatment of Diphtheria in 1891 one of the top deadliest diseases. This led to a German Jewish scientist and physician Paul Ehrlich who worked on Koch’s bacteriology lab to take on a research during the 1890s on how certain dyes could stain certain bacteria and maybe find certain chemicals that can kill them. by 1914 his team had discovered several types of ‘magic bullets’, these different compounds would have a specific attraction to specific disease-causing microbe in the body and this would hit a specific germ (that has become visible because of a specific dye) and not damage anything else in the patient’s body. the magic bullets dye discovered were Methylene blue (for malaria), Trypan red (for sleeping sickness) and Salvarsan (for syphilis). This was a huge medical breakthrough because this will allow other scientists to developed specific drugs to target specific germs, attacking the cause of the disease rather than treating the symptoms. this is a significant discovery because it shows us an understanding on how bacteria behaves and how to treat a disease by target and kill. this gave a broad idea of treating medicine because not only they can target and kill syphilis, malaria but they can do this for other diseases. As a result, in 1928 a bacteriologist Alexander Fleming while cleaning his cluttered lab noticed that a culture of Staphylococus aureas had become contaminated with mould in his Petri dish. This mould was called Penicillium Notatum. The mould was in a shape of a ring, and the area around it seemed to be free of the bacteria staphylococcus. Fleming concluded that the bacteria on the plate around the ring had been killed off by some substances that had come from mould. He continued to experiment with the mou ld and found out (in controlled experiments) that the mould killed harmful bacteria and appears to be non-toxic to humans or animals . This was a huge scientific breakthrough because the mould is nontoxic and can kill all kinds of  bacteria; if it was isolated into a drug it can be used to treat patients. Unfortunately Fleming could not isolate the mould and could not make a usefule drug to treat humans. although he wrote his discovery in 1929 the science department remained uninterested. Not Until 12 years later a pair of young scientists Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, revisited and continued Fleming’s work as a way to help military effort in World War 2, since a lot soldiers die in infections than gun wounds, something needed to be done. So in Oxford University they finally isolated the bacteria-killing substance from mould. this creation has a huge significance in medical treatment because they have created the once known ‘wonder drug’ that could kill harmfu l pathogens as such, that can possibly cure syphilis gangrene pneumonia and tuberculosis. To prove its potential it needed to be trialed on a human. In 1941 a doctor Charles Fletcher heard of their work. he had a patient who was near death from an bacterial infection on wound. Fletcher used some of chain’s and Florey’s penicillin on the patient and the wound made a spectacular recovery. however the patient died a few weeks later because Fletcher did not put enough penicillin to eliminate completely the bacteria in the patient’s body. Despite this case, this had proven that penicillin could do what it’s made to do. the patient only died because he did not have enough penicillin, not that it did not work. Since a lot of people died in infections than gunshots in World War 2, they needed a drug that can effectively heal America’s soldiers. Florey then got the American drugs Company to mass produced Penicillin before D-Day, so American soldiers on the front have enough penicillin to treat all infections that will be inflicted among the troop s. This is a huge significance to medical treatment because not only they created a non toxic, bacteria killing drug, the drug can cure all bacterial based diseases such a syphilis , pneumonia and tuberculosis, since they can mass produce it the drug is therefore cheap and can treat almost everyone. Overall the understanding od disease and treatment developed greatly in the years treatment of disease change developed greatly in the years 1860-1945 as man were able to understand†¦

Pipeline Inspection at Petronet, South Africa The WritePass Journal

Pipeline Inspection at Petronet, South Africa Introduction Pipeline Inspection at Petronet, South Africa Introduction1. Background2. Description3. Possibilities Of Failure3.1. Weld Defects3.2. Incomplete Fusion3.3. Internal Corrosion3.4. External Corrosion3.5. Mechanical Damage3.6. Fatigue Crack           3.7.   Material Defects3.8. Weld Cracks3.9. Hydrogen Blistering4. Inspection5. Results6. Conclusions7. Recommendation7.1. Short Term Solution7.2. Long Term Solution7.3. Prevention of Lack of Fusion  ReferencesRelated Introduction Petronet, a local company that transports natural gas through underground pipelines across South Africa, had approached MA2K Testing Labs to conduct an investigation on a leakage on the pipeline, which was found during a random leak inspection. The Pipeline operates from Johannesburg to Potchefstroom. Upon inspection a joint was singled out as being a major source of leakage. The affected area was joined using a butt weld and reinforced with a clamp. This section was dissected and inspection revealed that the leakage was due to incomplete fusion in the weld which initiated the formation of hook cracks and cavities in the parent material directly adjacent to the weld. External stresses from the environment may have accelerated the growth of the cavities and cracks yet the clamp increased the strength of the joint aiding in the prevention of any accelerated growths of the defects. As a short term solution it is advised to replace the damaged section with a new pipe. It must be correctly welded of the same material and as an added precaution to weld an additional sleeve over the newly joined and welded section. As a long term solution it is advised to replace the entire pipeline with a new combination of materials. 1. Background Petronet, a leading company in South Africa which transports natural gas through underground pipelines conducted a random leak inspection survey on one of their pipelines operating from Johannesburg to Potchefstroom, and it was discovered that there was a gas leak at the specific joint. The pipe carries natural gas and it is imperative that the leak should be fixed, due to the volatile nature of gas as well as the loss of resource, in turn profits. The systems comprised of numerous seamless pipes and connected using a butt weld; these joints were reinforced by clamps bolted on. MA2K Testing Labs had been approached by Petronet, to inspect the leakage and was employed to identify the true cause of failure and as well as make many suitable recommendations for the repair and prevention of malfunction of the joint. The pipeline was effective since the 20th February 1995; this put the pipeline age in the region of 15 years. Figure 2.1 (Below) was taken on site 2. Description The defective section of the pipe, including the clamp was then marked, cut out and removed from the site for further inspection and analysis. The inspection and analysis was carried out in MA2K Testing Labs in Durban. Two grade A 106 GR.B SCH40 seamless pipes with outside diameters of 168.3mm and wall thickness of 9mm were butt welded end to end. A butt weld consists of the two pipes heated to a proper fusion temperature then joined by means of force. The joint was further secured by a clamp. The operating internal gas pressure was 2620 kPa (380 psi). Chemical composition of the pipe: Element C Si Mn P S Cr Mo Cu Ni V % ≠¤ 0.30 ≠¤ 0.10 0.291.06 ≠¤0.035 ≠¤0.035 ≠¤0.40 ≠¤0.15 ≠¤0.40 ≠¤0.40 ≠¤0.08 3. Possibilities Of Failure 3.1. Weld Defects Penetration is poor at the start of welding Ensure the grades of pipes are constant to optimize bonding strength Poor quality welds caused by  Inaccurate timing Incorrect temperature Incorrect pressure applied Failure due to fatigue (welding lowers fatigue strength)   Fusion did not occur between weld metal and fusion faces. Incomplete penetration Weld metal does not extend through the joint thickness Exposed to water and contaminants in the gas, such as O2, H2S, CO2, or chlorides. A particular gas composition may cause corrosion under some operating conditions Oxygen content (oxidizing salts) Passing through soils of different mineral content Contact of different metals, particularly at valves (galvanic corrosion) Normally consists of gouges and dents. Generally created by excavation or handling equipment during construction. Results from cyclic stresses that are below the ultimate tensile stress, or even the yield stress of the material. 3.2. Incomplete Fusion 3.3. Internal Corrosion 3.4. External Corrosion 3.5. Mechanical Damage 3.6. Fatigue Crack            3.7.   Material Defects Material defects are unwanted contaminants at the melting of steel, the steel forming or the heat treating. Furthermore faults can occur by improper storage or processing. Material defects can appear in different forms. Example of various defects mentioned below :                              Ã‚  Non-metallic inclusions                               bad microstructure                               surface corrosion                               mechanical damage                               surface defect 3.8. Weld Cracks Refers to fracture of weld caused as a result of poor parts fit-up, rapid cooling, and localized stresses exceed the ultimate strength of the metal etc. Examples of weld cracks :                                 Arc   Cracks                               Longitudinal Crack                               Transverse Crack                               Crater Crack                               Throat Crack                               Toe Crack                               Root Crack                               Hot Crack                              Cold Crack                              Hook Crack 3.9. Hydrogen Blistering A type of hydrogen-induced failure produced when hydrogen atoms enter low-strength steels that have macroscopic defects, such as laminations 4. Inspection The clamp was removed for further inspection of the weld join. The removal of the clamp was done under supervision by National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). The pipe surface was required to be cleaned. An acetone solution was used. Liquid Penetrant examination was performed on the weld area of the pipe. Surface discontinuities were visible on the bottom of the pipe. All examinations and analysis was carried out by MA2K Testing Labs. Through inspection it was deduced that a Butt weld was used to join the pipe line and macrostructure images revealed that there were defects on the welded area. Namely weld cracks, improper penetration and incomplete fusion.   Cavities were discovered near/adjacent to the welded section of the pipe material. Surface discontinuities were made visible by the Liquid Penetrant examination. These results further justify the suspicion that there was an improper weld process conducted on the joins of the pipeline and thus the cause of the gas leak. Cavities are visible in the pipe walls. This may be caused by vacancies in the material join in the weld. The extracted sample was investigated by method of etching. A Nital solution was used to etch the pipe material. Nital is a solution of alcohol and nitric acid commonly used for routine etching of metals. It is especially suitable for revealing the microstructure of carbon steels. The alcohol can be methanol, ethanol or methylated spirits. By viewing the etched sample under a Scanning Electron Microscope it was revealed that there was an overlap of material and as a result, it was discovered that there is an irregularity or there is a non-uniform overlap or join of material. This could cause a weakness in the join due to variants in material or state of the material. The non-uniform joint of material gives weak point on the structure of the pipeline and thus resulted in a leak. Arrows on figure 5.3 clearly indicate all the weld areas, the heat affected zones and the pipe parent material. 5. Results Before the pipe was sectioned for detailed examination, a radiographic examination was performed on the premises of MA2K Testing Labs. The following image was revealed on the radiographic film. The radiograph picture shows the microstructure of the material and identifies the weld overlap with the parent material. There are clear indications of variant material or states which cause weakness in the join when added stress is applied. There are cut out root cavities visible in the radiograph which could be the cause of leakage in the pipeline. Figure 6.2: Radiograph Of Material In figure 6.3 below: The longitudinal cross section of the pipe showed the weld structure inside the pipeline. This revealed defects in the weld structure and cavities in the wall of the pipeline and a clear indication of the crack and fracture lines that could cause a leak in the pipeline. These defects occurred in the joining of the pipe and together with possible external stresses that act on it due to the environment, no corrosion had occurred and pipe was designed to withstand pressure of the gas within the pipe. Longitudinal samples were taken from the extracted piece. Cuts were made across the weld line, to define the differences in the material used in the weld and the parent material. The two cross sections through the wall thickness of the pipe was polished and etched with Nital. The one macroscopic image (Figure 6.4) revealed a clear leakage path through the wall thickness of the pipe. This shows that there was a weakness in the join between the weld material and the parent material. Further fracture and strain caused the weld to split at the join between the weld material and the parent material. Figure 6.5 shows that there was a lack of side wall fusion in the pipe and that there was another weld bead on the left, this had been made to try to fill the vacancies produced from the lack of fusion. 6. Conclusions After thorough investigation of the defective area of the pipe it was found that the leakage was due to improper weld process and lack of fusion, lack of fusion causes cavities. Cavities form cracks over a period of time. Due to this hook cracks were formed and leakage had occurred. Therefore, the components used contain no post installation defects as there was no internal or external corrosion to the material. The design of the material is suited to the environment as it was able to withstand cyclic loading, fatigue stresses and no signs of hydrogen blistering was present on the material. Mechanical damage may have aided or accelerated the growth of the crack size. The clamp made detecting the source of the leak more difficult and may have helped in the prevention or retarded the rate in which the cracks had grown. The condition of the pipe or clamp base steel compositions or microstructures was as expected for the working life of the system.   No softening was found associated w ith the weld and pipe Heat Affected Zone. 7. Recommendation 7.1. Short Term Solution As a short term solution it is advised to replace the damaged section with a new pipe. It must be correctly welded of the same material and as an added precaution to weld an additional sleeve over the newly joined and welded section. This may suffice for the next 10 years 7.2. Long Term Solution As a long term solution it is advised to replace the entire pipeline with a new combination of materials as per Petroleum Bulk Storage Regulations, the requirement is that all new underground pipelines be as follows: v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pipes must be either constructed of a non-corrodible material such as fiberglass reinforced plastic, nylon or engineered thermo-plastic, or metal such as steel with a cathodic protection system designed to protect it for 30 years. v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pipes may be in single or double-walled construction v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Access ports must be installed to permit tightness testing; v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Installation must be in accordance with recognized engineering practices v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pipes and joints must be tightness tested before being covered and placed in. To reduce downtime and loss of profits, the new pipeline may be installed next to the existing pipeline and until completion will be ineffective. Thereafter the new pipeline will replace the old with minimal downtime. This is another advantage of laying down a new pipeline. 7.3. Prevention of Lack of Fusion v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Surface should be machined/ground smooth to avoid minute discontinuities. v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ensure welding current is sufficient. v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weld arcs should not be longer than the pipe diameter v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The â€Å"V† angle should not exceed 7 degrees v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The strip width should be appropriate and consistent for the diameter of the pipe   References Alibaba.com, 1999. Sourcing Products And Suppliers (Carbon Steel Piping: ASTM A106 GR.B). (Updated 01 April 2011) Available at: alibaba.com/product-gs/258930670/ASTM_A106_GR_B.html. [Accessed 24 April 2011] Jernberg, John (1919), Forging, American Technical Society (Updated 29 April 2007) Available at: http://books.google.com/books?id=-ksxAAAAMAAJpg=PA26 [Accessed 24 April 2011]

Blowing The Gaff

Blowing The Gaff Blowing The Gaff Blowing The Gaff By Sharon I recently mentioned a book called Mind The Gaffe, which is all about errors in English. It got me to thinking about the word gaffe and other related expressions. I set out to do some digging in my trusty dictionary and came up with a few surprises. The word gaffe means a social blunder and originates from French in the 19th century. It should not be confused with the word gaff, which has a variety of interesting meanings. If you fish, then you probably use a sturdy pole with a strong hook to capture the biggest catch of your life. Thats called a gaff, and youll need it if you want to avoid tales about the one that got away. If you actually manage to land that fish, then gaff becomes a verb that shows how you hook it. Sailors know a gaff as a special boom to which a gaffsail is attached. Cockfighting is a favored pastime in some parts of the world, and in that context, gaff describes the spur thats attached to a gamecocks leg. Gaff is also a popular slang word with several meanings. It can mean nonsense talk, cheat or hoax. If youre British and you blow the gaff, then you reveal a secret, while Americans and Canadians who stand the gaff are able to take a bit of ribbing. Gaff was also an old British term for someones home, as well as a cheap theater or music hall in Victorian times. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive At8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesInspiring vs. Inspirational

Value Diversity in Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Issues of Mineral Based Economies: Nigeria and Botswana

Issues of Mineral Based Economies: Nigeria and Botswana Why do Mineral-Based Developing Economies Face Economic Problems? The Case Study of Nigeria and Botswana 1. Introduction. Mineral-based economies have been defined as â€Å"those developing countries which generate at least 8 percent of their GDP and 40 percent of their export earnings from the mineral sector†. (Auty, 1993: p. 3). Two main categories of mineral-based economies have been identified. These include hydrocarbon producers and hard mineral exporters (producers of ores such as copper and tin). (Auty, 1993). Although one may reasonably expect developing mineral-based economies to witness tremendous economic development owing to their rich mineral resources, this has hardly been the case. According to Davis (1995: p. 1766) â€Å"mineral-based economies rather have development problems than development advantages†. In addition, Davis (1998) notes that economists and political scientists have recently proposed that mineral economies’ growth is below par, despite the mineral windfalls (rents) generated from mineral extraction. The mineral sector has even been classified as a ‘loser’ sector in the economic development race. (Shafer, 1994) cited by Davis (1998). Citing from a recent World Bank conference on mining and economic development, Davis (1995: p. 1765) states that several invited experts noted with concern the historical poor per capita economic growth of the mineral-exporting nations. In particular, participants from mineral-based developing economies were justly anxious about their fate. (Davis, 1995: p. 1765). In addition to fears of the â€Å"Dutch disease† and the â€Å"resource curse thesis† (explanations of these terms follow in subsequent sections), delegates were also concern about the appropriate policy response measures to these issues. (Davis, 1995). This paper aims at explaining why mineral-based developing economies rather face economic problems rather than economic development as one would expect. In meeting with this objective, the paper makes use of two case studies of mineral-based developing economies which include Nigeria (A hydrocarbon exporter) and Botswana (a hard mineral exporter). The rest of the paper is organized as follows: section two presents a literature review on why mineral-based economies rather face economic problems rather than economic development with particular emphasis on the Dutch Disease and the resource curse thesis; section 3 presents a discussion of the case studies making reference to their GDP growth, export revenue from mineral resources and per capita GDP; and section 4 presents some conclusions and recommendations. 2. Literature Review. Much of the literature has attributed underdevelopment of mineral-based developing economies to the Dutch disease. (Roemer, 1985) cited by Davis (1998) The Dutch disease is defined as a situation where an economy highly dependent on natural resources witnesses a decline in economic development as a result of a depletion of the natural resource or a sudden drop in the price of the resource. (Auty, 1993: p. 3). According to Davis (1995: p. 1768), the Dutch disease is a ‘morbid’ term that denotes the coexistence of booming and lagging sectors in an economy due to temporary or sustained increase in earnings. Mineral economies have been identified to generate an ideal environment for the disease given their notable minerals booming sector. (Davis, 1995). Mineral-based economies are characterized by a booming minerals sector at the expense of the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. (Davis, 1995). Ross (2003) suggests that mineral exports may cause economic volatility, inco me inequality, and crowding out of productivity growth in the manufacturing sector, which effects could increase poverty and reduce social welfare. Cordon and Neary (1982) cited in Auty (2001) explain the role of the Dutch disease on the deterioration of mineral-based economies using a three-sector model composed of a resource sector such as oil or other primary product exporting industry, a sector of tradeables, such as the manufacturing and agricultural sectors and non-tradeables. According to the model, a boom in the resource sector has three effects: a spending effect; a relative price effect and a resource movement effect. Looking at the spending effect, Auty (2001) suggests that the increased export revenues increases the demand for both tradables and non-tradables although spending on tradables fails to raise their domestic prices because prices in an open economy are determined in international markets. Consequently, any excess demand is met by imports. (Auty, 2001). Looking at the relative price effect, Auty (2001) suggests that failure to sterilize the increase in foreign exchange will result to an appreciation of the currency, which will in turn reduce the domestic prices of exports as well as those of imports competing with domestic products. In addition, a currency appreciation will lead to a reduction of the rents of the booming sector but may not be sufficient to reduce the sector’s output. (Auty, 2001). Domestic prices of non-tradables will rise with the rise in demand and these prices will neither be affected by the currency appreciation nor competitive imports. This will therefore result to an increase in the prices of non-tradables relative to the prices of tradables, as well as a reduction in exports and an increase in imports. (Auty, 2001). Macroeconomic theory suggests that the national income of a country is positively related to exports and negatively related to imports. The net increase in imports therefore leads to a reduction in the national income of the mineral-based State, which in turn hurts its economic development. Finally, as concerns the resource movement effect, Auty (2001) suggests that the movement of resources between sectors will also affect capital accumulation. Assuming a relatively labour-intensive non-tradable sector and a capital-intensive tradable sector, the movement in favour of the non-tradable sector will tend to raise wages and lower returns to capital thereby reducing capital accumulation. (Auty, 2001). In addition, assuming manufacturing is favourable to growth and that mineral resource booms cause it to decline, the mineral-based economy could experience slower long-term growth than the case would be if it had no mineral resources. (Auty, 2001). To support this view, Auty (2001) cites a number of studies that argue in favour of the fact that mineral resource booms tend to limit the growth of developing mineral based economies. For example, Matsuyama (1993It has also been sugges ted that mineral windfall facilitate irresponsible fiscal and trade policies. (e.g., Gelb, 1988; Ranis, 1991; Ranis and Mahmood, 1992) cited by Davis (1988). The issue as to why mineral-based economies remain underdeveloped is somehow controversial. (Auty, 2001). On the one hand, Mainstream economists have argued that primary commodity exports are the only way that countries in the early stages of development can generate the foreign exchange necessary to pay for essential imports and to service foreign debt. (Auty, 2001). On the other hand, Structurist economists (e.g., Presbish, 1950) cited by Auty (2001) argued that a long-run decline in prices for primary exports is an inevitable result of the increasing use of synthetics, shrinking raw material content of finished products and low elasticity of demand for raw materials. In addition Auty (2001) argues that oligopolistic markets in developed countries indicated that productivities increases there were captured in the form of higher income by workers and owners, while in the developing countries productivity gains were passed on to (northern) consumers in the form of lower prices. What the structurists economists are saying in effect is that mineral-rich developing countries because they lack the capacity to transform their raw materials into finished products often supply these products to developed or industrialized countries at very low prices. Industrialised countries in turn transform these raw materials into finished products and sell them to developing countries at very high prices, which do not match the prices for which they supplied their raw materials. By so doing mineral-rich developing countries continue to face declining levels of economic developing at the expense of developed countries. This idea is consistent with dependency theory[1]. For example, Presbish (1950) cited by Auty (2001) projected a downward trend in the terms of trade for primary products in relation to manufactured goods imported by developing countries from developed countries. In addition, Abubakar (1989: p. 19) describes Africa as a continent locked in an unequal exchange with t he developed world. Being perhaps the richest continent in the world, Africa has been transformed into undeniably the poorest continent. The following is a quote from Julius Nyerere, a prominent leader in Africa: â€Å"Every morning I listen to the B.B.C. to learn the price of the cotton and coffee with which Tanzania earns its foreign exchange. The prices of tractors and other goods we need to buy are not announced; they are fixed by the manufacturers in the Developed World, and we learn what they are when we go to buy†. (Abubakar, 1989: p. 19) quoting Julius Nyerere. 3. Case Studies of Nigeria and Botswana 3.1 Nigeria Nigeria falls in the first category of mineral-based economies identified by Auty (1993) as hydrocarbon producers. Minerals constitute 62.3% of the country’s merchandise exports and 9.6% of GDP and its mineral dependence index is 36 (the mineral dependence index is defined as the mean percentage contribution of minerals to GDP, merchandise exports, and government revenues). (Davis, 1995) citing Kuburshi (1984); United Nations (1974, 1976, 1987, 1993a, 1993c); World Bank (1993). Nigeria’s mineral dependence index of 36 indicates that it is highly dependent on minerals. This is following from Auty (1993) who considers a mineral dependence index of 20% or more to indicate mineral dependence. Nigeria was ranked 19th among developing countries that depended on minerals in 1970. This was based on the ranking of countries according to mineral dependence index in 1970. Based on 1991 rankings, Nigeria still maintained the 19th position and its minerals as a percentage of merchan dise exports had increased to 86.0 percent, minerals as a percentage of GDP stood at 7.6 percent and its mineral dependence index was 46.8 percent. (Davis, 1995). According to Eifert et al. (2002) oil represents an estimated 37 percent of GDP in Nigeria, and 63 percent of consolidated government revenues. The political economy of Nigeria has had an important role to play on how oil resources are managed in Nigeria. The public sector is the principal controller of these resources, which has fuelled the functioning of an extensive machinery of rent seeking a political patronage. (Eifert et al., 2002). Nigeria is characterised by a fragile ‘political coalition’ of diverse ethnic and religious groups with diverse interests. Eifert et al. (2002) asserts that public expenditures in Nigeria are always ratcheted out of control during oil booms, leading to macroeconomic instability owing to the diverse number of ethnic and religious interests that characterise the country. For e xample Eifert et al. (2002) suggest that an estimated amount of $300billion constituting oil revenues has enriched a small group politically and socially influential elite during the last 2 to 3 decades at the expense of the majority of Nigerians who have become impoverished. This indicates that Nigeria has failed to benefit from a general economic welfare from its oil boom because of the selfish desires of a small political influential minority. This situation is consistent with Gelb (1988); Ranis (1991); Ranis and Mahmood (1992) cited by Davis (1998) who attribute poor economic development of mineral-based developing economies to mineral windfalls’ facilitation of irresponsible fiscal and trade policies. Nigeria’s case is also consistent with Karl (1997); Mahon (1992); and Shafer (1994) cited by Davis (1998) who attribute mineral-based economies’ failure to achieve substantial economic development to the entrenched socio-political rigidity and rent-seeking ass ociated with an extended period of mineral extraction. According to Eifert et al. (2002) Nigeria’s economic growth has been stagnant and it is estimated that its per capita income has fallen from approximately $800 in the early 1980s to approximately $300 as at 2002. Nigeria’s failure to grow can be attributed to its government structure. Throughout the military regime described by Eifert et al. (2002) as a period of military dictatorship, the manner in which the oil cycle was managed was solely determined by the federal executive. Government spending was so high that in 1976 it accounted for more than the entire increase in oil revenue. (Eifert et al., 2002). Nigeria therefore faced rising fiscal and current account deficits following a failure of the 1975 oil price rise to bring the budget back into a surplus. By 1981, Nigeria had accumulated huge amounts of external debt, accompanied by capital flight. (Eifert et al., 2002). Increase government spending therefore fa iled to accelerate growth and there was little evidence of an increase in overall welfare that would have been expected during the sharp real appreciation that followed the spending binge. (Eifert et al., 2002). Eifert et al. (2002) attribute Nigeria’s failure to develop to the fact that its potential gains were rather absorbed in the sharply growing inefficiency of a corrupt and progressively more wasteful and distorted economy. Nigeria has made some efforts to adopt a democratic State but Eifert et al. (2002) conclude that the outcomes in the management of Nigeria’s oil cycle in the new democracy are thus so far not very different from the past pattern. This indicates that Political institutions in Nigeria are therefore shaped by a longer history than the current political regime. There is still an excessive an unsustainable increase in public expenditure, with considerable macroeconomic instability, and little to show in the growth and economic development. (Eifert, 2002). 3.2 Botswana. Botswana was ranked 35th in the mineral dependence index for developing countries in 1970. It had 0 percent for minerals as a percentage of merchandise exports, 19.6 percent for minerals as a percentage of GDP and 9.8 for mineral dependence index. (Davis, 1995). Following the ranking based on the minerals dependence index for developing economies in 1991, Botswana was ranked 8th with an 83.0 percent of minerals as a percentage of merchandise exports. Its minerals as a percentage of GDP had also increased to 41 percent and its mineral dependence index was 62.0. (Davis, 1995). Unlike Nigeria, Botswana falls in the second category of mineral-based economies with diamond, copper, nickel and coal constituting the principal hard minerals that it exported. (Curry, 1985). According to Curry (1985), Botswana, unlike other mineral-based economies in Africa that suffer from economic stagnation and political turmoil, Botswana has recorded an economic growth and political stability as a result of its fortuitous endowment of mineral wealth and sound macroeconomic management. Despite this development, Curry (1985) suggests that this growth strategy has produced underdevelopment and economic stagnation in rural agriculture, as well as increasing economic dependency on the republic of South Africa. Increases in mineral revenue has enriched the elite who have joined white farming families as the country’s large scale cattle owners, purchasing land and cattle from savings of relatively high salaries in the mining and public sectors. This situation has created two factions in Botswana. One rich and the other poor and there is an emerging clash between the rich and the poor that could destabilise and threaten an African success story as described by Curry (1985). In effect, mineral revenue in Botswana while it has helped to fuel economic development is threatening the growth of the agricultural sector and has also helped to widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Botswa na’s case is consistent with the Dutch disease which is consistent with the idea that a boom in one sector threatens a recession of other important sectors of the economy. The boom in the mineral sector has helped to fuel a recession in the agricultural sector in Botswana. 4. Conclusions and Recommendations This paper aimed at studying why mineral-based developing economies have witnessed more of economic problems than economic development. Nigeria’s case indicates that the country has suffered from autocratic and fractional democracies that have resulted to a poor management of the revenues from oil booms. As a consequence, mineral revenue has been spent without any fiscal discipline. This has led to the satisfaction of the desires of an influential minority at the expense of the welfare of the greater majority. Nigeria has basically not witnessed any economic development throughout boom in its oil sector. On its part, Botswana has witnessed growth and development as a result of its mineral resources. However, the boom in the mineral sector is hurting the agricultural sector and the situation has only benefited the rich who are using the mineral revenue to take over all land in Botswana for cattle rearing. Like Nigeria, Botswana’s mineral revenue has to some extent benefi t an influential minority. Based on the above, this paper recommends a more democratic regimes in mineral-based economies as well as an emphasis of the importance of all sectors in the economy. Governments in developing countries need to understand the importance of the manufacturing industry. Nigeria for example should be more concern about building its own oil refineries so as to boost its manufacturing industries. In Botswana, the government should implement high taxes on the rich elite so as to help redistribute the mineral income to the poor. Subsidies should be provided to the poor farmers. By so doing, there can be an equitable distribution of land, which will in turn boost the agricultural sector. Bibliography Abubakar A. (1989). Africa and the Challenge of Development: Acquiescence and Dependency Versus Freedom and Development. Praeger Publishers. New York. Auty R. M. (2001). Sustaining Development in Mineral Economies: The Resource Curse Thesis. Routledge. Auty R. M. (2001). The Underperformance of resource-abundant economies. Resource Abundance and Economic Development. Edited by R.M Auty. UNU/WIDER studies in Development Economics. Oxford. Curry R. L (1985). Mineral-based growth and development-generated socioeconomic problems in Botswana: Rural Inequality, Water scarcity, food insecurity, and foreign dependence challenge governing class. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 319-336. Davis G. A. (1998). The minerals sector, sectoral analysis, and economic development. Resource Policy, vol. 24, No. 4, pp 217-228. Davis G. A. (1995). Learning to Love the Dutch Disease: Evidence from the Mineral Economies. World Development, vol. 23, No. 10, pp. 1765-1779. Eifert B., Gelb A., Tallroth N. B. (2002). The Political Economy of Fiscal Policy and Economic Management in Oil-Exporting Countries. Policy Research Working Paper, No. 2899. The World Bank, Africa Regional Office. Lievesley G. (2003).DependencyThe Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics. Ed. Iain McLean and Alistair McMillan. Oxford University Press, Oxford Reference Online. Tà ©treaul M. A., Abel C. F. (1986). Dependency Theory And The Return Of High Politics. Greenwood Press. New York. Footnotes [1] Dependency theory built upon the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) which characterized the world as divided into centre (the developed, inudstrialised North) and periphery (the underdeveloped agricultural South). (Tà ©treaul and Abel, 1986; Lievesley, 2003). Dependency theory tries to explain the external mechanisms of control exerted by the centre on the periphery. The centre maintained the periphery in a state of underdevelopment for purposes of super exploitation. (Tà ©treaul and Abel, 1986; Lievesley, 2003). Dependency theory therefore indicates that underdevelopment was not an original or inherent condition, it could rather be explained by the historical relationship between the developed and developing world.