Knowledge management plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Knowledge management plan - Essay Example Julphar’s has recognized that the importance of knowledge is in how it is used and maximized in decision support and to provide an edge in customer care (Shannak, 2010). Julphar has already made a big step in recognizing the importance of automation, information and its relation to knowledge as it influence organizational culture (Petrides, 2004). These learning have made Julphar a leader in the industry and continuing along these lines it will remain so in the decades to come. In order to achieve this it is important to provide Julphar a systematic approach on how to build its knowledge base from its current one. This paper will recommend approaches and implementation strategy to make Knowledge, Information and Technology available to the company to augment its natural pool of human talents. A well defined technology assisted implementation not only consider warehousing information and knowledge or providing technology assisted productivity tools it also consider the organization’s culture and the need for a structured implementation strategy (Schlogl, 2005). Julphar use its knowledge base by capitalizing on the lesson learned by other people within the organization so as not to repeat the same mistake. Instead of re-inventing the wheel the focus becomes improving the vehicle. The knowledge management system therefore guides in executing and developing innovative strategies for all. Julphar’s Knowledge base also enables its customer service department to provide goods and services on time to meet its customer’s needs. In terms of supplier relation, Julphar is able to provide additional information and experiences regarding its manufacturing processes. This enables Julphar with the help of its service providers and suppliers avoid manufacturing defects and improve its product’s quality. Feedback mechanism as an essential entry to the knowledge base is a good source of input in developing products while enhancing

Social Issues In Indian Cinema

Social Issues In Indian Cinema Despite its vacillation between the two extremes of sometimes being awfully responsible and at others outright sensational, Indian cinemas efforts in mirroring social reality deserves to be applauded. If popular perception is an indicator, a major part of the social transformation in India can be attributed to cinema social reformist role. The drive to link success of a film to box office returns have undoubtedly led to cinemas commercialisation at the cost of its social and developmental goals. But, despite the commercially driven attempts to cater escapist and fantasy-oriented entertainment, a good part of Indian films continues to be social theme carriers. These films enjoy a unique advantage of remaining out of the censor tangles. Of course, a prominent question remains to be answered is whether cinema can influence and change society. This paper attempts to answer this question through a historical review of the Hindi films. 1.0 Introduction: Lumiere brothers pet invention cinematograph on December 28, 1895, destined to emerge as second opium of the people, completed hundred years of awe-inspiring journey in India. It was in 1912 the first Indian feature film Pundalik was released followed by the Dhundiraj Govind Phalkes fully indigenous feature film Raja Harischandra in 1913. There was no looking back, Indian cinema kept on adding innovative features, both technical and artistic, from time to time to emerge as one of the greatest and most influential film industries in the world. The original camera, the projector, and the screen used by the France brothers have undergone metamorphosis to a stage of cinemas complete digitalization, thanks to innovations in technology. The transformation in characterization and sequencing of narratives is no less important, and so also the cinematic themes. From a stage of being viewed as an art, culture, and entertainment cinema has gradually emerged as an industry driven by profit. The change, indeed, is amazing. But, of the few features which continues to be nurtured is cinemas role as a tool of social transformation. Cinema arrived to India on 7th July, 1896 and first screened at Watsons Hotel in Bombay, latter to be shifted to the Novelty Theatre, by two employees of the Lumiere brothers where in living photographic pictures pictures of man and women, who breathed, moved and danced, were screened. So intrigued and overwhelmed at the screenings at Bombay that many of those who viewed the screenings themselves took to the business of film screening by the very next year. Film making activity started in India by the turn of the 20th century, the earliest short films being photographed in India included such titles as Cocoanut fair the Wrestlers Splendid new views of Bombay and Taboot procession. Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatvadekar shot a wrestling matchand training monkeys by wandering madaris as Indias first factual films then called topicals. Feature film production in India began with Dada Saheb R.G. Torneys Pundalik (Silent, 1909-1911), a devotional subject adopted from a popular stage play. The film was shot with the assistance of a cameraman of Bourne and Shephard, a local firm of photographers and photo equipment, developed and printed in London and released on May 18, 1912 at the coronation Theatre. Dhundraj Govind (Dadasaheb) Phalkes Raja Harishchandrawas released at the Coronation Theatre, Bombay, on May 13, 1913, as Indias first fully indigenous full length feature film. Indias first film comedy, first satire and one of the earliest to have a contemporary theme, making a radical departure from the prevalent trend of devotionals England Returned (Bilet Pherat) was made by Dhirendranath Ganguly in 1921. The Modern era of Indian cinema began with the production of talkies beginning with Ardeshir Iranis Alam Ara in 1931. The invention of talkies boosted the growth of Indian film Industry, and the number of feature films produced in India registered a steady increase year after year. During 1930s and 1940s filmmakers tried to reflect tough social issues on screen or used the struggle for Indian independence as a backdrop for their plots. With India attaining freedom, the issue emerged as a popular topic of Indian cinema makers. Films like Majboor-1948, Shaheed-1948, Samadhi, 26 January rode in popularity. In the late 1950s, Bollywood released its lavish romantic musicals and melodramas casting successful actors like Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor and actresses like Nargis, Meena Kumari, Nutan and Madhubala. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, romance movies and action films starring actors like Rajesh Khanna , Dharmendra, and Manoj Kumar had the sway. By mid-1970s, romantic confections made way for gritty, violent films about gangsters and bandits which created stars out of Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty and Anil Kapoor supported by actresses like Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Rekha. In the mid-1990s, family-centric romantic musicals returned with resounding success of films like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) based on the artistic acumen of actors such as Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan and actresses such as Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor and Kajol. Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgan, Manisha Koirala, Tabu and Urmila Matondkar were among the critically acclaimed actors of this generation. In the 2000s, spreading of Bollywoods popularity at the global level drove Indian film making to new heights in terms of quality, cinematography and innovative story lines as well as technical quality advances. Big production houses, like Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions came to the fore front of film making. In the new millennium the Hindi film industry started its transformation into an industry that tried to get to grips with the business realities of moviemaking. The gradual corporatization of Bollywood resulted in increasing investment, efficient use of resources, generating accountability and reducing monetary losses by curbing piracy and enforcing transparency. Corporate entities Adlabs, Applause films, IDBI, EXIM etc. participate at various stages of the film industry like exhibition, funding, film making and processing, or all. Profit emerges as the driving force of film making in the country. To be precise, patriotic themes of Indian cinema made way for social reform, which undergoes change to embraces fashion of the day while still carrying messages of social reform, then turns out to a fighter to protect the institutions of democracy and freedom. A gamut of issues got representation in Indian cinema-from freedom to unemployment, from poverty to exploitation, from dowry to womens emancipation, from social conflict to national integration, from education to fantasy oriented entertainment. With the transformation of the society, the issues confronting it kept on changing and so also the themes adopted for film making. 1.1 Films on Social Issues Cinema is a mirror of social reality holds good beyond doubt if one looks back at the thematic treatment of Indias mainstream cinema. From the very early years, Indian feature film developed the admirable ability of focusing on different facets of Indian life. The cinemas concerns with social problems continue to be overtly expressed from the thirties, right through to the sixties, in a handful of most significant films. Hindi cinemas golden period in the thirties and the forties did bring forth films not merely presenting but tackling burning issues. How intellectual labour fights al-mighty capital, how young girls revolt against marriage with an old man, how life supersedes love, how inter-communal bliss is thrown asunder by the outside forces, how widows could be remarried and fallen women resurrected , how dowry could lead to tragedy and how convicts could be reformed, how the veneer of westernizing could ruin marriage and friendship, how the rural economy could be freed from the clutches of landlords and money lenders, how the untouchables and other underdogs could be given a more humane life and several such thorny problems were flashed across the countrys screens. In case of fatalism and tragic end, it was a mute protest mean to arouse the collective conscience against the various barriers. Films which talk so directly and movingly about the wrongs of society went onto influence it and shape i t along better lines. Dhirendra Nath Gangulys film the England returned made in 1922, was used as a means to get the audience to think of a social situation in which Indians had been imitating their foreign rulers and creating for themselves new problems within their own society. In 1925, Baburao Painter made the film Savkari Pash which painted an extremely realistic picture of the Indian poor, in the rural vast land, focusing on rural-indebtedness, feudal oppression, the poverty of the peasantry and myriad of problems. In the most outstanding film of the silent era of Indian cinema Savkari Pash, V, Santaram and Kamaladevi enacted the role of an oppressed farmer couple having to suffer both famine and the oppression of the Zamidari system. There were brave efforts to create similar thematic films commenting on the other social ills of Indian society. It is the arrival of the talkie film which brought to fore the contribution of Indian cinema in bringing about social awareness among the Indians to improve their status and remove age-old taboos which young India could ill afford. The period between 1931 and 1946 should be considered as the golden era of cinema of social comment. One is left amazed at the variety of films which Indian cinema of its time picked up for public debate. It is necessary to recall some of these films and their themes to impress upon the reader that Indian cinema even at its worst, was far better in its commitment to its audience and its society. Indian cinema tackled the problems of western culture clashing with Indian (Indira Ma, 1934); protested against arranged mirages and social barriers (Dev Das, 1935); protested against the caste barriers and religious bigotry (Achhut Kanya, 1936), Achhut (1940), promoted Hindu widow remarriage (Bal Yogini, 1936); fought against marriage of young girls with old persons, Duniya Na Mane (1937) and highlighted economic and social disparity (Adhikar, 1938). Indian cinema fought against rural indebtedness in K.A. Abass Dharitri ke Lal (1949); highlighted the problems of alcohol in Brandi Chi Batli (1939), Angoori (1943). The welfare of scheduled castes was highlighted in Malla Pilla, while widow remarriage was the theme of Sumangali. The ills of Zamidari system were highlighted in Raitu Bidda (1940), while the problem of the educated unemployed were best described in Vande Mataram(1948).The problems of unwed mothers was described in film Devta; while the events of dowry was best complimented upon in Dahej(1950). Achhut kanya suggested inter-caste mirages between high and low caste people. Mehbbos Aurat and Mother India, Vimal Roys Do Bigha Zamin and Sujata, Dilip Kumars Ganga Jamuna and Sunil Duttas Mujhe Jeeno Do focused on the socio-economic causes of the very Indian problem. 1.2 Sex and Violence in Indian Cinema Bollywoods sense of commitment to mirror social reality has hardly remained untouched by market force influences. Despite cinema being born in a form to creatively portray social reality, the drive to link success of a film to box office returns eventually led to its commercialisation. Profit prioritisation overpowering its social and developmental goals, obscenity and lewdness emerged as an integral feature of Indian cinema. The official censor history reveal that the film MERI AWAZ SUNO (1981) was first granted an A certificate, but was subsequently suspended citing that the film depicts excessive violence. In 1994, the film BANDIT QUEEN was suggested for 17 cuts especially scenes of frontal nudity. The film KAMA SUTRA- A TALE of LOVE (1996), was denied a certificate citing it pornographic only to be certified after two scenes of nudity were erased. The film FIRE (1998), which explicitly screened the homosexual relationships between two women (often termed as lesbianism), resulted in violent protest against it which forced the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to refer it back to the Censor Board for review. The anti-war and anti-nuclear documentary film Jung-aur-aman (War and Peace) as the censors claimed, suggested a bias against the minority Muslims when aid was distributed after the Gujrat earth quake 2001. The list of such films touched by censor wrangles for depicting sex and violence gets longer even if the country emerges as the most prolific film producing country in the world. At times it is sex, at times it is excessive violence (Aakrosh, 2003), at others it is kissing on screen (Khwaish), even at others it is smoking on screen (God Mother, 1999, Pyar -To-Hona Hi Tha). Though the issues of censor contention generally revolved round sleaze, sensuality, sexuality, nudity and permissiveness, overdose of obscenity and lewdness has been doing more harm to the image of the Bollywood. Sometimes sex and violence is deliberately incorporated to attract viewers, though family melo-dramas are no less popular. 1.3 Social Impacts of Films Any discussion on films and society confronts a vital question dose cinema have any impact on the society. There are two schools of thought on this issue among film makers. One line of thinking believe that films can never affect or reform the social body or the events taking place within it, but the other believes that the medium does have a direct or indirect impact on social streams, even though it may not be immediately perceptible. The former cites the example that just after a couple of excellent anti-war films were exhibited, the second world war engulfed humanity hence cinema cannot and should not offer any solutions for social problems raised by its writer and directors, by its content and style. The mere exposition of the problem is enough and there ends cinemas artistic obligation as well as compulsion. The later, however, stretches cinemas role further to promote a thought process and line of action where by the viewers are provoked into trying a change for the better. Fi lms, which talked directly and movingly about the wrongs of society, go on to influence it and shape it along better lines. The most important contribution of cinema to society is that by sheer usage it has grown to be a standard reference for most kinds of questions and situations, where elementary knowledge and practice are needed (Rangoonwalla, 1995:7). The mass mind picks up such points largely and stores them in some mental corner, to be reactivated while seeking or giving answers and guidance. Some of the life patterns and conclusions propagated by them could be having social repercussions below the outer of everyday life. Violence, crime and sex are made to look easy and frivolous, without much of retribution to follow. The magic of cinema is virtually unfathomable. The very mention of cinema conjures up a rainbow of captivating images. A vital aspect of Indian cinema is its unifying character. The Indian films have been subtly albeit consistently promoting the ideas of national integration and communal harmony. A part of the socio-economic cultural transformation can be attributed to the cinema as films usually generate social mobility, fluidity and an overall sense of oneness among people of different backgrounds (Rangoonwalla, 1995:7).The society is ripe with cases of crimes and criminals being emulated from the screen and so also the attitude to suicide as a way of dejection, mostly in love. Fashion including smoking and drinking, in many cases, are inspired from cinema characters. The vast fan followings of stars like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachhan, Mithun Chatkrabothy are eloquent testimony to the social impacts of films. A study by Dr. Sativa Bhakry shows that Cinema can play both positive as well as negative roles in society. It can have positive impacts in terms of providing entertainment, enhancing information and knowledge, sensitizing people about urgent issues of society, in creating sociability and offering catharsis. It offers release from tensions of daily life. Cinema can also play an equally negative role in teaching wrong values, generating social and sexual violence and crime, providing escape from reality into a dream world of fantasy instead of facing up to the problems of life, encouraging adoption of destructive role models and in encouraging cynicism about social institutions (Bhakhry, 1995:71-76). 1.4 Freedom of Artistic Expression and its Limits Article 19(1) (a) of the Indian Constitution guarantees to every citizen of India the right to freedom of speech and expression; also assures the freedom of media, though it is not separately stated. This right to freedom of speech and expression includes within it, the right to collect and receive information from anywhere and through any legitimate means, the right to disseminate information and express opinion (Sawant, 1997). The freedom granted under 19(1) (a) is not absolute, and is subject to restrictions contained in Article 19(2) of the Indian constitution. The restrictions have, of course to be reasonable meaning there by that; they must have a direct nexus with ground on which they are imposed. But, to extend the scope of censorship to considerations of public taste and ban a mater which does not fall within the limits of the reasonable restrictions clause would not be legal(Vasudev,1979). Again, the media, when run as a business, is also subject to the restrictions, which may be imposed by the state on any business, under Article 19(6) of the constitution. Cinema as a medium of mass communication is also subjected to restrictions contained in article 19(2) of the constitution and set out in section 5-B of the Indian Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 1959. In a celebrated Supreme Court judgment in 1970, in the case brought before it by K.A. Abbas, regarding his film A Tale of Four Cities declared that, Censorship falls under constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and expression and that while pre censorship of films does not contravene those guarantees per se, is still a justifiable issue and cannot be decided by a government official (Dayal, 1987). The Supreme Court said, Censorship in India (and pre-censorship is not different in quality) has full justification in the field of exhibition of cinema films and the censorship imposed on the making and exhibition of films is in the interest of the society. If the regulations venture into something, which goes beyond the legitimate opening to restrictions, they can be questioned on the ground that a legitimate power is being abused. We hold, therefore, that censorship of films, including prior restraint, is justified under our constitution (Vasudev, 1978). Platos polemics of art and artists urged strict censorship of the arts because of their influence on moulding peoples characters. Using his theory of forms, Plato claimed that artists and poets couldnt usually explain their works; as they are seized by irrational inspiration, a sort of divine madness. Therefore, the vital opinions of the community could be shaped by law and that men could be penalized for saying things that offended public sensibilities, undermined common morality, or subverted the institutions of the community. Acclaimed film critic and a spiritual champion of the right to freedom of expression, Noel Burch (1973) claimed I doubt if anybody will advocate freedom from interference of the state machinery to be extended to the commercial exploitation of a powerful medium of expression and entertainment like cinema. One can imagine the result if an unbridled commercial cinema is allowed to cater to the lowest common denominator of popular taste. Freedom of expression, therefore, cannot and should not be interpreted as a license for the cinemagnates to make money by pandering to and thereby propagating, shoddy and vulgar taste. While emphasizing the role of cinema as a vehicle of modernism, Indias first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru has also advocated some amount of social control to ward off its bad effects (Vasudev, 1978:107). Tanuja Chandra claims that the artists have every right to give expression to the work of art and viewers have an equal right to reject it, if they do not like it either in part or whole. The entertainment part of cinema, she argues is of much important than the emotional part. Veteran actor turned Member of Parliament Satrughna Sinha claims that in a country like India films reach the widest possible and most diversified audience. As a medium of mass communication it can exercise the most tremendous and potent influence on the public. The rampant use of blatant sex and gruesome violence (as commodities for sale by the producers) can terribly shake a nation; the ruinous elements can easily shatter the society before the common law can give protection (TOI, 2006). John Dayal Claims that more and more people, especially the younger, look forward to watch the blatant display of sex and violence on the screen. If this virus is allowed to the artery of our national blood, the society will be infested with unruly elements with hardly any care for our social values and traditional tenets, which will eventually lead to chaos and anarchy in the society. Curbs are, therefore, necessary to protect the moral health of the nation and to ensure that cinema does not hurt the sensibilities or interests of the extraordinarily heterogeneous people that constitute the Indian nation (Dayal, 1987:61). 1.5 Research Design and Methods Analyzing a complex issue like social impacts of films demands a multidisciplinary approach. A historical review of the Hindi films reveals the presentation of social issues in contrast to other issues in Indian cinema. A review of cinema as a means of artistic expression provides pertinent clues about the social impacts of cinema. Constitutional and legal provisions, judgments of Supreme Court and High Courts, observations of various committees and commissions, legal adjudications on film censorship decisions, decisions of the Censor Board, and the policy guidelines issued from time to time provide an appropriate background for understanding the legal status of right to freedom of expression and its limits. The existing theories on film-society linkages, the research studies on social impacts of films, in addition to the study of the legal back ground mentioned above revels the ideal limits of artistic expression and moral decency in India. Of late, growing recognition of freedom of expression as a fundamental human right and the arguments against any kind of restriction on that right, coupled with the digital communication technology enabled scope for duplication and delivery of contents questions afresh the role of social films, of course, the socio-cultural conditions of a nation is an equally important factor. So it is the public opinion, defined and redefined by the changing socio-cultural environment that can be a real indicator of the social impacts of films and the need for films on social themes in the country. As such, the study primarily builds on the social survey method of research, a pre-structured questionnaire being the principal tool of data collection. The opinion survey constitutes the primary data, where as the secondary data culled from newspapers, journals, books and of course the Web provides significant input to the study. The universe for the study primarily comprises the academic community, including students, teachers and other academic staff of the universities. To represent the academic community Berhampur University (Odisha), Aligarh Muslim University (Uttar Pradesh), and Gauhatii and Nagalandi universities in the North-Eastern Parts of India were selected. The sample respondents were selected applying the stratified random sampling method. The academic community of the selected universities were identifies as three distinct groups- students, teachers, and academic staff of which 100, 40, and 20 respectively were selected randomly to constitute the sample for the study. While selecting the respondents gender and age have been kept in mind to make the sample a true representative of the universe, despite majority of respondents being post graduate students. All the 160 sample respondents so selected were administered a pre-structured questionnaire comprising 15 questions on various aspects of film ing practices and impacts of films on the society in India. The researcher could collect a total of 128 completed questionnaires of which 80 representing the students, 32 representing the teachers and 16 of the other academic staff. The responses so collected are codified and presented in tables 1-7. The codified and tabulated opinions are analysed using simple statistical techniques including the weighted average method. The alternative responses (say N) to a question are assigned priorities from 1 to N by the respondents. The responses from 1st to Nth priorities are assigned weightages N to 1 respectively and are multiplied by their respective frequencies n1,n2,n3nN-1,nN (number of respondents giving the same priority to a response).The weightage of each priority of a response are added to calculate the total weightage of a response. As such, the total weightage of a response is calculated to be: TW=NXn1+(N-1)Xn2+(N-2)Xn3+. . . . . . . .+N-(N-2)XnN-1+N-(N-1)XnN = NX(1st priority frequency)+(N-1)X(second priority frequency)+(N-2)X(3rd priority frequency)+ +2(N-1)th priority frequency+1(Nth priority frequency) The extracts of the personal interviews of a number of Bollywoodii personalities including actors, directors, producers on the issue of cinema censorship, published in sections of the media, have been incorporated to represent the views of the Indian film industry. 1.6 Public Perception on Cinematic Obligations The respondents were asked to mention the kinds of impact films have on society by selecting the appropriate alternative. The responses so obtained are presented in table-1, which evinces that 14.84 % of the respondents feel that films have positive impact on the society where as 20.31 % of them feel that films have negative impact. But a whopping majority (53.90%) of them agree that films do have impact, positive, negative or both, on the society.07.03 % does not see any impact of films, where as 3.91 % have no idea about social impacts of films. Table-1: What kinds of Impact does films have on the Indian Society? Response No of Respondents % age Positive Impact 19 14.84 Negative Impact 26 20.31 Both positive and negative impact 69 53.90 No impacts 09 07.03 Dont Know 05 3.91 The respondents were asked to mention in order of preference the mentioned positive impacts of films on the society. The responses presented in table -2 revels that the respondents strongly believe that films do have positive impacts in sensitizing the people about urgent social issues. The respondents are also impressed with the role of films as an entertainer. What closely follows these are films release tension and they keep the audience informed and educated on important issues confronting the society. Table-2: Positive Impacts of Films Impact 1st priority 2nd priority 3rd priority 4th priority 5th priority Total weightage Rank order Inform and educate 11(12.5) 13 22 28 14 243 2nd Entertain 25(28.41) 27 22 12 02 325 1st Sensitize about urgent social issues 25(28.41) 26 24 11 02 325 1st Instil positive values 09(10.23) 07 13 27 32 198 4th Release tension 18(20.45) 15 07 10 38 229 3rd TW (Total Weightage) =1st priorityX5+2nd priorityX4+3rd priorityX3+4th priorityX2+5th priorityX1 R (Rank) = rank of total weightage Table-3: Negative Impacts of Films Impact 1st priority 2nd priority 3rd priority 4th priority Total weightage Rank order Teach wrong values 21(22.10) 27 26 21 238 2nd Promotes sex and violence 28(29.47) 25 26 16 254 1st Provide escape route from real problems to a dream world 22(23.16) 18 23 32 220 4th Encourage destructive role models 24(25.26) 25 20 26 235 3rd TW (Total Weightage) =1st priorityX5+2nd priorityX4+3rd priorityX3+4th priorityX2+5th priorityX1 R (Rank) = rank of total weightage Among the negative impacts of films presented in table-3, promoting sex and violence tops the list. The audience closely believes that films provide an escape route from real problems to a dream world. The third major impacts mentioned are teaching wrong values, and encourage destructive role models. A question was asked regarding what should be the primary goal of film making. The respondents were asked to mention the mentioned alternatives in order of priority and the responses so obtained are presented in table-4. Table-4: What should be primary goal of film making? 1st Priority 2nd priority 3rd priority 4th priority 5th priority Total weightage Rank Profit generation 19(14.84) 17 21 28 43 325 5th Presentation of social issues to public notice 23(17.96) 27 18 22 38 359 4th Generate Social Change and development 39(30.47) 36 28 17 08 466 1st Eradication of social evils 21(16.40) 23 29 34 21 373 3rd Promote pro-social values 26(20.31) 25 32 27 18 398 2nd TW (Total Weightage) =1st priorityX5+2nd priorityX4+3rd priorityX3+4th priorityX2+5th priorityX1 R (Rank) = rank of total weightage Data in table-4 transpire that film makers first and foremost artistic obligation should be to try for positive social change through films, closely followed by the goal of promoting pro-social values. Notably, the artistic obligation of creatively presenting a social issue before the public without expecting or suggesting any social change from it, which is the line of thinking of the Avant Garde film makers finds third priority among the respondents. Equal

A Synagogue Essay -- Papers

A Synagogue A synagogue will look like any other building from the outside - the only sign you might get from the outside is the star of David which is called magen David in the Hebrew tongue. There may also be a sign outside stating the name of the synagogue. There are many names for a synagogue such as; shul - which means school in Hebrew, bet haknesset, which means house of assembly - this is only used by Sephardim, which is oriental Jews. A synagogue is primarily a place of worship but also functions as a community centre for the Jews. The building is so important that the whole Jewish community that worship there will revolve around the building. It is used as a teaching school for Jewish children where they will be taught the Hebrew alphabet, numbers of Hebrew and about their faith. This school is a Jewish equivalent to a Christian 'Sunday school.' If you now go inside you would see that the synagogue is rectangular and although you will not realise it, but the whole synagogue is built facing Israel, if possible, Jerusalem. There will be a sink where the congregation will wash their hands and feet before praying or worshipping. You will also notice that there are separate seats. This is because in orthodox synagogues, the men sit on the ground floor and worship and the women sit in the gallery. There is a good reason for this - and not because the Jews are sexist - but because in Judaism, the men take on the role of worshipping and the women are expected to look after the house and the children so if people were late (the women). This may be because they had to change the baby or something like that so instead of disturbi... ...yed and the hymns and songs are sung without the aid or backup of music. In a liberal or reformed synagogue however things would be very different, for instance, there is quite a large chance that a female rabbi would be conducting the service, the man and women are more 'equal' they sit together and worship together as one big mass. The bimah may be at the front which, in my opinion, gives a sense of preaching and I think Jews know their religion, they don't need to be educated about it they just want to worship god. There also may be an organ to accompany songs and hymns because music is permitted in reformed synagogues. There would also be slightly less Hebrew spoken. So this synagogue I have described to you is an orthodox synagogue. Orthodox translates to "right belief" and is considered to be traditional Judaism.

Comp122 Week 2 Homework

Week 2 Homework Complete the following problems. 1. Suppose you are given the following variable declarations: int x, y; char ch; What values (if any) are assigned to x, y, and ch after each of these statements execute? Assume that the input to each statement is the same:5 28 36 a. cin >> x >> y >> ch; b. cin >> ch >> x >> y; c. cin >> x >> ch >> y; d. cin >> x >> y; cin. get(ch); a) x=5, y=28,ch=3 b)) x = 28, y = 36, ch = 5 c) x = 5, y = 8, ch = 2 ) x = 5, y = 28 ch is assigned a value associated with blank space i. e. , ‘ ’ 2. Suppose you are given the following variable declarations: int x, y; char ch; What values (if any) are assigned to x, y, and ch after each of these statements execute?Assume that the input to each set of statements is as follows: 13 28 D 14 E 98 A B 56 a. cin >> x >> y; cin. ignore(50, ‘ ‘); cin >> ch; b. cin >> x; cin. ignore(50, ‘ ‘ ); cin >> y; cin. ignore(50, ‘ ‘); cin. get(ch); a) x = 13, y = 28, ch = 1 ) x = 13, y = 14, ch = A 3. Suppose you are given the following variable declarations: int x, y; double z; char ch; Assume you have the following input statement: cin >> x >> y >> ch >> z; What values (if any) are stored in x, y, z, and ch if the input is: a. 35 62. 78 b. 86 32A 92. 6 c. 12 . 45A 32 3) a) x = 35 y = 62 ch = . z = 78 b) x = 86 y = 32 ch = A z = 9206 C) x = 12 4. Write a C++ statement that uses the manipulator ‘setfill' to output a line containing 35 asterisk characters. 4) cout

Of Mice And Men: Book vs Movie

As we all know, there’s one thing about books that appeal to every avid reader in the world; the visualization and imagination. This is something that movies can either enrich or abolish. For the book entitled ‘Of Mice And Men’, the movie acted as a detriment to the book. The differences between the movie and the book are insurmountable. To start thing off, the first thing that was dissimilar was when George and Lennie are shown sneaking into a train at night to escape from Weed. However, if one recalls on the book accurately, they will remember that no such seen in the book was described.Another flawless example is when a worker named Mike approached Slim and asked him whether or not he could switch jobs with someone else as he could not keep up with Lennie. Again, this was not mentioned in the book what-so-ever. The next part was an important part, but was cut from the movie for unknown reasons. The part is when Lennie is in the river and begins to hallucinate a bout his aunt Clara and the giant rabbit. In addition to that, and also near the ending of the book, when George shoots Lennie with the Luger pistol. In the film, the gun he was holding was a Colt Revolver, and was again changed for unspecified reasons.This brings me to how the ending of the book was changed: in the book, George remains on the ranch, whilst in the film, George is seen riding alone in yet another boxcar to his next destination in both the introduction and ending. This is indicative of George fleeing after killing Lennie and reminisces on past events during the ride. In spite of all this alterations or modifications, there are still an innumerable amount to be spoken of. Thus, vividly showing us that movies can indeed sometimes take away from the free-thinking, imagination that books exclusively hold.

Comparative Words Lesson Plan

Comparative Words Lesson Plan Use these guidelines to prepare a lesson plan to teach students of any age how to use comparative words and comparative clauses to express the concepts of more or less and greater or lesser. Objectives and Goals Instruct/review adjectives as a part of speechIntroduce students to words that end in -er and/or -estOffer students the chance to practice finding similar items and comparing them through the proper use of language Anticipatory Set​ Ask students what they know about -er and -est words, as well as the word than. Explain that -er adjectives are for comparing two things, while -est words are used to compare three or more things. For older students, introduce and use the terms comparative and superlative repeatedly and hold students accountable for knowing these terms. Direct Instruction Model turning common root adjectives into comparative and superlative adjectives (examples: funny, hot, happy, big, good, etc.)Brainstorm additional adjectives and practice (as a group) putting them into sentences (example: The sun is hotter than the moon. A baby is smaller than a teenager.) Guided Practice Depending on the age and abilities of your students, you can ask the students to write their own comparative and superlative sentences from scratch. Or, for younger students, you can design and copy a worksheet with cloze sentences and they can fill in the blanks or circle the correct suffix. For example: Fill in the Blanks: The ___________ is bigger than the ___________.Circle one: The big (er or est) animal in the zoo is an elephant. Another option is to have students look through the pages of their independent reading books and search for comparative and superlative adjectives. ​ Closure Offer sharing time for the students to read aloud the sentences they completed or composed. Reinforce the core concepts with discussion and question/answer time. ​ Independent Practice For homework, have students write a given number of comparative and/or superlative sentences based on things they find in their homes, books, neighborhood, or imaginations. ​ Required Materials and Equipment Worksheets if needed, paper, pencils, student reading books if needed. ​ Assessment and Follow-Up Check completed homework assignments for correct sentence structure and grammar. Re-teach as needed. Point our comparative and superlative words as they come up in class discussion and whole group reading.

The Day the Silent Bombs Fell essays

The Day the Silent Bombs Fell essays On September 11,2001, the United States faced, what we saw as the most horrific form of terrorism. On March 16,1988, the northern Iraqi city of Halabja endured the greatest chemical and biological assault on a civilian population in the history of mankind. Today this is our worst fear, being bombed by chemical weapons. What should have been a day of celebration was a day not to be forgotten according to Sabir Abdullah Ahmad. The air smelt like apples and onions. It was a bad smell. I saw people who smelt it and they were affected immediately. In front of me six people, three of them my brothers, tried not to breathe, they tried to hide in some water, but the water was poisoned by the chemicals too and they died. Those who were very close to the bombs died instantly, those who did not found it very difficult to breathe and began to vomit. The gas stung their eyes, some suffering temporary blindness. Many villagers ran towards water, jumping into streams to escape the spreading gases. Iraqi military had been attacking the city for three days until they were forced to retreat, on the fourth day Iraqi planes began bombing the city and surrounding areas. Not long after the bombings stopped, there were helicopters flying overhead taking pictures and dropping paper. About 6pm that night the bombings started again, but this time there were no sounds of explosions. They were attacking the city with a deadly cocktail of chemicals, including mustard gas and various other nerve agents that can cause death as well as medical and genetic problems. About 60,000 Kurds fled Iraq to Turkey, claiming poison gas attacks. Iraq has also denied charges it has used poison gases in this massacre against the Kurdish, who are a minority of people living in Northern Iran, Iraq and Turkey constantly fighting for a separate homeland in Northern Iraq. Over the past 12 years some 45,000 people have been faced with cancer, respiratory ...

Free Online Computer Courses for Adults

Free Online Computer Courses for Adults Whether you are new to the computer or just want to brush up on your skills, you can find a free course online to meet your needs. Working through tutorials is a great way to practice computer skills you can use every day at home or at work. Entry-Level Courses There are numerous computer classes designed for beginners; they cover a variety of topics, from email and web browsing to word processing and graphic design. GCFLearnFree:  This treasure trove of free classes is designed for all computer owners, whether youre a PC, Mac, or Linux fan. Free classes cover basic skills, email, internet browsing, and Mac and Windows basics. For more advanced users, free classes in social media, cloud storage, image editing, and mobile devices bring you up to date with the most recent hardware and software.ALISON:  ALISON ABC IT is a free online information technology  course that teaches everyday computing as it relates to work and life. The course focuses on Microsoft Office  applications and touch typing. Topics include computer software and hardware, file management, IT safety, email, and word processing. The program takes 15 to 20 hours to complete. A score of 80 percent or more in each of the course assessments qualifies you for a self-certification from ALISON.Home Learn: All the free online tutorials at the Home Learn site are aimed at complete beginners. You dont need any experience to get st arted. Tutorials cover Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 10. Several courses cover dealing with spyware. The beginners guide to going wireless addresses the basics, including routers, what you need to buy to go wireless, and safety. Outlook Express is the subject of 10 tutorials. Free-ed: Offers a  collection  of free e-books, courses, and tutorials on computer programming, operating systems, database operations, web scripting, and design, networking, communications, game design, animation, and virtual reality.Meganga: Provides free basic computer training for beginners and seniors.  The video tutorials cover computer basics, Windows, troubleshooting, Word, Outlook, and other topics.CT Distance Learning Consortium: The CTDLC offers a free four-module tutorial that covers computer skills, email, word processing, and web browsing. Each of the modules is self-paced and comes with review questions so you can evaluate your progress. The computer skills module includes instruction on using a mouse, click and double-click, opening and closing files, locating saved files, and copying and pasting between files and text.Education Online for Computers.com: Offers both free and paid training. The free training includes instruction on computer software including Wor d, Excel, Access, Outlook, Powerpoint, Photoshop, Flash, and web development. Intermediate and Advanced Courses Once youve mastered the basics, you may wish to explore more advanced computer applications, including program design, data analysis, and cybersecurity. FutureLearn: Offers hundreds of free online courses from top universities and other organizations. These classes last up to several weeks each and are suitable for intermediate and advanced computer users. Topics include robotics, social media, digital accessibility, managing your identity, searching and researching, and cybersecurity.Skilledup: Offers a collection of free online computer science courses. Although some classes are self-paced, some  require weeks or months of study, just like real college courses. Among the topics covered are cryptography, compilers, program design, hardware security, fundamentals of programming, web development, web intelligence, and big data.

Chapter 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Chapter 4 - Assignment Example During the 1950s-1980s, Matsushita was able to make use of the post-war effects on the Japanese economy; most Japanese were grateful to receive job security at a time of uncertainty. As the Japanese economy expanded and the workforce grew older, suddenly employees had found the freedom to find a job to best suit their needs. This resulted in a shaky business environment from the point of view of Japanese business, but it greatly benefitted the average employee. 4. What is Matsushita trying to achieve with human resource changes it has announced? What are the impediments to successfully implementing these changes? What are the implications for Matsushita if (a) the changes are made quickly or (b) it takes years or even decades to fully implement the changes? Matsushita is trying to offer more options for its employees be being flexible in working conditions. The impediment to this change is an older generation set in its ways that refuses to either change or move on. If the changes are made quickly, older employees may quit in protest and the company may lose some of its most valuable assets. On the other hand, if it takes too long to implement the changes, Matsushita may grow at a slower pace than its competitors and lose significant market share. The Matsushita case shows that societal culture and business success are linked. Culture is always changing, so business needs to do the same. If a business remains the same for too long, productivity decreases and workers lose interest in their

Not sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 8

Not sure - Essay Example Due to the increasing technological and environmental catastrophes there is a need to develop the best practice of a crisis management. One of the situations that call for dire management is associated with the explosion of a bomb in a populous region. The explosion of a bomb and other explosives result in death and other physical injuries, as well as the destruction of various structures. Additionally, the individuals that are related to the victims and properties that are destroyed are normally left with emotional traumas. During this event, the local and national leaders are faced with the task of handling the crisis. This paper is focused on evaluating the best practice that should be employed in a crisis management in the event of an explosion which results to death, physical injuries, destruction of properties and emotional injuries. The paper will attempt to employ the Restorative Rhetoric approach in managing an explosion that results in injuries, death and property destruction; the analysis will be executed in the light of the local and national leaders who are tasked with the responsibility of managing the crisis. The Restoration Rhetoric approach emerged as an effective approach with respect to the management of the Hurricane Katrina and the destruction of the World Trade Center which occurred in September 2001(Griffin-Padgett, 2010). The restoration rhetoric was used by Mayor Ray Nagin and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the management of the terrorist attack and natural disaster respectively (Griffin-Padgett, 2010). This model indicates that, unlike other approaches of crisis management, the restoration of image is not the chief objective; in this respect, there is a need to manage risk while ensuring the safety of the public is restored. As a result, this approach calls for an intensive examination of the leadership skills and aptitudes in crisis management.

Literature Review on IQ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature Review on IQ - Essay Example In Stephen Ceci’s IQ to the Test. Psychology today, he explains that the history of IQ testing first started technically in 1905 by Alfred Binet and later it evolved into different methods. Now over 100 years old, IQ testing is now one of the primary tools that are used for identifying children who have mental retardation and also learning disabilities. IQ testing has also helped many governments, companies, and organizations all over the world today place their new recruits in positions which suit their skills and abilities (Ceci 11). Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, weighs in on nature versus nurture debate and tries to argue that all the other things i.e. our cultural legacy, our parents, our time of birth and where we come from help to shape our success. The book deals with the societal and cultural forces which bring about opportunistic individuals. By using a series of case studies, Gladwell argues that most people believe in the myth that successful individuals a re self made but instead, he says that they are always the beneficiaries of extraordinary opportunities, cultural legacies and hidden advantages which makes them able to learn and work hard in ways that others cannot. He defines an outlier as somebody out of the ordinary i.e. one who does not fit into our ordinary understanding of achievement (Gladwell 16). Gladwell tells us that once a person reaches a certain IQ, then he is likely to be successful just like somebody with a much higher IQ score. It turns out from his argument that IQ is a minor gauge of success since most successful people usually have an IQ that is above average but IQ alone cannot predict success. There are other factors such as creativity that may come into play. Gladwell shows this using several examples like a creative test that is given to two children and it occurred that the child who scored high marks on an IQ test was in fact much less creative than the other child i.e. the child with a high IQ gave corre ct answers but they didn’t have the glimmer of creativity that the other child provided in his answers (Gladwell 84). This is to say that IQ is just one small piece of the solutions that make someone to succeed and that having a high IQ does not necessarily mean one will succeed, though there may be a lowest amount IQ threshold required for success. Gladwell suggests that the connection between success and IQ only works up to a certain point and that once somebody has attained an IQ of about 120 then having extra IQ points does not translate into any advantage.Here,I believe the author makes two incorrect inferences (Gladwell 86). Gladwell argues that great men and women are beneficiaries of collaboration, time, specialization, culture and place. An outlier’s way for success isn’t personal myth but it is the combination of time and opportunity on task. Outliers is divided into two parts i.e. part one and part two. In Part one, which is entitled opportunity, Glad well tries to discredit several notions that geniuses are born not made, that people succeed mostly through their own ideas, and that courage trumps luck when explaining life outcomes. This part Contains five chapters which are organized around stories based on unsystematic research intended to prove that outliers, including geniuses are mainly products of one or another kind of

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Biology - Essay Example However, this has been widely criticized as there are new illnesses associated with the gastrointestinal tract and digestive system, which has caused a rise in the level of such diseases across the nation (Genetic Roullete, n.p.). Genetic modifications have been known to be carried out without the awareness of both the FDA and the general public which raises questions on the safety of such products. Furthermore, companies have been known to put these products on to the market without alerting the public. This has been criticized due to the fact that these modifications are rarely put under intensive testing despite the adverse effects that have been associated with genetically modified foods. Such effects include infertility, change in structure of the liver and susceptibility of the individual’s digestive system to various diseases. Another area that makes this a worrying issue is the nature of genetic modifications which results in every cell of the organism possessing the m odified toxins which the human digestive system has not adapted to or developed mechanisms of digesting. Furthermore, these toxins are poorly excreted and damage the liver, and in cases of pregnant women can cross the placenta and lead to several complications with the pregnancy or the child in the near future (Genetic Roullete, n.p.). Such foods are not part of the natural system; hence, the body is likely to develop allergic responses after their consumption. The introduction of genetically modified food has led to an increase in the number of allergies and individuals in modern times are now developing allergies to basic food commodities such as parsley or regular vegetables which were previously considered as part of a healthy diet. These allergic responses to genetically modified food lead to the disruption in normal functioning of the immune system. Hence, individuals also develop immune responses when they consume foods of a similar nature even if they are not modified, resul ting in the necessity of dietary alterations. The harmful effects of modified foods is not just a myth as children and individuals who have been diagnosed with several diseases of the digestive system have shown 100% recovery after they change to consuming an organic diet. In addition, research on mice has shown that they become infertile after injection with genetically modified food, they also present with change in organ structure and they decrease in size with every generation. The question however rises why this research is frequently ignored and is never followed up. When this food is introduced to chicken embryos, it has fatal effects within a few hours, which shows the potential damage it could have to pregnant women (Genetic Roullete, n.p.). Specialists have stated the danger associated with genetically modified food as it is a potential threat due to the fact that it creates several genetic mutations in the DNA. Furthermore, these mutations are further transferred to the f ollowing generations. This could lead to a new generation which is susceptible to several illnesses, including infertility. Hence, this has been considered a case of emergency due to the fact that the population might not be able to sustain itself in the near future. In addition, genetically modifying crops leads to a cycle of nutrition deficiency that leads all the way from the plants to the livestock and to the humans. The process of modifying crops has also been found to increase the number of mortalities among cattle and other livestock. Removal of

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Reflection paper - Essay Example Different people may have different approaches to certain subjects because they The study on the methamphetamine and its effect on memory were explored in a way that linked it to the various aspects mental challenges (The Nervous System 2). In essence, the chapter was important in the manner in which it explored the variations in patterns of thought in different people and the capacity to comprehend situations or respond to certain stimuli from the environment. It might be necessary to consider the fact that some of the challenges that affect the efficacy of thinking processes have to be aligned with the differences in the brain capacities of individuals. Furthermore, the chapter opened my understanding of the enormous potential of the human brain and its capacity to coordinate activities within the understanding of human behavior. The brain as a biological organ is subject to a range of processes that determine human behavior. The communication between neurons is explored in a way that sheds light on the complexity and speed through which biological processes operate and communicate. On this matter, it becomes important to consider the fact the speed of communication is a key factor to communication. The challenge that arises within the element of communication should be considered as a product of the different levels of potentials between individuals with regard to the unique characteristics of the brain and variations in environmental factors. One of the important lessons obtained from the chapter revolves around the effect of substances on the functioning of the brain. Substances have the capacity to alter or ruin the processes of the brain in ways that may not be easy to comprehend in a normal way. In this regard, it becomes necessary to consider the fact that most of the issues that afflict matters of judgment are related to the capacity of the brain to process information with the right kind of

Financial Ratio Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Ratio Analysis Report - Essay Example Analysis and interpretation of financial statements helps to evaluate the financial position and performance of an enterprise. "GM generated record third quarter automotive revenue of $43.1 billion. The company also achieved record global third quarter sales of 2.39 million cars and trucks, up four percent compared to the third quarter 2006, driven by exceptionally strong demand in emerging markets and improved performance in developed markets. GM also set a number of third quarter sales records around the globe, including a 22 percent increase in GMLAAM, 16 percent increase in the GMAP region, and 15 percent gain in GME." (GM Reports third quarter financial results, 2007). Analysis of Fundamental Ratios and Trends Ratio analysis is one of the important tools used to develop and interpret the financial statements of a business entity. Ratios measure the efficiency of operation of a business unit. Moreover, it also helps to analyze the financial strength or weakness of a business entity. The economic growth of the company is steady and stable. Like all other areas, the company is highly concentrating in the area of accounting and finance also. Similarly, a well defined plan is maintained by the company for protecting its quantum of stock:- Ge1. Maintain control over the entire amount of raw material obtained from the suppliers. 2. Utilize these quantum of raw materials for the production of goods with appropriate control and without making any wastage. 3. After making the delivery of finished goods, company tries to restore the balance of material/ inventory for further process. General Motors, a leading automobile manufacturer is following a systematic procedure for evaluating the financial performance of the entity. The major ratios are being calculated by GM for the analysis and interpretation of financial measurement are current ratio, quick ratio, asset turn over ratio, inventory turn over ratio etc. Therefore, the fundamental accounting ratios of GM are depicted below- Estimated Financial Ratios of General Motors a. . Liquidity Ratios: 1. Current Ratio = Current Assets = $1,000 Current Liabilities$310= 3.2 times. 2) Quick ratio= Quick Assets/ Current liabilities= $385/ $310 = 1.2 times. b) Leverage Ratios- 1) Debt ratio= Total Debt/ Total Assets=$1,064/$2,000= 53.2% 2) Debt to Net worth ratio= Total Debt/ Tangible Net Worth= $1,064/$2250= 47.29%. c) Operating ratios- 1) Net sales to Total Assets= Net Sales/ Total Assets=$3,000/$2,000= 1.5 times. 2) Gross profit ratio= Gross profit/ sales= 1,500/3,000= 50% d) Profitability ratios: 1) Basic Earning Power-(BEP) = EBIT/Total Assets= $283.8/ $2,000= 14.2% 2) Return On Total Assets (ROA) = Net income to stock holders/ Total Assets= $113.5/ $2,000= 5.7% 3) Price Earning Ratio (PE) = Price per share/ Earnings per share= $23/2.27= 10.1 times. 4) Market ratio= Common Equity/ Shares out standing= $896/ 50= $17.92 5) Return On Common Equity (ROE) = Net income to

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Reflection paper - Essay Example Different people may have different approaches to certain subjects because they The study on the methamphetamine and its effect on memory were explored in a way that linked it to the various aspects mental challenges (The Nervous System 2). In essence, the chapter was important in the manner in which it explored the variations in patterns of thought in different people and the capacity to comprehend situations or respond to certain stimuli from the environment. It might be necessary to consider the fact that some of the challenges that affect the efficacy of thinking processes have to be aligned with the differences in the brain capacities of individuals. Furthermore, the chapter opened my understanding of the enormous potential of the human brain and its capacity to coordinate activities within the understanding of human behavior. The brain as a biological organ is subject to a range of processes that determine human behavior. The communication between neurons is explored in a way that sheds light on the complexity and speed through which biological processes operate and communicate. On this matter, it becomes important to consider the fact the speed of communication is a key factor to communication. The challenge that arises within the element of communication should be considered as a product of the different levels of potentials between individuals with regard to the unique characteristics of the brain and variations in environmental factors. One of the important lessons obtained from the chapter revolves around the effect of substances on the functioning of the brain. Substances have the capacity to alter or ruin the processes of the brain in ways that may not be easy to comprehend in a normal way. In this regard, it becomes necessary to consider the fact that most of the issues that afflict matters of judgment are related to the capacity of the brain to process information with the right kind of

The Siete Partidas in regards to the Jewish people in Iberia Term Paper - 1

The Siete Partidas in regards to the Jewish people in Iberia - Term Paper Example They also introduced Islam and new ideologies. The end result was constant conflict and stratification. The Muslim Spain (al-Andalus) had to tighten their political and military system so as to ensure an intensive and effective regime that would gain control of the earlier occupants, with minimum opposition, attacks and revolts. Having gained dominion over the peninsula, the al-Andalus sought to introduce the political and administrative systems and structures that they were conversant with those that were already established in the East. For instance, they destroyed the monarchy that characterized the Visigothic system and substituted it with emirate system3. Under this system, the al-Andalus was to form an administrative unit, with an Arab military ruler from amongst the Muslims in Muslim Spain. Technically, this administrative unit would be said to be a sub unit under Damascus at first, as the ruler pledged loyalty to the Umayyad caliph (the overall ruler) in Damascus. However, a few years later, this emirate gained its independence when `Abbasids took over leadership, killed members of the Ummayad family and defied the traditional requirement of pledging loyalty to the Caliph in Damascus. However, some Muslims, in theory continued to recognize the caliphate of Baghdad. The emirate was divided into provi nces, each headed with its functionaries. Under Emirate system, the overall political head that would be in charge of the entire Muslim Spain was called the amir. The final administrative authority was also vested in the amir. As administrative and political head, Amir made all the political; and administrative decisions that pertained to the provinces. He was also in charge of appointing all the functionaries. He also decided on issues pertaining to taxation, like the quantity of tax to be levied at particular place and

Design Of A Pipe Climbing Robot Engineering Essay

Design Of A Pipe Climbing Robot Engineering Essay This technical paper explains the design process and simulation of a concept vehicle to drive inside a circular pipe of the desired configuration as shown in figure 1. The design is developed to facilitate; pipe climbing and carry an inspection of an inspection panel. This vehicle when operated will travel in a horizontal section of pipe initially, before entering the inclined part of the circular pipe. It then drives within 0.2m of the inspection panel and starts inspecting it with the help of an on-board camera. Specific equations and assumptions are used to monitor vehicle motion and system controllers are designed to enforce there is enough traction applied by the vehicle to grip the pipe and move forward. Figure 1 Pipe inspection Scenario Index Terms-design, linear actuators, multi-wheel drive, proximity sensor, robots Introduction Inspection and maintenance are essential in all industries. Failure to conduct proper maintenance could result in potential danger to workers and machines. Carrying out these inspections impose rigours hurdles in case of various industries where the conditions are unsafe for human workers, for example, inspection and maintenance in a nuclear industry, where the environment poses serious risk for the humans. The most common way for conducting these inspections in hazardous conditions is to use long manipulators which could be expensive. The alternate way of carrying these inspections is by using walking/climbing robots. Pipe climbing robots are advanced robots, which have the potential to climb inside/outside of a pipe to perform specific functions, where a normal operator cannot be used. The improvements in this sector have grown rapidly, since its a cheap and effective way for investigating various properties inside a pipe. An assignment has been assigned to design a concept vehicle to drive inside a circular pipe as in fig 1. This vehicle needs to enter the tunnel and drive to within 0.2m of the inspection panel and inspect the panel at the end of pipe. The vehicle must also carry a wire which is tethered. The climbing robots can be classified into four major categories based on their approach to climbing: adhesive, brute force fixture, spines and grasp. The robots with adhesive approach use a mechanism such as suction or an electromagnetic fixture on the climbing surfaces. The brute force robots use a mechanism to grab on to the structure and move forward. The spine group of robots use spines/multi-spines to attach themselves to the climbing surface so as to propel forwards. The last group of grasp robots use their own dynamic and kinematic state to grasp on to the engineering structure and moves forward. The present conceptual design can be categorised under grasping group of climbing robots. These robots consist of mainly two mechanisms, one to power the robot to move and the other to grip the surface of the structure. The mechanisms used to grip on to the surface can be facilitated by the usage of spring and v-shaped arm or longitudinal actuators. A v-shaped arm along with a compression spring is connected to the body of the robot. The compression springs tends to expand the arms, if the outer arm reaches the surface, it exerts a force normal to the contact of surface thus proving the traction for gripping the surface. In case of linear actuators various mechanisms are used to produce the linear motion of the arms to exert force onto the surface. The present design employs a linear actuator. It has longitudinal arms connected to linear actuators. The linear actuator is a simple rack-pinion mechanism, but consists of three racks to synchronise the outward motion equally in all three directions, thus providing an equal amount of force on each surface of the structure. A multi-wheel drive system is employed for the present case, as there is a need for requirement for more torque when the robot climbs the inclination part and to reduce the slip generated by the wheel. In the present case, the robot has five wheels and hence five individual motors, two on the bottom of the base, one on either side of robot and one at the top of the robot. When in operation the outer end of the wheels on all directions would be perfectly inscribed in a circle of 200cm when looked at front view. This mechanism coupled with linear actuators makes sure that at any instant all the wheels are in contact with the surface of the pipe thus providing maximum available traction for the robot. Robot model and modelling assumptions In the present concept of design the circular pipe is considered to be even and has a constant coefficient of friction throughout. Designing the robot requires a methodological approach to implement a professional structured robot is done by generating a CAD model of the robot. The components of the robot are selected with maximum care with feasible materials, since theoretical tests and scenarios can be modelled based on weight and dimension of the robot. After selection of optimum materials for robot, the design process is finished. The weight of the vehicle including the power source (batteries), on-board camera and computer controller along with other drive motors and actuators will approximately be around 1.8 kg. The dimensions of the robot while in operation are 0.275m in length, 0.2m in both width and height. The front part of the robot is designed in such a way that it gets inscribed in a circle perfectly during motion. To maintain perfect contact at all time the wheel positioning is very critical. Both the bottom wheels are place below the base of the robot to facilitate more space for other components such as power source, camera, controllers, sensors etc. The remaining three wheels are positioned perpendicular to each other on the actuator arm. The length of this arm can be varied using the linear actuator mechanism. In the present case this linear actuator mechanism is a simple rack-pinion mechanism. All the three arms are synchronised such that under operation the displacement of arms is equal in all directions. Four proximity sensors are used to calculate the distance between the surface of pipe and surface of the tyre. Three sensors are linked to one at each actuating arm in their respective direction. One sensor is linked to calculate the distance from surface of front tyre to the surface of the inspection panel. The three sensors on actuator arm are categorised into a single sensor unit (say sensor unit 1), while the other sensor (say sensor unit 2) is categorised separately. The categorised bill of the materials used is as follows Working of the robot Initially when the robot is at rest, all the three linear actuating arms are in contracted position. When the system of the robot is started, the sensor unit 1 present on the linear actuator arms calculates the distance between wheel and surface of pipe and sends the feedback to the on-board CPU. The CPU then sends a signal to increment the step motor to one step. This whole process of increment of steps continues until the wheel touches the surface of pipe and thus exerts a small normal force to grip onto that surface. Once this process is completed, drive motors of the robot are actuated. These motors are controlled by on-board CPU with the help of feedback from the sensor unit 2. All the five motors through a gear box connected to the wheels are powered with equal force, hence powering robot equally in all directions and sensor unit 1 ensures theres maximum grip available at the end of the actuating arms. The power to the motor is stopped once the sensor unit 2 senses the distance between the front wheels and the inspection panel is 0.2m, thus activating the camera to carry the inspection process. This whole process can be controlled using a manual operation panel or fully autonomous programmed GUI on-board. Simulation of vehicle dynamics The vehicle dynamics of the robot are established using specific equations for motion. This analysis is used to determine the performance capacity and capability of the robot. It also helps to calculate the velocity, force dynamics at any instance of time. Before using the equations a few assumptions are considered. The drag forces exerted on the body and wire are neglected. The drive force from the wheels is considered to be a constant ideal force, where wheel slip and wheel tyre deflection are neglected. The gravitational constant and the friction coefficient considered to remain constant throughout the process. The simulation emphasises more on the vehicle motion along the entire length of pipe including the inclined part of pipe. The terminology used for the following calculaitons are as follows Parameter Description Value mb Mass of robot 1.8 kg r Radius of the wheel 0.03m mw| mass of wire per unit length 0.2 kg/m Ub Coefficient of friction of body 0.5 Uw Coeffient of friction of wire 0.2 G Gravitational constant 9.81 m/s2 Ts Stall torque of motor 0.9 kg-m Wn No load speed of motor 38 rpm O Angle of inclination of pipe 40o Straight path A constant force is produced through five drive motors and is calculated as follows, where Fm is the force exerted by the motor, But the torque generated by the motor changes with velocity of the body. Torque at any time is given as Where w is rotational speed at that instant of time. W can be written in terms of velocity v of the body Since there are five motors present to power the robot, the net force exeterd by motors at any time is The frictional force (Ffb) acting on the body due to its own weight Frictional force (Ffw) due to mass of wire Where mw is mass of wire carried at that time and is calculated by using length l of distance travelled by the robot The resultant force(F) resulting in forward motion of the robot Acceleration(a) of the body is given by Velocity vf of the body is given by Displacement lf of the body is given by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€ š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Inclined path Consider the instance at which the robot just reaches the inclined path of the pipe. The force exerted by the motor remains constant as in eq(). When the robot is in inclined position weight gradient of body(Fgb) and weight gradient of wire (Fgw)opposes the motion of body. These are given as The frictional forces acting opposite to motion also changes as follows Where l is the total displacement along the pipe The net force (Fi) acting on the body along the pipe is Acceleration of the body along the pipe Velocity (vi) of the robot at any instance is given by Where vf is the velocity of the robot at the start of the inclination. Abstract-These instructions are a guide to the assignments to be submitted for Mech5090 Mechatronics and Robotics Applications [this section should contain a brief description of the task and outcomes] The assignment must not exceed 6 sides of A4!!!! Index Terms-About four key words or phrases in alphabetical order, separated by commas. INTRODUCTION THIS document is a template for Microsoft Word versions 6.0 or later. Do not change the font sizes or line spacing to squeeze more text into a limited number of pages. Use italics for emphasis; do not underline. To insert images in Word, position the cursor at the insertion point and either use Insert | Picture | From File or copy the image to the Windows clipboard and then Edit | Paste Special | Picture (with float over text unchecked). This section should contain a description of the problem and a critical discussion of the references used for the work. System designà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mechanical considerationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. eg This section should contain the description of the system you propose including any specific hardware you are proposing to use. You can be flexible how you use headings and divide the work up. References Number citations consecutively in square brackets [1]. The sentence punctuation follows the brackets [2]. Multiple references [2], [3] are each numbered with separate brackets [1]-[3]. When citing a section in a book, please give the relevant page numbers [2]. In sentences, refer simply to the reference number, as in [3]. Do not use Ref. [3] or reference [3] except at the beginning of a sentence: Figures The assignment should contain technical/non-technical illustrations of important aspects of the work. Graphs The assignment may contain graphs produced by a software package such as Matlab. They should have the correct axis/units. They must have a figure caption and be referenced in the text. Tables of information are also fine with the rules above adhered to. Equations Number equations consecutively with equation numbers in parentheses flush with the right margin, as in (1). First use the equation editor to create the equation. Then select the Equation markup style. Press the tab key and write the equation number in parentheses. To make your equations more compact, you may use the solidus ( / ), the exp function, or appropriate exponents. Use parentheses to avoid ambiguities in denominators. Punctuate equations when they are part of a sentence, as in (1) Conclusion A conclusion section is required. Although a conclusion may review the main points of the paper, do not replicate the abstract as the conclusion. A conclusion might elaborate on the importance of the work or suggest applications and extensions.

Traditional Dance as the Way to Understand the Culture Essay -- Cultur

â€Å"Dance has no language†- it is often said at the concerts and festivals. Indeed, in order to understand the beauty of the dance and what dancers want to express you do not need to know particular language, so Kazakhs, Russians, Koreans, Germans, Chinese etc. will perceive dance performance in the same way. Traditional dance involves not only dance performance, but traditional national music, costumes and attributes as well. So, through the traditional folk dances people can get acquainted with one or another’s culture. However, according to Bridget Rose Nolan (2008, 8) the nature of the traditional dances are very complex, and the question about to what extent such dances are traditional is arguable. She states that â€Å"dance is arguably one of the hardest forms of cultural expression to pass from one person to another unchanged, let alone from one generation to another through hundreds of years†. As Brennan (1999, 15)said â€Å"dance is, by its nature, ephemeral†. Brennan points that traditional dance itself underwent the process of evolution. Nevertheless, culture is learnt, so it can be changed and it changes slightly from one generation to another, and traditional dance as a part of culture changes as well. This will not be the eradication of culture. Therefore modern traditional dances can be regarded as part of culture and they can be considered as the way to understand particular culture. This paper is focused on this way, to be precisely, how traditional dances affect the understanding of culture. Firstly, the research problem will be described. Then essay will proceed to the description of the practical part, particularly, of the fieldwork, methods and expectations of the participant observation. Furthermore, there will be an an... ...ered that choreography students do not identify with any culture, including their own one, during the dance performance. So, the expectations about the changes in the behavior by the influence of the folk costumes and attributes were met, though the expectations about the feelings of the other cultures were not met. Therefore, folk dances can present culture of the particular folk, but the performances of the folk dances not always involve the understanding of the culture. Bibliography Brennan, H. The Story of Irish Dance. Ireland: Mount Eagle Publications, 1999. Haviland, William A., Harald E.L. Prins, Bunny McBride, and Dana Walrath. Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. Wadsworth Publishing, 2011. Nolan, B.R. "Tradition, Modernity, and Authenticity in Riverdance." American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Boston, 2008. 1-17. Traditional Dance as the Way to Understand the Culture Essay -- Cultur â€Å"Dance has no language†- it is often said at the concerts and festivals. Indeed, in order to understand the beauty of the dance and what dancers want to express you do not need to know particular language, so Kazakhs, Russians, Koreans, Germans, Chinese etc. will perceive dance performance in the same way. Traditional dance involves not only dance performance, but traditional national music, costumes and attributes as well. So, through the traditional folk dances people can get acquainted with one or another’s culture. However, according to Bridget Rose Nolan (2008, 8) the nature of the traditional dances are very complex, and the question about to what extent such dances are traditional is arguable. She states that â€Å"dance is arguably one of the hardest forms of cultural expression to pass from one person to another unchanged, let alone from one generation to another through hundreds of years†. As Brennan (1999, 15)said â€Å"dance is, by its nature, ephemeral†. Brennan points that traditional dance itself underwent the process of evolution. Nevertheless, culture is learnt, so it can be changed and it changes slightly from one generation to another, and traditional dance as a part of culture changes as well. This will not be the eradication of culture. Therefore modern traditional dances can be regarded as part of culture and they can be considered as the way to understand particular culture. This paper is focused on this way, to be precisely, how traditional dances affect the understanding of culture. Firstly, the research problem will be described. Then essay will proceed to the description of the practical part, particularly, of the fieldwork, methods and expectations of the participant observation. Furthermore, there will be an an... ...ered that choreography students do not identify with any culture, including their own one, during the dance performance. So, the expectations about the changes in the behavior by the influence of the folk costumes and attributes were met, though the expectations about the feelings of the other cultures were not met. Therefore, folk dances can present culture of the particular folk, but the performances of the folk dances not always involve the understanding of the culture. Bibliography Brennan, H. The Story of Irish Dance. Ireland: Mount Eagle Publications, 1999. Haviland, William A., Harald E.L. Prins, Bunny McBride, and Dana Walrath. Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. Wadsworth Publishing, 2011. Nolan, B.R. "Tradition, Modernity, and Authenticity in Riverdance." American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Boston, 2008. 1-17.

Confucius Paper :: essays research papers

According to tradition, Confucius was born in the state of Lu (present-day Shandong Province) of the noble K'ung clan. His original name was K'ung Ch'iu. His father, commander of a district in Lu, died three years after Confucius was born, leaving the family in poverty, but Confucius nevertheless received a fine education. He was married at the age of 19 and had one son and two daughters. During the four years immediately after his marriage, poverty compelled him to become a sevant for the chief of the district in which he lived. His mother died in 527 BC, and after a period of mourning he began his career as a teacher, usually traveling about and instructing the small body of disciples that had gathered around him. His fame as a man of learning and character and his reverence for Chinese ideals and customs soon spread through the principality of Lu. Living as he did in the second half of the Zhou (Chou) dynasty (1027?-256 BC), when feudalism degenerated in China and conspiracy and evildoing were constant, Confucius deplored the contemporary disorder and lack of moral standards. He came to believe that the only remedy was to convert people once more to the principles of the sages of antiquity. He therefore lectured to his pupils on the ancient classics. He taught the great value of the power of example. Rulers, he said, can be great only if they themselves lead free lives, and were they willing to be guided by moral principles, their states would sure become prosperous and happy. Confucius had, however, no opportunity to put his theories to a public test until, at the age of 50, he was appointed magistrate of Chung-tu, and the next year minister of crime of the state of Lu. His administration was successful; reforms were introduced, justice was fairly dispensed, and crime was almost eliminated. So powerful that Lu became the ruler of a neighboring state maneuvered to secure the minister's dismissal. Confucius left his office in 496 BC, traveling about and teaching, vainly hoping that some other prince would allow him to undertake measures of reform. In 484 BC, after a fruitless search for an ideal ruler, he returned for the last time to Lu. He spent the remaining years of his life in retirement, writing commentaries on the classics. He died in Lu and was buried in a tomb at Ch'Ã ¼-fu, Shandong.

War on Drugs and Prison Overcrowding

The War on Drugs and Prison Overcrowding David Turner CCJ 1020 October 06, 2012 Overcrowding is one of the most difficult challenges that prison administrators face in the United States. There are many factors that that affect the constant flow of people being processed into today’s prisons. The â€Å"war on drugs† has led to more arrest and convictions that any other crime. The money spent on the prohibition of drugs and the law enforcement presence to stop drug trafficking raises high into the billions of dollars.The cost to care for these individuals while incarcerated has cost taxpayers billions over the years. When looking at today’s statistics of the â€Å"war on drugs†, the supply and demand is greater than it has ever been. From 1995 to 2003, drug offenses accounted for 49% of the growth in prison population in both state and federal institutions (McVay, 2011). According to the Department of Justice, in 2004, almost 30% of drug offenders in state p risons were serving time for possession, while close to 70% were serving time for trafficking.There is a strong following across the United States from state groups and services rallying against sentencing and pushing for drug counseling programs. Legalization for marijuana has resurfaced in the November polls in some states. In many prisons, marijuana convictions fill the cell blocks more than any other drug offense. In 1933, America re-legalized alcohol, and the 21st amendment re-legalized its production, distribution and sale. Alcohol consumption and violent crimes fell instantly (Goelman, 2011). As a result, the American criminal justice system felt slightly organized.Crimes that were being committed due to alcohol smuggling and manufacturing had almost came to a complete halt. President Richard Nixon’s first budget for the â€Å"war on drugs† was $100 million dollars (Associated Press, 2010). If only that was the budget these days. Published reports state that the Obama Administrations budget for 2011 was $15. 1 billion dollars. Most of the money is budgeted for law enforcement and drug interdiction purposes. When Nixon first started this movement to find drugs, it was for counseling and for drug treatment programs. PresidentReagan reinvented the â€Å"war on drugs† phrase by changing the goal from rehabilitation to a law enforcement presence (Jane, 2011). Since the early 1980’s, the number of people being sentence to state penitentiaries have double, even tripled in some areas. The idea of, if you lock them all up, then the crimes will stop approach has not worked over the years. The numbers have consistently gone up in both the budget and those being incarcerated. Many states have lowered drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and resorted to longer, more structured probationary terms.Though this is a step in the right direction, it is not enough to put a dent in the budget or free up space to house more dangerous offender s in our prisons. Businesses around the globe use simple business practices to figure out supply and demand. If there is a demand in an area, then a store is opened and the goods are sold. If the business is not doing well in sales, then the store closes. If we (America) can stop the urge, the addiction, or demand for certain drugs, then the business owners will go elsewhere. Drugs have powerful, addictive properties and our brains are just as powerful.Addiction is a powerful word and is an even a more powerful feeling. Not everyone locked up in prison is addicted to drugs, but the ones who are enable these same people to sell them drugs. If we focus on counseling and fighting addiction, we will see the budget and prison overcrowding drop. I am a firm believer in what might have worked 20 years ago, might not work in today’s society. With prisons being filled on a daily basis, the budget for fighting the â€Å"war on drugs† growing larger, and the demand for drugs is à ¢â‚¬Å"higher† than ever, America has got to start a new approach for this fight.Since this is being called a â€Å"war on drugs†, then we need to change our attack strategy and try something else. Through drug treatments and counseling, we can lower numbers in all major categories and put the money in other areas where it is needed the most. References McVay, D. A. (2011, January 26). Drug War Facts: Common Sense for Drug Policy. Retrieved from http://www. drugwarfacts. org/cms/ Shane, James, Rich, & Rob. (2010) Losing Effort: The United States â€Å"War on Drugs†. Retrieved from http://visualeconomics. creditloan. com/losing-effort-the-united-states-war-on-

Macroeconomics Question Paper

Question 1 . Using a market-clearing model to analyze the demand for haircuts is ______ because the price of a haircut usually changes ______. Answer Selected Answer: unrealistic; infrequently Correct Answer: unrealistic; infrequently . Question 2 . Which of the following is not the correct combination for a U. S. president and an important economic issue of his administration? Answer Selected Answer: President Clinton, inflation Correct Answer: President Clinton, inflation . Question 3 . Macroeconomic models are used to explain how ______ variables influence ______ variables.Answer Selected Answer: exogenous; endogenous Correct Answer: exogenous; endogenous . Question 4 . The total income of everyone in the economy adjusted for the level of prices is called: Answer Selected Answer: real GDP. Correct Answer: real GDP. . Question 5 . A period of falling prices is called: Answer Selected Answer: a recession. Correct Answer: deflation. . Question 6 . The inflation rate is a measure of h ow fast: Answer Selected Answer: prices in the economy are rising. Correct Answer: prices in the economy are rising. . Question 7 . Exogenous variables are:Answer Selected Answer: fixed at the moment they enter the model. Correct Answer: fixed at the moment they enter the model. . Question 8 . In the relationship expressed in functional form, Y = G(K, L), Y stands for real GDP, K stands for the amount of capital in the economy, and L stands for the amount of labor in the economy. In this case G( ): Answer Selected Answer: is the function telling how the variables in the parenthesis determine real GDP. Correct Answer: is the function telling how the variables in the parenthesis determine real GDP. . Question 9 .The inflation rate in the United States averaged about: Answer Selected Answer: zero between 1900 and 1950. Correct Answer: zero between 1900 and 1950. . Question 10 . Endogenous variables are: Answer Selected Answer: determined within the model. Correct Answer: determined wit hin the model. . Question 11 . The best measure of the economic satisfaction of the members of a society is: Answer Selected Answer: real GDP. Correct Answer: real GDP. . Question 12 . In 2010 in the United States, the approximate percentage of GDP that was spent on consumption was: Answer Selected Answer: 7 percent. Correct Answer: 67 percent. . Question 13 . The national income accounts identity, for an open economy, is: Answer Selected Answer: Y = C + I + G + NX. Correct Answer: Y = C + I + G + NX. . Question 14 . If nominal GDP grew by 5 percent and real GDP grew by 3 percent, then the GDP deflator grew by approximately ______ percent. Answer Selected Answer: 2 Correct Answer: 2 . Question 15 . If the number employed increases while the number unemployed does not change, the unemployment rate: Answer Selected Answer: will not change. Correct Answer: will decrease. . Question 16 .As a percentage of GNP, depreciation (also called the consumption of fixed capital) amounts to approx imately: Answer Selected Answer: 10 percent. Correct Answer: 10 percent. . Question 17 . Prices of items included in the CPI are: Answer Selected Answer: weighted according to quantity of the item purchased by the typical household. Correct Answer: weighted according to quantity of the item purchased by the typical household. . Question 18 . Real GDP means the value of goods and services is measured in ______ prices. Answer Selected Answer: constant Correct Answer: constant . Question 19 .If nominal GDP increased by 5 percent and the GDP deflator increased by 3 percent, then real GDP ______ by ______ percent. Answer Selected Answer: increased; 2 Correct Answer: increased; 2 . Question 20 . Nominal GDP is measured in _____ dollars _____ time. Answer Selected Answer: current; per unit of Correct Answer: current; per unit of . Question 21 . Exhibit: Saving, Investment, and the Interest Rate 2 Reference: Ref 3-2 (Exhibit: Saving, Investment, and the Interest Rate 2) The economy begins i n equilibrium at Point E, representing the real interest rate, r1, at which saving, S1, equals desired investment, I1.What will be the new equilibrium combination of real interest rate, saving, and investment if there is a tax law change that makes investment projects less profitable and decreases the demand for investment goods (but does not change the amount of taxes collected in the economy)? Answer Selected Answer: Point C Correct Answer: Point A . Question 22 . National saving refers to: Answer Selected Answer: income minus consumption minus government spending. Correct Answer: income minus consumption minus government spending. . Question 23 .According to the neoclassical theory of distribution, if firms are competitive and subject to constant returns to scale, total income in the economy is distributed: Answer Selected Answer: between the labor and capital used in production, according to their marginal productivities. Correct Answer: between the labor and capital used in pro duction, according to their marginal productivities. . Question 24 . According to the model developed in Chapter 3, when government spending increases but taxes are not raised, interest rates: Answer Selected Answer: increase. Correct Answer: increase. . Question 25 .When there is a fixed supply of loanable funds, an increase in investment demand results in a(n): Answer Selected Answer: higher interest rate. Correct Answer: higher interest rate. . Question 26 . Assume that the production function is Cobb–Douglas with parameter ? = 0. 3. In the neoclassical model, if the labor force increases by 10 percent, then output: Answer Selected Answer: increases by about 7 percent. Correct Answer: increases by about 7 percent. . Question 27 . In the classical model with fixed income, if households want to save more than firms want to invest, then: Answer Selected Answer: he interest rate falls. Correct Answer: the interest rate falls. . Question 28 . Assume that equilibrium GDP (Y) is 5,000. Consumption is given by the equation C = 500 + 0. 6Y. Investment (I) is given by the equation I = 2,000 – 100r, where r is the real interest rate in percent. No government exists. In this case, the equilibrium real interest rate is: Answer Selected Answer: 5 percent. Correct Answer: 5 percent. . Question 29 . In the classical model with fixed income, if the demand for goods and services is greater than the supply, the interest rate will: Answer Selected Answer: increase.Correct Answer: increase. . Question 30 . Exhibit: Saving, Investment, and the Interest Rate 1 Reference: Ref 3-1 (Exhibit: Saving, Investment, and the Interest Rate 1) The economy begins in equilibrium at Point E, representing the real interest rate, r1, at which saving, S1, equals desired investment, I1. What will be the new equilibrium combination of real interest rate, saving, and investment if the government raises taxes, holding other factors constant? Answer Selected Answer: Point B Correct Answe r: Point B . Question 31 . Assume that the consumption function is given by C = 200 + 0. (Y – T), the tax function is given by T = 100 + t1Y, and Y = 50K0. 5L0. 5, where K = 100 and L = 100. If t1 increases from 0. 2 to 0. 25, then consumption decreases by: Answer Selected Answer: 175. Correct Answer: 175. . Question 32 . Assume that the investment function is given by I = 1,000 – 30r, where r is the real rate of interest (in percent). Assume further that the nominal rate of interest is 10 percent and the inflation rate is 2 percent. According to the investment function, investment will be: Answer Selected Answer: 760. Correct Answer: 760. .Saturday, November 10, 2012 12:07:36 PM EST .