Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Neighbors essays

Neighbors essays On the street where I live, I see vibrant azaleas and blooming roses in my neighbors flowerbed. I see kites gliding through the sky on a cool spring afternoon as if they were angels on a cloud. I see the beautiful skyline of Memphis, TN and the bright lights of the Memphis Bridge as I look off of my balcony. I see large boats sailing down the Mississippi River. I see children playing and riding their bicycles, smiling as if it were the greatest day of their life. I see people walking, jogging and roller-skating on the river walk. I see some people lying on blankets just enjoying the moment, leaving the stress and pressures of their jobs and the world behind them, taking time out to enjoy family and self. I see fathers playing catch with their sons and mothers reading novels. When I look down my street I see happiness. On the street where I live, I hear crickets chirping, bees buzzing and birds singing. I hear the horns of cars, tug boats and trolley trains as they pass my apartment building. I hear dogs barking and howling to the screeching sounds of the fire truck sirens. I hear construction workers yelling, jackhammers pounding the concrete and the shifting gears of dump trucks driving away. I hear the up-tempo roar of motorcycles drag racing down the street. I hear the sounds of a trumpet coming from the Taylors apartment two doors down from mine. At twelve p.m. I hear the bells ringing from the local Catholic Church. I hear the sounds of the inner city. On the street where I live, I smell the aroma of mesquite bar-b-que. I smell sweet bubble gum ice cream as my son eats his favorite dessert. I smell freshly cut grass and the stench of mulch in the air. I smell fragrant flowers and honeysuckle overridden by the smell of burning oil at the local refinery. On the street where I live, I feel a cool breeze off the river blowing in my face. I feel the vibration from the train as it crosses the bridge. ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

USS Langley - The US Navys First Aircraft Carrier

USS Langley - The US Navys First Aircraft Carrier Laid down on October 18, 1911, at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, CA, USS Langley (CV-1) began its life as the Proteus-class collier USS Jupiter (AC-3). Its keel-laying ceremony was attended by President William H. Taft. Work continued through the winter and the collier was launched on April 14, 1912. The US Navys first turbo-electric-powered ship, Jupiter joined the fleet in April 1913, under the command of Commander Joseph M. Reeves. USS Jupiter Shortly after passing sea trials, Jupiter was sent south to the Mexican coast off Mazatln. Carrying a detachment of US Marines, the Navy hoped that the ships presence would aid in calming tensions during the 1914 Veracruz crisis. With the situation diffused, the collier departed for Philadelphia in October, becoming the first ship to transit the Panama Canal from west to east in the process. After service with the Atlantic Fleet Auxiliary Division in the Gulf of Mexico, Jupiter was switched to cargo duty in April 1917. Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transport Service, Jupiter sailed in support of US efforts during World War I, and made two cargo voyages to Europe (June 1917 and November 1918).   During its first Atlantic crossing, the collier carried a naval aviation detachment commanded by Lieutenant Kenneth Whiting. These were the first American military aviators to reach Europe. Returning to coaling duties in January 1919, Jupiter operated in European waters to facilitate the return of troops serving with the American Expeditionary Forces following the end of the war. Later that year, the ship received orders to return to Norfolk for conversion into an aircraft carrier. Arriving on December 12, 1919, the ship was decommissioned the following March. The US Navys First Aircraft Carrier Work began immediately to convert the ship, which was renamed in honor of aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley on April 21, 1920. In the yard, workers reduced the ships superstructure and built a flight deck over the length of the ship. The vessels two funnels were moved outboard and an elevator constructed for moving aircraft between decks. Completed in early 1922, Langley was designated CV-1 and commissioned on March 20, with Whiting, now a commander, in command. Entering service, Langley became the primary test platform for the US Navys budding aviation program.    USS Langley (CV-1) - Overview Type: Aircraft CarrierNation: United StatesBuilder: Mare Island Naval ShipyardLaid Down: October 18, 1911Launched: August 14, 1912Commissioned: March 20, 1922 Specifications Displacement: 11,500 tonsLength: 542 ft.Beam: 65 ft.Draft: 18 ft. 11 in.Speed: 15 knotsComplement: 468 officers and men Armament 55 aircraft4 Ãâ€" 5 guns Early Operations On October 17, 1922, Lieutenant Virgil C. Griffin became the first pilot to fly from the ships deck when he took off in his Vought VE-7-SF. The ships first landing came nine days later when Lieutenant Commander Godfrey de Courcelles Chevalier came aboard in an Aeromarine 39B. The firsts continued on November 18, when Whiting became the first naval aviator to be catapulted from a carrier when he launched in a PT. Steaming south in early 1923, Langley continued aviation testing in the warm waters of the Caribbean before sailing to Washington DC that June to conduct a flight demonstration and show its capabilities to governmental officials. Returning to active duty, Langley operated out of Norfolk for much of 1924, and underwent its first overhaul late that summer. Putting to sea that fall, Langley transited the Panama Canal and joined the Pacific Battle Fleet on November 29. For the next dozen years, the ship served with the fleet off Hawaii and California working to training aviators, conducting aviation experiments, and taking part in war games. With the arrival of the larger carriers Lexington (CV-2) and Saratoga (CV-3) and the near completion of Yorktown (CV-5) and Enterprise (CV-6), the Navy decided that the little Langley was no longer needed as a carrier. Seaplane Tender On October 25, 1936, Langley arrived at Mare Island Naval Shipyard for conversion into a seaplane tender. After removing the forward section of the flight deck, workers built a new superstructure and bridge, while the aft end of the ship was altered to accommodate the ships new role. Re-designated AV-3, Langley sailed in April 1937. Following a brief assignment in the Atlantic during early 1939, the ship sailed for the Far East, reaching Manila on September 24. When World War II began, the ship was anchored nearby at Cavite. On December 8, 1941, Langley departed the Philippines for Balikpapan, Dutch East Indies before finally making for Darwin, Australia. World War II During the first half of January 1942, Langley aided the Royal Australian Air Force in conducting anti-submarine patrols out of Darwin. Receiving new orders, the ship sailed north later that month to deliver 32 P-40 Warhawks to Allied forces at Tjilatjap, Java and to join American‑British‑Dutch‑Australian forces gathering to block the Japanese advance into Indonesia. On February 27, shortly after meeting with its antisubmarine screen, the destroyers USS Whipple and USS Edsall, Langley was attacked by a flight of nine Japanese G4M Betty bombers. Successfully evading the first two Japanese bombing runs, the ship was hit five times on the third, causing the topsides to burst in to flames and the ship to develop a 10-degree list to port. Limping towards Tjilatjap Harbor, Langley lost power and was unable to negotiate the mouth of the harbor. At 1:32 PM, the ship was abandoned and the escorts moved into sink the hulk to prevent its capture by the Japanese. Sixteen of Langleys crew were killed in the attack.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Freedom of Assembly in Hong Kong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Freedom of Assembly in Hong Kong - Essay Example This research study examines the restrictions on the right to freedom of assembly in Hong Kong with particular emphasis on the ruling in Leung Kwok Hung and its importance to the rationale for restricting freedom of assembly. A comparative analysis is conducted with reference to Hong Kong’s case law and international jurisprudence relative to freedom of assembly. This study is therefore divided into two main parts. The first part of the paper will examine Hong Kong’s freedom of assembly regime and the second part of the paper will examine the international jurisprudence on freedom of assembly. Hong Kong’s Freedom of Assembly Law Overview The Sino-UK Joint Declaration of 1984 which provided for the transfer of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China (PRC or China) contained an undertaking to maintain the pre-existing fundamental human rights including freedom of assembly. China implemented the Basic Law 1997 which reflected its undertaking under the Joint Declaration of 1984 to maintain a one country, two system framework with respect to its sovereignty over Hong Kong. This meant that Hong Kong could continue to adhere to the laws in place at the time of the handover. Shortly after the handover of Hong Kong however, China reneged on some of its key guarantees under the Joint Declaration and among its broken promises, announced that there would be restrictions on a number of freedoms including freedom of assembly.... uding freedom of assembly.5 With the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.6 The SAR government amended and repealed parts of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance (BORO) 1997, the Public Order Ordinance and the Societies Ordinance, laws that were previously introduced by the British government prior to the handover to China, in 1992 and 1995. The amended law provides that demonstrations comprised of at least 30 persons must first obtain police approval. Secondly the Public Order Ordinance and the Societies Ordinance stipulate that associations are required to register under the approval of the SAR government in order to obtain legal status. Moreover, national security is the broad basis upon which the police may refuse to permit an association or a demonstration.7 B. Current Law on Freedom of Assembly Essentially, the Basic Law 1997 as promulgated on behalf of the SAR retains for Hong Kong, the fundamental freedoms and rights existing in Hong Kong at the time of the handover to China. As a result the Basic Law and BORO provide the primary methods by which the executive and the legislature exercise their respective authorities. Likewise the two instruments also guarantee Hong Kong residents civil rights protection such as the freedom of association, of assemble, of procession, free speech, free press and freedom of demonstration.8 Freedom of Assembly is provided for in Article 17 of BORO and is characterized as Freedom of Peaceful Assembly. Article 17 provides that: The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Contrast essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contrast - Essay Example The method of giving solution to problems was the same in math and physics. The two had the same way of presenting answers. To be specific, both classes had utilized various formulas to explain phenomena and outcomes. In the mathematics class, numbers and variables were utilized to answer mathematical problems. For example, algebraic expressions were used by the teacher to describe a relationship which varies over time (â€Å"What†). In physics, numbers and variables were also employed in explaining a scientific problem. For instance, in determining the amount of force exerted in an activity, Newton’s law of motion was applied by the instructor. In the classroom, the teacher always associated the formulas used in actual setting. The application of the formulas in real life was emphasized. Even in small dealings, the professors would find a way to relate it to the topic whether in math or physics class. For instance, my math teacher had chosen a classmate of mine who was a businesswoman to illustrate the importance of addition and subtraction. In contrast with the mentioned similarities, the two classes essentially differed in the practical application of its topics. In the physics class, actual experiments were conducted to personally experience the truthfulness of the formulas. To test the students, the teacher included practical exams wherein students were tested if they really know how to perform the experiment and how well they understand the lesson. In another case, a student was called to explain and demonstrate a topic in front of the class. It was some sort of an oral exam. However, in the mathematics class, there was no actual experiment. It was just all about trial and error in a piece of paper. The professor never entertained the idea of calling students to answer a mathematical problem on the board. He never conducted an oral exam. What the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Stirling Sports Essay Example for Free

Stirling Sports Essay Stirling Sports opened their first Store on Dominion Road in Auckland in 1964. The first Stirling Sports franchises were awarded in 1983 after Stirling Sports had invested almost 20 years in developing the best sports retail stores in New Zealand. Stirling Sports Dunedin’s mission statements asserts, ‘The Dunedin community speaks positively about their Stirling Sport experience’. Their logo is ‘We love our sport’, an apt summary of the passion held by management and staff for their products, service and the specialist knowledge they provide. Stirling Sports is the one of the New Zealand leading retailers of sporting goods. Stirling Sports has a huge range of sports clothing and mens and womens shoes, supporter gear and more. In 2004, Russell and Sue became aware of an opportunity to purchase the Stirling Sports Dunedin area franchise and made the decision to buy within a week. Since they originated from the Otago region, this was an opportunity ‘to come home’. After some negotiation they successfully acquired the franchise and began to determine how best to manage the two operations. After some deliberation, the  decision was made that Sue would move to Dunedin and manage that store, while Russell continued to manage the Kapiti store. Russell and Sue decided to buy the franchise with the existing staff at the Dunedin store. The store had to become profitable, so changes needed to be made. However, the change in structure and process did not suit everyone and staff left. Previously, the store had been managed from Auckland, so some having the manager on-site was very different from the previous management style. Stirling Sports adopts marketing strategies based on the seasonal nature of  various sports, student population migration during semester and holiday periods, public holidays and festive seasons Christmas is one of the biggest financial periods with equipment, clothing and shoes being in demand for Christmas gifts. In-store specials, glossy flyers, and newspaper and radio advertising are all useful means of marketing their products to all of their customer segments. The March/April period is the second-largest cash-flow period with the beginning of winter sports, such as rugby, soccer, netball, volleyball and basketball, traditionally boosting sales. September/October is also a peak period, with the focus particularly on fitness and getting ‘back into shape’ after the ravages of winter lifestyle choices. Sports such as cricket, tennis and softball also begin which may require the purchase of new equipment, uniforms and speciality footwear. Many sports are now played all year round, which is beneficial in maintaining an acceptable level of monthly sales in addition to seasonal cash-flow peaks. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://STIRLINGSPORTS. CO. NZ Rebel Sport is a well known brand name throughout New Zealand and Australia. Until 2006, Rebel had no big-box sports competitor, prompting the use of the well-known slogan No ones got more sports gear. However, Lane Walker Rudkin, owners of sports franchise Stirling Sports, have announced plans to launch several large format stores across the country, beginning with a store in Christchurch, which opened in mid-2006. This followed the collapse of a deal between Briscoe Group and LWR a year earlier, which would have seen Briscoe buyout the Stirling franchise. Since Stirlings big box launch, Rebel has dropped their original slogan, which has been replaced with Lets Play, backed by a new  marketing campaign which targets a wider audience from the traditional club-orientated team sport audience. The company is also continuing their aggressive expansion programme, launching several smaller-format stores such as Napier and Taupo to allow branches to reach further into provincial areas. Briscoe Group. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 15, 2014 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Briscoe_Group The latest retail customer satisfaction report for New Zealand from research organisation Roy Morgan Research reveals that Rebel Sport has emerged as the  sports store with the highest percentage of satisfied customers. Rebel came in at at 82. 0 percent for the 12 months to December 2009 (up 4. 4 percent points from the 12 months to December ‘08). Stirling Sports was third with 77. 5 percent (down 2. 9 percent from the same period). â€Å"The category as a whole has performed below the average for all non-food stores. It seems all sports stores need to close the gap in improving their levels of satisfaction. † Sports Link. Sporting Goods Outdoor Retailing. (May 17, 2010). Retrieved from http://www. mysportslink. net/rebel-sport-leads-the-way-cms-837.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Jim Morrison :: essays research papers

Jim Morrison "Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself— and especially to feel. Or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to— letting a person be what he really is.... Most people love you for who you pretend to be.... To keep their love, you keep pretending— performing. You get to love your pretense.... It’s true, we're locked in an image, an act— and the sad thing is, people get so used to their image— they grow attached to their masks. They love their chains. They forget all about who they really are. And if you try to remind them, they hate you for it— they feel like you're trying to steal their most precious possession." - Jim Morrison (1943-71) Jim Morrison Jim Morrison is often thought of as a drunken musician. He is also portrayed to many as an addict and another 'doped up' rock star. These negative opinions project a large shadow on the many positive aspects of this great poet. Many famous authors influenced Jim’s music heavily. You must cast aside your ignorance and look behind the loud electric haze of the sixties music. You must wipe your eyes and look through the psychedelic world of LSD. Standing behind these minor flaws, you will see a young and very intellectual poet named Jim Morrison. Jim Morrison's distraught childhood was a contributing factor to Jim's fortune and his fate. As a young child, Jim experienced the many pains of living in a military family. Having to move every so often, Jim and his brother, and sister never spent more than a couple of years at a particular school. Jim attended eight different schools, Grammar and High, throughout his schooling career. This amount of traveling made it hard for a young child to make many friends. In high school, Jim had an especially hard time; "The only real friend he made was a tall but overweight classmate with a sleepy voice named Fud Ford ". Although there seems to be many negative aspects of Jim's child hood, many positive aspects did arise, as well. The traveling done by the Morrison family brought Jim through many different experiences and situations. For instance, while driving on a highway from Santa Fe with his family, he said he experienced, "the most important moment of my life".

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Business Law Assignment Essay

This essay will explain the following four questions. First, would registration with the SEC be required for Dakota Gasworks securities? Second, Did Emerson violate Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5? Third what theory or theories might a court use to hold Wallace liable for insider trading? Finally, under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, who would be required to certify the accuracy of financial statements filed with the SEC? Would registration with the SEC be required for Dakota Gasworks securities? Why or why not? Reliant Energy has registered securities and faces a takeover attempt, or third party tender offer, then the SEC’s tender offer rules will apply to the transaction. The filings required by these rules provide information to the public about the person making the tender offer. The company, Dakota Gasworks, is experiencing the takeover so they must file with the SEC its responses to the tender offer. These rules set time limits for the tender offer and provide some protection to shareholders. Did Emerson violate Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5? Why or why not? Moreover, Emerson did violate rule 10b-5 of the Securities exchange act, in where it protects against insider trading; which is the purchase or sale by person with access to information not available to those whom with those they deal or general traders. The person passing the information of the takeover, Emerson, violated this rule by passing information that wasn’t regularly available to general traders. What theory or theories might a court use to hold Wallace liable for insider trading? Furthermore, the theory behind the prohibiting insider trading is that is undermines investor confidence in the fairness and integrity of the securities markets. The SEC claims that finding and prosecuting insider trading violations is one of its enforcement priorities, and all investors need to be aware of the danger in trading from spoken knowledge that is not  publicly known to people who base their trading on this information. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, who would be required to certify the accuracy of financial statements filed with the SEC? Finally, the intent of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws, and for other purposes. The Act requires all financial reports to include an internal control report. This is designed to show that not only are the company’s financial data accurate, but the company has confidence in them because adequate controls are in place to safeguard financial data. Year-end financial reports must contain an assessment of the effectiveness of the internal controls. The issuer’s auditing firm is required to attest to that assessment. The auditing firm does this after reviewing controls, policies, and procedures during a Section 4040 audit, conducted along with a traditional financial audit. Under Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the CEO and CFO of public companies are required to certify the accuracy of financial statements filed with the SEC. References: 1. Miller, Roger & Jentz, Gaylord (2010) Fundamentals of Business Law: Summarized Cases 8th Edition, Cengage Learning. 2. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. (n.d.). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. Retrieved December 19, 2012 from http://www.soxlaw.com/

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Should a Woman Be More Educated

SHOULD A WOMAN BE MORE EDUCATED THAN A MAN OR SHOULD A MAN BE MORE EDUCATED THAN A WOMAN? August 13, 2012 SHOULD A WOMAN BE MORE EDUCATED THAN A MAN OR SHOULD A MAN BE MORE EDUCATED THAN A WOMAN? Thesis: Education is the key to success and therefore every woman or a man should be equally allowed to be educated if they so desire, the reason is society achieves more with both educated women and men and also educated women can make a family stronger whiles educated men can influence the nation with their leadership skills and enthusiasm.Another reason is that women are like role models in their homes and also in the eyes of their children. Their passion and love they have for their children is so unique that nothing can stop a mother’s love and care for children and society. I. Keeping a girl child in the kitchen as some societies do and some cultures accept is not a better way to raise a great generation, For as the saying goes, educating a woman will help you raise a nation but educating a man will help you give good counsel. II. It is true that men are known as the head of the family yet without an educated woman in the house, the house is always empty.III. Research have proven that at a time when women are consistently outperforming men in college enrollment and completion, women tend to value higher education more highly than men do and believe it has had a more positive impact on their lives, according to the results of a survey that was released in march 2010 by the Pew Research Center. IV. Some part of this world do not agree that a woman should be educated especially where I come from In Africa called Ghana, the belief is that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and the man needs to be more educated but I on’t agree to that and my stand in this argument is that â€Å"The woman should be more educated or equally educated because the pride of a nation is how their women are educated as well as the men. The public seems to be undecided ab out the impact of changes in the gender makeup of the student body. A majority of people surveyed welcomed the fact that more women than men were graduating from college and this makes me happy as woman because society makes us feel like we belong to the kitchen but not to be highly educated in some parts of the world. .Conclusion: I believe that everyone should be given the chance to a higher education regardless of culture traits, country or tribal differences, for when you raise a woman, you have raised a nation, even though men still take their positions in the home as the leaders and the decision makers, without an educated woman, a house will collapse and loose its sense of great direction. REF: http://chronicle. com/article/Women-Value-Higher-Education/12871http://www. statcan. gc. ca/pub/89-503-x/2010001/article/11542-eng. htm http://www. good. is/post/women-make-less-than-men-at-every-education-level/

Friday, November 8, 2019

Sherman Antitrust in 21st Century essays

Sherman Antitrust in 21st Century essays Sherman Anti-trust in the 21st Century Whilst approaching the Twenty- first Century, America has taken significant strides in the advancement of high technology. With the unveiling of this new frontier comes continued innovation and government regulation. One aspect of the government in particular, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, has impeded the progress of exploration into this new field; for the effectiveness of government is a nefarious hindrance to the efficiency of technology. Thus comes the age old question of who governs and to what ends. As a solution government should adopt a more Adam Smith approach to the regulation of high technology; the Sherman Anti-Trust Act should be amended by the legislature to allow more leeway for the technological and dynamic computer industry. The result of such an amendment, especially in a world economy such as ours, would allow American computer companies to thrive and compete with foreign companies as well as lead the way into the technological future of the Twenty- fi rst Century. In the age of reform as a result of public sentiment, Congress passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, named for Senator John Sherman. The one hundred and eight year old Sherman Act forbids monopolizing a market or engaging in any restraint of trade. Today unlawful restraints fall under three categories: 1) having too large a market share; 2) tying the sale of one product to another; 3) predatory pricing. For the past century the federal government has been pursuing a populist attack on big businessesRCA, U.S. Steel, IBM, AT however, due to government intervention and anti-trust investigation on the basis of the outdated Sherman Act, many of these cutting edge businesses were hindered in their progress for success. ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Tobacco and the Origins and Domestication of Nicotiana

Tobacco and the Origins and Domestication of Nicotiana Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica and N. tabacum) is a plant that was and is used as a psychoactive substance, a narcotic, a painkiller, and a pesticide and, as a result, it is and was used in the ancient past in a wide variety of rituals and ceremonies. Four species were recognized by Linnaeus in 1753, all originating from the Americas, and all from the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Today, scholars recognize over 70 different species, with N. tabacum the most economically important; almost all of them originated in South America, with one endemic to Australia and another to Africa. Domestication History A group of recent biogeographical studies reports that modern tobacco ( N. tabacum) originated in the highland Andes, probably Bolivia or northern Argentina, and was likely a result of the hybridization of two older species, N. sylvestris and a member of the section Tomentosae, perhaps N. tomentosiformis Goodspeed. Long before the Spanish colonization, tobacco had been distributed well outside its origins, throughout South America, into Mesoamerica and reaching the Eastern Woodlands of North America no later than ~300 BC. Although some debate within the scholarly community exists suggesting that some varieties may have originated in Central America or Southern Mexico, the most widely accepted theory is that N. tabacum originated where the historical ranges of its two progenitor species intersected. The earliest dated tobacco seeds found to date are from early Formative levels at Chiripa in the Lake Titicaca region of Bolivia. Tobacco seeds were recovered from Early Chiripa contexts (1500-1000 BC), although not in sufficient quantities or contexts to prove tobacco  use with shamanistic practices. Tushingham and colleagues have traced a continuous record of smoking tobacco in pipes in western North America from at least 860 AD, and at the time of European colonial contact, tobacco was the most widely exploited intoxicant in the Americas. Curanderos and Tobacco Tobacco is believed to be one of the first plants used in the New World to initiate ecstasy trances. Taken in large amounts, tobacco induces hallucinations, and, perhaps not surprisingly, tobacco use is associated with pipe ceremonialism and bird imagery throughout the Americas. Physical changes associated with extreme doses of tobacco use include a lowered heart rate, which in some cases has been known to render the user into a catatonic state. Tobacco is consumed in a number of ways, including chewing, licking, eating, sniffing, and enemas, although smoking is the most effective and common form of consumption. Among the ancient Maya and extending down to today, tobacco was a sacred, supernaturally powerful plant, considered a primordial medicine or botanical helper and associated with Maya deities of the earth and sky. A classic 17 year-long study by ethnoarchaeologist Kevin Goark (2010) looked at the use of the plant among the Tzeltal-Tzotzil Maya communities in highland Chiapas, recording processing methods, physiological effects, and magico-protective uses. Ethnographic Studies A series of ethnographic interviews (Jauregui et al 2011) was conducted between 2003-2008 with curanderos (healers) in east central Peru, who reported using tobacco in various ways. Tobacco is one of over fifty plants with psychotropic effects used in the region that are considered plants that teach, including coca, datura, and ayahuasca. Plants that teach are also sometimes referred to as plants with a mother, because they are believed to have an associated guiding spirit or mother who teaches the secrets of traditional medicine. Like the other plants that teach, tobacco is one of the cornerstones of learning and practicing the art of the shaman, and according to the curanderos consulted by Jauregui et al. it is considered one of the most powerful and oldest of plants. Shamanistic training in Peru involves a period of fasting, isolation, and celibacy, during which period one ingests one or more of the teaching plants on a daily basis. Tobacco in the form of a potent type of Nicotiana rustica is always present in their traditional medical practices, and it is used for purification, to cleanse the body of negative energies. Sources Groark KP. 2010. The Angel in the Gourd: Ritual, Therapeutic, and Protective Uses of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Among the Tzeltal and Tzotzil Maya of Chiapas, Mexico. Journal of Ethnobiology 30(1):5-30.Jauregui X, Clavo ZM, Jovel EM, and Pardo-de-Santayana M. 2011. â€Å"Plantas con madre†: Plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 134(3):739-752.Khan MQ, and Narayan RKJ. 2007. Phylogenetic diversity and relationships among species of genus Nicotiana using RAPDs analysis. African Journal of Biotechnology 6(2):148-162.Leng X, Xiao B, Wang S, Gui Y, Wang Y, Lu X, Xie J, Li Y, and Fan L. 2010. Identification of NBS-Type Resistance Gene Homologs in Tobacco Genome. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 28(1):152-161.Lewis R, and Nicholson J. 2007. Aspects of the evolution of Nicotiana tabacum L. and the status of the United States Nicotiana Germplasm Collection. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution  54(4):727-740.Mandondo A, German L, Utila H, and Nthenda UM. 2014. Assessing Societal Benefits and Trade-Offs of Tobacco in the Miombo Woodlands of Malawi. Human Ecology 42(1):1-19. Moon HS, Nifong JM, Nicholson JS, Heineman A, Lion K, Hoeven Rvd, Hayes AJ, Lewis RS, and USDA A. 2009. Microsatellite-based Analysis of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) Genetic Resources. Crop Science 49(6):2149-2159.Roulette CJ, Hagen E, and Hewlett BS. 2016. A biocultural investigation of gender differences in tobacco use in an egalitarian hunter-gatherer population. Human Nature 27(2):105-129.Tushingham S, Ardura D, Eerkens JW, Palazoglu M, Shahbaz S, and Fiehn O. 2013. Hunter-gatherer tobacco smoking: earliest evidence from the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(2):1397-1407.Tushingham S, and Eerkens JW. 2016. Hunter-Gatherer Tobacco Smoking in Ancient North America: Current Chemical Evidence and a Framework for Future Studies. In: Anne Bollwerk E, and Tushingham S, editors. Perspectives on the Archaeology of Pipes, Tobacco and other Smoke Plants in the Ancient Americas. Cham: Springer International Publishing. p 211-230.Zagorevski DV, a nd Loughmiller-Newman JA. 2012. The detection of nicotine in a Late Mayan period flask by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 26(4):403-411.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Constraints to the Development of Alternative Energy Essay

Constraints to the Development of Alternative Energy - Essay Example The cause of the problem has already been identified: the increase in the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons. Both the absence and increased volume of greenhouse gases are seen to be detrimental to the environment as less of it might cause negative temperature which disallows the earth to sustain life. On the other hand, increased volume of greenhouse gases is the primary source of global warming. Some greenhouse gases are emitted as a byproduct of some materials with significant use to our everyday life. The example of this is carbon. Energy sources are of paramount importance to our daily life. Since the industrial revolution, we have relied heavily on energy to run our transportation and communication and many other aspects of our needs and wants. For commercial purposes, the use of energy has been significant especially in terms of firms’ profit. It was also â€Å"the process of industrialisation that brought about the conversion of fossil fuels into power, heat and light, thereby releasing within a mere 250 years carbon that had lain dormant underground for millions of years†. â€Å"It is these fossil fuels that are responsible for the vast bulk of carbon output† â€Å"Fossil fuels, the energy of modernization, which constitute about 70 percent of global energy output, now threaten the survival of life on Earth† and people believe that â€Å"the key to survival lies in conserving energy and switching to carbon-free or, at least, low carbon sources†. ... On the other hand, increased volume of greenhouse gases is the primary source of global warming. Some greenhouse gases are emitted as byproduct of some materials with significant use to our everyday life. Example of this is carbon. Energy sources are of paramount importance to our daily life. Since the industrial revolution, we have relied heavily on energy to run our transportation and communication and many other aspects of our needs and wants. For commercial purposes, the use of energy has been significant especially in terms of firms' profit. It was also "the process of industrialization that brought about the conversion of fossil fuels into power, heat and light, thereby releasing within a mere 250 years carbon that had lain dormant underground for millions of years" (Blowers, p.208). "It is these fossil fuels that are responsible for the vast bulk of carbon output" (Blowers, p.210) "Fossil fuels, the energy of modernization, which constitute about 70 per cent of global energy output, now threaten the survival of life on Earth" and people believe that "the key to survival lies in conserving energy and switching to carbon free or, at least, low carbon sources" (Blowers, p.209). Two Approaches The government has two approaches against climate change: mitigation which is prevention of further changes and adaptation which is preparation for the possible effects of climate change. In this paper we would be dealing with the mitigation approach particularly the development of alternative sources of energy. "Mitigation strategies involve the reduction of greenhouse gas sources or the enhancement of sinks. Examples of mitigation strategies include switching from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, improved energy efficiency and planting trees to

Friday, November 1, 2019

Answer the following question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Answer the following question - Essay Example For this reason, the human action does not entirely rely on genetic transfer but also depends on the external factors that are non-biological in nature (Palmer & Donahoe, 1992). As Skinner asserts, relatively undifferentiated baseline behavior by successive contingencies of reinforcement can shape highly organized and complex behavior. The history of Skinners work contains an integrated and comprehensive experiment to reject an informed conceptualization that offers misleading knowledge about a behavior. He has successfully grasped the variable nature of the intended subject and specified an appropriate methodology woven within the scientific fabric of modern biology (Palmer & Donahoe, 1992). His assertion of operant behavior focuses on the action within the conscious control of the organism, either spontaneously or purposely. In his understanding of behavior, he conducted research using the Skinner box that held a small animal with various keys that an animal would press to obtain a reward. Additionally, he developed a cumulative recorder to establish responsive slope line (Palmer & Donahoe, 1992). Using a rat as the experiment object in a Skinner box, he set the generic nature of the concept of stimulus and response in the analysis of operant