Sci207 Week 1 Assignment

Inovation and Sustainablility Victor Mota SCI207: Dependence of Man on the Environment Cynthia Collins October 7, 2012 Production and Consumption The human population is growing rapidly and this is affecting the well-being of our planet. The way people use material resources is another thing that affects the planet. The production and consumption of material resources could bring the earth to an end. The two production habits that I will talk about are the production of paper and production of oil. The production of paper affects forests.Forests provide homes for numerous numbers of plant and animal species. They also help maintain water quality and stabilize the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Forests are not the only ones affected by paper production. The process of papermaking is chemical process. The paper industries release chemicals into water and air. Thrown away paper also affects the environment. In the land-fills paper can decompose and produce meth ane, a greenhouse gas with 21 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide.Some of the efforts to consider are cut fewer trees down, produce less paper, print on both sides of paper, and start recycling paper. The production of oil can cause severe damage to the environment. Oil waste dumping and oil spills cause serious damage on surrounding wildlife and habitat. The oil production has already harmed many land, air, and sea animal and plant species. The oil pollutes water and kills fish. The production of oil can also affect human life. The damage can include pollution of drinking water, livestock and health of the human body itself.Beef is a perfect example of using resources wastefully and is causing our environment to be degraded. In the Amazon and other places the rainforests are being cleared in order to raise cattle and about 70 to 80% of the grain that is produced in the United States is fed to livestock. The areas that are being cleared for raising cattle are not so much for local consumptions, but for producing more fast food restaurants in other parts of the globe Reference Turk, J. (2011) Contemporary Environmental Issues. (Section 1. 5) San Diego, CA. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. USA

Problem and solution essay: Drinking and Driving Essay

People all around the world drink and they also drive. But driving under the influence of alcohol is a very dangerous, risk taking thing to do, not just to the drivers, but to the passengers and pedestrians as well. When people consume alcohol, their normal functioning of the brain impairs, thus increasing the chances of having a fatal accident when chosen to drive. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40% of the car accidents in the year 2002 were alcohol related in US. That is about 17,419 deaths. This meant that in average, every 30 minutes someone was killed in a car accident that was relating alcohol. The legal limit of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) for drivers at the age of 21 or older is .08 percent. For drivers under the age of 21, the legal limit of BAC is .01 percent. But this does not mean that it is safe to drive when your BAC is .08 percent or even .01 percent. Any amount of of BAC is a risk to drive. Studies show that states or countries with lower BAC limit has far less alcohol related accidents. If you go over the legal limit of BAC, you would get fined large amounts of money to jail time, depending how high the BAC is. Making the BAC limit lower might just prevent the accidents that killed hundreds of innocent people. Drinking alcohol has effect on the brain. First, it will fill cozy, warm and relaxing feeling. Then into judgment impairment, little use of slurred speech, and reason and caution are impaired. After that, there will be increase impairment of judgment, then to slow reflection, and more use of slurred speech. Next memory and comprehension are abnormally functioning, then blurred vision, to vomiting and instability to stand. Finally, if more alcohol are consumed, result unconsciousness, coma and to even death. So not drinking at all would be the best solution as it will be good for your health and not taking any risk of having a fatal accident. But, for people who have to have a drink, people who can’t live with out alcohol, they are prone to consume alcohol and make a decision to drive to their destination or not. This might be hard for some people, but leaving their car and taking an alternative transportation would be the smartest, and also the safest way to get to the destination. It is much more important  to get to the destination with their life then by loosing one’s life or taking a life of another and not get there at all. There are problems that are just incorrigible and there are problems that can be prevented or solved. We should do any means to solve any corrodible problems in any ways. It might save one or it might save thousands of lives. Drinking and driving is making a death wish. It’s not only the drivers that are risking their lives, but they, as in drivers, are risking other lives as well. Not driving when influenced by alcohol might save one’s life and a life of another. Maybe, it might not be a big deal to some people who believe this will not happen to them, are gambling with their lives.

Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign: a Reflection Essay

Jennifer Millard’s Performing beauty: Dove’s â€Å"Real Beauty† campaign was made to conduct a study on the results of the company Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign onto it’s targeted audience, women. Throughout the study Jennifer Millard explains that Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign is a series of advertisements in magazines and commercials that promotes and empowers beauty for every women, no matter what other media outlets says. Millard uses focus groups and interviews with sixteen Canadian women to investigate the opinions; with ages ranging from fifteen to fifty-nine years old. Within the study, I found two main themes within Millard’s article, which will be discussed and reflected on how it contributed to her study. The first theme I found quite interesting in Millard’s study was how she was connecting her definition of beauty towards a symbolic interactionist perspective by explaining how it is the culture and society that determines which features would be deemed as beautiful or not. I somewhat disagree with Millard’s connection because while the media outlets to society what they should and should not be, most of the content was created by the outlets themselves with their opinions of what society should be. While the society may have certain opinions on these topics, the media elaborates on the opinions society has and makes them more negative and demanding then they actually are. For example, in Millard’s study she shows the participants an advertisement from the Dove Real Beauty Campaign of a naked, overweight, middle-aged African American woman. After seeing many of the other Real Beauty Campaigns, this was the first advertisement that got a negative reaction from one of the focus groups. â€Å"Sasha: Sometimes I’m like ew, I wonder why is this even in here? Like all these Dove ones, there is old wrinkly lady. Her legs are like this and you can’t see any- thing and it’s like why is she in here? Monica: She’s naked and like oh no!† (Millard 164) From these reactions that came from the youngest aged focus group, it reflects the negative attitude regarding nudity the media has created against overweight, non-white women. The general, society-made opinion on nudity is that it is an act to be seen not in the public eye, but in a private setting. The media has taken that opinion of nudity and subjected it to making it more tolerable in public (in certain films or advertisements) but only if the people who are naked are deemed beautiful enough. An argument that can be made against my point is that only one of the focus groups in Jennifer Millard’s study had a negative reaction to the advertisement. The focus group that reacted negatively to the advertisement also happened to be the focus group with the youngest women in the group. Their reaction can be explained because they have not had a long experience with â€Å"out of the norm† advertisements and are used to seeing advertisements with a more negative message within them, compared to the other and more experienced focus groups. Also, the women in the other aged focus groups can better relate to the model’s â€Å"imperfections† compared to the younger focus group. Millard explained in her article that specific advertisement was Dove’s boldest one in the study, and expected that it will cause stronger reactions compared to the other campaign advertisements the focus groups would be seeing. Another theme that I found when reading Jennifer Millard’s article was the idea of privilege that the media creates within the desire of beauty. By being classified as beautiful in society, the media creates a shift in power that only beautiful people can have and reinforces the power within majority groups in the society. â€Å"In Western culture, those with beautiful bodies and faces â€Å"get more† out of life because beauty is highly valued (Black 2004). Beautiful people are viewed as more intelligent, powerful, healthy, and of higher class than the masses of regular Joes and Janes (Plous and Neptune 1997).† (Millard 150). To make sure this idea of privilege gets reinforced, and not every person can be classified with is privilege, the media has created extreme expectations that are very difficult for a woman to fully achieve every requirement. These expectations range from being tall and having a slender body, long, shiny hair, clear skin, and trendy, expens ive clothes. These expectations creates a form of privilege within society, that the small percentage of people who have all those qualities are classified correctly will all the benefits and advantages. I definitely agree with Millard’s on this issue because everyone who is not classified as beautiful has seen this form of privilege in the media. By looking at a tabloid magazine or by watching television, the privilege of beautiful is often flashed into the eyes of the less worthy, non-beautiful majority. Award shows is a obvious example of this privilege. Here famous and usually beautiful people gather and attend a extravagant night of drinking and celebration, and accompanied by thousands of dollars worth of jewellery and clothing on their bodies. Throughout their campaign, Dove promotes equality of beauty between all groups of women, no matter their size, shape or age. With their campaign message, they are attempting to eliminate the privilege that only women classified as beautiful deserve. As positive as this campaign is, at the end of the day Dove is a company trying to make a profit. Instead of the usual kind of advertising with the message that their product will make the woman who buys it more beautiful; they state that every women is already beautiful, and they can embrace their beauty by buying a dove related product. From advertising with this point of view, Dove is assuming that no women knows their true beauty, and will never see it unless they buy their products. When looking at that viewpoint Dove is stating, it can be seen as offending towards any woman who is already confident in their beauty and self-image. In conclusion, while the Dove Real Beauty Campaign is certainly not the only solution towards changing the view of beauty in the media, Jennifer Millard’s study discusses the many pros and cons the campaign offers towards women in a fair matter. Millard also presents the themes of a symbolic interactionist perspective and of privilege that help benefits the Real Beauty Campaign which in time, creates more positive content within the media. Reference List Millard, Jennifer. â€Å"Dove’s â€Å"Real Beauty† Campaign.† University of California Press (2009): n. pag. JSTOR. University of California Press. Web. 5 Feb. 2013.

Childhood vaccinations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Childhood vaccinations - Essay Example Describing her helplessness, another polio sufferer writes, â€Å"I found it very frustrating to have an active mind in a permanently disabled body† (Gillan 1). Many individuals suffer from completely preventable diseases that could have been avoided if they were vaccinated in childhood. The very fact that a disease as preventable as polio was allowed to ruin so many lives makes it unbearable. Despite the awareness on immunizations and vaccinations, the multi-million dollar investments made by governments on vaccinations, the free camps and vaccination drives organized every day, there are many who fail to get their children immunized or are too scared to do so. Failure to get children immunized puts them at risk of innumerable life-threatening or permanently disabling diseases that would otherwise have been completely preventable. It is argued here that children should get immunized and that the recommended dosage of vaccinations is the right of every child, as much as is his right to living. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a Millennium Development Goal 4 for reducing child (under five years of age) mortality by up to two thirds by the year 2015 (â€Å"10 facts on immunization† who.int). According to reports millions of children die every year from diseases that could have been prevented through immunization. Vaccination is also a key strategy for the prevention of emergence of pandemic infections. The WHO reports that vaccination results in the prevention of about 2-3 million deaths all over the world each year (â€Å"10 facts on immunization† who.int). Deaths in all age groups from pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, measles and polio have been prevented through vaccination, which is â€Å"one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions† (â€Å"10 facts on immunization† who.int). However, many individuals fail to get their children immunized,

Age Discrimination in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Age Discrimination in the Workplace - Essay Example In their article, Butler &Berrett (2012) argue that the American working force is progressively getting older and working for more years and the baby boomer generation is currently defying the age long tradition of working for about 30 years before going into retirement. These individuals are now preferring to continue with working well past their retirement age. According to Butler &Berrett (2012), data presented by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that there are currently over 142.6 million people in employment and that are aged 40 years and over. These individuals are seen to account for 46% of the U.S. population. In addition to this, the paper highlights the plight that is normally faced by the older generation in the workplace as a result of frequent discrimination and then goes on to propose a practical approach that potentially be used by human resource personnel and educators so as to ensure that all the various employee related decisions are seen to be handled.In their Agei sm in the workplace article that appeared in theSpring 2007 editions of the Generations Journal, Helen Dennis and Kathryn Thomas start off by affirming that ageism is currently seen to be firmly entrenched as part of the main social fabric in American life. They argue that the practice of ageism is widely pervasive as is clearly evident across some of the different sectors such as education, media, healthcare and advertising. Dennis & Thomas (2007) point out that the workplace is in essence a microcosm of society.

The Roman Catholic Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Roman Catholic Church - Essay Example Roman Catholics are seen as Christians in their communion to the Pope. Over the world, there are over a billion members following the Catholic Church. In the following essay, we will describe in Part I the organization of the Roman Catholic Church through, then in part II we will discuss about the role of this religion in one's life with the role of the Pope, the Saints and the Bible. Finally, in Part III, we will compare the Roman Catholic Church with Islam. Roman Catholicism - as other Christian denominations, Judaism and Islam - is a monotheistic religion. The Catholic Church believes that God is one, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing and omnipresent. However, the Roman Catholic Church is also a Trinitarian religion, meaning that even though God is only one in nature, essence and being, He exists in three divine persons: the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit. They are all identical in essence but differ in their relationship to one another which constitutes the Holy Trinity. Faith in God is the keystone, the most fundamental Catholic belief but also faith in the relationship of these three divine entities as being one. Roman Catholics believe that the Son, the second divine person, has been incarnated as Jesus Christ. Born of the Virgin Mary, he is considered by Catholics to be truly divine and as the same time truly human, teaching how to live through his words and his acts and revealing God as love. Even though Roman Catholicism is composed of numerous places of worship such as cathedrals, churches, chapels and oratories, there is no particular rule for Christians to worship in these places. They can worship in any place as God is omnipresent. However, within these places are held the Eucharistic liturgy - the Celebration of the Mystery of Christ, especially the Paschal Mystery of his death and resurrection - which is considered as the high point of its activity and the source of its life and strength. Within these places of worship, Catholics are particularly focused on the altar, the tabernacle, the place in which chrism and other holy oils are kept, the seat of the bishop or priest, and the baptismal font. The Christian Roman Church recognizes and administers seven sacraments, considered as gifts from Christ to his Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. Not every person will receive every sacrament, but they are considered by the Roman Catholic Church as necessary to salvation, conferring each sacrament's special graces, forgiveness of sins, adoption as children of God, conformation to Christ, and membership of the Church. There are numerous holidays and days of observance through the year for Roman Catholics. However, we will only insist on some major events in this essay. Christmas Eve and Christmas day celebrates the arrival of May and Joseph in Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus Christ. Ash Wednesday is an observance to begin the 40 day season of the Lent, a time of reflection and preparation for Holy Week and Easter, a time of intense devotion, it is observed by fasting, frequent worship and acts of charity. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. Good Friday is a remembrance of the crucifixion of Christ. Finally, Sundays are considered as days of observance commemorating the rest of God after creating earth during six

The Island of Plenty by Johnson C. Montgomery Essay

The Island of Plenty by Johnson C. Montgomery - Essay Example The present research has identified that Johnson C. Montgomery was the attorney general in the city of California and former member of an organization situated in America. The organization was popularly known as Zero Population Growth, and it was extraordinarily effective in fulfilling its targets and goals through the assistance of Montgomery. He later ventured in literature and was able to write an exceptionally captivating book that got the attention worldwide. The book was called ‘The Island of Plenty’ and its review appeared first in the Newsweek magazine in the year 1974. The article was clear in the assertion of its points, and consequently got some criticisms from a section of the populace who felt that it was deceitful. The article was titled My Turn on the Newsweek magazine before it was later renamed The Island of Plenty. The author of the book supports the idea that America should isolate herself from helping other countries, until the time they had enough su stainable resources. Montgomery argues that the isolation is necessary for America to concentrate in solving their internal problems first. The writer has used rhetorical devices such as alliterations, assonance, cacophony and onomatopoeia in this piece. The writer uses alliteration in to emphasize that the growing populace is the main reason why there is food shortage in the world, ‘the problem is that there are too many people-many too many’. The repetition is on the word ‘many’, which has been repeated severally in the sentences. Through this use of the rhetorical devices, he has managed to emphasize the point of an immense populace causing famine. ‘We owe to our children- and to their children’s, children’s, children’s, children’s’ is a sentence the writer is emphasizing on the importance of planning to take care the future of our children. Montgomery succeeds to show his point the use of alliteration to show the readers the importance of having a well-planned future for the younger generation. Therefore, he presents the alliteration well in a manner that brings understanding to the reader. Assonance Assonance is the repletion of a similar sound in a sentence to emphasize on a theme to that of an article being read. The sentence ‘Ample food and resources exist to nourish man and all other creatures to indefinitely into the future’, successfully show how America is well equipped with resources that feed their citizens. Irony The writer

Research papers on the Child Care Effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Research papers on the Child Care Effects - Essay Example Research interest in the frequency and quality of child care is due to the ongoing affects of early childhood experiences (Ochitree, 1994). Many theorists argue that long periods of separation from the caregiver, in combination with poor quality child care, can negatively affect a child’s development (The NICHO, 2005, p.259). Other theorists contend that child care can affect a child’s development in many positive ways (The NICHO, 2005, p.269). This paper will review the literature with the research hypothesis that: Child care can affect a child’s development both positively and negatively. Firstly, negative arguments shall be presented. Secondly, positive arguments will be provided. Next child care quality and its affects will be highlighted. Finally, a conclusion shall synthesize the main arguments, and state how the research hypothesis has been supported. Young children who regularly attend child care may be more at risk of social maladjustment later in their lives (Lewin, 2005, p.1). It has been found that long hours in care affect a child’s ability to work and interact socially. Studies show a negative association between the amount of time a child spends in daycare, and their tendency to act-out and to develop poor interpersonal relationships. This may be due to experiences of stress, and the development of anti-social behaviors, such as non-compliancy and violence (The negative effects of childcare? 2003, p.1). One study observed that 4 1/2-year-olds who spent up to 30 hours a week in child care appeared to be more insistent, violent and disobedient as compared to their cohort not in care (Lewin, 2005, p.1). Another study found children tended to also be disrespectful in both their use of language and their behavior, and seemed to make more noise in general than their peers who did not attend care (Allhusen & Clarke-Stewar t, 2005, p.90). There is literature to support child care as

Proposal & annotated Bib Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Proposal & annotated Bib - Article Example Because 50 Cents is such a popular figure, I have chosen him to examine if he is an appropriate role model for the youth. I want to explore what types of controversies he has been involved in, his background and experiences. Steps involved in this work are reviewing available articles and published information that tells something about 50 Cents. Research will cover his boyhood, his experiences as a drug trafficker up to the time from where he is now, a well known rapper. Articles to be reviewed will also touch on the views about the rap and hip-hop culture, and how it has been affected by controversial rap songs. The overall goal of this work is to provide information that the man is not a good influence to the youth. Annotated bibliography: Birchmeir, Jason. 50 Cent Biography. Yahoo Music. 2011. http://new.music.yahoo.com/50-cent/biography/ Author wrote a descriptive narration of how 50 Cents became a successful rapper. Birchmeir detailed in this article that the drug trafficking e xperiences and jail sentences the rapper served became his inspiration in writing his rap songs. Birchmeir told the rapper’s story from the standpoint of somebody who knew the rapper from childhood up to the time that he got famous and rich thru rap songs. Author did not forget to mention the successful rap songs drafted after actual accounts of drugs, crimes and dim experiences that easily captured the imagination of the youth. The author’s revelation of the rapper’s countenance with drug lords that nearly caused rapper’s life is descriptive of the mystery that surrounds it. Author comes from the music industry, all Music Guide, and should be well versed on all accounts of singers. His article about 50 Cents is well-researched, updated and comprehensive. Catlin, Johnson A. Rap criticism grows within own community. 2011. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/05/entertainment/main2537326.shtml Johnson describes in this news story, the raging debate over t he effect of rap to the society, as she observes an alarming decline of its sales. She made an opinion based on the declining sales of rap music, that after 30 years of popularity, it is now suffering from bad sales due to criticisms of negative effect of the rap music to society. A recent study of the Black Youth Project, mentioned in the article, showed that youths think there are too many violent projected in rap songs and that 50% of respondents think hip-hop has negative effect to the American society. It is no longer an art form and negativity is all included in its form, says the writer. Author best described the effect of negative raps to society, and elicited the criticism not of her own, but coming from the community that once hip-hop has served well. This article could support the answer to the hypothesis of the research proposal. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 50 Cent. http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/A-Ca/50-Cent.html The Encyclopedia article about 50 Cent chron icled his entire life. This article that did not provide an author, said that 50 Cent used his life experiences, such as growing up in the streets of New York, becoming a gangster, drug trafficker, and a survivor from assassination, as the meat of his rap songs. Article said that critics noted his songs had gritty edge such that he was predicted to become a hot copy in the music industry. 50 Cents, who is Curtis Jackson, in real life, was featured in the article, as someone who eked out a living

Literature Review Relating to levels of Physical Actiity and Older Essay

Literature Review Relating to levels of Physical Actiity and Older People - Essay Example Physical activity levels in older people in rural areas are comparatively less when we consider the urban elder people because of social, economical and cultural factors. The older generation of UK in general and that of Ireland in particular are very much reluctant in doing physical activities to maintain their physical and mental health (See appendix for the statistics). The rural areas of Ireland are sparsely populated with no cities or major towns, which made the problem even worse. Moreover transportation services like the train services are less to the rural areas of Ireland which made this area less developed. People over the age of 55 (Older people) in this region are not engaging in physical activity levels as laid down by the Irish Government. This paper is written as a literature review concentrating mainly on the older generation of the Irish people especially in rural areas. Aim of this literature review is to prove that lack of infrastructure facilities, development and awareness forced rural Irish older people to stay away from physical workouts. In this paper, I have reviewed relevant journals/ articles mainly from UK, America and Australia to establish the need of physical activities for older people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical inactivity causes 2 million deaths a year worldwide and increases all causes of mortality (Medibank 2007, p.8). The advancements in science and technology and increasing living standards are the major reasons for the physical inactivity. For example, walking and cycling were the major means, people used to travel from one place to another earlier. But the arrival of new technology oriented industrialization, revolutionised the human life and people started to give up the traditional means of transportation, which once helped them to stay fit. Caspersen et al, (1985) defined physical

Qualities Important in Becoming an Officer in the United States Army Essay Example for Free

Qualities Important in Becoming an Officer in the United States Army Essay I don’t believe anyone could argue that it takes a good amount of leadership in order to become a successful United States Military Academy cadet, as well as an officer in the United States Army. This is almost certainly one of the first things someone would look for in a strong officer. A strong leader can impact his soldiers in various ways. If your soldiers don’t stand behind you, and don’t have faith in you, they are more prone to disagree with or disobey your orders. Aside from leadership, a USMA cadet should be able to easily demonstrate confidence. What good is an officer who knows what must be done, but cannot effectively stand in front of his soldiers and tell them what needs to be done? As an officer in the Army, there will be numerous times where you will need to speak to groups of soldiers of varying sizes. Whether it’s something as simple as giving a safety brief, or something more important such as a mission briefing, you will need to have confidence in yourself in order to accomplish this. A USMA cadet should also have integrity, which happens to be one of the seven army values as well. I define integrity as doing the right thing, even when you think no one is watching. Lacking integrity in the civilian world is one thing, however in the military it is incredibly more dangerous as it could result in the death of fellow soldiers or even yourself. For example if you’re on guard for the night and decide that you would rather catch up on your sleep, you are endangering yourself along with all your battle buddies. A successful Army officer is also going to benefit from having a willingness to learn. Although West Point will have done it’s very best to prepare you for the duties of an officer, there is only so much you can learn from a classroom environment. While a brand new 2nd Lieutenant Platoon Leader may outrank a Sergeant First Class, there is still a vast amount of knowledge that the new Lieutenant can pick up from that E7. In my short time in the Army I have noticed that the young Lieutenants are almost always willing to take advice from their senior noncommissioned officers. Another important quality in an Army officer is bravery. Even if you are not serving in a combat MOS, you never know when you will be required to be brave You also need to have the courage to stand up for what you believe in, and for what you know to be right. Another quality that will keep your soldiers on your side is loyalty. If you can’t stay loyal to your soldiers, they will not have as much motivation to stay loyal to you. That also ties into the obvious loyalty to your country that is required of any military member. There are so many integral qualities and morals that are required of an officer in the Army. Unfortunately I am restricted with the length of this essay, but I have tried to highlight what I believe to be some of the most important values that should be deep inside all officers. Without values and morals your character will most likely be lacking and who would want to follow you at that point?

Foreign Direct Investment in China in last 10 years Essay Example for Free

Foreign Direct Investment in China in last 10 years Essay Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a long-term investment by a foreign investor and is considered a key component of national development strategies across all countries over the globe. This type of investment boosts the economic growth of a country through its positive impact on the country’s domestic capital, productivity, and employment statistics. FDI is the lifeblood of a growing economy that provides the host country benefits of increased labor standards and skills, transfer of new technology and innovative ideas, improved infrastructure and conducive business environment. It is a leading source of external financing. Countries that have stable market conditions coupled with high productivity, low costs of labor, effective government policies and adequate infrastructure facilities are considered to be the most favored destinations for foreign investment companies. Liberalization of economies has opened doors for many countries into the emerging markets of the developing nations such as China and India. The Chinese Economy The Chinese economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It has emerged from being an economy with virtually no foreign investment in the late 1970s to a country that attracts one of the largest amounts of foreign investment from investors across the globe. The increasing openness of the Chinese economy to foreign direct investment has contributed immensely to its exceptional growth and development. The increase in foreign direct investment in China has contributed to higher investment, and growth in productivity, greater employment opportunities, and a dynamic export sector. China is one of the most populous countries in the world with more than 1. 3 billion people with an annual growth rate of 0. 8%. It has taken adequate measures to curb its rising population figures and this has made a positive impact on its growth rate. The population density is approximately 136 persons per square kilometer with most of the people (almost 60 percent) living in rural areas. Life expectancy is also higher in this country than most developing nations across the globe. The country also has high literacy rate of 91 percent. The Chinese economy witnessed a slow but dramatic growth over the past twenty years. It has transformed from a poor economy with relatively low per capita income to the world’s fastest growing economy. The Chinese economy has emerged as a market-oriented economy that has become a dominant figure in world trade. The country has increased its interaction with international economy that has resulted in increased foreign trade and gross national product (GNP). The Chinese economy grew at 11. 4 percent in the year 2007. As per the FDI Confidence Index compiled by A. T. Kearney in the year 2005, China hold the first position followed by India and United States. China is currently the world’s fourth largest economy and it has expanded by at least 10 percent annually in the last four years. Foreign direct investment in China rose by 4. 5 percent in the year 2006 to approximately US$ 63 billion. The country’s foreign currency reserves are the world’s largest and primarily derived from the trade surplus that rose to almost US$ 177. 5 billion in the year 2006. FDI investment trend in the past 10 years Foreign direct investment sector in China has spelled success over the past ten years. It has increased from a mere US$ 19 billion in the year 1990 to more than US$ 700 billion in the year 2007. A glance at the capital and financial account item’s surplus in the past few years reveal that the foreign direct investment has made great contributions to the foreign exchange reserve accumulation. Besides this the FDI has a stabilizing influence on the country’s economy. This is largely due to the long-term commitment that FDI stands for while establishing foreign affiliates. Most developing countries hence are adopting policy reforms to attract more foreign investment into the country. China has accounted for more than one-third of the gross FDI flows to all emerging markets over the past decade. Despite the weakening of the global markets in the recent years, China has remained an essentially fast growing economy. The country’s capital inflows have been dominated by FDI that has made significant contribution to stabilizing the economy along with other associated benefits such as technological transfers and increasing managerial expertise. In 2007 the overall FDI inflows into China totaled US$ 82. 7 billion that is a 13. 8 percent increase from the previous year figures. The total number of deals dropped by almost 8 percent in the year 2006 from 44,019 in the year 2005 to 41,485 in the 2006. The increasing appreciation of the local currency renminbi during the period and the subsequent impact on the market was responsible for this drop. The year 2007 saw only 37,888 foreign investment deals, a drop of 8. 7 percent from the previous year figures. But the value of the FDI was significantly larger than the previous statistics. Wholly foreign-owned enterprises represented almost 78 percent of all foreign investments followed by equity joint ventures and contractual joint ventures. Continuous foreign capital inflow has rendered the Chinese economy the prime position in global context in terms of attracting foreign investment. The country accounts for an investment of foreign capital funds totaling US$ 8589 million by 5136 new foreign corporations between the period January to February 2006. The major sources of FDI in China are Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Among other investors the prominent countries are United States, Taiwan, Cayman Islands, Western Samoa, and Mauritius. These top ten countries together account for 87. 2 percent of total FDI inflows into China. The manufacturing sector accounted for nearly 57. 7 percent totaling US$ 40. 1 billion of the total FDI inflows in the year 2006 followed by 11. 9 percent equivalent to US$ 8. 2 billion in the real estate sector. Other prominent sectors that reflect increasing foreign investment are leasing and business services (US$ 4. 2 billion), transport (US$ 2. 0 billion), wholesale and retailing (US$ 1. 8 billion). Low cost of manufacturing, increasingly wealthy consumer market comprising of 1. 3 billion people are attracting larger number of foreign companies to establish their outlets in China. The large-scale investment by foreign investors has helped in pushing the nation’s foreign currency reserves to almost US$ 1. 2 trillion that is quite high by global standards. The FDI outflow of China received significant attention in the year 2007 due to the creation of People’s Republic of China’s sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corp. and several other high profile investments and acquisitions. China Investment Corp. purchased a stake of US$ 3 billion in Blackstone and 9. 9 percent stake of Morgan Stanley worth US$ 5 billion in the year 2006. The statistics of the total FDI outflow in the year 2006 reveal a total figure of US$ 21. 2 billion that is an increase of nearly 73 percent over the previous year figures. The State owned enterprises accounted for almost 86 percent of this total FDI outflow. The FDI outflow in the country is spread across 172 destinations across the world. The largest share of the FDI outflow from China is received by Latin America followed by Asia, Cayman Islands, and Hong Kong. The prime regional sources of China’s overseas investments are Guangdong, Shanghai, Shandong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Hainan, Hebei, and Beijing. Balance of Payments trend in the past 10 years Over the last ten years China’s Balance of Payments (BOP) kept its current and capital accounts in surplus constantly. The annual total scale of BOP accounts’ increased by 31. 6 percent during the period 1984 – 2004 when foreign reserves increased from US$ 0. 054 trillion to US$ 1. 91. In the first half of the year 2005, the BOP raised to US$ 1. 14 trillion that is an increase of 25. 3 percent over the previous year figures. There is a complimentary relationship between the growth of FDI and international trades. The trades and foreign investment have immense impact on the position of balance of payment, in terms of growth in international business activities. Source: International Financial Statistics July 2007, International Monetary Fund The changes in economic policies adopted and implemented by the Chinese government have made tremendous impact on its trade and balance of payments. The opening of the economy and its gradual move towards a market-oriented economy has made significant impact on the trade balances and foreign funds inflow into the country. A look at the balance of payments figures indicates that the current account surpluses and foreign direct investment have remained important contributors to accumulation of foreign exchange reserves in China. The trade surplus widened to over 177 billion dollars in 2006 to 262 billion dollars in the year 2007. The Government of China is planning to stimulate imports and streamline exports in the coming years. GDP and Inflation Trend in China GDP has shown a healthy growth trend over the past decade in China. Individuals have become richer with annual GDP rising from US$ 8,440 billion in the year 1998 to US$ 24,661 billion in the year 2007. The real GDP growth in the year 2007 was 11. 4 percent raised from 11. 1 percent in the year 2006. The 11. 4 percent GDP growth rate is the highest for China in the last 13 years and it is expected that the GDP will grow 10 percent in the forthcoming year. The economic growth in China was expected to slow down in the year 2007 due to the global market slump. However the rising oil prices across the globe has not made much of an impact so far on the Chinese economy due to the huge amounts of foreign investment in the country. But Chinese economy being more dependent on international trade will face a slow down eventually. Economists predict that the rising consumption pattern will have a slow down impact on the GDP growth rate in the year 2008. It is expected that the Chinese exports will slow down from 26 percent in the year 2007 to 19 percent in 2008. This is mainly accountable to the weakening global market demand and cuts in export rebates. A look at the inflation in China reveals a steadily growing curve. Inflation reached a high of 4. 8 percent in the year 2007 from 1. 5 percent in the year 2006. The rising inflation has reached the peak within the decade. It is expected that the inflation will continue to rise in the forthcoming years with percentage rising to more than 7 in the year 2008. The rising global price of oil has made significant impact on the market prices of goods and commodities in China. This has led to rising consumer oil prices and food prices, and producer price index. Inflation has spread to the service sector as well indicating rising cost of labor in the country. The consumer price index rose by 4. 5 percent in the urban areas and by 5. 4 percent in the rural areas in the year 2007. The rise in inflation is mainly attributed to increased food prices and housing sector. This is becoming a matter of concern for the Chinese economy since the escalating prices can have a negative impact on the overall economic growth. The Chinese government is trying to control inflation adopting strict monetary and trade regulations. Unemployment trend The per capita disposable income was 13,786 yuan in the year 2007 that is a growth of 17. 2 percent from over the previous year figure of 11,759 yuan. The rural per capita disposable income was 4140 yuan in the year 2007 that is a growth of almost 15. 4 percent over the previous year figure of 3587 yuan. The employment figures also raised in the past few years steadily both in the urban and rural sectors. The number of employed people in urban areas reached 12. 04 million people in the year 2007 an increase of 200,000 people over the previous year statistics. China has generated almost 51 million jobs in the past five years in the urban areas. Statistics reveal that there are about 20 million new job seekers in the country every year and the economy is able to provide approximately 12 million jobs per year. Government efforts are directed towards generating more jobs. The country has implemented active employment policies since the year 2002 that has increased the number of employed people from 8. 4 million to 12. 04 million in the last year. Impact of FDI on the Chinese Economy The past few years has witnessed the emerging of China’s economy as the most successful in the world utilizing the inflow of foreign direct investment towards its economic development. The key driving force towards this economic mobilization is the opening up of the Chinese economy to foreign trade and investment. The opening of the economy with subsequent rise in foreign direct investment has contributed immensely to its exceptional growth and development. The foreign direct investment has made a positive impact on the country’s balance of payments. Besides this the impact has been favorable on the country’s GDP growth rate. It has not only raised GDP growth by adding to capital formation but also has contributed to higher GDP growth through its effect on total productivity. The establishment of foreign funded enterprises has directly contributed to the GDP growth an introduction of new technologies and management skills. The growth in industrial establishments and service sector has created new employment opportunities and this is seen as a significant contributor to economic development in China. Moreover, the foreign direct investment has assisted in establishing a highly competitive manufacturing sector in the country. This has contributed immensely to the rising exports and the country’s participation in world trade. References: 1. Foreign Direct Investment in China: International Monetary Fund, 2002 http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/pdp/2002/pdp03. pdf accessed on 9th April, 2008 2. The US-China Business Council – Forecast 2008 China’s Economy http://uschina. org/public/documents/2008/02/2008-china-economy. pdf accessed on 9th April, 2008 3. ADB: China’s GDP to grow 10% in 08, inflation at 5. 5% http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/china/2008-04/02/content_6587641. htm accessed on 9th April, 2008 4. Chinese Inflation hits highest level in more than a decade, Feb 20, 2008 http://www. iht. com/articles/2008/02/19/business/yuan. php accessed on 9th April, 2008 5. National Bureau of Statistics of China http://www. stats. gov. cn/english/statisticaldata/yearlydata/ accessed on 9th April, 2008

The Hyper Globalist Perspective

The Hyper Globalist Perspective The aim of this assignment is to evaluate the hyper-globalist perspective on globalization using examples from the obesity. The first part of the assignment will define globalization and then briefly summarise what the hyper-globalist perspective says on globalization. The second part of the assignment will critically analyse the hyper-globalist perspective on globalization with reference to obesity and compare it to what other perspectives say about globalization. Several related cases from newspapers and journals will be used to make points as well as statistics as evidence to support the arguments and then finally incorporating all the information to make a conclusion. Globalization is defined as a process or set of processes which embodies a transformation in spatial organization of social relations and transactions, assessed in terms of their extensity, intensity, velocity and impact, generating transcontinental or interregional flows of networks of activity, interaction and the exercise of power, (Held, 1999 pp. 16). However, there are several other definitions of globalization because it believed to be difficult to define for some reason (Zadja and Rust, 2009). In 1998 alone, globalization had 3000 definitions (Zadja et al, 2008). There are different approaches to globalization and these are globalist (optimist or pessimist), inter-nationalist and transformationalist, however the author will stick to the optimistic-globalist approach on obesity. Optimistic globalist also known as the hyper-globalist approach welcomes the idea of globalisation but focuses on the potential of interconnections and stretched social relations to bring people together, improve the quality of everybodys lives, global village promoting the sharing of cultures and intermingling of peoples across the world in cities and towns, so that we are all become world citizens through global communication, travel and work flows. They admit that there are global problems too, but believe new technologies and global ideas can reduce the threat of global pollution. They say that global structures can do a better job at tackling big economic and social problems than nations and countries (Stiglitz, 2008). Obesity can be defined as having a body weigh t more than 20 per cent greater than recommended for the appropriate height and an individual can be at risk from several serious illnesses including Diabetics and Heart Disease (Nice Guidelines, 2009). World Health Organisation (2003) defines it as the presence of high levels of stored body fat. From the globalist perspective, globalization potential benefits are to improve the quality of everybodys lives. This is not so on the subject of obesity because statistics show that between 1988 and 1999, percentage of total energy intake from fat increased from 23.5% to 30.3% and between 1984 and 1998, purchases of refined carbohydrates increased by 37.2% (Rivera et al, 2002; Rivera et al, 2004;). Although the absolute increases of fat were higher in the wealthier north and Mexico City (30-32%), the poorer southern region also experienced a significant increase (22%). At the same time, trends in obesity and diabetes are reaching epidemic proportions. Overweight/obesity increased 78% between 1988 and 1998, from 33% to 59% (Rivera, 2002). Obesity is now quite high in some poor rural communities (Sanchez-Castillo, 2001): the greatest relative changes occurred in the poorer southern region (81%) compared to the wealthier north (46%). More recent figures estimated overweight/obesity at 62.5% in 2004. While the obese clearly consume sufficient energy, the same cannot be said of micronutrients: women who are underweight, normal weight or overweight/obese are equally likely to suffer from anaemia (Eckhardt et al, 2005). Obesity is also giving rise to an epidemic of diabetes which is rising fastest in the poor regions (Jimenez-Cruz et al, 2002). Over 8% of Mexicans now have diabetes, which the WHO estimates costs the country US$15 billion a year (Barcelo et al, 2003; Martorell, 2005). In 2001 Obesity was estimated to impact about 1 billion people in the world (WHO, 2002) and in 2010, it was still viewed as a global epidemic with its prevalence increasing in both developed and developing countries (Meetoo, 2010). Recently, globalization has been applauded for increasing peoples wealth but also increasing their waists lines (www.hsph.harvard.edu). An estimated 500 million adults worldwide are obese and 1.5 billion are overweight or obese (Finucane, 2011) and if recent t rends continue unabated, nearly 60 per cent of the worlds population, 3.3 billion people could be overweight (2.2 billion) or obese (1.1 billion) by 2030 (Kelly et al, 2008; Popkin 2006). It is evident that globalization has created a toxic environment (Brownell, 1994; Battle and Brownell, 1997). The term toxic refers to the unprecedented exposure to energy-dense, heavily advertised, inexpensive and highly accessible food, and this, when combined with a sedentary lifestyle, results in obesity (Gortmaker et al, 1996). Examples of the toxic environment include fast-food restaurants (Harnack et al, 2000; Nielsen et al, 2002), large portion sizes (Harnack et al, 2000; Smiciklas-Wright et al, 2003),fast-food franchises, buffet restaurants, minimarkets in petrol filling stations (Foreyt and Goodrick, 1995) and the use of microwave ovens to cook relatively cheap prepared meals with high fat and caloric content (Mintz, 1996). From the above statistics it shows that hyper-globalists are not wrong to say globalisation improves the quality of everybodys lives. Internationalists agree to this statement by saying there have been increases in global flows of money and trade around the world, (Hirst Thompson, 1999). It has improved peoples lives to some extent by increasing their wealth but as Gotmaker et al, (1996) says it has created a world of cheap food, therefore increasing peoples waist lines. Statistics still show that obesity is on the rise therefore the statement that globalisation improves the health of peoples lives is not exactly true. Transformationalists suggest that globalization is real, important and should not be underestimated (Held and McGrew, 2003), this is somehow true because if the statistics ate showing that obesity is a global epidemic, then it means the effects of globalization cannot be underestimated. The fact that there is cheap fast food everywhere around the globe according to Gotmaker, then it means globalization is real and very important and should not be underestimated because the cheap fast food it created is causing obesity around the globe. Pessimistic globalists believe that there are many groups and individuals who are the victims of globalization, such as women, unskilled manual labourers, and local tribal people, amongst many others Bauman, 1998. This seems to be true according to (Jimenez-Cruz et al, 2002) who says obesity has given rise to an epidemic of diabetes which is rising fastest in the poor regions. Pessimistic globalists are right to say some regions are victims of globalization because the poor regions mentioned by Jiminez-Cruz et al (2002) are affected by globalization and therefore; their health is not being improved but being made worse, which goes against the statement of hyper-globalists of globalisation improves the health of peoples lives. Transformationalists suggest that the impacts of globalization are uneven and distinctive. This is true when looking at the statement by Finucane, (2011) who calculated an estimated 500 million adults worldwide are obese and 1.5 billion are overweight or obese. One could argue and say 500 million is a distinctive number of people living with obesity and even the 1.5 billion people who are overweight. The unevenness of globalization is what has been already discussed in the paragraph above whereby poor regions are victims. It seems hyper-globalists have exaggerated the goodness of globalization by saying new technologies and global ideas can reduce the threat of global pollution. Looking at microwaves (new technology) they have been accused of making life easy for people to heat ready- made high calorie food causing obesity, diabetes and hypertension as mentioned above. They also said global structures can do a better job at tackling big economic and social problems than nations and countries. This statement is difficult to digest because obesity (health hazard) is on the rise which shows that globalisation has not done a better job at tackling this problem. To summarise, transformationalists are right to say they want new and progressive structures to evolve at the global level that are not present now. New and progressive structure that may deal with obesity will be ideal because obesity will not just end as obesity but will bring a lot of complications in peoples lives such as heart disease, diabete s, hypertension which is not healthy. Internationalists support transformationalists by saying that the global structures can be challenged to do a better job in tackling problems like pollution, trafficking and poverty, amongst others (obesity). In conclusion, globalization has improved the quality of life for many people in the developing world by increasing their wealth; however, it has also increased access to cheap, unhealthy foods and generated more sedentary, urban lifestyles. From a public health perspective, the combination of these changes is creating a perfect storm, a catastrophic and costly rise in obesity and obesity-related diseases in countries that, at the same time, are still struggling with malnutrition and high rates of infectious diseases. 1501 Words References Barcelo, A., Aedo, C., Rajpathak, S., Robles, S (2003) The cost of diabetes in Latin America and the Caribbean. Bulletin of the WHO, 81:27. Bauman, Z. (1998) Globalization: The Human Consequences, Columbia University Press Brownell, K.D (1994) Get slim with higher taxes (Editorial) New York Times 15 December 1994: A-29 OpenURLBattle, E.K., Brownell, K.D. (1997) Confronting a rising tide of eating disorders and obesity: treatment vs prevention policy. Addictive Behaviour 21(6): 755-65 Eckhardt, C.L., Torheim, L.E., Monterrubio, E., Barquera, S., Ruel, M. (2005): Overweight women remain at risk for anemia in countries undergoing the nutrition transition. Presentation at the 18th International Nutrition Congress, Durban: South Africa Finucane MM, Stevens GA, Cowan MJ, et al. (2011) National, regional, and global trends in body-mass index since 1980: systematic analysis of health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 960 country-years and 9.1 million participants. Lancet, 377:557-67. Foreyt JP, Goodrick GD (1995) The ultimate triumph of obesity. Lancet, 346(8968): 134-5 Gortmaker, S.L., Must, A., Perrin, G.A. et al (1996) Television watching as a cause of increasing obesity among children in the United States, 1986-1990. Arch Pediatric Adolescent Medicicine 150: 356-62 Harnack, L.J., Jeffery, R.W., Boutelle, K.N (2000) Temporal trends in energy intake in the United States: an ecologic perspective. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 71: 1478-84 Held, D. (1999) Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture, Stanford University Press: London Held, D., McGrew, A. (2003) The Great Globalization Debate, in D. Held and A. McGrew (eds.) The global transformations reader, Cambridge: Polity. Hirst, P.Q., Thompson,G. F. (1999) Globalization in Question: The International Economy and the Possibilities of Governance, 2nd Edition. Cambridge: Polity Press Jimenez-Cruz, A., Bacardi Gascon, M., Jones, E. (2002) The Fattening Burden of Type 2 Diabetes on Mexicans. Diabetes Care 2002, 27:1213-1215 Kelly, T. Yang, W., Chen, C.S., Reynolds, K., He, J. (2008) Global burden of obesity in 2005 and projections to 2030. International Journal of Obesity: London, 32:1431-7 OpenURLMartorell, R. (2005) Diabetes and Mexicans: Why the Two Are Linked. Preventing Chronic Disease, 2:1-5 Meetoo, D. (2010) The imperative of human obesity: an ethical reflection, British Journal of Nursing, Vol. 19, No. 9 pp.563-568 Mintz, S. (1996) Taking Food, Tasting Freedom: Excursions in Eating, Culture and the Past. Beacon Press: Boston Nielsen, S.J., Siega-Ritz, A.M., Popkin, B.M. (2002) Trends in energy intake in U.S. between 1977 and 1996: Similar shifts seen across age groups. Obesity Research 10: 370-8 National Institute of Clinical Excellence, NICE (2006) Obesity: the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children, London: NICE http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG43 last viewed 05/12/2012 Popkin, B.M. (2006) Global nutrition dynamics: the world is shifting rapidly toward a diet linked with non-communicable diseases. American Journal of clinical Nutrition, 84:289-98 Rivera, J.A., Barquera, S., Campirano, F., Campos, I., Safdie, M., Tovar, V. (2002) Epidemiologial and nutritional transition in Mexico: rapid increase of non-communicable chronic diseases and obesity. Public Health Nutrition, 5:113-122 Rivera, J.A., Barquera, S., Gonzalez-Cossyo, T., Olaiz, G., Sepulveda, J. (2004) Nutrition Transition in Mexico and in Other Latin American Countries. Nutrition Reviews, 62: S149-S157 SÃ ¡nchez-Castillo, C.P., Lara, J.J., Villa, A.R., Escobar, M., Gutierrez, H., Chavez, A., James, W.,P.,T (2001) Unusually high prevalence rates of obesity in four Mexican rural communities. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 55: 833-840 Description: OpenURLSmiciklas-Wright, H., Mitchell, D.C., Mickle, S.,J (2003) Foods commonly eaten in the United States, 1989-1991 and 1994-1996: are portion sizes changing? Journal of American Diet Association 103: 41-7 Stiglitz, J (2008) Economic Foundations of Intellectual Property Rights, 57 Duke Law Journal 1693 World Health Organization, WHO (2002) The World Health Report 2002: Reducing risks, promoting healthy life. WHO, Geneva World Health Organization, WHO (2003) Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Disease. Report of a Joint WHO/FAO expert consultation. WHO, Geneva Zajda, J.L., Davies, L. Majhanovich, S (2008) Comparative and Global Pedagogies: Equity, Access and Democracy in Education, Springer Zajda, J.L., Rust, V.R. (2009) Globalisation, Policy, and Comparative Research: Discourses of Globalisation, Springer

hinduism vs. jainism Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people believe Hinduism to be a polytheistic religion. This is due to the fact that there is so many gods that they can worship in. But in all actuality it is really a monotheistic religion that spawns off of one god to form many different gods or ideas to worship. The entire religion of Hinduism is based off of Brahman. Brahman is the idea that all reality is a unity. I will explain the concept of Brahman and four others and hopefully make Hinduism easier to comprehend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some have viewed Hinduism as a monotheistic religion, because it recognizes only one supreme God: â€Å"the pantheistic principle of Brahman, that all reality is a unity. The entire universe is seen as one divine entity, Brahman. Brahman is simultaneously at one with the universe and Brahman transcends it as well.† (www.relgioustolerance.org) Breaking Brahman down is essential, let’s look at the previous quote. First of all, pantheistic means that: there is a belief in and worship of all gods, which means that Brahman is not a singular concept. The quote then goes on to say that Brahman is throughout the entire universe. This means that Brahman can be found in infinite objects. This is why people may view Hinduism as polytheistic because of their belief in many objects and ideas. The last line says that Brahman not only at one with the universe but also Brahman transcends it. This means that Brahman may be found in on Earth, but he also greater than the concept of Earth. Brahman is on a bigger playing field than that of Earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vishnu, known as the Preserver, preserves new creations and comes down to Earth during critical times in the â€Å"cosmic cycles.† Vishnu is one of the main Hindu gods, worshiped as the protector and preserver of worlds. Vishnu is considered one of the main gods along with Brahman and Shiva. Shiva, known as the Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic and destructive. One of the principal Hindu deities, Shiva is worshiped as the destroyer and restorer of worlds and in many other forms. Whenever dharma is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one of ten incarnations. Shiva is considered a member of the triad also including Brahma and Vishnu. Dharma is the law of the Hindus. Dharma is the individual obligation with respect to caste, social custom, civil law, and sacred ... ...as human beings we are not above any other species. We want to treat every bit of matter as we would want to be treated. This means that to kill some part of the universe, whether a cow or a fish is very bad karma. This is why Jains practice such strict vegetarianism. Jains even avoid eating after sunset so not to kill any bugs unknowingly. This is how strong the practice of Ahisma is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second principle I want to identify is anekantwad. It can be roughly translated as relativity. Anekantwad basically is the belief that there is no one main idea, no one truth, but many truths that are represented by different viewpoints. Anekantwad is the thought that that there is many different aspects to situations. And, that we shouldn’t all look at some things the same way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third principal and final term is aparigraha. Aparigraha is the idea of living on as a little as required. Aparigraha is the nonattachment to people and material things. Basically, possessions can control a person. Things of the world can draw up into trouble. Jains believe that the less we have the better off we will be and will be able to escape samsara.

From Element to Riches Essay -- essays research papers fc

From Element to Riches A diamond in a sense is the most communal, elegantly, used jewel used in circulation today. Do people in actuality understand the concept and edifice of this mineral? A diamond is known as the hardest rock in existence and to most of the world it is a piece of jewelry, but do we know what the chemical composition of a rock and how is it formed? A diamond in actuality is carbon in its most concentrated form. While a few diamonds may have trace impurities such as boron or nitrogen, most diamonds are composed mostly of carbon. Carbon is a chemical that is fundamental in the process of life and used in various amounts of ways on the Earths surface. In diamonds, carbon atoms share all four valance electrons with adjacent carbon atoms, which form a tetrahedral unit. The covalent bond that is formed in this process is responsible for many of the diamonds superlative properties. As a result of the highly symmetrical arrangement of eight atoms that are fundamentally arranged in a repeating structural unit diamond crystals can form a variety of different shapes known as crystal habits. The octahedron is the most common of these crystal habits, but others include cubes dodecahedra and combinations of theses shapes. All however, are manifestations of the cubic crystal system to which the mineral diamond belongs. Diamond crystals t hat are real do not have entirely smooth faces which can be seen in the trigons that reflect the subtle changes of height in the diamonds face. However some raised trigons that point the same direction as the crystal face can occur from dissolution, etching, and the crystals natural growth. Another notable property that the diamond is well known for is its hardness. Diamonds are the hardest substance known, receiving a ten on Moh’s hardness scale. While diamonds are not fragile or prone to breaking they can fracture or shatter. The best place for splitting a diamond is along one of its lines of cleavage as the crystal is know to have fewer chemical bonds on the plains of its octahedral face which allows for its perfect cleavage. Two of the most valued attributes of the diamond are its brilliance and luster, qualities obtained from the diamonds great ability to refract light. Light that passes through a diamond is reduced to approximately 77,000 mi... ...uses such as super electronics, indomitable optical windows, and un-scatchable surfaces, to many more things that have yet to be thought up. This mineral is definitely a very unique and diverse substance, unmatched by any known to man. So while the diamond may be appealing to the eye, this beauty is one with depth and purpose far beyond that which meets the eye. Bibliography Bonsor, Kevin. â€Å"How Diamonds Work.† HowStuffWorks. 1 Dec. 2004. http://science.howstuffworks.com/diamonds.htm â€Å"Diamond.† BambooWeb Dictionary: Open Content Encyclopedia. 1 Dec. 2004. http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/d/di/Diamond.html "Diamond." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Online. 2004. Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service. 4 Dec. 2004. . â€Å"The Nature of Diamonds.† American Museum of Natural History. 1 Dec. 2004. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/

Woodrow Wilson and the Treaty of Versailles :: League of Nations

Woodrow Wilson was born in 1856. He became America’s 28th president. His father was a strict Christian minister and Woodrow Wilson was brought up in a household associated with such beliefs. He was educated at Princeton and then at the University of Virginia and John Hopkins University. In 1890, he was appointed a professor at Princeton, a position he held until 1902. From 1902 to 1910, Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton. In 1910, Woodrow Wilson was elected governor of New Jersey for the Democrats. He swiftly got national fame for his social reforms in New Jersey and in 1912 won the presidential election. From 1914 to 1917, he observed a strict neutrality in the Great War but the activities of German U-boats forced his hand especially with the sinking of the ‘Lusitania’ in 1915 which killed 128 American citizens. On April 6th 1917, America entered the war as an "associated power" rather than as an ally of France and Britain. Ironically, Woodrow Wilson had won the 1916 national election on the slogan "He kept us out of war". During the peace talks at Versailles, Woodrow Wilson presented a moderate voice. He had no doubts that Germany should be punished, but he wanted those in power punished - not the people. On January 1918, Woodrow Wilson had issued his ‘Fourteen Points’ as a basis for peace. He also had an idea for a League of Nations to maintain world peace. In international affairs, Woodrow Wilson proved somewhat naà ¯ve. He wanted to place the trust for future world peace in the hands of the League of Nations, yet America refused to join it. By refusing to join the League, the American political structure had seriously weakened the forerunner of the United Nations. Woodrow Wilson spent time after 1919 criss-crossing America trying to ‘sell’ the idea of the League. On September 26th 1919, he collapsed and his political career ended suddenly. He was an invalid for the rest of his life and died in 1924. Woodrow Wilson and the Treaty of Versailles :: League of Nations Woodrow Wilson was born in 1856. He became America’s 28th president. His father was a strict Christian minister and Woodrow Wilson was brought up in a household associated with such beliefs. He was educated at Princeton and then at the University of Virginia and John Hopkins University. In 1890, he was appointed a professor at Princeton, a position he held until 1902. From 1902 to 1910, Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton. In 1910, Woodrow Wilson was elected governor of New Jersey for the Democrats. He swiftly got national fame for his social reforms in New Jersey and in 1912 won the presidential election. From 1914 to 1917, he observed a strict neutrality in the Great War but the activities of German U-boats forced his hand especially with the sinking of the ‘Lusitania’ in 1915 which killed 128 American citizens. On April 6th 1917, America entered the war as an "associated power" rather than as an ally of France and Britain. Ironically, Woodrow Wilson had won the 1916 national election on the slogan "He kept us out of war". During the peace talks at Versailles, Woodrow Wilson presented a moderate voice. He had no doubts that Germany should be punished, but he wanted those in power punished - not the people. On January 1918, Woodrow Wilson had issued his ‘Fourteen Points’ as a basis for peace. He also had an idea for a League of Nations to maintain world peace. In international affairs, Woodrow Wilson proved somewhat naà ¯ve. He wanted to place the trust for future world peace in the hands of the League of Nations, yet America refused to join it. By refusing to join the League, the American political structure had seriously weakened the forerunner of the United Nations. Woodrow Wilson spent time after 1919 criss-crossing America trying to ‘sell’ the idea of the League. On September 26th 1919, he collapsed and his political career ended suddenly. He was an invalid for the rest of his life and died in 1924.

Life of Pi Essay Essay

Many people that are religious look to God for guidance and comfort. Especially in disastrous situations. In Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, the theme of will to survive is presented and demonstrated as having faith, letting animal instincts take over, and determination. Pi keeping his faith shows how strong his faith in God is. He discusses some Hindu symbolism to describe how insignificant he feels, then â€Å"mumbled words of Muslim prayer and went back to sleep†(177). Praying is a sign of hope for Pi. Pi is hoping to live through the night and he is trusting God to keep him safe. Instead of being terrified, he trusts God enough that he is able to be comforted in a very vulnerable state. Describing religious rituals he practices, he says that â€Å"Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love-but sometimes it was so hard to love†(208). In Pi’s situation it is only natural to question God and fear that no one is watching out for him. If he loses his belief then there is nothing holding him back from just giving up and dying. Pi is afraid of dying; even though he throws away a lifetime of vegetarianism, it does not mean that he will throw away a lifetime of faith in God. But after this, he says that his faith always remained â€Å"a shining point of light in my heart†(209). Even when he is contemplating the existence of God and his faith, he is determined to not lose faith and keep moving forward. His faith is what is keeping his confidence intact and not be filled with despair. The instinct of survival and letting go of Pi’s moral human self shows his determination to survive. In Pi’s darkest moment he explains that â€Å"This was the terrible cost of Richard Parker. He gave me a life, my own, but at the expense of taking one. He ripped the flesh off the man’s frame and cracked his bones. The smell of blood filled my nose. Something in me died then that has never come back to life†(255). Pi is not only talking about killing  another person, but he is talking about himself. Each time Pi took a life he was killing a piece of Pi’s old self. When he killed the Frenchman that is when all of Pi’s old self was killed and pure instinct took over. Pi can only bear to remember so much; he can list the sensations but he does not go into the awful event’s effect on his psyche. This moment, more than any other in the text, seems to mark an absence of God because of his hopelessness and guilt. It is also the moment where Pi’s life is most explicitly threatened. If Richard Parker is seen as a symbol of the pure survival instinct, this is the one moment in the text where that instinct wins out completely over morality and control. Describing the scarcity of food and water, Pi realizes â€Å"of how low I had sunk the day I noticed, with a pinching of the heart, that I ate like an animal, that this noisy, frantic, unchewing wolfing-down of mine was exactly the way Richard Parker ate†(225). He is starting to connect Richard Parker and himself. Pi’s subconscious makes up Richard Parker because he does not want to connect and accept responsibility for his animal-like actions. But when he starts connecting Richard Parker and himself, his is starting to realize that there is a connection and that in order to survive he must act animal-like. Even though he was vegetarian, he threw it away and ate viciously because he wanted to survive. Determination is key to Pi’s survival and is what keeps him going. Pi says, â€Å"Didn’t I have here a perfect circus ring, inescapably round, without a single corner for him to hide in? . . . Wasn’t this an ideal source of treats with which to condition him to obey?†. Then he goes on asking if there was â€Å"any reward greater than life?†. This all shows how determined he is for survival. He starts showing confidence during the most chaotic and disastrous event of his life. Pi decided to â€Å"tame† Richard Parker so that he could â€Å"trick him into dying first, if we had to come to that sorry business†(165). This also makes Pi have a dominant attitude towards Richard Parker. By taming Richard Parker, Pi is basically saying that he is the alpha male. It makes him feel in control of his situation and himself. In the second story, Pi is talking about controlling his wild self. Restraining his instincts makes him seem more human. Eith er way, each story has determination to survive. His strong belief of God, his superior tone,  the determination to live on, all support the presence of the will to survive. People must sacrifice things in order to remain alive. For Pi it was to sacrifice his morals and vegetarianism. For others it might be something different. But for survival, people have to sacrifice something in order to exist.

The Shoe-Horn Sonata

(INTRO) John Misto’s drama ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’ depicts the journey of two women captured by the Japanese during World War ll. The play reveals the unresolved problems of their relationship after fifty years. The reunion of Bridie and Sheila and their problems are dramatized and resolved through Misto’s use of dramatic techniques. He effectively creates images of tension, hardship, hope and survival, friendship and forgiveness to emphasize the relationship between the two women. DOUBLE-HANDER) Misto effectively uses the double-hander technique to dramatize Bridie and Sheila’s relationship. This technique refers to having two characters on stage, this helps the audience focus on the stories of Bridie and Sheila only. This technique is reinforced in the title of the play. The double hander highlights the many contrasts between Bridie and Sheila. Bridie is projected as more confident and assertive, in contrast to Sheila who is portrayed as more shy an d reserved. (TENSION) The opening of the drama begins introducing one of the two characters, Bridie.She stands under a spotlight re-enacting the ‘Kow Tow’ bow in center of the stage then â€Å"claps her hands sternly†, immediately revealing the strong assertive nature of her character. Dramatizing the atmosphere, Misto then uses a bright light juxtaposed with its dark surroundings reinforcing the image of strength. The second scene shifts to the motel room where the audience is introduced to the second character, Sheila. Their different approach to life clearly shows as Sheila is more cautious than Bridie, questioning about the interview she is about to give.Sheila’s values are formed by the English values of her ime and her religious background was Protestant. Her mother was clearly the more significant parent as Sheila was influenced by her mother to wear gloves in public, feeling superior to Orientals and Colonials and keeping up appearances. The reunio n of Bridie and Sheila reveals unresolved problems as an image of tension. As Bridie slaps Sheila in Act One, Scene Eight Bridie quotes â€Å"You’re alive today because of me. And don’t you ever forget it†.Though Bridie may believe that she was the one who had saved Sheila’s life when they were at the camp, Sheila cannot stand it any longer she pulls out the shoe-horn from her bedside bureau and throws it onto the hotel bed in front of Bridie. Before Sheilas informs Bridie about how she had gotten the quinine tablets ‘We hear the sound of crickets, distant first, gradually getting louder as the scene continues’. The broadcasting of the junle crickets creates tension as the sound gets louder which reflects Sheila’s inner turmoil and emotional fear. Although Sheila firmly asked Bridie to answer her question ‘Bridie faces away from Sheila.Both of them are isolated in spotlights’. This creates tension between the two as the li ghting of the spotlight are concentrated on the two and in that moment a voice-over of young Sheila is played to emphasize the desperation of how Sheila didn’t want to lose Bridie. In Act One, Scene five Rick asks, â€Å"Did the Japs ever try to take advantage of you? † Rick’s question have them arguing about the women who slept with the soldeiers as Sheila supported them saying, â€Å"they had no choice†, As some had starving children as Bridie strongly opposes, â€Å"To sleep with a Jap? How could you ever live with yourself? due to Rick’s question tension grew and gave the audience a hint that there is something that may of happened in the past. (BRUTALITY&HARDSHIP) Creating an image of brutality and hardship, Misto dramatizes the problems between the two characters. During the day Misto highlights the horrifying scenes of when the women of the camp were brutally punished. Images of two women POWs projected onto the screen in Act One, Scene Six were described as, â€Å"Stick and bone dressed in rags†, Bridie was one of these women and this is the time she had seen the soldier she got married to.The technique effectively conveys the women’s survival as the audience is made to confront the suffering the women endured. This technique effectively highlights the physical and psychological abuse women had endured throughout their imprisonment. Hardship and brutality are also evident in Act Two, Scene nine the following quote is said by Sheila â€Å"The Japs introduced a new rule at Belalau- No work, no food. So if you were sick and couldn’t get up, you were left to starve to death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  due to this rule Bridie became too sick to even eat and Sheila knew that she needed to be treated immediately.Another scene where brutality and hardship is evident is in Act One, Scene four where the audience listen to the voiceover of Lipstick Larry yelling ‘followed by the ugly thumps of young Bridie being p unched and hit’ after finding the pin she had planted in his loincloth. Bridie’s snes of humor and courage are evident in this scene as is Sheila’s admiration for and devotion to her friend at the time. The audiences are made aware of the brutality of the women’s experiences as the soundtrack to carry the sound of Lipstick Larry beating Bridie. (MUSIC) One of Misto’s ost powerful techniques is music; he uses this to highlight the image of hope and survival as Bridie and Sheila deal with their unresolved problems. Bridie recites, â€Å"And I took Sheila’s hand-and I squeezed so hard. ‘We’re going to live,’ I said to her. ‘I don’t care how or what it takes, we are going to survive this war. And when it’s over, you and I will go dancing. We will. I know we will. ’ This tells us of how moved Bridie was as she had just heard the Japanese band play ‘The Blue Danube’. This suggests that B ridie still held hope; hope that they will be okay, that they will survive and that they will make it through the camp together.In act one scene three a voice over of young Sheila is played â€Å"Bring me my boy of burning gold! /bring me arrows of desire†. This is quoted by young Sheila as she is floating in the sea, almost drowning. She sings ‘Jerusalem’ which is an uplifting hymn about the greatness of England which is quite ironic as the English are being bombed by the Japanese. The use of music in the play powerfully creates an image of hope and survival as Bridie and Sheila’s relationship is dealt with. (FRIENDSHIP & Misto is able to create images of friendship and forgiveness to help notify the audience that Sheila and Bridie have resolved their difficulties.In Act Two, scene thirteen Bridie quoted â€Å"She went to†¦the japs†¦ to a Japanese guard – and†¦ she sold herself to him for tablets. And she gave herself to him†¦s o that I could†¦have quinine†. This reflects on the fifty years of not seeing one another because of the conflict that had risen after the World War ll. In the last scene Sheila hands over the Shoe-Horn to Bridie â€Å"I’m sorry I†¦kept it so long. Go on take it† this is said by Sheila as she holds out the shoe-horn, it symbolizes forgiveness and a stronger bond in their friendship. In the last scene Bridie and Sheila dance ‘The Blue Danube’, a promise Bridie made to Sheila during the war.The fast and vibrant sequence of the song also reinforces their reconciliation. Although it took a while for Bridie to accept what Sheila has done for her they both ended up appreciating what has happened to them and acknowledging that it only made them stronger; this is evident in Act Two, Scene Thirteen, â€Å"I’d go to the Japs. Again if I had to and I wouldn’t think twice-cause Bridie’s my friend and that’s all there is to it† Misto used the women’s situation to portray his ideas and the fact you can move on with your life until your past is resolved. This is a dramatic theme that relates to everyone just as Misto’s one does.

Ace Cable

Data Collection – Ace Cable RES 351 Data Collection – Ace Cable As stated in the week two, Ace Cable is an established company that offers cable television, telephone and internet services to its customers. These services are available to customers across the United States and they have been in business since 2000. In recent years, the competition has grown and Ace Cable is experiencing a decrease in customer enrollments. Customers now have multiple options to consider before enrolling into an agreement and Ace Cable is conducting research to persuade more people to sign on with the company.The research included defining the population from which the samples were collected. When it comes to the population and the different samples collected, the main goal is to focus on customers and provide outstanding services by conducting customer interviews, and surveys including group interviews of all ages. There are several methods that have taken place concerning collecting sam ples. The individual interviews we have collected were samples by applying surveys, from face to face interviews, in-store feedback, and telephone surveys. These surveys and interviews are conducted on a daily basis.These surveys are taking place in order to better our business when it comes to Ace cable. Individuals are completing surveys by voicing their opinions when it comes to the services and the channels that are selected. By having these surveys and interviews in place, we are getting the best feedback on what type of services they are looking forward to and what needs to be improved. In regard to group interviews, samples are being collected by surveys that are conducted at the time of the interviews. The surveys samples that are collected deals with expectations, feedback, and improved service.By having these different outcomes taking place, we can collect enough samples through interviewing and surveys bring an outstanding cable company. Next step is to determine the appr opriateness of the sample size. In researching ACE Cable we were able to find it effective in our methods of sampling as well as appropriate for the sample size. Since ACE Cable is a well-known company that ranges all over, we found it key that more than just area sampling (the most important form of cluster sampling) was used in the research. As mentioned earlier, ethods such as interviews, surveys, face to face contact, telephone surveys, and in-store feedback all played a vital role in how it was made possible to reach out on a wide network of customers and collect data. Through each individual store and employee of ACE cable at different locations covering all of the company’s population, feedback is being taken to ensure data is all being compiled for better use of the business' effectiveness. With probability sampling the data of ACE Cable was able to be more detailed and precisely researched on its large scale. Sources of bias or errors are possible when sampling.Valid ity is the degree to which the investigative goals are measured accurately, and the degree to which the research truly measures what it intended to measure. Another measurement tool is reliability, which measures consistency. Reliability refers to the extent to which the research measure is a consistent and dependable indicator of the investigation. If the measuring technique provides the same results once the measurement is repeated the accuracy of the measurement is high (Suresh, 2011) Selection biases are induced by sampling design. The sample group must be a true representation of the population without errors.It is important to decide how you select an appropriate setting and sample to conduct the study in order to avoid errors. Data collection takes place after sampling. Observation approach, investigative questions, communication approach, and questioning approach are just a few data collection methods used to collect data. Observation approach research is collected data thro ugh watching, recording, and analysis of observed behavior as it occurs in a natural setting. Investigative Questions are specific questions that the researchers ask to provide sufficient details and answers to research questions.Communication Approach research is collected of data through mass communication, media or speech. That kind of data involves surveying or interviewing people and recording their responses or analysis. Questioning approach research is better known a surveying. Survey is the process of data collected through interviews, questionnaires, the telephone, mail, a computer, e-mail, or the Internet (Cooper, 2011). The researches decided surveys would be the best way to determine why Ace Cable enrollment decreased and surveys constructed in a format that eliminates any ethical concerns. The data collection has no ethical concerns.All surveys contain the privacy act statement. All surveys explain study benefits and all participants’ answers remain confidential. The surveys are mailed across the United States and surveys are in the customer lobby. At this time, the researchers will not conduct e-mail surveys. It’s best to determine customers’ responses via mail and in-house first before branching out if there is a lack of participation. Cooper, D. &. (2011). Business research methods. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Suresh, K. T. (2011). Design, data analysis and sampling techiques for clinical research. Retrieved July 25, 2012, from RES 351.

Network Design Essay

The objective at hand was to build a network from the ground up. This was accomplished by breaking down all of the sections and building upon all previous assignments. This was a good course as I learned a lot about all of the different sections of building a network. The pros are now I know how to build a network on the design side from the ground up. I learned quite a bit about using a lot of the technologies associated with networking and it allowed me to learn quite a few new concepts. Some of the downfalls about this course and what I have learned are I did not feel I accomplished much as there is no hands on training associated with the course. I do not feel like concepts and design ideas are a great resource to actually learn how to use any of the systems but they do give a pretty good idea. Cabling SpecificationsEthernet is a Local Area Network (LAN) technology with a transmission rate of 10 Mbps and has a typical star topology. Computers and devices must wait-and-listen for transmission time on the network as only one device can transmit at any one time. In order to operate with this network strategy, Ethernet incorporates CSMA/CD (Carrie Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection). Each device on the network listens for the network to be clear before transmitting data. If more than one computer or device transmits data at the same time, then collisions occur. Once collisions are detected, all devices stop transmitting for a period of time until one of the devices senses the line is free and will then gain control of the line to transmit its data. Receiving devices just sit there waiting and listening for transmissions that are meant for them, which are determined by an IP (Internet Protocol) address. The main advantage to Ethernet is it is one of the cheapest networks to put into service. Compared to other hardware for Token Ring, Ethernet equipment such as hubs, switches, network interface cards, and cable (Cat5 common) is inexpensive. The main disadvantage to Ethernet is related to the collisions that occur on the network. Even though Ethernet cable (Cat5) is fairly inexpensive, it can become a cost issue if designing a large network as each device or computer requires its own cable connection to the central hub. Another disadvantage is distance limitation for node connections. The longest connection that can occur within an Ethernet network without a repeater is 100 meters. Today’s Ethernet standards, 100 Mbps and 1000 Mbps, incorporate switched technology, which for the most part, eliminates collisions on the network. The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) specification for Ethernet is 802.3 with three-part names designating the different types. For example, 10BASE-T is for 10 Mbps, and 100BASE-TX is for 100 Mbps. Token RingToken was developed by IBM as an alternative to Ethernet. The network is physically wired in star topology, but is arranged in a logical ring. Instead of a hub or switch like in an Ethernet network, a MAU (Multistation Access Unit) is used. Access to the network is controlled by possession of a token that is passed around the ring from computer to computer as data can only travel in one direction at a time. A computer that wishes to transmit data on the network takes possession of the token and replaces the token frame with data. The data goes around the ring and returns to the transmitting computer, which removes the data, creates a new token, and then forwards it to the next computer. The IEEE specification for Token Ring is 802.5 and it comes in two different speeds: 4 Mbps and 16 Mbps. The main advantage to Token Ring is there are never any collisions within the network, which makes it a highly reliable solution for high-traffic networks. The disadvantage to Token Ring is the network cards and MAU are more expensive than equivalent Ethernet hardware. FDDIFDDI (Fiber-Distributed Data Interface) is an architecture designed for high-speed backbones that operate at 100 Mbps, which are used to connect and extend LANs. A ring topology is used with two fiber optic cable rings. It  passes a token on both rings and in opposite directions. The specification for FDDI is designated by the American National Standards Institute as ANSI X3T9.5. The advantage to FDDI is that it uses two rings for protection in case one ring breaks. When a break occurs, data is rerouted in the opposite direction using the other ring. It is also considered reliable because it uses a token-passing strategy. The disadvantage to FDDI is the expensive network cards and fiber optic cable. In addition, the amount of fiber optic cable is doubled because it has redundant rings. WirelessLocal Area Network (LAN) TopologiesA mesh topology has a point-to-point connection to every other device (node) within the topology. The point-to-point link is dedicated between each device so it will only carry traffic to the two devices that is connected by that link. The advantage of a mesh topology is it works on the concept of routes, which means that traffic can take one of several paths between the source and destination. The network is also robust in that it will not be crippled if one path becomes unavailable or unstable due to each device being connected to every other device. The Internet uses a mesh topology to operate efficiently. The main disadvantage to a mesh topology is the fact that it requires a large number of cables, which is very expensive. A bus topology is a multipoint topology that entails each device being connected to a common link or path. The common link can be thought of as the backbone to the network. All devices typically connect to the backbone with a T-connector and coax cable. The main advantages of a bus topology are that it is easy to install and is not expensive (cost effective) because it uses very little cable to build. The main disadvantage is if there is a problem with the one backbone cable, then the entire network will no longer have the ability to communicate.  These networks are also very difficult to troubleshoot because any small problem such as a cable break, loose connector, or cable short can cause the outage. The entire length of cable and each connector must be inspected during troubleshooting. Another disadvantage is the lack of amplification of the signal, which results in a limited network size based on the characteristics of the cable because of how far a signal can travel down that cable. A ring topology means that each device is connected in a ring, or daisy-chain fashion, one after another. A dedicated connection only exists between a device and the device on each side of it. Data flows around the ring in one direction. Each device contains a repeater that regenerates the signal before passing it to the next device. The main advantage of a ring topology is that it is easy to install. One disadvantage includes difficulty to troubleshoot because data flows in one direction and it could take time to find the faulty device when there are problems. The entire network could be taken off line if there is a faulty device or cable break within the ring. The star topology has each device in the network connected to a central device called a hub, which can actually be a hub or switch. All traffic must pass through the hub in order to communicate with any other device on the network. There is no direct communication between devices like in a mesh topology. One advantage to a star topology is any failure to one cable or device connected to the hub will not bring the entire network down. Repairs can be done to individual nodes without disrupting traffic flow. Another advantage is expandability of the network. Additional devices can be added to the network without disrupting any of the current users. All that is required is an additional cable run from the device to the hub. One disadvantage includes cable costs because each device must have its own cable connected back to the hub. The other disadvantage is the hub itself.  Since all traffic runs through one device, it becomes the single point of failure. If the hub goes down, so does the entire network. Wide Area Network (WAN) DesignA WAN, also known as a Wide Area Network, is an essential part to bigger corporate networks most government networks and companies with multiple sites as well. A WAN, basically, is 2 or more LANs (Local Area Networks) stuck together and running as one big network over a big geographical area. Although a WAN could cover very small distances, most WANs cover much larger geographical areas such as a country or possibly even the world. The largest WAN today would technically be the internet or the World Wide Web. The internet is, in short, one giant WAN because it consists of many smaller LANs and servers. Most WANs can cover a fairly large geographical area, but some, such as the World Wide Web can cover the globe. The United States Government has quite a big WAN as a lot of their LANs are in other countries. They need to get data from one place to another almost instantaneously, and this is one of the quickest and easiest ways to be able to do so. To be able to get on the internet, a subscriber must go through an ISP (Internet Service Provider) and they will give the subscriber access to the internet for a certain price every month. There are different ways to get access to the internet depending on the geographical location in which you live. A subscriber can go through dial up, which is one of the slowest methods, but it is also one of the most common. There is also DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) through most phone companies if they have access in the area and cable which is usually one of the fastest and most expensive methods to access the internet. The last common method is using a satellite to obtain access. This is usually the most expensive ways to access the internet because the equipment usually needs to be bought. When talking about telephone lines, we start getting into analog versus digital signals and degradation over longer distances. A telephone system works on analog signals. These work by a computer transmitting a digital  signal to the modem which converts the signal into an analog signal (this is the beeping heard when a computer dials up to access the internet) and later being converted by a different computer back into a digital signal with the use of a modem. DSL is digital all the way, along with T1 and T3 lines. When using DSL or T1/T3 lines, a filter of some sort is used to filter out the digital and analog signals, so the phone and computer are receiving different signals. Companies usually use faster lines to access the internet or to have access to their other sites. Smaller companies can use DSL or Cable internet services, but when talking about larger corporations or the government, most use public systems such as telephone lines or satellites. Usually, when talking about larger companies and going through a public system, we are talking much faster speeds that can hold many more users. T1 and T3 lines are usually used, satellites are commonly used and fiber-optic is becoming much more common. When getting into many users on a WAN, we need to start talking about Network Latency. According to Javvin.com network latency is defined as “latency is a measure of how fast a network is running. The term refers to the time elapsed between the sending of a message to a router and the return of that message (even if the process only takes milliseconds, slowdowns can be very apparent over multi-user networks). Latency problems can signal network-wide slowdowns, and must be treated seriously, as latency issues cause not only slow service but data losses as well. At the user level, latency issues may come from software malfunctions; at the network level, such slowdowns may be a result of network overextension or bottlenecking, or DoS or DDoS activity.”Dos or DDos stands for Denial of Service and Distributed Denial of Service respectively. These types of attacks are usually by hackers or someone who does not want others to access a certain service. There was a recent DoS threat on the CNN webpage as some hackers wanted CNN to stop talking about a certain issue. This works by one or multiple people talking all of the networks latency or bandwidth from them and thus causing other not to be able to access their site or services. There are other issues that may slow down a users PC as well. Not all issues revolve around hacker attacks. A lot of problems could be caused by malicious software, such as, Spyware, Malware, Viruses, or other programs that may be problematic. These can usually be taken care of by installing anti-virus software or even a spyware removal tool. The issue here is instead of the malicious software causing slowdowns on a PC, there are slowdowns due to the software protecting a certain computer in the background. Sometimes a simple fix to this problem is to defragment a hard drive. This can tremendously speed up a PC, because the files will be closer together and easier and quicker to access. On a network, a simple way to test latency is to use the trace route program. To do this, simply go to a command prompt and type tracert and then an IP address if internal or a website if external. This will send out packets of information and check how much time has passed to receive a packet back. The time passed would be the latency time. Usually it says it only took a certain amount of milliseconds which does not seem like very much time, but it was only a tiny packet of information. The higher the milliseconds the higher the latency time. The higher the latency time, the longer it will take to do anything in a network. If a high latency time is present, there is bound to be lag somewhere down the line. In a WAN, the equipment that will be used is as follows. In each LAN there will be PCs connected to a router somewhere (this is a ring topology example) and that router should be connected into a switch. There may be more but this is a basic example. Each of these LANs then connects to a central HUB somewhere which should interconnect all of the LANs. All of the information then travels to the central hub which is then separated out to the correct switch, router and then PC. There are usually central servers that can store and backup all of the data on the network as well, but this was an example of a crude network. Most companies also a very repetitious and redundant with their WANs. This is because they do not want a central failure point to bring the entire company to itÂ’s knees. There are usually multiple switches that can tie the  entire system together. If a huge corporations Wan decided to fail, the company could lose a few million dollars in a matter of minutes. This is the main reason redundancy in this situation makes more than enough sense. A lot of companies use software called VPN software. This software will let users login from the outside into their computer inside the company. This is a very nice system because if an employee needs to do work from home, they have access to everything they working on onsite. This is also helpful from an Information Technology perspective as it allows the Tech who is working on a remote problem login remotely and find out what the issue is, make any configuration changes and fix most software related issues without actually having to be onsite. This works well when being on call from an offsite location. There are other software packages that work well too. A lot of companies use PCAnywhere to do this type of work and Bomgar is another solution to be able to remotely login. A WAN is an imperative part to any corporation, government agency or company with multiple locations, as it allows them to transfer data quickly, easily and over great distances at the click of a button. There seems to be more and more need for employees in the networking field today, because more and more corporations need to transfer data quicker and easier. There will be new technology soon that will improve our current technology such as fiber optic. Network ProtocolsThere are many solutions to remote access and the most common and one of the most cost efficient methods is the VPN (Virtual Private Network). VPN technology is already built in to most operating systems and is very easy to implement. With bigger environments and corporations, a consideration for concentrated VPN hardware should be in place because of the simultaneous users and stress on the servers. There are a few different types of VPN including IPsec, PPTP and SSL. Once the connection from remote access has been made, you need to make sure the files are readily accessible for the user logging in remotely. One way to do so is to use Samba which is an open source file access system. There  are other ways to allow access as well. Using remote desktop connection, the user has the ability to log directly in to their PC and use it as if they were sitting at their desk, rather than away from the company. A lot of companies use software called VPN software. This software will let users login from the outside into their computer inside the company. This is a very nice system because if an employee needs to do work from home, they have access to everything they working on onsite. This is also helpful from an Information Technology perspective as it allows the Tech who is working on a remote problem login remotely and find out what the issue is, make any configuration changes and fix most software related issues without actually having to be onsite. This works well when being on call from an offsite location. There are other software packages that work well too. A lot of companies use PCAnywhere to do this type of work and Bomgar is another solution to be able to remotely login. Network Remote AccessMost companies need to be able to access their work from many locations, including home and while traveling. The solution that allows them to access the network is one of two ways to access their network. The first is through a VPN (virtual private network) that allows the user access to remotely log in easily and quickly. The other way is through a dial up remote connection; this way is a bit easier to set up but can become very costly in the long run. The problem with being able to do this is it can be very costly and can eat up much of the IT departments time to set up, configure and implement this system into the current hardware. The definition from whatis.com about a VPN is “ virtual private network (VPN) is a network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization’s network. A virtual private network can be contrasted with an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can only be used by one organization. The goal of a VPN is to provide the organization with the same capabilities, but at a much lower cost. VPN works by using the shared public infrastructure while maintaining privacy through security procedures and tunneling protocols such as the Layer Two Tunneling  Protocol (L2TP). In effect, the protocols, by encrypting data at the sending end and decrypting it at the receiving end, send the data through a â€Å"tunnel† that cannot be â€Å"entered† by data that is not properly encrypted. An additional level of security involves encrypting not only the data, but also the originating and receiving network addresses.”A VPN, also known as a Virtual Private Network is a helpful tool that allows users of a specific domain to be able to log in to their PC from anywhere in the world with the help of another PC. With this tool, they would log in with a special piece of software, using their user name and password to gain access to all functionality of the PC they want to log in to. This allows for a lot of comfortable solutions, such as if an employee is sick, they may still have an option to work from home. This allows a flexible company schedule as well because if a user needs to access a document from their home PC, they can essentially log in to their work PC and download the document. Network Business ApplicationsA second way to access oneÂ’s computer from a different location would be using a dial up service, with this you can basically dial in to access all of their resources available within the server. Using this is a very secure and easy route to go, and allows the user access to files they may desperately need. Another good thing about using a remote connection to access a server is if the user is on a business trip, they have the ability to access all of their much needed documents easily and securely with out much fuss. The explanation between these two pieces of technology is “with dial-up remote access, a remote access client uses the telecommunications infrastructure to create a temporary physical circuit or a virtual circuit to a port on a remote access server. After the physical or virtual circuit is created, the rest of the connection parameters can be negotiated.With virtual private network remote access, a VPN client uses an IP internetwork to create a virtual point-to-point connection with a remote access server acting as the VPN server. After the virtual point-to-point connection is created, the rest of the connection parameters can be negotiated. ”There are many advantages and disadvantages to using a dial up remote connection over VPN. The biggest advantage I have been able to find is, it is easier to set  up and maintain while using VPN makes you set up and maintain individual accounts for both the VPN and the users name and password on the system. Another advantage of dialing up in to the system would be the fact that no matter where the user is all they need to do is plug into a phone jack and they should be able to log in. The disadvantage of this is depending on where the user is long distance charges may apply and it could rank up a pretty penny or two. Another disadvantage is although the system is cheaper in the short term, the system may be more expensive than VPN in the long run. There are also other methods of using VPN. One specific way is certain ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and other third party support companies are assisting in setting up the VPN and supporting it without a great deal of time spent on it by the current department. This may or may not be more cost efficient than setting it up yourself, but it does remove a lot of the headache that VPN’s can give due to different errors. There are also many advantages and disadvantages to using a VPN over a dial up system. One of the biggest advantages to this system over a dial up system is in the long run this is a much cheaper system than a dial up system. This system is a little bit quicker than a dial up system as well. This system is cheaper than a dial up system because using a dial up system, long distance fees may apply, with the virtual private network, you do not need to worry about this as the user may call into a local internet service provider to gain access. Any internet connection will gain a user access to the companyÂ’s network through a VPN. Through all of this, there still needs to be security measures put in place to keep unwanted users off of the system while allowing employees or other authorized users access without down time. VPN’s can work well with firewalls, all the IT department would need to do is allow the ports to be accessed by the VPN and the user should have full access. All in all, there are two very cost effective solutions at a companyÂ’s finger tips and both are fairly easy to set up. The company needs to decide if they want to save money up front and make it easier so they do not need  to set up multiple accounts per user, or if they would rather have a better solution and save more money down the road. The choice also depends on the amount of users logging in at any given moment. Backup and Disaster RecoverySecurity, back ups and disaster recovery are all important very parts of all networks in today’s world. The problem with today is information on how to hack, destroy and program any type of malicious software (or malware) is easily accessible via the Internet and other easy to access sources. There are roughly 1.4 billion people on the Internet or that at least have access to the Internet in the world, which is about 25% of the world’s population. All of these people have extremely easy access to hacking networks, creating malware and destroying any personal or private data a user may have and wish to keep. There is not really any way to stop these people from harming our personal software and data from their side, this is why a user needs to make sure they have security on the user’s side. There are other things that happen besides people trying to maliciously harm a user’s files and data. Accidents can happen and destroy data as well. There could be many things that can harm a user’s data such as a fire, earthquake, power surge or worst case scenario, some sort of electro magnetic pulse (EMP). This is where data back ups and disaster recovery come in nicely. There are many companies that specialize in helping a user or company back up their data and store it off site such as SunGard (mostly used in bigger company settings). There are other ways to store a user’s data as well. One way is to make a physical copy of everything needed on CD’s, DVD’s, Flash Drive or some other type of media and store it at a friend’s house or some other person’s house they trust. This keeps a hard copy of all of their data off site just in case something happens and it can now be restored. There are a few other companies as well that offer on line backups. For this a user downloads their software and it automatically backs up to a few different location for redundancy which allows the customer more safety and easier access to all of their files. One of the first steps to a business that wishes to be very secure in all  that they do is to set up a backup and disaster recovery plan to start it all off. Like I stated earlier, there are many way s to do it. If this is a larger company they probably want to hire someone internally to make a physical back up of all the data and send it to an off site company for storage. They should also keep another copy close to them at all times, preferably away from where the physical data lies. They should put it on the opposite side of the building than where the file server is. If anything happens to the servers, they can quickly and easily use their backed up copy of all the data and recover it on to the servers in which they lie. Most companies have 2 or 3 backup units on site for redundancy and this allows that if one of those go down as well there are still a couple others in which they can restore all of the data from. Although this can become a little more expensive than just a regular back up system, sometimes it can be well worth it. Network SecurityAccording to devx.com “the first step in drafting a disaster recovery plan is conducting a thorough risk analysis of your computer systems. List all the possible risks that threaten system uptime and evaluate how imminent they are in your particular IT shop. Anything that can cause a system outage is a threat, from relatively common man made threats like virus attacks and accidental data deletions to more rare natural threats like floods and fires. Determine which of your threats are the most likely to occur and prioritize them using a simple system: rank each threat in two important categories, probability and impact. In each category, rate the risks as low, medium, or high. For example, a small Internet company (less than 50 employees) located in California could rate an earthquake threat as medium probability and high impact, while the threat of utility failure due to a power outage could rate high probability and high impact. So in this company’s risk analysis, a power outage would be a higher risk than an earthquake and would therefore be a higher priority in the disaster recovery plan.”Another big part of any security system development is the company (or department) needs to look at their budget and how much they are willing to spend on their system. A company can get a basic security system for their network (including firewall) for fairly cheap and this may do most of what is needed, but larger companies are going to need to spend quite a  bit more money than that of a small company. Most larger companies spend quite a bit because they usually have higher priced clients that they can not afford to lose and all of their data is invaluable to the company. Some companies actually have their own Information System Security employees to monitor the network in case of any type of attack. They also make sure all of the anti-virus and anti-malware softwares are running and updating properly. Lastly, another thing most companies forget about after they have their equipment and software installed is there is more than just the implementation of the hardware and software to save them. They need to make sure everything continues to run and update itself from newer and bigger threats. These companies need to make sure they continually test and check what needs to be done to continually maintain a network that can not be broken in to. There are people out there that can be hired to try and break into a companies network. They get paid and let the company know what needs to be fixed so others can not break into it as well. In conclusion, a company can be nothing or brought to it’s knees with out it’s network and servers. There are many things that can cripple a company without the help of man. The only way to avoid these is to have a proper disaster recovery plan and to make sure the network is not vulnerable in any way. References About, Inc. (2004). Network topologies : bus, ring, star, and all the rest. RetrievedOctober 12, 2004, from http://compnetworking.about.com /library/weekly/aa041601a.htmBrain, M. (2004). How stuff works : how wifi works. Retrieved October 12, 2004,from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm/printableNetwork Latency. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2008, fromhttp://www.javvin.com/etraffic/network-latency.htmlBroadband Internet. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2008, fromhttp://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;988596323Wide Area Networks.(n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2008, fromhttp://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/gorry/course/intro-pages/wan.htmlVirtual Private Network. (n.d.).retrieved May 11, 2008, fromhttp://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci213324,00.html#VPN vs. Dial up. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2008, fromhttp://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/d85d2477-796d-41bd-83fb-17d78fb1cd951033.mspx?mfr=trueHow to Create a Disaster Recovery Plan, RetrievedMay 23, 2008, from http://www.devx.com/security/Article/16390/1954World Internet Usage Statistics, RetrievedMay 23, 2008, from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm