Saturday, August 31, 2019

Senior Picture Day

Y. C. English 2301 Gibson 09/23/10 Self-Consciousness We’ve all been self-conscious about something we can’t change about ourselves at least once in our lives. It’s an instinct to want other people to see you as the best you can be, or more- regardless of whether it’s the real you or not. In the story Senior Picture Day by Michael Serros, a girl feels her appearance categorizes her in the eyes of the public. In her case she looks Indian, and she considers this a negative physical trait to have inherited.It never bothered her until her selfish friend, Terri, used her Indian appearance against her in order to make someone dislike her. If this would’ve happened to me in the fifth grade, I would be pinching my nose until senior year too. The reason I find this work meaningful is why other people would also find it meaningful. It’s something we can all relate to. As a common example, height seems to be a common issue with males whenever theyâ€⠄¢re short. In middle school this may not be a problem, but in high school this tends to become an issue when most boys have had their growth spurt when some are just not going to grow anymore.A guy is expected to be tall in some societies, probably because it is seen as more attractive and well let’s face it; we girls want to wear heels. From the story, having an Indian nose, I don’t think it should bother anyone. It’s not a disability so it won’t affect your life. If the narrator had done anything more than just squeeze her nose because she felt uncomfortable, I wouldn’t approve. I understand why she did it. Being betrayed by her best friend wasn’t the shock. The real eye opener for her was the fact that she could be disliked for such a facial feature.I personally don’t like my chubby cheeks, so if anyone mentioned them I would probably be self-conscious for a few years or until someone told me otherwise and I actually believed them . Another way people can relate to the story is the part about being betrayed by a friend. This happens to everyone, with anything. It’s just how we are; we like to make ourselves better by hurting others. Personally it’s not my past time, but I’ve felt the effects. Just think about that time in gym class when you couldn’t run as fast or weren’t so good at a sport so your peers made fun of you.There are also circumstances when a different culture mixes in to a group of all the same. Like someone who always lived as â€Å"high class† but then gets relocated to a â€Å"lower class† neighborhood. The way they dress can change but where they come from doesn’t change so they are discriminated against. Just like the narrator in the story, where you come from is something you can’t change, no matter what. You really have to love yourself the way you are and not think too much about what other people think, if you don’t y ou’ll find yourself squeezing your nose every day from the fifth grade to senior year picture day.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Comparison between cat and human skeleton Essay

At first glance, it might look as if there are very few similarities between a human skeleton and a cat skeleton, However, when you look a little deeper, you find many similarities in shape, structure and function. Evolution has shaped the cat as a hunter and predator. Everything about a cat has been formed to shape a leathal, agile fighting animal. In contrast, the skeletons of humans have formed to provide strength and stability. There are many similarities between the modern-day cats and humans. Like nearly every land mammal, both cats and humans have a well-formed skull and jaw, a vertebral column and four appendages. The most obvious difference between a cat and human skeleton is the size. At nearly 20 times the size of the average domestic cat, a human is a lot larger and way more powerful. Humans are built to walk on two legs. Therefore, their hips and backbone are shaped much differently and are much more solid than those of the four legged feline. Although humans are much larger, a cat has roughly 250 bones in its skeleton, compared to the 206 bones of the human skeleton. The extra bones in the cat’s skeleton are found mainly in the backbone, which gives the cat its extra flexibility and agility. A cat has 52 or 53 vertebrae; humans have 32 to 34. These extra bones are spaced out and have more padding, giving the cat flexibility and the ability to twist, turn and spring. Humans have collarbones, while cats do not. However, cats do have a free-floating set of bones in their shoulders that allow them to squeeze into tight spaces. In both cats and humans, the skeleton provides the same basic set of functions. Because of the density and hardness of bone, the skeleton provides the rigid framework to which other body systems attach. The skeleton determines the basic shape of a body. The skeleton also serves as protection for vital organs, such as the brain, heart and lungs. Because of the structure of the skeleton, it is the basis of all movement. Functioning as an attachment point for all muscles, the skeleton serves as a series of levers and pulleys to push and pull the body into place. Far from being dead, the skeleton houses tons of things that help with production. Human bone marrow produces millions of red blood cells a second, and forms the  basis of the immune system. The skeleton of both cats and humans acts as a storage facility for minerals, such as calcium and phosphate. In the end, cats and humans may seem different but we have more in common than you might think. Stem cells are cells that can grow to become almost any type of cell in your body. They can be taken from different parts of your body and put to use wherever they’re needed. Since they are your own cells there is no chance of rejection. There are two types of stem cells, Adult Stem Cells (somatic stem cells) and Embryonic Stem Cells. Adult Stem Cells can come from the umbilical cord or cells found in bone marrow. Embryonic Stem Cells come from undifferentiated inner mass cells of a blastocyst. These cells are pluripotent, which means they can grow into any cell in your body. Stem cells are able to repair nerve fiber. Tests on rats have been proved successful. Scientists are trying to figure out how to make stem cells more potent. Experimental surgery has helped thousands on their quest to better health. Umbilical cord blood can be used just the same as regular stem cells. Stem cells can also be used to repair cardiac tissue after a major heart attack. Stem cells have endless potential with very low risk. I think you should be able to receive stem cells if you want. Anyone who needs it should have them readily available. There is basically zero risk and tons of benefit. Stem cells should be used by everyone.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

The Struggle of Assata Shakur

Asset Shaker is a very strong and determined individual that refused to give up her beliefs and ideas to receive her freedom. When she was incarcerated, treated like an animal, beaten to a bloody pulp and lost all basic human rights, she only grew more stronger and determined. Shaker was a political prisoner and suffered because of her Black Panther & Black Liberation Army affiliation. She spent six years in prison for crimes that she was not proven to have done or had any connection to.Most people would have given up and â€Å"sold out† to get their freedom back, she didn't because she simply took it back! Shaker's life changed dramatically on the night of May 2, 1973 on the New Jersey Turnpike when Caddy Mali Shaker, Sundials Coli and her car was stopped because â€Å"of a taillight. † After an altercation between Caddy Shaker and Trooper Harper, shots were fired which left Trooper Forester and Caddy Shaker dead, Asset Shaker and Trooper Harper wounded. Shaker's autob iography does a great Job detailing the event. Shaker described the experience saying â€Å"Caddy was dead.My mind knew that Caddy was dead. The air was like cold glass. Huge bubbles rose and burst. Each one felt like an explosion in my chest. My mouth tasted like blood and dirt. The car spun around me and something like sleep overtook me. In the background I could hear what sounded like gunfire. But I was fading and dreaming. † (Asset 3) She was beaten very badly during the ordeal. The officer's were very brutal towards her because they knew she was involved in the Black Panther Party and wanted information out of her. â€Å"Where did they go?†¦Pitch you'd better open your goddamn mouth or I'll blow your goddamn head off† (Asset 3) was how these officers talked to her. She doesn't say a word. This is another example of her showing her resilience in an adverse time. She was in tremendous amount of pain. Shaker said â€Å"l felt myself being dragged by the feet ac ross the pavement. My chest was on fire. My blouse was purple with blood. I was convinced that my arm had been shot off and was hanging inside my shirt by a few strips of flesh. I could not feel it. † (Asset 3) Eventually the ambulance came and got Shaker.She tried to speak but only bubbled at the mouth. She blacked out during the ride to the hospital. She gets to the hospital where she is interrogated by every person that is around her. The police felt that her capture could lead to the capture of many other African American political leaders if she cooperated with authorities. If these leaders were captured, that would be a serious blow to the movement. Asset sat handcuffed to a bed as detective after detective asked questions about the Black Liberation Army. She said â€Å"Detectives and more detectives. Questions and more Questions†¦Now they want to know about the Black Liberation Army: how big is it; what cities is it in;who is in it, etc. ,etc. † (Asset 8) If Shaker talked, that may have lead to the end of the BLAB or Black Panther Party because the FBI and CONTINENTS was desperate for the end of these groups. The purpose of CONTINENTS (Counter Intelligence Program) was to infiltrate, discredit and disrupt any domestic political organization (such as BLAB or the Black Panther Party). It was lead by the FBI and played a critical role during this time period. The information that Shaker could have given the FBI could have lead to the destruction of these organizations.But Shaker remained uncooperative throughout her stay in the hospital and even during her indictment. She did not say anything bout her party or its members, nor the activities of the groups. Her time in the hospital became better as her body healed and the abuse from the officers stopped. A short time later Shaker was transported from the hospital to Middlesex County jail. â€Å"It seemed like the middle of the night†¦ A wheelchair was waiting for me. I figured they w ere taking me to Jail† said Shaker describing the experience. (Asset 45) Shaker's status as a political activist would affect her greatly in prison.The federal authorities wanted Shaker isolated from all the other prisoners because they did not ant her to spread her â€Å"radical† ideas to any of the other prisoners which could possibly result in a revolt. Her cell was isolated from all the other prisoners and was patrolled by guards at all times. In prison, Shaker was subjected to the nihilistic ideas that she encountered on the outside. During this time blacks were treated as lower class citizens. Society wanted to keep African Americans in the same ghettos and isolate us from the nicer neighborhoods (domestic colonialism).They did this by racial profiling (Asset Shaker's arrest on the turnpike), police highly populating certain areas and raising ricers to live in certain areas. These methods create a sense of self-worthlessness inside of a person which often lead to crime. This trend often leads to African Americans being arrested and incarcerated. Once in prison, the system has now taken the little power that the person once had (the right to vote, speak etc. ) The prisoner now becomes more like property, which is Just like slavery in a sense because prisoners perform labor for â€Å"free†. Shaker and her party took a different approach to the nihilistic feeling.They wanted to fight the oppressor and take what they deserved. This is why the BLAB and Black Panther Party was so feared by the government. Government knew that these groups carried an â€Å"any means necessary mentality which meant that they would use violence if needed. Conservatism was the belief that many government officials believed during this time period. They did not want the the social or political structure of society to change. This is where the conflict occur. African Americans were not receiving equal treatment which means that if society were to remain the same African Americans would always be second-rate citizens.Black people shared a liberal view in the sense hat liberty and equality for all. The liberal view was the driving force behind every African American group or movement for equality/ civil rights. Shaker would remain in prison for six years bouncing from correctional facility to correctional facility as authorities tried to make it as inconvenient as possible for her and her loved ones. She was eventually able to escape from prison and currently lives in Cuba in isolation, but many political prisoners like her are unable to escape. Often these people remain in prison for very long periods of times because of their beliefs.Shaker would have been the same way but she was fortunate enough to escape. These people have great pride and integrity because they are willing to withstand any abuse or consequence they might receive for doing what they believe is right. Shaker is one of those special people and her story shows it. Shaker's story Asset documented her life and experiences very accurately and allowed for the reader to relate to her experiences. I was able to view her as an overall person and not Just an political leader. Her childhood stories in certain chapters showed her more as a normal, everyday person.While her stories of her arrest or stay in prison show how strong of a woman she really was. Shaker was a truly extraordinary person. Many people would have crumbled under the circumstances she endured. She fought social injustices, cultural struggles and economic forces. Her upbringing was a pure example of the life of most people. Blacks were compressed in certain communities where crime and drugs were often used as temporary outlets to a better world, but Shaker chose a different path. She chose to be an leader in the community and fight for civil rights.She did not settle for Ewing the victim, she played the cards she were dealt and tried the best she could. The ironic part about everything is the same problems that she encountered back then, exist today. The Tramway Martin case shows how race has not changed much in this country. White Society viewed this small woman Asset Shaker like a huge criminal, Just like society wants to paint the picture that an unarmed Bibb black male could harm an armed white man. Shaker legacy and deeds did help African Americans, but the Tramway Martin case (along with countless others) make you ask â€Å"how much? â€Å".

Marks & Spencer and performance analysis Assignment

Marks & Spencer and performance analysis - Assignment Example The business operates in a highly competitive business environment, taking competitive market share losses from other stores such as NEXT, the Gap, House of Fraser, and BHS. Well-known domestic brand names continue to adjust their competitive strategies, thus forcing Marks & Spencer to continuously consider whether its current core philosophy should continue to be promoted in the pursuit of competitive edge or whether new branding/advertising/marketing strategies are required to achieve top performance. This report identifies the processes, strategies and systems that drive alignment toward meeting performance targets and analyses the environment in which Marks & Spencer operates today. The business environment Marks & Spencer continuously attempts to diverse its product offerings, launching new business opportunities in key test markets in order to create a business profile that is secure for a new generation of customers. The company has worked consistently to combat negative perce ptions about the core brand philosophy, attempting to emerge from a staunchy and proud brand that has been a trademark of traditionalist buyers in the UK for decades. Because of this, the company has shifted its focus away from its traditional home and personal fashion philosophy to extend into foods services in an effort to compete with major grocers and also in terms of how the company promotes itself to a new class of buyers. This new focus changes the internal dynamics of management and also the supply chain in an effort to support new business function and principles. For example, M&S has realised that there is a growing trend in a new generation of buyers to secure the interests of the natural environment and reduce the carbon footprint left by operations. The business identifies that 80 percent of its buyers are concerned with sustainability issues, thus the company has developed over 100 different eco-targets to eliminate landfill waste and become carbon neutral (Palmer, 201 0). Much of this is accomplished by establishing a new supply chain that consists of suppliers with sustainable raw materials (Palmer). In order to develop and maintain a sustainability programme, certain operational components must be altered and a new management focus developed. As part of this eco-focus, Marks & Spencer developed what it referred to as Plan A, a sustainability programme that involves waste reduction, the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and using renewable power to supply 23 percent of the firm’s total electricity inputs (Nagappan, 2009). Why is this important for aligning the business when other competitors continue to develop similar sustainability programmes? M&S has recently been forced to lower prices on merchandise, especially in the clothing sales division (Bokaie, 2008). This has been in response to lowering sales as older customers who were once loyal to the business in the mid 20th Century have been replaced with younger buyers who have a h igher disposable income and a new preference for fashion and home merchandise. The difference between Marks & Spencer and other competition is that the business is using advertising and other marketing-based activities to sell eco-friendly sales in order to rebuild a damaged brand reputation. If 80 percent of customers have been identified through qualitative or quantitative research to have a significant concern over the environment when choosing a brand, M&S aligns the operational function of the company to meet this concern using a new positioning

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Outlined based on the questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Outlined based on the questions - Essay Example This paper will focus on the Roman, the British, and the Third Reich empire and how they handled their computer administration systems (Black, 2002). The Roman Empire The Ancient Roman Empire began its history as a city-state. The early Roman Empire culture was unique and had a significant influence on the Western world. Rome is known to be an empire that conquered many territories around the Mediterranean Sea. Rome grew into a huge empire because of how it applied technological concepts and ideas in its activities. Roman Empire had powerful administration systems that it used to handle information of individuals and the cities it conquered. This empire would then use the information to give citizenship to the people of those cities (Black, 2002). Roman Empire applied its technologic systems in recruiting its army and administrative purposes such as in voting. Roman Empire relied on agriculture to drive the economy. The infrastructure was made using stone, sand and marrum, which is, still used today where a multi-layering technique was used to ensure stability of the road. Therefore, the ideas and concepts of the Roman Empire are still in use4 today only that modern administrative systems are used today. The Roman Empire had a significant influence on the Western World and continues to do so today (Black, 2002). ... For example the First Generation computers (1951–1959) were made using vacuum tubes as the storage device. Subsequent developers would advance on this original work by replacing various hardware components in order to deliver a more faster and powerful Product. An example is the work of Charles Babbage who was a British mathematician, inventor, philosopher, and mechanical engineer. Babbage invented the first programmable computer that eventually inspired more complex designs such as the abacus. Another example is The Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM), that is also referred with the term â€Å"Baby† (Black, 2002). This was the world's first stored-program computer and although initially it was not meant to be a practical computer, it was actually meant for a test bed for Williams Tube, which is the earlier memory device. Baby was built by Frederic C. Williams, Geoff Tootill and Tom Kilburn at the Victoria University of Manchester in the early 1950s was a powerful administrative system with many functions in the British empire owing to its ability of rapid manipulation of numbers (Black, 2002). After the development of Baby, the subsequent computing hardware devices were developed and categorized into various â€Å"generations† based on the technology that would be used. Third Reich The Third Reich,  is the official Nazi designation for in Germany dating from January 1933 to May 1945, and presumed as the official successor of the medieval and early German Empire from 1871 to 1918 referred as the Second Reich. The IBM and the Holocaust book tells the story of IBM's conscious or direct involvement or through its subsidiaries in the Holocaust. Besides this, the book tells of IBM’s involvement in the Nazi

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Information Technology Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information Technology Project - Essay Example The business recognizes the need and importance of a diversified portfolio by ensuring that they maintain a balance sheet that is always healthy and therefore enhancing the stakeholder’s value. It is undoubted that Zad Holding Company has recorded an impressive performance in the last 5 years as indicated. The firm’s net income has increased with minimal quarterly decrease. The last quarter of March 2015 saw the company record a impressive USD252, 1221,101 as compared to the last quarter of 2014 that recorded USD891871316. Analysts have projected further better performance in the current second quarter of 2015. Return on equity measures how efficient a firm can use the money obtained from the shareholders to generate their income to ensure that the firm expands. The statistical figure of 0.261112911 shows that the company has recorded impressive positive results and for every investment injected in the firm, the company makes 26 dollars a profits. Both the P/E and P/B are statistically significant meaning that the company has recorded an impressive performance in the past. R2 is the coefficient of a multiple determination. It explains the percentage by which the profitability of the company is explained by the injections. Any injection into the firm returns to a positive yield intro the company’s operations. The significance positive value of F shows that the return on equity has been positive and every injection in the company results into positive

Monday, August 26, 2019

Please describe how you interprete the notion of underserved and at Essay

Please describe how you interprete the notion of underserved and at risk populations and communities. Please provide specific examples of how you have worked with underserved and at risk populations - Essay Example Although I did not have a background in teaching, I volunteered to teach French and Math to elementary school children living in the camp. I consider the refugee children living in the camp both underserved and at risk because they had little or no access to vital services and amenities including education and sanitation among others, and yet faced greater risk of suffering malnutrition and certain diseases than the general public. There were no books; just pencils, paper, chalk, and a blackboard. Access to education for these refugee children had a significantly impact their lives and gave them the hope of having many opportunities in life. Currently, I volunteer at Emergency Community Health and Outreach (ECHO) to increase awareness about health and safety issues to recent refugees who immigrated to Minnesota. In March 2013, I collaborated with the Hopkins Fire Department to develop and implement courses on fire safety for these recent immigrants. I consider the refugees that I attended to as being underserved and at risk considering that they had little access to education and other services and yet were more prone to suffering malnutrition, fire disasters, and diseases compared to the general public. Most of the participants in this program had no previous knowledge of fire safety and what to do in the event of a fire, which put this population in potential danger in the wake of a fire emergency. However, having language barrier was a major challenge for them as they were unable to communicate in English. Having interpreters present during the lessons significantly helped some of the refugees. However, there were ma ny participants who had to contend with learning without interpreters. Without interpreters, many of the participants faced a lot of difficulties trying to understand and grasp what taught. Regardless, we successfully educated the refugees. In conclusion, an underserved population is basically a group of

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Estelle v. Gamble Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Estelle v. Gamble - Essay Example tates of America have been stained with cases of disparity and discriminatory malpractices while handling criminal cases, judgements and corrections respectively (Teitelbaum & Wilensky, 2009). The case of Estelle v. Gamble, however, hovered on top of the later substance, which indeed, marks the end of the procedure for dealing with crime. It is meant to implement correctional duties but not to inflict pain or act in an extra-judicial manned upon the prisoners. The inhumane behaviour that inflicted extreme medical torture and emotional suffering on Mr. Gamble while he was incarcerated could, therefore, finally cause an intense court case that ensured progressive alteration in the corrections departments of the United States of America. The hands-of-doctrine had concentrated thoughts on the correctional law in United States during the nineteenth century. The United States courts had regarded prisoners as â€Å"state’s slaves) and many judges believed that inmates had no rights given that they had been forfeited because of their crimes. Therefore, they did not interfere with the actions of correctional institutions since they believed that would constitute a violation of the principle of separation of power. In perspective, they did not want to intervene in the affairs of the authority of the executive branch that administer prisons. This is where the case of Estelle v. Gamble had created the greatest noticeable change, and they came to acknowledge that the courts had the right and duty to find resolutions over the constitutional claims of prisoners. The BOP (Federal Bureau of Prisons), had created a handbook in a bid to change the prisons system in a manner that would ensure healthy standards of living was created to be responsible for confining offenders in correction institutions that are humane, safe, secure and cost-efficient. As part of their duties, they are responsible for delivering necessary healthcare to prisoners in accordance with proper and reasonable

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Studying a case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Studying a - Case Study Example The paper discusses Trune’s accusation with a view of illustrating the dissenting opinion that there was no false imprisonment. The accusations of Trune that the farmer intended to confine him within fixed boundaries do not sufficiently prove the crime of false imprisonment because the farmer did not lock him in the firm house. Because the farmer did not lock the farm house, it can thus be argued that there was no false imprisonment because Trune’s freedom was not limited at all. This case can be compared with the Herbst v. Wuennenberg case in which the plaintiffs were asked by the accused to leave before the occurrence of the events which led to the legal suit. This illustrates that in the Herbst v. Wuennenberg case, the freedoms of the plaintiffs was not violated. The case led to a ruling of the appeal court that favored Wuennenberg because sufficient evidence suggested that there was no false imprisonment of the plaintiff (Supreme Court of Wisconsin 1). The actions of the farmer were motivated by the need to protect his farm from intruders and trespassers and there was no intention of leading to the confinement of the plaintiff otherwise he would have locked him in the firm yard. In the Herbst v. Wuennenberg case, the plaintiffs admitted that they were not intimidated neither threatened by the accused (Supreme Court of Wisconsin 2). On a counter argument, Trune admits that he stayed in the firm house because he feared the possible outcome of the farmer’s actions, which does not adequately substantiate the claims that his life was in immediate danger. The actions of the farmer were inn ordinary sense harmless and the plaintiff has no real evidence to prove that the farmer put him in unbearable danger. Trune’s arguments however differ with the Herbst v. Wuennenberg case on the trespass issue is compared between the two cases. Like in the case of Herbst and the other plaintiffs, Trune does not defend his reason for being on the farmer’s field.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Assess the Changing Politics of Environmentalism in Chinese Civil Essay - 1

Assess the Changing Politics of Environmentalism in Chinese Civil Society - Essay Example Thus, in the hopes of assessing the changing politics of environmentalism in the Chinese civic culture, this essay briefly narrates the history of environmentalism in the country and how it changed overtime. In addition, the essay presents examples of online environmental initiatives, their hard line activities, and the corresponding impact of these internet-facilitated activities on civil society. The Chinese people have once more proven to the world their innovative prowess with the onslaught of online green social movements. Rapid development in technology has assisted the wake of environmentalism among the Chinese. â€Å"Environmental activism in China critically diverges from the popular image of social movements as ‘masses of people taking to the streets and erecting barricades’ (Peter ho and Edmonds 216). The country has wakened up to the alarming needs to protect its environment as a measure to prevent possible calamities and widespread communicable diseases with a view to minimize the operation costs in the administration of the country. In the past, Mao introduced a revolutionary industrialization program in which he insisted falling trees and leveling the surface of the land in order to support the growth of industry in China. The depletion of environmental balance in the country was constituted mainly by Mao’s policies as per the references of many a historian in the world. For instance, the agricultural policies like ‘close plating of seedlings, deep planting, the double- blade plow, peculiar fertilization techniques’ were of negative impacts on the environment (Shapiro 76). In addition, Mao’s political line was rather utopian as he considered nature his most prolific enemy to be conquered. He associated a ‘mass culture’ in China with which he formulated his policies and executed the destruction of forests. It has to be observed that

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Teaching as an Act of Love Essay Example for Free

Teaching as an Act of Love Essay Antonia Darder presents a portrait of why Freire’s work as an educator was so influential in creating an understanding of education as an art. Teaching truly became an art when educators like Freire began to understand the importance of education in the movement of social change. The presence of love in the classroom, the type of love that is lively, forceful, challenging, and inspiring was the type of love that Darder thought was a lasting influence that Freire had on the field. She emphasized the conviction that Freire held in liberating students through education, he believed in the humanizing aspects of education. Freire believed that education was the tool for contributing to the human-ness of our political and economic existence as social beings. The article says that, â€Å"Freire exposed how even well-meaning teachers, through their lack of critical moral leadership, actually participate in disabling the heart, minds, and bodies of their students –an act that disconnects these students from the personal and social motivation required to transform their world and themselves† (498). The author argues that his greatest contribution to the field of education was his ability to be compassionate and his regard and concern for his students. The articles that we read this week discuss the concept of fear, but more importantly the ability to overcome and use the fear as a powerful force in the classroom. He said that it is the fear of freedom that affects the educator and creates a barrier in the classroom from the liberating practices that many educators believe are important. The way he describes the fear of freedom is the fear of being free from the status quo, the fear of the oppressed classes to realize a freedom from the oppressing classes. Freire thought that the experience of fear was a symbolic fight against the struggle that the liberating educators believe in. Freire said the experience of fear was important because it is a chance to recognize where the fear comes from, what it means, and how it can be used. He said that fear can be transformed into courage; the courage to make a move away from the status quo, our fear can be harnessed into a motivation. Teachers are affected personally by the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed; the dominant ideology has such an influence over the subordinate classes that it affects educators because of the fear that they hold within. Freire’s experiences with oppression developed his political purpose, he wanted to create a liberatory practice to challenge the conditions that limit the capacity in the oppressed class to change the world and right the wrongs of social injustice. Freire hoped that educators would confront their fears and use their beliefs about the social structure to teach liberating lessons and influence the future. He thought the way for educators to teach the lessons in which they believed in was to work together, he believed in the power of solidarity to empower a political movement. Freire wanted educators to network and work with one another to emancipate students from the social inequalities of our time, through networking they could empower one another and give force to their beliefs. Darder introduces the term praxis – she describes it as the union of action and reflection. The teacher needs to have the ability to practice both of these aspects of education; only through action and reflection of the importance of the act of teaching will the ideas of critical pedagogy be realized. Reflection: This article made me feel a little better about the issues that we have been reading about throughout this course. The tone of most of the readings thus far has been negative and has made me feel pessimistic about the future of the educational system. The issues that our reading assignments have discussed seem to run so deep in our social consciousness that there is little hope in reversing the trends of social inequality. This fear makes becoming a teacher seem dismal; if all we have to hold onto on our road to teaching is the notion that the patterns of inequality are getting worse and the elites are becoming more powerful how are we as teachers supposed to do anything at all to help our students and ourselves. I enjoyed this weeks reading selections because it brought a defining focus upon the fear that teachers experience and gave a bit of advice on how to use the fear as a powerful force. I believe that the fear that Freire spoke of is one that is shared by many educators. It is a fear that does not diminish with time or experience, on the contrary, it eats at you as you plan your lessons, as you teach your students, and it goes home with you and stays with you outside of the classroom. Freire’s thoughts on the ability of the educator to channel the fear of being fired or being targeted as a radical into a powerful force was inspiring. It was great how he took something negative and turned it into a tool that can be used in a positive way, he encouraged educators to talk about it and network with one another to begin to express their political views about education. He said, â€Å"Acting alone is the best way to commit suicide† (485) and he hoped that instead of acting alone, teachers would work together in their fight. He argued that education is political in nature and this implies that the educator is a political being. I plan to sit quietly at meetings only long enough to have enough people on my side to be able to be heard when I want to speak up on an issue. Freire used the phrase â€Å"rock the boat† in this weeks readings, I use the phrase â€Å"rock the boat† all the time and I even used it in a recent conversation with my administrator. I was able to talk to her informally about a discrepancy I was having with the other members of my teaching team, and I told her, â€Å"I didn’t want to rock the boat. † She looked at me, smiled and laughed as she said, â€Å"Rock the boat! Rock the boat! † I was lucky enough to choose the right battle in this case and my administrator was on my side, I am so glad I did not let the fear of confronting the issue consume me.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Women and their role in the labor movement and unions in Canadian History Essay Example for Free

Women and their role in the labor movement and unions in Canadian History Essay Equal employment policy for women stands at an historic juncture in the advanced industrial democracies. In Canada, a federal Human Rights Act went into effect March 1, 1978 . It not only established a commission to handle complaints of discrimination but also introduced the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, making possible the adjustment upward of womens wages based on a comparison of the rates of pay for women who work in dissimilar jobs. This represents a radical departure from similar policy in other countries. Four approaches to equal opportunity and equal pay policy stand out: collective agreements between trade unions and employers; a legal strategy emphasizing litigation; a legal strategy involving administrative enforcement; and general employment and training programs. The activities of womens organizations and of women in trade unions facilitated the achievement of equal opportunity policy through these means. The time, courage, and commitment which so many women have given to formulating, implementing, and fighting for equal pay and equal opportunity policies are the bedrock of the successes that have been achieved. This work will develop a heightened appreciation of the womens labor movement and consider its role in Canadian history. Since the 1900s, Canadian womens groups have remained strong and consistent voices for reforming or creating policies influencing labor policies. At the turn of the century, several womens groups were actively involved in social reform, but the most influential was the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC). Founded in 1893, NCWC was established by middle-class women who believed that womens mothering and nurturing within the home could be transferred to the public sphere, resulting in more humane and progressive social policies. This ideology has been labeled maternal feminism. NCWC lobbied for childrens aid societies, mothers pensions, minimum age-of-work legislation, and curfew and truancy acts as strategies to reduce juvenile delinquency. Although members campaigned for jobs for women in social work, teaching, nursing, recreation, and police work, they undercut the same professional advances by insisting that womens most natural place was at home. Numerous other womens groups began in the early years of the twentieth century. For example, the Young Womens Christian Association focused on providing a safe place for young urban working women to live, and has continued to provide accommodation, community activities, and support groups for women and their families up to the present. The Womens Christian Temperance Union promoted child protection legislation and reformatories for juvenile delinquents, as well as fighting for the prohibition of alcohol which was viewed as detrimental to family life. The Canadian Federation of Womens Labor Leagues also focused on concrete reforms of working conditions such as maternity leave and equal pay for equal work. Womens groups flourished during the first half of the twentieth century, although most accepted the patriarchal family and worked within the tradition of volunteerism. Mary Corse, member of the ITUs womens auxiliary and co-founder of the Womens Labor League in Calgary, was the lone candidate to win a seat on the school board. All other eleven candidates were defeated. After a spring of distraction and a summer of preparation, the Calgary branch of the Dominion Labor Party (DLP) came into being in September 1919. Its model was the Alberta DLP, formed eight months earlier, and both branches adopted a constitution and platform loosely based on those of the British Labor Party. Local labor figures were quick to point out this connection. The meeting concluded with the election of Pryde as party president, Alice Corliss as vice-president, and Edith Patterson as secretary-treasurer. This strong representation of women in senior positions in all, three of the seven executive officials were women would be an enduring feature of the DLP throughout the 1920s. According to historian Roome (1989), the Calgary DLP had a core of fifty to seventy-five active female members, consisting of single working women usually teachers or journalists and married women belonging to union auxiliaries. A Canadian-American Womens Committee on International Relations made up of the Womens Committee on International Relations of Canada and the U.S. National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War had been established to examine problems of joint concern to women. It held a conference in Montreal in April 1943 which was attended by seventy delegates. Frances Perkins, Margaret Bondfield, Rose Schneiderman, and several senior members of the ILO staff (including the Acting Director and Assistant Director) addressed the conference and discussed the wartime activities of the ILO. A round table session, at which Elizabeth Mayer Johnstone reviewed the wide gains of women during the war, gave special attention to the problems of domestic workers. A second potential influence on attitudes was the re-emergence of feminist activity in Canada during the 1960s. Second-wave feminism has challenged the many social and economic barriers to womens full participation in public life and widened womens experiences, aspirations and social expectations. The womens movement in Canada incorporates many different forms of feminist philosophies (for example liberal feminism, radical feminism and socialist feminism) which have all contributed to the policy objectives of the womens movement and constructed a â€Å"feminist† agenda for social change. Although the focus of these different strains is distinct and they have, at times, come into conflict with each other, they can often be found within a single movement organization such as National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC). The contemporary womens movement in Canada has benefited immeasurably from a long tradition of womens voluntary associations. Religious groups such as the Anglican Church Women, the United Church Women, and the Catholic Womens League, and other groups such as the National Womens Institutes (a national organization of largely rural and small town women), the National Council of Women, the Canadian Federation of University Women, the Imperial Orders of Daughters of the Empire, and the Fà ©dà ©ration des femmes de Quà ©bec, have been in existence long enough to have built national networks of women with some interlocking memberships and considerable ongoing exchange of information. The NAC developed from a coalition of these and other trade union and professional women. The improvement of equal pay laws in Canada owes much to a voluntary organization NAC. An umbrella organization with a membership consisting of approximately 130 Canadian organizations, NAC has a combined membership of about 5 million women. NAC later expanded its agenda and became an active lobbyist on behalf of the concerns of Canadian women. Since its inception in 1972, the organization has been active in the struggle for improved labor legislation, including the enactment into Canadian federal law of the ILO Convention 100 concept of equal remuneration for work of equal value. The main impetus for NACs formation came out of the pressure put on the prime minister of Canada and his cabinet by a group of leading Canadian women to create a Royal Commission on the Status of Women (RCSW). Royal commissions in Canada perform an important role in the study of special issues—from taxation, to the relations of labor and capital, to national security. The commissions vary widely in their composition and goals but the approach of most is similar. They research the issue, hold public hearings across the country, receive briefs, and make recommendations for legislative and administrative reform. On the matter of equal pay, this commissions recommendations were strong and sweeping. As a result, in 1973 the federal government appointed a Minister Responsible for the Status of Women and a government department (Status of Women Canada) to co-ordinate efforts to promote the advancement of women. Because women are closely aligned with children and family, numerous family policy issues have been promoted. In the same year, the federal government established the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women (CACSW), a para-governmental organization to advise government and inform the public through research and education. For over twenty years, the CACSW researched and analyzed numerous issues relating to family policy, such as reproduction, family law, child care, and employment leave for family responsibilities. After the 1995 cut-backs, however, the CACSW was dissolved and some of its functions merged with government. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, provincial advisory councils also monitored womens status and provided research and information on family issues. Feminist groups have also initiated and developed important family services at the local level, especially transition houses for women and their children fleeing from abusive homes. While the shelter movement began as a feminist alternative to mainstream social services, many transition houses now receive government funding. By the mid-1980s, however, womens groups focused more on preventing the erosion of social programs than on pushing for new ones, with greater public concern over government spending and a backlash against feminism. Since 1983, the conservative group REAL Women of Canada (Real, Equal and Active for Life) has argued that the state is undermining the traditional family by responding to alternative lifestyles and by funding interest groups such as NAC. REAL Women, with roots in the western Canada anti-abortion or pro-life movement and in fundamentalist Christianity, promotes stronger government support for home-makers but opposes abortion, liberal divorce laws, pay equity, and universal day care. Several recent innovative initiatives are worthy of note. In June of 1995, after a year of intense planning, three branches of the 10-day Quà ©bec Womens March Against Poverty converged on the National Assembly in Quà ©bec City to join 15,000 supporters. This March was initiated by the Fà ©dà ©ration des femmes du Quà ©bec, and organized by more than 40 groups including unions, anti-poverty groups, immigrant groups and womens organizations. The March was quite a success: in response to their nine demands, the Quà ©bec government agreed to raise the minimum wage; to introduce a proactive pay equity law; to deduct child support payments automatically; to set aside 5 per cent of social housing for poor women and five places for every 15 in non-traditional trades; to reduce the length of sponsorship for immigrant women; to allocate money to the social economy to generate jobs; to extend basic employment standards to those on workfare; and to freeze student fees. Building on this initiative, NAC and the CLC sponsored a national womens March Against Poverty For bread and roses, for jobs and justice in May and June of 1996. Caravans traveled to Ottawa from both the west and east coast stopping in over 100 communities. The March ended with a two-day womens Tent City and a protest rally of over 40,000 women at Parliament Hill which demonstrated against the right wing corporate and government agenda. The Canadian union movement was actively involved in building the World March of Women launched on 8 March 2000 and culminating on 17 October 2000, the International Day for the Elimination of Poverty. This worldwide activity endorsed by over 200 countries and 2200 organisations was initiated by the Fà ©dà ©ration des femmes du Quà ©bec modelled on their successful 1995 March. Over the past century, Canadian womens groups have made a strong impact on policy reform. The socialization explanation argues that the impact of the movement and the policy positions promoted by womens groups during this second wave of feminist activity, have led to growing differences in womens and mens attitudes. The Canadian womens movement has acted as an advocate for many political issues touching the lives of women. Social welfare policies, and questions of international and domestic force and violence along with feminism and equality issues have frequently been found on the movements agenda. By conveying pro-women policy positions to politicians and the general public through lobbying efforts, the mass media, and the educational system, the movement has become an active agent of socialization in society, providing a political space in which women can reconceptualize their social identity. Trade union women worked with community based feminist groups, both to build coalitions around key issues such as childcare and pay equity, and to pressure the union movement to respond to the feminist challenge. Canadian womens movement have had an important impact on the politics and practices of the Canadian life, weakening the tendency towards individualistic solutions and introducing (and reintroducing) a class perspective. Coalition strategies both respond to and highlight the significance of diversity in the Canadian context, that is, they represent recognition of power dynamics and an organizational alternative to homogeneous organizations. Whatever the debates about the â€Å"success† of the womens movement or about a perceived growing backlash against feminist goals, there is little doubt that in Canada it has greatly altered the political agenda and has helped pioneer new forms of political action. It has indeed brought â€Å"the personal† into the political arena. Works Cited Ball A. â€Å"Organizing Working Women: The Womens Labor Leagues.† Canadian Dimension 21(8): 1988. Cohen M. â€Å"The Canadian Womens Movement†. In Pierson et al., 1993. Everitt, Joanna â€Å"The Gender Gap in Canada: Now You See It, Now You Dont.† Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology. Vol.: 35 (2), 1998. Kealey, Gregory S., and Peter Warrian, eds. Essays in Canadian Working Class History. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1976. Kearney, Kathryn. â€Å"Canadian Women and the First World War,† Canadian Woman Studies 3 (1), 1981. Palmer, Bryan D. Working-Class Experience: Rethinking the History of Canadian Labor, 1800-1991. 2nd ed. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1992. Roome, Patricia. â€Å"Amelia Turner and Calgary Labor Women,† in Beyond the Vote: Canadian Women and Politics, ed. Linda Kealey and Joan Sangster,. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989. REAL Women of Canada. Brief to Members of Parliament. 18 November 1986. Vickers, J., P. Rankin and C. Appelle. Politics as if Women Mattered: A Political Analysis of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Pr. 1993.

Effects of Agricultural Soil Contamination

Effects of Agricultural Soil Contamination 1. Introduction Agricultural soils contaminated with heavy metals such as lead (Pb) is a threat to human health. Plants grown in contaminated soil can accumulate these metals in the shoots and roots. Metals accumulate in Living organism, especially the liver and kidneys, when these plants are used as fodder for livestock and domestic animals. Thereby enter the human food chain (Akan et al., 2010). Lead is one of the heavy metal with high extension and toxicity. Although it is not an essential element for plants or animals, but can easily be absorbed by plants and animal (Sengar et al., 2008). Pb released into the environment by mining and smelting of Pb ore, burning of coal, effluents from storage batteries, automobile exhausts, metal plating, applications of fertilizers and pesticides, and additives in paint and petrol ((Eick et al.1999; Sharma and Dubey, 2005). Inhibition of the metals uptake and transport by plants is one of the adverse effects of lead (Fodor et al, 1998). Sharma and Dubey (2005) reported that, High concentrations of Pb the in soil causes imbalance of mineralin plants. So that it is prevented from entering cations (potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper and iron) and anions (nitrate) into the root. Pourrut, et al (2011) stated that decreased nutrient absorption in the presence of Pb may be results of the changes in physiological plants activity or presence of competition between elements and lead (e.g., the same atomic size). More research is often carried out to investigate the behavior of a single metal in the plants. Therefore, examining the relationship between heavy metals and nutrients in plants that are grown in contaminated metals is an important factor in preventing the toxic effect of these metals (Siedlecka and Krupa, 1999). Interaction between iron and heavy metals such as Pb is important. Because, heavy metal influence on iron adsorption and accumulation in the root apoplasm, uptake by root and transfer from root to stem and leaves. Therefore, iron deficiency may affect the uptake and accumulation of heavy metals (Fodor, 2006). Iron is an essential element for plant growth and development (Curie Briat 2003). Under aerobic conditions, iron (III) oxy-hydroxide is the dominant form of Fe in the soil. This form is a very low solubility. Thus, available form of iron for plants is limited under these conditions. Accordingly, one of the limiting factors in agriculture production is iron deficiency in agriculture soil of different parts of the worlds (Hansen et al 2006). Generally, two major strategies used by plants under the iron deficient condition. The Strategy I used by dicotyledonous and non-graminaceous monocotyledonous plants. These plants increased acidification of the rhizosphere and reduction of ir on (III) to iron (II) in the rhizosphere through extrude H+ into the rhizosphere. Therefore, causing increased iron availability to plants (Kobayashi and Nishizawa, 2012). Strategy II is confined to graminaceous monocotyledonous plant species such as maize. Under iron deficiency condition, enhanced release phytosiderophores, which are non-proteinogenic amino acids with low-molecular-weight and high affinity for complex formation with Fe+3 (Meda et al 2007; Marschner, 1995). Generally, the optimum soil pH range for uptake Iron by plants is 5 and 5.5. Therefore, Fe deficiency is one of the widespread nutritional disorders in the plants grown on calcareous and alkaline soils (with pH>7) (Bojovic et al., 2012). So, Iron deficiency in these soils can be corrected by spraying the plants with solution of iron chelates or ferrous sulfate more efficient than any other applications of Fe to the soil (Fageria et al., 2009). Grusak and Pezeshgi, (1996) and Vert et al, (2003) reported, when, Iron used as a foliar spray, the signals of shoot to root played an important role in iron utilization by roots. One of the topics that can be discussed, is related to the role of iron on Pb uptake and translocation in plants (Bojovic et al., 2012). The Fe nutritional status of the plants with Strategists I and II may influence heavy metal uptake (Fodor, 2006). Among crop plant species, maize (Zea mays. L) is the most important cereal crop in world and it is widely grown through out the world (Mejia, 2005). Also, it is an important cereal crop of Iran and Is cultivated for fodder as well as for grain purpose in Iran (Nuraky et al., 2011). According to the material presented, further investigations are needed to examine the interaction between iron and lead. Thus, the present study aims to investigate; (i) Lead accumulation in roots and shoots of two cultivars of maize (260 and 704); (ii) Effect of foliar iron application on the uptake of lead by roots and its transport to the shoots and finally (iii) effects of lead accumulation and foliar iron application on Manganese, copper, zinc concentration and their transport. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Soil sampling and preparation This study was conducted in the research greenhouse of the college of agriculture and natural resources, university of Tehran. The uncontaminated soil (Normally contains 1.5 mgPbkg-1) used in this study was collected from a depth of 0–25 cm of the research farm, university of Tehran. It was air-dried at room temperature and pass through a 2 mm mesh sieve. Then, the soil was artificially contaminated by adding PbCl2. Chemical and physical characteristics summarized in Table 1. 2.2. Analytical methods 2.2.1. Soil characterization Soil texture was determined by hydro-metric method (Bouyoucos1962), total nitrogen (N) by Kjeldal method (Bremner1996), extractable phosphorous by Olsen method (Kuo1996), exchangeable potassium through normal acetate ammonium method (Hemke and Spark1996), electrical conductivity on saturated extract by Rhoades method (Rhoades1996), organic carbon content by Walkley–Black method (Nelson1982), the elements concentration were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (Shimadzu-AA6400; Shimadzu Corp., Tokyo, Japan)) according to Waling et al (1989), cation exchange capacity (CEC) by Bower method (Sumner and Milker1996). Measurement of soil pH was done on saturated extract and equivalent calcium carbonate content was determined according to Carter and Gregorich (2008). 2.2.2. Plant analysis After a growing period (75 days), the harvested plants separated into shoots and roots. Thoroughly washed with deionized water. The roots and shoots were oven-dried at 70 Â ± 50 C for 48h. Dry ash method (muffle furnace at 550 ÃÅ'Ã…   C for 6 h) was used for determining metal concentration in plant samples. After extraction (Cottenie1980) mineral concentrations were measured in plant samples by atomic absorption spectroscopy (Shimadzu-AA6400; Shimadzu Corp., Tokyo,Japan) (Waling et al.1989). Root volume was determined by water displacement in a graduated cylinder (Messenger et al., 2000). Method of water displacement in a graduated cylinder used for determining the root volume (Messenger et al., 2000).. 2.3. Experimental treatments A Factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted in a calcareous soil under greenhouse conditions. Experimental treatments Included four levels of Pb (0 as a control, 100,200, and 400 mgPb kg-1 soil), two varieties of maize (260 and 704), four levels of iron sulfate spraying (0: without spraying, 2, 4 and 6 gr (FeSO4.7H2O) in thousand ml distilled water, respectively) at the stage of eight leaves. Lead chloride (PbCl2) was used to contaminate soils in pots. it was dissolved in distilled water and sprayed on soils. Before cultivation of plants, treated soils were incubated at 25Ã ¢-Â ¦C and field capacity moisture for 150 days to allow Pb to achieve a balanced condition in contaminated soil. The control treatment (non-spray iron) sprayed with distilled water for the same conditions. (Pb0: Uncontaminated soil and Pb1, Pb2, Pb3 are 100, 200 and 400 mg Pb kg-1 soil, respectively / Fe0: Without Spraying and Fe1, Fe2, Fe3 are Foliar Spr ay with dissolve 2, 4 and 6 gr Feso4.7H2O in thousand ml distilled water, respectively). 2.4. Plant culture and greenhouse condition Seeds of maize (Zea mays L) were obtained from the Seed and Sapling Research Institute of Karaj, Iran. The experimental plants (four per pot) were grown in plastic pots (18 cm height, 15.5 cm diameter, containing 3 kg of dry soil). The pots were watered based on 80% of the soil field capacity. Artificial light was used and daily light was adjusted to 12–14 h and 10000 luxe. Greenhouse temperature was 25Â ±2Â ° C. 2.5. Translocation Factor The translocation factor (TF) is used to investigate metal transfer from root-to-shoot. It was calculated by the following equation: (Han et al, 2013) TF = (1) 2.6. Statistical Analysis Data were analyzed by ANOVA using SAS software version 9.1 (SAS Institute, Cary, N.C.,USA). Duncan’s test was used to determine the significant differences between means (P

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Ford :: essays research papers

The Ford Motor Company led what has been called a revolution. Henry Ford restructured everything from the salaries of employees to the work ethic they demonstrated. He did numerous things that were considered absurd and unrealistic at the time. This included the introduction of the $5.00 work day, and with this the desire to control his workers lives. In a way he did this for the better of the workers and the better of the company. The $5.00 per day rate was not as dumb as people perceived it to be. In reality, it was the perfect thing to do. Henry Ford gradually increased the wages of Ford Motor Company employees. His main objective in doing this was to motivate his employees into being more dedicated and motivated, and increase production overall. Henry Ford did not have the reputation of being especially munificent to his workers, but he was in no way parsimonious. His salaries did not often exceed the going rate of about $1.90 for Model T production workers for a ten-hour day in 1908. The average salary for production workers increased to around $2.50 by 1913 with a minimum of just $2.34. In October of 1913 a man named John R. Lee, recruited from the Kiem Mills to reform the company’s wage structure, developed an ingenious job-ladder system. This innovative system allowed increased wages for the upper crust portion of the working core. These elite workers had incentives to work their way from the $2.34 minimum to over $4.00 a day. This was a wage increase of 13%! This system was developed to increase labor turnover and create a more stable and committed workforce. This wage increase was copiously overshadowed by the increase to $5.00 a day just three months later. This pay raise was coupled with a reduction in work hours. Henry Ford replaced the two existing nine-hour shifts with a new nonstop rotation of eight-hour shifts around the clock. The new pay raise was part of a complicated system. The basic pay rate was to remain at $2.34. Workers could then reach a â€Å"wage† of $5.00 by earning a â€Å"profit-sharing† bonus. Workers could acquire this bonus on their paycheck regularly by meeting a few qualifications. They had to put in at least six months of service and be twenty-two years old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first, many people adored the idea of $5.00 per day. On January 5, 1914, Henry Ford announced this bonus plan.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Free King Lear Essays: Comic Relief :: King Lear essays

Comic Relief in King Lear Combining the antics of a circus with the pomp of a royal court is a difficult task indeed. William Shakespeare's genius came from how closely he intertwined the two seemingly mutually exclusive realms to appeal to all socioeconomic groups in his audience. In King Lear, Edgar's appearance as Tom of Bedlam, Lear's insanity, and Lear's Fool provide the comic relief which slices the dramatic tension. Among these, Lear's Fool provides the closest intercourse of the two realms of royalty and tomfoolery while still maintaining their separation. Fools, as I understand them, were kept by kings as entertainment devices prior to the advent of television. Lear's Fool, how-ever, transcends the role as entertainer to assume the role of both Ann Landers and Jim Davis. Particularly intriguing to me are his witticisms and humorous tidbits which interweave foreshadowing, practical advice, humor, and characterization into a succinct, meterical saying. The Fool begins by offering his jester's cap to Kent, saying that if Kent is to follow Lear, he had better have a coxcomb, insinuating the folly of following Lear. He goes on to say that "if I gave my daughters all my property," I'd have to keep a coxcomb. The Fool is quick to juxtapose his comment against his statement that he does not have a "monopoly" on foolishness. The Fool further points out the presence of a "wise man and a fool" without saying who is who, and he criticizes Lear for "going the fools among," implying that Lear is usurping the Fool's position as one prone to lapses of judgment and sheer stupidity. He tacitly insinuates through his actions and statements that he is among the company of fools, which provides the hint of foreshadowing the audience needs to know that Lear is losing his wits. The Fool also uses argument by analogy several times. He first relates Lear to a hedge sparrow which feeds cuckoo babies, which then bit the sparrow's head off. The Fool also relates empty egg shells to Lear and his crown. Shakespeare's unique touch comes in the double meaning of the egg shells. The Fool says that Lear is left with two empty egg shells for a crown, but he also implies that Lear's head is like an empty egg, related most clearly in the comparison of the color of Lear's head to the color of an egg. Free King Lear Essays: Comic Relief :: King Lear essays Comic Relief in King Lear Combining the antics of a circus with the pomp of a royal court is a difficult task indeed. William Shakespeare's genius came from how closely he intertwined the two seemingly mutually exclusive realms to appeal to all socioeconomic groups in his audience. In King Lear, Edgar's appearance as Tom of Bedlam, Lear's insanity, and Lear's Fool provide the comic relief which slices the dramatic tension. Among these, Lear's Fool provides the closest intercourse of the two realms of royalty and tomfoolery while still maintaining their separation. Fools, as I understand them, were kept by kings as entertainment devices prior to the advent of television. Lear's Fool, how-ever, transcends the role as entertainer to assume the role of both Ann Landers and Jim Davis. Particularly intriguing to me are his witticisms and humorous tidbits which interweave foreshadowing, practical advice, humor, and characterization into a succinct, meterical saying. The Fool begins by offering his jester's cap to Kent, saying that if Kent is to follow Lear, he had better have a coxcomb, insinuating the folly of following Lear. He goes on to say that "if I gave my daughters all my property," I'd have to keep a coxcomb. The Fool is quick to juxtapose his comment against his statement that he does not have a "monopoly" on foolishness. The Fool further points out the presence of a "wise man and a fool" without saying who is who, and he criticizes Lear for "going the fools among," implying that Lear is usurping the Fool's position as one prone to lapses of judgment and sheer stupidity. He tacitly insinuates through his actions and statements that he is among the company of fools, which provides the hint of foreshadowing the audience needs to know that Lear is losing his wits. The Fool also uses argument by analogy several times. He first relates Lear to a hedge sparrow which feeds cuckoo babies, which then bit the sparrow's head off. The Fool also relates empty egg shells to Lear and his crown. Shakespeare's unique touch comes in the double meaning of the egg shells. The Fool says that Lear is left with two empty egg shells for a crown, but he also implies that Lear's head is like an empty egg, related most clearly in the comparison of the color of Lear's head to the color of an egg.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Elderly Health Care in Massachusetts is a Struggle :: Health Care Medicine Insurance Essays

Elderly Health Care in Massachusetts is a Struggle Despina and her husband Peter Angelopoulos are not eligible to receive any financial help from the state because they don’t qualify for free health care, and they are extremely worried about their future. The couple, in their early 70’s, both have a series of medical problems resulting in them taking heavy medication. They own a house in Somerville and they are struggling to pay for their medications. They average about eight pills a day each. Despina said that because they own a house they are forced to pay for doctor’s visits covered by their social security plan A. Plan B allows them hospital coverage. The problem is if they have to go to the emergency room, they have a high co-pay. â€Å" Medical care should not be subject to laws of economics,† said Mr. Angelopoulos. An item of necessity should not be treated in economic terms, and especially should not have a money price placed upon it.† Health care is a scarce good. From the individuals who perform acts of medical care to the medicines and various medical devices used to deal with health issues. The Angelopoulos' social security is at the minimum of $630 each and with the taxes going up in Somerville, they have a hard time maintaining their old home so they can generate rent income from it. They have to rent both apartments on the second and third floor at all times to be able to have a steady income. â€Å"What will happen to us if we become disabled and need more care?† Mrs. Angelopoulos asked. â€Å"Do we have to sell our house to be able to afford better care when we need it the most?† The present system seems to help retirees with no income other than their social security. If you own your home, that is a problem. Medicare is an essential health care program for people age 65 and older, people with certain disabilities, and people with End-State Renal Disease. . Medicaid became law in 1965 and it is jointly funded by the federal and state governments to assist states in providing medical long-term care assistance to people who meet certain eligibility criteria. Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with limited income. Recently, President Bush and Congress worked together to pass a new law to bring people with Medicare more choices in health care coverage and better health care benefits.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Unplugged: Mobile Phone and Portable Music Player

Unplugged The world is full of technology; Almost everywhere you look you will see some form of technology, from a cellphone that can speak to you, to a computer that can run anything your heart desires. As Martin Lindstorm writes in his article â€Å"Friends who have accidentally left home without their iPhones tell me they feel stressed-out, cut off and somehow un-whole. † (Lindstorm). People tend to be overly attached to their phones, as if they were people capable of loving them back.I see how this could be possible because your phone does connect you to the people that you care about and when you can’t contact them life is a little bit more difficult. The people of this country seem to always need the fastest and newest piece of technology, often because it is viewed as a part of one’s social status. For this assignment I was tasked with going a full 24 hours without using technology. Since, society is so connected, I found this project to be very interestin g, and relevant to the present day.This seemed like it would be an easy task that would not take much effort or thought; however a simple 24 hours unplugged from technology subsequently unplugged me from the world. I have never seen myself as someone who needs their devices so much; however we often learn new things about ourselves. Once I began tracking my usage I noticed for the first time how much I use technology. I thought that I only used my phone and other technology when the situation required it as well as a little bit of recreational use. In my usage log I recorded mostly a few texts, my laptop usage and the movie I watched on my Xbox.I did more in my trial period then my log shows. I texted more then it displays; I really texted people once or twice to set up plans with them to hang out later in the day. I also did not record every time I checked my phone for the time; I forgot at the start and then realized that my phone is really just a rectangular clock. I realized tha t I use my phone mostly just to see what time it is because I always have it on me so it is always the first place I look for the time, instead of running around trying to find a clock.It opened my eyes to my frequent usage and excellently foreshadows my experiences the next week. Getting away from technology is a difficult task today. I found my hardest task was not stopping myself from using technology but instead distracting myself from those who were using it. In an article for Time magazine, Dalton Conley writes, â€Å"children ages 8 to 18 spend 7 hours and 38 min. a day using entertainment media† (Conley). People are using their technology all the time, making difficult to avoid.For example, my roommate loves his music and it was impossible for me to be in my room without listening to it so in this aspect I failed to go the full 24 hours. Still, I made it through most of the day without technology but I was left thinking that the only true way to be able to successfull y complete this assignment is to stop everyone from using technology. Today everyone has some kind of a phone, portable music player or handheld game. This is why this assignment is so difficult, because even though you are not allowed to use technology everyone else is.Every junction yields a reminder that the use of technology is restricted; a reminder of what you cannot do which then provokes you to break the rules. My experience was not difficult because of my deprivation but because everyone else still could. We rely so much on technology and to be the only one not using it makes the world just seem to pass by. Time seems to slow down, and the more I think about it, is not because I couldn’t use technology to pass the time but because everyone else still was. My 24 hours unplugged were spent doing almost nothing.I decided to go from 6pm on Friday to 6pm on Saturday, not that smartest idea. I started hanging out with my friends about 15 minutes before 6, which was good so that I could hang out with them without having to use technology to make plans. But the next morning was a different story. I didn’t plan for the morning because I wasn’t thinking of the fact that I wouldn’t be able to use technology. So I wound up just sleeping until about noon and then didn’t really do much for the rest of the time. I tried to study some chemistry but to no avail to do to the fact that I needed to look something up but I couldn’t.Experiences can change us. We can look at the world completely differently because of one small adjustment to our routine. This assignment has changed my perception of myself. I started out thinking that I didn’t really use technology much and that it didn’t completely run my life and that I could live without it. However; now that I have grown used to my phone in my pocket and my laptop on my desk, they are comfortable parts of my life and are hard to do without. I don’t know if I could go longer than 24 hours but I think I would be willing to try this again with a different view and a etter plan of attack; a view that technology is important in my life and a better understanding of how I use it. Admittedly I had a bit of trouble finishing this assignment but I think it is because I could not escape technology, it was everywhere I turned. In an article by Tamar Lewin, the author noted â€Å"The average young American now spends practically every waking minute — except for the time in school — using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Lewin). Most of society is wrapped around their technology unable of putting it down. I now acknowledge that I need technology to stay connected to the world and up to date with my homework. It is a vital part of my life that previously I did not think was essential to my day to day life. I saw technology as a toy to be enjoyed but now I see it as a very important tool to accomplish the task at hand.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Ace Fertilizer Ima

Ace Fertilizer Company Abby Conroy was tasked with calculating an effective quote for Breeland Ltd. , she chose the activity based accounting costing system since it more accurately captures the related costs. A special order was placed by Breeland Ltd. with Ace Fertilizer Company. The did not plan to order more of this product in the future. Based on Ace’s policy, the special order included disposal costs for any used materials in the event no other orders existed for the unused materials at the time the Breeland contract was signed.Abby correctly calculated the total direct material and labor costs and accurately arrived at the indirect costs using the ABC method and used cost activity pools that make sense for the company and product. She incorrectly included the organization-sustaining costs which are not related to any specific product so should not be included. Abby incorrectly calculated the mark up cost by dividing 80% from the cost rather than multiplying so the marku p and the total cost to Breeland has been overstated by $193,500.This would ultimately produce a higher profit with lower costs and a higher customer margin but would be inconsistent with Ace 80% markup policy. Revisions could be made and an accurate quote could be provided to Tom Brennen for approval. During personal time over the weekend, George was presented with a possible opportunity to sell the unused portion of Breelands special order materials to his brother Josh. On Monday, George wanted to leave the Breeland quote as is, whereas Abby wanted to revise it to exclude the sale of materials to Josh plus additional charges.George is correct to leave the quote unchanged, since there are no new orders for the additional XO-1600 yet even though he and Josh discussed it during personal time. Company policy dictates that the special order customer would be billed for unused materials in the absence of another existing order for the same materials. It would be putting the cart before the horse to recalculate new costs and inform Breeland of a possible price revision before Josh confirms, especially since the information exchange occurred over the weekend during a personal family event.It is likely that Josh will purchase the additional 10 gallons of product but that can’t be confirmed until later in the week. It is not correct however that Breeland should incur those material costs if Josh does purchase them. George is not correct in how he would handle the transaction with Breeland should Josh purchase the materials. The materials should not be double billed and disposal fees should not be incurred by Breeland if this event never occurs.From an IME standpoint, Abby’s costing calculations were flawed which speaks to her competency as a management accountant, but her integrity was consistent with IMA ethical standards. Her markup mistake was most likely a clerical one only that could easily be fixed however including organization-sustaining costs in the client quote is a larger concept level mistake. The first error places a small black mark against her level of competence. Since she has developed an excellent level of expertise with Ace, I would suggest that it could be overlooked.The second error however is larger and would suggest her level of competence might be questioned. Following Georges’ conversation with Josh, Abby was keen on modifying the bid to include a materials reduction of $16,000, elimination of the $10,000 disposal fee for unused materials and a reduction in organization sustaining overhead costs of $52,000. Including the 80% markup, this would save Breeland $93,600 if Abby’s original quote had been correct and the numbers were not modified to remove the organization-sustaining error.It is clear that reworking the original quote to accommodate a new client would benefit Breeland, however the conversation between George and Josh was personal and not final, even though Josh was able to preliminar ily confirm he would place the order. The original quote would represent a more timely quote since future prospects had not yet materialized and would be consistent with Ace’s company policy. Since Georges’ conversation with Josh would be considered confidential in nature with respect to Breeland, it would limit Abby’s permission to inform them of any possible rework of the quote without express consent or approval of George.Since Tom Brennen would need to review any reworked quotes anyway, it doesn’t seem likely that Abby would violate any confidentiality requirements as directed by IMA Standards. Georges’ suggested game plan of billing the products twice could be seen as a misuse of confidential information since he is confident Josh will buy the materials but is still willing to move forward with the Breeland quote without disclosing the possibility of Josh’s purchase to Tom.George may also be engaging in a conflict of interest by using h is brother and information gained in a non professional environment as a means to unethically increase revenue. It would also represent a departure from ethics and integrity as an activity that discredits the profession since it lacks communication with Breeland. If Josh does confirm he will purchase the materials within the 20 day usable product window, it would represent additional and more timely information and should signal Abby’s recommendation to revise Breeland’s quote, even if it is after the fact. It is a timing issue.If George does provide the Breeland quote to Tom ‘as is’ and does not discuss with him the implications of his prospective new client on the numbers provided, he would be weakening his own credibility since it would represent a lack of information disclosure to Tom. It could be argued that he is providing the quote fairly and objectively but, it lacks the insight of how the new client would change the numbers in Breeland’s fa vor and precludes the possibility of client double billing, an important fact to support disclosure of all relevant information communicated fairly and objectively.I think Abby is correct in advising George that a possible rework of the quote is in order although based on the confirmed information, the current Breeland bid should go forward as is with a caveat that it could change with the confirmation of Josh as a new client if he is engaged before the Breeland quote is signed. Since the meeting will take place between George and Tom on Wednesday and the details of Joshs’ possible purchase are expected to become known ‘later in the week’, it makes sense to wait a day or two before making the decision.It is also possible that Josh may not make the purchase. Ace is one of the few companies’ nationally that is able to produce the product, it seemly unlikely that Ace would risk losing their business by asking for a few extra days to confirm final details of t he quote. No mention of Josh’s possible order is necessary. Tom should be given full disclosure by George of the impact on profitability of both scenarios. These would include: 1). the order ‘as is’ without the prospect of Josh placing an order, 2). he revised order based on Abby’s recommendations of reducing XO-1600 materials cost, disposal cost and markup, and the additional sale of the remaining 10 gallons of XO-1600 to Josh, including shipping charges and 3). Two separate quotes that would include the original quote to Breeland executed as is, then a contract signed later with Josh followed up with a revised contract with Breeland eliminating the disposal cost and the additional materials cost. The quote o Josh should not include organization-sustaining costs since they are not considered product costs. Abby recommends that George inform Tom about the prospective use of the extra 10 gallons. If George is unwilling to do so, she should also be willing t o speak directly with Tom about the Breeland quote changes, if applicable. It is not known what Ace’s policy is regarding resolving issues with questionable ethical implications. If necessary, Abby may contact an IMA Ethics Counselor to gain a better understanding of how she should proceed.The case study suggests this issue is a matter of how a management accountant might proceed in light of a shortfall of required monthly profit goal, in that is may be perceived as a way to make up the shortage. It is also mentioned that neither profit scenario would provide the desired result of reaching the monthly goal. The management accountant should see this as an ethical issue and not a function of whether one scenario or the other will produce the desired result.If Abby were to revise her original assumptions and excluded the organization-sustaining costs per required by the ABC method she is using, she would have noted a reduction in the bottom line of $18,000, which represents the disposal fee plus an 80% markup. Clearly, the scenario George likes would net the larger bottom line at $802,800, an increase of $28,800 in the bottom line of the Breeland Ltd order alone. This could be a potential lapse in judgment based on a desire to get closer to a proposed profit goal if he doesn’t discuss the possible purchase by Josh with Tom.From a policy standpoint however, George is doing the correct thing, although from a fairness standpoint, Josh’s possible order must be considered. Three scenarios are included which outline how each quote will affect the bottom line. If the original quote is signed by Breeland and moves forward without a purchase by Josh, the bottom line will be increased by $774,000. If Josh is given time to confirm and execute an order with Ace for the 10 gallons of material prior to the Breeland quote signing, Ace bottom line will be reduced by $18,000.If Breeland signs the quote, then later Josh signs a contract for the remaining mater ials and the materials are double billed, the company bottom line would be increased by $802,800. This is ultimately an issue with areas that need insight from IME ethical standards, especially with respect to communicating information to Tom Brennen. It seems a case in which company policy might be overlooked in order to maintain a standard of fairness while also being honest about product and customer treatment.

Justification of Humanities Essay

The humanities have been studied since ancient Grecian times as an academic discipline, examining human condition and including the arts, literature, philosophy, history and some social sciences. In 2008, nationally recognized and respected literary theorist Stanley Fish wrote a New York Times article in response to a New York State Commission on Higher Education report in which people posted complaints that the humanities are always the last to be financially funded. Fish sums up his argument with an insulting conclusive statement: â€Å"To the question ‘of what use are humanities? ’, the only honest answer is none whatsoever†. He backs up this claim by pointing out the lack of tangible evidence that is produced by humanities compared to science and other fields. I assert that Fish underestimates the power of the intangible benefits that the humanities have to offer. His overall argument against the value of humanities presents a point-of-view that is extreme, reductive, and insulting to anyone associated with the humanities and the study of them. An education involving the study of humanities enables readers with skills that are applicable in understanding and comprehending contemporary media and literature. Literature, for that matter, effects people morally and possibly behaviorally and that effect, positive or negative, is ‘of use’. Narrative literature and historical texts also allow readers to build a bridge and connect with the past and its people. The media has become an inevitable part of our society today and, unfortunately, media manipulation has as well. Public relations companies and the government have hidden agendas that the journalists blindly incorporate into their stories and columns. People are paid to make the American public perceive pictures and articles in a deceitful, false way in order to sell a war or downplay a disaster. In 1996 John Rendon, the founder of The Rendon Group, a public relations firm, admitted to U. S. Air Force cadets that the Gulf War in Iraq had been a big project for his company. He even talked about generating deceiving photographs! Looking back in history through other conflicts (i. e. , Vietnam, Iraq), or political issues or even stories of famous individuals, we can observe many situations similar to what Rendon explained that supports a recurring complaint in our culture, whether provable or not, that the press will print stories without evidence if they make more money in the process. Specifically, the media coverage after the 911 attacks were constant and focused on Osama bin Laden as the mastermind behind the attacks and on Iraq having ‘weapons of mass destruction’ as they were told by authorities. Pro-war sources were disproportionately focused on over anti-war sources which helped build misguided public support for our war on terrorism and on Iraq. But we now know WMDs were not in existence there, but this shows the power of media stories, no matter whether based on fact, and its ability to influence society and the power it can take away from us by eliminating fully-informed decision-making. By being exposed to manipulating and deceiving narrators such as Lolita’s Humbert Humbert and Holden Caulfield in The Catcher In the Rye, students gain experience in detecting this fraudulence or bias. Also, through involvement with this type of reading and writing, the ability to sense when they are being propagandized or manipulated. An education that includes humanities provides tools for people to consciously keep from falling for the bias and hidden slander that is involved, especially with politics. This awareness can cause better decision-making (voting especially) and affect a person’s opinion very greatly. Exposure to humanities can cause people to be less egocentric and can arm them with a point-of-view that will help them see through narrow-minded opinions and statements, like Fish’s, and develop their own sound, fact-based and well-rounded opinions. Fish also comments in his article, â€Å"What do they [humanities] do? They don’t do anything, if by ‘do’ is meant bring about effects in the world†. This claim is resting upon the questionable understanding that the ‘do’ is supposed to yield a tangible product, a constant misconception Fish seems to have. I am arguing that an effect on a person, positive or negative, implies that something was ‘done’ to have caused that effect. Fish himself names many examples of literature affecting its readers; he just chooses to discard them and remain skeptical. Countless examples have affected millions of people. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is commonly credited for the launch of the environmental awareness movement. The Bible itself is a form of literature, and I am sure that Stanley Fish cannot argue that The Bible has not affected the world! Dr. Seuss books affect children and adults all over the world with their simple yet effective messages through the creative rhyming. The Food and Drug Administration was founded as a latter result to Sinclair’s The Jungle, and I believe that this would be considered an example of ‘doing’ something, even according to Fish. Books, and all forms of art, can cause people to reflect on the plot, the characters, or the ethical questions being pondered in the story. We can contemplate character attributes we appreciate or reject and watch scenarios unfold in books that can be comparable to situations in our own lives. Fish believes â€Å"it is not the business of the humanities to save us†, but I do believe an education in humanities can help us save us from the â€Å"worst of ourselves† by helping us become more well-rounded citizens with an understanding of the past so we can head effectively and productively into the future. I agree with Kronman who Fish quotes as saying â€Å"a college was above all a place for the training of character†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This completely supports an intelligent quote by Martin Luther King Jr. King said, â€Å"Intelligence plus character—that is the true goal of education. † Without any humanities incorporated in a person’s education, can this goal be fully achieved? The renowned Spanish-American essayist George Santayana said, â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it†, and I cannot agree more with this claim. It highlights the importance of an education in history, another branch of the humanities discipline. Having a connection and understanding with the past allows us to gain appreciation for the world today and learn from the mistakes made through history, so those mistakes are not repeated. For example, the very foundation of America’s government was created through utilizing documentations of various governments implemented through history! The founding fathers sifted through accounts of different governments and how successful they were and used them to form the Constitution. For example, they applied the system of checks and balances in order balance power among the braches and stray from the way that Britain’s monarchy was established. Books and the arts used to be man’s sole form of entertainment and it is amazing to read the thoughts and see the creations of a person from so long ago! Narrative literature, especially from the past, allows us to delve into the mindset of someone from a different time, and that is something that no history book can teach. The readings assigned in humanities classes expand students’ knowledge of life and ethics from a different time period and examines why this ethical mindset existed in the historical context. We reflect and compare the morals of those in the past to our own, making connections with the past yet also seeing the development of ethics and moral behavior through time. Teachings in humanities can be directly applied to the commercial culture that is present in our society today, especially with the deceitful and biased influences in the media. Literature has direct effects on us on an emotional, ethical and logical level and the connection that is made through books with the past is undoubtedly one of the most helpful insights of the past. Fish’s argument was immature and was based merely on tangible products, a close-minded viewpoint that overlooks the power of thought and the mind! My contrasting opinion defends the impalpable and in that sense, suggests humanities can contribute to improving a reader personally and potentially benefit the future of society greatly.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

To Toll or Not To Toll

Various public facilities have important uses aside from revenue generation of the government. Like the tollgates, these facilities serve for the conduct of checkpoints, safety for the commuting public and substantially generate government revenues. On the contrary, tollgates are also criticized as the bottlenecks of traffic as vehicles lined up at the maximum or minimum performance of the tollkeepers. In the State of Connecticut, the Federal state and local governments plans reinstalling tolls on its highways. Several perceptions insinuate that causes of road accidents were due the absence of tollgates.It could be for the reasons that tollgates would slow down the speed of approaching vehicles as tollkeepers manning the traffic congestion from entry and exit lanes. This position paper will discuss and examine several points of considerations relating the reinstallation of tollgates in the State of Connecticut. Discussions It has been earlier reported in the 1980s that the removal of toll booths in the State of Connecticut have subsequently attributed to several road accidents that accounted about seven people who crashed and died at the Stratford tolls.In brief, Connecticut had more than 100 private turnpikes which were built from the period 1790 to 1850. The popularization of automobiles in the mid-20th century resulted to renew toll-backed financing to finance highways. In the 1990s to early 2000, technology plays a vital aspect in toll innovations through the introduction of electronic toll collection machines. Based on the May 10th 2009 news item ‘Toll proposals to be discussed at Thursday hearing’ by Martin B.Cassidy from the electronic publication of The Advocate, the Chairman of the Transportation Strategy Board Kevin Kelleher stated that â€Å"all the tolling concepts would use an EZ-Pass system†, referring to the system that would collect or tabulate fees from cars traveling at a speed of 55 miles per hour and up (1). Corey Sipe (2 006) in his article at Associated Content electronic publishing has discussed the analysis of James J. Fazzalaro of the office of Legislative research which cited that one-way gateway toll fees at $1. 00 could generate $58 million in revenues (1).Meanwhile, the web site of BethelRepublicans. Org (2009) has published ‘Opposed to Tolls on I-84 in Danbury’, implying that toll should not only be implemented to generate revenues but also to promote efficiency. Further, it reported that Connecticut Republican Senator Michael McLachlan pointed out on the issue of traffic congestion during a forum held at Western Connecticut State University on March 26th 2009. As cited from the article of BethelRepublicans. Org (2009), it quoted Senator McLachlan who said that â€Å"drivers are trying to avoid the I-84 tolls by rerouting in community areas† (2).In which case, rerouting in the residential community areas congest the traffic of small roads in Danbury and residents could b e prone to accidents. It may be acknowledged that Senator McLachlan has raised a considerable point not only on the issue of traffic situation but as well the public safety, in which could pave the way in the implementation of the tolling system. Despite the concern of Senator McLachlan, it was also pointed out that travel time, gas consumption and toll fees could be an added expense to reconsider (2).Indeed, many motorists tend to shorten their travel time and avoid the additional expenses for gas and toll fees. Moreover as previously covered in the article of Martin B. Cassidy (2009), the implementation of congestion pricing addresses the issue of efficiency. According to Cassidy (2009), the South Western Regional Planning Agency Executive Director Floyd Lapp commented that the state should use congestion pricing (1). It can be explained that â€Å"congestion pricing† is the process of charging distinctly separate toll rates on â€Å"peak or off-peak† travel time sch edules.Also, the toll rates can be implemented in two ways, namely â€Å"static pricing† is attained in periodic intervals on a monthly or quarterly basis with published toll rates adjustments, while â€Å"dynamic pricing† can be implemented by using â€Å"electronic traffic sensor system† to monitor the volume of traffic and automatically adjust the toll rates. Early this year, the Associated Press in its electronic news has published ‘Report Pending on Highway Tolls in Connecticut’ with reference to the $1 Million research contract which was engaged by Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board (CTSB) with Cambridge Systematics, Inc.(CSI). The Associated Press has implied the result of the research-study could be the turning point to realize the seemingly idyllic yet pending developments on the tolling project implementation. However, the Associated Press quoted that â€Å"it is still doubtful whether the CTSB would be supportive of CSI’s f indings and propositions† (1). On the following month after the comments of Associated Press, the year 2009 report of the Cambridge Systematics, Inc. (CSI) was then submitted to Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board (CTSB).The report which entitled: ‘Connecticut Electronic Tolling and Congestion Pricing Study’ was an independent technical study that formulated the strategic and feasible options in the implementation of the toll project. To generally describe the report, it contained variable conceptual framework on how the toll project can be effectively implemented and efficiently perform for public good, together with financial indicators that indicates the cost benefits of the state.Overall, the report has extensively presented the financial viabilities that comprised the operational components. As cited, the CSI report has highlighted the following findings (2): †¢ The New Toll Express Lanes require construction of new lanes and tolling, such as expre ss lanes: A-1: Interstate 95 (Branford to Rhode Island State Line), and A-2: Interstate 84 (Waterbury to New York State Line);†¢ Conceptually, every users pay toll in spite of the occupancy levels and types of vehicles; †¢ Neither access strip would produce traffic congestion, estimating from 6. 2 to 13. 8 percents decline of vehicles for every hour of delay, which shall be implemented at â€Å"I-95 and I-84† toll projects within one year period exclusive of new lanes. CSI (2009) has further presented the estimated revenue generation within a 30-year target, as shown in the illustration below: