Dangers of wooden trusses to firefighters Research Paper

Dangers of wooden trusses to firefighters - Research Paper Example Fire-fighters risk their lives when putting off fires in buildings that have wooden trusses. This paper will discuss the dangers of wooden trusses to fire fighters. The paper will explore the various risks involved in putting off fires in buildings that have wooden trusses. The dangers of wooden trusses to fire-fighters There are a number of dangers that wooden trusses pose to fire-fighters; these dangers may be  experienced when the fire-fighters make attempts to put-off large fires. A notable danger that wooden trusses pose to fire-fighters is that they can trap the fire-fighters. In such cases, the fire-fighters find it difficult to leave the building. As a result, a rescue operation has to be initiated in order to find the fire-fighters and save them from the building where they may be trapped. Fire-fighters who manage to escape from a building that collapses may suffer numerous injuries, which may last for a lifetime or lead to significant impairment (Pollio, 2012). It is wort h noting that wooden trusses may not pose any risks to the people who occupy buildings. However, these trusses exhibit some form of weakness when there is fire, and they become extremely weak. When there is fire, there tends to be high temperatures that may cause damages to the truss (Pollio, 2012). Since the trusses are held together using fasteners, the high temperatures may weaken the fasteners, thus leading to the failure of the entire truss that may be damaged by the weight of the building. The trusses may fall on the fire-fighters while in their attempts to put off the fire (Dunn, 2010). Some of the features of wooden trusses raise critical concerns regarding the safety of fire-fighters. Wooden trusses tend to expose much of their surface to fire as compared to trusses made of metal. Since the wooden trusses comprise of less mass, there is a possibility that fire will consume them quickly. Moreover, wooden trusses also lose their capacity to carry loads whenever there is a fir e. This also affects the metal plates that may be holding the trusses together. Therefore, wooden trusses can easily collapse when there is a fire, thus putting the lives of fire-fighters at risk. Wooden trusses also pose immense dangers to fire-fighters since they spread fire a fast rate. When one wooden truss catches fire, there is a high probability that the fire will spread to the other trusses very fast. Thus, the spread of fire in the entire building will also be extremely fast, which means that fire-fighters may lose their lives while putting off fires (Brannigan & Corbett, 2007). The future of the materials used or change in fire-fighting tactics In the future, there should be a change in the materials used in constructing

Analyzing the Narrative Essay Example for Free

Analyzing the Narrative Essay I. The Short Writing The â€Å"Winter† Essay It was the winter of 2006, in the month of January, and my junior year of high school. By this time in high school I’d had some quirky teachers and to be honest Mr. DeBruyn didn’t seem so uniquely special but apparently he had his moments. English class began on a day when it seemed like school should have been cancelled due to the blizzardous weather earlier that morning. Mr. DeBruyn had an auspicious look on his face then says, â€Å"We’re doing an in class writing assignment today but it’s not going to be in class†. The whole class paused and waited for his next sentence. He told everyone to go to our lockers and get prepared to go outside. Everyone protested and all he could say is â€Å"you have three minutes, dress warm†, as if we wouldn’t! Back in the classroom we grabbed our notebooks as best we could with our gloves, scarves, hats, and puffy winter coats to hold us back. The assignment was to write about nature, as usual, but this time from a first hand experience. We were to pick a certain aspect of what we say outside and discuss how the snow and winter weather affected it, whether it be a plant, bush, tree, or whatever. Once outside everyone was shivering and freezing trying to slap down notes as fast as possible. Mr. DeBruyn then pulled out a digital camera and took a picture of the spot each student examined. Back inside everyone rushed to finish an essay of their choppy notes. I’d hoped it wasn’t worth much of our grade. A few months went by and he hadn’t mentioned anything about the assignment, nor gave it back to us. It was April now. He returned the assignment and no one scored higher than a ‘B’, which was expected. He then gave us each a copy of the area we studied, from the pictures he had taken, and sent us back outside to re-examine the same spot. We were told to re-write the assignment and now descriptively compare the two images and had the weather conditions made the images vary. Mr. DeBruyn turned out not to be so bad, in fact he was kind of cool. I liked that he had challenged us in unique ways, and apparently so did everyone else. Turns out, his creative teaching style touched the hearts of a lot of students, not just me. As proof, he was voted as the teacher to speak at our graduation. And that is no small honor. The privilege of addressing the graduating class at their commencement exercises is a direct testament to to how much the teachers is loved and appreciated by the class. The teacher chosen, therefore, is the one who has the most positive impact on the entire class. And I most certainly agree that Mr. DeBruyn has been an inspiration, and I will never look at winter the same way again. II. Analyzing the Narrative The story of Mr. DeBruyn is a compelling piece of narrative, very simple in its use of words, but highly poignant and raw with emotions. The use of simple words and straightforward imagery makes the material accessible to everyone. However, while simple and highly accessible, the piece is equally provocative, engaging the reader in philosophical musings, while reading the piece and afterwards. Teachers and students alike will find lessons in the simple story of Mr. DeBruyn and the lessons about life that he imparts to his students. The most striking theme in the essay is the concept of education being practice by the teacher, Mr. DeBruyn. John Dewey, the great educational philosopher, once said that there is no better context for learning than the context of real life. Sadly, most classes offer pure theories without any exposure on how such theories find practical form in the real life. In particular, Dewey’s ideas on using real-life tasks and challenges find great significance in my class with Mr. DeBruyn.   The opportunities he provided the class to experience real life is truly one lesson that everyone in that class will never forget. Teaching is perhaps one of the most meaningful of all professions because every day you are given the chance to make meaningful and lasting contribution to an individual’s life. In fact the No Child Left Behind Act recognizes the singular power of teachers in the learning process; so much so that the bar has been raised for teachers in the hopes of improving the educational system. I believe that a big part of the decline in education is that most teachers have lost pride in their vocation. Teachers must have a sense of dignity of work. Unfortunately, when the work is hard and the money is tight, that is easily forgotten. As such, there is an urgent need for reforms, and the community should take an active role in making teachers feel more valued through active support and acknowledgement. By the single act of capturing winter and seeing the image compared with another season, the class became more aware of their surroundings and became more appreciative of the world around them. In one singular stroke of genius, Mr. DeBruyn was able to rekindle our sense of wonder and discovery, things which are at the very heart of learning, and is essential for every student and teacher to have, regardless of whatever subject is being taught or learned. Of course, of utmost importance is what I have learned from this class. If there is one thing that I will carry from my experience with Mr. DeBruyn, it is that you have to let your students take the lead. As a teacher you have to be very sensitive to the signals that your students are sending you individually and collectively as a class. Learners will always give you signs whether you are doing the right thing or not. You have to be ready for contingencies and be prepared to make on the spot adjustments. Let them tell you how they want to learn, because they know what they need from their teacher. I have learned to look at things from all possible levels and adopt my thinking from those perspectives. If I become a teacher, I should never impose myself on them; instead let them teach me how they want to be taught. This is an important realization that I will always keep in mind should I decide to enter the teaching vocation. Indeed while it is true that students need to feel that someone is in control and responsible for their environment and sets classroom limits but maintains them (Wong, 2001), it is more important for teachers to let the minds of the students soar in wonder and discovery. Of course it deserves to be mentioned that the things I have learned from Mr. DeBruyn goes beyond the classroom; more than teaching a lesson, Mr. DeBruyn taught us about life. III. Interacting Much has been said about the nobility of the teaching profession, and indeed, the high sense of duty and the self-sacrifices required from a teacher on a daily basis is nothing less than heroic. I see this first hand in the story of DeBruyn’s class. From this very simple essay I have realized that educational reforms do not necessarily need to cost anything. Indeed, Mr. DeBruyn has shown that it does not take too much time or money to effect a change inside the classroom. As what Mr. DeBruyn has shown, all that is needed is the passion for teaching and genuine desire to share in the learning experience. It is not difficult, and all that is needed to go back to the basics. In the educational process, all teachers must be reminded that the learning process starts with what the child knows. Prior learning is the framework where new concepts are built upon. As such, every teacher should begin with the previous lesson and connect it to the new material. Let the child see the relationship and build their own concepts. This way the child earns ownership of what he has learned because it was a result of what he already knows. These are the things I have been able to reflect upon, and it has had a profound effect in me as an individual looking her place in the sun. From firsthand experience, I have witnessed the power of the teacher to make meaningful and lasting contribution to the lives of students. Indeed the teacher is the single biggest factor that determines the success or failure of the students to learn what they should. I have realized that it is the teacher who creates the atmosphere that focuses the class on their tasks and keeps them engaged in the lessons. Indeed, every moment is an opportunity to learn, and the teacher must create that opportunity for the students. (Mujis, 2005, 75) Reading Mr. DeBruyn I have realized that Mr. Paul Trout of The Chronicle Review would be very pleased by his story. Mr. Trout, in her article entitled Shame on You, takes a critical look at education and forwards the idea that the more the classrooms are threats to the students morale and well-being. While Mr. Trout’s arguments may be valid, Mr. DeBruyn flies in the face of Mr. Trout’s thesis. There can be redemption and life-changing inspiration within the four halls of the classroom. The negative view of the teachers and the school, while not unfounded, is not always true. Across the country, teachers are making a difference in the lives of students, one kind word and encouragement at a time. According to Paul Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1993),   Ã¢â‚¬Å"A careful analysis of the teacher-student relationship at any level, inside or outside the school, reveals its fundamentally narrative character. This relationship involves a narrating Subject (the teacher) and patient listening objects (the students).† This description of Friere depicts a one-way relationship between students and teachers, and as such, the transfer of knowledge occurs when the teacher narrates or uses words to teach. But words, while extremely powerful and effective at initiating change is not the only tool at a teacher’s disposal. Actual experiences go beyond any words to properly describe. Mr. DeBruyn proved this by immersing his class in authentic experiences, which did not need much explaining. It was an exchange of knowledge that took place in the heart. I think that the philosophy that comes closest to Mr. DeBruyn’s teaching style is the one espoused by Ms. Rachel Toor. In her article, It’s Mr. Orwell to You, she promoted a teacher-student relationship that was informal. Not informal in the sense that the students treat teachers without any respect. Rather, students approach the learning system with intimacy. They view a piece of literature as someone written by a real person, and as such, is someone they can very well relate to. By â€Å"humanizing† lessons, the students become less intimidated, are able to relax their mind and be open to more learning. Indeed, education is a complex issue that is fraught with difficulties. But no other profession is more fulfilling. To the individual who has the calling to teach. Pursue it with a heart open to all kinds of possibilities. It will not be easy, not by a long shot. But remember that a meaningful life is always fraught with sacrifices. But at the end of the day, the fulfillment is something that you cannot get anywhere else. And that alone is the reason that keeps true teachers inside the classroom each and every day.

When I Consider How My Light is Spent Essay -- Literary Analysis, John

John Milton’s Sonnet XIX, known as â€Å"When I Consider How My Light Is Spent† is a poem considering one’s disabling affliction in light of a time-less truth that the Apostle Paul wrote of: all things work to the good who love God and one thereby learns to be content in all things. Milton’s disabling affliction was blindness and by most interpretative accounts he was blind when he wrote Sonnet XIX. Under God’s providence Milton â€Å"considers† his dark infirmity and writes (dictates?) in light thereof. In this darkness and in this light I will consider Milton’s Sonnet. First to consider is that the poem used in The Norton Anthology of English Literature is an edited version from The Complete Poetry and Major Prose of Milton, edited by Merritt Y. Hughes. The poem that will be considered here is the 1673 text printed in The Riverside Milton, edited by Roy Flannagan. The decision of Riverside was not to intervene into the text, but to leave as it was written. Hughes’ changes insert punctuation, capitalization and spelling to update it to a modern audience. By modernizing the poem Hughes has effectively changed the meaning to what he as the editor had in mind. Milton wanted good readers, readers that read deeper than surface meanings and by changing the text the art of Milton’s words are compromised for the poem was designed to confuse the reader. Milton as a wordsmith is preparing the reader for a spiritual confusion that leads one to a question. Hughes’ editing reinforces the binary aspects of the poem that sets up one speaker i n the octave and one speaker in the sestet, the problem in the octave then the solution in the sestet, if one likes. If one leaves out the editorial changes, the octave speaker and the sestet speaker become erased... ... is required of all humankind. In Milton’s voice of patience the voice of complaint was quelled and regardless of time spent working or what affliction besets one, God is generous and graciously provides all through the unction of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost’s works derive from one’s faith and by this spirit operates within one to the glory, purpose and will of God. This will of a holy God who sends forth his messengers to Godspeed in giving good success to forward his purpose in the talent or gift that he distributes by the operation of the selfsame Spirit. Milton acknowledges obedience to this one God that he puts himself at disposal to, and in all this Milton â€Å"charged [not] God foolishly† (Job 1:22 K.J.V.). John Milton’s darkness will in one day stand in the eternal unspent light as he waits to consider the words â€Å"enter in good and faithful servant.†

Family and Masculinity in Jane Eyre :: Families Literature Papers

Family and Masculinity in Jane Eyre Jane does not experience a typical family life throughout the novel. Her various living arrangements led her through different households, yet none were a representation of the norm of family life in the nineteenth century. Through research of families in the nineteenth century, it is clear that Jane’s life does not follow with the stereotypical family made up of a patriarchal father and nurturing mother, both whose primary focus was in raising their children. Jane’s life was void of this true family experience so common during the nineteenth century. Yet, Jane is surrounded by men, who in giving an accurate portrayal of fathers and masculinity in the nineteenth century, fulfill on one hand the father role that had never been present in her life, and on the other hand the husband portrait that Jane seeks out throughout the novel. The reader first learns of Jane when she is an inhabitant of Gateshead. At Gateshead, Jane was excluded from the rest of the family. She was merely an outsider looking in on a nuclear family, excluding the father, who had died. We know that Jane’s Uncle Reed, the father and dominant figure of Gateshead, when alive, was a kind man. He was the guardian for Jane and when dying made his wife promise to always care for Jane. After his death, his wife resented the little girl and did not want to care for her. Knowing what we know of family life in the nineteenth century, we know that Jane’s life would have been much different if her uncle Reed had not died. Being the master of the home one can assume that he would have made sure that everyone in the household would have treated Jane well and with love and respect. A father’s authority was unquestioned. Once Mr. Reed had died, the masculine dominance was somewhat given to his son who did not care for Jane and made her l ife miserable by all of his cruelty and abuse. Although he did not rule the home, due to his young age, his authority as seen by Jane was unquestioned. Jane next lived at Lowood. This institution was anything but a true family unit. However, Jane sought out people to care for and who would care for her in return. Helen Burns and Miss Temple became very close to Jane. In ways like the mother of the typical family served as a moral guide and a nurturer, so too did Helen Burns, and to a certain extent Miss Temple.

Motivation in the Workplace Essay

Motivation is difficult to explain and practice. However motivation is still the one thing that makes people productive in their jobs. Whether the motivation is tangible or not, it all depends on the individual and how management takes the information and applies it. There are many theories and practices that can be studied and applied to any situation. Motivational theories are studied and practiced by theorists and companies to increase productivity. According to Jerald Greenberg (1999) scientist have defined motivations â€Å"as the process of arousing, directing and maintaining behavior towards a goal†. The act of arousing is related to the desire and vigor to produce. Directing is the election of behavior, and maintenance is the inclination to behave a certain manner until the desired outcome is met (Greenberg 1999). Much of the motivation theories will be related to the definition provided. Some major motivation theories along with the method to successfully motivate employees will be introduced. The theory and method that a manager may choose to use will depend on the environment and on the individual. There are two types of motivation theories content and process. The Content theories are based on the basic need and drives. The other theories focus on the process by which people are motivated (Pepitone, 1999). Content theories of motivation focus on this question: What causes behavior to occur and stop? The answers usually center on (1) the needs, motives or desires that drive pressure and forces employees to action and (2)employees’ relationships to the incentive that lead, induce, pull and persuade them to perform. The needs or motives are internal to the individual. They cause people to choose a specific course of action to satisfy a need. Incentives are external factors that give value or utility to the goal or outcome of the employees’ behavior (Pepitone, 1999). Abraham H. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a content motivational theory. Maslow’s basis was human behavior. He conducted his investigation between 1939 and 1943. The hierarchy of needs has five sets of goals that are called basic needs. Maslow’s idea was â€Å" people will not be healthy and well-adjusted unless they have their needs met† (Greenberg 1999). Maslow arranged the needs in different levels in order of importance. As in a hierarchy the lower level are the most basic needs and the top are the higher level needs. Looking at the figure below one can see how the hierarchy works. The lower order needs must be met before proceeding to the higher order needs. According to Greenberg (1999), Maslow’s needs are in the following order: physiological need, safety need, social need, esteem need, and self-actualization. Man’s basic needs are physiological, for example, hunger, thirst, sleep, etc. When these are satisfied they are replaced by safety needs reflecting one’s desire for protection against danger or deprivation. These in turn, when satisfied are replaced by the need for love or belonging to, which are functions of man’s desire to belong to a group, to give and receive friendship and to associate happily with people. When these needs have been satisfied, the esteem needs seeks to be met. One desires self -esteem and self-respect, which are affected by a person’s standing reputation, and his need for recognition and appreciation. Finally, individuals have a need for self-actualization or a desire for self-fulfillment. The urge by individuals for self-development, creativity and job satisfaction (Boeree 1999) In the past, management rewards systems have attempted to satisfy an individual’s lower level needs for safety and physiological security, for protection against deprivation and the threat to a worker or his family. However, management rewards systems should be, aiming to satisfy the individual’s actual need (Boeree 1999). When believed that a certain reward is important and can be attained, the individual will demonstrate a given amount of effort. This in turn will be demonstrated in performance. The link between effort, performance and expectancy is about accomplishing the task. The links between the performance and reward are connected. One’s assumption for whether the rewards are available if the person worked effectively describes the link. In this link the manager/organization is responsible of acknowledging the performance of the employee. If the manager/organizatio n does not acknowledge the employee, there can be a breakdown in the motivation. The acknowledgment needs to be direct, strong, and immediate. Employees usually determine in advance what their behavior may accomplish and the value they place on alternative possible accomplishments or outcomes. Goal setting theory is the specification of goal to increase performance. Assigning difficult goals usually result in higher performance. Goal setting has three components that have to be used to successfully apply this concept. First the identification of the process, then the characteristics and finally the feedback. The characteristics of goal setting consist of making the goal specific and challenging. The goal must be challenging to increase self-efficacy. It has been noted that a difficult task tends to increase an employee’s performance. This may be because usually people work harder to reach a challenging goal as long it is believed that it can be done. Lastly, feedback will allow people to be informed of their progress. This stage usually included praises about the good job that has been done (Wheaton & Cameron, 1998). The descriptions of content and process theories of motivation dealing with organizational and individual behavior are briefly explained. The explanation is only a basis for a better understanding on why and how to approach the concept of motivating employees. All the theories conclude that the manner that managers perceive their organizations and their employees affect their productivity. Whether they are private, public or non-profit organization their aim is to be productive and effective. When looking at the different sectors, they have different goals and objectives, and therefore they must take different approaches in management. Though this may be true we must also acknowledge that all sectors require one to motivate their staff to produce. As managers we must into consideration the different type of individual that make up our organizations. One must modify management styles and behaviors. Dr. Renis Likert has researched many organizations and developed an effective manner to motivate employees and have a productive organization. He has identified four management styles that he feels should be a part of management style in an organization. First exploitive style is where management makes all the decisions and the lower levels are given no power this style has an authoritative approach. The second is the benevolent style that has an authoritative approach, however in this case the management has some trust. The consultative style has substantial amount of trust in their staff. The staff is motivated by reward and some involvement. There is some communication and teamwork involved. Lastly the participative style is more of the group approach. Management has confidences in their staff and the staff feels responsible in accomplishing the organizations mission. This style encourages communication and teamwork. The participative style is the best approach for profit and customer service organizations. Organizations should make the transition to train management to motivate their staff using the participative approach (Cook 1991). As a manager it is difficult to motivate your staff to be productive; however, using certain methods can create a positive environment. It was thought that money motivated people but that has changed. Much of the theories discussed before deal with individual behaviors and needs. One can conclude that motivation is internal and as employers one must make observations and decide what each individual desires. According to Cook (1991) manager must give their staff as much as an organization can. Many employees want to have benefits and security, however; what happens after a job has provided those needs. Remember that Maslow theory has the five needs of an individual and they do not all deal with the necessary needs. As an employer identifying what stage your employee is in will help in putting a plan into action. Collaboration is a way to give employees the feeling of importance. Eliminating any kind of obstacle will create an atmosphere that your staff is eager to perform (Bruce, A. & Pepitone, J. 1999). Another approach is educating your employees and matches them to projects that they find interesting and those on which they are knowledgeable. Employees are willing to work harder on projects that they can relate to. This will also increase their success rate that will help in improving their self-esteem. Yet another way to increase productivity is with empowerment. Giving people the choice to make decisions and giving them the tools and supports to their job will increase the inner motivation force within the employees. Encourage staff to satisfy their need for affiliation and create a relationship with the employee to be part of the organizations mission. It is difficult to motivate employees when a manager’s view is negative. For instance a manager’s behavior is explained with McGregor’s Theory X or Theory Y. In this case a manager must identify what style of managing is most effective. Building morale is an important concept when motivating employees. Morale will help create productivity in an organization. Developing a shared vision is a way to begin building morale. For instance as managers, one must communicate views honestly a directly during discussion with employees about performance. Make sure they have the necessary information to do their job. Allow employees to influence their own performance goals. Get out of the office, be visible and accessible. Communicate a clear view of the long-range direction of the organization. Listen carefully and consider the opinions of others open-mindedly before evaluating staff. Communicate high personal standards informally with day-to-day contact. Remember to acknowledge the progress that the staff has achieved either with certificates, a note or just a tap on the shoulder. The staff wants to be told that they are doing a good job (Pepitone & Bruce, 1999). Again empowering staff requires some basic principles. Inform the staff what their responsibilities are. Give them authority equal to their responsibilities. Set standards of excellence. Provide people with training that will enable them to meet these standards. Provide feedback on performance. Recognize them for their achievements. Trust and treat them with dignity and respect (Nelson 1997). Showing staff that management is listening and affirming that you understand their view will create positive work environment. The language that use is also very important. Using â€Å"we† and â€Å"us† when speaking of the organization this will make the staff feel a part of the organization, thus improving the productivity of the staff. Encourage employees to make suggestion no matter how small the idea may be, and this will create a comfortable environment and inspire more significant ideas (Cook 1991). It is important to point out, however, that motivation must be used wisely. The misuse of some theories and techniques could result in negative consequences. Remember that employees who receive rewards on performance tend to perform better than employees in groups where rewards are not based on performance. Understanding the causes of human behavior can predict the behavior to the extent that the behavior can be controlled. Therefore, if managers understand the relationship between incentives, motivation, and productivity, they should be able to predict the behavior of their employees. Consequently, managers who know this, and know how to apply given incentive, can expect to realize increased productivity from employees. Today, 70% of employees are less motivated while 50% only put enough effort into their work to keep their job (Spitzer 1995). Many managers are not sure of the technique to use to motivate their staff. The best way to find what motivates staff is to ask them directly. This may be done informally or during performance evaluations. Find out what he/she wants from the organization and what makes them happy. A happy employee will be more productive than an unhappy one. If there has been a problem with absenteeism it may be because the organization is not fulfilling their needs. Whether it is need for achievement, the need for power, the need for affiliation, or the basic needs as studied by Herzberg, McClelland, or Maslow as a manager must examine and modify the management approach. References Boeree, C. George (2006) Abraham Maslow. Available: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/maslow.html Cook, M. (1991). 10-Minute Guide to Motivating People. New York: Alpha Book Greenberg, J. (1999) Managing Behavior in Organizational (2nd Ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall Learning, Reinforcement, Reward System and Self-Management Teams. Available: www.emporio.edu Nelson, B (1997). 1001 Ways to Energize Employees. New York: Workman Publishing Pepitone, J. &Bruce, A. (1999) Motivating Employees. New York: McGraw Hill Spitzer, D. (1995). Super Motivation. New York: AMACON. Wheaton & Cameron.(1998) Developing Management Skills 4th Ed. Addison –Wesley Inc

Inequality and Development

Inequality and Development Introduction Development is slow but gradual process that is marked by changes in lifestyle, processes, technology, policies and other aspects that affect human life. Human beings desire to use modern technology to ensure there is efficiency in production processes. In addition, they hope to move very fast from one place to another and access information within a very short period (Muilanovic 27).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Inequality and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These and other aspects of modern societies propel people to use various ways of ensuring that they are placed in strategic positions to acquire wealth, power and influence that will help them to control others. This has led to inequalities in various spheres and there are fears that competition for the available limited resources will push people to use unethical and illegal survival tactics. Inequality occurs in various forms, incl uding social, political and economic and each of these aspects has significant impacts on the society. This essay presents different ways that show the impacts of inequality on development. Definitions Inequality refers to unproportional and unfair allocation, access, distribution and provision of social, political and economic resources to people (Duflo 9). This means that this term covers all aspects that show unfair consideration given to people of a particular group. This vice makes some people to be perceived to be more special than others yet this is not supposed to be the case. Equality exists when fair measures are used to allocate people resources and ensure every person gets what they deserve. Development refers to the progress made by individuals and is usually marked by improving living conditions, infrastructure, economy and access to quality social services (Duflo 11). Development is measured by comparing events and situations between two or more societies during diffe rent periods. This aspect may be positive or negative depending on its impacts on the society. Negative development means that the society is experiencing serious challenges in promoting equality among its members. On the other hand, positive development means that people have equal and reasonable access to resources and thus nobody violates their rights and freedoms (Greig 32). Growth refers to visible changes that occur in the society as a result of equality or inequality and how their impacts on people. Inequality has serious impacts on growth and development and that is why nations and individuals have established various ways of eliminating this vice.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Types of Inequalities There are three types of inequalities in all societies and their causes and effects are similar. These classes originate from the issues that create differenc es among people, and that is why they are named after their subjects. Social inequality presents issues that affect people at the family and community level and this means that it is concerned with how people interact with others (Stewart 41). This includes gender, sports, communication, jobs and roles of different members in the society. Economic inequality involves unfair allocation of factors of production and resources that are important in increasing food production, creating employment opportunities and improving economies of nations. Political inequality refers to the unfair preferences that exist in the allocation and distribution of power within a region. This includes appointments, initiation of development projects, diplomatic relations, and other aspects that regulate government activities. The impacts of these inequalities may be similar or different depending on their occurrence, victims and conditions that promote them. Impacts of Inequality on Development The segment ation of aggregate demand in an economic system is a significant impact of inequality in the economy of a society. People in the middle class struggle to fit in the superfluous consumption groups and this force them to strain their budgets at the expense of basic needs like proper food and shelter. This group earns a low income, but cannot be satisfied with the way it lives. Therefore, it has to seek for various ways of ensuring that it does not fall into the low class category by struggling to emulate the behavior of the upper group. High consumerism usually takes place in regions that are close to poor and marginalized communities that have poor standards of living and cannot get proper food, medical attention or clean water (Muilanovic 33). The desire for secondary goods by the middle and upper classes and that for basic needs for the lower category triggers an imbalance between consumption and demand. This leads to wastage and misuse of resources by the rich and this undermines social cohesion in the society. The irritating consumerism of the rich and the shortage of basic needs in low income societies lead to the multiplication of conflicts between the rich and poor. In addition, it leads to increase in insecurity because the poor will struggle to get what they can afford through criminal activities like mugging, robbery and corruption (Sicherl 71). The existence of democratic governance becomes impossible because the marginalized groups will resist attempts to persuade them that the government has their interests at heart.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Inequality and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Irresponsible environmental destruction practices will increase because the poor and rich populations will be struggling to utilize resources, particularly, non renewable to satisfy their needs. The structure of the production system will be affected by unskilled laborers becaus e of lack of money to pursue specialized training. It is very difficult for a society to develop if it cannot provide equal resources and opportunities for its people. Secondly, the supply and production system of a society will suffer if it allows inequality to exist. The high consumerism of the middle and upper classes and the high poverty levels of low income earners generate a low demand that cannot consume the goods produced by production systems that aim to expand their operations. This causes an imbalance between the level of consumption of goods and services and what the society produces. The market for goods and serviced produced through modern technology lack market and this exposes producers to stunted growth and some of them may be forced to close their companies (Kuznets 20). Development is blocked when investors spend a lot of money in production yet they cannot recover their capital because of low demand for their goods. In addition, there are possibilities of the dev elopment of a segmented demand that pushes production systems to produce goods and services that satisfy the few individuals that can afford to pay for expensive products. This enshrines a defective social stratum that protects the interests of those that have money to buy expensive goods. The middle and lower classes are usually forced to struggle to meet the high standards set by the bourgeoisies or recede to poverty and desperation. At the same time, the low middle-income earners limit the development of their production system because they constrain their producers to produce goods that meet their demands (Greig 44). Therefore, they cannot sell their products to the affluent communities because of their poor quality. In addition, producers at this level do not benefit from economies of scale, specialization, improved technology and skilled employees because they have inadequate capital to expand their operations. Therefore, a significant part of an enormous production potential will be sterilized at the bottom of the social pyramid. Capital formation will be limited to the production units that serve the upper class that has a dynamic market. Therefore, economic growth becomes stunted because of misdirected production capacity that will not produce adequate income to spur development. In addition, few businesses become capitalized and this restricts income distribution and the ability of a society to increase employment opportunities (Kloby 69). Therefore, social stability is affected because of inequalities and this compromises the security of citizens. These aspects become unstable and this threatens the survival of democratic governance.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, societies that have inequalities have low levels of savings and investments. Income and asset ownership inequality means that the upper class (usually very few individuals) recycles resources that should be invested in productive activities. They invest a significant part of their resources in speculative activities like hoarding and smuggling that are usually profitable compared to legal investments. The proletariats will be forced to buy their products at whichever price the bourgeoisie will deem necessary because they do not have alternatives. Secondly, this practice concentrates resources in the affluent sectors and this spurs consumerism and wastes resources that should be used for development purposes (Stewart 63). Economies should recycle resources by allowing money to move from one individual to another and create utilities. However, inequality concentrates money surpluses in a few hands and this reduces chances of recycling maximizing returns. People save their mo ney and use it for speculative activities that slow development in societies. These practices enable assets, income and savings to concentrate and be controlled by a few individuals and this prevents people from participating in economic activities that spur development because of limited resources and investment opportunities. In addition, they cause mismatches between production abilities of an economic structure and demand that arises from legal earnings and interests (Kloby 720. Therefore, the bourgeoisies will always have chances to manipulate financial institutions for their selfish interests and this creates favorable conditions for the occurrence of recurrent economic crises. In addition, science and technology are indispensable aspects that spur development in societies. These issues represent powerful leverages of contemporary growth because they enable people to simplify production processes. Market opportunities and scope expand permanently when people use discoveries an d innovations to improve their investments and enhance productivity. Science and technology focus on the expansion of knowledge and understanding various issues and this leads to efficiency in production processes. This means that market for sophisticated technology and skills will expand and fetch good returns because people hope to improve their investments (Pritchet par. 4). Therefore, they will invest their resources and concentrate them on technological aspects to ensure that they are able to defeat their competitors. They ignore social and environmental needs that are important in determining the future of people living in low income areas. The need to explore scientific innovations is usually driven by motivations to control the instruments of economic production and not maximization of returns and income. Therefore, the requirements of concentrated markets condition the scientific and technological results that are expected to benefit the society. Few individuals gain at the expense of environmental degradation, displacement of populations and a reduction of arable land in poverty stricken regions. Social cohesion, security and proper governance are indispensable issues that enable societies to develop. Equality means that all members of the society get equal burdens, efforts and results of their actions. However, some groups, especially the upper and middle income earners, do not take their responsibilities and they dump onto the poor the costs they are supposed to bear. It is very disturbing that they are the ones who get and enjoy the largest portion of the results of economic activities in their societies. Those in power use subtle mechanisms that cannot be understood by the poor that are usually illiterate, unskilled and inexperienced to perceive legal and economic interpretations. These uncouth mechanisms include regressive tax systems that ensure the cost of producing goods is met be consumers and differential access to learning and health care institutions (Kuznets 59). In addition, some of them withhold information about public work contracts or investment opportunities because of their proximity to influential politicians, investors and businesses. Social inequality brings different standards of living within a society by giving some people greater opportunities while neglecting others. This causes resentments and misgivings in societies that are supposed to be united; therefore, they hardly make any progress because of poor social cohesion that discourages dialogue and meaningful interactions. There is no way a hungry person can sit on the same table with an individual that has never understood the meaning of hunger. Social cohesion is weakened when oppressed individuals struggle to balance their lives with those of the upper and middle classes. Conflicts between the rich and poor become a daily routine and this creates enmity in the society. Therefore, it becomes difficult for a society to develop if its members have unsettled differences and each group thinks that it deserves better treatment than the other. Lastly, sustainable development is important in ensuring that societies achieve their objectives and everybody has access to quality and adequate goods and services. Inequality enables few individuals to control all factors of production and thus the poor have little say in development matters (Pritchet par. 7). However, sometimes governments and institutions intervene in these situations and offer loans or incentives to individuals to offset economic imbalances. It is necessary to explain that these loans are serviced by tax payers and this means that there is no rational for exposing them to unnecessary budgets when they are unable to afford basic needs. In addition, the bourgeoisies are the ones that control financial institutions and the interests gained on loans are shared with them because they are usually the majority shareholders in banks. People over borrow money from financial ins titutions and this means that they will have nothing to invest in income generating activities (Sicherl 86). The artificial maintenance of demand and supply balance is sustained by successive borrowing that exposes individuals to risks of bankruptcy. Societies cannot develop if they keep depending on loans to offset inequalities between the rich and poor. Conclusion Inequality hinders development because it limits investments and wastes the production potential of individuals and nations. In addition, it hinders small businesses from enjoying economies of scale and this means they will continue to produce cheap and poor goods. Moreover, it promotes irresponsible consumerism and creates conflicts between the rich and poor. Lastly, it destroys the environment and force people to rely on high interest loans to access quality education and medical services. Duflo, Esther. Women Empowerment and Economic Development. New York: National Bureau of Economic Research Press, 2011. Print. Grei g, Alastair. Challenging Global Inequality: Development Theory and Practice in the  21st Century. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Print. Kloby, Jerry. Inequality, Power, and Development: Issues in Political Sociology. New York: Humanity Books, 2003. Print. Kuznets, Simon. Economic Growth and Income Inequality. New York: Wiley, 2012. Print. Muilanovic, Branko. The Haves and the Have-Nots: A Brief and Idionsyncratic History of  Global Inequality. New York: Basic Books, 2012. Print. Pritchet, Lant. â€Å"Divergence, Big Time†, Journal of Economics Perspectives. 31 Oct. 1997. Web. www.cas.umt.edu/econ/documents/courses/advecondev/prichett Sicherl, Pavle. World Inequalities in Human Development Index. New York: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014. Print. Stewart, France. Horizontal Inequalities: A Neglected Dimension of Development:  Center for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity. Oxford: University of Oxford Press, 2011. Print.

Types of Verb Forms and Functions in English

Types of Verb Forms and Functions in English A book by the A verb is customarily defined as a part of speech (or word class) that describes an action or occurrence or indicates a state of being. But just when is a word a verb? Generally, it makes more sense to define a verb by what it does than by what it is. Just as the same word (rain or snow, for example) can serve as either a noun or a verb, the same verb can play various roles depending on how its used. Put simply, verbs move our sentences along in many different ways. Here, by identifying 10 types of verbs, well briefly consider some of their more common functions.   Auxiliary Verbs and Lexical Verbs An auxiliary verb (also known as a helping verb) determines the mood or tense of another verb in a phrase. In the sentence It will rain tonight, for example, the verb will helps the verb rain by pointing to the future. The primary auxiliaries are  the various forms of be, have, and do. The modal auxiliaries include can, could, may, must, should, will, and would. A lexical verb (also known as a full or main verb) is any verb in English that isnt an auxiliary verb: it conveys a real meaning and doesnt depend on another verb: It rained all night. Dynamic Verbs and Stative Verbs A dynamic verb indicates an action, process, or sensation: I bought a new guitar. A stative verb (such as be, have, know, like, own, and seem) describes a state, situation, or condition: Now I own a Gibson Explorer. Finite Verbs and Nonfinite Verbs A finite verb expresses tense and can occur on its own in a main clause: She walked to school. A nonfinite verb (an infinitive or participle) doesnt show a distinction in tense and can occur on its own only in a dependent phrase or clause: While walking to school, she spotted a bluejay. Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs A regular verb (also known as a weak verb) forms its past tense and past participle by adding -d or -ed (or in some cases -t) to the base form: We finished the project.   An irregular verb (also known as a strong verb) doesnt form the past tense by adding -d or -ed: Gus ate the wrapper on his candy bar.   Transitive Verbs and Intransitive Verbs A transitive verb is followed by a direct object: She sells seashells. An intransitive verb doesnt take a direct object: She sat there quietly. (This distinction is especially tricky because many verbs have both transitive and intransitive functions.) Does that cover everything verbs can do? Far from it. Causative verbs, for example, show that some person or thing helps to make something happen. Catenative verbs join with other verbs to form a chain or series. Copular verbs link the subject of a sentence to its complement. Then there are performative verbs, mental-state verbs,  prepositional verbs, iteratives, and reporting verbs. And we havent even touched on the passive or the subjunctive. But you get the idea. Though they can get tense and moody, verbs are hard-working parts of speech, and we can count on them to make things happen in many different ways. * Stephen Pinker, The Stuff of Thought. Viking, 2007​

Child Development

Child Development Introduction Child development is an essential process that takes place in the life of an individual. This process commences immediately after birth when an individual highly relies on others for sustenance and ends towards the end of adolescence when the said individual approaches independence (Graham, 2010). In the process of child development, there are various factors that determine the cognitive and psychological development of an individual.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Child Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The genetic constitution and prenatal care are some of the factors that influence the development of an individual during this phase of development. Consequently, ecological factors also play a significant role in child development. This paper will therefore focus on the impact that ecological factors have on child development. Ecological Factors In the process of development, ther e are various factors that determine the rate of development in a child. According to Urie (2006), ecological factors play a significant role in the process of child development since a child responds to various environmental cues that surrounds him/her. Thus, there are various environmental systems that a child interacts with that are influential in his/her development. The microsystem is the first environmental system that determines child development. This system comprises of the institutions and groups that immediately surround a child. The family is perhaps the most influential segment of this system. The behavior and personality of a child highly depends on the influence that arises from his/her family (Urie, 2006). In this respect therefore, family members have always been encourage to offer support and positive guidance to children to support their process of development. Consequently, educational and religious institutions also play a significant role in the process of chil d development especially in setting up their values, morals, goals, and beliefs. The influence that a child gets from his/her peers also determines his/her process of development. In most cases, children tend to imitate or adopt behaviors from their peers. For instance, the interaction that children have plays a significant role in speech development (Graham, 2010). Thus, a child who interacts more stands a high chance of learning how to speak fluently as compared to a child who does not interact with children of his/her age. The macrosystem is another environmental system that affects the process of child development. The macrosystem highly concentrates on the culture in which a child is brought up in. The level of economic development in the nation/region that a child is brought up in plays a significant role in determining his/her level of development.Advertising Looking for critical writing on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, a child who is brought up in an industrialized country that is economically stable is expected to be different in terms of cognitive and psychological development as compared to a child who is brought up in a third world country. The child in a developed nation has a lot of resources and opportunities that will enhance his/her process of development. Ethnicity and cultural background are also significant factors in the process of development. An African American child is expected to have different values and beliefs as compared to a White American child despite the fact that they might be living in the same neighborhood. The chronosystems involves the transitions that a child experiences in the process of development. It has been identified that transferring a child to a new school or moving him/her to a different neighborhood, state, or nation will have a psychological effect that will definitely affect his/her development. Consequently, issue s such as divorce, separation, and death will have effects that will affect the psychological and cognitive development of a child. Conclusion This paper has therefore identified that there are several ecological factors that affect the development of a child. It is therefore essential that necessary measures are taken to ensure that a child is exposed to the right environmental cues to ensure that his process of development is effective. This will play a significant role in ensuring that the child grows to be a morally and psychologically stable individual as an adult. References Graham, D. (2010). Environmental Factors Affecting the Growth of Children. The  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2(1), 44-50. Urie, B. (2006). Ecology of the Family as a Context for Human Development: Research Perspectives. Developmental Psychology, 22(6), 723-742

Grades 9-12 Lesson plan on Political Status Of Puerto Rico for a Assignment

Grades 9-12 Lesson plan on Political Status Of Puerto Rico for a foreign language class (Spanish) in Florida USA - Assignment Example It demonstrates the power of the country to manage its foreign relations with other nations or states. 2. Citizenship is defined as person(s) entitled to enjoy privileges granted and all the legal rights by a state to its people who comprise a constituency and is mandated to obey and respect all the laws. They should also fulfill duties and responsibilities. 3. Rights of residents are governed by their ability to exercise their constitutional mandate to participate in political processes such as voting in local and national elections, representing their countries in various activities and functions and actively getting involved in nation building as one people. Importance: It is crucial for students in a foreign language class to appreciate the concept of level of autonomy, citizenship and rights of residents. It will help the students to understand the level of independence of the people of Puerto Rico, and the status of their citizenship in relation to the Jones-Shafroth Act of 191 7. The Spanish students will also appreciate the role of Spanish as a language in creating a holistic picture of what entails the other issues like political participation, judiciary and taxation. II. INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S)/OUTCOMES (What Is to Be Learned) 1. Objective By the end of this lesson, the students will have understood the meaning of Level of autonomy, citizenship and rights of residents. ... LACC.K.SL.2.4: Explain relevant concepts such as ethnicity, nationhood, leadership, and bill of rights and, with guidance and support, avail additional information. LACC.K.SL.2.5: Provide pictures, maps and Google images of people, infrastructure and political settings to descriptions as needed to give significant detail. LACC.K.L.1.1: Show command of understanding Spanish using standardized grammar and usage when writing or speaking. LACC.K.W.1.1: Use a connection of pictures, audio-visuals displays and writing to present and compose opinion pieces, which guides a reader through the topic or the name of the book they are reading. The learners should identify with their favorite audio-visual like the making of a nation, independence struggles and the people of Puerto Rico. 3. Goal 3 Standards Standard 1: Spanish class in Florida can locate, understand, interpret, analyze, keep, and apply information, ideas and concepts found in social science, the symbols, symbols, arts, recordings, video and audio displays, and computer files so as to carry out tasks and/or for understanding. The students will show an understanding and following directions to read a map. Standard 2: Florida students communicate in Spanish and other languages using Information, concepts, symbols, prose, reports, video and audio recordings, graphic displays, speeches and computer-related programs. The students will write, read, and use technical support like projectors to do their activity. Standard 3: Spanish class in Florida use creative thinking skills to produce new concepts and ideas, make the optimal decision that recognizes and solves problems through interpretation of maps, reasoning, and come up with effective methods to lifelong learning.

Proctor & Gamble Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proctor & Gamble - Case Study Example Both top and bottom line products suitable for these counties should be developed more by P & G. The company should think about merger and acquisition strategies to create new business in these countries. P&G has 300 plus brands sold in more than 180 countries at the moment. Even though majority of these brands are performing well, some of them are performing below par. The company has 22 billion-dollar brands and 19 half-billion-dollar brands (P & G Media kit, p.4). 70 to 80 brands account for 90 percent of P&G sales and 95 percent of its profit (Monk). In other words, around 100 brands perform insignificantly for P & G. P & G believes that the time and efforts given for the sustainment of these underperforming brands can be better utilized for the development of better performing brands. In my opinion, P & G’s strategy will be successful since the closure or the restructuring of underperforming brands would help the company to allocate more resources to the better performing brands and thereby monopolize concerned markets. Therefore, investors need not worry too much about the brand restructuring strategies of P& G. A.G. Lafley is the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Procter & Gamble. It is believed that Lafley was rehired mainly because of the inefficiency of Robert McDonald, the predecessor of Lafley. Under the leadership of McDonald, the company failed to win in emerging markets because of its poor organizational structure, marketing problems, and bloated overhead (Nisen). Lafley on the other hand is believed to be an expert in increasing company value through various strategies. His leadership style is highly motivating and his business principles are highly effective in modern day market. His book â€Å"playing to win† helps organizational leaders to learn some important lessons about the importance of every day actions, and strategies built

They Thought They Were Free Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

They Thought They Were Free - Essay Example The Versailles Treaty punished the losing Germans severely. Weapons production of any kind was banned. A heavy monetary cost of the war was also levied against Germany. Many Germans were over taxed, unemployed, and morally defeated. Adolf Hitler was one of these Germans. He wanted to change Germany. Hitler did not get up and make a speech about killing six million Jews, or starting a war that killed twelve million more. He did not get up and promise a war that would devastate Germany forever. Hitler promised a prosperous Germany. The promise of a good economy was the first bit that seduced the German people. The second seduction was national German pride. After the German loss during World War I, the German morale was at an all time low. Germans wanted a reason to believe in Germany. Hitler gave them those reasons. The pride, economic boost, and strong government helped the Germans regain a proud nation. The concentration camps, war, and death all came gradually. Heinrich Hildebrandt , interviewed by Mayor, explained: "What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand, or so dangerous that, even if the people could not understand it, it could not be released because of national security. And their sense of identification with Hitler, their trust in him, made it easier to widen this gap and reassured those who would otherwise have worried about it.† (1971:166). The evilness of the Third Reich came about gradually. The Nazis groomed the regular German citizens. As Major pointed out anti-Semitism was a way of life in Kronenberg since the Middle Ages. As the Race Laws started to take effect, many Germans including those in Kronenberg were not too upset. The isolation of the Jews had been a way of life for centuries. Thus w hen Kristallnacht occurred on November 9, 1938 the people of Kronenberg probably did not realize what was really going on. Kristallnacht was also justified by the killing of a German diplomat in Paris, France by a Jew. The Germans really thought that the Jews were trying to attack them. They wanted a little retribution by burning the Synagogues and smashing Jewish business’ windows. The German people at this time did not think six million Jews would die as the result of this action. When SA Kuhling ordered the Synagogue to be burned, Sturmfurher Schwenke, an unemployed tailor, followed orders. Not all of the Nazis, especially the leaders or SS were mentally stable. For example, Sturmfurher Schwenke had wet the bet until he was twenty-two years old (Major 1971:22). The Nazis put the brutal mentally off men in charge of other innocent civilians. People like Gustav Schwenke would not have balked at an order that made them feel important. The momentum then swept the other German citizens away. If World War II had not broke out, maybe the German citizens might have spoken out more. However Hitler and the Nazi government would use the war to justify everything. Jews were resettled to prevent them from working with the enemy. The Americans did the same with Japanese Americans. It seemed logical. Even if Germans became uneasy they did

Multiphase Environmental Flows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Multiphase Environmental Flows - Essay Example The other method involves the use of Eulerian/ Lagrangian method in which the particles are treated individually or as a group tracked by the Lagrangian frame of reference. Cundall and Starck developed the discrete element method in 1979 and has been widely used for the study of parcticles in the solid state. Studies conducted using DEM coupled with CFD showed that particles move in plugs along the conveying pipes. According to Kuang et al (2008), one of the most important technologies in the industry is dense phase pneumatic transportation of bulk material in the slug form. In his research paper, Kuang et al (2008) focuses on the numerical study of the slug flow in horizontal pneumatic conveyor by means of discrete particle simulation. Low velocity and dense gas system are common in industries such as mineral processing, agricultural industries and chemical industries. Slug flow is used in the industry to transport materials from one location to another. The slug flow is particularly considered in industries because of its ability to reduce the degradation of plant and also reduce wear. The power utilization of the system is also superior as compared to other flows. The study and simulation of the slug flow therefore brings into light the nature of flow with the aim of understanding the system and improving it. According to the research done by Kuang (2008), the particles used were spherical in shape, made of polythene material with a diameter (dp) of the particle density (pp) was 922 Kgm-3.air was used for the gas phase. The viscosity was taken to be and a density of .The underlying equations for particle flow were the rotational and translation motion determined by the Newton's laws of motion given as; 1 And 2 Where mi is the mass, Ii is the momentum or rotation inertia, is the rotational velocity while is the translational velocity of the particles (Kuang et al, 2008). For the gas phase, the gas flow was considered as a continuous phase and the governing equations are as shown below. 3 4 The coupling method used in Kuang (2008) simulations was both DEM and CFD. At an individual particle scale, modeling of the flow was done using DEM while the gas flow modeling was done using CFD. At each step, DEM gave information of the velocity and position of the particles. The data given by DEM was used by CFD to determine the gas flow field; this then yielded the particle fluid forces acting on individual particles. The resulting forces were then incorporated into DEM to yield the next time phase. The simulation test lasted for 15 seconds, numerical flow during the first 2 seconds was not considered in the analysis as only the macroscopically stable slug flow was considered during the simulation. Property mapping due to the many particles that reside in a given cell was done; the mapping technique was used to aid in the correct calculation of particle fluid force acting on the particle. The least square interpolation was used. Based on this interpolation the particle position wa s given by; 5 Where is the gas properties at the cell center and Is the particle position at the cell center. is The vector denoting the distance from the cell center

The Problem with Juveniles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Problem with Juveniles - Essay Example After 5:00 pm, at the corner market, you will find large masses of adolescents and teenagers congregating outside of the building. Until well after midnight, outside of the community convenience store, youths are simply standing in front of the doors dissuading shoppers from entering the building with rather intimidating and unusual behaviors. Are these youths involved in charitable activities or even socializing for lack of a more appropriate social venue? No. Each individual juvenile apparently seems to be unaware of the presence of their peers, simply leaning against the commercial centers staring off into space or tossing copper pennies against the concrete. There is a serious problem with the psychological well-being of community juveniles who are illustrating both anti-social behavior and disinterest in typical youth socialization. During this development period, it is normal for youths who are seeking identity through peer associations to engage in a variety of social recreati on activities ranging from skateboarding to sleepovers. In most communities, youths can be witnessed riding bicycles, playing sports, and maintaining close-knit cliques as they form typical peer networks of support and friendship. In this community, youths are much like zombies, expressing very little desire for seeking peer support and generally illustrating very little emotion normal for a well-adjusted youth. It leaves adults in the community wondering where local support for adolescent and teen recreation has been in recent years. Are there little league teams available for membership? Do school officials advocate and promote the importance of extra-curricular activity for better social adjustment? Are parents encouraging juveniles to seek regular peer activities? Where is the business sponsorship of sporting events for adolescents and teens that are common in other communities across the nation? It is not my intention to point my proverbial finger at the adults in this communit y, however there is clearly disengagement between grown-ups and youths occurring and it is creating a generation of young people without the collective and social mentality needed for successful transition as leaders of tomorrow’s community. Sports and peer networking are critical aspects as they create a sense of belonging which, ultimately, leads to self-confidence and self-esteem under many trusted and respected models of psychology and sociology. Think backwards to your own youth experience and count the volume of times that you were able to rely on peer networks during periods of emotional confusion and depression. If these youths are unable to engage one another in the here-and-now, what legacy do you think this will leave ten years from now? Twenty? Maladjusted teens and adolescents have very long-term implications for all of us in the community. It is high time that adult citizens, businesspersons, school governance, and community governance assemble to discuss this v ery serious problem with juvenile disconnection. Most communities maintain recreational centers with special activities targeted at juvenile-aged youths to promote more effective socialization and establish networks of supports with same-aged juveniles and respected adult community figures. I know it is quite easy to simply purchase a television and gaming system as a means of entertaining youths, however they are clearly abandoning these options since they are ever-present standing outside of commercial businesses like mindless and automated robots, seemingly desperate for someone in the community to notice they are greatly in need. Well, fortunately for these youths I recognize their troubling situation and strongly propose that all of us adults come together to provide adequate solutions before it is too late.

Multiphase Environmental Flows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Multiphase Environmental Flows - Essay Example The other method involves the use of Eulerian/ Lagrangian method in which the particles are treated individually or as a group tracked by the Lagrangian frame of reference. Cundall and Starck developed the discrete element method in 1979 and has been widely used for the study of parcticles in the solid state. Studies conducted using DEM coupled with CFD showed that particles move in plugs along the conveying pipes. According to Kuang et al (2008), one of the most important technologies in the industry is dense phase pneumatic transportation of bulk material in the slug form. In his research paper, Kuang et al (2008) focuses on the numerical study of the slug flow in horizontal pneumatic conveyor by means of discrete particle simulation. Low velocity and dense gas system are common in industries such as mineral processing, agricultural industries and chemical industries. Slug flow is used in the industry to transport materials from one location to another. The slug flow is particularly considered in industries because of its ability to reduce the degradation of plant and also reduce wear. The power utilization of the system is also superior as compared to other flows. The study and simulation of the slug flow therefore brings into light the nature of flow with the aim of understanding the system and improving it. According to the research done by Kuang (2008), the particles used were spherical in shape, made of polythene material with a diameter (dp) of the particle density (pp) was 922 Kgm-3.air was used for the gas phase. The viscosity was taken to be and a density of .The underlying equations for particle flow were the rotational and translation motion determined by the Newton's laws of motion given as; 1 And 2 Where mi is the mass, Ii is the momentum or rotation inertia, is the rotational velocity while is the translational velocity of the particles (Kuang et al, 2008). For the gas phase, the gas flow was considered as a continuous phase and the governing equations are as shown below. 3 4 The coupling method used in Kuang (2008) simulations was both DEM and CFD. At an individual particle scale, modeling of the flow was done using DEM while the gas flow modeling was done using CFD. At each step, DEM gave information of the velocity and position of the particles. The data given by DEM was used by CFD to determine the gas flow field; this then yielded the particle fluid forces acting on individual particles. The resulting forces were then incorporated into DEM to yield the next time phase. The simulation test lasted for 15 seconds, numerical flow during the first 2 seconds was not considered in the analysis as only the macroscopically stable slug flow was considered during the simulation. Property mapping due to the many particles that reside in a given cell was done; the mapping technique was used to aid in the correct calculation of particle fluid force acting on the particle. The least square interpolation was used. Based on this interpolation the particle position wa s given by; 5 Where is the gas properties at the cell center and Is the particle position at the cell center. is The vector denoting the distance from the cell center

Mad Cow Disease Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mad Cow Disease - Case Study Example (see figure below). Preliminary information indicates that this most recent BSE case occurred in a13 year old beef cow from Alberta. Thus, this animal was born before the implementation of Canada's 1997 feed ban," Further elaborating that, "Through 2007, BSE surveillance has identified 15 cases in North America: three BSE cases in the United States and 12 in Canada. Of the three cases identified in the United States, one was born in Canada; of the 12 cases identified in Canada, one was imported from the United Kingdom (see figure above). Assuming that the proportions of animals sampled that were found to have BSE similarly reflect each country's BSE prevalence, the surveillance data indicate that the prevalence of BSE in Canada is well over 20-fold higher than that in the United States (see BSE Prevalence below). (CDC p.1). The following is a graph obtained from the CDC's webpage of those impacted within North America. The first known case of BSE in the United States was identified in December 2003. On December 23, 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a presumptive diagnosis of BSE in an adult Holstein cow from Washington State. This diagnosis was confirmed by an international reference laboratory in Weybridge, England, on December 25. Preliminary trace-back based on an ear-tag identification number suggested that the BSE-infected cow was imported into the United States from Canada in August 2001. The preliminary trace-back identification of the animal was later confirmed by genetic testing. On June 24, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced receipt of final results from The Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, England, confirming BSE in a cow that had conflicting test results in 2004. This cow was from Texas and represented the first endemic case of BSE in the United States. On March 13, 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the confirmation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow in Alabama. The newly confirmed case was identified in a non-ambulatory (downer) cow on a farm in Alabama. The animal was euthanized by a local veterinarian and buried on the farm. The age of the cow was estimated by examination of the dentition as 10-years-old. It had no ear tags or distinctive marks; the herd of origin could not be identified despite an intense investigation (see Alabama BSE Investigation, Final Epidemiology Report, May 2006 [PDF - 105 KB]). (CDC p.1). History (B) "Mad cow disease spread widely among the cattle herds of England in the 1990's because cows were fed bone meal prepared from cattle carcasses to increase the protein content of their diet. Like the Fore, the British cattle were literally eating the tissue of cattle that had died of the disease," (Johnson p.677). Even earlier than that, "Research indicates that the first probable infections of BSE in cows occurred during the 1970's with two cases of BSE being identified in 1986. BSE possibly originated as a result of feeding cattle meat-and-bone meal that contained scrapie-infected sheep products. Scrapie is a prion disease of sheep. There is strong evidence and general agreement

Occular Visit in Barangay San Miguel Essay Example for Free

Occular Visit in Barangay San Miguel Essay I noticed that there are plenty of different shops in the area. It is a good aspect having plenty of shops because that means that the people will never run out of choices just in case they need to buy their needs. There are plenty of shops, that is why I noticed plenty of people too. Another positive aspect about the barangay is that I noticed plenty of uniformed men and women roaming the area. They are obviously the† kagawads† or â€Å"tanods† in the barangay. They are doing their job in monitoring the people’s business so that they can respond to their needs. We later went inside the Barangay Hall. I felt secure inside the place because I noticed the guards taking a good lookout of the area. But when we went inside, the barangay captain was unfortunately not there. So the other officials were the ones who took care of our agenda with them. The first thing that I did not like about the barangay is the litter scattered around the streets. I also did not like the environment because there are plenty of suspicious looking individuals around that made me feel uncomfortable. After our agenda with the barangay officials, we learned that we could use the basketball court beside the barangay hall for our desired community service. We went to the court to take a look at it. I noticed plenty of children playing. So I thought that we should make a get together party for the children in the area. For me, it is a good idea because the children will get to make friends with their fellow youth in the area. Maybe because of the get together activity, they will get united as they grow up to be adults. And of course, when they grow close with each other, their children will also get close. I would liketo see a united community of friends, that is why I propose that kind of activity for the children.

Paul Samuelson: An Intellectual Biography

Paul Samuelson: An Intellectual Biography Abstract Paul Samuelson was one of the greatest economists from the 20thcentury. The man has created many aspects of contemporary economics. Therefore, we can discuss basically anything from economic growth, welfare economics, stabilization policies, international trade, or anyone of the other issues that many have caught your eye (Nordhaus, 2005). The following paper shows the one of the greatest contribution that Paul Samuelson offered to the world of economics. Paul Samuelson- An Intellectual Biography Introduction Paul Samuelson is well known as Americas first Nobel Prize winner in economics (Henderson, 2008). He is also most recognized as the first economist to increase the height of mathematical analysis in the business (Nordhaus, 2005). He also has created many aspects of contemporary economics that we can discuss basically anything from economic growth, welfare economics, stabilization policies, international trade, or anyone of the other issues that many have caught your eye (Nordhaus, 2005). Early Life Paul Samuelson was born in Gary, Indiana, in 1915. His first degree was a Bachelor of Arts from Chicago University in 1935 (Paul A. Samuelson Biographical). His second degree was a Master of Arts in 1936. His third degree was a Doctor of Philosophy in 1941 from Harvard University (Paul A. Samuelson Biographical). From the period of 1937-1940 Samuelson was a Social Science Research Council pre-doctoral fellow. He was also a Society of Fellows member at Harvard University from 1937-1940. From 1958-1959 he was also a Ford Foundation Research Fellow (Paul A. Samuelson Biographical). In 1961 Samuelson received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from both Chicago University and Oberlin College (Paul A. Samuelson Biographical). He also received two more honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Indiana University and East Anglia University in 1966 (Paul A. Samuelson Biographical). Public Good Theory In The Pure Theory of Public Expenditure by Paul Samuelson he discussed his theory about private good versus public good and how there is no real way to calculate how much we can ever have of public goods (Samuelson). With that said we will discuss what Global Public Goods are, how we manage these goods, and whether future technology with affect these goods (Nordhaus, 2005). Global Public Goods can be described based off what a public good is, which is defined based of two main points. The first is that a public good is non-rivalry of consumption which basically states that each persons utilization of a good leads to no reduction from someone elses use of the same good (Éloit, 2012). The other one is that a public good is non-excludability of use which basically states that the good cannot be saved for one individual; it has to be accessible to everyone (Éloit, 2012). The largest global public good would be water. That is just the most widely accessibly pure global public good. Now in regards to the different levels of pure private and public goods and impure private and public goods they overlap quite frequently and therefore there are very few true and pure public goods (Nordhaus, 2005). We can then say that global public goods are not that different from other public goods. They are just the only ones where the effects spill around the world a nd for a significant period of time. Now that we know what global public goods are how do and can we manage them? To begin we have to understand that there is no instrument by which global citizens can use to make the collective decisions in regards to the issues that come from these types of goods (Nordhaus, 2005). The way we try to manage these goods is through individual governments, but there are times when that is not particularly possible. This is known as the Westphalian dilemma (Nordhaus, 2005). Lastly, we will need to know how future technology with affect these goods. A forgotten aspect in regards to global public goods is the type of technology used to produce these goods (Nordhaus, 2005). It is with that said that depending on the type of technology used to make the public goods varies and thus decides the rules and place that can make the public goods the most effectively based on said technology (Nordhaus, 2005). Contemporary Example Now there are many economic issues that are hurting the world from housing problems, to the internet, trade, and taxes all impact the world these days the largest problem is actually with America (Barfield, 2014). We have many of these problems occurring in our community down our streets. A very large issue we are facing would be the current tax reforms that the politicians keep discussing. So over that last few decades many other countries all over the globe have reduced their corporate tax rates, which has left America with the largest rate in the world (Barfield, 2014). This issue from an economic point of view severely lowers the amount of investments that occur in the United States, with that said we can see that productivity is being strangled and wages have been significantly lowered. Currently, all political avenues that have been taken have failed to do anything to resolve this problem and the ideas being considered would not even put a dent in the current tax load for inves tments within the United States (Barfield, 2014). With that said one aspect I think Paul Samuelson would be inclined to discuss would be to fully eliminate corporate tax as a whole and only tax corporate income at the stockholders level (Barfield, 2014). Another aspect I think Samuelson would be inclined to discuss would be to allow investment expenses to be instantly deducted rather than written off over many years (Barfield, 2014). I feel that the reason he would agree to either of these responses is because each one allows for much more economic growth. I also feel that based off his theory on public goods that he would rather have growth in this way because it benefits many instead of just the private goods of the corporate tax payers. Now the main reason I say that is because either of the aspects would help abridge the tax system, they would also promote investments, and they would increase the wages over the county. Published Theories Now besides Samuelsons theories on public goods he also published many other articles. His first was A Note on the Measurements of Utility which was how he coined the term revealed preference (Henderson, 2008). This essentially was a test to see if the consumer showed their preferences by their choices thus revealed preferences (Henderson, 2008).Foundations of Economic Analysis went and revolutionized mathematics in regards to economics and essentially depicts how all economic actions are understandable by either maximizing or minimizing the subject to a specific constraint (Henderson, 2008). Samuelson has also brought essential insight into finance theory, consumer theory, capital theory, welfare economics, macroeconomics, dynamics and general equilibrium, and international trade (Henderson, 2008). Now for Samuelson finance theory allowed him to express his ability to show that commodity futures prices were meant to change randomly (Henderson, 2008). He also did some major ground bl azing work in capital theory; however his donations to this aspect are too vast to explain in laymans terms. Samuelson also proved in mathematics that there are circumstances when differentials would be calculated to zero (Henderson, 2008). The factor price equalization theorem is what Samuelson used to prove this situation. Samuelsons theories in macroeconomics tried to combine the accelerator theory of investment with the Keynesian income determination model to prove the recurring parts of business cycles (Henderson, 2008). He also came up with other theories and he even wrote many other articles and textbooks. These are just a handful of his published theories. Conclusion In this discussion you have learned that Paul Samuelson is a very well known economist. During his life he taught and learned about many different theories that have helped evolve economics today. One of his most significant theories would be about public goods. Today it depicts the differences between pure and impure goods in regards to whether they are public or private. We can also see based off this theory how Samuelson may approach the current issue of the Tax reform in America. The main reason that global public goods relate to Americas tax reform is that by creating the wages and investment possibilities it allows for more trade which allows for more goods to be made available to more people at no additional cost. Therefore, I conclude that Paul Samuelson is one of the greatest economists due to what he has left for future economic generations to come. References Barfield, C., Eisenach, J., Jensen, M., Makin, J., Mathur, A., Oliner, S., et al. (2014, January 23). American Enterprise Institute. Five challenges facing the American economy in 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from http://www.aei.org/article/economics/five-challenges-facing-the-american-economy-in-2014/ Éloit, M. (2012, January 1). The global public good concept: a means of promoting good veterinary governance. . Retrieved June 7, 2014, from http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D12207.PDF Henderson, D. (2008). Paul Anthony Samuelson. In The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (). Indianapolis, Indiana: Liberty Fund, Inc. Nordhaus, W. Paul Samuelson and Global Public Goods. . Retrieved June 5, 2014, from http://www.econ.yale.edu/~nordhaus/homepage/PASandGPG.pdf Paul A. Samuelson Biographical. (n.d.). Paul A. Samuelson Biographical. Retrieved June 7, 2014, from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economic-sciences/laureates/1970/samuelson-bio.html Samuelson, P. The Pure Theory of Public Expenditure. The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 36, 387-389. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from http://www.ses.unam.mx/docencia/2007II/Lecturas/Mod3_Samuelson.pdf

We Wear the Mask Essay -- Literature

Paul Laurence Dunbar’s â€Å"We Wear the Mask† is a lyric poem in which the point of attraction, the mask, represents the oppression and sadness held by African Americans in the late 19th century, around the time of slavery. As the poem progresses, Dunbar reveals the faà §ade of the mask, portrayed in the third stanza where the speaker states, â€Å"But let the dream otherwise† (13). The unreal character of the mask has played a significant role over the life of African Americans, whom pretend to put on a smile when they feel sad internally. This ocassion, according to Dunbar, is the â€Å"debt we pay to human guile," meaning that their sadness is related to them deceiving others. Unlike his other poems, with its prevalent use of black dialect, Dunbar’s â€Å"We Wear the Mask† acts as â€Å"an apologia (or justification) for the minstrel quality of some of his dialect poems† (Desmet, Hart and Miller 466). Through the utilization of iambic t etrameter, end rhyme, sound devices and figurative language, the speaker expresses the hidden pain and suffering African Americans possessed, as they were â€Å"tortured souls† behind their masks (10). The poem’s meter, iambic tetrameter, stands for the speaker’s heartfelt attitude regarding the sorrow that blacks kept away from whites, and in some cases, themselves. In the first stanza, the speaker proclaims that â€Å"[w]ith torn and bleeding hearts we smile, / And mouth with myriad subtleties† (4-5). During the time Dunbar published â€Å"We Wear the Mask,† blacks were treated with no dignity and were discriminated against on a constant basis. They felt they could not do anything to stop the series of unfortunate events that were happening to them, such as beatings, lynches, and no sufficient way to earn income or educ... ...eding hearts† and â€Å"mouth . . . . myriad subtleties† (4-5).Today, everyone is entitled to having equal opportunities in the US. Back in Dunbar’s time, on the other hand, slavery prohibited blacks from being an ordinary person in society. Although they prayed heavily and persevered, they wore the mask for the time-being, in the hopes of living in a world where the color of one’s skin would not determine his or her character. Works Cited Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "We Wear the Mask." Prentice Hall: Literature Portfolio. Ed. Christy Desmet, D. Alexis Hart, and Deborah Church Miller. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2007. 466-67. Print. "Paul Laurence Dunbar." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 9 February 2012. Web. 12 February 2012.

IMC and ethical concerns Essay -- essays research papers

IMC and Ethical Concerns With the constant advances in technology, the business world has become global. Companies compete with the business across the street as well as the business halfway around the globe. Organizations must be innovative to not only thrive but also just to survive. They must be aware of the internal and external factors both locally and globally that can affect their business. Internal Factor and External Factors Internal factors are within the organization. They encompass the marketing mix, ethics, corporate culture, and diversity. The company should ensure that the internal factors are conducive to and support the marketing message that they are trying to convey. If a company’s advertised benefit is excellent customer service, employees need to be empowered to take care of customer concerns quickly. If the organizational structure is vertical, the internal factors may not be in line with the message and will create dissatisfaction among consumers. External factors are factors such as the culture or social standards in a community, the economic status of the nation, technological advances, legal parameters, the competitive landscape, and ethics. These factors are not within the control of the company. Businesses should be flexible and be able to react to changes in the business environment and implement necessary changes internally. In order to do this, research is essential. A compan y must know all that they can about their product or service, the loca...

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Chapters 1 to 4 Essay

1. What does Twain accomplish by using Huck as narrator? When Mark Twain uses Huck as narrator, it allows the reader to gain an insight on Huck Finn’s emotions and what his outlook is on a topic. The reader then can learn more about Huckleberry Finn and how he thinks. 2. What is the significance in the encounter with the spider? The significance of the spider is to show the reader that in older times, people were far more superstitious than they are in present ­day. When Huck flings the spider into the candle’s flame, he sees it as a bad omen, which also may foreshadow for the coming conflict in the book. 3. How is Jim introduced? In, ​  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn​, the slave Jim is first introduced when Huck is sneaking out of the widow’s household with Tom Sawyer and through the garden, Huck trips over a root by the kitchen. Within the kitchen is Jim, one of Miss Watson’s slaves. Jim hears the sound of Huck tripping and he goes to investigate. Tom and Huck then crouch down on the ground to hide. Jim then announces he will stay until he finds out what made the noise, but then eventually falls asleep. 4. What contrast between Huck and Tom is established? In chapter’s 1 ­4, the contrast between Huck and Tom that is established is that Huck is more of an outsider and Tom is popular. During the talk in the cave, Tom is the considered the leader within the group, whereas Huck is more of an outcast since he has no family. 5. What is significant in Jim’s story of the witches? The significance of Jim’s story of the witches is that everyone lies. At the beginning of the first chapter, the reader establishes the fact of how everyone has lied some point or another. When Jim speaks of how witches rode him across the country, it gives the reader an example of how someone lied. 6. What humor is involved in the use of the word â€Å"ransom†? During Tom’s gang’s discussion in the cave, they debate the meaning of the word ‘ransom.’ Since Tom has read robber books, he speaks of holding women in their cave until their ‘ransomed.’ Eventually, the boys come to the conclusion that ransom means death, and that they will keep women in the cave until death. 7. What two aspects of religion are presented? In ​  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn​, Twain presents satirizes the two different   aspects of hypocrisy and manipulation in religion. 8. What is the meaning of Huck’s remark that rubbing his â€Å"magic† lamp and ring had â€Å"all the marks of a Sunday school†? The meaning of Huck’s remark is that Sunday School was disappointing for him and the â€Å"magic† lamp wasn’t really magical. Since the lamp didn’t have any magic, it disappointed him.

Is Experience the Best Teacher? Essay

My whole life I’ve been told practice makes perfect. Whether it’s in the tennis court or in math class, the more you practice something, the better you become at it. In the last few years I’ve found out that practicing and doing is not the same thing. Harry Callahan once said, _†experience is the best teacher†_ and without a doubt it is. You can sit five hours taking a business class or 10 hours in a tennis practice but until you go out to the real world and start doing business with other people or play a real tennis tournament you wont _really_ LEARN. When experiencing things we all make mistakes and making mistakes, in the broad scheme of things, is good as long as we learn from them. Through the different experiences I’ve had through tennis, my musical adventures and my business deals, I’ve learned from my errors, picked myself up from the ground, and ultimately grown as a human being. On August 10, 2000 I stepped on to the tennis court for my first tennis lessons. I had previously tried to play the sport but this day I was determined to start a journey in which I could master it. After my first real tennis year, I improved at an incredible pace, and went a summer to the world-renowned Nick Bolletierri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. At merely 11 years old, I found myself without my family and in an unknown place, but that didn’t stop me from doing what I most loved, playing tennis. After that summer I fell in love with that sport and went the next two summers to Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in Tampa Bay Florida, where I polished my skills and started to play a few serious tournaments. The first tournaments that I played made me realize that no matter how much I had practiced in the tennis court, this was not practice, and at the beginning, my lack of tournament experience, hindered my ability to perform at my utmost level. In the few tournaments that I played in Florida and the dozens of tournaments I have played here, I have learned that practicing something  and doing it were two different things. The more I made mistakes and the more I was about to win a game, but then lost, were part of an experience which through time made me a better player. Everyone likes music, and everyone enjoys it, but there are some of us that absorb music and make it part of our everyday life. I have always been a huge music fan and in 2003 I decided to buy a guitar. Unlike my friends who â€Å"heard† music, I listened to it and analyzed it, taking it seriously and making it part of my life. After playing guitar for several months alone in my room I formed a band with a few friends of mine, who at the time, shared the same musical taste as me. We had a lot of trouble at the beginning adjusting, because despite the fact that we each knew had to play our instrument, playing all together was clearly not the same. After a few months of cleaning up the sound of our band, we decided to go ahead and play in front of a crowd so we signed up for the Annual School Talent Show. We were so proud and confident of ourselves that we announced it to all of our friends and made a big deal about. On May 22, 2004, a day before my fourteenth birthday, we stepped onto the stage, in front of our whole school, and started to play â€Å"Seven Nations Army† by the White Stripes, the only song we practiced for the past two months. Amid the performance we were all looking at each other realizing that everything was sounding filthy and disorganized. As we were playing we saw the faces of our friends in the crowd, who tried disguising the fact that we had played terribly. After that talent show, and several other terrible self-humiliating performances, we decided that we had enough embarrassment and we had to improve as a band. After several months of intense practicing, and the previous shameful experiences we had gone through, we started to become better and better. A year and a half after the dreadful talent show performance we found ourselves playing in front of hundreds of people, and getting paid to do what we loved the most. Months later I stepped onto another musical journey but this time in the Motion Picture field. I started to make a movie with a couple of friends that ended up receiving massive national attention. The movie started out as a project just for us to enjoy but as the Musical Director and Executive Producer, I knew we had something good in our hands and decided to make the most out of it. Eight months later it was viewed  across all the movie theaters in the capital and all the Movie Rentals in the country. The day after it was released in the movie theaters, we did over 4 newspaper interviews, over 5 live television interviews and we were reading on all major newspapers the headline â€Å"Dominican Boys Make National Movie.† After the success of the movie and my very acclaimed role as Musical Director, we received a contract from one of the biggest businessman in the Dominican Republic, to direct and produce his next upcoming movie. As of know we have just started to film that movie, but if it weren’t for all the times I humiliated myself on stage, or all the times I had to continue playing in front of people who were tired of listening and just wished for us to st op, If it weren’t for all those experiences, I wouldn’t be where I am know. Being the independent person that I am, I do not like to ask for a lot of favors or gifts. Since I was a child, my father has taught me many vital lessons and one of them is that nothing is free and money is hard to get but easy to spend. After not being able to have many of the toys that I craved as a child, I was left with this notion in my head that I had to produce money since I was young in order to have what I want and not having to ask for it. At 15 I took action and talked to one of my best friends and current business partner about the possibilities of making t-shirts and selling it among my friends. After a few months we hired a man, who has made t-shirts for a living for over a decade, and paid him to make about one-hundred t-shirts and sold them all in a period of a month. We made a good profit and decided to take our business further. After months asking for a valuable meeting in Plaza Lama, the biggest department store in the Dominican Republic, I finally received it an d after almost two hours of heavy persuasion my partner and I finally landed a contract of over 1200 t-shirts to sell in their main store. We immediately went to talk to our t-shirt manufacturer and after being to negotiate with him the prices, in order to receive a reasonable amount of profit, we got to an agreement. He was not as responsible as he seemed and took more time than promised, but we were fine since the t-shirts sold perfectly in Plaza Lama and we were just in time to receive a new contract. As we were sitting in Plaza Lama in a meeting with the manager of the clothing department, we received news that our  manufacturer was manufacturing more of our t-shirts and selling them to another department store without permission making himself a fortune and not giving us our equal pay. After a profound exchange of words with our manufacturer, we decided to part ways and take control of our own future by manufacturing our own shirts, due to the fact that we had received a new contract for over 3,200 t-shirts to sell at all their national stores. Being inspired by an â€Å"outsourcing† lesson in my economics class I talked to my partner about the possibilities of producing the shirts outside of the capital, where labor and production was cheaper, in order to increase profits. We did just that and in 6 weeks we produced all the t-shirts at half the price than before. We had to work harder since we were the ones organizing and transporting them. After a lot of hard work and effort, those t-shirts were all sold, we were paid and we realized that our companies’ profit had increased over 600% from the past set of t-shirts. Now we find ourselves selling over 3000 t-shirts a month, earning a solid amount of money, and starting to build a webpage to offer our t-shirts to anyone interested in the Caribbean. Learning from our mistakes in the past, and learning not to put too much trust on anyone, made us grow as business man and most importantly learn that money, unlike many people of my age do not know, is very hard to e arn and very easy to spend. The experiences I have been through in life, have taught me lessons more valuable than any other teacher has been able to teach me in a classroom. When you go out and experience things and make mistakes, you learn from your errors, overcome those depressing moments and ultimately become a better human being.