All about Coal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

All about Coal - Research Paper Example The reason for the gathering of coal was primarily for household uses, namely heat. It was later discovered that it played an important role with its heating capabilities in smelting, alloy production and the generation of electricity. Sir George Bruce created a loading island where he sank a shaft connected to two others for drainage purposes and ventilation. This form of technology was extraordinary in coal mining during medieval times, often considered an industrial wonder of the time. In the 17th century many advances in the techniques used for mining were discovered, including test boring and drainage of the collieries, to allow the coal to be brought to the surface easier and more safely. Definition Merriam-Webster (2011) defines coal as â€Å"a piece of glowing carbon or charred wood†. This is a curious definition, as most would think of coal as simply a dirty, black rock that creates heat and is great for summer barbecues. The fact that it is defined as â€Å"glowingà ¢â‚¬  and â€Å"charred wood† leave the mind to wonder how was coal formed then? If it is already â€Å"charred wood†, why would we use it? It’s already been burned up, so what use can it be? The answer lies in the reason and process through which coal was formed. How coal was formed The formation of coal began around 300 million years ago, while most of the earth was covered by swamps, giant ferns and different mosses. Layer after layer of these plants died and subsequently were compressed and covered with new soil. As these new layers of soil covered the dead plants, the lack of air stopped the decomposition processes of the plants. This created peat, and throughout the years with heat and extensive pressure, it forced out oxygen and hydrogen, leaving carbon-rich deposits known as coal. As the carbon content of the coal increases, its compression is increased and the moisture content drops further. Thusly, there are four types of coal that form in subsequent order, each with its own grading scale, known as a â€Å"rank† (Speight, 2005). (stovesonline.co.uk) III. Four Categories of Coal The four categories of coal are lignite, subbituminous, bituminous and anthracite. Each one has its own ranking, based on the degree of which the original plant materials have been turned into carbon. These ranks are also used an estimation of how old the coal is. In general, the older the coal, the higher the carbon content. Lignite coal is the youngest of the four, and is most often used in the generation of electric power. It is a brownish black color and has a high moisture and sulphur content. It is more similar to soil than rocks and has a tendency to fragment when exposed to the elements. Subbituminous coal is often referred to as black lignite, although its moisture content is lower. It is also used for the generation of electricity, but also used for heating. Bituminous coal is a soft coal. iIt is dense and black with stripes of vibrant an d dull materials. This is the most commonly found and used type of coal, for coke (a residue of coal used in the steel industry), electricity, and heating as well. The last of the four, anthracite coal, is the hardest, oldest and best of the four types. It is black, glossy and very hard like a rock. It has the lowest sulphur content and the highest carbon

Herd Behavior in Financial Market Essay Example for Free

Herd Behavior in Financial Market Essay Definition of herding On Friday 14 September 2007, when Northern Rock in the UK opened it branches, many customers wanted to withdraw their savings and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 billion, about 5% of the total bank deposits were withdrawn that day. And on Monday 17 September, a similar situation happened in front of Northern Rock branches in the UK. Even though every customer does not have the same amount of information, they all decided to behave in the same way and some were following the others on the following days without any clear plan. People thought that they were going to lose their bank deposits and that type of bank customers behavior caused liquidity problem and made the situation even worse. However, none of the clients who kept their deposits lost due to the fact the British Government and the Bank of England would guarantee the safety of the deposits. How can we explain that kind of behavior? Originally Herding is a term meaning animal flocking behavior. And according to the definition of Wikipedia Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group (herd), maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place-or any combination of those. Apart from this bank run case, Herd behavior describes how individuals in a group can act together without planned direction. POSSIBLE EXPLICATION AND MECHANISM OF HERD BEHAVIOR Animals Herd Behavior According to evolutionary biologist W. D. Hamiltons theory animals are forming a group to reduce the danger of being hunted by predictors. As a unit, they are moving together to the same direction. Animals are behaving in the same way to minimize the risk on the behalf of self-protection. Maybe this kind of behavior sounds rational if the result is always optimistic but copying your neighbor can be the worst decision sometimes. When something goes wrong and someone leads the group to the wrong direction, the whole group is going to be in danger. Human Herd Behavior However, human herd behavior is much more complicated than animals one and several scholars tried to explain it. Friedrich Nietzsche referred it as herd morality and the herd instinct which explain the phenomena when a lot of people are behaving in the same way at the same time. And according to Thorstein Veblens theory, some people imitate the other people with higher status. Human beings are continuously competing with others in order to survive or surpass others, and they try to move faster in order to take advantage of the others. As the proverbs says the early bird catches the worm, they think the faster they make the decision or do whatever they can, the better it is. However, this does not always lead to success. Those decisions are based on the sources they have and the sources are Sanctions upon deviants dictators put their rivals in the prison (opposition is not allowed) Preference interactions some people are wearing Burberry coats just because the majority is wearing it while others prefer to wear coats with the colors they like Direct communication someone from your reference group or someone with credibility says that s/he likes certain products Observational influence you observe the consequences of others actions Based on such sources, people make decision whether to herd or disperse, but people are herding for different reasons and their behavior is classified into several models. Herding Models Payoff Externalities Models (also called Network Externalities) If more people are using facebook, it will attract more people to use facebook. In this case, people feel like they have to participate in the same situation so that they can have the same benefits. Information Cascade Models When you have a flood of information coming in, it is much more difficult to make a rational decision. Nowadays there are too many sources to consider and you can barely judge if information is true or false. In this kind of situation, people are getting irrational and they tend to make decision based on the decision of the majorities, and this situation is called information cascade which occurs when people observe the actions of others and then make the same choice that the others have made, independently of their own private information signals. They are seen in groups under immediate stress from external forces, such as herd behaviour. A cascade arises naturally when people usually see what others do but not what they know. Because it is usually sensible to do what other people are doing, even this can be against what the individual believes to be true. This behavior is independent from their own private information or opinion. Concept of information cascade is based on observational and social learning. People learn from their environment. Generally, people are oriented to avoid negative consequences of their decisions or behaviors. They wish to have positive results or effects. Thats why their behavior is related to social and observational learning. People subconsciously have the idea of It is more likely that I am wrong than that all those other people are wrong. Therefore, I will do as they do. Examples of Herding Behavior Bank runs: depositors running on banks when they observe other depositors doing so. More specifically, First; investors can observe in long run when others are running on banks. Second, forcing long-term projects to liquidate early possibly leads to shortfall of funds. From the payoff externalities models view, people are withdrawing their deposits because they feel like they are losing their money if they keep their money on the bank account. And from informational cascade models view, some people may think they are not going to lose their money on their bank account but they are following the others because they think they are not wise enough and others are withdrawing their money. In real case, Argentina experienced such a run in the last two days of November 2001, with total deposits in the banking system falling by more than 2 billion (US) dollars, or nearly 3 percent, on the second day of the run alone.1 Such runs were a common occurrence in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and have also occurred in recent times in several developing countries, including Brazil in 1990 and Ecuador in 1999. Asian crisis of 97-98, herding and speculation infection The Asian crisis of 1997-98 that led to a regional economic fall in East Asia can be traced to overexpansion and under-regulation. The center of the Asian crisis was Thailands careless macroeconomic management that featured a fraudulent financial sector. The Asian expansion of the crisis was a due to the existing global financial integration (and similar export dependencies), current account inequities and attached exchange rates all mixed with the damaging effect of speculation and herding spreading all over the region. Resulting structural reforms and adjustments in Thailand and other damaged Asian nations came from the International Monetary Fund. A major result was a balanced exchange rate regime now prevalent in much of East Asia. Facts: During 1995 a number of experts started to wonder if the countries of Southeast Asia might be vulnerable to a macroeconomic crisis do to the poor administration of its financial procedures and to the volatility of their related economies. The main indicator was the rise of very large current account deficits among several Asian countries. Closer examination also revealed that several of the countries had developed some financial weaknesses: heavy investment in highly speculative real estate ventures, financed by borrowing from badly informed foreign sources or by credit from non regulated domestic financial institutions. Its now known that during 1996 officials from the IMF and World Bank actually began warning the governments of Thailand, Malaysia, and other countries of the existing risks by their financial situation, and asked them to apply corrective policies. However, those governments rejected the warnings. On July 2 1997, after months of declaring that it would not happen, the government of Thailand abandoned its efforts to maintain a fixed exchange rate for its currency, the baht. The currency was quickly depreciated by more than 20 percent so within a few days most neighboring countries fell like Thailand. What forced Thailand to devalue its currency was the massive speculation against the baht, assumptions that over a few months had consumed most of what initially seemed as a large war of foreign exchange. And why were speculators betting against Thailand? Because they expected the baht to be devalued, of course. This kind of circular logic in which investors escape a currency because they expect it to be devalued, and much of the pressure on the currency comes precisely because of this investor shortage of confidence is the defining actor of a currency crisis and is known as Bank Run theory. In the context of a currency crisis, such behavior could mean that a wave of selling, whatever its initial cause, could be magnified through complete imitation and turn, into a rush out of the currency. Bank run in Thai currency devaluation can be viewed in two main behaviors. First; investors run when other investors are running the bank; a magnified opinion of a certain group starts to be spread in some others by just herding or imitation. Second, when banks that were investing in long-term projects were forced to liquidate early (because of the invertors running away), there was a potential lost of funds. Consequently, the last depositors to withdraw were left empty-handed (first-come, first-served limitation). BUBBLES Bubbles are sort of mass errors caused by the nature of herd. Even though there is a convincing evidence of bubbles, people are still overly convinced by their belief that market is efficient and rational. Therefore people are optimistic of their investment and they take part in the bubble. Some people may doubt the situation and find some evidence of bubbles but they still invest their capital in the market because others are doing it which is a sort of informational cascade. However, the bubble collapses and that sort of herding behavior makes the impact of the collapse much significant. The Dot-com Bubble The dot-com bubble (also referred to as the Internet bubble) was a speculative which had its climax on March 10, 2000, with the NASDAQ hitting up to 5132.52 but closing at 5048.62 in the same day. During the dot-com bubble period mostly the developed countries experienced the growth in the Internet sector and related fields. Companies such as Cisco Systems, Dell, Intel, and Microsoft were the dominant player of NASDAQ. And related to the Internet business a group of new Internet-based companies commonly referred to as dot-coms were founded. Just because of the fact that Companies had a name with an e- prefix to their name and a .com the stock price was going up. Investors were overly confident of their future profits due to the advancement of technology and individual speculation while they overlooked traditional stock market value until the bubble was collapsed. Conclusion As we can see massive herding behavior turned out to be a cause of crisis at the end, and herd behavior is seen as something very negative to the market. As we have seen bank runs, bubbles, and several forms of crises. However, we cannot prevent from herding because it is a sort of instinct and it is closely related to psychological factors. Partially, individuals can make profit of their herding behavior as they are following famous investors such as Warren Buffet but the fact is that no investor can really avoid bubbles and forecast the coming crises. What we have to remember is the financial market is a complex of rational and irrational behavior and we can barely categorize them before the disaster happens. We have to be prepared of the consequence the herd behavior and be rational when the irrationality happens. Works Cited BIKHCHANDANI, S., 1998, Learning from the behavior of others: conformity, fads, and informational cascades BIKHCHANDANI, S., D. HIRSHLEIFER and I. WELCH, 2001. Informational Cascades and Rational Herding: An Annotated Devenow, Andrea and Ivo Welch, 1996, Rational Herding in Financial Economics, European Economic Review 40, 603-615 Ennis, Huberto M. and Todd Keister, 2009, Bank Runs and Institutions: The Perils of Intervention. Hirshleifer, David and Teoh, Siew Hong, 2011, Herd Behavior and Cascading in Capital Markets: A Review and Synthesis, MPRA Paper No. 5186

Women in Islam Essay -- Islam

In my research paper, I will try to argue that the way that Muslim extremists treat women in Islam, couldn’t be further away than what the Islam preaches. Misinformation and misconception about Muslim women is the main reasons why so many Westerner’s have the picture of Islam, especially in America, associated it with bad images of oppressed women hiding in their hijab,, or walking behind their husbands. What does Islam say about women and their right’s. Do Islamic countries follow Islamic teaching when dealing with women’s issues? Beliefs about how Muslim women are treated and blame the religion instead of the culture from which they came from. I hope that instead of falling into the typical stereotypes and cultural innovation, the information here will inform you of the true religion of Islam and how women are supposed to be treated through the verbatim words of god from any human being. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. How ever, when people say, "Islam," most people think about terrorism and the tragedy of September 11th, but what is true Islam? How does this affect today's world? Islam may be the most misunderstood religion in the world, but after reading this, you’ll probably have a lot more in common with the religion that is so foreign to so many. A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 1.57 billion Muslims of all ages living in the world today, representing 23 percent of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion. Islam is one of the fasted growing religions there is today. Many of those converts are woman who are attracted to the religion based on it’s treatment for women. Islam is growing about 2.9% per year which is faster than the t... ...to preserve it from any altering like what happened to the religious scriptures, so the community started with the oral tradition of memorizing and before the time of the prophets death, the Koran was compiled with his approval and it’s still preserved in the same way as it was revealed to us 1400 years ago. The holy book not only had been memorized by the prophet, but he was also tested every year from the same angel and he was to repeat every single word back to him for 23 years until he died. and that promise has been fulfilled in that , it’s been untouched The Koran contains guidance defining the role of women in Islam according to the Koran, which hasn’t been altered for the last 1400 years. The guidance within this holy book were given to prophet Muhammad, which was Islam's last and final messenger, over the span of twenty-three years from the angel Gabriel.

An Article I Wrote for the High School Paper :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

An Article I Wrote for the High School Paper Philip Emeagwali, a man of immeasurably high intelligence, spurns the description people most often attach to him: genius. "I don't like that term. People think it only means genius in the mathematical sense or that it refers to a select group of people," Emeagwali, 44, told about 50 parents last night at a public forum on schools. "But I think every one of us has the power to be a genuis. I was not born a genius; it was nurtured in me by my father." When he was 10, growing up in western Nigeria, Emeagwali was drilled daily by his father to solve 100 math problems in one hour. There was no time to write solutions on paper -- he had 36 seconds per problem. So Emeagwali did them in his head. "People later called me a mathematical genuis, but you would be a genuis, too, if you had to do 100 math problems in an hour," he said. In the last two days, the man who has been called "one of the greatest intellectual giants Africa has produced" has been taking his message -- the importance of homework, cultivating encouragement at home, and surmounting obstacles -- to a school district that has been mired in problems. Standardized test scores here sank to such lows in recent years that the state placed the district in a special monitoring program. And even as the roofs of the town's school buildings crumbled, taxes soared. Not that Emeagwali didn't have his own trials to overcome. When he was 12, Emeagwali lived underneath ceilings that crumbled from rocket shells. From 1967 to 1970, Nigeria fell into civil war, forcing schools to close. Emeagwali had finished only seventh grade. "We ate only once a day. Some days we had nothing to eat. We were among the poorest families in the world," Emeagwali told students at a high school assembly earlier in the day. "Growing up poor and overcoming several obstacles made me a stronger person. I became more determined to succeed in life." Studying on his own from 6 a.m. to midnight, Emeagwali passed entrance examinations to the University of London with top grades. In 1974, he immigrated to the United States, obtaining degrees in several subjects.

“Art for heart’s sake” by R. Goldberg Essay

The text â€Å"Art for heart’s sake† was written by Reuben Lucius Goldberg, an American sculptor, cartoonist and writer, who was born in San-Francisco. Introduction: The action began with male nurse Koppel’s words for Collis P. Ellsworth, who didn’t want to drink his juice. Ellsworth was not an ordinary patient, he was a shopaholic in global case. If he buys something, he will suffer from heart attack. Complication: After that came a doctor named Caswell, who offered old Ellsworth to take up art and called a young student Frank Swain from the Atlantic Art Institute to make Ellsworth concerned with art. The old man didn’t make any progress in painting, actually he was an awful painter, but suddenly Ellsworth send his â€Å"god-awful smudge† picture named â€Å"Trees Dressed in White† to the Lathrop Gallery, the biggest art exhibit, and was awarded a prize. Falling action: The young student, male nurse and doctor congratulated him with w inning and recovery. Resolution: But suddenly Ellsworth said that he bought the Lathrop Gallery last month. The theme of the story is loneliness that influences on human’s behavior. It’s represented with Ellsworth’ behavior, his speech, his attitude to people and his attitude towards things that he buys. It is difficult to find out real theme of the story. Each of us can find his own cause and theme, because the author forces it upon the story. The story takes place in hospital room, art exhibition in the course of a few months. It’s represented with last words of Ellsworth that he bought the Lathrop Gallery last month. There seems to be an impression, that the author didn’t want a reader to see the setting, but to feel it. The author doesn’t show the setting of time directly, but it’s important because it helps the author to pierce the story with a humour. The conflict of the story is internal. The plot turns on loneliness of old Ellsworth that influences on his behavior and how he fill his inner emptiness. The chief episode is when doctor Caswell offered old Ellsworth to take up art. The development of the plot is not strictly chronological, because in the end of the story we find out that old Ellsworth bought the Lathrop Gallery, that means before he start to take up art. The plot is unified. The individu al episodes logically relate to one another. The plot is plausible. There are two main characters: Ellsworth and Swain, and two minor characters: doctor Caswell and male nurse Koppel. Old Ellsworth is protagonist and no one is antagonist, because old Ellsworth  develops through the whole story. He is dynamic and round character. And all the rest three characters are flat and static characters. The role of minor characters to show a reader what kind of person old Ellsworth is. The author uses indirect method of characterization by old Ellsworth actions and behavior. The actions of the characters are simply consistent and properly motivated. The author didn’t use so many stylistic methods. He used an irony in cases. For example in the end of the story we find out, that Ellsworth bought the gallery last month. And some simile, for example, the Swains’ comparison of Ellsworth’s picture to a salad. The language of the author is concrete, formal and literal. The message of the author is to be attentive with old lonely people. The central idea is to be more human, than give all your time for your work and you won’t be a lonely old human like Ellsworth. I think, it’s very impressive story that the author didn’t use as many stylistic methods as others, and he succeeded showing a reader the inner condition of this old lonely man Ellsworth. Not everybody can reach to the readers’ hearts without using such number of stylistic methods. It’s brilliant.

Human Tree Essays

Human Tree Essays Human Tree Essay Human Tree Essay Alex Jones Mrs. Van Winkle American Lit. 28 August 2013 The Human Tree Once upon a time, a huge meteor collided with Jupiter. The meteor took off a big chunk of Jupiter and made a new planet. The new planet was called Earth. The planet Earth was bare except this one mysterious tree. Once a day this tree would drop a baby out from the top of the tree. This tree was Gods tree and he created all humans to look exactly like him, so the humans could rule the world. The human had a head, two arms, and two legs. After a year there were 365 humans on Earth. The humans sacrificed the weak humans to God. In return God created an animal tree. Once a day the animal tree would drop two animals, a male and a female of a species. The humans were at the top of the food chain, but they got along and helped the animals whenever they needed something so they species would not go extinct. The humans and the world started to become more evolving. The population Just keeps increasing so they humans had to come up with a new food source so they decided they needed to have some vegetation. The humans became able to plant crops, but they had nothing to give the plants energy to grow so God created the sun and the oceans for energy. Then God made the moon so the animals and the humans could see at night. The moon helped the animals watch for predators sneaking up on them while it was dark outside. One day Gods tree dropped a human named Robert. Robert was different from the rest of the humans. None of the humans wanted to be around Robert. They all started picking on Robert, and calling him names. Then when Robert was alone he started killing all the animals he could. The he used a bone out of a buffalo that he killed and made it into an axe. Robert so mad at all the humans he went to Gods tree and chopped the tree in half. Then the humans realized what he done and tried to plant each half of the tree. Each half of the tree grew, but there was one problem. One half of Gods tree made good people and the other half of the tree made evil people. There became a war between the evil and the good and they started to kill each other. God was tired of all the fighting so he made mountains between the good and the bad to settle the war and make peace. From there on the good people lived on one side of the planet and the evil lived on the other side. There was no more trouble from there and everybody lived happily ever after. Human Tree By alexJones24

Obama Care Essays

Obama Care Essays Obama Care Essay Obama Care Essay Name Course Instructor Date Obama Care On March 23 2010, President Barrack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The law and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act are a representation of the most important regulatory overhaul in the USA healthcare system. This has occurred since the passage of the 1965 Medicaid and Medicare acts. Enactment of the law has already begun and is set to continue in the process of restructuring the healthcare system. This law, endorsed by president Obama elicited different reactions and controversies. Some people support the law. However, others have opposed the law stating it is not going to be beneficial. President Obama has taken a strong stand stating that contrary to this Americans will gain. Consequently, many protagonists and antagonists constantly refer to the law as Obama Care. Currently, the law is popularly known as Obama Care. However, Obama care is a double-edged sword for the American healthcare system. The debate on Obamacare has been a staged in many areas among citizens, professional in the field of health, among politicians and government executives. This debate led the bill through a court process that made the Supreme Court rule in favor of the bill (Crowley). Americans are experiencing one of the most crucial financial crises of all time. Some of the problems among many critics of the law are that it might be expensive for the individual American and the federal government. The long-term implications of the bill are under scrutiny. Speculations abound that the bill may increase budget deficits. The goal of ObamaCare is to provide efficient and affordable healthcare insurance for all United States of America citizens. It also aims at reducing the increased levels of health care spending. Health care spending has been rising in America since 1980 when the expenditure was $256 billion. In 2010, the expenditure reached a whooping $2.6 trillion. This growth rate is projected to develop faster than national income in the near future. Recession in recent years has fostered lower incomes and higher unemployment rates. Most individuals and families therefore find healthcare more of a luxury than a necessity. Obama care is a remedy for the state and such individuals under financial pressure. The law caters for those below the poverty level The tenets of the law ensure that all types of discrimination in health care coverage and provision are prevented. Accordingly, equal rights are safeguarded. In terms of insurance, sick people cannot be dropped from insurance cover. Therefore, individuals cannot be denied coverage for their preexisting conditions. In addition, women will not be charged higher rates as compared to men. Discriminatory practices are prevalent in women seeking insurance cover and treatment in hospitals. This is particularly evident in reproductive health. Women are also more likely than their male counterparts to proceed without necessary healthcare and treatment. Therefore, Obamacare’s full implementation in 2014 will eliminate these disparities. Many community healthcare centers are in deplorable conditions. These centers are also situated in areas where people live below the poverty line. Many wealthy Americans can afford private healthcare (Taylor). For the poor Americans, they have little or no option, but visit the community health center. These centers have some shortcomings such as; lack of adequate facilities in terms of medical and laboratory equipment, low doctor, nurse to patient ratio and relatively poor services. In additional, some of the facilities use outdated equipment and laboratory material. Obamacare seeks to alter the current status quo. Community heath centers under the law will be improved. Poor people will ultimately have access to efficient and effective treatment with improved facilities. As of 2007, up to 40 percent of insured Americans stated that their insurance cover did not adequately meet their requirements (Kaplan, et. al.). Insurance coverage that is affordable for many Americans would mean that they pay for what they can manage. Obamacare has the provision for insurance companies to compete for coverage under a system of insurance exchange pool. This will go a long way in decreasing insurance premiums for the majority of Americans. The total number of Americans that are between the 133% and 400% margin will be able to afford coverage. The lower the salary of an individual, the lower the percentage of income payment and the more help to be received. However, this system is deemed inefficient and ineffective in some sections of the American populace. The total share of insured Americans has been on a steady decline since the year 2000. In 2010, close to 84% of citizens in the US had some form of health coverage. Consequently, up to 49 million people had gone without health insurance for a significant period within that year. The pool of Americans under private insurance has shrunk. Majority of Americans are reliant on public insurance. Up to 31% of the total population is under public insurance programs. Obamacare therefore regulates these insurance programs (Keller). No one is forced to have insurance cover instead; people are urged to safeguard their health and that of their families. The insurance health exchange is set to go on sale in 2014 to offer a wide variety of protections and benefits. Over the past three years, tax credits have been distributed to Americans. The purpose of credits is to help people in healthcare payment. In addition, many middle class Americans will save a significant amount of money via tax cuts. The program is long term and more people are set to benefit. Waste from cuts reimbursements and Medicare to the private Medicare advantage plans are reduced under Obamacare. The $716 billion waste will be eliminated and finances are rescued for reinvestment in health care (Zax). Budget deficits have also increased in America for some time. Reduction in deficits is also an advantage of the law. However, some analysts and experts dispute that the law will lower budget deficits. These contradictions will become known with the complete implementation of the law. Obamacare is a suitable bill in restructuring the health care system and insurance, both important for America. However, the complications and issues it entails need to be addressed. Public awareness and education is instrumental in helping Americans understand the bill and demystify some of the myths it has solicited. Many people would like to see the law repealed. If this is done, majority of the American populace will devastated and lose the opportunity to have proper health coverage. If the statistics are anything to go by, insurance cover will ultimately be a luxury among citizens especially those from poor households. Insurance companies will also continue to deny proper health care coverage for preexisting conditions. These insurance companies are also controlled by wealthy individuals and companies whose ultimate goal is money and profit not appropriate health cover. Health care reform has been long overdue and Obamacare offers solutions to the problems in health provision. Work cited Crowley, Steven. â€Å"Health care reform and the Supreme Court (Affordable Care Act).† New York Times. 2 October 2012. Web. 18 November 2012. Kaplan, Robert and Michael Porter. â€Å"The big idea: How to solve the cost crisis in health care.† Harvard Business Review. September 2011. Web. 18 November 2012. Keller, Bill. â€Å"Five Obamacare Myths.† The New York Times. July 12 2012. Web. 18 November 2012. Taylor, Chris. â€Å"The health care reform that can’t be stopped.† Harvard Business Review. 18 April 2012. Web . 18 November 2012. Zax, J.S. â€Å"Paying for Obamacare.† Economist. 2011. Web. 18 November 2012.

Free Essays on Endangered Species

Endangered species are living things whose population is so reduced that they are threatened with extinction. Thousands of species are included in this category. The International Union for the Conservation of nature and Natural Resources publishes a list of threatened mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and (many people donÕt consider them) plants. CAUSES OF EXTINCTION Millions of years before humans, extinction of living things was linked to geological and climate, the effects of which were translated into major alternation of the environment. Environmental change is still the primary cause of the extinction of animals, but now the changes are greatly accelerated by humans activity. Clearing land for farms and towns, lumbering, mining, building dams, and draining wetlands all alter the environments so extensively that ecosystems may be completely destroyed. With a burgeoning human population requiring food, shelter, and clothing and constantly demanding more energy-using devi ces, the temperation to exploit land for human use without regard for consequences is great. Frequently, several forms of environmental change are responsible for the disappearance of species. For example, as tropical forests are cut down, primates have progressively smaller feeding and living spaces. They also become more accessible to hunters, who kill monkeys for food and trap many primates for sale as pets, research animals, and zoo specimens. Some animal species may move into human communities when their own are destroyed. Extermination of marauding monkeys, roaming tigers, or foraging deer is easy to justify by people whose livelihood is threatened. Pollution is another form of environments change. Forty species of birds in the United States, including peregrine hawk, bald eagle, pelicans, and roseate terns, lay thin-shelled as a result of ingesting degradation products of and some other chlorination hydrocarbon insecticides that make their way into the f... Free Essays on Endangered Species Free Essays on Endangered Species Endangered species are living things whose population is so reduced that they are threatened with extinction. Thousands of species are included in this category. The International Union for the Conservation of nature and Natural Resources publishes a list of threatened mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and (many people donÕt consider them) plants. CAUSES OF EXTINCTION Millions of years before humans, extinction of living things was linked to geological and climate, the effects of which were translated into major alternation of the environment. Environmental change is still the primary cause of the extinction of animals, but now the changes are greatly accelerated by humans activity. Clearing land for farms and towns, lumbering, mining, building dams, and draining wetlands all alter the environments so extensively that ecosystems may be completely destroyed. With a burgeoning human population requiring food, shelter, and clothing and constantly demanding more energy-using devi ces, the temperation to exploit land for human use without regard for consequences is great. Frequently, several forms of environmental change are responsible for the disappearance of species. For example, as tropical forests are cut down, primates have progressively smaller feeding and living spaces. They also become more accessible to hunters, who kill monkeys for food and trap many primates for sale as pets, research animals, and zoo specimens. Some animal species may move into human communities when their own are destroyed. Extermination of marauding monkeys, roaming tigers, or foraging deer is easy to justify by people whose livelihood is threatened. Pollution is another form of environments change. Forty species of birds in the United States, including peregrine hawk, bald eagle, pelicans, and roseate terns, lay thin-shelled as a result of ingesting degradation products of and some other chlorination hydrocarbon insecticides that make their way into the f...

Perspective of song lyrics and poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Perspective of song lyrics and poems - Essay Example Both forms of writing do share similarities, but by no means are they exactly the same. Despite the differences between the two formats of writing, they can be transferred to each other with a little work. Poems can somewhat more easily be turned into songs with a little work and tweaking. Just the same as if a person was trying to convert numbers, or convert any format or style of writing to another, it does take a little finesse, but none the less, it can be done. Vaughn Daniel, a published writer from MusicCity answered when asked about the topic: â€Å"If I gave someone a poem and asked them to put it to music, I would expect the poem to either be added to or some of it ending up on the cutting room floor. Song lyrics are dictated by the direction the music has taken with the melody. There are also formulas of structure in writing a song. Examples are as follows: These calculated lyric structures may also dictate what the song will sound like musically. If the lyrics are structured correctly, music can be invented just by the way the lyrics flow. Take any popular song and try singing it another way. Chances are you wont like what you hear. Lyrics often take on a life of their own musically† (http://www.musesmuse.com/poem-vs-lyric.html. Daniel shows that with a little work and finesse, a poem can be turned into a song, just that you may loose some of the original impact of the poem in the final version. There are also many similarities between poems and song lyrics. Both poems and lyrics require a person to have a strong command of what ever language they are writing in. These art forms also require the person to be expressive, and to be able to shed their feelings through their medium and express themselves. This is not an easy task, but one that comes though much work for many writers. Also, â€Å"Both poems and song lyrics rely on the potent use of language, Both engage their readers and

SATURATION ANALYSIS OF D2 DOPAMINE RECEPTORS EXPRESSES IN RECOMBINANT Essay

SATURATION ANALYSIS OF D2 DOPAMINE RECEPTORS EXPRESSES IN RECOMBINANT CHO CELLS - Essay Example The experiment was successful in the sense that the inhibition constant for [3H]-spiperone at around 0.5 nM corresponded with that quoted in literature available on the subject. The experiment demonstrated that [3H]-spiperone is a very efficacious antagonist of dopaminergic activity in specific relation to receptor subtypes with very specific inhibition capabilities and very low inhibition constant. This may later prove valuable to drug development against disorders like schizophrenia that is caused by excessive dopaminergic activity. The variations in physiologic actions of dopamine are mediated by at least five distinct G protein coupled receptor types (Missale, C., et al, 1998). Kebabian and Calne (1979) distinguished two dopamine receptor types - and - that can be differentiated ‘pharmacologically, biologically, physiologically and by their anatomical distribution’ (Civelli, O., 2000). Since the analysis is on receptors only they are being discussed here. Subsequent cloning of receptors revealed that they belonged to the supergene family of the G-protein coupled receptors (Civelli, O., 2000). The three subtypes belonging to the -like sub-family are the, and ones that inhibit adenylyl cyclase and activate channels (Missale, C., et al, 1998). The genetic structure of the and vary by tissue types and species’ through alternative splicing. The subtype is highly polymorphic. Since the analysis is on receptor activity on recombinant CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells it is necessary to point out that-like receptor activity in the peripheral regions is evident mostly in the kidney, vasculature and pituitary where they affect sodium homeostasis, vascular tone and hormone secretion (Missale, C., et al, 1998). More specifically the analysis of the gene structure of the subtype reveals that there are six introns in the receptor-coding region. This generates two main variants – the (short) and (long) receptors – in turn

Horace Bushnell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Horace Bushnell - Essay Example He was not exact, but he put God and man and the world into a relation that thought can accept while it goes on to state it more fully with ever growing knowledge. Other thinkers were moving in the same direction; he led the movement in New England, and wrought out a great deliverance. It was a work of superb courage. Hardly a theologian in his denomination stood by him, and nearly all pronounced against him" (as cited in http://www.nndb.com/people/184/000102875). An anti-Calvinist, he preached contrary to the theological notions of his time such ideas relating to the Trinity, the atonement, conversion, and the relations of the natural and the supernatural. He also opposes the notion that theology can be explained logically and absolutely just like any intellectual activity. He believes that individual believers have a case-to-case and unique spiritual experience differing from each other based on their unique individual spiritual make-up (Sklansky, 2002). Bushnell's major ideas and convictions are explained and contained in his four books entitled: Christian Nurture (1847), Nature and the Supernatural (1858), The Vicarious Sacrifice (1866), and God in Christ (1849). In Christian and Nature Bushnell discusses his opposition to revivalism and focuses the Christian thought on the youth. In this, he successfully influenced many minds. It explains the reasons why he does not agree with the emphasis the revivalists place on the conversion experience. In Nature and the Supernatural, he discusses miracles and promotes the possibility of humans to achieve supernatural qualities or the "supernaturalness of man." In addition, the book The Vicarious Sacrifice, contains his so-called "moral view" of the atonement of Christ contrasting it with the "governmental" and the "penal" or "satisfaction" theories. Moreover, in the book God in Christ, which contains an introductory entitled "Dissertation on Language as related to Thought," he is accused of being a heretic for he expresses a different view about the Trinity. He believes that the Godhead is not literally three but it is only human interpretation of the unfathomable greatness of God. Human, in contrast to God, sees God differently because of his/her inferior comprehension of the supreme deity (Sklansky, 2002). It is said to have been published after his "mystical experience that illumined the gospel for him." Although there were times when he irked others so much, he was spared of trial because his church severed its links from the local group that may have power to press charges against him. In other words, his church stood autonomously of any association or the rules of any denominational group. Furthermore, he was able to respond to his critics in his book Christ in Theology (1851). In it he argues that spiritual facts cannot be discussed precisely by human language and logic. They can only be expressed in "approximate and poetical language." He concludes by saying that "an adequate dogmatic theology cannot exist" (Sklansky, 2002). It is in this book where Bushnell expounds and defends his position about language in theology, saying that much of it is metaphorical in nature. However, Horace Bushnell proves that he still adheres to and believes the divinity of Christ as expressed in his writing entitled The Character of Jesus, forbidding his possible (Sklansky, 2002). As a

Hacking Attacks on Websites and Mobile Commerce (M-commerce) Crime Essay

Hacking Attacks on Websites and Mobile Commerce (M-commerce) Crime - Essay Example Malwares can be used to get onto FTPs or web servers, which is to attain useful information like credentials. This information attained by hackers is then further used for accessing the website personal information which only belongs to a company’s profile or business. Vulnerability of servers has invited hackers to access website’s secret information. This has also become a major threat for website owners today who provide enough space for hackers to get in (Rodriguez and Martinez). Likewise cybercrimes, crimes on M-commerce are also on the parallel side of distinction. Due to much dependence of retailers and consumers on M-commerce, big ratios of crimes on M-commerce have come to the sight. Malware provides easy access to mobile hackers especially in phones which carry computer or web applications. Smart phones or I phones are common in such threat as they carry a high vulnerability for malwares to persist. According to McAfee Inc malwares are approachable to smart phones which are common in use of unit sales trade by the retailers (Woodward). Rodriguez, Chris and Richard Martinez. "The Growing Hacking Threat to Websites: An Ongoing Commitment to Web Application Security." 2012. www.htbridge.com. 4 October 2012

Discussion Questions Week 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Discussion Questions Week 5 - Essay Example Thus, in order to evaluate whether the quality of the product (which is often equated with the chemical content, presentation, and packaging) is met, knowledge of the statistical concepts and their application is crucial. I must admit that without attending this class, I will remain ignorant of the use of statistics in addressing the concerns. Equipped with the knowledge and skill taught by my professor, I am confident to use the methods in ensuring that our meat processing plant will be successful in marketing high quality products by an everyday evaluation of whether quality goals are met. Regression analysis is a important statistical tool which is used to identify the relationship between variables. In conducting regression analysis, one needs to be aware of its basic principles and considerations. First, the sample from where the inference prediction is to be generated must be a representative of the population. It should be noted that this assumption is almost always a requirement for statistical tests. Secondly, the dependent variable is subject to error which is assumed to be a random variable having a standard distribution. On the other hand, the independent variable is error free and the predictors should be linearly correlated. In the meat processing plant where I work, regression analysis can be utilized in order for the management to know the relationship between the group of employees working for the meat processing plant and product quality. It should be noted that in my company there are two groups manning the 12-hour operation. Each of these groups takes 6 hours which is the amount of time needed for one batch of processing. Product of quality can be measured through the number of rejects and those which did not pass quality control. This regression analysis can point out if any of the group performs better and can help the management to reward and motivate

Hacking Attacks on Websites and Mobile Commerce (M-commerce) Crime Essay

Hacking Attacks on Websites and Mobile Commerce (M-commerce) Crime - Essay Example Malwares can be used to get onto FTPs or web servers, which is to attain useful information like credentials. This information attained by hackers is then further used for accessing the website personal information which only belongs to a company’s profile or business. Vulnerability of servers has invited hackers to access website’s secret information. This has also become a major threat for website owners today who provide enough space for hackers to get in (Rodriguez and Martinez). Likewise cybercrimes, crimes on M-commerce are also on the parallel side of distinction. Due to much dependence of retailers and consumers on M-commerce, big ratios of crimes on M-commerce have come to the sight. Malware provides easy access to mobile hackers especially in phones which carry computer or web applications. Smart phones or I phones are common in such threat as they carry a high vulnerability for malwares to persist. According to McAfee Inc malwares are approachable to smart phones which are common in use of unit sales trade by the retailers (Woodward). Rodriguez, Chris and Richard Martinez. "The Growing Hacking Threat to Websites: An Ongoing Commitment to Web Application Security." 2012. www.htbridge.com. 4 October 2012

Enzymes Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enzymes - Lab Report Example As stated by Onteh et al (2005), most biochemical reactions would be very slow without enzymes since enzymes increase the rate of biochemical reactions by thousands times. It is therefore important to study the environmental factors: pH and temperature and how they would affect specific enzymes. There are three characteristics of enzymes that make them function as catalysts. First enzymes increase the rate of biochemical reaction, second, they are specific to a substrate and thirdly they can be regulated to increase or reduce rate of biochemical reaction. Studies have confirmed that enzymatic activities are affected by certain factors such as enzyme concentration, pH, and temperature as well as substrate concentration. According to (), all these factors except substrate concentration have the effect of modifying the specificity nature of the enzyme there by making it incompatible with the substrate. Moreover enzymes act as catalysts because they exhibit three dimensional protein structures. As stated by Onteh et al (2005), this structure is particularly sensitive to changes in salts, pH and temperature thus a slight changes in temperatures of reaction can significantly change the rte of reaction while extreme temperatures can irreversibly alter the both the three dimensiona l structure of the enzyme thus making it impossible to catalyze a reaction. The enzymatic activity is based on the fact that enzymes are made up of certain active sites that are specific to the substrate’s active sites. As stated by Onteh et al (2005), it is on this active sites that enzymes bind to a given substrate in a geometrical fashion after which substrate undergo its inherent reaction at a much faster rate. This mode of enzymatic action is referred to as lock and key. It is important to note that enzyme does not actually react with a substrate, but brings and aligns the substrate in order for it to react with other substances. Enzymes therefore have

Investigate how a major event can influence the hospitality, travel and tourism industry Essay Example for Free

Investigate how a major event can influence the hospitality, travel and tourism industry Essay Executive Summary Within this report it outlines how a major event can influence the hospitality, travel and tourism industries. It will go into great detail about the chosen event and how this particular event impacted these industries, with topics such as what an event is, the chosen event in detail, and how this event impacted these industries. Table of Contents I. Methodology II. Introduction III. Findings IV. Conclusion V. References VI. Appendices VII. Bibliography Methodology After already establishing the basis of the theoretical view of this report, it is now required to reflect on how the evidence will be composed to support the theory and research within this report. There are a number of ways in which this research will be collected. Firstly it will be important to establish what an actual event is as well as definitions of the terms hospitality, travel and tourism. This can be done through secondary sources such as books e. g. Allen, O’Toole et al 2011, websites and newspapers. The chosen event will then show how it has impacted the hospitality, travel and tourism industries in Belfast as well as how the Northern Ireland Tourism Board had this planned as part of Northern Ireland’s preparation of making Northern Ireland a huge tourist destination. Introduction The subject matter of this report is too educate how a major event can influence the hospitality, travel and tourism industries, looking a single event in particular, so that the impacts are more in a personal tone rather than generalising to looking into events as a whole. Definitions will be given of what an event, hospitality, travel and tourism actually are. Topics will include information on the chosen event that will be discussed in greater detail, Belfast as a tourist destination, important impacts on the hospitality, travel and tourism industries. Benefits of a major event within a city. How a major event can impact on a city or destination improvements, and a brief incite into Northern Ireland’s Tourist Board’s plan for Northern Ireland to become a huge and popular tourist destination in the future. Investigate how a major event can influence the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. For this report I have chosen to research and ‘Investigate how a major event can influence the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. ’ The event in which I aim on investigating is the opening if the Titanic Signature Building. This report will explain in detail how the opening of the Titanic Signature Building influenced the hospitality, travel and tourism industries. Within this report you will be introduced to the main question of this report. Topics will include talking about the building itself, its visitor numbers, Belfast as a tourism destination, the impacts the building had on Belfast’s hospitality, travel tourism industry. â€Å"The hospitality and tourism industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry with 700 million international travellers per year around the world,† said Zainal (2012) in his book, ‘Current Issues in Hospitality and Tourism: Research and Innovations. ’ According to the oxford dictionary the exact definitions of what an event, hospitality and tourism actually are. â€Å"An event is described as a thing that happens or takes place, especially one of importance, a planned public or social occasion. † â€Å"Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers. † And the definition of tourism is the â€Å"temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residence, the activity undertaken during the stay in those destinations, and the facilities created to cater for their needs. † According to Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) the Northern Ireland vision is, ‘To create the new Northern Ireland experience and get it on everyone’s destination wish list. ’ As the well-known slogan for Northern Ireland 2012 was that â€Å"Northern Ireland 2012 is our time, our place† This means that NITB have stated that they think Northern Ireland is a rising tourist destination. And that Northern Ireland is trying to offer a unique way to be involved and to celebrate. And we as a city need to take our story to a wider audience. So as part of this transaction to take ‘our story’ to a wider audience, the Titanic signature building project started. Shone and Parry (2010) said that â€Å"for a town or city wishing to become a tourist destination, elements such as attractions, accommodation, transport, infrastructure and facilities must be present. † Belfast has been in the middle of this process over the past few years, and especially as 2012 was meant to be ‘our time, our place’ Belfast certainly lived up to this. And a huge part was the titanic signature building. The Titanic Signature building is the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction 400,000 visitors were expected to visit the building per annum 900,000 per annum footfall through the building. Within the first 6 months, 500,000 people had already visited Titanic Belfast. â€Å"One of the most important impacts is the tourism revenue generated by an event. In addition to their spending at the event, external visitors are likely to spend on travel, accommodation, and goods and services in the host city. Titanic Belfast was part of NITB’s plan to attract visitors to Belfast and Northern Ireland with a consequent increase in revenue, which will generate jobs and income. Based on projected visitor numbers its one off the most expensive buildings of its kind in Europe. It cost ? 77million to construct, with most of the funding (? 60million) coming from the public’s wallet. Mike Smith, the chief executive of the building said that, â€Å"We think the building is good value for money. † The opening of the Titanic Belfast produced instant employment benefits as it was estimated that 200 people would be needed to work in the building. The projected increase in visitor numbers, from within the UK and Ireland as well as internationally, will lead to a corresponding demand for local hotels and services, therefore generating job opportunities in the construction and hospitality sectors. Allen, O’Toole et al 2011, talked about how a major event has potential to bring ‘new money’ into Belfast from outside visitors. â€Å"The role event tourism is required to play in a destination’s tourism development efforts will vary according to the overall tourism strategy that is being pursued. † (Allen, O’Toole et al 2011) Belfast is now a popular short-break destination and one of Europes top visitor destinations. In 2006, Belfast had 6. 8 million tourists compared to 2011 when we had 7. 86 million tourists. There was quite a number if impacts the opening of Titanic Belfast had on tourism on not only Belfast but Northern Ireland as a whole. The Titanic Signature building is located only 5 minutes from the city centre, so therefore this increasingly popular tourism attraction is not difficult to travel to, there are buses to the Titanic Quarter every 10-15 minutes from the City Centre. It is also within walking distance. The city centre is always crowded with tourist companies who are there to promote tours of the city, these tours run every day and very frequently, they seem to be every popular and since the opening of the Titanic Signature Building, a new tour opened up that was solely about the Titanic alone and it’s attractions. â€Å"Events add to the range of experiences a destination can offer, and this then adds to its capacity to attract and hold visitors for longer periods of time. † (Getz and Wicks 1994) Since the opening of the Titanic Building, this saw Belfasts biggest jump in hotel occupancy in March 2012 in nearly a decade and a 12% year on year hike in revenues. Then in April saw the year on year occupancy in Belfasts leading hotels increase by 25%, the average is usually are 15% over April 2011. Belfast’s PWC partner Stephen Curragh said, â€Å"Overall, 2012 has been a successful year for Belfast hotels thus far, but it is off a very low base and will require sustained visitor numbers to bring Belfast back to pre-downturn levels of profitability. † Allen, O’Toole et al (2011) said that events can also provide a significant spur to both public and private investment in a destination. Large scale events can play in destination renewal and in the later development of a destination’s attractiveness and capacity as a tourist destination. NITB have identified excellent events and business tourism as two of their winning themes with the potential to deliver competitive advantages for Northern Ireland as part of their tourism Strategic Framework for Action 2004-2007. NITB said, â€Å"Note for the Excellent Events theme, research confirms that events are an effective tool for changing perceptions and attracting visitors. † Opportunity 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total Additional Visitors 150,00 333,000 200,000 150,000 833,00 Additional Revenue ?24 million ?52 million ?34 million ?30 million ?140 million Created Jobs 612 1,326 867 765 3,570 This table, which can be found on NITB’s 2012 guide, shows NITB’s goal for the future, which is to increase tourism spend to ? 1 million by 2020 and to increase visitor numbers to 4. 5 million by 2020 It shows NITB’s plan in more detail. In 2013 their plan is at its peak by expecting to have 333,000 additional visitors into Northern Ireland which will then create 52 million additional revenue and will generate 1,326 extra jobs in Northern Ireland. Events can affect the hospitality, travel ; tourism industries in many ways. In Belfast due to the opening of the titanic building we have shown you that there has been quite a high incline in Belfast as a tourist destination. Overall we found that the Titanic Building has had an positive impact on hospitality and tourism in Belfast. â€Å"2012 is about changing global perceptions and trying to get tourists to come to Northern Ireland,† Arlene Foster.

Public Engagement A New Paradigm For Public Relations Marketing Essay

Public Engagement A New Paradigm For Public Relations Marketing Essay Engaging with the public has always been a necessity for PR practitioners to succeed. However, due to the web 2.0, engaging with the public has opened up new channels of communication and therefore a new communication strategy needs to be put into place. As Public Engagement is a relatively new term, no studies have been carried out in this area. The author will look into what Public Engagement is and see if its fit into existing Public Relation models, how organisations engage with their audience , due to the digital web, and if a new Public Engagement model is needed. Paradigms of PR A definition of a paradigm in PR is narrow (Burrell and Morgan 1979). It is seen as a sign of discipline maturing and developing a range of different approaches; at the same time the process is not seen as advanced enough for a full blown paradigm struggle, or debate to be able to take place (Botan 1993, p.108). A paradigm can be thought of as a model (LTang Pieczka 2006) or worldviews (Grunig). Kuhn (1969) defined it a model or a way of thinking about and studying a problem. He stated that no paradigm is perfect and that facts and figures that do not fit the paradigm does not necessarily nullify the values of the paradigm. According to Kuhn a new paradigm can provide a perspective from which the subject can move on. ( As the term paradigm is still very much a vague area, the author will use the terminology used by academics to describe a paradigm as a model or theory and will find out whether Public Engagement fits into any of the original paradigms of Public Relations. There have been many communication models put forward and tested over the past 60 years by public relations practitioners. The principal ones being, the Shannon and Weaver model (1949), Shramms Interactive Model (1954) and Grunigs and Hunts 4 Models (1984). It is important to look at communication models to see whether Public Engagement is a new paradigm in the digital age or simply an extension of these. 1.3 Shannon and Weaver model Shannon and Wavers (1949) Mathematical theory of Communication is acknowledged as one of the most important models from which communication studies has grown (Johnson and Klare 1961), albeit biased towards the technical aspects of communication research (John Fiske 1982). This basic model was linear and did not represent reality where senders and receivers have an equal role. In contrast to the above models Schramm went on to create his model which emphasised two-way communication (1954) and introduced the concept of feedback. In problem solving scenarios open ended questions need to be asked in order to gain feedback and results. The model can be criticised as conveying the feeling of equality in communication. This could be rarely seen in practice and communication tends to be unbalanced. While this model was an important breakthrough in PR, it did little to listen to what the public actually needed. System theories / Four step and Excellence model System theorists are PR practitioners who develop a theory from experience/being in the organisation. They are concerned with the public in PR decisions. Grunig. J and Hunt.T (1984) are two of the earliest system theorists. From their observations they developed four models of public relations (Edward 2009). These were press agentry /publicist, public information, two-way asymmetric and two way symmetric communications known as the Four Step Model. 2.2i Four step model Press agentry (one way communication) is a way of communicating a biased message through media channels. (McQuail Windahl 1993) Public information (one way communication) similar to press agentry, but transparency in the message is vital; the message is truthful and informative. (McQuail Windahl 1993) Two way asymmetric (two way communication) is known as a persuasive tool. The purpose of this is to make the public think in the same way as the organisations. Feedback from the public is used to strength communication strategies. (McQuail Windahl 1993). The message is unbalanced , it is all about persuasion and is favoured by some advertising companies. Two way symmetric (two way communication) the two-way symmetric model, (Grunig and Hunt 1984) is probably the most popular and widely used in todays PR industry. This model is one that can build relationships and solve differences. Stakeholders engage with the organisation and can have some power over policies. This model employs research, listening, and dialogue as tools to promote relationships with both internal and external parties. Grunig put ethics the centre of symmetrical communication. (Grunig Hunt, 1984, p.22 and Grunig et al, 1992, p.55-61). According to Phillips and Young (2009), social media is causing a new communication paradigm. They believe that communication is shifting from the traditional hierarchical arrangement to an audience model encouraging horizontal discourse. Edelman in his interview Edelman (2009) agreed with this idea. In a survey of PR practitioners in charge of campaigns winning the 2002 Golden World awards from IPRA, it was found that when asked which of the four Public relations models they preferred, no one voted for press agentry model, 6.3% preferred the public information model, 18.8% the two way asymmetric model and the favourite model was the two way symmetrical model where 56.3% voted for it (Horn Neff 2008 and Okay PR from theory to practise book). 2.2ii Excellence model Gruig went on to complete a 10 year study Pr practice and developing a model for Excellent Public Relations ( Grunig 1992) It was found that the most successful Public Relations departments took part or contributed to the strategic decisions of the company. Once stakeholders had been identified, the study showed that successful Public Relation departments developed programmes to communicate with them. According to Grunig (1992) Excellence is the balance between an organisation and the public. It was seen as the management of communications on a level that aided the strategic management role whilst maintaining the attention and cooperation of the public. As such, the Public Relation role was enhanced and perceived in commercial terms whereby long term relationships could be forged between strategic parties. This model has been challenged by a number of academics. Philip and Younge (2009) argued that the new Public Relations challenges the Excellence model. LEtang (2006) was also critical and stated that the power imbalance between organisation and public was a weakness in the theory of two-way communication. Pieczka (2006) criticised the model as she felt that the study was biased to the two way symmetrical model. Pieczka not only critised his two way symmetry but questioned the and questioned the validity of his model. She believed that inconsistencies were apparent. It is clear that Grunig excluded conflicting viewpoints and academics have questioned the research carried out and pointed out that he chose paradigms to fit his model. Obviously Grunig based his model loosely on the systems theory but he did take on board these criticisms and the model was revised over the years (Grunig L, Grunig, JE Dossier, M, 2002). It is apparent the Excellence theory has had an impact on PR a leadin g body of work has developed around Symmetry/Excellence Theory which has probably done more to develop public relations theory and scholarships than any other single school of thought Botan and Hazleton (2006) (p. 6). As it was a model that was based on practise in a real life situation, it could be said that this is the model that is real to the industry. As PR has progressed and social media has become a large part in most cases, Public Engagement has taken on a new role, but nevertheless a new communication strategy could be easily adapted from the Excellence model. 2.2 Publics As audiences are needed for communication to take part it is necessary to look at different types of publics. Grunig and Repper (1992) propose two types of publics, the passive and the active. Active audiences go out of the way to find information on the company and respond. Passive audience do not want to engage with the company, but may if prompted to. This has led many practitioners to explore what methods of communication will prompt and engage these audiences. Grunig (1983) identified four basic publics: All issue publics: These publics are concerned with the organisation as a whole and are active on all issues. For example the media Apathetic publics: Are not aware or interested in the organisation as a whole (Smith 2005) Single-issue publics : Tend to be active in one area of the organisation Hot issue publics: are active on a issue that has received a lot of issue in the media These models all have uses and, they do not always consider what other factors affect why people engage in communication or how to attract the public who are unaware of their product. A further model is needed which could include attitudes, communication behaviour and personal behaviour which could help to recognise new stakeholders. ( Featherstone,Weitkamp,Ling and Burnet 2009 from journal Public Understanding of Science ) http://pus.sagepub.com/content/18/2/214.full.pdf+html This theory has been criticised by many. It lacks diversity and ignores the power dimensions of organisations and its publics (Lietch and Neilson 2001). Cutlip et al (2000) believe that PR practioneers should operate in an open system, whereby the external environment should be looked at in order for business change to suit their publics. There appears to be a new kind of publics at the moment and these are named the 21st century consumers and forming a relationship with them is crucial. They are more demanding than ever and want to receive information differently and share it with their own communities (Soli Breakenridge 2009) This new breed has been aided by social media. The social web allows people to communicate and share information and it is important for organisations to be aware of this and monitor conversations, if not, the public will still carry on talking and organisations may miss out . They have come to realise that listening is important. The relationship paradigm leads to trust It believes that two-way communication that attempts to accommodate both parties, while not abandoning the objectives of the initiative, will result in a much greater understanding of the needs and resources available to target publics (Martinez, Jr., Belio, n.d) (http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/7/2/1/7/pages172179/p172179-10.php ) 3.5 Rhetorical perspectives Rhetorical theory is based on persuasive through discussion. It is a two way conversation between groups with a common purpose and deals with choice. ( Nichols1963)Ethics goes hand in hand with it. Aristole, a Greek philosopher, wrote The Art of Rhetoric, which was the first formal book to define persuasion and the Greek society was governed by the principle of debate and persuasion. Agreement between parties is the ultimate aim but communication and agreement between both parties is necessary. More recently Heath (1980) ( Heath 1980 ; à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚   Rhetorics: New Rhetorics ; Rhetorical Studies ; Organization-Public Relationships said that rhetoric was at the front of an organizations relationship to its surroundings. Since then he has argued that it is the good organization communicating well ( Heath 2001 , 39; à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚   Public Relations Ethics ) Heath believes that PR practitioners and public are engaged in discussion and that rhetoric could be compared to G runigs symmetry model(Heath 2002 p49). Audiences can assess the credibility of all speakers by considering the values on which the message is built. Public relation practitioners role in the past has been seen as one that is there to persuade the public and change their attitudes. This has been common in PR and has been categorised as Grunigs asymmetrical model. Grunig argued that his model be best described as a way of getting what an organisation wants without changing its behaviour or without compromising leads to actions which are unethically, socially irresponsible and ineffective ( Grunig 1992 p39-( Public Relations Ch 18). Rhetorical Theory assumes multiple voices and if one view is acknowledged and preferred then others may not have the opportunity to put their opinion forward. Rhetoric can be seen as a way of asking individuals to think about different points of views (Bryant 1953) (from CH 13 Public Relations theory to practice) Rhetoric is not needed if there is agreement but as Heath (1992) points out communi cation is a wrangle of voices and not in isolation. It helps informs the public how to communicate and engage with each other but ultimately for organisations to be ethical. LEtang ( 1996) and Cheney and Dionisopoulos(1989)( Exploring Public Relations) http://www.prismjournal.org/fileadmin/Praxis/Files/Journal_Files/issue1/refereed_articles_paper3.pdf Heath 2002 pg 49 http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405131995_yr2010_chunk_g978140513199523_ss94-1 Postmodernists believe that because of their exsisting power, businesses and government will always enjoy a more profitable outcome than their publics when the two are in dialogue. Postemodernists recognise that the pr industry is changing due to audience segmentation, uncontrolled media due to the digital age, globalisation and a diverse audience. 3.6 Sphere of influence The sphere of influence was first put forward by Habermas ( 1989) He promoted the idea that a just society was at the centre of his theory and that discussion should be free and equal and defined it as the social space that mediates between the political sphere and the private sphere by providing space for discussion and negotitation . ( Weaver, Motion and Roper.- in Public Relations Critical Debates and Contemporary Practice 2006) However it seems that this approach could be seen to be too idealistic. It is more likely that communication is part of a strategic plan to control what the public listens to and the way in which it is disseminated. Jensen (2001) (Jensen I Public Relations and emerging functions of the public sphere. An analytical framework . Journal of Communication Management 6 :133-147). Moloney (2006) maintains that we do not live in a public sphere but a persuasive sphere and that Habermas utopia ideal does not exist. Again it appears that some scholars see his theory of public interest to be very similar to Grunig and Hunts (1984) model of two way symmetrical public relations. 1.2 Conclusion Although Grunigs fourth model is possibly the most well-known and the one that PR practitioners use in their day to day work, there appears to be a gap in communication models in regards to Public Engagement as a result of the digital age. It is now evident that a new model of Public Relations is needed. Public Engagement Public Engagement is a modern paradigm in the Public Relations context and sets out how professionals should be listening and engaging with their stakeholders in this digital age. Marshall Manson, Director of digital strategy at Edelman UK, describes Public Engagement as advancing shared interest moving from an influence pyramid to a world of cross-influence (Manson 2009, pg5). According to Edelman there are four attributes of Public Engagement; it aims to be democratic and decentralized, inform the conversation, call for engagement with stakeholders and finally make it clear how reputation is important. Public Engagement has to work in all four areas (Richard Edelman, 2008). Trust building both internally and externally, reputation management and transparency are the hallmarks of successful Public Relations initiatives. The term Participatory Democracy, a the precursor of Public Engagement was used by John Stuart MillsMills . Mills supported a representative government which included public participation of some kind but on a limited scale. It was apparent that participation could endanger political decision making and therefore democracy (Pateman 1970). Engagement in politics had been regarded as reactive but it is now perceived as proactive. Dialogue and engagement with all parties is important to prevent loss of public trust (Edward Andersson, Simon Burall Emily Fennell, Involve 2010). The Big Society introduced by David Cameron 19 July 2010 sought public dialogue and involvement in decision making. It is true that business and government rely on Public Relations to establish trust and dialogue and that Public Engagement, like any conversation, is all about listening. The world can be compared to a conversation and in order to be successful we need to listen (Richard Edelman 2008). The onset of the digital world has provided the public with means to engage in these conversations as never before. http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/events/jointsessions/paperarchive/edinburgh/ws22/zittel.pdf Arthur W Page Societys White paper(2007)is a good example of how Public Relations practitioners and company leaders must alter their approaches and business goals to be more trustworthy in todays world. The study looked at how CEOs saw their roles change with the culture of the environment. The environment is changing because of the advent of all things digital, a worldwide economy and a new class of stakeholders. However, it failed to provide a clear way to develop the role of the communication department in the future. The paper went on to say that some communication departments need to change their working practises. In order to move forward they must familiarise themselves with new technologies, publics and engagement models. Ivy Lee developed the first press release in 1906 after a train crash occurred in Atlantic city. He used a press release to invite journalists and photographers to the crash, as a way of promoting open dialogue with the media. He believed that Public relations was two way communication, and that PRs were responsible for making organisations listen to their publics and in return to communicate messages to them and engage with them. (Solis Breakenridge 2009). Prior to current publications on Public Engagement, the term was mainly linked to the scientific world. Demos (2009) stated that the UK was now perceived as a forerunner in Public Engagement within the science world. It argued that Public Engagement would only work when interest groups were included. Matthew C. Nisbet Dietram A. Scheufele (2007) argued that communication must be accessible to all sections of society. Advocacy, a term used by Public Relations Company Weber Shandwick, has been used as an alternative to PE and is defined as Public relations caught the first wave, the adoption of new technology to spread information   But that first wave, sharing information with more segmented audiences, is cresting.   A new one, a fundamental transformation of communication from information to advocacy, is rising (Jack Leslie, Chairman, Weber Shandwick Worldwide, n.d). It argues that engagement is necessary if communication with audiences is to take place. It is now evident that universities are becoming involved with the term Public Engagement. The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) is part of the Beacon for Public Engagement project. Their aim is to support and encourage universities engage with the public and their stakeholders. According to response source (2010) the ten most engaging brands in the UK are Google, Cadbury, amazon, BBC, facebook, MS, sony , Microsoft, the Olympics and Dove. Case studies- Olympics 2012 London 2012 logo was designed to attract and engage with the young. The aim of the project is to build community engagement and to bring people together through a national event; this would in turn go hand in hand with David Camerons Big Society. Campaigns have already begun, such as the Inspire programme, which has led to projects which have engaged the community. 1,000 projects have now been giving the 2012 Inspire brand to go ahead and is estimated to have reached over 10 million people in the UK with more to be expected (DCMS 2010). The Olympics will coincide with the big society by creating up to 70,000 game makers, who will volunteer around the game sites and will help out in their communities but during the games and after. The Olympics other aim is to change the perception of the disabled. TV broadcasting will be issued throughout the Paralympics games. Other areas of engaging with the community consists of: The new Sports Leaders programme this will train 40,000 sports leaders across the UK, they will have to volunteer 10 hours of their time to teach in the community. Engaging with the next generation of performers A London 2012 festival will be held with over 1,000 events to be released in the summer of 2011 Inspired by a project which helps disadvantaged young people around Britain http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/201210_Legacy_Publication.pdf Facebook In the run up to the 2010 UK election, facebook reminded their UK audience to register and vote and held online live debates between the candidates. They used a live tool on Facebooks democracy tool UK page, where the audience could say whether they liked or disliked what the politicians were saying. Facebooks intention was for their audience to engage with the tool. Facebooks Director of European Public Policy, Richard Allan said: 2010 is the UKs first ever social media election, and the dial test shows how voters can get involved on a scale never seen before. The dial test will provide a true barometer of the public mood and will define how the impact of the debates is interpreted. The tool gave facebook vital statistics on finding more information about their audience. (Wired article) More recently Face book was blamed by the Egyptian government for rallying Egyptians to meet and demonstrate against the President. The web proved so powerful a tool to engage the public that the internet was closed down by the government( The Telegraph 28th Jan 2011) The Police Gordon Scobbie a senior police officer wants to see police using social networks to engage with the public. He says that forces in Scotland should adopt virtual community policing, with officers going online and directly engaging with the public about local issues (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-11828502 ) BBC The BBC Trust set up Audience Councils in The British Isles to engage directly with their audiences and get their viewpoint on the programmes and services that the BBC offers. They represent all sections of society and as recently as the end of January 2011 invited viewers to join their organisation through the web and BBC TV Channels. They also hosted events for the youth and made home visits to gain an insight to the needs of the public. A Public consultation was carried out by the BBC Trust in 2010. They held three working lunches and invited organisations who had theory and practise in Public Engagement. They found that although the BBC website was very good at engaging with their audience, there is still a large population who do not have access to the internet. Face to face communication was seen as crucial to meet those with limited access to the internet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/consult/audience_engagement/interest_groups.pdf http://www.mediawatchuk.org.uk/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=309Itemid=92 http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/ace/what/ Social Media in Public Relations Social media, a new paradigm for PR can be defined as being centred around the concept of a read-write Web, where the online audience moves beyond passive viewing of Web content to actually contributing to the content (Sweetser and Lariscy p. 179). From a communication viewpoint, social media creates an available access point for messages to be communicated to the public. Social media messages can be strategic and have many communication aims for organisations e.g. marketing and customer service (Avery, Lariscyb, Sweetser, 2010) Social media has developed over the past years and now consists of forums, message boards, pod casts, photo sharing, search engine marketing, video sharing, Wikis, social networks, professional networks and micro blogging.( Wright and Hinson 2002). Web 2.0 engages with consumers, new and old through these social media platforms and it has let organisations put the Public back into PR'(Solis Breakenridge 2009) Old style PR skills are still helpful in bringing about transparency when communicating with stakeholders (Schlesinger 2010) but the introduction of Web 2.0 technologies has changed the world of communications for Public Relations bringing individual relevancy to communication efforts and at the same time fulfilling marketing criteria and legal obligations. (Pavlik 2008, Philips Young 2009) Rubel (2008) also agrees that there is still a role in public relations for traditional media pitching in certain establishments. Web 2.0 had a great effect on public relations. Whereas before, the web was a place to find information, it is now a place for symmetrical communication (Phillips and Young 2009). According to Phillips and Young Web 2.0 is an evolution. It was observed that digital media has the potential to make the profession more global, strategic, two-way, interactive and socially responsible Grunig, J.E (2009, pg1). However, he adds that the new media is being used ineffectively by some practitioners. Some are using it, as they did with the old media, as a place to write messages rather than using it to interact with the public strategically. Grunig (2009) concludes that it can only be used effectively if social media is used to its full capacity. 1.1 Social media and stakeholder engagement From the eCircle 2010 the European marketing social media and Email marketing study of 1,045 Consumer in the UK, some interesting results showed: Fans and Followers are the new email subscribers. To successfully engage in digital dialogue, marketing experts must convert consumers into subscribers as fans and followers. Users of social networks want to be engaged by companies: 13% of fans and followers of company / brand profiles want to be called upon to do something. These should be used better by brands. When information is shared, it can have a wide reach: 43% of users of social networks have more than 100 friends of followers. On average, each shared message reaches 77 people. But companies only achieve this multiplier effect if the brand or product becomes part of the users private communication. Public Engagement has produced new networks of influences and online forums leading to a way of communication through Blog, Twitter and Facebook among many, which impacts on all walks of life (Edelman, 2009.) In 2009, 625 million people worldwide had access to the internet, and as a result many people are now choosing to share their content on popular social network sites, such as Facbook and My Space, rather than choosing a service which allows only one means of purpose such as Blogger (McCann 2009). In one of the most recent surveys across numerous industries, 78% of organizations reported using blogs, 63% online video, 56% social networks, and 49% podcasts (Gillin, 2008). A further research by PR company Burson-marsteller 2010 confirmed that major international companies were using all four media platforms twitter, facebook, youtube and corporate blogs to engage with the public . Wight and Hinson carried two research projects that were five years apart, into the impact of new technologies on PR. It concluded that although more people used these technologies between 2009-2010 there were fewer new media opportunities available, for example this was borne out in the fact that facebook had been the most used social network site and that twitter was the most popular micro blogging site. It was obvious from their results that technology was continuing to change public relations. In 2008 it was reported that 61% of those who answered their survey believed that blogs and social media had changed the way their companies had communicated. By 2010 this figure had increased to 75% and many believe that social media worked alongside traditional media. Many of the open ended questions from the study showed that technology was having a huge impact and moving PR into a two way communication by opening channels between companies and publics. It is evident that Public Relations practitioners are using social media tools, especially blogging, in recent years within the workplace. It was seen as a way of competing against others in the PR world (Porter, Sweetser Trammel, Chung, Kim, 2007). According to Rowse (2007) practitioners are actively using blogs. Engaging and starting a conversation with stakeholders through social media a very powerful tool(PR Week 4th Feb pg 20) It offers practitioners and journalist a means to have two way communication and great opportunities. According to McCanns Wave 4 report (2009), social media platforms are so common these days that it is the place where the public share and create. In his study he noted how they presented unique opportunities to listen and observe. One way messaging is now outdated and anyone understanding this new communication world will only succeed (Weber Shandwick n.d). There is a need to understand and integrate social media platforms to PR initiatives (Flanagan 2010) and organisations have to think carefully on how they are going to engage various stakeholders on problems and in the planning process in the changing technological environment (Goodman 2010). But not everyone has access to the internet. The elderly find it hard to learn new skills and the poorest of our society may not have access to a computer or the internet. As a result their ability to engage with each other or society can be limited and certain groups of society may be excluded (Warschauer 2003). It seems that Prs need todo more that just have use of the web. They need to be aware of conversations happening online, and they know that they should engage in a fully transparent dialogue with openness and honesty. This will help to develop relationships with their customers. One section of society that has been affected by the introduction of the digital world is PRs relationship with journalists. (Sweetser, Porter, Chung, Kim, 2008) Instead of the old means of PRs contacting journalists for pitching news stories, the roles are changing slightly. Media catching is increasing in popularity. Journalists are now contacting a number of PRs at one time and others looking for stories and information. One third of Americans constantly use blogs as a means of gaining information (Smith 2008). At this point it is necessary to understand that social media is vital within organizations, encouraging employee engagement. Enterprise 2.0 is a form of web 2.0 which is used for businesses only. They provide services such as Yammer, a corporate version of Twitter, and Chatter- a social-networking service (Economist 2010). According to Mashable (2010) the top five engaged brands in social media are Starbucks, Coca- Cola, Oreo, Skittles and Redbull. Starbucks has developed a digital platform solely so that the public can

Nutrition Vs. Sport Performance :: Health Nutrition Pyramid Diet

The world is an orb of life. In its limited space all life forms compete to hold their own position. As Darwin concluded in his theory of evolution, “only the strong and most advanced survive, while the weak perish and are pushed aside.'; Evolution, the theory we use today to fuel our need to win and succeed in any organized competition. It is this drive that results in the vigorous preparation athletes’ go through to become superior among their race. To thrive, we must understand that proper nutrition is the basis any athlete must build from in order to achieve peak physical performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prior to strenuous activity it is imperative that the body has the required amounts of nutrients to carry out an activity. At the latest reference it is recommended that a person consume an average of 2200 mg of calories, 60 g of fat, less than 5000 IU of vitamin A, more than 60 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin D, more than 2000 mg of potassium, 2000 mg of sodium, 65 g of protein, 1.5 mg of thiamin, 1.7 mg of riboflavin, 20 mg of niacin, and 18 mg of iron. Nutritionists of today simplify this into an equation of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 30% protein that the entire day’s meals should be divided into. The total calorie intake must increase for active persons from 2200 to 2200 plus the total number used while exercising. This will ensure replenishment of the body’s system. Edgeworth 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the wide variety of athletic competitions, the specific meal a competitor may need to eat to benefit themselves differs widely, as do the events. The last meal or two are extremely important in both their time of consumption and content. It is these two factors that can cause a person to make or break their day just by their choices. Experience plays a large role since one must attempt many different pre-competition meals before they will find one that suits the individual. For most, the high carbohydrate diet is the choice; packing in as many as possible since it is such a huge energy source. Also, judging by time, one must decide the size of the meal. To digest a large meal takes 3-4 hours, a small meal 2-3 hours, liquid meal 1-2 hours, and a small snack takes less than an hour. A person may even find a burst of caffeine to be helpful or may just want a feeling of ease by not eating anything at all.

Is Grendel Evil? Essay -- essays research papers

In a world of chaos, he who lives, lives by his own laws and values. Who is to say that the death of millions is any worse or better, for that matter, than injuring a cockroach. And in the case of an existing power in the form of God, who is presumed to be all which is good, presiding and ruling an organized universe, why then does evil exist? The prosaic response of â€Å"without evil, there is no good† no longer holds any validity in this argument as the admitted goal of good is to reach an existence without evil. So even if a God does exist, I think it is fair, at this point, to say that he is the embodiment of both good and evil. And if humoring those who would answer the previous question with the response that there can be no good without evil, then can we assume that evil is simply a subsection of a defined good? Or perhaps even a good thing? If it is essential, those who chose the side of evil are simply abiding by good values. In the case of a world ruled by Chaos, ev il is a non-existent word or value, rather. The system upon which a person’s actions are judged also disappears leaving nothing but an instinct for natural survival as basic and primary as the life within the forests which we tear down to build our houses. Ethics is a wide field of philosophical study to which the core of every question within falls to one side of a blurred line. On the right, is good; the value which is popularly believed to be the correct alignment for which a person should live their life according to. On the left, is evil; that which is the cause of most human misery, and prevents peace on earth. In John Gardner’s book Grendel, the retelling of the ages old story Beowulf, further blurs the line between good and evil. Circumstance and perhaps a confused view of reality allow the monster, Grendel, to conceivably defend his evil beliefs. In order to better understand evil, using Grendel as a guide, I intend to attempt to justify it. Grendel is born a neutral being, perhaps even good, but nevertheless, without hate. The transition which he undergoes to become evil is due to misunderstandings between himself and humans and also meeting with a dragon who is questionably evil. As a young â€Å"monster†, Grendel knew nothing other than the cave he lived in and his mother who could not speak any distinguishable language. He was a playful creature who seemed to be like a â€Å"bla... ...orals is an act of creation. A religious act. Murder and Mayhem are the life and soul revolution†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The essence of good in evil is contained within this speech given by Red Horse. That which should be, will come from revolution. The people will fight for what they consider is the truth and if certain morals or institutions stand in the way of that, they must be torn down. The reason for destruction is to actually create anew what is better for existence. This is what I believe the old man is trying to say. That sheer brutality, and that which is considered evil, is the only way to achieve change and therefore a newer, better way of life. It is a concept which sounds harsh and uncompromisingly hurtful to those who are on the opposing end, but it is actually similar to sociology's conflict theory. Without conflict, and therefore the resolution of conflict, there can be no change. Without change, life remains stagnant and in the same cycle of trading one man’s pain for another man’s happiness. Therefore, without evil as a means to achieving good, the world would remain a constant struggle without advancements of living and without advancements of life.