Case Study Analysis Indian Railways - 1412 Words

Case Study Analysis: Indian Railways The case study of Indian Railways (IR) procurement practices by Nag (2013) is one of the most comprehensive case studies ever illustrated on IR techniques. Furthermore, the case study clearly represents various aspects of the IR procurement management with clearly distinguishing sections depicting the humongous IR network of railways; methodologies used in procurement practices for vendor selection; controlling and regulation practices related to procurement; competition between the suppliers; and ethics and accountability factors of IR individuals. Subsequently, each of these procurement management elements of IR would be summarized with various information and examples within this critical thinking†¦show more content†¦Moreover, in a few instances and for some specific items the Railway Board may also decide on the approved vendors (Nag, 2013, p. 2.3). As per Kahraman, Cebeci, and Ulukan (2003), the selection criteria should include the components related to supplier, performance, service, and cost. Hence, the approved vendor inclusion process of IR starts with an online registration, followed by a rigorous examination by RDSO to comprehend the vendor’s capacity, manufacturing practices, infrastructure and quality. The selected vendors are first put into a Part 2 list and are limited to obtain the contracts up to 20 percent of the total requirement of an item. Subsequently, vendors are closely monitored for at least 15 months before moving them to Part 1 list to handle fully tendered order. Additionally, strict rules and regulations control the Part 1 list; and if necessary, vendors can also be downgraded, where they need to stay a minimum of 1 year and prove their worth, before advancing to Part 1 again (Nag, 2013, p. 2.3). Oversight and Regulation of Procurement Despite understanding the importance of procurement oversight and regulations such as cost efficiency, improved quality and organizational efficiency, the employees are often tempted to circumvent these laws and regulations to administer preferred treatment to their personal interests (Hansson Holmgren, 2011). Therefore, the entire procurement process in IR is meticulouslyShow MoreRelatedBbc Pvt. Ltd. and Working Capital Challenge1196 Words   |  5 Pages| Case Study Report | Table of Contents * Case Background 3 * Key Findings 4 * Recommendations 6 * References 11 * Exhibits 11 Case Background BBC Pvt. Ltd, is a chemical manufacturing company that was established in 2004. Its registered offices are in Bangalore, and its manufacturing is in Lucknow. 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Article Review Geek Policing Fake Geek Girls And...

Despite the fact that the science fiction genre was created by a woman, science fiction is now overrun by people who now feel the need to write articles titled â€Å"Dear Fake Geek Girls: Please Go Away† (Brown, 2012). This article will summarize the works of Joseph Reagle and his article â€Å"Geek Policing: Fake Geek Girls and Contested Attention† (2015). â€Å"Each post about fake geek girls shows that question of attention is significant within geek culture† (Reagle, 2015). To explain this, Reagle (2015) uses Bourdieu’s theory of fields and capital, complemented by literature on geeks, authenticity and boundary policing; this allows the ability to identify the reciprocal relationship between the policing of identity and the policing of social boundaries. â€Å"Finally, the conversation tended to manifest the values of dominant members meaning that, in a discourse started by a woman to encourage other women to be geeky, some of the loudest voices were those judging women’s bodies and brains according to traditionally androcentric and heteronormative views† (Reagle, 2015). In 2009, J.A. McArthur wrote about what it means to be ‘geeky’: â€Å"To be geek is to be engaged, to be enthralled in a topic, and then to act on that engagement.† And what a better way to act upon that engagement then to act on it with other people who also enjoy it. This is where the problem lies; â€Å"although done in good fun, geeks are keen to not only identify the various facets of their identity, but test,

Painting the stage Essay Example For Students

Painting the stage Essay Playwright Jose Cruz Gonzalezs Harvest Moon presents a picture of migrant farm workers lives in the most literal sense possible during each performance of the play, now having world premiere at Seattles Group Theatre through May 8, the family centered story of campesinos in Californias central valley is played on stage while simultaneously, a depictive mural is painted scene by scene, giving new meaning to the notion of dramatic vision In Harvest Moon, the mural could be considered nothing less than a character. When the play begins, Mariluz (played by Vilma Silva), an artist and the daughter of Mexican-American farmworkers is dying from childhood exposure to pesticides. As a last gift to her son, Cuauhtemoc (Ramone McLane), she creates a mural to explain both her own memories and the history of campesinos in the farms of America. As the story progresses, Cuauhtemoc sees as own life unfolding as a literal part of this tapestry, finally coming to understand by the end of the play that he occupies a place in the picture, but one that has not yet been completely drawn and definea.Playwright Cruz Gonzalez makes the mural integral to the story, not just an illustration but part of the action of the piece. This incorporation of the design into the production has been a collaborative challenge for visual artist Cecilia Alvarez, set designer Rex Carleton and projection designer Will Cloughley of Synapse Productions. Composed of six shoji-style the screens,the mural measures 9 by 28 feet and is constructed of sharkstooth scrim, allowing the actors to be seen behind it as the screens slide open and they step directly into scenes The design team, working with director Laura Esperaza, met early on to map out the visual text of the production, after which Alvarez created the actual mural on a reduced scale of 9 by 28 inches. Once completed, the picture was torn apart into its individual elements. Transparent acetates were created to allow scenes to be separated into background and foreground with single and multiple image, building the mural image one detail at a time. Esparza likens it to rudimentary animation, like the shot-script a feature film. Along those lines, Alvarez also created what Esparza calls an image text For every image there is a corresponding line of dialogue and slide effect. The preshow image of the mural is graffiti on the side of a parking shed; on the line Lupita, I brought you tomatoes, the image appears as a single tomato. Later, that tomato fades into a night sky, and the screens create a color change, overlaying stars and the moon. Other scenes unfold layered images of skies and fields, the detail of a pair of eyes, the Statue of Liberty and, most significantly, Mariluz at the center of a tableau, symbolized as a spreading tree embracing her entire family. With the use of the scrimmed mural, Harvest Moon reaches through time as the play moves across different eras, from the Aztec period to the 1940s to the present day. While it encompasses the personal tales of one immigrant family, it also draws upon the history of the labor movement and activist leader Cesar Chavez, as mother child an appreciation of his history. The rule, says Esparza, was that every image in the play had to be found in the mural Computer-controlled slide projections designed by Cloughley, a former associate of Bay Area media-master George Coates, make the gradual development of the mural possible; but the mural itself belongs to an older tradition in Mexicos artistic heritage which reached its finest statement in the work of Diego Rivera, who used breadth of scale as a form of populist expression. .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 , .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .postImageUrl , .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 , .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02:hover , .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02:visited , .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02:active { border:0!important; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02:active , .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02 .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u26346d711871b6d2159c5157597f5e02:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: English in the last scene EssayIs it new? Esparza asks, and answers her own question. Is there anything new in theatre? Harvest Moon, however, is new in Latino/Chicano theatre. Diego Rivera gave the Mexican people a visual record of their collective memory, Esparza adds. That paved the way for the development of Mexican art. Now we are taking it into theatre. There, the picture tells a larger story.

The Odyssey Essays - Greek Mythology, Odyssey,

The Odyssey The Odyssey The great muses are called upon by Homer to tell the great adventure of Odysseus in his travel back to his home. Prayers are given to the Greek Gods and muses by Homer in order to proceed this story. The Greeks life revolved around the gods in a matter of fashion as we presently revolve around Christianity. The depiction of the roles the gods played in the Odyssey is both presented in good and evil. The Greeks portrayed their gods as powerful and merciful. However in the Odyssey the gods play a role in a savior like Jesus Christ and the tormentor like Satan. With the present role in the story of Odyssey the gods can be seen as a key role in Odysseus life. Odysseus alone cannot have escaped the treacherous Trojan War without the aid of the gods. However can it be reconcile that the gods were truly the ones who controlled our lives? In Odysseus's case the gods played a vital role. Throughout the entire story Athena was the crutch Odysseus and his family leaned on in the time of aid. Through the treacherous paths Odysseus traveled it was hope of seeing Penelope and his son Telemachus that brought him strength and wisdom. With the loves one left behind Odysseus fearlessly face the gods and tramples over their challenges. Without the help of Athena and her wisdom and devotion to Odysseus his challenges would be help with no boundaries. With Athena on Odysseus side, he was able to return home without any harms done to him or his family. With the gods in favor of Odysseus return all he had to fight was the challenges Poseidon threw at him. With the water being the only road back to his home this challenge was fare more difficult then the Tro jan War itself. With the guidance of Athena Odysseus was safely returned to Ithica. Even though Athena played a key role in Odysseus life she was still unable to protect him from the challenges he faced with Poseidon, Calypso, and Helios. The gods can be seen as Odysseus's sub-conscience. Athena being Odysseus's wisdom, Helios the jealousy hidden in our curiosity, Calypso the temptation we face, and Poseidon the challenges in life we face everyday. These main Gods played a key role in Odysseus's life. Poseidon tormented blinded Polyphemus. Poseidon would have never tormented Odysseus if only he kept his boastful self-quiet. A lesson in life learned by Odysseus to keep him self- humble at all times. Odysseus faced other challenges that slowed his journey towards home seem longer. Calypso who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years offered him the impossible. Odysseus with his wife in mind declined the gift for a passage towards home. With temptation and challenges that blockaded Odysseus journey home. However Odysseus and his deceased crew could of made it home safely if it wasn't for the curiosity and jealousy of the crew to open the bag of wind and their evil temptation to kill and eat Helios cows. The gods playing minor roles it was human nature that brought the crewmembers to their doom and slowed Odysseus down from returning home. Homer portrayed human nature with the gods and goddesses. We are our own enemy. We are the ones who lay the path in our life and destination. However there are bumps in the word that slow us down and break us down. With hope we resist temptation and fight evil off. The gods in the Odyssey portrayed the good and evil in human nature. Odysseus being the hero of the Odyssey resisted and learned valuable lessons in life on his adventure back home.

Performance Analysis free essay sample

In 2010, the global economy had shown a slight recovery from the downfall of previous year, despite the expiry of government economic stimulus programs in many countries. The continued expansionary monetary policy and the rapid growth expansion in the emerging markets led to above-average growth of the global economy. High-export countries such as Germany benefited from the double-digit growth of global trade. The automotive industry as a whole recovered from previous year’s financial and economic crisis and riding on this upstream Volkswagen Group successfully strengthen its market position setting a new milestone with its output exceeding the seven million mark for the first time, an impressive increase of 13. 7% vehicle deliveries. Basically, the Volkswagen Group is subdivided into two divisions which is Automotive Division that focus on the development of vehicles and engines, the production and sale of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and busses and the genuine parts business while the Financial Services Division’s provides financial solutions to its clientele such as dealer and customer financing, leasing, banking, insurance activities and lastly fleet management. We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Performance In year 2010, Volkswagen Group recorded an increased in unit sales of 15. 4% year-on-year to 7. 3 million vehicles while sales revenue was up by 20. 6% to â‚ ¬126. 9 billion. Furthermore, the Western Europe counter-parts have yet to redeem themselves from the 2008 financial crisis contributed to the slowdown. Although there is also an increase in sales in Europe or remaining markets, especially because of the rapid new car registration in Russia, it was not sufficient to offset the overall decay in sales revenue for the region. Meanwhile for North America, unit sales of group vehicles was 0. million and the sales revenue improved by 33. 3% to â‚ ¬15. 2 billion. In South America, with a growth rate of 7. 5% in Brazil and 8. 3% in Argentina, the group sold 0. 9 million units far exceeding the previous year’s figure by 9. 7%. Judging from the figures mentioned earlier, in seems that the automotive industries in established markets were heavily supported by government economic stimulus programs in 2010. In the case of Volkwagen Group, the incentives provided by their home country was the main catalyst behind their strong surge in sales during the financial turmoil allowing them to improve their market share in the small vehicles segment. Besides political help, the weakening of the euro in 2010 strengthens the income proceeds generated from abroad. Hence, in order to ensure its business remains profitable, Volkswagen Group would continue to strenghten their foothold in developing nations such as China, India, Russia and Brazil where growth opportunities are still present.

Free Essays on Sidney Sheldons Books

in his book which in fact the cause of why other reader’s don’t like its book. But if you base the book by literature, you’ll find out its really a good and an entertaining story to read METHODOLOGY: Our group created a survey of how Sheldon’s books for readers of different ages by letting them answer in YES or NO. YES if they like the book and NO if not.... Free Essays on Sidney Sheldon's Books Free Essays on Sidney Sheldon's Books †SIDNEY SHELDON’S BOOKS† SIGNIFICANCE: Sidney Sheldon’s books are one of the famous and best sellers. Sidney uses fine words of literature for better use of English for the readers. It is also written in a simple in a way that the readers of his book can easily understand the story. It also increases the reader’s vocabulary for there is words you don’t usually encounter. Some readers are only reading Sheldon’s books because of its eroticism; however, some are reading it for past time or for learning better English. OBJECTIVES: a. Broaden your knowledge, and skill in speaking English. b. Sharpens your memory. c. To help others develop interests in literature d. Give young readers an idea about the world they are going to face. PROBLEM: â€Å"Why do others like Sheldon’s books and others don’t?† HYPOTHESIS: Other readers do not like the way Sheldon explains his story while for others like it because they say they read it for fun. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE: Sheldon books are both fictional and romantic. Other reader’s especially older readers do not like it because of how the author explains his story in the book, while some younger reader’s like it. Sheldon expresses erotic words in his book which in fact the cause of why other reader’s don’t like its book. But if you base the book by literature, you’ll find out its really a good and an entertaining story to read METHODOLOGY: Our group created a survey of how Sheldon’s books for readers of different ages by letting them answer in YES or NO. YES if they like the book and NO if not....

MEASURING pH Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MEASURING pH - Lab Report Example The addition of Rolaid solution was carried out in increments of 10 mL to a maximum of 30 mL of Rolaid solution in soda. pH of the resulting solution was measured at each addition of the Rolaid solution using a pH meter. For the second titration run, the diluted lemon juice solution was gradually added to the milk. The addition of lemon juice solution was carried out in increments of 10 mL to a maximum of 30 mL of lemon juice solution in milk. pH of the resulting solution was measured at each addition of the lemon juice solution using a pH meter. Q 1. As more and more antacid is added to the soda, the pH tends to increase. The relationship between antacid and soda shows an increasing trend. The increase in pH is greater at the beginning but tends to taper off to approach a plateau. Q 2. As more and more lemon juice solution is added to the milk, the pH tends to decrease. The relationship between lemon juice solution and milk shows a decreasing trend. The decrease in pH is nearly constant overall leading to the conclusion that the relationship is linear. Q 3. As more and more lemon juice solution is added to the milk, the milk tends to curdle more and more. The constant decrease in pH indicates that the lemon juice is causing curdling and a net decrease in the amount of hydrogen ions in solution. Q 6. A buffer contains both hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions though in weak concentrations. When an acid is added, the buffer solution consumes the hydrogen ions to keep the pH constant. When an alkali is added, the buffer solution consumes the hydroxyl ions to keep the pH

AIS integration with ECDIS and Radar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

AIS integration with ECDIS and Radar - Essay Example The integration of AIS with 'Electronic chart display and information system' (ECDIS) has resulted in a revolution in the field of offshore marine communication. ECDIS, better known as 'Electronic nautical chart', is a name given to nautical chart representations on computers (Scheuermann, Wolf, 1996). However nautical chart representation is one of the aspects of ECDIS. ECDIS is a complete information system, providing all necessary information about whatever is displayed on the chart (Scheuermann, Wolf, 1996). Targets from the radar and from AIS can simultaneously be plotted on an electronic chart (Strenge, Rainer, & Bober, Stefan, 2004). Thus signals from both radar and AIS can be acquired and depending on the requirement, the information can be collected from either of the two sources or from both of them. The positioning of the target on the electronic chart is carried out by DGPS positioning system and in addition through radar map matching process that was developed by Stuttgart University (Strenge, Rainer, & Bober, Stefan, 2004). The ships have large electronic chart displays (ECDIS) installed on them on which AIS data and radar information from other ships is superimposed. These large displays have nowadays been replaced by small and portable computers. The port services have the responsibility to monitor the ship traffic.

Latin america religious news Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Latin america religious news - Essay Example Cuba is also an interesting case, for the dominant Communist ideology embraced by the nation is antithetical to the doctrine of Christianity. Hence, when the key itinerary of the Pope unfolds over the coming days, it would lead to numerous talking points in news media and blogosphere. Scheduled to begin on Friday the 23th of this month, the visit could usher in a â€Å"forward-looking agenda with wiling and capable hemispheric partners.† (Farnsworth, 2012) The Huffington Post article titled The Latin American Spring, published 21st March 2012, goes on to say that â€Å"it is also an opportunity for countries in Latin America to show tangible leadership on a number of issues consistent with hemispheric expectations of representative democracy and open market economies.† (Farnsworth, 2012). This is an interesting observation, for it implies that the purported religious visit has ramifications in the realms of politics and democracy as well. It is also a measure of power w ielded by religious leaders in this region that something as sweeping as democratic and economic reforms are thought possible through directives from the Vatican. The same news item was discussed in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune of 22 March, 2012. Here, author Nicole Winfield presents some interesting insights into the role of religion in the region. ... The following passage shows the opportunities and challenges in the Cuban leg of the tour. It also indicates the potential of religion to bring about progressive change: â€Å"Cuba's single-party, Communist government never outlawed religion, but it expelled priests and closed religious schools upon Fidel Castro's takeover of Cuba in 1959. Tensions eased in the early 1990s when the government removed references to atheism in the constitution and let believers of all faiths join the Communist Party... John Paul's 1998 visit further warmed relations. But after 14 years there's no doubt that the current visit of Pope Benedict XVI will help the process of development toward democracy and will open new spaces for the church's presence and activity† (Winfield, 2012) Coming to Mexico, religion is an important social denominator in the country, where an estimated 50,000 people were killed during last five years in connection with the war on drugs. The population of the country is over whelmingly Catholic (more than 80%) and members of the cartels that perpetrate violence and terror in the region are also claiming to be Catholics. In this situation, the pontiff will try to use his religious clout over the faithful and help tackle â€Å"what the Church sees as threats to family values, as well as the rise of rival religious movements.† (The Telegraph, 2012) Cuba, on the other hand poses an interesting juxtaposition, for the country’s political culture does not promote religion and only 10 % of the population are Catholics. Nevertheless, considering that part of social work in Cuba is carried out by Catholic institutions, the Pope’s address will highlight and encourage such cooperation between opposing ideological institutions. It will also draw upon historical Christian

Role Of Chance Samuel Becketts Waiting For Godot Philosophy Essay

Role Of Chance Samuel Becketts Waiting For Godot Philosophy Essay The purpose of life is something mystic, that us, humans, have always seeked, yet dont really know how to find. What is our reason to live? The fact we cant explain it, leads us to believe its because of a force greater then ours. There are lots of different names to call it. God. Fate. We dont know what the meaning of life is, and theres noone we can ask. This feeling can be pretty depressing in itself, and Waiting for Godot focuses on this feeling and on the way people try to find something to live for The play basically says that our lives rely on chance entirely, and because of it, they are meaningless, and thats the reason why people rely on unknown forces guiding them through life. And the interesting part is, that even the sources, that should justify the fact that there are greater powers in the universe then we can comprehend, say that human existence has a lot to do with chance. This is clearified when a story from the bible about two thieves is mentioned. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾One of the two thiefes was rescued. Thats a reasonable percentage. (Beckett, 8) Percentage represents that chance involved in human life, and the fact that that our fate relies on chance shows that randomness is an important factor in ones life. Beckett uses this quote from the Bible to show, that even a sacred text that has been an a help for thousands of years acknowledges the existence of chance. One of the two thieves. Thats 50%. A 50% chance for salvation, and we have absolutely no control regarding th is chance. The fact that God (if he exists) stays silent, makes the chaos even bigger. The situation that God lets life work like this, makes him guilty. The peoples belief in God is explainable though, because it makes them believe that theres a reason to live. As Pascal, a french philisopher said (he was a believer by the way), theres nothing to lose, because if it turns out God doesnt exist, then people wouldnt care for anything anyway, but if it turns out he does, at least you were on the safe side all the way. But Gods silence is the main thing that keeps the characters in hopelessness, and makes this work of art a tragedy, even though the characters act comically. Either God doesnt exist, or he just doesnt care. And this statement tells that theres no divine involvment in life. The world in Waiting for Godot is one without any meaning, which shows that chaos and hopelessness are the leading forces of the world. The events in the work are repetetive. Vladimir and Estragon are at the same place every day, waiting for Godot, doing the same activites over and over again to pass time. This shows the chaotics world effects on the characters. As Einstein says: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾The sign of going mad is doing something over and over again, and expecting different results. We dont know the time cycle the events transpire in. Time is a very intersting aspect in this play. It exists, but the reasons for this are not entirely clear, because the present, the past, the future, these things dont mean anything in this world. Time is a mess. A very good symbolization of the fact that things are still happening though, are Pozzo and Lucky. They are completely different in Act I and Act II. (Pozzo is healthy/blind, Lucky is able to speak/mute). Beckett uses the change in the situation of Lucky and Pozzo to show that time, and therefore, life, is meaningless. Humans try to be distracted from this fact. Vladimir and Estragon both try to stay cheerful in the play, and try to pass time with pointless activites. Doing this, they act comical, which adds a humorous aspect to the play. The positive attitude of the two tramps thus amounts to a double negation: their inability to recognize the senselessness of their position (Andres, 143-144). Vladimir and Estragon do various things to get distracted from the endless wait. Discussing mundane topics, sleeping, and sometimes contemplating suicide. They do this because they try to ignore the fact that they are waiting for a figure, which is part of their imagination, and might never even come. They are waiting for Godot, and they think his arrival will be a salvation to all their problems. They probably know this is only a wish that might never come true, but at least they have something to look forward to. The only other alternative is death, and although they think about it, they dont have the courage to do it. In the end all a human can do are pointless actions, or to perish. They do these pointless actions because they hope relief will come in a form of an outside force. Godot symbolizes this force, and although he likely doesnt exist, he at least gives their lives a meaning.By waiting, they achieve at least a bit of meaning. Vladimir, while contemplating whether or not to help Pozzo in Act II, declares, What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come- (Beckett, 51) Even though salvation is an illusion, its needed to be able to handle life, and that humans have to rely on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Godots to live. Its not clear whether Godot is real or not. This is shown by the fact that in both acts, they mistake Pozzo for Godot. That means they have never seen Godot before.The only contact they have with him is the messenger boy he sends everyday, telling them that Godot will come the next day. When Vladimir finally realises that Godot in fact will never come, great depression overcomes him. Vladimir realizes that he has no choice but to put up with the illusion, and go on. Theres no point. But theres no other option. All of these characters go on, but in the old ruts, and only by retreating into patterns of thought that have already been thoroughly discredited. In the universe of this play, on leads nowhere (Webb, 41). Waiting for Godot is all about how the world is based on chance, and the fact that a world based on chance cant have a real time sequence, and is therefore pointless, which makes life pointless too. Realizing this, humans will create distractions and diversions, in the form of patterns and reliance on divine forces, to provide them a purpose to live. In my opinion this book is a very good demonstration of the big questions every human has to face in their lifetime.

Gain credibility as a writer Essay

Any writer who is looking to build a successful career must gain an authority within the writing/publishing industry. Credibility assures customers that a writer is an established and respected professional. If you are searching for ways to gain credibility as a writer, consider the following steps. The best way to become a credible writer is to be a better writer, and the best way to improve your writing is to write everyday. Use whatever mediums are available to you, the Internet, local newspapers and magazines. A credible writer is someone who knows as much about writing as possible. Understanding the technicalities, writing rules and styles is imperative in this industry. For this reason, you should take writing classes and workshops in various areas of writing, and specifically in your own genre of writing, as well as attend conventions and conferences. Have an established writer provide some additional content for your site. Once you build your own reputation, ask that credible writer if you can submit an article. If you are a skilled writer, you will be invited to write for other blogs. Write for as many as you can and expand your readership. This in turn will build your writing integrity and reputation If you write a blog that is focused on the art of writing, then you will build credibility with every entry. Potential clients will read your work. A blog is better than a resume because it demonstrates your skill of writing. Just make sure that every entry you write is edited. Just like a blog can build your credibility as a great writer, it can damage it with a single typo.

Automobile and Private Cars Essay

Advantages and disadvantages of television The advantages and disadvantages of television Nowadays many people all over the world spent most of their free time watching television; but since its appearance, television has brought to man many advantages as well as disadvantages. First, television plays an important role in our daily activities: it keeps us informed of all current affairs in the world. Events through television are more vivid than those through books and magazines. Second, television helps us enrich our spiritual lives. Our knowledge is broadened in many ways. Through language teaching programs, we can learn the language we like such as: English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese and so on. We can become skilful and clever at doing jobs, making cakes or arranging flowers through practical courses taught on television. Finally, television is a source of recreation. Humorous stories and funnyfilms bring us minutes of relaxation after a hard day’s work. For me, sitting comfortably in an arm-chair to watch an international football match on television is more interesting than having to queue for tickets at a crowded stadium. Apart from its advantages, however, television also brings lots of disadvantages to viewers too. First, television viewers gradually become passive in their action. Television may be a splendid media of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other or with the outer world. The world seen through television is only the restricted one: It separates us from the real world. Second, television, with its fascinating power, makes people of all ages sink into oblivion: whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Pupils and students are so absorbed in television that they neglect theirschool activities. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and lessons unprepared. Housewives are so keen on watching television that they neglect their duties toward their husbands and their children. Instead of watching television, we may use the time for a real family hour. Without the distraction of television, we may sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another to know and like each other better. Finally, the evil influence of television on the young generation is inevitable; it encourages them to commit crimes. Spectacles of sadism and violence on television lead them to robbery, theft, rape and murder. In a nutshell, television is useful to us when we know how to use it: Be careful not to overindulge ourselves in it and use it in a discerning manner. Today there is some changes in the educational system. In your opinion, how should we change to raise the quality teaching? Education is to draw the best in children and to develop their faculties. Education is a complicated affair as it is supposed to equip children for life. Since life styles are always changing, the contents of education must also be changed accordingly. The school is supposed to provide necessary experiences to the child. When a child leaves the school, he may lead a useful life. But in the traditional school, the child was supposed to learn mainly the 3 R’s. So the chalk bard and the text books were the main stay of theteacher who was to shape the character of the child. Rote memory was insisted upon and examinations were based on this learning technique. There was not much of a difference from year to year on the way children were tested. The examinations conducted did not test all the faculties of the child. So, it was necessary for those who got through examinations to be trained afterwards. In short, children were very rarely taught to learn for themselves. This had continued for so long and the practice had to be abolished. Once this was realized, many new methods of teaching were tired and many new aids had been used for a better education of children. Today the school is a very complicated organization; the teacher is no longer the sole arbiter. The children, instead of being passive listeners, have been made active participants. They are handling, feeling, planning, creating and learning with newer tools and aids. The subjectivity has give place to healthy objectivity. In order to make education relevant and meaningful, children are exposed to almost life like situations. They must know how to live as good citizens and honest members of society. They must know how to live as good citizens and honest members of society. The way the school creates situations with these ends in views is important. On the intellectual side, the library and the laboratory must play a vital role. They complement and supplement more and more, and the use of library and the laboratory must be encouraged through proper assignments. The playing field, various camps, many organizations like the Junior Red Cross, etc. have to be fully utilized to shape the character of the child. Beside the text books, there are other aids for learning. They much be judiciously used. In fact, there are hundreds of ways in which the audio-visual aids can be used with advantage. Examinations must not be used to show weakness but must be a yardstick for proving the all-round education of the student. The questions must be objective and reliable. The examinations must be welcomed by the students. In order to satisfy the diverse population, there must be diversity in programs, approaches, resources and aims and room for experiment. Examinations should be a challenge for students. The world is shrinking and nobody can feel parochial. So education must equip students for world understanding and world citizenery. Science and technology must find their places in any scheme of education. Any system of education must help turn out a fully developed and all-rounded personality. The difficulties in learning English and how to overcome them. Beginners of foreign language always meet difficulties from the outset. For me, I had to overcome these problems when I started learning English. English pronunciation is my first obstacle. The pronunciation in English puzzles me a lot because the same letter has different sounds. For example the letter â€Å"a† in â€Å"bath† is not pronounced in the same way of that in â€Å"bathe†. The â€Å"ou† in â€Å"South† is also different from â€Å"ou† in â€Å"Southern†. Generally verbs and nouns are pronounced differently although they are written the same. Record is a good example to illustrate it. In order to solve this puzzling question I carefully study The A.P.A (The International Phonetic Alphabets) which helps me pronounce English words correctly. In order to have an accent just like the native speakers, I often listen to tapes and repeat after them, trying to imitate them. Moreover, myeveryday conversation with the foreigners I meet in the street will enable me to acquire a proper accent. Compared with French, English grammar is much easier. However, this does not mean that learners meet no difficulties in learning it. It took me a long time to learn how to master the tenses in English grammar, to endeavor to do as many grammar exercises as possible and read various grammar books. In writing English, English language has its own style. In order to drillwriting skills, I have tried to read famous novels of distinguished America and English writers. I enjoy the humorous style of writing in Mark Twain’s masterpieces, the elaborate and polished style of George Eliot and the sentimental and lyrical style of John Keats. After long and hard years of English study, how pleased I feel when I am able to read English and American authors without any obstacles and difficulties at all. Your favorite hobby Everybody has his or her own hobby. For me, my favorite hobby is reading books. My father was not only a writer but a researcher as well. He had a great collection of books on many fields: literature, science, art, fiction and non-fiction. After his death, I inherited the most valuable treasure which has been preserved carefully up to now. As I have a large collection of books of my own now, I usually spend hours reading and thinking about facts described in each kind of books. Sitting comfortably in an arm-chair in the library with a book open on my knee, I recall my father who was absorbed in his reading, perusing the poems of John Keats, William Words Worth, Chateaubriand and Lamartine. I still hear his sonorous voice reciting rhythmical lines of poems in Kim Van Kieu’s story while his face was radiant with ecstasy and raptures. Through books I see many countries rise and fall. Kings and Presidents pass before my eyes and I can follow the history of nations. Each book has a story to tell me of remote countries and strange people. I am greatly indebted to books indeed. For me a good book is not only a true companion but also a well-experienced teacher guiding me through my life. It has the miracle to relieve my suffering and my hardship and reveal to me strange and new horizons. Reading books broadens my mind and improves my knowledge. Instead of indulging myself in futile entertainments, I am often keen on reading books which are always a source of comfort and relief to me and I am determined to preserve my father’s valuable treasure for my posterity. In a few words, the reading of books contributes to the moral and intellectual formation of a man’s personality. A shopping day We live in the suburb of HCM city. Twice a week my mother and I usually take a bus to HCM city to do some shopping. Yesterday was my mother’s off-day. Early in the morning we took a bus to town. We were in town just after seven and we had the whole morning for shopping. First, we went to the ready-made clothes department. My mother bought two white shirts for my father, a pair of blue jeans for my brother. I chose a pink woolen sweater. I liked it very much because it perfectly suited my complexion. At this department prices were moderate and we did not need to bargain. Before leaving, my mother bought herself two pairs of gloves. Next, we went straight to the shoe department. The shop-assistant greeted us warmly. He showed us pairs of shoes of really good quality leather. Leather shoes and sandals of various sizes and colors were on sale. The store was crowded with customers. They were either looking at the shoes or buying them. We both chose fashionable pairs of shoes and left. It was nearly eleven o’clock. We called at a little cafà © by the street-side to have lunch. After lunch we went to the park nearby. We took a rest on the bench in the shade of tall trees, waiting for the shops to be open again in the afternoon. At 2:00 p.m. we returned to the shopping center. We went to the Chinaware department. My mother needed a dozen of dishes and bowls. Enameled chinaware of different beautiful patterns attracted housewives’ attention. Finally, before returning home, we went to the stationer’s. My mother bought lots of stationery: ink, pens, ball-point pens and writing pad. On the way to the bus station we called at the fast food department to get some ready-cooked food for the family when we got home. Returning home, I felt quite tired but how interesting a shopping day it was!e Life in the city, compared with life in the country In my opinion, urban life or rural life has its own advantages and disadvantages. First, living in the city we may enjoy those benefits. – Communication and transportation systems are better. There are so many means of communication and transport that we can choose the ones we like best. We can get in touch with a friend or talk to him by phone without having to go out of home. – Thanks to electricity network and running water, our material lives are more comfortable. Supermarkets, markets and shops are found everywhere and we can buy anything we need providing that we can afford it. – Urban life provides us with all sorts of entertainments: televisions, radios, movies, theatres, concerts and famous recreation centers. – Living in town we can improve our knowledge easily by attending any schools, universities or evening classes where experienced teachers and professors are ready to satisfy our thirst for knowledge. Besides its advantages, urban life also has its disadvantages: – Our health is in danger: pollution by factories and heavy traffic may cause serious diseases to all of us. – Evil influence upon the young generation by obscene video films is inevitable. – Violent deaths happen regularly in such a crowded city with all kinds of vehicles. On the contrary, rural life seems ideal to all of us, especially to the old. – We can enjoy fresh, cool air and behold beautiful landscapes in the country. – How safe and delighted we are when we can sleep a sound sleep at any time of the day without being disturbed by sirens of cars or by deafening noises from manufacturing factories. – Our social lives in the country are easier: we can eat the food and vegetables we grow, the chickens and goats we raise. The countrymen lead a very simple life and they are quick at mutual help in any case. Apart from these advantages, living in the country we may meet lots of difficulties too. – Communication and transportation are obstructed by lack of means of transport or by floods in the rainy season. – Our knowledge is limited by being short of mass media. – Our social and physical lives are not as comfortable as those in town because of lack of electricity and medical care. In a nutshell, our love for town life or country life depends on our outlook and age. As for me, I always prefer rural life to urban life. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Cars. Nowadays, as people’s life quality develops, more and more families can afford to buy private cars. On one hand, private cars can make the travel more convenient, A case in point, if you have a private car, you will not have to go to work in a crowded bus everyday and still worry about if you are going to be late. And when you want to travel in someplace, driving by yourself in your own car is the most convenient and comfortable way. While on the other hand, private cars can be very expensive and the price of petrol is getting higher and higher, taking a bus is a less expensive way when travelling. When a city has too many private cars, it becomes easy to cause traffic jam, especially when people go to work and go home after work. And you may need to wait for hours in your car.What’s more, more and more private cars also means more and more pollution to the environment. The gas that cars discharged is a serious pollution to the atmosphere. All in all, there are both advantages and diaadvantages of private cars. In my opnion, you can use your own car when it is necessary and if you are not in a hurry, you can take a bus instead.the birth of cars have made an enormous change to our life.in the past,we travel from one place to another only by foot,nowaday,cars can do it .its goes withour saying that the invention of cars bring great benefit to all of us. But as proverb goes:no garden without weeds.car is not exception. owing a car has a lot of advantages.for one thing,car provide us the most convient way of transportation.we can get around freely without spenting a lot of time.emotionally,i always found driving is so exciting.for another,its the comfortable to drive a car. In winter.drivers always can stay warm and dry even in rainy whether,in addition,drivers are usuall y safe in their cars when they are out at night. Cars bring the human merits,their side-effects graudually come to the surface.firstly,to run a car need a lot of oil,which is getting less and less.the increasing number of cars contribute the lacking of energy. Secondlly,as more and more cars are used,the traffic ecpecially in big cities is getting heaver and heavier,which lead to the serious social problem–traffic jam.in addition,the inceasing numbers of cars ,which excaust sent a huge quantities of carbon monoxide into atmosphere.it make the air of cities unbreathabe,it strip people contact with frensh air. therefore,the new energy should be explored to replace the oil so that our en vionmental pollution can be avioded .and the strick law should be issued to keep the numbers of cars under control.thus,our heavier traffic can be solluted! —- There are some advantages to owning a car in an urban area. First, sitting in your car is much more comfortable than having to wait a long time for the arrival of the bus or train. In bad weather the driver of the car is warm and comfortable and is always guaranteed a seat. Second, in urban areas it is much safer to be in your car, especially at night, than having to walk down a dark street to get to a bus stop or train station. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages to owning a car. First, a car is expensive. Gasoline is not cheap and car insurance rates in urban areas are very high. There are other expenses to be considered too, such as car maintenance and repairs as well as having to pay for parking. Second, owning a car causes a lot of worry and stress. If you leave your car in the street it might get stolen or its parts might get stolen. It is also very stressful to be driving on the freeway or in traffic jams and there is the constant fear and stress of being involved in an accident. Advantages & Disadvantages About Social Networking. 1. Purpose: To inform about social networking. 2. Main Idea: By the end of my speech the audience should get an idea about the advantages & disadvantages about our every day’s use of the social network. 3. Developed Main Ideas: There are 2 points I want you guys to be informed about. Social networking is a wonderful task we can do on the internet, although, there are advantages & disadvantages that comes with it. 4. Sub points: The advantages of social networking: – keep in touch with friends and family – be informed about around the world – get feedback about ideas or thoughts – ask questions, get fast answers – helps you learn more diversity and get exposure to multiple points of view.

A report on the macroeconomic policy settings In Australia

A report on the macroeconomic policy settings In Australia Abstract Australia has set up regulatory reforms aimed at improving and promoting its governance. Special attention has been directed towards such aspects as trade, market openness, competition and regulatory management. These reforms have enabled Australia to succeed in weathering the recent global financial crisis.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A report on the macroeconomic policy settings In Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These reforms, together with the introduction of robust monetary and fiscal policies, have enhanced growth in the country. Effective trade policies such as dismantling of trade barriers and creation of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have enhanced greater and faster gains. Some of the major challenges that the country faces include, an increase in terms of trade and an ageing population. In an effort to enhance its economic wellbeing, the government should set macroeconomic policies s uch as economic growth, inflation, unemployment and trade policies. In particular, the government should improve its infrastructural facilities and also promote force labor participation. Introduction It is apparent that the uncertainty that has gripped the world economy is slowly manifesting itself in Australia’s corporate sector, where chief executives are under pressure to put in place measures that will keep their companies afloat in the face of a receding global economy. As a result, every country should make progress towards restoring the macroeconomic stability. In order for macroeconomic stability to be achieved, all the stakeholders should be committed to policy implementation. Australia has made considerable progress in enhancing its long-term economic stability. A vital question is to whether this economic growth can be sustained. This depends on the evolution of the fundamental determinants of economic growth, especially those that have contributed to the most gro wth improvements in recent years (United Nations, Economic and Social Council, United Nations, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, 2004, 107). The following research report focuses on the macroeconomic policy settings, currently being applied in Australia. The report examines aspects such as economic growth policies, unemployment polices, inflation policies and trade, which are currently in use. Economic growth and inflation policies currently being applied in Australia Australia’s economic performance has been impressive, in spite of the recent global financial crisis. The key to this impressive performance has been the adoption of both monetary and fiscal policies in a medium term framework. The setting of these policies has enhanced macroeconomic stability. Monetary policy operates in medium term framework and targets the inflation. It is based on the independence of the central bank as well as the floating exchange regime. Its purpose is to ensure that the rate of inflation is kept low, as much as possible.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A graph of Australian Economy in the last Three Decades Obtained from: worldgameofeconomics.com The Reserve Bank, commonly referred as the RBA, has the role of maintaining the inflation rate at around 3 % over a trade cycle, while maintaining sound monetary conditions. To achieve this objective, the RBA compares the current inflation predicts with a specified inflation rate. Since 1993, the RBA has adopted an explicit inflation targeting approach (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2010, 49). Fiscal policy in Australia is aimed at balancing the budgetary deficits over a trade cycle. Fiscal policy thus, provides the investors and consumers with a high degree of confidence in spite of the recent economic crisis. In Australia, the fiscal policy helped to balance the bud getary deficit in 1997-1998. Between 198-1999, the fiscal policy moved the Australian finance into surplus. The fiscal policy is currently aimed at further improving the government’s finances (International Monetary Fund, 2006, 9-14). Other than using the monetary and fiscal policies in enhancing its economic growth, the Australian government has also set up regulatory reforms aimed at improving and promoting its governance. The government has advocated for credible and transparent macroeconomic frameworks. The structural reforms have resulted to greater flexibility in exchange rates and a better anchoring of the monetary policy. Structural reforms have also provided the central bank with greater credibility in maintaining low rates of inflation (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Australia, 2010, 99-100). The appreciation of the Australian dollar over the last decade has also enhanced the country’s economic growth. Stiff competition among the vario us financial intermediaries has led to a continued reduction of interest rate margins. The economic growth in Australia is aimed at reducing the unemployment rates in the future (Sloman, Norris, Garratt, 2010, 287-345).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A report on the macroeconomic policy settings In Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A graph illustrating Australia’s GDP growth Obtained from: bilbo.economicoutlook.net Unemployment polices currently being applied in Australia The recent global economic crisis has stretched well beyond Australia. It has seen millions of workers across the globe being laid off. Globally, unemployment crisis has become a vast human tragedy (Bell, 2000, 1). The Australian government has laid sound policies that are aimed at attaining full employment. The Australian government has been forced to revise its past unemployment policies, with a view of achieving full employme nt. With this regards, the Skills for the Future Inquiry and the Review of South Australian Employment Programs have been set in order to tackle the unemployment crisis. Other policies and strategies that have been undertaken by the Australian government in tackling the unemployment challenges include: the South Australian Strategic Plan, Prosperity through people, Better Skills, Better Work, Better State Strategy and Skills Strategy for South Australia’s Future among others. These strategies have played an important role in creating a high-skill economy, enhancing access to quality employment and superior workforce planning. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation Development (2010), Australia has gone further in addressing the unemployment crisis than any other country in Asia-Pacific region. However, the country faces a major challenge with regards to an ageing population. It is estimated that the Australia’s working-age population grows by approxima tely 200,000 annually. The ageing population can slow the economic growth as only a small percentage of population in work is forced to support those too old to work. In combating the negative effects of population ageing, the country has set up such measures as enhancing productivity e.t.c. (Emerson, C.2006, 35). A graph of Australia’s inflation and unemployment from 1995 to date Obtained from: aussiestockforums.comAdvertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Trade policies currently being applied in Australia Trade and investment have been major driving forces behind Australia’s economic prosperity and growth. More than 2 million jobs in the country are directly or indirectly connected to imports and exports. Currently, mining is the main economic activity in Australia. The country usually gets bigger and faster gains by allowing regional free trade between its neighbors. A chart illustrating Australia’s export Obtained from: dfat.gov.au The country’s trade policy is aimed at dismantling the trade barriers with a view of generating immediate gains. This move has enhanced people’s initiative and exchange. Australia strongly supports the World Trade Organization as the main medium for international trade liberalization. In 2001, the Australian government launched the multilateral trade objective during the Doha round of trade negotiations. The round is aimed at reducing trade barriers and also to Promote Aust ralian goods and services internationally. Australian government has thus encouraged the World Trade Organization to fully participate in the round of trade negotiations. In addressing fluctuations of prices of agricultural products in international market, Australian government joined other nations in forming the Cairns Group. This group focuses on achieving positive outcomes on agricultural products. Some of the progress that has been achieved so far includes elimination of trade barriers for agricultural products and creation of export subsidies, among others (Gangopadhyay Chatterji, 2005, 13). Australia is also a strong supporter of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), group which is aimed at enhancing cooperation, economic growth and prosperity in the region. The group ensures that there is free trade and open trade in the wider Asia-Pacific region. In meeting its objectives, the group leaders have acted to improve security in the region. Economic prosperity cannot be attained without adequate security and thus, the group leaders during a meeting that was held in 2003, proposed the need of enhancing the regional security. With this regards, the APEC group leaders are vested with the responsibility of countering terrorism and securing trade (Yamazawa, 2000, 1). In an effort to promote its goods and services internationally, Australia negotiates Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), with its key trading partners. FTAs play an important role of opening up all trade in goods, providing an environment that is conducive for trade and investment and negotiating trade deals for member countries. Australia alliance relationship with New Zealand is important as far as trade and investment are concerned. The Australia New Zealand economic relations began in the early 1980s. Both countries signed the Australia New Zealand Closer Economic Relations (CER) agreement, which supports all the trans-Tasman trade and investments of both countries. Australia has also formed Free Trade Agreements with other countries across the globe such as the United States, Singapore and Thailand (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005, 77). Australia’s Balance of Payment Obtained from: agsm.edu.au Conclusions and Recommendations The current macroeconomic performances have proved to be impressive. The country has succeeded in achieving economic growth and prosperity in the face of the global recession. Macroeconomic performances have also resulted to a fall in the unemployment rate to around 6 %. Also, the rate of inflation has remained relatively low making Australia to be one of the few OECD countries with improved standards of living. However, the country faces a short term challenge of managing the adverse effects of rise of prices of goods and services in the past few years. The increase in commodities price has in turn increased the terms of trade. The government also faces long term challenge of labor supply following the population ageing. In addressi ng these challenges, the government should consider enhancing efficiency of its services by clarifying responsibilities and improving cooperation in key sectors of the economy such as agriculture and mining. Similarly, the government can enhance productivity by up-skilling the workforce, improving infrastructural facilities such as road networks among others. To address the effects of ageing population on labor supply, the government should promote labor force participation to notable groups such as women, disabled, single parents and the old. Also, monetary and fiscal expansion should be carefully kept in check. Reference List Australian Bureau of Statistics., 2005. Year book, Australia, Issue 87. Canberra: Aust. Bureau of Statistics. Bell, S., 2000. The unemployment crisis in Australia: which way out? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Emerson, C., 2006. Vital signs, vibrant society: securing Australias economic and social wellbeing. New South Wales: UNSW Press. Gangopadhyay, P Chatterji, M., 2005. Economic globalization in Asia. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. International Monetary Fund., 2006. Australia: selected issues. Washington: International Monetary Fund. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development., 2010. Australia: towards a seamless national economy. Paris: OECD Publishing. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Australia., 2010. Towards a seamless national economy. Paris: OECD Publishing. Sloman, J., Norris, K. Garratt, D., 2010. Principles of Economics: Edition3. New Jersey: Pearson Education Australia. United Nations, Economic and Social Council, United Nations, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination., 2004. Supporting Africas efforts to achieve sustainable development: dialogues at the Economic and Social Council. New York: United Nations Publications. Yamazawa, I., 2000. Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): challenges and tasks for the twenty-first century. London: Routledge.

Toumai - Type site of Sahelanthropus tchadensis

Toumai - Type site of Sahelanthropus tchadensis Toumaà ¯ is the name of a late Miocene hominoid who lived in what is today the Djurab desert of Chad some seven million years ago (mya). The fossil currently classified as Sahelanthropus tchadensis is represented by a nearly complete, amazingly well-preserved cranium, collected from the Toros-Menalla locality of Chad by the Mission Palà ©oanthropologique Franco-Tchadienne (MPFT) team led by Michel Brunet. Its status as an ancient hominid ancestor is somewhat in debate; but Toumaà ¯s significance as the oldest and best preserved of any Miocene age ape is undeniable. Location and Features The Toros-Menalla fossil region is located in the Chad basin, a region that has fluctuated from semi-arid to wet conditions over and over again. The fossil-bearing outcrops are in the center of the northern sub-basin and consist of terrigenous sands and sandstones interbedded with argillaceous pebbles and diatomites. Toros-Menalla is some 150 kilometers (about 90 miles) east of the Koro-Toro locality where Australopithecus bahrelghazali was discovered by the MPFT team. Toumaà ¯s skull is small, with features suggesting it had an upright stance and used bipedal locomotion. Its age at death was approximately 11 years old, if comparisons to wear on the teeth of modern chimpanzees are valid: 11 years is an adult chimpanzee and it is assumed that so was Toumaà ¯. Toumaà ¯ has been dated to approximately 7 million years of age using the Beryllium isotope 10Be/9BE ratio, developed for the region and also used on the Koro-Toro fossil beds. Other examples of S. tchandensis were recovered from Toros-Menalla localities TM247 and TM292, but were limited to two lower jaws, the crown of a right premolar (p3), and one partial mandible fragment. All hominoid fossil materials were recovered from an anthracotheriid unitso called because it also contained a large anthracotheriid, Libycosaurus petrochii, an ancient hippopotamus-like creature. Toumaà ¯s Cranium The complete cranium recovered from Toumaà ¯ had suffered fracturing, displacement and plastic deformation over the past millennia, and in 2005, researchers Zollikofer et al. published a detailed virtual reconstruction of the skull. This reconstruction illustrated in the photo above used high-resolution computed tomography to create a digital representation of the pieces, and the digital pieces were cleaned of adhering matrix and reconstructed. The cranial volume of the reconstructed skull is between 360-370 milliliters (12-12.5 fluid ounces), similar to modern chimpanzees, and the smallest known for an adult hominid. The skull has a nuchal crest that is within the range of Australopithecus and Homo, but not chimpanzees. The skulls shape and line suggests Toumaà ¯ stood upright, but without additional postcranial artifacts, thats a hypothesis waiting to be tested. Faunal Assemblage Vertebrate fauna from TM266 include 10 taxa of freshwater fish, turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles, all representatives of ancient Lake Chad. Carnivores include three species of extinct hyenas and a saber toothed cat (Machairodus cf. M giganteus). Primates other than S. tchadensis are represented only by a single maxilla belonging to a colobine monkey. Rodents include mouse and squirrel; extinct forms of aardvarks, horses, pigs, cows, hippos and elephants were found in the same locality. Based on the collection of animals, the TM266 locality is likely to be Upper Miocene in age, between 6 and 7 million years ago. Clearly aquatic environments were available; some of the fish are from deep and well-oxygenated habitats, and other fish are from swampy, well-vegetated and turbid waters. Together with the mammals and vertebrates, that collection implies that the Toros-Menalla region included a large lake bordered by a gallery forest. This type of environment is typical for the most ancient of hominoids, such as Ororrin and Ardipithecus; in contrast, Australopithecus lived in a wider range of environments including everything from savannah to forested woodlands. Sources Brunet M, Guy F, Pilbeam D, Lieberman DE, Likius A, Mackaye HT, Ponce de Leà ³n MS, Zollikofer CPE, and Vignaud P. 2005. New material of the earliest hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad. Nature 434:752-755.Brunet M. 2010. Short note: The track of a new cradle of mankind in Sahelo-Saharan Africa (Chad, Libya, Egypt, Cameroon). Journal of African Earth Sciences 58(4):680-683.Emonet E-G, Andossa L, Taà ¯sso Mackaye H, and Brunet M. 2014. Subocclusal dental morphology of sahelanthropus tchadensis and the evolution of teeth in hominins. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 153(1):116-123.Lebatard A-E, Bourlà ¨s DL, Duringer P, Jolivet M, Braucher R, Carcaillet J, Schuster M, Arnaud N, Monià © P, Lihoreau F et al. 2008. Cosmogenic nuclide dating of Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Australopithecus bahrelghazali: Mio-Pliocene hominids from Chad. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(9):3226-3231.Vignaud P, Duringer P, Mackaye HT, Likius A, Blondel C, Boisserie J-R, de Bonis L, Eisenmann V, Etienne M-E, Geraads D et al. 2002. Geology and palaeontology of the Upper Miocene Toros-Menalla hominid locality, Chad. Nature 418:152-155. Wolpoff MH, Hawks J, Senut B, Pickford M, and Ahern JCM. 2006. An ape or the ape: is the Toumaà ¯ cranium TM 266 a hominid? PaleoAnthropology 2006:36-50.Zollikofer CPE, Ponce de Leà ³n MS, Lieberman DE, Guy F, Pilbeam D, Likius A, Mackaye HT, Vignaud P, and Brunet M. 2005. Virtual cranial reconstruction of Sahelanthropos tchadensis. Nature 434:755-759.

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY- Final Peper Essay

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY- Final Peper - Essay Example The members who got into the treaty hope to achieve a complete recovery of the ozone layer by the year 2050 (Benedick, 2007). c. Number of participants and the reasons for the level of participation. The protocol has managed to attract international co-operation exceptionally due to the widespread implementation as well as adoption of the treaty. The treaty has been ratified as perhaps one of the most successful agreements of international scale to date. The treaties that fall under the Montreal Protocol have successfully been ratified by the European Union as well as 197 other states. This therefore makes the protocol alongside the two ozone treaties involved the most ratified of all the treaties in United Nations history. Other participants in the treaty include the Cook Islands, Holy See alongside Niue. The protocol has its proceedings in major languages so that no one fells left out. The languages are French, English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic. This is one of the major factors that contributed to the fact that many participants were attracted to the protocol. The other reason for such level of participation is the common goal that drives the desire to protect the earth from losing the all important ozone layer. The countries that went into the treaty, the latest entrants being South Sudan, all had the common purpose to work towards eliminating harmful substances and controlling emission of such substances that can greatly affect the ozone layer (Chasek, 2013). d. Compare the success of the Montreal Protocol to that of the Kyoto Protocol and address the reasons for any differences in terms of National Interests of those that elected to participate and those that have not. The differences witnessed between Kyoto protocol and the Montreal protocol is that the one in Montreal imposed on all countries strict restrictions from the start. That mostly differs from the mode of operation of the Kyoto protocol. The other difference that can be observed in t he two protocols is that strong incentives were created by the Montreal protocol with regards to participation and compliance if a country is to be part of the main agenda. Montreal also created a positive feedback system whereby each step aimed at reducing the depletion of the ozone layer as well as creating incentives whereby each country would feel involved in the process of decision making in regards to taking steps forward. This effort in the long run provided the participating countries with an avenue to place their trust on the efforts of fellow states and hence national interests in the Montreal protocol turned up to be higher than that of the Kyoto protocol (Dotto, 2006) 2. United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea. a. The issue of â€Å"Property Rights† as it relates to UNCOLS. This treaty arose from the third conference held by the United Nations that took place right between the years 1973 and 1982. The laws in this treaty tend to define responsibilities of countries on how they utilize the resources from the sea as well as the oceans of the world. The treaty laid basic guidelines for environmental conservation, conducting business alongside good use of marine resources found naturally. UNCLOS came into effect in the year 1994 after signing Guyana a year earlier. By October of 2012, the treaty enjoyed the company of 164 nations alongside the European Union. The UN is

THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN - Research Proposal Example 3. The image of God is manifested in each and every person regardless of religious orientation and belief. Need for the Study The aim of the study is to proffer issues that would deepen one’s understanding on the statement that man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1: 26 – 28). Having been explained in various literatures, the meaning of the â€Å"image of God† is presented in discussing the difference between man and other creations of God, particularly animals. Further, one would seek to determine if any violation from the factors signifying man’s being created in God’s image would that necessarily defy man’s existence as being created out of God’s image. For instance, if man commits sin with utter disregard for conscience, does that mean that the statement does not apply to him, in particular? Procedure of the Study The study would be conducted using various secondary sources of information of the topic. The sour ces would be authoritative and scholarly and would present balanced and unbiased views of the authors on the subject. If the time would allow, some primary information could be solicited through simple interviews of acquaintances and people from various walks of life regarding their personal points of views and perception of the topic.

Career fair assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Career fair - Assignment Example It has also been known as Applebee’s Services, Inc. and it functions as the largest casual-dining restaurant chain in the world. Products: As Applebee’s functions in the restaurant industry, its theme mainly spots on a type of casual dining of food with conventional American cuisine comprising of salads, sea food such as shrimps, chicken, pasta and its signature dish, ‘riblets’. All Applebee’s restaurants contain a bar division which serve alcoholic drinks but this addition pertains to places only where it is permissible by law. According to the official website of Applebee’s, currently there are more than 1,990 Applebee’s restaurants functioning under the system in around 49 states, 15 international countries and one U. S. territory. Moreover, there are approximately 28,000 employees working under the system of Applebee’s (Applebee’s 2012). Every company faces controversies in its going concern, so has Applebee’s. Some instances include it under a forced arbitration issue when it violated the Arbitration Fairness Act in 2009 and it banned its employees to sue the company under any circumstances. This was reported by The Huffington Post on February 11, 2009. Another issue pertains to side-work payment of compensation by the company under which it was sued and this continues since 2006 regarding hourly payment of wages to servers to work for non-serviced labor. The website as a source of information for its users comprising of prospective employees and other general users is quite appropriate but it has to be enhanced for friendly user viewing. There should be a translation factor installed on the website of the company for non-English user and the absence of a proper mission statement and a vision should be taken care of as this is quite of a basic information conveyance to users. Old Navy is an

Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today Essay Example for Free

Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today Essay Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today (33 marks) There are a variety of different definitions of religion including substantive definitions, which refers to focusing on the content or substance of a religious belief such as God, functional definitions, which refers to religion in terms of the social or psychological functions it carries out for the individual and there are also social constructionist definitions which focus on how members of society actually define religion. Functionalists hold a consensus view and argue that society requires both social order and solidarity in order for it to run smoothly, and religion is one way of providing this as it encourages shared norms and values. As previously mentioned, functionalists argue that social order and solidarity to run smoothly – Durkheim argued that there are four main ways in which religion maintains value consensus. One way is through the sacred and profane, he argued that sacred referred to things that are separate from society and create feelings of awe, wonder and fear whereas profane referred to things that were inferior with no real significance. Durkheim therefore argued that the only thing powerful enough to inspire people in the way religion does is society itself therefore meaning people are not worshipping their religion or god, but in fact society – this means that people unite under the same belief, spreading shared norms and values all over and therefore creating consensus within society. Another way in which religion helps to maintain value consensus is through Totemism – Durkheim argued that heart of all religions could be identified by examining its simplest form in the simplest type of society which he called a clan society. He carried out a study in Australia with a tribe with a clan system. (Arunta) This tribe consisted of a close knit community who carried out rituals together with involved the worshipping of a sacred totem, such as a plant of leaf that identifies the clan therefore creating a sense of social order and solidarity. Totemism is similar to the sacred and profane as it causes individuals to unknowingly worship society instead of a God or supernatural being, therefore again spreading shared norms and values. However, there are criticisms to this view; Worsley argues that there is no difference between the sacred and profane and his view of totemism would only apply to small scale communities with a single religion, but not larger scale communities with multiple religions as there are commonly conflicts between them, meaning there is no longer social order and solidarity. Malinowski argues that religion promotes social order and solidarity through it psychological functions, which helps individuals who are going through hardship therefore preventing them from going against society’s shared norms and values. Malinowski suggested two different types of situation in which religion helps to perform this role. One way is when the outcome is important but is uncontrollable – he compared the differences between two different ways of fishing when carrying out a study in the Western Pacific, he argued that lagoon fishing is predictable, safe and has a more successful method of catching fish meaning there is no ritual. However, when the islanders were ocean fishing, he identified it as more dangerous and uncertain which required the islanders to carry out rituals in order to ensure their safety whilst fishing. Malinowski argued that the ritual gave the islanders a sense of control and more confidence, again highlighting solidarity. The other situation was at times of life crises, this meant events that cause significant change such as birthdays, weddings, and death religion is useful as it helps bring little disruption. Similarly, Parsons argues that religion helps individuals to handle unforeseen events and uncontrollable outcomes. He identified two ways in which religion does this – one way is by creating and legitimising society’s central values but making them sacred. For example, in the USA, Protestantism helped make the American core values of meritocracy, individualism and self-disciple sacred. This therefore helps to promote social order and solidarity as the vast majority of Americans would have the same norms and values, creating little conflict and greater social cohesion. The other way is by answering people’s ultimate questions, such as who created the earth, and why do some people die young. It gives individuals a sense of security and makes people less likely to rebel against society. However, not all sociologists agree with the functionalists and their view of religion and its role. Feminists argue that the role of religion is to oppress women and help maintain patriarchy within society. One way in which religion maintains patriarchy is through religious organisations – these are significantly male dominated, for example, Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism do not allow women to become priests. Armstrong argues that this is evidence for the marginalisation of women in religion and society. Places of worship often separate the sexes, placing men on more holy ground with women sitting behind a screen. Women are also not allowed to preach or read from sacred texts. Additionally, menstruating women are not allowed to touch the Qur’an, this therefore reinforces patriarchy as women are forbidden from doing important rituals within their holy ground and are also discriminated against. Sacred texts are often focused on the actions of male gods and prophets and are commonly written by men. Women who are featured in sacred texts are commonly portrayed through stereotypes such as Eve, who caused the fall of humanity and expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Lastly, religious laws and customs ensure that women are given fewer rights than men, such as access to divorce, how many spouses they can have, decision making etc. In conclusion, there are a variety of different theories as to the usefulness of lack of in regards to religion.

Admissions Essay - Yo Soy El Chinito! :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay - Yo Soy El Chinito! The following is an account of a day in my life. It begins with a dream: "Andale, es todo," I say (All right, that's it!). "The medication is bringing your blood pressure back to normal. You'll be fine. By the way, how are the kids?" I pat my patient Pancho, a farm laborer, on his brawny shoulder and escort him down the hallway of the Mendota Clinic. I wake up. Lying in bed, I contemplate how vividly my dream depicts the future I aspire to: administering primary care in Mendota, a small farming community in central California where I grew up. Mendota is populated mostly by Hispanics. I remember how everyone called me "el chinito" (the little Chinese), and knew my family because we were the only Chinese family in town. In high school, I observed many physicians come and go at the Mendota Clinic where I volunteered; those departed did not speak Spanish or have extensive exposure to Hispanic culture. Moreover, I was saddened because I saw many people, particularly migrant farm workers, succumb to preventable diseases. In spite of persistent signs of illness, most of them went without treatment because they lacked health insurance or were unwilling to visit a doctor for fear of what they might discover. Members of underserved communities, such as Mendota, require more than a well-trained physician if they are to receive the health ca re they need. They need a physician who is also trustworthy, affable, and understanding of their plight: a friend. I yearn to be that person serving in Mendota. After brunch, I go to the gym, although today I do not plan to work out. Winston, a wheelchair-bound 45 year old who suffers from cerebellar myoclonus, awaits me to assist him with his workout and shower, as he has for the past four years. Winston's neurological disease, since its onset during his college years, has prevented him from properly coordinating his movements and fully contracting his voluntary muscles. Over time, the disease has progressively robbed him of the physiological functions which most people take for granted in daily life--such as the ability to see clearly, pronounce words accurately, and walk. Seeing Winston's favorite blue plaid shirt invokes my recollection of our first encounter. I was working out when I saw Winston slip from one of the weight machines. Admissions Essay - Yo Soy El Chinito! :: Medicine College Admissions Essays Admissions Essay - Yo Soy El Chinito! The following is an account of a day in my life. It begins with a dream: "Andale, es todo," I say (All right, that's it!). "The medication is bringing your blood pressure back to normal. You'll be fine. By the way, how are the kids?" I pat my patient Pancho, a farm laborer, on his brawny shoulder and escort him down the hallway of the Mendota Clinic. I wake up. Lying in bed, I contemplate how vividly my dream depicts the future I aspire to: administering primary care in Mendota, a small farming community in central California where I grew up. Mendota is populated mostly by Hispanics. I remember how everyone called me "el chinito" (the little Chinese), and knew my family because we were the only Chinese family in town. In high school, I observed many physicians come and go at the Mendota Clinic where I volunteered; those departed did not speak Spanish or have extensive exposure to Hispanic culture. Moreover, I was saddened because I saw many people, particularly migrant farm workers, succumb to preventable diseases. In spite of persistent signs of illness, most of them went without treatment because they lacked health insurance or were unwilling to visit a doctor for fear of what they might discover. Members of underserved communities, such as Mendota, require more than a well-trained physician if they are to receive the health ca re they need. They need a physician who is also trustworthy, affable, and understanding of their plight: a friend. I yearn to be that person serving in Mendota. After brunch, I go to the gym, although today I do not plan to work out. Winston, a wheelchair-bound 45 year old who suffers from cerebellar myoclonus, awaits me to assist him with his workout and shower, as he has for the past four years. Winston's neurological disease, since its onset during his college years, has prevented him from properly coordinating his movements and fully contracting his voluntary muscles. Over time, the disease has progressively robbed him of the physiological functions which most people take for granted in daily life--such as the ability to see clearly, pronounce words accurately, and walk. Seeing Winston's favorite blue plaid shirt invokes my recollection of our first encounter. I was working out when I saw Winston slip from one of the weight machines.

The main purpose of the National Rifle Association (NRA)

The main purpose of the National Rifle Association (NRA)[1] is to â€Å"promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis†.[2]   Along with this key initiative, the NRA has other promoting sights that harbor the same motto such as the Institute for Legislative Action[3], and the NRA Foundation[4] (Source Watch, December 2005). The goals of the NRA may be considered conservative because it is an organization priding itself on the proper use of gun control, and it repeatedly goes back to the second admendemnt that allows citizenry to bear arms.   The goals tend to be more on the conservative side since the point of the organization is for citizenry to keep and use firearms and hold a militia in case of infringing governemnt control.   The side that counteracts any deceitful government with military action as the second amendment states[5], The Second Amendment guarantees: â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† This guarantees a citizen's right to keep and bear arms for personal defense. The revolutionary experience caused our forebears to address a second concern — the ability of Americans to maintain a citizen militia. The Founding Fathers trusted an armed citizenry as the best safeguard against the possibility of a tyrannical government. The NRA then is a conservative organization.   This is true because the NRA is only for law-abiding citizens having guns while a liberal stance would be for no one having a gun.   That is the main difference.   Conservatives then believe that guns are used for self-defense.   The main base of the NRA is shooting according to a scientific basis, and therefore gun control is not ideal for an NRA member.   They believe that gun control laws are not applicable in today’s society although there are staggering statistics that prove that gun control does work because per capita countries with gun control laws have less gun related incidents and death[6].   In all the NRA is a very conservative organization. One of the main politicians that oppose the gun control issue is former congressman John Thune[7].   The politician that is for gun control is Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle.   Their views are very much strictly conservative opposing fundamental liberalism.   In areas such a gun control and the laws arising in the senate for or against these laws both politicians have adamantly stood in contrast to the other, as the NRA website states in Cox’s article, Since 1986, Daschle has cast literally dozens of anti-gun votes in the U.S. Senate. He voted for the Clinton gun ban in 1994 and again earlier this year. He voted for prohibitions that would have shut down gun shows across America†¦ And as the leader of his party in the U.S. Senate, Daschle carries far more clout and control over fellow Democrats than you might think. And time after time, he has chosen to use that raw power against gun owners. In contrast, Daschle’s challenger, former Congressman John Thune, has been a committed defender of Second Amendment freedom since his first vote in Congress. During his tenure in the House, John Thune voted to prohibit the federal government from keeping computerized records of gun purchases and to protect the American tradition of weekend gun shows. These two politicians are polar opposites with issues concerning guns.   Of course on of the biggest debates on gun issues arose in the 2004 elections with John Kerry being obdurately opposed to guns and even wanted to ban them while Bush of course took the other stance and advocated guns and by extension the NRA. In the NRA’s goals of liberty, equality, and democracy hold true to the idea of freedom.   That is why the Second Amendment is so vital to the NRA’s standing infrastructure; it allows citizens to hold onto freedom with militia and guns in case of the inception of an autocratic government or despot scenario.   In this belief the NRA has a foundation dedicated to education about freedom and guns. The goal again of the NRA is to â€Å"promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis†.  Ã‚   The ideal of democracy is a nation for the people and the NRA seeks to uphold that goal.   In order to do so, and the maintain liberty, and equality the NRA foundation is a modicum that allows for people to exerise their right of bearing arms, as the website states, Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. These activities are designed to promote firearms and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those participating in the shooting sports, and to educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological and artistic context. The Foundation is about protection; protecting freedom through use of guns.   In all, the goals of the NRA in direct accord with their view of liberty, equality and democracy. There are however interest groups that exist that oppose the NRA and their beliefs.   Some of these groups are affiliated with animal protection.   Though the NRA does hunt animals they do so with proper licensure.   The animal rights groups (FETA, National Humane Society of America) oppose the use of trapping, baiting, and hunting with dogs.   The opposition stems from the NRA believing every animal should be hunted without restriction to the animal rights groups wanting to limit hunting on specific species (bear, dove, etc) because of endangerment and other issues. In other instances the NRA helps to control a rising population of animal through hunting, as the website further states, Animal â€Å"rights† extremists from The Humane Society of the United States and other groups came out in strong support of a bill to stop the bear hunt in Maryland. Maryland DNR opposes the legislation and maintains this is needed to properly manage the bear population. The opposition to guns and by extension to the NRA is that they do not regulate their hunting but instead say that hunting a citizen’s right.   On the other hand, the NRA helps to maintain population control by hunting.   If hunters (or NRA active supporters) did not hunt then the population might get out of control and that animal would invading the space of humans, and in the case of the white-tailed deer their numbers would increase steadily and more people would get into wrecks because their population wasn’t checked through the use of fire-arms.   Also, in the view of an NRA member, hunting is a legitimate means by which to supply their family with food; so not only is hunting good for society but it is also good for the family. The NRA also has volunteer positions in its organization.   These positions include duties such as protecting freedom for gun owners.   Volunteers answer calls for the organization, and are called EVC (Election Volunteer Coordinators).   These volunteers as the NRA website states, †¦all EVCs serve on a voluntary basis, and ARE NOT employed by NRA. Rather, like you, they are NRA Members and volunteers who have stepped forward to help organize fellow Second Amendment supporters in an effort to protect our freedoms. If you are able to give ANY time to assist with volunteer activities in support of local pro-gun candidates, please contact the EVC in your area. The point of becoming a volunteer is to be actively involved in the protection of the Second Amendment in one’s own community.   A volunteer makes their surrounding community aware of the NRA and its issues through town-hall meetings, writing letters, writing newspaper articles, and in other ways during election years so that the citizenry is aware of the gun issues at hand are better equipped with gun knowledge.   There are also volunteer organizations involved with promoting the ideas of the NRA, one of which is the Firearms Coalition of Colorado and as the NRA website states, Formed 14 years ago to fight the City of Denver`s attempts to ban numerous semi-auto firearms, the Firearms Coalition of Colorado (FCC) exemplifies just what it means to be a â€Å"volunteer organization.† During the last 14 years, working side-by-side with NRA-ILA, FCC has steadfastly continued its efforts to thwart countless attacks by anti-gun politicians at the local and state levels. These are the ladies and gentlemen that you commonly find working at 3:00 a.m. if that is what it takes to get the job done. The purpose of volunteers and volunteer organizations is to promote gun awareness and to advocate the Second Amendment. The NRA is an organization dedicated to fire arms and the proper use of such firearms.   It is a strong advocate of the Second Amendment and is proud to take control of guns and the rights of the citizenry to use those guns for personal purpose without the interference of the government.   As their website states, and this paper reiterates, the NRA was Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the â€Å"lobbying† arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is committed to preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is therefore an organization priding itself on protecting an individual’s freedom, equality and democracy.   To achieve this, volunteers work during elections to ensure everyone is aware of gun issues and how to ensure that guns are not banned from the country.   The right to bear arms is important to the NRA because it ensures that an autocratic government does not take control of the nation, and guns are an important decipherer in that equation of freedom. Work Cited Friends of NRA.   ;http://www.nrafoundation.org/; NRA Organization.   ;http://www.nraila.org/index.aspx; Source Watch.   (December, 2005).   National Rifle Association.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ;http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Rifle_Association; [1] A foundation founded in 1871 ( [2] This quote can be found on the NRA website at, http://www.nra.org/ [3] This is the NRA’s lobbying arm, which means it is a group of legislatures promoting the cause of the NRA with politicians and other public officials. [4] a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, which provides â€Å"a means to raise millions of dollars to fund gun safety and educational projects of benefit to the general public.† (NRA website). [5] This quote is found on the NRA website and it furthers to explain the cause of the organization in regards to its fundamental motto and the fact that the NRA is trying to protect and legislate a citizens right to weapons in case of a tyrannical government. [6] There is a list of other conservative related issues pertaining to the NRA that are: conservatives believe that background checks are not necessary for owning a gun, it is unlawful to license gun owners, again there is the Second Amendment for the bearing of arms to protect individual rights, the NRA also holds true that it is wrong for individuals to sue gun companies. [7] Of South Dakota