Is the Internet Bad for Us?

ENG 120 I03FY February 23, 2010 Is the internet bad for us ? In the old days, a paper research used to take up to several days, when only libraries and encyclopedias had the right and trustful information. A visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art involved finding the address first, and that took as well quite some time. In our days all this information is just a click away. The Internet, with the help of web pages, such as Google Search and Google Maps, are the solution to every question one may ask. The long days of search have ended, but it doesn’t mean it is a favorable or beneficial thing for each person. Scientists and professors of well known universities have discovered that this trouble free, straightforward and rapid method has determined not only the brains to delay the thinking process, but also changed people’s behavior in their lives in a negative way. One neuroscientist, Dr. Gary Small conducted a study where he examined the impact of the Internet on a young persons brain. This study consisted of reading a MRI while the person was surfing on the Internet, and another one while it was reading a book. Then, the results where very surprising: the MRI showed more brain activity in the frontal part, the decision part of the brain, when the person was surfing the Internet. The study reached lots of newspapers, and every person believed that Google is making them smarter. However, after a short period of time, Dr. Small reviewed the results and stated: â€Å"On a brain scan big doesn’t mean it is better†¦It’s exactly as in a golf game, you want to keep your score lower†. One can easily see that this brain activity is without doubt detrimental to all of us and surfing the Internet only decreases our process of thinking, instead of increasing it. Surfing on the Internet has become a daily routine, by checking the e-mail, researching on some interesting subjects and that takes probably an hour per day, which is ordinary in our days. Still, there are millions of young students that stay an average of fifty hours a week on the Internet and that just doesn’t seem something normal. All this time spent on the Internet has affected their thinking development. A pathologist of the University of Michigan Medical School states that: â€Å" I can’t read â€Å"War and Peace â€Å" anymore, I’ve lost the ability to do that. Even a blog post on more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it. This is actually a frightening reality that applies to myself as well. Not only I can’t focus on my daily readings for my biology class, but also if I start reading a book, after only twenty minutes I loose my concentration. This inability to make â€Å"rich mental connections† and just to thin k, has transformed our real intelligence into an artificial intelligence, thus the Internet has a direct participation towards our brain development. One can say that the Internet has changed our lives for the better, since World Wide Web possesses information about almost everything. However, not all the information on the Internet is accurate. There are several web sites where the information is not meticulously verified, therefore one can obtain data and facts that are untrue, even misleading. The best example is Wikipedia, a website where anyone can put any information on this page without any previous examination. Countless students use this web site to research for projects, without knowing the danger of misleading information. Communication in our lives is a tremendous vital thing. Indeed, human beings are born to communicate with each other no matter what kind of lives they decide to live. Communicating with other people allows us to learn about ourselves as human creatures. It helps us to understand our way of behaving, of thinking in different situations/places. However, the Internet has a considerable effect on our daily communication with out friends, family and even loved ones. The casual coffee in a modern cafe is replaced by staying on Yahoo Messenger talking for hours in front of the computer, and a discussion face to face has become a thing of the past, â€Å"thanks† to Second Life, a program where you could meet virtually at a restaurant, cafe or even in a park. The increased access and heavy reliance onto computer games and the Internet for many people today have led to many social problems. Obsessive computer use leads to addiction, which can lead to financial problems, broken relationships, physical and emotional problems. An example of such addiction affected a Korean family. Their son was sent in a camp for he was playing all the time computer games. This camp helped him to stay away from a computer for two weeks, so that he could concentrate on regular activities. The Internet has extended its power at the point that Google and Microsoft are in the process of creating an online international library, extinguishing books. This idea would only cause the lost of our culture and history, because books are an important factor in the achievement of today’s knowledge. The vinegar that was used in the old days to sanitize the scrolls from the deadly diseases, was a crucial tool towards finding the location from where they were sent. Studying their chemical components scientists discovered even details of their way of living. In conclusion, technology in all of its forms – social networks, the Web, online gaming – is a net loss for today's young people. As Grafton states: The narrow path still leads, as it must, to crowded public rooms where the sunlight gleams on varnished tables, and knowledge is embodied in millions of dusty, crumbling, smelly, irreplaceable documents and books. † Scientists proofed that the Internet is a direct cause of our mental regress, consequently each one of us must take this seriously, before we turn up into a chaotic, unwise and mentally challenged world . Works Cited â€Å"Digital Nation. † Frontline. PBS. WNET, New York. 2 Feb. 2010. Television. Grafton, Anthony. â€Å"Future Reading: Digitization and Its Discontents. † Fields of Reading. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010

Influential Factors in Choosing a Programming Language Essay

* To help Gary make decisions about which language to choose, you are asked to provide Gary a list of key factors and their importance in choosing a programming language. Overview of Report When it’s time to develop a new program, the first thing that must be considered is the decision on what programming language to utilise. This is important because changing the program midway through completion is very difficult to achieve, and will often require a vast rewriting of code. There are a number of issues that will influence this decision, and these are: * Organisational policy, suitability of the language, the availability of trained staff, how reliable the program is, cost of development and maintenance, expandability of the language, and interoperability with other languages Organisational Policy All organisations will have policies (methods of practice) dictating that they will operate under specified conditions. A policy of developing applications using one particular language may come from historical use, and a foundation of previous development tools (such as IDEs) for that one language. (M Fishpool, 2007, p.156) To deviate to using another language may in that instance not make sense to the hierarchy of the organisation. This may ring particularly true if the organisation has established a relationship with a particular vendor, such as Microsoft. Maintaining a link with this company may be rewarded with better support and discounts. (Anderson, 2010, p.166) On the other hand, maintaining the use of a particular piece of software (such as Microsoft’s IDE Visual Studio) would limit language choice to those that suit that company’s interests. Another choice they may pursue is to utilise open source software, which brings its own benefits and disadvantages. Open-source software does not offer personalised technical support and relies on an unpaid, potentially unreliable enthusiast community to provide these solutions, but is usually free to use. Suitability Building a program in a language unsuitable for its intended task will cause big problems down the line, which is why understanding the application’s technical requirements is important. The first thing to consider when making a program is what the intended platform will be. This could be computer setups such as Windows, OS X, a Linux-based OS, a web-based application, a smart phone-based app or the option to be platform agnostic could also be desired. Languages that are built to be natively run on one platform (like C++) will be more effective in completing intensive tasks, but building a program in Java means that the application will work the same way on any OS with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) software installed (Oracle, 2011). The complexity of the program will also affect whether a procedural or object-oriented language will be chosen, as is whether appropriate features are included in the chosen IDE. (Anderson, 2010, p.166) Availability of Trained Staff If a language is popular and used widely (such as Java, C, or C++ (TIOBE, 2011)), then there will be more professionals that are able to code in it than there are for less popular languages. Therefore, choosing a popular language will make it easier to recruit personnel for a new project. Also, looking at what languages the organisation has historically used, the kind of hardware installed, and what skill sets existing employees have will have an impact in this decision. Reliability A program becomes unreliable when how it will deal with data becomes unpredictable, and this is what can cause programs to crash. This is why some languages, like Ada, are created with an emphasis on features that make them less likely to crash. (Anderson, 2010, p.166) The best way of ensuring that code is predictable and reliable is to use a strict language, which is one with a strong type system. A strong type system specifies restrictions on how values of different data types (such as integers and strings) are allowed to be intermixed, and stops the source code from compiling if it thinks data is being incorrectly mixed. This provides a guarantee about how the program will behave when it starts running. (Wikipedia 2, 2011) Development and Maintenance Costs Part of the idea of planning the development of a program also includes the costing of the entire project. In order to do so, we take into account the length of time each development stage will take, and what resources will be needed at which point. A lot of resources are spent before the first line of code is even written to make sure that the language and IDE we choose will be the most suitable and acceptably reliable, because choosing an â€Å"unreliable solution means more money spent in maintenance costs.† (M Fishpool, 2007, p.155) Also, rather than simply creating error fixes, maintenance is also about how the program evolves post-deployment, as suggested by Lehman’s Laws. (Wikipedia 1, 2011) Therefore, how much of the overall budget will go towards the evolution of the application needs to be taken into account. Expandability Expandability is about planning the long term future of the program. Programs in active use will rarely cease to be updated following its first release. It will usually evolve beyond its original specification and require more features to be added, or be asked to process more data. If this is the case and the program is not easily expandable, a lot more time and money than necessary will need to be spent on rewriting code or porting it to a different language. For this reason, object oriented languages are popular because new features can be ‘bolted on’ as additional classes. (M Fishpool, 2007, p.156) If this is not a concern, a procedural language can be used instead. Interoperability The presence of several languages may dictate whether a language needs to be interoperable. Interoperability is achieved when programs coded in different languages are able to work with each other through a common set of standards. (Wikipedia 3, 2011) One way this is done is through the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) specification, which is implemented using Mono and Microsoft’s .NET. These allow any language that meets the CLI specification to be able to be run by their virtual machine. The most common language is C#, which was especially created to be used in .NET, but dialects of popular languages have been created to be used in a similar fashion (examples include C++/CLI and VB.NET). Summery In this report, we discussed what factors are influential in choosing a programming language for a project. We discovered that companies will have organisational policies which restrict employees to only use certain languages or certain company’s’ software. We also learned that all languages have pros and cons, so that understanding what task our program needs to do will ensure we pick the language that is most suitable. We also need to make sure that there are actually people available to employ to code for us, so we should choose a popular language to make it easier to recruit employees. Reliability is also an area of importance, but for programs where reliability must be guaranteed, we learned that there are languages such as Ada which cater to this specific requirement. Budgets are also an issue as development and maintenance costs will differ between languages, and an unreliable solution means more money spent in maintenance costs. If we need our software to be exp anded in the future, it is also best to choose a language that can support this from the start. Finally, we learned about interoperability and how programs coded in different languages are able to work with each other through a common set of standards. Bibliography Anderson, J.K.L.M.P.a.S., 2010. BTEC National Level 3 IT Student Book 1. 1st ed. Edexcel. M Fishpool, B.F., 2007. BTEC Level 3 National in IT. 2nd ed. Hodder Education. Oracle, 2011. Java Runtime Environment (JRE). [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://java.sun.com/j2se/desktopjava/jre/† http://java.sun.com/j2se/desktopjava/jre/ [Accessed 1 October 2011]. TIOBE, 2011. TIOBE Index. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://www.tiobe.com/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html† http://www.tiobe.com/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html [Accessed 01 October 2011]. Wikipedia 1, 2011. Software Maintenance. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_maintenance† http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_maintenance [Accessed 2 October 2011]. Wikipedia 2, 2011. Strong Typing: Wikipedia. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strongly_typed_programming_language† http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strongly_typed_programming_language [Accessed 14 October 2011]. Wikipedia 3, 2011. Interoperability. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interoperability† l â€Å"Software† http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interoperability#Software [Accessed 27 September 2011].

Environmental impacts Essay

Introduction The Environment is the major resource for tourism. Tourism depends on the environment because environment is a major tourist attraction. The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. It involves many activities that can have adverse environmental effects. Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas. The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends. On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance. Statement of the Problem This study will be conducted to investigate the environmental impacts of tourism in coastal area in Tanza, Cavite. Specifically, the study will attempt to answer the following questions: 1. What is the perception of the tourism industry that they are the source of effects on environment in terms of: 1.1 Natural environment; 1.2 Natural resources; and 1.3 Built environment. 2. Does the tourism industry has a benefits on environment in terms of: 2.1 resorts; 2.2 beaches; and 2.3 infrastructure. 3. What is the perception of the residents in the environmental impacts of tourism? Conceptual Framework Inputs Process Outputs Figure 1. Conceptual Framework on Environmental Impacts of Tourism in Coastal Area in Tanza, Cavite The figure 1 shows the input and the processes of the study. Coastal Area in Tanza, Cavite of the selected resorts and beaches are the things to be measured in the study and the process is perception questionnaire for Environmental Impacts of Tourism in Coastal Area. Scope and Limitations of the Study This study will focus on collecting the data about environmental impacts of tourism in coastal area. This study is limited to the data that will be collected in the community of Tanza near the coastal area. Significance of the Study This study will contribute to the community near the coastal area and to the local government to bring back the beauty and natural appearance of the affected area and also to improve the beaches where most of the tourists visit to gain more customers. Also to know the main reason why the area is polluted if it’s because of the visitors or the local community. Definition of Terms Attraction – the action or power of evoking interest, pleasure, or liking for someone or something. Beach – a pebbly or sandy shore, esp. by the ocean between high- and low-water marks. Built Environment – refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green space to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply, or energy networks. Environment – the natural world, as a whole or in a particular geographical area, esp. as affected by human activity. Environmental impacts – Environmental issues are harmful aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Impact – have a strong effect on someone or something. Infrastructure – the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the  operation of a society or enterprise. Resort – a place that is a popular destination for vacations or recreation, or which is frequented for a particular purpose. Natural Resources – materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES Environmental Impacts The environment is recognized as the major resource for tourism. There is a mutual dependence between tourism and environment which has been described as symbiotic. This relationship is one in which tourism benefits from being in a good quality environment and environment benefits from the measures taken to protect and maintain its value as a tourist resource. (Williams 1998). As an environmentally dependent industry (Hall, 2007), tourism can have significant impacts upon the natural environment. Because of this, tourism must be developed in a way that focuses on sustainability so that the infinite life of tourism can be ensured while preserving the natural resources provided by the environment (Bramwell, 1993). Tourism Tourism as people who travel â€Å"the sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from the travel and stay of non-residents, insofar as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected with any earning activity (Hunziker and Krapf 1941). Tourism is the temporary, short-term movement of people to destination outside the places where they normally live and work and their activities during the stay at each destination. It includes movements for all purposes (Tourism Society of England 1976). CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design The researchers will use descriptive-correlation design in this study. The  researchers will get the perception of the residents on the impacts of the tourism in the areas. Using descriptive-correlation the researcher will show if there are any negative effects of tourism in the coastal areas. Sources of Data The researchers will get the perception of the guests, they will be asked about all the factors that affect the coastal area. They will also asked if the tourism industry is one of the biggest factor, and their perception about the environmental impacts of tourism industry in their place. Data Gathering Procedure The primary data will be gathered to answer the objectives of the study. The data will be collected through questionnaire which includes demographic data and the researcher will also conduct an interview to the residents near the following coastal areas in Tanza Cavite. Data Analysis The population consists of 100 local residents near the following coastal areas in Tanza, Cavite. Convenience sampling will be use to determine the impacts of tourism in coastal areas. The researchers will get the perception of the residents by answering the questionnaire if they strongly agree to strongly disagree. Statistical Treatment Research Instrument The researcher will use survey questionnaire for the study, they will also conduct a personal interview and visit the sites.

Australian Pizza Wars (pp 687-689) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Australian Pizza Wars (pp 687-689) - Essay Example A reputable pizza marketing magazine suggests that pizza companies should begin using promotions which describe dollars off rather than percentages when using marketing promotion (clippermagazine.com, 2009). This is an aspect of consumer behaviour where they feel dollars off promotions are more incentive to buy products than through direct mailings which offer percentages off the pizza product. Currently, Pizza Hut offers reduced priced pizzas, using marketing promotion to encourage volume ordering to offset the costs of marketing, as identified by the case study. This is an ongoing pricing strategy, however Pizza Hut maintains the opportunity to use unique graphics, logos, and other consumer-oriented images to create direct mailing (or even Internet coupon offerings) which appeals to the psychographic aspects of buyer behaviour. Kurtz (2007) identifies that consumers are strongly driven toward promotional materials, in direct mailing form, which utilise well-known corporate logos an d can be entertaining at the same time. This would give Pizza Hut the opportunity to use pricing as only a portion of the marketing strategy but use innovative sales promotions, based on consumer behaviour and graphics presentation, to make their business stand out over competition. It would be unrealistic to believe that pricing is no long relevant for sales promotions, just the method by which Pizza Hut appeals to the buying audience should be altered. This could also give Pizza Hut the opportunity to sign up many different customers, through unique promotions which offer contests or similar incentives, giving Pizza Hut several niche markets to sell product. Because consumers in Australia are beginning to explore healthy eating options, these direct mailing, innovative graphic marketing tools can highlight new menu options for the healthier eating client. The case study did not provide

Undertake an investigative project in the animal management sector Assignment

Undertake an investigative project in the animal management sector - Assignment Example turn, offer support to the industry either through legislative procedures or by creating the appropriate environment to promote such performances (Bradley 144) However, there is a touch to this entertainment industry that has drawn the attention of rights activists all over the world and that is the use of animals in entertainment. Animals have been used by humans to perform various roles since historical times. In fact, in most mythical renditions or oral narrations, man has been mentioned to have domesticated animals from time immemorial. One of the animals is the dog. A dog is an animal that is considered man’s best friend. Over the years, the dog has been used by man for various activities including security as well as to run errands. This has been in exchange for accommodation and food. This is not to mean that left on its own, a dog would never take care of itself. Humans are conscious animals. The ability of man to have a subconscious mind sets him apart from the other animals. In domesticating these animals, the concern is usually on their welfare. This has given rise to animal rights lobby groups whose concerns are how people relate to animals in their quest for pets, social creatures, and entertainment (Webster 56). Therefore, any form of mistreatment on the animals is usually dealt with throu gh the legal stipulations in the law. From early history, man has always used animals to offer entertainment. For instance, dog races in America dates back to the seventieth century. However, as humans increase in number, the forms of entertainment and creativity have also evolved in tandem. Modern day entertainment involving animals like dogs is christened a circus. This is a type of entertainment in which both people and animals are brought to a stage and made to perform stunts that are not commonly witnessed. The audience in attendance usually pays money to attend such shows or witness the performances (Michael 99). As the games grew in popularity, so did

The importance of analysis and analitical skills to the manager making Essay - 1

The importance of analysis and analitical skills to the manager making decisions in business - Essay Example The success of organisations heavily relies on the decision making processes undertaken by managers. Organisations are complex, and thus present complex problems or contexts in which the manager makes decisions. Monahan argues that sound decision making brings positive results while poor decision making can prove deleterious to an organisation. The author also states that although management involves a variety of functions, decision making is a central managerial function as all others entail its use. A good decision making process will result in good decisions and thus success in business, while a flawed process underlying conception of decisions will have the opposite effect.The use of these decision making approaches together will be analysed in terms of how managers apply them in an integrated manner. Managerial Decision Making, Problem Solving and the Structured Analytical Approach According to Yates, a decision refers to the act of making a commitment to undertake an action that will yield satisfactory results to the beneficiaries of that action. From this definition, it is clear that a decision has three fundamental aspects. First is the resolution to execute an action, deliberateness/intention-where the manager purposefully decides so as to achieve specific objectives, and lastly, the satisfaction of those affected by the decision-the beneficiaries. Decision making, thus, implies the process used to arrive at a decision which translates to the different approaches adopted by different business managers. Russell-Jones argues for the importance of the underlying decision making process, stating that a robust, consistent and analytical approach leverages the elements of complexity, uncertainty, objectives, trade-offs., consensus and flexibility among others. This results in the making of sound decisions that can consistently bring about business success. On a c losely related note, managers increasingly find themselves having to undertake problem solving. Hicks (2004, p. 8) details the concept of problem solving, explaining that it entails the manager seeking ways to move from a present situation to a more desirable one. A problem arises when a there is a disparity between what is and what should be. It also represents a situation in which the decision making individual- manager- has alternative courses of action, all with significantly different effects and thus accompanied by doubt about the best choice (9). A number of approaches can be adopted to make managerial decisions and/or solve problems. Monahan (2001, pp. 2-3) explains the dynamics that affect decision making processes; including availability of information, scarcity of resources, and psychological factors. The author also discusses uncertainty in the process of decision making. Deterministic models of managerial decision making activities are used in the absence of uncertainty , while probabilistic models are for cases where business decisions have to be made under uncertainty. One of the most highlighted approaches to effective decision making is the structured analytical approach. Saaty and Vargas (2006, p. 258) explain that structuring the process through analogies and attribute association helps establish a new perspective to a problem and create an environment in which controllable and distinct alternatives can be generated. Gustafson (2006, p. 12) states that an analytical approach to decision making deconstructs a problem into logical, sequential and distinctive elements which can be assessed separately before recombining the components to arrive at

Emerency Sevices Managment - Advaced Interactions of Hazardous Case Study

Emerency Sevices Managment - Advaced Interactions of Hazardous Materials IV - Case Study Example T2 laboratory was a manufacturer of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MCMT). MCMT being a toxic and a highly inflammable liquid, it is classified as extremely hazardous substance (EHS) (United States & Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2009). A chemical recipe serves as a guide during the manufacturing process. Metalation is the first step where metallic sodium that was previously melted is reacted with methylcyclopentadiene (MCPD). This reaction occurs in the presence of diglyme (diethylene glycol dimethyl ether). Heat is applied before the reaction can occur, and this may be necessary to enable overcome the activation energy required for initiation of the reaction. Besides, the heating converted sodium to its molten form increasing the surface area and reduced the MCPD dimer into two molecules. These two changes are necessary for the reaction to occur. Two products are obtained from this reaction; hydrogen gas and sodium methylcyclopentadiene. The hydrogen gas produced is released into the atmosphere. Substitution is the second step during which dry powder of manganese chloride was added and reacted with sodium methylcyclopentadiene forming sodium chloride and manganese dimethylcyclopentadiene. The final step involves the addition of carbon monoxide, a process called carbonylation. It leads to loss of one methylcyclopentadiene, and its place is replaced by three CO molecules forming the famous methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl. Through the distillation of the mixed final product, you obtain clean methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl. During metalation energy was being lost in the form of heat, cooling was necessary for the reaction to proceed regularly. The rate of reaction also increases with the rise in temperature. It is evident that a 100C increase in temperature causes a two-fold increase in the rate of

Accounting, Decisions and Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Accounting, Decisions and Accountability - Essay Example This certainly provided some help to dwindling liquidity and working capital finance of the company. The company is not even in a position to maintain a better interest coverage. Gross profitability showed some recovery signs in 2007 but the initiative was taken away by overheads and other non-operative expenditure resulting into very marginal net margin recoveries before taxes and interests (EBIT). Though net margin evaluation has been based on EBIT, it is necessary to point out that even such small recovery was taken away by interest, taxes and extraordinary items, and finally the year 2007 turned into a huge loss year. The detailed analysis here in this writes up shows that company is facing more difficulties than the available opportunities. Chia Liang Chu inherited 200,000 shares in Sing Chip Ltd. from her grand mother. The inheritance put her in dilemma of keeping or selling the shares. Accordingly a financial analysis was required of the financial statements of Sing Chip Ltd., before any recommendation could be put forward to Chia Liang Chu. Three years financial statements have been analyzed in this write up using financial ratios as method of analysis. The analysis have been made to evaluate, profitability, liquidity, and financial stability (solvency) of the company, considering its performances over a period of three years, in order to arrive at logical conclusion, so that a proper recommendation is made to Chia Liang Chu. Profitability of an entity is viewed from two different angles. One is profitability in relation to turnover or sales, and other is profitability in relation to investment. From the point of view of sales, profit is considered by calculating Gross profit ratio and Net profit ratio. In relation to investments, profitability is considered as per rate of return on equity or the ROE, and profitability as per return on assets or ROA. Gross Profit ratio is defined as

North American Free Trade Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

North American Free Trade Agreement - Essay Example My parents often discussed NAFTA and when I was a student, I used to think how a bad political/trade decision can affect the people of the country. It created unsettling trends in Mexico and the expected broad-based dynamic growth did not materialize. Under the accord, Mexico fared poorly. Local companies went out business as they were unable to compete with cheap imports. Domestic investment decreased. All these issues are in the back of mind, and in whatever area that I am going to specialize, my concern shall be to guide the youngsters in Mexico, to shape their future well to enable them to contribute to the welfare of the country. A first-year college student is called a freshman. It is the beginning of the college experience for the student when he adjusts to the changed atmosphere in his life and new decisions and struggles await him. This is the period of transition and the impending stresses can affect one’s emotional world. Some of the senior students taunt us as novi ces, in good humor though! I take their affronts lightly with the hope that we too will become seniors soon to have the pleasurable experience of challenging the freshmen! The important asset before a combustible youngster today is the laptop. One thinks that the entire world is before him, as he can access information on any topic up to any range to advance knowledge. Today I sit at the computer as a freshman. I look forward to the times when I will challenge the computer with my knowledge as the fully qualified computer engineer. The sky is the limit as for careers for computer engineers. Apart from competitive salaries, they get ample opportunities for their creativity and advancement of knowledge through research. Many specialized branches exist for the budding computer engineer, most importantly in the fields of telecommunications, software technology or digital hardware.

Tok Persuasion Essay Example for Free

Tok Persuasion Essay 1. Persuasion through images.(IV) Images are often not appealing to reason, but to emotions. This is not to say that a lot of thought does not go into graphical expression, but that the images are all ways aimed at moving the viewer visually. For example a form of visual theatre, burlesque will often attack something by representing it so as to look inane. In this case there is an interpreting process going on, but the audience must necessarily have an emotional response to what they see. Expression through images may have some interpreting process that the audience must make, but the final appeal will rely on our emotions. Another good example is political cartoons. Because political cartoons are able to make some aspect of an event look inane, they appeal to the audiences emotions so that they will adopt a certain political view. In this it relies on the audiences reason to interpret the relationship and consequences represented in the cartoon, but the final result it aims for is a emotional response. But some photos will appeal only to are straight visceral response. For example, the photos asking for charity will usually feature children, which we will naturally feel pity for. In this case the photograph is appealing straight to our pity and natural sympathy towards children. In other cases the appeal may be anger. And beyond that this emotion is often manipulated through association. For example there are, in my opinion, a bit too many images portraying Obama aside Stalin, or other prominent figures in the USSR. This is not reason, but an attempt to stir up a visceral response of hatred and distrust. 2.Persuasion through language. Language is our prime source of communication. We our so adept at communicating things through language that we may be able to change the meaning something has through the slightest change in words. This is because humans create connotations of words that can sometimes drift apart from people’s reaction towards the literal meaning of the word. In other words, people build an emotional reaction towards the words themselves. Using this, people that have the intention of manipulating other’s emotions may do so, through charging their language with words that will stir emotions. For example, when making a moving speech, people will often use phrases such as â€Å" our liberty and freedom† , â€Å"a mans right†. Because these words are  positively charged. On the converse of that, people may charge their language very negatively, in order to associate their opponent with those negative reactions. For example, when you compare someone to Hitler, that is usually not an appeal to reason, but a very strong statement associating the opponent with something that is abominated. The argument made through negative association may take the form of logic, ie a comparison, but is not an appeal to logic but to emotion. In other cases governments may introduce neutrally charged words to take the stead of the words that people appall. For example the government will call killing people neutralizing, because the word â€Å"kill† is completely saturated with the social abhorrence of murder. In other cases people may use language in a lawyerly fashion to make something sound like something without exactly saying such a thing. For example when a Politician represents his opponent he may often use ambiguous language which doesn’t quite state what is referred to, but makes the listener assume a particular thing, like when people talk of president Obama’s â€Å"dubious past† people are let to assume anything they want from him being an immigrant to him being involved in crime, while the speaker does not have to commit himself to making an explicit accusation. Sometimes assumptions people make based on language can be used to trick them in to assuming you’re innocents. For example if someone was to borrow a gun from a friend to kill another man, and that someone is asked if he killed a man, that someone may respond â€Å"I don’t even own a gun†. A common term for this is equivocation. The man is not telling a lie, but stating a fact in a very misleading way. 3 Macbeth is full of the milk of human kindness = What is full of the milk of human kindness is Macbeth. For a mortal to get all our homework done is as hard as a camel going through the eye of a needle.=Fot a camel to go through an eye of a needle is as hard as a mortal getting all of our homework done. 4. What are 5 emotional appeals? Appeals to emotions are made everyday and it is so pervasive that we are unaware of how people use our emotions to persuade us to act in a certain way. For example the charity campaigns that want to cajole us into helping the needy will necessarily use emotional appeals. These appeals maybe generally categorized into two types, the appeals to empathy, or the appeals to our concerns about self-identity. In the example of charity campaigns  there are often these two kinds of manipulation acting together. First of all the view will feel empathy for the starving children. Children are used because it is human nature to feel more compassion towards children. These ads are appealing to pity to try to get us to support their cause. And some will also use words which will attempt to guilt us into supporting the cause with campaigns that will call into question our morality with captions such as â€Å"would this happen in your country?†. Through this we are brought to think that not supporting this cause would contradict our sense of ethics. In this case the manipulation uses our concern over our self-image as moral people. The beauty industry is infamous for manipulations of our concern with self-image. In this case they will often make woman feel that their self worth is only in their appearance and that they must use products to achieve this. That is why the models displaying the products are impossibly beautiful regardless of the product, and they are further airbrushed to complete the unachievable image of perfection. These airbrushed models make woman feel inadequate as they are, and lead them to desperately try these products in attempt to assuage their feeling lack of confidence. In other cases they may use our alliance to a particular cause to make us do things. This takes advantage of our categorical way of thinking. For example political parties may appeal to our patriotism to justify wars. In fact in most wars it is claimed that their war is a defensive war to protect their people. When Japan invaded further north in China they said that the advancement of their army line was to protect their area from the Russians. This kind of concern for identity is also used to manipulate us because this causes us to be competitive.. Our competitive drive is manipulated in some campeigns, for example the NIS school pet bottle cap drive in order to make us collect more caps. These campaigns will place emphasis on what we did comparatively to others rather than letting us be content with the fact that we did the thing. 5.  I think this means that his accomplishments were capable because of the foundation that his predecessors created for him. I think that this is true, and that the construction of a collective of knowledge greatly facilitates scientific advancements. We can not give credit for the invention of computers to only one man, because the invention was only made possible by  all the men who helped advance the sciences hitherto. The collective of knowledge and the sharing of it is essential to the advancement of science, as we can see in the spurt of technological progress which came with globalization, or the stagnation of advancements in countries where the common people were illiterate. Paradigms are essential to scientific pursuit. 6.  A problematic premises are premises that are actually mere assumptions. These can edge their way into arguments without us noticing it because the premises are often not put under scrutiny. A statement made on a false premise will be true only if the premises are correct. Or in cases of circular argument the premise itself may be the conclusion, hence not having a premise even though it takes a form of an argument with reason. For example the argument â€Å"Teachers should use the shared NIS calendar when assigning work because its what they should do.† Is a completely absurd argument because the premise that supports the argument is the same as the proposition. Sometimes premises that don’t actually validate the claim may be used. For example the statement â€Å"you should be thankful for what you have because kids are starving in Africa.† In this there is no strong logical connection between the premises and the statement that we should not want to improve our situation. 7.  In this it is implied that the student was cheating before. Further more it is a satire against the support of competitive ethos in which the unscrupulous get ahead, and yet the same time condemning these amoralities. 8.  One is a generalization that targets a group. These generalizations will assume that an individual is a certain way because there is a certain stereotype of his group. For example one may think that all African-Americans like chicken. These types of stereotypes are particularly troublesome because people can have a way of only observing cases that prove the stereotype right. Other than that there are maxims that people create and use to assume something based on another thing that the person did do. For example if the statement â€Å"evil people don’t finish their homework† was  to be taken as a maxim then one might assume that a person who didn’t finish their homework is evil. Maxims necessarily do not encompass all people in all circumstances. And it is vary likely that a student could not finish the work because of her disregard of time, rather than being evil. Although it is also very likely that the student is deliberately trying to sabotage the class by getting to sleep before 3am. Then there are generalizations that oversimplify a persons belief. For example some people may attack left wingers for wanting a communist nation. Although Communists and the democratic party may both be further left than the republican party the beliefs of members in the democratic party vary greatly, and should not be summarized by terms such as â€Å"communist†, which would be making unwarranted associations. 9.  One area of study in which grayscale may be seen is Historiography. For example historians may take the same data, but view it under a completely different light. In academia today when all scholars have access to the same information, a liberal historian will take all of the incriminating evidence to support his thesis that Stalin was, or had close affiliations to Satan, whereas a revisionist would take almost the same evidence to make a conclusion that, I quote â€Å"Stalin liked children†. This may affect our plane judgments even though there are more ways of viewing things. For example one may say that the novel â€Å"fifty shades of gray† is completely vapid and shallow, whereas another may find deep meaning in it. Both are entitled to their own opinions, but the fact is that neither can be said to be the truth while both views are valid. It is not something with only one side to it, and the reader has the liberty to form their own interpretations. This can also be seen in religions. Religions take the same human experience of living and interpret it in completely different ways. One religion may see us as being born sinners in need of redemption, whereas another religion may view life as being an existence in which we try to become closer to god, and some people may think life is meaningless, and some may take a solipsistic view of humans. These are all valid, but the fact is that there is only one human existence, and these are different ways of interpreting it. It would be wrong to completely reject views different from that of your own. 10  One kind flawed clause is when the clause does not logical contribute to the conclusion, but makes the conclusion seem self evident. For example if I were to insert the word â€Å"obviously† into a statement before a clause it will give the assertion false credibility. The two sentences â€Å"If he committed a crime he is evil† and â€Å"If he committed a crime obviously he is evil† are an example of this. The clause â€Å"obviously† imputes that it is self evident, therefore leading the reader to accept the statement without scrutiny. Another kind could be when a clause is used to make an assertion of a causal relationship where there is none. For example in the sentence â€Å"I have periorbital dark circles because I have three assignments and four tests crammed into two days.† Although it is absolutely bizarre to think that sleep deprivation could possibly have any relation with dark circles under a student’s eyes, this sentence imputes that there is a causal relationship between black circles, sleep deprivation and the amount of work a student has. 11  Christ Hedges mainly believes that countries use the idea of patriotism to go to war. He believes that we glorify war by creating grand narratives. In this I think he is referring to the rationales countries provide. For example the â€Å"war against terror† has a name that makes it seam like they are a force of justice fighting evil, whereas in actuality they themselves are amoral, as they are committing mass carnage. 12  Although it is a hard distinction and there are many things that sit in the cross section between these two, if I were to make a clear differentiation I would say that propaganda necessarily persuades people to act in a certain way by controlling and taking away their choice of what information they have access to. Where as the term persuasion simply means to use any method to manipulate some one’s will.

Analysis Of The Significance Of Mikhail Gorbachev Politics Essay

Analysis Of The Significance Of Mikhail Gorbachev Politics Essay Mikhail Gorbachev, The Patron of Change. The Cold War was a period in history from roughly 1945 to 1988 when the worlds two largest superpowers, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (Soviet Union) and the United States, were in continuous economic and political conflict. These polar entities struggled for dominance and control in the new atomic age. With no end in sight to this potentially catastrophic confrontation, it became essential for the leaders of both sides to reconcile their differences. For the Soviet Union, peace was increasingly important mainly because of the poor state of their economy. The leader responsible for bringing about the fall of the iron curtain and for helping to bring an end to communism in the Soviet Union was Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachevs contributions to world peace have been widely recognized and his actions continue to serve as examples for world leaders today. Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, made several significant contributions to the world. He represented a new generation of Soviet leaders, different form his predecessors who used fear and intimidation to maintain a communist idealist Russian society. Gorbachev was different because he recognized the flaws in the Soviet system of government and was willing to take steps to improve it. The opposing ideals between communism and capitalism created a split between the East and the West on the proper form of government which was to be established in the occupied territories in Europe following World War II. However, the balance of power and arms race between the two superpowers took a huge toll on the Soviet Union. Gorbachevs policies helped bring an end to the Cold War, led to the destruction of the wall separating East and West Berlin, encouraged the rise of democracy in Europe, and ultimately led to a complete dismantling of the Soviet Union.  [1]   Gorbachev was born into a peasant family in the village of Privolnoe, on March 2, 1931. As a teenager, he worked driving farm machinery at a local machine-tractor station. During his college years, Gorbachev was very interested in politics. He joined the national communist party of the Soviet Union and quickly moved up in the ranks. By 1962, he was the regional leader of Komsomol (Young Communist League). Gorbachev was a successful politician from early on in his career. He became exposed to influence and workings of the influence of the KGB, the Soviet Secret police, experience that served him well in his future political career. Gorbachev met his wife, Raisa Titorenko, while attending school at Moscow State University.  [2]   As Prime Minister, Gorbachev tried to establish better relations with the United States. In November, 1985, he met with President Reagan in Geneva to talk about national and international issues. Gorbachev once said America must be the teacher of democracy, not the advertiser of the consumer society. It is unrealistic for the rest of the world to reach the American living standard. The clearest signs of improvement between the United States and Soviet Union relations came in 1988 when Gorbachev made a positive impression with a crowd of spectators in New York City where he shook hands with people.  [3]   In the 1980s, the Soviet Union was struggling to survive because of the problems associated with a planned economy, and because a disproportionate amount the budget was being spent on the military towards an arms race with the United States. Gorbachev believed that the Soviet Union could not afford to spend so much on arms so he reduced the amount of money for war. This policy led to nuclear missile reduction treaties with the United States and effectively brought an end to the Cold War which had dominated international relations with the United States since 1945. When Mikhail Gorbachev took office in 1985, he faced one terrible problem. The Soviet economy had been in a period of turmoil, and it was in desperate need of reform for two decades. Gorbachev once said The market came with the dawn of civilization and it is not an invention of capitalism. If it leads to improving the well-being of the people there is no contradiction with socialism. Gorbachev decided to change the old system with a period of perestroika, or restructuring in the hope of making it more efficient.  [4]   From 1985 to 1986, Gorbachew continued an anti-alcohol program started by his predecessor, Andropov. His policies increased the price of vodka and changed the legal drinking age from 18 to 21, which had the effect of decreasing alcohol sales. It was his goal to discourage workers from drinking, and thus to improve the productivity of workers and increase industrial output. However, this campaign did not work out well in Russia.  [5]   Gorbachev promoted great political changes. One of the most important measures came in 1989 when he set up elections where members of the Communist Party had to run against non-Communist Party members. Later that same year, he called to terminate special status of the Communist Party guaranteed by the Soviet Constitution. Gorbachev also ended the Soviet military occupation of Afghanistan. During this period, he began more drastic changes. One of these changes was the Law of State Enterprises, enacted in June 1987. This legislation gave businesses more independence from the government. Despite the increased independence, the state still exercised some control over their activities. This was quite a radical change and was seen as a move away from the old system of a centrally planned command economy, and many people did not agree with it. Workers were also encouraged to be more open, which was part of Glasnost, and speak out against corruption or give suggestions. They were also encouraged to form small privately owned cooperatives such as grocery shops and hairdressing salons.  [6]   In 1989, Gorbachev was nominated as Time Magazines Man of The Year. Gorbachev called what he was doing permitting a revolution. Gorbachev became the patron of change. Gorbachev, and his reformist allies in Eastern Europe, managed to suppress at least one monster which was the states capacity for cruelty and violence against its own citizens. The Chinese students carried portraits of the Soviet leader, and they were shouting, In Russia they have Gorbachev; in China we have whom? Gorbachev became a hero for what he would not do.  [7]   There were several important events that occurred while Gorbachev ruled the Soviet Union. One hundred thousand Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan. The Soviet military intervention was costly for the Soviet Union, and to the Afghan people. Over 1.5 million Afghans were killed.  [8]   Another important event was the Chernobyl disaster. According to Michael Gorbachev (Tuesday,April16,2006,The Daily Star) the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl 20 years ago, even more than my launch of Perestroika, was perhaps the real cause of the Soviet Union five years later. The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Chernobyl is ranked one of the greatest industrial accidents of all time. Some have said that Gorbachev was too silent about the disaster and was not forthcoming.  [9]   Also, Perestroika was Gorbachevs important reform. This consisted of economic reforms and policy changes. The Law of Cooperatives passed in 1988 allowed ownership of businesses by individuals. Gorbachev has been a powerful and symbolic presence in the worlds imagination since he first came to power in 1985. Gorbachev, and his program of Perestroika, was not popular in Russia. At the time, soap, sugar, tea, school notebooks, cigarettes, sausage and other meats, butter, fruits and vegetables, and matches were scarce.  [10]   By the 1980s, it was obvious that communism in the Soviet Union was not really working out. Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 and he introduced many reforms in an attempt to modernize the economy and make the Communist Party more democratic. These reforms ultimately led to the breakup of the Soviet Union and an end to the one-party Communist rule. In December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as President at the point when the Soviet Union disintegrated.  [11]   Work Cited Page Internet Sources: Mikhail Gorbachev Biography -. WriteSpirit -. Web. 28 May 2010. . Mikhail Gorbachev Biography Life, Family, Death, Wife, Young, Old, Information, Born, House, Time, Year. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 28 May 2010. Gorbachev Foundation Biography. Russian. Web. 28 May 2010. . Non Internet Sources: Kort, Michael. Mikhail Gorbachev. New York: Watts, Morrow, By Lance. TIME Person of the Year: Story Archive Since 1927, Mikhail Gorbachev. Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews TIME.com. 13 Dec. 2002. Web. 27 May 201