Food Tests Lab Report

Food Test 1: Test for Glucose – with Benedicts solution Benedicts solution is used to test for simple sugars, such as glucose. It is a clear blue solution of sodium and copper salts. In presence of simple sugars, the blue solution changes color to either green, yellow or brick-red, depending on the amount of sugar. Method 1)Mix smalls amount of each food sample (i. e. , Egg lumen, cylindrical piece of potato tuber, bread crump and crisps) in different test tubes with distilled water to make a liquid test.Take another test tube with glucose solution to act as a control so as to compare the difference in color after the completion of the experiment. 2)Label each of the test tubes with a marker for the substance. 3)Add 10 drops of Benedict's solution to each test tube. 4)Carefully heat the test tubes by suspending in a hot water bath using a 500 ml beaker at about 40-50 degrees Celsius for five minutes. 5)Note any color change. Positive test for Glucose: If sugar is present solut ion will turn from blue to green, yellow, or brick-red, depending on sugar concentration. A green precipitate means a little glucose was present. ?A red precipitate means glucose is present in vast amounts. Food Test 2: Test for Starch – with Iodine solution. Iodine solution is used to identify the presence of starch- a complex carbohydrate. Iodine solution (potassium iodide solution) reacts with amylase – a type of starch – whereby a blue-black polyiodide complex is formed. Method 1)Mix smalls amount of each food samples (i. e. , Egg lumen, cylindrical piece of potato tuber, bread crump and crisps) in different test tubes with distilled water to make a liquid test.Take another test tube with starch solution to act as a control to compare the difference in color after the completion of the experiment. 2)Label each test tube with a marker for the substance. 3)Add 5 drops of iodine reagent solution to each test tube. 4)Note any color change. Positive Test for Star ch: The brick-red solution of iodine turns to blue-black. Food Test 3: Test for Protein – with Biuret solution Biuret solution is used to identify the presence of protein. More accurately, it detects the presence of peptide bonds. Peptide bonds form a violet chelate complex with copper (II) ions present in the Biuret Reagent.Method 1)Mix smalls amount of each food samples (i. e. , Egg lumen, cylindrical piece of potato tuber, bread crump and crisps) in different test tubes with distilled water to make a liquid test. Take another test tube with protein solution to act as a control to compare the difference in color after the completion of the experiment. 2)Label each test tube with a marker for the substance. 3)Add 5 drops of Biuret reagent solution to each test tube. Shake gently to mix. 4)Note any color change. Positive test for proteins: the solution will turn from blue to pink/purple. Food Test 4: Test for Lipids – the ethanol emulsion test.Ethanol determines the pr esence of lipids – i. e. , fats and oils. The solubilities of lipid in ethanol and water are exploited in this test since lipids are soluble in ethanol but not in water. So, if lipids are present a milky/cloudy white suspension is formed. Method 1)Add all different food samples (i. e. , Egg lumen, cylindrical piece of potato tuber, bread crump and crisps) in different test tubes. Also, take another test tube with Vegetable oil to act as a control to compare the difference in emulsion of the lipids after the completion of the experiment. 2)Label each test tube with a marker for the substance. )Add 5cm3 of ethanol to each test tube. Shake the sample with ethanol. 4)Pour some cold water into this mixture in the test tube. 5)Note whether the different solutions become cloudy to prove the presence of lipid Positive test for lipid: The solution changes into a cloudy-white emulsion due to the suspension formed. Conclusion and Evaluation (CE) Conclusion This test reveals the hidden f ats, sugars, proteins and starch in food items. Compounds such as sugars and fats are present in living things. Though the food samples being tested had more than one compound present i. . , egg lumen contains starch, proteins and lipids; Potato tuber contains starch, glucose and lipids; Bread contains starch, glucose and slight lipids; and crisps contain starch, glucose and lipids. Hence, different food samples have different compounds present. Evaluation ?Limitations i. The time the test tubes were kept in the water bath was not accurate. ii. The volume of food samples differ in each test tube for the same test. ?Improvements i. By using a stop watch for more accurate timing. ii. Set a fixed volume of food samples in each test tube.

Causes of Road Accidents in Malaysia Essay

The Causes Of Road Accidents In Malaysia Time to time, half a million of Malaysians died because of road accidents and the highest cases of road accidents are caused by the drivers’ behaviour, equipment failure and the road conditions and infrastructure. Because of the road accidents many people have lose their family member or close friend. Besides, the road accidents also may effected to government when they have to repair for the broken infrastructure that caused by the accident like lamp stand, road divider, cleaning people blood from the road, and many more.It also will give a traffic jam for a while to all drivers. According to Road Transport department research (2002)Accident casualty and deaths by vehicles for Malaysia 2000-2006, the number of road accidents increased to 400 cases and it decreased in 2006 that was only about 600 cases (21,600 cases) had been reported. The first thing that contributes to the reason for the road accidents that happen in Malaysia is the d rivers’ behaviour. Humans are always do mistake and not careful. When a problem or unwanted thing happens, they tend to blame somebody or something else for what they have done.Most people that get an accident believe the other party involved could have done something different to avoid the accident. According to The Royal Malaysian Police, PDRM (2006) report saying that 90% of accidents happen from this reason. Moreover they also mentioned that speeding also has caused quite a number of accidents. Actually, until recently many drivers, especially male driver took the chance of night time in driving in federation and state roads. PDRM, (2006) reported the faster speed of a vehicle, the greater the risk of an accident.Speeding, even if the vehicle going five miles per hour over, in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can bring death to somebody. Speeding is also based on the traffic on an area, road conditions, weather and lighting. When driver speeding, they had to risk the ir lives when had to alert about what condition will they face. Despite all major highways have speed trap, it still cannot prevent drivers to speed and get into trouble, such an accident. In addition, careless driver are another drivers’ behaviour that caused the road accidents.This factor is the highest factors that drivers get involved in road accidents. Some drivers not only speeding but also drive recklessly, breaking road rules, does not have their vehicle license and beating traffic lights. Moreover, drivers either man or women cannot prevent to be careless driver. The main cause that driver become un careful while driving on roads are talking on a cell phone, eating, falling asleep, tiredness, driving under the influence of alcohol and so on. Because of the small mistake can caused a big problem to others who using the road o involved in the accidents.However, the most important cause of an accident is aggressive driver behaviour and selfish attitudes. From e-how, des cribed, safe standards are manufactured for modern cars by engineer to minimize the effect of accident. The aggressive driver behaviour and selfish attitudes are the most impossible thing to change. The examples of aggressive driver behaviour and selfish attitudes are aggressive tailgating, failure to signal, and failure to use the right way side. Aggressive tailgating happen when you follow in front of other vehicle too close.With two vehicle drive too close in high speed, there will be a huge accident if unexpected thing happen on the road, such as animal crossing the road and required front vehicle stop immediately or evade from being crush into the animal. Furthermore, failure to signal when taking left or right road at the corner of the road. When this happen, other vehicle does not know which way you want to go either left or right. Especially heavy vehicles, they do not see where you want to turn if you does not turn on the signal light from your vehicle.There also a lot of p roblem happen if driver do not use the right way side, it will make other driver mad. When they angry, they will flash light at the back of your vehicle, because of you drive to slow also in wrong way side of the road. Other example is every festive season, like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilftri ,Deepavali, Christmas including New Years, Malaysians especially, always excited of going back to their village or better known as ‘balik kampung’. With the excited feeling of going back to their home towns, we can see many of them and their family trying their best to reach home quickly as they can.Thus they will become selfish and does not care about their safety. Some of them will take express bus to arrive at their home to avoid driving a car at night. But they will be unlucky if they get selfish and careless driver bus attitudes that always take the wrong side of the road which should not used by heavy vehicle just want to reach the destination early. The most the endan ger transportation is heavy vehicle like bus and lorry because they are big and easy to smash small vehicle.Other than that, many selfish motorcyclists who did not followed traffic rules and fastened safety helmets properly. Another factor that listed as one of the causes of road accident is equipment failure of a vehicle. From smartmotorist. com, it state that the most important types of equipment failure are loss of brkes, tire blow outs or tread separation, and suspension failure. Thus, with all exception of the recent rash of Firestone light-truck tire failures, calculated the totals that less than 5% of all motorvehicle accidents have reported equipment failure accounts.All drivers should drive with perfect car condition. So, before drive any vehicle, they have to do some conformation. They need to check their vehicle to make sure if it safe to drive or not. As example, they must check the condition of water, brake, battery and lamp always be in good condition. There are some d rivers that never take care of this problem. They feel it is a small matter to think about the problem and can do it later at any time. They do not care about the safety factor of their car.Such as they do not change the worn out tires, when it was worn out, the vehicle absolutely cannot grasp tightly the road surface perfectly. So, it will be more dangerous if in rainy day situation, it because the stranglehold between tires and road surface will be more weak than sunny day condition. There are so clear that worn out tires can caused the accident easily. Besides, there are many people cannot accept a fact that almost nine million vehicle in this country involved in road accident because the using of illegal equipment which gain the worst level.The amount of that vehicle is about 80 percent from the 11 million of the vehicle in our country. The president of Persatuan Pemilik kenderaan Bermotor Malaysia (MOVA), Ahmad Zaki Arifin said that more than half from the driver in our country face the risk to involved in accident and death about this behaviour. Although, the other reason that caused the accident is the road conditions and infrastructure. Usually, the road will become danger in rainy day. It will make the road become more slippery for the vehicle to handle.In addition, many potholes could endanger motorist (Road Transport Department, 2002). It because, deep hole can make motorist cannot control their vehicle and will cause the accident. It become worst if it involved with the motorcyclist. The un flat surface of road also can make a nightmare for road user. It because, the road user cannot see the hole while driving. Most accidents that involved pothole problem happen during night time, because at that time many driver could not recognize the hole when they driving.Other than that, insufficient and improper of street light, also caused the accident. Usually, The street lights are hard to find in village area. So, the authorities should take care the vill age area too. In some place, the street light cannot be used by people because the street light is already broken and not repaired by authorities. In other case, the insufficient of traffic light also lead us to road accident, interstate highways remain safest road because their flow of traffic is in one direction and complete with traffic light.Many case of accident caused by insufficient of traffic light such as there are no traffic light at one road that always full with vehicle and the effect is it will produce a huge traffic jam. It will become worst when some drivers do not think about other road user and drive in high speed when taking a corner or change to the other side of road. However, roadway identifications sign also play the role to make the road safe for road user. It useful to inform road user to locate and know the road condition, such as the location of landslide, school location, hospital and many more.If the driver was informed properly the accident will not happ en easily. It is possible that motorcyclist also need specific lane for them. They should be separate from other ‘big’ user like car, lorry, bus and other type of transport that bigger than motorcycle. It will make them more safe and secure from unwanted accident. In conclusion, driver behaviour and the equipment failure of a vehicle, as well as the road conditions and infrastructure seem to be causes of road accidents in Malaysia.To reduce the total amount of road accident, first thing that should we do are change our attitude. In addition, we also need to be alert about our vehicle condition and always check them. The rate of road accident in our country today has become a nightmare for all of us. So, the authorities may need to do a drastic step to overcome this worst problem. They need to use their power to serve the best road conditions and infrastructure for us. We need to realize that our live is most valuable thing. ‘Drive safety and safe our soul’.

Wal-Mart’s Unfair Labor Practices in “Down and Out in Discount America

In â€Å"Down and Out in Discount America,† writer Liza Featherstone (2004) exposes the dirty tactics and unfair business practices that fuel Wal-Mart’s success as a giant retail company, and suggests effective strategies to defeat corporate crime. According to Featherstone, Wal-Mart is one company that literally profits and grows from the presence and worsening of poverty situations, as shown by the results of a study conducted by economist Andrew Franklin which revealed that â€Å"Wal-Mart operated primarily in poor and working-class communities.†Most of the retail company’s customers are â€Å"overwhelmingly female, and struggling to make ends meet. † Featherstone argues that Wal-Mart ensures that its market in the low income segment continually expands by â€Å"creating more bad jobs worldwide. † She also points out that Wal-Mart routinely employs illegal and unethical business practices to maintain its competitive edge over other compani es, including violating wage and labor laws that deprive workers of their living wage and health benefits.More importantly, this set-up â€Å"contribute to an economy in which, increasingly, workers can only afford to shop at Wal-Mart. † The biggest brunt falls on Wal-Mart’s overwhelmingly female workers. As a result, the company has been the subject of â€Å"the largest civil rights class-action suit in history† which â€Å"charges the company with systematically discriminating against women in pay and promotions.† The company has also been cleverly using public funds to subsidize its low wages by encouraging its workers to apply for welfare assistance. Despite the company’s glaring offenses, however, poor women continue to patronize Wal-Mart because it is all they can afford. Featherstone therefore contends that the success of a concerted action against the giant company lies in the ability of stakeholders such as labor unions to go beyond the co nsumer mentality, constructed by big business, in creating avenues of resistance.The author notes that â€Å"to effectively battle corporate criminals like Wal-Mart, the public must be engaged as citizens, not merely as shoppers,† in order to form a movement with enough social and political power to challenge Wal-Mart and to advance the interest of the poor and the working class. Arguably, Featherstone’s article is one of the most convincing and informative pieces there is that provides a balanced and level-headed discussion of an issue that is as inflammatory as â€Å"the â€Å"Wal-Martization† of American jobs.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Down and Out in Discount America† is clearly intended for a wide spectrum of audience. Featherstone assumes that her readers know Wal-mart but they do not know about its unfair practices and illegal activities. Through the clever use of rhetoric and data, the author delivers an essay that is both incisive and engaging. Featherstone u ses both academic data and well-placed personal narratives of the workers of Wal-Mart to build her case.In the process, she does not need to explicitly state that Wal-mart profits from injustice and deepening income divide, this is already substantiated by the real-life cases and hard statistics that speak about the way the company â€Å"profits not only on women's drudgery but also on their joy, creativity and genuine care for the customer† and conditions its consumers to be heavily dependent on the â€Å"relief† brought by Wal-Mart discounted prices. It is interesting to note that Featherstone incorporates contrary ideas into her piece—such as the welcoming attitude towards Wal-Mart held by poor women—to illuminate and strengthen her stance.Thus, Featherstone avoids taking the â€Å"boycott† stance that would have been too simplistic an answer to as big a problem as Wal-Mart. â€Å"Down and Out in Discount America† also does not have the d epressing tone that most articles dealing with serious social issues are often infected with; this is not to say that the article does not evoke an emotional response from the reader but that it presents an image of women workers, who, despite their desperation and sad circumstance, manage to lend their anecdotes to show the multi-dimensionality of the Wal-Mart experience. One therefore finds it hard not to take Featherstone’s side against Wal-mart.The writer undoubtedly presents a well-informed case that explores the Wal-Mart’s labor issues in both a personal and social angle, and attempts to convince the audience on the logic and soundness of why the poor should stop shopping at Wal-Mart (which Featherstone has already conceded is an exercise in futility) but on why there should be more stringent policies to safeguard the poor from unfair labor practices and why there should be adequate legal measures to punish corporate criminal activities that prey upon the despera tion of the poor and the working class.Featherstone is also right in pointing out the need for a political and social movement that would leverage the interest of the poor and the working class above corporate interests. This movement must be a powerful enough presence to generate political pressure on the government and on big businesses to fulfill their social obligations.Clearly, â€Å"Down and Out in Discount America† is a searing portrayal of what happens when citizens literally put their souls out for a â€Å"bargain† with big businesses, which has transformed them into mere consumers whose participation in political and social decision-making is limited to individualistic shopping and purchase decisions. Fortunately, writers like Featherstone are there to remind consumers that they are, first and foremost, citizens and workers with stakes not only in payday discount sales but in the future and direction of labor and living conditions in the community and the cou ntry.

A Dialogue with the Daughter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Dialogue with the Daughter - Essay Example In his podgy, dirty hands, he held a small note that read: "Will stop by in the afternoon for visit. Sandy." SANDY. That name almost struck lightning in his chest. How long ago had he last called out that name How does she look like now In his mind ran thoughts about Sandy, his eldest daughter. How he missed her. He and his wife named her Sandy because of the color of her hair. She used to dance while he played "Old McDonald" in numerous versions for her. He remembered how Sandy cried when he left to try his luck in New York City. He never heard about Sandy or his family for a long time. They left the house and him for they did not understand that he left because of them --- because of his dreams for them.There was a soft knock on the door. The once immobile head jerked towards the sound. For the first time in many minutes, he showed obvious signs of nervousness and excitement. This was Sandy, for sure. Her soft knock did not change since she was young. When he was in his room, she u sed to knock softly at his door before entering to ask him to play music for her. He got up and moved quickly to the door to open it. "Dad," she says. "Come inside," he mutters, barely able to keep the excitement in his voice.There was a moment of silence. He could imagine Sandy taking in the view of their old home. Nothing has changed except for a couple of furniture that he supposed to have bought for them

Prescription Drug Abuse and the Death of Flawed Diamonds Essay

Prescription Drug Abuse and the Death of Flawed Diamonds - Essay Example Their lifestyles are glamorous and set apart so much that they unintentionally put themselves in vulnerable situations, caused by exhaustion, less stable peers, destabilized relationships, irregular hours, identity issues, and efforts to deny mortality and the impermanence of social status. This paper will examine this issue through the celebrity porthole, and will consider the answers Confucius offers to the problem and how his teachings apply. As with most social issues, death by unintended drug poisoning, is contributed to by a number of factors. Some of those factors include accepting drugs from friends; securing multiple prescriptions; taking prescription drugs in combination with other drugs and/or with alcohol; Relying solely on drugs to relieve pain, gaining dependency; using prescription drugs for emotional support without making necessary life adjustments (Paulozzi, 2010); using drugs to maintain a certain social image when one’s true situation doesn’t fit the image. Another factor is profit that pharmaceutical companies make and, consequently, the ways they pressure doctors to prescribe particular drugs for their patients. Doctors are often too busy to notice what drugs their patients are still taking, and patients too often fail to dispose of excess medication (Paulozzi, 2010). Exposure to constant advertising is another significant factor. The most recent death of a celebrity, apparently due to a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol, driven by lifestyle irregularities and destabilization, is Whitney Houston, who just died at 48 years of age (Dolak, NG, & Vega, 2012). Her peers in the music industry referred to her as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth, a true original and a talent beyond compare, one of the most iconic voices of my lifetime (Marikar, 2012). Her regretful and untimely death is included in a long lineage of unintended deaths by prescription drug poisoning, alone or in combination with alcohol or other drugs. This lineage includes Marilyn Monroe (intentionality controversial), Dorothy Dandridge, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie Prinze, Elvis Presley, Keith Moon, Steve Clark, Rob Pilatus, Dana Plato, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Chris Penn, Gerald Levert, Anna Nicole Smith (and her son Daniel), Pimp C, Heath Ledger (Katie, 2009), Brittany Murphy, and Michael Jackson, among others. Speaking from the teachings of Confucius, I observe that a superior individual must be virtuous, educated and well-mannered, a combination of saint, scholar and gentleman (Shinn, 1997). Right conduct is of extreme importance, in honor to ancestors, for the satisfaction of doing right, and to avoid punishment by T’ien, the God of Heaven. T’ien often punishes those who do not have good conduct, with an early death (Shinn, 1997). Sincerity, benevolence, filial piety and propriety are basic principles of virtuous conduct (Shinn, 1997). The celebrities mentioned were people whose lives were extreme, liv ed in the context of the entertainment field. It is a field that discourages sincerity (replacing it with performance), benevolence (substituting competition), filial piety (substituting the constant reinvention of self and values), and propriety (replaced by partying, drugs, alcohol, loud behavior, and gaining attention). Alcohol, drugs, domestic battery, suicide attempts, promiscuity, heavy competition, betrayal, scandals and gossip,

Pros of Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pros of Gay Marriage - Essay Example Being gay should not be a basis of discrimination, stigmatization or even denial of human rights of a person. Character of a person determines who he or she is and not his or her sexual orientation. Different arguments have been put forth by opponents of gay or same sex marriages in different parts of the world. Religion is the most used argument by opponents of gay marriages. According to beliefs ascribed by different religions, gay marriage amounts to immorality and sin to the deity. In this light, homosexuality is sin and morally wrong hence requires to be illegalized (Chauncey). Another argument put forward by opponents of gay marriages is that, marriage is supposed to lead to procreation so as to ensure continuity of life and family, however if same sex marriages were to be legalized, this would lead to a decrease in the number of children being born in the world. Traditionally, marriage has been defined as the union between a man and a woman. Inclusion or legalization of gay ma rriages would require a re-definition of marriage to include same sex marriages. The same would also be expected or included in the school curriculum forcing teachers to teach homosexuality in schools. This may lead to confusion concerning gender identity especially in young people (Sprigg). However, when viewed from other perspectives, gay marriage appears to be a natural part of human evolution.

Management in Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Management in Context - Essay Example MFP's typically relate to low rates of inflation ,prudent government spending, high rates of investment and a healthy trend of market liberalisation. The Post World War II approach of the BWI's was based upon a much smaller role for the state following the era of the large-scale globalisation (so characteristic of the post cold war years) This was largely a response to the state controlled economy' of the USSR which turned out to be an economic and political disaster. Globalization is a term which has been used to describe and explain many different phenomena like greater economic integration across national borders.The concept is supported by those who agree with its trade and economic benefits yet those who criticise it believe that those who perceive it as a threat to social cohesion and an invasion of the "capitalist evils of the west" thus undermining state welfare.As at today the term denotes a kaleidoscopic image, a great variety of tendencies and trends in the economic, social and cultural spheres. In brief it can be used to described from an economic and developmental point of view as , "increasing and intensified flows between countries of goods, services, capital, ideas, information and people, which produce cross-border integration of a number of economic, social and cultural activities. It creates both opportunities and costs and for this reason it should not be demonized nor sanctified, nor should it be used as a scapegoat for the major problems that are affecting the world today. (Williamson, 2002 cited in Cooper 2005 pg 15) In the light of the above there has been a rapid growth in the Multinational Corporations trying to reap the benefits of Foreign Direct Investment with in foreign legions where the costs of labour etc are far less.This has also been enhanced by the role of the modern state in economic intergration and the elaboration and adoption of market-oriented policies and regulations,internationally and locally.During the 1980s this integration intensified and there was an increase in"financial sector deregulation, the removal of controls over foreign exchange and enhanced freedom of trade. Financial deregulation has resulted in the progressive elimination of capital controls, the removal of controls over interest rates, and the lifting of traditional barriers to entry into banking and other financial services"( Vincent, 1995)Academics have expressed a lot of scepticism over the fact whether Globalisation of Investments and the growth of MNCs (Multinational Corporations) has been meaningful to the contribution to domestic growth .According to Froot (1993) Globalisation does not actually require neither capital flows nor investment in capacity but is a mere extension of corporate control over international boundaries: Therefore the recent ability of Globalisation to

HPV Vaccination Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

HPV Vaccination - Research Paper Example A study on the "Impact of HPV Vaccination & Sexual Activity of Adolescent Girls" needs to be undertaken to asses the situation statistically and to undermine the long term implications considering Social & Religious practices. The purpose of this study is to identify whether vaccination against HPV will impact sexual activity in teenager girls. The health benefits are clear, but receiving the vaccine is dependent upon parents' perspectives, values and belief systems. Opponents believe that vaccinating teens as young as 9 could encourage teenage promiscuity. Some religious groups are worried the vaccine will be given to adolescents without warning them that it still doesn't make sex "safe"(May et al) .Also of concern is if this vaccine is required in schools, then will this infringe on parental rights regarding their child's sexual health According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) approximately 20 million people in the United States are infected with HPV. The 4 million of the 6.2 million new cases of genital HPV infection this year will be teenagers. According to the 2003 YRBS, 37% of males and 29% of females in the ninth grade have had sexual intercourse, and 7% of students had sexual intercourse before age 13 (CDC) "However, many parents in this study were concerned about how to explain the HPV vaccine to a child and whether the vaccine would encourage unsafe sexual practices" (Mays et al). Problem: Initiation of sexual intercourse in adolescence is accompanied by considerable risk of STIs and pregnancy. Long-term consequences of STIs in women increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which can include infertility tubal pregnancy, fetal and infant demise, chronic pelvic pain, and cervical cancer (CDC). Recommendations: The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices (ACIP) has recommended that the newly developed quadrivalent HPV vaccine be routinely given to girls beginning at age 11 or 12 as part of comprehensive strategy to eliminate HPV transmission in the United States. Initiation: Due to increasing numbers of STI's, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2001 published the "Healthy People 2010". An initiative aimed at reducing the number of STI cases in adolescents, it has been identified as a leading national health concern. On June 8, 2006, the Food and Drug

Critiques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critiques - Essay Example Also, one may not know the limit of how much information the client should e given before they make a decision and hence may end up giving too much information. Before one can give consent, there are four elements of informed consent that a client needs to have. These are competence, voluntariness, full information and comprehension. A client must in all instances be able to consent to treatment without hindering factors. These factors include lack of adequate information or the inability to understand the information given since in most instances; it is expressed in some to understand medical jargon. In as much as a client could be willing allow the collection and keeping of information regarding them, there arises the question of confidentiality. Many at times, confidentiality of the right to privileged communication is breached. The fear of client’s information being shared with third parties is an enormous hindrance to successful medical services as clients may not be willing to give truthful of information regarding their conditions. More so, not all countries recognize the right of privileged communication and thus there is no guarantee of confidentiality. All medical practitioners are required to warn clients and their close affiliates of nay risks of infection, side effects associated with treatments or any harmful behavior of patients such as violence. This is quite contradictory in regard to confidentiality that should be enjoyed by clients. It may also be quite impossible to warn a dying patient on the harmful side effects of a drug when the best thing to do is save their lives. Some clients may be threatening to commit suicide hence calling for intervention and the need to warn the family members or other authorities in charge of them. Clients could have consented to treatment and record keeping believing that their information will be treated with confidentiality. However, cases may arise that call for access

Division of Nursing and Health Management Essay

Division of Nursing and Health Management - Essay Example The patient is suffering from an associated nonallergic rhinitis where infection and underlying sinusitis are important causes. The rhinitis may also be associated with his use of antihypertensive agents as prescribed medications. Sinusitis or inflammation of the mucus-lined cavities of the nose occurs in high proportion of cases of upper respiratory infections. The congested turbinates have most probably blocked the openings of the sinuses, so the initial infection has changed into an acute suppurative process causing purulent discharge. Chronic inflammation of the nasal passages due to environmental exposure is an important cause, and in the management and patient education, this must be adequately attended to. The other issue to be included in the management is counteraction of the pathophysiologic process. Running et al. (2006) indicated that acute sinusitis occurs with infection of the paranasal sinuses. It is known that the most frequent initiating event is upper respiratory in fection. Inflammatory nasal congestion, edema, and transudation of fluid would lead to obstruction of the sinus cavities. These serve as excellent media for bacterial growth, and several common bacteria have been identified to cause such infections. The important issue in care management would be teaching patient self-care. ... Thus tonsillar inflammation and pharyngeal inflammation are normal to encounter (Rosenfeld et al., 2007). The tonsillar involvement is limited to inflammation, and the absence of exudates indicates absence of infection. The patient is suffering from an associated nonallergic rhinitis where infection and underlying sinusitis are important causes. The rhinitis may also be associated with his use of antihypertensive agents as prescribed medications. Sinusitis or inflammation of the mucus lined cavities of the nose occurs in high proportion of cases of upper respiratory infections. The congested turbinates have most probably blocked the openings of the sinuses, so the initial infection has changed into an acute suppurative process causing purulent discharge. Chronic inflammation of the nasal passages due to environmental exposure is an important cause, and in the management and patient education, this must be adequately attended to. The other issue to be included in the management is counteraction of the pathophysiologic process. Running et al. (2006) indicated that acute sinusitis occurs with infection of the paranasal sinuses. It is known that the most frequent initiating event is upper respiratory in fection. Inflammatory nasal congestion, edema, and transudation of fluid would lead to obstruction of the sinus cavities. These serve as excellent media for bacterial growth, and several common bacteria have been identified to cause such infections. The important issue in care management would be teaching patient self care. The instructions would involve methods which may promote drainage of the sinuses with the use of steam bath, increasing intake of fluid, and applying hot wet packs over the areas of involved sinuses. The patient uses over

Mary Schapiro’s job was to fix the SEC Essay Example for Free

Mary Schapiro’s job was to fix the SEC Essay 1.Kotter’s eight steps As already noted, the SEC was starkly exposed as ill-equipped to deal with the chaos erupting across the globe. It was under strong criticism for the serious fraud of Bernard Madoff and the collapse of Wall Street stalwart Lehman Brothers. Accordingly, Mary Schapiro, a career regulator, was appointed the 29th chairman of SEC to save a languishing SEC. She changed the way they were doing things at the SEC including creating new structures, procedures, and programs to better address the modern financial markets as an urgent need to restore the credibility and public confidence in the SEC. This analysis is based on Kotter’s (1995) eight-step process for leading successful change. a.Establishing a sense of urgency The chairwoman argues that urgency is critical. Schapiro developed a change program with three priorities comprising internal assessment, investor protection focus and mistakes acknowledgement. The mission was to turn the SEC to be a high functioning, agile and intelligent, and committed to investor protection and market integrity. b.Creating a guiding coalition In order to able to manage the change process, she brought in new leadership and new senior team. The new leadership team set about retraining, skilling up and motivating the SEC’s talent staff. In addition, the investor –focused agenda was putting in place. The board and senior management and then all levels of decision making were required to pay attention to risk at all level of an enterprise. The whistle blower program was set up to detect securities violations. A final goal was to admit the mistakes that the SEC made under its watch. This is the first step in communicating the change vision. c.Developing a vision and strategy A vision was created to help direct the change effort, that was, to build a high functioning, agile and intelligent, and committed to investor protection and market integrity agency. d.Communicating the change vision In order to communicate the change vision, the chairwoman developed an open  way communication in which all staff and bankers could directly discuss with her. e.Empowering broad-based actions The SEC critically trained their staff to become certified fraud examiners. The organisation was restructured by removing the whole layer of management sending those to the frontline putting thousand staff to different focus groups such as corrupt foreign practices, insider trading, market manipulation and structured products. In addition, the SEC also set rules for over the counter and asset backed securities, hedge funds and examination program. f.Generate short- term wins Monetary reward and safe avenue were offered to whistle blower as a way to encourage people to detect securities violation as part of the change program. Fine was charged to financial institution (Goldman Sachs) due to misleading investor mortgage securities. g.Consolidating gains and producing more change h.Anchor new approaches in the future The change within the SEC was continually anchored for several years after the change commenced.

Chapter Essay Example for Free

Chapter Essay What do you think are the prime advantages and disadvantages of National City Corporation’s virtual tryouts? The advantages of using virtual tryouts are competitive edge against other companies. Allows them to pick candidates better suited for their work environment, allows candidates the knowledge that they are applying for a company that is at the cutting edge of technology and they want to move forward with the times. Unfortunately there are also disadvantages associated with virtual tryouts. Employers may grab the interest of candidates, however if real day to day activities at work do not contain some of the aspects that the virtual test had, then employees will get uninterested and quit. 2. Do you think there would be any EEO concerns regarding this system? I don’t think there would be any EEO issues with this system, otherwise it would not be offered in the market. However I do believe that this new system â€Å"Virtual Tryouts† is not necessarily right for all hiring aspects for every type of position/ company. There are aspects of a perfect employee to company match that a computer test cannot guarantee. Example, you can have a candidate that gets great results in the virtual tryouts given the situation that they are told to address, yet in the real day to day situation of the position they do not do very well, and vice-versa. 3. Would you suggest the company tailor its system for different types of candidates? Yes, I recommend that the company tailor its system for the different types of positions and the different types of candidates required to fill those positions. Chapter 8 Case Study Appraising Employees at the San Diego Zoo. 1. Do you think the San Diego Zoo’s old appraisal system needed to be changed? I think it needed to be changed because before they weren’t taking it seriously and it was a low priority to them. Now with the new system the employees will get raises depending on their performance which in turn will ncrease company performance. 2. What do you think are the pros and cons of using a Web-based appraisal system? The pros of using a web-based appraisal system is that it is convenient because a large group of people can be rated in less time and it will control personal bias. The cons of using a web-based appraisal system is that it gives too little attention to the overall performance of workers and in person interviews are more effective in rewarding or po inting out deficiencies in workers. 3. How do you think the new appraisal system will affect employees and the types of employees who work at the zoo? The new appraisal system will affect employees positively for those employees that are looking to grow with the company and be a part of the growth. When an employee is given targets and goals to reach, then they know what they are working towards and they are aware that if they reach the targets and goals there is a gain for them at the end. With this set, you will get employees that are willing to do the work and the time to get a job done right.

Comparison of Beer Industry in Italy and Canada

Comparison of Beer Industry in Italy and Canada Introduction Beer is one of the most used beverages in the world next to coffee and tea. The beer industry therefore as we can imagine is one of the biggest industries in the world with many competitors inside of the industry. It is not surprising that many different kinds of beer and a variety of brands can be found in both Italy and Canada, and both of the countries has a long history of development of brewery industry as well. In this article, we are going to compare both of the countries markets, industry condition, cultural differences, political background and so forth, all those information will be taken into consideration, and be processed to make the final decision on which county environment is more suitable and beneficial for us to invest into. Some theories are going to be applied to analyse the cultural dimensions of both countries, such as Hofstedes cultural dimensions, and SWOT analysis, Porters Five Forces Model. Methodology What method do you use to compile your factbook and why? The methods i use to compile my factbook is that i are going to apply some frameworks from respected authors that are most applicable to my chosen industry (beer industry) such as Hofstede, SWOT analysis and Porters five forces. What prime theory and approaches do you draw on and why? Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Hofstede measures the cultural dimensions differences in different countries. There are five dimensions in this framework, namely the Power Distance Index (PDI), the Individualism-Collectivism, Masculinity-Femininity and Uncertainty Avoidance. Since Hofstede measures cultural dimensions, therefore it will be used in the cultural system page of the paper when the cultural aspects are discussed. SWOT Analysis SWOT is the abbreviation for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is an analytical framework to help summarize in a quick and concise way the risks and opportunities for a certain company, for my case the beer industry in two different countries, Canada and Italy. The SWOT analysis looks into internal factors within the company/industry/country (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external factors outside the company/industry/country (Opportunities and Threats). This method will eventually help us to look at the main positive, (strength and opportunities), and the negative, (weaknesses and threats), sides of both countries when comparing. Initially this should help us decide on which country would be most attractive to invest in the beer industry. For this reason, this method will be used at the end of the paper, which will give us an conclusive overview of the both countries. Porters Five Forces Model Porters five forces model argues that there are five forces in an industry to determine the extent and scale of the competition. These five forces affect the industries attractiveness. It is an efficient tool to analyse competition in the industry. In this model, five forces are the threat of substitute products or services, the threat of the entry of new competitors, the intensity of competitive rivalry, the bargaining power of customers, and the bargaining power of suppliers. The industrys attractiveness is the primary and fundamental factor to deciding the profitability, and in any industry, the rule of competition will be reflected in any of the five competitive forces. The purpose of Porters five forces is to show the attractiveness of the beer industry in both Canada and Italy and to help investors decide in which country to enter in the beer industry, besides it could help companies to develop a particular strategy in the industry, and this theory might be used in chapter whic h deals with market / industry conditions. What method of data collection and analysis do you use and why? The methods i use to collect my data are searching my universitys library modules for useful academic articles and using a mix of articles from authors known through literature and the Theory Tutorials for my Comparative Country Studies course. Of course, the reliable information on Internet is also consulted as additional sources, and i have also analyzed the annual report of the company. The beer industry of Italy and Canada In this section, relevant market conditions that apply to the Italian and Canadian beer sector will be explained. The market can be separated according to different factors like size and attractiveness as well. If we divide the market according the different market shares which individual brewery holds, we can see that there are several main player in the beer industry in both of the countries. Italy Italy is famous for its wines, however, it is not well-known for its own beer. Generally speaking, Italy doesnt consume nearly as much beer as its European neighbour, however, there is a growing trend of consumption for beer in Italy, the beer in Italy is not as widespread as in its European neighbours, mainly because there is a historical preference for wine in the country. Italian breweries have undergone a Renaissance in recent years. In fact, only in the past few years, Italy has started having beer drinking and tasting competitions and many related festivals. Normally, this sort of activity is reserved for wine, however, nowadays beer is earning more and more respect from wine-preferred Italians, and even many young Italians prefer to support their countrys beer industry rather than the wine industry now, still, the Italian beer industry has much space to grow and be developed. There are some brands of beer in Italy, one of the oldest and most recognized breweries is Birra Peroni, which was established in 1846 and the headquarter of Peroni is in Rome. Peronis most famous product is a pilsner-style beer. Nastro Azzuro, which is also one of the few Italian beers that marketed all over the world, Nastro Azzuro, is a rather light style beer, many breweries are crafting darker, heavier beers that are rousing interest from new and experienced beer drinkers alike. In addition to those giant breweries, there are many microbreweries in Italy, and they play a important role and have a great portion of the market as well. A microbrewery particularly gains attention from young Italians is Birrificio Baladin, the brewery appeals to young generation through quirky advertisements and sponsoring international music festivals and young Italians think theres room in the global beer market for some of their most outstanding brews. Canada Traditionally, Canadas largest brewing companies were Labatts and Molson. In 1995, Labatts was purchased by an Belgian company which is called Interbrew and it is now a part of Brazilian-Belgian Anheuser-Busch InBev, the worlds largest brewing company and Molson, the other largest beer company, which was merged with US company Coors in 2005 and created a new company called Molson Coors, which is the worlds fifth largest brewing company now. In 2006, with the purchase of Sleeman Breweries, the largest remaining Canadian brewery was purchased by the Japanese owned Sapporo Brewery, Canadas beer production has been mainly under the control of foreign multinationals. By the end of 2006, nearly 90% of beer sales was of product brewed domestically under licence from non-domestic corporations. American beers brewed under licence dominate much of the market. For instance, Budweiser is brewed under licence in Canada by Labatts and Coors Light by Molson. The market in Canada for domestic beer is dominated by Labatt, Molson and Sleeman, all foreign-owned companies. The largest Canadian-owned brewer, Moosehead breweries, only controls about 5.5% of the Canadian market. Country comparison Macro-economic indicators Economy Canada population 33,487,208 (July 2009 est.). Italy population 58,126,212 (July 2009 est.). Economic freedom Canada world rank 6. Economic freedom Italy world rank 87. Finance Financial freedom for Canada: 80.0. Financial freedom in Italy 60.0 Canada investment freedom 75.0. Italy investment freedom 75.0. Canada Economy -GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) $ 1.335 trillion (2010 est.). Country comparison to the world: 15. $1.297 trillion (2009 est.) $1.33 trillion (2008 est.) -GDP Per capita (PPP) $39,600 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $38,700 (2009 est.) $40,000 (2008 est.) -Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 0.3% (2009 est.) Italy Economy -GDP (PPP) $1.782 trillion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $1.763 trillion (2009 est.) $1.857 trillion (2008 est.) -GDP per capita (PPP) $30,700 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 $30,300 (2009 est.) $31,900 (2008 est.) -Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 0.8% (2009 est.) Historical developments Italy Beer is known and drank in Italy very long time ago, Italians brewed and consumed the blond drink. It said that Roman Emperor Agricola was a fan of beer when he was the governor of Britannia, and in 83 AD Roman Emperor Agricola raised to the imperial throne and came back to Italy, he took three master brewers with him from Glevum of which the ancient name Gloucester and opened the first real pub in Italy. Nowadays beer is especially loved by young people in Italy, which has been seen as an informal drink, compared to the wine which is alway used in much more formal places. Aperitif and wine tasting have now gained back to wine many casual drinkers, however, until a few years ago, young Italians actually drank more beer than wine. Pub-styled bars are still very popular in Italy and they have spread the love for the more exotic brands of beer: many of them serve Japanese, German, Australian and East European beers along with the more known ones brewed in the UK and Belgium. At least one bottle of Birra cinese (Chinese beer) is served on every table of every Chinese restaurant. Canada Beer was first introduced to Canada by European settlers in the seventeenth century, as Canada had an ideal climate for making and storing beer before refrigeration was introduced. The first commercial brewery was built by Jean Talon in Quebec City, in the year 1668. Over a century later a number of commercial brewers thrived, including some that became the staple of the Canadian industry: John Molson founded a brewery in Montreal in 1786, Alexander Keith inHalifax in 1820, Thomas Carling in London in 1840, John Kinder Labatt in 1847, also in London, Susannah Oland in Halifax in 1867, and Eugene OKeefe in Toronto in 1891. The very first patent to be issued by the Canadian government on July 6, 1842, was to one G. Riley for an improved method of brewing ale, beer, porter, and other maltliquors. Prohibition in Canada did not last as long as in the U.S. and was largely over by the mid 1920s (apart from Prince Edward Island, where it ran from 1901 to 1948). Nevertheless, it had a similar effect of leaving very few brewers, and it was only in the late twentieth century that there has been a revival and microbreweries have started. Brewpubs are still illegal in some provinces. Cultural system Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions of Italy and Canada Power Distance Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty Avoidance Italy Higher More collective More masculine Strong Canada Lower More individualistic More feminine Weak Power distance Canada is lower on the Hofstedes power distance index than Italy, Italy falls in the middle on the index overall. Italian seems to expect differences in power between people. Canadas Power Distance (PDI) is relatively low, with an index of 39, compared to a world average of 55. This is indicative of a greater equality between societal levels, including government, organizations, and even within families. This orientation reinforces a cooperative interaction across power levels and creates a more stable cultural environment. Individualism The more collective nature of Italy compared to Canada can be seen in many ways. It is not uncommon for grown children to live with their parents for years. Italian businesses are primarily owned by individuals and families. Business is preferably done with people with which one is familiar. Unacquainted guests will not be invited into an Italian home. Coffee or dinner will be taken with non-family members at a cafe or restaurant. Canada has Individualism (IDV) as the highest ranking (80) Hofstede Dimension, and is indicative of a society with a more individualistic attitude and relatively loose bonds with others. The populace is more self-reliant and looks out for themselves and their close family members. Masculinity Italy is a fairly masculine society and ranks slightly higher on this index than Canada. Many Italian men still treat women with gallantry and value machismo. Although women have entered the workforce, their numbers are still small and few are in upper echelon positions. Italian household are the sole domain of women; Italian women for the most part cook, clean and care for the children. Italians place a prime importance on material possessions. It is very important to look good in Italy. However, like a more feminine culture, Italians also know how to take time to appreciate the good things in life. Italians work in order to live rather than living to work. Ambition is not prevalent in Italian culture. Therefore i assume that beer as a informal beverage, it is more popular under this kind of cultural background rather than more formal cultural background countries. Uncertainty Avoidance Italy avoids uncertainly more strongly than Canada. By and large Italians prefer to do business with people they know. In addition, Italians prefer to know something about an individual before they speak with him/her on the phone. Thus, in business one should send an introductory fax and follow-up with a phone call. Political/Government System Beer or malt liquor, is defined as all fermented liquor brewed in whole or in part from malt for the purposes of the Excise Act, grain or any saccharine matter without any process of distillation, but does not include wine. Italian Alcohol Taxes and Duties Legislative Framework Alcohol Duty Beer (5% ABV or 12ËÅ ¡ Plato) 0.12Â £ per pint Wine (bottle 11.5% ABV) 0.00Â £ per 75 cl As we can see in the table of different rates of duty applies to beer in Italy, which contains following level of duty. Italy is a member of the European Union, therefore it shares the Common External Tariff regime. EU duties are charged by the Italian Customs Agency on the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value of the product imported into Italy. The Alcohol Act (2001) bans TV and radio advertising of alcoholic products between 4PM and 9PM and prohibits alcohol advertisements from being shown on TV within 15 minutes before or after any childrens programs. The Act also requires a self-regulatory code to be provided jointly by media companies, advertising agencies and advertisers to govern alcohol advertising. For the legal drinking age, there is no minimum age of legal drinking. And the legal purchasing age of alcohol is 16 and 18. South Tyrol prohibits both serving and purchase for people under the age of 18 and to everybody in a state of inebriation. Milan has enforced a ban on those under 16 purchasing alcohol. Heavy fines are given to proprieters and parents if a transaction is completed. Canadian Alcohol Taxes and Duties Legislative Framework Beer Duty Up to 1.2% alcohol $2.591/hectolitre 1.2% to 2.5% alcohol $13.990/hectolitre Over 2.5% alcohol $27.985/hectolitre As we can see in the table of different rates of duty applies to beer, which contains following level of duty: (1) more than 2.5% absolute ethyl alcohol by volume; (2) more than 1.2% but not more than 2.5% absolute ethyl alcohol by volume; and (3) less than 1.2% absolute ethyl alcohol by volume, and for all beer containing more than 2.5% absolute ethyl alcohol by volume, the rate of excise duty is currently $27.985 per hectolitre. However, excise duties are not imposed on beer provided it is brewed by a person for personal or family use or to be given away without charge and is not for sale commercially. Canadian government showed how highly they value beer production and its breweries by lowering the taxes exercised on beer production. This is a benefit to the industry. As one of the leaders of the whole economy of Canada, the beer sector is likely to maintain these tax benefits and other benefits might be offered as well to the beer sector to develop the Canadian beer industry. In Canada, alcohol was taxed pursuant to the Excise Act previously. However, a new regime in Canada for the federal taxation of certain alcohol, including spirits and wines, was introduced in the Excise Act, 2001, which was implemented effective July 1, 2003. Excise duties on beer (and malt liquor) continue to be imposed under the Excise Act. Generally, different excise duty treatment applies to alcohol for non-beverage use. A licence is required authorizing certain alcohol operations under both the Excise Act, 2001, and the Excise Act. For beer, a licence is only required under the Excise Act for the commercial operation as a brewery, for example, the place where beer is manufactured. All brewery licensees are required to post and maintain security with the Canadian government. The amount of security is set at a minimum of $5,000. Generally, beer is subject to an excise duty that is imposed and becomes payable during the production process. The legal drinking and purchasing age in Canada are both 19. However, In some areas such as Ontario, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut, underage drinking under parental supervision is permitted, with some restrictions, on ones own property in the provinces of New Brunswick andOntario and at home in the provinces of Prince Edward Island, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. InBritish Columbia, only children of the supervising parents, not any other minors such as guests, are allowed underage drinking. Consumption of alcohol in another persons home is subject to other laws. Major players The brewing industry had become extremely concentrated in Canada by the 1970s, being dominated by just three major companies, which are Molson, Labatt, and Carling-OKeefe. Canadas largest brewing companies were Labatts and Molson as we mentioned in the previous overview of industry condition of both countries. In 1995, Labatts was purchased by an Belgian company which is called Interbrew which is now part of Brazilian-Belgian Anheuser-Busch InBev, the worlds largest brewing company and Molson, the other largest beer company, which was merged with US company Coors in 2005 and created a new company called Molson Coors, and it is the worlds fifth largest brewing company now. In 2006, the largest remaining Canadian brewery was purchased by the Japanese owned Sapporo Brewery, Canadas beer production has been mainly under the control of foreign multinationals. By the end of 2006, nearly 90% of beer sales was of product brewed domestically under licence from non-domestic corporations. American beers brewed under licence dominate much of the market. For instance, Budweiser is brewed under licence in Canada by Labatts and Coors Light by Molson. The market in Canada for domestic beer is dominated by Labatt, Molson and Sleeman, all foreign-owned companies. The largest Canadian-owned brewer, Moosehead breweries, only controls small portion of the Canadian market. Italy hosts a few breweries, with the largest owned by the best known Italian and foreign brands. Peronis brewery produces the best known Italian beer: la Peroni. Peroni also produces the premium beer Mastro Azzurro and the brands WÃ ¼hrer, and lesser known Raffo. Heineken Italy brews its famous Heineken, but has also acquired the brands Moretti, Ichnusa, Birra Messina and Dreher. Carslberg owns a few brewerys in Northern and Central Italy. In Northern Italy, Forst brews its own branded beer as well as the famed Menabrea. In Friuli Venezia Giulia the latest brand of Italian beer Birra Castello, has been active since 1997. Along with these big players, there are lots of microbreweries small scale breweries that produce small quantities of beer, they also have premium quality. Major finding of comparison and recommendations Making a decision in which country to invest is not so easy, because of all those different variances in both of the counties, some of the variances are strength for Canada, however, some of them are favorable for Italy. In the first place, the tax rates between Canada and Italy differ. In Canada the rates are relatively lower than in Italy due to the fact that the tax level is relatively high in the European context. In addition to this, the Canadian government reduced taxes even more to benefit Canadian brewers. Secondly, when a look is taken at macroeconomic indicators like GDP per capita we see that Canada is a bit more favorable. However, since this differences are so small, both of the countries that we have chosen are developed countries, and GDP per capita which above certain level has a relatively weak influence on the consumption of beer. Therefore, this factor is not likely to have a significant influences on the desicion of investment in the countries. Thirdly, the population above legal drinking age in the markets has been calculated starting from the age at which alcohol consumption is allowed. This would mean that we start counting the population starting from 18 years old in Italy (some area start from 16 years old) and 19 years old in Canada. We find that the relative amount of people able to purchase and consume alcohol in Italy is larger than in Canada, because the whole population is larger in Italy than in Canada, and the population of legal drinking age are also higher in Italy than in Canada, therefore, the potential market in Italy are larger than in Canada. Lastly, when comparing markets according to its players and their market shares we find that Canada has a more concentrated market with high market share large players and many small players. Italy on the other hand has two old players with a high share and one smaller player while the rest of the market consists of really small players. It would therefore be an advantage to invest in the Italian market; trying to gain and increase a market share because of the fact that there are many foreign players already play very important roles in the Canadian market, Molson Coors Brewing company and Anheuser-Busch InBev have a market share of 42,70 and 42,20 percent respectively. Third place is hold by Moosehead Brewing company with a share of 5,90 percent. These three main players hold 90,8 percent of the market in total by volume. Taking all those facts into consideration, i would say that Italy would be the country that we are going to invest in. As we explained above, we analysed both countries SWOT, for Italy, the strength is market size, the weakness is relatively higher tax rate on alcohol, and the opportunities is that there are only two big old players and some extreme small players, gaining or increasing a share is relatively easy, and the market of Italy are more potential, because Italy still on the growing phase of beer industry. Moreover, since the age allowed to drink in Italy starting from the age of 18 and in some areas are even lower to 16, and with more population in Italy, therefore the market is bigger in Italy than in Canada. In addition, nowadays the Italian government highly values the Italian beer industry due to the impact on its economy and therefore taxes are getting lower and lower. And the threats of Italy is that new public policy may harm the beer industry, such as the advertising policy we mentioned before which bans the ads of alcohol in specific period of time on TV. Comparison of Beer Industry in Italy and Canada Comparison of Beer Industry in Italy and Canada Introduction Beer is one of the most used beverages in the world next to coffee and tea. The beer industry therefore as we can imagine is one of the biggest industries in the world with many competitors inside of the industry. It is not surprising that many different kinds of beer and a variety of brands can be found in both Italy and Canada, and both of the countries has a long history of development of brewery industry as well. In this article, we are going to compare both of the countries markets, industry condition, cultural differences, political background and so forth, all those information will be taken into consideration, and be processed to make the final decision on which county environment is more suitable and beneficial for us to invest into. Some theories are going to be applied to analyse the cultural dimensions of both countries, such as Hofstedes cultural dimensions, and SWOT analysis, Porters Five Forces Model. Methodology What method do you use to compile your factbook and why? The methods i use to compile my factbook is that i are going to apply some frameworks from respected authors that are most applicable to my chosen industry (beer industry) such as Hofstede, SWOT analysis and Porters five forces. What prime theory and approaches do you draw on and why? Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Hofstede measures the cultural dimensions differences in different countries. There are five dimensions in this framework, namely the Power Distance Index (PDI), the Individualism-Collectivism, Masculinity-Femininity and Uncertainty Avoidance. Since Hofstede measures cultural dimensions, therefore it will be used in the cultural system page of the paper when the cultural aspects are discussed. SWOT Analysis SWOT is the abbreviation for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is an analytical framework to help summarize in a quick and concise way the risks and opportunities for a certain company, for my case the beer industry in two different countries, Canada and Italy. The SWOT analysis looks into internal factors within the company/industry/country (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external factors outside the company/industry/country (Opportunities and Threats). This method will eventually help us to look at the main positive, (strength and opportunities), and the negative, (weaknesses and threats), sides of both countries when comparing. Initially this should help us decide on which country would be most attractive to invest in the beer industry. For this reason, this method will be used at the end of the paper, which will give us an conclusive overview of the both countries. Porters Five Forces Model Porters five forces model argues that there are five forces in an industry to determine the extent and scale of the competition. These five forces affect the industries attractiveness. It is an efficient tool to analyse competition in the industry. In this model, five forces are the threat of substitute products or services, the threat of the entry of new competitors, the intensity of competitive rivalry, the bargaining power of customers, and the bargaining power of suppliers. The industrys attractiveness is the primary and fundamental factor to deciding the profitability, and in any industry, the rule of competition will be reflected in any of the five competitive forces. The purpose of Porters five forces is to show the attractiveness of the beer industry in both Canada and Italy and to help investors decide in which country to enter in the beer industry, besides it could help companies to develop a particular strategy in the industry, and this theory might be used in chapter whic h deals with market / industry conditions. What method of data collection and analysis do you use and why? The methods i use to collect my data are searching my universitys library modules for useful academic articles and using a mix of articles from authors known through literature and the Theory Tutorials for my Comparative Country Studies course. Of course, the reliable information on Internet is also consulted as additional sources, and i have also analyzed the annual report of the company. The beer industry of Italy and Canada In this section, relevant market conditions that apply to the Italian and Canadian beer sector will be explained. The market can be separated according to different factors like size and attractiveness as well. If we divide the market according the different market shares which individual brewery holds, we can see that there are several main player in the beer industry in both of the countries. Italy Italy is famous for its wines, however, it is not well-known for its own beer. Generally speaking, Italy doesnt consume nearly as much beer as its European neighbour, however, there is a growing trend of consumption for beer in Italy, the beer in Italy is not as widespread as in its European neighbours, mainly because there is a historical preference for wine in the country. Italian breweries have undergone a Renaissance in recent years. In fact, only in the past few years, Italy has started having beer drinking and tasting competitions and many related festivals. Normally, this sort of activity is reserved for wine, however, nowadays beer is earning more and more respect from wine-preferred Italians, and even many young Italians prefer to support their countrys beer industry rather than the wine industry now, still, the Italian beer industry has much space to grow and be developed. There are some brands of beer in Italy, one of the oldest and most recognized breweries is Birra Peroni, which was established in 1846 and the headquarter of Peroni is in Rome. Peronis most famous product is a pilsner-style beer. Nastro Azzuro, which is also one of the few Italian beers that marketed all over the world, Nastro Azzuro, is a rather light style beer, many breweries are crafting darker, heavier beers that are rousing interest from new and experienced beer drinkers alike. In addition to those giant breweries, there are many microbreweries in Italy, and they play a important role and have a great portion of the market as well. A microbrewery particularly gains attention from young Italians is Birrificio Baladin, the brewery appeals to young generation through quirky advertisements and sponsoring international music festivals and young Italians think theres room in the global beer market for some of their most outstanding brews. Canada Traditionally, Canadas largest brewing companies were Labatts and Molson. In 1995, Labatts was purchased by an Belgian company which is called Interbrew and it is now a part of Brazilian-Belgian Anheuser-Busch InBev, the worlds largest brewing company and Molson, the other largest beer company, which was merged with US company Coors in 2005 and created a new company called Molson Coors, which is the worlds fifth largest brewing company now. In 2006, with the purchase of Sleeman Breweries, the largest remaining Canadian brewery was purchased by the Japanese owned Sapporo Brewery, Canadas beer production has been mainly under the control of foreign multinationals. By the end of 2006, nearly 90% of beer sales was of product brewed domestically under licence from non-domestic corporations. American beers brewed under licence dominate much of the market. For instance, Budweiser is brewed under licence in Canada by Labatts and Coors Light by Molson. The market in Canada for domestic beer is dominated by Labatt, Molson and Sleeman, all foreign-owned companies. The largest Canadian-owned brewer, Moosehead breweries, only controls about 5.5% of the Canadian market. Country comparison Macro-economic indicators Economy Canada population 33,487,208 (July 2009 est.). Italy population 58,126,212 (July 2009 est.). Economic freedom Canada world rank 6. Economic freedom Italy world rank 87. Finance Financial freedom for Canada: 80.0. Financial freedom in Italy 60.0 Canada investment freedom 75.0. Italy investment freedom 75.0. Canada Economy -GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) $ 1.335 trillion (2010 est.). Country comparison to the world: 15. $1.297 trillion (2009 est.) $1.33 trillion (2008 est.) -GDP Per capita (PPP) $39,600 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $38,700 (2009 est.) $40,000 (2008 est.) -Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 0.3% (2009 est.) Italy Economy -GDP (PPP) $1.782 trillion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $1.763 trillion (2009 est.) $1.857 trillion (2008 est.) -GDP per capita (PPP) $30,700 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 $30,300 (2009 est.) $31,900 (2008 est.) -Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 0.8% (2009 est.) Historical developments Italy Beer is known and drank in Italy very long time ago, Italians brewed and consumed the blond drink. It said that Roman Emperor Agricola was a fan of beer when he was the governor of Britannia, and in 83 AD Roman Emperor Agricola raised to the imperial throne and came back to Italy, he took three master brewers with him from Glevum of which the ancient name Gloucester and opened the first real pub in Italy. Nowadays beer is especially loved by young people in Italy, which has been seen as an informal drink, compared to the wine which is alway used in much more formal places. Aperitif and wine tasting have now gained back to wine many casual drinkers, however, until a few years ago, young Italians actually drank more beer than wine. Pub-styled bars are still very popular in Italy and they have spread the love for the more exotic brands of beer: many of them serve Japanese, German, Australian and East European beers along with the more known ones brewed in the UK and Belgium. At least one bottle of Birra cinese (Chinese beer) is served on every table of every Chinese restaurant. Canada Beer was first introduced to Canada by European settlers in the seventeenth century, as Canada had an ideal climate for making and storing beer before refrigeration was introduced. The first commercial brewery was built by Jean Talon in Quebec City, in the year 1668. Over a century later a number of commercial brewers thrived, including some that became the staple of the Canadian industry: John Molson founded a brewery in Montreal in 1786, Alexander Keith inHalifax in 1820, Thomas Carling in London in 1840, John Kinder Labatt in 1847, also in London, Susannah Oland in Halifax in 1867, and Eugene OKeefe in Toronto in 1891. The very first patent to be issued by the Canadian government on July 6, 1842, was to one G. Riley for an improved method of brewing ale, beer, porter, and other maltliquors. Prohibition in Canada did not last as long as in the U.S. and was largely over by the mid 1920s (apart from Prince Edward Island, where it ran from 1901 to 1948). Nevertheless, it had a similar effect of leaving very few brewers, and it was only in the late twentieth century that there has been a revival and microbreweries have started. Brewpubs are still illegal in some provinces. Cultural system Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions of Italy and Canada Power Distance Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty Avoidance Italy Higher More collective More masculine Strong Canada Lower More individualistic More feminine Weak Power distance Canada is lower on the Hofstedes power distance index than Italy, Italy falls in the middle on the index overall. Italian seems to expect differences in power between people. Canadas Power Distance (PDI) is relatively low, with an index of 39, compared to a world average of 55. This is indicative of a greater equality between societal levels, including government, organizations, and even within families. This orientation reinforces a cooperative interaction across power levels and creates a more stable cultural environment. Individualism The more collective nature of Italy compared to Canada can be seen in many ways. It is not uncommon for grown children to live with their parents for years. Italian businesses are primarily owned by individuals and families. Business is preferably done with people with which one is familiar. Unacquainted guests will not be invited into an Italian home. Coffee or dinner will be taken with non-family members at a cafe or restaurant. Canada has Individualism (IDV) as the highest ranking (80) Hofstede Dimension, and is indicative of a society with a more individualistic attitude and relatively loose bonds with others. The populace is more self-reliant and looks out for themselves and their close family members. Masculinity Italy is a fairly masculine society and ranks slightly higher on this index than Canada. Many Italian men still treat women with gallantry and value machismo. Although women have entered the workforce, their numbers are still small and few are in upper echelon positions. Italian household are the sole domain of women; Italian women for the most part cook, clean and care for the children. Italians place a prime importance on material possessions. It is very important to look good in Italy. However, like a more feminine culture, Italians also know how to take time to appreciate the good things in life. Italians work in order to live rather than living to work. Ambition is not prevalent in Italian culture. Therefore i assume that beer as a informal beverage, it is more popular under this kind of cultural background rather than more formal cultural background countries. Uncertainty Avoidance Italy avoids uncertainly more strongly than Canada. By and large Italians prefer to do business with people they know. In addition, Italians prefer to know something about an individual before they speak with him/her on the phone. Thus, in business one should send an introductory fax and follow-up with a phone call. Political/Government System Beer or malt liquor, is defined as all fermented liquor brewed in whole or in part from malt for the purposes of the Excise Act, grain or any saccharine matter without any process of distillation, but does not include wine. Italian Alcohol Taxes and Duties Legislative Framework Alcohol Duty Beer (5% ABV or 12ËÅ ¡ Plato) 0.12Â £ per pint Wine (bottle 11.5% ABV) 0.00Â £ per 75 cl As we can see in the table of different rates of duty applies to beer in Italy, which contains following level of duty. Italy is a member of the European Union, therefore it shares the Common External Tariff regime. EU duties are charged by the Italian Customs Agency on the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value of the product imported into Italy. The Alcohol Act (2001) bans TV and radio advertising of alcoholic products between 4PM and 9PM and prohibits alcohol advertisements from being shown on TV within 15 minutes before or after any childrens programs. The Act also requires a self-regulatory code to be provided jointly by media companies, advertising agencies and advertisers to govern alcohol advertising. For the legal drinking age, there is no minimum age of legal drinking. And the legal purchasing age of alcohol is 16 and 18. South Tyrol prohibits both serving and purchase for people under the age of 18 and to everybody in a state of inebriation. Milan has enforced a ban on those under 16 purchasing alcohol. Heavy fines are given to proprieters and parents if a transaction is completed. Canadian Alcohol Taxes and Duties Legislative Framework Beer Duty Up to 1.2% alcohol $2.591/hectolitre 1.2% to 2.5% alcohol $13.990/hectolitre Over 2.5% alcohol $27.985/hectolitre As we can see in the table of different rates of duty applies to beer, which contains following level of duty: (1) more than 2.5% absolute ethyl alcohol by volume; (2) more than 1.2% but not more than 2.5% absolute ethyl alcohol by volume; and (3) less than 1.2% absolute ethyl alcohol by volume, and for all beer containing more than 2.5% absolute ethyl alcohol by volume, the rate of excise duty is currently $27.985 per hectolitre. However, excise duties are not imposed on beer provided it is brewed by a person for personal or family use or to be given away without charge and is not for sale commercially. Canadian government showed how highly they value beer production and its breweries by lowering the taxes exercised on beer production. This is a benefit to the industry. As one of the leaders of the whole economy of Canada, the beer sector is likely to maintain these tax benefits and other benefits might be offered as well to the beer sector to develop the Canadian beer industry. In Canada, alcohol was taxed pursuant to the Excise Act previously. However, a new regime in Canada for the federal taxation of certain alcohol, including spirits and wines, was introduced in the Excise Act, 2001, which was implemented effective July 1, 2003. Excise duties on beer (and malt liquor) continue to be imposed under the Excise Act. Generally, different excise duty treatment applies to alcohol for non-beverage use. A licence is required authorizing certain alcohol operations under both the Excise Act, 2001, and the Excise Act. For beer, a licence is only required under the Excise Act for the commercial operation as a brewery, for example, the place where beer is manufactured. All brewery licensees are required to post and maintain security with the Canadian government. The amount of security is set at a minimum of $5,000. Generally, beer is subject to an excise duty that is imposed and becomes payable during the production process. The legal drinking and purchasing age in Canada are both 19. However, In some areas such as Ontario, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut, underage drinking under parental supervision is permitted, with some restrictions, on ones own property in the provinces of New Brunswick andOntario and at home in the provinces of Prince Edward Island, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. InBritish Columbia, only children of the supervising parents, not any other minors such as guests, are allowed underage drinking. Consumption of alcohol in another persons home is subject to other laws. Major players The brewing industry had become extremely concentrated in Canada by the 1970s, being dominated by just three major companies, which are Molson, Labatt, and Carling-OKeefe. Canadas largest brewing companies were Labatts and Molson as we mentioned in the previous overview of industry condition of both countries. In 1995, Labatts was purchased by an Belgian company which is called Interbrew which is now part of Brazilian-Belgian Anheuser-Busch InBev, the worlds largest brewing company and Molson, the other largest beer company, which was merged with US company Coors in 2005 and created a new company called Molson Coors, and it is the worlds fifth largest brewing company now. In 2006, the largest remaining Canadian brewery was purchased by the Japanese owned Sapporo Brewery, Canadas beer production has been mainly under the control of foreign multinationals. By the end of 2006, nearly 90% of beer sales was of product brewed domestically under licence from non-domestic corporations. American beers brewed under licence dominate much of the market. For instance, Budweiser is brewed under licence in Canada by Labatts and Coors Light by Molson. The market in Canada for domestic beer is dominated by Labatt, Molson and Sleeman, all foreign-owned companies. The largest Canadian-owned brewer, Moosehead breweries, only controls small portion of the Canadian market. Italy hosts a few breweries, with the largest owned by the best known Italian and foreign brands. Peronis brewery produces the best known Italian beer: la Peroni. Peroni also produces the premium beer Mastro Azzurro and the brands WÃ ¼hrer, and lesser known Raffo. Heineken Italy brews its famous Heineken, but has also acquired the brands Moretti, Ichnusa, Birra Messina and Dreher. Carslberg owns a few brewerys in Northern and Central Italy. In Northern Italy, Forst brews its own branded beer as well as the famed Menabrea. In Friuli Venezia Giulia the latest brand of Italian beer Birra Castello, has been active since 1997. Along with these big players, there are lots of microbreweries small scale breweries that produce small quantities of beer, they also have premium quality. Major finding of comparison and recommendations Making a decision in which country to invest is not so easy, because of all those different variances in both of the counties, some of the variances are strength for Canada, however, some of them are favorable for Italy. In the first place, the tax rates between Canada and Italy differ. In Canada the rates are relatively lower than in Italy due to the fact that the tax level is relatively high in the European context. In addition to this, the Canadian government reduced taxes even more to benefit Canadian brewers. Secondly, when a look is taken at macroeconomic indicators like GDP per capita we see that Canada is a bit more favorable. However, since this differences are so small, both of the countries that we have chosen are developed countries, and GDP per capita which above certain level has a relatively weak influence on the consumption of beer. Therefore, this factor is not likely to have a significant influences on the desicion of investment in the countries. Thirdly, the population above legal drinking age in the markets has been calculated starting from the age at which alcohol consumption is allowed. This would mean that we start counting the population starting from 18 years old in Italy (some area start from 16 years old) and 19 years old in Canada. We find that the relative amount of people able to purchase and consume alcohol in Italy is larger than in Canada, because the whole population is larger in Italy than in Canada, and the population of legal drinking age are also higher in Italy than in Canada, therefore, the potential market in Italy are larger than in Canada. Lastly, when comparing markets according to its players and their market shares we find that Canada has a more concentrated market with high market share large players and many small players. Italy on the other hand has two old players with a high share and one smaller player while the rest of the market consists of really small players. It would therefore be an advantage to invest in the Italian market; trying to gain and increase a market share because of the fact that there are many foreign players already play very important roles in the Canadian market, Molson Coors Brewing company and Anheuser-Busch InBev have a market share of 42,70 and 42,20 percent respectively. Third place is hold by Moosehead Brewing company with a share of 5,90 percent. These three main players hold 90,8 percent of the market in total by volume. Taking all those facts into consideration, i would say that Italy would be the country that we are going to invest in. As we explained above, we analysed both countries SWOT, for Italy, the strength is market size, the weakness is relatively higher tax rate on alcohol, and the opportunities is that there are only two big old players and some extreme small players, gaining or increasing a share is relatively easy, and the market of Italy are more potential, because Italy still on the growing phase of beer industry. Moreover, since the age allowed to drink in Italy starting from the age of 18 and in some areas are even lower to 16, and with more population in Italy, therefore the market is bigger in Italy than in Canada. In addition, nowadays the Italian government highly values the Italian beer industry due to the impact on its economy and therefore taxes are getting lower and lower. And the threats of Italy is that new public policy may harm the beer industry, such as the advertising policy we mentioned before which bans the ads of alcohol in specific period of time on TV.

The Deceitful Fence Essay -- Biography, Troy Maxson

There are many causes that molded Troy Maxson into the dishonest, cantankerous, hypocritical person that he is in August Wilson’s play, â€Å"Fences† (1985). Troy had an exceptionally unpleasant childhood. He grew up with a very abusive father that beat him on a daily basis. His mother even abandoned him when he was eight years old. In this play, Troy lies habitually and tries to cover himself up by accusing others of lying. He is a very astringent person in general. His dream of becoming a major league baseball player was crushed as a result of his time spent in jail. By the time he was released from jail, he was too old to play baseball efficiently. Troy is a very self-centered individual. He is only concerned with issues regarding him. For instance, he wants to be able to drive the trash trucks at his job like the white men do. In Act One, scene one, Troy tells Bono that he talked to his boss, Mr. Rand, about driving the trucks. â€Å"How come you got all the whites driving and the colored lifting?† (1332). If things in Troy’s life aren’t going the way he wants them to, he makes himself into the victim and searches for sympathy from others. In addition, if he ever does something erroneous, he never accepts responsibility, never admits his wrongdoing and no matter how much anguish he causes someone, he never apologizes for it. Even though Troy does not physically abuse his children like his father did to him, he verbally abuses them. He treats Cory very callously and unjustly. In a way, Troy is taking out his frustrations of having an unsuccessful baseball career by not allowing Cory to pursue his dream to play football. Troy crushed Cory’s dream. In Act One, scene four, Cory expresses his misery. â€Å"Why you wanna do that to me? That w... ...oes tell the truth. He talks truthfully about his father and how he is a lot like him. He also admits that the only difference with him and his father is that he does not beat his children. Troy provided for his family. Additionally, even though he was very tough on Cory, he admitted that he was responsible for taking care of him and the rest of the family. In Act One, scene three, Troy explains to Cory why he treats him the way he does. Cory asks, â€Å"How come you ain’t never liked me?† (1346). Troy can’t admit to like his own son, so points out that he doesn’t have to like him in order to provide for him. â€Å"[†¦] ‘Cause it’s my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! [†¦] I ain’t got to like you† (1347). Deep down, somewhere in the dark abyss that is Troy’s heart, he sincerely cares about his family. He just has a very different way of articulating it.

Internet Privacy: Government Should Not Regulate Encryption or Cryptogr

Internet Privacy: Government Should Not Regulate Encryption or Cryptography Privacy rights have been an important issue through out time, and it has been increasing in importance as we have moved into the electronic/information age. Keeping that privacy had become a growing concern for many businesses and consumers. With all the information being sent across the web, people are very concerned about their personal information falling into the wrong hands. One way to help protect your privacy on the net is by using an encryption program. Even though they are not completely unbreakable, an encryption program is one of the best ways to protect against outside intrusions. Despite this fact, the government wants too place legislation on encryption services that can be a potential danger to both the development of encryption systems and to your rights. According to the ACLU, the Clinton Administration adopted the "Clipper Chip" plan in 1993. This proposal would require every user of encryption to give the government their decryption keys. This, essentially, would give the government free access to all private and non-private communications, both stored and real-time. "This is the equivalent of the government requiring all homebuilders to embed microphones in the walls of homes and apartments." ( ACLU White Paper: Big Brother in the Wires; Wiretapping in the Digital Age ). There was also a proposal for the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). This FBI-based law would "require the telecommunications industry to build enhanced digital wiretapping capabilities into the Nation's telephone system. (EFF Press Release & Joint EFF/ACLU/EPIC Statement on ACP) There has been strong opposition to this plan. Many peopl... ...o force encryption users to hand over their decryption keys. It seems as though the government is really more focused on spying on citizens than it is about fighting crime. There does not appear to be any sufficient proof to justify their claim to need decryption keys to fight crime and terrorism (especially terrorism). I believe that if the government wants to use electronic surveillance on encrypted information, for a justifiable reason, then they should work in correspondence with encryption system users. I feel that privacy is a very important right of all people; and people should be able to try and protect it to the best of their ability, as long as no one else gets hurt in the process. People's rights to privacy should not be taken so lightly by our government. I would think that Bill Clinton, of all people, would understand the want, and need, for privacy.

Essay --

In recent years, light olefins are used as building blocks for a large variety of chemicals and petrochemicals products that are produced from crude oil. Light olefins are in a class of hydrocarbons with a single double bond and a chemical formula of CnH2n. Ethylene and Propylene are the most important olefins which form the backbone of the petrochemicals market. However, ethylene and propylene have no end use. The highly reactive double bond of the ethylene and propylene makes the molecule ideal for conversion to many useful product such as polymers (eg. polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride), synthetic rubber and fuel components. Currently, most olefins are produced via thermal cracking of naphtha or other light fractions of petroleum with steam, which is often referred to as steam cracking. During the process, the hydrocarbon feedstock which usually of fossil origin, is cracked into smaller molecules. The process is innovative olefin technologies in terms of energy efficiency. The resulting product mix from the cracking process which varies depending on the process c...

The Plot Against the Giant

The poem talks about three girls plotting against a giant. The first girl plans that when his yokel comes maundering, whetting his hacker, the first girl will run before him. She will diffuse the civilest of odors out of geraniums and unsmelled flowers. The girl expects that this will check the giant. The second girls plan is to directly run before the giant. She will arch cloths besprinkled with colors that are as small as fish-eggs. The threads of the cloth will abash the giant. Lastly the third girl calls the giant la pauvre. She will also run before the giant with a curious puffing. He expects the giant to bend his ear to her puffing and that’s when she plans to whisper heavenly labials in a world of gutturals. This will undo the giant. The Plot of against the Giant is a poem published among Steven Wallace’s other poems under the book Harmonium which was published in 1923. The poem has a lot of playfulness and imagination but one would wonder who Wallace’s giant was. He could mean someone else or the giant could be himself. The poem consists of three parts. This could mean three approaches or three aspects or three techniques or three different experiences or stories all together. First line goes when this yokel comes maundering, yokel means an uneducated person, they are also known as bumpkins standing for unsophisticated country people. In fiction, yokels are usually depicted as gullible and easily conned. On the contrary, they may be viewed as straightforward and simplistic, and therefore seeing through sophisticated pretenses. Maundering can mean either wander aimlessly or talk indistinctly or speak rapidly. So the first line mean the first girl is waiting when the giant whom she calls a yokel comes to wander. The poem continues, whetting his hacker, I shall run before him, Diffusing the civilest odors Out of geraniums and unsmelled flowers. It will check him. Whetting is sharpening. With the continuation, the first paragraph suggests that the first girl will run to the giant when he is wandering without care sharpening his hacker. She plans to run to him and pour out and spread freely the nicest smelling odors from geraniums and unsmelled flowers and this will check the giant. The second girl says, I shall run before him, Arching cloths besprinkled with colors As small as fish-eggs.The threads. Will abash him. This suggests that she will run to the giant bending clothes toward the giant sprinkled with colors as small as fish-eggs. The threads will disconcert and embarrass the giant. While the third girl says, Oh, la†¦le pauvre! I shall run before him, With a curious puffing. He will bend his ear then. I shall whisper Heavenly labials in a world of gutturals. It will undo him. This suggests that she will run to the giant with an interesting but short forceful exhalation of breath or a short sudden gust of wind. This will make the giant bend his ear. The third girl will then whisper heavenly labials. Labials are consonants articulated either with both lips (bilabial articulation) or with the lower lip and the upper teeth. Sounds like this will undo the giant. The poem has a lot of imagination, symbolism and subtlety. It even has playfulness.   Each girl represents certain dealing or a plan: the subtlety of fragrances, the colorfulness of the besprinkled cloths and the magic of sound.   Another way of understanding the poem is seeing the visions of the poet himself. The Giant could be Steven Wallace himself and the gist of the poem is basically women plotting against him. If Wallace had been fond of women during his days – we can only speculate. He must have composed the poem out from pure imagination or thoughtful observation or it could be that the poem came out from a true-to-life experience. With this premise we will them come to view the poem differently and perhaps more maturely. As I’ve mentioned the three girls can mean different approaches of woman to a man or how woman respond to man. Before we get to the details of the poem lets touch a little on the word giant. Why Wallace did choose his hero to be a giant? Why not a winged-angel or perhaps Superman? It could be possible that in Wallace mind he perceives men in general as giants, of course not in the physical sense but in the gender sensitive sense. Another point of consideration is when the poem was created. The poem was written when society was highly patriarchal. It could be very possible that Wallace views were highly influenced by a male-dominated society that time. This could be the reason why he sees men in general or himself as super beings – superior to ordinary man. He used a giant as his hero in the poem to portray this supremacy. However, Wallace was aware of the consequences of using a giant for a hero or maybe it is exactly what he intends. Just like Goliath in the Bible, though he is a giant he was defeated by a child in the person of David. Wallace might have seen this perspective and opted to mold his character into a Giant and multiplied his David into three. Evident in the poem is Wallace’s bias on woman. He used the word plot against –and to plot against is something adversarial. As upfront as this title, the walls have been divided. Wallace then sees women as the enemy. The three dames represent a battle Wallace’s giant needs to overcome. First is the art of subtlety – using the sense of smell. It is common knowledge that scents and perfumes are women essentials. As much as women loves wearing it – men loves smelling it. The poem speaks of this with the first girl using all the civilest odors from geraniums to the unsmelled flowers. This suggest that the girl used the scents to check the giant out. She used the scents to weaken the giant. We should take note that the first girl was careful when to release these odors – only when the yokel is maundering. It is not done all the time, timing is everything. Second is the use of color and of clothes. If this is effective in taming a man then it is much effective now. It doesn’t only tame or abash a man it can be used to intimidate though today’s playing field doesn’t play much on the color nor on the cloth but a lot has been attributed to style. I would say attitude counts too. Third is the use of sound. Sound can have different effects on people. It depends on the kind and quality of sound we hear. The poem speaks of heavenly labial sounds. To me this suggests sensuality. These sounds can be the ahhs and the ohhhs or can be a moan or a groan that surely is very powerful letting the third girl call the giant la pauvre. It wouldn’t be a wonder because labial sounds are mostly guttural thus instinctive. The effects of these sounds are expectedly instinctive in nature too. The Plot Against the Giant First Girl When this yokel comes maundering, Whetting his hacker, I shall run before him, Diffusing the civilest odors Out of geraniums and unsmelled flowers. It will check him. Second Girl I shall run before him, Arching cloths besprinkled with colors As small as fish-eggs. The threads Will abash him. Third Girl Oh, la†¦le pauvre! I shall run before him, With a curious puffing. He will bend his ear then. I shall whisper Heavenly labials in a world of gutturals. It will undo him. (From â€Å"Harmonium,† 1923)