Great Expectations by Charles Dickens :: Great Expectations Essays

â€Å"Great Expectations† by Charles Dickens This assignment is looking closely at a novel written before 1900. The book is called â€Å"Great Expectations† by Charles Dickens. The novel is in the first person, autobiographical form, that it is Pip who looks back at his past life and recounts the event which led to the situation we find him in at the last chapter. Dickens creates some memorable people, realism is found in his settings. The two characters I shall concentrate on are Pip and Magwitch appears in the opening sequences of the novel but does not return until chapter 20 when Pip is twenty three. This second sequence reveals the identity of the person who has made Pip a ‘gentleman’. When Pip was a young boy his mother, father, and five brothers died. So Pip had to live with his sister and her husband the blacksmith Joe Gargery. His sisters house is a quite lonely house near the River Thames. The house has somewhat a wilderness about it. Magwitch is an escaped convict. Magwitch make it out that he is mean but later on we learn that he is not going to harm Pip. Magwitch is in the sort of situation where he fears for his life because he is a criminal. but he is a quiet religious man. The first time Pip meet the convict he was standing by his family’s gravestones. Dickens describes the scenery as a â€Å"raw afternoon towards evening† he then goes on to say â€Å"this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the church yard†. when Pip first saw Magwitch (the convict) he was scared and didn’t know what to do he saw the iron canes on his legs. Magwitch tipped Pip up side down then up right Pip said to him â€Å"don’t cut my throat sir†. and asked him where his parents are Pip pointed behind Magwitch, at this point Magwitch thought that Pips parents would be behind him and when he didn’t see anyone there he realised that he meant that they were dead.

Purple Hibiscus by Chidimanmanda Ngozi Adichie Essay -- nigeria, violen

Chidimanmanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author, her first ever novel Purple Hibiscus was criticised for addressing the important issues of postcolonial studies such as violence against women and brutal feminism. Alice Walker is an American author as well as a poet, her bestselling novel The Colour Purple was firmly criticised on showing the severity of feminist injustice Feminism is a movement defining the equality and rights for women. Feminism opens potential meaning in these novels as it creates a gateway for the females who are victimised to speak up and to portray their feelings and situations which arise in the novels for the women to vindicate themselves and earn their freedom from the men that surround them. Points such as male domination, marital status and infidelity, the occupations of a woman and redemption and empowerment will help to convey the important meanings through female criticisms in the novels. Walker’s novel The Colour Purple deals with male dominance as a norm in the country. She exposes the act of sexual aggression as being the main form of male domination. The character of Celie is a perfect example of this point. She is shown in the novel as a weak. She does everything the men surrounding her tell her to do therefore she is taken advantage of many times. She deals with bullying and domination in her family, her Pa rapes her twice when she is only fourteen years old. Alphonso beats and rapes her then later on decides to sell her to Mr._ without any acknowledgement of Celie’s feelings. Celie deals with rape with her husband also who sees her as an object to take care of their household and please him. Celie is too afraid to stand up for herself as she thinks fighting back will be the death of her.... ...2003, Purple Hibiscus, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Walker AW, 2004, The Colour Purple, Phoenix an imprint of Orion Books Ltd, Orion House, London. Websites: http://279askt.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/feminist-analysis.html cited 19/11/2013 http://www.litnotes.co.uk/color.htm cited 19/11/2013 http://www.gradesaver.com/the-color-purple/study-guide/major-themes/ cited 5/12/2013 http://phsapenglish.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=summerreading&action=display&thread=61 cited 5/12/2013 https://blogs.stockton.edu/postcolonialstudies/purple-hibiscus-a-feminist-reading/ cited 19/11/2013 https://blogs.stockton.edu/postcolonialstudies/purple-hibiscus-a-feminist-reading/aunty-ifeoma-and-beatrice-diverging-paradigms-of-postcolonial-feminism/ cited 22/11/2013 http://afrrevjo.net/journals/multidiscipline/Vol_5_num_3_art_20_Fwangyil.pdf cited 5/12/2013

American Woman Hair Styles and Head Gear in History :: essays research papers

American woman hair styles and head gear (1600-1775) In the American history there are three main head styling groups. These groups are the rich Virginian group from 1619-1675, the rich in the American colonies from 1675-1775, and finally the poor or middle class of the colonies, which since the hair didn’t change much was pretty much the same all through the era. Virginia (1619-1675) In the year 1619 the American style was very masculine. In America there weren’t very many women this was because America was a harsh land. The men in America would pay for women to come to America, but only if the women would marry them. The hard sea voyage meant that they needed good stiff hats that would actually stay on their heads. The year of 1660 was a year which was full of change, the rich people were coming over with new styles from France and Britain. This hair style pulled back most of the hair and coiled it in the back, and then the excess hair was curled and made to cascade around the face. Often time pearls and ribbons were added to the coil in the back. In 1675, the head coverings were â€Å"out† and only light head coverings were used, however, in the northern colonies heavy hoods were used frequently. The colonies as a whole (1675-1775) In 1750, the coiffure, which was used frequently among the rich of Europe, was finally catching on in the Americas. A coiffure was a French style that you have probably seen, it is huge hair styles that are made primarily out of horse hair and take hours to complete. The hair got big and wild and out of control. In some cases they even put cardboard cut outs of animals or trees in the sea of wire curls. Toward the end of the big hair the styles came close to the head and spread out. In the may of 1771 a girl sent a letter to the Boston Gazette telling of a woman with the coiffure. The girl had been walking down the streets when a woman driving her carriage had been thrown from her seat. The woman was alright, but the hair piece was completely torn from her head. Inside of the complicated hair piece was tallow and horse hair, to keep the good locking hair on the outside stiff. The feather in the hair was started by Marie Antoinette. She had a peacock feather in the tall hair and when the King exclaimed about how pretty he thought she looked, it became a new style. American Woman Hair Styles and Head Gear in History :: essays research papers American woman hair styles and head gear (1600-1775) In the American history there are three main head styling groups. These groups are the rich Virginian group from 1619-1675, the rich in the American colonies from 1675-1775, and finally the poor or middle class of the colonies, which since the hair didn’t change much was pretty much the same all through the era. Virginia (1619-1675) In the year 1619 the American style was very masculine. In America there weren’t very many women this was because America was a harsh land. The men in America would pay for women to come to America, but only if the women would marry them. The hard sea voyage meant that they needed good stiff hats that would actually stay on their heads. The year of 1660 was a year which was full of change, the rich people were coming over with new styles from France and Britain. This hair style pulled back most of the hair and coiled it in the back, and then the excess hair was curled and made to cascade around the face. Often time pearls and ribbons were added to the coil in the back. In 1675, the head coverings were â€Å"out† and only light head coverings were used, however, in the northern colonies heavy hoods were used frequently. The colonies as a whole (1675-1775) In 1750, the coiffure, which was used frequently among the rich of Europe, was finally catching on in the Americas. A coiffure was a French style that you have probably seen, it is huge hair styles that are made primarily out of horse hair and take hours to complete. The hair got big and wild and out of control. In some cases they even put cardboard cut outs of animals or trees in the sea of wire curls. Toward the end of the big hair the styles came close to the head and spread out. In the may of 1771 a girl sent a letter to the Boston Gazette telling of a woman with the coiffure. The girl had been walking down the streets when a woman driving her carriage had been thrown from her seat. The woman was alright, but the hair piece was completely torn from her head. Inside of the complicated hair piece was tallow and horse hair, to keep the good locking hair on the outside stiff. The feather in the hair was started by Marie Antoinette. She had a peacock feather in the tall hair and when the King exclaimed about how pretty he thought she looked, it became a new style.

Literature Oregano

Oregano Oregano (Scientific name: Origanum vulgare) is also known as Wild Marjoram, Mountain Mint, Origanum, Wintersweet and Winter Marjoram. This erectly spreading plant has strong aromatic characteristics, with leaves and stems that are fleshy. The leaves of oregano are heart-shaped, with toothed edges, and which, grow for up to 9 meters in length. In other countries, the plant is primarily used as a culinary ingredient. However, in countries like the Philippines, Oregano is a known herbal medicine for its strong anti-oxidant properties.Plant family: Lamiaceae (mint family). Oregano is more popularly known for its aromatic and balsamic flavor and is commonly used as mint flavoring in Mediterranean and Mexican foods. Oregano as used as herbal medicine has its earliest beginnings even in early Egyptian times and has been traditionally used as herbal remedy for skin burns, cuts and bruises. Because of the minty flavor of oregano, it is also used as herbal remedy for sore throat, asthm a, colds, coughs and flu. Oregano was first used by the Greeks. In their mythology the goddess Aphrodite invented the spice.Giving it to man to make his life happier. The word â€Å"oregano† is actually derived from the Greek phrase, â€Å"joy of the mountains†. Just married couples were crowned with wreaths of it. It was also put on graves to give peace to departed spirits. Ancient Greek physicians discovered that the herb had beneficial effects and prescribed it for a variety of ailments. Hippocrates used it as well as its close cousin, marjoram as an antiseptic. The Roman's, who later conquered Greece, would adopt much of the culture of the region. They tasted oregano and thought that it was good.The ease of its cultivation coupled with the Roman proclivity for the expansion of Empire would spread its use throughout Europe and much of Northern Africa. In these regions it was used to spice meats, fish, and even as a flavoring for wine. In the middle ages people conti nued to use it. Sharp spices were not common at this time. Oregano was one of the few food flavorings available to give variety to the daily fair. The people of the dark age cast about for medicinal properties in whatever form they could find. They would chew the oregano leaves as a cure for rheumatism, toothache, indigestion, and as a cough suppressant.Oregano found its way to China probably via the spice road that wended through the Middle-East during the Medieval period. Here again it was a medicinal herb. Doctors prescribed it to relieve fever, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, and itchy skin. Later, the English found a use for oregano as an additive to snuff (which was generally a tobacco concoction taken through the nose). It was also used as a perfume in sachets. In spite of its use in England, Oregano was little known in the United States prior to the Second World War. Soldiers discovered the flavors and aromas during the Italian Campaign and brought back the spice and the desir e for it.Related Studies Oil of Oregano According to Scott Gavura, the less evidence that exists to support the use of a treatment, the more passionate its supporters seem to be. I learned this early in my career as a pharmacist. One pharmacy I worked at did a steady business in essential oils. And king of the oils was oil of oregano. Not only were there several different brands of the basic oil, they were different forms, including capsules, creams and even nasal sprays. Not aware of any therapeutic benefits, I would ask customers what they were using it for.I rarely heard the same condition described: skin infections, athlete’s foot, head lice, colds, sore throats, â€Å"parasites†, â€Å"yeasts†, diabetes, allergies and ringworm were apparently no match against the judicious use of oregano oil. Intrigued, I took a closer look. Long before our scientific understanding of bacteria and antimicrobials, infected wounds were packed with different products in an att empt to minimize the odor, and hopefully speed healing. It’s likely that someone happened upon a fragrant herb and discovered that it seemed to help treat wounds (or at least, cover some of the smell).Given there have been some amazing drugs with powerful effects that have emerged from natural products, it’s certainly plausible that oil of oregano could have biological and therapeutic effects. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) leaves contain a wide variety of chemical compounds, including leanolic acids, ursolic acids, and phenolic glycosides. Phenolic compounds make up to 71% of the oil. Carvacrol, thymol, cymene, and terpinine and are found in oregano leaves and do appear to have biological effects. It’s these chemicals that are proposed to be the parts with beneficial effects. EffectivenessWhen we contemplate administering a chemical to deliver a medicinal effect, we need to ask the following: Is it absorbed into the body at all? Does enough reach the right part of the body to have an effect? Does it actually work for the condition? Does it have any hazardous, unwanted effects? Can it be safely eliminated from the body? These questions are usually answered through a series of investigations, starting with preclinical (test-tube) studies, and moving into to animal trials, and then to human clinical trials that start with validating safety, and then progress to investigating efficacy and safety.The short answer is that there’s little beyond animal studies to demonstrate that the ingredients in oregano oil have any effects. One of the best reviews seems to come from the McCormick Science Institute (yes, the spice company). They commissioned a paper on oregano by Keith Singletary that appeared in the journal Nutrition Today in 2010. Happily, though the journal is paywalled, McCormick is hosting the paper on its own website. 1. Is oil of oregano absorbed? Some parts of the oregano do appear to be absorbed but the bioavailability of its diffe rent chemical constituents has not been verified.So we can’t be certain which components are reaching the circulation. 2. Does enough reach the right part of the body to have any beneficial effect? It’s not clear where the chemicals in oil of oregano act in the body, as no research has been done to show that it is adequately absorbed. However, there is some evidence to suggest that oregano may be implicated in inducing abortions in mice, so some parts of the herb must be absorbed, if this a causal effect. When applied to body surfaces or skin for topical effect, oil of oregano is more likely to reach high concentrations, at least locally, and then possibly deliver a medicinal effect.This makes topical effects seem much more plausible than ones that require ingestion. 3. Does it actually work for the condition? There is no published evidence to demonstrate that that oil of oregano is effective for any medical condition or illness. The McCormick review notes that that da ta for every condition evaluated is â€Å"preliminary, inconclusive. † There is some very limited evidence to suggest that it might be useful for parasite infections — but given the evidence consists of only one study with 14 patients, and no placebo comparison, we really have no idea if the oregano oil itself was effective.Let’s consider how oil of oregano might treat an infection. Bacteria are killed by antimicrobials based on a specific dose-response relationship. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) must be reached at the site of an infection. Then there’s a concentration range where the bacteria (or viruses, or fungi, or parasites, depending on what you’re treating) are killed, typically in rough proportion to the dose. Keep increasing the dose, and the effect plateaus.If you can hit the MIC without causing side effects or toxicity, congratulations: you have a potential therapeutic agent. There’s some evidence out there demonstrat ing that oil of oregano will kill different species of bacteria, etc in the test tube or Petri dish ( in vitro). If I pour a pile of salt, lime juice, Cointreau, or tequila on a Petri dish, it will likely kill most bacteria too — but that doesn’t mean margaritas can treat pneumonia. It’s not difficult to kill bacteria if you change the conditions enough that it cannot live.So while it’s easy to get high concentrations of oregano in a test tube and subsequent positive effects, these effects are meaningless in the human body unless we can achieve similar concentrations, without any toxicity. And this has not been demonstrated with oil of oregano, or its individual chemical ingredients. 4. Does oil of oregano have any hazardous, unwanted effects? Natural does not mean safe. There are some reports of gastrointestinal upset with oil of oregano. There are also reports of allergic reactions.There is no evidence to suggest that oil of oregano, used at high (medic inal) amounts, may be used safely in pregnant or breast feeding women. However, when used in cooking, and as part of a regular diet, there is also no evidence that causes harm in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Animal studies show that if you give enough carvacrol, it will kill, though. 5. Can oil of oregano be safely eliminated from the body? So little published research exists on oil of oregano there is no way to determine if oregano oil is non-toxic.Certainly, at low doses, when used as a food, there is no reason to have any concerns. But at higher doses, and particularly with regular use, there is no data to suggest it’s safe to consume all that carvacrol, thymol, cymene, and terpinine. As we have no idea if and how oregano oil works, we have no information to estimate what a proper dose might be. Doses published by manufacturers are not based on any published evidence. Conclusion Oil of oregano, and the claims attached to it, is a great example of how interesting laboratory findings can be wildly exaggerated to imply meaningful effects in humans.A few small studies have been conducted, mainly in the lab, and advocates argue this is evidence of effectiveness. The rest is all anecdotes. Despite the hype, there is no persuasive evidence to demonstrate that oil of oregano does anything useful in or on our bodies. And while it is popular, there is no science to support the use of oil of oregano for any medical condition. Suggesting that this herb is can effectively treat serious medical conditions like diabetes, asthma, and cancer is foolish and dangerous. If you’re ill, stick to the proven science, and save your oregano for cooking.

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.