Capital Punishment and Death by Fire - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1451 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/03/11 Category Law Essay Level High school Tags: Capital Punishment Essay Did you like this example? Introduction The cost for the death penalty is higher than if the convicted is sentenced to life in prison. The cost is two to three times higher because of the manpower needed to try a death penalty case is more involved than a person sentenced to life in prison. Death penalty cases require more jurors, experts (arsenal/psychological/medical), legal counsel, and time than a regular case. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Capital Punishment and Death by Fire" essay for you Create order Additionally, when sentenced to death, the inmate usually seeks appeals to overturn their conviction. This issue does matter to me; however, it depends on the case. Texas, on average spends $8,075 per year on students and roughly $22,000 per inmate a year. Since the top three major offenses committed in Texas are burglary of habitation, possession of a controlled substance, and aggravated robbery, we must review all the facts. According to the Texas Department of Corrections statistics, in 2016 under 9,000 people were incarcerated for murder. This is where my opinion of the death penalty, seriousness of a crime, and my tax dollar coincide. More inmates are spending time in prison for committing non-violent crimes than violent crimes. Murders should be in prison for life or put to death, in my opinion; we should spend our tax dollars only on violent, sexual, and murderous offenders and look for alternative less expensive sanctions for other offenders. I cannot say the cost of the death penalty does not affect me, because again, it depends on the case. The cost of lethal injection is a little under $1,500. I believe in what is just and if a 20-year-old commits a heinous crime beyond a reasonable doubt and lives to be 100 years old, taxpayers have spent 1.7 million dollars for the duration of his lifetime to house him when we could have put that money into education and rehabilitation of communities for the betterment of society. If less inmates were in prison, we would have the extra money for the violent offenders. The problem is not in the cost per day per inmate or the cost of the death penalty, it is in the lack of change in our judicial and legislative systems. The factors that I most believe contributed to Mr. Willingham’s reception of the death penalty are: Â  A lack of scientific knowledge and skill about arsenal by the fire chief and the detectives and misinterpretation of the scene; lack of new technological advances in science and technology Pressure from the community to have someone to blame for the crime Emotions and preconceived notions from the community His actions directly after the deaths of his three daughters His history of domestic violence against his wife False statements made by an alleged cell mate; a psychiatrist whom had never met or spoken to Cameron, determined he was a sociopath based on a few rock posters he had hanging in his home and a tattoo Mr. Willingham had a history of domestic violence against his wife, but even she believed that he could not be capable of such a crime. The fact that she stood her ground up until he was about to be executed says quite a bit about his relationship with his daughters. Mr. Johnny Webb also did not help when he lied about Cameron telling the court that he had offered up a confession to him and later recanting his testimony. Mr. Webb was an extremely unreliable witness in my eyes, after reading the court transcripts and the prosecutor a snake for fabrication of the confession. In a town a little smaller than Friendswood where events like this probably don’t happen that often, the fire Marshall was not privy to the technology that may have be easy to access in a larger city and may not have known that there were scientist that study this type of science and could provide a more thorough insight into what actually occurred that day. Mr. Willingham’s half-brother even stated t hat he had the mindset of a twelve-year-old which may have led him not to go back in and try to save his children. A person cannot be condemned for being a coward. There were many factors that contributed to him getting the death penalty one for sure was not going back in to save the children and then partying soon afterwards. Socioeconomic Status Does Play A Role In The Punishment Of A Person A person with the means to afford a good lawyer is going to be able to pay for the best defense their money can buy. Court appointed lawyers tend to have a heavier work load and several cases on their plate at once. They also may not have the resources or funds to hire extra specialist and scientists to testify on their client’s behalf. It took a separate legal team out of New York to investigate getting an arsenal expert to review the case file. Another factor was that he was not as favorable to people in his community as they would have liked for him to have been, you can see why they were so eager to blame him for the cause of the fire instead of fully investigating it. One lady on the documentary stated that if he was an upstanding man that worked and provided for his family, he would have been given at least the benefit of the doubt; the jury possibly used this same mindset to convict him. Mr. Willingham’s lawyer was court appointed and after hearing the initial evidence before the experts came in years later, his attorney did feel like he was guilty of killing his children. His counsel also urged him to take a plea deal for life without parole, but he refused. From the film I can state that it seems that his lawyer did not represent him the best way he could but after reading the case transcript, he was active during the trial and did a fantastic job of cross examining the witnesses. His lawyer wasn’t incompetent and in court did fight for his client even though he himself believed that his client was guilty. Again, with all the evidence provided at that present time, it would have seemed like he was guilty of the offense. Before technology, jurors had to rely heavily on eye-witnesses and testimony from investigators to decide the outcome. In states were there is no death penalty the crime is lower by about 25%, however there are only a handful of states that do not have the death penalty, so this could mean crime is low because there are fewer people. Also, a person is not going to think about getting the death penalty while in the heat of the moment, they will just carry out the crime and keep their consequences in hindsight. This question does not matter to me as I believe a person who commits rape against a child or adult should also be put to death, again this is my opinion. The numbers show that in Harris county only 27% of Houstonians believe in the death penalty. I believe in justice. A man killed his two children once here in Texas near where I used to live to retaliate against his wife. That in my eyes is despicable and he needed to be put to death. So again, the death penalty does not deter crime because the criminal isn’t thinking about the punishment only the satisfaction that they are gaining fr om the crime they are actively committing. Race does not affect the death penalty here in the state of Texas. After studying the execution graphs the state of Texas executed/or was going to execute 12 blacks, 16 latinos, and 16 whites between 2015-today. It seems to be even across the board and when looking at the race of the victims there was no more race on race crime than another. I was able to investigate several of the cases of those executed and convicted. Just as many whites killed whites as blacks did blacks here in the state of Texas. I did not look over the graphs of other states in detail, but Ohio was on the list with Texas often. I believe the death penalty coincides with the seriousness of the crime committed. Several of the criminals on death row were granted stays for mental impairments, I do not agree with this because they coincidentally were not too mentally impaired to commit these crimes and many of the stays were granted to blacks saying they needed treatment as opposed to the death penalty. I am blac k, and I agree that some do need help, however, insanity is not a free pass to commit rape and murder of an 11-year-old child or a stranger minding their business on public transportation.

Sam Cooke - 2293 Words

Sam Cooke was one of the most important soul singers in history -- he was the inventor of soul music. Cooke was one of the most popular performers in both the black and white communities. He was also among the first modern black performers and composers to venture into the business side of the music business, when he founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as an addition to being a singer and composer. Like many artist before him Cooke tackled issues including the struggle over civil rights. Some may even say the intensity of which followed an arc that paralleled Cookes emergence as a star -- his own career bridged gaps between black and white audiences that few had tried to surmount, much less†¦show more content†¦Cookes RCA sides were an amazing body of work, at least for the first two years. He broke new ground in pop and soul with the single Chain Gang, a strange mix of sweet melodies and gritty, sweaty sensibilities that also introduced something of a social conscience to his work -- a number two hit on both the pop and RB charts, it was his biggest hit since You Send Me and heralded a bolder phase in his career. Singles like bluesy, romantic Sad Mood, the romantic soul of Cupid, and the straight-ahead dance tune Twistin the Night Away, and Bring It on Home to Me all lived up to this promise, and also sold in huge numbers. But the first two albums that RCA had him do, Hits of the Fifties and Cookes Tour, were among the lamest LPs ever recorded by any soul or RB singer, comprised of washed-out pop tunes in arrangements that showed almost none of Cookes gifts to their advantage. In 1962, Cooke issued Twistin the Night Away, a somewhat belated twist album that became one of his biggest-selling LPs. He didnt really hit his stride as an LP artist; however, until 1963 with the release of Night Beat, a moody assembly of blues-oriented songs that were among the best and most challenging numbers that Cooke had recorded up to that time. By the time of its release, he was mostly identified through his singles, which were among theShow MoreRelatedSam Cooke2000 Words   |  8 PagesMcCullers MUSI 2040 Vanessa Tome Sam Cooke and â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come† In the midst of a time where black Americans were facing extreme ridicule and fighting for their rights, Sam Cooke arose from the Gospel music style and merged into the music known as Soul, a genre that spoke to the socially crumbling nation about peace and civil rights changes. Through his smooth style, velvety voice, handsome appearance, and appeal to black and white audiences alike, Sam Cooke made a difference in the livesRead MoreSam Cooke : A Vision Of Change1761 Words   |  8 Pages Sam Cooke: A Vision of Change Ian Elliott February 10, 2017 Youngstown State University Sam Cooke: A Vision of Change The year after Sam Cooke’s death his controversial song about the movement towards equality during the African American Civil Rights Movement, â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come,† was released. Cooke was a popular musical artist from the late 1950’s to the early 1960’s who transitioned over from gospel music to RB. He was born on January 22nd, 1931 in Clarksdale, MississippiRead MoreAmerica was a much different place during the 1960s. The eternal struggle for African American’s800 Words   |  4 PagesMaybe not as well known as these artists, but Sam Cooke definitely had a major affect the civil rights movement with his song â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come†. Sam Cooke was born on January 22, 1933, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He was one of eight children in a very poor, religious family. His dad’s name was Rev. Charles Cook, who was a Baptist minister.(Eder n.p.). When Sam was only two years old, his family uprooted and moved to Chicago, Illinois. Cooke first got into singing when he was only nine yearsRead MoreThe Most Iconic Civil Rights Movement Influencers Of All Time By Billie Holiday1590 Words   |  7 PagesStates for good and relocated in France where she spent her last days. The next artist I would like to discuss about is Sam Cooke. Cooke is indefinitely considered by many to be the father of soul music. Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on January the 22nd 1931. Sam Cooke was born under a religious household and performed with his family as a child. After much work, Cooke gained the opportunity of a lifetime and was asked to join the Soul Stirrers. He gladly accepted and joined to work withRead MoreSam Cooke The Pop Singer Who At The Age Of 183529 Words   |  15 PagesAccording to Robert Fikes Jr., Marvin Jones spoke for Sam Cooke the pop singer who at the age of 18 was provoked by a White police officer in a park in Memphis, Tennessee. â€Å"Anyway, after they got in the park and settled down, they discovered these lights on them—the police had driven up behind them and put the spotlights on them and told them to get out of the car. Well, everybody got out, and they lined them up, but Sam was the only one who had his hands in his p ockets. And as they went down theRead MoreA Change Is Gon Na Come By Bob Dylan911 Words   |  4 PagesSam Cooke wrote the song, A Change Is Gonna Come, in 1963 during the Civil Rights Movement, which took place in between 1954 and 1968; his song is in support of the Civil Rights movement. According to a New Yorker article, Sam Cooke has always been a strong proponent of the Civil Rights Movement, and when he heard the song â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind, written by Bob Dylan, a Caucasian songwriter, he was inspired to write something similar to it to support the Civil Rights movement. This protest songRead MoreThe Power And Influence Of Gospel Music On The American Civil Rights Movement1594 Words   |  7 Pageseffective musical elements and style. Two contrasting artists who promoted and developed Gospel music during this period, Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke, revolutionised the genre. Mahalia Jackson, an urban Gospel singer, emphasised the traditional roots and characteris tics of the art form, and promoted religious-based messages of hope and love. Contrastingly, Sam Cooke, employed Gospel’s emotional and musical influences, to become one of the forefathers of Soul music. Consequently, Gospel music transformedRead MoreEssay Music Influence on the Civil Rights Movement1037 Words   |  5 Pageswhite singer that sang â€Å"oh freedom†. She ended up singing it at Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech. In the meaningful slow song Joan Baez expressed her wanting for equality and freedom. ii. Sam Cooke was an African American singer that became the voice of the Civil Rights Movement. Sam took the spirit of the Black church into popular music. He became the first African American artist to reach #1 on both RB and pop charts. His music was risky, but he won over white listeners and keptRead MoreThe Affect of Sacred Music on Secular Music875 Words   |  4 Pageslike Sam Cooke, Patti Labelle, and James Brown forged a whole new genre of music in Soul music. From that stemmed things like neo-soul, hip-hop, and the new RB movement. Often when new artists come out they often try to get away from the church believing it doesn’t help them sell, is not contemporary enough, or by the direction of some record executive. You then say well who do they in return pattern themselves after and try to be like? These people like James Brown, Patti Labelle, and Sam CookeRead MoreThe ‘60s: Culture and Music Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica, which further echo’s the relationship between music and culture. Among the issues that divided Americans, none were larger than civil rights movement in 1960s. With the new movement being led by black Christians, such as Stevie Wonder and Sam Cooke, the new music on the streets was influenced by music from the church. As the popularity of black artist started to build, especially in America, new variations of gospel and RB developed; forming soul and funk. Were in the past, black musicians

Economics problems free essay sample

What is the effect on the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity of orange juice if the price of apple juice decreases and the wage rate paid to orange grove workers increases? Apple juice and orange juice are substitutes for consumers, so the fall in the price of apple juice decreases the demand for orange juice. The demand curve for orange juice shifts leftward. The increase in the wage rate paid to orange grove workers raises the cost of producing orange juice. The supply of orange juice decreases and the supply curve of orange juice shifts leftward. The net effect of these events decreases the equilibrium quantity but has an undetermined effect on equilibrium price. If supply decreases by more than the demand, the shift in the supply curve is greater than the shift in the demand curve and the equilibrium price rises. If demand decreases more than the supply, the shift in the demand curve is greater than the shift in the supply curve and the equilibrium price falls. We will write a custom essay sample on Economics problems or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 3. What is the effect on the equilibrium in the orange juice market if orange juice becomes more popular and a cheaper robot is used to pick oranges? Because orange juice becomes more popular, demand increases and the demand curve for orange juice shifts rightward. The cheaper picking robot lowers the production costs of orange juice, so the supply of orange juice increases and the supply curve of orange juice shifts rightward. The equilibrium quantity increases. But the effect on the equilibrium price is ambiguous. If the change in supply is greater than the change in demand, the shift in the supply curve is greater than the shift in the demand curve and the equilibrium price falls. If the change in demand is greater than the change in supply, the shift in the demand curve is greater than the shift in the supply curve and the equilibrium price rises. The table shows the demand and supply schedules for greeting cards. Use the table to answer exercises 4 and 5. 4. If the price of a greeting card is $7. 00, describe the situation in the market. Explain how market equilibrium is restored. At the price of $5. 00, the quantity supplied equals the quantity demanded. At a price of $7. 00, the quantity demanded is 120 greeting cards and the quantity supplied is 160 greeting cards. There is a surplus of 40 greeting cards a week and the price falls. As the falls, the quantity demanded increases, the quantity supplied decreases, and the surplus decreases. The price falls until the surplus disappears. The market equilibrium occurs at a price of $5. 00 and 140 cards a week so the price falls to $5. 00 a greeting card. 5. If new audio greeting message (sent via cell phone) becomes popular and at the same time the cost of producing greeting cards falls, set out the three-step process of analysis and show on a graph the adjustment process. How does the price and quantity of greeting cards change? The new audio greeting message affects the demand for greeting cards. The demand for greeting cards decreases because greeting cards and audio greeting cards are substitutes. The demand curve for greeting cards pads shifts leftward, from D0 to D1 in Figure 4. 6. Simultaneously the fall in the cost of producing a greeting card affects the supply. The fall in the cost of producing greeting cards increases the supply and the supply curve shifts rightward, from S0 to S1 in Figure 4. 6. At the initial price of a greeting card, $5.  00 in Figure 4. 6, there is a surplus of 60 greeting cards per week. The surplus forces the price lower, so the equilibrium price of a greeting card falls, to $2. 00 in the figure. The effect on the quantity of greeting cards, however, is ambiguous. If the magnitude of the decrease in demand exceeds that of the increase in supply, the quantity of greeting cards decreases. If the magnitude of the increa se in supply exceeds that of the decrease in demand, the quantity increases. And, if the magnitudes of the changes are the same, as in Figure 4. 6, the quantity of greeting cards does not change.

What is the role of Iago in Othello free essay sample

Iago is one of Shakespeares most sinister villains, often considered such because of the unique trust that Othello places in him, which he betrays while maintaining his reputation for honesty and dedication. Shakespeare contrasts Iago with Othellosnobility and integrity.What is Iagos main goal in Othello?Iagos ultimate goal is to get revenge for Othellos choice of lieutenant and to play Othello back for sleeping with his wife. Gaga has a plan to have Roderigo kill Cassio. Iago is evil. He encourages Cassio to speak with Desdemona after Cassio loses his position as lieutenant.Why does Iago want to get revenge on Othello?Iagos motives are to seek revenge on Othello and Cassio both. Iago has these motives because the Moor has overlooked him for the lieutenant position and on Cassio because he was awarded the title. Iago also enjoys evil for evils sake. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the role of Iago in Othello? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He is one of the most villainous villains in all of Shakespeare.What is the meaning of the name Iago?The name Iago is a Spanish baby name. In Spanish, the meaning of the name Iago is Supplanter. Spanish form of Jacob. Associated with the wicked Iago in Shakespeares Othello.What does Iago plan to do to Othello?Iago decides to convince Othello that Desdemonas cheating on him. . .. Later, Iago convinces Roderigo that Cassio and Desdemona are getting it on, and decides that he will use Cassio to make Othello jealous. He convinces Roderigo to fight with Cassio in order to get Cassio in trouble.Why is Iago jealous?He is consumed with jealousy of Cassio and masked with hatred of Othello because he was not chosen as a lieutenant, Cassio was. Iago is selfish in that he wants everyone to feel as he does so he engineers the jealousy of other characters. . .. This scene is significant in that it immediately portrays Iago as a villain.What is the purpose of Iagos plan?Print. Iago expresses his plan and purpose in a soliloquy at the end of Act 1, Scene 3. He plans to get Cassios position as Othellos lieutenant by making Othello jealous of the handsome, flirtatious younger man, and at the same time, he plans to get revenge against Othello by making him jealous of Desdemona.Why does Othello believe Iago so quickly and easily?One reason could be because of Othello promoting Cassio instead of Iago or the second reason could be because Iago thinks that Othello slept with his wife. I think his plan sadly succeeds which isnt surprising because Iago is known to tell lies and be an evil manipulator throughout the play. Sep 30, 2015How old is Iago in the play Othello?How old is Shakespeares Iago? Iago, the great deceiver of Othello, is 28 according to Shakespeare – but actors have a habit of tweaking the lines Oct 14, 2011Who kills Othello and why?

Drug Profiles Essays - Androgens, Sex Hormones, Anabolic Steroids

Drug Profiles Drug Profiles This is a list of steroids that can easily be found on the Internet Anadrol Anavar Androil Cheque Drops Clenbuterol Clomid Cyclofenil Cytadren Cytomel Deca-Durabolin Dianabol DNP Durabolon EPO Equipoise Esiclene Finaplix GHB Glucophage Halotestin HCG IGF-1 Implus Insulin Laurabolin Masteron Nolvadex Parabolan Phenformin Primobolan Depot Primoteston Depot 250 Proviron Ralgrow Revalor Sostanon 250 Sten Synovex Synthol Testosterone Cypionate Testosterone Enathate Testosterone Propinate Androstenedione What is Androstenedione? Androstenedione is a natural chemical found in the body that produces testosterone. This chemical can also be found naturally in some meat and even some plants. Androstenedione, also called Andro, can boost testosterone levels when taken orally sometimes making the person stronger. Andro was first seen in capsule form in the US in the 1990's. Its popularity has grown ever since Mark McGwire, the new Major League Baseball home run record holder, admitted to taking the supplement. The companies that are selling Andro are making huge profits off the supplement that claims to increase lean muscle mass 300%. Although most people who take the drug do not complain of any side effects at all, this drug has been reported to carry dangerous side effects. Most Major League sports have banned the supplement saying it gives athletes a unfair advantage. The NBA, the MLB, and the NHL in the US have not ruled this supplement as unfair. There are many questions that remain about this supplement such as the long-term side effects, and how much muscle is gained by taking the drug. This supplement can be bought over the counter and is not controlled by the FDA, making Andro easy to access. Some drug chains have taken this drug off the shelf due to fear of long-term side effects. Andro can be found in some local drug chains and also on the World Wide Web. One person from our poll explains, Andro's advantages make up for the side effects. What about the health risk? Most of the health risks for Androstenedione are not known, and the long-term effects are not known at all. ? It might convert to the female hormone, estrogen in males and females. ? Too much Andro can shut down the production of testosterone in the body. ? In adolescents, it is known to stunt growth. How does Andro work? Andro is first consumed orally. It is then taken to the liver where it picks up two carbons. The two carbons added to Andro are testosterone. Andro is also already made in your body. The natural production of Andro is different. What about Baseball and Andro? For more than a year St. Louis Cardinals, power hitter Mark McGwire has taken the legal, supplement Androstenedione. Many people believe that the drug gave him an unfair advantage last year when he shattered Roger Maris's single season home run record. Mark McGwire insists that the drug is legal and therefore should be a focal point in the media. He said, Everything I've done is natural. Everybody that I know in the game of baseball uses the same stuff I use. However, many other players have said that they would never a drug as strong as in Andro in fear of secondary problems. Many of these same players do not denounce McGwire for taking the drug. Mo Vaughn said, Anything illegal is definitely wrong. But if you get something over the counter and legal, guys in the power hitter position are going to use them. McGwire's use of the drug has brought it to the forefront and now many people are taking the supplement hoping for McGwire's success. Many of these people are teens participating in high school sports. Andro has different side effects in adolescents. A lot is still not known about Andro such as the long-term side effects. The FDA has no regulations against this supplement. This means that the FDA has found that the supplement is safe and will not stop any one from selling Andro unless they can prove that it is dangerous. This drug varies in side effects from person to person. One proven fact is that too much of any drug taken at one time it can cause dangerous side effects. In addition, it is still not known if the drug might

The Evolution of Insects From Prehistory Onward

The Evolution of Insects From Prehistory Onward Goliath beetles and sphinx moths would be described as large by just about anyone living today, but some prehistoric insects would dwarf these evolutionary descendants. During the Paleozoic era, the Earth teemed with giant insects, from dragonflies with wingspans measured in feet, to mayflies nearly 18 inches in breadth. While over a million insect species live today, truly giant insects no longer exist. Why did giant insects live in prehistoric times, but disappear from the Earth over time? When Were Insects the Biggest? The Paleozoic era occurred 542 to 250 million years ago. It is divided into six periods of time and the last two saw the development of the largest insects. These were known as the Carboniferous period (360 to 300 million years ago) and the Permian period (300 to 250 million years ago). Atmospheric oxygen is the single most limiting factor on insect size. During the Carboniferous and Permian periods, atmospheric oxygen concentrations were significantly higher than they are today. Prehistoric insects breathed air that was 31 to 35 percent oxygen, as compared to just 21 percent oxygen in the air youre breathing right now.   The largest insects lived during the Carboniferous period. It was the time of the dragonfly with over a two-foot wingspan and a millipede that could reach ten feet. As conditions changed in the Permian period, the bugs diminished in size. Yet, this period did have its share of giant cockroaches and other insects we would certainly classify as giants. How Did the Bugs Get So Big? The cells in your body get the oxygen they need to survive via your circulatory system. Oxygen is carried by the blood through your arteries and capillaries  to each and every cell in your body. In insects, on the other hand, respiration occurs by simple diffusion through the cell walls. Insects take in atmospheric oxygen through spiracles, openings in the cuticle through which gasses enter and exit the body. Oxygen molecules travel via the tracheal system. Each tracheal tube ends with a tracheole, where the oxygen dissolves into the tracheole fluid. The O2 then diffuses into the cells. When oxygen levels were higher as in the prehistoric era of giant insects this diffusion-limited respiratory system could supply sufficient oxygen to meet the metabolic needs of a larger insect. Oxygen could reach cells deep within the insects body, even when that insect measured several feet long. As atmospheric oxygen decreased over evolutionary time, these innermost cells could not be adequately supplied with oxygen. Smaller insects were better equipped to function in a hypoxic environment. And so, insects evolved into smaller versions of their prehistoric ancestors. The Biggest Insect That Ever Lived The current record holder for the largest insect that ever lived is an ancient griffenfly.  Meganeuropsis permiana  measured an impressive 71 cm from wing tip to wing tip, a full 28-inch wing span. This giant invertebrate predator inhabited what is now the central U.S. during the Permian period. Fossils of the species were discovered in Elmo, Kansas and Midco, Oklahoma. In some references, it is called  Meganeuropsis americana. Meganeuropsis permiana  is one of the prehistoric insects referred to as giant dragonflies. David Grimaldi, in his hefty volume  Evolution of the Insects, notes this is a misnomer. Modern day odonates are only distantly related to the giants known as prodonata. Other Giant, Ancient Arthropods An ancient sea scorpion,  Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, grew to 8 feet in length. Imagine a scorpion bigger than man! In 2007, Markus Poschmann unearthed a fossilized claw from this massive specimen in a German quarry. The claw measured 46 centimeters, and from this measurement, scientists were able to extrapolate the size of the prehistoric eurypterid (sea scorpion).  Jaekelopterus rhenaniae  lived between 460 and 255 million years ago. A millipede-like creature known as an  Arthropleura  reached equally impressive sizes.  Arthropleura  measured as long as 6 feet, and 18 inches wide. While paleontologists have yet to find a complete fossil of  Arthropluera, trace fossils found in Nova Scotia, Scotland, and the United States suggest the ancient millipede would rival an adult human being in size. Which Living Insects Are the Biggest? With well over one million insect species on Earth, the title of Biggest Living Insect would be an extraordinary achievement for any bug. Before we can confer such an award to a single insect, however, we need to determine how we measure bigness. What makes a bug big? Is it sheer bulk that defines a creature as large? Or something we measure with a ruler or tape measure, determined by centimeters? In truth, which insect wins the title depends on how you measure an insect, and who you ask. Measure an insect from the front of the head to the tip of the abdomen, and you can determine its body length. That might be one way to choose the biggest living insect. If thats your criteria, your newest world champion was crowned in 2008, when entomologists discovered a new stick insect species in Borneo. Chans megastick,  Phobaeticus chain, measures a full 14 inches from head to abdomen, and a full 22 inches if you stretch the tape measure to include its extended legs. Stick insects dominate the competition in the longest insect category. Prior to the discovery of Chans megastick, another walkingstick,  Pharnacia serratipes, held the title. For many insects, its wings spread far wider than the size of its body. Would wing span be a good measure of an insects size? If so, youre looking for a champion among the  Lepidoptera. Of all the living insects, butterflies and moths have the largest wing spans. The Queen Alexandras birdwing,  Ornithoptera alexandrae, first earned the title of the worlds largest butterfly in 1906, and in over a century, no larger butterfly has been discovered. This rare species, which lives only in a small area of Papua New Guinea, can measure over 25 cm from wing tip to wing tip. While thats impressive, a moth would hold the biggest living insect title if wing span was the sole criteria. The white witch moth,  Thysania agrippina, outstretches any other Lepidoptera with a wing span of up to 28 cm (or 11 inches). If youre looking for a bulky bug to anoint as the biggest living insect, look to the  Coleoptera. Among the  beetles, youll find several species with a body mass that is the stuff of science fiction movies. Giant  scarabs  are known for their impressive size, and among this group, four species remain deadlocked in the competition for biggest:  Goliathus goliatus,  Goliathus regius,  Megasoma actaeon, and  Megasoma elephas. A lone cerambycid, the aptly named  Titanus giganteus, is equally massive. According to the Book of Insect Records, researched and compiled by the University of Florida, there is no credible way to break the  tie between these five species  for the title of bulkiest bug. Finally, theres one last way to think of bigness when it comes to insects – weight. We could put insects on a scale, one by one, and determine which is biggest by grams alone. In that case, theres a clear winner. The giant weta,  Deinacrida heteracantha, hails from New Zealand. An individual of this species weighed in at 71 grams, though its important to note the female specimen was carrying a full load of eggs at the time she stepped on the scale. So which of these insects should be called the biggest living insect? It all depends on how you define big. Sources University of Bristol (2007, November 21). Giant Fossil Sea Scorpion Bigger Than Man. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from  ScienceDaily.Sues, Hans-Dieter (2011, January 15).  Largest Land-Dwelling Bug of All Time. National Geographic News Watch. Retrieved March 22, 2011.Evolution of the Insects, by David Grimaldi.Dudley, Robert. (1998). Atmospheric Oxygen, Giant Paleozoic Insects and the Evolution of Aerial Locomotor Performance. The Journal of Experimental Biology 201, 1043–1050.Dudley, Robert. (2000). The Evolutionary Physiology of Animal Flight: Paleobiological and Present Perspectives. Annual Review of Physiology, 62, 135–55.

The Rise of Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Rise of Christianity - Essay Example Consequently, major rivalry occurred and still occurs due to division of various groups within the Christian religion. First century marked the beginning of Christianity mainly practiced by Jews. Christianity then spread to other areas of east and west. In Africa, Christianity spread due to missionary work and culminated to substitution of various African cultures and beliefs. During the transition age majority of Europe was under Christianity. Those who believe in Jesus are said to have internal peace and inheritor of another immortal life. Jesus performed various miracles before death and documentation exists in the bible. Additionally, following the commandments guarantees one access to eternal life (King James Bible Web). Consequently, reflection in the history of Christianity plays significant role in understanding development and growth of Christianity. This paper seeks to describe the rise of Christianity. Firstly, several stages and events characterize the rise of Christianit y. The most important thing that happened for the rise of Christianity to take place was the fall of Roman Empire (Caesars) that had established authoritarian regime in ancient period. Secondly, Jews played a central and important in the meaning of early Christianity. Thirdly, the coming of Christ for humankind was also significant followed by results of various teaching of the time. These teachings have the same effects to today’s society. Ancient Rome was characterized by authoritative rule of Caesar Augustus (Nardo 42-51). At the same time, transformations were taking place in Judea province. Additionally, Alexander the great was a great ruler who managed to overthrow Roman rule in Great Palestine and placed it under the watch of Ptolemy followed by Seleucids. Moreover, Jews returned from Babylon in 538 B.C with Moses rules and teaching as part of their belief systems. Torah was important in their religious practices based on the commands given to Moses by God. During this reign the Temple was a holy place that was accorded due respect. High priests were accorded maximum respect, as they had a special place in society assisted by Sanhedrin. Sanhedrin was important in implementation of Torah as laid down by Moses. Later, synagogue replaced the temple and was dominant as practiced by Judaism. However, temple was also a place of worship for Jews who were far away from Palestine. Moreover, Hebrews was translated into Greek to take care of Jews outside Palestine who practiced Greek as their language. Greek contributed to serious division in Judea but Greek prevailed due to support from pro-Greek Sadducees. King Seleucid declaration that temple be devoted to Zeus led to uprising by Jews who saw this as disrespect of temple. In 142 BC, Jews won this battle and were granted freedom (Nardo 45-59). The next rule after Judah was corrupt and this led to civil strife and war. However, Romans intervened and Palestine fell under stewardship of Roman. Herod was appo inted as Judea King and transformed the infrastructure. Pontius Pilate took over after Herod’s death. Most Jews hinged their hope on Jesus as a political messiah while others gave up and thought of Jesus as a spiritual leader. A section of Jews was impatient and advocated for revolution to get rid of foreigners and this resulted in a protracted battle with the Romans. Zealots killed large group of Romans in AD 66. At

Government Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Government Taxation - Essay Example Property taxes are collected by home and business owners to pay city governments. Each one of these forms of collections plays a part in adequacy of revenue production, equity, economic effects, collectability and transparency. It is important to understand how these taxes are received and used through government spending. The government can predict the amount received based on the economy. Income tax is a large part of the receivable taxes that the government receives. Income taxes are collected from every individual who receives income. Even out of state residents are taxed. (Wildasin2010) All income made is reported to the IRS and taxed. Economic effects play a role in how much income tax is being received by the government. When individuals are not working and receiving income, the government is affected. The more income floating thorough the economy means more collectability for the government. The collectability is achieved when individuals and business file their tax returns. The filing of federal and state income tax returns allows for payment or the amount of income tax owed or is directly withdrawn from the payer’s income. The government has equity in the income that is made by individuals. The equity is in the form of taxes. This is true because individuals owe taxes. Owing the taxes is what allows the government equity.

International Marketing Environment Research Paper

International Marketing Environment - Research Paper Example Evidently, all these constraints affect the flexibility of doing international trade. A country while exporting its domestic products is benefited by the foreign exchange income as well as by the new employment opportunities. On the other hand, while importing goods from other countries, a ‘consumer surplus’ is being created when the consumers are benefited by the availability of better products at a lesser price. Utilizing the both benefits, government has the ethical responsibility to facilitate international trade to those who are willing to invest in the international markets. However, when considerations about the local market come to the surface, the introduction of the international trade becomes a job that is easier said than done. To illustrate, the victims of the international trade are the local businesses that are not able to compete with foreign products. In such situation, the role of the government becomes more critical on taking appropriate actions which will not badly affect both the groups. The foremost five levels of economic integration are Free trade area, Customs union, Common market, Economic union, and Political union. As the international trade is widening and more countries are ready and willing to invest in it, the level of economic integration has to be refurnished between various groups of nations. It is not practicable to think that all countries would follow the precise pattern of economic integration, but we can expect for the development of basic arrangements such as lowering and abolishing the hurdles to trade and creating an economical environment. New economic integration techniques must be brought up to cope up with the new international trade needs. As Holden (2003) points out, a most mentioned example for this is the European Union, which has evolved from a collection of autarkical nations to develop into a completely integrated economic unit. At the outbreak of globalization, economic integration had been one of the forces behind the international trade making. We can sort that fact out from the performance of the multinational organizations that have developed into the most profitable business concerns in the recent years. An organization must be aware of the culture and language of the country where it is going to make its huge investment. With the successful take off, international business will rely more towards the economic integration for its future achievements on the global scale. II. Economical and Cultural elements of International Marketing Environment Economic, cultural, political, technological, social, and legal elements are most important for the international marketing environment (The legal, political/ trade environment). Many write down the importance of economic element as, â€Å"With money all things are possible, without money many things are impossible†. The economic element plays a vital role in the international marketing environment. A technologically adv anced industrial product requires a technologically advanced buyer. In the same way, luxury products are not meant to be sold to low-income consumers. Therefore, international market for high-priced luxury items of food, furniture and durable products need large support of consumers who have the capacity to make large purchase from these hypermarkets. However, the global economic growth today has been at pace comparing to that of the previous year.

Vibrio Cholerae Cytolysin (VCC) Membrane Pore Formation

Vibrio Cholerae Cytolysin (VCC) Membrane Pore Formation Vibrio cholerae cytolysin (VCC) is a potent membrane pore forming protein toxin secreted by many pathogenic strain of the V.cholerae. In its membrane pore-formation mode of action, VCC belongs to the family of the ÃŽ ² barrel pore-forming toxin (ÃŽ ²-PFTs) proteins. VCC is secreted by the pathogenic bacteria V.cholerae in the form of water-soluble, monomeric, inactive precursor form of the protein, known as Pro-VCC. Proteolytic deletion of the N-terminal Pro-domain from this inactive precursor molecule generates the active, mature form of the VCC toxin. VCC induces colloid-osmotic lysis of the target eukaryotic by generating the transmembrane heptameric ÃŽ ² barrel channels/pores. The high-resolution molecular structural information is available for the water-soluble monomeric Pro-VCC form as well as for the transmembrane heptameric pore structure of the VCC. Structural analysis of the water-soluble monomeric form and the transmembrane structure suggest that the VCC follows the overa ll pattern of the archetypical ÃŽ ²-PFTs mechanism of pore-formation. However, the distinct intermediate steps leading the generation of the funcational membrane pore formation by VCC have only been characterized to a limited extent. Consistent with the generalized ÃŽ ²-PFTs mode of action, the membrane pore formation mechanism of the VCC is recommended to follow three different steps: interaction of the VCC monomeric unit towards the target cell membrane; formation of the metastable, transient prepore oligomeric intermediates on the cell membrane; and finally conversion of the prepore oligomeric assembly into the functional transmembrane oligomeric b barrel channels. Previous research work on the members of ÃŽ ²-PFTs including VCC suggest that the generation of the functional transmembrane oligomeric pore structure comprises the membrane insertion of the pore-forming stem region from each of the toxin protomer towards formation of the transmembrane ÃŽ ² barrel portions of the toxin. However, it has not been examine experimentally, in particular in the case of VCC toxin, whether the membrane insertion of the stem region could occur in the membrane-associate monomeric state of the toxin before the prepore oligomer generation or whether the prepore oligomer generation precedes the membrane insertion of the stem region of the VCC toxin. Even in the case of generalized ÃŽ ²-PFTs membrane pore-formation mechanism, such sequence of pore formation events has not been established precisely. Previous studies demonstrated that the engineered ÃŽ ²-PFTs (for example, VCC and staphylococcal LukF) not able to inserting their pore-forming stem region into the membrane lipid bilayer of the target cell membrane. Such protein variants, having their stem loop in a closed structure through the engineered disulfide linkage, are remaining trapped in their nonfunctional prepore oligomeric state. However form this observation it not clear whether the membrane oligomreization is absolutely necessary to trigger the membrane insertion or whether membrane insertion could be initiated before the prepore generation. Such perception can only be investigate by trapping the b-PFTs toxin molecule in its membrane-bound monom eric form without allowing the generation of the transmembrane oligomeric structures. In this order, a direct correlation between the membrane oligomerization and the membrane insertion has been demonstrated in Staphylococcal à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ toxin, an archetypical member of the ÃŽ ²-PFTs family. Staphylococcal à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ toxin containing a single point mutation has been shown to displayed defective membrane oligomerization of the membrane-bound protein and blocking the membrane insertion of the pore-forming stem loop of the toxin. This investigation suggests that, in case of Staphylococcal à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ toxin, the membrane insertion event of the toxin depend critically on the prior membrane oligomrization step of the toxin. A similar pore-forming mechanism has been reported in the case of perfringolysin O, a prominent member of the subclass of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) under ÃŽ ²-PFTs family. Interestingly, streptolysin O, another prominent member in the cholesterol-de pendent cytolysin type ÃŽ ²-PFTs, follows a different mechanism of membrane pore formation that may have involve distinct sequence of events. In the membrane pore formation mechanism of streptolysin O, it has been proposed that the progressive assembly of the membrane-inserted monomeric unit of the toxin may act towards the formation of the transmembrane oligomeric pore structures of different pore sizes. A similar membrane oligomeric assembly has also been reported on another cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) class of ÃŽ ²-PFTs, pneumolysin. Thus, it emerge that the ÃŽ ²-PFTs member may not necessarily follow a common generalized procedure for the membrane pore formation mechanism of the toxin. It is, therefore, important to examine the sequence of the membrane oligomreization and insertion events for each particular member of the ÃŽ ²-PFTs family to elucidate the molecular mechanistic details of their membrane pore-formation action of the toxin. Many previous studies explored the molecular mechanism(s) of the membrane oligomerization process involved with the membrane pore formation action of the member of the ÃŽ ²-PFTs family including VCC. It is generally proposed that the association of the ÃŽ ²-PFTs protein monomer with the membrane component of the target host cells work as the triggering step to initiate the following events resulting towards membrane olgiomerization, membrane insertion, and functional transmembrane ÃŽ ² barrel pore formation. In particular, lipid components of the membrane like cholesterol have been extensively involved in the regulating of membrane pore formation process. In the mode of action of VCC, the presence of cholesterol in the target membrane lipid bilayer has been reported to be an imperative requirement for the efficient oligomerization and functional membrane pore formation by the protein. Cholesterol appears to regulate the membrane pore-formation of the toxin by physically binding with the protein molecule and not by modulating the physicochemical environment of the target host cell membrane. The molecular mechanism of the membrane oligomerization in VCC has been explored only to a limited extent. In particular, the membrane interaction mechanism of the monomeric units of the VCC toxin, which probably acting to regulate the membrane oligomerization process of the VCC toxin, has not been explored so far. Structure analysis of the VCC oligomeric highlights the major interprotomer interactions between the neighboring monomer units. The most significant interactions are observed between the amino acid residues within the membrane pore forming stem loop of the toxin. More importantly, blocking the stem loop in its prestem configuration has been to abrogate the functional transmembrane oligomeric pore formation (SDS-stable oligomeric assembly) without any effect on the generation of the prepore oligomeric species (SDS-labile oligomers). It has been reported that, even i n the physically absence of the stem loop, a truncated variant of VCC can generate prepore oligomeric assembly on the membrane. These observations precisely suggest that the interprotomer interactions involved in formation of the functional transmembrane oligomeric pore assembly without playing any critical role in initiating the membrane oligomerization event of the membrane-bound protein molecules. Therefore, it appears that the additional molecular interaction between the monomer of the toxin might be playing the significant role in inducing the functional membrane oligomerization of the VCC toxin. In this part of study, to explore the details of the molecular mechanism of the membrane oligomerization process of the VCC toxin, we have mapped the key amino acid residue in the VCC molecular structure that are crucial to trigger the membrane oligomerization of the membrane-associate monomeric toxin molecules. Mutation of such key amino acid residues abrogates the membrane oligomerization step, trap the toxin in its membrane-bound monomeric state, and does not allow membrane insertion of the pore-forming stem loop form the VCC monomers. Our study, dissect the membrane interaction step from the following membrane oligomerization and insertion steps of VCC as a prototype in the b-PFTs family, This study also conclusively established that the membrane insertion critically required the functional oligomerization of the membrane-associate VCC toxin monomers on the target cell membrane.

Leading at a Higher Level

IntroductionThe book under consideration is named â€Å"Leading at a Higher Level† and this extraordinary book was written by Ken Blanchard. The author has previously written numerous books namely The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans and now this book. The books written by the aforementioned author have turned out to be helpful for a number of people in perfecting their own leadership skills and expand the prospective of those around them.Now, in Leading at a Higher Level, Ken Blanchard discloses the answers to superlative leadership. Anyone and everyone can profit from the recommendations in this book that have previously helped thousands of leaders and business’ become more oriented around its people, centered on the satisfaction of its customers and performance-driven. The author introduces the readers to innumerable concepts such as the â€Å"triple bottom line† and how to use it to generate effectual objectives and visions.The book provides the readers with t he ways to determine ways to turn customers into what the author calls â€Å"raving fans† and build up a proper â€Å"customer mania.† Any of the higher authorities of an organization can use the techniques presented by the author in his book their own guidance, for leading teams as well as complete organizations. It can also help one in finding their own individual â€Å"leadership point of view†, which is a skill that all really great leaders have power over and it is also helpful in finding out how to relate it all the way through your entire life. By the use of this book, regardless of who or what place you are at, one can produce high-performing business; that can ease out life for everyone. Hoist your game, improve your presentation and make sure that you are foremost at a higher level.ReviewAs said, â€Å"Leaders in any realm of life can become self-serving when the driving reason for being in business is based solely on profit. While profit is a legitim ate goal, neglecting to see leadership as part of a higher calling diminishes the capacity to influence others and impact the greater good† (William, p.1). Leading at a Higher Level scrutinizes the notion of leading with a higher rationale, which necessitates a persuasive visualization and a way of life that the expansion of people is in the same way important to that of presentation. Author Ken Blanchard dares readers to show the way by asking themselves about their own realities, what they position for, and how they can take the inventiveness even if they do not have authoritative power.In the aforementioned book, the author along with a number of his colleagues has made the efforts to put forward their own understanding of top-notch leadership. By reading the book one can learn just how to create aims and objectives for the organization and the ways by which you can make your existence known as well as where your company is moving.Blanchard expands his step forward work on conveying well-known customer service and creating what he calls â€Å"raving fans.† In the book one will find the state-of-the-art dialogue of the well-known Situational Leadership II techniques for leading yourself, persons, teams, and complete businesses. Most significantly, Leading at a Higher Level the book is a big help if one wishes to take a good look at himself, determine the private â€Å"leadership point of view† and then use it for the rest of his or her life.  In the words of the author, â€Å"those who want to lead at a higher level need to understand what a high performing organization looks like and what is necessary to create one. They need to aim for the right target. Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivating environment for your people† (Blanchard, p.4).The author believes that anyone who wishes to become a better leader in any company, any organization, and any area of life needs to have a fi xed aim, follow the right idea, focus on the â€Å"bottom lines† that really matter at the same time as providing the customers with good support and deliver your ideal customer experience, and create â€Å"raving fans†. But most of all what he wants to deliver is that leaders should, â€Å"Listen, praise, support, guide, and help your people win† (Blanchard, p.5).The book is extremely informative when it comes to learning how to lead your people to enormity as you create elevated performing organizations that make life better for everyone. This book will direct you, motivate you, incite you, and be your criterion. Ken Blanchard along with a vast number of his colleagues are people that have spent a number of years in serving good leaders and organizations become grand, and as well as stay that way. In this book, they have made an effort to bring together everything they have learnt in the years gone by. By this book one can discover how to, â€Å"Go beyond the short term and zero in on the right target and vision, deliver legendary, maniacal customer service, and earn raving fans, truly empower your people and unleash their incredible potential, ground your leadership in humility and focus on the greater good† (Blanchard, p.10). Since a very long time, a vast number of people have benefited from the insight, understanding, and convenient procedures.From my personal point of view, the book is excellently written providing examples from the lives of real leaders. The book has been written in a very exciting manner and one can not get bored while reading it. Speaking for myself, I have not found anything negative about the book.ConclusionIn the light of the above discussion we can hereby culminate that the book that has been mentioned above namely Leading at a Higher Level was written by Ken Blanchard and the book is related to the ways in which leaders can understand themselves and then lead themselves, their teams and the entire org anizations on the way to success.Works CitedBlanchard, Ken. Leading at a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations.   United States of America. FT Press. 2006 Pp. 4,5,10.Williams, Susan. Leading at a Higher. Financial Times. 2007. Pp.1.

Beowulf and Hercules

Beowulf and Hercules Beowulf and Hercules are both extremely heroic characters with tons of characteristics that make them that seem that way. Both Hercules and Beowulf are very well known heroes that have had stories told about them for hundreds and hundreds of years. They both have similarities and differences but the similarities definitely outweigh the differences.Beowulf and Hercules similarities are so much alike they are pretty much the same character in different stories. Both Beowulf and Hercules are great warriors that wanted nothing more than to help and protect the people they knew, one example that shows this is how Beowulf was called â€Å"the mighty protector of men† (Part one, section two). They both killed the same type of mythical creatures in their stories. â€Å"I give thanks that I behold all of this treasure in front of me. (Part two, section nine)- This shows how generous of a person the character is and Hercules is just the same. â€Å"A word so massi ve no ordinary man could lift, he drew it from its scabbard† (Part one, section two) shows the similarities between both Hercules and Beowulf in that they used the same basic weapon and not anything fancy, just their hands and sword. There are very few differences between these characters. One is that Hercules is known as a God and Beowulf is only just a king.Another difference between the two is that Beowulf is a mortal that can possibly die in battle and Hercules is an immortal that is pretty much impossible to kill. As you can see both Hercules and Beowulf are two great heroes that are very protective over the people. They are so powerful they can kill magnificent creatures with just their bare hand or a sword. To are both two of the greatest heroes known to literature today.

Kyoto Accord essays

Kyoto Accord essays No matter how bright a solution may seem, it may only be drawing near the eye of the storm. A problem cannot be completely resolved without creating more. Such is the effect of the Kyoto accord. At this point in time, the Kyoto treaty should not come to pass because of its overwhelming negative effects. Among the many reasons why it should not be signed, are that jobs will dramatically be decreased in the energy industry, global warming occurs periodically without human induced factors, and the unknown cost of this project could prove fatal to the Canadian economy. Even though the greenhouse gases produced by the energy industries play a role in such global warming effects as cataclysmic storms, floods, and drought worldwide, these disasters would occur naturally anyway and it is still not quite certain as to how much it contributes to them. Without a certain amount of warming, all life on the planet would cease to exist. Furthermore, a reasonable increase in present global temperatures could be beneficial as warming could result in greater precipitation, which would aid in the production of agricultural. The idea that an increase in the climate would cause more violent storms worldwide is untrue also as storms are more closely associated with cold weather than warm weather. Only two of the top twenty deadliest storms occurred during extreme heat conditions. As for the decrease in the emissions to cool down the planet, this is merely a speculation since forty million years ago the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was ten times greater than today yet the temperature was substantially cooler. Too many facts are still unknown about the overall effect of the Kyoto project for it to come to pass. Although gas emissions would be reduced considerably, many jobs would be lost in the process. Hundreds of thousands of workers jobs would be put at stake just for the slight chance of a decrease in the climate, whi ...

Definition and Examples of Context Clues

Definition and Examples of Context Clues In reading  and listening, a context clue is information (such as a definition, synonym, antonym, or example) that appears near a word or phrase and offers direct or indirect suggestions about its meaning. Context clues are more commonly found in nonfiction texts than in fiction, though they are found in childrens literature, often with the goal of building readers vocabulary. Words can have multiple meanings, so being able to infer the correct meaning from context is a valuable reading comprehension skill. Types of Context Clues You learn new words through context of the words around them, inferring their meaning through whats going on in the story or what has already been explained in the article. Clues to deciphering a words meaning can be subtle hints or straight-out explanations or illustrations of meaning.   Context clues can be synonyms, antonyms, definitions, explanations, word-structure clues, comparisons (such as metaphors and similes), and contrasts. For example: Synonym context clues will have words nearby that mean the same thing: Synonym: The annual fete is scheduled for the last day of school. Its always a great party.Synonym:   That charlatan! he cried. That absolute fake! Antonym context clues will have words nearby that mean the opposite. Antonym: You look pretty content about it, not like youre all languishing in worry, he said.Antonym:  No, no, that didnt literally happen, she said. I was just  speaking figuratively. Definition context clues just spell out the meaning in a straightforward manner: Definition: In Britain they call a cars trunk its boot.Definition: The department  super, as we call them, she explained to the new hire, is Jerry, the utilities  superintendent.   An explanation or illustration can also show the context of the word: Explanation:  She looked at the  random stuff  that had been thrown in the packing box at the last minute, from toothpaste and razors to spatulas and sticky notes. Well, thats quite the  melange, isnt it? she thought.Explanation:  No, no, thats just a  crane fly, not a  gigantic mosquito, he explained. Word-structure clues come from a reader or listener understanding, for example, a base word and a prefix and inferring meaning of their combination, such as knowing anti- means against or knowing one word when hearing something very similar, such as understanding that a memorial is for someone whos died: Word-structure: Im absolutely anti-establishment, the candidate declared.Word-structure: The book was listed in memoriam of his father. Comparison context clues will show the meaning of a word through similarities to other items or elements, similies or metaphors: Comparison: He looked absolutely  flummoxed, like a toddler staring down at his feet on the floor and who just isnt sure about this whole walking thing.Comparison:  No, she said, Im as carefree about it as a bird floating among the clouds. Contrast context clues show meaning through dissimilar elements: Contrast:  It isnt exactly the melee that I expected by your description, he said. The kids are just roughhousing a little. I expected them to be bruised and bleeding.Contrast: I know she said she could  reconstitute  the dried fruit, but a wet raisin just isnt a grape any longer. Limitations of Context Clues Learning new words this way has its limitations, as contexts arent always informative; theyll likely give a reader only a general idea of a word, not a full meaning. If the sentences in which the new word appear dont clearly spell out the definition of the word, the meaning may not be retained by the readers memory for long. For long-term retention, a reader needs to see a word multiple times, and having some instances include a definition will increase the likelihood of a person remembering the word.   Michael Graves wrote in The Vocabulary Book: Learning and Instruction, All in all, the descriptive research on learning from context shows that context can produce learning of word meanings and that although the probability of learning a word from a single occurrence is low, the probability of learning a word from context increases substantially with additional occurrences of the word. That is how we typically learn from context. We learn a little from the first encounter with a word and then more and more about a words meaning as we meet it in new and different contexts.

Corporate Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Reporting - Essay Example "Usually mergers occur in a consensual setting where executives from the target Company help those from the purchaser in a due diligence process to ensure that the deal is beneficial to both parties." (Wikipedia) Goodwill is defined as the present value of future earnings in excess of the normal return on net identifiable assets. According to the acquisition events it's defined as the excess of the cost of acquisition over a group's interest in the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities of a subsidiary, associate or jointly controlled entity at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is treated as an asset in the balance sheet of a company. The reduction in the goodwill needs to be calculated at annual basis and the decrease should be written off in the profit and loss account. Due to the replacement of IAS22 by the IFRS3 the treatment of goodwill changed to the defacement-only practice in January 2005. The US GAAP has the same treatment of Goodwill and defines it as the surplus acquisition price paid in addition to the fair value of the net identifiable assets. The change in treatment was first undertaken after the imposition of the SFAS142 which transformed the goodwill accounting from changed accounting for goodwill from a paying-off method to defacement-only method in July 1, 2001. As the standard was affecting international groups many of them preferred using US GAAP standards which could minimize the adverse effects of goodwill amortization and was beneficial for the groups The acquiring company should make sure that the value in excess to the fair value of the net assets should not be reduced and hence this difference should be treated as an asset that's not really identifiable. The standard addresses all the issues regarding the disclosure of the information regarding the acquisition and the management can play an important role in making the most of this information. It suggests that an effective business report must have More forward looking information Have more coverage of non-financial value creating information. Should align internal and external information. The model includes different components of business reporting, which are: 1) financial and non financial data regarding the acquisition 2) Management's analysis of financial and non-financial data. 3) Future forecasting information regarding the goodwill. 4) Shareholders and management related information. 5) Background information. 6) Proper disclosure of information 7) Proper information regarding each business segment. The model provides the shareholders and investors with the case of proper information regarding the securities in order to save them from being misallocated. IFRS3 puts more emphasis on stakeholders' relationship rather than on financial measures. Heavy reliance on financial measures has damaged most of the company's reputation. The financial performance does not represent the overall performance of the business. The position of the company in the market and the performance cannot be judge by only addressing the financial measures. The standard recommends that the role of the intangible assets is growing in determining the future performance of a company. The standard provides the solution in shape of focusing more on qualitative measures rather than

Industrial and biotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Industrial and biotechnology - Essay Example Its revolution rides on a series of concurrently related advances in three areas: genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. It is now possible to manipulate genetic information and design products, or to even tweak gene expression and genetic information can be transferred between markedly different groups of organisms. Recombinant DNA technology and molecular manipulations have been exploited to improve the production by increasing titers and yields of microbial processes. Introduction Industrial biotechnology is the application of biotechnology for production and processing of chemicals, materials, pharmaceuticals, and bio-energy with less energy consumption, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, higher yields and reduced waste. It uses enzymes and micro-organisms to environmentally friendly manufacturing of products by maximizing and optimizing already established and utilized biochemical pathways. Industrial biotechnology, also known as white biotechnology, has developed rapidly in t he last several decades and has enormous potential and versatility in manufacturing with higher yield and titer. The industry’s economy i.e. Bioeconomy has made a substantial impact in the world economy, is growing at rate without historical precedence. It has no doubt, revolutionized almost every sector of economy whether, it is agriculture or healthcare or petroleum industry. Today, biotechnology is a major participant in global economy and promise to be a major player in next a couple of decades. According to Steve Burrill, President and CEO of Burrill & Co at BIO (Biotechnology industry organization) conference, May 2010 in Chicago, USA said with his trade mark optimism that â€Å"those in the industry were fortunate to be alive at this time, when all current world problems -- climate change, sustainability, energy security, food production and security, and healthcare reform could be tackled if not solved by biotechnology†. To-day’s world’s economy i s facing a range of environmental, social, and economic challenges, development and deployment of biotechnology tools can provide opportunities for renewed economic growth. No doubt, it has already successfully established in some sectors, is still in its infancy. It is a market reality and has consumer demand, from new innovative approaches with huge promise to lower the carbon footprint. Major Products of Industrial Biotechnology Industrial biotechnology has provided products that have impacted our lives. These products have profoundly changed our lives, environment, and economy. They include industrial and agricultural products, food additives, healthcare products, and biofuels. The development of penicillin fermentation in the 1940s marked the beginning of industrial biotechnology. This resulted in production of a large number of metabolites of commercial importance by fermentation. Primary metabolism inside a living organism involves a cascade of enzyme mediated catabolic, and anabolic reactions which provide biosynthetic intermediates and energy, and convert biosynthetic precursors into essential macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. It is finely balanced and intermediates are rarely accumulated. By deregulating primary metabolism, overproduction of many primary metabolites has been achieved in the fermentation industry. There is enormous use of biotechnological processes in production of primary and secondary

Organizational Development Consulting Skills Assignment

Organizational Development Consulting Skills - Assignment Example On the contrary, change management is responding to changes that take place suddenly and they need to be incorporated into organization’s business. OD professionals are commonly referred to as consultants as they are the change managers who are either hired externally or internally to help an organization which is their client in achieving its goals. In most of the cases, OD practitioners act as a catalyst to bridge the gap that exists between what the organizations are presently doing and what it wants to achieve in the long-run. OD practitioners have to work in collaboration with organization’s management team so that they can successfully implement the plan designed for bringing changes in the organization (McLean, 2009; Schein, 2009). OD practitioners have to develop their consulting skills so that they can direct team members in achieving desired goals; they have to work in collaboration because their main aim is to help their clients in bringing effective changes in the organizations. OD consultants need to provide guidance to their clients by designing consultation process and ensure that they own complete process so that they can manage it independently and monitor the outcomes desired; they work at all levels in the organizational hierarchy (Scott, 2008). OD consultants working approach is entirely dependent on Action Research Model (ARM) that has been developed to guide practitioners in providing their clients best solutions for improving organization’s effectiveness. A brief representation of the model is shown in the following figure to give a snapshot of its important steps: From the figure, it is evident that the complete team that is involved in OD implementation should be taken on board.

Louise Bourgeois Essay Example for Free

Louise Bourgeois Essay Much can be learned from the environment within which we live. What we see tells a lot about the society in which we live: belief system; politics; economic undertakings; kinship and material culture among others. Through material culture, we can get insight into the world that existed long before us. Culture can be defined as the way of life of people depicting their shared experiences, political and religious beliefs, technology, insights, attitudes, and material objects. (Li Karakowsky) The sublime can be defined as the priced greatness or vast intensity in terms of biological, moral, mental, metaphysical, beauty, art or religion. Sublime is experienced over and over. It is embedded in our history, being, values, thoughts, concepts, world views, beliefs, and is responsible for our personalities (Bernadac 2007 p20) Main Body One of America’s renowned artist and sculptor, Louise Bourgeois, managed to capture the American Sublime through her artistic undertaking. She was born in Paris, France in December 25, 1911 but traveled to America in 1938 to perfect her artistic endeavor. She studied mathematics at the Sorbonne, and painting and sculpture in Ecole du Louvre, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and Art Students League of New York. She worked as an assistant to Fernand Henri Leger- a French sculptor, painter, and film maker. She is popular for her work that depicts spiders, sculptures, drawings and literary work (National Gallery of Canada 2005 p16). As a way of depicting the society in which she was living, Bourgeois work is full of inanimate images of horrifying fear, ghosts, darkness, tortured people, and disabling mental illness to attempt to get at the source of these emotions and to uphold normality even in times of chaos. Her works helped depict the intellectual climate, social and historical conditions that existed then. (Gorovoy et al 2006 pp 27 -28) She captured the effects of the First World War through carving limbless sculptures and detached limbs and had most of his paintings and sculptures painted black to depict death and mourning, (Gorovoy et al 2006 p 24) e. g. the two headless fabric bodies attempting to make love shown below. She depicts the revolution of the western politics, largely constructivism, through posters that expressed sympathy towards the Russian regime which she displayed in Moscow. The Tate Modern exhibition catalogue indicates her inclination towards Communism. Bourgeois made abstract art pieces that reflected on her childhood experiences showing how relationships within the family were entwined together thus bringing in the aspect of kinship, socialization and acculturation. This depicts how her art gives us insight to how children were brought up back then. (Lippard 2003 pp 9-10) Her Femme Maison and Fallen woman series introduced the aspect of liberation of women. They depicted a female struggling to outgrow some house like structures within which she is trapped – that is attempting to outgrow the masculinity into which the women were entrapped. She depicts a rebellion against the negative masculinity through her work, The Destruction of a Father, in which rock figures surround a sacrificial slab full of butchered body parts. Thus: It has been suggested that her sculpture, The Blind Leading the Blind, has a religious connotation. According to Desmond Michael and Lloyd Michael (1870-1970) Bourgeois, inspired by the Cold War, made this sculpture and that the title was picked from the New Testament verse (Matthew 15:14) that describes how a blind man leading another blind man would end up in a ditch. The structure is shown below (Bernadac 2007) Bourgeois contribution to the American Sublime is best captured in New Yorks Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Londons Tate Modern with their massive collection of her art work. In conclusion, the American Sublime has been captured through art in poetry, carvings, paintings, songs, books, and which take us back to the origins of the cultures of past American societies. Just like the origins of the American sublime can be traced through studying works of art, similarly, so can we understand much about its revolution from the contemporary art works. Louise Bourgeois has managed to get this through her sculptures, drawings and works of art – reflecting abstract as well as tangible aspects of living that relate to feelings, political standing, material culture, religious inclination, beliefs and kinship. References Bernadac, M (2007) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois† Rizzoli International North America pp 18 24 Gorovoy, J. , Carver R. Read C. (2006) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois† Bellport Press University of Michigan pp 21-35 Lippard R (2003) â€Å"Overlay: contemporary art and the art of prehistory† Pantheon Books NY pp 7-16 National Gallery of Canada (2005) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois Maman† National Gallery Canada press pp 14-17

Bilbo Baggins, a True Hero Essay -- Literary Analysis, J.R.R Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins, a True Hero â€Å"I wish I could be a hero!† Many adults in today’s society hear small children wishing they could become heroes. Children wish to be more like heroes for the reason that heroes are the type of people who risk their lives to help others. Throughout history, children have had a positive connotation with the word â€Å"hero.† The heroes many small children talk about are the fictional ones who protect cities from villains: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and others. However, these are not the only types of heroes in today’s world. Firefighters and policemen are also considered heroes because they save the lives of those in danger. Many adults consider their inspirations to be heroes, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Michelle Obama. Heroes do not always have to be real; for instance, they can also be literary characters such as Atticus Finch, Jonas, and Odysseus. Heroes, fictional or not, only have one purpose, to help people in need. These motivating people are in the rare category of people who willingly spend their whole lives helping people achieve their dreams. Heroes are the people who unselfishly help people live their lives in a peaceful manner. Many children wish they could become heroes, such as Bilbo Baggins. In The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien explores how Bilbo Baggins matures and ultimately becomes a hero. A hero, as stated before, selflessly thinks about others’ well beings before his or her own. Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who was enlisted to help the dwarves retrieve Thorin’s family treasure, does the same thing when he decides to take matters into his own hands, and end the fight between Thorin, the lake men, and the woodelves. Bilbo decides to give the Arkenstone, a p... ...s. Bilbo is the one that gives the precious Arkenstone to Bard to help stop a war from starting. If it was not for Bilbo’s courage, Thorin would still be fighting for the Arkenstone and might have also been hurt. Bilbo also helps the dwarves by being a good leader and helping them find a way out of Smaug’s lair. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not have the audacity to try finding a way out of Smaug’s cave. Bilbo, like a real hero, always makes sure that he finishes the task he sets out to do. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not be able to finish all the tasks that they want to finish. Bilbo is also the reason why the dwarves are still alive. Bilbo saves the dwarves from many different disasters. The disasters range from the spiders to Smaug. Through good or bad, Bilbo has been able to show the characteristics that a real hero should be able to show.

National Home Builders Quality Award

It is recognized as an established source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues, while it continues to promote innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of omes and home building products. Through its various testing and certification programs, the Research Center seal is recognized internationally as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance (nahbrc. com).In an effort to cultivate quality within the home building industry and promote the industrys best practices the National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) was established in 1992. This award represents the housing industrys highest recognition for achievements in the area of quality management and operational excellence in the residential construction industry (nahbrc. com). The NHQ Award is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which was established in 1987, by C ongress to raise awareness of quality management and recognize U.S. companies that have implemented successful quality-management systems (Baldrige. com). The Award promotes awareness of performance excellence as an increasingly important element in competitiveness and information sharing of successful performance strategies and the benefits derived from using these strategies (Wikipedia). Recipients are selected based on achievement and improvement in seven areas, known as the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, which the NHQA hasPerformance Excellence which has eight categories upon which entrants are Judged. The National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) is open to all US homebuilders, remodelers and trade contractors and is administered by the NAHBRC in conjunction with Reed Business Information, publishers of Professional Builder Magazine. NHQ Award applications are reviewed by a panel of Judges who are experts in both the housing industry and quality management, many of t hem being past NHQ awards winners.These Judges then evaluate the importance of quality in the companys construction, strategic planning, leadership and performance management, trade elationships, customer satisfaction, human resources and business results, which are the NHQA Criteria for Performance Excellence (nahbrc . com). The NHQ Award is presented annually at the Professional Builders Benchmark Conference. Award winners go on to be featured in Professional Builder Magazine articles that highlight the quality management practices as models for the housing industry. The award title is held for one year.AWARD CRITERIA Patterned after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the NHQ Award was designed to recognize residential construction companies for excellence in quality chievement and promote awareness of customer focused quality as an increasingly vital element of competitiveness and productivity for building professionals. The NHQA has two divisions with one open to all U S companies that build or remodel residential homes using light construction methods. The other is open to all independent trade contractors that provide construction services to builders or remodeling companies.The NHQA consists of a set of eight criteria as outlined in their Criteria for Performance Excellence: Category I Description I Points I Leadership I How does the company's senior leaders, guide the organization towards common purposed based on shared values and priorities? | 10 | Strategic Quality Planning I How does the organization create and implement a strategic plan to achieve a vision for the future, enhance their competitive position and improve overall performance? | 10 | Performance Management I How are the companys business processes developed, managed, measured and improved to achieve performance excellence? 10 | Customer Satisfaction I How does the company manage the design and delivery of products and services that promise a high level of customer satisfaction? | 10 | Human Resources I How does the organizations mployee selection and development practices, as well as staff performance management, well being, motivation, satisfaction and compensation contribute to the growth of the organization? | 10 | Construction Quality I What methods does the company use to drive quality in the home construction process and ensure high performing, trouble free products and services? 10 | Supplier Partnerships Examines how the organization designs, manages and improves processes for implementation to deliver customer value and reach organizational success | 10 Business Results I What are the tangible measurements of the business benefits esulting from the organizations high performance practices in the financial, operational, customer satisfaction and product and service quality areas? | 30 | Despite the fact that the NHQA award is modeled after the MBNQA award there are focuses on quality assurance approaches that ensure high performing, trouble free p roducts and services.In addition the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award is awarded to a sole winner whereas the National Housing Quality Award has several award categories. The NHQA has three recognition levels: honorable mention, silver and gold. Gold is awarded to those that have attained a national benchmark level within ach area of evaluation; they have mature, fully integrated quality management principles and consistently demonstrate high level sustained results. Silver is awarded to those that are industry leaders in most evaluation areas; they have many refined business practices, key measures for continual improvement and good business results.Honorable mention is awarded in special circumstances for those that demonstrate an understanding of quality principles and show a sound, fact based improvement process. Key measures are in place and good business results are achieved in most areas (Denis 2009). To be considered for the NHQ Award applicants must complete a rigorous applic ation process which includes a 15 page application which is considered an important step in every applicant's road to quality.This is so as participants benefit from the insightful process of preparing the application, which is a long and grueling process, which takes hundreds of man- hours to complete. Judges evaluate each applicant to determine to what extent the entrant embraced a customer focus and systematically embraced it within their business practices. Those that passed the initial selection were scheduled for a site isit. On the site visit, each finalist spent at a minimum a day with a team of Judges. At the end of the visit, the Judges had a clear understanding of the company culture, management practices and the quality results.The final award is given to the organization that is deemed befitting on the overall Judge's findings. BENEFITS OF THE AWARD The NHQ Award is more than recognition of quality achievement. It sets a benchmark to strive for and a model for improveme nt. By preparing an NHQA application organizations get an opportunity to assess their business from a Total Quality perspective. This rigorous process allows organizations to really take a look at their processes and make significant improvements in order to be competitive.The organizations that submit an NHQA application receive detailed feedback on strengths and opportunities for improvement from the expert Judging panel. According to Tom Gillespie, President Kennedy Community Development, a multi-year applicant and 1997 NHQ Award winner, â€Å"no other programs has provided our company with more rewards, both financial and operational, than the NHQ application process provides† (Toolbase. org). This shows the depth of the application rocess and the benefits that can be yielded from its undertaking. Tom Gillespie is not the only one that praises the benefit of the NHQ way.David Simon, president of operations at Veridian Homes, a 2005 Silver award winner, says that, â€Å"t he in-depth review of our application and the detailed site visits provide valuable feedback not only for our strategic planning but also for driving quality improvement throughout the organizations† (Builderonline, 2005). The benefits of the NHQ award are far reaching, applicants benefit Just by undertaking the award application process and y implementing changes based on the feedback that they are provided by the gross profit margins which can be significant.Mercedes Homes, a 1996 NHQ Award winner used the NHQ criteria as a model to â€Å"tune-up† their management practices. As a result of this improvement process they had higher profits in 1996 than the previous five years combined! Scott Buescher, V. P Operations, COO, attributes reports that using the NHQ model was a major factor in their success (Toobase. org, NHQ Agenda). The bottom line is that there are really no losers with the NHQ award as the enefits far outweigh the time and effort that are invested into th e application process.According to Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Professional Builder, as a result of going through the process, NHQ Award winners, â€Å"significantly improve the performance of their companies, making them more consistent and more reliable. Home buyers have found these companies execute the best quality homes and deliver the highest quality satisfaction† (National Building News, 2007). PAST WINNERS Since the inception of the NHQA in 1993 through 2009, 67 builders have received recognition, of which eight builders have earned multiple awards.These organizations range in size from small family owned to large national builders, building a variety of homes in a wide price range. In addition six remodelers and five trade partners have been awarded recognition (Leonard, 2009). NHQ Award winners represent the best of the best in the home building industry. In 1993 Town and Country Homes was named the first National Housing Quality Award winner. This win w as attributed to customer satisfaction and sales as the leading Chicago area home builder (Hauser, 1993). Since then many other organizations have gone on to win what is considered the hardest award to win in home building.In 2009, Tempe, Arizona based builder, T. W Lewis become the sole recipient of the 2009 NHQ Gold Award, having won in 1998 the NHQ Silver Award. â€Å"This award is a significant accomplishment in the homebuilding industry and one that our company and associates are very honored to received,† said T. W Lewis president and COO Kevin Egan. â€Å"The NHQ Award reaffirms the path we have chosen as a company-a path that is focused on productive quality, customer satisfaction and operational excellence† (East Valley Living, 2009).In 2002 only one U. S builder was recognized as a Gold Award winner and that was History Maker Homes of Forth Worth, Texas. History maker attributed their success to the relationships that they have been able to foster. Nelson Mit chell, president of history maker a family owned company said, â€Å"we strive for valued relationships with our customers and with each of our team members, as well. Our company works diligently to maintain the family culture we have enjoyed for many decades† (History Maker Homes, 2002). 002 was a historic year for the NHQ Awards as it was the first year since its inception in 1993 that Silver Awards were gained by two trade contractors as the award was expanded to include ot only builders, but remodelers and trade contractors as well. The inaugural winners in the contractor category were All-tech, Inc. of Monroe, N. J and Tappe Construction of Eagan, Minn. When the NHQ Awards were introduced almost two decades ago, many builders had a hard time figuring out how quality management could help their companies.The longevity of the Awards and the achievements of the winning builders have set this award as the most prestigious award in the industry. Housing Quality Award examines the builder's business and quality management practices. We are concerned with the builder's ability to deliver a quality product onsistently, have satisfied home buyers, and achieve high productivity,† says Liza Bowles, President of the NAHB Research Center, (Professional Builder, 1997). Following is a list of other past winners of The NHQ Awards.For the home building industry the epitome of quality is seen in the National Housing Quality Award, an award modeled after the infamous Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and represents the highest recognition to be gained in the housing industry. The NHQA Criteria for Performance Excellence has been an important tool for hundreds of home builders and trade contractors to assess and improve performance on critical business success factors which has enabled them to grow as n organization.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GigE_Visionhttp://www.builderonline.com/design/awards/the-winning-homes-from-the-2016-gold-nugget-awards_oHome http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/technology/internet/23worm.htmlhttp://www.historymaker.com/dfw/aubrey/arrowbrooke-50s/http://www.nbnnews.com.au/tag/t4/https://www.nahb.org/en/research/safety/~/media/EC307DD0CB534384A60E0E089E7C5831.ashxhttps://uxplanet.org/best-practices-for-microinteractions-9456211aeed0https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:HighBeamhttps://www.tceq.texas.gov/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAHBGreenhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Baldrige_National_Quality_Award

Criminal Justice Trends Paper Essay

In this paper I will be evaluating past, present, and future trends pertaining to the corrections system. There are many different trends that correctional facilities have used in the past and these trends have continued on to modern day and maybe will continue on into the future. As part of my evaluation I will identify and analyze past, current and future issues facing the corrections system today and also I will discuss the budgetary and managerial impact that future trends will likely have not only on the corrections system, but also on the other components of the criminal justice system like law enforcement and the court system. Trends of Corrections In the past before there were prisons and jails the punishment of crimes were cruel and dangerous. Some of the punishments in the past included flogging, mutilation, branding, public humiliation, or exile. Today our correctional facilities focus on rehabilitating criminals so that they can be functional in society; one of the ways that is pursued is through community based corrections to save costs instead of housing an inmate. Community based corrections is used as an alternative to being locked up, this is also cost effective rather than housing them in prison or jail because they foot the bill. Community based corrections is known as parole, probation, house arrest, or electronic monitoring. Community based corrections is a privilege and there are many rules that need to be followed, and if they disobey any of the rules the get sent back to prison or jail. Currently we have a bill that passed in California called AB 109 and it was passed to release many inmates to lower the overpopulation of inmates and the end rising costs to house an inmate. â€Å"The state expects to reduce the prison inmate population by about 14,000 in 2011-2012 and approximately 40,000 upon full implementation in 2014-2015. The state estimates that these reductions will result in a state savings of about $453 million in 2011-2012 and up to $1.5 billion upon full implementation.† (Taylor, 2011). This assembly bill will just create a future problem though, when all these inmates get released out into the communities most of them will end up back in prison. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the recidivism rate of inmates that were returned back into a correctional facility within three years was 63.7% and the other 36.3% were successful three years out of prison. AB 109 will not decrease the inmate population that largely in the long run according to those statistics. The bill will also increase the caseloads on probation officers, making it harder to keep a good eye on all inmates roaming in the communities, allowing them to reoffend put the problem back in the hands of law enforcement. Issues Facing the Criminal Justice System The current issues facing prisons are they are being over crowded, and they are too expensive to manage. Assembly Bill AB 109 tries to alleviate the problems of over crowding but I believe that it is a short-term solution because of the recidivism rate. Alternate correction systems would reduce costs to the state, and maybe even be more affective than jail or prison time. There are alternatives to jail and prison like we discussed earlier, but those are all state funded. In the future maybe there will be programs funded by organizations that want to help rehabilitate criminals or they make the criminal pay for their services. Some examples might be intensive supervised probation, house arrest, electronic monitoring, community residential centers, or shock incarceration. I think we need to have a self-sufficient prison that keeps inmates busy working for what they have, to cut down costs of prisons. One way to cut down costs is to actually use our death penalty, what is the severity of having a death penalty if you know you are going to sit in a cell until you die of natural causes. We are not posing enough threat to these criminals. Watching Lock Up on MSNBC, most of the inmates will never be functioning citizens, some of them admit they need to be behind a cell. Why pay so much money for someone to rot in jail, they are no use to the country and think they need to be put down, just like a viscous dog at the pound. If the vet determines the animal is too aggressive they euthanize the animal because they can never be adopted out, I think we can use the same concept in our correctional system. With an overpopulated correctional system, and the realignment bill 109 there will be many criminals back on the streets, which only adds to the problem for every other component of the criminal justice system. The police are having a bigger population of criminals back on the streets and the departments have tight budgets and do not have enough funds to hire more help to control the streets. The sheriff and police departments then will have to stretch themselves thin to try to put the recommitting offenders back in the correction system. Which then puts the criminal back into the already overcrowded court system, which creates more of a problem because now there are even more cases which will create bigger case loads and slow down the already slow system. Conclusion In this paper I discussed the past, current, and future trends in corrections. In the past the punishments were cruel, and now we are focused more on rehabilitation and California facilities are being over crowded. I also analyzed current and future issues facing the overpopulated prisons. The budget deficit is only going to get worse and these problems within the criminal justice system is only going to get bigger and bigger. Bill AB 109 was put into affect to help relieve the budget issue but as I discussed I think that it is a short-term solution because of the recidivism rates. The criminal justice system is always growing and changing to satisfy the needs of the communities they protect.