Saturday, August 31, 2019

Bad Credit Cards

Some Americans have been under the impression that credit cards are a valuable financial tool because credit cards give them leverage with their credit scores and also can make it possible to purchase and do things they may not otherwise be able to do. Even though this may be true for some this is not always the case. Credit cards are harmful not only to the American people’s finances but also the economy. Credit cards are the number one reason for personal debt and bankruptcy in America today because of little or no understanding of interest rates and the false sense of security that owning multiple cards gives. Most Americans have the desire for a more convenient lifestyle and credit card companies make it so easy to obtain their cards that it has become a trend in America for most families to have at least five or more credit cards per household. The high importance society has placed on establishing credit has started to open Americans’ eyes on how credit card use has impacted their pockets financially as well as the pockets of the top three major credit bureaus. It is no secret that without credit cards it is almost impossible for Americans to obtain certain items like reserving hotel rooms, renting a car and, purchasing airline tickets. Americans have been sucked into the policies of the credit card companies. The tops three credit bureaus, Transunion, Experian and Equifax all exist because of the requirements society places on developing credit. These bureaus have the power to determine how much credit a person has and if that person is entitled to receive any more credit. Credit bureaus determine whether a person gets a car, home, or business loan making it a necessity for the American consumer to attain credit stature by obtaining credit cards. In today’s society they are a must-have. Studies show that the United States households have received approximately 5. billion new credit card offers in 2009. This push from the credit card companies is pressuring Americans to place such a high importance on using credit cards that many Americans are not stopping to read and understand the contracts that they are signing. The shocking truth is that even if Americans were taking the time to read the contract, some would still not understand what the contract was actually saying. On average the United States credit card agreement is written at a 12 grade level, please note that most Americans who receive a high school diploma read at a ninth grade level even though they received 12 years of education. The toughest card agreement to read is from GTE Federal Credit Union. Their contract is set at 18. 5 reading level, which is the reading level equivalent of someone who has spent more than six years in college. The credit card companies have so many rules and hard to understand terms with their card contracts, that most Americans do not take the time to research and understand the rules; this causes debt and a large amount of it. Once the debt is there the credit bureaus are making money because Americans have to pay to check their credit score. Americans today have a strong desire for the simple lifestyle; credit cards give them the feeling that they are achieving this because of the ease of spending and false ideas of financial security. The sad truth is that credit cards are the leading cause of high debt and bankruptcy in America. Even, if someone does have good credit and are on time with the payment every month they pay high interest if the full balance is not paid in full each month, which most Americans cannot afford. Some Americans pay the minimal amount each month. This is the credit companies’ biggest snafu. The minimum payment is an interest-only payment and does not decrease the loan’s principal. If they would do the math they would see that it would take 180 years or more to pay off their credit card debt. That is an outrageous amount of time. The United States total revolving debt is $852. 6 billion as of March 2010, of which 98% is made up of credit card debt. The average credit card debt per household is $15,788. These statistics are far too high. This makes it easier to understand how debt is the number one reason Americans are suffering financially. The total bankruptcy filings in 2009 reached 1. million, which is up from the 1. 09 million that was recorded in 2008. Americans are so absorbed by the credit cards that a study was done in 2006 by the United States Census Bureau that determined there were nearly 1. 5 billion credit cards in use in America. A stack of all those cards would reach more than 70 miles into space and be almost as tall as 13 Mount Everest as reported by the New York Times on February 23, 2009. An important factor in credit card debt is the penalty fees Americans are receiving from card companies. In 2009 penalty fees added up to be 20. billion dollars according to R. K. Hammer, a consultant to the credit card industry. Aside from the vicious debt cycle, another issue with credit cards is fraud. In today’s culture, people are not finding the honest neighbors and trustworthy merchants, found in past generations. Now Americans have the World Wide Web or Internet, where consumers can buy almost anything they like with a couple clicks, and, of course, a Visa or MasterCard. This high speed Internet has given today’s thieves a high speed means to steal credit card information and turn a 780 credit score into a zero within minutes. In 2009 the number of identification fraud victims in the United States rose 12% to 11. 1 million, which is the highest level sense the Javelin survey began in 2003. All this fraud has Americans choosing their number one fear today not as terrorism, health viruses or personal safety; it is fraud that they fear and stress about the most. All this is taking a toll on Americans and slowly making them aware that not everyone is nice and trusting. Not just that, but it is killing the economy little by little. Americans are purchasing less because the fear of falling into debt or becoming a victim of fraud is becoming a very real scenario. In a recent report done by Consumer Report Magazine in November 2009 surveys showed that 21% of consumers said they were treated unfairly by credit card companies and 32% have paid off and closed their accounts. Half reported the reason for canceling the accounts was the card issuers hiking up their interest rates and imposing high account fees. Also in the report 45% of all consumers said they are using their cards less because they trust the credit card companies less. A Javelin study performed in 2009 showed credit card use has plummeted from 97% in 2007 to 72% in 2008, which is a 25% drop within over a year. All this debt and fraud is taking a toll on Americans and the economy, little by little Americans are purchasing less because the fear of credit card debt or becoming a victim of fraud is a very real life scenario. Americans are starting to slowly remember and realize that what was once borrowed must be paid back and that if they do not have the cash for it then perhaps they do not need it.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Iran Contra Affair Essay

In 1979, an Iranian government supported terrorist group overtook the US embassy. They captured 52 people. In an order to obtain the release of the American hostages being held in Lebanon, The Reagan Administration secretly began to sell weapons to Iran. This went against an American ban on arms sales to Iran, which had been in affect since the embassy had been seized. (Corrigan 40-41) These deals were arranged through Robert McFarlane, who was the head of the National Security Council. One of McFarlane’s main staff members was Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North. McFarlane gave North the responsibility of handling the details of the deal and told him not to send anything to Iran until the hostages had been released. North wanted to keep the deal going so he allowed Israel to ship the weapons before any hostages had been released. McFarlane criticized North, but North kept his job. McFarlane was replaced with Rear Admiral John M. Poindexter. North tried to convince Poindexter to continue the arms-for-hostage deal with Iran. North realized that there was a massive amount of money being made in this trade. He used some of this money made could be used to support an anti-communist organization in Central America. This organization, that was active in Nicaragua, was known as the Contras. The Contras were also highly supported by Reagan and his administration, seeing as we were in the Cold War against Communism. (Lawson 41-60) In the early 1980s, Congress passed a series of amendments known as the Boland Amendments. The Boland Amendments made it illegal for the U. S. military to further aid the Contras. (Cohen) The National Security Council was formed in 1947 to acquire secret information about the military plans of Russia throughout the Cold War. (Lawson 49) In 1985, North and McFarlane gave several letters to Congress, in which he lied about the questions that they had been asked about their involvement in supporting the Contras in Nicaragua. North lied again in a face-to-face meeting with Congress in 1986. North told the House Intelligence Committee he was involved neither in fundraising for, nor in providing military advice to, the Contras. In 1987 he was confronted with these accusations to which he admitted to misleading Congress with the answers he gave them. When the president later asked Attorney General to gather the relevant facts, North and Poindexter shredded and altered official documents on November 21, 1986. The destruction of these documents was a major loss to Congress, because they were now unable o use those destroyed documents against North in court. (http://icah. infobaselearning. com/pdocument. aspx? ID=129729&search=iran+contra+north) Further complicating the situation, Congress granted immunity to North and Poindexter so that they could eliminate the need for the testimony of President Reagan and Vice President Bush. Oliver North and Poindexter, while accused and under intense investigation were ultimately convicted. (http://icah. infobaselearning. com/pdocument. aspx? ID=110538&search=iran+contra+north) Lt.  Colonel Oliver North was criminally charged, prosecuted and convicted but later the convictions were overturned upon appeal due to the fact that he was granted immunity. North should have been convicted of his crimes and faced his time in jail for what he did. North burned legal documents containing crucial evidence for his trail, he lied to Congress about using the money from the Iran weapons sales to help the Contras, and by helping the Contra, he violated the Boland Amendments. On November 21, 1986, Oliver North shredded documents that were to be used in court as evidence. These documents were important legal information concerning his involvement in helping the Contras. His destruction of these documents led to Congress losing very valuable data to prove whether he was a scapegoat or a criminal. The fact that he destroyed the evidence made it clear that he wasn’t being honest and that led Congress to believe his other criminal charges. Oliver North violated many laws. The two most flagrant legal violations were the Boland Amendments and the American ban on arms sales to Iran. North continued to sell the weapons to Iran without any argument even though he knew it was against the law that was put in place by Congress. He went against the banned sales of guns with Iran, which was put in place to keep Iran from gaining powerful weaponry and putting American citizen’s lives in danger. His involvement and encouragement of continuing the illegal trade to aid the policies that he believed in should lead to his punishment. Also, the fact that he was also using federal money and weapons for the Contra agenda is a misappropriation of funds and of his position of power.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Management Report on Effective International Management Essay

Management Report on Effective International Management - Essay Example This, in essence, suggests that management strategies and controls effective in one country may not necessarily be effective in another country (or even dysfunctional or completely ineffective). Such cross-cultural differences may arise internally, for instance by influencing the work-related behaviors of certain employees, and the interface between external labor market and the organization, such as retaining and recruiting employees. In the past, scholars have concluded numerous empirical studies focusing on the relationship between the national culture and the various aspects of management, such as strategic decision-making and long-term planning. However, only a portion of these studies critically examines the relation between national culture and effective global management of organizations. Such studies are limited in use, especially when designing the structure and operation of control management in multinational organizations (Higgs). The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive managerial report to the senior management of an information and technology company operating in China and France, emphasizing on effective international management for optimal and successful operation of the organization in the two countries. Introduction The debate over the organizational need for multinational enterprises to become increasingly similar to those in the subsidiary stations as been persistent. Determining factors such as the growing importance of multinational enterprises, technological convergence, and the institutionalization of international corporate standards such as the ERP system and the ISO 9000 contribute to isomorphic tendencies of multinationals. In recent times however, some researchers claim that the global spread of managerial concepts such as decentralization and downsizing, as well as shareholder-value concepts are increasingly making organizations similar in a global context. However, a faction of other researchers has opposed the vie ws of isomorphism, emphasizing on the resilience of national cultures. According to them, the difference of institutions at the national level results in persistent heterogeneity among other organizations in different countries, regardless of operating in the same industry and subject to similar external influences (Adler, Doklor, and Redding, 2001:297). From this viewpoint, in different national contexts, effective international management should have significant different results at the organizational level. Such studies are contradictory, especially in efforts to determine which perspective receives the backing of empirical tests. Framing the issue of effective international management in such instances as either leading to divergence or convergence seems like a rhetoric trick, but it an excellent starting point for this management report. This paper seeks to examine critically the aspects of management with emphasis on multinational organizations in China and France, with emphas is on the national cultures of the two countries, as well as external factors such as business policies and regulations (Higgs). China China is among the widely recognized countries currently experiencing vast profitability and economic growth. The country is capable of producing goods more efficiently and effectively than most of the other countries in the world. The country has a Gross Domestic Product

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Case Study Example Given the massive size and scale of the corruption, do you feel that the punishment was acceptable? Considering the magnitude of the corruption witnesses in virtually all Siemens subsidiaries across the globe, I strongly feel that the US and the German governments grossly under-fined the German company especially considering that at the time, Siemens used to accrue over over70 billion Euros of sales annually. A miniature fine of only $ 1.6 billion did only encourage the company to perpetuate the already worse unethical behavior by bribing the US investigators. Had the regulating authorities impose a much heavier fine on Siemens, the company management and to an extension its employees, would have taken a second thought as far as massive corruption and bribery are concerned. If you were the new Chief Ethics Officer, how would you have handled the situation? As the new Chief Ethics Officer, I would have taken a slightly different course in that instead of summarily dismissing culpable employees, I would have engaged them in the reform process. Since there is no absolute ethical standard or person, the first step would have been to embark on massive employee training process, sensitizing, and enlightening the employees on the benefits of conducting themselves in accordance to acceptable ethical standards. By indulging all the concerned parties in extensive consultations, communications, and negotiations, I think I would have brought back the company to its original course much faster. This is because empowering and encouraging employees has the overall effect of transforming the employees’ culture and subsequently, the organization’s culture, for the better (Fernando, 2010). Was the corruption justified since bribery was legal in Germany until 1999? Before the German government put a ban on bribery and corporate corruption, most companies perceived this as an easy way of going about their business operations. Singled out was the electronics giant, Si emens, which took absolute advantage of the situation in order to gain undue competitive advantage. Several reports quote Siemens top executives insinuating that corruption and bribery gave the company the competitive edge that saw it stay ahead of the game for years. As some may want to believe that Siemens was compliant by engaging in corruption, it beats logic to deny that this act is unethical. By all standards of fairness, any acts of corruption and bribery amount to the breach of acceptable ethical codes of conduct (Twomey et al., 2011).   Ethics and moral justice should prevail in all corporate affairs and no company can justify corruption and bribery as a strategy for achieving company objectives. This is especially so if the acts of corruption and bribery infringe on the rights of other equally competitive companies like the right to fairly and transparently compete for tenders and contracts. Therefore, whatever reason Siemens referred to, there is not a single justificat ion for their unethical behavior (Twomey et al., 2011).   How does an organization make the shift to refine their ethical practices when there is such a radical change in policy? It is no doubt that ethical recovery is an agonizing experience for most companies especially if they were operating on a global platform. However, most organizations do manage to refine their ethical practices after a radical policy change. This, they achieve by following certain approaches that range from transforming the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Describe the importance of having a sound business continuity plan Essay

Describe the importance of having a sound business continuity plan - Essay Example There are numerous benefits derived from business continuity planning including increasing the ability of the firm in avoiding problems in the business environment to the highest level possible. This is due to business continuity giving the firm a chance to assess current risks and as well as forecast future risks. Business continuity also aid in demonstrating credibility in responding to the customers, as the plans for planning on project implementation and completion are already put in place where disruptions occur (Watters, 2010). Business continuity also aids firms to have a competitive advantage due to the ability to continue and complete projects despite disruptions in the business environment that may affect other firms in the industry. Other benefits of business continuity include enhancing the reputation of the business through the ability to meet projects with or without disruptions. Business continuity enhances the resilience of an organization in times of disruptions on the achievement of set goals and objectives. Business continuity also aids in the development of a proven mechanism for the management of business disruption and protect the brand of the company to the clients (Watters, 2010). In conclusion, business continuity is an important factor of a business as demonstrated by the benefits derived by the company in making plans and mechanisms for the business to undertake when disasters strikes. It ensures the firm minimizes loses and comes out of the disruption with minimum negative impact on the business potential of the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Keeping Up With Asia Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Keeping Up With Asia - Coursework Example This essay is peer reviewed because it meets some requirements for an essay to be peer reviewed. First the article of the essay has a website to mean that it is sponsored by a scholarly association. The essay has also an introduction to what it is all about and a literature review. The essay has an abstract at the beginning of the essay and the author (Millis, P76). These are the features that make the essay peer reviewed. The essay claims that among the two political parties in the United States of America, most Asians favor the Republican Party over the Democrats. It is believed that the Republican Party is tough and strict on security and very serious on its anti-communist credentials. The party is a party of free trade while the Democratic Party is taken to be a party of protectionists. The author believe so because when the democrat party was leading they were never concerned with the economic issues of Asia but on the coming of Bush and Barrack Obama with the Republic party changed and supported the economic status of the continent (Funabashi, P115). In the essay, the author uses the toulmin method since he argues over certain things in the essay. The author argues an issue that was asking the United States of America to withdraw their troops in Iraq. The author argues that it was of benefit to the Asian countries and Iraq in specific hence improving their relationship in the fight against

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Environmental Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Environmental - Essay Example This means that France alone has a stronger economy almost compared to all the 22 countries put together. Germany (3,401.0) has a higher GDP than all the 22 countries combined. This is followed by Japan (5,964.0) and the biggest difference comes from USA (15,680.0) (CIA). This is to say that the USA has the strongest economy and has reliable economic power to exploit and control the oil in the Middle East. The 2012 GDP of Israel (240.9) lies way below that of the combined states in the Middle East. However, when compared to Gaza and Westbank combined (6.641) creates a very big difference. Israel lays a stronger economic position than the Westbank and Gaza by a minimum thirty six times. That translates to Israel having a lot of control in the region especially compared to its neighbour. The geo-political relations in the region have largely contributed to who owns much stake in the Middle East oil (Central Intelligence Agency). For instance, the USA, a world power and its allies (UK, France, Japan and Germany) therefore have a large stake in the control of oil in the Middle East. According to TÃ ©treault (2012), oil ownership and relations to the stronger powers have given some Middle East countries more power than others. TÃ ©treault, Mary Ann. "The Political Economy of Middle Eastern Oil." 2012. University of California Library. 30 January 2014

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The role of Hollywood in global film markets Essay

The role of Hollywood in global film markets - Essay Example Film industry in Hollywood utilizes the demands in the local markets and global markets to produce and market their products. This promotes the work of artist and celebrities who rely in film industry to earn a living. Each year the number of celebrities that stream into the corridors of Hollywood increases. This has led to the growth of the American society. Film production enhances the entertainment industry. Many people like streaming into the movie houses or cinema halls to watch movies as a means to spending their leisure time. Hollywood movies influence the global film market by influencing prices and trends adopted by the film industry. Hollywood production has benefited the American society because of the income the government is able to earn from the film and media industry. Employment opportunity that Hollywood movie industry offers shapes lives of many people (Hesmondhalgh, 2007:176). Hollywood movies are a threat to social structures of the society. The movies influence t he social lives of individual who watch them. Many people tend to immolate and practice social scenes that they view in the movies. This paper explores the role of Hollywood in global film market. Introduction Movie industry helps the society to figure historical events or possible events in the society. Actors take their time to act in movies, which portrays the state of the society. In America, the media industry contributes a lot to the economy of the nation because of movie productions in Hollywood. Hollywood movie industry is renowned for it sparkling productions, which have drawn the attention of many people worldwide. Celebrities and moviemakers find their ways to Hollywood because of the reputation that it has. Hollywood movies flood the global market and many people feel that Hollywood command a greater share of the global market. History records that the first film studio in Hollywood was in 1911. That studio belonged to Nestor Company. The demand for movies and film by th e people led to the group of Hollywood film industry. Today filmmaking is a career that employs thousands of people. Many people like going to cinemas and theatre halls for refreshment, or spend their leisure time. The role of media in the society has contributed to revelation of historical facts and events, which, the society would forget. Media activities in the United States rely on the work of Hollywood filmmakers (Garnham, 1990:145). Many soap operas and other programs in television channels spring from movies acted in Hollywood. These productions have economic benefit to the American society and the world. The government and the society raise income from the filmmaking. Notably, the advancement in technology is a factor that has led to growth in the film industry. It is important to note, the media industry is competitive, and Hollywood is viewed as a destination, which shapes the future of the society. Film Making in Hollywood The film making industry in Hollywood has lasted for more than a decade. Moviemakers have shot different kinds of movies to illustrate to the society different social events. Hollywood is a town where the main business is the moviemaking. It attracts celebrates from different parts of the world. Many movie writers, directors, and produce visit this venture for the production purposes. Since the main business in the city is movie making, Hollywood dictate the trends in the film indus

ECE 330 Assignments 1 & 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ECE 330 Assignments 1 & 2 - Essay Example Recently, there have been cases of Ebola, a disease, outbreak in the world. There have been reported cases of Ebola in the United States of America. The case of Ebola is a good example of new information that has had to pass through my human memory system. The disease is quite dangerous and is spread by direct contact with infected persons. Storing of this new information and organizing it in my memory, is a process which is systematic. Ebola being a disease had to be stored next to other similar words which are diseases such as HIV and STI’S. My human memory system then broke down this information further by classifying Ebola as an infectious disease that is spread by direct contact with an infected person’s blood or fluids. This information was, thus, stored next to other infectious diseases, for example, HIV. The new information gained about Ebola was stored in my long term memory because I paid more attention to the information by reading it often. The human memory system is made up of three main elements or three memories. They are the sensory, working and long term memories. Information that is gathered is normally stored in any of the three memories (Schater et al, 2010). When Ebola broke out in Africa, it was just simple news to me since I don’t reside in Africa. This new information was first stored in my sensory memory. Information gathered by our senses is first stored in the sensory memory on a temporary basis. One is able to decide whether to pay more attention to the information and transfer it to our working memory for processing or dismiss the information. In this case, I dismissed the information since it was an outbreak that was affecting only one continent. This new information was not stored. The disease, however, appeared again on the news. It had spread to America. I was compiled to pay more attention. The new information was first stored in the sensory

Friday, August 23, 2019

Investigating the Relationship between Academic Persistence and Age, Dissertation - 1

Investigating the Relationship between Academic Persistence and Age, Gender, Ethnicity and Transfer Credits - Dissertation Example Adult Learner Academic Persistence According to previous reports, the retaining of adult learners in programs and institutions on adult education has become a great challenge. The rates of attrition and pressures of accountability within these institutions are also very high according to Jeffreys (2012). The previously carried out pieces of research show that most adults who withdraw from these learning programs do so after accomplishing their goals. They reportedly leave to join other programs that suit them more. According to Sanders, most of the adults dropping out of school return after their situations have been altered creating cycles between their dropping out and return which happens severally (2008). Previous literatures additionally indicate that the process of utilizing the class and lecture a major measurement of persistence undervalues other activities that would be effective in learning and which should be encouraged. This includes activities like distance learning and personal studies. In the year 2009, Comings, Parrella & Soricone, defined persistence as that period that adults remain in adult learning programs as they engage in personal studies as a result of being forced by circumstances leading to their withdraw from attending lectures or classes. The author additionally suggests that the adult students may return to their lectures when their situations in life allow them to. According to previously carried out surveys among adult students who were studying in America, those who had previously been involved in vocational training, self study and other forms of learning, had a greater likelihood of persisting academically than their counterparts who had not been involved in similar activities (Jones, 2008). These surveys additionally show that the adult students who had specific wants had greater probabilities of persisting than those adults who were in the learning institutions but had no specific wants. According to Sanders, if the academic persistence of adult students has to be improved, the learning institutions should avail additional learning alternatives like distance learning to the adult learners who are no able to attend their scheduled lectures (2008). Learner centered perspectives can greatly help in supporting the academic persistence and understanding among the adult learners by managing the forces that hinder or advance their learning activities (Millar, & So, 2008). According to previous literature, several factors are responsible for affecting the academic persistence among adult learners and range from the different institutions, situations, dispositions, and demographic factors and emotional and relational forces (Quigley, 2008). Problems that arise from the adult learner’s employment, finances, families and abuse from their classmates, transport and health can be classified as being situational. On the other hand, institutional barriers prevent adult learners from persisting academically and c ould include issues like the level or content of the course, their location or failure to meet the set admission guidelines (Ziegler & Durant, 2009). The attitudes, self-efficacies and resilience among the adult learners towards their learning may prevent them from excelling in their chosen academic

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Elements of the Communication Process Essay Example for Free

Elements of the Communication Process Essay Companies need to develop strategies to improve brand image and brand awareness. The important aspect of spreading brand awareness and brand image is through communication. Companies need to establish a communication channel to win the new customers and retain existing customer. This communication is not restricted just to customer but also stakeholders in the value network. Communication is achieved through advertisement, sales promotion, public relation exercise, direct marketing and interactive marketing. Elements of Communication Process Communication process should not be one way traffic. Companies should look forward to developing communication network in which companies can reach customer but customer also can effectively communicate with companies. Technology has opened up many avenues to carry out effective communication. Companies have traditional tools like newspaper, television, radio, telephone, billboards and modern tools like the internet, emails and wireless devices. Technology has made the communication process not only faster but also reduced over all communication cost. There are nine elements, which make the communication process. The two parties are sender-company and receiver-customer. The communication tools are message and media used to communicate the process. The four major communication functions are encoding, decoding, response and feedback. The last element is the noise which is anytime of interference disrupting clarity of the message. Senders must encode the message as per the target audience and use the right media. The receiver decodes the message, responds to the message and sends feedback to the company. Experience senders are able to garner a more effective response from the right message. Companies have to put effort in developing an effective communication program. The development of the communication program can be charted into eight steps. 1.The first step is identifying the target audience. The target audiences are the existing customer or the potential new customers. Target audience identification is essential for further development and overall success of the communication program. Once the audience is identified the next part is assessing the present company or brand perception within the target audience. Based on the results from the audience analysis the message should address the requirements. 2.The second step is to set specific objectives for the given communication message. This objective could be to enhance existing image, convey attribute, or encourage a consumer to act. The objective can have a cognitive, affective or behavioral response. 3.The third step is the design of the message. The designing of the message follows the objective of the message. The design of the message has to address the following four points, content of message, message structure, message format and message source. 4.The fourth step is the selection of the communication channel. The channel must be appropriate to carry the message to the target audience. For pharmaceutical companies, their sales people are the most effective channel in reaching the target doctor audience, instead of placing billboards. 5.The fifth step is related with the financial estimates of the whole expenditure. Companies need to decide budget of sales promotional and other activities. The common methods followed are an affordable method, percentage of sales method, competitive parity method, and objective-task methods. 6.The sixth step is the decision relate to the communication mix. Companies have limited budget, so they need balance expenditure among advertising, sales promotion, public relation, sales force and direct marketing. The relevant choice of the communication mix is highly dependable on the industry the company is operating. 7.The seventh step measuring results of the communication process. It is very important for companies to keenly follow the outcomes of the communication process. The results could be increased in sales, change in attitude or image of the brand. 8.The eight step is managing the integrated marketing process. Companies cannot afford to continue one medium approach to achieve desired communication effect. Companies must integrate all the available tools as to reach a wider audience and effectively communicate about brand and products.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Communicating Information in the Scientific Workplace

Communicating Information in the Scientific Workplace Procedures and Practices The work carried out in a lab is greatly depended on communication between the people working in it, to ensure instructions are given and receive accurately and applicably. This is extremely crucial in a scientific work place because poor communication in a science lab between the workers leads to not getting accurate results and would totally mess up any kind of experiments or test they carry out. Communicating in a team is vital and makes the organization of a process even and efficient. The work carried out by scientists and technicians relies on the arrangement of the team they work in and the way each of the team member acts. Many work places have a hierarchy, which means that the most senior person will have various levels of people reporting to them. A hierarchy depends on how big a team is and the routines that are carried out. This is also very important because it keeps a balance in the workplace and makes sure everything is well organised. The results generated in a workplace will be precise to that workplace. Whatever the results are, they ought to be only being communicated to those who need to know them. This is extremely vital for the reason that confidentiality is really important in a scientific work place, especially if the scientist have discovered something new. It is extremely important that scientific terminology is used and understood by the team members in order for effective communication so that no one is misunderstood and could lead to errors because of misunderstanding. Different types of communication in a scientific workplace. Meetings are an effective way to converse matters in the workplace and make decisions or plans. It allows discussions between colleagues about current affairs in the scientific workplace and other important news, so if they have any problems while working they can bring it up in the meetings. Things like health and safety are great to talk about in meetings to improve laboratory work. There will always be new people joining the workplace, or even visitors, it is an important to hold an induction for new comers so that they are shown the correct and current lab procedures and practices to know how the workplace is run. This helps them to know how to do/carry out certain procedures in the lab and also gives them a clearer understanding on safety hazards/regulations. Emails are a professional way to communicate with colleagues as it is fast and safe. Bulletins and newsletters inform the scientists and technicians of the workplace current information that is important to know. These can be communicated through magazines, emails or just leaflets. Signs around the lab are vital as they give out key important information in case of emergencies and just general information. Signs are always noticeable and can be seen clearly which promotes health and safety. Having signs around the work place is extremely helpful because it shows exactly what you need, where and what is does. Verbal communication is the most significant type of communication as it allows information to be given directly to another worker. Verbal communication is understood more clearly and further questions and data can be given for clarification if something may not be understood in first instance. This is the best way of communicating because it is said directly to the worker itself, plus if the worker hasnt understood then they can ask right away. This makes verbal communication in a scientific workplace the fastest type of communication. D1 Analyse why laboratory procedures and practices must be clearly communicated Procedures and practices in a scientific workplace are extremely important to be communicated very clearly because this will also improve the safety of the employee because their employer have the responsibility to monitor that all the procedures are being communicated correctly and the practices are also being communicated clearly as well. This is also because if they are communicated clearly they will be fewer accidents at work and will also give a great chance of the experiment being accurate because operations will be done in appropriate and safe manner. This also reduces a number of common mistakes and increases the companys productivity and as well as financial income, this will also help them to save more money on things such as compensation and insurances. When procedures and practices are not communicated clearly, employees will be involved in accidents which can be fatal or might not be fatal but either way they can seriously get injured and the company will have to take the responsibility because they will be the ones who failed to get communication of the procedures and practices clearly to their employee. So then this will also lead to the company making losses, the activities being carried out by the organisation will also have negative impacts to the environment and all other living organisms. This will also affect biodiversity as a result, this because the procedures and practices are set there for a reason to avoid all this from happening and therefore they are supposed to be communicated clearly.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Air Pollution In Trinidad And Tobago Environmental Sciences Essay

Air Pollution In Trinidad And Tobago Environmental Sciences Essay The contamination of the atmosphere by any toxic or radioactive gases and particulate matter as a result of human activity defines air pollution. (EMA State of the Environment Report 2000) Over the years Trinidad and Tobago has focus on industrialization developing several industrial estates but greater focus was made to the energy sectors. They current have three major energy based industrial sites. The Point Lisas industrial estate, Point a Pierre petroleum refinery and Liquefied Natural Gas plant (LNG) located in Point Fortin. Trinidad and Tobago is considered to be one of the most industrialized countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean region. We have been blessed with a vast array of natural resources ranging from oil, natural gas and asphalt to manufactured petrochemicals. Despite the fact that oil production and refining is one of our main industry, petrochemicals and to a lesser extent steel plays great importance in the company economic growth. Trinidad Tobago is worlds leading exporter of both methanol and ammonia, currently they supply the largest source of LNG is exported to the United States. Early views and realization of Air Pollution To the general public air pollution was considered to be chemical emissions and that suspension and secondary pollutants will just dissipate with the aid of the wind and rain. As the country moves into a second wave of industrialization with several proposed plans of building the next economic hotspot in the Caribbean (Invest in TT Downstream Energy), concerns has been made toward the quality of air what we live and breathe. It was only years later when technology began to play an important part in analyzing pollutants and air quality that it was realized that air pollution was just as important as water pollution. The industrial sector in Trinidad Tobago is one of the most dynamitic in the Caribbean and this is reflected in the diverse nature of its pollutants. Table 1 illustrates the numerous industry classes, commodities produced, production process and resulting in air pollutants. Map 1: Existing Proposed Energy Base Industrial Estates in Trinidad Table 1: Industry in Trinidad Tobago and air emission they emit INDUSTRY PRODUCTS SOURCES AIR POLLUTANT Petrochemical Menthol, ammonia, urea, ethanol, liquefied natural gas Fossil fuel processing, industrial processes Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, Carbon Monoxide Manufacturing Metals, cements, consumer products Manufacturing and extraction process, stock piling of raw materials, fossil fuel burning Carbon Dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter PM (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals). Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) Transportation vehicles Incomplete combustion Carbon Monoxide, particulate matter Petroleum Refineries Refined oil, oil base products and sulfur /acids production Fossil fuel burning, extraction process, transportation process, storage process, Carbon Dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, methane, particulate matter (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals) Agriculture Animal waste, plant waste Animal waste disposal/processing, rice paddies and wetlands, plant metabolism, land clearing Methane, Carbon monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, particulate matter (dust), VOC Electrical Power generation Electricity Fossil fuel burning, Particulate matters, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, VOC Mining Quarrying Aggregate Blasting, mining, washing, extraction process Suspended Particulates Matters (SPM); Total suspended particles (TSP); Particulate matters. Wholesale and Retail All consumer products Service station operations, truck filling stations VOC Locations of Main Industrial Sectors With industrialization comes a need for people to benefit with the high level of employment in these areas. The demographic transition cycle in Trinidad and Tobago is fairly predictive with many of the populated areas following the same paths along the industrialized map. (Map 2)In the initial stages of industrial development focus was made on establishing industries in sparsely populated areas. The intention was also to take advantage of the favorable wind direction which would direct most of the air pollutant west ward over (for the most part) approximately 5 miles of uninhabited land space and then to the Gulf, with the intension that the vegetation would be affected in a minor way during the dry season and would be assisted by run off during the rainy season. This idea inadvertently leads to another pollution problem. This proved to be a short term imitative, as these areas soon became an attractive alternative to the long commute thus encouraging the establishment of make- shift villages and shanty towns. This was also fueled by the fact that the southern and eastern main road were in close proximity to these estates. Over time these villages soon became establish resistances acquiring basic utilities and official mailing addresses. The industries were now faced with a new obstacle. They now had to focus their attention to both the environment and the neighboring population. Table 2 identifies the main industrial pollutants found in Trinidad and Tobago and its effects on both the environment and humans. Map 2: Industries and major roadways Table 2: Main Industrial Pollutants and their Adverse Health and Environment Effects POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON HUMANS EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT Carbon Monoxide- CO It is absorbed through the lungs reducing the bloods capacity to transport available oxygen to the tissues. Depending on the exposure level it produces flu like symptoms usually not recognized and may results in death There is minimum effect on the environment. Sulphur Dioxides SO2 Depending on the exposure level it can cause: cause wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, respiratory illness, alterations in the lungs, it aggravates existing cardiovascular disease. When SO2 combines with water, it forms sulfuric acid, which is the main component of acid rain. When acid rain falls it can cause deforestation, acidify waterways to the detriment of aquatic life. It also corrodes building materials. Acid rain changes the physical appearance of vegetation plants metabolism impaired Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)/Oxides of Nitrogen NOx At low levels it has minimum or no effects on human health. However high levels NO2 can cause respiratory problem, increase a persons susceptibility to, and severity of infections and asthma. It can also affect the sensory system. It is harmful to vegetation, can fade and discolor fabrics, reduce visibility. Vegetation exposure to high levels of NOx can be identified by damage to foliage, decreased growth or reduced crop yield. Volatile Organic Carbon -VOC There are no general health effects of VOC because other gases make up VOCs however some gases may be toxic and/or carcinogen. Levels of exposure and time exposed can cause damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system. It is known to cause cancer in animals. Suspended Particulates Matters (SPM); Total suspended particles (TSP); Particulate matters. Health effects on SPM in humans depend on the particle size and concentration can cause long term exposure increases the rates of respiratory illness and symptoms. Particulates can accelerate deterioration of surface and material. It has the potential to cause modification of the climate and contributes to acid deposition. Control Strategies Physical, Managerial and Legislative to Air Pollution The visionaries of the early industries focus little on health safety and the environment and this was reflected in the level of controls initiated by the industries. Controls were mainly one dimensional and fail to focus on the holistic views of health safety and environment. Public opinion and outburst resulting from the increasing number of medical complaints and the decrease quality of agriculture produce with allegations pointing towards the emission from these industries, prompted management to use technology to assist in the establishment of more stringent controls. This technology was also instrumental in pinpointing the actual adverse effects as a result of these emissions. Physical Controls The physical control represents the processes responsible for acquisition of raw material, storage, manufacturing and distribution processes. Use of Suppression Techniques The numerous pollutants that emit daily, through smokestacks petrochemical and petroleum industries together with major health effects, force industries to reduce the pollutant at the source. One of the proven ways of reducing these pollutants is installing scrubbers and in other cases bagging houses in the emission system. The use of end -of- pipe technology is being adapted by some industries, it is used to remove already formed contaminants in the air however it is proven to be very expensive and many industries internationally would rather pay the fines for higher emission levels than use this technique. In other words it is regarded as the less of two evils. These techniques force industries to adopt generic prevention strategies and solutions, only resorting to the more expensive techniques when face with dire consequences. Environmental Friendly Process With increasing pressure from environmental activists calling for industries to be more sensitive towards the environment, many industries have restructured their processes whereby recycling waste material as a new raw material to produce a second product. This process has been adapted by Methanol Holding Trinidad Limited (MHTL) were they have constructed an AUM plant. This plant is the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago being the most environmental friendly of the MHTL family. This plant comprises a diversified petrochemical complex to manufacture Urea Ammonia Nitrate (UAN) and Melamine using feedstock from integrated urea and ammonia plants. (MHTL) The local cement factory adopted several controls strategies to deal with the air pollution problem within its manufacturing process. A change from blasting to stripping of the main raw material (limestone) aided in the reduction of dust emissions that was affecting the neighboring community at their quarrying central Trinidad. The transportation of the limestone was also change from dry to wet thus also reducing the potential dust particles entering the atmosphere during transportation from quarrying to the process plant. At the out skirts of the processing plant itself major landscaping was done to create hills around the factory adorned by buffer trees with sole intension is to reduce the level of dust exposure to the neighboring community. Managerial Controls Self Regulation These controls consist of policies, systems and standards that govern and manage the organization. The establishments of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) help management keep focus in order to sustain established targets. Company policies and procedures acts as guidelines to maintain order and structure within the organization. The introduction of ISO standards advertises the companys procedures to the industrial world thus ensuring that whatever measures initially introduced are sustained by the certification audits conducted annually by an international process auditors. Legislative Controls Currently in TT there is no legislation that refers directly to controlling of air pollutant emitted by industries. This is merely due to the fact that early monitoring system generally focus on water and land pollution the understanding of air pollution did not produce tangible evident because of technological short falls. The existing legislation addresses non specific air pollutants like the Petroleum Act (rev. 1980) section 29 (1) (j) prevention of air pollution and the Public health ordinance (1950), section 70 (1) (m) prohibits blacks smoke from chimneys. Even though the EMA was establish and is the countrys sole environmental body responsible for managing, regulating and coordinating environmental matters. The EMA has only managed to draft the Air Pollution Rules 2001 however to date 2010 these rules have not been made law. Trinidad and Tobago being a member of the Commonwealth and the United Nations has benefited from the research and technological advancement from these more developed countries (MDC). Initiatives such as the Montreal Protocol (1989 the control of CFCs) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997 the reduction of Greenhouse Gases) assisted the legislative process of TT by association. The only way legislative was establish was by piggy backing on the achievement of the more developed countries it seems that this was the only way the law maker could have had any impact on defaulters of air pollution in Trinidad. Only when legislation is pass the country can benefit from some effective control measures where polluters are prosecuted and emission limits are set for all industries. Conclusion Trinidad and Tobago historically is a nation of followers there have been very few instances where we were not promoted or assisted in some way or the other in achieving established goals and the topic of pollution is no exception. Have we ever wonder why the one establish air pollution laws stems from a diplomatic relations within the commonwealth and the United Nations or why we had to wait until the advent of OSHA to enforce existing safety laws in our country. The answer is simple we are still waiting to follow no wonder legislation spear headed by locals are treated with scan courtesy. Had these laws been establish in some first world convention they would have been rooted in the seams of our judicial system years ago? Many of the existing pollution laws governing the more develop countries were mainly as a result of international pressure, sadly Trinidad and Tobago is not view as a major polluting nation because of its geographical location and size. Evidence of pollution aware ness is mainly seen in the new establish manufacturing countries whose parent companies originate overseas. It is only amongst of fellow less develops countries and Caribbean members that Trinidad and Tobago is recognize as a polluting nation sadly these countries have little impact on global view. Despite our shortcomings, internally there has been an intensified effort to effectively monitor record, control and enforce pollution reducing systems and strategies. Internationally the over site of Trinidad and Tobago (a country that can easily fit into the Orinoco River with a population that barely exceeds large town in the United States) has not deterred local efforts to manage the levels of air emissions.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Essence Of Pop Culture Essay -- essays research papers fc

â€Å"Talk about Pop Music, Talk about Pop Music†¦Ã¢â‚¬  was one of the most catchy phrases of the 1980’s. Just as in the 80’s, today we see many characteristics of â€Å"pop culture† effecting our lives. But, what is â€Å"pop culture?† I spent some time online trying to answer my question and time after time I was led to the same direction: pop culture is what we see, hear, speak, and are otherwise exposed to on a daily basis. The infomercials we see late on television, the billboards we see on the side of the road, the junk mail we receive, the links on the web pages we visit, and the radio commercials we hear all tie together to form this idea of pop culture. These, plus many other aspects, form our minds and teach us how to be culturally smart. To be culturally smart is to understand and know pop culture. For example, if someone were to say â€Å"BUD!† it is automatically assumed that they would get a â€Å"WIES† in reply. If a person were to say â€Å"Just Do It!† Nike would be directly thought of. What elements define â€Å"Pop Culture?† Television stars, such as Drew Carey; musicians, such as Santana; public figures, such as Monica Lewinski; politicians, such as Bill Clinton; athletes, such as Michael Jordan; large corporations with their slogans; and movies are all, but not limited to, pop culture. In a Journal I found online of a study of pop culture, it compared the link of religion and a pop culture icon, Star Wars. The study was conducted with people and it read: â€Å"The comparisons and shared philos...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Uncle Toms Cabin :: Uncle Toms Cabin Essays

BOOK:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Uncle Tom’s Cabin AUTHOR:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Harriet Beecher Stowe COPYWRITE: 1852   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a historical book that I feel is one of the most mind enduring books of all time. This book put me in the place of every northern citizen in the 1800s. I felt as if I was in the story. My knowledge of how slaves were treated was enhanced greatly. To finally have read this book, I now know why this book was one of the main causes to the Civil War. To read the details about the pain and suffering that Tom and all of the other slaves faced really sickened my stomach and opened my eyes. I am glad to say that I have read the greatest book ever published about slavery, and if you ask me about any topic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The information that I was able to gain from this book was and will be very useful to me for the rest of my life. In no way do I think of myself as a racist individual but never again will I allow myself to look at another person differently for their skin color, their disabilities, or look. This book really was a great learning experience; it has changed a small part of my mind that I will never lose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uncle Tom’s Cabin starts off with one setting and one story line and then breaks into two separate plots. In the beginning the story takes place on the Shelby plantation in Kentucky. The first chapter of the book is showing you the difference the author sees in Northern and Southern men. You can tell that the book is going to support the Northerners outlook on slavery. Mr. Shelby is in debt and he is trying to negotiate a deal with Mr. Haley to sell slaves to him. Mr. Haley notices a young boy Harry, who comes onto the porch to sing and dance, and wants to take him. Right after this Harry’s mother comes in and Mr. Haley wants her also because she is so beautiful. Mr. Shelby tries to explain he can’t get rid of either of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the book progresses you learn more about the story of Eliza.

Survival Processing Essay -- Sociology

Numerous studies have shown the human mind has a heightened ability to encode information relevant to our survival. During the standard paradigm used for proving a basis for survival processing, participants were instructed to imagine themselves in an unknown grassland without access to basic needs (Kostic, McFarlan, & Cleary, 2012). The subjects were then asked to rate a list of items based on how useful they would be given the survival scenario (Kostic et al., 2012). Following a short delay, the participants were then asked to recall or recognize items, which had previously been presented (Kostic et al., 2012). Based on the findings researchers were able to conclude words pertaining to our survival are better retained then words that are not, even when the survival scenario was changed to various situations such as a bank robbery (Kang, McDermott & Cohen, 2008), a vacation scene (Nairne, & Pandeirada, 2008), or survival in a large city setting (Nairne & Pandeirada, 2010). Although recent research has been able to clearly define what survival processing is there are more aspects, which have been explored and investigated which will be discussed within the confines of this paper. The two main areas that will be focused on are the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon and some of its limitations; a conclusion will then be drawn on future directions of study within this topic. It could be assumed face perception would fit the criteria of important survival information and thus the advantages of survival processing would also be in effect. Yet a study conducted by Savine, Scullin and Roediger (2011) looked at survival processing in relation to faces to test if this was a limitation of this type of processing. Researchers cond... ... Cognition, 33(2), 263-273. Nairne, J. S., & Pandeirada, J. S. (2008). Adaptive memory: Remembering with a stone-age brain. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 239–243. Nairne, J. S., & Pandeirada, J. S. (2010). Adaptive memory: Ancestral priorities and the mnemonic values of survival processing. Cognitive Psychology, 61(1), 1-22. Savine, A. C., Scullin, M. K., & Roediger, H. (2011). Survival processing of faces. Memory & Cognition, 39(8), 1359-1373. Smeets, T., Otgaar, H., & Raymaekers, L. (2012). Survival processing in times of stress. Psychon Bull Rev, 19, 113-118. Tse, C., & Altarriba, J. (2010). Does survival processing enhance implicit memory?. Memory & Cognition, 38(8), 1110-1121. Weinstein, Y., Bugg, J. M., & Roediger, H. (2008). Can the survival recall advantage be explained by basic memory processes?. Memory & Cognition, 36(5), 913-919.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Disaster Paper Essay

When you deliberate on a disaster, it becomes clear that any such event has three phases to it. Initially, there are antecedents that lead to the disaster. When enough antecedents have accumulated, the disaster occurs at that specific tipping time. Finally after the disaster has happened the final phase of resolutions occurs. The resolutions are steps that the society attempt to implement to revert the effects that the event has produced. Consider the Deepwater Horizon disaster that happened on July 17th 2010. Upon critical review the group have identified series of antecedents that led to the disaster. At the tipping point the disaster occurred, lives were lost and numerous crew members injured. After the initial shock of the disaster and evacuation of the crew engineers and BP staff attempted to close the well with numerous trials. Eventually policy makers were involved in development of the new safety policies. Numerous investigations and trials were performed to better understand the disaster and avoid similar events. At the end numerous antecedents have been identified, the disaster was resolved and the consequences identified. The Deepwater Horizon accident was found to have multiple antecedents that caused this tragedy. Specifically, a sequence of eight safety barriers that were breached led to the explosion which killed eleven people and caused widespread pollution throughout the Gulf of Mexico. At first the annulus cement barrier was installed improperly and did not isolate the hydrocarbons coming from the well. The shoe track barrier did not isolate the hydrocarbons. As a consequence these two events allowed hydrocarbons to rise up the well and aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig. The negative pressure test was incorrectly interpreted. The influx of hydrocarbons was not recognized until it was too late. Well control response actions failed to regain the control of the well. This led the well flow to be diverted to the mud gas separator causing gas to be vented onto the vessel rather than being diverted over board. Safety fire and gas systems did not prevent hydrocarbon ignition from the engine room. Finally, the blowout preventer (BOP) emergency modes did not seal the well due to the accumulation of previous seven events mentioned above. With these eight events leading one to another, it was much more difficult to seize the explosions and fire that damaged the MUX cables and hydraulic lines. This resulted in failure of the emergency disconnect system. To conclude, it is clear that specific and identifiable antecedents can be discovered and that their accumulations to a tipping point lead to the disaster. The second phase of the Deepwater Horizon disaster deals with engineers and BP technical staff trying to close the well so that the oil spill is stopped. To reduce the oil spill the leaking oil is set on fire with the hope that the spill will be reduced. On May 2nd, 2010 PB starts to drill a relief well that should overtake that leaking site. On May 5th one of the leaking sites is capped, however oil continues to leak from the well. On May 7th BP engineers use the containment chambers to close the remaining leaks. The idea fails and is abandoned. On May 9th a â€Å"junk shot† approach is implemented, the following day â€Å"top hat† approach is planned out. The attempt to reduce the leak continues, numerous other approaches and plans are implemented to either reduce the oil spill or completely halt it. On august 4th BP reports that using the latest attempt the â€Å"static kill† appears to be successful and attempts to permanently seal the leak are in the process. On September 19th the Deepwater Horizon leak have been permanently sealed. The nightmare that happened on May 2nd has been halted but not fully resolved. The environmental affect that the disaster caused will hunt the future of Gulf of Mexico waters for decades. For example, seahorse populations in the region decline and the Hippocampus zosterae, dwarf specie of seahorses, is on the verge of extinction. The role of engineers in the Deepwater Horizon disaster is immense. During the accumulation of antecedents there are evidences that engineers knew about chaos that was occurring on the Deepwater Horizon rig. However, due to poor management and lack of communication between companies involved in the project, engineers had little impact in correcting the antecedents. Eventually, when the disaster occurred, the BP engineers tried various attempts and ideas to close the opened well. Lastly environmental engineers are and will be involved in cleaning efforts of the Gulf of Mexico waters. Therefore it is important to consider the engineers as not only the antecedents in a disaster but also as proactive members of society that attempt fixing the environment to pre-disaster state. Therefore, engineering is involved with all disaster phases. As a group, we plan to incorporate each disaster phase into the final report and discuss how engineering process have been aiding the future avoidance of similar disasters. It is important to understand that media reports cover just a few aspects of disasters and news in general. In many cases the scope of media reports is within political and economic spectrums. Therefore further research into documents released by various commissions and investigators that are publicly available will be looked at and analysed by the group and its members. The group process is moving according to the milestones developed and outlined in the proposal paper. Despite this, new opportunities in scheduling allows for the group to have a few extra meetings and perhaps finish the final report ahead of the scheduled time. The comparison chart of milestones is outlined below. Over all there are a few challenges that the group have to work through. As mentioned above the group plans to analyze some reports developed by the investigators of the disaster. The challenging part is to read through pages of technical analysis and to identify related parts for the assignment. Since there are new group meetings, it should be possible to accomplish this task in professional manner. In addition the group will do a presentation on the project therefore these two meeting dates will be allocated towards that time. The final paper will contain a more detailed and chronological outline of the disaster phases. The paper will discuss the causes, antecedents and policy developments that occurred as of the result of the disaster. The general breakdown of the parts has not changed since they were assigned during the composition of the proposal paper.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Global Problems Such As Climate Change Greenhouse Effect Engineering Essay

Nowadays people are faced with many planetary jobs, such as clime alteration, nursery consequence, acid rains, air and H2O pollution, etc. One of the major jobs is air pollution. Air contain waste gases from cars, such as oxides of sulfur, N, C monoxide, which combine in air with H2O or other atoms, organizing unsafe compounds, destructing ozone bed and precipitating with acerb rains. Many solutions are proposed presents, such as utilizing environmentally friendly fuels, change the auto or engine design. One of possible solutions is auto mass decrease. For illustration, â€Å" each 100 g of decrease of auto mass consequences in salvaging 0.3 liters of fuel per 100 kilometer, which equals to 0.6 – 0.7 kilogram of CO2 † ( Steeluniversity.org ) But how can the mass decrease be implemented? Harmonizing to the equation, mass depends on the volume and the denseness of the stuff: As it is seen from the equation auto mass can be reduced by taking the stuff with lower denseness or by cut downing the volume of auto parts. In footings of the first solution steel remains to be the most suited stuff because of it ‘s mechanical belongingss. Steel has satisfied formability, articulation ability and output strength. Customers are happy with steel. Almost all autos are made from steels and the industry has all agencies and conditions for it. However, unstained steel is rather expensive and coating must be used. There are besides some alternate stuffs with lower denseness – Ti ( I?=4.52 ) , aluminum ( I?=2.71 ) , glass ( I?=2.55-3.55 ) , Mg ( 1.71 ) , composite ( 1.55-1.93 ) , polymer ( 0.9-1.7 ) , cloths ( 0.8-0.9 ) , white pine ( 0.51 ) . ( Istochnic ) . But they can non be used by several grounds: Cost – auto doors made of Ti, Mg, aluminum can be really expensive, so that clients will non accept these autos. Lower mechanical belongingss. Cars may non go through clang trials Poor formability Joining troubles -it can be hard to fall in such auto outer door panel with the body-in-white. Extremist alterations of the whole fabrication procedure may be required The alteration of the stuff may ensue in the alteration of assembly fixtures, organizing dies, etc. Further probes are necessary Some of these stuffs are already used in luxury autos, such as Lotus. ( Istochnik ) . But for household autos it seems to be impropriate. Hence, steel is chosen for the auto door outer panel. To cut down auto mass another parametric quantity can be changed – V ( volume of the constituent – in our instance the volume of door ) . We can non extinguish this constituent due to safety demands. We can non change the surface of the door, because it can do the alterations of the whole building. That is why the merely possible thing we can make is to understate the thickness of the door which seems to be the best option. However, we should utilize another type of steel to follow with all safety and design standards. Purposes to cut down the auto outer door panel mass at least by 25 % take the thickness of the door carry out trials on formability, articulation ability, corrosion opposition, dent and oil-canning trials take the steel and coating method Calculate weight and cost nest eggs When planing auto door the most important belongingss should be considered are: Joinability – the ability of steel to fall in, depend on the chemical science and strength ( Istochnik I change ) Formability – ability to accept the desirable signifier deue to fictile distortion. With the addition of strength formability decreases ( Change and Istochnik ) Corrosion opposition – bar of the destructive onslaught by the environment ( alteration and Istochnik ) Dent opposition – the ability of the stuff to defy local distortions. Small defects can be caused by rocks ( Change and Istochnik ) Furthermore trials are needed to be carried out in order to look into the belongingss of chosen stuff. Dent and Oil-canning trials Dent trial and Oil-canning trials are required to find the thickness and the output strength of auto door panel. The minimal values of this parametric quantities following with this demands should be found. Difference between as-received output and the concluding output strength. IstochnikThickness, millimeterAs-formed output strength, MpaPanel curvature, millimeterPanel mass, kg0.56305 49 3.980.58305 43 4.120.60290 38 4.250.62290 35 4.400.68277 27 4.830.70240 25 4.970.72240 23 5.110.76240 21 5.400.80190 19 5.68 Table 1. Date from the dent and oil-canning trials for each thickness Figure 1. Yield Strength against curvature for each thickness What parameters does the dent trial depend on? What parameters does the warp trial depend on? Which strength is needed for each thickness? Corrosion opposition The life-time warrant for auto door panel is 12 old ages. Several factors contribute to the corrosion opposition, including the stuff chosen. Stainless steel has first-class opposition to corrosion, but it will be really expensive to bring forth auto from this stuff. Uncoated steel will non last for 12 old ages harmonizing to rust procedure. So, the coated steel is the most cost effectual manner of bettering corrosion opposition of an uncoated merchandise. There are several types of coatings, viz. : pigment coating, Sn coating, Zn coating, Cr coating and polymer coating. Paint, Sn, polymer, Cr can give aesthetic consequence but one time scratched it will non protect steel from the corrosion because they act merely like a barrier. Serious environmental concerns and high cost can be deal with in the instance of polymers and Cr. Furthermore, extra coating may be needed to give the appropriate coating and surface required by clients and marketing co-workers. That is why Zn seems to be the best coating stuff. Even if scratched it will give the steel. It gives an first-class protection due to sacrificial mechanism. However, extra bed is needed to obtained coloring material that consumers need. Industry criterion corrosion trial is carried out in order to find the thickness of Zn coating and technique for using Zn coating. First Zn coated sheet 150Ãâ€"100 nanometer is treated with Zn phosphate, premier with catodic electrocoat, spray with white based coat and finish with clear coat. Scribe the painted steel – one diagonal abrasion through the coatings to the steel. The sheets are subjected to the 80 rhythms. – one per twenty-four hours. This corresponds to 3.4 old ages of exposure to existent conditions. Measurement showed how many millimeter of pigment next to the Scribe was removed. Due to the experiments day of the month the most effectual type of surfacing are HD galvanised and HD galvannealed. Cold rolled steels showed the worst corrosion opposition.Coating typeCoating weight, g*m2Average scribe weirdo, millimeterElectrogalvanized steel30 2.7Electrogalvanized steel+Zn rich primer40 2.8Hot dip galvanized steel45 2.6Electrogalvanized steel60 2.1Electrogalvanize steel70 1.6Hot dip galvanized steel67 1.7Hot dip galvanized steel107 1.4 The size of the auto door is 700Ãâ€"1000 millimeter. So, the country of the door is: S= 700*1000=700 000 mm2 It is known that the average loss of pigment is 0.01 % after 12 old ages. The country of paint loss can be calculated as: Spain loss=700 000*0.01/100=70 mm2 If this happen due to one abrasion, it may be possible to cipher the mean scribe weirdo after these 12 old ages. However, it is assumed that horizontal Scribe is non governed by the length of the abrasion. Scribe creep12 years=70/10=7 millimeter Similarly, Scribe creep1 year= 7 / 12 = 0.583 millimeter Scribe creep3.4 twelvemonth = 0.583 * 3.4 = 1.9822 a†°? 2 millimeter Using the above secret plan it is possible to happen the thinnest coating matching to 2mm scribe weirdo. The thinnest coating is 60 g. per mm2 or 8.4 A µm. The surface coating and the cost depend on the type of surfacing. The average cost for 60 g/mm2 coating is the undermentioned: 1.27 for galvanneal steel ; 1.3 for dip galvanized and 1.33 for electrogalvanized. Similarly the surface finish index is 1, 0.95 and 0.9, severally. Hot dip galvanized coating was chosen for this instance, because this coating showed itself better during corrosion trial and it has the mean values of the cost and surface finish index. Formability During formability trial a steel foliage is analyzing at particular imperativeness. This trial demonstrates the location of major strains in auto door panel. The angle parts of the panel a most likely to tear during forming. To prove these corners Forming Limit Diagram is applied. It is seen from the trial that the location of the secret plan on the Diagram depends on several factors, such as strength, type of the coat and oil for lubrication. To put the points to the safe country the undermentioned parametric quantities were chosen: Thickness t = 0.6 millimeter As-received yield-strength 290 Mpa Coating – hot dip galvinised Lubricant – Oil 2 The as-received strength alters the work indurating advocate which affects stretching of the steel sheet. In our instance the minimal work indurating advocate was found to be 0.2. We besides do n't take into history the R value since deep drawing is non utilize for auto door panel. Joinability There several types of fall ining techniques, such as adhesive bonding, concentrating and welding. Adhesive bonding is non normally used for auto door because it is technically complicated and economically unbeneficial. Riveting is used for some parts of autos but this method is impracticable for doors, since it would impact the visual aspect of the vehicle. In this instance welding seems to be the most appropriative. Steels are easy welded together, what is widely used in industry. Among the great sum of welding techniques ( electron beam welding, optical maser welding, seam welding, metal inert gas welding, opposition topographic point welding, discharge welding, clash welding ) opposition topographic point welding is the best pick for auto door outer panel. This technique is accessible and easy. the thickness of the steel sheet and the type of surfacing can impact fall ining procedure. That is why joinability trials should be carried out to look into if steel sheets with chosen coatings can be welded together. During the trial the following values were determined: Thickness, T millimeter 0.6 As-formed output strength, MPa 210 Load, kN 1.9 Welding current, kA 8.0 Welding clip, rhythms 8 Hold clip, rhythms 10 Coating Hot-dip galvanized Electrode life 2000 dyer's rockets 1 rhythm = 0.02 s What is the minimal and maximal current that produces acceptable dyer's rockets? Which is the minimal and maximal electrode force? What is the minimal and maximal dyer's rocket rate? Determine this inquiries when there is no coating Steel choice Now we have to take the steel class. Harmonizing to our consequences, we were proposed 6 types of steel: The BH220 Bake Hard steel was chosen. The comparative tabular array of current and chosen steels: Comparative parametric quantity Original Experimental Steel thickness, millimeter 0.8 0.6 Steel curvature, millimeter 10 38 Coating, type/thickness 0/0 3/8.4 Min burden, N 1.1 1.9 Min welding current, kA 5 8 Min welding clip, rhythms 7 8 Hold clip, rhythms 10 10 Consequences.Decision.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Badminton vs. Tennis

Badminton vs. Tennis Sports are considered to be an extremely important part of our lives today, they are essential to our health, entertainment and relaxation. Even though some sports are alike in ways, many people still prefer to choose one over the other. This is because even though there are some similarities between them, they are still completely different when compared properly, like in the case of racquet-based sports. Two racket sports that are played worldwide are badminton and tennis.Both are co-ed sports and despite their similarities they are poles apart when it comes to the equipment used in them, their rules and their ground settings. Tennis and badminton are easily mistaken by amateurs, but the people who know and play these sports are well aware of their differences. The rackets used in badminton are long, thin, light weighted and have a greater tension in the string so that more power is applied to the light-weight shuttlecock, while in tennis the rackets are short, heavy, wide and have lower tension due to the heavy weight of the ball.In badminton a shuttlecock, also known as a birdie in North America has an open conical shape that consists of sixteen or so feathers overlapping each other, embedded into a rounded cork base. In tennis instead of a shuttlecock a ball is allowed, which is covered in a fibrous fluffy felt. Also a shuttlecock is much lighter in weight than a tennis ball. The basic rules of these two sports are also very distinct. In tennis, it is allowed if a ball hits the ground once before the player returns it back to his/her opponent, while in badminton if the shuttle comes in contact with the ground, then a point is lost.Furthermore, the scoring system of tennis is different from badminton’s scoring system. In tennis it only requires 4 points to win a set however, in professional badminton a minimum of 21 points are required to win a normal set. Another difference that separates these sports is the setting in which the y are played. Tennis is an outdoor sport so the weather does have an effect on it, but tennis players use their surroundings to their advantage, so a windy environment can be of use in tennis.On the other hand, in badminton even a little wind can cause a great deal of problem due to the light weight of the birdie, which is why badminton is professionally an indoor sport. Additionally tennis courts are larger (72 feet long and 27 feet wide) compared to badminton’s courts (20 feet wide and 44 feet long). This is because in tennis the ball travels for a longer distance at a faster velocity, so in order for a player to be able to hit the ball clearly, he/she has to stay far from his/her opponent. In contrast badminton courts are much smaller; this is due to the light weight of the birdie.In conclusion, both badminton and tennis are great sports that are played across the world, and even though they are both played with a racket, they are both challenging in their own way. Badmint on requires a lot of stamina and exceptionally fast reflexes, while tennis requires more strength and agility. Despite their similarities they are both different and unique in their own way. This is why both are loved and played by different people. If one was to make a survey for the world to choose a favorite between badminton and tennis, I wonder which one would be favored most.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Multiple Choice Questions Essay

1. Which of the following is true about a TCP/IP network? The network uses standards defined in TCP/IP RFC’s plus other standards. 2. Which of the following terms is not a common synonym for TCP/IP model? Ethernet / TCP/IP Mapping 3. Think generically about the idea of a networking standard, ignoring any particular standard or standards group. Which of the following is typically true of a standard? It exists as a written document / it has been passed through some form of review and approval or certification process 4. Contrast an international standard as compared to a de facto standard? De facto standard documents have been reviewed more thoroughly. / De Facto standards typically mean that the standards group has been authorized by many countries to create standards that apply to multiple countries 5. Which of the following are true about the commonly used version of the TCP/IP model as shown in this chapter? The data link layer sits lower in the model than the transport layer. / The physical layer sits just below the data link layer 6. The TCP/IP model refers to standards other than those the IETF defines in RFC’s. Which of these standards groups is typically the source of external LAN standards? IEEE / ANSI 7. Which of the following is not a typical reason for a group of ten companies to start a vendor group, for the purpose of pushing a new networking technology? To keep intellectual property rights to the technology inside the company 8. The TCP/IP and OSI models have some obvious differences, like the number of layers. Think about the more commonly used version of the TCP/IP model discussed in this chapter, and then think about how to talk about TCP/IP using OSI terms. Which of the following is a correctly phrased statement for  how to use OSI terminology? IP is a network layer protocol 9. Historically, which of the following models were the earliest models used in corporate networks? TCP/IP 10. Which of the following statements is true when comparing the OSI and the TCP/IP model as defined in RFC 1122? 11. A network engineer connects two PCs (PC1 and PC2) using Ethernet NICs and an Ethernet cable that has copper wires inside. The two PCs communicate successfully. Which of the following happens when PC1 sends bits to PC2? 12. A TCP/IP network includes an Ethernet LAN with 10 PCs uses a LAN switch. PC1 sends data intended for an app running on PC2. Which of the following mechanisms does Ethernet define so that PC2 receives and processes the data? The Ethernet header lists PC2’s MAC address so that PC2 will realize that the data is meant for PC2 13. Two network pros are having a conversation about some issues in a network. They discuss some issues related to how PPP forwards data, so they happen to be discussing the data structure that includes the PPP header and trailer. Which of the following terms do they use? Packet 14. Which of the following are true facts about IP addresses? Are listed in the data-link trailer and used by routers to make a forwarding decision 15. Which of the following answers is true about Ethernet MAC addresses? All of the above. 16. Witch of the following statements is true comparing LANs and WANs? LANs generally connect devices that are nearer to each other, compared to WANs. WANs are purchased, and LANs are leased. 17. Which of the following answers list true facts about the data link layer of the TCP/IP? Two TCP/IP data-link protocols are Ethernet and PPP. Data-link protocols define addresses that identify devices connected to the underlying physical link. 18. Which of the following answers list true facts about the network layer of TCP/IP? Two TCP/IP data-link protocols are Ethernet and PPP. Data-link protocols define addresses that identify devices connected to the underlying physical link. 19. Which of the following answers lists true facts about the transport layer of ICP/IP? None of the answers are correct. 20. A PC user opens a web browser and sends a request to a web server to load a new web page. Three routers forward the data as it passes from client to server. Consider the data plus all headers and trailers that go from the web client to the web server. Which of the following headers go all the way from the web client to the web server? Network layer header, Application layer header and Data-link header. Define Key Terms TCP/IP network- It is commonly known as TCP/IP, because it’s most important protocols, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP), were the first networking protocols defined in this standard Networking standard- record the details of exactly what a new networking technology does, and how it does what it does. Networks do not work if the pieces do not work together, and standards help everyone agree on how something works so that it works well within the network. TCP/IP model- defines a large set of standards, which, when implemented together, create a safe and useful network. Open networking model- shares the details so that any vendor can make products using those standards. Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model- a conceptual model that characterizes and standardizes the internal functions of a communication  system by partitioning it into abstraction layers. Encoding- Creates something like a spoken language that uses electricity Header- A place to store a message that needs to flow through the network with the user data that precedes the data. Trailer- A place to store a message that needs to flow through the network with the user data that follows the data. Leased line- the equivalent of a cable directly between tow remote sites. Internet Protocol (IP) – Lists the rules so that the network can forward data from end to end through the entire TCP/IP network. IP address- identifies a device in a TCP/IP network. IP routing- Defines exactly how routers makes their choices of how to forward data in a TCP/IP network. Frame- Refers to encapsulated data that includes the data-link header and trailer, plus everything in between. Packet- refers to what sits between the data-link hearer and trailer, but not including the data-link header and trailer.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Sociology - Essay Example I did use instances from the movie to elaborate the effects on individual and society. Whereas, the effects on the multinational companies I gathered from general knowledge. Ethnocentrism is used to define the cultural biased approach when viewing or judging other cultures and ethical systems. The world is wide and constitutes of a number of cultures and belief systems that vary from one another to a smaller or greater extent. Some actions considered normal in one culture may be viewed as offensive or unacceptable by the other one. For example, in Arab countries it is mandatory for all females to cover their head otherwise they face punishment. Now, such custom may be viewed as offensive to women belonging to other cultures and countries. Different ethnic groups can be defined on the basis of caste, religion, language, customs and value system or geopolitical boundaries. So, an ethnocentric person would consider one particular culture most important and superior than others and would measure all other cultures using his preferred culture as benchmark. More often than not the individuals consider their own culture as the most important. Hence, ethnocentr ism can be viewed as an attitude that shows lack of acceptance of other cultures, and a feeling of contempt for people belonging to other cultures. All individuals who grow up in certain society with its own unique belief system tend to view their values as the right one and the highest one. They tend to identify with those set of values and customs and may fiercely resist any attempt to devise any changes in such ideals. As, it amounts to altering their identity of which every human tends to be

Monday, August 12, 2019

Organizational Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Development - Assignment Example During recent years, the field of human resource management has seen a transformation as a result of changing workplace trends. A common concern for human resource managers has been to manage compensation and rewards in such as a way that employees feel motivated. At the same time, human resource managers are concerned with talent retention and this requires designing effective compensation plans that not only motivate employees and drive performance, but also retain high performing employees. However, many of the problems resulting from compensation plans differ from organization to organization. The dynamics of each organization shape the type of compensation plans that are going to work best given their situation. For example, organizations focusing on sales may pay their employees in terms of commissions and piece rate. On the other hand, high tech companies like software firms may pay their employees in terms of employee stock units. This is what Google and Facebook are doing with their employees. In order to counter challenges relating to pay, human resource managers develop appropriate pay plans that are suitable to employees (Dessler, 2011). That is to say, such plans that motivate employees and get the most output from them. Additionally, human resource managers have to carry out employee appraisals. Currently all organizations have some sort of performance evaluation in place (Lichtman, 2007). To do so, human resource managers have to design and plan out performance evaluation system which consist of measurable metrics that reflect an employee’s performance. The metrics criteria are based on key performance indicators as known as KPIs and different performance (Lichtman, 2007). Measuring the performance of a company’s employees provides managers with all the necessary information needed to make an informed decision. It helps managers decide which employees are going to receive appraisals and which employees will not. In certain

Teaching Prejudice Reduction in High School Students, School and the Research Paper

Teaching Prejudice Reduction in High School Students, School and the Community - Research Paper Example Gordon Allport identified prejudice as a feeling, positive or harsh, towards an individual or thing, prior to, or not derived from, real experience (Allport 2). This paper will research on ways one would go about teaching prejudice reduction in high school students, school and community. Prejudicial beliefs and attitudes challenge values of social justice in a moderate democracy. Prejudice in learning institutions is troubling because they are public areas in which learners study to construct and negotiate knowledge of disparities. When prejudicial attitudes go uninspected in learning institutions, students are not granted the chance to disassemble prejudicial knowledge (Bandura 34). The effect of prejudicial actions on students is broad, extending from lower school performance to deprived mental and physical health. For instance, recent research illustrated that the Asian Pacific American learners encounter prejudicial attitudes regarding expectations of high academic achievement. A single Asian Pacific American student is anticipated to shine in academics based upon combined group data in spite of his or her individual abilities or needs (Cohen 56). These prejudices coalesce with family prospects bring out high levels of stress among learners. As a result, some Asian Pacific American scholars report serious misery and suicidal feelings than their European and American counterparts. The lessening of prejudice is essential for vigorous and equitable learning surroundings that promote a student’s physical, academic and mental health (Cohen 56). Creating awareness of the effects of prejudice to high schools students, schools and the community at large is a vital key of reducing prejudice. This is because as students observe alternate stories of different groups, they start the deconstruction of hegemonic typical stories that effect social disparity. For instance, rather than having monolingual voice in subjects like history, learners are capable of listeni ng to several voices that explain the history from a variety of views. Learners develop the skill to evaluate discrepancies that exist to effect inequalities by studying several views of history. Transformative information becomes a possible source for exceptional change by enlightening and communicating the variations between the democratic principles in a society plus its practices. The transformation of information entails raising diverse queries and reexamining what is the official information. The official information explains the attitude of typical stories to the status of being natural, normal or truth. Because official information is often effected by a school’s program, a critical assessment of the curriculum is a vital aspect of multicultural education. This assessment is essential for students to deconstruct prejudicial information and establish an appreciation of diverse cultures. The mass media play a pivotal responsibility in enlightening the reduction of preju dice in the society. The mass media assists in enlightening the society about the effects of prejudice. Educators can also assist students to study the way in which diverse social groups are exposed in mass media. Recent research has found that, though, the media often promotes the growth of prejudicial attitudes because it occasionally gives a wider understanding of different perspectives. Finally, prejudiced actions like tracking should be expelled as a means of reducing prejudice (Cortes 125). Researchers have called for awareness

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Introduction - Essay Example Such as enhancing my vocabulary, encouraging powerful writing skills and ensuring wide-ranged career opportunities and advancement options so that I could become stable in the future. Personally, I was keen on improving my command on English language, and the course offered me this opportunity. Emails are extremely important nowadays at any workplace since communications by email are conducted daily. Reading and Writing emails is an essential tool in my company too. Writing email is itself an art and effective writing skills are necessary to write eloquent emails. However, I would primarily focus on improving not just my written but verbal communication skills in English language too so that getting along with others effectively becomes possible for me. I find it difficult to convey my ideas in a clear and precise manner both on paper or during speech and listeners/readers cannot correctly comprehend what I am trying to express and deliver through my thoughts. It has been pretty challenging for me to communicate effectively in written and/or spoken English writing or speaking because it is my second language. However, I plan to overcome this language barrier as it causes a dilemma for me every day. I have taken too many courses to help me out in this context, and I plan to learn more in this class. I am sure it will take a lot of time and dedication to accomplish that, but I am looking forward to it. My main focuses in life are school, work, and most of my free time is spent reading. If I find the title and the theme interesting, I just read it without caring about who is the author. My favourite reading materials are the ones that have some underlying message such as which teach me how to become a better person. Topics like etiquette, human relationships, and personal fitness are some of my preferences. I have always believed