Choosing a Persuasive Speech Topic for High School Do’s and Don’ts

Choosing a Persuasive Speech Topic for High School: Do’s and Don’ts Obviously, there is nothing like a controversial topic in terms of grabbing the attention of your audience. It is also a must for any persuasive speech, as it expresses its essence, namely two adversary points of view that give you plenty of scope for employing your argumentative and persuasive skills. However, do not get too carried away in chase of sensationalism and follow some standard rules. Firstly, when you decide on a topic for your speech, make sure you do not take up an offensive stance towards a certain group of people or demean them. Your objective is to persuade people. If you hurt your listeners on a personal level, you will, obviously, fail to achieve your goal as well as prove yourself to be a disrespectful orator and a narrow-minded person. There are, of course, people with very strong feeling about certain issues, who would object and remind me of free speech, but free speech also implies responsibility, especially when it is public. What can be chosen as a topic then? In fact, as long as you do not forget about the respect, the sky is the only limit for you. Any topic that can get people thinking and questioning their point of view would be an excellent choice. However, make sure that you research it well and present both sides of the argument, so that your speech doesn’t sound one-sided. Last but not least, prepare colorful illustrations to support any allegation you make to be sure that your speech is well-reasoned. On the whole, you are expected to

Understanding The Yellow Wallpaper - 1209 Words

Understanding The Yellow Wallpaper There are more reported cases of clinical depression in women than their are in men. There is also, generalized in western cultures, a stereotype that women are fragile and should be more dedicated to maintaining the home, doing feminine things, that they shouldnt work, and be discouraged from intellectual thinking. In the Victorian period (1837-1901) aside from womens suffragette movements the Victorian woman usually upheld this stereotype of a well behaved wife, more or less a possession then an individual. However, there were a few who defied the odds and took it to heart to let the world know about the indifferences that they went through. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, feminist, was one of†¦show more content†¦The author of the story, Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in July 3, 1860, in Hartford. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is an important figure in feminist activism and literature. Her father was Frederick Perkins, who was an editor and a librarian. Frederick Perkins, however abandoned the family when Gilman was only a baby. In the years to come the only real contact he had with his daughter was that he provided her with book lists. Gilmans relationship with her mother proved similarly peculiar, for her mother knowingly abstained from affection. In addition, Gilman was prevented by her mother from reading fiction or developing strong friendships(Stone). The only company that Gilman found herself around was her relatives, Harriet Beecher Stowe or Catherine Beecher and Isabella Hooker (feminist activists) However, against her mothers ~Arishes she grew a love for books. Before Gilmans early twenties she taught as a teacher, she soon married though, an artist by the name of Walter Stetson. Within a year of marrying, and after having given birth to a daughter, Gilman entered into her profound depression(Stone). Gilman was married twice in her life, the first time developing this so called psychoneurosies after the birth of her daughter. In 1887 Charlotte Perkins Gilman placed herself under the care of Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, aShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1362 Words   |  6 Pagesas freaks. In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, both of these elements are present. Gilman did a wonderful job portraying how women are not taken seriously and how lightly mental illnesses are taken. Gilman had, too, had firsthand experience with the physician in the story. Charlotte Perkins Gilman s believes that there really was no difference in means of way of thinking between men or women is strongly. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a short story about a woman whoRead More Imprisonment of Women Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper1439 Words   |  6 PagesImprisonment of Women Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper When asked the question of why she chose to write The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman claimed that experiences in her own life dealing with a nervous condition, then termed melancholia, had prompted her to write the short story as a means to try and save other people from a similar fate. Although she may have suffered from a similar condition to the narrator of her illuminating short story, Gilmans story cannot be coinedRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper Symbolism Essay901 Words   |  4 Pages In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† which takes place in the late 1800s, focuses on the first person narrator who is an infatuated woman. The disheartening story concentrates on a woman who is suffering from postpartum depression, and as well had mental breakdowns. The narrators husband John, moves her into a home isolated in the country where he wants her to â€Å"rest† and get better from her illness. During the course of being confined in the room with the wa llpaper, she learns new things andRead MoreAnalysis Of Charlotte Perkins Gilman s The Yellow Wallpaper 1047 Words   |  5 PagesJacob Niemann PY.260.115.05: Humanities Core I 11/22/15 Niemann I What lies beneath â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Written in 1892, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a short story that explores the mind of a woman who is driven to insanity by her surrounding environment. This woman, who narrates her experiences in a journal, begins by marveling at the grandeur of the estate her husband has taken for their summer vacation. Her feeling that there is â€Å"something queer† (307) about the situationRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman1099 Words   |  5 PagesThe Yellow Wallpaper, has an autobiographical element to it. It was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The piece of work concentrates on many different aspects of literature. The Yellow Wallpaper, has an autobiographical element to it. It was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The piece of work concentrates on many different aspects of literature. It can be evaluated with ten different types of literary criticism: formalist, biographical, historical, psychological, mythological,Read MoreTheme Of Isolation In The Yellow Wallpaper1216 Words   |  5 Pages Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, which was published in 1892, tells a compelling story about how the narrator is taken away from her own home because her husband refuses to acknowledge that she is sick and needs actual medical treatment. She gets locked up in a room in a huge mansion, which causes her to discover her true identity. Her true identity cannot be expressed fully, which causes her to take a different path of choosing an identity of being insane. Because her husbandRead MoreCritical Analysis Of The Yellow Wallpaper1511 Words   |  7 Pagesallows for the average American to relate and connect with the writing. Through realistic writing, writers were able to address controversial social issues of the time period. One of these writers was Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Her work, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, addresses the reality of gender status and roles and the treatment of psychological disorders during the nineteenth century. When explicating her work through a psychological perspective, it is clear to see how Gilman uses setting, symbolismRead More Essay on Janes Search for Self-identity in The Yellow Wallpaper609 Words   |  3 PagesJanes Search for Self-identity in The Yellow Wallpaper  Ã‚      The Yellow Wallpaper, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the late nineteenth century, explores the dark forbidding world of one womans plunge into a severe post-partum depressive state. The story presents a theme of the search for self-identity. Through interacting with human beings and the environment, the protagonist creates for herself a life of her own. Charlotte Gilman, through the first person narrator, speaks toRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper: A Look Into Post-Partum Depression1061 Words   |  5 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman’s story, The Yellow Wallpaper, portrays the life and mind of a woman suffering from post-partum depression in the late eighteenth century. Gilman uses setting to strengthen the impact of her story by allowing the distant country mansion symbolize the loneliness of her narrator, Jane. Gilman also uses flat characters to enhance the depth of Jane’s thoughts; however, Gilman’s use of narrative technique impacts her story the most. In The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman usesRead MoreThe Yellow Wall Paper By Charlotte Gilman1139 Words   |  5 PagesThe story â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper† written by Charlotte Gilman .It brings to light how much the narrator hates wallpaper and is a significant symbol portrayal of awful state. The yellow wallpaper can have a representation o f many conditions and ideas, among them, the mental state of the narrator. The paper is going to survey what the yellow wallpaper represents and notice how it is being depicted over the progression of the story. In addition, it will be explored why the yellow paper is likened to

Cotton Gin free essay sample

Cotton Gin In the late 1700s many people were trying to figure out a way to remove the seeds from cotton because it was very time consuming and labor was a slow [and] expensive process (Shectman 65). In the 1740s the people of India had created a machine called the churka (a sankrit word for a Jerking motion) that separated the cotton seeds from the clean fiber. The cotton was fed through the dual rollers, which grabbed the fiber tightly and pinched free the seeds. The seeds were trapped by ong groves in the rollers and deposited onto the floor, while the now-clean fiber exited the rollers (Shectman 65). With this new invention women were able to spin their own yarn and cloth. In 1793 a spin-off the churka was created and renamed the cotton gin, which soon became a revolutionary invention that changed the world forever. The cotton gin was created in 1793 by a man named Eli Whitney; it was similar to the churka. We will write a custom essay sample on Cotton Gin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It had a revolving cylinder with stiff wire hooks and a slotted metal plate. Turned by a hand crank (Sachs 41). On average people could clean one pound of cotton per day and cotton gin was able to clean ten pounds of cotton per day. The cotton gin soon became so successful that it made the United States the leading cotton producer. The cotton gin had a big influence on the economy, but also was a big contribution to slavery in the south, which ultimately lead to the American Civil War. Farmers were lucky to have equipment that produced mass amounts of cotton at a time instead of having to pick out the seeds by hand. Slaves however were not as lucky. They were forced to pick the cotton and work the machines. Cotton can be used for numerous things; use can make margarine and oil out of the seeds, long cotton fibers are used for clothing, and the short fibers can be shipped to the paper industry, and with the stalks and leaves and be put in the ground to make soil better. With Whitneys invention America was able to produce mass amounts of cotton, about 7. 3 billion pounds per year.

Nissan Essay Example For Students

Nissan Essay Nissan had faced large losses in the past three years. From the financial ratios, we could see that almost all of the profitability ratios were appeared as the negative percentage. Which means that the effectiveness of the firm’s management of profit in relation to both sales and investment were low. Also, it had decreasing by each year. Nissan seems to misread or ignored the consumers trends in the both Japan and the United States’ markets. The weakest points, and the issues that Nissan lack of are the brand identity and the product planning. Even though, Nissan had tried to build up the models- Maxima to compete with Toyota’s Camry, and Honda’s Accord, but failed to make an impact because it lacked a strong product identity it’s vehicles cannot have the same equipments and horsepower as other competitive vehicles. The reason for that is because Nissan afford the large amount of money in the vehicle’s investments. â€Å"Nissan cannot maintaining its market share, and had decreased down from 30% of hold to 20% in the Japanese market. Also, decreased down from 5.6% to only 4% in the United States’ market.† (Nissan: Automaker struggling, p.10) The other big problem came with it is overcapacity and shrinking sales. If the products cannot meet the customers’ need, t here will happen overcapacity. Moreover, the company’s debts estimated at nearly $30 billion, an amount roughly equal to its annual sales. Compare with other competitors Nissan still have pretty good amount of the sales, not the best one, but also not the worst one. That means the problem for Nissan is not the product itself. The problem they face should be the organization problem. Last year 1999, the Asia economic recession had affect to many of the businesses in the Asia market, especially the motor businesses. The Japanese companies, Toyota and Honda were both suffered steep losses because of the economic recession. However, the economy problem had also affected in Nissan, but that was not the main problem for Nissan. For the GM and Ford companies that are not the Japanese companies were not having this problem. From the ratios, we could see that they did not have as much as profit compare to the Japanese motors, but they are more stable than others. One possible solution to solve Nissan’s problem is to find a strong oversea partner to support Nissan’s investments that oversea. Although Nissan, Japans second-largest automotive assembler, can make vehicles cheaply, not enough people want to buy them, and the huge capital investments Nissan made during the 1980s do not appear to be generating a return that would allow the group to pay down its colossal debts. Nissans net debt is equivalent to 66 per cent of Japans annual defense spending. Nissans debt would not be a problem if it were generating the cash necessary to cover interest and pay down its obligations. Nissan has been cutting its capital expenditure, a decision that is partly to blame for its lackluster product line-up and poor sales in Japan. In the US, profits were hit by aggressive discounting and worse than expected residual values on leased vehicles. Only in Europe is Nissan profitable.

Battle of Berlin in World War II

Battle of Berlin in World War II The Battle of Berlin was a sustained and ultimately successful attack on the German city by the Allied forces in the Soviet Union from April 16–May 2, 1945, during World War II (1939–1945). Armies Commanders Allies: Soviet Union Marshal Georgy ZhukovMarshal Konstantin RokossovskyMarshal Ivan KonevGeneral Vasily Chuikovapprox. 2,500,000 men Axis: Germany General Gotthard HeinriciGeneral Kurt von TippelskirchField Marshal Ferdinand Schà ¶rnerLieutenant General Hellmuth ReymannGeneral Helmuth WeidlingMajor General Erich Brenfngerapprox. 766,750 men Background Having driven across Poland and into Germany, Soviet forces began planning for an offensive against Berlin. Though supported by American and British aircraft, the campaign would be entirely conducted by the Red Army on the ground. General Dwight D. Eisenhower saw no reason to sustain losses for an objective that would ultimately fall into the Soviet occupation zone after the war. For the offensive, the Red Army massed Marshal Georgy Zhukovs 1st Belorussian Front to the east of Berlin with Marshal Konstantin Rokossovkys 2nd Belorussian Front to the north and Marshal Ivan Konevs 1st Ukrainian Front to the south. Opposing the Soviets was General Gotthard Heinricis Army Group Vistula supported by Army Group Centre to the south. One of Germanys premier defensive generals, Heinrici elected not to defend along the Oder River and instead heavily fortified the Seelow Heights east of Berlin. This position was supported by successive lines of defenses extending back to the city as well as by inundating the Oders floodplain by opening reservoirs. Defense of the capital proper was tasked to Lieutenant General Helmuth Reymann. Though their forces looked strong on paper, Heinrici and Reymanns divisions were badly depleted. The Attack Begins Moving forward on April 16, Zhukovs men assaulted the Seelow Heights. In one of the last major pitched battles of World War II in Europe, the Soviets captured the position after four days of fighting but sustained over 30,000 killed. To the south, Konevs command captured Forst and broke into open country south of Berlin. While part of Konevs forces swung north towards Berlin, another pressed west to unite with advancing American troops. These breakthroughs saw Soviet troops nearly envelop the German 9th Army. Pushing westward, 1st Belorussian Front approached Berlin from the east and northeast. On April 21, its artillery began shelling the city. Encircling the City As Zhukov drove on the city, the 1st Ukrainian Front continued to make gains to the south. Driving back the northern part of Army Group Center, Konev compelled that command to retreat towards Czechoslovakia. Pushing forward north of Juterbog on April 21, his troops passed south of Berlin. Both of these advances were supported by Rokossovsky to the north who was advancing against the northern part of Army Group Vistula. In Berlin, Adolf Hitler began to despair and concluded that the war was lost. In an effort to rescue the situation, the 12th Army was ordered east on April 22 in the hope it could unite with 9th Army. The Germans then intended for the combined force to aid in defending the city. The next day, Konevs front completed the encirclement of the 9th Army while also engaging the lead elements of the 12th. Unhappy with Reymanns performance, Hitler replaced him with General Helmuth Weidling. On April 24, elements of Zhukov and Konevs fronts met west of Berlin completing the encirclement of the city. Consolidating this position, they began probing the citys defenses. While Rokossovsky continued to advance in the north, part of Konevs front met the American 1st Army at Torgau on April 25. Outside of the City With Army Group Centre disengaging, Konev faced two separate German forces in the form of the 9th Army which was trapped around Halbe and the 12th Army which was attempting to break into Berlin. As the battle progressed, 9th Army attempted to break out and was partially successful with around 25,000 men reaching 12th Armys lines. On April 28/29, Heinrici was to be replaced by General Kurt Student.  Until Student could arrive (he never did), command was given to General Kurt von Tippelskirch. Attacking northeast, General Walther Wencks 12th Army had some success before being halted 20 miles from the city at Lake Schwielow. Unable to advance and coming under attack, Wenck retreated towards the Elbe and U.S. forces. The Final Battle Within Berlin, Weidling possessed around 45,000 men composed of Wehrmacht, SS, Hitler Youth, and Volkssturm militia. Initial Soviet assaults on Berlin began on April 23, a day before the city was encircled. Striking from the southeast, they met heavy resistance but reached the Berlin S-Bahn railway near Teltow Canal by the following evening. On April 26, Lieutenant General Vasily Chuikovs 8th Guards Army advanced from the south and attacked Tempelhof Airport. By the next day, Soviet forces were pushing into the city along multiple lines from the south, southeast, and north. Early on April 29, Soviet troops crossed Moltke Bridge and began attacks on the Interior Ministry. These were slowed by a lack of artillery support. After capturing Gestapo headquarters later that day, the Soviets pressed on to the Reichstag. Assaulting the iconic building the next day, they succeeded in famously hoisting a flag over it after hours of brutal fighting. A further two days were needed to completely clear the Germans from the building. Meeting with Hitler early on April 30, Weidling informed him that the defenders would soon run out of ammunition. Seeing no other option, Hitler authorized Weidling to attempt a breakout. Unwilling to leave the city and with the Soviets nearing, Hitler and Eva Braun, who were married on April 29, remained in the Fà ¼hrerbunker and then committed suicide later in the day. With Hitlers death, Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz became president while Joseph Goebbels, who was in Berlin, became chancellor. On May 1, the citys remaining 10,000 defenders were forced into a shrinking area in the city center. Though General Hans Krebs, Chief of the General Staff, opened surrender talks with Chuikov, he was prevented from coming to terms by Goebbels who wished to continue the fight. This ceased to be an issue later in the day when Goebbels committed suicide.? Though the way was clear to surrender, Krebs elected to wait until the following morning so that a breakout could be attempted that night. Moving forward, the Germans sought to escape along three different routes. Only those who passed through the Tiergarten had success penetrating the Soviet lines, though few successfully reached American lines. Early on May 2, Soviet forces captured the Reich Chancellery. At 6:00 am, Weidling surrendered with his staff. Taken to Chuikov, he promptly ordered all remaining German forces in Berlin to surrender. Battle of Berlin Aftermath The Battle of Berlin effectively ended fighting on the Eastern Front and in Europe as a whole. With Hitlers death and complete military defeat, Germany unconditionally surrendered on May 7. Taking possession of Berlin, the Soviets worked to restore services and distribute food to the citys inhabitants. These efforts at humanitarian aid were somewhat marred by some Soviet units which plundered the city and assaulted the populace. In the fighting for Berlin, the Soviets lost 81,116 killed/missing and 280,251 wounded. German casualties are a matter of debate with early Soviet estimates being as high as 458,080 killed and 479,298 captured. Civilian losses may have been as high as 125,000.

Eurasian Badger Facts

Eurasian Badger Facts The Eurasian badger or European badger (Meles meles) is a social, omnivorous mammal that resides in woodlands, pastures, suburbs, and urban parks throughout most of Europe and Asia. In Europe, the badgers are also known by several common names including brock, pate, grey, and bawson. Fast Facts: Eurasian Badger Scientific Name: Meles melesCommon Name(s): Eurasian badger, European badger, Asian badger. In Europe: brock, pate, grey, and bawsonBasic Animal Group: Mammal  Ã‚  Size: 22–35 inches longWeight: Females weigh between 14.5–30 pounds, males are 20–36 poundsLifespan: 6 yearsDiet:  OmnivoreHabitat: Europe and AsiaPopulation: Worldwide unknown; range size variesConservation Status: Least Concern; considered Endangered in Albania Description Eurasian badgers are powerfully built mammals that have a short, fat body and short, sturdy legs well suited for digging. The bottoms of their feet are naked and they have strong claws that are elongated with a sharp end honed for excavation. They have small eyes, small ears, and a long head. Their skulls are heavy and elongated and they have oval braincases. Their fur is grayish and they have black faces with white stripes on the top and sides of their face and neck. Badgers range in body length from about 22–35 inches, with a tail extending another 4.5 to 20 inches. Females weigh between 14.5–30 pounds, while males weigh from 20–36 pounds. DamianKuzdak/Getty Images Species Once thought to be a single species, some researchers split them into subspecies which are similar in appearance and behavior but have different ranges. Common badger (Meles meles meles)Cretan badger (Meles meles arcalus)Trans Caucasian badger (Meles meles canascens)Kizlyar badger (Meles meles heptneri)Iberian badger (Meles meles marianensis)Norwegian badger (Meles meles milleri)Rhodes badger (Meles meles rhodius)Fergana badger (Meles meles severzovi) Habitat European badgers are found throughout the British Isles, Europe, and Scandinavia. Their range extends westward to the Volga River. West of the Volga River, Asian badgers are common. They are most often studied as a group and referred to in the scholarly press simply as Eurasian badgers. Eurasian badgers prefer deciduous woods with clearings or open pastureland with small patches of wood. They are also found in a wide variety of temperate ecosystems, mixed and coniferous woodlands, scrub, suburban areas, and urban parks. Subspecies are found in mountains, plains, and even semi-deserts. Territory ranges vary depending on food availability and so reliable population estimates are not currently available. Diet Eurasian badgers are omnivores. They are opportunistic foragers that consume fruit, nuts, bulbs, tubers, acorns and cereal crops, as well as invertebrates such as earthworms, insects, snails, and slugs. They also eat small mammals such as rats, voles, shrews, moles, mice, and rabbits. When available, they will also feed on small reptiles and amphibians such as frogs, snakes, newts, and lizards. The badgers forage alone even when involved in a social group: Eurasian badgers live in territorial, mixed-sex social colonies each sharing a communal burrow. The animals are nocturnal and spend much of the daylight hours hidden away in their setts. Behavior Eurasian badgers are social animals that live in colonies of six to 20 individuals made up of multiple males, breeding and non-breeding females, and cubs. The groups create and reside in a network of underground tunnels known as a sett or den. Some setts are large enough to house more than a dozen badgers and can have tunnels that are as much as 1,000 feet long with numerous openings to the surface. Badgers excavate their setts in well-drained soils that are easy to dig in. The tunnels are 2–6 feet beneath the surface of the ground and the badgers often construct large chambers where they sleep or care for their young. When digging tunnels, badgers create large mounds outside the entryway. By placing entrances on slopes, the badgers can push the debris down the hill and away from the opening. They do the same when cleaning out their sett, pushing bedding material and other waste out and away from the opening. Groups of badgers are known as colonies and each colony may construct and use several different setts throughout their territory. The setts they use depend on the distribution of food resources within their territory as well as whether or not it is breeding season and young are to be raised in the sett. Setts or sections of setts not used by badgers are sometimes occupied by other animals such as foxes or rabbits. Like bears, badgers experience winter sleep during which time they become less active but their body temperature does not drop as it does in full hibernation. In late summer, badgers begin to gain the weight they will need to power themselves through their winter sleep period. Reproduction Eurasian badgers are polygynous, meaning males mate with multiple females but females only mate with one male. Within social groups, however, only the dominant male and female mate. Dominant females are known to kill cubs from non-dominant females in the social group. Badgers can mate year round, but most commonly in late winter through early spring and late summer through early fall. At times, males expand their territories to cross-breed with extra-group females. Gestation lasts between 9 and 21 months and litters produce 1–6 cubs at a time; females are fertile during pregnancy so multiple paternity births are common. Cubs first emerge from their dens after eight to 10 weeks and are weaned by the age of 2.5 months. They are sexually mature at about a year old, and their lifespans are typically six years, although the oldest known wild badger lived to 14. TonyBaggett/Getty Images Threats European badgers do not have many predators or natural enemies. In some parts of their range, wolves, dogs, and lynxes pose a threat. In some areas, Eurasian badgers live side-by-side other predators such as foxes without conflict. The IUCN Red List comments that since Eurasian badgers occur in many protected areas and there are high densities found in anthropogenic habitats in large parts of its range, the Eurasian badger is highly unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing even as Near Threatened. They are targeted for hunting for food or persecuted as a pest, and in some urban and suburban areas, the population has decreased. Although estimates are unreliable, researchers believe the overall population has been increasing throughout their range since the 1980s. During the mid-1990s, the Badgers were classed Lower Risk/least concern (LR/LC) because of elevated occurrence of rabies and tuberculosis, although those diseases have since decreased substantially. Sources Carpenter, Petra J., et al. Mating System of the Eurasian Badger. Molecular Ecology 14.1 (2005): 273-84. Print.,Meles Meles, in a High Density Populationda Silva, Jack, David W. MacDonald, and Peter G. H. Evans. Net Costs of Group Living in a Solitary Forager, the Eurasian Badger (Meles meles). Behavioral Ecology 5.2 (1994): 151-58. Print.Frantz, A. C., et al. Reliable Microsatellite Genotyping of the Eurasian Badger (Meles Meles) Using Faecal DNA. Molecular Ecology 12.6 (2003): 1649-61. Print.Frantz, Alain C., et al. Estimating Population Size by Genotyping Remotely Plucked Hair: The Eurasian Badger. Journal of Applied Ecology 41.5 (2004): 985-95. Print.Kranz, A., A.V. Abramov, J. Herrero, and T. Maran. Meles meles. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.T29673A45203002, 2016.  Wang, A. Eurasian badgers (Meles meles). Animal Diversity, 2011.

Zambia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zambia - Essay Example The authors provide refreshing ideas on how Zambian wealth could be enhanced through formulation of better policies on environment in a country that heavily relies on copper mining for its economic mainstay. The authors acknowledge that development of Zambian economy mainly relies on â€Å"prudent environmental management†. To ensure the preservation of wealth in the country, Aongola et al emphasize on the need of promoting â€Å"sustainable development† in all sectors of Zambian economy. The authors refer extensively to previous research on Zambian economy and resources. This article provided me with a wider perspective of Zambian natural resources and social, political impediments that causes unsustainable utilization of resources. 2. Campbell, et al. Miombo woodlands: Opportunities and barriers to sustainable forests management. 2007. 2 June 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/miombo/docs/Campbell_BarriersandOpportunities.pdf The authors are natural resou rces experts, with many years of teaching experience in Universities across southern Africa. This article focuses on the Miombo Woodland, extensive tropical and seasonal woodland that covers an approximately 2.7 million Km2 across seven southern African countries including Zambia. The authors provide an overview of the critical role that Miombo woodland play in maintaining livelihoods of about 100 million inhabitants in southern Africa. The authors note, â€Å"high poverty levels in these countries have resulted to overexploitation of the woodland, a situation that threatens the ecological balance in Zambia†. This article provides an important contribution to this paper by highlighting the importance of Miombo woodland resources in mitigating poverty in Zambia and other southern African states. 3. Dorothy, F. A review of economic, governance and natural resource policy reform in southern Africa, with special reference to the case of Zambia. 11 Oct 2004. 1 June 2011. Retrieved from http://www.infra.kth.se/courses/1H1142/Furberg_EconChange.pdf This article focuses on the economic, governance and natural resources policies in Zambia. The author identifies lack of equitable and sustainable economic development as the main challenges that undermine social, political and economic development in Zambia. The author attributes the current environmental and economic problems in Zambia to previous political regimes in the country that instigated â€Å"poor political systems and environmental policies in the country†. The article provides a refreshing historical overview of Zambian political evolution and how it has influenced exploitation of natural resources in the country to date. 4. Jumbe, et al. Contributions of the Dry Forests to Rural Livelihoods and the National Economy in Zambia. 2007. 2 June 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/miombo/docs/ZambiaNationalCaseStudy.pdf The authors have critically evaluated the role of dry forests in enhanc ing economy of Zambia especially in the rural regions. According to the authors, dry forests in Zambia are important sources of wood, firewood, honey, wild fruits, traditional medicine, agriculture and an important source of income among the rural residents. This article is refreshing because it focuses on forest, an important non- mining resource in the Zambian economy. 5. MTENR. National Policy on Environment: Zambia. May 2005. 1 June 2011. www.mtenr.gov.zm/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc The article is the policy document of the Zambian government on the environment and it highlights the strategic goals of development through utilization of natural resources. The government ministries, including tourism, environment and natural resou

Ethics of Cloning and Genetic Manipulation Essay

Ethics of Cloning and Genetic Manipulation - Essay Example To daily life it gives the possibilities to cures for countless material improvements and diseases. The human genome project symbolized the hopes for the benefits of genetic manipulation, in the human species a vast international effort to categorize all the genes. For its potential for misuse genetic manipulation frightens many people. Either through simple bungling that might develop a biological holocaust which is caused by the viruses made by man or either through the Nazi style scheme for the control of the population. The single concept on the cutting edge of the genetic manipulation is cloning. Clone is an organism or cell or groups of cell that consist the genetics information identical to that of the organism or parent cell. Cloning is not as new as it seem, it is a form of asexual reproduction. The new thing is the ability of humans to manipulate cloning at the genetic level. 2,000 years ago the humans produced the first clone and at that time the plants developed from step cuttings and grafts. In cloning the process call into the use of DNA replication and calls into play complex laboratories techniques. A relatively recent scientific advance is usually mean by the people. Between these techniques cloning is the ability to copy and isolate the separate genes that direct a development of organism. Karl Marx was revolutionary leader, radical economist and Germen Philosopher. He had founded the modern scientific socialism. In the mind of Marx the central idea is the material conception of history. Every message of his provides new meaning of life and hope to the millions of peoples. According to his conflict concept of cloning the cloning can bring many changes. In Australia a new animal was discovered several years ago and that animal was appeared to be kosher pig. Previously the animal was unknown, the status of kosher was governed by the rules and that rules were very much old. And after much speech it was decided that it was indeed non kosher. The new creation of cloning is a baby with no parents. To encompass this new reality the people of world stretches its concepts of ethics and morality. If the human cloning is permitted then the Jewish world also endeavors to decide. In Jewish law regarding cloning there is no clear consensus. To clone people is a technology which is not yet considered as a reality. This issue is not a practical one, this issue is an academic one. Because of these reasons there have no actual cases in Jewish law which has been decided as they realize strongly upon the precedent. The prominent rabbis still publish the scholarly analysis. It has ruled by one of the prominent authority of American Halachic that in certain instances cloning is permitted. Before a final consensus is reached many Jewish laws technical issues will have to be resolved. Before the final decision reached many deep philosophies concepts will have to be applied on cloning. About the nature of the individuals that would be produced through cloning and genetic influence some of the concerns are based on the false beliefs. The fear is that a clone will be a carbon copy of some one else, it would not be an individual. Many scientists gives their opinion about clone that clone would be more like a delayed identical twin and it would not in fact be an individual copy. And identical twins are two separate peoples. Genetic determinism

Objective view of world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Objective view of world - Essay Example Objectivity allows a person to see the world in its true and real sense and make opinions about things or events based on facts and reality. Scientists advise that teenagers must be taught to think objectively in order to make them able to have more realistic view of the world and perceive things truly. Scientists are also trying to know that how boosting of neurons leads to subjective experience. Mathematical principles are used here in this paper in order to better understand the phenomenon of objectivity and subjectivity. Just while mapping routes of the world some generalizations have to be made no matter how accurate the description is provided simultaneously the views of reality differ for every person (McKenna 58). Many researches have been conducted to determine how human senses produce a subjective experience but yet the mystery it is not properly identified. As subjective experience is based on personal belief and perception of person, it is difficult to determine how a per son will react to a new situation. But this is possible in objectivity as this experience stands on strong footings of reality and truth. According to clinical psychologist, Dorothy Rowe the events occurring in a person’s life are not actual but the glimpses or guesswork that our brain perceives regarding the world by interpreting previous occurrences. Every individual is unique depending on the reason that no two persons experience a situation in the same light. Thoughts, images and adaptability are the factors that strengthens our sense of â€Å"self† (Rowe 18). In an article by Samuel, â€Å"How to Get an Objective Point of View†, he discussed that to have success in life it is always necessary to see the world with objectivity and hold an opinion which is based on reality. It is also important that people learn to accept what is truth and do not try to fit the truth with imagination. There is a problem with people who have their own imaginations and they thi nk everything is as good as they believe it to be. But in contrary things are not always as perfect as one considers. People who have an objective view believe that mostly perceptions are different from reality. It was also revealed in Samuel’s research that opinions of people about things and happenings in their own way sometimes lead to frustration and loss of direction. It happens when things do not happen in the way as they should occur according to their own vision. That is why it is important to see things in true context and accept the realities behind every situation. Research also discussed that looking at things with objective view is sometimes taken negative by some people as it allows seeing reality which is bitter at times. But in fact objectivism helps maintaining a balance between what is imagined and what is reality. Research concluded that if people view all the things and events happening in this world objectively, nothing will look terrible or pessimistic. Thinking that everything is normal makes a person feel good and changes experience of life by making it pleasant. In a research â€Å"The View from Nowhere†, Nagel found that each person has its own reasoning for quantifying an event and seeks different view of world. Moreover rise of science in recent years is trying to entirely alter the manner in which people perceive and recognize their position in this world. The comprehension of modern science comprise of mathematical concepts as elaborated by the discipline of physics. Nagal stated that

Evolutionary Polynomial Regression

Evolutionary Polynomial Regression Evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR) is a data mining technique based on evolutionary computing that was developed by Giustolisi and Savic (2006). It combines the power of genetic algorithm with numerical regression to develop symbolic models. EPR is a two-step technique in which, at the first step, exponents of symbolic structures are searched using a genetic algorithm (GA) that is the key idea behind the EPR, and in the second step, the parameters of the symbolic structures are determined by solving a linear least squares problem.   The general symbolic expression used in EPR can be presented as follows Where y is the estimated output of the process, m is the total number of the polynomial terms which excludes the bias term a0, F is a function constructed by the process, X is the matrix of independent input variables, f is a function defined by the user, and aj is a constant value for jth term. The first step and key idea in identification of the model structure in EPR is to transfer Equation 1 into the following vector form Where is the least-squares estimate vector of the N target values; is the vector of d=m+1 parameters aj and a0 ( is the transposed vector); and is a matrix formed by (unitary vector) for bias a0, and m vectors of variables. For a fixed j, the variables are a product of the independent predictor vectors of inputs, . EPR starts from Equation 2 and searches for the best structure, i.e. a combination of vectors of independent variables (inputs) . The matrix of input X is given as [15]: Where the kth column of X represents the candidate variable for the j th term of Equation 2. Therefore the jthterm of Equation 2 can be written as: Where, Z jis the jthcolumn vector in which its elements are products of candidate independent inputs and ES is a matrix of exponents. Therefore, the problem is to find the matrix ESkmof exponents whose bounds are specified by the user. For example, if a vector of candidate exponents for inputs, X , (chosen by user) is EX=[0,1,2] and number of terms (m) (excluding bias) is 4, and the number of independent variables (k) is 3, then the polynomial regression problem is to find a matrix of exponents ES 4-3 [15]. An example of such a matrix is given here Each exponent in ES corresponds to a value from the user-defined vector EX. Also, each row of ES determines the exponents of the candidate variables of jth term in equations (2). By implementing the above values in equation (4), the following set of expressions is obtained: Therefore, based on the matrix given in equation (5), the expression of equation (2) is given as: In the next stage, the adjustable parameters, aj, can now be computed, by means of the linear Least Squares (LS) method. The original EPR methodology was based on Single-objective Genetic Algorithm (SOGA) for explore the space of solutions while penalizing complex model structures using some penalization strategies. In this method, in the first stage, the maximum value for the number of terms (m) is assumed then a consecutive search for the formulas having 1 to m terms is undertaken. To accelerate convergence, the results obtained in each stage of search could be randomly entered into the population of the next stage search [15]. However the single-objective EPR methodology showed some drawbacks, and therefore the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) strategy has been added to EPR. In 2006, Guistolisi and Savic (2006) improved the EPR technique to overcome these shortcomings, using Multi-Objective Generic Algorithm (MOGA) instead of SOGA. The main features of the developed method are as follows [22]: 1) Increasing the model accuracy, 2) Reducing the number of polynomial coefficients, 3) Minimization of the number of inputs (e.g. the number of times each Xi appears in the model). In the developed version, a simultaneous search is conducted for polynomials having 1 to m coefficients; consequently, it is faster than the previous version (i.e., SOGA). In order to determine all models corresponding to the optimal trade-off between structural complexity and fitness level of the model, The EPR technique is Equipped with a range of objective functions which help to optimize the result based on Pareto dominance criterion. The objective functions used are: (i) Maximization of the fitness; (ii) Minimization of the total number of inputs selected by the modeling strategy; (iii) Minimization of the length of the model expression. The objective functions mentioned above can be used in a two objective configuration or all together. In which one of them will limit the complexity of the models, while at least one objective function controls the fitness of the models. In this study the multi-objective EPR is used to develop the EPR-based models. The coefficient of determination (COD) which is used to evaluated the level of models accuracy at each stage is Where Ya is the actual measured output value; Yp is the EPR-predicted value, and N is the number of data points in which the COD is computed.

My Last Day in California Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay about mys

  My eyes opened very early that morning. I looked out of window and saw beautiful weather outside.   It was cold wind.   The flowers in my garden were smiling at me.   All of a sudden my eyes got watery.   I remembered that this was my last day in California.   I was going to America early the next day morning with my parents and family.   The day was Saturday, 20th December.   Tears were running down my face.   I went downstairs; everybody in the house was sleeping.   They had been packing until late night and I didn't want to them wake them up.   Therefore, I went back upstairs.   I just started thinking about how I was going to leave my house, my friends, my relatives, and my country.   The place where I grew up, the people with whom I had grown up, how I was going to leave without them?   It was going to be very hard for me to leave something that I had used to.   I took out my album and started looking at pictures with my friends and r elatives.   I looked at the life that I had enjoyed with them.   The moments of happiness and sorrow that we had shared together.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The day begins, but it didn't begin as usual. Finally about 10 o'clock in the morning, I went down stairs.   Everybody was awake by that time.   They were busy in their work.   Nobody had time to hear me.   I saw a couple of guests sitting our drawing room so I went back upstairs again.   In a few minutes, the intercom in my room rang and I heard my mom tell me to get ready to go to the temple.   I took a bath and dressed up like a pretty Californian girl.   When I get downstairs, everybody was ready to g... ...The luggage was already in the car then we got in.   As we pulled away, I kept looking at my house as far as I could see it.   All of our friends and relatives were coming to the airport.   We got to the airport.   We were running little bit late.   Therefore, we had to hurry to get our luggage and check in.   No one else could enter the airport but customers so I looked at all of my relatives and friends one last time.   They all were crying.   We had never lived that far from each other.   We boarded the plane, and all I could do was cry.   I made my flight to Ohio.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leaving my home was the saddest day of my life.   I am in Ohio now, still missing the life I enjoyed in California with my friends and family, still believing there is nothing better than home.   

Every Man Dies but Not Every Man Really Lives Essay

â€Å"Every man dies but not every man really lives† was among the few words written by Sir William Ross Wallace, an American poet during the 1860s. Well, as for me I want to live my life to the fullest before I leave to my eternal home up there. Having a bucket list simply keeps me on track to full fill every minor and major thing I want to do before I kick the bucket. The very first item on my list is to tell my mother that I love her. I believe in love at first sight because since the very first day I opened my eyes until to this very second, I still love my mom. My mom is my best friend and my hero because she has been with me through my laughs, heart breaks, tears and everything that came in between. Since babies are precious angels gifted from heaven, I would not want to miss the next thing on my list which is to make a baby laugh. That moment of being so satisfied upon witnessing the joy on their faces is a feeling of no value. Next, I want to make a difference in a beggar’s life by taking some incredibly small steps which will mean so much to them some day. Back to the olden days blockbuster ‘Dr No’, right up to ‘Casino Royale’ that hit the box office in year 2006 will be one of the thing I want to do which is to watch all of James Bond’s movies. Just like how Alex Thompson wrote a poem entitled ‘My First Time’ to share his experience milking a cow, I want to roam freely and spend one week of my life to learn how to milk a cow. Besides that, I want to go on a holiday with no luggage to add a little more spice to the memories I will take back. The ‘Steel Dragon’ roller coaster in Spaland located in Nagashima, Japan will be one thrilling ride I would not want to miss. To add more excitement, I will pay the risk to swim with a shark and to swing myself in the sky on a trapeze. Besides that, one thing I will definitely do is to push a policeman down the street and run away. To appreciate mother-nature and the greens that provided me sufficient oxygen to respire, I will plant a tree with my name carved on it. Among the crazy things that I do not want to miss to do is to pretend to be invisible just like drawing a picture using a white crayon on a white paper. From laughing at a public phone to confessing my love to a traffic light, I wish to do all kind of things that will make people think I just lost my mind for one simple reason that I wish to relate to the sayings of Mahatma Gandhi, ‘Live every moment of your life as if there is no tomorrow and as if there is no one watching’. Among the few last things I will do is to fall in love. Somewhere between laughing for no reason, stupid arguments, and making fun of each other, I will fall for the ‘him’ who is willing to catch me when I fall. Elvis Presley put it best in his classic love songs and I want to fall in love with no regrets. I want to be in love with a love that is nothing because nothing last forever and therefore my love will last forever. With commitments, trust and care I want to fell so alive to be in love with the right man. Finally, I will prepare letters and leave it to cope up with my loved one once I am gone just like how Gerard Butler did to Hilary Swank in the movie, ‘P.S. I Love You’. ‘As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well used brings happy death’ said by Leonardo da Vinci is the one thing that keeps me going and to stand up to live every day of my live doing things I want to do by simply being just the way I am.

Free Essays on Formal Proposal

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Succeeding in today’s highly competitive business environment would be the main objective of our corporation. There are many steps a firm must take upon reaching its goals of minimizing costs, and maximizing profits. But in order to achieve these goals a firm must also increase its worker’s productivity. Productivity includes fast and flawless connection to the Internet, quick and easy transfer of information and paperless environment. Employees should receive documents and faxes within seconds rather than waiting for them. Employees should not wait hours for their e-mails to open up every morning when they come to work, not they have to wait for their documents to be printed on the shared printer. Employees should even have the option of checking their e-mails from remote locations, and attach documents without size limitations. All this will be possible with new mail server and fast connections. Our corporation currently has 230 employees who have their own wo rkstations in their offices. By talking to the department directors, I found out that they expect the departments to grow 40% within the next two years. Therefore, within two years our corporation would have approximately 320 computers. This shows definite need for more hardware, software and general computer equipment. As number of employees grows the network will slow down and get congested especially during peak hours such as mornings, which is the most productive time of the day. This proposal discusses the necessary changes and upgrades of our company’s computer equipment. These upgrades include the change of the physical computer cables that connect the workstations to the network, routers, switches that makes up the network, and the servers that serve the e-mail, share and backup documents, and host our website and the databases. In today’s fast paced economy it is crucial to have up-to-date connectivity between departments and e... Free Essays on Formal Proposal Free Essays on Formal Proposal EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Succeeding in today’s highly competitive business environment would be the main objective of our corporation. There are many steps a firm must take upon reaching its goals of minimizing costs, and maximizing profits. But in order to achieve these goals a firm must also increase its worker’s productivity. Productivity includes fast and flawless connection to the Internet, quick and easy transfer of information and paperless environment. Employees should receive documents and faxes within seconds rather than waiting for them. Employees should not wait hours for their e-mails to open up every morning when they come to work, not they have to wait for their documents to be printed on the shared printer. Employees should even have the option of checking their e-mails from remote locations, and attach documents without size limitations. All this will be possible with new mail server and fast connections. Our corporation currently has 230 employees who have their own wo rkstations in their offices. By talking to the department directors, I found out that they expect the departments to grow 40% within the next two years. Therefore, within two years our corporation would have approximately 320 computers. This shows definite need for more hardware, software and general computer equipment. As number of employees grows the network will slow down and get congested especially during peak hours such as mornings, which is the most productive time of the day. This proposal discusses the necessary changes and upgrades of our company’s computer equipment. These upgrades include the change of the physical computer cables that connect the workstations to the network, routers, switches that makes up the network, and the servers that serve the e-mail, share and backup documents, and host our website and the databases. In today’s fast paced economy it is crucial to have up-to-date connectivity between departments and e...

Ups a Global Company Essays

Ups a Global Company Essays Ups a Global Company Essay Ups a Global Company Essay Introduction Companies which handle packaging services must be able to provide a variety of options to their consumers. They must be able to meet consumer demands when parcels need to be shipped and received within a designated timeframe. UPS is a global company which meets all of these needs. Describe Main Line of Business of the Company United Parcel Service started out as the American Messenger Company founded by 19 year old James Casey in Seattle, Washington back in 1907. Most deliveries were made on foot or bicycle. It wasn’t until 1919 that the adopted name, United Parcel Service became official. This was because â€Å"United† served as a reminder that every retail expansions were part of the overall organization. â€Å"Parcel† was the nature of the business, and â€Å"Service† was what the organization offered. Today, UPS, as it is now formally known since 2003 has grown to become the world’s largest and leading packaging delivery service via air, ocean, ground and electronic sources to over 200 countries worldwide (UPS). Name Four Countries in which the Company Operates The home base of the United Parcel Service is Atlanta, Georgia. It was in 1975 that they first went international providing services in Toronto, Canada with an air hub now in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1976, services were offered in Germany and domestic air service began in 1989. Six European countries became the focus of international air delivery services with the United States in 1985. The first non-stop delivery service was launched between the United States and Guangzhou, China in 1985 and has since acquired interest in China, providing access to 23 cities which is more than 80% of their international trade (UPS). Implementation of Competition Ethical marketing behavior is one of the greatest assets to the competitive strategy of UPS. This is because it is used to dictate what is morally right and just. These standards drive companies that compete in the global marketplace because they affect social and economic behavior through laws and regulation which can create ethical dilemmas (Kerin, 2011). UPS uses this in order to provide services worldwide because they do not change their ethical standards even though there is a variety of languages and cultures. Another asset was the development of the UPS Logistics Group in 1995, which provides consulting services and management solutions based solely on a consumer’s individuals needs (UPS). Implementation of Target Market The target market for UPS are individual consumers, retail businesses, big and small businesses and any organization which needs mail or parcel deliveries to be shipped to individuals or other businesses either nationally or internationally. Implementation of Product Strategy UPS provides many options to their consumers for delivery services. They are able to set the timeframe of when their packages are to be received at their destination. Consumers are able to estimate costs, track their shipments, schedule pickups, create or cancel shipments and order UPS supplies online through the UPS website or in one of its many retail locations (UPS). It also supplies an online tool function, UPS OnLine Tools, which provides businesses the opportunity to integrate their tracking information, ratings, address validation as well as other functions to help with the businesses (Levy, 2001). Implementation of Distribution Strategy UPS promotes it service through their website, which is one of the most visited sites on the Internet with an average of 20. 7 page views a day and 8,5 million customers daily (UPS). It also provides delivery services by air, ocean, railway, motorcycles or motor vehicles. They are also available to consumers through worldwide retail outlets. Implementation of Communication Strategy UPS uses a variety of mixed media to promote their services to consumers. These include print, online and television advertising. Web sites contain product and service information, news updates as well as contact information and is user friendly (Kerin, 2011). Call center services are available to consumers and businesses, thru leasing, to provide fulfillment and shipping of their products out to their customers. UPS currently provides the back-end support to Nike. om in which they are responsible for all shipments of the Nike products out to their customers who purchased them (Levy, 2001). Implementation of Pricing Strategy The pricing strategy of UPS is based on their competition. They want to establish lower prices in order to retain returning consumers. Prices are individually based on the services needed by consumers. These would include type of transportation needed for delivery, where the package is being shipped to and the timeframe in which it needs to arrive at its destinat ion. Prices for international shipments must be calculated using the currency exchange rate and competitive pricing of the country as well as the income of consumers who live there (Ebert Griffin, 2011). Differences in Implementation: From One Country to Another UPS serves over 200 countries worldwide. Rules and regulations vary. It is important to know the legal terms and conditions, forms needed as well as restricted items for each country in order to make a shipment go through efficiently. UPS provides these items for consumers on their website for potential consumers. Not every country has the same rules so it is imperative for UPS to provide the consumer with everything they need to know to determine what they need when shipping to other countries. Conclusion Delivery services are genuinely needed by everyone. UPS provides low cost services both nationally and internationally which can boost an organization’s success. They supply all the information needed for an efficient shipment. This is why they are the largest packaging delivery service today.

Cars History Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cars History - Research Proposal Example Although work on developing steam engines began in the 17th century, the idea to incorporate it into a road vehicle gained momentum only in the next century. In the course of the 18th century, many futile attempts were made to produce what was yet to be called the ‘car’. To be fair, engineers had indeed developed a few designs for steam-powered road vehicles, but they lacked the popularity and acceptance accorded to steam power in ships and railways. This was primarily because the steam based engine was too heavy for a practical road vehicle. Yet, the 19th century was called the Age of Steam. Harsh legislation was one great bane, at least in a few countries, with virtually strangling speed limits, at 5Â  mph in towns and cities, and 10Â  mph in the country. Laws went as far as directing a man bearing a red flag to precede every vehicle. In addition, tiime curfews applied to all vehicles except street trams. Electric Vehicles were among the earliest ones to be accorded the status of ‘automobiles’. They produce no exhaust fumes and are practically silent. Acceleration exceeds that of conventional vehicles. Sometime in the 1830s Robert Anderson of Scotland supposedly invented the first electric carriage while Professor Sibrandus Stratingh of the Netherlands, designed the small-scale electric car. Electricity as a means for transport propulsion found greater success in the field of public transport such as tramways and streetcars, where a constant supply of electricity was possible by means of overhead power lines. Historically, Electric Vehicles lagged in popularity primarily due to issues with high battery costs, low distance interval between successive recharges, long charging time, and low battery lifespan, etc. But these vehicles are generally cheaper to make and maintain than internal combustion engine vehicles because they have fewer parts. However, around 1900, electric land vehicles in America outsold all other

Material Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Material Science - Essay Example Graphene is another example of a nano-structural material that is being used in the optic and electronic industry, due to its high energy capacity and also the high rate of charge. Scanning probe microscope works through the use of a physical probe that scans specimens and then provides the recorded data that is depicted in the form of a heat map that takes either an orange or a black and white image. Shear stress refers to the force that pushes particles within a liquid, gaseous or solid material in the direction that is parallel to the surface/plane. On the other hand, tensile stress refers to the forces that push a particle on to the other from varied directions. Compressive stress refers to the forces in the materials that push the material particles against one another. A phase diagram offers information related to the structure of a material through graphic presentation, which indicates the relationship between solid, liquids and gaseous state of a material when the material is heat-treated. It offers information regarding at which heat-point the solid state of material changes to liquid, and at which heat-point the liquid changes into gas. Annealing refers to the heat treatment of a material such that it increases its ductility and becomes more workable. Quenching refers to the rapid cooling of a material through immersion into a liquid such as oil or water, to form a certain material property that is activatable in different material states. Austenitizing refers to the heat-treatment of material such that it attains certain hardening characteristic when it is cooled down through quenching. Normalizing is a heat-treatment method for materials that softens the materials without producing the uniformity of the material property. Collision occurs on the event of two signals being sent through the same channel of transmission, such that the signals collide with each other. Packet collision is a form of

Entrepreneurial Orientation and Marketing Orientation Essay

Entrepreneurial Orientation and Marketing Orientation - Essay Example There were so many variations as there was the number of business enterprises. This prompted management scholars to delve deep into the matter to find out how many ways are there to make a business flourish. Their search has not been without success. In fact they have come out with some rare insights into the dynamics of profit generation and maximization. While large organizations could afford to experiment with any or all of these methods, the small and medium enterprises, the SME’s, have to be very choosy in their selection of modus operandi because of resource limitations. However, they also have a fairly wide choice to select from, like the Entrepreneurial Orientation, Marketing Orientation, Operation Reasearch, Brand Boosting and the likes. Right now we would be interested in two of these most significant methods, viz. Entrepreneurial Orientation and Marketing Orientation. What is Entrepreneurial Orientation : The term â€Å"entrepreneurial orientation† has been used to refer to the strategy-making processes and styles of firms that engage in entrepreneurial activities. A popular model of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) suggests that there are five dimensions of EO—autonomy, innovativeness, risk taking, proactiveness, and competitive aggressiveness (Lumpkin and Dess 1996). Autonomy refers to the entrepreneur’s freedom to choose his own line of business, range of products and the market segment he wants to operate in. This reflects his entrepreneurial genius and his analytical ability and his resourcefulness to meet challenges.

History Shows There Is No Such Thing as Absolute Power Essay Example for Free

History Shows There Is No Such Thing as Absolute Power Essay ‘The undiminished ability to act in a particular way, or direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events’. Immediately one thinks of mighty Alexander, seizing every territory he set his eyes upon, or Joseph Stalin suppressing the entire population of the huge Soviet bloc with an iron fist. There are certainly individuals in history that would be regarded as absolutely powerful. Absolute power covers both being able to suppress and control opposition and support, and being able to achieve one’s aims, as both are interdependent. However, history as a study and analysis of the past through examining evidence, has shown that cultural relativism renders absolute power a much sought-after but unattainable possession; no person or organisation has been perfectly in control of their people since knowledge of other cultures has emerged, although some have attempted to claim to command it; even in the 21st Century, as seen by the North Korean rhetoric about the state’s absolute devotion to the Kim dynasty; for example, informing the population they should be willing to ‘become human bulwarks and human shields’ to defend their new leader Kim Jong-un. Since the Greeks first explored beyond their frontiers and came across cultures and religions which differed from their own, and since King Herodotus tried to pay the Greeks and Callatians to swap their respective burial practises (the Greeks burned their dead- the Callatians ate the corpse of their father) and was refused for any money, cultural relativism has existed as an obstacle to obtaining absolute power. Without cultural relativism, there are potential examples of absolute power being flouted. One that springs to mind is the ancient community who built Stonehenge. A supposedly ‘primitive’ people felt compelled to cut bluestones and transport them from south-west Wales either carrying them across hundreds of miles of mountainous and rugged terrain without technology, or by shipping them gradually over in handmade boats, before assembling them into the neat arrangement we can still see today. One prominent theory as to why this project was undertaken is that the stones are religious monuments designed to be worshipped or designed to intimidate worshippers into fearing their god. Either way, this points to a religious leader who had absolute power over his people, meaning he was able to persuade them to carry out this enormous logistical challenge. However, this essay will argue that cultural relativism has meant that apart from isolated communities such as that which built Stonehenge, no individual or organisation has possessed absolute power. On the other hand, some ancient historians would argue that the great Emperors of ancient times had absolute, autocratic power: the mighty King Darius and his vast Persian Empire, in which every provincial leader answered to him. Alexander the Great conquered almost the entire known world. Julius Caesar and his famous ‘veni, vidi, vici’ quotation, a demonstration of the ease with which he overpowered enemies. King Darius may have theoretically held absolute traditional authority over his Empire, being entitled by tradition to rule over every citizen, but it is clear that he didn’t hold absolute power. The wealthy Greek merchants in their colonies threw out Darius’s Persian provincial governors, and when Darius attempted to punish them by attacking their homeland, he was defeated. Even the fact that he had to resort to military force shows that he didn’t hold absolute power over the Greeks who were meant to answer to him as they were living in his Empire, but furthermore his military failed to preserve his power. This shows that he did not hold absolute power, and the Greek merchants rejected his leadership because they disliked it relative to the culture they were used to. Moreover, although Julius Caesar is and deserves to be recognised as an immensely powerful figure in world history, after emerging as the most successful of the Roman generals and doing the most to promote Roman interests in the further provinces, it is clear that he still didn’t hold absolute power. Absolute means universally valid and without dependence on anything else; Julius Caesar did not have the power to win over everyone, which would have prevented his murder. Evidently his power was dependent on the support of his Senate, which he failed to retain. There were over sixty conspirators involved in his murder, and he did not have the power to stop them- demonstrating that he didn’t hold absolute power over his people, as they found his leadership unacceptable relative to others. An anecdote which supports the claim that Alexander the Great did not hold absolute power is the story of his encounter with Diogenes. Alexander came across the philosopher sunbathing, and asked him if there was any favour which, as leader of the biggest Empire in the world, Alexander could fulfil for Diogenes. The philosopher simply requested that he stop obstructing the sun. After this experience, Alexander is said to have claimed that ‘if I were not Alexander, I should like to be Diogenes’, as he found the philosopher’s complete indifference to the offer of a favour from the world’s most powerful man to be such an incredible phenomenon. This shows that Alexander’s military and material wealth and power didn’t stop him from wishing he could instead be this anti-materialist philosopher. Diogenes had the power to make Alexander feel that he would prefer to be someone else, so that, even momentarily, he scored an emotional victory over him; if Alexander had had absolute power over his Empire, nobody should have been able to defeat him in any way. Throughout the Dark Ages, and the Middle Ages, it could be argued that the church had absolute power in parts of Europe, as the typical image of the ordinary European peasant is one of devout, God-fearing Christianity. However, an interesting and relevant point that Carr made in his book, What is History?, is that, with religious leaders and monks being the only literate people throughout this era, records of this time are written solely from their perspective, and therefore give the impression of a very devoutly religious period in Europe. However, this could be a falsified impression, as the enlightenment and other events such as the atheistic Communist revolution later on in Russia in 1917 demonstrate that the peasants and ordinary working classes of these countries were perhaps not as influenced and submitted to control by the church as first thought. Constantly through these times there were bitter disputes between the Pope and bishops, and the nobility and royalty that ruled over Europe, the most famous of which ended in Henry VIII abandoning the Vatican and establishing the Church of England. These power struggles display that neither the religious authorities nor the monarchies had anything that could be described as absolute power. Perhaps the monarchy were against the idea of Papal consultation, relative to the image they had of rulers before the Common Era who weren’t constrained by religious authorities- but obviously this would have been rejected by their religious subjects. This is another case of cultural relativism undermining absolute power. After the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, with the decline of religious authority and an autocratic hereditary hierarchy in Europe, the power balance alters. Although some areas are still governed by monarchy, for example Russia with the Tsars, other areas see the introduction of parliamentary systems and constitutional monarchy. One key theme of the enlightenment, debatably, was to eliminate even the idea of ‘absolute power’ and absolutist, arbitrary rule by promoting democracy and fair government. For example, in France, with the execution of Louis XVI, a Republic was established. However, the result was far from a fair society in which the government was held to account. Power in France moved between different dictatorial regimes until it was seized by Napoleon Bonaparte and the Consulate. Some would argue that Napoleon held absolute power; he conquered as he willed, and ruled over a large empire autocratically despite the fact that many in Europe now supported the idea of deliberative government. He even had the audacity to declare that he wouldn’t ‘give a fig for a million lives’ in the face of conquering new territories, something that surely only someone with absolute, unassailable power would be able to say without being removed from a position of responsibility. However, on the other hand, it is evident that he failed to retain absolute power. During his rule, there was unrest throughout his territory: from 1808, for example, the Spanish people began an ongoing and constant campaign of resistance against Napoleon’s men, which could not be suppressed despite his best efforts. Then, eventually, he was defeated, and then defeated again, and ended up alone in exile on the Island of St Helen. It is possible that if the people had not had knowledge from foreign sources of more benevolent and successful rulers, they would not have overthrown Napoleon; their ability to relate their experience to other cultures caused them to oppose Napoleon. This Napoleonic style, of attempting to seize absolute, autocratic power and ruling without the security of populism has been demonstrated in dozens of scenarios since Napoleon’s fall, with a myriad of totalitarian dictatorships in Europe and beyond which attempted to suppress and rule with absolute authority. However, each example can be knocked down. Hitler, it could be argued, took power on the merit of his charismatic personality and the appeal of his vision of a strong German people- whether by attracting enough popularity or simply making his thuggish SS a large and strong-willed enough organisation to secure his high position. From then on he suppressed opposition both at home and in German-occupied territory. The way in which he achieved this largely as an individual and then ruled so strongly whilst often ignoring suggestions from his advisors, could be described as holding absolute power over Germany and the territories conquered. Furthermore, some optimists might argue that the instigation of the Holocaust against the Jews and other ‘undesirables’ implies that he had absolute power over people, as ordinary human nature would produce repulsion at the very idea, and yet it was carried out. On the other hand, there is much evidence of resistance within Germany against Hitler’s regime- ranging from political opposition by Catholics and across general German society against the T4 programme (‘euthanasia’ mass murder of disabled people), to the ‘Red Orchestra’ Communists distributing propaganda leaflets, and of course the numerous assassination plots and attempts by Hitler’s own men. The ‘Red Orchestra’ example is very useful to my argument; they had not lived under a Communist system, but had read the teachings of Karl Marx and other Communist writers and therefore felt that relative to the Nazi system, Communism would be the best for Germany. While it is true that none of these were successful as such (except, to some extent, the opposition to T4), they certainly weren’t what Hitler desired and he had not the power to prevent them. Another major dictator of the 20th Century was Josef Stalin; although the Communist state was already in existence, he still needed his skill and slyness to seize power by using his role as party secretary to eliminate potential opponents, and especially by propelling himself ahead of Trotsky in terms of popularity through behaviour such as deceiving him into travelling to an eastern province so that he wasn’t present at Lenin’s funeral. He then purged Russia, the Communist Party and the army in order to ensure absolute control, and this made internal opposition to his regime virtually inexistent in terms of visible or united resistance. His Stalinist ideology also catapulted the USSR very quickly from a backward nation to a major world power, enabling them to withstand the German Operation Barbarossa (consequently, another failure of Hitler’s) and then even to push on until they formed a stand-off with the USA and Britain in Germany. With no opposition to him within his country (and so no possibility of assassination or being toppled), and these incredible achievements, some would infer that he must have had absolute power. Be that as it may, when we explore Stalin’s aims we can see that he was largely unsuccessful. His five-year-plans demanded unattainably high increases in output- such as 200% more iron produced and 335% more electricity. However, there is much evidence that factory owners and officials ‘cooked the books’ and exaggerated production when reporting back to the Party, in order to prevent being punished for failing to keep up. This would mean that Stalin could not achieve all that he wanted. Furthermore, one of his stated aims was to reverse Russia’s backwardness in order to avoid being ‘crushed’ by the developed capitalist powers. While he did generate huge industrialisation which propelled the USSR forwards so that in 1945 it emerged as one of two world superpowers, it was at the expense of over twenty million Russians dead in around two decades, due to famines caused by economic reforms or in the gulags and the purges; this huge cost is a death rate that resembles a backward nation far more than a developed one, and so some would argue that it shows that Stalin also failed in this aim. Finally, his struggle with the Western powers, for example through annexing eastern European countries into the Soviet bloc, although continued to some extent by his successors, was lost in the end. By 1990, the USSR had begun to unravel significantly as former members became independent countries and satellite states such as Ukraine and Estonia, and turned to democracy and the free market, after first breaking the propaganda limitations in order to learn of the other way of life, until Russia formally ended Communism in the year 1991. Stalin’s legacy failed to prevent cultural relativism from reaching into the population of the USSR. On the other hand, it could be argued that although he failed to prevent the future further expansion of the USSR his huge legacy in turning Russia around into the developed nation it is today shows his absolute power. Stalin and his ideology are still popular in modern Russia, as he is seen as a hero by many for seeing off the Nazi German invasion. This legacy, coupled with the extent to which he did manage to prevent notable opposition within his territory and beyond (for example, the assassination of Trotsky in Mexico), make him an individual who was close to achieving the coveted status of having absolute power in his ‘empire’, but still his failure to achieve what he wanted demonstrates that it would be untrue to describe him as such. And now approaching the present in terms of era, an example which was mentioned much earlier on in this essay, the Kim dynasty in North Korea; they make use of the personality cult, controls on education and media, and the secret police which were used to implement Stalin’s leadership in the USSR; however like him, they have been unable to carry out their aims. Kim Jong-Il aimed to make North Koreans the ‘most prosperous people on Earth’, but under his new economic reforms, millions died in a famine and all were affected by a famine which resulted in the army downgrading the height requirements for soldiers to sign up. They have also failed to prevent the black market from flourishing in North Korea and more importantly, they haven’t been able to stop Chinese smugglers from bringing in evidence of the prosperity experienced in South Korea and other countries. Therefore despite not being in particular danger of being overthrown by the people, due to their repressive regime, the Kim dynasty have not had the power to fulfil their plans. The same could be said of the solid Communist Party in China: although they are relatively secure in their position, with legal sovereignty guaranteed over the United Front as stated by the constitution, they have had to open up to imports and exports and allow free market economics, as their Communist planned economy failed. In modern times, nobody has succeeded in fully repressing their people, as defection and resistance has always been possible if not completely successful. Absolute power cannot be attributed to any modern day regimes, because knowledge of outside cultures always finds a way in, and the people learn of their relatively poor situation and rebel. One of the important phenomena to observe over the next few years is that of South Korean DVDs being smuggled into North Korea and allowing the people exposure to other cultures; this could potentially lead to an inability to further repress the people, to combine with the failure to achieve the Kim families’ aims. It is important to consider religion when looking at this question, as we have already conceded that religious authorities in some isolated communities could have held absolute power over their followers. One could argue that especially in the case of the Abrahamic religions, which are characterised by their belief in one single, omnipotent and omniscient God, absolute power is demonstrated by the infallibility of those who represent this one God- for example, the Pope, or the Iranian Ayatollah. In the most devout of communities and times, any religious disagreement could end in death- for example, the burning of Protestants or Catholics at the stake during the European battle between these two ideologies. This can be seen as religious authorities suppressing any opposition to the rule of God. Then, there are many examples of God’s representatives influencing people to act how he would will; for example, the Crusades saw hundreds of rich knights, under the influence of the Pope, leaving the luxury and relative safety of their castles and estates to recover Jerusalem, a city they had never visited. This can be seen as religion and its leaders having the absolute power to control the actions of others. However, for one thing the misuse of the aforementioned tradition of burning religious enemies, by which people would accuse those they disliked or coveted of belonging to the undesirable faith, shows that often people weren’t following the leadership of God but using this phenomenon to their selfish advantage. Another point against religious figures having absolute power is the decline in religious participation and the growth of atheism- this ongoing decline in terms of support of god as a leader demonstrates a decline in power. In times of strife, such as the suffering of the Russians under the Tsar, people lose their faith in religious hierarchies- and in this particular example the atheistic Soviet system was spawned. In addition to this decrease in willingness to submit to religious commands, there is a clear increase in actual opposition to religion- the growth of Humanism and the growing popularity of figures such as Richard Dawkins, who preaches anti-religion and anti-theism, show that God is being undermined as a leader and so can’t have absolute power over humanity as some religious leaders would intend. From exploring all these example of hugely powerful individuals and organisations, ranging from the autocratic emperors of Ancient civilisation, to the absolute monarchies of the middle ages, the Church and the modern totalitarian dictatorships and regimes such as Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, or even the Communist Party in the People’s Republic of China, we can see that although their achievements are often incredible, and required huge amounts of power and ability, none of them have been able to perfectly fit both criteria- full suppression of opposition and the full ability to achieve what they wished. Inability to fulfil their political aims can often be put down to a failure to crush opposition, and the failure to crush opposition was caused by knowledge of other cultures which the people enjoyed the idea of more than they enjoyed their own; cultural relativism. When people get the idea into their heads that there are other systems which would benefit them and make their lives better, it is impossible to fully and permanently extinguish this and continue reigning on without reforming policy (failing to do what you want) or falling from power (failing to protect against the opposition). Therefore, the only time when history can show us absolute power is in isolated communities in which the people had no understanding or conception of an alternative way of life, such as the Ancient Britons who built Stonehenge. Bibliography A Little History of the World- E.H. Gombrich What Is History? E.H. Carr Nazi Aggression- Planned or Improvised? (The Historian)- Hendrik K. Hogrefe Webography Who Built Stonehenge? Stuart Carter (First Science) http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar_t09.html http://www.e-classics.com/ALEXANDER.htm http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/reps.html (Stalin) http://www.chinacyber.com/china_glance/politics.htm Polak

Capitalism and the Common Man :: Economy Economics Essays

Capitalism and the Common Man There are some arguments, having a faint measure of plausibility, that have served politicians, charlatans and assorted do-gooders for well for over a century in their quest for control. One of those arguments is: capitalism primarily benefits the rich and not the common man. That vision prompts declarations such as: Congressman Richard Gephart's assertion that high income earners are "winners" in "the lottery of life." Then there's, Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, who says high income earners the "fortunate fifth." These nonsensical visions lead to calls for those who've been "blessed" to "give back" either voluntarily or coercively through the tax code. While demagogic statements like these have high emotive worth, they reflect resolute, near incurable stupidity about the sources of income. Listening to some of the talk about income differences, one would think that out there somewhere is a pile of money. People who are wealthy just happened to get there first and greedily took an unfair share. Justice requires that they "give back." Or, there's talk about income distribution. The way some people talk, unequal distribution of income means that there is a dealer of dollars who shells out $1,000 to one person, $100,000 to another and a million dollars to yet another. Thus, the reason why some people are wealthy while others are not wealthy is that the dollar dealer is a racist, sexist, a multi-nationalist, or just plain mean. Economic justice requires a re-dealing of the dollars, income redistribution, where the ill-gotten gains of the few are returned to their rightful owners. In a free society, for the most part, people with high incomes have demonstrated extraordinary ability to produce valuable services for, and therefore please their fellow man. Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, and singer Michael Jackson provided services deemed highly valuable by their fellow men who voluntarily took money out of their pockets to purchase those services. Their high incomes stand as unambiguous proof of that service. Their high incomes also reflect the democracy of the market place. For example, millions upon millions of independent decision makers decided to fork over $200 or $300 for Microsoft founder Bill Gates' "Windows 98" operating system. Those who think Bill Gates is too rich, and want to redistribute his income, are really registering disagreement with the democracy of the market place and want to cancel or offset the market "vote.

Power and Politics in Organizations Essay -- Power and Politics in the

Power and Politics in Organizations Introduction Have you ever wondered what role politics and power play in organizations? When used effectively they can be compatible in reaching the organizations goals. Power is defined as the ability to get someone to do something you want done or the ability to make things happen in the way you want them. (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, Chap. 15). Power is important within organizations because it is the way in which management influences individuals to make things happen. When power and influence combine, most of the time 'politics' become involved in some manner which may pose some problems. Organizational politics is best described as management influenced by self-interest through the use of means not necessarily authorized by the organization. Organizational politics have been viewed as an organizations enhancement tool to survive and fulfill goals. Power and Politics, though closely related, share similarities and differences but ultimately work together for the success of an organizatio n. Types of Power There are two types of power that influence both individual and organizational behaviors. The first one, known as Position Power is widely used by the managers as a direct result of their position in the organization. There are six bases under position power in which the management uses to effectively motivate their employees. Reward power is probably the most successful in controlling employees. There are several typ... Power and Politics in Organizations Essay -- Power and Politics in the Power and Politics in Organizations Introduction Have you ever wondered what role politics and power play in organizations? When used effectively they can be compatible in reaching the organizations goals. Power is defined as the ability to get someone to do something you want done or the ability to make things happen in the way you want them. (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, Chap. 15). Power is important within organizations because it is the way in which management influences individuals to make things happen. When power and influence combine, most of the time 'politics' become involved in some manner which may pose some problems. Organizational politics is best described as management influenced by self-interest through the use of means not necessarily authorized by the organization. Organizational politics have been viewed as an organizations enhancement tool to survive and fulfill goals. Power and Politics, though closely related, share similarities and differences but ultimately work together for the success of an organizatio n. Types of Power There are two types of power that influence both individual and organizational behaviors. The first one, known as Position Power is widely used by the managers as a direct result of their position in the organization. There are six bases under position power in which the management uses to effectively motivate their employees. Reward power is probably the most successful in controlling employees. There are several typ...

Africa Change over Time Essay

Around the period during the second World War and the Cold War, a Red Scare went on in the most powerful and influential capitalist countries of the world. The Red Scare was basically a fear of the spread of communism. According to the Domino Theory, which was developed in that era, if a specific country turned to communism, communism would soon spread to all the other countries in that area. This fear caused the United States to jump into action at the slightest sign of communist influence in many places in the world, especially subsaharan Africa. However, over the years, this fear has eased, and the U. S. is more prone to attempting to aid these nations, rather than destroying them. In sub-saharan Africa, from around 1900 to present day, conditions there have both changed and stayed the same. On one hand, western involvement in the area has changed, but on the other hand, the constant civil wars and oppressive circumstances from the past still exist today. Sub-saharan Africa from the beginning of the 20th century up to this present day has been under constant civil war. South Africa, Sudan, Mozambique, Angola, Ethiopia and Zaire (or the Republic of Congo) are good examples of this. South Africa was first colonized by the Dutch who integrated themselves into the country. However, in the late 19th century, the English conquered South Africa and moved the Boers (the Dutch-Africans) to the north of the country where they clashed with the native Zulu tribe. When diamonds where later discovered in that area, the Dutch and the English had wars for the territory. In Sudan, a fundamentalist Islamic group that sits at the head of the government was at civil war with a rebel Christian group. The main reason for this conflict was the obvious religious differences. This conflict has ruined many crops and homes of civilians and forced many others to flee the country. In Mozambique the civil So? a Gruber war there was a proxy war between the Soviet Union, that influenced a Marxist government in that area, and the U. S. , that sponsored a rebel movement to usurp the communist government. Similarly, in Angola and Ethiopia, a proxy war, sponsored by the two Cold War superpowers tear the countries apart, causing widespread famine and suffering. Finally, the civil war in Congo, that has lasted for decades, was a tug for power between both left and right leaders who, nonetheless, where all power hungry and corrupt. In sub-saharan Africa, there is a continuous pattern of oppression of the people. The examples for this seem to be endless, between constant genocides and militaristic dictators, the people in sub-saharan Africa suffer and die in squalor. In Rwanda, a mass genocide erupted when the Hutu tribe blamed the Tutsi tribe for their leader’s death. In a time span of 100 days, nearly 8000 people died, and countless more were injured in unspeakable ways. Throughout all of Africa, the use of child soldiers has become extremely popular. It is not uncommon for a 10 year old boy (sometimes even younger) to be drugged and paraded down the street while they shot innocent civilians and mutilated them. The living conditions in many nations are unspeakable. Many families live in shacks with no running water, and very few of them have any means of contact to the outside world (television, phones, radio, ect. ). Constant civil war force many families to flee their country, creating refugees for other countries, who stick them all in refugee camps. Most methods of war involve hurting civilians, in Sudan, a popular resistance method was scorched-earth policies. Here, armies would burn down everything that would be essential to life, ensuring that no aid would be available to their opponent. In South Africa, mostly, apartheid was practiced to the extreme. Not only were there segregated bathrooms and schools, but entire towns. A white minority would live in splendor, while the black, native majority would live in squalor. From 1900 to present day, the world’s involvement in sub-saharan Africa has drastically changed. Western involvement in sub-saharan Africa mainly consisted in imperialistic motives and proxy wars. However, its started to change into wanting to help improve the standard of living. South Africa is a very good example of this. In the times of imperialism, England and Holland both had interest in South Africa. England wanted to create colonies there and the Dutch were already there. After the Dutch kicked the English out of the country, they set up their own personal empire in the region. They created a world where whites ruled over blacks. The insalubrious living conditions there for the native black majority eventually set off the rest of the world. After years of both internal and external pressure, the South African government finally ended apartheid in the country. This type of change goes on in many African countries. Most of these countries suffer due to futile proxy wars set up in the region by both Soviet and American forces. After decades of watching this fighting, the world decided to step in and help. Red Cross is sent in there to aid and occasionally, the United Nations tries to stop these wars. Non-profit organizations, such as UNICEF and Hand Up Africa encourage western civilians to take part in working for peace in the sub-saharan African nations. Despite the change in western attitude towards sub-saharan African nations, most of them still are under the threat of constant civil war and their people live in oppressive circumstances. Many of these civil wars were caused by the American fear towards communism and tribal and religious differences. These conflicts bring rise to militaristic dictatorships and decrease the standard of living prominently. However, in retrospect, western nations seemed to have repented for their destruction of the large continent and continuously attempt to rebuild it.