Sample Theme Essay on “Amigo Brothers”

â€Å"The Amigo Brothers,† written by Piri Thomas, is a story about a special friendship between two boys. Antonio and Felix, two seventeen year old boys, have grown up together and are very close to one another. They do almost everything together. They both dream of a future in which they will be the lightweight champions of the world, and together they help each other train regularly. Then a time comes when their friendship is threatened because for the first time ever, they have to compete against one another in a match.In the end, however, their relationship survives because both boys value their friendship above their ambitions. Through the words, thoughts, and actions of Antonio and Felix, the author expresses the theme that friendship is more important than a competition. From the beginning of the story, the boys have a conversation that reveals the importance of their friendship. One day while they are training for the upcoming fight they will be having against one ano ther, the boys avoid eye contact with one other. Felix breaks the ice by saying, ‘â€Å"I think we both got something to say to each other.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢As they talk, they both admit that they have been having trouble sleeping at night because they are concerned about hurting one another. Their worries show that their relationship is important to them. If it weren’t, the upcoming fight would not weigh on their minds. Instead, their focus would only be on preparing for the fight in hopes of winning. The author clearly uses the boys’ words to exemplify the importance of friendship. After talking, the boys decide not to see each other till the day of the fight, but neither can stop thinking about the other because each is worried about their friendship.The narrator says that â€Å"Both fighters had a lot of psyching up to do before the big fight. † This statement shows that the boys’ friendship is so powerful that in order to fight one another, they need to block out their feelings. On the evening before the fight, Antonio can’t stop thinking about how he does not want to hurt Felix. He tries to tell himself that â€Å"friendship has nothing to do with it,† but â€Å"a gnawing doubt [creeps] in. † He prays that the knock-out will happen in the first round thus, avoiding the need to continually punch and hurt Felix.Felix, too,  tries to block out his thoughts and feelings about Antonio, but while he is sitting in a movie theater, his thoughts are so much with Antonio that he keeps imagining Antonio’s face on the movie screen while he, Felix, is punching him out. Both boys are unable to stop thinking about protecting the other because their relationship is so important to them. Here, again Piri uses the boys to testify to the value of friendship. Finally, the story’s theme is relayed through the final actions of the boys. During the fight, both are focused on winning the match.Each attacks the other with full force. The fight becomes so violent that the referee has to pull them apart. After cold water is poured on both of them, they start to come back to reality. When they realize what has happened to them, they rush toward each other and hug. Afterwards, the bell rings to announce the winner of the fight, but when the announcer looks around to identify the victor, no one is there. The boys leave the ring â€Å"arm in arm. † The reason they leave is that they realize that winning is not what is most important to them.What they really care about is their friendship. Piri finalizes his theme through the ultimate actions of the boys. In conclusion, the boys’ choice to leave the boxing arena sums up the author’s point of view about friendship. Throughout the story, their stress and concern for their relationship is revealed through the conversations they have with each other, their thoughts that haunt them before the fight, and the choice they make at th e end of the fight. By the closing of the story, there is no question that the author’s theme is about the importance of friendship.

Is the Internet a Blessing or a Curse for the Millenial Generation?

Name: Olamide Basorun E-mail address: [email  protected] com Telephone number: 080258693012 Is the internet a Blessing or Curse for the Millennial Generation? By: Olamide Basorun Internet has been, perhaps, the most outstanding innovation in the field of communication in the history of mankind. As with every single innovation, the internet has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, I believe that there is a greater magnitude of advantages and these undoubtedly outweigh the disadvantages. During his evolutionary journey from Neanderthal to Homo erectus and then to Homo sapiens, man has come a long way.Because of his continuous quest for more and more amenities and facilities, he has been able to invent many new things. The nineties have seen a major turn around with the invention of computers. Until, a few years back, the term Internet was practically synonymous to most of the people. But today, the Internet has become the most powerful communication tool for people througho ut the world. With the advent of Internet, our earth has virtually reduced and has attained the form of a global village. The Internet has now become the best business tool in the modern scenario.Today, it has brought the world in one single room. Right from getting news across the corner of the world to accessing knowledge resources to shopping, everything is at your fingertips. The Internet has tremendous potential and a lot to offer in terms of services such as faster communication. The foremost target of Internet has always been speedy communication and it has excelled way beyond the expectations. Newer innovations are only going to make it faster and more reliable. Now, you can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other part of the world.For more personal and interactive communication, you can avail the facilities of chat services, video conferencing and so on. Besides, there are plenty of messenger services in offering. With the help of such services, it has become very easy to establish a kind of global friendship where you can share your thoughts and explore other cultures. Moreover, the internet is an excellent avenue to collect information resources. Information is probably the biggest advantage that the Internet offers. The internet is a virtual treasure trove of information.Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The search engines like Google, Yahoo are at your service on the Internet. There is a huge amount of information available on the Internet for just about every subject known to man, ranging from government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market information, new ideas and technical support, the list is simply endless. Students and children are among the top users who surf the Internet for research. Today, it is almost required that students should use it for research or the purpose of gathering resources.Even teachers have started giving assignments t hat require extensive research on the Internet. Besides, you can have an access to the latest researches in the field of medicine, technology and so on. Numerous web sites such as America's Doctor also allow you to talk to the doctors online and receive medical diagnosis without going through the stress of going to a hospital and avoid the embarrassment of face to face consultations. Entertainment is another popular raison d'etre why many people prefer to surf the Internet.In fact, the Internet has become quite successful in trapping the multifaceted entertainment industry. Downloading games or just surfing the celebrity websites are some of the uses people have discovered. Even celebrities are using the Internet effectively for promotional campaigns. Besides, there are numerous games that can be downloaded for free. The industry of online gaming has tasted dramatic and phenomenal attention by game lovers. The Internet has made life very convenient. With numerous online services you can now perform all your transactions online.You can book tickets for a movie, transfer funds, pay utility bills, taxes etc. , right from your home. Some travel websites even plan an Itinerary as per your preferences and take care of airline tickets, hotel reservations etc. Also the concept of e-commerce is used for any type of commercial manoeuvring or business deals that involves the transfer of information across the globe via the Internet. It has become a phenomenon associated with any kind of shopping, business deal etc. You name a service, and e-commerce with its giant tentacles engulfing every single product and ervice will make it available at your doorstep. Websites such as eBay allow you to even bid for homes, buy, sell or auction stuff online. As much as the internet is exceptionally useful it has its own disadvantages such as theft of personal information if you use the Internet for online banking, social networking or other services, you may risk a theft to your person al information such as name, address, credit card number and so on. Unscrupulous people can access this information through unsecured connections or by planting software and then use your personal details for their benefit.Needless to say, this may land you in serious trouble. Also the issue of spamming presents a serious problem for the internet. Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails in bulk, which provide no purpose and needlessly obstruct the entire system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating for you as it makes your Internet slower and less reliable. Along with these problems Internet users are often plagued by virus attacks on their systems. Virus programs are inconspicuous and may get activated if you click a seemingly harmless link.Computers connected to the Internet are prone to targeted virus attacks and may end up crashing. Pornography is causing a lot of problems for under aged internet users . Pornography is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the Inter net. Internet allows you to access and download millions of pornographic photos, videos and other X-rated files. Such unrestricted access to porn can be detrimental for children and teenagers. It can even place havoc in the marital and social lives of adults. Thanks to the Internet, people now not only meet on social networks.More and more people are getting engulfed in virtual world and drifting apart from their friends and family. Even children prefer to play online games rather than going out and mingling with other kids. This may hamper a healthy social development in children. Thus, the Internet has the potential to make your life simple and convenient, as well as wreak havoc in your life. Its influence is mostly dictated by the choices you make while you are online. With clever use, you can manage to harness its unlimited potential. Is the Internet a Blessing or a Curse for the Millenial Generation? Name: Olamide Basorun E-mail address: [email  protected] com Telephone number: 080258693012 Is the internet a Blessing or Curse for the Millennial Generation? By: Olamide Basorun Internet has been, perhaps, the most outstanding innovation in the field of communication in the history of mankind. As with every single innovation, the internet has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, I believe that there is a greater magnitude of advantages and these undoubtedly outweigh the disadvantages. During his evolutionary journey from Neanderthal to Homo erectus and then to Homo sapiens, man has come a long way.Because of his continuous quest for more and more amenities and facilities, he has been able to invent many new things. The nineties have seen a major turn around with the invention of computers. Until, a few years back, the term Internet was practically synonymous to most of the people. But today, the Internet has become the most powerful communication tool for people througho ut the world. With the advent of Internet, our earth has virtually reduced and has attained the form of a global village. The Internet has now become the best business tool in the modern scenario.Today, it has brought the world in one single room. Right from getting news across the corner of the world to accessing knowledge resources to shopping, everything is at your fingertips. The Internet has tremendous potential and a lot to offer in terms of services such as faster communication. The foremost target of Internet has always been speedy communication and it has excelled way beyond the expectations. Newer innovations are only going to make it faster and more reliable. Now, you can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other part of the world.For more personal and interactive communication, you can avail the facilities of chat services, video conferencing and so on. Besides, there are plenty of messenger services in offering. With the help of such services, it has become very easy to establish a kind of global friendship where you can share your thoughts and explore other cultures. Moreover, the internet is an excellent avenue to collect information resources. Information is probably the biggest advantage that the Internet offers. The internet is a virtual treasure trove of information.Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The search engines like Google, Yahoo are at your service on the Internet. There is a huge amount of information available on the Internet for just about every subject known to man, ranging from government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market information, new ideas and technical support, the list is simply endless. Students and children are among the top users who surf the Internet for research. Today, it is almost required that students should use it for research or the purpose of gathering resources.Even teachers have started giving assignments t hat require extensive research on the Internet. Besides, you can have an access to the latest researches in the field of medicine, technology and so on. Numerous web sites such as America's Doctor also allow you to talk to the doctors online and receive medical diagnosis without going through the stress of going to a hospital and avoid the embarrassment of face to face consultations. Entertainment is another popular raison d'etre why many people prefer to surf the Internet.In fact, the Internet has become quite successful in trapping the multifaceted entertainment industry. Downloading games or just surfing the celebrity websites are some of the uses people have discovered. Even celebrities are using the Internet effectively for promotional campaigns. Besides, there are numerous games that can be downloaded for free. The industry of online gaming has tasted dramatic and phenomenal attention by game lovers. The Internet has made life very convenient. With numerous online services you can now perform all your transactions online.You can book tickets for a movie, transfer funds, pay utility bills, taxes etc. , right from your home. Some travel websites even plan an Itinerary as per your preferences and take care of airline tickets, hotel reservations etc. Also the concept of e-commerce is used for any type of commercial manoeuvring or business deals that involves the transfer of information across the globe via the Internet. It has become a phenomenon associated with any kind of shopping, business deal etc. You name a service, and e-commerce with its giant tentacles engulfing every single product and ervice will make it available at your doorstep. Websites such as eBay allow you to even bid for homes, buy, sell or auction stuff online. As much as the internet is exceptionally useful it has its own disadvantages such as theft of personal information if you use the Internet for online banking, social networking or other services, you may risk a theft to your person al information such as name, address, credit card number and so on. Unscrupulous people can access this information through unsecured connections or by planting software and then use your personal details for their benefit.Needless to say, this may land you in serious trouble. Also the issue of spamming presents a serious problem for the internet. Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails in bulk, which provide no purpose and needlessly obstruct the entire system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating for you as it makes your Internet slower and less reliable. Along with these problems Internet users are often plagued by virus attacks on their systems. Virus programs are inconspicuous and may get activated if you click a seemingly harmless link.Computers connected to the Internet are prone to targeted virus attacks and may end up crashing. Pornography is causing a lot of problems for under aged internet users . Pornography is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the Inter net. Internet allows you to access and download millions of pornographic photos, videos and other X-rated files. Such unrestricted access to porn can be detrimental for children and teenagers. It can even place havoc in the marital and social lives of adults. Thanks to the Internet, people now not only meet on social networks.More and more people are getting engulfed in virtual world and drifting apart from their friends and family. Even children prefer to play online games rather than going out and mingling with other kids. This may hamper a healthy social development in children. Thus, the Internet has the potential to make your life simple and convenient, as well as wreak havoc in your life. Its influence is mostly dictated by the choices you make while you are online. With clever use, you can manage to harness its unlimited potential.

Improving the Sales of a Retail Store

This paper aims to apply the retail elements discussed in the book of Paco Underhill, â€Å"Why We Buy†. As discussed in the book, improving the state of certain but key retail elements of the store will likely improve its sales performance. For this study, the proponent opted to study the prospects of improving the retail elements of the Starbucks Coffeeshop located at 62 Boylston, Boston, Massachusetts and subsequently, the store’s sales performance. I. THE STORE – The proponent chose the Starbucks Coffee Shop located at 62 Boylston, Boston, Massachusetts for this study. It is a very small establishment that provides that rustic makeshift feel typical of Boston. While the coffee shop is successful in blending with the building that houses it and appears to have tapped a substantial percentage of foot traffic to keep it afloat, the proponent believes that it can do more once improvements are implemented to it. These improvements will be discussed in detail and will be conveyed after reviewing key retail elements. 1. Facade – As mentioned earlier by the proponent, the establishment blended well with the building’s color scheme and all with only the logo to distinguish it from afar. If one is new in the area and happens to pass this route to the office, chances are, the establishment will not register as on of Starbuck’s stores unless one looks up and sees the logo. 2. Layout– In general, the interior follows a typical Starbucks coffee shop with varying seat arrangements ranging from a 2-seater coffee table to bar tables on the glass panel provided with stools to suit to the dining preference of its customers. Similarly, the tables and chairs are arranged in such a way to allow a free flowing process for the customer, i. e. , from the time one enters the store, to approaching the counter, then dining until the customer heads for the exit. The interior painting provides a warm and homey feel enticing customers to stay a little longer. . Display – Inside the store, you will see the usual Starbucks merchandising showing their valued coffee beans, thermo mugs, coffee press and music cds to name a few. In front of the counter, one gets enticed to indulge in a sweet spree with all the pastries the store has to offer. The window panels while bare and boring from afar, allows passersby to get a glimpse of what is happening inside and what is in store for them and the proponent believes that this is the how Starbucks wanted it. . Value Added Amenities – The store provides its customers with mild pipe in music that stimulates an engaging conversation with friends. In addition, the store provides wireless fidelity connection to give customers access to the internet. 5. Customer – While the regular Bostonian walks to and fro school or work, most come from old rich descent. Life in Boston is a bit laid back compared to other areas in the United States making the theme of the store under study suitable for them. II. THE PROPOSAL – In reviewing the Starbuck’s store, the proponent attempts to apply the following retails points crucial in improving the sales performance of an establishment. These elements are: 1) A reason to return; 2) Interception Rate; 3) Display windows; 4a) Touch, trial, or other sensory stimuli; 4b) Immediate gratification; 4c) Social interaction; 5) Adjacencies and 6) Design, merchandising and operations (Underhill 2000). As the proponent conducts the analysis certain areas for improvement will be identified in the process. Among these areas, the proponent believes that application of certain modification on the stores design, i. e. , facade, and initiating activities that will enhance social interaction will not only increase the occurrence of repeat customers but will also enable them to tap other target markets. These two areas are discussed in detail below: 1. Design – Obviously, the operator of the Starbucks coffee at 62 Boylston, Boston, Massachusetts tried to blend in with the overall color and theme of the building, unfortunately, certain marketing concepts have been sacrificed in doing so. For instance, while people passing within the proximity of the coffee shop will likely identify it immediately, people from afar will most likely miss it not to mention if these people are new or are just visiting the area. The proponent also suggests that applying a contrasting color scheme will not only help increase the visibility of the store but as a matter of fact, will improve the appearance of the building en banc. 2. Social Interaction – Another avenue for sales improvement is in initiating activities that will enhance group meetings or social interaction in the store. To note, the baseline sales of the store is more or less dependent on the number of seats occupied. Oftentimes, the seating capacity of the store will be underutilized due to customers who would be dining alone. By initiating activities or promotions like group discounts, utilization of the store’s seating capacity, which as mentioned is a function of sales, will likely increase.

Current Sources of Basic Legislation in the UK Case Study

Current Sources of Basic Legislation in the UK - Case Study Example A company is said to be a private limited liability company if it is incorporated under the laws of either of the following: Scotland, England, Republic of Ireland, and Wales. In addition its shares are strictly limited to a specific group of shareholders but not the general public, consequently cannot be put for trading on a commercial stock exchange.1 The fact that the company is limited by shares is an indication of the presence and ownership of company capital by shareholders who are equally bound by the company's liability to creditors and other third-party institutions and agents. Going by the conventional rules governing the issuance of shares, shareholders and their personal effects are legally insulated from confiscation during insolvency save the value of the premium paid and the nominal value of the shares owned and issued by the company. According to the laws of the United Kingdom, all private limited liability companies are mandated to bear the suffix "Limited" abbreviated as "Ltd." The Case of John and his Partners Suffice to begin this section with a definite reference to the new Company and Companies Act 2006, will serve as the main reference framework of this paper. According to the act which will become functional in the last quarter of this year.

Texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Texts - Essay Example A development that has been emulated by the US, Australia, Europe, and New Zealand with a similar trend being noted in other emerging and developed economy countries. This is a sector growth that has seen an increase in enrollees and simultaneously, teachers, textbooks, journals, conferences, support systems and organizations for tourism education (Airey and Johnson, 1999). This is a growth that has worried the Council for Academic Awards (1993) who made known their unease at the rapid growth in the area. Citing Airey and Johnson, (1999) a lack of common agreement regarding the tourism program curriculum and the lack of basic definitions and parameters within which the course should be taught and developed made the organization worry about the teaching methodology used by the varying universities and educators. As of 1997, this has yet to be agreed upon (Tribe, 1997) due to the ability of the academics to develop its own concepts and approaches. According to Cooper, Scales, and Westlake (1992) this is because the course curriculum tends to take on the knowledge and ability of those teaching the courses involved. WhileKoh (1994) developed studies that indicated the individual influences of the educators had the ability to affect the biases of the professors depending upon their experiences within the tourism industry. Airey (1997) does not see any problem with this type of teaching as the curriculum is in its infancy stages and still has room for perspective and insight development. One of the biggest problems that this non-uniform definition creates is the confusion that it causes for the course applicants, students, and employers. As Koh (1994) explains: if tourism hopes to gain professional recognition, curriculum diversity cannot be allowed to continue because professionalism demands standardization. Jaspers (1997) supported this assumption by

Visual Rhetoric of 'One Water Film Documentary' Essay

Visual Rhetoric of 'One Water Film Documentary' - Essay Example While the visual scenes and the verbal accompaniments present water as physiologically and spiritually significant, the depletion, improper use, and poor development of the commodity spells a crisis that needs urgent attention. On the whole, the documentary employs one of the most innovative cinematic--visual and verbal--strategies to reach a wider view and attract an appeal to its thematic significance. It opens with the scenes of several people coming together in front of screens to watch awareness-raising movie on the importance of water conservation and how safe-drinking water is crucial (Travis 2). In this Scenario, the cinematic visual expression sets the psychological stage for the viewer to significantly open up to the following scenes. It captures and captivates the audience attention (Dwyer 1).In other scenarios filmed in different countries, the scenes indicating the differences of clear crystal clean water to dripping in some taps in a country and showing over-exploited d irty water in other countries show the differences in how water is a commodity in some regions and a human right in others (Dwyer 1). This is further compounded by the narrator’s exposition that while water is misused in affluent quarters, it is struggled for in other places (Travis 2) Moreover, there are scenes where images on how people use or misuse water which further deals with the dilemma of water in development as well as disease acquisition. Some scenes show human populations using various public water points for bathing, going for calls, as well as drinking. Besides, there are scenes where various other pollutants and thrown into water bodies, all which shocks the audience (Travis 2).Over-exploitation of water is additionally portrayed in other scenes showing the dried out lands bordering the over-exploited Colorado River, which has changed the water movement path (Dwyer 2). The statistical figures showing the urgency with which the death tendency of children in rela tion to the availability of water in the developing world vis-a-vis the developed nations shows that water crises need to be addressed urgently. It reveals a lack of understanding that many people across the world need to know that usage of polluted water should not be the rule, but the exception (Garcia 1). In an Indian Desert, Rajasthan, a woman and her child are shown carrying water pots crossing a seemingly dry lake, and a picture of winds transmitting salt onto some agricultural land. This ushers the notions of the extent to which agricultural productivity is enormously affected by lack of water. In Kenya and indeed the entire Sub-Saharan Africa, the picture of how unsafe water causes Malaria, diarrhea and other water born diseases introduces the viewer on the relationship of severity between water and disease micro-bills (Garcia 2). Indeed, the visual images that illustrate poverty and diseases unfold in various countries as the movie progresses (Dwyer 3). The picture of India n women carrying pots and fetching water from hand pumps is one such. Then there a scenes indicating that the use of under ground water, leads to sickness, as ground water deficits are characterized with ‘arsenic seepage into wells.’’ What is more, there are scenes showing women walking and crossing through and muddy and sewage-full streams while struggling to protect that precious commodity that

Training Methods Used In Four Seasons Assignment

Training Methods Used In Four Seasons - Assignment Example It is apparent that we have a variety of many interactive sessions. The employee is given an introduction to the hotel. Here he is shown the physical structures of the hotel so as to familiarize with the environment. The culture of property location is also made clear to the employee that we put up a hotel in a city that has the long-term strong local economy, and that is a traveler's destination that chooses top luxury hotels. Our selection is also based on the safety and expensive part of the city for the hotel. As for the resorts, it is based on an appealing site and accessibility to recreational facilities. Also, we ensure our employees know that the design for the Hotels and resorts are created to be beautiful, comfortable and personal. Additionally, we introduce our new employees to the philosophy that have been embraced since the start of the Four Seasons. The philosophy is that one should treat others as you would want them to treat you. The philosophy led as to concentrate o n adaptive focused guest services and the best way to achieve that was by treating our employees well. We provide the employees with the essential things they require to serve our guest (Harvard business school, 2000). A system has been set up to ensure that they have the necessary feedback, information, training, and development to enable them to advance in their career if they wish to. It is evident that this keeps the employees motivated thus perform a very high standard service to the guest.

A Mind At Peace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Mind At Peace - Assignment Example The revelations of Turkish soul on cultural and political change threshold inflict the prose while marking his aesthetics and language. Among other things, A Mind at Peace is an anti-epic of Turkish nationality. It has a bildungsroman component that does not translate into experience maturity and the wisdom, but into various vulnerability spectrums for the psychic instability to history and identity sacrifices. TanpÄ ±nar makes the modernist representation for the countries such as Turkey with experiences of concentrated reform and revolution periods. These countries have long histories of colonization (Tanpinar 76). His point-of-view in the narrative ranges between the aesthete poetic voice and the more traditional narrator. The prose, in structure and style, is, therefore, a narrative representation of fraught cultural transition within the Ottoman Empire onto the Turkish Republic. TanpÄ ±nar writes A Mind at Peace, various themes and tropes such as the Sufi theme, the divided se lf, the unrequited mystic beloved and lover romance, the melodic make, material culture (memory and objects), and the Ottoman legacy. Through the entry into the vast world of symbols, (including light and illumination, lover and beloved, Istanbul and the Bosphorus, season and climb as well as alchemy and transfiguration), the readers do not forget his access to the world through various voyeur perspectives of an ironist and tourist of the native city. TanpÄ ±nar continues to treat language as the main object that memory coalesces.

Carlos Slim Helu - Future of his company Research Paper

Carlos Slim Helu - Future of his company - Research Paper Example nchez-Runde, and Nardon 192). Therefore, this essay explores the future of Carlos Slim Helu’s company in terms of economic prospects and market share. Essentially, Carlos Slim Helu has made himself a name in the world of entrepreneurship due to his relentless efforts in doing global business (Casanova 28). Currently, the business tycoon owns a chain of about 200 companies that operate in Latin America and even beyond to the extent of employing over 200,000 people (Healy 129). This actually means that he is a man who holds a significant stake in the economy of the states of Latin America by his businesses. Since he has used his personal resources in improving the welfare of the people of Latin America especially the immediate communities in which his companies were situated, the legacy of Carlos Slim is one that will never go away very soon (Steers, Sa?nchez-Runde, and Nardon 192). Perhaps it is worth noting that Carlos Slim, through his fortune, helped educate over 165,000 Mex ican people to the university level. This great and commendable achievement won him the heart of many (Casanova 28). In this respect, many people particularly the Mexicans, have full confidence in his company and products offered. In addition, Carlos Slim did a great deal of work when he came with the initiative of building rural schools so that the rural folk could take their children to school (Steers, Sa?nchez-Runde, and Nardon 192). In terms of justice, the business mogul bailed over 50,000 Mexicans from jail because they were unfairly detained and they could not afford the bail. Perhaps these factors have led to his business booming in Mexico and beyond. Lastly but more importantly, it is important to note the fact that he has reserved over $4 billion for education in addition to $6 billion for other programs including but not limited to his Telmex Foundation (Casanova 28). As the world’s richest man, Carlos Slim has invested in building extensive networks with some of t he world’s most powerful figures including heads of states in order to penetrate his businesses further into many countries and consequently, conquer the global market share (Casanova 28). With this competitive edge in the market, the companies of Carlos Slim are able to survive any turbulence in the market that will send other companies winding up and for this reason, it is proper to insinuate that Carlos Slim together with his companies, are here to stay (Casanova 28). Although several critics have come strongly against the business mogul, Carlos Slim has always been relentless in his business enthusiasm particularly when it comes to dealing with sharp criticisms (Casanova 28). While he has had to deal with such criticisms as being a monopolist who will go any length in order to floor his business rival, Carlos Slim has taken it positively and instead of retorting to such allegations. Besides, he has instead opted to direct his effort to improving the world through educatio n, health, food, and justice (Steers, Sa?nchez-Runde, and Nardon 192). When it comes to collaborating with other tycoons, billionaire Carlos Slim Helu tops the list (Healy 129). This is particularly so when it comes to the search for the untapped opportunities in the world. In this regard, Carlos Slim

American History II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American History II - Essay Example A tariff refers to either a tax on exports or imports in and out of a country, or, on the other hand, a schedule or list of prices for things such as bus routes, electrical usage or rail service (Kaufman, 1998). From the 1790’s up to the eve of the First World War, Tariffs, often referred to as customs, were, for a long time, the largest source of the American revenue. A subsidy, on the other hand, referred to the assistance paid to an economic sector or business (Kaufman, 1998). A majority of subsidies were created by the U.S. government and offered to subventions in an industry so as to prevent the industry from collapsing. Subsidies, in the United States, were often regarded as a form of trade barrier or protectionism (Kaufman, 1998). This was because it made locally manufactured goods more competitive than imports. Finally, a national bank, in the United States, refers to a private bank operating within the regulatory structure, which might or might not function nationally. The whole meaning of a national bank is that the bank is not subject to state usury laws, which are intended to prevent predatory lending (Kaufman,

Company and Application Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Company and Application Exercise - Essay Example My past work experience, experience and interpersonal skills makes be capable of fitting into the job requirement. Together with the special software competence in engineering application, I am capable of achieving the requirements of the job across various cultures as per the job requirement. Therefore, it would only be ideal that i bring in my wealth of knowledge and experience into the company’s operation and use my leadership skills and competence to help realize the company’s objectives. Name [xxxxxxxxxxx] Address [street number] Mobile phone number, Home telephone: Email: Personal Profile I posses effective communication skills and I am capable of developing a communicating relationship with people I may not know it total varied environment making it possible to interact with various people across various cultures to ensure accomplishment of tasks. I have a demonstrated leadership track where I have managed to lead various groups of craftsmen as required in order to achieve designated task. Further, I am a team player who is ready and willing to work with others in creating the enabling environment for accomplishing tasks. I have proficiency in various engineering software necessary to accomplish tasks and analysis or various data to arrive at the necessary conclusion. These include CAD and MATLAB. I am also willing to learn more software application as my job will demand from time to time. Education 1. B. Sc .Civil and Construction Engineering, University of Mississippi, July 2011 The four year training in engineering was inclusive of practical skills such project supervision and design work. 2. A levels, Mississippi graduate school, Technical application, graduate, July 2009 At this stage, I acquired fundamental engineering knowledge with exposure on engineering projects and related works. Employment History 1. Field supervisor, City Council, August 11 – present I worked as supervisor in charge of plumbers with the responsibility of ensuring water connectivity to city residents. Coordinate the works of a team of 20 plumbers to various parts of the city to ensure that water connections were in place and correcting any possible problems. Also reported to the water engineer on the daily developments in the water supply of the city. The city council benefitted through the assured continuity of water supply to the residents and thereby reducing complaints from the residents leading to improved revenue collection from the residents by the Council. Achievement The major assignment during the attachment period was to research, analyze and propose the causes of water shortages and the available methods to solve. Providing a recommendation to be followed in solving the water shortage problem was the ultimate objective. Benefits to employer The city council was able to determine, through my services, the extent of water shortage and projection of such increases if they were not mitigated. The employer also adopted water shortage mitigation strategy as recommended by me which was effective and the pressure was considerably eased. 2. Assistant Engineer-Operations, Hayer Construction-China, August 10– Nov 10Â   Feature: To supervise and coordinate the site operations on the construction project Activity: Planning for the supply and availability of quality on the site. Assigning duties accordingly to different people to ensure the flow of the project activities. Benefit: The benefits the

The Economic History of the United States Essay Example for Free

The Economic History of the United States Essay Today, the United States has the most foremost economy in the global industry. It is the leader in trade and exchange and has embraced ideologies and policies that directly affect the performance of its economy. Among this is the policy of free trade which was strongly pursued and promoted by well known economist and scholar, Milton Friedman. Friedman has become an advocate of Adam Smiths writings and highly agree with his ideas of free trade, competition in the markets, and the â€Å"invisible hand†. Friedmans contention is that the act of embracing free trade by the United States is one which will definitely benefit the economy in the long-run as opposed to embracing an economy that is highly protected and regulated by the government. The government is indeed essential to provide security and to make sure that orderly, stable, and lawful conditions are sustained and provided. However, governments cannot help but heavily intrude in economic and business affairs. Friedman sees this as a hindrance to the furtherance of achieving economic prosperity as well as a suppression of the freedom to choose. The film provided valuable insights about the different developments of other nations to provide an overview of how free trade and government intervention and control has affected the development of these nations. Take for example Britain who used to suffer from smuggling and numerous lawbreakers. It removed all the duties and tarriffs on goods in 1846 and has become the workplace of the world, achieving an unprecendented rate of economic wellness. Japan is also among those countries which embraced a certain aspect of free trade when it broke away from its feudal society and isolation in 1868. It has been rooted in the traditional and because of the opening of its market to the West traders and its embrace of free trade, Japan has since then become an economy that is highly competitive. It has adopted modern ways of production in its various industries which caused its economic boom. This economic freedom has further promoted human freedom. On the other hand, India after its freedom from Britain, has adopted a system that strongly relied on the government for central planning and control. The weaving industry of India was heavily regulated and keenly controlled by the government. It never really prospered and the energy coming from human capital was stifled which would have produced more dynamic actvity. In this respect, other industries were sacrificed and until the present, India has never really modernized. In the case of the United States, its employment of free enterprise has currently provided an economy that is noteworthy because it provided the enjoyment of low prices, products that are satisfactory in terms of quality and high wages. Adam Smith, in his book The Wealth of Nations, introduced the â€Å"invisible hand† which has been one of the foundations of free enterprise. This is very manifest in the United States economy in a way that it is human nature. The behavior of the Americans which places a big importance on the freedom to choose, provides an environment that is highly characteristic of the invisible hand at work. Self-interest which is very common to all, is the main key in the propagation of this phenomenon. The difference of the United States however, is its open acceptance of the cultivation of self-interest. Because of the individual pursuance of self-interest, different producers have manufactured products in the aim of achieving profit from them. This in turn provided the needs for the consumers, who in the pursuance of their self interest, paid for goods that became the profit for the producers. This spontaneous order definitely explains the economic prosperity that the United States enjoy today. Furthermore, because of the invisible hand at work, competition at the market place has been cultivated and encouraged. More producers have made goods that provided variety for people to choose. It is a known fact that consumers would definitely opt for goods that are of the cheapest price, and this competition definitely promotes a healthy economic environment when it is coupled by the sellers option to sell at a higher price. This applies to the domestic economy as well as to international exchange and trade. United States has suffered from protectionism as a political disease but it has risen above it and has not coward out of competing in the international market. The lifting of constraints from the government with regards to international competition facilitated the United States advantageous strategies that explored the minimization of costs and maximization of profits. It has tapped cheaper overseas labor in the processing of raw materials and assembling of goods that are then sold domestically and exported abroad. However, arguments saying that this process will mean lesser jobs for Americans has been voiced out by others. Despite the negative implication that this outsourcing of labor has, the United States has found means of going around it. It has took advantage of the free market of foreign exchange in the birth of export industries that have replaced jobs that might have been lost. This was only possible because of the alleviation of government intervention in international exchange and trade. Another instance is the support of small businesses that are currently motivated by the free enterprise policy of the United States. This small businesses provide more jobs for the American citizens currently. Summing up, it can be assumed that free trade accounts for the United States being able to enjoy a high standard of living and if more barriers are removed, it promises an even brighter economic future. Free trade allows more goods and services to reach the United States allowing the American consumers to choose and enjoy goods at lower prices. This means more spending income or savings for a household. However, the positive effects of free trade is not limited domestically because it extends to a global scale. With the embrace of a free enterprise, the freedom to choose is extended globally and influences more nations. With the right attitude of acceptance and undertaking the challenge of competition, other nations could take the steps that the United States have taken. With the right market reforms, economic improvement is definitely at hand. Works Cited PBS Free to Choose 1990 Vol. 2 of 5 The Tyranny of Control http://video. google. com/videoplaydocid=2798161794328252652q=Milton+Friedman+Free+to+choose+duration3Alongtotal=15start=10num=10so=0type=s

Technological Advances: The Negative Effects

Technological Advances: The Negative Effects Technological advancement as a term can be defined as being able to improve the standard of living through altering the production process and increasing the level of production with fewer resources (Mabry Sharplin; 1986). This definition is closely linked to the act of using computers, robots and the like but any move towards more efficient ways of providing services is a technological advancement. When one begins with premise that the gradual shift from human-sensitive methods of construction will pose a problem in South Africa as a developing country, plain human knowledge becomes sufficient as a technological advancement. Technology varies in its purposes and uses. It has become the backbone of any sort of development initiative in the developing world. Characterised by efficiency, accuracy and cost benefits. Developed countries are suited better to manage the negatives that come from the overt use of technology. Their economies are strong enough to manage unemployment and the like. Often, people that fear or are weary of fast evolving technology are referred to as Luddites, this is untrue and grossly inaccurate for the Luddites (circa 1800s) were working but uneducated people who destroyed all symbols of advancing technology. Nobel laureate Wassily Leontief, who gave the keynote speech for the National Academy of Engineering at its 1983 symposium The Long-Term Impact of Technology on Employment and Unemployment, cannot fairly be called a Luddite, yet he expressed concern about what he saw as technological advancements undesirable distributional effects across income groups (Mabry Sharplin; 1986) The construction industry is slowly eliminating jobs that are human-sensitive. Jobs that previously required a strong human presence can now be done off-site (precast) and brought to site just to assemble. The jobs are becoming lower skilled and routine. With this in mind, one would think that there would be more jobs created but the opposite happens, jobs seem to be eroding. The implementation of new technology offers the companies a competitive edge over their rivals at the cost of jobs. In construction, efficiency is very important. Delays in time mean penalties and this requires more money. Redundancy caused by advancements in technology has been happening in the automotive industry where machines have rendered the jobs of many humans obsolete and have left some fastening bolts for eight hours a day. In the construction industry, though you will not find a machine laying bricks, there are other materials that are being developed to render using bricks and blocks outdated. Aluminium beams and columns are now de-rigueur in architectural circles and this will not take long at all to catch up with the industry and it will just be a matter of time before construction gangs of fifty will shrink to ten because of cranes doing all the heavy lifting and then ten men just fastening bolts. Technological advancement, in itself, is an indication of development in any country. Said advancement should not hinder the growth of the country by creating a poverty trap. A developing country has a few defining characteristics, defined below: Majority living below the poverty line Ex-colony Subject to economic inequality Inequality in the working environment As technology advances further and further it hinders growth through promoting the utilizing methods that arent human-sensitive. Chapter 2 The role of South Africas history 2.1 History Colonialism played a role in the current problems South Africa faces. To understand how technology affects employment, we need to have a clearer understanding of how we got to where we are from a developmental point of view. Colonisers occupied the country and divided the country geographically to make it more manageable. They then developed city centres and these city centres became economic hubs in their regions. During the 1886 Witwatersrand Gold Rush, employment was created for the natives. Many natives left their homelands to work in the Gauteng mines. The cities close to the mines kept flourishing as there became a need for other industries to support the influx of natives and wealthy mine owners to the mining cities. The homelands remained underdeveloped. Many decades later, rural areas are still underdeveloped and creating employment in those areas is hard because there are very few economic development initiatives. 2.1.1 Migration to the cities. As aforementioned, the movement of many natives from their homelands for employment in the mining cities left many homelands underdeveloped. The lure of employment opportunities in a quickly developing country proved to be problematic. W.W Rostow (circa 1960), cited by Utting (2011; Development Management IV: Course Notes; 189:190) discussed the modernization theories of development. The underlying principle of this modernization theory was that economic development was integral to the overall development of any society. Economic development is South Africa seemed to be happening in the mining cities only and not in the rural areas. 2.1.2 Consequence of migration. As men left to work in the cities, they left their families at home. Families that were uneducated and had no other means of income and mostly made a living through farming. Formal education was, and for the most part is just a fallacy to people living in rural areas. This is creating a problem because on one hand; low-skill level jobs are being automated, on the other hand; you have many people from the rural areas coming in with little-to-no education looking for employment. This contributes to creating what is termed a poverty trap. 2.1.3 Previously Disadvantaged Individuals People of colour were oppressed during the unjust reign of apartheid which officially began in the election of 1948 and lasted until 1994. In that time, people of colour were oppressed in every way imaginable. The end of apartheid brought about great elation and spelled the end of an oppressive regime, we also adopted many problems from there. For instance, the problem of unemployment. A complex issue that has no single solution. The previously disadvantaged individuals, i.e. people of colour in South Africa, are now trying to keep-up with the developed world. The issue is the means that are taken to develop South Africa further. The methods which utilize an excess of technology will widen the gap between the rich and poor. The previously disadvantaged will be left destitute and with very few opportunities to develop themselves let alone along with the country. 2.1.4 Addressing the issue of inequality Government implemented Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), which has now become Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), to facilitate the development of PDIs. Government also put a policy in place that was set to address inequalities in the workplace by giving construction companies a BEE status. This meant that a certain portion of the workforce had to be composed of PDI. This, of course, is a step in the right direction towards addressing inequalities in the workplace. An overwhelmed Government Decades after the 1886 Gold Rush, present Government still feel the effects of mass migration to the cities. Change of political regime brought about new challenges for Government. The two most important: Creating Jobs: Job creation isnt particularly the responsibility of Government. They are supposed to create an environment that supports and promotes job creation. Presently, graduates form the majority of the unemployed in South Africa. Homelands are still under-developed and this doesnt seem to be changing. Policies to address the unemployment and subsequent poverty problem in rural areas are addressed by issuing policies. The problem with policies is they are therapeutic, generic and do not address the problem of each rural area on a case by case basis. Another problem with policies is that they are developed by people who do so remotely so they do not know the actual problem, on the ground. Adequate Housing: Housing has is a problem especially in towns surrounding big cities like Durban and Johannesburg. The RDP programme was developed for this purpose. Independent contractors tender and build the house. Unfortunately, many contractors dont fulfil their obligation. The problem doesnt get better and we see violent service delivery protests. The tender process in itself is heavily flawed and marred by political interference and corruption. 2.2.1 Failure to create jobs. As aforementioned, the current Government is struggling to create job or rather failing to create an environment that promotes job creation. According to the World Bank (2011), Local Economic Development (LED) refers to the collective efforts between Government and non-governmental institutions to create an environment that is conducive to both economic growth and employment. In essence, LED provides the community ways to improve their chances of getting investment from external sources and their own business environment. The aim is to create a better life for all. Rural communities dont have much of this happening and the focus needs to move towards decentralization. The concentration of rural development policy makers in urban areas is also to the detriment of rural areas. The sheer distance leads to misappropriation of funds and resources and this keeps the rural areas underdeveloped. Top-down centralized policies rarely accomplish their goals because the policy makers arent anchored in the rural reality on the ground (International Labour Office; 2012) 2.2.2 Critical analysis of the tender process The tender process was initially meant to open up opportunities for people of colour to enter the world of business and trade. Unfortunately, the tender process is marred by corruption and political interference and this in counter-productive and robs the people it was meant to help in the first place. The process begins by realising a need for a service in a particular community and then sending that particular project out to tender with various contractors who then send back their estimates of how much it would cost to build the required infrastructure. The corruption begins when the tenderers start bribing officials to give them the contract. Too often the contractors themselves are incompetent and end up breaching contracts. The reason for their incompetency can be credited to the lack of knowledge. Most new contractors have no formal training and make very few attempts at getting adequate training and the cycle keeps on going. The process itself is not flawed; the issue is with monitoring it. There isnt an independent body that monitors the tendering process and this leads to corruption and moves back as a nation. Monitoring, or lack thereof, is not the primary solution to corruption because corruption is prevalent in all developing countries. Chapter 3: Basic education and training Lack of a proper educational framework in rural areas Bantu Education was established to give people of colour the most basic education. A means to create more muscle for the machine that was apartheid. The structure was such that skills development formed part of the school curriculum. Students who left the institution of Bantu Education left with skills and could go start looking for work immediately after. Universities were reserved for Whites only. In rural areas however, school infrastructure was few and far in between. As South Africa developed and established itself as a source of mineral wealth many moved into the urban areas (See, Chapter 1) and left the rural areas as they were. Rural areas dont have any economic development, chances for employment are slim. Even if businesses are encouraged, their longevity is cut short because there is no Local Economic Development. Schools in rural areas do not, to this day, receive adequate resources to teach. School buildings are of mud block construction. The chaos that arises from there can only be imagined when the rainy season starts. The education system in South Africa is not at its most stellar as we saw during the Limpompo Textbook Fiasco (M. Madia, 2012). This in turn creates problems when the students produced from rural schools are thrust into a society that demands a good knowledge of technology and pliable minds. The students, coming from a background with no knowledge of computers and the like will end up looking for employment that requires a low-skill level. On the other end of the spectrum, employers are looking for ways to increase productivity without affecting profits. On a building site, having concrete delivered, as opposed to mixing it on site, saves time and consequently saves money. Lower-skill jobs are slowly becoming redundant and the education system in rural areas isnt keeping up with the demand for technology savvy candidates. As a result, a cesspool of unemployment and everything it carries many other social problems such as crime and corruption. Desperation can kill you. Language barriers (machinery use) Communication is essential on site for all operations to continue. The language barrier between employer and employee makes the employee less desirable for employment. Employees from rural areas are often not well versed in languages either than their home-language. Similarly with machinery use, employers wouldnt employ someone with a minimal understanding of the language of instruction. Besides that being a health and safety hazard, it wouldnt be beneficial and training would take longer than it should. Misunderstandings on site (machinery use) Any sort of misunderstanding on site has a financial repercussion. With this in mind, employers avoid workers with little-to-no understanding of the language of instruction. There is a clear disconnection between the education department in rural areas and the required calibre of graduates. This in turn leads to students coming from that system to be left behind. When that happens and the very students are put into a system that requires a certain level of knowledge, knowledge that they lack. Subsequently, these people bear the grunt of job displacement due to the introduction of technology and/or automation. Chapter 4: Methods of construction The manner in which construction projects are carried out has changed dramatically. Change is constant and will not stop as humans develop further and further. From the times of the great Pharaohs, where heavy materials were rolled on logs, to present day where heavy materials are hauled into the air with cranes. 4.1 Evolution of Methods Traditional construction was of mass concrete. The older buildings like the Durban Station were of mass concrete and required many labourers to set up shutters, mixing concrete and pouring. Mixing of concrete was done on site. Technological advancements moved towards using central concrete depots and having concrete delivered to site. The purpose of technological advancement is to increase production while utilizing the least amount of resources. To a very large extent it is good, the problem begins when technology advances at the cost of peoples jobs. Project Planning Project planning has become more streamlined and can be managed by a single person as opposed to be an entire team. Project planning in South Africa has attracted a great amount of attention over the past few years because of its association with infrastructure. As South Africa develops further, infrastructure will be required. Many construction projects are complex and required teams to manage them, over time computer programmes were developed and managing large projects became easier. Technology has afforded us the opportunity to much with very little resources. It has also created a situation where those who do not adopt are left behind. This is well and good in a developed state but South Africa is a developing country with a 25% unemployment rate and threatening to grow as more and more technology is being introduced into the industry. The industry itself will do better, productivity will increase but many people will be permanently displaced, in terms of employment. The planning of projects will eventually be handled by a single person using a computer programme. The availability of jobs will decrease as companies need fewer people to run successful projects. Chapter 5: Construction Materials Building materials arent exempt from advancements. There has been a movement from mass concrete, to brick and block and now we are in the age of steel and glass construction. The movement from one age to the next has an adverse effect on employment. Presently, steel and glass construction needs just a few men and a crane. A shift in the paradigm of construction. Lighter Materials. Construction materials have gotten lighter while retaining their strength. Materials like fibreboard are now common place in offices. Even materials that always were the heaviest, like concrete, have had their share of technological advancement. Air-infiltrated concrete is lighter than conventional concrete. The secret is in the air bubbles that are trapped within the concrete that make it lighter while making it a bit easier to work with. This particular type of concrete is strong enough to take the loads of conventional concrete but can also be used as a cantilever slab (with reinforcing). Precast Items. With the paradigm shift of construction materials, precast items are becoming more common. From lintels in residential construction to entire floor slabs in commercial property. A shift that has brought about increased productivity. Concrete pouring and curing is the most time consuming exercise on site and having that time saved means saving money too. The problem, again, with such an advancement is how it affects employment. Concrete mixing, as a low-skill level job, employed quite a few labourers (proportional to size of project) and with concrete mixing being removed from equation, many are left jobless. The biggest hurdle is the lack of training initiatives for workers that have been displaced due to automation. They are left unemployed and unemployment leads to other social problems. Chapter 6: Globalisation According to the Education and Training Unit of South Africa (2012), globalisation refers to the changes in technological, political and economic that make the world different in its functioning to the way it was twenty or thirty years ago. The proof of globalisations can be seen in the emergence of giant corporations with branches all over the world. Globalisation forces developing nations to adjust their structures in order to match those of the developed nations. All this to help developing nations secure loans to help their flailing economies. BusinessDictionary.com refers to globalisation as a movement towards integration of many aspects of trade. In the same vein, they go on to say that globalisation threatens weaker economies when applied discriminately. Keeping up with the world. Even though South Africa has mineral wealth, it is still an emerging economy. The reason for this is the colonial history of South Africa (Refer to Chapter 2). The international markets play a role in how development in South Africa is implemented. This is where politics come into play. P. Kingsworth in his article Globalisation of South Africa describes the conditions under which the fate of common South Africans would be controlled by international markets. After the failure of the Reconstruction Development Plan (RDP) in 1996, the Growth Employment and Redistribution program (GEAR) was set-up to take its place. The difference between GEAR and RDP was that; where RDP promised free basic services, GEAR privatised utilities and would bill all users. Some of these users live below the poverty line. Rapid advancements in technology threaten jobs and yet the poorest of the poor must still pay for services. Global trends to employers. To employers, global trends dictate how they should react to the current market. Technological advancements give them an edge of the opposition and that edge equals more profit. As crude as it may seem, profit is the bottom-line to most, if not all, employers. Globalisation has afforded employers a chance to compete on an international scale. Increased connectivity with international markets offers them the option of showcasing their services overseas. In order to be able to satisfy international demand, they need to automate systems. That is a factor that leads to job loss. Chapter 7: Technology: Computer Programmes With globalisation burning hot at the heels of a developing South Africa, computer programmes come as part of the globalisation package. It was an inevitable move and one that was greatly needed in terms of development. Computer programmes dont directly affect low-skill employees, its a challenge that will face those that havent been introduced to computer programmes in University. Again, the highlight of the clear disconnect between the industry and the education system. Many graduates fall into the chasm unbeknown to them, with very little help from the industry and Universities. CCS For contractors CCS or the Candy system is a computer programme that is specifically aimed at making the job of a contractor manageable. A contractor with many projects going on at the same time will need a computer programme that will integrate forecasting, estimating, valuations and project planning. The design of the Candy system is such that it can be understood by anyone with a knowledge of construction. Corruption has created a distorted view of contractors. It is a general view that many contractors cannot manage projects and therefore cannot control funds. Quantity surveyors are usually employed to help them control funds for contractors. Programmes like CCS have now given smaller contractors with the option of being able to control their own projects and therefore their own funds without needing a quantity surveyor to do the work for them. WinQS for Professional Quantity Surveyors WinQS is a programme designed more for professional quantity surveyors as it offers an in-depth interface that will require a quantity surveying background. WinQS can produce complete bills of quantities because it has JBCC contracts within the programme itself. On a consultation with Steve Naidoo (2012; August 5th), he explained the great help that came with the introduction of computers. Doing bills on chart paper and having to transport them great distances, as opposed to emailing, has made work a lot easier. Consulting firms will employ the use of WinQs more widely. A company that employed many quantity surveyors will need fewer with the introduction of such programmes. The results of automation are clear in South Africa. People are losing jobs and not enough is being doing to boost small enterprises. What is being done is being overshadowed by corruption while the fate of South Africas youth dangles helplessly in the face of poverty and a host of other social problems. Chapter 8: Case Studies I have selected two cases that I felt were relevant to highlight my growing concerns about the problems that come with technological advances. I cannot deny the great leaps we have taken with the help of technology. The problem is how these leaps tend to take developing nations back a few steps, especially when coupled with international pressure (via Globalisation, see Chapter 6). The first example highlights the advantages offered by technology and its advancements, it also highlights the change and how it would affect a developing nation. The Ark Hotel, China The Broad Group, a construction company based in China, was able to build a 30 Storey building in just 15 days. The fastest construction of a hotel. What was amazing was how there were zero injuries. The hotel itself was designed and built to withstand an earthquake with a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale. Building materials were all prefabricated and brought to site to be assembled. This could be the secret to their Super-fast power as it was dubbed in the British DailyMail (2012). The movement to precast and prefabricated materials is as inevitable as the first steps of a healthy toddler. South Africa, as the toddler, is expected to start running before it knows how to walk. The Ark Hotel, was built like a structure made of Legos. All the pieces were made and fabricated off-site and brought to site to be assembled by a few specialists and a crane. Construction like this in a developing nation could cripple it. In countries where the construction industry employs the most people, a move towards using prefabricated material could be disastrous not only in the short-term but in the long-term too. Sanrals E-Toll Sanral has undertaken to build open-road tolling for road users in Gauteng. The network will be 560kms covering 34 of Gautengs busiest interchanges the most infamous being; Allandale, William Nicol, Rivonia and Elands. The reason that E-Tolling was introduced is to fund the improvements of roads. The tolling will be based on a user-pay system. It will become necessary to get an E-Tag for the motor vehicle that will be transporting passengers and every month a statement will arrive at your doorstep, detailing your daily commute through the several tolls on your way to your destination. This system could be rolled out throughout the entire country. According to Sanral (2012), only 19% of the countries roads are tolled roads, the remaining 81% arent tolled roads. The reality is that the money that is made from the tolled roads is insufficient to perform maintenance on roads. The system will be unmanned and thus starts the problem. The people that were employed will now be jobless as tolls will no longer need people to collect monies. This is yet another example of how technology is making people redundant. One cannot help but be in awe of the great technological leap, the same technological leap is at the same time robbing people of jobs and yet again bring the problem of unemployment to the fore. Chapter 9: Resolution In cases like these were it is one power reigning supreme over a nation, a solution cannot be employed. Resolutions can however be offered. These suggestions are subject to reviewing and adjustment. Using human-sensitive methods on site that dont rely heavily on the use of machinery. The human resource is abundant and renewable. Employers in South Africa ought to be looking into using this readily available resource. It may be argued that machines do not take sick-days, thats acceptable but machines will not be the ones using your project upon completion. We are creating a society we cannot afford. 25% of the population is unemployed and as more technology is being introduced more people will lose their jobs in favour of automated systems. Site work can be carried out by labourers instead of machines. Simple tasks like batch concrete mixing can be carried out by labour instead of machines and be delivered to site. The problem is not one dimensional; for instance, a contractor has a need to keep a healthy stream of work coming in because of the corrupt nature of the construction industry where certain parties are earmarked for jobs. In cases like this, the contractor will be trying to turn a profit on every job and one way of doing that is by always completing jobs on time, he does this by having a smaller team that uses specialist technology to help complete jobs quickly and usually under-budget. He keeps his business afloat and doesnt employ many. Government regulation.* The dilemma facing South Africa is the corrupt nature of our leaders. Technology provides a higher level of production while neglecting the steps taken to reach that level of productivity. Technology renders humans redundant and government is aware but is benefitting through the use of technology. Technology entrenches the divisions of the past by keeping the privileged employed and the rest of the country in close proximity of poverty. Perhaps, the only difference between present day and apartheid is that those who can adapt and use technology stand a better chance of being employed over those that very little knowledge of technology and the way in which it works. Unfortunately, those that have a limited knowledge of technology form the majority of the countrys population. The onus is therefore on Government to regulate how technology is introduced and implemented in the construction industry in South Africa before we are faced with a situation where the poor have nothing to eat but the rich. Training of people and subsequent employment The best way to get a better workforce is by training them. During Apartheid, skills-training was a part of the school curriculum. That aspect of the curriculum must come back to address South Africas skills shortage. The only difference is the training will be for specific industries. Science and technology, research and development, medicine and engineering are fields that require younger thinkers. It seems like our education system is amassing an army of entrepreneurs that have no idea of how to manage their businesses. Small business fail because of mismanagement. The use of people as a resource can also be seen as a technological advancement because with enough training, efficient ways of carrying tasks out are inevitable. Addendum 1: Supporting documentation Addendum 2: Bibliography Education and Training Unit of South Africa; 2012; Understanding Globalisation (Online); available at www.etu.org.za ; Accessed 26 August 2012 Kingsnorth, P; 2004; The globalisation of South Africa (Online); available at uk.oneworld.net; Accessed 26 August 2012 Mackenzie, C; 2012; Theyre now a super-fast power: How the Chinese built a 30 storey hotel from scratch in just fifteen days (Online); available at www.dailymail.co.uk ; Accessed 27 August 2012 Sabol, L; 2007; Technology, Change, and the building industry (Online); available at http://www.dcstrategies.net/files/2_sabol_technology_change.pdf; Accessed 27 August 2012 Mabry, R. H, Sharplin, A. D; 1986; Does more technology create unemployment? (Online); available at http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/does-more-technology-create-unemployment; Accessed 24 August 2012 International Labour Office; 2012; Boosting Local Economies in rural areas (Online); available at www.ilo.org/led; Accessed 15 August 2012 European Science Technology Observatory; 2002; Impact of technological structural change on employment: prospective analysis 2020 (Online); available at http://www.mcrit.com/espon_scenarios/files/DOCUMENTS/eur20258en.pdf; Accessed 18 August 2012 Kletzer, L. G; 1998; Job Displacement (Pages 115-136) (Online); available at http://www.jstor.org; Accessed 10 August 2012 Talbot, D; 2012; Tectonic Shifts in Employment (Online); available http://www.technologyreview.com; Accessed 12 August 2012 Moavenzadeh, Fred, Koch Rossow, J. A; 1975; The construction in

Growth Kinetics of Microorganisms in a Shake Flask

Growth Kinetics of Microorganisms in a Shake Flask Abstract This experiment is carried out to study the growth kinetics of microorganisms in shake flask. E.coli is grown in a LB broth medium and being fermented for 24 hours. Throughout the fermentation, the cell culture is taken out for every 3 hours and protein test, glucose test and cell dry weight are being performed. As for the optical density analysis, the absorbance reading from the spectrophotometer is taken while for the glucose test, the reading of glucose level is taken from the YSI 2700 Select Biochemical Analyzer or can also being performed by using DNS reagent and the absorbance value is taken. These absorbance values will then being compared with the standard curve to get the glucose concentration inside the shake flask at particular time. The cell dry weight, in the other hand, is taken after the mass concentration is being dried overnight in the oven. The weight of the viral which contains the biomass before and after the drying process is recorded to get the dry cell weight. For the optical density of the cell, the absorbance value showed an increment which indicating that the cell was growing and number of cell is increased in the shake flask. The glucose concentration, however, cannot be determined as the absorbance values were increased and decreased unevenly and comparison cannot be made with the standard curve as the data for the standard curve are not consistent giving inaccurate curve. Therefore no conclusion can be made about the glucose concentration in the shake flask. Supposedly, as the number of cell increased, the glucose concentration would decrease as the glucose consumption by the cells is increased. The dry cell weight in the other hand can be seen that there is an increment from the beginning of the cultivation until the 6th hour and showed unstable changes until the 24th hour. Supposedly, as the number of cell increased inside the shake flask, the cell dry weight also should be increased. Introduction Fermentation can be carried out as batch, continuous and fed-batch processes. In this experiment, the shake flask fermentation is being used. Shake flask fermentation is the example of batch fermentation. In shake flask, the culture flask usually Erlenmeyer flask is being used to place and growing the microorganisms. It is the cheapest and easiest way to culture microorganism aerobically, in small volumes of nutrient broth. It is a small scale equipment which equivalent to stirred tank bioreactor. In order to prevent any contamination to the culture, shake flask must be plugged. Different plug can be made of cotton-wool, glass wool, polyurethane foam, gauze or synthetic fibrous material. The plug has to prevent airborne microorganism from getting into the medium while at the same time allowing free flow of air into the flask. The cultures are incubated at certain temperature and shaking frequency in an incubator shaker to achieve a required growth rate. The shaking agitates the medium and the culture to keep the mixture relatively homogeneous and also to ensure aeration, creating an aerobic condition. In batch culture, there is neither input supplied nor output generated throughout the fermentation. The medium culture is initially inoculated with the microorganism. The growth keeps increasing until at certain extent, the growth is inhibited because of the decreasing substrate concentration and the presence of toxic metabolites. Aims To study the growth kinetics of microorganism in shake flask experiment To construct a growth curve including lag, log, stationary and death phases To determine the Monod parameters Theory Shake flask fermentation is one of the examples of batch fermentation. Batch culture is an example of a closed culture system which contains an initial, limited amount of nutrient. The inoculated culture will pass through a number of phases. After an inoculation there is a period during which no growth appears to take place. This period is referred as the lag phase and may be considered as a time of adaptation. In a commercial process, the length of the lag phase should be reduced as much as possible. Following a period during which the cell gradually increases, the cell grows at constant, maximum rate and this period is known as the log phase or exponential phase. The exponential phase may be described by the equation below: =  µx -1 where x is the concentration of microbial biomass t is the time, in hours  µ is the specific growth rate, in hour -1 on integration, equation (1) gives = 2 where is the original biomass concentration is the biomass concentration after time interval, t hours During the exponential phase, the organism is growing at its maximum specific growth rate, for the prevailing conditions. Equation 2 predicts that growth will continue indefinitely. However, growth results in the consumption of nutrients and the excretion of microbial products. Thus after a certain time the cell growth rate will decrease until growth ceases. The cessation of growth may be due to the depletion of some essential nutrient in the medium when there is limitation in substrate. The decrease in growth rate and the cessation of growth due to the depletion of substrate may be described by the relationship between  µ and the residual growth-limiting substrate as follows:  µ = where = maximum growth rate s = residual substrate concentration = substrate utilization constant The stationary phase in batch culture is the point where the growth rate has declined to zero. In the other word the growth rate is equivalent to the death rate. The cell death is might due to the nutrient limitations due to their incorporation into cells during log-phase growth or a build-up of toxins due to their release of fermentation products also during log-phase growth. The death phase is the result of the inability of the bacteria to carry out further reproduction as condition in the medium become less and less supportive of cell division. The nutrient is extremely insufficient for the growth of the microorganism. Eventually, the number of viable bacterial cells begins to decline at an exponential rate. Industrial fermentation is usually interrupted at the end of the exponential growth phase or before the death phase begins. Apparatus and material E.coli Luria Bertani Broth Distilled water Shake flask Cotton-plugged Incubator shaker Cuvettes Centrifuges Micropipetor Pipette tips Laminar flow 70% ethanol Lighter and Bunsen burner Graduated cylinder Schott bottle DNS reagent Procedures Part 1: Preparation of inoculated fermentation medium 500ml shake flask, bunsen burner, measuring cylinder, LB broth and inoculums are brought into the laminar flow. Under aseptic technique, 50 ml of media is transferred into 500ml shake flask. Then 6 ml of inoculums is added into the shake flask resulting in final volume of 56ml. The shake flask is plugged with cotton-plugged. The shake flask is swabbed with 70% ethanol. The shake flask is incubated at 350 rpm; T=30ËÅ ¡C; 24 hours. Part 2: Sampling for cell dry weight 1ml of biomass concentration is taken out. The 1ml biomass concentration is transferred into micro centrifuge tube. An empty micro centrifuge tube must be weighted first. The sample is then centrifuged for 10 minutes at 10000 rpm. After that, the supernatant of the sample is taken out carefully without taking out any biomass. The biomass is then left dried inside an oven at 80C for overnight. The dried biomass is then being placed inside a dessicator to let it cool before rapidly weighing on an analytical balance. Part 3: Glucose analysis 1ml of biomass concentration is taken out. The 1ml biomass concentration is transferred into micro centrifuge tube. The sample is then put onto turntable of YSI 2700 Select Biochemical Analyzer for direct analysis of glucose concentration. Another method of glucose analysis is by using DNS reagent. 1.5ml of DNS reagent is added into 0.5ml of the biomass sample inside a capped test tube The mixture is heated at 90ËÅ ¡C for 10 minutes to develop the red-brown colour. The heated mixture is then cooled to the room temperature for 2-3 minutes in a cold or ice water. The mixture is then being diluted with 10ml of distilled water. The absorbance is checked with a spectrophotometer. Part 3: Sampling for absorbance analysis/ optical density 2ml of biomass concentration is taken out and being transferred into micro centrifuge tube. The spectrophotometer is calibrated to zero by blank consisting of 2ml LB Broth. The biomass concentration is then being transferred into a cuvette and optical density measurement is taken with wavelength set at 600nm. More absorbance means higher number of cell. Part 4: The preparation of glucose standard curve The 20g/L, 40g/L, 60g/L, 80g/L and 100g/L of glucose concentration is prepared by weighing the suitable amount of glucose and diluted with 10ml of distilled water. 1.5ml of DNS reagent is added with 0.5ml of the glucose sample inside a capped test tube The mixture is heated at 90ËÅ ¡C for 10 minutes to develop the red-brown colour. The heated mixture is then cooled to the room temperature for 2-3 minutes in a cold or ice water. The mixture is then being diluted with 10ml of distilled water. The absorbance is checked with a spectrophotometer Discussions This experiment is carried out to study the kinetic growth of microorganism. E.coli is selected as the cell and being cultivated inside a shake flask. The growth of microorganism in shake flask is a simple method of fermentation. The nutrients for the microorganism are being supplied by the media which contain the carbon sources. The flask is shaken during the cultivation to mix the cell and the media; increase the homogeneity between these two and also to provide aeration for the cells. The culture is gone through the fermentation process for 24 hours. Within that period, the biomass/cell sample is taken out for every 3 hours to analyze the concentration of the cell (g/L), the cell dry weight and the glucose concentration. In order to analyze the concentration of the cell inside the flask, absorbance reading for the optical density is taken from the spectrophotometer. The higher the absorbance reading means higher number of cell presence inside the flask at a particular time. As for this experiment, the absorbance reading is increase from the beginning of the experiment until the 21st hour and decrease slightly at the 24th hour. It can be explained that the number of cell increase throughout the cultivation indicating that the cell is growing. In the other hand, the decrease in cell number in 24th hour indicating that the cell growth has reach its deceleration phase where the growth of the cell is started to slow down. The decelerating growth phase is where the culture is in a transient state. During this stage there are feed/back mechanisms that regulate the bacterial enzymes involved in key metabolic steps to enable the bacteria to withstand starvation. There is much turnover of protein for the cultu re to cope with this period of low substrate availability. In cell growth, the cell will go through several phases like lag, exponential, deceleration, stationary and death phase. In cell cultivation, the cells themselves need food or carbon sources like glucose for growth. In batch fermentation for example in this experiment, the glucose can be the limiting factor for the cell growth or we called it as substrate limiting growth. For this condition, the Monod equation can be used to predict the growth rate and the cell concentration inside the shake flask. In addition, the glucose concentration can be known by testing the cell sample into the glucose analyzer and the direct glucose concentration can be obtained. In other way, the glucose concentration is also being obtained by mixing the sample with DNS reagent. The DNS reagent will be reduced to 3-amino,5-nitrosalicylic acid in the presence of free carboxyl group (glucose) and absorbance reading can be taken through the spectrophotometer. As for this experiment, the glucose test showed no pattern of changes in absorbance values. These values increase and decrease unevenly. This might be due to some mistakes occurred during the glucose test where the volume of sample and DNS reagent that need to be mixed is incorrectly taken. This has affected the accuracy of the absorbance reading. From the absorbance reading, the concentration of the glucose can be obtained by referring to the glucose standard curve. The glucose concentration should be decreased as the number of cell inside the flask is increased. This is because as the number of organism increases, nutrients are consumed and becoming lesser. However, this cannot be shown from the results obtained due to some mistakes occurred throughout the experiment. Another analysis that can be performed to analyze the cell sample is by taking the dry weight of the cell. In this method, the cell is being taken out from cultivation flask and transferred into viral tube. The tube is the being centrifuged to separate the supernatant with the cell. The remained cell is then being dried inside an oven for 24 hours. The dry cell weight is finally taken to know the weight of the cell that present at particular time during the cultivation. In this experiment, the cell dry weight is increased from 0th hour until 6th hour and gradually decreased from the 9th hour to 12th hour and increased until the 24th hour. The cell dry weight should increase when the number of cell increased inside the shake flask. Conclusions At the end of this experiment, microorganism is suitable to be fermented inside a shake flask and it is a simple method to investigate the growth kinetics of the microorganism. Knowledge of microbial growth kinetics is essential to determine when to harvest the culture for different purposes. For a growth-linked product, it is desirable to harvest the culture at the late exponential growth phase. On the other hand, for a non-growth-linked product, it would be desirable to harvest the culture at the stationary growth phase. As microorganism will go through several phases in their growth, several analyses on the cell need to be done to know the growth kinetics of the cell and the duration for each phase. This includes the cell concentration, glucose concentration and also the cell dry weight analyses. This method can be done in the laboratory before the fermentation or the cultivation of microbes in large scale is performed. Growth kinetics deals with the rate of cell growth and how it is affected by various chemical and physical conditions. During the course of growth, the cells is continuously changing and adapting itself in the media environment, which is also continuously changing in physical and chemical conditions. In conclusion, the microbial culture in batch culture system (shake flask system) goes through a lag phase, exponential growth phase, decelerating growth phase, stationary phase and sometimes the death phase depends on the end product desired. The substrate concentration in the culture medium and growth parameters, such as glucose concentration changes correspondingly throughout the growth phases. Thus, the physiology of the microorganisms is always in a transient stage, subjected to a continually changing culture conditions. Consequently, product formation is confined to a certain period of cultivation, for example antibiotics would only be produced in the decelerating and stationary growth phases. The batch culture system is still widely used in certain industrial processes for example brewery industry because of its easy management of feed stocks. These advantages allow the use of unskilled labour and low risk of financial loss. Low level of microbial contamination in fermented products is at time tolerable, as long as the microbial contaminants are not pathogenic and do not alter the desired properties of the product, such as taste, colour and texture. Recommendations Aseptic technique must be practised when handling biomass concentration to avoid any contamination. Cuvette must be wiped cleanly to prevent any scratch that would affect the spectrophotometer reading during protein test. This experiment must be carried out under the laminar flow to prevent any contamination to the culture. The supernatant of cell concentration should be taken out carefully without any taking out of the biomass. The cap of the viral must be opened to fasten the drying process of the biomass in the oven. Wash hand after handling the culture. Disinfect the work area with 70% alcohol before handling the culture. Dispose of all contaminated materials in appropriate containers.

The Legend of La Llorona Essay -- Urban Legends

A Guatemalan native, a male graduate student that I work with in my research group at the University told this story. He came from the countryside, living in a small village back home. According to him, the story of La Llorona, involving a weeping woman, arose sometime in the 1700s and became well known both at school and home. Some claimed to have actually seen the weeping woman. Some disregard it as unscientific and implausible. No one is sure of the exact origin of this urban legend. This story was told to me and another graduate student in our research group while sitting in lab waiting for the experiment results. The story began as we started sharing our own background and the culture of our own countries when the storyteller decided to make a little shift and started to tell a story told to him by his older cousin--the story of La Llorona: It all began with a young hidalgo (a member of the minor nobility in Spain) falling in love with a beautiful but lowly girl, Marà ­a. Some years ago, the young hidalgo fell in love with Marà ­a. Marà ­a had a casita--a little house--where the young hidalgo would visit and bring his friends. In almost every way, they shared a happy life together. Eventually, Marà ­a bore him two or three children. Everything was well except that their marriage was not blessed by the church, as his parents knew nothing about the arrangement. When his parents found out about Marà ­a, they would not allow him to marry her and would not accept her as his wife nor her children as their grandchildren. They went on and urged him to marry a more suitable lady to give them grandchildren; this "suitable lady" was also a member of the minor nobility in Spain, also very beautiful. At some point in time, he ga... ... walk outside late at night, you might just hear her crying! Works Cited Figueredo, Maria L. "The Legend of La Llorona: Excavating and (Re) Interpreting the Archetype of the Creative/Fertile Feminine Force", Latin American Narratives and Cultural Identity, 2004 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York. pp232-243. "History-Guatemala." Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2005. http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/Guatemal_History.asp. "La Llorona Commercial Takes Hispanic Creative Honors." Hispania News-The Hispanic Community's Newspaper. 2002. October 9th. http://www.hispanianews.com/archive/2002/10/09/14.htm. Villanueva, Alma Luz. "La Llorona/Weeping Woman," Weeping Woman, 1994. Tempe, Arizona . pp 1-7. West, John O. "The Weeping Woman: La Llorona", Legendary Ladies of Texas, 1994 Texas Folklore Society. Nacogdoches, Texas. pp 31-36.

Networks And Connectivity :: essays research papers

Networks and Connectivity Trying to give a definition to the term COMMUNICATIONS we can say that “Communications is the dispatch of a message from one point to another and the confirmation of the complete , right and conceivable receiving of the message by the authorized addressee'; . As we can see from the history there was a huge try to achieve the communication between people . The signals of smoke , the sounds of the drum , the fire were some of the basic ways for the transfer of a message in a era years ago . But these ways of communication was neither accurate nor has the certainty of the success . Also the transfer speed of the information was small , the size of the information tiny and the security of the communication was almost absence . The need for networks appears for the first time when Graham Bell set in use the telephone . He was talking with a friend of his with a single line , but later when he wanted to talk to another friend of his he needed to use another line to connect his phone and the phone of his friend . So imagine that he has X friends , he would need X(X-1)/2 lines and X-1 phones , that was impossible so the need of networks come up . The network first developed for the need of the voice communication but after the appearance of data communications need the same network was used . From the time that electricity and electronics had developed there was rapidly changes at the section of the communications . After the decade of the 1950 the computers started developing , and the communications started playing an important role in peoples life . Also the evolution of the voice communication has created an extensive telephone network which today covers a very large part of the planet , and computers have taken advantage of that network in a great rate so as to satisfy their needs for data communication . Terms Talking about our days , when we are referring to the term computer connectivity we have a complex of hardware , software and physical appliance, and we mean the way and how computers can communicate and share common sources with the use of an intelligent or common network . With the term Data Communication we mean the exchange of information under the form of data between Data Terminal Equipment .