Wednesday, October 30, 2019

MOVIE REVIEW Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Movie Review Example Her head is shaved and her bangles broken. She is made to wear a piece of white unstitched fabric like the rest of the widows there. Chuiya gradually adapts to the lifestyle of Ashram and at the same time, she changes its dreary atmosphere with her innocence, energy and playfulness. Her bonding with two other widows, Shakuntala and Kalyani, is remarkable. Kalyani is the only widow who is allowed to keep her hair because she is forced to prostitute by Madhumati, the head of the ashram, to bring in money for the ashram. Chuiya’s accidental meeting with Narayan, a rich law student and follower of Gandhi gives a new turn to the plot of the movie. Narayan and Kalyani fall in love but their love affair is short-lived. When Madhumati learns about her love affair, she locks her up in the room. Shakuntala is represented as a positive force in this movie. The scene in which she unlocks Kalyani to meet Narayan is symbolic of freedom of the subjugated women in the name of religion. However, Kalyani refuses to meet Narayan’s parents because upon seeing his home, she realizes that his father was one her clients. From this point onwards, the tragedy in the movie deepens because she commits suicide after returning to the ashram and Chuiya is chosen to do her job. In the last scene of the movie, Shakuntala hands her over to Narayan, who is angered and disgusted by his father, is leaving with Gandhi on a train. The ending scene symbolizes hope and freedom at least for Chuiya, who evades her fate as a cursed widow. This film revolves around widows in India that are treated as outcasts by the mainstream Hindu society. Though this film is set in 1938, and a conversation between Shakuntala and a priest in one of the scenes inform the audience about the new law that allows widows to remarry; yet the sub titles at the end of the movie inform the audience that even at the turn of the 21st century, many women continue

Monday, October 28, 2019

Escalation and Practice Essay Example for Free

Escalation and Practice Essay A holographic fabric printer has been developed by AIC(Advanced International Corporation) and is considering the option of exporting it to India. The research paper is aimed at performing an analysis of the situation to determine whether such an idea will bear fruits or not. The social situation, the political situation, the location, scenario, the future business prospects and the general textile industry statistics are performed to assist in the implementation of the idea. It is on the basis of this information that a hypothesis has been made. AIC is basically concerned with the manufacture and development of machinery and parts for industries such as printing firms, toy manufacturering not excluding the fabric industry. The printing part includes; posters, large wallpapers, and large billboards for companies advertisement. The company has developed a new tool that enables the printing of holographic images on fabrics. The new tool is not only meant for commercial advertising purposes but also could be utilized in the modern clothing industry. AIC is looking to export the printing tool to India and some of the Asians countries because the Central and Eastern Asian countries are the biggest exporters of raw and ready made fabric. It is therefore the aim of this research paper to make a thorough analysis of the situation and come up with a suggestion or conclusion on whether the project will be viable and whether it will be profitable for AIC to go ahead and export the tool to textile industries in India. From previous statistics carried out by India itself and other interested bodies it is clear that Indias exports are slightly lower than what they expect. If this tool is introduced to India, it might be a success in increasing the market for Indias textile exports. It is therefore important to find out this fact with the aim of giving the relevant conclusion. The research will look at the percentage of textile products exported by India to various countries of the world, Indias annual industrial production and also the demand of various textile products by the mentioned counties. This will help in giving out a rough idea of what to expect by the year 2010 and whether the project should be put in place. Recommendations and conclusions will be made and leave it at the discretion of AIC. Basing on the studies performed and the data collected, it will be a good idea to export the holographic fabric printer to India as she is a growing market with sufficient demand , opportunities of trade as well as a potential future region in terms of textile production and exportation. This trade agreement between India and AIC would be one of the opportunities aimed at boosting the profits and business relations for both of them.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The viability of the project will be tested using the Simple Correlation method. This method will be used as it compares the relationship between two variable in a much simpler way as compared to other methods. When using this method, the study will be statistically significant if the outcome is either; higher than or equal to 0.7 (0.8) to 1.0; or lower than or equal to -0.7 (-0.8) to -1.0. The AICs project manager requires an analysis of the situation on the exportation of the new holographic printers to India. The paper therefore aims at determining whether such an endeavor will be beneficial or not in the long run. India on the other hand, is looking forward to boosting its textile exports all over the world and has a target of about 8% by the year 2010. India has a current share of approximately 4% to 5% of the total world textile export. After agriculture, textile is the second largest sector in India and it provides a lot of   export revenue and a substantial GDP of the country. Technological breakthroughs as a tool will help in the improvement of this sector and thus give India the edge to improve on its trade standing internationally. Advanced International Corporation therefore, is aiming for a fruitful result from the move and is looking for its new development which is the holographic fabric printer.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Effects of Music, Television, and Video Game Violence on Children and Teens :: Video Game Violence Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Usually when a child or a teenager commits a crime, it is never their fault. When a child or a teenager commits a crime, the responsibility never belongs to the parents either. Instead, when a teenager or a child commits a crime, the first thing that the prosecutors or the media wants to place the blame on is video games, the television program that the child had been watching, or the blame is placed on the type of music that the child or teen had been previously listening to. This is what concerns me. Everyone is responsible for their own actions regardless of what television program video games the child, or teen, what type of video games that are being played, is watching and what type of music is being listened to. What bothers me even more is when the actors who are in some of the video game or movies take some of the heat for the movies that they are in. The same case in some of the music. Artist is often blamed for a lot of the violence in America just by some of the types of lyrics that they recite in their songs. In this report, I am going to simply tell you how I feel about the artist and actors taking all the blame for the violence in America. I am going to tell you whose fault violence really is. I am going to state the facts and give you some personal experiences of how the media (video games, television, and music) is not responsible for violence amongst the youth in America. Video Games   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Video games were a $6 billion industry in 2000 and sales are expected to reach as high as $8 billion in 2001. Over 250 million units were sold in 2000 alone, and it is estimated that 60% of all Americans play video games on a normal basis. This level of market penetration makes it important to investigate the messages video games send children. There are some benefits to video games. Studies have found that playing video games can improve children's visual attention skills, and their computer literacy skills. According to research most of the top-selling video games (89%) contained violent content, and the negative consequences of the violent acts were rarely shown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although there are a few games that are educational and help kids with their learning experiences, most of the top rated games contained violence.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Gangsta’s Paradise

Will Jellicorse Samantha Holt English 101 1 October 2011 The Definition of Paradise One person's utopian world may not always be the same as their neighbor’s. What one person may deem a paradise may well be a slum for others. Depending on the time and location of the speaker, their ideal lifestyle may be a reality, or simply a dream of one. Both Stevie Wonder, and Coolio musically interpret their societies’ idea of paradise. Both Coolio’s and Wonder’s songs gloomily display their views on society. Through the difference in context of each writer’s life, these two interpretations of the same song are very different in meaning.Both songs identify the struggle of life as being directly related to the evils of the world such as money and power. Stevie Wonder's â€Å"Pastime Paradise† reflects on the racial inequalities that America has struggled with for decades. The song also describes the hope for a future world free from discrimination. Coolio 's â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise† represents the hard lived lives of gangsters in inner cities. The song also alludes to their dream of one day living in peace. Wonder’s â€Å"Pastime Paradise† reflection on discrimination between races was greatly altered by Coolio’s â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise. Coolio’s description of struggles between gangs was still similar in theme, but very different in meaning. Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan (Marquis Who's Who LLC. ). The blind Stevie Wonder has been known by America as an R&B icon since his early 1963 release of â€Å"12 Year Old Genius†. Since his start in the music industry, Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards (Africa News), was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 (Puterbaugh), and has been recently awarded the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by President Obama (Africa News).Throughout his career, Wonder has created many songs in which he addresses certain subjects in order to bring change. Wonder once said â€Å"I am not a politician. I am an artist. I do express certain feelings about certain things. Even if I give a song that deals with a negative subject, it's only constructive criticism to encourage our minds to look and go in a positive direction† (Trescott). When Wonder released his 1976 hit song â€Å"Pastime Paradise†, America had only been integrated for 22 years. In America during 1976, most blacks were not treated equally.Wonder’s lifetime experiences with race relations directly influenced his word choice in â€Å"Pastime Paradise†. In his music, Wonder usually plays songs with his signature style of being weirdly mellow, and forcibly upbeat (Mazmanian). But in â€Å"Pastime Paradise†, Wonder strongly reveals his concerns with how African Americans are treated. He does this by giving the song a gloomy, depressing style. Wonder best demonstrates his concerns wi th racial inequality by using powerful words such as â€Å"segregation†, â€Å"race relations†, â€Å"mutations†, and â€Å"miscreation†.When Wonder references those â€Å"living in a pastime paradise†, he is possibly alluding to how Americans are so fixated with the past. Another interpretation of Wonder’s song is that he is alluding to African Americans wanting to be back in Africa with their ancestors. Many African Americans have been trying to earn equality ever since slavery was abolished. Wonder is no exception to this. Through a combination of protest, song, and support of fellow blacks, Wonder demonstrates his support for equality in America.It is apparent in the second half of the song that Wonder dreams of the integration of man. In the second half of the song, Wonder describes a future paradise in which there is no such thing as inequality between different races. He uses words such as â€Å"consolation†, â€Å"integration †, and â€Å"confirmation† to paint a picture of a world in which all people can live together in unity. Through his credibility of being a pop icon, Wonder hoped that people would hear his song and want to end any racial inequalities still present in America.Wonder may not just be one of the biggest R&B musicians ever, but he is also very politically conscientious. Wonder even went as far as being an activist against oppression when he was arrested along with a group of anti-apartheid demonstrators outside of the South African Embassy (AP). Whether directly or indirectly stated, Wonder tends to place his political views in his lyrics. In â€Å"Pastime Paradise†, Wonder expresses his support of African American rights through the line â€Å"Proclamation of Race Relations†.Wonder strongly supports the idea of a peaceful, unified America. Wonder supported Martin Luther King's beliefs of an integrated world so much that he helped persuade President Reagan to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday (Egan). Although most of Wonder’s words are inspiring, some of his lyrics were not always politically supportive. In some cases, Wonder criticized the political leaders of America. President Nixon was a particular American leader that Wonder did not trust. Wonder released two songs in which he bashed Nixon's credibility.Wonder's 1973 â€Å"He's Misstra Know-It-All†, and his 1974 â€Å"You Haven't Done Nothin† both presented Wonder's ill faith in the American government. Wonder uses music to make others aware of problems in American society and to evoke a change in society; similarly, rap artist Coolio uses the lyrics in his 1995 hit song â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise† to make his audience aware of problems in his community. Through his remix of Wonder’s original, Coolio uses the inspiration from the struggles that Wonder faced to correlate his own personal struggles with gang life.Artis Leon I vey Jr. , also known as Coolio was born on August 1, 1963 in the South Central Las Angeles area of Compton (Jinman). Tommy Boy Records Label Company released this song as a single for the soundtrack for the movie â€Å"Dangerous Minds† (Reece). The song â€Å"Gangsta's Paradise† was insanely popular with the public. It's depiction of life in the inner city could have been relatable to most lower class people around the United States, and was adopted by some of the richer white teenagers living in the suburbs.With his release of â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise†, Coolio portrays himself as a â€Å"Gang-Banger†. Coolio’s remix was likely so popular due to his hard, thuggish appearance. If he had seemed emotionally soft, or sympathetic then his audience may not have been so inclined to believe his credibility as a gangster. Although throughout his career, Coolio has not always been portrayed as a gangster. Coolio has also appeared on the Nickelodeonâ⠂¬â„¢s â€Å"All That† as a musical guest. When he appeared on the opening credits of the show, he did not appear gangster.When he appeared on â€Å"All That,† Coolio most likely altered his attitude in order to better suit the expectations of the younger audience. While Coolio appeared as a gangster in â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise†, he also demonstrated how he could alter his persona in his appearance on â€Å"All That†. When â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise† was released, the racial gang violence demonstrated in rap music was attractive to a few particular audiences. Many younger Americans during the 90’s began to embrace rap music. Many poorer minorities living in the inner cities related to Coolio's portrayal of gang life.The fact that Coolio served seven months of jail time for committing larceny at the age of seventeen (Hatt, and Schnaufer), and that he had gotten addicted to crack cocaine before the age or twenty (Fulton) supports h is credibility of being a gangster. Coolio at a young age joined a Compton based gang called the Baby Crips (Fulton). Coolio possibly used lyrics such as â€Å"being down with the hood team† in order to express how important it was for him to become affiliated with a gang. Many richer, white Americans also adopted the context of Coolio’s gang life.Much like the hippie revolution of the 60's, many white American youths wanted to associate with a culture that was different from their own. This combined fan base of many richer white, and poorer minority youths gave Coolio tons of publicity. His success at being a rap artist was largely contributed to this integrated fan base. â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise† not only won a Grammy award for best solo rap performance of the year (McElroy), but was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic, sold over 2 million copies, and stayed on the Hot Rap Singles Chart at number 1 for 10 weeks (Reece). Gangsta’s Paradise† depict s the life of a gangster and its two possible outcomes, either death or prison. In his song, Coolio describes himself as an â€Å"educated fool. † Being an â€Å"educated fool† means that he understands the consequences of living life as a gangster, but does it anyway. With this description, he acknowledges his actions as â€Å"foolish. † This knowledge of what happens to gangsters is why Coolio constantly alludes to death in the lyrics of â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise†. At the end of the song, he states, â€Å"the ones we hurt, are you and me†.In these lines, Coolio expresses his idea that gang members not only hurt others, but also hurt themselves. By using such emotional lyrics, Coolio suggests that gang members must alter their lifestyle in order to have a better tomorrow. Stevie Wonder's â€Å"Pastime Paradise† and Coolio's â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise† are both depressing representations of how America defines a paradise. B oth songs are completely different due to their difference in context. Through Coolio’s life experiences with gang affiliation, he drastically changed the meaning of his remixed version of Wonder’s original. Pastime Paradise† reflects on the evils of the world being due to prejudice, people living in the past, and how equality among race can make a better future. While â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise† states how gang violence should end. It also emphasizes that there are certain factors that cause people to join gangs. Coolio demonstrates how racism and poverty within the community both contribute to people becoming gang affiliated. Both Coolio’s and Wonder’s songs emotionally portray how America has fought for peace and equality throughout the decades.Coolio and Wonder preformed together in 1996 at the Billboard Music Awards, where they used lines from both â€Å"Pastime Paradise† and â€Å"Gangsta’s Paradise† (Wonder). Wonder and Coolio showed that when they played the two versions together, their songs’ emotional appeal to the audience was greatly enhanced. Number of Words: 1663 Works Cited: Crawford, Selwyn. â€Å"Arrests weaken infamous gang, police say. † Dallas Morning News 21 11 2010. n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 10 Oct 2011. Egan, Barry. â€Å"Little Stevie's Life in The Key of Wonder. † Sunday Independent (Ireland) 30 05 2010. n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 5 Oct 2011.Fulton, Rick. â€Å"I'LL TEE U WHEN I GET THERE! ; It's a fairway to heaven for Coolio; Singer Coolio wants to play Scotland – but on our golf courses, not in our stadiums. † Daily Record 26 09 1997. n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 10 Oct 2011. â€Å"Ghana; Obamas Honour Stevie Wonder At White House. † Africa News 27 02 2009. n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 5 Oct 2011. Hatt, Doug, and Jeff Schnaufer. â€Å"Gangsta In Paradise. † People 45. 4 01 29 1996. n. pag. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Oct 2011 . Huey, Steve. â€Å"Person: Wonder, Stevie 1950-. † All Music Guide n. pag. Music Online: African American Music Reference. Web. Oct 2011. Jinman, Richard. â€Å"RAPPER SHOOTS STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP. † THE AUSTRALIAN 07 05 1996. n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 5 Oct 2011. Jones, Tony. â€Å"Putting down roots (again); A new CD and a free gig. Tony Jones on Stevie Wonder. † Independent (London) 27 02 2009. n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 5 Oct 2011. Marquis Who's Who LLC. , . â€Å"Stevie Wonder. † Stevie Wonder also known as Steveland Hardaway Judkins 26 08 2011. n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 3 Oct 2011. Mazmanian, Adam. â€Å"A pop Wonder stirs listeners. † THE WASHINGTON TIMES 25 02 2009. n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 4 Nov 2011. McElroy, Steven. † Coolio Is Arrested.. New York Times 03 09 2009. n. pag. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct 2011. Puterbaugh, P. â€Å"Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. † Rolling Stone. 09 02 89: n. page. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. Reece, Dougla s. â€Å"Tommy Bo'ys Coolio finds `Paradise'. † Billboard 107. 49 12 995. n. pag. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Oct 2011. Williams, Chris. â€Å"Stevie Wonder’s Songs In the Key Of Life revisited on its 35th anniversary | Return To The Classics. † Soul Culture. Soul Culture Media LTD, 28 09 2011. Web. 3 Oct 2011. Wonder, Stevie. â€Å"Stevie Wonder Biography Chapter 21. † Stevie Wonder. N. p. , n. d. Web. 3 Oct 2011.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Sun Tracking Control Strategy Engineering Essay

It is good known that in theory, 41 % more sunshine is available by tracking the PV faculty to follow the day-to-day class of the Sun, comparative to fixed installings. The overall aim of this survey is to develop a control algorithm that improved public presentation and dependability the two-axis solar tracker. To accomplish this end, this survey dressed ore on optimising the LM3S811 based accountant board, thrust hardware and package. Keywords: embedded system design, two-axis Sun trailing, control algorithm.A ±ntroductA ±onSolar energy systems and equipment such as PV and twenty-four hours illuming systems, solar aggregators, and solar-powered heat engines work best when their aggregators aim straight at the Sun. Adding a solar tracker to these systems increases their efficiencies at the disbursal of initial and operational costs and system complexness. It has been estimated that the usage of a trailing system, over a fixed system, can increase the power end product by 20 % – 40 % with cost addition 10 % -30 % [ 1-3 ] . Since the Sun ‘s place in the sky alterations with the seasons and the clip of twenty-four hours, tracker is used to aline the aggregation system to maximise energy production. Several factors must be considered when finding the usage of trackers. Some of these include: the solar engineering being used, the sum of direct solar irradiation, feed-in duties in the part where the system is deployed, and the cost to put in and keep the trackers. Concentrated applications like concentrated photovoltaic panels ( CPV ) or concentrated solar power ( CSP ) require a high grade of truth to guarantee the sunshine is directed exactly at the focal point of the reflector or lens. The two basic classs of trackers are individual axis and double axis. Single axis solar trackers can either hold a horizontal or a perpendicular axis. In concentrated solar power applications, individual axis tracker is used with parabolic and additive Fresnel mirror designs. Dual axis solar trackers have both a horizontal and a perpendicular axis leting them to track the Sun ‘s evident gesture virtually anyplace in the universe This paper presents a control scheme for a two axes solar tracker that is executed in an ARM based Stellaris L3S811 microcontroller. Correct sun place is inferred from the GPS. The proposed control scheme consists of a combination between ; an unfastened cringle tracking scheme, and a closed cringle scheme. The overall aim of this survey is to develop a control algorithm that improves public presentation and dependability the two-axis Sun tracker. To accomplish this end, this survey concentrates on optimising the accountant board, thrust hardware and package.Two-axA ±s Sun trackerThe Sun ‘s beams can be decomposed into two constituents, one perpendicular to the panel surface, and the other analogue to the surface, where merely the former radiation can be received by the panel. Therefore, the angle between the Sun ‘s beams and the normal of the panel which is called the incident angle should be every bit little as possible. Incidence angle alterations with the diurnal an d seasonal fluctuations. Therefore, the fixed-installed solar aggregators can non to the full absorb the solar radiation energy. If at any clip by automatically tracking solar aggregators, panel place can be adjusted harmonizing to the Sun ‘s flight to cut down the incidence angle ; it will be able to absorb more solar radiation energy than the fixed panels in the same irradiation conditions. The panel of dual-axis Sun tracking system rotates around the two reciprocally perpendicular shafts, AZ shaft and lift shaft, shown in Fig 1. It will track the Sun ‘s AZ angle and lift angle, so that the panel can accomplish incident angle of 0. Two methods are normally used in solar trailing to place and follow the place of the Sun at any blink of an eye of clip between dawn and sundown: the closed cringle control method and the unfastened cringle control method. The closed cringle control method uses several feedback detectors such as LDR, photodiode, light-intensity detectors, mention cells and a signal processing circuit [ 4-6 ] . The signal processing circuit compares the end product signals of the detectors and operates on a feedback cringle with the coveted signal status. The end of the cringle is to bring forth maximal entire mistake signal from detectors by continuously seting the tracker way until the shadow on the detectors is the lower limit. A drawback of the closed cringle control method is that it can non efficaciously track the Sun on a cloudy twenty-four hours without a robust algorithm. Fig. -Structure of the two-axis Sun tracker. The unfastened cringle control method uses the longitude and latitude informations of the solar tracker location to find and track the place of the Sun [ 7, 8 ] . It has the advantages of easy scheduling and high truth. The system is simpler and cheaper than the closed-loop type of Sun tracking systems [ 9 ] . It does non detect the end product of the procedures that it is commanding. However, a fixed get downing way of the tracker at dawn every twenty-four hours is required in this method. Therefore, the get downing way of the tracker must be corrected from clip to clip. Consequently, an open-loop system can non rectify any mistakes so that it could do and may non counterbalance for perturbations in the system.Specifying Elevation and Azimuth AnglesThe algorithm for Sun trailing uses the solar lift, i? ±e and azimuth, i? ±A angles computed at the solar tracker location. The tracker must be aligned horizontally to find the lift and AZ angles accurately along with the hr and decli ne angles with regard to the heavenly equator or plane as depicted in Fig.1. Solar lift, i? ±e is the angle between the skyline and the line linking the beginning and the Sun that is, the complement of the zenith angle. Solar AZ, i? ±A is the angular supplanting of the projection of the line to the Sun onto the horizontal plane from the south axis. The solar lift angle, i? ±e, of the orientation system in the perpendicular plane, ?e, can be calculated as follows [ 9 ] sini? ±e=sini? ¤ sini? ¦ +cosi? ¤ cosi? ¦ cosi? · ( 1 ) Where e is the lift angle of the system i? ¦ is the latitude. is the hr angle ( 15 & A ; deg ; / hr ) , where ? = 0 at local midday. is the solar decline, where ? is calculated from Cooper ‘s equation, ( 2 ) N is the twenty-four hours of the twelvemonth ( 1 – 365 ) with N = 1 stand foring the 1st of January. Fig. – The relation between lift and zenith angles. The azimuth angle of the system in the horizontal plane, ?A, is calculated as [ 9 ] . ( 3 ) The solar trailing system normally returns to its initial remainder place after sundown, and starts to track the Sun after the Sun rises above the skyline. The dawn and sunset times can be calculated utilizing [ 13 ] for system location.DesA ±gn and application3.1. Mechanical DesignThe panels ‘ support construction was designed with two grades of freedom in order to change the disposition and orientation. Besides, the construct of the panel ‘s support every bit good as the system that allows this support to go around around the two axes was developed. The tracker is composed of a fixed base which is straight on the land, holding a mechanism that connects the base to the back uping construction of the panels. This mechanism consists of two parts, which have a grade of freedom ( from each other ) in two axes. For altering the disposition of the construction, extra linear actuator is mounted to the solar tracker control system. Linear actuators are highly precise by design, particularly when compared to pneumatic and hydraulic solutions. Screw based mechanical additive actuators allow to progress or withdraw the motivation rod by highly little increases, which is required for the exact placement of solar tracker. Electric additive actuator consumes highly low electricity and are available in 12 Volts d.c. it can be powered by the solar panel itself supported by a battery. Linear actuators can be remarkably little, particularly when sing the scope of gesture that is required for traveling the Sun tracker. Photograph of the mechanical construction is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. – Mechanical construction of the Sun tracker.3.2. Hardware DesignThe hardware design combines the embedded microcontroller with two DC motor drivers, rotational DC motor, DC motor controlled additive actuator, solar rotary motion mechanism, GPS, pyranometer, wind gauge, tilt switches and MEMBS based inclinometer. A general block diagram of the control system is shown in Fig. 4. Global placement system ( GPS ) is connected to the microcontroller via a standard consecutive RS-232 port. GPS sends to the microcontroller sentences, that contains a twine of characters, continuously. These sentences chiefly include longitude, latitude, height, day of the month and clip for location where GPS is placed. Since microcontroller has the existent clip clock circuitry, it is moderately accurate over short periods, but it needs standardization sporadically. As a consequence, the GPS clock signal is used to update the microcontroller ‘s internal clip sporadically and therefore effects of the long term mistakes are eliminated. As portion of the attempt to better solar tracker dependability and better understanding public presentation, a pyranometer is being added to solar tracker. This pyranometer allows the informations acquisition system to mensurate exactly the irradiance witnessed by the PV faculties on that tracker, and therefore better supervise the impact of the tracking algorithm on the energy end product of the system. Solar tracker steps tilt angle with potentiometer that has long-run dependability job. A higher dependability option is a solid-state inclinometer. It has three chief advantages ; inherently higher dependability, higher declaration less than 0.1 & A ; deg ; , direct measuring of angle. In this undertaking, micro electromechanical systems based on electronic inclinometer ADXL345 is used [ 11 ] . Digital end product informations is formatted as 16-bit two ‘s complement and is accessible through either a SPI ( 3- or 4-wire ) or I2C digital interface The inclinometer would typically be mounted straight underneath a tracker ‘s plane, from where the disposition can be measured. Fig. – Sun Tracker control system block diagram. The solar tracker is fitted with bound switches to guarantee robust operation. A micro roller switch mounted on the base of the solar tracker prevents multiple revolution completion of the AZ tracking phase. The solar aggregator besides includes two more bound switches on the zenith tracking phase to forestall over travel harm to the additive actuator mechanism. The initial reset balance usage tilt switches. The mechanism include four tilt switches ( E, West, south and north ) To protect tracker constituents from over air current velocity, system besides requires an wind gauge to mensurate wind velocity. Consequently, we need powerful and cost-efficient microcontroller to link all these parts and manage to track the Sun. It must hold two consecutive port, ( UART ) one for communicate computing machine the other 1 for GPS, two PWM signals for motor A and motor B, one I2C port for solid-state inclinometer, hardware counter input for wind gauge, parallel input for pyranometer, at least four digital inputs for tilt switches. In add-on, these characteristics we need package development tools for microcontroller. Sing the computation of the mentioned before, 32-Bit Stellaris microprocessor LM3S811 which is optimized for small-footprint embedded applications, fits best to the Sun tracker system. TI Stellaris LM3S811 microcontroller has a Reduced Instruction Set Coding ( RISC ) ARM nucleus, internal oscillators, timers, UART, USB, SPI, pull-up resistances, PWM, ADC, parallel comparator and watch-dog timers are some of the characteristics [ 10 ] .Software DesignThe developed Sun tracking algorithm enables high-precision finding of Sun angles and times for dawn, solar midday and sunset year-round. The flow chart of the algorithm is drawn in Fig. 5. The computation of the Sun angles with the Sun tracking algorithm package merely requires the specification of the day of the month, clip and exact longitude, latitude and lift of the location through a GPS system. Fig. – Flow chart of Sun tracking algorithm. The algorithm we developed for the control of the Sun tracker is composed of two chief subdivisions. In the input subdivision, the solar lift and AZ angles every bit good as dawn, sundown, solar midday and present solar times are calculated harmonizing to subdivision 2 and used as shared variables in other parts of the package. When the system starts, Stellaris foremost sets tracker to the place place and so takes GPS information to cipher the Sun set and rise times. The present solar clip is compared with the dawn and sunset times to find whether tracking should get down or halt. At dark clip, it waits following sample clip. Sample clip period may be defined harmonizing to proficient restraints. First restraint is GPS hot start clip that is 1 second for GPS. It can non be shorter than this value. The other restraint is the energy consumed by motor A and B during one tracking measure. We set sample clip to 2 minute during experimental work. The present solar clip between dawn and sun set clip ‘s Stellaris reads pyronometer value to look into if there is adequate solar radiation to bring forth power. Otherwise, Sun tracker stays at place place until solar radiation rise to lower bound of solar radiation. After solar radiation reaches the coveted value, so algorithm reads anemometer value to specify whether the Sun tracker can travel safely. If non, Sun tracker stays at place place at least during one sample clip. Otherwise, it starts tracking the Sun. In the end product subdivision of the algorithm, the package takes azimuth, ?A, and lift, ?e, angles from shared variables and converts them to drive gesture. The deliberate angles ?e, ?A, are so subtracted from the old place values. Harmonizing to the obtained angle difference and their marks, microcontroller sends PWM and way signals to the motor accountants. Motor A and motor B takes solar panel to the new place. Motor A can drive solar panels to turn in the horizontal plane in order to track the alterations in AZ angle ; its positive place is westbound. Similarly, motor B can drive solar panels to turn in the manner of fliping so as to track the alterations of solar lift angle ; its positive way is downward. At the terminal of tracking, the place of mechanisms demands to be defined. The electronic inclinometer ADXL345 sends x, Y, omega axis values to the Stellaris. This digital axis values are converted to angles by the microcontroller. By comparing the mensural angles with deliberate angles, the two motors take different motions to complete come up to the coveted place of the solar panel. Finally, when this twenty-four hours is over, the system backs to the place place to wait for the following twenty-four hours.ResultS and dA ±scussA ±onSun tracker was tested both in the research lab and out-of-doorss utilizing SM-55 solar panel [ 12 ] . During the out-of-door trial, the Sun tracking s ystem was moved to outside of a edifice so that we could compare the consequences between fixed place and two-axis Sun tracking systems. During a 24-hour test period, the two-axis solar tracker was required to run for about 2 proceedingss every hr to keep proper alliance with the Sun. Fig. – Outdoor trial consequences of sun tracker. During the trial procedure, solar panel charged to the battery, and solar panel current and electromotive force values were measured and stored every minute utilizing a information lumberman. End of the twenty-four hours, the solar panel, charged the battery up to 408.2 Watt-hour energy for about 11 hours. The recorded information on the twenty-four hours 5.5.2012 proved that the two-axis solar tracking PV panel produced more energy than the fixed 1 with about 40.7 % .ConclusA ±onIn this survey, a cost effectual two-axis Sun tracker has been developed. The ARM Cortex-M3 nucleus microprocessor successfully calculated the tilt angle of the solar panel in order to look into the accurate Sun lift angle. The placement technique, which has been investigated by the DC motor and additive actuator, reduced the mistake in turn uping the lift AZ angles to 0.1 & A ; deg ; . The proposed tracker has increased the energy collected by 40.7 % .

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

underage drinking Essays

underage drinking Essays underage drinking Essay underage drinking Essay E. Donahue Matt W. English 101 9/24/2013 Am I an Adult Yet? Some would argue that the drinking age shouldnt be lowered because of three very real risks, drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and violent or destructive behavior. Drunk driving is a stain on our civilization. An average of 17,000 individuals die each year in drunk driving related deaths. It seems quite plausible that were alcohol to be legalized for those under the age of 18, the 15. 1% of 18 to 20 year olds who drink before getting behind the wheel would rise significantly. A brief stroll through nearly very campus in America reveals keg parties, crowded bars filled with fake ID minors, and rowdy sorority and fraternity functions. When you consider that adolescence is a time of great impulsivity and tendency for violence and destructive behavior, the dangers of legalizing alcohol for minors become that much more real. The main problem with the United States having a drinking age of 21 is that the age of majority is 18 (19 in Alabama and Nebraska), as it is throughout most of the world. That is the age when a person assumes the legal rights and responsibilities of an adult. Consequently, anyone in the United States who has reached the age of 18 is legally eligible to vote, run for office, enter contracts, marry, engage in consensual sex with other adults, adopt children, Join the military, be subject to the draft, purchase tobacco, and purchase pornography; that is, everything under the sun except buy a beer. Just over half the 15-year-old boys reported drinking alcohol in the previous week, with an average intake of 14.5 units. This compared with 46% of 15- year-old girls drinking an average of 11.2 units. In their first year of secondary school, 5% of boys and girls said they had drunk alcohol in the previous week. This rose to 18% of boys and 19% of girls by the age of 13. Among the drinkers aged 11-13, the average consumption was 8.3 units by the boys and 4.6 by the girls. The findings came from a survey of more than 7,000 pupils at 225 schools in England, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research and National Foundation for Educational Research in autumn last year. A full report will be published later this year. Previous surveys showed the proportion of 11 to 15-year- olds drinking alcohol in the previous week rose from 20% in 1998 to 27% in 1996 before falling to 21% in 1998 and 1999. Last year the proportion rose again to 24%. A spokesman for the charity Alcohol Concern said: It reinforces our belief that there needs to be much more emphasis on education and prevention in terms of making people more aware of the dangers of alcohol misuse. Young bodies are just not made for drinking alcohol. The survey showed the proportion of 11 to 15-year-olds using drugs in the last month rose from 7% in 1998 to 9% in 2000. The proportion using drugs at least once during the previous year rose from 11% to 14% over the same period. At the age of 11, 3% had tried drugs over the last year mostly cannabis. Older children were more likely to have experimented, with 28% of 15-year-olds saying they had taken cannabis in the previous 12 months, 9% stimulants such as cocaine, ecstasy or amphetamines, and 1% heroin. Among 11 to 15-year-olds, 10% said they were regular smokers (at least one cigarette a week). Last year anti-smoking campaigners welcomed figures showing the proportion of young smokers fell from 13% in 1996 to 9% in 1999. The most prolific smokers were 15-year-old girls, with 26% owning up to being regular smokers compared with 25% in 1999. Sir Paul Nurse, director general of Imperial Cancer Research Fund, said the figures showed why the government was wrong to postpone legislation to ban tobacco advertising. Young peoples smoking rates have been falling since 1996 and it would be tragic if we were seeing the beginning of a reversal in this trend The government is sitting on a bill that would save thousands of lives each year and would protect precisely this group of vulnerable people. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: We remain on course to meet our tar get of reducing smoking among the 11-15 age group to 11% by 2005 and 9% or less by 2010. We are concerned by the small increase in the percentage of young people who have used drugs in the last month and in the last year. However we are encouraged that the percentage of pupils reporting use of heroin and cocaine -the drugs which cause the greatest harm has remained low. On the rise in teenage drinking, she said: We look forward to the publication of the main report which will provide more detailed information on the young peoples drinking behaviour, and we will continue to monitor trends. A separate report on teenage drinking published by the Scottish executive found a rise in drinking among 12 to15-year-olds in the period 1998-2000. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Thirty-nine young people died in 1999 after sniffing butane lighter refills, according to a report on UK deaths from volatile substance abuse by St Georges hospital medical school in London. Deaths due to gases, aerosols, glues and similar substances declined steadily over the past 10 years, but still account for one in 60 deaths among teenagers between 15 and 19. Is Your Teenager Using? The changes that youve noticed in your teenager may just be signs of growing up, but some can be dead giveaways for alcohol and drug use. Continued alcohol and drug use will affect your childs behaviour, attitudes and even choice of friends. If your child is using alcohol and drugs, its a good bet he (or she) is doing everything possible to keep that activity hidden. The last thing he wants is for his parents to give him a hassle about his newly found entertainment. But continued alcohol and drug use will affect your childs behaviour, attitudes and even choice of friends. Here are some signs to look for, if you think that your child may be using: Mood Swings Most teenagers go through normal mood swings. But look for extreme changes one minute happy and giddy followed by withdrawal, depression, or fits of anger or rage. New Friends? If you child is using, chances are he will begin hanging out with others with similar interests. Has your child suddenly turned away from his old friends? Is he hanging out with an older (driving age) group or with those that you suspect are using drugs? Bad Performance in School Has your childs attitude toward school suddenly changed? Have his grades gone from pretty good to very bad? Has he been skipping classes or school altogether? Physical Health Have you noticed a change in appetite? Does your child suddenly have digestive problems. Has he been treated for medical conditions that might be attributed to substance abuse, like gastritis or ulcers? Have his sleeping patterns changed? Evidence Have you notice any alcoholic beverages missing? How about the medicine cabinet? Anything missing there? Have you found unexplained empty containers around the house or grounds? Any paraphernalia? Has he suddenly started smoking cigarettes openly? Attitude Has your child developed a negative attitude against anti-drug or anti-alcohol programs, materials or literature? Has he been in trouble with the law for any reason? Has he developed a bad attitude toward any authority figures in his life? Have you found that your child has generally become dishonest about things? Little Things Have you noticed a change in hairstyle or fashion choices? Is he suddenly using breath mints consistently? Has he lost interest in tidiness in his room or does he pay less attention to personal hygiene? Overt Signals Has anyone ever told you your child is drinking or using drugs? Do you know that he has experimented. Has he suddenly developed the need for additional money, for vague or unexplained reasons? Have you ever seen him stagger? Or have you noticed any slurred speech? Changes in the pupils of his eyes, or redness or bloodshot eyes? Conclusion: A Better Way Instead of stigmatizing alcohol and trying to scare people into abstinence, we need to recognize that it is not alcohol itself but rather the abuse of alcohol that is the problem. Teaching about responsible use does not require student consumption of alcohol any more than teaching them world geography requires them to visit Nepal, or teaching them civics requires that they run for office or vote in presidential elections. We teach students civics to prepare them for the day when they can vote and assume other civic responsibilities if they choose to do so. Because either drinking in moderation or abstaining should both be equally acceptable options for adults, we must prepare students for either choice. To do otherwise is both irresponsible and ineffective, if not counterproductive. A recent study of the effectiveness of alcohol education programs compared those that present an abstinence-only message with those that present drinking in moderation as an option. It is clear that programs accepting responsible use are demonstrably more successful than are no-use-only programs.29 In spite of noble intentions and the expenditure of massive amounts of time, energy, and money the best evidence shows that our current abstinence-oriented alcohol education is ineffective. Simply doing more of what is not working will not lead to success; it is essential that we re-think our approach to the problem. Our youth are too important and the stakes are too high to so otherwise.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Austalias Immigration Policy

Australia's immigration policy is disastrous, proceeding as if there is no balance of payment problem, no foreign debt and no geographical or environmental constraints to population growth. Continued immigration will finally and irreversibly alter the natural and urban environment, economic viability and attitudes and culture of our nation. The people have been consulted on, or given their consent to, the interwoven policies of immigration and multiculturalism. It is now time for Australians to demand their democratic rights, reclaim their sovereignty and demand a say in the future of their nation. Australians Against Further Immigration want immigration drastically reduced to zero net. That is, out immigration numbers should merely replace those permanently leaving Australia each year - historically running between 20,000 and 30,000. At this policy of institutionalised, publicly funded multiculturalism should be scrapped. We are a non-racist organisation and attempts to convert the debate to one of race and emotion is a deliberate ploy to silence critics and avoid the real issues. We believe in freedom of speech. The philosopher Spinoza said, â€Å"In a free state every man can think what he wants and say what he thinks†. This should apply here to debates on immigration. We care about Australia and want to pass our heritage to our children and their children. We want to preserve our Australian identity. We stress that migrants already in Australia are welcome, what we are against is further immigration and the effect this in now having on social harmony. Our opposition is the pro-immigration lobby comprised of big business including the media, the ethnic lobby, churches, misguided humanitarians and both sides of politics. It is our own successive governments inflicting these policies on us and they, not the individual migrant, should bear the blame. We are concerned about the effect of ... Free Essays on Austalia's Immigration Policy Free Essays on Austalia's Immigration Policy Australia's immigration policy is disastrous, proceeding as if there is no balance of payment problem, no foreign debt and no geographical or environmental constraints to population growth. Continued immigration will finally and irreversibly alter the natural and urban environment, economic viability and attitudes and culture of our nation. The people have been consulted on, or given their consent to, the interwoven policies of immigration and multiculturalism. It is now time for Australians to demand their democratic rights, reclaim their sovereignty and demand a say in the future of their nation. Australians Against Further Immigration want immigration drastically reduced to zero net. That is, out immigration numbers should merely replace those permanently leaving Australia each year - historically running between 20,000 and 30,000. At this policy of institutionalised, publicly funded multiculturalism should be scrapped. We are a non-racist organisation and attempts to convert the debate to one of race and emotion is a deliberate ploy to silence critics and avoid the real issues. We believe in freedom of speech. The philosopher Spinoza said, â€Å"In a free state every man can think what he wants and say what he thinks†. This should apply here to debates on immigration. We care about Australia and want to pass our heritage to our children and their children. We want to preserve our Australian identity. We stress that migrants already in Australia are welcome, what we are against is further immigration and the effect this in now having on social harmony. Our opposition is the pro-immigration lobby comprised of big business including the media, the ethnic lobby, churches, misguided humanitarians and both sides of politics. It is our own successive governments inflicting these policies on us and they, not the individual migrant, should bear the blame. We are concerned about the effect of ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Return on Investment for Your Time

Return on Investment for Your Time I touched on this subject in another post earlier this year, but I want to hammer it here. You are a writer. Your time is torn between the keyboard and marketing yourself (not to mention your private life and whatever job is subsidizing your endeavors). Your time is money. Its ALWAYS money, so dont throw it away. So when you decide to get involved in any writing activity, you must be able to measure the return on investment. Whats it worth in terms of your annual income for you to get involved? Conferences Dont go without a mission. What will you bring home from this event? While youll make friends the purpose isnt social. Its business. What will you achieve here that makes it worth your money AND the time away from your writing? Is the conference too large for your taste? Do they provide answers to exact topics you need? Do you need an agent and do they provide one that fits your genre? Measure a conference from all angles before attending. Signings Will you be the only person at a poorly advertised event, selling three books in as many hours? Or is it well-advertised with expectations of good sales? Yes, it is controllable and predictable. If it isnt, someone isnt doing their job. Mass signings Theres a trend to gather as many authors as possible together and meet in some venue to sign. However, if there are as many authors as attendees, or even 30 authors and 200 attendees, will you sell enough books in that day (or two) that will justify the travel and cost? What are the genres represented? How much advertising has been done? How many books have sold at these events in the past? How much percentage of your sales do you have to pay for the privilege? Book Fairs These little events can net huge rewards, or reap nothing. Know the event. Keep it as local as possible, both diminishing expense and capitalizing on the homegrown author reputation. Classes What are the teachers credentials? What do previous students say about the class? How much is the fee and how much time will you have to invest? How will you specifically implement this class into your writing plans? Webinars What are the presenters credentials? What are they selling? Does the program fit into your schedule AND your writing plan? Be wary of impulse-to-buy deals. Book Clubs Believe it or not, these little gems often pay for themselves. Not only does the club choose your book (meaning sales to the members), but they may pay you an honorarium to attend. And since the members already read one of your books, you have the chance to promote your others in personand offer to autograph them while youre there! Ask the club what they expect to learn more. They love to talk about themselves. Advertising Know before purchasing advertising how others have fared. Are you better off paying for advertising or writing twenty guest blog posts and stealing your writing time? What is the net profit for each of your books so you can determine how many books you must sell to justify the expense. Dont play if you dont know. To know how to calculate your investment, to determine whether to participate or not, you do your homework, and thats where most writers fall short. They listen to whats said on Facebook or in chatrooms and dont actually research the events/activities themselves, thinking they dont have the time. There is no excuse for not doing your homework. Not with all the information readily at your fingertips as you sit so comfortably at your desk. To say you can or cannot afford to do something should mean you have the knowledge of why, to include the pros and cons of how it accurately can aid or inhibit your career . . . or pocketbook. –Hope Clark TWITTER Â  http://twitter.com/hopeclark AUTHOR SITE chopeclark.com FACEBOOK Â  facebook.com/chopeclark GOODREADS Â  goodreads.com/hopeclark BOOKBUB Â  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-hope-clark

Saturday, October 19, 2019

How did major discoveries in physics change the course of chemistry Term Paper

How did major discoveries in physics change the course of chemistry and interpretations of the discoveries - Term Paper Example This led to more complex applications that have improved humanity’s standards of living besides drawing a clear distinction between man and other animals, which the latter do not possess such kind of heightened intellectual capacity. Some of the early major physics discoveries or developments that have greatly impacted humanity’s life comprise those of Isaac Newton and Faraday whose respective theories’ contributions are still evident today (Heidarzadeh, 2008). This is especially in the current world where some technological inventions trace their roots from laws these scholars brought forward, though due to certain sophistications unveiled by incumbent scientists appear as if they are completely new. Theme/Thesis: Therefore, this paper will critically highlight diverse major scientific historical discoveries with much emphasis on electromagnetism and thermodynamics unveiled by early inventors and controversies that characterize them even though their respective contributions led to major breakthroughs evident today (Heidarzadeh, 2008). ... They have either cold and hot or wet and dry characteristics (Woody, 2008). Based on this expounding, Aristotle without doubt assumed all other things irrespective of their minor compositions each represent a unique homogenous substance though later he came up with a fifth category calling it â€Å"aether† (matter that occupies universe). Based on the aether hypothesis, this category comprised of â€Å"incorruptible† things whose existence is eternal besides being devoid of clear sign of aging (Heidarzadeh, 2008). This based on Aristotle is untrue because he contended the four matters are basic compounds of an individual except the fifth category (Woody, 2008). The four elements during creation were in proportion with each person’s magnitude though there is no evidence of unit quantities meant for given sizes of human beings. The most intriguing aspect concerning his theory was how he contended the four elements were unique or pure but did not exist anywhere secl uded or being on their own except in combined form (Woody, 2008). After the invention of this theory for approximately 2000 years, it found numerous applications in both philosophy and other scientific related fields like physics as well as chemistry (Woody, 2008). Earth despite the scholar citing is a unique element comprises of numerous aspects including rocks and minerals similar to H2O, which based on the current scientific knowledge has elements of Hydrogen and water (Heidarzadeh, 2008). This is completely confusing because based on the current chemistry; it states an element is any substance having a homogenous material whose alterations is only by subjecting it to a chemical process or physical disturbance. This is either to gain or lose certain amount of material

Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Contract Law - Essay Example The customer handling is a tactic that helps you in increasing the retention rates of the customers. The customer loyalty with your company can enhance your sales and helps in increasing your yearly turnover. These customer complaints when handle properly inform the organization what actually the customers wants in product, their needs and what changes they further want in your product or service. The importance of these complaints, requirements and ideas from the customers are very important due to the reason that the company actually serving these people. So these complaints are actually the customer voice that meant a lot for the organization. The after sale service of a company is important because customers may feel some problems while the usage of the product and dealing with problems may help in gaining their loyalty. These customers compliant handling is not only important to the sales and marketing department of the product launching compnay but also important for the servic e providing companies. The purpose of this article is to deals in importance of complaint handling within the retail FS UK market. We will consider that what problems actually the customer were facing and how the problem solving enhances their service market. In 2003 the life insurance company which was based in financial market of UK ... ancial market of UK paid the fine of 675,000 pounds due to their mortgage endowment complaints which were not handled properly by their service department. Similarly in 2004, the same Life Insurance Company paid the fine of 725,000 due to their bad handling of mortgage endowment complaints, which they were facing the last year. The only reason was that the company was unable to provide better services before and after the sale of their product and services. In 2005, High Street Bank paid the fine of 800,000 pounds due to their worst handling of customer complaints. In 2006, again the same Life Insurance Company paid the fine of 750,000. In 2007, IFA paid 330,000 of pounds as fine against worst compliant handling of their customers. These all fines which are paid by the companies mention above are the only reason of bad customer services they provide to the customers. These companies then need to take a deep look inside their customer relation services in order to know that what the r oot cause of the problem is. Where the main problem lies We try to search and find some issues which these companies lack and these were The financial service companies were fail to give efficient customer services as customer advisory department were failed to advise the customer the which service suit them most. The importance to the customer within the company wasn't matter when they first step in the company. The companies were unable to investigate deeply in order to know that where the company lacks or performing badly and the only reason was that they lack a sufficient communication level. The companies were unable to launch such systems and strategies that can improve the customer relations with their employee's and the reason was this that they actually don't know that where the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Experience on Placement in Social Services in Mauritius Essay

Experience on Placement in Social Services in Mauritius - Essay Example On the second week I attended a seminar hosted by Befrienders organisation which is a member of MACOSS, Befrienders was founded by Ibhoo Mansoor in 1995. Its main aim is to prevent suicide which amounts to 300 per year in Mauritius, it operates 48 countries with 400 hundred centres and 60,000 trained voluntary workers. Its activities involve organising talks and public awareness programs. The talk involved the emphasising of the high suicide rate in Mauritius which amounts to 300 deaths a year; the majority of persons involved are persons between the ages of 13 years to 35 years. Suicides is the act of wilfully ending ones life. Some of the causes of suicide include depression, mental illness, hopelessness, poverty and hardship, religious reasons as in the case of suicide bombing and crime where criminals commit suicide before they are caught up with. Suicide however can be prevented through the introduction of crisis intervention centres, restriction of access to common methods of suicide, treatment of depression, reduction of alcohol and substance use and the education based interventions to boost self esteem. On my third week I went to work with the EDYCS group, it is a... (http://www.who.int/mental_health/en/) On my third week I went to work with the EDYCS group, it is a non governmental organisation which was founded in 1997, its main objective is to improve the health and quality of life of people who surfer from epilepsy. I visited the epilepsy health service centre which helps people learn more about epilepsy, visit people suffering from the disease, organising seminars and conferences and fund the people who need urgently need health attention. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition which is characterized by recurring epileptic seizers. This disease can not be cured but can be controlled. It is caused by parasitic infections, head injury, stroke and complications in pregnant women. Treatment is through medication, special diets and implantation of the vagus nerve which reduce the frequency of seizure. On the fourth week I went to a nursing home with mentally ill people, it was set aside for the elderly. My activities included helping out in giving medication to the sick, undertaking role calls, helping in feeding, provision of guidance and counselling and helping out in the cleaning process which included laundry. On the fifth week I went to the friends in hope organisation, whose purpose is to provide care and support to person's mental illness. This organisation was founded in 1997 by relatives of people suffering from psychotic disorders. The main aims of this organisation is to provide public awareness on psychotic disorders, rehabilitation of patients, and improvement of administration of persons suffering from these disorders. Through my experience with these organisations I have gained a lot in the provision of human services to various needy people

The black cat by E. Poe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The black cat by E. Poe - Essay Example Virginia served as a pattern and embodiment of love in Poe’s several novels such as Annabel Lee, The Raven, and Ligeia. Poes one-time employer George Rex Graham said about their relationship: "His love for his wife was a sort of rapturous worship of the spirit of beauty." I believe that his devotional love in inherent in a good marriage. After her death, he tried to have a comfortable life with a poet, Sarah Helen Whitman. However, their relationship ended, because of Poe’s serious alcoholism. Such behavior was a result of the sorrow he felt after Virginia’s death. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the representatives of Gothic literature. Gothic art was predominant in the Romantic era, thus Poe’s writings were affected by Romanticism. Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that praised imagination over reason, emotions over logic, and intuition over science-making way. It rejected the rational and intellectual, and Allan Poe emphasized that didactic and intellectual elements were absent in his work. The Black Cat is an example of Gothic literature work. The black cat’s time and setting is obscure and vague, and it creates an uncanny atmosphere. The beginning of this story is ordinary and friendly, and narrator’s childhood sounds loving. However, happy introduction foreshadows the horrendous ending in Gothic literature. Moreover, there are many Gothic images in the novel. For example, cat’s figure imprinted on the wall brings grotesque illusion. Disturbing vision of cat to the protagonist is akind of foreshadowing of coming event. He tries to ignore superstition and offer a reasonable and scientific explanation. As the narrators extreme hatred and rage to the cat cannot be explained logically, I suppose that cat is a supernatural object, and symbolizes his tortured conscience. Humanity’s fear and fascination is unknown in Gothic literature. Narrator in The Black Cat commits

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Effects of Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Effects of Global Warming - Essay Example These deadly consequences can eventually result to damages in property and resources and even loss of lives to millions of people. Other known effects of global warming are also reflected in the extinction of plant and animal species and the decreasing diversity of the ecosystem. Plant and animal populations have reduced as they migrate to new habitats for them to survive. Furthermore, human health and safety are also likely to be affected with the detrimental effects of global warming. Due to the rising temperatures, humans can be subjected to diseases such as malaria, dengue and cholera, which can easily spread, not only in tropical areas, but also in the Polar Regions. As such, the effects of global warming can be disastrous, and these can also severely affect human life conditions, as well as the living patterns and survival of the different species that depend on the diversity of the

Waldseemller map Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Waldseemller map - Article Example r maps recorded in the 1500s such as Henricus Martellus or Martin Behaim maps that used the Geography (Ptolemy) and the Caveri planisphere, the Waldseemà ¼ller 1507 map gets right most of the mapping of the world mapping and tells us much about European knowledge of the world in the early sixteenth century. While the other maps during that time are ambiguous in representing the eastern coastline for Asia and Europe, the Waldseemà ¼ller 1507 map gets right by making a distinction those coastline from the American coastline (Hessler 63).The Waldseemà ¼ller map designates the existence of the trans-Atlantic region in Spain and the Asian Ptolemy as displayed on the Behaim globe representation in 1492. The Waldseemà ¼ller map of 1507 is today credited basically as the mother of all the other maps we use today as it has been used as a credible source for those maps. Waldseemà ¼ller’s world map is an important product of research effort that spans from the sixteen century. It was developed using resourceful data gathered during the era of the Amerigo Vespucci’s voyages between 1501 and 1502. Waldseemà ¼ller christened the "American" land in recognition of Vespucci’s data by uncovering a new continent namely America as a result of the Columbus voyages and other late fifteen century explorers (Hessler 75). The Waldseemà ¼ller’s map therefore, supported Vespucci’s revolutionary concept by portraying the New World. This is what the map tells us about European knowledge of the world in the early sixteenth because prior to it, the separate continent which the map represents was unknown to the Europeans. The map was the first manuscript that was printed clearly depicting a separate Western Hemisphere which it distinct from the Pacific Ocean and the African coastline (Hessler 76). The map gets all these aspects right and represents a huge spring forward in knowledge across Europe and it forever changed the European understanding which still remains today that the world is

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The Effects of Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Effects of Global Warming - Essay Example These deadly consequences can eventually result to damages in property and resources and even loss of lives to millions of people. Other known effects of global warming are also reflected in the extinction of plant and animal species and the decreasing diversity of the ecosystem. Plant and animal populations have reduced as they migrate to new habitats for them to survive. Furthermore, human health and safety are also likely to be affected with the detrimental effects of global warming. Due to the rising temperatures, humans can be subjected to diseases such as malaria, dengue and cholera, which can easily spread, not only in tropical areas, but also in the Polar Regions. As such, the effects of global warming can be disastrous, and these can also severely affect human life conditions, as well as the living patterns and survival of the different species that depend on the diversity of the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Food and the First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Food and the First World War - Essay Example These include high explosive, perfected machine guns, hand grenades and poison gas among a whole host of other 'advances'. The social changes wrought by WWI are also commonly known, from the end of Victorian England to the growth of a middle class to the new independence of women. However, one important advance that occurred both before and during the war; one that would change the world profoundly, was the method of production, storing and transportation of food. This analysis detail the differences between the importance of food in previous wars versus WWI, as well as the wider cultural changes that were placed on European people because of a concentration upon the supply (and disruption thereof) in the war. It will also consider that technological advances in the food industry as a result of the prolonged war. Food was a very important wartime commodity, and new types of warfare, including the u-boats, were aimed at sinking ships transporting supplies, and especially food supplies. In previous wars, food had been important to armies, indeed, it was a matter of prime importance for an army o the move. Julius Caesar, in one of the greatest, and first, works describing warfare, suggests that the need for food is perhaps the most vital component of an army's activity. Food, according to Caesar, is the prime "weapon" of warfare, because without it, none of the others are effective (Caesar, 1983) Before the advent of modern warfare, which can in some ways traced to both the American Civil War (in terms of numbers of men/devastation) and to WWI (in terms of technology/deaths), armies needed to live off the land that they passed through. While some supplies could be taken with them, sue to the lack of storage/preservation these could only the very basics such as corn, oats and some salted meats. But because roads were unpaved and slow, the transport of large amounts of food would bring an army to a stand-still. So the major source of land would be the land that was being passed through. Indeed, cutting off that food supply brought many great armies to their knees. Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, and the subsequent destruction of his army stemmed from two major factors: first traveling too far, too fast without access to a reliable source and second, the Russian winter. The Russians adopted a "scorched earth" policy in which they destroyed their own landscape by setting it on fire in order to starve the French army (Schom, 1998). As Napoleon stated in what has become something of a clich. "an army marches on its stomach" (Schom, 1998). As the fate of Napoleon's army illustrated, as well as that of many others over the centuries, reliance upon the native sources of food rather than transporting one's own individual supply leads to a great vulnerability, even for what is superficially the strongest army. The larger the army the greater are needs for food, and the greater logistical problems involved in supplying it. The Industrial revolution, which started in England and eventually spread to much of the rest of Europe and the United States, caused a massive transformation in the cultural and economic landscape of food production. In the century between Napoleon's disastrous defeat at the hands of the Russians and the beginning of WWI in 1914, many advances in both the production and preservation of food had occurred. One of the great improvements was the invention of

Monday, October 14, 2019

Planning Process Paper Essay Example for Free

Planning Process Paper Essay I will compare the planning process to my current workplace. Followed by what I believe would be more crucial and why I think that. Also, I will briefly go over why I do not believe organizations can over-plan during this process. The Basic: Planning Process Step #1: Situational Analysis—This step is where you would typically answer the question, â€Å"Where are we now? † (Amicaall). In my current workplace, the main focus in this step is to be sure that the customer is aware of the customer survey that lucky few may receive. Now, the goal is to be sure the ones who may receive this survey are honest when filling it out with the most accurate information. All survey’s are read and sent to the dealership the vehicle was serviced, or purchased. Therefore, any concern from the customer will highly be considered. We assure that ever individual that has an opportunity of receiving one of these important surveys is aware when delivering the vehicle after any services. So that if there is an issue with the service, that they please notify us before filling out the survey this way we are sure the customer is happy with all services. Also, so that the consumer will know how honesty we stand by our word of correcting and listening to their suggestions by making them happy right away. â€Å"Planners should gather, interpret, and summarize all information relevant to the planning issue in question. A through situational analysis studies past events, examines current conditions, and attempts to forecast future trends† (Bateman Snell, 2007). By us being sure that are customers are aware of the survey ahead of time, we are more than likely to get a better knowledge of where we may need to focus more on improving or attempting the consumer’s ideas. By doing so, we are more like to achieve reaching our goals. Step #2: Alternative Goals and Plans—â€Å"based on the situational analysis, the planning process should generate alternative goals that may be pursued in the future and the alternative plans that may be used to achieve those goals† (Bateman Snell, 2007). A lot of our goals set at work are not just to be sure that all customers are happy but also that they know if there’s something that has not instantly been put into effect that we are still in the process of doing so. It may be something that takes a little more financial effort as well as time. For example, a lot of customer have mentioned the would like if their vehicle was washed and vacuumed after every service. We state the following to the customer when this is brought to our attention, â€Å"As of now we are relocating to another facility, fortunately we will be in a bigger building that will also have a car wash available. But for now we have washed your windows and vacuumed the vehicle. We look forward to being able to serve you better. Step #3: Goal and Plan Evaluation—â€Å"next, managers will evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and potential effects of each alternative goal and plan† (Bateman Snell, 2007). This is pretty simple; the goal and plan evaluation is discussed every morning within our manager meetings. Some of the ideas in plans they’ve discussed in meetings are the following: complimentary snacks, drinks, opening a Starbucks coffee station and mail ing/emailing great coupons, specials off of services, even possibly a parking garage. The managers gather together to see what is best benefiting the customers and if there are any new ideas that may be brought to their attention. One, manager even stated he over heard a customer state to another customer, â€Å"that it wouldn’t be a bad idea if they had wireless internet so that I could continue to work while my vehicle is being serviced, you would think they would be caught up with the technology no days. † If so what they plan on doing to implant them, are they realistic and attainable? While in the meeting they’ll discuss several ideas and examples of how to keep all eyes and ears open for any future goals and plans. Step #4: Goal and Plan Selection—â€Å"once managers have assessed the various goals and plans, they will select the one that’s most appropriate and feasible† (Bateman Snell, 2007). After everyone discussing and gathering information from consistent consumers the dealership has decided to select the following as plans for the future; parking garage, complimentary drinks, a Starbucks station that consists of snacks, breakfast and lunch sandwiches up for purchase. Until the Starbucks station has built their customers, we have coupon vouchers so that the customer may have their first Starbuck’s Drinks for free. As all these ideas come out the next step would be to be sure the news letter gets mailed and emailed out to all of our customers and consumers. The newsletters will state all goals and plans that have been selected for our future facility. Step #5: Implementation—â€Å"once managers have selected the goals and plans, they must implement the plans designed to achieve the goals† (Bateman Snell, 2007). Well, as of now the dealership has implemented a lot of the planned goals. By this I mean, we now have a Starbucks station filled with snacks and many different beverages. We also have put a refrigerator full of all types of sodas and water all complimentary for all customers and purchaser of Toyota Sales and Service. As for the Parking Garage and Car Wash they are both in the works, we have blue prints showing where the next facility will be built. Step #6: Monitor and Control—â€Å"although it is sometimes ignore, this step in the formal planning process is essential. Planning works in a cycle; it is an ongoing, repetitive process. (Bateman Snell, 2007). Now, the way the company monitors and tracks all the works in cycle is by asking all customers that look like they have purchased or used the vouchers if they enjoy having Starbucks. All mentioned it’s a great change and they all thanked the company for taking the time to listen to their ideas. The managers noticed that all surveys they were receiving had plenty comments about how the changes really benefit them. A lot commented on the wireless internet how covenant it was to have service performed on their vehicle and it didn’t even seem that they weren’t at work because they could still use their computer and complete work assignments. To management it seemed that they were on the right track, by listening to the customers they could make most of them happy and keep their business. By doing so it seems that they’re helping to provide a better workplace as well as a great setting for people to achieve personal as well as career goals. In conclusion, an organization can not be very successful if they do not stay within the basic planning process. As I’ve explained above every step is very important, though one I believe is most crucial and that is Step #! Situational Analysis. The reason why I feel this is most important is because if you analyze a situation incorrectly then you may be headed in the wrong direction as far as improving. The situation may not need any correction or improvement at the time, therefore the situation that needs most improvement may be overlooked. I don’t believe that any organization may over plan because the more effort put into planning the more correction or ideas m ay be created. This will prepare the organization for several different scenarios.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Great Depression Essay -- American History

The Great Depression The Big Picture The Great Depression was the longest and most severe economic decline in American history. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed and began the depression. Although industry leaders issued optimistic predictions for the nation's economy, the market crash wiped out nearly 40% of the paper values of stocks. Great innovations in productive techniques during and after the war raised the output of industry beyond the purchasing capacity of U.S. farmers and working force. As a result of this, unemployment skyrocketed during the years of the Depression, reaching levels as high as one third of the population. Almost half of the commercial banks of the United States failed during the Depression. Crop prices fell by over fifty percent. People went hungry because so much food was produced that production became unprofitable. Others were unemployed because they had produced more than could be sold. Hundreds of thousands roamed the country in search of food, work, and shelter. Huge numbers of Americans had their lives upset by the Depression. Homelessness, poverty and despair characterized much of the nation in those days. Many of those who could not provide for their families, in larger cities as well as smaller towns, committed suicide to put an end to their troubles. Small Town Life The depression was not limited to the confines of large cities, it spread like a disease throughout our great nation. It even managed to find its way into the small town of Oakesdale, Washington. Frances Taylor, a mere child at this time clearly remembers the events that took place. "As children, we weren't really aware of what was going on. We simply didn't understand the concept of being poor." Many fam... ...ovided the initial 63 million dollars for the project to begin. "My father found work by being part of the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. He would stay on the site while our mother took care of the children back in Oakesdale. He would send the money back to support the family." The Grand Coulee Dam would provide many jobs for the unemployed as well as be used in the upcoming war. It was used primarily for irrigation at first, but as the war progressed it was changed to produce more electricity for the Northwest's aluminum industry. The beginning of World War II would prove to be the factor that directed America out of the Depression. How ironic, that such a horrifying event could spur an economic rejuvenation. The Depression was a trying time, America was at a loss for words and money, but as a nation, we pulled together and got through the worst of the worst.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Trouble Aboard The Titanic - A Personal Account (fiction) :: essays research papers

It all started when I was enjoying a late-night game of poker with some friends of mine, including by best friend, Joe Allen. There was a small rumble and my noticed that my glass of fine wine was disturbed a bit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"What was that?† Joe said curiously.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Oh, it was probably just the firemen throwing in more coal to speed this thing up overnight.† I replied. The game continued normally until I was out of cash on hand; I wasn’t very good at poker in the first place. The end of the game was interrupted by three stewards bursting into the large room and yelling, â€Å"Everyone on deck! Secure life belts immediately!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Joe and I sprung up to see what was the matter. â€Å"What’s the big idea here?† Joe yelled to one of the stewards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"We have a small emergency situation and everyone needs to be moved to the deck with their life belts with them.† He retorted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I kept my cool because I knew that the first-class passengers like us were always helped first. After finding two life belts, we were herded along with many others up to the deck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The deck was alive with movement all over. It was total pandemonium as everyone was trying to get aboard a lifeboat. â€Å"I have a feeling that the unsinkable Titanic is sinking,† Joe said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Sinking or not, we have to get on one of these boats. It looks like they’re letting first-class on first, so we’re in luck.† I said to Joe. On the deck below us, I could see masses of people that looked like herds of sheep being rushed in one direction. I noticed myself a little more seasick than I was before, and that the deck seemed slanted. It was obvious the ship was sinking now. A guard nearby was calling for first-class passengers so we went there and climbed aboard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Any ideas on what’s going on?† I yelled to the guard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Yeah, we hit a huge berg and we’re taking on water fast down below.† He replied. Before I had time to think, the lifeboat was lowered into the water slowly. I felt sorry for the people on that lower deck because the ship was only half full of us rich first-class folk. The same guard had hopped onto the ship to lead it away from the dying giant. After seeing the Titanic from a distance, I could see that its long rows of deck lights weren’t perpendicular to the ocean anymore, but slanted way up.

Friday, October 11, 2019

College Education Essay

Assignment: Should a college education focus on cultivating and encouraging the imagination of students or on teaching basic facts and standards so that we all share a certain amount of common knowledge? Katherine Paterson once stated in The Spying Heart, â€Å"Our fundamental task as human beings is to seek out connections—to exercise our imaginations. It follows, then, that the basic task of education is the care and feeding of the imagination. Our task as teachers and writers, artists and parents is to  nourish the imagination—our own and that of the children entrusted to our care. † This means that our goal as human beings is to build their imagination. The the job for education is to feed the imagination. An adults job is to help the children to build their imagination. A college education should focus on cultivating and encouraging the imagination of students instead of on teaching basic facts and standards so that we all share a certain amount of common knowledge. One reason why a college education should focus on building imagination is because dreams  are stronger than facts. Albert Einstien once said, â€Å"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. † Also Robert Fulghum states in his book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts On Common Things, â€Å"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death. † If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Did not dream and was based only on facts, I don’t think the United States would have been the same. This is why colleges should focus on the imagination of their students and not how much they know. Some people believe that college should solely be based off facts and knowledge. Aristotle once said, â€Å"All men desire knowledge†. But is that knowledge needed to live life. The students should learn what they are majoring in, but should also use imagination to a class or two. Remember â€Å"education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world†.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

A Comparative Study on Family Education

Abstract: In a lifetime , family is the first school , in which parents are the first teachers for the children . Children are the hopes of a nation , and family education is the elementary education for children . There are many types of family education in the world and each of them shows distinctive features and is closely responsive to its culture . And American family education is the most famous one among them . There are great differences in the concepts of education , aim of education , methods of education and contents of education between American family education and Chinese family education . This thesis will complete the comparative study from the differences , the reasons and the results of family education between America and China . The author hopes to find a satisfied family education method through comparing the differences between American family education and Chinese family education . At the same time , the author hopes this thesis can provide some helpful suggestions for family education in order to make children grow more healthily and roundly . Keywords: family education childeren differences education for all-around development Main Body: . The differences of family education between America and China: 1. The concepts of family education are different . The different education concepts between America and China lead children to receive differert education . In China , many parents only care about whether the children have a promising future , a good job , a good life or not . Based on these expectations , the majority of parents feel that their responsibility for their children is to create as good conditions as possible they can so that the children will not worry about anything in the future . Chinese parents would like to provide everything what they can for their children in the process of children’s growth . In short , they would like to sacrifice anything if their children can live better with their help . Therefore, in the process of children’s growth, the most important thing the parents concerning is to develop their children’s intellect , except for caring children’s daily life . In order to make their children have a good performance in study , become outstanding , or even become a famous person n the future , they would not let children do anything except studying . Contrastively , American parents generally believe that the growth of childeren must rely on their own strength and experiences. Based on this concept , most American parents emphasize more to train their children’s ability of independence once they are born because they think that children should form a self-supporting will and the capacity to live independently sin ce their childhood . And the capacity comes from the training in the early age . In the film ?Gua Sha Treatment? , there is a scene that Datong orderded his son to apologize to his boss’s son when his saw his son was fighting with his boss’s son . What’s more , he slapped his son in the face when his son refused to apologize , which gave his boss aquite a shock . His boss became confused why the father would show the regret by striking his son . This scene and the boss’s confusion reflect the different concepts between the two countries . Traditonal Chinese family education emphasize kindheartedness and bedience , so we can say that Chinese parents like Datong in the film always want to model their children . On the contrary , America children have more rights of autonomy because their parents emphasis on justice and freedom in the process of family education . 2. The aim of family education are different . The aim of family education is to foster the childeren to grow in some direction by family education . It is the restrictive factor for the direction of family education , deciding the general effect of it . So the aim of family education is the core of family education and the fundamental reason for the differences between the two countries on family education . There is an essential difference between two countrys’ aim of family education , with to expect the child to become an outstanding personage and to hope the child to be an comprehensive and independent person giving expressions to the difference . To most Chinese parents , the aim is expecting their child to be a â€Å" dragon † , which is â€Å" wang zi cheng long † in Chinese . But American parents take hoping the child to be a man of ability which is â€Å" wang zi cheng ren † in Chinese as their aim . For Chinese parents, their aim is to do anyting to support their children to get high marks . What forms apparent contrast to it is , America parents give their children more training about improving abilities . They try to train their children to have the ability of adapting to environmental variety and the ability of living independently . 3. The methods are different between America and China . The differences of concepts and aim cause the childen to be taught by different ways and methods . In Chinese family , affected by Chinese traditional culture , parents educate children by â€Å" control † and â€Å" seal † type . There are three tips for it : (1)Chinese parents prepare all things for their children in daily life . In Chinese family , children don’t have to do any housework . (2)Chinese parents protect the children to excess in social activities . Many children are prevented from exposure to the outer world because their parents worry about children’s being affected by bad things . (3)Chinese parents have a rather strict attitude toward children’s study . Parents regard the grades as the only standard for future success . â€Å" Tasks Sea † strategy is often used in study . Chinese children are tired of doing many extra exercises . So Chinese children spend more time in studying than doing other things . What about America children ? Let’s talk about the famous film ?The Pacifier? . In the film , it may be unconcious , but Shane Wolfe had let the kids master many skills by training them during the time when he cared them . So American parents bring up their children by the method of â€Å" letting go † but â€Å" not indulging † to exercise children’s abilities of independent living . 4. The different contents of family education between America and China . The differences of family education between the two countries are also reflected in the contents of family education . Although the contents of Chinese family education can also devided into moral education , intellectual education , physical education and artistic education , but intellectual education has been the most important one since they go to school . However , the contents of American family education is abundant , which pay more attention to the harmonious development of language , emotion , knowledge and so on . It is so-called â€Å" education for all-around development † .

How Today’s Managers Use Scientific Management Essay

An overview During the past 57 years, Pakistan’s experiences with democracy have been transitory, as brief democratic rules have been followed by prolonged military regimes.As a nation, Pakistanis have time and again refused to delearn the incremental lessons in parliamentary democracy. Due to this fact, the four military regimes that Pakistanis saw finally reverted to controlled and guided democracy in quest for legitimacy. ‘Basic democracy’ of General Ayub Khan and ‘Islamic democracy’ of General Ziaul Haq were the efforts to appease popular sentiments and ‘sustainable democracy’ of General Pervez Musharraf is also not different from the two previous experiments with democracy. All the three military dictators patronized and promoted their own factions of Pakistan Muslim League — the party claimant to be the founder of the country — to block the way of normative political forces. In order to supplement their efforts to monopolize the political sphere, the military rulers as unfair referees framed biased rules for the political game. The outcome was a paralysed parliament run by privileged puppets. So-called intellectual brigades mostly comprising retired generals and former bureaucrats nursed not only militarization of state and society but also pleaded for authoritative presidential system. However, with the exception of Ayub Khan none of the military rulers succeeded in such efforts. Ayub Khan’s so-called presidential system immediately collapsed  with his ouster from the political arena. Shockingly, such debates still exist to eclipse the future of parliamentary democracy in Pakistan. The argument derives its logic from the experience of certain East Asian nations that mortgaged their political liberties for economic growth in first place. In this scenario, a qualitative judgement on Pakistan’s democratic experiences can only point to trends and perceptions. Integrity of a nation state The lack of continuity in the democratic process meant that most of the interests groups in the country, whether economic or sub-national at one stage or the other, feel that the system is not fully responsive to their interests. It is generally perceived that during the undemocratic regimes, sub-nationalist forces grew in their disenchantment with the state and governance pattern. Conversely, whenever there have been even quasi-democratic governments, these sub-national entities felt to be part of the system and voices of dissent against state have been considerably mild. To that extent, the democratic experience in Pakistan has played some part in assuaging the concerns of the federating units. Interestingly, with the exception of a few hardcore jihadi outfits, all major religiopolitical parties have been stakeholders in the democratic process. Despite their cherished theological dream and desire of caliphate, the religious parties competed and contested all general elections in the country. The story of ethnic and nationalist voices from periphery namely smaller provinces — Balochistan and NWFP — is not different. These forces have fully participated in the democratic institutions to plead for their demands. Democratic institutions Juxtaposed to above-mentioned trends, the governance and the democratic institutions have not been sufficiently participatory and democratic in their conduct, and failed to cobble up some institutional mechanism for making decisions democratically. The conflicts between the opposition and ruling party often led to use of state apparatus against the opposition parties. Thus, it has been common to see rulers of yesterday as prisoners of today. Therefore, the democratic empowerment remained an illusive dream, and execution and exile emerged as alternatives for the politicians. Many  political observers agree that although the country’s political leadership commendably fought for democratic governance whenever they faced a military rule, there own actions in power have been autocratic.â€Å"Despite making struggle for restoration of democracy, they have failed to build a legal framework, create a pro-democracy environment and most importantly build a policy framework in which   conflicts may be resolved through negotiations, by making bargain, and by building consensus.† (Saeed Shafqat — Democracy in Pakistan: Value Change and Challenges of Institution Building) In this context, no wonder that conflicts between different political forces in the 1980s and 1990s were resolved through the military mediated coercive state powers. Both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto launched major military operations in Karachi to counter Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Though the conflict was not entirely political in nature, during the course of events such operations backed by the military establishment somewhere crossed lines from merely a law and order restoration to political vendetta. Present discontentment among Baloch nationalists over the alleged abuse of their resources by the federal government, especially in Gwadar, points to the inability of the state to satisfy the federating units. Moreover, the way these concerns are being addressed exemplify that nothing has changed in terms of coercive methodologies employed to settle major political issues. Constitutional amendments In order to evolve and erect a fair social contract between the state and the citizens, Pakistan has had three constitutions in 1956, 1962 and 1973, two interim constitutional arrangements in 1947 and 1972, and two major attempts of constitutional engineering in 1985 and 2002. All these attempts were to oscillate the power pendulum towards the designer. The casualty in the process was the rule of law and a viable social contract between the rulers and the ruled. In spite of these odds, Pakistan has exhibited unique resilience to survive. The critical question, however, remains that whether instability would stay as the professed policy of the powerful civil-military establishment or Pakistan would finally witness any moment of democratic triumph? Flawed legislation Legislation process that traditionally flows out of the constitution and contemporary needs of the society is often considered as the most important function of democratic institutions. Unfortunately, this process has been highly flawed even in the democratic eras. In the statute books, majority of the laws are those inherited from the colonial rulers, whereas the second biggest chunk is the set of presidential ordinances (though these are later converted into acts of parliament without any major changes), and very few laws that epitomize the brain of legislators. The tradition of private member bill has never been encouraged in Pakistan. Role of state institutions in protecting citizens The state has miserably failed in protecting life and property of its citizens. The actions to curb the crime have been selective and demonstrative, and that too marred by corrupt practices of the functionaries in different state agencies responsible for providing protection to masses. The state of affairs in the country’s police department and judiciary is no secret, and popular perception is that all efforts on part of the state have been mere an eyewash. Registration of cases by the police even on commission of a crime of heinous nature is very difficult for a common citizen, particularly the poor. In some instances, cases are registered even months after commission of a crime and obviously this leads to loss of critical evidence to prove the cases. Not only this, even if an aggrieved person gets a case registered, the rampant corruption in judiciary makes the accomplishment of justice impossible for the weak and vulnerable segments of the society. Thus, this state of affairs has badly shattered the public confidence in the state institutions, leading to aggravation of situation at the grassroots through giving further boost to the lawlessness and prevalence of uncertainty among the masses. Decision-making and people’s voice Lack of a culture of public debate before legislation is one of the major reasons that today there may be thousands of laws on the statue books but their enforcement is very weak. Sometimes, multiple laws to address any  single issue empower the law enforcers to employ their discretionary powers. Drivers of legislation are often self interests of the ruling class, expediency or some external pressures when it comes to things that have a global perspective. Constitutional amendments to strengthen the interests of the ruling party or one-sided amendments by the military rulers are also not uncommon. Therefore, the present lawmaking system has been unable to keep pace with the changing realities. The government often comes up with quantitative figures to project its legislative performance that in fact is nothing more than minor amendments to the existing laws. Similarly, policy formulation also remain highly personalized and outside the ambit of the parliament. Lack of credibility of elections Country’s record in holding fair and free elections is also not very impressive. It has become a common practice of the defeated parties or politicians that they invariably blame the state for manipulating the elections, and the reason for such scepticism is ingrained deep in the country’s political history. Understandably, when the state institutions (military and civil bureaucracy) seem to have a lucid tilt towards a particular political force or the other, the losing party has all the reasons to suspect the transparency of elections. Moreover, the results of the elections are further manipulated when it comes to the formation of a government. Many a time, the party that has gained larger number of votes or larger number of seats is kept out of the power through post election alliance making. This exercise could be a positive development if entirely left to the dynamics of politics alone, as this could lead the political parties to create some kind of minimum consensus. But contrary to this fact, the outside players, like intelligence agencies, take up the responsibility of forging the alliances. Such manipulations not only create further doubts about the democratic process but also have inbuilt flaws and instability. Such alliances mean that the government has no connection with the masses. Pakistan’s history also testifies to another fact that though the people are allowed to elect governments, they have rarely been given an opportunity to vote out governments. The elected governments have been mostly removed through some arbitrary and discretionary power vested in the head of the  state or by direct military intervention. In a sense, people in the country are not fully aware of the power that their vote may have. Communication gap between political parties and masses Despite a majority of people in the country accepts that democracy is the best system of governance, political parties have not really been able to capitalise on this broad consensus. As the infrastructure of the political parties over the past two decades has lost the ability to educate masses at the grassroots level, and the parties are less interactive with them, the creed known as political workers is becoming extinct. Political parties are now talking to the electorate through media alone, and this practice has led to an ample communication gap between the parties and the people. While this gap increases, some other impediments in the development of democratic culture continue to influence the common man’s mindset. Textbooks taught in schools do not talk favourably about political parties as institutions. Rather these books target some of the elected leaders while eulogising the military rulers of the country. Even the overall sense of the textbooks does not come out positively for a democratic system of governance. The common perception propagated vehemently by the establishment that members of the parliament do not remain in touch with the electorate once they are elected. Although a deep look at the mechanisms of politics suggest this may not be true, as it might have almost been impossible for politicians to get reelected if they completely lose contact with the electorate, it is largely true in case of big landlords who  have such clout in their constituencies that they cannot be defeated whatever the situation may be. However, in case of some politicians from the urban centre, the past elections have proved this perception wrong. Public perception of democracy Despite all odds pitched against vibrant and transparent democratic governance, 88 per cent Pakistanis value democracy as a good political system. In a survey, conducted between August 15, 2001 and February 28, 2002, 2,000 people were interviewed, and only four per cent of respondents preferred military rule over democratic governance. However, the level of  trust in political parties was pretty low as compared to the civil service and the armed forces. See table below: Answers Questions Yes in % Is democracy a good political system? 88 Is democracy despite its problems better than other political systems? 82 Is military government good for Pakistan? 4 Is a strong leader better to make decision without consent of the 34 Parliament? Should technocrats make key decisions rather than elected 19 government? Is Pakistan run by big interest groups who looked out for themselves 89 rather than the benefit of the people? Are you satisfied with handling of country’s affairs by the gov ernment 43 (military government)? Are you happy with the country’s political system? 8 Do you have confidence in political parties? 28 Do you have confidence in civil service? 50 Do you have confidence in armed forces? 86 Would like to have higher economic growth? 76 Would like to have more say in decision making? 4 Would like to see improvement in law and order situation? 57 Would like to see higher economic growth? 76 (Data Published in Daily Times on November 24, 2004.) The survey was published as part of a publication: Human Beliefs and Values. The lead author was Ronald Inglehart, a professor of political science at the University of Michigan and president of the World Value Surveys Association. The book is a cross-cultural scorebook based on surveys in 82 countries conducted between 1999 and 2002. According to another opinion poll, conducted by the Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Consortium (PLSC), in Pakistan 45 per cent people believe that political parties are essential and necessary for democracy but 62 per cent think that the parties primarily serve their own interests. Only 13 per cent consider political parties do serve the public interest. These figures show the political parties have to put their house in order to gain wider acceptance and reclaim their lost ground. Mushrooming of political parties Political parties have mushroomed in Pakistan in the past couple of decades. Every shade of political opinion or religious/sectarian group is now organized as a full-fledged party. Thanks to the constitution, there is no condition of the minimum membership for registration of a political party. Presently, over 90 parties submit their internal election certificate and annual income and expenditure statements to the Election Commission of  Pakistan to qualify for an election symbol. As many as 62 participated in the general elections in 2002, and 16 parties and two alliances got representation in the National Assembly, 12 parties and two alliances won seats in the Senate, and a few   more in the provincial assemblies. This is the highest number of political parties to reach the democratic institutions in Pakistan. Interestingly, seven out of 15 parties have just one legislator and another one — Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (Patriots) later renamed and registered as the Pakistan People’s Party — parachuted from the opposition to the treasury benches after the establishment facilitated division of the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians. Amazingly, majority of defectors hailed from Punjab and many of them have been given ministerial slots. Role of intelligence agencies in politics The role of the intelligence agencies that are mostly controlled by the military establishment is also a major impediment in the growth of democratic culture. The attempts to downgrade the political forces have been a consistent strategy for the establishment. These outfits work behind the scene to purchase loyalties or force politicians for forging alliances to serve the purposes of the establishment, particularly the military. Infliction of political parties by corruption A large number of Pakistanis believe that corruption inflicts political parties, and that political leaders have failed democracy.In Global Corruption Report 2004, published by the Transparency International, Pakistan figures in a category of states where investment in political parties can yield desired policy outcomes sought by the investors in the game. This study conducted by World Economic Forum to expose the extent of political corruption around the world is based on the results of 2003 Executive Opinion Survey in the Global Competitiveness Report. The report places Pakistan in the category of the countries with ‘medium political corruption’ where the culture of irregular payments in government policymaking, policy consequences of political donations and odd reality of illegal political donations do exist. However, the facts belie the popular  perceptions about political corruption. Who is really tainted? An answer came on February 28, 2003 when a federal minister told the National Assembly that the National Accountability Bureau had recovered Rs1.8 billion from 87 senior officials and Rs770.10 million from 149 officials working at lower levels. The second biggest recovery of Rs450.10 million was made from military officers and the much-maligned politicians were at number three as Rs260.20 million were recovered from 17 politicians. Abrupt policy changes In fact, Pakistan first time experienced across the board general elections in 1970 and people clearly voted in favour of the parties that were challenging the established order. Though these elections resulted in the break up of Pakistan, still the process is described as the most transparent one. After creation of Bangladesh in 1971, the remaining part was led by a leader who tried to establish supremacy of the elected leadership over bureaucracy. This gave a new impetus and confidence to the polity to aspire for civilian control over state institutions. But General Ziaul Haq’s martial law tried to reverse whatever had been achieved by the polity. There were many steps like party-less polls at the local level and also later at the federal and provincial levels. Creating new breed of politicians and doling out state funds for development work to strengthen them were some of the steps that affected the political process negatively. However, as soon as an elected parliament was in place the tussle for supremacy once again started. Driven by demands of the electorate for development, jobs and resolution of their problems by 1999, the polity in fact had increased influence and autonomy to an extent where it started to vie for control over the military appointments. In 1999, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s ultimate downfall was a consequence of an attempt to replace the army chief (General Pervez Musharraf) with a general of his own choice, as earlier he had succeeded in securing resignation from General Musharraf’s predecessor (General Jehangir Karamat) in October 1998. Before  that, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had removed an army chief in 1972. Except the two mentioned instances, the military mostly decided its affairs on its own, without allowing a civilian chief executive to do so. Role of civil and military bureaucracy The elected representatives had largely been powerless. This could be judged easily through role of deputy commissioner as envisaged by the British when they introduced this office for the basic administrative unit (district) in the then India and the functions a deputy commissioner performed till introduction of a new local government system (or devolution of power by the Musharraf regime) in 2001. Through introduction of a new local government system, the Musharraf regime institutionalised the supremacy of elected public representatives at the district level over deputy commissioner. It handed over many powers of the deputy commissioner to the district nazim. In a way, the wish of the polity to have a better control over state affairs at the local level has been granted and accepted. However, in this case too the establishment opted to provide a lease of life to traditional political elite by allowing them to contest for election to the office of district nazim. This way, the fresh blood was recruited as councillors with 33 per cent representation of women. Second odd that goes against the spirit of meaningful devolution of power is that the role of military has been institutionalised at the federal level with a president who is also the chief of army staff and the National Security Council that has representation of the armed forces and is headed by the president. In the words of Jehangir Karamt, a former chief of army staff, the new amendments in the constitution including the one under which the National Security Council has been established were an attempt to settle the question of civil-military relationship on terms of the military. Even at the district level the military establishment is not ready to allow party-based elections as that would mean strengthening the political parties at the grassroots level and once able to organise would again be ready to challenge the military dominance in the affairs of the state. Role of people In the whole equation, where do the people stand? For the people, the elected members remain the only access to the legislatures. However, Pakistani democracy is yet to reach a level where access to parliament means that their issues are debated and laws are framed to safeguard the public  interests. An opinion poll, conducted by the IFES in 2004 on behalf of the Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Consortium with support from the USAID, revealed that the people tend to be satisfied with the closest tier of government. However, the disturbing finding of the survey was that majority of the respondents fall in the category of â€Å"don’t know† and it reflects their apathy towards democratic governance. Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with institution Institution Very/somewhat satisfied % Army 58 Union Council 28 District Government 19 Town/Tehsil Council 18 Judiciary 18 Provincial Assembly 15 National Parliament 14 Election Commission 12 The Senate 10 Very/somewhat dissatis fied % 10 23 22 23 27 19 20 17 18 Don’t Know % 33 49 59 59 56 65 66 70 72 Public Opinion in Pakistan-2004 Role of judiciary In functioning democracies a void is filled by the judiciary. But besides corruption, the lack of proper infrastructure and interference of executive in the domain of judiciary are some of the major impediments. Only in the Supreme Court of Pakistan 25,000 cases are pending, though the Chief Justice of Pakistan claims that during the last year a record number of cases were disposed of. The number of pending cases in the lower courts also runs in hundreds of thousands. In absence of speedy justice, medieval jirga (tribal jury) system competes with formal judiciary in various parts of the country. â€Å"There is a backlog of civil and criminal cases at the level of subordinate judiciary in all provinces. In the province of the Punjab, the number of cases presently pending is 111,839 sessions cases, 343,732 criminal cases and 439,460 civil cases. In the province of Sindh, the number of pending cases comes to 109,833, in NWFP the figure is 96,332 whereas in Balochistan, it is 5,454.† — The figures have been taken from speech of the Chief Justice of Pakistan on beginning of new judicial year on October 4, 1999, available at: http://www.ljcp.gov.pk/ Continuous tussle between different power centres in the country has also led a large number of cases of political nature being decided in the superior courts. In a sharply divided society that translates into question marks over the credibility of the judiciary. Judiciary has not served its cause well by accepting supra-constitutional arrangements to work under. Pakistan’s superior judiciary till date is working under an oath administered to them after promulgation of the  Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) 1999. The PCO 1999 was introduced to facilitate General Musharraf. Constitution was restored in 2002 but the judiciary has so far not taken a fresh oath. The lawyers community has been very critical of this role of judiciary, and even today all the major bar associations of the country continue to question the credibility and legitimacy of courts. The Supreme Court Bar Association has for the first time in the country’s history published a whitepaper about the undemocratic role of the superior judiciary and continues to campaign for supremacy of the constitution and independence of judiciary. The collusion between the judiciary and the autocratic rulers has had a very adverse impact on the country’s political and social fabric. Many of the laws that were brought on the statute books by the military rulers to back their particular agenda could not be repealed. Many controversial laws now have the religious seal of approval. This means that even democratic majority cannot amend and change these laws as it fears that such a change may bring adverse reaction by the aggressive religious lobbies. Many of these laws have a potential to be used for selective justice against minorities, women and marginalised sections of the society. This is evident from the laws like blasphemy and Hudood laws. Attempts to change these have met stiff resistance despite attempts by some elected members across the party divide but these have often hit roadblocks. Functioning and outlook of political parties In Pakistan, democracy’s inability to sustain and deliver on the long-term basis not only lies in the unwillingness of the military establishment to let political process take its own course but also in the way the political parties function and grow. The political parties in their outlook remain personality oriented. Each party is recognised by the name of one person. Even breakaway factions if they do not try to give themselves a proper nomenclature and try to stick to the parent party’s name will be recognised with the name of prominent leader heading the faction. The elitist leadership of most of the populist parties limits their ability to articulate, propagate and protect the interests of all societal groups. Majority of the mainstream parties excluding those representing religious right are dominated by the landowning classes. These classes bring their  traditional mode of control and manipulation to party politics also. As a result the political parties whenever they had an opportunity have strengthened a system of governance that is more paternalistic where the local political influential provide solutions like jobs, development, etc, but in the process constitutional governance is ignored. People’s participation in policy formulation at the party level is also scant. Most parties believe in the top down approach and tend to follow the decisions of leadership on critical matters. Party workers most often than not will be wondering what way their leadership is going or what kind of compromises these parties are making to win power. Religious parties have another kind of internal conflict in their discourse about democracy and democratic governance. The religious right has participated in most of the elections since the creation of Pakistan with the best electoral performance in 2002 when these parties joined hands and contested from a single platform. Now at least in one province, the alliance is running a government and in another is a coalition partner. On the other hand, the jihadi offshoots of the religious right do not agree that democracy is the path that can bring the change they desire for. Role of media and freedom of expression During the last 57 years, the pattern of governance in Pakistan thrived on the culture of secrecy and information blockade. Resultantly, Pakistanis suffered bad and corrupt governance. Apathy and cynicism emerged as the logical by-products of such closed culture that retarded the citizen’s capacity to monitor public institutions run on taxpayers’ money. However, now there is a new hope. This hope can transform into good governance and engaged citizenship provided the government functionaries internalize the new spirit of open access to information. Amongst the non-party political influencers, media besides some organised civil society groups play an important role. Pakistani media environment is going through a rapid transformation. Besides privately owned vibrant print media, a number of new FM radio stations, cable television networks, satellite televisions and interactive websites on the Internet are catering to the citizens’ information needs. The unprecedented proliferation of new media outlets  could be attributed to the open media policy of the government. Since March 2002, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) is engaged in providing enabling environment to media entrepreneurs. The role of new enabling information and communication technologies and their cost effectiveness also cannot be ignored. Encouraging feature of this entire scenario is that emerging media voices are no more confined to urban centres alone, and rather rural areas, though at small scale, are also on their way to alleviate their media poverty. All this will have long-lasting impact on the way society and politics have to move over the next decade or so. The most lasting of these was the introduction of media friendly laws that after years of martial law provided breathing space to the country’s print media. Pakistan’s media has in fact fought long and hard for its freedom. The changing world realities also played a major part in ensuring that media is given space and opportunity to play its role. But all said and done, it would be highly risky to conclude that the media is free of any pressures from both the state and non-state actors. While guarding its freedom, media is quite cautious of the fact that whatever freedom it enjoys must be used with care and caution. And a large part of that caution means that some institutions and personalities are not probed enough through quality investigative journalism. Columnists and commentators can express their opinions rather freely. In a recently conducted nationwide survey by the Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Consortium, it was revealed that for 43 per cent people the source of information on political situation is state-controlled Pakistan Television, for 16 per cent Radio Pakistan, for 13 per cent Geo TV, for 12 per cent daily Jang, for nine per cent BBC Radio and for equal percentage daily Nawa-e-Waqt. Among the rest are ARY TV (seven per cent), FM Radio (five per cent), Indus Vision TV (four per cent), Kawish newspaper (four per cent), family and friends (37 per cent), ‘Hujra,’ ‘Chopal,’ and ‘Bethak,’ etc, (12 per cent). The reasonably high percentage for family, friends, ‘Hujra,’ ‘Chopal’ and ‘Bethak’ provides a hint that the media and the medium that exists at proximity remains an enriching source of information. Citizens need information to follow and scrutinize actions of the government. Accurate and timely information enables them to have a meaningful say in decision-making processes and enhances their ability to hold the government accountable. Globally, the idea of citizens’ right to  know is gaining grounds as a proactive concern and today more than 57 countries of the world, including Pakistan, have formally acknowledged it by adopting freedom of information laws. Resultantly, the culture of openness is replacing the centuries-old practices of secrecy in the arena of governance. A democratic government is expected to function in a transparent fashion so that the citizens know what their government is doing at taxpayers’ expense. This enables them to keep a check on the executive and legislative powers, and assess the efficiency of these vital pillars of a state. It ensures transparency in social and economic fields, facilitates rule of law, equality and fair competition. Free flow of information helps citizens articulate their informed political and economic choices. In democracy and governance discourse, information is described as ‘the oxygen of democracy.’ The logic is that if people do not know what is happening in their society, if the actions of those who rule them are hidden, then they cannot take a meaningful part in the affairs of that society. The president of Pakistan promulgated the Freedom of Information Ordinance on October 26, 2002 that came into force at once. Its manifested purpose is to provide for transparency and freedom of information to ensure that the citizens of Pakistan have improved access to public records to make the federal government more accountable to its citizens. The Local Government Ordinance 2001 also envisages that the meetings of District Council shall be open to public unless the council by resolution decides to hold any in-camera meeting. Similarly, the Tehsil Municipal Administration is supposed to seek approval of the Tehsil Council to the plans prepared after due process of information dissemination and public inquiry. Tehsil administration as per law is also required to maintain with the assistance of district government, union and village councils a comprehensive database and information system for Tehsil Municipal Administration and provide public access to it on nominal charges along with maintaining municipal records and archives. Through the Local Government Ordinance 2001, the Tehsil Municipal Administration has also been asked to assign or contract out any of its functions to any public-private, public or private organization only after inviting public objections. The functions of tehsil nazim envisage presentation of a performance report at least once in six  months. The law has provisions to collect and maintain statistical information at union level for socio-economic survey and asks to disseminate information on the matters of public interest. The law requires that Union Council will place a monthly and the annual accounts and other necessary statements at a conspicuous place for public information. Similar clause exists regarding information about the staffing and the performance of the office of a local government during the preceding month. The law also empowers the citizens to have access to information about any office of the district, tehsil and union administration on the prescribed forms on payment of fixed fees. Presently, these enabling provisions are not being used effectively. Perhaps, the government institutions have not divorced the mindset of secrecy and the citizens are also not adequately trained and capacitated to make use of these laws.