Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Goverment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goverment 2 - Essay Example In Texas, the governor could fill any position in an Appellate or district court left vacant by resignation, death, or new positions created by the county commissioners’ court which is the governing body. The vacant positions are filled until the next election is conducted and then they seek re-election. The judicial system in Texas has had numerous appointments by the governor as the judges upon retirement they resign to allow the governors fill the positions as they can be trusted with choosing a replacement unlike the voters would o in a ballot. The straight – ticket voting in Texas has led to many Democratic office holders lose their positions to the unknown Republican challengers who have minimal or no judicial and courtroom experience; in 1994, Republican candidates who lacked judicial experience defeated 16 incumbent Democrats while one Democrat was re-elected in Harris County. In the same year, Steve Mansfield was elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest court for criminal cases in Texas whilst he lacked experience in criminal law. The other problem is the effect of candidate judges campaign contributions so as to secure a position in the judiciary; Chief Justice John Hill spent over $1 million so as to ensure a win in the elections in 1984, a prospective candidate spent over $2 million in the 1988 elections, and the contributions for the campaign usually come from the law firms that need to do business with the judges they give money. In 1995, the Supreme Court of Texas established a commission to solve the problems and queries of the judicial selection system. The commission was referred to as the Commission on Judicial Reforms (Geyh, 2006). According to Missouri plans, appointments in the judiciary, the arrangement permitting lawyers to create power centre within the judiciary. This is to ensure that judiciary maintains some corrective

Monday, October 28, 2019

Ecological Anthropology Essay Example for Free

Ecological Anthropology Essay In 1992, the largest-ever meeting of world leaders took place at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Convention on Biological Diversity was one of two major treaties opened for signature at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. It was the first global agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The biodiversity treaty gained rapid and widespread acceptance. The Convention has three main goals: the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of the components of biodiversity, and sharing the benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. The Convention is comprehensive in its goals, and deals with an issue so vital to humanity’s future, that it stands as a landmark in international law. It links traditional conservation efforts to the economic goal of using biological resources sustainably. It sets principles for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, notably those destined for commercial use. But eleven years passed since the Convention entered into force. That is why some of its provisions are in the greatest need of revision, namely provision 1 in Article 17. It is connected with exchange of information: â€Å"the Contracting Parties shall facilitate the exchange of information, from all publicly available sources, relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking into account the special needs of developing countries.† Today we live in informational society. Information is one of the most valuable things that we can get. By means of information we can avoid great danger. It is very important to be well – informed, especially in ecological sphere. That is why the word â€Å"facilitate† is too weak to stress all the value of the provision concerning the exchange of information. It should be replaced by such words as â€Å"ensure† or   â€Å"provide†. In that event this provision will get modern strict sense and the importance of informational exchange will be stressed.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Theme of Hopkins Sonnet, The Windhover Essay -- Sonnet Essays

The Theme of Hopkins' Sonnet, The Windhover "'The Windhover' is one of the most discussed, and it would seem least understood, poems of modern English literature." These opening words of a Hopkins' critic forewarn the reader of Hopkins' "The Windhover" that few critics agree on the meaning of this sonnet. Most critics do concur, however, that Hopkins' central theme is based on the paradoxical Christian principle of profit through sacrifice. Although most critics eventually focus on this pivotal concept, each one approaches the poem from a different analytical perspective. The various critics of Hopkins' "The Windhover" find woven throughout its diverse levels expressions of Hopkins' central theme: all toil and painful things work together for good to those who sacrificially love God. The research of Alfred Thomas provides an interesting place to begin a study of the major critical approaches to the dominant theme in "The Windhover." Thomas chooses to view the poem's theme through what he feels are its sources, citing as the major source Hopkin's life as a Jesuit. Thomas' articulation of the central paradox of the poem, then, is in the terms of the ascetic life which the Jesuit poet would have experienced: Hopkins, the priest, desires to obtain spiritual glory/gain through sacrificing a secular life for one of religious tasks. Thomas suggests that this priestly life is metaphorically pictured in two distinct manners, one in the octave the other in the sestet. Within the octave, Thomas believes that the chivalric terms suggest the first metaphorical picture-a religious man as a knight of Christ. He adds, further, that both the terminology and the picture itself have their source in the Jesuit handbook Spiritual Exercises. ... ...giving paradox of salvation history. The apostle Paul chose to explain this essential principle through the science of exposition. Hopkins, however, decided to express the hidden heart of the gospel through the art of poetry. Both men were master communicators: Christ Jesus, who being in the form of Daylight's dauphin, thought it not robbery to be equal with the King-: But emptied himself of all pride, and took upon himself to buckle to the form of a ploughman. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto galling, even the gold-vermillion death of the cross. For this reader, Hopkins has chosen the favorable mode of expression. The poetics of "The Windhover" reverberate with the resonance of the fundamental principle of the gospel: "The Windhover" represents "what oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed." Â  

Thursday, October 24, 2019

If I Were A President Essay

If I were to become President of the United States of America I would change some things that are hurting America and keep other stuff that are helping our country become stronger. The central points that I would focus on would be the military, the economy, education, homeland security and the poor. Those main points have pros and cons, as a president I would minimize the cons and up bring the pros. As a president some of the policies will change and some will stay the same. I would start my policies with the main point that the USA citizens are struggling the most with. The difference that I would like to see in America would be the economy. We are going through a tough time relating to money and as a president I would like for it to become better throughout the country. My first order would be to create more jobs to help the economy within the USA; by creating jobs I believe that the economy will slowly become better.The military will be coming home from whichever war to end violence and/or regroup our strategies. Military would be given any necessary equipment that they need; also they would be granted any support that they might need to get back on their feet in the United States. As for homeland security I will make it stronger and more alert that way no incident with a terrorist will be able to occur. Education will also be one of my priorities. I will make the education rise up from its current rank worldwide. I also want to lower the tuition of universities and colleges; we have to make the education cheaper to keep students educating themselves. Poor families cant afford the money for their children to go to school, poor families will be inspected as to why the are in their current economic situation and if they deserve the help they will be given the help. Three things that I will change would be the education system, we put students especially high schoolers under too much pressure. Another thing that I would change will be our trash system. I would make it a law that all citizens will need to sort their trash into recycling trashcans. One more thing that I would change would be that all states have to allow abortion. It is a controversial topic but I believe that women need the abortion.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Salvador Dali – Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around

Salvador Dali went to the art school Academia De San Fernando in Spain, and rather than taking it seriously, he dressed oddly and preferred to daydream during classes. He was expelled. The rise of Franco in Spain led to Dalais expulsion from the Surrealist movement, but that did not prevent him from painting. He later married Elena Dinnertime Additional, or simply known as Gala, which became his muse and inspiration. When Dali was still in school, he studied many artist movements in which one was Dada, a post-World War I anti-establishment cultural movement.Although political, it philosophically influenced his paintings. He also traveled to Paris, France and met up with Pablo Picasso, whom he highly respected. He also met Joan Mirror, Paul Alular and Rene Emigrate, who introduced Dali to Surrealism. Dalais paintings became associated with three general themes: depicting a measure of man's universe and his sensations, the use of collage; and objects charged with sexual symbolism, and ideographic imagery.Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Awakening, or Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee for horn, shows quite a few of his themes, including sexual symbolism depicted by Gala Dali his wife, his idea of the degree of universe in a dream and also collages of images from his dream. And © Breton, whose manifesto the Surrealist movement was based off, first formed surrealist art: â€Å"Pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought.Dictation of thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason, outside of all aesthetic and moral preoccupation. † Surrealism was illogical, unexpected Juxtapositions of disparate elements in collages, and at first, it was a highly controversial movement, often insisted to be referred to as ‘revolutionary'. The group's works consisted of unreal and or dreamlike images of everyday objects , twisted and distorted into paintings and writings of ‘art'.In Dream Caused by a Flight of a Bee, it is extremely perverse for a fish to burst out of a pomegranate, then to spew out a tiger, which in turn spews out another one tiger and a bayonet – only to sting Gala in the arm. It is clear that this is an image that was enervated by the mind, and shown on canvas. Although it seems exceedingly impossible, the style of art is intended to be generally surreal. Dali chose to paint Gala as his subject because he loved her so much; she was his motivation and source of his creativity.Due to his desolate past, he had probably not been as close to anyone as much as Gala to use her as his subject in many of his paintings, including Dream Caused by a Flight of a Bee. It shows us as viewers a glimpse of his personal life, his choice of thought to put his subjects in a certain composition. Dream Caused by a Flight of a Bee was composed very well, as it has a clear meaning, as well as it showing through in the title of the piece. Formal Analytical Framework Dream Caused by a Flight of a Bee was painted with oil paints on canvas, which allows for the realistic finish of unrealistic matter.The fine details were rendered by brush, which creates the smooth appearance. Salvador Dali has used many elements and principles, which are incorporated to make Dream Caused by a Flight of a Bee. One of the main elements shown is color; the vibrant colors exaggerate the rent occurrence. The bright yellows used to paint the tigers are false to the real color of tigers, which brings out the focal point of the artwork. The contrast of colors also helps separate the background from the objects.The color of the background has more white blended into it, forming a hazy effect, as compared to the tigers, the fish and the pomegranate, where the colors are more pure with fewer colors mixed in. Gala, atop the rock slab, is more a neutral color to balance out the painting. Dali has als o used color as a way of representing something, for example he yellow and black stripe on the tiger to represent a bee's body. Although not as obvious, tone has also been used to highlight the three-dimensional feel.The overall mood created by these elements has produced a dreamlike texture, with the soft background, and the surrealistically of the objects. The composition of this Dream Caused by a Flight of a Bee also plays a considerably large part in forming this piece. The first thing a viewer might see is Gala and the tigers, followed by the strange elephant in the background, then followed by all the smaller details. By putting the tigers close to center, it emphasizes the meaning of the piece, as the viewer slowly starts to out the story together.There is also a certain rhythm of the arrangement, especially of the pomegranates, and the overall composition of the tigers and bayonet coming out of the fish, out of the larger pomegranate. This certain arrangement forms a bee, wh ich is repeated towards center bottom, under Gala. In Dream Caused by a Flight of a Bee, â€Å"A typical dream with a long theme, the consequences of a sudden accident that causes the awakening†, Salvador Dali has seed many symbols, in which some include a bee, an insect that traditionally symbolizes the Virgin.The pomegranate with the two droplets of suspended water can be used as a Christian symbol of fertility and resurrection, or it could also represent Venus because of the heart-shaped shadow it casts. The fish, two tigers and bayonet supposedly make up the body of a bee, showing the two sides of the bee's symbolism. The elephant carrying an obelisk is allegedly a distorted version of â€Å"Pulling Della Minerva† sculpture in Rome. Dali has explored to some extent his idea f the world of dreams in a dreamboats, and has shown the events in which a dream can occur, and the split second a person (Gala) could be awoken by Just a small provocation.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How to Write a Movie Review (5 Top Tips)

How to Write a Movie Review (5 Top Tips) How to Write a Movie Review (5 Top Tips) Fancy being the next Roger Ebert? Then check out the latest blockbuster or arthouse flick, and let the world know what you think! But what goes into a good movie review? We have a few review writing tips to share: Watch the movie carefully (more than once if possible) and take notes. Tailor your writing style and the focus of your review to your audience. Look at every aspect of the movie, including its story, acting, and technical qualities (e.g., direction, visual design, costumes, sound). Justify your opinions (i.e., give reasons for why you think a movie is good or bad, rather than just saying that you enjoyed or disliked it). Try to avoid spoilers, especially for new releases. Read on to find out how to put these tips into practice in your next review. 1. Watch the Movie and Take Notes When we say you should watch the movie you’re planning to review, we mean you need to really watch it. No popcorn. No whispering to friends. Just eyes on the screen. Ideally, you should even try to see the film more than once before reviewing it (although this isn’t always possible). You may also want to take notes so you can use them when writing a review. Do this on paper, though; no illuminated screens! And it is usually better to save note taking for a second viewing, as you might miss something first time round if you’re busy scribbling in a notebook. 2. Think About Your Audience Who you are writing for will have a big influence on how you write. Most importantly, you need to think about how much your target audience already knows about cinematic techniques and history. For example, saying that a scene â€Å"evokes memories of Eisenstein’s approach to montage, manipulating the viewer by juxtaposing images of hope and fear† would be fine if you were writing for an audience familiar with cinematic theory (e.g., film students or professionals). Sergei Eisenstein at work. But such remarks may be lost on a general audience, who might just want to know whether it’s worth paying to catch the new Mission Impossible at the theater. As such, you should think about what your readers might want to know and tailor your review accordingly. 3. Look at the Whole Movie A movie works on multiple levels, all of which should factor into your review. Questions you might want to ask yourself include: Story – How does the movie tells its story? Are the characters believable? Is the ending satisfying? Does it feel too long or short at all? Acting – Who are the actors? Do they suit the roles? Do any performances stand out? Does it feature any big stars or any upcoming talents? Technical Qualities – Is the film well made, including the direction, visual design, costumes, sound, music, and any visual or special effects used? This isn’t to say you can’t write about whether you enjoyed the movie, too! Most people are happy to overlook, e.g., some dodgy acting if they’re enjoying the spectacle of a Hollywood blockbuster. So how much you focus on each of the above may depend on what you’re watching. Watching a movie more than once can be very helpful in this respect. The first time, you can watch it as a regular â€Å"viewer,† thinking about the film overall and how much you enjoyed it. And if you see it again, you can focus on specific elements in more detail, taking notes as you watch. 4. Back Up Your Opinions Letting your reader know whether you liked a movie is, of course, a big part of reviewing it. You can even use a score or star rating, offering a simple summary of your overall opinion of the movie. Five-star advice! However, you should also explain why you like or dislike it. Is it the story? The performances? Something else? The amount you write to back up your opinions will vary depending on the type of review. A 200-word summary will have less detail than a longer review essay, for instance. But you should always try to offer some insight on why the film succeeds or fails. You can even refer to specific scenes to explain yourself. However, if you do plan to go into detail about a movie you are reviewing, you may want to check out our next tip first†¦ 5. Be Careful About Spoilers Following on from the last point, if you mention particular scenes or details from a film, try not to give away story spoilers. Obviously, this is more important for new movies than old classics. And if you’re writing an in-depth critique, you will almost certainly enter spoiler territory. This is fine. However, if you do mention anything that could spoil the story for new viewers, make sure to provide a spoiler warning before you give it away! Your reader can then decide whether to read on. We hope this post has helped you with your movie review. And if you need someone to proofread your writing, we’re always here to help!

Monday, October 21, 2019

Compare the pre-titles sequences of two James Bond films- Goldfinger and Goldeneye Essay Example

Compare the pre Compare the pre-titles sequences of two James Bond films- Goldfinger and Goldeneye Paper Compare the pre-titles sequences of two James Bond films- Goldfinger and Goldeneye Paper Essay Topic: Film There has been a large change in society in terms of excitement for the audience. The old film Goldfinger, and the more recent Goldeneye, are films to suit two different types of audience. Over the past thirty years, there have been higher expectations within the action film industry such as action, humour and stunts. The two James Bond films have many similarities because they are the same theme. The classic opening with the barrel of the gun and blood down the screen are in every James Bond film. It is almost a trademark. Another trademark is the theme tune in both films. People know what the film is just from the theme tune because of its large popularity. The action scene at the beginning is to attract the audience interest and attention. It shows the kind of action to expect. For example, in Goldeneye the start has many stunts such as the bungee or plane. Therefore, it will have lots of stunts later through the film. James Bonds personality is the same. His charm and witty puns is what attracts people to him. The style of his clothes such as his smart white tuxedo makes the audience still familiar with the same type of James Bond. Because he is a ladys man he is admired by both woman, for being attractive, and men, for his exceptional charm with any woman. His similarities with woman are also in the title sequence. The actions of the women give a sort of prologue for the film. As well as many similarities there are also many differences. The technology in the films is very different. They supply an expectation from the audience because they usually get the high-tech gadgets. The action is also different especially the stunts. More modern films such as Goldenye have more thrilling and ambitious stunts. This is done by new technology and graphics. Societys cloths have changed in the past thirty years. In Goldfinger, James Bond wears a wet suit which covers his tuxedo. In Goldeneye he wears a stealthy black outfit for infiltration. The plots of the films have also changed. The bad person in Goldenye is a classic villain who paints his dead victims gold (to go with his name). In Goldenye it has a good agent who seems to be killed. However, the film later reveals that he is actually the main villain. This twist in the film gives a greater excitement to the audience. The directing of James Bond is different. In Goldfinger his moves with a hop, skip and a jump. He has a hand to hand fight with a bad person. These basic actions are what would be expected from a film thirty years ago. However, today it would be seen as boring to the audience. In Goldenye, James Bond sneaks around the facility with a silence pistol. When his cover is blown they end up shooting lots of guards. The large amounts of violence from the deaths of the guards help to fill up the audiences excitement. When his fellow agent is killed which makes it even more interesting James Bond is left pinned with many guns aiming at him. As well as excitement it also builds tension as the audience wonder what he is going to do. To finish the pre-title opening, he rides over a cliff into a plane. Before the title sequence there is a large explosion. All these different actions and violence give a greater thrill. The light and camera angles are also used to entertain the audience. In Goldfinger the scene is done under the cover of darkness. Although in Goldenye it is done during the day. This is to make the scene look more dangerous as he will be more easily seen. This builds up tension for the audience. He meets the other agent in a dark storage room to show the stealth of the mission. The stealth makes it look even more exciting. Camera angles in Goldfinger are mainly focused on him. James Bonds facial expressions are used to emphasise action and danger. The camera angles on Goldeneye are focused on him and the surrounding area. The close up shots is used to create the feelings of tension with facial expressions. The far out shots indicate danger and large action scenes. For example, the far out shot of the dam in Goldenye shows the danger James Bond has to do. When the camera looks over the dam to show the great height it makes the audience nervous from looking at the great height. There are far more camera angles in the modern film with quicker shots. This is used to build up the tension and excitement in the audience. For example, when James Bond is running along the dam there are many angles. These are focused from a side to show his action, at his feet to show the pace of his running and his body from a far out shot to show the distance of his running. These fast camera shots are used to build up the excitement. There are no camera angles on his face to help create mystery. Because it does not show his face the audience cannot be completely sure it is James Bond. The only sound in the film is the running of his feet which also create tension. In Goldfinger, there are only a few camera angles which change over a longer time. This does not create as much excitement and tension in the audience. They are mainly further out shots so the shot captures more of James Bond from one angle. The camera angles was not as important in that time as society had a lower expectation for action and thrill. The title sequences of the two films are different because of the change in society. There are naked woman in Goldeneye because it entertains the audience more. It is now seen as acceptable in society to show woman naked because of the more lax nature. There are dressed woman in Goldfinger but are wearing revealing cloths. The film has tried to make the woman as naked as possible without overstepping the boundaries of society. People have higher expectations in Goldeneye than in Goldfinger. They want more killing, violence and stunts. This is to give the audience an all round thrill. The action in the film is represented with music to give an audio perspective. The music is usually the James Bond theme so people can always associate it with action and excitement. As well as expectations of the film, people also have expectations of James Bond. They want him to have action, humour as well as some sexual content. This is because it is what the audience have previously seen from James Bond and enjoys his personality. His classic speech of Bond, James Bond is well known and used by every actor to identify him as James Bond. The technology in both films has gadgets, cars and woman. This is the usual from James Bond and is admired by men as they are boys toys. The technology has to keep up with society. In Goldfinger, James Bonds explosive was on a timer like a clock. In the more recent Goldfinger, the explosive were on a more modern digital timer. Technology is very important in James Bond especially in later films. Goldenye is based on advanced technology such as the helicopter and satellite. As the technology has improved in the film it has also improved out of the film. More advance graphics means that the action and stunts can be even wilder. Blue screening makes the film and action better as they can add scenes where they have never been. This was done in Star Wars to add different scenes and other worlds. If the two films were made at the same time, the plot would be different but the technology similar. Both Goldfinger and Goldeneye were able to satisfy society in their time. However as technology and stunts improve people want to see more action and excitement. Both the films have action in the pre-title sequences although the action is much better in the more recent Goldeneye than Goldfinger.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Wendell Phillips Biography

Wendell Phillips Biography Wendell Phillips was a Harvard educated lawyer and wealthy Bostonian who joined the abolitionist movement and became one of its most prominent advocates. Revered for his eloquence, Phillips spoke widely on the Lyceum circuit, and spread the abolitionist message in many communities during the 1840s and 1850s. Throughout the Civil War Phillips was often critical of the Lincoln administration, which he believed was moving too cautiously in ending slavery. In 1864, disappointed by Lincolns conciliatory and lenient plans for Reconstruction, Phillips campaigned against the Republican Party, which was nominating Lincoln to run for a second term. Following the Civil War, Phillips advocated for the program of Reconstruction championed by Radical Republicans such as Thaddeus Stevens. Phillips split with another leading abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, who believed the Anti-Slavery Society should be shut down at the end of the Civil War. Phillips believed that the 13th Amendment would not ensure true civil rights for African Americans, and he continued to crusade for full equality for blacks until the end of his life. Early Life of Wendell Phillips Wendell Phillips was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 29, 1811. His father had been a judge and the mayor of Boston. His familys roots in Massachusetts went back to the landing of Puritan minister George Phillips, who arrived aboard the Arbella with Gov. John Winthrop in 1630. Phillips received the education befitting a Boston patrician, and after graduation from Harvard he attended Harvards newly opened law school. Known for his intellectual skills and ease with public speaking, not to mention his familys wealth, he seemed destined for an impressive legal career. And it was generally supposed that Phillips would have a promising future in mainstream politics. In 1837, the 26-year-old Phillips took a profound career detour that began when he rose to speak at a meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. He gave a brief address advocating for the abolition of slavery, at a time when the abolitionist cause was well outside the mainstream of American life. An influence on Phillips was the woman he was courting, Ann Terry Greene, whom he married in October 1837. She was the daughter of a wealthy Boston merchant, and she had already become involved with the New England abolitionists. The move away from mainstream law and politics became Phillips life calling. By the end of 1837 the newly married lawyer was essentially a professional abolitionist. His wife, who was chronically ill and lived as an invalid, remained a strong influence on his writings and public speeches. Phillips Rose to Prominence as an Abolitionist Leader In the 1840s Phillips became one of the most popular speakers of the American Lyceum Movement. He traveled giving lectures, which were not always on abolitionist subjects. Known for his scholarly pursuits, he also spoke about artistic and cultural subjects. He was also in demand to speak about pressing political topics. Phillips was often mentioned in newspaper reports, and his speeches were famous both for their eloquence and sarcastic wit. He was known to hurl insults at the supporters of slavery, and even castigated those whom he felt were not sufficiently opposed to it. Phillips rhetoric was often extreme, but he was following a deliberate strategy. He wanted to inflame the northern populace to stand up against the slave power of the South. When Phillips began his campaign of deliberate agitation, the anti-slavery movement was, to some extent stalled. It was too dangerous to send advocates against slavery into the South. And a pamphlet campaign, during which abolitionist pamphlets were mailed to southern cities, had been met with fierce opposition the early 1830s. In the House of Representatives, discussion of slavery was effectively silenced for years by what became notorious as the gag rule. Joining his colleague William Lloyd Garrison in the belief that the United States Constitution, by institutionalizing slavery, was an agreement with hell, Phillips withdrew from the practice of law. However, he used his legal training and skills to encourage abolitionist activity. Phillips, Lincoln, and the Civil War As the election of 1860 approached, Phillips opposed the nomination and election of Abraham Lincoln, as he did not consider him forceful enough in his opposition to slavery. However, once Lincoln was in office as president, Phillips tended to support him. When the Emancipation Proclamation was instituted at the beginning of 1863 Phillips supported it, even though he felt it should have gone further in liberating all the slaves in America. As the Civil War ended, some believed that the work of the abolitionists had been successfully finished. William Lloyd Garrison, the longtime colleague of Phillips, believed it was time to shut down the American Anti-Slavery Society. Phillips was thankful for the advances made with the passage of the 13th Amendment, which permanently prohibited slavery in America. Yet he instinctively felt that the battle was not truly over. He turned his attention to advocating for the rights of the freedmen, and for a program of Reconstruction that would respect the interests of former slaves. Post-Slavery Career of Phillips With the Constitution amended so that it no longer countenanced slavery, Phillips felt free to enter mainstream politics. He ran for governor of Massachusetts in 1870, but was not elected. Along with his work on behalf of the freedmen, Phillips became intensely interested in the emerging labor movement. He became an advocate for the eight-hour day, and by the end of his life he was known as a labor radical. He died in Boston on February 2, 1884. His death was reported in newspapers across America. The New York Times, in a front-page obituary the following day, called him A Representative Man of the Century. A Washington, D.C., newspaper, also featured a page one obituary of Phillips on February 4, 1884. One of the headlines read The Little Band of Original Abolitionists Loses Its Most Heroic Figure.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Essay Example quation for break-even point with the consideration of NPV is expressed as, 0 = -$200,000,000 + (Sum of all PV Factors) x $25,000,000 (â€Å"Definition of Net Present Value†). From this equation, Sum of all PV Factors = 200,000,000 / 25,000,000 = 8. The PV Factor for each year is calculated using formula, 1/(1+r)^n. In this formula, r = 13%, and n = number of years, such as 1,2,3 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦., and so on. The sum of PV factors at r = 13% for 70 years is equal to 7.69, and NPV = -7,721,304. It can be concluded that Break-even point with NPV for Alpha project is much longer than 70 years. The sum of all PV Factors for the project Zeta is calculated, Sum of all PV Factors = 500,000,000 / 70,000,000 = 7.1428. The sum of all PV Factors for the yearly return 13% in 25 years is equal to 7.1695. It is concluded that Break-even points of Zeta project is in between 24 and 25 years. Answer to Question 7. Big Lu is using NPV criterion that is based on the discounted cash flow concept. It implies that annual income for each year will be discounted to the present value. If the Net Present Value is positive then the investment project is accepted. This is an industry accepted method; that is why Big LU investment criteria is

A sense of humor can make difficult times easier to bear Essay

A sense of humor can make difficult times easier to bear - Essay Example Planners organize the event and personalize the funeral through the suggestions of the deceased’s loved ones and according to the personality of their dearly departed. Furthermore, the eulogies are no longer formal accounts of incessant praise. â€Å"Even amid tragedy, todays eulogy increasingly includes anecdotes that point to the deceaseds foibles and quirks, offering a nuanced character sketch† (Rosman, 2011, par.4). To be able to determine the appropriateness of an anecdote or a comment, some clergy take it upon themselves to advise the content of the speech. The growing inclination of people to have a different approach can ease the saddest affair with the infusion of humor. A good funeral is now measured by the amount of laughter instead of the outpour of tears. Because what is more important than how a person dies is how he lived his life and any life well lived is incomplete without

Friday, October 18, 2019

Contemporary Business Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Concept of Money and Its Creation - Essay Example This paper illustrates that for many centuries since the invention of money as an alternative medium of exchange from the old system that used barter trade, the medium has revolutionalized financial systems. Without the invention of money, one would wonder whether we would have the current financial institutions. The use of money eased the process of making payment and purchasing of items. The process of creating money is often a misunderstood phenomenon. Although many studies show that there are two main institutions tasked with the process of money creation, the process involved in creating money without the manual paper consideration is elusive. The two main institutions involved in the creation of money are the financial banks and the government.It is estimated that about 97% of the money created originates from the banks while only 3% comes from the governments. Using the United States as a case study in describing and assessing the effects and effectiveness of qualitative easin g would provide a platform on how to stabilize economic growth. The narrow form of money is the most common medium of exchange. It is the form of money in circulation within any economy. It consists of coins and notes as well as sight deposit. The site deposits belong to accounts whose owners can make withdrawals without attracting penalties. The narrow form of money is corroborative indicators for the spending regimes. In fact, the form of money used in carrying out most of the day-to-day transactions of services and goods are the narrow form of money. Therefore, narrow money is the main form of exchange involving the monetary value. The zero maturity money is the sum of coins and notes on hold by the private sectors (the non-bakers). For instance, employers pay their employees either by cash or cheque. Besides, these companies used the same form of money to pay and offset their expenditures. Unlike the broad form of money, the narrow form of money gives a clear outlook on the asse ts employed as the medium of exchange.

Race & Ethnicity Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Race & Ethnicity Relations - Essay Example THE APARTHEID South Africa has been marked with 350 years of colonialism and apartheid movement which has ingrained the superiority of fair skin, narrow features and straight hair in the minds of the locals (Manning, 2004). At the same time, have a broad nose or curly hair or even black skin is associated with ugliness. The local Zulu or SeSotho language has been abandoned in favor of English which sounds classier and associated with being civilized and educated (Manning, 2004). This, combined with a preference for music that is classic European as opposed to the ‘noisy’ African â€Å"marabi† or tap dance have resulted in the belief that it is more worthy to live the life of a â€Å"white† as opposed to a â€Å"black† in Africa (Manning, 2004). It is not uncommon to associate Africans as laborers who live in shanty, overcrowded towns and are uncivilized whereas Westerners are associated as being smart, working in white-collar jobs and being more educ ated. This racial stereotyping has resulted in the birth of a false ideology that the white skin is superior which is manifested in the mindset of both the white and black South-Africans. The above has its roots in the Apartheid movement which resulted in the geographic separation of humans defined through decree. It was a gradual and procedural process of systemically categorizing humans based on race. Although history has defined the start (1948) and the end (1994) of this policy, it cannot be classified as a one-off event since its ideology was borrowed from the subtle yet dominant arbitrary categorization of South Africans during the colonial era of British rule (Franchi, 2003). These colonialists had already constructed the racial difference by â€Å"Europeans† were distinguished from â€Å"coloreds† or the native Africans. Henceforth, an act was passed which divided the population into four categories namely the White, Colored (those belonging to mixed races), Ba ntu (native Black Africans) and Asians (that included people from the subcontinent as well as China) (Franchi, 2003). This, however, was later followed by a more severe legal implementation of the actual â€Å"Apartheid† policy that exacerbated the exploitation and de-humanization of the local indigenous majority at the hands of the White colonist minority. Social privilege was granted to the South Africans that were â€Å"white-skinned† such that they monopolized political authority to continue to enjoy this supremacy. This policy encompassed all spheres of life including political, social and economic aspects that progressively deprived the Black South-Africans of their dwellings, nationality and civil liberties. Laws were passed in this regard from 1948 to 1958 that prohibited the sharing of land, education, labor, marriage, sexual relations and social services between the native Black South Africans and their White counterparts (Franchi, 2003). Black South Africans were required by law to bear â€Å"pass-books† that contained their work and home address (Franchi, 2003). Indigenous South Africans who failed to produce necessary documents upon spot checks were later subjected to brutal treatment and expelled to their demarcated regions (Franchi, 2003). What had begun as a political oppression had now traumatized the lives of the indigenous blacks of South Africa. This psychological imprint remains fresh in the minds of many such natives to date. However, this was not all.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Business Strategy High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Strategy High School - Essay Example Their size has left them vulnerable to more flexible competition that can produce at a lower cost. Opportunities: They have an ideal opportunity to substantially expand their market share in the cordless market. Though the distributor network is currently a weak spot, Smith and White has an opportunity to restructure their distribution to their benefit. Their large size and brand recognition would give them the opportunity to form channel partnerships or enter direct marketing outlets such as through a web site. Threats: Their largest competitor, Makatume, can compete on price. Makatume has older battery technology, but has the cost structure to develop new technology, enter that market, and pre-empt Smith and White. Smith and White would be forced into a follower position on technology and price. Also, Able is on the horizon with a strong cordless product. They have been seeking a buyout or merger, which could reinvigorate them as a major threat. There are also several smaller companies that have no barriers to expanding and innovating. Smith and White needs to take 3 aggressive actions: Reduce costs, enter the battery market, and differentiate the professional line. This would be accomplished by making the professional and consumer lines separate business units. Relocate the manufacturing of the professional line to a lower cost environment. Develop a superior cordless line for the professional products to compete directly with Makatume and re-brand it with a similar but more robust image. The rebranding would have the required fundamental changes to the product to create a positive market acceptance (DeYoung 2006). The brand recognition and battery technology would differentiate the product. This would hold off the need to compete on price (Day & Reibstein 1997 p.36). Smith and White would be in a superior position with newer technology and higher voltages. Smith and White should then use the battery technology and transfer it to their consumer brands and take market share from Able Co. These products could be sold through distributor partners. Resources would need to be dedicated to rebuilding the distributor relationship, but this will be vital. The long-range plans would include renovation or relocation of the consumer business to a lower cost area. SWOT Analysis: Strategic Planning Makatume Strengths: Makatume's dominant place in Japan's market gives them a great force for entry into the US market. They can easily increase their revenue by capturing shares of the US market. They would not be in a position to need to spend resources protecting an existing position. They also have the advantage of their new plants and their low cost structure. Their dedication to the professional market has simplified development and marketing. Weaknesses: Though their dedication to the professional line can be a strength, it is also a limitation. It limits the market and restricts the outlets. Their current battery design is old and needs redeveloped. This will drain resources in the near term. They also suffer from low brand recognition in the US. Threats: The most immediate threat is the exchange rate fluctuation. It may make it difficult to borrow or finance any expansion. They are also threatened by the several competitors that have a small market share. Makatume has no particular advantage over them.

Response to Coments on DQ1 KS and DQ2 CH W9 Essay

Response to Coments on DQ1 KS and DQ2 CH W9 - Essay Example Companies can always generate additional cash without the dependence of revenues by selling its common stock in the stock market. The cash that is obtained selling common stocks would be categorized as an investment activity in the statement of cash flow. Cash obtained from a loan are categorized as financing activities. DQ2 Cash and its evaluation in the statement of cash flow is very important because a company can generate revenues and positive net income, but if the firm does not have sufficient cash to pay off its debt the firm may run out of business. A liquidity ratio that tests the ability of the firm to pay off its short term debt is the current ratio. A innovate way that managers can utilize the statement of cash flow is by applying vertical analysis. Vertical analysis reports the different amounts in the financial statement as a percentage of another item (Accountingcoach, 2011). For example the manager takes the different amounts of cash from each of the operating activit ies and divides it by the total cash balance at the end of the statement of cash flow. The results of the vertical analysis can be compared to the previous year vertical analysis results. References Accountingcoach.com (2011).

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Business Strategy High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Strategy High School - Essay Example Their size has left them vulnerable to more flexible competition that can produce at a lower cost. Opportunities: They have an ideal opportunity to substantially expand their market share in the cordless market. Though the distributor network is currently a weak spot, Smith and White has an opportunity to restructure their distribution to their benefit. Their large size and brand recognition would give them the opportunity to form channel partnerships or enter direct marketing outlets such as through a web site. Threats: Their largest competitor, Makatume, can compete on price. Makatume has older battery technology, but has the cost structure to develop new technology, enter that market, and pre-empt Smith and White. Smith and White would be forced into a follower position on technology and price. Also, Able is on the horizon with a strong cordless product. They have been seeking a buyout or merger, which could reinvigorate them as a major threat. There are also several smaller companies that have no barriers to expanding and innovating. Smith and White needs to take 3 aggressive actions: Reduce costs, enter the battery market, and differentiate the professional line. This would be accomplished by making the professional and consumer lines separate business units. Relocate the manufacturing of the professional line to a lower cost environment. Develop a superior cordless line for the professional products to compete directly with Makatume and re-brand it with a similar but more robust image. The rebranding would have the required fundamental changes to the product to create a positive market acceptance (DeYoung 2006). The brand recognition and battery technology would differentiate the product. This would hold off the need to compete on price (Day & Reibstein 1997 p.36). Smith and White would be in a superior position with newer technology and higher voltages. Smith and White should then use the battery technology and transfer it to their consumer brands and take market share from Able Co. These products could be sold through distributor partners. Resources would need to be dedicated to rebuilding the distributor relationship, but this will be vital. The long-range plans would include renovation or relocation of the consumer business to a lower cost area. SWOT Analysis: Strategic Planning Makatume Strengths: Makatume's dominant place in Japan's market gives them a great force for entry into the US market. They can easily increase their revenue by capturing shares of the US market. They would not be in a position to need to spend resources protecting an existing position. They also have the advantage of their new plants and their low cost structure. Their dedication to the professional market has simplified development and marketing. Weaknesses: Though their dedication to the professional line can be a strength, it is also a limitation. It limits the market and restricts the outlets. Their current battery design is old and needs redeveloped. This will drain resources in the near term. They also suffer from low brand recognition in the US. Threats: The most immediate threat is the exchange rate fluctuation. It may make it difficult to borrow or finance any expansion. They are also threatened by the several competitors that have a small market share. Makatume has no particular advantage over them.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Compare and contrast a work of art in a specific classification Essay

Compare and contrast a work of art in a specific classification (Renaissance or Gothic) - Essay Example Renaissance paintings such as A young Hare and Sistine Chapel Ceiling marked the turning-point from the Medieval Era to the early Modern Age in European. The creation of the paintings in 1502 and 1508 respectively, clearly marked the huge influence of the Renaissance sensibilities that are believed to have taken off in the early 16th century. This paper compares and contrasts A young Hare and Sistine Chapel Ceiling. A Young Hare (fig. 1) is a painting that was made in 1502 by an artist known as Albrecht Dà ¼rer. The item measures 25cm by 23 cm and is available in a repertoire set up by the Graphische Sammlung, Albertina, Vienna (Nichols, 2013). The Northern Renaissance piece of art was created in the German artist’s workshop in 1502, and since then it has been popularly referred to as a classic example of an observational masterpiece. The English title of the item â€Å"The Young Hare† is ironically used to refer to the rather mature animal. Perhaps the German name â€Å"Feldhase† which literally means Field Hare is a more suitable title for the masterpiece. Durer made numerous visits to Italy from his homeland, Germany, during his long career perhaps to grasp and use some of the best qualities of Renaissance art in his work. Upon his comeback to Nuremburg in 1495, the artist opened a workspace where he made The Young Hare and several other items. As Nichols (2013) has said, Durer created the painting using a combination of body colour or gouache and watercolour; materials that he is known to have used almost on every item he made. The painting portrays a lonely hare, which is a clear depiction of the confusion and gloom facing the ancient European society in the wake of a dying Medieval Era and the uncertainty of the philosophical influences of the early Modern Age. Despite the solitary, thoughtful mood of the art, Durer managed to present a highly comprehensive and perfect depiction of a hare. The colour of the hare is a blend of

Monday, October 14, 2019

Reliability and Validity Essay Example for Free

Reliability and Validity Essay Evaluating human services is a task that can be very complex. People can have different interpretations of the same event. Another concern is that people are not always honest. Therefore, human services will gain from effective, high quality evaluations of data collection methods. This requires that the data collection methods supply accurate and dependable information. This paper will define and describe 2 concepts of measurement known as reliability and validity,-provide examples and supporting facts as to how these concepts apply to data collection in human services, and evaluate the importance of the validity and reliability of data collection methods and instruments. Funding for many non-profit human services organizations are dependent on the precise results of research and statistics gathered through various processes of data collection. Reliability and validity are two criterions that are used to judge the functions of research designs and measurements. These criterions are something that should be looked at before, during, and after research to show the relevance and significance of human services. Using the example of a weight scale is the perfect way to confer the idea of reliability and validity. If an individual of 150lbs. weighs themselves several times and gets several different readings, the scale being used can be considered unreliable. Now if that scale also reads 125 each time, it is rather reliable but invalid. However, the consistent, accurate reading of 150lbs. each time indicates that this scale is not only reliable, but also valid. When thinking about validity, it is important to evaluate if the research is doing what it is supposed to do. According to Rosenthal and Rosnow (2008), â€Å"The measure in question might be a psychological test of some kind, a group of judges who rate things, a functional MRI scanner for monitoring brain activity, or any other instrument or measuring tool†(Chapter 6). Is the data collected dependable? Does the correlation make sense? All of these questions are in reference to the design of the research, and validity is specifically tied to the soundness and force of that design. Conclusion and internal validity refer directly to relationships drawn between correlating factors and the end results. According to Measurement Of Validity Types (2006), â€Å"Conclusion validity is the degree to which conclusions reached about relationships in data are reasonable† (Conclusion Validity). Studies that have shown a link between convicts in the prison system and the lifestyles encountered by children of single parents would be one example of conclusion validity. If the conclusion is valid, a direct link will be made between two correlating factors. Internal validity is specifically concerned with casual relationships while conclusion validity is concerned with relationships in general (Measurement Of Validity Types, 2006). Observing that certain factors may be linked to certain outcomes, and examining all the possible links of an outcome is the main goal of internal validity. Another look at reliability will help in considering the precision of these predictions. Reliability represents the idea of accuracy, dependability, and consistency in research. Can the results be referred to as concrete? Are there any loopholes in the research? Has the research communicated the proper information and does everything correlate? These are questions that would be directed at examining the reliability of research. Test-Retest and Inter-rater reliability are two ways to measure the results of research. When multiple people are given assessments of some kind or are the subjects of some test, then similar people under the same circumstances should lead to scores that are similar or duplicates (Types Of Reliability, 2011). This is the idea of inter-rater reliability. Another mode of reliability is the administration of the same test among different participants and expecting the same or similar results (Types Of Reliability, 2011). This is known as Test-retest reliability. This method of measurement might be used to make determinations about the effectiveness of a school exam or personality test (Types Of Reliability, 2011). Surveys and other methods of research present the appropriate avenues for data collection. Data collection and measurement methods are used in human services to help organizations achieve leadership capacity and to achieve high performance outcomes. Agencies that track the effectiveness of their services through field studies and surveys will have a record of techniques that have worked best to fulfill mission goals. The evidence of such reported facts will come in handy in terms of funding, policy efforts, and keeping professionals educated. From psychological and behavioral aspects, interviews, test groups, and random assignment are just a few ways to collect data in controlled and uncontrolled environments. Human services use these methods to apply theory to real life situations. Human services depends on the effective analysis and measurements of research. Personal interpretations of measurements can be confusing. Therefore, reliability and validity are two ideas that refer to rating the effectiveness of research techniques. This paper has defined and described the two concepts of measurement known as reliability and validity, provided examples and supporting facts as to how these concepts apply to data collection in human services, and has evaluated the importance of the validity and reliability of data collection methods and instruments. Human services agencies rely on research to remain knowledgeable and capable of providing appropriate services to disadvantaged populations.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Civil Rights and African American Baseball Players

Civil Rights and African American Baseball Players How African Americans in Baseball Affected the Civil Rights Movement. 8th hour Segregation was the main core of what prevented African Americans from pursuing their dreams of being baseball players, up until a few very recognizable players influenced others to step in and help win freedom for playing baseball. All American baseball teams were consisting of mainly whites but some teams allowed African Americans into their teams up until 1890 when the National Association of Baseball rejected blacks from playing. This caused an uproar in the black community and lead to the creations of all black teams that would travel and play other all black teams and sometimes an all white team, like in 1888 when the Cuban Giants defeated the all white New Yorks 4 games of of a five game series. After many years of overwhelming segregation in the south many blacks moved up into the North where they sought the opportunity of creating their own league. In 1920, Rube Foster the owner of the Chicago American Giants brought other midwest teams together and created the first all bla ck league called the Negro Leagues.( Feature African-American Baseball. PBS. PBS, 2003. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.) The Negro Leagues had a very significant impact in the the entrance of blacks into the majors. After the first all black team was organized and the league was set up this opened up an opportunity for players to really show what they got. Before teams knew it they were winning championships. The first all African American league was starting to piece together. And with all this going on, one player had a goal set and that was to be the first black player in a white league. And that player is Jackie Robinson. In 1945 Jackie was the first black player to sign a formal contract with a white team. He took a big step into what led to the allowance of any black player to be in the majors. With the civil rights movement going on he endured hardships that no person could imagine, according to Duke Snider, He (Jackie Robinson) knew that the future of blacks in baseball depended on it. The pressure was enormous, overwhelming, and unbearable at times. I dont know how he held up. I know I never c ould have. By the end of his rookie career as a Dodger he was named rookie of the year, and as time went on all of his success of breaking the color barrier and becoming the first African American to get into the majors and accomplish many records. Even though Jackie is not around to see how the hardships he faced have made life on people today more easy, he is still remembered as the player who paved a path for our nation. The impact of not only Robinson but also Doby and Campy gave inspiration to Martin Luther King Jr. About a week before King died he stated, Youll never know how easy you and Jackie and Doby and Campy made it for me to do my job by what you did on the baseball field. Baseball was integrated before the army, before schools, and before many other things. It all happened without Jackie but someone had to be the first to step up and take a chance, and that was just what he did. (Bio.com. AE Networks Television, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.†) A few years before World War II, Max Manning had been pitching for the Newark Eagles as a phenomenal side armer. He never thought there would be a chance for him to go and become a pitcher on a white team. His thoughts change for a while when he was approached by an unfamiliar face, the coach of the Detroit Tigers. They were offering a tryout spot for pitching, but that changed when the rest of the team found out he was black. His Negro leagues career was interrupted as he was called into service during World War II. He then returned to pitch the final Negro Leagues World series where his team won. With all this going on Max never gave up and never really cared about what people cared about his color, he only cared about playing ball. After his baseball life was over he went back to school and decided to become a sixth grade teacher up until his death in in June of 2003. Feature African-American Baseball. PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.) Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, ball players in Oklahoma had been playing in sandlot leagues and excelling in the sport. Willie Wells played in the sandlot â€Å"blackball† leagues all the way through his teen years in highschool as a shortstop. When he finally came up to the Negro leagues he became the best shortstop in the league. In 1997 he joined the Baseball hall of Fame. Along with Willie there were many other black players that had showed they were worthy of being in Baseballs Hall of Fame. In all there are about 18 players from the Negro Leagues in the Hall of Fame, and most had not been recognized till the 80s, all the way up to about 2002. The reason it took so long is because nobody really cared about blacks in baseball because they â€Å"never compared† to whites. After many years of segregation many white people started to gain respect for him, As Mickey Mantle said after one of the games BASEBALL, AFRICAN AMERICAN. BASEBALL, AFRICAN AMERICAN. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2014 : After the game, Jackie Robinson came into our clubhouse and shook my hand. He said, Youre a helluva ballplayer and youve got a great future. I thought that was a classy gesture, one I wasnt then capable of making. I was a bad loser. What meant even more was what Jackie told the press, Mantle beat us. He was the difference between the two teams. They didnt miss DiMaggio . I have to admit, I became a Jackie Robinson fan on the spot. And when I think of that world Series, his gesture is what comes to mind. Here was a player who had without doubt suffered more abuse and more taunts and more hatred than any player in the history of the game. And he had made a special effort to compliment and encourage a young white kid from Oklahoma.(Jackie Robinson Quotes. Jackie Robinson Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.) As time progressed more and more people started to show respect for Jackie and others that helped integrate baseball and this gave a boost too other players, according to a statement by Hank Aaron In baseball, there is something electrifying about the big leagues. I had read so much about (Stan) Musial,(Ted) Williams and (Jackie) Robinson. I had put those guys on a pedestal. They were something special. I really thought they put their pants on different, rather than one leg at a time.(Hank Aaron Quotes. Hank Aaron Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.) Near the end of World War II the attendance at Negro leagues took a major decline as the best players were called up into interleague which is the step right below major. With that happening the Negro leagues took a dip and fell apart. This lead to integration of blacks into baseball. What caused this greater decline was the focus of the fans only on the major players like Robinson and Doby. To gain more support teams called female players to stand at the gates just to attract more fans but in the end the players just kept on going to white teams. (Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 05 May 2014.) When people think about integration of baseball, they think Jackie Robinson, but thats not all of it. It took a whole community, a whole league just to earn a chance on an all white team. This was a team effort, the biggest step in baseball history started with one big contract to Jackie and the rest took off. Baseball was never the same, and today it isnt a struggle. Without this happening, today baseball probably wouldnt be what it is.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Terrorism and the Contract Security Market Essay -- Business Human Res

Terrorism and the Contract Security Market Contract security has become a billion dollar business within the last decade. It is by far one of the most profitable businesses today. Also, after the events of September 11th we can only expect this field to continue to grow. With the economy and country the way it is today, we can expect to see contract security and proprietary security forces increase in both size and tasks that must be managed. But is the contract security field ready to step up and perform the new duties we need them to perform? The truth is, the contract security field is plagued by many things that impede it's effectiveness: Pay rates are too low to attract the quality employees. Training is insufficient Turnover rates exceed 100% in many contract companies. These are just some of the problems facing the contract security field. Most of the companies manage to turn a profit by practicing the "warm body" approach. This involves recruiting anyone (which is usually the bottom 5% of the population) who will work for the low wages provided. The company provides minimum training. Some companies put their guards to work before paperwork and background checks are even completed. This is not true of all contract security firms. Some do process and provide very exceptional officers; a prime example being Wackenhut Security. Recruitment Recruitment practices have improved in many areas. Some "warm body" approaches are still being used but, overall this is practiced in places such as New York and other heavily urban areas where the process of "low bidding" is used (Hertig 2003). In these areas of the country turnover rates are higher than any other. For the most part this can be blamed on wages. The ... ... Manual. Dated: Oct 1999. Command Security Corp. (1999) Website . Accessed 17 Apr. 2003, http://www.cscny.com Goodboe Michael E; (2002) "How to turn around turnover" Security Management, Nov 2002; Vol. 46, Iss. 11; pg. 65, 3 pgs Hertig, Chris.(1999) "Contracts in Asset Protection." In Davies & Minion (Eds.) Security Supervison: Theory and Practice of Asset Protection. Butterworth Heinemann: Boston Mass. 1999. pg. 371-374. 4pgs Hertig, Chris. In class handouts.; Security and Supervision Class. Spring Semester 03 Johnson, Jordan; (2003) "Get The Most From Your Guard Force"; Security Management, Arlington; Feb 2003; Vol. 47, Iss. 2; pg. 73, 5 pgs Thibodeau, Charles; (1999) "Staff Training and Development." In Davies & Minion (Eds.) Security Supervison: Theory and Practice of Asset Protection. Butterworth Heinemann: Boston Mass. 1999. pg. 118-126. 9pgs

Friday, October 11, 2019

Price Mechanism

The market system is the mechanism for allocating scarce resources and thereby encouraging a positive investment climate. The problem of scarcity is common in all economic structures. The economic system of a particular country is the way in which its people, businesses and government make choices. Demand is the amount of a product consumers are willing and able to purchase at any given time. However, supply is the amount of a product that is available at any given time. The following diagram shows the relationship that demand has with supply:The above diagram shows that where the demand and supply intersects, indicates the quantity which suppliers wish to market equals the quantity which buyers are willing to take. There are many factors that have determined the general increase in global food prices over the last four years. One factor is in late 2006 the unseasonable droughts in many grain-producing countries. The top three wheat producers in the world are, China, India, and the U nited States respectively. The consequences of drought include diminished crop growth, and the ability to rare livestock.Also, it causes erosion, which further affects plantations and soil consistency. Without water there can be no irrigation. Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil for assisting of the proper, healthy growth of crops. Wildfires are also caused by droughts because of the lack of moisture in the air; they consume all agriculture once formed. Biofuels, a fuel substitute that is derived not from fossil fuels but from biological material maybe another cause of rising food prices. Bio fuels are commonly used in place of gas to power vehicles, to heat houses and even to cook on your stove.The factor that affects the price of crops here is that Biofuels use crops high in sugar and starch, then fermentation of these crops causes the it to produce ethanol. Ethanol is the substance, which is used for power. So as our world is becoming more eco friendly an d aware, our food prices will rise. Oil prices over the last four years have been steadily rising, causing food transport and other agriculture related machinery and treatments to rise also. From the mid 1980s to September 2003, the inflation-adjusted price of a barrel of crude oil on NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) was on average under US$25/barrel.Then in 2003 it finally rose to US$30/barrel and gradually went up to US$60/barrel in 2005, and skyrocketed to US$147/barrel in 2008. These drastic increases in oil prices have taken their toll on food prices over the past four years. Wheat and grain are said to be relatively inelastic, meaning there is not much range for substituting. So where there is a large change in price there is little or no change in the quantity demanded of that particular good. The elasticity of a product can be measured by the following formula: PED = % change in Quantity Demanded of product change in price of that product World population growth is the l atest in factors to affect food prices. The world population has grown from 1. 6 billion in 1900 to an estimated 6. 6 billion today. The increase in population size has mainly been pointed to the developed countries where food prices are subsidized. In these countries, the government subsidize crops, and absorb the extra cost of food so the cost does not affect the consumer. So in reality, the developing and the third world countries are the only ones to suffer from our current food shortage.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Group Communication Essay

In my opinion, group work is a type of cooperative learning that helps people to accomplish a certain task in a faster and more effective manner. Team working also helps to achieve the tasks that are impossible to finish by one individual. However, if people in a group have a lot of conflicts, group work will not be able to achieve as much as we expected. There are many reasons which lead to dissatisfaction in group work such as individualism as well as conflicts in opinion and time. Initially, I had a negative view on group working because of the challenges that I had. When I was in high school, my five other friends and I used to work together in a music competition. Although we were supposed to get together to practice for the event, we were only able to meet up once a week. In addition to having a hard time with time scheduling, we often did not have a consensus of opinion. Whenever we had a discussion, we usually ended up with no results. So it always took a long time for us to make a decision. Consequently, the performance did not turn out as well as we expected. Because of this initial failure, I thought group work was time consuming and ineffective. However, I have changed my opinion lately because of the successful results in some of my laboratory classes. In each laboratory assignment, it is nearly impossible to work by myself because there are a lot of steps and each step needs to be very precise and accurate. Therefore, a group of two or three students will work more effectively compared to an individual because they can help to remind each other and finish the assignment faster. Based on those experiences, one more time I give myself a chance to work in a group and figured out how work effectively. Finally, thank to the Small group communication class, I found out that group work can become very productive if all the members in the group cooperate and follow the principles of small group communication. In this paper, I want to talk about my recent success in my current group regarding the effectiveness of our group communication as well as my communication competence during the last four months of working together. First, I want to discuss about how we follow the principles of small group communication. Fortunately, our group usually does not have a lot of conflicts because our opinions often support each others’. While other groups need thirty minutes to make a decision, our group can make it in half of that time. I think it is one of our group biggest strength. Besides, we always favor majority viewpoints, but we also listen and analyze the idea which is different from others. For example, when we were working together in the winter survival exercise, most of the members agreed that compass is the second importance. However, Phong thought that in a heavy snow, compass was useless. After discussion, we decided to make it the sixth importance. Thanks to Phong’s opinion, we lost fewer points because compass turned out to be the most useless one. Phong is an expert with cold weather because he used to visit his friend in Alaska where the temperature usually drops under zero degrees Fahrenheit. Phong is also the most quiet group member. He only shares his opinions in the topic which he is expert of. The others group members can be considered as verbal group members because they always contribute their ideas and experiences to all discussions in the group. Regarding leadership, we only have one leader throughout because we want the leader to get used to her role. Thus, she and the group can work more effectively. Finally, I have to admit that our group is not a creative group, but we have one member who is such a creative person. Again, in the winter survival activity, I thought the old newspapers were totally useless, but Lan came up with a creative idea that it could be used to keep warm. She said she often see people who are homeless use old news papers as their blankets. At last, it turned out that the newspaper worked even better than clothes. Because of following well those principles, our group has gradually worked more effectively. Secondly, I want to mention our group climate. In my opinion, our group has a supportive climate. Each member is willing to help other members in the group to complete their tasks. Our group favors description compared to evaluation. Instead of criticizing others’ behaviors and ideas, we often tell our feelings about problems. All the group members always encourage each other to share their opinions and feelings with the group. Even though some opinions are too conflicting, the main purpose is trying to give all the members equal opportunities to talk about their ideas. Thus, the success of the group is the consequence from the equal contributions of all the members. Besides, in most of the discussions of our group, we are oriented toward problem solving; therefore, we look for the consensus of the ideas in order to solve the problems effectively and quickly. Because our group has many members who have senses of humor, we always maintain an interesting and comfortable atmosphere to gain assertiveness in the group. Sometimes, Ngoc and Phong share their experiences of how they solve their families’ problems. Through perceiving more deeply about each member’s own life, we have gradually gotten closer together; therefore, we are always honest and open to each other. Also, we do not criticize when a group member cannot finish his or her task as expected because there are always personal issues out of the class. In addition to empathy, I think that provisionalism is one of the factors that helps the group to do well. In life, there is nothing certain, so we do not expect everything to be absolutely perfect. We only try our best and hope for a deserved result. To sum up, with a supportive climate, our group can take advantage of group work regardless of difficulties that people usually have when working in a group. Also, our group does not have a difficult group member because we are cooperative and responsible for our tasks. Moreover, all the members are always willing to cover the missing roles to get the work done. I think that the supportive climate in our group really helps us to work better. In addition to the success of the group communication, I think that my communication competence is one of the most important factors. In most of the Vietnamese family, parents often attempt to have their children follow some particular rules especially being polite and respecting elders. Because I am not an exception from those Vietnamese children, I always follow those rules whenever I communicate to others in the family and in the society as well. For example, when I work in my present group whose members are different ages, I usually listen to the opinions of the older members before sharing mine. I feel that they have more experiences than I do about life. Also, I truly respect others ideas even though sometimes they are really opposed to mine such as the idea about the importance of the rope in the moon survival. I thought the rope was useless but it was thought to be the most important tool which was used to connect people together by another member. I thought it was actually reasonable in some way. Another rule in my communication is that I try to keep myself from being different. Therefore, if my opinion is opposed to the others, I hardly argue with them because I think it is best to keep a friendly and peaceful environment in a group. Accordingly, my present group always has less conflict. Thus, I think that the way I work and communicate in the group also helps the group to perform better. In the last part of his paper, I want to mention the roles and leadership in our group. Each member in the group has their own roles and tasks. First, Trang, our leader, is an energizer and a tension reliever. She loves to joke around her group members. In addition, she always gives funny ideas to make other members laugh and relieve tension. Next, Lan is a summarizer and a process observer who often listens to the ideas of all the members in her group. Then, she collects information and summarizes the group’s opinions. Besides, She usually laughs and makes jokes which helps to release the tense atmosphere in the group. Ngoc is an information and opinion giver and a communication facilitator who often shares her ideas and speaks clearly to help other members in the group easily understand her. Also, when an idea of a group member sounds too complicated and confusing, she is the one who makes it simpler to understand. I am also an information and opinion giver and an encourager of participation. I love to give my opinions of the group activities. Also, I often ask questions to have other members participate in the group. Finally, Phong and Chau are information and opinion seekers. While Phong researches information online, Chau often represents our group to communicate with other groups for more information and ideas. Lan and Trang are considered themselves as clowns because they are the funniest members in our group. Every one of us kept laughing with their interesting ideas. Because all the members have specific tasks to focus on, whenever the group is assigned, each member tries their best to accomplish their tasks; therefore, this increases cohesiveness in the group. Working this way, we ask for the responsibilities of each member in the group. Therefore, we always encourage and help each other to do things better. Finally, I want to mention the leadership role in our group. Initially, Lan was assigned to be our leader in the ball tossing activity. However, Trang emerged as a leader in the winter survival activity. She always encourages the group members to work harder, and she gives interesting and funny opinions to relieve our tension. At the end, she is the one who summarizes the group opinion and makes the final decision. We as a group think that Trang is a democratic model with participating style. When the group members are willing to share their ideas, Trang becomes a listener. She respects the others’ ideas, and her decisions always fit most of the members. Therefore, with a good leader and a specific role for each member, all the assignments have become easier when we work together. Through four months working together, I finally realized that if we all cooperate and follow the principles of small group communication, group work will be an excellent approach to solve any problem. I have experienced and learned many things from my present group. At the beginning, I was considered as a quiet group member because I rarely shared my ideas with others. However, there were some cases that my ideas might have helped if I had shared. I kept thinking about it and I had been trying to communicate more often; and eventually, I am the one who gives most of the ideas to the group. Also, I have learned that we need to be responsible for our tasks. If a person in the group does not finish his or her task, it will affect everyone in the group and the initial task cannot be accomplished. If I have a chance to work in a group in the future, I will try to follow all the factors that help my current group to perform really well.

Unexpected Benefits

In the fourteenth century, the face of Europe was forever changed by a devastating event known as the Black Plague. This plague would rear its ugly head time and again throughout Europe in lesser outbreaks right up through the eighteenth century, when it finally disappeared from the continent for good. However, its initial appearance happened in the fourteenth century, and this debut performance was its most dramatic and destructive.Called the â€Å"great mortality† by contemporary writers1, for the great number of people killed in the outbreak, the term â€Å"black plague† or â€Å"black death† became more commonly used later on as more outbreaks hit the European continent. Carried by fleas on rats, the Black Plague is now commonly thought to be bubonic plague, a disease characterized by sub-dermal hemorrhages that blacken the skin; it is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. It is thought that Black Plague first entered Europe from Asia, along the si lk roads that merchants used to travel between the continents for the purposes of trade. 4 1Boccaccio, Giovani.The Decameron. Signet Classics: New York. 2002 (reissue). 4Kelly, John. The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time. Harper Collins: New York. 2005. When the Black Plague first hit Europe, the conditions in Europe were ripe for a devastating outbreak. Warfare and a widespread famine that lasted nearly a century had weakened the population of Europe to the point that the people were extremely vulnerable to disease. Famine also hurt productivity by weakening workers, thus further reducing the output of food and other necessary goods; it was an ugly, self-perpetuating cycle.In a population already suffering and on the brink of disaster, the Black Plague, which first made its European appearance in 1347, was a final push toward a dramatic re-alignment of society. Over one-third of the population of Europe was killed by th e Black Plague (and over half the population in Britain). It wiped out entire families, and even entire communities. When it was over, the stunned and decimated population had to face a virtual rebuilding of their entire society from scratch.However, as devastating as the Black Plague was on the inhabitants of Europe, and as hard as things were on the survivors, the Black Plague did have some unexpected benefits for the survivors and their descendants, benefits that would improve the overall quality of life for everyone in Europe, peasants included, for generations to come. One of the most immediate benefits to survivors of the Black Plague was an increase in wages. Before the population was decimated by the Black Plague, Europe had been drastically overpopulated for its resources, resulting in widespread poverty, especially among the peasants.After the Black Plague, however, labor came at a premium, due to the reduction in the population. There were not nearly as many people availa ble to do much-needed work, and therefore those who were available to do it were more sought-after. As a result, wages increased, because employers were now competing for the smaller pool of workers, rather than workers competing for a smaller pool of jobs, as had been the case before. With higher wages, survivors were better able to provide for their families, and the standard of living for many families dramatically increased.In fact, some families fortunes increased so dramatically that they began to live as the nobility did, dressing in fine clothes, living in fine houses, and even employing servants of their own. In some European countries, the nobility were so threatened by the new upward mobility of the peasants that laws were enacted that regulated just what the peasant class could wear and where they could live, so as to prevent the peasant class from mingling with the nobility or trying to become part of the nobility2.In fact, increased opportunities for social advancement were another unexpected benefit of the Black Plague for survivors. Before the Black Plague, Europe was fairly 2Cantor, Norman. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World it Made. Harper Perennial: New York. 2002. entrenched in the feudal system, whereby peasants worked the land for wealthy nobles, being allowed to take only a small portion of the harvest they worked to bring in for their own use, and being pretty much tied to the land of their patron for life.After the Black Plague, the surviving population realized it now had options. With so few peasants available to work the land, landlords began competing to attract tenants to their estates, a phenomenon that was new in Europe. Previous to the Black Plague, landlords had a self-propagating population of peasants on their land, generation upon generation of families that stayed on the same land, on the same estate, and worked under whatever conditions the landlord set, as there was nowhere else for them to go.Howev er, after the Black Plague, landlords offered incentives for peasants to come work their land, incentives ranging from actual wages to improved living conditions to increased freedoms. In fact, some historians believe that the conditions in Europe just after the end of the initial Black Plague laid the roots of what was to become capitalism centuries later. A reduction in the population also meant that there was an increase in the amount of fertile land available to the population.With entire families wiped out, sometimes noble or land-owning families, their land became available, land that had often been in the same family for centuries. This opening up of new land created opportunities not only for landlords to increase their holdings and attract new peasants to work for them, but also created opportunities for upwardly mobile peasants to become landowners in their own right. With land available for those who could afford to purchase it, many peasants found that their newfound inc rease in wages also bought them the opportunity to become settled on their own land, and, in effect, their own masters.The Black Plague also, in effect, put an end to the century-long famine in Europe. With fewer people to feed, there was more food available for those who were left. The opening up of new, tillable land on which to grow food, the demand for labor that produced more food, and the increase in wages that allowed a family to buy more food, all led to an increase in consumable food available for everyone. As a result of the Black Plague, the survivors became better nourished and healthier, and thus better able to work to produce more food, as well as better able to fight off new outbreaks of disease as they came.Even with an increase in wages and other benefits attracting most of the available workers after the Black Plague, there were still too few people around to work to do everything that needed to be done in the time in which it needed to be done. Therefore, out of n eed, a plethora of labor-saving devices began to be invented following the Black Plague. These devices helped to speed along necessary work, and reduced the number of people necessary to complete certain jobs. The spinning wheel is an excellent example of this.The spinning wheel was a post-Black Plague invention that dramatically reduced the time and effort involved in turning wool into thread. 3 With more thread able to be produced more quickly than by traditional methods, cloth was able to be weaved quicker and in greater quantities, thus creating an abundance of fabric available for sale and for personal use. Springs and gears were invented to control the hands of clocks. Horseshoes and spring carriages were invented that eased the burden of travel and increased its efficiency.Three-crop field rotation was invented, which increased farming efficiency by dropping the old idea of individual farming plots and introducing the idea of open-field communal farming. In addition, heavier plows with wheels and horizontal plowshares were invented, which saved much time and labor in the process of farming. Finally, the ultimate of all medieval inventions, the printing press, was invented post-Black Plague, an invention that saved an enormous amount of time and energy by ending the need of copying books by hand, thus making the written word more widely available to the general public.3 3Herlihy, David. The Black Death and the Transformation of the West. Harvard University Press: Cambridge. 1997. The effects of the Black Plague were felt in every facet of life, not just social and economic. The Black Plague utterly changed the face of life in Europe forever. The plague even affected the art of the times. Whereas before the Black Plague, religious themes were the most common topic of art, after the Black Plague, a more pessimistic feeling pervaded a society that was terrified of the plague returning.As a result, themes of death became dominant in the artwork for more than a century after the plague. The prestige and authority of the Church were also negatively affected by the Black Plague. Because the church was not able to cure victims of the plague, or even explain what was causing the plague, cynicism of the church grew among the populace. As a result, many sought out alternatives to the traditional church, particularly through smaller religious cults such as self-flagellants (who flogged themselves in atonement for the sins that supposedly brought on the plague).Others sought out secular solutions to ending the plague. Further, because so many monks died in the plague (from living in close quarters and from generously tending the sick), the church experienced an influx of new, less dedicated clergy, who were more opportunistic than the old guard, and contributed to an upcoming period of severe corruption within the Catholic church that eventually led to the Protestant Reformation. 2While the Black Plague was a devastating event for all of Europe , killing millions, it left behind conditions that lead to some positive changes in European society. While wiping out entire families and towns, the Black Plague nonetheless created a fertile ground for economic improvement and upward social mobility for the underclass in its wake. The Black Plague led to the downfall of the feudal system and created the conditions that later ushered in the Age of Enlightenment.It ushered in a new age of labor-saving inventions that changed the face of production in the world. Because it was such a powerful force on both society and the psyche, the Black Plague also ushered in an era of change in both art and religion, changes that eventually led to the Protestant Reformation, which in turn led to the founding of America by the Puritans. The Black Plague, though it destroyed, also provided the seeds of sowing something new and good. 2Cantor, Norman. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World it Made.Harper Perennial: New York. 2002. B ibliography Boccaccio, Giovani. The Decameron. Signet Classics: New York. 2002 (reissue). Cantor, Norman. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World it Made. Harper Perennial: New York. 2002. Herlihy, David. The Black Death and the Transformation of the West. Harvard University Press: Cambridge. 1997. Kelly, John. The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time. Harper Collins: New York. 2005.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Societal Benchmark in Advanced Practice Nursing Essay

Societal Benchmark in Advanced Practice Nursing - Essay Example remains a general consensus that the real credit for the evolution and practical implementation of APN History of Advanced Practice Nurse goes to the American Civil War 1861. That was when the APN implementation began processing and started developing (Keeling & Biglee, 2009). However, CRNA did not get introduced easily and the process did not go smooth because certain barriers regarding legislation cropped up during the early 1900’s. The nursing staff everywhere was not easily granted rights to administer anesthesia because such rights were questioned by the medical profession. People in the medical profession objected on grounds that the concept of nurses administering anesthesia would imply that they are practicing out of their scope which would not present a very nice image (Keeling & Biglee, 2009). Therefore, legislation in Kentucky (Frank VS South) nurses needed to be licensed to administer anesthesia. With time, things started developing and in 1931 foundation for the A merican Association of Nurse Anesthetist (AANA) was laid and 1945 the mandatory certification for CNRA’s got established which changed circumstances phenomenally (Ray, 2005). Other factors also assisted in the development like there were no professional nurses at that time and catholic sisters served as nurses. Also during the 20th century, the increase in immigration and trends toward industrialization and urbanization contributed significantly in refining the image of APN role in the healthcare system with the result that other nursing specialties emerged. The approach of the Nurse Practitioner was such that primary care was provided to the poverty stricken immigrants during World War II so that more worthwhile opportunities got revealed to benefit NP (Keeling & Biglee, 2009). This approach proved to be effective as when physicians had too much on their plates and were too busy to care for all the wounded, the NPs were granted the right to go beyond the realm of caring and handle other

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Canadian Cycling Association in 2012 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Canadian Cycling Association in 2012 - Article Example CCA recommends the following equipment for its cycling teams competing at Olympic level: Bike: The Elementary criteria used, is the basic ABC’s for a good bike (CCA ABC Quick Check, 2006). â€Å"A† means Air in tyres, which entails checking everything in tyres, whether they are inflated or not, the wheel alignment, looseness in axle bearings, condition of tread. â€Å"B† means Brakes, which entails adequate distance between levers and handlebars, the condition of brake pads whether they are worn out or not, brakes tightening fully on the rim, the condition of cables. â€Å"C† means chains or cranks, which entails lubrication on chain, checking whether pedals spin freely, looseness in the bottom bracket, tightness of levers, levers flushing against the forks, tightness of nuts on the axles, loose parts, etc. There are several Canada-based Sports manufacturers catering to bike requirements. Racer Sportif has 6 ranges of sports bikes, priced between $5000-$6000 CAN (Racersportif, 2006). Cyclissmo is another recognized product line, featuring famous brands such as Colnago, Devinci, Look, Shimano, Ridley and SRAM (Cyclissmo, 2006). Parts and accessories: The important parts and accessories, as per Racesportif product manual consist of Road Forks, Tyres (Starting $20 CAN), Computers (Starting $60 CAN). Clothing and Footwear: Several products are available for both. For clothing, air block vests are in demand (Start from $200 CAN). ... measures deliberated in the process of selection, ensure that the most deserving talent is screened for further considerations (CCA, 2003). Equipment: CCA recommends following equipment for its cycling teams competing at Olympic level (Racesportif, 2006): Bike: The elementary criteria used, is the basic ABC's for a good bike (CCA ABC Quick Check, 2006). "A" means Air in tyres, which entails checking everything in tyres, whether they are inflated or not, the wheel alignment, looseness in axle bearings, condition of tread. "B" means Brakes, which entails adequate distance between levers and handlebars, condition of brake pads whether they are worn out or not, brakes tightening fully on the rim, condition of cables. "C" means chains or cranks, which entails lubrication on chain, checking whether pedals spin freely, looseness in the bottom bracket, tightness of levers, levers flushing against the forks, tightness of nuts on the axles, loose parts, etc. There are several Canada-based Sports manufacturers catering to bike requirements. Racersportif has 6 ranges of sports bikes, priced between $5000-$6000 CAN (Racersportif, 2006). Cyclissmo is another recognised product line, featuring famous brands such as Colnago, Devinci, Look, Shimano, Ridley and SRAM (Cyclissmo, 2006). Parts and accessories: The important parts and accessories, as per Racesportif product manual consists of Road Forks (Starting $300 CAN), Tyres (Starting $20 CAN), Computers (Starting $60 CAN), Rims (Starting $60 CAN), Pedals (Starting $165 CAN), Other components such as