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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Natural disaster risk assessment and risk management

Disasters have occurred in the world over for many years. They have occurred both in MDCs and LDCs. These disasters have either been caused by human forces or natural forces or interaction of both natural and human forces. When they occur they cause serious challenges and consequences to the economies of affected areas or countries. It’s estimated that the world looses over 750 dollars annually as a result of disaster. In most cases, the phenomenon that triggers disasters is beyond human control. In general the loses that causes natural disasters are largely a function of human factors which are human decisions, human actions and human choices or sometimes lack of these. Before I go into specifying a specific human disaster threat, it is important to exactly know what a disaster is or what it means. A disaster means misfortunes or calamities. It can also be termed as an incident of great harm and distress. It’s a serious disruption of functions of society causing widespread human, material or environmental loses that exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using its own resources. In this case, I am going to specifically dwell on earthquake as a natural disaster and its threats. Earthquake is a tremor caused by the disturbance of the earth surface. When it happens it causes great destruction economically, socially and even psychologically to the people living around. Because earthquakes are natural disasters, human have no control over them and this can explain why naturally occurring disasters have serious impact on human society. They only leave human beings with the option of reducing their impacts when they occur. As I have mentioned before, disaster is a result of human force, natural force or a combination of both; management for these disasters have been put in place. Disaster management simply is a body of policy and administrative decisions and operational activities which pertain to various stages of a disaster at all levels. So disaster management body has to come up with personnel and facilities dealing with earthquakes. The personnel includes both the administrative, individuals and community actions who try to minimize loss of lives or/and damage of facilities. This they do through disaster preparedness includes efforts for effective rescue of people involved in the earthquake disaster, relief and also rehabilitation and reconstruction of destroyed materials like buildings. The administration, individuals and community also engage in disaster mitigation which encompasses all measures to reduce the impact the earthquake disaster phenomenon by improving the community’s ability o withstand the impact of the earthquake. This they do through the prevention, preparedness and real response of earthquake disaster during or after which includes relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Earthquake disaster will definitely leave behind vulnerable people who are prone to it again incase it occurs again. To be vulnerable is to live with a likelihood that one will suffer from hazardous events. In the society, some people are more vulnerable than others. The nearness to hazardous places the more the consequence one will face. Earlier, earthquake disasters have established that natural hazards are a cause of vulnerability to disasters. People who live or work in certain areas are prone to disasters that may occur to such areas. This means that humans living or working in certain areas make themselves vulnerable to earthquakes disaster, for example if they live in areas of volcanic activities then they are prone to earthquakes or earth movements respectively. Vulnerability is simply reduced to zero by people not living in affected areas. Scientists, technologists and engineers have attempted to predict hazardous events and development of technologies that can enable human structures to withstand earthquakes. The assumption has been that events are acts of nature that cannot be prevented but rather there are possibilities of reducing their consequences. As a result of this, technologies and materials for building and construction for example have been developed so that they can withstand earthquakes or earth movements. In spite of many games in the scientific and technological process to control vulnerability to earthquake disasters people continue to be injured, die and loss of property. One reason for this is because many earthquake disasters predictions and other mitigative technology are costly and individuals and communities are either unwilling or unable to afford them. The costs tend to set criteria for deciding on what mitigation methods to use under various circumstances.   So according to this view, although vulnerability is a cost, vulnerability reduction is itself costly. As I mentioned before, disaster does not choose specific people and the nearer one gets to it or lives near it the more vulnerable he or she becomes. Earthquakes disasters do not choose the poor or the rich but it affects anyone or everyone. So earthquake or earth movement disasters impose a varied number of consequences on the humans, animals, physical and environmental aspects. These consequences can be in view of the time period of a disaster that is either short term, mid term or long term. To UNECLAC, effects of disasters are short term consequences of disaster that comprise of direct damage,, indirect damages and secondary effect. Impacts comprise of economic, social, psychological and environmental impacts. These are mainly long term consequences of disasters. The worst case scenario that determines the degree of risk is whereby disaster occurs because people who are vulnerable simply do not know when the disaster may occur, what protection measures to take and these coupled with negative attitudes towards use of certain measures. This increases human suffering from disastrous situation. A good example here is a case where by simple earth tremors or movements occur frequently leaving   people with a normal assumption that such have been happening and that have never had effect on them. This will definitely make everyone to take such scenarios for granted not knowing that one day the tremor can turn out to be an earthquake. When it turns to be earthquake, it will find everyone unaware and hence will end up affecting the majority. The fact that disaster can happen anywhere and anytime, everyone should be prepared. Earthquakes disasters are categorized as either simple, Meagre or complex. What one society can look at as a simple earthquake disaster can be perceived as complex earthquake disaster by another society. Some disasters are also seen as rapid while others seen as slow. I may say that most earthquakes disasters can be considered as initially slow or creeping because mostly they begin as earth movement or tremors before ending up as earthquakes which are considered to being rapid. Earthquakes are as a result of natural forces or an interaction of human and natural hence they are beyond human control thus the society should be prepared on how they can be mitigated however much costly it may be. People should also be prepared because of the damages the earth quakes cause whether partial or complete destructions of physical infrastructure like buildings, people, communication networks, machineries, etc.   They can be indirect damages that the damage to the flow of goods and services that can neither be produced nor distributed when a disaster occurs. Indirect damages are of four folds namely; increased population costs, increased damages, loss of corporate incomes and unexpected expenditures. In conclusion, earthquake disasters neither belong to the rich or poor but to everyone. This means it can affect everyone as long as one lives on the earth’s surface. References www.redcross.com

Friday, August 30, 2019

Negative Effects of Privatizing Social Security

Bush administration’s continuous emphasis on the issue of privatization of social security services has generated much hype in the recent years. Many a social security scholars and workers take into account its bad effects on the socio-cultural sector and economic domain of United States rather than eulogizing it. They put forward many negative effects of this privatization of social security. One of the prime negative effects is that a system that is carved out to offer benefits to employees and their kin upon retirement, disability, or bereavement is going to be treated like a commodity. It is a public service and is not a commercial service. From the very start of social security system in 1935, the program was based on the basis principle that magnitude of the remuneration package would depend on the income of employees over their professional time span. Contrary to this, Bush administration’s new privatized security system would take into account the   Ã‚  amount of funds that a worker would invest in his or her own personal account. Ultimately, this will lower the magnitude of benefit and there would be a great uncertainty on the part of the workers about their investments, margin over investments and remuneration. This would not only result into socio-economic maladies for their but psychological and mental health of the workers would be in danger too. Some scholars are of the view that â€Å"Rate of return† calculations, made by the proponents of privatized social security overlook the â€Å"value of Social Security's insurance protections†. So privatization of Social Security would divert the money that is currently used to finance existing insurance program into investment accounts (this proposed to be created for each worker). So from what sources this amount, that is being used to carry on current payments to recipients of a variety of Social Security insurance and other benefits, will be collected? It would generate a cause and effect phenomenon. For example Treasury of States have to borrow huge amounts from the private sectors and other financial institutes instantaneously in order to pay the insurance and other retirement benefits to the already retired and/or their families. This would cause negative impact on the national economy and federal deficit would go up. National saving would decline and it will effect the long-tern economic development. Another negative impact of the privatization of social security is that remuneration on the finances of workers through individual accounts would be totally dependent on the market trends. Furthermore scholars argue that individual investors are more prone to perform badly in the market than collective investments. In the above case brokerage houses, banks and mutual funds would be beneficial. Social Security programs does not take into account the gender differences and its patterns and procedures treat men and women on equal terms, But is a biological and cultural truth that women get the worst provided by the social security. So in this way, she will be the most hard-hit in the privatization process of social security. Caroll L. Estes as early as 2004 take into consideration the negative impact of privatization of Social security and says; Negative effects are particularly harsh for those older women who do not conform to the model of family status as married with male breadwinner and for those already disadvantaged by race, ethnicity, and class. (Estes, 2004) References Anrig Grig, Jr., ; Wasow, Bernard. Twelve Reasons Why Privatizing Social Security is a Bad Idea. The Century Foundation. 2004. Available online: http://www.socsec.org/publications.asp?pubid=503 Estes, Caroll L. Social Security privatization and older women: A feminist political economy perspective. Journal of Aging Studies. Vol.18. No. February 2004, Pages 9-26 Feldstein, Martin. Privatizing Social Security. Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 37, No. 2 (Jun., 1999), pp. 685-686 ; ; ;

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Conflict and war are inevitable in life

We are going to be discussing â€Å"Conflict and war are inevitable in life.† First of all, you cannot imagine a world without conflict and war as they are happening every day. Human beings are prone to conflict and war. War and peace are like Ying and Yang. They are combined and nothing can separate it. Needless wars occur around the world endlessly. Conflicts which are occurring now are: 1. Riots e.g: In Egypt. According to the BBC website, over 100 people have been killed due to the riots. You can disagree by saying† however, the police in Egypt are controlling the riots and rioters begin to decrease by each day according to the BBC. This shows that conflicts can be resolved is not inevitable.† 1. Our fellow teachers, like our Mr Harland are going on strike this Wednesday due to their pensions. This is out of the context however this is still a way of causing troubles in our society. â€Å"They are doing this because if they don’t they won’t be able to survive anymore. It won’t be fair on them would it?† Let’s think back a few years. Racism was very common in the United States and in many parts of Europe. Conflict and wars were created due to racism. People had to suffer in order to survive. Americans used coloured people (black) as slaves to do their bidding. This was inevitable in life! Yes it was a tragedy however that too has been resolved. People change their ways to a greater good. Rosa Parks was an extraordinary example. She stood up towards the white people and due to this, racism was soon abolished. So if it wasn’t for Rosa Parks, would racism have gone even further? Would I be sitting here having this discussion? Wars also occurred and are still occurring in around the globe. For example 1. Afghanistan. The British have to assist as well which endangers many soldiers and innocent people who did not want any of this to occur. All this happened because of one man. (Gadaffi). We are still trying to maintain peace around the world by assisting those in need. However, isn’t helping in the war going to increase the number of battles fought and how many more should have to die? I have also heard that the war in Sri Lanka has ended and people are rebuilding their lives. Wars get created and solved all the time. The Ultimate goal of war and conflict in my opinion is because of jealousy towards a person or people and for the satisfaction of human needs. Even in Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Octavius go up against Brutus and Cassius in a needless war. Why should people have to die without any cause or reason? This is exactly why war and conflict are inevitable in life.

Lean VS Six Sigma W3 OM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lean VS Six Sigma W3 OM - Essay Example Lean is an approach that focuses on speed. In the light of this, the emphasis of most producers using the lean methodology is to reduce the quantum of time spent between different activities within the production cycle (Deisell, 2011). The notion is that there must be shorter cycle times so that as many cycles as possible can be completed within a given time frame. Because of the emphasis on speed, various forms of waste are focused on time related waste and bottlenecks including waiting, overproduction, rework, motion, over processing, inventory, intellect and unnecessary transporting (Bollen, 2009). Six sigma methodology on the other hand focuses on perfection in the production process by reducing the number of errors that the production records (Deisell, 2011). To achieve the goal of this method, standards are set in the form of data inputs. Variations in the data inputs as part of the production therefore tell the extent to which there has been errors and the magnitude of the errors (Calantone, Cavusgil and Zhao, 2002). Root cause analysis is one of the major strategies that most producers have used to identify errors as part of the six

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

2nd Amendment (Right to Bear Arms) Research Paper

2nd Amendment (Right to Bear Arms) - Research Paper Example The Court ruling also says that an individual can use firearms for ‘traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home’ (FindLaw, n.d.). The Amendment II as passed by the Congress states that â€Å"a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed† (cited in Young, 2007, p.222). The Second Amendment came into effect in the second half of the 20th century. As described in a web document (‘Constitutional Topic: The Second Amendment’, n.d.), gun control advocates perceived the Amendment in another way referring to the mounting level of violence in the society and the role played by firearms in those issues; and in contrast to this view, firearm enthusiasts claimed that the opponents’ arguments are against people’s freedom and hence they interpreted the 2nd Amendment just as fiercely. Evidently, some phrases in the Second Amendment paved the way for a series of debates. The English Bill of Rights 1689 has greatly influenced the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution. The right to have arms has been considered as one of the fundamental natural right throughout the English history. In District Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court makes reference to the English rights concerning the possession of arms by individuals. The growing threat of terrorism in Western countries, particularly in the United States, justifies the Second Amendment. Since US is considered to be prone to terror attacks since the 9/11, this Amendment would raise the level of security of US people. Referring to the increasing rates of crimes in the country including robbery, kidnapping, and sexual assaults, this Amendment would help people to be more self-defensive. However, some law professionals do not support Amendment II arguing that this would worsen the gun crimes in the country. As stated in some documents (‘The Second Amendment to the United

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Marketing Communitations Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Communitations Paper - Essay Example In essence, marketing communication is among the most basic aspects in enterprise interactions, yet the most challenging to state. Technically, it may imply anything, which the marketing sector generates to meet prospects and clients, regardless of if the mode used is the sales brochure, press release, or advertisement (Luxenberg 27). Marketing interactions is largely concentrated on developing items, as desired, to assist develop brand awareness, create hints, raise Web site traffic, pulled shoppers, and attain other goals associated to improving products and services. To finish their multiple projects as well as campaigns, marketing communications coordinators usually work with representatives, freelancers, and design organizations to alongside their in-house employees. For centuries, Sushi in Japan has turned to be significantly common in Western world (Karimi). Currently, Sushi targets everyone young to old as it offers both a bar and restaurant services of separate but adjacent buildings. Regardless of usual reaction of disgust at the likelihood of consuming uncooked fish, Sushi is just a meek and pleasant meal, which may just be liked by its target audience that include children, adults vegetarians, as well as the exceedingly squeamish. Sushi is a remarkably heal dish mainly fish, rice, and vegetables since it has to often be made with fresh ingredients. This is not just for consumer’s safety but also to enhance its flavor that is improved using ginger, soya sauce, and wasabi. For the Sushi encounters, it may be linked to the NBC Bay Area City where at Silicon Valley’s worldwide accessibility and impressive slams at AT&T park just offers the best (Karimi). The Bay Area City is greater than a region – it is the way people participate and where brand belongs. Just like Sushi meal, NBC Bay Area links locals with individuals, events, and places that concern them. The city boost of its events that attract people from across the world, ther efore, collaborating with healthy fast-serve sushi provides them with essential events, content, and characteristics making the joint a center of conversation. Such a marketing strategy of associating with other renowned companies ensures steadiness and proven growth throughout (Clow& Baack 6). Sushi has made the lead in mainstream dining, currently accessible in multiple of buffets alongside grocery stores. The major designated market areas (DMAs) for the clients, therefore, are at major joints in town like NBC Bay Area City. by making the major towns DMAs, they will get support since the NBC Bay Area provisions generate creative prospects for their brand. The town involves their worth regional audience with schedules such as â€Å"Class action,† evaluating public learning matters, or â€Å"Press† at this DMA, technology show and association blog attract even the hardcore individuals. These selected DMAs for Sushi also takes advantage of the 2011 Giants strategies, th at opens even more opportunities since such events are attended regularly and in different places. Once the brand has been identified, people will just be placing orders and Sushi restaurant will grow steadily (Clow& Baack 7). On the other hand, United States census forecast indicates modern trends of growth nationwide. The nation is modifying, which also leads to changes in people’

Monday, August 26, 2019

Equity & trusts on the three certainties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Equity & trusts on the three certainties - Essay Example This is because the property that was administered on behalf of the beneficiaries by the trustee cannot be determined with certainty. The significance of the subject matter in trust formulation may be able to be in the case of Re Goldcorp Exchange Limited. In this case, bankrupt creditors of the company involved in trading of wine asserted that they have the power to claim on the amount of wine they had paid for. It was the case despite the fact that the bottles of wine that they claim to have paid for could not be identified individually with certainty. The judge ruled that it is imperative to ascertain the subject matter with certainty for a trust to be present. Based on the case, it was challenging and, therefore, trust could be established. The rule may be exceptional only for intangible goods such as shares. The intention of the trust must be Cleary be if the trust is to be considered present. In the case of Re Hamilton of 1895, it was held that the law court must critically obs erve the words used by the testator to ascertain whether there was an intention to create trust. Other cases that have been utilized to substantiate the principle of intention include the case of Amber v Evan of 1870s, the case of Paul v Constance of 1977 and that of Hanbury of 1905. The four cases try to substantiate the significance of having a clear intention when creating a trust. In above connection, there must be an object certainty for the trust to be present2. However, the magnitude of object certainty may have a significant variation depending on the trust type. The two types of trust include fixed and discretionally trust. In fixed trust, the distribution of property to the beneficiary is fixed. On the contrary, discretionally trust is where the recipients may be from a given class of people. The principle of object certainty may be substantiated by the case law of Morice v Bishop of Durha. It was decided that trust cannot exist and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Young College Female Students in early 1960 to 1963 Research Paper

Young College Female Students in early 1960 to 1963 - Research Paper Example It has become one of the basic needs alongside the other needs like food, shelter, and clothing. The need for education traces its roots to the ancient times with the need to read, write, and perform some arithmetic operations that were necessary for daily activities. Education enables individuals to understand different aspects of life in order to lead a positive way of life. It determines career and enables an individual to earn a living. Education at a higher level involves a form of training that equips individuals with knowledge and skills that can be used in different production practices. It helps individual develop a profession. It is a tool used to empower women and the marginalized groups. Education enables individuals to understand their rights and the roles that they should play in the society. Societies comprise different categories of individuals some of which are marginalized. Females and the minority groups have been the subjects of such forms of discrimination in the societies in the past. Education is essential in preventing and managing such kinds of discrimination. Access to education is affected by different social and economic factors. The financial status of an individual may deny one access to higher education that is quite expensive in most countries. The social factors like the culture that prevails in a given society may also influence access to education. In the olden times, more values were given to the males as compared to the females. In such cultures, females were not allowed access to meaningful education. The females were arguably destined to marriage and it was considered meaningless giving them higher formal education. This practice was witnessed in different parts of the world up to the twentieth century. The availability of the learning facilities is also another factor. Proximity to the educational centers can affect an individual’s access to education. Education saw significant developments across the globe over th e last century. It was observed that the number of students enrolled in tertiary colleges in the world increased over two hundred times from 500,000 students in 1900 to over 100 million in 2000.1 The proportion of female enrollment has also increased considerably in the recent decades. Various initiatives have been established in different countries aimed at empowering women and other disadvantaged individuals in the society. Various women activists have emerged to fight discrimination against women through promoting education of the girl child. The modern family planning methods have also enabled females to carry on with their education beyond high school. In the older days, women got married and were in the family way at their early twenties- mostly before college education. Thus, the enrollment of female students in institutions of higher learning changed significantly from the last half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Similarly, the enrollme nt of females in the colleges in the mid twentieth century is significantly different from the current women enrolment in colleges across the globe. This paper focuses on the college enrollment of female students in the United States in the early 1960 to 1963. The pattern of female enrollment that was seen before this period as well as the patterns that have been seen in the following period is also examined. The paper also focuses on the factors that could have contributed to the changes observed in the enrollment patterns. Thesis statement Despite the difficulties that the activists have encountered in the reform movements, female education has improved over the last decades with the female enrollment

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Essay Example Studies allover the globe cites PTSD as a common mental disorder among veterans of war. Moreover, these studies indicate that this disorder has a lifetime prevalence rate of 7% to 12%. In addition, there have been several studies carried out in vulnerable populations. These vulnerable populations include â€Å"peacekeepers, combat veterans, Aboriginal populations and terrorist attack survivors.† In the studies of all these populations, there were higher rates of the disorder compared to the rest of the population who are not susceptible. Moreover, many of the people with a diagnosis of PTSD have a comorbid diagnosis with an additional lifetime mental condition (Sareen et al, 2007). Despite the prevalence of the disorder being high among at-risk populations, these rates vary according to the circumstances surrounding the susceptibility. For example, studies carried out among Vietnam battle veterans demonstrate higher prevalence of PTSD than is found in noncombat veterans or sim ilar nonveterans. Moreover, other studies indicate that the Posttraumatic stress disorder experienced by most of the U.S. veterans, is at least because of battle-related PTSD (Boscarino, 2006). The development of diagnosis of veterans with combat-related mental disorder dates back in the 1800. During this time, the United States military doctors diagnose soldiers with a condition they called â€Å"exhaustion†. ... Other signs include being bad-tempered or angry, flashbacks, trying not to bear in mind the incidents that occurred, nightmares and feeling emotionally frozen or isolated from others (Paolillo, 2008). Effects of Posttraumatic stress disorder in the Military In addition, PTSD-positive veterans may be more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases. Although there could be inconsistency, investigations have found that individuals who developed PTSD, especially men exposed to war, have shown to have lower plasma concurrent with higher catecholamine levels. In addition, studies have clearly shown that Vietnam veterans with current PTSD had clinically raised leukocyte and T-cell counts. In addition, it is evident that there is a relationship between the PTSD development and alterations in immune system functions (Boscarino, 2006). Because of nighttime PTSD symptoms, the patient is likely to experience suicidal ideation, alcohol and drug abuse, and can precipitate completed suicide. According to cl inical studies, the enhanced postsynaptic adrenergic receptor responsiveness to central nervous system (CNS) leads to the pathophysiology of PTSD, especially at night. This on the other hand, interrupts sleep physiology increasing sleep stage phenomena linked with emergence of trauma nightmares and increasing emergence of primitive alarm-related cognitive processing (Raskind et al, 2007). Implications of Posttraumatic stress disorder in the Military There is rising proof that exposure to sensitively shocking incidents among combat veterans’ leads to increased medical morbidity. In addition, it is evident that there is a direct connection between prolonged exposure to harsh psychological suffering and the commencement of disease. The experience with battle veterans suffering

Friday, August 23, 2019

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 78

Essay Example To begin with, there is the creation of employment opportunities resulting from activities brought by hydro industry. Thus in turn brings income, generates tax, and some time due to the effects healthcare centers are built to cater for those affected health wise. However, the mining activities cause resettlement, loss of land previously used for cultivation. There is also an element on economies of various countries in which the hydros are found given the high number of employees both temporary and contractual. Aluminum plants activities in various countries are believed to have indirect impacts as a result of investments in the sector and the operation of the particular plant. The inve4stmentws are huge and in billions of pounds and dollars plus the dependence of operations on lamp sum of raw materials, energy and goods and services. These activities including taxes, production and consumption out of these activities create external employment. Given the hydro’s in the supply chain consume a lot of energy, raw materials and other accompanying services, her operation create business opportunities as there are many suppliers to deliver the requirements . Here systems are place to ensure suppliers are monitored at any given time. There are also cases of restrictions formation of trade unions mandated to influence the work situations of employees especially in china but most countries give allowance for formation of trade unions. There are adverse social and economic effects in the glass manufacture industry. Firstly the employees are reported to have committed suicide several times as a result of minimal wages which is not enough form the employers to use in settling rent arrears and at the same time spend on their families back in the villages. Instances of high demand for new products made out of glass can some time cause challenges. For instance, every time an iphone model is released into the market there is always high demand for the product given

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Global Warming Fact or Fiction Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Fact or Fiction Essay Throughout their history, humans have witnessed all the environmental imbalances they have created in the world. The unstoppable technological advances of the world have greatly contributed to the enhancement of economic progress and improvement of the quality of life. However, the phenomenal growth of the economy and the increase of the standards of living are achieved at the expense of environmental destruction that is pressing the contemporary society. Hence, as human beings are the ones responsible for taking care of and preserving nature, they should impose certain limitations in their attempts to acquire economic progress in order to protect the environment. The pivotal change in the composition of the earth’s atmospheric condition gave birth to the term global warming, leaving the whole world unnerved of the damages it is currently causing and will continue to cause. However, we should consider if global warming is true or a mere product of our imagination. Some scientists argue that what we are experiencing right now is a natural occurrence and is a part of the earths climate cycle. Theorists believed that the earth is currently undergoing climate cycle, wherein the planet cools then heats up. Scientists pointed out that 75 million years ago, the earth experienced ten degrees higher than todays temperature, but still, life was sustained. On the other hand, there is a strong evidence that global warming is not a natural phenomenon but is a result of human activities. Global warming is progressing at a rapid pace, with its damaging effects leading the world more and more to its destruction (Hopwood and Cohen). Thus, this paper aims to present information that supports the claim that global warming is a fact and is threatening human life. Global warming is considered as the worst dilemma faced by humans as a result of their constant neglect of the environment. Global warming developed through the increased emissions of the noxious greenhouse gases resulting in an increase on the temperature of the earths surface (SciDev. Net). Global warming renders a variety of changes that affects the environment and the quality of life. As a result of humankind’s neglect and carelessness, the Earth is now experiencing extreme shifts in temperature which result in heat waves, irregular weather conditions, and rapid unfreezing of icecaps and glaciers located at the two opposite poles of the earth. As the ice caps and glaciers melt, the sea level rises, resulting in occurrences of coastal flooding. Causes of Global Warming The main cause of global warming is the widespread emission of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are the natural blanket of the Earth located in the atmosphere. It traps some of the light to keep the surface warmer. Over the century, the Earths surface temperature increased by . 5 degrees Celsius and it was believed that this was due to the increased on the concentration of the main greenhouse gases, which are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons (Hopwood and Cohen). The natural phenomenon was named â€Å"greenhouse effect† because it has a similar effect created by the glass panes of a greenhouse. The greenhouse traps the heat inside preventing large amounts of heat to go outside. The greenhouse gases selectively transmit infrared rays emitted by the sun. It traps some of the waves and permits some to travel in space. The greenhouse gases then bounce the infrared rays back on the lower atmosphere causing the increase in temperature (Hopwood and Cohen). Carbon dioxide is one of the main components of the greenhouse gases. It is produced and emitted in the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is emitted when humans exhale, when fossil fuels burn for energy, and through the deforestation of the planet (Hopwood and Cohen). The release of carbon dioxide is a biological function among humans and other animals which have a similar respiratory system. Fossil fuels are formed through the decay of the plants and animals a thousand years ago. People utilize these fossil fuels in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas to create a supply of electricity, to heat their homes, and to run their cars. The fossil fuels contain carbon which, when burned, mixes with oxygen, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide (Hopwood and Cohen). Other greenhouse gases accumulate in the earths atmosphere due to the negligence of people. As they continue to strive for economic progress, they reinforce the causes of the environmental dilemma that can lead the planet to its destruction (Hopwood and Cohen). Deforestation is another cause of the production of carbon dioxide. Deforestation occurs though logging for lumber, pulpwood and fuel wood. Another factor contributing on deforestation is farming new land, which involves developing forests into farmlands and pastures. Deforestation takes away trees that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The less number of trees in the forest, the less carbon dioxide will be processed and made available in the atmosphere (Hopwood and Cohen). Thus, global warming is caused by humans unstoppable emission of noxious gases on the earths atmosphere and the denuding of forests. At present, the status of global warming is progressing, rendering detrimental effects to the planet and its inhabitants. Effects of Global Warming The increase of the amount of greenhouse gases present in the earths atmosphere has negative implications on the earths environmental mechanism. These effects only signify the existence of the environmental dilemma. Due to global warming, the planet is experiencing imbalances our environmental processes. The earth is suffering from heat waves, sudden unusual shifts in weather, and changes in precipitation patterns. The odd patterns of precipitation reinforced by the rise of the sea level result in coastal flooding and take away the land where people live. This circumstance induces migration, causing the population of the inland cities to escalate (â€Å"Global Warming: Early Warning Signs†). Global warming also has a direct effect on our earths hydrosphere. The increase in temperature contributes to the rise of sea level. The rise of the earths waters results from the expansion of water due to heating and the melting of glaciers and ice caps in the North and South poles (Raper and Braithwaite 311). Global warming also affects the daily lives and lifestyle of the people. It also causes a chain of events that raises extreme concern from environmentalists who are anticipating the worst scenarios resulting from this environmental issue (Hopwood and Cohen). Global warming renders both negative and positive effects in our agriculture. As for its benefits to agriculture, global warming helps to increase food production. Since one of the determinants of agriculture is climate, it is suggested that heating is better than cooling. Moreover, carbon dioxide is one of the essential factors needed by plants in making their own food. As the temperature rises, more farmlands will be available on the poles and the length of the growing season will be prolong. However, extreme rise in the temperature will cause drought that affects our crops. Extremely hot temperatures also prevent some of the crops to be planted due to the adherence of the climate (Hopwood and Cohen). Global warming also raises various health concerns. One of the most obvious effects on health is directly through heat. As the temperature of the earth continues to increase, more people will suffer from heatstroke, heart ailments, and other illnesses exacerbated by heat (Hopwood and Cohen). In addition to this, it was stated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that climate change develops a wide array of adverse effects on human health, resulting in significant loss of human lives. As temperature increases at the earth’s poles, pests and insects migrate toward these areas. Some of these insects and pests carry diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, which could lead to an increase in the number of cases documented each year (Hopwood and Cohen). Thus, if the current situation will not be addressed, global warming is foreseen to create a chain of negative implications such as the spread of diseases, occurrence of droughts and fires, heavy rainfall, flora and fauna range shift, and population changes (â€Å"Global Warming: Early Warning Signs†). Conclusion The environment is continuously violated and destructed as people strive to achieve industrialization, economic progress, and improvement of the quality of human life. As a result, global warming has emerged as an alarming dilemma that stems from our negligence and exploitation of the earth’s natural resources. Thus, global warming is not a product of our imagination but a product of our continued destruction of the environment. Global warming is brought about by the escalated concentration of greenhouse gases, causing the earths temperature to increase as the gases trap infrared waves and bounce them back to the earth. The increased concentration of the greenhouse gases result from the neglectful emission of components that comprise the noxious greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide, the main component of the greenhouse gases, accumulates in the atmosphere as the amount of carbon dioxide recycled is reduced. Deforestation is one of the causes of the increased in the concentration of the harmful gases on the earths atmosphere. Global warming brings about various effects on the environment, human health, and people’s lifestyle. Although global warming has some advantages, such as prolonging the growing (of plants) season, it produces more negative implications. For instance, it can cause the spread of various diseases, the occurrence of droughts and wildfires, the unusual patterns of precipitation, and considerable shifts on the flora and fauna distribution. The sad truth is that global warming exists and continues to progress as we constantly neglect our environment. The current rate of its development causes concerns to arise, and the effects we are currently experiencing are proof of its threatening presence. Hence, as global warming continues to threaten human lives, attention and action are extremely needed not only to resolve the growing problems caused by global warming, but also to prevent further damages to the planet and its inhabitants. Works Cited Global Warming: Early Warning Signs. 1999.Retrieved May 8 2008 from http://www. climatehotmap. org/. Hopwood, Nick and Jordan Cohen. â€Å"Greenhouse Gases and Society. † University of Michigan. 1998. 18 July 2008 http://www. umich. edu/~gs265/society/greenhouse. htm. Raper, Sarah C. B, and Roger J. Braithwaite. â€Å"Low Sea Level Rise Projection from Mountain Glaciers Icecaps under Global Warming. † Nature 439 (19 January 2006): 311-313. SciDev. Net. â€Å"Global Warming. † Climate Change and Energy. 2008. May 8 2008 http://www. scidev. net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions/climate-change/g/.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Stock Market Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Stock Market Research Paper Essay Brooke Boll Boll 1 Ms. Huneke English 2A January 24th 2010 America’s All Time Low The United States of America has always been known as a very strong, free, wealthy country. People all over the world immigrated to the U. s for many reasons one of them being the freedom and the opportunity to choose their own living. After World War I the United States of America went through a wide economic expansion because of the new technology. The stock market benefited greatly to all this money the country was making. Many people began putting money into stocks to make a fast killing. Most of these people never even thought that what was about to happen was even possible. The stock market will always go up is what everyone thought and never realized that it would soon come crumbling down. In September of 1929 the stock market hit an all time low which resulted in one of history’s greatest stock market disasters (Quinn). As everyone knows what goes up must come down there for in October of 1929 the market began to crash. â€Å"Even though most people did not own stocks the effects of the stock market crash were not limited to stockholders†(ABC-CLIO). The stock market crash affected the whole entire country. This down fall was one of the major factors that caused the great depression. â€Å"After ten years of soaring values, Wall street Boll 2 commodities plunged to frighteningly low depths on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929. The stock market collapsed in a frenzy of selling in which a record 16 million shares were dumped† (Wukovits, 19). The millions of shares in the stock market being cut created financial issues for everyone. Very rich business men lost money in their stock and started to raise prices and cut salaries. Men and women all over the country lost their jobs and or saw their salary slashed. The unemployment percent skyrocketed and almost seven hundred banks were closed in the year of 1929, and eighty-five thousand businesses went bankrupt between 29 and 32(Wukovits, 18). The unemployment rate was nearly up to 25% in the 1930’s and did not drop back to 10% until the 1940’s. Not only did the unemployment ratio build but so did the amount of suicides throughout this time. The stock market affected everyone in the country due to the loss of money, jobs and homes. Homeless Americans then started to ride the rails. This was dangerous and when the railroads began to hire security that often started riots on the rails. Thousands of deaths were caused by jumping on and off train cars just to have somewhere to sleep. Americans all over could not pay for everyday things because they have lost so much money. â€Å"I knew the depression had really hit when the electric lights went out. My parents could no longer pay the one dollar electric bill† (ABC-CLIO). Prices of almost everything dropped hoping to fix the economies problems but with the salaries getting cut and jobs being lost the amount of income for most families could not even pay for basic life essentials. A winter coat was only twenty Boll 3 eight dollars, but people froze on the streets. A gas stove was nineteen ninety nine yet people all over America died of hunger due to the stock market crash and great depression. At only eight months in office the president of the United States during this crisis Herbert Hoover believed that the government should only play a small part in fixing the economy crisis. He tried to persuade the people and work force of America that the economy was perfectly fine and to keep living life as usual. He begged businesses not to lower their prices or cut down salaries and he also asked workers not to go on strike. Hoover firmly believed that government handouts would make the people of America weak. In Hoovers eyes handouts would not allow America to come together and fix this problem. â€Å"Herbert Hoover made massive public works programs to provide jobs for unemployed workers. He helped establish the federal farm board to assist farmers, the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to provide money for home purchases and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to provide financing for large businesses† (Wukovits, 19). All of Hoover’s ideas and plans to make the market rise again could only do so much. So many banks tried to raise their interest rates on loans to brokers to raise money and help the economy build again but the stock market was like a roller coaster when it went up it fell back down just as hard. â€Å"Many investors lost their life savings, and many businesses and banks failed due to their losses. One economist, Roger W. Babson, was the first to predict the crash he drew on evidence that consumers’ credit burdens were increasing, steel production was dropping, auto sales were falling, and some stocks were showing signs of price inflation. Other Boll 4 economists, like Irving Fisher, dismissed the markets downward trend as a shaking-out of speculators that would ultimately bring stability† (Galbraith). The stock market crash may have been one major cause of The Great Depression but it was also a major part in American history. The crash started the reform of laws and led to the establishment of the

Teenage Pregnancy And Social Exclusion Social Work Essay

Teenage Pregnancy And Social Exclusion Social Work Essay The aim of this study or discussion is to analyse and discuss the impact of the labour government policy on teenage pregnancy and social exclusion in the United Kingdom, to what extent has the policy achieved its aims and objectives and if the objectives have not been met, why and how it may be improved, what are its shortcomings and constraints in the implementation process or if the policy itself was not well put together. Barry (2002) argues that social exclusion occurs when individuals or groups are not given the opportunity to participate in society, whether or not they desire to participate. The British Government in 2001 defined social exclusion as a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown.(Cabinet Office, 2001) Burchardt, Le Grand and Piachaud, (2002) identify consumption (the capacity to purchase goods and services, including health services), production (taking part in economically or socially valuable activities including voluntary work), political interaction or participation (involvement in local or national decision-making) and social interactions (integration with family, friends and the wider community) as the four key elements of social participation. These elements individually can represent an outcome measure for social exclusion or inclusion. Teenage pregnancy is a risk factor for social exclusion. Social disadvantage refers to a range of social and economic difficulties an individual can face such as unemployment, poverty, and discrimination and is distributed unequally on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics such as ethnicity, socioeconomic position, educational level, and place of residence (Wellings and Kane, 1999). Social exclusion can happen to anybody but is more prevalent among young people in care, young people not in school and among teenagers growing up in low income households , or those growing up with family conflicts and people from some minority ethnic communities are disproportionately at risk of social exclusion. people are also most vulnerable at periods such as leaving home, care or education. Teenage birth rates in the UK are the highest in Western Europe and pregnancy among girls under sixteen years of age in England and Wales have increased since 2006, more than four in ten girls still get pregnant before the age of twenty. Two-thirds of all students have sex before graduating from school and are exposed to pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. (ONS, 2009). Social exclusion Unit (2001) in their report to cabinet said that In England, there are nearly 90,000 conceptions a year to teenagers; around 7,700 to girls under 16 and 2,200 to girls aged 14 or under. Roughly three-fifths of conceptions 56,000 result in live births. Although more than two-thirds of under 16s do not have sex and most teenage girls reach their twenties without getting pregnant, the UK has teenage birth rates which are twice as high as in Germany, three times as high as in France and six times as high as in the Netherlands. Teens that get pregnant are less likely to complete their education therefore risks making their future worse. They are more likely to be single parents and are more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. Every year there are new entrants into teenage world. The risk factors that affect early teenage pregnancies are economic disadvantages, peer pressure, emotional distress, sexual beliefs, attitude and skills, family structure, community disadvantages, sexual risk taking and poor contraceptive use. (Kirby, 2007). The main policy initiatives (750) New Labour (1997) introduced policies that aim to reduce young peoples risks of low educational attainment, poor or no job prospects, criminality and offending, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Tony Blair (PM, 2001) in a foreword to the Report by the Social Exclusion Unit on Preventing Social exclusion said Preventing exclusion where we can, reintegrating those who have become excluded, and investing in basic minimum standards for all and we have worked in a new way developing partnerships around common goals with the public services, communities and charities, businesses and church organisations that have been struggling with the causes and symptoms of poverty for so long. The policy used risk management approaches as a way of reducing risks of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases amongst young people by using strategies that gives the individual choices , responsibilities and make them part of the solution. New Labours policies on teenage pregnancy centres around teenage pregnancy and sexuality using Knowledge Acquisition, Shifting Blame and Constituting Knowing Active Welfare Citizens as strategic Risk Management options. The New Labour government set up a Teenage Pregnancy Strategy overseen by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit and the strategy centres on reducing the rate of teenage conceptions, with the specific aim of halving the rate of conceptions among under 18s by 2010. Getting more teenage parents into education, training or employment, to reduce their risk of long term social exclusion. The Social Exclusion Unit was setup by the New Labour government to co-ordinate policy-making issues like school exclusion and truancy, rough sleeping, teenage pregnancy, youth at risk and deprived neighbourhoods through, preventing social exclusion happening in the first place by reducing the numbers who go through experiences that put them at risk or targeting action to compensate for the impact of these experiences , reintegrating those who become excluded back into society, by providing clear ways back for those who have lost their job or their housing, and missed out on learning and getting the basics right by delivering basic minimum standards to everyone in health, education, in-work income, employment and tackling crime. Critically analyse policies-SID,RED,MUD Critical analysis of the Policy, (2000) Action to prevent social exclusion is delivering results: the proportion of children in homes where no-one is in work has fallen from 17.9 per cent in 1997 to 15.1 per cent in 2001; over 100,000 children are benefiting from the Sure Start programme to ensure they are ready to learn by the time they reach primary school; school exclusions have fallen by 18 per cent between 1997 and 1999; under-18 conception rates have fallen in four out of the last five quarters; more 16-18 year olds are staying on in education; the Care Leavers strategy has been introduced; the Rough Sleepers Unit is piloting new approaches to end the fast track to homelessness from prison and the Armed Forces; Summary Stakeholder Pensions will help moderate earners build up better pension entitlements from this April. Some 18 million people stand to gain from the State Second Pension, providing more support than under the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) for modest and low paid workers, and for carers and the disabled; and the personal tax and benefit measures introduced over this Parliament mean that by October 2001, a single-earner family on half average earnings and with two young children will be  £3,000 a year better off in real terms compared with 1997. Families with someone in full-time work will have a guaranteed minimum income of at least  £225 a week,  £11,700 a year. And families with children in the poorest fifth of the population will on average be  £1,700 a year or around 15 per cent better off. And programmes to reintegrate people who have become excluded are recording successes: since 1997 more than 270,000 young unemployed people have moved into work through the New Deal for Young People; over 6,000 people have found work through the New Deal for Disabled People and over 75,000 people had found work between October 1998 and December 2000 through the New Deal for Lone Parents; all Local Education Authorities (LEAs) have increased provision for excluded pupils, a third already do so, and two-thirds plan to offer them full-time education in 2001; between June 1998 and June 2000, the number of rough sleepers fell by 36 per cent; and the proportion of teenage parents in education, employment or training has increased from 16 to 31 per cent between 1997 and 2000. And changes in basic public and private services are focusing improvements on the poorest: higher standards than ever before in Key Stage 2 English and maths with a ten and 13 percentage point improvement in each subject respectively between 1998 and 2000; 44 Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in the 88 most deprived areas2 improved their Key Stage 2 maths results by 14 per cent or more between 1998 and 2000. The most improved area was Tower Hamlets, with an increase of 23 per cent; 24 LEAs in deprived areas improved their Key Stage 2 English results by 11 per cent or more over the same period; between 1998 and 2000 children from most minority ethnic communities saw a rise in achievement of GCSEs. This includes an eight percentage point increase in the number of black pupils achieving five or more GCSE grade A*-C, against an average for all pupils of three percentage points; unemployment has fallen faster than the national average in 19 of the 20 highest unemployment areas; the combined effects of Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), Winter Fuel Payments and free television licences for those aged 75 and over mean that from April 2001 around two million of the poorest pensioner households will be at least  £800 a year better off compared with 1997 a real terms rise in living standards of 17 per cent. together with tax and benefit reforms, the national minimum wage has helped to make work pay and encourage individuals to move from benefits into work; and by the end of 2000, all the high street banks offered a basic bank account available to all. Preventing social exclusion These improvements are a good start. Trends on literacy, school exclusion, post-16 participation and rough sleeping are on track. Incomes for the poorest pensioners and families, and for low-paid workers, have risen substantially. Where programmes have been slow to deliver results, for example on truancy, the Government is intensifying action. But many of the programmes in this document are only in their infancy, and are on course to deliver more substantial results over time. At the same time, policy innovation has been accompanied by new structures and new ways of working within Government. These have created clearer accountability for cross-cutting subjects such as rough sleeping, neighbourhood renewal and youth policy; set the basis for a new relationship of Partnership with groups outside Government; organised services around the needs of the client; and helped people to help themselves Policy can exacerbate and not alleviate Conclusion (500) The 1999 UK governments report on teenage pregnancy concluded that the following were risk factors for pregnancies among teenage girls: socioeconomic disadvantage, having been oneself the child of a teenage parent, poor communication with parents, not being in education, training or work after age 16 years, peer pressure to have sex early, educational problems such as low achievement and truancy, alcohol use, low knowledge about sexual health, and learning about sex from sources other than school However, these conclusions were based on evidence that was rather old or from cross-sectional studies, which are not the best guide to current trends

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Changing of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Essay -- Legend Sleepy Hol

The Changing of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Once upon a time" is the predictable beginning of a fairy tale and "happily ever after" is the ending. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving is a classical myth that defies the conventional standards of a fairy tale. Set in a valley in New England, It's a gothic tale of mystery and suspense that bears no definite ending surrounding the myth of the "Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow" (Heath 1355). The original text created by Irving was intended for the mature reader, a reader who could understand a sense of irony, had knowledge of history, and taste. What of and how has "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" remained successful with audiences through a period of over one hundred and seventy years? The changes implemented in the text vary by editor from none to several, to create a family movie few changes were taken by Disney, but to create a mainstream movie the changes made by Director Tim Burton are many.    Over time the language of the original text of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Irving has been reworked to accommodate the change in audience. The Heath Anthology of American Literature has an unabridged version of the original wording (1354-1373). A complete copy of the original text of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" can be found in the young adolescent classic section of a bookstore or the juvenile section in the library. A juvenile edition of the text adapted by Arthur Rackham from 1928 was a replicate of the original it is filled with seven colored illustrations and numerous sketching. A young adolescent version adapted by Bryan Brown from 2001 has been abridged to accommodate the current young reader. The format is changed in Brownà ¢s edition. The yo... ... the retelling of the tale of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."    Works Cited and Consulted Dizard, Wilson, Jr. Old Media New Media: Mass Communications in The Information Age. New York: Longman, 2000. Fowles, Jib. The Case for Television Violence. California: Sage Publications, 1999. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Ed. Illustrated Arthur Rackham. United States: David McKay, 1928. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Ed. Bryan Brown. New York: Masterwork Books, 2001. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Ed. Jayne M. Fargnoli. New York: Houghton, 1998. 1354-1373. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Narr. Bing Crosby. Disney Mini Classic, 1949. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, 1999.    The Changing of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Essay -- Legend Sleepy Hol The Changing of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Once upon a time" is the predictable beginning of a fairy tale and "happily ever after" is the ending. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving is a classical myth that defies the conventional standards of a fairy tale. Set in a valley in New England, It's a gothic tale of mystery and suspense that bears no definite ending surrounding the myth of the "Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow" (Heath 1355). The original text created by Irving was intended for the mature reader, a reader who could understand a sense of irony, had knowledge of history, and taste. What of and how has "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" remained successful with audiences through a period of over one hundred and seventy years? The changes implemented in the text vary by editor from none to several, to create a family movie few changes were taken by Disney, but to create a mainstream movie the changes made by Director Tim Burton are many.    Over time the language of the original text of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Irving has been reworked to accommodate the change in audience. The Heath Anthology of American Literature has an unabridged version of the original wording (1354-1373). A complete copy of the original text of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" can be found in the young adolescent classic section of a bookstore or the juvenile section in the library. A juvenile edition of the text adapted by Arthur Rackham from 1928 was a replicate of the original it is filled with seven colored illustrations and numerous sketching. A young adolescent version adapted by Bryan Brown from 2001 has been abridged to accommodate the current young reader. The format is changed in Brownà ¢s edition. The yo... ... the retelling of the tale of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."    Works Cited and Consulted Dizard, Wilson, Jr. Old Media New Media: Mass Communications in The Information Age. New York: Longman, 2000. Fowles, Jib. The Case for Television Violence. California: Sage Publications, 1999. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Ed. Illustrated Arthur Rackham. United States: David McKay, 1928. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Ed. Bryan Brown. New York: Masterwork Books, 2001. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Ed. Jayne M. Fargnoli. New York: Houghton, 1998. 1354-1373. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Narr. Bing Crosby. Disney Mini Classic, 1949. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, 1999.   

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

1. Descartes takes upon the task of finding what beliefs he holds are certain and in order to do this he partakes in the method of doubt. This is the method of doubt: â€Å"reject every belief which you can find reason to doubt† (Ginsborg Lecture 1/19). However, he finds the task of attacking every single belief that he holds to be too difficult, so he looks at the foundations for his beliefs. This will cause the beliefs built upon those foundations to also fall apart (AT 19). Throughout the first meditation Descartes goes through deeper stages of doubt, which leads him lastly to his supposition of the evil genius. The first foundation that Descartes breaks down is the belief of what his senses tell him about â€Å"very small and distant things† (AT 19). He notices how his senses have deceived him about these things and, therefore, attacks the beliefs he has about â€Å"very small and distant things†. Because the foundation of beliefs concerning â€Å"very small and distant things† is flawed, all the beliefs that were implicated from it can no longer be believed. Upon breaking down this first foundation, Descartes finds that he can still come to believe certain things that his senses tell him, like sitting next to a fire and holding a paper (AT 19). Therefore, Descartes considers that he may be dreaming, which makes these beliefs doubtful. Descartes argues that it is possible that he may be asleep and dreaming because there have been times in which he dreamt of mundane things such as sitting next to a fire. He cannot distinguish being awake and asleep. Dreaming has deceived him – it has made him think that he has been doing something other than actually sleeping (AT 29). Due to dream skepticism, the foundation of beliefs gained through his s... ...ed into. In essence, Descartes is a programmed computer that is being controlled, and seemingly has free will over his thoughts, but really does not. His future thoughts have already been assigned and his past and current thoughts were assigned. This idea of thoughts being instilled within him also indicates a second flaw in Descartes argument, in that he assumes he has free will in his thinking. The God in this scenario instills every aspect of thinking, such as to â€Å"doubt, understand, affirm...†, and so forth within Descartes. He cannot be certain that he has any control over the thoughts within his mind because he may not actually even have the ability to think. Thinking is not going on, but thoughts are inputted. Thus, having argued that he cannot assume that his thoughts belong to him and that he has free will, Descartes cannot be certain of his own existence.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Arabs in the Media: Victim or Villain? Essay example -- Argumentative

Arabs in the Media: Victim or Villain?   Ã‚  Ã‚   For decades, the media portrayal of the Arab culture and Islam has contributed to a skewed public opinion in America. Looking closely at the news coverage concerning the Middle East and the United States, there is an inherent media bias against Arabs and Muslims as foreign threats to domestic security. Stephen Franklin argues that "Islamic nations are often portrayed in news reports as uniformly intolerant and anti-democratic" (Franklin 17). Unfortunately, such coverage has contributed to the public and government misconceptions of all Arabs and Muslims as terrorists. According to Fawaz Gerges, "terrorism has emerged as one of the most important political issues in the United States...[linking] it to Islamic militancy..." (Gerges 79). Moreover, the media's skewed depiction of the Arabs and Muslims has perpetuated countless stereotypes that undoubtedly affect the American opinion. These stereotypes and misconceptions of the Arabs and Muslims clearly indicate a media bias provoked by ignorance and ethnocentricity. The elite media's role in the portrayal of the Arab culture and Islam following the Oklahoma City bombing has had adetrimental effect on America's public opinion, investigation proceedings, and government action.    Once word of the Oklahoma City bombing reached the Associated Press and major American publications, journalists were quick to point the finger of guilt at Muslim fundamentalism. The Western perspective of the Middle East is a dark one. The Muslims are looked at as ruthless and barbaric people, inclined to kill and destroy. Steven Emerson, a so-called expert featured on CBS Evening News, "suggested that there [must] be some inherent cultural trait behind... ...people.virginia.edu/~sy5u/Bias.html    Works Cited Bazzi, Mohamad. "The Arab Menace", The Progressive. Vol 59, n8. August 1995. P40. Franklin, Stephen. "Covering the World of Muslims", Columbia Journalism Review. Vol 33, Iss 5. Jan 1995. p17 Gerges, Fawaz A. "Islam and Muslims in the Mind of America: Influences on the Making of US Policy", Journal of Palestine Studies. Vol XXVI, no2. Winter 1997, p68-77. Hernandez, Debra Gersh. "Religious Stereotyping By The Media", Editor & Publisher. Vol 117, Iss 36. 3 Sept 1994. p16-17. Lacayo, Richard. "How Safe is Safe?". Time. 1 May 1995. p68-72. Rosewicz, Barbara. "Terrorism Hits Home: US Building Bombed; Dead Include Children". The Wall Street Journal. 20 April 1995. A1, A6 . Thomas, Pierre and Ann Devroy. "Clinton Condemns 'Evil Cowards' for Blast". The Washington Post. 20 April 1995. A1, A24.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Case Studies Essay

Case Study Number One: The Case of Confusion 1. The subfield of psychology that will be of greatest relevance is the behavioral perspective. This perspective has made contributions in diverse areas such as: treating mental disorders, curbing aggression, resolving sexual problems, and ending drug addiction. 2. The cognitive perspective would be most helpful. The focus of this perspective is how people think, understand, and know about the world. 3. Personally, I think Alexis surfing the web and looking at self-help books is a bad idea, she could be looking into all the wrong things and make herself believe she’s worse than she really is, she could end up self-diagnosing. The dangers of this approach are making herself believe she’s worse than she really is. 4. The advice I’d give to Alexis is that she needs to see a therapist and talking things out so she doesn’t get angry anymore. If she saw a therapist, she could be put on medicine and it would control he r moods. Case Study Number Two: The Case of the Cautious Pilot 1. Captain Mueller and his co-pilot sat in the dark cockpit to get their eyes adjusted to the night time before they took off for flight to Dallas from Boston. Case Study Number Three: The Case of the Manager Who Doubled Productivity 1. He gave them positive reinforcements when they met their goals at the end of the week, and when he saw them being busy he gave them extra break time. 2. When you punish undesirable behavior, that’s all you’ll get because negative reinforcement ruins a person’s moral and will ruin their confidence to do something good. If you use punishment and positive reinforcements will effectively control behavior. 3. He complimented them frequently whenever he saw that they did a good job, Friday afternoons, if they met their daily and weekly goals he bought them lunch. If he found them hard at work they got extra break time. He set daily and weekly production goals and over the next three months his staffs’ production nearly doubled. 4. He could use a lot of positive reinforcement and encouragement to get them to learn the new complex task. 5. Cliff could focus on the internal thoughts and ex pectations of his staff, that would help improve the productivity. Case Study Number Four: The Case of Rob Steere, the Man Who Knew Too Much 1. Yes, because it’s a newer computer based system and it’s eliminated the need to sort things topically. 2. The earlier filing system and the location of various archived records are organized in his memory because of his declarative memory which stores factual information like names, faces and dates. 3. Yes, because they are used to bottom-up processing which consists of the progression of recognizing and processing information from individual parts of a stimulus. The new computer system would require them to think using top-down processing. 4. He’s having so much difficulty finding those records because he’s used to filing them topically and not having a computer to do it for him. He developed this problem because he’s used to using his memory to place every file. 5. The advice I would give Rob for making the adjustment would be to go slow and understand the way the filing system worked, it might take a while but it would pay off in the end, unless he found a new job somewhere else. Case Study Number Five: The Case of Mike and Marty Scanlon, the Unlikely Twins 1. A rational personality bases actions on logic and experience. Not on sentiments or things not amenable to reason. Rational personalities are largely dependent on evidence and proof. 2. Mike is very open to experiences, but he’s very unfriendly and boisterous and unruly. While on the other hand, Marty is very quiet, organized and would rather keep to himself. 3. The differences in their personalities are very noticeable, Marty is quiet and well-behaved when Mike is unruly, and indifferent to authority. Temperament is defiantly a key in these brothers different behaviors, Mike didn’t get the basic, innate disposition that comes about in early life, while Marty did. 4. Marty is the brother achieving self-actualization, because he’s reaching his own highest potential by having a great job and having two children. 5. They do have different levels of intelligence, Marty finished high scho ol and went to college to get where he is today. While Mike dropped out of high school to become an oil-change technician.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Major Political Parties in the United States

Today, the politics of the United States government is controlled by two dominant political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. These two political parties dominated US politics from 1860 to the present. This is not to say that the US electoral system does not allow the existence of a multiple party system. It should be noted that the development of a two-party system in the United States was due perhaps to the relative contradiction of ideology and platforms of government between these two parties.US voters historically perceived this difference as necessary because of the need to maximize the saliency of political choice. When one set of policies failed, the voters had the option of voting the policies of the other party. This is called polarization. Hence, an understanding of the ideology of each political party is needed. In 1854, anti-slavery politicians met at Ripon, Wisconsin to form the Republican Party. After a year, the party grew rapidly displacing the Whig Party as the primary opposition party to the Democratic Party.In 1859, it nominated Abraham Lincoln as president in the 1860 election. After the election of Abraham Lincoln, the party became a symbol of anti-slavery, and after the war, the period of Reconstruction. Early Republicans advocated the slogan ‘free labor, free land, and free men. ’ The Republican Party believed that class mobility is an important factor in economic development. According to Republican ideology, individuals have the right to determine their economic status, given economic circumstances. The party also advocated a countrywide redistribution of land.Early Republicans believed that giving away government-owned land would rapidly end slavery. From 1859 to 1865, the party was actively anti-slavery in the Western territories as a means to check the intentions of the Confederacy. After the Civil War, the party changed some of its political beliefs. It supported big businesses, the annexation of Hawaii, and generous pensions for Union veterans. With the rapid growth of the transportation and manufacturing sectors, the party advocated the implementation of a countrywide subsidy program and the imposition of higher tariffs on foreign goods.Today, the party advocates a Keynesian approach to economic development, emphasizing the need for the government to adjust its expenditures based on growth patterns. The party also supports lowering both the optimal tax rates and the general tariff rates as a means to boost the economy. Social welfare is deemphasized in present Republican ideology. The origin of the Democratic Party can be traced back to the party founded by Jefferson, Madison, and other politicians opposing the Federalists.The modern Democratic Party, however, was founded with the election of Andrew Jackson to the presidency. From 1860 to 1920, the party positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party on a number of economic, political, and social issues. The electio n of Woodrow Wilson revived the influence of the party in policy-making, after 30 years of political hibernation. In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt was elected president of the United States. His New Deal program increased the political base of the party, and became the economic framework of the US government until the 1970s.The ideology of the Democratic Party differs from that of the Republican Party in three respects. First, the party advocates social liberalism, emphasizing the institutionalization of affirmative action and social freedom. Second, the party believes in a free-enterprise system regulated by government intervention. Third, the party believes that the government should play a role in alleviating poverty and the use of progressive taxation. Democratic ideology asserts that ‘economic development is assumed to be a function of social progress. ’I learned that both the federal and state governments are governed by a system of checks and balances. The government is divided into three branches which are assumed to be equal in integrity and power. Both in federal and state governments, the legislatures act as the lawmaking body. The executive branch of government approves or vetoes legislations approved by Congress. The legislative branch approves the budget, reserves the right to declare war, and examines the operations of the government through committee hearings and investigations.These powers act as a check to the actions of the executive branch. The judicial branch of government reserves the power to examine the constitutionality of statutes passed by Congress. This is called ‘power of judicial review. ’ This power acts as a check to the legislative branch. It can also make recommendations to the federal government on issues of legality/constitutionality of specific government actions/policies. The members of the judicial branch are appointed by the president, with the concurrence of Congress.This serves as a check to the po wer of the judicial branch. Comments Regarding the Instructor, the Course, and Class Requirements The instructor is very efficient in giving information about the American government, pointing out salient issues and problems. The course is a good starting point towards a more deep and critical understanding of the history of the US government. Class requirements are by no means heavy. Much of the class requirements reflect the learning experience necessary for a full understanding of US politics and governance.

Samsung Electronic

Executive Summary There are many ways specifically in innovation that Samsung is doing well. There is no doubt that they are one of the leaders in their industry. With so many products and product lines there many facets that Samsung is involved in maybe too many. There may need to be more focused. There is a large market that Samsung has but there is still more of the target group that can be reached. Green products have become more important to consumers however the approach to green technology Samsung is taking needs to be directed a different way.Samsung Distribution ChannelThe slowing of buying behavior in the U. S. and recession has made the need for entertainment important to everyone but included in this is the need to be financially savvy. This mindset is a gap that can be filled through marketing properly to the consumers sharing this mindset by purchasing Samsung electronics and staying home to save money essay writer in uk. Introduction Samsung has made many changes throu ghout the years to increase their market share and grow to be one of the top companies in electronics. There has been a growing focus on innovation and design.Samsung has done this by studying target markets in depth. They do this by study groups, creating innovative design labs and sending designers around the world to study museums and architecture. With the target market’s needs and expectations changing more focuses on green technology and the spending habits of consumers has changed. Samsung started with designing and creating simple electronics and now are in a variety of products outside of computers and televisions. This is a problem Samsung is facing is too many focuses instead of how they started in specializing in a few specific products.Samsung has done well in creating design centers across the world that can help study a specific localized target market but when you are designing for so many different target markets whose needs change based on region it can be v ery expensive. There are some generic products that can be made and sold worldwide but you are looking at a high expense for the company. Situation Analysis With the focus of Samsung products having the perfect feel and function, they are doing a great job of studying the needs and wants of the consumer.The innovation awards that have been won throughout the years show their focus and employees is spot on to where they need to be and with sales every year increasing, the current plan they is successful. The company is already aware of some problems and most are specific to products they are creating. Solar panels they are struggling with over supply and price erosion. Electronic batteries where there is such a small demand. Medical devices and biotech drugs face the same issue of having a large chance of competitors to enter the market. All of these things are associated with green technology.There problems are being created and could be avoided by focusing on making their current p roducts more â€Å"green† instead of creating new products. Reducing their carbon footprint is one way they can look at still being involved in the growing green industry. The recession has affected all businesses especially in the United States. The consumers buying entertainment items have decreased but this fact can also be an opportunity to Samsung. There is a way to focus on the costs of going out versus buying a nice 3D television or HD television and staying at home.With so many companies producing similar products the competition that Samsung faces can put a decline in market share within certain product categories. Samsung has the resources and ability to do what they want globally in every product category. The company seems to be willing to make changes and take risks despite the potential payoff or loss. With a large amount of revenue this will allow Samsung to test multiple options without it hurting their productivity and money flow. AlternativesOne alternative Samsung could do is limiting the locations of design centers. Currently the locations span the globe and for the president to be involved in every location would require traveling basically the entire time. To keep a more focused eye on productivity and keep the CEO connected and less reliant on managers and supervisors to relay information. Focus on making current product â€Å"green† from packaging to ways of transportation to export their products across the world. Some of the current products are not selling well and there is an oversupply.By taking focus away from those products this will help save money or use the current money being put in these investments to better use. Recommendations I would recommend Samsung doing a full financial and cost analysis on each product line and see what the top selling products are and make a list of all the products and their ranks in selling. I would suggest doing this annually so they are able to compare from year to year. With this information Samsung will be able to eliminate products that are wasting money and continue to improve and invest in innovation for the products that are selling well.Even taking away some the products that don’t sell well and focusing on the top sellers will help make Samsung be known for making specialized products. Instead of focusing on new green products limit the amount of new green innovation for now and focus on making the current products more â€Å"green†. In addition to narrowing focus on successful products there should be more meeting held to compare the target market research that happens at the many design centers across the world to verify similarities and differences within markets. This will help keep communication open and ideas flowing.If there is a need to continue the green technology product line there needs to be a slowing of production and very detailed account of what is selling from season to geographic location. If there is demand that start s to build then an increase of production would be suggested. In the United States, Samsung is the number one television brand. Although the country is in a recession there is still a large market and amount of money being spent on entertainment. Samsung should start a marketing campaign to show the value in making a large purchase such as a television and watching movies at home.There is no doubt that it is expensive to go to the movies. It is a reasonable idea that buying an HD television or even a 3D television can provide just as good if not better experience then going to the movies. Most of the older generations like to keep very standard electronics and do not need or desire electronics with all the bells and whistles that a younger generation would want. There is an opening to market to the baby boomer generation. These older generations have money and if their old televisions go out or they are want to keep in touch with family they will be looking for something that is sim ple and satisfies their needs.Making a simpler design that could be geared to the older generation is a market within the electronics industry that should be looked at. In addition there is a brand loyalty that is there with this older generation. Brand loyalty when it comes to electronics is becoming rarer with many consumers going with products that number one meet their cost requirement. There are so many competitors that offer similar products. Getting the consumer to keep buying your brand will continue to be a main goal for every company.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

My High School Years Essay

We all have nice memories of when we attended high school. Memories that will never be forgotten. For most of us it has been a while since high school and it is all a blur. We all remember a lot of things, especially things that the school did and we didn’t approve of. Something that would annoy us, but we wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. The majority of us, I’m sure, don’t like the way the school handled the schedule, the food we had for lunch, or the teachers we had to listen to. One of the things that they need to change in high school is the way they handle the lunch periods. School is already hard on us because of all the homework we get and I don’t think is fair that they won’t allow us to pick our lunch period. We are all accustomed to eating at a certain time. The school would either give us lunch too early or too late. If they gave us lunch too early, we wouldn’t be hungry. In my case I would have breakfast during my study hall which was 3rd period, then I would have lunch which was 4rd period. I would have to force myself to eat or else I would be hungry the rest of the day. If we had lunch too late, we would not be able to concentrate in class because while we were working silently on our work we could hear our stomach growling, students that were sitting around us would just laugh. I remember that when that would happen to me I would start turning the pages of my book real fast so that the students around me couldn’t hear me. When I was in high school most of the students were mean and unfriendly. It was really hard to make friends, at least for me it was, and to be placed in a lunch period where you didn’t know anyone wasn’t easy. Our high school had a big cafeteria that could be divided into three smaller rooms, but they would never open up the walls. The reason for this was that there had been a huge fight once and they didn’t want any more confrontations. Each room had a name, they were named Commons A, Commons B, and Commons C. We weren’t able to pick the common in which we wanted to be in. The school, to make our life more miserable, would also give us assigned seats. One thing that I can’t complain about and that my classmates are probably going to look at me right now for saying this is the food. I went to Belvidere High School and I loved the food! I would look forward to lunchtime every day just because of the food. Till this day I have not found alfredo sauce that is as good as the one that they just to give us in high school. One thing that I would hate in high school was how they would run the schedules. They would give us too much time for one thing and not enough for another. We would go into a classroom for 15 minutes and do nothing. This class period was called home room. The teacher was supposed to inform us of changes that would be going on around the school, but they never would. We would sit there for 15 minutes of our life and basically do nothing. The teacher herself didn’t know what was going on. They also need to take away study hall, people didn’t do their homework during study hall. They would just sit there and talk, they wouldn’t even bring their books to study hall. Instead of getting study hall we should get more gym time. I mean, 45 minutes isn’t enough to actually exercise. By the time that we are done getting dressed we only have about 35 minutes left. Then the teachers instead of hurrying up the students, they’re over there having conversations with the other gym teachers . Then they take forever to take attendance. By then time they’re done explaining what were actually doing that day, we have like 25 minutes left of gym, not including the 5 minutes they give us at the end of the class period to get changed. 20 minutes is not enough time to run a gym class. We can’t exercise, sweat and take a shower in that little time and then the media complains that the students are obese. The method that some teachers have of teaching is absolutely awful. My Spanish teacher for native speakers was really nice and got along with everyone. All the students would talk so well about her, they would always say positive things about her. Probably because they never did anything while they were in her class. The only thing was that she was horrible at teaching. Well, it wasn’t that she was horrible at it, it was just that she wouldn’t teach anything. I remember she got sick and was out for three months. During that time we literally did not do anything. I remember that the substitute would just look at us and he would ask us what would we usually do, we would look at him, smile and answer â€Å"nothing†. Don’t ask why, but this was the second year that I had taken Spanish class with her, so when she came back she told us that most of us had been with her for two years so she would give us a grade based on what we had gotten the year before. I took that class to improve my writing in Spanish, to learn the proper grammar, but I did not achieve any of that. The English teachers weren’t as bad as the Spanish teacher, but we still didn’t accomplish much. The only time that I remember writing an essay in high school was junior year. Maybe it had to do with the school that I was in. My junior year of high school I went to Belvidere High School instead of Elgin High School. In Belvidere High the teachers were a little more strict, at least that’s what I thought. Until I found out that the only teacher that had ever assigned me to do an essay had been with one of the students. I was completely shocked because she had always been very professional about her job. Even though there’s a lot of negatives things with the high school that I went to, I still enjoyed every minute of it. I got to meet new people and experience new things. Sure my high school wasn’t the best, but I am still thankful that I received a basic education. The only thing that I do regret is not going to prom. I told myself that if no one asked me to prom that I wouldn’t go. Nobody ended up asking me so I didn’t go. I lost the chance to experience something that you only get to experience once in your life. So enjoy your high school while you can because once you are out, there is no turning back.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Final Exam Ec315

PART I. HYPOTHESIS TESTING PROBLEM 1 A certain brand of fluorescent light tube was advertised as having an effective life span before burning out of 4000 hours. A random sample of 84 bulbs was burned out with a mean illumination life span of 1870 hours and with a sample standard deviation of 90 hours. Construct a 95 confidence interval based on this sample and be sure to interpret this interval. Answer Since population standard deviation is unknown, t distribution can be used construct the confidence interval. ? The 95% confidence interval is given by ? X ? t? / 2,n ? 1 ? S S? , X ? ? /2,n ? 1 ? n n? Details Confidence Interval Estimate for the Mean Data Sample Standard Deviation Sample Mean Sample Size Confidence Level 90 1870 84 95% Intermediate Calculations Standard Error of the Mean 9. 819805061 Degrees of Freedom 83 t Value 1. 988959743 Interval Half Width 19. 53119695 Confidence Interval Interval Lower Limit 1850. 47 Interval Upper Limit 1889. 53 2 PROBLEM 2 Given the following data from two independent data sets, conduct a one -tail hypothesis test to determine if the means are statistically equal using alpha=0. 05. Do NOT do a confidence interval. 1 = 35 n2 = 30 xbar1= 32 xbar2 = 25 s1=7 s2 = 6 Answer H0:Â µ1=Â µ2 H1: Â µ1>Â µ2 Test statistics used is t ? X1 ? X 2 S 2 (n1 ? 1) S12 ? (n2 ? 1) S2 n1n2 ~ tn1 ? n1 ? 2 where S ? n1 ? n2 ? 2 n1 ? n2 Decision rule : Reject the null hypothesis, if the calculated value of test statistic is greater than the critical value. Details t Test for Differences in Two Means Data Hypothesized Difference Level of Significance Population 1 Sample Sample Size Sample Mean Sample Standard Deviation Population 2 Sample Sample Size Sample Mean Sample Standard Deviation 0 0. 05 35 32 7 30 25 6Intermediate Calculations Population 1 Sample Degrees of Freedom 34 Population 2 Sample Degrees of Freedom 29 Total Degrees of Freedom 63 Pooled Variance 43. 01587 Difference in Sample Means 7 t Test Statistic 4. 289648 Upper-Tail Test U pper Critical Value p-Value Reject the null hypothesis 1. 669402 3. 14E-05 Conclusion: Reject the null hypothesis. The sample provides enough evidence to support the claim that means are different. 3 PROBLEM 3. A test was conducted to determine whether gender of a display model af fected the likelihood that consumers would prefer a new product.A survey of consumers at a trade show which used a female spokesperson determined that 120 of 300 customers preferred the product while 92 of 280 customers preferred the product when it was shown by a female spokesperson. Do the samples provide sufficient evidence to indicate that the gender of the salesperson affect the likelihood of the product being favorably regarded by consumers? Evaluate with a two-tail, alpha =. 01 test. Do NOT do a confidence interval. Answer H0: There no significant gender wise difference in the proportion customers who preferred the product.H1: There significant gender wise difference in the proportion customers who preferred the product. P ? P2 n p ? n p 1 The test Statistic used is Z test Z ? where p= 1 1 2 2 n1 ? n2 ?1 1? P(1 ? P) ? ? ? ? n1 n2 ? Decision rule : Reject the null hypothesis, if the calculated value of test statistic is greater than the critical value. Details Z Test for Differences in Two Proportions Data Hypothesized Difference Level of Significance Group 1 Number of Successes Sample Size Group 2 Number of Successes Sample Size 0 0. 01 Male 120 300 Female 92 80 Intermediate Calculations Group 1 Proportion 0. 4 Group 2 Proportion 0. 328571429 Difference in Two Proportions 0. 071428571 Average Proportion 0. 365517241 Z Test Statistic 1. 784981685 Two-Tail Test Lower Critical Value -2. 575829304 Upper Critical Value 2. 575829304 p-Value 0. 074264288 Do not reject the null hypothesis Conclusion: Fails to reject the null hypothesis. The sample does not provide enough evidence to support the claim that there significant gender wise difference in the proportion customers who preferr ed the product. 4PROBLEM 4 Assuming that the population variances are equal for Male and Female GPA’s, test the following sample data to see if Male and Female PhD candidate GPA’s (Means) are equal. Conduct a two-tail hypothesis test at ? =. 01 to determine whether the sample means are different. Do NOT do a confidence interval. Male GPA’s Female GPA’s Sample Size 12 13 Sample Mean 2. 8 4. 95 Sample Standard Dev .25 .8 Answer H0: There is no significant difference in the mean GPA of males and Females H1: There is significant difference in the mean GPA of males and Females. Test Statistic used is independent sample t test. ? X1 ? X 2 S 2 (n1 ? 1) S12 ? (n2 ? 1) S2 n1n2 ~ tn1 ? n1 ? 2 where S ? n1 ? n2 ? 2 n1 ? n2 Decision rule: Reject the null hypotheses, if the calculated value of test statistic is greater than the critical value. Details t Test for Differences in Two Means Data Hypothesized Difference Level of Significance Population 1 Sample Sample Size Sample Mean Sample Standard Deviation Population 2 Sample Sample Size Sample Mean Sample Standard Deviation Intermediate Calculations Population 1 Sample Degrees of Freedom Population 2 Sample Degrees of Freedom Total Degrees of Freedom Pooled Variance 0. 05 12 2. 8 0. 25 13 4. 95 0. 8 11 12 23 0. 363804 5 Difference in Sample Means t Test Statistic -2. 15 -8. 90424 Two-Tail Test Lower Critical Value Upper Critical Value p-Value Reject the null hypothesis -2. 80734 2. 807336 0. 0000 Conclusion: Reject the null hypotheses. The sample provides enough evidence to support the claim that there is significant difference in the mean GP A score among the males and females. 6 PART II REGRESSION ANALYSIS Problem 5 You wish to run the regression model (less Intercept and coefficients) shown below: VOTE = URBAN + INCOME + EDUCATEGiven the Excel spreadsheet below for annual data from1970 to 2006 (with the data for row 5 thru row 35 not shown), complete all necessary entries in the Excel Regress ion Window shown below the data. 1 2 3 4 A YEAR 1970 1971 1972 B VOTE C URBAN D INCOME E EDUCATE 49. 0 58. 3 45. 2 62. 0 65. 2 75. 0 7488 7635 7879 4. 3 8. 3 4. 5 36 37 38 2004 2005 2006 50. 1 92. 1 94. 0 95. 6 15321 15643 16001 4. 9 4. 7 5. 1 67. 7 54. 2 Regression Input OK Input Y Range: A1:A38 Input X Range: B1:E38 Cancel Help ? Labels Confidence Level: x X X Output options X Constant is Zero 95 % Output Range: New Worksheet Ply:New W orkbook Residuals Residuals Residual Plots Standardized Residuals Line Fit Plots Normal Probabilit y Normal Probability Plots 7 PROBLEM 6. Use the following regression output to determine the following: A real estate investor has devised a model to estimate home prices in a new suburban development. Data for a random sample of 100 homes were gathered on the selling price of the home ($ thousands), the home size (square feet), the lot size (thousands of square feet), and the number of bedrooms. The following multiple regression output was generated: Regression Statistics Multiple R 0. 8647 R Square . 7222 Adjusted R Square 0. 6888 Standard Error 16. 0389 Observations 100 Intercept X1 (Square Feet) X2 (Lot Size) X3 (Bedrooms) Coefficients -24. 888 0. 2323 11. 2589 15. 2356 Standard Error 38. 3735 0. 0184 1. 7120 6. 8905 t Stat -0. 7021 9. 3122 4. 3256 3. 2158 P-value 0. 2154 0. 0000 0. 0001 0. 1589 a. Why is the coefficient for BEDROOMS a positive number? The selling price increase when the number of rooms increases. Thus the relationship is positive. b. Which is the most statistically significant variable? What evidence shows this? Most statistically significant variable is one with least p value.Here most statistically significant variable is Square feet. c. Which is the least statistically significant variable? What evidence shows this? Least statistically significant variable is one with high p value. Here least statistically significant variable is bedrooms d. For a 0. 05 level of significance, should any variable be droppe d from this model? Why or why not? The variable bed rooms can be dropped from the model as the p value is greater than 0. 05. e. Interpret the value of R squared? How does this value from the adjusted R squared? The R2 gives the model adequacy. Here R2 suggest that 72. 22% variability can e explained by the model. Adjusted R2 is a modification of R2 that adjusts for the number of explanatory terms in a model. Unlike R2, the adjusted R2 increases only if the new term improves the model more than would be expected by chance. f. Predict the sales price of a 1134-square-foot home with a lot size of 15,400 square feet and 2 bedrooms. Selling Price =-24. 888+0. 02323*1134+11. 2589*15400+15. 2356*2=173419 8 PART III SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS. Problem 7 Define Autocorrelation in the following terms: a. In what type of regression is it likely to occur? Regressions involving time series data . What is bad about autocorrelation in a regression? The standard error of the estimat es will high. c. What method is used to determine if it exists? (Think of statistical test to be used) Durbin Watson Statistic is used determine auto correlation in a regression. d. If found in a regression how is it eliminated? Appropriate transformations can be adopted to eliminate auto correlation. Problem 8 Define Multicollinearity in the following terms: a) In what type of regression is it likely to occur? Multicollinearity occurs in multiple regressions when two or more independent variables are highly correlated. ) Why is multicollinearity in a regression a difficulty to be resolved? Multicollinearity in Regression Models is an unacceptably high level of intercorrelation among the independents, such that the effects of the independents cannot be separated. Under multicollinearity, estimates are unbiased but assessments of the relative strength of the explanatory variables and their joint effect are unreliable. c) How can multicollinearity be determined in a regression? Multic ollinearity refers to excessive correlation of the predictor variables. When correlation is excessive (some use the rule of thumb of r > 0. 90), tandard errors of the b and beta coefficients become large, making it difficult or impossible to assess the relative importance of the predictor variables. The measures Tolerance and VIF are commonly used to measure multicollinearity. Tolerance is 1 – R2 for the regression of that independent variable on all the other independents, ignoring the dependent. There will be as many tolerance coefficients as there are independents. The higher the inter-correlation of the independents, the more the tolerance will approach zero. As a rule of thumb, if tolerance is less than . 20, a problem with multicollinearity is indicated.When tolerance is close to 0 there is high multicollinearity of that variable with other independents and the b and beta coefficients will be unstable. The more the multicollinearity, the lower the tolerance, the more th e standard error of the regression coefficients. d) If multicollinearity is found in a regression, how is it eliminated? Multicollinearity occurs because two (or more) variables are related – they measure essentially the same thing. If one of the variables doesn’t seem logically essential to your model, removing it may reduce or eliminate multicollinearity.