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Assignment II – Intake Session Assignment Treatment Plan 1) Identify what additional information you would need to begin treatment with this client? One of the most important aspects of counseling is to learn how your client copes with their struggles. I found that this was not covered in the â€Å"Karen† intake. If I were to go back and complete an assessment with her, I would most definitely cover this topic in further detail, specifically with her traumatic event with her own personal experience with her car accident as well as losing her father to a car accident. I could always assume that she has chose to cope with the traumatic event of being in the car accident by isolative behavior as well as disengagement from social events†¦show more content†¦There are special considerations that need take place before someone get introduced to group; however, because it has the potential to trigger the individual and create a crisis in their life. Therefore, I would be careful to not place her in group too soon without knowing that she has healthy coping skills to handle the anxiety that may come from group therapy (N ilmadhab, 2011). In addition to CBT and Group I would utilize exposure therapy with Karen, which would allow her to have less fear of her memory of the car accident by repeatedly speaking about her trauma (Zoellner, Feeny, Bittinger, Bedard-Gilligan, Slagle, Post, Chen, 2011). Karen has learned to fear thoughts, feelings, and situations, as well as her close relationships that remind her of car accidents. I would help Karen talk about the trauma in hopes of helping her control her feelings and avoidance of the topic. Karen was very hesitant in discussing the car accident itself. She described it but did not seem to have the desire to discuss how the car accident made her feel; therefore, it would be critical to bring these feelings out of her and expose her to those feelings and emotions (Zoellner, et. al., 2011). Karen would learn to not be afraid of these feelings and memories from the car accident. I would also utilize eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therap y, which is commonly used for individuals suffering from post traumatic

Argumentative Position Paper Free Essays

| | | | | | The â€Å"Weak† Tea Party Movement Curt D. Collins Bellevue University Professor Wright EN102-T301 Composition II October 13, 2012 The â€Å"Weak† Tea Party Movement On Feb. 19, 2009, about a month after President Barack Obama’s first day on the job, CNBC host Rick Santelli railed against the President’s proposed bank bailout and stimulus package on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange calling it an effort to help those who did not, or could not, help themselves (Tea Party Movement, 2012). We will write a custom essay sample on Argumentative Position Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Santelli sanctioned â€Å"another tea party† similar to the American Revolution movement of the same name, and almost immediately, the movement gained momentum. By autumn, hundreds of Tea Party groups organized efforts in every state (Tea Party Movement, 2012). A year later, the movement influenced Republican party politics in the 2010 congressional elections (Tea Party Movement Evolves, 2012). With all the hype and candidate activities grabbing headlines for the past two years, the Tea Party Movement has fallen back to the shadows of the alleys that seldom get noticed. The goals of the movement initially were to remove Republican Party officials who were not living up to the conservative standards adopted by the movement and stop the Democratic economic policy supporters from carrying out the bailout plan. Although the Tea Party Movement was effective in 2009 and 2010 at trying to accomplish it’s goals, the lack of a substantive spokesman, little to not political pull, and sporadic support has watered down the efforts of the movement to an almost complete halt in 2012. Therefore, the Tea Partiers have lost their chance to evoke change in the government. Since the Tea Party Movement ideals do not support the President’s party, Democrats view the movement as a road block to progressing the current administration’s plans for economic recovery. Conservative thinkers, on the other hand, see the Tea Partiers as throw back hardliners who will stop at nothing to achieve the success that comes with defeating the Democrats in elections, passing an economic strategy that supports a more conservative framework, and purging the Republican party of so called conservatives that really don’t practice what they preach. This kind of focus and drive is a good thing. The founding of the United States of America is based on the idea that we all have the right to speak out against the current government. Conflict is healthy. With conflict comes resolution. The resolution brings a new idea that best suites the situation. Theda Skocpol, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology Harvard University, cites three main forces behind the movement’s success: â€Å"grassroots activism, funding from wealthy conservative advocacy groups, and publicity from right-leaning broadcasters† (Skopcol and Williamson, 2012). The movement has all the ingredients of becoming a very viable and valid contender for fighting the good fight, according to some. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, stated the following in a July 29, 2010 interview with Newsmax. tv:†First of all, I think the Republican Tea Party will beat the Democratic Socialist Party†¦ Second, I like the Tea Party movement†¦ I think the Tea Partiers I meet with around the country†¦ re serious people studying the Constitution, trying to find a way to get back to balanced, limited government with balanced budgets and with much less power in Washington, and I approve of their general direction. † July 29, 2010| The key point to take away from Gingrich’s statement is that the Tea Party is trying, without success, to invoke principles that have do not have widespread appeal. In cases like this, a spokesman for the Party Movement would be most beneficial. Rick Santorum, former US Senator (R-PA), stated the following during the June 13, 2011 CNN Republican presidential debate in Manchester, NH, available on CNN. com: | â€Å"I think the Tea Party is a great backstop for America. I love it when people hold up this Constitution and say we have to live by what our founders laid out for this country. It is absolutely essential that we have that backbone to the Republican Party going into this election. † June 13, 2011 | Although Santorum supports the ideas the Tea Party Movement endorses, he does not support the movement. Tea Partiers fight for what is theirs. Most are older citizens that rely on Social Security and Medicare, two things that the Democratic economic strategy will substantially reduce fiscally. â€Å"They think that government spending is OK as long as it’s for people who’ve worked all their lives and earned the benefits,† Skocpol said. â€Å"They speak of themselves as hard-working Americans who deserve all they’re getting from society. † The Tea Party Movement does not support programs like Pell Grants, food stamps, and Medicaide. In general, the movement members do not feel an obligation to support groups like immigrants, people of color, and young people. Opposition from these groups has contributed greatly to the demise of support for the Tea Party Movement. The mantra for Tea Partiers is that of a generation who worked hard for the benefits that they currently have and damned be anyone who tries to â€Å"steal† from that pot (Skopcol and Williamson, 2012). This ideology is slowly turning away a whole generation. Without support from these less mature individuals, the party is losing popularity, fast. The beginnings of the movement may have be admirable, however, its growth and victories are a result of donations from conservative groups and exposure due to making headlines (Skopcol and Williamson, 2012). â€Å"Conservative political action committees saw a good thing erupt in 2009, and joined with right-wing media leaders in cheerleading, pushing, leveraging the grassroots protesters to effect change within the Republican Party,† Skocpol said. Their goal was to move the GOP further to the right in policy terms, and to prevent moderates from getting elected, and from compromising with Democrats if they got there. The right-wing media helped to give scattered protesters and groups the sense that they were in something big together and could affect national politics. † Although Republicans benefitted from Tea Party influence by achieving electoral success in 2010 and may again in 2 012, Skocpol says that the movement creates major problems for the Republican Party as the years go on (Skopcol and Williamson, 2012). One of the problems being that the popularity of the movement might polarize supporters, therefore, the support will die in order to facilitate â€Å"acceptance† in the party as a whole. The more likely result is that Tea Party supporters will come into the fold of the Republican Party, abandoning the ideals and issues once fought for strongly by the movement. Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated the following during the NBC News/Politico Republican presidential debate held at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA  on Sep. , 2011, available at NYTimes. com:| â€Å"I believe in a lot of what the Tea Party believes in. The Tea Party believes that government’s too big, taxing too much, and that we ought to get — get to the work of getting Americans to work. So I put together a plan with a whole series of points of how we can get America’s economy going again. Tea Party people like that. So if the Tea Party is for keeping government small a nd spending down, and helping us create jobs, then, hey, I’m for the Tea Party. † Sep. 7, 2011| The real Tea Party Movement is not a political party. How can a movement endorse anybody? It can’t. This is a big factor for why interest and momentum is dwindling with the movement. One reason for the lack of leadership: Romney, Gingrich, and Santorum have each taken political and economic contrary stands on issues that the Tea Party Movement supported. Gingrich and Romney both supported a bank bailout in 2008, as well as supporting health insurance incentives years earlier (Skopcol and Williamson, 2012). Santorum, the most conservative of the three, voted against several projects that received Tea Party support during his time in the Senate (Skopcol and Williamson, 2012). Looking more like a senior citizens brigade than a force to be reckoned with in the political arena, the Tea Party Movement is waning. â€Å"The Tea Party movement is dead. It’s gone,† says Chris Littleton, the cofounder of the Ohio Liberty Council, a statewide coalition of Tea Party groups in Ohio (The Tea Party Movement Evolves, 2012). I think largely the Tea Party is irrelevant in the primaries. They aren’t passionate about any of the candidates, and if they are passionate, they’re for Ron Paul. † Ron Paul has no support from any party and is not considered to be a contender for the office of the President. The Tea Party Movement will not influence government as long as it continues to repel support of minority groups, cling to issues that affect only a fraction of the population , and fail at choosing a spokesperson who can be rallied around to act as effective leader for the group. References Skocpol, T. , and Williamson, V. , (2012). The Tea Party and the Remaking of an Conservatism. Oxford; New York: Oxford UP. Print. Tea Party Movement. (2012). In The New York Times. Retrieved from http://topics. nytimes. com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/t/tea_party_movement/index. html Barrow, W. , (2012). Tea Party Movement Evolves, Achieves State Policy Victories. (2012). In Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/08/12/tea-party-movement_n_1770452. html How to cite Argumentative Position Paper, Essays

Dispute Resolution in Oil and Gas Industry

Question: Describe about the oil and gas industry? Answer: Introduction The oil and gas industry is one of the most expensive industry. It is a complex industry, consisting of risky operations The parties enter into special contracts. This industry has complex and risky operations, hence susceptible to myriad disputes. The disputes that arise are related to jurisdiction, quality of goods, quantity of goods, insurance, international boundary, expert findings, etc, thus it is necessary to solve the dispute between the parties by appropriate means. ADR (agreed dispute resolution) processes are also called alternative dispute resolution. It can be mediation, arbitration, negotiations, expert determination, conciliation and evaluation. Arbitration is one of the forms of agreed dispute resolutions. It permits the parties to the contract to solve their disputes by arbitrator instead of the traditional court system. To initiate arbitral proceedings, the parties to the contract can refer their dispute to one or more persons - known as the 'arbitrators' or an 'arbitral tribunal' and it is agreed between them to be bound by the decision or award of arbitrators or the arbitral tribunal. International commercial arbitration is of two types, 1) An institutional arbitration and 2) An ad-hoc arbitration (Maniruzzaman, 1993). The institutional arbitration process is one where the parties to the dispute refer their case to the arbitral institution for determination of an award, whereas in adhoc arbitration, the parties file their dispute to an arbitration not managed by any established arbitral institution. There is no dearth of arbitral institutions in the world. There are three main International Commercial Arbitration Institutions viz, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Cente for the Dispute Resolution (ICDR), International Court of Arbitration the American Arbitration Associations (AAA) and the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) (Bower and Young, 1995). The reasons as to why international commercial arbitration is still preferred in spite of development in litigation 1) Neutrality It so happens, that the contracts are between the parties of different nations and different jurisdictions, None of the parties to the contract are ready to be subjected to the jurisdiction of another nation. The countries would want to avoid the advantage of home country, thus resulting in parties choosing neutrality based arbitration. For the purpose of neutrality, the nationality and residence of the arbitrator are considered by the court. The arbitrator's relation to the parties to the contract is also considered in order to make sure that the arbitrator's decision is independent and impartial (Trakman, 2002). The decision of the arbitrator can be challenged in case of absence of independence and impartiality by the public policy executors. 2) Autonomy The main principle of International commercial arbitration is autonomy. It gives autonomy to the parties to the contract, that is not given in litigations. It is provided in Article 19 (1) of UNCITRAL Model Law that subject to the provisions of national and international laws of arbitration, the parties to the contract agree about the conduct of arbitral tribunals proceedings. The parties to the contract are free to concur on the methods of solving their disputes in the United Kingdom. Arbitrators are persons with expert knowledge in the oil and gas industry in comparison to magistrates and honurable judges of courts who lack expertise. In the case of Jivraj v Hashwan (2011) UKSC 40, the Supreme Court held that the autonomy of parties cannot be challenged by overruling the decision of Court of Appeal. There is no limit as to the freedom of parties (Giles, 2011). 3) Speedy disposal and cost effective Arbitration is preferred, as it is speedy and cost effective. Whereas litigation involves high fees and is very expensive, the court processes are lengthy. However, there is a difference of opinion regarding the costs of the arbitration process, as it is believed that the arbitration is costly in comparison to international litigations. In Arbitration, the award is not appealable, except in a few cases, there is less of discovery, so it takes a shorter time, hence, more beneficial in comparison to litigations. It is authored by Watkins and Latham that, delay in arbitration may result due to the arrangement of the arbitrators schedule and even the party schedule (Hwang, 2015). Enforceability of the Award The basic benefit of international arbitration is in respect of an enforcement of an award. As per the New York Convention, it is obligatory on the contracting parties or contracting states to give recognition to the award and also obligatory to enforce an award, except, in case of irregularities that are of a serious nature in procedure or in the integrity of procedure (Ahmed, 2010). The development of resolving international disputes in oil and gas industry by arbitration is attributed to the New York Convention and is regarded as an important treaty in the matter of international arbitration in the commercial sector. Since, it is obligatory to enforce an award, it becomes much easier to enforce an award given in one contracting state into the other contracting states. The most important feature in the matter of arbitration is the principle of separability which exists in an arbitration clause or agreement. It states that, even if, the clause of arbitration in the contract is decla red as null and void, it permits the parties to enforce an award. The principle of separability is incorporated in Article 16 (1) of the UNCITRAL Model Law, as under an arbitral clause, which is a part and constitutes a contract shall be considered as an agreement and irrespective of the rest of the terms of the contract. The decision taken by the arbitral tribunal which declares the contract as null and void will also do not make the arbitration clause invalid (The Merits, the Award and Annulment -- Act IV, Scene I, 2008). This separability doctrine of the arbitration clause is favored and in many cases, defended by the arbitrators. In the matter of arbitration between Texaco Overseas Petroleum Company (Topco) California Asiatic Oil Company v Government of Libya Arab Republic Award of 19th January 1977,17 LL.M 3 (1978) 4 Y. B.Com. Arb. 177 (1979), wherein it was held that the doctrine of separability is widely accepted. It is complicated, expensive and time consuming to enforce the judgement of the court in another country, thus arbitration internationally is the most preferred means of settling disputes as it is speedy and simple (Wortmann, 1998). Confidentiality International Commercial Arbitration is of a great advantage due to its virtue of confidentiality. It is agreed between the parties to the arbitration agreeent to maintain confidentiality of proceedinds, orders, documents and also the awards, whereas in litigation, there is no confidentiality, the proceedings are open to the public, however there is a lot of controversy regarding the confidentiality of arbitration proceedings, as the person who seeks to enforce an award has to apply in court for enforcement, thus it results in proceedings becoming open to public. In the case of Dowans Holdings Dowans SA (Costa Rica) (DOWANS) and Dowans Tanzania Limited v Tanzania Electricity Supply Co. Limited (TANESCO) Arbitration Case No.15947/ VRO. ICC, in this case gave an award favouring DOWANS applied to High Court of Tanzania Dar-es-Salaam. the proccedings acquired huge news media reporting. Thus, the dispute regarding confidentiality may be right (Uk.practicallaw.com, 2016). Non-Adversarial This is one of the most important factor of a non-adversarial approach. As put forth by King and Others, the basic aim is to prevent the disputes, co-operation and solving the problems Its objective is to find the truth and not the dispute determination only. The approach is more multidisciplinary than monopoly. This approach of non-adversarial is based on the principle of win-win. This is most suitable for oil and gas industry, as the parties to the dispute intend to maintain relationships even after the disputes are resolved and award is granted. It is a big advantage in this regards due to this approach of Non-adversarial for maintaining good relationships between the parties to the dispute after the completion of arbitration process. In litigations, the principle of winner-take all is due to adversarial approach, so the question or intention of maintaining relations is not there (Legislation.gov.uk, 2016). Conclusion In short, oil and gas industry prefers an arbitration process, as it enables the parties to select a venue that is neutral, resulting in a neutral process. The most deciding factor for parties to prefer international arbitration despite developments in litigations, is due to party autonomy. As per the NewYork Convention, the parties can enforce an award of an arbitrator, thus the parties to the dispute are given an assurance for choosing arbitration for Redressal of their greivances. And lastly, due to its non-adversarial approach to solve disputes on the basis of principle of win win, it allows the parties to the dispute to maintain good relations, which is very important for continuing the operations in oil and gas industry. However, according to the survey carried out by Professor Loukas Mistelis, Director of the school of international arbitration, eighty percent of the corporation stated that, the main disadvantage of arbitration was huge expenses (Resolution, 2015). Recently, i t was acknowledged by the stakeholders that arbitration is costlier than litigation and that at times it is not possible for the parties to refer the dispute to arbitration for vindication of their rights (Uk.practicallaw.com, 2016). It is not accepted by some that arbitration is more expensive than litigation as they consider some arbitration are cheaper than litigation and some are costlier, in the case of complex disputes, the cost goes up to hundreds or millions in foreign currency. The people who consider arbitration expensive have following reasons in believing so: 1) It is the case that the clause in the contract results in party to a particular arbitration institution, thus they are not able to exercise an option of choosing a low cost arbitration, if the agreed arbitration institution is expensive. Thus, it becomes expensive as the party cannot choose a low cost institution. 2) The second reason attributing to being expensive is the responsibility of the party to pay the arbitrators' fees, administrative fees, fees of the institution, whereas in litigation, Judges are not to be paid by the parties to the dispute, as the government pays them (Academia.edu, 2016) . 3) The arbitration procedures put a burden of lots of extra fees on the party. All the extra fees results in arbitration expensive, however, these extra fees tend to become less costly than the costs of attorney's fees and other legal expenses, where substantial investigations are required. It may be said that there are expensive arbitration and cheaper arbitration and litigation too may be expensive or may be cheaper. In spite of being expensive, international commercial arbitrations are preferred to solve their disputes because of its reliability of enforcement of awards. It may be suggested that in coming years arbitration may develop and has a bright future. It can be further suggested that a mechanism needs to be developed to reduce the arbitration cost. If the parties to the dispute in international contracts conducts a research in the matter of selection of arbitral institution or other body, then in that case it would enable them to know the costs of arbitration (Celik, 2013). They can analyze and get details of the costs of all the arbitral bodies or institutions and choose the one that suits their budget. In view of the given reasons for preferences for International Commercial Arbitration, it seems that arbitration is a more advantageous method of solving the disputes as it enables the parties to maintain good relations at the end of the arbitration. It is very important for the parties to continue to keep good relationships with each other in oil and gas industry. References Academia.edu. (2016). Dispute Resolution in Oil and Gas Industry: International Commercial Arbitration. [online] Available at: https://www.academia.edu/8782565/Dispute_Resolution_in_Oil_and_Gas_Industry_International_Commercial_Arbitration [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016]. Ahmed, M. (2010). Arbitration Clauses: Fairness, Justice and Commercial Certainty. Arbitration International, 26(3), pp.409-420. Bower, D. and Young, A. (1995). Influences on technology strategy in the uk oil- and gas-related industry network. Technology Analysis Strategic Management, 7(4), pp.407-416. Celik, D. (2013). Judicial review under the UK and US Arbitration Acts: Is arbitration a better substitute for litigation?. IALS Student Law Review, 1(1). Giles, J. (2011). Hashwani v Jivraj: London Court of International Arbitration and others intervening: ([2011] UKSC) 40: Supreme Court (England and Wales): Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers PSC, Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe, Lord Mance, Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony, Lord Dyson JJSC: 27 July 2011. Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, 1(1), pp.298-299. Hwang, M. (2015). Commercial courts and international arbitration--competitors or partners?. Arbitration International, 31(2), pp.193-212. Lando, O. (2007). Culture and Contract Laws. European Review of Contract Law, 3(1), pp.1-20. Legislation.gov.uk. (2016). Arbitration Act 1996. [online] Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/23/contents [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016]. Maniruzzaman, A. (1993). Conflict of Laws Issues in International Arbitration: Practice and Trends. Arbitration International, 9(4), pp.371-404. Resolution, O. (2015). Oil and Gas Industry Favours International Arbitration for Dispute Resolution | White Case LLP International Law Firm, Global Law Practice. [online] Whitecase.com. Available at: https://www.whitecase.com/news/oil-and-gas-industry-favours-international-arbitration-dispute-resolution [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016]. Jacobs, K. (2016). ARTICLE:The Convergence of Renewed Nationalization, Rising Commodities, and "Americanization" in International Arbitration and the Need for More Rigorous Legal and Procedural Defenses. [online] Litigation-essentials.lexisnexis.com. Available at: https://litigation-essentials.lexisnexis.com/webcd/app?action=DocumentDisplaycrawlid=1doctype=citedocid=43+Tex.+Int%27l+L.J.+359srctype=smisrcid=3B15key=592a6c4c3b6a0f623a2a617ab1d3e26f [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016]. The Merits, the Award and Annulment -- Act IV, Scene I. (2008). Arbitration International, 24(1), pp.77-96. Trakman, L. (2002). Confidentiality in International Commercial Arbitration. Arbitration International, 18(1), pp.1-18. Uk.practicallaw.com. (2016). Practical Law. [online] Available at: https://uk.practicallaw.com/2-510-6528?service=arbitration [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016]. Uk.practicallaw.com. (2016). Practical Law. [online] Available at: https://uk.practicallaw.com/4-502-1378?service=arbitration [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016]. Wortmann, B. (1998). Choice of Law by Arbitrators: The Applicable Conflict of Laws System. Arbitration International, 14(2), pp.97-114.

Music And Advertisements Essays - Music, Britney Spears,

Music And Advertisements Have you ever looked at pop culture icons and wondered why certain celebrities appear in ads? Especially when the person has no apparent relationship with the product being sold in the ad. It seems like there is some mysterious force that attracts companies to recruit these stars to be in their ads. What most people do not realize is that these ads try to entice younger viewers into looking at them by displaying pop figures who are popular and controversial. These companies look to get any celebrity that is popular and notorious for controversy into their advertisements just so that young people will recognize it. An ad for Tommy Jeans, with Britney Spears in it, is made solely for young people to be enticed by the popular musician, not the jeans themselves. Similar to a Candies Fragrances ad that has Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra posing together. These ads are using popular icons and the celebritys controversial lives to draw young audiences so that the ad will stick out in teena gers minds. In the two page Tommy Jean advertisement, the ad is divided into four sections. The third section, starting from the left, has a guitar with the American flag on it and the words Tommy Hilfiger in two of the stripes. The first two and the final sections are pictures of Britney Spears singing in a recording studio. Shes wearing headphones, white Tommy top and blue Tommy jeans, in each of the three pictures. The words Tommy Jeans are shown across the middle of the pages and in the bottom right hand corner of the ad. Underneath the one of those is the statement presents Britney Spears baby one more time tour. Another ad is the Candies advertisement, which displays both Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman together as a pair. Rodman is dressed in just a pair of boxers, standing with his hands raised. Carmen, on the other hand, is fully clothed with jeans and short top. She is standing with her one arm wrapped around Dennis with a bottle of Candies fragrances. Her head is against his chest while, her other hand slightly tugging his boxers away from his body. The ad is giving the appearance that she is spraying the fragrance beneath his boxers. Obviously the ad is appealing to the sexual controversy between the two stars. The first celebrity mentioned is Britney Spears, one of the new poster pop stars who Tommy Hilfiger has recruited. This beautiful, brown hair, brown-eyed girl has been singing nationally since she was seven years old. Yet, she just recently gained notoriety as a pop culture diva on her entrance into the pop music world. Britney Spears made a more noticeable impact on the pop scene because of some controversy arising in her career. A Rolling Stone article, which displayed too much skin of a seventeen-year-old girl than society believes should be allowed. She also has been accused of acquiring breast implants to further her career, which she denied weeks after the accusations. Leading the public to believe that she may have been debating on whether or not to tell the truth. This delayed reaction by Spears still creates controversy over the issue of her alleged implants. These events have helped Britney Spears get into the limelight and also increase her record sales. This controversy c ombined with her singing has made her very popular among teenagers, boys and girls alike. Tommy Hilfiger is capitalizing on her newfound fame by having her appear in their new advertisement campaign. Although he is not as accepted by the public as Britney Spears, he does share, he does share Spears controversial spotlight. Not only has Dennis Rodman been the topic of controversy, but even his relationship with Carmen Electra has been under much public scrutiny. Dennis Rodman is a NBA star with a bad boy reputation on and off the court. He had skipped many practices for his Los Angeles Lakers, which is unheard of in professional sports. Sport commentators questioned whether or not he should be allowed to play, while the team ultimately decided that he should not. Rodman has been seen blatantly knocking down cameramen and has been suspended for making physical contact with referees.

Youth essays

Youth essays Youth, a cherished period in one's whole life, is often commended by scholars and poets. As early as the last century, Hiller, the famous German poet once said that the most important thing in one's life is to be loyal to his dream in youth. But why youth and what is the youth indeed? The author of this elegant piece of article clearly explains to us that youth is not simply judged by how old you are, but instead by your mood and by your attitude towards life. At the beginning of the article, the author points out the traditional view of youth: rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees. It is true that all these exist when you are young but in the end they will definitely disappear with the age passing. However, in the following the author quickly gives us a sharp contrast towards this kind of traditional view by pointing out that youth is not a time of life but a state of mind, a matter of the will, a quality of imagination, a vigor of the emotions, the freshness of the deep springs of life. With the parallelism the author shows us his view towards youth and that is what youth really is. Then the author tells us the most important thing in youth, without which one will feel old though it is likely that he is only 20, physically considered young. A tempera-mental predominance of courage over timidity, the appetite for adventure over the love of ease, the spirit of chasing his dream and never give up, all these are regarded as the symptoms of youth. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years; they just grow old by deserting their ideals and then lose the courage and spirit to face the never-stop-changing world. Confidence, the indispensable factor in the life, also plays a very important and positive role in ones course of keeping young. As the old Chinese saying goes, the confidence is the source of all ones power. Without it one may be afraid of any failure and therefore fails to make any try and gradually dies with ...

Behavior That Has a Different Meaning Another Culture in

Describe a gesture or behavior that has a different meaning another culture in. Provide a complete description of the action and what it means in both cultures Gesture and behavior has a big differences In features and differences in the world. Every time we are taking a trip to another country we try to discover as much as possible information about a country where we are travel to. Every time when we are going to another country we should know that in different countries gestures are different. Many gestures are Interpreted differently than In our own country.Since I m a representative from another country, I would like to tell you about the gestures of my country, too. So, swinging your head left and right, and countries, including Russia, means no; however, In countries such as Bulgaria, India, Greece this means endorsement, yes and so on. One of the most common gestures over the world is Okay Hand Sign as we can judge as an endorsement or so thats all well and fine. In English-speaking countries gesture Okay Hand Sign, has a positive, endorsing the value okay. Also in Russia, this gesture has the same meaning as in English-speaking countries.But In France this gesture expresses conflicting emotions and opposite meaning. In Brazil, such gesture may judge as disrespect to the public or other person. Okay gesture is vulgar and obscene for educated people In Brazil. The gesture is interpreted in various countries In various ways. Another famous gesture is Thumbs up Hand Sign. Raising your hand in front of others and making Thumb up Hand Sigh it can be treated as All right, All is fine. Pulling your hand up and pointing your thumb behind someone, this is used in Russia and In many Europe countries.In Muslim countries, the sigh Is offensive and indecent. So, do not use the gesture in these countries. In Saudi Arabia, the rotational movement of the finger can Judge as a Scram out of here, Goodbye; however, meaning Goodbye will be expressed in aggressive style. Saying Goodbye to the people from America you must keep your hand horizontally and slowly lift it as if you were clapping someone on his shoulder or head. Russians waving their hands from one side to another; although, this gesture in other countries may have different concept. For example, when Hispanics see this gesture they think that It is an Invitation that has different meaning In Russians. Sign of the Horns has a variety of meanings. In Russian tales Sigh of the Horns depicts actual goat. In heavy metal subculture this gesture is view as metal sigh, to signify that the music they are listening to, mostly rock or metal genre. In some Western Europe and North America that sign (corona) Is offensive allusion to the fact that the person to whom It is shown Cuckold Very famous gesture all over the world is The V sigh. In Russia, as a rule means number two. For example, this way we order two beers in a bar. In America, The V facing your target, youre giving somebody a long-established insult in Great Britain and many English speaking countries such as Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. In many countries, one of them is Russia as well; tapping your forehead means What a fool Italian and French, tapping their foreheads, tell you that they do not like the idea and it seems silly. In Britain and Spain, it is a sign of admiration and contentment is in Germany anger and resentment, but the Dutchmen so portray [Our idea they liked. And remember, smile and kindness in any country leads to communication.

International Perspective on Environmental Health Assignment

International Perspective on Environmental Health - Assignment Example The major reason for the change in climate within the Vietnam is because of the activities increasing the emission of greenhouse gases. There are a lot of options for climate change mitigation for Vietnam. Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases below the current levels, or reducing the emissions in the current decade could offset the projected global emissions growth. The efficiency of distribution and supply could improve for better energy supplements. Similarly, using vehicles with cleaner diesel, fuel efficiency or hybrid vehicles could help promote transport solutions. Moreover, shifting the mode of transport from road to public and rail could also promote climate change mitigation (1). According to UNEP, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by replacing fossil fuels with bio-fuels is of primary concern right now (2, p.543). According to the report by Pham, Vietnam has a large potential of agricultural and biomass by-products. An estimate of 53.45 million tons of agricultural by-products and 25.09 million tons of wood biomass has been recorded for Vietnam (3). According to the experts from the IMHEN (Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment) at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment claimed that the impact of climatic change can cause negative effects on the lives of the people and economy. The government of Vietnam was a keen participant in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic Change, which shows that the government is keen to make changes in the field of developing measures against the negative climatic changes. According to a lot of studies carried out, it has been revealed that Indonesia is at a great risk of the impacts that will be caused by the climatic changes. These revelations have been backed up by the Asian Development Bank (4), Dasgupta et. Al (5, p. 3-4) and Yusuf and Francisco (6). Indonesia plays an important role in the global mitigation actions because of its

Transformation of e.coli with plasmid dna and ligated dna Essay

Transformation of e.coli with plasmid dna and ligated dna - Essay Example nce gene on the plasmid serves the purpose of a selectable marker that provides a new characteristic to the transformed cell not possessed by the non-transformed cell, thereby distinguishing from the non-transformant on a selective media. The ‘No DNA’ control on the LB plate (which contains no antibiotic or X-gal) is expected to show lawn pattern of bacterial growth implying that the bacterial cells are viable and can grow in the absence of the antibiotic ampicillin. However the "No DNA" on the LB blue plate is expected to show no growth as they do not contain the necessary gene for the restriction enzyme to survive in the medium with ampicillin. Tube 2 shows all blue colonies which illustrates that transformation of cells with plasmid pCK103 confers the bacterial cells with the ability to grow in ampicillin medium due to the presence of the resistance gene and also convert X-gal in the medium to produce blue colonies by the action of lac Z gene present in the plasmid which encodes ï  ¢- galactosidase involved in lactose metabolism. 3). x ï  ­g of the plasmid pCK103 were added to the E. coli during the transformation. From your results calculate the total number of transformants produced by this amount of DNA. Remember that the 100ï  ­l sample is only half of the total transformation and the 10ï  ­l sample is, of course, a twentieth. 4). This value is known as the transformation frequency and is a measure of the efficiency of the process. It is to some extent dependent on the plasmid used but for pCK103 a value of 106 - 107 transformants per ï  ­g may be expected under ideal conditions. How does your value compare to this? Why do you think it differs? The value differs from the ideal transformation efficiency predicted for pCK103. A number of factors affect transformation efficiency such as the actual DNA concentration and amount of DNA, heat shock, length of time for expression after transformation as well as the selective plates used. The results

Art & Literature Have No Place in the Modern World Essay Example for Free

Art Literature Have No Place in the Modern World Essay Creating and expressing ones self through various media, such as art and literature, has been a desire of mankind since the beginning of time. Art form and literature has been used to express mankinds deepest observations, most profound thinking and firmest beliefs; it encompasses many genres such as paintings,drama, poetry and novels. While both the physical arts and literature are a form of self-expression, each also represents a profession. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become. This adage is perhaps the most appropriate description of the importance of literature in our lives. As Amy Lowell quotes, ’Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in. ’ When we look around us, we see a lot of things that relate to art.. , contain art.. , are art.. and shows art.. Art is everywhere because people need to use it for daily uses. Art can come in the form of many things, including posters, murals, portraits, covers, paintings and more. This is enough to show how art and literature are blended into our lives. Music, paintings, sculptures, epics, fictions, movies, stories†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. and so on and so forth are all a part of us. Is there a home in this modern world without a painting on the wall or a deck which doesn’t hum their favourite tune or a rack with Fredrick Forsyth or James Hadley Chase novels? Even a child of this generation has his ears plugged all the time either listening to a soulful raga or a foot tapping Michael Jackson and reading either a religious book or a comic or an encyclopedia†¦. this is the common usage of art and literature. Art can also be used to liven up things in this world. It may not have a specific idea or meaning but it can be used to make things look better and more complete. When you write a project, it looks dull just with words, but when you add a picture or two to it, it looks much better because now there is visual aid. Art is found everywhere, including parks, school, malls,homes†¦ and is used just to make the place more comfortable and appealing to the eye. It can sometimes act as filler because it looks better than to just leave something on its own. It is through reading great literary and poetic works, that one understands life. They help a person take a closer look at the different facets of life. In many ways, it can change ones perspective towards life. Lives of brilliant achievers and individuals who have made a valuable contribution to society, are sketched in their biographies. These works give the readers an insight into the lives of these eminent people and sometimes help people change for the good. Friends, don’t you agree that Art and literature are great tools for learning. They can be found almost everywhere where there is a school. They are important because of what they can be used for. It is fun and acts as an interactive tool for learners who learn to appreciate art and literature for what it can do for them. In the process, people can learn a lot. Sometimes, art and writing go hand in hand. Art and literature serves as an enormous information base. Many people depend on art and literature. People who draw and write are not the only people who use and make money out of it. People who are book publishers, magazine editors, newspaper people, painters, actors all need to use art to supplement their work. Art and literature are used by some people directly andsome indirectly. People can choose to make a profession out of this because it is fun for them; it is something that they like to do, and more. Hence I strongly believe that we had art and literature in our blood since ages and is still used and appreciated by us in different forms in the modern world. There is not even a single person in this room who doesn’t love music or reading!

Hamlet :: essays research papers

Soliloquies make us understand the true feelings that someone is feeling. It unlocks the secret of the mind. What are soliloquies? â€Å" A literary or dramatic form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or reveals his thoughts in the form of a monologue without addressing a listener†. Specific soliloquies illustrate what really goes on in Hamlet’s mind, and also other characters in the play. Hamlet is a very complicating character, and the only way we can actually understand him is through his soliloquies. â€Å"O, that this too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (page 31), in this soliloquy, its like he’s saying that he wants to melt inside earth like water into the ground. Hamlet expresses here his feelings towards his mother marrying his uncle, two months after the death of his father. â€Å"How weary stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of the world â€Å"(page 31). This quote shows the attitude Hamlet uses towards life, he is saying that the world is stale, it has no taste left. Hamlet is showing his pessimistic side in him in this soliloquy. When the ghost of Hamlet’s father reveals to Hamlet who killed him, Hamlet becomes more complicating, he becomes furious. â€Å"†¦That one may smile and be a villain atleast I’m sure it may be so in Denmark† (page 69) in this soliloquy Hamlet shows his feelings towards Claudius, that Claudius is smiling to show that he is nice when he isn’t. In this soliloquy we also understand more about Hamlets character that he tends to be sarcastic and a bit hysterical. Another soliloquy that shows us Hamlets feelings is the one after Hamlet finds out that Rosencrants and Guildenstern were trying to spy on him for Claudius. â€Å"What a rogue and peasant slave I am†¦am i a coward?†¦but i am a pigeon livered and lack gall† (page 125) Hamlet shows here his anger that he has to himself for not taking yet revenge against his father’s killer. He’s basically saying in this quote that he has no courage. Therefore this soliloquy reveals to the readers that deep inside Hamlet isn’t courageous. â€Å" Why what an ass am I.. the son of the dear murdered prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, must like a whore unpack my heart with words. At the end of this soliloquy, Hamlet reveals his plan to reenact the killing of his father to see Claudius’s reaction.

European society Essay

The eighteenth century saw a revolution sweeping Western philosophy and a simultaneous upheaval and transformation in Western social life. In this period, the west, particularly the European society and state seemed cold and heartless. The dislocations of industrialization and urbanization exposed the weaknesses of the old system and stimulated a need for more innovative political institutions adaptable to the new socio-economic conditions. This desire for change was accompanied by strong nationalist sentiments. Initial Western nationalism was lauded as a liberal form of mass political engagement and allegiance to the secular power of emerging states, consistent with popular rule. Accordingly, its birth was announced with the representation, rights, and toleration of England’s constitutional monarchy and its banner the â€Å"liberty, equality and fraternity† of the French Revolution against absolutism. Many scholars estimate the birth of the American nation from 1750-1775 (see for example, Weeks, 1994). In the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, social, political, and economic turmoil and instability transformed many Western countries into the world’s most chaotic amphitheater of disruption. People who thought that their cultural and political borders were violated waged a series of insurrections and rebellions. This strong feeling and desire to fight violations of inalienable natural rights came to be known as nationalism. Nationalist feelings became a decisive power in the Romantic Era. In nationalism, the individual is â€Å"the very center, the arbiter, the sovereign of the universe† (Kedourie, 1993, p.17). The political implication of this was that self-determination constituted the supreme good. Later political philosophers building upon Kantian ideas proposed that: humanity is naturally divided into nations; each nation has its peculiar character; the source of all political power is the nation; for freedom and self-realization, people must identify with a nation; loyalty to the nation-states overrides other loyalties; and the primary condition of global freedom and harmony is the strengthening of the nation-state (Smith, 1983). In the early years of the twentieth century, the striking similarity displayed by the nationalist movements throughout Southeast Asia derived from their common inspiration in Western ideology and their largely identical economic bases – the former guiding the intellectuals who lead the movements in their respective countries; the latter supplying the driving power from the masses. However, it must be pointed out that nationalist movements in this region did not have the support of more than a very small fraction of the native peoples, who for the most part are not aware that the question of autonomy even exists, and whose major concern is simply survival (Emmerson, Mills, and Thompson, 1942). In Southeast Asia, native nationalism has been the forced growth of a transplanted Western seed. In spite of the centrifugal forces of a plural society artificially bound together solely by the profit motive, nationalism has taken root among the indigenous peoples. It has penetrated most deeply among the native peoples who are united by a common language, pride of race and glorious historical traditions (Emmerson, Mills, and Thompson, 1942). Thus, â€Å"Within each group, nationalism has proved to be a cohesive force, welding people who were until its advent hardly conscious of the existence of compatriots beyond their own village, absorbing disparate religious and regional loyalties, and nationalizing such international influences as they experienced. However, from the perspectives of Southeast Asian countries as individual units, nationalism has proved a disruptive force. It has made each racial group more self-conscious, more prone to assert itself at the expense of other groups, and either tends toward a disastrous break-up of the present mosaic by some vigilant outsider playing upon this grave weakness in the body politic and social, or leads toward the forced assimilation of the weaker minorities by the most powerfully placed group. † (Emmerson, Mills, and Thompson, 1942, p. 144) The establishment of national unity through was essential ingredient in the emergence of democracy. According to Marx (2003), nationalism is an essential prerequisite to democracy, since â€Å"it establishes the boundaries of the community to which citizenship and rights are then accorded, without which democracy is impossible† (p. 31). And the birth of nationalism was related to the political baptism of the lower classes whose empowerment helped bring democracy, with both nationalism and democracy thereby relatively and impressively inclusive (Marx, 2003). While many have witnessed nationalism and democracy going together, for the past few years, nationalism has been largely considered a disruptive force on the prospects for democratization. For one, national unity gives rise to the question of the state and its boundaries, which is believed to be more fundamental than that of regime type and that can disrupt debate about appropriate political forms. Nationalism in this sense is a disruptive force because it gives rise to issues regarding religious beliefs, language, and customs. Moreover, nationalism is largely seen as being potentially disruptive to achieving democratic outcomes since it stimulates mass mobilization which frightens authoritarian rulers, causing them to suppress activities that may stop the progress of the whole process of political change. The argument that nationalism is a disruptive force is validated by the experiences of southern Europe and Latin America. The disintegration of all of the federal Communist states along republican lines adds force to this argument; however, it is not as clear-cut as this in the post-Soviet experience. According to McFaul (2002), ten years after the collapse of communism, only Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are democracies, while the other republics are under regimes that are either facade democracies or nondemocratic. Nationalism was also seen as a disruptive force on the eve of the First World War. It played an important role in the rivalries between superpowers: Germany vs. France (revenge for 1871), Russia, vs. Austria-Hungary (expansion into Balkans), and Germany vs. Great Britain (control of seas, arms race). Nationalism was also a disruptive force regarding the emergence of unsatisfied nationalities: Poles, Irish, Serbs, Czechs, and many others In Poland, following the 1830 uprising, conservatives began to drift away from nationalism. By the 1850s, only few on the right were interested in talking about nationalism, which came to be seen as a dangerous term signifying disruption, disorder, and even revolution (Porter, 2000). Within Poland itself many nobles may have shared the hopes of the Czartoryski circle, but since they could do little to further such a cause, they retreated to apolitical lives (Porter, 2000). Not only were the conservatives uncomfortable with the politics of the patriotic activists, but they found it difficult to speak the language of national romanticism. â€Å"They might appreciate some of the poetry of Mickiewicz or Slowacki, but they soon discovered the disruptive force of the progressive historiosophies to which the concept of the nation had been so firmly linked. † (Porter, 2000, p. 31) References Emerson, R. , Mills, L. A. , and Thompson, V. (1942). Government and Nationalism in Southeast Asia. New York: Institute of Pacific Relations. Kedourie, E. (1993). Nationalism, 4th expanded ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Marx, A. W. (2003). Faith in Nation: Exclusionary Origins of Nationalism. New York: Oxford University Press. McFaul, M. (2002). The Fourth Wave of Democracy and Dictatorship: Noncooperative Transitions in the Postcommunist World. World Politics 54(1), 212-44. Porter, B. (2000). When Nationalism Began to Hate: Imagining Modern Politics in Nineteenth Century Poland. New York: Oxford University Press. Weeks, W. E. (1994). American Nationalism, American Imperialism: An Interpretation of United States Political Economy, 1789-1861. Journal of the Early Republic, 14, 485-495.

Qantas Essay

Qantas Airways is an Australian based airline and is a subset of the Qantas Group. It is a public-listed company in the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange). The purpose of this research is to provide information of the Qantas Group focusing on its profitability, efficiency and liquidity for the last 3 years. This research paper also examines the financial analysis and provides other relevant information to support in the evaluation of the company. 1 Company Profile 1.1 History Qantas is the world’s second oldest airline. It was founded in the Queensland outback in 1920 and has been in continuous operation since that date. Qantas is Australia’s largest domestic and international airline and is recognised as one of the world’s leading long distance carriers. The name comes from the initial letters of the words in the original registered title – Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited. 1.2 Qantas Group Strategy Safety remains Qantas’ first operational priority and they are committed to maintaining the position as the leading Australian domestic carrier and one of the world’s premier sustainable long-haul airlines through the dual airline brands – Qantas and Jetstar. Qantas aim to maintain customer loyalty by delivering exceptional experiences through these dual brands, in conjunction with Qantas Frequent Flyer. The operating strategy is complimented with a prudent approach to capital management as they seek to deliver sustainable, long terms return to the shareholders. The Qantas Group strategic priorities are illustrated below. 4 1.3 Qantas Overview Qantas is Australia’s largest full service airline carrying 28 million passengers in 2011/2013 on 5,050 flights per week in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Europe. It is a founding member of the oneworld alliance. Qantas is a single integrated airlines providing airline transportation through its two Qantas brands – Qantas and QantasLink Main Markets Qantas’ main markets are domestic and international traffic to and from Australia. Qantas, a wholly-owned group of subsidiaries including QantasLink and Network Aviation, services 57 metropolitan and regional regular passenger transport destinations across Australia and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, as well as 19 dedicated fly-in-fly-out charter destinations. 2011/2012 Passenger Distribution Passenger Revenue Australia domestic 78% 51% International 22% 49% Customers Qantas carries business and leisure passengers Product Qantas offers passengers a premium network product on its extensive domestic and international network and through it oneworld membership, accessing 24 bilateral codeshare agreements (excluding Jetstar and Jetstar Asia with whom Qantas also has codeshare agreements), over 870 destination and 550 lounges. Passengers also have the opportunity to earn and redeem frequent flyer points across its global network. Qantas is focused on both business and leisure travellers by offering a one or two class product on domestic routes and a two, three or four class product for international services. 5 1.4 Jetstar Overview Jetstar commences operations in May 2004. It is the Qantas Group’s low fares airline and the largest low cost carrier in the Asia Pacific region. Jetstar comprises of Jetstar Domestic, Jetstar International and holdings in Singapore-based Jetstar Asia, Vietnam-based Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Japan. In 2011/2012, its operations carried 18.7 million passengers to over  50 destinations in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Asia Pacific. Jetstar also recently announced its intention to invest in a new airline, Jetstar Hong Kong, with China Eastern Airlines in 2013. Main Markets Jetstar’s main markets are domestic and international traffic to and from Australia. Pan-Asian expansion has strengthened through Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Japan. New Zealand operations encompass both trans-Tasman and domestic New Zealand markets. 2011/2012 Passenger Distribution Passenger Revenue Australia domestic 57% 51% International 43% 49% Customers Jetstar focused on providing consistently low fares to predominantly leisure travellers. Product Jetstar offers domestic and international passengers a value based product with the flexibility to select additional operations in relation to seating, entertainment, catering, baggage and premium seating on long haul. Jetstar’s continual focus on leading online technology has enabled more innovative ways to book, check-in and board. 6 1.5 Fleet Qantas Group operates fleets comprises of Boeing 737-800, A330-200, A380-800 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Bombardier Q400 and Boeing 717. Over the next 10 years, the Qantas Group has committed capital investment worth US$23 billion in more fuel efficient, next generation aircrafts such as A380-800, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320 neo. 1.6 Corporate and Social Responsibilities The Qantas Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 2008. It forms part of the Qantas Group’s commitment to operating in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. The Qantas Foundation focus on two key areas: ï‚ § Initiative that provide an immediate experience for those in need (Changing lives) ï‚ § Experiences and opportunities that empower the next generation of Australians to make a difference in community (Empowering change) To deliver this vision, the Qantas Group leverage off the diverse resources of the  Qantas Group – from their employees, diverse network of suppliers and partnerships, and the use of their own airline. Another initiative that the Qantas Group took on is aiming for a world class performance by protecting the environment for the generations. They aim to reduce their carbon footprint through several proven measures such as: ï‚ § Aircraft weight reduction initiatives ï‚ § Efficient ground power units in lieu of jet fuel driven auxiliary power units ï‚ § Using GPS-based navigation technology to improve operational efficiency ï‚ § Investing in a fuel efficient fleet such as Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 ï‚ § Facilitating a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia On ground, together with their partners, innovative projects and partnerships were set to achieve this goal. One example is the Clean Up Australia campaign; started since 1996, the Qantas Group have been a key corporate partner for the Clean Up Australia Foundation. Key Successes 1. Maintained a downward trend on electricity, water and waste-to-landfill consumption since 2006, despite operational growth. 2. Reduced environment impact between 2005 and 2011: Reduced electricity consumption by 8% Reduced water consumption by 19% Reduced waste-to-landfill by 21% 3. Maintained a downward trend on jet fuel emission intensity 7 2. Key Strategies The Qantas Group has a broad portfolio and a clearly defined strategy with the following core goals: ï‚ § Build on the Group’s domestic businesses through a clear focus on the customer ï‚ § Strengthened Jetstar’s presence across Asia to capture the full benefits of the region’s low-cost leisure travel boom. ï‚ § Continue to expand Qantas Frequent Flyer by adding new partners and increasing ways for members to earn and spend points. Some of the changes seen were introducing a new tablet-based in-flight entertainment system called Q Streaming that received outstanding feedback from passengers. New order for 10 Fokker 100 aircraft were placed to extend Qantas’ reach into Western Australia’s mining centres as part of the Group’s fly-in-fly-out strategy. Jetstar’s focus in the domestic market remained on building up  capacity on core leisure routes with modern fleet such as the A320 aircraft, adding almost 16,000 extra seats duri ng the year. Qantas Group also expanded alliance with American airlines, attracting consumers from the America regions. 8 2.1 SWOT Analysis on the Qantas Group STRENGTH Strong partnership with other alliance through its oneworld membership; accessing 24 bilateral codeshare agreements over 870 destination and 550 lounges. Passengers also have the opportunity to earn and redeem frequent flyer points across its global network which attracts consumer to choose the Qantas Airways over other airlines. Operate and fly in to many destinations such as Australia (Domestic), New Zealand, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Europe making Qantas Airways the ideal airline to consumers. WEAKNESS Qantas do not have many direct routes and depend heavily on its other airline partners. For example to get across to destinations such as Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, consumers have to transit at Dubai and change airlines to the Emirates to get to their final destination. This turns away consumers who prefer to fly in direct to the country. OPPORTUNITY Qantas’ subsidiary – Jetstar announced its intention to invest in a new airline; Jetstar Hong Kong, in partnership with China Eastern Airlines this year. This expands the flying business into the Chinese market. THREAT The global fuel price increase affects the airline industry. With higher fuel prices, the airline’s operating cost increases. To compensate, airline raise ticket prices to generate more revenue which in turn, turn away consumers and force them to look at other airline that provides competitive or even lower prices. Introduction of more low cost carriers from established airlines such as Scoot, a subsidiary airline of the Singapore Airline. 9 3. Ratios 3.1 Profitability Ratio (%) Profitability ratio is used to measure a company’s ability to generate revenue in relation to sales, assets and equity (i.e. often the sum of monies invested). It also shows how effective the company is being managed to stay profitable. Some commonly used profitability ratios include return on equity, return on investment, return on total assets, gross and net profit margins and return on capital employed. Profitability ratios provide investors guidance in their assessment of the company’s financial health and performance. For example, return on investment indicates whether the company is generating enough profits for its shareholders. Net profit margin declined by 0.52% in 2012 while an increase of 0.53% occurred in 2011 as seen in Table 1. It is slightly lower than the industry averages of 1.737% by 0.377%. The decline in net profit margin may be attributed to rising fuel costs, fall in freight, tours and travel revenue. In 2012, Qantas incurred restructuring costs of AUD376 million compared to nil in 2011, which is in relation to their initiative to reduce costs and improve business in the international segment. The other ratios such as Return on assets (ROA) and return on equity also declined to 2.12% and 3.38% respectively in 2012. Profitability Year/Ratio 2010 2011 2012 Industry averages Return on total assets (ROA) 1.76% 2.28% 2.12% 2.630% Return on equity 2.88% 4.26% 3.38% 5.290% Net profit margin 1.35% 1.88% 1.36% 1.737% 10 3.2 Efficiency Efficiency ratios are used to show how well a company uses its assets and liabilities efficiently to be able to earn significant amount of profits. Examples of efficiency ratios include asset turnover, inventory turnover, receivables turnover and payables turnover. Qantas may be considered as efficient in utilizing its resources to generate revenue, with asset turnover showing an increase to 252 days in 2012 compared to 245 days in 2011. Generally the higher a company’s asset turnover, it means the assets have been used more efficiently. From table 2, the number of days taken for creditors to be paid fell to 45.41 days in 2011, however a modest increase of 1.45 days was experienced in 2012. Compared to industry averages, Qantas took a longer time to pay their creditors. On the other hand, number of days debtors took to pay was shortened by 2.09 days in 2012 while there was an improvement of 1.62 days in 2011. However the receivables turnover is a little higher at 19.83 days co mpared to industry averages of 18.45 days. Inventory turnover shows the frequency a company’s inventory is sold and replaced over a period. A high turnover indicates strong sales while a low turnover may imply poor sales and hence excess inventory. Inventory turnover fell to 9.39 days in 2012 compared to 9.72 days in 2011. However the ratio is higher than industry average of 8.52 days. Table 2 Efficiency Year/days 2010 2011 2012 Industry averages Days payable 50.43 45.41 46.86 43.90 Days receivable 23.54 21.92 19.83 18.45 Days inventory 9.19 9.72 9.39 8.52 Asset turnover 234 245 252 284.70 11 3.3 Liquidity Liquidity ratio measures the company’s ability to pay its short term liabilities when due. It is calculated by dividing cash and other liquid assets by the short term borrowings and current liabilities. This will show the number of times the short term obligations are covered by the cash and liquid assets. The short term obligations are considered fully covered and the company is in good financial health if the value is greater than 1. The higher the liquidity ratio, the higher the capability the company possesses to meet its current liabilities. Examples of liquidity ratio include current ratio and quick ratio. Current ratio for Qantas was 0.90 in 2011 and 0.77 in 2012, near industry average of 0.81. In comparison to Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd whose current ratio is 0.65 in 2011 and 2012 (See table 4), Qantas appears more stable though the values of its current ratio are less than 1 for both years. Quick ratio also known as the acid-test ratio focuses on the most liquid as sets, leaving inventory out which may be hard to turn into cash in a timely manner. In the case of Qantas, the quick ratio was 0.71 in 2012, 0.14 drop from 0.85 in 2011, while industry average is 0.75. As compared to Virgin whose quick ratio was 0.61 in 2012, the company seems to be in a stronger position to meet its short term commitments. Table 3 Liquidity Year/Ratio 2010 2011 2012 Industry averages Current ratio 0.93 0.90 0.77 0.81 Quick ratio 0.88 0.85 0.71 0.75 12 Table 4 – Growth Profitability and Financial Ratios for Virgin Australia Holdings Limited Liquidity/Financial Health 2010-06 2011-06 2012-06 Current Ratio 0.76 0.65 0.65 Quick Ratio 0.75 0.62 0.61 Financial Leverage 4.15 4.15 4.3 Debt/Equity 2.3 3.21 3.96 Source: 2013 Morningstar, Inc. 13 3.4 Gearing Ratio Gearing ratio compares owners’ equity or capital to borrowings. Gearing is a measure of financial leverage showing the extent to which a company’s activities or operations are funded by owners’ funds against borrowed funds. A high gearing ratio indicates that a company is using debt to pay for its operations and may risk inability to meet repayments in an economic downturn. The situation could be made worse where rates move upwards suddenly. Lenders are generally concerned about excessively high gearing ratio that may put their loans at risk for non-repayment. Some examples of  gearing ratio are debt equity ratio and net interest cover. For Qantas, the gearing ratio increased to 111.21% in 2012 compared to 98.05% in 2011. This means the company used debt instead of equity to fund its continuing operations. However, this ratio is lower that industry average of 130.547%. Net interest cover ratio refers to the ease a company pays interest expenses on outstanding debt. The lower the ratio, the more the company is burdened by debt expense. The company’s ability to meet interest payments may be doubtful when the ratio is 1.5 or lower. In Qantas case, the net interest cover ratio dropped sharply to 1.54 in 2012 against 3.96 in 2011. This ratio of 1.54 is close to the threshold of 1.5 and is indicative that Qantas may face cash flow problems and inability to meet interest expenses should rates increase suddenly. Table 5 Gearing Year/days 2010 2011 2012 Industry averages Net Interest cover ratio 4.16 3.96 1.54 2.35 Gross Gearing (D/E) 95.600% 98.050% 111.210% 130.547% 14 3.5 Investment ratio A shareholder can analyse the financial information available to determine if the investment in a company is of value and quality. The price/earnings ratio is the best known investment valuation indicators and used widely by investment professionals and investors. Generally the stock with a high price earnings ratio indicates that investors expect higher earnings growth in the future. The price earnings ratio for Qantas was 12.23 in 2012, 15.90 in 2011 and 29.14 in 2010. A sharp decline of 13.24 was recorded in 2011 due to market confidence in this stock prior to 2011. However the industry average is 12.25 which may suggest that investors may be less likely to

Absorption Spectroscopy Essay Essays

Absorption Spectroscopy Essay Essays Absorption Spectroscopy Essay Essay Absorption Spectroscopy Essay Essay Absorption Spectroscopy Author: Lab Partners: Instructor: Chem 152 Date Work Performed: Date Work Submitted: Abstract A Beer’s Law analysis was used to determine the molar absorptivity of a Red-40 food dye. Using a spectrometer, the best wavelength to use for the analysis of this dye was determined to be 501nm. A series of dilutions were performed and the concentrations were calculated to find ‘E,’ the molar absorptivity, which was determined to be 18035 M-1 cm-1. Introduction The experimental behavior of the absorption spectroscopy lab is to be able to determine the molar absorptivity of a food dye; in this case, Red-40. The determination of the best wavelength to use is found by measuring the highest peak that had an absorbance between 1 and 1. 5. The dye concentration will be accomplished by preparing a series of serial dilutions and measuring the absorbance at the best wavelength previously determined to conduct a Beer’s Law analysis. Absorption spectroscopy is often used to calculate the amount of compound present in a solution sample by measuring the amount of light each wavelength it absorbs. Since the amount of light absorbed is directly proportional to the number of molecules in a solution, spectroscopy allows for the determination of a dye concentration and thus the molar absorptivity in the Red-40 dye. Beer’s Law is given by A=Ebc, where ‘A’ is the measured absorbance, ‘c’ is the concentration of the absorbing species, ‘b’ is the width of the cuvette, and ‘E’ is the molar absorptivity constant. This equation describes the linear relationship between the absorbance and the concentration, making it possible to calculate ‘E’ by graphing the absorbance versus concentration and finding the slope of the linear line. That being said, it is expected that the absorbance of the dye will decrease as the concentration decreases. Results Red-40 dilutions Solutions (dye-water)| Wavelength (nm)| Volume (ml)| Absorbance| Concentration (M)| Beginning dilution| 501| 105| 1. 46| 7. 59X10-5| 1st dilution 5ml-5ml| 501| 10| . 679| 3. 79X10-5| nd dilution 5ml-2ml| 501| 8| . 529| 2. 84X10-5| 3rd dilution 5ml-2ml| 501| 7| . 330| 2. 03X10-5| 4th dilution 5ml-2ml| 501| 7| . 271| 1. 45X10-5| Molar Absorptivity of Red-40 dye: 18035 M-1 cm-1 As the table above shows, the absorbance is directly related to the concentration. It decreases as the concentration decrease. Calculations Concentration of known stock dye: Red-40= 3. 989X10-3M Serial dilutions: 1st dilution: C1V1=C2V2 C2=C1V1/V2=3. 98 9X10-3M (2mL)/ 105mL=7. 59X10-5M 2nd dilution: C3=C2V2/V3=7. 59X10-5M (2mL)/ 10mL= 3. 9X10-5 M 3rd dilution: C4=C3V3/V4= 3. 79X10-5M (6mL)/ 8mL= 2. 84X10-5 M 4th dilution: C5=C4V4/V5=2. 84X10-5M (5mL)/ 7mL= 2. 03X10-5 M 5th dilution: C6=C5V5/V6=2. 03X10-5M (5mL)/ 7mL= 1. 45X10-5M Since E, the molar absorptivity of the dye, is related to the slope of the line in the chart above, E=18035 M-1 cm-1. Discussion I believe the molar absorptivity of the Red-40 food dye is 18035 M-1 cm-1. This number is found by graphing the measured absorbance versus the calculated concentration of the diluted dyes and then finding the slope. According to Beer’s Law equation, ‘E’ is the linear relationship between the concentration and absorbance. So by calculating the slope of the data line, it gives a reliable number as to what the absorptivity of the Red-40 dye is. With that being said, I am rather confident with my answer for the most part. There are a few things that could have affected the accuracy of the molar absorptivity we calculated, which is the various volumes of solution used. Had we used the same volume every time as well as a gradual decrease in the amount of water used in the dilutions, the results could be more reliable. However, using absorption spectroscopy to monitor the concentration of a reactant in a reaction is very viable. The spectrometer gives an accurate and reliable measurement of the absorbance. All you had to do was to find the measurement at the highest peak. It could have also provided inaccurate readings if the spectrometer was not calibrated corrected with the cuvette of water. Otherwise it is a reliable method to use to find absorbance, calculate concentration, and then the molar absorptivity.

Practicum project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Practicum project - Essay Example In 2007, alone the death rate stood at 7,000. This concern led to the Institute of Medicine to come up with a report dubbed â€Å"Preventing Medication Errors† (Hughes & Blegen, 2007). The report emphasized on the need to practice safe medication administration. Six years later, the problem still exists and there although many measures have been put in place, there are still cases of unsafe drug administration in chemist, hospitals, and pharmacies. It is for this reason that I have gained a lot of interest in the field of pharmacology. Therefore, as a nurse educator my aim is to bring change into the nursing field by ensuring that my students gain a comprehensive understanding in safe administration of medicine. As a nurse educator in pharmacology, I have had to read extensively on the current situation concerning pharmacology and the arising issues and changes in the nursing field related to medication. The process of medicine administration is continuously becoming complex because of the continuous production and discovery of new drugs in the market. The number of prescribed medicine per patients is also playing a major role in this trend (Garrett & Craig, 2008). Another important factor that is playing a key factor in the medication field is the rapid change in medical technology and the several procedures and policies that have come up. Over the years, as I have progressed with my career I have come to discover that pharmacology, either as a course or part of a course for a nursing education is a very important element for any health care practitioner. A safe medication process and use are two essential principles that contribute towards a â€Å"safe use of pharmacological agents in perioperative clinical practice† (Hicks, Wanzer, & Goeckner, 2011). According to Hicks, Wanzer, and Goeckner (2011), proper use of medication involves the following steps obtaining, prescribin g, recording, dispensing, administering, and finally monitoring. However, it is

Saving Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Saving Water - Essay Example Water scarcity is a big problem now everywhere and the possibility of wars in future for the control of water resources cannot be ruled out. This paper analyses the importance of saving water and the consequences of not doing that. Along with food and oxygen, water is an essential commodity for all living things to sustain their life on this earth. Nobody can sustain their life with the help of food and oxygen alone. Water is necessary for many of the bodily functions. â€Å"Though our Earth is made up of 2/3 water, only 1/100 of that water is drinkable†(Save Water Slogans). In other words, availability of drinking water resources is limited. It should be noted that the population size is growing at alarming rate as time goes on. Thus the demand for drinking water is growing day by day. At the same time available fresh water or drinking water resources are getting polluted because of the injudicious activities of human. These facts clearly suggest that water shortage is going to be a big problem in future unless we take proper actions to save water now. Over-consumption of water leads to the over-consumption of another non-renewable resource, energy. Water in your home must be heated for a number of uses, such as cleaning and bathing, and this takes energy. Additionally, your local water utility must use energy to process and deliver water to your home, so the over-consumption of water requires more energy out of the utility company as well (Csiszar). Water is used for power generation in many countries. Hydroelectric power is one of the major energy sources for many countries. Water flowing through the rivers is stored with the help of dams and this water is used to operate huge turbines for power production. Water may become ineffective for power production after it reaches the ocean. In short, saving or storing of water before it reaches ocean is necessary to solve our water scarcity problems. â€Å"Conserving water reduces the demands to