Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on Nixon

Richard Nixon’s Influence Upon Foreign Policy Foreign policy is the principle and activities that constitute the role of the United States in relation to the rest of the world. Foreign policy includes international matters, like participation in NATO, trade agreements, and maintaining peaceful relations with other countries. The primary goal of Foreign policy is National security because it holds the security of the United States, its citizens and their property. With Foreign policy the United States is able to keep international security and give economic aid to other countries. The head of Foreign policy is the President of the United States. The President has the power, granted by the Constitution, to be the commander in chief of all United States forces. He can enact treaties and meet with foreign leaders. Of our many presidents, Richard Milhous Nixon was considered to be an expert on Foreign policy. ( ) Nixon, our 37th president, was born in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. He attended Duke University where he received a degree in Law. He served as a Congressman and Senator for his California district. Two years later in 1952, General Eisenhower chose Nixon, to be his running mate. As Vice President, Nixon took on major duties in the Eisenhower Administration. Much of his term was spent on trips abroad as a goodwill ambassador meeting with foreign leaders to discuss world problems, representing the President to Congress, and to help mend ties between opposing countries. He was also a target for anti-American protestors. One of Nixon’s most memorable trips was to the USSR, to help open a United States exhibition in Moscow. Escorted by Nixon, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was taken through a model of an American kitchen. While walking through the kitchen both men began to discuss the relative merits of the United States and systems of Communism. This discussion would later o n be noted as the â€Å"Kitchen Debate.† ( ) In t... Free Essays on Nixon Free Essays on Nixon Richard Nixon’s Influence Upon Foreign Policy Foreign policy is the principle and activities that constitute the role of the United States in relation to the rest of the world. Foreign policy includes international matters, like participation in NATO, trade agreements, and maintaining peaceful relations with other countries. The primary goal of Foreign policy is National security because it holds the security of the United States, its citizens and their property. With Foreign policy the United States is able to keep international security and give economic aid to other countries. The head of Foreign policy is the President of the United States. The President has the power, granted by the Constitution, to be the commander in chief of all United States forces. He can enact treaties and meet with foreign leaders. Of our many presidents, Richard Milhous Nixon was considered to be an expert on Foreign policy. ( ) Nixon, our 37th president, was born in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. He attended Duke University where he received a degree in Law. He served as a Congressman and Senator for his California district. Two years later in 1952, General Eisenhower chose Nixon, to be his running mate. As Vice President, Nixon took on major duties in the Eisenhower Administration. Much of his term was spent on trips abroad as a goodwill ambassador meeting with foreign leaders to discuss world problems, representing the President to Congress, and to help mend ties between opposing countries. He was also a target for anti-American protestors. One of Nixon’s most memorable trips was to the USSR, to help open a United States exhibition in Moscow. Escorted by Nixon, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was taken through a model of an American kitchen. While walking through the kitchen both men began to discuss the relative merits of the United States and systems of Communism. This discussion would later o n be noted as the â€Å"Kitchen Debate.† ( ) In t...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Recognizing Employee Contributions with Pay

Recognizing Employee Contributions with Pay Introduction Compensation presents one of the most preferable ways through which employee contributions are recognized. Compensation program s is evaluated based on various job responsibilities which are assigned specified monetary value. However, various forms of compensation are undertaken based on federal laws of which organization managers are expected to be familiar with.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Recognizing Employee Contributions with Pay specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Payment for individuals, groups or excellent performances are done in form of executive pay, incentive pay as well as balanced scorecard. Organizations compensate their workers through various incentives supported by their company objectives. However, incentive pay for executives within an organization is usually different from that of other employees hence requires special attention. Such incentives either long-term or short-term are ne cessary for the purposes of developing some sense of commitment within organization’s leadership and workforce (Noe et al., 2009). Review of the case Considering that Xcel is a company dealing with environmental issues, Merit pay may not work well with its strategy on improving operations at the lowest cost. According to the case study, merit raise, works best during hard economic times since it caters for high cost of living. At the same time there are always high possibilities of prevailing conditions to shrink available range of increases. Additionally, merit pay spread pay increment evenly across all employees hence rewarding poor performance on the same level as good performance. Such method may ultimately not concur with the company’s strategy on lowering costs since it is expensive (Fossum, 2002). Spreading the merit pay evenly across all employees may benefit those who lazy around and cause frustration to hardworking employees. Suggestions might at times look a ppropriate but might not work well in line with the company’s business objectives (Gerhart and Milkovich, 1990). To ensure that incentives work for the benefit of the company, they will require improvement within communication channel and at the same time increase level of employee participation. Xcel should incorporate employees in pay-related decision since there contributions at times reflect hands-on knowledge on kinds of behavior essential for organization improvement (Gowen, and Jennings, 1991).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since Xcel focuses on being one of the most celebrated top utility facilities offering efficient services at low cost, there goals and performances should be based on cooperation. Applying such principles would make employees feel more concerned about changes and goals of the company. They will always be eager to put across their contributions. Improvement on merit pay system For improvement purposes the company can include profit-sharing plan within the pay system. This is because merit pay is more directly linked to individual behavior compared to profit sharing plan. This is capable of linking to the strategy since it assists in increasing employees’ commitment towards organizational goals. Additionally, Xcel can utilize the use of balanced scorecard which enables combination of performance measures towards organizational goals. This enables easy utilization of employees’ potential through customization of balanced scorecards which would clearly distinguish Xcel’s operations based on strategy (Gerhart and Milkovich, 1990). Extension of the stock plan to other low-level employees might also be good idea for progress. This is since stock ownership plan contributes towards creation of some sense of ownership within employees. It makes them feel part owners of the organization hence maki ng them to focus more on ideas contributing towards success of the company (Gerhart and Milkovich, 1990). Conclusion Organizations use various ways to reward employee performances and at the same time measure such performances in terms of profits and stock prices. Incentive pay presents one of the most notable ways of organizations use for the purposes of ensuring that employees focus on company’s success goals. Such incentives ensure that employees realign their activities towards organization’s goals. References Fossum, J. (2002). Labor Relation. New York: McGraw-Hill Gerhart, B, Milkovich, G. (1990). Organizational Differences in Managerial Compensation and Financial Performance. Academy of Management Journal 33 (1), 663–91.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Recognizing Employee Contributions with Pay specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Gowen, C, Jennings, S.(1991). The Effects of Changes in Par ticipation and Group Size on Gainsharing Success: A Case Study. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management 11 (1), 147–69. Noe, R., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B., Wright, P. (2009). Fundamentals of human  Resource management, 3rd edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

2 essay of 2500 word, just choose from the list

2 of 2500 word, just choose from the list - Essay Example In this context, the success or failure of such cooperation depends on the success or failure of the foreign policies exchanged between nations. Focusing on the current scenario of international politics, foreign policies can occur as a result of mutual international cooperation, or political exploitation leading to even war. For instance, the political mayhem in Iraq can be described by means of analysing its foreign policies depicting a diverse picture of the country along with its various political parties, coalitions and other military disagreements. This section attempts to discuss the notion of foreign policy in general. Current political scenario on the international platform strongly advocates for the rapid rise in the importance of foreign policy. This further highlights the need to analyse the various meanings associated with the notion of foreign policy. This section tries to precisely describe the different connotations of foreign policy along with a number of examples from the foreign policies of various nations. The most important point in this analysis is to understand the basic issues and objectives of foreign policies with regard to its increasing complicated nature across countries. Understanding the notion of foreign policy involves its applications in specific case studies. That is to say, the theory of foreign policy can best be described in terms of some empirical examples. While defining the concept of foreign policy, the issue of ethics has a significant role to play. Ethics is further associated with the concepts of human rights and ‘mutual respect’ (Smith and Light, 2001). In this context, ethics is related to ethical behaviour, that is, behaviour in accordance with a set of moral rules incorporated with natural as well as universal laws. Along with these moral rules, the aspect of virtue is also included. That is to say, in the words of Smith and Light (2001), â€Å"the focus is not so much on what people ought to do when faced

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Which architect or what building Inspired you to study architecture Research Paper

Which architect or what building Inspired you to study architecture and want to become a professional Architect - Research Paper Example The famous buildings in the world like the former world trade centre, white house, and other buildings in the world are constructed under architectural world. In the contraction of these buildings, creating thinking and manipulation in required. Material, light technology, and shadow have to be coordinated in order to give the house its expected design, and physical look. I was specifically inspired with the manner in which the former world trade centre was contracted which made me aspire to become and architecture. This paper will explore extensive reasons why I want to become a professional architect. It will also look at the work of my inspirational architect Minoru Yakmasaki in constructing the famous world Trade Centre and Pruit-Igoe. Inspirational Architect / Designer Minoru Yakmasaki My inspirational is Minoru Yakmasaki a Japanese-American architect. He is famous for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. Minoru Yakmasaki was born in December 1912 but later p assed on in February 1986. He is considered one of the most famous architects of the 20th century. He grew up mainly in Washington DC where he joined his high school. Minoru Yakmasaki later proceeded to University of Washington where he pursued a program in architecture in 1929 and graduated five years later with a Bachelor of Architecture. He tirelessly worked and later joined a master’s program at New York University. He is credited with many architectural designs as an employee of various companies (Killen 2007 p.212). Minoru Yakmasaki’s Architectural works Pruitt–Igoe Pruit-Igoe was an urban housing project built in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States in 1954 with the design done by Minoru Yakmasaki (Killen 2007 p.212). It is notably one of Minoru Yakmasaki’s first major assignments as architecture. The project as proposal by Yakmasaki was to include a mix of high-rise, mid-rise, and walk-up parts as noted by Trancik (1986). However, there were c ounter proposals to have the building built uniformly. Several architects, however, later jointly considered that Minoru Yakmasaki’s proposal was the best for the project and was therefore worth being adopted. The building was put up on a slum, which required the ground level to be raised in order to save on ground flow space for the sake of daily social activities. The building stood on about 57 acres of land within the slum. The building had about 2,870 apartments, their kitchens being relatively. Since the building was a storied building, it had elevators but the elevators could only serve certain floors. This meant that occupants of the floors not having elevators had to use stairs to climb. The floors were generally equipped with large communal corridors, garbage sites, laundries and the living rooms. The houses had poor ventilation, and dark corridors (Trancik 1986). All this were attributed to poor planning, and the fact that the materials used were of poor quality. Th e World Trade Centre The famous World Trade centre is another building designed by Minoru Yakmasaki. It was composed of a complex seven buildings with landmark twin towers in New York, United States. The construction of the building was designed in 1960s but was officially opened in 1973. The building was however brought down by terrorist attacks in September 11, 2001. The building had 110 story towers, which was designed using a tube frame structure. The building had to be fitted with elevators to allow ease of movement, as the building was too tall to use stairs. However, Minoru Yakmasaki did not find fixing the elevators easy, which he considered as one the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Vietnamese telecom market Essay Example for Free

Vietnamese telecom market Essay Introduction Together with breakthroughs in technology, mobile telecom has been showing great innovations and bringing enormous benefits to consumers. Vietnamese mobile telecom market, through only a few decades of development, has proven to be an extremely potential industry. With analysis from the microeconomic standpoint, I would like to clarify some notable matters seen in Vietnamese mobile telecom market today. This essay is organised in three parts: * Part I: Market Overview. This part provides brief information about development history of the market and what the situation of the market is nowadays. * Part II: Market Trends. This part deals with recent movements in Vietnamese mobile telecom market. * Part III: Consumers: Gain or Lose? The final part of this essay analyses the benefits and losses that consumers face as a result of recent changes in the market. PART I – Market Overview 1. Vietnamese Mobile Telecom Market: A Brief History As a developing country, Vietnam has its mobile telecom market started quite late. Though the demand for mobile services arose in the beginning of the 1990s, the first mobile telecom company of Vietnam – MobiFone – did not come into operation until 1994. This year marked the foundation of Vietnamese mobile telecom market. Following steps of MobiFone, two more company joined the market: Vinaphone (1997) and Viettel Telecom (â€Å"Viettel† for short) (2004). However, before 2000, the use of mobile phones seemed to be restricted for urban and rich people. At that time, only the rich could afford the cost of using mobile service. The cost for a postpaid subscription reached almost VND1,000,000 and the money consumed in one minute’s mobile phone call could cover the cost of food in a day for a rural family. One of the reasons for this extremely high cost was that the market at that time was highly monopolistic. Until 2000, there were only two mobile service providers in Vietnam, MobiFone and Vinaphone – both of which are subsidiaries of Vietnam Posts and Telecoms Group (VNPT). Most consumers were not wealthy enough to access mobile service, so they stuck to the use of landlines, which, in fact, were also not very popular especially in the countryside. The emergence of Viettel as a mobile service provider in 2004 was one of the biggest jump in the history of Vietnamese mobile telecom market. Viettel started to provide mobile services at a shockingly low price: a mobile phone user might pay as little as VND50,000/month only. This low price encouraged the quantity demanded for mobile services to increase sharply. As time goes by, the cost of using mobile phones has become cheaper and cheaper, causing the number of mobile subscribers to soar: at the end of January 2012, there were 118. 5 million mobile subscribers compared to only 0. 3 million in 2000. The number of service providers has also increased to 7: MobiFone, Vinaphone, Viettel, S-Fone, Vietnamobile, EVN Telecom and Beeline. Over 19 years of development, from a market exclusively for high-income consumers, the mobile telecom market has been recognised as one of the most active market in Vietnam and almost everybody, rich or poor, is capable of owning and maintaining a mobile phone. Why do service providers seek to increase their number of subscribers by lowering prices and giving big promotions? The answer is, in the short run, most costs incurred by a telecom firm are fixed costs, such as costs for infrastructure and bandwidth. Average total cost, as a result, decreases as the number of subscribers increases, thus making larger profit for the firm. Hence, firms have strong motivations to attract more and more people to use their services. 2. How the Market Pie Is Divided Today The current mobile telecom market in Vietnam can be seen as a typical monopolistic competition. Three biggest suppliers in the market are the ones with longest histories: MobiFone, Vinaphone and Viettel. All these companies are state-owned; MobiFone and Vinaphone are under control of VNPT, while Viettel is a subsidiary of Vietnamese Military Telecom Corporation. Together they control almost the whole mobile service market. According from statistics of the Ministry of Information and Communications, in 2011, Viettel was the leading firm with a market share of 36. 72%. MobiFone and Vinaphone stood at the second and third positions with 29. 11% and 28. 71%, respectively. In total, the three state-owned companies took up nearly 95% of the mobile service market, leaving just over 5% for the remaining service providers, namely EVN Telecom, Vietnamobile, Beeline and S-Fone. The reputation of these firms is so huge that once a person starts using a mobile phone, his first thought of what provider’s service to use that crosses his mind would generally be one of them. Three leading firms in the market pursue different business objectives. Aiming at low-income consumers, Viettel has applied low-cost packages to meet the needs of the majority of consumers. On the contrary, MobiFone and Vinaphone focus mainly on providing high-quality services to people with higher income. Below are the ranks in market shares and service quality of the three biggest providers of mobile services in Vietnam according to an examination conducted by Department of Information Technology and Communications Quality Management (under the Ministry of Information and Communications) in 2009: Provider| Market Share| Service Quality| MobiFone| 2| 1| Vinaphone| 3| 2| Viettel| 1| 3| Overwhelmed by big firms in the market, small firms such as S-Fone, EVN Telecom, Beeline and Vietnamobile have had to struggle to survive. Sharing only 5% of the market, these providers have been facing enormous difficulties in increasing the number of subscribers and profits. Two of them, EVN Telecom and Beeline, are eventually sold to other firms. These MA’s will be analysed in the following part. PART II – Market Trends The three leading firms in Vietnamese mobile telecom market – MobiFone, Vinaphone and Viettel – now possess great market powers, and naturally they desire to take over the small firms in order to have more control of the market. Below are three notable events that have occurred recently in the market which would have lasting effects on its path of development in the future. 1. Viettel’s Acquisition of EVN Telecom EVN Telecom is a company belonging to Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN). Joining the mobile telecom market in June 2010, after just over one year of operation, EVN Telecom faced the risk of being acquired due to poor business outcome (slow subscriber growth, unsatisfactory revenue, pressure on EVN to focus on its major field, etc. ) and substantial liabilities to Viettel and VNPT. Some telecom firms had the intention of acquire EVN Telecom, such as Viettel, FPT Group and Hanoi Telecom (the owner of Vietnamobile). After many speculations about what firm would take over EVN Telecom, it was officially announced that EVN Telecom was going to be sold to Viettel. However, the acquisition was not smooth right from the beginning. In November 2011, Hanoi Telecom expressed its view that Viettel’s acquisition of EVN Telecom might violate Competition Law, emphasising that it would probably make Viettel a monopolistic firm in the market. Until December 2011, Government eventually agreed on Viettel’s plan as in this case, Viettel was merely a market leader, not a monopolistic firm. 2. Beeline Disappeared in the Market. In 2009, GTel Mobile Company, a joint venture of GTel Global Telecom Corporation of Vietnam and VimpelCom Group of Russia, brought Beeline mobile telecom service into operation in Vietnamese market. However, after three years, VimpelCom decided to sold all of its 49% of shares in the joint venture at US$45 million to GTel â€Å"in order to focus on our key markets†, said the Vice President of VimpelCom. Of course this is not the real answer to the question of why VimpelCom withdrew from Vietnamese market while it had not broken even, regarding its total investment of up to US$463 million. Right after its debut in the market, Beeline conducted many discount programmes and promotions to raise the number of subscribers, such as Big Zero and Millionaire’s Cost Package. These policies thus lowered its ARPU to less than US$1. Moreover, its shockingly low prices cannot help them surpass the â€Å"giants† in Vietnamese mobile telecom market whose brands have been set in minds of consumers though its subscriber growth was exceptional: about 15,000 new subscribers per day in 2011. The fact that Beeline’s profit did not live up to its VimpelCom’s expectation caused it to constrain Beeline’s operation and eventually to sell out its shares to GTel, making Beeline a completely domestic brand. Many people would doubt whether Vietnamese mobile service market has become â€Å"immune† to foreign investment as VimpelCom has failed to make profit here while it has been extremely successful in Russian and Eastern European markets. Is the market so saturated that no new firm could possibly achieve a market share from the hands of established firms? Will VimpelCom’s failure warn foreign investors against entering Vietnamese telecom market although we have been a member of WTO for five years? 3. MobiFone and Vinaphone to be Merged March 2012 was a month of vibrancy in Vietnamese mobile telecom market when rumour had it that MobiFone and Vinaphone, two out of the three biggest service providers, would be merged as a step to restructure VNPT. MobiFone and Vinaphone have followed different development directions despite being subsidiaries of the same group, which has been an enormous waste in infrastructure. A merger of the two companies is expected to improve service quality and efficiency, thus lowering the prices charged on consumers. This information was confirmed by VNPT’s management though an official decision of Government has not yet been made for fear that this merge might violate Competition Law. If the merger of MobiFone and Vinaphone is successful, the new company will constitute almost 58% of the market, threatening the survival of other companies, especially small firms like S-Fone and Vietnamobile. Earlier in 2011, according to the regulations of Telecommunications Law – an individual or organisation is not allowed to own more than 20% of shares in each of two telecom firms operating in the same telecom market – VNPT stood between two options: equitising either of MobiFone and Vinaphone or merging the two. If choosing to equitise MobiFone, VNPT still could not own more than 20% of shares and might have to sacrifice a large amount of profit as MobiFone contributed to over 50% of its profit while taking up only about 4% of human resources. The second option – a merger – would subject VNPT to violation of Competition Law. On the other hand, according to the Vice Head of Department of Competition Management (Ministry of Industry and Trade), market share is not the only criterion to examine VNPT’s merger scheme as it may vary from year to year. Competition power, market access capacity, opportunity seizure, etc. are vital elements to be considered. The cornerstone of the merger, if successful, is a close supervision and control of Ministry of Industry and Trade as well as Ministry of Information and Communications. 4. What Are the Trends? Along development steps of the market are the shifts showing what its trend is. Overall, Vietnamese mobile telecom market, although service quality has been greatly improved and price never stop falling, has hardly ever been viewed as a competitive market. At first, it was a complete monopoly, and then reached the peak of competitiveness with 7 suppliers; now it is getting closer and closer to an oligopoly. (For illustration purpose only) The market now is the race between VNPT and Viettel. Nevertheless, this is a counterfeit competition as both are state-owned firms. Government ought to study this matter intensively since it has both advantages and disadvantages. If it continues to let the two compete with each other, consumers will benefit while state funds invested in them will be partly wasted due to self-competition and vice versa. PART III – Consumers: Gain or Lose? 1. Competition Makes Consumers Better off Most mobile phone users would agree that they are benefiting more and more from service providers’ policies. Ten years ago, only wealthy people could own a mobile phone and afford the use of mobile telecom service, which is a completely distinct from today’s situation where mobile technology is nothing strange to most people, regardless of their income. The shift of the market from a monopoly to a more competitive one enables consumers to choose the service provider which suits them best in quality and price. Landlines services are being outnumbered by mobile services and will probably soon become obsolete as now they cannot compete with mobile services in price, let alone in convenience, diversity and flexibility. In addition, telecom services are the only items whose prices have constantly decreased, moving against the storm of inflation in Vietnamese economy. D2 S11 S2 D1 E1 P1 P2 E2 Q2 Q1 (For illustration purpose only)| The increase of quantity supplied is greater than the increase of quantity demanded, making the equilibrium point move from E1 to E2. At E2, P2 is lower than P1 and Q2 is larger than Q1, which makes consumers better off. | 2. The Trend of Monopolisation: Would Consumers Suffer? Monopoly causes deadweight losses – this is undeniably true. Though consumers have been enjoying more and more benefits from service providers at least in the past few years, we may wonder if this could last for long when it comes to the trend of monopolisation which is becoming clearer and clearer in the market. After EVN Telecom and Beeline, will there be another acquisition that makes another small brand disappear? Will big firms take over all the small ones to rule the whole market? If someday there are only state-owned companies providing mobile services, will they agree with each other to raise service prices and prevent new firms from entering the market, which undoubtedly shrinks consumer surplus? Suppose that day would come, consumers may try to constrain their use of mobile services. However, the amount of reduction would be negligible since mobile services are now so necessary that the demand for them is relatively inelastic. Consumers today are richer and much more dependent upon mobile services than they used to be; therefore, it would not be easy for them to cut down on using mobile phones to save money. Service providers would keep earning more and more profits from consumer welfare. In general, monopolisation harms the benefits of most people while benefiting only a small group of people. Monopolisation is a two-edged trend, so it is important to balance the benefits between suppliers and consumers. An ideal mobile service market may be one with a small number of firms, i. e. three or four, but with comparatively uniform market shares. This enables infrastructure to be effectively exploited as well as market power to be evenly distributed among suppliers, reducing the probability of a monopoly arising. Conclusion There would be not enough space to discuss all factors of a market within a short essay; however, I have tried to apply microeconomic theories to analyse notable features and remarkable changes in the market that have had significant influences on consumers, together with given personal evaluations and opinions about the development trend of the market. I hope that eventually I have achieved a clarification of economic principles hidden in daily-life matters such as behaviours of firms and consumers in the mobile telecom market in Vietnam. Due to time pressure as well as inexperience in researching and writing, my essay may contain errors and misunderstanding. I would like to receive your feedbacks and suggestions to help me improve its accuracy and quality. Reference * Gregory Mankiw, Principles of Microeconomics (5th Edition). * VnExpress. net, Development of Vietnamese Telecom Market. * CafeF. vn, Viettel’s Aquisition of EVN Telecom Might Violate the Law. * Tuoitre. vn, Beeline Is to Disappear. * Tienphong. vn, Merging MobiFone and Vinaphone: Good and Harm. * Vcci. com. vn, Telecom Market: Back to Monopoly? * National Assembly, Competition Law, 2005.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Pyromaniac :: Personal Narratives Fire Essays

Pyromaniac A secret label, hushed and never talked about, has followed my name since I was born; â€Å"Pyro,† pyromaniac that is. Fascination with fire, the uncontrollable impulse to start fires, has been circulating in my blood from the first day I was born. Smelting heat and flames would spark my attention no matter what my surroundings. Candle lit dinner tables, switch flick colorful lighters, lit cigarette butts and burning matches. Oh matches! How I love them. The smell of gasoline has always been a heavenly scent, burning paper and bonfire parties are two of my other favorites. Smokey haze has always soothed me. One crisp October afternoon, however, that soothing smoky haze turned against me. I was fourteen years old, my parents were not home but my partner-in-crime, Anne, was by my side. Anne was my best friend throughout my childhood years, we did everything together. On weekdays after school, Anne and I headed to my house to be greeted by my comforting living room for our ritual TV session. Saved by the Bell was our preferred program. With the TV blaring in the background, we scattered our homework about the floor as if we had been studying, just in case my mom showed up unexpectedly. We left behind stained crumpled napkins, half eaten snacks and soda cans with few sips drawn from the lip, as we began the hunt for after school excitement. Suddenly, an idea mazed through my intricate thought process until it burst. The explosion erupted and excitement swam through my bones, in and out of every limb and muscle. I jumped, â€Å"let’s light something on fire in the garage.† It would be safer outside of my house, I thought (no one will see us). My garage contained two small tinted windows, so that no one could peer inside, no one could catch us in the act of the crime. Anne’s face lit up with excitement as she said, â€Å"Ok, I’ll grab the toilet paper and napkins, you grab some writing paper.† Our plan was set. We scurried to the garage, carrying paper and other â€Å"burnables.† Matches were always better than lighters for experiments such as these. For our first experiment, we ignited napkins and paper, but the excitement quickly fizzled. Having lost our initial adrenalin rush, we began to search for more dangerous â€Å"flammables.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Double-crest Cormorant

The Double-crest Cormorant is more or less uniformly distributed throughout the country. It is seen in temperate climates with most concentrated in the upper half of the United States. Judging from the map, they seem to be attracted to heavily wooded areas such as northern California and Oregon, the Dakota’s in the Midwest and northern New England. The exception to this is the relatively concentrated population in south east Florida. Because of their seeming desire for temperate wooded areas, I would say that this bird is a specialist. Great Blue Heron The Great Blue Heron is definitely a generalist.It is spread all throughout the country with heavy concentrations mostly in the southern part of the United States. It seems as though it does best in the Midwestern and southern parts of the country but also has significant populations in the desert areas of Arizona and New Mexico and the harsh winter climates of the most northern parts of the country. Wood Stork The Wood Stork is definitely a specialist. Its populations are seen exclusively in the South and the Southeastern parts of the country with its heaviest populations in Florida and more so in south Florida.It seems to do best in hot climates with high humidity and is never seen any further North than Tennessee. American Robin The American Robin is by far the most populous bird in this group. It is seen in nearly ever state in the country, with the exceptions being Florida and much of Texas, making it a generalist. Its most significant populations are in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest but it is generally well distributed throughout the whole country. Work Citied â€Å"Breeding Bird Survey Summary and Analysis. † USGS Bird Population. USGS. 28 Mar. 2006 .

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Othello Analysis Essay

Jealousy is defined as feeling and/or showing envy of someone for their achievements and advantages. Jealousy is known to be one of the world’s worst emotions, except jealousy is not an emotion. Jealousy is a deadly disease and should not be considered an emotion proving that while in a jealous state there is a complete loss of control. A person in the jealous state is completely incapable of controlling their emotions, behaviour and their intellectual process making them vulnerable in all situations. The play Othello written by William Shakespeare proves to be one of the most profound pieces of literature includes many characters that are diagnosed with the deadly disease that is Jealousy. â€Å"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; /It is the green eyed monster which doth mock/ [t]he meat it feeds on† (Othello, 3.3.165-167). A very vital and traumatizing symptom that comes with having the Jealous disease is the psychological loss of control. The diagnosed character is incapable of controlling their thoughts, often leading them to making unreasonable decisions. In the play Othello, we see many characters that are ill with the Jealous disease and are battling to keep their thoughts intact. Iago is one of the first characters to be introduced into the play who possess the illness. When Iago proves to have the symptom of psychological control loss, we can see it when he states, â€Å"I am not what I am† (Othello, 1.1.65). This is very significant because throughout the play it is established that Iago is really contrasting the character who he claims to be; loyal and honest. It is given that Iago is possessed by his illness; forcing him to be the deceiving, smart, and insincere character. When Iago loses psychological control, he makes a decision far too quickly, without processing all the elements. â€Å"Call her father, Rouse him. Make after him, poison his delight, Proclaim him in the streets. Incense her kinsmen, And, though he in a fertile climate dwell, Plague him with flies.† (Othello, 1.1.68-71) In this passage, Iago is speaking with Roderigo and has invented plans to destroy Desdemona and Othello’s secret relationship by exposing them to Desdemona’s father, Brabantio; awaiting him that the two have eloped. Iago does not take a moment to reconsider the steps he wishes to pursue as a normal person would, Iago does not judge the consequences of his actions or what affects might it cause. This passage is very significant because it is this one simple decision made by Iago that determines and introduces all the other conflicts later in the play. It is established that Iago is in a Jealous state, that he is not in control of his thoughts and should not be held accountable for any actions he may pursue. One who has what is deemed a â€Å"normal† intellectual process can move forward to collecting their thoughts to make rational decisions, contradictory to one who is sick with the Jealous disease who lacks to control their thoughts. As we can see through Iago the Jealous disease has a powerful symptom that controls your intellectual process and therefore someone should not be held accountable for their thoughts while in jealous state, for Jealousy is what triggers a character to performing abnormal acts, this leading to the next symptom, symptom of changes in behaviour. A person must always have control over their actions because as we all know, if they do not have power over their actions, it may lead to their downfall. Many characters in the play had uncontrolled actions that led to their own defeat as result of being in the Jealous state. The main character Othello, the brave Moor who was always taking cautious steps as a leader, quickly changed when he went into a Jealous state. â€Å"I love thee;/[b]ut never more be officer of mine† (Othello, 2.3.227-228). This passage proves the courageous Othello when he took away Cassio’s position, for the benefit of the citizens of Cyprus. â€Å"Devil! (s triking her)† (Othello, 4.1.228). This passage is where Othello is incapable to control his actions and slaps Desdemona in front of a crowd surprisingly to the original characteristics that defined Othello initially. If you compare the two passages you can distinguish the difference Othello in a balanced and unbalanced state. The illness that transmitted into his biological system quickly, took over his ability to have power over his brain. â€Å"It is too late. (he smothers her)† (Othello, 5.2.83). This passage is very significant because as the reader we know that Othello’s love for  his beloved wife is pure and he would never commit such a crime, but since Othello is unable to break his bond of the Jealous disease, Othello kills his own wife. Othello wanted to be the dominate power, and had no power over his decisions of actions leading to his downfall. The actions one takes are controlled by their thoughts and emotions which neither of is a person in a Jealous state able to control. The emotional trauma that one feels while fighting the Jealous disease is horrifying. They are incapable of controlling their emotions and have high mood swings, which can result in overpowering their intellectual thought process that moves forward into taking control of their actions. In the play we are able to see characters whose emotions are uncontrollable and change very quickly. First, we have Othello who is in a battle with his emotions when he learns that Desdemona may be having an affair. â€Å"Farwell the tranquil mind! Farewell content!† (3.3.356) This is the first quote from Othello and shortly after he says, â€Å"Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore, Be sure of it.† (3.3.367-368) as we can see Othello is going from insane to angry, and he has no control over who he has rage towards, for a second it is Desdemona and the next second it is Iago. Othello conflicts with the multiple emotions he is feeling and is has no power over the release of his emotions. This signifies that Jealousy is a disease because Othello does not feel â€Å"jealous†; he feels many other emotions in this moment of the play while ill. Roderigo who also suffers from the Jealous disease also is unable to control his emotions. â€Å"Nay, I think it is scurvy and begin to find myself fopped in it.†(4.2.201-202)In this passage Roderigo speaks to Iago telling Iago that he knows Iago is cheating him. Although later in the play, Roderigo continues to work with Iago in hopes of killing Cassio. â€Å"And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons.†(5.1.9)As we observe Roderigo, we observe his different and quickly changing emotions around Iago. Roderigo although figuring out that Iago is not a good person, when in a Jealous state cannot control his emotions and feels that Iago will be loyal in the end, this leads to his own downfall because in the end it is Iago who kills Roderigo. This signifies that a character with the Jealous disease is unable to control their emotions and have emotions controlled by a disease. Just as they have no control their behavioural and psychological changes. All in all, through the play Othello we learn that jealousy is a disease so strong;  no one can control their body. Their emotional, psychological, and conduct processes all change and make it very hard to process like normal. A person fighting this illness is very unhealthy and unsafe; which often leads them to their own destruction. There is no medication to cure the disease and no one should be held liable for their thoughts, actions or emotions. We can use this lesson as an example to help us think of jealousy as the disease it is and find a cure or a method to relieve a patient from all that they go through when in a jealous state.

Friday, November 8, 2019

129 Great Examples of Community Service Projects

129 Great Examples of Community Service Projects SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you interested in performing community service? Do you want examples of service projects you can do?Community service is a great way to help others and improve your community, and it can also help you gain skills and experience to include on your resume and college applications. Read on for dozens of community service ideas to help you get started volunteering. What Is Community Service? Community service is work done by a person or group of people that benefits others. It is often done near the area where you live, so your own community reaps the benefits of your work.You do not get paid to perform community service, but volunteer your time.Community service can help many different groups of people: children, senior citizens, people with disabilities, even animals and the environment.Community service is often organized through a local group, such as a place of worship, school, or non-profit organization, or you can start your own community service projects. Community service can even involve raising funds by donating used goods or selling used good like clothing. Many people participate in community service because they enjoy helping others and improving their community. Some students are required to do community service in order to graduate high school or to receive certain honors. Some adults are also ordered by a judge to complete a certain number of community service hours. Why Should You Participate in Community Service? There are numerous benefits to participating in community service, both for yourself and others. Below are some of the most important benefits of volunteering: Gives you a way to help others Helps improve your community Can help strengthen your resume and college applications Can be a way to meet new friends Often results in personal growth Gives you a way to gain work experience and learn more about certain jobs How Should You Use This List? This list of over one hundred community service examples is organized by category, so if you're particularly interested in working with, say, children or animals, you can easily find community service activities more related to your interests. In order to use this list most effectively, read through it and make note of any community service ideas that match your interests and that you may want to participate in. Some considerations to keep in mind are: Who would you like to help? Isthere a specific group of people or cause you are passionate about? Look for projects that relate to your passion and interests. You may also just want to perform particular community service activities that allow you to do hobbies you enjoy, like baking or acting, and that's fine too. Do you want a community service activity that is reoccurring or a one-time event? Perhaps you don't have enough time to regularly devote to community service.In that case, it may be better to look for opportunities that only occur once or sporadically, such as planning special events or helping build a house. What kind of impact do you want to have? Some people prefer to participate in community service activities that have a quantifiable impact, for example, activities where you know the specific number of kids you tutored, dollars you raised, or cans of food you collected. This is in contrast to activities that don't have such clear numbers, such as creating a garden or serving asa volunteer lifeguard. Some people prefer quantifiable activities because they feel they look stronger on college applications, or because they simply enjoy knowing their exact impact on the community. What skills would you like to gain? Many community service activities can help you gain skills. These skills can range from teaching to medicine to construction and more. If there is a particular skill you'd like to learn for future classes, jobs, or just out of personal interest, you may want to see if there is a community service activity that helps you learn that skill. Want to build the best possible college application, including extracurriculars? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. List of Community Service Examples Below I've listed over 100 community service ideas to get you started with brainstorming. General Ideas Donate or raise money for your local Red Cross Organize a community blood drive Send cards to soldiers serving overseas For your next birthday, ask for charitable donations instead of gifts Hold a bake sale for your favorite charity Read books or letters to a person who is visually impaired Organize a wheelchair basketball team Participate in a charity race Organize an event or parade for Memorial Day Volunteer to help at a charity auction Participate in National Youth Service Day in April Contact a tree farm about donating Christmas trees to nursing homes, hospitals, or to families who can’t afford to buy their own Collect unused makeup and perfume to donate to a center for abused women Help register people to vote Organize a car wash and donate the profits to charity Help deliver meals and gifts to patients at a local hospital Write articles / give speeches advocating financial literarcy. First you should learn about the topics themselves, like calculating housing costs, or understanding personal loans, and then give presentations on these topics. Helping Children and Schools Tutor children during or after school Donate stuffed animals to children in hospitals Organize games and activities for children in hospitals or who are visiting hospitalized relatives Knit or crochet baby blankets to be donated to hospitals or homeless shelters Collect baby clothes and supplies to donate to new parents Organize a Special Olympics event for children and teenagers Sponsor a bike-a-thon and give away bike safety gear, like helmets and knee pads, as prizes Collect used sports equipment to donate to families and after-school programs Volunteer at a summer camp for children who have lost a parent Sponsor a child living in a foreign country, either on your own or as part of a group Coach a youth sports team Put on performances for children in hospitals Give free music lessons to schoolchildren Become a volunteer teen crisis counselor Organize a summer reading program to encourage kids to read Organize an Easter egg hunt for neighborhood children Create a new game for children to play Organize events to help new students make friends Babysit children during a PTA meeting Organize a reading hour for children at a local school or library Donate used children’s books to a school library Work with the local health department to set up an immunization day or clinic to immunize children against childhood diseases Volunteer to help with Vacation Bible School or other religious camps Helping Senior Citizens Read to residents at a nursing home Deliver groceries and meals to elderly neighbors Teach computer skills to the elderly Drive seniors to doctor appointments Mow an elderly neighbor’s lawn Host a bingo night for nursing home residents Host a holiday meal for senior citizens Make birthday cards for the elderly Donate and decorate a Christmas tree at a nursing home Organize a family day for residents of a retirement home and relatives to play games together Ask residents of a retirement home to tell you about their lives Pick up medicine for an elderly neighbor Perform a concert or play at a senior center Help elderly neighbors clean their homes and organize their belongings Rake leaves, shovel snow, or wash windows for a senior citizen Deliver cookies to a homebound senior citizen Want to build the best possible college application, including extracurriculars? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Helping Animals and the Environment Take care of cats and dogs at an animal shelter Clean up a local park Raise money to provide a bulletproof vest for a police dog Plant a tree for Arbor Day Place a bird feeder and bird fountain in your backyard Start a butterfly garden in your community Sponsor a recycling contest Grow flowers in your backyard then give bouquets to hospital patients or people who are housebound Help create a new walking trail at a nature center or park Update the signs along a nature trail Adopt an acre of rainforest Help train service dogs Participate in the cleanup of a local river, pond, or lake Foster animals that shelters don’t have space for Organize a spay and neuter your pet program Care for a neighbor’s pet while they are away Sponsor an animal at your local zoo Train your pet to be a therapy animal and bring it to hospitals or nursing homes Build and set up a bird house Organize a carpool to reduce car emissions Campaign for more bike lanes in your town Volunteer at a nature camp and teach kids about the environment Test the water quality of a lake or river near you Plant native flowers or plants along highways Helping the Hungry and/or Homeless Build a house with Habitat for Humanity Donate your old clothes Volunteer at a soup kitchen Donate old eyeglasses to an organization that collects that and distributes them to people in need Donate non-perishable food to a food bank Donate blankets to a homeless shelter Host a Thanksgiving dinner for people who may not be able to afford their own Offer to babysit or nanny for a family in need Make â€Å"care kits† with shampoo, toothbrushes, combs, etc. to donate to homeless shelters Prepare a home-cooked meal for the residents of a nearby homeless shelter Collect grocery coupons to give to a local food bank Help repair or paint a local homeless shelter Donate art supplies to kids in a homeless shelter Help organize and sort donations at a homeless shelter Babysit children while their parents look for jobs Become a Big Buddy for children at a homeless shelter Take homeless children on outings Bake a batch of cookies or loaf of bread and deliver it to a soup kitchen Build flower boxes for Habitat for Humanity houses Organize a winter clothes drive to collect coats, hats, scarves, and gloves to be donated Make first aid kits for homeless shelters Reducing Crime and Promoting Safety Volunteer at a police station or firehouse Become a certified lifeguard and volunteer at a local pool or beach Paint over graffiti in your neighborhood Organize a self-defense workshop Organize a drug-free campaign Sponsor a drug-free post-prom event Start or join a neighborhood watch program Create and distribute a list of hotlines for people who might need help Teach a home-alone safety class for children Create a TV or radio public service announcement against drug and alcohol use Become CPR certified Volunteer as a crossing guard for an elementary school Promoting Community Enhancement Paint park benches Donate used books to your local library Become a tour guide at your local museum Repaint community fences Plant flowers in bare public areas Organize a campaign to raise money to buy and install new playground equipment for a park Participate in or help organize a community parade Clean up vacant lot Produce a neighborhood newspaper Campaign for more lighting along poorly lit streets Create a newcomers group in your neighborhood to help welcome new families Petition your town leaders to build more drinking fountains and public restrooms Volunteer to clean up trash at a community event Adopt a local highway or road and clean up trash along it Help fix or raise funds to repair a run-down playground Clean up after a natural disaster Next Steps Now that you know what your options are for community service, you can take the following steps to start getting involved: 1. Look over your interests:Which activities seem most appealing to you? Were they mostly in one particular category, like children or the environment? If so, that's a good starting place for choosing specific organizations to contact. 2. Figure out how much time you can devote to community service: Are you available for two hours every week? Are you not free on a regular basis but can volunteer for an entire weekend now and then? Think about transportation as well and how you'll be able to get to different locations. Knowing this information will help you choose which community service projects to pursue, and it's helpful information for volunteer coordinators to know. 3.Do some research to see what projects you can do in your community: Check at your school, place of worship, or town hall for more information on volunteering. You can also contact the place where you’d like to perform your community service, such as a particular animal shelter or nursing home, and ask if they take volunteers. 4.Start volunteering!This list ranges from small projects that you can complete on your own in a few hours, to much larger projects that will take more time and people. If you find a project you can start on your own, do it! If you want to do a project where you’ll need more resources or people, check around your community to see if a similar program already exists that you can join. If not, don’t be afraid to start your own! Many organizations welcome new volunteers and community service projects. Additional Information Considering doing volunteer work in another country? Read our guide on volunteer abroad programs and learn whether or not you should participate in one. Are you in college or will be starting soon? Extracurriculars are one of the best parts of college! Check out our guide to learn which extracurricular activities you should consider in college. Did you know that you can use your community service work to help pay for college? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to win community service scholarships. Struggling to write about extracurriculars on your college application?Check out our in-depth guide to crafting a compelling narrative about your extracurriculars. Read it for free now:

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Boxer

Muhammad Ali - 'The Greatest' Boxer Muhammad Ali was one of the most famous boxers of all time. His conversion to Islam and draft evasion conviction surrounded him with controversy and even exile from boxing for three years. Despite the hiatus, his quick reflexes and strong punches helped Muhammad Ali become the first person in history to win the heavyweight champion title three times. At the lighting ceremony at the 1996 Olympics, Muhammad Ali showed the world his strength and determination in dealing with the debilitating effects of Parkinsons syndrome. Dates: January 17, 1942 June 3, 2016 Also Known As: (born as) Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., The Greatest, the Louisville Lip Married: Sonji Roi (1964 - 1966)Belinda Boyd (1967 - circa 1977)Veronica Porche (1977 - 1996)Yolanda Lonnie Williams (1996 - Until his death) Childhood Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. at 6:35 p.m. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky to Cassius Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay. Cassius Clay Sr. was a muralist, but painted signs for a living. Odessa Clay worked as a housecleaner and a cook. Two years after Muhammad Ali was born, the couple had another son, Rudolph (Rudy). A Stolen Bicycle Leads Muhammad Ali to Become a Boxer When Muhammad Ali was 12 years old, he and a friend went to the Columbia Auditorium to partake in the free hot dogs and popcorn available for visitors of the Louisville Home Show. When the boys were done eating, they went back to get their bicycles only to discover that Muhammad Alis had been stolen. Furious, Muhammad Ali went to the basement of the Columbia Auditorium to report the crime to police officer Joe Martin, who was also a boxing coach at the Columbia Gym. When Muhammad Ali said he wanted to beat up the person who stole his bike, Martin told him that he should probably learn to fight first. A few days later, Muhammad Ali began boxing training at Martins gym. From the very beginning, Muhammad Ali took his training seriously. He trained six days a week. On school days, he woke early in the morning so that he could go running and then would go workout at the gym in the evening. When Martins gym closed at 8 pm, Ali would then go train at another boxing gym. Over time, Muhammad Ali also created his own eating regimen that included milk and raw eggs for breakfast. Concerned about what he put in his body, Ali stayed away from junk food, alcohol, and cigarettes so that he could be the best boxer in the world. The 1960 Olympics Even in his early training, Muhammad Ali boxed like no one else. He was fast. So fast that he didnt duck punches like most other boxers; instead, he just leaned back away from them. He also didnt put his hands up to protect his face; he kept them down by his hips. In 1960, the Olympic Games were held in Rome. Muhammad Ali, then 18 years old, had already won national tournaments such as the Golden Gloves and so he felt ready to compete in the Olympics. On September 5, 1960, Muhammad Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay) fought against Zbigniew Pietrzyskowski from Poland in the light-heavyweight championship bout. In a unanimous decision, the judges declared Ali the winner, which meant Ali had won the Olympic gold medal. Having won the Olympic gold medal, Muhammad Ali had attained the top position in amateur boxing. It was time for him to turn professional. Winning the Heavyweight Title As Muhammad Ali started fighting in professional boxing bouts , he realized that there were things he could do to create attention for himself. For instance, before fights, Ali would say things to worry his opponents. He would also frequently declare, I am the greatest of all time! Often before a fight, Ali would write poetry that either called the round his opponent would fall or boast of his own abilities. Muhammad Alis most famous line was when he stated he was going to Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His theatrics worked. Many people paid to see Muhammad Alis fights just to see such a braggart lose. In 1964, even the heavyweight champion, Charles Sonny Liston got caught up in the hype and agreed to fight Muhammad Ali. On February 25, 1964, Muhammad Ali fought Liston for the heavyweight title in Miami, Florida. Liston tried for a quick knockout, but Ali was too fast to catch. By the 7th round, Liston was too exhausted, had hurt his shoulder, and was worried about a cut under his eye. Liston refused to continue the fight. Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The Nation of Islam and Name Change The day after the championship bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali publicly announced his conversion to Islam. The public was not happy. Ali had joined the Nation of Islam, a group led by Elijah Muhammad that advocated for a separate black nation. Since many people found the Nation of Islams beliefs to be racist, they were angry and disappointed that Ali had joined them. Up to this point, Muhammad Ali was still known as Cassius Clay. When he joined the Nation of Islam in 1964, he shed his slave name (he had been named after a white abolitionist that had freed his slaves) and took on the new name of Muhammad Ali. Banned From Boxing for Draft Evasion During the three years after the Liston fight, Ali won every bout. He had become one of the most popular athletes of the 1960s. He had become a symbol of black pride. Then in 1967, Muhammad Ali received a draft notice. The United States was calling up young men to fight in the Vietnam War. Since Muhammad Ali was a famous boxer, he could have requested special treatment and just entertained the troops. However, Alis deep religious beliefs forbade killing, even in war, and so Ali refused to go. In June 1967, Muhammad Ali was tried and found guilty of draft evasion. Although he was fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in jail, he remained out on bail while he appealed. However, in response to public outrage, Muhammad Ali was banned from boxing and stripped of his heavyweight title. For three and a half years, Muhammad Ali was exiled from professional boxing. While watching others claim the heavyweight title, Ali lectured around the country to earn some money. Back in the Ring By 1970, the general American public had become dissatisfied with the  Vietnam War  and was thus easing their anger against Muhammad Ali. This change in public opinion meant Muhammad Ali was able to rejoin boxing. After participating in an exhibition match on September 2, 1970, Muhammad Ali fought in his first real comeback bout on October 26, 1970, against Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia. During the fight, Muhammad Ali appeared slower than he used to be; yet before the start of the fourth round, Quarrys manager threw in the towel. Ali was back and he wanted to reclaim his heavyweight title. The Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali vs.  Joe Frazier  (1971) On March 8, 1971, Muhammad Ali got his chance to win back the heavyweight title. Ali was to fight Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden. This fight, billed as the Fight of the Century, was viewed in 35 countries around the world and was the first fight Ali used his rope-a-dope technique. (Alis rope-a-dope technique was when Ali leaned himself on the ropes and protected himself while he let his opponent hit him repeatedly. The intention was to quickly tire out his opponent.) Although Muhammad Ali did well in a few of the rounds, in many others he was pounded by Frazier. The fight went the full 15 rounds, with both fighters still standing at the end. The fight was unanimously awarded to Frazier. Ali had lost his first professional fight and had officially lost the heavyweight title. Shortly after Muhammad Ali  had lost this fight with Frazier, Ali won a different kind of fight. Alis appeals against his draft evasion conviction had gone all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, who unanimously reversed the lower courts decision on June 28, 1971. Ali had been exonerated. The Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman On October 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali had another chance at the championship title. In the time since Ali lost to Frazier in 1971, Frazier himself had lost his championship title to George Foreman. While Ali had won a rematch against Frazier in 1974, Ali was much slower and older than he used to be and was not expected to have a chance against Foreman. Many considered Foreman to be unbeatable. The bout was held in Kinshasa, Zaire and was thus billed as the Rumble in the Jungle. Once again, Ali used his rope-a-dope strategy - this time with much more success. Ali was able to tire out Foreman so much that by the eighth round, Muhammad Ali knocked Foreman out. For the second time, Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight champion of the world. Thrilla in Manila: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier Joe Frazier really did not like Muhammad Ali. As part of the antics before their fights, Ali had called Frazier an Uncle Tom and a gorilla, among other bad names. Alis comments greatly angered Frazier. Their third match against each other was held on October 1, 1975, and called Thrilla in Manila because it was held in Manila, Philippines. The fight was brutal. Both Ali and Frazier hit hard. Both were determined to win. By the time the bell for the 15th round was rung, Fraziers eyes were swollen nearly shut; his manager wouldnt let him continue. Ali won the fight, but he himself was badly hurt as well. Both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought so hard and so well, that many consider this fight to be the greatest boxing fight in history. Winning the Championship Title a Third Time After the Frazier fight in 1975, Muhammad Ali announced his  retirement. This, however, did not last long as it was just too easy to pick up a million dollars here or there by fighting one more bout. Ali did not take these fights very seriously and became lax on his training. On February 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali was extremely surprised when novice boxer Leon Spinks beat him. The bout had gone all 15 rounds, but Spinks had dominated the match. The judges awarded the fight - and the championship title - to Spinks. Ali was furious and wanted a rematch. Spinks obliged. While Ali worked diligently to train for their rematch, Spinks did not. The fight did go the full 15 rounds again, but this time, Ali was the obvious winner. Not only did Ali win back the heavyweight champion title, he became the first person in history to win it three times. Retirement and Parkinsons Syndrome After the Spinks fight, Ali retired on June 26, 1979. He did fight Larry Holmes in 1980 and Trevor Berbick in 1981 but lost both fights. The fights were embarrassing; it was obvious that Ali should stop boxing. Muhammad Ali had been the greatest heavyweight boxer in the world three times. In his professional career, Ali had won 56 bouts and lost only five. Of the 56 wins, 37 of them were by knockout. Unfortunately, all of these fights took a toll on Muhammad Alis body. After suffering increasingly slurred speech, shaking hands, and over-tiredness, Muhammad Ali was hospitalized in September 1984 to determine the cause. His doctors diagnosed Ali with Parkinsons syndrome, a degenerative condition that results in decreased control over speech and motor skills. After being out of the limelight for more than a decade, Muhammad Ali was asked to light the Olympic flame during the Opening Ceremonies of the  1996 Olympics  in Atlanta, Georgia. Ali moved slowly and his hands shook, yet his performance brought tears to many who watched the Olympic lighting. Since then, Ali worked tirelessly to help charities around the world. He also spent a lot of time signing autographs. On June 3, 2016, Muhammad Ali died at age 74 in Phoenix, Arizona after suffering from respiratory problems. He remains a hero and icon of the 20th century.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Critically Analyse the Legal and Political System of England Regarding Assignment

Critically Analyse the Legal and Political System of England Regarding the Case Study - Assignment Example The Financial Services Authority and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are the two bodies monitoring the enforcement of the Companies Act 2006 in UK (Cahn 2010, p.19). It should be noted that the Companies Act 2010 contains strict rules in regard to a series of issues, such as ‘the involvement of directors in the trading of their companies’ securities’ (Cahn 2010, p.19) or the approval of critical transactions by the shareholders (Cahn 2010, p.19). However, the key mission of the above Act, as of company law in UK in general, is ‘to facilitate the operation of market forces’ (Hicks and Goo 2008, p.12). This trend is made clear in the following fact: privatization of companies in UK is continuously developed, mostly through the increase of employee share schemes across UK (Hicks and Goo 2008, p.12). The pressure on companies for aligning their activities with existing laws can be differentiated, under the influence of contradicting int erests (for example, the interests of employees as opposed to those of shareholders) and the need for securing competition. 1b. UK law and employee relations One of the most important characteristics of the legal framework of employee relations in UK is its inability to secure employee rights; the fact that the existing laws focusing on employee relations in UK are limited, compared to other countries, is considered as the key reason for the above phenomenon. Moreover, the laws related to employee relations seem to favour rather the employer, an assumption verified through the following fact: traditionally, the length of employment period has been a key term for deciding the right of employees across UK to ask for compensation in case of unfair dismissal (Hollinshead, Nicholls and Tailby 2002, p.519). Even employees in fixed term contracts are often asked to waive their rights to claim compensation in case of dismissal because of redundancy (Hollinshead, Nicholls and Tailby 2002, p. 519). Moreover, for the UK labour law, the rules related to employee relations can be applied only in cases of employees who work on the basis of a contract (Countouris 2007, p.78). This means that the UK labour law does not protect employees who work without an employment contract. In most European countries, employees’ rights are protected even if there is no employment contract; for instance, certain social security rights are recognized to employees who work without employment contract (Countouris, 2007, p.78). On the other hand, there is a series of legal texts addressing various employee relations’ issues; for example the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Wages Act 1986 (Countouris 2007, p.78-79). When evaluating the decision of Marks and Spencer to announce the closure of its stores in France just before the meeting with the employees’ representatives, reference should be made to the following fact: indeed, Marks and Spencer is primarily bound by the UK labour law. The application, though, of the labour laws of the host country, France, where the firm’s stores are located, cannot be excluded especially at the level that the local laws would be in opposition with the UK relevant legal rules. Marks and Spencer operates globally. This means that

Friday, November 1, 2019

Interior design and its impact on future Research Paper

Interior design and its impact on future - Research Paper Example Implementing sustainable designs to projects is a relatively new concept to designers who live all around the world. However it is necessary. Sustainable design is no longer becoming just an option according to Hill. In fact, it is becoming a â€Å"standard† in designing both the exterior and the interior of buildings. The goal of every interior designer and every architect should be creating awareness among the people within their community (and possibly outside their community as well) that there is a need to push for a greener environment, even if the spaces to be built and designed would be used for commercial purposes. Not only would there be incredible decreases in the depletion of natural resources and financial decreases in the purchase of construction materials, there would also be decreases in the need for man power, as a greener environment within a building would call for less energy to be used up (Hill). According to Tseng (332), the â€Å"green building† i s something that is not just environment-friendly, but is also essential for causing the least number of problems with regards to the surrounding buildings and all the human beings who live or who work in the same area. This way, the designers and architects of a building project are able to fulfil their responsibility in providing something beneficial for the general public. Thus, interior designers have begun to make use of the resources that they have. There is less buying and more of making do with what is available. In this section, I shall relay the kinds of solutions that both architects and interior designers have undertaken to create ‘green environments.’ Previous years showed that most businesses had the view that if they incorporate anything in their business that is for helping the environment, then it would not be good for business. Profits would be