The House of the Scorpion Essay Example

The House of the Scorpion Essay The house of the scorpion The term extraordinary can apply to many things. The definition of extraordinary is an object that is â€Å"very unusual and deserving attention†. The House of the Scorpion deserves to be called extraordinary because it spins a masterful literary web that will not set you free until you finish the last page with a satisfied sigh. Because of the moralistic issues she cunningly weaves into the book, the excellent literary language, and her cautionary take on the future, Farmer will never disappoint her readers as she spins her dispute between right and wrong. There is a thin line between good and evil. Farmer delves into morally wrong issues, and brings our twisted inventions to the light. She poses questions of right and wrong of topics discussed today. Is it ethical to clone human beings? Is a human suffering, even though they are not aware of it? Farmer brings our worst fears into view and dissects them one by one. Even though we clearly see some things as bad and others as good Farmer gives a second opinion on these issues and makes us rethink our answers. Her take on right and wrong is exemplified by El Patron and Matt. One is clearly right, and the other wrong. We will write a custom essay sample on The House of the Scorpion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The House of the Scorpion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The House of the Scorpion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer But the reader cannot but feel that El Patron was to be sympathized with, such as when he pitifully repeats the tale of his dead brothers and sisters. Matt on the other hand at some times was to be despised at, such when he forced Maria to kiss him. Readers will be kept to the edge of their seat as she presents questions and answers and while at the same time causing ourselves to delve deeply into our hearts and find what we believe in. Readers will not be able to put down this book because of the thoughtful questions it provokes. Another one of the reasons why readers are recommended this book is Farmer’s literary style. While the plot is the bare bones of the story, the meat is what really makes the book worth reading. Her characters are the veins that give the book life as they flow richly from the pages. You can hear Celia and Maria laughing with Matt while Tam Lin indulgently watches on. You can practically feel the love between them as Tam Lin befriends the lonely despised clone, as Maria bypasses prejudices to love him, as Celia bravely defies El Patron by poisoning Matt’s heart. She cleverly describes her tale of a futuristic landscape in sweeping imagery, so real you can join in Matt’s horror when he finds out what eejits really are. Farmer has effectively enthralled readers because of the life she breathes into the book, transforming a set of simple bones into an extraordinary literary tale by infusing it with flesh, blood and a heart. The heart is what keeps people reading, and convinces people to read them; it is the heart that pumps the blood through the veins and lends animation to the bones. Farmer captures the workings of a heart and imbues it into her book making it a worthwhile read. Farmer keeps a firm grip on reality while presenting a real and shocking view on our world a hundred years into the future. She looks at arguments that plague our world now and imagine what will happen hundreds of years later. Some authors may see science fiction as a way out of reality, because literally anything can happen in the future. Farmer, however, gives plausible views of what could happen to us in our civilization if things continue as they do now. What she foresees is economic disaster, whales dying and whole oceans choked with pollution. She sees a life where everybody is running away from their life because reality is too harsh to face. She sees countries crippled because of drugs, mindless slaves working in the poppy fields. She sees everybody unable to face the truth because sometimes the truth is too hard to bear. She has given us an entirely possible future, where everyone we know can be an eejit, every child we know could be starving because nothing is equal. This book will give readers a new view on what our world could become. Farmer presents cautionary tale of what could happen if it is too late to open our eyes and enslave millions of people to a miserable existence. Nancy Farmer’s work in The House of the Scorpion has entertained millions of readers because of the questions she cunningly weaves into the plot, the beautiful literary imagery, and the setting, which takes place a hundred years into the future. Her futuristic setting lends a sense of horror to the book as everything is dead or struggling to live. She has captured readers with her excellent plot which she fleshes out with believable characters. She has given the book a heart and thus it will capture generations of people because of the qualities she has written it with.

The Merchant of Venice Act 1 Summary

'The Merchant of Venice' Act 1 Summary Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice is a fantastic play and boasts one of Shakespeares most memorable villains, the Jewish moneylender, Shylock. This Merchant of Venice Act 1 summary guides you through the plays opening scenes in modern English. Here, Shakespeare takes the time to introduce his main characters - most notably Portia, one of the strongest women parts in all Shakespeares plays. Act 1 Scene 1 Antonio is speaking to his friends Salerio and Solanio. He explains that a sadness has come over him. His friends suggest that his sadness could be due to him worrying about his commercial ventures. He has ships at sea with merchandise in them and they could be vulnerable. Antonio says he is not worried about his ships because his goods are spread between them and if one went down he would still have the others. His friends suggest that he must then be in love, Antonio denies this. Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Graziano arrive as Salerio and Solanio leave. Lorenzo says that now Bassanio and Antonio have been reunited they will make their leave but arrange to meet up later for dinner. Graziano tries to cheer Antonio up but to no avail, he tells Antonio that men who try to be melancholy in order to be perceived as wise are deceived. Graziano and Lorenzo leave. Bassanio complains that Graziano has nothing to say but just will not stop talking. â€Å"Graziano speaks an infinite deal of nothing† (Act 1 Scene 1) Antonio asks Bassanio to tell him about the woman he has fallen for and intends to pursue. Bassanio acknowledges that he has borrowed a lot of money from Antonio over the years and promises to clear his debts to him: To you Antonio, I owe the most in money and in love, And from your love I have a warranty to unburden all my plots and purposes how to get clear of all the debts I owe.(Act 1 Scene 1). Bassanio explains that he has fallen in love with Portia the heiress of Belmont but that she has other richer suitors, he just wants to try to compete with them in order to win her hand. He needs money to get there. Antonio tells him that all his money is tied up in his business but that he will act as a guarantor for any loan that he can get. Act 1 Scene 2 Enter Portia with Nerissa her waiting woman. Portia complains that she is weary of the world. Her dead father stipulated, in his will, that she herself cannot choose a husband. Portia’s suitors will be given a choice of three chests; one gold, one silver, and one lead. The winning chest contains a portrait of Portia and in choosing the correct chest he will win her hand in marriage. He must agree that if he chooses the wrong chest he will not be permitted to marry anyone. Nerissa lists suitors who have come to guess including the Neopolitan Prince, County Palatine, A French Lord and an English nobleman. Portia mocks each of the gentlemen for their shortcomings. In particular, a German nobleman who was a drinker, Nerissa asks if Portia remembers him she says: Very vilely in the morning when he is sober, and most viley in the afternoon when he is drunk. When he is best he is little worse than a man, and when he is worse he is little better than a beast. An the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him.(Act 1 Scene 2). The men listed all left before guessing for fear that they would get it wrong and face the consequences. Portia is determined to follow her father’s will and be won in the way in which he wished but she is happy that none of the men who have come have succeeded. Nerissa reminds Portia of a young gentleman, a Venetian scholar, and soldier who visited her when her father was alive. Portia remembers Bassanio fondly and believes him to be worthy of praise. It is announced that the Prince of Morocco is coming to woo her but she is not particularly happy about it.

Steps for Putting Together a Great Anthology

Steps for Putting Together a Great Anthology Steps for Putting Together a Great Anthology Known as â€Å"Spunk On A Stick,† L. Diane Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association. She conducts seminars on book publishing, promoting, leadership, and goal-setting, and she offers book formatting and author consultation. Wolfe is the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. For more of Wolfe's tips, check out her blog.   Once the stories are edited and cover art (and full wraparound, if you’re planning on printing copies) is created, the book is formatted for print and/or eBook review copies. Once it’s formatted, the price is selected, the bar code and PNC/LCCN ordered, then the title sent to printers/distributors. Be sure it’s marked â€Å"Review Copy.†12. Review copies outReviewers are sent books or contacted as per submission guidelines. This is where the authors can really assist in supplying reviewers. A large list of potential reviewers should be created during the marketing planning phase.13. More marketingMarketing continues with social media posts - Tweets, Pinterest images, Instagram, blogging, Facebook, virtual tour stops set, live appearances set, bookstores-libraries-schools contacted, blogging, Instagram, advertising set, etc.14. Last rounds of editsTwo months before release, the last round of edits occur, catching any typos and other areas where the stories can be tightened and polished.15. Book finalizedA month before release, the finished book is created and sent to distributors and the printer. Copies are ordered for the author and the organization/publisher.16. Release day and more marketingThe big day! All of the authors should play a big part in the release announcements. It doesn’t stop there though - marketing should continue for many months to come.And that’s it. Easy? No. Simple? Yes, if you stick to the outline and plan.It’s challenging working with so many authors, but at the same time, each person brings a fresh set of marketing ideas and a different sphere of influence - not to mention a unique set of skills and abilities. So, while it’s a lot to juggle in the production phase, the marketing part should yield some great results. A win-win for everyone!Have any questions for L. Diane Wolfe? Leave any thoughts or feedback in the comments below!

Business Management And Leadership - Leading (U4GP) Essay - 1

Business Management And Leadership - Leading (U4GP) - Essay Example ht to ensure that measures were taken which would prevent as far as possible a recurrence of the problem; and they showed themselves to be prepared to bear the short term cost in the name of consumer safety. That more than anything else established a basis for trust with their customers.† Still, more could have been done to prevent the issue or better manage the crisis. The biggest problem on Johnson & Johnson’s side was a design flaw in the pills that were contaminated: they were capsules. The capsules could be broken apart and put back together, which allowed for tampering on store shelves. Even though the tampering was not their fault, the responsibility for the safe design of the pills rested on their shoulders. Another problem was that the packages were not safety sealed where tampering could be easily detected. Had Johnson & Johnson fixed these designed flaws when the first crisis occurred in 1982, the second one may never have come to pass. Better research and development along these lines would have helped them better manage the crisis. Perpetrators are always looking for new ways to commit their crimes, so Johnson & Johnson must continuously be prepared for new ways of tampering to occur. This is especially true with the advent of new technologies that could possibly allow for even the most seemingly tamper-resistant packaging to be breached or for false packages to be placed on shelves in order to fool unknowing consumers. Essentially, the company needs to stay on its toes and carefully consider the different ways in which tampering could possibly occur with their different products in order to protect itself from both internal and external product contamination cases. Furthermore, Johnson & Johnson should always keep its employees informed about how to spot potential dangers and give them a protocol to follow in case they occur. Just because they made it through the first round of crises with flying colors does not mean that they could

Strategy Formulation & Business Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategy Formulation & Business Decision - Essay Example On the other hand, for evaluating a new growth plan for NH Hotel, market development was selected with the help of Ansoff matrix analysis. The project developed is mainly directed towards enhancing brand equity and revenue streams for the hotel in a new market with huge potential for growth. Thus, Belgrade was selected as the spot for market development. The project has includes thorough financial and revenue analysis along with the analysis of the market which helped in building work schedule of the entire operations. The research has also been directed towards understanding the capability of the organisations in the process of market development process in Belgrade, Serbia. Go and Pine (2008) stated that the development of the operational structure of the business is based on its strategic objectives whereas Schoenecker and Cooper (2010) argued that the organizational culture and structure are influential in designing the functional process of the business. It can be noted that although there exists a debate regarding the influencing factors of the operational functions and work structure of a firm, the researchers agree that work structure of a business is always focused towards the strategic growth of the business. Rhyne (2009) stated that business houses are micro managing their operational structures in order to reduce the influence of the external factors on the business systems. Based on these observations, the report will evaluate the managerial factors related with the operational process of a company. NH Hotel Group is one of the largest hotel chains of the world and is operating mainly in the European, American and African market (NH Hotels, 2015a). The operational base of NH Hotels includes more than 400 hotels functioning within 28 countries all over the world and has a service base of almost 60000 rooms (NH Hotels, 2015c). The unique selling point of the company is primarily framed on excellent service quality.

How effectively do the functional areas in Lex Transfleet work together Essay Example for Free

How effectively do the functional areas in Lex Transfleet work together Essay Marketing and sales function Purpose of the marketing function: the marketing function makes sure that they are getting the right product to the right people at the right price. Crucial to the success of Lex Transfleet or any business. One of the objectives of Lex Transfleet is to To carry out research to improve its products and services. Lex Transfleet should make sure of the following: Product – finding out and producing what the customer’s wants, for example what van or truck rental services the customers need. Lex Transfleet will carry out research to find out what the customers want and what demand there is for that service and they will try to fulfil that so that they have more customers who are interested in their services. Price – Fixing the price at which the customers will buy the product so that when the customers are interested in the products and different services they will want to know how much money they will be giving for this product or service and it will be easier for Lex Transfleet as they will know the price for this because they have already set it. Promotion Deciding how they are going to promote their product using advertising, publicity and special offers and when Lex Transfleet does this they will attract more customers and their company will get more famous. Place – This is where the sales function comes in, the sales function will help Lex Transfleet decide on where and how they are going to sell the product; whether it is locally, nationally, over the phone or the internet. I think they work quiet affectively together because they share an improvement which means they get each others opinions on how to change things to make them better. Sales is the last part of the marketing strategy which means to sell the product after the prices, promoting, places and products are all don’t and updated so the customers will be satisfied knowing that Lex Transfleet is giving them a good secure and safe product it is important that these things are accurate because they are the main reason the business is up and running without them there is no business. Products and the Customers Lex Transfleet will need to get to know their customer and what the customer wants for example a customer will want to hire out a truck but for that Lex Transfleet will need to know what kind of a truck or van that is an check if they do them type of trucks. A customer – a customer is a person who buys a product for e.g. someone comes to Lex Transfleet and hires out a truck the person who hires it is the customer. A consumer Is the person that uses the product for example if a truck is hired out for someone else to drive it he/she is then known as the consumer. Consumer types: The market is made up of different types of consumers as it has different segments trying to sell the product to everyone will not work for example selling expensive products to poor people. Consumers can be classified by: Age Gender Wealth and income Geographical area Lifestyle (fashion and taste) Lex Transfleet carries out a research into people, businesses and the governments to find out what type of vans, trucks and services they require. They link this with the finance function to get finance to carry out the research and advertising. They also link this with the Human resources to get the employees as they recruit and select people and researchers to carry out the research and get HR to train them for example induction training. The wages are paid by the finance function to pay for researchers and this means it is then auditable because it is recorded and so all the functional areas can work together to meet the aims and objectives effectively. Market research involves field (primary) and desk (secondary) research: Primary research – this involves communicating directly with the consumer to find out what they exactly it is that they need. Lex Transfleet carry out questionnaires and they invite customers to their business to interview them and this is what helps them with their research to meet there customers needs better. Lex Transfleet can also give loyalty cards which records every item bought by the customer. Secondary Research: Involves publish material for example reference books, statistics and marketing reports by specialist companies. This allows the marketing and sales department to find out information about consumers income and expenditure. Government publications also have information about spending, population changes, household information and family income. Pricing The price of the truck rental service needs to be fixed in Lex Transfleet and the reason for this is because Lex Transfleet wants to: Make profit – Lex Transfleet wants to cover the cost of it trucks so it does not make a loss in the business. Beating competition – Lex Transfleet will want other businesses to rent the trucks from them instead of competitors by keeping prices low and maximising sales which will attract more customers to come and buy trucks and other services from them. Providing a quality product or service – Lex Transfleet will need to make sure it is not undercharging for its services and products because customer will pay high prices for better products so this also means they will not have any loss in the profit. Lex Transfleet has also changed its name to RAC plc as it is branded and it will attract more customers. Promoting the product The Promotion Process involves the following which Lex Transfleet does: Advertising – informing the public or other businesses about Lex Transfleets products and services, e.g. they use the internet, newspapers. Branding – Lex Transfleet makes sure they create an image of the product or service in an attractive way Lex Transfleet has changed it name recently to ‘RAC’. Having a logo to and image to persuade customers to use them. Packaging – Lex Transfleet presents the product in an attractive way so the trucks have M.O.T and are safe and practical to use. Publicity – in the media which mean special promotions and sponsor which Lex Transfleet have on their website. Lex Transfleet have had good publicity in the news paper and press so get positive image. Give special offers to big companies who rent lots of trucks and for longer. They do have a website which they are on http://www.lvl.co.uk/vans/van_info/lex_transfleet.php giving promotion to subscribe to a van and light truck magazine. Place Involves selling the product for example selling the vans and truck rental services all over the U.K and they have a website which can attract customers. Lex Transfleet sell truck rental services directly to the customer which is safe. Lex Transfleet will give customers a quote through their internet using online bookings or emailing them and over the phone. Lex Transfleet uses telesales for selling to the customer over the phone so they will need call centre staff. Direct mail which Lex Transfleet uses to send their brochures out the businesses. E-commerce Lex Transfleet sell their services over the internet through their website you have to email them first to get a quote Lex Transfleet uses ICT in the marketing and sales function for: advertising and website, keeping customer’s profiles on the system, online marketing and also finding out research on their competitors by looking at the internet and other websites. Human Resources Function Purpose of the human resources function: Deals with hiring, firing and well being of the staff and all other functions for example sales and marketing, administration and finance ect. So it can run effectively. In Lex Transfleet they will need to deal with: Recruitment of staff which means that Lex Transfleet will need to be advertising vacancies liaise with finance for costs and payment, how many people to recruit. Disciplining and dismissing staff in other functions to run smoothly and to reduce costs. Training and development and promoting of staff which will liaise with finance for cost of training and other functional areas to check who needs training for example in Lex Transfleet induction and health and safety or other courses are taken place for this and if someone is in the sales and marketing function they will need training to do the job properly. Maintaining good working conditions of the staff and Health and safety in Lex Transfleet. Looking after employee and the business relationship and liaising with other functional areas like sales and marketing to find out how well the staff in Lex Transfleet are doing and rewarding staff by giving pay rises and liaise with finance about budget to give pay rises. Dealing with employee organisation for example the trade unions. The employees and the business have rights and responsibilities and Human Resources have to deal with this and make sure staff is aware of this in Lex Transfleet. Interest of employees protected by the trade union and by staff associations and also the rights of the employees protected by the employment laws liaise functional areas to make sure there is a safe working environment in Lex Transfleet. Everything is recorded so the employee will know if they have made any mistakes and need to improve or they have met their needs. Operations and management function Purpose of the management function: This function transforms the business resources into products and services for example operations which is the production of a goods or service. Land machinery – Lex Transfleet needs to find land, offices, call centres, machinery or equipment required and need to get information from other functions to get the right amount. Machinery equipment – Lex Transfleet has software, computers, photocopiers which the business needs. People who work there and for the business call centre staff, mangers, supervisors, operator’s consultants, accountants, specialists, solicitors. Materials and stock used by the business – trucks that are brought, truck parts, stationary, computers, software. Factors of production Land – the offices , buildings Labour- the people who work there Capital –the money invested into the business Enterprise –the input of the entrepreneur The resources used by Lex Transfleet will have to be paid for. This results on costs for the business for example wages, rent, rates, materials, stock, electricity, phone bills all of these have to be dealt with the finance department. When operations in Lex Transfleet are trying to produce a product or service it will have to look at its costs to manufacture that item or service and it will have to make sure that the sales department will cover the day to day costs and the greater the added value the greater the possible profit. So the more money they get from sales and they take away that from the running cost they get profit. Efficiency and productivity Efficiency means – making the most for the resources for example good productivity by the staff and also the number of sales made by staff in Lex Transfleet or the number of calls taken by the employee. Some employees paid a bonus for selling more services and also to motivate them to make more sales for Lex Transfleet. Quality assurance quality assurance is very important as it means more returns to the businesses. Quality control of a service or product is very important for feedback to the marketing department. Operation check with sales as they monitor the calls and make sure the quality of service is very good. Sales liaise with Human Resources to give training to customers in Lex Transfleet. Operations liaise with Human resources to give training operation staff. Operations also monitor number of complaint and reasons for complaint to minimise this and improve services better by liaising with sales team to find out what their customer views are as they are in the front line and dealing with customers on a regular basis. Operations liaise with marketing to get information about customer demand, competitor information and lots more. Operations also check with sales function to check which items/services are selling more to make decision about producing more or less of these goods or services and then contacting the marketing function to either advertise more or less. Operations will liaise with finance to buy more or less to expand and liaise with Hr to get more staff. Finance Function Purpose of the finance function: To control inflow and outflow of money in the business and is also closely involved in the production of goods or services and links in with other functions of the business and senior management. Finance department Other functional areas Sales of products have to be recorded Sales Cost relating to the production have to be recorded Money has to be raised for producing the services and products (sales staff, trucks, offices) Operations/production Bills have to be paid Administration Wages have to paid Human resources Accounts have to be kept to calculate profit and loss All departments above Financial planning reports have to prepared Senior management In Lex Transfleet the finance department looks like this the table below shows this as the finance director. Finance director Financial accounting Costing and budgeting Managing finance Payroll Recording transactions Keeping accounts Preparing reports for the senior management Working out the cost of the product and services. Interpreting past costs and income Setting targets for cost and income Working out what resources are needed Raising capital and loan to finance the resources Rescoring hours worked by employees Calculating pay and deducting tax Financial accounting All transactions have to be recorded. Sales of the products and services from the sales department so they are auditable as they are recorded. Purchases made for stock or material from the operations department again so it’s recorded. Each type of expense for example electricity, bill rent, and wages are from the administration department. Wages is the information collected from the Human resources function so employees are paid on time and correct. Debtors are people who owe the business money for example the customers who have brought a product and still haven’t given the money for it. Creditors are people whom the business owes money for example if Lex Transfleet has brought something from somewhere e.g. a truck then they owe the money to the suppliers if they haven’t yet paid for it. Accounting ICT used to records all the transaction and special accounting software used to records wages. Financial statement is produced for management and this shows profit and loss and also, helps management monitor the main aims and objectives of the business the information on financial statements are on computer databases and so computers prepare the accounts automatically Finance produce 2 main accounts: Profit and loss shows sales figures form the sales functions, expenses from all functions and then can calculate the profit. The balance sheet shows how much the business owns and owes. Costing and budgeting this is how the function works together: Operations tell the finance of the cost of raw material purchased, for example trucks, tyres, equipment purchased by Lex Transfleet. The cost of paying the wages for the employees working for Lex Transfleet which the human resources function will let them know about. Other expenses such as: Bills which are the costs from administrations function. Electricity, water, rates, stationary are also in the administrations function. Advertising , promoting the business – sales and marketing function and they communicate with administration function so the suppliers are paid on time. The Finance function has to liaise with other functional areas to calculate the costs for making the product and service to ensure that there is a sufficient finance to cover the costs and also the business is making the most of efficient use of its resources. Budgeting Finance has to set budgets there are two kinds of budgets, a sales budget I used to forecast the income of the business from sales, and a production budget which is used to plan for the cost for producing the service for example cost for buying trucks and hiring people. Both Budgets will monitor the actual figures with forecasted and if the figures do not match for examples sales figures then they will liaise sales function to change their forecast or with marketing to advertise and promote the services better. Raising finance are the Long term finance needs which are used for investing in premises, trucks, machinery, computers and lots more, and theirs short term needs which is like buying stock for example trucks, paying bills, and paying wages. Finance has to raise money for the other functions such as marketing, sales, operation and administration to finance their expenditure so that the activities can takes place to meet Lex Transfleets aims and objectives. Payroll Works out pay and deduction of tax and national insurance of its employees and it gets it information from the Human Resources function and it is done by computers in Lex Transfleet as it is a large Plc and also uses computer payroll programmes as they are faster and very accurate., so the employees are happy as they will be being paid properly and accurately. Administration Function Purpose of the administration function: Administration is making sure that the right resources are in the right place at the right time. The administration function makes the business run smoothly and makes sure that: Paper in the photocopiers Paper in the loo Premises are safe Telephone messages are passed on Administration and communication: Information and messages such as enquiries, orders, complaints from external sources. Callers with or without appointment will call in and different functions will communicate with each their for the day to day running of the business these methods include paper, documents, telephone, fact, internal email and meeting. If finance needs to meet with operation function to make decisions the administration function will arrange it for example if a customer wants a meeting with the sales team the administration function will arrange it. The marketing function is done by: Sales so that they get records of customers, finance so they get to process accounts and payroll. Opening and distributing post when it arrives to all other functions and collecting and stamping the post going out at the end if the day from all other functions. Operating and telephone switchboard which means transferring these calls to the relevant people in other functions. Dealing with callers to premises and directing them to the relevant functions. Designing and printing forms for all the different functions and also filling and database maintenance and making sure the premises are clean and secure: Cleaning can be outsourced in Lex Transfleet which means using external companies which come and carry this out so the place is clean and safe for employees and visitors.

Hobbes, Conatus and the Prisoners Dilemma :: Philosophy Essays

Hobbes, Conatus and the Prisoner's Dilemma ABSTRACT: I want to show the importance of the notion of conatus (endeavor) for Hobbes' political philosophy. According to Hobbes, all motion of bodies consists of elementary motions he called 'endeavors.' They are motions 'made in less space and time than can be given,' and they obey the law of persistence or inertia. A body strives to preserve its state and resist the causal power of other bodies. I call this the conatus-principle. Hobbes' argument for social contract and sovereign is based essentially on this model. He proves that the natural conatus makes people (i) strive to preserve their lives and therefore to get out of the destructive state of nature; (ii) commit to mutual contracts; (iii) keep the contracts unless some external cause otherwise determines; and (iv) establish a permanent sovereign power that Hobbes calls 'an artificial eternity of life.' All this is determined by the fundamental laws of nature, essentially, by the conatus-principle. I also show that the Priso ner's Dilemma interpretation of the Hobbesian state of nature does not represent all of the essential features of Hobbes' argument. I. Conatus and Motion Philosophers in the 17th century made hard efforts to explain the beginning and continuation of the motion of bodies. The notion of conatus ('striving' or 'endeavoring') was commonly used in the explanations. It refers to the power with which the motion of a body begins and is kept on. What is this power? Descartes explained it to be an active power or tendency of bodies to move, expressing the power of God. He distinguished between motion and the tendency to move, but Hobbes was anxious to argue that conatus actually is motion. In The Elements of Law he says it to be the "internal beginning of animal motion" (EL I.7.2), and in his later writings the notion of 'endeavor' refers to the beginning or first part of any kind of motion. Because motion is for Hobbes "a continual relinquishing of one place, and acquiring of another" (De Corp II.8.10), the beginning of a motion of a body must be an infinitely small change in the place of the body. Accordingly, Hobbes defines endeavor "to be motion made in less space and time than can be given; ... that is, motion made through the length of a point, and in an instant or point of time" (De Corp III.15.2). For Hobbes, the conatus is not an inherent power of a body but is determined by the motions of other bodies.

City Living vs Country Living

Many families and individuals find themselves at some point questioning the advantages of city living versus country living. It is nearly impossible to find a good answer to this question. What is good for one person might not be good for another. Some people enjoy the busy, hyper active metropolitan city where they can use all amenities and have unlimited opportunities for work and leisure. At the same time, other people feel the urge to be closer to Mother Nature, relaxation, beauty, and peace. They take pleasure in living in the calm and peaceful environment of the countryside and spending their free time fishing, hiking, picking berries in the woods, or playing in the creek. In my opinion, the nature of urban and rural life style and the effect it has on people is the most important difference between living in the city and living in the country. I feel fortunate to have grown up in the rural area. I would never trade my memories of playing in the creek, riding four wheelers, or climbing trees all within a short walk from my house. Health, education, and transportation are three major concerns that need to be considered. While city life can bring more opportunities in these cases, country life can provide the best of both worlds. Major health issues are more applicable in urban environments compared to the rural areas. The population, noise, and environmental toxins bring dangerous diseases and also prenatal infections. In a city, pollution surrounds a person whenever they step into the busy streets or on the lawn at a city park and that alone could cause health problems later in life. The environment in the country is by far beyond comparison with the cities, the pollution is scarce. They have fewer factories and less noise in the country where as the cities are filled with cars and factories which are the essential reasons to noise and pollution. Fresh air, rolling green hills, a few pieces of litter here and there is all you’ll really find in the country. No smog lets you see the stars at night and the blue sky during the day. On the positive side, urban areas do have better access to choices in healthcare if they suffer from an illness. They have a number of specialists to choose from in their area. However, stress seems to be present in every waking moment while living in the city. Whether you live next door to a train track or on a busy street, it can be the most expensive component of life in the city and it takes a toll on your body through time whereas rural areas are calm and peaceful most of the time. In the country, education for kids K-12 is a lot better than in the cities. Families with small children tend to like enrolling them in a smaller school because it’s quiet and safe for their children, and the teachers are with the same children every day and for years sometimes. However, sending them to a bigger school can get them into the wrong kind of crowds and not get to know all their teachers because of the big diversity there is. In the country the ratio of students to the teacher is lower than the city whereas parents of children in the city have a number of choices available for the education. Children and can often select from a long list of both public and private school districts in urban living. Public schools are often filled with a lot of students and are packed into small classrooms however that help the sports team, music, and other elective programs out. Where on the downfall of smaller schools, there are less options but children are more able to make the extracurricular activities without a disappointment of not getting on the team. Municipal transportation is readily accessible in the city and in some cases mandatory where as in the country people usually carpool if traveling to work, school, or out to dinner. Public transportation includes busses and subways that are cheap and easy ways of getting around in the city unlike rural places they do not offer the same level of choices. One of the drawbacks in living in a rural area, however, is unlike urban areas; residents do not have the best opportunity to choose from a range of employment options. While they can commute to larger towns, this can be expensive and is not as convenient as working close to work however in the country farmers do have the advantage of working close to their fields of work. If there is any statement to be made about the quality of life of rural living, it is that there is a greater ability to connect with people. Rural communities offer residents the ability to have longer lasting and more personal relationships since they encounter the same people more frequently. There are a number of positive as well as negative factors that contribute to the overall quality of life in urban areas and if there is a statement to be made about urban living, it is about diversity and choice. In urban areas, there are many more choices people can make about a number of aspects of their daily lives. For instance, in urban areas, one is more likely to be able to find many different types of food and this could lead to overall greater health since there could be a greater variety in diets. In the country people have their farms and even their own stores but in the cities people are mostly working for companies operated or even owned by a bigger company. Also, in the country people are more open in exchanging goods and services in return and in the cities it is only the money that makes everything possible. Also rural people generally work outside which gives them physical activities that provide good exercises for the for their bodies whereas city people usually work inside in factories or offices. They have less need of hard work and keep their body idle. This could make the city people prone to disease such as obesity and diabetes which are rarely found in the country residents. A body without disease is the greatest fortune to have and you’ll see country people are more fortunate to have this and to have what they do. Life in the city is challenging and it carries a heavy burden for all the activities and entertainment they have to offer. Many families and individuals find themselves at least at some point questioning the advantages of city living versus country living. Quality of life is one of the issues to consider in any comparison between the two. While this can be made for either location as being the best place to live, it is worthwhile to consider how these two options, city living versus country living, are similar and different. Important factors such as deciding to make general choices, diversity, health, transportation, and employment concerns all influence both sides of the comparison and how each living lifestyle offer great benefits, and how they both equally have an equally number of drawbacks. City living and country living are similar in terms of human interaction but differ most widely when diversity and choice are big issues. It is with proving of the reasons above shown very clearly that the country lifestyle is much better than the city lifestyle. But than again it is a choice made by people based on their personality and their way of life where they would like to settle and live. City Living vs Country Living Many families and individuals find themselves at some point questioning the advantages of city living versus country living. It is nearly impossible to find a good answer to this question. What is good for one person might not be good for another. Some people enjoy the busy, hyper active metropolitan city where they can use all amenities and have unlimited opportunities for work and leisure. At the same time, other people feel the urge to be closer to Mother Nature, relaxation, beauty, and peace. They take pleasure in living in the calm and peaceful environment of the countryside and spending their free time fishing, hiking, picking berries in the woods, or playing in the creek. In my opinion, the nature of urban and rural life style and the effect it has on people is the most important difference between living in the city and living in the country. I feel fortunate to have grown up in the rural area. I would never trade my memories of playing in the creek, riding four wheelers, or climbing trees all within a short walk from my house. Health, education, and transportation are three major concerns that need to be considered. While city life can bring more opportunities in these cases, country life can provide the best of both worlds. Major health issues are more applicable in urban environments compared to the rural areas. The population, noise, and environmental toxins bring dangerous diseases and also prenatal infections. In a city, pollution surrounds a person whenever they step into the busy streets or on the lawn at a city park and that alone could cause health problems later in life. The environment in the country is by far beyond comparison with the cities, the pollution is scarce. They have fewer factories and less noise in the country where as the cities are filled with cars and factories which are the essential reasons to noise and pollution. Fresh air, rolling green hills, a few pieces of litter here and there is all you’ll really find in the country. No smog lets you see the stars at night and the blue sky during the day. On the positive side, urban areas do have better access to choices in healthcare if they suffer from an illness. They have a number of specialists to choose from in their area. However, stress seems to be present in every waking moment while living in the city. Whether you live next door to a train track or on a busy street, it can be the most expensive component of life in the city and it takes a toll on your body through time whereas rural areas are calm and peaceful most of the time. In the country, education for kids K-12 is a lot better than in the cities. Families with small children tend to like enrolling them in a smaller school because it’s quiet and safe for their children, and the teachers are with the same children every day and for years sometimes. However, sending them to a bigger school can get them into the wrong kind of crowds and not get to know all their teachers because of the big diversity there is. In the country the ratio of students to the teacher is lower than the city whereas parents of children in the city have a number of choices available for the education. Children and can often select from a long list of both public and private school districts in urban living. Public schools are often filled with a lot of students and are packed into small classrooms however that help the sports team, music, and other elective programs out. Where on the downfall of smaller schools, there are less options but children are more able to make the extracurricular activities without a disappointment of not getting on the team. Municipal transportation is readily accessible in the city and in some cases mandatory where as in the country people usually carpool if traveling to work, school, or out to dinner. Public transportation includes busses and subways that are cheap and easy ways of getting around in the city unlike rural places they do not offer the same level of choices. One of the drawbacks in living in a rural area, however, is unlike urban areas; residents do not have the best opportunity to choose from a range of employment options. While they can commute to larger towns, this can be expensive and is not as convenient as working close to work however in the country farmers do have the advantage of working close to their fields of work. If there is any statement to be made about the quality of life of rural living, it is that there is a greater ability to connect with people. Rural communities offer residents the ability to have longer lasting and more personal relationships since they encounter the same people more frequently. There are a number of positive as well as negative factors that contribute to the overall quality of life in urban areas and if there is a statement to be made about urban living, it is about diversity and choice. In urban areas, there are many more choices people can make about a number of aspects of their daily lives. For instance, in urban areas, one is more likely to be able to find many different types of food and this could lead to overall greater health since there could be a greater variety in diets. In the country people have their farms and even their own stores but in the cities people are mostly working for companies operated or even owned by a bigger company. Also, in the country people are more open in exchanging goods and services in return and in the cities it is only the money that makes everything possible. Also rural people generally work outside which gives them physical activities that provide good exercises for the for their bodies whereas city people usually work inside in factories or offices. They have less need of hard work and keep their body idle. This could make the city people prone to disease such as obesity and diabetes which are rarely found in the country residents. A body without disease is the greatest fortune to have and you’ll see country people are more fortunate to have this and to have what they do. Life in the city is challenging and it carries a heavy burden for all the activities and entertainment they have to offer. Many families and individuals find themselves at least at some point questioning the advantages of city living versus country living. Quality of life is one of the issues to consider in any comparison between the two. While this can be made for either location as being the best place to live, it is worthwhile to consider how these two options, city living versus country living, are similar and different. Important factors such as deciding to make general choices, diversity, health, transportation, and employment concerns all influence both sides of the comparison and how each living lifestyle offer great benefits, and how they both equally have an equally number of drawbacks. City living and country living are similar in terms of human interaction but differ most widely when diversity and choice are big issues. It is with proving of the reasons above shown very clearly that the country lifestyle is much better than the city lifestyle. But than again it is a choice made by people based on their personality and their way of life where they would like to settle and live.

New Jersey

The governor of the State of New Jersey is Jon Corzine. He is a Democrat and has been the governor since he took office on January 17, 2006.   The Governor of New Jersey is one of the most powerful governors in the nation.   This is due in part, to the fact that it is the only state wide and non-federal elected office in the state.   The governor, under the rights given to him by the state constitution, appoints the entire cabinet which is subject to confirmation by the New Jersey Senate. Governor Corzine, a Democrat, took office after his predecessor James McGreevy was forced to resign after he admitted to having an adulterous affair and felt political and personal pressure to resign. On Election Day 2005, the governor was stripped of some of his powers as the citizens of New Jersey voted in favor of adding an amendment to the state constitution that creates the position of Lieutenant Governor which will become effective after the 2009 election. The power that the governor possesses comes from the state constitution of which that power comes directly from the people. The current constitution was ratified in 1947. New Jersey’s Governor Jon Corzine was born on January 1, 1947 in central Illinois.   He graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign and went into the army where he stayed from 1969-1975. Governor’s keen business and fiscal talents comes from his decades working in various investment firms. â€Å"In 1975, Governor Corzine was recruited by Goldman Sachs, the New York investment firm. He left Goldman Sachs in May 1999 after successfully converting the investment firm from a private partnership to a public company. Also in 1997, Governor Corzine was the chairman of a presidential commission to study capital budgeting as a means of increasing federal investment in schools, technology, and infrastructure.† (www.state.nj.us) This background is important in knowing what type of governor he is and that he will not hesitate to move away from his party’s overall consensus when it comes to the task of balancing the budget. (as seen in the 2006 government shutdown). In 2005, after more than four years in the U.S. Senate for the state of New Jersey, Jon Corzine announced his candidacy for the governor of New Jersey. â€Å"Corzine won his campaign for the post of Governor of New Jersey with 54% of the vote. Republican nominee Doug Forrester, a businessman and a former Mayor of West Windsor Township, in Mercer County, won 43%. Corzine received 1,224,493 votes to Forrester's 985,235. A total of 80,277 votes, or 3%, were scattered among other candidates.† (wikipedia) The governor is directly elected by the people of his state. The governor performs the executive functions of the state, and is not directly subordinate to the federal authorities. The governor assumes additional roles, such as being the Commander-in-Chief of the New Jersey National Guard forces as well as appointing members of his cabinet, judges and having the responsibility of presenting a budget that needs to be accepted by July 1 of the previous year. The election of Governor of New Jersey is much more important and has wider ramifications that say the election of governor for the state of Illinois for example. The main reason for this is that a vote for a gubernatorial candidate is also a vote for all which he is likely to appoint in his cabinet whereas such candidates for State Treasurer, Comptroller and State’s Attorney in the State of Illinois for example, are elected through a direct vote by its citizens. The Attorney General, State Treasurer, Comptroller and the Head of Education, to list a few, were all appointed by either Governor Corzine or his predecessors. As I am not a lifelong citizen of New Jersey but instead spent some of my adolescence in Illinois where its citizens had the right to vote for the candidates of these positions, it seems foreign to me that a governor would have so much power to appoint so many important positions. New Jersey’s state constitution seems to be giving a free pass to the spoils system that was fought so hard against in the 19th century in this country. The ugly side of political graft has plagued the entire democratic process in this country and has taken the people’s voice out of the democratic process. The governor should not have the right to appoint New Jersey’s State Treasurer, Attorney General or any other highly important positions in the state’s government unless that seat is vacated in the middle of a term due to an emergency. Doing otherwise takes the voice away from the people who have the right to vote for these positions.   Also, failing to do so, helps breed partisanship within the governor’s cabinet since a Democrat is more likely to appoint all Democrats as well as a Republican’s inclination to do the same. If a governor’s cabinet is to be all Democrat, all Republican, or a mixture of both, it should be up to the more than eight million residents of New Jersey and not a single man! This same ideology needs to be enacted regarding the governor’s ability to appoint judges. In Illinois, judges are appointed by the people. Isn’t that what ought to happen in a democracy, at least on the state and local level? I would even be in favor of the appointment of judges being the responsibility of the state legislature instead of the governor alone as a lesser evil. Currently, it seems to be a one party system in New Jersey and with New Jersey being one of the most diverse states in the country: Diverse by way of racial, religious and political affiliation, such a setup seems to be disadvantageous towards the goal of complete representation of New Jersey’s citizens. This high level of diversity should be representative from the governor on down but sadly it is not. This is not to blame the governor for he/she is inclined to appoint members of their own party. What is alarming is the number of appointments the governor of New Jersey is allowed to make under the current state constitution. The role of the governor is not only to appoint a cabinet but to submit a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.   The deadline to do this in July 1st. Incidentally, that was the same date as the start of New Jersey’s only government shutdown in the year 2006.   The New Jersey Constitution states under Article VIII that a state’s expenses for the year be provided for â€Å"in a single budget act.† The constitution also specifics a provision stating preventive measures against going into debt. A start to New Jersey’s troubles was ignoring this sound advice. Governor Corzine, in an attempt to pass his budget, came into conflict with fellow Democrats within the General Assembly.   The main point of contention was the Assembly’s refusal to increase the state tax from 6% to 7% in order to fill the budget gap. Corzine stated that there was no other way in coming up with the money as the state’s constitution forbade other forms of revenue. Months before the shutdown, Corzine states that he would not accept a budget that did not include a tax increase and he stood firm in this conviction and the General Assembly did the same which eventually resulted in the shutdown. When the budget failed to pass, the shutdown occurred. This resulted in 45,000 workers being told that they were non-essential and would have to stay home for an indefinite period of time. The shutdown lasted only a week but thousands of workers were affected by this shutdown.   Even though it seems more to be the cause of the legislature’s inability to act regarding the needed passing of the budget before the deadline, should a governor have the right to shut down the state government?   This is a hard question to answer and one that requires a bipartisan dissection of the problem in the long term and not just with the current players in my state’s administration. It seems that the power that the governor has in appointing judges, his cabinet and in shutting down the government is not his own but is a right given him by the state constitution. In the state legislature’s present state: fiscal irresponsibility, political corruption and a general disconnect by the state legislature from its citizens, it seems that the governor really had no choice but to use the authority at his disposal to help get the state back on track and to be held accountable for presenting a responsible budget to the people. But the more important issue is that a stoppage should never have occurred and therefore, Governor Corzine would not have been in the position to contemplate the need for a government shutdown. One really does roll the dice when voting for the governor of New Jersey.   Will he keep his political promises? Will he appoint members of his cabinet and judges that are concerned only with their responsibilities? Will there be any attempt at a bipartisan cabinet? And if the governor is not of the same political party and/or the same ideology as myself, then I can rest assured that my voice and my vote will have only a fraction of its effectiveness if I were in Illinois or any other state where the â€Å"elected officials† are just that-elected by the people to represent them. Also, the governor’s additional authority to appoint judges makes it even more likely that an atmosphere of partisanship will permeate New Jersey politics. There has been a great deal of talk about â€Å"activist judges.† I do feel that with judges being human beings and unable to be 100% impartial 100% of the time, the political party of a judge is something to consider and the likelihood that a Democrat governor will likely nominate likeminded judges and Republicans will do the same, results in a is a lack of stability in not only the state legislature but also in the way that laws and cases are decided. The possibility of a complete overhaul concerning the ideology of my state as a result of the governor’s power and a different political party possibly taking control every four years is something, I feel does not resemble a true democracy but instead serves as an impediment to the expectation that a person’s voice will be heard. Our governor, regardless of whether or not we are in agreement, has more political power than he ought to. Our founding fathers were weary of a political system that garnishes absolute power to its representatives and believed that absolute power corrupted. In the end, the power rests with the people and not until New Jersey has the displeasure of electing a governor who takes full advantage of the rights given to him by the present state constitution and uses it for sinister motives as did Huey Long in 1930’s Louisiana, will any of the needed change happen. WORKS CITED www.ngs.org (National Governor’s Association)   www.naag.org (National Association of Attorneys General) www.wikipedia.com www.state.nj.us/governor/about ; ; New Jersey New Jersey (NJ) is one of the states in the US that forms a transition between the states of the north and the south.   It exhibits characteristics in the physical geography and intermingling of various cultures of the US.   It is one of the largest states in the US and has a multiethnic community.   It has acted as a support home to several of its densely populated neighborhood.   The community present in NJ is highly urbanized and is the second most densely populated state after California.NJ remains to be one of the most densely populated states in the US.   All the 21 counties that belong to the NJ state are classified as ‘metropolitan’.   The density of the population has been about 1100 per square miles, compared to the nation average of about 79 per square mile (in 2000). The state concentrates on farming in some regions and for this reason it is frequently known as ‘the Garden State’.   As early as the 17th century, farming was consider ed important due to the agricultural potential of the soil.   In the Northwestern parts and the southern regions, the areas are sparsely populated due to the presence of mountains and tidelands in these region.   Typically, New Jersey appears S-Shaped on the map (the upper limb is formed by the Appalachian highlands and the Piedmont plains, and the lower limb of the ‘S’ is formed by the Coastal plains) (Stansfied. 1998, Swartz & Stansfield. 2007 & US Census. 2007).The land between the Hudson and the Delaware River is termed as ‘New Jersey State†.   There are three unique characteristics of NJ.   It is made up of a multi-ethnic community belonging to various races and ethnic groups.   The second unique characteristics are that it has an orientation of both the metropolitan cities that it neighbors.   Thirdly, people feel the NJ economy is based on the ability to reach the metropolitan cities, which it neighbors.   I do feel that initially NJ Sta te was much of a transition state, offering a place for people of various cultures and ethnic background to intermingle.There has also been a climatic transition between the northern and the southern US, and this has had an effect on the economy and the social life of the state.   The characteristics of NJ is somewhere between New York and New England (considering weather and geographical features).   The state houses some of the features that seem to intermingle with these two other states.   The Geology of NJ consists of the oldest rocks in the Appalachian and Piedmont regions and recent sediments in the southeastern regions.   The state of NJ hence shows a transition, as two different types of geological characteristics are present.   Besides, it has water sources concentrated in certain areas, whereas in other areas; the ground water is deep, leading to water problems (Stansfield. 1998).NJ has an area of about 7, 200 square miles.   On the other hand, the area of the US is about 3, 500, 000 square miles.   It has an inland water area of about 1, 026 square kilometers.   NJ State has a greatest inland length of about 166 miles, and the greatest inland breath of about 75 miles.   More than 125 miles is actually coastline (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Murray et al. 2007 & Stansfield. 1998).One of the physical characteristics of NJ State is that it is surrounded by water in all areas except the northern border, where it contacts New York State for about 80 kilometers or is about 12 % of the State’s land.   NJ belongs to the middle Atlantic region of the US and lies along the eastern coast.   The Hudson River runs along its border in the northeastern regions.   Pennsylvania lies along its western border.   The Delaware Bay and the Delaware River separate NJ from Delaware State in the southern and the southwest regions.The largest city in NJ is Newark, and its capital is Trenton.   Newark is one of the most important cities in NJ .   From here people can easily travel to New York using the river ferry or the railroad.   Trenton is located on the eastern side of the Delaware River.   It houses several government and civil quarters for the NJ State.   About 10 miles from Trenton is the town of Princeton that houses a major university in NJ.The Northern portion of the state contains the Appalachian Highlands and the entire northern regions contain mountains, ridges, streams and lakes.   This region is often known as ‘the New Appalachians’.   One of the prominent sandstone ridges present in the northeast is Kittatinny Mountains. This ridge contains the Delaware River (in the Delaware water gap).   The highest elevation present in the state is the Kittatinny Mountain that is at a height of 550 meters, present in a few kilometers with the border with New York State.   The average elevation of the state is 80 meters (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Murray et al. 2007, & Stansfield. 1998).In the Southeast of Appalachian Highlands, the Triassic lowlands and the Piedmont plains are present (the Piedmont plains lie to the east of the NJ Highlands).   It occupies about 20 % of the entire NJ area.   This extends from the Northeastern border and includes all the major cities such as Trenton.   From the Hudson region, ancient rock ridges extent, which break the monotony of the lowlands.   Between the highlands and the lowlands of NJ lies a valley that is highly populated.   This valley is underlain with limestone and sandstone, which is bright red in color.The other stones that are present in this region include conglomerates, shale, igneous stones, etc.   These parts of NJ State contain older rock system compared to the coastal plains.   The valley is located at a height of 120 to 150 meters and can be routed from the Hudson River, all the way to Alabama.   The termination portion of the Piedmont plains in the Hudson region is known as ‘the Palisadesâ₠¬â„¢, and is made of trap rock (Cloister Hill).   The Piedmont is about 30 kilometers wide.The valley also contains dark rocks known as ‘trap rock’ that was formed during the earlier geological ages.   This rock offers a wonderful arena for waterfalls in the region.   The sandstone in several areas has eroded and now appears as prominent ridges.   Some of the prominent mountains found in the Piedmont Highlands are the Watchung and the Sourland mountains.   The Piedmont lowlands or the â€Å"Newark Basin† forms the area where most of the major cities are located.   Through this region access to New York and New Jersey could be made.   In this region, three of the major rivers drain, namely, the Raritan River, the Passaic River and the Hackensack River (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007).The NJ Highlands is also known as â€Å"New England Upland†, as it is geologically similar to New England.   It contains several lakes of great tourist interest.   These include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Culvers Lake and Green Pond Lake.   The NJ Highlands occupies about 12 % of the entire NJ area.   The ridges formed in these regions are made up of an old rock known as ‘gneiss’.   The Musconetcong and Pequest River are formed in this area (Murray et al. 2007, & Stansfield. 1998).The Atlantic Coastal Plain, from the southeast to the coastal areas, occupies about 60 % of NJ area.   It has one of the world’s largest chains of sandy barrier islands, which are continuous.   It appears wedge shaped, which is thickest in the east-southeast region and thinnest in the center.   It has two portions, namely, the inner plain and the outer coastal plain.   The inner coastal plain or the â€Å"Greensand Belt† is located near the Piedmont area and has a size of 40 kilometers.Many orchards and agricultural homes are located in this region as the soil is very fertile and conducive to agriculture.   On the othe r hand, the land present in the outer coastal plain is very infertile and not very conducive to agricultural activities.   It forms the western rim of the NJ state and area where it meets with the ocean.   The outer coastal plain contains several hills, which are not more than 60 meters in height.   The outer coastal plain also forms several beaches, lagoons and marshes.   Several islands are located off the coast of NJ, some of which are inhabited and form popular tourist destinations.The ocean currents and the tides have an effect on the offshore islands and the coasts of New Jersey State. On several occasions tidal waves have had an effect on the New Jersey Coast.   In southern parts of NJ, the coastal plains contain high amounts of scrub oak and pine trees.   Several cranberry and blueberry plantation are located in several areas of the outer coast.   The Pine Barren is some of the vast forests located in the outer coastal plains.   A few settlements of people an d rivers are also located.   Many a times, the Pine Barrens of NJ seems to be a source for forest fires.The number of fires that have occurred since the 1940’s is about 1100.   About 8, 000 hectares is usually burnt every year through wild forest fires, much less than the 22, 000 that existed before the forest department began to use effective means of reducing these fires.   Most of the fires occur during the dry months of January to September periods.   Many of the important resorts and spas are located in the coastal plains.   The islands present close to the coast make harbor construction difficult.Many ships have met with accidents along the NJ coast due to the rough ocean currents and the shallow waters.   However, sheltered waterways are located which help to provide some relief for ships.   Portions of the NJ coast even have offshore sandbars and barrier beaches.   In parts of the northern NJ coast, the coastline is severely eroded (Swartz & Stansfield . 2007, Stansfield. 1998 & Forman et al. 1981).The islands, beaches, sandpits, etc, present along the NJ coast, are one of the longest chain in the world.   They run from the Texas region all the way up to the New York’s long island.   The islands of NJ coast seem to be dynamic in nature.   The ocean currents, tides, winds, waves, etc, have a dynamic effect on the NJ shoreline.   Many of the estuaries located off the coast of New Jersey form important beds for natural oyster shelters and oyster cultivation.   Several factors do favor the growth of oysters in the seabed including the tidal currents, the prevailing tides, eddies, prevailing winds (their force and direction), etc.   The larvae of oysters can help in regulating their own populations by rising and settling in the tidal currents.   In the NJ estuaries, the larvae do rise and settle in the tidal currents thus having potential to grow and develop along the coastal waters (Carriker. 1951 & Stansfield. 19 98).NJ State enjoys an extreme type of climate, with summers being warm and winters cold.   To the west of NJ, lies a huge landmass, which causes an extreme type of climate during winter and summer.   The climate is produced as a result of its latitude (located halfway between the equator and the North Pole), thus in a position to produce distinct seasons.   The distance from the season and the height above sea level also has a role to play in the development of climate of NJ.   During the summer, the moist tropical winds bring in hot air causing temperatures to rise and humid conditions to exist.   During winter, the continental winds bring in freezing temperatures and causing snowfall in several regions.The sea tends to retain the heat for greater amount of time during the day.   Hence during the night, the sea breezes tend to cool the land.   During the day, there is a strong sea breeze, which tends to cool the land.   The average rainfall received by the state is more than 1000 per annum.   The southwest regions of the state receive lower rainfall compared to other regions.   In January, the average temperature in NJ State is about 1 degree centigrade and in July, one of the hottest months, the average temperature is about 23 degrees centigrade.   However, extreme temperature have also been recorded, suggesting that at times the temperature can rise or fall to varying degrees.   In the winter of 1904, the temperature once dipped to – 37 degree and in the summer of 1936, the temperature once rose to 43 degrees.Due to the extremes of temperatures recorded in the Piedmont regions, seedlings do not become established within a year.   They begin to get established after two or more years.   Trees tend to invade areas occupied by herbs and shrubs.   During winter, the free-thaw cycles occur which hinders the establishment of the tree seedlings.   In portion of the Northwestern regions of the state, seasons last for about th ree to four months.   However, in some of the southwestern regions, the seasons last for about 8 months.Towards, the coastline, the climates tend to be less of an extreme.   Hence, during summer, these places stay cooler than those inlands, and in winter they tend to stay warmer.   Many people consider the NJ climate to be variable during various seasons of the year (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Stansfield. 1998 & Buell. 1971).Thus, I do feel that NJ State offers variables in terms of geography, climate and landforms, compared to any other parts of the world.   This has caused a diverse flora and fauna to exist in the region.   Besides, it also forms a home to many people who would like to visit New York and the Philadelphia region.   This has resulted in the population of NJ to be high compared to the other parts of the US.References:C. A. Stansfield. A Geography of New Jersey. 2nd Ed. Rutgers University Press, 1998.  Hugh Murray, William Wallace, Robert Jameson et al. The Encyclopà ¦dia of Geography: Comprising a Complete Description of the Earth.. New York: Carey, Lea and Blanchard, 2007. M. F. Buell, H. F. Buell, & J. A. Small, â€Å"Invasion of Trees in Secondary Succession on the New Jersey Piedmont.† Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 98.2 (1971).M. R. Carriker â€Å"Ecological Observations on the Distribution of Oyster Larvae in New Jersey Estuaries.† Ecological Monographs, 21.1 (1951).R. T. T. Forman & R. E. Boerner â€Å"Fire Frequency and the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.† Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 108.1 (1951).Swartz, J. & Stansfield, C. A. â€Å"New Jersey.† Microsoft Encarta. 2007.   3 Nov. 2007: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559873/New_Jersey.htmlUS Census Bureau. New Jersey. US Census Bureau. 2007. 3 Nov. 2007

Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge, Massachusetts essays

Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge, Massachusetts essays Norman Rockwell greatly admired the work of other illustrators. The Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge presents a regularly changing program of the work of other illustrators because it believes that one of the best ways to enjoy and understand an artist is through comparison and contrast with other artists. The visitor to the Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge will currently find approximately 60 original works of art by Norman Rockwell on exhibit, including works from every decade of Rockwell's career. Paintings on exhibit include rarely seen works from public and private collections, as well as many from the museum's extensive permanent collection. Featured are an extraordinary selection of magazine cover illustrations, story illustrations, and art for advertising that reflects Norman Rockwell's artistic evolution, from fledgling professional to masterful painter, draftsman and storyteller. These include two outstanding magazine cover illustrations titled The Runaway, painted at distinctly different points in the artist's career, that reflect a similar theme. Both the earlier image, painted for Look in 1922, and the study for the 1958 Saturday Evening Post cover are currently on view fine examples of Rockwell's early and mature styles. The richly painted 1967 McCall's story illustration, Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas, offers a panoramic glimpse of the town that Rockwell called home for the last twenty-five years of his life. And beautifully conceived advertising illustrations like Market Day Special, painted for Sun maid in 1930, and The Engagement Ring, created for Sears A gifted draftsman, painter and visual storyteller, Rockwell was meticulous about his craft and highly sought after for his detailed narrative images. He worked seven days a week to fulfill the assignments o...

A Study on the Effect and Impact of Relocation in the Life of Humans

A Study on the Effect and Impact of Relocation in the Life of Humans Human migration is an essential part of survival. Human beings had always migrated to different parts of the world due to varying reasons. Main factors have always been wars, economy and diseases. Migration of humans not only affects the area from which they migrate, it also affects the country or region to which they are migrating. Politics, economy and social life of the host country suffers from the effects of migration. Depending upon various factors, these effects can be positive or negative. Southern Europe, India, Western Asia, Pre-Columbian America and China have been the target of human migration due to their resources and strategic positions. These countries thrived economically and politically due to human migration because they were able to make the immigrants a part of their society. Human migration can cause serious problems for the host country when the society is unable to integrate the immigrants in the social circle. This situation results in extreme racial problems between the natives and immigrants. Migration can have negative and positive effects on both the host (beneficiary) nation, and the first nation. The beneficiary nation is normally an industrialized nation in Western Europe, or the United States. For these nations, foreigners offer different advantages, for example, the accompanying. Settlers will frequently do tasks that individuals in the host nation will not, or cannot do. Transient specialists frequently work longer hours and for lower pay rates, keeping in mind that is disputable, now and again exploitive, it advantages the host nation. Outsiders, when made to feel welcome in the host society, can add to the differing qualities of that society, which can help with resistance and understanding. For the host nations economy, migrants offer an expanded ability pool, on the off chance that they have been knowledgeable in their unique nation. In any case, there are likewise various downsides. Foreigners can be misused for their shoddy work. Creating nations might endur e cerebrum channel as the restricted assets they spend in teaching their understudies add up to next to no if that ability is lured to another nation. The past connection points of interest this issue further. Migration can likewise draw in criminal components, from trafficking in medications and individuals to different types of wrongdoing and debasement. Movement can turn into a social/political issue, where bigotry can be utilized to endeavor sentiments or as a reason for current troubles of nearby populace. Where there is an observation that migrants and displaced people seem to get a bigger number of advantages than neighborhood destitute individuals, strains and threats can likewise rise. Worries about unlawful migration can overflow to sick emotions towards the greater part of outsiders who are reputable and adding to the economy. Numerous pass on attempting to escape their scrape and this can regularly stand out as truly newsworthy giving the appearance that migration is lar gely illicit and wild. Regardless of what have all the earmarks of being vast populace developments, scientists noticed some time prior that individuals still are not ready to move as uninhibitedly as things? In a few spots everywhere, there are extra limitations being set up on individuals developments. An antiquated human progress is characterized to be in the Bronze Age by either refining its own copper and alloying with tin, arsenic, or different metals, or by exchanging for bronze from generation regions somewhere else. Copper-tin minerals are uncommon, as reflected in the way that there were no tin bronzes in western Asia before exchanging bronze started in the third thousand years BC. Around the world, the Bronze Age largely took after the Neolithic period, however in a few sections of the world, the Copper Age served as a move from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. In spite of the fact that the Iron Age for the most part took after the Bronze Age, in a few ranges, the Iron Age encroached straightforwardly on the Neolithic from outside the district. The improvement of states—vast scale, crowded, politically concentrated, and socially stratified nations/social orders administered by capable rulers—marks one of the significant turning points in the advancement of human social orders. Archeologists regularly recognize essential (or perfect) states and auxiliary states. Essential states advanced autonomously through generally inward formative procedures as opposed to through the impact of some other prior state. The most punctual known essential states showed up in Mesopotamia ca. 3800 B.C., in Egypt ca. 3400 BC., in the Indus Valley ca. 2600 B.C., India ca 1800 B. C., and in China ca. 1700 B.C. As they communicated with their less created neighbors through exchange, fighting, relocation, and more summed up ideological impacts, the essential states straightforwardly or in a roundabout way encouraged the development of optional states in encompassing territories, for instance, the Hittites in Anatolia, the Minoan and My cenaean conditions of the Aegean, or the Nubian kingdoms in the Sudan. Teacher Gil Stein at the University of Chicago Oriental Institute expresses The unearthing and archeological studies of the most recent couple of decades have immeasurably expanded both the amount and nature of what we think about antiquated states and urbanism. Archeologists have expanded the extent of their exploration past the conventional spotlight on rulers and urban elites. Flow examine now goes for comprehension the part of urban ordinary people, make masters, and town based ranchers in the general association of old states and social orders. Given the massive geological extension incorporated by the expression the Ancient World. The specialty of iron generation from metal emerged regarding the acts of copper and lead advances in Anatolia, in northern Syria and perhaps at the same time in some portion of Iran. Iron metals were included as fluxes for treatment of sulfide copper minerals. Iron drops, which the neighborhood makers distinguished officially 3100 years BC, contrasting these and meteoritic iron, as of now alluded to the presence of the likelihood of delivering iron, yet this just happened essentially 16 centuries later. Since that time, it is important to figure that just little measures of this, in that time, uncommon metal committed to the most astounding strata of populace or to the sovereigns and their courts could escape this range, most likely as blessings just. Antiquated Egyptians record broad contact in their Western desert with individuals that seem to have been Berber or proto-Berber, and Nubians from the south. As the rock craftsmanship discoveries in the Sahara have demonstrated, the Sa hara likewise facilitated different populaces before its fast desertification in 3600 B.C. whats more, even today keeps on facilitating little populaces of traveling trans-Saharan people groups.

Websites Response Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Websites Response - Research Paper Example Energy efficient equipment can thus significantly lower the operating costs, and these benefits can be transferred to customers. With operations such as heating, cooling, lighting, and sanitation consuming a lot of power in the food service sector, energy efficient equipment can help achieve the sustainability goal. Sustainable restaurants are those that acquire food in a sustainable manner and use efficient methods to prepare and serve the foods. The methods used should consume the least amount of resources possible. Some of the resources to be saved include water and energy. Such restaurants should work with local communities to promote environmental sustainability. Examples of such include 676 Restaurant and Bar in Chicago, Abeno Okonomi-yaki Restaurant in London and The Akem in Hertfordshire (Thesra.org, 2014). Food service equipment can help promote sustainability by consuming less of key resources- water, heat and electricity. Such equipment can help minimize the volume of resources used in the food service sector, thereby helping to promote the global sustainability agenda. This is particularly important considering that the food service sector is one of the most resource intensive industries worldwide. Therefore, Equipment used in food preparation, cooling, heating, sanitation and ventilation need to be