Same sex marriage (Argumentative essay) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Same sex marriage (Argumentative ) - Essay Example This understanding has led to the initiation of many controversies and debates. The issue of same sex marriage accounts for one such matter which has sparked many arguments with regard to its legality. The issue surfaced during the last half of the twentieth century when same sex couples demanded the recognition of their relationship. The same sex couples argue and insist on the legality and provision of permission for same sex marriage. On the other hand, this stand is opposed by many religious, social and ethical groups who argue that same sex marriages are against the law of nature and legality of these marriages will destruct the normal structure of the society. These disagreements and debates have led to the questioning with regard to the fact that whether same sex marriages should be allowed or should they be marked as being illegal. The number of homosexuals in the United States has been increasing and this was clearly concluded with the assistance of the statistics provided by surveys conducted by the William’s Institute. It was highlighted that the number of same sex couples increased from 594,391 to 776,943 from the year 2001 to 2005 (Romero et al 2007). Owing to these increases in the number of homosexuals in the country, there have been many legal fights which have been carried out by these groups. Following the year 1990, many uprisings and legal proceedings were initiated by gays for the provision of legality for their marriages. The first major case was held in the Supreme Court of Hawaii in 1993 which invalidated the decision of a lower court from permitting three homosexual couples from marrying. This legal hearing was followed by other proceedings in the State of Alaska in 1998 and Vermont in 1999. A definitive breakthrough for the same sex couples was achieved in the year 2000 when their marr iages were legally allowed in the state of Vermont. Therefore, Vermont became the first State in the

Crime and terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crime and terrorism - Essay Example Kashmir, including both Indian and Pakistani sides, is today one of most volatile and heavily militarized zones in the world. By now "jihad" (holy war) has become a familiar term in the Western countries; JEM claims that it runs schools of Jihad to indoctrinate and recruit youngsters. And at times JEM's motivation seems to expand in scope to become an all-out war with India desiring even to take control of India's capital Delhi by spreading terror, all this quite apart from J&K (SATP, 2001). JEM gets its people and financial resources from the militant groups Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI) and Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM). JEM had close ties to Afghan Arabs and the Taliban. Supposedly, Osama bin Ladin backed and supported JEM for a period. 2. Behind the various political agendas, a common and higher purpose unites all Islamic militants. And it is based on a religious belief. The Muslim terrorists themselves have openly proclaimed their motivation to be their religion. People generally tend to downplay religion-based motivation out of regard and tolerance for a faith practiced by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. However, Islamic brand of terrorists are different from other kinds of terrorists, in that most of them are fervently pious and God-fearing. It is only natural to conclude that in whatever they do, their motivations ultimately spring from their belief system and religious conditioning, more than from mere individual psychological impulses. Islam totally discourages individual and independent thinking, and nurtures complete submission to its dogma in its followers. Though middle-class and more liberal-minded people in Muslim countries and Muslims in the Western countries are not likely to come under its sway to any significant degree, people in economically backward regions are much more susceptible to fundamentalist indoctrination. The Koran promises paradise in the after life for martyrs in its cause and the cause of Islamic nations. The allure of abundant rewards in a future world stirs the passions of the youth in these terrorist-breeding countries, and spurs them to drastic, violent and suicidal actions (Johnson, 2002). Paraphrasing Karl Marx's famous statement in The Communist Manifesto, we can say that these young people who get converted to the ways of terrorism have nothing to lose except their miserable lives, and literally everything to gain when they properly lose the one thing they have. This impressive lack of the most basic human instinct of survival, this positive embracing of death is what makes these terrorists so potentially deadly. The ferocity and fanticism of their faith makes them fearless and virtually unstoppable, thus causing desperation to the leaders and soldiers of India, Israel, the USA and most other Western countries who are determined to uproot terrorism Islamic terrorism is here to stay. It is a deep-rooted problem. To combat it effectively, one has look beyond the military and intelligence arenas, and aim to address the problem through social change. It is a long-term strategy, of course, but in the long run only this is going to help. During the Renaissance in Europe we have seen how irrational and dogmatic religion loosens its hold on the

Living Building Challenge BREEAM: Non-Residential Building

Living Building Challenge BREEAM: Non-Residential Building Rethinking the Application of the Living Building Challenge BREEAM for Non-Residential Buildings in the UK Building certification and assessment has been in spotlight since the rise of the concept of sustainable development, the need to improve building performance and reduce our consumption. Growing from a shared ideology of Jason F.Mclennans team, to create a utopian idea, the Living Building. One that has high potential for low running costs, high performance and user comfort, the epitome of the definition of sustainability. The living building challenge (LBC) was initially assessed by BNIM against the LEED standard upon its design, to determine its environmental and impact worth in a sustainable matrix.   However, in this paper a cross case investigation between the LBC version 3.0 and BREEAMs code for non-residential buildings 2011, will be undertaken to highlight each certifications merits and shortages. Followed by a cross-case analysis of 2 case studies to reflect on the investigations results. This is in an attempt to highlight which of the assessment methods has more comprehensive and in-depth critical criteria, how its applied by drawing on lessons from the case studies available for study from the public domain, through the LBC and BREEAMs online portals. For years, the race to creating sustainable assessment tools has been on-going to counter a variety of challenges in peoples lives, countries resources and global wellbeing (Rees, 1999, Edwards et al., 2013). Problems in a national scale that include waste tackling, organic and non-organic, energy consumption, water both excess and depravity from it, Carbon Dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, all of which contribute to national pollution statistics, waste and water treatment expenses and energy production (DEFRA, 2012) . The increase in these costs furthermore continues the cycle to affect the primary user, by raising energy prices for electricity, heating and cooling, county and city taxes and other government or privately provided services (Manne et al., 1991, ASIF et al., 2007). While typical cities contributes to an average of 75% of greenhouse gas emissions according to United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP, 2014),   commercial structures and transportation account for 16.25% and 25% of the United Kingdoms (UK) energy consumption sectors(Department of Energy, 2014, p. 12) . In addition to 38% of the countrys overall energy sinks being accounted towards energy generation, 83% of which is generated through coal power plants, the primary electricity generation method in the UK (Department of Energy, 2014, p. 12), contributing a large emission rate of 0.507 kg CO2/kWh (DEFRA, 2008).   Whilst the housing sector remains the dominant sector, but commercial buildings have been on a rise, to accommodate for different functions, educational, retail, offices and learning institutions. (PMRecon, 2013). The construction sector is in a strong boom (Longworth, Kern and Marshall, 2014), along with construction emissions such as material sourcing, mate rial fabrication, and the buildings operation itself. This paper will be addressing two case studies from the commercial office buildings sector of the construction industry: The Bullitt Center (LBC) and the. Addressing the strategies implemented within each, how each criterion was addressed and the impact on overall performance of the building. In the United Kingdom, the Building Research Establishment (BRE), alongside its assessment tool, the BRE Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) have formulated a number of schemes to tackle different building types, including but not limited to, BREEAM, BREEAM for commercial buildings, and BREEAM for Sustainable Homes (EcoHomes previously). The Living building challenge is a rigorous assessment tool created and published by Jason F.Mc Lennan and his associates, a project started from the mid-1990s and first coming to light in August 2006. The Living Building Challenge adopts a restorative nature, one that aims to give back to the environment (Warner, 2015). This paper will approach one of the more rigorous certification tools claimed to be applicable to any building type,). By having a net positive strategy, the building creates an excess of its needs, for storage or if possible to be input into nature as a metaphorical tax for trespassing on it (Monbiot et al., 2007). Theres a range of a 100 or more full living certified buildings around the world, the larger percentage being in the USA where the certification resides (ILFI, 2015) . However public record only shows buildings classified as non-private so the numbers can easily be more than that. And theres even a larger amount of partially or petal certified buildings a nd projects (ILFI, 2015) . . Any one building can acquire a number of certifications, relevant to each individual petal. However if a building is certified within all criteria, it gains a Certified Living Building Certificate, considerably the highest award given by the LBC. Followed by individual petal certified buildings, these are structures that have satisfied one or more of the petals, and are most likely awaiting a final audit to be fully certified. The final certification is Net Positive Energy certification, requiring the building to have provide more electricity than calculatedly needed. To achieve net positive energy over course of the year, energy efficient features, electricity generation and passive design are employed. In each section, an analytical and comparative summary of both the LBC and BREEAM will display how each standard addresses the named criterion. It is notable that due to the highly comprehensive nature of the LBC, BREEAM will be compared against the LBCs petals and using the standards and descriptions provided under the LBCs handbook. With the end of each petal, and summarizing this section, the author will conduct a summary comparative analysis between both standards, listing in brief, how each addresses the topics and providing analytical insight into the results. The LBC uses a number of concepts to guide its users through the design and certification process, the terms are derived from various sources, references or the creators own research to construct a logic space through which this tool operates. Typology: Typology refers to the scope and type of project being conducted, this helps identify what imperatives are compatible and can be applied to the project. Renovation: This refers to any project that is not a complete building on its own, but part of a previous building as an addition or rehabilitation of historic or old structures. Infrastructure + Landscape: This refers to projects that operate on an open scale, such as parks, amphitheaters, or other civil projects such as public plazas, exercise fields, bridges and so on. Building: This refers to projects that involve whole buildings both ones already existing and to include renovations or new ones all together. Community: The community challenge applies to a number of structures that coexist together and operate as part of a neighbourhood, community, campus whilst sharing certain amenities such as, but not limited to, roads, green or community areas. Transect: The transect concept is an adaptation of the New Urbanism transect planning approach that was developed and published in the Smart Code manual (latest version 9.2) by the Center for Applied Transect Studies (CATS, 2010). The transect smart code benefits from and adapts Smart Growth and New Urbanism strategies into creating a well divided yet adequately mixed community that supports sustainable growth for community, nature and urban development (Duany, Plater-Zyberk and Company, 2009). In the living building challenge, adequate transects for each project must be identified according to footprint and site scale in order to adapt the appropriate imperatives to suit the site as such that it is developed to be a productive part of its context. Whilst that approach allows for a natural flow of urban development, imposing guidelines that regulate form without function on a city scale causes complications, specifically when applied on a regulatory scale, some documents might be too technical and complicated as to negate architectural design creativity and hinder functions that occupy these buildings. (Garnett, 2013, pp. 571 588). Fortunately within the Living Building Challenge, these concepts are not strictly applied, but are merely regulated in the latest addition in version 3.0 stating that buildings needs to adapt beauty and reflect on their context, but stated exceptions due to local regulations are allowed. Scale Jumping: In case the projects place petal amenities require space larger than required or there is potential for cooperation, it is possible to scale jump these areas as long as they serve more than one building or site, and as long as theyre off the main project zone. Colour coding in the next section will be used to mark the start of paragraphs marking ones that include Living Building Standard to differentiate them for the ones comparing with BREEAM. The Living Building Functions as a Certification, accompanied with a guidance manual, used to achieve named certification. It classifies the different categories within to a series of broad umbrellas, or Petals. Each petal is composed of a number of relevant criteria, named imperatives. The LBCs categories are divided into seven petals, which encompass a set of comprehensive criteria, the acceptable methods and parameters needed to achieve them.   The Petals summarized into the following table reflects the Living Building Institutes vision into the main categories that should be addressed to achieve a comprehensive regenerative design according to the LBCs vision: Place Net Positive Water Net Positive Energy Health Happiness Materials Equity Beauty Whilst the set of Petals assigned by the LBC might be considered of a wide scope, it is however a certification and not a technical standard, thus by comparison, BREEAM encompasses more sections, which are different arrange by marginally align with the components within the LBC. Management Health and Wellbeing Energy Transport Water Waste Land Use Ecology Pollution Innovation Despite the larger number of sections, items such as Land Use, Ecology and Transport are embodied within the Place Petal. Waste is segregated and included within the Water and Materials petals, pertaining to organic waste, food waste and construction components. Pollution is divided across all petals, and emphasized within Health Happiness, Place and Materials petals to regulate pollution within surrounding and indoor environments. Finally given the LBCs transparency policy, it sponsors a system of declaration and comprehensive calculation and checks regarding each Petal from design to end of life, thus concluding with the Equity and Beauty Petals which are no included within the BREEAM, yet left open ended within the LBC. I. Place Petal The place petal, formerly the Site petal, is the first of the set, it relates to the projects setting, its site, surroundings, ecology and is concerned with placing the building its appropriate surroundings. The petal addresses all projects despite scale, surroundings or function, the designer, or design team as stated must work into defining the site appropriately to understand how to protect the sites ecology and restore it post-construction. The Place petal is heavily affected by each sites Living Transect assigned to it, project area or scale jumping and thus the petal guidebook has been rigidly assigned to ensure that all calculations and certifications have been unified. The place petal includes 04 Imperatives, listed briefly; Limits to Growth Urban Agriculture Habitat Exchange Human-Powered Living The Imperatives within the Place Petal, as previously mentioned are comparable to some of the criteria listing under the Transport, Ecology and Site sections within the BREEAM documentation. Enforcing the regenerative nature of the LBC, this petal sponsors a strategy of ecological preservation and rehabilitation as a result of human activities. All of which is sponsored by BREEAM however not enforced as rigidly nor is it mandatory, except for the Habitat Exchange petal, reflected in LE 03, minimizing impact on existing ecology. However, it does not enforce a requirement for a net zero or net positive impact on the environment, but rewards based on reducing the negative impact on the environment between a negative to net zero range. Briefly summarized, the comparison between both sets of regulations takes a positive stand against ecological decay, requiring the maintenance of local ecology and further development, not simply the mitigation of any further damage or simply reducing the damage caused. Whilst on a small scale, it would benefit local ecology, this strategy has to be employed on a wider scale to start mitigating or reversing global decay of natural environments. However, the lack of exact calculations that would measure the effect of any construction in any existing ecosystem of high or low value, makes it essential that the LBC needs other regulatory systems and assessment tools to supplement and optimize its performance.   It is apparent that the application of this section requires the expertise of an ecological specialist for both systems, and would be high in cost. Ultimately as the LBC is a restorative system, it remains important to perform this task as part of the metaphorical price of intruding on nature. In addition, addressing the Transport section of BREEAM, reflected within Human powered living and the Transects concept of the LBC. The LBC encourages walkable communities, the use of bicycles and non-engine operated modes of transportation with the more populated transects, restricting use of cars to commute in and out of these zones. In addition, it requires estimating the need for storages and car parks based on demand, providing accessibility for mobility and the use of human powered transport and finally. Apart from the effect of that policy on pollution, it does reduce the carbon and energy cost of transportation, such as commute and food miles and ultimately promotes awareness and healthy lifestyles. BREEAM while advocating similar requirements, also adds the needs for compact urban design, to reduce the need for modes of transportation, rather than regulating these modes of transportation. In summary, the need to address users needs for storage, distances and methods of comm ute is imperative to reducing the overall pollution and energy impacts of the residing community. Finally, and exclusively required by the LBC, enforcing a policy of urban agriculture, reducing food miles and a policy to encourage food storage within households sets the LBC apart. One can criticize however that the requirements of farmable land per building footprint are disproportionate to the density of users occupying it and would need to be rectified to meet realistic expectations. II. Water Petal The water petal governs the production, use and disposal of all fluid and water based materials on site, including potable water, grey water, black water, storm and rainwater harvesting, managing it, storage and disposing of the excess. The water petal only contains one imperative, which is an update from net zero water in version 2.1 to be Imperative 05. Net Positive Water in version 3.0 (LBI, 2015g). In brief, the Net positive water imperative advocates the compatibility between water systems on site and natural water systems depending on site and climate. It states that any water used on site must be part of a closed loop system where all used water must be captured on site by means of precipitation, rain or storm water collection, grey water treatment or ground water supply if possible. Of course exceptions are made in case of extreme climatic conditions where it is not feasible or where the natural supply cannot satisfy consumption due to user capacity, where an appeal can be made given proper support. In comparison, BREEAM has Wat01-Wat04 criteria (BRE, 2014),, only Wat01 that specifies water consumption is mandatory, with a minimum performance of providing 12.5% of water consumption within the building throug h closed loop methods and a maximum five credit score for providing 55% or more of consumed water in the building. Similar to BREEAM Wat02 criterion (BRE, 2014), the LBC Water Petal requires monitoring of use constantly over the year, month by month and in detail. Unlike and in a stricter approach than BREEAM however, the water monitoring process is rigid and highly detailed, requires documentation of all production, use and sinks of water in the structure (LBI, 2015g). It also promotes the jump scaling of this imperative to benefit the community, where a cistern or a unified water storage can be shared between multiple sites, the community, ecosystem or agricultural land. Concluding the   water petal, due to Englands Koepen-Geiger climate zone being Cfb, one that has an average of 800mm annual rainfall during the whole year (World Maps of Kà ¶ppen-Geiger climate classification, 2010, Kottek et al., 2006, pp. 259-263), applying an efficient water harvesting strategy would not be a difficult challenge, the problem would arise with treatment and storage specially on smaller sites, which in turn creates opportunities for jump scaling and providing neighbourhood benefit. III. Energy petal Just like the Water Petal, managing resources in the Living Building Standard have taking a developmental step towards net positive, thus as an upgrade from v2.1 of the Energy Petal that advocated Net Zero energy to the new Energy Imperative 06. Net Positive Energy (LBI, 2015a). In summary, the new Net Positive imperative calls for the production of one hundred and five percent (105%) of the projects energy requirement are satisfied on site by sustainable and renewable energy methods on a net annual basis. What adds to this petals challenge, is the need for resilience, the requirement to store energy for emergency in addition to night-time use. The resilience component requires a minimum of 10% of essential lighting load and refrigerator operation for up to a week (LBI, 2015a). A formidable challenge in England; due to the low number of sunny hours annually, reaching an average of 1493 hours of sun per year (Current Results Weather, 2015) making the return to solar origins concept adopted by LBC a solution that might not be entirely financially viable. What sets this strategy apart from other assessment methodologies is the prohibiting of combustion, burning of any material, biomass, biofuels, alternative or conventional fuels due to the possibility of harmful gas emissions, as well as the release of greenhouse gases despite how efficient the combustion module is (McLennan, 2010). On the other hand, BREEAM does not ban the use of combustion energy sources, but relies on the relationship between energy use and Carbon Dioxide emissions, which release nitrates and carbon compounds that account for global warming (Johnson, 2009, pp. 165-168). BREEAM aims for a zero carbon approach, with potential for Carbon Negative buildings acting as sinks. Both systems require a twelve-month monitoring period to determine the buildings efficiency when occupied. However, given the authors current research, it is likely a performance gap may be observed due to human use discrepancies that were not accounted for using Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), and are not adequately measured using the LBCs online calculators. IV. Materials Petal The materials petal aims to create a future of materials economy that is non-toxic, regenerative and avoid any negative effects on occupants health, the material petal aims to use materials that can be re-used while eliminating the concept of construction waste while staying financially viable, functionally efficient and aesthetically pleasing (LBI, 2015c). Due to production costs, sourcing, transportation distance and the general economy, sourcing these materials remain to be a challenge, but the LBC attempts to counter that challenge by creating a guideline to follow that will allow achieving its targets without any negative impacts. The materials petal has been put ahead of the Health Happiness Petal since the outcome of an adequate material petal certification will lead to the final outcome of Health and Happiness. The Material petal is composed of five imperatives that will be briefly discussed and critically compared to the BREEAMs six material criteria and six waste criteria, both of which are grouped under the Materials Petal in a brief yet comprehensive guideline. The five imperatives are listed as follows, Red List Embodied Carbon Footprint Net Positive Waste Responsible Industry Living Economy Sourcing Imperative 10. Red List advocated the elimination of worst-in-class materials and chemicals as it dictates, ones with the greatest negative impact to occupant and ecological health. The list includes a large number of petroleum products, polymers and compounds that contribute to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) spreading in construction as well as other harmful chemicals that lead to a number of physiopathological mechanisms, respiratory diseases and disorders they might cause to occupants (Fernà ¡ndez et al., 2013, pp. 22-27) including but not limited to symptoms such as irritations, coughing and respiratory symptoms, nervous symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, dry skin and other symptoms users might take for granted or under-estimate to be prompt yet prove even more harmful on the long run (Wolkoff, 2013, pp. 371-394). BREEAM recognizes the dangers of these materials, and allows their use under certain conditions according to its own tables and conditions under its health and wellbeing section HEA02- Indoor air quality. BREEAM tackles the problem of VOCs (BRE, 2014) by running a pre-occupancy test after end of construction to determine the concentration of contaminants in the structure, and if found within the appointed limits, it grants the points. The C2C methodology is ambition, but calculation methodology does not include energy that goes into rehabilitating that product for reuse, neither does it account for the quality of the product and ability to function adequately (Bakker et al., 2010). Energy input into the different stages of product development, such as transportation which accounts for 90% of some appliances (Llorach-Massana et al., 2015). It is however calculable and would allow for a deeper understanding of the buildings energy and carbon impact by calculating a complete building life cycle from cradle to cradle (Braungart, McDonough and Bollinger, 2007, pp. 1337-1348).This would assess the carbon impact of the building from inception to deconstruction and potential reuse. (Kneifel, 2010, pp. 333-340, Bribià ¡n, Capilla and Usà ³n, 2011, pp. 1133-1140). Imperative 12. Responsible Industry and Imperative 13 Living Economy Sourcing and Net Positive Waste are related when it comes to the overall concept, both imperatives call for sustainable, local or national and proper sourcing of materials. Processing has to be transparent and declared, sources from sustainable or renewable sources dedicated for farming or reclaimed through cradle to cradle or recyclable schemes in addition to some materials also known as Carbon Leaks and Carbon Exports (Davis and Caldeira, 2010, pp. 5687-5692, Kuik and Hofkes, 2010, pp. 1741-1748). However, the use of this concept in the UK might be hindered due to limited resources and would extend to the European Economic Area alongside consideration for the expenses and emissions produced by importing. V. Health and Happiness Petal The last of the published petal handbooks set in version 3.0, containing imperatives 07 to 09, listed as follows Civilized Environment BioPhillic Environment Healthy Interior Environment (LBI, 2015f) This set of imperatives work to provide a psychologically and physically healthy environment for occupants and owners, by creating connections to the surrounding environment (Coon et al., 2011, pp. 1761-1772) and designing and specifying healthy indoor materials. Imperative 07. Civilized Environment and Imperative 09. Biophillic Environments both share common grounds that contribute to psychological and physical health (LBI, 2015f). Both imperatives aim to create a direct connection between indoors and outdoors, a feeling of visual and a level of physical continuity to provide a feeling of joy and freedom (Ching, 1995). Achieving these targets; by performing adequate daylight calculations to identify any glare spots and daylight distribution without spaces, allowing sufficient daylight factors within the building (Roche, Dewey and Littlefair, 2000, pp. 119-126), in addition to accounting for thermal and visual comfort (Greenup, Bell and Moore, 2001, pp. 45-52), creating connections with the outdoors is an essential requirement in imperative 07 without any possible appeals except for areas of special use or areas that are not frequently occupied. BREEAM had managed to shed a stronger light when it comes to health and wellbeing criteria, by setting rigorous standards for ventilation, daylight factors and ratios and indoor quality (BRE, 2014). It also adopted criteria to provide comfortable acoustic and thermal environments as well as security for its occupants (Novak, Treytl and Palensky, 2007), despite not being mandatory, these criteria do improve user comfort and satisfying them contributes to outstanding credits. VI. Equity Petal The Equity petal (LBI, 2015f), introduced in version 3.0 has limited literature, only introduced in the standard guidebook summarizing the latest version, it includes a table of design guidelines needed to be met or complimented to provide a sense of equality and justice between all users of the project, at any scale, but mostly focused towards the public and living community challenges. This petal is divided into four imperatives and will be briefly described, since they are still under development with no comprehensive guidebooks and are still quite subjective in approach, they will not be given great focus. The petal guidelines tackle issues such as areas, distances, landscape and urban design to give users and pedestrians a sense of worth in surroundings modelled after the human scale and dimensions (Ching, 1995)/ Access to place allows general public usage of spaces created within projects to spread the benefit and eventually awareness to the project and value. Both advocate facilitated access to impaired users, allowing equal opportunities for all users (Thapar et al., 2004, pp. 280-289), Imperative 17. Equitable Investment and Imperative 18. JUST Organizations, both of these imperatives tackle the humane side of building occupancy and donation towards charitable causes. It also includes the need for consideration of users, their needs and humane treatment. VII. Beauty Petal Last of the version 3.0 newly added petals, contains two imperatives; Imperative 19. Beauty + Spirit and Imperative 20. Inspiration + Education, both of which cannot be empirically calculated and proven (LBI, 2015f), thus documentation of design literature and efforts made to raise awareness of technologies have been, which reflects on the innovation standard in the BREEAM. However aesthetic value has not been regarded in BREEAM leaving that particular point out, which could be implied given that it is a technical tool for building performance not architectural design. This section will discuss a cross case analysis between two case studies. Each reflecting one of the discussed assessment systems, the LBC and BREEAM. The author found it fitting that due to the main showcase of the LBC reflected in educational buildings, ones that have been developed to be a display and case study for LBC teams, that the cross case analysis would be best done across educational buildings of a similar scale. The LBC case study is an office and commercial complex, commissioned by the environmental protection foundation, the Bullit Foundation. The BREEAM case study is a building of a similar typology, a commercial and office complex, slightly larger in area and a BREEAM Excellence building, the Exchange in  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   street. Commissioned by the Bullit foundation, an environmental agency with a mission to safeguard the Pacific North Wests ecology from non-sustainable and invasive human activity and raise awareness to the ecological issues that surround the regions urban sprawl. The building was commissioned under what they believe is the most rigourous standard, that would stand to raise awareness and work as a teaching experience for designers, professionals of the built environment and researchers. Its a commercial office building, with space for various office tenants and a commercial space. The Living Building Challenge is a powerful tool that might hold a number of innovative and important keys towards true sustainability. But due to the vast number of topics covered by it, the LBC requires supporting technical regulations created by local authorities to be applied to differ

Optical Mice :: Free Essay Writer

Optical Mice School of Polytechnic Studies Department of Industrial & Engineering Technology COMPUTER PERIPHERALS A mouse is a device, or computer peripheral, lets a user control a cursor that allows data to be manipulated without having to use complicated keyboard commands. The mouse, though probably named mouse because of its appearance, was originally called an X0Y Position Indicator. Douglas Englebart, who worked for Stanford Research Institute, in 1963, invented the mouse, as we know today. The device didn’t become widely used an appreciated until 1973, when Xerox applied it to their Alto computer system. The mouse was also widely used in Apple computers and is now found on every computer today (Computer Hardware, www.computerhope.com/help/mouse.htm). If you look to the diagram to the right, you will see four parts track an optical-mechanical mouse’s X-Y position movement. When the mouse is moved the ball moves in the direction of the movement. When the roller rotates, light shines through the openings. This light is detected by two light sensors, which send signals to the computer of the movement. The offset of the light that the sensors receive determines the direction of each axis. So that motion is detected, the ball needs traction between the ball and the rollers, which is a major drawback to this design. A pure optical mouse works a little differently. Optical Mice need special grids that the sensor inside of the mice needs to see to negotiate motion. When this kind of mouse moves over this grid light from an LED or laser passes over the grid and the lines seen by the sensor. Optical mice are much more accurate judging motion than the ordinary optical mechanical mouse. One drawback to pure optical mice is that they might run into problems with bright lights (Computer Hardware, www.computerhope.com/help/mouse.htm). Optical mice, technologically more advanced and more accurate than ordinary mice, carry a hi-tech price. The average optical mouse runs from $30 to $100. Since a simpler and cheaper peripherals exist, optical mice aren’t used on a wide variety of systems yet. According to PC Data, no optical mice made it into the top 20 sellers list in any given month (ABCNEWS.com). Recently, though, Microsoft has introduced an optical mouse that can be used without grids on any surface. This new mouse has a camera that can take up to 1,500 images per second and has a high enough resolution to read even fibers in a blank sheet of paper (ABCNEWS.

Unraveling of cultural meaning and sociological dimensions of Sex and the City by means of an ideological analysis

In 1998, TIME Magazine ran a front-cover story questioning the relevancy of feminism today. It asked: â€Å"Is feminism dead? â€Å"1 (Bellafante 29/06/98). The breeding pit of Naomi Wolf, Gloria Steinem, Germaine Greer and the rest of radical clan had allegedly been buried. Instead, fictitious feminist icons like Ally McBeal, Bridget Jones, the Spice Girls, Charlie's Angels, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Carrie Bradshaw, have taken part of the flightiness of contemporary feminism. The newfangled feminist motto, as the Spice Girls proclaimed, is Girl Power – and that's as far as it goes – muting the traditional voices of a civil rights movement which once declared the ‘personal to be the political'. The shift from a radical movement to a rather disinterested feminist condition is particularly evident in the TV hit-series, Sex and the City. The widely-acclaimed show has popularly blended upbeat feminist maxims with the everyday-life of four single women in their 30s, engaging in their self-contained universe, New York City. Often defined as the prototype of feminism stepping into the boundaries of mainstream popular culture, the series has never lacked an explicit exploration of the single woman and implicit reinforcement of female sexuality. But does the embracement of intellectual, financial, and sexual freedom automatically spell a valid feminist message? Although the depiction of sexually explicit images has rendered the series progressive and controversial, its critical standing should be instead attributed to the feminist archetypes it attempts to embody. The progressive portrayals of women in the mainstream media have led to the suggestion that the breakdown of traditional gender-specific stereotypes could potentially render any cultural text feminist (Berger 1995, p. 29). Particularly the advent of a multiplicity in feminisms, from radical and Marxist to liberal and postmodernist, has translated feminist thought into an increasingly blurred and unfixed discourse. Given this hypothetical assumption of a cultural crisis in feminist practice and theory, this essay is concerned with the deconstruction and unraveling of cultural meaning and sociological dimensions of Sex and the City by means of an ideological analysis. Accordingly, the following essay attempts to look at how cultural context shapes feminist strategies and concerns. At this point, it should be noted that the Third-wave agenda of Sex and the City does not necessarily suggest a forging of an entire movement, but rather what a feminist movement might look like for a generation which has largely been affected by the Mothers of Feminism. SEXHAUSTED FEMINISM In every episode of Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw, the lead character and protagonist of the show, types a question on her laptop raising issues of sex, men, and relationships. In the very first episode, she wondered: â€Å"Can women have sex like men? â€Å". The frankness of this question promptly sets the controversial, yet revolutionary tone of the show. As elaborated in subsequent episodes, the answer to Carrie's question is a clear yes – without apologies. On this level, the show deliberately enters into the territory of feminism with its gender play, attempting to breakaway from traditional sex-role definitions. This in itself resembles the radical forms of the feminist movement in the 1970s which embraced consciousness-raising as a tactic. If consciousness-raising is the â€Å"systematic attempt to break though ideological assumptions† (Brown 1990, p. 14), then Sex and the City does indeed successfully elude prevalent constructed installations of male/ female functions in sexual intercourse. However, the use of sexually explicit images to override traditional sexual imbalances adds fuel to both, feminist applause and criticism. Given the precedence of sexual depictions over other forms of pivotal feminist inquiries, Sex and the City becomes highly vulnerable to the male gaze. This sets out two significant contradictory aspects of the series – one which arises from feminist discourse and the other developed through the dominant ideology of patriarchy. While sexual freedom is undoubtedly a bold proponent of feminist theory, the female characters in Sex and the City also adhere to a traditional exhibitionist role of being looked at and displayed (Mulvey 1989, p. 19). The four characters as sexual objects have fused male voyeurism and desire with that of feminist narrative, taking the postmodern voyeur into new, but also familiar ideological regions. The struggle in determining the ideological position of Sex and the City does not end here. Feminist author, Camille Paglia, argued that the series was a victory for the â€Å"huge wing of us pro-sex feminists† over the â€Å"1980s anti-porn, anti-sex wing of feminists† (cited in Maddox 09/02/04). Paglia's comments underscore the feminist refusal of a fixed and static ideological premise. In 1985, for example, two anti-porn feminist activists, Catherine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin (cited in Califia 1994, p. 123), argued that pornography should be eliminated as a matter of public policy because the â€Å"bigotry and contempt it promotes†¦ diminish opportunities for equality of [women's] rights†. The competing sub-ideological codes underpinning the overall ideology of feminism is further appropriated by the show itself. Ultimate pro-sex feminism is best embodied by the character of Samantha Jones, a PR executive, who orders sex a la carte, with no emotional commitments attached. In stark contrast, an idealist view of romantic relationships is upheld by the character of Charlotte York, a conservative art dealer, who is reluctant to solely attribute sex with female lust. But the puzzling and contradictory ideological signals of the lead characters of Sex and the City are indeed part of the show's postmodern feminist agenda. In order to negotiate how the politics of feminism has been negotiated in Sex and the City it is important to recognize the essence of postmodern- or third-wave feminism. As opposed to other traditional feminist forms, postmodern feminism is much more open to new considerations of gender. Instead of affixing a precondition for feminist thought, postmodern feminists stress the way men and women interact with one another, discarding traditionalist notions of gender naturalness and normality (Bessant and Watts 2002: 48). Rather, feminists with postmodern sympathies argue that we need to acknowledge human diversity, asking â€Å"What is the natural woman anyway? â€Å". This gives primacy to the postmodern acceptance that gender cannot be separated from culture. WIMMIN OR WOMEN ? Singlehood and the breakdown of the family unit are the acclaimed elements in labelling the series feminist. All main characters of Sex and the City fulfil meaningful functions that engender economic, intellectual, and sexual liberation, stimulating the formation of an alternative ideology – a crucial component for building a social movement in the 21st Century (Ryan 2001, p. 305). However, despite the storyline of Sex and the City invoking an alternative ideology, it does not essentially disagree with dominant ideologies. Although the strong bond and friendship between the four leading characters incites a theme of sisterhood throughout the series, the uniting of four basically diverse individuals into a group with common interests in matters of sex, men, and relationships lacks a counterbalancing framework that opposes and attempts to revamp the political and economic structures of society. As Green (1998, p. 1) importantly affirms, â€Å"†¦ in the contemporary post-feminist era, patriarchal traditions in visual culture are seemingly challenged, yet ultimately produced†. Patriarchal and capitalist codes are therefore not only naturalized in Sex and the City, but merged into feminist discourse. Perhaps the most revealing statement Sex and the City makes about its feminist outlook lies in Carrie's first effective ideological statement: â€Å"New York is all about sex and hence not about marriage†. At first glance, this appraisal of singlehood through the romance genre might seem to present a paradox. Despite the glorification of female bonding and alternative family forms, the seemingly counter-ideological premise of Sex and the City only ascends in the show's first few seasons. Its post-feminist sentiments are subsequently watered down, negotiated, and limited by the dominance of the romance genre to the extent that by the end of the entire series, two of the main characters are married and the other two in a faithful monogamous relationship. This happily-ever-after formulaic conclusion is of strict adherence to the clichid literary styles of the Hollywood romance genre, as opposed to a groundbreaking counter-cultural narrative. In an interview with Candace Bushnell, the author who created Sex and the City, renowned feminist and author of the Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf, asked her if she believed the characters of the show to be feminist (Wolf 2003, p. 17). â€Å"They're obviously feminist,† she responded. â€Å"You can be a feminist but that doesn't contradict the human desire for love. † But such ‘human desire for love' is particularly safeguarded by Hollywood and the producers of Sex and the City as well. Here, love is portrayed as a prescribed condition for marriage as if romantic love through â€Å"emotional dramas are virtually the only acceptable means of moving towards marriage† (Weisser 2001, p. 257). Indeed, disgruntled feminists of the second-wave have unconditionally asserted that the prevalence of love â€Å"justifies our exploitation by men and simultaneously ensnares us into oppressive relationships with them†. To advance the flourishing of romance in a seemingly natural and neutral manner, Sex and the City is brought to a close with an absence of scenes of what succeeds the ever-after ending. Wexman reaffirms that â€Å"Hollywood films erase contradictions by making the happy ending coincide with the monogamous marriage as culmination of romantic passion and freezing this passion in an eternal moment of unproblematic unhappiness† (cited in Evans and Delayto 1998, p. 7). Ideologically, Sex and the City reinforces a â€Å"desperation theme† (Dines and Humez 2003, p. 129). The implications of such are substantiated when Charlotte cries, â€Å"I have been dating since I was 15, when is my Mr. Right going to come along? In another episode, Carrie similarly bemoans her single status during Charlotte's wedding, saying, â€Å"I would die to have a strong man catch me when I fall†. And although Miranda Hobbes, a successful lawyer and single mother, asks early-on in the series, â€Å"Why do we get stuck with old maiden and spinster and men get to be bachelors and playboys? â€Å", she later draws a surprising revelation: â€Å"I must not end up old maiden or spinster†. The retreat into desperation and marriage as a strategy towards addressing cultural anxieties is at the forefront in Sex and the City, yet is unsuccessful in acknowledging feminist discourse. Instead, Sex and the City is manufactured as a cultural product which translates romance and marriage into woman's ultimate sexual and political identity. The characters of Sex and the City do not entirely – if at all – escape traditional gender role expectations. By adhering to the framework of dominant ideologies, the women are confined to specific gender, sexual, racial, ethnic and class stereotypes. All four characters are White, upper-middle class, attractive, feminine, and heterosexually appealing. This further extends to the show's predominant representation of marriage as a monogamous Judeo-Christian value. It can therefore be argued that the effect of such representations boils down an ideological impact of mainstream capitalist and patriarchal norms, instead of a preponderance of unorthodox feminist beliefs. I ? NEW YORK Its credit sequence flaunts famous landmarks like the Chrysler Building, World Trade Center, Brooklyn Bridge, or Fifth Avenue. New York City, the alleged capital of the world, is proactive in bestowing the four characters their freedom and is implicitly a fifth representational character in Sex and the City. As Richards (2003, p. 48) affirms, â€Å"More often than not it seems impossible that they could enjoy and indulge is such sexual freedom in any other American city†. Drawing on what Carrie once said – â€Å"New York is all about sex, and hence not about marriage† -renders New York a ‘singles ghetto'. Fostering singlehood through the visual projection of the city is advanced by separating the singles from the marrieds. Single women walk, live and breathe at the very heart of the postmodern city, whilst married people are confined to the private spaces of suburbia – Connecticut or the Hamptons. To survive in a metropolitan city like New York, Sex and the City suggests that one must be single. Samantha, for example, affirms that â€Å"this is the first time in the history of Manhattan that women have had as much power and money as men†. Although an abundance of exterior shots establishes a sense of postmodern reality and familiarity of the Big Apple, Samantha's observations of Manhattan potentially exclude many women from the social boundaries of Sex and the City and hence, from feminist discourse. Race is a significant factor in terms of how the series sets up criteria for who becomes a feminist. Sanders (2004, p. 7) argues that the surnames of the leading characters – Bradshaw, Jones, York, Hobbes – would not look out of place in a â€Å"white-shoe investment bank†. For a city that has flourished into a global hotspot for multiculturalism and become the permanent address of many foreign immigrants, New York is depicted as distinctly White, outwardly projecting a message that only Whiteness is given access to the highest level of rewards, including that of an entire ideology. Confining feminism to women of a White and middle-class background naturalises feminism as an elitist establishment, undermining the struggle of minorities. Women who have failed to achieve economic freedom, lesbians who have yet to achieve sexual freedom, or single women with children, are all but entirely excluded. The prevailing milieu of inequitable feminist sentiments, however, is fuelled by the narrative and visual structures of the romance genre. Green (1998, p. 30), for example, attributes the romance genre to a â€Å"white racial consciousness inseparable from our notion of love, heroism, and public life†. The absence of the Other therefore â€Å"embodies the most basic material meaning of our social order in its very lack of embodiedness†. Accordingly, the social order of Sex and the City invites lipstick lesbians to its culture, while macho femmes are completely iced out. A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO SHOES The construction of feminine identity and womanhood is a crucial quality perpetuated in Sex and the City. Not only are the four main characters perceived as naturally beautiful and aesthetically appealing, but their fetishised consumption of commodity products endorses patriarchal capitalism. The second-wave of feminism in the '60s and '70s charged consumerism for penetrating the inequitable model of female identity that was â€Å"deeply conservative† (MacDonald 1995, p. 6). Yet the series has come close to resemble a spin-off weekly PR event, boosting luxury brands from Fendi and Manolo Blahnik to Prada and Jimmy Choo. As a consequence, it may be argued that Sex and the City masks the socio-political nervous system of feminism, by portraying females in a narrow range of settings and activities, thus abiding to stereotypes determined as uniquely feminine (Soo Ching 2003, p. 12). The four characters are very rarely seen at work, but are financially capable to much on-screen shopping, socialising at parties, lunching on a day-to-day basis, and dating wealthy professional men. Bailey (2003, p. 10) illustrates the embedded paradox: â€Å"Sex and the City lacks a larger political agenda, but is still concerned with effects of individual choices on individual lives†. Derived from the Marx's analysis of capitalist societies and his term â€Å"commodity fetishism†, Wolfgang Haug (1987, p. 8) determined products in a capitalist society to be designed to â€Å"stimulate in the onlooker the desire to possess and the impulse to buy†. There is a bold connection here between the culture of women's magazines and Sex and the City. Feminist media critics have raised concern over the monolithic compositions of a â€Å"woman's world† imbued in women's magazines (Bignell 2004, p. 216). The ideological composition of women's magazine represent feminine identity as set a set of social conventions, norms, problems and desires, passed on and appropriated by the series itself. But as McCracken (1993, p. 136) argues, â€Å"within the discursive structure, to be beautiful, one must fear being non-beautiful; to be in fashion, one must fear being out of fashion; to be self-confident, one must first feel insecure†. Underlying the production of patriarchal capitalism in Sex and the City, feminism therefore endangers, rather than enhances, the concept of strengthening women's civil rights. In this instance, capitalism, via feminist discourse, masks the essence of consumer goods as being produced in an inherently patriarchal system for patriarchal gain. Product placement in the series not only accomplishes commodity hegemony, but automatically weakens the show's ties with feminism. Instead, the absolute value of feminism is commodified, which Goldman (1992, p. 130) readily labels â€Å"commodity feminism†. He argues that â€Å"commodity feminism depoliticises and individualises feminism and defuses its potential political impact†. From this perspective Sex and the City can be argued to render invisible the questions of economic status, work and social power for women. According to Bignell (2004, p. 217), the fascination with self-indulgent and pretentious activities like shopping and socialising, is a focus â€Å"relatively trivial aspects of women's lives†, as opposed to raising concern over abortion, the sexual division of labour, the representation of women in politics, or the stereotypical images pursued by the media. CONCLUSION It has been more than 40 years since Betty Friedan attacked the role of women in marriage through her writings in the Feminine Mystique. Although the time-worn pages of her book might have dried out and been stacked away, feminism is indeed still alive. As evidenced by the various ideological traditions and perspectives in reading Sex and the City, one cannot conclusively determine whether the nature of the show is feminist or non-feminist. Rather, it should be acknowledged that contemporary feminism bears an abundance of ideological contradictions and complexities. This is not to say that feminism is indefinable, but part of a shift from its initial historical beliefs and assumptions. It is again arguable that postmodern feminism has severely misdirected the elements of feminism to an irrational and apolitical uncertainty. Although it may be argued that the postmodern version simply defines feminism in a flexible and relaxing way, its discourse is invariably formalised by those in power. Feminism is ideologically withheld in Sex and the City by reinforcing traditional gendered stereotypes and a consumerist culture based on the dominant ideologies of patriarchy and capitalism, respectively. Although embellished with postmodern feminist rhetoric, Sex and the City enforces a restrictive social space for women fused with the boundaries romantic love and marriage. However, despite its limitations, Sex and the City deserves acknowledgement for the (admittedly negotiated) challenge it poses to feminist assumptions, as well as the return of women's rights on the social agenda.

An Effective Classroom Teacher Essay

I believe that with being a teacher comes great responsibility. A teacher will leave a lasting impression on their pupils, they should be free from any prejudice and treat children as individuals by respecting their backgrounds, religion, disability and race. I am extremely concerned about becoming an effective teacher and many factors contribute to this. This essay will highlight my areas of concern and how my initial thoughts have developed during my placement. My areas of concern include planning and executing enjoyable lessons. They also include the strategies I observed the teacher using to mange behaviour in the classroom which is essential for the smooth flow of the day. Confidence is a factor which I feel improves every time you teach, and if lessons are well planned and subject knowledge is secure a teacher would automatically begin to feel confident. I am also concerned about classroom organisation and the implementation of routines. I observed many examples of set routines which the school follow, this is the responsibility of the teacher to enforce and then keep consistent. These are all attributes or responsibilities of an effective teacher and this essay will explore them and discuss possible ways of improving or developing them. I have also included my experience regarding assessment and the importance of identifying strengths and weaknesses to become an effective teacher. Finally, I have included some experiences of my university education which has helped me to identify my areas for concern. I feel that being an effective teacher should involve valuing, gaining and giving respect to the children. I was concerned how this could be achieved. I saw fantastic examples on my school placement which I hope to adopt myself. Every morning the teacher would give the children time to settle on the carpet and instead of talking amongst each other, they would in turn talk to the teacher and the rest of the class, often about issues which were concerning them or something exciting that happened over the weekend. The teacher made sure every child had a chance to talk no matter how trivial. She showed genuine interest in them and never let them feel insignificant. I really admired the teacher for this. I initially thought it was just a nice way to start the morning however, after thinking about it so many strategies are involved and learning taking place. The children develop confidence in talking in front of the class; they are sharing their thoughts and feelings, and learning how to express themselves. The bond of trust is being formed between pupil and teacher. Finally, it is good strategy for managing behaviour. Children learn to listen to each other and they also learn patience and turn-taking. † The most effective teachers frequently involved the whole class in discussion and were skilled at doing this, which was not necessarily whole-class teaching as such.† (Dean, J. (2001) p.39)  Therefore I feel that it is extremely important to value a child despite race, gender, religion or disability. And to truly show an interest in them and respect their thoughts and beliefs. I feel that I established a good relationship with the children and they felt comfortable around me. This is where I felt I was effective in my teaching. All this contributes to being an effective teacher. Mortimore et al. (1988) found that effective teachers gave rewards rather than punishments, as punishments had a negative effect on learning. I observed a great deal of this on my school placement which I quickly adopted. Unwanted behaviour was often ignored until absolutely necessary, whereas good behaviour was praised quickly and an example made of it to the rest of the class. This practise worked, I saw the class react quickly try and act the same way to please the teacher and me as a student teacher. I feel that an effective teacher should have implemented a classroom routine and then to keep it consistent. An arrangement of getting things out and putting away can be made with children. All the children can be given a responsibility of taking care of a small area of the classroom. Places for resources, books etc should have a permanent place and be clearly labelled to enable the children to tidy up efficiently. I also noticed that the class teacher had seated the children in rows on specific places on the carpet. Bennet and Blunder (1983) found that children got more work done when sat in rows. I found that this is an effective classroom management strategy. There are no arguments of sitting next to friends or lack of space. The children know where they sit and with one glance, the teacher can see who is missing and spot ant disruptions. The children were seated on the table in groups according to ability. Independent work was often completed on the tables, however, the child were always given the chance to discuss ideas with each other before asking the teacher for help.

Absolutely!

Absolutely! Absolutely! Absolutely! By Maeve Maddox Not a month goes by that someone doesn’t write to complain about the ubiquity of the word absolutely. The following objections to this word are typical: Please answer a question without starting with the word absolutely. Its driving me mad, please please stop. What’s wrong with responding, â€Å"without a doubt,† â€Å"you bet,† â€Å"of course,† â€Å"for sure,† or simply â€Å"yes†? It [strikes] me as ironic that perfectly good English words and phrases like thats correct and yes [are] being usurped by the invasive absolutely. Complaints about absolutely have been circling the Web for at least 18 years. It was on the Lake Superior State University’s list of banished words in 1996. It continues to be the object of wrath on many blog sites, and it made another appearance on the LSSU list in 2014. Perceptions that absolutely as a synonym for â€Å"yes† is a recent tic have led people to speculate as to what or whom to blame for introducing it into popular speech. In 1996, a critic put the blame on the movie Rocky (1976). However, the citations in the OED indicate that absolutely has been used as an affirmation since 1825: Is it permitted me to ask your majesty whether the opinion of the queen is conformable to that of your majesty? Yes, absolutely; she will tell you so herself. (1825) Is such really the state of matters between you and Rivers? Absolutely, sir! (1847) Do you mean to say that if he was all right and proper otherwise youd be indifferent about the earl part of the business? Absolutely. (1892) Absolutely is not confined to use as a word for â€Å"yes.† It is also used to modify words in every type of context, from baby clothes to wartime atrocities: Fifteen Absolutely Darling Onesies Pablo Hernandez scored an absolutely outrageous no-look back-heel against Atletico Madrid this evening. The Absolutely Most Delicious Wrap and Sandwich Recipes Cookbook Killing reporters during battles in southeastern  Ukraine  is  absolutely unacceptable. In each of these examples, absolutely is being used as an empty intensifier, the way awesome is so often used. Sometimes absolutely is used functionally, as in this household tip: Get all the  clothes  that you want to store  absolutely clean and dry. Here the meaning is, â€Å"to the fullest extent.† In a 2009 article on the CNN website, Rex Bossert, an assistant dean at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, is quoted as blaming O.J. Simpson for introducing absolutely as the ultimate modifier. Bossert points out that when Simpson was arraigned in 1994 and was asked how he pled, he didn’t say simply â€Å"not guilty†; he said, â€Å"Absolutely, 100 percent not guilty.† Why does a word that ranks so high among verba non grata continue to remain so popular? The CNN article also quotes an account executive who has embraced absolutely as her word for â€Å"yes† because it sounds reassuring: Absolutely sounds confident and sure. In times of ambivalence, people could use a bit of semantic surety. When you use it, you just feel more confident. Unfortunately, many speakers perceive absolutely as the contrary of reassuring. In the view of one college student at the University of Oregon, [Absolutely] now means â€Å"a lot of bull.† It’s like â€Å"whatever,† or â€Å"sure.† It grates on me when a professor or another student says â€Å"absolutely† because saying it means they’re a phony (2010). Bottom line: Absolutely as both a synonym for â€Å"yes† and a meaningless intensifier will probably be with us for some time. Professionals need to be aware that promiscuous use of the word is annoying, and that many speakers view such use as evidence of insincerity, untrustworthiness, and mental vacuity. vacuity (noun): complete absence of ideas; vacancy of mind or thought. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?Ten Yiddish Expressions You Should KnowA "Diploma" is not a "Degree"

The Haves and The Have Nots †Communications Essay

The Haves and The Have Nots – Communications Essay Free Online Research Papers The Haves and The Have Nots Communications Essay Opportunity varies between classes and backgrounds. People of a different background always had less options or abilities to achieve what they wanted. White people had the money and the respect to get a chance at what they dreamed. Examples of African American families and how they lived were usually a lot less fulfilling then an example of the way a white person lived. The actions of men and women in the world obscure their chances and opportunities due to their class and background. During the 1950’s coming from a different background then the white people you usually were struggling financially. It took a lot of effort to work really hard and barely get the pay that you needed to live off of. White people had a lot of money and could afford what they wanted. Compared to other backgrounds the white people had a lot more. A Raisin in the Sun, written by Loraine Hansberry, was about a family of African Americans that lives in Chicago. The family of five and soon to be six all live in one small apartment. The group isnt very happy with their jobs, working as servants for rich, happy, white families. They didnt have very much money. â€Å"Ruth: Get your mind off of money and eat your breakfast. Travis: (eating) This is the morning we supposed to bring fifty cents to school. Ruth: Well I ain’t got fifty cents this morning.(Hansberry, page 28)† That quote shows how she barely had two quarters to spare. Their lifestyles, when compared to the other classes and backgrounds, seemed very unfair. The example of the Youngers from A Raisin in the Sun shows the difference between the lifestyles. The characters Mama and Ruth were off all day working to clean or cook in other people’s houses, and Walter, Ruths husband, was a chauffer. They were very unhappy having to get up in the morning, in their small apartment where five people lived and have to go off to work as someones servant. The crowded household had full rooms and the youngest boy, Travis even had to sleep on the couch. The problem that they had with this lifestyle was that they didnt have a way to change it. There wasnt a way for some African Americans to somehow work really hard, make a lot of money, and live the life you wanted. You couldnt change your class or background. The goals or dreams were different when you compared the two groups. An example is when Walter repeats a few times throughout the dialog that he wants to give his wife pearls, and thinks he should be able to. That was just one of his dreams, that he could give his wife some jewelry. When that is compared to what the white people already can purchase it seems that the backgrounds who are suffering behind the white people dont have barely enough to survive. People all over the world affected the opportunities that other races and backgrounds could have. The two groups had very different lifestyles. The goals or what the people of different groups dreamed of achieving were minor to what the white people were already capable and successful at. The financial standings for example: the African Americans in the play A Raisin in the Sun were barely enough to live off of. But the white people could live in a huge house, enough room for a large family to live, have better jobs that they wanted, and still have the 50 cents that their son needs for school. The society that all of the groups, including the white people, was not accepting their differences and wasnt providing the respect that they needed to have in order to achieve the opportunities that they wanted. Research Papers on The Haves and The Have Nots - Communications Essay19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationWhere Wild and West MeetCapital PunishmentThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Hockey GameStandardized TestingHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and Autumn

Issues and Controversies Journalists Face

Issues and Controversies Journalists Face Theres never been a more tumultuous time in the news business. Newspapers are drastically downsizing and facing bankruptcy or the prospect of going out of business entirely. Web journalism is on the rise and taking many forms, but there are real questions about whether it can really replace newspapers. Press freedom, meanwhile, continues to be nonexistent or under threat in many countries around the world. There are also ongoing controversies about issues such as journalistic objectivity and fairness. It seems like a tangled mess at times, but there are many factors involved that well examine in detail. Print Journalism in Peril Newspapers are in trouble. Circulation is dropping, ad revenue is shrinking, and the industry has experienced an unprecedented wave of layoffs and cutbacks. So what does the future hold? While some people will argue that newspapers are dead or dying, many traditional outlets are indeed adapting to the new digital world. Most offer all of their content online, either via paid subscriptions or for free. This is also true for TV and radio media outlets. Though it seemed at first as if modern technology would win out over tradition, the tide seems to be finding a balance. For example, local papers are discovering new ways to localize a story to attract readers interested in a smaller piece of the bigger picture. The Rise of Web Journalism With the decline of newspapers, web journalism seems to be the future of the news business. But what exactly do we mean by web journalism? And can it really replace newspapers? In general terms, web journalism includes bloggers, citizen journalists, hyper-local news sites, and even websites for print papers. The internet certainly opened up the world for more people to write whatever they want, but that doesnt mean all of these sources have the same credibility. Bloggers, for instance, tend to focus on a niche topic, as do citizen journalists. Because some of these writers do not have training in or necessarily care about the ethics of journalism, their personal bias can come across in what they write. This is not what we consider journalism per se. Journalists are concerned with the facts,  getting to the heart of the story, and have their own on-the-job lingo. Digging for answers and telling them in objective ways has long been a goal of professional reporters. Indeed, many of these professionals have found an outlet in the online world, which makes it tricky for news consumers. Some bloggers and citizen journalists are unbiased and produce great news reports. Likewise, some professional journalists are not objective and lean one way or another on political and social issues. This burgeoning online outlet has created all types on either side. This is the larger dilemma because it is now up to readers to decide what is credible and what is not. Press Freedoms and Reporters Rights In the United States, the press enjoys a great deal of freedom to report critically and objectively on the important issues of the day. This freedom of the press is granted by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In much of the world, press freedom is either limited or virtually nonexistent. Reporters are often thrown in jail, beaten, or even killed just for doing their jobs. Even in the U.S. and other free-press countries, journalists face ethical dilemmas about confidential sources, disclosing information, and cooperating with law enforcement. All of these things are of great concern and debate to professional journalism. However, it  is unlikely to be anything that resolves itself in the near future. Bias, Balance, and an Objective Press Is the press objective? Which news outlet is really fair and balanced, and what does that actually mean? How can reporters set aside their biases and really report the truth? These are some of the biggest questions of modern journalism. Newspapers, cable television news, and radio broadcasts have all come under fire for reporting stories with a bias. This is especially true in political reporting, but even some stories that should not be politicized fall victim to it. A perfect example can be found on cable news. You can watch the same story on two networks and get two completely different perspectives. The political divide has indeed swept into journalism - in print, on air, and online. Thankfully, a number of reporters and outlets have kept their bias in check and continue to tell the story in a fair and balanced manner.

Observe particles by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Essay - 1

Observe particles by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray SEM and Transmission Electron Microscopy - Essay Example m. SEM-EDAX analysis shows that the powder particles are those of ytterbium oxide and TEM analysis shows morphology of fine TiO2 and Fe2O3. Results and analysis of these experiments are presented in this report. Introduction Electron microscopy has been a leap jump over optical microscopy in the field of micro imaging. While resolution in case of optical microscopy is limited by the wavelength of light, the same gets tremendously improved because accelerated electrons have much smaller wavelengths and hence much better resolution in case of electron microscopy. Besides, micro imaging there are other benefits associated with using electron beam as probe. This is because electron – matter interaction produces a wide variety of signals like secondary electrons, back scattered electrons, fluorescence and characteristic X-rays, transmission electrons, auger electrons etc. to name a few [1]. These signals do not contain information about only topography but also about chemistry of t he region of interaction and hence micro-analytical information can also be extracted. This is the reason why a large number of micro-imaging and microanalytical instruments have been developed using electron beam as probe and these are being widely used in the industry as well as in the advanced research. A brief introduction of some of these instruments like Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (SEM-EDAX) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) is presented in the following sections. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) [3]: This microscope scans the probe electron beam over a raster and response signals like secondary and backscattered electrons are collected and used for image formation [2]. It consists of a column always under vacuum consisting of different subcomponents. It consists of an electron gun or electron source. This is followed by condenser lenses to focus the beam. There are apertures in the path to allow only the useful (central) portion of the beam to the subsequent stages. The focused beam is double scanned and made to pass through an aperture to fall onto the specimen. The beam is scanned over the specimen in a raster and the generated signals – secondary or back scattered electrons are collected, amplified and again scanned in a raster onto a CRT screen in synchronized manner. Thus image is formed pixel by pixel. The magnification is ratio of the CRT screen size to the area of the raster onto the specimen. Because, the CRT size is fixed, therefore, magnification can be increased by scanning lower area onto the specimen and vice – versa. While secondary electron provides topographic contrast, the backscattered electrons provide atomic number or Z-contrast. SEM with Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (SEM-EDAX): EDAX is essentially a detector or an attachment to an instrument. This is capable of detecting energy of the X-rays falling onto it. This uses a semiconductor – SiLi or GeLi and as X-rays fall onto this semiconductor electrons are produced in the proportion of the energy of the X-rays and this produces a current which is used to determine energy of the X-ray. This attachment can be attached to different instruments like SEM, EPMA or Electron Probe Microanalyser or even with a TEM or Transmission Electron Microscope. When probe electron beam falls onto a sample characteristic X-rays are produced, which are collected and analyzed

The Importance of Customer Service to Service Companies Coursework

The Importance of Customer Service to Service Companies - Coursework Example The course work "The Importance of Customer Service to Service Companies" talks about the customer service and the importance of services management to service companies. Service companies directly deal with customers and they have customer service departments which have to continuously improve service to meet customers’ needs and gain their loyalty. Service can be defined in terms of customer satisfaction. If the goods delivered by the company meet customer specifications and the customer are satisfied, the customer is retained and may have that loyalty the service company needs. A common inspirational belief among sales people is the more loyal the customer, the more profits for the company. Firms must compete for quality. In this time of intense globalization where products and services are available at the touch of a button, quality service is most important. After World War II, when Japan was still struggling to compete with the products dominated by the United States and Europe, the term quality was not so popular. But Japanese firms introduced service quality which attacked American and European products and services. Quality-oriented service met customer needs and improved quality of life. Japanese firms became popular and profitable. Other firms had to introduce quality in their services and products. Quality management became a phenomenon which captured the attention of firms and researchers. Employees involved in service are crucial to the success of a service firm.

Human Resource Management & Information Management (MBA) pro 6 Essay

Human Resource Management & Information Management (MBA) pro 6 - Essay Example Generally it is believed that PRP is a good tool to set a goal for the employees. It sets a criterion for the employees; and so to fulfill that out of their personal welfare, they indirectly help in gaining the objectives of company in a better, more focused and speedy way. PRP does not only act as a reward system, it also works as a silent warning or alarm system for the employees. When lazy or inefficient employees see their colleagues getting benefits, they are naturally alarmed by their situation. Thus inefficient people come to know through PRP that it is all about â€Å"survival of the fittest† thing and so they strive to work in a better way. PRP is a device that articulates the goals of the employers and the company in a better way. By setting criteria for getting performance related pay, employers clearly define what they want from their employees. This might be one of the reasons that PRP still holds importance for the employers. Thus it helps the employers to attain their focused goals in a better and faster way. Another reason for the prevalence of PRP in organizations is the notion that it targets and reward the deserving employees. Naturally some employees are more efficient and hard working than their colleagues, so this system rewards them for their special efforts and thus encourages them to keep up their good work. Finally I think PRP has an enduring interest for employers just because it is used everywhere. It has become an important phenomenon and is widely practiced so employers use it also because of the peer pressure in the corporate world. So PRP is here to stay although there is no solid proof about its motivational

A)Show that, compared to perfect competition, monopolies reduce output Essay

A)Show that, compared to perfect competition, monopolies reduce output and increase price. Does this mean that monopolies are always against the public interest - Essay Example It looks for a price on the market demand curve that will maximize its profits- both in the short run and the long run. Unlike the perfect competition, the monopolists marginal revenue from each unit is not constant (Samuelson, 2010). The table below shows that the demand increases as the price decreases-the basic downward sloping demand curve. However, the marginal revenue decreases as each unit of output is increased. Therefore, the monopolist raises the price and restricts output to maximize its returns (Samuelson, 2010). Similarly, the monopolist will produce the number of units when its marginal cost is equal to the marginal revenue. This signifies that the there will be always be more demand than there will be supply to maximize the profits. (Samuelson, 2010) Monopolies act against the public interest at large because they are productively inefficient, cause a welfare loss and earn exorbitant profits. Similarly, they control the price as well as the output to a certain extent; thereby injuring the public at large. However, there are arguments that monopolies help achieve economies of scale and help reduce per unit cost and maintain a high level of innovation to keep the demand curve stable. (Snook, 2013) Snook, A. Is the Existence of Monopoly Against the Public Interest. Retrieved from http://www.courseworkbank.info/courseworkbank.info.php?f=R0NFIEEgLSBMZXZlbC9FY29ub21pY3MvSXMgdGhlIGV4aXN0ZW5jZSBvZiBhIG1vbm9wb2x5IGFnYWluc3QgVGhlIHB1YmxpYyBpbnRlcmVzdC5wZGY on March 24,

Law Case Study - B Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Law - B - Case Study Example First, the defendant, ABC Go-Kart, owes everyone that enters the premise guarantee for their safety especially when using their equipment and cars for racing. In this particular case, the defendant’s employee fails to inspect the brakes which results in the failure of the breaks of Obama. As such an accident occurs and Robinson dies from it. Consequently, the defendant owes the plaintiff, a duty of care since it was expected that by the nature of the races that take place in the area, the waiting area should have been shielded from the tracks; thus, no wheels could fly and ram into those in the waiting area. Therefore, based on these incidences, I find that the defendant breached the duty of care by failing to exercise reasonable care in ensuring that the wheels of the cars for racing are properly fitted and the braking system is working. Consequently, they failed to show reasonable care in that the waiting area was left open when the same, according to Pennsylvania law, ought to have been covered so people would not get hurt from such incidences. Therefore, a cause in fact may be determined on these two grounds in that had it not been for the defendant’s negligent actions, the injury through death would have not occurred to the plaintiff. In considering the proximate cause for this incident, it is evident that ABC Go-Kart as the defendant would have foreseen such the scope of such an occurrence and taken adequate responsibility to prevent it. For instance, had they paid the mechanic well, he would have performed his duty accordingly and the brakes of Obama would have not failed. As a result, the plaintiff can seek for damages for such actions of negligence. The death of Professor Robinson in itself is a legal ground for which negligence can be proved hence, damages sought for. Failure of the defendant to exercise care

Surveillance Security research assingment Essay

Surveillance Security research assingment - Essay Example Introduction In this global technological evolution of information systems, every organization protects the network by firewalls, intrusion detection systems and other dedicated hardware. The widespread implementation of these network defense equipments facilitated the organizations to be more secure. However, the other side of the picture demonstrates that it has also maximized opportunities for hackers to breach in the systems. Security is essential part of any computer network that is operational. Security measures are mandatory as ‘www.businessdictionary.com’ covers the basics and states it as â€Å"Prevention of and protection against assault, damage, fire, fraud, invasion of privacy, theft, unlawful entry, and other such occurrences caused by deliberate action†. Another definition in the context of network security stated as â€Å"Network security covers such issues as network communication privacy, information confidentiality and integrity over network, co ntrolled access to restricted network domains and sensitive information, and using the public network, such as Internet, for private communications †. Organizations spend enormous funds only for implementing advanced security devices and security applications The reason for doing large investments in order to protect networks is understandable as the impacts of security breaches are also equivalent. Security breaches related to data theft, hacking, unauthorized access etc. impacts on organizations reputation in the market as customer data is exposed to hackers, who can use it for many purposes for financial gain. Likewise, this will also lead in severe revenue loss. The current network of 1-Click Mobile Phones Ltd has only a firewall to combat all the threats. No internal access policies are implemented, no advanced security appliances are present, and no surveillance security framework is implemented. 1-Click Mobile Phones Ltd has recognized the importance of securing the net work and hence decided to equip the network with a surveillance security cameras and biometrics, advanced security appliances, wireless security and internal access policies. The objectives of this report are to identify and prevent Unauthorized Access, Monitoring Employee activities by surveillance, Monitoring critical server, database and equipments by surveillance and Preventing Wireless access. Although, advanced firewalls support packet-filtering technology to analyze every packet before granting access. Moreover, ‘computer security incident response teams’ are deployed to perform recovery whenever an incident generates on the network. Physical Infrastructure Policy The physical infrastructure policy will add surveillance security to the current network. There are no definitions available for video surveillance security apart from this one that states it, as â€Å"Intelligent Video Solution is a system of hardware and software that aids the security executives in performing their daily tasks. An intelligent video solution can be from a single manufacturer or it can be a compilation of components (both hardware and software) from a variety of manufacturers. The net end result is that it is the sum of all of its parts performing the tasks they were designed to do† (Elliott 2010). For the current network of 1-Click Mobile Phones Ltd, a cost effective network video recording surveillance solution s required. The ‘VS-8024 VioStor NVR (Network Video Recorder)’ will fulfill all the requirements of the network as it

Law Case Study - B Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Law - B - Case Study Example First, the defendant, ABC Go-Kart, owes everyone that enters the premise guarantee for their safety especially when using their equipment and cars for racing. In this particular case, the defendant’s employee fails to inspect the brakes which results in the failure of the breaks of Obama. As such an accident occurs and Robinson dies from it. Consequently, the defendant owes the plaintiff, a duty of care since it was expected that by the nature of the races that take place in the area, the waiting area should have been shielded from the tracks; thus, no wheels could fly and ram into those in the waiting area. Therefore, based on these incidences, I find that the defendant breached the duty of care by failing to exercise reasonable care in ensuring that the wheels of the cars for racing are properly fitted and the braking system is working. Consequently, they failed to show reasonable care in that the waiting area was left open when the same, according to Pennsylvania law, ought to have been covered so people would not get hurt from such incidences. Therefore, a cause in fact may be determined on these two grounds in that had it not been for the defendant’s negligent actions, the injury through death would have not occurred to the plaintiff. In considering the proximate cause for this incident, it is evident that ABC Go-Kart as the defendant would have foreseen such the scope of such an occurrence and taken adequate responsibility to prevent it. For instance, had they paid the mechanic well, he would have performed his duty accordingly and the brakes of Obama would have not failed. As a result, the plaintiff can seek for damages for such actions of negligence. The death of Professor Robinson in itself is a legal ground for which negligence can be proved hence, damages sought for. Failure of the defendant to exercise care

Alaska Milk Essay Example for Free

Alaska Milk Essay My name is Joselito T. Santos Jr. and Im a senior at San Beda College, majoring in legal management. As a graduating student of the said college an important school paper requirement for one of my subject which is Strategic Management should be accomplished to graduate. Im writing to express my interest in making a Strategic Management paper for your prestagious company which is the Alaska Milk Company Philippines. Documents such company documents, financial documents and marketing documents will be needed for the progress of my paper. I will assure that all of your documents will be taken care of and only be used as reference for the progess of my paper. Im hoping you will help me and in return I will provide your company a great Strategic Management Plan for the development of your company. Thank you. Sincerely, Joselito T. Santos Jr. ALASKA MILK CORPORATION OUR VISION Is to be a leading consumer foods company with a diversified portfolio of consumer food brands and products that are market leaders in their respective categories. OUR MISSION PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. We will continue to build on the strengths and competitive attributes of the ALASKA brand and develop its full marketing potential. We will develop new products and identify market opportunities, mindful of our task to be responsive to the ever changing and growing needs of our consumers. CUSTOMER SERVICE Customer relationship is an integral part of building the Alaska business. We aim to provide our partners in trade the best and most efficient service, making use of leading edge technology to ensure timely product availability and accessibility. We strive to know and understand our customers fully to bridge the gap between what they need and what we can give. QUALITY Ultimately, the consumer whom we serve and their level of satisfaction with our products become our final judge and jury. We are committed to deliver high quality milk and other consumer food products from production to consumption. We will respond to the call to deliver higher quality nutrition to every Filipino home. PEOPLE. We recognize that our people, the Alaska Team Members, are on of our most important assets and we are committed to promote their safety and welfare. Their wealth of experience, ideas, dedication and strong work ethic lay the foundation for the Companys continued success. It is our goal as much as it is theirs, to pursue and reach their full potentials through continuing education, training, and skills-enhancement programs. We challenge each individualby providing the opportunity to contribute to the Companys endeavors. PROFITABLE GROWTH. Growth that creates value for our shareholders is paramount. We will deploy our resources on investment opportunities that are within our core competence and yield excellent returns relative to its risks and which are consistent with our growth objectives. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY We recognize our role in nation building by promoting the protection of the environment and taking part in various community-building projects that help enhance and uplift the quality of life of the underprivileged and the marginalizedsectors of our society. Original Mission Product and Services Yes. We will develop new products and identify market opportunities, mindful of our task to be responsive to the ever changing and growing needs of our consumers. Quality Yes We are committed to deliver high quality milk and other consumer food products from production to consumption. We will respond to the call to deliver higher quality nutrition to every Filipino home. Market No Concern for survival and profitability Yes We will deploy our resources on investment opportunities that are within our core competence and yield excellent returns relative to its risks and which are consistent with our growth objectives. Technology Yes We aim to provide our partners in trade the best and most efficient service, making use of leading edge technology to ensure timely product availability and accessibility. Philosophy No Self Concept No Concern for Public Image Yes We recognize our role in nation building by promoting the protection of the environment and taking part in various community-building projects that help enhance and uplift the quality of life of the underprivileged and the marginalizedsectors of our society. Concern for Employee Yes. We recognize that our people, the Alaska Team Members, are on of our most important assets and we are committed to promote their safety and welfare. Revised Vision Is to be a leading and the number one dairy consumer foods company in the Philippines both Luzon,Visayas and Mindanao regions with a distinct and well known various consumer food brands and products that are market leaders and highest profit earners in their respective categories, Revised Mission Product and Services Yes We will develop new products and identify market opportunities, mindful of our task to be responsive to the ever changing and growing needs of our consumers. Quality Yes We are committed to deliver high quality milk and other consumer food products from production to consumption. We will respond to the call to deliver higher quality nutrition to every Filipino home. Market Yes We are committed in building a brige connecting all Filipinoes who are not just living in Luzon but also Filipinoes who are living in Visayas and Mindanao and targeting all economic classes in the Philippines such as the upper,middle and lower classes by providing new a product with quality and affortability. Concern for survival and profitability Yes. We will deploy our resources on investment opportunities that are within our core competence and yield excellent returns relative to its risks and which are consistent with our growth objectives. Technology Yes We aim to provide our partners in trade the best and most efficient service, making use of leading edge technology to ensure timely product availability and accessibility. Philosophy Yes We provide consumers with our products a choice to make their bodies to be more healthier and fit. Have a healty lifestyle and to live longer so that they can enjoy their fruitful years in their existence. Self Concept Yes We recognize that the company for so many years our company touches the hearts of all Filipinoes and with that we are one of the top supplier of consumer products in the Philippines. So we believe we provide provide products that has quality and affortability Concern for Public Image Yes We recognize our role in nation building by promoting the protection of the environment and taking part in various community-building projects that help enhance and uplift the quality of life of the underprivileged and the marginalizedsectors of our society. Concern for Employee Yes We recognize that our people, the Alaska Team Members, are on of our most important assets and we are committed to promote their safety and welfare. New Mission and Vission Vision Is to be a leading and the number one dairy consumer foods company in the Philippines both Luzon,Visayas and Mindanao regions with a distinct and well known various consumer food brands and products that are market leaders and highest profit earners in their respective categories, Mission Product and Services Yes. We will continue to build on the strengths and competitive attributes of the ALASKA brand and develop its full marketing potential. We will develop new products and identify market opportunities, mindful of our task to be responsive to the ever changing and growing needs of our consumers. Quality Yes Ultimately, the consumer whom we serve and their level of satisfaction with our products become our final judge and jury. We are committed to deliver high quality milk and other consumer food products from production to consumption. We will respond to the call to deliver higher quality nutrition to every Filipino home. Market Yes We are committed in building a brige connecting all Filipinoes who are not just living in Luzon but also Filipinoes who are living in Visayas and Mindanao and targeting all economic classes in the Philippines such as the upper,middle and lower classes by providing new a product with quality and affortability. Concern for survival and profitability Yes Growth that creates value for our shareholders is paramount. We will deploy our resources on investment opportunities that are within our core competence and yield excellent returns relative to its risks and which are consistent with our growth objectives. Technology Yes Customer relationship is an integral part of building the Alaska business. We aim to provide our partners in trade the best and most efficient service, making use of leading edge technology to ensure timely product availability and accessibility. We strive to know and understand our customers fully to bridge the gap between what they need and what we can give. Philosophy Yes We provide consumers with our products a choice to make their bodies to be more healthier and fit. Have a healty lifestyle and to live longer so that they can enjoy their fruitful years in their existence. Self Concept Yes We recognize that the company for so many years our company touches the hearts of all Filipinoes and with that we are one of the top supplier of consumer products in the Philippines. So we believe we provide provide products that has quality and affortability Concern for Public Image Yes We recognize our role in nation building by promoting the protection of the environment and taking part in various community-building projects that help enhance and uplift the quality of life of the underprivileged and the marginalizedsectors of our society. Concern for Employee Yes We recognize that our people, the Alaska Team Members, are on of our most important assets and we are committed to promote their safety and welfare. Their wealth of experience, ideas, dedication and strong work ethic lay the foundation for the Companys continued success. It is our goal as much as it is theirs, to pursue and reach their full potentials through continuing education, training, and skills-enhancement programs. We challenge each individualby providing the opportunity to contribute to the Companys endeavors. Chapter 1 Introduction. Alaska Milk products were first manufactured in the Philippines in 1972 through Holland Milk Products, Inc. (HOMPI), a partnership between AMCs former parent company, General Milling Corporation (GMC), an industrial foods company with interests in flour, feed and soy bean milling, and a Dutch dairy company, Holland Canned Milk International B. V. HOMPI initially manufactured liquid canned filled milk products, (evaporated and sweetened condensed milk) and eventually expanded to manufacture powdered filled milk and UHT milk products division up until AMCs spin-off and incorporation as a separate and independent corporate entity in 1994. It was also a time when the company embarked on a major expansion program which prompted the company to tap the capital markets through an initial public offering (IPO) to raise funds for the capacity expansion of its powdered milk facilities. Alaska Milk shares were listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange in 1995. Post-IPO, GMC held 66% of AMC while 34% was left in free float to the public. In mid-1997, however, GMC transfered its 66% ownership in AMC to individual shareholders of GMC through a property dividend, thus fully divesting its interest in AMC and enabling management to consolidate and focus its efforts in pursuing AMCs interests in the consumer foods industry. Currently, management and strategic partner Campina Melkunie hold 56% while 44% is in public free float. For over thirty years, AMC has emerged as one of only two major players in the Philippine milk industry, consistently maintaining brand leadership in the liquid canned milk category and holding a strong and growing position in powdered milk. It has also expanded into higher value-added milk products, particularly in UHT/Ready-to-Drink milk category. Apart from growing its core businesses, AMC endeavors to diversity and explore opportunities in related consumer products with global food companies that will complement AMCs existing revenue base. In 1972, Alaska began caring for the Filipino family by providing quality milk products for good nutrition and health. Since then, it has shown its caring in other ways: through programs that promote sports development, campaigns that foster good values among children and product innovations aimed at enhancing the Filipinos health and welfare. It is this commitment to the Filipino that has made Alaska a leading brand. In 1996, the mission of caring for the Filipino and bringing nutrition to each home grows stronger than ever, as Alaska looks forward to the next 25 years. Board of Directors Our board of directors have successful careers in businese, academe and public service. Research Design Data that will be used for the company analysis will be gathered from the websites of Alaska Milk Company, documents and other papers will be get from a connection working inside the company and other government agencies such Securities of Exchange Commisions and National Statistics Office. These government offices have the relevant informations for the paper to progess To assess Alaskas performance relative to its competitors, audited financial reports for 2010 and 2011 will be obtained from Alaska Milk Company as well as its key competitors from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Aside from getting and providing financial data, the published annual reports in general circulations such as newspaper will also serves as a good source of internal and competitor information. Statements from the corporate website of Alaska and its competitors will be used to determine recent developments, marketing activities and other internal and competitor information. To be able to benchmark the pricing of the company relative to its competitors, various. Scope and Limitation. This paper will be limited to Alask Milk Coporation dairy food ventures in the Philippines. This paper intends to create a product which has a high demand in the food market and making a dairy product that will be competing to an exisiting market. The paper will focus on how can the company attract consumers to buy, earn profit and compete in the Philippine food consumer market in providing a new product such as a milk tea powder and making an exsisting dairy product such as white cheese product. The paper will only concentrate to the introduced new business product such as the caramel milk tea powder and white cheese productions of Alaska Milk Company. Its other products will not be tackled in this paper. Due to the timing of the submission of this paper, only the 2011 Annual report will be used. The strategies recommended in this paper will affect the financials of the company in 2012 up to 2016. Major Assumptions * Alaska Milk Company will be the first food consumer company to produce caramel milk tea powder drink all over the Philippines. * Alaska Milk Company will be the first food consumer company to sell milk tea products in a low a price compare to its competitors. * Alaska Milk Company will be the first food consumer company to commercial and sell low priced nutrious white cheese products. * Alaska Milk Company White cheese product will be the number one cheese product in the Philipppines taking the place of other cheese product competitors. * The percentage income of Alaska Milk Company will increase due to high demand of its new product III. External Analysis.