A Soft Drink Tax According to John Stuart Mill Essay

The Coca-Cola brand has built itself into a staple of American culture. This is a terrifying thought for public health advocates who see Coke and other soft drinks as being major culprits behind a growing national health crisis. Empirical evidence shows that over-consumption of soft drinks clearly causes harm to the individuals who consume them, however, the waging battle over soda legislation will not be won on the grounds of health alone. The argument that Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and other soft drink firms present is deeply rooted in American values and cannot easily be trumped. What they argue for is freedom of choice. In his book On Liberty, John Stuart Mill states, â€Å"over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign† (9). If an individual chooses that he wants to drink soda pop, he should be allowed a high degree of liberty to make that decision. Such is the foundation of a soft drink firm’s purported right to exist. If consumers demand it, Coca-Cola executives will get as red in the face as their soda cans stating that they play an innocent and vital role in fulfilling that demand. One method through which public health advocates wish to regulate soft drinks is in the implementation of a soda tax. Advocates for such a tax may argue that individuals who harm themselves by overindulging in soda should be limited in their consumption. Since supply and demand are sensitive to market conditions, a tax would undoubtedly lower the quantity of soda demanded, particularly in low-income families where obesity and diabetes are most common. Mill claims that â€Å"to tax stimulants for the sole purpose of making them more difficult to be obtained is a measure differing only in degree from their entire prohibition, and would be justifiable only if that were justifiable. Every increase of cost is a prohibition to those whose means do not come up to the augmented price; and to those who do, it is a penalty laid on them for gratifying a particular taste† (99). Soft drink firms would cite Mill here in their argument that individuals’ â€Å"choice of pleasures and their mode of expending their income, after satisfying their legal and moral obligations to the State and to the individuals, are their own concern and must rest with their own judgment† (99). While Mill’s line of reasoning would appear to speak against a soft drink tax, he goes on to remind us that â€Å"taxation for fiscal purposes is absolutely inevitable†¦ It is hence the duty of the State to consider, in the imposition of taxes, what commodities the consumers can best spare†¦ [and] to select in preference those of which it deems the use, beyond a very moderate quantity, to be positively injurious† (100). Being that over-consumption of soda pop is certainly injurious to the consumer, and especially in light of the current economic downturn in this country, Mill would approve of a soft drink tax as an effective means through which to produce revenue for the State. While a tax on soft drinks would be permissible by Mill’s standards, some proponents of soft drink legislation would go so far as to ban their sale altogether. However, even if the vast majority of the public were motivated to impose such a ban, Mill would hesitate to condone such a severe form of coercion. The basis for Mill’s harm principle is that â€Å"the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any members of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others† (9). Although soft drink firms have a clear interest in â€Å"promoting intemperance† (99) in order to generate profit, those firms will argue fervently that the consumption of soda is not such a great evil that the State would be justified in â€Å"imposing restrictions and requiring guarantees which†¦ would be infringements of legitimate liberty† (99). Therefore, in order to present a stronger argument for a ban on soft drinks, advocates would do well to prove that in drinking soda pop, individuals cause harm not only to themselves, but also to others. To consume soft drinks to the point of excess can lead to the deterioration of an individual’s health. This may appear to be a self-regarding action until one considers the cost such individuals impose on taxpayers. Citizens whose unhealthy lifestyles regularly land them in the hospital eat up government health care, at which point their actions cease to be self-regarding and become harmful to society at large. With this in mind, are we still to protect individuals’ liberty to drink soda pop? Soft drink firms may point to Mill in arguing that the accountability for such harm lies not with soda, but with the society that raises gluttonous individuals. If grown people are incapable of properly taking care of themselves, society must consider that it â€Å"has had absolute power over them during all the early portion of their existence; it has had the whole period of childhood and nonage in which to try whether it could make them capable of rational conduct in life† (80). It is on this point that we must consider the role that mass media plays in the world today. The pervasiveness of corporate advertising in the U. S. manipulates children’s impressionable faculties of reason, subverting the ability of even responsible parents and educators to impart rational consumption habits on their young ones. Mill writes that he could not see how people could witness an act of self-harm and think it â€Å"more salutary than hurtful, since, if it displays the misconduct, it displays also the painful or degrading consequences which, if the conduct is justly censured, must be supposed to be in all or most cases attendant on it† (81). This argument is undermined by the fallacy of soft drink advertising, which positively portrays the act of drinking soda without showing the adverse long-term effects of its consumption. When a world-class athlete endorses soda pop, susceptible consumers, particularly children, are inclined to associate soft drinks with scoring goals and dunking basketballs rather than with cancer and heart disease. In arguing against the proliferation of soft drinks, one should appeal to a fundamental component of Mill’s doctrine, which states that his harm principle does not apply to â€Å"children or of young persons below the age which the law may fix as that of manhood or womanhood. Those who are still in a state to require being taken care of by others must be protected against their own actions as well as against external injury† (9). In other words; children do not have the maturity to make rational, informed decisions that lead to actions that could potentially cause them harm, for instance, the act of guzzling down a 99 cent Coke. The American Beverage Association would echo John Stuart Mill in saying that â€Å"human beings owe to each other help to distinguish the better from the worse, and encouragement to choose the former and avoid the latter† (74). It is their argument that parents and educators, not government, are responsible for dissuading children to consume soft drinks. Indeed, parents and educators can form a partnership in banning the sale of soft drinks in schools, but it is beyond their power to prevent a non-responsible child from seeing a deviously enticing soda ad on TV and irrationally choosing to spend his or her allowance on soda pop. Therefore, the State would be justified in regulating children’s access to soft drinks by legally coercing soft drink firms to discontinue their advertisements geared toward children, as well as by imposing a minimum age requirement for the purchasing of soft drinks.

1831, by Louis P. Masur Essay

This book was written by Masur Louis   P. who described 1831 as the year of the eclipse that had so many omens that stated that the American society was completely changed. Every aspect of life including the political, social, economic and cultural all underwent a metamorphosis that brought about change. In that year, foreigners visited America and they described it as a year where there was a possibility of a civil war occurring in America due to the many negative things that were happening then. An English visitor Frances Trollope felt very disappointed with how America had gone about to deal with slavery and he even criticized the vehement expressions of insane and hypocritical zeal as it was preached by the preachers. The writer states that most of the visitors had no intentions of talking about the institution of slavery, but they could not turn a blind eye to it and their writings helped to create controversy on slavery in America and therefore putting pressure to allow the issue to be addressed (Louis 2008).   Some of the visitors who helped to shape the institution of slavery included: Henry Tudor, Thomas Hamilton, James Boardman and Ales de Tocqueville. The issues that have been described in this book are based on four thematic chapters; slaverly and its abolition, religion and politics, state and nation and finally, the issue of changing technology with the use of machines and nature (Louis 2008). In the same year, there was a lot of violence and rebellions over slavery, tariffs and religious revivalism over the nation. He talks of a revolution that was led by Nat Turner who he describes like a very intelligent, charismatic and religious leader. He rebelled against slavery and the authorities even hunted him for questioning where he confessed about having taken place and led the rebellion. His actions brought a lot of attention towards America and it was at this point it was concluded that the slaves were not loyal and content, that slavery was not benign as it was thought to be and that trying to control the population through terror groups was not the way out. The outspoken nature of Nat Turner inspired many of the abolitionists who made calls for emancipation of slaves. There were unresolved tensions between the states and the nation’s rights, competing passion for religion and politics. The debate on the emancipation of slaves has also been described where the people from the north expected it to be a slow and gradual process, but the people from the south saw it as a necessary evil. Masur P.L stated that the way to deal with the problem was to set up a colony in West Africa as they believed that the Africa Americas were helpless and hopeless people who could not be able to rise above their conditions and state of living. It was described as the year when the Southern oligarchy quit the possibility of doing away with slavery and William Garrison demanded that there would be abolition of some peculiar institutions. His newspaper, the liberator, was meant to make people see the evils of the day which by then they did not see. The nullification crisis and the Indian removal act further made the sectional differences and with the changes in technology it made dramatic changes in America’s relationship with the land. The author describes the American people as people who were in love with technology and therefore referred to them as the locomotive people (Louis 2008).   The introduction of steamboats, railroads and the mechanized reapers made people very rich because of the profits that were being made. The author also describes the protestant missionaries as the people who worked on behalf of the Cherokees. They held a large numbers of slaves yet thirty years later they were barely mentioned and the Cherokees fought on the side of the confederacy supporting the very people who had thrown them out of their ancestral land and nobody dared to raise their voice against it. Policies that were made by Andrew Jackson against the Cherokee erase the last hopes of seeing the India as being autonomous. It was thought that religion would hold the nation together and help to counter their forces of disunity caused by the vast and large territory occupied, the numerous and the very increasing high population, the diversity of the local interests ,the power of selfishness and the feeling of sensational jealousy and hate had   prevailed amongst the people of America.   The religious revivalism that swept the country inspired the working class to agitate. It gave an insight in the idea of enthusiasms for religion as it was with even the tent meetings that were supposedly supposed to bring about reform of the individual together with the reform of the society at large. It also indicates the surprising rise of political movements such as the anti –masons which was America’s third party that invented the presidential nominating convention. The Andrew administration threatened to unravel and dissent the economic future of the country (Louis 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, the author not only writes about the negative issues that affected America but he also has intellectual pleasure that helps to savor the hypocrisies of the day by stating that although the Turners revolt saw many white many people maimed and killed, at least they were happy because women were never raped. He goes on to say that they finally saw the need to keep in control the terror gangs and groups and began to give a doctrine that slavery was indeed benign and that the enslaved were loyal, content and more satisfied than it was previously believed. As much as people from the north and those from the south were outraged by William Garrison’s radical newspaper, their opposition against it only helped to popularize and circulate the paper which has today become one of the largest selling papers today. For the people from South Carolina, they took pride in the doctrine of nullification as it meant that they could resist the federal Government to interfere with slavery. References Louis, Masur P. 1831: Year of Eclipse .United States: Barnes and noble.com lnc, 2008.   

A Study on How Alzheimer’s disease connects To the Human Immune System

A Study on How Alzheimer’s disease connects To the Human Immune System The immune system is the bodies strongest defense against serious illnesses, yet it cannot prevent every serious issue. Even the healthiest of individuals can contract a serious or even fatal non-communicable condition such as cancer and fibromyalgia just to name a few. The immune system is extremely complex in how it operates and defends the body from disease. In recent news, â€Å"fresh evidence that the bodys immune system interacts directly with the brain could lead to a new understanding of diseases from multiple sclerosis to Alzheimers.† If a link between the immune system and a mental degeneration issue can be found, then the possibility of discovering a cure for Alzheimer’s is more feasible than anticipated. The research behind this link is still relatively new, and tests are still being conducted to come to a further conclusion on how the Alzheimer’s condition can be silenced through the immune system. Studies of the brain have established quite a few li nks between the immune system and serious medical condition prevention. To expand on that point, â€Å"a study of human and monkey brains found lymphatic vessels — a key part of the bodys immune system — in a membrane that surrounds the brain and nervous system, a team reported Tuesday in the online journal eLife.† Rigorous testing is only the first step towards discovering a cure or treatment for a serious disease. Furthermore, testing animals is an essential aspect of introducing a new treatment option to the world. For instance, â€Å"the new finding bolsters recent evidence in rodents that the brain interacts with the bodys lymphatic system to help fend off diseases and remove waste. Until a few years ago, scientists believed that the brains immune and waste removal systems operated independently.† Even until recently, the understanding of Alzheimer’s has long been shrouded in uncertainty, and there are several more discoveries to be made on be half of the condition. To find a link between Alzheimer’s and the body’s immune system, the Alzheimer’s issue itself requires examination. What is Alzheimer’s? The Alzheimer’s condition is a more advanced form of dementia, a disease that slowly eats away at the tissues of the brain. Dementia in itself is not that harmful of a condition due to its slow progression. However, Alzheimer’s effects the structure of the brain much faster and more aggressively than the more timid forms of dementia. In fact, â€Å"Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimers disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.† A large portion of the dementia community suffers from the Alzheimer’s condition, making this illness an epidemic. Alzheimer’s cannot be caught, yet it is closely associated with genetics and hereditary traits. Alzheimer’s and dementia are considered to be conditions for the elderly, yet early onset dementia or Alzheimer’s is prevalent in North America among several other countries. A recent study revealed that â€Å"the majority of people with Alzheimers are 65 and older. But Alzheimers is not just a disease of old age. Approximately 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease (also known as early-onset Alzheimer’s).† This statistic can come across as startling to the individuals that believe that Alzheimer’s and dementia only attack the elderly and mentally ill. The most frightening aspect of the Alzheimer’s condition spawns from the uncertainty of the condition itself. Many individuals know of Alzheimer’s or have at least heard about the condition, yet this disease is not completely comprehendible. By definition, â€Å"Alzheimers is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimers, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their envir onment.† Since the Alzheimer’s disease destroys the fabric of the mind, the once normal bodily functions of the Alzheimer’s patient have been compromised. With the mind compromised, the body will follow the digressive path of the mental health condition. This will also directly influence the body’s immune system, creating a link between Alzheimer’s and the defense system of the body. What Does the Immune System do? The immune system serves as an armor of sorts, and it defends the body against specific irritations. These irritations include bacteria and any foreign element that the body considered harmful. A normal functioning immune system does its best to eliminate and prevent chronic illness such as multiple sclerosis. To expand on that note, â€Å"the immune system interacts with the brain is fundamental to how multiple sclerosis develops and how we treat multiple sclerosis, Reich says. However, the immune system is unable to prevent the body from contracting more damaging conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. As far as Alzheimer’s and dementia operate, the chemistry and the structural integrity of the brain is compromised. For instance, â€Å"these diseases occur as certain toxic waste products accumulate in the brain. And lymphatic vessels appear to be part of the system that usually removes these waste products.† With the brain not operating the way it was des igned, the immune system has almost no chance of defending the body. To elaborate on that point, â€Å"the immune system protects the body like a guardian from harmful influences from the environment and is essential for survival. It is made up of different organs, cells and proteins and aside from the nervous system, it is the most complex system that the human body has.† Each organ works together in order to form a functional body and create a healthy and active human being. The immune system is tangible in the sense of how it can be treated or enhanced. Despite the normal functions of the immune system, a deconstructive mental illness such as Alzheimer’s can destroy the entire body of left untreated. How is the Immune System linked to Alzheimer’s? Since every section of the body is connected through a series of organs and vessels, the immune system plays a major role in how everything in the body is protected. In recent studies, there has been â€Å"some evidence that there are vessels here that are behaving different from blood vessels, Reich says. But we werent sure that they were lymphatic vessels. The blood vessels in the brain are incredibly necessary for the immune system to work as well as it can. Blood provides oxygen to the brain as well as every other organ in the body, only further creating a link between the immune system and serious medical conditions. To put it into perspective, â€Å"without an immune system, a human being would be just as exposed to the harmful influences of pathogens or other substances from the outside environment as to changes harmful to health happening inside of the body.† The brain is perhaps the most important organ in the body besides the heart, which is also controlled by the b rain. Every organ in the body takes its orders from the brain, otherwise known as the control center for the body. The brain is essentially the nucleus for the body, and the Alzheimer’s disease would be considered the enemy to the brains normal operations. Alzheimer’s as a disease is detrimental to the mental state of a once healthy individual. It is widely understood that quality health is a product of a proper and balanced diet, as well as a productive exercise regimen. However, there are exceptions to this basic human principle on a healthy lifestyle. For example, â€Å"illness can occur if the performance of the immune system is compromised, if the pathogen is especially aggressive, or sometimes also if the body is confronted with a pathogen it has not come into contact before.† The immune system attacks almost every foreign entity that enters the body, yet it cannot defend the body against every problem that the body comes in contact with. The research behind how the body reacts to certain substances and diseases is conducted each day. Today, scientists are generating new and innovative ideas to find a link between the immune system and harmful diseases such as Alzheimer’s. For instance, â€Å"scientists inje cted a special dye into the bloodstream, then watched to see where it went. They focused on the dura mater, the outermost membrane that protects the brain and nervous system.† Scientists are currently trying to pin point exactly where the Alzheimer’s disease is developed in the brain. Following the path of the fluids in the brain should serve as an indication of where the actual problem is located. Scientists and researchers found that â€Å"it wasnt clear how these waste products were draining out of the head. Now it appears that at least some of the waste might be exiting through the lymphatic system.† Alzheimer’s appears to be unstoppable in the society of today, yet this is not entirely true. As of right now, there is no cure for the Alzheimer’s dementia condition, but medical science is incredibly close to solving this complication. The Alzheimer’s condition takes so much away from the brain, yet giving up on finding a cure is a memory t hat needs to be erased. As long as an individual is alive, there will always be hope for a cure.

How the Burma Military Became a Reflection of the British Colonial Assignment

How the Burma Military Became a Reflection of the British Colonial Government - Assignment Example After the British government had left Burma, Frustrations due to the inability to come up with clear resolutions of numerous problems that had long been standing were clearly manifested in outbreaks of army post-independence. Due to this, the military of Burma engaged itself in suppressing several rebellions from ethnic groups since the country’s independence. After a decade of democracy in the country, the military took over following a political crisis. The army seized total control of the nation afterward. Since then the army has been ruling the country through a council of revolution by a decree. The people of Burma were facing similar situations they faced during the British colonial era under the military leadership. The economic collapse of the country, frustration in the political arena, poor leadership from the military and poor education state drove anger and bad attitude thereby leading to Burma uprising. Following the period of post-colonialism in Burma, the political crisis drove the military to take over the countries leadership. Burma has been under military leadership for a very long time. The military has been unwilling to recognize any traditional minority religious rights. Its agenda was to have a united Buddhist country that has one culture and language. This policy reduced the autonomy of the ethnic groups. In addition, several people were put in detention for trying to spearhead Burmanisation including Aung Su Kyi. The detention without trial was used as a tool to silence the opposition leaders and ultimately the public for any thought of an uprising-taking place. In addition, the military has been responding harshly to crash out the juntas but not focusing to any of their political demands.  Ã‚  

Unit 2 LS311 Torts and Cyber Torts-CASE STUDY Essay

Unit 2 LS311 Torts and Cyber Torts-CASE STUDY - Essay Example The position held in the NCR Corp v Korala associates Ltd 2007 06-3685 (6th Cir.), where the court stated that the provisions of the arbitration clause are binding in claims relating to the contract. Where the claim has a connection to the contract, the resolution of the dispute facilitated through arbitration (Miller & Jentz 2009). On the other hand, where the claims are not within the contractual terms, the arbitration clause does not bind. Regardless of the nature of the claim, it is only binding if the court must reference the contract in its resolution. The court looked into whether the parties agreed to arbitrate on such claims in order for the arbitration clause to be binding. The outcome in Baker v Osborne, therefore, would provide for the parties to arbitrate on the claims. The arbitration clause in the contract provides for arbitration between the parties concerning any issues arising concerning the contract, the scope of the clause covers the current claim and, therefore, the new owners bound by the arbitration clause, and they should not sue the

House Cats Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

House Cats Assignment - Essay Example It is true that training house cats can be a tough task however; house cats are best taken care of with time and patience. Positive reinforcement, love and affection are the best ways to help the house cat understand an individual. Pet cats often tend to misbehave with their owners if they are scolded or beaten up by them; they are like adolescent children that want to stay in their own element and not be disturbed by anything from the external environment. The first step involves helping the cat understand its name. Cats are often slowed down by distractions and get confused by too many objects in the vicinity. Thus, it is imperative to train the cat, with the help of treats, in order to help it recognize itself by its name. Furthermore, it has been found out what cats respond better to their owners when they show hints of joy or excitement in their voices. If a cat is spoken to gloomily, then it will cease to reply or be excited too. It is very important to train cats in a manner t hat they learn how to move around with the help of leashes or harnesses because then it becomes easy for the owners to travel with them and take them to different places. Cats are very agile and have very flexible bodies and thus they show resistance when being taught to move with a leash or a harness in the first place. However, they should not be restrained in a single place and should be given treats as and when they behave well with the leash. Cats need to be praised as and when they are placed in the harness in order to help them understand that they are doing a good job and will be rewarded well for their conduct. The cat should understand then that it is a good thing and pleases the owner when he stays inside the crate or the harness assigned to him instead of resisting it from time to time. This will help to discipline the cat and the method has usually worked better on cats as compared to dogs, which are nifty and frisky in nature. Cats are adorable creatures that usually k eep themselves busy no matter what time of the day it may be, or who may be around to play with them. Unlike dogs, they are easier to keep because they do not whine or become difficult when the owners are not around. Dogs on the other hand, require a great amount of attention and even while playing, they like to often play with the owners rather than by themselves. Thus, cats can be occupied with simple objects like bits of string and balls of wool from around the house. They like playing with objects like paper bags and small balls of foil and the best part about these items are that they can be found in and around the house itself. The owner need not spend time and money by looking for expensive toys for his or her cat, which the cat might eventually chew and tear up. Dogs on the other hand are difficult as they only play with balls or proper chewable toys, just like infants and toddlers. In conclusion, cats are adorable creatures that are immense fun to be around; they are not ve ry high maintenance as compared to dogs and thus make better house pets. Cats may be left alone or cuddled with and will remain loyal to the owners throughout their lives. They require love and attention however display a sense of understanding with their owners, better than any other domesticated animals. Therefore, people prefer owning house cats as pets because of these qualities that they possess, and the ease with which they may be handled and kept. Cats like exercising on their own and are not even as dirty as

Wireless Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wireless - Essay Example On the go transmission and communication has been made possible through the wireless technology. Highways, mountains, rural parts, deserts, airways, all have been able to communicate and enable communication with the static part of the world through the wireless system networks. Another advantage of wireless system is its support, ranging from small scale setup to medium and larger scale networks. All these come in the form of WAN,MAN and LAN technology systems. None of these would be possible without the wireless communication presence. The concept of wi fi and elimination on reliance over the wired systems and modems has been made possible through the wireless systems. The wireless systems have enabled the establishment of ad hoc networks. Ad hoc network is established on temporary basis which may not need the extensive establishment of the support system with regard to all the other essential components that are otherwise required in a wired interface. While the wireless network provides an array of advantages and support functions, it has the negative side to it as well. The fact that noise and attenuation is part of any other wireless network makes up for the negative aspect of this system (J.S.Chitode, 2008, 15). The long distance communication is subject to distortion and would require installation of repeaters and amplifiers in order to enhance the quality of the signal and data that is being sent across the medium. The possibility of hacking and breaking into the system is more likely in the wireless system network as compared to the wired systems. The frequency crossing and interference is an associated concept which may come along as a gift of the wireless medium system. The remedies against the aforementioned negatives and weaknesses of the wireless network can be overcome through the installation of the firewalls, allowing larger spectrums to operate in and beefing up security measures such as a

Genetic and Non-genetic diseases of the liver Research Paper - 1

Genetic and Non-genetic diseases of the liver - Research Paper Example It is because of this that approximately 2 million Americans suffer from alcoholic liver disease (Bouneva et al 2003). Alcoholic liver disease is associated with a constellation of three conditions affecting the liver which include steatosis of the liver (which is commonly referred to as fatty liver), alcohol associated hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Steatosis of the liver is the initial stage which occurs with the formation of droplets of fat in the cells of the liver which leads to enlargement of the liver and gives it a yellow and oily appearance. At this point all the changes of the liver can be reversed and the liver can acquire its normal histological state if the alcohol consumption is stopped. This is followed by the next stage which is the hepatitis of the liver due to alcohol. This is mainly the inflammation of the liver cells. The cells of the liver become swollen followed by the loss of the normal function of the cells. This is accompanied with Mallory bodies as well as the influx of neutrophils in the liver cells and finally it leads to increased fibrosis. The inflammation of the liver can be resolved by stopping the alcohol consumption but it may take an extended period of time. If the disease progresses further it results in the final stage which is known as cirrhosis of the liver which is a condition that cannot be reversed (Walsh et al 1999, Kumar et al 2005, Bouneva et al 2003). There are many risk factors of this pathology which increase the susceptibility of developing this condition. There first risk factor is the amount of alcohol consumed. Increased consumption increases the risk of the disease. The kind of alcohol that a person drinks is also associated with the extent of damage and it is seen that beers are more dangerous for the liver than wine. Malnourished individuals, females, people with deficiency of vitamin E as well as African Americans and Hispanics are at increased risk of developing alcoholic liver

Comparative Media system paper in Latin America and the Caribbean Term

Comparative Media system in Latin America and the Caribbean - Term Paper Example The filmmakers spent at least several months filming Hugo Chavez, his close staff, as well as conducting interviews with Venezuelan citizens. With the coup unfolding, the filmmakers captured footage on the capital’s streets, filming protesters and the increasing violence. The film/documentary’s neutrality has been variously disputed as it painted only Chavez in a positive light, particularly focusing its attention on framing the 11th to 13th of April violence, timeline editing, and omission of personnel and incidents (Stoneman 840). Cited either as a misrepresentation or an accurate portrayal of the coup’s events, the film contends that private media selectively used the footage to create an impression that the violence was, as a result, of uncivilized and irrational mobs of Chavez supporters. Private media, especially television, repeatedly portrayed supporters of Hugo Chavez shooting into the Baralt Avenue from the Puente Llaguno Bridge, which was occupied by m archers from the opposition (Couret 504). The film contends that footage from this scene was edited to focus on the gunmen, whereas avoiding the people next to them who were trying to cover themselves from being shot. The film goes on to show the images that were shot from the said bridge, which showed that Baralt Avenue was empty and that there was no march by the opposition on this route. It also showed that those Hugo Chavez supporters were returning fire after being shot at. While it has been charged that this editing in the film was acting as a misrepresentation, especially that the film/documentary makes no mention of the fact that there was shooting at both sets of protesters, the filmmakers were quick to say that the film did not claim that only supporters of the president were fired upon. There have also been assertions that the footage showed in the film showing the empty Baralt Avenue was shot earlier (Couret 505). It has also been claimed that the street below was not as empty as the film wanted to portray. However, the filmmakers reaffirmed their there were no opposition marches below the bridge at Puente Llaguno with reports from eyewitnesses. The filmmakers, O’Brien and Bartley, were present for the entire period of the coup attempt and in their film/documentary; the filmmakers show the audience the immense power that is held by the mass media, especially the television, in the arena of modern politics (Couret 506). Hugo Chavez, as president of Venezuela, ensured that every television station was, at liberty, to broadcast any message that they so wanted; although, he went on to use the television station under state control for a question and answer session that involved him each week. This was meant to show that Hugo Chavez was a man of the people. This sought to counter the privately owned media that was against him by giving him a platform to communicate with his people. Following the coup attempt, the stations that were anti-Chavez sh owed repeatedly footage of demonstrations that were meant to give the impression that Chavez supporters were attacking Chavez supporters (Schiller 483). What the film illustrates is that the supporters of President Chavez were, in fact, under attack from snipers and were simply being forced to protect themselves by firing back. The news media, especiall

Canon Versus Epson Essay Example for Free

Canon Versus Epson Essay On the occasion of the launch of the New Occasional Observer issue of June / July 2006 entitled Empire of High-tech, two press advertisements have been selected. These advertisements are meant for multifunction scanners, of Epson and Canon. These two ads have caught the attention to study them sequentially by means of quantitative and qualitative studies to analyze their strengths and weaknesses before proposing a new advertisement as to which one has been the least attractive from the readers perspective. Canon and Epson are both international benchmarks for all aspects of imaging. Canon began in 1930 with cameras and then moved on to printers and scanners and Epson has released the first printers to extend its expertise in the field of cameras. Canon puts more emphasis on the art of the image, which is perfected by quality tools (the site offers to download pictures of fashion as an advertisement for appliances). Everyone is free to exercise their creativity in the best conditions. As for the Epson, it emphasized its professionalism and reliability. Both are assured by technical expertise and the proven quality of its products allows everyone to get the best results. The two products are multifunction printer and scanner, which, by their functions and attributes, make them easily comparable. They seem to meet the same needs. They can print photos without the need of a computer. The prints are fast and are of high quality (comparable to that of laboratories). They have an integrated high-resolution scanner of 1200 times 2400 dpi and a screen for viewing prints. However, it is observed that the advertising targets and objectives are different. This is related in part to the image and strategy of each company. After analyzing the two advertisements, it is noted that the targets and objectives are consistent with the advertising strategies of each brand. So what is the best advertising strategy designed to best meet the instructions of the copy strategies? The Canon company is launch the new printer-scanner Canon Pixma MP450, which provides quick and easy high-quality prints. The launch of the new printer-scanner from Epson Stylus Photo RX520 is for family use which provides an easy and attractive price of printing high quality photos. Although consumers have become accustomed to using digital cameras to store their photos on memory cards and use the software to edit their photos, they are still reluctant to print them out themselves for fear of not getting a satisfactory print quality or if it costs them more expensive than in a lab photos. Both the companies need to gain the trust of the consumers by proving that the picture quality of a printer-scanner is comparable to a photo lab. This is to reassure consumers about the quality of photos that are developed them. The companies need to provide the consumer with a desire to buy a technical product for use that is related to leisure or looking for creative pleasure and is also considered a priority. The purpose of advertising will be to combine the performance of a product in both design, aesthetic that recalls the famous image relatively in the background and technique. SWOT Analysis of Canon SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, and is an important tool often used to highlight where a business or organisation is, and where it could be in the future. It looks at internal factors, the strengths and weaknesses of a business, and external factors, the opportunities and threats facing the business. The process can give you on overview of where the business, and the environment it operates in, is strategically. This is an important, yet to simple to understand, tool used by many students, businesses and organisations for analysis. The following SWOT analysis looks at Canon which is operating in Technology industry. The analysis shows Canons Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The SWOT analysis will give you a clear picture of the business environment Canon is operating in at the present time. Strengths: The strengths of a business or organisation are positive elements, something they do well and is under their control. The strengths of a company or group and value to it, and can be what gives it the edge in some areas over the competitors. The following section will outline main strengths of Canon . †¢ Having alliances with other strong and popular businesses is a major plus point for Canon as it helps bring in new customers and make business more effective. †¢ Being a market leader, as Canon is, is key to their success as it boosts reputation, profit and market share. †¢ Riding high in the niche market in Technology industry has helped boost Canon and raised reputation and turnover. †¢ Keeping costs lower than their competitors and keeping the cost advantages helps Canon pass on some of the benefits to consumers. †¢ The services/products offered by Canon are original, meaning many people will return to Canon to obtain them. †¢ Canon’s marketing strategy has proved to be effective, helping to raise profiles and profits and standing out as a major strength.

SWOT Analysis of HSBC Bank

SWOT Analysis of HSBC Bank Task 1 HSBC is known as one of the largest banking and financial services organization in the world. . It has established businesses in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. In 1991, HSBC holdings were incorporated in England, with its head office based in London. In 1999, the company established its international brand name, which ensured that the Groups corporate symbol became a familiar sight all across the world. HSBC differentiates its brand name from those of its competitors by describing the unique characteristics which distinguish HSBC, namely being, The worlds local bank. As at 31st December 2004, its total asset was valued at 660 billion. It has over 9,500 offices worldwide. It employs over 253, 000 people, across different countries and territories. Its shares are held by around 200,000 people in some 100 countries and territories. The companys shares are also traded on most of the worlds renowned stock exchanges, namely, London, Paris, New Yo rk, and Bermuda stock exchanges respectively. The HSBC group provides a comprehensive range of financial services namely: Personal Financial Services: It has over 100 million personal consumers worldwide (including Consumer Finance customers). It provides a full range of personal finance services, including current and savings accounts, mortgages, insurance, loans, credit cards, pensions, and investment services. It is one of the worlds top ten issuers of credit cards. Consumer Finance: The Companys Finance Corporations consumer finance business ensures point of sale credit to consumers, and lends money and provides related services to meet the financial needs of everyday people. In 2004, it completed the integration of its former household businesses. Commercial Banking: HSBC is a leading provider of financial services to small, medium-sized and middle market enterprises. The group has over two million such customers, including sole proprietors, partnerships, clubs, and associations, incorporated businesses and publicly quoted companies. In the UK, 209 Commercial Centre were launched to provide improved relationship management for higher value small-medium-sized enterprise customers, while in Hong Kong, Business Banking Centres, were expanded to provide a one-stop service. Corporate Investment Banking and Markets: Tailored financial services are provided to corporate and financial clients. Business lines include Global Markets, Corporate and Institutional Banking, Global Transaction Banking, and Global Investment Banking. Global Markets includes foreign exchange, fixed income, derivatives, equities, metals trade, and other trading businesses. Corporate and Institutional Banking covers relationship management and lending activities. Global Transaction Banking includes payment and cash management, trade services, supply chain, securities services, and wholesale banknotes businesses. Global Investment Banking involves investment banking advisory, and investment banking financing activities. Private Banking: HSBC is one of the worlds top private banking businesses, providing financial services to high net worth individual and families in 70 different locations. Task 2 While a business plan describes what your business is and intends to be, a marketing plan focuses onchange.A marketing plan is essential to every business because itdescribes how you plan to attract and retain customers. SWOT Analysis (S)trengths: HSBC group offers a comprehensive range of financial services in Bangladesh. Personal Financial Services:It has over 100 million personal consumers worldwide (including Consumer Finance customers). It provides a full range of personal finance services, including current and savings accounts, mortgages, insurance, loans, credit cards, pensions, and investment services. It is one of the worlds top ten issuers of credit cards. Commercial Banking: HSBC is a leading provider of financial services to small, medium-sized and middle market enterprises. The group has over two million such customers, including sole proprietors, partnerships, clubs, and associations, incorporated businesses and publicly quoted companies. In the UK, 209 Commercial Centre were launched to provide improved relationship management for higher value small-medium-sized enterprise customers, while in Hong Kong, Business Banking Centres, were expanded to provide a one-stop service. Corporate Investment Banking and Markets: Tailored financial services are provided to corporate and financial clients. Business lines include Global Markets, Corporate and Institutional Banking, Global Transaction Banking, and Global Investment Banking. Global Markets includes foreign exchange, fixed income, derivatives, equities, metals trade, and other trading businesses. Corporate and Institutional Banking covers relationship management and lending activities. Global Transaction Banking includes payment and cash management, trade services, supply chain, securities services, and wholesale banknotes businesses. Global Investment Banking involves investment banking advisory, and investment banking financing activities. Private Banking: HSBC is one of the worlds top private banking businesses, providing financial services to high net worth individual and families in 70 different locations. (W)eaknesses: HSBC in Bangladesh has been affected by the world-wide financial uncertainty and instability. Equally customers both private and business of all financial institutions now have serious concerns and doubts about the security of their own monies and investments. Trust in HSBC and its management is at an all time low and it needs to address this, in order to alleviate customer concerns, build trust again and re-establish banks own brands and market positions. (O)pportunities: HSBC could build renewed customer confidence and this will rebuild and retain their current customers trust. It will also gain customers from other banks and financial organizations who do not target and address these customer concerns. Objectives The aim of HSBC is to rebuild and retain customer trust and re-establish its brand and market position for the future. Marketing Strategy: Towards the end of 2003, HSBC launched Managing for Growth, a strategic plan that provides HSBC with a blueprint for growth and development during the next five years. The strategy is evolutionary, not revolutionary. It builds on HSBCs strengths and it addresses the areas where further improvement is considered both desirable and attainable. HSBC concentrates on growing earnings over the long term at a rate which will place it favourably when compared with its peer group. Also it focuses on investing in its delivery platforms, its technology, its people and its brand to support the future value of HSBC as reflected in its comparative stock market rating and total shareholder return (TSR). HSBC remains committed to benchmarking its performance by comparison with a peer group. Budget: HSBC has to ensure that it has sufficient finance available to rebuild and retain customer trust and re-establish its brand and market position for the future. Task 3 Based on the marketing plan, we can communicate to our target audience in Bangladesh the rebuilding and retaining of customer trust and re-establishment of the HSBC brand and its market position for the future in many ways. We can do advertisement in many ways. Those ways are as follows: Advertisement: We can include the advertisement on the newspaper as the advertisement is relatively long lasting. It is also cheaper that way. We can distribute leaflets to peoples homes through the post. Leaflets are long lasting and it can be distributed to specific customers. We can use the internet as a medium for advertising. We can have our own website, on which we can advertise and tell potential customers about us and our offer. Promotion: We can give discount to the customers. We can reduce the interest rates. We can distribute free samples either nationally or in a local area. In this way prospective customers may be interested. We can produce brochures and catalogues describing our business. This will give the impression of our quality organization. Direct Response Programs: We can introduce the option of credit card that is customers can do shopping by the use of their credit card. We can allow people their bills in our organization that is HSBC. Sponsorship: We can sponsor a cricket tournament like the World Cup in Bangladesh. We can sponsor the cultural events like Pohela Baishakh. We can sponsor the events like Book Fair. Task 4 HSBC is known as one of the largest banking and financial services organization in the world. . It has established businesses in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. In 1991, HSBC holdings were incorporated in England, with its head office based in London. In 1999, the company established its international brand name, which ensured that the Groups corporate symbol became a familiar sight all across the world. HSBC differentiates its brand name from those of its competitors by describing the unique characteristics which distinguish HSBC, namely being, The worlds local bank. As at 31st December 2004, its total asset was valued at ?660 billion. It has over 9,500 offices worldwide. It employs over 253, 000 people, across different countries and territories. Its shares are held by around 200,000 people in some 100 countries and territories. The companys shares are also traded on most of the worlds renowned stock exchanges, namely, London, Paris, New Y ork, and Bermuda stock exchanges respectively. The HSBC group provides a comprehensive range of financial services namely: Personal Financial Services: It has over 100 million personal consumers worldwide (including Consumer Finance customers). It provides a full range of personal finance services, including current and savings accounts, mortgages, insurance, loans, credit cards, pensions, and investment services. It is one of the worlds top ten issuers of credit cards. Consumer Finance: The Companys Finance Corporations consumer finance business ensures point of sale credit to consumers, and lends money and provides related services to meet the financial needs of everyday people. In 2004, it completed the integration of its former household businesses. Commercial Banking: HSBC is a leading provider of financial services to small, medium-sized and middle market enterprises. The group has over two million such customers, including sole proprietors, partnerships, clubs, and associations, incorporated businesses and publicly quoted companies. In the UK, 209 Commercial Centre were launched to provide improved relationship management for higher value small-medium-sized enterprise customers, while in Hong Kong, Business Banking Centres, were expanded to provide a one-stop service. Corporate Investment Banking and Markets: Tailored financial services are provided to corporate and financial clients. Business lines include Global Markets, Corporate and Institutional Banking, Global Transaction Banking, and Global Investment Banking. Global Markets includes foreign exchange, fixed income, derivatives, equities, metals trade, and other trading businesses. Corporate and Institutional Banking covers relationship management and lending activities. Global Transaction Banking includes payment and cash management, trade services, supply chain, securities services, and wholesale banknotes businesses. Global Investment Banking involves investment banking advisory, and investment banking financing activities. Private Banking: HSBC is one of the worlds top private banking businesses, providing financial services to high net worth individual and families in 70 different locations. While a business plan describes what your business is and intends to be, a marketing plan focuses onchange.A marketing plan is essential to every business because itdescribes how you plan to attract and retain customers. SWOT Analysis (S)trengths: HSBC group offers a comprehensive range of financial services in Bangladesh. Personal Financial Services: It has over 100 million personal consumers worldwide (including Consumer Finance customers). It provides a full range of personal finance services, including current and savings accounts, mortgages, insurance, loans, credit cards, pensions, and investment services. It is one of the worlds top ten issuers of credit cards. Commercial Banking: HSBC is a leading provider of financial services to small, medium-sized and middle market enterprises. The group has over two million such customers, including sole proprietors, partnerships, clubs, and associations, incorporated businesses and publicly quoted companies. In the UK, 209 Commercial Centre were launched to provide improved relationship management for higher value small-medium-sized enterprise customers, while in Hong Kong, Business Banking Centres, were expanded to provide a one-stop service. Corporate Investment Banking and Markets: Tailored financial services are provided to corporate and financial clients. Business lines include Global Markets, Corporate and Institutional Banking, Global Transaction Banking, and Global Investment Banking. Global Markets includes foreign exchange, fixed income, derivatives, equities, metals trade, and other trading businesses. Corporate and Institutional Banking covers relationship management and lending activities. Global Transaction Banking includes payment and cash management, trade services, supply chain, securities services, and wholesale banknotes businesses. Global Investment Banking involves investment banking advisory, and investment banking financing activities. Private Banking: HSBC is one of the worlds top private banking businesses, providing financial services to high net worth individual and families in 70 different locations. (W)eaknesses: HSBC in Bangladesh has been affected by the world-wide financial uncertainty and instability. Equally customers both private and business of all financial institutions now have serious concerns and doubts about the security of their own monies and investments. Trust in HSBC and its management is at an all time low and it needs to address this, in order to alleviate customer concerns, build trust again and re-establish banks own brands and market positions. (O)pportunities: HSBC could build renewed customer confidence and this will rebuild and retain their current customers trust. It will also gain customers from other banks and financial organizations who do not target and address these customer concerns. Objectives The aim of HSBC is to rebuild and retain customer trust and re-establish its brand and market position for the future. Marketing Strategy: Towards the end of 2003, HSBC launched Managing for Growth, a strategic plan that provides HSBC with a blueprint for growth and development during the next five years. The strategy is evolutionary, not revolutionary. It builds on HSBCs strengths and it addresses the areas where further improvement is considered both desirable and attainable. HSBC concentrates on growing earnings over the long term at a rate which will place it favourably when compared with its peer group. Also it focuses on investing in its delivery platforms, its technology, its people and its brand to support the future value of HSBC as reflected in its comparative stock market rating and total shareholder return (TSR). HSBC remains committed to benchmarking its performance by comparison with a peer group. Budget: HSBC has to ensure that it has sufficient finance available to rebuild and retain customer trust and re-establish its brand and market position for the future. Based on the marketing plan, we can communicate to our target audience in Bangladesh the rebuilding and retaining of customer trust and re-establishment of the HSBC brand and its market position for the future in many ways. We can do advertisement in many ways. Those ways are as follows: Promotion We can include the advertisement on the newspaper as the advertisement is relatively long lasting. It is also cheaper that way. We can distribute leaflets to peoples homes through the post. Leaflets are long lasting and it can be distributed to specific customers. We can use the internet as a medium for advertising. We can have our own website, on which we can advertise and tell potential customers about us and our offer. Advertisement: We can include the advertisement on the newspaper as the advertisement is relatively long lasting. It is also cheaper that way. We can distribute leaflets to peoples homes through the post. Leaflets are long lasting and it can be distributed to specific customers. We can use the internet as a medium for advertising. We can have our own website, on which we can advertise and tell potential customers about us and our offer. Promotion: We can give discount to the customers. We can reduce the interest rates. We can distribute free samples either nationally or in a local area. In this way prospective customers may be interested. We can produce brochures and catalogues describing our business. This will give the impression of our quality organization. Direct Response Programs: We can introduce the option of credit card that is customers can do shopping by the use of their credit card. We can allow people their bills in our organization that is HSBC. Sponsorship: We can sponsor a cricket tournament like the World Cup in Bangladesh. We can sponsor the cultural events like Pohela Baishakh. We can sponsor the events like Book Fair. References Website http//www.google.com/ Book: Marketing

The Defense of Henry Sweet :: Essays Papers

The Defense of Henry Sweet For this assignment, I found a speech that was given by a famous defense attorney named Clarence Darrow. This speech is his closing remarks to the all-white jury in defense of a black man named Henry Sweet. The trial took place in Detroit, Michigan in May of 1926. Henry Sweet was accused of first-degree murder. I chose this text for my paper because it had more persuasive techniques in it than anything else I came across. Which is to be expected, because after all, the whole purpose of the speech was to persuade the jury. One of the techniques that this speech has an abundance of is the use of purr words. Darrow referred to the jury numerous times as being the â€Å"kindly†, â€Å"decent†, and â€Å"most humane† people of the society. He referred to the jury selection process by saying, â€Å"it took us a week to find you, a week of culling out the prejudice and hatred. Probably we did not cull it all out at that, but we took the best and the fairest that we could find.† The question that immediately came to my mind when I read that was, â€Å"best† and â€Å"fairest† of what/who? There were many instances like these throughout the speech. Darrow also made use of labels in the same way. By saying to the jury that he believed they were fair, just, and unprejudiced, he was trying to program them to overlook the fact that the defendant was black, (which, of course, was a very big deal back then†¦especially to the all-white jury). Darrow said at one point, â€Å"†¦ you know that if white men had been fighting their way against colored men, nobody would have dreamed of prosecution. And that from the beginning of this case to the end†¦ the prosecution is based on race prejudice and nothing else.† He based his whole speech on prejudice (and an argument against it) and the labels that he gave the jury were just one of many ways he did this. Darrow also referred to Henry Sweet as a â€Å"boy† on numerous occasions. Sweet was a grown man, but by labeling him as a boy, it made him seem more innocent and faultless to his audience.

Persevering Literature Essay -- essays research papers

The novel Sense and Sensibility was truly a masterpiece. Written by Jane Austen this ironic love story has captured the heart of readers for years. The popularity of Austen as a novelist can now be experienced through film. This book has been adapted into various screenplays, including one by Emma Thompson. Another version of the film was done by the BBC. Perhaps it is the manner in which it was filmed, the character choices or other aspects of the films that make them so different. Though they are based upon the same novel it is to be sure that the Emma Thompson version will preserve Austen’s talent in the world of film. The Emma Thompson version can be well spoken of in that its greatest strength is its ability to preserve and communicate the subtleties of women's life two centuries ago, of human feelings, of passion and reserve, and of wit and irony which are so essential in Austen's books. The movie is, therefore, a rather profound piece of work, which shows a great deal of devotion to it on the part of those involved in its making. Every detail (scenery, costumes, period "accessories", etc.) is carefully considered and is an integral part of the whole, so one watching it really has the feeling of being carried back to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Though the earlier version done by the BBC is much longer and truer to the novel it is with great pains. The acting is rather stiff as is the di...

Battle Of The Boys :: essays research papers

Battle Of The Boys   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shape of my Heart Or Bye, Bye, Bye? Backstreet Boys or N’Sync? The latest rage is the five Boys that make up a boy band. What most teenagers don’t consider is what makes each group unique. A boy band must be judged on their personal style, their singing, and music and, there is always their performance ability. All of these should be considered when choosing a favorite boy band.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When teen-age girls see the Backstreet Boys on the television they go crazy. When the Backstreet Boys are on TV everyone sees five young men dressed in clothing that most people can not afford. The clothing they wear is preppy and expensive. Companies are always competing to have the Backstreet Boys. LL Bean, Abercrombie and Fitch, Structure and Gap. Now that is just what they wear, when you look at them you can tell who is the more popular guys are. Nick Carter the blond haired blue eyed guy that is considered the hottest guy in the group that most girls fall for. Nick usually wears the more expensive and preppy style of clothing. While Backstreet Boys had Nick and the preppy style of clothing, N’Sync had the more everyday clothing that you see on a lot of people in your every day life. N'Sync has their share of over priced clothing but they wear what they can afford. When you look at N’Sync all of them have good looks but the one that Most girls go for is Justin Timberlake. He has the blond curly hair and the wonderful green eyes. Another thing that makes him so attractive is that he is always willing to help any charity organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neither Backstreet Boys nor N’Sync would be all that popular if it wasn’t for their music abilities. Both bands Sing and produce they’re own music and occasionally a cover song. What make the bands different are the writers of the music. Backstreet Boys are not the best in the category. The Backstreet Boys usually have other people write their music and then the five of them look the music and decide if they want to sing it or not. Occasionally one of the Backstreet Boys will write a song on a CD like on their millennium album Brian form the Backstreet Boys wrote a ballad to his mother called the perfect fan. But on the other hand their big hit I want it that way or shape of my heart was written by one of their writers.

Critical Appraisal of Life Cycle Assessment

Having an understanding of environmental sustainability of the complete life cycle of products and services Is becoming Imperative for organizations so they can comply with environmental standards and to meet the growing public expectation regarding the organization's role in managing their environmental impacts.But this is a complex matter and this essay critically appraises Life Cycle Assessment (LLC) as a tool to provide decision-making support in improving production processes in order to minimizes their environmental Impacts. The definition of LLC, a review of its application In Industry and advantages will be discussed first to form a basis for Its critical evaluation. The usefulness of this tool and Its potential Limitations and weaknesses in terms of applicability, standardization, cost, complexity and requirements of expertise will be considered.As an example, the role of LLC in improving the environmental impact of milk production system will be used. In literature LLC Is d efined as a systematic approach to analyses the environmental burden through the whole life cycle of a specific product or service that In turn helps o reduce that environmental burden by triggering areas of Improvement so that better technologies, product materials and process options can then be adopted (Roy et al. 2009; ISO 1997, AAA; The Finnish Environment Institute, 2010).To critically appraise LLC it is imperative to see its application in a specific sector so milk production Is considered. Milk production Involves live stock, agriculture, dairy farming, dairy packaging and distribution (Household et al. , 2003). These systems are highly inter-related and their combined effect is very complex for the LLC first phase of boundary allocation. Milk is not produced in isolation but production of cheese, court and butter is also uses the similar inventory and production system that make it difficult to identify the system boundaries (Hospice et al. 2003). Multi-product system and d ifficulty of LLC in allocation of system boundaries Is also discussed by Warden et al. (2012) that relates the outcomes of LLC with allocation. In studies, contribute to transportation, packaging waste and CA emissions respectively (Thomas et al. , 2008). Roy et al. (2009) declare LLC as useful tool for various food industries that helps to reduce environmental load by suggesting alternate reduction, processing, packaging, and distribution and consumption patterns.LLC also provides quantitative information that ultimately helps to provide stakeholders with information about company steps that have been practically taken to minimizes the environmental impacts of their production activities (Roy et al. , 2009). However there are various issues like generalization of LLC results, its cost and time intensiveness, the required expertise, difficulties in allocation of system boundaries and lack of standardization in its methodology that are imperative to resolve before adopting this metho dology (Reap et al, 2008).The complex interacting nature of the environment and highly different environmental scenarios in different industries and countries also affect the usefulness of LLC. For example, in a review by Rossi (2004) of the LLC of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic across its lifestyle found that LLC quantitative methodology is highly subjective to data collection which can mislead the outcomes and in toxic chemical determination LLC is cannot provide accurate measurement. This implies that pesticides, antibiotics and detergents should be carefully analyses as part of the farm impacts and should be considered as a ‘hot spot' in milk production (HogwashAide, 2002). Defining functional units is very important and errors can arise due to assigning functional units to multiple functions and when handling non-quantifiable functions (Cooper, 2003). However in milk production functional units are quantifiable but not standardized across various studies so that it is d ifficult to compare different results (Gao, 2012; Hogwash Aide, 2002). Similarly, boundary selection is subjective that could lead to less confidence in comparative studies of LLC (Such et al. , 2004).For example, in milk production if the packaging waste and the production of feed at the arm is ignored, that can generate highly different findings regarding environmental impacts. Omitting social and economic considerations in defining the goal and scope of LLC has also brought criticism that technical improvements cannot remove the need to make socially influenced decisions (Reap et al. , 2008). Therefore the lack of environmental and economic integration in LLC methodology can miss opportunities or limit the influence of LLC in decision making, especially in private sector (Norris, 2001).To conclude, despite the limitations and inability of LLC to incorporate social and economic factors in relation to product life cycle assessment, it is still a useful and highly established and ad opted methodology for the analysis of environmental impacts. However it is difficult to implement LLC in small scale firms due to its cost, time intensive nature and required expertise in executing LLC. Standardization of methodologies and generalization of results is also a natural flaw in this approach due to highly different environmental condition and technological use by organizations.However in milk production, LLC as been very successfully applied in any countries as it allows boundaries to be set and also the selection of functional widely used in the whole dairy industry and results are being used to minimizes the environmental impacts especially when selecting chemicals, packaging, transport and feeding. Finally, it is concluded that there are no other alternative highly established methods of finding a product or services environmental impacts than LLC but economic and social considerations should be involved in this process to make it more useful in improving environment al impacts.

All we need is love

All we need is love Love is a very deep feeling that goes with us in our life. Without love there is no true life and no meaning of life. From the moment we are born we are surrounded with love of our parents and other relatives and we love them back. First we love our mother – the first person we see in our life. You may say that in our babyhood it is an unconscious feeling, it is an instinct, but nevertheless it is true innocent love and affection. As we start sense the world we start feel love to father and other close people.We take and give this love s self-evident and can't even imagine our life without these people. Growing older we experience first love to somebody in kindergarten or at school. It is always pretty to kick at the little children attracted to each other. And it is a wonderful moment to realize that you are in love for the first time. In childhood and also in our adult life we also love our pets – cats, dogs, goldfish, tortoises etc. Our pets can a lways make us kind and happy. Have never understood people who don't love animals, and I am sure that every child should have a puppy or a kitten.Besides, care of domestic animals helps to bring up a conscious, responsible, attentive person. In our mature love we may love some persons, and we are very lucky if there is somebody who loves us back. Sure there can't always be mutual love, and we can't make somebody to love us as we do. But when we feel it, the world seems wonderful. Without a doubt love makes us stronger, happier, and more motivated. We get desire to become better for the person we are in love with, and to make good deeds. Love inspires everybody. Many poets, writers, artists, composers devoted heir works to beloved persons.If there was no love in our life there will be no outstanding works of art known all over the world. Sure it is a hard job to love someone, in spite of his/her imperfections, and the marriage build on love is the strongest. A person who does not lov e cannot be happy. He is usually grumpy, nervous, and strict. He cannot understand those who are experience this feeling. Feel sorry to such people because love is the most beautiful thing that can happen. I wish everyone to feel it, and I hope you and your close people love each other, and this love Will last forever.

Gender †Wage Gap Essay

Within Australia’s workforce history, there has been a strong presence of the gender wage gap between men and women. The differences in wages between men and women still seem to persist in today’s society (Sap 1993). A study by van Wanrooy (2009) suggests that even though there is an increase of women in the labour market, they still have the caring responsibilities, looking to juggle work and family. Throughout the workforce, there is still a significant barrier present which suggests that the ‘male breadwinner’ is still the evident employment model in Australia (van Wanrooy 2009). Women seem to have a people and family first approach to work, while men tend to respect their work life and value money more (Pon and Nyhus 2012).Women’s struggle within the labour market often results from the lack of bargaining power within their chosen occupation and their skills (Preston and Jefferson 2007). Firstly, this essay will discuss the relationship between bargaining power and the current issue of the gender wage gap within Australia. This essay will explore the reasons as to why women struggle to bargain with their employers on the issue of wages and fair working conditions. Secondly, this essay with explore why the difference in personality traits between men and women contribute to the gender wage gap. A striking explanation for the present gender wage gap within the Australian workforce is the lack of bargaining power that women currently hold in their workplaces. Within Australia, women generally work in low paid and low skill occupations. This in turn limits their access to representation and strong bargaining power when it comes to negotiating pay outcomes, particularly in part time jobs (van Wanrooy 2009). As previously stated, women tend to work in low skilled jobs which then disadvantages their bargaining power. Van Wanrooy (2009) states that those people with high skill levels within their occupation are seen to have more confidence and motivation towards bargaining for more desirable pay and work conditions. Furthermore, this  suggests that men have a higher bargaining power over women. This is due to the fact that 46% of women are more likely to be given work in a lower skilled job compared to the low 36% of men that are employed in low skilled jobs (van Wanrooy 2009). This then gives men a greater opportunity to bargain for better wages, while decreasing women’s contingency to narrow the gender wage gap through bargaining power. The segmentation of women into low paid jobs and occupations has clearly limited access to bargaining power, and resulted in women relying on minimum wages distributed through the reward system (van Wanrooy 2009). In a study by Frino and Whitehouse (2003) , it is also seen that with the over representation of women in the award only sector, this clearly disadvantages women in seeking higher bargaining power and doesn’t decrease the persistent gender wage gap. As female workers are more likely to work in industries with 100 employees or less, this jeopardises the chance to gain bargaining power to negotiate wages through union s. This is due to the fact that there is a lower chance of unions to be present in smaller businesses (van Wanrooy 2009). This creates an issue for women as they are the ones that need protection and the bargaining power of the unions. While women in low skilled occupations are less likely to be union members, union membership is almost doubled when it comes to men in the same occupation (van Wanrooy 2009). With women in low qualified jobs, less likely to be union members, this impacts their ability to collaborate with their employers over the issue in the wage gap between genders. Within the labour market, it is demonstrated that because of the difference in personality traits between genders, women are often less rewarded then men (Pon and Nyhus 2011). In the labour rmarket, earnings, employment, promotion and productivity can all be influenced by personality traits (Linz and Semykina 2010). As employees, personality traits determine the amount of effort and productivity brought forward in the workplace, influencing the way they act towards incentives (Pon and Nyhus 2011). According to Pon and Nyhus (2011), women tend to be more cautious and less competitive compared to men. The lack of competitiveness by women can then lead to women staying in a particular job for longer, accepting the lower salary, not wanting to compete for other high paying jobs. As women are found to be the most  agreeable in the workforce compared to men (Pon and Nyhus 2011), this reflects upon women negatively as they are more willing to agree to first offers by employers, most often resulting agreeing to a low paid job. Personality difference and behaviours between men and women could potentially grow to wage differences and could partly explain the gender wage gap (Pon and Nythus 2011). Interesting findings from a study conducted by Hogue, Singleton and Yoder (2007) identified that women are found to hold beliefs about themselves that include having a lower self worth and a depressed entitlement. This is then reflects a lower social status, but when their status is lifted, their wage entitlement also lifts. Whereas men believe that they deserve higher wages even though their abilities and performance may not reflect worthy of a higher wage (Hogue, Singleton and Yoder 2007). On average, women are less emotionally stable compared to their male counterparts, with emotionally stable people predicted to earn more than those that are emotionally unstable (de Jong and Need 2008). This could begin to explain why women are being paid less and why the gender wage gap is still prevalent in today’s society. De Jong and Need (2008) also found within their study that people who class themselves as sociable expect to earn less than those that are more career orientated. On average, women tend to be more sociable then men (de Jong and Need 2008). It is also evident that those who are more intellectual receive higer wages, with men tending to be more intellectual than women (de Jong and Need 2008). These three personality traits that affect a person’s earning and wages could be linked to the gender wage gap as women who are emotionally unstable and more sociable would be less career focused and motivated compared to men in their workplace. In summary, there are many explanations for the current gender wage gap in Australia. This essay has revealed two in depth explanations as to why the gender wage gap still persists. From the use a previous research, this essay has identified those two explanations, the lack of bargaining power of women and the influence of personality traits on income, as accurate explanations of why the gender wage gap is still evident in society today. Each arguments are valid within Australia’s workforce and suggest that further research  should be conducted to identify further trends of the gender wage gap, and possibly enforce new rules and regulations to help combat the gender wage gap and promote equity between male and female employees. REFERNCES Frino, B & Whitehouse, G 2008, ‘Women, wages and Industrial Agreements’, Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 579-596, viewed 27th April 2012, via Informit Hogue, M, Yoder, JD & Singleton, SB 2007, ‘The Gender Wage Gap: An explanation of men’s elevated wage entitlement’, Sex Roles, vol. 56, no. 9-10, pp. 573-579, viewed 01st May 2012, SpringerLink, DOI 10.1007/s1119-007-9199-z Jefferson, T & Preston, A 2007, ‘Trends in Australia’s Gender-wage ratio’, Labour and Industry, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 69-84, viewed 27th April 2012, via ProQuest Central Linz, SJ & Semykina, A 2012, ‘Analysing the gender pay gap in transition economies: How much does personality matter’, Human Relations, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 447-469, viewed 30th April 2012, SAGE Premier 2012, DOI 10.1177/0018726709339094 Need, A & de Jong, U 2008, ‘Personality traits and gender-specific income expectations in Dutch higher education’, Social Indicators Research, vol. 86, no. 1, pp. 113-128, viewed 30th April 2012, SpringerLink, DOI 10.1007/s11205-007-9104-8 Nyhus, EK & Pons, E 2011, ‘Personality and the gender wage gap’, Applied Economics, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 105-118, viewed 27th April 2012, Taylor & Francis Online Library, DOI 10.1080/00036846.2010.500272 Sap, J 1993, ‘Baragining power and wages: A game-theoretic model of gender differences in unions wage bargaining’, Labour Economics, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 25-48, viewed 27th April 2012, Science Direct database, DOI 10.1016/0927-537(93)90004-2 Van Wanrooy, B 2009, ‘Women at work in Australia: Bargaining a Better Position?†, Australian Bulletin of Labour, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 611-628, viewed 27th April 2012, via ProQuest Central

Gold on Trees

Have you ever said â€Å"I wish money could grow on trees? † Well that could actually be true! Geoscientist Melvyn Lintern was the author of â€Å"Gold Particles Found in Leaves of Eucalyptus Trees. † This article was published in Science News magazine on October 23, 2013 and retrieved online at http://www. sci-news. com, on January 16, 2014. Melvyn Lintern from CSIRO (Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organization) Earth Science and Resource Engineering explored the gold particles in leaves of the eucalyptus trees in Australia.The article was written to let people know that leaves or soil underneath these trees could show gold that was buried underground. The gold discovered was up to 60 million years old. Geoscientists used the Maia detector to explore the soil. The Maia detector is an imaging system, which uses an x-ray microprobe, (a device used to stimulate radiation by a material in order to determine chemical or elemental composition). The Maia detecto r is similar to an x-ray machine. It allows you to see through leaves and determine their chemical or mineral composition.This is where the gold particles were found. The article also explained how the Eucalyptus tree acted like a hydraulic pump, (related to a liquid moving in a confined space under pressure), because its roots extend deep in the ground and draw up water containing the gold. Since gold can be toxic to the tree, it doesn’t stay in one spot; it moves to the leaves and branches where it can be released or shed to the ground. Article Analysis This is a new topic because before the Maia detector, the gold in the leaves was invisible and there was no way of detecting it, so this is a brand new discovery.The author of the Sci-News. com article did a good job explaining the information in a way that everyone could read and understand. Dr. Lintern said that, â€Å"Leaves could be used in combination with other tools as a more cost effective and environmentally friend ly exploration technique. † He also pointed out that, â€Å"Eucalpytus trees are so common that this technique could be widely applied across Australia and could also be used to find other metals such as zinc and copper. † Dr. Melvyn Lintern was the lead writer of this article and his quotes were chosen because they talk.About four important things: 1. How leaves can be used with other tools for exploring with the Maia detector; 2. The Maia detector makes this type of exploration friendly to the environment; 3. It is cost effective, and 4. The same technique could also be used to find other metals. This information is important to the environment because now it has been proven that you can get samples without destroying the land by drilling many holes and it also makes exploration if minerals quicker and less expensive.Unfortunately no one will grow rich looking for gold in leaves, since the gold found is about the size of a nano-nugget, which is a billionth in diameter and in this case, only 1/5 the diameter of a piece of human hair, (which is very, very tiny). This was a very interesting article to read. This discovery is so important to our economy and environment. It will help mining companies figure out where they can find more gold and other minerals just by examining plants and leaves. And most importantly, geoscientists have figured out a way to get these samples without unnecessary drilling which will help protect our environment.

Compare And Contrast The Political Agendas Of Putin And Ahmadinejad Term Paper

Compare And Contrast The Political Agendas Of Putin And Ahmadinejad - Term Paper Example They are geared towards ensuring that the lives of their ordinary citizens are completely transformed economically as well as politically. Moreover, they are completely opposed to the west’s dominance over the global affairs. They view this dominance as primarily geared towards protecting the interests of the west at the expense of other world countries. It is in the light of the feeling that they all want to salvage their countries from this influence. They intend to achieve this by building a strong economy base in the country. They are of the opinion that a strong economy is not likely to be subjected to manipulation. Their political agenda Putin’s political agenda is demonstrated in a number of moves that are intended to reduce uncertainty as who will contest the presidency of Russia the moment he will step down. He will go on to control the country’s election even on finishing his term which is seen as a good move because it will foster political stability a nd reduce political tensions. Putin adopted a strategy that was called the zero option. This was geared towards prohibition on the redistribution of property as well as prohibition of any kind of prosecution of those perceived to have taken part in the privatization. Putin believed that what posed the greatest threat to Russia’s strategic stability was the American unilateralism. He wanted an assurance that United States would always act in a multi lateral fashion as opposed to its usual ways of pursuing its own national interest and in the process interfere with national interests of other countries Russia included. Putin was elected the Russian president in January 2000. His pledge was that he would bring stability and order in Russia as well as initiate a process that would restore Russia to its initial greatness. His political agenda was to unify the Russian Society, bring stability to the Russian economy as well as strengthen the country. He wanted to ensure a calm inter national environment which he viewed as the key to Russia’s goal of rebuilding. Putin made impression in the process of restoring the country’s stability domestically through a variety of methods. His agenda was to pursue a program based on careful as well as consistent economic and administrative reforms. These changes were premised on; quashing any kind of political opposition as well as establishing the central government’s authority. To achieve this he had to put in place a stable economic platform. This is why the country’s GDP continued to grow, enabling Russia to pay for its budget being the first Soviet Union country to be able to do so. Before he was elected Ahmadinejad was a very little known political figure. Since his election in 2005 he has made notable attempts to revive the populist policies that characterize The Islamic Revolution in earlier days. This is characterized by his political style of confrontation. His authoritarianism coupled w ith the many incendiary comments that he made against the United States as well as Israel. These remarks have made him a figure viewed as very controversial. Ahmadinejad’ administration is very vocal in its attempt at promoting an agenda that is Pan-Islamic as well as driving the influence of Iran in regional matters. As a result he has received dominance over western media as one of the up-coming leader from the developing world and keen on challenging global order that is being led by America. His ideals and rhetoric are purely populist. They

DQWEEK8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DQWEEK8 - Essay Example The software requirements process will give the developers the requirements that will be required of the system that will be developed. The developers will use the blueprint of the business requirements to come up with the system. It is an important process that will determine the outcome of the system. For any system to be accepted by the users, it will have to meet the requirements and the needs of these users (Tan & Ruighaver 2005). Another important software process is that of software development. This is so because the avoidance of software bugs will help to eradicate the errors that will be met when using the software. The software development process should be undertaken using the right software tools and the right technologies. Without proper tools, there will be many deficiencies in terms of functionalities. When developing the software, the right and modern trends and technologies should be used. Technology is dynamic as it keeps changing. The right and current technology should be used. This will ensure that the resultant software product will be as recent and up to date as much as possible (Tan & Ruighaver 2005). Software improvement is yet another important software process that is important in the software processes. This process is important as it enables the organization to have the latest capabilities from the software. It enables developers to integrate the latest technologies and patch holes that have been identified in the software. Even though the technologies that were used in the initial development of the software could be obsolete, this process of software improvement will enable the software to have the latest features and have had recent technologies integrated. It is, therefore, important to have this important process while developing the software (Tan & Ruighaver 2004). The key processes that are used in the course are six. The parts that re missing are the testing of the software. The ramification of the missing parts is that sof tware testing, if not done, will bring software which might be having deficiencies. This could bring errors in the business processes. Deploying a software product without testing will introduces bugs to the business process. If the bug affects financial procedures, then a lot of money will be lost in the business (Tan & Ruighaver 2005). Another important process that has been missed is that of software analysis and design. This is an important which could bring errors if it is not undertaken. The software product that could be developed could meet the technical requirements but not in the way the users wanted it to be used. It is important to follow the needs of the users. The users will require that the software product follows the design that they anticipated. They might dismiss the whole system just because some function has not been designed in the way they wanted it to be (Tan & Ruighaver 2005). Another process that has not been mentioned is that maintenance and repair. If the software product is not well maintained, then there will be a lot of problems that will be met by users. It will bring a lot of problems to the software users. To improve the process, there will be the need to ensure that the requirements of the users are followed to the latter (Tan & Ruighaver 2004). Question 2 Timing issues are an important component that should be considered when implementing a real-time system. Timing will affect many processes in the whole business process if timing is not effectively undertaken.

Every Child Matters Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Every Child Matters - Literature review Example The Children Act 2004 obliges schools and children's service agencies and other agencies, such as police, prisons and NHS trusts to protect children and promote their welfare. The agenda includes everything from "maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation, accidental injury, and death, bullying and discrimination, to crime and antisocial behavior."   The areas of focus have been an educational failure, ill health, substance addiction, teenage pregnancy, abuse and neglect, crime and anti-social behavior among children and young people.The policy includes five main aims   of focus - be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution to society and achieve economic wellbeing. The aims of the program have been good health (mental and physical, health lifestyles), skills development, community and society participation, economic well-being, creating Sure Start Children’s Centres in at-risk neighborhoods. The Sure Start children's centre programme offers early learning opportunities for children. The program is based on the belief that high-quality play and books at early age help in further learning effort at later stages of schooling. This helps to identify early learning abilities of children and prevent any possible defects. Along with other planned activities the policy aimed to boost child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) through creation of a Young People’s Fund. The policy also targets improvement of speech and language therapy. There are also many other activities planned to boost the level of child protection and development.  

Assessing Educational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Assessing Educational Change - Essay Example In seeking to empower the people, the government began offering bilingual education to enhance the capacity for individuals to understand Portuguese. The government considered such educational changes as essential in enhancing the perceptions of individuals regarding acquisition of education. The planning phase for the project was undertaken with numerous conferences and meetings within different location across the country. This sensitisation process was aimed at ensuring majority of the stakeholders became aware of the project being undertaken across the country. The project was aimed at ensuring creation of people networks across the country through language. The nationwide conferences were undertaken to inform the general public about the process of implementing the project and the purposes of the entire project. During the project initiation process, the project proposals were presented to various stakeholders who would provide essential resources for implementation of the project. These included financiers and facilitators across the country. These stakeholders accepted the proposal and the project commenced. While the project management team performed numerous essential preplanning activities to ensure the successful implementation of the project, many processes were overlooked during the planning phase. The project management team focused on only two stakeholders, while ignoring, majority of the fundamental stakeholders. Universities were given a priority over schools during the initiation phase. The project management team should consult all stakeholders and seek their opinion regarding the process. They would however classify the stakeholders in terms of their influence on the project. The public schools and their teachers were ignored during the planning phase. Consultations with these stakeholders would have sought to identify the requirements in implementing the project, consequently

Fallout 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fallout 1 and 2 - Essay Example It all started in 2052, when the Resource Wars erupted. The ravages of war, spawned by the famines in Africa and India, pollution in Asia, the rise of extremism in the Middle East, and the unquenching thirst for oil threatened to annihilate the world forever. No one knows whether China declared war on America, or vice versa, but the oil-hungry Chinese attack of 2066 on Alaska was the point of no return, when the genesis of a new terrifying, Great war, was on the horizon. Weeks turned into moths and moths turned into years, as the Alaskan trench warfare yielded nothing but blood and an unusable wasteland. America eventually won the war, but the plains of Alaska were never the same. A smoking ruin was all that was left of the Alaskan frontier. What was to follow was something far more horrific than anything man has faced before. The nuclear armageddon began in the morning on October 23 2077, resulting in the destruction of all major cities, polluting the oceans and creating changes tha t even dr. Moreau wouldn't imagine. Some scientists and artisans, soldiers and men of wealth managed to survive the holocaust by taking refuge in the massive shelters called Vaults, built before the war by a company called Vault-tec. These three-stories underground structures built deep inside the mountains shielded the survivors from the effects of radiation, disease, and other catastrophes. Equipped with G.E.C.K.'s, or the Garden of Eden Creation Kit, devices capable of creating a new life for the inhabitants of the Vault's after they returned to the surface, some of the Vaults managed to survive the earthquakes, attacks by the Raiders, and other disasters. People living in the Vaults survived the immediate destruction, but their descendants would face far greater challenges in a changed and desolate world. In Fallout 1, the events occur some 80 years later, in the year 2161. One of the shelters called Vault 13, located in Southern California, faces a serious difficulty- the Water Chip, a computer chip responsible for the water recycling and pumping machinery has stopped working. The Vault Overseer of Vault 13 has no choice but to assign the protagonist, an inhabitant of Vault 13, to the task of finding a new Water chip, therefore sending our hero into the harsh outside wasteland, armed with nothing but the PIPboy 2000 as a bookkeeping apparatus and bottle caps as currency. Our hero enters into a new world, fractured more by the various organizations and beliefs, than the unspeakable number on nuclear weapons that have scorched Earth's surface. One prominent organization is the Brotherhood of Steel, a quasi-political and religious group, which is strongly dedicated to the preservation of technology. Although the 3 classes within the organization are knights, paladins and scribes, the me mbers are not adhering to the rules of chivalry at all, since they are not concerned with the ones less fortunate than them. The New California Republic is also an important group in the new desolate world. Located in South California with its capital Shady Sands, it is probably the closest thing to states that existed before the war. It has a