Is Your Website Accessible

Is Your Website Accessible Build a platform! urge publishing gurus. Establish an online presence! You dutifully obey. Facebook? On it. Twitter? Rule it. Website? Of course, and it rocks! But did you know you might be restricting an entire group of users and customers from accessing your website and hence, from reaching you? This group consists of people with disabilities. The US Census Bureau states nearly 57 million people, thats 19 percent of civilians, have a disability. Youmay have a family member or friend, know a neighbour or student who is disabled. Imagine them trying to do a basic search online that you take for granted. These same people are also doing exactly what the rest of us are: working, enjoying food and drink, leisure and relaxation, sport and adventure. So why should they be prevented from utilising something as normal and taken-for-granted as a website? What is accessibility? Accessibility describes the degree to which a product, service, or environment is available to people. The more the number of people who can use it, the higher its accessibility. Correctly designed and developed websites empower everyone to have equal access to information and services. Examples of accessibility include: Providing text descriptions of images with meaningful links helps blind users using text-to-speech software or text-to-Braille hardware to read the content. Enabling text and images to enlarge helps users with poor eyesight.   Underlining and highlighting hyperlinks helps colour blind users notice them. Making action areas, like hyperlinks and buttons, large; and enabling keyboard navigation of menus helps users who cant control a mouse with precision or cant keep their hands steady. Captioning videos or providing sign language versions helps the deaf. Avoiding excessive flashing, flickering and special effects considers users prone to seizures. Writing content in plain language and illustrating with diagrams helps users with dyslexia and learning difficulties understand better. Is your website accessible enough? There are a number of options online to help you find out. A one-click website accessibility audit likehttp://wave.webaim.org/ is a system test that can identify accessibility problems and provide guidance on remedial steps. A list of other automated tools available to evaluate website features can be found here: w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/index.html. These tools dont test everything, but can provide a good idea of the extent of your websites accessibility. Must I make my website accessible? While accessibility is not required Your website is your showcase to the world, your online home. Youre proud of it and have invested time and resources in making it useful, relevant and dynamic. You want everybody whos anybody to visit it. Follow the four principles of accessibility explained in simple English athttp://devyaniborade.blogspot.com/p/principles-of-web-accessibility.html to make your website more accessible to all.

How Climate Change Is Affecting California Professor Ramos Blog

How Climate Change Is Affecting California Will Climate Change leave California a disintegrated, arid wasteland? What even is climate change in the first place? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that climate change is simply ‘â€Å"any change in climate over time whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ in the article, What Is Climate Change? (Pielke Jr 31). Those who do not know very much about climate change will be granted a range of information specifically about California’s environment and how climate change is shifting it in many ways. Climate change is a very concerning topic for environmental scientists, but the concern shouldn’t be limited to them. This issue affects every Californian citizen, whether directly or indirectly. Climate change is a rather controversial subject because of the correlation between certain human activities and global warming, a type of climate change which has resulted in a slightly higher average worldwide te mperature in recent decades. An intimidating aspect of global warming that has already showed itself in recent times is a higher frequency of wildfires. Exploration of scientific journals and research explains how climate change is affecting California’s wildfire activity, weather patterns, and ecosystems. Through the evidence found, humans may better understand the role they play in the changing climate. According to the joint study by L. Mann and colleagues,  Incorporating Anthropogenic Influences into Fire Probability Models: Effects of Human Activity and Climate Change on Fire Activity in California, wildfire frequency is expected to increase with the changing climate in California (2). In order to support the data given in the article, the researchers use climate models, which are compiled calculations of future climate that use all potential effective factors to show the shifts in climate (2). However, even with these highly specialized forecasting projectors, wildfire frequency and location are still extremely difficult to predict (2). Human population growth in California and climate change variability lead to relatively no real way to extrapolate a wildfire. According to the same study, the majority of fires in the state are actually caused  by  people (2). An approximation of 95% of wildfires are instigated by people alone, which acts as evidence of the potential corre lation between population growth and increasing fire activity (L. Mann et al. 2). Climatic influences are still definitely present though. According to this same study, the number of wildfires is expected to grow with â€Å"increased spring and summer temperatures, early snowmelt, and decreased precipitation† (16). This is a valid prediction, as lower levels of rainfall cause a drier, more fire-prone landscape. From this study’s evidence and predictions, it can be concluded that both population growth and climate change are partially responsible for the increasing number of wildfires in California. To provide a broad idea of the future frequencies of wildfires, the authors state that â€Å"the total area burned in the state is estimated to increase from somewhere between +15 and 50%† which tells scientists that the state could potentially experience many more wildfires than normal (2). This article is useful because we can see some of the ways in which climate c hange is making predictability of wildfires more difficult for scientists. While wildfires are a hot topic in the climate change discussion, weather patterns are also crucial to this issue. What exactly does climate change mean for weather patterns in California? For California, it is all about temperature. According to the article, The Key Role of Heavy Precipitation Events in Climate Model Disagreements of Future Annual Precipitation Changes in California, the increasing temperatures in California are not necessarily causing a drop in the frequency of rain, but instead they are affecting the distribution (W. Pierce et al. 5880). Days with minimal rainfall are expected to decrease, while days of intense rainfall are projected to increase (W. Pierce et al. 5880). This increase in severely rainy days will mostly affect Northern California in the case of flooding and the damage it can cause (W. Pierce et al. 5885). Southern California is expected to have a slight decrease in the number of precipitation events, with a very small increase in intense precipitati on occurrences (W. Pierce et al. 5885). This means that overall, California will most likely experience less annual rainfall, but events of precipitation will be more intense at times (W. Pierce et al. 5885). From this information, it can be concluded that there is a strong possibility of more flooding in California, especially for the Northern side. It can also be concluded that there will indeed be more days with no precipitation. Turning to a different aspect of this subject of the climate warming, it is important to consider how ecosystems are adapting to this in California. According to the article by multiple authors, Predicting consequences of climate change for ecosystem functioning: variation across trophic levels, species and individuals, species’ reactions to rising temperatures vary. To test this, the members of this study conducted an experiment on three Californian marine species, A. Lacertosa (otherwise known as the sea flea), A. Sectimanus (a small crustacean), and   A. Angusta (another small crustacean). The experiment was conducted to observe potential effects that increased temperature had on these species’ biomass (overall mass of the species in the trial). Only one of the species, A. Lacertosa, had a dramatic increase in biomass with increasing temperatures. This experiment only accounts for a very small amount of marine life but it is important because it shows that temperat ure affects species in different ways. This was apparent later in the study when Ulva (otherwise known as sea lettuce) was negatively affected by temperature increase, as the A. Lacertosa’s dramatic population increase led to the Ulva being consumed faster than it could grow (J. Best et al.). According to the article, Adapting California’s Ecosystems to a Changing Climate, other ecosystems have different concerns, for instance, endangered desert species â€Å"such as the desert tortoise . . ., the desert bighorn sheep . . ., and the Mohave ground squirrel† are potentially even more at risk due to the warming climate and reduced precipitation (Chornesky et al. 252). While these species are a very small percentage of those effected by climate change, the danger that this issue presents for ecosystems is the dramatic altering that can occur. Ecosystems are important because they aid humans with â€Å"water storage and delivery, flood protection, nutrient cycling, carbon storage . . .,† and if they change, they may not be able to provide humans with those benefits (Chornesky et al. 247). Now that some of the effects of climate change have been discussed, data on human influence on California’s climate will be provided. The main type of climate change discussed so far has been global warming. This just so happens to be the main type of climate change that humans have influenced. To understand this, one must understand greenhouse gases, which are gases that allow the atmosphere to absorb and keep in heat. Greenhouse gases have always been around, Earth wouldn’t even be habitable without them, but they can have some negative effects when excessive amounts are in the atmosphere. The use of fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gases, as an energy source originally became widespread during the industrial revolution. That trend is still in play and continues to allow the emission of these gases into the atmosphere. This accumulation of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere is one of the causes of the increased aver age worldwide temperature. As mentioned before, greenhouse gases allow the absorption and containment of heat in the atmosphere. To back this up, Dr. Mark Trexler states in the article, Prospects for Future Climate Change and the Reasons for Early Action, that many â€Å"human activities contribute to the GHG emissions that are linked to global climate change† (Edgerton et al. 1393). To clarify, GHG stands for ‘greenhouse gas,’ and Trexler is saying that a lot of daily activities require energy that produces greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change both worldwide and in California. This should be a concern for all Californians because this is something for which nearly all citizens of the state are partially responsible. There are various ways in which climate change has affected various environmental subjects such as the adapting of ecosystems, shifting weather patterns, and the increasing frequency of wildfires. These data should be useful for ordinary Californian citizens who aren’t familiar with climate change. A brief idea was given of how wildfires are becoming more frequent with the warming California’s climate and human population growth, but predictability of these events is limited (L. Mann et al. 2). Ecosystems are affected by the rising temperatures differently, some are thriving and even overproducing, while others struggle (J. Best et al.). The weather itself is changing in California, people can expect less rainy days, but when it does rain, it might be quite a drenching (W. Pierce et al. 5885). The factor of human influence on the climate has been backed by a scientific article, so from that it can be concluded that humans are partially responsible for the climate change we are experiencing today, mainly global warming (Edgerton et al. 1393). The climate change discussion an is important one, and we need to keep it going. While not all consequences of this phenomenon are negative, there are some serious factors to consider, like global warming. In the article, Prospects for Future Climate Change and the Reasons for Early Action, Dr. Alberto Ayala contends that, â€Å"Continued warming is inevitable, but the world needs to greatly reduce its GHG emissions to avoid catastrophic effects on many sectors of the California economy. These effects include increases in the number of extreme heat days by up to a factor of 10 by the end of the century. Climate change will also make meeting our goals to improve air quality much more difficult to achieve† (Edgerton et al. 1391). By this he means that there is a potential danger to the rising temperature, and humans have the power to prevent a potentially disastrous future by simply reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Annotated Bibliography: Best, Rebecca J., et al. â€Å"Predicting Consequences of Climate Change for Ecosystem                    Functioning: Variation across Trophic Levels, Species and Individuals.†Ã‚  Diversity         Distributions, vol. 21, no. 12, Dec. 2015, pp. 1364–1374.  EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/ddi.12367.   http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=110641619site=ehost- live This article is a brief summary of experimental data from trials involving certain     marine animals. The aim of the experiment was to determine how rising temperature     has an     effect on various species. I am using this source to provide data on how global     warming     has an effect on ecosystems. The study was conducted by Bodega Marine     Laboratory      Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis CA,     so I assume it     is credible, it is also peer reviewed and scholarly. 2. Chornesky, Elizabeth A., et al. â€Å"Adapting California’s Ecosystems to a Changing     Climate.†Ã‚  BioScience, vol. 65, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 247–262.  EBSCOhost,     search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=101371938site=ehost-live. This article is about climate change and its role in changing ecosystems. Also discussed     in this article is how humans are acting to protect certain ecosystems from being     altered in a negative manner. I am using this article to discuss a few more species that     are affected by climate change. This article had numerous authors, all of which having     affiliations with environmental departments, so I assume it is credible. Also, this is a     scholarly, peer reviewed article. 3. Edgerton, Sylvia A., et al. â€Å"Prospects for Future Climate Change and the Reasons for     Early Action.†Ã‚  Journal of the Air Waste Management Association (Air Waste     Management Association), vol. 58, no. 11, Nov. 2008, pp. 1386–1400.  EBSCOhost,     doi:10.3155/1047-3289.58.11.1386. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?     direct=truedb=a9hAN=35128410site=ehost-live This article compiles the comments of multiple environmental experts.   Future     implications of climate change and human impacts on climate are discussed. I am using     this article to add credibility to statements made in my paper and to explain how     humans have influenced the climate. The authors are from various Universities,     institutes, and environmental departments, so I assume they are credible. This also a     peer reviewed, scholarly article. 4. Mann, Michael L., et al. â€Å"Incorporating Anthropogenic Influences into Fire Probability     Models: Effects of Human Activity and Climate Change on Fire Activity in     California.†Ã‚  Plos One, vol. 11, no. 4, Apr. 2016, p. e0153589.  EBSCOhost,     doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153589. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?     direct=truedb=cmedmAN=27124597site=ehost-live This article discusses in great detail the fact that climate change is not the only influence     on increased fire activity. This source brings to light the fact that humans are the     ignitors of most fires in the state of California. I am using this source to give evidence of     climate change being a partial cause of the increasing intensity of wildfires, while also     taking into account human influence as well. The numerous authors are associated with     various environmental departments, so I assume it is credible. This article is also     scholarly and peer reviewed. 5. Pielke Jr., Roger A. â€Å"What Is Climate Change?†Ã‚  Issues in Science Technology, vol. 20, no.     4, Summer 2004, pp. 31-34. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?        direct=truedb=a9hAN=13872536site=ehost-live. This article uses several definitions of climate change formulated by scientific     departments to give the reader an idea of what climate change is. Also discussed in this     article is the fact that scientist sometimes have differing views on how to define climate     change. I am using this article simply to define my topic of climate change. The author     is the Director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, University of     Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, so I assume he is credible. This is also a peer reviewed,     scholarly article. 6. Pierce, David W., et al. â€Å"The Key Role of Heavy Precipitation Events in Climate Model     Disagreements of Future Annual Precipitation Changes in California.†Ã‚  Journal of     Climate, vol. 26, no. 16, Aug. 2013, pp. 5879–5896.  EBSCOhost, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-12-     00766.1. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?     direct=truedb=a9hAN=89587578site=ehost-live This article discusses the future rates and intensities of precipitation in California.     Climate models are used and explain that there will probably be more dry days in the     future, but rainy days might be more intense. I am using this article to explain the     influences that climate change has in weather patterns in California.   The various     authors are all associated with Universities of California, with one exception being from     the California Energy Commission, Sacramento, so I assume this is a credible source.     This is also a peer reviewed, scholarly article. Photo Credits: Link to Desert Picture: https://fthmb.tqn. com/-uyXvH1810Tm8QUPeT33ebdFa48=/9600/filters:no_upscale()/joshua-tree-national-park-california-us-530056063-582c96423df78c6f6a5fbaf7.jpg Link to Car picture: https://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/30/30-car-emissions-pollution-epa.w710.h473.jpg Link to Raining/Flooding Picture: floodflaps.com/†¦loads/creative-rain_0.jpg Link to Wildfire Picture: s.hswstatic.com/†¦/wildfire-widescreen-a.jpg

Report on Kingdom of Heaven ( movie review ) Essay

Report on Kingdom of Heaven ( movie review ) - Essay Example This was the start of their journey towards sharing the real meaning of knighthood and brings them across different borders. In Jerusalem, on the other hand, was utmost peace that is brought about by the efforts of a Christian king named Baldwin IV, aided by Tiberias. However, the greed and fanaticism of Baldwin shatters the truce that leads Balian’s skills in fighting to be needed by him which was especially triggered when Tiberias leaves for Cyprus and Balian stays to defend Jerusalem against their enemies who want to besiege them (Kingdom of Heaven (2005) - Plot Summary. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). N.p., n.d.). Analyzing this movie, I think that there were a lot of aspects where religious and cultural bias were being reflected. One of which would be how it bashed the Muslim point of view. This could be seen through the concept of the movie on the Crusades where prominent figures talked about Islam being incompatible with Christianity and American values as well. This is reflected in the script as well which showed offensive stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims being bombers, dangerous, stupid, and backward people. This is one of the misrepresentations of history which led the director to having this kind of perception towards Muslims. Some of the distinct scenes in the movie that demonstrated this would be when Muslims were shown attacking churches and tearing down the cross and mocking it. However, to counter all these, the film in a way depicts Muslim characters in the movie as the most honorable as they win with dignity and respect for those they vanquish. Aside from that, the movie represented religious misconceptions or careless generalizations that could be offensive to Christianity. There are a lot of scenes in the movie where Christian aggression is being emphasized that translates it to extreme tolerance to contradicting

Built Environment Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Built Environment - Article Example This will have a negative impact in the future generation. Research has proven that responsible urbanization practices can help reduce the negative effects on the environment. Responsible urbanization involves urban connectivity which has examples like sewer and water contamination, proper disposal of waste materials, recycling, energy conservation and proper management operations. The article describes ways in which sustainable environment can be achieved but does not provide the exact guidelines on how to achieve. Many readers may find the article convincing but they may not gain much because it lacks guidelines. The writer should have explained further on how energy conservation will be achieved and also the methods of avoiding pollution. However the article is very beneficial towards the conservation of the environment for the future. Waste materials should be disposed properly for example recycling of plastic bags instead of burning them in open air. We find that in the recent days climatic changes have been observed. Places which used to receive rainfall are now experiencing drought. This is due to poor environmental conservation practices like carelessly cutting down trees. If contractors are clearing an area for the purpose of construction, they should also think of environmental construction like planting more trees in neighborhood

Neo-liberal Critique of the Welfare State Essay Example for Free

Neo-liberal Critique of the Welfare State Essay The welfare state refers to the initiative of the government in a country to take care of the wellbeing of the public. Under the welfare state, the government undertakes the responsibility of protecting and promoting the economic and social welfare of its people (Kuhnle 2000). The welfare state is based on the equality of all. In a welfare state, the government is involved in the lives of its people on all levels. The burden of providing for the physical and social needs of the people is almost fully placed on the government. The main objective of the welfare state is the creation of economic equability and striving to improve the standards of living. The government ensures fair distribution of resources, provision of equal opportunities, and provision of public services to those who lack the means to acquire them. The government in this case takes the accountability for the wellbeing of its people (Gooden et al. 1999). Hypothetically, the responsibility is supposed to be inclusive given the fact that the welfare of the people is generally considered as a right. This is to say that citizens are entitled to the welfare state. This can also be taken to refer to the establishment of â€Å"social safety net† (Rice, Goodin and Parpo 2006). Neoliberals have attacked the welfare state from different angles with some advocating for its complete abolishment and others claiming that it should be partially eradicated (Barrow 1998). They have given very many reasons as to why the welfare state should be reviewed and necessary measures taken. They have provided a number of reasons as to why the welfare state should be reconsidered. Neo-liberals are the advocates of economic liberalization as the means by which social progress can be achieved (Niggle 2006). This paper evaluates the neo-liberal critique of the welfare state. The neo-liberals advocate for a free and liberal economy where every person is involved. It is from this perspective that the welfare state is criticized for failing to give the citizens a chance to participate in the liberal market economy (Rice, Goodin and Parpo 2006). It is argued that the welfare state makes people reliant on the government and thus fail to labor for their own needs. Most developed countries have established welfare states for providing for the needs of their people. As a result, most people do not see the need to toil when their needs can be met freely. Nevertheless, there have been studies that have provided the claim that there is no connection between the economic performance and appending on welfare in the world economies. This means that there is no proof of the fact that the welfare state hinders social progress (Niggle 2006). When the progress of some of the developed countries that provide welfare is analyzed, it is clear that some of the countries that spend less on welfare are doing worse than those that spend more. For example, the US performs worse than a country like Netherlands. This is despite the fact that the latter spends more on welfare state than the former. This therefore shows that the welfare state could contribute, but is not responsible for uneven social progress (Gooden et al. 1999). The opponents of the welfare state claim that it tends to put the burden of providing for the citizens on some people while others sit back and enjoy. This is supported by the fact that the welfare state is financed through the taxpayers’ money (Kuhnle 2000). This is from the people who are employed and working hard to earn an income. Their income is taxed to provide for the people in the country who are not able to work through the welfare state. This can however be countered by the fact that there is a great income inequality in the society today. Inequality exists between executives and the average workers, between male workers and female workers and between people of different races. The welfare state is one way of ensuring that there is redistribution of resources and income for uniform development and also to take care of the marginalized groups in the society (Rice, Goodin and Parpo 2006). There has been criticism on the welfare state based on the dispensations made by the capitalists. This is done in the efforts to redirect the working class away from the need to follow an entirely socialist society and economy. This is what has been evident in a country like Germany. Additionally, the socialist class is a strong believer in patching up the inefficient capitalist economy and revealing the loopholes in the capitalist economy. They believe that the welfare system will not be necessary where government and ownership of the means of production is implemented (Kuhnle 2000). The critics also claim that the welfare state and the contemporary social democratic programs stifle the motivation of the market. This is so because of the provision of resources like unemployment insurance policies, minimum pay, profits on taxes, and reduction of the reserved labor. The result of this is that there is very little motivation to invest. Basically, the opponents claim that the welfare state demoralizes the capitalist economy and its incentive organization. There is no capitalist who will be motivated to invest his capital in order to feed the entire society (Itoh 1995). Another criticism views the welfare state as stealing of the wealth of slavery. This is based on the classical liberal fundamental right to obtaining and property ownership. From this point of view, it is a fundamental right of every person to be in ownership of his own body and thus be allowed to enjoy the fruit of the labor of that body (Cook 2001). This is where the transfer of money from one person to another by the state in the name of the welfare state is considered stealing. It is also a form of forced labor where some people have to work hard only for the benefit of others. Despite the fact that the welfare state is created by a democratically elected government, it infringes this fundamental right that every person is entitled to. This leads to less motivation to work, where one begins to view his or her labor as being for the benefit of others. The welfare state imposes what is referred to as Servile Law (Waarden and Lehmbruch 2003). This law shares the element of the ancient slavery. According to this law, positive law states that some individuals must toil for others, who in the same way must take care of them. This is unfair because one group of the public works for one that does not work. The group that is fed from the sweat of others is mostly comprised of people who have intentionally refused to work (Mendes 2003). Some other critics argue that the welfare state tends to offer its benefactors with the same rate of income as the minimum payment (Gould 1993). This has encouraged more people to sit back and wait for the welfare. The dependants of the welfare state do not find the need to work for minimum wage where even without working they will receive the same amount. This has led to the creation of a class of citizens that are fully dependant on the welfare state. This is despite the fact that the welfare is available only for the citizens who are not able to work. In the United Kingdom for example, the idea of the welfare state was aimed at poverty alleviation by offering certain individuals basic necessities (Niggle 2006). The state of affairs currently is that the welfare state has extended to provision of finances to a large number of individuals than the nation is able to afford. There is a feeling by some supporters that this argument is ideally untrue. They argue that in the United Kingdom, the welfare system offers people very little finances compared to the minimum wage in the country. However, the dependants of the social welfare in this country have the feeling that they need to access more benefits from the government. If the government bends to these demands, it is evident that the country could be in a very huge financial trouble. People have become so dependant on the welfare state until they feel that it is their right to make demands (Cook 2001). Neo-liberals criticize the welfare state for leading to increase in taxes. This criticism is logical because the finances for the welfare states come from taxes. Enough money has to be availed for the system to operate well and ensure that all the benefactors are covered. This can only be done through ensuring that enough money is obtained through taxation from those who are working. This leads to an increase in taxes. This is basically true from case studies like in Denmark, where the tax level went up to 48. 9 percent of the country’s GDP in the year 2007. Another similar case is Sweden where the tax level was as high as 48. 2 percent of the country’s GDP in the same year (Xu 2007). This however does not mean that there is a reduction in the income of the people in the countries in question. It is argued that this is so because the state taxes ideally return to the workers it is obtained from. This is from the fact that most of the money from tax is used in the provision of public amenities that are enjoyed by the same people who are the tax payers (Barr 2004). The opponents believe that the welfare benefits offered by the government are more costly and less effective than if the same were offered by the private sector. This is in line with a liberal economy where the private sector is offered an important part to play in the economy. In the year 2000, Louis Kaplow and Steven Shafell produced two articles with the argument that any social program founded on the elements of equality and impartiality would lead to an economical system that is Pareto inefficient (Barr 2004). It is obvious that every commodity that is offered free of charge at the consumption point would obviously be highly demanded. There would be efficient allocation of resources if stipulation reflects the charges (Mendes 2003). There have been arguments that the welfare system undermines the conventional family life. Dependence on welfare state encourages over-reliance on the government and increment of social evils. Single parenthood has been encouraged since people know that they will be taken care of by the state. It has been argued that the welfare state fails on moral, social and economic grounds. The welfare system has led many people to relax and wait for the free income. As a result, people have become reluctant to get education and employment. This has led to the increase of social evils as a result. This shows that the welfare state does the society more evil than good (Cook 2001). Conclusion The welfare state was established with the needs of the people who are not able to work in mind. It is a fact that most of the criticisms against the welfare state are true. The welfare state has led to over reliance on the government, making people less inclined to work. It is also true that they have tended to discourage capital investment where people will work to benefit those who are not working. The welfare state has also led to an increase in taxes, as more finances are needed to fund the welfare state. These are some of the neo-liberal criticisms of the welfare state. This does not mean that the welfare state should be completely abolished. As mentioned in the paper, there is great income disparity in the community today. This is not the fault of those who are unfortunate to have low income and those who are not able to access employment. There is dire need to redistribute resources and income in the society. There is no better way of doing this than taxation for provision through the welfare state. The welfare state was also created for a noble objective that is, benefiting those who are unfortunate and marginalized in the society. This group is still in the society and abolishment of the welfare state will be a problem to them. It is however undeniable that something needs to be done to make this system more effective and efficient for economical development. One of the ways forward is to restrict the spending on the welfare state. This will be achieved through restructuring of the policy and reviewing the benefactors. Neo-liberal critics agree that there is need for minimum provision for those in need. This means that the system cannot be entirely abolished, but there is need for serious changes on it. This way it will be able to meet its objectives to the society, while at the same time allowing for economical development. Studies need to be carried out to find the best way forward as far as the welfare state is concerned. Barr, N. 2004, Economics of the welfare state, Oxford University Press, New York. Barrow, C. 1998, State Theory and the Dependency Principle: An Institutionalist Critique of the Business Climate Concept, Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 32. Cook, P. 2001, Discrediting Neo-Liberalism: The Social Democratic Welfare State Of The Netherlands. Available on May 12, 2010 from http://www. wlu. edu/documents/shepherd/academics/cap_01_cook. pdf Gooden, R. et al. 1999, The Real Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Gould, A. 1993, Capitalist Welfare Systems, Longman, New York. Itoh, M. 1995, Political Economy for Socialism, St. Martins Press, New York. Kuhnle, S. 2000, Survival of the European Welfare State, Routledge, New York. Mendes, P. 2003, Australias Welfare Wars: the Players, the Politics and the Ideologies, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney. Niggle, C. 2006, â€Å"Neo-Liberal Economic Policy: Critical Essays,† Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 40. Rice, J. , Goodin, R. Parpo, A. 2006, â€Å"The Temporal Welfare State: A Cross-national Comparison,† Journal of Public Policy 26 (3): 195–228. Waarden, F. Lehmbruch, G. 2003, Renegotiating the Welfare State: Flexible Adjustment Through Corporatist Concertation, Routledge, New York. Xu, Q. 2007, â€Å"Globalization, Immigration and the Welfare State: A Cross-National Comparison,† Journal of Sociology Social Welfare, Vol. 34.

Sexist Views in The Bacchae :: Bacchae Essays

Sexist Views in The Bacchae Throughout my life, I've heard the phrases, "Women shouldn't serve in the Armed Forces; no, I wouldn't want a female president; a woman's place is in the home." Even though our society is drifting from these extremely sexist views, opinions like these are still widely held. Women were mistreated much the same in the ancient Greek civilizations. The views of our society, regarding the social and sexual roles of women, are mirrored in the ancient Greek tragedy, The Bacchae. The idea that a woman's place is in the home is all too common in our culture, just take into consideration the Southern Baptist Convention's declaration stating wives must be submissive to their husbands. This belief was held strongly in the Greek civilization as well. A woman's function was to bear and raise children, cook, clean and care for any other needs the family may have. They weren't entitled to the basic freedoms they deserved. This intolerant view was illustrated in The Bacchae when Pentheus, in a rage, was ranting on about how all the women have deserted their homes to run wild through the dark woods on the mountain (pg 19, ln 17). The imagery associated with the woods is black and evil, yet when Pentheus speaks of the home, he claims the women have "deserted," as if they were wrongfully leaving their duty. Obviously, he believes the home is the proper place for a woman. Another very common misconception about women is that they were created for the pleasure of man. The idea that a woman's body was not her own, merely a possession to be dominated by her master as he wished, is also present in The Bacchae. The instances where the Maenads drank themselves into insensibility then crawled into the bushes to lie down before lusting men shows what lack of control these women had over their bodies. They were continuously dominated by the male god, Dionysus, and the fact that noone spoke against this behavior as being morally wrong only supports the idea that women are objects. It's absurd viewpoints like these that lead to modern day rape and sexual abuse. Yes, the sexist views demonstrated in The Bacchae belittle the social and sexual roles of woman, and yes, they may be reflected in our society today, but I do believe we're progressing above those close-minded, ignorant ways of thinking.

Philly Fans: City of Brotherly Love Essay

â€Å"A true Philadelphia fan learns to boo before he learns to speak.† A quote that is not as exaggerated as it seems. In Philadelphia people are outspoken and live by the way they cheer, brutal. Philadelphia â€Å"fanatics† are the most rowdy fans in all of sports. This is proven by events such as throwing snowballs at Santa Claus, booing Michael Irving after a career ending injury, and the installment of a court inside the Eagles late Veterans Stadium. One example as to why people across the nation believe Philly fans to be the worst fans in sports is the legendary pelting of jolly old St. Nick. In 1968, Eagles fans booed and then pelted a man dressed as Santa Claus who was part of a halftime ceremony. Stories vary on the legendary incident as to why it happened. In 2003, the same man was asked to appear in the same Santa suit at a Sixers game, and as before, he was booed again. Another famous event that shows the rowdiness of dedicated Philadelphians is on October 11, 1999, when Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending neck injury at â€Å"the Vet†. Fans cheered as Irvin was crumpled on the ground. This goes to show if you’re a future hall of famer, but you happen to play for Dallas, you will still get booed. Although booing someone is all a part of sports, Philly fans seem to do it at the most unnecessary of times which give them the persona of rowdy. Another huge example as to why Philly fans have the reputation they do is because of the extremes of what happens at the sporting events. From time to time a game could go from having fun drinking a couple beers chanting â€Å"asshole† to the next Redskins fan you see walking by, to a huge brawl in the infamous 700 level at Veterans Stadium. The common occurrence of violence during Eagles’ games became so bad that Philadelphia installed a court, judge and jail inside Veterans Stadium. If being so passionate about your team leads to booing a crippled hall of famer, pelting Santa with snowballs, and the installment of a court system in your football team’s stadium means you’re rowdy. Every person wearing a green jacket on Sunday, waving a rally towel at Citizens Bank Park, or booing opposing teams at the Wells Fargo Center will gladly accept the â€Å"rowdy† nickname. What others take as rowdiness Philadelphians take as passion for their city and teams.

Ampalaya Coffee Essay

Abstract This investigatory project aims to prepare and also to make a coffee from the â€Å" Ampalaya Seeds†. We know that Ampalaya or also known as Bitter melon is known for as its bitterness and astringent taste , the bitter melon can see everywhere. This investigatory project encourage us students to make a coffee, as an alternative product . This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of the ampalaya seeds as coffee. The researchers used powdered Ampalaya seeds in this study. After researching and collecting the raw materials, the researchers were able to begin the experimentation. The coffee was obtained by drying, grinding, and roasting the seeds of ampalaya, and boiled. After boiling, the coffee was manually extracted with the use of a clean cloth. The study focuses on producing coffee out of ampalaya seeds. It does not aimed to determine which coffee (ampalaya seeds vs. commercial coffee) has more nutritional value or which is more nutritious. II. Acknowledgement. We would like to thank to the following person that are help us to start and to continuing this our Investigatory Project ,including the following to our ALMIGHTY GOD that help us and give us strength and knowledge to explain the main idea of this investigatory project . To our parents and also our friend who give us supports to finish our Investigatory Project. For our parents that supplies our needs , including the financial needs . THANK YOU !!!!!! Chapter 1: Introduction In our modern generation , many people in our country used coffee especially our grandparents and also our parents. Coffee is known as beverage to the majority of the people. It is known for its stimulating effect on the functions of the brain , thus making the drinker active . Variants of coffee flavors were already produced all throughout the world aiming for the discovery of alternative sources of coffee production . The coffee from ampalaya seeds help us to earn and save money . A. Background of the study Coffee alternatives have been famous since the last two decades due to economic crisis and experimentations for health and medical benefits. Any seeds that are edible when powdered can be used as an alternative source for coffee. The difference of the generic coffee from the seeds of the coffee plant from those of the alternatives is that it has a good amount of caffeine content. The similarity you can find in the alternatives and those of the original is that seeds contain carbohydrates which cause the aroma in roasted coffee. Ampalaya, on the other hand, is a crawling vine that grows mostly on tropical countries like the Philippines. It is said to be rich in iron, potassium, beta-carotene and other nutrients. It is also famous in treating diabetes because of its properties like polypeptide-P; a plant insulin that can lower blood sugar levels. Many researches on agricultural food chemistry convey that it provides nutritionally significant amounts of nutrients, minerals and amino acids that are needed for life. B. Objectives of the study B1. General Objectives 1. To determine if the ampalaya seeds have considerable characteristics of the products in terms of color, aroma, taste, and acidity. B2. Specific Objectives 1. To produce coffee using ampalaya seeds as the main ingredient. 2. To determine and compare the levels of acceptability of the coffee samples. C. Hypotheses NULL 1. There is no significant difference among the different ampalaya coffee samples developed in terms of their color, aroma, and taste. ALTERNATIVE 1. There is no significant difference among the different ampalaya coffee samples developed in terms of their acceptability. D. Significance of the study Momordica Charantia or ampalaya seeds contain iron and folic acid which are essential for the production of the red blood cells and the formulation of hemoglobin and myoglobin. Coffee is usually drunk hot, black or with cream and sugar and also drunk cold as iced coffee, specially summer. People are used of drinking coffee every morning to warmth their body and at night to avoid being sleepy. But coffee contains a stimulant called caffeine. The result of this will determine if the coffee made from ampalaya seeds can be use as a substitute for the commercial coffee. This study aimed to produce coffee using ampalaya seeds as substitute. The study was important because ampalaya is abundant in the Philippines. The product may be an anti-diabetes coffee but it is not the main concern of the study. Everybody can benefit of the result of the study unless a coffee drinker. It would recycle the ampalaya seeds instead of being thrown away which a lot of people consider it as waste. E. Scope and limitation The proposed study was limited to producing coffee out of ampalaya (Momordica charantia Linn. ) seeds. Three samples were prepared with different ampalaya seed concentration and same amount of water for comparison purposes in which one of the samples was pure commercial coffee. The samples were processed by the basic methods of making coffee: roasting, grinding, and brewing.

The Sun Also Rises Hemingways Ideal Man essays

The Sun Also Rises Hemingways Ideal Man essays Of the segments of American society scarred by the anguish of the First World War, the damage was most severe amongst the younger generation of that time. Youthful and impressionable, these people were immersed headlong into the furious medley of death and devastation. By the time the war had ended, many found that they could no longer accept what now seemed to be pretentious and contradictory moral standards of nations that could be capable of such atrocities. Some were able to brush off the pain and confusion enough to get on with their lives. Others simply found themselves incapable of existing under their countrys thin facade of virtuousness and went abroad, searching for some sense of identity or meaning. These self-exiled expatriates were popularly known as the Lost Generation a term credited to Gertrude Stein, who once told Hemingway: Thats what you all are. All you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation... You have no respect for anything. You drink yourself to death.1 Many of these individuals tended to settle in Paris, a suitable conduit through which to pursue their new lifestyle. Content to drift through life, desperately seeking some sort of personal redemption through various forms of indulgence, these people had abandoned their old value system and heroes, only to find difficulty in finding new ones. A great deal of new literature was spawned in an effort to capture the attitudes and feelings of such individuals to reinvent a model of sorts for a people sorely lacking any satisfactory standard to follow. At the forefront of these writers was Ernest Hemingway, whose Novel, The Sun Also Rises, became just such a model, complete with Hemingways own definition of heroism. Many of the characters in the novel represented the popular stereotype of the post WWI expatriate Parisian: wanton and wild, with no real goals or ambitions. Mike Camp...

The Rather Interesting History of Speak and Spell

The Rather Interesting History of Speak and Spell The Speak and Spell is a handheld electronic device and educational toy with a very interesting place in history. The toy/learning aid was developed in the late 1970s by Texas Instruments and introduced to the public at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in June 1978. Its claim to fame is that the Speak and Spell was the first commercial product to use a brand new technology, called DSP technology. According to the IEEE: the Speak and Spell digital signal processing (DSP) innovation in audio processing is the starting milestone for the huge digital signal processing industry that has a more than $20 Billion market today. Using digital signal processing has grown tremendously with the development of analog to digital and digital to analog conversion chips and techniques. Digital signal processors are used in many of the consumer, industrial, and military applications. Digital Signal Processing By definition, DSP (short for digital signal processing) is the manipulation of analog information into digital. In Speak and Spells case, it was analog sound information that was converted into a digital form. The Speak and Spell was a product that was the result of Texas Instruments research into the area of synthetic speech. By being able to speak to children, the Speak and Spell was able to teach both the correct spelling and pronunciation of a word. Research and Development of the Speak and Spell The Speak and Spell marked the first time the human vocal tract had been electronically duplicated on a single chip of silicon. According to the manufacturers of the Speak and Spell, Texas Instruments, research on the Speak and Spell began in 1976 as a three-month feasibility study with a $25,000 budget. Four men worked on the project in its early stages: Paul Breedlove, Richard Wiggins, Larry Brantingham, and Gene Frantz. The idea for the Speak and Spell originated with engineer Paul Breedlove. Breedlove had been thinking about potential products that could use the capabilities of the new bubble memory (another Texas Instrument research project) when he came up with the idea for the Speak and Spell, originally named The Spelling Bee. With technology being what it was at that time period, speech data required a challenging amount of memory, and Texas Instruments agreed with Breedlove that something like the Speak and Spell could be a good application to develop. In an interview conducted by Benj Edwards of Vintage Computing with one of the Speak and Spell team members, Richard Wiggins, Wiggins reveals the basic roles of each of the team in the following way: Paul Breedlove originated the idea of a learning aid for spelling.Gene Frantz was responsible for the overall product design: spelling words, case design, display, and operation.Larry Brantingham was the integrated circuit designer.Richard Wiggins wrote the voice processing algorithms. Solid State Speech Circuitry The Speak and Spell was a revolutionary invention. According to Texas Instruments, it used an entirely new concept in speech recognition and unlike tape recorders and pull-string photograph records used in many speaking toys at the time, the solid-state speech circuitry it used had no moving parts. When it was told to say something it drew a word from memory, processed it through an integrated circuit model of a human vocal tract and then spoke electronically. Made specifically for the Speak and Spell, the Speak and Spell four created the first linear predictive coding digital signal processor integrated circuit, the TMS5100. In laymans terms, the TMS5100 chip was the first speech synthesizer IC ever made.

Question and answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question and answer - Essay Example The theory requires that the goods should be tradable to enable high cost countries to import goods from low-cost countries; therefore, forcing currency values back to purchasing power parity. The big mac index has relevance because although there are other methods of comparing efforts the Big Mac index receives a lot of attention. For example, the United Nations and the OCED are involved in the International Price Comparison Programme, which analyses a wide range of prices; hence, producing more demanding estimates of the exchange rates that would eradicate price dissimilarities between their members (Carbaugh 394). I would not substitute it with a basket of goods index because it reflects more than just the cost of meat, bread and vegetables, but also non-tradable elements such as labor and rent; hence, comparing countries roughly at the same stage of development. The basket of goods looks at the non-tradable imports and services indicating that they should be alike in different countries. The global consumption habits can be derived by establishing the international correlation risk where inequalities in food consumption should be determined. The basket of goods reflects the inequality in food consumption where the little there is in the food basket it reflects how the global market is working. The between link currency and international trade is determined by various factors such as differential inflation where a country with low inflation rates exhibits a rising currency values. Secondly, the link between the two is differential interest rates where exchange, interest, and inflation rates are highly correlated because by manipulating interest rates the central banks exert influence over inflation. Additionally, the link between currency and international trade is brought about by public debt and current account deficits where some countries work with money that they do not have in

Senior Information Technology Auditor for the consulting firm of Term Paper

Senior Information Technology Auditor for the consulting firm of Comroe - Term Paper Example This paper presents a description of an independent audit conducted on security, governance and business continuity assessment of Adams Brick Communications Company’s Information Technology. Introduction As the Senior Information Technology Auditor, it is my responsibility to ensure that the audit committee undertakes reviews and conduct tests and assessments on Information Technology department of the company that will provide management assurance that the business as a whole is operating effectively. Information Technology audit is basically responsible for reviewing both the operational and technical aspects of existing and planned computer systems in addition to assessing whether the risks they pose are significant or has the ability to add to the anticipated business specific risks. Adams Brick Communications Company heavily depends on Information Technology department in order to meet its goals and objectives as a business entity given that it is a communication company which generates most of its revenue from advertisements. The normal and up to standard functioning of the information technology of the company is therefore considered vital for the company’s survival. ... Â  The corporation is located in the heart of the city, with one satellite office in a nearby suburb. Â  ABC’s primary business is a local newspaper and news website. Â  They also have multiple small niche magazines that support special interests in the community. Â  All of these assets are supported through the advertising division of Adams Brick Communications. The company has its advertising division as its backbone given that it’s the main source of revenue even though its overall goal is to provide services to the community Information Technology governance The Information Technology Group (ITG) is tasked with supporting the endeavors of Adams Brick Communications. Â  It is led by the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and a staff of ten information technology professionals. Â  The CIO reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer, and is on the same level as the other executive officers of ABC. Â   ITG, while being led by the CIO, is split into three groups. Â  A two person networking team, a five person system administration team, and a three person team focused on security. Â  While the security team is responsible for privacy and security matters, it is mostly implemented by the two other teams. Â  The IT governance is handled by the Chief Information Officer. The networking team is responsible for the connectivity of Adams Brick Communications. Â  They are first responsible for ensuring that the business has appropriate bandwidth to support all business operations. Â  As new hosts are added to the network, the networking team must give them the lines needed to connect to the intranet. Â   The system administration team handles the equipment at the host level. Â  They ensure that proper hardware and software has been deployed at each user as needed.