Cost Benefit Analysis Essay

Abstract The City of Sanford initiated work on their Parks and Grounds City Project in 2004 with the development of Phase I of said project in an effort to create and build a better community for city residents. In doing so, they have been privy to obtaining various grants and funding that allowed them to extend the focus on the project to the Riverwalk and Seawall, while extending the phases of the Program to Street Revitalization, the Riverwalk Gateway, the Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center, and soon the Orlando Sanford International Airport. This document will note the cost-benefit analysis that took place in the development of the project. It will also state how such analysis is used for making decisions regarding public expenditures, the role the economic theory played in conducting research for this particular project as well as the influence of economic theory on the cost benefit analysis for this project. Public Finance Proposal Part I: Cost Benefit Analysis The consideration of costs and benefits in the evaluation of an upcoming city project is a rather logical process. In fact, it is important for city managers to take into account the project costs and benefits prior to implementation of said project. The process of developing the project idea is essential and thus consideration for the best course of action becomes essential to the process. Once these measures have been weighed out it is critical to compare the costs associated with implementing the courses of action addressed in the development phase. Decision-Making through Analysis Through the use of Cost Benefit Analysis, the City of Sanford City Management and board of county commissioners addressed the costs and benefits to the project at a time when the economy was starting to take a downturn. It was therefore critical to evaluate the project thoroughly and determine the feasibility of the costs to the city budget. Though cost benefit analysis probably could be best used in making quick and simple financial decisions (Mind Tools, 2012), one certainly can take away from this process the brainstorming involved in the initial decision making. Surely the city managers involved in the development of the city of Sanford Riverwalk Project addressed the needs of the community prior to development of the project. In fact, knowing the city’s history is critical in understanding the Department of Parks and Recreations focus on implementing such a plan. The City of Sanford’s focus on economic growth and the revitalization of the historic riverfront for which it is best known for is just one example of its efforts. Sanford’s focus on community development is clearly shown in its commitment to leisure activities designed to enhanced city resident’s quality of life. Although the city is known for its charming and traditional 19th century downtown area, it is also becoming more available to adjoining communities through its vibrant and fast paced interstate corridor. This corridor is best known to travelers from out of town by way of the Orlando Sanford International Airport as well as through the surrounding interstate (Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, 2009). It is clear that city managers focused on the development of the city in implementing the projects that would not only enhance the quality of life of residents, but also with the economic activity would also help improve the city through recognition by also providing advantages. In this case the benefits of implementing the city projects far outweighed the cost, and showed to be feasible enough to implement through use of federal grants such as the Community Development Block Grants and through partnerships with County Government in providing effective packages for such projects as these. The Role of Economic Theory Economic theory is an essential part in economic research, and even more so when discussing the development of city projects. The idea that the implementation of policies in budgetary issues would improve people’s lives is attractive to budget administrators and city administrators alike (Varian, 1989). In fact, it is most useful for evaluating the answers to common problems faced by local organizations. The determining factor is based on the approach taken to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. The use of Cost Benefit Analysis in City Projects , such as the Sanford Riverwalk, provides strategic analysis and planning of the recreational incentives for city residents. The city is based around surrounding popular cities known for their parks and recreation. The City of Altamonte Springs, Daytona Beach, and the City of Orlando are known for their state parks and touristic areas. Because the development of such a project would contribute to a competitive market and enhance the face value of the city, it is part of the overall analysis of the research conducted on this particular project. Influence of Economic Theory Economic theory was certainly influential in cost benefit analysis of this project. After all, in considering the allocation of resources and funds to be contributed to this particular project it is important to consider how the implementation of policies and use of budgetary items contribute to the enhancement of daily living. In addressing economic developments for the city it is critical to permit processes of analysis and improvements that provide a service to the development of the community and provide the ability to meet the Department representatives to discuss site specific development issues (City of Sanford Government, 2011). Reports generated over the years confirm the economic impact generated in the city in this past year to reflect over $15 million (City of Sanford Government, 2011), thus another example of the economic influence to the city’s development of said project. In the long run, the use of cost benefit analysis in development of community projects is a relatively easy tool that can be used to decide if a change is necessary in the community. Consideration of economic theory and the influence of that theory on the analysis of project development is essential in determining if the project will be effective and feasible for the local government. References City of Sanford Government. (2011). City Manager’s 2012 Annual Report . Sanford: City of Sanford. Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. (2009). Sanford Stats. Orlando : Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. Mind Tools. (2012, December 10). Retrieved from Mind Tools: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_08.htm Varian, H. R. (1989). What use is Economic Theory? University of California at Berkeley.

 Art of Characterization of Henry Fielding Essay

Joseph Andrews is Fielding’s first novel. It is a classical example of a literary work which started as a parody and ended as an excellent work of art in its own right. The work Fielding intended to parody was Richardson’s first novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded which had taken England by storm in the years following 1740 when it was first published. In his novel Fielding intended in the beginning to show how Lady Booby (aunt of â€Å"Lord B. † in Richardson’s novel) attempts the virginity of Joseph Andrews, described as the virtuous Pamela’s brother but in the end discovered to be different. The whole intention was comic. But after Chapter IX Joseph Andrews seems to break away completely from the original intention. Parson Adams, who has no counterpart in Pamela, runs away with the novel. He â€Å"is one of the most living, lovable, comical bundles of wisdom and simplicity in all literature. † In the words of Edmund Gosse, â€Å"Parson Abraham Adams, alone, would be a contribution to English letters. † He indeed is the hero of the novel, and not Joseph Andrews. Fielding was aware of giving a new literary form with Joseph Andrews which he called â€Å"a comic epic in prose. † Fielding is a great master of the art of characterization also. Fielding’s broad human sympathy coupled with his keen observation of even the faintest element of hypocrisy in a person is his basic asset as a master of characterization. He laughs and makes us laugh at many of his characters, but he is never cynical or misanthropic. He is a pleasant satirist, sans malice, sans harshness. He gives no evidence of being angry at the foibles of his characters or of holding a lash in readiness. His comic creations resemble those of Chaucer and Shakespeare. Parson Trulliber and Falstaff, if they were to meet, would have immediately recognized each other! Fielding is one of the greatest humorists in English literature. The same comic spirit which permeates his plays is also evident in his novels. As he informs us, the author upon whom he modeled himself was Cervantes; it is not surprising, therefore, that comedy should be his method. Fielding’s humor is wide in range. It rises from the coarsest farce to the astonishing heights of the subtlest irony. On one side is his zestful description of various fights and, on the other, the grim irony of Jonathan Wild. Higher! than both is that ineffable, pleasant, and ironic humor that may be found everywhere in Tom Jones but is at its best in Joseph Andrews where it plays like summer lightning around the figure of Parson Adams-an English cousin of Don Quixote. Fielding’s very definition of the novel as â€Å"a comic epic in prose† is indicative of the place of humor and comedy in his novels and, later, those of many of his followers. It may be pointed out here that Richardson had no sense of humor; he was an unsmiling moralist and sentimentalist. Comparing the two, Coleridge says: â€Å"There is a cheerful, sunshiny, breezy spirit that prevails everywhere strongly contrasted with the close, hot, tfay-dreamy continuity of Richardson. † Fielding’s humor is sometimes of the satiric kind, but he is never harsh or excessively cynical.

Concert Orchestra experience Essay

I went to the UNT Concert Orchestra on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012. It was held in Winspear Hall at the Murchison Performing Arts Center at 8:00 pm. The Concert was led by Conductor Clay Couturiaux and featured soloist Christopher Deane, who played the Marimba. The first piece was Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a (1894) by Anton Arensky (1861-1906). The piece was written in 1894, in tribute to Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). It was based on the theme from the poem â€Å"Legend†, written by Richard Henry Stoddard (1825-1903). This poem portrays the crucifixion of Christ. Arensky admired Tchaikovsky so much that he used the theme of â€Å"Legend† for a set of variations in the second movement of his Second String Quartet. This piece’s style is a themes and variations. Its instrumentation includes Cello solo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (A), 2 Bassoons + 2 Horns (F) + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses. The second piece was Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 34 (1957) by Robert Kurka (1921-1957). This piece introduced the marimba, which proved to the musical world that it could contend with instruments that had been used in orchestras and also provide a unique sound to the traditional orchestras played in regular concerts. This piece’s style is solo concerto. Its instrumentation includes the marimba and the orchestra. The third piece was Pictures at an Exhibition (1874) by Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881). This piece was inspired by the paintings of the artist Viktor Hartmann (1834-1873). This piece’s style is an orchestral suite. Its instrumentation includes 3 Flutes (2nd and 3rd doubling Piccolos), 3 Oboes (3rd doubling Cor Anglais), 2 Clarinets in A and Bb, Bass Clarinet in A and Bb, Alto Saxophone, 2 Bassoons, Double Bassoon, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpet in C, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion (xylophone, triangle, rattle, whip, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal), 2 Harps, Celesta, and Strings. I picked the pieces was Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a (1894) by Anton Arensky and Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 34 (1957) by Robert Kurka. Both of these pieces were distinctly different than one another. The piece by Arensky depicts a sense of deep sadness and despair as a whole. It starts out containing elements of intimacy and moves towards a slow moving harmony. The structure of the music matched the structure of the original poem. The variations of sounds expressed many shifting moods such as a dialogue between instruments. Mood changed quickly throughout the piece and showed different parts of the melody, from increments of joy, to sadness, to a deep sorrow. The rhythm seamlessly continued throughout the piece acting towards each of the different themes described in its construction. The piece by Kurka produced a new and different type of classical music that is unique to the orchestra. The use of the marimba stood out from the traditional orchestral instruments. The first movement begins with an alternation between the marimba and the orchestra. Its upbeat sound resonates in a catchy chiming sound whose rhythm is clear yet unexpected. It provides a playful side to a usually stern and focused orchestra. As the second movement begins, it as if the marimba is communicating to the orchestra itself. As if it is trying to fit in with these classic types of instruments through its unique dynamics and resounding tone. It seems to clash with its orchestral counterparts. By the third movement, it seems as if all the instruments reach an agreement on the legitimacy of the marimba through its colorful and exciting solo. Although both pieces are completely different than one another, they both exhibit emotion. Arensky exhibits cruel sounding music that discusses the importance of religion and a series of events that affects a wide variety of people. It evokes a sense of despair that expresses a deep sounding melody. Kurka exhibits a different type of music that discusses the marimba’s rise to becoming a part of classical orchestra. Its colorful timbre expresses a joyful and unique melody that pleases the human ear. Anton Arensky (12 July 1861 -25 February 1906), was a Russian composer of Romantic classical music, a pianist and a professor of music. Pyotr Tchaikovsky was the greatest influence on Arensky’s musical compositions. Indeed, Rimsky-Korsakov said, â€Å"In his youth Arensky did not escape some influence from me; later the influence came from Tchaikovsky. He will quickly be forgotten. † The perception that he lacked a distinctive personal style contributed to long-term neglect of his music, though in recent years a large number of his compositions have been recorded. Therefore, his values are seemingly non-existent because of the major influence of Tchaikovsky and absence of his own personal work. Throughout the performance I did perceive a strong sense of historical value and defines not who Arensky was, but his role model Tchaikovsky and how his music conveyed a strong sense of religious value. Kurka’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra was the first marimba work to enjoy both widespread public appeal and widespread recognition of having a high level of musical sophistication fit for the concert hall. It debuted during the modern style period. It provided important historical value by Kurka finally representing everything that early marimba composers set out to do in one piece: create a sophisticated and serious musical work that is both challenging to the performer and which has widespread public appeal. I perceived an ongoing struggle throughout the piece, but as the performance continued it conveyed the struggle the instrument had to do in order to become a prominent part of the classical orchestra. Citatation Keunning, G. (1999). Symphony of the canyons. Retrieved from http://lasr. cs. ucla. edu/geoff/prognotes/mussorgsky/pictures. html Strain, James. â€Å"Vida Chenoweth. † Percussive Notes 32. 6 (1994): 8-9. Print. Stevens, Leigh Howard. â€Å"An Interview with Vida Chenoweth. † Percussive Notes 15. 3 (2002): 22-25. PAS Online Archive . Weir, Martin. â€Å"Catching up with Vida Chenoweth. † Percussive Notes 32. 3 (1994): 53-55. Print.

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business management - Essay Example The implication of this approach and changes made on the part of RBS are also provided. Keywords: Royal Bank of Scotland, changes, complexities, leadership, success Table of Content Page Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 RBS Approach 4 Evaluating RBS success with emancipated changes 5 Conclusion 5 References 6 Introduction The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) leads in providing financial services in Europe since 1727. With that, it has pioneered major leading moves to sustain its competitive advantage in its industry. The bank for such a long period of time has managed complexities, but recently it also needs to cope with change. This means the bank needs not only to develop elemental management approaches, but including leadership innovations in its industry to ensure emancipation of change. As part of its ability to take the lead in its industry, there were various essential moves RBS attempted to initiate in order to promote high level of achievement for its set goals and in order to achieve the required change for it to be able to be on top in its industry. Therefore there is no other definite move that RBS should demonstrate than to ensure emancipation of change as it tries to formulate actual effort to address the changing needs in the industry for financial services. After all, to ensure high level of leadership, coping with change is necessary (Kotter, 1998). No one could contest the fact that major organizations providing financial services have to initiate change, and not doing so would only lead to their detriment in the future. The RBS has undertaken a series of changes in recent years. In this report, the proponent tries to describe the approach that the bank has taken to manage change. The proponent also assesses the success of these changes. Part of this report is an explanation on why RBS finally made the kind of approach it has undertaken recently. RBS Approach As a leading financial service provider, RBS does not only ensure the achievement of hi gher revenue for its offered services, but above everything, profitability. To guarantee certain level of profitability, there were important trends RBS initiated for years. These include the following: Differentiated offerings through diversified customer segments. High level in coping with change and complexities through creation of management roles and organizational structures. Strong support for the human resource. Quick adoption to external changes. Market segmentation strategy is made possible through segmenting customers into retail, commercial and corporate. The good thing about this strategy is to make sure of maximizing opportunity for RBS by providing to various needs of its target customers to end up with sustainable operation. As a result, RBS has finally succeeded today in providing personal, private, business and corporate banking experience for diverse customer segments particularly in the UK, leading to a programme of raising capital around ?20 billion in 2008 (The Royal Bank of Scotland, 2012). RBS is also known for its ability to create management roles and organization structures. In fact, it has become one major component of its expansion. RBS was remarkable in its acquisition strategy especially in the nineteenth and twentieth century (House of Commons Treasury Committee, 2009, p.18). By then, RBS was already renowned a â€Å"a leading banking partner to major corporations and financial institutions around the world, providing an extensive range of

Policy Corruption in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina Essay

Policy Corruption in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina - Essay Example However, this may not always hold true. For one reason or another, there are countries in which those part of the law enforcement agency are not only poor or incompetent at their job, but are more concerned of pursuing their own self-interests rather than to serve and to protect. Of course, the most instinctive solution would be to kick them out of the force, but even this does not always happen – often because the higher-ups remain ignorant, or worse, are themselves complicit in such morally questionable acts. While no law enforcement agency can ever be characterized as perfect – not least because each one will have at least a few shortcomings or problem areas to balance out its strengths – there are those that go as far as they can in the other extreme, not just failing to enforce and uphold law and order but even actively undermining it. In such a case, the so-called law enforcers become little more than goons in uniform, terrorizing the public in a manner not unlike the criminals they are supposed to be hunting down. Unfortunately, even in this day and age, there are law enforcement agencies which can be aptly described in such a manner. One of the more infamous examples in recent memory is the New Orleans Police Force, which was rocked by all manner of issues such as corruption and police brutality in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This paper is thus intended as a look at the corruption that rocked the NOPD to its foundations in the immediate aftermath of the calamity, hopefully in order to draw conclusions about how best to prevent such a scandal from recurring in the future. NOPD – The Corruption As noted in the New York Times by Treaster and Newman (2005), the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina saw the bulk of the police force dedicated to mounting rescue efforts all over the city. Unfortunately, this also meant that they ended up turning a blind eye to the opportunists who chose that moment to enrich themselves at the cost of th e victims of the disaster. As a matter of fact, the inaction of the police force to these crimes resulted in criminals becoming so audacious as to commit crimes not only in broad daylight, but even in front of officers themselves in some cases – often with only a slap on the wrist to show for it, if at all. In fact, the situation got so bad that even then-City Councilor Jackie Clarkson was forced to acknowledge and lament the rapidly deteriorating situation. The calamity that had struck only recently at that time led to a major, major breakdown in channels of transportation and communications, which in turn led to a disquieting impotence on the part of police officers to properly counteract the terrible, terrible spike in crime rates. Looting in particular became alarmingly common during this time, with the shopkeepers involved forced to defend their property all by themselves. Armed robbery also reached a disturbing level of frequency at this point in the history of New Orle ans, with most of the victims being robbed at gunpoint. For the most part, though, the looting incidents that were reported simply involved calamity victims gathering basic necessities such as food, water and clothing from unattended stores – which, while still being far from legally or morally permissible, were much more understandable in light of the terrible, terrible damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

Native Son by Richard Wright Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Native Son by Richard Wright - Essay Example Mrs. Thomas argues has been projected to argue with Bigger because she considers Bigger to be the fault behind poverty of their family (Wright). Gun and Blum are Bigger’s friends who have helped him in several robberies. In the wake of the story, it has become obvious that Bigger is not satisfied with his activities of robbing white men. His fears are to be caught as he believed that white men are smart enough to find out the reasons of loopholes. It is for this reason that Bigger continues to be rude to his friends because consciously he believes that it is better to be rude to them than robbing white men (Wright). The fears of Bigger take him to a delusion phase of his life where he believes that white men are natural force. For instance, he notes that he is a coward when he kills Mary. He finds out the fact that he is a brutal man who never understood that life had value. While holding the corpse of Mary to stuff her in the furnace, he is frightened of himself which ultimately tells him that white men are natural force

Career - Plan B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Career - Plan B - Essay Example To get there, I need to focus on mathematics and science as the fundamentals of piloting. After high school, I will attend aviation specific flight technology; undertake a two-year program on flight maintenance and aviation management. Then, I will undertake a four-year aeronautical science-a course that focuses on flight maintenance and finish with a four-year aviation management course that deals with airline management, airport management, and flight support. This is the position of learning to fly and training as well as where I will receive college credit for my experience. While experienced pilots earn up to $250,000, regional airlines pay its beginner pilots from $60,000 to around $80,000 depending on their experience. The starting point shall be an aviation faculty, and climb my way up through dispatcher position, student pilot, and air traffic controller and end up piloting in Manchester airport. Air traffic controller’s earnings range from $37,000 to $132,000 per 12 months (Grewe 3421–3433) depending on experience. My greatest weakness is a tendency to tardiness, but once I started setting the alarm at about 30 minutes earlier, and setting the phone to remind me of appointments, I have not been late once within the last five months. My strengths include talent, knowledge, power, experience, and willingness to

Personal statement for PHD admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal statement for PHD admission - Essay Example Likewise, my Bachelor’s degree represented a total GPA of 3.13; with a major in Computer Engineering. Pior diplomas and associate’s degrees were earned in Computer Networking Techniques and Mechanical Technology; with respective GPAs in excess of 3.7. As can be noted from this cursory examination of prior scholarship, my interests in this field have not come to me recently; instead, they have been the result of a lifelong interest in science and technology; as well as an overarching interest in how efficiency can be achieved and greater usefulness represented to broader humanity from existing and newly developed technologies. As I am currently within my very last semester of my Master’s program, I am only taking one course at the current time; ECE602. As such, with all of my available free time devoted towards achieving the highest grades possible within this particular course, I am confident that my GPA will increase from the point that has been listed currently. A further rational for seeking to apply for this Ph.D. program is contingent upon the fact that I have a great deal of familiarity working with Professor Chien; an individual who has proved instrumental in guiding me throughout my graduate work thus far. Upon asking him as to whether or not he would work with me as a potential graduate student, Professor Chien readily agreed. This is partially due to the fact that I have had a long working relationship with him over the course of ECE471, ECE487, and ECE488; all of which I served as a TA for him. Furthermore, my working relationship with Professor Chien extends beyond merely working as a TA; as last summer Professor Chien inquired as to my availability for TASI (Transportation Active Safety Institute). While working on this project, I worked closely with both Professor Chien and stakeholders within Toyota as we worked to develop a car safety project that utilized distance sensors as a means of effecting safety

Why I choose accounting as my major Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Why I choose accounting as my major - Essay Example Financial accounting is the reporting of the financial information about a particular organization or company to the external stakeholders or potential stakeholder that include, investors, suppliers and regulators, the report is mostly in the form of financial statements. Management accounting mostly focuses on measurement analyzing, and reporting of financial information for internal use in decision making by the management. Bookkeeping which is also done by accountants, is the process of recording all the financial transactions of an organization that will be used to provide summaries that are usually presented in final reports of most of these financial reports. Most of the time the processes of accounting are done by accounting organizations that are not usually part of an organization. They come in as external auditor to assess the efficiency with which a particular company is managing finances. One of the most basic motivations towards one undertaking a particular major in college is the interest and conformity with the requirements of that particular degree. In my case, accounting has been my major area of interest for the fact that it offers diverse opportunities to learn the business market and how it operates. At the same time, one has to ensure that he or she understands the basic requirement in terms of personal attributes for optimal performance. For instance, while working as an accountant, one has to be good at mathematics, detail oriented and organized. Most of the time, the workload given to an accountant is manageable and one can be able to meet the targets easily. However, as Bragg (34) affirms, it needs some degree of organization to enable one to carry on tasks within stipulated time and with maximum attention. Moreover, accounting deals with mathematics when coming up with the reports, therefore before one decides to take on the career, they have to be certain that they

Saving the world Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Saving the world - Case Study Example This is not only chaotic but also challenging as it involves managing teams spread all over the globe. The management will need to make the response center teams smaller and more specific to their roles to ensure there is maximum and timely delivery. Tin order to use technical, human and conceptual skills, the company ensures that working never comes to a standstill. This is attained by ensuring that when one team in Dublin works one day, the team in Santa Monica takes over and when they finish their day, the team in Tokyo steps in the next day and they pass it to Dublin to continue with the cycle. This ensures that the workers are not bored with the routine work, which helps them get motivated and work in a professional manner. Since its foundation in 982, the company puts a great emphasis on customer service and innovation by stating their commitment to provide solutions and security in information management and in efficient manner. The management and workers are guided by a set of values that ensure the customers are always the focus of their products through customer driven strategizing. In innovation, the company uses open innovation helps the company to provide the customers with the best products. There are several lessons that other managers can learn from Patrick Fitzgerald and the way Symantec approaches its work. This include, working with diverse people at the global level, maintaining efficiency through the use of smaller teams, managing time efficiently, putting emphasis on worker motivation and trying to break work

Questions Educators must ask Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Questions Educators must ask - Essay Example Ever since Charles Darwin published his book , 'The Origin of the Species' in the nineteenth century, scientific thought has been focused on the theory of evolution. Many experiments have been conducted on the subject of evolution. According to a recent report in The Economist, many of the researches are motivated by "pre-conceived ideas that one lot of people are somehow better than another lot rather than being a disinterested investigation of regional variations in a single species and the evolutionary pressures that have created them." (The Economist ) This attitude of some scientific researchers questions the methods and assumptions that they follow. The assumption that experiments on animals give us a better insight into human nature also falls in this category. Human beings belong to the family of mammals, which inhabit the earth with millions of other organisms, from the largest to the tiniest. The erect walk, freeing the hands , the retractable thumb and the big brain with its enormous problem solving capacity, makes the human being seem to be highly advanced. But at the same time we must not forget that all inhabitants of the earth share the same water and atmosphere. This makes them partners in a symbiotic relationship. To think that human beings are advanced animals seems to be logical, but at the same time, the actions of human beings in jeopardizing the health of the planet we live in seems to show that they are not so advanced after all. No other animal on earth causes wars, is so greedy that it steals from its own home, nor changes the climate. An important question that an educator must ask himself is, "Are we innocent or evil Are we pre disposed to make appropriate or inappropriate choices" All human beings are born with a conscience which tells them whether an action is good or bad. According to Kantian theory, a human being is pre disposed to make choices for the good of the society as a whole. As Will Durant puts it, ""The most astounding reality of all our experience is precisely, our moral sense, our inescapable feeling, in the face of temptation, that this or that is wrong".(Durant 270) According to Kant, people follow the moral law regardless of profit or loss to themselves. As human beings, we are predisposed to make the appropriate choices. We are born with a feeling of goodness in our hearts. The so called evil actions are a result of greed and hatred fomented by circumstances. To the question, "Are we a collection of components or a unitary structure" the answer is obvious. Since we are a part of the planet, with a symbiotic relationship with myriad other living things small and big, we cannot consider ourselves as a unitary structure .Our nature as human beings has made us gregarious. We learn better in social settings. Since our brains are programmed to learn by active construction of meaning and design, we acquire knowledge by the Active learning process. Human learning is enhanced by the social interaction. Life itself is interaction with other persons or animals. A small

Multinational Expansion Of Companies Essay Example for Free

Multinational Expansion Of Companies Essay Ghe increasing multinational expansion of companies requires individuals who can perform effectively across national borders by handling cross national job assignments (Stahl Bjorkman 2006). Expatriates/international assignees are employees who work outside their national borders. A lot depends on human resource (HR) management in selecting appropriate workforce and rewarding them accordingly in company’s best interests. HR managers need to show expertise in choosing suitable personnel for international assignments based on employee’s personal characteristics, interests, overseas experience and the type international assignment. Moreover, it becomes the responsibility of HR managers to look after compensation packages, and compliance with regional work standards and government policies. Hence, it is necessary to review all these issues in detail to gain an idea on the role of HR professionals in relation to international assignees. Firstly, to understand the aspects of expatriate selection and functions, it is first necessary to review the reason for global expansion of companies and their requirements. Companies Go Global   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are various reasons for companies choosing international existence. They include increased pressure on costs, search for new markets, greater customer demands and product and service qualities, government policies, search and desire for technology development, worldwide communication and information flow, increasing global opportunities with interdependence of nations in trading blocs, integrating cultures and values leading to common consumer demands, availability of skilled workforce, decreasing trade barriers, and E-commerce (Briscoe Schuler 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This increasing globalization requires companies to look for employees with ability to operate at varied conditions. Accordingly, various criteria are set for the selection of international assignees. International assignees may be parent-country nationals (PCNs), host-country nationals (HCNs) or third-country nationals (TCNs) Selection of International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human resource (HR) managers have a major role in selecting international assignees. The highly followed selection process includes self-selection, creating a candidate pool, technical skills assessment and making a mutual decision (Frazee 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HR management has to consider several criterion before selecting the candidates, such as candidate’s maturity, ability to handle foreign languages, possession of favorable outlook on the international assignment by the expatriate and his/her family (Briscoe Schuler 2004). Apart from these personal characteristics like health, desire for the assignment, individual resourcefulness and adaptability are very important.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International assignees should have various qualities such as computer literacy, prudent negotiating skills, ability as a change agent, visionary skills and effective delegatory skills (Briscoe Schuler 2004). Functions of International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The functions of international assignees may include all or any of the following areas depending on job responsibilities. Technical responsibilities Managerial responsibilities Cultural responsibilities such as interacting with local nationals and local communities In general, global long term assignments may vary between two and five years. In long term assignments employees are generally loaned to the host company by the home company (Mullaney 2007, p. 3). The position and seniority of the assignee often determine the nature of the assignment package. Executive assignees are seen as prominent members of the local management team, whereas assignees at manager level or below are credited with career development opportunity. An Insight on the Roles of HR Managers In the current globalization arena, the role of human resource (HR) personnel in relation to international assignments should be viewed in specific perspectives: human resource personnel and international assignees, and the role of past experience in dealing with diverse employees. Whatever the role is, the basic requirements are openness to people, flexibility, autonomy, and career motivation (Frazee, 1998, p. 29). Firstly, the phases in selection of international assignees can be described as self-selection, creation of a candidate pool, assessment of technical skills, and making a mutual decision. Firstly, the candidate has to self analyze whether he or she can be a global assignee. Moreover, the favorability of family and other conditions need to be evaluated. In selecting global assignees, it is better to opt for self-selection than traditional selection. While traditional selection in meant for choosing assignees by employers through various interviews and tests, self-selection promotes self-assessment of candidates and decide on whether or not to go for the next step for selection process (Frazee, 1998, p. 29). The factors of self-selection include personality and individual characteristics, career and family issues. According to Johns, in case of personnel who shift from another position to HR, the experience in past positions and the change of influencing abilities pertaining to the post may help perform better as a HR manager in dealing with employees from different backgrounds (as cited in Frazee, 1998, p. 52).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, HR managers do have a major role in proper orientation of global assignees and making them adjust with new environment. Moreover, HR personnel need to evaluate the costs associated with expatriate programs. Finally, they may have to deal with situations where employees may rise about differences in compensation between local and global assignees. Requirements of International Business Management in the Context of HR Professional in Working with International Assignees In my opinion, such requirements as workforce planning and staffing, training and health safety, and Crisis Management are the central issues of international business management in the context of HR profession when working with international assignees. The most significant subject for planning of training for international assignees is the importance of understanding the restricted culture and language. The organization of the compensation programs for multiple workforces around the world is a compound and not an easy work that is put into effect with the help of the balance sheet approach.   Health and safety practices vary among countries as per related laws in those countries. However, HR managers should understand and cope with business decisions that are concerned with strategies, health and safety systems, and different practices faced in countries that may have an impact upon workforces and employee relations between international assignees. So, the requirements include learning the laws, systems of working and understanding the cultures of the countries. Global HR activities that involve preparation, scheming, structuring, implementing, organizing, or developing may be unsuccessful if they are used without considering the differences in countries. Successful processes and systems that are used in one country may fail when they are used in the same way in another one. All the aspects of the international business have a human element. The human recourse management was underestimated for a long time, but its functions and roles, nowadays, are accepted to be one of the most important. Nevertheless, ‘the HR professionals must first learn the geography and characteristics of the field’ (Ohmae, 1990). Potential Involvement of International HRM   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the increasing human resource problems in the multinational companies due to increased global operations, it has become to necessary to redefine the scope and role of the human resource management.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International HRM should be involved as a active partner in formulating global strategies. Necessary skills need to be imparted into senior HR professional through proper training. HR professionals should lead developing processes and activities involving emerging strategies (Briscoe Schuler 2004, p. 398). Companies should facilitate the development of global strategies by finding out the skills necessary for management and employees, and a major role should be played by the HR department in accomplishing it (Briscoe Schuler 2004, p. 398). Enhanced interaction is essential among line management, HR personnel and workgroups. Moreover, it is better to decentralize the functions of the headquarters IHR departments. Also, main HR departments should assign basic administrative responsibilities to venders with expertise in HR activities, as the main departments will need to deal with many growing global responsibilities (Briscoe Schuler 2004, p. 398). Expatriate Performance, Training and Interactions Joint ventures and foreign subsidiaries are usually structured and organized much like their mother companies; the only distinction is that they have both expatriate and local managers. That’s why the international business operations are more difficult and have more complex structure than the domestic business operations. Regardless of the effectiveness or availability of Performance Management (PM) tools, expatriate PM success depends largely on the manager and expatriate in question: how well they both understand, internalize, and accept PM, and how skillful they are in its implementation. To this end, appropriate PM training should be available for all expatriates, including their superiors. (Johnson 2003). The high level of the performance management of the expatriate leads to improvements in their careers and company’s development.   The performance management system that is used in the global business includes a lot of areas of international human recourse management responsibility, such as evaluating foreign managers and international assignees for pay increases. However, one of the most important obstacles to the successful administration and progress of these managers and international assignees is the regular require of recognition of the value of their overseas experience and expatriation, in general, and the casualness with which companies often evaluate these international assignees foreign performance. Certainly, big enterprises that have a lot of overseas assignees and many foreign subsidiaries say that ‘most (83%) do not use performance management to measure international assignees success. And many (35%) dont use any type of measurement at all.’ (Andersen 1999, p. 18) One of the most important factors that influences upon the international assignees’ performance is the performance appraisal system of the company. However the correct and effective system of the performance appraisals is not an easy task even in the native country. The knowledge and the skills that have to be developed by the international assignees differ a lot from the abilities of the workers of the company that is located in the native country should have.   The international assignee and other foreign managers have to increase and make use of the knowledge that is necessary for any managerial assignment without any doubt. The requirement for more number of highly qualified human resource personnel has resulted in the need to use larger numbers of foreign nationals. ‘Most multinational firms favor hiring local nationals for foreign subsidiaries, home-country nationals at headquarters, and, where a regional organization exists, a mix of foreign and home-country managers for regional positions.’ (Johnson 2003) Thanks to such method of international HR management the ethnic groups unite usually varies with the environment of a firms business and with the product strategy. So, the role of the staff that works at the native country diminishes in the case of lowering the importance of the area expertise. The principal subject for a large amount of companies in the management of their international assignment system is the arrangement of the competing interests of the firm, international HR management, and the international assignees and family. The business that is concerned about its globalization requires fast deed in order to produce innovative revenues, and to direct the expenses and threats involved with doing that. International human resource department requires adequate lead time to discover and choose successful international assignees. As Ohmae (1990) writes ‘they need a low enough case load of international assignees to be able to provide good service; they want to be able to apply an effective process for selecting and developing quality of international assignees candidates; and they desire to be able to apply a consistent policy of treatment of international assignees.’ International assignees themselves, and their families, need sufficient compensation for the individual and profession sacrifice they make while they relocate; they would like their family concerns to be given essential priority; and they look ahead to   be able to come back to a profession promotion that   takes benefit of their foreign practice. So, the way to success in the global operations is to satisfy the needs of companies and the needs of international assignees. The role of international assignees is very significant; because whether the business strategy will be clear and understandable all over the world depend on their working performance. In order to improve the results of the work there are a large amount of programs that consist of relevance, acceptability, sensitivity and practicality. The factor of relevance means that the HR manager and the worker should realize the relevance of their labor in the general activity and to evaluate the situation correctly. Acceptability is the right evaluation of the job from the side of the HR manager and the diligent execution of the duties by the expatriate. It needs to be seen as fair, reasonable, and accurate. Sensitivity is the attitude of the administration that includes taking into consideration cultural differences and adequacy in evaluating the business reality. The fact that the programs should be practical for the expatriates is also important. They should correspond to the business strategy and be not difficult to execute but not to simple. In this case there is a threat that such program will be done partially. These entire characteristics have to be implemented by the HR managers and need special attention. Compensation for International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International HR department has to create compensation packages that appropriate for employees and profitable to the companies. The components of a balance sheet approach that are helpful in determining expatriate compensation are described below. Home-country salaries International standard Regional standard Better of home or host policy Expatriate Failures The three main reasons for expatriate failure are inappropriate selection, inadequate preparation and the stress associated with expatriation (Enderwick Dunning 1994). Proper training of expatriates before giving international assignments is necessary to overcome failure. All in all, performance of international assignees depends greatly on proper selection and training. Moreover, appropriate compensation packages are necessary. Women as International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Coming to the gender differences in international assignees, there are important aspects to consider. It has been observed that though the number of women employees is increasing over the years, they are not making a substantiate percentage in international assignments. To be precise, in spite of having 47% women workforce in the United States by 1998, only 13% to 14% were selected for international assignments (Varma et al. 2004). Also, in spite of having 30% female students in MBA programs in the US, only 14% are being selected by corporate America for international postings (Koretz, 1999).   Furthermore, the estimated number of female expatriates is between 2 and 5 percent only (Harris, 1993).There are multiple reasons for this scenario.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The important cause is the reluctance of management to send women employees abroad stating that they face more prejudice than men at the new workplace. Also, supervisor-subordinate relationship seems to be an important factor. It was found that female employees showed higher agreement with female supervisors than males (Varma et al. 2004). It becomes crucial, as most of cases require women to interact with male supervisors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other related reasons can be explained such as over estimation of women’s problems at workplace by males, and lower availability of corporate development programs such as fast track programs, individual career counseling and career planning workshops for women. Further reasons include the traditional confinement of women to only certain job categories, socio-cultural issues of host countries and the problems of dual career couples. Conclusion In conclusion it is necessary to say that global HRM is more democratic than it was earlier. It provides employees with lots of opportunities and possibilities without paying attention to such factors as cultural characteristics or racial prejudices. Global HRM tries to present cultural diversity at all level of organizations. HRM model in public sector is characterized by lifetime employment, social cohesiveness and seniority wages. The vitality of organization is less important in the country that family ties and friendship. It is seen that GCC countries are not greatly influenced by globalization processes. Managers try to promote their relatives instead of teaching staff how to work. HRM model in the private sector is only on the evolution stage. It is still trying to find innovative ways how to manage the staff effectively. It is recommended for strategic human resource management of future to be characterized by cultural diversity and equal job opportunities for all people. HRM should use the concepts of globalization and labor division in order to achieve highest results. HRM should provide qualified employees with proper positions. Human resource managers should also have highest qualification and professionalism to achieve company’s goals and objectives. One more recommendation is to create more job places and to provide people with them. The cultural dimensions of power distance index, individualism, masculinity, uncertainly avoidance index and long-term orientation are necessary to be studied by the HR managers. The improvements of the programs that are aimed at the expatriate’s learning should include relevance, acceptability, sensitivity and practicality. As the result the production will increase as well as the organization’s revenue and profits. All in all, HR management has a great responsibility in company’s success pertaining to international assignments. They need to identify required personnel with adequate skills and experience to carry out international assignments. HR managers should plan proper reward packages to retain efficient employees on international assignments. Moreover, they need to adjust existing and adopt new policies in order to gain compliance with respective country’s policies and standards. Also, they are supposed to plan and implement relevant training for employees to perform effectively as international assignees. References 1998, ‘ROI on International Assignees’, HR Focus, Vol. 75, no. 3, p. S5. Briscoe, D. R. Schuler, R. 2004, International Human Resource Management, Second Edition, Routledge, London and New York. Budhwar, Pawan. Human Resource Management in Developing Countries. London:   Routledge. Chiavenato, Idalberto. 2001. â€Å"Advances and Challenges in Human Resource Management in the New Millennium†. Public Personnel Management, 30, pp. 17-25. Dunning, Joseph. 1999. Governments, Globalization and International Business. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Eaton, Jack 2000. â€Å"Transnational Companies, Globalization and Industrial†, Comparative Employment Relations, Cambridge, Polity Press. Enderwick, P. Dunning, J. H. 1994, Transnational Corporations and Human Resources, vol. 16, Routledge, New York. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘An HR Pro Forges a Well-rounded perspective’, Workforce, Vol. 77, no. 2, p. 52. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘No Common Thread in Expat Selection’, Workforce, 4, 4, p. 9. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘Selecting Global Assignees’, Workforce, 3, no. 4, pp. 28-30. Harris, H. 1993, ‘Women in international management: Opportunity or threat?’,Women in Management Review, 8, no. 5, pp. 9-14. Hofstede, Geert.1998. International and Cross-Cultural Management Research. Sage: Jean Claude Usunier. Iii, Edward E. Lawler. 2003. Creating a Strategic Human Resources Organization: An Assessment of Trends and New Directions. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Johnson, David. 2003. International Business: Themes and Issues in the Modern Global Economy. London: Routledge. Kim, Pan Suk. 1999. â€Å"Globalization of Human Resource Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective for the Public Sector†. Public Personnel Management, vol. 28, pp. 27-37 Koretz, G. 1999, ‘A Womans Place Is..  :Men Frown on Female Execs Abroad’, Business Week, 3646, no. 28, p. 28. Less Available to Female than to Male Expatriates?’, Journal of Business Ethics, 43, no.  ½, pp. 125-136. Mullaney, E. 2007, ‘Global Mobility in a Brave New World’, International Assignment Perspectives, PricewaterhouseCoopers, pp. 1-54. Ohmae, K. 1990. The Borderless World. New York: HarperCollins. Rowden, Robert W. 1999. â€Å"Potential Roles of the Human Resource Management Professional in the Strategic Planning Process†. SAM Advanced Management Journal, vol. 64, pp. 22-28. Selmer, J. and Leung, A. S. M. 2003, ‘Are Corporate Career Development Activities Sims, Ronald R 2002. Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Solomon, C. M. 1997, ‘Destination U.S.A.’, Workforce, pp. 18-22. Sparrow, Paul, Brewster, Chris and Harris, Hilary. 2004 â€Å"Globalization and HRM†, Globalizing Human Resource Management, Oxon, Routledge. Spring, Joel. 1998. Education and the Rise of the Global Economy. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Stahl, G. K. Bjorkman, I. 2006, Handbook of Research in International Human Resource Management, Edward Elgar. Varma, A., Stroh, L. K. Schmitt, L. B. 2001, ‘Women and International Assignments:   The Impact of Supervisor-subordinate Relationships’, Journal of World Business, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 380-388.

Effect of Temperature on Shelf Stability of Soybean-corn Oil

Effect of Temperature on Shelf Stability of Soybean-corn Oil STUDY OF EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON SHELF STABILITY OF SOYBEAN-CORN OIL BLENDS. Atul Thakkar*, Jayshree Parikh** Abstract Soybean oil because of certain advantages is cultivated on large scale in recent years in India particularly in M.P, U.P, and part of Maharashtra. Soybean oil meal is rich in protein and the oil has ready outlet in vanaspati manufacture with the possibility, that it may be utilized as edible oil. The direct use of soybean oil for deep frying purpose has certain limitation as it contains significant amount of linolenic acid i.e. about 6.8 %. These polyunsaturated acids made the soybean oil unstable even under ambient conditions. Secondly the consumers do not have liking of the fishy flavor of the oil during deep-frying. Significant improvement in shelf life and thermal stability and flavor reduction can be achieved by lowering the linolenate content of soybean oil by blending in different proportions with corn oil. Corn oil widely used as an all purpose cooking oil and margarine because of the unique flavor it attributes and because it is more stable to oxidation than linolenate containing oil such soybean oil. Corn oil has milder taste and less expensive than most other types of vegetable oils. In present study to improve the stability and yet retain fluidity the soybean oil is blended with more stable corn oil thereby reducing linolenic acid content. The thermal stability for all the blends is studied by determining their Physico-chemical properties and fatty acid composition using standard methods. KEYWODS Soybean oil, corn oil, Thermal stability. INTRODUCTION Oils rich in Monosaturated fatty acid are gaining more importance these days due to their specific advantages over other oils. They are more stable towards oxidative changes over polyunsaturated fatty acid rich oils and hence prove to be better choice for frying or cooking application. Polyunsaturated fatty acid rich oils are more prone to oxidative changes, and hence promote oxidation in both food and non-food products, although important from health point of view. Thus while selecting oil or fat one has to consider both aspects that-oil should not be too much saturated and unsaturated as well. In fact as per latest guidelines of WHO/Japanese Heart Association the ideal ratio of SAFA: MUFA: PUFA should be 1:1.5:1.In order to derive maximum benefits from oil it is advised to consume a mixture of oils in order to maintain a balance between the fatty acids, and possible to keep cholesterol level in control. Now-a-days a number of blended oils are available in the market. For instance, blends of rice bran and sunflower oils. Soyabean oil is rich in protein but direct use of soybean oil has some limitation as it contains linolenic acid and it becomes unstable even under ambient conditions. To increase stability of soybean oil linolenic acid content must be reduce it can be done by changing fatty acid compositon this is possible by blending with more stable oils compare to soybean oil. In soybean oil linolenic acid is oxidized twice as quickly as linoleic acid and produces short chain aldehydes with flavor that are even stronger and less acceptable than those produced from linoleic acid, due to this odor of oil change. It can be used after one or two frying. It is the most saleable oil in india. Corn oil contains a significant amount of ubiquinone and high amounts of alpha and gamma tocopherols (vitamin E) that protect it from oxidative rancidity. It has good sensory qualities for use as salad and cooking oil. Corn oil is highly digestible and provides energy and Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). Linoleic acid is a dietary essential that is necessary for integrity of the skin, cell membranes, the immune system, and for synthesis of icosanoids. Icosanoids are necessary for reproductive, cardiovascular, renal and gastrointestinal functions and resistance to disease. Corn oil is highly effective food oil for lowering serum cholesterol. The use of corn oil to contribute to PUFA intake of 10% in the diet would be beneficial to heart health. It is rich in linoleic acid one of the three fatty acids . Corn oil beyond food and consumer product replacing petroleum in many industrial applications it is use as biofuel. Use of corn oil as a biodiesel is increases and for this purpose investment in cultivation of corn oil is increases not only in India but in Global states . It is used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic industries,paper, textiles, plastics, baked goods, candies, soups and mixes. It is also used as skin soother and softener. MATERIAL AND MEHOD Chemicals used A wide variety of chemicals were used in the experiments which are listed below. Acetic acid ,Acetone , Carbon tetrachloride,ethyl alcohol, HCl, Glacial acetic acid (All S.D.Fine Chemicals); Methanol, Chloroform, BF3-methanol solution (Qualigens); Hexane Heptane (HPLC grade, Qualigens); Wijs Solution (Merck Grade); isopropyl alcohol (China). Before using these solvents, their expiry was checked and these were stored properly. Reagens Used Sodium hydroxide Sodium thiosulphate Sodium sulphate Potassium iodide Sodium chloride,15% potassium iodide solution(15 gm of potassium iodide dissolve in 100 ml of water), potassium dichromate (All Qualigens). Before using these reagents their expiry was checked and was stored properly. Indicators Phenolphthalein (Qualigens) :-It was used by dissolving 1gm of phenolphthalein in alcohol. Starch (Qualigens):-Starch prepared by dissolving 1gm of soluble starch in 200ml distilled water and boil for few seconds. These indicators were prepared freshly as per the requirement of test. To observe proper colour changes during titration. Raw Material Soybean oil and Corn oil were purchased from market package of 1 liter. Before analysis, manufacturing and expiry date was checked properly. Before starting analysis, the colour and odor of these oils were checked. Methods Iodine value Iodine value is a measure of the degree of unsaturation in oil. It is constant for particular oil or fat. Iodine value is useful parameter in studying oxidative rancidity of oils since higher the unsaturation the greater the possibility of the oils to go rancid. This is the most important test to determine stability of oils. Peroxide value Rancidity is brought about by the action of air on the oil which is oxidative rancidity, where in, the fat takes up oxygen with the formation of peroxides. Peroxide value is the peroxide content in the oil.Procedure for determination for Peroxide value test was used from AOCS method. Free fatty acid value Free fatty acids are usually presents in oils along with the triglycerides. It increases during storage. It is keeping quality of oil; therefore the free fatty acid content generally increases on storage. This is most important test to find out quality of oils. This test performed according to the AOCS method. Fatty acid composition To find out fatty acid composition of oils gas chromatographic method is used because fatty acid evaluated in GC only it give prominent result. In this method oils first has to convert into methyl esters and then injected into the GC. Prepared sample seal in dry GC vial and kept in refrigerator before injection. Test performs as per the method of AOCS. The five major fatty acids in soybean oil are palmitate, stearate, oleate, linolenate, and linoleate. The fatty acids differ in the number of carbon and hydrogen atoms they contains, which causes differences in the nutritional value of each and their influence on the characteristics of food products. It show change in percentages when blend with other oils. All these tests were performed simultaneously. This study was followed by Thermal stability. In thermal stability study the sample was kept in oven which was set at 60oC. This stability analysis has been done continuously for seven days. For the thermal stability blends were prepared in the proportions given as in table 1. Pure oils were taken as reference. 250ml of sample taken in the 500 ml beakers, it was labeled properly. The beakers were not closed. Then the beakers placed in the preheated oven at 60oC for 6 hr. Then the samples were taken out, cooled at room temperature and analyzed for iodine value, free fatty acid content and peroxide value using AOCS methods. Then the samples were allowed to remain overnight at room temperature in a closed shelf. Next day the samples were again kept inside preheated oven for 6hr. followed by testing as above. Thermal stability testing was done continuously for seven days i.e.in all for 42 hours. Table 1: Ratio of blends and symbols used Table 2: Thermal stability: Iodine value. Table 3: Thermal stability: free fatty acid content. Table 4: Thermal stability: Peroxide value. Table 5: Results of Fatty acid composition (at 60Â °C for 42 hours) RESULT AND DISCUSSION The characteristics and fatty acid composition of oils used in the study are given in tables (from Table 2 to 5). All the oils were used fresh. During the storage studies at room temperature a small but steady rise in free fatty acid content and peroxide value and fall in iodine value was observed in all blends. In Shelf Stability (at room temperature) upto our 42 hours study Iodine value for pure soybean oil is ranging from (134.1 to 129.5), and Soybean oil,Corn oil composition ranging from (127.2 to 120.8), (120.7 to 115.8), (115.3 to 112.9), (108.1 to 104.9), (101.8 to 93.5) for pure corn oil (95.6 to 89.4). (Table 02, Figure 01). All these values indicate decrease in values of blends at high range compared to the pure oils. Decrease in iodine value may be due to the polymerization. Peroxide values in Shelf Stability (at room temperature) upto our 42 hours study for pure soybean oil is ranging from (3.1 to 7.2), and Soybean oil ,Corn oil composition Peroxide value ranging from (2.1 to 7.0), (1.9 to 6.9), (1.2 to 7.2), (0.9 to 7.5), (0.6 to 7.8) for pure corn oil (0.3 to 6.5) (Table 04, Figure 02). Free fatty acid content in Shelf Stability (at room temperature) upto our 42 hours study for pure soybean oil is ranging from (0.14 to 0.30), and Soybean oil ,Corn oil composition Free fatty acid value ranging from (0.15 to 0.34), (0.17 to 0.31), (0.18 to 0.30), (0.20 to 0.31), (0.21 to 0.32) for pure corn oil (0.25 to 0.33) (Table 03, Figure 03). The changes in these values may be due to oxidation which increases the free fatty acid content and peroxide value whereas decreases iodine value through marginally. The increase in peroxide value in the blend of soybean oil as the concentration of other oil increases indicates the increasing oxidative stability of blend as c ompare to other oil. The rate of decrease in peroxide value for soybean oil (Table 3) is very high as compared with corn oil.. This may be due to the presence of significant amount of linolenic acid in soybean oil, which is prone to oxidation. The rate of oxidation of all blends is slow as compared with pure soybean oil. When corn oil was blended with Soybean oil iodine value of soybean oil decreases and progressive changes observed in the peroxide value that is oxidative stability of Soybean oil increases. Corn oil has better shelf life than the soybean oil, Hence when soybean oil is blended with corn oil there is an increase in shelf life stability of soybean oil. Thus the present study of three blends certainly help to improve shelf life of soybean oil as compared to pure soybean oil. Fatty acid composition in Shelf Stability (at room temperature) linolenic acid content for pure soybean oil is (6.6), and Soybean oil ,Corn oil composition linolenic acid content (5.6), (5.3), (4.9), (3.5), (2.9) and for pure corn oil (0.7) (Table 5)..After 42 hours value of free Fatty acids are changed. It is indicated that, when soybean oil blended with corn oil there is decrease in value of linolenic acid content. After 42 hours also linolenic acid content show decrease comparing to initial stage of blending. The blend of Soybean oil with the corn oil shows good stability. Figure 1 : Graphical Represents of Iodine value of blends. Figure 2 : Graphical Represents of peroxide value of blends. Figure 3 : Graphical Represents of FFA value of blends. REFERENCES Saska, M., and Rossiter, G. J., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 68:436-439 (1991). Handoo, S. K., Gupta, Sanjoy., and Agarwal, T. N., J Oil Tech. Assoc. of India. 24:83 (1992). Handoo, S. K., Bagga, K. K. and Sharma, K. P. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 26: 91 (1994). Young,C., in Balley’s industrial Oil and Fat products,5th edition, Interscience publication,2, .339. (1996). Bhattacharya, D. K.., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 77:1683-1686 (1998). McCaskill, D. R., and Zhang, F. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 53:50-54 (1999). Chopra, Rainy., and Nagraj, G., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 36:21 (2004). Oil Technology Association of India., (Source: SEA News Circular), 8,(2006). Choe, Eunok.,, David., B., Comprehensive review in Food Science and Food Safety.2, (2006) Choe, E., D., Min. B., Journal of Food Science.. 72, R77–R86, (2007). Basturk, Ayhan.., Javidipour, Issa., and Boyaci, Ismail, H., Journal of Food Lipids 14, 170–188, (2007). 12. Ryan, Liliana, C., et al., International Journal of Food Science Technology, 43, 193–199, (2008). Francisca, Manzanarez-LÃ ³pez., et.al., Journal of Food Engineering. 104, 508–517, (2011). Fawzy, Mohamed., Mohamed Khaled, Wahdan. M., Food Chemistry, Volume 132, 873-879, (2012). Teresa, Maria., Simon, A., Haughey, Christopher., Elliott, T., Anastasios Koidis, Food Research International.10,1016, (2013).

Explore How Much Ado About Nothing Present Ideas About Love English Literature Essay

Explore How Much Ado About Nothing Present Ideas About Love English Literature Essay Figuratively, the fair lord represents pure love and the woman represents lust. These two types of love are contrasted against each other, which allows the reader to evaluate and think about the ideas each type of love presents. However, where is the humanity within this sonnet? There is no mention of humans; one can only be classed as an angel or a devil. How would one go about attaining an angel, one of the purest beings that dwells in heaven? Perhaps the fact that Shakespeare has likened the fair lord to an angel is for the simple fact that he cannot attain him, that pure love cannot be attained. This idea of likening love to something that is unattainable is replicated in Much Ado About Nothing. Shakespeare has the character Claudio fall in love with Hero at first sight. When Benedick asks Claudio if he will buy her, he replies: Can the world buy such a jewel? Despite likening Hero to something as perfect as a jewel, again there is no humanity within a jewel. Combined with the idea that the world cannot, in fact, buy this jewel seems to suggest that Hero (this completely pure virgin) is unattainable. Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to suggest that if you compare love with wonderful and perfect objects then you simply wont be able to attain it, just like you cannot attain an angel or a priceless jewel. This idea is applicable in modern society. In Much Ado, Hero is portrayed as this completely pure and innocent virgin. Being compared to that of unattainable priceless jewels, Shakespeare highlights how a woman like Hero (in most cases) is unattainable. In todays modern society it would probably be extremely rare to find a woman like Hero, whereas perhaps in Shakespeares time it was more common, especially if the woman was of high social status. One might say that there was more of an expectation for women to behave in certain ways during Elizabethan England. However Shakespeare added the character of Margaret to his play, perhaps to juxtapose the expectations society held for a high class woman to that of an ordinary servant. Margaret seems to represent more of a realistic view on how love and relationships will be, not pure and perfect, but flawed and tainted (by physical love). Shakespeare seems to allude that a more pragmatic and realistic view to love is needed in order for it to succeed. Sonnet 130 takes more of a practical view to love. Its meaning is simple: the dark ladys beauty cannot measure up to the beauty of a goddess or to that found in nature, for she is a mortal human being. Shakespeare rejects deification of the dark lady: I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. Here the poet overtly states that his mistress is not a goddess and cannot even begin to rank close to one. Although this seems to be extremely unflattering, it is also the truth. After all, no mortal being can actually compare to a god or a goddess. She is also not as beautiful as things found in nature: My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips red. Yet Shakespeare loves her in spite of this, and in the closing couplet says that she is actually as extraordinary (rare) as any woman depicted with such overstated or false comparisons. Shakespeare has accepted the fact that his mistress is not perfect and that she will indeed have flaws, yet so does he. Sonnet 130 may be suggesting that if you recognise and accept the fact that love will have flaws and is not some perfect idealistic emotion, then the likelihood of the love lasting is more likely. This blunt but charming sincerity is also seen in Much Ado between Beatrice and Benedick. These two characters have never been pleasant with each other, and whenever they meet, they often continue a merry war between them. They have known each other of old and seem to enjoy fencing insults at each other, using them to show their true feelings of fondness towards one another. When the playwright makes his characters confess to one another there is no employment of blank verse, just simple prose. Beatrice and Benedicks confessions seem to go against the stereotypical, grand Shakespearean love confessions: I protest I love thee I was about to protest that I loved you These two characters appear to be aware of their downfalls and seem to have a mutual respect between them. The love between these two seems to be more realistic than the bashful sincerity and comely love that exists between Hero and Claudio. However, because of this there appears to be more room for Beatrice and Benedicks love to grow. Shakespeare seems to favour the idea of love as an actuality than an ideal because he appears to suggest that thinking of love as an ideal will end in tragedy. In Sonnet 116 Shakespeare refers to love as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the star to every wandering bark. While the image given to us by the poet is initially one of constancy, the idea that love will guide those who follow it to their desired destination, one must question the feasibility of it. Stars reside up in Space, and while it is true that they can be used to provide direction (in the case of the North Star, Polaris), one can never touch a star. In fact, one would never be able to get close to a star, as it is a mass of burning gas that would have you severely burned before you could even attempt to get near it. Because of this, you can never attain a star and so perhaps with this line in the sonnet Shakespeare is trying to say that, although love has the potential to be this wonderful, shining ideal like a star, the actuality is that if you blindly follow this ideal then you will get hurt. Another point about stars is that they will eventually burn out and die, they do not last forever. This seems to create a contradiction in Sonnet 116 as the overall theme of this sonnet appears to be how constant and everlasting love is. Shakespeare even goes so far as to say that: Loves not Times fool, Yet stars are always falling victim to time, being ravaged and then eventually destroyed by it. This seems rather ironic and seems to reinforce the idea of love being something that is unattainable, especially if you cling on to the perspective that love is something that is constant, perfect and pure. Not only does Shakespeare mention Polaris in Sonnet 116, but he also mentions it in Act 2, Scene One of Much Ado where the character Benedick is claiming that Beatrice: would infect the north star. The fact that the character of Beatrice is so nasty that she can influence something that is not even reachable puts her in a very negative light. After all, if she can affect something as bright and pure as a star, then she can affect anything. This claim not only appears to besmirch Beatrices reputation, but the idea of pure love itself. Perhaps Shakespeare introduces this idea of pure love being impressionable so early on in his play to make the audience consider realism in love. One may argue that this quote highlights just how easily influenced pure love can be, and how it can be tainted. Sonnet 144 continues the idea that pure love can be tainted: And whether that my angel be turned fiend Suspect I may, yet not directly tell. Shakespeare could be suggesting how easy it is for pure love to be contaminated by that of physical love. Perhaps he is suggesting that it is not possible to just have the former because an impure aspect will eventually sully it.   Though love can bring out the best in all of us, it can also cloud our judgement and expose the worst in all human beings. Claudio is used by Shakespeare to illustrate this point further. This character is constantly subjected to the emotion of jealousy. During the masked ball, Claudio immediately takes Benedicks statement of, The prince hath got your Hero to mean that Don Pedro has betrayed him and wooed Hero for his own. Later on in the play, Don John convinces Claudio that Hero is having an affair. Rather than proceeding with matters in a calm and mature manner, Claudio decides to exact revenge on their wedding day. This immediate change of heart in Claudio makes one question the strength of the love Claudio holds for his fiancà ©e. One moment he is completely infatuated with her, referring to her as a jewel, yet the character is calling Hero a rotten orange and accusing her of being an approvà ¨d wanton the next. Claudios ideas of love being this perfect ideal are shattered over the events that occur in the play, yet he seems to grow because of this. Shakespeare made it so that Claudio had to learn to appreciate Hero, and for him to realise that not all can be perfect when it comes to love. Because of this, when the two characters finally get married at the end of the play the audience is given the impression that their relationship actually has a foundation on which to can flourish, as opposed to the unstable relationship that was likely to happen between these two had they gotten married on the original wedding day. Shakespeare uses a vast array of techniques within his sonnets and Much Ado that highlight how love really is an unattainable, perfect ideal. All of Shakespeares sonnets consist of three quatrains and a final rhyming couplet which is composed in iambic parameter. The rhyme scheme for the sonnets are ABAB. Sonnet 144 is no exception to this, and is constructed in the usual Shakespearean sonnet manner. Perhaps the poet chose this conventional method of writing the sonnet because the ideas presented within the sonnet are conventional. It is not to hard to imagine becoming disillusioned between the two types of love, as we all yearn for something permanent and lasting, a pure love, yet humans also succumb to temptation and can fall victim to the desire for a purely physical encounter. As these two types of love both offer something completely different, one must struggle to choose the right one, which Shakespeare says is the pure love presented by the fair lord. However as I mentioned ea rlier, it is not possible to attain an angel. The fact that Sonnet 144 is written this way is rather ironic as the poet is writing about his conflicting emotions and the disorder that they bring, yet iambic pentameter suggests order and harmony. Perhaps Shakespeare could be suggesting that you can attempt to make love a perfect and ordered ideal but the reality is that you will, in most cases, have some element of discord. In my opinion I feel that Sonnet 130 utilises iambic pentameter to maximum effect. Shakespeare has admitted that his mistress is not perfect, yet he loves her nonetheless. This view the poet appears to hold, that love is better thought of as an actuality, seems to suggest that love will be much stronger this way. Rather than have everything be perfect, if you know about the others imperfections and accept them, then you will achieve harmony within your relationship. This is why I feel that the use of iambic pentameter is essential in this sonnet: it highlights the fact that this type of love is more likely to provide security and a sense of order, despite not being a perfect ideal. Iambic pentameter is also used in Much Ado, to elevate the importance of love in the play. When Claudio is confessing how he feels about Hero, he claims that when he looked upon her: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦thronging soft and delicate desires, All prompting me how fair young Hero is Came to him. As this happens early on in the play, the audience seems to get the (wrong) impression of harmony in the relationship of Claudio and Hero being prominent. Yet maybe the playwright deliberately did this to emphasise the fact that the complex emotion of love cannot be completely ordered when the characters relationship falls apart. In direct contrast with this, the seemingly more ordered love Shakespeare gives to Beatrice and Benedick is written in simple prose. At no point in the play do Beatrice and Benedick speak in blank verse to one another, this suggests that the two characters are comfortable with one another and perhaps feel a sense of security between them. Perhaps the playwright only utilised prose between this couple to accentuate the fact that the characters do not view love as a perfect, ordered ideal. A subtle technique Shakespeare uses to define his characters and the type of love that they are likely to have is by their names. Benedicks name comes from the Latin word bene meaning good and blessed. Beatrices name also has a similar meaning: the one who blesses. The love between Beatrice and Benedick is portrayed as a more realistic view on love, yet ultimately they seem happy together. While they have attained love, they do not view the emotion as a perfect ideal and so perhaps this is why their relationship is so strong. Shakespeare may have been trying to convey how this view on love is more likely to last and be blessed by the clever use of these two characters names. Conversely, the supposed love at first sight that Shakespeare portrays between Claudio and Hero is hinted at as being more chaotic. Claudios name is derived from the Latin word claudus which means lame or crippled. The playwright may have chosen this name for his character to illustrate how this type of love has no real support, how it is more likely to be crippled. It may also suggest that Claudios view on love, which is that it is a perfect and pure emotion, is rather handicapped. Claudio seemed convinced that Hero must be an utterly pure human being in order for them to attain love, but as I have previously mentioned a woman with these qualities is hard to find. This short sighted view on love appears to make Claudio unable when it comes to matters of love, for example: taking Don Johns word over Heros when it comes to her alleged affair. It seems that Claudios judgement becomes clouded where love is concerned, and so he had to learn how to appreciate it. Thus, I feel that overall Shakespeare is trying to say that if one is to consider love only as a perfect ideal then they will not attain it, for love is a complex emotion that is far from perfection. However, if one considers love to be more of an actuality and can accept that themselves, their partner and their relationship is bound to have a few imperfections, then love can be attained. Just because love may not be perfect doesnt mean that we shouldnt strive to attain it.

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Most startups that raise money do it more than once. A typical trajectory might be (1) to get started with a few tens of thousands from something like Y Combinator or individual angels, then (2) raise a few hundred thousand to a few million to build the company, and then (3) once the company is clearly succeeding, raise one or more later rounds to accelerate growth. Reality can be messier. Some companies raise money twice in phase 2. Others skip phase 1 and go straight to phase 2. And at Y Combinator we get an increasing number of companies that have already raised amounts in the hundreds of thousands. But the three phase path is at least the one about which individual startups' paths oscillate. This essay focuses on phase 2 fundraising. That's the type the startups we fund are doing on Demo Day, and this essay is the advice we give them. Forces Fundraising is hard in both senses: hard like lifting a heavy weight, and hard like solving a puzzle. It's hard like lifting a weight because it's intrinsically hard to convince people to part with large sums of money. That problem is irreducible; it should be hard. But much of the other kind of difficulty can be eliminated. Fundraising only seems a puzzle because it's an alien world to most founders, and I hope to fix that by supplying a map through it. To founders, the behavior of investors is often opaque—partly because their motivations are obscure, but partly because they deliberately mislead you. And the misleading ways of investors combine horribly with the wishful thinking of inexperienced founders. At YC we're always warning founders about this danger, and investors are probably more circumspect with YC startups than with other companies they talk to, and even so we witness a... ... the way their sites are organized that they don't really want startups to approach them directly. Intros vary greatly in effectiveness. The best type of intro is from a well-known investor who has just invested in you. So when you get an investor to commit, ask them to introduce you to other investors they respect. [7] The next best type of intro is from a founder of a company they've funded. You can also get intros from other people in the startup community, like lawyers and reporters. There are now sites like AngelList, FundersClub, and WeFunder that can introduce you to investors. We recommend startups treat them as auxiliary sources of money. Raise money first from leads you get yourself. Those will on average be better investors. Plus you'll have an easier time raising money on these sites once you can say you've already raised some from well-known investors.

The Real Sucker Essay -- essays research papers

The Real Sucker Geoff Karanasos CARSON McCULLERS December 12, 1996   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many Different experiences in a child's life help form the personality and attitude he or she will adopt later in life. One such example of this is a fictional character named Sucker. This young boy really admired his cousin Pete, whom he lived with. Sucker was just an innocent child who would believe anything Pete said. The more Sucker admired Pete, the more Pete resented Sucker. This went on until Pete met a girl. Pete was so happy that he didn't mind Sucker's admiration toward him. Sucker became a bright enthusiastic child who loved being around Pete. He was so happy that he didn't want anything to change. After Pete got dumped, he turned all of his frustrations toward Sucker. Sucker then...

History Us Essay

The Dawes Act, also known as the â€Å"General Allotment Act of 1887,† was – in theory – meant to protect the â€Å"property rights† of indigenous peoples during an anticipated â€Å"land rush† when â€Å"Unassigned Lands† in present-day Oklahoma were opened for settlement. Its sponsor, Senator Henry Dawes (R-Massachusetts), was a believer in the power of land ownership to â€Å"civilize† Native peoples, defining the term as the wearing of â€Å"civilized† (i. e. , manufactured and/or Euro-American type) clothing, the practice of agriculture, residing in homes made of wood and/or brick, the use of horse-drawn vehicles, formal schooling for children, consumption of alcohol and the ownership of property (Oates, 2000). While Dawes’ intentions may have been sincere, the nature of the Act and its results demonstrate that, unlike his detractor, Senator Henry Moore (R-Colorado) – who had actually lived in the West and had a better comprehension of Western land issues – Dawes had little understanding of indigenous culture and traditions. In fact, the U. S. government had spent the better part of a century in attempts to â€Å"register† native peoples and individuals. The Dawes Act was an attempt to â€Å"bribe† Indians with promises of land allotments prior to the land rush, partly in compensation for treatment of the previous 100 years. Not surprisingly, many Indians were not particularly trusting. Wars against, and subsequent relocation of the Nez Perce, Sioux, Yakama and other western tribes were not far in the past; even the painful forced relocation of the Cherokee and other Southeastern peoples a half-century before was within living memory of some. Fearing reprisals, many Indians who had refused to submit relocations in the past would not sign the Dawes Rolls. Either (Oates, 2000). Another provision of the Dawes Act required Indians to give up their given names and take on a more English-sounding name; therefore, someone whose name might translate as â€Å"Running Bear† would wind up having to register as â€Å"Richard Bill,† for example. This made it all too easy for government agents to slip in the names of friends and family members, resulting in the transfer of Indian lands to political cronies (Oates, 2000). The Dawes Act appears to contain an interesting conflict; whereas Section Six refers to Land Patents – which according to the law, grants the landholder unconditional rights to said property in perpetuity, Section Ten asserts Congress’ right of â€Å"Eminent Domain,† allowing the government to confiscate the land for any public use â€Å"upon making just compensation† (USC, 1887), creating a large loophole that was taken advantage of often in the ensuing four decades. The record is clear; nearly half of the treaty land passed into the possession of non-native settlers, and the Meriam Report of 1928 clearly showed how government agents had used provisions of the Dawes Act illegally to deprive indigenous peoples of their property – people who had very little concept of land ownership in the Euro-American sense on the first place. Most Native societies were built on communal living within the context of an extended clan-kinship grouping, which more often was matrilineal. This is significant, because of gender roles; traditionally, males were the hunters, while females gathered or – among the few Native peoples that practiced agriculture at all – engaged in the cultivation of food plants. The imposition of Industrial-Age and hyper-patriarchal Victorian values in which the man was the head of a small nuclear family dependent upon a capitalist system led to the disintegration and ultimate destruction of their traditional kinship support system (Norton, 2003). Ultimately, this was yet another â€Å"divide and conquer† strategy that allowed more Indian lands to pass into the control of Euro-American settlers. II. Reconstruction was an attempt on the part of the U. S. federal government to gradually bring the states of the former Confederacy back into the union and resolve social issues of the conflict. The initial phase of Reconstruction began in 1863 under Abraham Lincoln and his successor, Andrew Johnson. Lincoln’s intentions were to restore the Southern states as quickly and with as little rancor as possible; his moderate program mandated that as soon as 10% of a former Confederate state’s electorate signed a loyalty oath, that state could then form a government body and send representatives to Washington D. C. During the mid-term elections of 1866 however, Congress fell under the control of hard-liners of Johnson’s own party. These â€Å"Radical Republicans† – most likely out of vindictiveness toward ex-Confederates rather than any genuine concern for African-Americans – attempted to enforce â€Å"instant equality† onto Southern society. This â€Å"Radical† phase of Reconstruction lasted from 1866 to 1873, and emphasized civil rights and universal suffrage for freed blacks, many of whom were appointed to offices for which many were not necessarily qualified. Numerous well-meaning Northerners moved to the South as well with the intentions of educating blacks and providing relief for blacks and whites displaced by the war; however, they were accompanied by a large number of fortune seekers, who became known as â€Å"Carpetbaggers. † Along with free blacks and native white southern Republicans known as â€Å"Scalawags,† the Carpetbaggers formed a Republican coalition that managed to gain control of every southern state except for Virginia (Norton, 2003). The third phase of Reconstruction started when conservative Democratic coalitions of white supremacists – known as â€Å"Redeemers† – began taking back state legislatures, a process that was complete by 1877. (The former Confederacy would not elect another Republican president for 103 years). It would appear – at least from the perspective of a Southern landowner or former landowner – that such a backlash was inevitable. Many southern slaveholders operated under a sincere belief (misguided as it was) that their Negroes were better off under the â€Å"care† of their masters. When slaves went â€Å"on strike,† and even deserted plantations, surrendering themselves to oncoming Union troops, there were genuine feelings of betrayal. Meanwhile, Northerners often had little love for blacks; for example, an 1863 law that allowed rich whites to buy their way out of the draft led to perceptions among working-class whites that they were being expected to die for the benefit of blacks; this resulted in major riots in New York and Detroit in which many blacks were attacked and killed (Zinn, 2003). Once the white supremacists were back in control, they wasted little time in excluding Afro-Americans from mainstream society, banning them from restaurants, schools, and other establishments as well as suppressing the vote in a number of ways. When challenged in 1883 under the Fourteenth Amendment, the Supreme Court interpreted it in a way that made it useless as a guarantor of civil rights, essentially nullifying the Civil Rights Act of 1875. The majority ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment applied to states only, and not private citizens; therefore, discrimination by private individuals was completely within the law. In a dissenting opinion, Justice John Harlan – himself a former slave owner – wrote that discrimination was a â€Å"badge of slavery,† and therefore illegal under the Thirteenth Amendment banning the â€Å"peculiar institution,† as well as Article 4, Section 2 of the Fourteenth: â€Å"†¦the citizens [one born in the U. S. ] of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States† (Zinn, 2003). Nonetheless, the court then – as now – was swinging toward interpretations that favored Big Business and corporate capitalism, which has never had any use for equality of any kind. This eventually paved the way for Plessy v. Fergusson and the subsequent decades of â€Å"Jim Crow† apartheid in the south. III. On the eve of the First World War, class struggle between the workers and corporate capitalism was intensifying. On one side were socialist movements whose members clearly saw what the war was about: the struggle between capitalist power-brokers, through their bought-and-paid-for national governments, over land, colonies, resources, power and wealth – none of which in the working class, who nonetheless wound up fighting an dying in the trenches for these concepts, had any stake whatsoever. On the other side – then as now – were the corporate capitalists, who had a great deal at stake over the outcome of the war. American corporations had substantial investments in British companies and vice-versa; meanwhile, Britain was draining its treasury as well as its people for a war that historians today has never been shown to bring â€Å"any gain for humanity that would be worth one human life† (Zinn, 2003). The German announcement in April of 1917 that they would sink any ship carrying supplies to their enemies (i. e. , Britain) has long been cited as a reason that Wilson eventually sought a declaration of war from Congress. However, German-Americans had for some time been sending aid to the ancestral homeland, while the British had been interfering with the rights of U. S. citizens on the high seas during the same period. Because of economic reality however, Wilson had to find other reasons to enter the war on the side of the Allies (Zinn, 2003). According to historian Richard Hofstader, there were a number of economic reasons that shaped Wilson’s policy on the war; a recession that had begun in 1914 had begun to ease starting the following year because of orders by the Allies that totaled over $2 billion by 1917. By the time the war had begun, foreign investment in the U. S. totaled $3 ? billion. Foreign markets were considered vital to the U. S. economy. Since the outbreak of hostilities, Britain was buying not only durable goods and war materiel from U. S. companies, but since the lift on a ban on private bank loans to the Allies, were taking out many interest-bearing loans as well. The result is that the U. S. economy became closely tied to British victory. African-American author and activist W. E. B. DuBois clearly saw that the wealth of the U. S. and Europe was built on the backs of people in the lands which they had colonized – chiefly Africa and Asia, control over which were at the heart of the conflict. War, he said was a â€Å"safety valve† for the tensions of class conflict. Warfare created an â€Å"artificial community of interest† between the corporatist/investor class and that of the workers (Zinn, 2003). This was not lost on the workers of the nation. Only 73,000 men volunteered in during the first six weeks following the declaration, and there was little indication of public support. Socialist anti-war rallies throughout the country were attended by thousands of working people protesting the war and corporate profiteering. A conservative newspaper in Akron, Ohio admitted that the nation â€Å"had never embarked upon a more unpopular war† (Zinn, 2003). The federal government – at the behest of the corporate interests who then (as now) had the legislature in its back pocket – had little choice but institute legal and punitive measures which included both military conscription and the Espionage Act – a law of dubious constitutionality passed for the purpose of silencing dissent (Oates, 2000). While ostensibly the law was to protect the nation from spies, a clause provided for a penalty of up to twenty years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of causing â€Å"insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny or refusal of duty,† although another clause stated that â€Å"nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or restrict†¦any discussion, comment, or criticism of the acts or policies of the Government. † Nonetheless, Socialist leader Charles Schenk was arrested in September 1917 for the distribution of leaflets arguing that conscription was a violation of the Thirteenth Amendment. Another Socialist, Eugene V. Debs, was arrested the following June for making a public speech against the war. Eventually, nine hundred people were incarcerated under the Espionage Act and dissenters buried under an intense propaganda campaign by the government and their corporate lapdogs in the media. IV. â€Å"Prohibition† – the perhaps well-intentioned, but misguided attempt to outlaw the consumption of alcohol and spirituous liquors – dates back to the beginning of the republic. During colonial times, moderate alcohol consumption was tolerated, but over-indulgence was not. Alcohol was a â€Å"gift of God,† while drunkenness was seen as an abuse of that gift, but alcohol itself was not seen as a problem – only the behaviors associated with its excessive consumption. By the time of the revolution however, this had changed significantly. The shift from an agrarian to an urban society brought with it the usual consequences of poverty and unemployment, which in turn resulted in crime. With a strongly Puritan-influenced mindset, most devout Americans were unable to make the connection between poverty and crime, so alcohol became the scapegoat. The complete prohibition of alcoholic beverages was promulgated by religious Protestant groups on the grounds that it was the cause of crime and domestic violence. Prohibition movements met with limited success in the years running up to the Civil War. After a twenty-year hiatus, the concept was revived by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Prohibition Party, which gained significant political power in the forty-year period on either side of 1900. Prohibition laws were enacted locally throughout the nation, even to the point of becoming state law in Kansas. A number of southern states as well as individual counties within those states, with their streak of religious conservatism and intolerance, followed suit (Norton, 2003). (This patchwork of laws had some rather odd results that persist to the present day; for example, Jack Daniels Whiskey is still manufactured in Lynchburg, Tennessee, but local ordinance makes it illegal to sell or purchase it there. )