Climate Change and National Security Essay

That same month, the UN Security Council—at the initiative of the UK government—held its first-ever debate on the potential impact of climate change on peace and security. In October 2007, the Nobel committee recognized this emerging threat to peace and security by awarding former vice president Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change its peace prize. In November 2007, wo think tanks, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), released another report on the issue, concluding from a range of possible scenarios of climate change that, â€Å"We already know enough to appreciate that the cascading consequences of unchecked climate change are to include a range of security problems that will have dire global consequences. †2 The new interest in climate change and national security has been a valuable warning about the potential security consequences of global warming, but the proposed solutions that accompanied recent efforts have emphasized broader climate policy rather than specific responses to security threats. Because the links between climate change and national security are worthy of concern in their own right, and because some significant climate change is inevitable, strategies that go beyond long-run efforts to rein in greenhouse gas emissions are required. This report sharpens the connections between climate change and national security and recommends specific policies to address the security consequences of climate change for the United States. In all areas of climate change policy, adaptation and mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) should be viewed as complements rather than competing alternatives—and the national security dimension is no exception. Some policies will be targeted at adaptation, most notably risk-reduction and preparedness policies at home and abroad. These could spare the United States the need to mobilize its military later to rescue people and to prevent regional disorder—and would ensure a more effective response if such mobilization was nonetheless necessary. Others will focus on mitigation, 2 CSIS/CNAS, The Age of Consequences: The Foreign Policy and National Security Implications of Global Climate Change, November 2007; available at http://www. cnas. org/climatechange. 2 which is almost universally accepted as an essential part of the response to climate change. Mitigation efforts will need to be international and involve deep changes in the world’s major economies, such as those of China and India. As a result, the processes of working together to craft and implement them provide opportunities to advance American security interests.

London- by William Blake Essay

William Blake had a relatively pastoral upbringing, which evokes Wordsworth’s ideas. He was a Christian yet he entertained different thoughts that went against the general view. He campaigned against the exploitation of children in factories. Like a prophet from the Old Testament, he is an expert at finding every little peccadillo in the world. For him, there seems to be nothing positive about London to write about. This poem is taken from a book of poems called ‘Songs of Experience.’ In London, every street and part of land is owned by someone. Money, power and ownership are the three factors that merge together to hold this city together. This goes against Christianity and the message that Jesus gave, that money is not the way to spiritual happiness. ‘Wander’ suggests someone who is dispossessed and uninterested with the life that they lead. The way he describes London shows that it is controlled by bureaucratic laws. This is shown by the mentioning of â€Å"chartered streets†, charters were given to people who were richer or more powerful than most and it allowed them to control the streets of London. This line outlines city’s wealth and businesslike atmosphere. The city seems quite unlike the celestial image that Wordsworth once created. It is owned by man, not God and seems rigid and ruthless. ‘Mark’ means notice, it is also the name of Jesus’ disciple, and marking work or maps. ‘Marks of weakness, marks of woe.’ The word ‘marks’ is repeated to emphasize these meanings. This repetition, thudding and oppressive, also reflects the suffocating atmosphere of the city. The voice of experience appears to come through, noticing marks on people, physical scars and signs of poverty, sing and slavery. The Bible suggests marks of sin should be punished; they are a symbol of damnation, however for many of the people who live in London that bear the marks are unavoidable. It is the poor people who are the most vulnerable to sin, contrary to what Jesus preached, as they are forced to follow in their fathers’ footsteps. The marks that are awarded to good work and the marks on maps/plans are all symbols of London vigorously progressing business and trades, which are prepared to ignore acts of sin, so as to keep the benefits of their trade. In the second stanza, the words ‘every’ and ‘cry’ are repeated, like an obsessive mantra. Not only is there physical slavery, but the people of London, poor and rich, are trapped in a compulsive, mental race for money. There is a link to the French Revolution, where the peasants were attempting to break free from the manacles that bond them. The children that are born into this world have a horrible life of poverty and squalor to face with. They have a fearful upbringing that leads to an even more awful life. The manacles are associated with chains and slaves. But they are not real; they are just in everybody’s mind, mentally restricting everyone. The poor are unable to get out of their restricting mental box. The English society is obsessed by class and hierarchy. The rigidly controlled society enforces the very submission that it wants to break away from. So the law is not entirely to blame, as people can force slavery upon themselves. The penultimate stanza attacks institutions and cruelty that they bring about. The poem is to do with the sounds that radiate from London. By listening to them, on gets a clever, less biased image of London. The chimney sweeps were usually little boys, who often died at a very early age because of the condition that they had to work in. The chimney sweepers are connected with the church because they are often in need of the church’s help but they are frequently turned away, or they turn a blind eye on them, or it could even be the church that sends them up there. This is not the attitude that a church should have on children, it completely contradicts everything in the bible. This is why the ‘blackening church’ also represents the smoke and soot. ‘appalls’ in line 10 is exaggerating the blame of the church as well as meaning ‘goes pale’ which is a juxtaposition with ‘blackening.’ It is as though the blackened stone is a mark of sin on the church. Blackening also suggests a dark, evil, corrupt scene. Appall means to whiten and be horrified, but a pal is also a cloak of death. The children were abandoned on the street and were picked up and lead to their death. Blake blames the church for the deaths. But in Blake’s mind, the most atrocious crime of all is prostitution. The hearse is a carriage to carry a body in. This stanza concentrates on marriage and new-life, both of which should bring happiness. Instead Blake sees new-life as just continuing the cycle of the corruption, and he criticizes the reasons for marriage, believing that many marry for convenience rather than marrying for love. Most of the men who visit prostitutes are old and married. Blake also criticizes the â€Å"youthful harlot† and uses the word â€Å"plague† to suggest STD’s which will be contracted and passed on. It is the death of marriage. In a plague, all people fie, the wife gets the disease from her husband who slept with the prostitutes. The lies and deceit caused by the husbands’ deception will turn their marriage. Blake does not blame the prostitutes however, as he realizes that it is their escape from poverty. It is ironic that he says ‘And blights with plagues the marriage hearse,’ because marriage and hearse do not go together. It suggests marriage, then death. Blake is saying basically that happiest things in life such as love or marriage can be tarnished by disease, such as the plague, causing death.

Behavioural Perspectives of Mental Health

Question 1: Describe what is meant by a â€Å"behavioural perspective† of mental health and illness. Use examples from the literature to show how medical and behaviourally-based approaches differ. Behavioural perspectives concerning mental health and illness include bio medical and psychological approaches. Bio medical approaches incorporate pharmacological treatments, heritability, criterion – based diagnosis, and the ability to examine structures and functions of the brain. Psychological approaches comprise psychoanalytical, cognitive, non directive psychotherapy, and behavioural analysis.When making a behavioural perspective concerning a client’s mental health and illness it is important to â€Å"distinguish how problems are conceptualised, what is important to target for change, the process of behaviour and how to change the behaviour† (M. Burkhardt, personal communication, 2010). To distinguish how a behaviour is caused physicians need to examine the behaviour and consider the clients environmental antecendents and consequences concerning their behaviour (M. Burkhardt, personal communication, 2010).Behavioural perspectives concerning mental health and illness have changed over time and continually vary in regards to people’s thoughts, point of views, theories and studies. There are many psychological and biological theories and studies that can impact on the treatment decision, conflicting between psychological and pharmacological treatments (M. Burkhardt, personal communication, 2010). The choice of treatment can depend greatly on the client and physicians views and beliefs. Medical approaches are an important and popular intervention for many people who have been diagnosed with a mental health problem. There are many studies and research surrounding mental health and illness in regards to the medical approach of treatment, evidence in support of the medical approach and biological causation generally falls into two categories, family studies and brain structure/ function studies (Wyatt, 2009). Through the use of functional imaging scans researchers have found that there are differences in the activities of the brains with a range of psychiatric illnesses (Leach, 2009).Frith and Johnstone (2003) as cited in Leach (2009) suggest that â€Å"People diagnosed with schizophrenia have noticeable differences in certain aspects of their brain structures compared to others without that diagnosis†. Genetic factors have been linked to making a contribution to mental illnesses, â€Å"both depression and schizophrenia have been linked to differences in brain chemistry, and researches have suggested genetic patterns of inheritance for these conditions† (Leach, 2009).Studies have found that there are â€Å"biological differences to those who are and are not prone to depression, confirmed by the fact that drugs that have no effect on mood in normal people relieve depression in those who are ill, and the observation that a depressed mood can be precipitated in people who are prone to depressive illnesses simply by manipulating the tryptophan content in their diet† (Delgado et al, 1990 as cited in Kendell, 2009). Many clients who seek help for mental illnesses desire medications due to the fact that they are convinced that their illness are caused biochemically or genetically (Wyatt, 2009). Mental illnesses can be explained in many cases to be cause from a ‘chemical imbalance’ within the body, the medical approach to treat these chemical imbalances is through the use of pharmacological and psychotropic medications to improve their condition by re-balancing chemicals within their body. Behaviourally based approaches involving mental health and illness, consist of non-medical approaches studying client’s behaviours and thoughts, why they exist and what they can cause, also discussing and creating alternative measures to overcome these thoughts and behaviours.Behavioural analysis focuses on behaviours a client presents with and the relationship these behaviours have with the environment, by analysing these relationships, scientific principles of behavioural analysis can contribute to helping people change the way they think, feel and behave. Client’s behaviours are a response to particular circumstances and through the use of behavioural therapy these responses can be modified, changing harmful and unhelpful behaviours that the client may have.Behavioural treatment approaches explores the client’s present situation, considering where their distressing thoughts, feelings and behaviours come from, what reinforces them and how they can be changes (Leach, 2009). When examining a mental illness through the use of the behavioural analytical approach the first step is to have an insight of what the client say’s and does to themselves and others, if the client has severe depression and is participating in self injuries behaviours then it is important to find out what these behaviours are.To recognise and solve these behaviours there needs to be an understanding of the client’s physical condition, setting and environment and the events occurring prior and accompanying these behaviours, such as when the client is in a depressive state having feelings that they ‘don’t want to live’ or ‘fe el like this anymore’, that is when they perform these behaviours such as cutting their wrists, this needs to be established by the physician before interventions can be designed. To achieve positive results by decreasing and diminishing these behaviours their need to be consistency with the interventions and scientific methods.Another non-medical approach structured around behaviour is cognitive behavioural therapy, â€Å"the basic premise of this approach it that an individual’s appraisal of personal life events largely determines how she or he feels and behaves† (Leach, 2009). The key purpose of behavioural approaches is to help client’s understand their behaviours, beliefs and thoughts and how they can used interventions and scientific methods to overcome these issues. It is evident that the medical and behavioural aspects concerning mental health and illness differ greatly in the two separate approaches.Medical based approaches are centred around heritability, genetic factors, examining client’s brain structures and functions, and stabilising ‘chemical imbalances’ through the use of pharmacological and psychotropi c medications. In contrast the behavioural approach looks into the client’s thoughts, beliefs and behaviours, the relationship between behaviours and environment are considered, and once the cause and effects of the behaviours are established interventions and scientific methods are put into place to decrease and diminish these behaviours.

Betrayal of Public Trust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Betrayal of Public Trust - Essay Example Due process was observed. Blagojevich's removal from office was therefore legal. The impeachment proceeding was the only way to oust Blagojevich from office based on the United States constitution. Also, the evidences presented were more than substantial to declare his removal and prohibit him to serve any public position in Illinois. Responsibilities of Public Administrators In public service, there is delineation between personal and public interest. This goes to say that if one is a public servant, he or she should make sure that his or her public dealings are not tainted with his or her personal interest. When he or she serves the public, he or she should always uphold values that would best promote the interest of his or her constituents. This is actually the foundation of individual ethics and office ethics. There are certain matters that are to be limited to as to avoid conflict of interest while in public office. As a person, one has practiced certain values. Some of these va lues are relevant in public office and some are not. Sometimes, these ethical frameworks overlap. This means that the public servant has considered one value more than the other. An instance of corruption is a good example. It may happen that the person thinks more of his personal interest than the welfare of the public. Nevertheless, there are also times when individual and office ethics diverge. This happens when the public servant considers his or her personal interest in relation to all his or her constituents. Such situation implies that the public administrator never forgets his or her bounden duty to the public. It also means that he or she recognizes the fact that he or she can be made accountable to his or her acts as a public official. Relevance of the Case Blagojevich's... In public service, there is the delineation between personal and public interest. This goes to say that if one is a public servant, he or she should make sure that his or her public dealings are not tainted with his or her personal interest. When he or she serves the public, he or she should always uphold values that would best promote the interest of his or her constituents. This is actually the foundation of individual ethics and office ethics. There are certain matters that are to be limited to as to avoid conflict of interest while in public office. As a person, one has practiced certain values. Some of these values are relevant in public office and some are not. Sometimes, these ethical frameworks overlap. An instance of corruption is a good example. It may happen that the person thinks more of his personal interest than the welfare of the public. Nevertheless, there are also times when individual and office ethics diverge. This happens when the public servant considers his or her personal interest in relation to all his or her constituents. Such situation implies that the public administrator never forgets his or her bounden duty to the public. It also means that he or she recognizes the fact that he or she can be made accountable for his or her acts as a public official. Blagojevich's case should be a lesson to all American public administrators. They should always be mindful that they are to be made accountable by their constituents as to their performance of public duty.

Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Health care - Essay Example Therefore, they end up falling short of the selection criteria, thus diminishing the chances of getting a loan to finance the start-up venture. In this case, some entrepreneurs fail to acknowledge the relevant of the business plan in the process of starting up a business, hence resulting to difficulties of attaining financial backing for start-up. 2. The aim of the regulatory agencies in the health care industry is to ensure that patients are receiving quality health care services from various institutions. Therefore, they are mandated to check if health care institutions are compliant with the policies in the field of health care. In this case, they are not aimed at spoiling the organization; instead, they are focused on improving the reputations of health care institutions by eliminating the drawbacks that can result to failure. Moreover, if an institution is compliant with the policies and regulation, there is no need for being afraid of the regulatory agencies, since there is nothing to hide or generate

What are the key functions of the German Chancellor Essay - 1

What are the key functions of the German Chancellor - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Germany adopted the constitution (Basic law) on May 1949, which saw the reunification of Germany. The Basic law combines the lessons from German experience with the National Socialist State, the Weimar Republic and the intention of the Western powers. The Basic law provided the foundation for creating the Democratic and the Social Federal Republic. The Federal Republic of Germany has its name from Germans federal structure. The Federal Republic of Germany consists of sixteen states; each state has its own authority and powers. The Federal Republics constitution stipulates the responsibilities of the three separate arms of Germany government. The three branches are the legislature, executive, and the judiciary. The legislature consists of a bicameral parliament, the Bundesrat, and the Bundestag. The function of the executive circulates within the office of the president and the Chancellor. The federal constitution is the highest court i n Germany. It has the right to declare any acts of the federal state or the state legislatures unconstitutional. The court guards the Basic Law and consists of two panels, each panel consisting of eight judges. The Bundestag and the Bundesrat appoint an equal number of judges. The federal president is the head of the government and performs a ceremonial role. The president represents the country in international relations. The president concludes treaties, accredits and receives envoys. The federal president is not a member of the government, the legislature or the federal government.

Analysis a case study with reference to Bolman and deal four frames

Analysis a with reference to Bolman and deal four frames - Case Study Example In their work, Bolman and Deal (2003) found out an excellent approach in imparting both academic and entrepreneurial discipline in an individual professional. The balance upon attainment of these techniques results in good management qualities from an individual. The main objective of the skills acquisition is to ensure a smooth transition from clinical practice into new management roles. This study attempts to summarize the Four Frames in order to make a highlight of the distinct qualities that an individual must adopt to perform effective managerial roles. As a practicing clinician, one may feel the burden of moving into a new position of a senior manager since it requires some skills to transform from an ordinary practitioner into a more specialized role of a senior manager. To achieve this new role, Parry and Horton (1999), confirmed that holistic leadership and desired characteristics thereof involves assumption of greater importance to academics. The said leadership requires engagement ability and diverse approach to solve the difficult decision making problem. The tasks and roles that the new manager has to face require enlightenment that will best be suited by the use of Bolman and Deal recommended variety of approaches (Curran et al 2003). As a clinician, to make the relevant transformation, one must change the mindset and adopt the best leadership and management practices as outlined in Bolman and Deal (2003) study. Caution and confidence must be exercised. This is because some conflicts and relationship issues are involved as highlighted below. There are a number of conflicting issues involved as the clinician tries to adapt into the new unfamiliar managerial duties. These challenges have been classified into their respective Bolman and Deal Frames and possible solutions follow in form of qualities to adopt from Bolman and Deal (2003) study. Conservative versus change conflict: the manager

Gun Control Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gun Control Paper - Essay Example Gun ownership has remained a controversial issue in American politics. The controversy stems from the right to bear arms as outlined by the US constitution and the deliberate efforts and responsibility of the federal government to control gun related crimes (Valdez, 2003). Gun control laws exist almost at every government level since the federal government taxes the automatic weapons and the short barrel rifles which should be registered according to National Firearms Act of 1934. In addition, the Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits the transfer of guns to minors and also mail-order sales of guns in America. Although the 1968 Act required all guns to have serial numbers and prohibition of guns to individuals who have been convicted of felonies, the act has done minimal in controlling gun-related violence. The Gun Free School Zones Act of 1995 limited ability to carry guns near K-12 school, but different States have permitted full access of schools while armed (Valdez, 2003). On January 16, 2013, President Obama outlined several steps in gun control and access to mental health services. The proposals include background checks for all gun related transactions, stronger bans on assault rifles, and emergence response funds for shootings in schools. The proposals also include enhancing mental health services access among the young people and providing the law enforcement agencies more powers to investigate and prosecute citizens involved in gun related crimes (Valdez, 2003). The process policy model is the best model in legislating gun control laws. The focal point of the model is the political processes that involve all concerned stakeholders through changing the perception of the citizens and allowing public participation (Ginsberg & Miller-Cribbs, 2005). The process model starts with problem identification and the need of government action towards solving the problem (Fox, Bayat & Ferreira, 2006). The second step will include policy formulation and development of p roposals through the input of congressional committees and other interest groups. The third step should entail legitimization of the policy which will entail making the policy as law by the actions of the Congress and the President. The fourth step will entail implementation of the policy as law across the country through preparation of budgets and measures of the law enforcement agencies (Ginsberg & Miller-Cribbs, 2005). The final step will entail evaluation of the policy by the government agencies in order to ascertain whether the policy and laws have been able to deter gun related violence across the country (Fox, Bayat & Ferreira, 2006). Agenda setting/ identification of the gun violence problem The initial step in gun control policy will be outlining the need to legislate on gun control. The President will outline the societal need of protection from gun violence and escalating gun related deaths in the country (Fox, Bayat & Ferreira, 2006). The President must make the citizens also understand the Second Amendment of the constitution did not grant citizens the individual right to gun ownership. The President should create awareness that the United States is the leading country in gun ownership and has the highest rate of gun crime across the world. For instance,

Blaw Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Blaw - Essay Example As long as they had agreed in writing, it only means that the entertained should follow suit by paying for the service (Clarkson et al. 28). Parole Evidence Rule is not fixed just to parole or oral evidence. Under the rule, written agreements prior to the main agreement cannot be used to annul a latter drafted agreement particularly when it has been validated into a legally-binding written agreement. The disavowal that the concluding contract supersedes all the antecedent promises continues to give a pointer that indeed there was non-inclusion of furniture to the initially contracted terms. The second dimension indicates that whereas furniture is denotatively mentioned throughout the contract, a federal court may find that the provisions in the contract cannot be enforced because of vagueness. In other words, the terms need to be â€Å"reasonably certain† to effect enforcement. The same court can easily interpret the provision as an incipient agreement and seems promissory but were only meant to represent preliminary negotiations and had no legally binding connotations (Clarkson et al. 31). In an event where the court is able to determine that the provisions are unenforceable, it cannot determine the pricing due to the fact that the seller under no any legal obligation to undertake any terms of the provision. In other words, there was no obligation for the inclusion of furniture in sale agreement. In the future transaction where furniture is indeed included in the contract but the price is not, the court will not have to determine the price. In short, the court can only determine the price only when a service or good has in a way been consumed and cannot be returned in a similar condition with which it was sold. The same applies to its value which will have depreciated considerably compared to the time of sale. Such a situation will force the court to defer the pricing to

More sports in school Essay Example for Free

More sports in school Essay More Sports in School Did you know six of seven of the world population like more than one sport? Our school needs more sports. Some of the students like sports, but we do not have enough sports. Some students want to be a player when they grow up. Sports make your body stronger. We need more sports for the students, so they can become talented. Students can learn about teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. This can contribute to their development as solid citizens. According to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry website, in two thousand eight between sixteen percent and thirty three percent of children and teens were considered obese. In organized team sports, students work together to accomplish a task and learn from their mistakes. Nicole M. LaVoi wrote school should have more sports to have fun, mastery, teamwork, and become professionals. There are a lot of sports like soccer, basketball, tennis, football, volleyball, hockey etc. Website: http://blogs. edweek. org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2013/10/ny_times_hosts_roundtable_ on_ pros_and_cons_of_youth_sports.html Academically weak students are able to excel in sports and are challenged to improve their abilities. Furthermore, D. E. builds teamwork and units thee class as a group, living cultural or social background behind. In doing sport on regular basis, students become fitter and thus. Their self-steam is increased, but most importantly, it is fun. Many students who do not have the opportunity to participate in physical activities outside of school are thankful to do sports in school. If student enjoy sports they are more likely to care about education in general and in doing so improve their schoolwork. Sports only keeps the students healthy, but also gives them a fun break of other schoolwork. That is approximately one in four children who is over the suggested body fat limit for their age. Anyone is able to participate in sports and since a D. E. program in school offer different kind of sports. Some students argue about the fact that school should only be and not fun, because they are two different things. The time should be used to study instead of doing D. E. just the contrary is true. There are schools where students have D. E. lesson every day. org/essay/sports-is-a-necessary-part-of-168936. html Sports can help the students to improve their abilities. Sports are fun and students were exercising while playing sports. Soccer is the most exercised sports, because you have so much running to do. If there are more sports in school, it will be easy for the students to become talented and to be professional players. If student enjoy playing sports their more likely to care about their education. Sports keeps you physically fit, mentally strong, builds characters, and it is a way to take your mind off of school and other things.

English Not The Official Language Of Usa English Language Essay

English Not The Official Language Of Usa English Language Essay English is an official language of at least 50 countries. In this list the United States of America is excluded. English might be viewed as the national language due to its popularity in America but that is not the case. The U.S. has never had an official language since its foundation. At the foundation of the United States of America in 1780, there was some proposal by some individuals like Adam john and others who held similar opinion to start a government English academy that would teach English with the aim of making it the national language. This early attempt was rejected by the government congress on the base that they were a threat to the liberty of individual American citizens. The conservative founding fathers were of the viewed their ancestral languages as their rights and opposed any measure to have a single national language Since then, there has been conflict of interest between the whites, the natives and the immigrant, every time there is an economic downturn and job prospects reduces, this brings an anti-immigrant backlash. Many white, English-speaking Americans are of the opinion that the immigrant should just go home and leave the jobs to them. The backlash fuels the need to create a push to make English the nation language which the whites should identify themselves with and in the process excluding people who primarily speak other languages, whether they are U.S. citizens, legal residents, or illegal residents. There have been several movements coming up in the recent past, but the only English based movement to support English as a national language was an email making rounds in the internet. This email regards the senators who were against the amendment of a bill that would make English as the official language as un-American and does not spend the spirit of national hood and traitorous. The United States English says that official English promotes unity, empowers immigrants, and creates common-sense government policies. I am of a different opinion that English should not be made a national language. Official English: Promoting Unity The idea with those that support this debate is that if everyone speaks the same language, it facilitates melting-of different culture to create a common culture. This assimilation through making all the documents to be in the English language will then encourage and make people to put more incentive to learn English to promote a common culture. This will in turn eliminate the diversity that America enjoys making other language and culture appear inferior or second to English culture. This is where I have a problem, expecting everyone to assimilate into one culture. Cultural backgrounds are part of what America is today. Why should we not promote and celebrate them even to the point of forming enclaves? As long as people are willing to respect the laws of the land, I dont see a problem with this. And I dont know of any language-based racial and ethnic conflicts that have taken place in the U.S. Official English: Empowering Immigrants Promoting English to be the national language helps to empower the immigrant by incorporating them to the American system of education and making them to develop the American ideology to fit in America society well. I have to say America may have been founded by people who spoke many different langues but those coming to America or those that existed before English became a dominant language need to learn English to survive. Affluence in the English language makes it easy to get a good job and become more productive members of the society. I have to respectfully disagree with this school of thoughts. Regardless of whether they need to survive is different from throwing someone who doesnt know the language into a situation where they have no way of learning it. In time they adapt to new cultures. The immigrant instead should not be subjected to learning a language that they do not understand or served with documents in language they do not understand into a completely new culture espe cially one with the American dream Official English: to cut down government expenditure This is the money argument geared towards or viewed to reduce the government expenditures by making several copies of each government document in the multiple languages being spoken or understood by different group in the country and that if we eliminate this, well save money, which can be used for teaching English. This seems too many like a noble ideal but this argument is the baseless and considers insignificant revenue compared to expenses to be incurred by non English speaking citizens seeking for translation. The government do not have the goodwill to make this legislation work. Teaching English will not eliminate the needs for other languages. Even native English speakers can have trouble understanding government forms its got to be even more difficult for people who speak English as a second language. Providing forms in other languages would help ensure that people fill out important forms correctly. Official English: Abridging Peoples Rights The laws promises people equal protection. By making English as the official language the government would be depriving some citizen their rights to defend themselves in court and denying them the right to freedom of association with other members of the society and interaction with the governments services. The law is very clearly stated and. I quote Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Making English a national language would be against the law. Thats unfair and it also makes me wonder whether the point is not to make people learn to speak English, but to make the non-English-speaking people go away and make their language look inferior and can only be used in t their homeland where it originated but have no place in the us. Official English: Perpetuating Stereotypes The debate and the movements for English as the national has brought up a divide between the citizens by exposing the difference the t exists between them which never existed or was originally minimal. English-only legislation does not explicitly promote stereotypes, but the movement does have the effect of making people look down on people who speak languages other than English. Many people who hold this opinion will assume that all non English speakers are illegal immigrants who shouldnt be in America, for instance, and the push for English-only just reinforces attitudes like that, by implying that speaking another language is a negative trait. Making English the official language would send an unequivocal message of unwelcome to the non-English parts of the world, completely counter to the melting pot ideal which makes the U.S. so great. AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE WOULD ACCOMPLISH NOTHING Its not like making English the official language would magically make everyone in the U.S. speak English. Making English the official language wouldnt even stop other languages from making appearances here. It wouldnt remove that Para Espanola, marquee echoes ascent from this country. Those differences arent there because of some sinister plot by archliberals to destroy the U.S. with political correctness. Theyre there because their presence brings an American way of life that makes it and sells it around the world and make everyone to enjoy this dream. Leave them people alone, 99% cant even speak English right leave any other language out, there is no point of bulling this people, infant they speak the other languages amongst themselves are. Most people against others speaking any other language amongst them are in most cases with very low education and understanding. Let people use the languages they best understand amongst themselves leave them alone. LEAVE IT UP TO THE STATES One consequence of making English the official language of the U.S. is that this would rule out any individual states having any say in the matter. Since the U.S. was founded, theres been a gradual erosion of power for the states. Originally, it was like there were four nodes in the famous and oft-cited system of checks and balances of the U.S. government: the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judicial branch, and the states. Some U.S. states have enshrined English as the official language, and some have not. In one such example a large number of people in the New Mexico state are Spanish speakers. It would make no sense for the federal government to order a state like this to make English the official language. WONT SOMEONE THINK OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS? Some of the people arguing for English as an official language pose it that; its already the de-facto official language, for all practical intents and purposes. But, by that logic, the official language shouldve originally been a mishmash of Native American tongues. Its very clear that many USA citizens dont know their own history and the sacrifice that their own country went through. The Dominicans are the founder of the Americas. America is no English name and most of the states in the union are from the Spanish. Most of the American is so insecure of their true identity Early immigrants and colonists from Europe learned the language that was dominant in North America at that time, not of Britain! English is a third language according to America history and giving it greater priority over the original native language would be discriminating the native population. The United States was colonized by immigrants from different countries .people should understand that the Spaniards were the 1st to arrive to America even before the English men from Britain. Since America was made on immigrants, it is every immigrants RIGHT to keep and use his native language.

Inventing A Writing Technology Essay -- Writing Technological Papers

"Inventing" A Writing Technology According to Walter Ong, an influential scholar of the relationship between technology and media, "Literacy is imperious. It tends to arrogate to itself supreme power by taking itself as normative for human expression and thought. This is particularly true in high-technology cultures, which are built on literacy of necessity and which encourage the impression that literacy is an always to be expected and even natural state of affairs" (316). Ong would probably agree that literacy is so embedded in our current technological culture that it has become part of the standard of living, a necessary requirement for functioning in this highly professionalized world. However, the point of Ong’s prior statement is not that writing is only a necessity but that writing is a necessity which has become so internalized it is often taken for granted. The process of writing is a highly evolved, technological entity often revered as a "natural" part of life when in reality writing has been arti ficially created by man. Writing is very much an artificial creation, not a natural occurrence. To illustrate how true this is and how much writing is taken for granted and internalized as natural to humans, an experiment was done. Students from Eastern Michigan University’s English 328: Writing, Style, and Technology class were challenged to invent a writing technology without using any manufactured utensils such as pens, pencils, paint, brushes, white-out pens, nail polish, electronic devices or paper. The purpose was not to invent a new alphabet but to invent a new method of writing. In addition, the assignment required the consideration of four other elements: permanence, portability, creativity, and the extent to ... ... Beginning with the first written script of the Samarians, writing has been developed and integrated into world cultures. Many cannot imagine speech without writing, and U.S. culture would probably have difficulty functioning without writing. So, to say that writing is natural is one of the most incorrect statements of all time because, in truth, writing is one of the most invaluable, and highly-developed technologies existing worldwide today. Works Cited Barron, Dennis. "From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies." Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Comp. Evelyn B. Tribble & Anne Trubek. New York: Longman, 2003. 35-53. Ong, Walter. "Writing Is a Technology that Restructures Thought." Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Comp. Evelyn B. Tribble & Anne Trubek. New York: Longman, 2003. 315-337.

Contagiousness of Violence Essay -- Holocaust, Hitler, Jews

The Holocaust is one of the most researched atrocities of recent History; there are many atrocities that one can research, why the Holocaust? Because along with being a horrific event in human history, it’s also a testament to the strength of the survivors, and a testament to the Horrors that Hitler began. This period in history can be separated into two major parts; the persecution of the Jewish people, and the extermination of all undesirables, which constituted mostly of Jews. Often times when researching the Holocaust you hear about Hitler and his villainy, but he was only part of the problem. This Paper intends to compare the arguments presented by Saul Friedlander in Nazi Germany and the Jews 1939-1945 The Years of Extermination and Peter Longerich in the Holocaust the Nazi Persecution and Murder of the Jews; the paper will examine the contagiousness of violence, hatred, and prejudice that the Germans and the occupied territories participated in between 1933 and 1945 of Hitler’s Nazi Regime. Nazi Germany and the Jews 1939-1945 the Years of Extermination begins the examination into the Holocaust by looking at the person who nurtured and strengthened the anti-Semitic feelings in Germany, and subsequently Europe, Adolf Hitler. Under Hitler’s Germany there was the essence of a political religion that is the devotion Germany felt for his cultural, and political goals is comparable to one’s faith in God. He had absolute loyalty, he ruled with fear, propaganda, and his personality; the key detail in his political rise to power is the externalizing of blame. â€Å"in Hitler’s views the Jews were first and foremost an active (Eventually deadly) threat† (Friedlander 16) he saw the Jews as the root of all evil, behind all the detrimental... ...edlander examines is prevalent in Longerich’s assessment of German control of Soviet occupied territories, the only difference that exist between the two is the detail, Friedlander briefly covers the situation while Longerich dedicates and entire section just to the murder of the Jewish men and then the next to the escalation from just the men to all Jews. The paper thus far has covered Hitler as the catalyst for the infection that took a hold of Europe, then the spread of his atrocious views to the German populace, its disastrous involvement in Poland and soviet territories. Now the paper will cover the extermination of the European Jew. Up until this point the events weren’t part of the Final Solution to the Jewish question only the propaganda, fear, and hatred that the Nazi regime spread along with their infectious views of the Jewish population in Europe.

Bloody Sunday: What Really Happened? Essay -- British History, Europe

On the 30th of January 197213 Catholics were killed by British Paratroopers on the streets of Londonderry. It was the result of an illegal but originally peaceful march led by the NICRA the civil rights movement. The march attracted 15000 people all for a similar cause, to ban Internment. The day became known as Bloody Sunday because of the terrible events that took place. Although the details of what actually happened remain undecided, because of the controversial views of the people that took part in the march. Internment was a law enforced by the government of N Ireland to try and keep the Nationalist population under control. It allowed the Government to put people in prison who were suspected of being terrorists without trial. Consequently only Catholic's were arrested. Bloody Sunday happened because of many years of conflict between Nationalist and Unionist communities. In Northern Ireland nationalists are almost all Catholics and want a united Ireland with no connections with Britain. Unionists are almost all Protestant and want to stay part of the United Kingdom, afraid that if they join the Republic of Ireland the Catholic Church would take over and their economy would break down. The street history and segregation between the communities created a further tension between the two sides. When British Troops came into N. Ireland in 1969 to bring peace between Nationalists and Unionists, peace was restored for a few months, but gradually the British troops went from being the peace makers to the peace destroyers. The British army soon clashed with both Nationalists and Loyalists. The British government handed the control of their army to the Irish government. This meant that the army was run j... ...as to what happened on Bloody Sunday, who fired the first shot, and whether the paratroopers were just retaliating. Both sides had reasons to hate the other and it would have been understandable if either of the sides shot first, when in operation in Ireland the army must have been constantly attacked making the army want to get their own back, but it was their job and this was something they should not have done. The Catholics saw the army as a force that oppressed them and they wanted freedom from that, feeling bitter about those years they also had plenty of reason to shoot. After so many years of conflict in Northern Ireland both sides can not listen to the other, they are so adamant that their own beliefs are correct. The Saville inquiries' conclusions will probably never be acceptable to either the army or the original marchers and their relatives. Bloody Sunday: What Really Happened? Essay -- British History, Europe On the 30th of January 197213 Catholics were killed by British Paratroopers on the streets of Londonderry. It was the result of an illegal but originally peaceful march led by the NICRA the civil rights movement. The march attracted 15000 people all for a similar cause, to ban Internment. The day became known as Bloody Sunday because of the terrible events that took place. Although the details of what actually happened remain undecided, because of the controversial views of the people that took part in the march. Internment was a law enforced by the government of N Ireland to try and keep the Nationalist population under control. It allowed the Government to put people in prison who were suspected of being terrorists without trial. Consequently only Catholic's were arrested. Bloody Sunday happened because of many years of conflict between Nationalist and Unionist communities. In Northern Ireland nationalists are almost all Catholics and want a united Ireland with no connections with Britain. Unionists are almost all Protestant and want to stay part of the United Kingdom, afraid that if they join the Republic of Ireland the Catholic Church would take over and their economy would break down. The street history and segregation between the communities created a further tension between the two sides. When British Troops came into N. Ireland in 1969 to bring peace between Nationalists and Unionists, peace was restored for a few months, but gradually the British troops went from being the peace makers to the peace destroyers. The British army soon clashed with both Nationalists and Loyalists. The British government handed the control of their army to the Irish government. This meant that the army was run j... ...as to what happened on Bloody Sunday, who fired the first shot, and whether the paratroopers were just retaliating. Both sides had reasons to hate the other and it would have been understandable if either of the sides shot first, when in operation in Ireland the army must have been constantly attacked making the army want to get their own back, but it was their job and this was something they should not have done. The Catholics saw the army as a force that oppressed them and they wanted freedom from that, feeling bitter about those years they also had plenty of reason to shoot. After so many years of conflict in Northern Ireland both sides can not listen to the other, they are so adamant that their own beliefs are correct. The Saville inquiries' conclusions will probably never be acceptable to either the army or the original marchers and their relatives.

Coachella

Coachella One of my favorite events is the Coachella Music Festival, a music fans ultimate adventure. My friend Isaac and I had planned our trip for months. The event was two days, split up because of the hundreds of bands playing. We bought our ticket months in advance for one day. The line-up for that day was amazing. The line up consisted of: Radio Head, Pixies, Kraftwerk, Rapture, Death Cab for Cutie, and many more. If you love alternative music, this is it. We also had planned to stay the night, so we pre-booked a room in hotel nearby.Our destination was Indio California, near Palm Springs. The drive from San Jose to Indio was about 427 miles. We headed out early morning, stopped a couple times to use the restroom and refuel. Driving on Highway 10, was mostly desert. The only interesting configurations worth gazing were the plain white wind mills. Hundreds lined up, across acres of desert land. Some of the giant windmills propelled with the slight dry wind. We finally had arrive d and it felt like we stepped into a depleted tropical land. Luckily, the hotel we stayed in included a swimming pool!It was the day of the event, so we made sure to dress accordingly. We also made sure to bring plenty of water. The parking area was a chaotic scrabble of vehicles. The walk to the gates was a good 10 minutes. This was only the beginning; this event was spread out onto 90 acres. No wonder, GoldenVoice (Coachella Organizers) held event in this location; Empire Polo Club. The first idea that came to mind was to plan our day according to music events itinerary. A mass of 100,000 people would be diverged among the Polo Fields.Coachella’s map out of event accommodated all; with multiple stages, international food stands, alcohol and beverage stands, in door lounges to cool off, numerous tents with DJ’s, art installations, Coachella souvenir stands, porta potties in large quantities, ATMs, Security, and First Aide stands. The lines were a quarter mile long, or more for all stands. At this point, my friend Isaac and I decided we would cool off with a Heineken. Next we took our place in line to get a bite to eat. Of course everything is overpriced, since it is a music concert.

Invertebrates

Invertebrates Jellyfish The Jellyfish are truly a wonder of nature. They have always been objects of deep observation and admiration. Not to mention the fact, that they are also considered in great awe, fear and even repulsion by some folks. The repulsion and fear have originated from the fact that these creatures can be quite beautiful to behold, but extremely painful when stung by them. These marine creatures are classified under the group of Cnidarians. They typically have a soft jelly like consistency to their body, prompting the people to call them as Jellyfish. There are numerous surprises in store, when we deal with Jellyfishes.The first and foremost of the surprise is the vast reservoir of chemical factories, inside the tiny body. Though this creature does not have a vertebral column, a proper demarcation of body and head, and not even a brain, yet this Jellyfish is seen to possess numerous different chemicals, some of which are extremely toxic and poisonous too. Next in stor e for the observer or the scientist is the next surprise, which is the fluorescent quality of these creatures. The Jellyfish possess a chemical protein inside their body fluid, called as aequorin, which was derived from the species of Jellyfish called as Aequorea Victoria.The GFP or the green fluorescent protein was derived from this protein. Both these proteins have a property of photo luminescence, which means lighting up in the dark, and also the property of fluorescence. Then there are the Neon Jellyfish which are also called as rainbow Jellyfish. These do not produce any photo luminescent protein as such. But yet they manage to shine or light up in the dark. They possess a hair like structure called cilia which help in their motility. The light which falls on these cilia is reflected back and this simple property of light reflection makes these rainbow Jellyfish fluorescent.Cycloporus Venetus (Blue Flatworm) FLATWORMS – UMMM. THEY'RE FLAT We have to run out of steam ther e. But that's the one obvious connection between all of the worms in this group. Sure we can tell you that there are over 20,000 known species. Most of the species are parasitic. They are super-primitive organisms that were the first to develop mesoderm. The big thing you should remember is that they are flat. There may be one more fact to remember. They are found in every environment that has water. Many scientists believe there are hundreds of species we will still discover. BASIC TYPESYou'll learn about a few classic examples of flatworms in your classes. Tapeworms are always a nasty example. They live in intestinal tracts of many species. Cats, dogs, and even you could wind up with tapeworms. You'll also hear about flukes. It's another parasitic species that has a close relationship with man and other mammals. They are suckers in the flatworm family. Planaria are harmless flatworms that are often used in your biology labs. They are freshwater flatworms that have a head like an a rrow. They're black with two white spots on their heads. Those spots are not eyes, but they do sense light.Flatworms have very simple nervous systems. WHERE WILL YOU FIND THEM? If you find water, there's a good chance flatworms will be around. Most are very small and not obvious immediately. Flatworms get most of their oxygen through diffusion. Since they have no specialized circulatory system, their flatness gives them a greater surface area to absorb more oxygen. There are species in many freshwater and saltwater environments as well as inside larger organisms. While we made them seem easy to find, it's sometimes very hard to track them down. Since many flatworms are parasites, they have lifecycles in different hosts.Eggs many be deposited in the feces of one species. Another organism might eat those eggs and development begins in the digestive system. The flatworm might then mature in the muscle tissue. Flatworms can get around. SOME STRUCTURE STUFF Although really simple, flatwo rms have some advanced structures compared to some other animals. They were the first species to develop mesoderm. That mesoderm tissue develops into organs and muscles as the organism grows. They also have simple nervous systems and sensory organs. While they don't have a respiratory system or circulatory system to speak of, they do have a neat little digestive system.Most species of flatworms have no anus and a cavity with only one opening. While not all species do, many flatworm species use a mouth to eat. The only problem with no anus is that the stuff you don't digest has to go out the mouth when you're done. Other materials that need to be removed from the system can be excreted through specialized cells called flame cells. Flame cells are the first appearance of excretory ducts in organisms. Flame cells have cilia that beat and filter out materials that the flatworm wants to get rid of.

Meralco’s Pricing: an Assessment

I. Introduction Meralco is a natural monopoly. Natural monopoly exists when a firm is able to supply the total market demand more efficiently because of economies of scale that allow the firm to lower its cost as it expands capacity. However, like any firm in a market situation where there is imperfect competition or in a less-than-competitive market, a natural-monopoly firm, when left to its own, tends to limit its output to a point where its marginal cost equals its marginal revenue but charge a much higher price than what would have prevailed when there is a highly-competitive market.In a highly-competitive market, the output tends to settle at a point where marginal cost equals marginal revenue, which also equals its price and where the unit cost of production is the lowest possible because of competition. When the price is greater than unit cost and profits are high, more firms will come to compete in the market and drive down the price back to where it is just equal to unit cos t. When the price is below unit cost, the resulting losses will drive out some of the firm from the market, thus raising the price back again to where it is just equal to the unit cost of producing the product concerned.Because a natural monopoly, like any firm in an imperfect market, charges a price way above the equality of marginal cost and marginal revenue, it also produces at a certain level of output that is less than what would have prevailed when the market is highly competitive. These twin evils (higher price than necessary and lower output than possible), which arise from the presence of a monopoly, make for a very strong case for government intervention. In line with this, the researchers ought to know if Meralco has really an absolute control over the output produced and therefore charge the highest price to increase their profit.They also want to know the basis of pricing per kilowatt hour (kWh) and how do they implemented this to their consumer. II. Methodology The des criptive research method was used in this research, as it points out conditions and relationships that exist or do not exist. Furthermore, this method emphasizes more on descriptions rather than on judgments or interpretations. Descriptive research is thus a type of research that is primarily concerned with describing the nature or conditions and degree in detail of the present situation. (Landman, 1998:59)Descriptive data for research are collected by using different methods. It may be presented qualitatively or in verbal forms or symbols, or quantitatively in mathematical symbols, depending upon the nature of the material and the purposes for which one is doing research. III. Respondents of the study The respondents of this study consisted of Meralco consumers and some people from the Department of Energy (DOE). The above-mentioned respondents qualified to the most needed criteria of the researchers, who were currently situated at the survey site. IV.Discussion A. Overview of Mono poly A. 1 Definition of monopoly Pure monopoly exists when a single firm is the sole producer of a product for which there are no close substitutes. A. 2 Characteristics of Monopoly Here are the main characteristics of pure monopoly: a. Single seller. A pure, or absolute, monopoly is an industryin which a single firm is the sole producer of aspecific good or the sole supplier of a service; thefirm and the industry are synonymous. b. No close substitutes. A pure monopoly’s product isunique in that there are no close substitutes.Theconsumer who chooses not to buy the monopolized product must do without it. c. Price maker. The pure monopolist controls the totalquantity supplied and thus has considerable controlover price; it is a price maker (unlike a pure competitor,which has no such control and therefore is a pricetaker). The pure monopolist confronts the usualdownward-sloping product demand curve. It canchange its product price by changing the quantity ofthe product it produc es. The monopolist will use thispower whenever it is advantageous to do so. d. Blocked entry.A pure monopolist has no immediatecompetitors because certain barriers keep potentialcompetitors from entering the industry. Those barriers may be economic, technological, legal, or ofsome other type. But entry is totally blocked in puremonopoly. e. Nonprice competition. The product produced by a puremonopolist may be either standardized (as with naturalgas and electricity)or differentiated (aswith Windows orFrisbees). Monopolists that have standardized products engage mainly in public relationsadvertising, whereas those with differentiated productssometimes advertise their products’ attributes.B. Meralco and Pricing The  Manila Electric Company  ,also known as  MERALCO  , is the Philippines' largest distributor of electrical power. The word MERALCO, is an  acronym  for  Manila  Electric  Railroad  And  Light  Company, which was the company's original name from 1903 to 1919. MERALCO is the  Metro Manila's only electric power distributor and holds the power distribution franchise for some 22 cities and 89 municipalities, including the whole of  Metro Manila  and  Mega Manila  region. B. 1 Retail price compositionIEC confirmed that the main component or 65 percent of the average of Meralco’s retail pricing is the generation charge. Charges by independent power producers comprised 44 percent, National Power Corp. ’s transmission billing was 35 percent, spot market pricing was 13 percent, and the ancillary service charge was 8 percent. The table below shows the composition of the total of retail price charged to consumers: IEC also estimated that the embedded fuel costs comprised approximately 50 percent of the total generation charge, while the transmission charge comprised 9 percent of the average tariff.VAT and other taxes and statutory charges comprised 10 percent. Lastly, the distribution charge, which is the only part of electricity billing that goes to Meralco, comprised 16 percent of the average tariff. All other charges were thus collected by Meralco on behalf of third parties. B. 2 Price as Compared to other Countries IEC conducted a detailed survey and analysis of retail electricity tariffs and costs in 13 countries and two U. S. states, as well as a supplementary, less comprehensive â€Å"meta-analysis â€Å" of 27 countries in the Euro area and the 50 remaining U. S. states.The 15 core markets in the survey included Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan (Kansai), Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia (WA), Sri Lanka, NZ, California (PG;E), Hawaii, Canada (Ontario) and South Africa. For each of the core markets, retail tariffs were calculated for residential, commercial and industrial customers. IEC enumerated seven factors behind Meralco’s pricing as compared to other countries: subsidies, high intrinsic cost of supply, import-parity fuel, grid size/plant mix, higher financing cost, geographical challenges and cross-subsidy in transmission rates.Surprisingly, a number of countries in the study like Korea and Taiwan have electricity prices that are lower than Meralco’s because of government policies that provide subsidies of up to 50 percent. The subsidies come in the varied form of frozen tariffs, sale of fuel to utilities at below market rates, and utility losses shouldered by the government. IEC noted that Meralco’s estimated cost of supply was in the top quintile (9th highest and 19 percent above the average) among the 44 markets surveyed.The cost of producing and delivering electricity in Luzon (and in the Philippines, more generally), it seems, was intrinsically high largely because of the high price of imported fossil fuel. Interestingly, IEC also pointed to the relatively small grid size, geographic challenges of transmission and higher cost of financing costs as reasons for high intrinsic cost of electricity that Mer alco sells. If fact, IEC noted that eight of the 10 highest cost markets in the survey are island nation/states, and this factor may be a fundamental cost multiplier.Because 80 percent of power generation in Luzon was fuelled with imported fuels, electricity prices are expected to remain high. This is the reality of a country that is dependent on imported fuels. Also, the Luzon grid size is smaller and therefore had a high dependence on hydro which requires a higher reserve margin requirement. The weighted average cost of capital in the Philippine power sector is higher than most countries in the region. Debt cost is relatively high and loan tenors are shorter. Transmission costs are also inherently high as power has to be transmitted across several islands.Lastly, the higher cost of transmission to consumers in the Visayas is subsidized by consumers in the Luzon grid. A study conducted by the company and commissioned by Meralco found that at the beginning of 2012 the Philippines ha d the 2nd highest electricity rates in the region and the 9th highest out of 44 international markets. In the study, which was standardized for type of customer, time period, currency price and resource rates, he came to a number of conclusions about why consumer electricity rates in the Philippines are relatively high for the region and internationally.Several of the issues don't seem to have a near term solution in sight. 1. The government doesn't subsidize energy. The main reason prices are likely to stay high is the Philippines can't afford to subsidize its electricity as other countries in the region do,3/4 of the reason energy costs are high is because the government doesn't apply subsidies to keep tariffs artificially low. Several neighboring countries — Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea and Taiwan — all have lower tariffs because of government subsidies.He said up to and sometimes over 50% of costs in these countries are subsidized since government policies freeze tariffs, sell fuel at below market rates and make government shoulder business losses. 2. It's expensive to produce energy in the Philippines. Philippine power generation relies largely on imported fuel pegged to high international fuel prices, The country is making efforts to explore more of its own natural gas resources, but finding deposits and setting up production facilities will take years. In the meantime, the country is reliant on high cost international fuel. 3. Challenging geography.Because the Philippines is made up of thousands of islands, it does not have a unified electricity grid and there are several providers. â€Å"In principle,† said Morris, â€Å"the bigger the grid the cheaper the cost† which can be spread out among more customers. However he thought that creating a unified grid in the Philippines would be problematic given the terrain. He noted that transmission costs are more expensive because power has to be sent across several islands. I EC found that 8 of the 10 highest cost markets in the survey were island nations or states, which could be a â€Å"fundamental cost multiplier. He said, â€Å"It is expensive to make electricity, transmit it and distribute it in this country†¦ I can't see that problem changing in the next 20 years. † 4. Ineffective plants. He pointed out that when some plants don't work well, it is necessary to have a reserve plant, which means additional costs. â€Å"The higher your reserve margin the higher the total cost of supply,† he said. He added that the reserve margin of the Philippines was probably around 20% but should actually be between 33% to 35% since the country has had brownouts in the last year, which he said â€Å"means you don't have enough capacity to meet reliable demand.C. Government’s Intervention to Pricing Natural monopolies traditionally have been subject to rate regulation (price regulation), although the recent trend has been to deregulate whe rever competition seems possible. For example, long-distance telephone calls, natural gas distribution, wireless communications, cable television, and long-distance electricity transmission have been, to one degree or another, deregulated over the past several decades. And regulators in some states are beginning to allow new entrants to compete with existing local telephone and electricity providers.Nevertheless, state and local regulatory commissions still regulate the prices that most local natural gas distributors, regional telephone companies, and local electricity suppliers can charge. These locally regulated monopolies are commonly called â€Å"public utilities. † Meralco as Regulated Monopoly Meralco is a publicly owned and listed company, meaning that anyone can share in the potential price appreciation of its shares and can receive a portion of company profits when dividends are declared. This company is a public utility, which means it has a monopoly in the delivery of service to the public.In return for the benefits of not having any competition, the government regulates how much profit the company can make. Normally, the regulated price that it sells its services to the public depends on the rate of return or profit the company will make and that is controlled by the government. In theory, without government regulation, Meralco could charge whatever price it wanted and the public would have no choice but to pay or not have electric service. But Meralco prices are under government control.Therefore, the government has an obligation to keep the price charged as low as possible to serve the best public interests while, at the same time, allow enough return to keep the company financially sound, able to expand and enhance company business interests and allow the shareholders to make money on their investment. V. Conclusion A public utility must serve both the public interest and the interest of its investors. However, because of the government c ontrol of pricing, it is the absolute obligation of government regulators to protect and serve the public interest.It is not the job of the Meralco management to protect the public. That is the government’s job. It is not the job of government to protect the Meralco shareholders. That is the management’s job. Then, after the regulations are set, it is management’s responsibility to protect shareholder interests within the boundaries that the regulators establish. If we were the shareholder of Meralco, we want the company to charge P50 per kilowatt-hour so my company can make a lot of profit. As a consumer, we want the government to keep electricity prices as low as possible while insuring reliable service.Any reasonable person can see that there can be an inherent conflict of interest in those two positions. That is why public utilities function best when privately owned and operated and regulated by the government. VI. References 1. http://rp1. abs-cbnnews. com /views-and-analysis/05/29/08/meralco-what-issue-really-john-mangun 2. http://www. rappler. com/business/10737-electricity-prices-in-ph-likely-to-stay-high-in-the-short-term 3. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Meralco 4. http://www. bizlinksphilippines. net/102312. htmlPolytechnic University of the Philippines College of Accountancy Sta. Mesa, Manila Meralco’s Pricing: An Assessment ECON 2023 Submitted to: Submitted By: Janine Simbulan Christian Derrick Villafranca Ma. Margarita Matawaran Jemilyn Milan Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Methodology III. Discussion A. Overview of the Monopoly a. 1 Definition of the Monopoly a. 2 Characteristics of Monopoly B. Meralco and Pricing b. 1 Retail price composition b. 2 Price as compared to other countries D. Government’s intervention to Pricing IV. Refenrences

Non Verbal

I have sent the following communication to my professionals through a observe and shown on the observe board: â€Å"Coming Second Weekend to complete our objectives or the month a evaluation conference is organized and all should be present at. If any professional Is not able to be present at should find out the material of the conference from their colleagues without fall†. But my communication went wrong and out of 10 professionals, only three professionals have joined at 4. 0 PM who checked-in with me plenty of duration of the conference. Following were the limitations of communication which was standing in the way of my communication: The â€Å"Channel† I have selected communication by â€Å"Receivers† did not make sure the invoice of the communication was missing the â€Å"Chronological context† The second Weekend being a non working day. The communication has designed a â€Å"Psychological noise† by not referring to perfect duration of the con ference and misunderstandings have been designed.The â€Å"social context† also is one of the causes for the failing of the communication as I have not taken all my professionals into assured by providing any enhance information or a objective of the conference previously. Lessons learned in order to get over these limitations of communication: My communication was uncertain by not providing actual duration of conference. The press I have used Is he putting the observe on the observe panel, Instead had I distributed to all the devices and acquired their signatures by asking their accessibility or reviews my communication would not didn't work.I have selected a wrong day a holiday though the process was a schedule one. I could have managed good interaction with my professionals for success of my communication. Overcome the communication limitations when you deliver a concept, you plan to connect significance, but the concept Itself does not contain significance. The significan ce prevails In your thoughts and In the brain of your recipient. To comprehend one another, you and our recipient must discuss similar explanations for terms, actions, style, and other signs. . Variations In perception The globe regularly bombards us with Information: attractions, appears to be, fragrances, and so on. Our thoughts arrange this flow of feeling Into a psychological map that symbolizes our knowing or truth. In no case is the knowing of a certain individual the same as the globe itself, and no two charts are similar. As you perspective the globe, your thoughts takes up your encounters in a exclusive and personal way.Because your views are exclusive, the concepts you want to show vary room other Individuals' Even when two individuals have knowledgeable the same occasion, their psychological pictures of that occasion will not be similar. As senders, the most appropriate and common, a process known as particular knowing. As devices, we try to fit new information into our c urrent design. If a details does not quite fit, we are more likely to change the important points rather than change the design. 2.Incorrect filtering Filtering is testing out before a concept is approved on to someone else. In business, the filtration between you and your recipient are many; staff, staff, receptionists, espousing to devices, etc. Those same gatekeepers may also translate' your receiver's concepts and reactions before moving them on to you. To get over filtration limitations, try to set up more than one communication route, remove as many intermediaries as possible, and reduce distortions by condensing concept information to the simple requirements. . Terminology problems When you select the terms for your concept, you indication that you are a participant of a particular lifestyle or sub-culture and that you know the rule. The characteristics of your rule enforce its own limitations on your concept. Barriers also are available because terms can be considered in mor e than one way. Terminology is an irrelevant rule that relies on distributed explanations, but there happens to be restrict to how completely any of us discuss the same significance for a given term.To get over language limitations, use the most specific and precise terms possible. Always try to use terms your viewers will comprehend. Increase the precision of your information by using language that explains rather than analyze and by introducing visible information, activities, and conditions. 4. Inadequate listening Perhaps the most common hurdle to wedding celebration is merely a lack of interest on the receiver's part. We all let our thoughts walk now and then, regardless of how hard we try to concentrate.Everyone is basically likely to get to sleep when they are compelled to pay attention to information that is obscure or that has little immediate keeping on their own lifestyles. Too few of us basically do not pay interest well! To get over limitations, paraphrase what you have recognized, try to perspective the problem through the sight of other sound system and avoid moving to results. Explain significance by asking non-threatening questions, and pay interest without disturbing. 5.Varying psychological states Every concept contains both a content significance, which offers with the topic of the concept, and a connection significance, which indicates the characteristics of the interaction between e-mailer and recipient. Connections can break down when the recipient responds adversely to either of these explanations. You may have to deal with individuals when they are disappointed or when you are. An disappointed individual tends to neglect or change what the other individual is saying and is often incapable to present feelings and concepts successfully.This is not to say that you should prevent all communication when you are psychologically engaged, but you should be mindful of the higher prospective for misconception that comes with turned on feelings. To get over psychological limitations, be aware of the feelings that occur in yourself and in others as you connect, and make an effort to control them. Most essential, be mindful of the higher prospective for misconception that comes Differences in qualifications can be one of the toughest communication limitations to get over.Age, knowledge, sex, social position, financial position, social qualifications, disposition, health, elegance, reputation, religious beliefs, governmental perception, even a moving feelings can all individual one individual from another and make knowing challenging. To get over the limitations associated with differing background scenes, prevent predicting your own qualifications or lifestyle onto others. Explain your own and comprehend the qualifications of others, areas of knowledge, individualistic and views and do not believe that certain actions mean the same thing to everyone.

Strengths and weakenesses of CHRIS21 HRIS system Essay

Strengths and weakenesses of CHRIS21 HRIS system - Essay Example The software that offers payrolls to the employees helps greatly in payment of employees (Schwalbe, 2009, 250). For example, availing payments to 2000 employees is a hectic exercise. This is because the employees’ turnover is large and enough scrutiny would not be enough. The HR benefits a lot in terms of saving time concerning payments. Talent Management software helps scrutinize on the capacities of the workforce effectively (Lic Books, 2010, 24). This is because the software can handle many employees within an exceedingly short duration. Handling of 2000 employees of a company would ensure that all of them are recognizable. Therefore, the exercise is fair and efficient to the company In addition, there is also the use of social software for the employees. This software is beneficial because it helps the employees to reach to each other and share ideologies. Moreover, the software helps the employee to socialize and share. This forum helps the employees to reconnect and have a sense of belonging. Any issues facing human resource have their scrutiny in this arena. For example, 2000 employees require to be socially reconnecting. This software enables employees get in contact. Two thousand employees is a great number that cannot get in touch manually. This is because employees have commitments that would derail them from meeting all the time. One of the disadvantages of this human resource software is the fact that the employer has no special contact with the employees. Dealing with employees using software means that this happens without any person turning up. Therefore, the employees do not have a [personal relationship with the employer. This makes them refute the fact that they are an exceedingly necessary resource for the company. The other disadvantage is that employees’ weaknesses are not recognizable. This is because software does

The Growing Middle Class in Emerging Markets in Asia Research Paper

The Growing Middle Class in Emerging Markets in Asia - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that posts 2008 financial crisis across the US and around the world, there has been considerable interest in the emergence of the Asian middle class because they can play a significant role in reviving the world economy. As more and more people in the Asian region fall into the middle-income category, they are likely to be a future growth engine. So far economies of China, South Korea, or Taiwan have been driven more by their export bases; however, with the emergence of a middle class in these countries, their reliance on exports will diminish in the coming years as their domestic consumption will fuel the future growth. It is a fact that the wider the base of a middle-income group across the world, the more cushioning will it provide to the world economy. In other words, the world economy is likely to be more resilient to the future economic shocks unlike the one witnessed during the financial crisis of 2008-09. While there is no specific definition of the middle class, different people/agencies use different criteria. According to the definition of the Asian Development Bank, the people earning between USD2 and USD20, in purchasing power parity terms, fall in a category of the middle class. According to Homi Kharas – the deputy director and the economist at the Brookings Institution, a middle class is defined as those households whose income fall between USD10 and USD100 per day based on purchasing power parity (PPP) perspective. Pezzini, the director of OECD development, argues that emerging middle class in Asian countries is likely to be a main engine of growth, especially in China and India due to their large population base. According to him, this middle class has been a front-runner in accumulating the useful capital necessary for further growth in the region. Larger middle class in the region helps fuel growth through domestic consumption rather than depending upon export-based growth. South Koreas larg e proportion of the population now falls in the middle-income category or above and has already become a major engine of economic growth in the region. Asia Foundation has been a major organization in supporting economic growth across Asia through private and public institutions. Its economic development program consists of three core areas that include policy reform and develops business environments, supporting entrepreneurship, and creating economic cooperation across the region.

Americas defense spending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Americas defense spending - Essay Example the portion of the United States federal budget set aside for any expenses on behalf of the Department of Defense and defense-related expenditures in general. This includes the training, salaries, and caring for all military and civilian personnel, along with maintenance of facilities and equipment, in all branches of the United States military. This expansive definition of defense spending puts the 2009 Department of Defense figure at approximately $1 trillion (Higgs). Such an expansion in the budget for defense inevitably follows as a direct consequence of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. These two conflicts fuel the rapidly expanding allocation of federal tax revenue into defense. The efficacy of these expenditures in bringing about meaningful or measurable benefits for the American people is subject to some debate, as well as the issue of whether to increase the already overwhelming figures related to military budgets. Convincing arguments can be made for each side, w hich makes the question of increasing defense spending difficult to resolve in simple terms. In 2009, approximately 21% of the United States federal budget, and 24% of federal tax revenues, is allocated to the Department of Defense, with an additional 10% to 17% allocated to defense spending outside of the Department of Defense. Annually, military budgets expand by approximately 9%, and have done so since 2000 (Congressional Budget Office). In this time, total Department of Defense spending adds up to 4.8% of the U.S. GDP, which is not historically high, even while the Department of Defense budget, in absolute terms, is the highest it has been in history. A roughly 1% expansion in defense spending would put that 4.8% plateau of GDP back into peak military spending seen during the climax of the Cold War immediately before the collapse of the Soviet Union. The immediate impact, or tangible result, of this expansion is unclear. Nevertheless, arguments can be made for further incremental

How Does Bank of America Fulfill the Needs of Its Shareholders Essay - 1

How Does Bank of America Fulfill the Needs of Its Shareholders - Essay Example The researcher states that the Bank of America caters the requirements of individual clients, small business organizations as well as large business corporations with a variety of banking and financial services. The services offered by the Bank of America range from banking, asset management, investing as well as other additional products and services in the financial domain. The Bank of America Corporation offers a broad assortment of financial services and products by means of their numerous banking as well as nonbanking subsidiaries all over the United States of America and in certain parts of the global market. The bank offers its services in six major business divisions, viz. Deposits, Home Loans & Insurance, Global Card Services, Global Banking & Markets, Global Commercial Banking and Global Wealth & Investment Management. As on December 31, 2010, the Bank of America Corporation possessed assets worth $2.3 trillion and revenue values worth $111,390 million. The bank undertook t he acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. on January 1, 2009. Consequent to the acquisition, the Bank of America has become one of the biggest wealth management companies in the globe with almost 19,700 wealth advisors and further 3,000 front-line consumers facing specialized staffs and in excess of $2.2 trillion in customer assets. Furthermore, Bank of America Corporation is the worldwide leading organization in corporate and investment banking as well as trading over an extensive variety of asset classes catering to the large corporations and institutions, governments, and individual clients throughout the world. The Bank of America also provides industry-leading support to around four million people owning small businesses and is the issuer of the highest number of debit cards in the United States of America. It holds the leading position in credit card loans in Europe and possesses the second largest market share for credit offerings in the United States. The Bank of America h as a well-built foothold in the mortgage business sector and is one of the foremost two mortgage service providers and instigators in the US.

Jackson Pollocks and Yunhee Tohs Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jackson Pollocks and Yunhee Tohs Painting - Essay Example One of the most striking similarities between Pollock and YunheeToh in their paintings is that both of these artists took a divergent painting approach as compared to the common painting methods. Toh abandoned the materials that are usually used in painting, which were pencils and brushes and used her hands in creating this painting. Toh used her hands in an attempt to create artistic expressions that were accurate and direct. She opted to use her hands on this painting because she felt that graphite drawings were more time consuming and did not bring out the art form that she desired. Pollock on the other hand, was a liquid painter who later used paint pouring as an emerging technique on his canvases, which became his signature ‘drip’ technique. In this painting, Pollock paved the way for what was later to become the action painting term where the artist deviated from painting on a mounted canvas to working on it on the studio floor. The similarity between these two pai ntings is that the creation of both of them happened from new dimensions as these artists challenged the Western tradition of using the painting brush and easel. Pollock was an extremist, especially because he went against the conventional painting techniques meaning that he was not afraid to explore. The One: Number 31, 1950 is a unique painting as Pollock did not make his painting brush to interact with the canvas through the strokes being able to create the elements of art. Additionally, Pollock’s painting was quite extreme.

Census research Koreans in LA Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Census Koreans in LA - Research Proposal Example This population continues to enlarge since the historic immigration into Bunker Hill two decades in the wake of the 20th century (Theme 98). Bunker Hill is in present-day Los Angeles. Then, this region was designated for non-whites and ethnic minorities were allowed to reside during the first two decades of the century. Earliest Korean immigrants into the US had domestic and casual jobs, which involved hard labor in manufacturing and other operating plants. The Korean community migrated into geographical territory covering the region from Vermont Streets and Normandie. This area is the present-day Korea Town, California. By the 1950s, Los Angeles received the second wave of ethnic Korean immigrants from the Korean War. This population combined with the descendants of the first-wave immigration influx of the 1900s and the demographics began to soar amid rising birth rates and continued intermarriage interaction with other races. Most of the Korean population worked as truck drivers, waiters, and domestic workers for most of the 20th century (Gives 87). Present demographic statistics indicates that Korean Americans living in California account for 18.5 % of the entire ethnic Korean demographic in the United States (Min 67). Los Angeles County is home to over half a million ethnic Korean – demographic includes intermarried and those of interracial

Ancient India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ancient India - Essay Example In this section, the chapter looks at the distinctive features of the class system, which Aryans people introduced. It also examines the effects of the class system on the Indian civilization. In addition, the chapter discusses various religions found in India and their assumption regarding life. Specifically, the chapter looks at Brahmanism and Buddhism by highlighting their differences. The section also discusses how these religions influenced the Indian civilization. Additionally, the chapter discusses India after the Mauryas by looking at the rule of fishes. In this section, it tries to answer and examine why India was unable to maintain a unified empire in the first millennium BCE. Similarly, the section highlights reasons making Mauryan Empire to overcome temporary tendencies towards disunity of India. Lastly, the chapter discusses the exuberant world of Indian culture. It achieves this through outlining ways in which ancient India culture is similar and different from the cultural experience of ancient Egypt and

A History, a past, and a Trail Essay Example for Free

A History, a past, and a Trail Essay The discovery of the North American continent created, literally, an entirely new world. With the congestion of Europe and a desire for agricultural land, many from the East loaded upon massive carrier ships in sight of a new life. It was a long voyage across the Atlantic. The sight of the new world from off-shore had been described as salvation. What these settlers did not know was that they were entering into shore-side cities that were even more cramped than their original location. The flocking to America is what attributed to the congestion and size of New York itself. This degraded living conditions and created an entirely new form of social status that had never been seen by Europeans. Something needed to be done to spread out the population of the Eastern shore side. Luckily our rookie government, fresh out of a war, had a creative idea to promote a move to the West. These politicians, in a vote of fifty-two to fifty. decided to intervene by offering any married couple six-hundred and forty acres of land. This was the equivalent to one square mile of land. They labeled the effort: Manifest Destiny. One can imagine how tempting this sounds to factory workers and small time farmers. Previously to this, some early explorers thought it necessary to devise a route from East to West. Lewis and Clark were the first to map the journey. The route they took covered 2,170 miles and practically covered all of the land that was accessible to wagons(Wiki). After a little fine-tuning by John Jacob Astor, to avoid dangerous areas of the Rocky Mountains and hostile Blackfeet Indians, the Oregon Trail was set in stone. This sparked many to make the dangerous move from East to West. Settlers that lived in cramped suburbs and local Camp Towns now had the motivation to spread out their horizons in a search for wealth and happiness. Manifest Destiny developed from a dream to a reality. With all of this came the hearsay and rumors that many viewed as dangerous. Many had heard of the Dead Lands located in the South Western dessert. Fatal stories were told about land that was not suited for farming. Although this caused a delay among some settlers, many had no choice to move westward, and set off on to their destination. Starting in Kansas City, the Oregon Trail began following the Santa Fe Trail. The growth of Kansas City can be attributed to being at the start of the massive trail; Local business sky-rocketed within a few years (END). The need for supplies caused many stores to become profitable overnight. Since there wasnt much along the route to Oregon, many had to stock up for the long journey. Horses, food, and spare parts were just some of the many items a traveler would need to complete the journey (END). Many referred to the Kansas City area as The Docks, in reference to it being a loading dock for the expansion. After leaving Kansas City, and sticking to the rules of survival, wagons would use the natural terrain to their advantage. Many would stick to lower valleys that followed the river. After a few years, the trail was actually visible to those who traveled it; however, this does not seem to hold true for the remainder of the trip. Nebraska was in sight for most that started the trip. After crossing the Blue River it was just one river after another until arriving at the Rocky Mountains. Along the way, settlements began to form, which made the journey easier. The more who traveled, the easier it became. Many did not actually travel the entire route. If a good location or opportunity arose, families would start their new lives at that very spot along the trail (Wiki). Since many had no idea of where they were going to live when they completed their journey, it made sense that, if a good location was spotted along the way, that became their home. This is what forged cities and trade routes along the way. Even in the Rocky Mountains people began to settle. Mountain towns became good places to start the logging industry. With the rivers along the Oregon Trail flowing from North to South, logs from the Rockies found their way back down the trail to Kansas City. The direction of trade, however, was not a one-way street. The towns that were created along the trail needed supplies too. Many who traveled beyond the Rocky Mountains were sure to bring over-stocked supplies with them. Supplies were almost as valuable as gold on the Oregon Trail. Beyond the Rockies, it was pretty much a straight shot to Oregon. Following rivers one could go as far as Washington State. Many started homes in the forests of Oregon. After avoiding the southern desserts, it was clear that this area was suitable for cultivation and living. The only problem was that Oregon had harsh winters and very short windows of time for farming. New ways, such as the gold rush, were what sealed the fate of the northwestern states as being a contributing district of America. The settlers of western America were not just poor people looking for a way out of trouble. Many rich tycoons took advantage of the rising boom towns. When starting any venture, most people need a lender. Banks started to sprout at several points along the trail. In terms of business, it was common practice for towns to make their start, purely on credit. Many say that this is the reason the west side of the continent received venues for big business. It was until a newer improved method of transportation was devised that the Oregon Trail became the secondary path to the west. Until the invention of the Transcontinental Rail Road, the Oregon Trail was the main route for traversing the middle section of the country (Vance, 1961). People still relied on animal-based transportation and inefficient ways to cultivate their lands . This is where a change needed to take place the most in our country. Since the land was harder to farm and many were having a hard time finding the resources to do so, many believe that ingenuity was the only answer to the wests problems. The need of the settlers is what sparked the inventions that farmers were looking for. New methods of plowing and irrigation were among the advancements along the trail. It seems, though, that pure luck and not the Oregon Trail is the hammer that etched the fate of the western states into stone. The Gold Rush of 1848-1855 drove the remainder of the population to the west . The search for gold and prosperity could be seen in people throughout the country. Although most were left empty handed, they had at least gained a new home in the left side of our country. This new home would suit them nicely. In the end, the Oregon Trail can be said to have carved a path of prosperity along the horizon of our nation. The details of this can often be seen in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many started on a destination of uncertainty and ended up with more than they had bargained for. The rest worked hard and put food on the plate. History is the only area that the Oregon Trail is used today. Even though US Highway number 26 practically parallels the trail, the duration of the trail stays in the culture and heritage of families that live in the Western United States. Works Cited http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/histhome.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Trail