Tsunami the Killer Waves free essay sample

Although the magnitude 9. 0 quake on Mar. 11, 2011, apparently did not collapse high-rise buildings, the ensuing tsunamis flattened vast areas along the northeast coast. The death toll is swelling steadily as bodies wash in on the surf, and citizens and Japan’s Self Defense Forces scour a landscape turned upside down by inconceivably powerful waves. The news recalls the estimated 250,000 people who perished, mainly on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, in the 2004 â€Å"Christmas tsunami† that followed a huge, offshore quake. Both Japan and Indonesia are volcanic lands in the Ring of Fire, which partly surrounds the Pacific Ocean in a giant series of subduction zones and volcanoes. ) Shortly after Japan stopped shaking at 2:46 pm local time on Friday, March 11, we began hearing about troubles at a series of nuclear plants. After the reactors automatically shut down during the quake, emergency systems for removing heat still being generated in the reactors were routinely switched on. We will write a custom essay sample on Tsunami the Killer Waves or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But because the electric grid was down and the standby generators were damaged — perhaps by seawater — the emergency cooling failed. By Tuesday, March 15, three reactors had exploded, a fourth was burning, radioactive material was airborne, reactor workers were being evacuated, electricity was growing short in Tokyo, and the crucial containment vessels were under severe threat if not already breached. With the first nuclear meltdowns since Chernobyl, in 1986, under way, global stock markets were crashing. ENLARGE Photo:  U. S. Navy A helicopter flies over the city of Sendai, as it delivers more than 1,500 pounds of food donated by citizens of Ebina City, Japan, to survivors of the earthquake and tsunami. What causes tsunamis? As Japan licks its wounds, The Why Files wants to know what causes tsunamis. How do they travel across the ocean? How they have impacted coastal people through history? Can we reduce our vulnerability to nature at its most cataclysmic? Graphic:  Anthony Liekens Movement of the sea floor translates into waves at the surface. Tsunamis — once slangily called tidal waves — are extremely powerful waves caused by large undersea disturbances. (â€Å"Tsunami† derives from Japanese for â€Å"harbor wave,† reflecting the fact that harbors can concentrate their energy. True tidal waves are the slow oscillations that drive ocean tides in response to solar and lunar gravity. ) Although landslides and volcanoes cause some tsunamis, probably 95 percent result from underwater earthquakes that contain a strong vertical motion. Such quakes often occur where one of Earth’s tectonic plates dives, or â€Å"subducts,† beneath another. Like the  Sunda trench  near Sumatra, the subduction zone in the Japan trench is notorious for large earthquakes, says Timothy Masterlark, an associate professor of geological science at the University of Alabama. Although the timing is always uncertain, he says, â€Å"The history was known, big earthquakes were known, and even though the people and government went to great lengths to prepare, at some level †¦ there is simply nothing they can do. † Lessons from Sumatra Masterlark, who has studied the giant, 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Sumatra, says the magnitude 9. earthquake in Japan likely broke a fault stretching at a shallow angle from the sea floor roughly 150 kilometers beneath Japan, along a trench several hundred kilometers in length. We asked Masterlark how, if the slip was mainly horizontal, the rocks had enough vertical movement to cause a tsunami. â€Å"In Sumatra, we found a shallow slip created some vertical movement because the rock at the surface w as softer, so the fault became more vertical, which changed the slip from mostly horizontal to mostly vertical. To imagine how vertical movement of the seafloor causes a tsunami, imagine making waves by throwing a stone in a pond. Even though earthquakes disturb the bottom of the water, the analogy works: just as a larger stone, thrown faster, makes a larger wave, the size of the tsunami depends on extent and speed of the ocean-floor movement. The tsunami is usually most intense close to the earthquake: as waves spread from the epicenter in a typical arc-shaped pattern, their energy also spreads out. ENLARGE Photo:  Philip A. McDaniel, U. S. Navy A ruined village near the coast of Sumatra after the 2004 tsunami. Spread out, but still powerful One factor that distinguishes tsunamis from more familiar waves is their extreme wavelength. On the open ocean, the peaks of waves may be 300 kilometers apart, and they may travel at 500 to 600 miles per hour. Even though they can keep pace with a jetliner, you wouldn’t see a tsunami from the cockpit of a jet. A killer tsunami may be only 2 feet tall in mid-ocean — far too small to be noticed from an airplane or even a ship, yet it can carry huge amounts of energy across the Pacific. In some earthquakes, the biggest killer is not the shaking, but the walls of water created by undersea earth movement. By Tuesday, tsunami damage had caused three reactors to explode. A fourth was burning, and stock markets were reeling. All that kinetic energy can hide in waves we can barely see because long-wavelength waves are extremely deep, and the massive amount of water moving beneath the surface contains enormous energy. In deep water, boats can ride the worst tsunamis without noticing them; but when they reach shallow water and â€Å"run aground,† these waves become dangerous. Like all waves, tsunamis slow when the lower part of the wave encounters the upward-sloping ocean floor. But while the front of the wave slows, the wave behind is still moving faster, causing a giant pile-up at the front, and the kinetic energy that was spread through the ocean depth concentrates in a towering wave at the surface. Wild waves It is these surface waves — which can be 10 meters high or taller as they cross the beach — that cause the utter destruction of tsunamis. Like all waves, tsunamis have both a rising and a falling motion, says Masterlark. Depending on where you are with respect to the earthquake, you may first see a wall of water, or the opposite, the sea retreating. † In 2005, during a research cruise to Sumatra, â€Å"We were told that the tourists had heard that the ocean was retreating, and saw this as a great holiday, ‘Let’s walk on the seashore,† and this wall of water came in and killed them. This was a great warning, when they saw the water retreat, they should have headed away from the shore. † Tsunamis have other quirks. They can be spaced as much as one hour apart, so subsequent waves can kill those who return to help victims of earlier waves. In 1998, Harry Yeh, a civil engineering professor now at the University of Oregon, told us that tsunamis can have decidedly unconventional behavior. In one case, he said, a tsunami destroyed houses in a cove without damaging a house on an unprotected headland: â€Å"It’s the exact opposite of what a storm wave would do. † ENLARGE More of the tsunami’s aftermath†¦ Photo:  U. S. Navy A GRIM LIST Tsunamis have been attacking coastal people throughout recorded history: Nov. , 1755: Lisbon, Portugal A series of massive earthquakes levels Lisbon during the celebration of All Saints’ Day. Collapsing stone buildings kill thousands. As fires ignited by overturned candles ravage the city, residents seek relief from the heat near the waterfront. About an hour after the quake, a tsunami estimated at 50 feet tall sweeps in from the sea. T he combined cataclysm kills about 60,000 people; only 15 percent of Lisbon’s houses remain standing. August 27, 1883: Indonesia Krakatau, a volcano in the Sunda Straits, explodes with a gigantic roar audible 3,000 miles away. The explosions blow 20 cubic kilometers of rock into the sky. Undersea cracks allow massive amounts of seawater into a white-hot magma chamber. When the water turns to steam, the explosion causes tsunamis that cause most of the 37,000 deaths on nearby Sumatra and Java. Ironically, history’s most deadly tsunami is caused by a volcano, not an earthquake. 1896: Japan The Sanriku tsunami starts, as many do, when the sea withdraws with a great sucking and hissing sound. Striking a totally unprepared town during a festival, the wave kills 27,000 and destroys more than 10,000 houses. Fishermen at sea don’t notice the deadly wave and return to an ocean strewn with the corpses of loved ones and the wreckage of their homes. April 1, 1946: Alaska and Hawaii A large earthquake on Unimak, an island in the Aleutian chain, shakes the remote, steel-reinforced concrete Scotch Cap lighthouse, which stands about 100 feet above the North Pacific. Minutes later, a huge wave obliterates the lighthouse, leaving practically no trace of the five Coast Guardsmen inside. Five hours later, the tsunami slams into Hilo, Hawaii, obliterating the waterfront and killing 159. May 21-22, 1960: Chile and Hawaii An astonishingly strong series of earthquakes in Chile — culminating in one of the three largest quakes in the 20th century (magnitude 8. 9) sinks 300 miles of coastline into the sea, activates one volcano, devastates five provinces, and causes tsunamis that kill an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 people. Fourteen hours later, the tsunami arrives in Hilo. Ignoring warnings, many residents stay in homes near the bay, increasing the death toll by 61. December 26, 2004: Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India Following a 9. quake off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, over 230,000 people perished in the Indian Ocean tsunami, which struck 15 countries. At the time, Indian Ocean nations lacked an ocean-wide warning system, causing the tragedy to strike without warning. Even a warning system would have had limited utility to close-in coastal communities, given the jet-like speed of the waves. A warning Modified from original image by  NASA Location of foreshocks, aftershocks and the March 11 Japan earthquake (M 9. 0). Circle size represents quake magnitude. Dotted lines = foreshocks; solid lines = aftershocks The  Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, established in Hawaii in the wake of the deadly 1946 tsunami, is a nexus in the global warning network. Since almost all tsunamis originate in earthquakes, the warning centers rely on data from seismographs, many of them located on the unstable ring of fire. Tsunami warnings are now triggered automatically, says Masterlark, based on measurements of earth movement. â€Å"Seismographs are excellent because in seconds they can tell that a quake of some magnitude, big enough to trigger a tsunami, has occurred. This information can automatically trigger a warning in seconds. † In tsunamis, seconds saved can translate into lives saved. Researchers are working to use global positioning system (GPS) data to refine size estimates, Masterlark adds, to give â€Å"a more refined view of the potential risk, but this takes a little longer and is still in a research mode. † Further confirmation of the size of the wave may come from special purpose ocean buoys, if they are in the right place, Masterlark says. â€Å"But they only work once the tsunami has already arrived, so they can only confirm or help refine the warning. † Tricks of the tsunami trade In terms of generating tsunamis, not all underwater earthquakes are created equal, says Andrew Newman, assistant professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at Georgia Tech. â€Å"A few times a decade, we have what we call ‘tsunami earthquakes’ that create a tsunami that’s much larger than would be expected for the magnitude of the earthquake,† largely due to a shallow rupture. â€Å"Usually a magnitude 7. 8 earthquake would create a tsunami that might rise only 20 centimeters to 1 meter [when it reaches land], but one in Sumatra last year created a 17-meter tsunami. † ENLARGE Photo:  U. S. Navy Tsunami damage north of Sendai, Japan. These large tsunamis come from a smaller break in the ocean floor, and so contain relatively little energy and do not travel well across the ocean, Newman says. But they also offer less warning because local people do not feel the massive shaking associated with a major tsunami. Newman and colleagues have developed software to detect the peculiar signature of the tsunami earthquake, and are now running it on a research basis. â€Å"We get an earthquake or tsunami warning within four or five minutes, our algorithm starts processing, and a few minutes after that, the system sends email to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the U. S. G. S. [Geological Survey],† Newman says. Although the Japanese had little time between the earthquake and the tsunami, Newman says the national warning system did work. â€Å"In some ways, you have to look at real success in Japan. They have developed a substantial tsunami warning system, and it worked in as quickly as three minutes. People did evacuate, for the large part. Much of the video you see is from helicopters, or people watching from two or three stories up in buildings. There is only so much you can do with these events; this is a massive force. But the rising casualty counts highlights the deadly role of proximity to the quake, says Masterlark. â€Å"The very sad part is that because the quake was so close to the coast, they had very little warning; the time between the earthquake and the tsunami was minutes. † More distant regions had adequate warning, Masterlark adds. â€Å"We had several hours before the wave reached Hawaii, and so were prepared. But Japan, unfortunately, even if you knew it was coming, you had only minutes, and that’s not enough time for many people to get to higher ground. † Photo:  Sarah Ruth Basic tsunami safety Public education and quick personal action remain the only ways to reduce the tsunami death toll: 1. Be on guard for strong earthquakes, which can spark a tsunami. If you feel one near the water, run inland. 2. Heed the warnings, and stay tuned to emergency radio stations. 3. Never go down to the beach to watch for tsunamis — they move much faster than you can run. People die doing this. 4. Most structures in the danger zone provide no protection. However, the upper stories of tall, reinforced concrete hotels can provide refuge if you have no time to move inland or to higher ground. 5. A tsunami s a series of waves. Don’t go near the water until you hear the all-clear from emergency authorities. Following fatal footsteps? Seismologists are loathe to predict earthquakes, but in the past decade or two, they have recognized that earthquakes occur in series along major faults in Turkey and Sumatra, as big quakes place extra stress on the adjacent fault. In Sumatra, a violen t series of quakes began in 2004 with a magnitude 9. 1, a magnitude 8. 7 in 2005, a magnitude 7. 6 in 2009, and a magnitude 7. 7 in 2010. The large quake in 2005 did not cause a major tsunami, but its timing, just three months after the Dec. 6 monster, suggests a compelling reason to focus intensively on the earthquake zone in the Japan trench, says Masterlark. â€Å"I am not trying to be alarmist, but I’m trying to look at where earthquakes have occurred along nearby faults to identify faults at risk. We’ll bring in numerical modeling and try to predict this as fast as possible. Time is of the essence, as we saw in Sumatra. † David J. Tenenbaum Terry Devitt, editor; S. V. Medaris, designer/illustrator; David J. Tenenbaum, feature writer; Amy Toburen, content development executive; Yilang Peng, project assistant Related Why Files Exploring a volcano * Sinkholes: When the ground collapses! * When earthquakes break * Trees: Natural Barrier to Tsunami Waves? * Tsun ami Warning! Bibliography 1. Google  crisis response. ? 2. NOAA: tsunami info. ? 3. NOAA: Honshu tsunami graphics. ? 4. Pacific tsunami  warning center. ? 5. USGS  tsunami research. ? 6. Surviving a tsunami. ? 7. National Geographic: tsunamis. ? 8. Science behind  the disaster. ? 9. Before and after  satellite pictures. ? 10. Tsunami footage. ? 11. Japan  tsunami news. ? 12. Earthquake  FAQs. ? 13. USGS  earthquake info. ? 14. Physics  of tsunamis. ? 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Literary elements in A Rose for Emily By William Faulkner

Literary elements in A Rose for Emily By William Faulkner In William Faulkner's short story "A rose for Emily", a series of literary elements were used to effectively create the themes. In "A rose for Emily", the main theme happens to be the search for love and security. Mr. Faulkner's uses of literary elements were brilliant and played a vital role in the stories general setup, bringing light to the issue that arise when a young woman struggle to find love in an alien environment.Symbolism is the main factor in understanding of the theme of the story. Mr. Faulkner provides many symbols throughout the story. Foremost is the title "A rose for Emily". The rose from the title symbolizes the absent love she feels. When a bachelor is in love, he give a rose to the person they love. The title symbolizes the roses and flowers that Emily never received, and the love that escaped her.English: Emily RoseAnother dominant symbol in the story is the house. In the beginning, the house was said to be big, white and beautifully made. Just like Miss Emily W hen she was young, however as time goes on, the house grow harsh and dirty, just like the personality of Miss Emily. Emily's life is much like the house, suffers from love and eventually comes crashing down.Another theme that the author expressed in his work is the theme of isolation. It is presented by the author usage of descriptive words and imagery. Many vivid words were used as the author establishes the main characters in the story. Giving them life and color. Also, one of the most effective elements that the author used in his development of the theme is the uses of imagery. He portrays Homer Barron and Emily's father as sort of villains who are preventing...

The Platt Amendment and U.S.-Cuba Relations

The Platt Amendment and U.S.-Cuba Relations The Platt Amendment set the conditions to end the United States military occupation of Cuba and was passed at the end of the Spanish-American War of 1898, which was fought over which country should oversee the governing of the island. The amendment was intended to create a path to Cuban independence while still allowing the U.S. to have an influence in its domestic and international politics. It was in effect from February 1901 until May 1934.   Historical Background Prior to the Spanish-American War, Spain had control over Cuba and was profiting greatly from its natural resources. There are two major theories as to why the U.S. entered war: promoting democracy abroad and gaining control of the island’s resources. First, the War of 1898 was popular with Americans because the government promoted it as a liberation war. Cubans and the well-known liberation force Cuba Libre began revolting against Spanish rule much earlier, in the 1880s. Additionally, the U.S. was already involved in conflicts with Spain throughout the Pacific in the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico, citing the European nation as an imperialist and undemocratic power. Therefore, some historians and politicians theorize that the war intended to promote democracy and extend the reach of the Free World, and the subsequent Platt Amendment was intended to provide a pathway to Cuban sovereignty. However, keeping Cuba in the U.S. sphere of influence had great economic and political benefits. In the 1980s, the U.S. was suffering one of the greatest economic depressions in its history. The island had tons of cheap tropical agricultural products that Europeans and Americans were willing to pay high prices for. Further, Cuba is only 100 miles from the southernmost tip of Florida, so keeping a friendly regime protected the nation’s national security. Using this perspective, other historians believe that the war, and by extension the Platt Amendment, was always about increasing American influence, not Cuban liberation. At the end of the war, Cuba wanted independence and self-government, whereas the United States wanted Cuba to be a protectorate, a region with a mix of local autonomy and foreign oversight. The initial compromise came in the form of the Teller Amendment. This stated that no country can permanently hold Cuba and a free and independent government will take over. This amendment was not popular in the U.S. because it seemingly barred the nation’s annexation of the island. Though President William McKinley signed the amendment, the administration still sought annexation. The Platt Amendment, signed in February 1901, followed the Teller Amendment to give the United States more oversight of Cuba. What the Platt Amendment Says The Platt Amendment’s primary stipulations were that Cuba became unable to enter into treaties with any foreign nation other than the U.S., the U.S. has a right to intervene if it is believed to be in the island’s best interest, and all conditions of the amendment must be accepted in order to end military occupation. While this was not the annexation of Cuba and there was a local government in place, the United States had much control over the island’s international relationships and domestic production of agricultural goods. As the United States continued to expand its influence throughout Latin American and the Caribbean, Latin Americans began to refer to this style of government oversight as â€Å"plattismo.† Long-Term Impact of the Platt Amendment The Platt Amendment and military occupation of Cuba is one of the leading causes of later conflict between the U.S. and Cuba. Opposition movements continued to expand across the island, and McKinley’s successor, Theodore Roosevelt, put a U.S.-friendly dictator named Fulgencio Batista in charge in hopes of countering the revolutionaries. Later, President William Howard Taft went as far as to say that independence would be completely out of the question if the Cubans continued to rebel. This only increased the anti-U.S. sentiment and propelled Fidel Castro to the Cuban Presidency with a communist-friendly regime after the Cuban Revolution.   Essentially, the legacy of the Platt Amendment is not one of American liberation, as the McKinley administration had hoped. Instead, it stressed and eventually severed the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba that has not normalized since. Sources Pà ©rez Louis A. The War of 1898: the United States and Cuba in History and Historiography. University of North Carolina, 1998.Boot, Max. The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power. Basic Books, 2014.

Technical description of the Slvador Dali painting metamorphose de Essay

Technical description of the Slvador Dali painting metamorphose de narcisse - Essay Example The essay "Salvador Dali - Metamorphose de Narcisse" explores the painting of Salvador Dali, Metamorphose de Narcisse. He deliberately cultivated delusions similar to those of paranoiacs in the cause of wresting hallucinatory images from his conscious mind. Dali's images - his bent watches, his figures, halfhuman, half chest of drawers – have made him the most famous of all Surrealist painters†. Typically painting images he saw in dreams or nightmares and consistently pushing the envelope in terms of subject matter, Dali had a wide range of interests that became reflected in his artwork. These characteristics can be more fully understood by examining one of his better-known paintings such as â€Å"Metamorphose de Narcisse† which translates to â€Å"Metamorphosis of Narcissus† in English. Created in 1937, this painting falls without question into the Surrealist style. Part of the definition of Surrealism relies upon a heavy fantasy content, typically as it i s revealed through the images of the subconscious, as well as an established connection with the world of which we are all aware. â€Å"The Surrealists tried to create a new art mythology by fusing conscious with unconscious levels of the mind". Through this terminology, it becomes immediately apparent that the work of Sigmund Freud, who had but recently published his ideas regarding the three-tiered nature of the human mind, was tremendously important to the creation of Surrealist art. As the above definition indicates, most artists, including Dali.

Economic Analysis of the Susan G. Komen Foundation - Philadelphia Research Paper

Economic Analysis of the Susan G. Komen Foundation - Philadelphia - Research Paper Example In this case, public health initiatives to educate the public about the problem of breast cancer have been credited with early detection of cancer, and an increase in the survival rate in many areas. Susan G. Komen Philadelphia is one such public health initiative that brings survivors and activists together in the cause of raising awareness of breast cancer in the community. They are ‘dedicated to fulfilling the promise to save lives and to end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all, and energizing science to find the cures’ (Susan G. Komen Philadelphia, para 1). In order to meet these life-changing objectives, the organization must be financially sound and ensure that financial resources are being used in only positive and productive ways. The aim of this paper is to quickly analyze this particular health initiative and determine the extent to which the community is investing in it is proving to benefit all residents of Philadelphia. Analysis Cancer research requires a great amount of both human and financial capital. Organizations that support a public health initiative depend on fiscally sound behaviour in order to continue their operations. The Susan G. Komen organization is certainly no exception. They have proved that they are a responsible entity that is concerned about the work they have chosen to undertake. This was demonstrated recently with their choice of CEO to lead the organization through to the next level. Their new CEO, Judith A. Salerno, M.S., M.S., is nationally known for her work in the areas of health policy and research. She has been chosen to lead the national organization of Susan G. Komen, of which the Philadelphia chapter is a member. Susan G. Komen is the largest breast cancer organization in the world, with over 120 affiliates globally. Community chapters are responsible for serving the needs of breast cancer research through community health and education programs (komenphiladelphia.o rg, para 2). Funding for breast cancer research has turned into a grassroots effort. Much of the financial capital needed to continue operations comes via various charity events. The Pink Ribbon Campaign, for example, is nationally recognized as a way to raise money and awareness of the need for breast cancer research. Susan G. Komen is the architect of this, and numerous other events like it. The aim is not only to raise money but to educate as well. As such, the economic need for this particular health initiative is demonstrated. The financial and emotional cost of breast cancer is enormous. If it were not for Susan G. Komen Philadelphia, an already serious issue would be further exacerbated. The number of breast cancer patients alone were this initiative not in force, would likely be increasing. Research would be stagnated with little hope in sight. Cancer is a health concern that affects not just the individual, but also all of society. Most people personally know someone who ha s been touched by this illness. Economically, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Individuals might not be able to avoid getting breast cancer, but this health initiative serves to educate women about the warning signs and the importance of getting diagnosed early. This alone makes Susan G. Komen Philadelphia an important part of Philadelphia society, and certainly an organization that is worthy of further funding and consideration. Public health  initiatives are designed to educate an uninformed populace.  Ã‚  

Should Capital Punishment to Be Abolished or Not Essay Example for Free

Should Capital Punishment to Be Abolished or Not Essay An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind. Mahatma Gandhi. This is a famous quote that many people cite when they pitch for the abolishment of capital punishment (death penalty) from the judicial process. The lengthy list of the terms which are not quite acceptable in a democracy begins with terms like capital punishment and death penalty. That, however, doesnt mean that this form of punishment is not acceptable in a democracy. In fact, two of the largest democracies in the world India and the United States of America, both have the provision for capital punishment as a part of their legal system. Indeed, the decision that capital punishment may be the appropriate sanction in extreme cases is an expression of the communitys belief that certain crimes are themselves so grievous an affront to humanity that the only adequate response may be the penalty of death. Capital punishment is a barbarous survival from a less enlightened and refined age; it is incongruous and incompatible with our present standard of civilization and humanity. It has been abolished by many states and countries, and we must look forward to the day when the other governments will follow suit Capital punishment, also known as Death penalty, is essentially the execution of an individual as punishment for offense by a state. The crimes which can lead to capital punishment are called capital crimes or capital offenses. Earlier, the killing of criminals and political opponents was prevalent in almost every civilization. With the time, nearly all European and several Pacific Area states (counting Australia, New Zealand and Timor Leste), and Canada have abolished death penalty. The majority of states in Latin America have absolutely abolished capital punishment, however, a few countries, like Brazil, use death penalty only in special situations, for example, treachery committed during wartime. There are still quite a few states and countries that retain the use of capital punishment, including the United States (the federal government and 36 of its states), Guatemala, majority of the Caribbean, Japan, India, and Africa (Botswana and Zambia). In almost all retentionist countries, capital punishment is granted as a penalty for planned murder, espionage, treachery, or as part of military justice. Recently, the case of Mohammad Afzal, a terrorist who was found guilty of instigating the attack on the Indian Parliament House, has cropped up the controversy regarding the Indian law of capital punishment. Right to Life Capital Punishment in India In India, capital punishment is granted for different crimes, counting murder, initiating a child’s suicide, instigating war against the government, acts of terrorism, or a second evidence for drug trafficking. Death penalty is officially permitted though it is to be used in the ‘rarest of rare’ cases as per the judgement of Supreme Court of India. Amongst the retentionist countries around the world, India has the lowest execution rate with just 55 people executed since independence in 1947. Since the condition of the ‘rarest of rare’ is not exactly defined, sometimes even less horrific murders have been awarded capital punishment owing to poor justification by lawyers. Since 1992, there are about 40 mercy petitions pending before the president. The proposals for abolition of death sentence for petty offences was brought about but there was a lot of hue and cry from lawyers , judges and parliamentarians and the so called protectors of social order. Six times the House of Commons passed the bill and six times the House of Lords rejected the same. With the passage of time, the voice for abolition of death penalty grew stronger over the world especially in Britain. However, in spite of opposition, the bill was passed and the number of cases in which capital punishment was awarded was reduced year after year and death penalty was reserved for offences like murder and treason. Currently, in the world 133 countries have abolished capital punishment dejure or defacto. 64 countries have retained it. Bangladesh is one of them. (source: Amnesty International Website) In UK , death penalty was abolished in 1965 except for offences of treason and certain forms of piracy and offences committed by members of the Armed Forces during wartime. In India , the recent trend is clearly towards the abolition of death sentence. Before the amendment of Criminal Procedure Code in 1955, it was obligatory for a court to give reasons for not awarding death sentence in case of murder. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, the court has to record reasons for awarding death sentence. A compassionate alternative of life imprisonment is gaining judicial ground in India . In a leading case of Bachan Sing v. State of Punjab(1980) 2 SCC 684,the Supreme Court held by a majority of four to one that the provisions of death sentence as an alternative punishment for murder in section 302 of Penal Code was not unreasonable and was in the public interest. The dissenting view of Justice Bhagwati was that instead of death sentence, the sentence of life imprisonment should be imposed. He put emphasis on barbarity and cruelty involved in death sentence. It is irrevocable and cannot be recalled. It extinguishes the flame of life for ever. It is destructive of the right to life which is the most precious right of all, a right without which enjoyment of no other right is possible. Justice Bhagwati rejects the view that death penalty acts as a deterrent against potential murderers. According to him, this view is a myth which has been carefully nurtured by a society which is actuated not so much by logic or reason as by a sense of retribution. Conclusion It has been pledged in the preamble of the republics constitution that equality and justice will be secured for all citizens. The liberation heroes had dedicated their lives with a view to establishing a welfare state in which fundamental human rights and freedoms and respect for the dignity and worth of the human person shall be guaranteed. Protection against cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment is a fundamental right under art. 35 (4) of the constitution. So time has come to reconsider death sentence as a means of punishment. The worlds trend is precisely towards the correction of the offenders in lieu of inflicting cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Bangladesh as a democratic country cannot lag behind. The state is undergoing cumulative increase of crimes owing to a great deal of factors such as lack of good governance, absence of rule of law, corruption, patronisation of terrorists, wide gap between the haves and have-nots, confrontational politics and so on. Instead of giving emphasis on removing these factors, we are wrongly attempting to check crimes by inflicting exemplary punishment. What is a rarest of rare case? In the Bachan Singh judgment of 1980, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty should be used only in the rarest of rare cases. More than a quarter of a century later, it is clear that through the failure of the courts and the State authorities to apply consistently the procedures laid down by law and by that judgment, the Courts strictures remain unfulfilled. In a judgment delivered in December 2006, a Supreme Court bench admitted the Courts failure to evolve a sentencing policy in capital cases (Aloke Nath Dutta and ors. . State of West Bengal (MANU/SC/8774/2006)). The bench examined judgments over the past two decades in which the Supreme Court adjudicated upon whether a case was one of the rarest of the rare or not and concluded: What would constitute a rarest of rare case must be determined in the fact situation obtaining in each case [sic]. We have also noticed hereinbefore that different criteria have been adopted by different benches of th is Court, although the offences are similar in nature. Because the case involved offences under the same provision, the same by itself may not be a ground to lay down any uniform criteria for awarding a death penalty or a lesser penalty as several factors therefore are required to be taken into consideration. The frustration of the Court was evident when it stated: No sentencing policy in clear cut terms has been evolved by the Supreme Court. What should we do? In that particular ruling, the Court commuted the appellants death sentence. On the same day, however, another bench of the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence imposed on an appellant who had convicted of murdering his wife and four children (Bablu @ Mubarik Hussain v. State of Rajasthan (AIR 2007 SC 697)). After referring to the importance of reformation and rehabilitation of offenders as among the foremost objectives of the administration of criminal justice in the country, the judgment merely referred to the appellants declaration of the murders as evidence of his lack of remorse. There was no discussion of the specific situation of the appellant, the motive for the killings or the possibility of reform in his case. Death Penalty Statistics A look at the death penalty statistics of the world reveals that around 90 percent of the countries have already abolished the death penalty. These countries include Portugal, Venezuela, France, Canada, etc. This, however, hasnt turned out to be as fruitful as expected, because some of the major countries in the world, including China, India and the United States, still ontinue the use of death penalty execution as a part of their legal system. Statistics also reveal that approximately 80 percent of the death penalty executions the world over, come from the Asian countries, with China at the forefront with the highest execution rate in the world. In fact, the number of executions in China alone in 2008 was double the number of executions in the rest of the world combined for that year. CONSTITUTIONALITY OF DEATH PENALTY IN INDIA Imposing of death sentence is one thing that always gets more attention to be discussed, including from the view of constitutional validity in each countries. A serious discussion regarding to death sentence in Indonesia, whether it should be continued or abolished, has come up before the Court after some applicant applied a petition to Indonesian Constitutional Court in order to challenge the constitutionality of death penalty in Drugs and Narcotic Act against the provision of Rights to Life on Indonesian Constitution, 1945. This article is the first chapter of several other chapters with the topic of â€Å"death penalty† which will be flattened on the following days. *** The provision of death penalty as an alternative punishment for murder under s. 302, IPC[1] was challenged as constitutionally invalid being violate of Arts. 14,[2] 19[3] and 21[4] of the Constitution in a series of cases. It was contended in Jagmohan Singh v. State of U. P. [5] that the constitutional validity of death sentence has to be tested with reference to Arts. 14 and 19 besides Art. 1 of the Constitution as the right to life is fundamental to the enjoyment of all these freedoms as contained in Art. 19 of the Constitution. It was further contended that the Code of Criminal Procedure prescribed the procedure of finding guilt of an accused but regarding the sentence to be awarded under s. 302, IPC the unguided and uncontrolled discretion has been left to the Judge to decide the sentence to be awarded. The Supreme Court held that the death sentence as an alternative punishment under s. 302, IPC s not unreasonable and it is in the public interest and the procedural safeguard provided to the accused under the Code of Criminal Procedure is not unreasonable leaving the discretion with the judge to sentence an accused, convicted for murder either to death or life imprisonment Death sentence as an alternative punishment for life was held valid. Though the court did not accept the contention that the validity of the sentence to death has to be tested in the light of Arts. 14 and 10 of the Constitution. But in Rajendra Prasad v. State of U. P. 6] the court accepted the proposition that the validity of the death sentence can be tested with reference to Arts. 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court suggested that in exceptional circumstances death sentence should be imposed only when public interest, social defence and public order would warrant. Such extreme penalty should be imposed in extreme cir cumstances. The court in Barchan Singh v. State of Punjab[7] upheld that constitutional validity of death sentence. The court reasoned that penal law does not attract Art. 19(1) of the Constitution. If the impact of the law on nay of the rights under Art. 19(1) is merely incidental, indirect, remote or collateral, Art. 19 would not be available for testing its validity. Accordingly, the court held that s. 302, IPC for its validity would not require to qualify the test of Art. 19. The procedure provided in the Code of Criminal Procedure for imposing capital punishment for murder cannot be said to be unfair, unreasonable and unjust. But Justice Bhagwati in his dissenting judgment held that s. 302, IPC and s. 354(3), Cr PC violation of Arts. 4 and 21 as these provisions confers unguided power on the court which irrational and arbitrary. Thus, death sentence should be imposed in the rarest of the rare case. The Supreme Court in Machhi Sing v State of Punjab[8] laid down the broad outlines of the circumstances when death sentence should be imposed. It should be considered whether there is something uncommon about the crime and the compelling circumstances for imposing death sentence after giving maximum weight age of the mitigating circumstances which is favour of the accused. Jumman Kahn was facing the gallows on being sentenced to death for having brutally raped and strangulated to death a six year old girl named Sakina. The convict challenged the death sentence and its constitutionality. [9] It was argued that death penalty is not only outmoded, unreasonable, cruel and unusual punishment but also defies the dignity of the individual and the issue needs reconsideration which stands like sentinel over human misery, degradation and oppression. The Supreme Court while endorsing its earlier view as to the constitutionality of death sentence held that the failure to impose death sentence is such grave cases here it is a crime against the society, particularly in case of murders with extreme brutality will bring to naught the sentence of death penalty provided by s. 302 of IPC. The only punishment which the convict deserves for having committed the reprehensible and gruesome murder of the innocent child to satisfy his lust is nothing but death as a measure of social necessity and also a means of deterring other potential offenders. The Supreme Court in earlier case Banchan Singh v. State Punjab[10] upheld the constitutional validity of imposition of death sentence as an alternative to life imprisonment and it was further that it is not violate of Arts. 14 and 21 of the Constitution. Chief Justice Chandrachud expressing the view of the three Judges of the Supreme Court in Sher Singh v State of Punjab[11] held that death sentence is constitutionally valid and permissible within the constrains of the rule in Bachan Singh (supra). This has to be accepted as the law of the land. The decisions rendered by this court after full debate has to be accepted without mental reservation until they are set aside. The challenge touching the constitutionality of the death sentence also surfaced in Triveniben v State of Gujarat[12] and in Allauddin’s case[13] and the Supreme Court asserted affirmatively that the Constitution does not prohibit the death penalty. It is in the rare cases, the legislature in its wisdom, considered it necessary impose the extreme punishment of death to deter others and to protect the society. The choice of sentence is left with the rider that the judge may visit the convict with extreme punishment provided there exist special reasons for doing so.

Return To Babylon - Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Return To Babylon - Analysis "He would come back some day; they couldn’t make him pay forever. But he wanted his child, and nothing was much good now, beside that fact. He wasn’t young any more, with a lot of nice thoughts and dreams to have by himself. He was absolutely sure Helen wouldn’t have wanted him to be so alone." The final paragraph in the story shows how much Charlie loved his daughter, and how much he needs her to complete his life. In "Babylon Revisited" Charlie was treated unfairly and should have won the custody of Honoria. Charlie’s regret of how he lived in the past is proved repeatedly throughout the story and even with the hardship of losing his wife and daughter, Charlie was still able to put his life back together. The mistakes he made in the past were not all his fault; there was a problem in the stock market that put a heavy burden on his shoulders. He has done more than enough to show Marion that he has changed and is capable of taking care of Honoria. However, the story may also be a bit biased considering that the narrator may not be a reliable person. There are also certain situations in the story, which questions Charlie’s sincerity about how much he has changed. Charlie’s love for Honoria is the biggest reason for him to regain her custody. Throughout the story, Charlie has expressed how much he loves Honoria and how much he needs her in his life. Honoria also expresses how much she loves her father and how much she misses him. She tells her father more than once that she would rather live with him than with her Aunt Marion. To separate a father and daughter from each other is both devastating and cruel. It is hard to understand why Marion would not let Charlie have Honoria, when Honoria expresses so much love for her father. "From behind the maid who opened the door darted a lovely little girl of nine who shrieked ‘Daddy!’ and flew up, struggling like a fish, into his arms. She pulled his head around by one ear and set her cheek against his. ‘My old pie,’ he said ‘Oh, daddy, daddy, daddy, dads, dads, dads!’ The narrator does not hesitate to show how much Honoria and Charlie care for each other. Though Honoria was just a little girl, growing up without a father is still harsh. Still her love for Charlie is unconditional, and questions about the past are not brought up. Their strong relationship is alm... ...reliable is not a good enough reason for me to believe that Charlie is not responsible enough. I think that we have to give the narrator a certain amount of trust because he is the one telling the story and we have no other sources to compare with. If the narrator cannot be considered reliable then the story itself should not be trustworthy enough to read. So we must deal with the facts that are given to us and base most of the decisions on them. With this in mind I look at the situation evenly and try not to fully believe the narrator but still consider what he is saying. I understand that Charlie made a big mistake and hurt not only himself, but those that loved him. There is no excuse for what he did. However, I still believe that the strong bond that is between Honoria and Charlie is unbreakable. Being raised in a family where the strength of love has endured all types of hardships, I have experienced that nothing could ever sever those connections. Loving someone does not me an that Honoria or Marion should try to forget the mistakes Charlie had made or the heartaches he has given them. But instead, to love someone is to learn how to understand and most importantly to forgive.

The Rio Olympics 2016

Maxwell Britton October 11, 2012 Anth 210 Writing Assignment 1 Olympics Games 2016 The excitement that the city of Rio experimented upon the announcement of hosting the 2016 Olympic games appears to have been short lived. The descent of excitement began once drug traffickers shot down a police helicopter. The government responded by heightening the crackdown on the city slums of the favelas. As a result many of the favelas in Rio are now under police control (Jazeera).The questions we are now asked is if the coming Olympics provided the motive for the increased importance that have been placed on controlling drug trafficking while also disguising as a strategy and justification to clean up the favelas of Rio? Or are the Olympics irrelevant and merely a beneficiary of the crackdown? It seems to me that the upcoming events in which the city of Rio have been presented with have become overwhelming. The Olympics are a very sacred event to host and having the honor to do such is a major r esponsibility (Watson).With this I do believe that the Olympics are the primary motive for the government’s actions. The Olympics routinely bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to the host city and this is something that the city of Rio wants to take advantage of in showing off their city to the world (Watson). This is why I believe the government has decided to intensify their police presence in the favelas as a tactic to clean up and make their city more appealing.The outcome of this has left thousands of individuals killed or imprisoned by the government. The favelas are where the majority of drug trafficking takes place as many times they are controlled and run by the gangs. As a solution the military police have gone in and taken over, resulting in thousands of deaths. It’s reported by the Human Rights Watch that the police of Rio and Sao Paolo have killed over 11,000 people since 2003.When a reporter discussed these findings by the Human Rights Watch with the head of Rio security; Jose Beltrame, the findings weren’t denied and instead attributed to the difficulties faced by the police of Rio. However, when asked about the Human Rights Activists who claim there are additional killings by the police he was quick to respond. According to Beltrame these reports are always similar and are preconceived opinions that are not based on reason, as they don’t understand the reality of Rio.The actuality, he explains, is there are areas in Rio that are dominated by criminal gangs equipped with assault rifles that the police are facing (Jazeera). Although it’s too difficult to determine which side is right, it is clear that too many lives are being taken. In conclusion I think it’s a positive thing for the city to put effort into controlling drug trafficking and also something that has been long due. However, it appears that many innocent individuals are being affected by these government actions and in some cases even been killed.I think the government needs to take a strong look at the approach they have taken and determine if this is benefiting their city in the long run or it is a short-term solution for the Olympics. Bibliography Jazeera, Al. â€Å"Rio: Olympic City. † Aljazeera . Fault Lines , 01/2010. Web. 12 Oct 2012. . Watson, Connie. â€Å"Can roughed-up Rio be ready for the 2016 Olympics?. † CBSnews. N. p. , 08/2012. Web. 12 Oct 2012. .

Dickens’ finest novel Essay

â€Å"Great Expectations† is considered Dickens’ finest novel. To what extent does it deserve this reputation? â€Å"Great expectations† was written by Charles Dickens in 1860. It is centred on Pip, an orphan living with his austere sister and her mild-mannered husband Joe Gargery the blacksmith. It follows his journey from being a simple boy with few expectations, to his moving to London and becoming a ‘gentleman’, at the expense of a mysterious benefactor. I am going to write an appreciation of it, analysing its main components: The story, the structure, the characters, the narration, the setting, the language and literary devices, the themes and the social/historical context, and evaluating their success to answer the question. â€Å"Great Expectations† combines many different genres, including romance, mystery, history, action and comedy. This means it has universal appeal, and people with a wide range of interests and preferences will find something to like about it. It also means that any individual reading it can respond it on a number of different levels. Great Expectations does not have one single ‘bad guy’ – many people fill this role. Magwitch, as the convict would have been the antagonist in a traditional story of good and evil, however Dickens does not portray him as such, and even when we see him terrorising young Pip, it is portrayed in a humorous light, and we do not hate him. Pip is the hero of the story; however, at times he is the ‘bad’ character. Mrs Joe is a character that could have been portrayed as an evil hag. However she is described with restraint as ‘not a good-looking woman’, and because Dickens does not go into much detail in the descriptions of her role as Pip’s childhood tormentor make her far more realistic. In a way, when she is attacked, we feel a sense of poetic justice because she made Pip’s life a misery. This is because she is a grimly realistic character and we don’t miss her as we would a classic funnier villain (like the Murdstones in David Copperfield). This deviation from the predictable structure of good and evil, present in some of Dickens other novels, makes the novel more interesting. It is also very well plotted. Subplots eventually relate to each other or to the main plot and sometimes they even fuse with the main plot (e. g. the convict that attacked Pip on the marshes fuses with Pip’s expectations). Miscellaneous minor characters who initially appear to have only a decorative role, become components of the main plot (e. g. Jaggers’s housekeeper turns out to be Estella’s mother). Unexpected relationships between characters, either in the subplots or in various aspects of the main plot, are also present (e.  g. Estella and the convict). â€Å"Great Expectations† was not written like a conventional novel and therefore has slightly unconventional structure. It was published in weekly instalments, each comprising of one or two chapters. This means that rather than guiding the story to a general climax at the end, Dickens had to incorporate mini-resolutions of the plot. Each episode also needed a cliff-hanger style ending to ensure the audience bought the next episode. This is apparent in the ending of the first instalment, which ends: â€Å"Then I put the fastenings as I had found them, opened the door at which I had entered when I ran home last night, shut it and ran for the misty marshes. † (Chapter 2; p 13) This resolves the first major incident in the story, in that we know Pip is doing exactly as the convict has instructed and the use of the phrase ‘ran for the misty marshes’ is used to create suspense on many levels. Obviously literally it means that Pip is returning to the marshes, to see the convict. The mood and tone created by the word ‘misty’ is one of uncertainty and mystery, which mirrors Pip’s feelings regarding the incident. The phrase is also highlights the symbolism of the moment. The marshes represent the strange events that occur later in the story, namely Pip being turned into a gentleman by a mysterious benefactor and Pip is unseeingly running into them by going to the marshes. The alliteration works to emphasise this phrase and make the reader pay more attention to it, thus making them more aware of its different levels of interpretation. This continually fluctuating structure is potentially a weakness of the novel, because it could become repetitive. However Dickens uses other structural devices to break up the structure and prevent it becoming predictable. For example, he uses the mini-breaks to shift completely the focus of the story. For example, chapters 25-26 were one instalment and chapters 27-28 another. However the transition between them is not coherent and their subject matters are not related. Chapters 25 and 26 follow quite a leisurely pace, and detail relatively mundane events such as Pip attending dinners at Wemmick’s and Jaggers’s homes, and Pip engaging in a quarrel over a loan Drummle ungratefully borrowed from Sartop. The letter at the beginning of chapter 27 breaks up the story in several ways. The change in format breaks up the text and allows a change in narration – we go from hearing from Pip’s narrative voice to hearing Biddy’s. This means that the story doesn’t get monotonous, and keeps the reader engaged. The structure of this section of the story also influences the reader’s opinion of Pip. We read the letter then hear his reaction to it â€Å"Let me confess exactly with what feelings I looked forward to Joe’s coming† p179 Because Joe has been portrayed well up to this point, the reader’s initial reaction to the letter is one of happiness that Pip will be reunited with him. However when we hear that Pip regards Joe’s visit with â€Å"considerable disturbance, some mortification and a keen sense of incongruity† we form a negative opinion of him. I think this is an effective use of structure, because it allows Dickens manipulate the response of the reader, and force him/her to form emotional bonds with the characters. For example we feel sympathy towards Joe and contempt towards Pip. This would make the reader more inclined to read on (and buy more of the episodes). Characterisation is important in Great Expectations. The names of many of the characters reflect their personalities. For example, Pip and Joe are short simple names to reflect their simple upbringings. Joe keeps his name throughout, but when Pip moves to London, he adopts the name of Handel – a famous composer. This shows that he has become more cultured and sophisticated. Dickens’s well-educated audience would most certainly have studied Latin, and would have thus been aware that Estella derives from the Latin word for star. This highlights her radiance and beauty, but shows how unattainable she is to Pip. Pip, who can only just read English, let alone Latin, is unaware of this but still comments that â€Å"her light came along the dark passage like a star†. (p49) ‘Jaggers’ sounds like jagged. This reflects the fact that he is a hard-nosed man, with a sharp mind. ‘Pumblechook’ is a long name that suits his pompous, foolish attitude. These ‘characternyms’ allow the reader to create a picture of the characters, without having to read lengthy descriptions. Therefore they can get to know the characters better. Pip is the protagonist of Great Expectations. His journey of self-discovery is the cornerstone of the novel. The reader’s response to the different stages of his character is integral to their response to the whole novel. Therefore Dickens begins to build up a relationship between Pip and the reader from the very beginning line: â€Å"My father’s name being Pirrip â€Å"my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip† (p3) This humorous anecdote serves two purposes. Firstly the humour makes the young Pip appear charming and loveable. Dickens then reveals that Pip is in fact an orphan. This is done slowly, first by mentioning a ‘tombstone’ then in the next couple of lines saying that Pip â€Å"never saw (his) father or mother†. Because we hear of Pip’s family and then hear they are dead, we share in Pip’s loss to a certain extent. This increases the audience’s sympathy for Pip, and later in the story, we are quicker to forgive him when he behaves badly. Its second purpose is to sow how simple Pip was before his expectations.

Learning a Lesson from 50 Tips on How to Write Good

Learning a Lesson from 50 Tips on How to Write Good Learning a Lesson from â€Å"50 Tips on How to Write Good† Learning a Lesson from â€Å"50 Tips on How to Write Good† By Mark Nichol Last week, I wrote a post I didn’t write. In the introductory paragraph, I clearly stated that it was a mash-up of two similar and, to many people, familiar packages of pronouncements that illustrate the writing errors (or are they?) they are intended to highlight. For what I thought were obvious reasons, I didn’t state outright that this list is a parody of writing rules, though I did offer a hint with a reference to â€Å"wit and wisdom,† which I considered a tip-off that the article is not to be taken at face value. Thus, I was flabbergasted to receive a flurry of emails castigating me for 1) using the phrase â€Å"write good† in place of â€Å"write well† in the headline (which, like the content, I borrowed from the original writers) and 2) writing an egregiously error-filled post. At first, I was inclined in this follow-up post to write, â€Å"Don’t feel bad if you were hornswoggled.† I recalled the schoolroom handout listing seemingly random and inane tasks students are instructed to perform one by one after reading through the entire page first the last item of which reads something like â€Å"Do nothing on this list except write your name on this paper and put your pencil down.† If you experienced this exercise, do you recall how you giggled while you sat there after writing your name and putting your pencil down, smugly watching your classmates pat their heads while rubbing their stomachs, then hoot like an owl three times, and follow whatever other goofy instructions preceded the injunction to ignore all preceding items? Or perhaps, like me, you didn’t read the last item very carefully. But then, when I reread the scolding responses to â€Å"50 Tips on How to Write Good† (which, in case you didn’t notice, has 52 items, plus a postscript that counts as number 53), I was reminded that many people don’t read very carefully. And there’s more to the list than meets the eye. Some items simply illustrate, through deliberate error, the peril of ignoring the admonition within. Others, like â€Å"Avoid alliteration. Always.† and â€Å"Employ the vernacular,† point out the fallacies within: Alliteration is a valid stylistic device (and one you may notice I enthusiastically embrace), and sesquipedalian sentences arrest one’s ocular organs just use these strategies sparingly. Months ago, I wrote a post in which I jokingly titled a section â€Å"Write Good.† When several readers commented on the poor grammar, Daniel, the site’s webmaster, and I agreed that the deliberate error was distracting, and he changed it to â€Å"Write Well.† But when I decided to disseminate last week’s humorous lesson on writing, I assumed that even if site visitors were initially taken aback by the sight of â€Å"Write Good† in the headline, they would, after reading the list, understand why I had erred in my word choice. For many readers, obviously, that didn’t happen, and for them, â€Å"50 Tips on How to Write Good† was a washout. But what was the alternative? â€Å"50 Funny, Fallacious Tips on How to Write Good (You Know I Meant ‘Well’)† is a thudding spoiler. The lesson for me is to write what comes naturally but to realize that, although I have a role in, and some responsibility for, how my writing is received, it is ultimately the individual reader who determines the success or failure of that writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Idioms About NumbersWhat is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?Sit vs. Set

Btn 7 - Geiger

BTN 7-4 – Page 312 TO: Wendy Geiger DATE: June 19, 2011 SUBJECT: Manual Accounting Modifications for Expanded Business M E M O R A N D U M This memo is to advise you of the best possible ways for you to modify your current manual accounting system to accommodate the expanded business activities for your retail store. Pursuant to our conversation, you generally obtain your goods on credit using purchase orders, and your sales are primarily cash. You currently keep your manual accounting system using a general journal and a general ledger, and you make one summary entry for cash sales at the end of each business day. Due to increased demand for your products and higher sales volume, including credit sales, maintaining the accounting records has become time consuming, but you would like to continue with your manual system. Allow me to provide pertinent information that will assist you in continuing your manual system in the most efficient way. The accounting information system is one that collects and processes relevant data from transactions, and organizes them into relevant reports. This system is also used to report and record the exchange of goods and/or services. It is critical for you to understand how and what transactions are occurring in your business. A small business like yours can be effective with a manual process and with the use of special journals and subsidiary ledgers. With the issues you mentioned in mind, most of your transactions can be categorized into the special journals with the use of four individual journals to complement the general journal you are currently using. Special journals are used to record and post transactions, and are uniquely designed for each business, but for most merchandising companies, the journals used are sales journals, for recording sales on credit; cash receipts journals, to record sales made by cash; purchases journals, for recording goods obtained on credit; and cash disbursements journals, for recording payments made by cash. You are also able to use this format for your ledger. In order to understand special journals, it is necessary for you to understand that a subsidiary ledger is a list of detailed information on specific accounts of individuals with some commonality in the general ledger. One critical ledger is Accounts Receivable, which stores transactions of individual customers. This ledger will give relevant information on the individual customer, the date of purchase, the amount paid, and the amount owed. The other important ledger is Accounts Payable, which stores relevant data of individual suppliers. You would generate this ledger with similar information gleaned from my instructions regarding the Accounts Receivable ledger. These two ledgers are critical for recording your data, and they eliminate the need for posting same in the general ledger. The numbers at the bottom indicate the respective accounts delineated in your Chart of Accounts. You are already summarizing each cash sales at the end of each business day, but my advice would be for you to continue recording the daily sales and purchases because it is necessary for you to balance your subsidiary ledger with your general ledger. Daily reconciliation will enable you to track any and all discrepancies more easily. Total your sales journal accounts at the end of each month and this amount should be the amount in the debit column in the Accounts Receivable. Regarding the last column, you will find more consistency in your inventory system if you follow this procedure. I cannot stress the importance of proving the account balances in the general ledger and subsidiary ledgers periodically for accuracy after posting. You will first prepare a trial balance of the general ledger and confirm that all your debits are in balance with your credits. Additionally, Prepare a schedule of individual accounts and amounts. This is referred to as testing the subsidiary ledger. Generate a schedule of your customers accounts to show the balance owed. If everything balances, the accounts are assumed correct. This method of accounting information system might seem challenging to you at first, but I assure you that this is the most advantageous way for you to maintain your manual system. It is imperative you balance your journals and ledgers every day, without fail, to avoid any unnecessary discrepancies. The example I have provided should be a head start and I am always available if you need additional information, or if I can be of further

Phonemic Awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Phonemic Awareness - Essay Example d on the NRP report and also details the relationship between the various components of the balanced reading program and the above mentioned entities. A phoneme is the smallest part of a spoken language which has the ability to change the meaning of a word. Phonemic awareness (PA) is the skill to hear, recognize and control the phonemes (Armbruster, Lehr and Osborne, 2003, p.3). Studies have demonstrated that PA can be taught to the children through many methods of instruction such as phoneme isolation (recognition of individual sounds in a word), identity (recognizing same sounds in different words), categorization (recognizing an odd word from a set of three or four words), blending (combining various phonemes into a single word), segmentation (breaking a word into smaller sounds) and deletion (to recognize a word after a phoneme is deleted) (National Reading Panel, 2000, p.2-2). However, children who were taught three or more types of the above mentioned phonemic instructions did not gain much in terms of PA. Many reasons can be cited for the same. The children get confused by the multiple types of phonemic instruction and the teachers are not in a position to concentrate on a single type of instruction completely. They rush through the methods of instruction and sometimes end up teaching tougher methods before the children are aware of easier types of instructions. However, if only one or two methods of instruction were used it was found to be highly effective in gaining PA (Armbruster, Lehr and Osborne, 2003, p.7). It has also been proved that children with PA found it easier to read and spell words as PA helps children understand and pronounce the different phonemes which constitute a word. Also PA helps the children relate sounds with the alphabet (Armbruster, Lehr and Osborne, 2003, pp.6-7). This is the reason why PA is found to be very effective when alphabets are used during the process of phoneme manipulation. English language is represented as words