Communication Among Project Stakeholders Article

Communication Among Project Stakeholders - Article Example Even though the stakeholder communication plan is not inherently a business plan, yet somehow it helps in achieving an organization’s business goals which is a significant proposition. This stakeholder communication article has discussed why such a plan would be deemed as handy when the talk goes out loud regarding getting the task done and to inform, educate and persuade for an action on the part of the stakeholders. The need is to be crystal clear at every stage and do what is essentially required, in order to satisfy the organizational goals and objectives. This article has also highlighted how a framework for the communications planning regime would be mandatory for outlining such communication mechanisms. This would be a much needed entity as it resolves disputes and takes care of any altercations which may arise at any stage. Hence the article has zeroed in on how a stakeholder communications plan is a pre-requisite for reaching out to the stakeholders and how different organizations are doing their best to make that happen amicably. One of the most beneficial points behind the stakeholder communications plan and its drafting is that it brings each one of the important players on to a single platform that eventually has a residual and long term effect in the overall scheme of

Black Madonnas Essay Example for Free

Black Madonnas Essay According to Scheer Black Madonna’s have went from majesty to mystery with the construct of race as a science toward the end of the 18th century. With this construct of race it begins to dramatically undermine the pious interpretations of the objects and images surrounding the Black Madonna. A common theme used is that the Madonna’s became black unintentional, has greatly affected the depth into which the study of the Black Madonna’s has gone. Michael P. Duricy gives three categories in which the Madonna’s can be placed: 1) Dark brown or black Madonna’s with skin pigmentation matching that of the indigenous population. 2) Those that have turn black as a result of certain physical factors such as deterioration of lead-based paints, accumulated smoke from the use of votive candles; and the accumulation of grime over the ages. The third and final category is a residual category with no ready explanation. Charles Rohault de Fleury and Stephen Beissel support the second category that the images were blackened by the surround elements. There are two strong theories that if the Madonna was indeed intentionally darkened it was because the Madonna was to illustrate a text from the Canticle of Canticles or Song of Songs that said â€Å"I am black but beautiful† Stephen Benko summarizes the other theory as relating the Black Madonna to the ancient earth-goddess and then converted to Christianity. The most fertile soil is black in color and the blacker it is the more suited it is for agriculture. Scheer mentions that the ideas of pre-Christian beliefs are preserved in the folk culture of the Black Madonna’s earth centered spirituality at the helm of the hypothesis of the color choice of the Madonna’s. Scheer says that there is no mention of color of the Madonna’s only the recurrence in motifs of a miraculous find and the refused removal of the object or painting. Lastly, Scheer mentions that the votive tablets do not speak of when the images became black but when they were perceived Black.

A Comparative Study of Evolution and Religion in Education in the United States and China :: Compare Contrast Religious Essays

A Comparative Study of Evolution and Religion in Education in the United States and China Buddhism does not believe in a creator god. It accepts modern ideas about the universe. Hinduism believes that the universe existed first, and then the divine spirit awoke within it and seeded itself and formed Brahma, who is the God. Hinduism, similar to Buddhism, has an evolutionary perspective of life. Both religions accept Darwin’s evolution theory. Islam, Christianity and Judaism all share the same Mesopotamian mythologies (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/sosteacher/re/37690.shtml). Over half of the world’s population believes in these religions. They believe the world was created by God in six days, which was recorded in the first chapter of Genesis of the Bible. God created the heaven and earth in the beginning and He created day and night on the first day. Then He separated water from the sky on the second day. On the third day God created vegetation, and on the fourth day He created the Sun, the moon and stars to govern day and night. On the fifth day, God created living creatures that live in the water and fly in the sky. One the sixth day, God made the land to produce living creatures on land, and He said â€Å"let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and overall the creatures that move along the ground.† God created man in his own image, and He told man to be fruitful and multiply. On the seventh day, God rested from all the creation he had done. What is evolution? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has many definition of the term â€Å"evolution† (http://www.m-w.com/). The one definition that this paper is mainly referring to is as follows: â€Å"a theory that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations.† Evolution is tightly associated with Charles Darwin. The British naturalist was under the influence of Charles Lyell, who argued in his book Principles of Geology that the Earth was shaped by accumulative, gradual changes instead of great catastrophes. Darwin traveled with the Beagle around the world and collected specimen. He published his book Origin of species in 1859. The two major themes or Darwin’s theory are â€Å"Descent with Modification† and â€Å"Natural selection and adaptation. A Comparative Study of Evolution and Religion in Education in the United States and China :: Compare Contrast Religious Essays A Comparative Study of Evolution and Religion in Education in the United States and China Buddhism does not believe in a creator god. It accepts modern ideas about the universe. Hinduism believes that the universe existed first, and then the divine spirit awoke within it and seeded itself and formed Brahma, who is the God. Hinduism, similar to Buddhism, has an evolutionary perspective of life. Both religions accept Darwin’s evolution theory. Islam, Christianity and Judaism all share the same Mesopotamian mythologies (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/sosteacher/re/37690.shtml). Over half of the world’s population believes in these religions. They believe the world was created by God in six days, which was recorded in the first chapter of Genesis of the Bible. God created the heaven and earth in the beginning and He created day and night on the first day. Then He separated water from the sky on the second day. On the third day God created vegetation, and on the fourth day He created the Sun, the moon and stars to govern day and night. On the fifth day, God created living creatures that live in the water and fly in the sky. One the sixth day, God made the land to produce living creatures on land, and He said â€Å"let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and overall the creatures that move along the ground.† God created man in his own image, and He told man to be fruitful and multiply. On the seventh day, God rested from all the creation he had done. What is evolution? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has many definition of the term â€Å"evolution† (http://www.m-w.com/). The one definition that this paper is mainly referring to is as follows: â€Å"a theory that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations.† Evolution is tightly associated with Charles Darwin. The British naturalist was under the influence of Charles Lyell, who argued in his book Principles of Geology that the Earth was shaped by accumulative, gradual changes instead of great catastrophes. Darwin traveled with the Beagle around the world and collected specimen. He published his book Origin of species in 1859. The two major themes or Darwin’s theory are â€Å"Descent with Modification† and â€Å"Natural selection and adaptation.

John Cage Essay -- Biography Bio Musician 1950s

John Cage Defined in the 1950s John Cage is considered by many to be the defining voice of avant-garde music throughout the 20th century. Fusing philosophy with composition, he reinvented the face of modern music, leading composer Arnold Schoenberg to declare, "Of course he's not a composer, but he's an inventor -- of genius" (Kostelanetz 6). For Cage, the 1950s brought a series of critical events that both refined his message as a composer and brought him great fame, or infamy to some. His interest in Eastern Zen philosophy blossomed throughout the early part of the decade, a subject that is actively pursued and reinforced in all of his following musical works. The 1950s also brought the revelation for Cage that sound is inherently present in all of us when he entered an anechoic chamber at Harvard University. This manifested in his work as the famous "silent" piece 4'33". Cage's involvement at Black Mountain College during this period contributed remarkable development to his music and ideas that defined the res t of his works. The 1950s were the defining decade for the career of philosopher and composer, John Cage. Cage was born into a Los Angeles middle class family in 1912. His father was a less than successful inventor -- dabbling in the areas of submarines, medicine, space travel, and electrical engineering -- who instilled in him the idea that "if someone says 'can't', that shows you what to do." (Cage, An Autobiographical Statement) Cage learned how to play the piano as a child and took a liking to Grieg, and even briefly considered becoming a concert pianist. However, when Cage went to college it was to become a writer. He was deeply disillusioned by the conformity he saw in the students: I was shocked at college... ... remainder of his life. References Cage, John "An Autobiographical Statement" 1988 http://www.newalbion.com/artists/cagej/autobiog.html Cage, John. For the Birds: John Cage in conversation with Daniel Charles. Salem, NH: Marion Boyars. 1976. Cage, John. Silence: Lectures and Writings by John Cage. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press. 1961. Kostelanetz, Richard. Conversing with Cage. New York, NY: Routledge. 2004 (1987 orig.). Patterson, David Wayne. Appraising the Catchwords, c. 1942-1959: John Cage's Asian-Derived Rhetoric and the Historical Reference of Black Mountain College. PhD thesis, Columbia University. 1996 Pritchett, James. The Music of John Cage. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 1993. Solomon, Larry J. PhD. "The Sounds of Silence: John Cage and 4'33"". Pima College, 1998. http://music.research.home.att.net/4min33se.htm

Ethics in the journalism Essay

Ethics in the journalism sector is not a new issue of debate. Journalism ethics has been described as â€Å"a dysfunctional ethical discourse† by Iggers (as cited by Mccabe, 1999). The role of media is always very important in manufacturing the consent of people and develops a view regarding any particular issue. However the way news is collected, compiled and presented is always a question of debate. Citizens get the information regarding the social problems. The media has the capacity to bring the change. The traditional media is based on the maturity of the information, published news and different other subjects. Media has moved from its traditional role of observer to the change agent within the society (Mccabe, 1999, p. 199). The role of technology in media presentation has been very crucial in the recent past. The information is available easily on the website. â€Å"The Internet blurs traditional categories like â€Å"professional† versus â€Å"amateur,† â€Å"published† versus â€Å"unpublished,† and â€Å"public† versus â€Å"private. Existing rules for the ethical conduct of human subjects research that rely on these categories are thus difficult to extend to this new medium. † (Bruckman, n. d. ) Information available on the various websites makes it convenient and handy. However, the reliability of information available at this source is questionable. The referencing of the sources from which information has been obtained and how the credit has been given is always important in order to maintain the ethical standards of the journalism in this internet age.

President of Higher Education Services Corporation Essay Example

President of Higher Education Services Corporation Essay Example President of Higher Education Services Corporation Paper President of Higher Education Services Corporation Paper As the world moves through the 21st century, we cannot help but recognize the rate at which new diseases are being discovered spread and treated. The healthcare system is overburdened as the patients and disease complexities continuously increase out of proportion with the health care workers and providers. This bill was introduced in consideration with the dwindling number of health care workers. This bill is supposed to increase the number of workers in the healthcare system. This is through provision of financial support in form of scholarships to nursing students or those who want to enter any nursing program with scholarships. It also targets institutions like colleges that offer nursing and gives them grants. These funds are for expansion of programs that train nurses, to establish more facilities for nursing students and add the opportunities for nursing education at community based organizations. If the bill is enacted the Commissioner of Education, Health and President of Higher Education Services Corporation can identify shortages in New York and dispatch some trained nurses students under this program. He can also dispatch teachers to train nursing students at any facility that does not have enough staff. The bill is sponsored mainly by Scozzafava. Other co-sponsors are Giglio, Bacalles and Errigo. There are also other multisponsors who are involved. These include Mc Donough, Miller, Oaks, Quinn, Burling, Barclay, Kolb, Finch, Tedisco, Raia and Sayward. However like any other bill, there are those who oppose the bill. The union of workers is one of them. They feel it will be financial blackmailing to get people into a profession that they are not even interested in. If this bill can get financing from the state budget, other organizations will try to do the same. in the event there will be raising of taxes to cater for this funds. This will lead to public outcry and more opposition towards the bill. The main aim of the bill is to provide funds and grants for nursing education It will support both public and private baccalaureate and graduate nursing education program. This bill is also supposed to increases training programs rather than offsetting existent expenditures. This funding will also sustain the nurse educators as they offer teaching services. This funding ensures that more residents are recruited into the nursing professional and they get retained in the profession. This bill also targets older nursing students who may be experiencing problems in getting loans due to debt obligations. This program will lead to draining funds of an organization. It needs to step up and increase ways of getting revenue. The individual organization has to strategize and work closely with the government so that the state can set aside some funds in its budget. If the state does not chip in, the involved sponsors have to chip in more to provide for this program. There are both positive and negative impacts. Residents may register for this program for personal purposes like getting financial income while they are not interested in providing the services. The number of student enrolled may be so many such that the organization may not be able to cater for all of them. Some residents may enter into a career that they are not interested in and not of their choice because of the free funds. This may make them to provide poor services wherever they will be attached. This may lead to erosion of the image of the health care organizations where they will work and consequently increase in mobility of the population. On the positive side, there will be more workers in the healthcare system therefore relieving the already overburdened workers. There will be a great improvement in service delivery. This will lead to reduced infant and adult mobility at hospitals due to lack of personalized care and attention. There will be more access to nursing education within institutions of higher learning in New York State. Due to increased workforce there will be more time created for those nurses who are working and so they can spend more time for their families. The job will be more interesting because nurses who are interested to further their careers have funds allotted for them. This will lead to provision of high quality services at hospitals and other health care organizations. This bill is not good because it will cause competition among other professionals and they may also be forced to make theirs with provisions like this bill. Other faculties like engineering can claim shortage and get organizations to sponsor them. If there is no enough funds that means the state has to chip in which means more expenditure of state resources and increase of tax that will have a big impact on the taxpayer. Many institutions will get facilities to provide for this nursing profession and this may lead to an overproduction of nurses. Residents may get into the nursing profession to get these scholarships as a way of income and therefore this will distract the original cause of the bill. Due to the over load in the number nurses in the healthcare system. This will lead to lowering of their wages stripping the existent benefits so that the healthcare system can be able to pay the new increased workforce. Many people who had loans may not pay back in time. This will make creditors not be willing to lend out money to institutions and other students. Some careers may have no new entries because they do not have this scholarship. This will result into diminishing of other careers and professionals in the society. There will be an imbalanced professional society. REFERENCES 1. International Council of Nurses; International Nursing Review The Council, 1954 2. Keith Trandel; Nursing and The Law; Jones and Bartlett, 1997 3. Project Hope; Health Affairs; Project Hope, 1981

Crescents - North American Chipped Stone Tool Type

Crescents - North American Chipped Stone Tool Type Crescents (sometimes called lunates) are moon-shaped chipped stone objects which are found fairly rarely on Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene (roughly equivalent to Preclovis and Paleoindian) sites in the Western United States. Typically, crescents are chipped from cryptocrystalline quartz (including chalcedony, agate, chert, flint and jasper), although there are examples from obsidian, basalt and schist. They are symmetrical and carefully pressure flaked on both sides; typically the wing tips are pointed and the edges are ground smooth. Others, called eccentrics, maintain the overall lunate shape and careful manufacture, but have added decorative frills. Identifying Crescents Crescents were first described in a 1966 article in American Antiquity by Lewis Tadlock, who defined them as artifacts recovered from Early Archaic (what Tadlock called Proto-Archaic) through Paleoindian sites in the Great Basin, the Columbia Plateau and the Channel Islands of California. For his study, Tadlock measured 121 crescents from 26 sites in California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. He explicitly associated crescents with big game hunting and gathering lifestyles between 7,000 and 9,000 years ago, and perhaps earlier. He pointed out that the flaking technique and raw material choice of crescents are most similar to Folsom, Clovis and possibly Scottsbluff projectile points. Tadlock listed the earliest crescents as having been used within the Great Basin, he believed they spread out from there. Tadlock was the first to begin a typology of crescents, although the categories have been much extended since then, and today include eccentric forms. More recent studies have increased the date of crescents, placing them firmly within Paleoindian period. Apart from that, Tadlocks careful consideration of the size, shape, style and context of crescents has held up after more than forty years. What are Crescents for? No consensus has been reached among scholars for the purpose of crescents. Suggested functions for crescents include their use as butchering tools, amulets, portable art, surgical instruments, and transverse points for hunting birds. Erlandson and Braje have argued that the most likely interpretation is as transverse projectile points, with the curved edge hafted to point frontwards. In 2013, Moss and Erlandson pointed out that lunates are frequently found in wetland environments, and use that as support for lunates as having been used with waterfowl procurement, in particular. large anatids such as tundra swan, greater white-fronted goose, snow goose and Rosss goose. They speculate that the reason lunates stopped being used in the Great Basin after about 8,000 years ago has to do with the fact that climate change forced the birds out of the region. Crescents have been recovered from many sites, including Danger Cave (Utah), Paisley Cave #1 (Oregon), Karlo, Owens Lake, Panamint Lake (California), Lind Coulee (Washington), Dean, Fenn Cache (Idaho), Daisy Cave, Cardwell Bluffs, San Nicolas (Channel Islands). Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Stone Tools, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Beck C, and Jones GT. 2010. Clovis and Western Stemmed: Population Migration and the Meeting of Two Technologies in the Intermountain West. American Antiquity 75:81-90.Davis TW, Erlandson JM, Fenenga GL, and Hamm K. 2010. Chipped stone crescents and the antiquity of maritime settlement on San Nicolas Island, Alta California. California Archaeology 2(2):185-202.Erlandson JM, and Braje TJ. 2008. Five crescents from Cardwell: Context and chronology of chipped stone crescents at CA-SMI-679, San Miguel Island, California. Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 40:35-45.Erlandson JM, and Jew N. 2009. An Early Maritime Biface Technology at Daisy Cave, San Miguel Island, California: Reflections on Sample Size, Site Function, and Other Issues. North American Archaeologist 30(2):145-165.Erlandson JM, Rick TC, Braje TJ, Casperson M, Culleton B, Fulfrost B, Garcia T, Guthrie DA, Jew N, Kennett DJ et al. 2011. Paleoindian Seafaring, Maritime Technologies, and Coastal Foraging on Californi a’s Channel Islands. Science 331(4):1181-1185. Moss ML, and Erlandson JM. 2013. Waterfowl and Lunate Crescents in Western North America: The Archaeology of the Pacific Flyway. Journal of World Prehistory 26(3):173-211. doi: 10.1007/s10963-013-9066-5Tadlock WL. 1966. Certain Crescentic Stone Objects as a Time Marker in the Western United States. American Antiquity 31(5):662-675.Walker DN, Bies MT, Surovell TA, and Frison GC. 2010. Paleoindian Portable Art from Wyoming, USA. IFRAO Pleistocene Art of the World. Arià ¨ge - Pyrà ©nà ©es, France. p 1-15.

The Plan †Creative Writing Paper

The Plan – Creative Writing Paper Free Online Research Papers The Plan Creative Writing Paper Part One â€Å"Forget it Josh† â€Å"What’s so difficult about it? All we have to do is get past them.† â€Å"And you don’t think that’s difficult? Jeez, sometimes I think you’re out of your mind.† Kevin paced around the room, wondering what to think. â€Å"What’s the problem? Why are you so uptight about this? We have Grant.† â€Å"Are you an idiot, Josh? Do you not remember what happened to my dad when he tried to pull this off? Josh thought for a moment, the skin on his forehead wrinkling like a pile of disregarded clothes. Then he gave up. â€Å"I have no idea what you’re talking about.† â€Å"God, you have the memory of an 80-year-old sewer rat. He was expelled from all public high schools in the area, it went on his criminal record, he lost almost all of his friends and look how it screwed up his life. He serves gas and cigarettes to Ginos on their way to loiter outside strip clubs.† â€Å"Hey, as my uncle Ted always said, ‘Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it.’ Of course, he did die of food poisoning three years ago, but the point is, you never know if something is really that bad if you don’t put yourself in that position,† said Josh, trying to convince his friend. â€Å"All the more reason that we should try this.† â€Å"And end up like Uncle Ted? Josh, do you have any idea what the odds of slipping this past them are?† asked Kevin, franticly. â€Å"I have done my research and we are skating on thin ice with a skateboard if we go ahead.† â€Å"Dude, you’re over-reacting. It’s not that difficult. Trust me on this one.† â€Å"Josh, you are about as dependable as a bike with no handlebars. I have never trusted you before and I’m not about to start now.† â€Å"You and your metaphors,† muttered Josh â€Å"They’re similes, dumbass,† replied Kevin. â€Å"You see? You’re a brainiac! There is no way this mission could fail, what with your smarts and my looks and clever remarks. And mechanical skills too.† â€Å"Your looks and wit have nothing to do with this situation. It’ll all depend on my brains and, quite frankly, I don’t think there are enough of them. I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation with you!† â€Å"Oh, come on, Kevin. We both know that there is nothing in this town that the two of us can’t handle. I mean, do you really think it will be that hard to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Shhh!† interrupted Kevin. â€Å"Someone might be listening to us!† â€Å"In your bedroom?† said Josh. â€Å"Paranoid too. That could come in handy. I don’t know how, but it might.† â€Å"I am not paranoid, and if you start to call me Android, I will kick your ass,† Kevin said aggressively. â€Å"Whatever, Android,† mumbled Josh. â€Å"Stop it!† whined Kevin. â€Å"There is no way I am going through with this, and that’s all there is to it.† Part Two â€Å"Alright, I’ll do it.† After an excruciating three hours of convincing from Josh, Kevin had caved. Josh looked like he had just won the lottery. He let out a cry of victory. â€Å"Yes! I knew you would. It took a little more persuasion than I had anticipated, but I did it.† â€Å"Would you get over yourself?† Kevin said sarcastically. â€Å"We might as well start planning it out.† Josh brought out a pad of paper. The boys started in on their work. The next morning, Josh awoke to the sound of Nelly Furtado on his radio singing â€Å"I’m Like a Bird†, a song he hated almost as much as men’s field hockey. â€Å"No, no!† he shouted in a half-awaken state. â€Å"Shut up!† He reached over and slammed his fist on the oversized snooze button. He heard a crack. Oh crap, he thought. I broke my stupid, cheap alarm clock. Mom’s going to kill me. He half opened his eyes and saw that there was not even a scratch on his digital clock radio. He examined it further and saw that there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. He looked a little closer and saw that his clock read 8:30 am. â€Å"Eight-thirty!† he exclaimed. He jumped out of bed and threw on some pants and a tee-shirt reading ‘Chess Club ‘99’. â€Å"Why do I have Kevin’s shirt?† he mumbled to himself. He tore it off and grabbed another one. This one said ‘Your Mom Is Hot’ in red letters. â€Å"Much better.† â€Å"Josh let’s go! We’re going to be late for school!† shouted Kevin from downstairs. He must have been waiting for fifteen minutes, thought Josh. He didn’t feel badly though. Kevin had stood him up many a time en route to school. Josh grabbed his socks and raced down the stairs. â€Å"Thank God for Nutri-Grain bars† Josh said to Kevin as he grabbed a cereal bar. â€Å"I just have to put on my shoes and we can leave. How long have you been waiting here?† â€Å"About two minutes, and by the way, I think I broke your door when I came in. It made a huge crack when I closed it.† â€Å"That would explain the whole cracking thing,† replied Josh. â€Å"Let’s go,† said an anxious Kevin. Kevin always wanted to get to school on time, if not early. Today, it looked like his Mom forgot to wake him up on time. The boys grabbed their bags and headed out. â€Å"Ian changed my radio station last night. I woke up to Nelly Furtado.† Ian was Josh’s little brother. He loved to tag along with Kevin and Josh and whenever they were mean to him or shut him down, Ian always found some little way to get back at his older brother. Josh found this extremely annoying. It was a lose-lose situation. â€Å"I don’t mind Nelly Furtado† â€Å"I know you don’t. But I do,† said Josh, â€Å"Anyway, when are we going to do this stupid thing?† â€Å"We can’t talk about it in public, Kevin. I thought you were smarter than that.† â€Å"I didn’t say what it was,† Kevin defended himself. â€Å"Yet,† replied Josh. â€Å"To answer your question, I don’t know. We’ll get there.† Part Three â€Å"Now can anyone tell me what the difference is between a subordinate clause and a phrase? Anyone?† Mr. Grant’s English class. His voice was like listening to a continuous, low humming sound for an hour and a half. He always talked in the same dull monotonous way. After a while you learned to tune out in his class because all he ever did was talk and ask questions which no one paid any attention to. You just came in, sat down, copied down the homework and semi fell asleep. However, Mr. Grant was Josh and Kevin’s ticket to success. He was one of the nicer teachers at Newton High School. He was also gullible and not the sharpest knife in the drawer. They had tried extra hard to stay awake in his classes. This attempt crashed and burned the moment Mr. Grant started talking. Finally the bell rang, a wake up call for all students. â€Å"Alright, class, pack up and move on to your next class.† This was the cue for Josh and Kevin. They approached him nervously, hoping that he would not guess what they were up to. â€Å"Mr. Grant?† Kevin asked tentatively. â€Å"Could we talk to you for a moment?† â€Å"Certainly boys. But I must ask you, do you think that that shirt is appropriate for school, Mr. Evans?† Josh didn’t think that there was anything wrong with his shirt and was about to speak his mind when he felt a subtle elbow hit his ribs. He got the message. Any derogatory remark towards a teacher could damage their chances of getting the information they needed. â€Å"No sir,† he replied softly. â€Å"I’ll change it as soon as I get home, sir.† â€Å"Good. Now what was it you boys wanted to see me about?† â€Å"We were wondering about access to the boiler room sir,† Kevin proceeded. â€Å"Do you know if it is open to students?† â€Å"Maybe you should speak to Mr. Kijifusu about this. It would be more up his alley,† started Mr. Grant as he picked up his telephone. â€Å"No, no!† exclaimed Josh in a sudden panic. Yosoko Kijifusu was the schools chief caretaker. All the students hated him and the feeling was more than mutual. â€Å"Uh, we’ve already talked to him about it.† Kevin covered for his friend’s unexpected outburst. â€Å"He thought we should talk to you about it because, uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You know more about water than he does,† blurted Josh. At this remark both Kevin and Grant looked confused, although Kevin looked more stunned and had turned a tint of green. â€Å"He said that?† asked a puzzled Mr. Grant. Kevin had lost all use of his tongue. â€Å"Yeah,† managed Josh, thinking that he had ruined the whole operation. â€Å"Well that was kind of him,† Grant continued as if nothing awkward had happened. â€Å"No boys, the boiler room is only accessible to caretakers and a selected group of staff. What do you need that room for?† he asked. Now that Kevin had regained his speech, he could respond to the question. â€Å"It’s for a Geography project. We have to find a place in the school and explain its geographical qualities,† said a now confident Kevin. â€Å"Well, you’re in luck. I am one of those selected staff members because my father was a plumber and I grew up around water.† The boys now knew why he had accepted Josh’s lame excuse. â€Å"You can borrow my key for this week if you like.† â€Å"That would be great, Mr. Grant,† said a relieved Josh. â€Å"Oh and by the way, sir, exciting lesson today.† â€Å"Glad you liked it, Mr. Evans,† said Mr. Grant sounding more dead than ever. The boys left for their next class with Mr. Grant’s key, talking about their performance. â€Å"I had no idea his dad was a plumber.† â€Å"It was just a wild guess?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"I was so scared.† â€Å"I know! Dude, you should’ve seen your face! It went green for a second.† â€Å"That was unbelievable. Nice job, Evans.† â€Å"You too, Young.† They shook hands and headed down the stairs. Part Four The halls of Newton High at lunch were as crammed as the 404 on a Friday at rush hour with a fire-truck blocking off all four lanes. It was hard to move at all, much less walk, which meant that no matter where you turned, you always slammed into someone trying to get somewhere. Groups of friends bunched up by their lockers, clogging the way for everyone. Teachers would try to go to their classes to prepare for their next lesson. The football team would barge through, making their way to practice. The science and environment clubs would be trying to get to the lab, or the outside garden. Then there were the innocent bystanders who were just trying to get to their lockers to get their books or lunches. Everyone thought that what they were doing was more important and that the other people should be the ones to move which, of course, kept people pretty well stationary until the bell rang and everyone went their separate ways. It was hectic. Everyone pretty well hated lunch brea k because of it, and if you were smart, you would get out of the building and go out or home for lunch as soon as possible. There was only one student in the whole school who didn’t have to worry about this mess. It was Trent O’Leary. He was the tallest, biggest, most muscular, best looking, most popular and quite possibly the meanest kid the school had ever seen. He was in his senior year and stood at 6’5, weighing 227 pounds, pure muscle. It was no surprise that he was captain of every sports team. He had thick, red hair, deep blue eyes and a faint Irish accent. Every girl in the high school swooned as he passed and when he spoke, even more so. He was the sweetest guy you could ask for around the ladies, with his smooth talking and his charming smile. However, around males it was a completely different story. He loved to show that he was dominant in every sense of the word. If you bumped into him in the halls, it was bad news for you. This is why people went out of their way to make a path for Trent O’Leary when he walked by. But if there was one aspect of life that Trent was lacking in it was brains. Sure, he was charming, funny and even a little sarcastic at times, but academically, he was horrible. Maybe it was because he didn’t try, maybe because he was just flat out stupid, but for whatever reason, he stank in school. He had no reason to fear for his athletic position though. It was common knowledge that he was once brought into the principal’s office to be told he couldn’t play sports anymore until he lifted his grades. When the news was broken to him, O’Leary decided to take matters into his own hands (and by matters I mean, of course, Principal Gordon’s neck) and tell the principal how strongly he felt about the subject. He did a fantastic job of convincing Principal Gordon to let him play on his numerous teams, for Gordon never mentioned the matter again. This was just one of many incidents that had proved O’Leary’s toughness. Sometimes he liked to bump into people on purpose just so that he could have an excuse to beat them up. Kevin Young seemed to be a magnet to O’Leary. As a result, Kevin got much tougher himself. He had always accepted this as part of everyday life. But when it started to happen more frequently, Kevin got bitter. There was no way of avoiding O’Leary and there was certainly no way of stopping these daily beatings with Kevin’s strength nor with the strength of Kevin and ten other averagely built guys combined. The only level at which O’Leary could be challenged was at that of the intellectual. So, with some excessive persuasion from his friend Josh Evans, Kevin had agreed to seize his revenge with a plot so original, crafty and, above all, daring that it had only ever been tried by one man before. This man was Kevin’s father who came out worse in the scheme. He was expelled from not only Newton High, but all schools in the residential area. He lost all r espect from former friends and comrades and he developed a small criminal record, which made it difficult for him to get a decent job. All of these facts made it even more daring than it was the first time around. The plan had to do with tampering with the water system and making O’Leary look like the biggest goof in the world, which was not against the law. At least, it wasn’t written in the school rules. The boys hoped and prayed that they could pull this off, because if they failed they would be doomed to a life of loneliness, guilt and solitude. Part Five â€Å"Can I come too?† asked a whiny little voice. â€Å"No, Ian! Leave us alone!† replied a harsh one. â€Å"I never get to do anything exciting,† said Ian â€Å"Ian, there are always people in life that aren’t going to want you to come with them. You should thank us for preparing you for that,† said a condescending Kevin. â€Å"Shut up Kevin. Nobody asked you.† â€Å"Ian,† Josh said. â€Å"Shut your ugly face and leave us alone.† â€Å"You’ll regret this, Josh. You’re going to pay big time for this one.† â€Å"What are you going to do, you little shrimp. You got nothing on me.† With that, Kevin and Josh hopped on their bikes and rode off into the darkness. â€Å"That’s what you think, Josh. Keep dreaming,† whispered Ian to himself. Josh looked around. There was no one in sight. He looked back to Kevin and nodded. Kevin opened the school door cautiously so that it didn’t make a sound. He crept inside as Josh caught up to him. The boys had a flashlight and a headlamp each and they were completely dressed in black. Making their way through the halls as silently as they could, they jumped at every noise they heard. These noises, however, were usually them scuffing their shoes on the ground. They found the staircase that led to the basement and made their way down. â€Å"I can’t believe I’m doing this,† mumbled Kevin. â€Å"Shhh!† They couldn’t afford to make any noise at all. Shining their lights on the doors of the basement, looking at the names of the rooms, they came across their headquarters: the boiler room. There must’ve been a million pipes in the tiny room, only one of which needed to be cut. â€Å"Which one is the one under his desk?† asked Josh. â€Å"I don’t know,† whispered a suddenly panicked Kevin. â€Å"You have the plans in your left jacket pocket, Kevin.† â€Å"Oh yeah,† replied Kevin. He pulled out the pad of paper that he and Josh had written the complicated procedure on. â€Å"It’s the one that’s seven pipes in from the window wall and nineteen in from the wall to the left of that. It’s the really thick one with the one-inch bolts.† â€Å"Found it,† whispered Josh. â€Å"Where is the wrench? We forgot the wrench! We’re screwed!† panicked Kevin. â€Å"Dude, calm down. I have the wrench in my hand. God, sometimes I wonder about your stability,† whispered Josh calmly. He then proceeded to loosen the bolts on the tube. It felt hot, meaning that there was hot water pumping through it at that very moment. This was good news for the mission. He got the nut just to the edge of the bolt so that any movement from above would take it right off and water would spurt up through the hardwood floor when he nearly fell off his feet. â€Å"Don’t take it all the way off!† Kevin had nearly screamed this last remark. â€Å"I know, doofus! Would you shut up? Someone’s going to hear us,† said Josh angrily. â€Å"Alright, I’m done. Let’s get out of here.† â€Å"I wholeheartedly agree,† said a relieved Kevin. They left exactly the way they had come, back up the stairs, out the side door to their bikes where they got on and rode off. Suddenly they heard someone shout, â€Å"There they are!† Thoughts raced through the heads of the boys as their legs raced around the pedals of their eighteen speeds. Voices behind them called out, telling them to stop. They didn’t stop. They didn’t even turn around to see who it was. Their legs flew like frightened birds as they steered in and out of corners as fast as they could, trying to outpace their enemies. Kevin’s wheel hit a twig in the road and he went flying. Josh turned around instantly to go back for his friend who waved his hand signalling for him to leave. â€Å"No way man. I got you into this, now I’m going to get you out.† â€Å"Just go!† shouted Josh. Now they could hear their pursuers in the background. Josh was getting frantic, wondering what to do. He picked up Kevin and put him on the handlebars or his bike. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† asked Kevin as they rode off. â€Å"Trying not to get us caught.† The followers were within a block now. They were going slower and slower. Josh put all of his strength into every pedal. They were still catching up. Josh had no plan of defeat, though, and he turned a very sharp corner, which threw off the enemy completely. They finally arrived at Josh’s house, exhausted and nervous but nonetheless triumphant. â€Å"Did you get a glimpse of who they were?† asked Josh in between breathes. â€Å"Yeah,† replied an incredulous Kevin. â€Å"They were the cops!† Part Six Josh looked completely flabbergasted. All that time he had been running from the cops? Why wouldn’t they have taken a car? Probably because they didn’t want to let the intruders know that they were there. But how did they know they were there? That was the biggest question there was. How did they know? No one knew. Not parents, not siblings†¦wait a minute†¦Ian! But Ian didn’t know where they were going, did he? How would he know? Anyway, he wouldn’t have the guts to tell the cops. Maybe parents, but certainly not cops. Kevin was sitting on the couch, nursing a badly cut left leg. If the cops knew who they were, this would be bad news for their mission and, more importantly, horrible news for their future. â€Å"Do you think Ian tipped them off?† whispered Josh. â€Å"No. He wouldn’t know what was going on,† replied Kevin. He was dabbing a wet sponge on his leg. â€Å"Even if he did, he wouldn’t tip off the cops.† Kevin seemed pretty confident about this, which was not normal for him. It was probably because he was injured and in a sort of shock, but Josh let the subject rest for a while. â€Å"Whoever it was obviously didn’t know how serious this was,† he whispered after a minute or two. â€Å"Or they did know how serious it was and they wanted to completely ruin us.† â€Å"Well, the cops have your bike now and let’s hope they can’t trace it back to you,† said a worried Josh. Usually it was the other way around; Kevin was the worried one and Josh was the relaxed one. Josh couldn’t understand why Kevin was this laid back after this sort of incident. â€Å"Why are you so calm, man?† he asked. â€Å"I’m completely in shock. I tore up my leg, I lost my bike, I created a major scandal, I broke a bunch of laws, and there are going to be plenty of questions. It would be a miracle if I didn’t get caught and yet I don’t feel much like anything. I’m not by any means relaxed, but I’m more so than I would regularly be in this sort of situation.† â€Å"They’ve probably figured out what we did in there by now and tightened the nut again,† Josh said. It sounded like he was disappointed that he had run all that risk for nothing, and rightly so. â€Å"It’ll probably be better this way, though.† â€Å"How is it better?† asked Kevin. â€Å"Well, this way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Josh started. Then he stopped and said, â€Å"I don’t know. All I’m saying is that things happen for a reason, and no matter what you do, Nature either agrees with you or disagrees and you better hope it agrees, because if it doesn’t, you’re pretty well screwed. Sooner or later, Nature will prevail.† â€Å"Those are some pretty wise words for a guy whose tee-shirts say ‘Your Mom Is Hot’.† â€Å"Yeah, well that’s better than ‘Chess Club ‘99’, pal,† laughed Josh. They may have been in an awkward situation, but they had been friends for a long time and whatever happened to them, they could always be themselves and have fun. Part Seven The house was practically empty. Only Ian was home playing his PlayStation when the doorbell rang. He ignored it, thinking it was Josh just being too lazy to get out his key. Then it rang again and it was once again ignored. It rang again, and finally Ian got the message. It was not Josh at all, he discovered. It was a police detective. â€Å"Can I help you?† asked the nervous little kid. â€Å"Yes. We received a tip from this address with regards to two teenagers breaking into a school late last night. Are your parents home?† said the officer. â€Å"No, actually, it’s just me here and, uh, I really don’t know what you’re talking about, so maybe you could come back later and talk to my† Ian was speaking in rapid fire. It was so obvious that he knew something about this that the officer stepped inside and sat down on the couch in the living room. â€Å"Son, I know that you know something,† said the cool detective. â€Å"And the quicker you tell us what it is, the quicker we can both relax. Now why don’t you tell me what’s going on.† When Ian had told the police about this, he had no idea what kind of offence he was laying on his brother and his friend. He had just overheard them talking in Josh’s bedroom. He never meant any harm to anyone. He just wanted to show Josh that he could do whatever he felt like doing, thus proving to be tough. Now, he felt like he had to get his brother out of whatever trouble he had gotten him into. As for Kevin, he could fend for himself. â€Å"Sir, it’s my brother’s friend. He came over one day and told Josh, that’s my brother, that he was going to get revenge on this bully at school and asked him to help out. Josh said that he would have nothing to do with Kevin’s plan and so Kevin called up someone else. That’s all I know, sir,† lied Ian. He felt like he had done a good thing for his brother. â€Å"And I have Kevin’s address too.† Ian went and got the address book for the detective and gave him that of Kevin Young. Ian had no idea what he was setting up for Kevin nor did he know that his brother would have been happy to take all of the blame for his friend. All he knew was that he and his brother were off the hook. â€Å"It was beautiful! I don’t think Trent O’Leary will ever move his desk again,† laughed Josh. â€Å"I never dreamed that I would ever, ever beat that oversized goon. Now I know that we can do anything.† Josh and Kevin had never looked so jolly in their whole lives. The look on their faces was one of pure mirth. The moment that the floor under the jock’s desk had erupted with water, they couldn’t help but burst with laughter. Fortunately, neither could anyone else in the class, which covered for them. Trent O’Leary finally knew what it was like to be the one everyone laughed at, not with, but at. His desk lifted a foot off the ground and he flew up into the air before landing right back down on the gaping hole in the floor, gushing with water. The water was warm, which made it a little more tolerable for O’Leary. Their plan had worked perfectly. â€Å"They didn’t even notice. I bet they looked for hours and couldn’t find anything wrong,† commented Kevin. â€Å"That was so sweet.† â€Å"I will never lose the image of the look on his face when he was three feet in the air!† beamed Josh. â€Å"Amazing.† â€Å"Who was right about this whole thing, Kevin?† asked a proud Josh. â€Å"I have to give credit where credit’s due,† said Kevin. â€Å"It was all you, my friend. Nature likes us, Josh. Nature agreed.† â€Å"You said it, man. Well put.† Part Eight â€Å"You did WHAT?† When Josh walked in the door to his house, Ian greeted him with the news that he had laid all the blame on Kevin. â€Å"First of all, how could you tell the cops about what we were doing? Do you know how stupid that was? I ought to beat the crap out of you! And secondly, why did you peg Kevin with all the responsibility? Do you know what’s going to happen to him now? He’s going to end up just like his father! You don’t know his father, do you? You don’t understand what he’s up against! He doesn’t have a chance! You are going to pay for this one, you little bastard! You are going to pay big time!† Josh yelled. Ian started to whimper a little. His whimpers then turned into sobs and tears streamed down his face. â€Å"Don’t cry to me. You’re not getting any sympathy from me so don’t waste your time.† Josh walked off in a mood so furious that it could only be described as indescribable. â€Å"I’m sorry, Josh!† sobbed Ian. â€Å"I just wanted to help! I’m sorry!† Josh reluctantly walked back into the room to comfort his desolate brother. â€Å"Hey, look buddy. We all make mistakes. We can’t help it. But you have to be careful what you say. It could end up destroying someone’s whole life, and that’s something you can’t get back. Sure, you screwed up. You’re only human.† Josh was now speaking in a soft, understanding voice. Then he snapped out of it a bit. â€Å"This whole speech doesn’t mean that I’m not mad at you, don’t kid yourself.† He walked off, still angry but a little more subdued. Kevin got home and saw a police car outside his house. He immediately dropped his books and ran in a blind panic. He didn’t get far, though, because there was another cruiser just down the street. They put him in the back seat and told him to wait there. He looked out the window and saw his mother in tears at the doorway of his house as a police officer explained what had happened. The officer came back to the car and they drove to the police station, which was a concrete box that had been hollowed out and put windows into the walls. They took him inside and put him in an isolated room, the kind with the fake mirror in it. They then came in and asked him questions like who was with him that night. He was loyal, of course, and said that he was with his cousin who lived in Idaho. He went on to say how he thought up the whole thing because O’Leary had bullied him. â€Å"It’s not like I pulled a Columbine on him. I never would. I never even had a toy gun as a kid,† said Kevin when he was asked if he realised how serious his actions were. â€Å"He wasn’t even hurt at all. He was just a little soggy.† They told him that he would have to stay there overnight in one of the cells. He was allowed one phone call and one visit. He called Josh and told him to come and see him. â€Å"Hey,† he said when he arrived. â€Å"Hey.† There was an awkward pause in which not a word was said. â€Å"Ian ratted us out, eh?† asked Kevin. â€Å"Yeah. Then he tried to get me out of it by saying that you asked me to do it and I said no,† said Josh. â€Å"I yelled at him for it and he cracked. He feels pretty terrible about it.† â€Å"He should,† Kevin said bitterly. â€Å"Once he starts feeling better I’ll kick the stuffing out of him for you,† promised Josh. Kevin nodded. A tear dribbled down his face. â€Å"Hey, man, you’re going to be fine. You can do this. We can do this. I can help, you know.† â€Å"But my Dad†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You are not your Dad, Kevin. You are a completely different person. A stronger one. You know how to stand up for yourself, otherwise you wouldn’t have gone along with the plan. Even if you do get in trouble for it, we’ll always have the joy of looking back on O’Leary’s misfortune. That’s something no one can take away from us, alright?† â€Å"Yeah, I guess,† said Kevin as he wiped the tears from his eyes. â€Å"That was pretty cool, eh?† â€Å"Sure as hell was, man,† replied Josh. The guard came in and told them to wrap it up. â€Å"Say hey to my parents for me, will you?† asked Kevin. He was starting to break up again. Josh nodded that he would. Then he turned around and walked towards the door. â€Å"Hey Josh.† Josh stopped and turned back around. â€Å"Seems like Nature has mixed feelings about us,† said Kevin as he tried to smile. â€Å"No way, man,† Josh replied. â€Å"Nature loves us. You’ll see.† He grinned knowingly and walked out the door. The End Research Papers on The Plan - Creative Writing PaperTrailblazing by Eric AndersonHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayHip-Hop is ArtBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Effects of Illegal Immigration

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Abortion - Essay Example Nevertheless, one should note that support for abortion in the first 3 months is complicated and is dependent on the grounds why the same is to be carried to out. This is according to past Gallup survey and generally speaking, Americans for instance more supportive of making abortion legal especially in the earliest pregnancy stages of pregnancy than in the advanced stages, when the pregnancy is more developed or can survive outside of the womb. Another common ground that has been agreed upon by most parties of pro-choice and pro-life regarding abortion as legal is when the life of a woman or her physical health is endangered by pregnancy or when pregnancy is caused by rape or incest. Thus when the victim cannot accept the fact that she had been raped or the pregnancy was due to incest, the fetus will pose a serious impact on her psychological well-being and future, abortion is still acceptable. Finally, abortion has been a contentious issue in several countries in the world; nevertheless, self-proclaimed â€Å"pro-choice† and â€Å"pro-life† individuals widely agree on over half of 16 principal policy matters. It is these policies that normally have everything to do with women’s vital health protection, thus avoiding late-term abortions, as well as making sure that abortion patients as well as their parents are wholly informed of all the risks

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Training and Development Assessment - Essay Example In this process, both public and private, training and development practices differ to provide the company or organization a more competitive work staff. The training and development practices at the University of Worcester and Tesco are compared to highlight the similarities and differences in the public sector and private sector training principles. The University of Worcester must consider issues of revenue growth and strategy to remain competitive against other universities both local and international. With the growth in e-learning available to citizens across the globe, it becomes more and more difficult to become recognized as an educational leader with students of all lifestyles, income brackets, and values as learning become more convenient without necessarily having to leave home. Therefore, the university must ensure that its staff is well-trained and knowledgeable with new concepts and theories so that students choose the University of Worcester over other educational options. Part of training and development at the university involve establishing a set of criteria by which teachers are judged for performance. The University of Worcester has developed an annual development appraisal in order to ensure top performance that includes staff timetable tools for meeting individual teacher obligations (Wright & Evans 2009). Part of this appraisal includes what is referred to as the Resource Model that identifies key strengths and weaknesses of teachers in order to assess their current skills capabilities. Teachers are given timetables of milestones for learning and meeting new curriculum goals and then they are appraised to determine whether their knowledge is currently able to reach expectations. What makes the performance appraisal process so significant at the university is that staff is able to offer suggestions and amendments to these timetables (Wright & Evans).This indicates an empowerment model that includes teacher feedback in their training module to facilitate better ways to maximize the student’s satisfaction regarding the quality of their education.

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Is Anthropogenic Global Warming a problem and if so, why is it not being solved - Essay Example 47). This paper will discuss the phenomenon of AGW, understand the problems and causes and examine counterviews that do not support these views. The paper will also examine the reasons as to why the problem has not been solved. 2. Understanding 'Anthropogenic Global Warming' Temperatures of the earth’s surface can change due to a number of natural reasons and these include increased volcanic activity, increased solar storms and radiation from the sun. However, these natural phenomenons are sporadic and they appear quickly, last for some time and then disappear. Nature and the environment then get an opportunity to stabilise and heal itself (Houghton, 2005, p. 45). However, since the industrial age when man started increasing his use of fossil fuels and also started using petroleum products, natural gas and thermal power plants, the impact on the environment has been severe. The use of these fossil fuels is almost non-stop and continues unabated through the year. Massive amount s of pollutants and greenhouse effect gases - GHG are released (Ruddiman, 2005, p. 76). These GHS are made of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur and other such gases. They spread in the atmosphere and re-radiate the suns rays from the atmosphere causing greenhouse effect that reheat the atmosphere and raise the temperatures. Natural carbon traps such as forests that absorb CO2 have been reduced in density. This means that less carbon is absorbed by the environment and temperatures continue to rise. Rapid urbanisation with an increase in the ‘concrete jungle’ means more heat is reflected into the atmosphere. The main reason for the increase in carbon emission as seen is due to human activity and this has given rise to the term ‘'Anthropogenic Global Warming’ (Emanuel, 2005, p. 89). 2.1. Proof and evidence Many respected and reputed organisations such as the United Nations have published data on global warming (UNFCC, 2012; Pachauri, 2007; IPCC, 2007). The year 1800 is taken as the base year when meaningful industrial activity started. The CO2 amount release in 1800 AD is taken as zero and by 2000; this figure had increased to 9 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year. Similarly, the average temperatures of the atmosphere were considered as -0.4 degree centigrade in 1800. By 2000, the average temperature has increased by +0.6 degree centigrade and this is an overall increase of 1.2 degree centigrade. Worse is in store since UNO experts believe that if the present industrial activity and lifestyle continues without restraint, then the temperature build-up would be much quicker and exponential. By 2060, the average temperature rise over 1800 values would be 4 degree centigrade. At this stage, polar ice will have melted, many coastal cities and vast hinterlands would be underwater and there would probably be another ice age (Anderson, 2011). This is not some kind of fear mongering but simulations arrived at by powerful computers that have analysed weather patterns and temperature changes (Tirpak, 2005). 2.2. Counterviews of AGW Global warming and drastic climate change has unfortunately been dragged into political and corporate wars. Peden (2009) argues that AGW is nothing but a hoax started by businesspersons who want to cash in on the business opportunities that global warming provide. Chameides (2011) commenting on a news report from Fox News says that global warming is a natural phenomenon and it has been going on since earth was formed. Temperatures rise led

Academic Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Academic Response - Essay Example In Rodriguez’s case, when his sibling started communicating to him in English at home in order to help him gain public confidence by learning a bit of English, the whole family underwent changes as the parents and the relatives were no longer at ease with him as marked by the silence spell in the house especially at dinner time. English transforms the entire family therefore limiting the intimacy they had with Spanish. This is a disadvantage to young children as supporters of bilingual education assert that children should first be taught in their first language. Rodriguez also argues that the ability of a bilingual person to speak two languages especially a language spoken by most people in public makes him more comfortable when speaking in public. The use of the first language only impedes social growth as one cannot communicate in English effectively thereby causing alienation from the public. When Rodriguez mastered English, he started viewing himself and his family as part of the American society as he could now fit in the public. He learned that Spanish is something that was not socially acceptable and appropriate in public and he got the feeling that he has the obligation and the right to communicate in English. This made him feel like a complete fully-fledged and worthy member of the American society. He says, "At last†¦I was an American citizen." Rodriguez also implies that speaking a language different than his private language in public makes the person lose a part of his identity. This is because bilingual education requires that the largest part of the first language is neglected thereby intensifying the separation among cultures. Rodriguez asserts that there must be a sacrifice in order to gain the acceptance and worthiness of being an American. His philosophy is that learning English requires that the native language is buried and forgotten in the mind of the students like the way he

PROTOTYPES IN THE GRAPHIC DESIGN PROCESS Research Paper

PROTOTYPES IN THE GRAPHIC DESIGN PROCESS - Research Paper Example It is their use that is referred to as prototyping. Through prototyping, which is a method of generating possible solutions and subsequent evaluation of the effectiveness of the solution in solving a problem, designers can make solutions before analysis. The discussion that follows under is all about the importance of prototyping to designers and their roles in the creation of prototypes which are fully functional for the ever-changing user interfaces. Graphic design regularly alludes to both the procedure of designing by which the correspondence is made and the results of designs which are produced. Graphic designers likewise receive arrangement based procedures by first creating potential arrangements. They then check to what degree the produced contemplations can take care of the issue. This strategy is known as prototyping. The idea of rapid prototyping as it applies to the graphic design process, is to create learning experience in a design assessment cycle that proceeds for the duration of the life of the relevant project. This cycle, which is well known as the spiral cycle or layered methodology, is thought to be iterative, implying that items are persistently enhanced as this cycle in the rapid prototyping proceeds (Danis et al. 2000, p. 17). The rapid prototyping gives the designer to start with the low fidelity such as a paper and a pen, then advances to a higher fidelity prototype. There are two types of prototypes that can be developed, that is, the vertical prototypes with less features on the screen and the horizontal prototypes with the whole screen having no underlying functionality. The prototype has got a good number of profits which includes; a prototype allows th e designer to make a more exact finished item. It provides for him or her capacity to apply finish control over discriminating design points of interest,

Kraft Foods Essay Example for Free

Kraft Foods Essay Kraft Foods is an extremely well recognized brand that provides a vast array of food and beverage products with the ultimate goal â€Å"to become North America’s best food and beverage company† (Kraft, 2014). Critical analysis of Kraft Foods mission, vision and values statements revealed some necessary changes to enhance organizational success. Kraft Foods will become the top in their industry by continuing to develop and sell products tailored to their consumers needs/demands. Assisting consumers to make healthy life choices is part of their dedication to stakeholders. Through incentives and rewards employees will remain dedicated, motivated and have pride in Kraft Foods products thereby increasing financial growth. Kraft Foods understands that contributing to the community is essential for lasting success. Actively protecting natural resources will leave a huge footprint and legacy for Kraft Foods.  Kraft Foods mission statement is very generic and broad in nature. By narrowing and focusing this goal they will guarantee their future success. The vision and values statements are well written and invoke memories and emotions from their stakeholders thereby drawing them to Kraft Foods. Introduction Since its establishment in 1903 Kraft Foods has become a well respected household name (Kraft Foods, 2014). Over the last century Kraft Foods has bought out many of their competitors and expanded their line of products, keeping them as one of the top food and beverage companies in the nation (Kraft Foods). In order to remain successful and accomplish their mission  it is imperative their business statements accurately reflect their vision and values. In this paper the author will discuss the mission, vision and values of Kraft Foods and how these powerful statements contribute to their overall success in the industry. Mission Statement Analysis Every organization should present a powerful clearly articulated statement as to why their organization exists (McNamara, 2009). This statement should convey to outside stakeholders the benefits of conducting business together to increase chances of financial success. Kraft Food’s mission statement reads â€Å"our aim is to be North America’s best food and beverage company† (Kraft Foods, 2014). Kraft Food’s mission statement is very simple, generic and lacks sufficient depth, especially given the size of the Kraft Foods organization. Mission statements should include strong powerful words that articulate and enunciate an organization, resulting in a memorable impression that remains on the forethought of all the stakeholders (Ramjee, n.d.). A mission statement is short term future goals and it is therefore imperative that organizations readdress their mission statements from time to time (Rector, 2010). With all the health phenomenon concerns in North America it is pivotal Kraft Foods continue to reevaluate their mission and re-strategize as needed to remain on the top of their industry and draw new clientele to their organization. The ability to use different marketing strategies, seize different opportunities will draw new stakeholders to Kraft Foods thereby ensuring mission success and financial growth. Vision Statement Analysis An efficient and effective vision statement is a powerful tool that paints a vivid picture while describing how an organization is going to accomplish their mission (McNamara, 2009). This one statement can convey power, confidence and inspire stakeholders (Change Factory, 2014). A vision statement takes into consideration an organizations market, customers, strengths and weaknesses in order to enhance themselves (Change Factory). Kraft Foods vision statement reads â€Å"we’ll get there by continuing to offer products consumers love, creating a performance-based culture that motivates  and excites employees and becomes the best investment in the industry† (Kraft Foods, 2014). With this simple sentence Kraft Foods inspires, motivates and invokes memories from their stakeholders. Painting a vivid picture for stakeholders invokes emotions from past experiences. These memorable impressions stay with stakeholders and they are therefore more likely to support Kraft Foods. This influential statement also describes the most cherished values, services and vision of the future thereby allowing stakeholders to determine if their personal values meet up with that of Kraft Foods future and if investment in this organization is beneficial (Crea, n.d.). Another aspect of vision statements is the ability to state realistic outcomes (Millard, 2010). Realistic outcomes are imperative as they motivate employees and help them focus on something bigger than themselves (Millard). Meeting these goals, â€Å"offering products consumers love† enhances dedications, motivation and pride, which will further enhance Kraft Foods success (Kraft Foods, 2014). The vision statement for Kraft Foods is well articulated, creates a vision of the future company, invokes emotions and draws stakeholders to the organization. Values Statement Analysis In addition to mission and vision statements a values statement will enhance an organizations chance of future success. A values statement is the core of an organization and what values they cherish (Edmunds, 2014). It defines how employees will behave and how actions and behaviors will be evaluated (Edmunds). A values statement reveals how an organization values not only their customers, but suppliers, shareholders and stakeholders (Edmunds). At Kraft Foods their values statement reads to â€Å"make a difference in communities, protect greatest resources – land, air, water, people, educate and motivate to make healthful choices, food safety and quality, and workplace safety† (Kraft Foods, 2014). It is essential a values statement identify and address the organizational values in a clear concise manner so every stakeholder knows and understands what will be tolerated within the organization. The clear writing of Kraft Foods vision statement allows people to contribute to something bigger then themselves. An added benefit of a values statement is rewards and recognitions are structured around this  statement and those employees who embrace the organizational values are identified and rewarded (Edmunds). This statement tells shareholders how the organization hires and promotes individuals and demonstrates that Kraft Foods external suppliers are in alignment with the organizations values, thus enhancing bonds of trust and respect. Alignment of Goals/Needs with Stakeholders Interests The mission, vision and value statements all work together to define an organization. Additionally these statements need to address the goals and needs of the shareholders and stakeholders thereby insuring future investors. Through their business statements Kraft Foods specifically addressed four stakeholder needs they hope to meet. Kraft Foods addresses consumers by focusing on â€Å"quality, safe food that consumers love† in their vision and values statements (Kraft Foods, 2014). Additionally Kraft Foods values statement discusses their dedication to helping North Americans â€Å"make healthy food choices† (Kraft Foods). Their dedication is also evident by the accumulation of healthy name brands products, such as Back to Nature granola (Kraft Foods). The values statement of Kraft Foods also addresses the organizations dedication to â€Å"making a difference in the community† (Kraft Foods, 2014). Kraft Foods is leaving a positive impression, huge footprints and taking massive strides â€Å"to make the world a better place with every action they take† (Kraft Foods). This is apparent by their dedication to food drives aimed at fighting hunger, providing humanitarian support, building playgrounds, and planting gardens (Kraft Foods). Kraft Foods also addresses their employees, one of the biggest stakeholders, in their business statements. Employees at Kraft Foods are â€Å"treated with respect, provided a safe work environment, and encouraged to do great things† (Kraft Foods, 2014). This organization understands that success is dependent on motivated, driven and dedicated employees that take pride in their work. Additionally, through their business statements Kraft Foods is telling the outside world about their employee commitment thus developing respect from the community, industry and other stakeholders. Kraft Foods understands that in order to be successful a strong cooperate governance must be establish to help balance the needs of shareholders and stakeholders (Kraft Foods, 2014). â€Å"Kraft Foods Board of Directors believe effective corporate governance provides a strong framework to assist them in upholding their fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders and promote long term success of the organization† (Kraft Foods). Improvements of the Company Statements Kraft Foods is one of the largest organizations in North America and it is essential their business statements accurately reflect their dedication and drive to succeed. Although admirable, Kraft Foods mission statement is very generic and lacks the special connection to draw stakeholders to the organization. In comparing McNamara’s list of criteria for a well written mission statement Kraft Foods falls short (2009). This statement is not powerful, not memorable, does not discuss growth and profit sufficiently and does not target specific clientele (McNamara). Additionally their goals are extremely far reaching and unattainable. The mission statement needs to be more focused in order to keep stakeholders motivated and driven for success. The vision statement is well written and invokes emotions and memories from stakeholders while also being descriptive in how they will achieve success. Millard states vision statements should be clear, memorable, realistic and discuss positive outcomes (2010). Kraft Foods addresses each one of these criteria in their vision statement. This powerful statement draws stakeholders to the organization and makes they want to be a part of the success. It is the author’s opinion that Kraft Foods values statement clearly articulates the values Kraft Foods cherishes. This statement motivates people to join the Kraft Foods team and become part of something bigger. Kraft Foods is dedicated to leaving a lasting impression and legacy not only with consumers but the environment and this is clearly communicated in their values statement. Conclusion Developed in 1903 Kraft Foods has become one of North America top brands. Through their mission, vision and values statement Kraft Foods is able to communicate to stakeholders why the organization exists, where they are going in the future, how they will get there and their dedication to the world around them. Although some adjustments can be made to their mission statement, overall these statements are clearly written and draw stakeholders to Kraft Foods by invoking their emotions, memories and values. References Change Factory. (2014). The Components of a Good Vision Statement. Change Factory.Retrieved July 13, 2014 from http://www.changefactory.com.au/our-thinking/articles/thecomponents-of-a-good-vision-statement/ Crea, T. (n.d.). A Good Mission Statement. All About Leadership. Retrieved July 13, 2014 fromhttp://www.all-about-leadership.com/good-mission-statement.html Edmunds, S. (2014, May 6). What is a Value Statement? EHow. Retrieved July 12, 2014 fromhttp://www.ehow.com/about_5063071_value-statement_.html Kraft Foods. (2014). Retrieved July 12, 2014 fromhttp://www.kraftfoodsgroup.com/home/index.aspx McNamara, C. (2009). Developing a Mission Statement. Management Library Online. RetrievedJuly 12, 2014 from http://managementhelp.or/strategicplanning/mission-visiom-vales.htm Millard, S. (2010, December 7). Characteristics of Mission and Vision Statements. University ofHawai’i Hilo. Retrieved July 10, 2014 fromhttp://hilo.hawaii.edu/strategicplan/documents/SPC18_10_Mission_and_Vision .pdf Rector, B. (2010, April 18). Clear, Concise Mission Statements. Memphis Business Journal.Retrieved July 10, 2014 fromhttp://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2010/04/19/smallb2.html Ramjee, P. (n.d.). The Important of Making a Good First Impression in Business. Chron SmallBusiness. Retrieved July 13, 2014 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importancemaking-good-firstimpression-business-23065.html

The Renaissance And The Reformation

The Renaissance And The Reformation Upon initial inspection, the Renaissance and the Reformation appear to be two entirely separate periods of change that occurred in Western Europe with equally dissimilar causes and purposes. The Renaissance, literally a time of rebirth, marked the decisive break from the Middle Ages and the rediscovery for the appreciation of the arts, literature, and the further development of politics and economy. On the other hand, the Reformation focused mainly on the split of ideals dealing with the church and the methods with which reformers such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others who preached against simony, the selling of indulgences, and essentially dealing with the corrupt ways of the Church. While the two may not bear many outwardly apparent similarities, the Reformation, in fact, depended heavily upon the human developments during the Renaissance. The single most important document linking the Renaissance and the Reformation is the 95 Theses, written by Martin Luther who posted it on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This piece of writing which mostly addresses the improper abuse of clerical powers and the immoral conduct of selling indulgences, which was initially triggered by mercantilism and the rising importance of money in a growing economical society, was only able to be circulated throughout Germany with the help of the printing press. Although the printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg, was not a direct product of the Renaissance, it was the revolutionizing piece of technology which allowed the circulation of numerous printed copies of the Bible throughout Western Europe, served as a crucial tool in developing a well-informed, literate population during the Renaissance in Europe, and, of course, printed over 300,000 copies of Luthers 95 Theses, the catalyst of the Protestant Reformation. With the aid of the printing press, the people of Western Europe became further educated by having a greater opportunity to come into contact with a Bible. Prior to reading the Bible for themselves, people were only able rely on the words of the papacy, the clergy, and other members of the church, who were, unbeknownst to the common man, in fact corrupt. Through obtaining personal knowledge from reading the Bible (even those who could not read Latin now have access to the Bible translated into vernacular, English, or German), people now felt they had the control to formulate their own decisions and grasped the idea that they will not be controlled by a corrupt church. With this state of mind, secularization, the separation from religious influences, and individualism, the recognition of the self as having moral value, flourished throughout the Renaissance in Europe. While reading the Bible significantly guided the people of Western Europe in Luthers general direction of thought even prior to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, another group of people known as the Humanists, who provided their time to truly understand the Classics the works of Socrates, Plato, and other ancient Greek philosophers began eradicating the idea of scholasticism, which was, in essence, believing everything as they are told. People began to read, comprehend, and make decisions for themselves without relying strictly on the church. Books such as Castigliones The Book of the Courtier, which taught men to be the perfect gentlemen, and women to be the perfect gentlewomen, and Erasmus In Praise of Folly, which satirizes and mocks the Church of its erroneous ways (Palmer, 72), were published and read. The final result was a greater movement of secularization and individualism which led to a continual separation of the people from the church. In addition to an increasingly self-determining population, one event which becomes the catalyst to ignite a sense of distrust amongst the common people of Europe towards the church was The Great Schism. The crisis of assigning multiple papacies was not only an indication of the manipulating of the power given to the popes in order to satisfy the Churches self-indulgence, but also caused the devout to question which of the papacies truly holds the keys of Peter, or simply if any church at all would lead them to salvation (Palmer, 53). This dissatisfaction with the church spread through all ranks of society, from the kings to the common people. From these uncertainty sprouted the teachings of John Wyclif and John Huss, who both supported the ideology of salvation by reading the Bible, and not from the teachings of an organized church (Palmer, 54). This led to the eventual denunciation of the Pope, or in this case, Popes, as a religious leader. With scholars and people in general granted the ability to finally read and scrutinize the Bible for themselves, important theologians such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli, only to name a few, emerged, attempting to correct the erroneous ways of the corrupt church. Luther, who preached not for the sake of creating a new religion but to simply correct the misdoings of the church, translated the Bible into many accessible languages and gathered many followers who agreed wholeheartedly with his ultimate principle of salvation by faith alone, and that only the Bible contains the true words of God. One final aspect of the Renaissance that affected the course of action of people throughout the Reformation was the development and enforcement of politics. While the ideas of Luther, Calvin, and other theologians caused new churches to rise in towns, they were not able to replace the previously existing church prior to some government intervention. The new church did not have immediate power to dissolve the old church and was obligated to wait on governments decision before implementing and taking action. Although inconvenient for those eagerly awaiting the further spread of the Protestant Church, the higher power given to the government and the advance of politics developed through the Renaissance provided a greater source of order for the people during the Reformation. The Renaissance and the Reformation, although largely unlike, greatly complemented each other in various aspects. From the most important advancement of educating the populace in order to instill in them the understanding of individualism and separation from scholasticism, to the initial dissatisfaction towards the church caused by confusions of The Great Schism, to the works of Castiglione and Erasmus, the Renaissance shaped the minds of those previously unaware of the immorality of the Church into the minds of those prepared for a change through the Reformation.

China and Japan Essay -- Chinese Philosophy, Ming

Throughout the dynasties in China and Japan, religion, economy and politics have been affected by each other in various ways. In the book â€Å"Religion and Making of Modern East Asia†, Thomas Dubois brings to light the impact religion made on both politics and economy in China and Japan throughout the historical period up till date. In his words, he describes â€Å"religion as an extremely political force† (Dubois, 2011, pp. 7-16). As various religions were introduced, it shaped the politics of leaders as most of them saw it as an avenue to impose their religion on the citizens. In all, religion invented political and economic stabilities and instabilities in various dynasties throughout Japan and China Ming China also known as â€Å"Great Ming† Reigned in China for many years and saw through many religions. However, most Chinese attest to three major religions; Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism. In the early centuries, Shang dynasty, known as the â€Å"origin of Chinese civilization† was very powerful and dominated the Ming China for over five centuries. In this period, the rulers imposed their religion on the citizens and made it compulsory as the state religion. Later on, Zhou over-threw the Shang dynasty bringing in another perspective of religion known as Confucianism, this particular religion, believed that â€Å"authority was not by chance but given a greater power which was higher than man† (Dubois, 2011, p. 17). Most of the citizens embraced this new religion as it brought about peace and good virtue. â€Å"Confucianism reigned through the Han dynasty, until it was finally over-thrown by the Sung Dynasty. Were the whole imperial system final ly fell† (Dubois, 2011, p. 23). Although Confucianism came to the people as a religion, ... ... of China and Japan denied the citizens that right. Some religions were still being outlawed in Japan, contrary to restrictions which allow every citizen a right to worship.† (Dubois, p. 202). With the help of the Americans, the political hierarchy was adjusted thereby allowing citizens the right to free religion. In concluding, juxtaposing China and Japan’s history, both have similarities. Inevitably, religion continuously, affects politics and economics, most times producing ethno-political identities. Even in Nigeria today, religion affects the economic and political sects. The domineering religious group is often politicized and tends to favor its own religion either through finances or privileges. It is therefore evident that religion, economy and politics are inter-twined and will continue to affect the changes around us just like China and Japan.

Extinction Of Dinosaurs :: essays research papers

Could an exploding star have been responsible for the death of the dinosaurs? This idea has become popular again as an explanation for the disappearance of the dinosaurs. An exploding star can blast material enormous distances into space. If this material reached Earth’s atmosphere, changes may have occurred that were harmful to life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We call an exploding star a supernova. Nova is the Latin word for new, and in ancient times, when an exploding star was observed, people often thought a new star was being born. The plural form of nova is novae. So when we talk of more than one supernova, we say supernovae.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a star has used all it’s nuclear fuel, the gravitational force that pulls the star’s material towards it’s center no longer has an opposing force to act against it. As a result the star collapses. A star that once had eight times as much matter as our sun and was 1,000,000 miles across, becomes a sphere only ten to fifteen miles across. As the star collapses, very small particles (called neutrinos) escape into space. After the star becomes a very small sphere, it explodes like a giant nuclear bomb and becomes a billion times as bright as our own sun. All kinds of matter and radiation are blasted into space. This matter and radiation travels through space at nearly the speed of light (186,000 miles per second)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now, if one of these supernovae were to occur within about 130 light years of Earth, some scientists feel that life on earth would be drastically affected. Since a light year is the distance light travels in one year, 130 light years is about 760,000,000,000,000 (760 quadrillion miles!).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So, suppose a supernova had occurred sixty-five million years ago within 130 light years of Earth, how exactly would it cause the death of the dinosaurs? Some scientists think neutrinos and galactic cosmic rays would cause extremely high

Food Predicament Essay

1. List three factors largely responsible for the significant increase in North American food production since the end of World War II. a. Population Growth b. Rising personal income 2. Describe the trends in world food production vis-a-vis population growth from 1950 to the present. There is more people to supply food than before. 3. To what extent does expanding the amount of land under cultivation offer hope for significantly increasing world food supply? Why? To permit unproductive lands to be farmed, making it possible to raise two to three crops a year on the same land. 4. List four reasons for the loss of currently productive agricultural land. a. erosion b. desertification c. salinization d. water-logging 5. What factors make it unlikely that ocean fish harvests can be increased substantially above present levels? Large predator fish, overexploitation by industrial fishing fleets has reduced stocks of some species. 6. List several changes in food-handling practices that poor countries could implement to prevent loss of harvested crops. Store grains in bins that may not be easily penetrated, have good refrigeration and have reliable transport for the food. 7. To what extent can â€Å"eating lower on the food chain† help to solve problems of world hunger? It will help until the population grows more and going vegetarian would not be possible. 8. Why are a number of relatively affluent countries purchasing farmland in other nations? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such purchases for the host country? Because of the productive soil their food will grow much better in each different region. Some advantages might be that they will have that food available for the consumers and some disadvantages might be that there is a climate change and loose the crop. B. Match the following deficiency diseases with the nutritional factor (shown below the table) whose absence provoked these conditions (you can use the factor or corresponding letter (a, b, †¦.): 1. childhood blindness 2. marasmus 3. anemia 4. kwashiorkor 5. mental retardation 6. pellagra 7. scurvy 8. rickets 9. beri-beri a. protein b. fiber c. vitamin A d. vitamin Bl (thiamine) e. vitamin C f. vitamin D g. vitamin E h. niacin i. iodine j. iron k. overall calorie/protein shortage C. True/False. Indicate T or F in the space before each numbered question. If the statement is false, revise it below in the box provided to make a correct statement; focus your response on the words in bold. 1. As incomes rise, food demand increases because more affluent people eat larger quantities of food. 2. It is estimated that approximately a billion people in the world today are undernourished. 3.Within families in poor societies, adolescent boys are the most likely to suffer from malnutrition. 4. Overpopulation is the major cause of chronic hunger problems in the developing world. 5. In societies where hunger is widespread, the rate of malnutrition among children and women is much higher than it is among men. 6. Malnutrition is most harmful when it occurs among children under 5. 7. The damaging effects of childhood malnutrition are reversible if the child receives an adequate diet when he/she becomes older. 8. Malnourished women are likely to give birth to underweight babies and to produce poor quality breast milk. 9. Marasmus is responsible for more childhood deaths in developing countries than any other single cause. 10. The most common nutritional deficiency disease worldwide is kwashiorkor. 11. A swollen belly, discoloration of the hair and skin, and stunted physical development are all classic symptoms of overall protein/calorie deprivation. 12. The world’s single most important cause of preventable brain damage and mental retardation is Vitamin A deficiency. 13. Aquaculrure offers greater hope for increasing the world’s fish harvest than does intensifying efforts in ocean fishing. 14. World livestock production, which rose steadily from 1950-1990, has subsequently leveled off because of falling market demand for meat. 15. Anemia is a leading cause of high female mortality rates and problem pregnancies in many poor countries. 16. Aquaculture supplies almost all of the tuna fish found in American supermarkets. 17. Biotechnology can help reduce farmers’ reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and may make it possible to cultivate lands currently too dry or too saline for farming. 18. Among species commonly raised to supply animal protein for human consumption, fish are the most efficient energy converters, requiring just 2-3 pounds of feed to gain one pound of flesh. 19. In sub-Saharan Africa, grain production has remained stagnant at about one ton/ hectare since the early 1960s. 20. Significant increases in agricultural production achieved by technological breakthroughs such as the â€Å"miracle grains† or genetically modified crop and livestock varieties will ensure that all the world’s people enjoy an adequate diet.