An Experience That Changed My Life

Seven years ago I gave birth to a healthy boy who changed everything about me and my life. Before his birth I was an optimistic person who only thought of the fun things that would make my day. I was an immature girl without a care in the world. After his birth I grew up, stopped partying, and took on the responsibility that was gifted to me. It has not been a breezy walk along the shores of the beach, but more like a steep climb up a precipitous and rocky mountain. Yet having my son is not something that I would give up no matter how hard it is. Before the birth of my son I was an optimistic person who only thought of the fun things that would make my day. I was an immature girl without a care in the world. I remember spending my days with friends and traveling between our beautiful islands of the Northern Marianas, not worrying about anything or about spending too much of my parents’ money. I enjoyed spending my summer days at the beach walking along the shores, collecting sea shells, and going for a swim. I enjoyed going to parties just to enjoy time and eat all the delicious food I could put on my plate. I enjoyed going to festivals to play games, watch dance competitions, and spend my money on food that were delicious at each vendor. I remember drinking and dancing the nights away with my friends. I remember always going out to the Aquarius Club on Friday nights with friends just to drink and dance. I’d get so intoxicated with alcoholic beverages that I’d end up drunk. I’d dance with my friends and just enjoy the great time I’m having in the club until I was ready to go back home. I always had the time to sleep as long as I wanted to after a crazy night out. I remember just going to school and completing my assignments on time without any hassle. I had so much time to myself. I remember playing video games, surfing the internet, or just watching television all day if I had no homework. I remember just going to school, partying, and having a great time. But seven years ago, November 01, 2003 it all changed, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy my son Divine Joe. The day I went in to the hospital to give birth to him was a very exciting day, I checked in at Commonwealth Health Center at 10:00 in the morning; the Doctor was oing to induce me at 12:00pm. I remember just lying there on the bed being so excited wanting him to be out already. The midwife and nurses came in and hooked me up to the IV and baby monitors. At 6:30 pm I was fully dilated and my water bag hadn’t broken so the midwife broke it for me. And that is when I started wishing it would really all just end. The pain was so excruciating I thought I was going to die, but it did not last long. At 8:05 pm my baby boy was born and he was just perfect to me. The unbearable and exhausting pain I had gone through was worth it. I had never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I had never been puked on, pooped on, chewed on, or peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I could sleep all day or all night, basically anytime I wanted too. I had never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots. I had never looked into teary eyes and cried. I had never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I had never sat up late hours at night watching a baby go to sleep or having to wake up every ten minutes in the middle of the night just to make sure everything was okay with him. I had never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put him down. I had never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the pain he was going through. I had never known that something so small, like a baby, could affect my life so much. I had never known that I could love being a parent. I hadn’t known the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I hadn’t known that something so small, like a baby, could make me feel so important and happy. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a parent. I hadn’t known that I was capable of feeling so much more. When the midwife put my son in my arms he was so soft and warm. His eyes were open and so bright. I remember crying and thinking to myself wow this is my son, a precious part of me and he is just adorable. His birth changed everything about me and my life, it was an unexpected gift. Having my son was the greatest thing to happen to me; it changed my life for the good qualities. After his birth I grew up, stopped partying, and took on the responsibility that was gifted to me because he gave me purpose in this world.

How engineers change the world Essay

From all the time, technology has been the main key that helped the development of industrialization and civilization of the world. During this process, scientists have made a great contribution. However, engineers were the ones that put all the theories into reality such that they could actually benefit the society. Besides the development of economics, massive education, peace and freedom of religion are important symbols of civilization. And engineers have contributed to the society’s needs for that. Engineers from different fields cooperate to solve all the technical problems met during the process of satisfying the society’s needs for education. They work together to build comfortable environments for students to learn. Meanwhile they also consider about the safety, cost and practicality. Civil engineers design and construct schools, colleges and universities such that citizens have places to accept different levels of education. In order to let students have a better understanding of knowledge, mechanical and electronics engineers help with the multi-media devices such as projectors and computers so that professors can use PowerPoint and other software. Electrical engineers help with electricity such that students can learn at night. Hydraulic engineers make sure that the water supply is sufficient and sustainable for all students of schools. Without engineers, massive education would not be possible all over the world. Not only education, but Peace within and across communities also depends on engineers. Within the community, engineers produce weapons such as guns, so that police can stop criminals and keep the society secure and peaceful. Across communities, engineers develop defense systems for their countries to resist and more importantly prevent the invasion from other communities or countries. The most famous example is the America space protection system built by NASA. This system is able to monitor the US territorial air space, detect any unidentified objects and destroy them if needed, no matter aircrafts or meteors. Such defense systems actually can warn whoever wants to invade the country to stay within the line and such that the peace of the country can be achieved. Without weapons and defense systems, the country  will be vulnerable and there will be no peace.

Call vs Put Options Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Call vs Put Options - Essay Example Again, they are guaranteed of no losses. Financial options are perhaps a better way to attract investors in stock companies and encourage them to invest. However, I think because they are not ready to take risks with their shares they could be at a disadvantage if their stocks are bought or sold at higher values other than the agreed upon values. In my opinion, financial options can be good or bad. The buying contracts reduce risks in the event of a negative outcome. The buyer is somewhat protected while the trader increases gains and reduces losses. This is especially important given the volatile nature of the stock market as affected by issues such as fluctuating interest rates, exchange rates, and other market forces. Perhaps a major disadvantage of the two options is losing part of, or the whole contract price. Again, there is the risk of broker insolvency or non-fulfillment of contractual

Music in ghana Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music in ghana - Research Paper Example However, the ethnic groups can be grouped into two due to substantial similarities and their geographical location are southern groups and the northern groups. The south is inhabited by the Gbe and broad Kwa language speaking ethnic groups. The music of this group is highly associated with the social and spiritual functions; the music relies on polyrhythmic patterns, which are produced by drums and bells, as well as strong emphasis that is laid in the harmonized song. The only exception to this rule is the use of the Seperewa harp-lute used by the Akan for praise singing. This, however, is a dying tradition, which routed its origin in the historic influence that arose from the traditions of the Manden empires that lie to the North West (Ham, 2009 p35). From the southern category, two main groups branch out: Ga and Akan ethical music genre and the Ewe music genre. The first group, Ga & Akan, is known for its court music that is complex; it includes the Ga kpanlogo and the Akan atumpan styles plus a large xylophone that is used in asonko music (Nketia,1999 p90). The Ewe music genre has fork styles that are related to music of Togo and Benin. This genre has contributed many popular styles e.g. the agbadza and borborbor. There many other styles of southern Ghana music, which are, sang at festivals (Collins, 2006 p76). The northern region lies in the barely vegetated Sudan and Sahel grassland (Ham, 2009 p57). The music genres in this region is grouped into the larger West African musical umbrella of Sahelian people in this region base all musical compositions to wind, melodic and stringed compositions .they also employ the technique of polyrhythmic composition. As with other groups in west Africa, the traditions of griot praise-singing exists among the various groups (Nketia,1999 p98). Two areas can be identified in the northern category, and these include the north and northeastern, and the upper northwestern Ghana

Critical Review E Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Review E - Essay Example McDonough and partners’ conceptual project of rooftop gardening in China (2005) demonstrates how congestion entails the need for new buildings that cater to sustainable communities. See Figure 1. The project fits Manhattan urbanism because of its megalomania, but it also challenges the latter because it seeks to address and reduce the culture of congestion through a program that tackles spaces and actions. The project illustrates megalomania because of its localization of a â€Å"world totally fabricated by man† (Koolhaus, 325). Rooftop gardening is a localization of agriculturalism, through the conversion of a dimension of urban space to a local rural one. Though the project aims to improve the building’s sustainability, it remains as an evidence of the negative effects of the culture of congestion: an Urbanism that has created the loss of spaces dedicated to agricultural industries. The project is a garden, but it also depicts Urbanism through its features of human-made fabrication and integration into a congested culture. The same project, nevertheless, addresses and diminishes the culture of congestion through a program that tackles spaces and actions. It represents the programmatic function of architecture that Tschumi believes is its essential role. He argues that architecture must create places that â€Å"confront spaces and actions† (Tschumi 141). The project deals with urbanism through promoting an ecosystem in the megalomania, which combines social engagement (through its walkways) and sustainability. It confronts congestion through expressing its desire for ecological balance. The conceptual project of rooftop gardening in China reveals that Urbanism is experiencing a rupture, as it scrambles to invite back Nature into its form and function. It remains a megalomania that exhibits human-made fabrications of living systems, though it also confronts the culture of congestion by attempting to provide more agricultural spaces that attend to long-run

The decision to drop the atom bomb on Japan Term Paper

The decision to drop the atom bomb on Japan - Term Paper Example However, recent studiesi related to this issue have indicated conflicting and contrasting results involving exaggeration of the number of lives saved by such decision, and the unreal reason and factor of dropping the bomb on two cities of Japan. For such purpose, this paper will specifically attempt to identify and compare arguments of both sides of this decision that will enable the reader to acquire a more critical position on the issue. Analysis of the literatureii has specified that Japan was near to surrender its forces in front of the United States; however, it was essential for the US to abandon the Japanese emperor in that case, and such step was unacceptable for the President Truman and the US government. In addition, expertsiii have argued that dropping of the bomb on Japan was an indirect indication of power and supremacy of the US government in front of the Soviet Union, essential for the establishment of an influential and commanding position after the war. Works of historians and experts in recent years have indicated that abovementioned reason of the President Truman related to saving thousands of American soldiers was not real. In addition, another reason of the President that the decision forced Japan to surrender was false as well. It is now evident from various sourcesiv that the decision to drop the atom bomb on Japan was a US or more specifically, President Truman’s way of threatening Soviet Union on the stage of war, and reasons such as quick finish of the war, saving thousands of American soldiers were just tools of hiding the real factor. However, before going against this decision, it is essential to look at the arguments that justified the decision of dropping the bomb. In this regard, sources have indicated that Japan played a very significant role during the war and resisted obsessively and passionately with its limited resources, and the Japanese government was preparing every

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - Article Example Jonathan Swift begins with the vivid imagery of the plight of poor children and is able to evoke sympathy.  An important aspect is that this is so sincerely done that the most skeptical person would want to read on. Then he moves with calculated precision and creates a logical assessment of the condition of the poor. He also professes to have â€Å"maturely weighed† his calculations and proposal giving confidence to the reader to reach further down the narrative. Swift then smoothly places a dramatic twist by immediately following his preamble with the first shocking suggestion of â€Å"eating† all the penniless children in this manner: â€Å"a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.†. After this point, Swift begins to target the moneyed class of that period. He not only enrages the reader by the cold irony of his suggestions but also forces him to think by using startling imagery and saddening but stark realities of life. In a formal and methodical manner, he gives solutions to visible problems of poverty by calculating the worth of children’s flesh offered as food to â€Å"persons of quality and fortune† and other rich members of the society of that time. With striking prose filled with sarcasm, he challenges human emotions by recommending â€Å"buying the children alive and dressing them hot from the knife† as is done in roasting piglets. The subject of his criticism, the moneyed class, is woven in with a detached and mathematical precision by drawing parallel examples of their lavish spending and the worth of the poor considered as meat. In his cynicism, Swift does not spare any member of the society of that time that has contributed to or closed eyes from the causes and reasons of poverty. These include the pseudo-patriots, the clergy as well as royalty.

Programs for Incarcerated Women Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Programs for Incarcerated Women - Research Paper Example Previously, women in prison were arrested and incarcerated for violent crimes such as murder, poisoning and arson, but the last few decades saw that a growing number of new female inmates were inside a prison for non-violent crimes, meaning these are crimes which are economic in nature. This is not a surprising fact, given that a lot of female inmates belong to racial and ethnic or other minorities such as those belonging to the lower socio-economic classes or being uneducated. The negative effect of incarcerated mothers gave rise to innovative ideas and approaches when it comes to dealing with children whose mothers are in prison. Special attention was paid to their daughters, and that is how the Girl Scouts of the USA came out with their â€Å"Girl Scouts Beyond Bars† program which made a positive influence on people who would otherwise had lost hope. Keywords: daughters, drugs, economic, girl scouts, incarcerated, women in prison Introduction The issue of women in prison is a very sensitive topic for most people. Only lately has it caught the attention of policy makers, politicians and other interested parties because of the so-called women's movement, or feminism. The previous research on this subject was limited to the gender gap among highly visible political issues such as voting preferences between males and females, social equality discussions at the workplace, abortion rights and gender differences in attitudes towards crime and punishment. Some studies showed that most women, who feel that they are more vulnerable to crime due to their enhanced feelings of insecurity, usually favor a harsher and more severe punishment for convicted offenders to serve as deterrence. Female attitudes with regard to appropriate punishments include a longer prison sentence and capital punishment. The prevailing psychology in this regard is that punishment is used as deterrence for potential crime offenders and that the said punishment will somehow reduce crime in society. Women feel particularly vulnerable when it comes to certain crimes in which by their very nature, women are the predominant victims, such as domestic violence and rape. A general perception is that the two sexes have a different attitude towards crime and punishment, with women oriented to more â€Å"ethic in care† while men prefer the â€Å"ethic in equity of justice† by which criminals must be punished immediately with enough severity, sometimes by applying death penalty. Only lately has the issue of women in prison been brought out into the open and included in the public discourse. The feminists have done quite a job in highlighting the problems of women in prison, including the racial and economic differences found to be inherent in the criminal justice system, and in particular, how female prisoners fare. This topic is the subject of this paper. Discussion The previous focus of the women's movement had been on the perceived vulnerability of women to cert ain crimes targeting them specifically. This feeling of fear and insecurity is of a great consequence in terms of their feeling and perception as potential victims. However, a new feminist focus today is one on the problem of women ending up in prisons and all the other issues related to female incarceration. The prior years had been focused on women as victims, but this new tack in public discourse has now shifted to women as

Progressivism, Bonus Army and the Civil Rights Movement Essay

Progressivism, Bonus Army and the Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example With its reform agenda, the progressivism movement was aimed at achieving efficiency in all areas of society as a response to changes made by modernization. It was determined to be aimed at addressing ideas, impulses, and major issues stemming from modernized changes in the American society. Its ideologies centered on democracy, proper municipal administration, elimination of governmental corruption, proper education for everyone, and many others. Under the theme of democracy, there was also instigation of the women suffrage movement and elimination of corruption by black voters (Roark et al. 234-235). In the municipal administration, there was creation of proper laws and legislation to govern cities as well as the creation of a bureaucratic administration system leading to the creation of a democratic municipal administration. To the progressives, corruption was a source of inefficiency and waste leading to formation of laws to curb it. The progressives also worked hard to improve a nd expand public and private education in America at all levels (Roark et al. 465). For a very long time now, America has been operating efficiently in several sectors of the economy as well as government as a result of this movement. The bonus army was a protest that was launched by the World War I veterans 1932 demanding payment of their bonuses after the congress had voted to give them these bonuses for their services in the war in 1924. However, even though they asked for these bonuses to be released to them in 1932, they were meant to be released in 1945 (McPherson 134). They marched into Washington D.C. to demand for immediate release of their bonuses. When the senate went to vote for the bill requiring the veterans to be paid their bonuses, it turned out that the outcome was not successful as the senate defeated the bill by 62 to 18 votes. This showed that the veterans were not going to be paid their bonuses. The veterans were dispatched by the state police where two of their members were shot dead and later the intervention of the army which led to most of them being seriously injured (O’Brien 78). In a nutshell, this protest did not yield any fruits for the propagators. On the other hand, looking into the American Civil Rights Movement, almost a similar situation comes out but with slight success realized. It was a movement that relied on biblical connotations to fight racial segregation. This was under the leadership of Martin Luther King Junior who was a black clergyman. This was a movement that was instigated after the slavery period had ended and sought to end the massive discriminatory practices that had been instigated against the black people for a very long time. Most of the propagators were jailed and some killed in the quest for a society that is deeply rooted in equality. As a result of these struggles, laws were enacted propagating equality for all Americans. However, this was only in theory but practically, many black Americans hav e suffered discrimination for a continued period of time (Roark et al. 562). In conclusion, the progressive movemen

Leslie Annexstein & Eileen Ordover Essay Example for Free

Leslie Annexstein Eileen Ordover Essay The issue of equity is one that remains and will continue to be relevant to organization managers. This has been particular challenging in industries that have been associated with particular genders, cultures or demographics which has increased the factors affecting individual performance and participation in organizations (Reeve, 2005). As shown in the article for the study, the issue has shown a great sensitivity to developing issues while at the same remains as an effective benchmark of changes in social perspectives. The sentiment expressed highlights not only the role of management in equal employment opportunities. Leslie Annexstein, Eileen Ordover, Levon Esters, Blannie Bowen and Edward Reeve are given credit in particularly for their efforts in the empowerment of women, the disabled as well as bridging social disparities. However, there is also acknowledgement that even with such advancement in research, legislation and social policies, equalitarian ideals are still far from being realized. It is troubling to think that despite legislation and popular acknowledgement of the need and value of diversity and equal opportunity that such disparities would persist. Therefore, the challenge is one that has to be taken up not only in the interest of social responsibility but as a means of ensuring one’s own welfare in the future (pp. 5-6). How can there be real sensitivity for diversity, in particular for language, cultural and social differences? Are current standards and measures able to accommodate for developing needs? What is the long term consequence of the inability to address issues? How the issues impact individual members of society? Reference Reeve, Johnmarshall (2005). Understanding Motivation and Emotion. New York: John Wiley SonsMook, D. G.

The Public Transport In London Sociology Essay

The Public Transport In London Sociology Essay London is the capital of England and is one of the largest cities of the world as well of the United Kingdom. The city has a huge population of 8,174,100, making it the  most populous municipality in the European Union. All these people have to move in order to lead their life and a huge number of the population take the private transport for travelling. Although there are many people who travel on their private vehicles, an appreciable number of people take the public transport. London being one of the most modern cities of the world also offers many options to its citizens for travelling. There are  underground train services,  London Buses,  Tram link, the  Docklands Light Railway,  over ground, air transports and other options. A report suggests that annually in London, there are a staggering 2 billion of bus journeys, 1 billion of underground journeys and 800 million journeys on National Rail networks. Body All the people of London travel in the public transports throughout the day. People travel, go to their work, students go to schools by these public transports. A survey was made on the public transport in London by taking opinions from the people of London. The survey was done with people of different ages. The people were asked different questions and their answers were studied. The question asked comprised of two types. One category had one word answers and the other had elaborate options. However, all the questions were multiple choice questions. We gathered a clear idea about the public transport in London from the survey. The first ten questions were one word answers. The survey takers just ticked on any one of the option between yes and no. We found different opinions from different people. Peoples responses also differed with their ages and economic capacities. The first ten questions are given in the table below, along with their answers. The answers are given in percentage after making a calculation from the responses and opinions of the people. Serial Question Answer in Percentage 01 Do you travel in Public transport? 60% 02 Do you have a private transport? 50% 03 Are you a regular traveller? 50% 04 Do you have any income? 70% 05 Do you go to work by public transport? 90% 06 Is Public Transports of London comfortable? 60% 07 Is it cheaper than private transports? 100% 08 Do you find the Public Transports crowd? 80% 09 Do other members of your family travel in public transports? 60% 10 Are you happy with the Public Transports of London? 70% Table No. 01 The outcome of the survey helps to draw a picture of the Public transport of London. The study shows that more than half of the people of London avail public transport. Here we see the figure stands 60%. In addition to that it is seen that a good number of people do not have a private vehicle. Now, the next question asked to the survey takers was if they were regular travellers. 50% of them agreed that they were regular passengers. It meant that they were regular customers and that they depended of public transport. People travel and make journeys for various purposes. The study shows that most of the people went to work in public transport. So, public transport is a very essential medium for going to the work place. It is at the same time a very prominent option for the employees. However, one thing cannot be denied at all. During rush hours and even at some other time of the day, there are huge crowd in these transports. This problem does not happen at all time but mostly during rush hours. The problem is not because there is less number of vehicles but that there are more people at the same time. The scenery is common while people start for office and then again when they return. For this reason 80% of the people said that public transports were filled with crowd. The survey went to details about the topic and about the feeling of the people. The questions were done for the other family members of the people. The individuals were asked if other members of their families used public transports as a mean of travelling. A good number of 60% of the people informed that other members of their family also travelled on these transports. This means that the families that use public transport use the maximum use of it. The last question that was asked to the survey takers was their feeling about the transport systems. It was asked if they were happy with the public transport of London. A total of 70 percent of the people said they were happy with the situation. This conveys a very positive feeling about the Public Transport of London. It also depicts that the communication system of the city is very good, developed and advanced. At the same time it is also very public friendly. The second phase of the survey was the open questions. After getting a picture of the public transport of London the purpose was to go deeper. A total of 5 open questions were asked to get a more elaborate picture. The questions were asked to know about the different types of public transports that the people used. The first of the open question was about the age of the people. The people were asked to disclose their age so that it could be calculated that which age of people took he public transport more. The chart below shows the age wise transporters. Chart No. 01 The chart clearly shows that the most of the people taking public transports are from the age of 15-30. The next group of people who take this transport are the people of aging between 30 and 45 years. Almost no people aging below 15 take the public transport and there are a few people aging 45 to 60 years old take the transports. People aging above 60 do use public transport but they are very few. It means the children are not independent, they depend on their parents. So, they normally do not travel on public transports. The do not usually travel much. If they even do, they are accompanied by their parents. The old people do less travelling, so their percent is also low. The people, who are young aging between 15 to 45 years, are the ones who take the public transport most. It is because they go to work, attain classes, and do all other travelling by the public transports. The next question that was asked to the people was their occupation. It was really needed to know which class or group of people used the public transport most. The chart below reflects the travelling of different people. Chart No. 02 The chart clearly shows which category of the people takes the public transport most. It shows that the working people use the maximum utilization. Next are the students and then are the people looking for work. People go to their work places with the public transports. The students also take this for going to their educational institutions. People who are looking for work are also taking the help of the public transport. The later questions elaborate why these people use this means. The third question that was asked to the people was that which public transports they found more comfortable. London is a city of many dwellers and there are also many options of public transports. The city firstly like all others have public buses. The city has a long and connected underground rail line. It is one of the oldest in the world but much advanced. The railway changed and advanced to the highest extends with the introduction of all the modern technologies. Normal trains are also available added with trumps. The chart below shows the percentage of the different public transports taken by the people. Chart No. 03 The chart clearly shows that most of the people of London take the underground. That means the underground rail transport holds the maximum passengers. It alone carries about 50 percent of the public. The next are the buses and then the trump. The airways is least taken by the people. Air is not so popular because it is expensive. The next question was asked which public transport was lower in cost. The options were the same. The chart below shows the result. Chart No. 04 The data shows that the underground train is the cheapest. That is one of the reasons why people take this transport. The percentage is 70 percent. The figure next to it is the bus which is about 25 percent. The last question that was asked to the people was that which transport saved more time. The chart shows the situation below. Chart No. 05 The answer to the question that which transport saves time is different from all the others. Although very few of the people took the air lines, most of them agreed that airn transport saved the time most. The percent was 70%. The reason again why it was not 100% is because of the distance. Shorter distance could easily be travelled by train and then by buses. Conclusion All the data and the discussions above show a clear picture of the transport system of London. It shows that most of the people of London do take the Public Transport. The study finds that the underground railway dominates among the public transports. London has a very well organized public transport and it is also very advanced in technology. The people living in London are also comfortable with their Public Transport.

The Causes and Consequences of the Russian Crisis of 1998 Essay

The causes and consequences of the Russian crisis of 1998 The period 1995 to mid-1997 was boom time for Russia’s financial markets. The value of the Russian bonds and stocks soared, with the participation of foreigners in these asset markets increasing rapidly. International investors’ optimism about the country’s future was lifted by stabilization policy that followed the advice of Western institutions. Russian crisis of 1998 were caused due to a number of factors, the investor risk aversion by foreign players, fall in oil prices put the ruble under a drastic downward trend. Russia at that point in time was heavily dependent on capital inflows which was eroded due to the external shocks e.g Asian financial crisis etc country stabilization program crumbled immediately due such triggers. The government at that time protected the exchange rate mechanism and the ruble, they took measures by reducing the supply of money which lead to drastic change in the interest rates.Turbulent change in the government where administration tried to stabilize the economy through drastic fiscal tightening and fresh foreign borrowings. These were drastically desperate measures they had taken which lead to volatility and instability in financial markets. The initial surge in bond and stock prices in 1995–97 owed to a highly ambitious monetary stabilization program, which compressed inflation much faster than other transition economies. Due to high dollarization, disinflation was based on the exchange rate. The program produced rapid real appreciation and a persistent need for capital inflows, while weak economic structures and lack of domestic political support prevented accompanying fiscal consolidation and foreign direct investment. The ga... ...tzer, and Brian Pinto. 2005. â€Å"Sargent–Wallace Meets Krugman–Flood–Garber, Or: Why Sovereign Debt Swaps Don't Avert Macroeconomic Crises.† Economic Journal 115:343–67 †¢ Gaddy, Clifford G., and Barry W. Ickes. 1998. â€Å"Russia's Virtual Economy.† Foreign Affairs 77(5):53–67 †¢ Government of the Russian Federation (2001a), Federal Government 2001 Borrowing Plan, Available http://www.akm.ru †¢ Astapovich, A., E. Gavrilenkov, L. Grigoryev, T. Maleva, A. Poletaev and S. Vasiliev (2000), ‘Overview of Economic Policy in Russia in 1999’, Bureau of Economic Analysis †¢ IMF (International Monetary Fund). 2000b. Debt- and Reserve-Related Indicators of External Vulnerability. March 23, 2000. Available at http://www.imf.org/external/np/pdr/debtres/debtres.pdf †¢ Government of The Russian Federation. 1998b. â€Å"Stabilization of the Economy and Finance Program.† June 19, 1998 The Causes and Consequences of the Russian Crisis of 1998 Essay The causes and consequences of the Russian crisis of 1998 The period 1995 to mid-1997 was boom time for Russia’s financial markets. The value of the Russian bonds and stocks soared, with the participation of foreigners in these asset markets increasing rapidly. International investors’ optimism about the country’s future was lifted by stabilization policy that followed the advice of Western institutions. Russian crisis of 1998 were caused due to a number of factors, the investor risk aversion by foreign players, fall in oil prices put the ruble under a drastic downward trend. Russia at that point in time was heavily dependent on capital inflows which was eroded due to the external shocks e.g Asian financial crisis etc country stabilization program crumbled immediately due such triggers. The government at that time protected the exchange rate mechanism and the ruble, they took measures by reducing the supply of money which lead to drastic change in the interest rates.Turbulent change in the government where administration tried to stabilize the economy through drastic fiscal tightening and fresh foreign borrowings. These were drastically desperate measures they had taken which lead to volatility and instability in financial markets. The initial surge in bond and stock prices in 1995–97 owed to a highly ambitious monetary stabilization program, which compressed inflation much faster than other transition economies. Due to high dollarization, disinflation was based on the exchange rate. The program produced rapid real appreciation and a persistent need for capital inflows, while weak economic structures and lack of domestic political support prevented accompanying fiscal consolidation and foreign direct investment. The ga... ...tzer, and Brian Pinto. 2005. â€Å"Sargent–Wallace Meets Krugman–Flood–Garber, Or: Why Sovereign Debt Swaps Don't Avert Macroeconomic Crises.† Economic Journal 115:343–67 †¢ Gaddy, Clifford G., and Barry W. Ickes. 1998. â€Å"Russia's Virtual Economy.† Foreign Affairs 77(5):53–67 †¢ Government of the Russian Federation (2001a), Federal Government 2001 Borrowing Plan, Available http://www.akm.ru †¢ Astapovich, A., E. Gavrilenkov, L. Grigoryev, T. Maleva, A. Poletaev and S. Vasiliev (2000), ‘Overview of Economic Policy in Russia in 1999’, Bureau of Economic Analysis †¢ IMF (International Monetary Fund). 2000b. Debt- and Reserve-Related Indicators of External Vulnerability. March 23, 2000. Available at http://www.imf.org/external/np/pdr/debtres/debtres.pdf †¢ Government of The Russian Federation. 1998b. â€Å"Stabilization of the Economy and Finance Program.† June 19, 1998

The Need for Policy Maker to Regulate Human Genetic Engineering Essay

My research essay will concentrate on the topic of human genetic engineering (HGE) and will argue that if doctors further develop HGE, it could improve the ability of humans to fight disease. However, my argument will temper this claim by suggesting that policy makers should regulate HGE so that doctors cannot use it for cosmetic purposes or eugenics. The first part of my paper will provide an overview of what HGE is and the processes involved with such technology of HGE. I will then analyze the potential risks associated with HGE, which include: safety risks; potential threats to genetic diversity and a decrease to the human life span. I will argue that these risks are directly linked to the use of HGE for individual benefit. Inversely this paper will also consider the benefits of HGE, which are connected to the use of HGE for the benefit of the collective. The potential benefits include: the manipulation of genes to treat or cure diseases, and potential increase to the human life s pan. The last part of my paper will assess the future of HGE and suggest that more research is needed to ensure that scientists can eliminate safety risks to test-subjects as well as to eliminate There is a recent increase in evidence that HGE can potentially be used to alter many biological and psychological traits by gene modification. The main focuses of HGE research are traits that target immunity, cognitive abilities and psychological mentality. HGE differs from archaic processes of selective breeding and artificial selection because it directly alters genes. HGE modifies the genomes of humans to produce a specific phenotype (a set of observable characteristics of an organism) or genotype (genetic constitution of an organism) that embodies des... ... HGE for the collective good. The use of HGE for the collective is the key to an increase in the persistence of the human population. Instead of the selection of desirable traits through the use of HGE it could be utilized to create an increase in the diversity of traits amongst humans. This is possible in the future if scientists can generate new phenotypes. These new phenotypes might code for traits that humans do not possess naturally, but could help fight against potential future environment changes or pathogen outbreaks. This could be especially important with the increase in effects of global warming in the future. The use of HGE for the collective has the opposite effect than the use of HGE for individual benefit, as it potentially could help scientists tailor genes that possess the facility to combat new threats to the human population that may arise.

Population Regulation for Environmental Conservation Essay

In the past few years, the world’s population has been steadily rising. At present, global population growth rate is at 1.167% while world population as of July 2007 is approximately 6.6 billion (Central Intelligence Agency, 2007). Demographers predict that in the first decades of the 21st century, world population will bloat up to another 2 million (Global Science Panel, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rapid growth of population is very alarming due to the massive threats it poses to the environment. In fact, many experts have observed that the increase of population is the major cause of environmental issues (Pebley, 1998, p. 378). This paper has identified three ways in population negatively affects the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For one, an increase in population would mean an increase in the demands for resources. May these resources be natural or manmade, the main provider of these resources — food, water, and raw materials — is the environment. The environment’s resources, however, is limited. It cannot support a continuously increasing population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scarcity results from this constant demand of resources that the environment cannot provide. At present, the world is experiencing the effects of this scarcity. In southwestern United States, for example, the demand for water exceeded the available water flow. Researches predict that in a decade, water shortage will continue to spread eastward and northward (Resources and the Environment, 1972, p. 81).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As much as this scarcity affects people, it also affects the other components of the environment such as plants and animals. Plants and animals also compete with humans for resources. Of course, in the competition for natural resources, humans obviously have the upper hand (due to technology) while plants and animals are often left to die because of the lack of available sustenance. In extreme cases, scarcity of resources causes the extinction of plant and animal species that cannot compete with others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second, an increase in population signifies a need for bigger space in which people may put up settlements. Two situations may arise as an answer to this need for space. Either forestland is converted into housing areas (deforestation) or the number of people living per square area of land increases. Usually, both situations are implemented. As such, two different consequences also arise. The former often results in the destruction of natural habitats, which in turn may also lead to the extinction of species. On the other hand, pollution and poor sanitation arise from the latter. The succeeding discussion further explains this point.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, a bigger population produces larger amounts of waste. Waste here is often the by-product of consumption. As population increases, consumption also increases. To meet consumer demands, production is also increased. The unusable remains of production are disposed of as waste. After the population consumes these products, waste is also the outcome. The danger to the environment comes with waste disposal. Not everyone practices proper waste disposal. In addition, with the increasing volumes of waste products, solid waste management also becomes a problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because of these problems caused by population growth, there is a need to regulate the growth of population all over the world. As such, interactions among members of the global community are important because the problem that needs to be addressed encompasses a global scale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regard to this, it is interesting to note that large increases in population sizes are characteristic of developing countries more than developed countries. The 2006 World Data Sheet (2006) shows that more developed countries only exhibited a 0.1 rate of natural increase while less developed countries exhibited a 1.5 – 1.8 rate of natural increase (p. 5). The main causes for this may be the lack of proper education and awareness regarding birth control methods and family planning among developing countries and the lack of policies that encourages the population regulation. Therefore, it becomes important that in the international level, leaders of different countries commune to create international policies that push for the regulation of world population especially in developing countries. In the local level, local governments should also campaign for population control in their areas.   All these efforts emphasize the need for the interaction of different communities to regulate population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through all these, it is evident that human beings can greatly affect the environment; humans may either affect it positively (through efforts to conserve and preserve the environment) or negatively (as shown by the negative effects of population increase to the environment). At present though, most of the effects of human activities on the environment tend to lean towards the negative end of the spectrum. The environment is suffering a lot because of this — massive air, land, and water pollution, destruction of natural habitats, and extinction of plant and animal species.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the end, it is clear that something should be done about this destruction of the environment. Otherwise, all things on earth will suffer the grave consequences of this human abuse. References Central Intelligence Agency. (2007). The world factbook. Retrieved July 22, 2007 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/xx.html Global science panel on sustainable development, The. (2002). Population and Development Review, 28. Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www.jstor.org/view/00987921/sp030002/03x0023w/0 Pebley, A. R. (1998). Demography and the environment. Demography, 35. Retrieved July 21, 2007 from http://www.jstor.org/view/00703370/di009189/00p0020b/0 Population Reference Bureau. (2006). 2006 world population data sheet. Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2006/2006WorldPopulationDataSheet.aspx Resources and the environment. (1972). Studies in Family Planning, 3. Retrieved July 21, 2007 from http://www.jstor.org/view/00393665/di961137/96p0083e/0

Nuclear Power Technology Essay

The discovery of nuclear power had brought mankind to one of its greatest success throughout history. Nuclear technology is considered as a â€Å"gift† from the Italian-American physicist, Enrico Fermi, who was given the title as the â€Å"new Promethean†, similar to the ancient Greek mythological figure. Extending this analogy, it was the Prometheans who gave the entire human race a type of fire within the atomic nucleus. Angelo related that on December 2, 1942 at the University of Chicago, Fermi and his team of scientists operated the first nuclear reactor ever built (1). Pioneering this experiment has started the new era of technology, in where the human race can harvest energy wisely and in a controlled manner within the atomic nucleus. Effects In the discussion of the effects of using nuclear power technology, it is only fair and proper to present both sides of the argument. The benefits of embarking on such projects will first be discussed. A major premise for the use of nuclear power will be that it is cheaper than alternative sources for the production of electricity bulk. In the past sixty years, humanity has seen the successful transformation of the atom from a military weapon to a vast source of electricity that benefits the public’s lives, powering everyday activities from using washing machines to surfing the Internet. Expansions in the use of advanced nuclear reactors for power generation had increased global convenience without emitting noxious chemicals such as carbon monoxide, the gas which endangers the Earth’s atmosphere. Thus, nuclear technology does not contribute to the increasing catastrophe of the greenhouse effect. On the other hand, no technology can completely escape the circumstances under which it was first developed, and nuclear power reactors cannot avoid some of the negative reaction aimed at the technology. Building a nuclear power plant always lead to the enormous amount of materials, land and energy needed to utilize the construction, so feeding a plant requires the mining of a large amount of uranium ore. Decommission of an aging power plant additionally requires large quantity of energy and materials. Also, during a power plant’s operation, the use of water needs to be in a large quantity for the cooling process of the plant itself, thus releasing great amount of heat waste. Short-Term Consequences It is undeniable that people benefit from the electricity generated by nuclear power plants to facilitate their everyday life. More and more, people are dependent on electricity that these plants have proven to bring. The widespread use of radioactive isotopes and X-rays is still benefiting the practice of medicine. Also, the use of such energy is already contributing to the decrease of the emission of noxious gases to the atmosphere, thus somehow preventing the pending disaster of the greenhouse effect. Believers in nuclear technology, to the degree that they recognize these hazards, dispute that nuclear technology carries advantages that more than give back for its intrinsic dangers. From a scientific perspective, when used wisely and carefully, the various forms of nuclear technology have and will provide great benefits. Long-Term Consequences Investment in the construction of well-contained nuclear power plants is very expensive on a first glance, but the long term advantage of humongous savings on electricity generation can potentially alleviate the current economic crisis that the world over is experiencing right now. Supporters of nuclear power contend that nuclear electricity offers the only realistic prospect of sustained economic growth once fossil fuels begin to run out or cause unacceptable environmental problems. On the flip side, using a large amount of resources for keeping a nuclear power plant alive can lead to environmental degradation in the long run. Likewise, the release of a great amount of heat waste disrupts nature as well as animals by this extreme thermal pollution. The continuous expansion of mankind through the use of nuclear technology to sustain global achievements might also increasingly leave a mark of disruptive wastes. Future Developments Human civilization is at an important crossroads with respect to nuclear technology. If people fail to use nuclear technology wisely, the magnificent accomplishments of the human race could easily crumble into radioactive dust. Current and future generations of humans can productively harness the energy locked deep within the atomic nucleus to achieve sustainable global civilization. A societal decision to harvest only the beneficial aspects of nuclear technology is also a manifestation of the ultimate good that can arise from the creative spirit of the human mind. In this context, nuclear technology might come to be viewed in the future as that uniquely powerful technology that serves as protector of Earth. Conclusion The discussion of nuclear power has been lengthy because of the potential importance of nuclear energy in controlling the atmospheric greenhouse. Nuclear power is out of Pandora’s Box: it offers enormous benefits; there are enormous risks. More than any kind of energy and type of technology we are using, nuclear technology is indeed the most influential force in this changing world. Integration of all technological aspects would be much difficult than any other kind of technology, thus there is a continuous seeking for its options and analyzing the consequences and benefits as well. Nuclear technology has brought confusing questions in which historians and experts made a remarkable debate. Would this modern technology lead the human race to a more sustainable economic growth; or does this clean and quite, yet extremely destructive power will consume the planet? There are a lot of questions that can not be answered accurately, but for the betterment of the entire human race as well as for our future generations, living with this extraordinary technology, if used in a contained and humane manner, would be the right decision to make. WORK CITED Angelo, Joseph. Nuclear Technology. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2004.

History of Vietnamese Essay

According to research findings, the history of Vietnam can be traced back to four thousand years. It is evident that this nation was under the rule of China between the periods 111BC to the beginning of the tenth century. This nation is known to have gained sovereignty early years of the 10th century. During the Yuan Dynasty, this nation repelled three invasions by Mongols. A look at the history of Vietnam shows that the independent period was cut short by France. This is when France decided to colonize Vietnam. When there was the World War II, the French were expelled by Imperial Japan. It is worth noting that this nation however, decided to retain the French administrators. When the war ended French tried to re-colonize Vietnam but failed because of the tight measures that were present at that time. (Nguy? n, 1999) Chinese dominated Vietnam during the period between 111BC and 938 AD. In 111BC, the Chinese invaded a region in Vietnam called Nanyue and literary established territories therein. During this period, the Chinese had some posts in the Vietnamese government. These posts included top officials and governors posts. The Vietnamese also managed some hightlands. These Vietnamese that had these management posts at that time were nobles. With time the Chinese dynasties decided to eliminate the Vietnamese nobles and their powers. Many elites in Vietnamese were coerced to assimilate the politics and the culture of the Chinese. The French colonized Vietnam till the 19th century. In the year 1784, there was a French priest who sailed to Vietnam to seek for some assistance. This assistance was in line with military backing. There was the brokering of the Little Treaty of Versailles that saw the promise of the aid that the priest requested for. Later on there was the breaking of the French revolution and therefore the Pigneaux plan did not succeed. In the year 1799, there was the capturing of Saigon. There was Dynasty of Nguyen in the year 1802. This dynasty tolerated Catholicism. It is worth noting that he employed some of the Europeans as advisors in the courts. The successors of this man (Nguyen), did not embrace westernization as expected during this time. They were very conservative instead. In the year 1858, the French gunships attacked the Da Nang port. During this time much damage was done on the property in this dam. In the year 1867, the French troops expanded their overall control. This was up to six provinces. Then there was the formation of the French Colony. Later on many French troops invaded Vietnam. Between the year 1884 to the year 1885, France assumed total control of Vietnam. This was after the Chinese- Franco War. There was the formation of French Indochina. (Fitzgerald, 1972) French colonialism was bitterly opposed by many Vietnamese. This was because the French literary took over the leadership powers in this nation. First of all there was the formation of policies that greatly affected the Vietnamese people negatively. There was so much oppression on the Vietnamese people. The policies included that the Vietnamese citizens could not hold most of the top positions or jobs in the government. Very few Vietnamese citizens that were employed were lowly paid and this issue made the Vietnamese to bitterly oppose the French colonialism. (Fitzgerald, 1972) Another reason is that there was direct discrimination of the Vietnamese citizens in many areas. This was in terms of education health and also housing sector. There was very minimal education for the Vietnamese people. There were schools that the Vietnamese were not allowed to attend but were just reserved for the French children or citizens. This actually denied the Vietnamese access to good education. In the health sector, the Vietnamese were not allowed to attend the good hospitals in Vietnam. It is only the French that easily accessed these essential facilities. In fact research reveals that health provision for the Vietnamese was non existent. This discrimination was extended even up to the residential sector. There were estates that were just reserved for the French people. The Vietnamese could not access this essential facility. This actually greatly annoyed the Vietnamese citizens. (Nguyen, 1885) Another thing that greatly annoyed the Vietnamese till they decided to oppose the French colonialism was the execution of Vietnam citizens. There was the massacre of leaders of various nationalist groups in Vietnam. These were especially those that tried to oppose the French colonialism. During the period when French colonized Vietnam, there was so much exploitation and oppression of the Vietnamese citizens. In fact all the rights of the Vietnamese were totally removed when French took over the control of this nation. The French government in Vietnam made no attempts to better the lives of Vietnamese. There was so much degradation of the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese women were forced to be prostitutes so that they could provide the French male administrators with entertainment. Colonialists just lived a gracious and carefree lifestyle as the Vietnamese suffered. This factor made Vietnamese to bitterly oppose French colonialism. In relation to this there were so many movements that were formed against French colonialism. The only group of people that did not oppose the French colonialism was the nobles in Vietnam. This is because they were given some of the prestigious posts in the administration sector. The Vietnamese nobles were actually respected by the French colonialists. They were given some rights like in the education and the health sector. This made them not to feel the oppression that was carried out on the rest of the Vietnamese citizens. They actually shared so much with the French colonialists. The other reason as to why they never opposed the French colonialists was because they feared to lose their prestigious jobs. They were so used to the good lifestyle and therefore never wanted to lead the life that the rest of the Vietnamese led. This is because all the other citizens in Vietnam were greatly oppressed by the colonialist government. There was also the fear of execution in case the colonialists found out about there opposition. For these reasons the nobles in Vietnam never opposed the French colonialists. (Nguyen, 1885) There were also the communist Viet Minh that collaborated with the French. One of the communist called Ho signed an agreement to allow the French to continue to rule in Vietnam. The communists said that they just love French and that the French people were heroes. Research shows that there were so many arguments for and against Vietnamese independence in 1945. One of the arguments by scholars against the independence of Vietnam is very clear. The scholars argued that Vietnam was not ready for independence due to various reasons. One of the reasons was that because of the colonization, the Vietnamese citizens were not so much learned. They had been marginalized by the French colonialists. This meant that they did not have the necessary leadership skills to rule the Vietnam government. This is considering that the colonialists took quite a long time in this nation. That for over eighty years these Vietnamese citizens had gotten used to being led and every policy done for the. So the argument was that these citizens were not very educated to take up this noble responsibility. The few noble citizens that were given a chance to work in the government did not have enough experience. This made people to argue that Vietnamese could not have independence at that time. It wad argued that the lack of skilled personnel that could lead this nation could lead to the down fall of the overall economy of these nation. (Fitzgerald, 1972) . Still other arguments that were against were that the noble officials in this nation were the only ones that stood a high chance of leading this nation. Considering that they had been working hand in hand with the colonialists, there were high chances that the new government would carry forward previous policies and leadership skills that would be no different from the French colonialists. There was the strong fear of dictatorship in this nation. This is just what happened when Vietnam gained independence in the year 1945. (Nguy? n, 1999) The arguments for Vietnamese independence were that these people had suffered a great deal in the hands of French colonialists and therefore it was a high time that they led a good life. This was a high chance of a life devoid of oppression and where every person was equal with equal rights to the services and amenities in the nation. Conclusion Vietnam was colonized by both the China and French colonies. Chinese dominated Vietnam during the period between 111BC and 938 AD. Between the year 1884 to the year 1885, France assumed total control of Vietnam. This was after the Chinese- Franco War. Many Vietnamese bitterly opposed French colonialism because of the oppression that they witnessed. They were denied access to essential amenities and services. These included education and health. In the year 1945, the nobles and communists never opposed French because of fear and also because they were enjoying some favors from the French colonial government. This included access to some jobs in the government among other. Various arguments for and against Vietnamese independence existed in the year 1945.

Nations and Nationalities in Europe

Rule by the people and for the people. This is a common phrase used by many today to describe the  variety of democratic political institutions found all over the globe today. While nearly all  democracies outside of Europe model the beginnings of their form of government to the United  States and more specifically   to the U.S. Constitution, for democracies within Europe, the beginnings  are traced even farther back in time   to embrace two different traditions. One of these traditions  being the English Constitution primarily involving the Magna Carta, and the other tradition  revolving around the French Revolution. In comparing these two as to which has ultimately proved stronger as the base for popular rule and  why, one can discern that the French revolutionary tradition has accomplished this for two reasons.  The first reason being due to the fact of it being more recent in historical context. Such an important  event having occurred less than 300 years ago has more relevance in the minds of many political  thinkers in our modern era than a similar event which occurred nearly 800 years ago. Mankind tends  to believe that his ideas improve over time and thus the later the idea, the better the idea it is. The second reason for the French tradition being the base for most forms of popular rule today is due  to it truly identifying and involving the three classes of the populace the aristocracy, middle-class,  and poor, back then as it does today, in the political and economic process of society. While both  traditions sought to limit the power of the monarch from being absolute over its subjects, it was the  French revolution which gave a strong voice to those neither rich nor poor. The English tradition on  the other hand, primarily involved the nobility and the monarch, much like a dispute being settled  today between the millionaires on one side and the billionaires on the other. Today, like in the late  18th century during the time of the French revolution, in most advanced and developing democratic  societies, the vast majority of the citizenry fall in the middle. Thus, it is their political interests and   perspectives which influence political discussion and change, just as it did  nearly 300 years ago.

The title of the painting: Adoration of the Shepherds

The work is about the joyous celebration of the shepherds upon seeing Jesus, the hailed messiah. It was finished in 1672 by the Italian painter Baciccio. Italians are famous for their passion for painting, and for living their art.This painting of his is approximately 10 11/16 x 8 3/8 inches in size. It is drawn using pen and brown ink, black chalk, washed with brown, and with white bodycolor. (www.getty.edu)Baciccio, whose real name is Giovanni Battista Gaulli and is also called Il Baciccio and Baciccia, was born in Genoa, Italy on the 8th of May 1639. After his parents died of a plague, he became an apprentice of Luciano Borzone and Gianlorenzo Bernini, two renowned painters of his time.Baciccio also saw Correggio’s works, which influenced his illusionism and the gentleness of his pictures. He afterwards became very known for his vault wall painting in the Gesu church of Rome. (wikipedia.com)The Adoration of the Shepherds can be considered a relief sculpture because it bears and combines essential symbols, and it depends on its surface. Here, Baciccio made very much use of the power of lighting and shadowing effects. In the drawing, the only source of light is exuding from the baby, illuminating the faces of the crowd around him and casting dark shadows of the shepherds.This technique of creating pictures wherein light pierces darkness is dubbed as the Art of Nocturnal Light. In this art, the source of the light is something divine, artificial, natural, or has held figurative relations beyond its common role. The nocturnal light – which can be candlelight to add intimacy, fire to symbolize power, or moonlight for landscapes – is intended to enhance the drama of the spiritual sight. (www.getty.edu)Baciccio also used free lines to give the picture a vibrant look, and to exalt the religious subject matter. It attracts viewers to witness the story of the appearance of angels to the shepherds to proclamation the good news of Christ’s bi rth to them, and the shepherds’ journey to Bethlehem to see the infant lying in a manger. (Luke 2:8-20, NKJV) In the scene, the shepherds look at Jesus at his birthplace in Bethlehem.The birthplace is often in the form of a barn or manger. The angels are praising and saying, â€Å"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, goodwill to men!† This speech became the first lines of the Gloria, the doxology that is traditionally sang in Christian masses.I would not prefer to include this work in my personal collection. The arrangement of the elements is somewhat in a mess. Looking at it, I did not know where to look at first. Some may have also experienced the same difficulty. Hence, peace and comfort is not extended to the viewer, and the viewer is not drawn into the picture.Moreover, the scene is supposed to be joyous, but the picture depicts not one indicator of delight. Its lack of appeal and colorfulness does not invite spectators. One might see it, look at it shortly, and then continue on walking. Because of its monochrome, it might not even be noticed. If I were to put a work in my personal collection, I prefer something catchy, or colorful enough so as to be catchy.

A research paper on the summary and analysis of a website made about Essay

A research paper on the summary and analysis of a website made about alumni athletes and where they are now. You will also have - Essay Example Since a Podcast comprises of a series of digital media files, which could be in the form of audio as well as video, released in a sequential format (episode-wise) and thus downloaded via the web syndication mechanisms. It is often represented as webcast in certain instances. On the whole, the website was done in a separate fashion, where we decided to set up the wordpress page through a dedicated account. As it was very hard for the group members to get in communication with one another and that too in the physical sense of the word, the only mode of communication that was possible remained in the form of Skype or through exchange of e-mails. The URL for this website is http://bryantalumniathletes.wordpress.com/ Brendan, a member of the team designed the wordpress website while I was instrumental at writing the ‘About us’ and the Bryant Alumni Achievements sections for the Bryant Alumni Athletes website. I also undertook measures to upload the interview of Yohan Sachdev, which will be done soon. As regards to working with Podcast is related, I believe that it is much easier as compared to direct download, or even streamed webcasting. The audio and video files remain available on the distributor’s server in the form of a web feed where the listener or user makes use of the client application software (the podcatcher) which gets the access to this web feed. Therefore this medium can work hand in hand with how audio and video files are put up on the server and later retrieved through this server itself. The thing that lacks within Podcasting is that it lacks the proper incorporation of the new and emerging technologies which are being introduced every now and then. We had to face a good amount of communication challenges during our research and putting together of the website was concerned. We were hard done by at asking the university alumni athletes to come together at a single platform as they lived and worked far off. We also tried our leve ls best to call them through Skype but the problem was that we could not record calls made on Skype. The potential of Podcasting is immense because it delivers the Internet content in a real time media transmission format. However, this has been upgraded with the passage of time in a netcast fashion. This is so done because the word Podcast must not get diluted with the advent of the iPod in this day and age. Without a doubt, the potential that Podcasts offer is immense and it should be cashed upon websites like ours. The need for Podcasts is rampant because it helps similar websites likes ours to maintain audio and video streams so that these could be retrieved at a later date. The need is also there because phonecasting has come of age and so has the dictum of community Podcasts. This has brought a lot of success for the people who are behind coining the same technological manifestations. Podcasts are coming of age now and hence their need is being ascertained more and more with t he passage of time. This has made the people realize of the immense significance that Podcasts do have over the other media forms which are being propagated across the Internet and on varied forms of the media. The value addition of Podcasts is that they can get attached to any website and not just our own wordpress website. Also the links are there for sharing across a number of platforms in an easy way. I am of the opinion that Podcasts bring in value and real time media t

Current macroeconomic situation in the U.S Essay - 1

Current macroeconomic situation in the U.S - Essay Example dy track, it won’t be until a couple of years later that the economy will be moving towards growth such that it would create jobs and resolve the ever increasing unemployment (Perlo, 2012). The recovery is expected but after two years, and this recovery will continue for a long period of time and even reinforce it eventually (Perlo, 2012). A critical view point to this whole situation is that the profits have been restored at the expense of social benefits and salaries, but it will eventually have an impact on investments resulting in an increase. When looking at the real estate, there has been no new housing construction. But when the up surging demand from family household is considered there is a good chance that there will be a boom in the real estate market in the near future. One should always be kept in mind when analyzing the current situation of the US that this is the recovery session after the financial crisis, so circumstances are definitely abnormal. As mentioned earlier, job creation is of paramount importance. According to an estimate, over 300,000 new jobs need to be created every month if a significant change is to be observed in the near future. The FOMC or the Federal Open Market Committee met in August 2012. The statement given in the form of press release suggests that â€Å"economic activity has continued to expand at a moderate pace in recent months† (federalresesrve.gov), quite an objective statement but it definitely tells why the word ‘moderately’ has been used here. The economic activity is not that helpful, the other factors have played a part in better results of the recent quarter. However, the economic activity is also not going wayward. Certain easy money policy tools have backfired for economy. For instance the total income factor (wage rates) has been declining because of the tools that have been used to handle the finances (Mauldin, 2012). After the financial crunch of 2008, the falling prices of homes have troubled the

Corporate finance 501 case assigment 5 Mergers and acquisitions Essay

Corporate finance 501 case assigment 5 Mergers and acquisitions Oracle-Sun Merger - Essay Example The paper will firstly deal with the impact of this merger on the shareholders of each of the companies. The paper will also provide a brief overview of how the financial condition of both the companies has improved post the merger. The paper will further deal with how the two companies together prove to be more profitable than each of them individually and how the companies prove to be more successful. The merger of the two companies has proven to be very helpful and beneficial to the shareholders of both the companies. Issues that have been prevalent in the organizations individually are now being treated and improved. These improvements simply mean more sales and higher revenue which in turn simply means that the shareholders earn more. The businesses provide the shareholders with a high return and together the two companies are able to beat the tough competition that they faced from companies like Microsoft. Hence with the increased availability of resources and a combination of excellent products, the company will be able to generate higher revenues thereby providing the shareholders with better results and returns. In a presentation by Sun, the company has listed out a few of the benefits for the companies individually as well as in a partnership. The report stated that for the Sun customers, ‘Oracle plans to protect, extend and enhance customers’ investments after closing’ (Sun). The company also expects that there will be higher investments and innovation in the research and development and also extended value for better and more rounded off products. Also the Sun customers will be able to use the global systems and services of Oracle. In the case of the oracle customers, ‘Reduces integration costs while improving performance, reliability and security of the system’ (Sun). The customers would also gain a complete and integrated line of standards based products as

IT GOVERNANCE WITH RISK MANAGEMENT IMPACT ON THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR Essay

IT GOVERNANCE WITH RISK MANAGEMENT IMPACT ON THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR BUSINESS STRATEGY - Essay Example It has the capability of influencing how the company objectives are set and achieved, how risks are being monitored and assessed and how the performances are being optimized. Applying the concept of governance to IT, Rego and Wilson (2012) define IT governance as the setting up of structures, processes and relational mechanisms around the way an organization aligns its IT strategy with its business strategy. IT is a critical element of governance and usually entails the study and use of systems such as computers and telecommunication equipments for storing, sending and retrieving information (Rego & Wilson, 2012). Erkens, Hung and Matos, (2012) place the responsibility of IT governance on the board of directors and the executive management. From this perspective, IT governance is seen to be a crucial part of the enterprise management and entails leadership and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the company IT sustains and extends to the organization strategy and objectives. From this definition, IT management remains a main actor within the IT governance process. However, although IT management and IT governance are closely related, the two concepts are different since IT management is in charge of providing effective IT services, with supplying and management of IT services and products. On the other hand, IT governance focuses on the performance and service deliv ery aimed at achieving the demands of customers and shareholders. IT governance is surrounded with risks, which means that risk management is inevitably a component of IT governance as well as corporate governance. It follows, therefore, that the teams responsible for the governance of a governmental entity must consider IT and understand how critical the risks are to the organization and manage them according to their priority level. This becomes more important when it is considered that the government sector often struggles to deal with inadequate or

Sports Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sports Management - Essay Example The growth of sports as an industry is well recognized today and a large number of business schools are offering specialized instructions in the subject. The vistas in sports management are also ever increasing ranging from management of facilities to sponsorships, media and event management. Sports management thus is a great career for today as well as tomorrow, which will prove to be an empowering and enabling experience for personal and professional growth. Sports management has evolved with the evolution of civilization. It is common knowledge that the first organized competitive sports were the Olympic Games in Greece in ancient times. English premier league football clubs as Manchester United founded in the late 19th Century have progressed as sporting institutions successfully by combining business acumen with sporting excellence over the years denoting the benefits of professional management in the field of sports. (http://www.manutd.com/supportersunited). Evolution of towns and cities is said to be the main factor influencing growth of organized sports industry the World over. (www.louisville.edu). Cities enabled rationalization and organization of sports as also developing specializations within. The career opportunities too came about with even relatively small cities as Louisville centrally located between larger cities as Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Nashville and St Louis abounding in opportunities for sports management. Over t he years, it is America which has led the way with recreational athletic pastimes contributing to development of sports as an industry. (www.louisville.edu). Professional governance of sports has also seen emergence of specialized business management courses in various American universities. Stanford, Wharton and Harvard and the alumni of these establishments join prestigious sports organizations as the National Football League (NFL). (Jeffrey : 2006) It is a common fallacy that mere expertise or interest in sports will enable charting a career in sports management. (Matt: 2006). Apart from the general areas of management, sports requires training in a number of diverse fields to include sports promotion, ticket sales management, public relations and media management, management of sports facilities, agency of professional athletes, directing sports institutes and also management of sports governing bodies. These skills have to supplement the traditional training identified with sports management that of managing events. (careers.cua.edu). Thus specialized coursed have been designed to provide a great career in the arena of sports management. (Alsop : 2005). While experience in sports will help, it is hard work and drive along with organization, management and people relationship which will provide the skills to excel in this field as per Jesse Krebs president and CEO of Minneapolis-based The Wrestling Mall, an online retailer of wrestling merchandise and equipment. Becky Heidesch, a veteran in the sports industry expressed similar views and highlighted the need for basic knowledge of business to include sales, marketing, sponsorship, licensing and so on for success in the long run. (Matt :2006). The spread of the sports industry is not only based in just a niche geographical area but is spread

The Lasting Social and Political impact of the 1950's Essay

The Lasting Social and Political impact of the 1950's - Essay Example The full effect of the national mobilization, in both countries, was a unique and monumental undertaking that served to provide the technical knowledge that led the staggering innovations of the subsequent generation. Proving that the benefits ran far beyond the military application, this study will confirm that argument that the 1950’s, in specific, marked a turning point in military ingenuity and upper tier scientific exploration. Directly accompanying this rise in technology was the fundamental fact that better education was needed to further any significant works. Birthed of the militaries need for expertise in new and still developing fields of research this study presents arguments that define the effect that need had on the education system of an entire nation. With new demands and ever increasing competition from the Soviet Union, the American education system underwent a substantial upgrade. Such an accomplishment, while made for sake of the brief military need, still serves to provide educated students for a still warring world. Alongside the Military buildup of the 1950’s, the Space Race helped to define a nations pride and determination. In direct competition with the U.S.S.R., American Space technology was thrust into the mainstream of society. Unknown and unremarkable scientists became national heroes and figures of consequence nearly overnight. By proving that the need for the American culture to feel triumphant helped to fuel the drive to space, this research will link the importance of the Space race to the cultural development in the decade of 1950 – 1960 and well beyond. By providing a point of national pride with which an entire population could not only rally around but hold up as role models and heroes, the Space Race provided an outlet for the pent up frustrations that were left simmering from the Second World War. Facing our once ally in a political and exploratory arena served to drive ingenuity and innovation to a never before level, that alone would have been a monumental achievement. Standing alongside the major accomplishments that took place in that decade, the research will show the profound influence that these footholds attained gave to following research. Much like the rest of the culture, competition combined with a sense of potential conflict, will serve to drive an already driven person to every greater height. On the other end of the cultural spectrum, the Space Race and the Arms race respectively are directly responsible for several still extant social movements across the globe. An entire philosophy was spawned by the detonation of the first nuclear bomb. The mere sight of the blue marble of Earth from space helped to cause the environmental movement; this was their first adopted symbol. The technology to see and the knowledge to learn that harm or potential harm would happen was direct result of military and space exploration innovation. This link will serve to show the fundame ntal and utterly connected nature that the movements of a society and their military are. The intertwining nature of a culture encompasses every facet and excludes none. During the 1950’s, there was such momentous tidal wave of change that the facts will make it nearly impossible to argue

Critically Evaluate the Positivist Claims For Validity of Legal Rules Essay

Critically Evaluate the Positivist Claims For Validity of Legal Rules - Essay Example This essay stresses that the fact is that laws/rules are much more resilient than the various theorists would suggest. Actual life is more complex than the models that they put forward. For example, in most countries speeding laws are routinely ignored by the vast majority of the population. If the speed limit is 70 mph nearly all cars in the middle and fast lane will be going faster. Cars may be traveling at 80mph but will probably not be going at 100 mph. There is an unwritten (but well understood) â€Å"rule† that the police will not stop you if you are going at 75 or 80, but will if you are going at 100. This paper makes a conclusion that while laws must, by their very nature, be absolute: an act is either legal or illegal, a contract is either binding or non-binding; the rules of society are more flexible. They relate to the laws, and often influence how far laws are obeyed (or otherwise) and act as the glue that allows a society to be both flexible and stable. If laws become too remote from the rules that society is developing they either become irrelevant (and are thus ignored) or are changed. This interpretation of the relationship between rules and laws is in fact positivist in nature as their relationship is â€Å"validated† by the common adherence of the population to them. The rule is that speeding at 80 is acceptable, but not at 100. The law needs to set an exact figure, and it provides a territory for the rule to work within.

Teamwork Essay Essay Example for Free

Teamwork Essay Essay Reasons have been proposed to explain why teamwork exists by (Cohen and Bailey, 1997). They suggest organisations can develop and deliver products in a speedy and cost effective manner. More so, teams are the best way to establish organisational strategy. Teamwork was defined by (Kozlowski and Bell, 2003) as the composition of two or more individuals who share tasks and work towards a common goal. They emphasise the importance of collaboration and cooperation. Teamwork has three important dimensions. Firstly, technical dimension relates to the division of labour and who does what task and when etc. Governance refers to authority and relationships between members. The normative dimension refers to the norms, values and assumptions of the group directing behaviour. However, there are dimensions which can differ between teams, for example the temporal duration. Some teams are required to work together for a larger period of time. The physical proximity of teams may range depending on the organisation. Certain groups must work face to face where as others are dispersed geographically. According to (Hackman, 2002), teams need ‘teamwork’, meaning work that is designed for teams. An important factor relating to teams is interdependence, this is the extent to which people must work interactively and cooperatively (Stewart and Barrick, 2000). There are a number of benefits to an organisation by working in a team; these include efficient processes, reduced costs, increased innovation and skill utilisation (West and Markiewicz, 2004). Evidence to support this claim comes from (Delarue et al, 2008) who found associations between team work, workers outcomes, financial outcomes and operational outcomes. Godard, 2001) found with his questionnaire that teamwork positively related to job satisfaction, a sense of belonging and feelings of empowerment. This is supported by (Delarue et al, 2004) who found reduced absenteeism. The financial benefits were researched by (Cooke, 1994) who found that with the introduction of teamwork, there was a significant impact on val ue added per employee. Teamwork can have a profound effect on operational efficiency, productivity and quality. (Cohen et al, 1996) found that teams which facilitate high levels of employee involvement have a significant impact on efficiency and quality. If organisations are to reap the benefits of teamwork, then they must create and manage them in the correct way. Research into effective team working has commonly followed the input-processes-output (I-P-O) model proposed by (McGrath, 1964). The idea is that inputs affect outputs via the interaction of processes. We could argue this is too simplistic but it provides a useful framework. The first input is task design, the task must be achieved by a group of people working together so it should be demanding and complex enough to be completed by a team, as referred to earlier, there should be a high level of interdependence. The next input is team composition. This outlines the skills, knowledge and ability required (KNA). Bebin proposed nine essential roles. These are plant, resource investigator, coordinator, shaper, monitor, team worker, finisher, implementer and specialist. Bebin’s theory is not often fulfilled in practise though. Teams are often put together with little consideration for the roles required or the skills. This undermines team effectiveness. Another feature of the inputs is diversity; this is the idea that the team has a range of skills, ages, ethnicities and levels of authority. One of the most important inputs is the organisational context. Teams are often embedded in larger organisational systems, the effectiveness of teams may depend on wider contextual factors. Conflict within the organisation such as their wider objectives may impede a team so a team must operate within the company’s boundaries. (Hackman, 2002) suggests teams do not operate in an organisational vacuum. Team effectiveness relies on supportive organisational context that reinforces a team based structure. (Hackman, 2002) argues three systems can increase the likelihood of team success. Firstly, we have the education system which offers training and technical aid to a team. Then we have the information system which provided necessary data to complete the task. Lastly is the reward system which encourages rewards to all members equally to reduce inequality. The team objectives make up the first part of the processes. Teams should have a common purpose and clear objectives free from ambiguity. Reflexivity is the next stage and this helps to overcome team frustrations and any confusion regarding objectives. This is done by reflecting on immediate and long-term objectives on a regular basis by meeting and sharing information. Decision making is the next component; research has shown that teams make better decisions than individuals however there are certain process losses which can affect decisions. One of these is social conformity; the tendency to go along this the majority decision and exclude your opinion. This can occur due to leader power because the leader has more authority and influence. Groups try to avoid conflict through Groupthink (Janis, 1982), where teams sacrifice high quality rigorous decisions to conserve social harmony. Group may do this without even realising. Social loafing affect decisions when team members exert less effort and commitment. This has negative implications on the reward system especially If team members are rewarded equally. Overall, teamwork is a critical issue which organisations should develop and support real teams. Management must pay close attention to ensure they have the correct characters in the team to reap the full benefits of teamwork rather than pseudo teams which are present today. On a final note, not all organisations require teams so they should only be applied to the right tasks and situations.

Concentration Levels of Essential Metals

Concentration Levels of Essential Metals Comparative Distribution of Selected Essential Metals in Drinking Water by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric Method Tanzeel ur Rehman and Misbah Zahid ABSTRACT This study reports the concentration levels of selected essential metals; Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe and Zn in the drinking water collected from different areas of Islamabad. The levels of these metals present in the drinking ground water were compared with standards reported worldwide. The analysis was carried out using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean metal concentration for Na was far less than those reported worldwide, while the average concentrations of K and Zn were also less than those reported worldwide. The mean concentration of Fe was equal to those reported worldwide standards. Sodium showed maximum concentration while Fe was estimated to be the lowest among the selected metals. Key Words: Essential Metals; Ground water; Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry INTRODUCTION Environmental pollution especially in the metropolitan cities is generally expected to deteriorate the quality of drinking water. One of the important parameters of the quality of water is represented by the concentration of major, minor and trace elements. In industrial areas, some of the metals may be expected to present at considerably elevated level as a result of excessive industrial effluents which might find their way to the underground drinking water reservoir1. Contrary to such theory, one may suggest that, the underground drinking water resources may still be out of reach to the surface pollutants. In any of such cases, regular monitoring of trace metals is always recommended especially in the drinking water2. In Pakistan, only limited population has access to the purified public water supply while the rest of population is dependent upon direct withdrawal of water from both surface and underground sources. Most of the quality problems in Pakistan are due to lack of waste disposal regulations non-availability of treatment facilities and due to lack of public awareness about water quality3. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry is most commonly used for the determination of metal levels in the groundwater and soil4. In addition, few other techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence, ICPMS, ICPES, flame photometry, emission spectrography and voltammetry have been used for metal analysis on limited scale. Atomic absorption method is preferably used because it is more sensitive, and reproducible, relatively free of interferences and convenient to use than most of the other methods of analysis. For the quantitative measurements of trace metal levels, calibration line method has been most widely applied. The most selective light sources in the form of hollow cathode lamps have been in use since a long in atomic absorption spectroscopy5. Drinking water used in Rawalpindi and Islamabad is contributed by two main sources. First is the surface water, mainly in the form of dams and the other is groundwater which is drained off after proper boring. Water supplied to twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad is mostly a run-off collected from the watershed of Murree hills. The contamination is due to the anthropogenic emissions and geological structure of the area bearing unhealthy minerals affecting the taste and characteristics of water6. The pathogenic organism is also responsible for health hazard, apart from the inorganic chemical7. The present study was carried out to estimate the concentration of selected essential metals Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe and Zn in the drinking water and then to compare these metal levels with the international standards in order to evaluate their health effects. EXPERIMENTAL Water samples were collected from the residential areas of Islamabad. These samples were collected in plastic bottles and stored in proper place before analysis. Before filling, the sample bottles were first rinsed with the sample water and were then filled to overflow so that no air bubble was left trapped in the sample. The samples were collected during day time, mostly on a shiny day. Care was taken to collect the representative samples. For calibration line, working standards of the metals were prepared. The stock solutions of 100 ppm of all these metals were prepared from pure metal salts, or metal salt having fixed H2O molecules. The working standards were prepared by appropriately diluting 100 ppm stock solutions of these metals. All equipments used, were properly calibrated prior to experimental measurement. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Hitachi, 170-10, Japan) equipped with laminar flow burner. Air-acetylene flame was used for the determination of these metals under optimum analytical conditions shown in Table-1. Each metal was analyzed at its optimum wavelength under stipulated flow rate of oxidant and fuel, as recommended by the manufacturer of the instrument. Every care was taken to reduce the contamination during the analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The analysis of selected essential metals was performed under the optimum analytical conditions as shown in Table-1. The absorption wavelength used for Ca was 422.7 nm, for Mg 285.2 nm, for Na 589.0 nm, for K 766.5 nm, for Fe 248.3 nm, Zn 213.8 nm. The lamp currents were properly adjusted as recommended by the manufacturer and oxidant and fuel flow rates were also controlled for maximum absorption signal (Table-1). The distributed parameters for the selected essential metals in the drinking water are shown in Table-2. Minimum levels for Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, and Zn were 1.15, 9.00, 11.21, 0.70, 0.20 and 0.23 ppm, while their maximum values were 32.43, 25.64, 25.95, 4.43, 0.63 and 0.56 ppm respectively. Ca, Mg and Na were present at dominant levels while K, Fe, and Zn showed relatively low concentrations. Mean and median values were found to be comparable in each case. Overall, the metal levels were quite divergent as manifested by relative high standard deviation values as well as appreciably large coefficient of variance. In water, trace amounts of metals are common, and normally, these are not harmful to health. In fact, some metals are essential for the sustainability of life. Ca, Mg, K and Na must be present at relatively higher levels for normal body functions. Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se and Zn are needed as catalysts for enzyme activities at low levels. Drinking water containing high levels of these extremely important metals or poisonous metals such as Al, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg. Se and Ag may be dangerous to health8. The presence of metals in water supply may be natural or may be the result of contamination. Natural presence of these metals is the result of dissolution of metals due to the connection of water with soil or rocks9. Corroded material i.e corrosion of pipes and waste disposal leakage are the major sources of contamination of water. Metals present at high enough level than threshold limit value should be removed to be out of risk factor. Comparison of present metal levels with the international standards is shown in Table-3. Ca is important in controlling nerve impulse conduction and muscle contraction in living organisms. It has very important role in blood clotting. It converts fibrinogen to fibrin during blood clotting10. Ca is very important for good health. Most of the required portion of Ca for human body is provided by the drinking water containing Ca. This particular amount of Ca prevents ailments as hypertension, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disorders. The calcium level was found in the range of 1.15 to 32.43 ppm. The WS-1, WS-2, WS-3 has approximately equal amount of Ca while the WS-6 has a maximum amount of Ca. The median of all these samples were 18.64 ppm. The WS-5 was found to have the minimum amount of Ca. All the observation shows that Ca has the low amount than the WHO standards. The standard deviation is 8.02 and the co–efficient of variance is 40.8 which is maximum than all the other elem ents. Magnesium is driven out from the bodies of healthy persons. People may suffer from increase in blood pressure, muscle weakness and even coma if they have kidney disease. Mg is for signaling the nervous system and it also participates in osmotic and electrolyte balance. It is essentially required in photosynthesis. In human, it can cause genetic disorder11. In the present work the Mg mean value was found 18.04 ppm. The concentration of Mg ranges from 9.00–25.64 ppm. The lowest value was found in WS-6D and the highest was found in WS-2C. The median was found 16.36 ppm .All the values were found to be below the international standards of WHO. The maximum difference was found in WS-1 samples which is 15.93–25.23. The median was lower than the mean which shows asymmetry in its distribution. The standard deviation is 4.59 ppm and co-efficient of variance is 23.21 which is lower than all other elements. Sodium is beneficial to healthy adults at normal intake levels. But people having hypertension or heart problem should reduce Na intake to lower the danger of heart diseases and blood pressure. Na has serious effects on both human life and crop yield. Water high in Na is considered soft and generable for irrigation12. In present study, the result showed the mean value of Na was 19.80 ppm which was higher than Ca and Mg but this level was not the toxic level, so it has no bad effects. Na levels range from 11.21 to 35 ppm. The least Na levels were found in WS-6D and the highest was found in WS-4E. The median was higher than the mean value which showed the negative asymmetry in the data. The spread of the data is found in form standards deviation and was 6.02 ppm and the co-efficient of variance was 33.39 %. In comparison with the international standards, the Na levels found in the samples were low than WHO, EU, UK and Japan, but are just equivalent to USEPA standards. In natural water, K is found in far smallest concentration than other metals. It acts in water as Na does, although it occurs in small concentration but plays an important role in metabolism of the fresh water environment and is regarded to be the vital macro-nutrients. It has an important role in maintenance of osmotic and electrolytic balance. It is important in proper rhythm of heart beat. It is important for creation of nerve impulse and its transmission13. In our analysis the K ranges from 0.70 to 4.43 ppm and mean value was 3.06 ppm. The lowest level was found in WS-6A and the highest in WS-3A. The median is 3.53 ppm which showed the negative asymmetry and standard deviation is 1.19 and co-efficient of variance is 39%. K values in present study were much lower than EU and UK standards. Iron in water has not hazardous for health by itself but it may be responsible for increasing the hazard of pathogenic organisms, because many of these organisms need Fe to grow. Iron is one of the most abundant metals in the earth crust and is essential for plants, animals and human being. The permissible limit placed on this metal has no health significance14. In our study the mean value found for the Fe was 0.39 ppm. The minimum value was found at 0.2 ppm in the WS-4B, and the maximum was 0.63 ppm in WS-1A. The median found for Fe was 0.40 which is greater than the mean and show asymmetry in the data. The standard deviation was 0.13 which showed small spread of the data. The co-efficient of variance value was 33.79%, in comparison with the international standards of WHO, EU, USEPA, UK, Russia and Japan present levels were almost same. The iron present in the sample seems to be ferrous iron since no discoloration of water was observed when collected. Zinc is very important constituent in our diet. Zn has hazardous effects if we increase its amount 10-15 times higher than the amount required for good health. Large doses of Zn taken orally even for a short period of time can cause nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting. Its intake for longer time results in anemia and in decreasing the levels of good cholesterol. Metal fume fever, a short term disease, may be the result of inhaling Zn as dust or fumes of zinc. Breathing high levels of Zn for long time, no doubt, has long-term effects but these are still unknown. Zinc is essential element for plants and exists in water and soil as an organic complexes and inorganic salts. Zinc is required for growth, sexual development, wound healing infection, sense of taste and night vision in human15-17. The mean value found in water samples was 0.42 ppm which ranged from 0.23 to 0.56 ppm. The median of the data reading was 0.48 which showed negative asymmetry in the data. The standard deviation sho wn was 0.12 ppm and co-efficient of variance was 27.49 %. When these values are compared with international standards the Zn level was found lower than WHO, US EPA, Russia, but was higher than EU. CONCLUSION It was observed during the present study that mean concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, and Zn in the drinking water of Islamabad were found to be 19.65, 18.04, 19.80, 3.06, 0.39, and 0.42 ppm respectively. For Na, K, Ca, Mg and Zn, these values are far less in comparison to the concentrations reported worldwide, whereas for Fe present value is nearly equal to the reported values. Ca, Mg and Na were in high concentrations as they are macronutrients while K, Fe and Zn being the micronutrients were present in low concentrations. Over all, the selected metals revealed asymmetric distribution in their concentration duly reported by standard deviation and co-efficient of variation. Table-1: Optimum analytical conditions on FAAS for selected essential metals Table-2: Distribution of selected essential metal levels (ppm) in the drinking water BDL = Below Detection Limits Table-3: Comparison of selected essential metal levels (ppm) with the international standards reported world-wide18 REFERENCES Manahan, S. E. (1997). Environmental Science and Technology, Lewis Publishers, New York, pp. 339-340. Khan, M. J.; Sarwar, S. and Khattak, R. A. (2004). Evaluation of river Jehlum water for heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cd, Pb, and Cr) and its suitability for irrigation and drinking purposes at district Muzaffarabad (AK), Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan, 26, 436-442. InamUllah, E. and A. Alam, (2014). Assessment of drinking water quality in Peshawar, Pakistan. Bulg. J.Agric. Sci., 20: 595-600 Robinson, J. W. (1995). Undergraduate Instrumental Analysis, 5th Edition, Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 7-8, 316-318. Mendham, J.; Denney, R. C.; Barnes, J. D. and M. 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Konrad M, Weber S. Recent advances in molecular genetics of hereditary magnesium-losing disorders. Journal of American Society, Nephrol. (2003);14:249–260. Dr. James Robbins, Irrigation Water For Greenhouses And Nurseries Agriculture And Natural Resources , FSA6061. Hodgkin AL, Huxley AF (1952). Currents carried by sodium and potassium ions through the membrane of the giant axon of Loligo. Journal of Physiology 116 (4): 449–472. Afzal Shah,Abdul Niaz,Nazeef Ullah,Ali Rehman,Muhammad Akhlaq,Muhammad Zakir,andMuhammad Suleman Khan; Comparative Study of Heavy Metals in Soil and Selected Medicinal Plants; Journal of Chemistry, Volume20137. Simmer K, Thompson RP. Zinc in the fetus and newborn. Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl (1985); 319:158-63. Fabris N, Mocchegiani E. Zinc, human diseases and aging. Aging (Milano) (1995); 7:77-93. Maret W, Sandstead HH. Zinc requirements and the risks and benefits of zinc supplementation. J Trace Elem Med Biol (2006); 20:3-18. Radojevic, M. and Bashkin, V. N. (1999). Practical Environmental Analysis, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK. 1