The United States Armed Forces Essay - 865 Words

There are currently 2,204,836 people serving in the United States Armed Forces. Females currently make up 16.2% of those currently serving equating to 358,156 this number includes both enlisted, reserve, and the officer corps. While the Armed Forces has downsized, the percentage of females serving has increased with females now making up 17.8% of all active duty personnel and roughly thirty-nine thousand serving as active duty officers. With the increasing diversity of the military, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter officially opened all positions to females on 03-JAN-2016, in a move to better strengthen the Armed Forces. (Demographics, 2013) In 1981, the Supreme Court of the United States(SCOTUS) ruled on Rostker v. Goldberg that stated, women would not be required to register for the Selective Service System(SSS) because they are not able to serve in direct combat roles in any branch of the Armed Forces.(Rostker v. Goldberg) While females have gone to war and been on the front lines, they have always been there indirectly. Until the announcement by Secretary Carter on 03-DEC-2015 females were not allowed to directly serve in combat units, or special operations. This change in policy by the United States Armed Forces means there is precedence set by Rostker v. Goldberg in the case of females having to register for the SSS. The SSS currently registers all males between the ages of eighteen to twenty-five, in the occurrence that the draft is reenacted. Females, now have theShow MoreRelatedThe United States Armed Forces1725 Words   |  7 Pagestelevision, parents, or teachers. In America’s history, Americans have always been adamant about upholding the strength of their Armed Forces and making sure no other country becomes a threat of any sort. In the late 1800s, the United States Armed Forces created the military which consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. All these forces are obviously there for some reason which are reported on television becoming the talk of the American adults and onto their childrenRead MoreThe United States Armed Forces850 Words   |  4 PagesThe United States Armed Forces was founded in 1775. As of December 2013, 40 million men and women have served in the US Military (McGaugh). While a lot has changed over those years, and improvements have been made, it’s not hard to see that our service members are clearly undervalued. The men and women who serve our country risk their lives every day, and a large number never return home. Those who do return home often deal with physical and psychological challenges. It’s our job a s a country toRead MoreWomen Of The United States Armed Forces1213 Words   |  5 PagesWomen are vital to the stability and efficiency of all branches of the United States armed forces. Although women’s presence may be necessary to the operation of the military, their placement in combat positions would prove to be a devastating mistake. The body of a woman is not made to brave combat positions, and placing women into positions dominated by men could create a hostile working environment. The atmosphere of battle is already heated, and placing more problems into the equation could leadRead MoreUnited States Armed Forces Veterans1626 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction We live in a time where war, armed conflicts, hate crimes, foreign and domestic terrorism are on the rise. Historically there has been a population of individuals that served their country however, when they returned home they were under-served. Many combat veterans returned home only to face new challenges with adjusting to the dynamic environment around them. United States Armed Forces Veterans are confronted with evolved challenges such as; the advent of social media, and increaseRead MoreThe United States Armed Forces Rotary Wing Aircraft1562 Words   |  7 PagesThe UH-60 Black Hawk has been in service for the better part of three decades. The Army has invested into a new program called Future Vertical Lift (FVL). This program will develop a replacement for the United States Armed Forces rotary wing aircraft that include the UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, and CH-47 Chinook. The aim of the program is to develop an airframe that will combine several roles into one aircraft, effectively cutting down costs for the military. Many different design conceptsRead MoreUnited States Armed Forces Are Only For The Rough And Tough1019 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States Armed Forces are only for the rough and tough. I learned about the military through commercials on television, my family members who veterans, and recruiters walking are thought my neighborhood and at school when I was a child. â€Å"Join the most powerful military in the world,† said a military poster I had seen walking home from work one day and the â€Å"Be All That You Can Be† Army commercials played while I was watching television. I believed that if I was rough and tough enough to joinRead MoreEqual Opportunity in United States Armed Forces: Minorities and Women785 Words   |  4 PagesEqual Opportunity in United States Armed Forces with a particular emphasis on Minorities and Women in the Military. The United States Armed Forces has the most diverse labor force in the Wor ld. There are five branches of the United States Armed Forces: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. The demographic profile of the all volunteer United States Military has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. The transformation that has occurred in the United States population do not alwaysRead MoreShould The United States Bring Back The Draft For The Armed Forces?1220 Words   |  5 PagesShould the United States Bring Back the Draft for the Armed Forces? The United States should not bring back mandatory military service, also known as â€Å"the draft†. I personally am not supportive of the draft due to many issues including health and mental concerns brought about by the war. These concerns include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, and Substance Abuse, just to name a few. I also feel that the education of the soldiers would be limited because after age 18, most peopleRead MoreThe United States And Its Impact On The Nation Reconstruction And Redeveloping Regional Armed Forces3333 Words   |  14 Pagesfailing states and retraining their militaries. The practice is done for the purposes of advancement of political objectives, also the attempt to provide stability within a hostile region, saving a fragile nation from collapse, and to provide support to oppressed groups and populations aligned with similar value structures. It is not a new policy tactic for the United States, there have been several cases where A merica has played a big role in nation reconstruction and redeveloping regional armed forcesRead MoreCompare and Contrast of the Army and the Marines Essay example1004 Words   |  5 PagesMarine Corps Gary W. McCoy ENG 121 Julie Alfaro November 1, 2010 Compare and Contrast of the Army and the Marine Corps The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. Although the United States Army and Marine Corps are both primarily ground- based forces and offer many similar career fields, the two branches are different in some very crucial areas. To accurately compare and contrast

Military Prostitution During Japan s Imperial Rule

Many historians have addressed the issue of military prostitution during Japan’s imperial rule and the United States role in it during their reign. For roughly 50 years’ comfort women were the silent victims of war. During the 1990’s and 2000’s many Korean comfort women came into the lime light by opening up about their experiences in the comfort system. The Feminist Studies journal published Na Young Lee’s scholarly work, â€Å"The Construction of Military Prostitution in South Korea during the U.S. Military Rule, 1945-1948†, in which the author argues the view held by Korean feminist NGO’s in light to the Untied States responsibility for the eradication of the prostitution system is exaggerated. In addition, Lee adds that it not only†¦show more content†¦Lee outlines many of the laws implemented by the U.S. government in relation to prostitution and disease control. In addition, the author adds the serious problem that the U .S. government faced in regards to STD contraction and the failure to suppress prostitution. Instead, the U.S. government with the support from Korean elites, took the initiative to control their dilemma. The belief that prostitution should be abolished lied widely on the shared thought that it was a remnant of the premodern, patriarchal rule in which the Korean people had escaped from. In addition to this belief, the abolishment of prostitution would also make advancement for a democratized, civilized, and independent society. In response to the added pressure of these beliefs, the U.S. Military government and the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly passed the Abolishment of Public Prostitution Law. However, this law only abolished licensed prostitution, not private. The privatization of prostitution opened a gateway of new problems faced by the U.S. military. With the increase in population and the dislocation of many workers a lot of women turned to private prostitution. Th e U.S. government established The Women’s Bureau under the Department of Public Health and Welfare, in which, they were to take charge of the Japanese imperial policies in regards to prostitution but also the the post-abolition allocations. Lee states, inShow MoreRelatedch19 answers4110 Words   |  17 PagesBrief Global History with Sources Chapter 19 Study Guide, Internal Troubles, External Threats: China, the Ottoman Empire, and Japan, 1800-1914, Study Guide (Original: pp. 559-586; With Sources: pp. 877-903) The External Challenge: European Industry and Empire 1. What were the four dimensions of European imperialism that showed how China, the Ottoman Empire, and Japan were active participants in the global drama of the 19th C. world history and not merely passive victims or beneficiaries? 2.Read MoreEssay on Korean Comfort Women2590 Words   |  11 Pagessex slaves for the Japanese Imperial Army (Chunghee). Some of the women were dragged off with physical force as their families wept, while others were actually sold to the army by their destitute families (Watanabe). Still other were officially drafted by the Japanese Imperial Army and believed they would be factory workers or nurses (Hwang in Schellstede 4). Some Korean village leaders were ordered to send young women to participate in important business for the Imperial Army (Watanabe). Many JapaneseRead Moreap euro4567 Words   |  19 Pagespsychoanalysis, the process that drives unwanted thoughts into unconscious is known as repression 7. Social Darwinism was the application of of Darwin’s principle of organic evolution to the social order 8. In foundations of the 19th century, Houston S. Chamberlain predicted that Aryan race, under German leadership, must prepare to fight for Western civilization and save it from the destructive assaults of such lower races as Jews, Negroes, and Orientals the Aryans were the real creators of WesternRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesperiphery and a second round of even more devastating global conflict. The bifurcated international system that resulted from the cold war standoff extended the retreat of globalization, but nurtured the liberation of most of humanity from colonial rule. The collapse of the Soviet empire, and the freeing of its satellite states across Eastern Europe beginning in the late 1980s, marked another major watershed that further problematizes uncritical acceptance of the historical coherence of the chronologicalRead MoreModern History.Hsc.2012 Essay25799 Words   |  104 PagesTopic Four – World War I TOPIC ONE – USA 1919-1941 USA 1920’S * the radio age * felt like istory had turned a corner and never going back * stock market * black Thursday November 24 1929 * the jazz age * a speakeasyyyyyyy How significant were the Republican policies in causing the great depression? The significance of the republic policies were great, they brought a lot of growth in the 20’s allowing the market to strive over lots of trading and the purchaseRead MoreThe Acquisition of Singapore by the British4058 Words   |  17 Pagesa  Chinese  account of the  3rd century, probably a paraphrase of the  Malay  Pulau Ujong, island at the end . The  Sejarah Melayu contains a tale of a prince of  Srivijaya, Sri Tri Buana ,also known as  Sang Nila Utama, who landed on the island sometime during the  13th century. Catching sight of a strange creature that he thought was a  lion, he decided to found a settlement called Singapura, which means Lion City in  Sanskrit. It is unlikely that there ever were lions in Singapore, though  tigers  continuedRead MoreThe United Nations7583 Words   |  31 PagesThe failed coup resulted in Hitler s imprisonment, during which time he wrote his autobiography and political manifesto Mein Kampf (My Struggle). After his release in 1924, Hitler gained popular support by attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting Pan-Germanism, anti-Semitism, and anti-communism with charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda. Hitler frequently denounced international capitalism and communism as being part of a Jewish conspiracy. Hitler s Nazi Party became the largest electedRead MoreThe Rise of China and Future of the West17670 Words   |  71 Pagesthe rules and institutions of the international system to better serve its interests, and other states in the system -- especially the declining hegemon -- will start to see China as a growing security threat. The result of these developments, they predict, will be tension, distrust, and conflict, the typical features of a power transition. In this view, the drama of Chinas rise will feature an increasingly powerful China and a declining United States locked in an epic battle over the rules andRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Management of knowledge and information of Red bull. Answer: Management of knowledge and information Informationmanagement deals with running an organizations information resources so as to be able to help improve the performance of the business. It focuses on the activities that are needed to control a companys records as the personnel are referred to as important but not critical resources. It uses information technology resources and also by virtue of overseeing information resources. Knowledgemanagement is the process of creating, acquiring, sharing and using the information acquired in order to allow learning in organizations. It carries people as a critical component to be supervised, as it is strategized to help improve the businesses performance and also add value to an organization through a set key of processes which involve knowledge sharing. The company chosen for this research is on Red bull. Its sold by an Australian company which was introduced in the year 1987. It has the largest market share in terms of energy drinks in the world having billions of cans being sold worldwide. It was started by an entrepreneur who went by the name Dietrich who was inspired by an existing drink that he found that was being sold in Thailand whereby he took this idea incorporated his own ideologies into it so as it would suit the avid tastes of the westerners who he had an interest in targeting, thus in partnership with Chaleo they founded the what is Red bull. Its slogan was Red bull gives you wings which were before a lawsuit related to the advantages of utilising the drink which was around the period of 2014. It has a different approach to marketing schemes whereby rather than taking the most used route of mass marketing it generated its awareness and attracted clients by virtue of having proprietary sports events such as cliff diving world series, the Red bull air race and the crashed ice all these act as Red bulls arsenal in terms of commanding crowds and having customers enjoying the drink at such events thereby making it a force to reckon with as of here it breaks apart the norm that the energy drinks organizations have the capability to host and endorse events and also market its accessories properly with no problems Richter (2012). Red bulls strategy to be amongst the leading organisations is held by the fact that it associates itself with a lifestyle and a way of living in terms of having an adventurous spirit by doing so it puts an aggressive marketing process in play. this is so followed through by having their slogan Red bull gives you wings being a constant message broadcasted to the customers via many streams of communication in a broad integrated manner. Product differentiation is what sets aside Red bull apart from other energy drinks as it is a premium energy drink. The drinks are more expensive as compared to the other drinks in its categories like monster, NOS, Lucozade and Amp. This is because the customers are charged according to the benefits that they get by being able to lead a good functional lifestyle and also increasing physical performance by triggering mental strength Dobkin (2008). The aspect of competitive advantages falls on these points. Being the first to bring the energy drink to developed countries- this happened when the founder brought the idea of this by incorporating some ingredients to what they learnt from the drink Krating Daeng. This is vital as it shows its the first in west thus has a loyal consumer base as from where it started off from thus having an edge over others by this aspect Dobkin (2008). The sweet taste and uniqueness of the energy drink set it apart from others as it sticks to its originality where it is still produced in Bangkok and shipped to the processing plants Richter (2012). This helps it maintain its authenticity by sticking to its roots of start and not changing the main moving parts. It is an appealing product that is linked to extreme sports as it is involved in a number of teams that help its brand image as it endorses the teams and their occasions capitalising on the customers of the sports. Lastly, effective marketing strategy which integrates it to an online TV channel that is used for marketing and also media strategy on how to capture a larger market size and how to expand conditionally. This strategy of having many acquisitions in the media numbers strengthens the brand image as it passes out the relevant marketing messages to the target segment.

Ancient Egyptian Agriculture. Essay Example For Students

Ancient Egyptian Agriculture. Essay Ancient Egyptian Agriculture There are many valid points to be made in Ancient Egyptian Agriculture. Essay Irrigation, ploughing and planting, harvesting, and of course, crops. These will be some of the subtopics I will be touching upon in this essay of ancient Egyptian agriculture. Irrigation When the Nile is overflowing, it floods the Delta and the lands called Libyan and Arabian, for a distance of a journey of two days from both banks in places, and sometimes, sometimes less. I could not learn anything about its nature, neither from the priests nor from anyone else. I was curious to learn why the Nile is flooding for a hundred days from the summer solstice; and when this time is passed, sinks again, and the river is low during the whole winter until the summer solstice again. -Herodotus, Histories 2,19 Above, is a quote from a man recovered from an article of writing back in the ancient Egyptian times. Irrigation is a form of re-routing water, to parts of land that the water is needed, in farming terms. For Example, there are two crops, one crop is getting all the water, and its flooding. With irrigation, the farmer will re-route the water towards the other crop, as well as sharing the water with the crop that was being flooded. So now, both crops are getting enough water and they are not flooding nor suffering from drought. Natural river irrigation shaped the early landscape of ancient Egypt. Drainage was not required for the Valley to become liveable. With the natural flooding and draining of the floodplain, the annual flood allowed a single crop-season over two-thirds of the alluvial ground. Once the main canals, many of them natural, were in place, they just had to be scoured yearly to prevent their clogging up. The levees had to be raised, and smaller ditches had to be re-excavated. Organized by the regional authorities, every Egyptian had to move about thirty cubic metres of soil in about ten days every year. With this relatively small investment of labour, they kept the system in working order. Once the main canals, many of them natural, were in place, they just had to be dredged yearly to prevent their clogging up; the levees had to be raised, and smaller ditches had to be re-excavated. At the time of the highest flooding (towards the end of September) most of the Nile Valley was covered with water, only villages and cities, built on higher ground and connected by dams, were above water. Ploughing and Planting Ploughing, is the process of turning over soil, so it stays fresh and high in nutrients so crops can grow nice and big. Planting, is inserting the seeds of plants into places into the soil, where you think they would grow the best. Many tools were used to help the people of Egypt do their ploughing and planting. The Egyptian plough was lightly built and tied to the horns of the cattle. Cows were generally used for ploughing, which caused their milk production to decrease during ploughing time. A helper, often a child, led the animals, sometimes urging them on with a stick. When draft animals were unavailable, humans would pull the plough. Hoeing was another way of loosening the soil. Because the handles of the hoes were very short (an aspect of these tools even today in southern countries), this was backbreaking work. The planter of seeds walked ahead of the team, a two handled woven basket tied around his neck, his hands free for sowing. The plough covered the seeds with earth. Driving hogs or sheep over the field sometimes also served the same purpose. .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 , .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .postImageUrl , .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 , .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431:hover , .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431:visited , .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431:active { border:0!important; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431:active , .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431 .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u591a76091e8ad1bced75bbd704954431:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Pollution and Human Rights: Our fate is in our ha EssayHarvesting Harvesting is when after the seeds have fully bloomed, you go out and take all the plants out in an orderly fashion, so you wont ruin the soil or the seeds of your crops for next the harvest. The harvest generally took place shortly before the beginning of the next flooding, about in May or June, at times in April. The whole population took part and on big estates journeying harvesting teams were employed. These itinerant reapers began the season in the southern part of the country and followed the ripening crops downriver. The administration was involved in everything the farmer did, .

National Judicial Policy 2009 free essay sample

There has occurred a gradual deterioration in the law and order situation and parts of the country are experiencing militancy and violence, causing the displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent people men, omen, children and elderly. These are difficult times. We face existential threats. But I do not think that the difficulties are insurmountable. We are a tenacious nation, have demonstrated, more than once, our strength and ability to face challenges. The lawyers movement for restoration of independent-minded Judges and supremacy of law/Constitution is a case in point. The movement for a grand cause was thronged by enthusiastic groups including civil society organisations, professional groups, political parties and students, etc. In the evening of 1 5 March 2009, the movement transformed itself into a mint-revolution. It demonstrated the agility and determination of the masses to stand by the Constitution and dispensation of power under this supreme law. It emboldened me to say today, that together we could face challenges and convert them into opportunities. We will write a custom essay sample on National Judicial Policy 2009 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I have full faith in the ability of the people to rise to the occasion and chalk out a future course of action, based on democratic values and constitutional principles. The restoration of 3 November (2007) Judiciary has ushered in a new era: an era of hope that political dispensation in the country and 1 governance shall be in accordance with the constitutional principles. The people of Pakistan have reposed great confidence in the ability of the Judiciary to redress their grievances and grant them relief. They have very high expectations of the courts to settle their disputes, restore their rights/entitlements and maintain peace in society by sending the guilty behind bars. I thank the people for believing on us! We must strive to meet their expectations. This is time to repay our debt to the nation. We could do so by addressing the perennial twin-problems of backlog and delays in the system of administration of Justice. To achieve the objective, we need to formulate new Judicial policy. I had asked the Secretariat of the NJPMC to prepare a framework of action for clearing the backlog and expeditious disposal of cases. The draft is before you. Let us examine it and evolve a strategy for the purpose. I want the active participation of all stakeholders of the Justice sector, essentially the members of the bench and the bar and also related agencies viz police/prison department and prosecution branch. The Policy that we ultimately approve would be one that has broad ownership. That is why extensive consultations have been carried out to get the viewpoint of Judges, lawyers, litigants and others. The Policy seeks to achieve its objectives, by efficient utilisation of existing resources. We have to operate by remaining within the given legal/procedural framework. The laws are indeed time- tested. Given earnest effort by the bench and the bar, I am confident of achieving positive results. However, keeping in view the gigantic effort new resources would be needed. We would be very economical in the utilization of the needed resources. I am confident that the Government will provide the requisite funds, as our effort is to strengthen the administration and improve governance. It is necessary for peace and ecurity, thereby spurring trade/commercial activities and foreign/local investment in the economy. This is how, the industrialised countries progressed. This is 2 how, we can move forward. We could achieve the results by establishing a society based on the supremacy of Constitution and rule of law. Our aim is to provide Justice for All. I thank the members of NJPMC for endorsing my proposal to celebrate 2009, as the year for Justice at the Grassroot Level. The key features of the National Judicial Policy are strengthening the independence of the Judiciary by its separation from the xecutive and ridding the courts of the menace of corruption, thereby presenting a clean and positive image of Judiciary. In the Policy, we have set high goals for ourselves. The goals are to initially reduce, and ultimately eliminate, backlog at the level of superior as well as subordinate courts, and further, to fix time frame for disposal of civil and criminal cases. The criminal cases will get priority on account of the sub-human conditions in which under-trial prisoners are kept in Jails. Writs for protection of fundamental rights i. e. right to life, liberty, equality, property and reedom of thought, conscience, association, etc will also be maintained on fast track.

Competition or Bust essays

Competition or Bust essays The world in which we live is a extremely competitive environment. It is nothing less than a doggy-dog world, where only the strong survive. It was become a fast-paced ruthless business environment. Those who cannot cut it can pack up their bags and find a job shining shoes on the streets. However, we strive in our economy for this competition. Competition, although vicious at times, has many positive effects on our economy in a whole. The most important benefit of a competitive environment is the creation of incentive for change. Since firms are in competition to sell their products or services, they must continuously keep a competitive advantage over the market. In order to do this they must constantly react to meet the improvements made by other companies in their products and services. For instance, Nintendo when it first started was very profitable for a while selling its game player, but when Sony came out with a 32-bit player which intern took allot of the business away from Nintendo. So as a reaction of Sonys new player, Nintendo created a 64-bit version, that was even better in all aspects of Sonys play station. It is a continuous cycle to make companies products better than the other. Without competition what incentive would there be? Atari might still be the number one game player, because there is no one else to come up with a better idea in that product line. Competition forces people to learn more and be more creative with there knowledge. Most of the technology that we have created in the last century has been form companies trying to out do each others product line. Another very important aspect of a competitive market is the affect on price. Prices are lowered in this environment. A firm has to be competitive with the prices of other close substitutes. If a Coke was two dollars for one can while Pepsi sold theirs for fifty cents, then Coke would loose mo ...

Considered the Mummys Curse, a series of unexplainable, unfortunate, Essay - 1

Considered the Mummys Curse, a series of unexplainable, unfortunate, or tragic events that happened to the people who were present at the opening of Tutankhamens tomb - Essay Example The mystery started with the death of the financer of the excavation, Lord Carnarvon, who died a year later as a result of a mosquito bite and his death was followed by many others who were involved with the excavation. The two theories that best explain the mystery are the theory of fungus and the theory that the curse never existed in the first place. Several notable experts in the field such as Dr. Ezzeddin Taha (Biologist), Gotthard Kramer (microbiologist), Dr. Nicola Di Paolo (Physician), etc have identified fungus in the tombs that are dangerous to human beings. On the other hand, medicine scholar Mark Nelson proved statistically that many stories surrounding the curse are not factual and more people survived the curse than those who died which goes on to prove that the curse did not exist in the first place (Krystek, 2012). The illness associated with the deaths of those related to tombs can be explained scientifically. Dr. Ezzeddin Taha examining those working in tombs found that they were exposed to a potentially dangerous fungus known as Aspergillus niger. Dr. Nicola Di Paolo identified another fungus known as Aspergillus ochraceus in many archaeological sites. Gotthard Kramer in 1999 on analysing 40 mummies found the presence of mold spores that are potentially dangerous (Krystek, 2012). It is shown that these dangerous funguses could have survived for 1000’s of years in the tombs and infecting those coming in contact with it (Abel, 2006). There these funguses are a possible explanation for the illness and deaths associated with the mummy’s curse. This is the best possible explanation as it is based on science and can be proven with

Journal free writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal free writing - Essay Example The author recalls the memories of his childhood when he was not noticed as a Negro but as a regular boy. He had friends and he was equal to them until a tall girl refused to accept an exchange card from him. Right after that his friends started to notice that he was different. They isolated him due to him being dark. He was left with no one to compete with, in exams and games. People started looking at him with pity as he was an outcast and was judged by his color instead of seeing the beauty of his heart. Du Bois decided not to give up as an outcast and planned on reading law, healing the sick and spreading knowledge. He realized he had the burden of a dark, half named race on his shoulders. Very soon he had learned that to make his place in this world he had to be himself and not someone else. The problem was that he was not only a poor man but a poor race living in a rich country with skilled competitors’. Further on the author states that he does not want to be an America n nor a Negro completely. He wants to learn from America and has Negro blood flowing in his body. He does not want to depart from any. Being an African American, he has one thing common with his ancestors except for his color and hair and that is the number of difficulties faced by them since the fifteenth century and most importantly slavery. Back in the days of slavery, people only desired to be free and to be treated as humans.

Data analysis and discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data analysis and discussion - Essay Example Thus, the responses from the participants greatly varied according to one’s opinion on a particular question. The variance and standard deviation for all the baseline variables is relatively low. For instance, a standard deviation of 0.41 for the first question implies that the data points are very close to the real mean. On the other hand, the seventh question’s standard deviation of 0.50 implies that the data points are far apart from each other; spread out in larger ranges of the variables. Looking at the correlation matrix from excel sheet 3, a number of baseline variable have a correlation of 1 whereas others have -1. For instance, variable 1 and 2, 1 and 7, 1 and 5, 1 and 6, 2 and 5, 2 and 6, 2 and 7, 3 and 8, 4 and 8, 5 and 6, 5 and 7 have a correlation of 1 which implies that they have a strong positive linear relationship. Other combinations have a strong negative linear relationship as shown in excel file. It has six questions or variables that seek to know the level of self-efficacy on students’ performance. Just like locus control, this was done on 35 participants (students) who gave different responses for the baseline variables; as shown by their means: 6.43, 6.66, 6.51, 1.97, 6.40 and 6.29 for question 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. The standard deviation for the second variable is 0.48 implying that the data points in this baseline variable are close to the mean. The highest standard deviation is 1.25 for the fourth baseline variable. This shows that the data points for this variable are far from the mean. From the excel sheet 3, the correlation coefficient differ greatly. For instance, baseline variable 1 and 2 have a correlation of 1 which shows that they have a strong positive correlation. Variable 2 and 8 have a strong negative relationship, a correlation of

The Reconstruction Era

The Reconstruction Era Courtney Gehring The Reconstruction Era followed the abolishment of slavery and gave hope to reconnect families and become political, social, and economic equals with the white men who once enslaved them. Sadly, this was all false hope. The freedmen and freedwomen in the South became sucked back into a slavery by a different name type of servitude for the same plantation owners that once owned them with no hope of becoming an equal. During the time of Reconstruction there were three phases of reform, presidential, congressional, and radical. Presidential Reconstruction was led by President Johnson after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson followed the same Reconstruction Plan that Lincoln had laid out: return all confiscated property, political rights to all except for the highest ranking Confederate soldiers, pardon the South on all wrongdoing, and to readmit states with 10% of its voting public.[1] Congressional Reconstruction began with the authorization of the Freedmans Bureau. This bureau was established to help and aid the freedmen after the war. Congress also nullified the Black Codes which Southern states put into law after the war to restrict African American rights and force them to work for low wages and in debt.[2] Although the Black Codes were nullified, the South created the Jim Crow laws which reenacted many of the same laws as the Black Codes and didnt officially disappear until the Civ il Rights Act of 1964 was passed. The last phase of Reconstruction was the Radical Reconstruction. During this time, radicals were elected into power. Due to this, Union troops were sent into the South to help protect the freedmen and to help keep the peace. All freedmen could legally register to vote as the 14th Amendment was passed granting African American males suffrage as it would provide them a voice and supply the freedmen with the best opportunity to fight against the oppressive class-legislation, as well as against individual persecution.[3] During this Radical Reconstruction, 400 freedmen were elected into higher office and 16 freedmen were elected into Congress. Former slave owners became infuriated by African Americans in political offices and as a result founded the Ku Klux Klan and eradicated the Southern GOP coalition. They accomplished this by accusing the carpetbaggers and poor white southerners, of having relations with freedwomen as interracial relations were illegal at this time and heavily looked down on in society. The former slave owners also convinced the poor white southerners that the freedmen were taking resources from them. Also talked them into putting racial needs before economical needs when voting. The Ku Klux Klan increased violence to discourage freedmen from voting. Another way to prevent freedmen from voting was by imposing poll taxes and by enforcing that the voter needs to know the State Constitution before they can register to vote.[4] The Southern economy was thrown into confusion by the end of the way and the former slave owners now needed to re-establish a work force and the freedmen needed jobs as the government failed to provide them with an economical plan. This complication led to sharecropping, in which freedmen would rent a place to live from the plantation owner and would work for them and in return the freedmen get to keep a portion of the crops they grow.[5] This forced the freedmen and women into a never ending cycle of debt as they do not have the money to pay for rent, their own tools, or for their own food; this prevented them from obtaining any economic equality or freedom. The Southerners have endorsed a racial and gender hierarchy in the South. At the top are the wealthy white men and the wealthy white women, then the poor white men and poor white women, and at the bottom are the black men and black women. This hierarchy helps to prevent a Radical Reconstruction from happening again as the freedm en and freedwomen have learned their place in southern society and possess no political or economic power. With the 1876 Presidential Election closing in, the Republican Presidential candidate, Rutherford B. Hayes, promised the Democratic House of Representatives to remove the troops in the South. Hayes promised to do this in order to win the election with the help of the South. He truly didnt care about the South and the freedmen, Hayes cared more about the industrial revolution in the North. This became the official end of the Reconstruction Era in the United States. Question 2: From the late 1870s until the early 1930s there had been a massive struggle between the farmers/laborers and the big businesses of the U.S. Most businesses demanded long hours and paid their workers pennies. The workers also had to endure small cramped workspaces overfilled with people and machines. Most businesses were dirty with smoke filled air and unsanitary conditions. Many families made so little that everyone, including children, had to work. For example, at the Hickory Colliery in Pennsylvania, it was very common for boys who worked in the mines for $1-$3 a week, to end up being indebted to the company by the end of the month as he had to pay more to get to work than he got paid for the work he actually did.[6] Farmers, the original backbone to the economy, were now at the mercy of big corporations as well. They felt as though corporations were chipping away at their profit as they had no control of larger necessities they needed to make a living out of farming. Businesses like equipment dealers now controlled item costs such as harvesters and plows while other businesses like the railroads and grain elevators could charge them more to move and store their crops. This caused farmers who were already in debt from the war to lose even more money. The first major attempt to organize workers on a national scale was the Knights of Labor in 1869. Originally a secret organization created by garment factory workers, the Knights of Labor became open to all workers, which included women, African Americans, and farmers. The Knights grew slowly until after the massive railroad strike in 1885 against Jay Gould, when workers walked out on the job due to pay cuts.[7] Within a year, 500,000 more people joined. The Knights of labor took a political stand as they sought an eight-hour work day, the elimination of child labor, better sanitary conditions, higher wages to match their hard work, and other reforms. The Knights of Labor fell apart after a violent incident in the Haymarket Square in Chicago. Local anarchists got together for a protest meeting to discuss the strike at the McCormick Harvester Company, but soon police showed up to disband the meeting causing someone to throw a bomb that killed multiple policemen.[8] Despite the fall of the Knights of Labor, the labor movement continued and was taken over by the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Unlike the Knights of Labor, the AFL, under Samuel Gompers, only supported skilled workers. Gompers key goals were similar to the Knights of Labors as they wanted increased wages, reducing working hours and improved working conditions. Gompers helped the labor movement to turn away from the socialist ideals that earlier labor groups had embraced, and turned it into an apolitical movement. George Pullman, founder and president of the Pullman Palace Car Company, required his workers live in Pullman City and pay him rent to live there. Due to the depression at the time, Pullman cut workers pay while still expecting the workers to pay the same price as before in rent. Three thousands of Pullmans workers went on a wildcat strike. A majority of the workers on strike belonged to the American Railroad Union (ARU), which was founded by Eugene Debs. Debs, a railroad fireman, created the union as he witnessed the poor working conditions of fellow railroad workers. The men all worked for low wages and some became injured or killed because of unsafe equipment. As a result of the cut wages, ARU members refused to let any train with a Pullman car to move. Hordes of ARU supporters wanted to aid in the strike and began stopping trains. Quickly, there was no trains moving west of Chicago. Railroad companies tried spreading lies about Deb and the ARU. This only angered strikers. and Man y of those supporting the strike stopped trains, smashed switches, and started to set fire to whatever would burn. Another crowd of rioters stopped soldiers accompanying a train. This caused a lot of casualties and well as people injured from bullets. Soon President Cleveland sent in Federal troops to put an end to the strike. This is a major part of history as it was the first time the federal army was sent in to break up a strike. The most belligerent union of the labor movement was the International Workers of the World (IWW). They represented a more radical approach to the unions and they supported the Marxist class struggle.[9] It formed from a mixture of smaller unions fighting for better working conditions out west in the mining industry. The IWW, or Wobblies, gained notability from the Colorado Mine Clashes of 1903. The major issue in Colorado was the fight over the eight-hour workday. The Legislature had passed a statute limiting the workday to eight hours in hazardous industries, such as mining and smelting. But, the Colorado Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. Voters of Colorado passed a vote to approve the eight-hour workday, but the smelter owners fought any efforts to pass it. This led to the smelters going on strike. At first it appeared that they were going to win their demands without a fight, but then one of the smelter operators refused the deal given to them by the Governor of Colorad o.ÂÂ   The Governor that called in the National Guard who began arresting union leaders and strikers. The violence escalated after a mine exploded on November 21, 1903, which killed a superintendent and a foreman. The commanding officer of the National Guard announced a vagrancy order, it required the strikers to go back to work or be deported from the district. The IWW continued on to help fight for more rights in places like textile mills of Massachusetts, railcar builders in Pennsylvania, and rubber workers in Ohio.[10] Sadly, the greatest motivation for action against the IWW was their success in organizing industries, who were crucial to the war effort, in their call for work stoppages in the midst of the war, and their refusal to stop strikes during the war time. Many of the IWW leaders were arrested under the Espionage Act. Originally the government did not intervene in these ongoing struggles between the working class and the big corporations as the government was in support of a Laissez Faire style economy. The workers were allowed to strike peacefully as it is a first amendment freedom. Most businesses and factories ignored the workers on strike and instead hired new immigrants off the boats to work in their factories as unskilled laborers. Many companies also would deny workers the ability to become members of unions as a way of forcing their ideas that companies control who they fire, who they hire, and what they chose to pay.[11] A tremendous amount of reform was accomplished at the local and state level. In the tristate area, Progressives attempted to find a mind ground between the big businesses and the working class and creates the NY/NJ Port Authority. This was created as a private public service to help regulate the tolls and fees when crossing between New York and New Jersey. Although the government did enact the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1980, it did not accomplish much as many companies avoided the law by converting their monopolies into holding companies. Congress also passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and created the Food and Drug Administration in 1906 to improve food and medicine safety for the public. This came after Upton Sinclairs book, The Jungle, which highlighted that due to lack of government policies, the meat packing industry was packaging and selling rotten meat to the consumer as well as how dirty the facilities was as the owners only cared to make money.[12]ÂÂ   While president, Wilson in 1912, created the national banking system. He also prohibited unfair business practices and outlawed full time employment of children under the age of 16. In the midst of entering World War I, the War Industry Board redirected industry in America to help produce and provide necessities for the war. In doing this, the board granted higher wages, eigh t hour workdays, and minimum wage to the workers.[13] During the 1920s, President Coolidge raised international tariffs and gave big businesses tax cuts. He hoped that by giving businesses tax breaks that they would use to money to create more jobs in order to help encourage people of the working class to buy more. Sadly, most businesses created a few jobs and pocketed the rest of the money they saved from the tax cuts. At this time, U.S. businesses had learned how to use better technology in order to increase productivity. Unfortunately, they needed more of a demand for the amount of products they were producing. Government and businesses at this time introduce credit as a way to help stimulate the economy while engulfing people in consumerism. Companies, like Listerine, created ads targeted at everyday insecurities to convince more of the public that they needed their product.[14] Question 3: On November 2, 1920 women were first able to legally vote in a presidential election. Women and activists have fought for womans suffrage for over a century and finally, in August of 1920, the women of the United States won suffrage and were finally granted equality in the public sphere. Women have fought to leave the private sphere of the home and enter into the politics of the public sphere through the practice of maternalism, also known as public mothering.ÂÂ   Women, such as Jane Addams and other upper class women, used the males idea that women belong in the home as a way to gain access into the public sphere. Maternalism was womens way of participating in politics by using their natural maternal talent as mothers such as cleaning, looking after others, and providing care. [15] Men, like Theodore Roosevelt, believed that women belong in the home as a housewife and focus on raising the children.[16] Women agreed with this male ideal that they belonged in the private sphere, but as a mother they would be good at government housekeeping as politics were a mess at the time. Cities in the early 20th Century ran on corruption and that created dirty politics. Chicago itself was literally dirty, skies filled with smoke and dirt while the streets piled up with garbage and human waste. Jane Addams herself reached out to city hall to develop a public sewer system and reform the system of garbage collecting to help clean up the city.[17] Addams also contributed to her social work in Chicago by creating the Hull-House, a settlement house to help the immigrants in the city to teach them English, educate them in how to safely care for their children in cities. Settlement houses started popping up around the country as a safe way to help immigrants inside of the major citi es, and defend this major non-profit as public mothering of the immigrants. Women also used maternalism to create the Childrens Bureau (1912), the first federal agency in the United States.[18] Their reasoning behind needing this federal agency was to administer birth certificates to help track of mother and infant mortality rates among the working class. Compared birth certificates and death certificates to produce and show statistics showing the high mortality rate among mothers and infants among the poor. Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, used these statistics to rationalize why they needed to make birth control legal and accessible. Many mothers died from having too many births as they become more dangerous the more women have. Advertised that they needed birth control in order to stay alive and to be a better mother to the children they already had. Maternalism was exceedingly successful as it got a lot of women out into the public sphere and into politics alongside of the men. Sadly, these reforms mostly only reached out to the local and state levels. The biggest downside of maternalism was that women had to agree with men and admit that they belonged in the private sphere of the home. In other terms, these women said they know that women are not equal to men. In many ways, maternalism can be seen a big success for what they accomplished but also as a failure as they reinforced the idea that women are not equal. Bibliography Addams, Jane. Twenty Years at Hull-House: With Autobiographical Notes. 1910. Advertisement for Listerine. 1923. Baruch, Bernard M. American Industry in the War: A Report of the War Industries Board. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1921. Henretta, James A., and Rebecca Edwards, and Robert O. Self. Americas History 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. Laws of Mississippi. 1865. On Child Labor. Labor Standard, 1877. Roosevelt, Theodore. The Strenuous Life. New York: Review of Reviews Company, 1919. Thorpe, Francis N., ed. The Federal and State Constitutions of the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1909. U.S. Congress, Senate. 39th Cong., 1st sess. Washington, D.C.: 1865. U.S. Strike Commission. Report on the Chicago Strike of June-July, 1894Senate, Executive Document No. 7, 53rd Congress, 3rd Session. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1895. [1] James A. Henretta, and Rebecca Edwards, and Robert O. Self, Americas History 7th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011), 464. [2] Laws of Mississippi, 1865, 82. [3] U.S. Congress, Senate, 39th Cong., 1st sess., 1865, ex. doc. No. 2, 1-5, 8, 36-39, 41-44. [4] Francis N. Thorpe, ed., The Federal and State Constitutions of the United States (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1909), 4:2120-2121. [5] Henretta, Americas History 7th ed., 476. [6] On Child Labor (Labor Standard, 1877). [7] Henretta, Americas History 7th ed., 551. [8] Ibid., 552. [9] Ibid., 644. [10] Ibid., 644. [11] U.S. Strike Commission, Report on the Chicago Strike of June-July, 1894Senate, Executive Document No. 7, 53rd Congress, 3rd Session (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1895), 621-622. [12] Henretta, Americas History 7th ed., 610. [13] Bernard M. Baruch, American Industry in the War: A Report of the War Industries Board (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1921), 65-67, 69, 100. [14] Advertisement for Listerine (1923). [15] Henretta, Americas History 7th ed., 572. [16] Theodore Roosevelt, The Strenuous Life (New York: Review of Reviews Company, 1919), 3-22. [17] Jane Addams, Twenty Years at Hull-House: With Autobiographical Notes (1910), 200-204. [18]ÂÂ   Henretta, Americas History 7th ed., 640.

Who Killed JFK? :: American America History

Who Killed JFK? Before we started the section on John F. Kennedy in our class I would have said that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated him without a question in my mind. After reviewing videos on this subject in class I am now not so sure. Was there really a conspiracy to kill Kennedy or as a nation do we over analyze something that was an open and shut case? After reviewing the information in class I do not think Oswald was the lone assassin. I do not even think that Oswald was the assassin. The most convincing evidence that I received was the video showed in class where there was a man who was a specialist in stripping away layers in photographs down to tiny particles. He had a picture of the shooting of JFK and stripped the layers away. The picture showed tiny particles coming off the back of JFK's head. Seeing this made me come to the conclusion that JFK was not shot from behind but from the front therefore Oswald could not of shot JFK because the book depository was positioned behind the presidents vehicle. I think that the death of JFK was pinned on Oswald because the police were pressured to find the assassin of JFK. Oswald was an easy target because he openly held communist beliefs during a time when the cold war and anti-communist feelings were at its highest. I believe that Jack Ruby truly shot Oswald so that Mrs. Kennedy would not have to relive that day when Oswald went to trial. People do strange things when caught up in the moment and the whole country was turned upside down over the assassination of President Kennedy. People thought it was suspicious that Jack Ruby was able to get so close to Oswald. He was able to do this because he was known by many of the officers, frequented the station and therefore was not perceived as a threat. I think the attitude changed towards the government after the assassination because the government did not run the investigation efficiently. They should of hired a group outside the governments CIA and FBI branches to run the investigation so that they could get an objective view instead of the view that the FBI and CIA knew their superiors wanted. I believe that we are more cynical in 2000 than 1963. We as a country have been through a lot of eye openers in the 37 years that have passed since the Presidents assassination.

Animal Dreams Essay

In the story of Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver, the main character named Codi had her struggle towards her relationship with her younger sister Hallie. Regarding this, this article tends to explain why such struggle of closeness towards their relationship turned into closeness which is seemingly far and thus inclusion of the relationship changes are discussed. The goal of this paper is to provide a reliable detain of research regarding with the explanations of the story’s relationship changes between the two sisters Codi and Hallie and thus to give an explanation about the themes of the story such as to what it depicts and why it is of importance. Relationship of Codi and Hallie Codie and Hallie are very close to each other since they are the only children of Dr. Homero Noline; they both lived in Tucson Arizona where they are bonded with Codi’s boyfriend Carlo. The sister’s relationship changed a lot when Hallie decided to move from Arizona going to Nicaragua and since Codi felt that there’s no reason for her to stay at Arizona because her sister already left, Codi then decided to go back home where they spend their early life (Kingsolver). Continuing the story, the sister’s relationship went on along even if they are far from each other. They still write a letter for one another in order to inform each other about the events and changes which are happening in their lives. Eventually, Codi gets too busy with her work as a high school teacher at Grace and busy visiting her father who by then is on the first stage of psychological disease. The relationship of the two sisters went stronger when Hallie was reported missing and that she could not be found because she was kidnapped (Kingsolver). Similarities of Codi and Hallie The main idea of Codi and Hallie’s similarity is that they both have concern with the environmental issue such as doing something in order to influence the other people and thus to make them realize how their place are being ruined by the pollution and that the administration just seemed to ignore such problem. They are both doing an act towards the pollution issue which made them oppose the administration; Hallie by involving herself in movement which uses certain farming techniques that depict the difficulties of the farmers of their place at Grace in farming due to the lack of supply of water for their planted trees and Codi by helping the Stitch and Bitch Club through a fund racing activity wherein the fund will be used for projects toward environmental protection and or environmental problem resolution (Kingsolver). The Themes Fertility Fertility throughout the story gives an emphasis towards Codi’s situation in the novel wherein she lost her child twice. This part of the novel was written by the author in order to open the readers’ eyes about the essence or importance of having a future baby because bearing a child simply means the generation of a new group of people for a certain community and for the continuous movement of life and history from the past towards the present through the new generation (Kingsolver). Fertility as the theme of the story wanted people to realize that it is not purely a medical or scientific matter and thus in order for a certain person to regenerate a new offspring, she must know how to take care of the life which lies inside her. Fertility in the story is also depicted as a matter as important as preserving a certain generation or community wherein it is subjected to an issue of getting extinct or the threat to a community’s existence (Kingsolver). The importance of fertility in the novel wanted people to realize that preservation of life for a new generation of people is important and thus a new life could serve a new hope for every problem’s resolution. In the novel, the womb of a certain mother is symbolized by the Graceland and the baby in it is symbolized by the environment and environmental resources which are at the risk of being totally destroyed. Mainly, Fertility means saving the environment in order to preserve the place or the earth is depicted by preserving the child inside mother’s womb in order to generate a new offspring (Kingsolver). Fertility changes in the story when Codi lost the child that she bears inside her as it was also depicted in the place’s situation when Grace is in the verge of slowly dying because of the pollutants which are present and are mixed up in their agricultural place and in the whole environment. Children’s Importance In the story, children’s importance is explained to as; they are the ones who will continue the legacy or history of a certain family. A child also symbolizes the difficulties and sacrifices of the parents most specially the difficulties of the mothers who tend to bear a child and give birth. Children are the one who will pursue the conviction of their parents as it was depicted by Codi who was supposed to be a doctor just like his father but eventually dropped out of school because of her being pregnant (Kingsolver). Children are depicted to as the fulfillment of dreams and hopes for the future as it was symbolized by the presence of children in the story hence they are sometimes being disregarded as to taken advantage of wherein in the story; Codi disregarded her situation of pregnancy wherein she did not take care of herself but instead did all what she ought to do which led her to loss the child which she carries inside her. Codi’s Pregnancy/Miscarriage Cody got pregnant at the age of 15, she never told anyone about her situation because she didn’t want Hallie and her father to loose her closeness towards them and so she kept the secret into herself but she did not know that her father observed her and that Mr. Noline knows that his daughter was pregnant. Because Codi was careless about her own body, she lost the baby wherein she really hoped for it to be gone and thus she once dreamt of losing the baby from her womb (Kingsolver). Codi’s being careless regarding with her fertility can depict two certain premises which could frame her in the story. The first premise is the death of her beloved mother and secondly is the death of her own child inside her womb. Through interpreting the character of Codi in the novel regarding her pregnancy, a certain reader could correlate her to destruction of a new seed of life because for Cody; loving someone is also losing which explains that when a certain person loves someone or anything, he or she will loose his or her control towards his or her emotion and thus she will be hurt when that person or matter he or she loved will be lost from his/her possession (Kingsolver). Political Part of the Novel The real purpose of the novel by Kingsolver is to depict the situation of a certain place in America wherein the land is said to be a fertile land which is good for planting and/or farming which is eventually ruined by the miners producing water pollutants from the mines going to the places’ body of water which tended to destroy the richness of the land. This novel depicts the year 1950 when copper manufacturing mine is one of the most important resource of such Native Americans (Kingsolver). Kingsolver depicted the political system of the United States during the year of 1980’s by narrating the situation or Nicaragua in the novel. Nicaragua was stated as the largest State in the central part of America wherein on the year 1979 a certain socialist group named the Sandinistas along with the FSLN or the National Liberation Front in the United States joined forces in order to overthrow the dictator system of Anastasio Somoza which reigned for over 46 years. After the dictator was overthrown, the FSLN executed a socialist kind of government wherein they made all the major industries nationalized during that period and thus they executed a certain reform, agrarian reform, in order to give help to those small farmers and in order to support such industries of farming (Kingsolver). The FSLN also made a program which strengthened the system of education and other important programs such as health care management and regarding this, the CIA, unknown by the socialists, established a plan in order to oppose the goals and management of the socialist groups and leaders (Kingsolver). Conclusion The novel by Kingsolver entitled Animal Dreams is what the author used to express the reality somewhere in the Central part of America wherein the agricultural management is disregarded by the government and thus the environment is polluted by the mining manufacturers. This novel symbolizes the true event of the Central America by narrating the Grace’s problem about the environment and it’s near to destroyance wherein the Sandinistas can be seen in the character of both Hallie and her sister Codi. Through the novel, the author makes readers realize that preserving a child’s safety while it is in the womb is like preserving the safety of a threatened environment wherein when the mother does a small mistake then the baby will die without being born and just like the environment’s situation, one mistake or wrong deed from the people and the environment or the earth as a whole will die or will be destroyed. Work Cited Kingsolver, Barbara. â€Å"Animal Dreams. † HarperCollins, 1990.

Did duhem show that scientific theories can be ne

Did duhem show that scientific theories can be ne The question as to whether scientific theories can be shown to be true or false is a complex one. The answer depends on one's interpretation of the meaning of theory. To what does it refer? Is its role to reveal the nature of reality, or is it merely a human construct? In which case what do we mean by truth? Is it an accurate description of reality, or does it simply refer to a successful theory that produces accurate predictions? Duhem attacks this problem from a very strict non-metaphysical standpoint. As a result he shows that we can know nothing about material reality, and indeed very little about the validity of our own theories. In the end it appears that the theoretical framework within which scientists work is more a matter of convention than anything else.In order to determine whether the claim that scientific theory cannot be proven true or otherwise we must first understand what Duhem means by scientific theory.English: Boris Chirikov (1928–2008) was an outst...He i ntroduces two possibilities as to the nature of a physical (which we can equate to 'scientific') theory. The first being that it is an explanation of the reality lying behind a group of experimental laws (those that are empirically determined). The second is that a physical theory is simply an abstract system to classify and summarize a group of laws.Taking the first possibility (a belief still held by many today): this seeks to look beneath the sensible appearances and find the reality beneath, which is causing the sensations we experience. However, this presents us with a problem. We only have access to perceptions so how can we hope to find a physical theory that provides a certain explanation of the reality causing these sensations? A theory can only suggest a reality that would produce all those...

Internet Service Providers and their customer switching essays

Internet Service Providers and their customer switching essays Internet Service Providers and their Customer Switching The rapid growth in New Zealand Internet use, combined with relatively easy market entry by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) has resulted in the competitive supply of Internet services. 2001 Census Snapshot1 (Who has access to the internet?) from Statistics New Zealand indicates almost 4 in 10 households have access to the internet in New Zealand, especially with households in the Auckland and Wellington regions, they have the highest rates of internet access at nearly 9 in 20. On the other hand, empirical evidence collected points out the seriousness of the competitive threat ISPs have to face while they capitalize on the large population of Internet users. The research conducted by Nielsen/Net Ratings2 (19/11/2001) shown on the number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) within each country in comparison to the country's population presents New Zealand has ranked 7th place globally, having 36 ISPs within a relatively small population of 3.8 million. That means slightly over 100,000 head counts per ISP in New Zealand. From the marketers perspective today, challenges and opportunities coexist in the broad marketplace; undoubtedly any ISP without exception needs to exert all the marketing efforts to retain current customers and attract new customers as well while the pressure to make money has increased substantially as income from Web advertisements has dropped in recent years. Analysis of customer retention and its impact has received recent attention in much research (e.g. Keaveney 1995;Reichheld and Sasser 1990). This paper focuses on specific industry-Internet service providers and is organized as follows. Section 2 discusses how important switching and switching barriers are in Internet service providers sector, whilst the reasons why customers/businesses stay with one ISP even though they may have seriously considered alternatives will be examined ...

Globalization of the Korean Auto Industry Research Paper

Globalization of the Korean Auto Industry - Research Paper Example State also opted for industry restructuring/ regulating, and concentrated on export led strategy. Rise in domestic demand due to the betterment of economic condition of the country, further enhanced the auto industry of Korea. It took Korea barely three decades to move along the learning curve and secure the place of fifth largest automobile manufacturer in the world. It is notable that exports and foreign auto manufacturers have played a key role in supporting and pulling through the industry in the worst times. This paper throws light on the road taken and success achieved by the Korean automobile industry along with its impact on the economy of Korea. It also aims to explain the reasons for its global competitiveness and what distinguishes it from American automobile industry. The next section of the paper would compare the Korean and American automobile industries which would then be elaborated by an example. It would be followed by the challenges faced currently by the Korean au tomobile industry. Lastly, the paper would conclude with some recommendations to tackle the challenges. Korean Auto Industry Development The history of Korean Automobile Industry can be traced back to 1960s when the Government of Korea took a policy decision to develop auto industry in the country. In the first five year plan of the country, initiated in 1962, emphasis was laid on the creation of indigenous automotive industry. In its initial phase, i.e. in 1960s, the automobile majors were largely involved in assembling of semi knocked down and fully knocked down kits which were nothing but imported components of automobiles. To ease out the conditions for the development of the industry, the state banned import of fully assembled cars although it encouraged foreign partnerships for transfer of technology to the domestic players. With the support of the state, the industry progressed to give rise to four major players which were Hyundai, Kia, Daewoo and Samsung Motors. Hyundai was formed in 1967 with the aim of manufacturing a wholly indigenous car. It started on the learning curve by creating an assembly line to assemble fully knocked down kits. It tied up with Ford, Mitsubishi and Honda for technology transfers in order to initiate local manufacturing of automobiles. It was not until 1976, that Korea achieved the feat of manufacturing automobiles domestically. After eighteen technology transfers, from its foreign partners, Hyundai launched ‘Pony’, in 1976. Pony was the first Korean developed automobile (Korean Development Bank 175). It also holds the distinction of being the first Korean car to be exported. In 1985, Hyundai achieved the landmark quality certifications to meet the quality requirements of EEC, Canada and America which enabled it to export to these geographies also apart from Middle East and Africa. Kia, another automobile firm owned by a chaebol (large Korean business house) was established in 1971. Kia started its product line w ith three wheeled trucks and in a span of three years graduated to manufacture four wheel vehicles. Kia produced its first passenger car ‘Brisa’, in 1974 in technological partnership with Japan’s Honda. Similarly Shinjin Motors (now Daewoo) tied up with Japan’s Toyota to acquire capital and technical knowhow in automobile production. In 1972, Toyota’s share was taken over by General Motors which steered the firm to become the largest automobile

American History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American History - Term Paper Example The United States may hold values that are similar to Christian values, but the fact of the matter remains that the country was founded on the ideals of Enlightenment, which meant moving away from the relationship between Church and state. Those who believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation will point to the fact that many of the laws found in the country are similar to those of British Common Law, which is largely based on the Ten Commandments. Also, early historical documents frequently contain the word God, which could point to the nation being founded on these principles. The truth, however, is that the United States was largely founded on the idea of religious freedom. This is because the Anglican Church had so much power in Great Britain, and many separatists wished to escape this sort of environment. Also, while the Declaration of Independence does contain references to a higher power, there is no direct reference to a Christian God, nor does the Declaration have any impact on how the country was founded. This is because the Declaration, while an important historical document, is not lawful in any way and, therefore, does not affect the foundation of the country. Those who believe that the country was not founded on Christianity would argue that the founding fathers wished to eliminate the connection between Church and state. This was a manner of granting citizens complete freedom, including freedom of religion. In fact, the first treaty that the United States ever entered into was the Treaty of Tripoli, which stated, â€Å"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Musselmenâ€Å" (Walker). This document was produced by the founding fathers and stated that there was no connect, so it should be taken at what it says. There will always be the

Stem Cells Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stem Cells - Research Paper Example Cell-based devices are among the most appropriate techniques that surgeons have proposed. These approaches may provide effective therapeutic opportunities for repairing damaged bones due to injury or disease. The source of cells for cell-based approaches includes xenogenic, allogenic, and autologous cells. Scientists have discovered the use of Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC), which have proved to be effective in the repair of damaged bones. The source of the ESCs includes the blastocysts’ inner cell mass, which undergo fast cell division to replace the lost bone tissues. ESCs differentiate into osteogenic cells in selective culture environment. This property makes the ESCs to be effective in repairing or replacing the lost bone tissue (Kahle et al., 2010). Materials and Methods C57BL/6 mice acted as the source of the inner cell mass of blastocysts, which provided the embryonic stem cells. It was necessary to test the cells to ensure that they were positive for the experimentation. 1.5 x 106 cells were cultured in every Petri dish containing Dulbecco Eagle to enhance osteogenic differentiation. Dulbecco Eagle was changed in a daily basis and the embryonic stems cells were split once after two days through detachment with trypsin (Kahle et al., 2010). ... 2. Kitchen, S. G., Shimizu, S., & An, D. S. (2011). Stem cell-based anti-HIV gene therapy. Virology,  411, 260–272. Background There is a pressing need to develop an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. It has been a deadly disease because scientists have not yet developed effective medication or vaccination strategy. However, scientists have developed antiretroviral drug therapy, which has enabled the infected individuals to live for long before the virus takes full control of the immune system. There is a need for new techniques that can replace or complement existing antiretroviral drug therapy. It will be significant for scientists to develop new techniques that will fully control the virus and restore the damaged immune system. The recent technology of developing stem cell-based therapy as well as the technologies that make it possible for these cells to undergo genetic modification, has motivated scientists to work toward finding an appropriate medication for HIV infection (Kitchen, Shimizu, & An, 2011). Scientists have used hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy technique to ensure that the immune system of the infected individuals develops a long-term resistance to HIV. Hematopoietic stem cells have the capability of differentiation and self-renewal that bring about hematopoietic lineages. New genes due to hematopoietic stem cells have the ability to continue producing the anti-HIV genes in the differentiated cells, which includes cells such as macrophages, CD4 and T-lymphocytes (Kitchen, Shimizu, & An, 2011). Methods Because of the recent stem cell technology, scientists have a number of techniques that will possible cure HIV infection. They have employed a variety of methods to bring about an appropriate intervention such as

Cons of Playing Video Games Essay Example for Free

Cons of Playing Video Games Essay Video game is a series of 2D or 3D world created by author or editor to allow public experience by representing as a person or animal inside. In my humble opinion, playing video games have more cons than pros. My essay will tell you that playing video games have more cons because it wasting time, cause indulgence, side effect on body health and cause volatility. In the 21 century, video games not only available for boys, it is also already become part of the girl’s life style. Although most of the teenagers like to play video games, but playing video games is actually wasting our time. Commonly, video game is story style and continuously. So, we will need a lot of time to finish one chapter or complete a task. Regarding to that, our time to doing our homework or revision becomes less. Students may be scolded by teacher or being demerit for not completing their homework. Finally, the result of the students may be affected. Playing video games will also cause indulgence. The interesting story lines encourage people to indulge in video games. They usually play the video games until forget to eat, wash and rest. Some of them even play the video games until the whole day. This endangers one person life. Among these few month, there are report on teenager die in front of computer and the causes of death is due to play video games three days non-stop. The main reason is do not have enough rest. Besides that, playing video games for long term will also cause side effect or negative effect on body health. One of the effect is eating without follow the actual time. When playing video games, a person will always play until forget the time and miss out the lunch time and dinner time. Sitting in front of the computer for a long period of time without moving will also increase the risk of obesity and give burden to the spiral cord. Tiredness of eye and fingers are also caused by looking at the screen and typing for too long, At the other sides, video games also encourage teenager to involve in volatility. Many of the video games contain volatile issues like video games that involving fight and guns. If a person cannot control himself, he will slowly follows the attitude of the character inside and involves in volatile. Teenager probably will also unable to come back to reality world as the illusion world in video games are always perfect as it can be change according our favorable. In conclusion, playing video games have more cons than pros. Teenagers must not be besotted video games too much. In fact, they should spend their time on enjoying their teenager’s life.

Tis: A Memoir Frank McCourt Essay -- English Literature

Tis': A Memoir Frank McCourt Tis' by the Irish born author, Frank McCourt retells his life as a young immigrant making his way in New York City. He wants to succeed in the land of opportunities however, he is dashed by the reality that an Irishman who has rotten teeth, bad eyes, and no high school diploma has no real chance. He finds himself in the lowest of jobs, scrubbing the lobby of a swanky hotel. I am going to discuss the mental effect poverty has on McCourt in Tis. The American way of life make Frank feel like an outsider. In Ireland, everyone was an equal and they all struggled together. However, across the water, there are girls with tanned legs and boys with broad football shoulders and pearly white teeth. Frank did not even dare open his mouth for fear of being laughed at for his appalling dental hygiene. Tis is more about the emotional side of poverty Frank is still poor - he describes cheese sandwiches as a delicacy - but he is no longer at risk of dying from starvation. He generally finds places to sleep and food to eat He wants the comfort a...

Hamlet, Fortinbras, Laertes †Revenge Essay

One of the overriding themes of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the futility of revenge. The most obvious insistence upon revenge in the play is that of Hamlet himself who seeks to right the wrong of the murder of his father by Claudius. Both Laertes and Fortinbras are also out to seek revenge. Every one of the three eldest sons had one thing in common: they all wanted revenge for a slaughtered father. In the time in which this play is set, avenging the murder of a father was part of one’s honor, and it had to be done. All of the three sons swore vengeance, and then acted towards getting revenge for the deaths of their fathers. Shakespeare demonstrates how rage emerges in many different forms. Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras bring the theme of revenge to life, revealing the complexity and richness of human feelings. Hamlet’s method of revenge is perhaps the poorest method of all. He spends too much time thinking about his actions and takes no immediate action without premeditative thought. Hamlet’s reaction to the ghost changed after thought and this was his main problem. His approach to achieving revenge was incorrect from the start. He thought and planned to catch Claudius at the ‘right’ time; he excused himself and reasoned with himself as to why timings were not right. Laertes has no need for revenge until Hamlet kills his father, and he finds out that his sister is dead. It is for this reason that he goes along with the scheme to kill Hamlet, however he falters towards the end. His last words blame Claudius; however Hamlet also dies, and so his revenge is complete. After Hamlet kills Polonius, Laertes faces the same problem that Hamlet does – a murdered father. Yet, Laertes’s reaction to his father’s death is very different from Hamlet’s response to news of his own father’s murder. While Hamlet broods over the murder for much of the play, Laertes -takes immediate action. He storms home from France as soon as he hears the news, raises a crowd of followers, and invades the palace. Then he starts asking questions – unlike Hamlet, who asks a whole lot of questions before he finally gets around to avenging his father’s death. Fortinbras’ revenge is driven by honor. He is an important foil for Prince Hamlet, who has also lost a father and now finds himself seeking revenge. Fortinbras wishes to recover the territory that was lost when his father died. Fortinbras feels that his father’s death and loss of Norwegian land brings dishonor upon his father and upon himself. Therefore, he needs to recover the land in order to regain his family’s honor and the honor of the nation. Fortinbras is also humbled by his father’s death. He believes that regaining the territory lost during the war will restore the honorable conditions in Norway that existed before the war. But, while Hamlet sits around contemplating life and death, Fortinbras takes clear and immediate action by raising an army to reclaim Norway’s lost territories. Though his uncle (the current king of Norway) diverts Fortinbras from attacking Denmark, in the end, prince Fortinbras helps himself to the Danish throne. Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras seek retribution for the violent deaths of their fathers in different ways and for different reasons, but all three acts of revenge contribute to the theme that revenge is ultimately a pointless endeavor. Hamlet’s brooding over the morality of the act of revenge stands apart from that of the other two men because he represents the coming of a more enlightened age. Cold-blooded murder of the type that Laertes seeks is not acceptable to Hamlet; indeed he also seeks everlasting punishment. The revenge of Fortinbras is caused by the desire to regain a lost land of little consequence, pointing to the theme of how revenge can be enacted for the most illogical of reasons. Ultimately, the most successful method of revenge was Fortinbras’. He did not intend to use violence or cold-blooded murder but rather to seek what is his and bring back the rights and honor of his father.

Madness of Lear & Edgar

Madness is considered to be the root of all endings. In addition, the overall mental and physical state of madness is seen as shameful to many people, as well as disrespectful to oneself and others. With that being said, the motif of madness one thing that no man wants to experience. But in Shakespeare’s King Lear, madness appears in various forms and functions as the central theme, and leads many of the characters, including Lear himself, to their demise. In the beginning of the play, Lear is characterized as a very prideful individual, who is obsessed with power and self-love.But as the plot of the play progresses, numerous situations arise and Lear endures a rollercoaster of emotions, which ultimately shape him into a different person. Lear’s overall changes throughout the play all have something in common: a decrease in power and an increase in grief and sympathy. Each obstacle that Lear goes through pushes his pride more and more towards self-pity and sadness, whic h are emotions that a King of his stature is not used to having to deal with.Through his perspective at this point, he fears that he is going mad, and Lear is so obsessed with control that the thought of losing it all makes him believe that he is losing his sanity as well. However, after he constantly gets pushed to experience self-evaluation with each situation. Lear undergoes a rebirth, even though it is too late for the King at this stage of the play. Another character in King Lear, Edgar, also endures the play’s central theme of madness, but in a different way.Edgar feigns his insanity to stay alive, by disguising himself as the beggar â€Å"Poor Tom†, in order for his father, Gloucester, to accept him after Edmund, Gloucester’s illegitimate son, tricks their father into thinking that Edgar is a madman and wants to murder his father. Edgar fames madness throughout the play and disguises himself as the madman that Edmund has betrayed him to be, since at the t ime the insane were virtually invisible to society. Ironically, Edgar’s time as a supposedly insane beggar prepares him to defeat Edmund at the close of the play.Shakespeare uses both of these characters to mirror and contrast one another’s states to madness and to illustrate the play’s deeper meanings. While Edgar pretends to be mad, Lear is actually mad. Edgar stimulates insanity and foreshadows Lear’s madness, as it grows stronger throughout the play. The two end up joining, and it ultimately provides Lear with important wisdom by reducing him to his bare humanity, stripped of all royal pretentions. However, the real madness ofLear and the assumed madness of Edgar both play against one another to make out of the chaos a harmony in the kingdom through self-revelation, wisdom, and humility. Eventually, the madness comes to an end. Edgar unveils his disguise of madness and overthrows Edmund, while Lear’s madness leads to his demise. Overall, Shakes peare delves into the issues of age, power, lust, betrayal, and most of all, pure madness. The play shines a light on various faults in humanity, including self-indulgence and the desires to only think about oneself. In the end, greed and egotism can really only result in madness.

Facts and Brief History of Oman

Facts and Brief History of Oman The Sultanate of Oman long served as a hub on the Indian Ocean trade routes, and it has ancient ties that reach from Pakistan to the island of Zanzibar. Today, Oman is one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, despite not having extensive oil reserves. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Muscat, population 735,000 Major Cities: Seeb, pop. 238,000 Salalah, 163,000 Bawshar, 159.000 Sohar, 108,000 Suwayq, 107,000 Government Oman is an absolute monarchy ruled by Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. The Sultan rules by decree. Oman has a bicameral legislature, the Council of Oman, which serves an advisory role to the Sultan. The upper house, the Majlis ad-Dawlah, has 71 members from prominent Omani families, who are appointed by the Sultan. The lower chamber, the Majlis ash-Shoura, has 84 members who are elected by the people, but the Sultan can negate their elections.   Population of Oman Oman has about 3.2 million residents, only 2.1 million of whom are Omanis. The rest are foreign guest workers, mainly from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, and the Philippines.  Within the Omani population, ethnolinguistic minorities include Zanzibaris, Alajamis, and Jibbalis.   Languages Standard Arabic is the official language of Oman. However, some Omanis also speak several different dialects of Arabic and even entirely distinct Semitic languages. Small minority languages related to Arabic and Hebrew include Bathari, Harsusi, Mehri, Hobyot (also spoken in a small area of Yemen), and Jibbali. About 2,300 people speak Kumzari, which is an Indo-European language from the Iranian branch, the only Iranian language spoken on the Arabian Peninsula. English and Swahili are commonly spoken as second languages in Oman, due to the countrys historical ties with Britain and Zanzibar. Balochi, another Iranian language that is one of the official languages of Pakistan, is also widely spoken by Omanis. Guest workers speak Arabic, Urdu, Tagalog, and English, among other languages. Religion The official religion of Oman is Ibadi Islam, which is a branch distinct from both Sunni and Shia beliefs, that originated just about 60 years after the Prophet Mohammeds death. Approximately 25% of the population is non-Muslim. Religions represented include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Bahai, and Christianity. This rich diversity reflects Omans centuries-long position as a major trade depot within the Indian Ocean system. Geography Oman covers an area of 309,500 square kilometers (119,500 square miles) on the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula. Much of the land is a gravel desert, although some sand dunes also exist. Most of Omans population lives in the mountainous areas in the north and the southeast coast. Oman also possesses a small piece of land on the tip of the Musandam Peninsula, cut off from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Oman borders on the UAE to the north, Saudi Arabia to the northwest, and Yemen to the west.  Iran sits across the Gulf of Oman to the north-north-east.   Climate Much of Oman is extremely hot and dry. The interior desert regularly sees summer temperatures in excess of 53 °C (127  °F), with annual precipitation of just 20 to 100 millimeters (0.8 to 3.9 inches). The coast is usually about twenty degrees Celsius or thirty degrees Fahrenheit cooler. In the Jebel Akhdar mountain region, rainfall can reach 900 millimeters in a year (35.4 inches). Economy Omans economy is perilously reliant on oil and gas extraction, even though its reserves are only the 24th largest in the world. Fossil fuels account for more than 95% of Omans exports. The country also produces small amounts of manufactured goods and agricultural products for export - primarily dates, limes, vegetables, and grain - but the desert country imports much more food than it exports. The Sultans government is focusing on diversifying the economy by encouraging manufacturing and service sector development. Omans per capita GDP is about $28,800 US (2012), with a 15% unemployment rate. History Humans have lived in what is now Oman since at least 106,000 years ago  when Late Pleistocene people left stone tools related to the Nubian Complex from the Horn of Africa in the Dhofar region. This indicates that humans moved from Africa into Arabia around that time, if not earlier, possibly across the Red Sea.   The earliest known city in Oman is Dereaze, which dates back at least 9,000 years. Archaeological finds include flint tools, hearths, and hand-formed pottery. A nearby mountainside also yields pictographs of animals and hunters. Early Sumerian tablets call Oman Magan, and note that it was a source of copper. From the 6th century BCE forward, Oman was usually controlled by the great Persian dynasties based just across the Gulf in what is now Iran. First it was the Achaemenids, who may have established a local capital at Sohar; next the Parthians; and finally the Sassanids, who ruled until the rise of Islam in the 7th century CE. Oman was among the first places to convert to Islam; the Prophet sent a missionary south around 630 CE, and the rulers of Oman submitted to the new faith. This was prior to the Sunni/Shia split, so Oman took up Ibadi Islam  and has continued to subscribe to this ancient sect within the faith. Omani traders and sailors were among the most important factors in propagating Islam around the rim of the India Ocean, carrying the new religion to India, Southeast Asia, and parts of the East African coast. After the Prophet Mohammeds death, Oman came under the rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates, the Qarmatians (931-34), the Buyids (967-1053), and the Seljuks (1053-1154). When the Portuguese entered the Indian Ocean trade  and began to exert their power, they recognized Muscat as a prime port. They would occupy the city for almost 150 years, from 1507 to 1650. Their control was not uncontested, however; the Ottoman fleet captured the city from the Portuguese in 1552 and again from 1581 to 1588, only to lose it again each time. In 1650, local tribesmen managed to drive the Portuguese away for good; no other European country managed to colonize the area, although the British did exert some imperial influence in later centuries. In 1698, the Imam of Oman invaded Zanzibar and drove the Portuguese away from the island. He also occupied parts of coastal northern Mozambique. Oman used this toehold in East Africa as a slave market, supplying African forced labor to the Indian Ocean world.   The founder of Omans current ruling dynasty, the Al Said  took power in 1749. During a secession struggle about 50 years later, the British were able to extract concessions from an Al Said ruler in return for supporting his claim to the throne. In 1913, Oman split into two countries, with religious imams ruling the interior while the sultans continued to rule in Muscat and the coast.   This situation grew complicated in the 1950s  when likely-looking oil formations were discovered. The sultan in Muscat was responsible for all dealings with foreign powers, but the imams controlled the areas that appeared to have oil. As a result, the sultan and his allies captured the interior in 1959 after four years of fighting, once again uniting the coast and interior of Oman. In 1970, the current sultan overthrew his father, Sultan Said bin Taimur  and introduced economic and social reforms. He could not stem the uprisings around the country, however, until Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, and Britain intervened, bringing about a peace settlement in 1975. Sultan Qaboos continued to modernize the country. However, he faced protests in 2011 during the Arab Spring; after promising further reforms, he cracked down on activists, fining and jailing several of them.