Cell phones How have they changed us socially? Essay

Filed under Fall 2013, Story Cycle 4, Features, Opinion, Showcase The short URL of the present article is: http://lhslance.org/bKUbA We live in a world where communication through modern technology is almost required. Everywhere people are texting, emailing, writing blogs and tweeting. It’s hard to go anywhere without seeing someone using a phone or the Internet to connect with others. Can you imagine not being able to check your Twitter, Facebook or messages for a week? We would feel lost. Of course the use of technology can be good. It provides us with faster, more efficient ways to communicate with others, but it can also harm our ability to communicate with people face to face. Many complain that our new digital skills impact our ability to write properly. We look old fashioned on paper. â€Å"i nede to ask a?† Read our ad policy â€Å"Cell phones have changed communication because now, instead of friends actually having a face to face conversation, they text each other. This is bad because intent become misinterpreted, which can lead to ‘drama’ and friendship problems. The use of cell phones has affected me because whenever I am in a situation, instead of trying to make a conversation I resort to my cell phone,† Junior Taylor Strahan said. How the message is sent can determine many additional factors as to how the message is interpreted by the receiver. All new information we learn is compared with the knowledge we already have. If it confirms what we already know, we will likely receive the new information accurately, though we may pay little attention to it. If it disputes our previous assumptions or interpretation of the situation, we may distort it in our mind so that it is made to fit our world view, or we may dismiss the information as deceptive, misguided, or simply wrong. For example, if two people are involved in an escalated conflict, and they each assume that the other is going to be aggressive and hostile, then any  ambiguous message will be interpreted as aggressive and hostile, even if it was not intended to be that way at all. Our expectations work as blinders or filters that distort what we see so that it fits our preconceived images of the world. According to pewinternet.org, â€Å"a bit more than a third (37%) of social network-using teens said they sent messages to friends every day through the social sites, a drop from the 42% of such teens who said they did so in February of 2008†. Face- to -face communication among children and teenagers is being squashed out by social networks. A phone call isn’t used to get in touch with someone anymore; Facebook and Twitter are the main tools of communication. The consequences of this are social awkwardness and even social anxiety when confronted with new people to meet in person. A study was done by pewinternet.org among teenagers on social networks, and the amount of communication among teenagers on social networks, and the amount of communication by social network has remained steady. Studies show that homework is interrupted and children become distracted when they receive notifications of a new chat messages, texts, or emails. â€Å"Good communication is important because when we are adults and applying for interviews, we won’t know how to have proper communication, which can result in not getting the job. Another thing is kids are so focused on social networking on our phones that we spend less time on school work which causes bad grades. In the future when applying for college, they won’t accept us because we have bad grades and that is due to cell phone use,† Strahan added. 7 Texting has, in many ways, made communication easier by helping people avoid long, unpleasant phone conversations and making a quick â€Å"Hello† much easier. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of teenagers text regularly, and one in three sends more than 100 texts per day. Clearly, texting is the preferred method of communication among young people, and that trend is moving upward toward adults, who are also texting much more frequently. Studies have shown that it makes it difficult for students who rely so heavily on technology to actually communicate to adults in person because they don’t quite develop all of the necessary skills to hold or even start a face-to-face conversation. However, these skills are a crucial tool in the workforce. If you want a high paying, stable job, or possibly even to be admitted to a university, you must have good face-to-face communication skills. If you lack these specific skills you most likely won’t even make it  throu gh the interview. â€Å"Teens are in the stage of their life where they’re learning so if you don’t learn to have good communication skills, then when you become an adult you will have a harder time asking for help, being proactive with things in your life,† said reading specialist Mrs. Tracey Cassidy. Students who are constantly texting with abbreviated forms of words have begun to speak with the same acronyms. The now everyday uses of â€Å"LOL† and â€Å"OMG† have become substitutions for actual emotional responses in conversations. This form of talking is often seen as flighty and uneducated. They’re not only speaking in abbreviated ways but they are also beginning to become distracted during conversations. While texting, it is easy to jump from topic to topic when an idea comes to mind. However, this is causing many students to become unfocused and sidetracked during face to face conversations. â€Å"I think that some cell phones have opened up communication for teens 100% because that’s how they communicate with their friends, parents, with their school work. I think it’s fantastic, and that’s what they really rely on, so it is good but some negatives are their communication skills are not as strong as they should be, like talking to other people,† Cassidy added. â€Å"When I was a teen we did not have cell phones or computers. I had a telephone in my room (which was a big deal) it was attached to the wall with a long cord and was then attached to a base so I couldn’t walk around the house and talk on the phone. I had to say in my room for privacy. Before I got my own phone I would use the phone in the kitchen, I would stretch the phone cord as far as I could and then go into a closet for privacy,† parent Barbara Dempster said. â€Å"Communication is a way for people to connect with each other and form relationship. It is also a way to gather information from others. I like the variety of ways that people can communicate and keep in touch with one another. I do feel that the importance of face- to- face communication has been impacted by the use of cell phone and texting vs. talking on the phone,† Dempster added. We have become a society that is completely dependent on our technology to communicate with others. It’ s almost impossible for us to maintain our social life without using some sort of modern-day technology to communicate. â€Å"In terms of communication, it is harder for teens to communicate face to  face with people with maybe teachers, because they’re so used to doing it via email. Sometimes it’s good, meaning if you don’t like a grade you have, you can email the teacher saying you have concerns about your grade. Where if you don’t have an email, you have to talk to your teacher about the grade you don’t like and you might be nervous and uncomfortable because it’s your teacher,† Cassidy said. â€Å"I would tell teens that there is a time and place for texting and there is a time when you need to have a conversation either face to face or over the telephone,† said Dempster. â€Å"Texting is great when you need to find out information quickly – Are you still coming over? Do you want a soda? Where are you?† Dempster believes other situations require face- to -face like, â€Å"When you are joking and it may be difficult for the oth er person to sense your humor or sarcasm, communication with a teacher or adult. When telling your parents you did something wrong,† Dempster said. According to Pew Research Center, â€Å"As technology continues to improve, the use of cell phones continues to change drastically. The increase over the last ten years has been incredible and the way we use our phones to stay connected and informed continues to change.† â€Å"The average American smartphone user spent nearly 30 minutes a day checking or updating social networks. The way we use cell phones has changed drastically over the last year. Once upon a time, we used cell phones to make calls while we were away from our homes. Recent studies show that we may be migrating away from our primary use of the phone to more of a texting and mobile web device.† Research from www.accuconference.com states that in 2012 †¢53% of adults own a smartphone. †¢42% of people have used their phone for entertainment when they are bored. †¢51% of users used their cell phone at least once to get information. †¢27% said they had trouble doing something because they did not have their phone. †¢29% turn off their phones to take a break from their digital life at night. This article is not to say that mobile phones should be banned due to their many negative aspects. It depends upon us whether we use this technology for our progress and prosperity or for our destruction. No doubt, mobile phone is the best innovation of this era but people should use it in a positive sense.

Computional Fluid Dynamics Through a Pipe

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION3 Method:3 Part 23 Part 33 Part 44 Part 54 RESULTS4 Part 14 Part 26 Part 36 Part 46 Part 5:6 DISCUSSION7 CONCLUSION7 REFERENCES7 INTRODUCTION The main objective of this assignment is to simulate a 3-D air flow in a pipe using Ansys CFX. The pipe was simulated under specific conditions. These conditions are air temperature to be 25? C (degrees Celsius), one atmospheric reference pressure, no heat transfer and laminar flow. The results from the simulation of laminar flow in the pipe were compared with the theoretical ones.Also the mesh was refined in the simulation to see if it is possible to get more accurate results using grid convergence analysis. Method: The pipe used in the simulation has dimensions of a 0. 5m axial length and a radial diameter of 12mm. The air entering the pipe, inlet velocity, is set to 0. 4 m/s at a temperature of 25? C and one atmospheric pressure. No slip condition was set on the pipe walls. The outlet of pipe was set to zero gau ge average static pressure. In CFX a mesh was formed on the pipe with a default mesh spacing (element size) of 2mm.Figure (1) and (2) shows the setup of the model before simulation was preformed Figure 1: Mesh without Inflation Figure 1: Mesh without Inflation Figure 2: Mesh with Inflation Part 2 Calculating the pressure drop ? p=fLD? Ub22Equation (1) Calculating Reynolds number Re=UbD/? Equation (2) Friction Factorf=64/ReEquation (3) The results were calculated using excel, and plotted in Figure (3). Part 3 Estimating the entrance pipe length Le: Le/D=0. 06ReEquation (4) Having Re=UbD/? Equation (3) The simulated results of velocity vs. axial length were plotted in Figure (5).From the graph the Le (entrance pipe length) was determined by estimating the point in the x-axis where the curve is straight horizontal line. Part 4 Comparison of the radial distribution of the axial velocity in the fully developed region in the simulated model against the following analytical equation: UUmax = 1-rr02 Equation (5) The results were calculated using excel, and plotted in Figure (4). Part 5 The simulation was performed three times, each time with a different grid setting. The numbers of nodes were 121156,215875 and 312647 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd simulation.RESULTS Part 1 Figure 3: Pressure Distribution vs. Axial Length Figure 3: Pressure Distribution vs. Axial Length Figure 4: Axial Velocity vs. Radial Diameter Figure 5: Velocity vs. Axial Distance Part 2 Having: Dynamic viscosity ? = 1. 835Ãâ€"10-5 kg/ms and Density ? = 1. 184 kg/m3 Reynolds Number Re=UbD? == 261. 58 Friction Factorf=64Re== 0. 244667 ?p=0. 965691 Pa From the simulation the pressure estimated at the inlet is ? p=0. 96562 Pa (0. 95295-0. 965691)/0. 965691*100 = 1. 080 % Part 3 Having Re=UbD? =261. 58 The entrance pipe length Le: Le=0. 06Re*D = 0. 188 mFrom the graph in Figure (3) the Le is estimated to be ~ 0. 166667 ((0. 166667-0. 188)/0. 188)*100 = 11. 73% Part 4 From the graph in Figure 2 the theoretic al velocity at the center of the pipe is estimated to be 0. 8 m/s. From the simulation the velocity at the center of the pipe is estimated to be 0. 660406 m/s. ((0. 688179-0. 8)/0. 8)*100= 13. 98% Part 5: Table 1: Percentage Error for Each Simulation Number of Nodes| Axial Velocity % error (%)| Pressure % error (%) | 120000 Simulated I| 13. 98| 1. 31| 215000 Simulated II| 12. 42| 2. 24| 312000 Simulated III| 12. 38| 2. 28|Figure 6: Percentage Error vs. Number of Nodes Figure 6: Percentage Error vs. Number of Nodes The percentage error for the axial velocity results from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd simulation were calculated and plotted in Figure (6), as well as the pressure result along the pipe. Table (1) shows the axial velocity and pressure percentage error for each simulation. DISCUSSION After the simulation was successfully done on Ansys CFX and the simulated results were compared with theoretical results, it was found that the simulated results have slight deviation from theoretical ones. In PART 2, he pressure in the simulated result differed by the theoretical by a 1. 080%, for 1st simulation. In PART 3, the simulated results for entrance pipe length, Le, differed from the theoretical results by 11. 73%. In PART 4, Figure (4), the simulated velocity curve is less accurate than that of the theoretical. In PART 5, meshing refinements and inflation were done to the simulation in order to getting better results. Figures (6) show with more nodes and inflation the accuracy of the results increases. Increasing the nodes gradually was found to be an advantage where higher or more accurate results were obtained.This is noted in grid convergence graph, Figure (6), as the number of nodes increase the pressure percentage error is converging to 2% while for velocity percentage error is converging to 12%. On the other hand, the percentage error increased with the increase of the number of nodes while the velocity error decreased with the increase of number of nodes. In Par t 2 the percentage error for pressure drop is 1. 080%, for 1st simulation. But when trying to increase the accuracy of the simulated velocity result by refining the meshing and adding nodes the pressure drop percentage error increases, as shown in figure (6).This is due to that Darcy-Weisbach equation, equation (1), assumes constant developed flow all along the pipe where in the simulated results the flow is observed to become developed father down the pipe from the inlet. This is assumed to change the pressure distribution along the pipe. CONCLUSION More nodes used in meshing will produce more accurate and precise results, as shown in Figure (6). Also the meshing plays a vital rule on the sensitivity of results in terms of the accuracy of these results. REFERENCES [1]Fluid Mechanics Frank M. White Sixth edition. 2006

Innovation in sustainable engineering design (Electrical and Essay

Innovation in sustainable engineering design (Electrical and electronic engineering) - Essay Example This life experience has matured me in many different ways and made me a stronger person. Soon after my parent’s separation, I realised that not only do I have to live a humble and simple life and not get disheartened by my friends around me who might be able to afford the latest technology; I also need to become the financial source for my family and learn to survive with the minimum. Whilst having to work as a Newspaper boy at the age of 14, I also had to make sure I learnt English as soon as possible so that I could achieve good grades and be able to complete my Education at a higher level and hopefully end up having a decent job. During my secondary education I did a lot of voluntary work in several fields such as an electrician, gas engineer, construction worker, mechanic, charity worker (The Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, The Royal British Legion and Humanity First), community events, financial advisor and sales assistant in an electrical appliances store. All of the above voluntary work has improved my communication skills, organisation skills and has provided me with valuable knowledge in several different areas. One of the subjects which I thoroughly enjoyed at school was system and technology. Since a very young age I always had a keen interested in engineering and technology. In year four in Germany, I remember I came up with a clever yet simple idea for my project. I took out a small generator machine already attached to a gear box from a toy car, then attached it to a small plastic shaft and then joined this to a rotor hub made out of rubber. I then folded a few paperboards and shaped them into four blades and attached them to the rotor hub. Finally, I added a few batteries and a fan was developed. My teachers were very impressed. This increased my creativity further and I carried on experimenting with new designs. I also used to

AFRICAN HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

AFRICAN HISTORY - Essay Example In a social context, when it comes to social behavior, to begin with it was limited to a few single individuals with children that began to live together to better their chances of survival. These small groups eventually gave to bigger groups evincing a higher degree of social complexity (Berger 1). Thereby the humans felt an increased need for a better and efficient communication, and the need for language was felt (Berger 4). The earlier usage of limited oral expressions to solve the limited problems gave way to much complex lingual constructs (Berger 4). The early humans realized the advantages of using language for the sharing of information. The first convincing stone tools were developed by human about 2.5 million years ago in East Africa (Berger 5). As the early human realized the efficiency that stone tool ushered in their daily activities they started using select rock materials to craft and fashion tools (Berger 5). The humans accepted the importance of tools in butchering activities, as human teeth and nails were quiet incapable of slicing pieces of flesh and tough skins. Gradually the proto humans also learnt to fashion tool from perishable materials like wood (Berger 5). Eventually, with the enhanced preference for group formation, the early humans became more of hunters and farmers than being mere scavengers. This led from human populations confined to small groups that were far scattered to social organization and thereby an enhanced human capacity to fight against the vagaries of nature. This eventually gave way to larger human populations. 2. The relationship between the land, people, and climate has always been a complex issue on the continent. Discuss agriculture, domestication, and pastoralism in early ancient Nile Valley and Southern African communities. Cite techniques used to control plant productivity, livestock domestication, and responses to climatic changes. There is no

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 49

No topic - Essay Example Refusing certain mutations we "play the role of God" to some extent. Another, essential from an ethical point of view, disadvantage lies in the fact that this type of diagnosis may be available only to people with high fortune. That means that poor people are unable to use these methods. Because this is unfair, it is necessary to develop state program that can provide an opportunity for low-income families to use this type of diagnosis. Finally, the worst thing in preimplantation diagnosis is that during selection of healthy embryos some of them can be killed. It is difficult bioethical issue. Concerning advantages of this diagnosis: firstly, and most important, in that way we can provide a high quality of life for our children and their parents. People should never forget that even given birth to a child with specific genetic disease, like Down syndrome, parents devote the child to suffer throughout all life. Second, we saturate our human population of healthy genes, which reduces the likelihood of recurrence of the disease. Second, we saturate our human population by healthy genes, which reduces probability recurrence of the disease. Overall, the use of genetics is becoming broader significance in our lives. This applies to medicine, agriculture and many other things around us. Heredity of certain physical properties, such as body type, composition of muscle fiber and type of sensorimotor reactions may affect the achievement in sport (Miah). The task of modern society is to prevent the parents to choose their children`s quality. This process should be natural and "playing God" it not possible from an ethical point of view. Thus, taken into consideration that progress cannot be stopped, we should pay more attention to bioethical

Evaluate a case study using behaviourists approach Essay

Evaluate a case study using behaviourists approach - Essay Example Moreover, cognitive theory works on the assumption that answers are always resulting from deliberate patterning. the theory is best used for learning and teaching purposes as it assumes that perceptions is a change happening in the mind and is caused by mental depiction and relationship stirred by the experiences of an individual (BECK, 2011: 62). This paper uses a different theory from behaviorist theory and related to behavior and provides an intervention strategy. In addition, the paper analyses the pros and cons of using cognitive theory to a behaviorist approach. Cognitive theory is a psychology learning theory which tries to explain how individuals act. It reasons that the acts are from choices which are made from humans who are considered logical beings. The known aspect of this theory is social cognitive theory that lays emphasis in understanding and changing how other individuals behave. It is mostly witnessed in advertising and peer pressure groups. Moreover, the theory forms a basis of treating psychological horrors which are related to the response of an individual. The main focus of the theory is to establish the different cognitive processes in learning. The main process involved in this theory includes scrutinizing, classifying and making theories based on the available information. In my opinion, learning in cognitive theory is based on activities happening within the minds: are not created with other stimuli originating outside the mind. Abstract instructions can be used to assess students because of the similar mental models which are contextual. In using the mental models, students can either be assessed using mind maps, taxonomies or networks to determine their understanding of a learning session or experience. Also they can be asses seducing a social, individualized approach which composes of the use of groups. This involves attaching little values to the instructions to the learning experience as popularly believed all work

The number of migrants in the world has more than doubled since 1975 Essay

The number of migrants in the world has more than doubled since 1975. Discuss, with specific reference to UK - Essay Example Moreover, according to reports from the Office of National Statistics the net migration into UK was roughly 189,000 between mid-2005 and mid-2006. Also, the overall migration in to the UK since 1994 has been estimated to be in excess of 2 million people. These staggering figures all point to the fact that the negative net migration is contributing hugely to the population expansion in UK. There are numerous reasons for this. One view claims that this is a direct consequence of the respective immigration policies in the UK and outside it and is hence a consequence of a choice made by the policymakers. However, migration demographics gathered from other countries seems to contradict this theory and suggest that in addition to the UK immigration policy, this is more due to the economic forces working silently behind the scenes.1 Hatton summarizes in his paper that relative income, immigration policy and inequality all have a role to play in the inducement to migrate to or from UK. However, he wraps up his paper by saying that patterns of unemployment and relative income have a comparatively smaller impact on the migration of UK when compared to UK inequality and relative policy disparities between UK and rest of the Europe in specific and rest of the world in general. This has huge implications on the UK economy and on UK as a whole. ... the high net migration but also because of increasing life expectance and fertility), a city the size of Birmingham must be constructed every two and a half years in order to meet the growing needs!' Apart from the obvious problems of over-population and lack of space in the society, a huge negative immigration can have many other consequences to the common Britisher. Sir Andrew Green, the Chairman of Migration Watch UK said on the November 4th, 2007 edition of The Sunday Times; 'Failure to act now will mean that our society will be changed beyond recognition - and especially our cities. London is one-third immigrant and half of all babies born there have a foreign parent. Other large cities will follow. According to one academic study, the ethnic community in Britain will grow from 9% to 29% by mid-century. There is every reason for concern. The Commission for Racial Equality's final report spoke frankly about growing segregation and of our society "fracturing", with bonds of solidarity across different groups weakening, and tensions between people increasing. These are serious warnings. The Commission Racial Equality was in denial about the role of mass immigration in all this but the rest of us can see it clearly.' (Sir Green A., 2007, Sunday Times). Putting this fact aside too, other problems such as the cheaper immigrant labor being absorbed into the workforce while one million (according to independent studies) laborers who would like to work but cannot do so because certain laborers are charging below the market rate for their services emerge. However, it is apparent that there must be certain advantages of having a high number of immigrants into the economy. For example, the injection of foreigners into the economy means that they can do those things which

Review, Evaluation & Analysis of a case study Essay

Review, Evaluation & Analysis of a case study - Essay Example However, Rosen (1998) emphasizes the importance of initial finance in ventures of small businesses. On the other hand, Santarelli& Vivarelli (2006) found a positive correlation between the choice of financing and the growth and survival of a venture. This paper explores the role of entrepreneurial finance in the entrepreneurial life cycle. According to Leach & Melicher (2003), the early phases of the entrepreneurship life cycle, the venture exhibits undercapitalization and in effect the entrepreneur must grab the different sources of capital. Mason (2007) discusses the role of informal sources of finances, which are often ignored in class room environment, but have significant role in the entrepreneurial life cycle. According to Preston (2007), angel investors are high net worth persons who inject funds in the early stage companies. Reminiscent of an American program, Shark Tank, that features high net worth individuals who are looking for investment opportunities in television. Kerr, Lerner & Schoar (2010) found out that angel investments improve entrepreneurial success. These opportunities for tapping capital at such early stages must occur as the venture progresses from startup through the survival stage. The major objective of the entrepreneurial finance is to assist the entrepreneurs through the life cycle of the venture to continually make better investment and financing decisions. The process covers the entire venture life cycle from startup to exit and inquires into issues such as deal structures, incentives, business models and valuation to a greater degree than normal equity management. Winton & Yerramilli (2008) in a comparison between bank and venture capital financing delved into the metrics of the choice between these two methods of financing a venture. According to N Berger & F Udell (1998), entrepreneurial finance plays an important role in small business as opposed to the large business. The small

Review of Quantitative Research Designs Assignment

Review of Quantitative Research Designs - Assignment Example It is estimated that approximately 24 million teenage Americans, 9% of the entire population engage in drug abuse. Such research requires descriptive statistics to establish the trends and provide a visual impression of the research (Black, 1999). The research was conducted on a population to describe the data in relation to drug abuse. An experimental research design can be applied when trying out a new technology in the public transport system. For example, attempting to see how commuters using public transport would respond to an easy pay system; pre-paid cards fitted with a magnetic chip and can be used as a means of payment in buses. An experimental research design would be appropriate for such a research situation because the research is subject to manipulation, control, random selection, and random assignment (Vogt, 2007). The above-mentioned characteristics of experimental research design indicate that the researcher can obtain as much information as possible due to the ease of control of the research topic. The research question would be: How will people respond to the easy pay system and the number of people that would recommend it. The independent variable will be the response (excited, satisfied, and not sure) while the dependent variable will be the number of commuters who recommend the

Movie Review of Secret (2007 Taiwanese Film) Essay Example for Free

Movie Review of Secret (2007 Taiwanese Film) Essay Casts: * Jay Chou as Ye Xianglun A music student majoring in piano and lives with his father * Kwai Lun-mei as Lu Xiaoyu A music student who lives with her mother * Anthony Wong Chau-sang as Xianglun’s father Xiangluns father and the discipline teacher at his school * Alice Tzeng as Qing Yi Xiangluns classmate who is in love with him * Yuhao Zhan as Yu Hao A music student and talented piano player, nicknamed Prince of the piano, he had a piano battle with Xianglun Secret is an amazing movie to look at and to listen to. The film tells a simple but very beautiful love story which is tied between past and present. The story, the music, the talent you’ll really be amazed and be in love with it when you see it yourself. You can’t imagine that it would be magical. It’s a unique story, unpredictable and interesting. Whats more interesting is there is more to it than what meets the eye. Careful attention must be paid to all scenes, or else the story wont click and the end wont be as good. Heres the spoil. Ye Xianglun is a budding musical genius whose way with piano keys makes him a hit with the ladies, and even the guys, who recognize talent when they see it. Ye arrives at Tanjiang Art School and already hes being watched, but his eyes and heart are immediately stolen by Lu Xiaoyu, an elegant, charming flirt who first happens upon Ye in the schools aged piano room. The two begin a cute, casual romance thats defined by secrets. Basically, Lu keeps them, starting with her name, then extending them to other things like where she goes, what she does, and why shes always absent from class. Since shes so effervescent and attractive, Ye is immediately smitten. Ye has a secret too, but Ill give it away: his dad is a teacher at the school, and hes played by Anthony Wong in an amusing performance thats vintage Wong. Ye also has some friends at school who arent as amusing, and even qualify as annoying and bothersome. Some of these characters are played by Chous Taiwanese pop music pals. Since this is a Jay Chou (Ye Xianglun) production (besides starring and directing, he penned the original story and contributed the music), its only understandable that Chou make room for some of his buddies  as well as his pet obsessions, especially music. Ye becomes the class celebrity when he kicks ass in a piano battle, which is as entertaining as it is patently manufactured. Basically, Ye outfoxes his opponent on the ivory keys , winning the hearts of the girls and the guys, while still remaining cool and sheepish in that inimitable Ye Xianglun way. Chief among his admirers is the pretty Qing Yi, who starts to crush on Ye big time. But Ye only has eyes for Lu. Or does he? Despite getting along swimmingly with Ye, Lu soon gets the idea that Ye is two-timing her with Qing. This is due to your standard crossed wires and mistaken circumstances, but the misinterpreted event is enough to throw a massive crush-killing wrench into their puppy love. That would probably be a terrible thing to behold if not for the fact that the relationship up until then was hardly inspiring. Ye Xianglun and Lu Xiaoyu have decent chemistry, but the relationship between their characters never seems that deep. Theres a manufactured quality to the dialogue that makes their supposed love a bit unconvincing, and without more acute emotions the film begins to drag. Sadly, part of this is the fault of Ye Xianglun, the actor. Ye possesses a certain likable charm, but his presence hardly screams passion. His demeanor is just too remote; Ye tries hard, but he cant convey a complete range of emotions. Shoring things up, however, is Lu Xiaoyu. When she initially appears, she acts too much like an idealized good girl flirt to be real; its like shes some manufactured idea of what perfect high school romance should be. However, as it turns out, theres a reason for her bizarre flirtatious behavior, and as the film divulges more of the how’s and why’s, Lu is given a chance to convey emotions that prove heartbreaking. Her screen presence is refreshing and her emotion’s genuinely moving; if Secret manages to affect, Lu Xiaoyu is a large reason why. The revelation of the films eponymous secret is what gives Lu the chance to really affect the audience and yet its also when the movie starts to lose its credibility. The mechanism behind the films secret is never known, but the logic of how it works is explained explicitly, such that every incident and action in the film needs to fit a set of rules explained by the characters and depicted by the events themselves. But the film ultimately doesnt adhere to its conv ictions, eventually twisting events to fit desired emotions and skirting around the rules that theyve laid out for us. The film gives us a denouement, but its  only touching because it fits some sort of predetermined audience expectation, and not because it surprises or really affects. Some people may be happy with how Secret ends. But does the film earn its ending? I dont think that it does. At least Secret is a very pretty ride. On artifice alone, the film is aces, serving up beautiful art direction, cinematography and music. Ye Xianglun (Jay Chou) really knows how to compose a tune; the films original music is genuinely stirring, and preexisting pieces are well-chosen and evocative of the films innocent romantic mood. Secret serves the senses exceptionally well so much so, that its almost tragic when it ultimately throws logic out the window. Ye Xianglun and company have created a nice little valentine, but their desire to give the film more weight eventually leaves it adrift. The film barrels towards its intended goal with little regard for common sense, leaving the audience with nothing besides the pretty pictures and people to shore it up. Amazingly, that gambit is more successful than not, and Lu Xiaoyu (Kwai Lun-mei) practically drags the film across the finish line herself. Without her the film would probably sink beneath its own self-importance, as its manufactured sheen and occasionally miscalculated choices render the film little more than a superficially gorgeous pure love diversion for teen girls and the boys they drag to the cinema along with them. Thatll probably do just fine for most, since manufactured diversion seems to be a standard expectation for many modern moviegoers. Secret will probably score well with its intended teen audience, especially if they take in the film as a single, one-off experience. Further viewings would only reveal the films holes to be gaping and perhaps intolerable, but upon first glance, Secret is pretty and polished enough to charm. You should watch it too!

Energy Conversion Is The Conversion Engineering Essay

Energy Conversion Is The Conversion Engineering Essay Energy conversion is the conversion of one type of energy into another. This principle is used every day in our lives. For instance, a battery uses chemical energy to create electrical energy to power an electric starter motor. Steam engines change heat energy into mechanical energy and an electric bulb uses electrical energy into heat and light energy (Freeman, Ph.D., M. Ira, 1957, p. 20). According to Tega Jessa (2012), fossil fuels are a finite, non-renewable resource. Fossil fuel is any carbon-based substance that is used by humans as a source of energy. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered as fossil fuel. Fossil fuel is a primary source for the production of electricity. In the Distributed Generation Education Modules, it states that chemical energy is released because of the combustion of these fuels. This produces heat to power steam turbines. The steam turbines rotating electric generators produce power, and this kinetic energy turns into electricity. Another attraction is that natural gas and petroleum is big business. According to Natural Gas.org, natural gas is a valued resource and the natural gas industry generates a lot of commerce in the United States and worldwide. Wind power and solar power are two alternatives to using fossil fuels. Wind power is a great source of energy. Wind power has great potential as an energy source. The environmental impact is small and it is renewable. According to John C. Ayers, at higher altitudes and areas without obstructions, wind is stronger. Hilltops are good sites for wind turbines. Ground-based turbines in cities are not as efficient. Wind strength also plays a big part. Wind varies by region and season. This means that it is not a great source of energy in all areas. A disadvantage of this energy source is if the wind is low; you have to supplement it with another source of energy. Energy is produced by using wind turbines. Wind turbines are usually horizontal with blades are mounted on a rotating axis. The electricity produced can be immediately used. In addition, it can be stored in batteries for use when the wind is low. The advantage of using wind power is that it has less of any impact on our environment. It is a clean alternative energy source. According to John C. Ayers, new wind farms produce electricity at costs competitive with oil- and coal-powered plants, and more cheaply than nuclear reactors. Another advantage is that they release no greenhouse gases. David Frum (2013) states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“wind energy continues to flunk the market test. Ontario buys wind energy at a price 50% higher than it would have to pay for electricity from natural gas. (A new natural gas facility can make money selling electricity at 7-8 cents a kilowatt-hour. Ontario buys newly installed windpower at prices of about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  A disadvantage of wind power is the cost. Acquiring ground underneath the turbines is a big cost, as well as the cost of wiring turbines to the grid. Another cost is maintaining the wires. According to Windustry.org, commercial turbines installed are $3-$4 million installed. Wind turbines under 100 kilowatts run approximately $3,000 to $8,000 per kilowatt of capacity. A 10 kilowatt wind turbine (used to power a large home) approximately cost $50,000-$80,000. The cost could be more depending on the tower type. Even though this may be a disadvantage to some, the advantage is the tax incentive that can help reduce the cost. Solar power is another alternative to fossil fuels. Passive solar and active solar are the two types of solar energy. According to Jennifer Claerr, a building on the east-west axis uses passive solar. Silicon solar cells capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. Direct current is generated and is converted into alternating current before it can be used to power household devices. Passive solar is used to keep a home warm in winter and cool in summer. An advantage of solar power is the cost savings. Many people are installing solar systems to protect the environment and to conserve fossil fuels. Another advantage of using solar energy is to become self-sufficient by providing for all of the own energy needs. A home can be built using passive solar for about the same price as a conventional home. For an existing home, active solar is a good alternative. Both passive and active solar are beneficial to the environment. Passive and active solar can prevent carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. The disadvantages of using solar power is that it doesnt work at night without a storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day. They can be expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sunà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s energy.

Truth And Lies About The Computer Virus :: essays research papers

Truth and Lies About the Computer Virus Walk into any computer store today and there will be at least twenty or thirty computer virus programs. From the looks of it computer viruses have gotten out of hand and so has the business of stopping it. The computer user must cut through the media hype of apocoliptic viruses and shareware programs and discover the real facts. Before we even start the journey of exploring the computer virus we must first eliminate all the "fluff." The computer user needs to understand how information about viruses reaches the public. Someone creates the virus and then infects at least one computer. The virus crashes or ruins the infected computer. A anti-virus company obtains a copy of the virus and studies it. The anti-virus company makes an "unbiased" decision about the virus and then disclose their findings to the public. The problem with the current system is that there are no checks and balances. If the anti-virus company wants to make viruses seem worse all they have to do is distort the truth. There is no organization that certifies wheather or not a virus is real. Even more potentially harmful is that the anti-virus companies could write viruses in order to sell their programs. Software companies have and do distort the truth about viruses. "Antivirus firms tend to count even the most insignificant variations of viruses for advertising purposes. When the Marijuana virus first appeared, for example, it contained the word "legalise," but a miscreant later modified it to read "legalize." Any program which detects the original virus can detect the version with one letter changed -- but antivirus companies often count them as "two" viruses. These obscure differentiations quickly add up." http://www.kumite.com/myths/myth005.htm Incidentally the Marijuana virus is also called the "Stoned" virus there by making it yet another on the list of viruses that companies protect your computer against. I went to the McAfee Anti-virus Web site looking for information on the Marijuana virus but was unable to obtain that information. I was however able to get a copy of the top ten viruses of their site. On specific virus called Junkie: "Junkie is a multi-partite, memory resident, encrypting virus. Junkie specifically targets .COM files, the DOS boot sector on floppy diskettes and the Master Boot Record (MBR). When initial infection is in the form of a file infecting virus, Junkie infects the MBR or floppy boot sector, disables VSafe (an anti-virus terminate-and-stay-resident program (TSR), which is included with MS-DOS 6.X) and loads itself at Side 0, Cylinder 0, Sectors 4 and 5. The virus does not become memory resident, or infect files at this time.

The Misfit in Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find Essay exam

The Misfit in Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find I feel that the Grandmother in the story 'A Good Man is Hard to Find' suffers from psychological conditions. She does not care at all about anyone but herself. I feel that she may even be narcissistic. It is ironic because she would be expected to look out for her family. The Cambridge Dictionary defines narcissism as 'too much interest in and admiration for your own physical appearance and/or your own abilities' It is ironic because she would be expected to look out for her family, however in reality she only really looks out for herself. She shows how self centered she really is many times throughout the story. She displays a complete lack of regard for what anyone else wants to do. All she cares about at first is what ...

Alexander III Essay -- essays research papers

Alexander III According to Plutarch, Alexander was born on the sixth of Hecatombaeon (July) in the year 356 B.C. He was the son of Philip, king of Macedon,and Olympias. Supposedly on the day he was born the temple of Artemis burnt down, signifying his future glory. Not much is known of the youth of Alexander. It is known that he was taught by Aristotle and had a love of the Greek epic poems. One famous story from his youth is told in Plutarch's life of Alexander. Philonius the Thessalian brought the horse Bucephalus to Philip offering to sell him for thirteen talents. Philip and his attendants brought the horse to a field to try him. When they got there none of Philip's attendants could even mount him. They were leading the horse away when young Alexander asked for a chance to ride him. A wager was made that if Alexander could not ride the horse he would pay the price for the horse. After the wager was made Alexander took the horse and pointed him in the direction of the sun. He had noticed that the horse was afraid of his own shadow. He then mounted the horse and began to ride, to the amazement of all who watched. When he got off the horse Philip kissed his son. Plutarch also tells of Alexander entertaining Persian ambassadors while his father was not present. When Alexander was 16 Philip left him in charge of Macedon when Philip went to fight the Byzantines. When Alexander was 20 his father was murdered at the theatre. Some say that Alexander had a part in the plot to assasinate his father but almost all agree that his mother Olympias was a key figure in the death of Philip. Whatever the case may be Alexander took the throne in 336 B.C. Alexander is known for his conquest into Persia. When there, he performed hellenization. Hellenization is the attempt to become "Greek." Alexander helped this process along in the lands that he conquered. Another of the things that Alexander did was he set up cities where ever he went. Garrisons were left in these cities. These colonists would become the ruling class. They would then impose laws or rules to promote hellenization. Also in these cities gymnasiums were set up. Gymnasiums were the center of most Greek cities. What better way to make Persian cities sim... ...at the theatre, Hephaestion ate a fowl for dinner, and drank a large draught of wine. He quickly fell ill and shortly thereafter, died. Alexander was so completely upset that he ordered the tails and manes of all the horses be cut to show respect. He then crucified the doctor, Glaucus. Alexander III had another party in Susa. Susa was the adminsrative capital of the Persian empire. Alexander first went to Susa shortly after the Battle of Gaugamela. There he took control of the money, totalling 50,000 talents($60 million) as well as the rest of the royal property. Alexander was again in Susa in 324 B.C. There he performed a mass marriage. Between eighty and a hundred Macedonian officials took one Persian women each, including Hephaestion and Ptolemy. Alexander himself took two new brides. The wedding was done in traditional Persian style. The bridegroom would sit down in chairs, after a toss the brides came in, took them by the hand, and kissed them. Every guest that sat down for the banquet(roughly 30,000) had a gold cup before them. The celebration went on for no less than 5 days. There was also a big parade in the park.

Affordable Healthcare Act in North Carolina Essay

Affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans was a challenge the government faced. The United States was the only developed country without national health care system in place for citizens. The government actively sought to provide affordable insurance while controlling escalating costs and improving quality care. Americans deserve to have an opportunity to prevent chronic illnesses before they transpire. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the Affordable Healthcare Act impacted North Carolina, its impact on economics, and ethical implications. Impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Population The Affordable Care Act made a positive impact on the lower class Americans in North Carolina. People without insurance are less likely to go to the doctor due to costs. As a result, urgent care or the emergency rooms end up being their plan of care. Americans without health insurance â€Å"have less access to effective clinical services including preventive care and, if sick or injured, are more likely to suffer poorer health outcomes, greater limitations in quality of life, and premature death† (Institute of Medicine, 2009, p. 49). In 2011, childless, nondisabled, nonelderly adults, unemployed or homeless could not qualify for Medicaid (Milstead, 2013). According to the case study figures one (2009) and two (2014) provided by Milstead (2013), there was an increase of 62% in children between the ages of 6-18 years that are currently receiving health care though the Affordable Care Act. There are several factors that may have contributed to the increase of enrollees such as si mple requirements, pamphlets, websites, and healthcare professionals educated about the quality of care. This act will assist healthcare professionals in promoting primary prevention. This in turn, will assist in preventing advanced disease processes. Quality of care will improve with both the collaboration of an interdisciplinary team as well as preventative measures. Patients want fast and convenient access to quality care (White, 2011). The Impact of economics on patient care Economic status should not be a consideration when providing care. The wealthy can buy their way out of any approaches that limit choice or  restrict access to what is judged more convenient and perhaps higher quality care (Knickman & Kovner, 2011). Even within the United States, expenditures on health care vary a great deal across communities and states with little to no difference in health outcomes. In essence, cost containment in health care will happen if we can figure out how to invest in healthy lifestyles in ways that lead to long-term financial and health returns (Knickman, 2011). Preventive care is the best way to reduce health care costs. Relationship between patients’ quality care and cost The Affordable Care Act will provide individuals with health insurance and reimbursement will be based on quality and volume of individuals a clinician treats (Siberman et al, 2011). Because of the Affordable Care Act, there should be an increase of competent clinicians to treat and prevent chronic diseases. In order to receive quality care, health care providers must make ethical decisions about care, not decisions based off how much care would cost. Ethical implications of the act for organization and patient Ethical decision making involves explicit questions that should be answered in order to decide whether the proposed action is good or morally correct. Ethics applies to the determination of right and wrong in how people relate to one another. It is essential that all clinicians have ethics in mind when determining care. The education of professionals is included in the Affordable Care Act in hopes to increase quality of care, access, and treatment of patients (Kohlenberg, 2011). Clinicians should make appropriate decisions when ordering diagnostic tests to make sure they are not wasting the organization’s money yet still providing exceptional care. Conclusion The government actively sought to provide affordable insurance while controlling escalating costs and improving quality care. The Affordable Care Act made a positive impact on the lower class Americans in North Carolina. Economic status should not be a consideration when providing care. The Affordable Care Act will provide individuals with health insurance and reimbursement will be based on quality and volume of individuals a clinician treats (Siberman et al, 2011). In order to receive quality care, health care  providers must make ethical decisions about care, not decisions based off how much care would cost. It is essential that all clinicians have ethics in mind when determining care. In the end, patients want fast and convenient access to quality care (White, 2011). Reference Institute of Medicine.(2009). Uninsured Americans. In A. Kovner & J. Knickman. Jonas & Kovner’s Health Care Delivery in the United States. Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Laureate Education, Inc. Knickman, J. & Kovner, A. (2009). The Future of Health Care Delivery in the United States. Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Laureate Education, Inc. Kohlenberg, E. (2011). Contribution of nursing education programs to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in North Carolina. North Carolina Medical Journal, 72(4), 289-292. Siberman, P. (2011). Implementation of the Affordable Care Act in North Carolina. North Carolina Medical Journal, 72(2), 155-159. White, H. (2011). What is Cost, Anyway? In A. Kovner & J. Knickman. Jonas & Kovner’s Health Care Delivery in the United States. Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Laureate Education, Inc.

Review of Chart of Accounts †Philippines Essay

Review of Chart of Accounts – Philippines Questions and Suggested Answers 1. In China GAAP, the bonds or stocks purchased are categorized as â€Å"Held-for-trading† or â€Å"Available for sale† or â€Å"Long term investment†, based on the purpose of purchase. Does Philippine GAAP have similar categorization? Philippine client want to separate the marketable securities to current or non-current, it means short or long term, right? Answer: The Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS) [based from International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)] classifies â€Å"Investment in Bonds† and â€Å"Investments in Stocks† as financial assets. For this purpose, investments in bonds or stocks are classified as: ? Trading securities (debt or equity securities) o o ? ? â€Å"Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss† by requirement â€Å"Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss† by designation Available-for-sale securities (debt or equity securities) Held-to-maturity securities (debt securities only) These investments are classified as either current (short-tem) or noncurrent (long-term) assets. The account name â€Å"Long-term investment† is not among the financial assets classification in PFRS. Current investments are investments that are by their very nature are readily realizable and are intended to be held for not more than one year. Debt Trading securities Available-forsale v v Equity v v Current v Noncurrent Current or Noncurrent v – Maybe classified as current or noncurrent depending on whether they are intended to be held within one year or for more than one year v Held-tomaturity v 2 For instance, trading securities are normally classified as current assets because these investments are expected to be realized within twelve (12) of the balance sheet date. Noncurrent financial assets are investments other than current investments. This residual definition means that the noncurrent investments are intended to be held for more than one year or are not expected to be realized within twelve months after the end of the reporting period. Trading Securities or Held-for-trading Securities The first category of financial assets under PAS 39 is called â€Å"financial assets at fair value through profit or loss†. This category includes two types of financial assets, they are: A. Financial assets that are held for trading or popularly known as â€Å"trading securities

Dual nature of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and the duality between good and evil Essay

The struggle between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde reflects upon the duality of man, in between good and evil. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novel in the 1800 where T.V and other forms of entertainment didn’t exit, therefore the Victorian audience, found it entertaining to read. The novel explores the attitudes of the Victorians people with regard to their obsession with keeping a respectable society However, despite this public decency, Stevenson appears to be suggesting that underneath the surface, people’s behaviour was not quite as respectable as it should be. Stevenson believed that there is light and dark in all of mankind- man is not truly one, but truly two. Most of the characters are seem as having professions considered to be important and influenced, such as lawyers, doctors and politicians, all representing respectability. Mr Jekyll liked to indulge in pleasures but his status prevented him to do so, he creates an alter ego for himself to live out his passions. Dr Jekyll dependence on Mr Hyde became an addiction, although Jekyll says that he ‘can be rid of Mr Hyde at any point’ his lack of control helps Mr Hyde to over power him and take over. Robert Louis Stevenson was born and bread in Edinburgh. He was a very sick boy thought his childhood which had confined him to a bed. His nurse used to read to him the Pilgrims Progress and the Old Testament, telling him stories about evil, causing him to suffer nightmares. Stevenson grew up in Edinburgh which itself had two faces on one hand the modest, religious and respectable ‘New Town’ and on the other hand a bohemian Edinburgh- the dark one. This Edinburgh was symbolized with brothels and shadiness. The contrast of the two was a bit like the nature of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is largely allegorical. In the first chapter we see the theme of duality when the two characters Utterrson and Enfield are a taking a walk and they see a door which described as ‘bore in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence’. The door stood out from the rest of the street because all the other buildings were well kept. Mr Enfield has a flash back, he remembers the time Mr Hyde tramples over the girl and describes him as a ‘juggernaut’. The first victim of Hyde was the little girl. I think the reason why Stevenson chose a little to be the first victim of Hyde is because a child represents innocence and he is trying to say that Hyde is pure evil with a cold heart. The description of the street reinforces the theme of duality because it is a dingy neighbourhood and there are shops like ‘rows of smiling women’ this raises a question why is Dr Jekyll living in a tawdry neighbourhood. Jekyll appearance is a lot different from Hyde he is smoothed face where as Hyde looks as if though he is deformed and short. I think the reason why Hyde is short is because the evil side of Dr Jekyll hasn’t developed properly. Hyde becomes Jekyll’s demonic, monstrous self. Stevenson presents him as such from the outset. Hissing as he speaks, Hyde has a kind of black sneering coolness†¦.’like satin’. He also strikes those who witness him as being deformed, ‘pale and dwarfish’ As the story progresses, Hyde becomes more and more violent, culminating with the death of Sir O.Carew. The maid describes the murder as horrific but before the murder there is a pleasant description of the setting ‘the soft, clear night, the romantic nature of the maid, the full moon, and the sweet loveliness of the old man’. This is another example of the use of duality and the theme of good and evil because Stevenson describes the setting with a romantic aroma ‘full moon’ but then everything changes from good to evil. The horrific description of the murder includes a ‘storm of blows’ and bones being ‘audibly shattered’ once again Hyde is described as ‘disgusting looking’. The description implies Stevenson views of the world of certain, inherent evilness in people, something that can be detected by merely glancing at a person. Stevenson explores the theme of double through symbols and characters. Most of the novel is set at night, and the fog becomes almost a character hiding people in the city. Where ever wine is present there is positive happening but it can also symbolize evil because too much wine can transform a person making him drunk. This happens to be like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, when he drinks the potion. Stevenson tries to create an atmosphere which is based on (emphasise) tension between order and disorder-duality. He finds the truth. However, even Utterson seems to have a double life, and in his quest he examines his own conscience â€Å"and the lawyer, scared by the thought, brooded a while in his own past, groping in all the corners of memory, lest by chance some Jack-in-the-Box of an old iniquity should leap to light there† Dr Lanyon dies because he was exposed to the pure evilness of Jekyll’s experiment that went wrong. The evil, Jekyll created, killed Dr Lanyon, indirectly. When forced to confront his divided self, Lanyon could not bear to think that he may have his own Mr Hyde in him. So he kills himself.

On the Sidewalk Bleeding Monuloge Essay

All I feel is the excruciating pain entering my aching body. The irritation and agony makes me feel defenceless. I have a multitude of varied thoughts racing through my confused mind. As I am helplessly laying on the cold, wet concrete, with the rain drilling down on me, I am thinking if this is how I am going to die, my life over at the age of just 16. I can think back and faintly remember someone saying, â€Å"that’s for you royal!† and just thinking to myself, if I was not wearing this stupid jacket that I once thought was so important, I perchance wouldn’t have even been in this discomforting situation. All I can do at this point is helplessly lay here praying for someone to find me. Then finally I take a great effort and look over to the end of the street though the rain blurring my vision and see the bright neon lights of a vehicle binding me. I feel a massive relief, I see two figures coming toward me I try to yell again but they seem to just be talking to each other. I want to get their attention but all the sound I can make is the bubbling of blood filing my mouth, as if I am drowning in my own vital fluid. It sounds like the grunt of an animal and that’s the only sound I am capable of making in this state. I start to panic because the people aren’t recognising that I am there, after I tak e all my energy and frustration to get their attention they look at me for a little then they mutter to each other, I can’t understand much they are mumbling about. I just feel powerless hoping he will make the right decision and just get a cop or hep me. He looks at me, my cut body and the rain soaking my purple royals jacket. He sympathetically says, â€Å"Sorry royal,† and walks away. At this very moment I feel frustrated, overwhelmingly confused with anger and abundance. Is it that big of a deal that I am a royal? I am not just a royal, I am Andy. I feel drastically judged and labelled. Right now I will do anything and everything I am physically capable of just to take this jacket off, the only thing that jacket ever did to me was rob me of my life.

Public Sector Finance & Control Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Sector Finance & Control - Assignment Example The council had declares a policy that was to restrict the ‘Council Tax Band D’ charge to 5% above the 2011/12, increasing the charge from 155 to 162.75, consequently, the general revenue being 45, 768, 880. An increase of the charge from the 2011/12 level by 8.2% could be sufficient enough to cover the 53,469,500 general expenditures. Alternatively, certain expenditures can be reduced from the books of accounts so that revenue generated from taxes match the expenditures. Theater expenditure, capita programme expenditure, and environmental and health expenditure can be arrived at through public-private partnership. In fact, expenditure should match revenue in the non essential services. Transferring of certain essential services to be catered for by the central government can be a better alternative to managing the council bills, particularly expenditure on education and health. Through the councilors, the council should rally the members to pass the adjustment so that the desired council tax band d for 2012/2013 is achieved, otherwise at the projected rate of 5% would not achieve the projected revenue demands. A marriage of geographical positioning of the Council Tax Band D equivalent, increase in the charge and reduction in expenditures or a private public arrangement can aid in matching expenditure to revenue. In the United States, water and sewer service, garbage collections have been privatized and these reduce the overall expenditure budget. The budgeting process consists of fundamental chain of activities which can be considered in the following guidelines: budgetary framework, budgetary methodologies, and allocation of resources to the budget activities. A budget framework, on the other hand is defined by certain critical factors namely: timeframe, in the case study, budget as prepared for the 2012/13 financial year, while the previous one was prepared for the 2011/12

Analyze the Sochi 2014 Olympics game,pairs figure skating,Russian Essay

Analyze the Sochi 2014 Olympics game,pairs figure skating,Russian player, - Essay Example The main goal of this team is to outscore its main opponents and emerge as clear winners. The fact that Russia is the hosts means that fans will come out in large numbers and support the team. The team has six members. One of them is Vera Bazarova. She is twenty-one years old and has already competed in a number of events despite her young age. She has competed at the Olympic winter games, world championships, European championships and the grand prix final. Vera loves reading, cooking and going out. She is still a student who started her sporting career in 1997. The main reason that made her to start this sport was to improve her poor health. Her main coach is Nina Mozer. Ksenia Stolbova is another team member. She is twenty-two years old and has already taken part in other championships, as well. She is a student who loves shopping and spending time with friends. She began the sport in 1997, as well. Maxim Trankov is another senior member who is thirty years old. He has lots of experience having competed in several competitions. He loves hip-hop music, using computers and reading. He studied at the Moscow State University. He is fluent in English and Russian. In 2011, h e injured his shoulder while in training. Additionally, he suffered from swelling in his right arm at the 2008 world championships. Fedor Klimov is another member of the team. He is twenty-three years old and has taken part in various competitions as well. He loves football, watching television and relaxing. In 2013, he missed some two and half months of action due to injury. The coach for the team is Nina Mozer. She was born in 1964. The team is mainly characterized by both experience and athleticism. The youngest member is aged 21 while the oldest ages 30. The older members have taken part in other events, in the past. The organization of the team is even, and external influences

Aunt Jemima as an Example Racial Superiority and Stereotyping Essay

Aunt Jemima as an Example Racial Superiority and Stereotyping - Essay Example The origin of the logo for the company was said to have come up when Chris Butt, who had developed a recipe for self-rising pancakes happened to see a minstrel show by two comedians Baker and Farrell (William & Mary University). Rutt and his partner took inspiration from a character portrayed by the minstrel show and the logo of Aunt Jemima was born. Initially, the picture showed a colored woman dressed as a typical Southern slave with a headdress that used to be worn by such classes during the time of slavery. While the promoters of the product claimed that the logo was an indication of Southern hospitality, many others felt that it portrayed a benign or subtle form of racism and stereotyping. By the 1950s, protests against the logo grew, especially among the African American community. The company then changed its (popular) logo, depicting younger Jemima without the headdress. The final version of the logo showed a graying African American woman with earrings was brought out in 198 9. This, according to the company intended to portray the message that the lady in the picture was a working mother (and not a slave). But the racist angle still remained because she was colored and not Caucasian or White. The Company also removed their punchline, I'm in town, honey’, which was typical of the language used by the community at that time. A society dominated by whites, exploitation of colored people in the form of entertainment and business was seen as acceptable and even reassuring superiority of class ("Exploiting race and ethnicity"). According to the article, consumers (White) were comfortable when colored people were seen as contented plantation workers who were ignorant and comical fools. Author M.M. Manning agrees with the view that Aunt Jemima logo does portray and image of race superiority.  

McDonald adapts culture difference between USA and INIDA Assignment

McDonald adapts culture difference between USA and INIDA - Assignment Example Henceforth, Ray Kroc purchased the whole chain from the McDonalds before proceeding to expand it further (Newcomb). Perhaps it is appropriate to mention that McDonalds commands presence in most states globally whereby the corporation, franchisees, and even the affiliates are responsible for running the various McDonalds restaurants (Dash 8). In this regard, the company has adapted a culture difference between USA and India in order to offer products which best resonates with the local population and in the process, maximizing on revenues (McDonalds). This paper therefore, compares the business models of McDonalds between USA and India in in term of products, services, advertisements. McDonalds’ Business Strategy Since the major sources of revenues for McDonalds include rents, royalties, and the fees collected from the franchisees (Hannon). In addition, the company draws huge income from restaurant-related businesses that take place within the company premises and it is worth n oting that in 2012 alone, the company made profits amounting to $5.5 billion in addition to collecting annual revenues totaling to $27.5 billion (McDonalds). When it comes to the major products offered by the company subsidiaries, there are wide range of fast foods from which customers around the world can choose from depending on their tastes and geographical location (Dash 12). These food products include hamburgers,  chicken,  cheeseburgers,  French fries,  soft drinks, breakfast  items, desserts, and milkshakes (Newcomb). Comparison between USA and India in the Business of McDonalds While USA is a nation whose citizens prefer junk food to lean foodstuffs, India is a more considerate nation when it comes to matters pertaining to food and the citizens revile the junk foods (Li). Since quality is the mirror through which all organizations gauge their performances, McDonalds has taken the quality of the foods offered in its subsidiaries very seriously (Newcomb). This means that while in America, the restaurants have to offer the foods that the Americans love and those McDonalds restaurants that operate in India do their very best at offering the Indian cuisine (McDonalds). Products and Services With a careful approach to product differentiation, the McDonalds chain of restaurants has regionalized every form of its menu to suit the local residents (Newcomb). In this respect, the competition is kept at bay as all the people who flood various McDonalds restaurants know the specific foods to find and consume at certain times of the day (Dash 8). The Unites States of America, being the headquarters of the McDonalds Corporation has restaurants and stored that specialize in the selling of ‘McGrilled’ sandwiches that are loved by many Americans (McDonalds). When it comes to the products offered by the chain in India, it is worthy to note that India is a strictly vegetarian country with a strong prohibition for beef mainly due to religious reason s (Li). In this regard, the major food products offers by the McDonalds in India include ‘McMasala’, Local flavors, Health conscious items, and vegetable products. This means that beef and pork products cannot fetch much profit in India as they do in the USA and the McDonalds chain of restaurants has considered this (Newcomb). Advertisements and Marketing Strategies Although it is common knowledge that the McDonalds Cor

Confucianism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confucianism - Research Paper Example Confucianism is a form of idea that is basically founded on the teachings of Confucius (D. Hoobler & T. Hoobler, 2009, p. 10). Confucius is a Chinese philosopher who believes that a human being must aim to develop his primary goodness. One of his famous works is the concept of golden rule: â€Å"Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself† (Matthews, 2010, p. 185). Confucius believed that in order for a person to nurture its goodness, the five virtues must be practiced. These are the virtue of â€Å"courtesy, magnanimity, good faith, diligence and kindness† (University of Northern Colorado, 2007). These virtues must become an application to the life of a person for this is the basis concerning its life and death. The particular destiny of a person is reflected on the actions and practices he made. Entering Heaven relies whether a person is doing the right thing or not. The actions he made while he was living will always count, may it be for goodness sake o r for personal satisfaction (Yao, 2000, p. 146). In this context, a man is expected to make himself righteous and appropriate on all occasions as his deeds must always be good. Confucianism does not ponder so much about death by considering it as a plain rest of a person, while the conception of life is believe to start when one person has learned to become honorable individual (Tan, 2004, p. 128). The tradition of the Confucianism includes the offering of sacrifices which is considered as common practices to develop its virtues. The birthing of a child constitutes to the significance of preserving the bloodline while the joining of couple is a duty in conception of a new being. The â€Å"capping† signals the transformation from a childhood to adulthood (Taylor, 2004, p. 99). These rituals were also made for the improvement of the health of the Confucians. Artistry is also performed to effectively alleviate the wellness of the members (Mullis, n.d.).

U06d1 Intelligence & u06d2 Interview Summary 2 part Essay

U06d1 Intelligence & u06d2 Interview Summary 2 part - Essay Example Both of these are completely different and they possess different neural as well as mental systems (Horn & Cattell, 1967). The two as has been understood are quite different from each other and have different impact on people throughout their lives. It is essential to understand that both these form of intelligence tend to grow during childhood and adolescence. However post this period it is noted that the crystallized intelligence continues to grow into adulthood, while the Fluid intelligences grows until the age of 30 – 40 years post which there is a clear and progressive decline that is seen among the individuals (Kirkwood, 1999). With old age, it is common for people to face number of changes in their bodies as well mentally. These changes of mental and physical that the individuals got through lead them to be react differently to different situations and also lead to mood swings and inability to adjust to their surroundings. In the case of Richard, as discussed earlier, he might be facing the issue of lesser fluid intelligence, which in turn leads to a situation where he is unable to create a link to the changing environment and the changing style of living and the newer generation (Kirkwood, 1999). Hence there are clashes between the grandchildren and him. Richard is unable to understand certain perspectives of life and the changes that need to be adopted to live in the current world and this leads him to be unable to respect the decisions of his grandchildren and to doubt their judgements, hence creating an issue among them. Denise and Tom, it is essential for you to understand that your father has been going through tremendous changes in life with the loss of your mum and the retirement as well. At this age elders tend to loos a lot of their rational behaviour and the ability to change and adapt to the new times. The confusion and chaos that they faced internally

Depression Causes and Treatment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Depression Causes and Treatment - Essay Example The present research has identified that depression is one of the most common illnesses in today’s world. However, it is also one of the most difficult to study, understand, and treat. The reason depression is such a tricky customer is that its geneses are very hard to pinpoint. Unlike other mental afflictions, which present clear symptoms and prognoses, depression manifests in ways that are difficult to diagnose immediately. For example, psychologists have stated that most depressed people are not even aware of their condition. In addition, depression is a symptom of some mental illnesses; therefore it is very easy to misdiagnose it. Amidst all this ¸ it is important to consider the individual causes of depression. Is the environment all to blame, as most people believe, or is there a personal dimension to depression? Can individual behavior, conditions, or attitude trigger depression, or are external factors the only suspects? These questions will form the spine of this pa per and will guide the arguments presented for and against the subject, as well as the conclusion. Hippocrates said that â€Å"food is medicine and medicine is food.† This might explain the connection between depression and nutrition because depression is an illness that affects the body as well as the mind. It is important to note that nutrition is closely linked to hormonal balance, and hormonal balance is associated with good moods and lack of depression (in both genders). Depending on the types of food people eat. Their hormones can be balanced or imbalanced, and this can have adverse effects on their moods. Research shows that the brain and the gut are always in touch with each through the vagus nerve. There is more evidence to show that there is a correlation between depression and obesity. Obesity raises the probability of developing depression and depression is symptomatic of progressive obesity. Studies show that most women eat more when they are depressed or emotion ally stressed.

My Hobby Essay Example for Free

My Hobby Essay Practically every person has his or her own hobby; whether it‘s a sport, collecting certain items, or something one takes their time practicing. Personally, I never thought I ever had a hobby. As a matter of fact I wasn’t even sure what a hobby actually was. Then I got to thinking and I finally realized that my hobby was dancing. Yes, I know that to some people dancing is not considered a true hobby; but the way I see it, if I enjoy dancing and spend my precious time doing it, then I have every right to consider it as my special hobby. As far as I can remember about my childhood, I have always loved to dance. Dancing was just my thing. I remember attending ballet classes when I was five years old. I would learn the routines so quickly that the instructor would sometimes ask me to help her teach the other students. The greatest part of being in ballet was attending the ballet recitals. That was when each of us let ourselves shine in front of our family and friends. I always thought that the crowd was watching my every move and thinking, â€Å"Wow, that girl dances so gracefully. † Just thinking that made me try even harder to be the b est I could. I would practice every day after school and right before bedtime, too. It didn’t even matter to me if there was no music playing, I just kept on dancing. Becoming a famous dancer was one of my greatest childhood dreams. I believed that one-day I would get the

Comparing Free

Comparing Freedom of Expression in the Statutory Law and the Sharia Law Essay Getting in touch with media law during the first semester of my Masters gave me a sense of the importance of law in general because it consists of acts and articles which organise most issues in the human’s life in a way that protects ethics and morals. Regardless of the hypocrisy and double-standards of the countries which raise high the slogan of Human Rights, I liked the Human Rights Conventions that were laid down by these countries. Therefore, I decided to research some points in these conventions that are related to my study in order to nurture my knowledge in this great field of the human sciences. Then, I thought deliberately about the benefit of exerting much effort to get such knowledge since it is existed, well-explained and well-organised, in handy books. But after looking by historical and religious study as far back as some centuries ago, I found that my own culture, Islam, had plenty of law provisions that helped its people not only to protect their ethics and morals, but also to spread them all over the world. Through deliberate and objective study, I found that many of the social reformers, whose thoughts led to the emergence of the modern criteria of human rights, were originally affected by the roots of the Islamic ulture. I also found a lot of those old and even modern reformers who praised the old provisions of the Sharia Law and they also praised the prosperity which was an outcome of implementing it. The Western writer Patricia Crone (2005: p. 218-219) said referring to how those old provisions of law were true bases of a moral society: â€Å"Medieval Muslims d id not write utopias in the sense of imaginary travel accounts or other descriptions of ideal societies which do not exist, †¦ they were not given to seeking ideals outside their own civilisation at all. But they did place a golden age right at the beginning of their own history, and their numerous accounts of this age add up to a detailed utopia of great emotive power†¦ It was a time when the Muslims had all the virtues of tribesmen and none of their vices, for thanks to Islam there was no feuding, no factionalism, and no disorder, just austerity, solidarity, and total devotion to the truth. Therefore, I decided to look for the provisions of that old law which are related to my study and compare them with their counterparts in the modern human rights’ conventions. In order to limit my research, I decided to take the articles related to my study, media law, in the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) of the British Law to represent the leading international human rights conventions. Part one: Preface Main Argument In this dissertation I am going to explain how both the HRA and the Sharia Law deal with the concept of freedom of expression. As long as such argument is new and uncommon because of the lack of references that studied it, which resulted in an ambiguous perception in the minds of people towards the Sharia Law and its sources, there must be a kind of primary definition of the Sharia Law, its sources and how the Sharia scholars (Sharia Jurists) deal with these sources to regulate law items. Sharia Law This expression is going to be referred to as a theological-historical concept since the Sharia was revealed through a prophet, this makes it a theological subject matter, and it is 15 centuries old, this gives it a historical background. Sharia (sari? ah) is all religious rituals that Allah (SWT) has imposed on Muslims, via his Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) regarding beliefs, rules and day-to-day life among Muslims themselves, and between Muslims and non-Muslims. It is â€Å"designed to govern the relations of Muslims with non-Muslims, whether inside or outside the territory of Islam. † Mahmoud Kamali says that Sharia is â€Å"the Islamic law as contained in the divine guidance of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Yet, the expression Sharia Law is modern if compared with the word Fiqh, which historically used to mean â€Å"the awareness of Islamic rules from its sources by true inference. † Kamali defined the word Fiqh: â€Å"Islamic law as developed by Muslim Jurists. The term is often used synonymously with Sharia. † Therefore, like other contemporary researchers of similar topics, I am going to use the expression Sharia Law to mean the old word: Fiqh. Sources of the Sharia Law There is no difference between any of the Muslim scholars that the main sources of all information, not only about the details of the life of mankind, but also about the details of the whole universe are the Holy Qur’an, then, the Holy Sunnah. In addition, it is a matter of a universal belief among Muslims and many of non-Muslims that the Holy Qur’an in the hands of people is the real book revealed by Allah (SWT) to his Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) fourteen centuries ago. The same is the 100% authenticity of certain books of Hadith, i. e. Saheeh Al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim. These references are not considered comprehensive works; however, I feel that they could draw raw guidelines for me in my research in two ways: * They give me hints about how this issue is being taken by researchers who are not specialists in Sharia studies, but they are lawyers or journalists; like me. * They draw raw guidelines of the comparative methodology of research between articles of the Sharia Law and those of the statutory law. Throughout this dissertation, I am going to take articles of the British Media Law and compare them with the related provisions of the Sharia Law, giving enough examples in order to be able to make clear-cut conclusions about the main question of this dissertation which is: (The question of the dissertation) Can the modern Islamic movements, who are apparently going to rule the Arab countries after the Arab Spring, implement the Sharia Law and achieve the absolute justice which they raise as a slogan for their revolutions and electoral campaigns? Or would they worsen the already worsened situation of media law? Of course, regarding the other part of this dissertation, which is the statutory law, libraries are full of texts of law articles starting from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789, passing through the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ending with daily huge volumes of books, journals and articles studying new amendments and proposing new laws regarding recent details of the life of people in general and the work of media specifically. Terminology In order to have a good understanding for the real meaning and connotation of the Sharia Law concepts and cases, they have to be denoted by their names. Therefore, it is necessary here to have a list of the original names of the Sharia concepts and their definitions. The Holy Qur’an: defined previously. Surah: one complete chapter from the Holy Qur’an. Sowar: the plural of Surah. Sowar are different in length. Some are 1/3 a page and others exceed 40 pages. Aya: one verse from the Holy Qur’an. Ayat: a plural of aya. The Holy Sunnah: defined previously. Hadith: a verified saying for the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Ahadith: a plural of Hadith. Tafseer: the interpretation of the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Sunnah by professional credible Muslim scholars. Fatwa: a certain judgement on a certain case by a Sahaba, Tabe’een or confident Muslim scholars in a certain time or place. Plural is Fatawa. Ibada: the act of worshiping Allah (SWT) whether by heart or body. Any act of heart or body needs to start with intention of solely worship for Allah in order to be a true Ibada. Da’wah: the flow of activities Muslims do in illuminating the teachings of Islam. Dhimmi: the name of a non-Muslim citizen in the Islamic State. Ahludhimmah or Dhimmiyeen: plural of Dhimmi. Jezyah: the name of the religious tax for non-Muslims in the Islamic State. It is equivalent to the religious tax taken from Muslims, but Jezyah is a lesser amount of money that has many exceptions. Part Two: The Situation of Freedom of Expression Historical Background It is very important, before starting writing about the situation of freedom of expression in the statutory and the Sharia Law, to explore the general historical climates which preceded the emergence of both laws. That will give a kind of understanding of how much the improvements on the situation of freedom of expression both laws have achieved. * A Glimpse on Freedom of Expression in the West before the Renaissance The period which preceded what is known in Europe as the Renaissance was full of conflicts among the different castes of the European communities in general. That conflict took several forms. A prime one was the conflict between the Church and scientists and that between authority and people. Howard Turner describes a side of such conflicts: â€Å"The Middle Ages in Europe had long been dominated by an unending conflict between Church dogma and a kind of humanistic and individual quest for intellectual liberation. † Church and authority used to be allies and each institution worked for the protection of the other at the expense of people’s lives. They used to impose restriction on freedom of expression and there used to be no respect for people’s privacy. There was also a kind of blackout on external knowledge, fearing that it might undermine their power or alliance. The Thirteenth century was an â€Å"age in which kings and barons reacted to an insult by lopping off the offending tongue- or head†¦ The crime of ‘scandalum magnatum’ expressly protected ‘the great men of the realm’ from any statements that might arouse the people against them. † In France, for example, the king used to say â€Å"I am the state† and gave no space for people to have control in running their own or private life. The Church used to control science. Therefore, knowledge it saw as right, used to be spread, and that it saw as wrong, used to be damaged. A blockage was imposed on scientists and thinkers. In 1614, Galileo was accused of heresy  by the Church for his scientific theories. Eighteen years later, in 1632, he was sentenced to life imprisonment which was reduced to permanent house arrest after he had been obliged to withdraw his theories before the public by the Church. That time was the worst for women’s freedom. Women were inferior to men, troubled with Eve’s sin. They were subject to the authority of their fathers or their husbands. Violence in marriage did occur and was even encouraged. † The dark life of that age pushed people to seek a kind of salvation through knowledge, especially, after the appearance of new thinkers affected by the Muslims’ civilisation. According to Turner, the â€Å"Christian West† inherited the â€Å"scientific legacy from Islam. Thanks to increasing cultural traffic with Muslim lands via the busy Spanish and Sicilian gateways, the thriving routes of Mediterr anean and overland commerce, and the contacts left over from the Crusades. People sought to reinforce the principles of freedom and justice, which was clear in the slogan of the French revolution which was: liberty, equality and fraternity. The revolution in real freedom of expression has been from the Renaissance until today. However, there are still some issues which emerge from time to time that necessitate amendments of the existing laws or constituting new ones. * Freedom of Expression in Arabia before the Sharia Law In Arabia, there used to be kind of freedom of expression, but there was no justice. For example, men used to sit with each other and think about issues related to their tribes. But that right to give an idea or express an opinion was only for masters. Societies there used to consist of three castes: masters, subjects or alliances and slaves. In addition, that right among the masters was only for men. Women used to be suppressed and were not allowed to share opinions either in public affairs or even in family affairs. Women were used in the same way as goods. There used to be a diversity of religions. Arabia included pagans, Jews and Christians. But the most common was paganism. Surely, that kind of diversity hints at a kind of freedom of religion, but the opposite was the norm. Paganism, represented in worshiping idols, was the religion of the mainstream Arabs in Arabia and they used to keep an eye on those who converted to other religions. If they were young, they used to be fought; if they were old, they used to be left free since they could not affect others. Of course, chiefs and masters of tribes used to be happy with that kind of life because it helped them keep strong control over their subjects. However, suppressed castes needed any kind of powerful justice to liberate them from the chains of the different forms of slavery. From amongst that darkness, the message of the Sharia was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) to spread the justice and freedom among people. It is widely known among historians that a reasonable number of the people who joined the Da’wah at the early stages were from the ordinary people or alliances and slaves. Some of the masters asked the Prophet (PBUH) to dismiss them from around him if he wanted them, the masters, to join the Da’wah. Of course, ordinary people always lead reforms. A group of Muslim emigrants fled the persecution of their relatives in Mecca to Abyssinia and there was a short dialogue in the court of Abyssinia’s king, who was a true Christian. Their representative described the situation of Arabs before the Sharia and what the Sharia came with: â€Å"O king! We were plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols; we lived in unchastity; we ate dead animals, and we spoke abomination. We disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and neighbourhood. We knew no law but that of the strong. At that time, God raised from among us a man of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty and purity we were aware, and he called us to the Unity of God and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He forbade us to worship idols and enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to be merciful, and to regard the rights of neighbours. He forbade us to speak ill of women and to eat the substance of orphans. He ordered us to flee from vices, to abstain from evil, to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe the fast. Constituted Rights to Freedom of Expression * Freedom of Expression in British Media Law As I have mentioned from the beginning, I am going to take the British law as an exemplar to represent the statutory law in this research. Therefore; I see that I have to propose an overall look at the British law and to see the situation of freedom of expression through it. British Law Unlike other countries, Britain does not have a written constitution. Referring to Britain, Tom Baistow says: â€Å"This country is the only one in the EEC without a written constitution and the only one without the press laws that form one of the most important guarantees of freedom of expression. However, it has a good record regarding the respect of freedom of expression. It got this reputation throughout historical fights of the British nation to attain freedom and adopt democracy. And as an ideal example of the fight to reach this situation, journalism in Britain â€Å"went through a brave battle against constitutional restrictions on publishing in the 19th century and could extract the right t o comment and publish. † Freedom of expression became one of the most respected freedoms as a kind of a social norm among the British people. It is believed in Britain that free speech is a significant pillar of a free democracy. The Royal Commission on the Press in 1977 defined freedom of expression â€Å"as that degree of freedom from restraint which is essential to enable proprietors, editors and journalists to advance the public interest by publishing the facts and opinions without which a democratic electorate cannot make responsible judgement. † This definition shows how the British believe in the vital role that freedom of expression plays in educating the public to be able to take right decisions in elections. It means that it is the main guarantor of a free democracy which is the main principle of a free State. Therefore, Solaiman Saleh described the situation of freedom of expression in Britain, despite the lack of a written constitution, saying: â€Å"The principle of a free press is reinforced in the collective conscience of the British. That forms a better protection which outweighs any written constitution. † Saleh continued explaining that it became a part of the British understanding of freedom of speech that the government does not have the right to interfere in the workflow of mass media. It cannot issue warrants, for example, to close any news platform, have pre-publishing restrictions/instructions or suggest amendments in the administrative systems or editorial policy. This is how James Curran portrayed the British press after the Second World War: â€Å"The press became fully independent of political parties and hence government. † The independence of the press gave it a great deal of space for free speech as well as unlimited power against governments. This was clear when the best wartime leader, British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, demanded an immediate closure of the Daily Mirror over its coverage of the conduct of war. That decision was followed by rough debates in the House of Commons and huge popular protests in Trafalgar Square and London’s Central Hall that pushed Churchill’s government to withdraw the decision against the Daily Mirror and, even, lift a ban previously imposed on the Daily Worker. Mass media regulation is only the role of the Parliament and Judiciary. In reply to the argument that the parliamentarian majority which forms the government may adopt any law suggested by it, Saleh argues that people who believe in the concept of freedom of expression will protest against the parliament and oblige it to stop the new law or to dissolve. The incident of the Daily Mirror mentioned above is a very clear example of that. The main pressure was represented by ‘organised protests’ in Trafalgar Square and London’s Central Hall. In addition, Hanna and Banks say in McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists: â€Å"Section 19 of the Human Rights Act created a requirement that a Minister introducing a Bill into Parliament must declare that its provisions are compatible with the European Convention, including thereby a commitment to freedom of expression. † Despite all the facts mentioned about the battles towards the freedom of expression in the English society, a sufficient protection for that freedom, which keeps up with the public-interest journalism, â€Å"from attacks for discomfiting the government or the judiciary or the wealthy private litigants† was not completely guaranteed. It is guaranteed by the adoption of international treaties, in which English writers and lawyers took a big part in constituting them, into the British law. Since then, clear articles of these treaties have become legal codes in the British law that guarantee a better freedom of expression. Throughout these facts, I can come to a conclusion that freedom of expression in Britain has certain principles that are clear. The main three principles could be summed up as following: 1. Government has no power against mass media. Robertson and Nicol explain how a government official does not have any privilege over the public in this regard. They say that if any official wanted to stop a news story, he has to go to the court the same as the public do. It means that government cannot control or suppress the voice of any single person directed to the public via any medium. It is believed that this is a sign of a free democratic State, but not in an arbitrary sense. Therefore, mass media have to be credible, and offenders should not escape punishment. John Whale quoted Sir William Blackstone, the eighteenth-century jurist, saying: The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free State; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publication, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. † 2. Mass media are owned by the private sector and, therefore, it represents citizens before the government. However, citizens are stronger than the government in the democratic regimes; it means that mass media can publish any kind of opposite opinions without fearing suppression or oppression of the government. 3. Mass media turn to the public to face censorship. Robertson and Nicol say: â€Å"The best antidote to censorship is publicity. † When the government wishes to practice a kind of censorship, journalists can publicise that practice and the government does not have any power to punish them. The incident of the Daily Mirror mentioned above is a clear example on the three points mentioned. It shows how mass media are stronger than governments, how mass media speak on behalf of the public and how the public exerted pressure through protests that pushed the government to retreat from the closure warrant against the newspaper. Freedom of Expression in the Sharia Law The most prominent characteristic of the Sharia Law is that it is a religious law. It means that it has more emphasis, in all branches, on religious and moral values than other laws. Mohmmad Kamali says: â€Å"This can, perhaps, be clearly seen in reference to the Sharia rules pertaining to blasphemy, heresy and disbelief , where the dominant concern is to defend the dogma and belief-structure of Islam. † Muslim scholars and thinkers believe that this characteristic of the Sharia Law gives it a spiritual power, which is effective to keep stability of societies. Based on his understanding of the Islamic beliefs and to confirm that defending the dogma and belief-structure of Islam achieves social stability, 20th century Muslim thinker and reformer Sayyed Qutb, who interpreted the Holy Qur’an, says: â€Å"Social, economic and religious organisation goes side by side with a true ethical code and dogmatic belief†¦ in a complete, comprehensive, balanced and precise way. † Regarding freedom of expression and to show how much positive effect religion has on it, the Western writer, Patricia Crone, shed light on the way Muslim thinkers understand the relationship between freedom and religion. Patricia Crone reported Al-Ghazali, a famous medieval Muslim philosopher and reformer, explaining freedom in the Sharia as â€Å"no humans had the right to impose obligations on other humans, whether they were rulers, masters, fathers or husbands, or for that matter prophets; only God could do so. † Of course, Al-Ghazali’s understanding of that concept of freedom was based on the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Sunnah. Allah (SWT) asked his Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), in the Holy Qur’an, to tell people that he is a human like them.