buy custom Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage essay

buy custom Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage essay Introduction Same-sex marriage also known as gay marriage has remained a controversial topic over the years and people oppose it on the basis of religion, cultural, social, and/or political reasons. Indeed, those who practice it have come under a lot of discrimination and rejection in view of the fact that they are seen to practice unsocial behavior. The major part is that they had to hide while doing it since there was no legal support for the practice meaning that they were doing it illegally. However, over time there has arisen civil rights group fighting for the recognition of same-sex marriages that has since been legalized in some states. This has greatly affected the family law which continues to contradict the actual family values set in the constitution. Same-sex marriage legalization will continue to greatly affect either positively or negatively the parents, children, couples, social morals, family values and social structures. In this regard, its legalization still remains an enormous debate to lawmakers. This paper gives the sources and references to be used in the discussion for and against the legalization of same sex marriage in the view of critically analyzing the topic on facts and figures. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Same Sex Marriage" (July 2011), This webpage gives informed ideas on same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships. The page was last updated on 14th July 2011, meaning it has current ideas and development of the topic. The ideas presented include the issuance of marriage licenses to couples of same-sex in different states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Iowa. The page also deals with recognition of same-sex marriages in other states; civil unions allowed in different states that gives spouses a chance to practice and right to same-sex marriage. The webpage has a lot of information in that it gives a chronology of significant events that change the view of same-sex marriage; it gives a same-sex timeline since 2003. There are also charts that summarize civil unions and domestic partnerships in different states and their legality or illegality. It informs readers of the states and statutes of each on the aspects of marriage especially same-sex marriage and its definitions. The webpage also gives the benefits that are extended to couples in same-sex marriages for state employees. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is given as an example of the legal acts that have been enacted by congress to bar same-sex marriage at the federal level. Eskridge, William N., Spedale Darren R. Gay Marriage: For Better or For Worse? What We've Learned from the Evidence. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2007, Print This book gives the facts about gay marriage in the United States; the authors begin by stating what the opponents say on the issue. They give evidence based on social structure and their actual research in Scandinavia that has been run for 17 years. They try to dispute the notion that allowing or egalizing same-sex marriage would lead to compromising the institution of marriage, harming children, or weakening of the family structures. The authors tend to show that the research indicated that allowing gay marriage would benefit the marriage institution. The authors present the happy lives of same-sex marriages and track their fulfilling lives that indeed proof that same-sex marriage is a benefit to society. The book is a scholarly description that presents the facts and figures to help ascertain that gay marriage is beneficial. It aims to change the traditional thinkers to focus on the conventional issues of society by first checking the facts rather than baseless principles of socie ty or religion. It has the demographics on the number of families that practice same-sex marriage; for instance; those who opt for civil marriages, church weddings and the traditional structures. It also offers a historic perspective of gay marriage in the country and how it has transformed over time. Cahill, Sean. Same-Sex Marriage in the United States: Focus on the Facts. New York: Rowman Littlefield, 2004, Print The book brings into focus same-sex marriage as an initial topic in politics; this is specific to the 2004 elections. It gives the facts that are present in the debate on gay marriage based on certain facts. In reading the book the reader will seek to answer a set of questions including; the number of same-sex couples in the U.S.; where they live; the rights gay people enjoy in the U.S.; the number of children brought up by gay parents; the policies that are in place that affect the gay children and they policies that affect the gay parents; and the response of religion especially Christianity especially on the basis to oppose gay marriages. The author works at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force as a policy director and brings out his agenda clearly in the book. In his capacity he opposes the discrimination of gay people and pushes for the legalization of gay marriages arguing that facts given argue for themselves. He avoids political debates and gives hard facts that should be used in the voice of reason to understand the topic. He uses slide bars, pullout quotes and charts to make the information easy to understand. The book has charts on the laws that affect the rights of gay couples in different states; laws of adoption in every state; distribution of gay households, and the raising of children in the U.S. The book also quotes several politicians from the republican and democratic parties as they argue for or against the topic. Among the statistics presented by the author include the spending of anti gay crusaders which is way above that of gay advocates; the increase of gay marriages in the rural and southern states and the little benefits that gay couples get at retirement age. Bradley, Gerard V., "Same-Sex Marriage: Our Final Answer?" Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics Public Policy, 14, (2000): 729-752 This journal article tries to oppose same-sex marriage in view of studying the law and social norms; the author quotes how marriage is being transformeed to uncertain incidences from an evidently defined relationship. He insists that the basis of marriage is the sexual morality principle that is supported by law and other secondary attributes. The author gives a historic account on the issue of marriage when it was a taboo to talk about gay marriages. However he notes that the topic has now been liberalized and customized to suit certain interests. The article identifies Vermont as the first state to legalize gay marriages which was done to suit political interests; which were known as civil unions. The article gives an example of the case at the high court Baker vs. State where there were provisions to allow same-sex marriages. This was later done by legislators who were guided by other reason apart from social morals and norms. This article will be very important in the proposal as it will give the facts behind legalization of gay marriage in opposing the practice. Paprocki, Thomas J. Marriage, Same-Sex Relationships, and the Catholic Church. Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 38, (2007): 247-268 The murder of two gay persons opens this journal article, giving the cruel nature of society especially to those who oppose social norms. It gives the discrimination against the gay community for following their hearts and passion. The article is very informative on the nature of marriage arguing that neither the church nor the state created marriage and thus it is for the individual to decide on whom to marry. It also focuses on the law and truth in relation to the state where it gives a historic account of the civil laws. The article helps to understand social norms and taboos; giving the religious perspective and the social perspectives. The Catholic Churchs position on the matter is clearly defined and analyzed so as to justify same-sex marriages. MacLeod, Adam J., "The Search for Moral Neutrality in Same-Sex Marriage Decisions," BYU Journal of Public Law, 23, (2008): 1-59 This journal article starts on the day California State struck down conjugal marriage and was later joined by Connecticut and Massachusetts. This gave gay couples the right to have same union marriages and redefined marriage. The states did away with the old definition of marriage and opened a new chapter that caused social norms and moral debates. The article follows the debate and adoption of the laws by the high court and the steps that occurred before the decision was made. The article makes clear the dos and donts in every state and hence gives the legality issues that surround gay marriages. The author examines the extent of the decision made by the high court and this is very important to the report as it examines the legality of same-sex marriages. The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) decision was based on the essence of marriage which is in a stable relationship and not conjugality. The decision ruled that same-sex marriages brought self fulfillment and thus legalized them. This article is very effective in the report since it will explain the arguments in each case and help reflect the legalization of same-sex marriage. Buy custom Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage essay

How to Write the Perfect College Book Report Outline

How to Write the Perfect College Book Report Outline How to Write the Perfect College Book Report Outline Need to write an amazing book report? All fired up to get started? Wonderful! All you need now is to learn how to create one which your instructor will happily add an ‘A’ to next to your name. Luckily, you have wandered into the right corner of the web. This brief little guide right here has you covered for the tasks assigned. We understand the temptation to simply skim one of the numerous summaries online. If your online search skills are quite good, you might even come across completely written out reports of your chosen book. However, there is no substitute for actually reading the author’s words. It will bring a depth to your perception and analysis, which will show up when your write your book report. Outline Structure Following an outline simplifies your writing process. The end result will be a piece of writing which has consistency, logical structure and expresses your ideas clearly. To spare you from searching online and giving into the temptation of searching through book reports, use the following five as the basic sections of your report. For practice’s sake, let’s create a book report on Stephen King’s 1983 horror novel, â€Å"Christine†: Introductory Paragraph Summary of the Book Characters’ Details Plot Details Evaluation and Conclusion Introductory Paragraph. This is where you write the title of the book, the author’s name, and the main idea of the story. Make sure to include the genre, publication date, number of pages, and publisher information. If the book has won any major awards or broken sales records, mention those as well. For Christine you will go like: Christine, published by Viking, is Stephen King’s horror novel that came out on April 29, 1983. This classic novel was also adapted into a movie in the same year. This example clearly tells the readers what the novel is all about, when it came out, who published it and also that it was turned into a movie. Summary of the Book.  Include a broad overview of the story here. Specify the time period, setting, overall plot, and main characters. Describe the atmosphere or tone of the story and the point of view of the narrative. For Christine, we’ll go like: ‘The novel tells the story of Christine that is a red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury. The novel focuses on this apparently possessed automobile’s story and what all it has been through and how it changes the life of its new owner, Arnie.’ While our example is short, you will have more details in your summary. Characters’ Details.  List the main characters and identify any major conflicts that exist between them. Highlight if there is a particular problem that the characters are trying to solve. Use a second paragraph to describe any of the minor characters if they play a significant or critical role in the plot. In Christine’s example, we can mention ‘It tells the story of Arnie, who buys Christine, the possessed automobile for $250. He is a nerdy teen who tries DIY ideas on his new buy and in the process he changes. Another main character is Dennis, who is Arnie’s friend and does not like Christine. He is also puzzled by the changes he sees in his friend and in the vehicle. In our example, we only gave an overview. However, you are expected to mention more details including character’s background, age, likes, dislike and everything else that impacts the story, including their relationships. Plot Details.  This section includes an overall description of the plot. No need to add too many details; tell the overall story and the major plot twists. Any element that propels the story further should be included here. Think of it as highlights of a game or match; no play by play, just important events. Be sure to include how the plot picks pace, what conflicts arise, how they are eventually resolved, and how the book ends. In this section, you should also mention any literary themes and plot devices you observed in the book. Flex your literary criticism muscle and include a theoretical overview. In Christine’s example, you will highlight all the elements the novel touches. A good example will be the jealousy and attention factor where Arnie starts to be more attentive to Christine and in the process begins to lose his love and his family. Evaluation and Conclusion.  This is the section where your own observations and opinions belong. Offer your own unique critique of the book. What did you think the strong points and weak points were? Describe how easy it was to sustain interest in the book. Write about what you learned while reading the book, and especially focus on how it affected you on an emotional level. Also include quotes or events from the book to lend credence to your opinions. Finally, include a short paragraph in which you write your honest opinion on the book and say whether you would recommend that other people read it and why. In Christine’s example, you can include some quotes that cover the story or simply give your opinion, such as: â€Å"Christine† is a fantastic book with enough chills. Bonus Step- Revise and Edit Your Work.  Revise your report thoroughly; get the quotes right and clarify any ambiguous statements. Ask a friend for feedback if you want to be thorough. Edit and proofread your work to improve its quality and style. Finally, format it according to your instructor’s directions. . Most teachers will have a fixed template which specifies header/footer rules, title page format, student information, etc. Finalize the work and send it in. So, we’ve created a perfect college book report outline on the example of Stephen King’s â€Å"Christine†. Moreover, we have given you valuable tips along the way on writing a book report itself. Don’t miss the chance to use that advice and produce an excellent outline together with a profound book report. At writing service you can order a custom college book report online. You will get a high-quality customized book report paper written by professional writers with timely delivery!

My Funeral Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My Funeral Plan - Assignment Example Wakes are overnight stays held at funerals especially on the eve of the burial day. This is a practice that is only common among Christians, Muslims bury their dead immediately after they are pronounced dead. Wakes were initially meant to be moments when the friends and family came together and commemorated their lives with the dead. With the spread of Christianity, Christians started using these moments to have services in which they prayed for the souls of the late and to pray for guidance for those they left behind by them. The services have become so common that others carry them out in churches while others carry them out in homes and places designated for them by the families of the late. Egyptians believed that the bodies of their dead were to be used again by the very dead in their eternal rest. This way, they thus devised a way, of preserving the bodies; mummification. They drained the bodies of all possible liquid and air then covered them tightly in strips of sheets. The b odies survived for millions of years in good shape and this was the origin of body preservation. Given the differing funeral schedules, some people may have their programming running for weeks, a time within which the body of the dead should still be fresh and in good shape. The modern societies came up with ways of preserving their dead with such chemicals as formalin being used to keep the bodies fresh for longer. Electrocuting the dead drains all moisture and air from the bodies thus making them to last remarkably long.

Business Intelligence Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Intelligence Information Systems - Essay Example There are many other roles of business intelligence systems as well (Mulcahy, 2012). The reason why companies use business intelligence systems is for the reason that they collect a lot of data from their business operations. Data are then stored, and in order to maintain and keep a check on these data, the business needs a reliable software such as MS Word and Excel and many other data keeping software and applications. Maintaining such data becomes complicated if two or more applications are used. That is why businesses use business intelligence software which provides adequate maintenance of all the data (Mulcahy, 2012). This paper aims to discuss two business intelligence software products along with their features and a description of their manufacturers. Spotfire The real factor of success for a business in terms of exploiting information in order to gain a benefit is ‘reporting’. When the reporting software of a business is down, it means that the software is not relaying information to the right people at the right time due to which decision making problems arise. Spotfire is business intelligence software developed by TIBCO which contains all the necessary functions (TIBCO, 2011). ‘TIBCO Software Inc.’ is a software company which manufactures business intelligence software amongst other infrastructure software for large and small business organizations. The software manufactured by TIBCO is used on-premise and or as cloud computing setting. There are many customers which enjoy the products built by TIBCO Inc (TIBCO, 2011). ‘Spotfire’ is business intelligence software which provides much optimized intelligence analytical applications for the maintenance and efficiency of data. There are plenty of features of Spotfire; it offers analytical software combined with visuals and an interactive component which allows companies to exploit their data and retrieve whatever data they want to. The main feature of the Spotfire software system is the fact that you can actually view your intelligence and the interaction pertaining to your business’s intelligence due to the fact that Spotfire has a very good data visualization interface (TIBCO, 2011). Spotfire’s technical and intelligent approach to business intelligence is aiding various business enterprises in increasing their performance efficiently. Finance companies use Spotfire to maintain and keep a check on compliance and risk, manage various selection tasks and maintain attribution analysis (TIBCO, 2011). Necto ‘Necto’ is very good business intelligence software which is manufactured by Panorama. Necto is the latest in the line of business intelligence products and what sets it apart from other business intelligent programs is the fact that it is a socially enabled intelligence solution which has been never seen before. The Necto software has a wide variety of features which are very beneficial to business and other organi zations; it offers a very innovative, ingenious and simple way to link data, analysis of the data and the people working in the company. Necto is a new technology which is more efficient and much faster; it is a generation of

Sustainable Project Management Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Games Development Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Project Management Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Games Development Essay If organizations want to incorporate sustainability into their strategy and culture, sustainability principles need to be integrated in projects and project management. The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the importance of considering sustainability in projects and evaluate appropriate methods and techniques for embedding sustainability principles in project management. This essay is organized in four main parts. The importance of considering sustainability in project is critically analyzed in the next part. Methods and Techniques for the integration of sustainability in project management are evaluated on the third part of the essay. This will involve practical examples from the workplace and case studies focused on new media projects, in particular, the development of games and applications. Concluding remarks are presented in the last part of the essay. 2. The importance of sustainability in project management The debate about the importance of considering sustainability in project management cannot be appropriately discussed without understanding the need for corporate sustainability and its drivers. Project management is intrinsically embedded in the business environment and we cannot to evaluate the significance of sustainable projects management without analyzing the importance on embedding sustainability into business. Both go hand in hand. Sustainability in business aims to achieve long term financial success while contributing to economic and social growth, and reducing its impact in the environment. Corporate sustainability includes three dimensions of needs, known as the â€Å"triple bottom line†; economic prosperity; social equity and quality of life; ecological resource preservation. Corporate sustainability can be defined as â€Å" a business approach that creates long-term shareholder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks derived from economic, environmental and social developments† ( Dow Jones Sustainability indexes, 2011). While the issue of sustainable business, often referred under the â€Å"green† umbrella, has been the object of abundant literature, there has been little emphasis on understanding how the principles of sustainability apply to project and project management until recently. Taking into account the pivotal role of projects in the shaping of products and services within organization, it is surprising that these to concepts- sustainability and project management- have not had more relevance in the discussion of corporate sustainability. As Maltzman and Shirley rightly question in their introduction to Green Project Management (2011, p. xxi): â€Å"Projects are where business ideas become reality, after all. Projects, by definition, use resources. Shouldn’t projects, therefore, be a key are of any focus on green business? † The business case of sustainability has the same multifaceted approach as its definition. The main drivers of green business and projects fall in the 3 main areas considered in the â€Å"triple bottom line approach- social, environmental and financial- plus an added area of legislative drivers. In the following four sub-segments we will analyzed these drivers of from a business and a project management point of view. 2. 1Environmental drivers The environmental sphere of business is related to the management of resources required to produce a product or a service. The two main environmental drivers for organizations are to decrease the impact in the environment generated by harmful waste and to achieve a better use of resources. Sustainable waste management can bring financial benefits to business by reducing the cost of dealing with the impact of the damage to the environment degradation; with regards to resource use, the focus is on efficiency. The less materials they are use, the greater the positive environmental impact. This also applies to human resources and time management. Minimizing waste has also positive financial effects because it drives costs down. Efficient use of resources and time is a vital part of project management, it has been suggested (Maltzman, Shirley 2011) that the discipline of project management always has been concerned on how to efficiently use resources even if that concern did not come from a sustainability background. Good project managers will always try to reduce cost and use resources in the most efficient manner. The only thing that is missing is to add that environmental layer to it. As Gill Friend clearly outline on his book The Truth About Green Business (2009) that sustainable business are not just about the environment, it presents a whole new way of seeing business and it brings a new range of direct opportunities to make money. There is an increasing social interest on sustainability; therefore, there is an increasing demand on products and services that take sustainability into account. 2. 2Social drivers The management of corporate social sustainability is more widely known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Two Tomorrowsâ„ ¢ (2009) explains that CSR is about â€Å"how businesses align their values and behaviour with the expectations and needs of stakeholders not just customers and investors, but also employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole. â€Å" There are many business benefits that can be achieved by taking an ethical and socially responsible approach within the organization. It could help increase brand reputation and value within its stakeholders. Intensive research over 3 year covering 300 firms (Hillman, Kleim, 2001) concluded that investing in stakeholder management may be complementary to shareholder value creation and may indeed provide a basis for competitive advantage as important resources and capabilities may be created that differentiate a firm from competitors. As Maltzman and Shirley (2011, p. 3-25) explain that corporate social responsibility is an integral part of project management. Project managers are at the forefront of business activities and at the leading edge of change within organizations so â€Å"who better to emphasize CSR, particularly if it isn’t in the corporations DNA? †. 2. 3Economic drivers When we talk about economic sustainability we are not only talking about financial capital or tangible capital; economic sustainability it also takes into account intangible capital such as reputation. Tangible effects could be the cost reduction achieved through improved environmental, health and safety performance or revenue increases due to a raise on sales caused by the market opportunities for sustainable products and services. Intangible effects referred to in the figure below (Salzmann et. al. ) as value constructs, do no improve the revenue per se, but they do have significant positive effects that can, indeed, be utilize to achieve financial gains to organizations. The same principles can be applied to project management. Figure 1: Systemization of value drivers and value constructs (Salzmann et al. 2. 4Legal drivers From the facts presented in the previous sections, one might conclude that they create a sufficient business case for sustainability on their own accord. However legislation is still one of the key drivers for organizations to incorporate green business practices. While some voices have raise the financial burden that following this legislations can bring to c ompanies, numerous studies (Greenstone, List and Syverson, 2010; Goodstein, 1994; Jaffe et al. , 1995; Meyer, 1995) have found these economic effects are limited in scope and duration and are fewer in number than previously believed. Moreover it has been empirically demonstrated (Meyer, 1995) that complying with legislations contributes to cost savings by avoiding the financial penalties for not complying and, in some case, by achieving incentives. Regulation can fuel innovation that improve productivity, increase efficiency, and provide substantial cost savings 3. Sustainable game development projects In this section we will evaluate different methods and techniques that help project managers to incorporate sustainability in their projects. Practical examples and tools will be provided focused in the area of games software development. I have chosen this industry not only because we can supplement the research with useful personal work experience, but more importantly because a lot of the discussion on sustainable project manager has been centred in the type of project and we believe that sustainability considerations can and must be embedded in the PM cycle of any project. 3. 1Methods for sustainable project management 3. 1. 1Lean games development: an Agile approach As we have seen in previous section, sustainability principles talk about reducing waste and increasing resource efficiency and understanding stakeholders to drive value. Poppendieck explains (2003) how lean thinking is based on a deep understanding on what it adds value to the project and to the customer, the importance of rapid flow and using the teams capabilities to their best potential, in other words lean thinking is all about sustainability. While lean thinking has its origin in manufacturing, it also can be applied to other industries. In the world of software development, that includes games software, Agile methodologies provide a new framework for the application of lean thinking to software development projects. Lightweight software development methods started to appear in the mid-1970s as a reaction to the inefficiency of the traditional methodology in software development. These are now typically referred to as agile methodologies, after the Agile Manifesto was published in 2001. There are many correspondences between Lean thinking and Agile. David Harvey concludes his essay Lean, Agile by saying : â€Å"the insight of agile, in getting back to fundamentals of how we can work together to deliver things of human as well as commercial value, is compelling; the thrill of lean lies in the discovery that we are not alone. Understanding lean principles and applying agile methodologies will help project managers to incorporate sustainability to software and games development projects. 3. 1. 2Life cycle thinking: It is not over until long after is over Essential to successfully relate sustainability to project management is to understand the cradle to crate philosophy, and to apply sustainability to project life cycle, from the project beginning through closure and beyond. The project life cycle of sustainability should include another phase after the project completion. It can be defined as the complete cycle of a project that includes not only the beginning of the project through to implementation, but also beyond the defined parameters of the projects (Maltzman, Shirley 2011). Dick and Naumann (2010) proposed a definition of green software development that applies the principles of life cycle thinking and that can be also applied to Games Development (GD): â€Å"Green and Sustainable Software Engineering is the art of developing green and sustainable software with a green and sustainable software engineering process.

Siddhartha Essay -- essays research papers

In the days of Siddhartha, there were different ways of achieving the Enlightenment. Learning about the Enlightenment couldn’t be taught with words, but can be taught mentally, and individually. Siddhartha went on a voyage to achieve enlightenment and finally learned about it. It all takes place in ancient India where he lived with his father who is a Brahmin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Siddhartha was a handsome man who lived with his father in ancient India. Everyone in the village wants Siddhartha to become a Brahmin like his father. Govinda, who is Siddhartha’s best friend, together they perform all the rituals of religion and does all the rituals which bring him peace and happiness. Siddhartha doesn’t want to become like his father, he feels that his father and the elders of the village have not achieved enlightenment and he feels if he keeps living with his father, he will never learn. Siddhartha longs for something more, that the elders haven’t done. Siddhartha and Govinda want answers for the achievement of the enlightenment. One day, Samanas passed through the town begging for food. Samanas believed enlightenment can be reached through asceticism. Siddhartha believes that the Samanas can provide him with some answers. Siddhartha then joins the Samanas even though his father doesn’t want him to join. Govinda als o wants to find a path to enlightenment, and he joins Siddhartha in his new life. Siddhartha adjusts quickly to the ways of the Samanas. The Samanas have be...

Disaster Management Cycle

Disaster Preparedness and Management Assignment No. 1 [pic] Submitted to: Sir Muhammad Akmal Khan Submitted by: Tayyab Hasnain Janjua Reg # 14DD-410004 D. DRM Second Quarter Fall 2010 Disaster Management Cycle Disaster Risk Management includes sum total of all activities, programmes and measures which can be taken up before, during and after a disaster with the purpose to avoid a disaster, reduce its impact or recover from its losses. The three key stages of activities that are taken up within disaster risk management are as follows [pic] INITIATIVES TAKEN [pic] Figure 1. Three phases of disaster management cycle 1. Pre Disaster Phase Before a disaster (pre-disaster). Pre-disaster activities those which are taken to reduce human and property losses caused by a potential hazard. For example, carrying out awareness campaigns, strengthening the existing weak structures, preparation of the disaster management plans at household and community level, etc. Such risk reduction measures taken under this stage are termed as mitigation and preparedness activities. 2. During disaster Phase During a disaster (disaster occurrence). These include initiatives taken to ensure that the needs and provisions of victims are met and suffering is minimized. Activities taken under this stage are called emergency response activities. 3. Post disaster Phase After a disaster (post-disaster). There are initiatives taken in response to a disaster with a purpose to achieve early recovery and rehabilitation of affected communities, immediately after a disaster strikes. These are called as response and recovery activities. Explanation The Disaster risk management cycle diagram (DRMC) highlights the range of initiatives which normally occur during both the Emergency response and Recovery stages of a disaster. Some of these cut across both stages (such things as coordination and the provision of ongoing assistance); whilst other activities are unique to each stage (e. g. Early Warning and Evacuation during Emergency Response; and Reconstruction and Economic and 48 Social Recovery as part of Recovery). The DRMC also highlights the role of the media, where there is a strong relationship between this and funding opportunities. This diagram works best for relatively sudden-onset disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, bushfires, tsunamis, cyclones etc, but is less reflective of slow-onset disasters, such as drought, where there is no obviously recognizable single event which triggers the movement into the Emergency Response stage. According to Warfield (2008) disaster management aims to reduce, or avoid the potential losses from hazards, assure prompt and appropriate assistance to victims of disaster, and achieve rapid and effective recovery. The disaster management cycle illustrates the ongoing process by which governments, businesses, and civil society plan for and reduce the impact of disasters, react during and immediately following a disaster, and take steps to recover after a disaster has occurred. Appropriate actions at all points in the cycle lead to greater preparedness, better warnings, reduced vulnerability or the prevention of disasters during the next iteration of the cycle. The complete disaster management cycle includes the shaping of public policies and plans that either modify the causes of disasters or mitigate their effects on people, property, and infrastructure. The mitigation and preparedness phases occur as disaster management improvements are made in anticipation of a disaster event. Developmental considerations play a key role in contributing to the mitigation and preparation of a community to effectively confront a disaster. As a disaster occurs, disaster management actors, in particular humanitarian organizations become involved in the immediate response and long-term recovery phases. The four disaster management phases illustrated here do not always, or even generally, occur in isolation or in this precise order. Often phases of the cycle overlap and the length of each phase greatly depends on the severity of the disaster. ? Mitigation – Minimizing the effects of disaster. Examples: building codes and zoning; vulnerability analyses; public education. ? Preparedness – Planning how to respond. Examples: preparedness plans; emergency exercises/training; warning systems. ? Response – Efforts to minimize the hazards created by a disaster. Examples: search and rescue; emergency relief. ? Recovery – Returning the community to normal. Examples: temporary housing; grants; medical care. To analyze the scope of disaster management in the revised context, it should be studied the cycle of the phenomenon (Figure 2). Disasters are as old as human history but the dramatic increase and the damage caused by them in the recent past have become a cause of national and international concern. Over the past decade, the number of natural and manmade disasters has climbed inexorably. From 1994 to 1998, reported disasters average was 428 per year but from 1999 to 2003, this figure went up to an average of 707 disaster events per year. Figure 3 presents the deadliest disasters of the decade (1992-2001). Figure 3. Reported Deaths from all Disasters: World Scenario (1992-2001) Drought and famine have proved to be the deadliest disasters globally (45%), followed by floods (16%), technological disaster (14%), earthquake (12%), windstorm (10%), extreme temperature and others (3%). Global economic loss related to disaster events average around US $880 billion per year (CBSE, 2006). Conclusions There has been a dramatic increase in disasters and the damages caused by them in the recent past. Over the past decade, the number of natural and manmade disasters has climbed inexorably. Accordingly to the statistics, the number of disasters per year increased with 60% in the period 1999-2001 in comparison with the previous period, 1994 -1998. The highest increase was in the countries of low human development, which registered an increase of 142%. In these countries, the responsible institutions should play an important role but, in general, the disaster management policy responses are influenced by methods and tools for cost-effective and sustainable interventions. There are no long-term, inclusive and coherent institutional arrangements to address disaster issues with a long term vision. Disasters are viewed in isolation from the processes of mainstream development and poverty alleviation planning. For example, disaster management, development planning and environmental management institutions operate in isolation and integrated planning between these sectors is almost lacking. Absence of a central authority for integrated disaster management and lack of coordination within and between disaster related organizations is responsible for effective and efficient disaster management. State-level disaster preparedness and mitigation measures are heavily tilted towards structural aspects and undermine nonstructural elements such as the knowledge and capacities of local people, and the related livelihood protection issues. In conclusion, with a greater capacity of the individual/community and environment to face the disasters, the impact of a hazard would be reduced. ———————– DURING 2

Is Australia a Racist Country

Racism is discrimination or abusive behaviour towards another race or religion. Australia is a very young multicultural country where at hand is strong evidence to suggest that Australia is racist, and in contrast there are many examples that support this questions that we humans beings can live in peace and harmony with all Australians. According to the ABCDiamond The proportion of the population of Australians born overseas is quoted â€Å"over one quarter of Australians were born overseas†. This means 25% of Australians are born overseas. Some possible causes of racism can be of an institutional racism, which means that a group of people have the same faith about a certain type of person. Racism can be from the past and what people of many different generations express to others about it which follows to be a stereo type of a group of people, such as Germany and the Jews. Many people may think because Hitler was German that all Germans were and always will be bad. At times we hear parents and grandparents being racist based on their opinions on world events such as September 11. This created hatred and anti-Muslim feelings in the general public. In Australia Muslim leaders spoke through the media condemning the attack as many Australians started to form racist opinions about all Middle Easterners. This is an example of indirect racism based on stereo typing. Sometimes racism may simply be caused by ignorance and judgment formed through a lack of knowledge and information. This may be considered unjust and unfair because people are judging based on a stereotype. Professor of Geography from the University of Western Sydney says that â€Å"Australians arnt dealing with ‘cultural diversity’ properly and are being racist and disrespectful to those whom are from a completely different culture and the government need to do more to manage this issue. Another example of racism was when Dr Hanif was deported for suspected links to terrorism. Other stereotypical attitudes present amongst Australians include, Asians are bad drivers, Aboriginals are lazy and a burden on society, Middle easterners are fighters and the French are arrogant. The Cronulla riots of 2005, was an example of mob violence and interracial racism between the Lebanese and local Anglo youth to â€Å"reclaim the beach† and to move out of their suburbs. Another resent development is the racism towards Indian students studying in Australia. People assume that they are taking study places and jobs from Australian’s when they are often wealthy, self-supporting and not necessarily a true representation of all people from their country. They are often being targeted by groups within Australia for their display of wealth (I-pod etc) Racism will continue because of general comments by the public and the influences of the media. For example 9/11 has made our world a place of heightened security, awareness and nervousness particularly as we relate to members of different cultures . Sometimes discussions between people’s opinions can instill racism in younger generations. Media sources such as the news and the internet can be covering stories in ways that present bias towards a group or race and this can also cause racism. The government’s inactions to take a stand against racism may also contribute to racism continuing. Surely the government with its intake of migrants and refugees needs to take a greater look at how to encourage communities to live more harmoniously. One example, in which the Government does promote diversity and acceptance, is through an annual initiative called Harmony Day. On March 21st, 2010, schools, communities groups and organisations celebrated our cultural diversity to show that everyone belongs. Another community effort raising cultural awareness was the Indian concert by A.  R. Rahman which was organised as part of the Sydney Festival in Parramatta last year. The event was part of a wider initiative of the New South Wales Government to ease relations between the country’s significant Indian population and the wider Australian community. According to the Indian Local, (January 17th 2010) Cricketer Matthew Hayden interviewed members of the audience during breaks. â€Å"The thing to remember is that we are all the same inside,† said a young man he spoke to. This is a very important statement because it could actually be the key to preventing further racism. If all Australians could believe this way, we would live in a more peaceful society. Many would argue that Australia, with its large population of overseas born people is a non racist nation. We have suburbs in Sydney which delight all cultures and signify multiculturalism at its best. The Italian’s in Leichardt, Lebanese in Auburn/Bankstown, and Chinese in Cabramatta and Chinatown in the city. Governments and local councils might encourage festivals and awareness through entertainment and local media e. g. Chinese New Year festivals. This is a display which shows that Australian’s are indeed quite accepting of other races. Governing policies such as the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act (1975) aim to ensure that â€Å"everyone is treated equally, regardless of their race, colour, descent or nationality or ethnic origin†. According to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship we are processing applications for asylum seekers from war torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The Asylum Seeker Assistance Program is a scheme that has been set up by the government to assist these people with income support, and advice as they wait to gain refugee status. This is an example of how the government is accepting and supportive of new migrants in our country. Similarly the Rudd government showed compassion to the Aborigines when we â€Å"Closed the Gap† in 2008 by apologizing publicly to the Aboriginals for mistreatment of them by our country. This public recognition of unfair and unjust treatment shows a willingness to be a non racist country in the eyes of many Australians. So, is Australia a racist country? It is evident that Australia’s growing population of migrants will continue. With this growth it is hard to predict that racism will cease. However, the need to reinforce that all humans have feelings and have rights will be the answer to stopping racism. We need help from the government, media and leaders in our society to breakdown institutional racism. We need to take a more collaborative approach as Australians and as members of the global community. Racism has no quick fix solution but with improvements in communication and understanding of each other as individuals we can create a more harmonious place to live.

Meiji Period Essay Essay Example

Meiji Period Essay Essay Example Meiji Period Essay Essay Meiji Period Essay Essay Meiji means ‘the enlightened rule’ in Nipponese. In Japan the period from 1868 to 1912 is called ‘Meiji Era’ ? . ( Meiji Period ) . The name Meiji was chosen by the immature prince Mutsuhito. when he succeeded his male parent to the throne. During this period Japan emerged as a universe political and economic power. Japan underwent a surprising advancement from mediaeval society to of import and primary military power and economic power in Asia. During the Meiji period the emperor was merely 15 old ages old but he was fortunate to hold a group of first-class advisers who brought merger of eastern and western civilizations. They adapted western thoughts while retaining the importance of the E. During this period the authorities made all attempts to construct up its military strength and advancement economic position. The samurai warriors were the traditional military system in Japan. The samurai system was replaced by the indispensable military service. The ground forces was trained by the Prussian and Gallic teachers. In two major wars that is in Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 against China and Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05 against Russia. the Nipponese ground forces proved its high quality. Japan has emerged as the strong new power in Asia after these two wars. The Government gave importance to the thoughts and involvements of husbandmans. samurai. merchandisers and former feudal estate proprietors. Foreign experts were employed in the Fieldss of defence. industry. agribusiness and transit and their methods and patterns were carefully considered and adopted. Political and societal reforms were given much importance during this period. Some of the reforms include declaration of spiritual freedom in 1873 ; the lunar calendar which was considered most of import by the Nipponese society was replaced by Gregorian calendar. debut of the revenue enhancement system. freedom of trade. and freedom of land acquisition and in 1890 first elections was held for DIET. Along with this instruction was besides given extreme importance and was made compulsory. The attending at schools stood at 98 per centum by the terminal of the Meiji period. The Meiji epoch was a stage of strong emotions and extremist reforms. The authorities intended to construct Japan as a democratic state. Many of the Nipponese bookmans were sent to western states to analyze linguistic communications and western scientific discipline to better the agricultural economic system of Tokugawa Japan in to developed industrial sector. By agencies of immense governmental investings. the communicating webs and transit were developed. The first telegraph line was established between Yokahoma and Tokyo in 1869. a horse-drawn ropeway system was introduced. national postal service was introduced in 1871the first steel span known as Azuma steel span was opened. in 1872. Meiji emperor opened the first train connexion between Tokyo and Yokahoma. The powerful and big concerns in Japan known as zaibatsu were supported by the authorities to develop and back up the industries and concerns. The period in 1880’s besides led to fiscal crisis due to immense outgos which led to the reform in the currency system and constitution of the Bank of Japan. The fabric industry became the largest industry and grew faster in Japan until World War II. In 1889 Japan established its first European manner fundamental law. The emperor was top of the navy. executive. ground forces and legislative power. During the Meiji period. Japan emerged as a major power and a developed state. Japan was changed wholly by the western rock edifices which include deparment shops. Bankss and authorities sites. The Meiji period led to the economic roar and standard military power. Mentions: 1. Meiji Period ( 1868-1912 ) . Japan cultural profile. October 5. 2006. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. culturalprofiles. net/japan/Directories/Japan_Cultural_Profile/-13234. hypertext markup language

Calculating How Many People Share Your Birthday

Calculating How Many People Share Your Birthday Birthdays are special days to each of us, but every so often we run into someone who shares our birthday. Its not an uncommon experience, but doesnt it make you wonder how many people do share your birthday? What Are the Odds? All things being equal, if your birthday is any day except February 29, the odds of you sharing your birthday with anyone should be approximately 1/365 in any population (0.274%). Since the world population as of this writing is estimated at 7 billion, you should share your birthday with over 19 million people around the world (19,178,082). If you are lucky enough to have been born on February 29, you should share your birthday with 1/1461 (because 366365365365 equals 1461) of the population (0.068%) and so worldwide, you should only share your birthday with a mere 4,791,239 people! Wait- I Should Share My Birthday? However, even though it would seem logical to think that the odds of being born on any given date are one in 365.25, birth rates arent driven by random forces. A lot of things affect when babies are born. In the American tradition, for example, a high percentage of marriages are scheduled for June: and so you might expect at least a small bubble of births to take place in February or March. Further, it seems likely that people conceive children when theyre rested and relaxed. Theres even an old urban legend, debunked by a Duke University study reported on the Snopes.com site, that claimed that nine months after the 1965 New York City blackout, there was a dramatic increase in babies born nine months later. That turns out not to have been true, but it is interesting that people would perceive it to be true. Show Me the Numbers! In 2006, The New York Times published a simple table titled How Common is Your Birthday? The table provided data compiled by Amitabh Chandra of Harvard University, on how often babies are born in the United States on each day from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. According to Chandras table, including birth records between 1973 and 1999, babies are far more likely to be born in the summers, followed by fall, and then spring and winter. Sept. 16 was the most popular birthday, and the top ten most popular birthdays all fall in September. Not surprisingly, February 29th was the 366th most common day to be born on. Not counting that rare day, the 10 least popular days reported by Chandra to be born on fall on holidays: the 4th of July, late November (26, 27, 28, and 30, near Thanksgiving) and over Christmas (Dec. 24, 25, 26) and New Years (Dec. 29, Jan. 1, 2, and 3). That would seem to suggest that mothers have some say in when babies are born. New Data In 2017, Matt Stiles writing in the Daily Viz reported new data from United States births between for 1994-2014. The data was compiled from U.S. health records by the FiveThirtyEight statistics site- the original report is no longer on FiveThirtyEight. According to that set of data, the least popular birthdays are still around the holidays: July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. That data shows that those holidays even beat out February 29th, only the 347th least common day to be born on, which is pretty remarkable, statistically speaking. The most popular days to be born in the United States in this latest set of statistics? The top ten days fall in September: except for one, July 7th. If you were born in September, you were likely conceived over the Christmas holidays. What Does Science Say? Since the 1990s, several scientific studies have shown that there are, in fact, overall seasonal differences in conception rates. Birth rates in the northern hemisphere typically peak between March and May and are at their lowest between October to December. But scientists also point out that those numbers vary widely according to the age, education, and socioeconomic status and marital status of the parents. In addition, the health of a mother affects fertility and conception rates. Environmental stress does too:  conception rates plummet in war-torn regions and during famines. During very hot summers, conception rates are often suppressed. Sources Bobak, Martin, and Arjan Gjonca. The Seasonality of Live Birth Is Strongly Influenced by Socio-Demographic Factors. Human Reproduction 16.7 (2001): 1512-17. Print.Bronson, F. H. Seasonal Variation in Human Reproduction: Environmental Factors. The Quarterly Review of Biology 70.2 (1995): 141-64. Print.Chandra, Amitabh. How Common Is Your Birthday? The New York Times December 19, 2006. Print.Mikkelson, David Blackout Baby Boom. Snopes.com. Published July 31, 2009.  Stiles, Matt. How Common is Your Birthday? This Visualization Might Surprise You. Daily Viz September 17, 2017.

Negative impacts of mega-event tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Negative impacts of mega-event tourism - Essay Example The Olympic Games, United Nations conferences, cultural festivals that draw tourists from all over the world and international religious conferences are all examples of mega events. The high profile nature of the event, the involvement of a group of people with vested interests referred to as the key elites, the short duration of the event and the pressure of organizing and executing a large number of tasks on time, usually generate analysis of the cause-and-effects relationships based on economic benefits such as increase in tourism, development of infrastructure and other more intangible gains such as image building and boosting of national pride. Such economic and other benefits are more perceived and projected than based on any realistic assessment. In their haste to justify public expenditures for mega events, governments and organizers marshal evidence of economics and other benefits -- many of which it turns out are incalculable, or if calculable are best considered as estimat es only (Mules & McDonald, 1994; Crompton and McKay 1994:33). In the introduction to his paper Assessing the Impact of Mega Events: A Linkage Model, Harry H Hiller makes the phenomenon very clear: ‘Indeed in many cases, the contribution to economic growth becomes the dominant rationale for hosting the event. The economic justification is so compelling to key elites that other impacts are considered minor. Negative impacts are either ignored or hidden under the table (Hall & Hodges, 1996). Opponents are considered unpatriotic, naysayers, or prisoners of unacceptable ideologies.’ According to Hiller, this over emphasis on the obvious and immediate economic impact of the mega event itself has more often than not resulted in overlooking of other dimensions which may be part of a broader process with three kinds of linkages: forward linkages, backward linkages and parallel linkages. Forward linkages refer