Math in Basketball Essay

When I am upset, all I crave is bacon. It seems to bring out the good in everything. The sky is brighter when I eat bacon; the grass is greener; the glass is half full. Bacon just makes everything seem alright. I feel reenergized. Alert. Happy. Bacon is my substance of choice for mood-enhancement, as it optimally raises my dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine levels with no negative effects besides a little weight gain that is easily avoided by the addition of exercise. From an evolutionary stand point, bacon is the ideal food. Back in the day, before there were nutritionists and people ate to survive, cravings were responsible for encouraging the right balance of carbs to fats to proteins as well as the consumption of all necessary vitamins and minerals. Protein, which is found primarily in meat, proved to be one of the hardest nutrients for the ancient human being to find, since they would have to hunt animals in order to obtain it. Because of its importance to the human’s diet and its difficulty to obtain, the reward system for proteins tends to be much stronger than that for any other nutrient. Carbs may result in an increased level of serotonin, but proteins release tyrosine into the blood stream which causes the release of massive amounts of dopamine, the â€Å"feel-good† neurotransmitter. Bacon also has a great fat to protein ratio. Fats are another crucial nutrient because they are effectively concentrated, stored carbs which can be converted into ATP for energy on a cellular level. Containing nine Calories of energy per gram, one gram of fat is enough to sustain an average person in an inactive, waking state for ten minutes, though it may only last me a few seconds when I am riding my horse, Kaptain. This means that the average slice of bacon can sustain the average person for about one whole hour. Maybe twenty-four slices of bacon a day is not the most healthy diet, due to its lack of carbs, vitamins, and minerals, but on a sad, dreary, rainy day, that is pretty close to what I would eat. I would probably add some eggs, pastries, orange juice, and multi-vitamins to the mix in order to have a more balanced diet, but I would definitely feel pretty comforted and happy. Just thinking about a warm, crunchy, greasy, delicious plate of bacon with a side of steaming chocolate chip pancakes is triggering my lateral hypothalamus. My pituitary gland is already telling my mouth to water, my stomach to growl and prepare digestive enzymes, and releasing the hunger hormone ghrelin. Today may not be a sad, dreary, or rainy day, but I am still craving bacon’s crunchy goodness. Luckily, I can somewhat control my bacon cravings and I have a fast metabolism, or else I’m sure my horse would be suffering from intense back problems.

Human Body Systems Essay

The human cell is said to be a living thing because it is a basic functional unit of any living organism. Thus it performs the most detailed functions like energy generation, facilitating tissues functions, hence organism control. Body cells feed, grow, respire, excrete and can die. A cell is the smallest basic unit of life. It is made up of chemical substances such as atoms, ions and molecules that are important for life. The body is made up of different types on cell. For instance, egg cell, muscle cell, rode cells found in the eye, sperm cell, hair cell and nerve cell. Each of these different types of cell performs different functions in the body of the organism. Different cells are joined together through biological processes to form tissues, for example, epithelia tissue and muscles tissue. More so, different tissues unite to form different organs. An organ is formed of two or more tissues that collectively undertake a specific function in the body of an organism. Some examples of organs are the stomach, heart, kidney, lungs, and liver. When a number of organs are coordinated together towards a certain body function they form a system. The human body has eleven major systems which include the digestive, respiratory, nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, skeletal, endocrine, reproductive, integumentary, muscular and urinary systems. As discussed earlier the livelihood of an organism depends entirely on the functionality of each particular cell, tissue, organ and system. For example, the reproductive system is responsible for the propagation of genetic material to new organisms of the same species. The system results from the organization of reproductive cells, tissues and organs. In other wards, if each particular cell, tissue, organ and system functions effectively within its role the organism must be sustained alive. All the body systems are interlinked to form a fully functioning organism It is worth noting that for any cell or tissue and body part to function effectively it must be supplied with enough energy. The process by which energy is made available to cells and organs is metabolism. This process ensures an endless flow of matter and energy via an interlinked set of connections of chemical reactions within the cell, tissues, organs and organ systems. This results in a sustainable and continuous supply of body building materials, constant body repair and development of the organism. Generally, biological life is maintained by metabolism which involves food intake, digestion and its subsequent transformation into energy source for the cells. Food plays a vital role in the growth and development of body cells hence organisms’ health and life satiability. All living thing feed, grow, reproduce, move, breath and die. Food intake necessitates growth, development, reproduction, breathing, digestion, excretion, movement of organisms. Organisms are categorized in to five kingdoms: animals, plants, fungi, protisti and bacteria. The fetal pig and human are related in their body systems since they are all animals. They are further classed in to mammals which bring them closer in terms of organ systems such as respiration, digestion, reproduction and endocrine systems. Thus when a fatal pig grows, its body functions the same as that of and adult pig except for a few systems. The development processes involved in pigs is similar to that of humans. In conclusion, body systems are formed by organs, which are formed by tissues resulting from cells. A living organism sustains its life and health through internetworking of the different body organs and systems through their specific functions in the body. The cell is a basic unit of life.

Radiation Exposure and Radiation Diasters Affecting Marshall Island Research Paper

Radiation Exposure and Radiation Diasters Affecting Marshall Island - Research Paper Example The effects of radiation while dealing with radioactive material were demonstrated. The guidelines and limits were not established since the experience with radiation exposure was not enough to come up with a standard. To test the weapons, Nevada desert was used and underground tests were conducted to prevent massive radiation from affecting the ecosystem. However, as the magnitude of the projects increased, the US required a testing ground to effectively analyze the capabilities of the much higher yield weapons. Marshall Islands were taken from Japan during the Second World War and were administrated by the US under United Nations Trust Territory. These islands in the Pacific consisted of small islets and atolls. They were chosen as a proving ground for the nuclear tests. A total of 67 tests were conducted between 1946 and 1958 (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2012, p. 62). These explosions were mostly atmospheric and changed the ecosystem of the area. The paper will take into account the effe cts of radiation exposure and the magnitude of disaster on the Marshall Islands. Early Tests Two main atolls were used as testing grounds, Bikini and Enewetak. They are separated by 300 kilometers. The population was evacuated to safe distance on other atolls in the region, almost 200 kilometers away from the test sites (Angelo, 2004, p. 388). Bikini atoll alone experienced a total yield of 42.2 megatons during twelve years of testing. From 1946 to 1951, nine tests took place; eight of these tests were atmospheric and the yields were in kilotons, the highest being 225 kilotons (Nuclear Claims Tribunal, 2013). During the period, the fallout was controlled and the population was kept at a safe distance. The effects of these explosions were local and limited to some extent, however, in 1952, the yield drastically increased and 10.4 megaton test was carried out as opposed to kilotons before. The test left a crater of about 1 kilometer in diameter and the area was highly contaminated wit h radiation (CTBTO Preparatory Commission, 2012). The tests contaminated the soil by turning into radioactive materials. Thermonuclear Test The magnitude of tests increased and in 1954, hydrogen or thermonuclear bomb was tested for the first time. The yield was miscalculated and the outcome was almost three times the expected yield (Robbins & Adams, 1985, p. 12). The explosion was rated at 15 megatons and considered to be the most powerful explosion by the US. Furthermore, the wind condition at the test day was towards the population settlement on other islands. These two factors caused extreme radiation exposure to the inhabitants. Even with this exposure the affected community was evacuated two days after the test. Immediate Effects The immediate effect of the test included skin burns and hair loss in many inhabitants on the islands. The nearest island was 150, whereas, the farthest, 570 kilometers from the test site; however, a Japanese fishing boat about 150 kilometers was the n earest to experience the fallout (Lessard, 1986, p. 5). Debris including radioactive soil from the blast was received by the boat and from a crew of 23, one member died. The islands, however, received shower of radioactive particles in the form of ash carried by the wind. About 250 people were directly exposed to the radiation by the radioactive debris. The exact radioactive dose received by the inhabitants could not be determined as the

Disscusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Disscusion - Essay Example Moreover, today cooking is not reserved for women only; all family members participate and enjoy doing the activity when it comes to special occasions. One flaw in the picture that I notice is that none of the family members except the grandfather is looking at the grandmother or the turkey. Everybody is looking at one another as if there are things more important elsewhere around rather than grandmother or the turkey; which I think is not fine because the grandmother does deserve immense appreciation and honor for doing the family this service. The best part of the picture is the grandfather who has indeed stood up to express his thanks to the grandmother. This was a very wonderful exercise that let me think critically for a while and both appreciate and criticize the various elements of the picture. I liked the concept as a whole. I must say that the picture has preserved the norms and values of the old American family. The concept of family is so integral and fundamental to the cultivation of norms and values in the society that I am amazed how, as a society, could we compromise upon the sustenance of family the way it appears in the picture! Our attempt to be modern has deprived us of the blessings we had in the past including the togetherness, the union, the love and affection among the family members, and most importantly the mesmerizing smell of roasted turkey wafting through the home on Christmas. Even the hairstyles looked so decent and elegant; it seemed like everybody has applied a little oil in the hair to manage that better. Women looked so elegant with hair tied up in a bun. These days, people have gone wild in the name o f fashion. Hairs have gone pink and blue and spiky. I wish at least one of the family members in addition to the grandfather was looking at the turkey or the

Business Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Accounting - Assignment Example The pizza oven that I invented replaces the utility of a ?10,000 oven for a fraction of the price. The oven is able to cook personal pizzas of nine inches in three minutes or less. The reason that the pizza is cooked so quickly is because the oven cooks the pizza at 825 degree Fahrenheit. There are currently no existing ovens for street vendors that can reach the temperature needed to cook pizzas quickly. The idea is to sell the ovens with licensing contracts to generate both instant sales and residual income. The cost of building and integrating three ovens into a hotdog vending cart or similar equipment is ?1,500. The product would be sold to these types of clients that are looking to expand their business for ?5,000. The gross margin of the sale is 233%. Vendors interested in the proprietary rights of the oven have to pay a 10% on net sales royalty fee. The royalty fees must be paid on a monthly basis. People interested in the product have a second option if they not have an exist ing business. The product can be sold in as a pizza cart vending equipment that can be used to start your own business. The price of the pizza cart with three ovens is ?25,000. The cost to produce the pizza cart is ?13,000. The gross profit on the sale of the pizza cart equipment is 92.30%. ... The pizza style that these ovens cook is called Neapolitan pizza. Neapolitan pizza is a premium pizza meal cooked in Italy in brick ovens at high temperatures. The clients that purchase the oven attachments or the pizza cart can advertise the business as Neapolitan pizza mobile restaurants. This niche market allows the vendors to offer a specialty product at fair prices. The suggested retail price of a personal pizza with one topping and a soda is ?3.15. Business partners will have the flexibility to charge up to ?4.38 for a pizza combo because the premium nature of the product can support a higher price point than ?3.15. The sales projections of the company are based on the estimate that a pizza restaurant can generate yearly sales of ?276,500. The table below shows projected income for the next year. units Pounds Oven upgrades income 50 250000 Pizza carts income 25 625000 875000 Royalty income 2073750 Total income 2948750 Expenses Oven upgrade 50 75000 Pizza carts 25 325000 Labor c osts 480000 Administrative expenses 500000 Other costs 100000 Business loan 55824 Total Expenses 1535824 Net income 1412926 The projected net income includes sales of 50 oven upgrade packages and 25 pizza cart equipments. These two sources of income will generate revenues of ?875,000. There is money to be made by selling equipment, but the real money maker in this business model is the royalty income. The projected royalty income for the first year of operations is ?2,073,750. The projected net income of the company is ?1,412,926 with a net margin of 49.80%. Net margin is a financial metric that measures profitability (Investopedia, 2012). The reason that the net margin is so

Intro to law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Intro to law - Essay Example platform when two men ran in to catch the train the second man carried luggage and appeared to be falling when the train employees or guards who were standing by moved in to help him by pushing him into the train. In the course of the entry, the luggage of the second man fell down (it had fireworks), so it exploded hitting the tracks (Prosser, 1953). The impact on the tracks initiated the scales on the other end of the train to fall thereby injuring the plaintiff Mrs. Helen Palsgraf. The plaintiff sued the railroad claiming she was injured due to the negligence of the employees of the railroad company. Judgment: the bench by way of majority dismissed the application of the plaintiff and instead arguing that the actions of the accused employee were too indirectly linked to the injury caused to the plaintiff. In principle, there was no way he could have known what the passenger and owner of the luggage had carried. Thus, the case was dismissed with

Human resources management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Human resources management - Essay Example For instance, one of the results of this disintegration is that Personnel Function is disabled to exercise comprehensive appraisal, meaning clear goal setting and evaluation of the personnel. In other words, it has no influence on the socialization of their newcomers and current employees; thus, it is incapable to see their progress, understand their primary expectations, and clarify their functions on the workplace. In short, the lack of systematization in personnel recruitment is among the main challenges for Personnel Function. Thus, the future of this body is blurring, since its ineffectiveness becomes more and more evident. In short, Personnel Function is slightly responsible for HR management even now, and tends to lose even more freedom in the future In the short-term period, the absence-management is the subject of concern in Valleyway. In this context, there is a need to provide this kind of management in terms of both comprehending the social structure of employees (age, gender, family conditions) and creating satisfactory job situation (team building, responsibility, and work rotation). In fact, current problems in absence management is hard to identify, because Personnel Function has not enough information on the company’s employees. Each gender and age has different reasons of absence; thus, Personnel Function must know in detail about everyone’s living conditions in Valleyway. Another short-term measure is to provide 360-degree appraisal held by Personnel Function, meaning the open discussion for all the employees with peer reviewing, introducing open culture and mutual responsibility in the company, and critical evaluation of own achievements on the workplace. In this meeting, it is crucial not only to know better the company’s staff but also to articulate corporate goals and ambitions with clear understanding of everyone’s investment in them. Moreover, the effectiveness of

Teaching English Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Teaching English Language - Essay Example In 1990, one in 20 public school students in grades K-12 was an English language learner (ELL), that is, a student who speaks English either not at all or with enough limitations that he or she cannot fully participate in mainstream English instruction. Today the figure is 1 in 9. Demographers estimate that in 20 years it might be 1 in 4. The ELL population has grown from 2 million to5 million since 1990, a period when the overall school population increased only 20 percent. By far, the majority of ELLs - 80 percent - are Spanish speakers" (Teaching English Language Learners, p3). CALP - (cognitive academic language proficiency) the dimension of proficiency in which a learner manipulates or reflects on the surface features of language in academic contexts, such as text-taking, writing analysis, and reading academic texts. The following definitions have been earmarked for further study: "Predictable and consistent classroom management routines, aided by diagrams, lists, and easy-to-read schedules on the board or on charts, to which the teacher refers frequently; Graphic organizers that make content and the relationships among concepts and different lesson elements visually explicit; Additional time and opportunities for practice, either during the school day, after school, or for homework; Redundant key information, e.g., visual cues, pictures, and physical gestures about lesson content and classroom procedures; Identifying, highlighting, and clarifying difficult words and passages within texts to facilitate comprehension, and more generally greatly emphasizing vocabulary development; Helping students consolidate text knowledge by having the teacher, other students, and ELLs themselves

Health care professional inerview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health care professional inerview - Essay Example These tasks are done both in the hospital setup, at the home of patients, within the community schools as well as in industries. Community paramedics thus deliver services to emergencies with the main objectives of prevention of health harm. Paramedics offer their services round the clock to address the health concern of people in the community. This work mainly targets those whose capacity is impaired and the vulnerable members with the intention of achieving a universal coverage of health. Vickie L. Martin elaborated that a typical day for a community paramedics is one parameter that is difficult to predict. She states that a paramedic officer is an individual trained to be prepared all the time for an emergency whether on duty or off duty. A typical day for a paramedic officer can begin by responding to an emergency entailing fire outbreak or flood. Paramedics are responsible for the resuscitation of the victims of the crisis, offering first aid services and transferring those in need of special health services to a health care facility. The duty of a paramedic can take unpredictable duration in an emergency sport. Nevertheless, community paramedics are trained to offer their services within the shortest time possible as a way of allowing time to respond to other situations. The day is equally spent reporting emergency services to the relevant authority as well as collaborating with other health care workers to deliver services in hospital and community setting. A community paramedic works in a multivariate practice setting, these include in the community, giving services to the community. A professional in this field can equally practice in a health facility as well as in the research institutions. Working in an environment that demand speed in action, community paramedics work with the ambulance services as well as with the emergency airlift services for quick delivery of health care needs. According to Vickie L. Martin, the requirements

New Information Technology Systems Speciation Essay

New Information Technology Systems Speciation - Essay Example On the other hand, information systems are used to make effective decisions and manage internal processes of the organizations. The basic aim of this report is to discuss the implementation of information technology for an organisation. For this purpose, this report discusses the implementation process for the fine food company. 1-Introduction This report presents a detailed analysis of information technology based system implementation for the Fine Food Company (FFC). Fine Food Company (FFC) business is a well known and well established business in the food industry. The main setup of the business is established at London, UK. In addition, the business manufacturing setups are located at other sides of head office all through the UK. In this scenario, all the business clients use products delivery source from Ashville warehouse. Additionally, the business of The Fine Food Company is based on selling prepared and partly prepared food products. These products are obtained from the food products manufactures. Fine Food Company finishes and packages these products for resale (The Fine Food, 2011). Moreover, The Fine Food Company offers premium quality food for events all through the UK. In addition, The Fine Food Company does not compromise on the quality, freshness and provenance of the food offered (The Fine Food, 2011). Th is report will discuss the implementation of information technology for managing its operations. This report will use different analysis techniques to determine the importance of this implementation for the business. 2- Business Overview The business of the Fine Food Company has obtained a steady growth in the business and organizational structure. Despite the extensive improvements in currently operational paper based working structure, the performance of the business still lacks high performance. This makes the overall working structure less effective. Thus, in this scenario, the management of the business has decided to implement a new technology based structure that will improve the business performance and working capability. In addition, FFC management desired to implement the new information technology at four main departments which are listed below: Sales and marketing Warehousing and distribution Manufacturing Finance 2.1- Products/services The Fine Food Company offers foll owing products and services: (The Fine Food, 2011) Rotisserie Chicken Quarter Chicken and Chips Half Chicken and Chips Burgers Original Chicken Burger Barbeque Chicken Burger Chilli Chicken Burger Breakfast Rashers Smoked back bacon Rashers Smoked back bacon and egg Sausage and egg Double egg and cheddar Rashers Smoked back bacon, 140g sausage and egg Kids’ meal deal Smaller portions of above, for children 3- Mission Statement The mission of The Fine Food Company is to improve the business status by reaching into the larger marketplace. At this point, business is focused on taking a better competitive edge by offering new and innovative products all through the country. Currently, the company’s web site presents only the overview of company. In this scenario, management wants to connect it with corporate working and offer live updates. The new technology based business will offer an excellent support for business working in following areas: Sales and marketing Warehous ing and distribution Manufacturing Finance The new technology will reform and improve the overall business working and operational aspects in above listed

In time of war, actions not morally acceptable become acceptable Essay Example for Free

In time of war, actions not morally acceptable become acceptable Essay We live in an imperfect world where human interactions breeds frictions occasioned by participation of different individuals in matters of society, economics and even religious inclinations of the different masses. Human beings have voluntarily or involuntarily found themselves in different areas of life due to their races or ideologies and consequently have had to act in line with a certain set of belief. Therefore this has bred differences in how a different society approaches issues relating to both governance and interaction and lack of consensus among individuals and sometimes groups within and without have led to violence. This violence is sometimes political and involves a set of organized military groups fighting for a certain goal that is usually political in nature. War is rough on the participants and mostly on innocent civilians caught in the middle of the chaos. The questions that strongly begs a just answer is â€Å"can there be a just war. † Hedge (2002) claims that in essence there is not much difference between the U S government and Alqueda arguing that despite what motives drives them to violence both the outcome is death of innocent civilians. However there are those who feel that to agree with Hedge would be to deny that there cannot be moral reasons to go to war and that the presuppositions behind the just war theory are fallacious and misguiding. In this regard it would be equal to agreeing that no reason should drive a country to wage war on another or even that terror groups must be allowed to exploit the weakness of less able nations in order to bring terror to perceived enemies. In my opinion such a stand is untenable and unrealistic and a way to avoid taking responsibility in accordance to the natural laws of justice that guarantees freedom and rights of individuals (Zupan, 2004). It is therefore important to highlight that it is hypocritical to deny that a party might be justified to wage war to counter similar aggressiveness or as way of stopping gross violations against fellow human beings. All human beings have a right to life is a clearly accepted fact and anything that contravenes such a fact would ordinarily be considered immoral and against fundamental pillars of justice, rights and freedoms. However whereby a war has been taken as to being justified then a waiver is taken in order to grant the involved parties the right to take away the lives of those perceived to be the enemies. In addition the loss of civilian life in the course of such a war is simply taken to be the costs of bringing such changes as necessitate that war. Hedge actually accuses Washington of stooping so low as to use death as a means of expressing its dissatisfaction with certain issues (Hedge, 2002). In other wars certain groups of people who previously viewed as morally incorrect might receive a change of perceptions simply because they direct their atrocities to the perceived enemy. In this regard the common phrase that an enemy of my enemy is my enemy becomes true. There are those who would argue for the sovereignty of nations and that a state has a right from external interference. In ordinary times such a status applies and there are clear efforts to observe and even promote the status quo. However in times of war sovereign borders are breached and this usually leads to the removal of leadership or occupation of such state. Hedge (2002) however seeks to point out that while he is not a war supporter, that it is sometimes important to use force to counter a force that is much immoral as compared to the countering force. It is therefore important then that we must understand that we have a moral responsibility to take care not to ignore or indeed breach the fundamental rights of citizens as we engage in war. Hedges, C. (2002). War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. New York: Anchor books. Zupan, D. (2004). War, Morality and Autonomy. London: Ashgate publishings.

Dividend Payout in Consumer Product Industry, Malaysia

Dividend Payout in Consumer Product Industry, Malaysia 2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT There is a large volume of work in the area of dividend payout policy across many developed countries (Gugler, 2003; Kallapur, 2004; Ferris et al., 2006; Denis and Osobov, 2008; Eije and Megginson, 2008; Engsted and Pedersen, 2010). However, less work has been done in developing countries and researchers have started to study the dividend policy, as well as the behaviour of the company within the countries (Pandey, 2003). In addition, studies that examine the dividend payout policy focus more on the general category (Kallapur, 2004; Denis and Osobov, 2008; Eije and Megginson, 2008). Limited work has been done in category based on industrial grouping (Ferris et al., 2006). As such, my study seeks to address the gap in literature review and thereby stresses on the dividend payout, in term of ratio and pattern of companies within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. 2.1 RESEARCH QUESTION What is the trend of dividend payout in companies within consumer products industry in Malaysia? 2.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To identify the dividend payout ratio of the consumer products industry in Malaysia and its changes across years. To determine the percentage of companies paying dividend in the consumer products industry in Malaysia. To determine the dividend payout pattern of companies within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. To identify if there is a difference of dividend payout ratio within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. 3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW (GAPS FILLED) There is vast literature in the area of dividend payout policy across countries including US (Gugler, 2003; Denis and Osobov, 2008; Eije and Megginson, 2008) and non-US such as EU countries (Eije and Megginson, 2008; Denis and Osobov, 2008; Engsted and Pedersen, 2010), Japan (Ferris et al., 2006; Denis and Osobov, 2008) and Taiwan (Kallapur, 2004). The finding shows that payout policy undergoes changes and fluctuates across year, especially in the recent year of 1992 to 2004 (Renneboog and Trojanowski, 2010). According to Kallapur (2004), many studies agree that dividend payout ratio is a signal indicating the firms future growth. Firms pay attention to the consistency of dividend payout as studies show that investors put premium on the firms with stable payout policy and firms are reluctant to cut dividend (Gugler, 2003). Besides, a study by Ferris et al. (2006) shows that firm with negative earning (negative growth) in UK is less likely to pay dividend. This is consistent with the finding that dividend payout ratio is related to the firms growth. Study by Gugler (2003) reports that large firms with good investment opportunity in US are less likely to pay high dividend to the investors. However, their payout is relatively more stable and they are rarely cut down on the dividend (Allen and Michaely, 1995). Besides, study by Eije and Megginson (2008) shows that younger companies in EU are less likely to pay dividend and the payout is less than those older companies. According to Eije and Megginson (2008), dividend payout ratio has increased over years. They also report that the payout ratio in US has increased from year 1970 to year 2001, and the total dividend paid is increasing among firms in EU countries. From previous studies, Ferris et al. (2006) and Eije and Megginson (2008), find that the number of firms paying dividend in US is decreasing despite the increasing of dividend payout ratio across years. Eije and Megginson (2008) also report the same finding in EU firms and suggest that the dividend payout policies are quite similar between the two. According to Denis and Osobov (2008), the decreasing trend is driven by the failure of new listed firms to initiate payout when they are expected to do so. However, there is a contrast finding from the studies done in Taiwan and Japan. Study from Kallapur (2004) shows that dividend paying firms in Taiwan has actually increased since year 2000, while Ferris et al. (2006) reports that the percentage of firms paying dividend in Japan remains highly stable. Ferris et al. (2006) also suggests that the decreasing trend does not seem to affect Japanese firms. This is an interesting area that worth for study, especially in developing country such as Malaysia. Horngren et al. (2008) notes that dividend payout ratio different across industries and it is commonly used to compare companies in the same industry. However, there is limited work done specifically within an industry (Ferris et al., 2006). According to International Business Center (2010), consumer products industry plays a major role in the world economy as it acts as a driver for other industries. Besides, it reports that consumer products industry contributes to the two-thirds of the world trade volume and accounts for significant portion of the gross domestic product (GDP) in many countries. As such, my study would stress on the dividend payout, in term of the ratio and pattern, of consumer products industry in Malaysia. 4.0 METHODOLOGY The methodology that will be applied has been chosen in order to obtain data and compare the dividend payout, in terms of ratio and pattern, within consumer products industry in Malaysia. 4.1 DATA COLLECTION For the purpose of this study, data will be collected using the secondary source. Annual report of respective company will be obtained from the link given in the Bursa Malaysia website. 4.2 SAMPLING FRAME The sampling frame for this study would be the public listed companies in Malaysia. The list can be obtained from Bursa Malaysia or The Star website. 4.3 SAMPLING STRATEGY For the purpose of this study, non probability purposive sampling is selected. As the study only focus on one industry, and 5 years data is assumed to show a general trend of the dividend payout, thus the sample chosen need to meet the following criteria, Companies that fall under the consumer products industry. Companies with at least 5 years of annual report available on the company website. By searching through the companies website, only 89 out of 142 companies in consumer products industry fulfill the mentioned above criteria (as in Appendix 2). 4.4 DATA ANALYSIS In this study, hybrid method (both quantitative and qualitative) will be used to analyze the data. Generally, it can be divided into 3 parts as following, For dividend payout ratio, percentage of firms paying dividend and the percentage of company using certain payout pattern, SPSS (descriptive statistic) will be used. To determine if there is a difference of dividend payout ratio among companies within the industry, SPSS (One-Sample T-Test) can be carried out as the sample size is more than 30. Yearly dividend payout ratio obtained from a) will be used as the test value in SPSS. To determine the trend of dividend payout, in term of ratio and pattern across years, qualitative method will be used as it involves more on the interpretation of data. 4.5 ROLE OF THEORY In this study, the role of theory would be theory generation. It involves the new finding of dividend payout ratio, as well as the payout pattern among companies within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. 5.0 CONTRIBUTION EXPECTED It is intended that the finding of this study will give a clearer picture of the dividend payout in consumer products industry as it is the major contributor to the countrys economic. Besides, it can be used by potential investors that desire a certain cash flow (dividend) instead of incurring transaction cost from periodically selling shares of stock. Last but not least, it seeks to provide a better understanding for Chief Financial Officer (CFO) towards the dividend payout ratio and its pattern within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. 6.0 SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES Due to time constraint and limited information that is available on the website, only 5 years of annual report is obtained for this study. Thus, it is suggested that a longer time series of data, for example 10 years should be taken in future to provide a better understanding of the dividend payout in Malaysia. Besides, future researchers can study on other industries and ultimately compare the dividend payout ratio and its pattern across all industries in Malaysia.

The future of laundry technology

The future of laundry technology Laundry is a task that all households must complete. Laundry is a very broad task that encapsulates the entire process of cleaning fabric items so that they can become fresh to be worn or used again. It is a tedious process, and one which has potential for simplification. The aim of this research report is to identify The Future of Laundry: What are the main problems of the domestic laundry process? What future technologies could benefit the washing and drying of fabrics? Are there methods that can help the laundry process become more environmentally friendly? These are the main report objectives that will be researched and analysed, to then obtain conclusions which will help form the basis of a design brief and specification for a new product. There is a particular focus on the Domestic Market in More Economically Developed Countries (MEDC). A Conceptual Framework (Figure 1) has been produced to summarise the research methods that will be taken to obtain information for each of the Objectives. By the end of the report the aim is to have evident information, provided by a variety of sources and methods that should indicate the Future of Laundry. Task Analysis Before further research began it proved vital to perform a first hand laundry experience for myself. It enabled me to be fully immersed into the whole laundry procedure. Each stage of the task was broken down into its core processes. Figure x is a Task Analysis diagram that outlines the most common laundry procedures followed by consumers in UK households. A range of early conclusions and opportunities were identified from the first hand experience and Task Analysis diagram. The number of processes in the diagram highlights the lengthiness of the procedure. Procedure taken by most people is common, but there is variation in the drying process, which is dependent on climate and resources available. There is opportunity for simplification Improvements needed towards the eco-efficiency of the procedure. Its a procedure that very few people enjoy and take pride in. It could be more interactive and fun task. The process has barely changed since the early 20th Century Find out the main problems of laundry This section of the report aims to identify current weaknesses in the laundry process. The Task Analysis already performed will form the basis for User Observations. An investigation will be performed into the resource problems that may be creating a hindrance in the laundry procedure for many consumers. Finally, a look into the Psychology of Laundry provides an insight into the consumer attitudes towards the task. User Observations / Experiences Task 1 User Observations The aim is to gain a better insight into the consumer habits and the difficulties faced with the laundry procedure. A range of participants have been observed: Mother: Lives with husband and two children Elderly Person: Retired lady living with husband Student: Lives in a house with three other students Young Professional: Lives alone in a small apartment The Task Analysis Diagram (Fig x) was used to record the observations. (see Appendix x) A table has been produced to give a brief comparison on which basic tasks are performed by each participant: The Mother and Elderly Person maintain a routine time between washes. The Elderly Person washes every three days and the Mother every other day, as the dirty clothes pile up quickly. By comparison the student washes only when most of the available clean clothes have run out. The Young Professional also did not have a routine, but washed once the basket fills up. Although he did state that if a few individual items were required, then he would do a wash. It was surprising that only half of the people turn their clothes inside out during washes, which can prevent the dulling of fabrics (Housekeeping 2008). Although all participants washed colours and whites separately, possibly due to the known effects. The Student did state that she often gets confused with white clothing that has coloured detailing. None of the four people ever separated clothing according to fabric types or even delicates. When questioned, they all said that it adds complexity and is extra hassle. Only the Mother regularly pre-soaks clothing, which is because she has young children. She suggested that adding baking soda helps to lift dirt. The Elderly Person believed that new clothing should be pre-soaked on its first wash to prevent colour run. On extremely stubborn stains, the Young Professional recommended Varnish stain remover. All participants except the Student use branded detergent, as they believe it guarantees clean results. The student uses supermarket brand detergent as she believes the results are satisfactory. The Young Professional liked to use Liqui-tabs whenever doing a full wash so he is sure the correct amount of detergent is added. All participants agreed that fabric softener helps make the clothing feel softer. Most surprisingly, no-one washed delicates by hand. The Mother and Student believed that it adds extra time and wasnt necessary. None of the participants washed clothes with cold water. The Young Professional didnt think it would wash the clothing particularly well. During all of the observations, the spin speed was never adjusted or considered. The Mother and Elderly Person did not know what the benefits of the feature were. Although, the Mother very often performs an extra spin to try and extract a little more water. The drying process was an area where there was much variation. The Mother and Elderly Person both prefer to dry clothes outdoors, as it dries with a fresher smell. They both shared the same frustration though, of the unpredictable British weather. The Mother also has access to a tumble dryer, but it is in the garage. She finds it an inconvenience and is also aware of the costs related to using a tumble dryer. During the winter months, the mother makes use of the airing cupboard, and any other items are placed on the radiators. She says the clothes dry very quickly. The Young Professional makes use of the airing cupboard on odd occasions when there are a few items to dry, otherwise he makes use of the drying facililty on his washer/dryer combi. The Student tries to squeeze the majority of clothes into the airing cupboard, and the remainder onto a indoor clothes airer. As there are three other students in the same house, space is a difficulty. She said a tumble dryer in the house would be ideal. Only the mother and elderly person iron most of their clothes. The Mother said her husband usually deals with this task, so it takes the sting out of it. The Young Professional and Student try to avoid ironing, but any smart items are ironed. Task 2 Structured Interviews Dry Cleaning is a process that all participants are trying to avoid. It adds extra expenditure to the laundry process and is an inconvenience. All participants used machine washing as their core method of cleaning clothes. All the other processes were not performed as they were deemed as extra hassle and unnecessary. Its very surprising that none of the people felt the need to hand-wash delicates. The main areas in which people wish to see improvements in the laundry procedure are: Simplify the process: remove some steps Use less water Lower costs Be able to wash a smaller load of clothes without it costing the same as doing a full load. Not everyone requires a large machine The time it takes Make it more enjoyable None of the participants were aware of any environmental impacts related to the use of detergents. On hearing this, the Elderly Person suggested that measures should be taken to improve on this. She also stated that her husband suffered from skin allergies. Changing the detergent solved the issue. Nobody was happy with the costs. The Elderly Person used less than the recommended dosage to make it last longer, whilst the Young Professional only bought it when there was an offer at the supermarket. The number of varieties available was also a point of confusion. New developments gained positive reactions by all participants, although on-one was aware of new technologies. They all wanted to see improvements in the laundry process. An example of a future development is Nano-coating, and this was given to gauge a reaction. People were most concerned about how the results would compare to a normal wash using detergents, and how the textures of fabrics will be affected. The Elder Person thought the fabrics would become hard and shiny. Surprisingly, only the student mentioned concern of having to buy all new clothes. The Young Professional wanted any new developments to speed up the process and cost less. Resources Time At present, the laundry process takes far too long. This is due to the many different stages involved, as identified in the Task Analysis (sectionPgx). There is opportunity to simplify the process by removing stages. Water Problems Several laundry problems are directly related to minerals, organic matter, and other impurities in the water supply (AG Facts 1999). Water problems can affect the colouring and quality of the fabrics whilst also causing build up of soils. The most common water problem in the UK is Hard Water. It is caused by calcium and magnesium in the water. Fabrics become stiff and hard over time, and soil continues to build up because hard water does not clean as well as soft water. Much of the detergent added to the wash goes to softening the water. Adding extra detergent can compensate for, but this increases costs and causes further water pollution due to the phosphates contained in detergents. Use of heavy duty liquid detergents can solve the issue. Other water problems include rusty water, turbid water and acid rain. They all cause staining and colour disfiguration of fabrics. Across most of Europe these water problems are rectified, using relevant filters, before it reaches the main water supply in homes. Space Standard washing machines are 85cm in height and 60cm in width. This size comfortably fits beneath a kitchen work surface. Unless the consumer has a utility room in the home, the washing machine is most likely to sit within a kitchen as it is convenient for plumbing. In more compact kitchens, the washing machine tends to dominate the environment as in Figure 11. It spoils the appearance of the kitchen. A kitchen of this type is likely to be in a home with maximum one or two occupants. Such a large machine is often not required. A tumble dryer also occupies the same amount of space, and in a kitchen like Figure 11, it cannot be accommodated. Money Laundry is a very energy intensive procedure, with most of it being used to heat water in the washing process, and then extract water in the drying process (See Energy Efficiency Section x). Detergents are another major consumable that tend to vary in cost greatly, depending upon brand. Not everyone can afford the more expensive detergents, which are proven to be slightly more effective compared to budget variants. One in five adults use less than the recommended dose to make their laundry detergent last longer. (Figure 37.Clothes Washing Products Mintel) And 21% of people in the same survey have switched to supermarket brands to save money. Buying the washing machine and tumble dryer is also very costly with the average B rated models costing approximately  £270 and  £340 respectively. Although, the life expectancy of these products are generally very good according to Appliance Life Expectancy (Demesne 2007). A washing machine is expected to last up to 11 years and a tumble dryer closer to 14 years. Psychology of Laundry A report by Mintel, Clothes Washing Products, theres a section named Consumer Attitudes Towards Laundry'(Mintel 2009) . This report has provided most of the information for this particular section. The underlying topics of this report are costs and convenience. Saving money has become a key influence in doing laundry, and this will be further boosted by the current economic climate and lack of consumer confidence. In a survey conducted by Mintel (Mintel 2009), it showed that 56% of people prefer to buy clothes that do not require dry cleaning. In the same survey it also shows that 27% of people sometimes wash clothes in a washing machine even though they are Dry Clean only items. It shows that people dont want extra hassle. Many consumers are even choosing to not wash their clothes after every wear, and are using smaller doses of detergent to make their money go that bit further. Performing more washes, wears out fabrics quicker. Given the chore of doing the laundry, products that take the hassle out of clothes washing wins the hearts of consumers (Mintel 2009). Consumers will therefore welcome a simpler laundry procedure. Only one in ten people dont separate out colours from whites (Mintel 2009). This shows that there isnt a particular need for a specialist product in this area. The reason for this particular statistic could also be due to the fact it is an extremely well known pre-caution, and people are being far more conscious of making their clothes last longer. Teens are happiest to buy new clothes rather than looking after the ones they already own, which is the contrary to people over the age of 55. They are more likely to follow instructions and buy into more expensive detergents. Teens are less likely to have responsibility with their money, and most often, it is left to the parents to do the laundry. .men are just as cautious, if not more so, than women when it comes to washing their clothes. This is the absolute opposite from the common stereotypical view that men dont have a clue about laundry. Although this claim could partly be because men perform laundry less often than women, and are therefore less familiar with the process. They may feel the need to check the instructions for reassurance as a result. Conclusions A Task Analysis highlighted that the laundry procedure involves too many stages. User Observations showed very little variation between each of the four participants methods taken to wash clothes. People skipped minor processes which they deemed unnecessary. Those living by themselves didnt require a large machine, as it was one of the reasons for washing less frequently. Consumer desire for lower costs and better convenience has been highlighted in the huge decline in Dry Cleaning clothes. Branded detergents are seen as most trusted, although consumers are using less to make their money go further. If less detergent is used, and water content and temperatures were reduced, costs would be massively reduced. Consumers are trying to make their clothes last longer, which can be aided by using less detergent or switching to more natural cleaning products. Laundry was seen as more of a chore amongst the younger participants during observations. They were the ones that supported the use of tumble dryers. Drying clothes outside was favoured by the elderly participants as they believed it produces fresher smelling fabrics. Washing machines tend to dominate smaller kitchens. Any new development must either be smaller, or have the possibility to be positioned away from the kitchen area. New developments to improve the laundry procedure gained very positive reactions by all participants. Concerns include the implications on fabrics and whether cleanliness will be maintained. Laundry times and overall costs need to be reduced too. New developments must account for different water problems, and although none of the participants were aware of the negative impacts detergents have on the environment, eco-efficiency needs to be improved. Other areas where people would like to see improvements include smaller machines or the possibility to wash smaller loads without any affect on efficiency. By making the laundry process more enjoyable or positively interactive would be well received. What are the methods technologies that could clean clothes (Present and Future) This section firstly aims to view the expert opinions with regards to the Future of Laundry. A discussion of Future Technologies that could revolutionise the washing procedure follows. The section concludes with an investigation into technologies from other devices that could benefit the future laundry procedure. Speak to Experts At the end of 2007 Henkel hosted a scientific conference on The Future of Washing. From this conference a publication named the Future of Washing'(Henkel 2008) was produced. Early in the publication it was recommended that innovations must always conform to social, ecological and economic responsibility (Henkel 2008). This suggests that sustainability must remain a key focus for all future developments. Consumers priorities are undergoing definite transformations. Saving energy is what they want most (Henkel 2008). This is quite a change from two years ago when washing efficiency took precedence over energy conservation. This is a result of greater exposure of the current global situations and increasing energy prices. Consumers though, are not willing to back down on standards of hygiene. Out of 100 people interviewed, almost 70% named washing machines as the most indispensable household appliance (Henkel 2009). This suggests that this is a very high risk product, and you cant afford to get it wrong. Consumers are so used to the process at the moment that they will scrutinise any new technologies. Of 65 million washing machines sold each year, most of which are sold in Europe: 25 million (Henkel 2009). As a result, it would be wise to target any new innovations at the European market, since it is the most thriving market. In the future, we will have to be more proactive in addressing segments and matching concepts to specific target groups (Henkel 2008). Washing machines are becoming more intelligent and gaining new features, hence more complex. The older generations, who struggle with all the new gadgets, will no doubt have difficulty. By comparison, many of the younger generations will welcome such features as it adds a new dimension to what is currently quite a mundane task. Throughout the publication, a major highlight has been energy conservation and efficiency. In a personal communication with the founder of http://laundry.about.com, Mary Marlowe Leverette also believed that protecting natural resources is a high priority (Leverette 2009). Mary also gave her personal insight into the Future of Laundry. She thought that there will be greater advances in more energy and environmentally efficient laundry products and techniques, using less water and detergent. She also thought that there will be additional work in the design of fabrics that repel stains and odours (Leverette 2009). See Appendices x Future Technologies Washing With Only a Single Cup of Water Developed by researchers at Leeds University and Xeros. The invention has been proven to wash clothes using only a cup of water, nylon polymer beads and a little detergent. This method is claimed to use only 2% of the water and energy required from an ordinary washer and dryer. The nylon polymer beads have a special polarity that draws the stains out of the clothes and into the centre of the beads. Humidity causes the nylon polymers to become very absorbent. It soaks up the water and dirt, therefore no rinse or spin cycle is required (Go Green Today 2009). The clothes are virtually dry once the cycle is completed, which boosts its green credentials. The main question surrounding this technique regards the disposal of the nylon beads. Each wash requires 20kg of nylon beads, and need to be replaced after approximately six months or 100 washes. So what happens after six months when every household needs to dispose of the beads? The nylon beads are not recyclable. Ultrasound/Ultrasonic Technology Ultrasonic technology applied to the textile washing industry has been a subject of investigation for many years. It has proved effective in the removal of soils from fabrics. There are many negatives that have been preventing it from becoming a commercially viable technique, in particular the relatively high cost of equipment and lack of availability. Fabrics need to be positioned very close to the high intensity source and only a few layers can be penetrated. Institute of Acoustics in Madrid, found that using ultrasound would speed up a washing cycle from 30-45 minutes to 5-10 minutes. Ultrasound works well on grease and dirt (Independent 1994). In Japan, Sanyo have been trying to commercialise a machine that uses Ultrasound technology. Electrodes are placed on the side of the tub, which electrolyze the water. An ultrasonic wave generator at the base of the machine uses sonic waves to generate millions of tiny air bubbles to help loosen grime and grit on clothes in a purely mechanical action. With this product Sanyo have tried to make very few alterations to a current washing machine, meaning its not as effective as it could be. Steam Cleaning Uses clean water to create a powerful cleaning force. It leaves no toxic residues on surfaces and does not stain clothing. Steam is able to kill well known bacteria such as e-coli, listeria, and salmonella; although these are food related bacteria (Earlex 2008). Steam has been recently introduced into some of the latest domestic washing machines, but it cannot be used as the only source of dirt removing agent. When used in conjunction with the regular washing process it can be of good benefit since it can reduce the water content required and can raise the temperature inside the drum using less energy. Silver Nano Technology Clothes washed in a solution of silver ions become sterilised. Water is passed through silver ions, which prevent bacteria and microbes attaching onto the clothes. The silver kills germs whilst oxidation reaction lifts dirt and odours (Washing Machine Reviews 2009). Fabrics that are coated with silver nano become anti-bacterial for upto 30 days. The main problem with silver ions being introduced into the wash cycle is that scientists are not sure of the long-term effects on mankind. Cold water can be used which is a huge eco-benefit, and although some sources state that no detergent is required, others state that a small amount is, on more heavily soiled fabrics. Development of Fabrics: Nano Coating While the idea of using nano-particles to enable textiles to repel dirt and self-clean is not new, the uses to which this technology is being applied and enhanced are increasing almost daily (Just-Style 2008). The Lotus Effect is becoming a far more commonly used term in the textile industry. It is a metaphor being used to describe how water and dirt drip of the structured fabric surface, just like a lotus leaf. The process works by reducing the surface area available for dirt to gather on. This is made possible by coating the fabric with tiny nanoscale wax pyramids (Just-Style 2008). The fabrics are dipped in a solution of nano-whiskers, which contains cotton that is a 1/1000th of the width of cotton fibre. A cushion of air is created, which improves its wrinkle resistance and causes liquids to bead up and roll-off. It is designed for use on cotton, polyester, wool, silk and rayon. Adidas is one of the many large clothing retailers that is using Nano-Tex to protect its sportswear, which suggests that nano-coating has the possibility to eventually become mainstream. Figure x is priced at  £48, which isnt hugely more expensive than non-coated equivalents. Anti-microbial silver particles can be embedded into fabrics which prevents the growth of bacteria and other odours. Though nano-silver is known to darken fabrics; hence pure white fabric will be difficult to produce. As well as the lotus-effect, there have been discussions about Ultraviolet-C light being able to clean nano-coated fabrics. This would be a very economical solution since no water would be required, but there is very little evidence of the viability of this method. Can Technology From Other Devices Be Incorporated? Mangle / Pasta Maker The mangle was designed in the 18th Century to aid the wringing of water from wet laundry. Clothes were passed between two rollers which squeezed water out. A pasta maker uses the same principle to flatten dough. Salad Spinner As the internal basket rotates, centrifugal force pulls the salad to the outer edges where the liquid escapes through the holes. A standard front-loading washing machine uses a very similar method with its perforated drum. This is still a very effective method for removing water. The system of spinning out the water would yet be more efficient if it spun around a vertical axis instead. Jacuzzi Highly pressurised jets plunging water at the clothes from different directions would help to agitate the fabrics very well as the force will open up the fibres. Spherical Roller Bearing This allows random movements around 5-axis. A spherical container to wash the clothes in could stimulate these movements allowing far better agitation of the fabrics. Plunger A plunger is able to create a vacuum in which air and water is able to forcefully loosen dirt from fabrics. This technique would eliminate the need for any rotational movements to agitate the fabrics. Simulate Hand Movements Washing by hands is considered to be the most efficient method of removing stains since it flexes the fibres apart, allowing water and detergent to pass through. So in theory, a device that could simulate hand movement would produce very clean fabrics. Conclusions The publication on the Future of Laundry (Henkel2008), understandably, avoided mentioning developments that did not require detergents as Persil Detergents is one of their brands. A key point in the publication was that sustainability must remain a key focus. Mary Marlowe Leverette also believed that protecting natural resources is very important (Leverette 2009). There is opportunity to target a new product at specific groups. It has already been established that students have different laundry requirements compared to a mother. Considering that Europe is the largest market for new washing machines, new innovations should initially be targeted at this market. Consumers are trying to save energy at all costs. Water is the sole reason why the laundry procedure consumes so much energy. Therefore new developments will need to reduce, if not eliminate water content. The technology, Washing With Only a Single Cup of Water, would provide huge energy savings since the clothes come out virtually dry. Detergent is still required in the wash. There are concerns over the disposal of the vast quantity of nylon beads as they are not recyclable. This is not a sustainable technique. Steam is a good addition to the wash cycle to kill bacteria and allergens, and raise temperatures quickly, but it cannot solely remove dirt. This is the same for silver nano technology. Silver ions can be introduced to a cold wash cycle to kill bacteria. Silver ions will also become embedded into the fabric making it anti-microbial for up to 30 days. There is a vast amount of continuing research into nano-coating fabrics. Top clothing manufacturers are applying the technique to many of their products, which suggests that this could eventually become mainstream. Mary Marlowe Leverette also thought that development of fabrics is the future (Leverette 2009) Another proven technique is ultrasound technology. No detergents are required, but the fabric items need to be placed in close proximity to the source. The Pasta Maker provides inspiration on how this technique can be made feasible. When pasta is passed through the rollers, this could be like clothes being passed through an ultrasound source to remove dirt. The rollers could also remove excess water, like the mangle. A powerful stream in the opposite direction could carry the loosened dirt away. The jacuzzi and spherical roller bearings provide inspiration for random movements. Washing machines only turn around a single axis, but if the clothes could be pounded at from different directions it would agitate them more effectively. All of which leads to simulating hand movements, which provides the ultimate random movements. Can Laundry Become Greener? This section of the report aims to investigate if laundry methods from the past and in other countries could contribute towards a more modern green laundry technique. An investigation into Energy Efficiency of the current laundry methods then follows. Greener Methods From the Past Other Countries In the developing world, laundry is often viewed differently compared to the UK. There are places around the world where washing can be about meaning, about family contribution, about providing nice feelings (Henkel 2009) Is there opportunity to integrate such emotion into the Future of Laundry? This would be good since it will remove the almost robotic and soul-less techniques adopted today. Washing By Hand This is a method that has proved to be most popular over the years and is still in use today. Many sources have suggested that washing clothes by hand produces cleaner results as the flexing of the fibres allows more water to penetrate in, hence agitating the fabric more. Clothes are initially soaked in a basin/faucet containing detergent. The detergent is often dissolved in a small cup beforehand. The clothes are then rinsed several times before hanging out to dry. Its a very time-consuming method, but one that is well established. The wringing action opens up the fibres to allow the detergent water to pass through. For more stubborn stains a washboard (see Figure 3) is commonly used for scrubbing. Modern washing machines struggle to match the cleanliness of the hand-washed clothes since they do not flex the fibres in the same way, but it does massively improve the time consumption of washing and drying. It is far more energy efficient though since all the energy being applied is human intervention. Water availability was a big concern in Mexico as running water was never guaranteed. a key desired feature was the possibility to recycle both wash and rinse water. (Henkel2008) The Lavadero is a specialised wash basin that has been used for washing clothes for years. The surface is inclined so that water accumulates in the deep end whilst the ribs act as a rubbing surface. Water would often be provided by that collected in the roof tanks during heavy rainfall. Dh

Compare and Contrast Germany and America :: Germany Europe North America Essays Culture

Compare and Contrast Germany and America Europeans and Americans have much more in common than most people think, making adjustments to life in a new country easier. Many customs are similar to practices in the United States. Germans have their own way of being German. Germany is a relatively small and densely populated country. Unlike the United States, which is a large, densely populated country. The greatest shock to Americans is the speed at which Germans drive. The roads and freeways are quite narrow. Speed limits in cities are strictly enforced, but on much of the Autobahn there is no limit on how fast drivers can go. Although it is against the law, impatient Germans may also tailgate at high speeds and/or flash their headlights when they want to pass your vehicle. If you are driving for the first time in Germany, keep right. Left lanes are for passing only. Unlike when you are driving in America; Americans tend to travel in the lane that is meant for passing and the faster drivers. Americans tend to think â€Å" I am going the speed limit, so I am going to stay in the left lane†, the Germany way of thinking is that if you are not passing anyone or if you are going too slow, your car needs to be in the right hand lane. Unlike in the United States, train travel is a German way of life. You can get on at train at any bahnhof (train station) and travel to any destination in Europe you would like. The Germans use the train as their main mean of travel due to pollution and the inflated gas prices. Americans tend to use the automobile as our main mean of travel more than we should. Nobody likes to wait in line – especially the German people, who seem to have to do it more often than Americans. Even normally courteous Germans may elbow their way ahead if you don't stand your ground. It's not unusual to get bumped by a "tailgating" shopping cart. Keep smiling; it is just the German way of life. It's usual to greet others when walking into a waiting room, small business or train compartment. A simple Guten Tag or, in southern Germany, Gruess Gott, is in order.

Mind, Body, Media Essay -- Science Religion Papers

Mind, Body, Media It seems as though organized religion, specifically Christianity, has always reacted with hostility towards scientific advancements. Examples of the church’s animosity towards scientific discoveries that threatened their power, influence, and credibility plague the history books. During the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution many scientists were ostracized from the church for their theories and discoveries. For example, Giordono Bruno, a follower of the Hermetic tradition and an outspoken supporter of the Copernican theory, was summoned by the church to appear before an Inquisition whereby he was found guilty of blasphemy and condemned to death. He was burned at the stake in 1600 (Perry, 70). Galilei Galileo and Johannes Kepler suffered less severe punishments in that they were only excommunicated from the church. Presently, research and scientific discovery are more collective and tend to be funded by corporations thus making it more difficult to pinpoint individual offens es, but the church continues to criticize and condemn science in areas such as cloning and stem cell research, to name but a few. Before examing the topic of A.I. and religion, it is important to understand why the chasm between the two institutions exists. I will briefly analyze the church’s position on the subject of the Internet, which clarifies their stance on A.I. Many scholars, historians, and church leaders are skeptical about the possibility of a harmonious relationship developing between the church and science. Because the church and its doctrines are based upon ethereal claims and science is rooted in empiricism and veritable evidence, notions of truth are the points at which their differences seem to culminate and their dia... ... clear set guidelines that make living with each other generally safe and when executed correctly, harmonious. There are many questions that have not been answered in this treatise and many wishful outcomes that depend on certain circumstances in order to be fulfilled, however, if A.I., religion, and society were to embrace each other and allow the nature of each discipline and being to flourish, then I believe that finally, there will be a compatible working relationship formed between science and religion. Works Cited Cootsona, Gregory S. Questions Regarding A.I., The Internet, and The Church. New York. 25 Jul. 2001. Hook, Sidney. Marx and the Marxists. Van Nostrand Punblishing Company, 1955. Page, Benjamin B. Marxism and Spirituality. Bergin and Garvey, 1993. Russell, Keith. "Believing in God and Science." Insight on the News 20 (1998) : 12-13.

Describe yourself to your MBA classmates :: MBA College Admissions Essays

Describe yourself to your MBA classmates    I grew up in a small fishing village in Maine, surrounded by family. Expectations and aspirations are limited in such an environment. I could have made a living exploiting the sea, but chose to do similar work as a corporate executive. Although I have no siblings, my hometown contains over fifty family members, and our agenda of family activities is always packed. Most of my family is employed in the commercial fishing industry, which instilled in me at a very young age, the concept of work. At age eleven, I started babysitting and mowing lawns, and at the age of fifteen I applied for my lobster license. The first summer with my license, I took a job as a sternperson with a fellow female. We were the only two females out there, which was definitely an experience. When the lobstering season ended that year, I took a job at a grocery store bagging groceries. I saved enough money to build a boat and to buy fifty lobster traps; I was on my way. The following summer I continued to work as a sternperson, and I also fished my own traps. I continued lobstering throughout the rest of high school and college, and it helped me finance my college education.    In addition to being ambitious and motivated enough to put my heart into even mundane, low-level tasks, I am also extremely organized. This is one characteristic that has always received praise. I pay particular attention to detail, which I believe has contributed to my success thus far. I take pride in my work, and I look at it as a representation of myself. In my position at Sanford Bernstein as a Consultant Liaison, I market my firm to the financial consulting community. Maintaining the integrity of the firm is vital and errors are disastrous. When training new group members, I stress this point most thoroughly.    I work in a group that currently has six members. The group serves as a central source of information for the firm, and its success relies on an extraordinary amount of cooperation from each of us. As a senior member, I am able to contribute to the group in several ways including: training group members, controlling the quality of the group's output, managing and accurately completing multiple requests with short turnaround

Analysis of Secure Real Time Transport Protocol on Voip over

Mohd Nazri Ismail / (IJCSE) International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering Vol. 02, No. 03, 2010, 898-902 Analysis of Secure Real Time Transport Protocol on VoIP over Wireless LAN in Campus Environment Mohd Nazri Ismail Department of MIIT, University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), MALAYSIA [email  protected] unikl. edu. my Abstract- In this research, we propose to implement Secure Real Time Transport Protocol (SRTP) on VoIP services in campus environment. Today, the deployment of VoIP in campus environment over wireless local area network (WLAN) is not considered on security during communication between two parties.Therefore, this study is to analyzed SRTP performance on different VoIP codec selection over wired. We have implemented a real VoIP network in University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Malaysia. We use softphone as our medium communication between two parties in campus environment. The results show that implementation of SRTP is able to improve the VoIP quality between on e-to-one conversation and multi conference call (many-to-many). In our experiment, it shows that iLBC, SPEEX and GSM codec are able to improve significantly the multi conference (many-to-many) VoIP quality during conversation.In additional, implementation of SRTP on G. 711 and G. 726 codec will decrease the multi conference (many-to-many) VoIP quality. Keywords- Codecs, Softphone, SRTP, WLAN I. INTRODUCTION AND RELATED WORKS University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) has implemented a real VoIP over wireless LAN in campus environment. This implementation is not covered any security features. Therefore, the objective of this study is to enable the security function using Secure Real Time Transport Protocol (SRTP).We will study the performance of SRTP on different codec such as G. 711, G. 726, GSM, iLBC and SPEEX. iLBC is a speech codec developed for robust voice communication over IP, it uses 13. 33 Kbps. It provides low delay and high packet loss robustness for low-bit rate codec’s. SPEEX codec is open source patent-free audio compression format designed for speech. Codec is an algorithm used to encode and decode the voice conversation. Secure Real Time Transport Protocol (SRTP) defines a profile of Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP), intended to provide ncryption, message authentication and integrity and replay protection to the RTP data in both unicast and multicast applications. Previous work is to evaluate the trade-off existing between quality of service and security when SRTP [6] is employed to protect RTP (Real Time Protocol) sessions on VoIP calls [5]. There is no such study has been conducted on comparison of VoIP one-to-one call and multi conference call (many-to-many) performance using SRTP functionality. With its promise of inclusion, innovation, and growth, VoIP also brings challenges. VoIP is not easy to secure.It suffers all of the problems associated with any Internet application, and VoIP security is complicated by its interconnection to the PS TN. A host of trust, implementation, and operational complexities make securing VoIP particularly complex. In fact, the same aspects that make the VoIP software model so powerful—its flexible, open, distributed design—are what make it potentially problematic [7][8]. Various security requirements have to be met to secure VoIP transmission: Authentication, Privacy and Confidentiality, Integrity, Non repudiation, Non replay and Resource availability [9].The threats faced by a VoIP are similar to other applications including: unwanted communication (spam), privacy violations (unlawful intercept), impersonation (masquerading), theft-of service, and denial-of-service [10]. II. METHODOLOGY We have setup a real wireless network environment to analyze and measure implementation of VoIP service using security function (SRTP) at University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in Malaysia. This study posits several research questions: i) what is the STRP performance level of the VoIP over WLAN based on one-to-one call and multi conference call? nd ii) which codecs are able to provide better improvement of VoIP conversation? Figure 2. 1 and Figure 2. 2 show the flow of VoIP conversation call between one-to-one and multi conference. We measure our voice quality using human perception. Mean Opinion Score (MOS) technique is the best approach to measure and ISSN : 0975-3397 898 Mohd Nazri Ismail / (IJCSE) International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering Vol. 02, No. 03, 2010, 898-902 validate voice quality between one-to-one call and multi conference call. Figure 2. 3 shows the measurement of VoIP performance over WLAN using SRTP implementation.We also test on different codecs selection such G. 711, G. 726, GSM, iLBC and SPEEX. III. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS Figure 2. 1: VoIP over One-to-One Conversation This section measures and compares VoIP performance over WLAN using SRTP function. In voice and video communication, quality usually dictates whether the experience is a good or bad one. Besides the qualitative description we hear, like ‘quite good' or ‘very bad', there is a numerical method of expressing voice and video quality. It is called Mean Opinion Score (MOS). MOS can be tested using: i) human perception; ii) simulation model; and iii) automated system [1] [2].MOS gives a numerical indication of the perceived quality of the media received after being transmitted and eventually compressed using codecs. MOS is expressed in one number, from 1 to 5, 1 being the worst and 5 the best. MOS is quite subjective; as it is based figures that result from what is perceived by people during tests (refer to Table 3. 1). We will select five different users to evaluate and rate the VoIP performance using SRTP and without SRTP functionality. When users cannot get a dial tone or there are excessive delays in ringing the other party’s phone, VoIP performance is unacceptable.Call quality is a function of packet loss rate, delay, and jitter is typically represented as a MOS [3], [4]. Table 3. 1: Mean Opinion Score (MOS) Ratings Mean Opinion Score (MOS) Ratings Excellent 5 (Perfect. Like face-to-face conversation Figure 2. 2: VoIP over Many-to-Many (Multi Conference) Conversation Good Fair Poor Bad or radio reception) 4 (Fair. Imperfections can be perceived, but sound still clear. This is (supposedly) the range for cell phones) 3 (Annoying) 2 (Very annoying. Nearly impossible to communicate) 1 (Impossible to communicate) Figure 3. shows the configuration of codec protocol such as G. 711, G. 726, GSM, iLBC and SPEEX. This 3CX softphone is able to active ‘Echo Cancellation’ and ‘SRTP’. The VoIP experiments will receive two types of modes: i) one-to-one call conversation; ii) multi conference call (many-to-many). Figure 3. 2 shows the result of VoIP one-to-one conversation. Figure 3. 3 shows the result of VoIP multi conference (many-to-many) call. Figure 2. 3: Measurement and Evaluation of VoIP over WLAN using SRTP Approach ISSN : 0975-3397 899 Mohd Nazri Ismail / (IJCSE) International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering Vol. 2, No. 03, 2010, 898-902 improvement on VoIP quality performance and at the same time able to provide element of security (refer to Table 3. 3 and Figure 3. 5). The significant improvement is GSM and SPEEX codecs after implemented SRTP. Table 3. 2: Multi Conference without SRTP User Codec Figure 3. 1: 3CX Softphone Codec and SRTP Configuration G. 711 G. 726 GSM iLBC SPEEX User 1 3 4 1 2 5 User 2 3 3 1 2 4 User 3 2 3 1 3 4 User 4 3 4 1 2 4 User 5 2 4 1 2 5 Figure 3. 2: One-to-One Call Conversation Result Figure 3. 4: Users Rate VoIP for Multi Conference Call Without SRTP Table 3. : Multi Conference with SRTP User Codec G. 711 G. 726 GSM iLBC SPEEX Figure 3. 3: Multi Conference Call (many-tomany) Conversation Result Most of the users agreed and rates this VoIP without SRTP will provide a good quality for G. 711 and G. 726 codecs. Other users agreed a nd rates 4 to 5 ratings for SPEEX codec without using SRTP during multi conference conversation (refer to Table 3. 2 and Figure 3. 4). After implemented SRTP on VoIP during multi conference session occurs, it shows some User 1 2 3 4 5 5 User 2 1 3 4 5 5 User 3 1 2 3 4 5 User 4 2 2 3 4 5 User 5 1 2 3 4 5 ISSN : 0975-3397 900Mohd Nazri Ismail / (IJCSE) International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering Vol. 02, No. 03, 2010, 898-902 Table 3. 5: One-to-One Call with SRTP User Codec G. 711 G. 726 GSM iLBC SPEEX User 1 2 3 2 4 5 User 2 1 3 2 4 4 User 3 1 2 2 4 5 User 4 2 2 2 4 4 User 5 2 3 2 4 5 Figure 3. 5: Users Rate VoIP for Multi Conference Call With SRTP Most of the users agreed and rates this VoIP oneto-one call without SRTP will also provide low quality for G. 711, G. 726 and GSM codecs. Other users agreed and rates 3 and 5 ratings for iLBC and SPEEX codecs without using SRTP during one-to-one call (refer to Table 3. and Figure 3. 6). After implemented SRTP on VoIP during o ne-to-one session occurs, it shows significant improvement on VoIP quality performance for G. 711, G. 726, GSM, iLBC and SPEEX over WLAN (refer to Table 3. 5 and Figure 3. 7). Table 3. 4: One-to-One Call Without SRTP User Codec G. 711 G. 726 GSM iLBC SPEEX User 1 2 1 2 3 5 User 2 2 2 2 3 4 User 3 2 1 2 4 4 User 4 1 1 1 3 4 User 5 1 2 2 4 4 Figure 3. 7: Users Rate VoIP for One-to-One Call with SRTP Figure 3. 8 and Figure 3. 9 show the average MOS score for VoIP conversation over one-to-one call and multi conference call (many-to-many), respectively.VoIP Conversation over Multi Conference Call: Before implemented SRTP, the average MOS score for G. 711 is 2. 5, 3. 5 for G. 726, 1 for GSM, 2. 1 for iLBC and 4. 5 for SPEEX. After implemented SRTP, the average MOS score for G. 711 and G. 726 are decreased the ratings approximately 1 to 2. 5. GSM, iLBC and SPEEX codecs show the average MOS score are 3. 5, 4. 5 and 5. GSM, iLBC and SPEEX codec show the increasing of VoIP performance after i mplemented SRTP (refer to Figure 3. 8). VoIP Conversation over One-to-One Call: Before implemented SRTP, the average MOS score for G. 711 is 1. , 1. 4 for G. 726, 1. 8 for GSM, 3. 5 for iLBC and 4. 2 for SPEEX. After implemented SRTP, the average MOS score shows the significant improvement for G. 711, G. 726, GSM, iLBC and SPEEX codecs. Therefore, implementation of SRTP can improve the VoIP quality performance for one-to-one call over WLAN (refer to Figure 3. 9). Figure 3. 6: Users Rate VoIP for One-to-One Call without SRTP ISSN : 0975-3397 901 Mohd Nazri Ismail / (IJCSE) International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering Vol. 02, No. 03, 2010, 898-902 dependency conditions that could influence voice quality.Future work, we will extend our experiment on VoIP over VPN implementation in Campus environment. References [1]. Moura N. T. ; Vianna B. A. ; Albuquergue C. V. N; Rebello V. E. F & Boeres C. â€Å"MOS-Based Rate Adaption for VoIP Sources†. IEEE International Confe rence on Communication, pp. 628-633, 2007. [2]. Masuda M. & Ori K. â€Å"Delay Variation Metrics for Speech Quality Estimation of VoIP†. Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEIC) Technical Report, Vol. 101(11), pp. 101-106, 2001. [3]. R. G. Cole & J. H. Rosenbluth. â€Å"Voice over IP Performance Monitoring†. SIGCOMM Computer Communication Rev.Vol. 31(2), pp. 9-24, 2001. [4]. L. Ding & R. Goubran. â€Å"Speech Quality Prediction in VoIP Using the Extended e-Model. Global Telecommunication Conference, GLOBECOM ’03. IEEE, Vol. 7, pp. 3974-3978, 2003. [5]. Alexandre P. ; Edjair M. ; & Edjard M. â€Å"Analysis of the Secure RTP Protocol on Voice over Wireless Networks using Extended MedQoS†. Proceedings of the 2009 ACM symposium on Applied Computing, pp. 86 – 87, 2009. [6]. M. Baugher, D. McGrew, M. Naslund, E. Carrara, & K. Norrman. â€Å"The Secure Real- Time Transport Protocol (SRTP)†. RFC 3711 (Proposed Standa rd), March 2004. [7] Douglas C. Sicker & Tom L. VoIP Security: Not an Afterthought†, FEATURE: Q focus: Voice Over IP, Vol. 2(6), pp. 56-64, 2004. [8] Vesselin I. , Theodor T. , & Amdt T. â€Å"Experiences in VoIP telephone network security policy at the University of Applied Sciences (FHTW) Berlin†, Proceedings of the 2007 international conference on Computer systems and technologies, Bulgaria, Vol. 285(3), 2007. [9] Wafaa B. D. , Samir T. , & Carole B. â€Å"Critical vpn security analysis and new approach for securing voip communications over vpn networks†, Proceedings of the 3rd ACM workshop on Wireless multimedia networking and performance modelling,Chania, Crete Island, Greece, pp. 2-96, 2007. [10] Nekita A. C. , & Chhabria S. A. â€Å"Multiple design patterns for voice over IP security†, Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communication and Control, Mumbai, India, pp. 530 – 534, 2009. Figure 3. 8: VoIP Conversa tion over Multi Conference Call over WLAN Figure 3. 9: VoIP Conversation over One-to-One Call over WLAN IV. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK Based on the results, implementation of SRTP using GSM, iLBC and SPEEX codecs are able to generate high quality of VoIP conversation WLAN for one-to-one conversation and multi conference call (many-to-many).After implemented SRTP for multi conference call (many-to-many), the MOS result indicates that G. 711 and G. 726 codec will decrease the performance of VoIP conversation over WLAN. Overall of our finding, it confirms that enable SRTP will improve and increase the quality of one-to-one VoIP conversation and VoIP over multi conference call (only for iLBC, GSM and SPEEX codecs). Since the manual/human MOS tests are quite subjective and less than productive in many ways, there are nowadays a number of software tools that carry out automated MOS testing in a VoIP deployment.Although they lack the human touch, the good thing with these tests is that the y take into account all the network ISSN : 0975-3397 902 Copyright of International Journal on Computer Science & Engineering is the property of Engg Journals Publications and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

Apush Dbq – 1

Shaina Fober Although political divisions first emerged over domestic issues, they deepened during a series of crises over foreign policy that reopened the troublesome issue of America’s relationship with Great Britain. Domestic and foreign policy were, however, never entirely separate, since decisions in one area frequently carried implications for the other. Foreign and domestic policy (1789-1803) spans from the foreign affairs of Washington, to Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase. Between these times is the Election of 1796, Adams’s administration, concerning a variety of perspectives of historical figures n financial policies and foreign countries, such as the Alien Act and Louisiana Purchase Treaty, were all in relation to the restrictions and powers of the United States Constitution. Under the term of Washington, there were many affairs to deal with, mainly foreign. Hamilton saw much to admire in Britain, and when Britain was so burdened with debt that it seemed on the verge of bankruptcy, his reforms restored his country’s financial health. The success of Hamilton’s financial program, moreover, depended on smooth relations with Britain: duties on imports provided a major source of federal evenue, and most American imports came from Britain. Hamilton did not believe in returning the Americans to British rule; he had, after all, fought for independence as an officer of the Continental army. Nor did he seek to establish a monarchy in the United States. But he thought a friendly relationship with the onetime mother country would best serve American interests. In contrast, Jefferson remained deeply hostile to Britain, and his Anglophobia played a central role in his growing opposition to Hamilton. The treasury secretary’s method of finance, with a bank and large funded debt, seemed, as in art it was, based on a British model, one that to Jefferson was dangerous because it allowed abundant opportunity for corruption. For ex ample, Jefferson stated, â€Å"The incorporation of a bank, and the powers assumed by this bill, have not, in my opinion, been delegated to the United States, by the Constitution. † (Document C). Jefferson was also deeply loyal to France, the Americans’ old ally in the War for Independence. While serving as minister to France during the 1780’s, Jefferson had witnessed the beginnings of the French Revolution, which in his opinion only tightened the bond between France nd America, whose Revolution, he thought, had inspired the French. These differences widened as issues in foreign policy came to dominate Washington’s administration, and they gradually marked a division. In 1790, Britain and Spain seemed likely to go to war; then Britain seemed headed for the war with France that finally broke out in 1793. Jefferson argued that Britain’s situation gave the United States an opportunity to secure concessions in return for American neutrality. The Britis h had never evacuated their posts in the Northwest, and westerners suspected the British of sing those bases to provoke Indian attacks on the American frontier. But on April 22, 1793, Washington, influenced by Hamilton, who desperately wanted to avoid any altercation with Britain, issued a proclamation that essentially announced American neutrality without even trying to secure any concessions in return. A few months later, Jefferson submitted his resignation as secretary of state, which took effect at the end of the year. Since the Farewell Address was understood as Washington’s parting advice to his country, it was widely read and remains one of the most frequently reprinted documents n American history. It was a moving document, beginning with expressions of the sixty- four-year-old Washington’s gratitude to his â€Å"beloved country† for the honors and confidence it had invested in him and a reference to â€Å"the increasing weight of years† that admo nished him â€Å"more and more, that the gloom of retirement is as necessary to me as it is welcome. † Then the president offered advice, based on â€Å"much reflection,† that might â€Å"contribute to the permanency of your felicity as a People. † He urged his countrymen to support the public credit, to â€Å"observe good faith and justice towards all Nations† while voiding permanent alliances with any, and to disdain â€Å"over-grown Military establishments,† which were always â€Å"inauspicious to liberty. † But the thrust of his message concerned the country’s political divisions. However, it seems strange in retrospect, that the Adams administration had a president from one party (Federalist) and vice-president from another (Republican). But Adams and Jefferson had been allies in the struggle for independence and, in the 1780’s, deepened their bonds while serving together as diplomats in Europe. Most important, problems wi th France remained pressing. After hearing about Jay’s Treaty, the French, who began seizing American ships bound for England, would not recognize the neutral rights of American ships and in December 1796 refused to accept the new American minister to France. As the war fever grew, Adams fell into Washington’s old position, regarding critics of his government as rebellious people who put their confidence in France rather than their own government. Federalists in Congress went further, passing a series of laws for the suppression of the Republicans. Three Alien Acts, passed in June and July of 798, moved against immigrants, who were often members of the Republican Party. The first, an Alien Enemies Act that allowed the president to arrest or banish enemy aliens, would rake effect only if war was declared. Another Alien Act allowed the president to deport any foreigners he considered dangerous to the public peace and safety, and a Naturalization Act increased the time of residence before immigrants c ould become Citizens, and therefore acquire voting rights. The Alien Act also stated that, â€Å"†¦whenever there shall be a declared war between the United States, by any foreign ation or government, or any invasion or predatory incursion shall be perpetrated, attempted, or threatened against the territory of the United States, by any foreign government, and the President of the United States shall make public proclamation of the event†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document E). As America’s population grew and increasing numbers of white settlers looked westward for affordable land, events were unfolding that would dramatically change the map of America and influence the nation’s political, economic, and social development for much of the nineteenth century. At issue was the so-called Louisiana Territory, an enormous area that stretched from the Mississippi River in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West and north to Canada. Like most Americans, Jefferson harbored the belief that Louisiana would some day belong to the United States. It was thought that control of Louisiana, long considered a natural extension of the United States, loomed critical in defending the country’s expanding frontier against Indian raids and foreign adventurers as well as serving as a valuable source of raw materials, most notable the worthwhile western fur trade. Most important, in Jefferson’s view, the Louisiana Territory would be America’s ultimate safety valve: a seemingly limitless territory to which Indians could be removed ahead of white settlement and, above all, a place where landless immigrants from the East might move to carry on the American tradition that he deemed so essential to the well-being of the Republic. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty, also came out of this purchase. Which was a positive boost to the relationship between the United States and France, because as stated, â€Å" The First Consul of the French Republic desiring to give to the United a strong proof of his friendship doth hereby cede to the United States in the name of the French Republic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document F). Altogether, a new American nation emerged solely on these incidences in history. They helped pave the way for future and current political parties, and influenced their beliefs in domestic and foreign issues. Though these perspectives are represented on a wide scale, they are related in that all Americans seek perfection whether it is concerning domestic and foreign policies, and how that relation is always connected to our supreme United States Constitution.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 3

Keller turned her head quickly. Nissa was standing there, cool and imperturbable as always, one hand on her hip. Her short mink-colored hair wasn't even ruffled; her eyes, just a shade or two darker, were steady. And she was holding an ironwood fighting stick with a very sharp point. Keller growled faintly in relief. You couldn't ask Nissa to be creative-her mind didn't work that way. But on any question of logic, she was unbeatable, and she had nerves of ice. More important right now, she was a superb fighter. â€Å"If you want to play, why don't you try me?† she suggested, and whipped the fighting stick around expertly a few times. It whistled in the air, traced a complicated figure, and ended up casually across her shoulder. Then she slowly extended the point toward the vampire's throat. â€Å"Yeah, and don't leave me out.† This voice was husky and shaky but still grim. It came from behind the counter. Winnie was pulling herself up. She coughed once, then stood straight, facing the vampire. Energy, orange and pulsating, flared between her cupped hands. Witch power. You're alive, Keller thought. She couldn't suppress the flash of relief. The vampire looked from one girl to the other. Then he glanced at Keller, who was lying on her side, feebly trying to make her legs work. Her tail lashed furiously. â€Å"Come on!† the other vampire shouted. He was staggering under the weight of the dragon, heading for the door. â€Å"Let's get Azhdeha out of here. He's the most important thing.† The first vampire hesitated one instant, then whirled and plunged after his friend. Together, they hustled the dragon out into the mall. Then they were gone. Keller gave one final gasping snarl and felt herself change. This time, it felt more like a snail falling out of a shell. Her claws dissolved, her tail withered, and she slumped into her human body. â€Å"Boss! Are you okay?† Winnie came toward her, a little unsteadily. Keller raised her head, black hair falling on either side to the floor. She pushed herself up with her arms and looked around, taking stock. The shop was quiet It was also a wreck. Winnie's impact with the wall had knocked off most of the decorative plates and clocks there. Keller's fight with the dragon had trashed a lot of the shelves. There were shattered Christmas ornaments everywhere, little glittering fragments of scarlet and holly green and royal purple. It was like being in a giant kaleidoscope. And outside, chaos was gathering. The entire fight had only taken about five minutes, but all the time it had been going on, people had been running away from the shop and screaming. Keller had noticed them; she had simply filed them away in her mind as unimportant. There had been nothing she could do about them. Now, there were security officers closing in, and someone had undoubtedly called the police. She pushed with her arms again and managed to stand up. â€Å"Nissa.† It hurt her throat to speak. â€Å"Where's the car?† â€Å"Right down there.† Nissa pointed at the floor. â€Å"Directly below us, parked outside the Mrs. Fields cookie store.† â€Å"Okay. Let's get Diana out.† Keller looked at the young girl with the shimmering hair who as yet hadn't spoken a single word. â€Å"Can you walk?† Iliana stared at her. She didn't say anything. Stunned and frightened, Keller guessed. Well, a lot had happened in the last few minutes. â€Å"I know this all seems bizarre to you, and you're probably wondering who we are.Ill explain everything. But right now, we have to get out of here. Okay?† Iliana shrank a little, trembling. Not exactly a hero, Keller thought. Or quick on the uptake. Then she decided she was being unfair. This girl was the Witch Child; she undoubtedly had hidden strengths. â€Å"Come on,† Galen said to Iliana gently. â€Å"She's right; it isn't safe here.† Iliana looked up at him earnestly. She seemed about to agree. Then she gave a little shiver, shut her eyes, and fainted. Galen caught her as she fell. Keller stared. â€Å"She's too pure to deal with this kind of stuff,† Winnie said defensively. â€Å"Violence and all. It's not the same as being chicken.† It was at that exact moment that Keller could pinpoint her first real doubts about the new Wild Power. Galen looked down at the girl who lay in his arms like a broken lily. He looked at Keller. â€Å"You take her; well surround you and cover you,† Keller said, cutting him off. She knew her hair was in complete disarray, a wild cyclone of black around her. Her sleek jumpsuit was torn and stained, and she was clutching her right shoulder, which still throbbed in agony. But she must have looked fairly commanding, because Galen didn't say another word, just nodded and started toward the door. Nissa led the way in front of him. Winnie and Keller fell in behind. They were ready to fight, but when the security guards with walkie-talkies saw Nissa whirling her stick, they backed away. The ordinary people, curious onlookers attracted by all the noise, not only backed away but ran. Lots of them screamed. â€Å"Go,† Keller said. â€Å"Fast. Go.† They made it to Mrs. Fields without anybody trying to stop them. A girl with a red apron flattened herself against a wall as they thrust their way behind the counter and into the sanctum full of industrial-sized ovens in the back. A gangly boy dropped a tray with a clang, and lumps of raw cookie dough scattered on the floor. And then they were bursting through the back entrance, and there was the car, a white limousine illegally parked at the curb. Nissa whipped out a key chain and pressed a button, and Keller heard the click of doors unlocking. â€Å"Inside!† she said to Galen. He got in. Winnie ran around the car to get in the other side. Nissa slid into the driver's seat. Keller ducked in last and snapped, â€Å"Go!† even as she slammed the door. Nissa floored it. The limousine shot forward like a dolphin-just as a security truck sped up from the rear. A police car appeared dead in front of them. Nissa was an excellent driver. The limo swerved with a squeal of tires and peeled out of another of the parking lot's exits. A second police car swung toward them as Nissa dodged traffic. This one had lights and sirens on. Nissa gunned the engine, and the limo surged forward again. A freeway on-ramp was ahead. â€Å"Hang on,† Nissa said briefly. They were passing the on-ramp-they were past it. No, they weren't. At the last possible second, the limo screamed into a ninety-degree turn. Everyone inside was thrown around. Keller clenched her teeth as her wounded arm hit the window. Then they were shooting up the on-ramp and onto the freeway. With a little patter, cat's paws of rain appeared on the windshield. Keller, leaning forward to look over Nissa's shoulder, was happy. With icy rain and the low, gray fog, they probably wouldn't be chased by helicopter. The big limousine roared past the few other cars on the road and Winnie sat looking out the rear window, murmuring a spell to confuse and delay any pursuit. â€Å"We lost them,† Nissa said. Keller sat back and let out her breath. For the first time since she'd entered the mall, she allowed herself to relax minutely. We did it. At the same moment, Winnie turned. She pounded the backseat with a small, hard fist. â€Å"We did it! Keller-we got the Wild Power! We†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off as she saw Keller's face. â€Å"And, uh†¦ I guess I disobeyed orders.† Her pounding was self-conscious now; she ducked her strawberry-blond head. â€Å"Um, I'm sorry, Boss.† â€Å"You'd better be,† Keller said. She held Winnie's gaze a moment, then said, â€Å"You could have gotten yourself killed, witch-and for absolutely no good reason.† Winnie grimaced. â€Å"I know. I lost it. I'm sorry.† But she smiled timidly at Keller afterward. Keller's team knew how to read her. â€Å"Sorry, too, Boss,† Nissa said from the front seat. She slanted a glance at Keller from her mink-colored eyes. â€Å"I wasn't supposed to leave the car.† â€Å"But you thought we might need a little help,† Keller said. She nodded, meeting Nissa's eyes in the mirror. â€Å"I'm glad you did.† The faintest flush of pleasure colored Nissa's cheeks. Galen cleared his throat. â€Å"Um, for the record, I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to charge in like that in the middle of your operation.† Keller looked at him. He was smiling slightly, hesitantly, the way Winnie had. A nice smile. The corner of his mouth naturally quirked upward, giving him a hint of mischief in all but the most serious moments. His green-gold eyes were apologetic but hopeful. â€Å"Yeah, who are you, guy?† Winnie was looking him up and down, her dark lashes twinkling. â€Å"Did Circle Daybreak send you? I thought we were on this mission alone.† â€Å"You were. I belong to Circle Daybreak, but they didn't send me. I just-well, I was outside the shop, and I couldn't just stand there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice died. The smile died, too. â€Å"You're really mad, aren't you?† he said to Keller. â€Å"Mad?† She took a slow breath. â€Å"I'm furious.† He blinked. â€Å"I don't-â€Å" â€Å"You stopped me. I could have killed him!† His gold-green eyes opened in shock and something like remembered pain. â€Å"He was killing you.† â€Å"I know that,† Keller snarled. â€Å"It doesn't matter what happens to me. What matters is that now he's free. Don't you understand what he is?† Winfrith was looking sober. â€Å"I don't know. But he hit me with something powerful. Pure energy like what I use, but about a hundred times stronger.† â€Å"He's a dragon,† Keller said. She saw Nissa's shoulders stiffen, but Winnie just shook her head, bewildered. â€Å"A kind of shapeshifter that hasn't been around for about thirty thousand years.† â€Å"He can turn into a dragon?† Keller didn't smile. â€Å"No, of course not. Don't be silly. I don't know what he can do-but a dragon is what he is. Inside.† Winnie suddenly looked queasy as this hit home. Keller turned back to Galen. â€Å"And that's what you let loose on the world. It was the only chance to kill him-nobody will be able to take him by surprise like that again. Which means that everything he does after this is going to be your fault.† Galen shut his eyes, looking dizzy. â€Å"I'm sorry. But when I saw you-I couldn't let you die†¦.† â€Å"I'm expendable. I don't know who you are, but I'm willing to bet you're expendable. The only one here who isn't expendable is her.† Keller jerked a thumb at Iliana, who lay in a pool of pale silver-gold hair on the seat beside Galen. â€Å"And if you think that dragon isn't going to come back and try to get her again, you're crazy. I'd have died happy knowing that I'd gotten rid of him.† Galen's eyes were open again, and Keller saw a flicker in them at the â€Å"don't know who you are.† But at the end, he said quietly, â€Å"I'm expendable. And I'm sorry. I didn't think† â€Å"That's right! You didn't! And now the whole world is going to suffer.† Galen shut up and sat back. And Keller felt odd. She wasn't sorry for slapping him down, she told herself. He deserved it. But his face was so pale now, and his expression was so bleak. As if he'd not only understood everything she'd said but expanded on it in his own mind. And the look of hurt in his eyes was almost insupportable. Good, Keller told herself. But then she remembered the moment she'd spent inside his mind. It had been a sunlit place, warm and open, without dark corners or shadowed crevasses. Now that would be gone forever. There was going to be a huge black fissure in it, full of horror and shame. A mark he would carry for the rest of his life. Well, welcome to the real world, Keller thought, and her throat tightened and hurt. She stared out the window angrily. â€Å"See, it's really important that we keep Iliana safe,† Winfrith was saying quietly to Galen. He didn't ask why, and Keller had noticed before that he hadn't asked why Iliana wasn't expendable. But Winnie went on telling him anyway. â€Å"She's a Wild Power. You know about those?† â€Å"Who doesn't these days?† He said it almost in a whisper. â€Å"Well, most humans, for one thing. But she's not just a Wild Power; she's the Witch Child. Somebody we witches have been expecting for centuries. The prophecies say she's going to unite the shape-shifters and the witches. She's going to marry the son of the First House of the shapeshifters. And then the two races will be united, and all the shapeshifters will join Circle Daybreak, and well be able to hold off the end of the world at the millennium.† Winnie finished out of breath. Then she cocked her strawberry-blond head. â€Å"You don't seem surprised. Who are you, guy? You didn't really say before.† â€Å"Me?† He was still looking into the distance. â€Å"I'm nobody, compared to you people.† Then he gave a little wry smile that didn't reach his eyes. â€Å"I'm expendable.† Nissa caught Keller's eye in the rearview mirror, looking concerned. Keller just shrugged. Sure, Winnie was telling this expendable guy a lot. But it didn't matter. He wasn't on the enemy side; and anyway, the enemy knew everything Winnie was saying. They had identified Iliana as the third Wild Power; the dragon proved that. They wouldn't have sent him if they hadn't been sure. But still, it was time to get rid of this interfering boy. They certainly couldn't take him to the safe house where they were taking Iliana. â€Å"Nobody tailing us?† Keller said. Nissa shook her head. â€Å"We lost them all miles ago.† â€Å"You're sure?† â€Å"Dead certain.† â€Å"Okay. Take any exit, and we'll drop him off.† She turned to Galen. â€Å"I hope you can find your way home.† ‘I want to go with you.† â€Å"Sorry. We have important things to do.† Keller didn't need to add, And you're not part of them. â€Å"Look.† Galen took a deep breath. His pale face was strained and exhausted, as if he'd somehow lost three days' sleep since he'd gotten into the limo. And there was something close to desperation in his eyes. â€Å"I need to go with you. I need to help, to try and make up for what I did. I need to make it right.† â€Å"You can't.† Keller said it even more brusquely than she meant to. â€Å"You're not trained, and you're not involved in this. You're no good.† He gave her a look. It didn't disagree with anything she'd said, but somehow, for just an instant, it made her feel small. His greeny-gold eyes were just the opposite of the dragon's opaque ones. Keller could see for miles in them, endless light-filled fathoms, and it was all despair. A sorrow so great that it shook her. She knew it must be costing him a lot to show her that, to hold himself so open and vulnerable. But he kept looking at her steadily. â€Å"You don't understand,† he said quietly. I have to help you. I have to try, at least. I know I'm not in your class as a fighter. But I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated. â€Å"I didn't want to say this-â€Å" At that moment, Iliana groaned and sat up. Or tried to. She didn't make it all the way. She put a hand to her head and started to fall off the seat. Galen steadied her, putting an arm around her to keep her propped up. â€Å"Are you all right?† Keller asked. She leaned forward, trying to get a look at the girl's face. Winnie was leaning forward, too, her expression eager. â€Å"How're you feeling? You're not really hurt, are you? You just fainted from the shock.† Diana looked around the limousine. She seemed utterly confused and disoriented. Keller was struck again by the girl's unearthly beauty. This close, she looked like a flower, or maybe a girl made from flowers. She had peach-blossom skin and hazy iris-colored eyes. Her hair was like corn silk, fine and shimmering even in this dim light. Her hands were small and graceful, fingers half curled like flower petals. â€Å"It's such an honor to meet you,† Winnie said, and her voice turned formal as she uttered the traditional greeting of the witches. â€Å"Unity, Daughter of Hellewise. I'm Winfrith Arlin.† She dimpled. â€Å"But it's really ‘Arm-of-Lightning.' My family's an old one, almost as old as yours.† Diana stared at her. Then she stared at the back of Nissa's mink-colored head. Then her eyes slid to Keller. Then she sucked in a deep breath and started screaming.