Salem Witch Trials Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Salem Witch Trials - Coursework Example ended rights, the jail conditions of accused were but harsh, with the accused witches often tied for months inside cold flooded, foul smelling cells; in effect, forcing many innocent prisoners to accepted their punishment for offences they knew little about.2 Those who attempted to escape would immediately be executed when caught. The examinations for evidence were humiliating at best, for the accused were often stripped naked and tortured even more to confess. The accusers were but a section of the puritans with strong beliefs in the existence of demonic sprits and the associated control over every bad thing in life; and was the case when their children begun behaving contrary to their doctrinal beliefs, leading to the Salem witchcraft accusations. The accused witches were taken before appointed magistrates, literally questioned, with their accusers appearing in the courtrooms in a grand display of name calling screams and writhing of the supposed demonic spirit possessed young girls, which to the disbelief of many, were the complete evidence in the trials. Belief in the dangers of supernatural powers had long been cultivated by the community, and that the challenges such as the after effects of the wars, smallpox epidemic, among other conflicts as well the soaring crime rates only cemented the simmering tensions and

Investigating Financial Control Essay Example for Free

Investigating Financial Control Essay Task one The three different types of costs are fixed cost, variable cost and total cost. For all of the diverse types of costs there are also dissimilar calculations to work out each type of revenue. Fixed cost does not change no matter how much they produce, even if the business produces 1 or 1,000,000,000 it will always stay the same. Examples of fixed costs are rent, salaries, rates and loan payments. Variable cost change with the level of production. In order to work out the total variable cost you have to times together the quantity and the variable cost. Also, to determine the total cost you have to add the fixed cost and the variable cost. The meaning of Start up cost is the money you need to start up the business. Running cost always varies because of the level of stock changes and you have to pay for workers. In the case of Kiren and Zaiba, salaries are used as a fixed cost because they don’t change with the level of output. Heating and lighting are used as a variable cost because the variable cost change with the level of production. The sum: Fixed cost + variable cost = total cost which is 6,000 in the scenario. The definitions for the following words are: Profit What is left when all costs incurred in making and selling a product are deducted from the revenue gained from that sale. It acts as the reward to the entrepreneur, usually the owner of the business, who has provided the capital. It is usually the net profit after tax which represents the surplus for the owners of the business and is paid as a dividend to shareholders. Profit maximization is seen as one of the major objectives of a business, although it is more likely to be an objective for the investors in a business, than for its managers or employees. It might be for those groups that profit acts as a constraint, while higher sales orhigher wages and salaries are more important objectives Net profit: This is the amount of sales revenue that a business earns less all the costs involved in achieving that revenue, including both direct costs and expenses. The net profit figure represents the figure for profit before taxation or a dividend are further deducted, and shows how successful a business has been in generating profits from its trading activities. Gross profit The figure obtained on the profit and loss account when the cost of goods sold is deducted from the sales revenue of a business, but it does not take into account any of the expenses of running a business such as wages, distribution costs or administration costs. Fixed cost Variable cost Total cost Rent  £800 Heating and lighting  £200 Salaries  £1400 Advertising  £50 Insurance  £210 Administration  £50 Rates  £150 400 CD’s  £2800 Loan repayments  £290 Telephone  £50  £2850  £3150  £6000 Task 2 Kiran Zaiba analysis: In task two I used excel to work out the break even point, at diverse costs. The fixed costs were the same because I only have done break even for one month. The quantity is going up in one hundreds. I calculated the variable cost by multiplying the quantity by 6 which came out to be going up in six hundreds. I calculated the total cost by adding the fixed cost by the variable cost; in this case it was increasing by six hundred. To calculate the sales revenue, I had to multiple the quantities by 12, which was increasing by 1200. To calculate profit or loss, I subtract sales revenue from total cost. According to the information on my table Kiran zaiba have to sell 1000 CD’s to break even. Break even is when the cost is 6000 and the quantity is 6. In the following table I have changed the fixed cost to 6950 because the following values increased: the rate increased to  £300 also, the telephone increased to  £100, advertising to  £125 and the lighting and heating increased to  £425. Using the contributing method I will calculate the following data to achieve how much CD’s will be needed to break even. In order to do this I will have to use the following equation 6950 divided by 6. The sum equals 1158. So they will have to sell 1158 to break even. This means that they will have to increase sales. Advantages of break even analysis Disadvantages of break even analysis Break even can be used to predict profit It price suddenly changed it wouldn’t take it in Break even can be used to determine financial needs For example, If petrol prices go up the break even will not show the increase. Keep track of profits and losses. It is a forecast which means that the data is predicted. Gives you ideas for selling prices (if you made a lot of money at that period of time). It helps to calculate profits Helps to make decisions on prices I think that break even is very useful because: It assists you to figure out your profit Helps you by giving you assumptions of prices It is extremely significant in that if you are taking into consideration to applying for a loan. Gives you a clear impression of prices TASK 3 Analysis for cash flow forecast I will now construct the cash flow forecast I have now prepared an annual cash flow forecast using monthly data I have also included the loan in January. The table looks like this for a regular cash flow forecast: image00.png The sales become irregular due to an immense amplify in downloading and sharing music. The irregular cash flow forecast should look like this: image01.png Cash flow forecast is extremely significant and has many uses. For example, it helps the bank manager to keep up to date; it helps managers to plan ahead and it also determines if there is a problem with the cash flow by resolving the difficulty. Regular cash flow shows: That there is not a problem with the cash flow because the opening bank balance is always increasing, so the profit is rising. The main objective for a cash flow forecast is to see whether there is a profit or loss. Currently, I have identified that with the regular cash flow there is not a problem because all the numbers are increasing, meaning that a profit has been achieved. Irregular cash flow forecast shows that: The opening bank balance starts with zero; it then rises immensely in February to 11300. Then it starts to decrease steeply all the way to December, leaving the opening bank balance drawn to a close with -37470. This is bad for the business because now they are not making a profit The total cash inflows, starts of with 18000 in January. Then it starts to reduce in each and every month, until it comes to December where it increases to 2700 from November. This is consequently leading them to a loss. The total cash outflows contrast from low to high in that, in January it is 6700 and then increases enormously to 9500 in December. The Implication of the problem is that there is an increase in people who tend to download and share music. This will inevitably affect their sales. This will also consequently make Kiran and Zaiba fall to lose a profit. Because of this problem Kiran and Zaiba are making a loss of  £43,920. The implication to the problem is that, In order to reject the lost, I recommend that The other way around this is to increase the number of quantities, in order to sell more and increase profit. Or, lower maintenance costs and launching a download website so you can attract costumers worldwide. Task 4 The documents which Kiran and Zaiba will need to sequence sales and purchasing from order to receipt of goods are: Issues by the purchaserIssued by the seller Delivery note- accompanies the goods. Is signed by purchaser as proof of delivery. Sales invoice- gives full details of goods, prices, discounts, VAT Credit note- issued if goods are returned or to adjust any over- charges on the invoice. Statement of account- summarises all transactions and states balance owning. Remittance advice – summarises the account for return with cheque payment Cash receipt- issued to confirm cash payment has been received Purchase order- lists items required and price for each. Goods received note- lists items received. Purchaser tells seller if any shortages or damage Cheque or electronic transfer- to pay balance on statement I am now going to describe the manual and electronic ways of recording financial transaction that Kiran and Zaiba could use: Predominantly, most Kiran and Zaiba’s transactions are mostly recorded electronically because they are developed either by an electronic cash register or by computer. The advantage of recording transaction for Kiran and Zaiba indicate that any linked documents are printed mechanically. Kiran and Zaiba may want to take the alternative route by considering keeping manual records which are then kept by businesses that would not find it valuable to buy a cash register or use a computer system. Even people who receive payments in a customer’s home- such as service engineers- are now more likely to record the transaction on a laptop than carry a receipt book with them. Kiran and Zaiba want and need to prevent fraud because they are a minute business. To terminate these frauds they will have to have: A thoughtful staff selection which are trustworthy to procedure which includes character references. A â€Å"whistle- blowing† scheme where workers are compensated for reporting fraud. The system should guarantee that information is treated confidentially. An unambiguous policy on dealing with fraud. Scam is usually considered to be â€Å"gross misconduct† (which means disgusting bad behaviour) for which workers can be fired instantaneously as part of the disciplinary procedure. Task 5 The strengths of a cash flow forecast are that: It helps the bank manger to keep up to date It records how much money you have It gives you ideas to plan ahead Demonstrates how much money you have at the present time The forecasts of sales and cash flow, and hence crucial abundance of profit, will be vital on which the prospective bankers will assess the upcoming feasibility of the business. It follows that these forecasts will come under crucial inspection and significant judgement. The importance of cash inflows is so you distinguish how much value of money is going towards the inside of a businesses bank account at a particular time. An example for this could be: the income Kiran and Zaiba make for selling CD’s. The strengths of break even are: It helps you see where you have an increase or decrease in your profit. Keeps you informed Break even engrosses discovering what would occur if there were changes to cost of revenues. The types of questions the boss would ask are: Is it possible for Kiran and Zaiba to increase sales by 5% and still make a profit even if sales fall? If by reducing sales by 10% will this effect Kiran and Zaiba? Say if Kiran and Zaiba shift of to an inexpensive property, how would this affect our profits? There is many different ways in which, to record this information. For instance, Manual recording principally used by businesses that, tend not sense that it is advisable to buy a cash register or computer. (For example, If Kiran and Zaiba don’t sell as much CD’s then, they may find it simpler to record these manually). Also, there is an alternative route which is, to record by electronically, which means that associated documents are printed mechanically. This could be beneficial if Kiran and Zaiba are selling lots of CD’s. Cash flow indicates the amount of money received and spent over time. This is significant in that, you will then be aware of how much income is in the bank. If Kiran and Zaiba have an enormous demand they can amplify there sales because there are not adequate CD’s. They could charge more which is better for the business because they are making more profit. But if there is too much CD’s then they could reduce prices to sell more, thus allowing them to make profits. Just to add, the main objective for any business is to make a profit. So, Kiran and Zaiba will want to do so. To do this, Kiran and Zaiba may want to take this into consideration that they may want to reduce their sales in order to sell more and to attract more costumers.

What Is Strategic Spatial Planning Environmental Sciences Essay

What Is Strategic Spatial Planning Environmental Sciences Essay Introduction Strategic spatial planning is arguably an approach which rails against the discourse of the scientific rational comprehensive models of planning which has and still does hold a large influence in current modes of planning. This short essay will hopefully explain to planners why a strategic spatial planning approach is more conducive in the current context which we find ourselves in. This will be done through answering a set of questions which will clarify the approach, its purpose and methods, how it differs from rational comprehensive approaches of master planning and land use planning, why planners should use it, what can be expected from it, and its usefulness. What is Strategic Spatial Planning? Strategic spatial planning is a method to help solve complex spatial problems through creating strategic visions and new spatial identities. According to Kaufman and Jacobs (in Albrechts, 2001) strategic systems originated in the US around the 1950s due to the need for rapidly changing and growing corporations to plan effectively and manage their futures at a time when the future seemed unclear. In Europe, strategic spatial planning dated back to the 1920s and 30s, and was used to direct the activities of others (Mastop in Albrechts, 2001). From Albrechts (2006) it can be understood that the word spatial brings into focus the where of things, the creation and management of special places and sites as well as the interrelations between different activities in an area, and significant intersections and nodes within an area. This spatial focus allows for a more effective way of integrating different agendas such as, economic, social, and cultural and their spatial impacts (Albrechts, 2006). The word strategy has its roots within a military context; in ancient battle armies would work out a strategy prior to the battle on how best to overcome the enemy. It is understood that this type of strategy had four basic elements an accurate understanding of the real situation, realistic goals, focused resources in areas where they would be most effective, and persistence of the action until the desired outcome is achieved (Albrechts, 2010). These elements are strongly rooted in systems of strategic spatial planning. In its entirety, strategic spatial planning is a process which is directed at a limited number of strategic key issue areas. It determines an areas strengths and weaknesses in the context of its opportunities and threats; it scans external trends, and the resources that are available. It gathers major public and private stakeholders and allows for a broad and diverse process of involvement. It develops a realistic long-term vision along with strategies in order to manage and influence spatial change. Importantly it is orientated towards decisions, actions, results, and implementation, in the short, medium and long-term (Albrechts, 2001). It is indeed impossible to understand material places and social nodes such as the city, the city-region and the region in terms of a one-dimensional hierarchy of scales (Albrechts, 2010:6). This definition illustrates that strategic spatial planning is not a single concept or procedure, but it is a set of concepts, procedures and tools that are tailored carefully to whatever situation is presented (Albrecht, 2001). Moreover it is a development-led approach and a transformative and integrative, public sector-led, and socio-spatial process through which a vision, coherent actions and means for implementation are produced; these are then able to shape and frame what a place is and its potential of what it may become (Albrechts, 2006) How does it differ from MASTER PLANNING and LAND USE PLANNING? In order to understand the difference one needs to understand the rationale of land use planning and master planning. Land use planning is a process of planning which is concerned with the location, intensity, form, amount, and harmonization of land development required for a variety of spatial uses; such as housing, industry, recreation, transport, education, and agriculture. A land use plan in this instance basically embodies a proposal as to how land should be used within a set of considered policy as expansion and restructuring progress in the future (Albrechts, 2004). Traditional land use planning is a more passive planning approach aimed at controlling land use through a zoning system and through regulations. This according to Albrechts (2006) seems unfit for bridging the gap between plan-making, political decision-making and implementation. This was one of the reasons why the need arose for a different type of planning a move away from regulatory policy and instruments to a development-led approach which aims to intervene more directly, coherently and selectively in social reality and development strategic spatial planning (Albrechts, 2006). For Albrechts (2001) strategic spatial planning is to a certain extent rendered towards an integrated socio-economic course of action that supersedes the mere focus on land use planning. For Master Planning on the other hand, Friedman (2007) found that it is almost a universally accepted form of planning practice. His survey found that in country after country, cities through their governments are mandated to produce master plans. Essentially within these master plans countries specify future land uses and location decisions. Master planning is a completely static practice and according to Friedman (2007) it needs to be rethought as it is out of line with the dynamic flows of globalisation. Friedman (2007) defines master planning as being typically municipal plans rather than regional plans, and as being exclusively concerned with land use rather than with the total spectrum of urban policy issues. They are drawn up by a specialized branch of municipal government rather than through a wider process of collaborative deliberation, and the process used to draw up master plans and getting them approved takes years thus rendering them out-dated by the time they can be implemented. Also they are top-down, with relatively minimum citizen participation, and lastly when it comes to large scale projects; master plans are often set aside to allow for necessary changes in land use and circulation patterns (Friedman, 2007). Opposing this, spatial planning is derived not from an official, mandatory character like master planning but from a role that coordinates instruments closely intertwined with urban policy formation and the design and implementation of large-scale projects. Spatial planning involves a range of actors that include communities, government officials and private stakeholders. The main purpose of spatial planning is not to mandate particular land uses as is in the instance of master planning but to allow for a better coordination of urban policies and large-scale project developments across space, to test alternative policies and designs through revising their social implications, and to allow for an informed public discourse about them (Friedman, 2007). In cities such as the new downtown peninsula of Vancouver, master planning has been abandoned for systems of spatial planning in which planning proceeds by way of involving public hearings, bargaining, and negotiations. The results of this transition over a period of 25 years are testimony to the viability not only of the Vancouver model but also of the more abstract spatial planning model (Friedman, 2007). What are its main PURPOSES and METHODS? Strategic spatial planning as mentioned earlier is used for complex problems where authorities at different levels and different sectors and private actors are mutually dependant (Albrecht, 2001). The model designs plan-making structures and develops content, images and decision frameworks which can influence and manage spatial change. It is about constructing new ideas and processes that can carry these structures through, thus generating ways of understanding, ways of consensus, and ways of organising and mobilizing for the purpose of exerting influence in different arenas (Albrecht, 2006). Both is the short and long term, strategic spatial planning focuses on framing decisions, actions, projects, results and implementation, and incorporates monitoring, feedback, adjustment and revision of the outcome. Its purpose therefore is not a new ideology preaching a new world order but as a method for creating and steering a better future for a place based on shared values (Albrechts, 2006). Albrechts (2006) goes further on to explain that the seven main aims of a strategic project are to develop an integrated innovative approach for the various project types; to develop a fully operational framework based on sustainability; to develop tools for quality management; to broaden the multi-actor/multi-level policy settings and to evaluate current settings; to disseminate the approach; to develop an educational model; and to establish a network of knowledge between researchers, professionals, and governments (Albrechts, 2006). The capacity for these projects to deliver the desired outcome is dependant firstly on the system itself and on the conditions underlying it such as structural constraints, and political, cultural, and professional attitudes towards spatial planning. The planning process is not intended to flow smoothly from one phase to the next. It is a dynamic and creative process wherein new views and facts that arise today may alter the decisions made yesterday (Albrechts, 2010). This illustrates that it is never a fixed process but is in a continuous start of change from beginning to end. The visions and frames which guide this process are never a given, rather they are to be constructed. The process of envisioning is the process by which groups develop visions of future states for themselves, their organisations, city, or their region that are clear, powerful and realistic. Essentially this means that the visions are to be constructed within a specific context and scale regarding issues that are of interest within that space and within a particular combination of actors. This is to be done within a method that fully recognises the conditions of power, inequality, and diversity. The vision describes a city or region as it may look like in the future, and it must appeal to the long-term interests of actors who have a stake in the city or region (Albrechts, 2010:8). Why do this kind of planning? Strategic spatial planning projects conduct an in-depth study of the area, thus giving preference to the location being affected over anything else. With this these projects study external trends and the resources available therefore allowing for a broad and diverse process. Also, by making use of this type of planning, planners are able to target a variety of areas; including urban, rural, and economic areas (Albrechts, 2006). In the instance of urban areas, strategic urban projects are useful as they aim to consolidate, transform, restructure or reuse the urban areas for new and emerging demands from public and private actors. With regards to rural areas, strategic projects are useful as they aim to transform rural and suburban dynamics into a more sustainable and qualitative form of development while not forgetting to enhance the cultural meaning of these spaces. Lastly, economic areas are seen as an important part of the effort to keep up international economic competitiveness. Strategic projects seek to turn away from the old concept of business parks spatial concept and management to a focus on the requirements of firms that are to be translated into specifically designed employment locations (Albrechts, 2006). And what can we expect from it? This question can be divided into two parts; we as planners and we as the public and private actors. First, the essay will intend to the address the latter part. Strategic spatial planning projects are strategic to achieve visions, goals, and objectives from a variety of policy sectors, and are to integrate the community being affected. Visions is arguably one of the most important factors of strategic projects as they are expected to be placed within the specific context, place, time and level, and are to regard specific issues that are of interest to the different actors (Albrechts, 2006). Essentially what can be expected from strategic spatial planning projects is a critical analysis of the main processes and structural constraints which shape spaces, which adds into a realistic, dynamic, integrated, and indicative long-term vision. It will provide a plan for short-term and long-term actions, a budget, and a flexible strategy for implementation (Albrechts, 2010). In terms of the projects eventual implementation, it will provide credible commitments to action engagement and a clear and explicit link to the budget thus allowing for citizens, private-sector, different levels of governance, and planners to enter a consensus (Albrechts, 2010). We as planners will expect a different set of tools, tools which will guide the planner on what to expect when acting as a strategic spatial planner. For Albrechts (2010), he finds it unthinkable that the planner should act merely as a neutral observer and refrain from playing a role in the construction of visions and images. Instead, Albrechts suggests that planners should be necessarily involved, and instrumental in substantiating, formulating and implementing images and visions. This is a logical perspective, as if planners merely observe, there expertise in certain situations are not shared, and their usefulness would be greatly undermined. Strategic spatial planners are to instead, challenge their own mental discourse which limit their creativity, and start anew thus allowing for their creativity and resourcefulness to flow and to be used in formulating, designing, and building new concepts and discourses (Albrechts, 2010). How useful is it? Strategic spatial planning is a flexible process that deals with complex problems and is able to mend to a wide range of problems, but also deals with each problem uniquely. This characteristic makes the approach very useful as it applies to a range of different issues. For example; the city of Barcelona started using a strategic planning approach in 1988 in order to enhance the cooperation between the public and private sector with the hope that the enhancement will strengthen the position of the city as a candidate for the Olympic Games (Albrechts, 2010). The city of Turin which was inspired by Barcelona also undertook a strategic approach in the mid 1990s, for Turin this formed the basis for rethinking the potential of a former monopolistic town that had been highly affected by the rise of the automobile industry. The aim for Strategic spatial planning here was to transform Turin into a European metropolis a city of activities and know-how (Albrechts, 2010:5). For the city of Bilbao, the vision was to transport the city into the economic, financial, and cultural capital of the Atlantic Arc. Lastly, for Prague, strategic spatial planning focused on integrating the city into European structures (Albrechts, 2010). From this it is clear that strategic spatial planning is applicable to a diverse range of issues and can adapt easily to what is required in the context for which it is envisioning, thus rendering it a useful approach to planning. Conclusion From the information discussed in this essay the approach of strategic spatial planning has been explained. Through using such an approach to planning it can be deduced that spaces can be become more active and interactive both on a local scale and the sectors within that scale and on an international scale. In short, episodes of strategic spatial planning informed by relational complexity concepts which accumulate sufficient power to travel effectively and have enduring material and mental effects should be judged in the long-term in terms of their capacity to enrich the imaginative resources, creative energies and governance cultures through which quality of life and experience of diverse citizens and stakeholders in particular places are likely to be enhanced. (Healey, 2006:19)

Dishonor in Antigone and Chronicle of a Death Foretold Essay -- Greek

The belief and concept of dishonor in the Greek and Colombian culture of ‘Antigone,’ by Sophocles, and ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold,’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is a deciding aspect that blinds characters moral values. It is evident that in both societies Greek and Colombian, a family or an individual without honor is an outcast to the community. As honor plays a drastic role in outlining the culture of the society. Therefore the belief that a perpetrator has brought dishonor upon the family, or community foreshadows punishment for the individual, often conveyed through death. Sophocles provides a setting in his play, Antigone, where the honor code of rules and principles that govern the Greek community, are based upon Creon’s patriarchy of immoral natural law. Where the worst death is a ‘clouded’ (97) one whose foggy setting brings dishonor upon the individual, and his family. Polynecies is an example; Sophocles uses to highlight the significance of a burial, in the Greek society. Polynecies is a victim of Creon's code of honor, which through grotesque diction, Sophocles describes his body as being immorally exposed the â€Å"vultures† left â€Å"unwept and unburied’ (29) after miserably fighting turning against his brother in a battle for Thebes, in which he turned against him. Causing him to ’[die] outside the law’ (59) bringing great dishonor to the corpse as it is with a lack of respect, left unburied due to tyranny, but also damns it for all time and dishonors his family. Creon’s laws are flaw, harsh and immoral, they take on the ‘gods who live forever’ (788), up to the point were his actions ‘seize [his] good mind,’ (791) and deprive him of moral thought. Creon’s restrictive democracy motivates Polynecie’s sister Antigone, who... ...reshadow a death through the blinding process of moral values and actions taken by an individual that has, or whose family has been dishonored and wishes to regain their dignity. Sophocles in Antigone portrays the theme of dishonor through the cultural value of burial in the Greek society; Gabriel Garcia Marquez on the other hand, condemns the legate of marriage to honor in Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Both cultural norms manage in context to inflict with the character’s family honor, which leads them into taking immoral and ruthless actions that lead to the innocent death of Antigone and Santiago Nasser, both innocent individuals. Works Cited Garcà ­a, Mà ¡rquez Gabriel, and Gregory Rabassa. Chronicle of a Death Foretold: A Novel. New York: Vintage International, 2003. Print Sophocles, and Paul Woodruff. Antigone. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2001. Print

Opera †Carmen Essay

   This was an amazing Opera, I only wish that I had the opportunity to see it in person. I have never watched anything like it, and probably would not have had it not been part of this class. Let me say Thank you for opening my eyes to this amazing experience. The theatrical performance, choreography and music were very moving and to my surprise drew me in to continue watching and trying to interpret. I have to say I was very shocked at the sexuality used in this performance, it seemed as thought it was wrote long before its time. Carmen’s sexuality was very much a large part of the performance and I found it intriguing. I decided to rent the movie Carmen to compare the performances and found them to be very similar in character however the Opera was much more captivating. The music alone is wonderful but when added to the stage performance it was absolutely mesmerizing. Carmen is a direct conflict of the expectations for women of this time period. Women were to be gentle, biddable and sinned against. However Carmen used her beauty and sexuality to her advantage. She perfectly combined her acting, singing, and dancing abilities to portray a seductive and enticing personality that even Don Jose’ could not resist. The musical transitions for each character and scene were for me the amateur at times overwhelming and difficult to take it all in. As the music and people become loud during the bullfight in the background you can hear Carmen and Don Jose’ characters in the music. In the beginning of the Opera Don Jose’ appears to be very strong and powerful with an ability to ignore Carmen. Again the music helps portray this image. Obviously he changes throughout the performance to become ravaged with lust and jealousy towards Carmen. You can hear in his voice his defeat and it leaves you to believe that although he will no longer be jealous he also will mourn Carmen forever. Although the orchestra was not shown often it appeared that it consisted primarily of men, which I found rather interesting. The sets were also incredible which made me wonder how the original sets were designed. This Opera appears to have been a monumental changes in the French Opera it is a shame that Bizet, due to his early death, was unable to realize his impact not only of his time but still today 100 years later.

Human Rights or Technology? Essay

In today’s highly technological world everyone wants the latest and greatest gizmo on the market. Companies like Apple, want to make as much money as possible. With both Apple and society being held responsible for the outrageous working conditions in the factories in China workers can be treated more like people. In the article â€Å"In China, Human Costs are Built into an iPad,† Charles Duhigg and David Barboza argue that Apple and society are responsible for the repugnant conditions in China. In this article, the authors use facts, personal experience and a story about a worker from one of Apple’s factories, making the article more interesting and personal to the reader. Giving personal background brings you into the story. The article not only discusses the working conditions, but also discusses the living conditions. Without giving specific examples, Apple and society need to take a closer look and be held responsible for the horrendous conditions in China. In an essay written by Namit Arora, he discusses his own experience about his socioeconomic status. Arora writes that maybe it was not due to his hard work, but that he was in the right place at the right time. Arora describes different types of economic justice and makes the reader think about what we deserve. Do you deserve to have everything handed to you because you come from a rich family or should your hard and diligent work give you that reward; this is the very topic of Arora’s essay. The connection between the article written by Duhigg and Barboza with that of Arora is that of basic rights as a human being. If the rich are made richer in turn makes the poor become poorer. No matter what we do there really will never be a truly fair or just way to distribute an economy. There will always be those that fell their not being treated fairly even if everything is spoon fed to them, there just needs to be more balance to our current systems. Arora’s essay talks about those that are born with natural abilities from a moral standpoint is the same as those that have silver spoons in their mouths. Arora also discusses the â€Å"Difference Principle† which deals with this natural lottery. First off, Duhigg and Barboza discuss what we as consumers want. â€Å"Customers want amazing new electronics delivered every year.† (Duhigg and Barboza) This means the customers don’t care about how the products are made or who is hurt during the manufacturing process. During the course of the interviews Duhigg and Barboza conducted, a former worker told them that Apple did not care about anything except making more products and lowering costs to make those items. People who buy these products are blinded by the technology bug. If consumers did not want the latest and greatest phones or other electronic devices, there would not be as high of a need to for Apple to find the cheapest suppliers. Working conditions are not the only issues for the workers in these factories. The living conditions in China are horrific-there are more people living in their apartments then is safe by any standard. There were numerous people committing suicide due to the conditions at the factories. Apple is one of the most sought after brands. So if Apple were to make some changes it could make significant strides at reducing the working and living issues in China. If society were to inquire about how the workers are being treated this could also lead to changes being made in favor of the employees. Apple would be more likely to actually take action correct these substandard conditions, since no company wants their dirty laundry to be aired outside the company. Second, as discussed by Duhigg and Barboza, Apple is trying to make things better, but people would still be disgusted with what was seen. Duhigg and Barboza write that these devices are produced in substandard labor conditions, which is according to workers, worker advocates and reports published by companies themselves. There are underage workers and in many cases earn little to no money at all. In today’s society we need to take a round turn and prevent these children and other workers not get used and abused. Although Apple says it is trying to make things better there has been former workers say â€Å"finding new suppliers is time-consuming and costly,† Duhigg and Barboza report. Since Apple is an American based company the standards of the United States should be imposed on not just Apple, but any company that try to exploit these lower standards of other countries. As with society, we need to stop thinking of the things we want, but how and who is affected by making these products. If a company knows about issues but does nothing to correct those issues before someone were to get hurt they are just as responsible if not more responsible because something could have been done to prevent those injuries. â€Å"Apple had been alerted to hazardous conditions inside the Chengdu plan.† (Duhigg and Barboza) This shows that Apple is aware of conditions at their supplier but are taking no actions because as long as Apple gets its products the injuries of workers are none of their concern. Apple workers need to not only have better working conditions but also have better living conditions. This is not due to the fact that Apple has the money to pay their workers more; it’s actually due to the fact that the workers are human beings and should be compensated better. As well as having living conditions that are safer and healthier. The opportunity costs in China are significantly lower in China. The workers in China are willing to earn pennies on the dollar. From Apple’s standpoint it just makes sense to have their factory in China, instead of the United States. Apple has become one of the largest companies in their field due to these countries with lower standards. Even though Apple may make it seem like these conditions are not approved of, they would not be the electronic power house they are today. Arora discusses people may lack opportunity due to their lower or social economic status. In China the lack of opportunity does not play as much as it does in the U.S., since a company in China hires workers of almost any age. The downfall for those workers is getting treated as less than a human being as more like part of a machine. This is just morally wrong, for Apple to just turn a blind eye to these conditions. If Apple really cared these conditions could be better. The conditions may not be up to the standards of the U.S. but these people could actually be treated like a person. Due to the lower economy of China and the low opportunity cost, these two go hand-in-hand. Apple is taking all the risk and should be compensated for their risks. Even if we try to uphold higher standards there really is not much which can be done. No matter how much we try there will always be a country that has lower standards and cheaper workers; companies will just go to those places which makes profits the highest. To conclude, society as a whole needs to change our mind set from not caring how we get our products towards caring about how the products we buy are produced. As far as Apple goes, Apple needs to be held responsible not only for how the products are produced, but also how the workers making their products are being treated. Works Cited Arora, Namit â€Å"What Do We Deserve?† Emerging Contemporary Readings for Writers Composition Subjects Ed. Barclay Barrios. Bedford/St. Martins, 2010, 87-91. Book. Duhigg, Charles, and Barboza, David â€Å"In China, Human Costs are Built Into an iPad† The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2012. Editorial.

The Refraction of Light Lab Essays

The Refraction of Light Lab Essays The Refraction of Light Lab Paper The Refraction of Light Lab Paper The results we obtained show that on average, we calculated a sin i over sin R to be 1.34 units. Also we can say that as the angle of incidence increased, the angle of refraction tended to increase proportionally. As the sin of i increased, the sin of R also increased. Below you can see the exact relationship between the sin of the incidence angle (i) versus the sin of the refracted angle (R). To find the slope of the graph we need to can use a gradient formula and 2 points. Taking the first and last points, (.350, .259) and (.985, .743) we get the following:  Slope = y2 y1 = -0.484 = 0.762  x2 x1 = -0.635  Now to find the y-intercept, taking the last point: (.743) = (0.762)(.985) + C  C = -0.00757 or rounded to 0 (3sf)  So our equation for our line looks like this, y = (0.762)x  Percentage error:  Since we are given the refraction index number for water the medium we are using in this experiment, we can obtain a percentage error between the two values. Actual Refractive Index value for water Average sin i / sin R  Actual Refractive Index value for water x 100 =  1.34 1.333  1.333 x100 = 0.53 %  The percentage error in our experiment was a very small 0.53 %  Conclusion:  With regards to my hypothesis, I believe I was correct when saying we would be able to distinctly define a linear relationship between the sin of the incident ray angle and the sin of the refracted ray angle.Not only that, but we were able to obtain a value almost exact to 2 decimal places for the refractive index number of water (our percent error was around half a percent very small indeed). From this, several conjectures can be drawn such as how the textbook refractive values for different mediums were actually found perhaps it was similar to our method but with more trials and better accuracy. Our results agree with my hypothesis due largely to the fact that we were successfully able to determine a precise value for the refractive index of water, and when we plotted our sin i vs. sin R graph, the line made was almost perfectly linear (as it would have been if minor errors were avoided). Evaluation:  The method used in this experiment was indeed very successful and had very few flaws. The only real main weakness of the method was that the angles and scales used were so small that it was at times very hard to be any more accurate than to a whole degree. With regards to the manipulation of data, I would conclude that there was no real major weakness as our data seemed to be almost perfect when compared to the actual figures. Sources of error could have appeared when fiddling with the pins and the lamp during the experimental procedure. The thickness of the ray was not ideal and at times too fat to shine onto one single pin. Also after the ray was refracted, the brightness of the light ray was significantly duller and often very hard to find and trace.  Suggested improvements to the experimental procedure include perhaps using a stronger beam of light (maybe laser) so as to better see the angle of refraction. Likewise, the room in which the experiment is being carried out could be also darker. Further investigations could include observing other mediums. Although in my lab group, we chose to work with water, others were investigating glass, plastic and various oils all of which would give different data and results.