Napoleon Bonaparte, Who Is Also Known As The Little Corsican, Was Born

Napoleon Bonaparte, who is also known as the "little Corsican", was born on August 15,1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica. His family had moved there from Italy in the 16th century. His original name was Napoleone. He had 7 brothers and sisters. His original nationality was Corsican-Italian. He also despised the French. He thought they were oppressors of his native land. His father was a lawyer, and was also anti-French. One reason Napoleon may have been such a great leader and revolutionary because was he was raised in a family of radicals. When Napoleon was nine, his father sent him to Brienne, a French military government school in Paris. While there he was constantly teased by the French students. Because of this Napoleon started having dreams of personal glory and triumph. From 1784 to 1785 Napoleon attended the Ecole Militaire in Paris. It was there that he received his military training. He studied to be an artillery man and an officer. He finished his training and he joined the French a rmy when he was just 16 years old. His father died after that and he had to provide for his entire family. Napoleon was stationed in Paris in 1792. After the French monarchy was overthrown in August of that year, Napoleon started to make a name for himself and become a well known military leader. In 1792 Napoleon was promoted to captain. In 1793 he was chosen to direct the artillery against the siege in Toulon. Soon after that Toulon fell and Napoleon was promoted to brigadier general. Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. He defeated many Austrian Generals. Soon after this Austria and France made peace. Afterwards Napoleon was relieved of his command. He had been suspected of treason. In 1795 he broke up a revolt and saved the French government. He had earned back respect and he was once again give command of the French Army in Italy. He came up with a plan that worked very well. He would cut the enemy's army in to two parts, then attack one side of them before the other side could help them. This worked very well against the Sardinian troops, he defeated them 5 times in 11 days. After this Napoleon was almost impossible to stop. This was when he began conquering most of Europe. The first country he defeated was Austria. He collected lots of money and sent it back to Paris, this helped the weak economy of France. After he came close to Vienna, the Austrians surrendered, and made a treaty with France. This gave France the Netherlands, and it made the Rhine River the eastern border of France. He made an unsuccessful attempt to invade Egypt. And in 1799 he returned to France to find the Directory (the French Government) was a mess. The overthrew the Directory, and created a new government, in which there were three consuls, and he was the most important one. At this time, everyone in France loved napoleon, and his power increased. In 1802 France signed a peace treaty with England and Germany, and was now not at war with anyone. He re-established the University of France, reformed the education system, and he founded the Bank of France. He also made the Napolionic Code: The first clear, compact statement of the French law. The Napolionic Code has served as a base for legal systems around the world. He changed the government again and made himself ruler of the French Empire. He divorced his wife Josephine in 1809 and married Marie Louise, the daughter of the Emperor of Austria. He soon had a son by his second wife, and made him king of Rome. He now was the ruler of a great empire, and he had 42 million people under his control. After he tried to invade Russia, his empire began to crumble. And on April 6, 1814 he was forced from the throne. He was exiled to the island of Elba. About a year later, he gathered about 1,000 soldiers and went to Paris and regained power. He ruled for a short time, and then he surrendered to the English. He was exiled to the island of St. Helena in the south Atlantic, where he

A Guide to Composite Materials in Boats

A Guide to Composite Materials in Boats Composite materials are broadly defined as those in which a binder is reinforced with a strengthening material. In modern terms, the binder is usually a resin, and the reinforcing material consists of glass strands (fiberglass), carbon fibers or aramid fibers. However, there are other composites too, such as ferrocement and wood resins, which are still used in boatbuilding. Composites offer the advantages of a higher strength-to-weight ratio than traditional wood or steel methods, and they require lower skill levels to produce an acceptable hull finish on a semi-industrial scale. History of Composites in Boats Ferrocement Probably the earliest use of composites for boats was ferrocement. This material was extensively used in the first half of the twentieth century for building low-cost, low-tech barges. Later in the century, it became popular not only for one-off home projects but also for production boatbuilders. A steel frame made of reinforcing rod (known as an armature) forms the hull shape and is covered with chicken wire. It is then plastered with cement and cured. Although a cheap and simple composite, armature corrosion is a common problem in the chemically aggressive marine environment. There are still many thousands of ferro boats in use today, however – the material has enabled many people to realize their dreams. GRP During the Second World War, just after polyester resins were developed, glass fibers became available following the accidental discovery of a production process using blown air on a stream of molten glass. Soon, glass-reinforced plastic became mainstream and GRP boats started to become available in the early 1950s. Wood/Adhesive Composites Wartime pressures also led to the development of cold-molded and hot-molded boatbuilding techniques. These approaches entailed laying thin veneers of wood over a frame and saturating each layer with a glue. High-performance urea-based adhesives developed for aircraft manufacturers were widely used for the new technique of molding boat hulls – typically for PT boats. Some adhesives required baking in an oven to cure and hot-molded hulls were developed, though there were size limitations governed by access to industrial ovens. Modern Composites in Boats Since the 1950s, polyester and vinylester resins have improved steadily and GRP has become the most prevalent composite used in boatbuilding. It is used in shipbuilding too, typically for minesweepers that need non-magnetic hulls. Osmotic problems from which early-generation boats suffered are now a thing of the past with modern epoxy compounds. In the 21st century, volume GRP boat production follows a full industrial production process. Wood/epoxy molding techniques are still in use today, typically for rowing skiffs. Other wood/adhesive composites have evolved since the introduction of high-performance epoxy resins. Strip planking  is one such popular technique for home boat construction: Strips of wood (typically cedar) are laid longitudinally over frames and coated with epoxy. This simple construction offers a cheap and strong build with a fair finish easily achievable by an amateur. At the leading edge of boat building, aramid fiber reinforcing strengthens key areas of sailboats, such as the bows and keel sections. Aramid fiber also provides improved shock absorption. Carbon fiber masts are increasingly common, as they offer major performance and vessel-stability benefits. Sailboats also use composites in their sail construction, with carbon-fiber or glass-fiber tape offering a flexible but dimensionally stable matrix to which synthetic sailcloth is laminated. Carbon fiber has other marine uses too – for example for high-strength interior moldings and furniture on super-yachts. The Future of Composites in Boatbuilding The costs of carbon fiber fall as production volumes increase  so the availability of sheet carbon fiber (and other profiles) is likely to become more prevalent in boat  production. Materials science and composite technology are advancing rapidly, and new composites include carbon nanotube and epoxy mixtures. Recently, a small naval vessel with a hull built using carbon nanotubes was delivered as a concept project. Lightness, strength, durability, and ease of production mean that composites will play an increasing part in boat construction. Despite all the new composites, Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are here to stay for very many years, though it will surely be in partnership with other exotic composites.

Frederick DouglassNarrative and Its Influence

In 1845, many white people did not consider that a slave was able to write their own autobiography. However, William Lloyd Garrison's preface is an evidence for Douglass that he wrote the book by himself. Douglass was afraid to stand up and tell his story, since he had no education and no public speaking skills. Garrison wants us to keep in mind that the most famous black man in the country is a former slave. This was a way of convincing the crowd of the wrongs of slavery and that slaves can become as successful as Douglass did. Douglass was born in Maryland in 1817, as a slave. He educated himself and was determined to escape from slavery. He tried to escape slavery once, but it was unsuccessful. He later made a successful escape of slavery in 1838. Douglass told his story about his own life in order to describe a slaves’ life as one. Bringing up his own parents was a way of explaining how slavery avoids slaves from having ordinary families. When viewing the slavery of Afric an Americans, some will deny the negative effect it had on the African slaves. However, in his Narrative, Fredrick Douglass makes it obvious that some of the slaveholding characters are damaged by slavery. Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first established Virginia in 1607 and lasted as an authorized organization until the passing of the Thirteenth Abortion - Is It Moral or Immoral Abortion – Moral or Immoral? I would argue that abortion is immoral. Abortion is a debate that continues day in, day out, year in, year out. We have laws that have been set into place, yet the debate continues. The opposing sides in the debate each strongly believe they are right. The pro-choice supporters see a woman's right to choose as central to the debate. The pro-choice advocates see the life of the baby as the most important concern. Very little middle ground exists on the issue of abortion. I. When Does Life Begin? [1] "Development of the embryo begins at Stage 1 when a sperm fertilizes an oocyte and together they form a zygote." — England, Marjorie A. Life Before Birth. 2nd ed. England: Mosby-Wolfe, 1996, p.31 Regardless of his attire or the tune of his hum, Staples is still a black man; and to racist America the look of prestige or nonchalance has little significance. It is his complexion that labels him a potential rapist, mugger, or murderer, not his clothes, car, or cash. Aside from the racial components of Staples' predicament, the fundamental characteristic of accommodation for acceptance plagues many of us. Staples has embarked on his own battle. The old jeans-wearing, silent-walking Staples is now a person of the past, pushed aside for his "less-threatening" counterpart. In accommodating for others, our motives tend to be based around the concept that upon changing we will alleviate our problems, yet ironically such modifications elevate them. Author Adrienne Rich grapples with feelings of incompleteness resulting from her family's attempt to conceal her Jewish culture. In her piece appropriately titled, "Split at the Root: An Essay on Jewish Identity," Rich illustrates the disheartening truth lying behind identity conflict: the feelings of confusion, division, and discontent. Rich explored her Jewish past in hopes of discovering and glorifying her true identity. Inspiration was also drawn from Rich's need to escape the stereotypes, the stigmas, and her father's Rules of proportion in Architecture and Ancient Greece Proportion is the essence of architecture, and its roots can be traced back to even the ancient Egyptian times. The first recorded information about the theories of proportion comes from Pythagoras’s studies on geometry, ratio and the musical scale. This knowledge has been further explored in relation to proportions of things found in nature, such as the discovery of the golden ratio, and the modulation of the parts that make up the human body. This knowledge is documented in Vitruvius’s treatice, De Architectura, which contains valuable information about how architecture was perceived in these ancient times. His ideas of the ideal proportions of greek temples, and its relationship to the modular system of the human body is most evident in the flawless harmony of parts that make up the Parthenon. In the mid-5th century BC Pythagoras studied the Greek string instruments, called the lyre and he discovered that two strings with the same length, tension and thickness will sound the same. When the strings are at different lengths, they will most likely sound bad (or dissonant). However, he discovered certain string lengths that were different from one another, but they sounded good (or consonant) when played together. For example when he halved one string, he realised that the notes sounded the same, but at different pitches. This was the discovery of the octave, or diapason, and can be represented as a ratio of 1:2.

Typologies of terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Typologies of terrorism - Essay Example dent took place in April 1999 where an attack by 2 students at Denver, Colorado, resulted in the deaths of 15, while more than 20 people were wounded. This qualifies as a terroristic act as innocent civilians died, it was as a resultant of a stereotypical ideological goal and meant to create fear on the targets. The type of terrorism involved in the two terrorist acts mentioned above according to the definition by Malisow (2008) was state terrorism. This is so because the terroristic actions were directed towards the members of different country or even origin other than United States of America. The first terroristic act for example was directed towards Pakistan government by the United States government whereas in the second terrorist act, it was directed towards students who are different from the â€Å"normal† citizen of the United States (this was so because it was directed towards blacks and Hispanics by two students who were presumed to be white

Discuss how an understanding of the biology of insect pests assists in Essay

Discuss how an understanding of the biology of insect pests assists in the control of stored product pests - Essay Example It also helps to determine whether there is an infestation in a given building, what methods should be used to remove it, and provides wider methods for the creation of new pesticides and insect repellents. Reason For Entry, Method of Entry, and Location The primary reason that an understanding of the biology of an insect pests helps in exterminating the pests by giving an understanding as to why the insects would come inside that building at that particular location. Generally, these reasons include coming into buildings seeking food, water, or shelter from the elements. For example, cockroaches are attracted to moisture around pipes and drains, and so buildings with such sources of moisture are more likely to contain cockroaches than drier buildings. Ants, like cockroaches, are also attracted to leaking pipes or condensation build-up, and will enter buildings or rooms in search of this moisture. Ants are also attracted to food sources such as sugar, especially in cases of general p oor sanitation. Locating those food and moisture sources can help determine why the pests are entering the building. Once the reasons for the pests coming in has been determined, the moisture or food source can be removed. Removing the source of food or water should help reduce the number of pests coming into the building, and therefore reduce the difficulty of eradicating the infestation of that building. Once the pests inside have been eradicated and the reason new pests were entering the building is removed, there should be no future issues with that particular pest in that building unless a new source of food or water is presented (Juneau et al., 2010). Additionally, understanding the biology of the insects can help an exterminator understand how the pests are entering the building of infestation in the first place. Crawling insects generally come in through openings into the building which are accessible from the ground. For example, insects may enter buildings through cracks i n the exterior masonry or other building materials, or other gaps in the exterior of the building. Doors left open especially can attract ground-level crawling insects. Small gaps and openings around water pipes, heating and cooling air vents, and exterior windows and doors, can all provide access to crawling insects. However, it is not only ground-level access that will allow in crawling pests that should be looked out for. Exterior landscaping features such as climbing vines, bushes and shrubbery, or tall grasses, may all provide access for crawling insects to reach open windows or other access points that are higher off the ground and would not normally be accessible to such pests (Juneau et al., 2010). Flying pests could obviously access higher points such as open windows that are lacking screens or that have damaged screens with holes that could allow in insects. Looking for such points of access could help determine where the pests are entering the building; blocking these ent ry points would therefore help stop the pests from infesting the building. Understanding the methods the insects are using to enter the building will help determine where the blockades should be placed in order to stop them. Knowledge of the biology of the pests can also help determine what locations in the buildings may be hiding those pests, and therefore where to look to eradicate them. For example, the bodies of bed bugs are almost completely flat. This allows them to hide in

Genetically modified food Essay Example for Free

Genetically modified food Essay The past score of years has witnessed the astonishing revolution in the scope of plant breeding technologies. The biological technologies have regularly been utilized to create new gene combinations for progressing crop diversities. This intentionally modified by the manipulation of the DNA, and transformation of certain genes to create new variations of life, which called genetically modified (GM) food. There is presently some debate about whether to accept GM food. The disadvantages of GM food are labelling issue and transformation of certain genes might lead to environmental issues. Nevertheless, there are also a number of crucial advantages such as farmers could improve their economic benefits and GM food could improve the nutritional quality to prevent disease. Therefore, this essay will argue that GM food has obvious benefits to the society because it can improve economic benefits by trading and decrease allergenic. GM food has some negative consequences for society. The main adverse effect is that GM food may has mandatory labelling scheme issues. Research has shown that some manufacturers realize that implement a mandatory labelling scheme could cost a fortune (Steiner 2000, p. 158; Uzogara 2000, p. 188). Moreover, labelling of GM food could remind consumer these products are biotech, and this could lead to customer losses (Uzogara 2000, p. 188). Then, the concept of mandatory labelling scheme for GM food in some countries is uncertainty (Steiner 2000, p. 158). For example, manufacturers use misleading and confusing labelling to muddle the consumer such as ‘may contain genetically modified material’ (Steiner 2000, p. 158). Indeed, labelling issue for GM food is extremely difficult to implement in some countries, governments may promulgate a series of legislation to implementation. Secondly, transformation of new DNA technology used to create GM food that has environmental risks. This involves monarch butterfly early death and threatens beneficial insects, which would seriously destroy the balance of the ecosystem. Some species are suffering from premature death after insects fed by GM crops, and also this might result in difficulty in reproduction such as monarch butterfly and green lacewing insects (Steiner 2000, p. 153). Furthermore, Lemaux (2009, p. 528) has reported an experiment, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in genetically engineered (GE) corn pollen could lead to colony collapse disorder that  accelerate the bees’ decline. It can be seen then that mandatory labelling scheme issue and environmental threats could give rise to some negative aspects for GM food. If one looks closely at the literature on this topic, nevertheless, there are a number of significant advantage points to GM food. One of these is that GM food could improve farmers’ economic benefits. According to Uzogara (2000, p. 193), GM food could be converted from annuals to perennials that would increase crop yields during the year. Perennial crops would lead to increased labor allocation, reduced labor costs, decreased fertilizer use and cost of production for farmers to make more economic profits (Uzogara 2000, pp. 193-194). For example, according to USDA surveys from 2001 to 2003, 79% of US farmers who choose Bt corn to increase yields (Lemaux 2009, p. 536). He also states that the Zaragoza region is one of the three leading GE corn-growing regions in Spanish and has at least 11.8% yield increase. Indeed, the profitability of farmers’ growth is approximately $69 per acre per year higher than conventional farmers (Lemaux 2009, p. 536). Especially, farmers in developing countries realized the most significant economic benefits from GM rice because large-scale farmers have higher yields and less infestation (Lemaux 2009, p. 536). This evidence shows that GF food farming is a potentially high profit margin business, and profitability often depends on factors relating to crop yield and pest infestation. Thus, GM food could change the status quo to achieve the highest profitability for farmers. Allied to this is the further advantage of GM food which could improve nutritional food quality. This involves nutritional content and health-enhancing properties of particular foods that might solve malnutrition and population health problems in developing countries. Uzogara (2000, p. 194) states that GM crops would help the population to reach their daily based requirements and prevent malnutrition. For example, cassava has been genetically modified to have a higher nutrient value (Anon cited in Uzogara 2000, p. 194). Furthermore, the nutritionally enhanced crops like iron, vitamin A and Beta-carotene dense rice could help alleviate malnutrition (Bouis 2007, pp. 80-83). For instance, according to research, approximately three million preschool children in developing countries are suffering from vitamin A deficiency that could lead to visible eye damage,  however, GM rice can increase vitamin A and iron which could prevent blindness (Bouis 2007, pp. 82-86; Ferber cited in Uzogara 2000, p. 194). It is clear that farmers could gain significant economic benefits through GM food because it would increase the yield and reduce labor costs, and nutritionally enhanced crops could help the population to prevent disease or malnutrition. Consequently, although GM food as one kind of biological technologie can have some negative outcomes for labelling and environment issues, GM food arguably has more positive effects. The effect of global trading that is a significant benefit to improve economy. The USA is the dominant exporter of both GM soybeans and GM maize, which are account for 76% of GM maize and 50% of GM soybeans exports (Nielsen et al. 2003, p. 780). He also claims that high-income Asia is the main importer of GM maize and GM soybeans that are 41% and 30% respectively. Moreover, Nabradi Popp (2011, p. 8) report that GM crops account for a great proportion from global trading that providing significant export profits for many countries. For example, The United States, Argentina and Brazil are the world’s three largest GM soybean and GM maize exporters with above 90% and 80% share of world soybean and maize trade (Nabradi Popp 2011, pp. 9-10). Similarly, the volume of global soybean trade increased from 85.4 to 87.9 million tonnes from 2009 to 2011, and the volume of global maize trade increased from 86 to 88.5 million tonnes in three years (Nabradi Popp 2011, p. 10). They also indicate that China has significant soybean importing volume that from 46 to 49 million tonnes during three years. Further to this, eliminating allergens as a result of GM food has been one of the prominent concerns among food quality and human health. Allergenic foods usually contain multiple allergens, such as milk, soy, peanut, crustaceans, fish, egg and tree nuts. According to Herman (2003, p. 1318), using GM to remove intrinsic allergens from soybeans that present in thousands of processed and prepared foods in developed and developing countries. He also claims that eliminate allergens from GM soybeans that has high relationship to the development of GM crops, and transgenic soybeans is a first step in solving food allergies (Herman 2003, p. 1 319). Otherwise, the alternative GM method to remove the allergen from food, for instance, some experiments to use gene suppression technology  attempts to reduce and/or eliminate allergens in rye and rice seed, and even use this measure to suppress an allergen in shrimp that is potentially dangerous to sensitive people (Herman 2003, p. 1319). Plausibly, GM food may eliminate allergen from all of food that would help people to stay away from food allergies. Although some argue that GM food may has some negative impacts to mandatory labelling scheme, there is considerable labelling of GM food still has positive impacts on consumer and manufacturers. Uzogara (2000, p. 188) claims that labelling for GM food would enable the consumer to avoid ethical, cultural, or religious reasons by certain foods. For example, Jews and Muslims usually insist on Kosher and Halal foods because the purity of this food can be guaranteed, which not contain pig genes (Uzogara 2000, p. 187). He further maintains that product quality can be improved by labelling, for instance, improved favour, longer shelf-life, and build brand identity. Similarly, according to General Labelling Directive, labelling for GM food that means this can be guaranteed by European regulation, and consumer can trust the information on the products (Andersen 2010, p. 139). Furthermore, while some authors claim that GM food has negative impacts on environment, Uzogara (2000, p. 195) indicates that GM food has still environmental benefits include protection against plant diseases, improvement of saline soil, and herbicide tolerance. GM food like tomatoes, squash and corn become virus resistant that against GM food destroying viruses or viral diseases (Uzogara 2000, p. 195). According to Bouis (2007, p. 80), GM crops can improve soil conditioning that is changing highly saline soils. Then, herbicides are effective against several target weeds also cuts conventional herbicide use significantly (Uzogara 2000, p. 195). While discussing GM food may has some negative impacts to mandatory labelling scheme and environment issues, the considerable positive consequences to improve global trading and remove intrinsic allergens can never be neglected. In conclusion, GM food clearly has advantages on economy and human health. While GM food lead to the mandatory labelling scheme hard to implement and has threats to the environment, success in the labelled GM food let some consumer more easier to choose food and make the crops stronger to against different threats. Furthermore, GM food References: Andersen, LB 2010, The EU rules on labelling of genetically modified foods: mission accomplished?, European Food Feed Law Review, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 136-143, viewed 8 November 2014. Bouis, HE 2007, The potential of genetically modified food crops to improve human nutrition in developing countries, Journal of Development Studies, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 79-96, viewed 28 October 2014. Herman, EM 2003, Genetically modified soybeans and food allergies, Journal Of Experimental Botany, vol. 54, no. 386, pp. 1317-1319, viewed 12 November 2014. Lemaux, PG 2009, Genetically engineered plants and foods: a scientists analysis of the issues (Part II), Annual Review Of Plant Biology, vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 511-559, viewed 11 November 2014. Nabradi, A Popp, J 2011, Economics of GM crop cultivation, APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 07-19, viewed 10 November 2014. Steiner, MP 2000, Food flight the changing landscape of genetically modified foods and the law, Review Of European Community International Environmental Law, vol. 9, no. 2, p. 152-160, viewed 11 November 2014. Uzogara, SG 2000, ‘The impact of genetic modification of human foods in the 21st century: A review’, Biotechnology Advances, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 179-206, viewed 3 November 2014.

China Essay -- essays research papers

The World is forever in debt to China for its innovations. Ancient China was extreme advance and many of its discoveries are still in use today. This is what Robert Temple, the author of The Genius of China 3000 years of science, discovery and invention. The book is based on 11 main parts of Chinese innovation. Within these 11 categories, there are 3 main parts that contain the most significant inventions. Robert Temple concentrates the bulk of his examples in these three categories, agriculture, domestic and industrial technology , and engineering. Temple’s examples were not limited to these fields of innovation. The Chinese excelled in many other areas, including mathematics, warfare and transportation, to name a few. Although Temple wrote about eleven fields of invention, I feel that these three sections contain the greatest examples of Chinese innovation, and the debt that the modern world owes China.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first main area is the field of engineering. Within this chapter, the development of iron and steel is the greatest achievement. The development of iron and steel led to other advances. By at least the 4th century the Chinese have developed blast furnaces to obtain cast iron from iron ore. This was 1200 years before the first blast furnace showed up in Europe. The reasons that the author gave to explain the reasons why the Chinese developed this technology are simple. The Chinese had access to large amounts of clay, the key ingredient in making blast furnaces. The Chinese also figured out that by adding a substance they called :Black Earth,† they could lower the melting point of iron.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another major invention of the Chinese, that led to other achievements, is steel. The common belief today is that Henry Bessemer discovered the process of refining iron into steel. The fact is Chinese had developed the process to refine iron into steel in the second century BC The Chinese learned that by injecting oxygen into the blast furnace, they could remove the carbon from the iron. The Chinese called this process the â€Å"hundred refinings method† since they repeated the process that many times. The finished product was highly prized in China for its strength and ability to hold an edge on a sword. The Chinese would weld the steel onto weaker iron thus creating a strong edge and a su... ...gh the process has been refined. The suspension bridge, invented by the Chinese in the first century AD, is still the bridge of choice when one has to span a great distance. The greatest area of Chinese invention is in agriculture. The Chinese excelled in farming, not only did they discover the seed drill, they discovered row farming that is still used today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would recommend this book with one wants to read about the past glory of China and the huge potentional of the future. It gave in-depth views into each Chinese invention, while not over doing the techical explaination. The Author is clear and concise on his point, the modern world is in debt to the Chinese. He gave many examples of Chinese invoation, and how the rest of the world copied the Chinese. Not did the rest of the world copy Chinese inventions, they claimed that they were the first to invent it. The author opened my eyes to the greatness of anicent China. What the author, Robert Temple, did do gave me even more reason to respect China. The Genius of China 3000 years of Science, discovery, and invention By Robert Temple Book report by Mike Leung 600-82-1189

Garmin

GARMIN – Follow the Leader Garmin Global Positioning System’s (GPS), began as a brainstorming session between a few engineers playing a game of cards and has grown into a global technological phenomenon since its inception in 1989. Starting with only a handful of employees, Garmin has expanded its work force consisting of more than 7000 employees by 2007, all dedicated to the same objective; To create navigation and communication devices that can enrich our customers’ lives. As a group, the decision to choose Garmin was rather easy. We wanted to select a company or product that is relatively new in the consumers’ eye that can provide a distinct need in a market that is not over saturated by competitors. Garmin is considered an innovator in the GPS market and doing a study based on a well known, high quality product, provided interest between our groups. Garmin focuses on embracing lifestyles of their consumers, whether it be Automotive; helping people reach their destination with ease, Marine; supplying essential charts and data, Aviation, Fitness, Outdoor Recreation, to the ever evolving Wireless Smart Phone Applications, first time users quickly realize the cache of having a compact and portable unit, making their journey, wherever it may be more enjoyable. Market Segmentation Garmin is making strong progress in gaining the opportunity to serve a wide range of people in many different situations, whether it be driving across country on vacation, going for hike in a remote Mountain Park, setting Sail on the Pacific Ocean, or even going for a nice bike ride through a park. The diversity of the GPS system has really taken off in the past few years with the advancement of technology, which has really benefited Garmin in targeting â€Å"Whom we serve† Looking at the Segmentation Basis we have reviewed (Demographic, Geographic, Psychographic, and Behavioral) we can determine how Garmin Markets their broad range of products in the open market. Demographic – As a company, Garmin has a fairly broad Demographic Segment because of their multiple products. Garmin would segment its buyers into a non gender bias, over the age of 16, with all family life cycles included, with an average income, focusing on the baby boomers and the Y Generation because of its Technological advancement. Geographic – Garmin markets itself in certain regions around the world. These regions are; North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, and the Middle East. Garmin has a process which they call vertical integration, which allows Garmin to maintain a high level of quality and respond more quickly to the ever-changing marketplace. This is especially important in their Company Offices located in Kansas City, USA, Southampton, UK, and Sijhih, Taiwan. Psychographic – When trying to divide itself into different market groups, there are certain classes, lifestyles, and personalities Garmin would generally market. As a Social Class, Middle Class and up would be the main target, Lifestyles – Achievers would be the group that generally uses the Garmin product, due to their ambitious personalities. Behavioural – The behavioural segment basis is probably the most relevant when looking at whom to market their product to. Convenience is a tool that helps Garmin sell their product to provide them with accurate, thorough information, providing customer loyalty and regular use. A Garmin user would have a positive attitude toward the product as it is making there busy lives easier. â€Å"Garmin is a leading, worldwide provider of navigation, communications and information devices, most of which are enabled by Global Positioning System (â€Å"GPS†) technology. Garmin designs, develops, manufactures and markets a diverse family of hand-held, portable and fixed-mount GPS-enabled products and other navigation, communications and information products for the automotive/mobile, outdoor/fitness, marine, and general aviation markets. † – Garmin 2007 Annual Report to Shareholders. This statement proves that the R & D department for Garmin is on the right track, assuring the Shareholders they are targeting the correct markets in today’s world. Garmin has developed a unique style that takes a systematic approach to R&D. This helps them close the innovation gap with its competitors. They have been able to do this by partnering their manufacturing and engineering teams, and integrating their product development teams in a multidisciplinary fashion to work on newly approved designs. Garmin has achieved a market position and a history of consistent growth in revenues and profits by offering ergonomically designed, user friendly products with innovative features and designs covering a range of applications and price points.

E. M. Forster’s “A Passage to India” Essay

The chief argument against imperialism in E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India is that it prevents personal relationships. The central question of the novel is posed at the very beginning when Mahmoud Ali and Hamidullah ask each other â€Å"whether or no it is possible to be friends with an Englishman.† The answer, given by Forster himself on the last page, is â€Å"No, not yet†¦ No, not there.† Such friendship is made impossible, on a political level, by the existence of the British Raj. While having several important drawbacks, Forster’s anti-imperial argument has the advantage of being concrete, clear, moving, and presumably persuasive. It is also particularly well-suited to pursuit in the novel form, which traditionally has focused on interactions among individuals. Forster does much more in his book†¦than simply deride the intolerance of a few accidental individuals. He carefully shows how this intolerance results from the unequal power relationship between English and Indians, from the imperialistic relationship itself†¦ The process is best shown in the book in the case of Ronny, who has only recently come out from England to be City Magistrate of Chandrapore. Ronny was at first friendly towards the Indians, but he soon found that his position prevented such friendship. Shortly after his arrival he invited the lawyer Mahmoud All to have a smoke with him, only to learn later that clients began flocking to Ali in the belief that he had an in with the Magistrate. Ronny subsequently â€Å"dropped on him in Court as hard as I could. It’s taught me a lesson, and I hope him.† In this instance, it is clearly Ronny’s official position rather than any prior defect of the heart which disrupts the potential friendship. And it is his position in the imperial structure which causes his later defect, his lack of true regret when he tells his mother that now â€Å"I prefer my smoke at the club amongst my own sort, I’m afraid.† Forster tells us that â€Å"every human act in the East is tainted with officialism† and that â€Å"where there is officialism every human relationship suffers.† People cannot establish a friendship of equals when the Raj is based on an inequality of power†¦ The one possible exception to this process of corruption among Englishmen is Fielding. He is partially immune to the influence of the imperialistic power relationship because he works in education rather than government, and because, as he puts it, he â€Å"travels light†Ã¢â‚¬â€he has no hostages to fortune. Fielding establishes a friendship with Aziz and maintains it in defiance of all the other Anglo-Indians. There is some doubt, however, whether he can maintain this course and still remain in imperial India. He is obliged to quit the Club and says he will leave India altogether should Aziz be convicted. After Fielding marries Stella, thereby ceasing to travel light, and after he becomes associated with the government as a school inspector, he undergoes a marked change of attitude toward the Raj. It would surely be a mistake to continue, as several critics do, to identify Forster with Fielding past this point. The omniscient narrator pulls back and summarizes Fielding’s situation: â€Å"He had thrown in his lot with Anglo-India by marrying a countrywoman, and he was acquiring some of its limitations.† Like Ronny and the other English officials, Fielding begins to be corrupted by his position. Thinking of how Godbole’s school has degenerated into a granary, the new school inspector asserts that â€Å"Indians go to seed at once† away from the British. Fielding almost exactly echoes Ronny’s defense of the Raj to his mother when he excuses unpleasantness in the supposedly necessary imperial presence: he had â€Å"‘no further use for politeness,’ he said, meaning that the British Empire really can’t be abolished because it’s rude.† Fielding certainly did not start with a defect of the heart, but, as a result of his new position in the imperial structure, he is acquiring one. The English, of course, aren’t the only ones corrupted by imperialism. Although most of the Indians in the book have a nearly unbelievable desire to befriend Englishmen, they are ultimately turned from it by the political reality. Some succumb to self-interest. Mahmoud Ali, for example, seems to have been the first to subvert his budding friendship with Ronny by advertising their smoke to potential litigants. More often the Indians succumb to the fear, largely justified but occasionally erroneous, that they will be scorned and betrayed. The prime example is Aziz. He makes the horrible mistake of assuming that Fielding back in England has married his  enemy Adela and further that Fielding had urged him not to press damages against his false accuser so Fielding himself could enjoy Adela’s money. Aziz, of course, has been conditioned to expect betrayal from his experience with other Anglo-Indians, and this expectation provides an undercurrent to the friendship from the very beginning. After Fielding returns to India, and Aziz learns he really married Stella Moore, their relationship is partially retrieved, but the damage has been done. The new school inspector has shifted toward the Raj, and Aziz, now leery of all Englishmen, has become a nationalist, saying of India, â€Å"Not until she is a nation will her sons be treated with respect.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦

What Being a Lame Duck Means in Politics

What Being a Lame Duck Means in Politics A lame duck politician is an elected official who is not seeking re-election. The term is often used to describe U.S. presidents in their second and final terms in the White House. The use of lame duck is often considered derogatory because it refers to an elected officials loss of power and inability to effect change. U.S. presidents are bound by the Constitution to two terms in the White House under the 22nd Amendment. So they automatically become lame ducks the minute their take their oaths of office for the second time. Most of the time lame duck presidents become mired in cursed second terms. Few have notched successes as lame ducks. Members are Congress are not bound by statutory term limits, but the minute they announce their intention to retire they, too, earn lame duck status. And while there are obvious downsides to being a lame duck, there are also some positive aspects to not being bound to the often-fickle whims of the electorate. Origins of the Phrase Lame Duck The phrase lame duck was originally used to describe bankrupt businessmen. Ebenezer Cobham Brewers A Dictionary of Phrase and Fable described a lame duck as â€Å"a stock-jobber or dealer who will not, or cannot, pay his losses and has to waddle out of the alley like a lame duck. By the 1800s the phrase connoted politically bankrupt or broken down elected officials. Calvin Coolidge is said to be the first American president to be called a lame duck, during his second term. The term is also used to described political patronage, as in lame duck appointments, or those made by an outgoing politician in his final days in office to reward friends and supporters. The term was also popularized during the debate over when the president was to be sworn into office. The 20th Amendment, which stipulates that the incoming president and vice president take their oaths of office on Jan. 20 after the election instead of waiting until March as they previously did, was called the lame duck amendment because it prevented the still-in-session Congress from acting behind the back of the incoming commander-in-chief. Lame Ducks Are Ineffective and Mischievous One common rap against elected officials who are on their way out of office is that no one takes them seriously. Its true that lame ducks see the power they once enjoyed in office great diminished whether its by an election loss, the approach of a term limit or the decision to retire. Wrote  Michael J. Korzi in  Presidential Term Limits in American History: Power, Principles, and Politics: The lame duck theory suggests that the closer a president comes to the end of a second term - if he or she is barred from seeking re-election - the less relevant the president is to the Washington scene and especially the congressional players who are critical to the passage of many presidential priorities. The lame-duck effect on the presidency is different than the lame-duck sessions of Congress, which occur  in even numbered years when the House and Senate reconvene after the elections - even those lawmakers who lost their bids for another term.   It is true that lame ducks and lame-duck sessions held under the cover of night and without public scrutiny have resulted in some rather undesirable consequences: pay raises, enhanced perks and more lavish benefits for members of Congress, for example. They also have provided an opportunity to pass unpopular legislation not mentioned during the campaign, since blame can then be passed on the non-returning members, wrote  Robert E. Dewhirst and John David Rausch in the  Encyclopedia of the United States Congress. Lame Ducks Have Nothing to Lose   Elected officials in their final terms in office have the luxury of being bold and being able to address serious issues by adopting often controversial policies. As Ohio University economics professor  Richard Vedder told  The Post  of Athens about lame-duckery: â€Å"It’s kind of like having terminal cancer. If you know your time is up and you only have two months to live, maybe you’ll behave a little different in the last 90 days.† Candidates who dont have to face the wrath of voters for unpopular decisions are often more willing to deal with important or controversial issues without fear of angering blocs of constituents. That means some lame duck politicians can be freer and more productive in their final days in office. President Barack Obama, for example, surprised many political observers when he announced in December 2014 that the United States would work toward  restoring  diplomatic relations with the communist nation  of Cuba. At the beginning of his second term, Obama angered gun-rights advocates when he  announced  23 executive actions designed to address gun violence in the United States  after several mass shootings occurred during his first term.  The most significant proposals called for universal background checks on anyone trying to buy a gun, restoring a ban on military-style assault weapons, and cracking down on straw purchases. Though Obama was not successful in having these measures passed, his moves did spark a national dialogue on the issues.

Environmental Biotechnology (biological process) Essay

Environmental Biotechnology (biological process) - Essay Example Researchers, Mekonnen M Demeke and group, at the Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Leuven-Heverlee, and the Department of Molecular Microbiology, VIB in Belgium modified the genetic makeup of yeast strains through yeast mating. They developed not one but three strains of super-yeast that had both D-xylose conversion ability and high tolerance to inhibitors. The main strain, Ethanol Red, already has successful industrial application and the fact that these three super-strains are derived from it goes on to show that there will be no limitations to their industrial applications for synthesis of biofuel. After screening 580 Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) strains, researchers identified a strain with the highest tolerance to inhibitors. It was mated with an industrial yeast strain GS1.11-26 (having the genetic background of Ethanol Red) that could ferment D-xylose. From the resultant hybrids, two strains (GSF335 and GSF767) were selected that had had high inhibitor tolerance as well as D-xylose conversion ability. Separately, a third super-strain was produced through meiotic recombination. The result – three super strains exhibiting â€Å"significantly improved tolerance to inhibitors in spruce hydrolysate, higher glucose consumption rates, higher aerobic growth rates and higher maximal ethanol accumulation capacity in very-high gravity fermentation, compared to GS1.11-26†. Simply put, these strains had better D-xylose conversion capacity and inhibitor tolerance compared to the primary strain. Engineering of traits for D-xylose conversion has been a very challenging proposition in industrial biotechnological research. Until now, methods such as evolutionary engineering and mutagenesis were attempted. However, researchers had little control over these processes. The development of yeast superstrain is thus a major breakthrough in this field. Further research on other such traits for the

Pranent-Community Involvement Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pranent-Community Involvement Program - Essay Example California department of education is an organization that supervises public education. This organization aims to provide guidance, support, supervision and teaching sources with material; so that every student can get good education. Various researches have been conducted in order to study educational programs ranging from teachers` training strategies to parents awareness programs. By studying such education related programs it has been observed that all those programs which includes parents involvement in their kids` studies has been proven the most influential ones for the prosperity of children as well as for the success of educational system (Rutherford & Billig, 2010). Researches have shown that education standard has been improved because of the involvement of parents and family in school programs. There are five booming plans that have brought changes at National level in United States specifically in New York and California. Various benefits have been observed because of th is program and individuals belonging to education world appreciated parents for their interest in children studies and other activities that can help their kids to learn something innovative. It is considered very important that parents should try to understand the importance of their role in their child`s career and education because they are the only ones whose active participation can bring an incredible change in their children`s life (Rutherford & Billig, 2010). There are certain National Standards for parent community involvement programs which are based on qualitative research and are important for children`s career, parents satisfaction and for the success of educational institution. There are three motives of this standard that includes encouragement of parents and families for their active contribution. Secondly, to provide knowledge about all those influential elements, that can play vital part in such programs and also to give moral and material support to those institut ions that aim to raise their standard of education through various strategies and programs (Hurley & Tinajero, 2001). These are some important guidelines for principals and owners of the schools who wish to divert parents` attention towards child`s education through strategic programs. National standard intended to guide those people in very sophisticated manner who administer educational institutes because they have authority to deal with staff members and also they can apply such strategies within district level for parents to grab their attention as much as possible (Riley, Douglas, & Koop, 2004). According to amendments to community-based English tutoring program of California, when everyone plays its part to support learning system with full dedication, then children show positive response towards their studies and they show more interest in every school related activity. Many schools have adopted the program designed by California department of education which includes few bas ic goals. Their first goal is that they want to break all blocks that restrict parents` involvement. It is emphasized that parents should be made comfortable when they entered in school in order to encourage their spirit. All parents should be kept updated with their child`s academic progress (Hurley & Tinajero, 2001). To make it easier for parents to get information about institute and their kid keep updating websites or practice any other volunteer process that could