Lanthanides - Properties of Element Groups

Lanthanides - Properties of Element Groups The lanthanides or F Block elements are a set of elements of the periodic table. While there is some dispute over which elements to include in the group, the lanthanides generally include the following 15 elements: Lanthanum (La)Cerium (Ce)Praseodymium (Pr)Neodymium (Nd)Promethium (Pm)Samarium (Sm)Europium (Eu)Gadolinium (Gd)Terbium (Tb)Dysprosium (Dy)Holmium (Ho)Erbium (Er)Thulium (Tm)Ytterbium (Yb)Lutetium (Lu) Here is a look at their location and common properties: Key Takeaways: Lanthanide The lanthanides are a group of 15 chemical elements, with atomic numbers 57 through 71.All of these elements have one valence electron in the 5d shell.The elements share properties in common with the first element in the group lanthanum.The lanthanides are reactive, silver-colored metals.The most stable oxidation state for lanthanide atoms is 3, but the 2 and 4 oxidation states are also common.Although the lanthanides are sometimes called the rare earths, the elements are not particularly rare. However, they are difficult to separate from one another. The D Block Elements The lanthanides are located in block 5d of the periodic table. The first 5d transition element is either lanthanum or lutetium, depending on how you interpret the periodic trends of the elements. Sometimes only the lanthanides, and not the actinides, are classified as rare earths. The lanthanides are not as rare as was once thought; even the scarce rare earths (e.g., europium, lutetium) are more common than the platinum-group metals. Several of the lanthanides form during the fission of uranium and plutonium. Lanthanide Uses The lanthanides have many scientific and industrial uses. Their compounds are used as catalysts in the production of petroleum and synthetic products. Lanthanides are used in lamps, lasers, magnets, phosphors, motion picture projectors, and X-ray intensifying screens. A pyrophoric mixed rare-earth alloy called Mischmetall (50% Ce, 25% La, 25% other light lanthanides) or misch metal is combined with iron to make flints for cigarette lighters. The addition of 1% Mischmetall or lanthanide silicides improves the strength and workability of low alloy steels. Common Properties of the Lanthanides Lanthanides share the following common properties: Silvery-white metals that tarnish when exposed to air, forming their oxides.Relatively soft metals. Hardness increases somewhat with higher atomic number.Moving from left to right across the period (increasing atomic number), the radius of each lanthanide 3 ion steadily decreases. This is referred to as lanthanide contraction.High melting points and boiling points.Very reactive.React with water to liberate hydrogen (H2), slowly in cold/quickly upon heating. Lanthanides commonly bind to water.React with H (dilute acid) to release H2 (rapidly at room temperature).React in an exothermic reaction with H2.Burn easily in air.They are strong reducing agents.Their compounds are generally ionic.At elevated temperatures, many rare earths ignite and burn vigorously.Most rare earth compounds are strongly paramagnetic.Many rare earth compounds fluoresce strongly under ultraviolet light.Lanthanide ions tend to be pale colors, resulting from weak, narrow, forbidden f x f optical transitions.The mag netic moments of the lanthanide and iron ions oppose each other. The lanthanides react readily with most nonmetals and form binaries on heating with most nonmetals.The coordination numbers of lanthanides are high (greater than 6; usually 8 or 9 or as high as 12). Lanthanide Versus Lanthanoid Because the -ide suffix is used to indicate negative ions in chemistry, the IUPAC recommends members of this element group be called lanthanoids. The -oid suffix is in keeping with names of another element group the metalloids. There is a precedent for a name change, since an even earlier name for the elements was lanthanon. However, nearly all scientists and peer-reviewed articles still refer to the element group as the lanthanides. Sources David A. Atwood, ed. (19 February 2013). The Rare Earth Elements: Fundamentals and Applications (eBook). John Wiley Sons. ISBN 9781118632635.Gray, Theodore (2009). The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. New York: Black Dog Leventhal Publishers. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-57912-814-2.Holden, Norman E.; Coplen, Tyler (2004). The Periodic Table of the Elements. Chemistry International. IUPAC. 26 (1): 8. doi:10.1515/ci.2004.26.1.8Krishnamurthy, Nagaiyar and Gupta, Chiranjib Kumar (2004). Extractive Metallurgy of Rare Earths. CRC Press. ISBN 0-415-33340-7McGill, Ian (2005) Rare Earth Elements in Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a22_607

3 Ways Kids Can Teach Us About Content Writing and Delivery

3 Ways Kids Can Teach Us About Content Writing and Delivery Do you ever feel like your business writing is overly formal? Stilted? Drab? You’re not alone. Companies face the same problem, often bringing in experts like me because so many of their employees write and deliver content that makes their audience yawn, or worse, hit â€Å"Delete.† To address this issue, I ask clients the following question frequently: â€Å"How would you say or explain this to a child?† Here are three places I recommend using this trick to transform content into something people actually want to read: 1) Your LinkedIn profile. In presentations like How to Put Your Personality into Your LinkedIn Profile, I suggest doing this exercise: Explain what you do for work to a 5-year-old. That way, instead of using big words that few people understand, you will be forced to present what you do in a simplified, engaging way. You might not use the exact same words you’d use to talk to someone 35 or 55 years your junior, but something might come out that is fresh and refreshing! Here’s how one LinkedIn user, Jess Hornyak, describes herself: Its safe to say I don’t fit into a traditional bubble. Im an art director, but Im really so much more. Im a strategist. A writer. An artist. A competitor. Its why I’m looking for people who could use a little more non-traditional in their everyday lives. Plus, it means Im never bored. And definitely not boring. Do you see the childlike energy in what she wrote? She definitely keeps me reading! I challenge you to put this type of wonder in your own LinkedIn profile, even in subtle ways. Your readers will appreciate it. They might even pick you first for the kickball team. 2) Video scripts and videos. When I was working with a company who writes video scripts and then produces the videos to explain its product to users, I was fortunate to have the speaker from the video in the room. I asked her to read her script, and she asked if I wanted her to use her â€Å"video voice.† â€Å"Sure!† I said. It turned out that her video voice sounded like she was reading and presenting, rather than like she was talking to me. I asked her to read the script as if she were reading to a child. She started to see that the script contained so much lingo that it was actually impossible to read it that way. A conversation ensued about how to create less terminology-dense content for the company’s users. Shortly thereafter, I encountered a perfect example of kid-friendly content. Take a couple of minutes to listen to the audio for this Social Media Examiner article on How to Use Showcase Pages for Business. You’ll notice the excitement, even giddiness in her voice. You can hear her smiling. That’s the voice we use to talk to little ones. You may also notice a nice amount of variety in sentence structure in the Social Media Examiner article. There are shorter sentences, longer sentences and questions mixed in throughout. That’s how we talk to kids too. Not all of your content will be read aloud in an audio or video. But reading content aloud to yourself or another person, even if it’s being sent in an email or posted on a site, will give you a great sense of how it sounds to the reader. After all, most readers read things with an internal voice that we want to sound conversational and not bore us to death. 3) Instructional materials. When we talk to kids we don’t say things like, â€Å"These toys need to be picked up by you.† No. We say, â€Å"Pick up your toys!!† You’ll notice that the first sentence is written in passive voice (for a tutorial on passive vs. active voice, see Grammar Girl’s article on the topic). If you’re a writer, you know that passive voice takes more words and generally puts people to sleep much faster than active writing. Yet technical writers often default to phrases like, â€Å"The search box is found in the upper right corner of your screen. When a search term is entered into the box, the site will be searched.† Are you asleep yet? What about something more like this: â€Å"Looking for something on our site? Just enter what you want in the search box in the upper right corner of your screen. Presto! Your search results appear!† That second option is much more kid-friendly, isn’t it? Of course, depending on your company’s brand, you might choose to use words like â€Å"Presto† – or not. Always be appropriate to your company brand guidelines. Or you might get sent to your room. If you’re having trouble breaking out of adult speak, try talking to an actual child about any of the above three items. Or, do this exercise: Write a script where you invite a child in your life to go on a trip to Disney World. How would you talk? What questions would you ask? How would they respond? Writing this way will jostle your brain and wake up some creativity cells. Let’s face it: We’re kids at heart. And with everything we’re juggling on a daily basis, we can have the attention span of a 5-year-old. So let’s keep our communications simple and wondrous. Tap into your inner kid and have fun!

Stock Investment Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stock Investment Analysis - Research Paper Example in mid-1995, it has experienced a number of achievement and challenges based on its overall performance which have made it get where it is today (Fidelity, 2014). FLCSX and S&P 500 are companies that offer the similar services to its clients in the United States of America. FLCSX has a portfolio that consists of eleven equities section which include health care, financials, energy, consumer staples, industrials, telecommunication services and utilities. Others include materials and customer discretion. These equities made it possible for the company to be ranked position seven after more than five hundred large companies that perform this kind of duty were evaluated by the United States News organization in 2013 and FLCSX appeared at number seven. This means that the year-to-date performance for this company is promising despite it registered an overall return of 16.24%. There are a number of drivers that made it possible for this company to perform well in the market. The greatest contributor to FLCSX success is the financial equity section because of the of the various portfolio mixtures that it has offers to its clients. These mixtures include Charles Schwab that has offered a return of 55%, JPMorgan Chase that had 29.35% and MetLife that had 48%. Charles Schwab and MetLife from the historical perspective have been performing well, thus resulting to the ever increasing interest rates (Fidelity, 2014). Therefore, both companies (FLCSX and S&P 500) registered a 20% share price increment after thus, taking advantage on speculations that the market’s economy was gradually recovering from the recession. Basing on the evaluation done by US News, S&P 500 is also among the companies that registered an excellent year-to-date return of more than 13.80%. In the first quarter of 2013, both S&P 500 and FLCSX gained more than ten points but during the s econd quarter of the same year, their returns decreased thus the former recording a return of 2.90%while the latter

Expectancy Violation theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Expectancy Violation theory - Essay Example EVT is used to understand and to evaluate their interactions and the outcomes of those interactions in this scene. EVT asserts that every person has an expectation regarding other people’s behaviors that affect their personal space. Personal space pertains to the invisible and varying spatial levels that people put around their bodies. Their idea of personal space guides their spatial expectations from other people. For instance, Fran has a small personal space, where she talks closely to people, such as one to two feet away from them, regardless of her personal and professional relationship with them. To further understand the scene, the concepts of expectancy, violation valence, and communicator reward valence are applied. Expectancy is what people think will happen (or what they expect to happen) and not what they desire to happen. Context, kind of relationship, and communicator characteristics affect expectancy. Context includes cultural norms and setting. Relationship lev el and status depend on similarity, familiarity, liking, and relative status. Communicator characteristics are comprised of demographics, as well as physical appearance, personality and communication style. During the interview scene, Maxwell expects deference from Fran, since she is applying as a nanny. ... Her cultural beliefs and practices influence her open, honest, and warm attitude and actions toward Maxwell and his children. The context calls for a large distance between Fran and Maxwell during the interview process, but Fran deviates from the social norms when she repeatedly comes close to Maxwell and invades his intimate distance. In addition, the relationship level of the two suggests that as a job applicant of a low-status job, Maxwell expects Fran to be not so familiar in her attitudes toward him. He does not expect to like her immediately, and in fact, he does not think Fran has enough experience and background to be a suitable nanny for his children. Fran acts and feels the opposite once more when compared with Maxwell. She feels at home at the Sheffield’s residence already, as she walks around confidently and speaks closely to Maxwell and his children. She also shows liking toward her employer and treats him like a friend by invading his intimate distance. Finally, for communicator characteristics, Maxwell is detached in dealing with his children and employees. He has a respectable demeanor and he communicates in a formal manner, which is not surprising because he is a Broadway producer. He talks to them rarely within his intimate distance. Furthermore, Maxwell is a handsome bachelor, which makes him appealing to Fran. Fran does not have many similar communicator characteristics to Maxwell because she is friendly, outgoing, and frank. She is attractive and sexy too, which makes her confident in her actions and allows her to easily violate Maxwell’s personal space. Violation valence is the next concept of EVT, which pertains to positive or negative values placed on particular unexpected behaviors. In the interview scene, Maxwell

Gdp And Economic Welfare Essay Example for Free

Gdp And Economic Welfare Essay Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the most important economic indicator and it is used for comparison purposes to see how countries are doing economic wise. It entails the aggregate production or output in a country. GDP can be measured using either the expenditure approach where all final expenditures are added or by the income approach where all compensations of employees and other forms of incomes are added up. GDP is used to measure an economy’s economic growth. Hartzenberg T et al (2005, 114). The real GDP can be used to establish how an economy is performing and hence compare various economies as one can compare their outputs. It is also important in the sense that it can be used for forecasting purposes and hence important in planning. This paper will distinguish the difference between economic growth which can be measured using GDP statistics and national welfare or people’s well being. According to McConnel and Brue in their distinguished book ‘Economics’, a country can be said to have economic growth when there is a positive increase in its GDP. Economic growth is different from economic welfare and economic development. Economic growth is characterized by an increment in natural resources, the quantity or quality for the human resources, as well as an improvement in technology that translates to increased productivity. Economic growth refers to a positive shift in the production possibility curve to the right or where economic efficiency is attained. McConnel and Brue (2005, 149). A country A could register a higher GDP than country B but this does not necessarily mean that country A is doing better in terms of economic welfare as there is a clear distinction between economic growth and national welfare. This can be blamed on the limitations attached or rather linked to GDP calculation and analysis. (facstaff. uww. edu). Walter in the book ‘Economics’, noted that GDP ignores or rather omits household production which is an important sector in as far as determining the welfare of people is concerned. Wessels W (2006, 75). Alan and Laurence backed this idea in their book ‘Macroeconomics an integrated approach’ where they argued that GDP does not account for the unreported incomes which are earned in the ‘underground economy’. A good illustration of unreported incomes is a situation where waiters fail to report all the tips they acquire while on duty. People may fail to report their actual incomes to evade taxes. Statistical problems could also have occurred creating the impression that country A had a higher GDP than country B though this may not be actually be the case. Some people may not divulge all the information regarding their incomes or expenditure leading to wrong GDP estimates. If country B has a very significant ‘underground economy’ then her citizens could be doing better than those in country A even though the latter had a lower GDP. This is an indication that high GDP rates do not necessarily translate to better welfare for the citizens. Auerbach and Kotlikoff (1998, 136). When calculating GDP the aspect of leisure is ignored although it is very critical in as far as defining people’s welfare is concerned. Country A could register a higher GDP than country B but the citizens in country A could have been overworked leading to health complications. In this case, the high GDP could be at the expense of the people’s health and we cannot conclude that it ensured their welfare or well being. Wessels W (2006, 75). Using GDP figures to determine the people’s welfare is inappropriate as it fails to include ecological costs incurred in the process of attaining the said GDP. Ecological costs include the costs of pollution. Country A could register a higher GDP than country B due to the fact that country A had better technology that ensured increased production. However, the increased production could have been realized in the face of increased air, water and land pollution all of which poses health hazards to the citizens. Wessels W (2006, 75). When such is the case then we cannot conclude that country B is doing better than country A. People’s well being encompasses the people’s health and not just their economic well being. A country with lower GDP but ensuring that her environment is safe for her citizens is doing well in terms of national welfare even though it could record a lower GDP than one with a higher GDP but has a polluted environment. GDP ignores a country’s environmental quality and it fails to account for the consequences that an economic growth could come along with. Auerbach and Kotlikoff (1998, 136). GDP also focuses on output or production although it is consumption that could best explain people’s welfare. For instance country A could sell more goods to other nations like country B since the demand for such goods in country B is higher. In this context, country B could be doing better than country A but since country A exports more it may create the impression that it is doing better. On the other hand, country B may register a lower GDP translating to being worse off as her net exports are negative but in the real sense they could be doing better. Focusing only on the output approach would lead to distortions while addressing the issue of national welfare. Another critical issue cited by Wessels as a limitation of using GDP to evaluate a country’s or nation’s well being is the fact that government spending is valued at cost rather than at its value. Government projects in country A could have been at a higher cost than those in country B but an important aspect to consider here is how much the projects were worth to the citizens. This is because some important projects could be undervalued while worthless projects are overvalued and this will have a significant impact in as far as influencing the people’s welfare or well being is concerned. Wessels (2006, 75). GDP calculation does not include the plight of the people in terms of health and life expectancy which are quite important in assessing the people’s well being or welfare. Country A could have a higher GDP than country B but if she has a lower life expectancy rate and is performing poorly in terms of general health of her citizens then we cannot argue that her citizens are better off than those of country B especially if in country B the life expectancy and general health is better. Health which is a very important factor in determining the people’s welfare when calculating a country’s GDP people’s conditions health wise are only included if they increase the costs of the health system. A country’s health costs could be attributed to modern and advanced health technologies but this does not guarantee a nations well being health wise as the costs incurred may not match the benefits attained. Democracy or political freedom is an important part in determining people’s welfare. Good governance is one where respective freedoms are respected and most importantly democracy embraced. Using GDP to evaluate people’s welfare is inappropriate as it does not provide any information regarding a country’s governance. Country A could register a higher GDP than country B but the political organization in country A could be oppressive to the citizens. In this context, we cannot argue that country A citizens are better than those in country B which could be exercising democracy and consequently not oppressing her citizens. (facstaff. uww. edu). Another vital issue in defining people’s well being is assessing social justice in a country. If country A registered a higher GDP but was very poor in terms of the civil justice system then we cannot conclude that her citizens well being was ensured. Country B citizens could be doing better at a lower GDP level if she ensured an effective social justice system. An effective system ensures that the rule of law is embraced and people’s rights respected. This is important in ensuring that corruption which threatens people’s welfare as it only benefits a segment of the total population is kept at bay. Using GDP to compare the well being of people in country A and B could give a wrong impression of what is actually the case. This is attributed to the fact that a country could have overly adjusted for inflation leading to the impression that increase in prices translate to hikes in prices even when this could be as a result of improvement in the products produced. Morse S (2004, 39). Another aspect that makes it inappropriate to compare country’s welfare using the GDP statistics is the fact that for such comparisons one must convert the currencies into the other country’s currency and when carrying out the conversions it is possible to understate a country’s GDP especially in the developing nations. A country A could register a higher GDP than country B due to errors arising from conversions of currencies. (facstaff. uww. edu). Country A could have a higher GDP than country B but her citizens could be worse off than those of country B in terms of national welfare. This is attributed to the fact that country A could be characterized by many social evils as opposed to country B. Failure to include the non-market production in the calculation of GDP makes it an inappropriate tool in determining people’s welfare in an economy. Such services like childcare, subsistence farming and care for the aged mean a lot in as far as people’s welfare is concerned. Country A could have a higher GDP but with a lower subsistence economy when compared to country B. A significant subsistence economy would ensure that a country’s food security is ensured and this would place her citizens at a better stance in as far as their well being or welfare is concerned. GDP fails to account for the effects or consequences of technology which has an impact in its determination. In contrast GDP is more concerned on the value of the end product without taking to concern the efficiency of the technologies in question. If country A registered a higher GDP than country B but country A’s government invested more in sectors like education and health ensuring that her citizens were better off in those areas then we can conclude that country B’s welfare is doing well even if it has a lower GDP than country A. Treating investment in education and health as consumption rather than investments makes it difficult to estimate people’s welfare. Willis I (1997, 164). Distribution of resources in a country is also a point to consider when using GDP figures to estimate people’s welfare. Country A could register a higher GDP than country B but this high GDP could have been arrived from a small insignificant proportion of the total population. This is to say that it is inappropriate to say that country A citizens are doing better than those in country B as the GDP is contributed by a small proportion while a large proportion of the society could be languishing in poverty. Income distribution is of much essence when determining people’s welfare in an economy. The inequality issue and GDP arise more so in developing countries or third world as opposed to developed ones. Willis I (1997, 164). Social issues like family stability are also not reflected when calculating GDP although it has an impact on people’s welfare or well being. GDP in country A could be higher than that in country B as more money is being channelled into paying divorce cases lawyers or building more police posts in response to increased crime rates. This illustrates that it is inappropriate to make conclusions about people’s welfare using GDP. In his book ‘The Japanese Economy’, Mitsuo Saito noted the inappropriateness of GDP as a tool of evaluating people’s well being due to the fact that it does not indicate the labour conditions, housing conditions, state of the social security or the urban life which are crucial in determining people’s well being. Saito M (2000, 13). Economic growth could be based on either the demand side or the supply side of an economy. The aggregate demand could increase due to an increment in the population size while aggregate supply could be due to the discovery of new natural resources. Aggregate output is affected by the level of labour supply, the stock of accumulated capital, level of technology as well as the institutions in place. There is an inverse relationship between prices levels and output and when prices levels fall the output increases. Tanzi and Chu (1998, 203). Monetary and fiscal policies in a given economy would affect the country’s well being or welfare. The people’s welfare will be affected by the policies that an economy embraces. Good policies are those that aim for equitable economic growth in a nation. They ensure that the poor in the society are not worse off but instead uplift them. This can be achieved through the application of equitable taxes such that people’s ability to pay is what determines the amount they are to pay all taxes. The rich will pay a higher amount than the poor in such cases. The government could also apply fiscal policies to ensure development for the poor in society. References: Alan J. Auerbach, Laurence J. Kotlikoff. 1998. Macroeconomics: An Integrated Approach. MIT Press. Bernard Baumohl. 2007. The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities. Wharton School Publishing. Campbell R. McConnell, Stanley L. Brue. 2005. Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies. McGraw-Hill Professional Publishers. Measuring GDP and economic growth. Retrieved on 23rd November 2008 from http://facstaff. uww. edu/ahmady/courses/econ202/ps/sg3. pdf Mitsuo Saito. 2000. The Japanese Economy. World Scientific Publishers. Ian Wills. 1997. Economics and the Environment: A Signaling and Incentives Approach Allen Unwin Publishers. Stephen Morse. 2004. Indices and Indicators in Development: An Unhealthy Obsession with Numbers? Earthscan Publishers. T. Hartzenberg, Buck Standish, A. Wentzel, V. Tang, T. Hartzenberg, S. Richards. 2005.

Aristotle Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle was born in Stagira, located in northern Greece, in 384 B.C. He died in Chalcis, on the Aegean island of Euboea, in 322 B.C. Aristotle's father had been court physician to the Macedonian king Amyntas II. Aristotle lost both of his parents when he was child, and was brought up by a friend of the family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle wrote 170 books, 47 of which still exist more than two thousand years later. Aristotle was also a philosopher who wrote about ethics, psychology, economics, theology, politics, and rhetoric. Later inventions like the telescope and microscope would prove many of Aristotle’s theories to be incorrect, but his ideas formed the basis of modern science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle's most successful scientific writings were those on biology. He studied over five hundred animal species and dissected nearly fifty of them. He was particularly interested in sea life and observed that the dolphin brought forth its young alive and nourished the fetus by means of a special organ called a placenta. No fish did this, but all mammals did, so Aristotle classed the dolphin with the beasts of the field rather than with the fish of the sea. His successors did not follow his lead, and it took two thousand years for biologists to catch up to Aristotle in this respect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In physics Aristotle was far less successful than in biology. He accepted the heavenly spheres of Eudoxus and ...

Bottled Water Essay

Water a very important part of our daily lives. We use it for many things but most importantly we drink it. So want it flavor, some want it cold others want it from the bottle some don’t care is long is they get six cups a day. What it comes down to is where we get it from. Do you buy it at a store or do you just use the tap at home. Some reasons why you should buy it are convenience and safety. Tap has it’s positives as well like it is healthier and better for the environment. Here are the arguments for both sides and there counter arguments. Bottled water convenience helps out a lot of people around the world. When we need to get water to a shelter or to a third world country the easiest and best way is bottled water. It is always there and has a good shelf life. It was there to help people from Hurricanes to Blood drives. It is easily transportable and accessible. The convenience of bottled water also helps people more likely to drink water in the amount they need and as a substitute for other drinks like soda. Bottled water is also safer to drink because it is easier to recall if there is something wrong with it. They are always testing and sampling the water and if something is wrong they know what batch is bad and where it went. It is easy to get the water back and ship out safe water to where ever the recall was. In some places bottled water is the only thing safe to drink. When disasters strike or a tap water system is not in place bottled water is the safest thing you can drink. Tap water is a lot healthier for you than bottled water. It is tested more and has more regulations than bottled water. With more regulations the water has less harmful chemicals and therefore more healthier for you. Tap water like bottled water is regulated by the FDA. While they are both regulated by the FDA tap water has more regulations and more testing than bottled water. Being that tap water is distributed to everyone practically free it has to be better regulated for everyone’s well being. Tap water is also better for the environment. This makes it better for you. With less plastic being used there is less toxins and water being produced. People who drink tap water usually just use a metal bottle and re-use it all the time. Tap water does not come in a container of plastic it comes from your faucet. Using a re usable container like glasses pitchers and re-usable water bottles does far less damage to the environment than plastic water bottles. Even though we can re-cycle plastic it doesn’t mean that it is really helps the environment. Most water bottles don’t even get recycled they get tossed in with all the other trash that does not get recycled. One is safer one is healthier. One helps out people in crisis while the other causes less damage to the environment as a whole. Bottled and tap water both have their benefits. Both have there purposes and are beneficial to society. Bottled water is convenient and safe while Tap is better for the environment and healthier. So open the cap or turn on the faucet and drink up. Cause we all need it.

Country Report on Road Safety Initiatives in Malaysia

Country Report on Road Safety Initiatives in MALAYSIA Datuk Suret Singh Director General Road Safety Department Malaysia Basic Information Country : Malaysia ? ? ? ? ? Population: 26. 4 Million in 2006 Square Kilometer: 392876km2 Road Length: 72,400 km No of Registered Vehicles: 15,790,732 Vehicle Kilometer Travelled/year: 337. 8 Billion VKT Malaysia Definition and Data System Definition: ? Fatality: Deaths within 30 days ? Serious: All Required Hospitalization ? Slight Injury: Out Patient or Self Treatment Data System: ? Police DataForm : Standard POL27 Accident Form Database/System: Computerized MAAP System Annual Accident Report availability: Yes ? Hospital Data Injury classification used: AIS retrieval System: Many System used, in process of Standardization Malaysia Safety Target and Management National Safety Target? : ? 2. 0 Deaths/10,000 vehicles by 2010 ? 10 Deaths100,000 population 2020 ? 10 Deaths per Billion VKT by 2020 National Safety Plan? : ? Availability: Yes, National Road Safety Plan 2006-2010 ? strategies : 9 Strategies ? Programs: 52 Programs Availability of Institutional Set-up ? ? ? ?Road Safety Department (2005) MIROS (2007) National Road Safety Council (50 years ago) Annual Budget Allocated for Road Safety Programs Malaysia Road Safety Facts (1996-2006) Year Registered Vehicles Road Length (Km) Number of accidents Death 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 7,686,684 8,550,469 9,141,357 9,929,951 10,589,804 11,302,545 12,068,144 12,868,934 13,801,297 14,816,407 15,790,732 60,734 63,382 63,382 64,981 64,981 64,981 64,981 71,814 71,814 72,400 72,400 189,109 215,632 211,037 223,166 250,417 265,175 279,237 298,651 326,815 328,268 341,252 6,304 6,302 5,740 5,794 6,035 5,849 5,887 6,282 6,228 6,200 6,287Fatality Index Per 10,000 Vehicles 8. 20 7. 37 6. 28 5. 83 5. 70 5. 17 4. 88 4. 88 4. 51 4. 18 3. 98 Per 100,000 Population 29. 8 29. 1 25. 3 25. 5 26. 0 25. 1 25. 3 25. 1 24. 3 23. 7 23. 6 Per Billion VKT 40. 4 36. 3 30. 9 28. 7 28. 0 25. 5 24. 0 24. 0 22. 2 20. 6 Malaysia 19. 6 Key Issues and Challenges Key Problems Identified ? Target Groups: Motorcyclists (53%) Car Occupants (22%) Pedestrians (10%) ? Target Issues: Head Injuries among motorcyclists Un segregated VRUs MalaysiaFatality by Casualty Class Malaysia Strategic Programs and Projects Program Potential % Intervention Coverage Reduction 2007 2008 2009 2010 AES Speed Cameras Redlight Cameras Lane Displine Helmet Program Rear Seat Belts Airbags Driver Training RSE and CBP Mcycle Lanes Blackspots Others 20 20 0 30 20 10 10 10 10 10 10 60 60 20 65 40 20 30 20 20 20 20 100 90 60 100 60 40 50 50 30 30 30 100 90 80 100 80 60 60 80 40 40 40 % 30 40 20 50 30 30 10 20 80 30 20 No of Deaths Expected No. f Fatality Reduction Involved/yr 2007 2008 2009 2010 1400 150 450 1500 350 400 300 400 500 500 350 84 12 0 225 21 12 3 8 40 15 7 427 3. 45 252 36 18 488 42 24 9 16 80 30 14 420 54 54 750 63 48 15 40 120 45 21 420 54 72 750 84 72 18 64 160 60 28 6300 Deaths/1 0,000 Vehicles 1009 1630 1782 2. 94 2. 45 2. 21 Malaysia MIROS0 7One Most Successful Road Safety Intervention Name: Exclusive Motorcycle Lane Program Problem Statement: Rear-End and Side Swipe along High Speed Links Double Low Speed Links Issues Identified: Un-segregated leading to Conflicts among Fast, Un Compatible VRUs and Larger Vehicles Rationale for Intervention: Segregation reduce Conflicts, Risk and Exposures Detailed Intervention Programs: 3m Exclusive Lane fully segregated Impact of Intervention: 39% less Accidents, 83% Less Fatalities, BCR=5 Malaysia

Why Free trade is more important than fair trade The WritePass Journal

Why Free trade is more important than fair trade Introduction Why Free trade is more important than fair trade Introduction1.0 Definition1.1 Free Trade1.2 Fair Trade2.0 The Importance of Free Trade2.1 Gainers2.2 Absolute advantage2.3 Effective use of raw materials2.4 Lesser living cost and more products choice3.2 Losers3.0 The Importance of Fair Trade4.0 Free Trade vs. Fair TradeConclusionReferencesRelated Introduction In a globalized world, very few people would question the benefits of international free trade. Different countries can produce their own products having a comparative advantage, and then exchange with the products produced by other countries. However, in the process of international trade, there will always produce gainers and losers, and thus will always be people complaining about unfair trade. In the global context of the economic crisis, there is a call for further promoting trade liberalization; on other hand some people advocate promotion of fair trade. So, is the pursuit of fair trade more important? Or, is the promotion of the free trade more important? This essay will critically discuss the statement â€Å"Free trade is more important than fair trade.† 1.0 Definition 1.1 Free Trade Free trade is a form of international policy, which local government cannot try to interfere on the operation of foreign import goods, or export goods. (Hill, 2009) This form of international trade policy has been widely spread over the free trade zones nowadays. Since opening the over sea market for the countrys domestic absolute advantages products, it benefits both the trade partners from the long-term economic vision. 1.2 Fair Trade Eisenberg states that â€Å"Fair trade refers to exchanges, the terms of which meet the demands of justice.† (2005) In fact, fair trade has not been defined universally ever. FINE is a charity association, which consists of four divisions. The divisions are international fair trade networks, European Fair Trade Association, World Fair Trade Organization, Fair-trade Labeling Organizations International and Network of European World shops. FINE indicates that fair trade partnership is based on dialogue, transparency and respect; member in this network looks for greater equity in international trade. (European Fair Trade Association, 2009) It contributes to help workers or producers in developing countries, especially in the southern hemisphere, provide a more equitable trading condition and promote sustainability. Fair trade organizations are supported by consumers for supporting producers in undeveloped countries, and making the rules of international trade campaign more equitable. Fair Trade system has many types of goods growing more, which are coffee, cocoa, dried fruit, fruit juice, nuts, vegetable oil, quinine, rice, spices, sugar, tea and Red wine, etc. In order to selling fair trade goods, companies need to apply for licenses to use the fair trade mark. 2.0 The Importance of Free Trade The free trade is a double sword. One side edge carries advantage; another edge carries disadvantage. Therefore, there will be always gainers and losers. 2.1 Gainers The free trade has many benefits, which produce many different gainers in the global market. It prevents interference efficiently of local government on import and export trade; cancel various privileges of the domestic trade. So the importers can gain many benefits from the free trade. Let’s take a look at other gainers. 2.2 Absolute advantage According to Adam Smiths theory, countries can specialize in the production of goods for which they have an absolute advantage that including highly skilled labour, sufficient raw materials and then trade these for goods they produced less-efficiently from other countries. (Hill, 2009) This is a win-win situation, two countries exchanging goods from each other are both gainers. 2.3 Effective use of raw materials Free trade also brings great opportunities for effectively using raw materials. Some countries in the Middle East have rich resources of oil, but there will not be much benefit without trade. For instance, Qatar can gain much benefit from exchanging many goods and technologies with oil. On other hand, some developed countries, such as Japan have very few raw materials. They can gain much oil they need with exchanging technologies; otherwise they would be very poor. 2.4 Lesser living cost and more products choice The citizens are also big gainers from free trade. Free trade system can effectively stop selling products at high prices from local protectionism, which lead lower living cost. Free trade also leads to more products being available in the market. Consumers have more choices on the products in market for different prices and types. Charles W.L. Hill mentioned in the book International business that if a national market is small, there may not be enough demand to enable producers to realize economics of scale for certain products. Accordingly, those products may not be produced, thereby limiting the variety of products available to consumers. (2009) 3.2 Losers Free trade brings great opportunities, also brings great competitions, especially for the developing countries. In the initial stage, many new industries in developing countries are not strong enough to survive from the competition of established industries in developed countries. The local government will introduce some measures in order to protecting local industry. Alexander Hamilton proposed it in 1972. According to the argument, there is a potential comparative advantage in manufacturing in many developing countries.for instance, China owns cheaper labour and raw material costs, and India has big population of highly skilled and knowledgeable employees who can communicate with frequent English. However, at the initial stage, most of their small to medium sized firms in industries are too weak to survive from  Ã‚   brutal competitions of established industries much earlier in international market. The reason is that they do not have strong background for financial subsidies and source which assist them get toehold in the start point. Moreover, it is common phenomenon that firms in those developing countries hardly reach the international standard for high-end products. The argument is if the new industries should necessarily be protected temporarily by incentives until they have become strong enough to competition in free international trade market.ï ¼Ë†Hillï ¼Å' 2009ï ¼â€°For example, if China lets the automobile industries from Germany, Japan and other countries enter the domestic market without trade protection, and then Chinas own auto industries would collapse. So China adopts the import tariffs on imported cars in order to protecting its automobile industry. When the local new industries become strong enough to global market competitiveness, the government should abolish the protective measures established before, otherwise the measures of protection would adversely affect global trade. In fact, canceling the original protection is not an easy; t he negative impact of such measures is to produce local monopoly. 3.0 The Importance of Fair Trade Fair trade is a strategy for sustainable development of economic and poverty reduction in the world. Its goal is to create opportunities for producers from economically disadvantaged countries. It does not only provide fair payments to the producers, but also consider the equal pay according to the principle of equality between the sexes. If the partners of fair traders need payment in advanced in order to surviving in the special situation, fair traders have to ensure matching their demands. Fair traders also need to take responsibilities for avoiding potential health and safety problems for producers. If children are involved in the working environment, fair trader will ensure matching safety and education requirements for them. In the 1960, the largest distribution of the fair trade is to help the countries banned from main global trade market by political issues, to find markets for their products. (Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International, 2009) Nicolas Eberhart in 2005 had the Bolivian case study concerning fair trade coffee as a member of the French non-governmental organizations Agronomes ET Và ©tà ©rinaires sans frontià ¨res. It proved that the fair trade did not only have a positive impact on the local price of coffee in Yungas, but also have the economic benefit to all coffee producers. Meanwhile, fair trade organization could enhance their production and their political influence. (Ebrehart, 2005) The econometric analysis led by Becchetti and Costantion verificated effects of fair trade on farmers of Kenya. The researchers observed a group of farmers with fair trade certification, and another group of farmers without fair trade certification for Comparison. After a period of time, Becchetti and Costantion found that fair trade could improve the living quality of famers, reduce child mortality, improve household food intake, and increase the price of their crops and so on, in either monetary or non-monetary value. Unfortunately, in the methodology, this research had errors for the sample of crops, the relative contribution of fair trade and the choice of the control group. (Becchetti, Costantino, 2006) 4.0 Free Trade vs. Fair Trade Jeffrey Eisenberg states that free trade refers to an international trading policy that aims at openness. (2005) Free trade is a form of international policy, which local government cannot try to interfere on the operation of foreign import goods, or export goods. (Hill, 2009) The Oxfam charity and some economists believe that the foreign suppliers in trade should be paid a fair price, such as the cocoa beans for making chocolate should be bought by higher than market price. This may be the most influential demand for fair trade today. (BHAGWATI, 2010) However, â€Å"fair price (wage)† has been questioned by Jeffrey Eisenberg. Would the price be fair if it was higher? The price can get higher for few workers capturing the jobs; or the price can get lower in order to providing more job opportunities for more workers get paid. Which way is fairer? (Eisenberg, 2005) Ngaire Woods recommends using the protectionism as a part of the preferential system properly in order to helping backward industries in undeveloped countries. In personal opinion, there is possibility that the preferential system or protectionism can make negative impacts on the trade, if they cannot be implemented well. Fair trade is the expression of justice with human emotion. Free trade regard voluntariness as the chief component of justice. (Eisenberg, 2005) Although fair trade is positive activity on many respects, solely advocating fair trade and ignoring the benefit of free trade is really not necessary. Most believe that both free trade and fair trade at least have one thing in common. Worldwide they are concerning justice, poverty alleviation and prosperity. Free trade and fair trade should stopping opposing each other. Fair trade can be an efficient measure of supervision in order to improving free trade system. Because of there are still many gaps and loopholes in free trade system. For instance, the international rules are generated by trade negotiations, primarily for the rich countries, while the market is closed for the main export products in poorer countries, such as agriculture. (Woods, 2005) So, is the pursuit of fair trade more important? Or, is the promotion of the free trade more important? Answer is free trade is more important than fair trade for global economic development. Conclusion Free trade is a form of international policy, which local government cannot try to interfere on the operation of foreign import goods, or export goods. (Hill, 2009) The free trade has many benefits, such as producing lesser living cost and more products choice; bringing opportunity for exchanging with absolute advantage and effective use of raw materials. Fair trade is a strategy for sustainable development of economic and poverty reduction in the world. Its goal is to create opportunities for producers from economically disadvantaged countries. For global economic development, free trade is more important. However, fair trade and free trade have one thing in common, which concern with global justice, poverty alleviation and global prosperity. Moreover, fair trade can be an efficient measure of supervision in order to improving free trade system. References Charles W.L. Hill, (2009), International Business, 7th Edition, Chapter 5, 6, McGraw-Hill Irwin Charles W.L. Hill, (2009), International Business Competing in the Global Marketplace, 6th Edition, Chapter 5, 6, McGraw-Hill Irwin Eberhart, N. (2005). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade L. Becchetti, M. Costantino (2006). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade European Fair Trade Association. (2009). Fair Trade Labelling Organizations International (2009). Global Fairtrade sales increase yearly by 22%. economist.com/debate/days/view/508 globalenvision.org/library/15/834

15 Tips for Getting Hired After the College Graduation

15 Tips for Getting Hired After the College Graduation You’re in a brave new world and searching to get a handle on getting hired after the college graduation. Let’s take a look at 15 tips you’ll be incredibly glad you came across. #1 Job Search Begins on Day 1 If you don’t have a job, then getting one is your job. What’s college for? Getting a job, which is reality means making money. The vast majority of college students are betting (with some serious leverage) on the idea that their education is going to equal a good job down the road. You should start looking for your ideal career on the first day of your freshmen year. Every move you make should be towards that goal. If you don’t know what the goal is, then you should put college off for a year and†¦get a job. Start looking right now. Heres the list of the best summer jobs which can be a good start if you need money right away. #2 Create on Online Presence If you do not have an online presence, even a free ultra-amateurish one, then get on it. No, you do not have to invest tons of time. Simply set up a free blog and a Facebook page. Start there. Online you’re connected to everyone and everything. At this point you need to have one, and being able to network online is a valuable asset. #3 Show Off Your Stuff Don’t be coy, but don’t be ridiculous either. There’s no time to waste. It’s like missing the opportunity to meet an amazing person because you were shy. Life’s too short. Make your move and let your skills sell themselves. #4 Pursue Internship with Clarity Internships are both incredibly worthwhile and hyper-competitive in most cases. Don’t wallow in misery for a year hoping for that ideal internship. Give it your best efforts, but know when to cash in your chips for more readily available career paths. #5 Apply Selectively Don’t shotgun your approach to job applications. Do your homework and only apply to those positions or companies who you can be of the best service to. #6 Hire a Freelancer to Create Your Resume Don’t even think about winging either your hard or soft copy resume. It’s almost an absolute waste of time and you’ll be burning bridges as you go. Instead, spend maybe $50-$100 to get help with your resume from a professional writer. Ideally, one who specializes in writing resumes for your specific career goals (nurses, lawyers, acupuncturists etc.). #7 You’re Always Networking 100% of the time, if you’re awake and breathing you’re networking. It’s a part of life. The difference is that once you’re aware of that, you can then better position yourself to benefit from it. #8 Fix Your Attitude First If you’re life’s not going so well and the job hunt is leaving you empty-handed, the first things you probably need to fix are your attitude and disposition. #9 Come Prepared Don’t show up unprepared if the destination could present potential networking opportunities. Furthermore, if you go to an interview, know everything there is to know so that you’re more likely to impress. #10 Develop a Personal Brand No matter who you are, or what you studied, there are probably lots of people with this knowledge. The ONLY thing that really sets you apart from other candidates is you. #11 Aim for Experience (Wisdom) If you’re alive and above water, then aim for the experience jobs or positions can give you. Not the pay. In today’s world results and experience are worth 100 x what a diploma or degree is worth on the open job market. #12 Sport an Entrepreneurial Mindset It’s an era of the entrepreneur. It really is! The #1 rule of the entrepreneurial mindset is that behind every problem or dilemma is an opportunity. The trick is being able to spot opportunity and needs, and then taking action. #13 Compile an Asset List Sit down and figure out everything you have to offer the world. Write it all down, each thing, no matter how simple. You’ll find that your education and the small amount of things you thought were your only assets, are only a small portion. #14 Optimize Your Efficiency Remember the 80/20 rule. 20% of what you do every day is responsible for 80% of the results you experience. Do you have free time? What else can you be doing? What can you do more of in less time? #15 Throw Conventional Approaches Out the Window Not altogether, just recognize that due to powerful technological and socioeconomic reasons, everything is changing. This includes not only how people look for work, but how they get hired. Use everything at your disposal because in the real world getting ahead is hard. So, how about it, would you alter this list or add to it in anyway? What other tips would you give to the grads that could really use a solid paycheck and a rewarding career?

Amazing Grace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Amazing Grace - Essay Example Ideology is the beliefs, values and ideals of a certain group of people. Beliefs often tie in closely with the daily concerns of domestic life, such as making a living, health and sickness, happiness and sadness, interpersonal relationships, and death; values tell them the differences between right and wrong or good and bad while deals serve as models for what people hope to achieve in life (Bodley 1). Religion is under man’s belief. It never fails to give man something that he can cling on to, a divine power which somehow renews his spirit amidst all the cruelty and ugliness of reality. This story of faith is very evident in the book, depicting the people’s awe-inspiring belief in God in every person’s life. The Church in this story was the only symbol of something beautiful – free from gun shots and decay – embracing them and keeping them away from the hardships and darkness that society brings them. People are still somehow drawn to the church be cause it is a place of escape and hope for something better. Kozol talked to Reverend Overland, a lady who gave up her promising career as a lawyer just to help and educate these unfortunate souls, said that I her observations, the people in Bronx are â€Å"more religious than those across the river. They are too concerned with money and power to worry about faith". This revelation is contrary to the white ideas that there could be no one more morally right that we. The strong grip on faith that this society has helps the children keep some light in their eyes, the mothers with some hope for the future, and the drug dealers with some hope of forgiveness (Miller 1). Religion and people’s belief and faith in the divine somehow was one of the â€Å"life-support systems† that this people have as enforced by individuals such as Reverend Overland. Religion has obviously helped the people cope up as they difficultly live each