Woodstock essays

Woodstock essays One didnt simply go to Woodstock: one lived through it. In August 1969, the Woodstock Festival was the largest counterculture event ever staged, attracting some 500,000 people and featuring many of the countrys top acts. Two decades later, Woodstock has come to mean more than just three days of fun and music; it symbolizes a time of community, exuberance, and intensity since lost. Woodstock festival gave power to the youth, united people of all ages, races, and sexes, and defined a generation, making it one of the most important musical events of all time. In order to understand the impact and importance of the Woodstock Festival one must first examine the society that preceded the 1960s and set the stage so to speak for the events of the Woodstock Festival. The end of World War II brought thousands of young servicemen back to America to pick up their lives and start new families in new home and new jobs. With energy never before experienced, American industry expanded to meet peacetime needs. Americans began buying goods not available during the war, which created corporate expansion and jobs. Growth was everywhere. The baby boom was underway. Part of the what happened in the 1950s with increased employment and income, families had more money to buy things. People could afford single family dwellings and suburbia was born . In the 1950s a big change happened in public education. In 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren and other members of the Supreme Court ruled that separate facilities for blacks did not make those facilities equal according to the Constitution . Integration of the public classroom came about across the nation as Perhaps one of the things which most characterize the 1950s was a strong element of conservatism and anticommunist felling which ran throughout much of society. The phrase under G...

Free Essays on Midaq Alley

Naguib Mahfouz’s Motivation for Writing Midaq Alley: World War II and the British Occupation’s Impact Upon Egyptian Society Naquib Mahfouz surely had multiple factors motivating him to write Midaq Alley, but the main one was his distain for British occupation during World War II and the effects this occupation had on Egyptian society. â€Å"During WWII, Egypt became a vast army camp for the Western Allies†¦ Under Nazi threat, thousands of soldiers, sailors, and airmen from the British Commonwealth (and the Unites States) poured into Egypt.#† In his book, Mahfouz showed the increased instability and corruption that fell upon his country during this tumultuous period. He used the story of a small Cairo alley and its inhabitants to paint a more intimate picture of a slipping society. He presented what (at first) appeared to be a typical, friendly, respectable neighborhood and slowly unveiled an underworld of pimps, whores, grave robbers, and even a homosexual pedophile. Mahfouz used certain characters to exemplify the sickness of this society. Some were already this way when the story star ted. However, Mahfouz really emphasized the characters that changed over the course of time as a result of the events that took place during this period. Midaq Alley started with nightfall and the opening of Kirsha’s cafà ©, the central point of social activity in Midaq Alley. All of the notable men of the area came to relax in the evenings. Uncle Kamil, the rotund sweetshop owner, and his best friend, Abbas, the barber, were regulars there. Every evening, after they closed their shops, they walked there together. They often sat and chatted with many other men of the alley. There was, of course, Kirsha, the owner and Sanker, the waiter. There was Sheikh Darwish, a former English teacher and respected man of the alley, who rarely left his dreamy state or couch position. There was Dr. Booshy, the local dentist, who earned thi... Free Essays on Midaq Alley Free Essays on Midaq Alley Naguib Mahfouz’s Motivation for Writing Midaq Alley: World War II and the British Occupation’s Impact Upon Egyptian Society Naquib Mahfouz surely had multiple factors motivating him to write Midaq Alley, but the main one was his distain for British occupation during World War II and the effects this occupation had on Egyptian society. â€Å"During WWII, Egypt became a vast army camp for the Western Allies†¦ Under Nazi threat, thousands of soldiers, sailors, and airmen from the British Commonwealth (and the Unites States) poured into Egypt.#† In his book, Mahfouz showed the increased instability and corruption that fell upon his country during this tumultuous period. He used the story of a small Cairo alley and its inhabitants to paint a more intimate picture of a slipping society. He presented what (at first) appeared to be a typical, friendly, respectable neighborhood and slowly unveiled an underworld of pimps, whores, grave robbers, and even a homosexual pedophile. Mahfouz used certain characters to exemplify the sickness of this society. Some were already this way when the story star ted. However, Mahfouz really emphasized the characters that changed over the course of time as a result of the events that took place during this period. Midaq Alley started with nightfall and the opening of Kirsha’s cafà ©, the central point of social activity in Midaq Alley. All of the notable men of the area came to relax in the evenings. Uncle Kamil, the rotund sweetshop owner, and his best friend, Abbas, the barber, were regulars there. Every evening, after they closed their shops, they walked there together. They often sat and chatted with many other men of the alley. There was, of course, Kirsha, the owner and Sanker, the waiter. There was Sheikh Darwish, a former English teacher and respected man of the alley, who rarely left his dreamy state or couch position. There was Dr. Booshy, the local dentist, who earned thi...

Org behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Org behavior - Assignment Example If organizations need to create a differentiating factor and gain a competitive advantage against its competitors, then organizations need to adopt the broad view. Adoption of this method of conducting CSR activities will aid the organization in exploring opportunities of doing business which can not be uncovered by implementing the narrow view. Businesses do not perform alone; they have to give equal importance to external constituencies such as the society and government. By adopting the broad view organizations realize the importance of its dependence on the society to gain a competitive advantage. Organizations that fail to realize the connection between the business and the society fail to stay longer in business and all their efforts of becoming a socially responsible organization ends up in vain. Today the market is full of homogeneous businesses and marketers are experiencing difficult in differentiating their products from the products of the competitors. Under such circumst ances, the adoption of large scale corporate social responsibility activities can help organizations differentiate themselves from their competitors. Organizations that adopt a functional structure are structured in a way so that the organization is divided into different groups or departments and these departments work together to produce goods and services offered by the organization (Hitt, 2005, p.327). These departments are controlled and monitored by head of the organization even recognized as the Chief operating officer who is responsible for making essential decisions and then he coveys these decisions to the lower level staff to operate the organization. This structure is mostly followed by those organizations that work on one product or have small number of homogenous products. Organizations expand and the number of goods and services they produce even increases. For example: Procter and Gambler produce various

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS (VISUAL DISCOURSE) FOR DARYL CARGLE CARTOON FOR Essay

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS (VISUAL DISCOURSE) FOR DARYL CARGLE CARTOON FOR THE HALLOWEEN IN 2007 - Essay Example Today, mankind behaves in an utterly foolish way-blinded by its own sinful ego and willing ignorance. No wonder history always repeats itself. It is startling to see as we study history, to realize that the same type of Nazi-fascism at work in our government today, is clearly evident in past tyrant dictatorships. It was none other than the tyrant Adolph Hitler who stated... "What luck for the rulers that men do not think" !! Literally, today's world is filled with a bunch of people who believe everything they here on FOX NEWS. Here's a good quote..."A man's judgment cannot be better than the information on which he has based it... Give him no news or present him only with distorted and incomplete data, with ignorant, sloppy or biased reporting, with propaganda and deliberate falsehoods, and you destroy his whole reasoning process and make him something less than a man." (Sulzberger 1948). The cartoon although portrayed in a funny way (and it should be) make the viewer think of the painful plight of fellow human beings around him. For example take the case of Iraqi war. Life is meaningless to the rich selfish monsters that inflict terror upon innocent civilians through military force.

Adopting Children by Same Sex Parent Essay Example for Free

Adopting Children by Same Sex Parent Essay People in society say that everyone is equal, they have equal right and freedom. However in case of adopting children, people believe that same sex parents are abnormal to adopting children. Some people in society against them to adopting but there are many same sex couples who are seeking to adopt children. The researcher of homosexuality found that many people still do not reveal their sexual orientation to others. Also, same sex couples are not acceptable from some people in society, according to www. gay-adoption. s. On the contrast, some people believe that same sex adoption is normal and it should be acceptable, according to the right human campaign, a national gay and lesbian advocacy group. Although there are many people against same sex couple to adopting children, same sex couples should be allowed to adopt children because they have equal rights and they can be good parents for a child who lacks love and home. Moreover, children in the United State of America and many countries around the world are waiting for adoption. There are about 520,000 children in welfare, according to the North American Council on Adoptable Children in St. Paul. In addition there have 120,000 are available for adoption, but only 50,000 find permanent homes each year. However, although same sex couples want to adopt children, they are against by heterosexual parents for several reasons including it is unnatural to allowed same sex to be a parent, same sex parents cannot give stability to children and most people believed that only heterosexual parents can be good parents. Firstly, it is unnatural to allow homosexual couples to be a parent. They cannot be good parents. Also, it is not safe for children to live with same sex parents. The best environment for well-being of children is a household with a mother and father because children should have a role model. Adopting by same sex parents can effects to children. For instance, children who is raised in a homosexual household are significantly more likely to be homosexual themselves because they have only one role model in one gender, and get involved in homosexual behavior than children raised in heterosexual households, according to a research in the US (University of Illinois Law Review, 1997). In a study published in the January 1996 issue of Developmental Psychology, London researchers Susan Golombok and Fiona Tasker found that it danger for children that live with same sex parents. However, the sexual orientation of parents has no influence on the sexual orientation of their children and that children of lesbian and same sex parents are not more likely than any other children to grow up to be homosexual, according to Children of gay fathers, Gay and Lesbian Parents (p. 9-57) In addition, children can manage their life to be what they want to be by themselves, however they are raised by homosexual parents but it is not determine that they may have the same behavior as their same sex parents. Moreover, same sex parents can give a responsibility and love to children as well as a heterosexual because they are a human who can teach and give love to a child. As such, it would be wrong to deny same sex parents to adopt children. Also, good parenting is not controlled by sexual orientation, same sex parents can support children and give love to them that show they can be a good parent same as a heterosexual. Secondly, the reason why people believe same sex parents should not be allowed to adopt is stability, so it is important in raising an emotionally and mentally healthy child. The way to children grow up happily may need a role model, so children need a role model of both genders that are male and female in order to develop a properly. If children raise in homosexual household, it influence to children will lacks information of other gender. Children’s primary role models are his or her parents that cause bringing a heterosexual up in a homosexual household can gives children a misrepresented view of sexuality. Homosexual couples simply cannot give the stability that heterosexual parents can give to children. Although most people believe that bringing a heterosexual child up by same sex parents give them a distorted view of sexuality, some babies are born with a predisposition to homosexuality and their upbringing will not affect their sexuality. Almost of homosexuals couples do not want to force children to be homosexual like them. According to Major associations of mental health professionals in the United stated of America, same sex parents are not an unfit and capable as heterosexual parents that they lead children are as happily, healthy and well adjusted as a child who is raised by heterosexual parents. In addition, a studies shows that children raised by single heterosexual parents have more difficulties than children who have same sex parents. Moreover the study shows that children did better in moderation, self-esteem, and had less psychosocial difficulties at home and at school, according to the study of Same-Sex Parents Raise Well-Adjusted Kids. The last reason is widely agreed that only heterosexual parents can be a good parent and they are appropriate to give love, warm, and home to children. Children should have opportunities to thrive in heterosexual parents with a mother and father based family. Heterosexual parents are the best because a child should be raised in loving, well-disciplined homes where children have good role models from their heterosexual parents, also avoiding children grow up to be a homosexual, according to study of gender identity disorder and psychosexual problems in children and adolescents. In addition, avoiding from criminal because homosexuals are more likely to molest children, such as rape them. It is danger to children’s life and causes many troubles to society. However, there are about 500,000 children in welfare nationally in the United state and about 100,000 children need to be adopted. So it is shows thousands of children lacks a permanent home and lacks love from parents, according to the statistics of the study of critical shortage of adoptive and foster parents in the United States. If they are only allowed heterosexual parents in adoption, the child who lives in foster care will lacks family and as in Florida more than 2,000 children in welfare are waiting for adoption according to the state of Florida’s statistics. In addition, there are not enough heterosexual parents who are interested in adoption and foster care. There are some arguments of adopting children by same sex parents because most people feel that only traditional homes with a father and a mother are appropriate and have equal right as heterosexual parents to adopt children, according to issue about facts on gay adoption. However, society is change that leads everyone has equal rights. Therefore same sex parents are human being who should be allowed to adopt children. All people should have equal rights because the child in same sex family appear to be normal, and also same sex parents are not appear to harm child, according to Homosexuality and Family Relations. If homosexual parents can support their children, same sex couples can be as good parents as heterosexual parents. As such, same sex parents are the same as other people who can support children, such as, they give love to children, pay taxes, go to work. It shows that being homosexual is not a mental disorder. In addition, nowadays there are thousands children have no permanent homes, and they are waiting for adoption. It is shows that same sex parents are one of those who help children to have love and home. Therefore, people should not determine only about sexuality of those who want to adopt children. As Mary Bonauto of Boston-based same sex couples Avocates and defenders said that, â€Å" Sexual orientation is not the issue, ability of parent is issue. †

Essay --

Virginia Lash Professor Leedom Earliest Christianity December 2013 Nag Hammadi Library In 1945, two unsuspecting brothers stumbled upon a jar that contained thirteen ancient codices, or texts, in Upper Egypt that had been hidden away for centuries. Their discovery would reshape the world's understanding of religion in more ways than one. These codices, later referred to as the Nag Hammadi library, enlightened the world about an ancient movement known as Gnosticism. In addition, this library revealed itself to be the source that countless scholarly works had referred to for centuries. This chance unearthing has brought much attention and debate to the subjects of earliest Christianity and Gnosticism and its significance in the ancient world, The Nag Hammadi library brought forth a new understanding of Gnosticism, a way to reassess religions in the ancient world, and a new perspective on early Christianity. The unbelievable discovery and analysis of the Nag Hammadi Library also brings a sense of hope, faith that in time more historical discoveries will come about and we will be further enlightened about our pasts, and therefore further prepared for our future. The discovery of the Nag Hammadi library was an odd one. Two brothers Muhammad Ali al-Samman and Abu al-Majd were digging around the cliffs of Al-Oasr for a valuable fertilizer. As they were searching they came across a jar, hoping they had struck gold, the brothers smashed the jar open and instead of being filled with ancient treasures, the contents revealed themselves to be â€Å"thirteen books containing fifty-three texts, a total of 1,153 pages These books turned out to be an astonishing find with significant impact. They were found to be ancient mostly gnostic texts... ...put it â€Å"it helped liberate Gnosticism from the predominantly negative aura that surrounded it. It could be examined as a movement in its own right and on its own terms† . The discovery had a significant impact on how the modern world now viewed the previously unknown and misunderstood movement that was Gnosticism. The unearthing of these texts sparked a new interest in finding out what Gnosticism and how the early Christian Church operated. The texts provided the world a map showing the different perspectives and the lively debates that were happening around the Roman Empire. It showed how the ancient world was a very diverse place when it came to the different sects of all the religions. The Nag Hammadi Codices show how the Gnostics were truly part of that debate circulating their own works with what they thought was the truth, which others had deigned a heresy.

Lic of India

India’s Leading BFSI Companies 2008 Life Insurance Corporation of India Yogakeshema, Jeevan Bima Marg, P. B. No. 19953, Mumbai – 400021, Maharashtra Tel: 91 22 66598547; Fax: 91 22 22817253; Email: [email  protected] com; Website: www. licindia. com History Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) was formed in Sep 1956 after the Parliament of India passed the Life Insurance Corporation Act in Jun 1956.The company was created with the objective of spreading life insurance more widely, especially to reach all the insurable people in the rural areas and provide them with adequate financial cover at a reasonable cost. Apart from its corporate office, LIC had five zonal offices, 33 divisional offices and 212 branch offices in 1956. The nature of life insurance contracts being long-term coupled with the need to provide a variety of services during the term of the policy, LIC re-organised itself by opening a number of new branch offices.After its re-organisation, servicing functions were transferred to branches which were converted to accounting units. other cities. LIC has also launched Satellite Sampark offices in order to provide easy access to its policy holders. The company had 340 such offices as on Mar 2008. LIC also provides housing finance through LICHFL. It has also formed an asset management company known as LICMF AMC. The corporation has also extended its operations to the international arena; through various JVs and subsidiaries it operates in as many as nine countries.T S Vijayan Chairman D&B D-U-N-S ® 65-005-6716 IRDA Registration No Business Segment Life Insurance Key Information (As on Mar 2007) Total Income (Rs mn) NPE (Rs mn) Policy Holders Branches Employees Agents No of Policies Issued No of Claims Received No of Claims Settled Solvency Ratio (%) Management Chairman T S Vijayan Managing Directors D K Mehrotra Thomas Mathew T A K Dasgupta 1,744,405. 7 1,277,822. 6 212. 6 2,048 113,710 1,103,047 38,229,292 13,257,345 13,258,205 1 . 50 512 Products & ServicesLIC offers a wide array of insurance products to its customers such as insurance plans, pension plans, unit-linked plans, special plans and group scheme. During FY08, the company introduced certain new products such as Profit Plus, Fortune Plus, Jeevan Akshay, Jeevan Amrit & Amulya Jeevan. As of Mar 2007, total number of agents of the company stood at 1. 1 mn while the total number of policies issued was 38. 2 mn. The premium earned by the company reported a growth of 41% in FY07 when compared to the previous year.During the year, the company insured 34. 28 mn individuals for the first time, taking the ratio of first insurance to total business to 89. 61% for number of policies. Operations As on Mar 2008, LIC had 2,048 fully computerised branch offices, 109 divisional offices, eight zonal offices apart from its corporate office. LIC’s network connects all the branches through wide area network. The company also has tie-ups with certain banks and se rvice providers to offer on-line premium collection facility in select cities.Besides, ECS and ATM premium payment facility to its customers, the company has also commissioned IVRS and information centres at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, amongst Key Highlights †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 97. 11%ofmaturityclaimsaresettledonorbeforetheduedate. InFY08,LIChassettledover13. 9mnclaims,amountingtoRs372. 06bn. ThetotallifefundofLICstoodatRs6866. 16bnasonMar31,2008. ThetotalnumberofIn-Forcepolicieswasover233mnasonMar31,2008. AsonMar31,2008,LIC’stotalassetsvaluedatRs8038. 2bn. TotalincomeincreasedtoRs2063. 6bnbytheendofFY08,showingagrowth rate of 18. 3%. 137

Legal Aspects of a Business Essay

Introduction When starting up a new business it is very important to look at the legal aspects which will influence the company in the future. In this part of the information file there will be the most important legal aspects for running a student company. First there is the selection of business form, in which there will be a compairison between the different possible forms. Afterwards a description of how the student company will work with contracts and partners. And finally there is an explanation of the typical dutch legal aspects such as profit tax and dividend. Business form Most important before starting the actual business is to compare the different possible legal business forms to make sure that it suits the intentions of the entrepreneurs. First the expanation per legal form will be given and afterwards a choice will be made for the student company itself. There are three basic legal business forms which can be chosen when starting up a new company: sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation. Each will be described shortly and afterwards the form of the student company will be given. Sole proprietorship The sole proprietorship is the oldest, most common, and simplest form of business organization. A sole proprietorship is a business owned and managed by one person. The prevalent characteristic of a sole proprietorship is that the owner is inseparable from the business. Because they are the same entity, the owner of a sole proprietorship has complete control over the business, its operations, and is financially and legally responsible for all debts and legal actions against the business. Another aspect of the â€Å"same  entity† aspect is that taxes on a sole proprietorship are determined at the personal income tax rate of the owner. In other words, a sole proprietorship does not pay taxes separately from the owner. A sole proprietorship is a good business organization for an individual starting a business that will remain small, does not have great exposure to liability, and does not justify the expenses of incorporating and ongoing corporate formalitie. Corporation A corporation is a business entity which is owned by an individual or group of individuals and they run a business that legally exists. A corporate body is formed to regulate and manage business. People work as a unit in a corporation and produce the value that will generate income. A lot of employment is generated by corporations and they have now a big impact on economic growth and the social development of any country that operates in the free market system. A corporation has rights and responsibilities just like people have, and can also be liable to the processes of law just as an individual can. The characteristics of a corporation are the limited liability of shareholders, management being delegated to a board of directors, ownership by shareholders, transferable shares and that it has a separate legal personality. Relevance to Student company The fact that the student company will sell shares and therefore will be owned by the shareholders, the student company will be a corporation. Big advantage of this legal form is the spreading of the potential business risks because of the large amounts of shareholders. Disadvantages for the entrepreneurs is the limited power within the company because of the â€Å"voice† of the shareholders and sharing the possible profit with the shareholders. Within shareholder meetings important decisions or problems will subject and together with the entrepreneurs the business strategies are set. Contracts with other parties Because the student company will be a trading company it is very important to make clear arrangements with the suppliers, customers and the entrepreneurs  itself. This will split the the risks of the entrepreneurs as well as the business partners in the buying cyclus. Because it is still not clear what kind of product or service the student company wil sell, this will be researched later on in the market research. Laws and taxes When somebody wants to start up a company within the netherlands this person should notify the Inland Revenue as soon as they know when their company plans to start business. If this person starts as sole trader, a partnership, a limited partnership or a partnership under common firm, he or she can register the company for the Inland Revenue and the trade register at the same time. This can be done at the Chamber of Commerce. It is to your advantage to provide this information at an early stage: new companies which have made investments in their business often receive money back following their first value added tax return .This is because a new business often pays more value added tax in the beginning than it has actually charged. Value added tax It is almost always compulsory for businesses to charge clients value added tax. Businesses are nearly always liable to charge value added tax to their clients. The rate is 6% or 19% depending on the type of product or service. The value added tax which a company receive from the client must be paid to the Inland Revenue. The value added tax which the company has paid out itself to the suppliers can be offset against this. Value added tax is paid either monthly or quarterly, depending on the type of business and the level of turnover. Corporation tax If the company is a private company with limited liability, the owners will be liable to pay corporation tax. Corporation or corporate income tax is levied on companies established in the Netherlands and on certain companies not established in the Netherlands, which receive income from the Netherlands .In this context, the term â€Å"company† includes companies with a capital consisting of share, co-operatives, mutual insurance and credit companies, foundations and other legal persons incorporated under civil law, when they administer an enterprise, funds for common account, and most  publicly-controlled industrial and commercial undertakings. Basis of assessment Profits in the widest sense, with a number of additions or deductions. The determination of the taxable profits corresponds largely with the determination of profits taxable under personal income tax, including the deductibility of losses from other years. Exemptions Legal persons whose activities are of a social or charitable nature or otherwise in the public interest are exempted from corporation tax. Exempted categories of profit are those corresponding to the relevant exemptions under personal income tax. Furthermore the participation exemption applies to all dividends, gains and losses related to the holding of at least 5% of the shares in a subsidiary. This rule, preventing economic double taxation, is in general equally applicable to dividend deriving from domestic and foreign subsidiaries. The loss related to the winding-up of a subsidiary is, under certain conditions, deductible by the parent company. The deductibility of interest paid on non-functional loans and loans related to a reshuffle of participations within the group is restricted to certain circumstances. Another amendment permits companies to depreciate loss-making participations of 25% or more during the first five years after acquisition. Special features Fiscal unity: a company which holds 100% of the shares in a Dutch subsidiary may request to be qualified as a â€Å"fiscal unity†. However, certain conditions apply. It is possible for a fiscal unity to be consisted of more than two companies. The subsidiaries are considered to be absorbed by the parent. As a result, negative results of companies belonging to the unity can be compensated horizontally with positive results of the others. Interest paid to a group company in respect of the acquisition of shares in Dutch operating companies cannot be set off against the profit of these operating companies. Regime for investment funds: provided that all current income is distributed to shareholders and a number of other conditions are met, an  investment company or fund is entitled to add capital gains on securities and real property to a reinvestment reserve and to a rate of nil per cent on the remaining profit.

Benefits of Canadas Plastic Currency

Benefits of Canadas Plastic Currency Canada is trading in its paper currency for plastic. No, not credit cards, actual plastic money. Sometime late in 2011, the Bank of Canada replaced the nations traditional cotton-and-paper bank notes with currency made from a synthetic polymer. Canada purchases its plastic money from a company in Australia, one of nearly two dozen countries where a plastic currency is already in circulation. New Imagery for New Currency The first polymer-made currency released was the $100 bill, released in 2011 and adorned by the 8th Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden.The new $50 and $20 bills followed in 2012, the latter featuring Queen Elizabeth II. The $10 and $5 bills were released in 2013. Beyond the figurehead, the bills feature a number of interesting design elements. These include an astronaut, the research icebreaker ship CCGS Amundsen, and the word Arctic spelled out in Inuktitut, an indigenous language. Scientific research and innovation are especially well represented on the $100 bill, with depictions of a researcher sitting at a microscope, a vial of insulin, a DNA strand, and an electrocardiogram printout, commemorating the invention of the pacemaker. Practical Benefits of Plastic Currency Plastic money lasts anywhere from two to five times longer than paper money and performs better in vending machines. And, unlike paper currency, plastic money doesnt shed tiny bits of ink and dust that can disable ATMs by confusing their optical readers. Polymer bills are much more complicated to counterfeit. They include a number of security features including difficult-to-copy transparent windows, hidden numbers, metallic holograms, and text printed in a minuscule font. Plastic money also stays cleaner and becomes less grubby than paper money, because the non-porous surface doesnt absorb perspiration, body oils, or liquids. In fact, the plastic money is virtually waterproof, so the bills wont be ruined if they are left in a pocket by mistake and end up in the washing machine. Actually, plastic money can take a lot of abuse. You can bend and twist plastic currency without damaging it. The new plastic money is also less likely to spread disease because its harder for bacteria to cling to the slick, non-absorbent surface. Canada will also pay less for its new plastic money. While the plastic bank notes cost more to print than their paper equivalents, their longer life means Canada will end up printing far fewer bills and save a substantial amount of, well, money in the long run. Environmental Benefits All in all, it looks like plastic money is good for the government and good for consumers. Even the environment could end up cashing in on the trend toward plastic currency. It turns out plastic money can be recycled and used to manufacture other plastic products such as compost bins and plumbing fixtures. A life-cycle assessment commissioned by the Bank of Canada determined that over their entire life cycle, the polymer bills are responsible for 32% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and 30% reduction in energy need. Yet, the benefits of recycling are not exclusive to plastic money. For the past several years, various companies have been recycling worn-out paper currency and using the recycled material in products ranging from pencils and coffee mugs to, ironically  and  appropriately, piggy banks.

Obsidian - Volcanic Glass Prized for Stone Tool Making

Obsidian - Volcanic Glass Prized for Stone Tool Making The volcanic glass called obsidian was highly prized in prehistory where ever it was found. The glassy material comes in a range of colors from black to green to bright orange, and it is found everywhere rhyolite-rich volcanic deposits are found. Most obsidian is a deep rich black, but, for example, pachuca obsidian, from a source in Hidalgo and distributed throughout Mesoamerica during the Aztec period, is a translucent green color with a golden yellow sheen to it. Pico de Orizaba, from a source in southeastern Puebla is almost completely colorless. Obsidian Qualities The qualities that made obsidian a favorite trade item are its shiny beauty, its easily worked fine texture, and the sharpness of its flaked edges. Archaeologists are fond of it because of obsidian hydration-a relatively secure (and relatively low cost) way to date the period an obsidian tool was last flaked. Sourcing obsidianthat is to say, discovering where the raw stone from a particular obsidian artifact came fromis typically conducted through trace element analysis. Although obsidian is always made up of volcanic rhyolite, each deposit has slightly different amounts of trace elements in it. Scholars identify the chemical fingerprint of each deposit through such methods as X-ray fluorescence or neutron activation analysis  and then compare that to what is found in an obsidian artifact. Alca Obsidian Alca is  a type of obsidian that is  solid and banded black, gray, maroon brown and bottled black maroon brown, that is found in volcanic deposits in the Andes mountains between 3700-5165 meters (12,140-16,945 feet) above sea level. The largest known concentrations of Alca are at the east rim of the Cotahuasi Canyon and in the Pucuncho basin. The Alca sources are among the most extensive sources of obsidian in South America; only the Laguna de Maule source in Chile and Argentina has comparable exposure.   Three types of Alca, Alca-1, Alca-5 and Alca-7, outcrop on the alluvial fans of the Pucuncho basin. These cannot be discerned with the naked eye, but they can be identified on the basis of geochemical characteristics, identified through ED-XRF and NAA (Rademaker et al. 2013). Stone tool workshops at the sources in the Pucuncho basin have been dated to the Terminal Pleistoceneand stone tools dated to the same 10,000-13,000 year range have been discovered at Quebrada Jaguay on the coast of Peru. Sources For information on dating obsidian ,  see the article on obsidian hydration. See the History of Glass Making, if thats what interests you. For more rock science on the substance, see the geology entry for obsidian. For the heck of it, try the Obsidian Trivia Quiz. Freter A. 1993. Obsidian-hydration dating: Its past, present, and future application in Mesoamerica. Ancient Mesoamerica 4:285-303. Graves MW, and Ladefoged TN. 1991. The disparity between radiocarbon and volcanic glass dates: New evidence from the island of Lanai, Hawaii. Archaeology in Oceania 26:70-77. Hatch JW, Michels JW, Stevenson CM, Scheetz BE, and Geidel RA. 1990. Hopewell obsidian studies: Behavioral implications of recent sourcing and dating research. American Antiquity 55(3):461-479. Hughes RE, Kay M, and Green TJ. 2002. Geochemical and Microwear Analysis of an Obsidian Artifact from the Brown Bluff Site (3WA10), Arkansas. Plains Anthropologist 46(179). Khalidi L, Oppenheimer C, Gratuze B, Boucetta S, Sanabani A, and al-Mosabi A. 2010. Obsidian sources in highland Yemen and their relevance to archaeological research in the Red Sea region. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(9):2332-2345. Kuzmin YV, Speakman RJ, Glascock MD, Popov VK, Grebennikov AV, Dikova MA, and Ptashinsky AV. 2008. Obsidian use at the Ushki Lake complex, Kamchatka Peninsula (Northeastern Siberia): implications for terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene human migrations in Beringia. Journal of Archaeological Science 35(8):2179-2187. Liritzis I, Diakostamatiou M, Stevenson C, Novak S, and Abdelrehim I. 2004. Dating of hydrated obsidian surfaces by SIMS-SS. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 261(1):51–60. Luglie C, Le Bourdonnec F-X, Poupeau G, Atzeni E, Dubernet S, Moretto P, and Serani L. 2006. Early Neolithic obsidians in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean): the Su Carroppu case. Journal of Archaeological Science 34(3):428-439. Millhauser JK, Rodrà ­guez-Alegrà ­a E, and Glascock MD. 2011. Testing the accuracy of portable X-ray fluorescence to study Aztec and Colonial obsidian supply at Xaltocan, Mexico. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(11):3141-3152. Moholy-Nagy H, and Nelson FW. 1990. New data on sources of obsidian artifacts from Tikal, Guatemala. Ancient Mesoamerica 1:71-80. Negash A, Shackley MS, and Alene M. 2006. Source provenance of obsidian artifacts from the Early Stone Age (ESA) site of Melka Konture, Ethiopia. Journal of Archaeological Science 33:1647-1650. Peterson J, Mitchell DR, and Shackley MS. 1997. The social and economic contexts of lithic procureent: obsidian from classic-period Hohokam sites. American Antiquity 62(2):213-259. Rademaker K, Glascock MD, Kaiser B, Gibson D, Lux DR, and Yates MG. 2013. Multi-technique geochemical characterization of the Alca obsidian source, Peruvian Andes. Geology 41(7):779-782. Shackley MS. 1995. Sources of archaeological obsidian in the Greater American southwest: An update and quantitative analysis. American Antiquity 60(3):531-551. Spence MW. 1996. Commodity or gift: Teotihuacan obsidian in the Maya region. Latin American Antiquity 7(1):21-39. Stoltman JB, and Hughes RE. 2004. Obsidian in Early Woodland Contexts in the Upper Mississippi Valley. American Antiquity 69(4):751-760. Summerhayes GR. 2009. Obsidian network patterns in Melanesia: Sources, characterisation, and distribution. IPPA Bulletin 29:109-123. Also Known As: Volcanic glass Examples: Teotihuacan and Catal Hoyuk are just two of the sites where obsidian was clearly considered an important stone resource.

Population growth and the degradation of the environment Essay

Population growth and the degradation of the environment - Essay Example In our case this is because the relationship between human population growth and wildlife extinctions is not always direct. We are a species with an insatiable appetite for resources, and we sometimes use them irresponsibly. Thus, it could be argued, what we do and how we survive may be more important to our impact on other species than the simple effect of our great numbers. Thus we need solid evidence to establish that, over the broad sweep of time, there is a close tie between the simple count of people on the planet and the diminishing count of other species. In other words, the impact of our large population would be great even if we were to behave differently. If there is such a link, then it is particularly frightening, for there are now over six billion people on the planet. Nature has been "comparatively sparing" in the space and resources necessary to support both wildlife and a human population. Malthus was the economist who warned us in 1798 that the human population would grow more quickly than the resources necessary to sustain it. Now I know that Malthus and his ideas have been much maligned over the years by optimists who see no problem with human population growth. Thus in 1998, the two hundredth anniversary of his publication went almost without notice. The following year, the milestone number of A.D. 2000 got much more press than another milestone number: six billion, the number the human population reached sometime midway through the year. Granted, both are arbitrary numbers. But to a few of us concerned scientists, the population milestone was far more frightening than the computer glitches predicted for "Y2K." Y2K had almost no effect; the six billion figure has a lasting and growing impact. Yet few people noticed the milestone, and even f ewer cared. Human population growth is outstripping resources, especially as it relates to the sustainability of earth's biodiversity. As Ohio novelist and conservationist Louis Bromfield put it in 1947, "The bitter truth is that we are having our noses rubbed in Malthusian theory." It is even truer today than it was then, for our population Human population growth is outstripping resources, especially as it relates to the sustainability of earth's biodiversity. As Ohio novelist and conservationist Louis Bromfield put it in 1947, "The bitter truth is that we are having our noses rubbed in Malthusian theory". It is even truer today than it was then, for our population size has since doubled. Many of the world's population live in poor countries already strained by food insecurity; inadequate sanitation, water supplies and housing; and an inability to meet the basic needs of the current population. These same countries are also among the fastest growing places in the world. A large proportion of these populations are supported through subsistence agriculture. As populations grow, competition for fertile land and the use of limited resources increases. The people living in these countries are also moving toward a greater standard of living, perhaps matching the lifestyles of the more developed countries whose current consumption patterns and resource use are not necessarily sustainable. Quite simply, if we want to conserve biodiversity on earth, the most important conservation measure we can take is to slow or halt the growth of the human population. Frankly, a reduction in numbers from six billion may even be desirable. Now

Lesson Plan 8 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lesson Plan 8 - Assignment Example Once they are finished pasting the pictures on the cardboards, they will be arranging themselves in a line by page numbers and presenting their â€Å"story†. 9:12 – Students should present their picture storybook to the class. They should form a line in front according to the page numbers. Each student must give his/her own sentence to the page he/she is holding to complete the story. There are 16 pictures in the story. 9:35 – When they are finished, they should go back to their seats. Teacher will bind the students’ story book with a yarn. Teacher will ask students what is different or same with the Teacher’s story & their picture story book. In class Assessment: The students will arrange themselves in a line and re-tell the 3 Little Pigs’ story by giving their own sentences for the pictures they are holding. Teacher will assess if students are able to re-tell the story by the sentences they will give to the pictures. Homework: A picture of a house is pasted on their notebooks with this sentence â€Å"This pig made a house of _________†. Students are asked to finish the sentence. They should write the material they want for the pigs house. They should also draw the material they want on the house and color if they